#wrote this because.... it's my birthday

[voodoo-tofu]

Birthday Blues

Read part 2 here.

Steve hates his birthday.

He knows he may not be the only one who gets "birthday blues" but he feels like it's a lot deeper than just the blues.

When he got closer with Eddie and learned of his own shitty upbringing, he thought it'd be a bonding moment for them. Eddie has to hate his birthday too, right?

Wrong.

Despite Eddie’s mom dying when he was only six, and Eddie’s dad being a deadbeat, leaving Eddie on his own before Uncle Wayne took him in, Eddie loved his birthday.

The Munsons may not have been rich but Wayne always did his best to provide Eddie with new(er) clothes, or dice, or guitar picks. A new album or poster for his bedroom walls. Maybe even his favorite food at the diner--something they didn't do often as they usually survived on box cereal and spaghetti-Os.

And when Al Munson finally rolled into town conveniently around his only child's birthday, well he'd give the sort of shitty, low-commitment gift only a father could give.

And Eddie looked forward to it all the same. One or two shitty presents in six years is better than none when it comes to his father. He'd take what he could get.

So, when Eddie's birthday comes and goes and Steve gets invited to his and Wayne's get together with the kids, and then a later party with the members of Corroded Coffin--well of course Steve goes. And he showers Eddie with love and meaningful but still kinda pricey presents, because he can. And he wants to. Despite the merciless teasing he endures. The look on Eddie's face makes Steve feel like he's the one that got the greatest gift of all.

This, of course, all falls apart when Eddie points out Steve's own birthday must be coming up, and he's right. And because he has no tact he announces in front of everyone who realizes in horror that they've gone years of knowing Steve and celebrating his birthday exactly zero times.

Steve's equally horrified now because now everyone is tripping over their feet desperately trying to make it up to him with cakes and ice cream and movies and handmade cards and weird action figures Eddie probably would have liked better.

It's only after Steve gracelessly accepts all of their gift-giving, and fends off at least three panic attacks and two migraines that he has to put on his bitch voice and scream that the only thing he wants for his birthday is to be left alone.

And like usual, the kids do not listen.

Until Eddie steps in. He makes them go, Robin too, even if she is pissed about it. But they go when Eddie assures them that Steve probably just feels a little overwhelmed right now and needs some space.

He's close to leaving too, knowing he may have made a mistake and should probably get out of his hair... But then Steve starts crying and Eddie has to stay.

It's not loud or ugly, just these little, tiny pitiful things like Steve is trying his damnest to not cry. Like the act of tears falling would kill him.

Eddie cautiously slides next to his shaking form on the couch, careful not to jostle him too much.

He bites his lip as he experiments with placing a hand on Steve's shoulder.

Steve tenses under his touch until Eddie speaks,

"Stevie, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. None of us did."

His parents were hardly around. Never gave him practical toys he wanted, just whatever they thought a boy should have to shape him into a "proper young man", if they thought he needed toys at all. No parties. Ever. He briefly wanted to throw ragers when he realized he was old enough and his parents wouldn't be home, they never were, but those made him feel even worse so he got used to spending the day like any other. All alone in a big, empty house. Not a home.

Eddie continues to rub soothing circles into Steve's back as he lets it all out, explaining his woes as best he can through a sore throat and runny nose. Eventually he pulls Steve into a proper hug-turned-cuddle until his breathing steadies and he isn't shaking anymore.

"I'm sorry." Eddie holds his breath, hoping it doesn’t trigger another panic attack.

"No--don’t be. Thank you."

"For what? Making you cry?"

"For caring enough to bring it up, even if it was a lot. But mostly for being here, after. Just..."

Steve didn't have to finish his sentence. Eddie knew what he was trying to say.

Thank you for staying. Thank you for holding me. Thank you for loving me.

"Always, Stevie. I'll always be here for you."

Steve squeezes him, and Eddie squeezes back once, twice.

He doesn't say it, but Steve understands.

Happy Birthday... I love you.

[rakiah]

It’s still 4/9 somewhere ✨

[cabeswaterdrowned]

So Blue and Gansey would definitely Not have the same major in college we know this, however I think they deserve to take an astronomy class together.

[the-grim-reapers-intern]

Okay the web-

That makes sense honestly, if the web targets anyone, it’s middle schoolers.

[hanalyrata]

"Probably shouldn't have put us on furnace duty, huh..."

This was purely self-indulgent sexy fluff as a birthday present to myself don't judge me.

Full ver under cut (there's no dicks but I know what y'all are like)

[atlanticsea]

soldier/poet/king - patrick/tashi/art

based on that one quiz i made four years ago. if you're interested, you can click here to read all my thoughts on art being the most king to ever king, tashi being a poet with a strong soldier streak despite contradictory results, and patrick being a self-destructive soldier.

[jibanyans-chocobar]

In Spanish class we were asked to make a story by ourselves, and guess what? I made mine be about Sasusaku. It's basically the first oneshot I've ever written about them and I'm kinda proud about that tbh because it wasn't that bad!!

Also the teacher proofread all of our stories' drafts today! She said mine was great and that I didn't have to change anything about it so I'm happy. Today I just have to draw whatever stuff I'm gonna put related to it cuz it's illustrated which means I'm probably gonna post some drawings hehe 😼

[magicalgirlsandcerulean]

The Sparkling Prince, Battle Lover Cerulean!

The 10th of November is Arima's birthday. Happy birthday!

[dottores]

YOU GUYS MUST LOOK AT WHAT TEE GOT ME FOR MY BDAY!!!! SHE GAVE IT TO ME EARLY FOR CONGRATULATIONS ON FINISHING MY FIRST WEEK OF LAW SCHOOL

[sonicshuffle2000]

Despite having a very similar premise, and being released on my birthday, the 2023 Apple Arcade game Sonic Dream Team contains no references to Sonic Shuffle.

The arguable exception is that Sonic Dream Team does contain a liquid called "Magination", which is similarly named to Maginaryworld, the setting of Sonic Shuffle. However, this could easily be coincidental, as a liquid is a fairly different thing from a location. Magination is only referenced by name in Dream Team in a single cutscene. The lack of concrete references in general seems especially odd, given Dream Team was partially written by Ian Flynn, who is known for including continuity nods in Sonic media he writes for.

In general, Dream Team seems to be in an odd place where it contains several elements that are just barely on the verge of outright contradicting Sonic Shuffle, or at least being redundant with it. Ariem's role as the guardian of a dream world and an artifact related to that dream world is almost the same as how Illumina is described in Shuffle. Unlike Illumina though, instead of being a goddess, Ariem is said to have unspecified "creators" who commanded her to guard the Reverie, a device which is described as having the ability to make dreams into reality and creates a world comprised of Dreamscapes. (As opposed to the Perfect Precioustone, which is described as having the ability to make dreams come true and which created Maginaryworld, a world comprised of people's dreams.)

As far as I'm aware, there has been no clarification since Dream Team's release on what anything that appears in it means for Sonic Shuffle, at best leading to the confusing situation of there being 2 slightly different dream worlds created from 2 unrelated dream-based artifacts in the Sonic canon, and at worst possibly indicating that the events of Shuffle may no longer be considered canon after Dream Team's release, with the new lore elements introduced in Dream Team possibly being intended to replace that of Shuffle's.

They did all this because they hate me.

[innytoes]

Happy birthday, @onlygenxhere!

Julie groped for her alarmclock, trying to get the steady beep-beeping to shut up. Her head was killing her.

But instead of her alarm clock, her hand hit something warm, that yelped. She pried her eyes open, squinting confusedly at the - admittedly cute - guy she'd apparently just smacked in the face.

This wasn't her room. And she was pretty sure it wasn't his either, given how he was sitting in a chair next to the bed, his head seemingly pillowed on his arms until Julie had so rudely smacked him awake.

The beeping continued, and she looked around.

Oh. Hospital. That was a heart monitor.

"What happened?" she asked.

"So um, you remember how you were about to go on at Open Mic Night at Eats and Beats?" the cute boy asked her.

She nodded. She hadn't even told anyone about it, too worried she would chicken out like she had done for the last three years.

"Well, I was kind of showing off a guitar trick to an audience member and didn't realise you were behind me and um... I-kind-of-brained you-in-the-head-and-knocked-you-unconcious-I'm-so-sorry," the guy blurted out. He looked really, really guilty. "I got you flowers and a get well balloon and a cute plush bunny because they didn't have any bears that said 'Sorry I knocked you out' so..."

Julie blinked at him. Maybe it was the concussion, or maybe it was that he was very cute... or maybe it was the early morning light streaming through the windows. "You stayed by a stranger's bedside all night?" she asked. The boy stopped rambling, then nodded.

"Well, since I kind of just smacked you, we're even," Julie decided. "Though maybe you can buy me some breakfast when I get out of here."

The boy's smile was hesitant, and relieved, and beautiful. "Deal. I'm Luke."

"Julie."

[phantom-overdose]

((When I get back after this weekend... if I added Pee.ta from Hun.ger Ga.mes, Sn.ow from HG: Bal.lad, and An.akin from SW as kinda test / highly selective muses... would anyone want to write with them a tiny bit?

They wouldn't be super consistently written because this blog is meant to focus on Phantom Overdose and Black Rapture first and foremost... but, yeah, I'd like to write them some...))

[somegrumpynerd]

9 days bro

Oh I didn’t know it did that!! :O that’s so cool

And also!!

I put it on my calendar so I wouldn’t forget c:

[yazzy-khan]

just found out that Sonya is older than Yaz. need 3-5 business days to process this

[mooseonahunt]

I just spent 2 hours interrogating my maternal grandmother for names of extended family. I have SO much to organise. I regret not recording the session, but I’ll do that when I interview my great-grandmother tomorrow. There’s still so much I need to write down.