#who wants to let me borrow a car and or go on a road trip with me in their car

[mildmayfoxe]

earlier at work today i talked to my boss about time off and took a whole week off at the end of july just because i have so much pto built up and i never take vacations and the way my schedule works i have ten days off. i feel like i should Do something. should i go somewhere

[meggannn]

Ranking the Driving of CP2077 NPCs

Based on my experiences getting in the passenger seat next to my friends and allies across all these hours playing Cyberpunk 2077, I feel equipped to judge them on their driving skills or lack thereof, scripted and unscripted. For context, every time someone offered to drive me somewhere, I always said "yes" first out of laziness, but then out of horror, because I had to document proof that some of Night City's finest should never have been allowed on the road.

Not listed: People who drove me while I was in the backseat because I usually didn't know their face or name, e.g. Dexter DeShawn's driver or the Peralezes' driver. Important characters only, basically.

Jackie: 10/10 Got me home safely, apologized for scratching my car up during a gunfight, borrowed my car for a date, and delivered it back unscathed in the morning and because he paid for the damages to be fixed overnight without me asking. He's a real one. In honor of Jackie and to repay our peaceful trips together, I always make sure his ARCH remains scratch- and accident-free.

Judy: 9/10 Even when she was worried out of her mind trying to find Evelyn, she gave me a pretty unremarkable trip experience, which honestly puts her in the highest tier. Probably the best you can hope for in an NC driver is someone who can drive safely while in the middle of a crisis, because that's all the time.

Reed: 8/10 Genuinely a pretty good driver, just fucking slow as hell, but I guess I can't blame him for that in the super narrow streets of Dogtown.

Takemura: 7/10 Did his best while a bunch of assassins were shooting at us. Crashed the car into a very obvious billboard support to kill the guy on the car's hood, however it did nearly flatline us both when we were already in critical condition, so I can't give him full marks. That said, he saved my life and kept me alive while we were being chased by said assassins, then delivered me to a ripperdoc and helped carry me while he was also bleeding out. He also somehow managed to mostly stay in the correct lane while driving backwards down a curving road (!) just so I could have easier aim at a motorcyclist behind us. (I have mixed emotions on this: I'd understand wanting to brag that you can do that, but I think when we're already both full of bullet holes, it may not be the best time to show off.) So overall, his judgment skills range from excellent to questionable in a crisis. But we did have a much more pleasant, relaxed drive on our second trip together going to see Wakako, so with those two extremes, he weirdly averages out to probably be one of the most normal drivers in the city.

Nancy/Bes: 6.5/10 A lovely ride that would've been better if she hadn't "tapped" me at the end after letting me out. I give her a small pass because it was the middle of the night and I had just rescued her from a two-day stint in a Maelstrom hideout, so who knows what kind of fumes she'd been exposed to.

Delamain: 6/10 I mean, as drives go it was fine, but I'm knocking points off for not letting me change the route to stop at a goddamn doctor when my friend was bleeding out. I should be able to trust my driver to change routes to make the right decision for passengers in unexpected or urgent scenarios, which Delamain's service will not or cannot provide. As it runs its own business, it has more autonomy over itself than most AI, so I feels like it should install an emergency stop/rerouting mechanic somewhere in its programming.

River: 5/10 Technically never hurt anyone and he does obey the rules of the road, but I'm not sure which I'm more fearful of, his bad luck or his baffling judgment. Every time I ride with this guy to chase down a new lead, he somehow finds a car crash, shootout, or some other sort of jam on the road, drives slowly up to it, and then stops to gawk at it for several minutes, both hands at ten and two, glaring at the problem through the windshield as if that will make it wrap up faster... when he could, I dunno, turn right and drive slightly around it instead? The bad luck isn't his fault, but trips with him don't make for a pleasant experience.

Panam: 4/10 Her overall success rate getting me to and from places safely is very high... at least in the Badlands when there's no traffic around. As a streetkid, I would certainly trusts her driving skills over mine in the desert. However I know I cannot trust her in the city around other cars, because when we first met she drove STRAIGHT into my parked, newly fixed car, shoving it backwards onto the sidewalk without pausing at all. Then she looked right at me as if to say "What are you gonna do about it, bitch?" Still haven't forgiven her for that. So it's probably for the best Panem went back to the Aldecaldos, because she can't be trusted in a dense, urban lane.

Claire: 3/10 Guilty of several hit-and-runs, and I don't just mean the illegal street racing. Ran me over while dropping me off twice. I can forgive one time, but twice is a pattern as far as I'm concerned; I don't believe in third chances. She also shamelessly knocked over some pedestrians, so I know it was her, not me. I can see why she wanted me behind the wheel for our races so at least she's self-aware.

Kerry: 2/10 Like Panem, he is also guilty of crashing into my parked car when picking me up to go somewhere, yet unlike Panem, he did so while "borrowing" someone else's car while on a mission to blow up a third one. @skys-metro has also shown me he's guilty of crashing HIS OWN fancy Aerondight as soon as he leaves Denny's mansion, every time. Y'know, that car he specifically asked Rayfield to manufacture for him, of which there are only four in the city? As I've established above, twice is a pattern in my book. Johnny is correct not to trust Kerry behind the wheel, but I'd add an addendum: Do not ever trust this guy with any vehicle in any context whatsoever.

Rogue: 1/10 Absolutely fucking abysmal. Now I see why Rogue plants her ass in the Afterlife and lets work come to her, because her license not only needs to be revoked immediately but she needs to be on a billboard about public safety hazards. Not only did she crash several time into various railings and support poles, but at one point she drove in circles at 70mph for about five minutes and then chased down other cars on the road just to slam into them (including a police car but tbf that was just funny). Could she have just been getting some pent-up anger out of her system on the way to track down Grayson? Sure, I get that, but leave me out of it, old woman! Her gaze was ice cold and her hands were completely steady, but I felt the heat from the fires of Rome burning just beyond our fragile windshield. Not even using the "Skip Ride" feature would let me escape this madness, because it just teleported our car somewhere else, with her still behind the wheel, still glaring at every other car on the road as she rammed them so hard their hoods came off. Poor V was trapped in a never-ending, unwilling game of bumper cars from hell that Rogue was playing with herself, so eventually I had to pull a divine intervention and reload an earlier save (Guess what: Rogue STILL drove like a maniac the second time, but at least this time "Skip Ride" actually worked). Some footage of this godforsaken drive has been saved and shown below, because my V wanted to record her possible last moments and warn people of this terror in the streets in case she didn't make it out alive.

So there you have it: I nominate Rogue as Worst Driver in Night City, which is not a decision I take lightly, as there are a lot of contenders.

[rebouks]

Do you have any recommendations for starting a story? Yours is so good and it really inspires me to try and make one of my own but idk where to start

Hmmm a tough question! I think we all just kinda start and learn as we go? It's the best way tbh.. if you look back at the beginning of most simblr stories they've usually come a long way! Here's a couple tips that I think might be handy tho...

Maybe we could start a thread and everyone could reblog this with their own tips?! 🤩

Decide if you want to build your own lots/sets or not. If you do you'll probs wanna start off with the main places you'll use that're full of personality, like a main characters house or place of work etc. you can always download some neat lots and edit them to your liking if you're not a builder, or maybe even download a whole save file!

Start a character page (or make an intro post for em if you can't be arsed with the technicalities) - not essential but useful for you and the readers to keep track of who's who and maybe state a few facts about them etc.

Start collecting some poses and ideally rename them so they're easy to find! I personally like to add smth like [PETS] or [KISSING] etc to mine (in s4s) in conjunction with twistedmexi's pose finder to make things easier to grab.

If you use reshade/gshade, taking the time to find or create a nice preset will save you a bunch of time editing.

For the love of god if you're gonna make a bunch of extras, try and dress them in maxis clothes/hair.. I'm so SICK of having to redress everyone every time I clear out a bunch of cc skjdksj 🙈 you can always give em an extra, fancy cc outfit for specific scenes on the day but yeah, do yourself a solid where possible to save time/pain in the future. Same goes for lots you don't use often, try and limit the cc you use!

Figure out if you're a planner or not! If you can't manage without a plan it's okay to take some time before starting to figure everything out and get a detailed outline going. If you're more of a pantser (like me!) you can always just get going with a rough idea in mind and see what happens!

If you're gonna go with the flow I'd still recommend creating at least a rough outline, you don't have to stick to it like glue but it'll probs help you stay on track and I wish I'd have done this in the beginning, esp if you're gonna have a plot heavy story.

Characters > plot.. (imo!) like.. you could have a super interesting plot in mind but if no one really knows or cares about your characters it's gonna have a limited impact/amount of interest. They don't even have to be likable lmao

Give your characters some flaws! It's fun and it makes them more relatable.

Start with a small cast - not a complete must but it'll be probably be easier for people to get to know your pixels if they're aren't a million of them right off the bat. You can always add more later.

Try not to shoehorn your characters into situations they wouldn't end up in just to further the plot.. a hard one to explain and mostly based on intuition but if a scene feels boring, out of place or forced, it probably is! aka.. be willing to kill your darlings. Maybe you've already established that your character is poor or smth but have this fun idea of a road trip montage or whatever.. like you can't just give them a car and the money to drive a million miles just cos you HAVE to see that scene y'know? Maybe they're gonna have to hitch hike, get the bus, or take out a loan? Probs a bad example but hopefully you get the idea! It can sometimes be more fun to force your characters into a different situation than you imagined anyway, like maybe they meet someone really neat on the bus and they join the trip, or maybe whoever they borrowed money from gets all pissy when they can't pay em back quick enough etc etc.

Let your characters guide you - sometimes characters talk to us! You could've had a whole storyline planned for them, or a romance of whatever, but when it comes down to it, it just doesn't feel right and that's okay! Let them lead you in a different direction now n' then.

Write for you! (ugh becca stfu with this shit) I know, I know but really.. if you're not having fun, what's the point? Don't write what you think other people want and learn to be okay with cutting ideas/scenes/characters/whatever! that you aren't excited about anymore. It should never feel like a chore to create, and if it starts to feel that way, take a break or change it up!

I feel like this is super rambly and I've missed a million obvious things but my brain is mashed potato rn lmao.. pls feel free to add your own tips in a reblog or a comment - everyone has a different take on things! I think it's really important just to start and see what feels natural tho 🤸‍♀️🧡

[writersdare]

Two Gummy Worms | Luke Hemmings

Pairing: Luke Hemmings x Reader (she/her)

Summary: Luke was determined to take Y/N on a night drive. Some things, though, didn't want to go according to his perfect plan.

Warning: friends to lovers, fluff, mentioning of food

Word Count: 1 503

Requested: yes

Author’s Note: Honestly I enjoyed writing it so much, it gave me some sense of comfort, and I really hope you'll feel it as well once you read it ♡ Also, yes, I am obsessed with Luke's blue eyes, you can't take it from me...

A calm evening was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. Y/N lazily got up from a couch and wandered into the hall, feeling tiredness with her whole body. Someone celebrated Fridays with friends in local bars, Y/N, though, preferred to spent it quietly that time. Watching a silly show on Netflix, she’s been wrapping herself up in an old blanket, which was given by her friend Luke few years ago. Maybe – only maybe – it was fair to correct that the poor blanket was actually stolen from him, however, in Y/N’s defence, Luke didn’t use it much anyway, so the girl only borrowed something he never needed. 

Possibly, the stolen blanket made the guy to come over uninvited; in any case, once Y/N opened the door, she saw the friend on the threshold of her apartment.

“Let’s go,” without a proper greeting, Luke grabbed Y/N’s hand and dragged her out of the house.

“Where?” the girl stumbled, trying her best to stay where she was. Y/N was in her PJs, the hair was carelessly tide up in something close to a ponytail — the look that simply screamed “I’m staying in today”.

“For a drive. I’ll bring you back in few hours,” he promised, sounding both calm and determined.

“I warned you hours ago that I’m not going!” Y/N outraged, ignoring the fact that her friend drove all the way out there. The girl made it clear in her message that even though his adventitious idea sounded nice, she simply did not have any powers left for the trip. The tiredness was the size of the passing week, which fell on her shoulders sharply once Y/N entered home that evening.  

“It’s just few hours!” he whined and suddenly lifted the friend from the ground to bring her to the car himself. It was almost ten o’clock in the evening, and Y/N was getting cold. 

“Gosh, wait! Let me get changed at least,” the girl rolled the eyes, smiling a bit and still trying to set herself free. 

“Five minutes,” Luke warned, and once he put her on the ground, Y/N hurried up inside. She hoped to shut the door in his face, however, the guy foresaw it well, so he managed to slip through the door quicker. A wide smile appeared on his face. 

Even though the whole idea of going somewhere so late didn’t really excite Y/N, once she was in the car, checking all the snacks Luke bought them for the little trip, the girl thought that, perhaps, it was a nice distraction from her exhaustion for an hour or so. 

“You didn’t need to change, you looked pretty earlier, too,” Luke spoke up, glancing at Y/N who was chewing gummy worms and time to time placing few in his mouth as well.  

“That’s sudden,” the girl chuckled, trying to ignore a quick shutter of her heart. The girl fancied her friend for quite some time, but it was not as scary as dangerous to reveal her feelings. Y/N didn’t want to ruin their friendship. “Be honest, you just wanted me to get sick. I was freezing cold, by the way!”

“Well, if you didn’t hesitate for so long, you would be in the car a while ago, enjoying my company and food.”

“Thank you for mentioning food, I’d put it on the first place, though,” Y/N laughed shortly, looking at the window. Even though it was late, the lights were illuminating the road, and quite soon she started to see untouched fields, passing by. “Also, I wasn’t hesitant, I told you right away I wasn’t going.”

“Here you are with an urge to reply on everything,” Luke rolled his eyes jokingly and glanced at Y/N again. He liked how cozy and comfortable she looked at that moment. It was actually rather precious to know that a person he cared about so much trusted him, fully.

“You are the same,” the girl reminded and, giggling, put another gummy worm, a blue one, in his mouth. “Suits your eyes.”

The musician chuckled, barely being able to chew the marmalade.

“A worm?”

“Yeah,” Y/N laughed back and smiled vividly. “I like your eyes,” she mumbled and looked away, feeling too overwhelmed. If only he could be hers, and she could be his…

“So, we have a problem,” Luke announced, when about thirty minutes were left from the final destination. The guy was planning to show Y/N a sunflower field, but GPS suddenly stopped working properly. However, the guy was sure he remembered the way there so didn’t worry too much. Until…

Y/N turned her head towards a friend and frowned a little.

“Are you going to keep holding the dramatic pause or will just tell me?” she smiled, though, not even thinking there could be something serious.  

“Yeah, well,” Luke hesitated and glanced at a dashboard of the car. He still couldn’t believe what he saw. “Apparently, I forgot to refuel and noticed only now…”

“You are joking,” Y/N raised up in a seat to check it herself. “How could you forget?”

“I don’t know!” Luke outraged, slowing down the speed of the car. “I was in a hurry cause I wanted to make a good surprise for you!”

“Well, it is a good surprise after all, Luke!” Y/N giggled, not being mad for some reason. “Let me find the closest gas station,” she mumbled and opened her phone to check a map. The girl didn’t hear how her friend mumbled quietly “go for it”, as he already knew that GPS stopped working twenty minutes ago.

“Okay, so… we’re in the middle of nowhere,” she announced dramatically, zooming in and out on the map. “It doesn’t work. How much gas is left? Maybe we should go back,” Y/N sighed, once Luke stopped the car on the side of the road. He was upset. “Hey, that’s alright,” the girl smiled and unfastened her seat belt to sit sideways to the windshield, facing the musician. The girl gently placed her palms on his cheeks and nodded. “I’m not mad, it’s still a fun trip. After all, it wouldn’t be us if it didn’t end up like this, don’t you think?” she chuckled kindly.

Luke hurried up to cover her palms with his, being scared she’d break the touch too soon.

“We still can stay here for some time? Before going back?” he suggested carefully.

Y/N nodded, feeling the pulsation of her heartbeat almost in a throat. If only she could kiss him, and he could kiss her…

“Y/N,” Luke spoke up, and the voice was hoarse. 

“Yeah?” 

“I… I guess there is something I needed to tell you,” he started, immediately regretting it, though. How was he supposed to tell her that? Was it a bad timing? It probably was. There was no where to go, and if… if Y/N didn’t feel the same way it’d be hell awkward. He really didn’t think it through…

“Again?”

“What?”

“You need to tell me something else? I thought we’re done with surprises,” she giggled, fooling around a bit, as Y/N could see how anxious Luke started to look all of a sudden.

“Oh, no, that’s the main surprise, I guess,” the guy chuckled and looked down only for a moment. The fear took him over, though, and he rested his palms on the knees, so Y/N pulled away from him. “No, actually, forget about it.”

“No.”

Luke looked up at the friend, being surprised.

“What do you mean “no"?…”

“That’s exactly what I mean. I waited for too long to allow you to step back once again,” Y/N shook her head, getting annoyed. Why was he so uncertain sometimes? She was sitting there, next to him, worrying that her heart would break the chest, and he couldn’t say few simple words?… “Would you finally acknowledge my feelings for you if I kiss you right now? You’re so bad at taking hints! How can you keep doubting if I feel the same way you do?”

“How do you– How do you know?…” Luke mumbled, staring at Y/N. The guy couldn’t hide his terror. So she knew? All that time?!

“Honestly, it seems like it’s only you who is blind here,” the girl smiled sadly and looked down, feeling ridiculous.

Another second, though, she felt Luke’s hand on the chin. He carefully lifted her face so the girl could look at him before he covered Y/N’s lips with his. The kiss was tender and gentle, slowly changing into a more passionate one. They both just couldn’t believe it took them that long to confess. And honestly, who knew how long it’d have still taken if Y/N had kept silence. 

“I’ll make it up to you,” he whispered, touching her forehead with his.

“You already did,” the girl whispered back and, smiling, pressed the lips against his in another kiss.

taglist: @dgrangaa, @gracieboogirl, @yukichan67

– gifs aren’t mine and belong to the rightful owner – saw them here @calmfolklore & @kaleidoscopeminds –

Moodboard ♡

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All stories are original and written by me. Do not copy, trace and post anywhere without permission and credit. The stories are fictional, they do not correspond to reality and written just for fun ♡

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[very-normal-abt-this]

Analysis of Crowley's and Aziraphale's "love languages."

A lot people are familiar with the concept of "Love Languages" these days. It originally comes from a book by Dr. Gary Chapman "The 5 Love Languages: A Secret to Love That Lasts." 

The book posits that there are several different patterns of behavior that a person can engage in, in order to express affection.  And, by the same token, there are different patterns of behavior that a person tends to interpret as being "loving" towards them.

The 5 Identified Love Languages are:

Words of Affirmation  - expressing affection verbally, such as through compliments, statements of appreciation, reassurance, or love.

Acts of Service - expressing affection by doing things FOR our loved ones, when they ask for it OR when they don't ask for it (i.e. anticipating what they might need). Things like, letting your partner borrow your special car for a road trip, and then house sitting his residence and needy puppy. Or, tidying your partner's house after a big party, whilst he is out having coffee with some douche.

Gifts - expressing affection by purchasing things for our loved ones, or giving surprise gifts. Perhaps being very thoughtful in considering what objects they might want or need. 

Quality Time - expressing affection by giving loved ones our undivided attention, and engaging in interactive activities with them. Going out to dinner, going on walks to the park, or just having quiet 1-1 time.

Physical Touch - Expressing affection by touching a loved one's body with your own body (consensually of course). There is a wide spectrum of these behaviors (platonic, parental/familial, romantic, sexual). E.g. lightly guiding someone with your hand on the small of their back as you walk together, patting their back/shoulder, dancing together, sitting in close proximity on purpose so that your bodies touch, hugging/kissing, and so on.

As you can probably deduce from the examples I've included above, in my opinion Aziraphale's preferred love languages are: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, and Physical touch.  And Crowley's preferred love languages are: Quality Time and Acts of Service. And yet, Crowley was the one who initiated the biggest Physical Touch of their relationship. I will address that in a separate post!

Crowley and Aziraphale both share the Quality Time category, which makes sense. Time has been an unlimited resource for them, and they certainly enjoy making their time together "Quality." They give each other undivided attention; they do relaxing and interesting activities together. In addition, they have often attended significant and memorable events together (whether by coincidence or not)

It is also sweet that both of the Ineffable Husbands have picked up on each other's love languages. Aziraphale has noticed Crowley's acts of service language, which is why he says: "Rescuing me makes him so happy." 

And, Aziraphale is cautious about giving Crowley compliments - he knows it is not the way Crowley prefers to receive affection. Aziraphale also engages in acts of service for Crowley, such as by offering to do the magic show in 1941, and by bringing him holy water.

In turn, Crowley knows how important words of affirmation are to Aziraphale, which is why he says things like "Doing good again, Angel?" Or "Good Job" - when Aziraphale calls him from Edinburgh.

Crowley also knows that physical touch is important to Aziraphale, which is why he never rejects physical touch overtures initiated by the angel (And….physical touch might be Crowley's 3rd secret love language, but he has been too cautious to act upon it!)

If you think of other examples of their love languages, please write a comment!

[goldfishontheceiling]

TEAM E-SCOPE (+ Owen) BEACH HEADCANONS!!

Pronouns for these HCs:

Izzy: She/They/Xe (Izzy uses neoprounouns it's canon I'm Fresh TV /j)

Eva: She/He

Owen: He/Him

Noah: He/They

Izzy:

- insists on driving (do NOT let her drive!!)

- loves sitting in the front

- stares out the window or sings along to the radio most of the car ride

- begs Eva to stop at the gas station

- xe always gets sour gummy worms

- no sour gummy worms? sour patch kids

- no sour patch kids? sweedish fish

- no sweedish fish? RIOT

- absolutely LOVES the water

- they go out super deep and scare the shit out of everyone

- chases the icecream truck until xe gets the whole group icecream

- *borrows bridgette's surboard* *tries to surf* *fails miserably*

- 100% brings googles

- likes catching fish with their bare hands (or teeth)

-she splashed Eva once (and got thrown headfirst into Owen's sandcastle as a result)

- collects seashells

- tries to take home crabs as pets

- a little more chill on the ride home but this is Izzy we're talking about xe's never chill

Eva:

- designated driver (has road rage)

- *aggressively honks horn* "DRIVE FASTER BITCH"

- always gets some chocolate and a coffee at the gas station

- hates the radio but plays it for Izzy (she keeps the mp3 player on standby incase it gets too bad)

- mostly swims with Izzy or plays volleyball

- *plays volleyball with some strangers* *gets mad and chucks the ball at one of their faces*

- tries to relax (emphasis on the tries)

- she knows cpr!!

- he gets salt water and/or sand in her eyes everytime

- will yell at you (lovingly) if you forget to put on sunscreen

- he makes sure everyone drinks water (no Izzy ocean water doesn't count) and stays hydrated!!

- wears sunglasses pretty much the entire time

- will make sure nobody tracks sand into the car

Owen:

- sits in the back with Noah

- he gets everyone to play "I spy" with him (Izzy can't focus, Noah's half asleep, and Eva's more focused on trying not to scream then things that are the color yellow)

- if the others are busy/don't want to play he usually whips out the DVD player

- did I mention that he collects DVDs? his favorite movies are cloudy with a chance of meatballs, toy story, and ratatouille

- always gets gummy sharks or jolly ranchers

- Owen packs the best snacks and brings things they all like (strawberries, veggie straws, goldfish, cheez its, etc)

- he even made sandwiches and fruit salads!!

- the water's nice and all, but the SAND!!

- he makes the best sand castles

- since Owen canonically has 3 brothers, he knows a lot of games (sand castle building contest, marco polo, "who can dig the deepest hole in 5 minutes," etc)

- gives the seashells he finds to Izzy

- speaking of Izzy, xe burries Owen in the sand atleast once everytine they go

Noah:

- he ususally drives for shorter trips, but long car rides make him tired

- you can not convince me that this man doesn't latch on to Owen like a koala when he naps

- Owen angles the DVD player somewhere they could both see incase Noah wakes up

- at first, Noah just reads a book (or stares out the window when he gets carsick) but he always ends up falling asleep at some point

- whenever they stop at the gas station, Owen always makes sure to get something for Noah

- they always bring their book with them to the beach

- he protects that book like a lifeline

- once he either finishes the book or the others bug him enough, THEN he does stuff

- Izzy always tries to convince them to get in the water

- 9 times out of 10 he says no

- but on the occasional times they say yes, they almost drown

- Owen carries Noah pretty much everywhere lmao

- he doesn't really like water (and no I won't be making an IOTS refrence no matter how tempting it is)

- they help Owen with his sand castle!!

- Noah isn't much of a beach person but that doesn't mean he can't have fun

- and ofc he falls back asleep on the ride back

[heeownsmee]

Chapter 6 — A Wrong Turn

London had been good to them.

For nearly two weeks, it was all laughter, lazy mornings, street markets, and memories they knew would stay with them long after the trip ended.

But no trip is perfect forever.

And no story stays warm for long.

It started with a simple plan.

"Okay, one last day trip before we start winding down, yeah?" Jay announced, leaning over the breakfast table.

"I found this place — a countryside village about two hours from here. Quiet, cozy, good for photos. Let's go check it out."

Everyone agreed easily.

They packed light — snacks, jackets, extra phone chargers and by late morning, they were all piled into a big rental van Jay had borrowed from a friend.

Sunghoon was driving, with Jay in the passenger seat navigating.

The rest were scattered through the back:

Elena and Jungwon sharing earbuds, Sana curled against Jake's side, Annie tossing chips at Ni-ki (who was dramatically trying to catch them in his mouth), Hanni quietly resting her head on Heeseung's shoulder, Sadie humming along to a playlist Sunoo had queued up.

The first few hours were easy. Rolling hills, stone cottages, and endless green fields flashed past the windows as they sang along to throwback songs and snapped silly selfies.

"Okay, tell me this isn't the best road trip crew ever" Ni-ki said, turning around in his seat to grin at everyone.

"No contest" Sunoo beamed, throwing a peace sign.

Even Sunghoon cracked a smile as he drove.

"Glad you guys aren't snoring back there. Makes driving less boring."

Lisa tapped Jay's arm, leaning over from the second row.

"How much longer?"

"About 40 minutes" Jay said, glancing at his phone's map. "Smooth sailing."

But somewhere along the winding roads, where the trees grew taller and the signs fewer, things started to slip quietly off course.

Jay frowned at his phone, squinting.

"Wait... Sunghoon, I think we missed a turn like... ten minutes ago."

Sunghoon glanced over. "Seriously? You didn't say anything.

"I didn't notice" Jay muttered, zooming in and out of the glitchy map.

"Signal's getting bad out here."

"I haven't seen a sign in forever" Jungwon chimed in, glancing nervously out the window.

The pretty countryside had slowly given way to denser woods and narrow, winding roads.

"It's fine, it's fine" Jay said quickly, not wanting to spook anyone.

"I'll reroute. Just keep going straight for now."

But twenty minutes later, the van still twisted through endless green tunnels of trees, with no village — and no signs — in sight.

"Okay... weird question" Sana said slowly, sitting up straighter.

"Has anyone seen another car recently?"

Everyone glanced at each other. Silence.

"Not for a while" Lisa admitted, peering out the window uneasily.

"Let's just turn around" Heeseung suggested from the back.

"Find the main road again."

"I can't just flip a U-turn on this tiny road"

Sunghoon muttered, eyes narrowing as the road narrowed even more, shadows from the trees stretching longer.

"We'll find a wider stretch."

By now, the mood had shifted.

The music was off.

The snack bags crinkled in awkward silence.

Even Ni-ki wasn't making jokes.

Fifteen more minutes passed.

Jay's phone buzzed weakly and then died.

"No service."

"Same here" Sunoo echoed, holding up his phone helplessly.

One by one, everyone realized their phones had lost signal completely.

The forest seemed to press closer now, thick and endless.

"Guys, it's getting dark" Annie said quietly, glancing at the dimming sky.

The sun had dipped behind heavy clouds, and shadows stretched long across the road.

"We should've been back on a main road by now" Jake said, voice lower now.

"We're lost, aren't we?"

"No" Jay said firmly — maybe more to convince himself than anyone else.

"We just need to keep driving forward. We'll hit something eventually."

But after nearly 45 more minutes, the only thing they hit was an unsettling realization. They hadn't passed a single house, car, or sign of life since they'd left the village roads behind.

Then, as if to make things worse, the engine coughed softly.

Once. Twice.

Sunghoon's brow furrowed.

"Uh... what was that?" Nancy asked, glancing up quickly.

Sunghoon flicked his eyes to the fuel gauge and his jaw clenched.

"We're low. Really low."

"How low is low?" Hanni asked slowly,

sitting up straighter.

"Like... we might not make it much farther" Sunghoon admitted reluctantly.

A thin ripple of panic skated through the van.

"Okay... don't panic" Heeseung said steadily.

"Let's just keep an eye out for a gas station."

As luck would have it — or maybe bad luck — ten minutes later, they spotted a battered, faded sign reading 'GAS' and an arrow pointing left.

"Should we try it?" Sunghoon asked uncertainly.

"Do we have a choice?" Jay replied, Sunghoon steering towards the turn.

They pulled into the gas station a few minutes later — if it could even be called that.

It looked deserted. Two rusted pumps sat under a collapsing awning. The convenience store beside it was crumbling — broken windows, faded paint, and vines creeping up the brick.

Ni-ki let out a slow breath.

"This place gives me a bad feeling."

"Let's just grab gas and leave" Sunghoon said, already unbuckling.

"I'll check the pump" Jay volunteered, hopping out of the van.

Heeseung followed, glancing around warily.

Lisa, Sunoo, and Sadie exchanged glances.

"We'll check inside for someone to pay"

Lisa said, pulling her hoodie tighter as they headed toward the shop.

Inside, it was worse.

Shelves were coated in dust. Faded bags of chips sat crumpled under dead leaves. The air was heavy with dampness.

"Hello?" Lisa called.

"Anyone here?"

No answer.

Only the soft creak of old wood and sunlight filtering weakly through cracked glass.

"I don't like this at all" Sadie muttered, wrinkling her nose as she nudged an expired candy bar with her shoe.

Back outside, Jay smacked the pump with frustration.

"This thing's dry."

"Try the other one?" Heeseung asked, though his voice was doubtful.

Jay tried. Nothing.

Lisa, Sadie, and Sunoo returned, their faces pale.

"No one's inside" Sunoo said quietly.

"It's completely abandoned."

"What kind of gas station has no gas and no people?" Sunghoon muttered darkly, shutting the van door harder than necessary.

Just then, a deep voice broke through the air behind Ni-ki and Annie.

"You folks lost?"

Everyone spun around.

A thin, weathered man stood a few feet away, dressed in a faded flannel shirt and worn boots. His grey beard twitched as he spat onto the ground, the dark stain splattering on the dirt.

Jay stepped forward cautiously.

"Yeah, uh... we're looking for the nearest town. We're pretty low on gas."

The man's lips curled in something between a grin and a grimace.

"Nearest town's a long ways off. Y'all took the wrong turn way back."

He reached out and tapped the empty pump casually. "Ain't been gas here in years."

Ni-ki shifted uncomfortably beside Annie.

"Could you tell us how to get back to the highway?" Heeseung asked politely.

The man started giving slow, disjointed directions that Jay tried hard to follow. His eyes lingered a little too long on Lisa and Annie as he spoke, making both girls stiffen.

Jake's jaw flexed, and Jungwon quietly slipped an arm around Elena's shoulders protectively.

"Thanks" Jay muttered once the man finished.

The man's gaze stayed cold. "Y'all best get movin'. Don't wanna be stuck out here in the dark."

Without another word, the group piled quickly back into the van.

As Sunghoon pulled away, Ni-ki muttered under his breath

"Creepiest dude ever."

"I don't like the way he was looking at us"

Lisa said flatly, arms crossed tight over her chest.

Jay didn't reply. He was too busy rechecking the man's confusing directions on his glitchy map.

They drove for another hour.

The roads twisted deeper into thickening woods. Clouds covered the sun; the sky dimmed into dull grey. Rain began tapping softly on the windshield.

No towns.

No signs.

No other cars.

Sunghoon sighed heavily. "We're getting nowhere."

"Maybe we should stop for a second and figure things out" Jungwon suggested quietly.

As if on cue, a shape loomed up ahead — dim and grey through the trees.

An old house.

Dilapidated, dark windows, wooden boards warped with age. The driveway was cracked and overgrown.

Everyone fell silent.

Jungwon and Heeseung exchanged a long look.

Sunghoon slowly pulled the van to a stop at the edge of the property.

Jay unbuckled his seatbelt and let out a slow breath.

"Let's check how much fuel we've got left before we panic."

"Yeah" Sunghoon said, pushing open his door.

The two stepped out.

The air was colder now. Heavy. Still.

The rest of the group stayed inside, faces pressed anxiously to the windows, watching as Jay and Sunghoon popped the hood and checked the gauges.

Jay exhaled sharply and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Nothing. We're empty."

Sunghoon straightened slowly, turning to face the old house.

His jaw tightened as he studied it.

"We don't have a choice" he said quietly.

"We'll have to spend the night here."

TO BE CONTINUED....

[amberskywrites]

Together

Masterpost | AO3 Link 

Fandom / Genre: Stardew Valley / Fluff

Pairing: Elliott/Sebastian

Warnings: None!

Prompt: Requested by @incendiarybomb

Prompt list 19, #6 || “I gave up smoking for you, you little shit, be grateful.” with Elliott x Sebastian?

Note: Aghsgjshds this took so much longer to get to than I meant!! So so sorry for the delay, 2023 ended up being a terrible writing year for me. Hopefully you still enjoy it, I definitely had fun writing it, and will likely be exploring more with this pairing in the future!

Summary: 

It's Sebastian's turn to pick where their next date is to be, and he refuses to tell Elliott anything beyond the best way to get there is on the motorcycle. Elliott doesn't want to take the bike. He's glad they did.

Elliott stared at Sebastian. Sebastian stared right back.

“No.”

“Please?”

“Absolutely not.”

“C’mon!”

Sebastian pouted, leaning further onto his motorcycle. He looked up at Elliott through his bangs and- yep, there were the sad eyes. Elliott broke eye contact before he could feel the full force of his boyfriend’s puppy eyes.

He looked over the motorcycle again and cringed at just the idea of getting on it.

“Just one ride. We won’t even go that far!” Sebastian pleaded.

“It’s just- motorcycle accidents are far more likely to happen than car accidents- a higher rate of motorcyclists get injured each year than drivers.”

“Just because the rate is high doesn’t mean we’ll get into an accident. I keep my bike in excellent condition, I’m safe on the road, and we’ll be taking safety precautions. Besides, neither of us own a car.”

Elliott sighed. “Can’t we just take the bus, or borrow someone’s car?”

“Unless you wanna try convincing Lewis to let me drive his old truck, or spend a bus ride with Pam driving with at least an hour walk after, then no.” Sebastian finally let the puppy eyes disappear, sighing himself as he wrapped his arms across his chest. “It was my turn to pick our date spot, and this is the best way to get there.”

Elliott still hesitated. Sebastian looked away and his shoulders sagged when another minute passed by in silence. Elliott’s heart constricted at the dejected and genuinely hurt look on Sebastian’s face.

“Y’know what, never-”

“Fine.”

His head snapped up and Sebastian was startled when Elliott took a few long strides to stand in front of him and the bike.

“What?”

“I said fine,” Elliott said. He pulled Sebastian’s arms away from his body and took Sebastian’s hands in his, giving them a squeeze and him a nervous smile. “You’re right- if this is the best way to get to wherever you’ve chosen our date to be, then we should take it.”

Sebastian still frowned, suddenly seeming unsure himself. “Why are you suddenly agreeing?”

“Truthfully? You looked so disappointed at the prospect of not taking the bike, and I cannot bear seeing you looking so sorrowful.” Sebastian snorted and Elliott leaned in to bump their heads lightly. “I will admit though… I’ve never been on a motorcycle, and the prospect of getting on one, no matter how much I trust you, is…” Elliott looked away and pulled back slightly, sighing as he trailed off.

It was Sebastian who squeezed their hands this time, and when Elliott looked back at him, he was smiling gently in a way that had become more common over the past two years.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” he said. “Little secret, I was scared shitless the first dozen or so times I got on a bike on the road. You… probably won’t feel comfortable on it after this one trip. But, I can say that over time, it gets less scary and it becomes… exhilarating. And just… I want to share that with you. I…”

Sebastian paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “I care about you a lot, y’know? I wouldn’t offer to take you on the bike unless I was sure you’d be safe.”

Some of the tension bled out of Elliott at the admissions, and he smiled gently with a slight tilt of his head down at Sebastian. Sebastian returned the smile with one just a bit more sure than the ones shared previously.

It quickly morphed into a smirk. “Besides, I gave up smoking for you, you little shit. You owe me.”

It was said in a teasing tone and it startled a laugh out of Elliott. He had to pull away from Sebastian, whose smirk was more of a shit-eating grin now as he watched Elliott recover from the sudden bout of laughter.

“Fair enough,” Elliott mused once he could control his voice again. He propped his hands on his hips and looked at the bike with a determined expression. “Alright then! Tell me what to do.”

-

Truthfully, Elliott kept his eyes squeezed shut the entire ride. Both the one Sebastian did around the town to get familiar with Elliott’s weight at his back, Elliott pressed close to him, especially since the writer towered over Sebastian by a good half a foot. But the shorter ride around town was enough for Sebastian to feel completely comfortable riding the bike out of town, and Elliott felt safe enough to go the distance.

The travel time passed by in a blur, really, and Elliott wouldn’t have realized they had stopped if Sebastian hadn’t nudged him backward off him a little.

When he opens his eyes, Elliott cannot contain the gasp. In his peripheral, he sees Sebastian smile, but Elliott cannot tear his gaze away from the view that Sebastian had driven them to.

Zuzu City is in the distance, a sea of black glittering yellow fading into the night sky where streetlights and headlights and illuminated rooms turn to stars sparkling thousands of miles away. Between them on the cliff and the distant city is a forest, one Elliott has seen a few times on both bus and train on his scarce trips to and from Pelican Town. In the cover of night, it is nothing more than a shadow swallowing everything below them whole, and yet Elliott feels anything but fear when gazing at it. All the possibilities of what could be lurking…

He’s pulled from his thoughts when Sebastian slips off the bike, and he helps Elliott climb off it as well. Sebastian doesn’t let go of his hand as they take off their helmets and leave them with the bike to approach the cliff’s edge, and he doesn’t let go as they sit and dangle their feet off the side.

They sit and watch for what could be minutes or an hour, Elliott really isn’t sure, but he doesn’t mind one bit. It’s comfortable silence as they gaze upon the land stretching before them. Sebastian’s thumb eventually begins drawing circles on the back of Elliott’s hand, but he still doesn’t say anything at first.

When he does finally say something, Elliott has to blink and focus, Sebastian’s voice muffled slightly only because he had become so lost in thought. When Elliott turns to Sebastian, the man is chuckling softly and squeezes his hand.

Elliott returns the squeeze and smiles sheepishly. “Apologies, my dear,” he says, quietly, so as to not disturb the peace that has settled around them. “Could you repeat what you said?”

“I said, ‘What do you think?’”

“It’s beautiful,” Elliott says, looking back to the city. “And yet… I’m also filled with a strange sense of sadness. A… a haunting sorrow, if you will, though I cannot place why.”

Sebastian nods, shifting a little closer to Elliott. “I feel the same way.” He tilts his head as he too looks back at the city.

“I used to feel trapped in Pelican Town,” Sebastian says after another minute of silence lapsed between them. “I thought I’d try to leave as soon as I could. Hell, I was planning on doing that. But then… but then we started to talk, and get to know each other. And then you asked me out on a date and… and I haven’t felt so trapped anymore.”

Sebastian turns to look at Elliott fully, and Elliott shifts to give Sebastian his attention. It’s not a hard task, Elliott would give Sebastian the world if he could.

“I know we haven’t dated for that long,” Sebastian began, and he attempted to wring his hands together before realizing that he couldn’t, still holding one of Elliott’s. He grabbed Elliott’s other hand then, twisting their fingers so they were interlocked, and Elliott complied easily, squeezing Sebastian’s hands once his fidgeting had settled a bit. It settled more after the squeeze, at least Elliott suspected it was that, because he was also smiling reassuringly but Sebastian wasn’t looking at his face.

“It’s only been two years, but… in that time, I’ve grown to care about you so much, grown to love you so much. Your writing, your extravagant speech, your passion, and your love. I’ve grown to cherish your nagging and pestering about bad habits,” Sebastian let a teasing smirk grace his face, glancing up at Elliott as he said it. Elliott chuckled while his heart beat a mile a minute. Sebastian let a few seconds pass before he continued.

“I never… I didn’t think I’d find anyone in the valley who could make me feel this way, and yet… here we are.”

“Here we are,” Elliott agreed when Sebastian didn’t continue for a moment. Sebastian was finally holding his gaze, and Elliott let all the adoration he felt for the man in front of him bleed into his expression. Sebastian seemed to melt under the intensity of the gaze, relaxing at whatever he found within Elliott’s eyes, and finally he began talking again.

“Elliott… I… I can’t imagine what my life would be like, anymore, without you in it. And so, I was wondering…” Sebastian withdrew his hands from Elliott’s, twisting around slightly and Elliott tilted to see what Sebastian was grabbing. From his back pocket he pulled out something, though Sebastian kept it cupped in his hands and out of Elliott’s view as he turned back around. His cheeks were pink. He took a deep breath. But when he opened his mouth, words seemed to fail him.

After a moment of struggling to find the words, Sebastian seemed to make up his mind, shaking his head and opening his hands.

From it a blue shell slipped past his fingers, dangling off a thin blue chain. Sebastian held it up between them, his face dusted an even darker shade of red. It took Elliott a second to realize what was happening, what was really, truly happening.

He’d been told of the Mermaid’s Pendant before, just a month or so after he and Sebastian had come out about their relationship - Mayor Lewis hadn’t been subtle once he had noticed the local writer and the town’s renowned “emo” getting much closer. So Elliott knew the significance, and the romantic in him found it a wonderful tradition that, if all went well, he’d love to partake in. He would be a liar if he said he hadn’t imagined giving and receiving it before. To actually be receiving it from Sebastian, however…

His heart swelled in his chest, beating rapidly as he processed just what, exactly, Sebastian was asking of him.

To spend the rest of their lives together. To build their lives together. To move forward, together.

Elliott couldn’t find the words, and he didn’t know when he had looked away from the pendant but he was now looking at Sebastian’s face, unaware and not caring about whatever expression he was wearing. His vision was misty, but Elliott made no effort to reign in or release the tears. He just looked at this wonderful, quiet, and caring man who had had such a profound impact on his life, and soaked in the fact that he wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

It took Sebastian’s face taking on an apprehensive expression to kick Elliott into the realization that he should say something, anything.

But again, the words were failing him.

So, with hands that he hadn’t realized were shaking slightly, he cupped Sebastian’s face gently. “Oh, Sebastian…” he managed to get out.

Sebastian went rigid in his hold, his gaze locked on Elliott’s face, as though trying to look for the answer to his unasked question in Elliott’s very soul. What answer he found must have conveyed everything Elliott couldn’t figure out how to say, because Sebastian relaxed and leaned forward into Elliott’s space.

He rested his forehead against Elliott’s, Elliott’s hands falling away to Sebastian’s shoulders, then arms, then waist. His eyes were closed, but Elliott couldn’t stop staring.

Sebastian brought his hands up, and Elliott watched them pass his head and the pendant dangle above his chest. Sebastian settled his wrists on Elliott’s shoulders, ready to clasp the necklace into place.

“Yes?” Sebastian asked, his voice soft and so, so quiet. He’d opened his eyes again by the time Elliott looked away from the pendant and back to his face.

“Yes,” Elliott said, and he closed the gap between them just as Sebastian closed the clasp.

[brattylikestoeat]

OK, if you don’t mind being detailed here —- could you please share with the class Re: the following —- how exactly do you go about telling you partner what you want/expect/what kind of treatment you want? Like, you’ve mentioned princess treatment/spoiled GF treatment and I found a lot of what you shared is in line w it what I would want. I’ve just never bothered with guys because I find them annoying… but now I’m curious.

So, let’s say beginning stages with Ted or with someone completely new = what do you usually say/how do you say it? Also,

What are your needs and wants?

Again, I’ve never really explored this because I typically just did for myself but now… if a good dude decided to be giving? Maybe…

I feel like if I have to ask, we already aren’t going to work. Being a gentleman should be a base thing he does because he is a good man.

Do I expect new men I meet to just bow down and hand me their wallet? No.

But I do expect gentlemen behavior and respect.

Is he asking for a date or to just chill?

Does he actually plan a date or make you put in the work?

Opening doors, is a minimum.

With gator it was a process because I wasn’t use to it. He put me on game and then Donald came in and finished.

So when I meet TG, Ted, and 6’7, ect I knew what I expected.

Once we exchanged numbers there is no talking stage for me. Either we going on a date or you are blocked. Extended talking stages are killing the dating game. That is what dates are for, to get to know each other.

I give them two weeks, give or take circumstances. If I’m busy I won’t hold them to that two weeks. But I let them know they are on borrowed time.

Something like, “I really enjoyed texting/calling you, can’t wait to get to know you better in person.” Aka plan a date.

I’m not bougie, I don’t care where the first date is. I know some women frown on coffee dates, or going to chain restaurants. I don’t care. I just wanna see you putting the effort in.

People don’t know what you don’t tell them. I tell everyone how much I love flowers. Now I get them weekly.

As far as being a spoiled gf, idk how to explain this other than if he really like you, he gone do it. And everyone definition of spoiled is different. 

I’ve always let it be known that my time is valuable and I won’t allow anyone around me who won’t treat me at the level I treat me or better.

Why do I need a man around if he going to treat me worst or drag me down, and the he expects pussy???

I see it all the time with white women, when their man really loves them, biggest simp in the world.

My needs: I need it all lol. I want all your love, all your attention, all your time, I literally want you to be crazy about me.

My wants: gifts, flowers, money, good dick.

My niggas ain’t millions or billionaires, so I don’t expect a new gwagon with a fully funded trip to Dubai. But yes pay my rent so you know I’m carefree and have a comfortable place to lay at. Yes make sure my car is running well so you know I’m traveling safely.

That isn’t rich nigga shit, that’s just a man who really like you shit. Blue collar men make decent money but most aren’t rich, but they wouldn’t let the women they love be stranded on the side of the road.

Once you find a man that really likes you, he will go the extra mile to ensure you are happy.

[attemptinghaikyuu]

~Chose your own Ending~

Osamu was a cautious driver. It was probably one of the only things you could respect about him.

You knew you’d get to your destination unharmed physically.

Mentally, you were a little scared for yourself.

You’d already built up a mini barrier in your mind and you were currently in the process making one with a bag to keep some distance between the two of you in real life. You were trying to be discreet, but the side eye you were getting told you that you weren’t being as sneaky as you wanted.

“Shouldn’t you focus on the road?” You huffed as you decided to abandon your little barrier.

“Are ya saying I’m not focusing?”

The side eye you had been given before was nothing to the scathing look you were given at insinuating Osamu wasn’t paying attention.

You decide to stay silent. The quiet looms over you both.

Osamu’s the first to break it.

“You really should just drive yourself if ya don’t like my driving,”

His brow is furrowed like he might actually care what you think.

Osamu Miya and his stellar attitude, front and center again. Give him a round of applause folks!

You let your internal sarcasm leak out,

“I will, with the car I have that can absolutely fit Rin, Toya, and I!”

You hear his scoff, and without looking to you he pulls over and says simply, once he’s in park, “hop out, here’s the car you can drive that’ll fit ya all.”

“What?”

“You wanna drive?” He turns to you, “well here you go.”

You felt yourself heating up. Osamu was messing with you big time. And he was smiling at you now. Well, fine. You could have fun with this.

You were definitely glad Osamu was a cautious driver. Because you were about to be the worst.

Smiling back with your teeth, you click out of your seatbelt. Hopefully, Osamu was serious and would let you behind the wheel of his vehicle. He does. You get in on the drivers side and make all the needed adjustments.

It doesn’t take long for him to start yelling, and you to start laughing.

“You don’t run red lights! You’re supposed to stop sooner then yellow!”

“That doesn’t make any sense, I can’t stop before yellow,” you don’t hide the laughter in your voice.

“This isn’t a joke anymore! Pullover the car.”

He’s staring at you so seriously, and he’s so on edge. You can’t believe you’re 9 miles over the speed limit and getting this kind of reaction. You had friends who were genuine hazards on the road but here you were; going through a couple yellow lights and only just speeding, and you were giving Osamu a heart attack.

“Do you not like my driving Osamu?” You ask politely. “I thought you wanted me to drive.”

“I don’t want a damn reckless driver operating my car!”

He shouts it, though you can barely hear it as the sound of a car barreling down on you overpowers his voice.

The car drives by at least twice as fast as you were driving. When you see the look on Osamu’s face you can’t help a burst of laughter.

In this single moment you like Osamu and this situation just a tiny bit.

You like him even more when he says, seemingly without thinking, “Reckless ass..”

“Excuse you? I thought that was me?”

You laugh at yourself and find you can’t help laughing harder when Osamu joins in.

After that, he actually relaxes a bit and you pick up Suna first and finally Komori, who apologizes profusely and thanks Osamu for letting you borrow the car for the trip. He looks a little confused as to why you’re the one driving, and probably also concerned as to why you seem so calm around Osamu right now. You’re saved from trying to explain anything as he is quickly distracted by Suna, handing him a bag of his favorite snacks.

As Komori gives one last thanks, Osamu decides to drop a very important bit of withheld information that puts you right back on edge.

“Sure, no problem,” you think, no you know, Osamu just looked over at you. “I’m excited for this trip too.”

[umichenginabroad]

Bring on the Blue Mountains! (Week 9)

After returning from Tasmania, it was time for me to recharge again before my family came to town. This meant some more local traveling, as well as catching up on sleep! On Tuesday, once my photography class ended in Paddington, I took to the streets to find a new route to explore which led me to Rushcutters Bay Park along the water just a bit east of the Opera House. The park and nearby pier reemphasized my love for the Sydney coast. 

Not pictured: dozens of dogs playing in the field.

More than the incredible beaches and vast ocean, the coast is full of the greenest parks and forests, houses climbing up rolling hills, and people. People exercising, playing with their dogs, picnicking like there’s no tomorrow, or just enjoying the beautiful weather. Even at night, the cityscape illuminates the water and makes Darling Harbour the perfect place to take a seat and catch up with friends. 

Darling Harbour at night!

Along Coogee Bay Rd, the central road of Coogee beach, I finally got to try a Vietnamese food stop which always has the longest lines in the area and runs out of food before the sun sets. The chicken banh mi I got instantly became my favorite local meal and I got it again only a few days later.

My week ended with a hostel group trip to the Blue Mountains just about 2 hours from Sydney. Known for their vast canyons and incredibly diverse greenery, the Blue Mountains are a popular site for both locals and tourists as they’re full of hikes and unmatched sites. In fact, the most popular hike which we took is called the Grand Canyon trail which takes you to Australia’s own Grand Canyon! I can’t say it compares to the one in Arizona, but it sure makes a mouth drop. The several mile hike winds down into the valley where you’re immersed in a rocky rainforest before taking you uphill to a much drier walk full of completely different flora. The hike exemplified Australia’s endlessly diverse landscape as well as the easy access to nature from the city. 

^ The start of the Grand Canyon hiking trail.

^ The Grand Canyon! It sure is greener than the one in Arizona, but can you also spot the blueish mist? They are called the Blue Mountains, after all!

^ The squad!

The trip to the Blue Mountains did expose a harsh reality of day trips - the logistics of getting there and back. Tired of taking public transport everywhere, my friends wanted to try Uber Carshare which lets you borrow someone’s car for hours/days at a time without going through the hassle of renting. The problem was that the car we booked was a 40-minute transport away anyway, and didn’t cut down the travel time compared to the train at all. And when it came to returning the car, we spent 20 minutes trying to parallel park it into the exact same spot we got it from despite the fact that the car simply did not fit into the spot. We then realized that the Uber app had a different drop-off location specified which prompted us to try again at this new location, but to no avail. Between the one-way roads and cones in our path, we couldn’t even reach the parking spot and had to park as close as we could manage. Then, as Shaunak went to take pictures of the car to submit to the app as proof of good condition, his phone died! At that point, we suggested the others go home and the two of us set off to find a USB-C charger. Adamant that we didn’t need to go home or find a store where we could buy one (there were none in the vicinity), I led us to a nearby student accommodation apartment building. I was confident that if we asked enough people, someone would help. As luck would have it, the very first person we talked to who worked in the lobby happened to have a USB-C charger right there with him! He was generous enough to let us use it and hangout in the lobby while we waited. 

The logistics of planning trips, between finding housing and flights, coordinating activities, and figuring out how we’ll get around is not an easy task for a bunch of procrastinators, but with each trip and excursion we get just a little bit better. The fact that we haven’t quite planned a week-long trip to New Zealand for 14 people in just two weeks is a little worrisome, but a reality for many students studying abroad. I look forward to sharing a bit more about that in the future! Until then, cheers!

David Bayer

Biomedical Engineering

University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia

[mortemoppetere]

TIMING: last night (06/12) LOCATION: a mean old lady's house PARTIES: @itzbridiebitch & @mortemoppetere SUMMARY: emilio and bridie track down the owner of the cursed necklace. it doesn't go how they might have hoped. CONTENT WARNINGS: none!

Once Teddy suggested the presence of a curse, it became painfully obvious. Of course a curse would explain the voices in his head. Emilio had been so prepared to accept his own mind failing him that he’d allowed himself to forget the way there were often other things at play… especially in a town like Wicked’s Rest.

After that, it had just been a matter of tracking down the cause. Something harder than it normally would have been, thanks to the voices in his head. He retraced his steps with a clenched jaw, trying to go back through old cases. And it was hard. It felt impossible, at moments. Did the jilted ex-husband who’d lost everything in the divorce thanks to Axis Investigations know a good spellcaster? Was the mourning mother whose son Emilio had only been able to find in pieces taking her grief out on the most convenient target she could find? Everyone was a suspect, and Emilio’s addled mind could hardly separate one from the other.

Until the news story came across his proverbial desk. Local Pawn Shop Owner Dies. He recognized the man only vaguely, but vaguely was enough. He’d made a note that the guy was squirrelly when he’d asked him about the necklace, but he’d assumed it had just been due to the shady nature of most of the items in his shop. Looking back now, he recognized it a little easier. The way his eyes darted around without settling on anything, the way his voice was an octave louder than it should have been. Of course the stupid necklace was cursed. Of course. 

So, he’d reached out to the club owner. If the shop owner was cursed, odds were that the club owner was, too. And what he’d found was hardly surprising. She was experiencing the same shit he was, and she wanted answers just as badly. 

But apparently, she wasn’t willing to trust him to find them on his own.

He glanced over at her in the seat next to him, the car ‘borrowed’ from a street corner in Worm Row. “You sure you can handle this? I’ll do the talking. You just have to stand there.” Really, she could wait in the car… but he knew what she’d say if he brought that up, and he was too tired to argue. Sleep was even harder to come by now than it usually was, and that was saying something.

—

There were six voices in her brain other than her own now. Bridie’d lost track of who was saying what after the fourth voice had joined the fray. It was a jabbering, maddening mess, and she hadn’t been able to hear herself think in so long. 

Of course it had been that stupid fucking gaudy necklace. 

A curse made sense. It certainly felt ‘curse-y’. It felt like a living hell, actually. Her nerves were shot, and shadows rimmed her usually bright eyes from a lack of sleep. 

A voice outside her head cut through the cacophony in her brain and she looked over at Emilio. As if she was going to let him square this away alone. She had scoffed at the suggestion. She’d had far too much go wrong since his little sob story about his momma’s long lost necklace. She should have smelled that bullshit a mile away. Of course, now the necklace’s curse had made both their lives waking nightmares, so he’d probably been punished enough. 

“I’m not a delicate little daisy who can’t listen to a normal conversation. I’ve had a mass murderer calling me lamb chop for I don’t even know how long now, and no one else can hear it. I think I can handle a conversation about getting a stupid curse broken.”  Bridie grumbled. “Sorry, I’m not usually this… this.” She gestured vaguely. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

_____

She didn’t look like she was faring any better than he was, which didn’t make this a very promising trip. How long could the two of them keep this up? Emilio wished he had more of a timeline on the pawn shop owner, wished he’d asked the man exactly what day the necklace had first come to him. But why would he have? He’d been wholly focused on finding the damn thing then. If he’d known it was cursed, he never would have taken the case at all.

Bridie still would be, though. So maybe she was lucky he’d taken the case, even if he wasn’t. 

“Never said you were,” he said gruffly, the response a little belated. It took a moment for him to register what she said, took a moment for him to realize that it was her speaking and not the voices in his head. You’re slipping fast, Cortez. Won’t be long now. He hoped the woman who’d hired him had some answers. If they went in and found her just as cursed as they were… Well. That’d be a bad sign. “Don’t have to apologize. Think I’ve got a good idea why you’re like this.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before steeling himself and opening the car door. “Let’s go, then.”

Trusting that Bridie would follow, he made his way up the long walkway and towards the impressive house stretched out in front of them. The woman had money; that had never been in question. But money wouldn’t break a curse. Emilio just hoped she’d have some idea what would. 

—-

“I know you didn’t,” she sighed, rubbing at her eyes. One of the voices decided to start screaming. The blood curdling sound rattled it’s way around the faun’s head, and she couldn’t keep the soft distressed whimper the whined out of her at bay. “Let’s hope you do, because this is a circle of hell I never wanted to be in.”

It was a big house. Bridie probably would have thought about it more if the voice wasn’t still shrieking and jabbering. It was almost as though the voices were acting out their own little lives up there in their brain. Perhaps they were tormenting one another just as much as they were tormenting her. 

They walked up to the front door, and it took all the faun’s will power to ensure her glamour stayed firmly in place. She tucked a rogue cotton-candy curl behind her ear as she reached out and pressed the doorbell once, twice, three times for good measure. She glanced over at her companion and shrugged. “Her hearing an annoying doorbell is nothing comparatively.”

_____

“Tell me about it.” The words were muttered under his breath, probably too quiet for her to hear over the shit going on in her head. Emilio probably wouldn’t have heard it himself if not for the fact that it was him who said it.

Bridie rung the doorbell and said… something. Emilio couldn’t quite register her words, but he nodded anyway. He figured they’d know as soon as the woman answered the door whether she was suffering the same curse they were or not. Emilio knew he looked haggard, and Bridie didn’t look much better. She’d been cursed longer than he had, but maybe she was better at hiding it. Or… maybe it affected hunters differently than other humans. (Was Bridie human? All Emilio could determine for certain was that she wasn’t undead.)

The door swung open and Emilio’s client stood in the entry, looking… fine. Normal, cheery, unbothered. Unsurprised. She took in the pair of houseguests with a quirk of her brow, a hint of amusement sparking in her eyes. “Ah,” she greeted, “the detective. I did wonder if you might come sniffing back around here.”

“You knew.” It wasn’t a question; it came out flat and unamused, with the barest hint of anger behind it, because how could he be anything but? This woman let him get cursed, and she did it knowingly. He was allowed to be pissed.

“Well, I didn’t know about her.” The woman glanced to Bridie. “Is she the thief? Did you break into my home?” There was an almost teasing lilt to her tone, infuriatingly pleased as if Emilio and Bridie weren’t half insane on her doorstep.

—

The homeowner (or at least Bridie assumed she was the owner) opened the door practically smirking. The faun didn’t get angry frequently. Most of the time she was too busy having a good time to bother getting angry. And if someone did something to wrong her or irk her, it was usually all too easy to make them spiral into euphoria, giving in to her desire, usually to their detriment. 

She didn’t quite hear what the woman said to Emilio, as the voices picked that time to launch into a monologue on the best ways to dispose of a body. But she did manage to gauge the look on Emilio’s face, the tone of his voice. Good. Bridie wasn’t the only one who was pissed. 

The voices shut up long enough so Bridie could hear herself slandered as a thief. “Excuse you?” she said, pushing past the woman so she now stood on the opposite side of the threshold. “This is the first time I’ve stepped foot in your house.  So I think you should be nice, and show us further inside so we can have a nice chat.” Her voice was far too sweet, and was in stark contrast to the rage that started to simmer in her eyes. “By the way, I don’t believe I heard it. Can I have your name?”

________

Bridie was offended, and Emilio couldn’t quite blame her. He liked her, he decided, far more than he had on that first meeting. Back then, she’d been an inconvenience. A person standing in his way, feet planted firmly between him and his payday. But now? She was on his side. And she wasn’t a bad person to have onside.

He followed her in as she shoved her way into the house, shuffling a little as the voices in his mind distracted him. The woman looked a little irritated at the invasion, but that infuriating smirk didn’t fall from her lips. Emilio thought he might like to remove it for her, but he couldn’t quite muster the energy to say so.

Bridie was speaking again, and Emilio tuned in to a familiar phrase. Can I have your name? Rhett had warned him about that, a thousand times. Another way fae stole from people, he’d said, another dirty trick. So Bridie was fae. It didn’t bother him the way he knew Rhett would think it should have, and as much as he might like to chalk that up to the curse, he knew it wasn’t accurate. He’d made plenty of friends who weren’t human, plenty of friends his brother wouldn’t approve of. What was one more?

The woman’s smile tightened. “Ooh, you’re one of those, are you? Never seen it on one of you before. You can’t have my name. I don’t think I have much of anything for you.” Savvy, then. Enough to know what not to do with a fae. A shame; if Bridie had gotten her name, they could have used that. Leverage, a bargaining chip, whatever you wanted to call it, it would have been nice to have. Instead, they were stuck with…

“Tell us how to undo it.” He blurted it out without meaning to, the words jumbled as they left his mouth. The woman turned back to him, smile softening again.

“Oh, you poor things. You both look terrible. I’d offer you some tea, but I don’t want to waste it. It’s not like it’ll make much of a difference, will it?” She laughed the empty, airy laugh that wealthy people so often used.

—

The tiny flame of hope in her chest guttered out at that sentence. One of those. “Those what, you’ll have to be more specific. One of those people that is in your house now? Yes I am.” Bridie said testily. “And you are the sort of person who gets off on not helping other people, apparently. I’m betting you won the guess who’s going to the retirement home contest with your family.” At least now her exhaustion had a target. 

She glanced at Emilio as his demand tumbled out. Bridie pointed at him as if to say ‘what he said,’ before rubbing at her eyes. She could almost smell the woman’s delight as the woman started talking again. Bridie couldn’t quite hear the words- not as the cacophony in her head swelled again like the world’s worst orchestra- but the all to pleased tone was accompanied with a faint scent that Bridie often latched onto as the promise of a good meal. Delight. Unfortunately, this woman’s smelled like a powdery lily fragrance that the faun associated with boring old women with horrible taste. Funny how people always reflected a bit of themselves in their emotions. 

She realized the woman had said something, and based on the stupid smug look on her face, it wasn’t good. “Can you like. Cut the shit? For five fucking minutes, you depressing old hag?” The faun grumbled under her breath. She looked at Emilio, at a loss. 

____

Even without a curse putting him on edge, Emilio had little patience for people like this. He’d never been much good at conversation and, as a result, he didn’t like beating around the bush. Whether Bridie felt similarly or the curse simply had her sharing in the sentiment today, he wasn’t sure. In any case, though, he was glad for it. He nodded as she spoke, glaring at the woman sullenly and trying to push the voices in his head aside long enough to maintain a presence in the conversation.

The woman sighed, shaking her head at the rudeness from her guests. “The necklace I sent you to retrieve was cursed, yes,” she said, addressing Emilio. Glancing back to Bridie, she added, “And I suppose you had some contact with it as well. It spreads through extended physical contact.”

“You’re not cursed,” Emilio pointed out in a low mumble. The woman smiled.

“You really are a detective, aren’t you?” She cooed, and he glared at her until she continued. “Yes, a keen observation. I’m not cursed. It was placed on the necklace by an ancestor some centuries ago. She used her blood in the ritual. Anyone of the same bloodline is immune to the effects. Call it an anti-theft system. An effective one, mind you. I suppose if the two of you are this bad off, the thief’s already gotten what was coming to them. Good riddance.”

“Stop,” Emilio ground out. “Just — Just stop talking. Tell us how to fix it.” She must have a failsafe, right? Some way of keeping people from succumbing to it? But as he smile tightened, he realized he knew what she was going to say well before she said it.

“I’m afraid I can’t fix it. Not without damaging the heirloom and, well, I did just go through an awful lot of trouble getting it back, didn’t I? It’d be a waste to let you damage it now.”

—

Bridie dead panned at the woman’s comment about her contact with the necklace. “No shit, Sherlock.” Based on Emilio’s reaction, he was probably just about as fed up with the woman’s bullshit as she was. 

A blood curse? Alarm bells clanged through the faun’s mind. Mortals and their goddamn need to play with magic. She knew enough to know that stumbling into a blood curse was bad. She was grateful when the woman was cut off by her cursed compatriot. The woman’s voice was just as painful to listen to as the myriad of voices fighting over each other in her brain. She wanted to yell at all of them to shut up shut up shut up, but then she’d have to listen to herself too. If she got out of this, she wouldn’t think a single thing and would simply relish in the silence. 

I can’t fix it.

“No you won’t fix it. You can fix it because you know how. You won’t fix it because you’re a terrible person with shitty taste in gaudy things that hurt people.” She snapped over the roar of voices in her head, every muscle in her body dreaming of nothing more than doing a happy little jig on the woman to trample her. Bridie looked at Emilio, silently pleading with the man to let her strangle the old bat. 

______

Looking to Bridie, the woman considered her for a moment before shrugging. “I suppose you’re at least partially right. I could fix it. But I’m not going to.” Her smile was wry and unamused and cruel, and Emilio wanted so badly to wipe it off her face any way he could. But where there was one curse, there could be more. Killing her might start more problems than it solved.

(And there was another reason, too. The way his own voice had joined in with the awful, awful people speaking in his head, the way it sounded like it belonged with them. He was just as bad as the rest of them, he knew. He wanted to be better.)

“You’re not very good houseguests, are you? Rude, quiet. I think it’d be better if you were off now.” Still smiling that terrible, fake smile, she waved a hand towards the door. “Go on, then. I’d say you’ve still got a few days left in you. Well…” Her eyes slid over to Emilio, whose jaw was tightly clenched. “Maybe a little less. I’d suggest making the most of them.”

Emilio swallowed, the lump in his throat making it seem a Herculean task. Reaching out, he gripped Bridie’s upper arm perhaps a little too tightly. Half a warning for her, half a lifeline for him. “There is nothing for us here.” He spoke slowly, trying to fit his tongue around the words. His accent was heavier than it usually was, all the effort he usually put into lessening it shifted just to make sure he’d be heard. This was getting them nowhere. They needed to leave so they could come up with a new plan. If this woman wouldn’t help them, they’d find another way. They had to.

—

Bridie wanted to cry. Wanted to scream. Wanted to make this woman dance until she exhausted herself, and then make her keep dancing as Bridie slowly slipped away from sanity as the curse demanded. Or until death claimed her. Whichever came first. 

A low keening noise was the only indication that she gave. She wouldn’t sob. Not in front of that miserable old bitch. And crying would be a waste of whatever time she had left. The faun flinched at the feeling of a hand on her arm. Had phantom hands come to join the phantom voices? But she saw a hand on her arm. Saw where the hand connected to a wrist, that connected to an arm, that connected to Emilio. And she let him tow her away. 

It was over. 

It was all over. 

But it couldn’t be over. It couldn’t- she was only twenty-eight! So young, with so much more to do, to celebrate, to taste, to experience, why- why should she have to slip into madness and then oblivion now-

Her thoughts joined the screaming masses inside her head. Some laughed. Some screamed. Some sang. Some whispered. She wasn’t sure which was hers. Her glamour wavered as her thoughts got lost and her focus slipped. 

But then she remembered the hand on her arm, and covered it with her own. She reinforced her glamour and gritted her teeth. “All of you, just shut the fuck up.” She hissed to the voices, who seemed surprised to be addressed at last, and gave momentary pause. She looked to Emilio once they were far away, her hand still holding tightly to the one on her arm. “Let’s get in the car. We need to talk.”

_______

There was a moment, a fraction of a second where her form seemed to shimmer. From a relatively normal looking woman to something else — curling horns, strange legs, fur. It was gone so quickly that Emilio could almost believe it had been a part of the curse… but he remembered her words inside. Can I have your name? Turning his head to the side, he pretended he hadn’t seen it just as he’d pretended not to see Teddy’s face shift when their glasses slipped down their face in their boathouse months ago, just like he pretended not to notice the way Perro loved Ren the way he only ever loved people who weren’t entirely human. He was getting good at pretending. He’d never been able to tell if that was a good thing or a bad one.

Nodding as Bridie spoke, he pulled her towards the car, half leading her and half leaning on her. He opened the passenger's side door to let her in, then moved over to the driver’s side to climb in himself. For a moment, he just sat there. He made no move to start the car, but his hands gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white with the force of it. Closing his eyes, he sighed. 

“It’s the necklace,” he said, though that was obvious. “I mean, it’s — We have to get the necklace. Break it. That’s the only thing I can think of.” If it were something simpler, the woman probably wouldn’t have been so adamantly against it. No matter how cruel she might be, she wouldn’t deny them relief if relief cost her nothing to give. Emilio had to believe that much. Opening his eyes, he turned back to Bridie. “We’re gonna need to steal it.”

—

Bridie nodded in agreement. “Steal it, burn her house to the ground in an attempt to melt it- I don’t give a fuck, it needs to go. Now. Blood curses are so bad.” Her hands opened and closed into fists as her gaze drifted back up toward the house where the one thing that could cure them both was hidden. 

“But she’s going to know that we’re coming.” She was talking quickly, as if she had to get her thoughts out before the voices interrupted her again. “I mean, look at you. Big bad detective man. Why the fuck would you take it. Just giving up doesn’t look like it’s in your vocabulary. And I think she may have caught on that I wanted nothing more than to stomp her smug face in.” 

The voices started cackling and jabbering again. “I said shut the fuck up-” She hissed again. Bridie was answered with grumbles, but another momentary reprieve. “How the fuck are we going to do this. What is the play. Because my answer is usually to try and seduce her, but there is no way in fucking hell I’m kissing that lady.”

____

He couldn’t find it in him to disagree with her sentiment; burning the woman’s house down was a tempting proposal. But… “We need to be sure it’s broken all the way. So we need to get our hands on it. Probably break it with the both of us there.” 

Bridie had a point, of course. They’d tried asking nicely, and that was going to be a point against them. She’d suspect that they would come back for the necklace. Maybe she even wanted them to. She’d certainly seemed to enjoy their misery well enough that Emilio wouldn’t have been surprised if she wanted another taste. “Yes, I think she might know you don’t like her,” he replied dryly.

She snapped at someone not present, someone in her head, and Emilio understood the urge. He’d tried the same thing a few times, but he found it brought him little relief. Maybe it worked better for her. The curse had to work differently for a fae than it did for a human, even if the human was a hunter. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to push past the voices in his own head well enough to think. Luckily, the answer was obvious enough. “I know someone. Nora. She’s my…” He struggled to find the word, giving up with a shrug. “She works for me. She knows how to break into places. Talks about doing it a lot. She’ll help if I ask her to.”

—

“So what?” She asked, grimacing slightly as one solitary voice started wailing, pleading for its life as though it were replaying its final moments in her head. Those were the voices she hated listening to the most. Bridie shook her head again, trying to shake the voice out her ear like water. “We steal it and then like… hit it with a hammer?”

The faun snorted. “If she’s still not sure if I like her, I’d love to get my point further across.” It was a grumble, but she managed a hint of a smile. Somehow having the answer to what was wrong with her and knowing the solution brought a little bit of clarity. She wasn’t going crazy- or at least not of her own accord. This was magic, plain and simple. Just not any kind of magic she was practiced in. But magic could be undone for the most part, and that fact was something to hold on to. 

Nora. That was a nice name. One of the voices in her head picked it up and started chattering the name over and over and over- nevermind. It was not so nice after hearing it seventy times in a minute. “Where is Nora, and how much time will she need to prepare? What do you even need for breaking and entering?”

____

“Something like that. We can worry about how we’re breaking it after we have it.” One thing at a time was the only way Emilio was going to be able to get through this. Even on a good day, he wasn’t the best at planning. His ideas always tended to be spur of the moment things that didn’t much focus on the long term effects. Hunters, after all, had little reason to worry about the long term; most of them didn’t live to see thirty. He was already an unwilling exception to that rule.

Though maybe not for much longer. Not for the first time, he thought of the pawn shop owner. How long had he lasted? The newspaper article on his death had been published only a few days after Emilio saw him. Had he been towards the beginning of the curse when Emilio went to his shop, or already nearing the end? He heard Bridie talking, something about a point, but it was hard to focus. And Bridie talked a lot. Better to make sure he heard the important things and let the smaller ones slide, wasn’t it?

Like this. Questions about the plan. Belatedly, he realized he’d said Nora’s name. He probably shouldn’t have. She didn’t seem to like people knowing it. But it was a little late to take it back now, and so, so hard to control what came out of his mouth. “She’s at her place,” he mumbled, leaving out the fact that ‘her place’ was a crypt. “Don’t think she needs much time. Don’t think she needs much stuff, either. She’ll know how to do it. Just need to make sure she knows what the necklace looks like.” He rubbed at his eyes, finally starting the car and putting it into drive. “I’m going to drop you off at your club and then get with Nora. I’ll let you know when we’re doing it. We can meet at my place before.” He paused a moment, his grip on the steering wheel the only thing keeping his hands from shaking. “It’ll be soon.” It had to be. Otherwise, there’d be nothing left to save.

_____

Her mind was getting crowded again. Jabbering and cackling and talking all began clashing over one another in her mind, and she buried her face in her hands with a groan. Bridie leaned forward to rest against the dashboard. Screaming back at the voices in her head worked a bit, but she was so damn tired she didn’t know how long she could do it for. And if she had to steal a jewel, she needed as much energy as she could. 

She heard bits and pieces of the plan. Mostly she heard ‘your club,’ and ‘I’ll let you know’, and ‘meet at my place’.  She figured that was enough to piece together what was happening. The faun watched the man grip the steering wheel. She didn’t say anything, but Bridie understood. 

Bridie rarely ever sounded serious. She was too busy having a good time for that. But she placed a hand on the dashboard near the steering wheel. She didn’t touch him, since she knew they were both too ok edge for that. “Then let’s get ourselves out of this mess.” She said slowly. “And when we do, I owe you a drink for giving you a hard time over a stupid ugly necklace.”

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 100

The team say their goodbyes as Gaz, Pepito, and Squee leave the city.

This is it. The finale. The epilogue. The very last chapter. It's insane to think about. I posted the very first chapter of Fanatics on my deviantart January 23, 2015. That's almost ten years ago! That's so much time! If you want to read my complete thoughts on this, there'll be a post about it on my deviantart (Murderousmanic18) and on my tumblr but for now, thank you very much for reading. And kudos if you've read it all from the beginning. That is no easy feat. I hope you enjoyed and I hope you stick around to read my other stuff. There's my ongoing Borderlands OC fic, Skies, and I have other, new ideas brewing. Thanks again <3

--

Finally, the Finale

“It...won’t fit...” Squee groans painfully.

“It’ll fit,” Pepito insists, “just...gotta...squeeze...” “There’s not enough room!”

“Just push it in!”

“It’s too big!”

“Hey!”

Squee and Pepito look up at Gaz as she comes down the front walk from her house. “You guys better not break any of my stuff.”

The boys stop trying to shove her boxes into the trunk of Membrane’s car. “Why you packing so much shit anyway?” Pepito questions, “you’re just going to L.A., not on a fucking nomadic retreat.”

“It’s all important stuff,” Gaz insists.

“It’s all her gaming consoles,” Zim argues as he and Tak leave the house, carrying more boxes.

“Christ, Squee and I are going on the road and we didn’t even pack as much,” Pepito remarks.

“Oh, get out of the way,” Gaz snaps, “I’ll pack it in.” As she sticks the boxes into the trunk, Professor Membrane exits the house. “Ready to go, daughter?”

“Almost, Dad,” she replies.

“How come Dib isn’t making the trip with you?” Squee asks.

As if on cue, Dib rushes out of the house and hugs Gaz. “I’m gonna miss you so much!”

“This is why,” she grumbles with annoyance, her voice slightly muffled in his chest.

“It’s gonna be so quiet without you,” Dib whimpers.

“Yeah,” Tak agrees, “one might say ‘peaceful’.”

“I don’t know how peaceful it’ll be with Zim living there,” Pepito comments.

“Zim is the perfect roommate,” Zim argues.

“What about Gir, Minimoose, and Skoodge?” Squee questions.

“Zim cannot vouch for them.”

After wrestling out of Dib’s grasp, Gaz closes the trunk with a victorious grunt. “Okay. I’m packed.”

“Then let us get on the road!” Membrane declares.

“No!” Dib cries and hugs Gaz again. She snarls but doesn’t try to push him off. Instead she looks at the rest of her friends, her usual scowl softening.

“So...I guess...this is it,” Pepito says and glances down the road. Parked nearby is Carmen’s car- which she’s actually borrowing from her dad- with Carmen, Colton, and Maddie waiting next to it, and Johnny’s car, with Johnny, Devi, and Tenna.

“Why did you guys have to all leave on the same day?” Zim grumbles.

“Seemed appropriate,” Squee replies, “better to get it out of the way all at once than draw it out.”

Having said that, they don’t hurry to get it out of the way. They just stand together, awkwardly.

Finally, Gaz takes a deep breath and pulls her arm out of Dib’s grip, holding it out. “Bring it in.”

Without a second of hesitation, they all close in to a group hug, squeezing tight.

“Now you all listen to your leader, Zim,” Zim demands, “you go out and you live great lives. But don’t be gone too long. A leader isn’t a leader without his team.”

“We won’t be gone forever,” Squee points out, “we can meet up again for holidays.”

“And there’s no way we won’t keep in contact,” Pepito adds.

“You losers take care of yourselves, got it,” Gaz grunts.

“And don’t get into too much trouble,” Tak adds, “at least not without me.”

“We’ll always be a team, right...?” Dib whimpers.

“Don’t ask stupid questions, Dib,” Zim snaps, “of course we will.”

They all squeeze even tighter.

“Alright, let me go,” Gaz demands.

In an instant, everyone lets go, except Dib, who still holds her tight. She elbows him in the ribs, knocking him down, and takes a deep breath.

“I’ll call you later, Dib,” she mutters.

“You better,” he croaks.

“Make great games!” Zim demands.

Gaz cracks a smile and nods before getting into the car. Everyone watches as it drives away and disappears down the road.

“Our turn?” Pepito asks.

Squee smiles sadly and nods.

“Pepito, become a great musician,” Zim orders, “and Squee, the knowledge you get during your travels will be beneficial to me when I take over this planet.”

“Then I’ll try to learn a lot,” Squee replies.

“Take care, guys,” Dib says.

“And we’ll take care of the city while you’re gone,” Tak adds.

Squee and Pepito smile and nod then head down the road to their cars.

“Do you remember once you said you could never leave the city?” Pepito asks.

“I remember,” Squee replies, “and I stand by that. I definitely could never live anywhere else. This is just...a vacation.”

He nods agreeably. “I guess we do deserve that. Hopefully it’s one where we don’t have to battle aliens or Eldritch god monsters.”

“Low chance of that.”

Pepito chuckles. Then he suddenly stops and grabs Squee’s hand. He looks at him as their fingers lace together.

Pepito leans forward, resting his forehead on Squee’s. “I...love you, you know.”

Squee smiles softly. “I guess I must love you too.”

Pepito smiles as they lean closer together and kiss.

Nearby, Colton, Carmen, and Maddie are watching. Carmen and Maddie smile warmly as Colton fans himself. “Aw man, I am so gonna cry...”

Across the road, Johnny, Devi, and Tenna are also watching.

“I’m not gonna kiss you,” Devi grunts.

“I don’t want you to!” Johnny snaps.

She leans just a bit closer to him, just so that their shoulders barely touch. “How long you gonna be gone?”

“Dunno,” he replies, “it’s up to the kid. You gonna be a famous artist by the time we’re back?”

“Maybe. If you’re gone for a few hundred years.”

Johnny swallows. “You could...come...if you wanted...”

Devi looks at him. “Would you actually want that?”

He looks away, embarrassed. “If I didn’t, I wouldn’t bring it up.” She smiles. “Thanks, but...I got my own path I gotta follow...even it means cutting through the trees.”

Johnny nods understandably. They’re solemnly quiet for a second before Tenna suddenly hugs him. “We’ll miss you, Nny!”

“Get off!” he barks, shoving her to the ground.

Devi chuckles. “We will miss you.”

He scratches his cheek, blushing lightly. “I’ll miss you too...I suppose...”

Squee walks over, finished with his goodbye with Pepito, and Devi and Tenna hug him tight. “We’ll miss you more though,” Devi says.

“I’ll miss you guys too,” Squee replies. “Take care of the house?”

“You bet.”

They let him go as Johnny gets into the driver’s seat. Squee opens the passenger door but stops as he sees Carmen’s car driving away. She, Colton, Maddie, and Pepito wave to him as they pass. Squee waves back then gets into the car.

He sighs heavily as he leans back in his seat, rubbing his eyes.

“You alright?” Johnny asks.

Squee takes a deep breath but before he can answer, Nugget jumps over from the backseat and curls up in his lap. “Yes,” he replies.

Johnny nods and starts the car. He does a quick shoulder check, freezing as he sees what’s in the backseat. “Okay, I’m fine with bringing Nugget, but did you have to bring them too?”

Squee looks back at the plushies of Shmee, Nailbunny, Mr. Fuck, Psycho Doughboy, Reverend Meat, and Sickness. “Of course. They’re family.”

“But why are they buckled in?”

“Safety first.”

“Alright,” Johnny grunts and pulls away from the curb. Squee waves as they drive by Zim, Dib, and Tak, and they wave back.

“So where to first?” Johnny asks as they drive through the city.

“I guess we should visit Granny Cammie,” Squee replies.

“Yeah,” he agrees, “she’d probably be mad if we didn’t.”

“We can stay there for a day and tomorrow...I don’t know. I guess we’ll just...see what happens.”

Johnny nods. “Sounds like a plan.”

They leave the city onto the expansive highway that seems to disappear into the horizon and follow it, to whatever happens next.

[munsonsreputation]

Hi Kay!!! Here’s a toast for you 🥂 And also an idea: one bed trope with Steve “I don’t share bed” Harrington and reader? (Steve gives me this “I hate to share beds, but I would do it with you” vibes) Do your magic, baby 💙

effie!!!! 🧚

one bed tropes are my favorite and i couldn't wait to work on this request!!! i loved it so much and i totally think that steve would hate sharing his bed!! that man loves to hog the pillows and blankets--likes his own space in general...but you're an exception!!! 🛏❤️

i hope i did your request justice and thanks so much for your sweet words and our fun chats!!! i love you so much!!!!! 💘💘💘

A road trip to Steve’s parents’ cabin sounded like a fun idea at first. Everyone piled into Eddie’s van he let you all borrow for the trip and the route began. Music playing, laughter resounding through the cramped car, heads rested on shoulder while others napped—it was pretty great.

You got the lucky job of sitting shot gun next to Steve, reading off directions from the map and making conversation to keep him awake for the rest of the drive. It was safe to say that you enjoyed Steve’s company a lot, not that you two were super close by any means, but you two just sort of gravitated towards one another naturally.

Robin was the one who introduced you two in the first place, which then led to her inviting you to her and her friends’ weekend adventures from time to time, allowing yourself to get closer to the rest of the gang who welcomed you with open arms. You immediately hit it off with Steve, laughing at his jokes and talking to him about everything under the sun. He was pretty cool and to be quite honest with you; you were ecstatic when we invited you to the cabin for the weekend.

The only problem was that the road trip started at six p.m. which then went on until ten since traffic and the multiple pit stops that Steve had to take because Mike and Dustin drank three whole cans of cola at the beginning of the trip. So when you all finally arrived at the cabin, everyone was out of their minds fatigued and wanted nothing more than to sleep on an actual pillow than Eddie or Robin’s shoulders.

“Finally! I’m exhausted!” Robin announced dramatically, letting herself in first after Steve had unlocked the doors to the small cabin.

Everyone followed behind her, looking around the place and making themselves at home. Steve grunted, hauling in the rest of the kids’ bags with the help of you who fought back your laughter while you held the door open for him.

“T-thanks!” He cringed out, dumping the bags near the front door while you grinned and locked it up.

“No problem, Stevie.” You spoke, patting him on the back while you followed him into the living room where everyone was hanging around waiting for Steve to tell them where their rooms were.

“Look there’s three rooms upstairs,” He pointed up as if you all didn’t know where it was, making everyone roll their eyes meanwhile you couldn’t help but giggle at how much of a dad he looked like.

“Mike, Dustin, Will, and Lucas—you four in one room. El and Max. And Robin and—”

“Me! And I want the side farthest from the door…I don’t want to get killed first!” Eddie shouted, racing up the steps with everyone else following behind him, arguing that they wanted dibs on the best room.

You had assumed that you and Robin would share a room. You two would always sleep in the same bed during sleepovers and whatnot, but you had forgotten that Eddie and Robin were also pretty close, so you couldn’t blame him for taking your place when you never asked.

Steve shook his head, mumbling a “goddamnit, Munson” under his breath before turning over to you with an apologetic smile.

“I’ll umm go get Eddie. He can take the couch and you and Robs can room together.”

But before he could walk towards the stairs you clutched his arm, shaking your head, “No no no, don’t worry about it. He seems excited to room with Robin! I don’t want to ruin his fun.”

You looked behind you, the leather brown couch looking to do the job for the night. As long as Steve had a spare blanket and pillow, you were sure that you could make do with it for the next two days. “I can take the couch! It actually looks pretty comfortable!”

Plopping yourself down onto the cushions, you wiggled, getting as comfortable as you could to show him that it would do. A smile on your face that didn’t seem to convince him whatsoever. He knew that couch was far from comfortable; he had to sleep on it the one time all of his little cousins took the rooms and it was far from a goodnights rest to say the least.

Steve shook his head, “No, I can’t let you sleep on the couch, doll, you’re a guest. I can take the couch and you can take the master bedroom down here.”

He was already picking your duffle bag off the floor before you could protest, leading you to trail behind him, struggling to seize your belongings from him, “No, Steve, that’s not fair! You’re the one who drove us all the way here. You should have the best room.”

Steve snickered, bearing your bag up higher so that you couldn’t reach it as he continued down the hallway to the bedroom, “Yeah, and you kept me up for those four hours, so you deserve a bed too. I’ll let you have it!”

You whined, stomping your foot against the wooden floors as he chuckled, shaking his head at your adamance before he reached the room.

“This is it,” Steve said, gesturing towards the door. “The master bedroom.”

He opened it, revealing the expanse of the bedroom that was fully furnished. A king sized bed in the center of the room that was fairly cozy and as you peered in some more, you could see a door that led to the bathroom which was attached.

“Steve…” You said guiltily, turning to him as he gestured you into the room, placing your bag down at the foot of the bed, “I can’t let you do this for me. You’ll wake up in the morning with a sore back if you sleep on that thing!”

He laughed, raising his brows amusingly while he crossed his arms, “So the couch wasn’t really comfortable huh? I knew you were lying!”

You furrowed your brows, realization hitting you as you tried to shake your head, “W-what?! No! Of course, it was comfortable! But you’re like six feet, you’ll be all cramped on that thing is what I meant!”

Again, he didn’t seem convinced, but he was impressively entertained by the way you were able to come up with a coverup on the spot. He knew you were just bluffing so that he could take the bed and you would go back on the couch. Not on his watch.

Steve rolled his eyes playfully, “Come on, don’t be like that. It’s just a room. Plus, I’m a gentleman. I can’t let a lady sleep on the couch.”

He was a gentleman. You’d give him that no problem. But still, you weren’t satisfied with this whole situation.

“W-what if we share the bed?” Your voice heightened when you asked the question, unsure if he would be comfortable sharing a bed with you for the next two nights.

You almost looked timid, shoulders ceasing in with your cheeks buried to your side as you looked over at him with sincerity, “Only if you’re comfortable! Sorry! I shouldn’t have—”

His eyes widened a bit, shaking his head to assure you that he wasn’t uncomfortable. He knew you were asking it out of the kindness of your heart. If he had offered the room to someone else like Eddie or Dustin, he was sure the twerps wouldn’t even consider offering the share—he was thankful that you did otherwise.

“You sure? I snore y’know.” The hint of teasing pulling at the corners of his mouth as he watched you relax and giggle.

“Yeah, Harrington, I think I’ll manage.” You smirked.

“I’ll let you have the bathroom first. I’m just gonna go grab my bags and make sure everything’s locked up.” He said as you nodded, reaching for your bag while he left the room and closed the door behind him to give you some privacy.

In all honestly, you were scared shitless to share a bed with him. Not that he made you uncomfortable or anything, but he was Steve Harrington for god fucking sakes!

The closest that you and Steve had ever been to sharing a bed was when you all decided to watch a horror movie which led to you and Steve screaming and trembling in each other’s arms while the others did the same to the person nearest to them.

Maybe you had developed a teeny tiny crush on him after that, but you were sure that Steve wouldn’t feel the same, so you just left it at that. But tonight it really felt nerve-wracking.

What if you sleep talked and said something embarrassing. What if you stole all the blankets and left Steve cold for the rest of the night? What if you accidentally kicked him in the shins? What if your boob popped out of your tank top and he woke up with your tits right in his face?

Holy shit.

What if you just shut the fuck up?

The hot shower didn’t seem to ease your nerves as much as you liked, but it was just going to be tonight and two more nights of sharing a bed with Steve. Everything was going to be ok. It was all in your head. Plus, Steve said he snored, which probably meant he was a deep sleeper so he would be out in no time before he could hear you sleep talk or feel you hog the blankets. Hopefully.

When you stepped out of the bathroom, you were surprised to see Steve sitting on the bed, looking over a comic book he had found lying around probably from when he was a kid. When the door opened, he turned his head to you, standing in the doorway, pulling your hair out of the low bun you had it in to prevent it from getting wet.

You probably didn't think anything of it, considering the fact that you wore this exact pajama set all the time, but you had forgotten that Steve would be seeing you in it. It wasn’t anything inappropriate, just a silk tank top and silk shorts to match, though it was a little snug, hugging your body tightly and leaving nothing to the imagination with the flimsy fabric sticking to your damp skin.

“Crap..I-I can change if you have a shirt I can borrow?” You stammered the apology as you could feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment.

Steve shook his head, looking a bit flustered himself. “No, no, it’s fine. I mean, it’s great. You look great. I mean, your pajamas look great. Not that you don’t look great, but...I’m just gonna stop talking now.”

He reached a nervous hand to the back of his neck, feeling the fever of his blood bolting from not knowing how to shut up in front of you. Meanwhile, you felt a little more at ease at Steve’s previous words. He was just as nervous as you, which made you feel a little less bad about your own nervousness.

“Do you wanna shower?” You proposed, walking over to your bag and placing your dirty clothes into the separate compartment from your clean ones.

He shuffled up from the bed, placing his comic on the nightstand, “Uh yea…was the shower pressure fine?” He sought, bending down towards his own bag and pulling out a pair of sweatpants.

“Yeah, and the water is nice and hot.” You smiled warmly as he returned it before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door softly.

You decided it was best that you settle into bed already, choosing to take the side farthest from the door. The sheets were soft and thick enough to engulf warmth over your bare legs in the middle of the chilly night.

You had wondered why Steve hadn’t come down here more often, considering the serenity and privacy that the cabin provided. From the windows you could see the grassy mountains and tall trees hovering over the woods—it was a different scene from the Hawkins you were used to and surely a nice change of pace.

When Steve emerged from the shower, you turned your head, seeing him shirtless with a pair of sweatpants hanging loosely over his hips. Thankfully, the sheets had hidden your blushing cheeks and cheeky smile away from his view.

“Is it ok if I wear this to bed?” He sought, looking a bit self-conscious of his bare chest out without considering that fact that you’d be so close to him.

You nodded, trying to play it cool with a smile still plaster under the covers.

“Yeah, it’s nice. You look comfortable.”

Steve grinned, walking over to the other side of the bed and gently tugging the sheets back. “So, you’re giving me the side closest to the door, huh?”

Laughing, you nodded your head while you scooched over, giving him more room on his side, “What Eddie said really stuck,” you quipped lightly.

“I have enough space. You can come closer if you want.” Steve assured you once he got in, his arm accidentally brushing against yours.

You hummed thankfully, dragging the blankets with you as you moved closer to him, only an inch or so separating your bodies as you both tried to get as comfortable as possible. Though for you it seemed impossible as you kept tossing and turning, the bed so big yet the space feeling so tight, you felt like you were drowning in the mattress and sheets.

“Are you okay?” Steve turned his head to your slightly, a small smile on his face letting you know he was irritated at you incessant moving.

Wiggling your shoulders, trying to find a comfy position, “Yeah, sorry, I keep moving,” you muttered, feeling guilty for him needing to put up with you.

Steve chuckled faintly, turning his entire body to face you, his head snugly resting on the plush pillow beneath him, “It’s okay, I do the same thing too.”

“Really?”

You followed his movements and facing him as he nodded assuringly. The two of you smiling like sleepy idiots in the massive bed.

“I usually cuddle another pillow to fall asleep.” You blurted out, without thinking, immediately shutting up as the words left your mouth.

A look of curiosity fell over his face and his eyebrows rose, “Does it work?”

You nodded, pulling the sheets down so he could see you, “Yeah…It’s helps me relax and fall asleep faster.”

Silence fell over you two as you tried to close your eyes and fall asleep the old-fashioned way, but Steve kept his open, watching the way your tense eyelids fluttered, knowing you were not going to fall asleep like that. It would only be a matter of time until you were tossing and turning again and he knew that both you and him needed a good night’s sleep for tomorrow’s festivities.

He practiced the words in his head first. Trying to come up with the best possible way to ask you without making the situation awkward all over again. He didn’t mind and if you didn’t, then he was willing to take the chance to ask.

“Well, I could...um...I could cuddle you if you want. You know, to help you fall asleep easier.”

You swore you could hear your heartbeat faster and feel the blood rush to your cheeks when he asked the question. Your skin getting warmer just at the thought of having Steve’s arms wrapped around you. Slowly you began to open your eyes, meeting him in the pale moonlight that snuck in.

“A-are you sure?” you asked, trying to stabilize your shaky voice.

He nodded, a lipped smile on his face, “Yeah, I don’t mind at all…maybe it’ll help me sleep too.”

“Okay.” You whispered, looking at him nervously until he opened his arms and gestured you to lie into him.

You turned over, facing the opposite way as you scooched back, his arms already wrapping around you, guiding you more in until your back met his bare chest.

“This ok?” He murmured softly, looking down at you where your head nuzzled just beneath his chin and halfway onto his pillow.

“Perfect.” You nodded, already closing your eyes with a ditzy smile on your face.

He laid back, a similar smile on his face, as he could feel the softness and warmth of your bare arms. The silky material being the only thing separating his chest from your skin, yet it felt like you guys were meshing together easily. Like you were a missing piece to his puzzle as you laid there with your arms wrapping around his on your midsection.

Never in a million years would he had ever thought that he’d get to be this close to you. The only time he had gotten to hold you like this is when those damn kids convinced you all to watch a horror movie. You had buried your face into his chest after one of the characters had gotten beheaded and he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around you despite his own astonishment at the film and screams for Dustin to shut it off.

Maybe he wished that he didn’t tell Dustin to turn it off because he would’ve gotten to spend the rest of the night with you in his arms, but maybe that loss time was being made up now. Though he hoped you couldn’t feel like heart thumping against your shoulder—he was regretting not wearing a shirt.

For a moment you let yourself bask in the feeling of being in Steve arm’s once again, this time without the horrific screams of your friends. His arms wrapped securely around you, making you feel safe, not that you didn’t feel like you were, but he was like an extra blanket of security and warmth around you.

The both of you longing for this closeness, but not knowing that the other felt the same.

Not until now.

Steve’s breath fanned over your skin slightly as he took a deep breath in and out, preparing his words carefully as he didn’t want this moment to end, “I think you’re the only person I’d ever share a bed with.”

Your heart burned, and so did your body, he could feel your skin heating up and your arms tugging his tighter around you while you let out a sound of contentment mixed with a short laugh, “I’m honored…and you’re better than any other pillow.”

He chuckled deeply, pulling you closer, and you smiled as you felt his lips lay a kiss to the top of your head, “Glad I could be of service.”

The two of you knew no other words had to be spoken to tell each other how you felt. It was just that simple and easy to read and understand each other. And even easier to share a bed and hold one another as you two drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

BONUS SCENE:

The sounds of loud footsteps running through the cabin followed by the shouts and screams stirred Steve awake from his dream. He rubbed at his eyes, listening to the sounds come closer, the familiar voices of his friends letting him know they were up to something.

Meanwhile, his sleepy gaze fell over your body beside him, still fast asleep and limbs tangled around his body as you snored softly. You were a cute and heavy sleeper, something he would have to remind himself to tell you later on today.

“Steve! Open up…Hurry!” Robin’s voice reverberating outside the door while multiple fists clanged on the lumber.

His eyes widened, easing your arms from around him as he stepped out of bed and walked swiftly to the door to see what the commotion was about. When he pulled it open, everyone dressed in their pj’s and bedhead staring at him in horror.

“What the—”

Before he could speak, there were an array of speeches speaking over one another. El and Lucas who looked like they were about to cry while the others just kept talking making it hard for him to follow along.

“One at a time!” Steve whispered shouted, now fully awake as they all shut their mouths and everyone looked at Dustin first.

“We can’t find her! We searched allllll the rooms. Maybe she got kidnapped during the night? We have to call the police!” Dustin exclaimed as everyone nodded their heads in agreement before their faces of concern turned into confusion.

Steve failed to stifle the laugh, his throat heaving with humor as he couldn’t believe the absurdity of it all. He watched their faces contort, Robin thrusting her hand forward to nudge his shoulder passively aggressively for his laughing they didn’t seem to understand in the moment.

“Guys…” Steve started, shaking his head before looking back towards the bed and seeing you still asleep, “She’s in here.”

He opened the door wider, revealing your sleepy body encased by the blankets, as you had no idea they were all standing there looking on in shock.

“How in the world…” Max tilted her head, looking between Steve and you.

Eddie smirked, whistling lowly towards Steve, “Finally, dude.”

“Wait what?” Lucas and Dustin said at the same time.

El and Will were a little less invasive, with a simple, “Awww.”

Then of course the little shit head Mike, had to go too far, “What the hell? You guys had sex?!”

“Shut up!” Steve smacked the top of his head gingerly, pushing the door enough to conceal you once again as they tried to peer in but were unable to.

“We didn’t have sex.”

He looked at Eddie glaring, “She was supposed to room with Robin, but you took her spot.”

Eddie winced, mouthing an “I’m sorry,” that didn’t look quite genuine considering the sly smile he had on his face, followed by the wink he shot him.

“But you hate sharing your bed…” Dustin said to himself deliberately as everyone agreed, letting that sink in before they finally realized.

“You like her?!”

Steve’s cheeks flushed a bright red, already giving his friends an answer as she giggled and turned to each other, making kissy faces that had him rolling his eyes.

“Stevie?” your hoarse voice called out as you blindlessly felt the empty spot that Steve was supposed to be in.

He looked behind him, seeing you whining as your hands tapped the bed, still half asleep. Looking back at his friends who still hadn’t wiped the smirks of their faces, he sighed, “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll be going back to bed.”

“Hmm, sure, you will.” Max teased, crossing her arms as she turned and walked away.

Steve rolled his eyes once more, going to shut the door, but before it could, a hand pushed back from the other side firmly. Robin peeking in as she smiled.

“I told Eddie to room with me by the way…I couldn’t stand seeing you guys act so oblivious.”

His eyes widened as Robin’s toothy grin took up her face, “Byeeeeee!” and with that she skipped away, cackling successfully, while Steve couldn’t help but chuckle and lock the door.

“I’m back, doll.” Steve said quietly, pressing a kiss to your forehead as he lifted the covers and got back into bed with you.

Your arms instantly wrapping around his midsection as you nuzzled your face into his chest, breathing in his scent, “S’ok…what did they want?”

His fingers stroked your hair, beaming down at your sleepy state already getting comfortable again in his arms. “They were just wondering where you were.”

“Can we stay in bed a little longer?” You mumbled into his chest, halfway to falling back into slumber again.

He snickered, cooing lovingly as he rested his chin on top of your head and wrapped his arms tighter to pull you closer.

“As long as you want.”

robin + eddie teaming up!! sorry, i couldn't help it...they're such masterminds <3

leave a comment and let me know if want to be added to my taglist!!

taglist: @translatemunson @kennedy-brooke @manda-panda-monium @tvserie-s-world @givemeth @steveharringtonswife @fckthtgetmoney @loving-and-dreaming @awkotaco24

[ajstaria]

Assigning redacted boys / listeners some people that i have met on our trip right now

That one guy who didnt think twice about giving me his jacket because it was FREEZING cold:

Vincent, Caelum, Ollie, Huxley, Sam, Gavin

That one guy who yelled out "Thank you! Merry christmas!" With the biggest smile to my dad because my dad stopped the car to let him pass:

Gabe, Guy, Ollie, Caelum (idk how hes driving), Elliot

My grandfather who said that the sauce was "too spicy" when it was ketchup and mayonnaise:

Caelum, Asher, Milo, Angel LMFAO, Vincent, Echo, Nick (side eye), Marcus (major offense BLANK stare), Regulus, Blake

My brother who said that he wanted an 'eskalog' (he meant to say 'telescope')

Caelum, Angel, Guy

The children that was screaming their heads off because of how fast the car was going with the road leading down (we were in the mountains):

The Shaw Pack when they were all like 7 year olds + Caelum, Freelancer

That man on the table next to us who wanted to borrow the sauce on our table but he was too shy to ask for it so he was just looking at the sauce:

Lasko, Geordi

My dad who told me to take a picture of the horse head (it was a big ass rock carved and painted to look like a lion head):

Ivan, Huxley, Geordi, Asher, Angel, Lovely, Freelancer

The girl who asked her dad why nitrogen was important for the wheels on a car, he said it was to make it stable. And she just muttered to herself with "i wish i was filled nitrogen.":

Sweetheart, Tank, Lovely, every redacted character thats mentally ill 🥶🥶

I was supposed to post this on xmas day, i just forgot to post it woopsies

[witchyyflowers]

Eddie & s/o at Rocky Horror

Headcanons for Eddie and his s/o attending a Rocky Horror showing together!

pairing. Eddie Munson x f!reader

tags. Henderson reader, established relationship, getting ready together, all the fluff, pretty much stupid young adults in love

an. Okay this is my first post literally ever on here but Eddie has given me so many ideas for writing that I had to actually put down some headcanons so apologies if this is a little rough but any feedback is so appreciated!

⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . * ꙳ ✦ ⊹⨯ . ⁺ ✦ ⊹ ꙳ ⁺ ‧ ⨯. ⁺ ✦ ⊹ . 

First thing’s first, Eddie Munson’s jaw literally hit the floor when he saw you through his window dressed up as Janet for halloween one year when you went to pick up Max for trick or treating.

This also definitely did not prompt him to fling open the door and yell across the road “I’ll be damned, Janet! Not quite what I expected to see you as this year” giving a small shrug and blocking out the golden evening sun with your hand you just say “Well the garters and corset would’ve had my mom’s head spinning so I went with what was left.”

I mean you didn’t know Eddie at the time but you knew of him because of school and of course if there’s anyone who would understand your costume it would be the one kid known for his weird interests so you appreciate him already for simply noticing and having the courage to compliment you when no one else will be able to

Max finally runs out to your car and sending a polite smile over your shoulder aimed at Eddie you slip back in the driver's seat

He just stands there for a second in complete shock that somebody who everybody at school generally knows, who has normal friends, is a good student, hell you’re in Hawkins High student government, could be found at a risqué midnight showing of Rocky Horror

However you two finally going to a showing together doesn’t happen until a decent bit into your relationship

Because let’s be honest, there isn’t a theater within a 20 mile radius of Hawkins that has showings or even knows what Rocky Horror is

“What do you think Eddie should we dress up? The past few times a lot of people ha-”

“OH MY GOD YES”

It was an unsaid fact that Eddie was going as Frank N Furter

BECAUSE COME ON PEOPLE THE HAIR!!! THE HAIR!!!

After a few trips to the craft store and borrowing a pair of your mom’s pearls (plus a very thrilling trip to the adult store for corsets) the outfits are ready to be put together

Which cues getting ready together in Eddie’s slightly cramped bathroom oh my g o d

You finally feel comfortable enough to go in full Rose Tint My World glamor much to Eddie’s delight

You sit on the counter while Eddie stands between your legs while you do his eyeliner, your focused face makes an appearance which in turn makes Eddie’s heart flutter simply because you look so cute but he can also tell you really want to make him look fantastic

Also helping him put on the brightest shade of red lipstick you have seen in your life you can’t help but laugh a little while he stands there smiling at you

Eddie finally looking at himself in the mirror, “Now this is some metal shit, babe!”

You help each other make sure those corsets are on tight and not going anywhere which leaves you both flushed

Once you’re both ready you can finally see each other in full get up and both of you are just in utter awe of each other

Because screw social norms, screw the town of Hawkins, you two are dressed to perfection and the excited energy is palpable!

He can’t help but just grab your face and start peppering kisses all over

“Ed stop it! You’re gonna leave that lipstick all over me!” you laugh out

“I am so glad that we’re doing this together” with complete puppy eyes

Once you get to the theater the night just gets better. On your guys’ way in people stop you multiple times just to give you compliments, somebody walking around with a polaroid asks to take a photo of you two which you happily strike a stupid pose for. Kind enough to take an extra photo to hold on to Eddie takes it proudly stating it’ll go straight on the fridge

During the show rice is tossed, you and Eddie end up having to share a newspaper to cover your heads making you consistently steal glances at each other. Eddie also whips out his lighter that he has somehow magically secured in his corset so he can shine it during frankenstein’s palace

By the end of the night you two can barely speak from all the singing and cheering, drunk on pure happiness from being able to be as weird and crazy as you want without a side glare from your peers

Walking out with his arm around your shoulders and your arm around his waist, grins spread across your face while talking about which moments were your favorite

“Alright Munson if we get a flat tire promise me you won’t pull over or follow any motorcycles okay?”

“Mmm, no promises princess”