#bc i'm trying to warn for stuff but never knew exactly what to warn or how to word it haha

[thefuseoftemptation]

maybe for the lost boys you could do how they’d teach y/n how to drive? maybe headcannons

oh, OH.

THE LOST BOYS X GN!READER

WARNING(S): cussing, the use of y/n (just bc I know some of us prefer when it’s not used so here’s a warning) I typed this out in under half an hour so if there’re typos, then you know why. NOT PROOFREAD.

—

they'll be teasing you for not knowing how.

Whether you just ask one of them or you go to all of them, they'll show you, but they'll show you their way.

and let's just get it out there, Dwayne is the one to go to when it comes to learning.

He's also the one who's got more of a understanding when it comes to rules.

you ask Marko or Paul? you might as well be making your own bed, man.

And David? I mean sure, but c'mon, think about it, it's David.

and there's many scenerios at which this could go too so-

but I'll put how each of them would be and then the further we go, I'll put how it'll be if all of them were showing you at the same time....which is never something to be heard in the same sentence.

David

let's say for the scenerio w David, while he (or more so all the boys) knew you didn't know how to drive, you still went to one of the others and asked if they could teach you.

and while he never showed it, why were you asking them and not him?

like the guy would legit be taken back (but not show it) that you had gone to Paul to teach you

Paul? Really?!!

but let's be for real, asking David to teach you to drive is like asking your parent.....if y'know, Y'KNOW

you may as well have not gone to the boys in the first place if if this were case

if anything, he more likely makes you come to him rather you go to him on your own terms.

for this, he probably told the boys to step back just so you could go up to him later on

"David..."

"We'll start in a few."

He more likely tells you how to go about driving rather than show you.....if that makes sense.

Like he'll sit back, stare ahead and just tell you what to do rather than being more hands on and guiding you through every step

which is very very annoying bc you need a little more than that, David

Though he is one of the boys to tell you about safety and all that stuff everyone talks about

you get behind the wheel? you better have that goddamn seatbelt on. even though he himself doesn't have it on.

while he never outwardly shows his concern, it's there. so you get in and try putting the keys in before your seatbelt's on? He's going to tell you something.

"Unless your looking to be head first through that windshield, I suggest you put your seatbelt on. Or I could just turn you now and we won't to worry about that...."

Hence you putting your seatbelt on while giving him a side eye.

expect to have a few alot of disagreements about standard procedures/rules when it comes to being on the road

"I'm not going to go, David. I don't have the right away!"

"Y/N asked me to teach you, so I'm teaching you. So turn."

"I did not ask you!" you did, but he wasn't your go to.

or

"Stay to your side."

"I am on my side."

"No, your steering into this lane."

"I'm in my own goddamn lane!"

cue you swerving bc you were in fact, in the said lane he'd been referring to.

"Told you."

and though you hadn't been looking forward to it, David isn't all that bad at teaching you.

Dwayne

he's the go to.

Dwayne is the go to when it comes to certain things, and in this case, it's driving.

he's even the go to when your riding with them. while you like taking turns between all your boys sometimes, not dying, is preferred.

plus, when you ride with Dwayne, it gives you the opportunity to feel his exposed torso.

the guy is shirtless all the time, what do you expect? only someone in the right mind would think the same thing

and like David, he will tell you to put your seatbelt on. but it's more of a reminder than telling.

He'll probably put his on himself

Even if he isn't exactly the most ideal example since he and the boys are always breaking rules, being on the road isn't excluded. He speeds and cuts others off just as much as they do, he just doesn't do it as often as them. He still wants to make sure he can be an example when you're around at least.

afterall you're just a mere person. you're not like them....yet.

and though he isn't much of a talker, he'll be one when it comes to this

you're sure this is the most he's spoken in the time you've known each other.

Dwayne is very hands on when it comes to this, and is nothing like David when it comes to telling you when you're doing something you're not supposed to or when your lacking in a certain department.

it's definitely his tone, man.

"just keep the wheel still, you're steering into this lane a little...."

and it's in the lowest voice ever, almost in a whisper before he gently guides your hands to steady the wheel.

you learn a lot with him in one session than you do with the others in one week.

Paul

m'sorry but anyone in their right mind shouldn't be going to a guy like Paul when it comes to teaching you how to drive.

It's Paul.

that should be enough of an explanation in itself.

but to be real, he's probably not that bad of a teacher.

sure, when you'd asked him something, he didn't even know the answer to, he at least learned it with you as you went. even if it may have almost got you guys hit and possibly even broken a law, at least you guys knew.....now.

just don't tell David or Dwayne. they'll have his head.

he's very laid back when it comes to anything, this isn't excluded.

like Dwayne, in a way, he sort of just reminds you, when he’s not forgetting himself.

he doesn't tell you like David would, he just sort of waves it off or shrugs when you make a mistake like hit the curb.

it's comforting yet concerning bc man, this is safety and I shouldn't be hitting the curb to begin with.

it's one thing when he was showing you how to ride his bike, not that it's ever come to you using it or any of them (he was just simply showing you), but it's a whole other thing with him showing you how to drive a vehicle.

the boys attention goes from one thing to another.

one moment he's telling you where to go and the next, he's asking what button does what before pressing it or even pressing on the horn.

"Paul, would you stop that!" you say for the umpteenth time.

"Fine." cue him turning up the volume to the a radio before going on to press something else.

let's just say it's too much with him sitting next to you sometimes.

Marko

it's an uncetainty w this one bc you're not sure how he's going to be or what he'll say to you during the time.

you've seen how he is on his bike alone so you weren't sure why you were questioning yourself when you asked him....

out of all the boys, Marko is the one whose temper doesn't last

I'm saying that in "you keep asking or making him repeat the same question/answers, it’ll set him off," sort of way but also in a "if someone pulls some nonsense on you while your driving, that's it," sort of way.

he doesn't put up with that in general much less, on the road, what makes you think he's going to tolerate it when your in the vehicle with him?!

And put you being behind the wheel and someone cuts you off or honks bc you're going too slow (you're learning), he's going to be pushing on that horn so quick.

not to mention sticking his head out the window to cuss the person out

let's just say you had to press on the pedal more than once when he told you to pull over so he could let them have it.

It never meant that. it always ends up w someone else on a missing flyer

sometimes it's over little stuff too

like if it was your fault, he'll still argue that they were the cause

"Marko, it wasn't even them, I mean I was-"

"They should know though! It's just basic common sense!"

"How is it basic common sense when they don't know it's my first time on the road and I'm still learning? It's not like there's a sign they could see that tells them 'hey, I'm new, go easy!'

"Still!"

He gets annoyed that you defend someone else over something you did.

He's not a bad teacher per say, he's just one you prefer not having on the road especially when you're still new to it all.

all of them

m'sorry but make your bed already. there's no way of you making out of there

it's one thing to go to one of them and ask but to have all of them in the same space with you, and on the road for god sakes!

let's be real though, in this scenerio you probably did go to one of them and then the rest just took it upon themselves to come

or

it could be that you already got your license and are taking them for a ride

again, make your bed. why would you even think of that?

back to where I was though

they're all in that car with you, it's going to be a lot.

David is going to be in the front. no matter what.

Paul didn’t just get a foot to his behind for nothing

the rest of the boys are in the back, if there's even room for them back there

you got three out of four there, two of which are tall, there's going to have to be some leg space

I see it like this, Dwayne and Marko probably take to the sides, by the windows, while Paul is seated in the middle

it becomes too much bc let's face it, you got four boys in the car with you. four boys....think about that.

it's only when David finally says something that they sit down

and god, you really wished he would've said something sooner if it got them like this

—

feedback and reblogs are appreciated.

[sourbinnie]

title -> take me back (take me back literally) genre -> angst (oh my god, is that all i write) + hopeful ending plot ->  your relationship fell apart with minho but he still remembers everything about you, especially that one trip to monaco. warnings -> minho sometimes curses a bit too much + implied sexual content (one unholy night that's it but no explicit stuff) pair -> ex!minho x gn!reader words -> 1572 lowercase intended a/n -> this one's kinda bad but eh, i wanted to publish it anyways bc this song is my boo

las luces, las noches que fuimos de bares las vez que peleamos y perdiste las llaves se extraña todo lo que fue tenerte haría todo por volver a verte mirar tus ojos y esta vez perderme

monaco / lagos & danny ocean

every time i thought about them it was as if flashbacks came rushing through me. the wind hitting me in the face, the bright sunny day, the music that the radio played, the long car drives that never ended, everything felt too familiar yet so distant. as if you were nothing but a lost memory that i left on a vacation in monaco.

if i told anyone why we split up, they wouldn't believe me. 

everyone would say that we were the perfect couple, the combination that came once in a lifetime and then you stayed with that special someone till the end of time. i beg to differ that we weren't perfect at all, we just showed a version of ourselves in front of people and in the more intimate moments everything would collapse slowly. it wasn't toxic but it wasn't healthy either. yet if i knew that what we had wasn't good, why am i missing you so much? why do i wake up everyday wishing you were by my side? why do i want our first vacation back in monaco to grace me back? just let me repeat it one more time before i go to sleep and keep dreaming of you.

why do i keep saying this place? this country? 'cause i know what we had was special. i know that what we lived there was out of this world even if it was my vacation with the boys and i brought you along, and literally everyone called me a simp, i did not care. 

we explored so much, drank way too much and did unholy things but i wouldn't change that for the world. you taking my hand as the sunshine would reflect our shadows on the pavement. you bringing me closer and giving me the sweetest kiss for the world to see. you saying that you didn't wanna leave, you didn't wanna go back because you would miss me when i would go back to work, broke my heart and as much as i wanted to say "let's stay here forever", it was just an illusion and nothing else.

i know you (y/n), i know you're probably thinking that i don't miss you, that those words said to me that night are just a reflection of what i feel. i would do anything right now to see you, i miss everything you gave me, everything you were. even if it brought some of the saddest moments, i do not care, i am so fucking in love that i will go to couple's therapy with you if it's a way to fix us. i would quit my job, move to monaco for fuck's sake, i just want you back. 

i shouldn't be reaching for my phone right now like i knew exactly what i was gonna say 'cause i did not have a fucking idea of what i'm doing. i needed to hear your voice, everyone around me knew i needed you, the boys, my parents, even the staff and jyp himself knew that i wasn't acting the same way since the break up. 

since we split ways and decided to let our relationship die, i've been dead myself. trying to hold on, trying to put a fake smile, trying to just not fall apart in front of everyone. when they asked me why, i just said things weren't "working out" which is partially true but maybe i'm realizing now that if i put more effort and didn't let go like i did that night, we would've ended up in a better place.

i dialed your number, i prayed to everything & everyone that you didn't block me. and in fact you didn't...

maybe you were waiting for this as much as i was?

maybe you just needed me to call.

or maybe i should hang up and pretend this never happened in the first place.

"hello? minho?" your voice caught me off guard. i haven't heard it in a while and i've been processing in my head way too much. panicking as anxiety settles in and just knowing that i have to keep this conversation up, not wanting to let you go again.

"hey (y/n) i'm sorry, this is way out of nowhere and i-i needed to talk to you." voice crack and everything, good job minho. "i know you probably don't wanna talk to me right now but-."

"i did wanna talk to you, you know i'm always waiting for you to come back right?" what? did they actually say that or am i hallucinating again? 

"what do you mean?" what the hell would it mean minho!? why am i so goddamn awful at speaking, jesus christ. "i just, i didn't expect you to be waiting after what happened that night."

i was invaded by awful memories. no more monaco, no more sunshine, no more petals, just a cold rainy night in seoul in our shared apartment that now only belongs to me. i said some fucked up things, i destroyed everything we built with just words, i regretted every single night since then. i know they were also wrong in some things but it's nothing compared to the things i've said out of pure anger, fear and disappointment. 

i didn't want that but i also knew i couldn't keep living like this, thinking that there was a chance that we could go back and fix the mess we made.

"i know, i thought so too and it wasn't fair to me what you decided to do that night." you said calmly and i understood, i wasn't an idiot, i wasn't angry or throwing things thinking you were in the wrong. i took it because i know i hurt you and i'm...

"sorry, i'm always gonna be sorry for what i said, for what i did and for all the things that happened." i was feeling the tears and it was rare, i didn't like to cry. i've been told i don't cry at all even when sad moments happen, i just don't have the strength to do so when usually it's the opposite for most people. "i know you know that we were both in the wrong, we fought endlessly and i needed to let you go somehow and i chose the worst way, i will always be sorry."

"it's okay, i don't blame you even if it hurt me, even if it stings sometimes, i know it wasn't you talking and i know my minho way better than that." my minho...

my minho was gonna kill me and bury me for god's sake, i'm losing my mind. the tears, the dizziness, everything was falling in it's place and i still didn't know what to do. i didn't expect things to go like this but i knew it was my chance to make it better.

"(y/n) i'm gonna make it simple, you know i'm not good with words, in fact i've been panicking trying to think of what to say to you." i laughed but it wasn't the laughter that they knew, it was more of a choked up kind, one that was desperate to be told what to do in this situation. "i haven't been the same since you left, i can barely function, i don't know what i'm doing most of the time as i wait for you (and it looks like you've been waiting for me too), hoping you'll return."

speaking as you're crying is probably the worst way of communicating but i was taking this like my last opportunity to mend everything.

"i want you back, i'll do anything to be with you again." i said lightly and softly 'cause words were barely coming out of me. "i love you, i will never stop loving you and i've been remembering so much of our history but mostly that specific vacation we had with the boys..."

"oh so you're also thinking in monaco? the promise we made right?"

how could i forget the most important part? as we stared at the sunset, you held your pinky finger and i thought it was dumb and childish but when we intertwined them and promised to never let go, to always hold on to what we had even in our darkest times, even if the skies were no longer blue but gray & dull, i would have your back and you would have mine. i broke it somehow and in some way but i didn't mean to, i never let go, i never wanted to end things and i was hoping, praying, you didn't either.

"i'm always thinking about it, i'm always thinking about you, about us..." i said and sighed. i gave it all and somehow it still felt like a weight when i heard their voice, because i had to make up for so many tears. "please give me another chance, i won't promise because i know you're probably thinking that i'll break it but i need you back in my life, i love you."

as sincere as i got and as cliche as it was, i just couldn't contain it anymore.

"i love you too but we have to talk about it in person okay? can you hold on a bit for me min?" you said, this time tenderly and softly. i nodded even though you couldn't see it and that's when i said...

"anything for you jagi".

[ashes-writing]

outer banks ● one girl two guys pt 5 ● j. maybank + t. thornton

(( changing up the photos a little bit. bear with me. these came from pinterest, btw. and they're part of my little image hoard.))

warnings

complicated relationships... all around., jealousy, angst. pining, friends to lovers, looots of PDA ( you've been warned, if you're not fond of touching/kissing/affection) , fluff. Kiara -and her audacity, Sarah -and her jealousy, eventual filth, confrontations of the verbal and possibly physical kind. rivalry. mentions of alcohol + 🍃, sex / pda and varying states of undress and other potential adultier themes to come. sarcasm and dark humor, ig.

word count

3407 exactly. welcome to part 5. for the context, here's part 4.

-- y'all are gonna be so fucking siiiick of me and my bullshit,oops rip.

summary

One girl. Two guys. You're feeling torn. This can't possibly go wrong or be messy at all.. Right?

-- my summaries are traash and I own this.

taglist + shoutouts

-- taglist for outer banks -as well as every other fandom I write for can be found ( here ). If you'd like to be on it, please add yourself or let me know, i'll happily add you.

@tbmunson - i love you sm bestie. you knew i was going to tag you for this bc you're my inspiration, always!!

@valentineshiftz - your comments omg you don't know how much they mean to me. i can't even begin to thank you and I'm so glad you're enjoying this.

@writingreadinglurkingandsmirking - your comments make my day, like.. i'm living for your reactions!

other links

masterlist ● jj's masterlist ● topper's masterlist ● about+ rules

“Burger and fries for table 2. All dressed.” you tell the cook in back the order from table 2 and you’re heading back out with a pitcher of beer and the appetizer they ordered and Kiara stops you halfway out of the kitchen. 

“What? I’m kind of busy, Kiara.”

“You’ve been talking to Topper Thornton a lot lately.” Kiara’s staring at you with a solemn look and her arms folded. You blow a bubble with your gum, raise your brow at her. “Yeah? And?”

“I just don’t think that’s a good idea, ___. And it’s really upsetting JJ.” Kiara tacks on that last part and you laugh quietly. “It’s not upsetting him. It shouldn’t be. I mean… correct me if I’m wrong here, you’re the girlfriend.”

“Right. And as the girlfriend, I just thought.. Nevermind. Look, you hate me and I get that. But JJ hasn’t done anything.”

You blow out a breath. “Now kind of isn’t the time to talk about this, Kie. The place is packed. Look.. I’m just trying to finish out my shift here, okay? I’ve got stuff to do later.”

“We used to be friends, ___.”

“Yeah? Blame your mom. Maybe if she’d keep her fucking nose out of places it doesn’t belong.. Maybe if you didn’t go home telling her everything.. A friend would have kept their mouth shut, especially if they knew opening it might come with the risk of their friend being sent to live with some asshole who never wanted their friend born to begin with.” you’re blowing up but you can’t help it. Kiara rubs her forehead. “I’m sorry, okay? Maybe I just thought..”

You cut her off. “Did I ask you to think? Did I ask for help, Kie? No. No, I didn’t.”

She takes a deep breath. “Fair enough. So that’s why you hate me? It’s not because I’m with JJ?”

,, oooh… go ahead, ___. Tell her the truth.” the thought comes and for a second, you seriously play with the idea. But in the end, you decide against it. Because you’re trying so hard to keep from pushing JJ away completely. Because when this thing with Kie comes to a bitter end -and it will, you know Kiara too well, she gets bored too easy- you don’t want to have alienated him. You don’t want him to feel like he can’t come to you.

“I don’t care who you date. The fact that you even think I do is kind of stupid. Possibly even a little self-centered.” you laugh as you look at her, smirking. Watching your comment settle over her because you’re that special kind of petty to a point where you have to hurt someone exactly as much as they hurt you.

You weren’t always like this.

But then everybody in your life disappointed you. Kept hurting you, kept breaking promises. Now you live in a constant state of defense mechanisms active.

“You need to apologize to JJ. Because it bothers me to see him like this.”

When she says this, you’re half out of the kitchen. You pause in the doorway and you look back, mouth agape at her audacity, -and maybe the fact that she’s apparently so clueless that she doesn’t know why things are strained between you and JJ Maybank right now.

The fact that he hasn’t bothered to tell his poor and clueless pretty little girlfriend anything only cuts just a little more. Because it basically confirms what you’re already figuring out. He doesn’t feel the same way about you and when you tried to show him how you felt back at the beginning of summer, it was probably the stupidest thing you could’ve done.

You’re tempted to tell her exactly what went down that night but you don’t for reasons that have everything to do with not making things worse or causing problems between the boy you’re in love with and his flavor of the month. The thought, as it comes, leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. ,, you’re pitiful. A real mess,  y’know? Just tell her. See how quick she is to demand you be the one to apologize then.” 

“You need to keep your nose out of my life.” you finally manage to respond, walking out into the front of the restaurant. You let the door slam behind you. Kiara stands there, a hand caught in her hair. Staring at the door because she’s now got the strong feeling that she’s missing a lot of context.

The rest of the short shift passes by in a blink. Around the end of it, just as you’re clocking out, you’re surprised to see Topper and his friends standing outside one of the big windows in the front. Topper sees you and he starts to make faces at you, making it hard to focus, making you snicker quietly as Anna is telling you about some stupid party the restaurant is hired to cater at the end of the week. 

Kiara’s barely listening, she’s paying closer attention to the way you and Topper act with each other. Because you’ll glance over and pull a crazy face right back at him and at one point, you’re pretending like you’re going to fall asleep on your feet as if you’re bored out of your skull.

Anna finally finishes talking to you and Kie, releasing you both from work for the afternoon. You rush out and Topper is leaned against the front wall of the building, sipping a snow cone through a straw as he holds one out to you. You take it and suck it down greedily.

Kelce is looking from you to Topper wordlessly. Rubbing his chin in thought, especially when you and Topper seem to migrate closer together as a crowd of tourists overtakes the sidewalk and forces this to happen. Topper’s got a hand at your waist and you’re staring up at him.

“C’mon, man. We’re losing peak waves.” Kelce points out, barely hiding laughter as he glances from you to Topper. He’s just seen Sarah and John B walk past but his best friend has been so caught up in staring at you for a few seconds now that Topper didn’t even notice they walked past.

And Kelce is thinking to himself that’s definitely a good sign. Maybe the idiot will leave Sarah Cameron alone and stop running back the second she comes around batting her lashes, even hinting that she might want him back.

Topper finally breaks out of his daze, responding to Kelce. “Yeah. We should get going.”

Your brain’s finally done a full reset and you manage to nod, muttering a quiet “Yep.” in agreement. Topper turns his attention to you again. “You have sunblock.. Right? Because you got burnt really bad the last time we went out.”

You hold up your backpack. “In here somewhere.”

When he slips an arm around you as the three of you make your way down the dock to Topper’s waiting boat, you’re pulled into his side, the scent of his designer cologne enveloping you as you breathe it in before you can stop yourself from doing it. And it’s becoming  habit by this point, it’s getting so that if you’re out somewhere and you even think you catch a whiff of it -or similar scents- you’re looking for Topper’s face in the crowd.

This thought, as it hits, is more than a little scary.

He steps onto his boat, reaching out. Grabbing you by the hips to pull you on board. You’re laughing about it and the sound carries. The sound of your laughter manages to get the attention of JJ as he pulls the Pogue to a stop on the opposite side at the end of the dock. When he looks up just in time to see Topper Thornton pick you up by the hips and pull you onto his stupid little boat, he glares at Topper.

Topper gives him this little shrug, it’s mild. He smirks too. Holds JJ’s gaze as JJ looks from Topper to you, your back is to him so you don’t see. You’re staring up at Topper and the pang of jealousy that hits JJ takes him by surprise.

It shouldn’t bother him to see his best friend happy and he knows this. But then he’s thinking back to that night about two months ago. When you were in his lap, your arms around his neck. All cozy with him. When you told him he was pretty. When you told him you wanted to kiss him and he panicked and shut down because it was everything he wanted and he didn’t know how to handle it beyond the fear that overtook after you said it. He’s aware that he got in his own way. And for a while, he thought maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

Seeing you with Topper all the time lately has him starting to wonder if he was wrong about that theory. Feeling like his reaction that night to the way you were being so affectionate was a complete mistake.

The boat takes off and he watches as you and Topper disappear from view.

John B and Sarah wander over and John’s jaw flutters. As soon as he sees the anger blaze in his best friends eyes, he nods. Because he’s just seen the way his girlfriend was looking at her ex boyfriend as if he was betraying her. And he hasn’t said anything to Sarah yet but it’s really bothering him.

“You saw ‘em too, huh?”

“Mhm.” JJ answers, glancing from John B to Sarah. He shares a look with his best friend and then he shrugs. “We need to get a move on. Pope’s waiting.”

“Yeah.”

Kiara rushes over, throwing her arms around JJ. She’s upset again and when she starts telling JJ why, he nods quietly. And a sliver of hope lingers even though it shouldn’t, taking hold. You didn’t tell Kiara about what happened between you and him earlier this summer. ,, or what didn’t happen but could’ve happened.” he reminds himself, bitter at the thought.

If you were really all in with Thornton, it stands to reason you would’ve just told her.

,, or maybe she’s a good person and she didn’t want to do something to mess you and Kiara up. Kiara’s your girl, man. You can’t have them both.”

But selfishly, in an ideal world, this is what he’d want. Because he feels very strong feelings for you both and it’s got him torn two different ways.

“When did that even happen? How?” Sarah speaks up. Kiara shrugs. “It’s probably a rebound thing. That or he’s up to something.”

“He’s not like that.” Sarah says it and she can feel John B staring at her. She looks up at him and sighs. “He’s not, okay? Maybe it’s a good thing, maybe he’s moving on.”

But deep down, the fact that he might just be moving on.. This bothers Sarah just a little more than it should.

–

You gulp as soon as you see the waves today. You melt into Topper’s side just a little and for a few seconds, you wonder exactly what you let yourself be talked into. Topper chuckles. “You’ll be fine, okay? I won’t let anything happen.”

You nod. Swallowing hard. Gazing up at him and then glancing back out at the water. “That wave was big.”

“It’s not as scary as it looks. But first..” Topper nods to his board, “You need to learn how to stand. C’mere.” he steps away, standing by his board. You’re pouting a little before you even realize it, you didn’t want him to let go yet and this thought as it settles in, has your mind reeling.

,, okay but you did say it yourself when you were arguing with JJ not so long ago. You’re definitely attracted to Topper Thornton physically. That’s it. That has to be all this is…Right?”

Deep down, you’re starting to suspect it’s not. But you’re not about to let yourself acknowledge it. Because you’ve started to get close to Topper and you like being friends with him. God knows that falling for him might possibly have the same end result as you, finally making a desperate attempt to clue JJ in to how you felt about him at the beginning of summer. 

You wander over and you step onto the board. You swallow hard when Topper steps on behind you, hands at your waist as he pushes down on your body just a little to get you to bend down like you need to be. “Keep your feet apart.”

“Like this?” you question. Topper nods, chuckles quietly. “Like that. You’re going to feel like your balance is off when you’re out there. If you have to, put your arms out.” his hands leave your hips to settle on your arms and he guides them into place. He’s pressed against you from behind.

From nearby on the sand, Kelce chuckles. “She needs to turn her foot a little, dude.”

Topper looks down and nods. “Yeah. He’s right. You need to turn your foot towards the front of the board.”

“This is complicated. How the fuck do you remember all this?” you’re exasperated with yourself because you’re just feeling like you have to look awkward. And you’re a little scared because you know they go out where the water will be over your head. You can swim exactly enough to save your life and that’s it.

Topper chuckles at your outburst, the sound sending just the teeniest jolt racing through you. “Relax.” he mutters quietly, his lips grazing the shell of your ear. “You can swim right?”

“Uhm..” you give him a sheepish look. He bites his lip. “Okay, change of plans. Because you kind of need to learn to swim first. You’re going to wipe out.”

You nod. And then he’s scooped you up, making you laugh and have to throw your arms around his neck to hang on. He’s carrying you out into the water and Kelce, just to be a little shit, he hollers out, “Jesus. Get a room, guys.”

You can feel a slow heat work it’s way from the pit of your stomach when you lock eyes with Topper as he laughs. That heat spreads through you til it’s settled in the tips of your ears. He’s teasing you a little when he asks, “Are you blushing right now?”

You pout up at Topper a little. “I don’t blush.”

“I think you do. I think you are.”

“Am not!” you smack at his chest lightly and you laugh. And it’s a real one. You haven’t really laughed in a while. It feels good to laugh again.

When he starts to wade out to where the water is starting to creep up your body higher, you cling to Topper. “Hey, whoa..” he coaxes. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. Relax.”

You nod and you’re staring up at him, lost in the varying shades that make up his eyes. You’re staring really hard. It’s hard enough that he’s staring right back. “I’m gonna lower you down a little.. Okay? But my hands are gonna stay on you, I swear. I’m not going to let you drown. Relax.”

“Easy for you to say, you were swimming and surfing at birth.” you mutter, the softness in your voice has him biting back a quiet groan.. Especially now that it’s combined by the way he feels holding you right now. He chuckles quietly. “I wasn’t.”

“You were! You won your first surfing thing when you were like what.. Ten?”

“How’d you know that?” he laughs. You laugh softly. “JJ entered too. I had to listen to him have an angry meltdown when you won and he didn’t.” you admit quietly. Topper chuckles. 

But then he stops to think about it. Realizes that he’s seen you at a few of his competitions when they’re local. JJ hasn’t entered one in years.

He doesn’t say anything though because he’s not trying to give himself any reason to get his hopes up. So when you admit to going to a few shows he’s been in because it’ll pass time, he’s a little shocked.

,, Kildare is boring. She was just looking for something to do.” is countered by ,, But she was there. Sarah couldn’t even be bothered.” and it’s not much but it’s somehow more than even his own girlfriend at the time could be bothered to do.

“Something just nipped my foot!” you’re squealing, clinging to him even more and he realizes in this moment that if his goal was not to fall for you, yeah.. He’s beyond fucked.

He laughs. “Are you gonna be okay, ___?”

“Haven’t you seen Jaws? I know what’s in deep water, dude.” you’re pouting up at him as you say it and he laughs again. “Jaws is a movie.”

“And what makes it scary is that it fucking happens on occasion. Sharks get snackish.”

“I’m not gonna let you become shark bait.”

“You’re not gonna be able to stop it!” you’re being dramatic and you know it. But you’re both laughing. For once you’re having fun. You don’t have so many negative things in your mind threatening to take over. You want to enjoy the moment.

Topper lowers you to the water and he keeps his arms beneath you. You suck in a breath. Stare up at him. “Okay. Relax. Try to float.”

“I’m telling you, I will sink.”

“No you won’t.” Topper’s voice has a calming effect. You try to relax and you’re even floating a little. Until the second you feel him slowly slipping his arms out from beneath you, then your eyes are popping open and you sink down just a little. When you come back up, you splash him. He splashes back. Picks you up by your hips. Your legs slip around his waist. “Better? Now will you stop freaking out on me? People are gonna think I’m drowning you, woman.” he’s barely hiding laughter.

You pout at him again. But you slip your arms around his neck and nod, biting your lip as you stare at him and the laughter dies away. “Yeah. Much.” you respond quietly. 

Then he dunks you both and you surface from beneath the water, splashing at each other. Kelce paddles out on his board. “Since you two are gonna goof off, I’m napping.”

You share a look with Topper and as Kelce’s board floats past, he reaches out, tipping Kelce off. Kelce comes up from beneath the water, sending up rowdy splashes. Soaking both of you because the second you realize the water is up to your mouth now and you can’t touch bottom with your toes, you fling yourself at Topper all over again dramatically, wrapping your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist as you cling to his body.

“Hey! Easy, man.” Topper gives Kelce a dirty look but Kelce chuckles, mimics the sound of a cracking whip as he looks from his best friend to the way you’re clinging to him and have your face buried in his neck. You look up at Topper, eyes catching on the way a drop of water drips down from blond tips.. Rolls down the slope of his nose and settles on his lips. 

Your legs squeeze his hips just a little tighter and everything just kind of falls away. He’s staring at you and he can’t stop himself. He notices the exact second you melt into him a lot more and he mumbles quietly, “You okay?”

“Just realizing you’re really not going to try and drown me, that’s all.” you give him a sheepish smile and he grins. “I told you, didn’t I? You can actually trust me.”

“Yeah.” you answer, managing to tear your eyes off of him for just a second.

“Lemme see your board, Kelce.”

“Dude..”

“Board, Kelce. Now.”

Kelce pushes the board to Topper. Topper sits you on it and moves to stand between your legs. “Not so bad, huh?”

“It’s kinda cool. I’m not crazy about trying to stand up on it yet though.”

“It’s okay.” Topper laughs quietly. 

“Yeah.” you answer. Leaning down into him a little.

“For the last time. Just get a room.”

Topper flips Kelce off and you’re laughing. Burning up all over, but laughing again.

This is definitely one of the better days of your summer.

“I’m having fun.” you admit quietly and Topper grins at you. “Me too.”

[uglypastels]

Hey!!! I love your writing!! I was wondering if you could write like a headcanon of something with the reader dating eddie and being on her period or something?? 💝

Thank you!! I definitely needed to write this and a shoutout goes to all my fellow menstruating peeps <3 hope you feel better soon. (warning though, I don't know how to write headcanons, so I'm just doing my own thing here). [[i'm also going to be posting a longer fic this evening hopefully, and I'm sorry to not have worked more on the requests, so yes, I'm using this as a little bit of compensation]]

eddie requests always welcome!!! // taglist // support by reblogging!

Warning; (period) blood. Light swearing. Eddie being the sweetest mutherfucker there is.  maybe out of character stuff, bc i'm projecting

So, it being the 80s, being on your period was not very great. Like, it's still stigmatised, but nothing compares to a few decades ago. 

It was just not talked about. 

You've had a few boyfriends maybe, but never had even dared to utter the word around them. You didn't want to gross them out.

When it came around to that time of the month, you would just tell them you "didn't feel well" or something like that, which was true, but would drop the topic soon after. And not that it mattered a lot, the relationships never lasted for too long.

But then Eddie came along and your whole world changed. 

That man did not care about a single thing and he despises the patriarchy. Maybe he doesn't know how it all works, but he knows that periods exist. Like, he wasn't too great in science but it doesn't take a genius to know that it was a natural process. He might not know exactly when you are having your worse days, but he's aware you have them. He doesn't make shitty "is it that time of the month?" jokes or any other dumb comments about it if you ever get a bit emotional or don't feel too good. You are still not really comfortable talking about it openly, not because of Eddie specifically, but because of everyone else and how you grew up. But if you did ever slip up and mention something about your menstrual cycle, Eddie wouldn't act all grossed out. 

Maybe one day you stay over at his place and when you wake, you can already feel it. Just in your gut, before you pull the covers off, you just know. 

You lock yourself in the bathroom and try to clean up before he wakes up, but that man has like a radar when it comes to you. He wakes up as soon as you slam the bathroom door shut (though, maybe that had something to do with it) and is at your side (just that bathroom door still between you. 

'Baby? What's wrong?'

'Nothing!' you would shout from the bathroom. But Eddie isn't stupid.

'Baby?' He would just keep talking until you would properly talk to him. None of that "I'm fine" bullshit. The longer you would try to avoid it, the more ridiculous theories he would start to bring up. 

'All you're doing right now, is ensuring that I think an actual alien burst out of you.' 

'Fine I'm on my period!' you shout out, most likely for the entire trailer park to hear. 

'Now was that so hard?' 

You would have run to that bathroom in a state of panic, just wanting to clean the blood off, forgetting all your things. So, you ask Eddie to bring them over for you from your backpack. He had gone through your stuff a million times, just as you had gone through his, so he knew exactly where that little purse was where you kept your tampons and painkillers. A few seconds later he knocked softly on the bathroom door and handed you your things– little purse included as well as your spare change of clothes. You realise, however, that the shirt on top of the pile wasn't your shirt. It was his. He had especially pulled it out of the closet so you could wear it now.  

But you also realise that you only had one tampon left. Overall, not a big deal. You could just quickly head over to the drugstore.

That plan, however, became a bit more difficult when you stepped out of the bathroom. 

First, Eddie wasn't anywhere near the bathroom anymore. He was back in his room. You see him on the bed, cleaning up the bloodstain with a wet washcloth. 

'I'm so sorry.' The tears already stinging your eyes. Eddie looks up at you and rushes to you, pulling you into a hug. 

'Hey, hey, hey. Nothing to be sorry about. It happens. I can clean it up,' he makes you look at the bed, 'See? Almost gone.' It hadn't even been that big of a stain, but you still felt horrible. But Eddie wouldn't have any of that. He held you close, wiped off your tears and left kisses all over your face until you smiled. 

'It's really no big deal. Why don't you go sit on the couch while I finish this up? Then I can make us some breakfast?' Breakfast being something between choice A) Cereal or B) Fried eggs or C) Last night's leftovers. 

'Actually, I got to go to the drugstore.' You tell him, and Eddie immediately doesn't sound too happy with that. But not for the reasons you might have thought. 

'No way are you going out now. You got to rest.' 

'I can go to the store, Eddie.'

'I won't have it.' He's basically putting you on bed rest for the day, even if your cramps or other symptoms aren't showing up. He just wants to be sure you're comfortable. So, he heads out to the store himself after you tell him what it is you exactly need. You imagine he wouldn't be gone less than half an hour, but after two hours he still isn't back. A lot of reasons could have been the cause of it, so you try not to panic. Maybe there was a line at the drugstore, or he got hung up talking to someone? It was fine. The only problem is that you get hungry, and so, basically munch up the rest of the cereal that you found in the cupboard. 

Eddie comes through the door right as you finish the box. And the mystery of his long absence is immediately explained when you see the amount of things he brought with him. He immediately wants to show you the haul. 

'Right, so I got you your tampax,' he throws you the box. 

'Also went and got you some candy.' And with "some candy" he meant an entire bag full of snacks, all your favourites, of course. 

'And then I thought, we could just stay in for the day, so I went over to the video store and I tried to ask Robin what kind of movies you've borrowed because I wanted to pick something that you wouldn't hate, but she was being really difficult about it, so, unfortunately, in that battle, I lost the Reese's cups. BUT I got these,' he pulls out a stack of films that were most definitely in your customer history, at least a dozen times, 'And…really?' he laughs at your choices of favourite films. 

'They're classics!' 

'Whatever. Oh and I also got some more cereal because I knew you would eat them while I was away.' 

And you do spend the entire day cuddling, eating junk food and watching movies on the little tv. Eddie doesn't want to pry, but he does ask you questions just so he can know a bit more about how you're feeling and how he can help. Do you have any cravings? What can he do for you if your cramps ever get the worst of you? Would weed help with the pain? Do you want a lot of contact or do you need space? 

He would also be sure to stock up on everything you need at his trailer, just for emergencies. Maybe he would keep a tampon on him in his backpack at school. One day you would realise you had forgotten to repack your emergency stuff, but Eddie would just be like, I got you sweetheart, and hand you one. It would be at your locker, so someone would have seen it (Jason? Or some other jock) and, of course, they would make fun of him. Eddie would grab the opportunity immediately to reply back. 

'What do you need that for, Munson?'

'Well, usually I keep them around for your mom.' or something dumb like that. 

'You take that back, Freak!' 

'Fine! I won't provide your mother sanitary products!' He would yell it across the hallway as he made his way out of the building.

He would happily take the stigma over from you, making everyone uncomfortable by talking loudly, and proudly, over something that should have been normalised a long time ago, anyway.

Leave a review behind!

taglist: @spiderrrling @hellfire-state-of-mind @theglitterymess @dorianelizabeth @theletterhart @niyahwhoreworld @chatnoirfangirl1624 @fopdoodle1624 @pastel-abyss-x

[kxmikomrade]

Im bored and i HAVE AN IDEA So may I order GN! reader, medium serving, caffe latte, ANDD ONIGIRI<3 OKOK IMAGINE ISEKAI AU! READER WAS A DOCTOR IN A PAST LIFE(preferably a neurologist) WITHHH LUNAR LOTUS DANGO AND CREAM DANGO HEHHEHE

I totally did not thought of this bc I considered being a neurologist even tho I'm bad at science- just for money😘

✧˖࿐ Neutrologist S/O - Albedo, Tighnari

╰┈➤Tighnari x reader, Albedo x reader (separate) Order: Caffe Latte, Medium serving Onigiri, Lunar lotus dango (Tighnari), Cream dango (Albedo) Genre: Fluff Gn!reader Pronouns: Y/P (Your pronouns) Type: Headcanons Requested! by: @astrilien Warnings: a bit suggestive, but its ALWAYS SFW. jokes about death, a few swear words (like 1 or 2) Waiter's Notes: Welcome back traveler Astrilien! :) Apologies for taking awhile, please enjoy! Author's Notes: 2 MONTHS LMAOAO IM SORRY I COMPLETELY FORGOT IM- 💀

Albedo •Would u look at that! a man made out of chalk paired with a person who studies anatomy! Who knew such things could happen???

•Albedo, albedo, albedo... he's a special one

•When you first met him, you were intrigued because of how he seems different and bcs of his looks like have u SEEN HIS HAIR. And he was interested in you bcs of the aura you carried

•But you're all like ''What aura??''

•Like Mx, u literally tripped on your carpet and hit ur head on your bedside table's sharp edge and died then got isekai'd to genshin

•OFCOURSE U HAVE AN AURA

•An aura of goofiness that is 🤨🙄

•Imagine dying bcs of tripping smhhh

•OKAY BACK TO TOPIC

•U guys wanted to study eachother so u just naturally grew close

•You both never EXACTLY told your secrets but somehow u both found out and you're totally chill about it

•Also the experiments u conduct with one another is pretty sussy

•Anyway, if Albedo looses control and destroys Mondstadt, ur right behind him, collecting all the dead bodies to sell to the Fatui

•Thats so hot of u two

Tighnari •Ahh this ones gonna be so fun

•It either that u and Tighnari r like parents or youre just chaotic and he's sick of u asking how his genes work

•''How does your genes work anyway?'' ''Its like half Fennec fox, half human'' ''So you're telling me that, at some point of history, a Human fucked a Fennec fox???'' ''....Get out.''

•U and him have sass battles in which u guys compete with ur knowledge

•I think that u would know more, but just with stuff IN the plants, not the ACTUAL plants

•Imagine Collei just walking in u guys having a sass battle with all ur fancy scientific words and she comes out like shes about to pass out from braincell lost

•^ not sure if that can actually happen

•ANYWAY

•Speaking of Collei, shes ur daughter

•Dont even TRY to disagree here

•She looks up to u alot, even when u can get scary sometimes

•Like the time when someone was being rude to her so u threatened to crack open their skull, scoop their brain out, boil them and feed it to the animals

•Pls seek help for u, Tighnari and Collei, u all need therapy and a vacation to Mondstadt

(397 words)

[freuleinanna]

tracked down

Characters: Travis Hackett, reader Chosen ending: The were!Hacketts are dead, the counselors gang might as well have lived Short summary: You were the extra counselor that summer, so you participated in the fun campy werewolf activities, and not without consequences. Silly something that jumped to my mind bc who wouldn't want Travis to track them down Words count: 1081

Tags: @sadclowncat (I'm SO sorry for mistag earlier!!), @sera-wonderland, @b33barlowsstuff, @imperfectjam (also, tagging those who wanted something w/ our man Travis or Travis x reader, all future stuff will be at (# anna writes the quarry))

(the gif is just to show the character, it's not this exact scene, but the message seems right tho)

You took one look at the badge – and bolted. Within a split of a second some regret managed to sink through. You should’ve made a goddamn poker face, but now it was too late for that. Now you just had to run.

The cop reacted like any good cop should, by starting the chase. Unlike any good cop, he didn’t shout any warnings, he just straight-up sprinted behind you. Like a Terminator. Unsurprisingly, being the 1st film Sarah Connor sucked ass. Only she lived to see a second film, and then some. You might not have this luxury.

The cop tackled you near the window while you were trying to jerk it open.

‘Going somewhere, haunts&curses2573?’

Your whole body froze for a moment. He knew. His voice wasn’t smug, though, just edgy. Tired, even. The cop held you face down on the floor but seemed to try not to hurt you. You held your head up as best you could.

‘Who the fuck are you?’ ‘Are you gonna run if I let you go?’ ‘What the fuck do you want?’ ‘Are you?!’ ‘I know my rights, okay?!’ now you were really panicking. ‘I know my fucking rights!’ ‘DO YOU WANNA TALK LIKE ADULTS OR DO I CUFF YOU TO A RADIATOR?!’ ‘GET THE FUCK OFF ME!’

You heard a grunt, then some cursing under the breath.

‘Cuffs it is, then.’

You felt the metal on your skin, and next thing you knew, you were facing the room, with the cuff link gleefully clanking against the radiator pipe and the cop carefully moved to a safe, unkickable distance. That’s the first time you saw him properly. Not exactly young, with a shade of stubble on the cheeks and chin. Slightly tilting his head to the side. He squatted, keeping his eyes on your level. Something about his whole figure was just… unnerving.

‘Please,’ your throat was suddenly parched and the voice came out harsh, ‘please … I don’t know what you want from me, okay?’

A slight annoyed eye-roll followed.

‘Yeah, that’s why you ran. Uh-huh.’ ‘I… I…’ ‘Quit the damn tune, Y/L/N’ he cut you off, slightly pinching the bridge of his nose. ‘I’ve had an awful coupl’a months chasing you down, but unlike you, I can do my job right.’

You yanked the cuff slightly, not actually hoping for anything. And nothing happened. What a surprise. You yanked some more just out of spite.

‘Happy now?’ cold, calm voice didn’t match the appearance one bit, but perfectly matched the prying eyes. ‘Wanna do some more running?’

You shook your head, drawing your legs closer to yourself.

‘Good, ‘cause you’re gonna SIT YOUR ASS DOWN AND LISTEN!’ you jerked and the sudden rise of the voice. The cop… really, he looked irritated. And irritated cops are never a good story. Terminator 2 covered that as well. ‘Am I clear?’

You nodded. He sighed sympathetically.

‘Look, kid. My name is Travis Hackett,’ a meaningful pause. ‘Like the Hackett’s Quarry.’

And then it came together. Of course. Of-fucking-course. He was studying you, as if making sure you won’t suddenly decide to chew your arm off and run. You had half a heart to do just that.

‘…shit,’ that was all you could say. Not very eloquent, but very true. ‘Exactly,’ the cop nodded generously. ‘You’ve fucked up big time.’ ‘I didn’t do any-’ ‘Ah,’ he stopped you with a motion of his hand. ‘I suggest you shut up and really don’t piss me off now, because I really don’t wanna take out my gun. Especially, since it’s loaded with silver.’

Bastard knew it right away, from your eyes. Read your face like a note on the fridge. The uneasy tug pulled in your stomach. You were fucked. Absolutely fucked in a totally non-unfuckable goddamn way, but the stupid kid inside you still tried to wiggle their way out.

‘W-what does silver hav--’ ‘Did I not just say to NOT PISS ME OFF?!’

That’s what, a third strike? Thoughts ran around your brain in a sort of dancing fever. There was no way out for you. The only way was through, and it could just be that on the other side of the tunnel you’d be met by a silver bullet. Not on the full moon, but still… The Hackett cop seemed to have calmed down a notch. His brother, you remembered. His brother and the kids. They died that night. It’s a wonder the silver bullet didn’t come first. You suddenly felt really cold.

‘What do you want?’ you asked flatly. Trevor Hackett, or whatever his name was, was kind of staring you down. Full-on drama. ‘You figured it out, didn’t you, Y/N? When the moon came and you turned, you figured it out,’ he gave you a moment to chime in, and when you didn’t, finished darkly with a disapproving shake of the head. ‘The White Wolf is still alive. So you went and sent all those trinkets you found out there to that goddamn podcast, didn’t you? What were you hoping for? A crowd of werewolf-hunters who’d put him down for you?’

He was surprisingly accurate, that Trampy-whatever. Travis, it struck you, the name was Travis. Probably should remember that for later, if that later ever comes. It didn’t really seem like it, though.

‘That… was the plan, yeah,’ you mumbled awkwardly. ‘Well, congrats, mastermind. You created a fucking pilgrim path for every dumbass who ever wanted to snoop around and smell werewolf shit.’

His voice was dripping with sarcasm. A bit more, and the floor beneath would be a goner, burnt right down to the basement. That would’ve been fucking hilarious, only it wasn’t anywhere near funny.

‘Do you want to see the body count? Maybe the local town reports on rabid dogs? Hmm?’ ‘Alright, I get it, I fucked up,’ you snarked, not being able to take the blame-pushing anymore. ‘So what, you dragged your ass out here to shoot me? Cover for your fucked-up family once again? What the fuck do you want?’

The cop’s face changed. You didn’t understand how, exactly. It took you a few moments to catch up, but you got it just as he finished saying that next words. Then it beamed on you. He didn’t look angry anymore. He seemed regretful. As if he was sorry for something he was about to do.

‘Full moon’s in 10 days. I’m sorry, kid. I’m really sorry, but I’m gonna need your help to end this.’

[jewbeloved]

Hello hello!I am back with an empty brain bc i have no ideas but this goofy one: How would main four+Team craig(if its too much,you can just write for main four!)react to their s/o making really good edits of them.

Team Stan + Clyde and Tweek with a s/o who makes edits of them✏️✏️🎨🎨

Note: Sorry! I can only write up to 6 characters maximum. I hope this post still satisfies you.

Warnings: None

Gender: Neutral

❤️🧡 The Main Four 💚💙

Let's imagine you had a social media account that nobody knew, not even your boyfriends..

You post edits on there but each and every one of them always include one of the boys.

The boys always wondered why you were so invested on your phone and you wouldn't let them look at it.

"Guys I think Y/n is looking at hentai stuff" Cartman whispered while snorting.

"No they're not Cartman! knock it off!"

"Maybe it's something important that they don't want us to see guys"

"There's no way that they are keeping stuff from us Stan, we know their secrets and they know ours"

They continued to bicker back and forth until Butters ran up to them.

"Fellas!....Fellas!" Butters panted while trying to regain his breath.

"What do you want Butters, can't you see we are busy at the moment!"

"Yeah I know, but you guys are going viral on the Internet!"

Butters showed them the edits on his phone.

"What?"

"There are edits of us..?"

*muffles* (Woah, I look good in this one!)

Cartman stared at the phone for a moment before looking at Butters.

"Where did you get these edits Butters"

"Well...I didn't get these I just only saw them on this site called TikTok! you guys can find them on there" Butters ran off to go show the other kids the edits leaving the boys staring at him in confusion.

"Okay....so somebody is making random edits of us"

So yeah, they definitely wanted to find out who was making these edits of them-

After looking at the account, the first person they decided to ask about it was you.

You tried to play it cool and pretend that you had no idea who was making them, but the only one who saw through your lies was Cartman.

C'mon, Cartman is the master at lying and manipulation. It'll take more than that to lie to him.

"I'm not buying it, you were very suspicious from the very start anyways Y/n"

"Huh?"

*Muffles* (You were always being secretive on your phone, and then all of a sudden certain edits being made of us were going viral. Is this your doing?)

"Let us see your phone Y/n!" Cartman moved closer to grab your phone but you back up quickly against the wall.

"You guys are mistaken! It's not me!"

You were unfortunately out of luck since they crowded and prevented you from escaping while Cartman snatched your phone and they took a look at it.

After looking through your phone, they turn their heads to face you.

"Here..." Cartman handed you back your phone and you took a sec to see that their cheeks were tinted with pink.

"Are you guys upset at me..?"

"No we are not, the edits are really cute... were just upset that you never told us from the beginning"

They were indeed disappointed that you hid your account from them like you didn't had any trust in them.

But however, they love the edits!

You could personally say that they are glad no random weirdo was making them besides you <3 💙💚🧡❤️

❤️ Clyde Donovan 🍂

He probably wouldn't even notice it was you in the first place either.

He might even act like he made them himself to act a little cool, but of course the person saw through his ways and didn't believe him.

When the edits start getting more popular, he would immediately go to you and talk about how famous he has gotten and you knew that the cause of that was the edits you've been making of him.

If he does find out, he would be very shocked about it.

"Huh?! You were the one making those edits the whole time Y/n?!"

"Yeah...I thought it would've been cool to make them, but I originally planned to only make them for myself I didn't think a whole bunch of people would view it...."

Clyde didn't know exactly what to say, he was completely out of words!

You opened your mouth to say something again until your interrupted when Clyde tackled you into a hug making you both fall onto the floor.

"C-Clyde?!" You found him on top of you giving you a warm smile before leaning down to give you a peck on the lips.

"I think the edits you made of me are wonderful and cute! but I don't appreciate that you used photos that had me crying in it....as a matter of fact why would you take a picture of me crying anyways?!"

You stayed silent before starting to laugh.

Clyde glared at you for a moment before he smiled again and started to laugh with you.

It looks like he doesn't mind after all...❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

💛 Tweek Tweak 🎀

He probably might take it the wrong way around to be honest-

He may even have flashbacks to those yaoi arts from him being shipped with Craig.

Tons of freaking out 100%

But that doesn't mean he fully knows who is making the edits.

If he finds out that it's you, he would be very flustered and confused on why exactly you wanted to make edits of him in the first place.

He's hesitant at first, but he might confront you about it at the last minute tbh-

"Ehm..Y/n? why are you ACK! m-making edits of me...?"

"Why? I couldn't resist how adorable you would look in multiple edits! I apologize for not asking you for permission earlier though, I just couldn't help myself Tweek <3"

"Ah....! Y/n....." Tweek's heart cried out in embarrassment while covering his face that is tinted in red.

"Are the edits bothering you? I can stop making them If you want I don't really mind!" You were about to delete the draft of the edit you were currently making.

"No! don't! I don't really mind since it's ACK! you..."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-yeah!"

Yeah, he really doesn't mind you making the edits, but he hopes nobody else will start making them too.

Or else it might turn out like the Tweek x Craig situation-💛💛💛💛💛💛

South park never offends me 😌👌👌

[softguarnere]

hey dove! how are you? family Christmas is coming up and I have a sneaking suspicion this year is going to be a doozy. your writing always cheers me up and I was wondering if you could maybe do something with Joe Toye? maybe reuniting after the war ends or the first Christmas back home together?

I've literally been rereading all of your stuff bc it's the only thing keeping me sane as of rn xD hope you're having a great day/night!

I'll Be Right Here Waiting/Put It Back Together

Joe Toye x reader

A/N: My dear, you have no idea how much this message means to me 🥹 The thought that the things I write to cheer myself up might be a comfort to someone else is so humbling 💕As someone who has also been dealing with lots of family drama this Christmas, I am sending you virtual hugs and good vibes - we will make it through this 🤝

Y'all know I try my darndest to write requests in the order that I get them. (And if I've taken forever to get to yours, I'm truly sorry, and I promise I'm working on it!) However, this message hit really close to home, and writing it felt like the distraction that I've been needing.

For those of you who enjoy my song title references, this one comes from Lucky by Two Door Cinema Club! (As always, this is written for the fictional depiction from the show - no disrespect to the real life veterans!) 💕🕊️

Warnings: mentions of war and hospitals, over use of italics - as usual

Funny, how one can grow so accustomed to unusual circumstances that going back to what was previously normal can be what feels like the drastic change. As the men that you’ve spent the past few years of your life with mill around the deck of the ship, your heart aches a little with the realization that for many of you, this might be it.

Even though you’ve exchanged addresses and given each other instructions on how to keep in touch, realistically you know that you may never see or hear from some of these friends ever again. Sure, you’ve all promised to remain in contact, but making a promise is one thing, and keeping that promise once you’ve moved on with your life and had family and friends and jobs and time get in the way is a completely different thing.

The evidence to prove this is there: there have been plenty of friends that you lost touch with after they were removed from the line and taken to hospitals. Even you, as a nurse, had a difficult time keeping track of them. Unfortunately, even someone who might have been more than a friend, had fate not seen it fit to send him home . . .

How do you go back to what you once knew when you’re so changed? What will you do when the things you saw during the war weigh heavy on your mind in the middle of the night, and the nearest person who would understand what you’re feeling is miles and miles away?

This might be it. The ship pulls into the harbor. People on the docks scream and whoop in delight as you and the other nurses and all the soldiers lean over the rail and wave, smile bright despite the dull worry gnawing at the back of your mind.

This might be it. Babe and Luz and Liebgott all shake your hand and slap your shoulders and trade slips of paper with you, promising to keep the flame of friendship alive between you.

This might be it. You’re gathering your few personal belongings and trying to push through the throngs of people with them, wondering where the loved ones who were supposed to meet you could be.

This might be –

“Let me help you with that,” a deep and familiar voice offers as strong hands take your trunk from you with ease.

Out of habit, you start to protest. “Oh, it’s fine I – “

But then your eyes meet his, and the world around you fades away until you are the only two standing on the dock.

“Joe?”

None other than Joe Toye smiles back at you, his brown eyes alight as he sets your trunk down and opens his arms. Not caring who might be watching, you throw yourself into them, the two of you wrapped up in a warm embrace.

You’re not so sure whether you should laugh or cry or what exactly, as your breath hitches in your throat. “You’re here!”

Still holding you tight, you can feel him nod. “So are you.”

“You found me.” Breaking your embrace is not an easy choice, but you want to look him over. Because he’s really standing in front of you, as tall and strong and capable as ever, his smile lighting up his handsome face as he takes you in in turn.

He nods again. “I had to. It was killing me, being away from you.”

What had started as shy looks between the two of you way back in England had turned into friendly smiles and inside jokes as the war moved you through Europe. And then those jokes and smiles had turned into touches that lasted a little too long and evolved into secrets shared in stolen moments and nervous kisses away from the prying eyes of his superiors.

And then he had been taken from the line before you could decide what word best described what was happening between the two of you.

Now he’s been hugging you on the dock – in front of God and everyone – and he looks just as ready to pick up where you left off as you feel.

“Me, too . . .” You choose your words carefully, like he might disappear again if you accidentally say the wrong ones. “Whaddaya say we make a point of not being away from each other for a while?”

Joe, usually so reserved in the emotions he expresses publicly, breaks into the widest smile you’ve ever seen. Is that your imagination, or does pink tint his cheeks? God, he’s so gorgeous like this, and you wonder how you got lucky enough to find him.

“You’ve always been better with words than me,” he laughs. “And Doll, you stole them right outta my mouth.”

With ease, he grabs your trunk with one hand and throws his other arm around you, protective as he leads you through the crowd. The people who were supposed to meet you at the boat fade to the back of your mind. Joe doesn’t say where you’re going, but with him, you’re certain that anywhere you end up will be called home.

[marsneedstherapy]

you are in love is such a Rosalind Orion song, and this time, I will be providing an explanation (fhh spoilers ahead)

One look, dark room

Meant just for you

spy work. no more needs to be said.

Time moved too fast

You play it back

they didn't have that much time together before Orion got taken by his mother, and yk how Rosalind was during, especially the beginning of fhh :(

Buttons on a coat

Light-hearted joke

Orion. that's all.

No proof, not much

But you saw enough

Rosalind realizes that she might actually like Orion. yk the one scene in flf where she says she should poison herself again. yeah.

Small talk, he drives

hernia scene, not much small talk, but yk not everything can be exsact

Coffee at midnight

this never happened exactly, but I feel like it would, bc of all the missing domestic moments from flf with Rosalind and Orion trying to figure stuff out

He says, "Look up"

And your shoulders brush

when Orion showed Rosalind the constellation orion in flf, my heart </3

No proof, one touch

But you felt enough

literally right after the constellation moment Rosalind has her "oh no I think I like him" moment

You can hear it in the silence

when Rosalind had a gun pointed at Orion in that scene right after she finds out he's the killer, but we know she'll never shot... BC COME ONEE YOU CAN HEAR IT IN THE SILENCE WHEN SHE JUST THREATENS AND NEVER FOLLOWS THROUGHH

You can feel it on the way home

just vibes with this one, but vry strong vibes

You can see it with the lights out

not exactly lights out in the lamp type of way, but like when Rosalind was poisoned by her hairpin in flf </3

You are in love, true love

yes they are.

Morning, his place her place

Burnt toast, Sunday

just sm they seem like they would've done, maybe an attempt to cook without Lao Lao's help in another missing flf scene (I'm so tempted to write a fanfic with this idea)

You keep his shirt

BEGINNING OF FHH </3

He keeps his word

"Even if I don't get my memory back, I'm going to love you again. I thought I'd warn you in advance." Not an exact quote bc I'm too tired to go get my copy of fhh, but yes. yes, he did keep his word.

And for once, you let go

Of your fears and your ghosts

ROSALIND ALLOWING HERSELF TO BE LOVED AND BEING ABLE TO GROW AND MOVE ON FROM HER PAST

One night he wakes

Strange look on his face

Pauses, then says

You're my best friend

"I BELIEVED YOU WHEN YOU SAID WE WERE FRIENDS, BUT THERE WAS MORE TO THAT WASNT THERE?" that scene if fhh were Orion is "asleep" by the willow tree in zhouzhuang and Rosalind was just talking to him </3

And you knew what it was

He is in love

yes he is. maybe he can't remember. but he knows.

[chorus again]

And he keeps the picture of you in his office downtown

this is some post fhh things that would happen. WOULD.

And you understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars

finally understanding how real actually love feels and how it should be protected </3

And why I've spent my whole life tryin' to put it into words

AGAIN FINALLY BEING ABLE UNDERSTANDINGGG </3

[chorus again]

[slu-tea-ftm]

not about kinks or stuff. don't answer if don't want to) bro, what was it like taking t or getting top surgery early? In my country we can only take hormones and get surgery at 18 years old. I spent my entire adolescence anxious for it. like. give me that testo, government.

I'm always happy to get asks, kinky or not!! This is gonna be long, so strap in lol

And I never mind talking about my journey, because I know it's not really the "norm," even in trans culture.

Honestly, it never really hit me exactly how early I was allowed to get hormones and surgery until a year or so ago when I was thinking back on it. It didn't feel early to me. It felt like everything was timed just right, but looking back, yeah, it was pretty early.

For a while, I just wanted the social change. Cut my hair, change my name, and change my clothes. Boom. Done. I was fine with that for a year or two (I was 11-12 when I came out). I actually cried when I got my hair cut, and my stylist was concerned that she'd upset me. Nope! I was just so happy that she cut my hair! She still cuts my hair to this day and says that I'm a completely different person (/pos).

But then I started feeling like it wasn't enough. I wanted to fit in more with The Guys (side note: I never really did, even after all the hormones and surgery bc these guys knew me since elementary and most were bigoted assholes). So we went to my doctor to try getting hormones. That took, I think, a year and a half or so? Still a pretty short time frame. At one point, I was wearing a binder and a back brace because I have scoliosis, R.I.P. my ability to b r e a t h e.

But we got it! And I was fine with that by itself, too! Until around my sophomore(?) year in high school. I always changed in the nurse's office because it was embarrassing changing with anyone else—boys or girls. So I brought up trying to get top surgery to my mom (shout out to her for being so supportive during my whole transition, gods I love my mom). By junior year, I got my tits yeeted, and I was changing with the boys in P.E. Other than locker rooms, P.E. was co-ed, so there was no "boys on this side, girls on that side" that I can remember.

Obviously, I never fit in with The Guys, and I didn't want to fit in with The Girls (even though many of my friends were girls). But I felt comfortable in my body, at least. It felt more like myself.

I don't regret any of it, even if it all did happen quite young. I got plenty of warnings from doctors and my therapists, and my mom and I had to jump through a ton of hoops to get where we did. I'm really grateful that I got everything when I did, because it probably saved me a lot of depression and anxiety I would've had now.

Even though I got approved for T "early," by medical and societal standards, I basically had to go through puberty twice lol. Because I had already gotten periods and experienced breast growth (not much, thankfully), acne, etc. And then I got testosterone and my voice was cracking a lot while it changed, my fat redistributed through my body, I think I gained more muscle?? hard to tell bc I was never really strong to begin with, my hairline receded quite a bit 🥲, and all those usual things associated with cis guy puberty....including being constantly horny. Gods, that was awful. Wet boxers every day, all the time, it was so awkward.

As for top surgery, that was the only part I was actually scared about. Not because I was anxious about regretting the surgery or the cost of it or anything like that. Just because I have trauma when it comes to people doing things to me while I'm unconscious (or so they thought). That was the only scary part. That, and the IV going in me bc I had this weird fear that if I moved my hand, then the needle would break out of my vein, into my body, and kill me or smth :)

Other than that, the surgery part was easy! Recovery took a while and sucked, especially the rules:

Don't lift more than (I think it was) 5 lbs

Don't raise your arms over your head

No showering for the next few days after surgery

Massage the skin once to twice a day (my hand hurt a lot after this part)

Don't pick at the scabs

I think that's all there was...

Now, I easily pass as a cis guy to most strangers. One of my favorite things to do is see how people react when they find out I'm trans lol. Because they never expect it! And then I show them a picture of me before transitioning, and they're like, "😲 That's you?!"

"Yep :)"

I know most people are afraid of being outed as trans, but for me I'm just like, "Look at how far I've come!!" It's not really a touchy subject for me. As long as someone is genuinely curious and not asking super invasive questions <3

[thefirstknife]

Heya! Love your lore discussions and analysis, you doing the traveler's work here lol

Mind if I ask about The Speaker? I'm merely a D2 player so I've never actively met the man before bc I've never had access to D1 so my first experience was just... Watching him being kidnapped and killed right at the beginning so I was like "oh no... Anyways" but not in a bad way, more like hey I barely know him for like 3 minutes in, it's expected I wouldn't know what's going on when I was just a lil New Light rip

How was he like? His personality, his ideals and goals? His relationship with the other NPCs and the YW

I'd love to see you explain about him!

I was in the same situation as you! I had no clue what anything was when I played D2 on release so outside of him delivering the most badass line to Ghaul, I had no clue. I also only had a minor idea of what he stands for, so when he told Ghaul at the end that the Traveler doesn't actually speak to him, I kinda decided that he was a fraud.

And many other people did so as well. It was a strange thing to say, but it has since been explained in detail.

The Speaker's personality and goals tended to change a bit depending on the release and he was drastically different in the Fall of Osiris comic (and very negatively portrayed). The comic issues didn't do him any favours.

Overall, for D1 stuff, I would recommend checking out a playthrough for a full experience. He had a more active role there, was a sort of a guide and also a vendor you spoke to often. He was firmly on the side of protecting the City and humanity from the return of the Darkness, something he was aware of as inevitable for a long time.

He was a very political figure, given that he was pretty much the closest thing the City and humanity had to a real leader. The Speaker was the lead of the Consensus, a group of representatives for both Guardians (the Vanguard) and the civilians of the City (the three factions). Sometimes, as a leader, he had to make difficult choices.

Probably his biggest conflict was with Osiris who was against his methods of fighting back. They had frequent arguments and Osiris was not afraid to be openly against him. The growing conflict between them eventually led the Speaker to proclaim Osiris' research and warnings dangerous and to exile him.

On the other hand, Saint-14 had an immense respect for the Speaker and they considered each other family. Saint said a lot of nice stuff about him when he returned and spoke at an eulogy for the Speaker. Most importantly, that he had a vision for what the City should be: a place where people could live free from fear and danger. The Speaker was actually the one who found Saint-14 in the Cosmodrome:

"Geppetto and I searched many barren miles before we crossed the Cosmodrome. She had almost given up hope." He turns to face Saint-14. "That little Light knew exactly where to find you, once she was given the proper place to look." The Speaker chuckles. "There is no before or after, my son. We try, we doubt, we grow. It is all one path."

Lore book The Pigeon and the Phoenix has a lot about the early days of the City and the Speaker.

He also had a unique relationship with Lady Efrideet who gave up fighting (except her brief return during the Red War) and formed a pacifist colony, the location of which is unknown. The Speaker and Efrideet had a good relationship and he tasked her to look around for other potential Speakers in her travels.

The lore book Constellations details a lot about the Speakers in general and how they work and the consequences of the Traveler going dormant after the Collapse, most importantly how it took years and years for any Speaker to actually be able to reach the Traveler in a post-Collapse world. One of them eventually managed to make an amplifier, the mask, and finally be able to hear communication from the Traveler again, although still very much not as clear as it was before the Collapse.

This is why our Speaker wore a mask. It has been passed down from Speaker to Speaker and its function is for the Speaker to be able to have dreams where the Traveler sends messages. But as I said, those messages were still not as clear, given that the Traveler was dormant.

Our Speaker struggled with it a lot and it explains his words to Ghaul in the Red War. Ghaul demanded that the Speaker tells him Traveler's direct words, failing to understand that it's not how it works. The Traveler spoke in dreams that were incredibly difficult to decipher even with the amplifier mask.

He saw the Traveler's vague warnings about a world without the Light and he assumed it's a prophecy about the return of Darkness. He didn't want to cause panic among the population until he fully understood what the dreams meant, and kept it to himself. In his final moments before being captured by Ghaul, he realised he made a mistake. The dreams were about the Red War and not Darkness.

It's a very human mistake to make and was never malicious.

The dreams continue. The headaches get worse. But I believe so strongly that this knowledge would destroy our way of life, and I hold it so tightly that it poisons me.

His main and perhaps only goal has always been to protect the City, he simply had different methods of doing so. He felt a responsibility to everyone, given his position as the leader, and couldn't afford to just chase wild leads and theories, something he clashed with Osiris for. Given the uncertain nature of Traveler's dreams, a lot of people (both in and out of the game) thought of him as just a political figure and a fraud.

But he wasn't! He truly did receive Traveler's dreams, unclear as they were and he truly did want to make the world a better place. Given that they still hold memorial service for him and that they rebuilt his quarters, he is still respected and remembered by the City.

[etoilesombre]

👀 + 🧠

For the fanfic ask game:

👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about? : Nah, I would post basically any heinous shit I would write, especially in this fandom. Know no shame etc.

🧠 What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet? Oh dear. Oh, my lovely mutual who asked this question, I do not know you well enough to know if it is fair to subject you to this, but I'M GONNA ANYWAY. Awful grimdark Flint/Rogers. HEAR ME OUT. (but under the cut, bc while I may not have shame I have decency. It's pretty thoroughly spun out, you have been warned.)

So I think Rogers knew about Flint and Thomas Hamilton. He knew what he was doing when he said it that way. He's exactly the sort of petty gossipy London society person who would have heard rumors, if there were rumors to hear, when he was looking into going to Nassau. I can imagine a world in which he gets obsessed with Flint. Because Rogers is consciously trying to project himself as what Flint just effortlessly is, and is VERY tied up with appearances and probably buys into a bunch of toxic masculinity stuff, and probably had some idea of what Flint would be, and then Flint showed up and was -gestures-. And Rogers can't stop Thinking about it, can't reconcile what he knows with who Flint is, can't stop picturing shit.

Flint of course would not give one half of one fuck about Rogers, fucking awful boring pretentious piece of shit. But, he knows Rogers knows, and that's interesting just because there are so few people left in the world who do. So he has like, filed it away for future knowledge, whatever.

BUT. AU diverging from canon when they think Silver is dead. Flint goes on some sort of stupid negotiation/mission/whatever because he's back in sad broken self-destructive burn the world mode. He gets captured and imprisoned by Rogers. Who, again, is Fascinated, and can't resist coming to see him and talking to him. Flint is in a horrible fucked up burn the world headspace because he thinks he's lost Silver too.

So fic would be basically an escalating series of conversations/encounters, because Flint immediately realizes Rogers is Fascinated and uses it, and they play awful escalating psychosexual power games with each other. Flint is very, *very* scary mean dom in this, has big Chained Feral Beast energy. And Rogers sure does keep coming back for it every day. This is very much one of those scenarios of things getting weird in isolation, and the dynamics within the space slowly shift until, while Flint is nominally prisoner, Rogers has given all of his power away and been completely broken and also addicted to it.

I think it would end/culminate with Rogers finally unchaining Flint and letting Flint fuck him, and it's awful brutal terrible and Flint makes him basically admit to a bunch of horrible shit about himself and what he wants. And then Flint snaps his neck and walks out.

Now Woodes Rogers has all of the sex appeal of a soggy day old sandwich, and I spin all of this out here for the world to see because I am probably never going to sit down and prioritize writing something that is going to make me think of him that way in detail. But I COULD MAKE IT WORK and its been stuck in my head for months. And I really just want to write Flint being as terrible as possible, just one time.

[ashes-writing]

more than a feeling pt II | stranger things ; e munson

A/N ; As promised, the second part to my new girl!reader x Eddie Munson fic thing.. Okay, well I didn't exactly promise and I dunno if anybody but me actually wanted this to happen but... Here we are. I thought this idea was cute when it came to me whilst washing dishes, so I wrote it all down in a rush.

There miiight be more to this sooner or later. There will definitely be a third part bc I have to conclude the events of this little part if nothing else.

Pairing ; Eddie Munson x newgirl!Fem reader.

Timeline / Other Stuff to Note ;  part I can be found here. We're playing it fast and loose with the timeline. This does take place in 86, however.. I doubt I bring in any of the stuff that actually happens on the show because honestly, do we wanna relive it? So this is just a 'slice of life' teen rom com type thing, I guess. This chapter is maaybe two to three weeks from the last chapter. And we'll just assume that while Eddie has never been to readers grandparents place, reader has been to Eddie's trailer on more than one occasion.

Tag List ; @rampagewriting, if you don't wanna see this please feel absolutely free to ignore, bb! if you'd like to be added to my taglists for anything including Stranger things, please let me know or add yourself -> here.

Warnings ; that awkwardly cute moment when boy really sees girl. lotsa cute and fluffy stuff aaaand.... a grandmother who ships it when it comes to Reader and Eddie Munson. A mention of a church carnival too.

Other Stuff ; tag list doc || my rules - fandoms and some characters I write for || requests are open (pls.. pls... send me things) but they're limited to headcanon asks + filth/fluff alphabet letters and I'm not accepting wrestling / wrestlers in my ask box. Any other fandom/character but wrestling that I happen to write for is fine and I beg of you -> send me things.

I do not consent to my work being reposted elsewhere or copied/reworked/rewritten and reposted here or elsewhere. You don't own this, I do. So like... don't steal my shit.

You could hear  your little sisters running around downstairs. Your grandma shouts out from the kitchen and the landline is ringing. Outside, the sound of your grandpa starting up the old tractor floats in through the crack in your window. You’re lying on your stomach in bed, a romance novel open in your hand.

If your mom wasn’t a variable, you think to yourself, you could get used to this, the little noises and the smells that make your estranged grandparents two story farmhouse a home. You could get used to Hawkins… To Eddie, to the freshman kids Mike Wheeler and Dustin Henderson that your grandma paid thirty bucks to babysit the hellions known as your twins Lulu and Lola.

The surprising thing in all this is you’d be willing to let your guard down with Eddie just a little more if only you knew you’d be calling Hawkins home. The thought brings a quiet and thoughtful sigh and you lay down the book on your nightstand when your bedroom door bursts open, two little giggling 4 year olds bolting inside with brownies in their hands -and chocolate all over their faces. 

“Okay, you two. Grams said not to get into those, they’re for that carnival at the church later.” you raise to sit. Lola nudges Lulu and whispers. You grab hold of both, tickling them on their sides until the three of you are a heap on the floor of your mother’s childhood bedroom.

Then Lola ends it by making things weird because she’s Lola, that’s what she does, and she grabs your face to give you a cow lick on your right cheek. 

“Mimi said you gotta come too. To church tonight. Said she wants her friends to meet ya. One of ‘em’s got a really cuuuute son.” Lola giggles as she says it and you bite your lip, pausing. Your grandma must be up to her little matchmaking tricks again… Whether it be trying to shove you together with new friends or some boy who knows or is related to one of her old friends, and so far, you’ve managed to dodge every single attempt made. Well, aside from Chrissy Cunningham but maybe that has everything to do with the naive little sister vibe she puts out into the world and you feeling some kind of responsibility towards her because of the fact that her so-called boyfriend was a cheating prick and you’d kind of spilled the beans about it.

But it wasn’t a real friendship… Right?

And you’re only friends with Eddie and the two freshman boys who come by to babysit for your grandmother when you can’t because you’re working down at the  diner… Eddie just kind of made himself a place in your life. The two boys, you’re just polite with because everyone else treats them like outcasts and to you, that really sucks.

None of the above were real friendships. And the boys your grandmother was always accidentally introducing you to, good lord.

You wouldn’t even get started thinking about that.

You laugh softly. “Oh she does, huh?”

“Mhm.” Lulu is the one who answers, a soft smile. “And I wanna show you what we made Ma in Sunday school.”

“Sweetie, I dunno, I mean… Pretty sure that lightning will strike the place and burn it to the ground if I set foot inside.” you protest, but then the two little hellions give you their best begging pouts and you know you’re about to cave in. You find yourself thinking that maybe if you do, it’ll get Grams off your case a little bit. Maybe she’ll give you a break, stop trying to push you into friendships -and relationships, so often when she’s gotta know your mom’s just going to get out, collect the three of you and move you away from Hawkins.

Even if maybe, you don’t really want to leave now. You’ll have to, because she’s your mother and she’d never survive on her own.

“Please!?”

“Pretty please?!” they chorus and you groan quietly. “Okay, alright, fiiiiine. You two want me to go so bad, go find me a dress, alright?”

The twins rush the overspilling chaotic mess you call a closet -most of the clothes inside belonged to your mother when she was your age, most of your clothes are either bolder and somehow wilder or they’re more subdued and neutral, there is no in between.

After what feels like a lifetime, the two twins are rushing back over to where you’re sitting on your bed, their arms full of dresses.

You laugh softly. “They’re cute.” you sift through the pile and you settle on the soft pink one for some reason. It’s got straps that tie at the shoulder and hopefully it’ll be long enough to at least be close to decent. It had to have been your mothers, she’s the one who had the penchant for soft pink and all things girly like your twins have. Like you would have if say, you hadn't conditioned yourself to be your mother's polar opposite for the most part because you can't let yourself repeat her cycle.

Your sister Lola brings over a soft red and black plaid flannel shirt and you wrinkle your nose. “I dunno this will work, pixie dust.”

“It’s pretty. And red makes you happy.” Lola shrugs, shuffling dirty bare feet against dark wooden floorboards. You mull it over. It’s not as if you intend to return to the church your grandmother attends religiously every wednesday and sunday of every single week, rain snow or shine. And you’re not trying to make any sort of impression, because you gave up caring what anybody thinks about you when you were around the age of your little sisters.

“Okay, alright. Guess I better go get dressed.” you shrug. And you pull yourself up off the bed, preparing to go throw on the dress and the flannel shirt.

The doorbell sounds on the floor below and the twins jump up and race down. You peer out of your bedroom window, curious.

And you flatten yourself against the soft pink walls of your mother’s old bedroom when you spot Eddie Munson’s van parked idle in the long dirt driveway leading up to your grandparents farmhouse. “What the hell, Munson? How… Okay, I never told the guy where I lived. How’d he find out?” you wonder to yourself just as the twins race back into your bedroom, the door banging shut behind them.

“You gotta get dressed. C’mon.”

“There’s a boy.” Lola wrinkles her nose. “He smells funny, kinda. Like smoke.”

“And he’s soooooooo cute. So cute.” Lulu gushes, leaning dramatically against your bedroom door.

You palm your face at your little sister despite knowing damn well that deep down, her statement is exactly what you think about Eddie sometimes. Especially when he’s focused on practicing his guitar or he’s got his nose buried in Lord of the Rings and trying to give you a dramatic reading just so you can't focus on your own horror novel of choice.. Or he’s driving around town with you with Black Sabbath or Kiss playing soft and low in the background.

But he just doesn’t see you like that.

Chrissy, yes. Yes he does. But not you.

It stings a little but knowing you’ll be leaving sooner or later somehow softens the blow. And you’re gearing up to try and shove Chrissy and Eddie together somehow because you’ve seen the way he looks at her and you know him well enough to know that if he’s looking after her when you’ve  gone, she’ll be protected.

Grams calls up the stairs to you. “You’ve got a visitor, sweetie. Make it quick, alright? We’re leavin for the church carnival in ten, soon as the red beans n’ rice are done. You’re comin too.” and you can’t tell by the tone whether the hurry up is her, giving you a little time alone with your friend or telling you to make it quick because she doesn’t want him in her house.

You throw on the pale pink sundress and the oversized flannel and you’re just tugging on your boots when you hear the twins high pitch squeals from down below. Just to keep them from swarming Eddie with a million little questions or trying to climb him like a goddamn jungle gym -something you also secretly wouldn’t mind doing, you step out of your room and make your way down the stairs.

Lola, of course, has demanded to be picked up. Eddie is currently holding her on his right hip. Giggling. Lulu is holding out his arm to admire the black ink bats that adorn the skin of his forearms. “They’re pretty! Are they birds?”

Eddie snickers. “Bats, actually.”

Your grandma locks eyes with you and you are… Not prepared for her little teasing grin. Or the way she nods her head in his direction while laughing softly and fanning herself just to make your cheeks flame hot.

“Girls, c’mon. We gotta put those costumes on, right?” Your grandmother adresses your little sisters.

“Yeah!”

“Yeah! I need my fairy wings!”

You laugh as Lola climbs down from Eddie’s arms and bolts up the stairs with lightning speed. Lulu is on her tail fussing. “The purple one is MINE. Not yours, okay?”

Your hand finds your face and you suddenly have not one clue what to say. Your grandmother wanders out of the kitchen and shoves a plastic bag into your hands bearing the name of the local department store downtown. “It’s a costume thing, lil bit.” she purrs, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, “Picked you up somethin.”

“Grams, no. I’m not a baby.”

“Would you relax?” the older woman pauses with a hand on her hip, “It’s just a pair of cat ears or a flower crown thing. Flower crown would go with that interesting combo you’ve got goin on, come to think of it. Sides… It’s not like I got to do any of this stuff when you were little. Indulge an old lady, will ya?” she throws another wink at you as she ascends the stairwell, vanishing from sight.

This leaves you and Eddie all alone in the foyer of your grandmother’s farmhouse. And suddenly, despite having worn shorter dresses or skirts than the one you wear currently, you feel naked. Dare say, vulnerable.

Doe eyes scan your body and blink slowly. Eddie wants to stop staring but he just can't. It's become a huge problem for him lately and the only comfort he has is the knowledge that you insist that as soon as your mom comes back, you'll be gone. And it's really not a comfort, he thinks to himself as his eyes roam your body while you're busy digging in the bag and thankfully, not looking at him at all, because he just doesn't want you to leave. He's not looking forward to the inevitable end, to when he won't see you, he won't be sharing a book with you in sex ed first thing in the morning. When you're not popping up at his uncle's place with leftover burgers and fries fresh off a shift after school down at the diner in town.

You occupy yourself with digging in the bag, laughing to yourself quietly as you produce the flower crown headband and pop it on your head. Laughing as you finally manage to glance up at him. All you can do is shrug. “So uh… what brings you by, Munson?”

Eddie shuffles dirty sneakers against the floor and drags his hand through frizzy brown hair. His mouth opens and closes because the whole way over, Dustin’s pep talk had been right there, spurring him on and now, suddenly.. Seeing you like this. Without the leather jacket and the little smirk or the bold red lipstick and heavy mascara, well… It’s like every thought’s left the boy’s head on sight.

He’d come over to ask if you wanted to come hang out at his uncle’s trailer tonight. Just watch horror movies and laugh at how dumb they were, how realistically, things would go way different. Gareth and Jeff would be there like usual, he just… Wanted all of his friends there.

He really wanted you there. Maybe he wants to pretend this is a date. He wants to spend the night with you, maybe in his mind he can tell himself that you'll get scared during a bloodbath on screen and bury your face in his shoulder.. Something sappy like that.

“Eddie.” you step closer, laughing. You jump up a little to snap your fingers in his face. “Earth to Munson. Come in, Munson. Do I need to get the holy water and a priest, sir? Have you been possessed? Blink twice if you’re in danger, man.” you’re teasing and laughing but all Eddie can do is stare. And try not to sniff you when the combination of strawberry shampoo and soft baked goods fills his nose and makes his mouth water like it always seems to lately.

If he keeps this up, Gareth is right. He will manage to make it awkward.

You step even closer, your body bumps up against his lightly. He bites down on the inside of his cheek and finally, the fog in his brain at the sight of you like this is clearing away. “I uh… I wanted to stop by and see if you wanted to watch horror movies out at my place tonight.” he manages to stammer out, “Gare and Jeff are going to be there too.”

Before you can answer the question, your grandmother speaks up from behind you. “She’ll be there.” and she fixes her gaze on you with a little smirk that tells you she’s definitely up to something. “I should have some brownies left. I’ll send ‘em over.” she pauses. “The special ones. The ones in the yellow dish, sweets.” she clarifies and your mouth drops open.

There is absolutely no way she’s just said what she’s said. Not only is she practically shoving you at Eddie right now, she's offering up the brownies you baked earlier to feed the guy.

“Grams, I don’t..” but she silences you. “You’re going to take that boy brownies, sweetheart. Looks like he hasn’t eaten a good meal in weeks, let alone dessert.” and promptly turns to Eddie, smirking. “Wait til you taste ‘em, oh man.” she laughs softly.

“Girls, get your sweaters. We’ll go start loading everything up in the car. Your grandpa left a little while ago, he’s in charge of the hayride.” your grandma is rushing your little sisters out the door and the door bangs shut behind the three.

It leaves you all alone with Eddie a second time. And there’s this thickness to the air. It’s smothering, sweltering even. You almost can’t breathe.

But.. you do manage to ask the question you’re dying to know the answer to. “So uh… Not that I mind or anything but like..” you pause to glance down and fidget with the sleeves of the flannel as they cover the tips of your fingers, “Who told you where I live? I really don’t mind, I swear.. It’s just..” you gesture to the door your grandmother has taken your little sisters out of, “It’s a little chaotic around here… Especially those two, they’ll climb you like a jungle gym.”

Eddie snickers. "They were kinda cute. Real talkative. Guessing that gene kinda skipped you, hm?" he's teasing you a little and you pout up at him. Fidgeting again, you can't seem to stop and he can't help but notice it. Or the way the flannel shirt is three sizes too big and it nearly swallows your hands.

And if he were one of the cockier boys to roam Hawkins High’s halls, he’d almost think the little stammering you just did or the way you’re fidgeting and you can’t look at him quite as easily as you tend to all mean that you’re flustered. But he's not, so when the thought surfaces, he pushes it aside. Because there's no way he can fluster you. Not you with the dry wit and the loud mouth, not you who can name several alternate names for a penis or tell a joke so dirty it'll make him look at you sideways and wonder where in the hell and how in the hell it came out of you to begin with.

Eddie shrugs. “Apparently Dustin and Mike babysit your sisters? And Dustin, he told me where you live.”

You smile. “Well, now you know.. You can come by, ya know.. I don’t mind.”

Eddie chuckles quietly and steps a little closer. Towering over you as he stares down at you. Biting lips you’ve fantasized about kissing way, way, way too much recently. You remind yourself that you’re setting him up with Chrissy for both of their own good and try -while failing at, shoving any and all thoughts of Eddie’s lips and what you’d like to do to them out of your mind for the moment. “Is this you admitting that maybe having a friend isn’t the worst thing in the world, midget?”

“Hey! I am not a midget. I’m fun sized, damn it.”

“Oh, I bet you are.” Eddie’s words fall away and his hand raises, smoothing hair back out of your eyes. You clench your thighs and shuffle your feet because the warmth of his hand and the coolness of the metal adorning his fingers is a contrast and it’s one that you could get used to feeling, if only you’d allow yourself.

“Save the innuendo for your little lover girl.” you snort, pretending to be the tough girl like he’s used to. You smirk up at him and tease quietly, “Yes, I know about your thing for a certain cheerleader. It’s cute. Kinda sweet in a weird and dorky way.” you shrug.

It is sweet. You just wish he looked at you like he looked at her.

But again, the knowledge that you and your sisters won’t be here much longer is what keeps the sting out of it and keeps any jealousy you might be inclined to feel at bay. And it makes things a little less awkward in that you can joke and tease him about it and knowing you’ll leave sooner or later makes it a little easier to just go with the flow.

All you want is the tattooed rocker standing almost body to body with you in your grandparents foyer to be happy. It just sucks that you’re almost willing to bet your actual life on the fact that you won’t be the one who makes him happy. Because you’ll have to leave.

It always happens.

“So uh… What time?” you ask after a few long seconds when you can feel your breath catch in your throat at least two times. Eddie shrugs. “What time are you gonna be able to slip away from the thing?”

“Well, I did say I’d stay, do stuff with my sisters. Probably like an hour or two? So around 8?”

Eddie grins. Still shocked by you without all the sass and the leather jacket and the makeup he’s used to seeing, it’s thrown him for quite the loop.

“8 works for me.” he answers quietly. Stepping even closer before he can stop himself from doing it. “Hope you’re okay with blood and guts.”

You cluck your tongue and tap a boot against the floor. “Do I look like the kinda girl who isn’t?” you ask but internally, you are probably just a shade squeamish. Reading true crime and horror like you tend to, that’s totally different. Seeing it, especially with your whole thing about mass amounts of blood… You’re just not sure how well this is going to go.

Eddie walks you over to the Impala and opens the driver door for you. And it happens again, you find yourself body to body with him and instead of sinking down to sit in the driver seat like you were about to, you hesitate. You raise a hand to brush some hair out of his face and you laugh softly. “I’ll uh.. See you then.”

“Yeah.” he gives you that lazy grin and after you sit down, he shuts the door to your car. You watch him as he walks away to his waiting van and you let out several long and ragged breaths as you lean your forehead against the steering wheel.

And you tell yourself for the millionth time that you cannot, you absolutely cannot fall in love with Eddie Munson.

But somehow, you know deep down that it’s too late and you’re fucked with a capital F.

[rabcantswim]

in the meantime of me working on rcu (regulus cinematic universe), i thought about just sharing some of my own headcanons of other characters who may or may not intervene in regulus's story. these things i will be describing have still happened and are sort of canon in the world where my short stories take place.

please do keep in mind that we all envision marauders & co. in different ways which means my marlene/mary/sirius/remus might not fit your own imagination exactly. i am just opening my imagination to you and you are more than welcome to take whatever fits for your own depiction of the character and leave the rest be. no need for crude words if you do not agree.

if you'll have any questions about a headcanon or are curious to know more of my ideas about a certain character(s) who hadn't been mentioned more in-depth - my inbox is open so please redirect your possible questions over there :)

♥ marlene headcanons here ♥ ♙dorcas headcanons over here♙

and now for best girl mary macdonald: just to be safe I'm going to put a TRIGGER WARNING for death, rape, and assault before this. i won't describe any details but i do mention that characters get murdered and a character gets assaulted and raped, and another one gets assaulted. there is also an insensitive joke made by someone who does not know the details of what happened. so please be wary of that. take care of yourself and put yourself first if you need to <3

i see her as a gryffindor

i don't have a certain image, i could never pinpoint what she looks like in my head

she has an older muggle brother who she loves dearly and was upset that she had to leave behind while going to hogwarts

hagrid ABSOLUTELY adores this girl. they both have the same wonderous way of looking at the wizarding world. they share their love for magical creatures, hagrid because he's hagrid, and mary, because she's muggleborn and never dreamed things from her children's books, could be real.

hagrid brings creatures to show to mary and tells her all about them and she says she wishes he could teach them care of magical creatures. mary really believes in him, sees his passion for the subject, and beckons him to try to apply for the position in the future.

she wanted to become a hogwarts professor herself and it was sirius who sparked that want in her.

all the way back in their first few years of school lily could not stand the marauders. sirius didn't want to constantly bug remus with questions about the muggle world - when it was before a full moon or after he couldn't ask him anyway, since he got moody or was unconscious.

sirius didn't want remus to think he was that ignorant but he didn't even know the bare minimum that james did and was super embarrassed about it. and since lily disliked him, he went to the only other muggleborn he knew in his first year which happened to be mary.

at first, he was super embarrassed about asking all the questions bc he thought that mary would make fun of him for not knowing. but she was always super excited to talk about muggle stuff since she didn't have anyone to talk to about the world she grew up in yet.

mary was so SO happy that sirius, as a pureblood, was interested to know more. she was just as nervous and embarrassed as sirius for not knowing much about the wizarding world so, in turn, sirius would answer her questions if she had any, but it was mostly sirius who came running whenever he thought of something.

sometimes he even asked questions mary didn't have the answer to, so she had to write letters to her older brother for answers.

after sirius figured out how comfortable talking about her world mary was, sirius always ran to her super excited shouting things like: "mary, Mary, MAry, MARY! what the bloody hell is a lava lamp and where can i buy one RIGHT NOW?!"

the amount of attention and curiosity he expressed about muggle stuff led to mary having the cutest little crush on sirius because let's be honest, if you're like 11-14 and a boy is willing to listen to you talk about washing machines and lava lamps and muggle school or anything else and he PAYS ATTENTION? he's special.

mary's brother loved music a lot so mary had a lot of niche knowledge about muggle bands and music shops. she wrote sirius the addresses for some that were in London to check them out in the summer.

it was mary who introduced sirius to bowie and beatles, but sirius loved freddie mercury the most.

since marry was used to such respectful and curious behavior from sirius as a pureblood she thought all purebloods were this nice while asking about the muggle world. so, it was a huge reality check when she forgot her quill and ink and wrote her notes with a glitter pen that she had in her bag and some group of pureblood kids in the class noticed.

one of them asked her about it obviously mocking her. the kids were snickering while mary enthusiastically explained to them how the pens worked, where she bought them, and that they help her with learning because she can color code with them. she even suggests they try them out for themselves and hands the pen to the boy that asked her about it.

now the kids are in absolute disbelief that she would think they would touch or use something muggles use so they just stare at her not knowing if she's serious or she's just making fun of them as well. when they realize she means it they call her probably every bad word an 11-year-old pureblood wizard kid could know, insult the muggle world, call the stuff she uses barbaric and stupid and one of the kids sends out a spell on the glitter pen and it explodes in mary's hands and ruins her notes for the class. it gets on her robes and face as well.

lily comes to her rescue and helps her clean up. after that she insists mary be seated somewhere far away from those kids. and lily always gets what she wants bc she's absolutely valid with her reasons why.

when sirius hears about what happened he insists they prank the shit out of those purebloods.

from then on whenever sirius asks mary about muggle stuff he's 10 times more excited to learn and always makes sure to let her know that whatever she was talking about is super cool to him (which it is most of the time).

her and sirius dated for a few months in their third year but decided to stay friends later. sirius was way too childish for mary's liking and would often prefer to spend time with the boys being up to no good. they stayed close friends anyway but sometimes mary would catch herself wishing that they would have worked out.

so bare with me now... there's this asshole guy cepheus (collin) black - he's an older cousin to the black brothers and sisters, one year ahead of sirius and two of regulus. in my upcoming continuation of the "regulus cinematic universe", you will learn about him bc he's VERY IMPORTANT to the story. the most crucial thing you need to know about him is that he is a monster. (fun fact, in my brain i cast him as bill skarsgard, especially when he was in hemlock grove. he's handsome which collin definitely is but there's that strange creepy edge to him. exactly like collin. you'll also learn why i call him collin in the upcoming story. everything has its reasons).

see i'm talking about him here now bc it's actually him who attacked mary in her sixth year, not mulciber. although it kinda gets blamed on mulciber for cover. collin is a scary seventh year, basically the boss of the soon-to-be death eaters at school.

he (collin) had assaulted and raped another slytherin girl - ida rookwood - in the restricted section where he left her afterward a few months prior to attacking mary. and it's actually regulus who finds ida afterward and helps her get out of there.

collin is headboy while remus and regulus are both prefects, idk if that was an actual rule, i don't think it was in canon, but in my canon the heaboy/girl and prefects have access to the library's restricted section whenever they like. just one of the privileges.

when regulus is sneaking ida rookwood out remus sees them and notices her disheveled look, ripped skirt, and how she's clinging to regulus. he doesn't think much of it, trying to keep out of slytherin business but of course, when he mentions these things to sirius he assumes regulus and ida might possibly be a thing or at least are doing things together.

ida actually gets pregnant with collins baby. sirius has the audacity to claim that he could have a secret niece or nephew out there because regulus was seen with ida around the time she must have gotten pregnant. sirius of course never learns the truth. no one does.

regulus tries to ask ida about what happened and she denies his suspicion that it was collin who had done it and denies that anyone has raped her because she fears him. she asks regulus to just let it go. and while trying to cling to the hope that his cousin would never do such horrible thing to a fellow student - because he and regulus are pretty tight - deep down in his gut he feels he knows. but he respects ida and realizes that if she's not willing to report it to the authority he can't do much about it bc he doesn't have any evidence or proof, only a hunch.

regulus does clean up for collin like... all the time. and gets punished or blamed for a lot of the things collin does, seriously.. whenever this poor boy (regulus) does anything good, he gets punished for it. you'll see.. we'll delve into the things mentioned above in regulus's story. back to mary now though. this is about her, i just wanted you to have this piece of information about who collin is.

mary is able to defend herself when collin attacks her. she uses a spell that opens a wound on collin's stomach. he has to leave because he's bleeding a lot.

the rain is pouring outside as regulus - on his mission given to him by a mystery character (too many spoilers) - tries to come up with a plan while headed to a mystery place.

and on his way, he sees little drops of something. at first, he thinks it's just the rain that got in bc the wind is picking up and he's walking through the courtyard. but when he looks closer there are many more and seem to be leading somewhere. and most importantly they aren't colorless as you'd expect. they look like blood.

at the end of the trail, he finds mary drenched in water sitting in the hallway leaning on the wall.

she has bruises in multiple places that can and cannot be seen by regulus - including her hips, wrists, left thigh, and one very small near her lips along with a gash on her cheek and upper lip, and scraped knees with little droplets of blood forming on them.

now, i won't get into regulus's struggles with deciding if he should help mary or not, i'll save that for another time. just believe that he has many thoughts going through his head in mere seconds.

he has never interacted with mary. didn't have a reason or a chance to. he's only ever seen her once holding hands with sirius in their third year and she's only ever seen him at slytherin quidditch matches but you can't get a good look at those.

regulus makes sure to let mary know that he means no harm. still, he does not introduce himself for fear that mary could tell people it was him who helped her and his "friend group" of future death eaters would be suspicious of him and potentially could exclude him. and he's not sure if he wants that.

mary thinks regulus looks a bit familiar though they never interacted, she's unsure if she can trust him. regulus is genuine (basically lets the qualities i mentioned in my dorcas headcanons shine), so mary allows him to help her in the end. but the whole time she's clutching her wand ready to defend herself and survive.

regulus wants to make sure she's alright and again, he has a hunch this could have been collin's doing (at first just a hunch, later he is pretty sure for reasons i cannot tell you, bc spoilers!!). he doesn't ask her about it since the first priority is to make sure she's not hurt. he asks her if the person who attacked her touched her in any wrong way that she would not like to which she shakes her head no.

regulus helps her get up and stumbles to the infirmary with her where he helps madam pomfrey get mary on a bed. pomfrey asks him if he saw anything or has any idea what happened or who could have attacked her but regulus of course cannot be sure yet, so he opts for the truth. he says that he found her like this. pomfrey also calls him by his name and mary hears it which is going to be important in a minute.

the news flies around the castle almost immediately. after about an hour passes it gets to the marauders, lily, and marlene and they all insist on visiting mary.

pomfrey is desperate because mary doesn't want to say what happened so when they come, she hopes maybe mary will talk to her friends. in desperation to bring justice to the person who has done her harm she lets lily and marlene come all the way to her bed to try and speak with mary. the boys stay a little behind, but they can still hear everything.

so, lily tries to talk to her but the only thing that mary is able to murmur in her state is "regulus".

at this point sirius has already left home, he and regulus are on pretty thin ice. sirius is slowly losing all hope with regulus even though regulus is finding more and more need to do good in himself. due to lack of contact and regulus's cold exterior sirius thinks it's the other way around.

when he hears mary utter his brother's name in a fit of rage, sirius assumes the worst. that it must have been regulus who hurt mary. he doesn't believe that regulus did it by himself, sirius knows his brother couldn't cause someone these injuries on his own. but he still took part in hurting mary somehow. maybe his friends dared him to or wanted his help.

sirius goes to deal with regulus immediately. he ignores remus shouting after him to just wait for a second, while james goes straight to madam pomfrey to ask. he on the other hand does not believe regulus would be capable of such a thing for no reason. because he can't imagine there would be a reason to do this.

the rest of the marauders and the girls get an explanation out of madam pomfrey and put two and two together. regulus wouldn't have brought her here if he did it right?

the story goes on after this, there is so much more to it but it isn't relevant to mary, so you'll have to wait for my regulus stories to learn more if you'd like.

hagrid is heartbroken after he finds out what happened to mary. especially because mary is a lot different after the attack. she's traumatized by the attack and will often lash out at her friends when they try to comfort her saying stuff like: "the things... you cannot imagine the things he told me before i was able to hurt him. he's sick in the head!"

she's not as excited about the wizarding world and its wonders, she refuses to practice magic in class for a while, and she doesn't talk much not even to hagrid or sirius.

lily is there for her a lot, she makes sure she talks with mary every day because mary can go days without saying a word unless spoken to.

marlene tries her best as well. they've never been best of friends they hung out together mostly bc of lily but since the attack marlene's behavior toward mary changed. she grows very protective of mary. she invites mary to watch her quidditch practices and matches so that she doesn't have to be alone at weekends. marlene sits with mary in the library when she studies, when they don't have the next class together and she notices that mary looks uncomfortable at the thought of walking around the school alone, marlene accompanies her to her next class, the great hall, library or to her dormitory, or anywhere she wants to go before her own classes are to begin.

marlene just really wants to be there if anyone tries to attack mary again, especially because since the attack there are many supporters of voldemort's ideology/collin's friends paying attention to mary in school. they are waiting for their moment to avenge collin bc they know they'll get recognition and maybe a higher position in his eyes.

thankfully collin is not present at hogwarts next year since he finished his studies. the marauders take over and dominate the hogwarts student body fairly quickly. they of course aren't unbeatable, but they do have a lot of respect on their name along with ways of getting rid of annoying nosey people and that helps a lot.

but the main reason why hagrid takes this whole deal so personally is because he had been oppressed and falsely accused bc of tom riddle who was a student, just as collin is right now, to the point that it got him expelled from school and he was forbidden to do magic. mary is vocal that she doesn't want to teach at hogwarts anymore, she didn't even want to come back for her last year at hogwarts but hagrid tells her his whole story. how he didn't get to finish his education (it's the first time he shares it with anyone). so hagrid connects with her even more now since they have both gone through something traumatic that they didn't deserve, and it ruined their view and use of magic.

the rest of the gang tries to convince her to finish her studies as well and she decides she will in the end (a big part of the reason she agrees to go is that collin will be gone next year, but it still doesn't make her feel safe).

another thing mary is vocal about is the use of magic. she doesn't want it anymore. she wants to come back to the muggle ways, and wants to forget about the wizarding world. that's another thing that absolutely breaks hagrid's heart due to the fact he remembers how much she loved everything about it and how excited she was when she first came to hogwarts.

the war is about to be in its prime when mary is graduating. she tells her friends and hagrid that after she does, she's going to pack up her family and move them to someplace safe and go with them. once they are safe and somewhere else than england she will break her wand and never use magic again.

it breaks everyone's hearts but they respect her choice and plan to go on a trip together before mary moves away. to say a proper goodbye and celebrate the end of school.

when she graduates and goes home to see her family there's a little card with her name on it at the door to the house. it says, "your graduation gift :)" and when she walks inside, she finds her parents and brother dead. they had been dead for a few days. i don't think it's hard to guess which crazy death eater who wanted revenge for mary slicing his stomach could have done this.

what happened to the macdonalds gets in the newspapers. lily, marlene, and the boys try to reach out to mary but she doesn't want to see anyone. nobody has heard from her since then

it's only much much later, in the '90s when hagrid hears of rumors that she might be pregnant and people are afraid that if the child is born with magical powers and isn't allowed to use them, they will become an obscurus. 'till this day they still don't know what exactly collin has done to mary.

[sableflynn]

Out unseen - ch. 4

first | previous | next

Now presenting Marcus angst plus a casual convo between Felicia and Volkan 😈 yeah uh if you’re here for the spicy whump that’ll be back next chapter

cw: kidnapping, noncon touch, references/threat of noncon, captivity, just uhh overall dread? people having a bad time

Also on Ao3

---

She was gone.

Marcus had circled around as soon as he could, weaving through the maze of shipping crates, desperate to lose the guards tailing him. It might have been a few minutes or it might have been hours; when he made his way back to the meeting point, it was deserted. Even the dead man’s blood had been cleaned up. It was as if no one had ever been there at all.

And Felicia was gone.

And Marcus had let her get taken because he had turned tail and run like a coward, because he wasn’t brave enough to break his promise to her and fight for her. He should’ve thrown himself at them and done whatever it took to get her to safety. Instead, he ran.

He didn’t head straight home. He walked the city, scouring the streets for the tiniest fragment of something to point him in the right direction. Eventually he ended up at Volkan’s mansion, a luxurious estate in the heart of the upper-west side. For hours, he cased the outer grounds, shivered in the hedges, waiting for a car to return or a light to turn on or some indication that someone was home.

No one ever showed up. And if Volkan wasn’t bringing her to his house, where were they? Visions flashed through his mind of Felicia tied up in some secluded warehouse, or dumped in a shallow grave in the middle of the woods, or—

No. He would find her. They would all find her, together.

The sky was lightening with the faintest glow of dawn as Marcus finally made his way home on legs that barely worked. He was going to walk into their house alone, and the others would see him alone and immediately know.

As he approached the front door with its peeling paint and worn knocker, he was brought back to that night the week before, returning home after the dance had changed everything. And now he had left Felicia with the same man who had forced that change on them, fuck.

Elyse was waiting for him as he stepped through the threshold. She greeted him with a hug, and he said nothing as her eyes moved from his face to look over his shoulder. Looking for Felicia, he knew. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, and Marcus shattered.

“She’s gone,” he managed to gasp out. “He took her, she’s gone, she’s with him, and I just—I—”

“Hey. Come sit.” Anna was at his side, one warm hand on his shoulder, guiding him to the table. Elyse was frozen, still staring at the door as if she was waiting for Felicia to walk in. Marcus felt like he was moving in slow motion as he allowed himself to be sat down at the table. He was faintly aware of the others around him, Kailo and Darya pulling some extra chairs up to the table and Elyse finally, finally coming to join them with that distant, lost look in her eye.

“It was my fault,” he said at last. “We were—I let him take her, and I couldn’t save her, I fucked up and now—”

“Marcus.” He couldn’t help but look up at the bite to Anna’s voice; her expression softened as their eyes met. “We need to know what happened if we’re going to do anything about it.”

We can still do something about it. He wasn’t alone. He let out a slow, shaking breath and forced himself to look at the others.

“He was buying a person,” he said. “That was the trade deal. It wasn’t weapons or drugs or whatever, it was a fucking person.” He clenched his fists on the table till his nails dug into his palms. “And we just...god, it was so stupid but we just couldn’t leave this guy there, we had to try…”

“I don’t blame you,” Darya said, and there was a cold fury in her voice that Marcus had never heard before.

“Volkan caught her.” Marcus squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back the images flashing through his mind—Felicia dragged to Volkan, his hand on her face while a man bled out and died behind him. “And then he killed the man he was buying. Like he was nothing. And then I—I ran.” The last word came out as a sob.

“Marcus, you…” Kailo was hesitant, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. “If you both got caught, we never would’ve known what happened. But you came back, and now we can find her—”

“Or she’s already dead.” Terror clutched at Marcus’s chest as he said it, but he had to voice the thought that had been consuming him since Felicia had vanished. “He took her and shot her and dumped her body in a shallow grave somewhere. Got rid of one more thorn in his side.”

Elyse spoke for the first time since Marcus had gotten home. “He isn’t going to kill her.” Beneath her exhaustion, her eyes blazed. “Not right away, anyway. He was clearly...buying that person for a reason.” Her voice dripped with disgust. “And he just...decided Felicia would work better. For whatever god-awful fucked up thing he’s planning.” She swallowed, took a deep breath that almost sounded of a sob. “She has to still be alive.”

Marcus clung to the tiny tendril of hope Elyse gave him. She had to be alive.

They just had to find her and get her out while there was still something of her to save.

“He wasn’t at his house.” Marcus thought back on the manor, silent as a tomb in the night. “I went and searched and waited there all night. I was sure they’d come back eventually, but...I don’t know where else he could’ve taken her.”

“We’ll find her.” Anna’s voice was steel. “There has to be something we can follow. Who was there? What else did you see?”

He didn’t want to revisit the scene in his mind. He didn’t want to remember anything about this night. But he forced himself to think back, the secluded docks filtering into his mind, Volkan and Becker chatting under the dim lamplight while a man shivered beside them. “It was the docks, the southern port. Volkan and Becker, and a few guards, and the...the man they were selling.”

“Becker? That businessman?” Elyse tilted her head, then turned to Anna, half-lost in her own thoughts. “Anna, I think…”

Anna was already nodding. “I’m on it.”

“Who was the man?” Kailo’s voice was small. “The one they were...the one they…”

The one Volkan murdered. The one who would still be alive, if Marcus and Felicia had done what they had gone there to do and haven’t stuck their noses in. “I don’t know.” He hated saying it. He never would know, now. “His face was covered the entire time. And then he died.”

“They’re fucked up.” Darya’s fists were clenched.

“And if we—” Marcus buried his face in his hands, overcome, and then forced himself to continue. “If we had just gotten the fucking pictures and gotten out of there, we could take them down, and Felicia would be fine, she’d be here with us—”

Elyse stopped him. “We’ll get her back.”

“How?”

“We will.” She reached across the table and took his hand. “We’re not leaving her. Not for an instant. We’ll find her. We’ll talk to people—”

“We can’t go to the police,” Anna cut in. “They’re in his pocket.”

“Not the police,” Elyse agreed. “People we trust. We have to move carefully. But we won’t stop until we have her back.”  

A wave of exhaustion washed over Marcus as he looked between his friends’ faces: Darya simmering with anger just below the surface, Kailo heartbroken, determined, Anna already planning her next steps, and Elyse…

“We should get some sleep,” Elyse said, her eyes red and lined with weariness. “We need to be able to think clearly about this. We...we can’t rush into things.” Rubbing at her face, she stood to leave the table.

“Elyse—” Marcus couldn’t stop himself from grabbing her hand. “I just—all of you, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I…” He struggled to find the words. I fucked up. I lost her. She’s gone.

Elyse opened her mouth to speak, shut it with a sad smile, and paused before finally saying, “We’ll find her.” She slipped her hand from Marcus’s and left the room, the solid wooden door shutting behind her. Through the door, he could hear the faintest sound of sobbing.

***

The first thing Felicia was aware of was a soft, persistent scratching noise.

A pen on paper, she realized belatedly. Then at all once, the floodgate burst open, and she was struck with all of the other sensations around her—the firm cushioning of the chair she sat in, her bare feet on a hardwood floor, coarse bindings tight against her arms and legs. The scent of leather and old books. Tendrils of magic in the air, the faintest trace, but enough to set her teeth on edge with the ghost of pain.

His touch sent magic coursing through her like a bolt of electricity, lighting all her nerves on fire, and then he’d held her and whispered in her ear as he slipped a needle in her vein and ushered her into darkness.

Her stomach churned at the memory. Pushing it down, she opened her eyes the thinnest crack.

She was in a stately office, with dark walls lined with bookshelves and a gleaming mahogany desk. Sitting at the desk, studying some papers and scratching notes in the margin, was Volkan—

She slammed her eyes shut at the sight of him, her mind flooded with the memories she had forced down. Volkan’s hands caressing her cheek, Marcus vanishing into the night, a man bleeding out from his slit throat—

She let out the smallest gasp at the memory, and the scratch of pen on paper was silenced. Then the scrape of a chair against the floor sent a shiver through her and, defeated, she opened her eyes once again.

Volkan sauntered towards her, savoring. She flexed instinctively against the rough ropes holding her, and his lips twitched in a smile. He had killed someone and kidnapped her and tied her up and now he was walking towards her with that smile on his face and she couldn’t do a thing about it.

He pulled up a chair and sat across from her. Posture relaxed, he said nothing for several heartbeats, his gaze exploring her body. She swallowed and suppressed a shudder.

He broke the silence first. “You’re awake.”

“You’re observant,” she snapped.

“You don’t have to worry.” He leaned forward to wrap one hand loosely around her throat and rest his thumb along her windpipe. Her pulse jumped under his touch. “I just want to talk. I don’t have to hurt you yet.”

Felicia refused to allow herself to dwell on the yet. “If you just want to talk,” she said instead, “why am I tied to a chair?”

His eyes trailed over her again, lingering over the ropes digging into her soft skin, and he said nothing. She was still clothed, but had never felt so exposed.

Then he shrugged. “Fair enough.” He crouched at her feet and began undoing the ropes binding her ankles to the chair.

As the first ropes fell away, she suppressed the urge to lash out and kick his face. He was so close, so intent on undoing the knots...and her boots were gone and her wrists were still tied, and she knew he would pay back anything she did to him in triple.

If she was going to get out of here alive, she needed to be strategic. Stall him and placate him, and move very carefully when the opportunity presented itself. And survive whatever he had planned for her.

Then he untied her wrists, his warm skin brushing hers, and she couldn’t help it—she knew he was watching her, waiting, but she couldn’t help but twist around in her chair and look at the door behind her.

She could make a move right now. She could leap over the back of the chair, throw herself at the door, pray it wasn’t locked—pray whatever he’d drugged her with didn’t make her clumsy and slow—and if she fell he’d catch up to her and tower over her while she lay vulnerable on the ground, and he would—he’d—

Swallowing down bile, clenching her fists, she turned back to face Volkan again. He was grinning, taking in every twitch of her fingers, every flicker of her eyes.

Holding her chin high, she said, “Talk, then.”

“I just want to know more about you.” Volkan studied her as he lounged against one arm of the chair, as if they were two acquaintances catching up over coffee. “You’re so clearly out of your depth. How does some no-name healer from the east side end up embroiled in investigating the most powerful man in the city?”

Something in his question prickled at her. “I’m not a—”

“Not a healer? You’re not Felicia Haywood, graduate of Trisgate University, working as a healer at Gentle Care Clinic up on South Hill?” Her stomach dropped with each word, and he laughed mirthlessly. “For god’s sake, Felicia, you interned at a hospital I own. It’s easy to learn anything I want about you.” His smile broadened. “And your friend Marcus, too.”

The mention of Marcus, hearing his name from this man’s lips, jolted through her awareness, and she gripped the arms of the chair with white knuckles. “Where is he? If you hurt him—”

“Wouldn’t that be something? To have you both here, play you off of each other…” Volkan gave a wistful sigh. “He managed to slip my guards last night. I’m sure he’ll turn up sooner or later.”

Felicia exhaled, nearly sagging with relief, but Volkan pushed further. “You didn’t answer my question. Why did you suspect me?”

How much does he really know? She studied his face, trying to gauge what would be safe to tell him, and what would reveal too much. “Maybe you don’t have quite the flawless public image you think you do,” she began slowly.

He laughed. “We both know that isn’t true. My image is spotless.” He placed one hand on her knee, and even that tiny touch sent a tremor of fear through her. “Try again,” he said, “and remember, the longer you talk, the longer it’ll be before I drag you upstairs and give you exactly what you’ve deserved ever since you threw yourself into my arms at that dance.”

Her breath caught in her throat, and his hand on her knee was fire, burning her body, lighting up every place he had ever touched her. She swallowed down a sob, and one thought arose in her mind: stall him. Marcus had escaped, and her friends knew where she was. She just had to hold out until they were able to rescue her.

Breathing deeply, she gathered her thoughts, gently probing at and untangling painful memories buried deep within her mind. “It was a few years ago, when I interned at Greater Mercy Hospital. Your hospital,” she added, the faintest trace of bitterness in her voice. “I had a patient there, and one day I went into work and he was...gone. No records, no trace of him at all. Like he had never existed.”

She still remembered how lost she had felt that day. No one else would even acknowledge that the patient had ever existed. She’d worried she was imagining things, losing her grip from the constant stress of her schooling...and then Dr. Sousa had pulled her aside to talk. “My supervisor met with me privately. He said it had happened before. And he...he was so secretive, he didn’t trust anyone, but he just...he pointed me down a trail.” She swallowed. “And then he vanished too. And I followed the trail he’d shown me.” And here I am.

“Your supervisor was Victor Sousa, yes? I remember him.” Volkan’s voice brought her out of the fog of memory, and she was staring into his cold eyes once again. “If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t kill him. The starvation did.”

He was so matter-of-fact, and for a moment she couldn’t speak. She’d known by now he must be dead, but for Volkan to be so casual about it—and here she was with him now, trapped in his house, completely at his mercy—

No. My friends will find me. They had to.

Volkan stood then and paced around her, a predator circling his prey, and she was frozen in her seat. Trembling, she breathed, “Why are you doing this?”

“How many people are you working with?”

His voice was behind her now, above, and he was leaning on the back of her chair. She couldn’t bring herself to look up at him. “What?”

“You heard me.” She could feel him looming over her, simmering with tension. “Is it just you and Marcus? Or are there more friends I should be worried about?”

Was this a test? How much information did he already have? Was he toying with her? All she knew, with a bone-deep determination, was that she couldn’t let him find the others. She would stall, lie, take anything to keep them safe. Desperate to buy time, she allowed fear to soften her voice. “Please don’t...I can’t.”

The click of his shoes on the hardwood was deafening to her ear. He was in front of her again, towering at full height above her, and he took her chin in a rough hand. “Don’t make me ask again.”

He wasn’t going to let her stay silent; she had to give him something, just enough to point him in the wrong direction, get him off their trail. Mind racing, she took a deep breath and forced herself to speak. “We...we’re a team. There’s around twenty of us. It—It’s an underground network, investigating—” She jerked her chin from his hand, scowling. “Fighting against you and your corrupt friends that think they can own this city.”

For a long moment he said nothing, studying her face. Her heart was hammering. She didn’t breathe. Please, please. “You’re a terrible liar,” he said at last, and he smiled. “So it really is just the two of you, then. Good. That makes my life easier.” He settled back into his chair.

She held her breath to avoid revealing herself with a sigh of relief. He’d taken her decoy—for now—but he was still watching her like a hawk, appraising. A shiver ran through her at his piercing gaze. “Other people will be looking for me,” she finally managed to say. “My job will notice I’m missing. You can’t just—you can’t keep me here!”

“I’ll admit it was a bit impulsive, what I did last night.” Volkan lounged in his chair, once again perfectly at ease, completely in control of the conversation. “That boy had no one, and no one will miss him now that he’s dead. He was no one.” Bitter grief struck Felicia then, at the thought of that man dying alone and unknown. Volkan didn’t give him another moment’s consideration. “But you, Felicia...you have a job, and friends. People know you. It was a risk, taking you.” He leaned forward, completely boxing her into her seat with his body. “But the things I’m going to do to you...I think it’ll be worth it.”

The cruel hunger in his smile left her speechless. Overcome with dread, she pressed herself into the back of the seat, her breath quickening, her hands clutching the arms of the chair. His eyes tracked each movement with a lazy appreciation.

“Don’t worry about your job,” he said, placing a mock-comforting hand on her thigh, one thumb caressing. “They’ll be getting a letter from you this morning, letting them know you had to leave town for a family emergency. You don’t know when you’ll be back.” His touch deepened, still burning into her skin through her clothes. “And if they decide to dig too deeply into things, it’ll be easy enough to shut them down forever.”

Gritting her teeth, she shoved his hand off of her, and he let her with a grin. “You can’t just do this forever,” she hissed. “You can’t just crush everyone who inconveniences you. At some point you’re going to fall.” She needed to believe it was true.

“Then I might as well enjoy everything I have while I can.” Volkan stood again, and his eyes slid down her body with a barely-concealed hunger. “Now, why don’t I show you to your new room?”

“No!” Panic seized Felicia like a vice gripping her chest. She pressed herself against the chair, unable to take a deep breath, throwing another desperate glance at the door behind her. It was too much, all at once—the knowledge of where she was, who she was with, what he would do to her.

“It’s happening either way,” he said, pulling her up by the arm as if she weighed nothing, “and it’ll hurt less if you don’t fight.” With rough hands on her shoulders, he shoved her out of the office and forced her down the hallway.

She couldn’t do it. She wouldn’t. He was going to walk her upstairs and rape her and probably kill her after, because she was some rat who dared to stand against him, and she couldn’t let it happen while she waited for her friends to find her. All thoughts of enduring until the moment was right fled her mind. She needed to get out now.

He hasn’t tied my hands, she realized dimly as she was forced along the hallway. He hadn’t tied her hands, and he was relying on her fear and his strength to keep her there. This was her last chance to take him by surprise.

Her bare feet caught on the rug underneath and she allowed herself to stumble, falling to one knee. A soft sob escaped her, and she thought, he loves to get close. Let him get close...

His breath was at her ear, one hand on the back of her neck. “You must be exhausted,” he murmured. “You poor—”

She slammed her head back into his face as she shot to her feet, skull colliding with his nose. He grunted in pain and his hands were off her and she ran, throwing herself down the hallway, adrenaline coursing through her.

Scrambling around the corner, she saw the ornate oak door of the front hall. I just need to get out to the street. Volkan’s mansion was surrounded by the bustle of the city. If she could just make it outside, someone would have to hear her, help her. Even he can’t explain away someone running screaming from his house—

She threw the door open and stopped short at the threshold.

The grounds were neatly manicured, a single road leading away from the mansion. A thicket of woods sprawled as far as her eyes could see, and to one side—a lake, morning mist swirling about the surface. The sky was blush with the light of dawn, and she could just barely make out mountains in the distance. No streets, no buildings. No other people.

They weren’t in Trisgate at all.

Volkan stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her chest, pulling her close to his body. Stunned, she didn’t fight him. “Where are we?”

He pressed a gentle kiss into her hair. “Somewhere no one will ever look for you.”

[bsxcrxts]

out of the woods yet // Steve Harrington x librarian!reader

chapter one

Summary: Steve finds himself bizarrely curious about the new employee at Hawkins Public Library

Content Warning: nothing really! this is all set up for the real stuff. I'm posting this to this blog bc there WILL be smut eventually (hopefully later this week mwahaha)

Word Count: 1k

A/N: I'm going to try to write a thousand words a day each day until s4 drops and then maybe past that if I like the way the series turns out. This is a lot more tame than my usual stuff (so far) but also will become more angst/smut heavy down the road I think, if I can keep up with it  lol

Series Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What took you so long?” Steve chastises as Dustin slams down the English-to-Russian dictionary on the back room table of Scoops Ahoy.

“First of all, I biked all the way across town and back,” Dustin starts. “And second of all, the librarians there hate me. Probably because I keep taking books without checking them out.”

Steve vaguely remembers there once was something Dustin mentioned about an annoying librarian last year when he had tried to research what species Dart was. He can’t remember the rest of the details. “You did that again? What’s-her-name is going to be pissed.”

“Her name is Marissa,” Dustin says, in that tone that he uses when he’s proud of knowing something that everyone else doesn’t, “but it wasn’t her. There’s a new one, some younger girl,” Dustin continues.

This intrigues Steve, but he’s not sure why. Maybe because if it was someone who grew up in Hawkins, Dustin would have known and used her name, because Dustin somehow knows everything. He didn’t, so she must be new in town, and if Steve is honest with himself, the prospect of a girl who never knew him during high school seems like it could be an opportunity. No, opportunity is the wrong word, his mind corrects him, but he can’t exactly deduce what he actually means. Opportunity seems like he’s expecting something. He’s not. A chance, maybe, is the right term. Like maybe this time, he could make sure he wouldn’t fuck it all up, and that King Steve persona would finally be behind him for good. A voice in his head murmurs the word bullshit, and he snaps out of his trance, unable to resist asking for more information. “A younger girl?” Steve echoes.

“Younger than Marissa.” Dustin has already opened the dictionary, fully focused on the pages, and not Steve’s sudden interest in the ages of the employees of Hawkins Public Library.

Steve pauses. That doesn’t really narrow it down. Marissa is probably forty, from what little Steve remembers of her. “But older than you?” Steve presses.

“Yes, like… twenty something, I think?” Dustin mutters impatiently.

Steve can’t help himself. “What was she like? She pretty?”

Dustin looks at Steve like he’s grown gills and turned into a swamp monster from one of those old cheesy horror films with the bad effects that used to terrify Steve as a kid, but have since lost their appeal after everything he’s seen. Steve evaluates his options and chooses to stick to his decision to get sidetracked and act like Dustin is the one who’s crazy.

“What??” Steve asks, amused.

“Dude, why does it matter? Let’s just try to translate this before someone figures out we know about this transmission in the first place,” Dustin says incredulously.

Steve drops the subject.

~~~~~~~~~~

Obviously, Steve doesn’t think about the new librarian for a while. After his third concussion in three years, Steve is surprised he remembers the conversation about her at the beginning of the Starcourt Mall disaster at all. The skin around his eye has almost healed, tinged that off-yellow color that bruises turn before they disappear, but his lip is still slightly split when two weeks later, Dustin shoves the dictionary at him.

Or what remains of the dictionary. The back cover is torn and the pages are dog-eared, bent, and the spine is cracked from the group’s stressful research. The edges of half of the book are stained with something that looks like it could be blood or ketchup, and the entire book has warped.

“What’re you giving this to me for?” Steve balks. He didn’t even know Dustin still had it– he assumed it was destroyed in the battle or shortly after when the city started tearing the mall down. He supposes all things considered, the condition could be worse. He also knows there’s no way the library is gonna want the book back when they see its condition.

“Return it for me,” Dustin says, like it’s obvious. “Please?”

“Seriously? I run your errands now?” Steve demands, still not taking the book, partially for the sake of arguing, partially because it looks gross. All things considered, this is one of the easier things Dustin has ever asked him to do, and Steve knows he should be lucky Dustin isn’t asking him to investigate an inter-dimensional slug-demon-thing again or something equally weird and terrifying. Privately, he’s impressed at the resilience of his younger friend to go on treating him the same no matter how many times the world threatens to end. On a shallower level, Steve’s interest in learning more about the librarian Dustin met the last time he was there is winning over. He reminds himself that he doesn’t even know her name or what she looks like, but there’s probably no harm in curiosity, Steve figures.

Dustin sees right through him and grins smugly, “I thought you could meet the new librarian, since you were so weird about it before,” he says, again trying to hand Steve the book.

The state of the dictionary disgusts even Steve (who has been known to neglect a book or two in his past) as he looks at it, and he’s not looking forward to this being his first introduction with the potentially pretty, young, new-in-town librarian. Then he remembers that Dustin didn’t check out the book in the first place, which has the potential to make the librarian even madder. Maybe Dustin isn’t even trying to set Steve up with this woman after all, maybe he just really doesn’t want to show his face in Hawkins Public Library for real.

Dustin offers him an out when Steve doesn’t respond to his playful goading. “They’re hiring, I saw the sign. Maybe you can check it out,” he says, gesturing with the book again.

Steve knows damn well Dustin doesn’t really think Steve wants to work at Hawkins Public Library. But for that matter, Steve didn’t really want to work at Scoops Ahoy either, and now that the mall has burned down, Steve’s options are limited. Unless he wants to work for his dad, which he really, really does not. He shrugs, rolls his eyes, snatches the book from Dustin, and heads to the library.