#(I'd probably still be skeptical of such a reading but it can be made)

[strixcattus]

I really enjoy looking at this still from Slay the Princess:

In the midst of all the weird imagery from the first part of the Stranger route, you see for a moment—and it is cut off at the end, so I had to be quick with my screenshot—every route laid out in front of you, paired up as the game does elsewhere, and described, interestingly enough, from what I can only believe is the Voices' perspectives, or perhaps the relationship between the Princess and the Voice of a given route.

Consumption: The Beast (Hunted), the ribcages in the bottom right. Being eaten, alive or half so, is one way or another the outcome you face in the Beast. This one seems to be the least connected to its route's Voice, though I can still see it in a relational sort of way. Betrayal: The Witch (Opportunist), the nail-studded... I can't tell what it is, but it's at the top left. Betrayal on your part is the cause of the Witch's route, and it too is inevitable in some form once you're on that route—the Opportunist is very vocal about it.

Skepticism: The Prisoner (Skeptic), the chains at the bottom. Pretty clear analogue given the name of the Voice, but not to neglect—you reach the Prisoner by taking the blade (distrust of the Princess) but ultimately using it to free the Princess (you take the time to think critically about what you're being asked to do, and decide the Narrator is less trustworthy). Blind devotion: The Damsel (Smitten), the... I can only imagine locks of hair at the top. You reach the Damsel by immediately and wholly assuming she has no ill intentions, an attitude made manifest in the Smitten.

Rivalry: The Adversary (Stubborn), the spikes to the left. The Adversary route is, so long as you embrace it, about your probably-a-metaphor-for-sex-I-mean-the-Eye of the Needle-isn't-even-trying-to-veil-it eternal fight with the Adversary, with the Stubborn in strong support. Submission: The Tower (Broken), the stone columns to the right. One of the most clear-cut "this is about the Voice" examples—the Broken has completely submitted to the Tower's will, even though the player still has a few chances to resist her.

Terror: The Nightmare (Paranoid), the eyes in the upper right. Of course, the Nightmare is all about fear, and the Paranoid is the embodiment of your fear of the Princess—the fear that made you lock her in the basement and the fear that stopped your heart when she broke free. Longing: The Spectre (Cold), the wisps in the bottom left. This one is interesting, and almost made me second-guess my "Voices" reading, as the Spectre herself is clearly a creature of longing—but then what about "Submission?" The Tower is not "submitting" to anything. That's her whole deal. Perhaps this one is connected to your desire for something other than what the Narrator calls the "Good Ending..." or perhaps it has something to do with the Cold's interest in feeling something, which he expresses in a few routes (the Greys being the most obvious).

Pain: The Razor (Cheated,) the spikes at the top. She skewers you, and you die. Over and over again she skewers you, and you die, and it is painful over and over again. I'm not sure I have much to add to this one. Unfamiliarity: The Stranger (Contrarian), the abstract DNA-like strand at the bottom. You reach the Stranger by refusing to interact with the Princess, leaving her an unfamiliar blank slate whose actions you cannot predict and thus fracture into every possible image of her.

And at the heart of it all, an emotion that can only be described as—what? The Narrator doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence before you wake up in the Prisoner's basement, but I'd think the answer is obvious once you've finished the game.

After all, this is a love story.

[melodymunson]

Eddie Munson x fem goth cheerleader reader

ao3 link

2 part story Eddie x reader friends to lovers, slow burn

You were dating the hottest jock in school until one day you met Eddie and your life changed forever. (Reader is 19 Eddie is 20).

7.2K words

read part 2 here

Being a cheerleader at Hawkins High School was your claim to instant popularity. You were dating Chrissy Cunningham's boyfriend, Jason Carver's best friend, Sam. He was a typical jock, brunette, all-star basketball player, muscular, with brown eyes and the total package. Girls wanted him and guys wanted to be him. Chrissy was your friend and made being a cheerleader bearable. You were a former loner and secretly loved horror movies, goth aesthetic, dungeons & dragons, and metal like Ozzy, Judas Priest, Dio, and even Corroded Coffin. Guys like Eddie were living the type of life you wanted and thought was ideal, but somehow, being popular wasn't all it was cut out to be. You knew your boyfriend was probably cheating, and you thought going to see Eddie make a drug deal would be the perfect escape for you. Eddie's hatred for jocks was endearing. The week had dragged on and now that it was Thursday and close to the weekend; you were trying to look on the brighter side of things. Every afternoon after lunch, he was in the boiler room, skipping class and making drug deals. The nickname they had for him, Eddie 'the freak' Munson, was a title he didn't seem to mind. He embraced it. He was always so cool, calm, collected, and polite when you passed him in the halls. He was rumored to sell some of the best drugs, so after lunch on Thursday, you stopped by the boiler room. It was darkly lit in the boiler room, but once you saw Eddie, you didn't hesitate or waver as you walked toward him.

"Hey um… Y/N.. right?" He asked with his curious wide and brown button eyes. He crossed his arms, unsure at first about how to react to a cheerleader here seeing him about buying drugs, and he secretly wondered if you were a narc. Either way, he thought you looked great in your green and white uniform complete with leather jacket and rockstar patches/pins.

Although he was skeptical, you planned on making the deal rather than getting out of there. Being alone with a guy who wasn't your boyfriend was probably not the right thing to be doing. Just seeing him and getting the weed would be good enough… for now. He had a metal lunchbox next to him with his drug inventory.

"I'm here to buy some weed," you told him firmly, trying your best to maintain eye contact.

"Oh, uh, well, that will be fifteen bucks for half an ounce."

His tattoos were visible under the dim lights and you couldn't help but stare at them a little. He soon caught on and noticed your lingering eyes and stare. You looked for your wallet and then noticed it wasn't there. You left it in your locker.

"Guess I left it in my locker," you told him, sounding bummed.

"Well, let's just do this deal tomorrow, then. I will save some for you."

You had a basketball game to cheer at the next afternoon, but you could make it work before the game and make it your priority to make the deal.

"Okay, sure. Maybe we can even smoke like a joint together?" You asked curiously.

"Why not? I'd like that," he told you with a smirk. He uncrossed his arms and then put his hand out to shake, which you did.

"Deal. See you tomorrow then."

Eddie nodded and checked you out as you left, his eyes lingering on your body. He wasn't normally the type to go for cheerleaders but you were gorgeous and he was pleasantly surprised you were talking to him, yet grateful and not just because you would be a new customer for him. The rest of the school day passed with extreme boredom. You couldn't wait for the party that night.

You had a lot of homework, and weren't sure you could make it by the time the party started, which you told Sam earlier that day. Eventually, you finished and decided to still go to the party. It was a bit late by the time you got there and no one else knew you were going, but you saw Chrissy and exchanged pleasant hellos. You knew Sam would be around here somewhere and asked around about him. No one knew for sure where he had gone off once he finished beer Pong. You passed Steve on the way up the stairs and he stopped you.

"Hey. We didn't think you were going to show up," Steve said nonchalantly.

"Just looking for Sam."

"Yeah, you probably don't want to go into the third bedroom down the hall," he warned.

"Why? What do you mean?" You asked looking confused.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

You went to the bedroom in question and went inside, turning the doorknob, and saw Sam heavily making out with a half-naked cheerleader on the bed as she was giving him a handjob through the tent hole in his boxers. You slammed the door and ran through the hall and down the stairs until you reached the door. Now, more than ever, you wanted to be as far away from those jocks and popular kids as possible. Chrissy ran after you, knowing you were crying, but you were far gone before she could confront you. As soon as you got home, you blasted some metal music and drowned your sorrows with the musical styling of Motorhead until you fell asleep.

The next morning you woke up after a fever dream of you hooking up with Eddie after he told off your soon-to-be ex. It would be a good day as long as you could see Eddie and stick it to that lying cheater's face. Unfortunately, you had to wear your Hawkins High cheer uniform today, but hopefully, Eddie wouldn't mind it too much.

At school, you ignored your boyfriend, and carried on the day doing your best to practice patience, til you saw Eddie again. It was easy to ignore Sam when you didn't even have the same classes. During lunch, you skipped and went to eat outside. Eddie noticed you sitting alone and came over to you.

"Are you okay? Why are you eating alone?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Munson."

"It's none of my business, but is something wrong? Usually, you were surrounded by all your friends and the popular kids, especially during lunch on a game day."

"Well, not today. I found out last night at a party my boyfriend was cheating on me," you confessed looking down sheepishly.

He sat down next to you and put his arm around you. His touch was so comforting, and he smelled nice.

"That guy is a loser. You don't need him. Look, I'll give you a deal on the weed. We can smoke a joint together at no extra cost, and I'll let you have a dime bag for ten dollars. Now, how does that sound?"

"Great actually. Thank you. You know what, Eddie, you are pretty great."

"Thanks. I thought you'd be sort of scary, but you aren't. Look, do you want to find somewhere off campus and smoke?"

"Wouldn't your girlfriend be upset about that, though?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," he told you plainly with a shrug of his shoulders.

You smiled at him, hoping this drive would be a good thing.

"Okay, let's go then. Anywhere you want to go. I'm down."

He got up, took your hand, and then led you to his van. Once you got into the passenger seat and he got into the driver's side, he started up his van and pulled away from the parking lot. It was nice to be getting away from Hawkins. As he drove closer to the woods, you wondered if this was where he was planning to take you. Being far away from civilization and people, though, was what you needed, so you happily went along with him. He soon stopped at a residential park and turned off the engine. He got out and helped you from the van by opening your door. You walked with him to a picnic table and sat down.

You didn't think this could be you. Sitting here at a picnic table in the park all alone with Eddie 'the freak.' If only the kids at school could see you now. All you knew was that you never wanted to be with Sam again. Eddie could hopefully take away the thoughts you still had of your soon-to-be ex. The breakup, even informal, would be what you needed to do soon. You watched as he lit up a joint and took a deep drag before handing it to you. Deeply you inhaled, then blew out the smoke and passed it back to him.

"I'm glad you came here with me. It's kinda of tedious to come out here alone. I'm trying to skip classes more at least. It's nice to have some company," he told you before taking another inhale and passing the joint.

"I agree. I needed this escape. Anything to get away from the school crowd. Sometimes I wish I could just quit everything, especially the popular lifestyle. I thought I wanted it at some point, but not anymore."

"I know we don't run with the same crowd at all, but you are a good person. I can see it in your eyes."

You gazed into his chocolate eyes as you took another drag and passed it with a smile.

"Thanks, Eddie. I think you are too. I'm so not looking forward to Monday's auction of the cheerleaders and jocks. It's all for charity and a good cause, but I can't possibly go out with Sam. He always pledges the most money for these things, just like his stupid friends," you told him glumly, not wanting to bore him with the auction details or your problems.

"You know what? I have been saving up for a while now and I have a good bit of money. Why don't I buy you at the auction? It is for charity, right? I think it would be nice to take you out to cheer you up." He played with some strands of his curly brown hair as he inhaled the joint and exhaled.

His rings were stunning and you couldn't help but look at them as he talked. He was so eloquent with his words. You would give anything at that moment to be touched by him. Just to have the chance to hang out with him more like this would be the best.

"Good. That would be the best thing. I'll let you do that if you want to. I'll break up with him soon."

"You deserve someone much better. For our date from the auction, I was thinking we could do a nice night out or you could pick where we go."

"How about camping? Next weekend? I would like that haven't been camping in a long time," you replied with a shrug of your shoulders as he handed the joint back to you.

You didn't know if it was the weed talking or not, but you wanted to kiss him at that moment so much. Who cared about Sam or Hawkins High or anything? You wanted him and hoped he wanted you, too. You licked your lips casually and tried to be as nonchalant as possible as you bit them. Eddie was paying attention from his side eye though and noticed.

"Camping would be great. I know a good place. What's on your mind?"

"I've been thinking about kissing you," you admitted after a gulp, feeling slightly nervous.

Eddie glanced at you with a smirk on his face. He didn't know if this was a rebound, but he didn't care. He had been thinking about kissing you since the moment he saw you.

"I'd be more than okay with that."

You passed the joint back after taking a hit and he took one more before stomping it out.

You moved closer to him and he ran his fingers through your hair as he stared longingly into your eyes and moved in closer to you. You were so close- closer than ever. Your lips grazed his as he ran his fingers through your hair. He kissed you slowly with a fiery passion as your lips collided and you tasted him, parting his lips with your tongue. As you explore each other's mouths, he pulls you in closer to him by grabbing your waist. The way he kissed you was incredible and no one else came even close to being as good of a kisser. His hands roamed up towards your chest, before he stopped himself. Just as you realized what he was doing, you grabbed his hands and put them over your breasts, cupping them and he moved his mouth to your neck, sucking and licking you there. The kisses he gave you were so hot and it made you feel so turned on, but you didn't want to move things too fast and things with Sam weren't exactly over yet.

"Maybe we could save this for our weekend of camping. Pick up where we left off."

"That's fine. I've rushed things before and regretted it, but you have a good point. Let's rest and chill in the back of my van for a bit."

You walked with him hand in hand to his van and got into the back. He had pillows, blankets, a comforter, and sheets all setup. He held you as you relaxed and pulled you in close to him. It was so comforting for him to have you there and he already considered you a friend and even wanted things to be more, but he would wait for you until the time was right. Minutes passed, then a half hour, and before you knew it, you were both napping. Eddie's soft breathing was soothing, and you felt safe in his arms. Two hours passed, and you stirred awake slowly in his arms. He woke up soon after that and gave you a forehead kiss.

"I'll take you home if you want me to."

"Thanks, Eddie. Call me this weekend, though."

As you both woke up fully and got ready to go to your place, you wrote your number down and put it on his dashboard. As soon as you got home, you planned on calling Sam to break the news about it being over.

Once you got back to your place, he got out and opened your door for you, then walked you to the front door.

"You're the perfect gentleman. Thanks for everything."

"No need to thank me."

He waved goodbye, then walked to his van and pulled away after he made sure you were safely inside. No one else was home, and you were focused on breaking up with that cheating jerk of a so-called boyfriend. After three rings, he answered.

"Look it's over. I saw you at that party on Thursday. You cheated on me."

"Babe, I can explain."

You huffed angrily before replying in a furious tone of voice.

"Explain what? That you were kissing a half-naked girl with her hand inside your boxers?"

"I was drunk and fucked up. Didn't know you would even show up. I'm sorry OK? It was the biggest mistake and I regret it. I plan on buying a date at the charity auction and making it up to you."

"Too late for that. I'm done and I could not care less about seeing your stupid face again."

You hung up quickly in haste, wanting to put that idiot to rest. You spent the night in the bathtub soaking and thinking about Eddie. Imagining what it would be like to have him taste you and to taste him. You had never had a partner who was good at oral, but he seemed like he would be perfect at it.

Eddie thought of you when he was in the shower, and touching himself. He imagined you down on your knees in front of him and all he could think about was your mouth and lips.

Saturday came and went, but on Sunday night, Eddie called.

"Hey, it's me. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I know we didn't make a deal on the weed Friday, but if you still want to buy some, I'll give you that discount."

"Thanks, Eddie. I broke up with Sam on Friday night, but he's still pathetic enough to think he'll win me at the auction."

"Not a chance, babe. I will outbid him."

"Good. I need that. Please do. A date with him would be the worst. I'm glad we met even under the circumstances."

Eddie cracked a smile at this feeling happy to have you in his life.

"See you tomorrow?" He asked as he relaxed on his bed.

"Yeah, but how about we stay on the phone? It would be comforting. To know you were on the other line would be great."

"I agree. Sweet dreams. Don't worry, I won't hang up."

"Sweet dreams Eddie."

You placed the phone near your head, soon drifting off to sleep. The night passed and early morning came, then went and it was finally time to wake up. Your alarm clock went off, and you quickly turned it off.

"I hope you slept well, Eddie."

"I did. Hope you did too beautiful," he told you in a sleepy tone.

"See you soon."

"You too."

You hung up and got ready, dressed in your cheerleader uniform, and ate breakfast. Once you got to school, you looked for Eddie soon, finding him near your locker.

"I guess the auction is soon isn't it? Ready to win Mr. Munson?"

"I sure am."

He looked at you longingly and held your hand and not long after, the bell rang. After lunch, the auction would take place. You and Eddie said your goodbyes and then went to class. By lunchtime, you were feeling overwhelmed, but glad the auction would be over soon. You ate with the squad, tossing Eddie occasional glances from across the room. He looked right back at you and smiled each time you looked at his table.

The auction started promptly at 1 p.m. and everyone went to the gym. You weren't sure of the outcome or what to expect, but it would be good if Sam at least lost.

To no one's surprise, all the jocks won a lot of money for the charity auction. The cheerleaders were up next and you were first.

"For this lady, who would like to start the bidding wars at $10?"

Eddie shouted Me and Sam soon followed with $20. He wondered what the hell he was doing here probably, but you were so glad he was there to outbid Sam. Eddie replied with $40, then Sam $80.

Things were getting heated, and it could be anyone's win. You looked out at the crowd and Sam seemed pissed. He didn't want to lose to the freak, and he was determined to win you back. Not under any circumstance would that happen.

Eddie bet $100 and Sam bet $120. Eddie bid $140 after and Sam betted even more at $160. Eddie's final bet was $180 and by then, Sam gave up, defeated. To your relief, Eddie won the date with you, and Sam stormed off in a huff. Once the pep rally ended, you met Eddie in the hallway, rushing into his arms as he twirled you around.

"I'm glad it worked out. I knew it would," you told him excitedly.

"I knew it would too. Sam is crazy. I'm just glad I got you."

"You knew I wouldn't go out with him either way, right? I was going to be with you, regardless."

He kissed you and hugged you, making you feel happier than ever.

"I knew that. I can't wait for Friday. It can't come fast enough."

"I know what you mean. Call me sometime soon."

He nodded in agreement. Then you both went to your last classes of the day. Unfortunately, Sam was in this class. Once it was over, he came up to you angrily.

"I could've won you easily and I would've, but you know what? You are just a cheap little slut," he told you with a raised voice.

"Get away from me. I hate you. Eddie will treat me right."

"Good luck with that. He's a loser."

"I have nothing left to say to you."

You walked away feeling relief and like a big weight had just been lifted off your shoulders. You had a feeling it wouldn't be the last time you would see or at least hear from Sam. He was the last person you ever wanted to see again, and you just hoped graduation would hurry and arrive. There were 3 months left until you took that stage and hopefully, Eddie would be there to graduate with you. He would help make these last several months bearable. It wasn't like you to rush into relationships right after a breakup and in this case even before a breakup, but he was special to you already. Prom seemed like a cliche, but when the time was right, you would ask him to be your date.

The rest of the week passed slowly, but when it was finally Friday night, you were ecstatic. He called you every day of the week and you talked to him about everything, including horror movies, metal music, concerts, dreams, food, TV shows, books, dungeons & dragons, and what you planned to do after graduation. At 6, he would come over to start the weekend. Thankfully, with camping, it was safe because it wasn't somewhere where Sam would think to look for you, and of course, you wanted to have Eddie all to yourself. He was all packed with his sleeping bag, blankets, a big tent, sheets, camping gear, an extra change of clothes, snacks, a canteen, and booze. You had a bunch of homemade snacks to bring and you wanted to make sure it was a great trip by even throwing in a cassette player with some of your best heavy metal cassettes just in case either of you wanted to play some music. You got all the camping necessities together, and he arrived on time. No one else was home and once you let him in and led him to your room, he couldn't help but notice your huge metal collection of vinyl and cassettes.

"Wow, this is so great you have Slayer, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, WASP, Motley Crue, KISS, Dio, and more. I'm quite impressed. It's just that most girls wouldn't love music like this. You know, real music?"

"Yeah, well, I love it all. I'm into any rock, especially female-fronted. The Runaways are probably one of the best rock bands I have in my collection, and I love punk rock like the Sex Pistols and The Ramones."

"Good choices. So I think you are like my musical soulmate or something, y'know?" He said as he flashed the devil's horns sign with his fingers and a huge grimace his tongue sticking out.

"It's great we have that in common. I think it's going to be nice to go camping and don't worry, I didn't forget to bring along some music for us," you told him as you held up the boombox and bag of cassettes.

"Let's get going soon, though. I was thinking we could grill some burgers and hot dogs. I have a cooler in my van. Also, some booze. Weed and cigs too, if you'd like to smoke some," he told you with a slight shrug.

You wrapped your arms around him and kissed him. He knew you so well and what you liked already.

"That's perfect. I'm all ready to go just need to feed my puppy."

Eddie looked at you, amused, as you went to feed your little dog, Ozzy, a black lab. As soon as Eddie saw your precious little puppy, he reached his hand out for him to sniff which Ozzy did and he pounced at Eddie, jumping, wanting to be held. He obliged, holding the little guy as you got his food and water, and handed him a special treat.

"He's so cute. What's his name?"

"Ozzy. I've had him now for over 2 months. He's going to get pretty big, but I love him, anyway." You gave his head little pats and rubs, which he always loved. After Eddie placed him down, he went to his bowl and began eating.

"What a good little pup. I hope you won't miss him too much. I know I would if he was my dog."

"I will. He's my little guy. I am glad you got to meet him. I just knew that he would love you."

You led Eddie out of your house and he helped you with your stuff, soon loading it into the back of his van. It would be a great trip and you couldn't wait to be under the stars in the fresh air. As soon as everything was ready, you got into his van and drove off to the camping spot just as a beautiful red and orange sunset with yellow hues formed in the sky.

"Mind if I play some metal?" He asked.

"I would love that."

He turned on the cassette player and the familiar sound of Ozzy Osbourne's voice on the track War Pigs by Black Sabbath began blasting from the speakers. He tapped in rhythm and time to the beat of the music on his steering wheel as he drove to a familiar campsite and you got into the music as well, head-banging and flashing the devil horns. It was more secluded, but still a relatively safe place. Few other cars were on the road and thankfully by the time you got to the camping area, you didn't notice many vehicles in the parking lot. It was getting dark fast, but with Eddie; you weren't worried or scared about anything. Soon you arrived and took in your surroundings, finding the camping spot quite cozy.

You moved into the back to unload the camping gear and bags. He was eager to get the tent pitched and to unpack, then look for wood and start a nice bonfire for the night. It was still very early spring and chilly, but you bundled up enough for the weather. He opened the back doors to his van and unloaded onto the pavement and nearby grass.

"See any good place to set up camp? Just let me know."

"Sure, Eddie. I can't wait to get everything ready and enjoy tonight."

As you helped him get out all the camping gear and your boombox, he reached into his van to get out the two shirts he wanted you to have. One was for Hellfire Club and the other shirt was a new print of a Corroded Coffin official shirt. You took them from him with a bit of surprise and a wide grin formed on your face.

"These are amazing. Thanks. I'll be wearing them to school."

"You're welcome, beautiful."

You kissed him, and he blushed. It was so great to be called beautiful by him. You pretended not to notice and then folded the shirts nicely, putting them back in the van for now.

"I'll wear one of the shirts tomorrow."

"If you want to. C'mon, let's go gorgeous."

As you picked up the bags, he grabbed the boombox and got the cooler and you got the liquor and your bag. As you walked further into the campsite, you found a good place under a big tree to settle down.

"Wish I would've brought my guitar. Could've played for you. Maybe next time, though."

"Sure, that sounds great."

Few other people were around, at least not nearby, and you were glad. As soon as the tent was set up, you helped him bring the stuff to the campsite and set everything up. With clear skies and a no-rain broadcast, you were pretty certain it would be a nice night weather-wise. Now all that was left to do was find some twigs, rocks, and tree branches to make the fire.

"I can go get the branches. You can get the rocks," he suggested.

Following Eddie into the woods, you soon collected a nice bunch of rocks and he found a good bundle of firewood. Once it was all brought back to the campsite, he started the fire as you turned on the boombox and Slayer came through the speakers. As the orange and yellow flames flickered, he sat back relaxing on the grass so you took the opportunity to sit down on his lap and he wrapped his arms around you tenderly.

"Well, this is rather cozy and you have excellent taste in music," he whispered into your ear. His whispering gave you goosebumps. It was nice relaxing by the fireplace with him and listening to the best music.

You turned towards him and gave him a kiss, which he deepened kissing you even harder.

"How about we get some drinks going and grill the food?"

"Sure, that's a great idea. I'm practically starved," you told him as you held him close to you.

He reached over for the cooler pulled it closer, and took out the burger patties, hot dogs, the buns, and set the liquor bottle to the side for the time being.

As the food was cooking and the music was playing, you felt you were truly enjoying yourself on a date for the first time in a while. Being with him just felt natural and nice. He was so easygoing and a guy who cared genuinely about you and your feelings. Having him there on a camping trip was the perfect date night. Your ex thought a good date night was watching a basketball game with some beers or going to a pointless and stupid game. One of the best things about Eddie was that he loved metal music, DND, and horror movies, and thought a game where tossing balls into laundry baskets was dumb because it was one of the stupidest things ever to be created.

"I brought s'mores stuff for us later. I even made some chocolate chip cookies for us for dessert."

"That's perfect. You think of everything. Thanks, beautiful."

You wondered what Eddie thought of cheerleaders and why he liked you because you didn't think you were his type or stood a chance with him. You wanted to make this time with him last as long as you could and hoped he wouldn't get tired of you because you couldn't possibly get tired of him saying you were beautiful. Any name of endearment he wanted to call you was something you embraced. It was just great to have him to talk to. Most people wouldn't listen to you and care they would pretend to. With him, things were different, and you were just so content with even sitting there next to him in silence.

"I am having the best time with you. I didn't think you would have a date night this weekend with a cheerleader, though, did you?"

"Not really, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Nice to have a new friend who I can talk to so easily. It's a great thing though. I'd like to make it more though. It's just that we haven't known each other that long yet.."

His words were honest and true, but in a way, they made you yearn for it to be more. Taking things slow could make it better. As long as you had him in your life, you would be just fine. Trust wasn't easy to come by, and you were hoping you could gain his and that he would grow to trust you with time.

"I understand. Let's just spend more time together. Play some dnd, hang out with our friends and each other. I can even teach you how to cook."

"Definitely yes to all of that and of course I want you to come and see my band Corroded Coffin play live. We play every other weekend at the hideout on Saturday. So the next show is next Saturday night."

"I'll be there."

You finished cooking the food, and you both loaded yours onto paper plates. He drank the tequila straight from the bottle before offering it to you. You took a generous swig from the bottle and swallowed it, letting it relax you as it slightly made your throat tingle, but only in the best way possible. After adding ketchup and BBQ sauce to your food, you passed the bottle between each other taking sips of it, not wanting to get too drunk too fast if you could help it. As you sat there eating with him, you looked up at the stars and the full moon. It was so nice to be star-gazing with him just enjoying his company as you continued to sit on his lap and have him hold you. Once the main course of the meal was finished, you reached over into your knapsack to get out the Tupperware of cookies and other stuff to make s'mores. As you roasted the marshmallows, you both tried the cookies.

"Amazing. I need you to bake for me like this. Whenever you want to, though. No pressure, of course. I just love these cookies."

"Thanks, Eddie. I am an excellent baker, but just wait until you get to try my cooking. It's even better."

He looked at you, quite impressed, and grimaced.

"They are delicious, and I bet your cooking is even more wonderful."

Soon your marshmallows melted to your liking, and you added the chocolate and the graham crackers. It was the perfect treat for such a windy night with clear skies like these. After you finished your s'more and another cookie, you drank a bit more of the tequila, deciding it would be the rest you wanted for the night and felt drunk. He soon finished his dessert and gazed at the stars and moon, feeling so content with life and just being there. Back home, he had problems of his own, but didn't everyone? The cassette soon ended, and you turned off the player.

"How about we just stargaze for now and talk? Lay on our sleeping bags and when we get sleepy enough, we can just go back into the tent?" He offered, as his gaze never wavered from the stars.

"Sure, just gotta brush my teeth first and change into my nightgown."

You got up, and he did too. After you both brushed your teeth and changed, you brought the sleeping bags and a few pillows and set them up near the fireplace. You had one sleeping bag laid out and used the other sleeping bag as a blanket. Eddie pulled you in close and wrapped his arms around you because he needed to feel your touch and skin. The feeling of his soft curly waves of hair against your neck and his touch was so tender and affectionate. He had strong arms, of course, and just having him next to you like that was amazing and made you feel safe.

As you talked into the night with him about friends, hobbies, past job experiences, literature, and concerts, You discovered you both loved the same video games, had the same interests in art, and loved JRR Tolkien and Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit. Most of the concerts you had been to were like Eddies. If only you had known him sooner, you could've gone to concerts together. You secretly wanted to see his band play, but were always too shy and awkward about going alone. Chrissy had been to a Corroded Coffin show once, but she hadn't been back since, mainly because of her social status and her stupid boyfriend Jason not wanting to go to a rock concert. Eddie got up during the night to retrieve his leather-worn paperback copy of The Hobbit and you took turns reading some of the chapters to each other from the light of the fire. No other guy you had met seemed to love quality books, unlike Eddie, which made you want him to be in your life more. He had awesome taste in everything and was the coolest guy you had ever met. Little did you know, but he felt the same way about you. It was nearing 1 in the morning and Eddie checked his watch for the first time all night, noticing just how late it was getting.

"Maybe we should go to bed? Get up whenever tomorrow."

"Sure. I can put out the fire for us," he offered.

You got up, and he folded the blankets and sleeping bags as you doused the flames of the fire so it would go out. Once he was with you back in the tent with flashlights being your only source of light now, you listened to the owls in the nearby distance overhead and the surrounding trees. You were facing him and holding hands as his other hand rested against his head with his elbow propped up on his pillows.

"It's been so amazing spending this time with you. Just wanted to tell you I think you are beautiful. If you think I'm being a little slow with us and apprehensive, well, it's just because the last time I was seriously dating, she broke my heart and cheated on me," he admitted, looking just a little forlorn.

"I don't blame you for not wanting to rush into things. Sometimes it's better that way. I've been cheated on, too. I have a question though. Would you like to go to the prom with me? Doesn't seem like your scene or whatever, but it would be nice to go with someone I care about who likes the same things. Even if it's just as friends."

He answered you by leaning in close and meeting your lips in a kiss.

"Yes, of course, I'll go to the prom with you. I couldn't imagine going with anyone else. I was planning on going with some friends or just stag, but with you, it would be perfect."

You felt so relieved he felt that way and glad he was going to go with you to the stupid prom. You planned on wearing something vintage and all-black, of course, to show off your true style to the entire school. What mattered, though, was going together and what he thought of you.

"I'm so glad. I heard we can request songs from the DJ. I will ask for a metal song."

"Me too. Well, goodnight." He gave you a forehead kiss and then laid back down, fully relaxing into the pillows and blankets now.

Eddie and you fell asleep pretty quickly after that and slept peacefully throughout the night.

Sometime later he stirred awake in the middle of the night, not exactly sure himself what time it was, but he felt so turned on, feeling his straining erection pushing through his pants. He was having a dream about you- that he was devouring you and making you cum for him- orgasm after orgasm it was seemingly endless. There was no way he could fall back asleep unless he took care of it. Taking his time and being as quiet as he could, he took his hardened cock out of his boxers and began to lick and spit on his hand, then stroke himself with his back turned towards you. Some moments passed as he was getting off. You stirred awake slightly because you heard soft gasps and pants as he was getting himself closer and closer to his release and thinking about making love to you with you on top. Your cheeks blushed in the dark and you stayed perfectly still, not wanting to disturb him but knowing perfectly well what he was doing. It felt good to know that he was edging himself, no doubt because of you, and hearing the sounds he was making was so sexy. Quietly and slowly you reached down towards your pants and slipped your hand inside and with two fingers slid them over your already wet, slick heat. His panting noises were so hot and you tried your best to resist the urge to make any noise so as not to make him aware of the ways you were pleasuring yourself. Soft and low moans escaped your lips eventually though as you fingered yourself and he heard you smirking widely but not making you aware he knew what you were doing. Now he was closer than ever to reach climax and you wanted to be there with him. You bit your lips, doing your best to quiet yourself, and soon a wave of orgasm rushed over your body. Moments later, Eddie was right there with you groaning as he came down from his high. You both lay there in the darkness for who knows how long, but it was so nice to secretly or not so secretly get off with him. A little later on, he reached for some tissues and cleaned himself up before going back to dreaming about you. Soon after that, sleep overtook you too, and with it came dreams of your own. Dreams about dominating him and making him do whatever you wanted him to do. When you did finally have sex with Eddie, it would be worth the wait.

Morning came sometime later and, to your pleasant surprise, you opened your eyes to find Eddie with his arms wrapped around you, and holding you close to him. It felt so nice to be there with him sleeping in and having a nice morning with him just to yourself. No friends, no family, no stupid people from school around you. He was all yours and things felt like they should be.

You woke him up with a good morning kiss and straddled his lap. He opened his eyes slowly and looked at you with amusement.

"Good morning to you too, beautiful." He kissed you on your mouth, cheek, and neck.

"I think this is the best way to wake up."

"Oh yeah? Me too. Don't forget about next Saturday and the hideout."

"Don't worry, I won't."

You got up and got dressed for the day and Eddie soon did the same and brushed his teeth. Once you were both done getting ready, and packing up and taking down the tent, you got out the chocolate and glazed doughnuts from the cooler and handed him a big plastic bag with two donuts, and a carton of juice and took yours as well.

"Should get on the road we can eat in my van."

The rest of the camping site had cleared out, and it was already late morning. Sleeping in was so nice and you were grateful for that. Once you were on the road again, you drank your OJ and he drove. Soon you arrived back at your place and kissed him goodbye.

"I guess I'll see you at school, Ed's."

"I can't wait. Maybe we can have lunch together sometime."

You nodded in agreement and he walked you to your door and gave you one final goodbye kiss after he brought your stuff into your room. Once he was gone, you did your best to enjoy the rest of your Sunday with him on your mind often. Eddie himself thought about you nearly constantly and spent some time with his friends, like Garrett and Dustin. He wanted so badly to tell him about this super amazing girl he had met but wanted to wait for them to meet you themselves first.

soundtrack headspin- Butcher Babies I wanna be your boyfriend- Ramones Bad Romance- Gaga Buzz- Halestorm Scarlet- In This Moment I'm gonna be your Dog- Joan Jett Fever- BFMV Kiss the Girl- William Control For your love- Maneskin Anarchy- Lilith Czar Cinnamon Girl- Type-negative Love- Lana to be alone- Hozier funeral of hearts- HIM waiting for a girl like you by Foreigner Monstrance clock- Ghost Come undone- Bad Omens I won't forget you & talk dirty to me- Poison bad medicine- Bon Jovi a girl like you- def Leppard no one like you- scorpions dangerous- depeche mode

tag list: @corneliuswatkins @keeryatmosphere @jadeylovesmarvelxo @unholy-church01 @ali-r3n @somethingvicked @mrprettywhenhecries @daisy-is-a-writer @lovemesomeeddiemunson @stevesxyellowxsweater @koskeepsake @munson-mjstan @rowanswriting @loritate7311 @edsbug @bimbobaggins69 @babygorewhore @inourtownofhawkins @steveslittlesunflower @harringtonfan4 @emsgoodthinkin @dananahenderson @probablyin-bed @corrodedcorpses @ofhawkinsandvecna @lovelythoughtfulcupcake @xxbimbobunnyxx @brinasdead @bunnsandroses @thescoopstroopers @undead-supernova @haceleyes @aleisashortcake @gravedigginbbydoll @zestychili @veemoon @thepurplelovewitch @spenciesprincess @ellharrington @caityboosworld @stolen-in-moonlight @hellv1ra @littlenymphfables @voyeurmunson @kelseyaparker19 @prettyboyeddiemunson @munsons-mayhem28 @eddiemunsonfuxks

[bebx]

So I don't know if you heard, but Victor recently became Sorcerer Supreme in comics, and it made me think about Reed, who staunchly doesn't believe in magic at all and only sees it as science he doesn't understand yet, and I thought about how Victor could (and would) use some of that weakness to magic and his inability to face it against him, either by teasing by performing spells and forcing him to come up with logical explanations for it, or by using his magic to attack, overpower and ultimately force ("force") submission in him. Just a fun little idea I thought I'd share, hope you have a nice day :) only tangentially related, read your DoomReed/Poolverine fic and I wasn't sure about it reading the description, but I ended up really loving it, I love how the possession really jumps out and grabs them.

I may not be an expert when it comes to comicverse, but I did hear about this and also how Reed didn’t (doesn’t) believe in the concept of magic at all. and yes, Victor could and would use his magic to his advantage and — now that you’ve mentioned it — force Reed to surrender. I’ve actually been wanting to write something about this for a while now (something about Victor using his magic and Reed being skeptical about it); it probably won’t be that much canonically accurate since I’m still not that familiar with comicverse as of now, except that Victor has magic that’s just as strong as Doctor Strange’s, if not stronger, and that Reed doesn’t believe in magic at all. (I did read bits and pieces of the comics so far, but there are still so much I haven’t explored yet, and I’m looking forward to finally reading more of them when I can). so I may or may not write something about this in the future. I mean, I wouldn’t want to make any promises, but I really want to. the concept of Victor taunting Reed with his magic and using that magic to force Reed to surrender? chef’s kiss. so I guess we’ll see.

and thank you for finding my DoomReed/Poolverine fic enjoyable. that means so much to me. (possessive Victor is everything) 🥹💗

[13eyond13]

Hey Bloz! How r u? I cannot even begin to express how fun it’s been to see ur Beatles posts on my dash. the minute I saw the Real Love demo I was like ok… she’s fallen down the rabbit hole XD I was fixated on them last year for a good few months. It was a lot of fun reading about them, watching their movies, and reading fan analyses online. There’s so much out there! And Beatles rpf is a whole world unto itself lol at first I was skeptical of it but then… I was intrigued haha

Do u have any fave songs or albums? :)

Omg hello Jess!! I miss you and it's so nice to hear from you 🫂

Hahaha YES I'm pretty deep into The Beatles lore rabbit hole already, it's been my main fixation for entertainment for the past month or so. You're right, there's just so much to dig into. Caught me totally by surprise, I feel like I'm so late to the game to just be having a Beatles phase now... I never felt extremely interested in learning about them before, but a randomly recommended YouTube video (x) about how it's reductive to blame the band's breakup solely on Yoko Ono drew me into this whole fascination a few weeks back.

😆 And hah, you must have sent this ask to me right before I deleted that "Real Love" demo reblog, because I thought I'd better delete it after I looked in the notes of the post and saw the OP wasn't taking kindly to anybody questioning if John was actually giggling instead of sobbing there (which is what I think he was doing, personally... but it still sounded like he was writing something about Paul? 🤷‍♀️ idk, doesn't need to be crying for it to still be a bit of an eyebrow raiser, imo)

I haven't actually really looked into any rpf yet, just digesting the "canon" material and whatnot (listening chronologically to their discography and not completely finished with that yet, up to halfway through the White album rn). Been watching their movies and behind the scenes stuff and documentaries (the Get Back one by Peter Jackson was fascinating even for a relatively new fan to watch, imo), reading a bigass biography about them (Tune In by Mark Lewisohn, it's like this great slowburn real-time mosey through the band's childhoods and earliest days together), and watching the occasional YouTube video deep dives (this one series in particular is p beautifully made and impressively researched and really got me in the feels regarding the shippy theories about J&P: [x])

As for my faves of their music, I haven't finished listening to 100% of their albums yet, BUT right now I'm actually very partial to some of their earliest records. I feel like some of their more normie stuff from the early 60s is actually the most fantastic fun to listen to, and Please Please Me and A Hard Day's Night might be the two albums with the most bangers that I never want to skip so far. Their more experimental and psychedelic and surreal later stuff is also interesting and arguably more unique and groundbreaking or creative or whatever, but I'm not as familiar with them outside of the main extremely famous tracks on them yet, and I'll need to finish listening and let them grow on me a bit before I can probably say for sure. However I think so far my faves from their later stuff would probs be Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road, and possibly the White Album (once I actually finish listening to it).

John is definitely my favourite Beatle, which was actually a complete surprise to me, I thought he'd be my least fave. And there are so many good bops that it's hard to narrow it down, but some of my personal faves so far are I Saw Her Standing There, I Should Have Known Better, I Want to Hold Your Hand, It Won't be Long, A Hard Day's Night, Do You Want to Know a Secret, Oh! Darling, I Want You (She's So Heavy) and If I Fell... hmm, I think maybe I'm just kinda a sucker for their simple and enthusiastic and joyful love songs the most, usually?

Thank you for sending me this sweet ask! I'd love to hear what some of your faves are too 🧡

[yujeong]

"I'm not choosing. I'm just not eating" - Pete and the concept of choice

Oh Pete. You wonderful being, you. (Can you tell that I'm lost for words already? Great) I cannot stress enough what this line has done to my brain. I keep thinking about it to this day. I'm sure there are posts here that have delved on it in a more coherent way than what I'm about to do but I would like to offer sth to the fandom besides a small number of fics that will fade into obscurity, so here we are. (If anyone knows of posts that have touched this subject, pls share them, I'd love to read them)

This line, at first glance, seems contradictory. What do you mean you're not choosing Pete? Not eating is a choice you've made. Surely, you must see that.

The thing is, though, Pete doesn't see that as a choice. To Pete, there's the choice of submitting to Vegas and the choice of fighting him. Doing nothing, to Pete isn't considered a choice. He's inactive, passive, simply existing. Kind of like how he is as a bodyguard in the main family. As a bodyguard, Pete doesn't make choices. Other people make them for him and he follows them. The first actual choice he makes is going to the minor family's compound to get the evidence against Vegas (which is fantastic and deserves its own separate analysis but I digress). Otherwise, he's just a weapon for the main family to use, nothing more, nothing less. You can tell that this is his philosophy in life by examining his behaviour throughout the show up to this point. Does he have opinions and expresses them? Oh hell yes. Does he still do whatever he's told with minimal arguing? Also yes. I would dare say, in headcanon fashion, that this is his mindset from when he was young and defenseless against his father's violence. I'm fairly confident in my opinion that Pete never fought back against his father, kind of like what Vegas is doing with his but not exactly the same. I believe Pete never even spoke back at him, like Vegas does both in ep 11, when he tells Gun he's doing what he told him, and in ep 13, when he tells Gun he never wanted to be his son. For this reason, I'm a bit skeptical with the headcanon of Pete killing his father. I think it goes against the basic principles of his character; he's submissive in nature and doesn't fight back and just accepts the violence inflicted on him. Maybe, in Pete's mind, he feels that he deserves it. It would certainly explain his self sacrificial tendencies throughout the series, that's for sure. Now, back to the scene in question, in Pete's mind, a choice would be to eat the food or to throw it away, wasting it. Not touching the food, letting it go bad, isn't a choice. Vegas doesn't see it that way because of course he doesn't; to Vegas, Pete is retaliating, acting defiant again but Pete isn't doing that. He's simply doing...nothing. Generally, the first time I saw this line, it reminded me of ATLA, specifically this exchange:

Whoever has watched the show probably remembers that episode, in which Aang learned the third option of earth bending. That is, doing nothing = waiting. That's what Pete did. He did nothing, he waited, either to slowly die or to find a chance to escape. I feel like I'm not explaining myself properly but I just love how Pete's mind works and I wanted to touch upon this line specifically. It's such a nuanced take on agency and whoever came up with this line deserves all the projects they can get.

[sobbing-emoji]

Late Night at Bunker 9

Leo Valdez x Reader 

** I will be making all my characters gender neutral **

(I am non-binary and it’s so hard finding gender neutral fanfics) 

I laid comfortably in a hammock with my ear buds in. My favorite song was playing loudly in my ears as I read my favorite book. The music was to keep out the very noisy machinery happening around me. Leo had decided to wake up in the middle of the night to make phones that don't attract monsters for us demigods, but honestly I'd rather sleep than watch him make phones.

I almost denied his request to join him, but the way he smiled from his excitement made it too hard to resist. So here I was, trying not to fall asleep as Leo worked away.

I turn to my left and see Leo working intently at his worktable. His lips were pressed tightly as he concentrated, adding tiny screws and other things I couldn't identify to a small rectangular box.

"Are you almost done?" I half asked, half whined.

"It's only been like two hours," Leo responded, still not taking his eyes of his work. "Something like this won't be done that fast."

"How long do you think it will take?" I asked, removing my earbuds and closing my book.

Leo looked up, thinking. "Probably like... another 22 hours?That’s not including bathroom breaks and a ten minute nap."

"What?" I shouted, surprised. I sit up, nearly falling out of the hammock. "Dude, can't you do this after a good night sleep? Please? I'm so tiredddd!"

"Fine, you can go to sleep," Leo said, turning back to his phone.

"But Leo," I said, walking to him and leaning on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. He still didn't look back. "I was hoping we could, like, cuddle?"

"Y/N, I'm really busy," Leo answered. "Maybe when I'm done?"

I groaned. "C'monnn! Please?"

"I can'ttttt!" Leo whined back, mocking me. I grab his hands and remove the items he was holding. I intertwine my fingers with his and spin him around his chair. Pulling him up, I bring him to the hammock. He's smiling and closing his eyes, leaning his head back and bringing no effort to follow me. "Y/NNNN, let me get back to workkk!"

"Nope!" I said, popping the 'p'. I pull him into the hammock with me and he lays on me, his head in the crook of my neck. It seems like he gave in cause he wraps his arms around me and removes his shoes, allowing them to fall with a small 'thump' on the ground. I rub his back and play with his hair. "See. This isn't better than working, is it?"

"Oh the power you hold over me," Leo whispered, laughing slightly.

"I work magic, don't I?" I smirked. Leo giggled.

"Are you sure you didn't give me a love potion or something?" Leo asked skeptically.

"Well, how else was a person like me gonna get with a guy like you?" I whispered.

Leo was silent for a little bit, thinking. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm way out of your league, Leo," I replied, surprised. Obviously he knew that. Right? "You pretty much saved the world, you're part of the Big Seven, you are incredibly smart, and you're so talented. Not only that, but you are incredibly attractive."

Leo remained silent after my statement. He seemed to need lots of time to process my words because for nearly twenty minutes we laid there, warm despite the cold winter breeze that knocked on the door, and comfortable in each others embrace.

"That's really weird," he commented finally. "When I met you, I instantly fell in love. You looked incredibly beautiful. Everything about you made me trip over nothing. After getting to know you more, my situation only got worse. The way you care, the way you love. The way you hide in your hands when your nervous. The silly way you pour syrup on your waffles and pancakes. That dangerous look on your face when you're sparring. The way you move at the speed of light when you hear someone play your favorite show." Leo stopped. He got up and switched positions with me. I was now laying on top of him as he brushed his hands threw my hair. "The way you don't take anything from anyone, no matter their position. I'm the one out of your league. I may be smart, I may be part of the Big Seven, but that's about it. Other than that, under all that, I'm just a repair boy who can't sit still."

I feel tears brim my eyes. I've never been very confident. I've never thought of myself as anything special. Just a kid that can't get my head out of the clouds. But here he was, Leo Valdez, telling me everything I never thought I'd hear.

"I love you, Valdez," I whispered, holding him tighter. I could hear his heart beat speeding up. It was nearly as if I could feel it beating through his chest.

He took a quick breath. "I... I love you too."

He pulled me off of him and sat up. He then brought both of his hands on my cheek and looked at me in the eyes, his smile big and bright. "I love you too."

I smiled and then, we kissed. It was a long, passionate kiss. Full of love. It wasn't inappropriate, or the nasty kisses you see on T.V. It was a genuine, loving kiss.

And I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world.

Maybe this late night at Bunker 9 wasn't such a bad idea after all.

(Not me making this chapter during class and nearly crying because I'm a total genius for making this.)

[markantonys]

pulling together some of the s2 images we have so far! there's a LOT of stuff in the two teaser reels, so i'm focusing mostly on the shots from those that i can connect to the new promo images (which are especially helpful since we know what episodes they came from). sorry for the long post, i tried to do a read more but then for everything under the read more the images just displayed one by one instead of 2 or 3 in a row the way i'd formatted them and it looked bad.

first, rand. predicting that some of the first things we'll see from him is dream torment by ishamael (likely the source of the wheel shot) and meeting lanfear while alone and vulnerable:

then he'll go to cairhien and meet up with moiraine and lan, and have his lord arc (and get a fancy outfit):

then duel turak at falme in 1x08 (likely after receiving sword lessons from lan, which could be the Lan Shirtless With Sword shots we have several of):

i think these scenes with moiraine (and lan) are from the early episodes where she still has her s1 outfit and hair:

then she gets a fancy new outfit for cairhien (potentially the crying-in-the-bath scene), which could be where the beach scenes take place - but cairhien is landlocked (though it IS on a river), so maybe she keeps this outfit for the rest of the season and these beach scenes are at falme? i will say that i'm pretty confident the daylight beach scene is the same outfit as the cairhien promo pic, but not confident that the evening beach scene is the same outfit.

on to perrin's plotline. we have several shots (i've just included one) from a scene of his party encountering the seanchan in daytime and being made to kneel. loial is still free here.

loial appears to be getting captured here at night, and there's also shots of perrin's party fighting seanchan at night. the same scene?

we know loial is in seanchan captivity by 2x05, so all the above scenes must happen during or before that episode.

aviendha fights a whitecloak at night, which we've been thinking is the adaptation of the book scene where perrin frees an aiel from a cage (there IS a cage just behind avi here), and thus perrin & co would also be involved in this scene. could be the same nighttime fight scene as above, a three-way fight between perrin & co, whitecloaks, and seanchan? or it could just as easily be a different scene - if so, i'd guess in the second half of the season after loial has been captured and as perrin gets closer to falme.

we do know that the seanchan and whitecloaks will clash in falme, and in a market-y location that looks somewhat similar to the promo pic of perrin and aviendha:

overall, it seems like whitecloaks, seanchan, and aiel will all be heavily involved in perrin's plotline, which is great setup since all those groups are significant parts of his storyline at various points in the future.

from what we know so far, the girls' portion of the white tower plotline seems pretty straightforward and similar to TGH. egwene has novice kitchen duty in 2x01, then later prepares for a journey (with liandrin i'd imagine) and is made damane.

nynaeve takes the accepted test in 2x03 (side note: i'm extremely skeptical that portal stones and the flicker scene will make it and imo they should be cut even though they're cool, so i think the "what might be" episode title is for this episode, referring to the alternate life/lives nynaeve sees in her test, and perhaps rand can still see some alternate lives in his ishamael-tormented dreams). at some point she trains in the sword with warders, probably because she wants to be able to protect herself while being blocked. do we think that brown belt indicates she's an accepted, or is that still a novice outfit and this scene is set before her test?

the picture of elayne could be investigating in a basement while black ajah hunting? i also thought maybe the ways en route to falme, but it doesn't really look like the s1 ways.

mat's storyline is trickier to figure out because we have very limited shots of him so far. we know that in 2x01, he is crying in a room. from descriptions of the scene shown at cons, we know he is imprisoned by liandrin at some point in s2. seems likely enough that the below image is him in captivity, although it's also possible he could be at an inn or something there (feeling guilty for abandoning his friends) and gets captured later in the episode.

the only other images we have of him are these two of him wearing his exact same outfit from season 1 and the crying-in-a-room scene and standing against a generic background:

falme seems the most likely option - the stonework on image 1 looks similar to the stonework in the perrin & aviendha picture, and the arch in image 2 could be a falme arch like what we see in the perrin & aviendha and seanchan vs. whitecloaks picture. alternately, picture 2 could be tar valon since i think there were some white stone arches in the streets of that city too. if it is tar valon, it could be either a) early in 2x01 and we see his capture onscreen, rather than the episode opening with him already in captivity, or b) after he gets out of liandrin's clutches.

how will he get out of liandrin's clutches? maybe he breaks out on his own, or maybe siuan gets wind of what's going on and intervenes to make liandrin let him go - this could also serve as an event to strengthen siuan's suspicions of black ajah in the tower, leading to her creation of the wondergirls task force.

i will end the post here since i hit the 30 image limit haha

[chirpsythismorning]

Hi.what make you believe byler is endgame and how do you think The Duffer will make them endgame?

There's a lot of different factors for why I believe byler is endgame. If it was only one or two or three or a single digit amount of things, then I'd probably be more skeptical. Instead it's so many things that I don't think I can even quantify with any number?

Long post ahead so queue for later if you must!

I used to ship milkvan back in the day, and that's probably because I watched the show once and fell for the whole boy meets girl trope as peak romance, without even thinking about it? Like my first time rewatching the show pre-s3, I remember only focusing on their scenes and even going as far as to skip entire episodes in s2 without them in it, so it's really no wonder I missed details that might have helped me understand the full picture.

I also don't get queer-baited, like ever. I have watched shows like Teen Wolf where fans loved sterek, and even though that show had a gay show-runner, it was obvious to me they were never going that route, despite kind of feeding fans over the years with banter between them. The problem was the details weren't pointing to them being endgame, they were pointing to stydia. With stydia, they were using color coding in their costumes and had the fucking red string of fate in the frame with them multiple times and they were having entire plot lines built up around sort of their feelings for each other. Then there's all the other shows out there like Supernatural and Sherlock, and to me, it just felt like two guys that had chemistry that fans read as romantic and were having fun with it, only for the writers to try to profit off of that hope fans had, just sort of fucking with fans for years without really going for it literally in the text of the story.

And even if they did (albeit extremely subtly) that's when you would see shows tend to kill off the characters. Because after years of queer-baiting, the only solution is to kill at least one off, after tricking a sector of your audience for so long. Because unfortunately, no, they're not going to end up together, so we just have to get rid of one of them to make it clear that it won't happen.

While I don't vividly remember the moment I dropped Milkvan and picked up byler, I do remember watching s3 for the first time and feeling like something was off. And then to humor my confusion, I went online and came across an analysis for the end of s3. Even though it did really made me think like 'woah.. what was that?', in the moment, I was still in a position to not want to fall for it because of all the queer-baiting out there. I'd never fallen for it before and I wasn't going to start now basically.

And then I didn't read any more theories after that, I just basically jumped into rewatching the show for fun again, without really thinking about it even, and without skipping this time. And I vividly remember the shed scene definitely had some romantic undertones going on. When the camera was focused on Mike talking to Will, we didn't get any reaction shots in between of Joyce and Jonathan. Whereas when Joyce and Jonathan talked to Will, we got Mike's reaction and both Jonathan and Joyce's kind of reactions to each others speeches in that moment, which was to obviously convey the familial bond going on. And so in contrast, seeing Mike's monologue to Will be isolated, without any cuts to the others reactions during, with intense close-ups of Mike and Will, with Mike literally having one by one teardrops falling down his face and him repeating softly you said yes, you said yes... That... Like it made me really start to consider it in that moment, based on my new potential understanding of the end of s3 and based on what I had found upon rewatching that time.

Even still though, I didn't let myself believe it. And maybe in large part it was bc I did like the idea of byler I guess? And so that made me want to be more cautious? Other times when I came across fans shipping queer pairings that weren't canon, it felt like harmless shipping to me, where like I got the appeal, but didn't like feel genuine intentional slow-burn chemistry? It was always a thing that at most I liked merely as fanon. And so I guess I was trying to prepare myself for that inevitable disappointment that it wasn't going to go any further than what it had?

Maybe it was also because I was holding onto this idea of milkvan I had at the beginning? An idea that in large part contributed to my ability to get hooked with the show in the first place? Boy meets girl is like the most universal trope in our society and it was easy to just go along with it when everyone else was.

But more than anything I do think it was because I thought it just had to be queer-bait like it's always has been. At best I thought maybe it would continue very vaguely in the subtext in s4, with like 1 or two scenes at most hinting at attraction? But we all know that's not what happened..

S4 promo dropped, and I remember being like well here goes. It had been over a year, almost two since I'd been exposed to the possiblity of byler, though I was going into it prepared to see Mike and El being perfectly in love and that they were just going to act like nothing had ever happened between Mike and Will.

But then that Cali poster dropped. And that had me reeling. I remember sending a text to my sister like 'QUEER-BAIT?' and she was like yep queer-bait. But that's also because she's in the mindset of someone that hasn't seen anything outside of watching the show, and while half paying attention at that. This is the first piece of evidence she is being presented with and so of course she is viewing it from a don't hope or assume that could ever happen bc it never happens lens.

Even that I took as maybe a reality check, that this meant nothing, but also at the same time, this is the Duffer Brothers? They're smart? Why would they apply the if boy is pointing his feet at you he is in love with you rule via New Girl, with Mike and Will in the Cali poster, for shits and giggles? When the whole point in those posters is to hide foreshadowing?

Regardless of how much it genuinely shocked me they were appearing to really play with this concept of Mike having romantic feelings for Will, I still didn't fully let myself think about it too much...

And then as s4 got closer and more stuff dropped and there was like a lot of promo hinting Will having feelings for Mike, that's when it really kicked in for me. And that's when I went back and rewatched and holy shit it suddenly became clear as fucking day. My excitement for Vol. 1 was insurmountable because I was just about to have all of these recent built up theories confirmed or denied.

When Vol. 1 finally premiered and it turned out Mike couldn't say I love you to El? And Will very clearly had feelings for Mike, staring at him constantly when he wasn't looking and conveniently with Mike's POV missing by comparison? There was just too much at play that perfectly set-up byler.

Mike having a hard time telling El he loves her, while also having a best friend beside him who is in love with him, like, that's sort of what makes it clear that this is them trying to create a conflict that easily transitions into this revelation that the reason why Mike couldn't commit to El was because he was struggling over repressed feelings for his best friend.

And then that doesn't even include all the details along the way that support it. Like closet scenes for example weren't able to be harmless anymore post-s3, they just weren't. That scene at the end with El and Mike in Will's room established this idea that Mike is in the closet, and s4 did not let up on that idea whatsoever.

We were being bombarded with very basic film techniques that any filmmaker would be thinking about to establish the story and setting and create a feeling to convey a message through all of that.

They did not need to have Mike sitting in front of his closet at the very start of s4. They did not have to have a one way sign pointing to it. They did not have to have two dudes with muscles on his walls while most of the other guys either have stuff completely unrelated to the human form or bikini clad woman. They did not have to show Mike in focus more while staring at Eddie fondly as he talks about DnD and getting out of Hawkins. They did not have to have Mike go searching for DnD replacements in the wrestling room and the art room followed by saying, I hate high school.

The I hate high school line is viewed by most of us as a throw away comedic sort of line. But it really isn't. In fact it's arguably as deep as without heart we'd all fall apart, which is why they literally had that be Mike's quote alongside that one being Will's quote for the season.

Mind you, all of this shit in 4x01 is happening after Mike just episodes ago, in the previous season, sort of treated playing DnD like it was something kids did and told Will he felt this way, by essentially saying he assumed they'd be getting girlfriends and moving on from this idea that they can play games for the rest of their lives.

So Mike in s3 went from I want to grow up and have a girlfriend and stop playing dnd bc it is childish, to in s4 Do you want to play with me? I will literally settle for an absolute stranger rn, literally anyone? No? Uh. I hate high school aka I don't want to grow up. Now he thinks that he's the childish one when really, it doesn't have to be, if he just opened his mind to it.

Watching s3-4 back to back is actually so real bc it's showcasing Mike's complete shift, a shift that basically got flipped from s1-2 to s3 to s3 to s4, and it's directly related to his relationship with El and Will (along with his parents who all of s2 punished him by taking away his toys when he acted out bc of trauma/called his toys hunks of plastic and to essentially be used as collateral bc he's going to need to grow up eventually anyways). And we see how that is conveyed when he shows up to Cali unlike his true self, he just reverts right back to trying to be someone else like in s3. Only now he's trying to pull off a Cali look on-top of it, wearing sunglasses as he mumbles an incoherent sound, something like, 'eahauw' as he rushes up to kiss and hug El, putting the flowers between them so he had an excuse to separate sooner than later, followed actually voicing words to will, moving his duffel back out of the way to hug will properly, w/out sunglasses, visibly very happy to see Will, only to not even be able to hug him by cutting it short. AND for Argyle to confirm our suspicions by calling him a knock off?? NOW I'M REALIZING IT'S TOO MUCH YELLOW? Come on!?

That's another thing, the end of s3 hug between Will and Mike literally ends with Mike looking like he is in physical pain. Like dude looks like he was burned. He looks like a mixture of angry and heartbroken. And so having that, followed up with Mike barely even being able to properly hug Will properly 2 episodes later..? Gee I wonder why?

And then it just spirals from there.

The entire season Mike is by definition emotionally cheating on El, assuming that they are even technically still together atp. There's a reason they had her say From El, and it's so that there was this sense of maybe they were technically broken up now or even just on a break rn, since they wouldn't see each other for who knows how long? Maybe never again? And so that was a writing choice made in large part to allow all of these moments between Mike and Will throughout the season to feel romantic coded and for us to comfortably view them as such. Same with how they did that with Jonathan and Nancy in s2. They create conflict that is near breakup territory, without outright saying I want to break up, and then they throw them with their other love interest and create tension.

When it comes to like how I think s5 could go down with byler, I have a few different thoughts about how that would play out. Obviously I love byler but there's a lot of other stuff going on so this would just be one aspect of the greater overall story. But for the sake of this post I'm going to focus on Byler possibilities.

Them holding off until Vol. 2, literally 2 weeks exactly after the premiere, to have Noah officially release a statement saying We now know Will is 100% gay and in love with Mike, that is them clearly knowing the gravity of revealing stuff too soon to an audience that might not be ready for it. They saw the reaction to s4 and they waited and then they made that choice to discuss it the way they did. That was the point they decided they were willing to tell the truth of the situation, including Noah admitting for the first time, that they've been hinting at Will's feelings since s1, and so he had to always be vague about things to avoid spoiling the Duffers surprise. And while they're doing this, when they talk about Mike's feelings about the situation, it is always that he has absolutely no idea.

There would be no justifiable reason to hold off on admitting Will's feelings for Mike outside of canon, only to admit they've been hinting at it since s1, if there wasn't actually something yet to see be revealed, making this revelation so late in the game, justifiable.

The main thing that we get from Mike being oblivious of Will's feelings, is that if Mike doesn't know, then technically he hasn't rejected Will yet. Because how can he have rejected Will if he has no idea? Answer, he can't!

And so now there is one season left and they are choosing to hold off on Mike's knowledge about Will's feelings? After they just finally admitted after 4 seasons that they've been avoiding telling us about Will's feelings, despite hints from the beginning because they didn't want to ruin the surprise?

What surprise though bro? Slow-burn unrequited love??? There isn't any such thing. Because that wouldn't be satisfying!

It takes us right back to the line Will makes in s3 (mid-series) to Joyce about how he's never gonna fall in love. It's not that he doesn't want to or even hasn't yet at all, it's that he doesn't believe experiencing mutual love with the person he has feelings for is in the cards for him, bc odds are, that person is going to be straight.

But... How is it satisfying to hold off on even admitting Will's feelings for Mike until the second to last season, only to hold off on Mike's POV of the situation until the last season, just to say at the last minute, Well, Will, you were right!...? Like, no.

And so I genuinely think the same thing they did with Will is happening to Mike in a sense, in that by sort of dancing around the situation with answers that don't even allow you to answer the question, by saying Mike is clueless, they can avoid delving into what exactly Mike would think. They can just say Oh of course he will accept Will and leave it at that.

The thing is, if I'm supposed to be rooting for Mike and El, these choices that they've been making, to practically infect all of their scenes with Will in the frame looking like a kicked puppy, it's not giving endgame, it's giving I should be praying for this kid to get a happy ending who is fully convinced that he won't get it.

The main question I have, is are they going to hold off the slow-burn for as long as they can, or are they going to do something unprecedented and make it happen sooner than anyone expects?

I guess for now I think that it's the most likely they will hold off until 5x07 for like the big obvious endgame moment? Slow-burn tends to thrive in it's true form, aka slow-burn until the very end. So it would make sense to have these barriers in place that prevent Mike and Will from truly realizing they have mutual feelings or something of that nature, and then acting on it. That doesn't mean the audience wouldn't be clued in on those feelings earlier in the season, but I think them both accepting those feelings and coming together and choosing to be together is something that won't be like established fully until the end.

THOUGH I will say there is one scenario I could see them manage to have Mike and Will realize those feelings sooner than we think and it's because of the satanic allegations... If Will and Mike were to ever get caught in a precarious situation, by someone in the town already accusing these kids of being the cause, specifically Mike as a member of Hellfire and specifically Will as the kid who has been connected to all of this, it would be sort of visceral seeing how that could play out with them being viewed as like a symbolic indicator of the incoming apocalypse.

Though then again, they still might not get together until like episode 7, bc with the last couple episodes being like 2 hours long, it's possible the homophobic/satanic aspect of it could come into play around then. I think it would be really critical to see other peoples reactions in the story to them getting together, including their family and friends, but also potentially the community bc that would go full circle with what went down in s1 and how like the whole community had an opinion about Will's sexuality even as a kid.

Early s5 is a big indicator of how everything will go down though. I don't think that they'll get separated and be apart the whole season, bc they made a point to convey in s4 that they want to make sure to give the audience a lot of groundwork to root for them and so I think s5 has to be much of the same for it to end in a way that has most of the audience full-on rooting for them and just screaming at their screen for them to kiss already.

However, I do think it's possible we could see them get separated for like 1 episode, maybe 2 but probably not 2 full episodes, I think the reunion would happen sometime at the end of 1 or 2 episodes.

I think Will is likely going to be targeted by Vecna, arguably already was at the end of s4, and then there's birthdaygate to address. Maybe he gets forgotten by everyone as a result of the memory/time trickery that Vecna has going on. And so we could see that play a role in them being separate for a bit while that is resolved, which would likely be early s5, to sort of mirror early s1. But then I think they would reunite by like the 3rd episode and work together most of the season as a team. And we will probably be aware of Mike's feelings in these moments because we would've just presumably gotten a bunch of parallels to s1 and considering Mike and El are broken up, it's going to be difficult to see Mike be so up in arms about Will after all of that romantic subtext, only to be with him and be looking at him like he hung the stars and shit. Even if Will isn't doing the same bc he's like convinced himself at this point Mike doesn't like him back, that would just make it even more clear bc it would be them finally showing us Mike's POV, after hiding it so much in s3-4. It would also sort of wake up those fans who had insisted Mike couldn't feel the same bc there would be no reason to do all of that for nothing.

Another way I could see it going down is by Mike basically somehow making 'a deal with god' (Vecna) that takes him instead. Maybe it's about saving Will who is trying to sacrafice himself already. Or maybe it's a way to save Max and it's sort of a last minute thing that is intended to cause them a lot of grief. Bc we know Vecna loves fucking with them. This would fit into the whole without heart we'd all fall apart, and the whole how am I gonna survive a whole week w/out you guys and Mike getting out in the DND game at the start of s4, along with like the whole theory about how if a paladin breaks an oath they basically have to go on a mini self discovery journey and can essentially be reinstated and forgiven by a cleric (Will). That would fit very very well into the imagery we got of Mike sitting down on Jonthan's bed with the upside down tapestry behind him, followed by Will sitting down beside him + Mike sitting down on the upside down couch at the cabin, followed by Will sitting down beside him. Meaning basically Mike would end up in the upside down and Will would follow behind him.

And I think in that scenario we might be seeing some things from Mike's POV that we have overlooked before, or maybe even things they have deliberately kept from us for the sake of saving it for later. Maybe that unused footage of him crying biking home after they found Will's body, or maybe they re-contextualize the cliff scene in a way that sort of frames Mike as feeling like he deserved to die that day bc after everything that happened with El, maybe he doesn't feel like he deserved to be saved by her, like Vecna just overwhelms him with the guilt that's been piling up for years, which led him to that failed monologue.

Also I think there is a very specific reason they chose to not use the song Time After Time in Max's memory of the Snow Ball in s4, and that's because they're saving it for s5. Every Breath You Take was regarded by most the fandom as a Milkvan song, and if anything it fit with all of them dancing more than it did specifically with Max's memory from that day. So them bringing that back for s4 felt like a combination of the Vecna foreshadowing and also them refusing to use Time After Time quite yet... Time After Time started playing right when Lucas asked her to dance, they easily could have used that song instead and left Every Breath You Take for s5 for a milkvan montage, hell Time After Time even would have fit well with the whole clock theme going on in s4.

But, I genuinely think it's because they're holding off on fully, in canon, re-contextualizing our understanding of that Snow Ball scene when it comes to Mike and Will's perspective of it. And how that song would fit into that revelation is a little to perfect to pass up, again on a show that has made a big deal about clocks and also has connected Will/Mike to the clock in Starcourt with the Yellow and Blue hands ie you say go slow I fall behind-- the second hand unwinds is fucking clock coded bro???

They are 100% saving that clock ass song for the end and that just tells me byler has to be endgame bc that song literally ended right before El entered the gym, it has no association to them, only to either Lucas/Max, Dustin/Nancy, or Mike/Will. That's it.

And so arguably the build up of Mike and Will is the only way to satisfyingly bring that song back full circle.

I guess I'll keep it simple and say that I think one of them are going to go missing/dissapear/be taken (something along those lines) early s5, and the other is going to find them and they're going to be a team basically. I think there could be 1-2 episodes of them alone sort of in the pits of the UD (Hell vibes). Maybe there's an almost kiss in those moments, or maybe even an official one bc them being alone finally is what grants them the courage to do what they haven't been able to do in the real world without the fears of the real world stopping them?

Though I do think that they will reunite with the others after 1-2 episodes alone. And so most of the season will be them teamed up with the og party and also having interactions with other characters along the way as well.

I do think a Murray/Byler confrontation is inevitable. I do think a Will & Robin confrontation is inevitable. I do think it's possible Mike could be exposed to the idea of having a gf then a bf (and vs) by Vickie in the case that Mike finds out bisexuality is real and an option. Bc tbh it's still something people today don't know about. So I don't think Mike Wheeler in 1986 Hawkins, Indiana would, though again maybe an interaction with Vickie could change that. Either that or Robin, Vickie and Steve are going to see Mike call Fast Times overrated and they're all going to share a look and that's when we'll know...

I do think that Will is going to have a hard time believing Mike could feel the same, even when presented with evidence? Not only does he have his insecurities in the way, but he also views El as his sister now (hell she might even actually turn out to be his twin). Even though Mike is his best friend, he's going to want it to be crystal clear that El supports it before Mike ends up being in their family via them being partners at some point. That's just who Will is as a character. He's just going to assume he is wrong for wanting that considering everything that has led up to this point.

And i think El is the kind of character that, no, she wont be like ecstatic about how this all played out and how she didn't need to get her heartbroken, but I don't think that feeling will last forever. I think they might have a little sibling talk about lying, assuming she finds out about the painting and what he said to Mike about her commissioning it. That would be a good parallel to her and Will at Rink-O-Mania when he chastised her for lying to Mike? Essentially an Oh how the turntables moment? Even so, when it's all said and done, she's going to make it clear to Will that she supports him fully.

And I think the same applies to Mike who also is going to want closure that they are okay and still friends and love each other as friends/family.

I think how all of this plays out would be very intricate, yes, but largely keeping in mind that they want us to like this ending and not be bitter about it, and so they're going to have to convince us that we want to fully let go of Mike and El and to root for Mike and Will.

This so called love triangle doesn't have equal stakes to the stancy/jancy one because we're dealing with an audience that has been completely left in the dark, now being bombarded. They have to try really hard to convince the audience to be on board with this, and also avoid homophobia in the process. They're going to have to make it very, very clear there are no more romantic feelings for Mike and El happening. Especially since we're ending the show with them in a sibling dynamic because of their relationships with Will. It would be gross to have this level of well maybe one day he could change his mind I mean he did that once before. Nope. It would be okay to have that sort of left unanswered with the stancy/jancy parallels bc we're not dealing with people being related to each other and swapping back and forth. That's why it needs to be clear in their situation.

And I do think that's why they did the whole I love you 9 times with Mike's monologue. Because it can't go up from there, there is nothing left for them to do after going all out like that, only to reveal Mike meant it deep down platonically? I mean what could they possibly do to backtrack? Have him give her another love confession where he says it 20x and adds no but fr this time?? No. They had to go all out like that to give those viewers what they wanted, the most they could possibly get and then say, sorry it's not happening. It essentially made it impossible to hope for it bc there's nothing left to hope for.

When it comes to byler and like these major moments that are bound to occur between them, I am genuinely most looking forward to them hugging again for the first time since the end of s3. That to me is going to be even more exciting than a kiss honestly (not saying I don't want a kiss but you know what I mean). And it's bc from a hug alone, I think we'll be able to tell that what's going on between them isn't platonic and that will in turn add so many layers to past seasons. I think it's also likely we'll get an almost kiss or two before the inevitable, and that would then make the slow-burn stretching until the end worth it, to me at least? Because just throwing them together never works when the formula has always been to hold off.

And that's also why the show has to end now. We can't have 6,8, 10 seasons of slow-burn, it would be exhausting. 5 seasons is the perfect amount. And having all of that angst and tension and heartache lead to a happy ending is going to make all of those moments in between that fans fought over for being critical of, sort of just dwindle to epic angst that was necessary to appreciate the happy ending.

[gothcsz]

𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter XI.

GIF by tomshiddles

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: Truths are unveiled and Javi begins to regret ending things with our MC.

WORD COUNT: ~7.4k

RATING: 18+ Explicit topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: discussions of religion, light smut but not between our main couple (rip), another case of detective!javi, lotta plot stuff/exposition dump, other things that I'm probably forgetting.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS: The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized.

A/N: hola primas we're back again with another installment of wtf is going on in this fic?! lmfao i had a little too much fun writing this chapter so i hope u all enjoy it and thank u for reading <3 i may or may not be an august stan idk how we feeling chat?! as always feel free to drop any type of feedback/support on this blog or ao3. i'd really appreciate it <3

♰  read on ao3. ♰

♰  playlist | pinterest | series masterlist ♰

“A woman, a mother, a mother is a very special thing, and other than the Lord Jesus Christ, I think that a mother is one of the most precious gifts that God gives to this world, because the mother is the one who loves the Lord and always seems to be there when we need her. A mother is a very special thing. A mother is a very special thing.” –– Family Tree (Intro), Ethel Cain.

“No peekin’, okay?” August whispers against her neck, his voice filled with playful insistence.

Paloma can’t help but laugh, the sound light in the quiet night. “That’s the third time you’ve told me that. I promise, I ain’t lookin’!” she assures him, her eyes squeezed shut and her free hand covering them for good measure. Her heart races with anticipation, wondering what surprise he has in store for her. She can feel his warmth and the gentle pressure of his hand guiding her forward, heightening her excitement.

Sneaking away from home had been surprisingly easy. She told her father she was going to spend the night at Sloane’s and would be back the next morning, not really feeling like doing her usual show at the bar. At first he had been skeptical, but a few well-placed batts of her eyelashes and a practiced pout later, his resolve softened and he relented with his usual father spiel. She knows she was pushing her luck, but the thrill of the evening and the promise of August’s plans makes it all worthwhile.

She was also cautious not to reveal the location of Sloane’s new home. Instead, she told him that she was just going to the motel in town, maintaining the illusion that her friend still resides there. This little deception is necessary to keep him at ease, even though it means bending the truth.

Now, she finds herself being led to a mystery spot where he has prepared their long-awaited date. She has no idea what to expect, but it doesn’t really matter. The mere fact that he has put so much effort into planning this is more than she can ask for.

As they walk, she feels the summer evening breeze brushing against her skin and the soft rustling of leaves underfoot. The night is alive with the distant chirping of crickets and the faint, sweet scent of blooming flowers.

“Just a little further,” he says softly, his voice laced with a hint of excitement that matches her own. Paloma nods, biting her lip to contain her smile. She trusts him completely, knowing that whatever awaited her would be worth the secrecy and the suspense.

They come to a halt, and he gently squeezes her hand before letting go and moving to stand behind her.

“M’kay, you can open ‘em now,” his southern drawl is like syrup in her ear, his breath warm and inviting. She blinks her eyes open, her vision adjusting to the soft glow, and she gasps softly as she takes in the scene before her.

They’re in the greenhouse, transformed into a romantic haven. Various candles are scattered around, casting a warm, flickering light that dances across the glass walls and lush greenery. In the center of the space, a picnic blanket is spread out on the floor, adorned with an assortment of dishes that she assumes make up their dinner. Cutlery and plates are neatly set aside, everything meticulously arranged.

“Oh, August…” she breathes, her voice filled with awe. Her hand instinctively comes up to clutch her chest then she turns to face him, eyes glistening with adoration. Unable to contain her feelings, she pulls him in for a sweet, lingering kiss; a silent thank you for his thoughtfulness.

“You like it?” he asks with a hint of nervousness. She takes a step forward, her eyes wide as she absorbs the sheer beauty of the setup.

The moonlight streams gently through the skylight window, casting a silvery glow over everything. She almost pinches herself to make sure she isn’t dreaming, the scene is so perfect.

“Like it? I love it! You did this all yourself?” she exclaims in genuine admiration. The flowers that surround them appear even more delicate under the soft glow of the candlelight. Unable to resist, she leans forward to sniff at the peonies nearby, their sweet fragrance filling her nose.

“Had some help, but for the most part, yeah,” He replies with a modest smile. “Here, come sit.” He beckons her over, and she complies eagerly, settling herself next to him and smoothing out the skirt of her dress.

“Well, you outdid yourself. This is the sweetest thing ever,” she leans her body weight against her palm, gazing up at him with a gentle, appreciative stare.

“Let this be the first of many sweet things I do for you, pretty girl. You deserve it,” he replies, winking. Her blush deepens and she finds herself fidgeting with the hem of her dress, her heart fluttering at his words.

Their date goes effortlessly, filled with lighthearted flirting and laughter. He boasts about his cooking skills, and Paloma playfully challenges him, only to be quickly proven wrong when she takes her first bite of the lasagna he’s made. It’s fucking delicious.

She feels a sense of enchantment growing with every passing moment, the romantic setting amplifying her emotions. She mentally chides herself for not pursuing him sooner, for wasting time on the mustached older man who had occupied her thoughts for far too long.

They finish their meal, and just when she thinks the evening couldn’t get any better, he pulls out a small angel cake with the perfect arrangement of strawberries and whipped cream from the picnic basket.

“How did you know this is my favorite dessert of, like, all time?!” she exclaims, eyes wide with delight.

They share a knowing look before answering simultaneously, “Sloane.” Her smile widens, her cheeks aching from how the expression has hardly left her face since she arrived.

August scoops a spoonful of the cake and brings it up to her lips, his eyes twinkling with playful intent. She opens her mouth, maintaining eye contact as she takes the sweet dessert.

She moans softly as the flavors meld in her mouth, the light, airy cake complemented perfectly by the sweetness of the fresh strawberries. “Delicious,” she murmurs, savoring every bit.

He watches her, a satisfied and boyish grin on full display. “I’m glad you like it,” his voice is low, seductive. He takes a bite himself, nodding in appreciation of the treat they’re sharing.

They take turns feeding each other, and she is completely absorbed in his company. He makes her laugh, his eyes swimming with mischief and warmth, and she feels a connection she hadn’t thought possible.

She looks at him, beaming with gratitude and something more profound. “Tonight was amazing, August. You’ve really made me feel special.”

He reaches out, moving a strand of her hair that had fallen forward aside. “You are special, Paloma. And s’just the beginnin’.” He holds her stare briefly and she softens, “Night’s not over yet, girl. There’s still somethin’ I want to show ya.” His words promise more surprises, and she feels her excitement renew, eager to see what else he has for her.

“I’ll be right back,” leaning in to place a tender kiss on her lips, he tastes a hint of the whipped cream lingering there and it takes all his willpower to pull away.

She sighs wistfully, watching him leave. To pass the time, she busies herself by cleaning up. She carefully moves the empty containers into the basket and stacks their dirty plates before pushing them aside.

He returns not too long after, holding what looks like a photo album. Her curiosity piques immediately. “What’s that?” she asks inquisitively, shifting in her seat so her legs are tucked beneath her as he lowers himself beside her.

“A scrapbook…” He trails off, and she can sense the nerves radiating from him. Her brows cinch together, waiting for him to continue.

“‘Fore I show you this… I need you to understand how unique you truly are.” He sets the book down between them, his hand coming up to stroke her cheek affectionately as he gazes deeply into her dark eyes. She doesn’t know what to say to this, so she remains quiet but offers him a reassuring look that encourages him to go on.

“Knew it from the moment I set eyes on ya. At the time, I didn’t know what it was. I jus’ assumed it was another crush on a pretty girl. But then I got to know you, and slowly but surely… everything started makin’ sense.”

There’s an unidentifiable tone in his voice, one that makes her heart beat a little faster. “What do you mean ‘started makin’ sense’?”

He takes a deep breath, his hand dropping from her face as he places the leather-bound book into her lap. The force of it feels significant, almost like it carries the gravity of his words.

“This is goin’ to be a lot, ‘n I understand if you dunno know how to process it all after I show you everythin’. But… can you promise to wait ‘till I explain ‘fore you react?” His eyes search hers, pleading for understanding and patience.

Her heart races with anticipation and uncertainty. “August, you’re scarin’ me,” she giggles nervously, her hands growing clammy at his elusive words.

He flips the book open to the first page, revealing a photograph of a group posing in front of a grand, old church. The faces in the picture seem frozen in time, their expressions filled with a mix of hope and solemnity.

“There was a group in Italy,” He begins slowly, “that believed a new age of peace ‘n tranquility was nearing. They devoted all their time and resources to prepare for it. They were convinced a woman would be the one to bring it into fruition, so they searched for her all over the world.”

He turns the page, revealing more photos of the group alongside the majestic church. The images capture moments of gatherings, rituals, and serene landscapes. she can’t help but feel a strange sense of connection to the story, though she remains unsure why he’s telling her this.

“Why are you showin’ me this?” she voices her thoughts, her curiosity mingling with apprehension.

“Because, Paloma,” He says, turning another page to reveal a faded, hand-drawn map marked with various locations, “They documented everythin’ , kept records, and followed signs. This group believed that the woman who would bring about this new age had certain qualities, certain... traits.”

Her eyes scan the map, noting how meticulously it’s marked, the sense of urgency and dedication evident in the detailed annotations. Her confusion deepens, but she remains silent, partially engrossed by the unfolding story.

He turns another page, revealing a photograph of a necklace, a delicate cross pendant with intricate engravings. “This pendant,” he continues, “was said to be a key, a symbol of her identity.”

Her heart races as her gaze falls to the piece of jewelry. She inhales sharply, her breath snagging. It’s the same pendent that had belonged to her mother. Her fingers absentmindedly go to her collarbone that’s bare since she opted out of wearing it tonight. “What does this have to do with me, August?”

He takes a deep breath, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that makes her pulse quicken. “The more I got to know you, the more I realized you embody everything this group was searchin’ for. Your kindness, your strength, your spirit—it all matches what they described.”

“Are you saying… you think I’m this woman they were looking for? Don’t be ridiculous––”

“Just let me finish.” He cuts her off, looking away briefly and trying to collect himself before relaying the next bit of information. “Then they found her. The woman they’d been preparin’ and searchin’ for. She lived halfway ‘cross the world in the orphanage where she was raised. After gettin’ in contact with her, she agreed to move to Europe.”

She listens intently, her body buzzing with a feeling she can’t explain as she absorbs his words. She waits patiently, her eyes fixed on him.

Another turn of the page, and this time, she gasps loudly as her eyes land on the photo. It’s her mother, clear as day. A photo she’s never seen before, but it’s undeniably Abilene Leighton. She is always told that she resembles her, but seeing her at about the same age Paloma is now is uncanny—they look identical.

“Mom…” Her voice trembles with emotion as her fingers trace the photo, tears welling up in her eyes. He watches her carefully, studying her reaction. He wants to give her a moment to process this revelation, to come to terms with the implications, but at the same time he’s eager to keep unveiling more.

“Her real name was Calmana. The women that raised her in the orphanage didn’t think she needed a surname. From the moment she arrived in their care, they knew she was special. Seemingly dropped off on their doorstep. No one ever adopted her. She was different from the others…” His voice is filled with reverence as he speaks, his words weaving a tale that feels so foreign.

Calmana? The name sends a shiver down her spine, leaving her speechless as her eyes trace every detail of the picture. There’s a haunting beauty to her mother’s image, a sense of mystery that lingers in the air.

He presses on, his tone solemn yet tinged with awe. “Don’t know how they did it, but they were able to figure out part of her family tree. Paloma… you come from a marked lineage, akin to the story of Cain and Abel.”

Her world stills, mind reeling at the magnitude of his words. Her heart pounds in her ears with a mixture of disbelief and wonder.

“According to some religious traditions, Cain and Abel had sisters,” He continues, his voice steady as he delves deeper into the mythic lore. “Calmana was the oldest daughter of Adam and Eve and, in plenty’a sources, the twin sister of Cain. Others say she was his wife. That would make her the first female human who was born naturally. You, your mother are direct descendants of somethin’ fuckin’ divine.”

Her mind spins with the implications of this revelation. The idea that her bloodline is tied to spiritual origins feels dreamlike. Fake. Isn’t everyone technically descendants of Adam and Eve? It’s what she’s been taught growing up.

But as she looks down at the picture again, she sees her mother in a new light—a woman with a story.

She can’t help the way her hand comes up to cover her mouth, overwhelmed by everything he’s saying. It feels like the ground beneath her has shifted, leaving her reeling in a sea of uncertainty. As he continues to flip through the book on her lap, showing proof of every bit of his story, she feels a rush of conflicting emotions—astonishment, skepticism, and a growing sense of unease.

It’s too confusing, it simply must not be true. Yet, with all the texts he’s had her read and all the books they’ve both bonded over, there is a nagging possibility that all this is actually real. The thought has goosebumps curling at her skin, her mind racing with a million questions and doubts.

“No, no way.” She shakes her head, her voice trembling as she moves the leather book off her lap and places it between them. She feels like she can’t breathe, despite being surrounded by fresh air and all this greenery. Every fiber of her being screams for escape, for a return to the familiar, to the world where such tales belong only in the books that she loves to read.

She quickly stands, her movements frantic as she turns to make her exit. August’s eyes widen in alarm, and he follows after her, his voice pleading as he reaches out to stop her.

“Paloma, wait––” His words are urgent, filled with desperation. “I asked you to wait ‘til I was finished to react. Please… just hear me out, ‘n then you can decide what it is that you wanna do.”

His words hang in the air, a silent plea for understanding and patience. She pauses, her heart pounding in her chest as she wrestles with her unrest. She knows she can’t simply walk away without giving him a chance to explain, to unravel… whatever the fuck this is.

Her back is to him and she wipes some of the tears that managed to spill. With a shaky breath, she turns to face him, her eyes searching his. “Okay,” she whispers, her voice barely audible above the rush of blood in her ears. “I’ll listen.”

He lets out a brief sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing as he beckons her over again, eager to resume the exploration of the scrapbook together. She hesitantly steps over to him, her body still trembling with the heaviness of her mother’s past as she lowers herself back into a seated position on the blanket.

“Your momma… well she was the one who was supposed t’ bring this new age into order,” He explains, his tone informative, “but the group disbanded before they could follow through with it. They lost track of one another, and she ended up here in the States with a whole new life.”

“August,” she begins, her words trembling with shock, “How do you know all this?”

A silence falls over them like a veil.

“The woman that left me all this…” His voice is somber, his gaze distant as he recalls the memories. “She was part of the original group. Told me stories whenever I helped her out. At first, I thought she was some crazy old broad, so I jus’ let her talk. Then she started showin’ me photos and all kindsa crap, and that’s when I actually started payin’ attention to her ramblings.”

Her eyes widen in realization as his words sink in. The pieces of the puzzle start to click into place, connecting the dots of the journey.

“She’s the reason I started this group, s’why I started lookin’ into things on my own. She moved away abruptly, and it wasn’t ‘til I got this house and found that scrapbook that I knew why she left it all to me. She wanted me to find that woman and carry out what they couldn’t back in Rome.”

This feels like an out-of-body experience, really, as if she is standing outside of herself, watching as her mother’s past is revealed to her.

It explains so much, she thinks, her mind jumbled as she recalls all their shared memories. How she was cagey when Paloma asked about her childhood, how she was always so vigilant of her growing up. Now that she knows this new side of her mother, she doesn’t know what to make of it. The woman she thought she knew, the woman who raised her, suddenly feels like a stranger—a mysterious figure shrouded in secrets and untold stories.

Who was she, really? Did her father know all of this?

Her silence is deafening, in the air like a dense fog, and he tentatively reaches out to caress her forearm, gently urging her to look at him. She meets his gaze, her misty-eyed expression a mix of emotions—sadness, confusion, and a glimmer of something else.

“Then I found out she had passed years ago, which left you, the next in line to fulfill this… prophecy,” He continues, his voice soft yet filled with conviction.

“Me?!” She can’t help but snort, though it’s tinged with tears. The idea feels absurd, impossible.

“Yes, you, my little dove,” He replies with unwavering intensity. “I told ya you were special, ‘n you can’t sit here ‘n tell me you haven’t felt the magic that’s embedded in your bones. You’re one of a kind, Paloma. A gift to humankind that must be treasured. Think of all the pain and suffering in this world… think of how you can be the one to end it all.”

The enormity of this newfound responsibility is too big for her to fathom. She looks into his eyes, spotting the earnestness and sincerity there, and for the first time, she allows herself to entertain the possibility that maybe, just maybe, there’s truth in the stories that are intertwined with her own life.

As they sit together in the quiet of the greenhouse, surrounded by the soft glow of candlelight and the scent of flowers, she feels a sense of purpose stirring deep within her—a spark of something powerful, waiting to be unleashed upon the world.

He was right. This is a lot.

Her face must say it all because he draws nearer, enveloping her in his comforting embrace. She doesn’t move at first, but then he places a soft kiss to the crown of her head, and she lets herself go. Her shoulders drop, a heavy sigh leaving her as the weight of it all settles in her chest.

“If you need time ‘n space to process this––I understand,” he murmurs, his voice soothing. “I jus’ had to tell you, angel. Had to make sure everythin’ was alright before I dropped it on your lap. Knew if I had told you the first day we met you woulda called me crazy ‘n sent me on my way.”

“M’tempted to do that now…” she mutters jokingly against his neck, nuzzling her face there and taking a deep breath, letting his scent fill her lungs in an attempt to ground herself.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating through his chest, and she melts further into his touch. “Go ahead. Told ya you were free to do as you pleased after I was finished… ‘n well… s’all I have for ya.”

Okay, there are no more twists. That comforts her some. She pulls back to look up at him, her tear-stained cheeks and beautiful brown eyes glowing softly under the romantic lighting, making her look breathtaking. Like a true angel, one that can bring so much good into this world.

Her mind is still reeling, but in his arms, she feels a sense of security. “This is a lot to take in, August,” she whispers, her voice barely steady.

His eyes soften, and he gently brushes a strand of hair from her face again. “You’re stronger than you think, Paloma. ‘N whatever comes next, we’ll face it together. You’re not alone in this.”

His words wrap around her like a warm blanket. Much needed reassurance. She takes another deep breath, feeling the overwhelming storm of emotions begin to settle.

She leans in to press their lips together and he hesitates at first. He murmurs her name in protest, but she deepens the kiss with a sense of urgency. Her lips are soft and plump, molding against his with a fervor that he can’t resist. The heat between them is palpable, the shift in the air thick with their shared desire.

His resolve drops as he succumbs to her. It’s not long after that he’s got her spread out on the blanket, naked and his tongue buried in her cunt while her fingers tangle in his hair. 

She cries his name out while she comes, her legs trembling as he kisses his way up her body, whispering sweet affirmations and filthy promises against her skin.

You deserve the world. I’ll treat you right. You’re such a good girl.

He takes her right there, fucking her passionately. His kisses are devout, his touch tender yet insistent, as he shows her just how beautiful and remarkable she truly is. She feels utterly vulnerable, caught up in the overwhelming intensity of the moment. Every fiber of her being responds to him, her senses alight with the raw, unfiltered emotions coursing through her.

The perfect date he orchestrated was already enough to sweep her off her feet. But then he gave her more: life-altering revelation of her family history, a truth so profound it has reshaped her understanding of herself.

She clenches around him, coating his cock with her slick release as her orgasm rattles her harshly. He follows not much after, filling the condom then collapsing onto her. His weight presses her into the floor before he rolls onto his back, taking her with him so she straddles his hips. Still joined, they savor the afterglow, their breaths slowly returning to normal as their hearts pound against each other’s naked and sweat glazed chests.

Looking into his eyes, she sees a reflection of a future he envisions for them—a future where she can make a difference, bring about change, and fulfill the destiny he’s convinced she’s meant for. And in this euphoric state, with her heart and soul laid bare, she knows she’ll believe anything he tells her, because with him, anything seems possible.

The next part of Javier’s investigation involves diving deeper into Jessica Valdez’s background. She was the only one to be taken and held captive for a period of time, indicating that there is something specific about her that caused the perpetrator to deviate from his usual methods.

He isn’t sure what to expect from her family. Families react in a myriad of ways to an investigator’s presence, especially when he needs to look through personal belongings with a fresh perspective. As he arrives at the Valdez home, he prepares himself to be as sympathetic as possible, turning on his Southern charm to its full effect. To his surprise, Jessica’s parents are eager to help. This relieves him, and he can’t help but note the distinct difference between them and the Thornton family. While the death of their daughter had shattered the Thorntons, it seems to have brought the Valdez family closer together.

Mrs. Valdez guides Javier to Jessica’s room, her presence lingering at the doorway as if reluctant to leave. She offers a small, encouraging nod before stepping back, leaving him to his investigation. He surveys the room, taking in the floral pattern of the bedsheets and the posters that decorate the walls. He doesn’t find anything at first, just typical things you’d come across in a twenty something year old’s bedroom.

He can’t help but compare it to Paloma’s room, thinking about how similar yet distinctly personal each space is. Javi scoffs. No matter how hard he tries to focus, she always finds a way to sneak into his thoughts, her presence lingering like a stubborn fucking ghost.

He rummages through the vanity, but finds nothing unusual—just makeup products and other miscellaneous items. Frustrated, he stands in the middle of the room, hands resting on his narrow waist as he rolls his tongue over his teeth, deep in thought. What had the assailant seen in her that made him want to keep her captive? What did she possess that the others didn’t?

Determined to find answers, Javier makes his way to her closet. A distinct groan from the wood flooring stops him in his tracks. Intrigued, he retreats a few steps and hears it again. His brows furrow as he shifts his weight, pinpointing the source of the sound. Kneeling, he notices one of the floorboards is slightly raised compared to the rest.

His blunt fingers try to pull it free, but it doesn’t budge. He quickly goes back to the vanity, grabbing a metal nail file to help loosen the board. With some effort, he manages to detach it completely, revealing a shallow hiding spot beneath. There, lying in the small cavity, is what looks like a diary. He wastes no time in taking it into his possession.

The diary has a fragile lock, but with the nail file still in hand, he carefully jimmies it open. As the lock gives way, he flips through the pages, his eyes scanning for anything that might shed light on why Jessica was different. The entries are personal, detailing her thoughts, fears, and dreams. He feels a pang of guilt for invading her privacy, but he knows this might be the key to understanding what set her apart.

One entry catches his eye, dated just two weeks before she was taken. Jessica writes about a man she noticed watching her, how she felt both intrigued and unsettled by his presence. The details are chilling and Javi’s pulse quickens. This could be the lead he’s been searching for.

As he continues to read through it, Jessica talks about meeting this guy who’s promising her the entire world. Her writing is whimsical, capturing the excitement and mystery of young love. She doesn’t go into detail, carefully avoiding specifics. She explains that this mystery boy told her that if she dared speak or write about all he’s revealed, none of it would come true.

His jaw tenses. To him, it sounds like a classic manipulation tactic, designed to keep her quiet and compliant.

“Bullshit,” he mutters under his breath, his exasperation amplifying as his fingers dig in to temples; alleviating the building migraine. He can’t believe she fell for such a transparent ploy, but he also understands the allure of a charming stranger spinning grand tales in small towns like these. It pisses him off that this guy—whoever he is—managed to weasel his way into Jessica’s life and fill her head with empty promises. He probably did the same with the others.

He takes a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions. He knows getting irritated won’t help him find the answers he needs. He forces himself to focus, flipping through more pages to see if there’s any additional information about this mystery guy. The eccentric tone continues, filled with hopeful musings and vague references.

He has to identify him, the one who captivated Jessica and possibly led to her captivity. He gently closes the diary, his mind racing with new questions and a burning desire for justice.

With renewed purpose, he exits the room, ready to confront whatever challenges lie ahead. Her fantasy-filled writings might have masked the danger, but he sees through it. Her descriptions of a mysterious suitor aren’t just youthful reveries—they’re potential clues.

He tucks the diary securely under his arm and heads downstairs, stopping to make conversation with her parents on the way out. Very subtly, he asks them questions about any new people in Jessica’s life, a boyfriend or a close guy friend she might have been spending time with recently. They aren’t much help in this regard, reiterating the same information they’ve already provided in various statements. Of course, Jessica wouldn’t have mentioned this secretive relationship to them, but he still had to ask—just in case.

The drive back to Seminary is quiet as he mulls over this discovery. He can’t shake the gnawing feeling that he knows who’s behind this, but his thoughts are muddled by the disdain he harbors for the blonde, tattooed sleaze that fits the vague description Jessica had written in her diary.

The charming promises, the elusive nature of this mystery man. They match the profile of the younger guy he’s had his eye on for a while—this local troublemaker known for his smooth-talking and shady past. This connection is worth looking into, especially since he already has the plans to tail August’s group.

Entering the sheriff’s department, he immediately notices Romeo chatting with Lorraine, who is gathering her things to leave for the day. Javier glances at his watch, seeing that he should have left hours ago.

“You workin’ a double?” he asks, flashing the older woman a charming smile as she bids them both goodnight.

“Had a meeting with Abbott over the phone then I did some paperwork. Paloma’s out with her friend ‘n won’t be back till morning. M’not really lookin’ to bein’ at home alone. Might stop by the bar to kill some more time.”

At the mention of her, he feels that all-too-familiar internal reaction—the one he experiences every time she’s brought up. No matter how hard he tries to bury his thoughts of her beneath his work and other bullshit distractions, it’s impossible when Romeo talks about her so frequently.

And why wouldn’t he? Romeo is none the wiser to what Javier and his daughter have been entangled in for the past few months. His guilt and desire swirl together once again, creating a complex cocktail of emotions that he has to suppress each time her name is mentioned.

He knows exactly which friend she’s with, and considering what he just discovered in the diary, he can’t help the way his heart races at the thought of Paloma being in danger. His rational mind tells him there’s no actual threat—everything is circumstantial. But he’s desperate for answers, and unfortunately, the person who currently fits the bill is too close to her for comfort.

“She not doing a show tonight?” Javier asks, his tone laced with practiced nonchalance. It’s Friday, and he knows how much she loves and looks forward to her weekend performances.

“Nah. Said she was havin’ a sleepover with Sloane at her place. Well, shit, the motel. S’where that poor girl is livin’. Dunno why they didn’t just stay at the house––she kept sayin’ that she doesn’t wanna be there all the time and that she’d just be in town. So I figured, what the hell, she is twenty-six years old. I shouldn’t be so goddamn strict on her all the time.”

He processes this new information. The fact that Sloane lives at the motel is news to him. If she stays there, it’s possible that others in their circle do too. He wonders what information he can get about them from the employees.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Javier responds, forcing a smile. “She’s an adult and can take care of herself. Still, you’re a good dad for looking out for her.”

Romeo’s face softens with appreciation, but his thoughts are already elsewhere. He needs to visit that motel and scope out anything he can get. The urgency of his mission pulses through him, driving him to take steps he might later question. But for now, he’s only focused on getting as much dirt as he can on this group.

He taps his fingers rhythmically on the surface of the entrance desk, his mind resolutely focused on his goal for the night. “Seems to me like you should be enjoying a child-free night. Just don’t drink yourself to death down at the bar, alright?” His lips quirk up into a small smirk, eliciting a chuckle from Romeo, who agrees with him before gathering his things and leaving Javier alone in the station.

His eyes drift to the clock on the wall. The overnight deputies are due in an hour, giving him a small window of time to prepare.

With his notes updated and a clearer picture forming in his mind, he closes the diary and slips it into an empty drawer at his desk. He stands, stretching his legs and rolling his shoulders to shake off the tension before heading towards the door, a determined set to his jaw. He tells the two deputies he’s going out over his shoulder, not giving them the time to reply before he’s in his cruiser and heading towards the Trails End motel.

The first car he sees when he arrives is Paloma’s, and he isn’t sure if he should be relieved or not. Parking right by the entrance, he finishes his cigarette, the neon lights of the flickering sign casting an eerie glow over his hardened facial expression.

He wonders what room she’s in, what she could be doing to pass the time, what she’s wearing. Javier curses under his breath, his lips tingling at the phantom feeling of her soft skin beneath his touch. He recalls how he could feel the pulse in her neck amidst burying himself inside her, each beat syncing with his own racing heart.

What an evil fucking thing it is to reminisce on such a memory like this. It’s regressive, the opposite of what he should be doing, but she has such a tight grip on his heart–– he wants her to squeeze it until it pops into a bloody mess. Maybe then he’d be free of this torment of yearning for her.

He exits his car, flicking the finished butt of his cigarette into a nearby bin. The cool night air doing little to calm the heated thoughts swirling in his mind. The motel’s façade is weathered and uninviting, everything one would expect from a dingy place like this. He pauses at the entrance, drawing one last deep breath before stepping inside.

The lobby is dimly lit, a faint smell of stale smoke and cleaning products hanging in the air. The clerk at the front desk looks up with a bored expression as Javier approaches.

They engage in small talk for a moment before Javi is pulling out the mugshots of August, Sloane, and Gabriel. He slides them across the counter and asks the man what he knows about them.

“Oh yeah. That’s Miss McCarthy!” The attendant points to the picture of Sloane. “A real sweet thing. Stayed here with those boys for a good while before she moved out a few weeks ago. Her checks from the bar still get mailed here, and she’s back every week to get ‘em.”

“Moved out? She’s not living here anymore?” Javier’s eyes narrow, intrigued yet confused.

“Nope. Got a house out there somewhere.”

“Is she here tonight?”

The man gives him a wary look but quickly backs down under the intensity of the sheriff deputy’s stare.

“No. Haven’t seen her since last Sunday when she came in to get her check.”

He digests this information. Sloane’s absence complicates things. He had hoped to walk away tonight with maybe a few more bad stories about her and her companions. Instead, he’s left with more questions.

His jaw clenches as he exhales through his nose, collecting the mugshots and shoving them back into his back pocket. “Alright, thanks. Mind if I take a look around before leaving?”

“She ain’t in no trouble, is she?”

“No trouble. Just following up with something.”

The attendant shrugs. “Suit yourself. Just don’t cause any trouble.”

Acknowledging him with a nod, Javier bids a brief goodnight before stepping out of the stuffy office and into the dimly lit parking lot. His footsteps echo against the pavement as he makes his way towards her car.

His frustration mounts at the revelation of the unlocked door. With a touch, it swings open easily, the interior bathed in the soft glow of the overhead light. His brows furrow as he scans the car, his irritation growing with each passing moment.

He conducts a brief search but finds nothing of significance until he flips down the visor. The keys tumble out with a muted thud, landing on the seat. Javier curses under his breath, his exasperation boiling over at the sight. She left her car unlocked and the keys inside—an invitation for trouble.

With a resigned sigh, he returns the keys to their place, his movements deliberate. He closes the door with a little more force than necessary, the sound ringing out in the quiet night.

Turning away from the car, he resumes his patrol of the motel grounds. He glances at the few rooms with lights shining from within, unable to discern which one she might be in—but he knows she’s not here at all. This fuels him to continue sleuthing.

The realization of her absence only gnaws at his unease. Where on earth could she be? Is she in some kind of trouble? Did she purposefully lie? Is she being shoved in the back of a van to meet her demise? These questions swirl in his mind, his fists clenching at his sides in a futile attempt to contain his growing anxiety. His nostrils flare with each agitated breath, the tension radiating off him like heat from a flame.

He knows he shouldn’t let himself get so worked up, but he can’t help it. The mere possibility of something happening to her fills him with a sense of dread that he can’t shake.

Determined to find something, He presses on with his search. He even manages to corner one of the motel’s housekeepers, hoping for any shred of information that might shed some light. Unfortunately, she offers nothing new, echoing the same vague responses he received from the front desk attendant.

Feeling like he’s hit a dead end, he retreats to his cruiser, the frustration mixed with anxiety pressing heavily on his shoulders as he goes through the motions of lighting another cigarette.

It isn’t until days later that Javier spots her leaving the library, a spring in her step as she rounds the building towards the alleyway. His heart races as he quickly exits his truck and crosses the street, determined to catch her alone. His conscience whispers for him to turn back, but he ignores it, driven by his relentless need for answers.

He calls out her name, and she freezes, turning sharply to face him. He opens his mouth to speak, but the words elude him, leaving him feeling foolish for being so easily affected by her presence.

Rolling her eyes, she begins to walk away. “Wait!” he calls after her, but she shows no signs of slowing down. Closing the distance, he reaches out and grabs her forearm, hoping to halt her retreat.

“Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” She hisses, pulling viciously from his touch and the action hits him straight in the gut, having him set his jaw firmly because he knows he deserves this.

“Where the hell were you last Friday night?” Javier demands, his words sharp and impatient, as if he holds authority over her whereabouts.

She stares at him incredulously, a disbelieving laugh escaping her lips. “You’re unbelievable,” she scoffs, shaking her head. There’s a new intensity in her gaze, a depth he’s never seen before, and it unsettles him. Though always spirited, her demeanor now is charged with an unfamiliar energy, conveying emotions he struggles to decipher.

“You use me, break my damn heart, have the audacity to tell me to leave you alone–– and when I finally do, you’re actin’ like this,” she accuses, her voice heavy with vexation. “Treatin’ me like I’m just some doll you can play around with ‘til you get bored then get possessive over when you can’t control her. Have you not already caused me enough pain?”

For a fleeting moment, she softens but she can’t help it with the way his mopey brown eyes tug at her heartstrings. Even after all the hurt he’s caused.

He’d miss the flash of vulnerability in her stare if not for how attuned he is to her. She’s right, and he fucking knows it. He’s made a bigger mess of things, a realization that pierces through him like a dagger.

But then he remembers the anxiety that had crawled over him once he realized she wasn’t at the motel, how pissed he’d gotten at her recklessness.

“That’s not what this is about,” he retorts through gritted teeth, “All this shit that’s going on and you’re just disappearing off into the night. There’s a psychopath out there, preying on girls like you and I’m just––” 

“You’re just what?” she interrupts, her voice laced with a mixture of defiance and exasperation. “Please don’t tell me you’re ‘looking after me,’ because that’s a damn joke. I can take care of myself. Like you said–– s’not your job to be babysittin’ me. Go do what you’re here to do, Javier, and leave. me. alone.” she concludes, her tone mirroring the sharpness he had directed at her that night at the party. “And stop followin’ me around.” With that, she turns on her heel and walks away, leaving him standing there, tussling with the burden of his own sense of wrongdoings.

His gaze follows her retreating figure with a heavy heart. He catches sight of August, leaning arrogantly against his motorcycle with an air of superiority at the end of the alleyway. Javier’s entire body tenses, standing there seething like a furious statue. Anger flares along his skin, transforming his melancholy into fury.

August’s smug posture, coupled with the intimate embrace he shares with her, ignites a jealous fire deep within Javier’s chest.

Every movement, every touch between them feels like a taunt aimed directly at him, a reminder of what he has lost, even though she wasn’t his to begin with.

His hands curl into tight fists, jaw twitching as he watches his possessive hand boldly grope her ass. It’s a sight that downright torments him as his mind is consumed by thoughts of what could have been and what she currently has with this piece of shit.

Paloma dons the helmet and straddles the bike behind August, pressing herself against him, and that is enough to finally get Javier to tear his gaze away. The roar of the motorcycle engine echoes in his ears, drowning out the sound of his own tumultuous emotions as they disappear into the distance, leaving him alone with his bitter regret.

[moonsunpenguin]

DFF Theory (after after ep6)

I've only started watching the show Monday and basically binged all 6 episodes in one day. And since then my brain can't stop thinking of theories, so I'll just dump them here and maybe revisit them after ep7. This will contain spoilers (at least until episode 6).

I've read on here that the show is reminiscent of 90s slasher movies and I would agree with that. As it starts with how most 90s to early 2000s slasher films start: teenagers/early 20s going into a secluded area to have fun, drink, and do stuff, only to find themselves hunted by a mystery killer. 

I was never a big fan of slasher films but I do love puzzles and DFF poses a good one!

At the beginning we are told of a sacrifice-offering cult that may or may not reside in the woods where they're going. With this, they're already planting the seed that there might be some supernatural stuff going on in the area and added to the show's eerie vibe. It also gave the audience a plausible reason on why some characters (Tee and Top) were scared of a "curse". Why Tan, Phee and White are sure the things happening aren't supernatural in nature seems to hint that they are either skeptics or they know something the others don't.

The way Uncle Dang was taken out though, it boggled me at first until the latest ep where it showed he was also there when they first filmed at the cabin. It made me think maybe he was also present when those awful boys did whatever it was that they did. But given that it was relatively painlesslear compared to Por's days of agony, I'd say his involvement is probably very minimal. Maybe just like Fluke he just turned a blind eye?

The way the "masked man" was slowly taking the original friend group out one by one, feels like they want them to suffer but not by their hands. Like, they want the og boys to unknowingly be the cause of their own demise. With how Por ran unto a tree branch by himself and how Top took it out when he went cuckoo. Fluke was also suffering, the stress of taking care of Por and knowing he may not be able to save him accompanied by his fear of being a suspect in an investigation diminishing his chances of becoming a doctor. It's a feat that he can still think clearly. Even though we do see him almost crack a few times already. 

It feels as if whoever's behind the "masked man" wants the og boys to lose their minds and they are slowly succeeding. 

The last of the og boys that seems to not be close to losing his mind is Jin. It gives off that idea that maybe he's somewhat safe because he wasn't as bad to Non as the others. But, after learning that Phee is Non's lover (ex-fwb?), it raises the question: why would he get close to Jin? When he knows Jin is part of the group that were awful to Non? My theory for this is that, Jin did something worse than the other 4 did. He made Non think that he can be trusted and betrayal from someone you put your faith in to hurts a lot more than from others you consider enemies. And I think it's what Phee is doing, he's gaining Jin's trust so he can make him feel whatever he did to Non. 

Also, I feel like Tan and White are in on the whole scheme and one of them is New. 

I'm excited for Saturday so I can revisit these theories and maybe make some more after the episode

[sentenceme-leni]

Thursday. Minimum 4 sentences.

---

Belle sipped at her tea, drawing the blanket tighter around her bare legs. Despite the fireplace glowing bright on one end of the room, the cabin was colder than the mansion.

Central heating was a feature she would miss when they returned to the Dark Castle.

"This world has spoiled me," she told Rumple. "It's always warm inside."

"I'll keep you warm," he promised, joining actions to word and threading his arms around her.

Belle giggled, happy to accept the extra body heat under the circumstances. Before the temptation of his touch could distract her, Belle persevered. "But really, Rumple. How many candles would it take to make my library as cozy as the bookstore is here?"

"A hundred and twenty-two," he answered promptly.

Belle turned a skeptical look on him.

"Alright. I am kidding. But why the concern?" He waved a hand in that particular way that meant magic to him. "You can handle it yourself."

Belle was touched by his vote of confidence, but in truth heating spells drained her after a couple of hours. She had never liked to be dependant on Rumple's power for something so mundane, so she'd complemented the magic with thick shawls and an early bedtime in the worst of winter.

Perhaps someone would figure out how to apply some of this world's technology to their land?

"Did we ever meet any inventors back home?"

Rumple glanced at her with curiousity at the non-sequitor, but gave the matter some thought anyway. "Not that I remember," he said with a shake of his head. Then he smirked. "What about your father?"

Belle laughed at the thought.

Ruby had made her watch the movie once, and the next day Belle had sat Rumple in front of his TV set and played the video, just to make sure she wasn't reading too much into it.

Most of it was nonsense, like her father's vocation and jovial mood. She also couldn't remember Gaston with a close friend, though admittedly she hadn't cared to meet anyone important to her former fiancé.

To her surprise, the cartoon residents at the castle had tugged at her memory.

"Well, sweetheart," Rumple had said after listening to her. "You visited so many of the nearby towns, so often, that I'd find it unlikely if you hadn't met a nosy widow with a gaggle of young kids. As for friends who bicker over everything, there was probably a pair in every town!"

Belle saw the sense in his words.

Still the feeling persisted.

Rumpelstiltskin, however, took their conversation down a different path. "Have you changed your mind, then? Do you wish to stay in Storybrooke with all its comforts?"

Belle was quick to shake her head.

The miscommunication on that regard had lasted long enough.

"Of course not," she told Rumple. "After our wedding, we're going back home. You're the only comfort I'll need."

The End

09/05/24

[luaminesce]

Having read Chuggaaconroy's apology on Facebook, here's what I have to say on the matter:

Unlike a number of other YTbers in this same situation, he actually apologised, acknowledged the harm he had caused, and took responsibility for his actions. Instead of making a two-hour video falt out denying the allegations, DARVOing Emily, and throwing the blame back at her (unlike ProJared), he admitted he'd crossed boundaries and made her (and others) uncomfortable; mentioning he'd gone into therapy after the initial incident. It seems to be a genuine apology on his part, mea culpa, instead of "YOU'VE ALL BEEN LIED TO" denialism.

Yet, I'm not sure I, as an Autistic enby, am fully ready to "forgive and forget", "absolve" him of all sins as of yet. The hurt and pain from his "betrayal" of his fans, most of whom are, like him and Emily, are neurodivergent and/or Autistic, isn't something that can be washed away so easily. The anger and rage I felt when this news broke out, of yet another prominent gaming figure commiting something problematic (even when I already treat almost anyone, famous or not, with skepticism and weariness), just threw me for a loop. It's not some instant, salve on the wound; I feel like it's going to take time to regain my "trust" again, to return to "the good books", so to speak.

The one takeaway I have from all this, is the fact that gaming fandom, especially cishet male fans, is absolutely awful. Ten years on from Gamergate, and five years on from the ProJared scandal, I see, once again, barrages of mostly young men on the internet hounding, harassing, victim-blaming a queer, Autistic trans woman in the name of "righting" a slight against their favourite celebrity. I saw the TRG fans slinging insult, after slur, after insult, towards Emily, threatening her, and dismissing her testimony; and could not help but be reminded of all the marginalised gamers, Zoe Quinn, that had suffered the same harassment. I even got called a "psycho SJW" for talking about the subject on here. It's clear we, as a community, have learnt nothing over this past decade.

I'd probably should end this off with a conclusion that wraps everything up; but, I honestly can't. Just that... I hope things smooth out well between Chuggaaconroy and Emily, and that maybe, things can heal, whilst still acknowledging the hurt caused.

[solicelegacy]

WIP-

So im working on this HL fic an its definitely still very much a work in progress but honestly i've been struggling with motivation with it.

The idea behind it is suppose to be a chapter(or maybe a couple chapters) of Amit's future memoir, and it's all about the new F!MC 5th year through his view. I personally haven't seen anyone else do it like this, and it's been on my mind since I first played Hogwarts Legacy.

Im hoping posting just a snip of it will push me into the motivation i need. This is just the potions class part the writing so I hope you all enjoy. I'd love any feedback you can give <3

p.s. Forgive my writing, I literally haven't writen anything in years

--------

The days went on, and I didn’t see much of the new 5th year other than classes. However, the talk about her never seemed to stop. From helping classmates with miscellaneous tasks around Hogwarts, fighting trolls in Hogsmeade to even rumours about the dark wizards called Ashwinders looking for her, she appeared to get more mysterious than ever. While allegedly everyone knew her, nobody seemed to know her. Nobody knew about where she came from before Hogwarts, nothing about her family, no one could even tell you what she liked to eat since she appeared to never be seen in the great hall during designated meal times. The only thing people insisted they knew is she took to spending time with Sebastian or Natsai, but getting information from those two was as impossible as taming a graphorn. I was beginning to assume that having a conversation with her was never going to happen, until that fateful potions class.

I remember this potion class like the day I first discovered my parents' Gobbledegook notes. We were tasked to make the perfect wiggenweld potion. Professor Sharp had called on me to explain why it’s a handy potion to have on hand. A simple question really, a first year should even be able to answer it. However, if you find yourself reading this and don’t know, wiggenweld is used to sterilize and even heal a variety of injuries but not all injuries so don’t rely on it as a cure all. With Professor Sharp's nod of approval and points awarded to the Ravenclaw house for my answer, we began to brew our potions. 

The new 5th year was stationed on the other side of the room, just being in the same room as her was making me anxious. How was I supposed to approach a person who has built such a strong reputation in just the few days they’ve been here? As much as I wanted to ask her every question that I could possibly think of, I decided to observe them between the steps of making my own potion. It was probably the safer option to not get too close to someone who supposedly had ashwinders on their trail. After all, it took almost all summer to convince my parents Hogwarts was safe to attend even if there were rumours about a goblin rebellion happening. 

I’m not really sure what I was expecting when it came to their potion making. After their show in Defence Against the Dark Arts, I was positive there would be a magnificent spectacle awaiting in this class, but there wasn’t. There was no flair when crushing Dittany leaves, no throwing all the ingredients into the cauldron at once, no massive explosion when adding the horklump juice, just normal uneventful potion making. If it weren’t for all the rumours you’d think she was just your normal everyday Hogwarts student. 

Soon enough Professor Sharp got up from his desk to check on each student, making sure they were following instructions carefully. He made his way to the new 5th year first, assuming he was skeptical of them succeeding on making a flawless potion their first try. But as Sharp had approached their station, she had turned to face him holding a perfectly green potion in a vial. With all the commotion of the classroom it was hard to hear what the Professor was saying to her but I managed to makeout something about ‘recent exploits’.  I could only imagine what he was referring to but the rumours don’t make it that hard. She gave Professor Sharp a nod before heading towards his office door only to be stopped by the lively red headed gryffindor, Garreth Weasley. 

It was easy to tell when Garreth was planning to make whatever concoction his mind made up that day. He would have this specific gleam in his eyes, with a mischievous grin to match. When he made that face you knew an explosion of some kind would surely follow. This time they both were closer to me so I could hear them. Garreth double checked to make sure Professor Sharp wasn’t listening before asking her to collect a fwooper feather among the ingredients for her edurus potion she was tasked to make. She seemed hesitant, not wanting to get on Sharps bad side to which I don't blame her for not wanting to cross an ex-auror. However, Garreth persisted to which she reluctantly agreed too. Her expression showed uncertainty compared to Garreth's beaming smile of success as the two parted ways.

Hearing Professor Sharp’s office door close behind me, I returned to finishing up my own potion. The colour finally being the perfect shade of green, I slowly began to pour it in the empty vial. Before turning in my now completed wiggenweld potion, I went over the steps in my notes just to triple check I followed each step correctly. I was so engrossed with my notes I didn’t notice the set of footsteps walking towards my direction. 

“I was impressed you were able to answer Professor Sharp's question about the wiggenweld potion.”  The unfamiliar voice had startled me out of my thoughts and quickly turned around to only be met with a friendly smile and a small wave. It was her. Up close she didn’t appear very intimidating, she just seemed like a normal 5th year as excited to learn as any other of our peers. Her eyes however, seemed to have this fire shining bright with determination. 

I gathered myself quickly to introduce myself so as to not be rude. While I had reservations about her with all the rumours and hobbies she seems to have, she was actually quite pleasant. I took this opportunity to complement her flawless effort on her wiggenweld, she really did seem to have a knack for potion making. My nerves were getting the best of me, I simply kept rambling on but she didn’t seem to mind, smiling and nodding to the almost nonsense spewing out of my mouth. Our conversation wasn’t a long one, we parted ways with the knowledge that we would be sharing Astronomy class together. A class I was always excited to attend.

As she headed in the direction of her potion station she almost seemed to hesitate before heading towards Garreth instead. She appeared to be reluctant to hand over the bright pink fwooper feather to the very eager Weasley who gladly took it from her before she could change her mind. If only she knew what she had got herself into. 

She was in the process of making her edurus potion when the show began. As no surprise to anyone but the new 5th year, Garreth’s concoction started to spark like fireworks before quickly bubbling over, splashing all over himself and neighboring stations. Annoyed groans had come from Sebastain and Natsai who were the unfortunate victims to the putrid concoction. With a clearly frustrated sigh from Sharp and points taken from Gryffindor he had called for whoever Weasleys accomplice was to answer to him as well, looking towards the new 5th year who was bottling up her potion doing everything to avoid Professor Sharp's piercing gaze. 

When she finally couldn't avoid his gaze forever, she made her way towards his desk in the front of the room. I couldn’t tell if Sharp was more annoyed or disappointed in how she chose to spend her class time. Usually actions like this resulted in detention or house points taken away at the very least, not this time. Maybe because it was her first offence with him or maybe it was because she gave a genuine apology about her actions, who knows. Professor Sharp seemed to be just as impressed with her work as everyone else was. With a final warning to her about ‘not a potions master quite yet,’ he dismissed the rest of class. Almost instantly she turned on her heels to apologize to her unfortunate foul smelling friends for the mess she caused them before bolting out the door claiming she had somewhere to be. 

[minevn]

I'm super new to this blog, so would you mind giving a brief explanation for the LIs personalities? Doesn't have to be super long or anything!! I'm just rlly intrigued but don't know who my favorite should be :3

I don't mind giving an explanation at all! These turned out way longer then I meant to and I'm sorry, there was kinda a lot. I tried keeping them kind of short but ended up getting carried away.

Old! Minato: Minato is probably the least yandere out of everyone. He's protective of the mc but more so in a way of "I want to frequently check up on them and make sure that they're okay because I care about them." He's protective of his friends and even more so if he has a crush on them. He doesn't have any relationship experience so he's kinda awkward and most likely won't realize he has a crush for a bit. And due to circumstances that happen in the beginning, he's even more protective of the mc, he doesn't like violence much and is most likely to be kind and civil with the LI's but isn't against intimidating other if he deems them a threat to MC. But anyways, he's a super soft and gentle LI, I love the gentle giant trope.

New! Minato: Minato borders on the line of being yandere, but I'd say that he isn't. Much like before he's very protective, just in general, as he loves looking out for and protecting others. He's a bit clingy, so expect him to stay by your side often. He's hasn't really connected to anyone else as he has with you, despite being well known for being kind and helpful, he doesn't have many close friends. He has more relationship experience now, but things ended due to the distance, but he's more aware when he's romantically interested in others! Much like before, he's not a huge fan of violence, but isn't against using his tall stature to intimidate others, though he'd never actually hurt anyone, he'd never forgive himself. He's still the most likely to try to get along with the other Li's, I feel like him and Aki would get along great!

Haruto: Haruto is the Mc's childhood friend that has made sure to stick by Mc's side all these years. He knows the Mc best and can basically read the mc's moods, wants and behaviors. He's extremely gentle around the mc. He's made sure to have every class and lunch with you, in the beginning of the mc's work life he would get the same jobs, if you had to move, he's begging his mom to move close to you and even as adults he lives close to you. He doesn't like other people, he doesn't care for them and is extremely skeptical of others who get close to the mc, even his younger brother. He's tried to let you make decisions on your own but he just doesn't trust others so he'll try to frame them for something bad just so you'll drop him. He's extremely loyal though, he's stuck by you and has liked you for so many years. He doesn't like getting violent, but he doesn't need to, he has a high IQ and connections with people.

Jun: Jun is overwhelming. She's extremely clingy, loud, and more. The mc met Jun through Jun's older sister, Aki. Aki and the mc are best friends(One that Haruto is okay(?) with) And while Jun has never been that important to mc, mc has been on Jun's mind for YEARS! Whenever mc would go over for a sleepover, Jun would find any way possible to see mc, like asking if they want snacks and then bringing them up again and then "accidentally" forgetting drinks so he'd have to get them and come back up again. Or whenever Aki needed to use the restroom, Jun would come in to keep the Mc company. Or at any birthday party or big event, Jun would always invite Mc. Over the years Jun has become more outgoing. Honestly, she's kind of tired of the Mc not getting the hints, even if the mc doesn't like him back at least recognize her feelings! She's also not very involved in the Mc's life until recently so she doesn't know much about your friends or anything like that, but whenever she'd around she isolates you in order to have as much of your time as possible.

Hoshi: In the beginning, Hoshi is one of your awful co-workers. He constantly pulls pranks on you, frames you for stuff that happens, and pushes all of his work on you. The only reason he can get away with that stuff is because his dad runs the restaurant that Habiki, you, and him all work at. He's rude, vulgar, loud, and you absolutely hate him. He doesn't care about anything, he has no goals in life and he's never had to try much for anything. He doesn't actually mind where he works, but there's just other stuff that's more fun. Yandere wise, he's probably another isolator but I mean he definitely isn't against using violence, he might even use violence just cause he's bored. He does have his own insecurities and soft side though, but you'll have to get through his brattiness behavior.

Habiki: Habiki is another one of your awful co-workers and is the older twin brother of Hoshi. He was also guarantied a job at his dad's restaurant so he's also uncaring and doesn't try hard. He doesn't prank you, he doesn't frame you exactly(He'll just go along with what Hoshi says even if he knows Hoshi was the one that did it, but he doesn't ever start it himself), he does push all his work onto you though, he also degrades you whenever he can. He's only slightly more tolerable then Hoshi. Unlike Hoshi, Habiki DOES mind where he works. He despises working at his dad's restaurant and has some pent up anger and resentment towards his dad because he feels trapped and forced to work there. Habiki has his own dreams and ambitions. Yandere wise, I can see him not really caring about others at first! He doesn't really deem others as a threat because his own ego is so high, why wouldn't you choose him? I think he'd also just isolate you, possibly through kidnapping, but he's down to ruin both others social lives so you'll leave them, or yours so that way everyone will leave you and he gets to act like the good guy who's stayed by your side.

Kage: Kage is Haruto's younger brother and has met you through Haruto. Haruto often tries to keep you guys from meeting though. Still, Kage is interested in you. He's seen how Haruto loses his composure because of you and he's interested to know what is so special about you. He's been stalking you for years, and although he still doesn't get it completely, they have fallen for you too. The more they watched you and saw how you interacted with others and seeing all your flaws and things you're good at. He just loves how human you are. He's tried watching others to get his mind off of you, but none of them excite them as much as you do, which is the main part he doesn't understand. He's purposefully gotten the same jobs as you(much to Haruto's disappointment) which has made it easier to observe you. Of course, he's much too nervous to have an ACTUAL conversation with you, but if you wanted to start it then maybe he could try his hardest to keep it going. Yandere wise, he mostly stalks but would also try to kidnap you. Except he's also extremely weak, you could tap him and he'd go flying idk. Much like his brother though, he has a high IQ and could come up with plans to make his life easier.

Kei: Kei has known you since high school and has had his eyes on you since. You two were paired up for a group project and you were one of the first partners he's ever had that did the work as well! Since then he often paired up with you and you were fine with it because you knew that you both did the work. He didn't have a lot of confidence back in high school and while he still struggles, he's definitely gotten better with talking to others at least. When you meet him again, he talks to you and gets to know you(He already knows everything about you) He found you years ago and has been keeping tabs on you. He knows all about everyone you've had interactions with. Knows Haruto has isolated you for years and how long you've known him and how comfortable you are with him. Knows how long you've known Jun and Kage. Knows what happened on the night you met Minato. He knows everything about the people you thought you might've known. He's going to prove he's more useful and reliable then Haruto. He's waited so patiently for the perfect moment to see you again, he doesn't want to ruin the chances that he worked hard in the shadows to get. His main rival is Haruto, but he has stuff over Haruto, like being top of his class for YEARS. He does stalk you and maybe kidnaps you in a few routes but mainly he's helpful to you.

Yani: Yani is Yani. He's definitely an I'll be whatever you want me to be, but Yani has his own likes and interests. If anything, it just kinda adds your preferences onto itself. Like a certain music genre, he'll add it to his own. He does that with pretty much everything. If there's a certain aesthetic you like he'll add it around his house or to his outfits or incorporate it into his routine, his oh so busy routine of stalking you. He has no chill. You thought Jun was overwhelming? Wait till you meet Yani. It's Jun tenfold. Out of everyone, Yani has the most yandere tendencies. Stalking? Check! Isolating? Check! Murdering? Check! Despite that though, she waits a bit in order to make her move. When you do finally meet them though? They're telling you to name them, dress them, turn them into someone you'll like more. Isn't just a clown, nah, he's the entire circus. They're so goofy. They would absolutely love to go every you go, they already do. There's a lot more to Yani that I'm struggling to get into without reaching spoiler territory so Yani will have to be cut short.

All: I personally don't like yandere stories where the yandere hurts the mc so no one here does that(maybe in like a really bad end but I'm still unsure about that just cause as I mentioned, I don't really like yandere stories where the yandere hurts the mc). Another thing as well is that I have seen people talk about how yandere's are at least dubious consent and while the relationship in this story aren't healthy at all and I'm not gonna say it's like 100% consensual(I mean they kidnap you) but they NEVER EVER touch you inappropriately without consent, MULTIPLE times throughout spicey moments they WILL ask if you're okay and if you still want to do it with them. If they're stalking you and you end up changing or anything that involves you to show skin they are going to look away in order to respect your privacy. Each route has AT LEAST three endings bad ends, neutral end(s?), and good end(s?). The bad and neutral ends is where you're going to see most of the heavy yandere aspects but they'll be there throughout the entire game.

Some of this is up to change, like yandere wise. I feel I often make my character's too soft and while they are soft I want them to be more extreme then my other characters so I might amp it up but it'll probably be better in the actual game anyways

[sunnibearr]

first kiss pt.1

→ stray kids are your best friends, you guys are so close infact that they were your first kiss. fluff, slight angst.

→ hyung line + hyunjin x gn!reader

→ warnings: lowercase intended, very light cussing, notproof read

→ word count: 1,442

→ note: i got motivation to write this (finally!) because it happened to me earlier this year at prom! (so yes, this is slightly self indulgent)

→ pt.1 / pt.2

bang chan 방찬

you were nineteen when it happened, his soft lips against yours for mere seconds. you had asked him to kiss you -only as friends, you made sure to tell him- to get your first kiss done and over with. it'd been years since all of your other friends had their first kiss and you were left alone in your search to find 'the one' for you. not that it was a bad thing, of course not, chan actually found it very endearing that you'd waited this long because you wanted to find the perfect person and he was shocked -to say the least- when you had approached him about it. "channie?" you asked, sat on the couch next to him. you were nervous, which was unusual when you were around him; chan always made you feel so safe. "can you be my first kiss?" you didn't mean to be so direct with it but you were sick of waiting, tired of listening to your friends' teasing about how 'your one' will come when you're 40. there's nothing wrong with waiting, you just didn't want to wait anymore. "i'd rather you than a smelly old man when i'm 50," you reasoned with him although he was still apprehensive, he gave in. it was probably the best first kiss you could've hoped for. his hands came up to cup your face, callused fingers rough against your skin. he asked once more, his eyes searching for even the tiniest glint of uncertainty in yours, "are you sure?" you smiled, so softly that he would've missed it if he hadn't been paying close attention to your features and hummed out a response. with that, his lips found yours. they were softer than you thought, seconds felt like minutes with the simple peck on your lips. you almost felt sad when he pulled away, your heartbeat quickening once you realised what happened. "i was right," you smiled, voice slightly trembling with the tempo of your heart, "no better person than you, christopher bang."

lee know 리노

it was stupid, really. it wasn't meant to happen like that - or at all for that matter. you two kissing was a mistake, a lapse in judgment, something that was never in the plan. you were 16 and minho was your prom date. "a friend date?" he asked skeptically, to which you scoffed. of course it was only a friend date - you couldn't imagine yourself going to prom with minho as your actual date but then again, you couldn't really imagine going with anyone as your actual date. you nodded, smile as wide as ever as he agreed to your proposition. you'd done everything to get ready for prom together, matching attires and everything. minho thought it was nonsensical, if he was going to be honest but that was all crushed when he saw how excited you were for prom. in all honesty you also thought that prom was silly but you were still excited to spend the night with you best friend. the start of prom was a bit boring, your other friends making fools of themselves with their crushes and boyfriends and girlfriends and partners while you sat at a table with minho, who looked like he'd murder you if you asked him to dance. so you decided to dance alone, then join a group of your friends when a particularly popular song came on and when you turned around to check on minho back at the table you caught his eye. laughing, you called him over, your brain clouded with adrenaline and happiness. he indulged you, walking over -albeit reluctantly- and joining you in all your dancing glory. what you weren't expecting however was a slow song to come on -which you cursed the dj for after- and all of your friends dispersing to find their dates. you were left with lee minho. he smiled at you; that mischievous smile that he wears when he often tells you, "i told you so." you smile back, eyes slightly unsure of the situation but place your hands on his shoulders nonetheless. it was normal, a bit stiff and awkward but normal. until he kissed you. there was no warning, no indication that he was making a move and your immediate reaction was to jump back. your body now more tense more than it had been for the past two hours and your eyes wider than the moon - similar onrs staring back at you. he apologised, oh so many times, "didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, i don't know what came over me, i'm so sorry y/n." thr night carried on more tense, with much less eye contact and dancing between the two of you.

changbin 창빈

it was so sweet. god absolutely everything was so, so sweet. the way he stumbled over his words, the way his lips tasted -like the lolipop he had just finished- and most importantly, the way he made you feel like you were floating. you had a crush on your best friend, it wasn't something you tried to deny when your other friends teased you about it. however, you never made any moves. never tried to confess or hint at your feelings. you didn't want to ruin the friendship you had cultivated so carefully; you weren't ready for him to get up and leave from your life because of a stupid crush. what you didn't know, was that he felt the same way about you. he had picked a routine movie night to do it - to confess all of his feelings and hope for the best. you were 18 then, sat on the sofa of your best friend's parents' house while they were out for the night. "house to ourselves tonight, then?" you questioned when he came back from the kitchen, placing two glasses of sprite - or some other fizzy drink, you weren't really paying attention. he nodded, his demeanor as nonchalant as always, and handed you the remote so that you could scroll through the mass of movies. "you know, y/n," he started. your head turned side ways to look at him, his voice sounding strained as he avoided eye contact. you weren't sure what to expect, hand still absentmindedly clicking through the movies on the screen. "mhm?" you answered, ready for some silly question about life or a recount of drama that he'd heard - though his voice seemed too serious for either of those. "i like you. i like you a lot. i'm sorry if this is weird, i just- i can't pretend like i don't anymore. you don't have to-" your lios interrupted his rant, plush lips against, changbin's brain malfunctioning as he processed what you were doing, "-what." you giggled as you pulled away, eyes back to looking through movies -if only to avoid changbin's gaze- as your cheeks grew hotter by the second. "i like you too, dumbass."

hyunjin 현진

it was romantic. though you'll never understand how it went so wrong. hyunjin was your best friend in secondary, all through out year 7 to year 11. you did everything together. revision, homework, lunch, break - hell you'd even go to the bathroom to wait for eachother. you were 17 when it went oh so horribly, his lips resting on top of yours outside of the school gate. his eyes widened when he felt you stiffen below him, pulling away as fast as he could manage. your eyes were almost as wide as his, your fingers coming up to trace over your lips. "i'm so sorry." he blurted out, his figure already makings its way down the path. away from you. away from the embarrassment he didn't want to face. you didn't mean to reject him, not like that atleast. not at all? you weren't really sure. he had asked you to wait for him outside of the gate, last day of year 11 before summer holidays started - before you went your separate ways to new schools. you didn't expect him to kiss you, no words to preface his sudden burst of feelings. though, you weren't given a chance to ask him about it, his phone number and socials unavailable to you. a complete loss of contact with your best friend of four years, just over one kiss that you didn't reciprocate. one kiss that made you question your feelings for the boy; feelings that would become unresolved as time passed, brushed under the rug to be forgotten. his "i'm sorry" rang through your head for months, your attempts to contact him unsuccessful as hwang hyunjin avoided you - and the embarrassment of your rejection. the memory of your first kiss forever plagued by confusion and uncertainty.

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Wheel of Time full series spoiler thoughts on TDR Prologue-4

A probably semi-regular weekly bonus to my reread blog, since sometimes you realize things on reread that just make you need to yell in a full spoiler space.

Before we even start, can I just say, looking at the chapter titles reminds me of how much memory can skew the events of these books. I still knew what the outline of this book was, I hadn't merged it into another in the ~4 years since I last read the series, but I'd definitely, let's say, forgotten the distribution of events.

"Aiel had come out of the Waste just once in all the years since the Breaking." Isn't it funny, how not true that likely is. They had to have been set up in the Waste within the lifetime of Aes Sedai who lived in the Age of Legends, from the Ancestatron 9000 next book, but that could still be 400 or 500 years, they were known to live to 600 fairly commonly. I believe it's fairly well accepted that, while the Breaking took place across a couple of centuries, so did the Aiel march, since most of the jumps are to grandparents.

I always forget that Niall starts planning the Duopotamian Invasion a book ahead of when we next hear anything of it. There's so very little that RJ didn't set up believably far in advance.

Just rubbing my hands together eagerly over Perrin's whole arc to come. “The Creator made the world […] not I. I must live the best I can in the world the way it is.” slowly becoming the desire, the burning need even, to himself help create a better world. I wish I could see what he ends up doing in Saldaea when Faile ascends the throne after TG.

Not so much over Min's arc, though. I'm not one of the deeply anti-Min folks, but I'm also skeptical of the people who take her whole arc uncritically. There'll be better places for my full rant, but I'm thoroughly, miserably in the middle on my opinions of Min.

Still not over how Rand's arc was moving SO FAST this early, though. RJ, how did you ever think this would only take three more books? We're not quite up to "laughing while he kills a Darkfriend woman" as he gets later this book but like… you can see how RJ was ramping up the madness with the expectation he'd be hitting Veins of Gold in another two books or something so it wouldn't be going on forever. The backtracking on this subject after TDR is subtle but very interesting.

See, there's SO MUCH hinting that in RJ's opinion, Perrin's journey is about creation/destruction, not just pacifism/violence. Like, both are present, but so many people seem to ignore the former and only see and talk about the latter, even though Perrin's choice between pacifism and violence is a middle ground… a middle ground that only exists in the creation/destruction spectrum, where sometimes you have to unmake something to make it better.

Ishy is obviously fully aware of the Dark Prophecy, and he's probably seen or seeing wolves near Perrin. I think he's assuming that taking up the hammer instead of the axe will mean giving up on the fight. Of course, we know better.

Do we think that Lanfear was in Perrin's dream proper, treating him that way because he's close to Rand and a pathway to her goal? Or do we think Rand's dream-pushing influence is at fault for that part too, just more strongly because of his personal connection to Perrin? I rather lean toward the latter. But, the wolves showed up, and they're only in TAR, not individual dreams... so I think interpretation can go either way unless someone has textual backup from later on from Lanfear or Perrin. She does recognize him in a few chapters, but... I don't know. I could still go either way.