#RatedE

[gfawkesphoenixchokingonashes]

The Shield Bearer (E, Canon divergence, Howlies era) with art by @beardoesdoodles.

Chapter 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

Chapter 1:

The helmet bounced as it hit the rocky ground, shattering the fragile shale and sending shards in every direction. Gabe caught it on the way back up and the rest of the Howlies scattered. Grumbles of protests rumbled throughout the team but nobody said a word, not even Dum Dum. They all knew when to keep their mouths shut. Especially when it was Bucky's turn to lose his cool.

"If I have to chase down this goddamn shield one more time –!"

He slammed the vibranium disc into the ground where it parted the rock beneath it and stayed there, listing slightly to one side.

For lack of anything else to take his anger out on, he kicked at the dirt. It fanned out over the fire. The flames collapsed for a few beats, then, as the wind whistled through the gorge, reignited. It was like the searing burn in Bucky's gut, ever constant and resilient.

He began to pace while the others regrouped around the fire. "Not only do I have to cover his ass, I've got to clean up after him, too!"

Bucky dropped his gun on the ground, ignoring the vocal cringe from Denier, and picked up the coffee pot from the fire. He poured into an awaiting cup and took a mouthful.

Ugh. It was awful.

Jim scowled at him as he bent to spit it on the ground, and Bucky thought better of it. The guys were exhausted, having not slept in three days. It wasn't Jim's fault the whole thing had gone tits up, nor Monty's or Gabe's or Dum Dum's. It was his responsibility, because he'd taken it alone. And boy, was he regretting that decision.

He swallowed the horrible stuff and set his pack on the ground. The others had already set up camp in the gorge. The mountains rose up on either side, and only the brush offered any kind of cover. If HYDRA were to locate them, they'd all be sitting ducks.

"He back yet?" Bucky huffed as he sat next to Gabe. The man had rolled over a few of the larger rocks. Uncomfortable as hell, Bucky reminded himself to appreciate it. Jones wasn't even supposed to be over there. 

"No sign of him," Dum Dum confirmed. "He went after those two that got away."

Bucky closed his eyes and quietly fumed. "Of course he did."

The others looked ready to peel off again if Bucky got violent. He decided they'd had enough for the day.

"More rations for the rest of us then." Bucky unzipped his pack and grabbed a kit, then handed it to Gabe without taking any for himself.

Morita stared at him with those alert eyes. Nothing got past him. Nothing.

"You not eating, Sarge?"

"Nah. My stomach's tryna break free from my intestines." He rubbed his belly for good measure. "Would be a waste cos' it'll all come right back up again."

It was a lie; he was starving. But so was everyone else. They were supposed to pick up more rations in the city before they were unceremoniously ambushed by nazis. They had to have been waiting for them.

Monty loosened the red scarf around his neck and wiped the grime from his forehead, then set about rolling cigarettes. Dum Dum and Denier helped Morita portion out what little they had, and Bucky stared off into space. 

Gabe stoked the fire with a long branch he'd broken off a nearby bush. It kept catching fire, and Jones kept putting it out in the dirt. Bucky thought about how it was a perfect metaphor for their plight. Everywhere they stamped out Hydra, more and more cropped up. It was exhausting.

He poured some more of the terrible brown liquid and forced it down. If he filled his belly with it, maybe he wouldn't feel so empty inside. Their mission had been a failure; besides not successfully procuring more supplies, they'd stirred a hornet's nest and a few of its inhabitants had gotten away.

They'd retreated to the mountains with the enemy hot on their tails. The mountainside was bare and treacherous, rocks sliding dangerously beneath their feet. At one point, they took such heavy fire they had to hole up under an outcropping of rock. They were already low on ammo, and they'd been ordered to save it. After all, they had other means of protection.

Only that particular protection detail didn't clean up his toys when he was done with them.

They ate in torrential silence. 

Afterward, Bucky listened as Dernier did an ammo count, and Jim took a written inventory. It was stupid, really. They knew they were in trouble. But the mind did strange things when under duress, and sticking to a routine always worked for them.

Why had they named Bucky second in command anyway? Just because his dad was a cop and he knew a bit about guns? Or maybe they'd heard about his sparring record? That was probably it. Someone opened their big mouth and –

"Sarge."

They should have given it to Monty. He was a major, after all, and just because he was a Brit didn't mean he couldn't –

"Sarge!"

Bucky was shaken out of his own head by Dum Dum. "It's your turn for night watch."

Because, of course it was.

The guy's mustache twitched. "You sure you're up for it? You're lookin' kinda pale."

"I'm fine!" Bucky shouted, a bit on the intense side. He'd have to work on toning that down. "Go get some shut-eye."

And then, to the rest of them. "All of yeh. Get outta here!"

They didn't wait around for him to change his mind. Each man unrolled a well-used bedroll into the dirt near the fire and turned away from him. It seemed nobody wanted to make eye contact.

Nobody except for Gabe. "You want me to take this shift?" he asked, and Bucky felt the boot of guilt in his gut. All the shit that man had been through and he still had room for a heart. 

"Nah." Bucky took the stick Jones had been using to stir out the rest of the embers. "I got it."

It made sense for Bucky to take the night watch. His hearing was better than the rest of them. He could tell an animal step from a human, a rolling rock from a tumbling grenade. His reflexes were faster and his stamina greater. And, for now, he had a little extra armor.

Bucky waited until everyone was still before snuffing out the fire with the rest of the coffee. It gave off a hissing kind of putridity that made him instantly regret it. But the rest said nothing, and the sky was already growing dark, and Bucky had a night full of thinking to do.

He rescued his rifle from the dust and propped it against his pack, then wrestled with the shield to free it from the ground. He fetched his bedroll and folded it against the pack, then sat and tried to imagine his stomach was angry because he was overly full.

Bucky pulled the shield into his lap like the world's most uncomfortable blanket and lifted his eyes to the summit. He scanned the treeless ridge on both sides, positioning himself so he could see out of the corner of his eyes if needed. Then he focused on the red glow rising in the west.

He'd never been to Greece. Hadn't even seen pictures of it. The whole thing was tragically surreal; he'd never have even left Brooklyn if it hadn't been for –

Well. He was in Greece now, not far from the coast. Even as high as they were in the mountains, he could smell the salty air. It was much different than the Atlantic back home.

Home. Wasn't that a strange concept? There was a time when he'd considered it a place. Four walls and a roof and a key to a door. Skyscrapers and cars and throngs of people. As it turned out, it wasn't the things that made it home. It was the people. The people he'd left behind, yes, but also the people he'd met over here.

Jim and Gabe. Monty. Dernier. Hell, even Dum Dum.

And that led him to their missing team member.

Oh, Bucky could throttle him. What was he thinking, leaving their little pack like that? And without a proper weapon to protect himself? For all Bucky knew, he'd been captured again, and there wouldn't be another chance to beat the snot out of him for being so stubborn and impulsive. 

He fumed for so long his jaw began to ache and his hands cramped from clenching them so hard.

Anger eventually evolved into worry. The sunset was long since gone, and there hadn't been a moon for the past two nights. Greece may have fought off the Italians at one point, but they were close to making alliances. And the little band of nazis they'd encountered sure sounded German to him.

Bucky knocked the toe of his boot against a rock and thought about the expanding hole in his sock. Eventually, his skin would chafe and bleed, then ooze in the most painful of ways. But he'd recover, just like he'd done before. The wounds would heal themselves. And if he didn't say anything about it, nobody would know how wrong it was.

But he couldn't think about that. He'd spiral into madness, and men were counting on him.

And so, he hummed. To himself, of course. He hummed to melodies only he could hear, harmonized with orchestras inside his head. All the songs he'd loved, some that he hated even. Just to be able to forget.

But the tune always returned in the end. Turned bittersweet, thick with longing and want for something he couldn't have. A face swam before him, familiar but — different. And then another with red, red lips would cut in and take it from him.

"Fuck."

Bucky wiped a filthy hand over his face and shivered. The cold always affected him more intensely than anything else. Goosebumps rose in waves over his skin, muscles clenched, tendons gone tight over aching bones. It wasn't the temperature that triggered this reaction. It was the memory of a metal gurney, glinting steel instruments. A wickedly pleasant voice.

Bucky slid his palm over the ever-sharp edge of the shield. Without gloves, it could slice him open if he wasn't careful. Heaven knew how many fascists it had maimed and dismembered. He'd lost count.

He hated it, this perfect weapon. Hated what it did, what it stood for. Hated taking lives at all, even if they were demonically evil. It wasn't in his nature to kill anyone.

But.

The war was bigger than just him and his pacifist nature. This was the destruction of his people simply because of who they were. Elderly, ill, children; the fascist machine of death didn't care. The only goal in sight was world domination.

Most of all, though, quite selfishly, he hated how it had turned his best friend into a killer.

Bucky sighed and tucked the shield higher under his chin and tipped his head back to look at the stars. The constellations were different in this sky. Which was good, really. Counting and making his own connection between the brightest objects would keep him occupied as he waited out the rest of the night.

The waiting went on throughout the morning and into the afternoon. The guys played cards and rolled more cigarettes. Bucky tried to sleep, he honestly did. But a pair of blue eyes wouldn't let him.

As the second evening in the gorge began to fall, Dum Dum approached him with that stubborn sternness. "Sarge, we gotta do something. Ain't getting nowhere just sitting here."

Bucky knew it. But he couldn't admit to it.

"One more night," he said. And that was that.

Bucky took to his bedroll like everyone else and turned his back to the snuffed-out fire. A sliver of moon had appeared over the crest of the hill. He watched as it glided over the part of the sky he could see. And when it disappeared behind the mountain and well into the night, he began to dive back into his mind.

Luckily, Gabe's night watch ended early. Bucky heard the slide of the shield as it rolled out of his hands. Heard the soft thud as it fell to the ground. Felt the vibration of its alien metal on his exposed skin. Remembered those blue eyes looking over it at him.

Bucky pushed up from the ground and relieved Gabe of his post. He took the shield into one hand and rolled Jones over onto his bedroll with the other. The man grunted softly but didn't wake.

Something glinted from the ground where Gabe had sat. Something small and rectangular, its monochrome tones clear as day to Bucky's keen eyesight. He recognized it as a photograph, the face smiling out one that was all too familiar. 

Bucky snorted softly as he lifted it. It appeared more than one person was enamored with Agent Carter. He tipped the photo into the upturned helmet and felt a sudden connection with Gabe that cut deep; he, too, wanted something he couldn't have. 

Bucky couldn't sit and wait any longer. He took up his weapon with the shield and set off through the gorge and away from camp. There was something he wanted to say to someone.

When he was far enough out of earshot, and yet close enough to fulfill his guard duty, Bucky dropped both shield and gun and got it off his chest.

"I hate you, you sonofabitch!"

The hiss of his heated whisper echoed between the slopes on either side like one snake attacking another. His chest heaved and a sting of tears welled in his eyes. And he was glad there was no one about to see him fall apart.

He didn't know how long he stood there until he heard it. Until the hair at the back of his neck prickled in warning. He only knew the infuriating relief he felt as he counted the milliseconds between footsteps.

He would follow those footsteps anywhere.

As the footfalls neared and came to a halt, Bucky turned away from the sound and waited for the inevitable.

"Buck?"

Something in his heart clenched tight as he imagined those eyes staring down (down!) at him.

"You came back." It sounded accusatory, which was exactly how Bucky meant it.

"Yeah." A step closer, the heavy breathing more audible. "I uh – I left something behind."

Bucky couldn't stand it; his heart was near exploding. He spun on the spot and shoved the hated shield into that well-muscled and perfectly healthy chest.

"I'm not your slave," Bucky growled around the lump in his throat. He tried very hard not to look upon those broad shoulders. The way he was loaded down with a pack three times normal size. How that smart mouth opened and closed. Opened and closed. Opened.

"Never said you were."

There was an unexpected bite at the end of it. Bucky bristled.

"We were gonna leave in the morning whether you came back or not."

"As you should have."

And dammit. Why was he always so sanctimonious about it?

"The guys had a bet going on how far we'd get before you caught up."

"Oh, really?" The rumbling, deep voice wasn't supposed to be comforting him, of all people.

Bucky thought how stupid they must look. Standing in the middle of a war and not saying anything.

"I put money on you getting captured."

The man holding the shield stiffened. The weight he carried shifted. "C'mon Buck."

A hand reached for his forearm, but Bucky wasn't having it. He turned away and started walking back toward camp. There were a few tense moments where he wasn't followed.

And then — "I brought food."

Bucky recognized the tone. It was something he'd heard many times in the past after they'd had a fight. The new arrival was trying to make up, uncomfortable with the awkwardness of being absolutely fucking wrong.

"Great," Bucky said, continuing forward. "Guys are starving."

He thought he heard muttering over the sound of that shield being hefted over a massive forearm. But eventually, they were both walking back into camp. Bucky on soft, careful feet, and his companion like a bull in a china shop.

It was telling to their exhaustion that nobody else woke as the man set about unpacking. Bucky didn't help. He went back to his bed on the ground and pretended his heart wasn't thundering away in his chest. Nobody tried to talk to him. Nobody poked at the thoughts and fears and things he wanted badly to say but couldn't. Nobody even noticed he was there.

He was surprised to be woken from sleep by the overpowering smell of cooking meat.

"Morning sunshine," that familiar voice said. Bucky sat quickly, surveying the scene before him with mixed feelings.

Several tins steamed from the coals in the fire, sending mouth-watering aromas into the air. Around him, his pack of scoundrels was stirring. Wiping sleep-slow eyes. Blinking away the fog of a sudden awakening. Shouting with recognition as their vision cleared and they laid eyes on the newcomer.

"Cap!"

"Hey, he's back!"

"Look what the cat dragged in!"

"So you didn't abandon us for greener pastures!"

Bucky felt that one especially. It was made even more difficult by the soul-destroying gaze from impossible blue eyes across the fire.

"Nah. Couldn't do that to you."

The chatter around the fire was jubilant. Full of actual sustenance, eager to hear and share the stories of how they were separated, the guys grilled Rogers on each and every detail.

Apparently, the great Captain America had single-handedly caught up with and 'taken care of' the two scouts who had been tasked with trailing them. Then he'd met a group of locals who had banded together to make things difficult for the Italians. This resistance group was combating the theft of food destined for the smaller communities to prevent it from being sold on the black market. And, of course, Captain Rogers couldn't resist helping the little guys.

They packed up after breakfast. Cap had secured three tents, brand new by the smell of them, a week's worth of rations for all of them, and a stack of secondhand books.

"What? You reading now, Cap?" Dum Dum teased. Rogers smirked in his all-American way.

"It's the latest fad. You should try it!"

His optimism gave Bucky a headache. 

Bucky tagged along at the back as they hiked down the mountainside. Captain Rogers had a destination in mind, and the group followed him without question. There were rights to wrong, after all. Evil to defeat. Liberty to defend. Who would say no to that?

They moved slowly, covering dusty, dry ground as they descended. Bucky kept to himself. He didn't want his foul mood to affect the rest. Something was wrong with him that couldn't be cured by a rousing noble quest.

Around the bend of another mountain, Bucky caught sight of the sea. It was aquamarine and clear and too good to be true. He fought back the hope in the back of his throat.

They set up camp just before the sun sunk below the horizon. The tents went up quickly and the rations disappeared the same. And when Bucky could no longer hold his tongue, he disappeared from the group.

And, naturally, Rogers followed. It wasn't but five minutes after he'd shucked out of his boots, hung up his holey socks, and laid his head on the ground that he entered the tent.

Bucky closed his eyes. He knew they couldn't go on avoiding it. 

"I know you're mad at me, Barnes."

So it was to be Barnes, then. Bucky took a deep breath and sat up to face his roommate. "I'm not mad. I'm furious."

Rogers crouched in the entrance, allowing the flap to fall against his back before he entered fully.

He didn't speak, so Bucky continued. "These guys? They'll do anything you say. But they aren't superheroes. They can't shake off a bullet wound to the shoulder. Trek a hundred miles without food and water. Then get up and do it every day for a week."

Rogers remained silent. His wide knees poked out from thick thighs as he crouched, one hand on the ground between them.

"They're bound to break at some point. They need to rest."

His companion took a deep breath. "And what about you?"

Bucky sighed in exasperation. "Doesn't matter, does it? You don't listen to anything I say anyway!"

Rogers began to argue, but Bucky cut him off.

"No! You don't get to talk! You were safe in Brooklyn! There wasn't any danger of them sending you over here! Then you went and signed up for some fool's science experiment! And I will never, ever, be able to make it up to your Ma'!"

Bucky flopped on the ground and rolled away. It didn't matter anymore anyway. He'd failed at the thing he'd promised Sarah Rogers before she passed. But, dammit, he was going to die trying to make amends.

The tent was quiet for a long, long time. So long that, if Bucky didn't know better, he'd have thought the man had left. But there was the telltale clumsy shuffle as Rogers joined him on his own bedroll not two feet away.

Time passed slowly, excruciatingly so. Bucky's palms began to sweat and so did his bare feet. His heart continued to pound unhelpfully, and his mouth had gone desert-dry. He wasn't prepared to hear the heavy, steady inhale and exhale of a man asleep.

Bucky turned his head, and sure enough, Rogers had assumed his usual arms and legs spread eagle pose. Always a bed hog, he was even more so in this strange new body. And there was still that little click in the back of his throat as he breathed.

That familiar protectiveness was back, full force. Even though it was completely unwarranted. Bucky turned onto his back and listened out of habit. Just like he used to. Making sure his friend was still breathing.

Something closed around Bucky's throat, and something else made him roll toward that which vexed him so. A third something broke down the wall he'd built to protect himself, shattering the rage he'd been harboring since he returned.

Bucky found a warm palm, large enough to fit his whole cheek into. He nuzzled into it, resting the weary weight of his face inside, and breathed easy for the first time in days.

"Steve."

[bunnypansy]

Twst as K-Pop Groups!

Rated E, for EVERYONE!

A short film exploring a Twisted Wonderland Idol AU!

Featuring: All the dorms + Che'nya and a Neige mention

Beware! This film contains: really bad kpop group names, smoking mention, otherwise I think it's fine

Heartslaybul

Group name: LVBZ (Luver Boyz), I wanted to lean into the heart theme for that classic boygroup feel

Fandom name: Rozes, for obvious reasons

While Riddle is the obvious answer for leader, Trey is the right answer. Responsible older brother Trey is probably deeply underappreciated in the group. I feel like he’s probably been in a group that disbanded early before, (cough, Che’nya, Trey, Riddle group anyone?) and has a bit of a tired vibe. He writes a good handful of the songs since he plays the guitar, but he’s actually not crazy about pop. They definitely share a dorm and Trey made a chore chart for them.

Riddle is definitely taking the position of vocalist and center, he’s probably really strict about his training and exercise, he was a trainee for a loooong time and after his last group he’s kinda nervous. His mom used to be a very popular vocalist, but you’ll never catch him with nepo baby claims because he’s so intense. Besides LVBZ Riddle also does some modeling on the side and will probably end up in a drama of some kind.

Cater is absolutely giving “has so many predebut photos” energy. From vlives, to vlogs, cooking videos, asmr videos, tiktoks, instagram posts, Cater is all over their social media like crazy. He’s got a pretty good public image, always interacting with fans, the only thing is- he's a chronic content farmer, it's like so bad guys. At least his aegyo is actually cute? He’s the face and probably a sub vocalist of some kind, but definitely writes the lot of their songs. Seems like the type who has a very good image but chainsmokes/vapes on the side.

RAPPER DEUCE. Okay normal again. But he totally fits the rapper vibes, I can’t stress how well it fits. Has the most embarrassing predebut photos known to man, lots of him with badly dyed hair and he probably had a bullying scandal really early into his career. Extremely awkward aegyo, fans love him cus he comes off as cute but very genuine, fan favorite.

At this point I’ve put all the basketball boys as dancers but can you blame me? Ace reeks of high energy dancer who kinda sucks ass at singing. He tries really, but just let him be the main dancer and a sub rapper! Ace and Deuce used to go to the same highschool predebut and did not get along. Don't leave this guy alone with fans, not because he's going to do anything criminal- he's just gonna say some dumb shit. Spill a secret, be generally kinda dickish- just. Don't do it, fanservice is not Ace’s strong suit

Their discography is kinda all over the place but I feel like that’s the Heartslaybul vibe? I tried to keep it light and sort of… classic boy group vibes. I'm not really into light concept boy groups so this was difficult for me. (I wrote this before I listened to zb1’s debut. They are zb1)

Debut song: Kitsch by IVE

Other tracks: In Bloom by Zb1; Very Nice by Seventeen; Attention by New Jeans; Sour Grapes by Lesserafim; Blue Flame by Lesserafim; Best Friend Ever by NCT Dream

Solo releases:  One and Only by Gowon of Loona (Riddle); Anti-romantic by TXT (Trey)

Savanaclaw

Group name: BxB (Boy X Beast), I swear I wasn’t trying to copy TXT that hard

Fandom name: BOB (Be Our Best), because fans “make them their best”. It’s so bad but this is intentional

Leona is the leader but honestly he doesn’t do much to corral anyone. He’s definitely been in a couple groups that have done very poorly and can’t stop getting compared to his more successful brother- a recently retired soloist. Worse, he gets tons of “he’s a lazy dancer” and “nepo baby” comments from fans. He’s a bit jaded, and for good reason. He’s not much of a dancer, moreso acting as the visual and vocalist in his group and chances are he’s done an acting gig or two. Leona does a lot of low energy vlives, it's like him eating fried chicken in the dark while barely talking on camera. Refuses to do any cutesy fanservice, ask him to look hot? Done and done. Aegyo? Ask Ruggie.

Ruggie is the face of the group, everyone on the planet has seen him busking before and during his trainee period, not to mention he’s funny, fans love him. He’s also carrying the rapper position, and often gets center, but he and Leona are honestly neck and neck in that area. Ruggie's pretty good aegyo but he literally always laughs afterwards. So many memes of the dumb faces he makes while laughing.

Jack iiiis the dancer, so many first years were subjected to dancer and rapper sorry guys. He’s tried to write songs but only a couple have really panned out- the others are encouraging though! Obviously maknae, endless jokes about being GIANT despite being the youngest. Somehow he seems to take this the most serious despite being the newest to this?

Their sound is very classically masculine, as is Savanaclaw’s vibe. If they barked in the song I legally had to add it

Debut song: Clap by Seventeen

Other Tracks: Superbowl by SKZ; Wonderland by ATEEZ; Wolfgang by SKZ (sorry it was too funny not to); (Grrr 총량의 법칙) BEWARE by SKZ; My Pace by SKZ; Boxer by SKZ; Bouncy by ATEEZ

Solo releases: None

Octavinelle

Group name: TYDE (“Take Your Dreams Everywhere”), I went the EXiD route with this one, it was a little too funny not to

Fandom name: Tied, because TYDE is tied to them 

Oh my god. Despite being my favorite dorm, Octavinelle gave me a fuckin hell of a time to put together, I just did not have a clear vision for them at all. I’m going with Azul, even though I considered leader Jade for a little bit, simply because I think Azul is the kind of leader who designs a bunch of merch for the fans- a la the VIXX thong. He’s rocking with the visual, center, and vocalist position. He comes off as a very smooth and self assured leader, but let’s be honest he’s the only one in the group who’s having a panic attack before award shows. I think he probably had a really hard time as a trainee and can’t let that go just yet.

Jade doesn’t get any kind of strong spot in the lineup somehow, despite there only being three members, he definitely ends up a bit in the background. But Jade doesn’t mind! He honestly doesn’t care much for the spotlight and is mostly here because Azul and Floyd are. He writes all the songs for their group, no arguments.

So we all know Floyd is the dancer, guy canonically loves dancing, but he’s also going to steal the rapper position. This is because rappers are always the weird ones in the group, and by god is Floyd the weird one. He always gets styled extremely strangely, I mean every time he steps on stage he ends up in a new “worst outfits in kpop” list. Floyd ends up being the face because he’s such a standout, not to mention the fact he keeps… showing up with other groups. Is there a vlive happening? Somehow Floyd interrupts. Another group practicing? Not without Floyd they’re not. He’s even managed to be in the background of several MVs (think OOH-AHH Chan). Floyd seems to just know everyone everywhere. 

Holy hell okay their music gave me a hard time too. Octavinelle is so solidified as jazz in my head that trying to think of anything else for them gave me an aneurysm.I struggled so much that yeah I’m breaking and adding one or two japanese songs, sorry guys

Debut Song: Mafia In The Morning by Itzy

Other Tracks: Dice by Nmixx; First by Everglow (tell me Azul wouldn’t tear up those vocals?? Get Floyd on the chorus? Screaming); Play with Fire by Camellia (covered by ツバサ【歌の部屋】 if you need to hear a human sing it); Black Suit by Super Junior 

Solo releases: ViViD by Heejin of Loona (Azul); Villain by Stella Jang (Azul)

Scarabia

Group name: Wysper (Honestly not happy with either of the names but I can’t think of anything better)

Fandom name: Wishes

Okay they’re complex because. Uh. Jamil is basically doing everything. He’s the most talented  dancer, rapper, vocalist; it’s just that Kalim is the face. Aaaand the center. Despite being a trainee for a way shorter amount of time, despite not being as skilled as Jamil, Kalim took first place in the competitive show they both participated in. Very bitter. Jamil tries to keep it on the down-low but their relationship is definitely suffering from favoritism.

Kalim has probably been a star for a very long time, I’m talking child star levels of fame and already had a fan base by the time he and Jamil debuted. He’s got amazing charisma and stage presence, not to mention Kalim is taking first place as the aegyo king. However, the nepo baby allegations are through the ROOF, seeing as his family straight up owns the company he and Jamil debuted under. That’s not to say he doesn’t try! He works hard, but it’s not going to save him, especially when he’s getting a billion offers from modeling companies and fashion brands, when Jamil isn’t.

I can’t describe what their sound is exactly? I feel like it’s somewhere close to reggaeton with a bit of bollywood/southeast asia

Debut song: You cannot tell me Paint The Town by Loona is not THE Wysper song. It’s literally so perfect I was angry I didn’t think of it earlier. Kalim on the light verses, Jamil on the chorus? Insane. 

Other tracks: Icky by Kard; Charmer by SKZ; Cake by Kard; Ring the Alarm by Kard; Tinnitus by TXT; SHOOT! by Itzy; Red Moon by Kard

Solo releases: Singing in the Rain by JinSoul of Loona (Kalim)

Pomefiore

Group name: FoE (Fruit of Evil), I wanted to lean into the lip/biting themes for them and pick something that felt suitably sexy

Fandom name: Bites

Vil has to be the leader obviously, but he’s also the face, visual and vocalist- let’s be real he’s the most favored of the group and everyone knows it. He was definitely an actor before this, he probably ended up in the group because of an elimination show that he won and then got the privilege of picking all his other members. He for sure has some solo releases, brand deals, modeling gigs- Vil is the it boy of their generation, the kind of idol everyone knows. Definitely a massive one-sided rivalry with Neige, because Neige was probably in a NCT Dream type group as a kid, then went solo when he got older and became incredibly successful. Vil is endlessly jealous.

Rook was probably a runner up in the same show as Vil and fully admitted to being a massive fan while on the show. He’s the best dancer in the group, probably the center, and writes the majority of the songs cus I know this weird fucker likes poetry. Rook is guy who’s a fan before he’s an idol, definitely has a room full of merchandise, people have caught him buying albums of his favorite group

Epel is the maknae, obviously, and was probably previously a background dancer. Vil saw him and picked him up by the scruff of his neck. He’s definitely the only real rapper of the group and can dance pretty well, but this is not the kind of group he wanted to be in. Epel was probably hoping for a concept a bit more like BxB but we don’t all get what we wish for

I listened to Nude while making this and it changed my entire vibe for their group. They’re just (g)-idle. If the music makes you wanna worship a woman it belongs to FoE.

Debut song: Love Dive by IVE

Other Tracks: Nude by (g)-idle; Oh my God by (g)-idle; Villain Dies by (g)-idle; Snapping by Chung Ha; Do Not Touch by Misamo of Twice; Cry For Me by Twice

Solo releases: Vengeance by Bibi (Vil)

Ignihyde 

What group

It’s just Idia

He’s probably a producer or sumthing let’s be so real guys. Ortho is his sound set up.

I’ll still give examples of what I think his tracks sound like tho. Lots of dubstep and generally electronic sounds cus… come on guys, it’s too perfect.

Tracks: Illusion by Aespa; Miroh by SKZ; Freeze by SKZ; Hold On Tight by Aespa

Diasomnia 

Group name: Som.nia (Nia), I wanted to lean into the sleepy/dream feeling

Fandom name: Niacs, insomnia/insomniac you get it okay

“Malleus is leader!” you cry, and you are wrong, because Lilia literally has to be leader. He is the objectively the best (and funniest) option, Malleus does not have the backbone to be leader yet. Lilia has been around the block a billion times; he’s been a vkei idol, he’s been a model, he’s probably been a wrestler let’s be real he’s the Sakura of twst fr. He writes most of the songs for the group, but is definitely trying to get the others to improve their songwriting skills. While Lilia gets a lot of offers, he turns them down. If I’m honest, he’s probably going to quit being an idol after 

Malleus is definitely taking the vocalist position, no question. He’s also probably taking the “least popular member of the group” position. Poor guy is seriously awkward on camera and has a chronic case of resting scary face. He takes center pretty frequently, half as an attempt to get him some more recognition- it’s not great cus he’s kinda a stiff dancer. He was fairly popular pre-debut for his extremely strange energy 

Call me insane, but dancer Silver! He’s very physically capable, it’s just… you’ll catch him sleeping every time he’s not practicing. Definitely has insane muscle memory, he could do all his choreography with his eyes closed. He’s also an occasional vocalist, he’s got a nice soft voice. Sebek is always getting on him for “being lazy” but Silver usually just tells him to screw off.

Sebek gets rapper because he’s sooooo good at projecting and enunciating aggressively. It’s all the Malleus worship. I think he was a trainee at the same time as Malleus and was utterly obsessed with him, fan favorite for being So Weird All The Time.

I’ll be so real, if the song made me feel gorgeous it went on the list. They kinda reek of 3rd gen Kpop? This is definitely Lilia’s fault. But I’m so here for it the nostalgia go CRAAAZY. Also they are VIXX thanks.

Debut Song: Butterfly by Loona

Other Tracks: Bite Me by Enhyphen; Chained Up by VIXX, Shangri-La by VIXX; Blood, Sweat and Tears by BTS (are you kidding me this addition is so good I’m genuinely LOSING IT); Scentist by VIXX; Fever by Enhyphen; Sugar Rush Ride by Enhyphen; Inception by ATEEZ

Solo releases: Egoist by Olivia Hye of Loona (Silver)

Honorable mentions (these are a bit shorter)

First year gang

Group name: F1rst

Fandom name: Zer0, because they come before first

Jack gets to be leader! He’s responsible, if a bit nervous, takes the vocalist position here.

Epel gets visual in this case, though he still does a fair amount of rap.

Deuce is the best with fans and gets to be center, he’s a pretty good all-rounder here.

Ace is still the best dancer in the group and literally will never stop gloating.

Sebek gets to be the rapper and takes the face position because he’s So Weird All The Time

I think they are literally just Stray Kids tbh, my favoritism is showing but I don’t even care

Debut Song: Break All the Rules by Cravity

Other Tracks: Super board by SKZ; Thunderous by SKZ; S-Class by SKZ; Domino by SKZ; TOPLINE by SKZ; God’s Menu by SKZ

Pop music club 

Group name: Jump Up! I wanted to pick something really cheery and high energy

Fandom name: Highs

Kalim is leader here again, he’s just got that energy! He also gets to be the rapper

Cater swipes the vocalist position, finally gets a chance to shine fr

Old man Lilia somehow bags the dancer position and is no question the face

They're peppy, poppy, a classic girl group type noise.

Debut song: Hi High by Loona was truly too perfect

Other tracks: Hula Hoop by Loona; Air Force One by Odd Eye Circle of ARTMS

Floyd + Che’nya + Ruggie

Group name: THEE (can be said like “thee” or “tee-hee”)

Fandom name: Teenies

Ruggie is the leader and lead dancer for this one! 

Seeing as Floyd has had dancer ripped from his hands by Ruggie, he’s going to fully take over rap

And Che’nya gets to be vocalist, I like to believe he’s got some pipes on him

Literally just silly vibes

Debut song: Cheese by SKZ

Other Tracks: Taller Than You by Mamamoo; Maniac by SKZ; Circus by SKZ; Don’t Tease Me by Speed 

Lilia + Malleus + Vil + Rook

Group name: Nu Moon

Fandom name: Starlights, yeah I stole it from VIXX, sue me

Malleus, king of goth, gets to lead this group- it’s a very good starter group to lead, considering he’s got a lot of experienced members

Lilia is quite obviously producing every single song for this group, that’s mostly what he’s here to do, so he also takes up the mantle of dancer

Vil is once again the visual and the face, but he’s giving up the vocalist position

Shock of shocks, Rook gets to be the vocalist here! Because he doesn’t get to shine much in FoE

They are literally dreamcatcher.

Debut song: BEcause by Dreamcatcher

Other tracks: Piri by Dreamcatcher; Odd Eye by Dreamcatcher; Boca by Dreamcatcher; Scream by Dreamcatcher

That's the end of today's showing, as always, thank you for coming.

Did anyone ask for this? uhhhh no. But it made me very happy so whatever. Legitimately Octavinelle gave me so much trouble I changed their tracklist like four times. I was tempted to make Diasomnia Dreamcatcher as well, but I didn't want to erase Silver's lo-fi soft boy vibes.

[celestialsister0918]

Need a steamy love triangle to spice up your weekend? Featuring some HP daddies? Check out “Within the Wings of a Storm” on Wattpad and AO3. Book 1 of a completed three book series! Links in comments. —- Rhiannon Aspenfell, an Ilvermorny Thunderbird from New Orleans, is brought into protective custody by the Order of the Phoenix. As she strengthens her magical powers and discovers ties to her mythological destiny, she also finds herself in a love triangle with Sirius Black and Severus Snape. #siriusblack #severussnape #snapefanfic #siriusblackfanfic #professorsnape #lovetriangle #steamyromance #harrypotterfanfiction #originalcharacter #smut #ratede #snape #sirius #trilogy #romancebooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CnW-Vy-OL3-FRCWiBqRBd00Jim7i-kAlaWFWGU0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[marijuanicol]

dear soil

they rather use you for your benefits

[llflorence]

✅ It's finished.

The Blood of Bucephalus 

Dreamling, Historical AU (Alexander the Great/Hephaestion), Horses, King!Dream, General!Hob, Epic Love inspired by @murkycrush art.

RatedE, Graphic depictions of violence

The colossal animal behind the King swayed back and forth, throwing its head in the air and snorting its dominance. It remained close, however; didn’t fight against its collar. Wild and ill-mannered, untamed and uncouth, it was the absolute opposite of the man Hob most often called ‘Sire,’ but also called something else.

“She’ll live, you stubborn fool, you,” the King scolded. One knee fell between Hob’s legs to rest on the ground. That warm hand returned to the side of Hob’s face.

It was a gentler, softer man who looked into Hob’s eyes, cupped his cheek and thumbed the divot in his bearded chin. He’d never looked lovelier, not even in Hob’s dreams.

“Hello, Morpheus,” Hob said, voice shaking.

The King smiled. Leaned so very close. Exhaled. Whispered.

“Hello, dearest Hob.”

Read on AO3

[florianniss]

Dungeons and Drag Queens

RatedE, Identityporn, drag queen!eddie for @steddie-week July 3: Long / mutual pining / Holding Me by Warlock

The feel is silky and light between his fingers, cornflower blue and not particularly racy. Steve holds the hanger against his chest and looks down, trying to decide if he should get the medium or the large bottoms to go with it. He does some quick math as he looks at the measurements on the tag. They’re both —

“Can I help you?”

Steve comes fucking unglued. He throws the bra and panty set in front of his face to protect himself against attack. He’d been so careful to avoid all the sales clerks. This lady must have been lurking behind the return rack, just waiting for him to make his move.

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes, but looks pleased with herself. “Looking for something for your girlfriend?”

“I wish,” Steve mutters as he fixes the strap on the hanger. What he wouldn’t do to make that happen.

“Excuse me?” 

Steve looks up and meets her eyes. She’s probably his mom’s age, her hair teased so high it’s clear she’s trying to look younger. It makes it only slightly less embarrassing, considering he’s been caught feeling up the ladies' lingerie on the upper floor of JCPenneys.

“Uh. Yeah.”

Her smile is knowing; she gets he’s covering up something. “Well, what size is she? Maybe I can help.”

Steve understands she makes a commission, but this is ridiculous. “Um. Well. She’s about my size.”

The woman blinks. “Your size. You mean your height?”

Steve thinks back. With the heels? Yeah. Without?

“No. She’s shorter.” He doesn’t know what this has to do with buying underwear.

She looks at him now like he’s stupid. “And what’s her bust size?”

Steve panics and stares at her. She takes his increased breathing rate for later stages of stupidity. Her shoulders heave a great sigh and she points at one of the mannequins who sports handful-sized boobs. “Bigger or smaller than that.”

It’s good that Steve deals in motorcycles for a living. He’s failing miserably at everything else. “Uh. Smaller. Pretty — pretty flat, actually.”

Steve notices for the first time her name tag says ‘Robin.’ Oh, how his friend would be laughing at him right now.

Robin gives him a look that for sure means she’s sorry for whoever this girlfriend is. “All right. I’m not sure this is the best option for her, then. How about if we try something else?”

Steve nods his head. Because apparently he’s a spineless weakling.

Robin the sales clerk takes him to a rack of nightgowns and pulls a silky cream colored, long floor-length thing that’s more wedding than sleeping attire.

“All the girls love this,” she says, fanning out the dress so it’s skirt twirls. “I’ve sold so many of these I’ve lost count.”

Steve crosses his arms over his chest so he doesn’t touch it and imagine smooth skin beneath the beaded bodice. He’s suddenly picturing long brown hair cascading over bare shoulders, and he wants one too.

“But blue,” he asks. It’s got to be blue.

“OK,” she hums and searches through the rack until finding one in powder blue. “Any particular reason?”

Steve wonders if she’s pushing the cream ones on him because there are dozens still on the rack. He stands his ground. “Her eyes are big and brown. And I think blue would be pretty on her.”

Robin gives him the first genuine smile as she searches his face for something. “That’s nice.”

She hands over the nightie and Steve is careful to only touch the curved part of the hanger.

“Anything else I can help you with?”

Steve looks longingly over one shoulder at the lacy blue lingerie set and wonders if his Robin might agree to pick it up later.

“No. That’s it.”

To be continued on AO3

[hunterexamcheatsheet]

My most favourite English movies (non-animated) so far...

The images are blurred. Tap on them to see the photos in clearer view. 

Why I like each of these movies.

The Great Gatsby: I love the Roaring 20s setting, and due to the themes of materialism and "what could have been" tragedy. The book was great as well, one of the best literature books written in my opinion. It was also great seeing Leo and Tobey together in one film. This helped me a lot in terms of writing Neon Nostrade as a character because I reference Daisy from the Great Gatsby a lot.

The Godfather trilogy: Probably the movie that started all the mafia movies. I like the story of Michael Corleone's rise and downfall. It inspired me whenever I want to write Kuraneon fanfics, I also made it the point of reference because Kuraneon fics centres around the mafia.

The Devil Wears Prada: This was so relateable to me when I was still working as a corporate girlie. The fast-paced work, the anxiety and the struggles of having a horrible boss hits close to home. It was also inspiring and helped me cope while working in such a demanding job (I resigned recently). Of course, the fashion industry in this movie made it more interesting.

Inception: I will never forget how mind-blown I was in this movie. I don't usually like Sci-fi movies, but this was really good. Dreams vs Reality themes often fascinate me, so Inception was a treat for me.

Fight Club: When I first watched this movie, I was weirded out (but in a good way). I have not seen a plot quite like this before. This movie grew on me actually, and it was the first movie I watched with my significant other. He also liked the themes in the movie. I have to stop here because I am breaking the first two rules of fight club.

The Silence of the Lambs: I am a sucker for dark murder mystery movies and psychological horror. This hits the nail for me, and I like the dynamic between Clarice and Hannibal. I actually read the book Hannibal because I was curious how it would turn out.

The Dark Knight: I have to thank Nolan for this one. When it first came out, I was still a kid who didn't quite understand Batman or his popularity. As I grew up, I was beginning to like The Dark Knight (2008) and that is actually what got me interested in Batman. He’s now my favourite comic book superhero. 

The Wolf of Wall Street: Martin Scorsese is actually my favourite director at the moment. I have seen several of his movies and I often see a pattern of a theme of greed, corruption, moral decay and downfall. I often like these kind of movies (probably why I like The Great Gatsby and mafia movies). I am also excited for his upcoming movie this year “Killers of the Flower Moon”. When I first watched The Wolf of Wall Street, I was shocked by the whole R-ratedness of the movie. It did not hold back. It was chaotic and excessive, which represented the movie really well. But I definitely liked the themes again, and while it does feature moral corruption and greed, it also hits me the reality that it is expensive to be poor. 

Black Swan: I started liking this film when I was still a teen, but it made me interested in psychological horror. Given that I had watched Barbie Swan Lake as a kid and took up ballet, this was definitely an interesting twist in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. I could also relate to the difficult tag between “The Madonna and the Whore” duality that people tries so hard to balance, and also the dedication and search for perfectionism (and its dangers). 

Compiling all of these, I think there is a pattern in what type of movies that I like. I am open to movie suggestions. 

[yadelah]

Under rated and over rated always bugged me. I think cuz it subconsciously posits that there’s a supply/demand of rated-ness a piece deserves, usually assumed by its quality?

So something that’s good but has not much attention is under rated. But if you spend your time sharing it and it gets popular it risks becoming overrated?

It all sounds like a system where there’s no joy to be had. You can enjoy something only so long as it isn’t also being enjoyed by others above it’s quality ratedness quotient(QRQ).

I dunno

[july-19th-club]

went down to get some norbond (repair glue) at work today and on my coworker in Young Adult's cataloging cart there was. a young adult novel by cs pacat. already falling apart at the spine of course because the state of bookbinding today is abysmal and is the reason i go through ezbind So Fast just trying to preemptively reinforce every single thing that comes across my desk but ANYWAY. like. i have got to find out how mellowed down this novel is compared to her usual fare. like. some YA novels contain some racy bits for sure but i dont think the general pacat content could possibly be distilled into teen-friendly material and retain literally any of its x-ratedness. like. almost interested in finding out what a non-horny book by this woman would be like but also im sure i wouldnt enjoy it as much. like that would just be. a book. which is fine and i'm sure it's not bad! but i dont read pacat to read a book. i read her to read A...Book.....

[gfawkesphoenixchokingonashes]

We’ll meet again in Brooklyn - Stucky by gfawkes for @fandomtrumpshate

Space/Sci-fi AU, hurt/comfort, nurse!Steve, soldier!Bucky, wartime romance

RatedE, graphic depictions of violence

Prompts (lovely) by @film-in-my-soul

Summary:

Peter was doing his best, poor kid.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Mr. Barnes. I just have to change your bandage!”

The patient sat with injured hand held high over his own head, out of Peter’s grasping reach. The supply cart looked as if it had been shoved against the far wall. A chair was tipped over, clean bandages spilled on the floor. And poor Peter was trying to reason with the man.

“That’s what you said last time,” the difficult man growled. “And then you wheeled me away for two hours of the most brutal torture —”

Steve moved in, stepping behind the unruly patient and grasping his wrist. The man whirled around, about to admonish him for daring such a thing. But he didn’t. He immediately stopped, face morphing from angry to surprised to sheepish.

“Morning, Trouble,” Steve said as he smiled without making an effort. And then, to Peter, “Do I need to call a Code Gray in here, Parker?”

“No!” Bucky Barnes blurted, eyes wide, quickly lowering his hand and allowing Steve to wrap fingers around his forearm. “No! Everything is fine! It’s fine.”

He looked down at his bare feet, his tone gone suddenly passive. He muttered something under his breath, and Steve called him out.

“What was that?”

Bucky looked up, embarrassed now, eyes hooded. “I said it’s fine as long as you stay.”

Read on AO3

[bunnypansy]

This is How to Fall in Love With Me! (Pt. 1)

Rated E, for EVERYONE!

A short film detailing how our cast acts when they're in love with you, with a little confession at the end!

Featuring: Riddle Rosehearts, Trey Clover, Cater Diamond, and you, dear viewer

Beware! This film contains: fluff mostly, most of these are probably ooc because I haven't even played ch 1 of twst, accidental Cater favoritism?, tiny bit of angst in Cater’s, a miniscule bit of spice in Trey’s

Riddle Rosehearts

To call Riddle inexperienced in matters of the heart would be a serious understatement

Riddle's only experience with romance would be crushes on portraits in textbooks, cus Lord knows he hardly interacted with others his age

So when Riddle gets feelings for you, he's not even sure what's happening

It starts small, he finds himself flustered at little things you do for no reason

He's more lenient with you, always finding a little excuse as to why you didn't have to follow this particular rule

He helps you study, parts extra close attention, and actually feels bad if he scolds you too harshly 

Riddle doesn't even notice until Ace complains, loudly, and ruins everything for you

After that, Riddle swings in the opposite direction- hard

His expectations for you become harsh, nearly impossible, and his gentle scolds become downright brutal

Riddle becomes stricter with you than anyone else in Heartslaybul 

He feels guilty for being so hard on you, of course, but he has a reputation to maintain!

It takes Trey sitting him down and having a nice long chat with him before Riddle actually realize how he feels

Congrats Riddle, you're officially the last person to figure it out 

In terms of confessions, I think Riddle is very traditional; he doesn't know a lot about romance, and assumes the classic way is the best way

Riddle would ask you to meet him somewhere romantic after classes and apologize for the way he's been treating you

But then he brings out the roses and chocolate (definitely not made by Trey) 

He's very nervous, but tries to stay straightforward and clear

Even though he's a flustered mess 

The woods behind campus could be beautiful at the right time of day- just a week or so ago Riddle had taken you out here to study. How things changed so soon; you hardly had time to recall such memories with all of the reprimand you've been receiving. Riddle had gone from roses to thorns so quickly, and you just couldn't place why, but the turn stung. 

Of course you're angry, you'd been led on and rejected in less than three full weeks, it was enough to make one- well, mad as a hatter. When Riddle had summoned you out to woods at sunset for a "private matter", you nearly ghosted him. What had he done to earn your time and attention as of late? But, even angry, the truth rang clear; you were weak for Riddle and you still wanted to give him a chance. Part of you hoped Riddle would take it all back, and things would return to the way they were.

So you showed up- late, because you were still hurt, and that felt like a tiny revenge. By the time you arrived at the requested spot, Riddle was leaned back against a tree, a pensive expression over his soft features and an obscenely large bouquet of roses in guys arms.

When you get close enough, Riddle visibly perks up, a fine twitch in his lips hinting at a smile. "You… you're late."

You're unimpressed, crossing your arms with a displeased look. "You're lucky I showed up at all."

Riddle wilts the smallest bit and you catch a flicker of guilt in the stormy blue of his eyes as he lowers his head. "I know I've been harsh towards you recently, I'm very sorry." The plastic surrounding the roses crinkles as he tightens his grip. "I was overemotional, and immature and I vow on the Queen's name to change my behavior, so I will never hurt you again." 

Riddle looks up from the grass to your face; he's biting his lip, waiting for a response. You don't give him one, only gesturing for him to go on.

"But," he swallowed hard, going red and sweaty in the cheeks as he held the bouquet out to you, "I feel quite deeply for you, and I hope my recent poor behavior doesn't stop you from at least thinking about reciprocating my feelings?" Riddle looks so red you're worried he'll catch fire. 

You're petty, but you're not a moron. Being lenient, then harsh, now a confession? You can connect the dots. 

You've been silent for too long now, it's making him nervous, and Riddle starts to back peddle. "I'm, I'm sorry," he starts pulling his bouquet of roses back towards his chest, "you're upset with me, I realize now that the timing is poor, please forget-" 

"Let's go on a date." You quickly catch his hands, watching Riddle flinch lightly. "This weekend."

Now it was Riddle's turn to stare, to swallow hard and nod. "Yes… let's." 

You carefully maneuver the ridiculously enormous bouquet from his arms into yours. He'd clearly picked the very best from Heartslaybul garden, some of the blooms rivaled your face in size and the menagerie was a struggle to hold with one arm.

“Now get those chocolates out of your blazer pocket,” you held your palm out to Riddle expectantly, “They’re going to melt like that.”

He’s still dumbfounded, gawking like a moron before he finally snapped to it and dug the box out of his inner breast pocket, placing it in your awaiting hand with an apprehensive look. “I- I had Trey make them, since I’ve never made chocolate, and I wanted them to be good… But I picked out the box, tied the ribbon and picked the roses myself.” You nearly chuckle at his fragile display of pride. The box is small, a red-velvet color topped with an ivory ribbon that had been knotted so many times over it resembled the bloom of a rose. You pulled on the ribbon’s tail, watching the bow slip loose and give you access to the box. “Yeah, I know. I saw you do all that.” You popped a chocolate into your mouth. “I figured out you were gonna confess days ago.” “You what?” At this rate, Riddle’s head might explode.

“Well first I saw you pacing in the garden and picking the biggest roses you could find, then when I saw you trimming the thorns in the kitchen,” you swallow your chocolate before you continue, “and Trey making chocolate, which he never does, I caught on. I was mad at you so I didn’t say anything.”

Riddle brushed his hair back with a flabbergasted look, this was much more of an ordeal than he’d expected. “Oh-kay, then do you also…?”

“Yeah.” You close the box of chocolates, and tuck it into the ribbon holding the bouquet together. “Obviously I like you too.”

Trey Clover

I don't think he's inexperienced, per say, just a bit disinterested

He's never had much time to pursue the crushes he's had, and he's always been acutely aware that a relationship at young age is likely to end quickly anyway

Trey's been too busy taking care of his siblings and helping out with the bakery to think about anything else

Trey got a lotta nerve telling off Riddle for not recognizing his feelings -_-

Dealing with Trey is a bit like pulling teeth (pun intended)

At first, Trey is going to baby you. 

Reminding you brush your teeth, do your homework, wake up on time- it's like having a parent

Not sexy Trey :/

His first instinct is to just take care of people he cares for, and you're going to have to smack him out of it

Once he stops treating you like his little siblings, things are much better

He's flirty in a subtle, might-just-be-friendly way

I don't think Trey would like a traditional confession

It's much more likely you two are gettin' a lil touchy when you're hanging out and somehow things turn into Trey kissing you

That's when he confesses. 

Is it particularly romantic? No

But I think Trey believes the best relationships come from the strongest of friendships

You and Trey were closer than close, it was probably annoying to everyone else. All the touching, the teasing, the lingering glances; tension was clearly heavy.

On this particular occasion, Trey was working his way through a large batch of chocolate croissants and had asked you for help, though you wouldn't describe your role as "helpful". Perhaps entertaining, or maybe distracting.

By now, Trey should be done piping the chocolate into his pastries, but he found himself a bit preoccupied with your antics; it was a full time job chasing you away from the chocolate sauce.

You were sat down on the counter, positioned on the only remaining clear space, between bags of sugar and a puddle of flour- Trey had yet to clean that up, he liked the doodles you made in the flour too much to erase them so quickly. The man himself stood beside you, less than a yard away as he hunched over a tray of croissants, pressing one end of the piping bag into the pastry and squeezing the middle to fill the pastry with chocolate.

Trey had this lovely little quirk when he’s deeply concentrated, poking his tongue between his lips. He was too focused on his piping to pay attention to you, right…? Your eyes darted between Trey and the bowl of chocolate cream, a hand slowly slithering towards the mixture. Trey wouldn’t mind if you snuck just a dollop of chocolate. Sure you'd gotten away with your crimes, you flicked your fingertip through the whipped chocolate, only to feel a pressure around your wrist a heartbeat later.

"You're worse than Ace and Deuce." Trey had set aside his piping bag to trap your wrist in his strong fingers. "You could just wait for me to finish and eat a croissant instead of the filling, you know."

You wrinkled your nose at his teasing, lunging forward to smear chocolate across his soft cheek. "That's for saying I'm worse than Tweedledum and dumber."

Quick to retaliate, Trey swiped up a fingerful of chocolate and plopped the dollop on the tip of your nose. "Stop wasting chocolate." He scolded gently. 

"Says you, hypocrite." With a wide smile, you scooped the chocolate from your own nose and jabbed at Trey once more, giggling as he veered away from your attack. 

Though you aimed for his nose, hoping for revenge, but with Trey's attempt to dodge, you ended up painting the corner of his mouth in chocolate.

"Ah - come on…" Trey sighed, raising a hand to touch his chocolate face paint. "You're such a handful, you know that?" He sounded tired, but he smiled anyway.

It was hard not to roll your eyes. "Oh whatever, come here and I'll clean it up." You motion for Trey to come closer, a hand resting on top of a kitchen rag.

Getting Trey to comply was far from a difficult task; he leaned in close, bracing himself on the counter beside you. Your fingertips brushed his jawline, angling his face to better give yourself access. Gently, you dabbed at the chocolate at the corner of his lips with the washcloth, the two of you so close you could smell the cinnamon toothpaste he used. 

With that simple gesture of care, the air felt heavier, like a blanket of tension had settled over the both of you. No words were exchanged, these motions seemed to come to you as naturally as breathing or blinking; the two of you drawing nearer to one another on instinct. Your hands find a resting place on his shoulders and Trey’s settle upon your hips in a way that makes you feel at ease.

His lips are soft and warm, and when you pull apart can’t help but note that Trey tastes like chocolate and mint-cinnamon. You subtly swiped your tongue over your lips to catch the traces of his taste, watching as Trey did the same. A heavy silence hung over your shoulders, a weight that held you both in place.

“I’m sorry,” Trey’s voice comes out as a quiet rumble, his face a soft peachy flush as he turns away, “I didn’t ask.” You squeeze his shoulders reassuringly, pulling Trey’s amber eyes back to you. “Hey, I didn’t either.” You point out with a good-natured chuckle. “Would-” he cleared his throat, unhappy with the way his voice came out, pitchy and hoarse. “Would you wanna go on a date sometime?” In Trey’s head, it sounded much more romantic and less embarrassing. The way you smiled, wide and excited, soothed his worries. “Took you long enough.”

Cater Diamond

Cater is probably fairly experienced with relationships, but I think it's more along the lines of celebrity crushes

Someone having a crush on him based on his online persona, dating for a short while, breaking up

Or it goes the other way, where he has a rabid crush on someone unattainable, then gets over it

But it's different when it comes to you

The feelings hit hard and fast, as always, and they dull down, as always

But that fiery feeling never really dies, it just gets gentler, flaring up when you do things he's fond of

Cater immediately panics and tries to avoid you when he catches on

Instead of communicating like a rational human

Good luck getting a confession outta this guy

Call him Danny Phantom cus he's about to go ghost

Cater is deeply torn about his feelings, on one hand he really likes you and wants to open up to you

On the other, he’s afraid you’ve grown close with Cay-cay and not Cater Diamond, and he’s scared that if he opens up, you’ll decide you’re not interested

Basically, you’re gonna have to chase him down and corner him

“Sorry, I have to study with Trey today, ttyl? #onthatgrind #grindset” Monday. Tuesday it was “I promised Lilia and Kalim I’d practice extra with them after class, how about Thursday? I pinky swear we’ll chill then!”

During lunches he avoided eye contact, scarcely responded to conversation, and paid attention to  anyone but you. By the time Thursday rolled around, Cater came up with a new excuse- he was too tired, or something similarly weak. 

You gave up any attempts by the weekend, too busy and too naive to do anything but send a text, which was coldly left on “read”. When the Monday after turned, you gave it a second try, but found Cater impossible to reach. In classes you shared he stayed silent, and left quicker than a blink; during lunch he disappeared, eating in some secondary location he hadn’t deigned to share with his so-called “best friend”. 

That day you made a silent vow; should Cater keep this act up for the rest of the week, you’d simply have to track him down by force. If you were to be honest, Cater’s newfound coldness was disheartening to say the least- just a couple days before you’d been closer than ever! Now you couldn’t even hold a conversation long enough to know what you’d done to offend him.

Cater successfully kept up his silent streak for another full week, it was a struggle to stay optimistic in the face of his rejection, part of you just wanted to give up; if Cater didn’t want to be friends anymore, then so be it.

The library seemed like a proper place to be morose during your lunch period, and if you were so desperate for companionship, you supposed a local painting would make for entertaining enough conversation. You wandered about the library aisles in search of a comfortable spot to wallow in, pausing when you saw a particularly gloomy corner; perfect.

Of course, you expected your misery nook to be devoid of life, perhaps another student you hadn’t yet met who had come to commiserate. Who could expect your shock when you rounded the corner and-

“Cater?” The eye contact shared between you was nothing less than awkward, both frozen in your places.

Cater was leaned up against the wall, cross-legged with his lunch tray perched on his knees and his phone in his hand, halfway through chewing when he paused to gawk at you. He swallowed slowly, lips stretching into a nervous smile- he had the odd feeling he’d been caught red-handed.

“Oh, hey…” Cater’s face creased in discomfort, his grin wobbly. “It’s been, like, forever! How are you bestie?”

His stilted words only make your scowl deepen. “What do you think?”

The silence fell once more as Cater cast his gaze to his tray. He tucked his phone into his pocket and slowly got to his feet, food in hand. “Well… Cay-Cay’s gotta run, but we should talk soon-”

When Cater attempts to slither past you, you side step to block his path with a stern refusal. “No.”

Again, Cater awkwardly shuffles to the side, avoiding even looking at you. “But I really should-”

“Run away from me again?” The tension is heightening now, you’ve had quite enough of his flaking and now that you’ve got your prey cornered, you’re not about to let him go. “You gonna make up another lame excuse just so you can get away from me?”

A nervous habit, his hand snakes up to the back of his neck and threads his fingers into the ginger hair on the nape of his neck. “I know it sounds super sus, but I swear we’ll totes hang out soon I’m just-”

“Really busy right now?” You finish his cookie cutter explanation for him and a guilty look passes over Cater’s features. It’s infuriating, it’s painful; salt in the wound and sand in your eyes. “At least tell me what I did wrong.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong!” He’s quick to blurt it out, but his words fall on deafened ears. “I swear.”

“Then why won’t you talk to me?” You watch the way Cater opens and closes his mouth, green eyes trained on the floor in shame, his performance has earned him a scoff. “I’m getting tired of you lying to me.”

That’s enough of this, there are other places on campus to eat alone. You turn on your heel to leave, expecting to receive no resistance from Cater, on account of his treatment of you; but instead, his hand locks around your wrist.

“Wait!” Cater’s well manicured nails bite into your skin, then ease up. “Please wait, I’m sorry.”

For some reason, your shoes are rooted to the dusty navy carpet, throat swelled shut with tears; but you don’t tug your hand away from his grip, even when Cater paces a bit closer and lays his head against your shoulder.

“I really suck.” This tone is one you have yet to hear from him, muffled in your blazer.

The admission of guilt grants you your voice, at least enough to make a snarky response. “Have to agree.”

You feel the warmth of your body against his back, wondering if it’s for you or for him. Cater’s voice sounds thick and wet, choked out around bottled up feelings. “I really like you.” The words hang in the air like a spell, rendering you speechless. “I feel dizzy when you laugh or smile, I think it’s cute when you look like a mess, I tell you things I don’t tell anyone else.”

His tropical gum breath trembles against your neck, and the softness of his hand slowly retracts and drops your wrist. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way about another person.” You think he doesn’t sound quite like Cater anymore, and then you think he sounds more like himself than he ever has. “It’s a stupid reason, but I’m crazy scared that if I let you in, you won’t like what you see.”

Then he lets out a dry laugh. “I guess I already screwed that up.” Cater’s warmth left your body as he stepped away.

You’re at a loss for a moment, apparently a moment too long because Cater claps his hands together to break the silence. When you look back at him, he’s smiling like he always is. “Well! Sorry I was a tooootal drag there, but that convo was like, super healing!”

“Cater.” If you let him go now, you’ll never get a chance to talk to Cater about his confession again- he’s hardly letting you talk about it now. “I like you too.”

More quiet falls over you as Cater’s carefully constructed personality seems to crumble; his lips tremble, his eyes water. Cater opens his mouth to say something, but he can’t seem to force noise from his lips. You’re not sure you understand what’s happening in his head, but you’d like to, you want to be there for him. The least you can offer in this moment is comfort, warm as you wrap your arms around Cater, desperate to get him to concede to a hug. You squeeze tightly, a promise that you’re not going to leave, a request for him to let you stay. 

Finally, Cater manages to choke up one frail word from his tight chest. “Really?”

As always, thank you for coming, readers! I think Cater’s ended up so long because uhm. We are very similar people. Writing for him was almost cathartic.

[marijuanicol]

dear roots

they rather you wilt

[llflorence]

The Blood of Bucephalus

Late entry for the prompt soulmates for @mr-sadman and Dreamling Week 2024.

RatedE, Historical AU, Epic love, Art by @murkycrush

Hob made a valiant effort, at least, that’s what he hoped it looked like. He had a reputation with his people to uphold, a witch to show just how special he was, royalty to prove his worth to. He couldn’t let Olethros down, and he couldn’t do that to himself either. And then there was Morpheus.

Morpheus. His friend since childhood, lover since their teens. His king into their twenties and his soulmate since the beginning. Hob couldn’t fail him.

Except Hob was failing. His grip was slipping, muscles trembling with fatigue. He was tipping sideways, losing his sense of balance. And a fall from that height would kill him. 

Hob imagined what that would do to Morpheus. Would it finally break his beautiful spirit? With Hob dead, would he take Calliope and give her the children neither one of them could ever have?

The idea didn’t frighten him as much as it used to. Especially now with death so very near.

On AO3

[florianniss]

Dungeons and Drag Queens

RatedE, Identityporn, Drag Queen Eddie

“Gah!”

Steve has a tight-knuckled grip on his ‘Oh shit’ bar and his brake pedal is pressed all the way to the floor. He squeezes his eyes shut and waits for the crunch of metal, the crushing of glass, the impact that throws him into the windshield and puts him in the hospital in a full-body cast.

It never comes.

“Jeezus, Steve. Lighten up, will you?”

Somehow, miraculously, Dustin has managed to swerve and miss the parked delivery van and is tooling proudly down the street like he didn’t almost send Steve’s life flashing before his eyes.

“You’re not my Dad, you know.”

Dustin turns the wheel back and forth, like he’s in one of those grocery store ride-ons that you put quarters in to make it move. He comes up on a stop sign way too fast and slams on the brakes at the very last second. Steve has to throw his hands on the dash to stay in his seat. 

“That’s right,” Steve says, pulse rapid and thready, and he’s sure his veins are popping out all over the place. “I’m your Mom. And you’re a menace.”

Dustin rolls his head dramatically and steps on the gas. The old fake-wood-grocery-getter he’s borrowed from his folks spits up gravel from its back tires. Steve wishes he’d ridden separately, taken his bike instead.

“Why are you such a chicken lately, anyway?” Dustin whines. “You used to be fun.”

Steve bristles. “I’m still fun.” It comes out as a growl, like a cantankerous old bear woken way too early from slumber.

Dustin laughs and lays down another screeching halt. Steve swears he can smell the brake pads burned and disintegrated into dust. He grins like he’s done it on purpose, takes a corner and heads out of town, and Steve forces himself to relax. 

He would never admit it, but he has become rather — conservative — these past few weeks. Like, his body is still twenty-two but his brain is thirty years older.

“Do I need to run through any rules with you before we get there?”

Steve gives a long-suffering sigh. It’s Saturday, and it’s the first day he’s had off in two weeks. And, like the soft-serve (coward) he is, he’s agreed to stand in for Dustin’s girlfriend, Suzie, at their little gang’s weekly board game. 

“I got it.”

It’s not true, of course. He has no idea what the hell he’s getting into. What he does know is the second he found out Dustin and Mike and Max and Lucas and Will were secretly meeting in some random guy’s garage, his Mother Hen transformed into Mother Lion.

“OK.” Dustin doesn’t sound convinced.

He picks up the other kids and they pile into the back two rows, punching the back of Steve’s seat playfully as they pass. They pair off naturally, Mike with Will and Lucas with Max. Steve’s chest twinges a bit when he thinks about how Suzie rounds out their little group nicely.

Meanwhile, he’s the third wheel. (Or rather, the sixth? Seventh?)

Dustin and the others have been trying to get Steve to come for weeks. He explains nicely that he’s an adult and he has responsibilities: job, rent, groceries. Recuperating from life. The kids try to make him feel guilty by telling him everyone they invite always says ‘no.’ So, of course, he’s got to prove them wrong.

He also wants to meet this guy whose garage they meet in. What if he’s a creep or a kidnapper? Or a killer. The kids don’t even know how old he is.

Steve intends to find out.

Dustin pulls into the trailer park and Steve definitely gets Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes from the place. He kinda wishes he’d brought his Leatherman. Or his bat.

The kids spill out of the car and hurry down the dirt driveway toward the mandoor on a faded puke-green metal building. Behind it, there’s a trailer in the same color and condition. A rusted van is parked crooked near the garage, an old Chevy truck has been pulled right up to the front porch. Steve notes the plate numbers in case he needs to report a crime.

He opens the station wagon’s back door and lifts the cooler. He’s packed healthy stuff like string cheese and peanuts, a bag of grapes and a few apples. It’s not just for his wards; it’s for him too. Ain’t no way he’s eating some serial killer’s pork rinds. No sir.

Steve follows the rest into the garage and isn’t half surprised to find it smells exactly like a garage. Rubber and oil and musty rust and something sweet — radiator fluid? He takes in the large open space, scanning the boxes and tools and spare parts before settling on a large, heavy, claw-footed dining table that looks like it belonged to somebody’s dead grandmother.

The boys pull out folding chairs and begin to set them up around the table, all talking as loud as they possibly can to make sure they’re heard over the others. Max smiles and hangs her gray tote bag with the rainbow straps over the back of her chair. Steve is pretty sure she’s wearing a Care Bear shirt, and he loves her for it.

Steve sets the cooler on the floor next to the table and realizes he’s forgotten something.

“Oh, shit, guys! I forgot the pop!”

Groans circle the table and Steve feels horrible. He’s about to volunteer to take the wagon to the 7-11 and pick up Slushies to make up for it, when a voice behind him offers another solution.

“I got drinks in the trailer.”

Dustin cheers and Steve spins around, hair prickling on his arms because this guy sounds much older than seventeen. And when he lays eyes on a very adult face, his stomach does a very convincing leap off a highrise. It’s nothing like he expected.

Apparently, neither is Steve, because the guy drops the opened box of dice he’s carrying in the crook of one arm and they clatter onto the floor like hailstones and roll under the table. A stunned set of dark eyes pop out of a narrow, handsome face, and his mouth falls open. For a second, Steve feels embarrassed for the guy.

Dustin, however, flies in from the side and hugs him. “Thanks, Eddie! We’ll just run in and —“

This Eddie shakes himself like a wet dog, and a stern frown creases his forehead as he narrows his eyes “Not you, Henderson. Or you two.” He points at Will and Mike. “Max. You and Lucas grab some and haul them out.”

Lucas grins at Max, who returns the smile with something mischievous. Eddie catches it and shakes his head. “And no beer. I ain’t serving minors, here.”

Steve watches the whole exchange with a little jealousy. He’s supposed to be the only one who gets to boss these kids around. But he can’t possibly say anything; the guy’s logic is sound, and even if he’s just covering because Steve is here, it’s one less thing to worry about.

Because there’s definitely something about this Eddie that has sent Steve’s pulse racing.

He realizes he’s staring and quickly crouches to help the others collect the escaped dice. Down on hands and knees, he notes how sweaty his palms are, the nervous shimmy behind his navel.

What the hell is wrong with him lately?

When everything’s been collected and he crawls back from under the table, Eddie and Dustin are standing in the same spot. Except Dustin has a shit-eating grin on his face. And Eddie is looking like he’s been hit with a baseball bat.

His eyes are – well, they’re captivating.

“Uh,” Eddie says, and he folds both arms over his chest, hugs himself tightly. “I’ll go check on Max.”

He spins on his heel and high-tails it outside, like he’s seen a ghost or something.

Dustin continues to smile as he approaches the table and chooses a chair. He carefully spills out his little figurines and bag of matching dice, and Steve wants to throttle him for how smug he’s being.

The conversation returns to the volume levels from inside the car. Everyone is going on about what happened last time, all of them trying to fill Steve in. He tries to listen to each of them in turn, catches phrases like, ‘That demon was so sick, man!’ And ‘I can’t believe you tried to open the chest with a shovel!’ They were really getting into it, saying, ‘OK, then, next time you open the damn thing!’ and, ‘But nobody’s got lockpicking!’ when the door opens, and Eddie and Max and Lucas walk in.

Steve’s eyes flit over the Mountain Dew piled in both kids’ arms (they’re gonna be a handful on the ride home) and settle on the fact that Eddie has changed his shirt.

It’s long-sleeved, less wrinkled, and newer-looking. It’s like his hair has been combed; all the tight curls have separated and they seem softer somehow. He swaggers, yes, swaggers, across the floor right up to Steve and shoves his hands in his jeans pockets. Jeans that hug his frame a little too well.

“I’m Eddie Munson. Hey.” It’s cocky.

Steve stands so quickly that he almost knocks his chair back. Someone at the table snickers.

He slips his hands in his own pockets. “Steve Harrington. Hey.”

They exchange hard-focused glares and brief nods, and then Eddie moves away to take a chair at what’s clearly the head of the table. It’s directly across from Steve.

Eddie sits, and Steve sits, and he tries not to think anything at all. Tries to clear his brain and make it an empty space. Because, if he doesn’t, he’s bound to think this guy is threatening him in some way. There are some pretty territorial vibes coming off him.

Chaos ensues. Everyone scrambles to spread things out on the table. They lean over it, sometimes standing on their chairs to reach. And they argue, of course, because they always argue.

“That’s not where the garden was! It was over there! Next to the rowboat!”

“No. That’s where the temple statue was, remember?”

Steve tears his gaze away from their host’s and finds the tablecloth he thought was a honeycomb-themed covering, is actually the mat they’re playing their game on.

He checks to see if Eddie is still watching him, and, he is. Looking over the top of a large manilla envelope as he slides white sheets of paper out, one at a time. It’s eerie, really. The way his eyes seem so deep. As if he’s some sort of —

Well, Steve doesn’t know.

Eddie passes out character sheets and Steve’s instructed to read his. He scans through it, reading about a man who’s a noble who worships some kind of dragon god. He doesn’t understand all the stuff on the front; it’s a lot of reading. More than he’s done since college. Even then, he needed a quiet room with no distractions to understand what he was reading.

Eddie’s garage is far from that.

Dustin leans over and hands him a velvet pouch. “You can use some of my dice.”

Steve leans into him. “You’re gonna have to help me. I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing.”

Dustin laughs, but he does help. All of them do, actually. More than enough. At one point, when his character “Rodrick” is standing on a half-sunken pirate ship, and it’s his turn to decide whether he should investigate a dark, dank, waterlogged room, even though apparently he can’t see into it, Max pats him reassuringly on the back and says, “Don’t worry. We’ll cover you.”

Steve isn’t worried about some fictional character in some fantasy game, who can’t die anyway because he’s got a biblical laying hands spell. He’s worried about making a fool of himself in front of –

Yeah.

Eddie’s murder stare eases eventually. He lords over the board, hunkered down behind a makeshift barrier he’s set up on his end. Steve catches on that he’s not playing, he’s leading the game. He’s sarcastic and loud, swears like a sailor, and it’s clear he knows his shit. It’s like he knows how everything is supposed to play out ahead of time, and he lures the other players into his trap.

It doesn’t go as he expects either, because Dustin challenges him on everything. He argues that in real play some character wouldn’t really do that. He corrects Eddie on how many hits someone gets, or whether spells can be used in certain instances. They bicker like a couple of old, long-married people, while the rest of the kids dive into notes they’ve taken, share each other’s sheets and basically work together to overcome and defeat monsters. And if Steve hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, hadn’t been there to watch the playful back and forth that was actually whimsical and light-hearted, he wouldn’t have believed it.

After Dustin throws a fit when an undead monster stays dead by Max a second time, when it should have resurrected once more to be killed a third, Eddie loses his cool. He picks up the suspect monster and hurls it across the garage, where it slides over the concrete floor and ends up in a pile of junk.

“He’s dead because I say so, got it?”

Steve watches fire dance in the guy’s eyes, but he’s not fooled. He understands, just like the kids do, that he’s not really angry. He’s enjoying this.

They’re a few hours in when Steve dies. And it’s not the fact that he’s dead, really. No. It’s the humiliating way it happens.

“Why the hell did you do it that way, you idiot?” Dustin shouts at Mike, who has made the decision to take a fancy bow-and-arrow shot between his legs, aiming for the space under Steve’s character’s arm where it sits on his hip. Unfortunately, it hits Roderick directly in the ass, and the following roll of the dice lands on the ‘twenty’ side. And the table erupts into shrieks and complaints in every direction. 

“You killed him!”

Steve sits back in his chair, shocked and not quite understanding what happened, when Eddie begins to laugh.

It’s not your typical everyday ha-ha funny thing. This is a full-bodied, chair tipped on two legs, clutching your stomach because you’re about to piss your pants, raucously mirthful and fucking joyful laugh.

And it goes on. And on. And on. It continues for so long, in fact, that Steve finds himself grinning. Dustin has his head in his hands, Will is defending Mike, and Max and Lucas are looking over Steve’s shoulder at his sheet to see how they can bring him back to life (because apparently, nobody else has healing spells).

Eventually, Eddie sets his chair back on four legs and gets out of it. He steps away from the table and motions for Steve. He walks right out of the garage.

Steve follows, because how can he not?

The trailer house is filled to the gills with old-people stuff, trinkets and wall hangings and lots of Catholic mementos. It smells like cigarette smoke, but it’s basically clean. Small and cramped, well-lived in, but not the kidnapper’s lair Steve imagined.

Eddie is in the kitchen with the refrigerator door open, just his backside showing. He slams it closed and comes out with two PBRs. Eyebrows raised in question, he waits for Steve to open receptive hands before he tosses it over.

“Thanks,” Steve says. 

Eddie cracks his open and leans sideways against the counter, crossing one long leg over the other. He lifts his beer as acknowledgement and tips it back, watching Steve as he pops his open too. A grin lingers at the corner of his mouth.

“How do you know Dustin?” he asks once Steve has had a chance for a swallow. “Believe it or not, he hasn’t told me that yet.”

Steve imagines the breakneck speed at which Dustin talks, especially with someone he’s just met. And he hadn’t even considered that Dustin would have told Eddie about him.

“His mom knows mine. We went to the same school.”

Eddie tips his head slightly, like he needs a different angle to be able to understand. “How old are you?”

Steve considers the beer the guy tossed him and figures he must have an idea. “Twenty-two.”

Eddie smirks, eyes glinting. “Seems kinda suspicious for two guys to live together. Especially when you’re so much older than him.”

And Steve gets it. Eddie is making sure Steve isn’t hurting Dustin, just like Steve’s been trying to do with Eddie.

He counters with, “Well, how old are you? People might get the wrong idea, seeing as you’re an adult, and all, and these kids keep coming over to your house.”

Eddie’s smile widens and he takes another sip instead of answering. Steve decides to push the envelope a little.

“How do I know you’re not giving them drugs?”

Eddie chokes on his beer, but catches himself before it spews all over the kitchen. He coughs as he’s smiling, wipes his mouth off with a towel that’s threaded through the oven door handle. And when he looks at Steve, there’s some self-preservation bleeding through.

“Why do you think I invite them to play DnD here, huh? All sorts of shit goes down in this community that no one even knows about. They’re good kids, Steve. I just wanna keep ‘em safe.”

It’s the first time he’s said Steve’s name, and it feels – well, it feels, strangely intimate.

“I just didn’t realize they already had a babysitter,” Eddie teases, and the tense atmosphere lifts.

They share a look and a smile and it goes on for far too long.

That’s when Lucas slams the screen door open and leaps into the hallway. “We figured out how to save you!”

Steve catches Eddie’s eye before giving in to Lucas’ incessant tugging on his elbow.

“I’ll be there in a sec. Gotta take a piss,” Eddie says, burping into the back of his hand and crushing the can against his thigh. It’s something that shouldn’t make Steve’s brain fizz out. But it does.

Steve is bombarded when he enters the garage with a plan the group of them worked out together. It seems Will is still mad at Dustin, scowling over Mike’s shoulder, but the rest of them are enthusiastically escorting Steve to the table while explaining their plot to resurrect him.

Eddie strolls in, not five minutes later, with more beer. This time, instead of tossing it, he sets it on the table at Steve’s elbow and smiles down at him. Steve smiles back because he’s honestly over his head here.

They continue on, successfully completing that quest and jumping headlong into another, until Steve’s ass is sore and he has to pee, and he steps out into the now-night air to piss behind the garage.

Two beers in and his thoughts are making connections he really doesn’t need at the moment. Like how twice now he’s become completely enamored with someone the first time they meet. Like how he’s a sucker for a big, wet, expressive pair of eyes and an intelligent mind. Like how it doesn’t matter that Eddie’s a guy, because he’s not picky. And he’s suddenly sinking into the horrifying feeling that he’s cheating on –

But that’s ridiculous. He’s not going steady with anyone to be feeling that way.

When he returns, Eddie is telling a gory story about some chick in space who’s encountered alien things with acid blood. The kids are ‘ewing’ and ‘grossing’ and Dustin is on the edge of his seat listening to the tale. Eddie eyes Steve and winks, then dives into a graphic description of something called a ‘chestburster.’

Eddie laughs at their disgusted groans. “Ellen Ripley is fucking badass, and I love her.”

Steve feels a strange swoop in his gut. He doesn’t know who this Ellen Ripley is, but he’s suddenly jealous of her.

“I have an idea!” Max shouts over the din, waving her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We should go see the movie. All of us. Together. Suzie too”

“What movie?” Steve asks, and everyone answers in unison.

“Aliens!”

Steve makes eye contact with Eddie, who is watching him with amusement. He’s heard of the movie, but isn’t sure it’s the type of thing the kids would enjoy. He doesn’t even know what it’s rated, and if they can even get in to see it.

But the kids are already making plans for the following weekend. Dustin rounds on Steve and says he absolutely has to go with them.

“Yeah, Steve,” Eddie says, teasing from across the table. “You just have to go.”

Steve knows a challenge when he sees one. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you have to go, too.”

And that’s how Steve Harrington drives a carload of kids home, hopped up on caffeine and sugar, wondering how he’s gotten himself a group date with a bunch of teenagers and Eddie, of all things.

Read on AO3

[bobbiejelly]

Addison has been wearing her new berry (or cherry?) lipstick again, and it looks very good on her. No, scratch that, it looks freaking amazing on her, and Meredith has been staring at the redhead's lips on and off again for the entire evening.

[borahaearchive]

refrigerator humming, chewing gum and instant karma by locks

refrigerator humming, chewing gum and instant karma by locks

rating: E

pairings: Jungkook/Taehyung

status: complete

word count: 61,449

summary: Taehyung sets the flowers down on the dining table, plucking the card off the little holder. "Dearest Taehyung, just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you. I hope you're thinking about me too. Love--" he pauses and squints before cocking an eyebrow and pursing his lips. "Hyung, why is the boss of your little boy band gang professing his love for me?"

Yoongi drops the noodles on the floor with a loud curse as he burns his hand.

Or, Taehyung's been trying his hardest to avoid Yoongi's criminal life for a long ass time, but a cute kid and his infuriating father keep pulling him deeper into the mix.