#antique store discoveries

[doppleganger-rental]

I love that this person was so proud of his purchase of this gorgeous tv that he took a picture.

[mncxbe]

Hii i have a request: aku dating s/o who's atsushi's sister (he's unaware of it) and then someday he sees both together and is like "the fuck are you doing with him??" and reader is like "he's my brother, honey 😃" and atsushi's like ">>HE<< IS YOUR BOYFRIEND???" anyways, chaos

Oh damn this would indeed be chaos. A little bit of context: the reader works at an antique store so she's not really involved with the Pm or the Ada. Anyway hope you enjoy♡

°☆○

Blood bonds

𝑨𝒌𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒘𝒂 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: slice of life/ silly◇

The musty, old room scent of the anitque store; tiny flakes of dust illuminated by the brilliant evening light and the endless piles of books that formed a maze inside the crammed shop were all too familiar to him. It was the nth time this month when Akutagawa came to pick you up after work, a cup of your favourite coffee in his hand.

He made his way through the bookshelves and stacks of paperbacks and leather bound tomes to the back of the shop where the cash register was and just as he took the last turn, he saw you; leaning over the wooden desk and talking with... Atsushi?

Your silvery hair caught the late autumn light, gleaming like a jewel as you tucked a stary strand behind your ear. Completely absorbed in conversation with the young man, you didn't even notice your boyfriend until he spoke up.

"Hi Y/N sorry I'm late I stopped to get you a coffee."

Your head suddenly snapped in his direction, a warm smile creeping on your lips.

"Hi there Ryu. How was your day?" you asked as you tip toed around the counter to embrace him; but before you had the chance Atsushi spoke.

"What are you doing here Akutagawa?"

The stern tone of his voice was the last drop. How dared he ask such a question? Akutagawa's brows frowned as his lips pressed into a tight line.

"What the hell are you doing here, weretiger?"

"Wait, you know each other?" you chimed in, a hint of surprise in his voice. "I shouldn't bother with the introductions then"

"What introductions are you talking about? How do you know him?" asked Akutagawa as his nails dug deeper into the calloused skin of his palm.

"Oh love Sushi is my brother"

Akutagawa's heart sank; he felt as if he were underwater, your words a jumble of muffled sounds. For a moment he stood there between you and Atsushi, completely disarmed, his gaze moving from one to another.

And then it finally clicked. The resemblace between the two of you was undeniable. You had the same eyes: your irises a hue of violet and yellow, spotted with little flakes of gold around the pupil; and almost the same lean built except you were a few centimeters shorter than him. If you weren't wearing that sharp black eyeliner, your face would be an identical replica of his.

"I- uh..." he stammered, eyes darting from one to another. "I didn't know that."

Regardless of how shocking this new discovery was he was happy that there was nothing more going on between the two of you. His tense shoulders slightly slouched, a smile creeping on his lips.

"Well love that's quite a strange coincidence." he added in a more relaxed tone.

"Love? What do you mean by love? Nee chan are you... wait are you dating him?" screamed Atsushi.

His eyes bore a shadow of betrayal as he held your gaze. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it was important for you to know who I'm seeing." you said nonchalantly, taking a sip from your coffee.

"Like hell of course it matters. Do you even know what he's done? Who he is? You should've-"

"I should've what, Atsushi? Gave you a phone call whenever I sleep with someone? I'm old enough to take care of myself and I don't know what the two of you have to share but please, try to get along for my sake ok? At least while we're together."

The two men blushed furiously at your words: Akutagawa was shocked by the sudden mention of your love life while Atsushi was simply embarassed.

With his gaze held down he uttered an apology.

"Sorry I just... want you to be safe"

"Trust me weretiger, that's my number one priority too" added Akutagawa as he gently slid a hand around your waist to pull you closer.

The warm smile that rose to your lips when your boyfriend embraced you was enough for Atsushi to drop the matter.

"Okay then" you said in a cheerful voice. "How about we all dine somewhere? I just need a minute to close the shop. Be right back"

With that you made your way to the backroom where you kept your keys and jacket, leaving the two men behind. Both of them were equally reluctant to accept your invitation but what could they say? If it made you happy they could pretend to get along for a night.

"Hey Akutagawa. Take care of her okay?" stated the silver haired man with a concerned look on his face.

Akutagawa only nodded. "Of course I will. I wouldn't do anything to harm her."

A smile made its way to Atsushi's lips. "I really didn't take you for a romantic, Akuatagwa"

A wave of anger took over the raven haired man upon hearing his rival's remark but before he could say anything back you emerged from the room.

"Ready to go?"

You approached your boyfriend and leaned in to place a tender kiss to his lips.

"We'll go to that place you like Ryu. Remember? We went there on our first date."

"Of course love." he chuckled, barely able to hide the blush that tinted his pale face.

Before the three of you walked out of the shop and into the busy street, Akutagawa turned to Atsushi and spoke in a hushed voice.

"Don't you dare say a word about this to anyone weretiger. Or I'll hunt you down"

[wasabidottie]

Walmart Blue 💙 (Jess Mariano)

You and your boyfriend, Jess, were enjoying a rare free day together. The sun was shining, and the town of Stars Hollow was bustling with activity. The two of you had decided to spend the day exploring, without any particular destination in mind. Just being together was enough to make you happy.

As you wandered through town, Jess couldn't help but sneak glances at you, admiring the way your eyes light up with every little discovery you made along the way. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have you in his life.

At one point, you found yourselves in a quaint little antique store, filled with all sorts of unique treasures. You were drawn to an old typewriter in the corner, your fingers gently grazing the keys.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" you said, eyes sparkling with fascination.

Jess nodded, a mischievous glint in his own eyes. "You really like it?"

You looked at him with a nod, wondering if he had something in mind. "Yeah, it's a work of art. But it's a bit pricey."

He just smiled mysteriously and continued exploring the shop with you, not revealing his plan just yet.

After you left the antique store, they stopped by Luke's for a quick lunch. Over burgers and fries, Jess could tell that you were a little curious about what was on his mind.

"Jess, you're acting all secretive," you teased, sipping your coffee. "What's going on in that head of yours?"

He gave you a sidelong look and decided it was the perfect time to surprise you. "You'll find out soon enough."

You continued your leisurely walk through town, visiting familiar spots and sharing stories about each others lives. Jess watched as you talked, unable to shake the feeling that he was the luckiest guy in the world.

As the day turned into evening, you found yourselves back at his and Luke's place. The atmosphere was cozy, and soft music played in the background. Jess cleared his throat nervously.

"Okay, close your eyes," he instructed.

You did as you were told, a mixture of excitement and curiosity washing over you. You felt Jess move around the room, and then heard him place something down.

"You can open them now."

You opened your eyes to see the vintage typewriter from the antique store, sitting on the coffee table. Your face lit up with pure joy, and you turned to Jess, eyes shimmering with gratitude.

"Jess, you didn't have to do this," you said, voice filled with appreciation.

He shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. "Just thought it would look good in your place."

"It's beautiful,," you said, admiring the necklace. "But how... how did you afford this?"

Jess hesitated for a moment, the words stumbling out almost reluctantly. "I... I got named Employee of the Month at Walmart. Got a little bonus, so I thought I'd get you something nice."

Your eyes widened in pleasant shock. "Jess, that's incredible! I'm so proud of you!"

He shrugged, trying to downplay the achievement. "It's no big deal."

But the pride in your eyes, the admiration and the affection you showered on him for his achievement, made a warmth bloom in his chest. He had never received such genuine compliments, especially from someone so important to him.

As the evening progressed, the sun eventually dipped below the horizon. You found yourselves entwined in a comfortable makeout session, the love and affection between the two of you manifesting in tender, passionate moments. You were sitting in his lap, feeling a sense of contentment and happiness.

You suddenly pulled away, a grin stretching across your face. Jess looked at you, slightly puzzled. "What are you grinning about?"

You chuckled, looking down at him. "I was just picturing you in that blue Walmart vest."

He groaned, rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on. Don't ruin the moment."

But underneath his playful protests, there was a faint smile dancing on his lips. He wasn't used to being at the receiving end of affection, especially the lighthearted teasing that felt so incredibly heartwarming and intimate coming from you.

The evening continued with laughter and a deeper sense of connection, each moment reminding Jess of the happiness and contentment he had found in your company. It wasn't just the gifts or the compliments that meant so much to him; it was the genuine care and love you showed him, filling a void he hadn't realized existed in his life. And that night, as he walked you back home, hand in hand, he couldn't help but feel incredibly lucky to have found someone who brought so much light into his world.

[blueiskewl]

3,400-Year-Old Ancient Egyptian Cemetery Found With Colorful Coffins

Archaeologists have uncovered an Ancient Egyptian cemetery dated to more than 3,000 years ago containing the colorful coffin of a high priest's daughter and preserved mummies, among hundreds of other finds.

Researchers unearthed the cemetery at the Tuna el-Gebel necropolis, located almost 170 miles south of Cairo in Minya Governate, Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities announced in a statement on Sunday.

The cemetery, which dates back to the New Kingdom (16th-11th centuries B.C.) of ancient Egypt, was used as a burial ground for senior officials and priests during the period, according to archaeologists.

The cemetery was uncovered during excavations that began last August in the Al-Ghuraifa area of Tuna El-Gebel and features "many tombs" that have been carved into rock.

Researchers have also made hundreds of archaeological finds at the site, including stone and wooden coffins—some of which contained mummies—amulets, ornaments and funerary figurines.

One of the most notable finds at the cemetery is a colorful, engraved coffin belonging to the daughter of a high priest of the ancient Egyptian god Djehuti, often referred to as Thoth.

This deity, commonly depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or baboon, was a key figure in ancient Egyptian mythology and played several prominent roles. For example, Thoth was credited with the invention of writing and is also believed to have served as a representative of the sun god Ra.

Next to the coffin of the high priest's daughter, archaeologists found two wooden boxes containing her canopic jars, as well as a complete set of "ushabti" statues.

Canopic jars were vessels used by the ancient Egyptians to store the organs removed from the body in the process of mummification—the lungs, liver, intestines and stomach—in order to preserve them for the afterlife.

Ushabti statues, meanwhile, were figurines used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices that were placed in tombs in the belief that they would act as servants for the deceased in the afterlife.

Archaeologists also made another particularly fascinating find at the New Kingdom cemetery: a complete and well-preserved papyrus scroll measuring approximately 42-49 feet in length that features information related to the Book of the Dead.

The Book of the Dead is a collection of ancient Egyptian funerary texts consisting of spells or magic formulas that were placed in tombs. These texts were thought to protect and aid the deceased in the afterlife. They were generally written on papyrus, a material similar to thick paper that was used as a writing surface in ancient times.

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, said in the statement that the discovery of the cemetery is an "important" find.

By Aristos Georgiou.

[saraswritingtipps]

Girly-themed writing prompts

1. Write about a young woman who fulfills her lifelong dream of opening her own boutique, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship, and discovering the true meaning of success and self-expression.

2. Imagine a group of best friends who embark on a glamorous girls' trip to a vibrant city, experiencing adventures, friendship, and self-discovery along the way.

3. Tell the story of a talented fashion designer who faces adversity and criticism in the competitive industry but ultimately triumphs with her unique vision and unwavering determination.

4. Create a protagonist who unexpectedly inherits a quaint, charming bakery from her eccentric grandmother, and follows her passion for baking while finding love and forming new friendships.

5. Write about a group of sisters who run a family-owned flower shop, exploring the dynamics of sisterhood, love, and personal growth against a backdrop of beautiful blooms.

6. Imagine a young woman who joins a prestigious dance academy, overcoming challenges, rivalries, and self-doubt as she pursues her dream of becoming a professional dancer.

7. Tell the story of a talented young chef who opens her own patisserie, crafting delectable pastries and desserts that not only win the hearts of her customers but also heal her own past wounds.

8. Create a protagonist who stumbles upon a magical antique store that grants wishes, and follows her journey as she discovers the power of self-love, inner beauty, and embracing her uniqueness.

9. Write about a group of lifelong friends who reunite for a glamorous high school reunion, reminiscing about their shared memories, confronting their pasts, and rekindling old flames.

10. Imagine a young woman who starts a blog about fashion, beauty, and self-care, using her platform to empower and inspire other women while navigating the ups and downs of her own life.

[christinesficrecs]

Hi! Do you know of a fic where Stiles finds this really old painting that reminds him of Derek (or was done by one of his ancestors or something) in an old antique shop while out with Lydia? Its set when Stiles is about to go to FBI training I think and Derek lives somewhere random like Denver. They have this long distance correspondence going on and Derek sends Stiles vouchers to places and care packages and in the end when Stiles graduates from the academy he doesn't invite Derek to the ceremony because he's afraid he'll be stationed somewhere far off and then goes to apologise to Derek and tell him why (and Derek says he'd follow Stiles wherever he went but it turns out Stiles gets assigned the city Derek's living in).

I do!

The Start of Our Forever by  Cobrilee | 20.5K | Explicit

Stiles is ready to get out of Beacon Hills and start his new life, free of the supernatural. A random discovery in an antique store in Denver proves you can never leave it all behind… and encourages him to find it again. What ensues is four and a half years of pining, self-discovery, personal growth, a whole hell of a lot of love, and a realization that nightmares can still become fairy tales (happily-ever-afters included).

[orange-orchard-system]

I don't think the Backrooms works as anything other than a collective shitpost by people going "okay, but here's MY idea to make it more fucked up" and others responding "oh my fuck that's incredible". I just don't think it works as anything else. All the games I've seen focus on like. Being a scientist or explorer or whatever and it's like no. No, this is not the SCP Foundation, get that out of here. This is about being somewhere you are well aware you are not meant to be in and stumbling into discoveries about this land that do not reassure you about your ability to survive at all. This is about people making themselves a home and community even in the face of the world itself not being made for them. This is a testament to humanity's perseverance that doesn't place humans above any other species, and in fact warns them that they are not any more special than anyone else in this land they didn't mean to end up in, so they best be careful. And a movie? A movie?? Bet you twenty dollars they fuck it up trying to add some inane plotline that doesn't actually mean anything to the actual lore and world building of the Backrooms. "The Backrooms is SCP but worse" has done so much damage to people's understanding of it. Do you say antique stores are worse versions of libraries? Where's your sense of whimsy about being somewhere you aren't meant to be. Where's your imagination. The Backrooms can be taken as a metaphor for life and trauma and growing up and so much more and it's intertwined with lots of people just having a good ol' time. But no one outside of the actual fandom respects what it actually is, they just see it as something it's not, and thus think it "failed". I'm going to bite a movie director

[oddballwriter]

Dwelling in the Night, Part Four: Just Know I'm Not the Sinister Type

Series Masterlist

Pt. 1 Pt. 2 Pt. 3

Summary: Life, and un-life, goes on. Stevan and you get closer, despite your better judgment, and actually reach the level of friends. It's actually quite nice when you don't think about everything that might come when time keeps going on, leaving only one of you untouched. Meanwhile, an eventful night of hunting happens for you. One with what you thought was a close call that involved you not killing someone tonight out of sympathy. But unfortunately, for you, you don't have as keen of eyes as you think you do.  

Warnings: Reader is a vampire, so there's the usual vampire stuff like drinking blood and biting. Reader gets a little bit edgy and emo, not going to lie to you, because I gave them some backstory to their vampirism. Reader actually attacks someone, but doesn't kill them. It's revealed that reader can to mind control and memory altering as a vampire power however, it is used on someone else. So if you have issues with mind control stuff be aware of that. Cliffhanger ending. 

Author’s Snip: Vampire Y/N lover come and get your juice. *places a blood bag on the table* Wow! I'm actually doing something that advances the plot instead of whatever part 3 was. But yeah. We may be having plots merging 👀.

I’ll shut up now. Enjoy! And don’t be afraid to request.

Word Count: 1974

It had been a while since the meat incident. About a month or two. The boys, although a bit creeped out by the idea of some stranger breaking into their place and just eating the raw meat in their fridge, seemed to let it go.

You also let it slip by, opting to pretend to yourself that you never did that in the first place. Both too ashamed about it, even though you weren't actually caught, and also because of the fact that Moon Knight technically broke into your place through your open window making you think that he saw you crawl in through Steven's window and back.

To you, what Steven didn't know wouldn't hurt him. It was only one time and it was out of desperation to satisfy the hunger that exists inside you before it took its hold of you and you made an even bigger mess of things.

Over these past few months, you and Steven grew closer. You would actually spend time in each other's flats from time to time. In his, you would spend time talking about various things like some literature since he had an abundance of books, but one thing you loved was when he'd tell you everything there is to know about Egypt and all of its history and mythos. It was amusing to you, hearing him ramble on and on about... well... everything. It's not like you knew anything about the place. You may be old but you aren't ancient Egypt old so hearing all of this from one person was nice. But then again maybe it was because Steven was the only thing close to a friend you have here, other than Moon Knight when you bump into him in the alleys.

Steven liked your flat too, surprisingly. So far you had spun the story that you were a person who liked to collect vintage things and also had a small interest in the macabre, as a means to explain the coffin you had 'as a coffee table'.

In truth, your coffin coffee table that you 'got from a funeral home somewhere' was actually yours and you were meant to be sealed in it, in your original home. But you came back just before they could nail it shut back in your family mausoleum. Your collection of vintage was always yours and has never once been in a thrift or antique store. Some were things from when you were alive. Most others were things you collected through the years afterward. The bed frame and mattress, plates, cups, utensils, and other normal things that you've never actually used but bought so that in case someone comes to your flat they wouldn't find it odd and start to question things, which might lead to your discovery.

Steven didn't need to know that though. Instead, he just oggled at them all and occasionally asked about a few things. There was one item that he just had to ask about though.

"Who's this?" he questioned, pointing at a photo. It was of you back when you were alive. It was old, barely still together, and in grainy black and white with the tint of age changing the white. You went for the easy answer, "It's a great relative all the way back in the day.".

"They look an awful lot like you, don't they?" Steven comments with a little smile. "Yeah. I get that a lot." you respond, "It happens. Sometimes decedents look a lot like the older generations." you comment, to which Steven nods, taking the lie.

But you can only lie so much.

"What exactly brings you here? If you don't mind me asking." Steven questions.

I was starting to be found out and the hunters showed up trying to hunt me, so I needed to flee.

"I just wanted to move somewhere new. Get a fresh start." you simply answered.

"Do you have family here?" is what Steven asks next.

It wouldn't really matter. The family tree's grown on without you. Any family you used to have are all dead now, leaving descendants that either remember you as a dearly departed that was taken too soon or have never even heard of you.

"No." you answer simply, again.

Steven gives you a sympathetic glance at that answer. "That's a bit lonely, isn't it? Being here all by yourself." Steven comments.

"I have you." is what you say, not thinking before saying it. Steven blushes a bit at the answer with a shocked look crossing is soft eyes for a moment before smiling. "Well, I'm glad that I can be someone to keep you company." he says.

"Yeah," you mutter smiling back. But there's a little bit of pain plucking at your heartstrings deep down.

You've never really had a friend before, at least not after you came back from the dead. You had a few when living. You had a lot of things that you couldn't come back for after returning. Your way of 'life' was now just staying out of sight or under the radar. Taking what you could and fleeing when you were caught. Learning how to control any weird powers and abilities you gained all by yourself.

You made acquaintance over these years in the few places you've been, but you never really made bonds since it was a matter of time till you needed to leave again. That, and also to save the sight of watching time take its course on them while you stayed frozen and outside of its reach like always.

In all honesty, you tried to push Steven away or keep him at the same distance as you did everyone else, but somehow he just managed to squeeze right in by being your kindly, and dorky, neighbor. You tried to shake off the feeling of dread for the day you may need to leave or see time reach him too. For now, he's just Steven.

🩸🩸🩸

Another night of hunting and another night of putting on the clothes that helped you blend in with the shadows of the alleys that you stalked. Sure it was dirty to kill off criminals but it had its benefits to society if you looked at it from a certain angle, and also because bloody banks are more of a hassle than this.

You locked on a target. A mugger that's been making the rounds around this alley path that some would use as a shortcut to get places quicker. But during the night it was dangerous. It had a lot of pockets from the old infrastructure that criminals could hide in waiting to ponce on someone passing by. But that could also spin their own doom when it came to you hunting them. This guy was using the technique too. Using a spot made for dumping trash and scraps for the collectors in the morning. It was big enough for the both of you.

He didn't see you in the shadows, watching him and his movements from your spot. You both listened for the sound of anyone coming, both waiting for the moment to strike. You hear heels clacking on the stone floor, coming closer, and it seems like he hears them too as he settles himself into place. You don't feel like witnessing a poor woman be ambushed and so you go for the shot anyway. You already know what he's planning on doing so might as well do it like he still did it.

You grab the back of his shirt and pull him towards you. But he instinctively elbows you causing you to bite his arm instead of his neck. He recoils, you lunge, and you both scuffle down onto the ground. He's actually pretty strong, but you've wrestled with some criminals before and at some point they end up losing.

But in the scuffle, he grabs something from the ground close to the wall and hits you across the face with it. And it hurts. It burns. You coil back and hold your face, emit something between a scream, growl, and hiss. A noise that you don't make too often. You feel bits of wood and splinters on the stinging skin. He's hit you with a piece of spare plywood that was left to be collected.

Great. Out of all of the things he could have hit you with, it's the one thing that actually hurts.

You come back to your senses when you see him try to run. But you can't let him go. He's most likely seen your face since you don't wear a mask, if he gets away he can identify you to someone, and that spells out trouble for you. Even if it seems a bit twisted, you can't let that happen, no matter the cost. So you get up and give chase.

The mugger runs in the direction of more alleys instead of the streets in a desperate means to just get away from you and not thinking properly out of fear. This place would be a maze to him, but not to you. You can smell the blood from your bite on his arm, drawing a straightforward path right to him. You hear him calling out for help as he runs. You can tell he's scared, it makes you feel guilty for what you'd need to do when you caught him but it was the only way in your eyes.

Or was there.

Right.

You have some of his blood, you have a little influence over him. If you could just catch up with him, you could maybe keep him from identifying you to the police or someone without killing him.

You manage to find him and now tail him. You want to catch up to him but he's at a distance advantage and you're close to the end of the alleyways, he could make it out before you get to him. It's now or never.

You focus on his blood in your mouth and shout "Stop!" at him, and he does. You want to sign in relief but you could lose your already weak hold. You quickly walk towards him and face him, looking him in the eyes. He looks panicked by the fact that he can't move anything. You ignore it and focus again as you look deep into his eyes, then feel the connection be made for your influence.

You even out your voice, "You don't remember my face." you say.

"You don't remember being chased by anyone." you add.

It always feels a bit jarring when the people you do this with just calm down and enter in the trance-like state they get into when you do this. His eyes and muscles relax entirely, he even drops the plywood he's still holding that you didn't notice before.

"You were... just taking the shortcut through the alley. You don't remember getting bitten by anyone or anything either." you add on as a means to cover up any tracks that would be left in his memory.

You keep the connection as you back away into the shadows, being concealed again and unseen by him and anyone else, and then cut it loose.

The man snaps out of it, looking around confused, most likely confused how he got here and then being shocked at the injury on his arm. He holds the wound as he walks away and out of the alley.

You relax, having managed to nail the mercy even though you had so little to use. "Holy shit." you mutter as you slip down a hatch to the city sewers below to head home.

🩸

"Holy shit..." an unseen man mutters to himself processing the scene he just saw right before him.

And here he thought that his jokes about you were just jokes to mess with the others.

[smackthedevilwrites]

As the year comes to a close, almost, I just wanted to take some time out to say thank you to everyone who reblogged, bookmarked, shared, liked, read, left kudos and comments on my fics. I’m very lucky to have found myself as a writer within a community of really nice, genuine people from all over the world.

I love writing. I really should be spending time on my novel, which is unrelated to J2 but here I am, publishing a fic a month about these two yahoos who have really gotten under my skin. What can I say, I love them. There is just something unending about J2, no matter what other people say or do, J2 are eternal. As ships go, the aesthetics are heavenly and the chemistry of an almost 20 year friendship are the gifts that keep on giving. And with that, my brain will not stop until every trope, every occupation, every situation has been explored with J2 at the helm.

This year, Jared has been a lighthouse keeper, a multi-media management employee, a ghost, a Christmas tree-topper, a vampire, a hooker and a porn star in training amongst other things. Jensen has been a vampire too, a Greek soldier, a book-store owner, an ice seller from the 1920’s and a virtual reality coder. I keep them busy, is all I can say.

There is just something magical about creating worlds centered around the two most beautiful men on earth. I have a new fic lined up for the new year but I am going be (reluctantly) taking a break which is good because Christmas is fun but bad because I write literally every day of my life. I’m sure I’ll survive it.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

Here below is the complete list of every J2 fic of 2023 – 666,130 words – make of that word count what you will. 😦

Very long list under the cut -

THE LOVE LOCKER

Jensen Ackles buys storage units for a living, it's a lucrative business which has made him a comfortable amount of money. One thing he learned on the job is that one man's junk is another man's treasure. People leave all manner of things in abandoned lockers; money, comics, designer clothes, sports equipment, antiques, books and sometimes (maybe just the once), people.

THE PURPLE IRIS

In 1926 Louisiana, twenty year old Jared Padalecki has been forever searching for something to fulfil him. The youngest of four sons born into a rich and privileged family, Jared is ignored by his mother, father and brothers who think him wild and believe him to be of no use to them. In a desperate bid to inject excitement into his life, Jared spends his formative years seeking thrills but finds nothing that suits his character, until he comes of age. Jared is a late bloomer, lonely and questioning his sexuality. Through self-discovery, Jared opens himself up to the world in the most intimate way possible, attracting the attention of the mysterious 'iceman' and a rich older friend of his father's who takes advantage of Jared's vulnerability and loneliness.

FOREVER SEVENTEEN

Jared Padalecki was well-traveled for a sixteen year old and had lived in many different countries around the world. His passion was history and joining his parents on archaeological digs, standing on the sidelines and watching as the past was slowly revealed. When Mr. and Mrs. Padalecki decided to take on regular jobs and settle down in Santa Cruz, it gave Jared his first taste of high school in the US. With only two weeks until summer break, he had little time to settle in and even less time to make friends to keep him busy during the summer. However, on his very first day, Jared was taken under the wing of the very mysterious but shockingly handsome Jensen Ackles. At seventeen, Jensen had a worldy air about him and an intelligence to match Jared's. Soon, they became insperable and during that crazy hot summer, they became eternal together too.

GLOW IN THE DARK STARS

Have you ever met a terrible person and wondered why they did the things they did? What happened to them that turned them into a bad person? Were they born like it? What kind of trauma led them to become such an a-hole? None of those questions are answered here. Instead, what you will find is what happens to terrible people when they realize that they’re terrible. Jared Padalecki is young, not particularly dumb (actually pretty smart, eventually) and definitely full of come. He’s also full of himself too. When his car-crash of a mother announces her marriage to Jensen Ackles (lol), Jared actually couldn’t care less but Jensen is harboring a secret. Mmm, I wonder what it could be?

BERRY PIE

1969 - the summer of love for young people all over the world, the moon landings and the last year of the swinging sixties. In Jared Padalecki's small world, none of that figured as he battles to make sense of himself and a girl called 'Juliet' in an unloving home. The Padalecki farmstead had always given the impression of a happy home; it was beautiful, the heart of the community and the family were well-respected. Jared had always felt a little different to what was expected of him and most of the time, his life and future felt hopeless and carved out for him. But there was something about him that said determination as he quietly and privately tried to bring 'Juliet' to life, the other part of him, the girl he so very often needed to be.

EROTAS

When Jensen was fifteen, he was selected by the Gods and the elders of the Sacred Army temple in Thebes to one day fight alongside a same sex lover as part of the three-hundred strong company of the most beautiful men in all of Ancient Greece. His looks, strength and sexuality was noticed by Zeus but the Theban council elders were hesitant to enlist him, worried that his peasant upbringing would not be the right fit for the army. At twenty-two, Jensen finally left his modest home to join the army, four years later than he should have. His beauty was much admired by his superiors who urged him to form a union of love and strength with the rich and equally beautiful Jared, who was plagued by prejudices of status encouraged by his biased mother. Jensen was loathe to chase after a man who did not want him despite Jared’s obvious beauty and soon Jensen’s eyes were eventually drawn elsewhere; love came swiftly to him in the arms another, leaving Jared seething with jealousy and the council left with no other choice but to take the matter into their own hands.

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE

Jared Padalecki is the most popular of all the boys at The Cactus Club, an all-male brothel in the state of Nevada. He’s good at his job because he needs the money and has big plans for his future, just like all the other young men in the club. At twenty-two, Jared is a veteran of sorts, the ‘mother hen’ of the brothel. Independent and quite strong-willed, Jared’s life is turned upside down after a tragedy rocks The Cactus Club but he soon learns that there is a much nicer world outside of Jared’s sex oriented existence and Detective Jensen Ackles is the reluctant cop who teaches him the ways of kinder way of life.

PRET A AIMER (READY TO LOVE)

Jensen Ackles is the most powerful man in the fashion industry, editor-in-chief of ‘Sync’ magazine and an all round uncompromising hard-ass. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Jensen notices a leggy young man propping up the ‘Power House’ building where the ‘Sync’ headquarters are housed. Eventually, curiosity gets the better of him and after finding himself displeased with the models whom had been sent his way, he sends his assistant to drag the young man off the streets, a young man who turns Jensen’s world and the world of fashion upside down.

THIRTY YEARS IN AUGUST

After finding himself alone in a city he had always hated, amateur photographer and almost college student, Jared Padalecki takes himself off to Coney Island for the day in search of much needed adventure which he finds in the shape of one of America’s finest.

MIAMI & YOU

Miami based Jensen Ackles is a veteran porn star with a new venture on his mind and no plans to quit his career. After finding the perfect young man for his dubious project with the help of his manager Matt, Jensen’s unprepared body and mind are sent into turmoil.

WHOA, WE’RE GOING TO IBIZA

Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles had been together for four years but life decided to throw one pile of crap after another at them which led to a sad and bitter break-up. A few months previously, Jared had booked a vacation for himself, Jensen and eight of their best friends to Ibiza. Not wanting to let the side down, Jared and Jensen agreed to allow the trip to continue despite their messy relationship. It turned out to be just as awkward as everyone had expected and fraught with drama none of the friends saw coming.

A TOWN CALLED KISMET

It was 1994 and Jensen Ackles was doing his best impersonation of someone who didn’t constantly have thoughts about other men on the brain. It had never sat right with him, being gay. He had never said it out loud, even to himself and then spent the rest of his time, burying it all under a false life which he hated with a passion. At thirty-two Jensen was seen by the people of Kismet, Iowa as successful. He had a good job, his own home, his own car and kept himself in favor within the community by lying about being a good little Christian too. His ‘friends’ and neighbors had taken to the version of Jensen he had created to hide himself away from the world and for seven long years, he had just about managed to keep it all neatly tucked away. But then, life has a funny way of throwing boys off buses in the middle of ‘Bumfuck Nowhere’ and into the path of closeted gay men.

THE BOYS WHO USED TO BE US

Jensen Ackles had moved on and so had his very private high school crush, Jared Padalecki. Jensen hadn’t gone quite as far as the star student he quietly wanted and for years, Jensen had always wondered what had become of the boy he once adored. We all leave echoes behind us wherever we go; discarded family and friends, legacies of achievements and memories left behind in the minds of everyone important who peopled our youth.

Jared Padalecki may have gone but for Jensen, there was something of a whisper of that boy wherever he went, a blanket of memories wrapped around him for all of his adult life. Little did he know, that soon, he would be making new memories with the boy who finally came home.

GOOD MORNING LOVELY

Jared Padalecki is a writer of ‘smut’. He gets paid for it but it’s not all that fulfilling. After being given a new project from his demanding publisher, Jared decides to go and research what it was really like, living in a small picture perfect town during Fall. He soon finds out that it’s much more meta than he was expecting.

IT’S ONLY A PAPER MOON

Jensen Ackles doesn’t believe in ghosts but then who does in the real world? When he returns home after a disastrous night out dressed as the ‘Leather Man’ from The Village People, Jensen discovers that he’s not alone in his apartment and hasn’t been, for a very long time.

PUMPKIN WARS

Jensen and Jared are newbies in a neighborhood they had no business being a part of but after a Hallowe’en themed run-in with the bossy leader of the Home Owners Association, they soon bring the community together by scaring everyone’s kids shitless.

THE LIGHTHOUSE

Jared Padalecki had shifted his life from city chaos to small town comfort because even at twenty-six he decided he needed a quiet life. Rockfort, Maine was precisely what he needed. The place came with views, beauty, endless seas, an unlikely friend and the peace and quiet Jared had been craving for a long time. The towns most prominent feature, the old but majestic 1800’s lighthouse which had been guiding and keeping people safe for almost two centuries became one of Jared’s many places of work and his favourite thing about Rockfort and he didn’t realize at the time, just how significant the lighthouse would become in shaping his future.

JARED WITH A HEART

Jensen Ackles had never been a lover of social media. He just couldn’t see the appeal of posting every detail about his life online for a bunch of strangers to see. Didn’t care what that bunch of strangers were doing either. Jensen lived in the real world and he liked it there. However, during his nephews birthday party, Jensen found himself in possession of his sisters phone, a self-proclaimed social media addict herself. Leanne had only meant to show him something but that small gesture led to Jensen finding love exactly how he always hoped he would.

VIRTUAL INSANITY

The year is 2073 and Cherry Computers have taken over that other fruit-based tech giant. A largely ethical company, Cherry know how to look after the employees who work in ‘Earth X’, the world’s first virtual reality world. The perks are great and endless and working inside a beta VR means that employees can be whoever they want and create their own worlds. However, living in a fantasy-land can lose its shine when human beings forget to live in the real world.

ANGEL FACE

Jared Padalecki had a problem but it only appeared to a problem for everyone else. Jared was a professional sugar baby and cam boy and he embraced it. After breaking up with his long-term sugar daddy, Jared is ‘head-hunted’ and offered a dubious job by a mysterious yet gorgeous man who had been watching him from the shadows.

NUTS ABOUT YOU

The town of Chestnut Hollow famously held a Christmas Carol Contest every year to coincide with their wholesome Christmas Market. Bookstore owner, Jensen Ackles who loved his hometown to pieces wasn’t always that enthralled by the influx of visitors to the sleepy, picturesque town he called home but after a frosty encounter with enthusiastic choir conductor, Jared Padalecki, Jensen is forced to find himself thoroughly and festively enthralled!

THE BOX OF DELIGHTS

Recently single and not by choice, Jensen Ackles also found himself stranded alone in New York after a bitter break-up. Being alone and away from family was the worst at any time of the year but the holiday season hit harder. After a talk with his mother, Jensen is encouraged to inject a little Christmas spirit into his life and so finds himself one Sunday morning at a flea market with Christmas decorations on his mind. Everything is old and tatty but an intriguing box takes his fancy which turns out to contain more ‘delights’ than he could have ever dreamed of.

HOT SANTA

Jared Padalecki was used to having everything fall into his lap. But he had never been lazy and had proved that by excelling at the life he had been handed. No one was ever truly one hundred percent happy though, even the privileged. Money could solve a lot of problems but not all of them. With only his therapist and endless hook-ups aware of his secret, Jared lived his life around his family firmly in the closet and money really couldn’t fix that problem. At the annual Padalecki Christmas party, Jared had always been in charge of supplying the visiting Santa Claus to keep his nieces and nephews happy and festive. With work being crazy that year, Jared forgot and found himself on page two of Google, desperately trying to find a last-minute Santa. As luck would have it, he found one and he wasn’t ideal, at least not as far as the kids were concerned.

LET’S FALL IN LOVE AND DO NOTHING

Self-proclaimed ‘North America’s Laziest Man’, Jensen Ackles has just quit his latest job. At the age of thirty-six, he suddenly realizes that it’s about time he made some changes to his life. After applying for a new position suggested by a friend, Jensen gets a job working as a house boy in Aspen over the Christmas holidays. All he has to do is cook the family meals, serve at the dinner table and not, under any circumstances, diddle the boss’s son.

STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT

It was Christmas Eve and trucker Jensen Ackles had found himself at his familiar truck stop in snowy Minnesota. Not wanting to spend the holidays alone, he expects to find the boy he often paid for sex to keep him company on Christmas Day but when he arrives the boy is nowhere to be found. To console himself, Jensen sits down to eat at the truck stop diner but is interrupted in his solitude by a disarming French fry thief who winds up changing the course of both of their lives.

BATTLE OF THE BALLS

After the chaos of Hallowe’en, new ‘gaybors’ Jensen and Jared have sunk perfectly into their blossoming relationship and successfully ousted evil Wendy as their HOA ‘dictator-in-chief’, almost. With the holiday season on the horizon, Jared is determined to take their festive decorations to another insane level. During that time they clash with Wendy once again and wind up as reluctant therapists after another neighbor seeks their advice.

FROM LONDON WITH LOVE

After moving to London, England for work and on the cusp of regretting his decision, Jared Padalecki finds himself alone at Christmas in a city with no friends. With work colleagues occupied for the duration of the holiday season and his family overseas, Jared can do little else but keep himself busy by exploring the city. On a rainy evening a few days before Christmas, Jared stumbles across a market and decides to try some warm spiced to cheer (and warm) himself up. While taking in the view of the River Thames, Jared is approached by a devastatingly handsome man who has a familiar cadence to his voice and within only minutes of meeting him, offers Jared a very festive but decent proposal.

[treedaddymcpuffpuff]

Flying/Dream to Believe (2 parter - part 2) (TW: mention of gore/fighting/rage/bullying)(mostly sfw)

@gea-chan96

Part two.

If there’s one place I absolutely hate with a passion, it’s the cafeteria. 

I’d rather be in gym class than here, sitting alone and pushing my soggy noodles around a styrofoam plate. Surrounded by loud, rowdy peers that sometimes feel the need to make fun of me. Something about food and chubby people just don’t mix, apparently, so I get a lot of “is that your fifth tray?” Or “slow down, Hoss.”

Understandably, after I rearranged Nate’s face, there has been less and less of that. Now I just get ignored a lot. Which is better, but still not great. 

Today, however, it’s different. Tommy and Leo plop down at my table like they’ve been sitting there the whole semester. 

“What are you doing?” I ask them, and I can’t help my dry, uninterested, downright bitchy tone. 

Tommy gives me this kicked puppy pout, which makes me feel really bad about my attitude problem that lingers from this morning when my family told me if I didn’t join gymnastics then I was taking a job at Uncle Vic’s antique store. 

I hate dolls, especially old porcelain ones. It would be a bad experience. 

Speaking of porcelain dolls, Stacy and Leah also take a seat at my table, which scares the shit out of me. Sure, I can punch a buff football guy in his mouth, but these two tiny gymnasts make me want to melt into the floor. 

Leah saddles up to Leo, rubbing his shoulder and being flirty. Stacy does the same thing to Tommy. I hope I’m hiding the disgusting scowl on my face at this display, but I highly doubt that I am.

“Hey, y/n,” Leah says, playing with Leo’s hair, “I heard you’re joining the gymnastics team?” 

Both of them give this melodic, chiming, grating laugh. Tinkerbell bitches. But, I realize something in that moment. I’m not afraid of Stacy and Leah; I’m afraid of what Stacy and Leah will make me angry enough to do to them. 

“My mom is making me,” I say. 

“No offense, but aren’t you a little large to do the stuff we do?” Stacy asks, placing a hand on Tommy’s shoulder. 

I look at him, expecting his face to be red and blushing, drooling like an idiot over Stacy - smitten and dumb, but Tommy, instead, is staring at me apologetically, like he feels bad?

I would have preferred the smitten look. Anger spikes my brain. I don’t need pity, I need revenge. “The stuff you do?” I don’t even recognize my own voice. It sounds more like something off Discovery Channel predator week. “You mean prance around putting everyone else down because you hate yourself and not even being that good at gymnastics in the first place? That the stuff you’re talking about, Stacy?” 

Her face puffs up like a blowfish, and I feel myself smiling - this sinister, numb curl of my lips that just happens on its own while she turns purple and furious. 

Aw, someone’s mad. 

“Listen, you fat bitch - “

“No. You listen, Leah.” I look back at Tommy, whose usually soft face is pulled into something kind of…. scary. “Y/n is actually pretty cool, and you’d know that if you stopped being a spoiled, bitchy princess for a few seconds of your miserable existence and just talked to her.”

For a second, the collective table just looks at him while he goes knives out and directs it all at Leah. She shrinks under his gaze. Stacy’s hand drops off his shoulder and she scoots away. Even I’m kind of.. what’s the word? Not scared, exactly. Thrilled? Yeah, I think that’s it. 

The chocolate lab is actually a rottweiler? What a turn of events. 

Leo is also looking at Tommy like he’s seeing him for the first time. 

Leah goes from scared to scowling. “I’d watch your mouth Tommy, or Mark will kick your ass.” 

“Go get him,” Tommy nods, “let’s see.” 

“Tommy,” I say his name, hoping to diffuse this. 

He turns to me, and I expect him to keep the scowl, but he trades it for a kind smile. “It’s cool, y/n, let me handle these jealous bitches.” The last word ends on a curled horn point as he flips around to pin Leah with his psycho glare again. 

“There a problem here, Tommy?” Right on cue, Mark steps up to our table like some kind of bouncer at club high school cafeteria. Jesus, not Prince Charming here, too. 

“I think you should teach him a lesson, Mark,” Stacy says, grabbing Mark’s hand and standing beside him like she’s the First Lady and we are mere peons.

I can’t help it that my eyes are rolling. 

“Yeah, there’s actually two problems,” Tommy tells Mark, also standing up to face him. And if I was mark, and mark was smart, personally I’d be a bit intimidated. Tommy’s got some height and bulk on him. 

However, Mark is failing four subjects for a reason - he puffs out his chest, and stands toe to toe with Tommy. 

Ugh, boys.

“Hey, you two.” Mr. Alan is walking towards our table, yelling and drawing the attention of the few people in the crowd we haven’t interested yet. 

And I was actually starting to like being ignored. 

“I suggest you boys agree to disagree before you both land yourselves in detention.”

Neither one of them even look at the teacher - they’re too busy staring one another down. 

Mr. Alan places a warning hand on Tommy’s shoulder. “Warneki, you hear me?” 

The little standoff breaks up, but something in the way that they maintain eye contact even after Mark sits down across the cafeteria tells me it isn’t over. 

“Hey,” I tell Tommy, “I don’t need your help, you know that?” 

Tommy shrugs, looking at his milk carton instead of me. “Too bad.”

I start to open my mouth to say something to him, but he’s already up out of his seat and slamming through the cafeteria doors. 

Leo sighs. “What crawled up his ass?” 

I don’t see Tommy for the rest of the day, and it’s making me feel like a total shitbag. What kind of ungrateful person says that to someone after they just defended them? 

Sure, to me it may have seemed like he was doing it out of pity, or to keep up appearances, but Tommy probably really did just want to defend his new friend. 

And now he’s going to hate me. Awesome. This just proves the fact that I’m hard to get along with. The report cards and my dad are right. 

Without Tommy, Leo and I don’t really have common ground, so we part ways awkwardly and don’t talk for the rest of the day. I’m isolated again because I can’t keep my fat mouth shut. Fantastic. 

It’s a cool autumn day on my walk home from school, and I have my hands shoved in my pockets to keep them warm. I try to stop thinking about the friendships I could’ve had, but maybe my loner facade has finally come to an end, because I am pretty upset. There’s this heavy feeling in my ribs that makes me understand the term ‘heartache’ more than I’d like to. 

I hear yelling from somewhere down the block. Sounds like a group of my classmates are antagonizing a fight. It makes sense - the shouts are coming from the old sugar plant, and that’s where people go for scheduled brawls. I punched Nate on the bus, because I don’t need plans, only my fists and rage. 

I’m surprised no one has called the cops on these idiots yet. Has to be a big fight by the sounds of it, and the surrounding neighborhood is a village for older folks, so the cops usually do break it up sooner rather than later. 

Tommy’s dad - one of the guys on the police force - got his arm broken last year when a kid tried to smash another kids head in and his foot accidentally landed on Mr. Warneki’s arm instead. I remember it was the only thing everyone could talk about at school the next day. 

Tommy. I sigh, kick a rock, hoping it will bring me some sense of peace like it does in the movies, but I just feel bad still. Wait. Tommy. Mark. The fight. 

I look down the street leading to the old building, trying to catch some of the words that the yelling voices are saying. Shit. Is Tommy fighting Mark? 

I book it as fast as I can, which isn’t very fast at all.

By the time I make it to the crowd, I have to shoulder through to the middle, where Tommy is sitting on top of Mark and hitting him in the face - that’s a lot of blood. I’m not thinking about anything but this idiot going to jail when I tackle him off of the smaller guy. 

He grabs me, too, and I fall on top of him, probably breaking his ribs and maybe his pointy pelvis while I’m at it. 

But he doesn’t seem broken. He looks up at me, sweaty and red faced and mad - at first. Then, his face gets calmer, and he smiles. “Oh, hey, y/n.” 

I don’t know what to say to him, so I roll off his body and land ass on ground, rubble digging through my jeans. 

He sits up, still smiling pleasantly at me as if I’m not a huge asshole. 

“I’m sorry.” I don’t know what else I can say.

“It’s fine,” Tommy says, waving me off. “I got it.” 

Mark is still lying on the ground, and I would think that he’s dead if it wasn’t for the low groans of pain rolling from his swollen lips. 

“Your dad’s gonna kill you, Tommy,” I tell him, looking away from the bloody scene. 

I’m wrong, his dad does worse. He takes him, in handcuffs, down to the station where the rest of the group are gathered for questioning. Apparently Mark is not here because an ambulance took him away. 

“He was crying like a bitch,” Amber says, making me cringe. Stacy and Leah are on the opposite side of the room, surprisingly not glaring or scowling at me. Not even looking my way at all. Strange. 

When Tommy walks in with his hands cuffed behind his back, his dad leading him through the crowd, he looks at me and gives me a big, toothy grin. 

I should think he’s a total idiot. I should be mad that he decided to play knight. I should be annoyed that he’s acting like he’s top dog. And I am all those things, but I’m also…. I’m flattered. I feel liked. I understand why he’s the usual hot topic of the girls in the locker room. I get why the popular crowd doesn’t pick on him. He’s actually a pretty good guy.

Man, I really hope he doesn’t go to Juvie or prison or something - that would suck for my conscience. 

It takes almost all evening for the cops to talk to each one of us. I decide to tell them about Mark and Tommy in the lunch room, hoping that will help the big idiot’s case a little bit. 

After I’m released, the sun is down and the heavy wind scatters colorful leaves across my shoes. 

“Hey, y/n.” I turn around to see Tommy sitting on a sidewalk bench. 

Oh, well, at least he’s free to go. I walk up and sit beside him. “You know,” I say, “you’re alright, Tommy.”

He giggles. “Well thanks. Same to you.” 

“How’d it feel to hit him?” I ask, kinda wishing it was me that got to do it.

“Felt like I understood why you liked punching Nate.” 

He makes me laugh. “Yeah. I am sorry, though. Are we still….. friends?” I keep telling myself that if he chooses to say no, I’ll be okay with it, but I feel my heart tearing at its seams already in anticipation of that. 

He looks confused. “What? Yeah, of course.”

I try to not smile so big at him. I really do. But, I’m actually delighted. “Oh, cool.”

His grin is worrying. I only have a second to wonder what the cheeky look is for until he’s pulling me under his arm and messing up my hair. “Aw, you thought you could get rid of me?” 

I roll my eyes, keep the smile that’s just getting bigger despite his gentle bullying, and grumble, “can you be anymore annoying?” 

“Absolutely.” 

[doppleganger-rental]

I can’t quite make out her last name.

[infinite-orangepeel]

soft steddie ficlet: valentine’s day & treasure hunting edition

(in which eddie gives steve a very meaningful/unique valentine’s day gift)

very fluffy and appropriate for all ages, enjoy !! <3

eddie munson is a self-proclaimed “cool rock connoisseur/shiny weird trinket collector” by nature.

ever since he was a little kid he’s been adding to his collection of weird animal bones, strange rocks, dead flower petals, etc. always been something of an amateur treasure hunter (professional if you ask him about it).

most people think it makes him even more of a freak but his best friend, steve harrington, absolutely lives to see his newest discoveries. once spending all afternoon in eddie’s bedroom as he intently listened to the detailed story behind each piece. never once making fun of him or yawning in boredom. instead surprising him by asking thought provoking questions, gently holding each item to display his understanding of its precious value, and occasionally bringing seashells from his family’s beach house to add to the growing reserve.

flash forward to today. eddie and steve are much more than friends having confessed their feelings and entering into a budding relationship. and with valentine’s day on the horizon, eddie knows he has to figure something out to make his new boyfriend feel adored and special (like one of the shiny rocks in his collection).

so he ventures out on a quest for the entire month of january leading up to the big day. on the few days he and steve don’t hang out; he visits the local thrift stores, antique shops, neighborhood garage sales, and takes long walks through the woods. collecting rarities, lost things, vintage splendor, and orphaned objects in need of a new home as he goes. his only stipulation is that each find has to be representative of steve in some way.

so he ventures out on a quest for the entire month of january leading up to the big day. on the few days he and steve don’t hang out; he visits the local thrift stores, antique shops, neighborhood garage sales, and takes long walks through the woods. collecting rarities, lost things, vintage splendor, and orphaned objects in need of a new home as he goes. his only stipulation is that each find has to be representative of steve in some way.

so he ventures out on a quest for the entire month of january leading up to the big day. on the few days he and steve don’t hang out; he visits the local thrift stores, antique shops, neighborhood garage sales, and takes long walks through the woods. collecting rarities, lost things, vintage splendor, and orphaned objects in need of a new home as he goes. his only stipulation is that each find has to be representative of steve in some way.

by the end of his curation, he’s quite pleased with the collection. though a bit nervous about the actual reveal—worried steve will be hoping for something more extravagant and expensive. perhaps he’d rather eddie go the cliche route. it is their first valentine’s day together, after all. maybe steve wants eddie to get him a bundle of red roses and chocolates like most normal couples do. however nothing about steve or eddie has ever been quite normal which is why the idea came to him in the first place so he presses onwards. trying to maintain confidence until the day finally comes.

he sets out to fill an empty heart-shaped box of chocolates with his finds. arranging them carefully and with great consideration. there’s a vintage silver hair clip in the shape of a butterfly, a tiger’s eye crystal that perfectly resembles the colors of steve’s own amber eyes, twin pebbles he found down by the quarry which call to mind the pair of moles on steve’s cheek, an antique gold pendant engraved with the letter ‘e,’ a few sprigs of lavender from the bushes that grow around the perimeter of his house (right by where they shared their first kiss), a pearl earring missing its match, a chunk of rose quartz to bring about love, etc.

on valentine’s day, he and steve go for a picnic in the meadow—wanting to enjoy each other’s company without the homophobic glares they usually get around hawkins. they lay out a mess of blankets and eddie brings his guitar and they kiss under the stars while drinking mulled wine and joking about this and that.

and when steve’s not paying attention, eddie plops the heart-shaped box in his boyfriend’s lap. it’s wrapped in red plastic and boasts the name of the candy company on the front. meant to delude him just a bit.

steve: aw, eds. you got me chocolates ? baby, that’s so sweet—literally. *he wiggles his eyebrows and laughs at his own joke*

such a fucking dork, eddie thinks.

knowing it’s stupid dad jokes like that one that made him fall in love with steve harrington all that time ago.

eddie: *pulls steve into his lap and pets a hand through his grown out hair* actually it’s not chocolates, hope that doesn’t disappoint you too much. its something else or i guess it’s multiple something elses—you’ll see. c’mon. why don’t we figure it out together ? open it up for me, big boy.

steve: *eyebrows furrowed in confusion* i can smell mischief on you from a mile away, munson. if this is a prank—

and eddie knows how badly steve’s been hurt in the past, knows exactly where the cracks in his delicate heart are located, so he kisses him slowly and whispers reassuring words in his ears. active reminders of his love and affection. reminders that he’d never do anything to hurt this boy, has quite the opposite intention.

eddie’s palms are clammy. he’s a bit shaky too, but steve’s blushing and giggling like a school girl, now, so maybe it won’t be that bad. maybe he’ll think it’s kind of cute or keep one of the pieces. eddie thinks he can live with that just fine.

steve: alright, let’s see— *opens the box, eyes widening dramatically* oh—oh my god. eddie.

eddie: yeah it’s kinda—i had this idea to start putting together my own little collection of treasures for you. i mean—not to be horribly cheesy or make you cringe but well—you’re the greatest treasure i’ve ever found and valentine’s day is about love and i love you more than anything so—

steve: *grabs eddie’s face in his hands, thumbs grazing his cheekbones softly* y-you love me ? you mean that ?

eddie: mean it with my whole damn heart, harrington.

steve: *eyes watering* i love you too, eds. i’ve wanted to tell you that for a long time.

eddie: me too, sweetheart. me too.

they turn back to the gift, both laughing and tearing and holding each other close.

steve’s quiet, eyes roaming over each of the items as eddie rushes to explain their meaning—stumbling over his words as he tries to paint the full picture for him:

eddie: the lavender came from right behind my house because we had our first kiss there and well, i know you’ve been anxious lately, so i thought it might help. it’s supposed to be really calming and if you like it, i’ll make you whole bouquets of the stuff—

eddie: the pendant belonged to this old woman i met down on cornwallis. she was cleaning out her house and i stopped by to help her move some of the heavier boxes. when i told her my name, she told me she was a widow and that her husband’s name was edward and she used to wear the ‘e’ pendant all the time but was finally ready to part with it—

just like that initial day in eddie’s bedroom when they were just two friends getting to know each other better—steve doesn’t interrupt, pays close attention, and keeps his eyes locked on eddie’s own as he continues rambling.

eddie: —and if it’s stupid—i don’t know—if you think it’s kinda weird or whatever, no worries ! just like maybe don’t tell me right now and you can dump it in the trash when i’m not looking. i know it’s not anything fancy or expensive but it’s—well, it’s you and i wanted it to be different and special and show you how amazing i really think you are and—

steve tackles him to the ground, rolls over top of him on the blankets and kisses him senseless. makes out with him like they’re two teenagers on the run. and he’s crying. salty sweet tears of joy that melt on eddie’s tongue like spun sugar.

eddie: okay either you’re suddenly a really good actor or i did a good job and you don’t hate it ?? *tucks steve’s hair behind his ear and kisses his nose, wiping stray tears*

steve: a good job ? you think that i think you did a good job ? that’s the understatement of the goddamn century, munson. no one has ever given me anything this thoughtful in my entire life. especially not for valentine’s day. and i’ve been insanely jealous of your trinkets since the day i first found out about them. and now we can hunt for them together, make whole dates out of it.

eddie almost passes out because there’s no way anyone as perfect as steve has ever possibly existed in the history of the universe. he’s certain their soulmates, but he’ll save that confession for another special day.

eddie: *laughing giddily* so is this you officially agreeing to be my valentine ?

steve: i’d have to be an absolute fool to say no, dude. of course i’ll be your valentine, duh. now come on let’s go steal a chain from my moms jewelry box so i can wear this ‘e’ around my neck until the day i die….

eddie: and in the afterlife, too ?

steve: yes, yes, of course in the afterlife, too ! *steve pulls him to his feet and spins him around in a circle, lifting him off the ground* want everyone to know your my ghost boyfriend, can’t have any of the other dead souls thinking they can get some of that perfect, flat ass. *he smacks it jokingly as is his favorite pastime* now c’mon, let’s get in the car !! we have treasure hunting to do !

the end <3 what a bunch of weirdos !

as always, lmk any of your thoughts in the comments and/or if you’d like to join my steddie ficlet tag list for future posts of this nature. kisses and happy early valentine’s day 💌

[blueiskewl]

A Rare 2,800-Year-Old Scarab Amulet Found in Israel

Antiquities Authority says recent winter rains helped expose buried antiquities, urges public to be aware and to turn over finds.

A rare scarab amulet from the First Temple period was recently discovered by a hiker in the Nahal Tabor Nature Reserve in the Lower Galilee and turned over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

The scarab, made from reddish-brown carnelian stone, is estimated to be 2,800 years old and of Assyrian or Babylonian origin. The front is carved in the shape of a beetle, and the back has engravings that depict a griffon or a winged horse, a common motif of the Ancient Near East.

When he discovered the artifact, Erez Avrahamov, 45, was on a two-day leave from IDF reserve duty, taking advantage of a sunny day after recent rains.

“I saw something shimmering on the ground. At first, I thought it was a bead or an orange stone. After I picked it up, I realized it had engravings resembling a beetle. I called and reported the amazing find to the Antiquities Authority,” Avrahamov said, according to a Wednesday IAA press release.

Abrahamov found the scarab near the bottom of Tel Rekhesh, associated with the city of Anaharath mentioned in the Book of Joshua.

During the 6th-7th centuries BCE, “a large citadel stood at the top of the mount, where bathing facilities, halls and ritual chambers were found from the period of Assyrian rule. This rule, as we know, was responsible for the destruction of the Kingdom of Israel” in the First Temple period, IAA archaeologist Dr. Yitzhak Paz explained.

The scarab is likely from this period of Assyrian control and “may indicate the presence of Assyrian (or perhaps Babylonian) officials at Tel Rekhesh during this period,” Paz added. If the scarab can be conclusively dated and this connection proven, it will be a discovery of “great significance,” he said.

Scarab seals of a similar type, fashioned into a dung-beetle shape from a wide variety of stones, originated from Pharaonic Egyptian culture but were widely used throughout the ancient world.

The orange color and material of the scarab found by Abrahamov are fairly rare, the IAA said, as most were made from a softer bluish stone and then covered in glaze, which in almost all cases has worn away with time.

The IAA said it’s likely that the recent rains uncovered the scarab. “As in every winter, when the rainy season arrives, antiquities start to ‘float’ and rise to the surface,” IAA Director Eli Escusido said.

“I am imploring the public to obey the Antiquities Law, and request that if you come across an archaeological find, report it to the Antiquities Authority while in the field. The exact location where an object is found is extremely important… The special scarab will be stored in the state archive, where we can research and learn more about it,” he said.

Under Israeli law, any found man-made object dating from before 1700 is to be turned over to the authorities. Abrahamov received a good citizenship certificate for doing so.

By GAVRIEL FISKE.

[sourmiguel]

The Start of Our Forever by Cobrilee (wc20546, explicit)

Summary: Stiles is ready to get out of Beacon Hills and start his new life, free of the supernatural. A random discovery in an antique store in Denver proves you can never leave it all behind... and encourages him to find it again. What ensues is four and a half years of pining, self-discovery, personal growth, a whole hell of a lot of love, and a realization that nightmares can still become fairy tales (happily-ever-afters included).

How beautiful this fic is! I love the long-story endgame aspect of it all. This is my new headcanon for post S6, it's official.

[cherryphobe]

A friend of mine made an incredible discovery at an antique store yesterday he's been living in my mind rent free allow me to introduce you to...

Clown Slut

Who we later found on ebay in a few places & lemme tell yall how desperately I wont him

Mr Beu Black knew exactly what he was doing to Me Specifically when he created this little twink of a slut of a fruit of a clown of a man

[pwlanier]

Probably Norwegian, Trondheim, A Lewis Chessman, A Warder, walrus ivory. AD 1150-1200.

Rightly regarded as the most famous chess pieces to have survived from the medieval world, the Lewis Chessmen secured their place in history when they were found in 1831 on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. The remarkable hoard constituted the greatest ever discovery of medieval chess pieces, and from the moment they were unearthed, the Lewis Chessmen evoked their own mysterious world, steeped in folklore, legend and the rich tradition of story-telling.

A family spokesperson said: “My grandfather was an antiques dealer based in Edinburgh, and in 1964 he purchased an ivory chessman from another Edinburgh dealer. It was catalogued in his purchase ledger that he had bought an ‘Antique Walrus Tusk Warrior Chessman’. From this description it can be assumed that he was unaware he had purchased an important historic artefact. It was stored away in his home and then when my grandfather died my mother inherited the chess piece. My mother was very fond of the Chessman as she admired its intricacy and quirkiness. She believed that it was special and thought perhaps it could even have had some magical significance. For many years it resided in a drawer in her home where it had been carefully wrapped in a small bag. From time to time, she would remove the chess piece from the drawer in order to appreciate its uniqueness.”

Courtesy Alain Truong