#masks is 1 and last alarm is 10

[ganxiously]

Why do I watch 911, you ask? It's because not only will this show have an episode as silly as Masks and one as heartwrenching as The Last Alarm in the same fucking season just 10 episodes apart, but will also, out of all the episodes, go the extra mile and thematically weave these two together.

[redgoldsparks]

I went all out for Hourly Comics Day 2025! These took between 6-7 hours to draw across three days, and then another at least hour to scan and edit which I wasn't in the mood to do which is why they are a week late lol. Had a wonderful time at Lumacon though and I'm glad I was able to document it! Transcript below the cut :)

insta / patreon / portfolio / etsy / my books / print store / bluesky

Page 1

7:50am: Alarm goes off

Morning phone: check eSIMs, insta, discord, Spanish vocab 

El tiene pelo largo 

Jonathan Van Ness, is that you…?

Drops App 

8am: My friends gave me a delicious new black tea that’s very easy to over steep 

3 minutes seemed too long, but 2:30 was a bit weak… I’ll try 2:45… 

Honestly, I prefer a tea where I can leave the bag in the whole time I drink the cup… 

For the first time in many years I’m actually doing something cool on hourly comics day! Today is Lumacon! This is the show’s 11th year- I think I’ve only missed 1. For the first time, it’s raining on con day!

Page 2

I’m so glad we had another avocado!

This bagel was so chunky I cut it into perfect thirds. Perfection

It’s so rare that I’m awake before my parents… SIP

Should I write about Larrupin sauce? My friend Alina buys this for me up in Humboldt since it’s hard to find… 

Every object/moment suggests a story when I’m paying attention! 

8 to 9am

Page 3 

Pick up Martina! Very cute raincoat (@martinamonster-art )

Chatting and Ateez on the drive 9 to 9:30

OMG why am I drawing cars :( 

LUMACON! 10-11AM 

My newest zine is a recruitment zine for Authors Against Book Bans (AABB). 

I zero in on folks I know to be authors–

Maia: I want you– 

Author: Me? 

Maia: To join AABB! (info zine)

Author: Oh thanks! I will! 

Maia: This zine is so fun to hand out!

Page 4 

Teen: Thank you so much for writing Gender Queen. I gave it to my mom and she credits it for a lot of her understanding. I came out as gender queer a year ago and she said “I love you.” I don’t know if that would have been possible without the book! 

Maia: Thank you for saying that! 

Different teen: I want to buy a copy of your book but I need to make more sales first. 

Maia: Where’s your table? 

Teen: Behind you 

Look. 

I spot some of the cutest round crochet bois I’ve ever seen including a nonbinary bee

Maia: Can I please trade you a book for that bee?! 

Teen: OMG yes! 

You know it’s a good trade when both parties think they got the better deal! 

12pm 

Page 5

I check in with Anna (@thebeanbaguette) 1pm 

Maia: How’s the con so far? 

Anna: Really good! I love how many furries are here! 

Maia: Oh yeah it’s fun

Maia: I had never seen the skull fursuit head before this show… for the size event it’s impressive furry turn out 

Cute goth/pastel couple 

Anna: To be honest, I’d love to get a fursuit head one day… and the hands! 

Anna: But I don’t know what animal…

(Table is covered in cute rats)

Later, another friend comments 

Cynthia: So many furries here! 

Maia: Yes, the per capita is very high… sign of a healthy ecosystem! 

(we all wore masks all day I just forgot to draw them) 

Page 6 

My friend Nic comes to visit & cover my table during my lunch break- 2pm

Nic: Don’t worry I’ll do my best impersonation of you! I’ll even sign books with your name!

Maia: Okay, great, thanks!

Maia: (Has not had water, snack or bathroom break in 6 hours)

Later we chat with Gio, another friend about knowing when a story is done

Maia: I had a publisher reject a pitch basically saying “this isn’t fully baked yet” which… was true. 

Nic: Unfortunately I’m doing that to myself! I’m on the 4th draft of this short story that just needs to be done. 

Gio: But when it’s a personal project how do you know? 

Gio: When it’s my own work, no deadline, no editor, it’s tempting to just keep putting it back in the oven. But at what point are you like, I’m making crackers. I thought it was bread but it turned into crackers! 

Page 7

3-4pm last hour of the con

My parents came! My Taekwondo teacher came! A trans teen who came to my first Gender Queer event in 2019 came! I saw so many friends & my heart is full! Thank you Luma! 

4:30

Maia: I think I’m ready to go…

Table: EMPTY

Martina: Me too! 

Maia & Martina: LOOK 

Anna- nothing packed, stuff fully out

Anna: Haha, you go! I pack slowly! 

In the parking lot & rain 

Maia: I’m really glad you came! 

Martina: Thanks for talking me into it! 

Martina: You’ve been manifesting this since September! 

Maia: Haha yes, 

(I talked both Martina & Anna into applying for this show; Martina’s first zinefest table! 

Page 8

5pm I drive home 

after all the rain, the ditches & fields are flooded 

Maia (texting): I just got home

Anna (texting): I haven’t left the venue yet

Page 9

6pm I should be unpacking but I’m lying in bed looking at my phone! 

Maia: Wow so many hourlies! I haven’t even started! I’d rather read them on tumblr & patreon later. How is my finch doing? 

Nic incepted our entire friend group into the finch app back in January. I’m pretty hooked. In the finch app you make a little bird persona who travels the world & gains experiences. You give it energy & earn points by crossing items off your to do list & completing self care tasks like stretching or drinking water. 

Maia: To be honest, I don’t really need an app to help me do tasks. But look how cute my bird is!!! Also! You can get pets for your bird! I have five! Owl, seal, caribou, ball of fluff, cow

Later, I pet my real cat. 

Maia: Don’t worry you are my actual favorite pet. 

Page 10 

7pm: Dinner with my parents. Big salad, fried tofu. We talk about clay deposits in odd places. 

My dad: There’s that Bentonite clay at Shell Beach! That’s the kind you want for poison oak rashes. 

My mom: And the deposit at school by the office, some teachers have kids use that for crafts. 

8pm: Formatting my January book reviews

I really like the monthly wrap-ups that Storygraph generates. 

Books: 11 Pages: 2855 Average Rating: 3.91

LGBTQIA: 5 Fantasy: 4 Comic: 4 Contemporary: 3 Romance: 3

9pm: I fall into the trap of looking at the news which I’ve avoided all day. Escape to tumblr where I discover some amazing Ranma ½ fanart. Should I reread it? 

10-12am: I draw the first 4 pages of these comics then go to bed! 

In total, drawing these takes 6 or 7 hours across 3 days. -Maia Kobabe 2025 

[ladykailitha]

Icarus Part 19

Hey guys! See? I can be consistent some of the time and I promise this one will be out once a week until it's done.

In this one we get the fallout from the last chapter, Vickie takes charge, and Steve and Eddie talk about the cracks appearing in their bands.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18

~

And of course the incident went viral, because there had been someone filming a bachelor party and caught the exchange in the background.

Fans rallied around the band especially when the two dudes could be heard saying the band was making shit up.

And despite Vickie keeping a deft hand on the situation, charges had to be filed. She called the band into the bus, having flown out the night before.

“Right,” she said, clasping her hands and leaning her elbows on her knees. “This was a scary incident and I was able to steer it in the right direction. But if you had told me right after it happened I could have gotten ahead of it.”

The members of the band just looked at her in shock.

“It’s just a problem we’ve always had,” Spence said. “It happens so often it’s just a part of being The Fallen, you know?”

Vickie cocked her head to the side. “You do understand that you’ve come normalize to assault, right?”

Steve let out a shuddering breath. “We knew it was bad. Of course we did. But we thought it came with the price of fame.”

“Famous people have to put up with a lot of bullshit,” she said shaking her head, “but assault is not one of them. They’re people too, they aren’t objects to be used and consumed by their audience and then spat out.”

They all shifted in their seats uncomfortably and avoided looking her in the eye.

“I think we all learned from this experience,” Robin said. “We learned the new hoods work, we learned to tell Vickie when something goes down, no matter how small we think it is or if we think it was handled. Because that’s why I didn’t say anything. Hopper had the guy delete it from his phone so I thought that was the end of the matter, only for it to appear online anyway.”

“And I learned,” Vickie finished, “that as unique as you guys are, you still experience the common problems most famous people have.”

They talked a little bit longer and everyone came away from the meeting feeling better about the incident going viral.

It did have the unfortunate side effect of Eddie being aggressively protective whenever the two bands would go out. Which would be fine, if it was just ‘Abbadon’ he was fiercely protective of, Steve being his boyfriend and all.

But nope.

Because Eddie didn’t want questions about why he was only protecting Abbadon, he went full mama bear. Barking at some chick that got too close to Azrael’s hood when she was flirting with him. Slapping away some guy’s hand that looked like it was going for Astraeus’s mask. He even got between a guy with a phone and Asmodeus. Who looked like the one guy in the band you wouldn’t want to fuck with.

That was when Steve decided to talk to Eddie about. Because they both had security and no one had gotten past Hopper since that first time.

“Hey, baby,” Steve said softly, slipping into the hotel room.

Eddie jumped and almost fell off the bed. “Stevie! Are you supposed to be here?” He scrambled to get back on the bed.

Steve joined him on the bed and slid as close to him as possible. “If anyone asks, I’ll just say you thought you were having a medical emergency but it was a false alarm.”

Eddie rolled his eyes. “I think that would cause a bigger stir than me sleeping with an EMT, sweetheart.”

Steve laughed and crawled up onto his lap to kiss him senseless. Eddie let Steve slowly lower him on the pillows as they made out.

“How much time have you got before you’re missed?” Eddie breathed, grinding their bodies together. “I really need you.”

Steve knew they would be taking a huge fucking risk, but he needed his boyfriend, too. He needed be filled up and worshiped. “A while,” he panted into Eddie’s mouth. “I want you to fuck me, please?”

Eddie groaned because that sounded like heaven to him. “Anything for you.”

Steve’s shirt was off and Eddie’s hands instantly came up to his belt to start unbuckling it. Steve sighed at the release of pressure against his zipper as Eddie pulled it down.

“Look at you, honey,” he panted, “you aching for me?”

Steve nodded, pressing his lips together to stop the moan from escaping his lips. Then he stood up and scrambled to get out of his clothes and Eddie took the opportunity to do the same. Soon they were lying together with Steve on top, kissing.

The sex was slow and tender and everything Steve needed in that moment and he felt Eddie did too. Once everything had been cleaned up and they were lying next to each other did Steve speak up.

“I think we have a couple of things to talk about,” Steve murmured into Eddie’s neck. “About Brian and Gareth, and you biting that fan’s head off tonight.”

Eddie sighed and held Steve closer. “I’m sorry about tonight. It’s just after that incident with the assholes and Astraeus, I guess my protective instincts that drove me to pick up lost sheep in high school went into overdrive.”

Steve nuzzled Eddie’s neck. “Which I do get, but let me tell you of the four of us, in character Asmodeus really is the last one you need to defend. He uses his mask as a way to be braver then he is normally and will absolutely knock a guy out and then freak out about it later.”

Eddie chuckled. “I already have a good idea of who’s who, but thank you for cinching for me that Simon is Asmodeus.”

Steve huffed out a small laugh. “Yeah, that one was a gimme, I’ll admit. But who do you think are the other two. You have a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right.”

He thought for a moment, really trying to put all the clues together. “Spence is Azrael and Shane is Astraeus. For the sheer fact that they make the least amount of sense and thus throw people off.”

“Right in one,” Steve confirmed with a kiss. “And yes, that’s why. Our personas are deliberately not like who we are in real life. I play more to my feminine side more as Abbadon because I’m your stereotypical boy next door.”

Eddie huffed out a laugh. “You’re way more than that, sweetheart. But I get what you mean.”

Steve sat up and pulled his knees up to drape his arms around them. “Did you want to talk about what happened with Brian and Gareth about the tour. I kept meaning to bring it up because there would be odd little moments where the tension would suddenly ramp up between you guys and it would be days before it went away. It seems like it’s only gotten worse since we’ve gone on tour.”

Eddie sat up too, and moved away from Steve, crossing his arms sullenly. Steve let him. He knew this was a prickly subject and if Eddie didn’t want to talk he wasn’t going to make him. So he waited him out.

Sure enough a few minutes later, Eddie let out a put upon sigh. “Yeah, okay. It’s gotten so bad Chrissy is talking to the label about what would happen if we broke up on this tour.”

“Jesus Christ,” Steve breathed. “I didn’t realize it was that bad.”

Eddie chewed on his bottom lip and nodded.

“I remember Brian saying he thought not letting Gareth on this tour was wrong,” Steve said, “but that everyone including Gareth disagreed.”

“He made a promise,” Eddie said softly, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face between his knees. “No drinking, in therapy, and having actual fucking progress on both the alcohol dependence and the abandonment issues and he’d get to tour with you guys.”

Steve raised a eyebrow. Eddie had said things like this before. That even though Gareth wasn’t a fan of Steve he had posters of Abbadon in his house and especially his studio. As he hadn’t seen it, he had to take Eddie’s word for it.

“And then he went on that bender when no one could find him...” he murmured, remembering that night.

“Yeah,” Eddie let out a shuddering breath, “thank god both Dustin and Gareth are the same flavor of nerd.”

Steve cracked a small smile.

“So he shouldn’t have been able to come,” he reasoned.

“Yeah.”

Eddie gripped his hair as he continued. “It’s in our contract. Everything has to be agreed on by all four members otherwise it doesn’t happen. We’ve lost out on some major opportunities because one of us held out. Did you know that the latest Batman movie wanted to use ‘Jaded Hearts’ for their soundtrack?”

‘Jaded Hearts’ was about a bad break up Jeff had. He thought things were going well, even bought a ring talked to her dad about proposing. And then suddenly she turned around and said things weren’t working out between them and just moved out of state. No rhyme or reason to it, just left.

“I didn’t,” Steve admitted.

“Yeah...” Eddie’s voice cracked on the bitterness of it. “Gareth didn’t want to because he thought it would cheapen its meanihng. While Jeff, the guy that wrote the damn thing was freaking out that they wanted his song in a movie about his favorite super hero.” He grimaced. “Jeff’s still salty about that one.”

Steve’s eyebrows raised. Yeah, he would be too.

“So what was Brian’s reasoning for waiting until Gareth was out of rehab?”

Eddie let go of his hair and let his feet slide off the edge of the couch they were on. “Addiction is a mental illness and we wouldn’t punish any of us for needing physical therapy if we broke a limb or whatever.”

Steve let his eyelids flutter shut. He felt that. He did. Both Simon and he had parents that were alcoholics. Hell, his own mother did cocaine. Addiction was a disease, but not one that should be catered to like that. He opened his eyes and saw that Eddie was curling in on himself slowly but surely.

He grabbed Eddie by the wrist and pulled him into his arms.

“What’s going on with Gareth scares me,” Eddie murmured as he soaked up his boyfriend’s comfort.

Steve let out a deep breath and said gingerly, “I think Shane is a sex addict.”

Because while Shane hadn’t been late since their little intervention, he just got better at hiding his hookups. He figured he was the only one who knew because Hopper and Robin hadn’t said anything about it.

Eddie looked up at Steve, his big brown eyes wide in confusion. “I thought he was getting better at showing up on time.”

“Oh he shows up on time,” Steve muttered darkly. “But sometimes he shows up smelling of cheap cologne and expensive wine, like he hasn’t been to bed yet. And like with you and Gareth, what’s going on with Shane terrifies me, too.”

Eddie snuggled in closer. “Fame is a cruel mistress and she is giving our friends the beating of their lives.”

“I think after this both bands should take some time off,” Steve murmured, “and just be people for a minute or three. Three records in three years is insane for even the most seasoned bands and I think Corroded Coffin could really benefit not being in each others’ pockets for a bit.”

Eddie sighed and really thought about it. He nodded. Even if the other members said no, Eddie was willing to just walk away from it all. Go solo maybe. Because after twelve years of nonstop running he was starting to fall apart.

The only thing that was keeping him sane right now was the fact Steve was by his side and he understood what he was going through.

“Yeah, baby,” he said, “let’s do that. Maybe you and me will travel the world a bit, really see it, instead of a blur through the windows of a tour bus.”

Fuck did that sound perfect. No band, no obligations, just him and Eddie and an adventure of a lifetime.

“Sure thing, rockstar,” he whispered. “Let’s do that. Plan a trip of Europe or whatever and just see the sights for a change. And not just the sites that would be good publicity either. The wacky museums, the weird curio shops, five hundred year old bars.”

Eddie sat up and looked him in the eye. “Wait, what? You’d really be interested in doing that? I mean, I’d love that. But none the guys like that shit. Not like I do and you’d want to do that kind of stuff with me?”

“Of course I would,” Steve said and then kissed him deeply. “I love that kind of shit too. And yeah maybe I didn’t always, but Robin has been a very good influence on me.”

Eddie laughed. It was so free and happy, Steve wanted to bottle it up and keep it for shit days.

“Maybe we should bring her with us,” he said with a grin. “That way people will be less suspicious about you and me going on a trip and reading too much into it.”

Steve let out a sigh, his mood a little dampened by the fact this couldn’t just be a romantic getaway. But then again, he really didn’t want to leave Robin home for that long, either. He kissed Eddie.

“Yeah, Eds,” he said sweetly. “Let’s do that. She’ll love it.”

~

Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25

Tag List: CLOSED

1- @mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @zerokrox-blog

2- @gregre369 ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence

3- @goodolefashionedloverboi @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @irregular-child @blondie1006

4- @yikes-a-bee @bookworm0690 @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1 @littlewildflowerkitten

5- @genderless-spoon @y4r3luv @dragonmama76 @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt

6- @disrespectedgoatman @eyehartart @dawners @thespaceantwhowrites @tinyplanet95

7- @iamthehybrid @croatoan-like-its-hot @papergrenade @cryptid-system @counting-dollars-counting-stars

8- @ravenfrog @w1ll0wtr33 @child-of-cthulhu @kultiras @dreamercec

9- @machete-inventory-manager @useless-nb-bisexual @stripey82 @dotdot-wierdlife @kal-ology

10- @sadisticaltarts @urkadop @chameleonhair @clockworkballerina @garden-of-gay

[gs29]

Behind the Mask: A Family's Promise

Behind the Mask: A Family's Promise Master list

Squid Game Master list

Chap 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Chapter Five: The Return of the Babysitters in Red

“Alright, listen up,” your husband said, pacing in front of the group of guards like a drill sergeant. Ji-ah, nestled in his arms, babbled nonsense, completely unaware of the sheer fear she struck into the hearts of these grown men. “You did okay last time. No casualties, no permanent trauma—good start. But this time? I expect excellence.”

One of the guards, the youngest, raised a hand. “Uh, sir, respectfully—why are we babysitting again?”

“Because my wife and I need a night off,” your husband said firmly. “And because Ji-ah likes you idiots.”

The group exchanged glances. It was true. Ever since their last encounter, the guards had become weirdly attached to the baby. Some of them had even started carrying little trinkets for her—tiny stuffed animals, makeshift toys, even a pacifier they found somewhere (they refused to say where).

Ji-ah let out a happy squeal, reaching toward the oldest guard, who immediately abandoned all sense of authority and reached for her like a grandfather greeting his favorite grandchild.

“…Fine,” he grumbled, cradling her gently. “But if she starts crying again, I’m out.”

Your husband smirked. “Good luck with that.”

And just like that, you and your husband left for your long-awaited night off, while the guards stared at the tiny human now ruling over them once more.

—

Hour One: The Calm Before the Storm

Ji-ah was perfectly content, chewing on a plush toy one of the guards had given her.

“She’s so cute,” one of them whispered in awe.

“She’s a menace,” another corrected, remembering the last time she had screamed their souls out of their bodies.

“She’s perfect,” the youngest sighed, already prepared to lay down his life for this child.

So far, so good.

Then she sneezed.

And absolute chaos erupted.

—

Hour Two: The Crisis

“She’s leaking!!”

“It’s just a runny nose!”

“She’s sick! She’s sick!!”

“NO, SHE’S JUST A BABY.”

The guards scrambled like Ji-ah had activated an alarm. One of them attempted to wipe her nose with his sleeve. Another tried handing her his glove. The youngest ran in circles in sheer panic.

The old guard—who, at this point, had officially accepted his role as Ji-ah’s unofficial grandpa—sighed, grabbed a tissue, and wiped her nose without ceremony.

The room fell into stunned silence.

“…You’re a hero,” one of them whispered.

—

Hour Three: The Escape Attempt

Ji-ah had discovered movement.

Specifically, crawling.

And she was fast.

One moment, she was sitting peacefully, babbling to herself. The next, she was gone.

“WHERE IS SHE?!”

“I TURNED AWAY FOR TWO SECONDS—”

“I SWEAR SHE TELEPORTED.”

The guards tore through the room, flipping over chairs, searching under tables, scrambling like their lives depended on it.

Then, in the corner, a tiny giggle.

They all turned.

Ji-ah sat proudly next to a stack of confiscated masks, clapping her hands like she had won something.

The youngest guard collapsed onto the floor. “She’s too powerful.”

—

Hour Four: The Return of the Parents

By the time you and your husband returned, the break room was destroyed.

Chairs overturned. Papers scattered. A single guard lying face-down on the floor, muttering, “So small… so strong…”

And in the middle of it all, Ji-ah sat happily on the old guard’s lap, chewing on a mask like a teething toy.

Your husband blinked. “…Do I even want to know?”

The old guard simply handed Ji-ah back to you. “Take her. Before she takes us.”

Ji-ah, well-rested and completely oblivious to the destruction she had caused, smiled up at them sweetly.

The guards, despite their exhaustion, melted.

“She’s an angel,” one whispered.

“She’s our queen,” another added.

Your husband rolled his eyes. “You guys are ridiculous.”

But as you glanced at the exhausted men—grown killers who had somehow been completely defeated by a baby—you couldn’t help but smile.

Ji-ah had them wrapped around her tiny little fingers.

And somehow, you knew this wouldn’t be the last time the guards babysat.

Not by a long shot.

[livsbrutalitys-blog]

Unfinished business

pt. 1 | pt. 2| pt. 4 (i highly recommend reading the previous parts first <3)

pairing(s): Rhea x f!reader, wwe x f!reader, not really but aew x f!reader

a/n: the song that’s below is gonna be the entrance music for y/n if you don’t like it thats totally fine we don’t all have the same taste so i recommend you play whatever music you choose. don’t play it just yet I will make a note letting you know when to play it :) Also this part is probably gonna be the shortest of them all.

use of y/n

tw: eventual smut, cussing, physical violence (y’all this is wrestling what’d you expect), idk if there’s more lmk if you see any

rm: @floweirala if you want to be added or unadded just message me

Today was finally the day you and Liv had been waiting for. You were finally going to see her. You woke you before Liv and now you were just laying in your bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about how the day is gonna go.

You were suddenly pulled out of your thoughts by a blaring noise coming from the opposite side of the room. You turned your head to see what it was and it was Liv’s alarm going off. You got up and walked over to her bed and gently shook her arm to wake her up. When she did finally wake up she grabbed her phone and shut off the alarm.

“Good morning, it’s the big day!” you said trying to sound more excited to encourage her to get out of bed. “Oh my god!” is all she said as she sprung out of her bed suddenly remembering what today was. You laughed at her and she giggled at her own antics.

“I was thinking maybe we go grab some breakfast before we get ready or we can order room service?” you suggested and she turned to look at you considering your options till she finally decided what she wanted. “Room service would probably be better since it’s probably crawling with fans out there and we don’t wanna be spotted” she said and you nodded in agreement, you didn’t even think about that.

WWE was so much different than AEW in so many was but the biggest thing was the size of the fan base. You knew it wasn’t gonna be the same as your last company but it still amazes you how big the actual fan base was compared to the other company. But they shared some of the same fans so they’d definitely know who you are if they saw you out on the streets.

Once you two got done eating and cleaned up you both decided that you should go ahead and start getting ready since your call time to be at the show was 1 pm and it was now 10:30. You were dressed and Liv was putting the finishing touches on her make up while you waited. You didn’t do your makeup just yet since you’ve always preferred doing it last so it looked as fresh as possible for the TV and the love crowd.

You grabbed a hoodie to wear over your outfit and a mask so that way when you were out nobody would spot you and give away the surprise. Liv did the same as you, You felt your phone start to buzz in your pocket. When you grabbed it and looked at what it was you weren’t surprised to see that it was Stephanie calling you. You answered the call.

“Hey Steph” you said now feeling comfortable calling her by her nickname since you had been working with her very closely for the past 6 months leading up to today. “Hi y/n, are you and Liv ready to go?” she asked “Um I am let me check on Liv really quick” you muted your end of the call in case something personal or embarrassing was said but mostly it was just a habit you formed.

“Hey Livy, Steph’s on the phone wondering if your ready. Are you good to go or do you need more time?” you asked stepping into the bathroom halfway to get a look at her. “Yeah I’m good to go if you are” she said with a big smile you could see in her eyes how much today meant to her. You smiled at her because seeing her this happy made you just as excited and happy as her. “Yeah I’m good” you said while unmuting your phone. “Yep we’re both good to go” you said with audible excitement. “That’s awesome, Ok there is a car waiting for you downstairs, remember to wear the covering you don’t wanna spoil the surprise” she said she was also very happy for you two.

You finished the call with Stephanie and you were now headed down to the ground floor of the hotel. Totally covered nobody could tell who you were which was a good thing right now. Now both of you were sitting in the back seat of a big suv on the way to the arena. You were, again, lost in your own thoughts about Rhea and the whole rest of the day ahead of you. You felt something touch your hand. You looked over at Liv and her face said all that you needed to hear. She was sympathizing with you in that moment, you didn’t let go of her hand as it was the only thing keeping you from spiraling in that moment.

“Liv I cant thank you enough for being through all this with me” you said breaking the silence. “Y/n you don’t have to thank me your basically my sister now, I love you boo, I got you, always” she said and you were really truly grateful for her. You don’t know how you would’ve made it through these past couple months with out her support and ungodly amount of enthusiasm. You smiled at her “I love you too Livy and I’ve got you always” she smiled at you.

You finally arrived at the arena and the driver came to open Liv’s door and she hopped out first, turning to face the inside of the car to adjust her disguise and ask you to make sure she was covered you let her know she was good and asked her the same for yourself. You hopped out right behind her and you two sprinted to the door and ran inside quickly to avoid any spying eyes. You were immediately rushed to a room and told that you would be told when it was your time to come out but to stay in that room for the time being and you both did.

You grabbed your makeup bag out of your bigger bag and sat down at the vanity that was set up in the room. You were halfway done when you heard something. Someone. A deep Australian accent vibrated through the hallway outside your dressing room. You couldn’t make out the words but you knew exactly who it was. You stared at the door for whatever reason it’s like you froze in place as soon as you made the connection of the voice and the person. Liv noticed and said your name to get your attention “huh, what is it?” you said still kind of lost in thought but now looking at her blankly.

“Don’t worry about her your gonna get her soon, your gonna make her regret hurting you like she did” She said with a sense of anger. “I’m not worried about her I’m just a little overwhelmed this is a lot y’know” you said now suddenly out of breath and feeling panicked for no reason at all it seemed. “God Liv I can’t get a good breath” you said holding your chest now feeling like tears are gonna come at any given second. “Hey Hey Hey look at me, you are fine, you are safe and you’re gonna be amazing out there everyone’s gonna freak when they see you even her she’s not gonna know what to do with herself and i mean it’s not like she can run anywhere” she said while holding you face and fanning you to calm you down and it worked. You nodded at her words signaling you heard her.

Once you finally calmed down you finished your makeup and sat on the couch with Liv watching the match happening right now on the TV. Rhea’s match was next and you heard the door knob giggle before it finally opened to reveal Stephanie. She snuck in swiftly.

“You girls ready for the best moment of your lives” she said with a beaming smile. You and Liv jumped up shrieking as you both said yes at the same time. “Alright well come on let’s go to gorilla” she motioned you to walk out. You both kept your disguises on and it brought some attention from the other wrestlers to you both. They knew what was going on just not who it was.

“Alright it’s gonna be Liv first then Y/n you’ll go out last and join her” she said hugging you both feeling so proud of you two. “ok ok that sounds good” Liv said trying to do breathing exercises to calm herself down and you were copying her. “And y/n you’ve got the microphone” Stephanie said, you weren’t surprised as you and Liv both practiced the same promo but Liv didn’t really like doing them it wasn’t her thing and you were completely fine with that you always enjoyed talking shit especially on the mic.

Rheas match was happening and you were getting closer to going out. You heard Liv’s cue to go out. She was waiting in front of you just behind the curtain now. Her music blasted and you screamed at her “you got this bitch” and more encouraging words. She whipped her head around to give you a quick air kiss and then she was gone. You glanced at the monitor that was set up backstage and you’ve never seen the crowd get that excited and loud it was almost deafeningly loud.

(play the song now)

Your music hit and it pulled you out of the trance like state you were in while watching Liv and the crowd. You inhaled deeply, pushing all of your anxiety down. Making your way to the ramp you walked with purpose and cockiness. As soon as the bright lights hit your eyes and the screams and chants hit your ears. You smiled slightly, taking a moment to take the moment in, looking around at all the faces looking back at you. You turned your attention to the task at hand, you finally saw her after all this time, all you had to do was look at her to know that she was not the same person you knew.

As you looked at her she turned her head slowly as she was laid out on the mat, exhausted and in pain. Her face shifted from a painful wince to a confused and furious look. You looked at Liv, making eye contact at the exact same time. You two both shared a look and it was like you read each others mind as you both ran to the ring quickly.

Liv jumped up on the apron and got the ref’s attention as you slid in the ring and took Rhea out with brass knuckles you had put on when you were making your way out to the ramp. When your fist made contact with her face you felt a sense of regret and felt a little guilty for taking her out like that. But there was no time to waste because the ref’s attention was slowly being drawn back to the match that was supposed to be happening behind him. You looked a Charlotte and motioned for her to come over and pin her opponent while she was down and she did.

You tapped the ref on the shoulder and shouted at him, “Come on count, hurry, hurry!” you shouted “one, two, three!” the arena shook on the last count as everyone was counting with the official. “And here’s your winner and new Women’s World Champion Charlotte Flair!” Samantha shouted into the mic there was a mix of disappointment and happiness that filled the arena.

“Rhea” you spoke into the mic was all you said as you knelt beside her. “you’ve gotten to confident haven’t you?” you looked at her shaking your head in a disappointed fashion. “we’ll don’t worry because Me and Liv here are gonna out right back where you belong” you said as you got up to walk away but you stopped for a second a glanced back at her before kneeling beside her again to say one last thing this time not on the mic. “And believe me you deserve it. Don’t forget what you did to me” you said with anger and hurt.

Rhea jumped up, startling you as you stepped out of the ring now on the apron beside Liv. “This isn’t over!” was all you heard from her as you walked back up the ramp, giggling with Liv. On your way back you slowed down to sign some posters, take quick pictures and just meet some of the fans for a brief moment.

When you got back to the top of the ramp before you went through the opening that led to the backstage area you turned around and blew a kiss to the woman in the ring who was fuming while staring at you.

a/n: i’m so sorry this took so long for me to post but here it is and i hope you enjoyed this part even though I know it seems a little rushed.

[melodymunson]

older! Rockstar Eddie Munson x fem! reader x eventual older Steve x fem!reader.

(Eddie is 38 and the reader is 25.) The year is 2008. All 21 chapters are on ao3. Only chapter 1 will be on tumblr.

series title: Love Buzz

chapters 1 and preview of chapter 2 (5K words)

chapter 1: like a dream come true

series summary: Corroded Coffin have a reunion tour with none other than doom/gothic metal legends Type O' Negative. Reader recently finished college with a bachelor's degree in the music business. After being interviewed by none other than Eddie Munson himself, you get the job as their touring band manager. What starts as a business relationship grows into friendship and eventually an epic romance. Steve Harrington is CC's bodyguard. Eventual Steddie x fem! reader. Multi-series.

Ao3 link

The sound of your alarm clock blared in your ears as you removed your eye mask and stretched. You turned it off, then got up and put on your house slippers, then made your way to your shower to get ready for the day. Gone were the days of doing pole dancing and burlesque for money to pay for college. Your college debt was all paid for and you had a temporary, yet steady job working at your best friend's family-owned restaurant. Pay and tips were good, but today you were interviewing for your dream job. You couldn't wait to meet the frontman and lead guitarist of the legendary 80s metal band Corroded Coffin- Eddie Munson. They toured with so many amazing bands back in the day before they reunited, such as Carnivore, Cinderella, Whitesnake, The Scorpions, Bon Jovi, W.A.S.P., and even the Prince of Darkness himself- Ozzy Osbourne. The 80s were a bit of an obsession to you, even though you only grew up late in the decade and were just a kid when the 80s were about to end. The 90s were just fine, but you had the fondest memories of your childhood in the 80s. Once you washed your hair and used your favorite body wash, you shave your legs and blow dry your hair before applying your favorite scent of perfume and lotion. The interview flyer said to dress casually, so you dressed in your favorite pair of black leather pants and a Black Sabbath tour shirt. You paired it with your most worn and metal pin-decorated black leather jacket. Although you were a bit apprehensive about anything that could go wrong, you instead decided to focus on all the good. After getting some breakfast, you headed out to go to the drive-thru and pick up your favorite coffee order then go to Eddie's studio for the interview. Corroded Coffin was recording a brand new EP and it was the first music they would release in over 10 years, since their last show and album was back in 1995. The original lineup was back together, though and they needed a new manager- someone reliable. With your degree and experience working a little in the music industry throughout college and in your 2-year internship.

When you arrived at their studio, Eddie's uncle Wayne led you into the recording studio and told you to make yourself comfortable. You had a short phone interview with Eddie but this second interview would be the last one to see if you would get the position. That summer Corroded Coffin had a 30-date North American tour that was sold out, including 4 dates in Canada. Traveling was something you wanted to do much more of and this would be the perfect opportunity for that. Your last relationship ended only two months ago and you couldn't wait to find more things to do to keep yourself busy. This dream job would hopefully be the best distraction. As you walked into the studio, Eddie saw smiled at you as he looked you up and down. He was quite impressed with what he was seeing. When you sat down in the room opposite the recording booth, Eddie put his guitar down and made his way over to the room you were in. You stood up as soon as he entered and Wayne left. Eddie looked even more attractive in person. He had the most stunning tattoos and his curly locks of hair were something else. When you were younger, you had a big crush on him, but now you felt like you were smitten. Seeing him in magazines, on posters, in interviews, and even in music videos didn't do him enough justice. He was not just hot and sexy he was a very handsome man and his stubble only added to the allure. His ripped Ozzy shirt complimented his pair of spandex jeans quite well.

"Sit down, please. I'd like to get this interview started and after you can stay if you'd like and hear us record a new song. How does that sound?" He asked as he sits down in a chair opposite from yours.

"Yes, sir. I mean Mr. Munson. I would like that very much."

"No, no, don't call me sir, or Mr. Munson. That's my father and sir just makes me feel like an old man," he admitted, trying to hold back a slight chuckle.

You sat back down and nodded your agreement, waiting pensively for the interview to start. Even though no one else was around or super close by, you couldn't help but feel your nerves get the better of you. Here this beautiful rockstar and guitar Adonis was sitting right in front of you, and it was making you nervous. It was a good thing you had some time before the studio to do your makeup- some black eyeshadow, lipstick, and foundation.

"Well, to be quite honest with you, judging from your resume, you are one of the two most qualified so this interview will be the last one before I make my final decision. I will call you with the news by tonight after talking it over with the rest of the guys. Now my first question is, are you completely dedicated to being on a full-length all-summer tour across North America with Canada included?" He asked with a raise of his brows.

His brown button eyes were so gorgeous. You couldn't fall for him though. He was your potential boss after all. If you didn't end up getting the job, then you probably wouldn't hear from him again unless you went to one of their shows.

"I know I am qualified for this job and I am very dedicated to my job. At the moment, I work at a restaurant, but I can give my week's notice and be there for you at the start of the tour and throughout the summer, Eddie. I also have my passport renewed and ready at my disposal now if you'd like to check it out."

"That won't be necessary." He clears his throat, then eyes you up and down again with a small smirk on his lips. "I need to have you sign an NDA otherwise known as a nondisclosure agreement. What happens and what is said on tour and in the studio stays on tour and in the studio. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Eddie. I understand that fully. I am familiar with NDA and I could sign one."

"Good, because we wouldn't want my band's new songs to be leaked, now would we? The album isn't being released until the very end of the summer after all. Not even the song track titles," he explains to you as he gestures with his hands for emphasis. His metal and sterling silver rings were a sight to see and you liked his style.

"I completely understand. I can keep it a secret."

"Now there's no set uniform for this job, but just to let you know I like your style and would like to see you wear similar outfits on the tour. Just throwing that out there. I've seen your references, resume, as well as your degree in music and your GPA, and I am highly impressed. I just have one last question for you. Are you prepared for long days and some grueling nights? Can you keep up with that sort of lifestyle with little sleep some nights, well most nights actually, and being around as well as managing 4 crazy old dude rockers?"

He didn't want to scare you off or make you nervous. Those things were far from his true intentions, but he wanted to know that he had someone reliable for him. Someone who truly was a person he could count on, because there were so many people he couldn't even trust.

"Yes, Eddie. I can be the manager that you and Corroded Coffin need."

He got up and put out his hand for you to shake. You took it and shook his hand.

"I'll be in touch. We are about to record our guitar and drum solos for the new track and I think you should stay."

"I will. Thank you."

He nodded and left the room, closing the door gently behind him. As they recorded, you watched in amazement and fascination, as you banged your head along to the music. His eyes met yours as he played his solo, and a wicked grin was on his face whenever he made eye contact with you. Later on, he talked to his bandmates and they decided on the new band touring manager.

Eddie's POV:

I like her already. She has a good personality, likes great music, she seems reliable and trustworthy, and even better she certainly has the look to be my band manager. I just wonder if she will have what it takes to survive out on the road with the 4 of us crazy rockers. The relationship is going to be professional and I won't let myself stray from my music and my job but God if I said I didn't want to take her out I would be lying. She is drop-dead gorgeous and I feel like she is the perfect fit for our band. Once I call Miranda and let her know the job position has been filled, I will call her to let her know she has the gig.

Your phone rang almost right after you had finished up your dinner and watched one of your favorite movies on DVD. You picked it up almost instantly once Eddie's name showed up on the caller ID.

"Hello?" You asked.

"It's me, Eddie. I just got off the phone with the other interviewee and I had to let her down easily. You got the job."

You muted your mic for a few seconds to do a happy dance and scream before unmuting him.

"Great. When do I start?"

"I'm glad you still want the job. Two weeks from tomorrow, we start tour prep, and two days after that we are off on the road. Are you sure you're ready for this and fully committed to it?"

"I am. I swear."

"Good now get some rest and I will call you in about a few with some more details."

"Thanks, Eddie."

"Good night. Take care of yourself."

"You too, Eddie."

You hung up and danced all around your house before you called your best friend to celebrate. She came over for celebratory drinks and hugged you before she left. She more than understood you calling it quits with your job at her family's restaurant and things were great between the two of you. You slept well that night.

Your best friend couldn't help but gush about it with you when you revealed you had gotten the job, and that you were now officially the touring band manager of Corroded Coffin. She was so happy for you and it was going to be the best thing ever to go out on tour with one of your favorite bands. The summer tour started in Los Angeles, California, and ended in Brooklyn, New York, with some other dates. Of course, there would be a stop in Hawkins, Indiana, the band's hometown. Your friend couldn't help but talk about just how hot she thought Eddie was, especially in recent interviews and magazine print photos. She was so jealous of you and you promised her a backstage pass in New York. Eddie and his fellow bandmates had moved to Brooklyn in the early 2000s because of the great music scene there. The tour with Type O' Negative was a co-headliner with the bands switching stage times each night of the tour. Of course, you thought Eddie was great looking and getting to know him better throughout the tour, which you imagined would happen, was going to be pretty great. According to the tabloids, he was recently single but of course, your relationship with him was going to be professional. You didn't dare ask an almost stranger about his relationship status. Eddie was formerly married with no children. His ex-wife, Hailey, supposedly could be a real bitch, and you hoped you would never have to cross paths with her. It was going to be the summer of a lifetime guaranteed and as you packed for your trip, you listened to Corroded Coffin as your bestie and roommate helped you get ready for the tour. The way he smelled at the interview was a mixture of nicotine and a nice spicy cologne and aftershave. His hands were calloused from playing the guitar, but it seemed like he had the tried and true hands of a real guitarist. What you wouldn't give to have his hands in yours. You fantasized about him at night and thought about his big and strong arms wrapped around you, but of course, that couldn't be possible, right? He was your boss and good-looking, but still, you didn't want to jeopardize your dream job. You would keep your hands to yourself. For all you knew, he probably had a girlfriend, and in a low-key relationship, he hid from the public's view. Either way, there would probably still be groupies on tour.

A few nights later, just days before the tour, Eddie called you post-band rehearsal.

"Hi, Eddie. I hope you are doing well."

"Thank you, and I am. I just wanted to get in touch to talk to you about a few things. The plane and itinerary that you have received in the mail are all paid for up-front and included in your salary. Is now a good time to talk?"

"Definitely. I wasn't busy doing anything."

"Good. I assume you also got the checklist for what you need to bring on tour and what's suggested, what you should probably leave behind?"

"I did. I received it in the mail today," you told him sounding eager in your tone as you lay on your bed.

You took another sip of your glass of red wine, as Eddie took another puff of his joint.

"Well, great then. Now on this tour, family and friends can be invited backstage, and on the tour bus, but we have a strict schedule, with a limited number of days off. I was just making sure it's understood that you run it by me first before any family or friends come backstage?"

Secretly, you wondered if Eddie liked younger women but quickly dismissed this thought.

"That's perfectly understandable and I will let you know in advance. My best friend wants to come to the New York show. Is that alright?"

"In Brooklyn? Definitely. I just have one more question for you." He paused for a few brief moments, and took another drag, before placing the joint down on his ashtray and continuing. The suspense was killing you. It sounded like he was smoking, and his voice was smoky, but in a good way. "Well, since all the technicalities are already taken care of, and the traveling logistics, as well as the food budget, I was just wondering if you would be interested in directing and being in our next music video?"

At that moment, you wanted so badly to jump up and down in excitement- and to scream, but contained yourself, and calmed down before you responded to him.

"That sounds pretty amazing. I'd love to direct and star in your new music video," you told him, sounding very intrigued.

"Great and finally, I just wanted to make sure you don't have any further questions for me."

"Not at the moment. My best friend will take care of my dog and I will be there for the full duration of the job. No one will come in between my job or be in the way."

"Well, you are still pretty young. You'll be pretty great for the job then. I have one more thing to say. You'll be one of the very first people to hear the new album in its entirety, including bonus tracks and all. Also, I wanted to tell you about one of my good friends. Steve. Steve Harrington. He's going to be our merch guy. Just letting you know."

"Great. I can't wait to meet him."

"Me too. Take care and I'll see you at the airport on Saturday?"

"Definitely. See you then. Good night Eddie."

"Good night, Y/N."

As you counted down the days on your calendar until the next time you would see Eddie again, you made the most of it. You spent each day with your best friend, until the day of the flight. After a nice shopping trip together and buying some new clothes, as well as shoes for your trip, you had a sleepover and reminisced about old times. When the day finally came to see Corroded Coffin and meet up with the band at the airport, you put on your best perfume after your shower. You changed into your favorite band tee, along with ripped jeans, your best black leather jacket, and platform boots. You took a taxi to the airport, and when you arrived at JFK international airport, you checked in through security and met Eddie, Jeff their guitarist, Gareth their drummer, and their bassist, Grant, by the gates.

Everyone ended up being nice in the band, and as a late arrival, Steve showed up.

"Hi, I'm Steve. You must be the new band manager, Y/N."

He extended his hand for you to shake, which you accepted.

"Eddie mentioned you. Nice to meet you."

As everyone sat around waiting for the plane to board, Eddie went to the nearest snack machine and brought bag packs of chips and bottles of water for everyone. You thanked him, glad to have a snack. Soon the plane was called to board and you got on soon finding your seat in first class. It was amazing to be sitting next to Eddie, and you felt like rock royalty, as you were in that section with the band. You didn't quite feel worthy, but you felt so at ease around him and near him. The faint smells of both tobacco and a nice cologne were coming off of Eddie. It was so comforting to you and as the plane took off and emerged into the air, you felt more calm than ever before. Soon you had champagne, and after your first big swig of it, you could feel the alcohol hit you. It was a nice feeling to have. The movie Playing on the flight was a horror film called The Devil's Rejects, and it was pretty enjoyable so far. You wanted to pace yourself and had just one glass as opposed to the other guys having between 1-3. Soon it was lunchtime, and after you ate you fell asleep and napped for the next few hours. The total flight time was about 6 hours. When you woke up close to the time of the plane landing, you were resting against Eddie's shoulder. Startled a little bit by your position, you looked up into his chocolate-brown eyes.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked with a smile on his face.

"I slept well," you replied, trying your best to not make anything seem awkward as you smiled back at him.

Eddie said nothing about the way you were sleeping and instead looked out of the window. Soon the plane made its descent, and you felt a mixture of emotions, including apprehension and happiness, but also a feeling of euphoria. After all, you were in the city of Angels and you felt like anything was possible. The following night was the first day of the tour at The Mayan. It was a sold-out show and would have close to 2000 attendees. The night after was Vegas, and you were looking forward to seeing some of the West Coast.

"So, are you ready to hit up the hotel and then maybe go out after for some drinks?" Eddie asked you.

"Oh, that would be great."

"Good. You have your room at the hotel, of course, and with the best view."

"Thanks, Eddie." You wondered if the bar meet-up would be with just Eddie or some of the other guys as well.

As you got off the plane and went to collect your luggage at the airport, Eddie stayed close to your side. He couldn't wait to take a smoke break, but right now, his priority was getting everyone safely to the hotel. He hailed a cab for you and him, along with Jeff. Gareth and Grant would take the next one though. L.A. was so busy and crowded, but as the traffic lightened up a little bit, you soon found yourself at the entrance to the Sheraton Hotel. The place was very nice, and after checking in with the hotel staff at the front desk, you took the elevator with Eddie to your rooms on the fourth floor. Once you parted ways with him, you explored your room and unpacked, before freshening up just a little bit. He texted you he would be at the local bar at the Virgil in downtown L.A. around 630 p.m. You texted back you would be there. Soon you left for the club and when you arrived, you found Eddie outside smoking. As you walked up to him you noticed the song playing in the bar was a Corroded Coffin song.

"Sounds like they are playing your song."

"Yep, they sure are. Shall we go in?"

You nodded your approval and walk with him into the bar. Soon you sat down, and the bartender came over to ask for your drink orders and ids. You showed her your ID, and she took your order of a mojito and Eddie's order of a triple shot of bourbon.

"So, what do you like to do for fun?"

"I'm very into art, cinema, photography, makeup, concerts, and shopping. That sort of stuff."

"Nice. Pretty much the same for me except makeup and shopping aren't all that bad. It just depends on what you are shopping for I guess. I love record stores."

"Me too. Swap meets, garage sales, and vinyl record shows can be pretty fun too."

"I agree. Great minds think alike."

With drinks in hand now, he gave you a toast.

"To us."

"To us," you repeated after him right before clinking your glasses together, then taking a big sip of your mojito. It was delicious, and most importantly, refreshing.

He loved how his bourbon tasted on his tongue, and he loved the feeling of the liquor in his system. A good drink after a nice smoke was just what he needed.

After a long silent pause, the song Master of Puppets began playing in the club. Eddie's head banged along to it and you smiled at him warmly, feeling a slight buzz from the liquor as you took another big sip of it and so did Eddie.

"This is my favorite to cover live especially," he mentioned with a slight hum, as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"I love this song and I'm sure the cover live is great. Hopefully, I will hear it on this tour."

He nodded in agreement as a big smirk formed on his face.

"Definitely. You sure will," he told you as he lifted his glass again to clink against yours.

He drank and leaned his head against his hand as he looked at you with his beautiful chocolate-brown eyes.

"What's on your mind?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious as he stared at you.

You took a big gulp of your drink, practically finishing it now, then set it down on the counter.

"I'm thinking about dancing. Head banging. I mean Metallica is awesome and makes me want to move. Know what I mean?"

"Sure. Why not?"

He got up and offered his hand for you to take. As soon as your hand met his and you made contact, you let him escort you to the dance floor.

As you moved in time to the music and danced close to him, you spun around, then bravely bumped and ground against him, with your back facing towards his chest. You boldly moved against him and leaned your head back. He enjoyed the close contact as the song's second verse wrapped up and the chorus kicked in again. He sang along to the music, and his head banged as you continued to move against him, but almost lost your balance. Catching you instantly, Eddie whispered in your ear.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, fine."

"I think we should dance a bit more, then head back to the hotel," he suggested.

You nodded in agreement, then continued dancing as he held onto your hips so you wouldn't fall. Eddie was all smiles as you danced for him. He was just so happy. You felt so excited and felt that at that moment, anything was possible. It was getting late and the tour was starting tomorrow. Right now you were going to live it up.

More songs came on, and with each one, you danced close to him, getting so close that your lips almost brushed against his. The way he smiled at you made you smile. He made you feel so safe with him. It was getting late, and soon you said goodbye and parted ways. The next day would be the first day of the tour and it would hopefully be amazing.

You slept well that night. Morning light soon came into your window and without hesitation, you turned off your alarm clock, eager to start the day. You checked your phone- finding a text from Eddie.

It was great to spend time with you last night. Eager for tonight. Let's rock!

His text made you smile, and you texted him back.

Can't wait for tonight. It's going to be the most metal show ever! :)

Eddie soon read your text, eager to see you again. Getting a good morning text from you was the best way to start his day, and you felt the same way about him.

After the concert, there would be a meet and greet. As the manager, you had to run that, but hopefully, it would go by well without a hitch. Beautiful women who were around were sure to be throwing themselves at Eddie. At least those that would give him their numbers. He was your coworker though. You had no right to get worked up about this. You wanted to look out for Eddie. You didn't want him to get used by any woman. Spending more time with him was all you wanted, and if anything more happened between the two of you, then so be it. Everything was going to work out and your dream job was starting today. You needed to be focused, but hopefully, later there would be time for some fun and getting to know Ed's better. As for Eddie, he was glad to have a dedicated person to be Corroded Coffin's tour manager. With you, he had just that.

chapter 2 title and preview: rock n roll all nite

Summary- Corroded Coffin put on their first concert of the tour. After Eddie has a fun night at the show he seeks comfort in someone else but realizes he needs you.

The club was one of the nicest you had ever seen. Everything about being there felt like home to Eddie. Playing gigs and living it up every night as a rockstar was his calling. His life revolved around Corroded Coffin, and his band meant everything to him. Without his bandmates, he wouldn't be where he was after so many years of putting both his heart and soul into his music. The hard work paid off, and he could launch a successful musical project even with all the turmoil of his past and being the town freak. Saving Hawkins from the likes of Vecna, and all the destruction that came from Hawkins' lab- he still had received no acknowledgment for any of it. Left for dead in the upside down, he eventually made his way out of the other side alive by some miracle. After extensive healing, he made a full recovery and healed. Music kept him going. Tonight was special. Type O Negative was one of the most respected bands from the east coast and Brooklyn. Being around the band and finally meeting them was one of Eddie's best experiences. Peter Steele was an influence of his. Doom Metal meant a lot to Eddie, with his favorite band being Black Sabbath. They were also the biggest influence on Peter and Type O Negative. The day had finally come that they would play a show- a co-headliner no less with these doom metal legends. The soundcheck went by without a hitch and everyone had a good time. You had the best view and once they had played through a few of their big hits; they took a short break before the VIP guests would arrive. Most of the tour had been a sell-out already, with the meet and greets sold out.

The meet and greets were very exclusive, but Eddie was going to meet every fan individually, along with Jeff, Gareth, and Grant. Everyone arrived in a timely fashion. To no one's surprise, at least half of the guests were women. All of them were so pretty. No doubt Eddie would have a groupie or two, maybe even more tonight. As a manager of the band, you had to be professional. Some girls had him sign their boobs, which was nothing new for him as to be expected. Many had magazines and posters to sign and when you took their group pictures, some women hugged him. The women were at least classy enough to not flash anyone.

One woman had fan art for Eddie and she got a backstage pass from him. Everything about Eddie was charming, so it was no surprise this was happening. Once the meet and greet ended, you accommodated all the guests back outside and assured them they would have an early entry. Eddie was too old for all the groupie stuff, but he wanted to meet every fan that wanted to meet him.

the rest of this chapter and the full 21 chapter series can all be found on ao3

tag list: @corneliuswatkins @jadeylovesmarvelxo @ali-r3n @somethingvicked @mrprettywhenhecries

@keeryatmosphere @daisy-is-a-writer @lovemesomeeddiemunson @koskeepsake @munson-mjstan

@rowanswriting @loritate7311 @edsbug @eddiemunsonfuxks @deepenny

@inourtownofhawkins @emsgoodthinkin @seatnights @probablyin-bed @corrodedcorpses

@ofhawkinsandvecna @lovelythoughtfulcupcake @brinasdead @thescoopstroopers @haceleyes

@aleisashortcake @zestychili @veemoon @thepurplelovewitch @spenciesprincess

@ellharrington @stolen-in-moonlight @hellv1ra @littlenymphfables @kelseyaparker19

@keikoraven @iliketoreadandcry @eddies-bunny @loopylupinmoons @unholycheesesnack

@races-erster @angelicbabydolll @wendyxox @st4rr-girrl @therandommindofcorinne

@a-wild-kaylin-appears @littlered0000 @them-cute-boys @leins-stuff @mik-bxrnes

@fallenxcherub @yourdailymemedelivery @eddxemxnson @angelscientia-caelum @randomreader1999

@crazycat-ladys-blog @ruefulposts

[i99zhuo]

How to live like tzuyu 💿˖ ࣪‧₊˚໒꒱⋆✩

This is a guide on daily routines inspired by Chou Tzuyu! requested in the last post, thank you for your request hope you like it!

content list (routines):

morning 

study

workout 

shower and self care 

night

(_ _  ) . . z Z⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚୨ :★: ୧   ∗  ˖࣪ ໒꒱  ˚₊· 

✸ ꒰ morning routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆ 

🥽 Tzuyu wakes up super early every single day, having a regular sleep schedule (sleep and wake up at the same time everyday) can help us be less stressed and it's super helpful when you want to build multiple routines! you can set an alarm at night time if you struggle going to sleep because you're always mindlessly scrolling!

Now, it's time to get ready, wash both your hands and face and just apply moisturizer and sunscreen, wearing to much skincare products before applying base makeup products may make them look super patchy, if you want to do a really long 10-step skincare routine you have to do it the night before!

🦡 the key for Tzuyu´s makeup is to have a clean base makeup and changing the color of her lips, see, she's so gorgeous that she doesn't need much to look super cute, the main steps of her makeup is to use concealer and bb cream to unify her skin tone and the use a light lipstick as base and then add a more colorful tint, she does this to make bright pink shades work for her dark lips. Other makeup steps are completely optional and up to your needs!

✸ ꒰ study routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆ 

Tzuyu was the kind of student to always doze off and sleep in class, even though this isn't necessarily good, getting rest it's still an important thing to do! So when you get from school you can take a nap instead of studying right away. Once you wake up you can do a little review on what you learn today and emphasize on things you didn't understand in class.

🪨 Also, buying super cute school supplies can help you be at least more motivated to study or to pay attention in class!

✸ ꒰ workout routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆ 

There are videos of Tzuyu using a vibrating platform as a ´workout´ however it isn't clear if these devices actually work or not. 

🥄 What you can do whatsoever is to start warming up before doing cardio or a dancing session, then you can do other kind of workouts to slim and tone up areas like your arms, abs, waist and legs

Finally you can do some stretching for your back and upper body to get a perfect posture and a defined collarbone like her.  

⚽️ Additionally, Tzuyu’s favorite subject at school was P.E! So you can start practicing some other kind of sport like volleyball!

✸ ꒰ shower and self care routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆ 

Instead of showering we are going to take a bath with warm water. Bathing, especially in the evening, can help you relax after a long day. Also, it's much better for your face to not be in direct contact with hot water and just get your pores open lightly with the steam. After bath you can wash your face and put on a sheet mask! tzuyu even puts on a silimask, this is a silicone mask that will help you keep the sheet in place while doing other stuff and make the serum of the mask absorb better!

✸ ꒰ night routine ꒱⋆ ࣪.* ࣪.⋆ 

🗻 Her night routine is not clear however you can stretch again like other twice members do or just sit in your bed and scroll through social media, just make sure to have a perfect posture while doing it, having a good posture is basically a habit, so try  practicing having one as often as you can! 

heyyy I finally finished my requests, I can't believe it!

I never realize how long it really takes me to write these posts

right now im going to be re-opening my requests but im going to be focusing mainly on my new glow up series that im pretty sure it takes less time to write so you guys can have new content more often

ajdksjdjsd thats all

toodlezzzzz!!!!!1!

[27dragons]

First Sentence Tag Game

Rules: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway.

I was tagged by @seiya-starsniper, thank you! ❤️❤️❤️

Surprising no one, my most recent 10 fics are all Arcane fandom, but there's at least some variance in the ratings and ships!

~

I Only See Myself Reflected in Your Eyes (M, JayVik, 13k)

Viktor was in the greenhouse, testing soil toxicity samples, when the alarm started ringing.

The Base Forgiveness Necessary for Change (M, ZaunDads, 8k)

It was Connol who let them in, of course. He opened the door and smiled, looking exhausted and happy, and Silco could practically feel the way Vander's tension eased.

I'll Wear a Mask for You (E, Jayce/Viktor, 19k)

"Viktor!" Jayce burst into the lab.

Salt and Honey (E, Jayce/Viktor, 14k)

Jayce is not obsessed. He's not, Caitlyn.

To Beg a Blessing (T, Jayce/Viktor, 19k)

Viktor knocked on the door and then almost turned around and walked away again immediately.

Dance With the Devil (T, Silco/Ximena, 10k) In the Pale Moonlight, part 1

Jayce threw his school bag onto his bed and paused long enough to change into more comfortable clothes before heading back out again.

A Two-Body Problem (co-authored by @monobuu) (T, Jayce/Viktor, Ekko/Jinx, 5k)

When Jinx turns down the long hall where the professors' offices are, she can hear raised voices.

Devil in the Details (T, Silco/Ximena, 10k) In the Pale Moonlight, part 2

Jayce slumped in the chair a little more pointedly, and Ximena finally looked up from the paperwork.

In These Modern Times (T, Jayce/Mel/Viktor, 6k)

Jayce collapsed onto the couch and flapped the hem of his t-shirt to make a bit of a breeze, then gave up and pulled it off altogether.

Devil at the Crossroads (T, Silco/Vander/Ximena, 12k) In the Pale Moonlight, part 3

Silco stretched out on his bed, one arm behind his head to prop it up so he could watch Ximena getting ready to join him.

Let's tag... heck idk, @iam93percentstardust, @zillac, @weethreequarter, @rebelmeg, @writingfanficsfan, and... fuck, I can't remember which AO3 users I follow are connected to which tumblr users anymore and I'm not great at remembering names anyway. If you've posted anything to AO3 in the last year, do this! I'll be looking for these lists to expand my TBR pile!

[aklitayl]

Because many people kept asking about the photo, I decided to do the post about Ice-pick Lodge and Pathologic on KRI-2005

Ice-pick Lodge (Nikolai Dybowski, Petr Potapov, Airat Zakirov, etc.) went on the KRI-2005 (Game Devs conference) to give presentation about first Pathologic game.

Here are some photos, and the info from their site will be under the cut:

! All following info are from their site. Nothing is changed.

The day before March 31, 2005.

Due to the most recent events, we are severely short on human resources.

After spending four and a half hours gathering the most necessary medical tools and supplies, we piled into an ambulance and set off. A crucial task lay ahead: to select a suitable location for the secret anti-infectious laboratory.

The famous doctor-epidemiologist, doctor of medical sciences, professor of the department of lethal fevers of the state medical school Pestitsky Innokenty Savvovich comprehensively studied the epidemiological situation in the city. Having thoroughly considered all possible options, the professor opted for the famous hotel "Cosmos".

Honorable Innokenty Savvovich confirmed that in the next three days the presence of leading epidemiologists, sanitarians and attending physicians was necessary here.

As usual, equipment, service personnel and specialists (including Innokenty Savvovich himself) were brought to the meeting place through the basement. In the same way, shortly before, materials were obtained from a certain studio Ice-pick Lodge, which, according to rumors, is engaged in the development of computer games.

The location of the secret laboratory was marked with portraits of the protagonists of the simulator of human behavior in an extreme situation. The simulator was given a catchy, spectacular name - "Pathologic (Mor. Utopia)". Unusual, and on the ear.

We were not alone in the basement. We watched a strict bearded man in a yellow T-shirt carrying tanks with kvass past the future laboratory. We decided to be sure to inspect it for symptoms of Febris sebulosae infestation.

The production of kvass requires water, and most local sources, according to Professor Pestitsky, are in critical proximity to the burial fields of the results of last year's experiments of the laboratory.

Tomorrow, don't forget - ampoules for injections, sedatives, bandages, and spare shirts just in case.

Day 1 01.04.2005.

10:00

The situation is critical. There's a whole exhibition here. Dr. Pestitsky suspects that the territory of the neighboring stand (and maybe the whole complex) is hopelessly contaminated! We are conducting research: we have taken samples of air and water from local sources.

We are waiting for the results of the analysis. The professor's appointment is scheduled for 12:00.

It is surprising that potential patients themselves turn to the professor. Instead of the usual search and forced delivery of patients in need of examination, our orderlies have to guard the territory of the laboratory from unauthorized entry.

11:00

The results of air and water samples show the undoubted presence of the virus (in our laboratory it is called Febris sebullosa).

It is necessary to conduct a general inspection and comprehensive examination of visitors to detect symptoms of infection.

It was decided to declare a quarantine.

The decision to completely sanitize the premises, according to the expert committee of epidemiologists, is premature, but is not ruled out.

12:00

The examination of visitors has begun. The professor and the nurse are working in protective suits, masks and gloves.

At the same time they started the presentation of the simulator of human behavior in the situation of epidemic "Pathologic (Mor. Utopia)".

Detailed familiarization with the simulator will surely increase the chances of survival for the simulants.

Strange behavior of examinees is alarming: up to 90% of patients ask questions about minimum system requirements and number of polygons. Probably, the consequences of inflammatory processes of the left cerebral hemisphere and hypothalamus are affecting.

The system (drip)is placed intravenously in the patient for immediate and complete entry of medical drugs into the bloodstream. No minimum requirements are imposed on the patient. Test sites were used by the lab last year, but their location is highly classified.

17:00

By the end of the first day of the lab, 45 visitors have been examined.

The results of the examination are delivered to the central laboratory for detailed analysis.

Day 2 02.04.2005.

10:00

All night long we analyzed the results. By morning a summary report was compiled:

45 visitors (40 men and 5 women) were examined for symptoms of Febris Sabulosa (later FS).

BP elevation up to 140/90 mmHg was registered in 12 people, up to 180/105 mmHg. - у 7. Venous filling up to 100% was registered only in 28 subjects, the average filling was 83%. Pupillary reaction is adequate in 95% of subjects: pupils constricted at direct exposure to light reflected by frontal reflector.

The classification of preuremic stages of chronic renal failure (CRF) with additional determination of proteinuria degree was used. Judging by the reaction to the test drugs taken orally by the visitors, the CPN syndrome was not detected in any of the examined patients.

Dynamics of laboratory tests revealed that in 6 patients the stage of FS compensation passed to the latent stage. Alarming signal. We proceeded to the choice of optimal medical preparations for prevention and treatment of the consequences of FS infection.

Prof. Pestitsky is inclined to the choice of drugs of mixed type of immune response (Th1/Th2).

The rationale for choosing immunocorrectors of this type is their ability to correct internal hemodynamics, stabilize the rate of glomerular filtration, and reduce FS activity. Analyzing the literature data, we can conclude that the following drugs meet these requirements:

(drugs description )

12:00

We continue to examine visitors. All those examined receive a certificate with the results of the examination, signed by the medical staff of the field laboratory, the certificate is stamped.

Subjects are easy to contact, but the introduction of quarantine has affected their number. The age bar has risen sharply. Yesterday minors prevailed among the patients, today are much less.

14:00

Some of the visitors have mutation effects. This may be due to the close proximity of the GSC booth, as our examination did not reveal any symptoms of FS infection in these visitors.

Immediate hospitalization is recommended for several patients. It is necessary to make sure that they do not disregard Innokenty Savvovich's advice - those who refuse will have to be forcibly loaded into the carriage.

It's good to know that the secret laboratory is very well shielded.

We are not taken for what we really are.

16:00

We're continuing to examine the visitors. All patients are taking the medications prescribed by Professor Pestitsky.

The chief physician has left the laboratory area and has come into contact with extremely suspicious, probably unwell individuals.

They ask not to stand on their roof - in such cases immediate hospitalization is recommended.

Forcibly loading the patients into an ambulance was not possible: we were beaten to it. I wonder who carried out mass hospitalization using buses?

To clarify this issue, we followed the buses, observing the rules of covert surveillance. The buses unloaded the potential simulants at the club "Slava"

The choice of location is not random. A healthy person would not go to such a place, a sane person would lack either money or determination. But by taking the Hippocratic Oath, we have condemned ourselves to spend 90% of our time with people who are not quite healthy. Do no harm!

Tomorrow, don't forget: silent shoes with soft rubber soles.

Day 3 03.04.2005

10:00

There is a high probability that FS is a lethal virus.

11:00

Examined a man in a yellow T-shirt. Strangely, no suspicious symptoms were found. Still recommended him to support the body's immune system with vitamins, as well as to familiarize with the simulation of human behavior in an extreme situation "Pathologic (Mor. Utopia)". The patient refused gently but resolutely.

12:00

A large number of potential infected people gathered at the booth. In order to prevent mass contamination, the Chief Medical Officer gave a presentation of the simulator.

Taking the opportunity, the medical staff of the booth unobtrusively examined the visitors.

12:30

Visitor Andrei Kuzmin broke away from the group of those examined and stayed for a closer look at the simulator. He refused a comprehensive medical examination.

The level of high-frequency vibrations of his brain waves put the nurse in a trance state for a while. The Chief Laboratory Physician explained to Mr. Kuzmin the operation of the simulator in detail. It is necessary to examine the Chief Physician - none of us are familiar with such details.

14:00

Mr. Malik Khatajaev, a visitor of the stand, refused to make a comprehensive examination.

However, he promised to send his colleague Mr. Pyotr Prokhorenko for examination. Mr. Khatajaev argued that if Prokhorenko showed symptoms of FS, all other employees of the Lesta studio would also be hopelessly infected.

15:00

An unidentified infected person in a coma was found by our paramedics at Buka's booth and brought in. The patient could not be saved.

The time of death was recorded and the body was sent for pathologic examination. Autopsy results confirmed that death was due to FS infection. The fact that the FS virus leaves non-living cells instantly is extremely important.

15:30

Possibility of fatalities from FS infection has been announced. Asking people to leave the booth area.

Examine visitors who were too close to the infected person at the time of death. Patients have no instinct for self-preservation. I wonder if this is the result of inflammation.

A detailed study and analysis of the collected material will probably qualify us for the Küfner Prize.

16:00

The mental state of the Chief Medical Officer of the laboratory is of serious concern to Prof. Pestitsky. Today the Chief spoke about the primitive methods of developing simulators of human behavior and the possible direction of their development.

Probably, stress, mental overload of the last days, contacts with infected people and unexpectedly serious attitude to the question of rabbit breeding are affecting him. He seems to really consider himself a computer game developer by now.

17:00

Paramedics found Mr. Prokhorenko in a coma. All symptoms were identical to the previous case. At their own risk, the paramedics took Mr. Prokhorenko to the field laboratory. The measures taken by the medical personnel allowed Mr. Prokhorenko to be resuscitated and partially brought out of the coma.

This fact suggests the possibility of overcoming the consequences of infection by activating the latent intellectual potential of the patient.

17:15

Lesta Studios employees have been recommended to undergo a comprehensive examination. The inhabitants of the neighboring orange booth are also recommended to be examined. They are clearly in a stage of extreme emotional agitation.

Also disturbing is the fact that they are interested in breeding rabbits (when discussing this issue on their faces appears an extremely spiritualized expression).

People with the letters DTF around their necks cannot but surprise: it seems that they acted as volunteers of our laboratory all three days, taking measures to reduce the number of visitors (especially middle school age) and solving organizational issues.

A commendable enthusiasm worthy of full encouragement.

18:00

A simulation of human behavior in an extreme situation was recognized as one of the most out-of-the-box preventive measures to combat epidemics.

Link on Dybowski's Lecture:

https://youtu.be/LbQpCmLELco?si=3hIRJoLp3qGPh6Iq

[tempestuous-tempest]

You Guessed It! More God Forsaken Wrench Headcanons:

Part 1, 2, 3

Definitely paints his nails black from time to time

Loses shit all the time. These things include tools, computer chips, food, his mask hell even his cool. He'll find it 6 minutes later in a pizza box or under the couch.

His hand writing isnt the best. It's close to chicken scratch but you can still read it.

Gets feisty when anyone takes his stuf without permission. And dont even get me started on when people touch his robot kids. Lay a hand on Wrench Jr. or Little Jordi and you might lose it.

I dont remember if I mentioned this already but he's like super ticklish. He will kick your ass if you try to tickle him, but if you succeed in doing so, he is powerless for about 10 minutes.

We dont talk about the goats. Well. He will if you watched the show (or he's trying to get you to watch it) and he fanboys about every bit of it but just know that Wrench is Wrench and you'll be hearing some really weird fantasies. (Legion players know.)

Threaten his friends and he'll beat the crap out of you. Especially if you threaten Marcus. I mean, just look at what he did to Tommy.

Shows great respect towards Aiden and Jordi. Aiden will try to teach him the morally right way about doing something and Jordi will indulge in Reggie's chaos every now and again with a gig. Jordi is regrettably quite fond of Wrench.

His favorite picture on his phone is one of Marcus unconscious on the sofa with sharpie drawings all over his face. Don't worry, Marcus got him back by hacking his phone and setting an alarm that went off every five minutes playing the Neon Cat song. Every time Wrench tried to permanently turn it off it came right back on. It lasted only a day before Reggie started getting actually aggravated and Marcus had to take it off before there was another hole in the wall.

Least likely to be cranky in the mornings out of the dedsec group with Sitara being most likely followed by Ray, Marcus, Horatio and Josh. Like I mentioned before, he is quite docile in the mornings.

[sathellio]

it's genloss ep 3 rewatch time! let's see if I cry this time

1. OH MY GOD I don't remember the last time I watched this episode and THE INTRO?? GOES SO HARD??? the glitches, the drone footage, the MUSIC??? ugh, perfection. literally took my breath away

2. hi gl!Ranboo, we are here, we want to help so badly (I feel so much despair at their ask for help)

3. I forgot how much the soundtrack in this ep adds to the ambience. it just feels so perfect for an abandoned mall where you don't know what to do, how to move forward

4. poor gl!Ranboo was just so scared. I think the only reason he trusts Hetch is because, well, what else can he do in this moment? he doesn't know where he is or presumably how he got there in the first place, so he clings to the first and only person to offer help, and that becomes his downfall

5. oh god, Hetch plants the idea that we, the audience, are not to be trusted. he says "they can't control you anymore." yes, it's true to some extent that we controlled him sometimes, but by saying "control" instead of "help" or some other, more positive connotating word, Hetch is making sure that Ranboo doesn't trust us, also making them trust Hetch more. it's an us vs them mindset. no wonder gl!Ranboo probably thought we killed him out of hate :(

6. oh, one of Ranboo's first thoughts being that he could have helped the others :(

7. "the police can handle this I can't handle this" ow ow ow :(

8. "that's security, you won't have to worry about it" yeah Charlie's the one that has to worry about it (I'm sorry)

9. oh Hetch said he reprogrammed the employees to think Ranboo is part of the show, but he really didn't because he Is still part of the show

10. "how long have I been here" :(

11. when Ranboo is searching the office for the usb he finds a little army dude just like the one found in Charlie in ep 2. do you think the employees donated all the things Charlie had or,,,

12. on the day 1 plan whiteboard there's magnet letters spelling out "newspeak." did we ever figure out what that's for?

13. "looks like they've upped security since, uh" since last time? :(

14. I saw someone say that in the heart of the facility the place where Ranboo enters the code looks like lungs, and that made me realize all the tubes and wires around that are like intestines and arteries respectively. even the colors make sense for that

15. remember how I said Hetch planted the idea that the audience is not to be trusted? yeah, that's why it didn't matter what code we picked. gl!Ranboo was too scared of us

16. who's blood is it at security when the door is opened? an employee?

17. oo the fire alarm adds so much (so silly it wasn't planned)

18. ugh the corridor running scene <3

19. Charlie saying he needs longer legs, silly

20. Hetch refers to himself as The Hetch, clue to his identity or him just being a weirdo?

21. gl!Ranboo murder arc rahhh

22. man the reveal of the cabin gets me every time

23. they already reset the cabin. they're ready for the next show

24. just Everything about it between the cabin reveal and the button press

25. no the music and the light and the birds and oh he almost made it :'(

26. AHHH THE BOW AND HETCH AND THE SLOW RISE WITH THE MASK ON THEN NOOOOOOOOO

27. god this is so painful :(

28. the subtle change in Ranboo's eyes when Hetch says the audience gets to pick oh god

29. the way Ranboo gets quieter as they weigh the options

30. I think the feeling of choosing death will live with me forever. the way the majority chose live at first because of course we want to save them. and then we heard what will happen, and we tried so hard to 50/50 it because we couldn't accept either option. the moment Ranboo begged for death it switched over. the long pause before Hetch announces the result when we know what was chosen lets our decision sink in. and then it's done. we were forced to speedrun the five stages of grief, or at least the first four

31. the way we can hear gl!Ranboo's last breath before the box closes? god

32. the way, when the lights go red and there's silence and all we can do is watch, it finally looks like a heart with all the veins and blood. roll credits and tears roll down my face

33. and then, of course, it's just another tape. nothing special. just an experiment

god I love generation loss so so much and I'm so so excited to see where it will go in the future. see y'all June 15th I guess

[tothepointofinsanity]

Grass Game Observation Log - Employees Ver.

[Spoilers for the game!]

This log is dedicated to pointing out the small details for the Greener Grass employees in terms of their artistic significance/animations/quirks/potential (headcanon) personalities. (Also known as: doing more guesswork that also functions as a semi game guide.) Since they don’t have names, they will be listed out with a number according to the order of their appearance.

Employee 1

[Sorry for the crunchy quality, it’s a bit hard to take nature documentary level of pictures when they’re out to maul you.]

First appearance: Hole 8

The first enemy you encounter in the game. Has the least amount of tolerance to the player’s stare, as well as a normal charge build-up (5~6 seconds).

Special (warning) animations: Leans to the right, swaying, widening posture has footstep sounds, hands at the sides, extreme twitching, charge.

Notes: An employee who seems to be the most normal one among the commercial trio. He is easier to deal with once you have dealt with the others in previous runs. Seems to have a charming “average Joe” attitude. His expression is the most normal one despite the permanent smile. Looks straight and forward. He just seems more curious than hostile at times. He emerges from a bush from your side, like he’s really more into watching you golf. The background music is also more tense, but stealth based since he’s creeping from behind.

He’s up to mischief, no doubt.

Employee 2

First appearance: Hole 10

The second employee encountered in the game. Has a seemingly normal/low tolerance to your stare, but is enraged faster (4 seconds).

Special animations: Snarls/hisses, arms at side, sways, twitches, charge.

Notes: A lot of people have mentioned that she seems to be a bit different than Employee 1. Faster and more aggressive. I don’t think she’s necessarily faster, but she is definitely more aggressive since she never starts her enraged animations the same time as employee 1. Also, she likes to move across you instead of directly behind you. I like that she literally has a threaten emote by literally hissing at you. It’s disconcerting given the player feels even more pressured in return. Her expression is also angled down in such a way that she seems like she’s constantly glaring at you, which is a nice touch. It is easier to spot her since it almost like she’s wearing a white mask from a distance, but when you observe closely, it’s just the moon’s bright light that makes it look that way.

Can dodge soul balls and run away to self preserve. I think she has a more combative but go-doer personality. A kind of person who is cynical or even hostile to interact with at times, but is the only realistic one who wants to get any sort of work accomplished. I also noted that she doesn’t make a sound during her appearance at Hole 10. There is no bush rustling sound like Employee 1 unless you have “text for audio cues” on, but within the game itself there is no sound. Meaning she was deliberately silent all the way through unless you looked behind and realise she was there all along. Background music is more intense, loud and sharp once she is spotted, like alarm bells ringing in your head.

She’s the competent one, and knows what methods yield more effective results.

Employee 3

First appearance: Hole 12

The last of the commercial trio to appear on the golf course. He has the highest tolerance to the player’s stare and a very arbitrary charge build up time (I tried a few times, and it seems that when it actually builds tolerance is hard to determine since most of the time it twitches and ends up walking to you anyways).

Special animations: Leans to the left to righten posture, walks a few quick steps towards player, stop. Repeat until system decides to build rage fully (listen to the static cue) <- should this occur, animation changes to leans to the left, sway, arms at side, twitch, charge.

Notes: An employee with the least amount of screen time, but is no less interesting as the other two. Unlike the others, his head is constantly tilted back, and he actually looks like the only one who is having a good time with that smile. Allowing him to just walk towards you is the funniest bit the game could have done for people who like to take risks and golf right next to the enemies while staring them down. A lot of players like to glance at the enemies while walking past them, so Employee 3 is a big haha moment to anyone who likes to get close enough because this guy will start moving.

A person with a relaxed and unbothered personality despite having a seemingly arbitrary(?) and unpredictable mechanic. No conflict whatsoever going on in this man’s mind. Doesn’t hiss at you or give you weird looks. Just good vibes, murder and helping out wherever he can. Background music is whirring and choppy, uncomfortable with its speed and strange rhythm. So chill that he is always the last one to know what’s going on and late to arrive at the scene. Oh well.

Ending notes:

• I love all the enemies in this game because they are very unique in their own way. It is not merely a matter of taking the red light green light and weeping angel mechanics to a next level, but also the fact the at they individually have their own “quirks” and little habits: one is more patient, the other moves without a care, while another gets agitated when you look at her for even a second longer. It’s really the little things that others don’t pick up on during the game itself since it can be stressful, but knowing who does what enhances the experience.

•• If there is a tip I can give to beat the game with these enemies included, it is to:

1) Always know where you’re swinging + what direction your ball is going to. Blindly swinging in a panic will increase the likelihood of losing track of your ball rolling into a bush or getting yourself cornered near rocks.

2) Moonwalking is a good way to keep your enemies in your line of sight instead of turning your back on them. This also helps you to circle around them without being backstabbed. If you have to, glance at the ground very briefly, but not for long. Always try to have them within somewhere visible. Remember — they move behind much faster without your stare. Doing so will buy you time and put distance between you and the employees. Just be careful to not walk backwards into the water.

3) It sounds ineffective, but patience is key to getting around them. Playing the long game of manipulating their positions is necessary as there will be many times they are right next to you while the ball is close to the hole. Do not risk it by being impulsive as what will happen then is that you will end up swinging too much, causing the ball to roll further away. Instead, lead them away before tapping the ball into the hole. My unpopular opinion will forever be that this game isn’t as hard as people say it is; it’s just that it’s natural to want to rush through the holes, so you get punished if you’re not cautious or patient.

••• I wonder if originally, we were meant to stand off against all three of the employees at once considering in the caddy house cutscene, employee 1 was there when we closed the door. Either this, or it was just implying all three had been on the course, but employee 1 merely chose to sit out for some reason and didn’t appear. Or maybe the developer just forgot that hole 12 is just employee 2 and 3.

•••• The next part will be about the statues, I think.

[pbandjesse]

I am bone deep tired. I hate it because I just want to be able to accomplish stuff. I haven't made anything this week. And that upsets me. Like I get it. I have a ton going on right now. I am just so busy all of the time and while work is great I am also just a little sick of being so tired.

I had trouble falling asleep again last night but it wasn't as bad as it has been. It was just to warm. Waking up was terrible. When my alarm went off I told James I just couldn't do it. And reset my alarm for 740.

I woke up right before it went off. I was still not feeling great but I got myself together. I got dressed. I grabbed a few snacks. I couldn't handle figuring out an actual breakfast or lunch. I grabbed my cup. And I left.

It was raining a little. And that's when I remembered I left my sweater in the council ring yesterday! It's gonna be all wet. Terrible.

So once I got to work I drove right up to the amphitheater but my sweater wasn't there. I was so sad. I figured it got taken by the feild trip ground yesterday by mistake. Disappointing.

I went back to the office to unlock the doors. And then drove up to Yukon.

I was looking forward to the organization of the basement. And it would be good but it was a little overwhelming at first. I put on a podcast and worked through almost 10 just moving things. Pulling out any material I thought we could repurpose or use up in arts and crafts. Or for any of the other specialty programs. But I was frustrated. One by the sheer amount of stuff. And two by the casual appropriative nature of so much of what's stored down there. I am jokingly (not jokingly) referring to it as the racism corner. War bonnets and questionable masks and costumes.

A little before 10 Sarah joined me. She asked if she could help or would she be in my way. And I asked if she could work on refolding and organizing all the bedding we have down there. And she did such a good job! It's also a shocking amount of stuff. We had to throw some of it away because it was just damp or to dirty to salvage. But she did an amazing job.

And while she worked on that I tackled the tipi kitchen stuff. I found about 8 boxes of stuff that I think they keep creating every year. So I emptied them. I sorted everything with like things. We have an embarrassing amount of silverware. Specifically forks and knives. Very few spoons. But at least it's all together now and hopefully more easily accessible for next summer.

Once that was done I moved all the empty boxes into the corner and sorted that to make it nicer. And then we moved the bedding boxes. The space is so much nicer now. You can actually walk around. I can't wait til everyone sees how good it looks.

Sarah loaded up her car with the materials I pulled. And we drove up to the art building. We stopped and talked to Joe and he said thank you for organizing Yukon and that made me feel good. He asked if we could add cleaning the tipi mattresses to the list so I will get that done soon.

After we unloaded everything we went and got the gator and started our next adventure. We had a package of frozen coffee concentrate to deliver to the dining hall. Then trash to be tossed. And mattresses to be counted.

We went to every building and counted all the mattresses and made notes about the covers and what would need to be replaced. We had to throw out some. But it was fun looking in every building. And we also got to see all the finished work from our projects. And saw some more we wanted to add.

We would head back to the office and took a half hour break. I ate some of my snacks. And read the graphic novel I brought. Which was really sad. But I'm glad I read it.

It was around 1 and we still had upper camp to count. We would also grab the trash from up there. We counted everything pretty quickly. And we were able to toss the trash and the. Go to the art building and start putting away materials and resetting my fibers boxes. I also told Sarah some stories about drama and it was fun. I like her company. She's a quiet spirit and I like that about her.

It was just about 2 when we were supposed to go to the office to wait for the wedding party to come and check in. But then they did not until like 3. It's fine. I worked on some stuff on my laptop. We chatted. And eventually Rachel and Dachelle joined us.

Dachelle coaches a lacrosse team and her students are going to a college game and were tasked with making posters. But they didn't get to finish. So Dachelle brought them to finish and we all helped.

We did get some pretty great laughs about some misspelling (hornts instead of hornets) and weird spacing and layouts. It was very silly. I was pretty proud of how I fixed the one I was given. Rachel always makes a big fuss when I make art but she does it like she's mad at me. So when I came out to show them she put her head in her hands and went "Jesus Jesse, you should look into being an art teacher." And then everyone was like you are going to make a children fight over your poster. High praise. I am glad they think the kids will like it. I did only give 4 legs to the one hornet so it's fine.

I said goodbye after that. And drove to taco bell. I thought it would be nice to get a taco or a crunch wrap. I got two potato tacos and nacho fries. Which were fine but I probably won't get again. I really liked the cinnamon bites the best though. Not shocked.

I went home and was surprised that I beat James. I would get a shower and try to not feel so tired. It was hitting me hard.

I thought I would take a nap and get some thing done. But then James got home and they seemed so sad that I got a spike of adrenaline and couldnt rest in any way that mattered. Instead I just laid in bed and watched videos. James would get cleaned up and joined me.

And that's how we spent our evening. Resting together. Painting our nails. I am really tired and struggling to get this all written so I can stop thinking. I really hope I can fall asleep quicker tonight.

Tomorrow is going to be very busy. I am back at the market for the first time in forever!! And then we have to rush to a wedding!! I love a wedding so I hope getting there goes smoothly. It's all the way in PA so we need to get on the road ASAP. James is taking a half day but it will still be a close one getting there on time.

So wish us luck. I love you all. Sleep good and be safe! Until next time

[resetindia]

Power Naps: Are They Actually Good for You?

In today’s high-paced world where burnout is increasingly common and workdays seem never-ending, the idea of a “power nap” has moved from indulgence to essential. From top-level executives to research scientists, more people are turning to short bouts of daytime sleep to boost performance and overall health. But do power naps actually work? Are they genuinely good for your body and mind? Let’s explore the science, benefits, and best practices around power naps—and how they even intersect with the pharma industry in India.

What is a Power Nap?

A power nap is a short sleep that lasts anywhere between 10 to 30 minutes, designed to recharge the mind without entering deep sleep stages that can cause grogginess. The goal is to enhance alertness, cognitive performance, and mood—without the disorientation that often follows longer naps.

Sleep experts suggest that power naps help us to catch up on missed sleep and improve brain function, especially when timed correctly. Unlike longer naps that can throw off your circadian rhythm, a well-timed power nap acts like a reboot button for the brain.

The Science Behind Power Naps

According to sleep researchers, a 10 to 20-minute nap is ideal for a quick mental boost. It helps the brain to transition from the alpha state (relaxed) to the theta state (light sleep), which has been shown to enhance learning and memory consolidation.

Power naps can:

Improve reaction time and logical reasoning

Enhance mood and stress management

Reduce fatigue and burnout

Strengthen immune response

Several research-based pharma companies are currently investigating the cognitive benefits of short-duration sleep and how it can influence pharmaceutical outcomes, especially in the areas of mental health and neurodegeneration.

Who Benefits Most from Power Naps?

People with demanding schedules—such as healthcare workers, shift employees, and corporate professionals—can greatly benefit from incorporating short naps into their routines. In particular, staff working in facilities of top generic medicine manufacturers in India often experience long shifts and high cognitive demands. For them, a 15-minute nap could mean improved productivity and fewer errors.

Moreover, in pharma-centric cities like Vadodara and Pune, where some of India’s most innovative and research-oriented companies operate, power naps are being considered as part of employee wellness initiatives. Recognizing the importance of mental agility and alertness in pharmaceutical research and production, companies are becoming more open to rest-friendly workplace cultures.

Power Naps in the Workplace: A Growing Trend

Innovative companies are now integrating nap-friendly policies into their workplaces. Globally, brands like Google and NASA have promoted nap pods and designated rest zones. Closer to home, forward-thinking pharma companies in Pune and pharma companies in Vadodara are also exploring this trend to promote mental well-being and reduce employee fatigue.

These initiatives are particularly prevalent in research-based pharma companies, where intellectual labor is intense and even a minor lapse can have significant implications. Offering short breaks for power naps not only helps employee health but also boosts overall productivity.

How to Nap Effectively

Power napping may sound simple, but doing it right is key to gaining maximum benefits. Here are some tips for the perfect power nap:

1. Time it Right

Ideal Duration: 10–20 minutes

Best Time: Between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM, when energy levels naturally dip

2. Create a Restful Environment

Choose a quiet, dimly lit space

Use an eye mask or earplugs if necessary

Set an alarm to avoid oversleeping

3. Don't Replace Night Sleep

Power naps are beneficial, but they should not replace a good night’s sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation cannot be cured by short naps alone.

Power Naps and Mental Health

Modern lifestyle habits—constant screen exposure, lack of physical activity, and stress—are deteriorating sleep quality. As a result, daytime fatigue is a common issue. Power naps provide a quick fix, and when practiced regularly, can even help regulate long-term sleep patterns.

Mental health professionals often recommend short naps for individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, or chronic fatigue. This is an area where research-based pharma companies are showing keen interest. Ongoing studies are examining how natural sleep boosters and nootropics can enhance the effectiveness of power naps, leading to improved mental well-being.

Corporate India and Sleep Wellness

In India, there's a growing realization that employee wellness directly impacts company performance. As such, sleep-friendly practices are becoming popular in corporate health programs.

In pharma hotspots like Vadodara, home to several top generic medicine manufacturers in India, and Pune, known for its innovation-driven pharmaceutical landscape, workplace wellness is being redefined. Wellness lounges, meditation rooms, and nap corners are beginning to appear across corporate offices. While still a nascent trend, it's gaining traction as companies observe the benefits on focus, decision-making, and creativity.

Pharma Industry Perspective

The pharmaceutical industry is uniquely positioned to understand the biological importance of rest. Many medications—ranging from sleep aids to mood stabilizers—are directly tied to sleep cycles. As the demand for natural and non-pharmacological interventions grows, pharma firms are investing in alternative wellness studies, including those focused on sleep hygiene and micro-rest techniques.

The top pharma companies in Pune and Vadodara are especially leading this transformation by promoting sleep health through corporate policy, community outreach, and even product innovation. Some companies have begun developing herbal sleep aids and supplements that complement healthy nap habits—an area of great promise for research-based pharma companies.

Final Thoughts: Are Power Naps Good for You?

The answer is a resounding yes—but with a caveat. Power naps are incredibly beneficial when used correctly. They enhance cognitive function, lift mood, and can make you feel rejuvenated without derailing your daily schedule. For professionals in high-pressure fields—like the pharmaceutical industry—these short breaks can be a game-changer.

Whether you’re part of a pharma company in Vadodara, a researcher in Pune, or simply navigating life’s daily stresses, incorporating power naps into your routine can offer surprising health and performance advantages. As sleep science continues to evolve, we can expect more formal integration of nap-friendly practices in both clinical and corporate settings.

[drac-onion]

Back at it again. A year since I posted Beneath Her Mask. Same thing as last time. Fun facts or just looking back at something I done did write once upon a time exactly a year ago.

This is going to be very "stream of consciousness" and probably hard to read, but here goes.

First off, wow that title sucks. I came up with it like right before posting and then rolled with it. Nowadays I would put off uploading something for MONTHS if I couldn't figure out an original and interesting title. Oops.

Anyway, this one is a lot better than the last one. Promise. The whole thing is a little bit iffy still, but I was very new. The formatting is the main issue I have with. The concept is...fine, although I think I could have gone a little bit further with and then lead into where this one starts. Ya know, inform the reader as to the situation that lead to Makoto's desire to keep everything to herself? But I kinda made it ambiguous on purpose. Good thing I didn't have to follow up on this a few months later... Oh wait. The stakes were just: awkward. No gay panic (like the tags say, oops), no internalized anything, no worries over team cohesion with members of the PTs dating, none of that. If I would ever go back and rewrite this (don't fucking tempt me) I would definitely expand on things a lot more. But hey, I probably shouldn't try and go back and fix all my old stuff. I'd never get anything done otherwise.

Oh yeah, Makoto's "113 decibel alarm clock" is a real thing. I actually have one. I sleep through every other alarm clock out there. The thing is so good, it will actually scare you awake. Pretty nice. (If probably a little too loud for apartment living in Japan where the walls are very thin.)

Oh yeah, and the tense a few times. Annoying.

I dunno why I made it three chapters. It's just over 3.5k words. That would have been fine to keep as a single chapter one-shot, but I think I just had a hard time with having scenes switch mid-chapter. Chapters are a good way to signal a scene switch, but nowadays I'll just use a line break and go with it. I've just improved as a writer, I think, and so now my old mistakes bug the shit out of me.

If I named all the issues I had, I'd be here all day. So, what did I get right with this? I think the concept is alright. The dialogue is good at points. The scene in Leblanc is pretty good. Good guy Sojiro being cool with lesbians (very cool of him). And the text convos at the end are also pretty okay. The "out of your league" comment still gets me for some reason. It's kinda funny.

Also I made a custom dialogue option for Akira, referencing the very first thing he says at the beginning of the story. I think it turned out okay. (I'd like to do more art/edits relevant to my writing. I've thought about making cover/chapter art for my current project. I guess we'll see how I'm feeling. A little wattpad-y of me, but it'd be interesting.)

I'm just now realizing that I should've made the "third option" a little cheeky. Maybe something like "Come here often?" or whatever. Ah well. Next time.

So, overall? It's an improvement. It's not perfect, but it was the second thing I'd ever written. (Once again, I don't count the RE one. I should probably anon it tbh.)

Anyway, that was something. The next "retrospective" (I guess that's what these are now) will be on Beneath Their Masks.

That one is a doozy, and I think I'm going to have a decent amount to say about it. It's also really long, so that's also a thing I'm gonna have to worry about. I'll probably do that on 10/1 because that's when I posted the first chapter. Maybe I'll have enough time to write up mini retrospectives for each chapter? And then post those throughout October? That could be interesting. And tiring. But still, interesting. I could pull the original upload dates since I made a tumblr in between ACIFT and BHM. Although those are going to be VERY spaced out, especially near the end. So much for doing a month's worth of prompts WITHIN the month. But I'll save all my whining for when those go up.

Also, shoutouts again to my beta at the time, @makomaki5. I hope you're doing well.

Anyway, I think that's about it. See ya.

[eliospeachie]

10 Peachy Years pt.1

⚠️DISCLAIMER⚠️

This story is heavily inspired by the book/movie called "Call Me By Your Name", I do not own the story, the character Elio, Samuel, or Anella. This story is a work of inspiration, using the script as inspiration.

Part 2 is linked below

2k words

He didn’t plan to leave the country last second, no one really did. But, there Vante was, sitting in an airport with his face covered up with sunglasses, a beanie, face mask, and even a hoodie on for extra measure. He didn’t want anyone to see him, he didn’t need to be seen like this, not after what had happened. He was just lucky to be alive and to be able to get a place to stay last second.

With the summer around, a lot of people were more than willing to rent out their homes or anything at a good price. Vante didn’t want a hotel or a home, he didn’t trust himself to be alone. He didn’t think it’d be smart to do. So, he rented out a room he had seen an ad for online, one that was in a huge home not too far away from town with an orchard of peach trees in the backyard that belonged to a daily of three.

He had bought the plane tickets and the room for the whole summer an hour before he boarded the flight with nothing more than a duffel bag as his carry on shoved with last second clothes and an ipod as a carry on item. When you’re wanting to leave behind your entire life, you don’t really want to pack that much. And when you’re filthy fucking rich, you can just buy what you need when you get there.

The plane had landed early in the morning, taking some time to change out of his clothes into something more comfortable. Even though no one would suspect Vante of being there, he still kept on his face mask, though he changed his hoodie and sweatpants for a pair of shorts and flannel he bought at the airport.

He got a taxi to go to the house he would now be residing in, his eyes watching everything pass them by, a smile never leaving his lips. He was more than excited, it wasn’t every day you get a chance to live a new life and it also wasn’t every day that your new life would be in Italy. Call it ironic, but the brunette found himself to be more than lucky.

He arrived at the house not too long after the taxi had picked him up, admiring the beautiful stone as they pulled into the gravel sidewalk, an older man and woman stepping out of the house just as Vante stepped out, large smiles on both of their faces. They didn’t seem too old, maybe old enough to be his parents actually.

“Hello!” The woman cooed, stepping over to Vante and held onto his hands, placing kisses to his cheeks. “Oh darling, welcome! I’m Anella and this is my husband Samuel!”

“Hi, it’s nice to be able to meet you both.” He smiled at the greetings from Anella, turning to Samuel to shake his hand, a small feeling of nervousness in his stomach. “I know you guys have my name and all but..can you just call me V for a while? I prefer that right now.” That, and not everyone in Italy was named Vante. He didn’t want to risk hearing a fan saying his name and sounding the alarms.

Both parents didn’t mind, simply agreeing and went into small talk about the flight and drive to the home, already asking how V liked Italy even though he had only been there for an hour at most.

“Ah, Elio can help you with those bags! Here, let me call for him.” Samuel went to the front door yelling the name he spoke of only to get no response.

“Samuel, he left earlier, remember?”

“It’s alright, I can get it myself. It’s not heavy anyways.” V chuckled softly, throwing the bag over his shoulder, using a hand to brush back his dark locks. “Is Elio your son?”

“Yes, he is!” Anella smiled at the mention of her son, sighing softly as she led both V and her husband inside, V already entranced with the home and took in what details he could on the way in. “He should be home in time for lunch. Hopefully you two can become friends.”

“Oh, I hope so too.” V chuckled softly, though knowing that might not be true. V wasn’t the best with kids so he was pretty sure that he would have a hard time making friends with the boy. But he couldn’t say that to their faces. Not when he hadn’t even met the boy just yet. “Your room will be up the stairs, the last door to your left. We put some spare clothes in the closet for you to wear when you would like to.”

Elio nodded and gave a gentle thank you before he went to the room that would now be his room for the next three months. It wasn’t that big but it wasn’t small either, just big enough for a desk, bed, and the big dresser with the clothes as promised. He went to the door that was next to the dresser to find a bathroom and then another door. Out of curiosity, he opened the second door to show another bedroom. However, this one looked lived in. There were posters on the walls, books sprawled here and there. It was probably the son’s room.

V took a much needed shower but put on the clothes he had gotten at the airport, sighing to himself as he rubbed his face and went to the window, opening it up. It was nice, the air, the crispness of it. It probably smelled that much fresher with all of the trees near them.

Soon, it was lunch. The three sat at a table outside underneath string lights that weren’t lit up just yet, it probably usually was for dinner and for events. The idea sounded cute, hopefully he would be able to see it tonight.

“Where is that boy?” Anella sighed, taking some juice to pour into her cup.

“Patience, my love. Perhaps he got too caught up. Maybe he’s on his way home now or-”

“Sono qui, sono qui! Scusa, sono così in ritardo, non volevo..” A boy suddenly ran in, one who looked about V’s age. He had a head full of curly hair that had been in a shorter cut, freckles spreading across his nose and cheeks, thick eyebrows, and piercing blue eyes. He was..handsome. The boy turned to V, a small smile on his lips as he nodded his head as a little greeting, sitting down in the chair next to him, though a bit farther, shaking his hand. “Elio. Nice to meet you.”

“V.”

The lunch went on smoothly, V mainly sitting in silence as he ate except for answering small talk questions and complimenting the food as he ate. He couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Elio every so often while sharing barely any words with him. Lunch was done fairly quickly, Elio excusing himself to go back to seeing his friends, saying he’d be back for dinner.

And that’s how it went on for the next few weeks. The two boys barely exchanged words together, him mainly staying in his room, out with his friends, or somewhere that V wasn’t. But, one day he got lucky, going into the kitchen where Anella was peeling some peaches, Elio occasionally stealing a piece of the fruit, him and his mother giggling as V walked down, smiling at the two. It was cute to see a family together.

“Oh, V! Buongiorno! Come hai dormito?”

V stood there in the doorway for a second, trying to figure out what the woman meant as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts, his mouth open as his brain tried to search for an answer. “Uh..”

Elio laughed a little, taking another piece of fruit from the bowl. “She asked you how you slept.”

“Oh-” V chuckled with the other two, shaking his head a little in embarrassment. “Yeah, yeah I slept pretty good. The bed actually seems to get more comfortable each night.”

Anella nodded, lightly smacking Elio’s hand when he tried to steal yet another piece, muttering something to him before turning back to glance at V, placing the mango peels onto a napkin on the side. “Were you wanting something to eat? Perhaps some juice?”

“No thank you, Mrs. Perlman. I was actually wondering if you knew where a good cafe close by would be? I want to go into town so I can maybe grab a thing or two from the shops and thought it would be nice to stop by at one.”

“I can show you one.” Elio pitched, catching both Anella and V by surprise, mainly because he didn’t expect the other to volunteer. “I can show you around the town as well. And I’m sure I can help you be your translator.” He took himself off the counter he was leaning on and walked past V, lightly patting his arm as he did. “Come on, we can use the bikes.”

So, the two took the two bikes as Elio said and rode into town. It didn’t take long, five minutes or so? The ride was quiet between the two as they went in, stopping at the cafe Elio had mentioned. He, of course, ordered for the both of them, getting them some blueberry muffins as well since they both didn’t have breakfast.

“Are you from around here?” V asked, looking up at the other sitting across from him while taking a bite of the muffin on his plate.

Elio shook his head, reaching into his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes, placing one between his lips. “No,” he answered simply. “We used to come here during the summer. And Christmas and a uh..another holiday. But dad grew too attached to here so now we live here.”

“Christmas?” V chuckled, his eyes on the pack of cigarettes. It hadn’t been too long since he last smoked, he was trying to quit, having a cup of coffee every time he wanted one. It was kind of working, only if the coffee was black. When Elio held the pack out to him, as if asking if he wanted one, it took everything in V to shake his head with a polite no, turning his eyes towards the muffin instead.

Elio hummed, taking the lighter and lit the stick between his lips. “And Easter too. We are Jewish, English, American, Italian, French... somewhat atypical.” He laughed a little, taking a puff of the cigarette and moved it away to blow the smoke away from him.

V hummed, nodding his head a little. “I see. What do you and your family do here?”

“Mm, wait for summer to end.” Both boys shared a laugh at that, V shaking his head.

“No no, seriously. What do you do at least? Besides the waiting and hanging out with your friends all of the time?”

Elio sighed a little, his smile staying on his lips, placing the stick back between his lips as he spoke once more. “Transcribe music. Read books. Swim at the river. Go out at night.”

V nodded, tilting his head as he took a moment to look the man over. He could see that, Elio at his desk with headphones over his ears and scribbling on a piece of paper what notes he heard or laying in his bed with a book in his hands. It didn’t sound that surprising.

“Let me ask you something,” Elio chimed, making V snap out of his little daydreams of the other. “Why did you choose to come to Italy if you can’t even speak Italian?”

V couldn’t hide his little laugh of embarrassment, looking off to the side and leaned back in his seat, starting to pick at his nails. It was a little habit he had grown to do it the past few weeks, picking at his hangnails. “I needed somewhere to go last second. I wanted a bit of a summer getaway and uh..what better place than Italy?” Both of them shared a laugh once again, V taking the last bit of his muffin. “I do want to be here for a while though so I might as well learn, right?”

“Maybe I can teach you?”