#how to teach first aid to kids

[presswoodterryryan]

Become a Hero: Essential First Aid Tips for Kids

By Mr. Fluffernutter, Bunny Helper Extraordinaire Hello, dear friends! Have you ever been on an adventure and someone got a bump, scrape, or splinter? Even the bravest adventurers need a little help sometimes, and that’s where heroes like you come in to save the day! Alice calls me “the bravest bunny doctor,” and today, I’m excited to share my essential tips and tricks on how you can be a true…

[aroaceleovaldez]

emo Nico x scene Will Solace...

[i3utterflyeffect]

genuinely though i think alan is very startled and worried by how much they seem to get injured and just. not do anything about it. he can't really see injuries or scarring from behind the screen but once he can he is EXTREMELY concerned by how many they have

[readingreddingread]

I'm trying to write (probably) a drabble where Jenna Zan Arbor gets killed by machines going haywire from trying to read Anakin's blood. Struggling with describing machines going boom, I want the shrapnel to kill her and I know I can describe those injuries :)

[turnedpalefromlackofsun]

what if i dont even have a condition and its just more american propaganda floated by the CIA to try to keep asian americans out of college (not asians cuz international tuition go brrrr)

they tried with race policy and soft propaganda in high impact cities.

i wouldnt put it past them.

[satyricplotter]

i love birdwatcher reader because they're uniquely equipped to deal with the gritty and gruesome parts of dating a vigilante in a way not many people would be and it's all because they're a tried and true fanatic

[monsterblogging]

"I know JK Rowing is a terrible person but her books are so good-"

You sure about that?

I mean, just for a start, have you taken a good look at her fantasy creatures lately? A whole bunch of them are straight-up based on malicious and dehumanizing stereotypes about actual people.

Remember the werewolves? And being a werewolf was made into a kind of metaphor for having AIDS?

And you know how AIDS was first associated with gay men? And how conservatives back in the day were claiming gay men were preying on children in order to convert them to gayness?

Remember how Fenrir Greyback preyed on children in particular? Yeah, she put that subtext in there. She was an adult in the 90's. She knew damn well what she was doing.

Remember the house elves? Remember how most of them loved to serve and needed to have a home and a master or else they just wouldn't know what to do with themselves?

Did you know that's literally what slavers in the American South said about the Black people they kept enslaved? Go look up the happy slave myth.

Do I even need to get into the goblins and the antisemitic tropes they're based on? No, folkloric goblins were not gold-hoarding bankers waiting for their chance to stab humanity in the back.

"But the characters are so good!"

Are you kidding me?

Most of her characters are pretty one-dimensional, including Harry. Her idea of making a morally complicated character is giving a tragic past to a bully. Numerous characters are little more than stereotypes. (Looking at Fleur right now.) Literally anybody, including you, can easily make dozens of characters just as good, if not better. (It doesn't exactly take a lot of character designing skill to go, "hey, actually, having a sad backstory doesn't make it okay to bully children" or "hey, maybe I should not base a character on the first stereotype that pops into my head.")

"But the rest of the worldbuilding!"

Sorry, but her worldbuilding is just as basic as her characters. Magical castles and secret passages are stock tropes. Magical people who keep their true nature secret from humanity is the premise of pretty much every White Wolf TTRPG. Most of her fantasy creatures are just common European fairy tale and folklore creatures with shitty stereotypes projected onto them.

I'm not saying "basic worldbuilding bad." I'm saying, you could do just as good, if not better, with minimal effort.

Also there's her magical bioessentialism, where only Harry's abusive blood relatives could provide him with supernatural protection from Voldemort. Rowling thus effectively declared that non-biological family isn't quite real family, and that abusive biofamily can give you some essential thing that a loving, supportive family that isn't related to you just can't.

The Hogwarts houses are one of the most insidious elements of her worldbuilding. The idea of being sorted gives you a little dopamine hit because wow now you have a li'l niche where you belong!

But the actual function of the houses and sorting system and the House Cup is teaching children to see each other as rivals, and ensure that the most toxic views of the upper class get passed on to every new batch of kids sorted into Slytherin.

Hogwarts effectively prepares children for a dystopia where magic serves to distract its citizens from how nightmarishly awful it is. Economic inequality is so bad that people like Arthur and Molly Weasley can barely afford to put their kids through school, casual sadism is just an accepted norm in everyday society, and non-humans are second class citizens. Rowling sorta acts like she thinks this is a bad thing with certain lines she gave to Dumbledore, but in the end, her special boy protagonist becomes an auror; IE, a defender of the status quo. So.

If you've never seen it, Lily Simpson's video goes into even more detail on how the worldbuilding of Harry Potter is actually incredibly fucked up, and how it betrays small-minded attitudes on Rowling's part. There's no separating the art from this artist, because Rowling's rotten values pour out of nearly every page.

Yes, there are many things in Harry Potter that evoke feelings and inspire people, but there's absolutely nothing in it that this series has a monopoly on. You can find those same experiences in much, much better media.

[stubz]

I saw a bunch of humans are space orcs, and humans are feared by aliens, etc. and want to add to it.

Kid centre for all alien children/younglings run by humans.

-"Human Kim! Are you all right? Do you seek medical aid??"

"I'm okay! ...why do you ask?"

"You just got bit by Zyz! I'm so sorry, I've told him to not do that with others but-!"

"Hey, it's okay. Look, these things happen and I know that's just your species' way of showing affection. Just tell him to ask next time and to not bite too hard."

"... 'these things happen' .... 'tell him to ask next- human Kim has this happened to you before?!"

"Oh lots of times! I used to work at a daycare on earth before this. Now, you wanna talk about bites let me tell you about Penny, she was a biter. So was my nephew but that was him stimming. I just asked that he get my attention first so as to not startle me."

"Is this the same Penee who gave you 3 stitches?"

"Yep."

-"Human Kim, thank you for helping Pollix become comrades with the other younglings! May I ask how you did it so I may use it in the future?"

"Of course! It wasn't anything special really, we just wrestled which caught the attention of the other kids and soon enough they were cheering for Pollix to win. Then after that Xw and a few others asked Pollix to teach her how to wrestle as well." they finished with a smile.

"YOU WHAT!"

"I-I thought play wrestling and fighting was encouraged among young tighalax. I am so sorry if I did something wrong-!"

"Human Kim, you could have DIED."

"...huh?"

"Tighalaxes have what you call drugs in the points of our tails and one cut should drive you insane. Not only that but we, as younglings, should be nearly twice your body weight. And at this age have yet to control our strength!"

"Ooh so that's why I felt high! Phew! I thought I accidentally ate my weed muffin instead of the regular one, and we can't have that."

"You felt 'high'?"

"Yeah but only for 10 minutes, luckily I usually just get tired and relaxed when high. And for the weight strength part, I grew up babysitting all of my younger siblings and cousins. My child carrying records are 5 4-6 year olds, 4 7-12 year olds, 3 teenagers, and 2 childish giants who are somehow 21 this year."

"...any chance I can bribe you to quit and come work for me and my pack?"

[wikagirl]

bribed my brother into letting me use his 3d printer if I make a thing for the kids group of the volunteer firefighters

[sparrows4bats]

Doctor Damian handles the medical needs of the Justice League and their children.

He is professional, competent, and kind. More importantly, he asks very few questions and is one of the few medical professionals who know how to treat metas and aliens without making them feel less than a person or some mythical saviour.

For the children and young heroes, he speaks to them like any adult. He may lecture them about ignoring his orders, but they have seen him do the same to Batman, so it doesn't feel as condescending. He keeps their secrets unless it's life threatening and doesn't judge.

He even brings in his pets on vaccination days and after big fights so they can act as therapy animals.

The doctor keeps drawers of snacks and food on hand for any who want them, and everyone who leaves his office does so with lollipops and stickers, so matter their age.

Superman especially likes the blue raspberry, and Batman gets little cow shaped stickers stuck to his cape.

Flash has to restock Damians snack drawer every time he or another member of his family empties it in a speedster snack emergency.

He is a very good doctor and the only one who can pull any JL member from duty at any time, no matter their seniority

His work and compassion earn him a fanclub.

Nightwing may be your favourite hero's favourite hero, but the entire Justice League will do just about anything for their doctor.

Damian is brought coffee after long shifts, and every hero team has his takeout orders memorised.

If he is out on the field, no one gets near him while he works on patients.

The kid heroes follow him like puppies, so Damian teaches them first aid and praises their progress in training.

Some even learn how to swordfight with the doctor.

Damian has snuck more than one into Gotham so they can volunteer at his childrens hospital like he did at that age.

Others join his siblings and hang out at his apartment when they need a safe space.

The younger heroes invite him to game nights and come to him for advice.

The older heroes treat him with more respect than Batman half the time.

Even Batman listens to his orders without question. He is the only one who can get away with lecturing the whole Bat clan without consequence.

Some newer members try to date him only to be met with a wall of protective clingy heroes with strong opinions.

One probationary member doesn't take Damians no as an answer and makes the mistake of bragging about how he will 'convince' him one way or another.

He is only alive because Black Canary caught them trying to sacrifice him to Santa Claus.

The guy is banned from League functions until he completely 200 hours of HR training and completes a pych eval.

He was not the only victim of the fan club but the one that taught the cape community a very important lesson.

Doctor Damian Wayne is to be handled extreme caution. He may have taken an oath to do no harm. His gremlins have no such mercy.

Needless to say, when Jonathan Kent realises he is in love with his best friend, he knows he will be in for the hardest fight of his life.

But Damian, who had managed to befriend even the surliest of heroes through the Alfred Pennyworth method of keeping them alive and well fed, was definitely worth it.

Jon asks Damian on a date when he is sure none of the man's baby heroes can hear them. 500 feet in the air.

Jon is bewitched by the way Damian blushes as he says yes.

Jon gets to kiss him after their first dinner, heart soaring as Damian deepens it.

As the weeks go on, Jon carefully starts to integrate himself into the hangouts Damian accidentally hosts at his apartment. He brings pizza and soft drinks.

Eventually, he is invited to game nights, earning respect and admiration through Ma Kents Pies and his gaming skills.

Jon teaches the younger heroes about mastering their powers and shares stories from the supersons, much to Damians embarrassment.

Slowly, the baby hereos comes to him with their problems. Come to him for comfort or just to use him as a not so human shield from a worried Damian.

When Jon slips up at a movie night and kisses Damian in front of the kids, he expects to be tackled or shot.

What he does not expect is for the young heroes to scrunch up their faces and shout ewwwww.

"Wait, You Knew!!"

"That you and Mom are together? Obviously"

"I am not a mother!" Damian shouts indignant.

Jon laughs "You kinda are though."

"You sleep on the couch tonight." He crosses his arms and walks away from them all.

"But Dames, Noooo," Jon whines as he gets up to follow.

"Mom and Dad are fighting!" One of the kids shout with all the other voicing their agreement.

[clemmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

“The monsters gone and your daddy here…”

Batboys as fathers

⸻

1. Jason Todd(ALLL girls, 2-4 girls)

• Protective but soft dad: Looks like he’d teach his kid how to hotwire a car (and maybe he does), but he’s the first to tear up during a school play.

• Reads bedtime stories with dramatic flair: Does all the voices, sometimes throws in a few expletives before quickly correcting himself.

• Rides or dies for his kid: Anyone bullies them? Jason shows up at school with the most terrifying “talk” a teacher or principal has ever had the misfortune of enduring.

• Teaches them practical skills early: Like street smarts, how to throw a punch, and the importance of carrying snacks.

• “If anyone hurts you, just tell Dad” vibes: Then he vanishes for a couple of hours. No one asks questions.

⸻

2. Dick Grayson(3 girls one boy)

• Golden retriever dad: Super involved, enthusiastic, and emotionally available.

• Dance party central: His kid knows every 80s and 90s pop hit. They have choreographed routines.

• Always has a band-aid, a snack, and dad jokes ready: And somehow manages to make even the worst day better.

• Takes a million pictures: Captures every moment — first step, first fall, even the tantrums.

• Teaches empathy and kindness first: Encourages emotional expression and gentle strength.

⸻

3. Tim Drake(2 boys)

• Anxious but dedicated: Googled “how to be a good dad” about 1,500 times.

• Coffee-fueled midnight cuddles: If the kid’s up late, Tim’s probably already awake working on something — but drops everything for them.

• Super into educational toys: Probably has flashcards and a toddler coding game by the time they’re three.

• A quiet anchor: His love is subtle but steady. He might not always know what to say, but his presence means everything.

• Raises a tiny, smart-mouthed mini-detective: And secretly loves it.

⸻

4. Damian Wayne(Twin dad, one of each)

• Surprisingly gentle (with his kid): Doesn’t trust most people with them and is always watching with eagle eyes.

• Teaches discipline, but cuddles in secret: Has a hard time being emotionally open but melts when his child hugs him first.

• Introduces them to animals early: His kid is on a first-name basis with most of the zoo. Also knows how to feed a bat properly by age five.

• Mini-me energy: His kid is probably as stubborn, blunt, and deadly smart as he is.

• Takes parenting as a sacred duty: He’ll raise a warrior, yes, but one who understands mercy and love.

⸻

5. Bruce Wayne(girl)

• Trying his best: He has no idea what he’s doing, even though he has so many children

• Overprotective to the extreme: GPS tracker in their shoes, private security at the playground — you name it.

• Teaches with stories: Lessons often come through stories about “a friend” who was also a vigilante and made mistakes.

• Rare but meaningful vulnerability: Those quiet, late-night talks where Bruce opens up just a little are life-changing.

• Sees being a father as redemption: He’s determined to give his child the safety and love he never had.

⸻

[nardacci-does-art]

I only had 10 panels but here's some more fun exciting delightful articles about how republicans think public schools should make kids say christian prayers & teach students that slavery had no longterm affect on black communities, how trump makes fun of disabled people, & just a big categorized list of both republican & democrats' stances on various issues. Oh right the republicans are also lying & saying that the democrats gave all of FEMA's money to illegal immigrants even tho they're the ones who voted against FEMA funding. Not to mention that one time trump refused to fund California's wildfire relief until he was told there's people there who vote for him. Did all the anti-voters just conveniently forget how fucking bad it was when he was president last time.

Either you vote Harris-Wals or you let a bunch of hateful bigots run the US again. Stop using the horrible plight of the Palestinians to justify your voter apathy. It's really hard to help other people when you're fighting to survive. Put on your own oxygen mask first.

Any anti-voter morons will be blocked.

Articles referenced in screenshots under the cut:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-israel-gaza-finish-problem-rcna141905

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/project-2025-what-is-it-who-is-behind-it-how-is-it-connected-trump-2024-07-12/

https://www.newsweek.com/hate-crimes-under-trump-surged-nearly-20-percent-says-fbi-report-1547870

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/climate/trump-environment-rollbacks-list.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/24/roe-v-wade-overturned-by-supreme-court-ending-federal-abortion-rights.html

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-anti-immigrant-rant-rally-response_n_66de9a43e4b01b464f3dee5e

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/trumps-chinese-virus-tweet-helped-lead-rise-racist/story?id=76530148

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4892401-trump-proposes-sanctuary-cities-legislation/

https://ballotpedia.org/2024_presidential_candidates_on_transgender_healthcare

https://www.piie.com/publications/working-papers/2024/international-economic-implications-second-trump-presidency

https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-refugee-crisis-gop-ban-terrorism-85afcf677743b8f8c82fe814ffe61161

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/11/11/unrwa-gaza-humanitarian-aid-congress/

[ashes-of-rozes]

AFAB!Pregnant Wife

Telling the batfam you’re pregnant (it’s Bruce’s)

Bruce:

You’re nervous as hell. He has four adopted kids, one biological, and three more that aren’t his but are his at the same time. You just got engaged a month ago. He’s going to think you’re baby trapping him. But just get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid.

“I’m pregnant.”

He stares at you for a long moment. You’re pretty sure he’s not breathing. Way to fuck up the rest of my life—

He sweeps you off your feet. Literally. He holds you tight. But not too tight. He doesn’t want to hurt the baby. “How long,” he murmurs, pampering soft kisses along your neck. “About eight weeks. But I just found out last night,” you answer. He beams. You’ve never seen him light up so fast. So bright.

“You’re carrying our child?” A simple nod is all it takes.

He comes back from patrol a little earlier, is a little extra careful to not get hurt so he can take care of you. And if he was spoiling you before? It’s so much worse now.

Dick:

“You had something important to tell me? Are you okay? Is Bruce being Bruce again? Because I swear—“

“I’m pregnant.” You blurt out. Dick stares at you. “Is it his?” You’re a little offended but you can see the smile forming on his face. “Of course it’s his,” you defend. Dick laughs, wide and happy. His shoulders are relaxed for the first time in a while. “I’m happy for you. Is he smothering you already?”

So you bond over Bruce’s excessive need to spend his insane amount of money on everything.

But Dick does it too. If he sees a toy or an outfit he thinks you’ll like? Bought. He saw a collection of baby clothes based off of hero’s, bought the Nightwing ones all the way up to 2T and had them delivered to the manor.

Bruce was not happy.

Tim:

“You’re pregnant.”

“What,” you ask, “How did you even—“ “You haven’t touched alcohol at dinner for days. You’re constantly hydrating. And anytime you’re anxious, you hold your belly. It’s not rocket science,” he explains. You can see the bags under his eyes but he’s smiling, “You know that baby is going to get spoiled to hell, right?”

A nod.

He snorts, “Good. Cause as soon as they’re old enough to walk, they’re in Uncle Tim’s hands. I am going to teach them to kick Damian’s ass.” He leaves before you can say anything.

It could’ve gone worse.

Damian:

“I’m pregnant.”

This is the most nerve racking one. He’s the ‘blood son’. He’s always screaming it. Even if it is a little adorable how he uses it, you’d never tell him that. He stares at you for a long moment. “Does father know?”

“Yes.”

A long pause. He continues to stare at you. He’s harder to read than Bruce. “Can I teach them to sword fight,” he asks. It’s softer than his usual tone and there’s a soft pink on his cheeks that you really want to tease about but won’t. “Can you wait till they’re at least five or six,” you ask.

What even is my life?

He nods, “That’s acceptable.” Another pause. Then a small upcurl of his lip, “Congratulations.”

Jason:

He finds out through the media.

Not for lack of trying. But he hasn’t returned your texts or calls asking to speak to him. You know he cares a simple 911 or help and he’d be there in an instant but asking to talk? Yeah. No.

He storms into the batcave, spots you with a hand on your stomach and sipping water. He’s pissed.

“You didn’t tell me.”

Dick drags Tim away to give you two privacy. His face softens just enough to ease the tension in the air, “How far along?” “About nine weeks,” you reply. He sighs, “Do you need anything? Nausea medicine? A new future husband-slash-father?” That gets a small laugh from you.

Jason sighs and smiles, reaching for his gun. “Do you know how to use this?”

“No, but—“

He shoves the gun in your hand, “I’m teaching you. The media knows Bruce Wayne’s wife is pregnant. If we can’t get to you, you and the baby have to stay safe.”

So he teaches you to use a gun. Then personally gifts you one at your baby shower months later.

Bruce is not happy.

[ananyako02]

I always get strange thoughts in my head at night…I think of thirty-six-year-old Simon, who rescued an eighteen-year-old young bird during the zombie apocalypse and fell in love with her.

Part 1.

God, her eyes. Big and blue and trusting, gazing up at him like he hung the moon. It made his chest ache in ways. He wasn't ready for this. Clearing his throat, he busied himself gathering supplies from the cupboards: bottled water, protein bars, and a first aid kit.

«Here, eat something». Simon said, holding out her snack. «And drink plenty of water. Dehydration's a killer here»

«Thank you». Says the young girl in her thin and affectionate voice, taking a bite of her food.

Fuck, her voice…like honey that dripped pleasantly off a spoon and that wanted to eat so badly. The sound of her sweet voice hit him right in the groin, awakening feelings he shouldn't be feeling. Not now, not ever. She was too pure, too untouched by the ugliness of this world. He couldn't risk corrupting that.

«No problem». Simon said, turning away to hide the effect she was having on him.

Determined to distract himself, he began checking the weapons he kept in the cabin. There was a hunting rifle mounted above the fireplace, along with a collection of handguns and knives. Plenty of firepower to keep them safe. «Can you shoot?». Simon asked suddenly, glancing at the young bird sitting on the bed.

She shakes her head, her cheeks flushing pink. «N-no… I've never held a weapon before…». She shamefully admits in her sweet voice, feeling weak and useless.

Of course, it's obvious. Sweet little girls like her don't know how to handle firearms. «That's alright». He assured her, setting aside the weapons. «We'll teach you tomorrow. For now, just try to get some rest».

He grabbed a blanket from the foot of the bed and draped it over her shoulders, his fingers lingering perhaps a second longer than necessary on the smooth curve of her shoulder. Damn it. He understood that if he didn't get away from her soon, he was going to do something stupid. «Bathroom's through there if you need it». He nodded toward a closed door, already slowly backing away from her bed.

And with that, he fled to the relative safety of the living room, shutting the bedroom door behind him with perhaps a bit more force than strictly necessary. Leaning his forehead against the wood, he exhaled heavily, trying to will away the tension thrumming through his veins. Get it together, Ghost. She's just a kid. A traumatized, vulnerable kid who needs protection, not perving.

Sleep eluded him for hours. Too many thoughts swirling in his mind, too much adrenaline still coursing through his system. Gritting his teeth, he retrieved his sleeping bag from a nearby closet and laid it out on the floor. As he settled, his last coherent thought was of big blue eyes and soft pink lips. Then, mercifully, oblivion claimed him.

The cry of a young bird instantly woke him up. Heart hammering, he scrambled to his feet and lunged for the bedroom door, nearly tripping over his own boots in his haste. Throwing it open, he rushed to the bed where she lay thrashing and sobbing. «Easy, easy!». He soothed, grabbing her flailing arms. «You're safe. It's just a nightmare».

Her eyes snapped open, wild and unfocused, pupils blown wide with terror. Ghost swallowed hard at the sight, his own pulse racing in sympathy. He sat down on the edge of the bed, and she immediately pressed herself against him, resting her face against his chest.

«T-they…they were everywhere…and I-I couldn't…couldn't run…». His heart shattered at her anguished confession. Poor baby. To be hunted, pursued, helpless against the tide of death… He understood better than anyone the psychological toll such experiences took.

He gently sat her in his lap, stroking her hair in slow, soothing strokes. «They won't hurt you. I won't let them».

One hand drifted lower to rub comforting circles across her back, feeling the tremors gradually begin to subside. Fuck, she smelled divine. Smelled of innocence. Dangerous. With effort, he focused on calming her rather than indulging base urges.

Her eyes, like twin pools of liquid sapphire, looked at him with gratitude. He swallowed convulsively. He fought the urge to lean in and capture her plush lips. «Now try to get some more sleep, okay? I'll be right here if you need me».

Reluctantly, he shifted to guide her back onto the pillows. Watching her fall asleep again, he exhaled, not even realizing he was lingering next to her. Slowly, carefully, he got off the bed and walked back to his makeshift bed on the floor.

Staring up at the ceiling, he tried to will away the persistent ache in his groin. This was bad. So very bad. Because despite all his best intentions, he knew one thing for certain - he was falling fast and hard in love with the delicate creature in his care. And that scared him more than any zombie horde ever could.

Part 2.

[libraryofgage]

Good Vibrations Part One

Hello, it's me, back at it again with another Steddie AU.

Anyway, if I were tagging this AU, these would be the most important ones: Deaf Steve Harrington; Tooth-rotting Fluff; Getting Together

If you wanna be tagged in future parts, just let me know!

As always, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

----

Steve has blown through three pairs of hearing aids in the past year. The first pair had lasted a few years and needed replacement because of normal wear and tear. The second pair was sacrificed during that fight with Jonathan. He hadn't been wearing them, but they'd been in Steve's pocket, and he'd landed at just the right angle to feel them shatter. The third pair was taken by the Russians because, despite Robin's shouting and cursing at them for being dumbasses (and this was before she actually knew what they were for), they accused him of recording their kidnapping and torture.

Honestly, he wouldn't recommend fighting Russians and Billy and Mind Flayers and driving while nearly totally deaf.

The funniest part of it all, though, is that Steve doesn't even use hearing aids regularly. He normally only wears them at home. The pair lost to Jonathan were present because, well, that whole day had been a lot for Steve, and he needed the comfort of knowing he could stop reading lips the moment it became too exhausting for him. The pair lost to the Russians was because he'd been getting ready to tell Robin about being deaf. She'd already clocked the weird things he does (well, weird to her, normal to Steve), and he figured letting her in on the big secret would bring them a little closer.

Of course, that didn't go the way he expected. Robin thought he was confessing love and decided to beat him to the punch. That's how he learned Robin is a lesbian, and Steve couldn't let her be the only one admitting to something like that, so he told her about being bi and his long-standing, hopeless crush. And being deaf. But the bi with a crush thing seemed more important in the moment. She took it in stride, it brought them closer, and then Robin asked if Steve could teach her sign language.

Which meant that Steve had to learn sign language because he never had. Between not wanting to feel even more different than he already did and trying to convince his parents that, really, everything was fine and he didn't need to go to a special school for deaf and hard-of-hearing kids, he'd never learned. Learning it had somehow felt like an admission of weakness, and that was the last thing he wanted. But he learned for Robin, and they stumbled through sign language together, creating new signs only they knew.

But that's all in the past now, and Steve is working his ass off at Family Video to afford a new pair because he refuses to ask his parents for money. If he asks them, they'll come back, and that's the last thing he wants. They don't need to have all their worries confirmed that Steve is helpless, and he doesn't want them anywhere near Hawkins "Hellscape" Indiana.

So. Working his ass off, taking extra shifts, and babysitting the kids as much as he can to make up for the whole Friends and Family Discount he gives their parents. He's exhausted, but he gets to recharge somewhat during his lunch break.

About a ten-minute walk from the Family Video is a record store, which Steve has started visiting daily to just breathe. The lone worker in the store is usually too busy listening to her own music to pay Steve any attention, letting him wander and try to determine which records will best serve him.

Steve drifts over to the rock and heavy metal section, hoping to find a new album but unsurprised when he doesn't. He browses through them anyway, moving past Metallica and Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden. He already has all of these albums on his shelf at home. He has the cassette tapes for them, too.

But he really wants something new. He likes the novelty of experiencing unfamiliar vibrations through the speaker, letting them thrum through his fingertips and into his bones. It's fun and relaxing, and after all the bullshit he's been through lately, he probably deserves something relaxing.

After glancing over a few more familiar albums, Steve sighs and glances at the counter by the door. The lone worker is standing there, headphones over her ears, and idly flipping through a magazine. She's chewing gum, and Steve braces himself for the sheer hell of trying to read her lips without making it obvious he's reading her lips while she's got something in her mouth to disrupt the normal shape of words and sounds.

But he has to try. Steve takes one more deep breath before walking over, shoving his hands into his pockets when he comes to a stop at the counter. The girl raises a hand, motioning for him to wait, so he stays quiet as she finishes reading her page. She flips to the next one before looking up, not making any move to pull her headphones off.

"Hi. Do you have any new rock or metal albums coming in soon," Steve asks, feeling the vibrations of speech in his throat and hoping his words aren't too loud.

They don't seem to be. The girl doesn't flinch or pull back. She just looks him up and down, taking in the polo shirt and the nice khakis and the Family Video vest he forgot to take off before leaving. Finally, her neck and shoulders jerk slightly, and Steve knows she's huffed in annoyance. "No," she says, the word clear enough in the shape of her lips for Steve to know it immediately.

He frowns slightly, his fingernails digging into his palms. Steve wouldn't mind just leaving now, but something keeps him there. He just...he really wants new music. He needs something new. "Are there gonna be any shows nearby?" he asks.

The girl rolls her eyes and says something, her mouth distorted by gum-chewing. Steve can barely make out the words "you" and "check" from her response. Thankfully, it's accompanied by a vague gesture at something behind him. Steve looks over his shoulder to see a bulletin board with flyers plastered across it.

"Right. Thanks," he says, nodding to her before walking over. The flyers are all different colors with various fonts that scream for Steve's attention. Some of them are for bands, some are advertisements of garage sales or instruments in need of a new home, and others are just business flyers from stores nearby.

He's seen the bulletin board before, but he's never actually paid attention to it. Steve has always been laser-focused on browsing the records. But now, Steve carefully reviews each flyer advertising shows. Some are for comedy shows, which he immediately dismisses. One seems promising, but then he sees how far it is, and Steve definitely can't do an overnight trip like that.

Finally, Steve sees a flyer advertising a show at the Hideout later that week. It's close enough that he won't be out overnight. The place is kind of seedy, but Steve figures he can find some corner near the stage to hide. Or he can bring Robin and let her help him navigate any potential social situations. He tugs the flyer off the board, gaze lingering on the "Corroded Coffin" emblazoned across the top.

He knows the band. Of course, he knows the band. He's extremely familiar with their singer. From a distance. Honestly, Eddie Munson probably doesn't have the best impression of him, but Steve's heart never really cared about that. Because Eddie is like everything Steve wants to be: he's loud and unafraid of being so, he doesn't care about his image and how others perceive him, and he looks like his laugh sounds beautiful. Steve wouldn't know if he's actually right about that last point, but Eddie throws his head back when he laughs, eyes crinkled and hand over his stomach like his muscles ache.

His mouth suddenly feels dry, but he's also filled with unprecedented courage. Steve has graduated (barely), and that means a significantly lower chance of running into Eddie during the day if watching the show somehow goes wrong.

Steve folds the flyer into quarters and stuffs it into his back pocket. He'll be overly aware of it being there until Robin starts her shift and he can show it to her, but that's okay. He throws a quick thanks over his shoulder as he leaves the shop, glancing up at the bell he can't hear that signals the door's opening. He vaguely remembers what bells are supposed to sound like (he'd heard a few before losing the ability to hear them), but he doesn't let himself dwell on it.

Instead, he focuses on the trip back to Family Video, keeping an eye on the road to watch for any cars he wouldn't notice otherwise.

----

When the final bell rings, Eddie Munson can't get out of class fast enough. He'd been packed for the last five minutes, and he slid out of his seat the moment that first peal rang out. He has a gig to prepare for, and every second counts. At least, each second counts until he notices something (or someone) that could prove entertaining for a while.

He spots Dustin alone near one of the exits, and Eddie decides to relieve the kid of his isolation. He waits until he's behind Dustin to shout, "Henderson!" and throw his arm over the kid's shoulders, ignoring the way he jumps like he'd been expecting an attack.

"Holy shit!" Dustin shrieks, jerking back to look up at Eddie. "Don't do that, man, you're gonna give me a heart attack."

Eddie snorts, waving away Dustin's concern as he continues toward the exit. The general flow of students trying to get out helps him along, and Dustin doesn't seem to realize they're actually moving until they've gotten into direct sunlight. "You're fine," Eddie says, "Anyway, whatcha doing all alone, Henderson? Lose your way?"

"No, I have...stuff to do today," Dustin says, shrugging as he blinks to acclimate to the sunlight.

Oh, yeah, way too cryptic for Eddie to not dig for more. "Stuff? What kinda stuff? Got a hot date? Going shopping with your mom?" he asks, and then he gasps dramatically and moves to stand in Dustin's way. He puts both hands on his shoulders and very seriously says, "Be honest, Henderson, you're seeing another DM, aren't you?"

Dustin stares at him for a few seconds before rolling his eyes and shrugging his hands off. "Who else in this town DMs?" he asks, "Other than Will, I guess, but he's still working on a campaign."

"Fair," Eddie concedes, "so, whatcha really doing?"

After a few seconds of getting nudged by the students around them, Dustin sighs and says, "I have chores, okay? But that doesn't sound cool to say, does it?"

Fair. Eddie nods in agreement and moves out of Dustin's way, continuing to follow him. "So, what, your mom picking you up today?" he asks.

"No, Steve."

"Oh, the famous Steve."

Dustin nods, looking over the parking lot before pointing to one end. "Yeah, he's awesome," Dustin says as Eddie follows the direction of his finger.

And standing there, leaning against the hood of his car and looking to the side where a group of trees is swaying in the breeze, is Steve Harrington. Steve "The Hair" Harrington. King Steve. The worst thing, Eddie thinks, is that Steve looks good. His hair is still perfect, of course, and his stupid little striped shirt is pulling against his biceps and riding up just enough for Eddie to see a tiny sliver of tanned skin above his jeans. He looks a little tense, but Eddie chalks that up to him being back on the campus after already graduating.

"Harrington? You've been talking about Steve Harrington this whole time?" Eddie asks, his voice a little strained, "How the fuck do you know Steve Harrington?"

"He's my babysitter," Dustin says, his voice implying that much should have been obvious, but Eddie wants to grab his shoulders and shake until his head rolls off.

Steve Harrington doesn't babysit. He doesn't know nerds that talk about D&D. He doesn't drive nerds around. At least, he never did in high school. Granted, Eddie never actually talked to Steve, but everybody knew that Steve Harrington was too cool for, well, anything that wasn't the typical jock and popular guy shit.

As he's thinking about the last time he saw Steve Harrington (in the halls, while the guy had bruises and looked worse for wear), they get within shouting distance. And Eddie has zero impulse control when Wayne isn't around, so he doesn't think before shouting, "Hey, Harrington!"

Next to him, Dustin whips his head to glare at Eddie. And Steve Harrington doesn't fucking react. He just keeps staring at that group of trees like it's the most fascinating thing in the world. "Dude," Dustin says, grabbing Eddie's arm and yanking harshly, "don't shout like that."

Eddie frowns, anger beginning to simmer in his stomach at the complete lack of acknowledgment. "Why are you upset with me?" he asks, gesturing at Steve as he continues, "I'm not the one being a douchebag here."

Dustin opens his mouth, about to say something, only to snap it shut once more. He frowns like he's just realized he can't say something, and huffs with frustration. "Just...just don't do that," he finally says, keeping a hand on Eddie's arm and dragging him across the parking lot. And, yeah, something is definitely weird here.

Instead of just walking up to Steve, they make a large arch until they're within Steve's line of sight.

Eddie watches as Steve notices them, seeing Dustin first and pushing off the car. He relaxes for a split second until he sees Eddie and his shoulders tense again.

Great.

Once they're close enough for Eddie to count the moles above the collar of Steve's shirt, Dustin grins and says, "Hey, Steve." But it's odd, because Eddie has never heard Dustin talk this slow or this carefully, like he's doing his best to enunciate his words.

Steve flashes a grin and ruffles Dustin's hair. "Hey, twerp, you're late," he says. He then glances at Eddie, his grin becoming a little smaller, and says, "Hey, Munson."

Wait. Steve Harrington knows Eddie's name? And he called him by it? He said Munson, not Freak. Eddie stares at Steve for a few seconds before nodding. "Harrington," he says, "how the fuck did you become a babysitter?"

Is he just imagining things, or is Steve looking at his mouth? Like, really intensely. He's definitely not, because Steve looks up after a few seconds with a raised eyebrow. "I needed some extra cash. Also, don't swear around Dustin. I'm the one who gets in trouble when he curses in front of his mom."

Something about the words makes Eddie grin. Never in a million years would he have guessed that he'd be talking to Steve Harrington. And he would have laughed you into Mordor itself if you suggested their conversation would be about Dustin Henderson swearing in front of his mother. "What's his mom do when he swears?" he asks.

Because he can feel the conversation veering into something potentially embarrassing for him, Dustin lets go of Eddie and starts pushing Steve toward the driver's side of his car. "Okay, we gotta go. So many chores, so little time," he says, his voice back to that normal speed and enunciation.

Steve frowns slightly, looking down at Dustin and tilting his head just slightly. "What?" he asks. Instead of actually answering, Dustin just makes some vague gesture with his hand and looks at the car. "Oh, right. Go ahead and get in the car. And, uh, see you later, Munson."

"Is that a promise?" Eddie asks before he can think better of it.

Steve pauses, looking at Eddie's mouth with a slight scrunch to his nose. He seems to be considering something as Dustin scrambles into the passenger seat, watching them with narrowed eyes. Honestly, Eddie is surprised he's not blasting the horn to hurry Steve up. Finally, Steve comes to a decision and meets Eddie's eyes again. "Your band has a show tonight, right? At the Hideout? I was planning to go. So, yeah, I'll see you then, I guess."

And with that, like he hasn't just fucking rocked Eddie's world, Steve Harrington gets into his car. He makes sure Dustin is buckled before waving at Eddie and pulling out of the parking spot.

Eddie finds himself waving back, staring dumbly at the car as it pulls onto the street. It only hits him a few seconds later that Steve Harrington is coming to his show. At the Hideout. His metal show. A Corroded Coffin gig at the Hideout.

Holy. Shit.

[rodeo-dyke]

i wish more younger queers learned about the AIDS epidemic

i'm a 17 year old, ex-evangelical, queer and trans kid from the south; i never learned from the adults in my life about AIDS/HIV and my school didn't teach me either.

i became disabled when i was 13 and at the same time i was in a sort of an identity crisis about my sexuality and gender. i've always been a huge history and culture nerd so those were the first things i looked to in order to make sense of myself. i quickly learned about queer and trans icons of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. i learned about harvey milk, james baldwin, andy warhol, divine, freddie mercury, and jayne county. i learned about how monumental their lives were and how much of an impact they had on our culture. but i still hasn't even scratched the surface. in 2021 dan levy wore a david wojnarowicz inspired outfit and i started doing research on david. in my research about david, i learned about keith haring, and felix gonzalez-torres. i saw their art and absorbed the life inside of it. i started reading about AIDS/HIV and the medical history of it. about how disabling the condition was mentally and physically. how people with it were shamed and shunned. how people still live with the pain and stigma of the condition and how AIDS severely affects the disabled. my heart hurt.

in mid 2024, i watched the series fellow travelers. i was enthralled in the pain and love of it all. people who know me know that when i love something, i LOVE something. the character tim develops AIDS and then eventually kaposi's sarcoma. i didn't know you could get cancer on top of AIDS. you could see him fighting until his last breath. his passion and fire and feistiness never left even when he was at his sickest. witnessing the all consuming love story of tim and hawk and then seeing tim being dragged out of life was painful. knowing that the government at the time did absolutely nothing to help anyone with the condition broke my heart.

all of these things, along with learning later from my queer elders, put it into perspective for me about how much we are fighting for. i cherish my community so much more. my queer joy became radical in the face of politicians trying to take it away. seeing queer and trans people in public and in pictures through history brings me comfort and warmth. i've never had as a big of a smile on my face as when i was looking through a photo gallery of 80s dykes. i'm so fucking proud and grateful and thankful and loving of my community because of us. our existence is enough to keep the world running. our love and our pain are more important than we could ever imagine.

thank you queer elders for being you forever. i love you even though i don't know you. long live the friends of dorothy!🩷🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️