#way more wild than the spotify wrapped lol

[mydarlinglaszlo]

I posted 9,437 times in 2022

That's 1,394 more posts than 2021!

58 posts created (1%)

9,379 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@shewhohangsoutincemeteries

@cock-holliday

@sundayruby

@overrideeclipse

@romeoandjulietyouwish

I tagged 9,437 of my posts in 2022

#tp - 4,760 posts

#critical role - 2,156 posts

#cr1 - 1,148 posts

#fanart - 885 posts

#<3 - 546 posts

#literally - 432 posts

#percahlia - 431 posts

#exu calamity - 411 posts

#cr3 - 398 posts

#same - 396 posts

Longest Tag: 137 characters

#and the way there is an image of him in said history books with the new family he built. the love of his life his kids and his bears 🥺💕

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Ok but. I just can't stop thinking about that gift of gab spell, like, it has so much angst potential, and my immediate thought was that after their break up, Loquatius probably used it at least at one point after accidentally admitting out loud to Laerryn that he misses her/he still loves her. (and also consider: him actually saying it, and not using that spell, right at the end, last thing he hears is her saying it back, before it all fades to black?)

gosh it's. absolutely destroying me emotionally they are absolutely destroying me emotionally. I'm such a sucker for an 'exes with lingering feelings' dynamic, and at the end of the world of all places? I'm truly personally attacked (also why are there names so utterly impossible to spell)

96 notes - Posted May 31, 2022

#4

Loquatius/Laerryn Playlist (EXU Calamity)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Eg32kS5RLskIrKzS8Kvlw?si=e399ee9cd0894da3 I mean… they absolutely own my heart and making playlists is like my favorite thing, so I definitely had to. I've been listening to it a lot these past few days (very much making myself sad) and I kinda wanted to share. It's mostly about them as a ship, but there are some songs about each of them individually. Also I absolutely cannot make short playlists to save my life, oops. Read More

101 notes - Posted June 13, 2022

#3

ok so heidi and izzie really just came onto critical role for marisha's familiars one shot and were like. our characters will be a yellow dramatic octopus with a bucket named CLAPP and a pseudodragon named Joanne that sounds like Natasha Lyonne and just wants to retire. They're going to be canonically in an open relationship and almost become the adoptive moms of two tiger cubs. Joanne will sing Aerosmith badly to her to calm her down and CLAPP will *not* stop flirting with her. Truly an amazing and galaxy brained move of them

137 notes - Posted June 28, 2022

#2

ok so i just looked at my Spotify profile and saw this:

and it's so funny to me to see them side by side and the comparison in followers (and how it's a tie now lol) cause it's like. Briarwood Arc Spotify Playlists Edition (gotta love the narrative foils of it all)

138 notes - Posted February 13, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

so. should percy and laudna make a t shirt that says 'my family got brutally murdered by briarwoods in whitestone and all i got was Trauma, white hair, warlocky powers and this t shirt?' cause i think they should (oh and a bonus: laura's PC as a love interest sdfnjksdf)

400 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[landwriter]

2!

Hounds of Love by The Futureheads. Oh! What a gem!! I first loved this song when I was a wee bab and rediscovered it this past summer. It, along with all my top songs, was on a summer driving playlist which is why it is so insanely high haha. There's a sort of lovely pastoral wildness to this and I think that suits our lads so well.

An outdoorsy AU with competence kink out the wazoo, where Dream is a bird specialist at a wildlife rehabilitative centre, who becomes a minor TikTok celebrity (much to his enormous apathy) when the centre starts doing interpretive meet-birds events and the internet falls in love with this dour hottie who only smiles when he's talking about birds (Matthew, naturally, runs the account). Hob is a hunter - bow, mostly - who is regrettably very on TikTok, very on all social media - he hates the term but he is unquestionably an 'influencer'. He just likes sharing his knowledge and passion, alright? And the gear sponsorships are nice.

He sees Dream, and sees, mostly, a really great collab opportunity, so he messages him, and Dream (who is Matthew, and just shouted HOB FUCKING GADLING? IN MY DMs? at his phone when he got the message, immediately sets up a meeting at the centre. Then he breaks the news to Dream, specifically when Dream is holding Jessamy, so he can't be murdered.)

Dream, of course, expects Hob to be some like, swaggering font of red-blooded machismo talking points, and suspects Hob is only popular because he looks like an advertisement in Outdoor Living. (Matthew showed him pictures.) He disregards Matthew, who says Hob is actually super cool, because Matthew has terrible taste and would be the first to admit it. But his interest is piqued when Lucienne also knows who Hob is. It turns out Hob is deeply involved in nature and wildlife conservancy. Gives talks at schools. Gets involved with land protection initiatives. Teaches orienteering to youth. But everyone seems to expect him to hate Hob, which he would find faintly insulting except that he also expects himself to hate Hob. He doesn't. Not that much. Even when he shows up in a plaid shirt that is made of 'technical' fabric, because he's smart and excited to talk to Dream about birds, has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of falconry, and most importantly, Jessamy takes to him immediately.

They run into each other again at a renaissance fair, another thing Dream hates but has been strong-armed into doing, and so they are both dressed in very silly clothes when it happens: the first time Hob watches Dream demonstrate falconry, the first time Dream watches Hob use a longbow made from a yew tree he fell himself, the first time they go from a wary sort of respect for one another to a wanting.

Dream, who has a recurring fantasy about running away from it all, listens to Hob tell tracking stories and thinks, If I went into the woods, you would find me. But he doesn't want to run from Hob - except sometimes, when he sees Hob chew on his lip consideringly before giving a thoughtful answer about the guiding industry, or when Hob grins wildly at the crowd after his archery demonstration, and most of all, when Hob phones him out of the blue one day - he doesn't text, he phones - sounding a little breathless with excitement, and asks Dream if he wants to come with him for a week in the mountains, on "probably a wild goose chase" and promises "all sorts of birds if nothing else." (Hob had meant to only share the news with Dream. Fuck, he thinks. I am so fucked.)

He says yes, for the birds, of course, and tells Matthew the next time he's at the centre.

"So what's the wild goose chase?" asks Matthew.

Dream plumbs his memory of the phone call and says, "Hob told me he received a bighorn sheep tag." Matthew gapes at him.

"Holy shit," says Matthew. "He's in love with you."

"He is certainly not."

"Uh, no, respectfully boss, he 'certainly' is. Lucienne!" he shouts, "Hob invited Dream to come out on his Dall sheep tag. What the fuck, right?"

Lucienne comes in and raises her eyebrows. "Oh dear," she says. She's smiling.

"What," says Dream. "It's a sheep. I don't understand."

Lucienne and Matthew exchange a glance.

"Him. I cannot believe Hob chose him," says Matthew.

"Love works in mysterious ways," says Lucienne.

"I am right here," says Dream.

Matthew turns to him, "Have fun in Alberta," he says.

this would ft. nights of wild stars, rugged terrain, type ii fun, sexual tension around a campfire, homoerotic form checks, tent sharing, dream glassing beautiful birds with hob's $3000 binoculars while hob stares at him in abject adoration, dream watching hob strip off his clothes and jump into an alpine lake, and refusing to join him out of pretended prudishness when it's really because he's suddenly so hard it hurts, camp coffee, confessions about themselves instead of confessions about their feelings for each other, sore muscles for a VARIETY of reasons, and lots of allegories about wildness and taming and running away from things, and SO MUCH COMPETENCE KINK, friends. so much. i would probably write it like - act one them leading their separate lives, their desires and aches etc., act two - meetcute and circling one another, act three - The Trip. this one has a very happy ending i can tell

[astranauticus]

Hi! I saw your response to the songs that starts with the letters in your username post. We have pretty similar tastes! I’m trying to listen to more Chinese music and was wondering if you have any recs you’d be willing to share? Thank you so much!💖

sorry for taking so long to get to this haha, i had to stare at my playlist for a bit because my music taste is a bit all over the place nowadays (and also, a lot of jpop orz)

well there's always the classic cpop singer rec, Zhou Shen who's particularly fun to recommend to international listeners cuz like. you don't need to know what he's saying to realise his voice is goddamn incredible. also, if you watch cdramas at all you've probably heard him at least once because he is somehow in every cdrama ost (may i interest you in my translation of the three body problem theme song he did). everyone's first Zhou Shen song is big fish but i'd also shout out mirage, my favourite on (the first half of) his new album which is a much more electronic kinda sound than what he usually does

if you're into hip hop at all there's ice paper, the top artist in my spotify wrapped last year (somehow). i tend to enjoy music that sounds weird as hell and.. yeah on naihe bridge is my go to example of 'yknow rap music can sound real wild sometimes'. also, all the music that Fanka made for the show Link Click, particularly the season 1 ed

on the topic of music that sounds weird as hell, floruitshow's album is all bangers (set me free (translation here!) is my personal top rec it really sounds so unique)

finally, lightning round of artists off the top of my head: Mayday is kind of a chinese rock music all time classic. Mao Buyi is a personal fav but his sound is more... quiet low key quarter life crisis music so idk if that's your thing lol. Liu Yuning is a singer i was deeply obsessed with a few years back (also another guy who's somehow on every cdrama ost), his stuff tends towards more pop (especially the ost songs) but he's part of a rock band and some of his original music does reflect that

also, unrelated to music recs exactly but if you want a quick way to find cpop songs/singers to fall into a hole about you enjoy, i highly recommend looking up music variety shows since a lot of them are english subbed on youtube! Singer is a classic and Singing with Legends is a personal fav but that's probably a separate post lol

[fics-not-tragedies]

January 2024 Music Prompts - Spotify Wrapped edition

♪ Hello again! Yes, I'm finally back, at last. Let's start new year with something great: music prompts ♪🎵🎶

♪ Since getting your Spotify Wrapped is such a huge event every year (at least for me, who listens to the same 5 artists and even tho I still get surprised, lol), I decided to surprise you with a little prompt event.

♪ I've chosen 15 songs from my 2023 Wrapped playlist and a lyric (or few) for each one of them that just has THE vibe (y'know):

1. Own My Mind ♫ Måneskin I'm prayin' at your altar if you know what I mean.

2. Dinner & Diatribes ♫ Hozier I’d suffer hell if you'd tell me/What you'd do to me tonight.

3. Kiwi ♫ Harry Styles She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes/Hard liquor mixed with a bit of intellect.

4. Electricity ♫ Arctic Monkeys Tell me something I don’t already know/Like how'd you get your kisses to fill me with electricity?

5. Francesca ♫ Hozier Though I know my heart would break/I'd tell them, "Put me back in it".

6. Honey (Are You Coming?) ♫ Måneskin I'm gonna show you how this Italian amor/It's gonna love you harder than ever before/You will like it.

7. Don't Blame Me ♫ Taylor Swift I would fall from grace/Just to touch your face.

8. For Your Love ♫ Måneskin I wanna be the first man you look at tonight/I wanna be stuck in your head and make you go wild.

9. Stuck ♫ Thirty Seconds to Mars I've been lost in your eyes all afternoon/The more I drift, the closer I get to you.

10. Mammamia ♫ Måneskin They ask me why I'm so hot, 'cause I'm italiano.

11. Nobody ♫ Hozier I'd be appalled if I saw you ever try to be a saint/I wouldn't fall for someone I thought couldn't misbehave/But I want you to know that I've had no love like your love.

12. I Can See You ♫ Taylor Swift But what would you do if I went to touch you now?/What would you do if they never found us out?/What would you do if we never made a sound?

13. Baby Said ♫ Måneskin Baby said, "Let me taste your silhouette/You can talk between my legs"/Uh-uh, uh, uh, know you really want to.

14. Cuff It ♫ Beyonce I wanna go higher, can I sit on top of you?

15. I Wanna Be Your Dog ♫ John McCrea So messed up, I want you here/In my room, I want you here/Now we're gonna be face-to-face/And I'll lay right down in my favorite place.

♪ You can now start making request for the following list of characters:

1. Keanu Reeves along with his following characters/movies:

John Wick & the John Wick movies franchise,

Constantine & the movie,

Johnny Utah & Point Break,

Jonathan Harker & Bram Stoker’s Dracula,

Neo & The Matrix,

dr Julian Mercer,

Jack Traven & Speed;

2. Riccardo Scamarcio along with:

Santino D’Antonio;

3. Andrew Hozier Byrne;

4. Tom Hiddleston along with his following characters/movies:

Sir Thomas Sharpe & Crimson Peak,

Loki & Avengers/Thor,

Adam & Only Lovers Left Alive,

dr Robert Laing & High Rise,

Jonathan Pine & The Night Manager;

5. Henry Cavill along with his following characters/movies:

Geralt of Rivia & The Witcher,

Walter Marshall & Nomis,

Capt. Syverson & Sand Castle,

Napoleon Solo & The Man from U.N.C.L.E.,

August Walker & MI: Fallout,

6. Alexander Skarsgård along with his following characters/movies:

Eric Northman & True Blood,

Leo Beiler & Mute,

Gadi Becker & The Little Drummer Girl,

sergeant Brad “Iceman” Colbert & Generation Kill,

7. Peaky Blinders franchise along with the following characters:

Thomas ‘Tommy’ Shelby,

Alfie Solomons,

8. Supernatural franchise along with the following characters:

Dean Winchester,

Sam Winchester,

9. The X Files franchise along with the following characters:

Dana Scully,

Fox Mulder,

10. Kiefer Sutherland along with his following characters/movies:

Jack Bauer & 24,

president Tom Kirkman & Designated Survivor,

David & The Lost Boys.

Please send in a number with the song/lyric you fancy + a character from those listed above, first come - first serve, as always.

If there are any questions don’t be afraid to ask them, I’m always all ears for y’all!

♪ LET'S CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF 2024 ✨

[sonic06silver]

:DDDDD i do not believe i kno ur favorite gaming/sonic tracks!! Is it Ok if I ask for u to spare a few in these trying times?? ;;w;; (I'm listening to loud sonic music with my lil speaker LOL)

Yes!! Absolutely!! :D I have quite a few. I'm going to start off with some of the newer stuff that you might not be familiar with.

Sonic Mania's soundtrack (YouTube / Spotify ) is stellar all around.

Standout tracks:

Lights, Camera, Action! (Studiopolis Zone Act 1)

Hi-Spec Robo Go! (Hard Boiled Heavy Boss)

Rogues Gallery (Mirage Saloon Zone Act 2)

--

The vocal tracks from the newest game, Sonic Frontiers, were spot on for me. They perfectly encapsulate the vibe of the Sonic series for me. However, if you have any intention of playing Sonic Frontiers, I would hold off on listening to these until then.

I’m Here (feat. Merry Kirk-Holmes)

Undefeatable (feat. Kellin Quinn)

Break Through It All (feat. Kellin Quinn)

Find Your Flame (feat. Kellin Quinn & Tyler Smyth)

--

Sonic Generations (YouTube / Spotify) was Sonic's 20th anniversary game. Pretty good if you want to listen to some new takes on older tracks! There's also a 3DS version (YouTube / Spotify), which features entirely different levels than the console version. I enjoy the remixes they did for both games.

Personal favorites:

City Escape (Classic) - Sonic Generations

City Escape (Modern) - Sonic Generations

Collection Room (Door Into Summer) - Sonic Generations

Emerald Coast (Act 1) - Sonic Generations 3DS

Boss: Big Arm - Sonic Generations 3DS

Boss: Biolizard - Sonic Generations 3DS

--

Lots of great stuff in Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)'s OST (YouTube):

His World (Theme of Sonic)

His World (Zebrahead Version)

White Acropolis (Snowy Peak)

Crisis City

Aquatic Base (Level 1)

Aquatic Base (Level 2)

Flame Core (Volcano)

--

I think you already know that I'm a big fan of the Sonic Adventure/Sonic Adventure 2 soundtracks. Both are easily my all-time favorite video game soundtracks. I'll list some of my favorites, anyway, though.

Sonic Adventure:

Azure Blue World (Emerald Coast)

Pleasure Castle (Twinkle Park)

At Dawn (Speed Highway)

The Dreamy Stage (Casinopolis)

Be Cool, Be Wild and Be Groovy (Icecap)

Leading Lights (Lost World)

Bad Taste Aquarium (Hot Shelter)

Crank the Heat Up!! (Final Egg)

Big Fishes at Emerald Coast - Sonic Adventure

Sonic Adventure 2:

Keys the Ruin (Pyramid Cave)

Soarin' Over the Space (Cosmic Wall)

Bright Sound (Dry Lagoon)

Masters of the Desert

Won't Stop, Just Go! (Green Forest)

That's the Way I Like It (Metal Harbor)

--

Miscellaneous tracks I enjoy:

High and Broken - Sonic and the Secret Rings

Catch Me If You Can - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Un-gravitify - Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity

Door Into Summer - Knuckles' Chaotix

No Way Through - Sonic and the Secret Rings

Wrapped in Black - Sonic Rush

Iron Jungle - Shadow the Hedgehog

Lost Impact - Shadow the Hedgehog

--

Lastly, here are some non-Sonic game OSTs that I enjoy!

Blinx: The Time Sweeper

The Sims

The Sims 2

NiGHTS Into Dreams

Jet Set Radio

Jet Set Radio: Future

--

I have plenty of more songs that I could recommend, but this has already gotten really long, so I will leave it off at that. :] I hope you enjoy listening to some of these!

[possibilistfanfiction]

i know ur writing and i knew it would be great but girls against god is my new post s2 canon now that wn got cancelled also can we talk abt how florence's lyrics were made for them bc that time i randomly listened to king after my first time watching wn made me absolutely insane

someone else far more gifted than me at plot (many ppl i think!) will write great fic abt the holy war events in s3 but it’s simply not my fate, just them being happy into eternity forever lol

i’m glad ur enjoying the series tho! also yes, dance fever as a whole is just … whew in this context. thank god it’s the black hole of time between spotify wrapped & new year’s day bc otherwise my most played song of the year would be morning elvis, played in the most feral way for four days in a row after i finished s2 lmfao

(also i saw florence play recently at hollywood bowl, there was a power outage & then it just … came back on? & then she summoned the rain? in los angeles in october in a previously sunny day? absolutely wild experience lol)

[inkofamethyst]

March 13, 2023

Late 2022/Early 2023 Bops!!

Two Knocks - aeseaes

Vandalize - One Ok Rock

That Unwanted Animal - The Amazing Devil

The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil

Dream Away - KWINI

mm+i - serin oh

Bird Song - Florence + The Machine

Seven Nation Army / Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Buffalo Rose

A Beautiful Song (from Nier: Automata)

Mourning (from Nier Automata)

Sogno di Volare - Christopher Tin (from Civilization VI)

Bird Song has quite literally been my February anthem, but all of these have been on repeat for weeks.  Alongside all of Upstate tbh.  Once again, I prove myself to be pretty genreless lol.  We’ll see how many of these survive to the Spotify Wrapped.

I wonder if PhD admissions these days are biased toward extroverted (or extrovert-presenting (such as myself)) students.  I mean, I suppose most things in life show preference for extroverts, but I’ve certainly noticed during my visits that many students who make it to interviews or to the admit stage are quite (and, occasionally, aggressively) extroverted.  And while, on one hand, I feel like this disadvantages great students who just don’t have that same charisma, I also think it kind of represents a changing academia.  Prioritizing future academics who are more likely to be team players, who are more likely to reach outside of their fields and engage in that ~interdisciplinary research~ which universities adore.  Prioritizing friendly, collaborative, and fun cohorts at the graduate level.  Rewarding not just intelligence and hard skills, but also soft skills.  Maybe I’m thinking too much into it.  It’s just that I’ve been so surprised by how personable all of the prospective students I’ve met this cycle have been, and I’m wondering if that initial “reaching out phase” in the early fall is meant as a screening process to select for those personable students, not just the brilliant ones.  I mean, I suppose that can also come out through letters of recommendation and such, I don’t know.  I’m probably just overthinking; I should go to bed.

Speaking of sleep, I don’t know if it was just me (actually, I know it wasn’t because I expressed this to many people today and they agreed), but daylight savings was killer this year.  I haven’t ever slept in half an hour past my wake-up time, and getting up this morning was a horror show.  Didn’t wash my face, didn’t eat breakfast, had no energy during the 8am.  Ended up taking a long nap in the afternoon which helped, but I think I could’ve used another hour and a half tbh.  

Today I’m thankful for.. choir rehearsals.  Just in general.  Learning and perfecting music with others is such a fun time, and I feel so lucky to have stumbled into this amazing group and have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing in a symphony orchestra as a non career musician.  I remember experiencing very similar feelings during marching band in high school, just feeling overwhelmed with joy and gratitude and a sense of belonging despite the difficulty of maintaining the standard that the ensemble required.  It’s fun to be challenged this way.  It’s beautiful to be part of building something greater than anything I could ever do on my own.

[edit, two days later: oh also happy three year anniversary to miss rona i guess]

[fortes-fortuna-iogurtum]

29, 35, and 73 for the spotify asks? <3

#29 is Lights On by Colony House!! I really like this song, tho I think I probably have a rather different interpretation of it's about than what the real meaning of it is 😅😂 "I thought I heard the welcome music playing/I thought I heard a voice say I was home/I didn't know it was so complicated/to read the signs that told me you were home/I thought I saw the lights on" I resonated a lot with this one when I first heard it bc those lines << felt a Lot like my struggles at the time--I was going through a lot of confusion and anxiety concerning my college plans, and try as I might, I just could not figure out what the best way forward was. but it had all seemed so clear just a few months before!! a bunch of doors opened and improbable things happened and I thought it was finally all coming together!! and then several spanners were thrown in the works and suddenly I had no idea what was happening anymore and none of it made any sense again. so yeah, that's definitely why this song got listened to a lot during the handful of months all that was happening, lol

#35 is Behold (Live) by Mission House, another one I listened to a lot in the car. I've already talked in another ask about how much I love Jess Ray's music, and as she's one of the key members of this band, it makes sense that this song and most of the others I've heard from them hit me the same way. this one's definitely much more Worship Music-y than a lot of the stuff I listen to on a regular basis (mostly bc I'm really picky about worship music and can be kinda critical of it if I feel like theology or artfulness is lacking, which is something I'm trying to work on lately lol 😅), but I love this one a lot. I just find it really hopeful and comforting, a reminder of how good everything is going to be eventually, when all the bad is undone. something I need to be reminded of a lot, especially after everything these last few years have been.

"the empty filled, the wounded healed, the broken back together/the poor are blessed, the weary rest, we will dance forever/the blinded see, the chained are free, the doubtful now believers/the outcast known, the orphan home, you are my redeemer/behold! behold! behold what love can do!/behold! behold! he's making all things new!"

#73 is The Arcadian Wild's cover of Never Die Young. love The Arcadian Wild and everything they release. they've been on my Top Favs Band list for several years now and I don't think they'll lose their place there anytime soon. in fact, I think they've actually had a prominent place on every Spotify Wrapped I've ever had?? plus I like James Taylor's music in its own right, so this combo was something I did not expect but absolutely did not complain about when it happened!! :D

[queennsansa]

Hi *wink wink, nudge nudge* it’s that time of the year — please reveal your truth: Spotify wrapped, number 22 - 69 - 77 👀

Thank you for the ask! Somewhat shockingly considering the state of my top 100 you managed to evade Taylor Swift and Harry Styles.

22. Marionette - Keaton Henson & Julien Baker 69. Die Fun - Kacey Musgraves 77. The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil

Below the cut some characters these songs remind me of, because of course all of them are on multiple fandom playlists of mine.

22. Marionette - Keaton Henson & Julien Baker

I swear you picked one of the most depressing songs on this list lol.

Both the mood and lyrics of this song remind me of Robin Hobb's Realm of the Elderlings. In all fairness, I can link most songs to those books, but I swear it holds up for this one. Cue this essay which will probably be incomprehensible cause I'm limiting my spoilers?? Sorry.

I like to think of this song as a nod to the Last Dance of Chances poem from Fool's Fate (rendered beautifully by Ilum Sîn here as a song--mind for indirect spoilers, if that'll bother you) and the dancing motif as it applies to Fitz and the Fool. I think the Last Dance of Chances is one of Robin Hobb's most beautiful offerings and also worst offences to my heart, so there's that. Anyway, the song:

I am the master of ignoring the past I have the answer to the question that you never asked Teach me the seasons, and let every year be the test But ask me to dance, love, I will fold like a marionette I'm lost on you

Has there ever been a better description of FitzChivalry Farseer than "master of ignoring the past"? Always writing his own history in a way so that he can live with it, catalogue it, engaging yet evading. The lack of communication, a love enduring, but the scene breaks down once a question is asked. I love the imagery of a marionette, so fitting for Fitz who often feels like a puppet in the hands of Fate, the Farseers and also, ultimately, the Fool. And then the layering of Keaton and Julien's voices on "I'm lost on you"... the quietest defeat.

Teach me to write, love, and I'll write you a song for the dead

Truly, what is every Fitz book but a love song for the dead, literal or figurative? What is the Last Dance of Chances but an elegy, an eternal goodbye? That's exactly what this song sounds like.

Okay I'm done having feelings, let's carry on.

69. Die Fun - Kacey Musgraves

Getting more upbeat here, thank god.

I will forever be missing the chaotic energy of the Legends of Tomorrow gang. This song is full of hope and yet it has a wistful tone. Perfect for a show then that has just ended, and that when it was on air, always had team members leaving.

Do we really have to grow up? If we never do then so what So what if I don't wanna, what if I'm just gonna Stay drunk on all the years that I just wish would slow up?

In a show about timetravel, there never seemed to be enough time. It was about being silly, about making the most of love, friendship, life. It was about traveling the universe and the destination not mattering nearly as much as the journey and the people you undertake it with. It was, very often, about saying goodbye. No one is guaranteed a happy ending, and the journey won't last forever for anyone. But no one had more fun on their journey than the Legends did.

Cause we don't know when we're done So let's love hard, live fast, die fun

Nothing encompasses Legends of Tomorrow better than that last line, for me. Love hard, live fast, die fun. They sure did.

((Also I'd like to imagine the Legends would think it hilarious to be picked for number 69.))

77. The Horror and the Wild - The Amazing Devil

As a sidenote, I have like two songs from the Witcher in my top 100 despite only having seen season 1 (a deliberate choice) and then also this one. Joey Batey's voice just hits.

This is a very angry song with a feminist slant, that sounds like it should be in a fantasy show. My first thought was Arya Stark but I haven't thought about Game of Thrones in ages, so different fantasy show it is.

You were raised by wolves and voices Every night I hear them howling deep beneath your bed They said it all comes down to you

A fitting song for a Chosen One, one girl in all the world etc. No, not Buffy, but Faith. A slayer with wolves beneath her bed.

Think of all the horrors that I Promised you I'd bring I promise you, they'll sing of every Time you passed your fingers through my hair and called me child Witness me, old man, I am the Wild

It's a song about taking revenge on the world, and everyone in it who hurt you, especially the ones who pretended to be nice. These lines remind me both of Faith's relationship with the Mayor and with the Watchers Council, old men who want to use her power for their own gain. But Faith cannot be tamed for long. And if she's promised you horrors, you better start running.

[beloved-femboyish-girl]

going forward and on the OP i'll be linking more official versions of the shit on this playlist whenever possible. that said it's wild how some of these entries are delicately preserved; spotify deleted literally every ASMR i'd listened to when i first tried to do something like this (because, in actuality, this project is to get a very particular "spotify wrapped"). Anyway. let's get to the reviews for today !

ASMR Audio Roleplay - 7 Minutes In Heaven [Sub] [M4M] [Strangers To Lovers] [Kissing] [Spicy] Pt. 1 (official title: Stuck In The Closet With A Sub Shy Nerd [M4M] [7 Minutes In Heaven] [Kiss] [Spicy]) -- A. this guy doesn't miss. idk why they changed the title for these because the originals are pretty dead on. dude's got the awkward hookup with a nerd script polished as fuckkk. but the audio in the background loops and one guy is Really pissed off about nobody having cigs. unrelatedly: also there may be nsfw versions of this guys audios but ummmm they're locked behind a 36 dollar paywall. Lol!

[m4m] 1,2,3 fingers (original title unknown) -- D. "you need to take at least four fingers. thats around my girth." bro thats not in the title stop godmodding! NOT sexy. detached dom doing ERP of the same tier i was running when i was like 10. i.e. Bad. not even moaning that much.

Bratty Best Friend Wants To Experiment with You [Part 1] -- C+. M4M. whyd you brattycode this guy. bro made a blanket fort to confess. also wow one kiss in and he asks to be boyfriends?! nice cute

[NSFW] Bratty Best Friend Teases You [Part 2] -- M4M. "you really like it when i whimper" ✅ bro understood the assignment. B-, i think it's cloying and slow at the start - "i'm getting hard. from the way that you fuck me" - bro is yapping in between plaps dude. he's whimpering and moaning which is better than a lot of this list but that's - god he's really really sticking to the script so hard EXCEPT for the bratty part! bro is like a 2 on the charli [[come up with better joke later come the fuck on man]] scale.

Soft Dom Butler Teaches You Swordplay [Part 1] -- F+. M4M. originally a "sultry" butler. barely even sensual. you have to really want it from the getgo to get anything out of this. the first 3/4ths... the swordfighting section is a little charged and hot..? and dudes PETTING you now? alright. no moaning or whimpering but hes getting a little sultry with it! im not even gonna lie!

[NSFW] Soft Dom Butler Pins You Down [Part 2] -- FUCK THERE'S FOUR OF THESE IN A ROW?? M4M. C. it's butler yaoi, so you may go crazy for it. but i'm not gonna raise past this letter grade unless we get either some whining or explicit swordfights.

[NSFW] Soft Dom Butler Spoils You [Part 3] -- M4M. C+. throwing a plus in because of the consistency; if you are invested at this point it'll be your shit again, probably.

[NSFW] Soft Dom Butler Teases You Outside [Part 4] -- C. youre not gonna believe it but this one's M4M. starts w/ swordfighting but the lore exposition goes from heavy to straight masturbatory. wgich is fine, whateverrr, jerk your brainstem, but boring as a listener.

Lustful Bully Teases You [Part 1] -- F. BL. bad writing. bad bullying, barely sexy.

[NSFW] Lustful Bully Spanks You [Part 4] -- this is a CHRISTMAS episode!!! so call me the god damn grinch when i fucking CANCEL CHRISTMAS!! F!!! so shit they skipped two parts!! so ass they can only make this guy say "nerd" every 10 seconds!! ive had more dominant subs!!! ive been treated worse by the nicest girls ive known!!! reeks of a writer whos never been bullied and is too unimaginative to make insults which could even possibly sting. Fuck this dude

men moaning/whimpering playlist rating

Going Rough on your Sub Boyfriend [Boyfriend ASMR] [Whimpering] ("CozyCub ASMR" deleted) -- F. False advertising. No more fucking or being rough.

Petting Your Sub Cat boy [Whimpering] [Bottom Neko] -- B. Not a fan of bitches saying "master" but bros a lil bratty kitt

Dominating your sub boyfriend on his birthday (kisses)[ASMR RP]M4F (official audio) -- D. no domination involved really.

Risky Gorou ASMR| Making Him Whimper From Teasing- NSFW? Gorou x Listener ( Genshin Impact) (excerpt of [NSFW Patreon Exclusive] Risky fun with Gorou behind a building [Bottom] [Blowjob] [Whimpering] [Petting] [NSFW] [Gorou x Listener] ASMR Roleplay 35:56) -- B. aww cute lil puppy boy aww bros EMBARASSED about his puppy taillll

Mommy's good boy -- F. lame whimpers. dont like how he says mommy

Making Your SUBMISSIVE Boyfriend WHIMPER! ⌈NSFW⌋ (official title: [Making Your SUBMISSIVE Boyfriend WHIMPER! ~ [Boyfriend ASMR] [Soft Voice] [Pleading]) -- C-. didnt know if this was gay at first. its fine

Needy Subby Boyfriend Wants Your Attention (ASMR) [M4F] [mommy] [mdlb] [spicy?] [kisses] [needy] -- F. dont like how he says mommy. ""mdlb"" bro talks about going to work out. is lil bro getting ripped. is lil bro getting gains? no. shut up about the gym. talking soft bc roommates are audible too

Ignoring ur subby boyfriend until he breaks (excerpt of Ignoring your subby boyfriend until he breaks (M4A)) -- A. exactly as advertised. fun acting. hes trying soo hard. hes been so good. fuck

100 Tier: "Stuffing The Bird.." A Pleasure Dom Fem!ListenerX Confident To Subby Hawks NSFW HARDCORE (M and NB variants)-- THEYRE BIRDS?? YOURE ACTUALLY BIRDS? kinda awesome B hes being too smug and overacting too fast. Dude are those kissing sounds or am i feeding him a WORM. His guttural breathing is freaking me out dude. mic glitches. ok my bad we're not feeding him worms we're feeding him PUSSYYY!!! + yuup we're tasing your balls bro. id bump up a letter for pain noises but its just too much besides that.

18+ Thoma x Listener| Sub Thoma Moans| Private Meeting At Komore|ASMR Roleplay| Genshin Impact (excerpt of [NSFW Patreon Exclusive] F*cking Thoma at the Teahouse [Bottom Thoma] [Making Him Hold the Moan] [Subby Noises] [Thoma x Listener] ASMR Roleplay 29:06) -- C+. bros still acting well its just no puppyboy and pretty tame.

alright thanks see you tomorrow for tge next ten

PART TWO:

gr#nding against your sleepy boyfriend~ (unknown source) -- D-. doesnt understand anything sexy about the conceit. or maybe at all !

"Couldn't Sleep?" A "Cure" For Restlessness Gojo X M!Listener NSFW (F and NB variants)-- 😥 the bird one was bnha so like is this one is too whos gojo. but same as with the doggy gen-- he just said いただきます. and now a footjob is happening?? bros gagging on whoever "Listener"'s cock is tho. WONT STOP SAYING "THANK YOU FOR THE ME- HE JUST SAID IT AGAIN??? C+ for the continuously impressive voice acting but. well theres wet plapping now. but . the character acting

M4M Annoying sleep boyfriend for cuddles (sleep aid) (official title: M4M Annoying your sleepy boyfriend for cuddles! [ASMR] [BL]) -- bold decision to take on the persona of "annoying". aww no ones gonna hurt you youre with your boYfriEnd. hes not whimpering. D for this list purposes but its fine

M4M Boyfriend holds their little baby boy to sleep (sleep aid) (official title: M4M Boyfriend holds their little baby boy :) [ASMR] [SFW] [LittleSpace]) -- D for no whimpering or moaning. "aww. you havent regressed in a while? do you want to?" "oh i got you some Little stuff. you know for when you're in Little space. wait typing that out made me realize the little in the title was referring to that. anyway its fine this is what i imagine asmrs target audience is anyway

(M4A) ASMR Roleplay: CEO Dominates you (CEO X Listener) [Slight NSFW] (official title: [BAD BOY ASMR] Mafia Boss x Listener. After Shower With Your Yandere Boyfriend!?[Spicy]) -- "[...] cum founder" still slow at 2.5x speed but only 16 minutes long. C-. character work is schlocky stock romance but soo reserved. but i guess theres moaning.

(M4A) ASMR Roleplay: Sadistic Vampire Talks with you (Noble Vampire X Vampire Hunter Listener) [NSFW?] P.2 (official title: [DOM VAMPIRE ASMR] Vampire x Listener. Sadistic Kisses, Delicate Bites!?[Spicy]) -- C shallow world relying on slow brooding but can i just say the description on this one is wild. "- hold on bro is chowing down so ill bump it a lil. anyway "I hope I have the right audio. I haven't listened to the entire thing." bro?? am i the only one here wh

(M4M) ASMR Roleplay: Bully Forces Cuddles on the Bus (Male Bully X Male Underdog Listener) [Mild NSFW] P.2 (original deleted?)-- B this dude is so fucking funny. "whatya listening to. probably some gay shit. *sharp nostril exhale* now be a good little nerd and give me your homework. your lunchmoney too. I WONDER HOW YOU ARE IN BED? YOURE PROBABLY FUCKING GREAT" YESSS. wet gooping sounds happening now with little discernable - oh we're cocksucking this guy ok alright. you put your gay earbuds in and start listening to music at the last 30 seconds. Wow.

Cum in 10 minutes -- F this is binaural beats shit and did NOT cum

Whispering Slurs Asmr -- F. heres an excerpt from the artist's bio: "As a performer, I do not actually agree with anything this anti-social character spews out of his mouth. I will need to be careful what I say because I could be feeding into people’s deeply ingrained prejudices and bigotry. I pray that I do not unintentionally enable a bunch of bad people who resent a changing world."

Taking Care of Your Drunk Boyfriend (unknown source)-- C+. bros whimpering and moaning when he Should be throwing up !!!

PART 3:

alrigt im starting this at 4 am hope i can get fhru this quick NOTE: i didnt

[HOT BULLY ASMR]Bully x Listener. Trapped Together And 7 Minutes In Heaven! [Delinquent,NSFW(?)] -- D. sharp smug mouth inhales after like every sentence. its your first time 🥺 going to someone else's place 😑. its really funny to do a "7 minutes in heaven" scenario with only two people alone in an apartment. "HOT BULLY"? not really bullying at all but apparently im "already biting my lip" so i guess im wrong.

Making Your Boyfriend BEG for it…[SPICY] Boyfriend ASMR [M4M] (official audio)-- B-. sleazy creep type narrator. saying im blueballing him by not fucking right now? holy shit, trying to talk me into not using protection because he doesnt want to get up and go buy more condoms?? toxic as fuck bro...

"Fuck Me Now." A Villain/Mastermind Kenma X Male NSFW (F and NB variants) -- B. there was an alternative female AND "NB" version and the script is mostly the same. "suck my dick while you ride my thigh" good idea! but um i dont think. that works.

(M4M) ASMR Roleplay: Bully Dominates you with Kisses (Male Bully X Male Underdog Listener) [Mild NSFW] P.1 (original deleted?) -- B+ on technicality for no whimpering. bros actually getting vicious with this one. the part 2 was mostly goofy but. like. wow.

ASMR Audio Roleplay - You Challenge Your Dom Friend [M4M] [Friends With Benefits] [Spicy] Pt 1 (official title: You're A Good Boy To Your Dom Friend [M4M] [Friends With Benefits] [Spicy]) -- fuck the criteria. B-. the writing here is impressive. like dudes got natural conversation and character work down so well. and hes funny?? ok hes like a reddit edgelord shithead but hes got jokes. no moaning or whining though!

[M4M] [NSFW] Flirty Dragon Desires You [Part 2] -- can you please fucking speak up dragon i cant hear you over all the bugs. B its corny as fuck but bros moaning and maybe a hint of whimpering.

Subby boyfriend whimpers & begs for "attention" (Spicy boyfriend ASMR | Deep voice | M4A) -- he's whiompering and moaning and also fucking ANNOYING!!!!!!! C this guy Pisses me off. "im gonna cry if i dont get [your attention and pussy]" then CRY!!!!!!!!! "that makes me so squirmy" its all ok now tho bc hes in pain

[REUPLOAD] Daddy Detective NSFW M4M (OP deleted) -- ACAB. F. sadly i was hoping it was freelance.

ASMR [M4M] Your Bored Barista Tries To Kill Some Time With You -- F. bored? check. bro sings "im like a bird" in the quietest voice possible. lmao. no moaning or whining! but its fine

ASMR Audio Roleplay - [M4M] Locker Room Secrets ft. Liquid_Madnezz & cee_ [Kisses] [Spicy] [College] (excerpt?) -- A. POV: YOU'RE the bully?? obnoxious ass opening. also. whatever happened to the navy seals co[pypasta. POV: you crush mad pussy? this i think is the same guy as the dom friend one and dude kinda has writing chops because he paints such a pained but conflicted pairing. i empathize a lil with bro in this. theres whining in this but like, not the sex kind. and there IS moaning. lowkey toxic protagonist!

see u 2morrow for the next ten!

[nokikissa]

It is that time of year again, Spotify Wrapped is here!

This year my spotify algorithm and now wrapped have been fucked over by the fact that in my main dnd group we now use spotify for the background ambiance music, a lot of those have ended up in here like for example the 3 - 5 spots on the most listened to artists list is artist who’ve done a lot of the music we use for ambiance haha.

Here’s the most listened to genres and listening time overall. Nothing new or surprising in the genres, just that videogame music has made it’s way to the top thanks to video game osts being used a lot in the background ambiance. And still listening to a loooot, tho bit less than last year. Still that translates to like over 72 days haha

Most listened to track was Maailmanloppu from Jukio Kallio, that’s one of those songs I have an oc music video imagined in my head that if I were more talented and had the energy I would try to make an animatic or something out of lol. Rest of the most popular tracks are from when I was listening a lot to the Sayonara Wild Hearts soundtrack.

Next up is Podcasts, listened to those for over 38000 minutes which translates to like around 26½ days lol. Mostly dnd actual play podcasts. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[yournowheregirl]

Hey! Just wanted to pop in and say I love seeing you on my dash (and that I loved Linger! It's in my 'to comment on' folder when life gets a little less wild bc it deserves another read!) BUT I also wanted to ask about your writing process! Do you have anything special that you do or anything that really makes or breaks a writing session?

hi hi! omg that's really sweet, thank you so much! i love seeing you on my dash too, so this works out great for the both of us 😊😊

and as far as my writing process goes, it really depends on the idea i have in mind, the time of day, where my head is at, the scene i'm gonna write and so many other things so let me break it down for you under the cut:

okay, so first, there's the idea! which can be a song or scene from a movie or tv-show, or even another fic at times. usually like one scene or a few lines of dialogue pop in my head and i write that down in my notes app before i forget (because i tend forget a LOT of things) before i let it marinate for a few days, adding more ideas as i go

then i start writing an outline, which is usually a list of bullet points that explains the story in short, with some lines of dialogue or small details i want to incorporate. this outline is both super helpful (because it helps me keep track of the story) and annoying at the same time (because sometimes i get stuck on one idea which stops me from writing anything else that could possibly work in the story). but usually that outline is my lifeline and helps me divide the story into scenes or chapters

then, the actual writing (dundundunnnn). starting a story is always hard imo, but i usually just start writing and go with the flow, editing things afterwards to make everything make sense. same goes for ending a fic, i tend to have a broad idea of how i want to end things, so i write that down and edit it as i go.

music is a total must as i write, it can totally influence my vibe or help drown out the outside noise and thoughts and let me focus on the story at hand. i usually pick music that fits the mood (so sad songs to go with angsty scenes, slow jams to go with kissing and make-out scenes) but at times, just a random playlist or album from my spotify library does the trick. EXCEPT when fics are directly inspired by certain songs or albums, during those writing hours i usually listen to that song/album on repeat (the cranberries are def gonna show up in my spotify wrapped after writing linger lol)

other than that, i don't do anything special i think? i usually do have an empty, unnamed document open, which i use to drop sentences/dialogue in that i do wanna use but not in the way i've written them. that way i can reuse them without clogging up my writing document. and i can write virtually anywhere (at my desk, at the dining table, on the couch while the masked singer is on...) as long as i have some kind of device within arms' reach and i have an idea, i'm good to go.

what does break my writing is people interrupting me. at times i'm really feeling the writing flow and then people keep bugging me and i get really irritated (to quote kuzco: you threw me of my groove!).

i also get really annoyed when i keep writing but it doesn't feel right and i can't figure out why. at those times, i usually start over and sometimes even try a whole new setting that makes things work (like for chapter 2 of my current wip, i got stuck in a flashback of steve and eddie meeting that had to evolve into present tense, where eddie was on his way to see steve, and it just didn't work. so i scratched the whole flashback idea, and just started with eddie in the subway on his way to steve, it worked out better that way)

one final pro-tip: find someone who you can share your ideas with! i love annoying people with my ideas and sometimes they have a new detail or angle that can be really useful for the process of your fic. feel free to hit me up anytime, i looove workshopping ideas!

hope this helps and like i said, feel free to come talk to me, i love rambling about writing and fic ideas! 💛💛

[ladyfogg]

We Live for Love - Part 4

We Live for Love – Part 4

Fic Summary: Eddie is recovering in the hospital where you’re volunteering. The whole town may have shunned him but you refuse to do the same. Masterpost. 

Fic Rating: 18+

Pairing: Eddie Munson/Female Reader

Warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Smut, Language, Season Finale Spoilers

Fic Song: We Live for Love by Pat Benatar. Full fic playlist on Spotify.

A/N: Second to last chapter! This one got away from me and yes, all the D&D stuff comes from my own home game because I’m a nerd and it was already written so why not use it lol. Warning there is some angst, and there’s violence later in the chapter. 

Something jolts you out of your deep sleep.

At first, you’re confused and groggy, not sure what’s happening. You’d been having probably the best sleep of your life when the bed started to shake. Behind you, the sound of the bedsheets rustling further wakes you up. It reminds you that Eddie’s in bed with you. Rolling over, you see that he’s still fast asleep, but instead of being relaxed and serene as he was before, his body is jerking erratically and his limbs are thrashing. He’s making the most heartbreaking whimpering noises and your heart breaks in two. It’s clear that he’s in the throes of a terrible nightmare.

“Eddie? Eddie, baby, wake up.”

Your voice is soft and gentle, trying to cut through whatever tricks his mind is playing. He doesn’t acknowledge you, doesn’t calm down, or wake up. You call his name again, a little firmer this time, and lay a hand on his shoulder.

You shake him gently but it doesn’t work. “Babe, you need to wake up! Come back to me!”

“No…no, leave her alone.”

Now you’re scared. Quickly, you straddle his lap and take him by the shoulders, shaking them roughly. “Eddie! Wake up!”

He awakens with a shout, sitting up so fast he slams into your chest, almost knocking the wind out of you. Instinctively, your arms wrap around him in a tight hug.  Likewise, he clings to you, burying his face in your neck as he tries to gasp for breath. He’s so scared that he’s hyperventilating, unable to properly breathe which feeds into his already heightened fear.  

Sliding off his lap, you pull away just enough to take his face in your hands and force him to look at you. “Eddie, baby, it’s okay. It was just a nightmare,” you say in a soothing voice, stroking his wild hair. “You’re okay. You’re here with me. Everything is okay. Just breathe, please.”

Eddie shuts his eyes and leans into you, clinging to your arm, struggling to take a normal breath. Tears slide down his cheeks and his body trembles violently. You press your forehead to his temple, arms tight around him to try to give him something to stay grounded.

“You…were dead.” The words coming out stilted. “Saw it…saw you…he killed you…”

You hold him tighter. “I’m not dead, though. It was just a dream. I’m here. You’re here. You’re okay. It’s over now.”

Eddie shakes his head wildly, his teeth clenched. “No,” he gasps. “No, it’s not. It’s not over.”

You have no idea what he’s talking about. This reaction, this is way more than fear of the earthquake. This is stepping into PTSD territory. This is pure fear like you’ve never seen before. Eddie wasn’t scared of something, he was scared of someone. Someone who killed you. Yet again you’re in the dark. You didn’t want to push before but now, you feel like you have to.

“Talk to me, baby,” you urge. “Please, I want to help. How can I help? Who is ‘he’?”

His grip tightens. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

He doesn’t say anything at first, still struggling to breathe normally. You start to take deep inhales and slow exhales hoping you can coax him into doing the same. After a few seconds, it works. He shakily follows your lead, though the tears still fall. With one arm wrapped tightly around him, you use your free hand to rub soothing circles on his back. It takes a long time for the tears to stop and an even longer time for the shaking to ease up. Only then does he say something.

“You really want to know what happened?” he asks in a small voice.

The way he says it. There’s heaviness in his words, enough to make a shiver run down your spine. You assumed what he went through was bad but you never imagined it was this horrible. This intense. It’s like all the air has been sucked out of the room and for a brief moment, you wonder if you really do want to know what happened.

“Yes. I want to know.”

Eddie lets out the breath he was holding and swears to himself. You sense that he wanted you to say no, that he doesn’t want to talk about it. But in the end, he takes one more deep breath and then starts to talk. He tells you everything from the very beginning. About Chrissy wanting to buy drugs from him, about what really happened in his trailer, how he ran and was on the run for days, how the gang found him and helped keep him safe…as the story goes on it gets weirder and weirder.

And scarier.

He tells you about the Upside Down. And, he tells you about Vecna. How they found the gateway in the lake and barely escaped the first time unscathed. He tells you what happened to Max, and how she acted as bait to lure Vecna. How Eddie himself had to draw the weird bat monsters away from the mansion, how he realized that if he didn’t do something quick, they would come through the portal and get Dustin.

How he sacrificed himself to give everyone else time.

Throughout the whole story, neither of you has moved. He’s still clutching your arm and you’re still holding him tight, your face now buried in the crook of his neck.

“It’s a little fuzzy after that,” he says, voice hoarse once all is said and done. “From what I was told by Dustin, the others found me, and Harrington carried me back over his shoulder.”

He swallows thickly.

“Even after all of that, all we did, we failed. It didn’t work. Vecna is still out there somewhere. And now Max is…”

You can feel fresh tears start to fall. “Hey, hey, look at me.”

You take his face in your hands and force him to look at you. He avoids it, like he’s scared to face you after everything he’s said. You don’t let him, tilting his face up and making him look you in the eye.

“You guys did what you could,” you tell him. “You knew you were outmatched but you did it anyway. You tried and yeah, Vecna may not be dead. But he’s hurt and that has to count for something.”

Eddie jerks away and gets out of bed. He starts to pace back and forth, anxiously biting his nails. You see his wounds in a new light, realizing how incredibly lucky he was to have escaped. “You don’t get it. You don’t understand,” he says, shaking his head.

Your heart sinks. “Then help me understand.”

“That, out there,” Eddie points out the window to the dark clouds and the ash whipping around like fresh snow. “That’s the Upside Down. It’s here. The doorways are open and we can’t close them. Vecna can literally stroll in and take everything he wants. Anything he wants.”

“And when he tries, we’ll be ready.”

Eddie shakes his head harder, hair flying everywhere. “No, no way. You’re not getting involved in any of this shit. If something happens to you I will never forgive myself.”

“Well, tough shit, Eddie. I said I love you and I mean it. If you think I’m going to let you face Vecna on your own, then you don’t know what love really means.”

He climbs back onto the bed, grabbing your hands and clutching them in his own. “I can’t lose you.”

“And I can’t lose you. I let you get away once before, I’m not going to fucking do it again. And if that stupid bastard thinks he’s going to take you away from me, he’s got another fucking thing coming.”

Eddie presses kisses to your joined hands. Without a word, he pulls you into a tight hug. You return the embrace even while your mind is spinning with everything he’s told you. It sounds batshit insane, and yet, does it? Ever since Will Byers had gone missing the town had never been the same. Weird shit has been going on in Hawkins for years and no one has ever seemed that worried about it. Mix in the obvious military presence and you can smell a cover-up from a mile away. Deep down, you, knew there was no way that was a real earthquake. Especially not with that perpetual thunderstorm on the horizon.

“I can’t believe you don’t think I’m crazy,” Eddie mumbles, still hugging you tight.

“Oh, I absolutely think you’re crazy. But I still believe you about the Vecna thing.”

You’re hoping to break the tension and it seems to work because he chuckles. With a deep sigh, Eddie presses a kiss to your temple before drawing back. He cups your face, thumbs stroking your cheeks as he stares. Just stares into your eyes.

“I love you.”

Smiling, you kiss his nose. “I love you too.”

His expression is serious which honestly scares you more than anything else. Because, if Eddie is being this serious, then things really are as bad as he says they are. “I need you to make me a promise,” he says. “When shit goes down, when he comes back, you’ll get yourself out of here.”

“No.”

Eddie swears. “I’m not fucking joking.”

“And neither am I! Didn’t you hear what I said, Munson? I’m not leaving you. If you’re not going to run then I’m not going to either. We do this together.”

Eddie takes a deep breath and then leans forward, planting a harsh kiss on your lips. You lay your hands over his, kissing back, trying to pour your heart out. To let him know that you meant everything you said, that you weren’t going to leave him. Not now. Not ever. Vecna or not. When he draws back, his eyes search yours. You can practically see the wheels turning in his head but before you can ask what he’s thinking about, he starts to sing.

“It doesn’t hurt me. Do you want to feel how it feels? Do you want to know that it doesn’t hurt me? Do you want to hear about the deal that I’m making? You, it’s you and me.  If I only could, make a deal with God, I’d get Him to swap our places. Be running up that road, be running up that hill, be running up that building.…”

You raise your eyebrow. “Didn’t peg you for a Kate Bush fan.”

“I’m not. That’s the song Max listened to when she was trying to keep Vecna out of her head. It was…is her favorite. Kept her grounded. Got me thinking. What’s your favorite song?”

“These Dreams by Heart.”

He smirks and you can practically hear the sarcastic comment in his head. But he doesn’t tease you. “Sing it to yourself. Think of it from time to time, keep it inside. Get a Walkman and keep the cassette in there. Just in case…”

“What about you?”

“Master of Puppets by Metallica, duh. Why do you think I fucking shredded it on the guitar to distract the bats? Besides, don’t worry about me. I always have music in my heart.”

You smile. “Wish I could have seen you play.”

“I’ll perform for you some time.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Of course, I’m super interested in an entirely different kind of performance.”

You’re the one to kiss him this time. After everything he’s told you, the urge to touch, to feel him is stronger than anything you’ve ever felt. You need to show him how much he means to you, how fucking happy you are that he managed to live through the most terrifying experience you’ve ever heard. Eddie groans and pushes you onto your back, covering your body with his. Shoving the blanket away, his hands glide down your hips to your thighs, which he roughly spreads so he can settle between them.

Your mouths move together in an urgent frenzy.

But before things can go any further, you both hear several loud knocks on the door of the shop. From outside, Dustin’s voice calls your name.

“Fucking hell, Henderson!” Eddie snaps, glaring at the window even though you’re on the higher floor and whoever’s outside definitely can’t see.

Shit, it’s time for D&D!

“Fuck we slept longer than I meant to,” you say, pushing Eddie off you. “Get dressed!”

“I don’t have clothes!”

“There are some in the dryer.” He huffs like a child, stomping off to the living room. You grab the nearest shirt you can find and a pair of fresh underwear from your drawer. Once your top half is at least covered, you throw open the bedroom window and look down.

Everyone is there, clumped together on the sidewalk and looking up expectantly. Dustin and Mike have backpacks and the others seem to be holding various drinks and snacks, even though you told them that they didn’t have to bring anything. It makes your heart melt seeing them, especially after hearing everything they’ve been through over the last few days.

“Hey! Sorry, be down in a minute!” you call.

Out of the corner of your eye, you see your living room window fly open and Eddie leans out, wearing jeans but still shirtless. “What’s the password?” he demands from his friends.

Their reactions are pretty hilarious. Dustin’s eyebrows are in danger of disappearing under his curly hair but he has the biggest grin on his face. Steve, Nancy, and Robin all look highly amused and are smirking. The others are in various states of confusion, clearly not expecting Eddie to be there.

“The password is put clothes on and let us in!” Steve calls back.

“Whatever you say, big boy.” Eddie slams the window and you follow his lead.

You throw on a pair of jeans and shoes in between grabbing your DM materials while Eddie pulls on a black t-shirt that is a little big but at least isn’t covered in blood. He has to scrounge around for his shoes, which he had kicked off into the corner somewhere. You take the staircase that leads into the shop, turning on all the lights as you make your way to the door.

“Hi! I’m so glad you guys are here! Come in!”

The group files into the shop one by one, exchanging hellos and greetings with you and Eddie. “Welcome to our humble abode,” your boyfriend says, arms spread wide. “Fiction is over there, comics are over there, and that big ass table is where we will fight epic fantasy battles.”

“First off, that’s not where fiction or comics are,” you say, closing the door after the last person. “And now that I’m thinking about it, you guys probably have had enough fantasy battles, huh?”

Everyone collectively turns to look at Eddie and immediately you get the sense that maybe he wasn’t supposed to tell you. His reaction confirms your suspicions. He scratches the back of his neck. “Yeah, I told her.” When all he receives are incredulous looks, he throws his hands up. “Hey, what do you want from me? You try saying no to a woman when she’s in bed with you, naked.”

“He’s got a point,” Steve and Robin say at the same time.

Robin immediately follows it up with, “So I’ve heard.”

Huh. You’re going to let that one go for now but definitely need to ask Eddie about it later.  

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell anyone. Not like they would believe me.” You assure them before motioning to the table. “Have a seat. Eddie, help me clear the counter so we can lay out the snacks.”

“On it, babe.”

With Steve and Nancy’s help, the four of you take down the counter displays so all the snacks can be spread out buffet style. Someone was genius enough to bring paper plates, which are placed in a neat stack next to the various chips and cookies. While the older ones get the food squared, the others choose their seats at the table. There is talking and some excitement but there’s still the dark cloud hanging over everyone. Now that you know what happened, it makes a hell of a lot more sense. You also wish you would have suggested something else since D&D had the potential to be super triggering.

Dustin and Mike brought multiple D&D sourcebooks to add to the neat stack you have in the center of the table. It’s enough for everyone to get their own book.

“So,” Nancy says in a low voice so only you can hear. “You and Eddie?”

You can’t help smiling and glancing over at him. Dustin had gotten up to help himself to snacks but Eddie stands behind him, playfully taking anything Dustin puts on his plate. They bicker while Steve rolls his eyes. Speaking of Steve, you catch the not-so-subtle way he glances at Nancy.

“Yup, me and Eddie,” you say. “Are you and Steve—?”

Nancy’s cheeks turn pink. “Oh, no. We’re not…I’m with Jonathan. Will’s brother.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry, just thought…anyway, where’s Jonathan? He could have come too.”

You can tell that that was probably the wrong thing to say. Nancy purses her lips. “Long story.” She starts to fill her plate aggressively with food.

Behind her back, you catch Robin’s eye. The other girl vigorously shakes her head, making a cutting motion with her hand. Whoops. Time to change the subject.

“Have you played D&D before?” you ask, quickly scrambling for something to save you.

Nancy chuckles. “No, but I’m not letting these guys out of sight.” She glances back at the table where her brother and his friends are talking. There isn’t much laughter and you can sense that everyone is on edge. There’s an underlying tension that permeates the air like everyone is waiting for something to happen but don’t know what that thing is.

Your eyes stray to Eddie, your heart skipping a beat when he throws a smile your way. “I don’t blame you.”

Everyone grabs snacks and you take your place at the head of the table, Eddie to your immediate right. It doesn’t take much for them to give you their attention.  

“First off, I definitely wouldn’t have suggested this if I had known what happened,” you start, feeling the need to address the massive elephant in the room. “I totally get if people would rather play something else. I have board games…”

“No,” Will says with determination. He looks around at his friends for support. “I want to play. We want to play. He’s taken too much from us. He’s not going to take this.”

“We talked about it a lot,” Lucas adds. “And we agreed to still play.”

Glancing at the others, you’re met with nods of agreement. The grit and determination these kids have blows you away. You can’t imagine what they’ve been through, what they are still going through. And what they have to face.

You nod back. “Alright. Then let’s play some Dungeons and Dragons.” Steve raises his hand like he’s in school and it makes you chuckle. “Yeah, Harrington?”

“I have no idea what I’m doing.”

“You mean in life or the game?” Eddie asks.

Laughter passes around the table and Steve just rolls his eyes. “The game. Well, both. But right now I mean the game.”

“Easy enough question to answer,” you say. “We’ll start by making characters…”

With Eddie’s help, you pass out empty character sheets and several dice pouches to those who haven’t brought their own. Unsurprisingly, the boys who’ve played before already have characters made, no doubt back-ups from other games, which everyone who’s ever been obsessed with D&D does. Eddie is surprisingly silent when he picks up the pencil and he busies himself with filling in the sheet without even needing to look at the sourcebook. You shouldn’t find that hot, but you absolutely do. Under the table, you rub your foot against his. It makes him pause, and he peers up at you with a smirk and a wink.

It becomes a group effort to walk the newbies through the character-building process. With multiple source books passed around, those with experience naturally pair up with those without. Mike works with Jane, well, Eleven as Eddie explained earlier. Dustin talks Steve through the process, while Lucas helps Robin. You work with Nancy, who seems to catch on pretty quickly and is able to do a lot of it on her own once you point her in the right direction.

“I’ve heard Mike talking about it for years,” she explains. “It’s nice to finally have some context to whatever the hell he’s been saying.”

Mike makes a face at her but there isn’t any annoyance or malice behind it. She lovingly returns it with a face of her own. Robin seems to get it too and is firing off question after question, sending her and Lucas into a spiraling discussion about character motivations and backstories. Eleven and Steve are struggling. Mike is patient, Dustin is not.

“But, wait, so why are there different dice?” Steve asks, picking up the pouch you had passed to him.

Dustin sighs heavily. “Because you role different dice based on what you want to do.”

“How will I know what to do?”

“It depends on the story. And what you think your character would do.”

“So there’s like, no preset list of stuff you can do?”

“No. You make it up as you go.”

It’s not sinking in. For some reason, he can’t seem to wrap his head around the fact that he can just act in the moment. You decide to take pity on Steve. “Don’t worry, if you don’t know what you want to do, I’ll offer suggestions,” you say, hoping it’ll help.

He looks slightly less confused but seems to be determined to just roll with it. You look over at Eleven and Mike. “You okay over there, El? Oh. Wait, can I call you that?” you suddenly feel insecure. “Sorry, I didn’t know if that was a special nickname or not. Should I call you Jane?”

“El is fine,” she says. She looks at her sheet. “I think I am okay.”

“Great,” you say, clapping your hands. “Everyone ready?”

There is a chorus of yeses and suddenly, you have everyone’s undivided attention. Eddie is looking at you with pride, fiddling with the dice you gave him. Little do they know, you’ve worked on this story and campaign well before you ever had a group to play with. Everything from the world to the NPCs sprang from your mind. You prefer to make your own world rather than play in a pre-made one. So you’re really fucking excited to get started. From behind your DM screen, you take a deep breath.

“Our journey begins, on the continent of Ostara,” You say, immediately slipping into your storyteller’s voice. “Surrounded by the vast Linestrider Ocean, Ostara is landlocked and a place where all races, be it men, elves, dwarfs, or hobbits, live together in relative harmony. You’ve all heard whispers, rumors of a group called the Order of the Starseed, a supposed underground organization that has secret dealings throughout the land.

At least, you thought they were rumors. Throughout your travels, you learn that their existence is not a myth. One by one, you each receive a letter, personally addressed to you with no return address. They all say the same thing, you are to meet as a group in a local tavern. Once there, you will be presented with your next instructions. So, one by one, you trickle into this rowdy tavern after hours. There is only one table available and once you’re all seated, the waitress delivers this…”

From the stack of papers in front of you, you pull out a rolled-up piece of paper tied closed with a black ribbon. Smiling, you hand it to Eddie who is on the edge of his fucking seat. Everyone is, leaning in and hanging on every word. When you pull out the scroll, the room fills with excitement and the boys in particular ask Eddie what it says.

Under his breath, he says to you, “I fucking love you.” Before clearing his throat, getting to his feet, and putting on this posh, faux British accent.

“Greetings, travelers!” he says, waving his hand with a dramatic flourish. “You are hereby summoned to the Hall of Flames in the city of Allorares. We require your assistance escorting a fellow Order member to the small town of Phandelver. Think of this as your initiation. More details, and payment, will be presented upon your arrival. Signed…” He pauses for dramatic effect. “Sage Ophelia Bren, Order of the Starseed.”

He sits back down.

“So…” You prop your chin in your hands. “What do you all want to do?”

Surprisingly, Nancy is the first to speak. “Do we know where this place is?” she asks before backtracking. “Is that a weird question?”

“No, that’s a very good question. But first, why don’t you introduce your character,” you suggest. “Who do they see?”

Nancy looks at her sheet. “Oh, okay, um…” She pauses for a second and you’re worried her nerves might be getting the best of her, but suddenly her posture changes and she leans an elbow on the table. Straightening her back she says, “You see a tall, strong-looking woman with a two-handed ax strapped to her back.” She glances at you, almost as if wondering if she’s doing this right. You give her an encouraging nod and Eddie gives her thumbs up. “Greetings, my name is…shit, I didn’t think of a name. Um…Madonna. Yeah. I’m Madonna.” She winces but seems like she’s just going to do with it. “One of the best swordsman in the realm.”

Love it. All of it. You look around the table and see the amusement spreading. Eddie immediately gives a mock bow.

“Well met, Lady Madonna,” he says, still in the fake accent. “You may call me Sir Joseph, and I too have some skill with a blade.” He then goes into great detail about how super ripped his fighter is and describes everything, down to the colors of his sword and shield.

It goes like that with each person. They get more and more excited as the introductions go, with the veteran players laying on the physical descriptions. Eddie and Nancy are both human fighters. El and Will are magic users, also human and brother and sister which you think is adorable. They stick with Jane and Will for character names. When it gets the Robin, she’s the first the break the trend as an elf, named Linda Barrett. Steve smirks and shakes his head but you don’t get the joke.

“Hey, if I can’t be dexterous in real life, I’ll do it in fantasy,” Robin says after declaring Linda Barrett is a rogue.

Lucas is playing a hobbit cleric, Dustin is a hobbit rogue, and Mike is a hobbit fighter. The three of them are triplets called Sam, Merry, and Pippin, so that’s fun. Steve is a dwarf cleric named Marty because he says Back to the Future was the first thing that came to mind when trying to think of a name.

“Right, so, introductions are now out of the way,” Nancy says. “Back to my original question, do we know where this Allorares is?”

“You do. I won’t even make you roll for it. Allorares is the capital city of the district of Emberborn, which is a short distance from where you are right now,” you explain.

“We should go there, right?” El asks. “Someone needs our help. We need to help them.”

“Not so fast,” Steve says. “What do we know about this Order of the…what?”

“Starseed,” Nancy says before you can answer. In front of her, there’s a notebook page already filled with writing. Nancy is quickly becoming your new best friend.

Steve raises his eyebrows and Nancy shrugs. “I’m a note-taker. So sue me?”

He chuckles. “Right, well, what do we know about this Order of the Starseed? How do we know we can trust them?”

“We don’t,” Dustin says. “But we’re being hailed by a secret organization. Aren’t you a little curious?”

“Friends don’t keep secrets,” El says. “Secrets are bad.”

You get the feeling that’s not an act, that’s pure El talking. Trying to keep things light, you offer a suggestion, “If any of you want to see if your characters have information on the order, you can roll a history check.”

There’s scrambling as everyone grabs their dice. The veterans show the newbies which dice to use and soon the sound of dice rolling across the hardwood table fills the small space. It’s music to your ears and you can’t help grinning, watching everyone bent over their character sheets and trying to do quick math in their heads. Eddie doesn’t roll though, he’s too busy smiling at you. Reaching over, he takes your hand and squeezes it.

“What did everyone get?” you asks.

Several numbers are thrown out but no one but El rolled above a fifteen. “What does a negative number mean?” Steve asks.

You snort with laughter as Dustin puts his face in his hands. “How did you get a negative?” Eddie asks with that big grin of his.

“Well, I have a negative two to history and I rolled a one on the dice.”

“Oh honey,” you say, unable to contain your laughter. “First and foremost, a one is an epic failure. A negative roll in this instance means you know absolutely nothing about the history of where you live.”

Steve huffs and pushes his paper away. “Figures.”

Still chuckling, you look around at Eleven. “I think the only one who passes their check was Eleven. So, El, what you know about the Order is that they are known for researching and tracking down magic items. They aim to make sure these items don’t fall into the wrong hands. If an artifact is discovered, no matter where, sooner or later an Order member will appear to take it. But you also know that you haven’t heard any of this being done forcefully.”

Eleven nods, fully taking in every word you say. “Okay. So, that is what I know. What should I do now?”

“Up to you,” you say. “Do you think Jane would tell the group what she knows or keep it to herself?”

“She would tell them everything.”

“Great,” you look at everyone else. “So now you all have that information. What are your thoughts?”

“If they’re tracking down artifacts that are dangerous, they can’t be that bad,” Will says.

“Unless they want to use them for themselves,” Mike adds.

Robin chimes in. “Either way, wouldn’t it be best to go anyway? Maybe we can infiltrate their ranks and make sure they’re on the up and up?”

“Sounds like a noble endeavor,” Eddie boasts, leaning back in his seat. “I say we accept their offer. Sir Joseph does not run from a fight.”

Oh, baby.

Before you have time to unwrap that statement, the quiet is suddenly broken by the shattering of glass. Your heart leaps in your throat and everyone screams in surprise. Those closest to the door are Steve and Dustin and they have to cover their heads as they get showered in broken glass. A brick clatters across the table, leaving deep gashes in the wood and scattering character sheets everywhere. Outside you hear the yells and jeers of two familiar voices.

“Fucking freaks!”

“MUNSON! We know you’re fucking in there!”

You stare at Eddie who gives the others a fearful look. Steve kicks his chair back as he stands with an angry expression you have never seen him wear before. He’s out the door before anyone can stop him. Dustin and Lucas are next to stand, fully intending on following Steve but Robin grabs them by their collars and pulls them back.

Eddie looks at you for a moment, before squaring his shoulders and standing. He makes a move towards the door. You stop him by stepping in front of him and grabbing the front of his shirt. “No! Babe, don’t go out there. Let Steve handle it.”

“No more running, remember?”

He gently moves you out of the way and follows Steve outside. Swearing under your breath, you dive behind the counter to grab the metal bat you keep there for protection. It’s hot pink because you’re a fucking lady. Seeing you arm yourself, Nancy dives into her bag for something, swearing while throwing things left and right.

“Keep them inside,” you tell Robin, motioning to the teenagers before you step through the broken door.  

Just as you thought. The two guys with letterman jackets are standing on the curb, but this time, they aren’t alone. A black pickup truck is idling right behind them. There’s a guy behind the wheel and at least four more guys standing or sitting in the bed of the truck. The passenger-side door is open and another guy hangs out of it, one foot on the curb like he’s about to join the other two.

“You assholes better fucking get back in your truck and get the hell out of here,” Steve says in a low, menacing voice. “If you leave now, you might even get to keep your limbs.”

“But first you’re going to empty your pockets and fucking pay to fix my girlfriend’s door,” Eddie adds, moving to stand next to Steve.

It’s incredibly unsettling when everyone’s gaze immediately goes to Eddie. The two ringleaders crack their knuckles. “We know what you did,” one of them growls, his fists shaking with rage. “You may have been able to fool the police into making Jason take the wrap but we know it was you!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Steve says. “I’m giving you one more chance. Leave before this gets any uglier.”

Moving to stand by Eddie, you let the bat slide through your hand until you’re gripping the handle. “We don’t want any trouble. Hawkins has enough to deal with without your bullshit. Steve told you twice, we won’t tell you again.”

The next thing you know, one of the letterman guys full-on shoves you backward, sending you tripping over the empty door frame and crashing back into the shop. Eddie is on him in an instant and that’s when all hell breaks loose. It’s an outright brawl right there on the sidewalk in the middle of the afternoon. Lucas, Mike, and Dustin hop over you on their way out the door, while Robin is distracted trying to help you up.

With Will’s help, they get you to your feet. “Are you okay?” Robin asks.

“I’m fine! We have to help them!”

Will hands you the bat.  

It’s hard to tell what’s going on now that the other assailants have joined in. It’s a flurry of punches and kicks. What you do see is one of the letterman jackets punch Eddie in the stomach, sending him to the ground.

Your vision goes red.

You charge forward, shoving anyone who gets in your way. Eddie is curled, trying to protect himself while the guy is kicking him. Steve is trying to break free from the two guys holding him. Dustin takes a flying leap onto one of the guy’s backs while Lucas throws his own punches. Mike dive tackles someone else to the ground and they start fighting. Without hesitation, you swing your bat, right into the knee of the one attacking your man. He screams as his kneecap shatters and Eddie takes the opportunity to get up. He throws a mean uppercut right into the guy’s jaw and knocks him out cold.

A loud bang shatters your eardrums and everyone freezes. Bat still raised, ready for another swing, you look behind you to see Nancy standing just outside the door, a gun raised in the air. Now that she has everyone’s attention, she lowers the weapon and points it at the letterman guy who Eddie knocked out.

“I suggest you get your fucking friend and leave before I blow a hole in his head,” she says, eyes flaring with an intensity that left no room for argument.

“You’re bluffing!” one of the attackers dares to say.

Nancy cocks the gun. “Try me.”

Suddenly, the brick comes whizzing past her, hitting the guy who challenged her square in the forehead. He’s out, flat on his back, but instead of falling, the brick flings itself in the opposite direction, taking out the guy pinning Mike, and then the two guys holding Steve.

To your amazement, it stops in midair and floats there.

From behind Nancy, El walks out glaring daggers at the assholes in front of her. Blood drips from her nose as she holds her hand outstretched. You watch as the brick floats back over to her and hovers above her open palm. Without so much as a blink, she closes her hand and the brick crumbles into dust.

“Leave. Now.” El orders.

That seems to light a fire under their asses. The guys scramble to grab their wounded and get themselves back into the truck. Eddie leans on you for support, one arm around your waist even though you don’t move a muscle, still standing there with your bat poised for another swing.

“And if you come around here again, we’ll know,” Nancy calls after them.

She gets no response, only the squealing of tires as they speed off. Only then do you lower your weapon and wrap your arms around Eddie to keep him on his feet. “Oww, my fucking stitches,” he groans.

“Come on, let’s get you inside.”

You don’t even bother to check on the others, too worried about the damage that asshole might have done to Eddie. The floor of the shop is littered with shattered glass and Eddie stumbles into the table as you try to maneuver him to the staircase. You drop your bat, putting your hand on his chest to catch him.

“Help me,” you tell Dustin, who swoops in under Eddie’s other arm so he can have more support.

“We’ll take care of this,” Robin says, motioning to the door and surrounding mess.

“There are wooden planks in the basement,” Eddie says over his shoulder. “I have a toolbox upstairs.”

“I’ll get the tools,” Steve says, wiping his bloody lip on his sleeve.

“We’ll get the wood,” Mike offers, his right eye already swelling.

Everyone splits to take care of different things. Upstairs in your apartment, you and Dustin help Eddie to the couch. “The first aid kit is in the bathroom,” you tell the teenager, who runs off to get it. Steve grabs the tools and hurries back down the steps.

“Shit we were having real fun there for a second,” Eddie says. He carefully lifts the shirt over his head and you can see that a few of his stitches have torn. “Son of a bitch.”

Dustin brings the first aid kit over and it’s then that you notice he has a scrape on his chin from where he hit the pavement at some point. You grab what you need before shoving it back into his hands. “Bring this to the others, make sure you and everyone else get patched up.”

“Is he going to be okay?” he asks, staring at Eddie with worry.

Eddie waves him off. “I’m fine, Henderson. Go. I’ve got my woman to take care of me.”

Dustin leaves and you and Eddie are alone once more. He cups the back of your neck, making you stop what you’re doing so that he can look you in the eye. “Are you okay?” he asks.

“Eddie, I’m fine. You’re the one with torn stitches and possibly bruised ribs.”

“They were already bruised. God, when he fucking pushed you, something inside me snapped.”

“I know. When he hit you…” Your voice shakes with rage.

“You broke his knee for me.”

“I would have done much more than that if Nancy hadn’t stopped it. By the way, is she always carrying that gun?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Your friends are fucking amazing.”

Eddie smiles, cupping your face, holding you like you’re something delicate that he’s trying not to break. “You’re fucking amazing.”

He kisses you deeply and you kiss back, feeling the knot of anxiety in your stomach lessen until all that’s left is exhaustion. Drawing back, you give him a few more pecks and sigh. “So much for playing D&D.”

Taglist

@ajeff855​ @sadlittlefairygirl @demo-bats​ @kaiscumsock​

[sanhaoche]

thank you @insideline for the tag! i love reading about you all and also talking about myself :)

Rules: tag 9 ppl you want to know better

Last song: unsure and can't check on spotify as i've since listened to an episode of you're wrong about but i'm currently obsessed with maggie rogers' new album so i'll say horses off that bc like. horses. running wild. i wish i could feel like that for just a minute! alt pop needs more women who wail and maggie gets it. thank you maggie for your service

Last show: last show i finished i think was abbott elementary? which was very good. last show i got at least mildly obsessed with was superstore before that. by that i mean i think i read almost all of the superstore fic on ao3 in like one night. my last concert however was carly rae jepsen at a lovely outdoor venue and it was an extremely beautiful experience :)

Currently watching: only murders in the building season 2! the finale is out on tuesday and i'm so excited and happy to be watching something that comes out an episode per week again instead of all at once lmao god. i haven't been into some of the choices this season (cara delevingne my parasocial enemy) but yeah. fun mystery and a bit of peril wrapped in an overall very comfy vibe. i also started watching the sandman bc i remember being into the comics like a decade ago (😩) but i'm less confident i will finish that. other than that unfortunately i think i've watched every good video essay on youtube at this point but i'm still making my way through some of the wait in the wings videos about musical theatre productions. and i am WAITING for michael's microphone to tell me about gossip girl!!!!!!!!

Currently reading: vagabonds by hao jingfang! she said NFTs suck and she was right (idk actually i'm only a third through lol). i've also been halfway through a place of greater safety by hilary mantel for hmm over a year but i WILL finish it. one day. anyway idk why i keep sabotaging my goal to start reading more again by choosing books that are a million pages long and slightly hard to get through.

Current obsession: um scotty james and the daniel ricciardo bottom agenda. let the man get fucked by his guypals for god's sake he needs it. rotating my WIP in my mind instead of writing it even though i am mostly making myself finish it to relearn how to write fiction after not doing it for like a decade. fantasising about buying a sewing machine instead of finishing my 2 ongoing crochet projects. going for dinner with friends as often as possible before it starts getting dark early and cold again. finding new recipes to try while i'm on leave from work before i start getting sick of having to cook in the evenings again. thinking about sinophobia, as always. fantasising about going back to china again.

i always come to these late so i feel like a lot of people have done this already lol. @nottiinrosso @20timesisay @maidenpole i don't think you have yet? but also no pressure. and anyone else who hasn't done it but wants to!!!!

@undetectorist YOUR TIME HAS COME ALSO. @dorothywilde as well x

[athenasbloodyspear]

Don’t Make Me Beg Now Baby

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

Hello fellow Greta Van Freaks. This is my very first Greta fic! I hope you enjoy.

MASTERLIST

Note: This fic contains mature themes, discussions of past non-con (no members of GVF involved) and drug use. Minors DNI. 18+ only and please take care of yourselves. (See Ao3 for full tag list)

You can also read this fic on Ao3 if you prefer!

Jake Kiszka x Original Female Character

Picture this: The boys are in Northern Michigan to write the new album and they meet a wild young woman who works at a local record store who has a rough history with rock bands.

She doesn’t want to fall into the same traps she fell into before. He doesn’t want to hurt her.

The rest of them just want them to figure their shit out.

Note: While this fic is based on the members of Greta Van Fleet, I obviously do not know them personally (lol) and nearly 99% of this is a fever dream I decided to write down. Some tid bits are based on things said in interviews/photos/songs but please do not come for my neck if you dislike my portrayals as this is a STORY that I have entirely made up.

This will be a slow burn, overly dramatic, cliché fest of me missing my Mitten State and wishing more than anything I could move back home. Their music makes me homesick and for that I’ll never forgive them. ;)

Chapter Under the Cut

CHAPTER ONE: EDGE OF DARKNESS

The tiny bell on the door to “The Edge” clanked as Jake pushed his way in, followed by Josh, Sam and Danny. The afternoon sun streamed through the slats in the windows at a harsh angle, illuminating the swirling dust. The boys all immediately took a deep breath. They all loved the smell of this place. A mix of dusty old vinyl's, incense and weed. 

The Edge was the shop owned by an old friend, Levi, who had been a longtime family friend of the Kiszka’s. The boys had made the near three hour drive to the shop whenever they had a spare weekend in their younger years. They bought Levi out of his guitar strings and drumsticks and always looked through the boxes of vinyl's hoping to find treasures. Levi sold an eclectic mix of music equipment, records, books, home goods and comically horrific coffee. 

The Edge is where they had each bought their very first instruments, had their first beers and even smoked their first joint. It was a special place for them. 

The old wood floors creaked with every step, the wood walls were covered with old articles from Rolling Stone, photos Levi had taken and autographs from the artists who had cycled through the place over the years. There were stacks upon stacks of vinyl's. Shelves of old autobiographies and music theory books. There were speakers stacked from floor to ceiling, and the whole right side of the store was jam packed with basses and guitars. The back corner had a few keyboards and a drum set, but plenty of catalogues to pick even more instruments from. There were cases of drumsticks and guitar picks and strings. The middle of the store had tables full of incense, candles and interesting home goods. There were tables where local artists sold jewelry, art pieces and furniture. It was full to the brim, most shelves rising way up to the ceiling. Most needed a ladder to reach the top. The basement had a sound studio with even more equipment set up to be used to record, or to test out. 

Levi had inherited the place from his father, who had built up quite a legendary roster of friends over his years. The shop was just off Front Street on the main drag of Traverse City. Levi’s father had made a name for himself as a great host to bands looking to escape to northern Michigan to hole up in cabins and write albums. Levi continued the tradition and took it a step further by buying the space next door and turning it into a club with live music on the weekends. 

If you were lucky, you could catch some super huge bands playing for only about 100 people in the dark side room of The Edge. 

“You bastards finally made it!” Levi called out as he came sauntering out of the back room. Levi looked the exact same as the last time the boys had seen him. Tanned skin from his days paddle boarding and hiking along the Lake Michigan shore, sandy blonde hair that was brighter in the summer, perpetual 5-o-clock shadow because he just couldn’t be bothered to shave, shell necklace around his neck, light wash jeans low on his hips with the same old cowboy boots he’d been wearing since the boys were 12. 

“Is that grey hair I see Levi?” Josh leaned forward with an exaggerated squint. Levi laughed, snagging Josh’s head to give him a noogie. 

“I may be older than you punks by a few years, but I’m not greying yet.” Levi released Josh from his headlock and gave him a shove. 

“I’d say 37 is more than a few years older than us, grandpa.” Sam snarked. 

“You’re makin me regret extending my hospitality, kid.” 

Jake felt himself relax fully for the first time in a really long time. It was just like old times. Exactly what the boys needed. 

“Welcome back dudes. I’m surprised I’m still cool enough for you Rockstar types.” Levi crossed his legs and leaned back against the front counter. 

“We’ll never be too cool for The Edge. This place will always be way cooler than we could ever be.” Danny piped up, walking forward to wrap Levi in a hug. 

“It’s been too long man.” Levi commented as he smacked Danny on the back. 

“We know.” Sam said “Way too fuckin long.” He hugged Levi next. Josh and Jake followed up with hugs next. The room was heavy with a tinge of melancholy. Old friends who had missed each other finally reunited. 

“Well, have you guys been to the house yet?” Levi stepped around the counter and started pouring four cups of the famous nasty coffee. 

“Yeah we dropped our bags off before we headed into town.” Danny spoke up. 

“Isn’t it sweet?” Levi asked enthusiastically. 

“It’s wicked man. Thanks so much for getting that set up for us.” Josh grinned as he snagged a cup off the counter. 

The house was a mid century modern cabin right on the east bay shore. It came equipped with a huge garage studio, front deck and a dock out into the bay. Levi had bought the house in foreclosure and along with help from a bunch of locals (in exchange for beer of course) they turned the house into a perfect getaway for any artists looking to come take a break up north. The place had five bedrooms and three bathrooms with a giant living room with overstuffed couches and velvet chairs. The walls were covered in art and the shelves were full to bursting with plants. It was a kaleidoscope of colors and textures,  with mix matched rugs and lamps. It was Levi’s pride and joy. 

“I’m so glad you guys like it.” Levi smiled even bigger as he passed coffees to the rest of the boys. “Once you’re a little more settled, feel free to send me a list of equipment you want me to set up downstairs and you can start coming in whenever to work. But also, I think you should probably take a week or two off first. You all look about two seconds away from collapsing.” 

“Yeah we’re pretty fuckin beat dude. But we’ll send you a list ASAP.” Jake said, taking a burning sip of the coffee. It singed his nerve endings and he couldn’t have been happier about it. 

Levi opened his mouth to speak again, when a voice filtered through the window to the loft above the store. 

“Yo Levi!” the person shouted “Can you please get off your fuckin ass and pick music to play? I know Wednesdays are your day to pick but if you take forever I’m just gonna put on whatever I want and you can suck it.”

All four boys' heads snapped up to the window to the loft, but whoever was up there couldn’t be seen. All they could see was that the loft had clearly gotten a makeover. What used to be an upper level where Levi stored surplus supplies now looked like it had a plush velvet couch, lava lamps and plants in it. 

“Alright alright! I’ll get on it.” Levi called back up, shaking his head and chuckling to himself as he walked toward the central sound system behind the counter to scroll through Spotify playlists. 

“Who the fuck is that and what have you done to the loft?” Josh asked, hopping up to sit on the counter. 

“That would be the very best thing that’s ever fallen into my lap. A.k.a my new store and venue manager Maven. She moved back to the area after living in Hollywood for a few years managing bands and she completely changed my life. We finally have consistent stock, a longstanding line up at the club and I have had the time to start photography again. Truly a godsend, if not occasionally a pain in my ass. She turned the loft into a breakroom of sorts.  There’s a couch and table up there now. She practically lives up there sometimes.” 

“Damn she must be some woman if she finally got you to get your shit together with that club.” Sammy piped up. 

“She’s hellfire, I’ll tell yah that.” Levi chuckled, finally hitting play on a playlist. The first bars of Surfin USA by the Beach Boys came on the surround system and matching groans came out of Jake downstairs and Maven upstairs. 

“Not this shit again!” Maven yells. Jake chuckled to himself. Hellfire indeed. 

“It’s my day to pick so suck it!” Levi called back before faux stage whispering to the boys “I mostly just play this to piss her off.”

Levi clapped his hands together once “Well boys, It’s close enough to five o'clock and I owe you a beer. Let’s head over to Little Fleet for some grub and beers and we can catch up.” 

Josh grimaced as he sucked down the last bit of his coffee before lobbing the empty cup into the trash at the end of the counter. “You still make shit coffee Levi.” 

“It’s the one thing I wouldn’t let Maven fix.” Levi said with a grin as all five men exited out the back door. 

                                                           ~0~

The boys took a week to relax, as per Levi’s request. They spent the days hiking the shore, kayaking and drinking beer around the fire. It had been way too long since they’d done this. The release of The Battle at Garden’s Gate had been exhilarating and the fans' response had been everything they’d hoped for. People seemed to love the album and they were all so proud. But with press interviews and touring, they hadn’t gotten more than a day or two to relax at a time. And they certainly hadn’t gotten a chance to get back to their favorite old haunts in years. 

They stopped by the store almost every morning for a cup of coffee strong enough to jumpstart their hearts. Sometimes Levi joined them on their escapades, and sometimes he stayed behind to help out at the store. The boys spent a few afternoons sifting through albums and strumming on some of Levi’s vintage guitars. 

Mostly they caught up on each other's lives. The boys recounted their more personal lives that happened outside the coverage of the album and Levi talked about the past few years of his life in Traverse City. Levi told them all about Maven and how she was practically his little sister. They laughed. They drank. They had a blast. 

The boys noticed Levi was a little on edge occasionally, typically when they heard someone shuffling upstairs or equipment moving around in the backroom of the shop. They assumed it was Maven but weren’t sure, since they had yet to see her in the flesh. A week from their arrival they were all sitting in lawn chairs in the alley behind the store, smoking cigs and drinking their coffee when Sam finally asked. 

“So, why haven’t we met your precious Maven yet? Hiding her from us or something?” 

Levi shifted a bit in his chair. “Um..” he coughed out a laugh. “I am actually. Yes. But it’s the other way around, I’m hiding you from her.” 

“Afraid she’ll fan-girl or something?” Josh commented as he ashed his cigarette.  

“In… a sense.” Levi coughed. “But in quite the opposite way you’re imagining.” 

“She’s a fan then?” Sammy piped up.

“She loves your music. A lot.” Levi sniffed and coughed again. “It’s a real safe haven for her. When she’s having a bad day I catch her upstairs laying on the floor smoking a J with sound cancelling headphones blasting your albums as loud as she can.” 

“Exactly how it’s meant to be enjoyed. With a joint in hand.” Jake chimes in.  

“Yeah..” Levi toes the asphalt a bit with his boots, but doesn’t continue.

“Soooo” Sammy drawls “Why can’t we meet her? We’re no stranger to super fans. I’m sure she’s cool.” 

“Um, well. It’s a bit complicated.” Levi heaves a sigh before flicking his cigarette butt into the coffee canister at the center of their little circle. “I suppose I can trust you guys. You’re friends. Do you remember the huge lawsuit that the band Undercover Heart went through last year? The one about the um” He coughs again, “Rape of one of their staff members by the lead singer Ryan?” 

“Yes. That shit was horrific man.” Danny spoke up. “I read all the details I could. They kept the poor girl's identity private but goddamn I felt so bad for her. She was a badass for filing that suit though.” 

“Yeah. She was.” Levi breathed. “So, this is strictly off record and if you repeat this to anyone I will skin you all alive, famous rock stars be damned.” 

“Jesus Levi.” Jake said. 

“It was her.” Levi choked out. “Maven. That’s why she ran back from Hollywood and ended up here. That dude messed her up and she just… she struggles with meeting famous bands now. You know how many people cycle through this joint writing stuff. She just… has a really fuckin hard time with it sometimes. Particularly bands she likes. I think it’s because once you meet someone, and in her case, discover how much of a monster they can be, their music isn’t… safe anymore.” 

“Fuck.” Jake said, flicking his cigarette into the canister. 

“Well I feel terrible for joking about her being a fangirl.” Josh mutters. 

“She just genuinely loves you guys a lot. I never really told her I was an old friend because I didn’t want her to be worried about y’all stopping by. I just know that if she knows you’re here she’ll take off and avoid coming by the shop as much as she can and not only do I need her here, but I think she needs the safety of the shop too. I didn’t want to wreck it.” Levi sighs again. “I know she’ll find out you’re here eventually, it’s inevitable. I just was a coward and didn’t want to break the news to her.” 

“She was a pretty well known band manager wasn’t she?” Danny asks. “She like… completely made Undercover Heart what it was. Before they hired her they were slated to be a one hit wonder but she hauled them into relevancy basically by her will alone.” 

“Yeah. She basically built that man's career for him. She gave him everything, and he took everything from her. If I ever see the man I’m liable to get my ass thrown in prison.” Levi mutters.

“I’ll help.” Danny says immediately. 

All five sit in silence for a few minutes, smoking the last of their cigarettes. When they’d all finished, they stood and stretched to head back inside the shop. 

“So yeah. Anyway, If you see her that’s fine, just… well now you have context for… her.” Levi says as he yanks open the door. 

A few steps into the back hallway, Levi suddenly halts, causing all four boys to nearly bash into each other. The front door to the shop had crashed open and there were footsteps stomping across the store toward the front desk. 

“Listen Levi,” Maven’s tense voice carried down the back hall. “I know Wednesdays are usually your day for music but I’m having an absolute shit fucking day so I’m playing Greta all day and there’s absolutely nothing you can fucking do about it, kapeesh?” 

The very opening chords of Edge of Darkness scratch through the speakers after she finishes her sentence and the boys all exchange a slightly amused look, grins spread on all of their faces. 

“Kapeesh.” Levi calls out to her. He spins and silently nods to the boys to head toward the back door. The boys attempt to be as quiet as they can as they creep toward the door. 

“Also, Levi?” Maven calls again. Everyone halts in their tracks. “You said there was a band coming in soon. Are they here yet? Do you need me to set up the backroom?” 

“Uh, yeah they’re here.” Levi squeaks. All five men share nervous looks. “They’re uh… up at the house.” He cringes at his lie. “I’m getting an equipment list from them today and then you can get started. 

“Cool cool.” Maven calls back. “Do you think I’ll like their stuff?” 

“Uh. Yeah.” Levi grins then. “I think you will.” 

“Wicked.” Maven calls back. 

All five men repress giggles as they skedaddle out the back door and into the alley. 

                                                        ~0~

The next morning the boys wake up to a group text from Levi. 

COME BY THE SHOP ASAP. COME IN BACK DOOR. HEAD DOWN THE STAIRS TO THE BOOTH. BE AS QUIET AS YOU CAN. 

A weird request, but they did as they were told. They all piled into the SUV they had rented and headed to the shop. Danny peeled open the back door as quietly as he could, and Sammy opened the door to the stairs. They tiptoed down and through the door at the end of the stairs that opened into the booth of a sound studio. Levi sat in front of all the mixing boards with a cup of coffee to his lips. He glanced over at them and softly said “coffees on the table.” 

“Why the weird text?” Jake asked. 

“Because of that.” Levi responded softly, pointing through the dark glass into the soundstage. 

The sound stage was littered with mismatched rugs, and a few milk crates that doubled as tables. There was a gorgeous seafoam green drum set toward the back wall and stands full of various guitars and basses. Along the left wall was a piano and a Mellotron set up exactly to the specifications Sam sent over. However, with all these beautiful instruments to look at that would normally catch their eye, it was the woman sitting on stool in the center, cradling a dark purple Fender guitar that made Jake stop in his tracks. 

Maven, Jake had to guess that’s who it was, was wearing checkered distressed pants, with a ripped up old band t-shirt cropped at her ribs, revealing a sliver of the rounded part of her stomach. Over top she was wearing an orange leopard print cardigan that ran down to her thighs. Around her neck was a series of long necklaces, and her wrists were adorned with interlacing leather bands. 

She was plucking out a melody with her eyes closed, rocking back and forth on the stool. Jake had seen countless numbers of people playing the guitar before. On the road, in the studio, studying old masters on YouTube. There was nothing overly special about the way she was sitting or playing, but he felt a little bit like he couldn’t breathe. 

“She never fuckin plays anymore man.” Levi whispered. “It felt like magic hearing music coming out of the basement this morning. I just felt like you should see it.” 

The melody she was playing was sad. Haunting is a better way to put it, and Jake couldn’t look away. Not even when Sammy placed a cup of burning hot coffee into his hands. She was moving her head along with her playing, the strands of her dark messy hair shaking back and forth. The group watched in silence as she played out the riff a few times, Levi cranked the volume of the mics in the space and they could hear her humming softly. 

“She has a strong presence.” Josh murmured. 

Maven suddenly stopped. Everyone froze as she heaved a sigh and stood from the stool to put the guitar back on it’s rack. 

“You in there Levi?” Maven said then. The boys still didn’t move a muscle. Jake’s head was spinning, having finally seen the face that went with the voice he’d heard in the loft for a week. She was beautiful. He couldn’t even really put his finger on why, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even seeing her through the thick dark glass of the studio. 

Levi hit the button to the mic in the booth and responded “Yah.” He paused before adding. “Sounded good.” 

Maven snorted in a self-deprecating way and said “Thanks.” 

Levi hit the mic button again and said “You should play more.”

“Don’t push it Levi.” Maven snapped back. Levi released the button to his mic and let out a heavy sigh. “Can you check some levels on the lines for me? I think I have everything pretty good but I want to make sure before they get here today.” 

“Sure.” Levi replied. 

Maven pulled the amp cord out of the Fender she had been playing on and plugged it into another guitar, one more similar to the guitars that Jake regularly used while they wrote. 

“Are we looking for a punk or a rock-y sound?” Maven asked. 

“Um.” Levi hesitated. “Rock. Their sound is like…” He tossed a small smile over his shoulder at the boys. “Like Greta’s actually.” 

“Dope. I hope they’re not just copying the boys. They’ve got a mellotron in here and everything.” The boys smiled. She pounded out a few chords on the guitar. “Good?” 

Levi looked over at Jake for confirmation. Jake, who still had not taken his eyes off Maven, nodded. 

“Yeah, that should be good for raw sound. They can play with stuff too. They’re a pretty well educated bunch.” Levi called back.

“Thank god.” Maven snorted. “Not like that indie punk bunch you booked last month who needed me to do fucking all their sound mixing for them.” 

“Maven, I don’t think they kept asking you down here because they need help with their sound.” 

Maven just rolled her eyes at that.  

They repeated the process with each instrument, Levi silently asking for confirmation from the respective Greta member until they were sure the sound lines were all functioning properly. 

“Great work kid.” Levi called into the studio. 

“Ew don’t call me kid. I’m a 27 year old woman.” Maven called back. 

Levi chuckled. “You’re a kid to me.” 

“Whatever.” Maven muttered. “I’m gonna go take a walk along the beach. Smoke a little. Text me if they need me.” 

“Will do.” Levi called back. The boys all tensed, looking for places to hide, or to run up the stairs and back into the alley. Luckily, Maven took the back door out of the studio and up another hallway instead.

“Well boys, it’s all you.” Levi said. “Text if you need anything.” 

Sam piped up and said “Yeah actually, can you pick my brother’s jaw up off the floor?” 

“Jake see pretty lady play guitar and Jake brain break.” Josh teased. 

“You guys suck.” Jake grumbled. 

Levi cackled. “I thought you’d like her.”  

                                                        ~0~

Maven walked along the coast of the bay and absentmindedly smoked a joint. It was an overcast and drizzly day which meant there was no one around, which she preferred anyway. She was feeling on edge. The drizzle was very slowly building a small sheen of water on her arms and hair, but she didn’t mind. The cool water and gentle breeze combination was perfect. 

Maven sat her butt down in the sand and stared out at the waves. She normally wore headphones on her walks, her world was a near constant stream of music, but she had opted for silence today. 

Levi was being weird. He was edgy around her all week, sending her out every morning for tasks and disappearing without saying where he was going around 4:30 every day. She had come to the conclusion that whatever band was in town this week was a pretty big name. Or big enough that he was nervous about her being around them. She sighed. She hated when he tiptoed around her. Maven didn’t blame him. When she first started working at the shop she had had a couple pretty bad PTSD episodes that had scared the shit out of him. She owed him everything for staying with her, talking her down and making sure she was fed and had water when she got into one of her states. 

Levi was her best friend, to put it mildly. He cared for her, kept her safe and in return she busted her ass at his store making sure they had the best products, the best shows and that their artist getaway was something that people would go back and tell their friends about. She loved Levi like an older brother, and he cared for her like his little sister. She would forever be grateful to whatever power in the universe made her stumble into The Edge two years ago. 

She had been high out of her mind, as she had been most days after she came running back to Michigan with her tail between  her legs, and Levi had been struggling with an amp in the shop. She had walked in, spotted his struggle and didn’t even say a word to him, just walked over and fixed the wiring so that it was functional again. Levi had looked up from where he sat on the floor and said “You don’t happen to need a job do you?” 

The rest was essentially history. It only took two months of seeing him every single day, and him not letting her sour moods go by unnoticed, for her to spill her guts over some bourbon one night. About Ryan and Undercover Heart and how badly the whole situation fucked her up. How after she’d recorded her testimony she’d boarded the next flight to Grand Rapids and hightailed it up north. She came crash landing into Traverse City because she’d always loved it as a kid, and figured it would be a great place to start over. The small town she’d grown up in had too many people who knew her. 

He was extra careful with bands for a while. Never letting her be alone in a room with too many male band members, and carefully vetting everyone who came through. Eventually she told him off about treating her like a porcelain doll and he backed down a bit, giving her free reign over lots of the equipment set ups and giving her plenty of hours in the shop by herself. She was happy to do so, so Levi could focus on fixing up the artist house and starting his photography again. 

But he was still very gentle with her sometimes, and she’d always love him for it even when it pissed her the fuck off. 

Once she’d smoked the joint down to the roach, she tucked the end into her pocket. It was sacrilegious to litter near the lake. It was too precious to be fucked with. She meandered back toward the shop. Her plan was to grab her bag and head back to let her Pitbull, Stacy, out for a walk and pee. The girl had been cooped up all morning and Maven felt bad. 

She threw her whole body against the front door, as the latch often stuck, and the loud sound of the chimes clanged in the empty space. She rolled her eyes. Of course Levi left the shop unattended and unlocked. It was Traverse City, no one was gonna rob them, but what if someone wanted to buy something? 

She was humming softly to herself as she made her way around the edge of the counter and plopped down on the stool by the register. She whipped out her phone to ask Levi where he was. She had the message halfway typed when the door behind her, the one that led to the staff restroom, popped open. 

“You know, crime is especially low in this town but that doesn’t mean someone wouldn’t come in here and try to steal your precious coffee maker.” She tossed over her shoulder. 

“Oh.” Was all that came back. It was decidedly not Levi’s voice. Maven spun back quickly. 

“Sorry I…” But that’s as far as she got. She was suddenly face to face with Jake Kizska and all thoughts quickly left her brain. 

They both stared at each other for a long moment. Maven couldn’t quite figure out why he looked just as shocked to see her as she was to see him. He also almost looked afraid for some reason that Maven couldn’t figure out.

He was dressed in an outfit she’d seen him wear plenty of times. A black button up, half unbuttoned, loose fitting light wash jeans and a pair of well worn boots. His wrists were full of bracelets and his hair was longer than the last time she’d seen footage of their concerts, well past his collarbones at this point. 

“Hi.” Jake finally broke the silence. “I’m Jake.” He reached out his hand for a handshake. 

“I know.” Maven replied, and then coughed. Why did you say that you freak? 

Suddenly the front door bell chimed again, and Maven whipped her head to see Levi coming in the front door. She stood abruptly from her stool, skirted around Jake’s outstretched hand, and out from behind the counter. She scooped up her leather satchel on her way. 

She headed straight at Levi. He glanced over his shoulder and saw an apologetic Jake looking forlorn and lowering his hand back to his side. 

“Oh hey Maven-” 

“Hey dumbass, don’t leave the store unattended again. I’m going home to check on Stacy. Probably won’t be back for the rest of the day.” Maven spit as she stormed past him toward the front door. 

“Maven wait-” 

But she was already outside, the hinges bringing the heavy wood crashing back into the frame. The chime of the bells rang through the space. 

“Sorry.” Jake muttered. 

“Not your fault. I knew she’d find out eventually. Right now she’s probably just pissed I didn’t tell her. Which she has every right to be.” Levi sighed. 

After a few more beats of silence Jake spoke again. “Who’s Stacy?” 

Levi huffed a laugh. “That would be her Pitbull.” 

“Oh.” Jake said again. He felt crazy because his brain couldn’t come up with anything else to say. She was prettier up close. She smelled like the Lake and weed and sandalwood. He really wished she’d taken his hand. He shook his head trying to find his brain in it somewhere. 

The other three boys came clambering up the stairs and into the store. They all looked between Levi, who was still standing in the middle of the shop, and Jake behind the counter. 

“Are you two playing freeze tag or something?” Sam quipped. 

“Jake met Maven.” Levi responded. The boys' heads whipped toward Jake. 

“And… I’m guessing it… went well?” Danny questioned.

Levi finally walked back toward the counter. “She left for the day. This is on me. I should have told her y’all were here.” He snagged his keys from below the counter and walked toward the front door to lock up. “I’m closing early, boys. Let’s go get a beer.” 

“Kowabunga baby.” Josh said with a grin.  

                                                     ~0~

Maven sat curled up on her velvet couch, Stacy was her little spoon. There was incense burning, a bottle of wine open on the side table and a lit joint in the ashtray. She had changed into a giant t-shirt and boxer shorts. The soft sounds of John Denver playing off her record player. 

However, none of these things were easing her mind. 

She was pissed, mostly. At herself. At Levi. She was pissed he didn’t tell her they were coming. She was pissed that he felt he couldn’t tell her. She was pissed that she had acted like a freak in front of Jake. 

The anxiety was an endless pit in her stomach. She couldn’t go back there tomorrow. She couldn’t see any of those people. Not when she felt like this. 

She whipped out her phone and quickly shot a message to Levi, before chugging her whole glass of red wine and snagging the joint out of the ashtray. 

                                                        ~0~

Levi’s phone dinged on the table where all of the guys sat drinking beers and chatting. Levi glanced at it and quickly picked it up when he saw her name. 

“It’s Maven.” He said. 

“What did she say?” Jake asked, sitting up a bit in his chair. 

“Fuck.” Levi said, tossing his phone on the table, still unlocked. 

All four boys leaned in to read the screen. 

CASHING IN ALL MY VACATION DAYS. I’LL BE OUT FOR TWO WEEKS. 

“Fuck indeed.” Josh said, pounding back the rest of his beer.

[fawad-khan]

Hey so I got inspo from @uglypastels and @fancyxparker 🙈so I'm gonna host this Spotify blurbs event. You can send in prompts from 14th December (i.e today) to 18 Decemberr. Keep in mind that I will write for a song only once, I won't write again and again with different characters. Also no spam pls and I may take time to write them as yo girl's got a lot of tests lol. I will write for:-

Tom Holland

Harry Holland

Harrison Osterfield

Peter Parker

Milo Manheim

Arvin Russell

Harry Potter characters (golden trio era)

The songs are under the cut! (Warning has lots of disney songs and some hindi songs too lmao)

Let Me Move You by Sabrina Carpenter

Call to the Wild from Zombies 2

Someday from Zombies

Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince by Taylor Swift

We Belong by Dove Cameron

Why by Sabrina Carpenter

Queen of Mean from Descendants 3

Glowing in the Dark by The Girl and The Dreamcatcher

Butterfly Fly Away by Miley Cyrus

Sue Me by Sabrina Carpenter

Night Falls from Descendants 3

Shake it Up by Selena Gomez

Me! By Taylor Swift

Looking At Me by Sabrina Carpenter

Haan Main Galat from Love Aaj Kal(lmao wut😂)

Bamm from Zombies

Shake It Off by Taylor Swift

Wildside from Adventures in Babysitting

Do What You Gotta Do from Descendants 3

Mess by Jordan Fisher

Cornelia Street by Taylor Swift

Chillin Like a Villain from Descendants 2

Waste by Dove Cameron

Starving by Hailee Steinfeld

You Need To Calm Down by Taylor Swift

Cruisin for a Bruisin from Teen Beach Movie

Ways to be Wicked from Descendants 2

Motivation by Normani

There's Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes

Blank Space by Taylor Swift

If Only by Dove Cameron

Alien by Sabrina Carpenter

Keep It Undercover from KC Undercover

Hang in There Baby by Bridgit Mendler

Evil Like Me from Descendants

Come and Get It by Selena Gomez

Replay by Zendaya

The Start of Something New (nini version) from HSMTMTS

Thumbs by Sabrina Carpenter

The Man by Taylor Swift

Patakha Guddi from Highway

Set It Off from Descendants

Paris by Sabrina Carpenter

London Boy by Taylor Swift

Maahi Ve from Highway

Rotten to the Core from Descendants

Take On The World from Girl Meets World

That's How We Do from Teen Beach Movie

Love Story by Taylor Swift

Flesh and Bone from Zombies 2

Written in The Stars by The Girl and The Dreamcatcher

Rare by Selena Gomez

Red by Taylor Swift

Most Girls by Hailee Steinfeld

Bright from Julie and The Phantoms

On Purpose by Sabrina Carpenter

Lover by Taylor Swift

Starving by Hailee Steinfeld (acoustic)

Worth it by fifth Harmony

Good Vibes by HRVY and Matoma

Look At Her Now by Selena Gomez

Space by Sabrina Carpenter

Remember Me by Dove Cameron and BIA

Waka waka by Shakira

Begin Again by Taylor Swift

Fight Song by Rachel Platten

Determinate from Lemonade Mouth

Tell Me If You Wanna Go Home by Keira Knightley

More than a Mystery by Meg Donnelly

I Want It That Way by backstreet boys (I BLAME B99 FOR THIS LMAO)

Fifteen by Taylor Swift

You're Welcome from Moana

Scars To Your Beautiful by Alessia Cara

Miss U More Than You Know by R3 JAB and Sofia Carson

Rock Bottom by Hailee Steinfeld and DNCE

Sit Still, Look Pretty by Daya

Incomplete by Backstreet boys

Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day

Out of the Old by Olivia Rodrigo

Jiya Re from Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Ghungroo from War

Gallan Goodiyan from Dil Dhadakne Do

Say Goodbye by Chris Brown

Pappu can't Dance from Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

Channa Mereya from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

Gotta Be Me from Teen Beach 2

Right Here, Right Now from HSM 3

Badtameez Dil from YJHD

You are The Music In Me from HSM 2

DC Classics Medley (idk what this is exactly lmao)

Cheap Thrills by Sia

Lover Remix by Taylor Swift and Shawn Mendes

Titli from Chennai Express

Fired Up from Zombies

Bailando by Enrique Iglesias

Almost Love by Sabrina Carpenter

No Tears Left To Cry by Ariana Grande

I love me by Demi Lovato

Cardigan by Taylor Swift

Senorita by Shawn Mendes

I hope you enjoy requesting!

Tagging some peeps for sb- @fancyxparker @duskholland @parkerpeter24 @justanothermarvelmaniac @hollanderfangirl @hollands-weasley @musicalkeys @in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh @kelieah @yumings @tom-holland-is-spiderman @starlight-starks @stars-aligning @blossomparkers @thisetaernallove @theamazingtomholland @fallinfortom @with1love1anu @lovelysophia @perspectiveparker @greenorangevioletgrass @mischiefmanaged011 @spideysquackson13 @rnatasha

All fics will be under the tag #spotify wrapped event!