#with the lovelies and patches is also freaking out for the same reason and thinks everyone hates him. and hart has like an extra reason to

[automatonknight]

thinking about patches joining the lovelies again. and by thinking i mean i'm mentally letting hart beat the shit out of him in my head

[blackknight-kai]

Just grooming headcanons and how would DO/SW react to reader busting out a whole ass skincare/haircare routine with tons of nice smelling products, shampoos, oils and hair masks

monke getting pampered tonight!!!

Okay! So I have grooming thoughts/HC and I’ll maybe get a whole post together at some point for it, but for now I wanna focus on this particular scenario of modern reader wanting to pamper him.

So, I feel like they would actually react the same way about this, mainly because they both grew up in the same environment and are both warriors etc. That being said I do think there will be a few differences and I’ll list them out.

Before I begin, I want to preface that I think if would be funny if they BOTH would be very against/dont wanna do it at first (I’ll explain why- this is in regards to the skincar/haircare/oils etc not general grooming).

I think SW out of the two would be easier to convince, not right away, but I do think hed eventually give in quicker than DO. I also think SW would seek you out after he realized how much he liked it and would demand his pampering. DO would be more subtle about it and let himself get a little extra messy so you offer it. DO is more on the indifferent side, thinking it’s pointless where as SW thinks that but also sees it as ‘fancy’ and too ‘soft’.

- [ ] You would think he’d jump at the chance to be groomed and have your hands running through his fur? Generally yes. But this? No.

- [ ] Absolutely Refuses when you first bring it up. Curls his lip and wrinkles his nose and everything.

- [ ] Thinks it’s a waste. Of. Time.

- [ ] He would be just fine with a wash and scrub in the river/waterfall, doesnt need whatever the hell that is.

- [ ] Doesnt like how stuff feels on his fur (even if it’s gonna be washed off) - he has yet to experience the joy of modern products making his fur extra soft though.

- [ ] He’s gonna argue that for him, someone who regularly gets into fights and rolls around getting into shit and is always getting filthy for one reason or another, wasting all that stuff is useless. (Not that hes dirty, he washes all the time)

- [ ] The scents of the products would irritate his sensitive nose so before you ask again you’d have to find stuff that he could deal with.

- [ ] Grooming is important in his culture so he genuinely loves grooming and being groomed by you, BUT he drawls the line at this fancy frou-frou modern shit. He is a strong, independent warrior and does NOT need to smell like a flower (disregarding how often he rolls in them when playing with monkey cubs).

- [ ] As much as he grew up being used to grooming and it being a bonding thing, it’s not something he is used to in regards of “being taken care of”. It was more of a social thing so you wanting to take care of him makes him on edge.

- [ ] If you keep at it though eventually he will give in, just the once (he thinks). Especially when you show him the products before hand and they dont smell AS bad.

- [ ] He’s gonna pout and sigh dramatically through the first bit of it. Trying to keep up a ‘I’m only doing this for you, you owe me’ facade.

- [ ] But he very quickly realizes that he freaking adores this!

- [ ] The low lighting, soft smells, warm fuzzy atmosphere, being the focus of your attention for an extended period of time?

- [ ] You rinsing his fur? Slowly massaging in the soaps and scraping your nails gently over his skin? The hot warm water coupled with you rubbing the knots out of his sore muscles? Drying him with gentle towel rubs and light blow drying so he’s nice and soft and fluffy? Rubbing oil or lotion on the fur less patches of his so his skin is hydrated and soft? You just touching him for so damn long tenderly, letting him lean back against your chest when in the tub or letting him lay across your lap as you blow dry his back, or giving him a real massage after while he just lies there feeling like a fucking cloud? Even with the damn moist thing you put on his face.

- [ ] He is in fucking LOVE and heaven. THIS is the real heaven, right here. You have one giant puddle of a monkey and you’ve done it now.

- [ ] He’s going to be letting out so many sighs and light grunts/groans of innocent pleasure. His mind will be quiet and he will just bask in the attention you’ve given him.

- [ ] Very addicted to it although it wont happen SUPER often. (Although you made him boujee about his soap now so this is your fault)

- [ ] SWK - again will from here on DEMAND his pamperings when he deems it time. DO - will be more subtle about it, purposely letting himself get messy and take bare minimum washes so you get fed up with how disheveled his fur is and ‘make’ him sit for you for a night of pampering time.

- [ ] He is gonna be smug as fuck though to other monkeys / people with his glossy soft fur and beautiful shining soft skin. SWK would strut like a peacock and DO would be a bit more subtle about it but would still show off.

- [ ] Definitely WILL return the favor. Enjoys it very much in fact, again it’s a social thing/bonding thing, plus he gets to make you feel special too/has his hands on you for extended periods of time.

Side note: I feel like since this is more of a pamper the monkey thing spicy time would be on a low simmer. But if it leads to it, it would happen AFTER everything is said and done. Not that he wouldn’t get you worked up or you him, slick hands are traveling all over each others bodies after all (sometimes deliberately). But I think it would be tender and slow, just enjoying the warm soft gooey atmosphere you two have created for the night.

[nobodysomeday]

hii so im pretty new here and i kinda wanted to know the tea on jason and why he quit the band? also did he get married or has any kids? i genuinely know nothing about him but that he and robbie didn’t really get along when in the band in the 90s 😬

Hi anon! I am also pretty new here yay <3

Okay. The Orange flavoured tea... btw take all I'm about to say with a grain of salt. I am not an authority. I am just a freak on the internet who finds Jason Orange to be a really fascinating character and reads too much into everything [long post]

Marriage, kids, women

I'll answer the easy part first: no, he's not been married or had kids. Which is a shame because he used to mention wanting that for himself one day. How true that is, I can't be sure. But he seemed very sincere about it when he was young.

His relationships with and attitudes about women are something I could talk about another time, I'm still figuring out how to put it into words. But basically: it's a bit odd.

Why did he quit?

You also asked the big question. You get a big answer.

There has been a lot of speculation over the years around Jason leaving. Was there a falling out? Was it for legal reasons? Is it covering up a scandal? What would possess a man to leave one of the most successful bands to ever come out of the UK?

Coming into the fandom in 2025, we get the benefit of hindsight when we look into the history of Take That. So with Jason, I've actually found the reason for his departure pretty obvious. I doubt there was a falling out, there's nothing those guys can't patch up. I guess I could see legal issues or some other scandal playing a part, but at the end of the day he wouldn't have gone if he didn't want to go. That's the basic answer.

The deeper answer begins with the fact that he wasn't much appreciated during the 90s run. He had a good time but felt out of place, and Gary especially was quite bad at reinforcing those ideas (jokes about his irrelevance, not giving him a chance to sing lead, etc.) So when it came to the comeback, he almost didn't do it.

"It was just total and utter nonsense for me to even contemplate it." (Jason, in Look Back Don't Stare)

"I felt a lot of revulsion about everything. I was so unsure of what I was doing there [documentary screening in 2005] and it was a horrible day. I was stony-faced with absolute fear and totally bewildered by it all... It was a very tense time for all of us, but I felt it the worst... I had no idea whether it was the right or wrong thing to do. I was in no-man's land." (Jason, in Take Two)

"Jason can get a bit down on the whole thing. He can have those feelings of not deserving to be there. I don't think he enjoyed the comeback tour. He was working stuff out about what Take That was... With Jason, he can feel a bit intimidated." (Gary, in Take Two)

He simply did not have the confidence. He was also always uneasy about fame, and at the time of the Ultimate Tour this was one of his concerns because after 10 years away he was on his way to being anonymous. The comeback undid that and he became irreversibly famous. So the ground was laid even before it began. He didn't want to do it in the first place.

And that reluctance carried him through for two albums and three tours. Again, like in the 90s, there is no doubt that he did enjoy it. He loved Take That, and during his time in the band he expressed so much pride. He was often the MOST enthusiastic member. But what made him commit if he was so conflicted in 2005?

In my mind there were three main things that made it happen. The first is friendship, the most fundamental part of Take That for Jason. And with it was the promise of a more equal treatment. They were going to be a proper band this time and all their voices would be heard, both literally on the album and in the collaboration. Not that this ever truly became reality for Jay on the same level as Mark and Howard, but I get the sense that it didn't bother him all that much. Although the way he addresses it in interviews he is somewhat self-deprecating about it.

The second is money. It's very interesting to me that he's the only one to reference this motivation and be honest about it. He brings it up as a joke sometimes, but it is so legitimate. The third thing that made his return happen is this complex part of his personality and psychology that I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out and it basically comes down to the idea of fight vs flight. For some reason, Jason has it in him to tackle big things like this, even when he has every freedom to say no and go with the safer option. I think in the instance of the comeback, the pros outweighed the cons and he didn't want to let the other three or the fans down. So he took the plunge.

And what did that bring? Enormous success. Unfathomable success. He had the money he wanted, and he got the friendship he wanted. With them all more mature they could do the business in a more comfortable way.

"The most interesting aspect for me about being in Take That now is the bond that we're sharing and can share in the future. The fact that we're mates and we're going through life together and meeting challenges together and successes and disappointments, that's the journey and it's brilliant." (Jason in 2008)

I think highlighting the brotherhood is so important in this discussion because in my mind it is the be all AND end all of Jason being in Take That. Meaning it's why he was there, and it's also part of why he left.

Jason loved being in TT4 for those 4 or so years. But he REALLY loved being five again when Rob came back. When they got together for Progress, Jason says his "excitement was invigorated," and when Rob briefly backed out Jason was gutted. In the documentary he talks about how the band "felt whole again." Clearly Rob's presence meant a LOT to Jason. It did for all five of them, it was a really special time, but it perfectly encapsulates Jason's relationship with Take That and his priorities.

If you watch them in Look Back Don't Stare, there's a moment where Jason and Rob have a disagreement. Jason takes an issue with a verse of Rob's and they go back and forth for a bit before Jay quietly gets up and leaves. When he comes back, Rob explains that he felt hard done by the criticism because it'd taken him a few days to write and he was connected to how he'd done it. He also apologises for being defensive. It's that level of understanding and empathy and communication that really affects me when I see it. It's an example of what Jason wanted. He said he wasn't afraid to hit a wall or argue. He wanted it. It was healing.

Progress was a full circle experience. Mark was floating for a year. It was also exactly what Rob needed and it gave him the confidence to return to his solo career. Unfortunately, when Rob left that was all the reason Jason needed to leave too.

So why does he not stay in contact with the others? Why did he disappear? This is a whole other question honestly, with a few different explanations. But I think it's just simply that he wants to leave it behind. He's 54 years old, he wants a normal life with his boring business (which just so happens to make a shitton of money. recurring theme, anyone?). Take That was a chapter in his life and it ended a long time ago. He got the closure he needed, and he doesn't care to be a musician. I think it'd be too distracting and maybe painful to still be around TT3.

Relationship with Robbie

Finally: I understand why people think Jason and Robbie didn't get on in the 90s. As the "wise, level-headed" one, Jason would've found Rob's antics and immaturity annoying. It's also known that Jason felt responsible for pushing Rob out of the band, hence why that reconciliation was so important.

Personally, I think they got on fine, generally. Their dynamic in the band isn't seen as much as the others, and of the Rob pairings it's probably the weakest. They were so oppositional they probably didn't know what to do with each other. Rob thought very highly of himself and was ambitious since the beginning, but he still recognised that Jay knew what he was doing. He was older and actually had the experience. Then as the band took off, Jason settled into his position while Rob was Not Doing That. I think for all his nonchalance, Jason took Take That very seriously. It probably frustrated him that Rob wasn't playing along. Jason also probably held resentment towards him for the fallout his leaving brought. There were serious complications between July '95 when Rob left and February '96 when the band announced the split. It left a lot of broken bitterness. Jason refused to engage with Rob in any form, he never bought his music for instance, but clearly, deep down, he wanted to reconcile. They loved each other. They were brothers. That's how it is with brothers.

[laserwalnut]

Just sending this to let you know that I love your art in general, but I especially love the markings you draw on the illagers' skin. It sort of reminds me of how apparently people all have stripes but we can't see them

THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH! Omg you don’t know but this actually enables me to talk about why I draw them with the markings so thank you Once again…

First it was actually based off the little strip of dark coloration all testificates have on their cheeks! It’s present on all 3 and is the same color as their noses (excluding the witch) so I thought, well, I can make a nifty little thing out of this… so I draw all of them with that cheek stripe!

THEN the furry slash warrior cat fiend in my heart spoke to me and said… Give them more markings… Give them STRIPES! SPOTS! And that is Exactly what I did. (Though, I tend to give illagers the fancy stripes and otherwise intricate markings while witches/villagers have ‘tamer’ ones. Witch markings range from patches, splotches & birthmarks to spots & freckles while villagers usually have more freckle-like spots and such. My reasoning behind this is: illagers are already discolored and might I say, “wild” as in living far away from civilization deep in the woods so I think they could’ve developed the markings for camouflage, even? Same goes to witches. Does that make sense? No idea. But it’s nice.)

These markings (+ their eyebrow shapes!) are also genetic, here are two siblings and their parents to demonstrate. (Disclaimer I know quite little😅 about genetics. I design families like this mostly by eyeball)

Here’s also my guy Felix to demonstrate how markings may spread across an illager’s body. He’s just one example though, illager markings vary A LOT. Some have white across their bodies; particularly the face, neck, chest, belly, hands/palms and feet/soles (like Finnegan, Idith and their mother a bit above), some have tabby stripes, some have more flowier shapes that line their skin… and many more. Can you tell I like comparing illagers/testificates to cats? I love the way cats are designed. They’re my biggest inspo!

HOPEFULLY THIS WAS A COMPREHENSIBLE READ boy do I love the gray freak things. Maybe I will make some body refs of my illagers to show you all their slick little markings… ^u^~

[steviewashere]

Soothed

Rating: General CW: Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, Minor Discussion of Bullying Tags: Pre-Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson, Hurt Eddie Munson, Injured Eddie Munson, Steve Harrington Takes Care of Eddie Munson, Protective Steve Harrington, Worried Steve Harrington, Steve Harrington is a Sweetheart, Eddie Munson is a Sweetheart, Hurt/Comfort, Steve Harrington Loves Eddie Munson, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, And Gets One

For the @steddielovemonth prompt: "Love is a warm hug."

💕—————��

There was a knock at Steve’s front door.

Which is unusual to him. If somebody from the group—teenagers, adults, and preteens alike—then they’d use the spare key in the potted flower on the porch. Just barge right in, announce themself in the foyer, and let Steve find them first. They were told to be respectful, so that’s the least thing they can do.

But a knock? Unheard of. Steve pauses the movie he’s watching in the living room, stands from the couch, pops his back, and shuffles over to the front door. He turns the lock, twists the knob, and pulls the door from its jamb. On his porch: sopping wet, shivering, and down right miserable…is Eddie.

It’s late May, which means spring is in full swing. Which also means that there’s been forecasted rain. And, for some odd reason, Eddie hasn’t taken note of that. At least, that’s what Steve can gather.

Eddie’s hunched into himself. Hands gripping to his elbows. Dressed in a plain grey t-shirt and dark blue Levis, the same Reeboks he always wears. His hair, which was shaved back in March for surgery, is flat to his skull, frizzy from the rain. But, what scares Steve the most, is the dark purple bruise cupping a terribly swollen left eye. The eyeball itself is glazed over and bloodshot. His bottom lip is slightly puffy, sluggishly bleeding down his chin. And his nose, well Steve doesn’t think it’s broken, but it definitely is bloody, too. If the oddball patch below his right nostril has anything to say about it.

Steve moves to drag Eddie inside, but drops his hands when Eddie flinches away, nearly stumbling down to the concrete. He lets go of his elbows, which are now decorated with fine small crescents, and shields himself. There’s a couple smaller, red bruises decorating his wrists. As if somebody grabbed him. Steve fumes at the sight.

“Eddie,” Steve breathes, “why don’t you come inside?” He steps away from the door, letting it sit open and waiting. On shuffled, hesitant feet, Eddie comes in. His eyes dart around the room before they land back on Steve. Immediately, some of the tension and fear in his big brown eyes falls away. Instead, a layer of relief and gratitude seems to fill him. Enough that his eyes brim with tears. “Oh, Eds,” Steve can only coo.

Sniffling, mumbling, “They hurt me so bad,” Eddie says. He’s shivering. Whether that be from the cold or anxiety that’s surely swimming in Eddie’s stomach, Steve can’t tell. He inhales a wet gasp. Almost choking with it. “I just—I was trying to help this girl—And then they screamed at me and they—They hurt me,” he sobs. One of his hands flies up to his face, roughly wiping away the tears that try to travel down his cheeks. He presses too hard on his bruise and hisses.

“Okay, Eddie,” Steve mutters, “you’re safe here. It’s okay. They can’t get you here.” He doesn’t know who They is. But whoever they are, Steve knows he can rely on old reliable to do a good job. (Old reliable sits at the back of his closet, still crusted with blood, more nails than wood at this point). He hesitantly steps closer, palm out, ushering for Eddie to follow him to the downstairs master bathroom. There’s a part of him that hates treating Eddie like he’s a spooked little animal, defenseless and wrecked on the side of the road, one that’s been hit by a car, one that’s too afraid to realize they’ll live. But, what else is he supposed to do? Getting too close in his space seems to make Eddie freak, which is the last thing Steve wants.

Without any other words, just some wet sobs and aching cries that crumble Steve’s heart, Eddie follows on his heels. Head down to the floor, arms loose at his sides, his fingers flexing as if to press into the soft flesh of his palm. He settles over the closed toilet seat while Steve rummages through the cabinets, coming out successful with a red first aid bag in his hands. It’s heavy between his palms, overstocked and readily loaded for any and all emergencies. This feels like something detrimental, Steve hates how he’s shaking, too.

He grabs necessary first aid. Just a little bit of rubbing alcohol to get the dried blood off of Eddie’s skin, a half used tube of Neosporin, and a wad of toilet paper to hold to the wound. His nose seems to have stopped bleeding many minutes ago, so Steve’s not worried about that needing to be plugged up. But he still stands in front of Eddie—Well, actually, he crouches down onto the tiled flooring. Hard on his knees, but that puts him at eye level with the poor guy. He sets out his supplies on the lip of the bathtub, just to his right. And sets his palms softly on Eddie’s knees. He’s shaking there, too.

“Alright, Eds, tell me where it hurts. I gotta make sure you don’t have anything broken or anything that requires stitches, that’s all,” he coaxes.

Instead of speaking, Eddie displays his wrists. Turning them slowly so that Steve can see every dark splotching of bruises. He points to his eye, which was all too obvious to Steve. At his lip. The bridge of his nose. And then, he splays his left hand over his heart. Bunching the fabric of his t-shirt there. His eyes are mournful, still at the floor, not exactly looking at Steve. More like he’s looking through the floor. There are tears cascading down his face. His skin a blotchy, red and white mess, puffy from injuries and emotion.

Steve sets his own right hand over Eddie’s left. “Your heart hurts?” He asks, thumb swiping over his soft cotton shirt. “What did they do to your chest, Eds?”

Eddie shrugs and shakes his head. “They didn’t—Nothing physical.”

“Oh.” Oh. “Eddie,” Steve breathes. His own eyes are burning.

Eddie’s shoulders shake with the onslaught of new sobs and tears. But he reigns himself in quickly. His eyes finding Steve’s in a dizzyingly fast twitch. “Please help me, Steve,” he quietly pleads. “I’ll tell you, but I—I can’t—“

Steve hushes him. He grabs for the wad of toilet paper and guides it gently to Eddie’s lip. The bleeding has started anew, faster and steadier. With the press, Steve whispers, “I’ve got you. Never have to beg for my help, Eddie. Never, ever.” He holds it there for a few silent minutes. And when he takes it away, the bleeding has soothed. “I’m gonna put some Neosporin on your lip, okay? It might sting.”

“It’s okay,” Eddie lowly whispers. Still though, he winces with the small swipe of cream to his lip. Hissing minutely behind his teeth. Steve runs his other palm down Eddie’s right arm.

Once his lip is taken care of, the other areas follow easy. Wiping carefully at the tacky areas of drying blood on his skin. Underneath his lower lip, dipping a little into his right nostril, the underside of his chin. And when the first aid is done, Steve settles back on the bathroom floor, hands pressed warmly to Eddie’s knees. “Let’s get you a change of warm clothes,” he starts, “and some ice for that bruise. Do you need any ice for the ones on your wrist?” Eddie just shakes his head. “Okay,” Steve mutters, nodding. “The good news is that nothing’s broken. Just some gnarly coloring and swelling that needs remedied. How about you follow me upstairs and we can hang out in my room?”

They don’t speak as they ascend the stairs. Or as Steve hands over a small stack of clothes: green sweatpants, white long sleeve undershirt, thick grey socks. Neither of them speak as Eddie changes in the ensuite bathroom or when he slithers back into the bedroom, still hunched, still small. As they clamber into Steve’s bed, sitting up at the headboard, legs stretched in front of them, hands to themselves.

The silence is almost suffocating. Hates the small sniffles coming from his left. Hates how one of his closest friends has been reduced to the skeleton of a boy, surely somebody that Wayne met many years ago. Hates it all. Hates it.

“Do you want to know what happened?” Eddie finally croaks.

“Only if you want me to know,” Steve easily replies. Because, sure, he loves his gossip. Loves the drama that swirls around Hawkins. But Eddie’s business is his own, and if he’s embarrassed by what happened, Steve won’t force. Fuck, he knows what it’s like to get your ass beat and then want to remain silent in the aftermath.

Eddie nods slow, eyes at his folded hands, searching for the words. His tongue rolls over his top teeth. And he sighs through his nose. His voice is raspy and small when he speaks. Steve instinctually leans closer. They’re both warm, or at least, Eddie’s nearing that. “I was eating lunch in the cafeteria today,” he begins. “I ate alone because I didn’t—It’s not worth dragging attention to the rest of Hellfire. Not anymore. Didn’t even want to do one of my stupid speeches, y’know?” Steve hums.

He continues, “This girl—probably a sophomore, I don’t know—had walked behind my table. But she tripped over something and fell straight to the ground, her lunch was spilled all over the place, down the front of her shirt. She was crying. And I—“ He huffs, closes his eyes, and roams his teeth again. His head falls back, hitting the headboard with a soft Thud. Opening his eyes up at the ceiling, it’s all too obvious that they’re filling with tears again. “All I did was stand up from my seat and offer my hand to her. That’s all I did. But…Fuck,” he softly swears. His hand coming up and swiping at his eyes. “Jason’s stupid buddies saw me. Shoved me down to the ground. Scared off that girl. That poor girl. And they just beat me,” he rushes out, unwavering, though congested. “Beat me in front of all my fucking peers. So I just ran, Steve. Ran away like I always do. Back to my car and then I—I didn’t really know where I was going. Ended up here, I guess.”

Steve rests the side of his head on the board of his bed. Just looking over at Eddie. “I’m sorry, Eds,” he states sincerely. “For what they did.” He wishes there was more he could say. Could do. Eddie definitely won’t allow him to go on a rampage in his honor. But, Steve weighs the consequences in his head.

“It’s not your fault,” Eddie whispers after a moment. Sighing with the sentiment.

“I can still be sorry on your behalf,” Steve shoots right back. “I’m glad you came here, though. I’d probably worry otherwise.” He rests his left hand over Eddie’s right. Squeezes. “Is there anything else that I can do for you right now?”

For a moment, Eddie hesitates. Seemingly mulling over whatever it is he wants. Until, his head drops down and his eyes are set on Steve. Big and wet. They dart between Steve’s, searching. With whatever he found, he softly requests, “Can you hug me?”

Without another thought, Steve scoots as close as he possibly can. Their thighs hot on each other. And he scoops Eddie up between his arms. One over his shoulder blades, the other resting on his lower back. His hands splay over Eddie’s warm body. Head tucked to the side of Eddie’s. 

And Eddie, he wraps back enthusiastically. A hand going to Steve’s head, the other to his right side. Fingers simply toying with the ends of Steve’s hair. He goes boneless in the embrace, sighing into it. Shoving his forehead into Steve’s shoulder. 

“Thank you,” he whispers.

Steve shakes his head. “No need.” And it’s true. Because, gosh, Steve would do anything for Eddie. If it means ridding him of all the hurt he’ll ever experience, taking it on as his own, he’d do it. In a heartbeat. “Does your chest still hurt?”

“No,” Eddie whispers, his own head knocking into Steve’s neck. “Think you fixed me. Think this fixed me.” He squeezes Steve’s torso. And then he goes quiet again. His breaths heavy, relaxed, deep into Steve’s soul. The frizzy bits to his hair tickle against Steve’s jaw with every small shuffle, like he’s trying to burrow deep between them. Steve almost wants to open up his ribcage and let him in. Then, Eddie sighs completely sated. He whispers, “Reminds me of my mom.”

“That a good thing?”

“It’s the best, Stevie,” Eddie swears. “Her hugs were like sunshine. Like just one touch and suddenly my day would just—“ And he makes a soft “Poof” noise near Steve’s ear. It warms his chest, the way Eddie animates things. “—No clouds.”

Steve nuzzles closer. “You can always come to me,” he promises. “I’ll hug you even if you don’t have the words to ask.”

I’d find you in the dark, anywhere, anytime, he almost wants to say. I’d find you by touch alone.

Eddie’s content sigh is enough of a response. It’s enough for Steve to remain pressed to him. It’s enough to make his heart beat molasses slow and comfortable.

It’s enough to make him say, “I’ve got you.” What he truly means: “I love you."

💕—————💕 Okay, I am so sorry for how long it took to get to the hug. But I literally couldn't think of a hugging interaction without a lot of information leading into it. Hope this is good, though!

[daughterofevil158]

How do you think Damon’s soulmates would react to Damon nearly dying (either because of a failed murder attempt, because of Mara, or possibly due to a motive (like if the motive is you can’t eat until someone kills or something like that)).

I am eyeing your ask like it's my favorite ice cream flavor that's on sale at the market (gonna try and give answers that aren't just "angry as hell" tho there definitely is a lot of that. strap in cuz this is long)

Putting some context/speculation before my answers:

◊ happens after Eva's murder attempt gets foiled. The soulmate group gets all the details (and since most of them were involved in the tournament, it gets postponed for a while)

◊ When Tozu told her "you'll be the first to die if you don't take the perk" he meant it as "someone might kill you first" instead of her being punished (gotta love that vague wording)

◊ While I do like the murder attempt angle, I feel it'd lead to the exact same out-grouping that caused this whole mess in the first place because naturally the majority would assume one of the 5 that aren't directly linked to Damon did it

So instead, the situation is: Eva gets found out, and after the resulting confrontation among all the soulmates, her console/camera monitor is taken away. And while most of them think Wolfgang should keep it, he gives it to Damon for safekeeping as a sign of trust. Tozu doesn't react to this for a few days...until Damon opens it to try finding a weak/escape point in the building. Having it is one thing, but the traitor perk should only be used by the traitor, no? But since they were unaware of this, he will "discipline" them rather than a full-on punishment.

The moment Damon's by himself, the announcement system clicks on with Tozu stating just as much before a gunshot rings out through the system. If the non-soulmates don't already know about the situation. they sure do when Jett goes down and the others start freaking out. Thankfully, Damon's still conscious enough to write where he is to Ulysses (in his own blood, cue more panic), they find him and carry him to the infirmary, and since it was a warning shot from Mara, it went completely through with no major damage (besides the obvious). Cue reactions.

Eva and Wolfgang are definitely guilt-tripping themselves hard over this (Eva for taking the perk and Wolfgang for handing it to Damon). If anyone verbally blames Eva for this, it's probably Kai and/or Toshiko. Even though they know why she took the perk and that logically it's Tozu's fault for the whole situation, reason tends to fly out the window when your soulmate literally almost died in front of you (exaggeration, Desmond points out that if Mara intended to kill him, he'd be dead, and they managed to patch him up fairly well with the supplies there). Only bright side is that it's coming from a place of concern for Damon.

(Sidenote: kinda surprised that the cast's blood types aren't listed in the student bios. I don't think we saw any blood packs in the infirmary either, but whether there are actually some or if they had to do a transfusion on the fly is up to you.)

It's (un)surprisingly Diana who speaks up and reminds them that Tozu's to blame, and if they're going to blame Eva, they should also blame themselves for isolating her to such a point (don't worry, Eva's blaming herself enough for everyone there). Desmond is quietly seething, but keeps it together enough to make a schedule for everyone to check on Damon in case "Tozu" tries anything else (imo he embraces Chiaki's philosophy of "belief without doubt is a lie." He wants to trust that no one would strike Damon while he's down, but better safe than sorry).

Cassidy definitely talks to Damon while he lies there when it's her turn. About how she got the high score in some game, or that Kai tripped over nothing and spilled his drink all over Wenona. Girl is trying hard to avoid the situation, but it eventually gets into how Cassidy wanted to see how Damon did in the Slam Sister tournament, and that he needs to wake up soon so they can all play together. Meanwhile, congrats Jett! You were lucky enough to have a soulmate who didn't really get hurt besides occasionally getting tripped or shoved, but now that's coming back to bite you! It finally really clicks what the "shared pain" soulmark means (specifically concerning a certain accident). Guilty dog(coyote) hours ahead, but now he gets to return the favor and inform the people on watch duty if Damon needs more morphine/meds/whatever they're using to help with the pain.

Because of *insert imitation pieces here*, Mark and Ulysses are definitely checking in on Damon even when it's not their turn because of anxiety, making sure that he's still alive. It would especially suck for Mark, because imo he is not a fan of hospital-esque places, to put it lightly. He sucks it up for Damon's sake and will also talk to him while holding his hand, maybe even listening to some of his more relaxing beats in hopes that Damon will hear it through the bond and wake up sooner. On the other hand, Ulysses is carrying a second journal just to write down everything about Damon's condition. Man is not sleeping when it's his turn to watch Damon (he's not sleeping at all, in fact); if he even moves a centimeter it goes in the journal. It's mostly focused on the time sensitive things though, like when he need his bandages changed or how long it'll be before they can give another dosage of the medications they're using. Surprisingly though, Ulysses is able to accurately recall all the information without checking, though he does so anyway just in case. Eventually the lack of sleep concerns the others enough that Wolfgang pulls him off watch duty.

(Tozu is engrossed in the hurt/comfort arc as if he didn't cause it)

[magicjesuscup]

I have feelings towards solo-romanced Halsin's ending/epilogue.

Halsin and Tav celebrate all night, and in the morning Halsin starts throwing out mixed signals. He's leaving to take care of the kids that were orphaned after the netherbrain fight and doesn't give any indication that he wants Tav to go with him, but it also doesn't sound like his feelings for Tav have changed.

I would've been (1) confused by the lack of an option to go with him, (2) hurt because this sounds like a break-up speech (like a "we shouldn't be together anymore, but let's stay friends" type thing), and (3) concerned that something's wrong because he's otherwise been a very good communicator up until this point.

It looks like originally going with him wasn't even an option (which was a weird choice to offer him as a love interest, but not give players a way to stay with him at the end of the game), and when that was patched in, they did it in the meanest way they could. Tav's line is:

Visit as soon as I can? Don't be an ass, Halsin. I'll come with you right now.

Oof. I wouldn't talk to my lover like this, and I don't know that I'd stay with someone who talked to me like that. I also want to note that I think you only get the cute, bragging "I love Halsin" lines to say to the other companions at the party if you call him an ass here first. Thanks, I hate it. I wish it was something more along the lines of:

Why can't I go with you?

Either option could've led to (most) of Halsin's dialog that followed.

But what about all that you'll miss out on? Your name will be feted in this city - there will be parades, medals, feasts, hands to be shaken, babies to be kissed…are you truly sure.

I know in the epilogue he's still surprised Tav chose him, and I'm trying to figure out why, and why he didn't throw out Tav accompanying him as an option. I get that a lot of people he loved/cared about didn't stay in life, but none of them left him voluntarily. His parents, the archdruid before him, and his peers died to either illness or the shadow curse. Thaniel's absence is only temporary if you lift the shadow curse, and the only reason he "left" in the first place was because he was trapped by the curse.

It would've made way more sense to me if he had a little freak out after falling in love with Tav and having the realization that the person he loves could turn into an illithid thrall. They would be gone, and he might have to kill what's left if they tried to eat his or someone else's brain. Also, it would absolutely be horrific to watch Tav go through ceremorphosis. Having a mind flayer parasite isn't the same as being sick, but it is a physical affliction that Halsin can't fix. He's weirdly positive that they'll find a cure, and they never do (at least not in the sense of medication or surgery).

It also would've made sense if he had a bit of a breakdown if Tav asks for one last kiss before the final battle starts ramping up. Things are getting stupid dangerous, and this has historically been when his friends start dying. But, nope he's still super calm here too and optimistic that they'd live (although after their night together, he admits he didn't dare believe they'd actually survive).

I'm not sure if they did the whole, "I'm going to ride off into the sunset, but watch the horizon for you everyday," thing to add some drama, but it feels out of place considering these other options. If Tav was going to "leave" it would've been due to the parasite or not surviving the battle. In the epilogue, those dangers have passed. If anything, it's at this part of the story where he should've felt most secure in their relationship because he's never had someone leave him "just because."

[n1ghtcr0wler]

LUCKY LUKE HEADCANON

First: Shout out to Maxermixer and their awesome drawings, who are the reason this headcanon started running around in my Head

Second: This has Angel Luke x Demon Joe in it, so if you don't like that either ignore or don't read

Third: English is not my first Language

So here it goes:

-luke and the daltons die after canon (or fanon if you want)

-luke being upgraded from a soul to an angel bc of all his good deads

-the daltons from souls to demons bc of their wrongdoings and respektive kill counts giving them a high enough reputation in hell to become demons

-angels being really pale and having white hair bc they are made to be pure but not as in i am better than you but bc they simply are good people

-angels also having cold bodies as the only contact they have are the souls in heaven ,which dont have bodies so they cant feel and they normaly arent allowed to visit alive humans in order not to influence them so they can be all judged fairly

(same rule goes for demons)

-but angels wings work as their halos and give off a gentle light that is warm and the the souls can feel that warmth, its supposed to comfort them, thats why angels include their wings when they hug you

(like when you are disturbed when you realise you just died)

-demons bodies are reddish bc of their heat, bc it is hell and its hot everywhere the souls down there cant get any comfort off of it (the souls are actually from bad people)

-hell is built up of different terrains making punishing souls easier, hot/cold/dry/wet

-a soul can leave hell once they realise what they did wrong, regret it fully and actually mean when they say they changed (they have to face lucifer and he knows when they are lying)

-luke and the daltons dont have their memory but the fellings stayed, they feel they know eachother but dont know why/how/when

-luke gets thrown out of heaven bc someone accuses him of having killed someone (true but that was mad jim who wanted to ruin lukes and the daltons lives completly and luke killed him for the daltons well being not his own which is found out later)

-normaly angels lose their wings when they fall but luke doesnt bc he killed jim for someone else making him still a good person

-while knocked out on hells ground a bunch of demons find him including the daltons who then put a claim on him as they have that felling that they gotta protect luke

-they bring him to their 'house' and treat his injuries

-after luke wakes up he freaks out and runs of hiding in a hole in the walls

-(hell has a part that is frezing cold and some random patches of cold spots in these wall holes)

-luke can lay down in a way that his body is on the hot ground and his wings on the cold spots, making him fall asleep

-they find him and manage to get him to get out

-over time he gets to know everyone closer including the other bad guys he had to deal with in the canon, forming friendships

-though bc i am a lukexjoe shipper they fall in love, having some funny/cute moments bc of their feelings from their past lives influencing how they behave around eachother

-giving joes brothers the opportunity to tease him for falling for an angel

-they visit earth at some point (dont have a reason yet) were they look like how they looked as humans just in modern clothes

(love luke in a turtleneck jumper, he is still cold/joe in the leather jacket)

-at some point luke gets triked to go in the cold part of hell and almost freezing to double death as his wings arent warm enough, the daltons safe him

-the hole where he hid is becoming his napping spot as he is constantly sleepy bc of the constant warmth around him

(-luke and joe have sex at some point [bottom luke/top joe] bc i want to)

-lucifer is made aware luke is with them and wants to talk to him, as he was till then the only angel that is down there and kept their wings, he thinks luke was wrongly judged and sends questions back to heaven who then find out why he killed jim and grand him entrance to heaven again

-luke is basicly picked up and send back automaticly so couldnt even say no

-the daltons try to grab him but arent strong enough and having to watch him dissapear

-the daltons and other demons protest against them taking luke away just like that, while in heaven luke is trying to get back down again but fails

-heaven and hell notice that luke is a positive influence on the demons while not having negative influence get to him

-in the end he is allowed to go back down and so are other angels to spread positiv influence on demons and souls

! If someone wants to do fanart/ fanfic/ others, you are welcome to use this headcanon to your fullest, i would just like maxermixer for their art and me for the idea to be mentioned !

[n33dlew0rk]

Crollo

rated T | 1113 words | cw: cheating, scarce emotional management, angst

for @steddieangstyaugust prompt “angst with happy ending” (day 4)

This is not even inspired by, I directly quoted/translated some parts of “Crollo” by Quercia.

Yeah yeah yeah, so Steve was not prepared for that, honestly. He was ready for a lot of things but most of them were way outside of the humans hurting other humans emotionally spectrum. Hell, if anything he probably deserved some kind of reward, because the speed at which he turned his more than well-earned freaking the fuck out moment into a demonstration of probably not as much well-earned devotion, was truly compelling. 

His heart was left inside dessicating while his trust left the building without a word.

And he couldn’t even relate to most of the typical rockstar wives enduring the obvious implications of the touring life drama, because it wasn’t a matter of fans and groupies and drugs and trashed hotel rooms, no. He was a producer, a friend, a more than three yearly bbqs with families and acquaintances and coworkers good buddy, a fishing directly into Steve’s worst paranoia of not having enough in common with Eddie nightmare, also a fucking steady gig, apparently.

So Steve did what seems to be the thing he does best: he babysat his relationship through the motions. (The motions being lots of tears and make-up sex and talking a lot about forgiveness and listening to a lot of good reasons why the love of his life was supposedly kind of right in looking out for his own emotional needs instead of talking with Steve even if he couldn’t think of a single time he denied Eddie anything and months of hush-hush couples therapy because tabloid-wise Steve did not exist and ironically nor did Danny).

Yeah, so time went by, slowly piecing together the crumbling foundations of their love with gold-infused hope-based and will-reinforced glue. 

And seeing as helping others was his true call since his long lost life-altering teenage years, Steve can’t really be blamed for forgetting about the festering consequences of those same fractures inside himself. Make them feel good and you’ll feel good too eventually, right?

Steve opened his eyes every day pretending to see the sun filtering just through the blinds of their bedroom instead of through all the cracks not even the purest 24k gold could fix in his attempt to rebuild a fragile vase-like life with Eddie.

One could say that forgiveness has many different fashions of coming into existence, that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to restore a relationship. And while this is all theoretically very true, it is also true that in bullshitting his way through nearly one year of Kintsugi style patching up his entire world, Steve was brought to the conclusion that repairing his love life even if with golden-plated good intentions would never bring it back as it was.

And as soon as Steve folded under the pressure of this realisation, so did everything else. Like the debris of a fire, hurt spread like an infection, a wedge in a rift long-simmering, not undetected but surely underestimated.

So Steve left.

He packed all the shards in a suitcase, heavy with grief and resentment, leaving a trail of wounds he didn’t even know he had growing inside himself like freshly baked bullets aimed at Eddie’s heart. 

Steve left and the ground behind him where once their beautiful house rose was so burnt he was sure he sentenced to death every slim chance Eddie and him could ever even hope to grasp.

Almost a whole year later, during his first solo therapy session in a new city with a new job and a new apartment and such newfound freedom he never asked for he spent nearly half an hour crying, stuck on a single phrase he kept on murmuring, condemnation on his shoulders more than a prayer for repentance: “I never fix myself in time to not make myself hated”.

It was after a few weeks of pouring waterfalls of regret and bile, after the first painful tries at cleaning the cut splitting him in two, that Janine -bless the woman- said to him: “Steve, how about we ditch this whole” she gestured vaguely at him with her wrinkly blood red lacquered fingers “rebuilding what once was concept”.

Steve looked at her confused as a pre-schooler who’s just been told that he cannot call the teacher ‘mom’. “What do you mean?” he half-sobbed.

She sighed, “I mean that it’s been years for you and weeks for us and still the only direction you seem to be able to look at everything that happened is the one where somehow you magically discover a way to turn back in time and resume your happy unaware life.” That was an unusually long sentence for Janine, whose primary and native language consisted of sceptical nods, expressive and judgemental eyebrows and the occasional grunt.

Predictably it was an exception and the precious sliver of patience was slipping quickly from Janine’s eyes. 

“I- I don’t know what else to do” Steve said, trying to fight tears with a very weak composure, straightening his back on the plush chair. “I tried to fix it, I fucked it up more instead.”

“And you think that the only thing on the other side of that is what? Perfection?” Janine slapped her thighs, getting up and around her desk. “Steve, our session is running short today, but listen to me carefully”, she paused, putting both her hands on Steve’s shoulders.

“The before you’re so stubbornly looking at through rose tinted glasses is the same place where everything you’re trying to untangle now was born.”

Steve lifted his glazed eyes to hers, mid-way between a(nother) breakdown and hopefulness.

“You’re scared. You already know you can’t have it back like it was, you already tried to puzzle your way into a life that wasn’t good enough for either of you.” She said.

Steve rose from the chair, slowly walking towards the door. “The sooner you let yourself break, break free from your already crushed castle of romanticised nostalgia, the sooner your fears will disappear.” Another pause, the bitch really was going in with the dramatics. “Then you can build anew.”

You reached Steve Harrington. I’m currently unavailable, please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. “Hey Steve, I know this is kind of out of the blue and I’m calling despite... fear eating me out because honestly. I mean, fuck, I can’t say I would still wanna talk to me if I was in your shoes, but.. Sweetheart I need to at least try, because... I haven’t seen you in more than a year and you’re still the only thing missing from my world for it to be even tolerable. So… what do you say about lunch and I don’t know, start over?”

Divider by @steddiecameraroll-graphics

[naviwinters]

Part of the reason I’m so sad for Carlos is that he himself seems so dejected and just bewildered and at a loss to explain where his pace has gone and why he’s no longer comfortable in the car. It’s been a while since I’ve seen him like this. That’s setting aside the absolutely terrible things a lot of people are saying; even some of his own fans have now turned against him and are no longer supporting him.

anon I feel like everyone needs to chill. seeing f1 fans being so reactionary is so interesting to me because it just shows a lack of understanding about how long it can take a person to acclimate to a new car. I was watching this podcast that described it through this analogy - it’s like when you’ve used your own shower for 5 years and you suddenly have to use someone else’s, it’s going to take you a bit to figure out how the taps work, how to adjust the temperature etc. it’s only natural for carlos to have a learning curve.

also, all athletes have patches, hopefully Carlos’s rough patch will happen at the beginning of the season just for this initial race (because he has literally only raced ONE time) and he’ll kill it as the rest of the season goes by. also, something that might put into context how insanely reactionary people are being right now - I’m a cricket fan and I have loads of players I love in that sport and when a cricket player has a rough patch or a drop in form it LASTS YEARS. And the way cricket fans approach it is we’re like ‘oh I guess Joe Root is going to be shit this whole year, we shouldn’t worry though, he’s too class to not figure out his issues’. And obviously f1 has a driver market and doesn’t function the same way but just remember that this level of freaking out is very abnormal and premature. Last year, this time, mclaren were the 7th or 8th team, lando was literally fighting Oscar for p16 or sth I think, and look how much of an insane turnaround there was. I have faith that things will work out for carlos <3

I can see that Carlos himself is going through it right now but he’s the athlete, he’s the person experiencing everything acutely, I’ve seen him plenty depressed in ferrari as well over p7 or whatever. as fans, we don’t have the same excuse to be confused and overwhelmed. we need to show some perseverance and stop experiencing this headloss and actually show that we truly believe in the guy we’ve been supporting for all these years.

also if anyone has fun rpf qs or wants to talk about that or even like George pls send those my way I feel like I’ve talked about the driving on track and Carlos’s future wayyy too much in the last few days

[practically-an-x-man]

It's TST and I have no brain to come up with anything vaguely original...

Wanna give me a Director's Commentary on the two part Gia Were AU?

Oooooh thank you!! I always love doing these Director's Commentaries!!

Link to the fic here for those who haven't seen it! Spoilers ahead!

____

She needed to take a few minutes. Kate Bishop had seen more than her fair share of certified Weird Shit in her life- especially within the last two years of it. Vigilantes, crime syndicates, superpowers galore… she thought she’d gotten used to it by now. Hell, her girlfriend’s soul, or life essence, or however she described it, was bound to the patch of clover growing on the back wall of her shop. It took Kate a little while to come to terms with that one, sure, but she’d gotten there.

I really liked this as an intro to the piece! It sets up the time frame as immediately after the last piece (with Kate still freshly reacting to werewolf-Gia in the hidden room), but also gives us a bit more context into where they are in the wider span of their relationship (Kate knows about the clover already, so she's more likely to take the rest of this in stride rather than having a complete freakout).

Kate's still very freaked-out here, of course, but there's a difference between "this is weird and I need to process it" and "HOLY FUCK I'M GETTING OUT OF HERE", and really the only reason she's managing the first one is that she's been here (sort of) with Gia before.

But that thing in the basement… …that wolf-sized creature pacing the room, that thing with clover growing out of its skin instead of fur, that thing conveniently missing its left hind leg at the knee… …that rattled her. 

And just in case people need a refresher on part one, with the actual description of werewolf-Gia, this section here serves as a reminder to them while also showcasing Kate's continued emotions about it all. I thought this was clever, myself!

It took Kate an hour or two to reach that point, still pacing the flower shop in the same mindless circles as that Gia-thing paced the hidden room.

I just loved this line, and this comparison of Kate to werewolf-Gia downstairs! It gives Kate the image of this chained animal pacing because there's nothing else to do, while also reminding the audience again of what state Gia's in herself.

She used to think that was a hormone-cycle thing, but now she wondered if these transformations were the catalyst. Or at least a catalyst, if not the only one.

Kate has is right here - at least in this AU, the werewolf transformations are a catalyst to Gia's chronic-illness flares, but there are plenty of other things that could cause it too. And honestly, that probably contributes to how Kate didn't notice this for so long, since it wasn't as firm a pattern of "every morning after the full moon, and only then"

Kate had hardly taken two steps when she heard soft sobs erupt behind her. She turned around to find Gia shielding her face behind her hands, hunched in on herself like she wanted to disappear. She drew her knees up, compacting her frame and then shivering as the motion caused the bedsheets to slide away from her body.

Originally, I planned to have a bit more hurt/comfort and fluff in this scene before we got to the whole werewolf conversation, but when I actually got to writing it, I got stuck trying to extend the scene and decided just to leave it however it fit- which happened to be a bit shorter. We still get some good comfort here, of course, but the focus ending up being less about the hurt/comfort and more about the overall aftermath and processing emotions.

“Started a few months after I got out of- of HYDRA,” Gia answered, the words watery but not especially broken, “I dunno if… it they were doing something to suppress it, or if it just took longer to develop in the first place, or- or what, but… it’s every month now, and I just- I don’t know what to do.”

Honestly, I'm not entirely sure which it is myself, or if it's something different entirely! Maybe if I keep writing this AU, I'll lock into a specific route with how Gia's lycanthropy developed, but with this just being a two-parter for now I decided to leave it a bit more nebulous.

Matt - good man. Good for legal trouble. Call, don’t text. (**add: hangs around HK. Call if G needs help) Frank - for the dirty jobs. Don’t take anything personally. (**add: also in HK. Might scare G but would help in emerg.) Maya - not for Kingpin trouble. Might help against others. Text, don’t call.

Writing about these little vigilante contact notes was honestly my favorite part of the whole piece! I love hinting at the other characters like this; especially with those little details that would sound fairly mundane to someone not familiar with the character, but represent a very specific detail to those who are familiar (such as "call, don't text" being related to Matt being blind - I'm sure he has a screen reader, but calls would just be easier either way)

One of the ones that confused her most was a single phone number attached to three different people, with instructions based on who picked up the phone: Steven; ask for Marc. Marc; tell him what you need, and don’t talk too much. Jake; hang up and try again later, unless it’s an absolute emergency. That was all Clint’s note said, aside from the detail that they were out of town half the time, and it left Kate confused beyond belief.

And here's that other little vigilante-hint that I had fun with! This one's Moon Knight, of course, and while this is a simplified version of the three characters in Clint's notes, I tried to make it fairly accurate. Steven's less experienced and fairly non-confrontational, so wouldn't be the one to talk about hardcore vigilante needs, but he'd probably be willing to pass the front off to Marc if there were an emergency. Marc, of course, tends to be the balance between experienced and agreeable - he's a little gruff, but he's the best-fit of the three to deal with that phone call. And Jake is certainly the most severe of the three, and it might be difficult to work with him as opposed to the other two - but, as the note says, still worth calling if it's an emergency. And of course, part of those notes are for Kate specifically, and how Clint thinks the Moon Knight boys might react to her; not necessarily how they'd react in general.

“Is this Jack?”

As I mentioned in response to your comment on the fic, this "Jack" is in fact Jack Russell, also known as the Werewolf By Night. And yeah, this is absolutely a reference tailored towards the deeper Marvel nerds, but I tried to set it up to be as reader-friendly as possible.

For one thing, that's why I hint at those other vigilantes in the notes: they're also from the Marvel TV side of things, and Maya (Echo) and Steven/Marc/Jake (Moon Knight) were introduced as characters at about the same time Jack was - I'm trying to prime the reader with that, so they're in the right "vein" of the Marvel universe, if they recognize those characters they might be more likely to recognize Jack too. It also helps that the Hawkeye show (with Kate's introduction as a character) was also released around that same time, so I figure most Hawkeye fans have a shot at getting the reference.

And of course, the other perk is that this is a werewolf AU, and Jack is probably the main association of "Marvel + werewolves" that most people will think of. Still a niche reference, but I did try to push the scales a little!

(And... right after posting this piece, I decided to rewatch Werewolf By Night and tumbled headfirst back into my love of Jack Russell as a character... now I've got the starts of a third part to this piece, AND even a new OC I've been toying around with)

Thank you again for the ask!! This was fun!! <3

[mage-ical-character-person]

I’ve seen a lot of people bring up the pilot outfits in this scene and stuff, but never the fact that Charlie is out here looking for injured survivors of the extermination to bandage up. Like I can’t think of any other reason she’d be wandering around in an alleyway with bandages in her pocket right after the extermination.

Is Vaggie the only one she found that day? Did Vaggie follow her as she bandaged up others whose injuries she and her peers were responsible for? It’s just really intriguing and one of those small moments that says a lot.

Also this sort of brings to mind an instance of missed opportunity. Both the pilot and the first actual episode are supposed to take place shortly after an extermination, and I wish we’d seen Charlie doing this then, too. I know there was a lot of exposition to get out of the way in both cases to introduce the series, but still. Could’ve had that happening during Chasing Rainbows, with Charlie seeing the carnage up-close and doing everything she can to help instead of singing on a balcony, never in the same shot as the tragedy she laments.

And honestly when I watched Overture and she was singing Happy Day In Hell… like is it not the single worst day of the year, with the extermination, which motivates your whole… everything? If she were actively trying to make it a Happy Day in Hell during the song and, again, helping her people in the aftermath of the extermination that would be one thing. A much better introduction to her character is the thing it would probably be.

I like her boundless optimism better when it comes from a place of knowing more than one of ignorance and naivety, which is what Happy Day in Hell sort of feels like. It almost feels out of character in that way? She’s grown up in hell, spent her whole life among the carnage and the sinners, and her hope is most impactful when it’s framed with this.

If someone who’s known nothing but literal hell can believe there’s good in everyone, that really says something, and that’s what I love about Charlie. She’s seen the worst of the worst and believes in the best in people anyway. It’s almost funny to see the sinners doubt her when she knows better than anyone that there is always good to be found. She’s a living example that, like flowers growing through cracks in the concrete, positivity can take root anywhere. Characters like Alastor (as much as I love that freak) are frankly stupid to doubt her or think of her as naive. You think you know the nature of sinners better than someone who’s spent their entire ridiculously long life in hell, actively involving herself in the lives of her people? (Unlike her father, who despite being around since the beginning is a shut-in who avoids sinners)

So this scene in Vaggie’s backstory where Charlie is shown up close and personal with the people struggling in her realm, where she’s the shining embodiment of the good in the hostile: it’s a scene that’s very important for more reasons than it initially seems.

Not only is Charlie unknowingly showing Vaggie that what the angels say about hell is wrong by being the one to show kindness and mercy after those Vaggie trusted punished her for her own act of mercy, but it’s a great moment for Charlie’s character when we don’t often see her helping hell’s general population all that directly.

Anyway who wants to bet that in the years since they met Vaggie has joined Charlie as they search for and patch up survivors in the aftermath of the extermination? Because that would be really great I think and would be a great way to show how much things have changed for Vaggie.

So that’s that. I tend to latch on to random details so sorry for that long rant thing. This show has so many good ideas that I wish we saw more of. This was supposed to just be about that one scene and I got carried away.

EDIT: whoops Overture doesn’t take place on extermination day. Point still partially stands because extermination day was recent but yeah. I forgot. Sorry

[h3lfaerie]

Hey Fae! I was wondering for PoA what kind of like armor you were writing hiccup in? Is it like his HTTYD 2 armor? or like a cross between HTTYD and HTTYD: THW ? 100% you don’t have to answer i’m just curious

(also hope calling you fae is fine :))) )

Okay, first of all-

Being called Fae is now my new favourite thing. Excuse me? I am now using that. Thank you so much!!

As for Hiccup's armor, I really like to think he has a variety of gear depending on things like vocation, tasks, expeditions, the freaking weather.

Normally when I refer to the black-scaled armor I'm referencing his gear from The Hidden World. Particularly in Chapter 4, when the Reader's blade gets embedded in the plating.

However, when I was originally writing that scene, I was kind of still figuring out how and where to search for concept art and failed to see that the area around his waist is predominantly (from what I can see?) cured red leather. Which would arguably warrant an injury that is... a whole lot worse than "just a graze", considering he outright leapt at the FMC from Toothless' back mid-flight and impaled himself in the process.

So, considering that it was a pretty important injury that we can see has some pretty harrowing consequences later on, I couldn't really change the placement. So I tried my best to 'alter' that particular part of his gear to have similar plating as the rest of his get-up. I mean my guy has a freaking cod-piece and chose not to wrap himself from head to toe with that obviously very durable combination of dragon scales and (likely?) Gronkle Iron?

I've noticed other members of the gang have the plating all throughout their design, without it impairing their dexterity. So, I can't really see the reason behind those big red "stab be here" areas in Hiccup's design, other than cosmetics.

So, I have done my best to describe his gear as true to canon as possible with the exception of those patches of red leather. It's quite funny actually because Astrid seems to have that very same area in her gear reinforced.

And we've seen her perform some Olympic Level Acrobatics in THW, so it doesn't seem like said design choice would impair Hiccup's mobility.

In short, Hiccup's armor (in the segments where I've described him wearing this particular get-up) is relatively true to canon with the exception of the "stab me here" patches that are instead a reinforced segment of his gear, layered on the same way we have seen on Astrid's design.

So far I've described Hiccup's outfits in detail for three very district reasons: his gear, because he got stabbed, his slutty little regalia in Chapter 5, because he got stabbed again and shirtless (no explanation necessary).

I particularly love his 'amalgamation' outfit, where he seems to have retained some parts of his armor from the second movie like the pauldrons and the gauntlets while also tying in this gambeson tactical brown tunic thing (lovely description, I know).

I can provide an even bigger info dump but I feel like this is enough for now 😂

Thank you so much for your question ❤️ As always, thank you also, for enjoying my writing.

I did not expect PoA to receive so much love and I am unbelievably grateful. I am leaving you with sexy masked Hiccup pics, because... Sexy masked Hiccup.

Love you, byeee~

P.S. Okay, but imagine him doing biker antics.

[plasticross]

does your muse believe that violence can solve some problems? or are they more a "violence is never the answer" type? somewhere in-between?

this is such a good one and something i'm constantly thinking about in regards to his character. to make something clear for new followers, Juno himself was strongly a pacifist, he only used violence as an outlet for play- so wrestling and play strifes. but otherwise, he did NOT use violence. at all. it was a major part of his character.

pacifism is still an ideology that clings to Jurys soul like glue, but it simply just doesn't align with his experiences anymore. from day one, with the cult he was raised in, he was taught that violence is the ultimate force to get what you want. Jury was subject to less "mindless violence" than Juno was, Juno being raised by a man who would happily pin him against a floor or wall just to get him to sit still so he could brush knots out of Junos hair, Jury still experienced that to a smaller degree since James was still around, but James was never his primary caretaker. Dove was able to figure out how to get Jury to sit still during hair brushing and how to entice him and get him to comply without violence. violence, how ever, was saved for religious experiences. those who would work against gods word or break the rules would experience cruel and unusual punishments, that Dove would typically have Jury around to watch and witness so he knew what to do when he took over, or would actively encourage Jury to take part in. this taught Jury both how to utalize violence to get what he wants, but also that if he ever acted out of line, there ARE forces waiting to do the same to him. He truly believes it is a dog-eat-dog world out there and that if he lets his guard down it'll be his turn to experience punishment. This is a conclusion he came to after he came forward about lying about speaking to god and many of his religious writings- coming clean about never being a prophet, he was taken on a multiple month long boat trip in hopes of encouraging him and putting him in a position where he could reach god again, Dove once again pulling out intense, cruel, and unusual punishments the entire time. Jury came back from that trip blind and unwell, and he learned to expect that from other people, especially because Dove was such an important- and typically loving person in his life, especially in comparison to his actual father, James.

He wishes that pacifism was real, he wishes he was a toothless animal, but he is wound up so tight, and has been taught how to be violent WELL. But that doesn't mean he likes it, he feels sick at how naturally violence comes to him, and he hates how frequently he thinks about it. He often has intrusive thoughts or fantasies about brutally hurting the people he's hanging out with and it causes him to get extremely wound up and freaked out, and that can lead to him verbally lashing out at the other person, as if they're the reason he's having these thoughts. Its a huge sore spot for him, and is probably one of his biggest issues that he needs to work on. Jury doesn't see this as a result of trauma, but as a result of his nature, as if it is intrinsic to him. Due to barely remembering the boat trip or any of the times he was forced to engage with group violence, he really does believe he has something broken down deep inside of him, and that he is an inhuman monster, preying on innocent people. Its why he isolates himself as well. He thinks as long as he's alone he won't be hurting people.

This is also why he likes talking to Inezra so much. Due to them both opening up the can of "violence" as a topic and an option between them, he feels less weird and guilty talking to her than most other people. The same goes for Sol, though Sol is a little different, since Sol has tenderly patched him up multiple times, now he has a complex about "Forcing" her to care for him when all he wanted was to hurt her.

[away-ward]

I am currently re-reading Kill Switch, and I'm just realizing how fucked up Will is over Damon and Emmy. The amount of power these two have over Will cannot be overstated. If there is anyone who can destroy him, it's them, and frankly, if he hadn't patched things up with Damon, I think he would have gone down a very dark road.

 

“Then do it,” he fired back. “Do it, because I have nothing to lose, D. Nothing.”

He gasped out the last, desperation suddenly rippling off of him, and it was familiar because I felt it too. I stared at him, his eyes searching mine.

“I can’t stop going down this road I’m on,” he nearly whispered, his eyes watering. “My family is done with me. Michael has Rika. Kai has banks. You were a lie.” He faltered, dropping his gaze. “She was a lie.”

She.

She was next. After I was done with Winter, I’d do it for him.

“I’m not afraid of you,” he said, even though his voice was laced with defeat. “I’m not afraid of anything anymore. If you don’t kill me, I’ll keep pushing you until you have to. And I will fuck you over any way I can.” 

-- Kill Switch

Damon and Emory are the two people Will would do anything for, and they both left him and betrayed him, yet all the same, he still forgives them because of how much he loves them. It's freaking depressing. People really overlook how much he suffered. 

I agree!

Will did suffer greatly, would do anything for Damon and Emmy, and is incredibly forgiving. For instance, even though Emory hadn't contacted him up to this point, knowing he hadn't discovered the letter yet, I fully believe if Emory had reached out he would have gone to her.

Will wanted and needed very few things to be happy. He wanted his friends and his girl. Damon was the one that understood him and accepted him. Emory was the girl he been in love with for a decade. Both had abandoned him, Emory claimed she never wanted him. Damon left, after trying to kill him, and he felt he couldn't match with Michael and Kai.

The feelings of worthlessness have taken down much greater people.

It's been discussed before, but I agree that Will would have died if Damon hadn't come back. No one was watching out for him, and Alex enabled him. Drugs would have eventually taken him out if nothing had improved. I still wouldn't put what Emory did in the same level as what Damon did. Emory acted out of necessity of survival, and Damon was selfish. Both were betrayal, nonetheless.

I do like when Will asked for an apology, Damon gave it to him - as horrible as it was. It was such a small thing on his part, but it made Will so happy.

I think where people get the most frustrated with the Willemmy conversation is that he acted like his suffering was as great as Emory's. They both went through a lot, but Emory had years of struggling alone to survive, while Will struggled to rely on his friends, but he had people - family and friends.

One of the reasons I like Willemmy is because they both legitimately suffered from something the other person did. They did hurt each other, to varying degrees. And they had to work to forgive each other and themselves for what had happened between them, but I legitimately believed their pain, which was not the same for the other couples.

Anyway. Thanks for the reminder of one of the only scenes where Emmy is mentioned in Kill Switch. It was a big eye-opener for me to how much Will still clung to her despite all that had happened. It was also nice to hear something good about Will for a change.

-Ko

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

I love that everyone is coming to talk to you about fanfics, haha! Don't mind if I join in - tell us about your favourite style fanfic tropes. 😎

Fr lmaoooo idk where all this is coming from but I’m here for it!!!!

OH BOY DO I HAVE A LOT OF STYLE TROPES!!!

Okay so WEARING EACH OTHERS CLOTHES!!! God I eat that one up every time it’s so cute like I just KNOW growing up they had half their clothes at each other’s houses and constantly lost track of who owned what shirt and THEN!!! As they got older and weren’t the same size anymore (personally I’m a big boy Stan truther but it’s precious the other way too) and Kyle started absolutely SWIMMING in Stan’s baggy ass sweatshirts and Stan gets cuteness aggression lmao he’s just like awwww look how cute my super best boyfriend is in the peace love pine trees hoodie asjdjdkgfj

Calling each other “dude” romantically!!! Like other pet names come into play but dude stays bc it’s them

WHEN THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SECRET UNSPOKEN LANGUAGE like they’re always on the same wavelength totally in sync with each other!!! They understand each other like no one else, can read each other like a book, fully on the same side and will follow each other to the ends of the earth!!!

Okay okay we all know I STAY reading and writing style whump and PROTECTIVENESS!!! When they worry about each other constantly and get so freaked out when one of them isn’t okay I eat that shit UP every time I love them defending each other, physically or verbally, like no one fucks with Stan without experiencing Kyle Rage and vice versa!!! When Stan is the one to completely flip his lid and panic because Kyle’s hurt or in danger just AAAAA

On that note: TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER!!! There’s a reason most of my stories have a “yep I injured the boys again” tag because I LIVE for the sweet sweet tender moments after an Incident where they’re patching up each other’s wounds all worried and Soft, talking each other through the pain and telling them that it’s gonna be okay bonus points if we get a tearful “I could’ve lost you” “you didn’t, I’m right here” GOOD SHIT RIGHT THERE!!!

On THAT note (sorry I’m just fucking insane) STAN CARRYING KYLE!!!!!!!!! Once again I’m a short angy Kyle/ big boy Stan truther and I looovvvvveeee a little bridal style carrying moment holy shit (I’m surprised I didn’t put any of that in my style week stuff lmao) like I am fully guilty of putting my favorite redhead in Situations JUST so I can have that, like I gave OrangeJuiceVerse Kyle chronic knee pain, diabetes, an ed, and Stan carries him so much lmfao someone put me in Making Kyle Suffer Jail

Ok another one I love is Kyle as the Voice of Reason! Like when he’s the go to guy, savior complex mom friend who just wants to take care of everyone! And boy howdy does Stan not make it easy lmao between him and Kenny (the disaster duo) that man is Exasperated

THEM BEING EACH OTHERS RIGHT HAND MAN!!!!! Fighting side by side, Stan and Kyle against the world! When they can depend on each other more than anyone else and trust each other with their lives. Stan would follow Kyle into a burning building and Kyle would pull him out! That trope is why I’m so feral about stick of truth like they gotta be on the same side or they feel like somethings missing (codependent bastards)

Stan playing guitar for Kyle/ Kyle reading to Stan!!! The domesticity ugh I love it

Casual cuddling oh my godddddd like even before they got together they’re always touching each other in some way and Cartman’s like it’s fuckin gay to cuddle at sleepovers you guys are 15 and they’re like fym it’s not gay to cuddle the homies? (It so is) best friends to lovers on TOP!!!

Them generally being huge simps like PLEASE why y’all staring longingly also in the same vein them thinking the other is the most beautiful thing in the world those two are DOWN HORRENDOUS

I also reeeaaaaly like when they’re kissin… and it starts off all slow and sweet… and then it gets more passionate… and suddenly Stan’s hands are tangled in Kyle’s hair and Kyle’s pushing him against the wall and they’re practically falling into each other desperate to be closer and whispering “I love you” into each others mouths and nothing in the world exists other than the two of them and

Lmao that’s some of my favorite style tropes I’m super normal about them obviously