#You're just like a dream

[syddsatyrn]

Chapter 1⛤ Chapter 2⛤Chapter 3⛤Chapter 4 ⛤Masterlist

⛤Pairing: - Eddie Munson x Metal!FemReader

⛤Warnings: Drinking, drugs, swearing, fluff, angst if you squint

⛤Words: 4.7k

⛤Song: "Heaven" by The Cure

⛤Series Playlist

⛤Summary: With no one left in Hawkins to tend to your little cousin, you step up and rise to the challenge. Time for a new start and a chance to prove to yourself you can be a responsible adult. But Robin left out one little detail, the hot metal head that lives two doors down.

⛤Notes: This series is 18+ Minors scram. Did someone say "Bonus Chapter"? This is the final part of this series, I know, I'm sad too. This might just be one of the best things I've ever written. Thanks to everyone for all the support! I also wanna thank my partner in crime @hellfiremunsonn for being my lovely beta reader.

Tag list: @izhetttttt @sidthedollface2 @shinical @totallynotkaibiased @bibieddiesgf @brittanyyydamnit @smileygoth @tayhar811 @haylaansmi @josephquinussy @eddiessidegirl

Chapter 4 (Bonus Chapter)⛤Three words

Gold autumn sunshine peeks through the blinds, everything is still and silent. Your eyes flutter open and it takes you a moment, but you realize quickly that Eddie’s sleeping figure is curled around yours. His arm drapes comfortably around your waist, the other tucked under the pillows. His chest rises and falls softly behind you. You swear you’ve never been more comfortable than you are at this moment. You slowly roll over to face the boy, his hair is splayed across the pillows, mouth slightly parted. You gently move a few stray curls away from his face. Without warning, Eddie’s arm tightens around your waist and a small hum leaves his lips. He’s so pretty like this, so soft and content. You couldn't help but plant lazy kisses along his bare collar bone. 

Eddie’s eyes slowly open and he is greeted by your sleepy smile. “Good morning, pretty girl.” His morning voice is rough and gravelly. Eddie kisses the top of your head, his hand slides under your t-shirt and he softly runs his fingers down your spine.

“Good morning.” Your voice barely above a whisper. Your fingers skim over his scars, which you briefly noticed last night. You would love to know what happened, but it looks so brutal you're afraid to ask. So you figure he will tell you when he’s ready. You like them, his scars. It just adds to how gorgeous he is, it makes him look kind of intimidating too. I bet it hurt, whatever happened. It’s amazing he functions at all after such an ordeal.

“Do you want some coffee?” You pipe up.

“Oh god, yes please.” He begs and you giggle. Eddie groans and releases you so you can leave the room and make coffee. You roll out of bed and grab the large sweater draped over the edge of the bed. You slip it over your head and pull it down over your hips.You quietly exit and cautiously walk into the living room, Max is sitting on the couch and you almost jump out of your skin.

“H-Hey!” You start, taking a deep breath. “Good morning, Maxie.” She is reading, still in her pajamas, hair in twin braids.

“Hey.” She says calmly, flipping the page. “How was your date?”

“It was good!” You are hoping she doesn’t ask for any specific details. “That lake in town is really pretty at night.”

The smell of coffee grounds almost immediately wakes you up. You add water, a few scoops and flip the little red switch on the front. It doesn't take long for the liquid sunshine to start dripping into the pot.

“Lovers lake?” Max’s eyes meet yours with a serious expression.

“I think so?”

“Ohh so you guys did it.” A smile creeps on her face. You know this smile all too well.

You feeze, like a deer in the headlights. Why on earth would she insinuate that?

“What are you talking about, Max?”

“Don’t play dumb! It’s like, the most popular hookup spot in town.” She says, her voice fades into a giggle.

Eddie opens the bedroom door and softly walks into the living room, you almost didn’t hear him. His black sweatpants hang loosely on his hips, he didn’t bother putting on a shirt. Eddie yawns and rubs his eyes, still coming to his senses.

“What are you guys arguing about?” He asks, ending his sentence with a yawn.

“Nothing! Max was just asking me how my evening went.” You blurt out before Max could make some smart ass comment. Suddenly you feel warm, strong arms wrap around your waist. He rests his chin on your shoulder with a sleepy hum. Usually, he turns you into this flustered puddle on the floor. But you're starting to get used to the way he touches you. Eddie lazily kisses the spot under your ear and you smile in response.

“I almost wanna drag you back to bed with me. It’s too early.” Eddie’s voice is low and persuasive. If he asked again, you’d probably give in. 

“It’s 11:30 in the morning, Eddie.” You remark and lean into him.

“So?” He buries his face in the crook of your neck and squeezes you.  

Your conversation with him is cut short by a knock at the door. Eddie reluctantly releases your waist and you practically trip over your own feet on your way to answer it. You swing it open and Robin smiles, “Hey! How was your date?” She asks as you motion for her to come in. Robin turns her head to see a shirtless Eddie in the kitchen pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“I take it you had a good night?” Robin smirks. Max covers her mouth to prevent herself from laughing, but she’s doing a rather poor job. You roll your eyes and throw your head back, does it ever end with these two?

“Will you both just can it already?!”

Eddie’s eyes get wide. Unfortunately, he has no idea what's going on. He leans on the counter and silently sips his coffee, his eyes darting between you and others, like he's trying to decipher some sort of secret girl code.

“Well…Anyway. Good morning!” Robin changes the subject. “I came by to tell you Steve is throwing a party, everyone is going. He used to throw parties at his parents place all the time back when we went to highschool.”

“Harrington’s doing a little get together?” Eddie chimed in. “Can I crash?”

“I think he expects you to.” Robin replies with a laugh.

“See…Harrington gets me.” Eddie says and takes another sip from his cup. His eyes land on you and he smiles.

“Oh yeah! I found this taped to the front door.” She holds out a red envelope with “Max” scribbled on the front with a messy heart. “Looks like it's for you, Red.” Max looks up from her book, a pink hue spreads across her cheek bones. When Robin takes a few steps forward to hand her the envelope, Max quickly snatches it from her grasp.

“Ooo, what's that, Max?” You tease, the redhead stuffs the envelope in her pocket quickly and shoots you a look.

“Probably a secret admirer.” Eddie pipes up, “who’s the lucky guy?”

“No one! It’s nothing!” Max snaps at Eddie’s attempt to poke fun. She grabs her book and rushes to her room before anyone can make any more comments.

Eddie stifles a laugh while setting his empty cup in the sink. You cover your mouth with your hands and Robin returns the look you give here and shrugs. “She’ll be fine. Party starts around nine, you going?”

Before you could answer, Eddie sets his chin on your shoulder from behind. “Yeah, are you gonna be my date tonight, hmm?” Eddie asks and presses a chaste kiss to your cheek. He rubs the bridge of his nose against your jaw, you swear you could hear him purr like a cat.

“I- Of course.” You stammer and he smirks against your skin. You are starting to learn that Eddie is very touchy, he doesn't care who is watching. Not that you mind, this is probably the most physical affection anyone has ever given you, it's intoxicating.

“Don’t miss me too much while I’m gone.” He growls next to your ear. His arms squeeze your waist and then he releases you.  

Eddie grabs his leather jacket, which was barely hanging off the arm of the couch. He pulls a cigarette from the pack in his pocket. He places it behind his ear and slings the jacket over his shoulder. Why is everything he does so attractive? Eddie could feel your eyes follow him around the room. Robin was rambling about a girl she just met at a local show, “...so I invited her to Steve’s tonight and I hope she comes.”

Eddie approaches you one more time and cups your cheek. Still shirtless, you couldn't help but drag your palm down his chest. “See you later, sweetheart.” He pressed his lips against yours sweetly, it was a simple kiss. If Robin wasn't here you would probably drag him back to your bedroom.

“God, Eddie, get outta here already. You’re so gross.” Robin

Eddie laughed and once again hesitated to let go of you. He pulls the cigarette from behind his ear and places it between his lips, he lights it before he leaves. “Have a good day, ladies.” Eddie says before shutting the door behind him. You release the air in your lungs, it feels like you’ve been holding your breath since you rolled out of bed.

“Did you hear anything I said?” Robin asks and you let out a small sigh.

“Something about a girl you met? I’m sorry Rob, I’m really distracted. Tell me again.”

“You are hopeless.” She says with an eye roll.

----------⛤

After catching up with Robin, you decided to spend the day doing some much needed cleaning. The apartment looks pretty chaotic after all the excitement. You started by picking up dishes left out on the coffee table and counters. You tossed Max’s empty cherry coke cans littering various surfaces, making a mental note to get on her about that habit.

You decide to gather the dirty clothes on the floor and attempt a load of laundry.

You stopped and stared blankly at the floor. That red flannel that Eddie wore last night is balled up in the middle of your room. Without thinking, you pick it up and press the cloth to your face. It smells exactly like him, you hug the garment close to your chest and plop down on your bed.

He’s a fool if he thinks he’s getting this back.

----------⛤

Eddie on the other hand had a plethora of errands to run. He briskly walked back to his apartment, hoping no one would see him lacking a shirt. When he shut his apartment door behind him, he let out a long sigh. He leaned his back against the door and his body slowly slid to the floor. He took a drag of his cigarette and collected himself.

Eddie is just as smitten as you are. He’s always trying to play it cool, keep you interested. But in the privacy of his own apartment, his mind was racing and he felt like he might vomit. He’s never felt this way about someone before. Sure, he's had a few girlfriends. None of them managed to get below the surface though, really get to know him.

Eddie stood up and put his cigarette out in the ashtray on the coffee table.

Despite having a job as a local mechanic in town, he still occasionally sold weed for a quick buck. Eddie thought he might utilize the opportunity to sell a few bags at Steve's party. This means he will have to stop and see his supplier. He had a few clients to see today as well and he had to stop by the shop today to finish some paperwork he left. He's been so distracted he actually left his lighter and favorite watch there too.

Eddie audibly goans and slowly makes his way to the bathroom, discarding his pants along the way. He turns on the shower and steps inside, closing the curtain behind him. Today is bound to be very interesting, he knows it.

----------⛤

It’s getting late and you recall Robin telling you the party started at nine. You decided to go with a grungy look, ripped black straight leg jeans, and a  “Black Sabbath” t-shirt you cut into a crop top. You add some various necklace chains, a black leather belt, and some smudged black eyeliner. You top off the look with Eddie’s oversized red flannel, it's warm and it pairs well with your outfit.

You open your bedroom window and you are greeted by the crisp autumn air. You lean halfway out the window, a lit joint hanging from your mouth. Looking up at the night sky, you are greeted by billions of tiny stars. The serenity and quietness of the nearby trees swaying in the gentle breeze, and the sound of crickets in the night. As the chilled air fills your lungs, you start to calm down and center yourself.

You can't keep bottling your feelings for this guy. It’s going to turn you into a nervous wreck. It’s just so hard to put it all into words that make sense. What are you even supposed to say? That you can’t stop thinking about him? No, that’s stupid. You can’t just outright tell him you’re in love with him. What if it scares him away? You lean your cheek on the palm of your hand and sigh. Feelings sure are complicated, and you’ve never been great at expressing them.

You hear a knock at the door and quickly put the joint out in the ashtray on your windowsill. You straightened your clothes and opened the door but to your surprise, it wasn’t Eddie. A taller boy with a shy smile softly waved at you. He's wearing a letterman jacket with the name “Lucas” tagged on the front. He's holding a small bouquet of roses.

“Uhm…Hi There, you must be Max’s cousin.” He holds out his hand and you politely shake it. “I’m Lucas, it’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Y/N, Pleasure.” You smile at the boy and motion for him to come in. It’s the perfect payback, you couldn't ask for a better set up.

“HEY MAX! Your boyfriend is here!” You yell down the hall with a smirk on your face.  Lucas freezes on sight and looks at you like you’re absolutely bonkers. Max opens the door with a grumble.

“You are so weird! Y/N What are you talking ab-” You’ve never seen Max look so surprised. Her pale freckled face turns as red as a fresh tomato.

“Hey, Max. Sorry about yesterday. Are you uhh…busy right now?” Lucas asks, his voice is a little shaky, you can see a couple beads of sweat forming on the boy's forehead. 

Max smiles and crosses her arms. She gives Lucas a look that says loud and clear, “You’re an idiot but I like you.” Lucas hands her the flowers and Max takes them, she’s trying so hard to keep that tough exterior. This boy seems to know just how to break those walls down, it’s impressive.

“Let me go get my stuff.” She finally answers and Lucas’s face lights up. When she turns around and shuts the door behind her to get ready, Lucas pumps his fist, silently congratulating himself. You can’t help but smile. Young love, how cute, right? Lucas explains that he's taking her to a drive in, he just got his license and he wants Max to be his first passenger. He assured you that he is a very safe driver and his dad taught him everything he needs to know.

Max returns and they both head out. You give Max and Lucas one last look before they leave.

“Don’t stay out too late, I’m keeping my eye on you, Lucas.” You warned and Lucas smiled nervously.

“Don’t worry, she’s safe with me.” You wave goodbye and shut the door behind you.

Well, that was quite unexpected. 

You hear another knock on the door about ten minutes later. When you opened the door you could feel your face get hot. Eddie stood there, leaning on your doorway, towering over your small frame.

“Hey there, pretty girl.” His face was soft, but a playful smile grew on his lips once he noticed the familiar red flannel. He reached out and gently tugged the fabric. “As if I thought you couldn't get any cuter, here you are wearing my clothes.” You couldn’t help but smile but your stomach was tied up in knots. Eddie took a step closer and took your hand, he brought your knuckles to his lips.

“I’m glad you think so.” Your eyes quickly scanned Eddie from head to toe, everything he wears is so appealing to you. The black shirt he's wearing has the collar cut out of it. He layered a black zip up hoodie underneath a patched denim jacket. He smells like cedar, motor oil, and a hint of marijuana. His belt had various chains hanging from the eyelets, matching the chunky silver rings on his fingers. It was difficult to take your eyes off of him but somehow you managed. You turn around and grab your keys off the hook. “Wanna take my car?”

Eddie gives you a curious look. “You want to drive?”

You toss the keys in his direction and he catches them and meets your gaze. “Think you can handle it?”

“Yeah, I mean…are you sure?” He looks at the keys in his hand and back at you.

“Just dont drive it like you stole it. Only I get to do that.”

Eddie laughs and pulls you close, you lean in and kiss him softly before you completely melt into his arms.

“You are somethin’ else.” He says with a kiss to the top of your head.

----------⛤

Eddie drove your El Camino safely through Hawkins, he kept his hand on your thigh as often as possible, only removing it to shift gears. He took a right into Steve’s neighborhood, as you got closer, you could hear voices clamoring over loud music. Eddie parked a few houses down and cut the engine. He put your keys in his pocket and hopped out, he quickly ran around the front of the car and opened the passenger door for you. It's a simple and sweet gesture, something none of your previous ex’s ever did. Everytime he does it, you can't help but swoon.

“You ready?” He asks, wrapping his arm around your shoulder.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” You say with a small giggle. He leads you up the driveway, the frigid air nipped at your nose and you could see your breath with every exhale. You wonder if it's cold enough to snow,

It’s been a while since you’ve been to any sort of party, you’d be lying if you said you weren't a little nervous. Eddie knocks on the front door, you hear a loud crash and bit of yelling, then the door flies open. The tall boy from the video store greets Eddie with a half smile.

“Is that you, Munson? I knew I smelled weed.”

“Is that your way of telling me you’re buying, Harrington?”

Steve cackles, almost spilling the beer in his hand. “Hey Y/N! Nice to see you again, Robin is in the kitchen waiting for you.” You politely wave at Steve and look at Eddie, he tips his head, motioning you inside.

Eddie leans in, close to your ear. “I’ll catch up with you, sweetheart.” The music is loud, but you could hear him clearly. You nod and smile at him while making your way inside. Steve drags Eddie away and finds him a cold beer.

The house was crowded, but you still managed to make it to the kitchen without bumping into any shoulders. Robin spots you and raises her arm, “Y/N! Glad you made it! You’re just in time.” She is leaning on the kitchen counter chatting with a woman. She had shoulder length hair, a dainty frame, wearing a rather fancy blue dress. She had gold bracelets that matched her small gold hoop earrings.

“Time for what?” You ask, almost certain she's up to no good.

“Nance wont take shots with me!” She whines and the woman rolls her eyes.  

“Robin, I have to study tomorrow and I don’t want to battle a hangover at the same time.” Nancy smiles at you and you’re kinda taken back by how pretty she is.

“You must be Y/N, Robin’s told me all about you.”

“Only good things I hope.” You give Robin a side eye. She reaches her dainty hand forward and you squeeze it lightly. “I’m Nancy, nice to meet you.”

You and the girls talk and Robin finally convinces you to do a shot of vodka with her. It's cheap and you hate it, but it makes her happy.

“Nance, did you know Y/N and Eddie are a thing.” Robin blurts out mid conversation. You can tell she’s a little tipsy at this point.   

“No I did not,” Nancy says with raised eyebrows, immediately intrigued. “I honestly thought he was in a relationship with his guitar.”

You and Robin both laugh, despite Nancy’s “good girl” look, she seemed to know Eddie a bit more than you initially thought. “Eddie better not screw this up!” Robin exclaims, “Or it's just gonna be him and that guitar forever.”

----------⛤

Eddie followed Steve upstairs to make a quick deal in private. Steve opened up the door to the guest bedroom, there were already a few people inside passing a joint around. “Hey guys, this is Eddie.” They greeted him and Eddie took a seat on the bed. He pulled a plastic bag from the breast pocket inside his jacket. He eyeballed about twenty dollars worth and carefully dumped the green nuggets into Steve’s palms.

Eddie chuckles, “I don't have any bags on me, so you’ll have to figure that out yourself”

“Shit! I’ll go find one. Thanks man!” Steve takes his leave, with a handful of weed. Eddie shakes his head and chuckles. Before Eddie could get up off the bed and do the same, a blonde woman plops down next to him and crosses her legs.

“Oh my god, aren’t you the lead singer of Corroded Coffin?!” She asks, giving Eddie a mischievous smirk. “I’m Lauren, huge fan.”

“That’s me. It’s always nice to meet a fan.” Eddie replies while trying to smile politely. He has little to no interest in having this conversation but he doesn’t want to be rude 

“I saw you at the hideout, I was impressed.” She says while leaning into Eddie’s personal space. She touches his arm and giggles at his lack of words. He can smell the alcohol on her breath. Eddie leans back to create more distance between himself and this drunk stranger but she scoots closer, practically sitting on his lap. Eddie is visibly nervous and he's not entirely sure how to handle this.

You haven't seen Eddie in a little while, he said he would catch up with you later but he's nowhere to be found. So you head upstairs to find Steve since you saw Eddie with him last. You squeezed past several people on the stairs, when you got to the top you checked the room closest to you.

When you saw this girl practically throwing herself at Eddie, you didn't know what to think. You felt tears sting the corner of your eyes, your heart sank into your stomach. Everything you thought was real was all fake, a ruse. As soon as Eddie saw your face his heart broke into a thousand little pieces. He abruptly pushes the girl off of him and tries to chase after you, but he loses sight of you in the crowd. She scoffs and yells something at Eddie, but he could care enough to listen.

You couldn't believe this, somehow you knew in the back of your mind this was all too good to be true. You really thought he was serious, that the relationship was going somewhere. Are you just the flavor of the week? You should have known better, he's so attractive and talented, he can have anyone he wants. While weaving between other party goers, it took everything in you to hold back tears. No one saw you disappear out the back door, and you were grateful no one was outside to see you in such a state.

Standing in the cold, you stood there with your eyes pressed into your sleeves, soaking up as many tears as possible. You should have been focusing on your new life and Max, not some dumb guy, how could you be so naive? You felt embarrassed by how much emotion and time you attached to a fantasy.

You scope out Steve’s backyard and spot the gate leading to the front yard. After silently wiping away the rest of the moisture on your face, you walk over and unhook the latch. You didn't bother shutting It behind you, you just needed to get out of here. Once you reach the sidewalk you make your way to your car but realize quickly that Eddie pocketed your keys when you both arrived.

You let out a groan and slump against the passenger side door. You slowly slide to the ground and wrap your arms around your knees, curling into yourself. You couldnt help but feel defeated, betrayed, stupid, especially stupid. Now you have to go back in there and face him to get your keys–

“Y/N!” Eddie calls, emerging from the darkness. He attempted to follow you outside, but lost sight of you in the sea of bodies. “Hey! There you are.”

Eddie crouched down to get on your level. He tried to touch you but you push his hand away, “Eddie, What the fuck was that? Who was she?!” You snapped, your voice cracks as you try to avoid breaking down again.

“To be honest, I have no idea who she is. A friend of Harrington’s I can only assume. I don’t know her. I was selling some weed and next thing I know…”

“Well she definitely knew you!”

“Hey…C’mon. It's not like that.” His voice is soft and sticky sweet. You finally look up and make eye contact with him and he smiles. “There she is…” Eddie places his hand on your cheek, you almost didn't let him. He helps you up off the cold ground. You couldn't keep your eyes off of his, and it pained Eddie to see you distressed.

“Don’t do this to me, Munson. I won’t be able to handle it.” You say between sniffles. Eddie gently places his hands on your shoulders.

“Don’t do what, Y/N?”

“I don't want to continue falling in love with you if you’re not going to catch me.”

Eddie’s eyes got wide, he looked surprised, to say the least. It took him a moment to register the words you just said to him. He pulls you into a hug and you bury your face in his shirt. You slipped your arms into his jacket and wrapped them around his midsection. He held the back of your head and combed his fingers through your hair.

“Oh, sweetheart. You got it all wrong. I’m so fuckin’ crazy about you.” He coos softly, “I can’t stop thinking about you.”  

You couldn't figure out what terrified you more, the thought of him getting this close to you or the fact that you were going to let him. Eddie just witnessed all your walls crumble to the ground. You’re not used to being this vulnerable, but Eddie just sees you as human. Simply a person feeling too many emotions at once. You lift your head to look at his face and study his expressions. Sometimes it feels like his dark eyes can stare right into your soul.  

“I’m in love with you and it scares me too.” He admits, just barely above a whisper.

Your heart was racing and it felt like you couldn't catch a decent breath. When his lips met yours, you closed your eyes and everything went quiet. There was no music, no disembodied drunk voices, no idling cars, nothing. Just you and him, dealing with a pot of boiling emotions. Your body slackens but it doesn't matter when Eddie's there to keep you steady, to keep you safely wedged between his body and the car.

As you open your eyes and break away from Eddie, you feel something cold brush against your face. Puffy white clusters begin to fall from the sky, the flakes getting bigger and bigger with every second. You and Eddie take in your surroundings, the party halted for just a moment and everyone marveled at the snowflakes flurries cascading against the black sky.

“Looks like we’ve got a blizzard settling in.” Eddie remarks, holding out his hand to collect some of it. A shiver rolls up your spine and you squeeze Eddie just a little harder.

“I think it's a little too cold to sleep alone tonight.” You suggest and Eddie smiles, the kind of smile that says so much without saying anything at all.

“My thoughts exactly.” He kisses the top of your head, “Let's blow this joint, yeah?”

You nod and smile back at him. Feelings can be so strong and complicated. There are a thousand words on your lips, but you only needed three at this moment.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

[idreaminphosphorescence]

"simon riley!"

your voice calling out to simon was what snapped him out of his relaxed state in the living room.

simon loved it when you call his name. not ghost. not lieutenant riley. just simon riley, or simon or si. your sweet voice calling his name sounded like a wave of melody in his ears.

but just now when you called his name loudly and it echoed in his flat, he felt the alarm bells ringing in his head.

danger.

he tried to act nonchalant when you stepped in front of him with your arms on your hips. your face was cool but simon could feel the anger behind your eyes.

"yes, love? wha' is it?"

"did you eat my pudding?" you glared at him, crossing your arms.

simon internally winced at that. yes, yes he absolutely did. but simon can't just admit it or else he would be the receiving end of your fury (he already did). he had to protect his pride as your loving and considerate boyfriend no matter what.

"no."

you looked at him, unimpressed. there were no words exchanged but the moment simon denied it, his fate was already sealed. your stare said it all.

you're sleeping on the sofa tonight.

and when you walked away, simon's brain frantically tried to come up with excuses and apologies.

goodluck, simon. you needed it.

–

happy 300 i love you guys (^_^)♡

— masterlist.

[egophiliac]

queen of diamonds, upright + reversed 💎

I've redone this like eighty times, I have to just be done with it now and stop staring at all my mistakes oh no 🫠

[yuri-is-online]

Leona mentions that scars are seen as a sign of bravery in the Sunset Savanna... so I assume that a lot of people probably find them sexy. I'm not sure if Yuu walks the red carpet with the boys in Tapis Rogue but like... can you imagine a Yuu with a really noticeable facial scar they didn't use makeup to cover up and everyone in the Savanna just going wild on magicam as soon as those pictures drop. Yuu checks their phone to see that they're trending because one very specific group of people is down bad horrendous and it broke containment.

[currentlyonstandbi]

i dont care what kind of lore they're coming up with for that zepotha film or whatever the fuck over on tiktok, nothing will ever come close to the fact goncharov was spawned entirely from a label on a boot

[dkettchen]

cursed construction core hi vis bra that came to me in a dream

In the dream I saw it in the window display of a hardware/DIY/trade shop, implying it was meant to be a practical garment designed for actual female constructions workers in a Female Armour level missed-the-brief attempt at gender inclusion

The practical support from the visible underwire combined with the hi vis implying it’s not meant to be worn as an undergarment, I just-

I blame my binge-reading ND Stevenson’s gender comics talking abt masculinity and femininity incl the one abt Victoria’s Secret lingerie yesterday for this monstrosity x’D

[thebonedogs]

‘sleep carves warm under the pelt’, embroidery on calico fabric, 2023 (instagram)

[cicadatree]

rust crick by @faeryac

DA: 7167-8664-4413

[sunderwight]

Thinking about a bingqiu Dreamling AU where Shen Yuan and Shang Qinghua are both bored deities, just sort of taking a brief sojourn through the mortal world to shoot the shit and see some interesting monster or other that Shen Yuan has heard about, when they come across a tea house and decide to take a break and do some people-watching instead.

Shen Yuan is well into something of a shut-in phase, which Shang Qinghua doesn't like, mostly because when Shen Yuan is in those phases he doesn't do particularly well either. Shen Yuan's a social butterfly, for however little he cares to actually acknowledge it about himself, and his critique of Shang Qinghua's literary masterpieces gets so much harsher when he's not getting enough enrichment.

So when they overhear one of the kitchen boys solemnly insisting that he is going to do everything in his power to never die, and Shen Yuan laments that the boy would probably regret such a wish if it came true, Shang Qinghua decides to bestow a rare bit of godly power onto this mortal and grant his wish.

He doesn't make him a god, of course, that wouldn't even be in his ability. At least, not without using up more time and effort than he's prepared to expend on this one random kid. But immortality on its own is not that difficult. The boy will still finish growing up, and will still be able to be harmed, to know hunger and pain and illness. It just won't ever kill him.

Shen Yuan sighs that it's a cruel thing to do to a mortal, especially one with such low odds of ever cultivating other skills to mitigate the potential torment of it all. But Shang Qinghua just shrugs and they place bets, that this boy will ask for the immortality to be revoked in a hundred years, or two hundred, or so on, or else he won't. Shen Qingqiu approaches the kitchen boy and flusters and bewilders him by telling him to meet him back here again in a hundred years time.

A hundred years later, the tea house is larger. The boy has grown to be a striking young man, who looks at Shen Yuan with wariness and something else, something almost like awe, as he asks what manner of creature he's made this bargain with. Shen Yuan assures him that he has no nefarious intentions, and instead asks Luo Binghe how the past century of his life has gone.

Horribly, at least at first. Binghe's mother had already died by the time they met, but afterwards he managed to earn enough money to travel to a nearby sect. Working in the tea house's kitchen was just a minor stopover along the way. Shen Yuan was wrong, it seems, about his odds of becoming a cultivator -- Luo Binghe earned entry as a disciple.

Yet, he had no success. The master who took him on was unaccountably cruel and mercurial, and Luo Binghe's attempts to cultivate failed. Looking back he sees now that there were many times when he should have died but didn't, but when it was all happening he just thought himself lucky. At least until an enemy sect attacked a cultivation conference, and he suffered mortal wounds that absolutely should have killed him (or anyone) but still didn't die. (No demon race or abyss in this AU, but there are still demonic and fantastical creatures.)

His cruel master, upon witnessing this, accused him of heretical practices and tried to kill him as well by flinging him off the edge of a gorge. The fall was terrible. Binghe lay at the bottom in a horrifying state, injured beyond reason and yet, still, he didn't die. Eventually his body recovered enough for him to drag himself out, and once he did the only thing on his mind was getting revenge. For the next several decades he managed to ingratiate himself to all manner of potential allies, forging alliances, accumulating blackmail, and convincing people that he had to be some powerful cultivator through his supernatural resilience, lack of visible aging, and a lot of bluffing. He got revenge on his old teacher, drove his first sect into ruin, and rose to prominence as a feared and respected leader of the cultivation world.

Shen Yuan listens with clear interest, asking plenty of questions and seemingly quite taken up with the story. At the conclusion, Luo Binghe admits that his actual cultivation is still mostly a matter of smoke and mirrors, and wonders if -- now that the hundred years have passed -- Shen Yuan means to strip his immortality from him.

Shen Yuan asks if Luo Binghe wants that. When Luo Binghe says no, he accepts the answer, and tells him to meet him back here again in another hundred years. Luo Binghe calls after him, but before he can ask anything more, Shen Yuan has disappeared again.

A hundred years later, Binghe arrives back at the tea house with an entourage befitting of an emperor. The tea house has also expanded. Luo Binghe orders a lavish feast from them, which everyone hastens to provide. He's spent the past several decades consolidating his power, forging alliances with key political players via several marriages, producing heirs, and crushing his enemies. As he brags about the state of his massive harem to Shen Yuan, the deity's eyes begin to glaze over. He doesn't seem impressed. He also doesn't seem to care much for the food, and eventually his attention is stolen away by a conversation at another table. The diners are discussing the exploits of a promising new poet and novelist. Try as he might, Luo Binghe fails to regain Shen Yuan's attention before the evening is done. Shen Yuan doesn't think it's a big deal -- after all, if Binghe is still riding on top of the world, he's probably not going to want his immortality gift revoked just yet!

Another hundred years go by. The tea house has returned to a more modest situation, the next time Shen Yuan sets foot in it. He waits an unusually long while for his guest to arrive, and when he does, he's almost stopped at the door by the tea house's servers. It's only when Shen Yuan bids them let him through that Luo Binghe is able to come to the table, almost collapsing against it and desperately falling onto the arrangement of snacks with obvious hunger.

Shen Yuan wonders if this, now, will be when the boy (no longer a boy) asks for the immortality to be revoked. Surprisingly, he finds himself resistant to the idea, even though it's also clear that the game has run too long. Maybe hundred year check-ins were too short? He doesn't like the implications of what's gone on, even if he's not really surprised about it either.

Between desperate mouthfuls of food, Luo Binghe explains that without mastering inedia, going hungry but never dying is a deeply unpleasant experience. Shen Yuan orders more food. Once Binghe has finally eaten his fill, he begins, haltingly, to explain his situation. His clothes are ragged, he is painfully thin, and his gaze is haunted.

Apparently, several of his wives conspired to assassinate him, despite his reputation as unkillable. Realizing that most poisons and such didn't kill him, but that he could still be incapacitated, they hatched a scheme to dose his food with a powerful sleeping agent, and then walled him up in a famous ancestral tomb. They went to great length to ensure that it was impossible to escape from. It took Binghe decades to do it anyway, digging away at the floors, and when he got out he found that his power base had collapsed. In-fighting and the incursion of his enemies had led to the deaths of all of his children, and what wives had survived had either fled or remarried. Not that he particularly wanted them back at that point, since the ones actually most loyal to him had also been killed early on after his own "death". His face marked him, to the eyes of his enemy, as a surviving descendant of himself. He was hunted down, chased across the continent and back again, until he managed to fall into enough obscurity that his pursuers abandoned the chase. Except that he has nothing, and any time he tries to regain something, he runs the risk of being hounded again. Those who might see some potential in him still remember the collapse of his recent "dynasty" and slam doors in his face, or else try and turn him over to those now in power in pursuit of a reward. Those who don't know that much see only a dirty beggar, and usually run him off on that basis instead.

Shen Yuan, almost hesitant, asks if Luo Binghe would like to have his immortality revoked.

Luo Binghe declines. How will he be able to take revenge on those who wronged him if he is dead? He has a hit list a mile long by now.

Which is definitely not the most noble of reasons to persist, but Shen Yuan finds himself reluctant to ask twice. Instead he orders more food, and then even reserves one of the traveler's rooms above the tea house for several days. By then the sky is turning grey, and Luo Binghe is losing his apparent battle with exhaustion. Shen Yuan presses the key into his hand, thinking it's probably not enough, but there are limits to how much gods are supposed to interfere and Shang Qinghua already stretched them to the breaking point with this entire scenario.

He leaves, not seeing the hand that reaches after him just before he is out of the door and gone.

Another hundred years pass. This time, Shen Yuan arrives to find Luo Binghe already waiting for him. He isn't surprised to see that Binghe's situation has visibly improved -- maybe he was keeping closer tabs on him, just a little bit, for this past while. If only to be sure he wouldn't have to warn the tea house workers to expect an unorthodox visitor again! But no, Binghe has been doing well enough for himself. No more harems or thrones, though. He dresses more like a well-off merchant now, deliberately posing as his own mortal descendant rather than as a great immortal cultivator. The food at the table looks far more delicious than usual too (Binghe commandeered the tea house's kitchen himself this time). As they chat, Shen Yuan is regaled with the exploits of Luo Binghe's travels and adventures, how even though he initially set out to claim revenge on those who overthrew him, by the time he was in a position to actually do so they had already died of the usual causes (time, illness, their own schemes backfiring, etc). Subsequently, only their children and grandchildren were left with the scraps of power they had obtained, and when one of those children employed Luo Binghe as a bodyguard, his initial plan to assassinate them eventually fell by the wayside. After all, the wrongdoings weren't actually theirs. From that point, Binghe was able to restore himself to a more comfortable life, joining his new employer on their travels until he had set aside enough earnings to take his leave before his youthful good-looks earned him suspicion. He then began investing in travel and trade, specifically cargo ships, because never spending too long in the same place or around the same people helped disguise his immortality. He had found that, at least for now, this served him better than playing the part of a cultivator. It also gave him time to try and actually repair his ruined cultivation base somewhat, and fighting pirates proved very diverting.

Binghe is midway through recounting his adventures with a gigantic sea monster, while Shen Yuan hangs on every word, when they're interrupted by the arrival of a brash young mistress, clearly wealthy and trained in cultivation. The young lady declares that there is a rumor that a fallen god and a demon meet in this tea house once a century, that they wield strange powers, etc etc, and she intends to interrogate them both with the assistance of her hired muscle and her own spiritual weapon, and discover the truth of the matter. Then she whips out, well, a whip!

Before Shen Yuan can deal with the matter, Luo Binghe is already on his feet, disarming the goons and breaking a few arms in the process. Shen Yuan is so distracted that he almost misses the whip aimed right for him, but before Binghe can catch the barbed weapon with his bare hand (wtf, Binghe, no) Shen Yuan deflects it with a wave of his fan, and then efficiently knocks the troublesome young lady unconscious. The hired muscle flees, Shen Yuan arranges for their assailant to be placed in a room upstairs until she regains consciousness, and he and Binghe resume their meal and conversation in relative peace.

Even though it's clear that Luo Binghe has not yet reached the end of his tolerance for life, Shen Yuan nevertheless finds himself strangely reluctant to part ways at the end of the night. Still, he does, because that's what is expected of him, gently denying Luo Binghe's suggestions that they find some other establishment to continue their conversation at. He also has to investigate these "rumors" that the young lady mentioned. It's probably nothing (Shang Qinghua has a loose tongue when he's drunk, and a lot of imaginative storytellers have frequented this tea house over the years) but he doesn't like being caught unawares like that. Heavenly politics are... complicated, it's best not to court unwanted attention in any capacity.

Another hundred years go by. This time, when they meet at the tea house, Luo Binghe asks Shen Yuan why he keeps it up. Why did he pick Binghe? What is he really after? When Shen Yuan fails to give any kind of clear answer, Luo Binghe shoots his shot and makes a (very obvious) move on him.

Shen Yuan, flustered, gets up and flees. Ignoring Luo Binghe's calls after him. It just doesn't make any sense! Why would Binghe do that?! He's a man who once had a harem of wives in the triple digits! Clearly he's not gay, so what was that all about? Was he just messing with him?! How dare he! Etc, etc.

Another century passes. Luo Binghe waits at the tea house, which has fallen onto hard times again. With the construction of some new roadways, travelers no longer pass through as often. Binghe listens, worried, to the proprietor's laments that this old place will probably not be around in another hundred years. He listens because he has no one else to speak to, because Shen Yuan has not shown up. Not that morning, not during the day, not come evening, and not now that it is closing time. Binghe nevertheless charms and bribes the proprietor to let him stay even after the place has shuttered.

It seems damning, of course. He pressed too hard and now his mysterious benefactor wants nothing more to do with him. Except, no, he refuses to accept that. He's still immortal. And he has gleaned enough of Shen Yuan's character by now that he thinks that even if he was rejected, he would be let down more clearly and gently than this. The more he thinks about it, the less willing Luo Binghe is to believe that he has been deliberately stood up (also, since the tenor of his confession was different from Hob Gadling's, he never delivered an ultimatum about what it might imply when they met up again).

Over the centuries, Luo Binghe has built up a few contacts with similarly strange and supernatural stories. Cultivators, sure, but also others, fortune tellers and people of strange ancestry, questionable abilities, those who have interacted with powerful beings of mysterious provenance. He makes his way to a certain gambling den, frequented often by such people, and while he flashes around enough money to draw curiosity, he collects information. Shen Yuan wasn't the only person who started paying more attention to the kinds of rumors surrounding the two of them after their confrontation with the young cultivator a couple centuries ago. And in fact, Luo Binghe has been spending many, many years trying to find out more about his mystery man. Though, too many potential deities and immortals fit his description for him to have ever conclusively figured much out.

This is how Binghe gets wind of a rumor that an eccentric occultist has somehow captured a god in his basement...

[magicshop]

his smile could cure the world ♡ [for @morshiberna ♡]

cr. 0613data

[peachsayshi]

having the biggest, fattest crush on nanami kento that is actually not obvious to everyone you know but clear as day to him.

you're usually so put together but around kento you turn into an adorable, flustered mess and he gets so unbelievably flattered by it 🥺

he also enjoys teasing you just to see what reactions he can pull out of you too

[front-facing-pokemon]

[egophiliac]

YOU MANIFESTED THE TWEEL CARDS CONGRATS

YOU'RE WELCOME EVERYBODY!

seriously though I was probably like. 60-80% thinking we'd get at least one tweel for chapter 10. but I was NOT expecting it so soon! both of 'em! in August! a shame we're not getting a Coral Sea event after all...but I guess I can be resigned to that and ALSO excited for getting shiny sparkly glowing(!!!!) mertwins along with Azul fighting his inner demons and going right for the eyes! AHHHH I CAN'T WAIT

(also heeeey I recognize that rowboat... 👀)

[somegrumpynerd]

Horror's nightmare

Horror doesn't think much on his past anymore, but his nightmares often resurface the guilt he's buried about the idea that he could have prevented it all somehow, even if it came at the cost of his own life.

Thankfully, Nightmare is here to make him a hot drink to calm his nerves and promise him a visit to his brother when the sun is up, because Papyrus will always be very glad to see his brother alive and visiting (and as sleepy as ever).

[somedreamlove]

Wow, rewatching Dream's parkour after getting to know much more about parkour (from watching everyone grind it for MCC) really put it into perspective for me how much Dream is in a class of his own when it comes to minecraft. None of the other top-tier players even come close to replicating his easy wild abandon of movement or the way he does insane jumps and neos without line-up or preparation, leagues ahead of the competition, carried by some sort of transcendent minecraft intuition that comes from being just so in love with the game

[shotmrmiller]

tired of readers being the one that, after some nights stands, are the first to fall for cod men.

It would be so interesting to see a reader who enjoys the sex but doesn't have any kind of feelings for Simon (taking him as an example). Who after he goes away, cleans herself and it's okay. Because fuck military men are the biggest red flags. So no commitment to them. Just sex.

A reader who is interested even to seek other men companions. After all it's nothing serious about what they do. So if he fucks around why doesn't she? She isn't married to him. And for him that's fine.

The first four months because then he slowly catches feelings and oh damn... Reader's chilly life becomes messy. He craves for her, while her simply like what he makes her feel. So to just sex. To him seeking kisses during sex (even after), to him hugging her tightly and pushing his body into you. To tell her sweet things. Texting her for asking about her day instead of "Hey. When you're free?". He has created this idea in his mind that she's whipped for him. More than he is for her. After all... it's usually women who catch feelings first... So he is ready for the next step. Dating? No. Direct to living together. After all they want the same things.

Ahahahah... The problem is that it's not like that. Good luck on explaining it to him

or where he takes offense that she isn't blowing up his phone? like he's going through her contact card to make sure she's not blocked. did he pay his phone bill?

tbh i think if reader is that deattached, then he's fixing that. like he's not gonna work for it he's just gonna become your problem to where the only person you'll ever lay your eyes on is him.

old flings? gone. that coworker one nighter you had? suddenly transferred to a different department.

casual sex? sure! then doesn't leave. knocks on the bathroom door when you're cleaning up like do you like chinese food? no? okay well that's what i got anyway it'll be here in 30.

ignores your blatant staring. pretends that you didn't waste money ordering him an uber just so he could go outside and tell the driver to cancel the trip.

doesn't label the relationship (which is very real, you're in denial) because you don't want a label. that's fine. he still watches his spend dribble out of your hole every night so.

all the same to him.