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the-lying-heavens · 1 month ago

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"Fragments of Time"

Maze Runner Time travel AU, Newtmas

Masterlist

Based on this post

Summary: Newt finds himself transported to the ruins of the Last City in the future, where he reunites with Thomas and the others. But someone follows him to this other dimension, someone who has sworn to put an end to the Safe Haven.

Warnings: Themes of grief and loss, references to the Flare and infection, mild violence, fluff (let me know if there's anything else)

Word Count: 2.3k words

A/N: this is gonna have to have a part two- This also might not be 100% accurate to the post or what they had in mind but I tried my best. Some of this might be inaccurate in the series in general! I tried combining the books and movies somewhat.

One moment, he was in the Last City, worrying about the Flare overtaking him; the next, he stood amidst the ruins of the same city where he had been infected.

Newt looked around, dazed. He was almost sure this was the Last City, but how could this just happen?

Newt stumbled through the debris, trying to take it all in. The skyline of the Last City was unrecognizable, with shattered buildings dotting the landscape like ghosts. He tightened his grip on a makeshift weapon, a rusted pipe he found, and tried to steady his breathing.

He could still feel the Flare in him. It was like a physical thing. Worms swimming through his veins and into his organs slowly but oh so surely, but he could fight it. He knew he could.

As he moved cautiously, the soft scuffle of his footfalls echoed off the crumbling concrete. Suddenly, he heard a noise—something that sounded like a low growl, followed by a shuffle.

Crank.

He quickly ducked behind a fallen wall, sweat trickling down his brow.

But before he could gather his thoughts, he bumped into a neon sign buzzing faintly on the ground with his bad leg.

"Shuck," he swore quietly. Panic surged through him as he struggled to regain his footing, but it was too late.

The sound of footsteps grew closer, and Newt's heart pounded in his ears. He held his breath, hoping that whoever—or whatever—it was wouldn't find him. He couldn't fight a Crank with a shucking pipe.

Just as he thought he might escape, a figure rounded the corner. It was a tall silhouette, moving cautiously, scanning the surroundings. He held the pipe tightly. He could try.

"Who's there?" a very familiar voice shouted, echoing in the desolate space.

Tommy?

"Come out or I'll shoot!" Thomas yelled.

"Don't shoot!" Newt yelled back, dropping his weapon and stepping out into Thomas's line of sight.

The first thing he saw was the launcher pointed at his face. "Don't move!"

"It's me! It's Newt!"

"Newt?"

"Yeah, it's me," Newt replied, stepping cautiously into view, hands raised to in surrender. "I don't know how I got here, but—"

Thomas lowered his weapon. His hair was tousled, and there was a smudge of dirt across his cheek, but the familiar intensity in his gaze remained unchanged. He wore a makeshift vest, frayed at the edges, and his shirt was slightly torn.

Oh shucking hell, that was not something Newt should be focusing on right now—

"Wait, hold on!" Thomas interrupted, shaking his head as if trying to dispel the illusion. "You were... you were gone."

"One moment I'm in the WICKED headquarters, and then—" He gestured to the ruins around them. "I'm here. I don't understand it either!"

Thomas's grip on the weapon faltered, confusion evident on his face. "This can't be real. How can you just show up like this? It's impossible!"

Newt took a hesitant step forward. "I'm here, Tommy."

Their eyes locked, and the world around them faded. "How...? I thought I'd never see you again."

"What do you mean?" Newt asked. "What happened?"

Thomas swallowed hard. "You—you died."

The blonde boy frowned. "What?"

"The Flare—I—I had to—" He swallowed again.

"Thomas, what do you mean?" Newt's voice wavered. "I'm here. I can't be dead if I'm standing right in front of you."

Thomas's expression shifted. "You were gone, Newt. I watched you... You were infected, and then..." Thomas's eyes widened.

"We need to get back to Safe Haven."

"Safe Haven?" Newt asked, still trying to process everything.

"It's not far from here," Thomas said firmly.

"Right," Newt said, exhaling. "Lead the way."

He wasn't sure what was going on but he trusted Thomas. He always would.

------------

The first place Thomas led Newt was a Med tent. There were two of them, one on the outskirts of Safe Haven and one in the middle of it, just in case.

Brenda was there, turning to greet Thomas when her eyes landed on Newt. "What—"

"The cure! Now!"

Brenda stuttered before obeying quickly, getting a syringe filled with a blue liquid.

"Cure?" Newt looked between them, eyes wide, "You found a cure for the Flare?"

Seeing Newt again felt impossible. It was impossible. He was supposed to be dead. Thomas killed him. Newt begged him to.

But he was standing right in front of him. And he could finally finally save him.

Brenda basically stabbed Newt with the needle, and he flinched.

Brenda stared at him. "How?"

Thomas also stared. "Great question."

Newt cleared his throat. "I agree with that."

"I mean WICKED has to do something with—"

"WICKED is gone," Thomas said plainly.

Newt frowned. "It is? We did it? Can someone tell me what's going on!?"

"From the past...?" Brenda muttered in awe. "Is that even possible?"

"Might as well be," Thomas said, "Would it really be that surprising?"

Brenda shook his head. "No. I guess not."

Thomas didn't want to know how Newt got here. Not if there was even the smallest possibility it would take Newt away from him again.

------------

Minho was the first one who saw Newt but the last one to approach him. Newt felt his eyes on him as everyone else rushed toward him, their voices overlapping in a flurry of excitement and disbelief.

Minho remained at a distance, his arms crossed tightly, a mixture of hope and caution on his face.

Thomas walked up to him and started talking to him quietly. Not once did Minho look away from Newt.

"Is it really you?" Minho finally called out, breaking his silence but still staying put.

"It's me," Newt replied, taking a cautious step forward.

A flicker of relief crossed Minho's face, but his eyes still searched Newt's, looking for any signs of the Flare or a trick. "You sure? You look... different."

"I'm okay. I promise."

Minho unfolded his arms slowly, still hesitant. "You don't look okay, shank. You look like you've seen hell."

"Maybe I have," Newt said, "But I'm here. That counts for something, right?"

Minho's resolve broke, and he pulled Newt into a suffocating hug. "Don't you dare leave us again," he murmured into Newt's shoulder.

Newt hugged him back just as hard. "I won't. Not if I have anything to say about it."

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Janson blinked as he regained consciousness. Disoriented, he realized he was sprawled on the cold concrete. The Last City stretched around him, a shadow of its old self, with crumbling buildings and debris everywhere.

He pushed himself to his feet, brushing dust off his clothes. Confusion settled in—how had he ended up here?

"What the fuck?" he muttered. He needed to find out what happened and where everyone was.

As he stepped forward, he heard a faint shuffle in the distance. Janson froze, instincts kicking in. He quickly scanned the area, searching for any sign of life—or danger.

A Crank stumbled into view, its eyes wild and unsteady. Janson's stomach dropped. He had faced enough of these creatures to know how dangerous they could be.

He held his breath, waiting for the right moment. The Crank shuffled closer, muttering incoherently. Janson picked up a sharp, rusted piece of metal, ready to defend himself.

As the Crank turned its back, Janson saw his chance. He dashed out from his hiding place and swung the metal shard with all his strength. It connected, and the Crank collapsed, but the sound echoed in the desolation, alerting others.

"Shit!" he hissed, scanning for more Cranks. He needed to move quickly.

He sprinted through the wreckage, searching for shelter, a place to regroup and plan.

Ahead, a flicker of light caught his eye—a neon sign half-buried in debris. Janson picked up his pace, hoping it was some form of refuge. As he approached, he realized it was an old convenience store, its entrance partially blocked but he would still be able to get close.

He squeezed through the gap, the faint light illuminating the interior. Inside, Janson quickly searched for anything useful. He needed to find a way to defend himself if more Cranks came.

He rummaged through the wreckage, finding a sturdy crowbar. It felt solid in his hands. Just as he was about to exit, he heard a noise—a low growl echoing from outside.

The Cranks were close.

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Newt sat around the fire with his friends now. They told him everything—their struggles, their victories, and how they created Safe Haven. The warmth of the flames provided a comforting glow as they reminisced.

After the topic turned much more light-hearted, Thomas animatedly recounted a particularly close encounter with a Crank, gesturing wildly. "And I swear, I thought we were done for! But Minho—"

"Yeah, yeah," Minho waved him off. "I'm just trying not to get us all killed."

Across the fire, Brenda chimed in. "You all are lucky to survive that. I'd take a different route altogether."

"Yeah, but your routes usually involve explosions," Thomas teased, earning a playful glare from her.

"Explosions are effective," she shot back.

Frypan, who prepared food, looked up with a smirk. "Just don't ask her to cook anything."

"Hey!" Brenda protested. "I can cook!"

"Just not without a few fireworks," Frypan said, shaking his head.

Newt leaned back. "You all really did it, didn't you? Build something good."

"Yeah, we did," Thomas replied, a proud smile on his face. "It's not perfect, but it's ours."

"And it's pretty shucking cool," Minho added.

"It is," Newt admitted.

Conversation drifted from here and there as Newt tried his best to focus on his friends, yet his thoughts went to Thomas. Unsurprisingly.

The way Thomas recounted adventures made Newt's heart flutter. It was as if the firelight cast a halo around him, illuminating his face. Newt found himself captivated, his gaze lingering on Thomas's expressive hands as they gestured.

Thomas's laughter resonated with him long after it faded, how the intensity of their struggles drew them closer together. And now, with the weight of everything they faced, Newt felt an overwhelming urge to bridge the gap between them, to speak what had been left unspoken.

"Hey, Newt!" Brenda called, pulling him from his reverie. "You in there?"

"Yeah, sorry," he replied, forcing a smile. "Just...glad to be here."

But he wanted to say more. He wanted to reach across the fire and take Tommy's hand, to share the truth of what he felt, but the words felt stuck in his throat.

Newt stood up, unable to shake the restless energy in his chest. He needed a moment to breathe, to think. He muttered some excuse and slipped away, the sounds of his friends fading behind him as he navigated Safe Haven.

The garden was quiet. Newt wandered among the rows, trying to sort through his feelings. The chaos of everything—the Flare, the memories, and now this inexplicable time shift—was too much to process.

He leaned against a weathered fence, closing his eyes, letting the cool night air wash over him. But just as he began to feel a sense of calm, he heard footsteps approaching.

"Newt?" Thomas's voice cut through the quiet, and Newt turned to see him standing just a few feet away, concern etched across his features.

"I just need some air," Newt said, trying to sound casual.

"Mind if I join you?" Thomas asked, taking a step closer.

"Not at all," Newt replied, giving him a small smile.

They stood in silence for a moment. Finally, Thomas broke it, his voice soft. "I've missed you, you know."

"Did you?" he smiled at the thought, then felt guilty at it. Thomas and his friends had grieved him.

"Yeah..."Thomas took a deep breath, his expression shifting to something more serious. "I thought I'd lost you for good. When you... when I had to..." He paused, "I didn't realize how much I loved you until it was too late."

Newt's breath caught in his throat. "You love me?"

"Of course I do," Thomas said, "But I'm scared. I don't want to admit it, not when we're fighting for survival, and not when I thought you were gone forever."

Newt blinked, trying to process this revelation. "I thought... I thought I was the only one."

He looked dumbfounded. "What?"

Newt laughed quietly. "Since you were a Greenbean, Tommy."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh."

Thomas's eyes widened in surprise, and a soft laugh escaped his lips. "Seriously? I had no idea!"

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly vocal about it," Newt admitted. "I thought you'd never feel the same."

"I spent so much time worried about what would happen if I said anything," Thomas confessed, his gaze steady on Newt's. "But it sounds like we were both scared."

They stood in silence for a moment, taking in the quiet of the garden.

"We should get back, shouldn't we?" Thomas said, breaking the silence. Again.

"We probably should," Newt confirmed.

Despite this, they didn't move. Both of them waited. For something.

"Shuck it," Thomas muttered.

In an instant, the distance between them disappeared. Thomas leaned in, their lips brushing softly at first as if testing the waters. Newt's heart soared, and he deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Thomas's waist.

------------

Janson had to keep moving.

He shifted and listened for any sounds of danger. The low growls of Cranks echoed in the distance. He wasn’t safe yet.

“Focus,” he muttered to himself. He needed a plan. His mind raced back to the last moments he could remember—fighting the goddamn children. The last he remembered, he had been with Theresa. How did he end up here?

The growling grew louder. His instincts kicked in, and he crouched behind fallen debris. He held his breath as a Crank stumbled into view, eyes wild and unfocused. It was close—too close.

He gripped the crowbar tighter, waiting for the right moment. Then swung hard, connecting with a sickening thud. The Crank collapsed, but more sounds of them echoed.

He scrambled to his feet, pushing forward, a single thought guiding him: survive. He’d find a way to escape this hellhole, and then he’d find them.

They were out there somewhere, and he would search this city and every inch of the scorched earth until he found them.

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pinkeoni · 1 year ago

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Figuring Out Lonnie’s Whole Deal

(Or, assembling a timeline of pre-show events inspired by a culmination of theories centering around one Lonnie Byers)

After spending much time deliberating and theorizing, I’ve come to what I believe is a solid timeline of events relating to Lonnie Byers grounded in evidence from the show.

Now I don’t have all of the pieces, but also if I had all of the pieces then I wouldn’t need to be theorizing in the first place. Still, I’m fairly confident in my assessment. Maybe it would be wise of me to wait for The First Shadow to come out to give me more information, but for all intents and purposes of this I will only be looking at evidence within the text of the show. So no cast or crew comments, no supplemental materials, and as much as I love it, no speculation regarding TFS. Still, I think the show has enough evidence to support my assertion.

Things to establish:

A lot of what I’m about to talk about comes from a basis of these three things—

1. Will and El’s storylines mirror each other, which I charted out here. Their stories share a lot of differences, and a lot of similarities.

2. Powers are being used in this show to explore themes of sexuality through a sci-fi/supernatural lens. I talk about this in length here, but tl;dr El’s powers are used to explore the exploitation and reclamation of female sexuality, and Will’s powers are being used to show the demonization and repression of homosexuality.

3. Oh yeah, and Will has powers, by the way.

Surface Level Information We Are Given About Lonnie Byers:

It might be best to have a refresher of what we know about Lonnie Byers. Most of this comes from season one and all of it is displayed directly to the audience—

Lonnie is the absentee father of Jonathan and Will and ex-husband of Joyce

He left his family at an unspecified date that led Jonathan and Will to build Castle Byers the night of

He currently lives in Indianapolis

He used to call Will homophobic slurs

Joyce once argued with him about not showing up to a visitation with Will

Jonathan and Joyce do not speak of him fondly. Will’s feelings are unclear but seem positive “It’s fun to go with him sometimes”

Expressed interest in wanting to see Jonathan more

Referred to Joyce as “babe” despite being apart and having another girlfriend

Did not take Joyce’s calls to his house

Doubted Joyce, took down her Christmas lights and tried to repair the hole in the wall

Has unspecified debts

Likes to fix cars

Doesn’t like cops

Tried to use his “dead” son for lawsuit money

Was kicked out by Joyce and hasn’t been seen on screen since

Things to glean from just below the surface:

The following are things that are not stated directly, but can be easily inferred from clues given in show—

Lonnie is likely an alcoholic, shown through an abundance of beer bottles littering his house. Even if he splits it between him and his tiny girlfriend, it’s still an absurd amount of beer for two people. It’s possible he may have other addictions as well.

Lonnie was likely physically abusive towards Jonathan given his “You’ve gotten stronger” comment in the house. It’s possible that the extent of his abuse could stretch far beyond that for both Jon and Will.

Will likely used to hide from his dad. Jonathan and Will built Castle Byers the night he left, which Jonathan remarks that Will likes to hide in. Not to mention the “he’s good at hiding” comment.

The rest of this post is going to be much more speculative, but it’s all speculation that is grounded in what we see on and just below the surface.

Theory #1) Lonnie was involved with MK-ULTRA

This was an idea that I tossed around a while ago, that after spending time with and finding new evidence I’ve now grown more confident in.

Most of this confidence comes from this conversation between Becky and Jopper. Becky tells Hop that him and Terry would have gotten along, as Terry didn’t like authority or the government— “The Man , with a big capital M.” (which is ironic given Hopper is a cop)

When discussing who was involved with MK-ULTRA, Becky mentions “people like [Terry]”

So people like Terry, who maybe don’t like authority as was just mentioned?

It seems as though the Byers have always been down on their luck in terms of finance. Would it be hard to believe that, especially given the close proximity of the lab to the Byers house and Lonnie's willingness to get money in the show, Lonnie might have partaken in a paid study in the past? ("You were in it for the money!")

Above I mentioned the implication that Lonnie is an alcoholic. If he was involved with a study involving hard drugs, could he have developed addiction problems through the program? Furthermore, wouldn't it also make sense for Lonnie to gain a mistrust of authority after being taken advantage of by the government?

In my initial post about it I discuss how this could be foreshadowed through Hopper’s past as well. Hopper was involved with something government related that required chemicals, something that ended up affecting his child.

Theory #2) Lonnie was working with the lab during season one

Another part of proving Lonnie’s MK-ULTRA involvement is his connection with the lab. Everything that I’m about to list could align perfectly with Lonnie simply just being a shitty ex and father, but everything that I’m about to list could also align perfectly with the idea that Lonnie was working with the lab against Joyce the entire season.

1) Lonnie’s fishiness with Joyce’s phone call

I’ve already made an entire post about this here but I’ll recap all of the important bits.

Right before we see Joyce call Lonnie in the first episode, we are shown the lab spying on her conversation explicitly. Joyce is then sent to voicemail, which given the ordering of scenes makes me wonder if the lab purposefully intercepted her call.

Joyce also never actually talks to Lonnie on the phone. Cynthia picks up until their call is disconnected, which could have been Cynthia but also could have been the lab interfering again.

When Jonathan confronts Lonnie about not returning Joyce’s call, he kind of shrugs off his answer.

Why the hesitancy at first, Lonnie?

Lonnie tells Jonathan that he’s talked to police, which is likely, but then adds a comment that makes me question if he talked to any Hawkins cops at all.

Why do you need to ask if Hopper is chief, if Hawkins police came to question you, Lonnie?

2) The timing of Lonnie showing up in Hawkins

Even after being told this his own son is missing, Lonnie does not show up in town until after—

Will’s “body” is found in the quarry

Joyce refuses to sign off on the fake body

Joyce actually speaks to and is able to see Will through the hole in the wall

The next time we see Joyce is when Lonnie pulls up that night at the Byers house. Here is what Lonnie does while he’s there:

Tells Joyce that Will is in her head

Tell Jonathan not to feed into Joyce’s “delusions”

Takes down the Xmas lights that Joyce was using to talk to Will

Covers the hole in the wall that Joyce saw Will through

Unsuccessfully tries to convince Joyce to use Will’s "death" for money

All of these actions align perfectly with Lonnie’s character, do you also see how it also aligns perfectly with Lonnie trying to purposefully cover up the truth?

We don’t see Joyce call Lonnie to come over and I highly doubt that Jonathan asked him to come. Granted, Lonnie was most likely notified by police of Will’s death, why not come right away? Why wait until after Joyce refuses to believe that it’s Will’s body and after she actually sees Will alive in her walls?

Remember that the lab had likely bugged her house as well, given the scene where Hop finds a bug in his cabin.

Think about the timing of when the lab decided to place Will’s body in the quarry and have it found, something that we know for a fact was their doing. This comes after Joyce had discovered the ability to talk to Will through the lights and right after the writing on the wall scene, when Joyce was coming closer to the truth.

If a lab personnel showed up at the Byers, took down the lights and hammered over the wall, that would obviously draw a lot of suspicion towards them. But if the lab could get someone on the inside to do it, perhaps an ex-spouse that can be easily manipulated with cash and already had connections to them, that wouldn’t raise an eyebrow.

That’s also where the lawsuit comes in. If the lab is paying off Lonnie and his family, they can’t just give them the a ton of cash directly, it would likely have to go through a third party under the guise of something else, like a legal suit. I’m willing to bet all my money that the suit Lonnie wanted to file on the Sattlers was just another cover from the lab.

Theory #3) Lonnie was trying to hand Will over to the lab

Another note about Terry, if Will and El are mirrors then Lonnie and Terry may possibly be mirrors, too. If Terry was desperate to get El out of the lab then maybe Lonnie was desperate to get Will into the lab. Also the difference between Terry's daughter being taken from her/Lonnie voluntarily leaving his own son.

Something we know about Lonnie Byers— he was homophobic towards Will and did not want to visit him after he had left.

Something else we know about Lonnie Byers— he likes to fix cars.

We have confirmation that Lonnie was trying to “fix” Will, at least in a less aggressive manner, by taking him to baseball games. Jonathan says explicitly, “He’s trying to force you to like normal things.” This line is so incredibly loaded, what Jonathan is saying below the surface is "He's trying to force you to like girls."

The above scene is in the same episode where Jonathan goes to Lonnie’s Indianapolis house, and we get a line from Lonnie about him fixing up a car.

Yes, Will is being compared to a car. Lonnie wants to fix him.

And remember, Will has powers, and powers are being used as a way to explore sexuality.

So given Lonnie’s connection with the lab from MK-ULTRA as expressed before, along with Lonnie’s hatred of Will and homophobia, along along with powers as a metaphor for Will's queerness, it leads me to believe that Lonnie was trying to cure Will of his powers through the lab. This would essentially be the supernatural version of gay conversion therapy.

I want to talk about the word “mistake”

This word is so potent and really sticks out because we haven’t really seen it used in this way on the show before. The writers could have had Will say “monster” to relate to El's arc, or they could have had him say “freak” which would not only relate to Eddie but is something that Will has called himself in the past. But instead they decide to give him a new word that is different from the labels other characters give themselves.

The word mistake is unique to Will.

What do you do with mistakes? You fix them.

I have a lot of fun with Will-being-a-lab-kid theories, and nothing but absolute love to those who make them, but after doing a lot of my own thinking I’ve since come to the conclusion that Will didn’t grow up in the lab at all, but Lonnie was making an unsuccessful effort to ship Will to the lab. Part of El and Will’s narrative mirroring is Will coming from a normal background while El does not.

Which isn’t to say that the lab didn’t want Will, I think they very much did. I’ve seen the take that Lonnie tried to hand Will to the lab but he didn’t display powers at the time so they wouldn’t take him. But do you really think that that would stop them from wanting him anyway, especially if the boys father was giving him to them willingly? Do you really think that Martin “you wouldn’t stop” Brenner was gonna turn down another child? That someone was willing to give to him?

So then, if Lonnie was willing to give Will to the lab and the lab was willing to take him, what was stopping them?

For starters, I’m guessing that the process involved in receiving a new test subject, especially one that wasn’t born into the lab, would take patience. They can’t just nab Will off the street. They would probably have to surveil things for a while, gain intel from Lonnie, and come up with a strategy.

A strategy that may involve falsifying an accident, a fake body, and the funneling of money via fake lawsuit?

I’m not saying that the lab was the ones behind Will’s disappearance, at least initially. I think the mothergate opening was completely unpredictable from their end and instead necessitated the plan to be accelerated due to sudden unforeseen circumstances, as well as taking advantage of Will’s presence in the Upside Down to try and take him for themselves.

So why wait until now? If they had an airtight plan, why not act sooner?

Could there have been an incident, perhaps, with the lab, which happened prior to Will’s disappearance, that may have delayed this process?

I’m willing to bet that a mass death event of majority of the test subjects and personnel from the place that Lonnie was trying to send Will to, might be enough to put the brakes on this operation, if not on delay for a few years so they can regroup.

While we’re here, I wanna talk about Will’s similarities to Henry Creel

The comparisons between Henry and Will aren’t something hidden under the layers for only die hard theorists to find, this is something that everyone and their mothers were discussing on twitter. The similarities were noticeable even from casual viewing.

Image via Reddit

We know from his monologue that Henry’s mother knew he had powers and wanted to send him away to a doctor, a doctor that we later learn was actual Papa Brenner.

If Will and Henry are similar, is it possible that their parents wanted similar things? The main difference being that Will actually did evade Dr. Brenner.

Furthermore, is it possible that Will has powers similar to One’s and that the lab could have been knowledgeable of this? If that is the case, it may stand to reason that they might be hesitant to bring in someone with similar abilities to the guy who just killed a bunch of people.

I used to think that Will and Henry had to have completely different sets of powers, and while I do think that Will may have abilities unique to himself, given how they are compared I do think that Will may have similar powers to him. In fact, we may have already seen Will display a traveling into the mind ability in season one.

Theory #3.5) Lonnie’s departure correlates with the Hawkins Lab massacre

If Lonnie was desperate to get rid of the son he hates, and then was told that there was an unexpected delay, it would make sense for him to give up and leave town.

There’s been comments from cast and crew in the past regarding when exactly Lonnie left, but it’s never been confirmed in show.

Evidence for why I think it coincides with the massacre actually comes from the shed scene.

Joyce first mentions Will’s eighth birthday, which would have been in March of 1979. The massacre was in September of 1979.

Mentioning his eighth birthday specifically places emphasis on that age. Jonathan then follows Joyce by talking about the night dad left.

We don’t get an exact timeframe or age, but the fact that this follows the story if Will’s eighth birthday does create a correlation with that age. We then switch timeframes when Mike brings up kindergarten.

Think about it, if their dad had left when Will was eight, bringing up his age again would be redundant because Joyce just mentioned it. Mike mentions kindergarten to let us know that this is a different time and age that we’re talking about.

Let’s talk about Lonnie’s debts

What exactly these debts are that Joyce brings up is never specified. And it could be anything. Maybe a loan he took out, drug or gambling debts, since nothing is stated it’s all possible. But here’s my take:

Will is Lonnie’s debt. That’s what he owes.

Remember that the exact way that Lonnie was going to pay back these debts was with Will. He is linked with this debt conversation.

It is Joyce who brings up the debt, but since she doesn’t specify there’s a reasonable doubt that she herself doesn’t know the specifics. She could know that Lonnie is indebted to someone but not know what/could have been lied to.

I’m imagining the lab giving Lonnie some kind of advanced payment for Will, with the promise that they’ll eventually have him. It would be a way for the lab to control Lonnie. He now owes them, and the lab expects to collect their debts. Despite the lab and Lonnie having similar goals, there is definitely a power imbalance.

Lonnie does want a family, just not one with Will in it

More thorough post here, but in season one we get indications in Lonnie's dialogue that he does want to be around his family, like expressing interest in seeing Jonathan more and calling Joyce "babe," which seems to contradict him living in another town, or hell even leaving his family at all.

When Joyce gets mad with Lonnie over the phone about not coming to visit, it was specifically a Will visitation day. It's seeming more and more that Lonnie's departure is centered on Will. (Which doesn't take away from any of the potential abuse he hurled at Jonathan or Joyce. He doesn't care about their interests, only his. Furthermore, I'm not placing blame onto Will for Lonnie's absence. That is all Lonnie's doing)

Am I saying that Lonnie has powers?

Well, maybe.

That is something that I’ve been wondering if Lonnie had powers, which granted is something that relied heavily on speculation regarding TFS which I said I wanted to stay away from for this post. Since I don’t have all the pieces yet, I want to consider as many options as possible.

Option A) Lonnie was born with powers, and MK-ULTRA was simply how he became acquainted with the lab/his powers were repressed and MK-ULTRA activated them

Option B) Lonnie received powers from MK-ULTRA and passed it on to Will

Option C) Lonnie was not born with powers nor received powers from MK-ULTRA but it did give him super-powered sperm

May I remind you of Lonnie's comparison to Terry from earlier in the post, and the fact that Terry herself does have powers.

I oftentimes see the theory that Joyce herself has powers, and I myself even theorized that her Aunt Darlene may have had powers. However I'm more inclined to believe that Joyce is a carrier of this gene rather than having powers herself. Most of the evidence used to suggest that she has powers comes from Joyce reacting to what Will is showing her. There's also no indication that Jonathan has any powers.

If Lonnie participated in MK-ULTRA after Jonathan was born, then it could explain why Will would have powers and not Jonathan. Moreover, having both a mother who is a carrier and a father with powers/nuked balls would likely have a higher chance of having a powered child. (That's how genetics work, right? Please forgive me if my science is wrong.)

Notes on Lonnie's character

You'll note that there are multiple times in this post where I acknowledge that I lot of Lonnie's actions are explainable because of his identity as a shitty guy, and maybe that's all this is. However, I want to explain why having this type of character is actually perfect for a reveal like this.

In order to pull off a successful reveal, you have to hide the truth while also giving enough information so it doesn't come out of nowhere. Lonnie's personality allows for the truth to be hidden in plain sight.

Let's say that Lonnie was actually an upstanding man. Jonathan and Joyce both had fond memories of him, but he left in the past for some unknown reason. Lonnie was always a great husband, but for some reason he's doubting Joyce and taking down her Christmas lights even when she asks him not to.

Do you see how that would create a huge plot hole? How season one would feel incomplete? How it would create a giant unanswered question that needs answering?

Why didn't Joyce know about any of this?

Unfortunately we are told pretty explicitly in season one as to why something like this could have been happening under Joyce's nose. We are told in the first episode that Joyce works long hours, leaving early in the morning and not coming home until later in the night. Jonathan is expected to get Will up, make breakfast, and take him to school. My guess is that Lonnie may have been in charge of such tasks when he was still home.

If Lonnie was, say, taking Will to the lab for some preliminary tests or meetings, he could have easily done this while Joyce was at work or while Jonathan was in school.

We even hear from Joyce herself that she hasn't been keeping up with Jonathan, she isn't in the know how with her sons. (This is not me calling Joyce a bad mother btw, this is definitely a symptom of capitalism rather than bad parenting.)

Why doesn't Will say anything?

If Will was being taken to the lab for appointments in the past, wouldn't he say something about it? Especially to El, who grew up in the lab?

Well, there's a chance that Will doesn't remember this.

Longer post here, but we are given a scene in season four where Will expresses not remembering something from his childhood very well.

Which I could write off as Will being too little to remember this small detail, but this is also coming from the same season where we just got an entire plot line about memories from El's past being erased. (El who, as I stated in the beginning, has a storyline that mirrors Will's)

The Final Timeline

Tl;dr, or, the timeline written out chronologically:

Lonnie marries Joyce and has Jonathan. Jonathan is born without powers

Lonnie becomes involved with MK-ULTRA sometime prior to Will's birth as a way to make money

Joyce and Lonnie have Will, who was born with powers

When Will is very young Lonnie knows that he has powers

Lonnie begins taking Will to the lab in hopes of curing him

Lonnie and the lab strike a deal that involve taking Will in exchange for money

There is a plan to take Will involving a fake accident. Lonnie will file a fake lawsuit in order to exchange the money and avoid suspicion

The Hawkins Lab massacre happens and the plan is delayed

Lonnie leaves

Mothergate is opened by El and Will is taken

Upon realizing that Will is in the Upside Down, the plan moves forward with Lonnie in on it

Things don't go as expected and Joyce is on to Will being alive, so the lab asks Lonnie to come home in order to help with coverup

Joyce is infuriated about the lawsuit and kicks Lonnie out

The rest of the season follows as we see on screen and the labs plan unravels, some of the personnel is killed by El and the demogorgon in the school

#lonnie byers #will byers #will byers has powers #tw child abuse #stranger things #stranger things theory #my theory #woof this is another big one #maybe giant posts like these will become my thing #okay the plan is post now but schedule a reblog for the morning to ensure traffic #maybe someday i'll talk about how owens is continuing the surveillance of will #byler #<- target audience

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ordowrites · 9 months ago

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OMG YOU WRITE FOR WANDERER!!

Can you do C, D, J, K, O and V please??

HELLO YES I DO A BELOVED HE IS V SMOOCHABLE EVEN IF HE WOULD DO THE STABBY (it would be worth it)

cw: nsfw, minors dni! some breeding / pregnancy mentions, yandere themes, pet play - ish, GN reader (referred to as partner and pet in this)

(for continuity, I'll just call him Wanderer in this but it can be for any iteration!)

(ask game)

C um - Anything to do with cum, basically

SO here's the fun thing - I like to play around with the idea that he does not actually have a dick, so he doesn't produce semen! (trans!scara propaganda on this blog). However, this lad would be a fun of using dragon dildos - you know those ones that produce fake cum? Yeah, he loves using those. The upside is the fact that he can choose the size, consistency and whatnot.

He does have a slight cum eating fetish, so if his partner has a dick, he takes his time to enjoy it. With partners who have a vagina, he just adores watching it drip from their cunt and shoves it right back in.

(bonus is no surprise kids, but can puppets have children?)

D irty secret - Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs

SO he has a few - this man is kind of an obsessive lover. He is a bit of hyperfixated lover and one who always wants to feel close to the person who has his affections and attention - so he'll steal stuff of theirs. Not to wear, but to have. Maybe even get off to. Whether it's normal clothes, underwear, or just things from his partners house.

(A dirty fantasy of his is that he'd love to keep his lover locked up in a home, so they could never leave him. But is it really a dirty secret if he's expressed it once or twice? But don't worry, he won't do anything to warrant such...actions.)

This likely doesn't qualify but he definitely stalks his partner quite often - only to see how they're doing, of course. Anyone who looks at his partner slightly wrong just seems to go missing.

J ack off - Masturbation headcanon

He doesn't masturbate often - he doesn't really ever feel the desire to. But he loves watching his partner get themselves off. For Scaramouche (or the Wanderer), it's an enjoyable and interesting experience. Often times, this is how sex starts for himself and his partner.

He'll tell them what toys to use, how to use them - sometimes he'll mimic their actions on his own body. If he's feeling particularly spicy and mean, he'll tie his partner up and make them watch as he gets himself off while taunting them.

K ink - One or more of their kinks

For someone who was an experiment for Dottore, Wanderer actually has a small medical kink. Something about the cold metal table, metal bondage, and the complete fear and helplessness.

He also likes choking, marking his partner up with bites where they can't be hidden, and some humiliation.

Also - he'll never quite admit this out loud, but the Wanderer has a fetish for clothed and outdoor sex. Something about breaking rules, nearly being caught, and knowing his partner just can't keep their voice down when they're begging for him to fuck them or for release. Tsk.

O ral - Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.

He actually likes to receive more than give, oddly enough - for someone who doesn't masturbate, he certainly likes to be on the receiving end of oral. There's just something about his partner with their arms bound behind their back, on their knees and in between his legs while they rut against his leg to get themself off. Oh - and add a collar and leash he can pull on, of course.

(he's also very good at giving oral, but oral is a nice reward to give to well behaved pets, you know? they have to ask him nicely for him to consider it, and hell, he'll do it on a whim if he's feeling particularly nice or frisky)

V olume - How loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.

Oh, the Wanderer tries to be as quiet as possible - but in private, he's very noisy. Loud moans, gasps, and grunts. He tends to curse more often, too - especially if he's close to orgasm. Sure, the Wanderer teases his partner for being noisy themself, but the man sure is loud.

#wanderer x reader #wanderer x you #wanderer x y/n #scaramouche x reader #wanderer #genshin impact #mine.txt #headcanons #letters

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spacedoutsheepy · 9 months ago

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For how god damn horny Fromsoft fans are, and eager they are to sexualize literally any female character in their fanart, they sure do love to shit on the only female character who actually explicitly expresses her sexuality, huh?

Like, for real, most previous fromsoft characters have not been all that sexual. I mean, yeah, there have been sexualized designs or framings, but sexuality rarely factors into their stories, lore, or characterization directly. And that's part of the reason why the games have been a breath of fresh air to me, and why it's so fucking frustrating how horny fromsoft fans are for every female character. There is something to be said about how the literal text of Bloodborne is that the Doll is a twisted image of an actual strong and complicated woman made by an old pervert into his fetishized plaything, forcing her into a box in his head where he can control and own her: a perverse and docile servant that can only come to life in his disturbed dreams. That's not subtext, that's just text. As a girl who is made uncomfortable by the male gamers' attitude and sentiments towards women in the franchise, I wonder if the fanbase has ever reflected on this.

"Whoever thinks this is precious must be troubled by severe naivete." -Doll teardrop item description But then we got Fia. Fia is a deathbed companion. In her lore, that means she laid with the dying or the dead so that they could be reborn. And this is reflected in her characterization, which revolves around her intimacy. The first way most players interact with her is intimate, when she invites them to be held. Every element of her character design is dripping with intimacy and sensuality— in how she holds you, in how she whispers, and especially in her item descriptions.

"The fabric itself is soft as silk and thin enough that those embraced can feel every pulse; every bit of her warmth." -Fia's Robe

It's dressed up in fancy contrived Miyazaki writing, but sexuality and sensuality are deeply rooted in her character and her story/questline.

And the fanbase loves to shit on her for it.

I can't count the number of videos or comments I've seen calling anyone who gets her ending a Fia Simp. People call her an e-girl, or refer to the bossfight as Fia's Simps, or joke that it's a questline about getting cucked, and reduce her character to a thought-terminating trope that kills any serious analysis of her character or her themes.

We see constant analysis by the Elden Ring fandom of characters like Radahn, Marika, Ranni, Morgott, and the other major characters, and this is not to belittle that. They are all amazing characters with themes worth exploring. But none for Fia. She's just the e-girl, don't think about it. I've never seen a 40 minute youtube lore video really getting into her characterization or motifs.

It's as though Gamers only want to engage with sexuality when it's something they can force on a woman, rather than explore consensually with one.

#elden ring #fia #fia the deathbed companion #fromsoft #gaming #No Vaati's cute thing about the Duskborn ending doesn't really count #that was about the lore implications of the ending #not her as a character.

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chattegeorgiana · 6 months ago

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｡✴ 🎀 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝐻𝑒𝒶𝓋𝑒𝓃 & 𝐸𝒶𝓇𝓉𝒽: 𝒜 𝒮𝒶𝓈𝓊𝒦𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓃𝒶𝓁𝓎𝓈𝒾𝓈 🎀 ✴｡

⛓️#SasuKarinMonth2024

⛓️Day 1: Soulmates

I posted this initially on Twitter, but since some people couldn’t access it from my Insta story or they don’t have a Twitter account, I was asked to post it on Tumblr too, so here I am.

Copy paste from Twitter cuz I’m too lazy to write again, lol.

Since the SasuKarin month is upon us (back then we held it in July Sasuke’s birthday month), I thought about writing a short analysis where I talk shortly about the symbolism of SasuKarin.

I wanna turn this into a more full fledged analysis sometime, but I think for now it’ll do this way.

I know on Twitter people usually like to discredit Karin due to her tsundere character & the SasuKarin bond due to it being a direct competition to the SS one.

However given how the dices have been thrown, and the ending was set, I think it does no harm to talk about them & shed some light over the mischaracterisation of the two, because boy people love to do it on all sides and weaponise it in their argumentation, instead of objectively looking at it.

To those of you who badmouth Karin and say you like Sasuke, please note at how Sasuke reacts when Suigetsu badmouths her.

Maybe that should make you think twice about it, just sayin🤷‍♀️

Anyway, let’s move to the analysis.

Why I chose to talk about the symbolism of “Heaven & Earth” on Day 1: Soulmates?

Well, because Kishimoto himself decided to do so himself.

Back when editorial meddling due to biased fandom perception wasn’t a thing & Kishimoto was slowly & surely building the story he wanted, we could be witness of the slow burn symbolic development he was building in the story. And that included SasuKarin, the “new Heaven & Earth” like its mentioned in the last page of chapter 347, as he prepares to introduce Karin in the next chapter.

As we know from part 1, that is the symbolism that is represented by NaruSaku, in the very beginning of the series, and while in the beginning this is only used to reference a shinobi’s qualities or lack thereof, later on in the story, Kishimoto doubles its symbolism & slowly sweeps it into the romantic subplot as well.

Remember this highly charged with romantic subtone scene? Well from a symbolical point of view, this scene happens in a very important place charged with a very specific symbolism.

Let’s take a look, shall we?

The whole action happens at the “Heaven & Earth” bridge. So, as we can see, the symbolism as of now has far surpassed its initial stage of being a reference to just a shinobi’s condition. It’s now meant to symbolise the bond & feelings that entertwine the two ppl of that bond.

So when Kishimoto described Sasuke & Karin as the new Heaven & Earth, he delivered that exposition through and through.

Like I showed earlier, Sasuke is very protective of Karin in his own way & doesn’t like when someone badmouths her (which oftentimes is Suigetsu) and Karin does the same, I don’t think it’s necessary for this thread to show once again what we already know, since it’s a very well established character trait.

So yeah, as you can see, the Heaven & Earth symbolism is very prevalent in the story and it just so happens that it’s so with 3 of his most important bonds, which not only fit the Heaven & Earth (or another way to say Yin & Yang) symbolism & thematic, but also others like “when you have someone important to protect, that’s when you become the strongest”: NaruSasu, NaruSaku & SasuKarin.

Kishimoto not only expressed this via the themes & symbolism but also the visual side, as well, since ya know, we’re talking about a visual medium.

Naruto & Sasuke are a foil of each other, the same way Sakura & Karin are & the way NaruSaku is to SasuKarin. Basically these four are each other’s soulmates (I’d argue actually twin flames, but that’s for another time), but since today we’re referencing SasuKarin, I’ll stick to them.

However, it’s impossible to make a reference to one without the other (like Kishi was saying, himself at some point about the story’s development - he can’t write about Naruto without Sasuke or viceversa), given how deeply ingrained into the structural narrative of the story from a thematical & symbolical pov these 4 are.

Just because SasuKarin had a layer of comedy over it due to Karin’s tsundere Tendencies which were also super exaggerated by SP, it doesn’t make the SasuKarin bond ANY LESS special than the other bonds in the series.

I’d argue that in SK’s context (although usually in literature it is about quantity bc that’s how you build development), it’s a great case of QUALITY over quantity. Because yes, quantitively speaking, it has less amount of screentime compared to others.

However Masashi “I forgot to draw this or that” Kishimoto, made a CONSCIOUS effort as to go back to part 1 & find a spot where he could inject Karin into the story, so much so that it doesn’t ruin the structural narrative & neither retcons the story. It just adds a new layer to it.

That speaks VOLUMES of the importance of that move & the overall authorial intent he had for this story in terms of Karin’s character & SasuKarin’s bond.

Credit for the NaruSaku/SasuKarin edit @tsunadesenjuuchiha

#sasukarin #sasukarin symbolism #sasuke uchiha #karin uzumaki #sasukarin month 2024 #skmonth2024 #narusaku #narusaku symbolism

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the-obnoxious-sibling · 4 days ago

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brilliant minds episode feat. SUSAN BAY NIMOY are you kidding me thoughts

ah, a timeskip in the flashbacks! now wolf is an Older Teen who is Different From The Others—at first you think because he’s got his nose in a medical textbook all the time, but then you look at the very heterosexual group of peers he’s distant from and realize that if he didn’t know as a younger teen, he definitely knows by now that he’s gay

“heartbeats,” oh man! a little anachronistic, but it’s a good mood-setting song for this sequence

(i do think dating a member of the family hosting you in a foreign country is a bad move, independent of the risk of period-typical homophobia. obviously not the primary concern for anyone in this scene, ijs.)

and the patient of focus is an elderly woman who has become very sexually active since her husband’s death. her sons finding this “inappropriate” is laughable to me, but i recognize that this is because i’ve heard too many “STDs run rampant in nursing homes because elderly heterosexuals don’t use protection and are rarely monogamous” stories on this cursed website

tangentially related: why tf do the sons think they have any say over what medications their mother takes?? they’ve been involved in the conversations about her health, yeah, but all the procedures and treatments were done with her consent. then the second wolf brings up libido enhancers they come in all “whoa now, we don’t approve of that!” and??? it’s not your call, buddy

all this to say: an episode theme of shame projected by relatives onto “inappropriate” forms of sexuality is a solid choice here.

the patient’s sons wanted their mother to gracefully transition from nonsexual maternal figure to nonsexual grandmaternal figure, never acknowledging her personhood independent of that connection to them and theirs; wolf’s mother wanted to keep him an innocent child, free from the dangers of gay adulthood that she had witnessed in her practice. eternal mother, eternal child, dehumanizing either way. i’m glad both groups seem to have moved on from that way of thinking by end of episode.

wolf thinking his mom said something to scare nichols off, and all she said was “don’t hurt him”?? god, nichols what is wrong with you (affectionate)

wolf and nichols were so cute prior to that moment! that embarrassing early days all over each other eagerness (in your workplace? multiple times?? where your mother also works??? if i didn’t already know wolf was a big risk-taker…), but also being able to tease each other over silly little things like utensil preferences? cute.

and then! “pain is inevitable, but so is joy”? i mean, i disagree—as someone who has been deeply depressed for over half my life, i don’t think joy is inevitable, i think it’s something you have to seek out and grab on to—but damn it’s a good line. (followed by the return of “heartbeats,” aw! falling fast are we, wolf?)

indirect spock reference my beloved! (i mean, with susan as the guest star you gotta, right?)

i am worried about carol’s stalker patient storyline. your husband cheated, went no contact with her, and then she looked you up online and became your patient?? girl. you cannot let this continue! even if she threatens to do something to herself as a result of you removing yourself from her care team! especially then, god damn, are you new? if patients threaten their lives there are steps to take.

also talk to your husband about this, he needs to know girl is escalating

dana’s expression is so delighted when the patient’s two boyfriends come to visit. i love her.

i really do not know how to feel about intern love triangle developments this episode. 1. imo the ericka → jacob feelings came out of nowhere, totally unexplained, and they continue to be presented in the most boring way possible (someone else says something sexual or romantic, cut to a longing look from ericka). 2. the twist at the end was fun but i have no idea what it means. is ericka using van? did she actually have a crush on him the whole time and pretended to pine over jacob to keep van from finding out? does she like both of them?? the messiness is unexpected of ericka, and i could be into it for that reason alone, but i need more info. maybe next episode will provide!

#tos liveblogs #brilliant minds

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shininglynxie · 4 months ago

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OK, didn't want this to be my first post on this account, but I just really wanted to share my thoughts and analysis of the Grand Festival announcement.

I knew they were going to place the new venue near the Crater - the first place we saw all the way back in 2021, when Splatoon 3 was first announced. It was even teased in the Sizzle season 2024 trailer with the jellyfish walking by this same Crater backdrop with merch of all three idol groups.

The Pearlina plane walked so that the Now or Never Seven bus could run. It's just great to see something like that plane again!

The golden replicas of the animals from all the hub worlds that represent each idol are a great touch, too!

Now, to analyze the idols' new outfits! Their shared theme feels very orderly and gives off bleached coral vibes. I wonder what's up with that. Most of them also seem to reference non-cephalopod sea creatures, but I don't know how intentional that is.

The outfits always have to be matching with these two, and I love it! The cut on their skirts point inwards on Callie's and outwards on Marie's. Callie's gloves reveal the base of her arms, while Marie's gloves reveal the ends of her arms or her hands. Both of them are also wearing urchin-themed head accessories.

The way they animated Pearl and Marina's interlocked hands being pointed right at us. It's like they're yelling at us: Yeah, they're gay, dammit! They've been giving us quite a bunch of great Pearlina content lately, and they just had to give us more.

Anyways, their outfits. I love Pearl's big hat! It fits her vibes very well! There's also an Off the Hook logo on it, which is neat. As some people have pointed out already, this is the first time Pearl's showing off her midriff, which is cool to see!

I absolutely love Marina's outfit ,though. It's gotta be one of my favorites of the Grand Fest idol fits! That bra/top paired with the jewelry, the laced pants with the boots, and all those rings combine to create such an awesome look to me! Also, something else of note is the fact that Marina isn't wearing headphones here and showing off her ears. It's uncommon for her to do that, and she's mostly done that outside of the games, and, I think, this is the first time you can see her ears in-game, which is really cool and showcases her personal growth! (Btw, I love the pose Marina's making in the shot on the second pic! It's so cute!

Deep Cut, my beloveds!

This is probably among the weaker fits Shiver ever had, but it's not bad by any means. Those pant boots are kinda weird, and I don't know how to feel about them. But I do like that top she's wearing! It kinda mimics her headdress, which also looks neat! It kinda reminds me of seaweed, dunno if that was the intention. She's also rocking that Deep Cut logo temp tattoo, which is dope! From afar, it looks really similar to the octopus tattoo Callie had when hypnotized by Octavio. The bangs on her in-game model seem to be pushed away a little bit, so you can see her other eye, which is an interesting detail. The expression she has on the official art feels a tad unusual for Shiver. She always acts so cold and aloof, so it's strange to see such an expression of genuine surprise from her.

Frye's outfit is great, but there isn't much to say about it. The buns she's wearing kinda remind me of sea slugs, I don't know if that's what they were going for, though. The ear tie thing she's wearing is also a nice design touch! It's an accessory that utilizes her long ears in a very creative way! I love the way she's grabbing Shiver's waist in the official art, it's so Frye!

Big Man's fit has got to be my favorite! He's absolutely slaying in that fin-like headdress and those spikes, and with that makeup around his eye! It feels very Kiss-inspired. The patterns on his fins look claw-like now. This is something that kinda makes me wonder how Big Man's outfits work in the first place with the various skin patterns he took on during seasonal splatfests. He also seems to have something wrapped around his tail. The best shot I could catch of it is this screenshot below.

Overall, I think the idols' outfits are cool, but they don't wow me like Pearl and Marina's Chaos vs. Order outfits did.

The performance of their new collab song will be so cool! It's gonna feel like a proper big concert!

Speaking of concerts, I might be seeing things, but some of the choreography we see the idols perform in their usual outfits seem to be from the songs other than each idol group's day 1 and 2 songs. The third Splatoon 3 concert just might be held in-game. Which is a great idea and makes a lot of sense! Since most Splatoon fans probably never had the chance to see the idol concerts live, it only feels fitting to create an immersive concert experience inside the game! It's a lot more interactive than a video recording, and it will ensure that a lot more people can see it compared to the in-person concert. Plus, all the idols are in one place already, so they can easily perform the collab songs too! If that does end up happening, I hope that the performances do use the concert versions of the songs, as they're almost always better than original, in my opinion, plus that way they won't overlap with the songs that play during gameplay.

Almost forgot about the theme. Which is most important to you? Past, Present, or Future? With each idol group representing a team, rather than a Deep Cut member each representing a team. I think this quite a solod theme for the final fest, if a bit predictable. The fact that each idol group picked a team for themselves also makes this like an idol fest in disguise, but I'm not bothered by that. I wonder how this fest's outcome will affect a potential Splatoon 4, though, as there's no one clear way how I can see it affecting the game's development.

All in all, I'm very excited for what Grand Festival will bring! By the time it rolls around, this account will, hopefully, be properly active. I'll absolutely have some art to post for the occasion!

#splatoon #splatfest #splatoon 3 grand festival #final fest #grand festival #splatoon 3 #rambles

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jo-harrington · 8 months ago

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Eddie Universe (A Modern!Steddie Story)

Summary: After Eddie falls off the face of the Earth, Steve goes to do a wellness check, only to find that Eddie has spent the last few days binge watching a kids show.

Word Count: 2.9k

Pairing: Eddie Munson and Steve Harrington, implied future Eddie/Steve (Steddie)

Warnings/Themes: Beginnings of Crushes/EARLY EARLY Friends to Lovers, Unrequited Feelings, Minor Confessions, References to TV (Steven Universe), Implied bisexual Eddie and Steve (talking about giant women)

Note: This is a belated birthday gift to one of my great fandom loves @br0ck-eddie. Thank you to @deathbecomesthem for doing an early read through and @dr-aculaaa for inspiring me (and essentially having writing credits on this) with our little talk about Steven Universe and how Eddie and Steve would relate to these characters immensely. And everyone talks about Bubbline!Steddie...why not a little SU love?

This is my first time writing Steddie, even if it is in this sweet crush way, but that's kind of my style. And even if you don't want to read it as Steddie I think it still holds up to them as characters. And it's just a cute thing about loving Steven Universe and loving Eddie Munson; who could say no to that?

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

---

It wasn't like Eddie to go radio silent.

In fact, it wasn't like Eddie to go silent. Period.

That was one of the best--or maybe worst--things about Eddie Munson. He was always making some kind of noise, literally and metaphorically.

Always playing his music too loud, always making some big announcement, always first to make a comment, always coming to his friends' defenses, always calling them out on their shit to.

Always, always, always.

That's why, when he suddenly stopped answering group texts, and he broke a pretty impressive snapchat streak, and he wasn't sending tiktoks, or even--unfathomably--cruising around town with his windows down and volume up, Steve knew something had to be up with him.

Well, ok, everyone was worried.

But he wasn't skipping classes, and he hadn't canceled band practice or Hellfire Club. So Eddie must have been alright...right?

Steve just wasn't convinced.

Which was why he'd made the trek across town to Forest Hills to check on his, and everyone else's, favorite metalhead after work.

He stood awkwardly on the stoop before knocking.

The van was parked outside, which was a good sign, but there was no music or other evidence of disruption, which wasn't.

He debated, for a moment, leaving to grab pizza or snacks or something--show Eddie that he was they were all thinking of him--but then would that look like he was inviting himself to stay?

Would Eddie even want him there?

Would this be a surprise? An intrusion?

He should have just texted first, or called. Yeah they were friends. and they were getting closer--"joint custody" of Dustin would do that--but...Eddie was definitely closer to Jonathan and Robin...hell, even closer to Nancy, than to Steve.

"Fuck it," he took a breath, reached out, and knocked on the door.

There was a muffled "oh shit" and a bump and crash, and then Steve took a step back as the door swung outwards and revealed the freak in question.

"Oh hey Harrington, thought you were the pizza guy," he grinned crookedly and then his expression morphed into something...nervous. "What's up? Is uh...everything ok?"

"Yeah, no," Steve shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back onto his heels. "I...you haven't really been active in the group chat for a few days, wanted to come over and make sure everything was alright."

Eddie's eyes went wide and he slapped his hands over the pockets of his jeans.

"Shit, have I really?" he asked as he pulled out his phone.

"Yeah."

"Guess I thought I answered and never actually did--Fuck." Eddie's thumb slid over the screen several times as messages flashed by at an unreadable pace.

"Hey, it's ok!" Steve tried to assuage his guilt. "Nothing really going on except memes and fart jokes."

"Well those are my specialty so I'm really missing out on an opportunity for comedy gold." He huffed and shoved his phone into his back pocket and then ran a hand over his mouth. "I'm watching this show that Henderson keeps talking about at lunch. And it's silly but it's really addictive."

"Oh yeah?"

"Put an episode on as background noise and I ended up staying up til 2am the other night. Didn't even finish my homework."

"If you're not careful you're gonna end up failing again Munson," Steve joked.

"Ha, ha, very funny, but I seriously think I might," Eddie snarked.

"Which show?" Steve asked curiously.

"You're gonna laugh. It's this kids cartoon show...Steven Universe."

Steve recognized the name immediately; Dustin had been chatting everyone's ear off about the show for years. It was one of those things that none of the other kids really latched onto the way he did, and he was always a little desperate for someone else to get into it.

Fitting that his new role model was the one who finally did.

"Nice!" Steve nodded his head in approval. "Listen, I mean...he got me playing Pokemon Go with him a few years ago, walking in the woods and everything. And I still play every now and then. So if anyone's gonna judge it's not me."

"What?" Eddie scoffed good-naturedly. "King Steve playing P-Go? Never would've guessed."

Steve was going to throw a teasing insult right back when another car pulled up right behind his; he awkwardly shuffled to the side of the stoop as the delivery driver ran out of the car and up the steps with a massive pizza box.

"Hey, your dinner's here, I should leave you to it--"

"You could stay if you want," Eddie offered; his brows jumped up expectantly, suddenly hidden by his bangs. "Got an extra-large pepperoni that I'm definitely gonna make myself sick trying to eat it all. Catch a few episodes of Steven Universe? That way you can impress good ole' Dusty next time you see him; I'm sure it'd make his day."

And the thing was, the no was right there on his lips.

The excuses.

He didn't want to intrude on Eddie's night, he had other places to be, he really wasn't interested in watching the show.

But that's all they would be: excuses.

He was Eddie's friend and friends watched TV. Did he really want to go back home and maybe have dinner with his mom, if she was even home? He and Eddie never got to hang out alone; it would be fine.

"You know what? Sure."

---

So for the next however-many-hours pizza was devoured and sodas chugged and laughter shared as Steve and Eddie watched a silly little cartoon.

Except, and Steve was quick to find out, it wasn't just a silly little cartoon.

"Ok," Eddie announced around a mouthful of food as he clicked through the landing page of the show to get to some desired episode. "We can't watch everything, so I might as well show you the greatest hits and give you the rundown verbally."

"Greatest hits?" Steve asked incredulously. "Listen, Ed, I can't stay here all night."

"No, the episodes are only 10 minutes long," he explained. "That's why it's so addictive. You're just like...one more, ok one more, and the next thing you know it's been 6 hours."

Wouldn't you know it, 6 hours is exactly what it was in the end...

But those hours were full of Crystal Gems and Together Breakfasts and a journey of love and friendship and self discovery as they watched episode after episode and Eddie narrated all of the events in between in the ways only Eddie knew how.

And Steve was just mesmerized.

By all of it.

Especially Including Eddie.

It was not hard to be mesmerized by him, actually; once again, he was always loud, always Eddie. More often than not, you'd watch him and say something along the lines of "what the fuck?" All while laughing and carving a larger space in your heart for him.

Getting to see him on his own like this though, in a space where he was comfortable enough to let you witness the quiet and contemplative parts of him, it was something else.

It started with Greg.

"Almost like I'm looking into your future here Ed," Steve laughed as Steven's father and his long hair and his guitar and his van popped up on screen.

"Alright, you're laughing but seriously, why wouldn't I wanna be like Greg," Eddie told him. "He might seem like...I dunno, a deadbeat or something. But he's always there for Steven and he tries his best. He reminds me of my uncle Wayne a lot."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Honestly the best guy I know. The best guy a lot of people we know, know."

"Does that make you Steven, then? Because there's only one Steve in this room and it isn't you."

"Laugh it up, wise guy," Eddie shoved him to the side.

And then the music.

"I'm surprised you haven't broken out your guitar or something," Steve noted as Eddie hummed along to the theme song at the start of every episode and sang his own little rendition as he went to grab more soda from the kitchen. And Steve had to give it to him, all of the music was sweet and catchy, but Eddie's whole identity was music and he was acting pretty tame about it.

"I wanted to finish watching the whole series before I started fucking around with my guitar," he told Steve. "Might do some kind of medley or something with the guys. I dunno if they'd be into it and honestly they don't have a choice, if I'm gonna write it. It's gonna be metal as fuck."

"Well, don't forget to invite me to that show," Steve laughed. They both went silent for a second and Steve felt his cheeks get hot. "Uh...and Dustin. And everyone else. I think it would be fun."

"Yeah..." Eddie cleared his throat. "Yeah for sure."

And then just...about Steven.

"I do." Eddie announced suddenly and quietly at the end of Lion 3: Straight to Video, after Sadie and Steven watched Rose's message to Steven in the back of the Big Donut.

"You do what?" Steve questioned, discreetly rubbing his eye to prevent a tear from falling.

"I do see a lot of myself in Steven," Eddie continued, voice void of emotion. That emptiness was what made Steve turn to actually look at him, to see the wetness of Eddie's own eyes increase tenfold in a matter of seconds.

"Steven's mom died, left him alone to figure out all the harsh realities of the world for himself. And yeah he has his family and friends but...I dunno...it's not the same. Shit, I mean...I don't know what my life is like and I'm grown. Steven's just a kid...I just...yeah. Watching this I guess has been a really personal thing."

Steve felt his stomach drop. He knew a lot about Eddie--some truths from Eddie's own mouth, some things through the grapevine, some just rumors from his own days as Chief Douchebag at Hawkins High--but hearing the vulnerability...seeing it...it was different.

And Steve's heart ached a little bit, not to hear it all, but for Eddie to trust him with these feelings? With this confession?

He was about to open his mouth and thank Eddie for sharing that, but Eddie went ahead and started the next episode and the moment was gone.

---

Then there was just the inherent sense of love that just emanated through the entirety of the show that just made everything, dare Steve admit, click.

At first it was silly as they watched the Giant Woman episode.

"Who wouldn't want to see a Giant Woman?" Eddie joked as Steven sang.

"No seriously," Steve laughed along with him. "You know what, I know that I've dated a lot of short girls but I think a Giant Woman could pick me up and throw me and I would thank her."

Eddie punched him in the arm good-naturedly.

"You get it Harrington. You get it."

Every time the gems would fuse, Eddie and Steve would both gasp along with him. "A giant woman!" Complete with stars in their eyes and a joke about a crush they had growing up, and on and on.

And yeah sure, that's not what Steven meant whenever he saw one of the fusions, but Eddie and Steve were both icky young men with crude, lewd senses of humor. It was no more harm than a fart joke or humping an inanimate object.

What could you expect?

But then...Connie.

It was sweet, her and Steven. Their friendship, their determination to help one another, protect one another.

Their crushes on each other.

To Steve, they were like Max and Lucas over the years. They just tugged at your heartstrings, made you go awwww.

But then the episode Alone Together. And dancing on the beach. And Stevonnie.

"Woah," he scooted up to the edge of the couch. "They fused!"

"I know!" Eddie bounced in the seat beside him, beyond excited. "I know! Look at them. Steve, if I'm lying I'm dying, the episodes with Stevonnie are the best fucking episodes."

And that got the conversation going about fusion.

Because Steve thought Stevonnie was the dumbest name.

"Well what do you expect them to be called?" Eddie scoffed. "She's human, and he's not just a gem, he's Steven...they're not like...Con-va-nite or something."

"Stevonnie, that's like...if you called Nancy and Jonathan...Nance-a-than or something," Steve argued.

"Obviously they're Jancy," Eddie stated matter-of-factly. "There's an art to naming things Harrington."

"It sounds like you've already thought about this."

"Maybe I haven't, maybe I have. A magician never reveals his tricks. But fusion is cool."

"Alright, smart guy," Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "And what would Robin and I be? If we fused."

"Ok, ok," Eddie adjusted himself on the couch. "I'm torn between Rove...or Stobin. I'm leaning Stobin. And your weapon would be a whip made of the tape from VHS's or something."

"Seriously?" Steve screeched. "I think Stobin would have a cooler weapon than that."

That's how it went for a few minutes, mashing up all of their friends and creating fake fusion names for them and their weapons of choice.

And every moment Steve sort of dreaded the inevitable.

Dreaded wasn't the right word exactly.

Anticipated? Looked forward to?

Because fine. Yeah. Maybe he had a little bit of a crush on Eddie.

There. He said it.

It was just...alright weird was not the right thing to say. But yeah, weird. They had been...had they been enemies? He'd never thought of Eddie as anything more than a nuisance at one point. Yeah he had that hot metal guy thing going all through school, but how could there be any sort of romantic feelings there when there was so much adversity before?

How could Steve say that Eddie, the guy who pissed his name on the snow on the windshield of Steve's car once, was actually attractive? And cool. And funny. And in what world would Eddie say that Steve, the guy who once gave him an atomic wedgie on his birthday, was someone he wanted to go out with?

But from whatever they had been before, they'd slowly bridged the gap. Became better people, more tolerant people. Acquaintances, then friends, and now...yeah, Steve maybe had a crush on Eddie. And it was hard to tell but...

"How about us?" Steve finally asked. "Edeve. Edven. Steedie."

"Steddie," Eddie said confidently, looking Steve dead in the eye. No hesitation...maybe a bit of a blush dusting his cheeks but in the glow of the tv it was hard to tell. "We'd obviously be Steddie."

...maybe the feeling was mutual.

---

Eddie and Steve watched in relative silence for the rest of the evening.

A companionable silence, a comfortable one.

No more talk of fusions or giant women or Steddie.

Just Steve's questions about certain things he hadn't seen yet, in episodes they'd skipped, and Eddie's explanations.

Eventually, they caught up to where Eddie had left off when Steve arrived, and continued to binge without any skipping.

Time passed.

And a pointed *ding* from his phone finally pulled Steve's eyes away from being glued to the TV.

A text.

Rob: You forgot to pick me up, where the fuck are you?

"Shit," he cursed and saw the time. Well-passed closing time at the store.

Steve typed frantically.

You still need a ride?

The response was immediate.

Rob: If it isn't too much to ask for a lowly peasant like me, your highness-ness.

He typed a quick On my way! and looked over at Eddie, about to announce his fuck-up and apologize for leaving so abruptly.

But his eyes softened when he saw Eddie's head was tilted back, mouth open cutely and gurgling in a slight snore; his heart skipped a beat and butterflies erupted in his stomach.

Ok, it was a crush for sure.

He debated waking Eddie up and then decided against it. He simply hit pause to stop the show from getting too far and then made his getaway.

He crept across the living room, shoes in hand so he wouldn't wake Eddie on his way out, and made a mental note to text Eddie first thing in the morning.

It wasn't until he was pulling the door shut behind him that he heard Eddie's sleepy, muffled voice call out.

"Oh Steven!" Steve let the door creak open again as he ducked his head in to bid his farewells. Only for Eddie, with one eye peeped open and a cheesy grin spreading across his mouth, to beat him to it. "There's one more thing I forgot to mention."

Steve's words got caught in his throat and he felt himself blush as he anticipated the next words to come out of Eddie's mouth. Words that he'd just heard Garnet say just a few episodes ago.

"I love you, bye."

#eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson x steve harrington #steddie #steddie fic #stranger things fic #Steve harrington

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oceansssblue · 7 months ago

Note

Pairing: Platonic Therapist Echo and Omega.

Theme: Hurt/Comfort

I don't have an exact sentence, but this happens after Season 3 Episode 8. Omega expresses that she endured worse on Kamino than on Tantiss. Much worse.

During a subsequent talk between Omega and Echo, Omega alludes to how dark, and horrific, her past on Kamino is.

I understand if you're unsure about doing this, but I would absolutely love it if you did.

Non romantic oneshots aren't really my thing, but this request did lit up interesting ideas in my head, so why not?

One angsty heartfelt conversation with these two sweethearts coming right up, & some comfort too!

Hope it is what you imagined!

Xx,

Sky.

"QUIET NIGHTS"

TBB REQUESTS –NON ROMANTIC ECHO&OMEGA 📩💔💖

WARNINGS: REFERENCES TO DARKNESS, LONELINESS, KAMINO&TANTISS&ECHO'S TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE. TECH LIVES BECAUSE I SAY SO.

It was one of those quiet nights. Crosshair was out on a date. Tech had dissapeared with Phee hours ago; Hunter had quickly retired to his bunk after experiencing a strong migraine, and Wrecker was sound asleep too. However, Omega couldn't find her own sleep; and quickly taking a glance at his brother's room, he saw that Echo couldn't either.

Her naked toes quietly advanced in the direction of the cockpit. There he was; Echo sitting in the copilot's seat and staring distractedly through the window, out to the stars on Pabu's peacefull night. By the expression on his face, Omega knew his mind felt anything but that; Echo's frown transforming his features into something painfull. She wondered if he was having nightmares too.

"Bad memories?" She quietly asked, jumping onto the pilot seat besides him.

Echo sighed, still staring at the stars.

"Yeah" was his only quiet answer, and Omega gave him time.

She thought on her own nightmares for several minutes; trying to reorganize her thoughts.

"Are you having trouble sleeping after Tantiss?" Echo then asks, finally turning in his chair to pay her undivided attention.

Omega shrugs.

"Kinda".

Echo's features fill with sympathy.

"Must have been horrible, being trapped in there" Echo shudders, remembering his own experiences with closed spaces.

To his surprise, Omega shrugs again.

"Not really" she answers, strangely unbothered. "I mean, it's not like I wanted to be there... But I've had it much worse".

Echo stares at her, and Omega feels like she needs to explain herself. Her feet come up to rest on the edge of the seat, chin resting on top of her knees. She's unconsciously making herself small.

"Kamino. That was worse than everything".

Silence fills the room.

Echo frowns. He had had his own fair of bad experiences with the long-necks and the way he and his brothers were treated; but that being worse than being on Imperial control?

"How so?" He carefully asks.

Omega's answer breaks his heart.

"Loneliness. My days in Kamino were dark and challenging; same in Tantiss. But at least while staying in Tantiss I knew I had you, even if you weren't there. In Kamino, before I met you all..." she pauses and flinches with the memories of her past. "I didn't have that. Didn't have the knowledge that you'd be waiting for me, looking for me. That I had someone on my side. That someone cared. That I wasn't alone. In Tantiss I remembered all the happy memories I had with you all. It gave me hope. In Kamino... It was terryfying being so alone".

Omega hadn't meant to say as much; but once she had started talking, the words had flied out of her mouth. Echo's patient and listens carefully; eyes filling with understanding and left hand slowly extending towards her. When it lands on her shoulder and squeezes gently, Omega relaxes and sighs. Her big eyes turn back towards him.

"Did you..." she hesitates. "Did you feel alone when you were with the Techno Union, Echo? Or you... didn't feel anything at all?"

Echo's experience has always been a banned theme of conversation in the Marauder; but Omega asks with no malice, almost begging for someone to understand her, and Echo feels like she's revealed so much of her own feelings and thoughts he kinda owes it to her. He loves her sister so much... If sharing trauma will make her feel better and help her process her memories best, he'd tell her anything she asked for.

"I did, yeah" the tremble that breaks througj his body at remembering is inevitable. "I wasn't conscious all the time, but in the middle of the dizzyness and confussion, i remember being scared and terrified. I didn't understand what was happening most of the time. Sometimes I did. I just wanted to go back to my brothers, out of that... Thing, to be freed. To be me. Loneliness is one of the worst feelings in the world, yes."

It somehow soothes some internal part of him, speaking it out loud. Maybe this conversation will serve them both good.

Omega reaches out and mimicks his previous gesture; squeezing his shoulder gently.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Echo. I'm so happy I have all of you now..." her voice is soft and reverent.

Sadness dissappears from Echo's eyes. He looks at her; at how her features have morphed from a kid's to a teenager and then continued changing to a young woman. They're lucky to have her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that too, Meg" he answers, quietly, gently.

He gives her a small smile, and stands up offering his hand to her.

"How about we both try to nap together, troublemaker?"

Omega smiles. It feels him with warmth.

"Alright" she agrees, slipping her hand onto his and walking with him in the direction of the bunk room. "A pair of hours is better than none. Cross won't be happy we invade his bed for the night, though".

Echo snorts.

"The motherfucker still complains about his perfectly comfortable bed when he's well aware I still sleep in a hammock" he mutters, then grins at her. "He'll be alright".

THE END.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Pretty short but I didn't feel the need to expand it longer. Feelings everyonee. Hope you liked it!

Xx,

Sky.

PS. cryptic pregnancy w Hunter coming up next!

Back to my main masterlist here:

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discount-shades · 1 year ago

Text

Dead or Alive Chapter 3

Chapter 3 The Wild Bunch

A/N: Gold stars are still going out to people who get the references.

Pairing: Jake Seresin/Reader

Warning: Western themed violence. Talk of prostitution

Word Count: 2100 ish

Summary: They finally make it to Penny’s

Previous Masterlist Next

The squawk of birds and the angry chatter of a squirrel bring you back to the land of consciousness and you find Jake's arms around you. In the night you had both rolled over. Your head is tucked into his chest and you are using his arm as a pillow. His other hand was pressed against your lower back, flattening your body to his. Slowly you retract the arm you had wrapped around him.

He is still sleeping so you carefully move away. With his face relaxed he looks younger than he does when he is constantly scowling at you. The lines on his face are softer and you know if he were to open his eyes they would be piercing green. Taking care not to wake him you slip out from under the blanket and quickly dress. The petticoats and dress are still a little damp but will soon dry.

Slipping out of the tent you stretch in the morning sun. The wood you had gathered last night is dry under your tree so you set to work lighting a fire. Jet is grazing in the sun, turned sideways so the sun can warm him in the cool morning air. Shivering you gather water for the morning coffee.

The fire is burning well and coals are starting to form when Jake finally emerges from the tent. He is carrying his chaps and holstered pistols as he stretches and you rake your eyes down his lean form. He walks over and drops a bag of coffee grounds on your lap and you quickly set about getting a pot going. The peaceful expression he wore while sleeping is replaced with a squinty eyed grimace.

Jake sits on the ground beside you and silently hands out breakfast, more hardtack and jerky, but you have no room for complaints.

“How many days to get where we are going?” You ask between sips of coffee out of the bowl he had lent you.

“We should be there tonight.” Jake looks at you over the hard tack he is dunking in his coffee. “Then you can start to think about how you are going to buy me a new hat.”

Your mood immediately sours. “I said I would buy you a new one. Quit bringing it up.”

“It was a Stetson.” His voice has a superiority to it and you scowl.

“It's still just a hat.”

“It was $25.” You choke on your coffee at the price. “I expect one of similar value.”

“I call bullshit!” The look he gives you is condescending with his stupid pretty green eyes and smug grin. “You just want me to buy you an expensive hat!”

“I think $25 to replace the hat I lost while saving your life is a fair exchange.” The fire flickers as you pick up a stick and angrily begin poking at the coals. There is nothing you can say to that. The man did save your life and until you can replace his hat you will be in his debt. A flutter of anxiety settles in your stomach at owing someone something and the powerless feeling it gives you.

You finish eating and pack up in silence. Jake mounts first and helps you mount up behind him. The bedroll is folded rather than rolled to give you more of a seat than yesterday and when you thank Jake he just grunts.

“It’s easier on Jets back.” He says after a few minutes down the trail.

“He’s such a calm horse.” You reach behind you and pat Jet on the rump. “You’re a good boy, Jet!” The horse doesn't even flick an ear and just carries on down the path.

“You didn’t know that when you jumped on his back.” At Jake’s snide remark you roll your eyes, already sick of being stuck with the man. “He could have been green. You didn’t know.”

“I didn’t have a lot of options.” Your voice is clipped.

“He could have reared.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t.” What is he going to get mad at you for next? It feels like no matter what you do or did there is something for Jake to be angry about.

“But what if he did? What if we both fell off?”

You sigh in defeat, your forehead hitting his back as you bow your head. “I’m not playing the ‘what if’ game with you, Jake.”

– – –

Jake groans internally, he can't explain how every conversation he has with you ends in an argument. He had been trying to be nicer but that seems to end the minute he opens his mouth. He had folded the bedroll and packed the saddle bags in a way to give you a more comfortable ride. Why couldn't he have just admitted it to you? It was better for Jet but he did it with you in mind.

“Hang on, we're going to a canter.” At the warning he feels your hands wrap around him and he revels in the feel of your chest pressing into his back before his nudges Jet into a gentle canter down the trail. The sooner they got to Penny’s the better.

– – –

Dusk is falling when you finally arrive at your destination. You are not sure what you expected, but it is not that. The Hard Deck sits on the edge of town and is a combination of a saloon, hotel, boarding house, and brothel, all catering to the less upstanding of travelers.

Jake takes Jet to a stable out back and unsaddles him for the night. You stand quietly by his side, watching, and follow him meekly into the saloon entrance. All the confidence you had earlier escapes you.

There is a man plinking away on a piano and you can see some dance hall girls with their scandalously short, calf length, skirts dancing with some men. Some of the girls are sitting in men's laps while they play poker or talk with friends. You hesitate to call them women. You have been in their position before and know that most aged out of the profession in their late teens. If they didn’t marry soon, most would transition into prostitution like you had, and that only lasted so long as well.

Your heart is thudding in your chest as Jake nods to the bartender and leads you through the back door. The tightness in your chest eases at the sight of Bradley and Pete along with the others who had been part of the rescue. You and Jake are the last to arrive and at your entrance a cheer goes up.

“Hangman!” Bradley slurs, holding up a glass of whiskey. “You made it!” When he gets up to give you a hug Jake pushes him away from you. You frown at Jake, wondering where this new found protective streak came from.

“Sit down, Rooster, you’re drunk.”

Bradley just cackles. “One night together and already won’t let anyone touch her!” He turns to you from where he is flopped in his chair. “I’m glad you made it.”

“Yeah me too,” a grin spreads across your face as you ignore his first comment. “I’m even happier I met you guys when I did.” You glance around at all the faces and Pete introduces everybody.

“Come with me.” Penny, the owner, takes your hand and leads you up a set of stairs to a room. The room is small with a table and chairs crowded into it and a bed big enough for two. Memories of a past you would like to forget cloud your mind and you feel panic set in. Your panicked expression shows in the cloudy mirror above a small vanity.

“How much does it cost?” The room is simple but you are already $25 in debt, if Jake is to be believed, and you have no money to your name. “I don’t have any money.” The words slip past your lips before you can stop them.

“If you want to go downstairs and bring someone up to make some money, I take 50% of anything you earn. I cover the room, two meals a day, and the weekly doctor visit.” She surveys you knowingly, It’s always easy to spot people in the business. It's a big cut for a madam to take but with her covering the other expenses it’s fair. You feel hollow, shattered at the prospect of going back to what you did not want to do.

There is a long pause as you stare around the room. “If you are with the Daggers it’s free and I take a cut out of the jobs they pull.” She cocks her head to the side observing you. “Pete said to give you a few weeks to figure out what you are going to do.” She lays a motherly hand on your shoulder. “There is a bath downstairs with hot water on demand. I’ll lend you some clothes and send one of the boys up with some food when you are done. You don’t have to decide anything tonight, we’ll talk more in the morning.”

Penny is kind enough to give you some soap as well and you quickly wash weeks of grime from your body. The hot water is heavenly and soothes your aching muscles from riding. You even use the soap on your hair despite the fact that it will dry out the strands.

When your skin is tingling from the scrubbing you leave the tub and dress in the borrowed clothes. They don’t fit quite right but it is close enough until you are able to wash your own. You head back to the room Penny had shown you.

Maybe Penny needed a cook, or a maid. You could do laundry as well. None of those would pay well enough to get you out of debt with Jake. You could return to pickpocketing, you used to be really good at it. Penny wouldn't want you robbing clients but it's a decent sized town, a small city really. Within a few weeks you could steal enough to buy Jake another stupid Stetson. There might even be the chance you could get a real job.

– – –

Jake volunteers to bring you your dinner. He fidgets in the doorway outside of the kitchen waiting for you to finish your bath. Eventually he grabs a bowl of Penny’s stew and carefully carries it up the stairs. He has to talk to you. “I don’t have your hat yet.” There is exhaustion in your voice when you open the door.

“That’s not why I’m here, Sugar.” He pauses while pushing past you to inhale the faint scent of lavender coming off of your skin. When you scowl at him he sets the bowl down on the table before taking a seat in the other chair. “Eat.” You scoff at the order but dig in, eyes widening at the taste. Penny always has good food.

“I overheard you and Penny talking about you being a working girl here.” He can see your muscles tense and your face harden.

“I’m not giving you a discount, In fact you couldn’t afford the asshole tax I’d charge.” There is no trace of humor on your face. “And I’m not going to ‘work off’ the cost of your stupid hat.”

“No, that’s not what I…” Jake groans and buries his face in his hands. Every time he talks to you he feels like he either puts his foot in his mouth or gets mad at you. He can’t recall one civil conversation between the two of you.

“I wanted to tell you that you don’t have to do something like that just to get me a new hat, the hat can wait.” He wants to reach across the table and grab your hands but he doesn’t know how you would respond.

“Oh.” He watches you spin the spoon in your hand, deep in thought, before you go back to eating.

“I still want a new hat.” He clarifies and you roll your eyes. He sees the hint of a smile on your lips and feels unreasonably happy he put it there.

“Know anybody who is hiring?” He shrugs at your question.

“I don't. But Mav is always looking for leads so if you know of any jobs let him know.” Jake leans back, rocking the chair back on two legs. “He pays for information and if you help work the job you’ll get a cut of the take.”

You hum in thought before stretching your foot out and kicking the front leg of his chair. He lurches forward to keep himself from falling over backwards and crashing to the ground.

“Didn’t your mother ever tell you ‘four on the floor?’” He can see the hint of a grin hiding behind your innocent expression and can’t help the laugh that escapes him.

#jake seresin #jake hangman seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake seresin/reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman #hangman/reader #topgun maverick #top gun fanfiction #western!au

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merrysithmas · 5 months ago

Note

I have been thinking about "Goodbye" a lot and I might have to do an entire post about this but all of Paul's work with Mary Hopkin feels like he's hiding behind her to express something he can't as himself. Have you looked at the lyrics to "Those Were the Days," I mean??

I would love to read that post!

I think you really hit the nail on the head where you said he was hiding behind her to express something he can't himself - and this might extend to his entire desire to produce albums / other artists / Apple itself. Paul has spoken many times about using characters he makes up as the engines of his songs, & psychology says that, like dreams, these characters are all (at least to a degree) different facets of Paul himself. This applies at the very least in a generalization towards the concepts and themes which he is drawn to writing about for one reason or another.

Obviously his love of concept art & concept albums speaks to this too (and I always find it so funny Yoko and John claim to be so revolutionary with Concept Albums and Concept Bands when Paul & the Beatles were literally Doing It First sgt pepper style).

I think producing Mary Hopkin (or any other artist) is an extention of Paul's desire to use a character to express himself in his artistry - in this case, Mary herself and her voice/her vibe is the character. This is pretty much a universal general goal of any producer of media or music!

When I heard Paul singing the "Goodbye" demo with the male pronouns I pretty much proverbally shut the book for a minute and just stared into space and I was like this poor dude was so closeted it's painful.

I have heard her song "Those Were The Days"! That was the song Paul heard in a club once which was an old Russian folksong. Two Americans were singing it and made up lyrics for it & he remembered the melody/lyrics because he liked it so much that he then had Hopkin sing it.

But yeah, the lyrics he liked reference someone reminescing about a better time pre-fame where they could be carefree with the ones they love, which include looking in a mirror and seeing a person they doesn't recognize anymore [he has several songs where he uses imagery like this usually with a Female Character!! - Mary in this case] and saying the love in his heart is still alive and if only they could get back to it...?

Yeah. Oh Paul 🥲/🙄

People don't often refer to Paul this way (it's usually John for more visibly archetypal reasons) but Paul really was/is the definition of a tortured artist.

#tortured by himself and his time period #mclennon #paul mccartney #the-boney-rolls #btw thanks for sending the ask!

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klevxander · 1 year ago

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Watching Nimona for the 2nd time after reading tons of posts and the comic. A thread:

[SPOILERS AHEAD SO GO WATCH THE MOVIE ALREADY]

* Knowing how things play out in the end really captures just how ridiculous the title sequence mythologizes these kids and what fear really does to people

* originally when the squire comes up to Ballister I thought that he wanted a selfie with him and was nervous about it. The facial expressions show that he's confused about handing the "sword" off to him and Ballister's face in response just ahfhsjbd. Also I noticed immediately that Ballister could just /feel/ something was off.

* "Ballister, today the kingdom will see you for who you really are" was SUCH A DAMN TWOFACED COMMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR YOU EVIL EVIL SHITFUCK

* Nimona's face as they discover someone that has been shunned just as they were just MMMMMPH *chef's kiss*

* Nimona's expressions are wonderful and when they ask about Ballister keeping the arm just makes me giggle in the weirdest way. I need screenshots at some point because emotes at some point are going to become a must

* THE DRAMA AND ENERGY NIMONA BRINGS

* "This guy looks extremely punchable" "You're right. He is actually extremely punchable."

* I kinda love the transition from the comic to the movie from Blackheart to Boldheart. A villain on purpose to a villain by someone else's doing. The similarities and parallels and themes!!!!

* We just threw the murderer in jail. "Wanna get some lunch?" "Yeah! I love lunch!"

* Nimona the rat sneaking into the cell as the Director leaves Ballister

* "Wait. How did you get out?" "I know the code."

* Nimona's intro to the escape music. I love this beatboxing gremlin. And then just breaks stuff while following after Ballister who is trying to sneak out carefully. "He is a murderer!... of fun"

* "Something something something... we win!"

* The way Nimona lands in the hero pose and stands triumphantly while Ballister slides in on his face, defeated by the overwhelming everything that just happened

* "Metal"

* Nimona absolutely loves fucking with Ballister. Just messing with his head because he's just so gullible. Making the lair more evil lair-y with lights on strings and making tacos. THE HANDS AS NIMONA SAYS MEATBALL!!!

* Comic Ballister is definitely more clearly defined as a scientist, and the only reference we get to movie Ballister being scientific is just that he MAKES HIS OWN ARM. It's a little more understandable to see where he's coming from. He's a man of science. Science has reason and explanation and definition and Nimona... Does not. Not to say that any of his actions are necessarily forgivable, as he definitely hurts Nimona by being this way. Nimona gives him one question out of his million, and thankfully, he chooses the correct one. "Why are you helping me?"

* "You need the squire? Then let's go kill- Get him"

* The way Nimona Super Mario hops bouncing off the couch AND KEEPS TELEPORTING FOR COMEDIC EFFECT

* "rhinoperos"

* "Would you please unclench your mustache?"

* Nimona constantly questions all of Ballister's actions and tries to have him question things for himself. Question everything. Including the system.

* Something therapeutic for Ballister in the way Nimona portrays him.

* "He hates freestyle jazz"

* pizza rat pizza rat pizza rat

* The random commercial transition with Dragon Krisps

* "Easier to be a girl? You're hilarious" Nimona is all about expressing who they are and questioning the status quo. Questioning what everyone else wants you to be. What is normal? Fuck being normal. I'm Nimona.

* The wishing well story in the movie vs the witch in the hole in the comic.

* Ballister and his constant puppy dog eyes

* The squire has such Kuzco energy. "Ohhh nooo. Let me go ahead and pass this problem on to someone else."

* Nimona's slander on pineapple pizza. How dare

* Comparisons to other memes and media are EVERYWHERE. "There's an arrow in your (butt) leg!" Also, the arrow in the leg from comic to movie makes such a defined difference. "I'm not a people." That's right sweetheart. You're a Nimona. I also love this scene because of the character growth from Ballister and the recognition of said growth from Nimona. He's got these assumptions and expectations that are constantly breaking around Nimona and they just watch him make mistakes and learn and grow. And BECAUSE Nimona can SEE this growth and change, they decide to share something a little more personal about themselves.

* "Who'd protect Todd?" Bro. I know.

* The squire dabbing in Ballister's armor. Secondhand embarrassment at an all-time high.

* "ARM-CHOPPING IS NOT A LOVE LANGUAGE" and then because of his training and his love BALLISTER PROCEEDS TO DEFEND THE GUY WHO CHOPPED OFF HIS ARM

* The parallels, the comparisons, the brainwashing, the questioning of everything!!!!

* Ambrosius watching as the future he could have had being wiped away quite literally depicted by a billboard being painted over, as he sits in the car with the person who's fears caused the incident in the first place. AND THEN THE FREAKOUT ABOUT EVERYTHING that only happens in his mind as he just simply responds with, "I'm fine, Director."

* Another person already said this, but the "devil and angel" over Ballister and Ambrosius comparison is just wonderful. "Says the miscreant, whispering in his ear." Bitch who the fuck are you!? Look in a goddamn mirror and reflect for fucking 2 seconds!!!

* They give Ambrosius a chance to do the right thing and trust the man he supposedly loves. Instead, he asks the wrong question, escalates the situation, and ends up with his hair looking like a paintbrush, getting booped on the nose by a gorilla. Also DINGING THAT KNIGHT IN THE DINGDONG WITH ARMADILLO NIMONA THEN USING THE KNIGHT'S SHIELD THAT IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE POOR GUY!?!? "Sorry not sorry" "Of horse I do" The pure elatement and joy Nimona expresses while fighting the Institution. *chef's kisses everywhere*

* The confusion over what kind of otter Nimona takes form as a callback

* This movie subverts expectations CONSTANTLY jumping rope with drama and comedy.

* THE SEVERE TRAUMA THAT NIMONA HAS over saving the little girl's life and having her in turn raise a sword at Nimona. The parallel to Gloreth just broke them.

* "I don't know what's scarier. The fact that everyone in this kingdom wants to run a sword through my heart... or they sometimes, I just wanna let 'em."

* The way Nimona lights up when Ballister says that they are together. "You changed the way you see me."

* The director bases all of her fears on a myth and old papers and nightmares. Projecting her fears in a way that only hurts the people around her.

* The DRAMA that Nimona exudes after being STABBED in the form of Ambrosius. It's also not exactly explained in the movie, but in the comic, the reason Nimona apparently heals so fast is because every time they change forms, the old body (cells) dies and the new one takes its place. Which is why Nimona just questioned what the fuck Ballister was doing when bandaging their leg and being all worried about the arrow.

* "You didn't tell me you could breathe fire." "Ohhh" "Metal" love how he just accepts Nimona at this point. The board game, Nimona shape-shifting into the Director to spook Ballister and so many other bits from the comic, either being pulled directly or inspiring new ones. It's all just so good.

* "Nachos! And hold the olives. He's allergic"

There is so much to this movie. I love the stories it speaks for and that so many people connect to it. So many other conclusions to be drawn and analysis to be made. Definitely one of my new favorites.

#nimona #nimona comic #nimona movie #ballister boldheart #ambrosius goldenloin

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offside-the-lines · 11 months ago

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tell me who i run to (if not you) | anthony beauvillier | Ep 6. Spring

This is a completed series! Read Full Fic | 🧸 Series Cover Page/Masterlist 🧁 | 🎵 Playlist 🎶 << Previous Episode || Ep 6 || Next Episode >>

Chapter Summary: Tito tries to tell her— he does— It’s just he needs to find the right time, and something keeps coming up. Evie’s honest with herself. But does that even matter? Mat decides maybe it is his time to intervene.

A/N: You can refer to cover page for the series summary, author's notes, tropes, general warnings and other fun tidbits. This series contains mature themes. Minors DNI. Disclaimer: This series is set in Chicago but does not mention the name of the team.

Word count: 4.8k // 44.5k

Requests (open) | Masterlist & Who I Write For | Join My Taglist

II. Spring

Tito — April 8

Tito opens the fridge in his apartment and stares at the contents. A couple beers, water bottles, and Gatorade. He grimaces, picks up the expired milk sitting in the door, and grabs a bottle of water for the road. Deep in thought, he goes to pour the milk down the drain and rinse out the carton; he’s startled when the fridge beeps loudly.

He walks back over to it to find the door is still ajar and pushes it closed. His eyes catch on the calendar hanging there. It's still showing February; he flips it forward a few pages to April.

His fingers trace the dates. Fuck. He bangs his head lightly against the cold metallic door as he's made startlingly aware that they're getting closer and closer to April 21, and he still hasn’t told her.

He needs to just rip off the band-aid.

He no longer has the excuse of her birthday weekend. He needs to do it today.

He spends the whole drive to her apartment thinking about what he’s going to say, writing and rewriting the speech in his head. He feels no more confident walking through her door than he did when he left his own apartment 15 minutes prior.

He hopes he’ll just figure it out on the fly.

“Chouette?” he calls from where he’s taking off his shoes.

“One second!” she calls from her bedroom.

He chuckles to himself as he leans against the doorframe. A few seconds later, he sees Evie peek out briefly from behind the closet door and send him a blinding smile.

“Hi to you too, chou. What’s going on?”

“We’re going out!”

“We’re going out?”

“Yeah!” she declares.

He scratches his neck and tries to remember if there was something he had forgotten after the back-to-back this past weekend.

“Okay?” he asks, tentatively.

When she steps out into the bedroom, his mouth goes slack. She's wearing a cropped blazer, buttoned but with her bare chest underneath, and a pair of skin-tight leather pants. He tries to think of a single thing to say in this second other than the extremely mortifying “holy wow” that comes out of his mouth.

She laughs, throwing back her head of done-up curls, and does a twirl as she approaches him before stopping to wrap her arms around his waist. He wonders for a second if there’s a way to manually reboot his body like he does to his computer when it freezes.

“Hi Solours, we're going out to celebrate!” she beams up at him; without her shoes on, her chin rests on his chest. He sets his hands tentatively on her upper back.

“Oh?” he manages to babble. From this angle, he can tell in his peripheral vision that her breasts are on full display, and he adamantly refuses to look anywhere but right in her shining eyes.

“Yeah! The meeting with Elizabeth went great! They’re really looking forward to reading my book when I finish it soon. I’m getting signed to the agency!” Her eyes are so expressive as she speaks, the excitement and delight pouring into him through her gaze.

“That’s amazing,” he says softly, still not trusting his voice.

“Yep! Thank you so much for setting it up. It’s truly the most incredible thing anyone has ever done for me. I want to take you out to celebrate! I’m thinking sushi!”

“We’re celebrating you, so wherever you want to go, chouchou.”

She rolls her eyes, “Are you going to let me pay this time, though?”

“No.”

“Oh, come on,” she whines, rehashing a conversation they’ve had dozens of times now.

“We agreed that you can take me out for dinner when you get that book deal and I become your trophy wife. Until then, I’m paying with my ridiculous NHL contract.”

She groans dramatically but is betrayed by the tug on her lips, “Ugh, fine.” She unattaches from him and gives him a gentle push toward the closet. “Go get changed and put on something nice. Maybe we can go find you a trophy wife at the bar after instead, eh?”

He carefully hides his grimace as he looks back to see her still standing by the bedroom door, wiggling her eyebrows. Facing her still, he pulls his shirt off and grunts, “It’s a Monday, mon chou,” before he turns toward the open closet doors. He catches he staring at his chest, a slight chink in her armor, right before he turns.

“Not that I’ve picked up in over a month,” he mutters quietly to himself as he picks out a nice button-down and a pair of dark jeans.

Tito — April 9

Tito sits in his usual seat near the back of the team plane. He rests his head on the window and worries at his lip. He’s staring at the text on his phone:

it’s barzy baby: dude? have you fucking told her yet?

He sighs and turns his phone completely off. He can just sit in silence on the rest of the hour-and-a-half flight to St Louis.

He turns his head and looks out of the window at the vast expanse of nothing. He has good reasons. He couldn’t tell her yesterday because she was so excited about her meeting. He obviously couldn’t tell her right as he was about to leave on a road trip. It just hasn’t been the right time yet.

This one’s only a short one-day road trip. He can tell her when he gets back.

Evie — April 10

matmat: whatcha doin To matmat: lol. just had dinner. procrastinating writing tbh. whats up? matmat: tito’s mia. probably pre-game nap. you wanna facetime?

Evie laughs and shakes her head. Sometimes, she gets what Tito says about Mat’s codependence. She usually quips that some kids just need a lot of attention.

She closes her laptop and presses ‘call’ as she makes herself another cup of tea.

“Eeeeveeeee!” she hears through her phone as soon as the call connects.

“Matmat!” she calls back, smirking.

“Urgh, when are you going to stop calling me that?”

“Never,” she states, smirking even harder.

“Not even if I stop calling you Eevee?” he whines.

“Nope.”

“God, fuck, you drive a hard bargain. What do I have to give you? A signed puck?”

She laughs, shaking her head as she moves around her kitchen; her phone's propped up against a candle that’s become her typical phone stand for when she FaceTimes Tito on the road while she cooks.

“Whatcha doin'?” he asks.

“Just making a cup of tea so I can get through this encounter.”

“Hey… Now I can’t be sure, but I feel like that was mean,” Mat’s tone light and playful. He waits patiently before eventually speaking again when she sits back down on the couch. “So, how’s my favorite author?”

She lets her head drop back heavily on the couch. “Oof, please don’t say author. The writing is going so slowly it hurts.”

“Sorry, sorry. Beau told me about the meeting! I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you, but it doesn’t mean anything for sure yet. Just that they're willing to give it a try when I’m done.”

“Well, Beau’s sure it’s going to be a hit, so I believe him.”

“He hasn’t even read it yet,” she whines, “how could he know that?”

“Well, ‘cause he’s—” he stops abruptly, eating his words in a very unusual manner.

“Because..?” she prompts.

He recovers quickly, “Oh, I decided that saying he can’t read was a little too mean.”

She laughs. “Yeah, well… He did write me a really nice card for my birthday, so…” she says, her fingers subconsciously touching her necklace.

She sees Mat’s wide smirk through the screen.

“What?” she asks.

“Oh, just, that necklace was so fucking soft of him. I’ve never seen him buy anything like that before for anyone,” Mat says knowingly.

She cocks her eyebrows at him, “I’m sure that’s not true. He’s clearly a perfectly good gift giver.”

Mat snorts loudly. “No, trust me. He’s usually not. I mean, he’s not bad. He just usually forgets until like the last moment. Or gets something he thinks is cool. He got his last girlfriend a cactus for their one-year anniversary. A cactus. I literally couldn't fucking believe she didn’t shove it up his ass.”

“Oh my god,” Evie gasps through hooting laughter; there are tears in her eyes as Mat continues his animated retelling.

“A cactus, Evie! She was so mad Beau ran to the bathroom to text me in a fucking panic. I think I pissed myself laughing when he said he thought it was cute because cactuses don’t die or some dumb shit like that. And I had to explain to him how not a single girl ever has wanted a cactus as a gift from their boyfriend. When he went back out, he had to pretend that it was actually a symbol for a trip to Mexico that he had to then plan for them.”

“Okay, yeah. That’s pretty bad. Seems like he’s improved since then,” she says when she eventually stops laughing, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Not really. He wants to do so good, but he’s just sometimes so far off. But, like, with the necklace and the book agent stuff, I’ve never seen him do something like that before, Evie. Never. I’ve known him ten years,” Mat’s voice drops into a serious tone.

She shuffles uncomfortably in her seat and sips on her tea to avoid his eyes through the screen. She doesn’t want to know what she might see there.

After a moment of consideration, she inhales sharply and sighs.

“So, what are your plans for the summer?” she redirects, keeping her voice light.

“Hopefully, not going home to BC until June,” he winks.

“Do you ever go out to Quebec in the summer?”

“Ah… Not usually. But you know, I used to see Tito every day, so…” He shrugs. “I’m not sure; maybe I’ll visit this summer. Or have him come to the lake house.”

“Yeah? That sounds fun. I don’t really know what his plan is, though. I know he’s going to spend most of the summer in Montreal, I guess.”

Mat pauses, sitting so stock still she thinks he’s frozen.

“Mat? Are you still there?”

He coughs, shaking his head, “Yeah. Yeah, sorry. What about you? Where’s most of your family? Near Montreal?”

“My parents moved a couple hours away, but my brothers are still in Montreal, yeah. So I’ll probably visit them at some point. Maybe some of my friends in Toronto.”

They continue to chat about their respective childhoods in Quebec and BC for a while. They end up staying on the call to watch Tito’s game together, Evie laughing at Mat’s commentary of their play.

She’s so tired by the time the game is over she doesn’t even register that Tito never calls her before bed like he usually does when he’s on the road.

Tito — April 11

Tito parks the car and sighs. He knows he can’t avoid this forever. He also knows there are unread messages burning a hole in his pocket; he’s memorized them already.

it’s barzy baby: Beauvillier. u need to fucking tell her. i dont care if shes just a friend or you future fucking wife. this is fucked up. it’s barzy baby: i know youre fucking ignoring me you dick. what the hell are you so scared of. just fucking do it. it’s barzy baby: fine, leave me on delivered. i know you’re seeing this. if you dont tell her soon, i will

He feels like he’s going to be sick.

He sits there, just staring at the blank wall. His hands are still white-knuckled on the steering wheel; he bangs his head on the headrest.

Tito’s tired. It’s almost the end of the season, and his body feels like it’s being held together by tape and glue. He doesn’t want to be thinking about the future. Not that his agent has been letting him forget the end of the season looming over him.

No. He’s angry. He especially doesn’t want to have to think about what the end of the season means for his friendship with Evie. This is why he didn’t want to get attached. He should've known better and just not gotten attached to anyone in this city, not even someone as incredible as Evie.

If he’s honest with himself, he’s sad. He’s constantly being forced to leave people behind while feeling like he’s the one who’s being abandoned.

He doesn’t know how he’s going to leave her behind. For once, he just wants to be selfish, to just plant his feet and scream no. He wants to ask for more from Evie; he wants to be able to have everything with her. If she feels the same way he does, then maybe she would come with him if he begged her to.

Tito knows that’s not going to happen, so he needs to just get it together. He takes a deep breath and takes another glance at his phone. It’s been fifteen minutes since he parked the car. He knows this is getting ridiculous. The shame and guilt constrict around him a little tighter still.

He decides to do the easier of the two things first.

To it’s barzy baby: fuck barz why is this so hard? its worse than overtime in a gm 7 it’s barzy baby: just rip the fucking band-aid. she’s not going to be mad. To it’s barzy baby: i’m sorry about ignoring you it’s barzy baby: dw i already knew you were an idiot. fucking GO!!!!!!

Tito closes his eyes and opens the car door. Taking a steadying breath as he steps out, he just lets his body move on auto-pilot all the way to her couch.

“Hi, Solou. Are you okay?” Evie says, waving a hand in front of his face.

“I’m leaving next week,” he blurts out. He curses himself inside for not planning this out.

“What? Like on the road trip?” Evie smiles, reaching over to squeeze his knee, “I know that already, bud. Last roadie of the season.”

“No, no… Fuck. Sorry. That was not how that sentence was supposed to come out,” Tito sighs and takes her hand. He marvels at the way her soft hands are dwarfed by his own, running a finger reverently over the little notes she’s left for herself on the back of her hand. A fond smile tugs at his lips, entirely out of his control, and he sighs.

“Solou?” she nudges gently.

“Oh, right,” he stiffens a little before meeting her eyes again. He hopes he can memorize her face enough that he won’t forget where each birthmark and dimple is. He swallows hard, shaking his head, hoping that will bring some clarity and focus. He drags a hand through his hair, making his wool tuque fall onto the couch behind him. He turns to look for the hat behind him.

Evie tugs on his hand gently, “Tito, what were you going to tell me?”

He sighs, abandoning the search. “I—” He takes a deep breath. “Ma chouette, I’m going to be going home next week. After locker clean out.”

“Oh,” she falters before adding, “You’re flying back or driving with your stuff?”

“Ah… Flying. I found a service that can do the packing and moving for me once I know where I’m going next, so at least I don’t have to do that, I guess.”

“Oh, okay.” She stays quiet for a bit; Tito forces himself to sit as still as he can, his heart pounding in his chest. “Do you want me to drive you to the airport— When’s your flight?”

“It’s really early on April 21st, like right after the party. So, I was planning on just taking a Lyft…” his voice trails off, the lump in his throat making it increasingly difficult for him to speak.

She sends him a taut smile, “That makes sense. Are you excited to go home?”

He rubs his thumb on the back of her hand and stares blankly at her face, an ache blooming in his chest. He doesn’t know what hurts worse at this moment: the fact that he’s leaving or the fact that it doesn’t seem to really bother Evie. With great effort, he forces a smile on his face.

“Yeah, I guess. It’ll be nice to see my parents, Franky, and the babies. They’re so big now.” He uses his fondness for his nephews to wedge some levity into his voice.

“Aww,” she coos, “that’ll be nice, right? Get some time with family and away from hockey for a bit.”

“Well, I’m never too far from hockey. Everyone I see in the summer plays hockey.”

She nudges him fondly, “Not your baby nephews.”

It draws a genuine laugh from him. “I guess that’s true,” he says.

Evie smiles in response, a hint of sadness in her eyes, “You know I’ll miss you, right?”

His voice is strained when he lets go of her hand to pull her in for a tight hug. “I’ll miss you too, mon chou. I’ll miss you too.”

“I think you’re my best friend,” she whispers.

He swallows down the words he wants to say— forcefully— before replying gently, “I think you’re my best friend too, Evie. I think you’ve been my best friend for a while now.”

They stay like that for some time, just breathing in tandem. With Evie in his arms, his body feels a little less like his veins are filled with cement.

Eventually, with a voice barely louder than a whisper, he murmurs, “Do you think you’ll come home at some point in the summer? I want to see you again.”

She hums, and he feels the vibrations ring through his bones. “Yeah, I usually go home for Fête nationale. So probably, somewhere around the end of June.”

“Oh,” he says, “Okay. Well, promise to tell me when you’re coming? I’ll make sure I’m free.”

“Of course, Solou. But you don’t have to clear your calendar for me.”

“I know. I want to,” Tito whispers into her hair, placing a gentle kiss on her temple.

Evie — April 16

Evie's sitting on the floor in front of her couch next to Alandra, Kelsey, and Leanne. Alandra is telling some story about the Maldives, waving her glass of wine wildly. Evie dutifully laughs at the right moments, but she’s barely listening. Her eyes float to the TV, watching the boys warming up, hoping to catch a glimpse of Tito.

She had gone around early today, picking up some of Tito’s things so that he’d have an easier time packing when he comes back from his road trip. There is a pile of his clothes in an empty suitcase in the corner of her room and a space in her closet that sits glaringly empty.

She takes a big gulp of her wine and refills her glass.

“What you thinkin’ about, Gigi?” Alandra asks, apparently done with her story.

“Hmm?” she tries not to spill her wine. “Um, not much, just… You know… Summer.”

“You got any fun plans?”

“Yeah, you going to spend some quality time with a certain someone,” Leanne winks.

“No,” Evie rolls her eyes and doesn’t quite catch the sigh that falls from her lips. “I think I’m going to visit family for a bit, so I’ll see him then, but no real plans.”

The girls exchange a look over the coffee table.

“Do you wish there was?” Kelsey pushes gently.

“I mean, I would love to go to the Maldives. That sounds fun as hell.” Evie knows that’s not what they’re asking, but maybe, for once, they’ll let her get away with it.

“With Beau?”

“Oof, that man with his shirt off on a beach— I think I’d have a heart attack,” Alandra says.

Leanne elbows her tauntingly, “You’re married. And besides, that one’s taken.” She points to the screen that's showing Tito on the ice for anthems.

The corner of Evie’s lip quirks, thinking about the way his muscles ripple when he’s getting changed. A heat surges through her, so intense and sudden it almost makes her choke on her wine.

“God, he does look good under there,” she confesses quietly.

They screech upon hearing that, Leanne reaching for the remote to mute the TV.

“What did you just say?”

“You’ve seen him naked?”

They’re all speaking at once, voices crescendoing on top of each other. Evie shakes her head and takes another sip of her wine, hoping they’ll tire each other out.

“The game’s starting, guys,” she tugs the remote from Leanne’s hand and turns the volume back on.

“Fine, be that way. We’re talking about this at the first intermission.”

The focus does remain on the game for the whole first period, bleeding over into intermission a little as they discuss the bullshit penalty that was called on Jason. Evie hopes that it’s enough to distract them for a while longer; she shouldn’t have been that optimistic.

“Okay, enough hockey talk. More on this. So,” Alandra starts, “Tell us more about how good Beau looks naked.”

She sighs and rolls her eyes dramatically. “I haven’t seen Tito naked. He just gets changed sometimes in front of me.”

“Okay, but you’ve got to admit that that’s on purpose, right?” Kelsey chides.

“Yeah. Like, there’s no way he’s not doing that on purpose,” Leanne adds, nodding eagerly.

“Why does it even matter?” Evie groans.

“Because he likes you, Genevieve!” Leanne yells.

Evie rolls her eyes hard. “Not like that, he doesn’t. There’s no— It doesn’t even matter. Okay?”

Kelsey pitches forward and bangs her head on the wooden coffee table. “Oh my god, she’s so stupid,” she mutters into the wooden surface.

“Hey! That’s mean,” Evie protests.

“No, Kels is right. You're so stupid. Like you’re one of the smartest people I know, but you are truly so fucking stupid,” Leanne points at her accusingly, standing up.

“Why am I stupid?” she whines.

“Honey,” Alandra says, smiling and shaking her head, “The man went out and bought you a $200 mug you’ve been looking at for ages without you even telling him you wanted it. He made you a custom necklace. He asked a former teammate for the number of another guy in the league so that he could ask Zach Hyman for the details of his literary agent to help you reach your dream. For your birthday. After knowing you for only, like, three months, Gigi. Do you not see how insane that is?”

“Yeah, he’s a really good friend. I don’t understand—”

She's cut off by Leanne screeching “Oh my god!” from the kitchen.

“What?” Evie squawks back, alarmed.

Kelsey, whose head is still on the coffee table, just mutters, “So so stupid.”

“Honey, I know you know that this isn't normal friend behavior. Only someone who really loves you would put this much—” Alandra starts gently before being cut off by a huffing Leanne, who flicks Evie on the forehead.

“Are you being intentionally dense?” she enunciates every syllable bluntly, “Because like— Oh my god, I’m just gonna say it. Tito is in love with you—”

“No, he’s not.”

“Yes, he is. He is in love with you, and you're in love with him,” Leanne stares at her intensely.

Evie just stares back, opening and closing her mouth.

Beside her, she hears Alandra suggest gently, “Okay, the game's starting back up, but we will continue this conversation later.”

For the next forty-five minutes, Evie just stares blankly at the TV. She doesn’t register anything that's going on on the ice and barely interacts with the ongoing commentary in her living room.

All she can think about is Tito.

The thing is, she has never met anyone like Tito before. He's so full of joy. Sure, he’s not happy all of the time. He openly talks to her about the things he's struggling with: the trades, all the contract talks, and his concern about his skill as an NHL player.

There’s just something about him that's so joyous. He brightens every room he walks into. It’s unlike anything she’s ever seen. It would be impossible not to be drawn in by the gravity of his sunny smile. Impossible not to get locked into his orbit.

To add to that, he backs it up with his kindness, earnestness, and genuineness. She doesn’t compare him— she doesn’t— to Pierre. She just thinks about how different she feels now compared to a year ago. She knows that over the past few months with Tito— around Tito— she has never once gotten the urge to hide in a bathroom and cry as quietly as possible.

He has shown time and time again that he cares. He always takes her feelings seriously and has never once made her feel like she was being dramatic. He listens. He puts his phone down when she talks and looks her in her eyes. He's genuinely invested in her career. No one has ever gone out of their way to try to help her like that before.

He's her best friend, there’s no doubt about it. He’s probably going to be the best friend she will ever have. No matter if they stay in touch when he moves. She can’t imagine anyone being better than him. She knows she’s a better person now than when they met in December.

And he is so fucking hot, her brain supplies, unhelpfully. She quickly shoves that thought back down, along with all the mental images of his shirtless body, his boxer-clad hockey butt, and the way his mouth curls and face shines when he smiles. The feeling of his soft hair in her fingers and his soft lips on her mouth. Those things are irrelevant.

Evie doesn’t even notice the period of hockey ending. She doesn’t even notice Kelsey getting up to use the bathroom or Alandra going to grab a snack.

Eventually, when they all return, Leanne gives her a soft squeeze on her arm.

“So, you’ve been deep in thought. Are you ready to admit that you're in love with each other?”

Evie sighs, “It doesn’t matter if I love him or not.”

“What do you mean?” Kelsey presses gently.

She shrugs, hugging her knees to her chest, “He’s taking a flight home in 5 days, and he’s probably not going to be back here next season.”

“Okay? Well, ask him to stay,” Leanne says bluntly.

“It’s not that— I can’t do that. Even if I want to, which I'm not saying I do, I don’t want to start something with him when he’s vulnerable like that. It wouldn’t be right.”

“Vulnerable like what, Gigi?”

Evie sighs and battles with herself whether she should share the things Tito has told her on this very couch. She settles on this, “He’s in a contract year. He doesn’t know where he’ll be next season, or what that next contract's even going to look like. What he does this summer is going to impact the rest of his career. He needs to focus on that. He needs to be focusing on what he wants.”

“What if you are what he wants?” Kelsey asks gently.

Evie shakes her head vigorously, “It doesn’t matter. It would be a distraction. And I can’t— It would be selfish of me to tell him anything right now. I can’t be selfish. He has to figure out what he wants. And pick what’s best for his career.”

A somber silence blankets the room while everyone processes what she’s said.

Eventually, Leanna speaks up. “Will you tell him after he signs his next contract?”

Evie bites her lip and picks at the loose thread on her sweatpants. “Probably not. We both need to focus on our careers right now and try— Look, I said that I wanted to be single for a while, after Pierre. It’s probably still too soon. I don’t want to bring any of that shit into whatever I do next.”

“Genevieve, you know, there’s no right timeline for finding someone after a break-up. Besides, it’s been almost a year. And we all know that this isn’t a rebound,” Alandra offers gently, “Trust me when I say this: when you know, you know.”

Evie nods, willing herself not to cry. There's nothing to even cry over. “Well, it doesn’t matter right now. I’m happy to be friends with him; even if that’s all I ever get, I’ll be so happy. Whatever else I feel now will pass.”

The girls exchange a look and turn back to the TV when the third period starts.

Leanne leans over and puts an arm around her shoulder. “Well, you know we're here for you. Whatever you decide. I’m sorry if I was a bit pushy. I just want you to be happy.”

“I know.”

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make-me-imagine · 2 years ago

Text

Not So Unrequited Love

Plot: Eliot seems to be happy with his new relationship with U.S. Marshall Maria Shipp. All the while, Y/n, who has had feelings for Eliot for years, watches. After an overheard conversation, Eliot learns just how stupid he has been.

Requests: Reader is jealous of Maria + “You said you wouldn't fall in love with me." "I lied."

Requested By: Two Anons. Prompt is one half of a request. I will use the other prompt in a separate fic I have planned.

Warnings: Tame themes of jealousy and unrequited love.

Words: ~3k

A/N: This is also a re-write of how Maria and Eliot's relationship ends.

"I think I got someone I can call to help us out with that part of the con." Eliot spoke up from beside you as he grabbed his phone and got up to leave.

You felt your chest tighten at his words, knowing exactly who he was referring too. Your fist tightened around your pen.

Parker smirked "Tell Maria hello for me."

Eliot glared at her "You don't know that was who I was gonna call, Parker!"

As Parker rose to follow him she continued to smile "Then who is it, huh? You got another girlfriend I should know about?"

"Parker, don't antagonize him!" Sophie sighed before she turned to you and Breanna. "I'm going to go find our Mr Wilson, you two get ready."

You and Breanna both nodded, watching Sophie leave. Your eyes locked on Eliot outside as he spoke on the phone. He had a smile on his face as he disappeared around the corner.

Breanna looked over at you, noting the way your face had fallen from moments before. She noticed it every time Maria came up in conversation.

"Sooo..." She began slowly as she eyed you.

You looked at her, noting the look on her face. "Are you about to ask for a favor?"

She shook her head "No, not a favor."

"Then what?"

"I was just wondering why it is you seem so effected every time Eliot and Maria are brought up."

You straightened up a bit at this, which she did not fail to notice.

She continued with a hint of caution in her tone "I mean, you're the only one who doesn't make jokes. Who doesn't ask Eliot how he and Maria are. And anytime she gets brought up, you tend to go quiet, or find and excuse to leave."

You smiled softly "You're better at noticing things than I gave you credit for."

She shrugged her head "So what is it?"

You shook your head lightly, uncertain if you should tell her.

She leaned a little closer, her face expressing a small pout. "Come on, please? 'Cause I gotta be honest. When I first showed up here, I really thought you and Eliot were a couple. I mean you two are perfect for each other."

You let out a soft breath "Yeah, I've heard that before."

"So?" She gave you a hard look.

You rolled your eyes lightly before you looked past her to make sure everyone was gone. You took a breath before you began.

"When the team first got together, me and Eliot got along a lot faster than we did with the others. I'm not really sure why, we just...clicked. He would often insist that he didn't like working with a team, that he was better alone, blah blah. One day when we were talking about it again, once the team was a bit more settled. I joked that it was because he wasn't only afraid of finding a family, but falling in love."

Hearing a noise outside, you paused for a moment. Seeing Eliot leaving, you figured he was going to meet Maria. You sighed softly before you continued.

"And honestly, by that point, I...had developed feelings for him. So the joke was kind of a test I guess, to see if he showed any interest"

Breanna leaned a little closer. "Did he?"

You let out a soft dry laugh "Actually, he just retaliated with some dry sarcasm. Saying things like 'Men like me don't fall in love'"

You mimicked his deeper voice and Breanna chuckled.

"But then he said, that I had to promise to never fall in love with him. It was a joke at the time, and I agreed not too. Not that long later I figured it was for the best. I mean, we have a dangerous life, it's dangerous to fall in love in our line of work. But the longer I spent with him and the others, the more I felt at home.

Breanna spoke softly "And...the more you fell for him?"

You nodded softly as you tapped your fingers on the table. "Me and Eliot are close, but not that kind of close. He's never shown any interest in me, not like that. So I just- I stay with him in the ways that I can. While he falls in love with attractive marshals." You smiled, but it did not meet your eyes.

She shook her head as she stared at you with a mix of pity and surprise "You gotta tell him!"

"No, I don't Breanna. He's got Maria, and as far as I can tell, he's happy with her. I'm not the type to try and bust that kind of thing up. Eliot deserves someone, and it took him a long time to get over the not falling in love thing. It may not be me, but, at least it's someone. Besides! What if-" a fearful thought you had many times washed over you. You let out a soft breath. "What if I do tell him, and..."

"And he doesn't feel the same." She said with dejection.

"That would kill me Breanna, and the team would never be the same again." You shrugged, the sadness on your face evident "I can't risk that, I wont."

"So you're just gonna watch the man you love, love someone else?"

You nodded "The things we do for love Breanna, especially unrequited love, often hurt."

Hearing your phone buzz, you looked down to see a text from Sophie. "It's time" You knocked on the table before you began to leave, stopping you spun back around and pointed at her "This stays between us."

She nodded, before she watched you go. A newfound pity, and respect for you heavy on her chest.

--- --- --- ---

Sitting in the food truck with Breanna, you listened to the various conversations over the comms. While Harry schmoozed up to an old evil lawyer, and Sophie made her way back to the truck, you heard the tail-end of Eliot and Maria's conversation.

Your's and Breanna's comms weren't on, so though you could hear them, they could not hear you.

"You owe me for this one Eliot." Maria said.

"Yeah yeah I know." He said with an obvious smile.

"Maybe dinner? When you're done...working, or whatever this is."

"Yeah, dinner sounds good."

"Good. Call me later then."

Breanna made a sound akin to a sick cat "She is really good at" she mimicked a fishing rod "Reeling him in isn't she?"

"Breanna!" You said softly.

"What? I'm on your side."

"On Y/n's side of what?" Sophie's voice came from behind you as she entered the food truck. You looked at Breanna with a mild warning look.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." You said coolly, as you rose. Grabbing your ear comm, you began putting on your coat.

"Mark primed and ready for me?" You asked Sophie.

"Yes." She said while watching you closely, unconvinced of your dismissing comment.

Once you let the truck, Sophie looked over at Breanna, who quickly looked away and began typing.

Sophie sat beside her "Breanna, if something is going on between Eliot and Y/n I need to know. Are they fighting? What is it?"

Breanna looked nervously from her screen to Sophie. "I'm not supposed to talk about it."

Sophie narrowed her eyes "But you clearly very much want to." Her eyes widened a it "Is it a secret? I love secrets! Y/n has a secret from me?"

Breanna shrugged, weighing the consequences. "Okay-" she began as she muted Sophie's the comms so you would not be able to over hear once you turned yours on, "First tell me this. Have you ever thought that Y/n and Eliot should be together?"

Sophie rose her brow "Oh I always thought they should, but I never understood why they haven't." Sophie gasped "What is it, now you have to tell me!"

"Alright Sophie, Maria is gonna help." Eliot frowned when he heard no response "Sophie? Breanna? Y/n what's going on?"

"What?" You whispered.

"Sophie and Breanna aren't responding to me."

"They're in the truck, I just left them. I gotta go, I'm approaching the mark."

Eliot sighed as he walked up to the food truck. Seeing the door slightly ajar, he opened it slowly, fearing someone else may be inside. He paused though, when he heard Sophie and Breanna.

"What is it, now you have to tell me!"

Eliot was about to call out to them, but stopped when he heard Breanna.

"Have you ever noticed Y/n withdrawing and getting weird whenever Maria comes up in conversation?"

"Oh yeah definitely."

Eliot frowned, he never noticed that. He would have noticed that. He felt a small jolt of realization, as he recalled that you tended to avoid any conversation about her. He thought you were doing it for his sake, but maybe not?

"Right?! So, it's because Y/n has been in love with Eliot for years!"

"What!?"

Eliot felt his heart drop as he felt his breath catch.

"Eliot made a joke years back when Nate first got you guys together, that Y/n had to promise to never fall in love with him. They said they wouldn't, but Y/n already had feelings for him then too."

"Oh my God."

Eliot's hands tightened on the handle of the truck as he continued to hold his breath. Everything from years ago rushing back into his head.

"Y/n said that Eliot never showed any signs of being interested in them so they never acted on it. And Eliot would say things like he doesn't fall in love, ya know, typical Eliot stuff. But now, years later he's with Maria and not Y/n, and now they just have to watch, while their heart is being ripped apart watching the man they love, be with someone else."

"Oh dear, poor Y/n." Sophie said with a dejected tone.

"And Y/n refuses to tell Eliot because they don't want to jeopardize ruining the team."

Eliot stepped away and leaned against the truck, finally taking in a staggered breath.

All this time, you had loved him? The years that he spent convincing himself to never feel anything for you. Because it would be dangerous, because you deserved better? The whole time, you were doing the same, for him.

As much as it broke his heart never being with you the way he dreamed, he convinced himself it was for the better. So when people like Maria came into his life, he jumped in. Now he knew that every time he did that, he was hurting you.

All this time, you had never gotten into a serious relationship. Was this why? What it because of him?

"Eliot? Hello!?"

Breaking from his thoughts as Sophie's voice rang in his ears, he shook himself from his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you coming back to the truck? We have to go."

"Yeah, yeah I'm coming." He replied, waiting for a few moments before he went into the truck.

Right now he needed to focus on the con, but once it was over. He would fix this. He would set it all right.

--- --- ---

You grinned at the client as she shook Sophie's hand, before turning to the rest of you "Thank you all so much."

"I hope you're able to get back on your feet quickly, let us know if there is anything else we can do." You said softly.

As she thanked you all again and walked off, you looked around at the others. You paused momentarily as you saw Eliot staring intensely at you. His face a mix of emotion you weren't sure you could identify.

Seemingly pulling himself from his thoughts, he pulled his eyes from you as he turned to follow the others inside.

Letting out a sigh as you looked around, you smiled, glad the con went well.

Looking at the time, you felt a small tug at your heart as you recalled Eliot's promise to Maria of dinner. You sighed as you tried to shake the thought from your mind, as you had many times before.

Taking a short break with everyone before they left, you were left alone, sitting at the tables outside the restaurant. You slowly spun the glass in your hand as you stared into the bubbles of the drink.

You were so lost in thought, you didn't see Eliot come around the corner. You didn't see him stand there for a while as he watched you.

He felt guilt pull at him as he watched you sit alone. After most cons, you and him would sit outside somewhere, talk, laugh, eat, watch the stars. It was your thing.

But recently, he would leave after cons to go see Maria. Just another thing he took from you.

Finally walking up to you, you heard his steps and looked up. You smiled at him with mild surprise. He smiled in return, feeling a warmer tug at his heart than before.

"Everyone leave?"

"Yeah" You nodded before you frowned slightly "I thought you were getting dinner with Maria?"

Eliot let out a sigh as he sat in the chair next to you. "Yeah, about that. I did see Maria, but it wasn't to get dinner."

You furrowed your brow "Something happen?"

He nodded "Yeah. Uh, me and Maria aren't going to be seeing each other again."

You sat up a bit straighter, both pain for Eliot, and a small amount of relief washed over you. "What happened?"

"I did." He said softly.

You turned in your chair to face him "I don't get it."

"I ended it, because...I overheard a conversation between Breanna and Sophie earlier."

"About...Maria?" Your heart was beginning to pick up pace as you swallowed hard. What exactly did Breanna and Sophie talk about when you left?

He shook his head "No, about you."

You stared at him with a blank face as you processed what he said. When you left Sophie and Breanna in the truck, she had just walked in after Breanna made a comment about being on your side.

"Oh God." You muttered before you leaned down, setting your head on the table a bit harder than you intended "What did the say?" You asked with a dejected tone.

Eliot smiled a bit as he sat forward, putting his arms on the table and leaning forward. He spoke softly "About how your in love with me. And that you have been for years."

Your heart was pounding in your chest, as your neck burned hot. You were afraid to look up, afraid Eliot would have a look on his face that told you he didn't feel the same.

But then you remembered what started this conversation. He ended it with Maria because of what he overheard. Did that mean-

Looking up, you saw Eliot with a soft smile staring down at you. No judgement, no repulsion, no rejection.

"You said you wouldn't fall in love with me." He said softly with a smile.

You let out a soft breath "Yeah, well. I lied."

His smile grew a bit "So did I."

You squinted a bit in confusion and he replied "About when I said men like me don't fall in love. Because I did. With you, years ago. And every single day since I, regretted telling you not to fall for me. I never really thought you would, but I wanted it."

"Is that why you never told me?"

He nodded softly "And I'm sorry. If I had, if I had shown any of the things I was feeling...things would've been different"

You shrugged lightly but smiled "Not so different."

He smiled "Maybe not. But they would have been better. I would have gotten what I wanted the most."

"Which is?"

"To be with you in all the way's we never had."

"I anted that too. But you aren't the only one who hid it. I was so convinced you never would that I never showed how I felt either."

He shook his head "I guess we both got that guilt in common then. But at least now we can amend that, and make up for the time we lost."

You smiled, but your face fell. "But what about Maria? I never intended f-"

He shook his head as he leaned forward, setting his hand on top of yours.

"It never would have lasted with Maria. She's a Marshal, and I'm- well, you know. It would have ended sooner or later. And I would rather be with the one person who has always been there for me, seen the best and worst parts of me and never left my side. I'd rather be with you than anyone else."

You gazed softly at each other for a few moments as he gently caressed your hand.

"Since I've been going to see Maria after all of our cons recently, I neglected our routine of getting dinner together. Have you eaten?"

"I have not."

He motioned his head towards the restaurant "Let me make you something to make up for it."

You smiled as you both began to rise "I would never say no to that."

He smiled as you both move to go inside. Suddenly stopping, he grabbed your hand and pulled you into his chest. Staring into his eyes, he smiled at you before his eyes flicked to your lips. Meeting your eyes again his lips quirked into a bigger smile.

Smiling in return as you both inched loser, your lips met in a soft kiss. Placing your hands on his chest, he moved his hands to your waist as he deepened the kiss.

As much as you were going to chastise Breanna for telling Sophie the one thing you told her not too. You'd be forever secretly grateful that she did.

xx End xx

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