#gotta keep it period correct okay?

[loveinhawkins]

A series of notes passed during private study periods in Hawkins High School Library, circa January—May, 1985.

A page from a notebook, shoddily torn.

—Hey. Is this seat taken?

—Nah, it’s just empty for no reason.

—Ha ha.

—Admiring your dedication here, Harrington, but I’m pretty sure the librarian isn’t actually a dragon. You can talk.

—Nope. If I start talking, I won’t stop. Gotta do homework now or I never will.

—Ooh. Didn’t know I was so distracting.

—Don’t flatter yourself, Munson.

-

Written in another notebook, underneath a paragraph of red ink that ends ‘See me after class, Eddie Munson.’

—Here, use this if you need to. No way I’m going back to that damn class.

—Dude, don’t you need it to graduate?

—What’s it to you?

—Nothing, jeez. You’re gonna rip a hole in the paper if you keep leaning that hard.

—Well, maybe that’s the kinda mood I’m in.

—For what it’s worth, O’Donnell hates everyone. It’s nothing personal.

—No.

—?

—She really hates me. Like, really. Truly. I’m fucking self-aware, Harrington, I know when I’m being annoying, but I’m quiet as a goddamn mouse in her class.

—I’m sorry. That sucks.

—Yeah. I was really trying, you know?

—I get you. Can you, like, appeal when she fails you or…?

—Do you really think I’d still be here if that worked?

—Fair. Okay but what if you had… I don’t know, character testimonials, or something.

—Why, Harrington, are you offering?

—If you want.

—My uncle tried something like that last year. Was on the phone for hours. No dice.

—Shit.

—Appreciate the thought, though.

—Hey. I’ve got candy. Want some?

—You’re a brave, brave man. What kind?

—Reese’s.

—Okay. Thanks.

—No problem.

—HARRINGTON! LIBRARIAN, THREE O’CLOCK!

—Jesus Christ! I thought you said she wasn’t a dragon.

—Fine. Correction: she’s not always a dragon.

[lipglossanon]

okay, this is such a rambling mess but I’m throwing it out into the world 🫣

Warnings: 18+, minors DNI, stepcest (if that’s triggering to some just keep on scrolling plz and thx), perv! Steve, stepbro!Steve, sex toys, dirty talk, heavy tension hehe

Editing to add: reader is 18+ and it’s modern AU cause I can’t write period correct fics to save my life 🙃

////

Steve is so happy that you guys are just across the hall from one another. And now he’s enjoying it even more since the pipe in the neighboring bathroom burst and he’s having to stay in your room, sharing your bed while they redo the carpet and water damaged wall of his room.

one night he knows your still half asleep but he just can’t wait anymore and so pulls out his clear fleshlight and some lube and just starts jerking off next to you. you kinda come awake more and more to the sticky sounds of his lubed cock being stroked with the fleshlight. you groggily turn over to see Steve’s flushed face and dark eyes looking at you

“s’okay sweetheart you can just go back to sleep”

“mm stevie what’re you-“

He groans low in his throat as your eyes finally move down to his hand guiding the fleshlight up and down his cock and that sends a pulse of heat straight to your pussy. you let out a small gasp without meaning to

“My cock s’hard baby, gotta make it feel better huh”

You can only nod, eyes finally dragging back up to meet Steve’s

“You wanna help me sweetheart?”

you bite your lip and nod again, “sure stevie”

He pulls the fleshlight off with a slick noise and has you lay flat on your back

“m’gonna put this between your thighs and your gonna squeeze down tight, kay ?”

“okay” you whisper, shivering as he places the clear toy between your thighs and presses them together to hold it in place

He kneels over you, bracketing your thighs and placing his hands next to your head

“Ready?”

He doesn’t even wait for an answer and presses his thick cock into the toy with a low moan

“Fuck baby s’good for me, mmm, all nice and fuck n’wet”

You whine high in your throat, thighs clamping together harder which has Steve choking out another moan

“Good girl, so good for me sweetheart. wanna ruin your pretty little pussy but this’ll just have to do huh”

your hands grab onto his shoulders, nails digging in as you moan

“Please Steve”

“I know” he croons down at your wide eyes and plump lips “but we can’t, gotta be a good big brother to you”

You pull him down until your both breathing in the same air, his cock pumping into the fleshlight so hard you can feel the lube squirting out onto your thighs

“I want it though” your pouting up at him

“Yeah?” He mocks “too bad princess.. maybe next time I’ll let you drool all in my pocket pussy and use that as lube”

You arch up into him with a bitten off moan slipping past your lips. your panties are completely soaked and your clit throbs with every thrust. it’s not enough to make you cum which has you trying to press yourself closer to him.

“Fuck baby, so pretty. My pretty girl. Gonna fill up this tiny pussy until it’s gushing.”

Steve’s hips stutter as he slams down a bit harder, the sounds of your thighs slapping together so loud in the bedroom

“Want you to Stevie, need you to cum” you whimper, angling your hips up so he’s finally pressing onto your swollen clit

“you want it sweetheart? M’gonna give it to you, gonna cum in you until it’s dripping out fuck yes” he’s groaning now, eyes taking in your flushed face

“Kiss me stevie” your whisper falling into the scant space between both of your lips

“Want to baby, want to so bad but I don’t know if I should” he licks his lips

You hiccup a whine as his thrusts press down even harder onto your pussy as his cock bullies its way into the toy again and again

“please please please” you whimper “need it. i need you”

“Oh fuck sweetheart, how can I say no to that” his lips dip down just enough that they’re grazing yours with every breath

“Just this okay?” He murmurs, lips slipping across yours

You try to drag him closer but he holds steady

“uh uh this is all you get, gotta be a good girl f’me”

“i am your good girl Steve”

“oh I know, so good for me. shit so good that I’m gonna fill up this pocket pussy for you. you want that sweetheart, want me to cum in this fake pussy for you?”

“yes yes yes please please” your whining now, pressing your thighs together for leverage. the angle is just right, sending heat through your core as your clit is pressed against Steve’s pelvis.

“stevie, m’gonna cum too”

He buries his face into your neck to mask his groan but you can feel the hot gust of air across your skin giving you chill bumps

“I wanna see it baby, want you to cum for me” his lips brush your ear before he leans back over you

His hips are slamming into the fleshlight so hard you can feel the head of his dick pushing through the other side and grazing your cunt. a few more hard thrusts against your clit and your cumming, biting your lip hard and squeezing your eyes shut as it sweeps through your body

“Fuck me kitten that’s so hot. Shit I’m gonna cum. Gonna cum all over that pretty fucking pussy, get your all nice and wet, fuck. M’gonna cum, gonna—fucking hell”

And you feel it, hot jizz pulsing from the tip of his cock all over the underside of your pussy from where he breached the end of the toy. He thrusts down a couple of times, milking his cock until he’s spent.

Pulling back he eases the fleshlight out from your thighs and slips it gingerly off his twitching dick

“Shit didn’t mean to make such a mess. sorry princess”

But you can tell from his tone that he’s not the least bit sorry, especially the way his eyes are hungrily taking in the mess between your thighs.

“S’okay” you shrug, feeling embarrassed now.

A slow, boyish grin crosses his face, “mmhmm thanks for helping me, s’what family is all about right?”

[theminecraftbee]

ok so idk if you’ve answered this before but anyways,, i really love the way you write horror!

i read stuffed bird for the first time over a year ago now but i still think about the world you created on a regular basis. i rarely read au fics and it’s even more rare for me to remember them for an extended period but seriously, no joke, this is about a stuffed bird might genuinely be one of my favorite fanfictions of all time.

anyways, shameless fanboying aside, i actually wanted to ask if you had any good tips with writing horror? im a huge fan of the genre and have always wanted to create something myself but i have no clue where to even start. i feel like every idea i have is either weirdly cheesy or just unauthentic. so yeah, do you maybe have some pointers on how to get over that first threshold of not being “good enough”? or maybe just sharing what goes into your creative process when you write your stuff?

anyways i’m sorry for rambling, you’re really cool and i hope you have a good day. happy halloween!

oh goodness, thank you! i'm so glad you liked stuffed bird, and read it despite not normally liking aus! that's a big compliment!

as for the "how to write horror" tips. okay so first: it's gonna feel a little cheesy. the thing is that when you're writing it, it's gonna be less scary to you. you're going to go "well this is just silly/inauthentic/absurd" and you're going to feel like "well surely this can't scare people" and you've gotta push past that. you've gotta push past that to "well what about someone who DOESN'T know i'm trying really hard, what will they think of it?" and that can help you out a lot.

my second tip is... you've gotta know when to show the monster and not show the monster. like okay you're going to hear that things you don't show the audience can be scarier than those you do. and that's TRUE, but sometimes also you do really want to show the audience the thing. it's all about "what will cause the correct kind of impact in this moment". so, uh, example, most of the stuffed bird monsters i only describe a few aspects of, not the whole monster, and that's because the audience can fill in a scarier description than what i can come up with. however, i still describe what i personally think are the scariest/most impactful parts of the monster! because in order for it to do the thing i wanted i still NEEDED some of the gorey/horror description, i just couldn't try to perfectly describe every inch. this goes especially for horror that relies on physical description/gore actually; if you know when to show the gore, you can make it have impact. if there are certain things you describe in detail and certain things you don't, it will tell you stuff about your characters, AND it will make both of those things have more impact for the audience! so i guess that's one of my big horror tips.

my other big horror tip is that a lot of horror is emotional. doing things that reflect your character's mental state can really help sell whatever you're trying to make scary! this can both work in the "if your character is scared" sense and in the "if your character is NOT scared" sense--for example, if you are describing something scary is happening, but your character has a very happy/lighthearted emotional tone, that's one kind of scary, but if you're describing something scary and your characters are terrified, that's another! and it's useful to know when to use which.

okay and the last tip: don't worry about being "not good enough" just write what you write and post it! you will never get better without practice. the main way my horror ends up working is that i keep writing it, i think; if i never wrote horror, i'd never get used to writing horror, and it would never get scary. plus, you will be your own worst critic. get yourself some friends to help cheer you on, and then just go for it!

this is a lot of paragraphs ;-; but i HOPE IT HELPS!

[wanderinginksplot-writes]

Clone Trooper Rambles

Because everything is a little more interesting with imaginary clone troopers hanging around.

Warnings: Frustration about post-surgery recovery (long-term).

---

Singing Again

“Thanks for listening! We’ll see you guys next time.”

The podcast ended and flipped immediately to the next song on the playlist. Rex eyed me from the passenger seat. 

It had been months since the surgery. I could speak normally again - as long as I wasn’t talking for an extended period of time - but singing was still out of my reach. I had been fixating on this podcast when I was driving or doing mindless work around the house. 

But that day, I hadn’t loaded another episode of the podcast to play. I didn’t like messing with my phone overly much while I drove, especially to do something as involved as finding the right episode and adding it to my queue. And the weather had decided to go from sunny to a torrential downpour in the last few minutes, so my concentration was firmly fixed on the road. 

And so I let the song play. It was Ella Fitzgerald’s Dream a Little Dream of Me, a song I had loved for as long as I could remember. I had a similar vocal range as Ella in that particular song, and it always gave me chills to hear her beautiful voice dance up and down the notes.

We drove in a cocoon of quiet - Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and Ella Fitzgerald’s voice filling the car as the rain drummed on the roof and windows. Rex’s attention was on the road ahead. Boss was watching the scenery fly by from the back seat and Trapper seemed to be nodding off in beside him.

“But in your dreams, whatever they be, dream a little dream of me.”

The words had burst from me in a uncontainable stream and I was horrified… until I realized that I sounded okay. Not just okay; I had actually hit the correct notes!

I laughed delightedly as the troopers swiveled their attention to me. As Louis and Ella scatted back and forth in the background, I asked, “Did you guys hear that? I think my voice is back!”

“We heard,” Boss told me. 

Rex nodded. “That sounded great.”

Trapper waved me on. “Keep going!” 

“Sweet dreams… til sunbeams find you, keep dreaming

Leave the worries behind you

But in your dreams, whatever they be

You’ve gotta make me a promise

Promise to me

You’ll dream

Dream a little dream of me”

The song ended, fading into nothingness. My smile was so wide that my cheeks were starting to ache, but I couldn’t have been happier. 

“How do you feel?” Rex asked. 

“Light,” I answered without thinking. Then, when I realized that didn’t make a lot of sense, I added, “I feel like I could fly the rest of the way home.” 

“You look like it, too,” Boss said. “Happy for you, kid.” 

I kept smiling as Trapper leaned forward to pat me on the shoulder. I felt so good that I wasn’t even going to object to being called ‘kid’.

---

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Author's Note - As a reminder, I write these a long time before I ever post them. This moment happened quite a few months ago, but it was a delight to revisit. Thank you for reading!

[rocknrollsalad]

🥦 A steddimas fake dating prompted drabble

✌️ based off this post - rather than explain why she isn't dating steve and tell her parents she's a lesbian, robin says steve is dating a guy. they rope eddie into the ruse and have a family dinner with the buckleys.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 content/trigger warnings: period typical homophobia (implied but the opposite is what happens)

🍽️ word count: 2,405

“You guys can NOT mess this up for me!” Robin hissed, trying to keep her voice quiet as she backed the pair up against Steve’s car. 

Steve already had his hands raised in resignation. The white flag waving without a single need. Eddie, on the other hand, didn’t give up so quickly. No matter how many terrified lesbians waved their fingers in his face. This night was going to be an absolute trainwreck and Eddie was here to see the carnage. Even if it meant sacrificing himself in the process. 

“Tell me again how you two arrived at this plan,” Eddie said, purposely pouring gasoline on the fire. 

“Munson!” Robin’s finger flew to his face, centimeters from his nose. Steve pressed his lips together to not laugh. “I don’t want to hear the word ‘plan’ out of your mouth again. Not ‘scheme’ or ‘idea’ or ‘proposition’!” 

Eddie’s eyebrow quirked and he looked at Steve, mouthing “proposition” with a grin. Turning back to Robin he asked, “What about stratagem?” 

“NO!” she said, throwing her hands up and walking in a little circle. Muttering to herself “I don’t know why I asked these two. Hiring the actual Three Stooges would have been smarter. Is it too late to get Martin and Lewis? It’d be less of a mess.” 

“And probably gayer,” Eddie said. 

“Stop winding her up, man,” Steve asked, leaning closer to Eddie. 

“This is such a stupid plan. Somehow, with your combined brain power, you thought rather than coming out that it was easier to say Steve was gay? I mean, shout out to you for throwing your friend under a potential bus like that but wow.” 

“We’ve been over this, she didn’t throw me under the bus,” Steve hissed, trying to keep that from Robin. 

“No, she did. She took the risk that if her parents had any problem, you’d bear the brunt of it and she’d get off scot-free. Despite one of you actually having an interest in the same sex.” 

“Both of us,” Steve corrected. 

That was a shocking turn. One that hadn’t come up yet in all their round and round on the subject. Eddie blinked a few times and took that in. Good to know. “Alright, so the Hawkins branch of the Future Gays of America finally has enough members to hold meetings.” 

“This is serious,” Robin whined. 

“No it isn’t!” Eddie laughed. “It’s the opposite. The literal definition of a farce. If you wanted someone who was going to take this seriously, you should have said Byers was his boyfriend.”

“As if he’d agree to this,” Steve said in a way that made Eddie wonder if Jonathan’s name didn’t come up first. 

“Okay, look, how about you just not be you for one night? A nice normal night with my parents and I won’t complain about your bullshit for, like, a week,” Robin pleaded. She looked so desperate it was painful to watch. 

“A month,” Eddie countered. 

“Yeah, okay, or I won’t. I’ll get worse, actually.” 

Again, Steve stifled a laugh. 

Robin got mean when she was tense. Eddie didn’t need to learn that or whatever "worse" was. “Fine, I’ll take the week.” 

“Have you guys gone over your story?” Robin asked, pacing in front of them. 

“Yeah, a million times! Eddie’s had a crush on me since we were freshmen and this whole end-of-the-world thing brought us closer.” 

“Not my idea, mind you,” Eddie grumbled, hating how close to real life that was. Except for the actual dating part, of course. 

“Didn’t ask,” Robin sneered. 

Steve jabbed Eddie in the ribs, “We’re already here, we might as well do this.” 

“Awww but sugar plum, I just wanted to set the story straight on how I became the luckiest man in Hawkins, Indiana,” Eddie cooed. 

“We gotta cancel,” Robin said, deflating. 

Steve physically put himself in front of Eddie, arm outstretched, and ready to take a bullet for his fake boyfriend. Leaving Eddie equal parts offended and turned on. Maybe this came with all the perks of a date. 

“He’s just getting it out of his system now, Robin. Seriously. He’ll behave when we’re inside. Right?” 

“I wouldn’t have said yes if I wasn’t going to nail the performance,” Eddie said. 

“Fine, let's get this over with,” she huffed, heading toward her house. 

“The chivalry,” Eddie whispered, doing his best overwhelmed damsel. Even fanning himself as he walked alongside his date. 

“Take it easy on Robin, please. It’s a stupid mess we’re in but we’d do the same for you.” 

Again, the chivalry was really working on Eddie. Something he didn't want to look too closely at. Yet not as much as knowing Steve was telling the truth. He could have asked either of them to pretend to be his date or help bury a body, they aren’t asking questions. They’re showing up with shovels. 

Steve was also right in that Eddie wasn’t going to be a pain in the ass inside, he’d long learned the art of charming parents. It wasn’t easy to get a club together when the leader was rumored to be a satanic cult leader so Eddie knew how to be anything but. 

Even after coming out of that insanity alive, even after seeing what demons are out there, and learning to be who he was but harder, Eddie was willing to hide that to help a friend. Robin wore pastels for him. Okay, it was more likely for Max but Eddie wasn’t going to split hairs. Not now, at least. 

Before Eddie could make any last snide comments, a woman he could only assume was Mrs. Buckley was in the doorway Robin had left open. 

“I just want to let you know how honored I am that you both feel safe enough to come here and be true selves. The hiding must be exhausting but know you’re always welcome here, any time,” She spoke softly, hands clasped at her waist until her speech finished and she pulled Steve in with one arm, Eddie with the other, and hugged them both while whispering thank yous. 

When they were released, Eddie took a side step closer to Steve in hopes some of that chivalry was still there and he could fend off any other weirdly validating hugs. Of all the things they were prepared for, Robin’s parents weren’t on the list. 

A heads up that they were walking into Woodstock would have been nice. If they wanted Eddie to behave, they shouldn't leave out major information. Eddie glared at Robin, trying his best to communicate that but she was busy settling the table and fussing with the flowers in the center. Or maybe they were weeds, Eddie wasn’t sure, they certainly weren’t answers to any of his questions. 

Steve didn’t step in front of Eddie to protect him but did swoop in with manners far more practiced than Eddie’s. Shaking Mr. Buckley’s hand and talking about how pleased he was to be invited for dinner. He introduced Eddie with enough pride and award-winning smiles that Eddie blushed and couldn’t find anything more to say than “thanks”. For what? It was anyone’s guess. 

Despite looking like he knew where the Grateful Dead was at this exact moment, Mr. Buckley sounded like a TV dad. With a clap of his hands, he said “I hope you boys like broccoli!” 

Eddie turned to Steve, almost asking for confirmation of his feelings about broccoli. As they followed the Buckleys into the dinner room, Steve rubbed a hand between Eddie’s shoulder blades. Leaning close he whispered. “You’ve gone too far the other way, do you need help walking? I’m not sure you can anymore.” 

“You didn’t wanna tell me they were hippies?” 

Steve swallowed a laugh. “Whoops.” 

“Fucking whoops,” Eddie whispered way too loudly. 

Robin glared at them and Eddie understood the Medusa myth a little more. Steve, as always, was unbothered. He was some corporate schmoozing machine, everyone loved him. It was disgusting and Eddie couldn’t wait to watch a whole night of it!

“He just realized we forgot to bring something, y’know, to thank you for the meal,” Steve supplied and Eddie and Robin visibly relaxed. 

“Steve, it’s fine. You know you don’t have to do that. You’re family here and, Lord knows, Robin didn’t bring anything,” Mrs. Buckley answered. 

“Well, then we’ll have to help with dishes,” Steve offered. It worked perfectly, Mrs. Buckley was over the moon while making dismissive sounds. Something between camp and swooning, Steve really had an effect on people. Though not just middle-aged women. Eddie was in love. He also wanted to barf. Not to mention figure out what would get him out of dish duty.

Steve's improvisational skills mixed with survival in a way that had Eddie wanting to get him into a campaign. To see what he could really do. The club would never go for it but that never stopped Eddie before.

They were immediately ushered into the dining room, which felt odd. Eddie hadn’t been to a lot of family dinners but he’d imagined a lot more sitting around and talking first. It was hours before his “dinner time” and he didn’t know people ate this early. 

On display in the center of the table was a large casserole dish, with some sort of goop in it. If Eddie had to guess it was something to do with cheese but he couldn’t get a good glimpse because the top was loaded with little broccoli florets. Each stuck in, lined up like crops, making it difficult to see the rest of the dish. 

When Eddie was asked if he liked broccoli, he hadn’t been expecting this. A side dish alongside a nice piece of chicken, maybe? An edible forest was unlike anything he’d been served before. Fear rose but there were baskets of bread, so Eddie wouldn’t go hungry. He did wonder if there was a dog around to pass a few trees too. 

“This has always been Robin’s favorite,” Mrs. Buckley explained, motioning to the forest resting in Pyrex. 

"But clear the room afterward," Mr. Buckley laughed, waving his hand in front of his nose.

Robin was bright red and hiding behind her hands. Eddie couldn’t help but wonder if Wayne would embarrass him like this if the tables were turned. The mental “yes” came quickly and with a flood of stories he could tell to have Eddie hiding behind his hands. It was all followed by a note to never invite these guys over to dinner. 

Attention focusing back on the Buckley’s, Eddie found himself watching as Steve pulled a chair out for him to sit. A simple gesture but something no one else had earned. His heart fluttered in a way he definitely needed to be ignored. This was all for show. It was for Robin’s parents so she could come out when she was ready. This was for Robin. 

This was for Robin. 

“I didn’t know we were going to be treated to Robin’s favorite dish,” Steve said with too much pride. The comment was dangerous and pushing a limit Eddie was told to steer clear of. A push only a best friend could get away with. However, Robin kicked him hard enough under the table that Eddie felt it, so he was glad it was Steve and not him. 

“Oh we’ve been making The Enchanted Broccoli Forest for her since she could have solid foods,” Mrs. Buckley supplied. 

Eddie couldn’t help but think, at this point, that telling her parents she liked to kiss girls was likely far less mortifying. She set this up and was doing nothing but losing. Meanwhile, Eddie, who had zero stakes in it, was winning. Twenty-one every hand here. 

As Mrs. Buckley served each of them a heaping scoop of…forest, Mr. Buckley asked the question they all knew was coming. “So how’d you two meet?” 

“One of his friends was having a pick-on-the-nerds sort of day, you know, and I was the winning nerd,” Eddie started talking, not sure where this was going. “I thought the arrival of more jocks meant I was losing my lunch money for sure but nope. Steve was all ‘you leave him alone’ and everything.” 

Steve and Robin wore matching looks, each trying to tape Eddie’s mouth shut with their mind. Then bury him in the basement. Eddie couldn’t blame them, either. He did his best to look apologetic and thankfully the story was eaten up better than the casserole. 

“So it was love at first sight from there?” 

“Daaa-ad!” Robin groaned. 

Ever the professional, Steve took over. “No, in fact, it took us three years to do anything about it. Which is kind of depressing but you can’t be too careful.” 

“That and our job kind of exploded in that time,” Robin finally joined the conversation like a willing participant. 

“True,” Steve said with a knowing nod. “It’s weird how much that got in the way of things.” 

“Y’know, I used to live on a commune and no one there got all that hung up on gender,” Mr. Buckley said, looking at his wife with a lifetime of stories known only to them. 

While the words upon arrival had been very affirming, that did more for Eddie and a soft smile sprouted. His shoulders relaxed and he felt like he’d got the first full breath into his lungs in hours. This had him more nervous than he’d let on. Not that it mattered now, the comfort was there. 

Steve rubbed a gentle hand on Eddie’s thigh, just enough to get his attention. Maybe earning their supper a little too well, Eddie nodded. He was okay. Robin’s parents had moved on to share the story of how they met, something Eddie was certain he should be listening to. How could he though? He’d had a half hour of the Steve Harrington experience and his future was permanently damaged. 

No wonder the girls at school were falling over themselves to be with Steve. Eddie was ready to fight these two old hippies just for being good hosts because it was cutting into this fake date. One where Steve paused things to make sure Eddie was okay and comforted him when things got weird. It was so over the top that it worked and was the most cared about Eddie had felt in a long while. 

As much as Eddie liked bickering with the guy and purposefully picking fights, he didn’t mind a bit of kindness it seemed. He also wanted to return it but had no idea how so it fluctuated between just doing what Steve had done minutes before and overthrowing a country for the man. 

Eddie had harbored a crush since Steve’s freshman year but tonight he fell for the man. Good thing their breakup had already been plotted. There was an end date to this show. Of all the dumb choices Eddie had made in his life, agreeing to this might be in the top ten. Working its way to the top five. But hey, he got a shit ton of broccoli out of the deal. 

[razorblade180]

“Nothing Happened”

Let’s talk about RWBY Vol9 and the oddest complaint in my opinion that I keep seeing! For some reason, people keep saying this was basically filler and that nothing happened. While I think certain parts of the finale didn’t wow me, it feels so disingenuous to say nothing happened or changed.

I’ve heard the argument it’s because the heroes still want to beat Salem and do what’s right like they did before, and while that is true, the framework and mindset is different which was the entire point for the volume and finding yourself.

Ruby dealt with feeling like an imposter for failing to meet expectations/idolizations of what she should be to the point she genuinely believed the world would be better off without her and didn’t want to do deal with it anymore. Admittedly, I too was a little disappointed that she didn’t return with a new design, form, or etc. However, there wasn’t a second I was mad at it because under the conditions that got her there, the most important and morally correct thing to represent is for the message to be “Choose yourself because you’re enough.” While I don’t want the show to completely write her as if she’s out of the woodwork, it’s a very important change that from this moment Ruby’s failures going forward shouldn’t have her believe “I’m not cut out for this” but “Get it together, gotta find a way to salvage this.” More constructive and less destructive.

My personal nitpick with the episode is having her friends going “She knew what she was all along” because no the hell she didn’t. If she did then she wouldn’t have drunken the tea or y’know, have a internal crisis about her life and decisions.

As for Jaune, people think that regaining his youth means nothings happened in the end? Why? He remembers everything and has fought for decades now. Outside of that, this volume has gotten him over the main hurdle of killing Penny and a bunch of his baggage of feeling like a failure for not protecting people by also changing his mindset to understand it’s not his fault. At the end of the day you gotta do the best you can and try not to wallow in the pain or hold on in fear of it. Like Ruby, I really hope there’s still a slight adjustment period in breaking old habits and even him generally feeling a bit awkward socializing with people again. It would be really neat if he still woke up early for something specific and someone has to tell him “It’s okay. You don’t have to do that anymore.”

As for the rest of the team, besides the literal relationship cementing, I can agree not an entire shift has changed outside of something we would actually have to see in practice which would be how they approach Ruby and some problem solving. Like they’ve always sorta workshopped most plans together but it would be swell if they were now more attentive to how Ruby is feeling about something or they purposely take an action that is primarily for Ruby’s benefit.

So yes, while the over all goal remains the mindset is different and I think that means a lot.

[irritablepoe]

How do I approach reading poetry?

hiii, omg, i'm glad you're asking hehe :3

first of all, there's no "correct way" of reading poetry ofc, and i'm also no literature student, so i don't have the correct words for everything, so just keep that in mind :)

at first you have to figure out what poems you want or have to read, depending what you're reading it for (like for fun or education yk). i personally think that to feel the poem you have to read it to yourself multiple times and assigning your own meaning to it (if you find it in the poem ofc, some poems are just not for everyone and that's okay :3). to understand the poem you might want to add some historical and periodic context, and maybe also some basic personal context of the poet themselves (though, this is probably only relevant when they are classic poets). my tip is to find out the leitmotif of a specific period which probably makes the poem make a lot more sense.

just for an example: romanticism was mainly a movement as a reaction to the rationalization of nature (meaning science and the industrial revolution) in which emotions were being conveyed through the metaphor of nature and the desire to experience it (kind of like a rebellion against rationalism? there's a lot more to it with patriotism/nationalism and stuff but that's like the main thing). so in the literature in this period, nature and wanderlust were a big leitmotif here. i mostly know german poets so the best example of this would probably be eichendorff and brentano here, though idk how good the translations are but it's just an example anyways here.

i'll link a website here (all poems) and here (all poets), it's the poetry foundation and you can find and explore a lot there, there are also articles and stuff, it's really cool!

i don't read as much poetry as i'd like to but i'm just gonna try and explain how i personally do it:

i read it a first time, which gives me a general idea of what it's about and i'm probably going to get a few ideas on which period it is from (only specific ones though, as i said, i'm not an expert by any means). also i really really focus on it. i think poems can't really be read like a book, it's more like you taking a bite out of it and savour it with each verse yk? i know it sounds a little pretentious but you gotta go along with it a little bit, it's poetry after all...

i reread it and maybe take note of verses that i really connect with. although i'm fascinated by how history can influence texts, i'm a big fan of making my own interpretation as well. if i really like and connect to a poem i google the poet and look at their life (if i haven't done it before that is). oftentimes similar poets or poets of that time appear on the wiki page and i've realized that you're kind of "jumping" from one author to the next and check them out (not only with poetry but with all sorts of things). example would also be that if you look at goethe's life you're bound to cross schiller as well and then you're probably going to check his works out as well, you know what i mean?

the last thing i do is look at the structure, yes yes, i know, my german teacher would kill me for this and yes yes the poem can carry a lot of meaning behind what is said however, if i don't notice it the first few times i read it, it doesn't seem as meaningful to me, i'm just saying...

sometimes i like listening to poems too, i highly recommend rachel oates on youtube, she has some great poetry herself and i want to buy her book so badly! she reads some of her favorite poems in some of her videos and the way she reads them is just *chefs kiss*

yeah, uhm, that's pretty long and idk if that helped. i googled the question too just now and it focuses more on the structure and the reading aloud of the poem itself so idk if that helps more

thank you again for the ask! this was quite fun :D

[doodleimprovement]

Legendary Boon AU - Shared Dreams/The Dreamscape

An explanation and broad overview of Akari and Emmet’s shared dreamscape

Please ask any clarifying questions you need!

-

Akari starts having strange dreams after meeting Ingo

They always start the same.

She is in black space, surrounded by oblique, colorful shapes. In the first dream, she is drawn to a particular symbol, a triangle encased in a circle, and upon touching it, she is transported into a vast green space, with a train station that is always arriving when she gets there.

Out of the single train car, comes a man who looks very, very familiar, despite his well-kept hair and his stark, white clothes.

Upon looking at her - which causes her to see the white marks on his face and his bright blue eyes - he immediately knows that she has a boon and assumes she has a dream-walking boon (Which is not technically untrue) and greets her. She calls him Ingo, which catches him off guard and changes the weather in the dream for but a moment before Emmet recovers and corrects her.

Upon learning that she doesn’t even know why she has a boon he is concerned, and warns her that she needs to figure out who gave her this boon, as the legendary is extremely important to the blessed.

She’s clearly confused and uneducated on the topic, and Emmet decides that he’s just gonna be her teacher about it!

And that is where the first dream ends.

Every subsequent dream, she chooses that symbol to meet with Emmet again, and he begins to teach her about the history of boons and how they have been used - using his families long history of Boons as an example. Eventually they both put together that they are from different time periods, and Akari’s amnesia comes up. Emmet brings up Ingo, and he finally - *finally* knows where his brother is, and is happy that he has someone like Akari keeping his brother company. They also deduce who her legendary is with a combination of Akari’s recollection of her abilities and Emmet’s present-day research.

Emmet only ever learns about Akari’s hardships in the aftermath, and her struggles become further motivation for him to find a way to the past to help both her and his brother. This gets pumped into hyperdrive when Akari accidentally calls Ingo “Dad” and Emmet’s boon keys him into just how true that name is for her.

He’s gotta actually, formally meet his niece, dangit!!!

HOW IT WORKS

Okay this is the kinda sorta convoluted part - Akari gets limited foresight and omniscience. And, particularly in the early days of her boon’s abilities, she has no control over whether or not they activate in her sleep, and the omniscience in her sleep leads to inadvertent dreamwalking through space-time. This is why she ends up in the black space - its the thin place between time and space, and she uses this place to find and enter Emmet’s dreams.

They don’t see each other every night, but its frequent enough that Emmet starts to know when he’s about to meet Akari - his dreams always start with him in a single car train driven by nothing but momentum. He is always seated in a two-seater, but the seat by the window is empty.

The dreams never last more than an hour or so, and Akari always wakes up from the dream even more tired than when she went to bed.

MISC NOTES:

- Emmet is always in the same thing - a rather simple but elegant outfit inspired by Reshiram - showing his deep connection to his boon

- Akari’s outfit changes as she get to know her boon better and comes to understand it - starting with a plain white shirt and pants and eventually evolving into come cool magical girl looking stuff (forthcoming i promise)

- Akari learns very quickly that you cannot lie to Emmet, and never actually does (she attempts a half truth and Emmet does not appreciate it)

- Emmet tells Elesa all about these dreams, but hesitates to tell Drayden

- Akari doesn’t tell anyone about these dreams until its a bit too late (spoilers)

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1187: Igniting Rocket Punches Features (Sonic X Crash X Persona 5)

12:54 p.m. at Tails' Workshop..........

Tails: Okay! (Walks Over to Omega, Sitting Next to Coco on the Lab Table, Bringing his Clipboard with Him) After carefully looking over every bits and features of your body parts, I'm happy to say that you're more than qualified for those Rocket Fists you requested.

Coco: (Smiles Brightly) Modified and will be put together by yours truly of course!~ (Pars on Omega's Shoulder) Bet that made you pretty excited right now, huh Big Guy?

Omega: My excitement has never been become immeasurable for a long period of time. (Turns to the Duo) Permission to use it for a test run after the modification are in full completion?

Tails: (Smiles Brightly) Permission granted!~ We just gotta find ourselves an open area for a training ground.

Omega: I have already found the area!

Tails: Oh, already? What it looks like-

Omega shows Tails and Coco a picture of Dr. Eggman's lair on his holographic transmitter.

Coco: That.....Looks awfully like Eggman's place, big guy.

Omega: Correct.

Tails: (Puts on a Deadpinned Look on his Face) You wanna use those Rocket Fists on him, don't you?

Omega: .......Correct.

Tails: ('Sigh') I thought so.

Coco: (Raises an Eyebrow in a Bit of Confusion) Yeah.... What makes you wanna do that exactly? I know he's evil and all, but didn't he also created you at one point.

Omega: Yes, he has created me in the past. (Scowls and Crosses his in Anger) And never bothered to put into great usesince then.

Tails: Eggman locked him inside a storage room for months on end. Had a vendetta against Jim ever since.

Coco: (Starts Huffing and Puffing into a Pout) ('Hmph') Well, I don't blame ya then. (Jump her Off of the Table She was Sitting at) What kind of bozo would keep one of his greatest looking inventions under wraps?

Omega: An Egghead Bozo who will be in a perfectly structured punching range the moment we see each other face to face.

Tails: You need any backup? Just in case things go south.

Coco: (Leans Herself Over to Omega with Bright Smile) We're pretty good with playing support aid and improvising~ (Rapidly Blinks her Eyes at the Robot)

Omega: (Crosses his Arms While Thinking) The possibility of me having difficulties dealing with Eggman would be 90% unlucky...(Simply Shrugs a Bit) But I suppose having a younger, more intelligent couple like you two as backup would not be the worst idea imaginable.

Coco: Yeah, relax! We got this under cont- (Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened Along with Tails) Wait, W-WHAT DID YOU CALLED US JUST NOW!?

Omega: (Tilt his Head a Bit in Confusion) ........Younger, intelligent?

Tails: AFTER all of that.

Omega: ..........Couple?

Tails: That's the one.

Coco: Omega, who told you that we were a couple?

Flashback to New Donk City

Sonic: (Sitting on an Outdoor Café Table with Omega, Lounging Around on his Chair) Yeahhhhhh, Tails couldn't join us this time of year. (Forms a Playful Smirk on his face) He's spending some quality time with his little girlfriend back at her island for the holidays~

Omega: (Looks Up at Sonic While Holding Up a Newspaper in Front of Him) Tails has a romantic partner this entire time?

Sonic: Not officially. Buuuuuuuuut considering how extremely close the two are, I am definitely positive that it's the case by now.

Omega: Hm. (Went Back to Reading his News Article) Good for them.

Back to the Present

Tails: I'mma kill him. (About to Storm Out Before Coco Was Able to Stop Him in Millisecond)

Coco: (Gently Grabs Hold of Tails' Shoulder and Massages It to Help Calm Him Down) Easy there, bud. There's no need to get upset. We'll get back at him eventually. (Looks Back at Omega) Omega, Tails and I aren't a couple.

Omega: (Raises an Eyebrow) Is that so? Then why are you two, as Sonic previously stated, "extremely close"?

Tails: ('Sigh') It's because we've been best friends since the very first day we meet each other. And sure, we may HAVE talked about a possible scenario of us being a thing or whatever, but we ultimately decided against the idea and remind as we are for now, besties.

Coco: (Happily Hugs Tails) And I'm happy for that, cause Tails is the very first friend I've ever made out of the island and I'll always love him with all my heart~

Tails: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness as He Hugs Coco Back) I'll always love you too, Coco!~ (Notices Omega's Hand is About to Rise Up Before Stopping Him) Upupup! Before you say ANYTHING, friends are allowed to say "I love you" to one another in a platonic sense.

Omega: Platonic sense?

Coco: Yep! Meaning nothing romantic at all, big guy!

Omega: (Starts Tapping on his Non Existent Chin) I see. Hold that thought. (Actives his Transmitting Signal on the Side of his Headvto Make a Quick Call)

Meanwhile at Shujin Academy's Classroom......

Futuba: lReading Through a Book While Sittong at her Desk) Come onnnnnn......The answer have to be here somewhere! I can't turn in an incomplete homework sheet without-(Immediately Geys Startled a Bit by the Ringtone of her Phone on her Desk)

We All Danced in Fire~ Trapped in This Machineeeee~

Futuba: (Looks Down to See the Name of the Caller) Omega-kun?

Female Student: (Forms a Teasing Smirk at Futuba) What's the matter, four-eyes?~ Afraid of a little Rock music?~ (Starts Laughing Along with her Peers)

Futuba: (Scoffs While Rolling her Eyes) I'm not afraid of anything, PAULA. My phone just took me by surprise is all.

Paula: Well, you better get of it soon before the teacher gets here. Or did you forget how the school rules work already, shut in?~ (Continues Laughing)

Futuba: ('Sigh') Whatever. (Answers the Call) Heyyyy, Big Guy~ Listen, could you try and call me after school? Lunch is about to be over in a few minutes and-

Omega: (On the Other Line) I am fortunate to have you as my best friend and will forever love you dearly for it. That is all.

'Call Ends'

Futuba Sakura is already in tears as she place her hand onto her chest, creating a short screeching like sound.

Paula: (Groans While Rolling her Eyes) ('Ugh') Weirdo.

Back at the Workshop

'Door Opens'

Wave: I'm heeere.

Tails: (Turns to His Swallow Friend, Walking in) Hey, Wave!

Coco: We almost considered on looking for you, girl. Where've you been?

Wave: I was just finishing up doing what I usually do on a basis: research, organizing work plans, keeping the boys in line, watching someone- (Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened at What She Was Aboutbto Say) I-I mean! Uh....Watching.....something intriguing from afar. Yeah. ('Clears Throat') That's what I meant to say.

Coco: Really? (Raises an Eyebrow at Wave in Suspicious Along with Tails) Cause I could've SWORN that you said someone. (Turns to Her Best Friend) Don't you think so too, Tails?

Tails: Why, yes I certainly do, Coco. (Turns Back to Wave) Could it be that you have been trying to ask someone out......

Coco: (Leans Over to Wave Along with Tails While Mischievously Smirking at Her) On a date?~

Wave: (Turns Away While Blushing) N-N-No! And even if I did, which I DON'T by the way, why would you squirts care?

Tails: (Casually Shrugs) Cuz we're curious.

Coco: (Crosses her Arms) And we wanna get you back for all the teasings you've made on us thus far. I.E.

Tails/Coco: Karma. (Gives Each Other Hi-Fives)

Wave: (Groans While Rolling her Eyes) Whatever! I don't have any energy or patience to deal with you nosy brats today.....(Notices the Red Robot in her View Before Walking Towards Him) Hello~ What do we have here? (Turns Back to the Duo) You two made this?

Tails: No, not exactly. This one of Eggman's robots, E-123 Omega-

Omega: THE ULTIMATE E-SERIES ROBOT!!

Tails: (Puts on his Deadpinned Look Again) Yeah. What he said.

Coco: We were about give him these sweet Rocket Fists upgrades.

Omega: A perfect arsenal for me to use hit on the doctor with great precision.

Wave: Waitwaitwait. Time out. You're telling you're gonna use those things to punch Eggman of all people?

Omega: (Turns to Wave) That is exactly what I just said, yes.

Wave: ..........Well, screw it. Sign me up.

One Upgrade Surgery Later, Outside of Dr. Eggman's Lair.......

'Knock Knock Knock'

.

.

.'Knock Knock Knock Knock Knock'

Eggman: (From the Inside) I'm coming, I'm coming! Sheesh....Can't anyone use the God fo saken doorbell like a normal, less irritating person in society?

'Door Opens'

Eggman: Yes, yes. What is it you want? Omega?

Omega: (Standing in Front of Eggman's Doorway with the Tech Trio Hiding Behind Him) Knock Knock.

Eggman: Uhh.....Who's....there?

Omega: (Points at the Evil Doctor) You.

Eggman: (Even More Confused) Uhh....Me who exact-

Without a second thought, Omega uses his newly enhanced Rocket Fist to punch Eggman's face in, sending rocketing back inside his lair. It's super effective.

'CRASH'

Eggman: ('Arrgggh') My nose....my face....my beautiful mustacheeee!!

Wave: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise by the Results) Well, I'll be damned....(Turns to the Kids Next to Her) You two really outdone yourselves here.

Coco: (Smiles Brightly Along with Tails) I know, right? We made an successful upgrade enhancement today. I couldn't believe it either!~

Tails: Yeah, and it's our first one too.

Omega: Mission Accomplished on both objectives. Prepare to depart from land-

'Ahem'

The gang turbs around to see Eggman's daughter, Sage Robotnik, floating behind, giving each of them the most disappointed Glare she has ever given yet.

Sage: What has happened here?

Tails: S-Sage, hey! We were just....you know?

Coco: Exploring!

Wace: Walking around.

Omega: Punching the Doctor in the face.

Tech Trio: Omega!

Omega: What? Honesty is the best policy. Is what Futuba-Chan usually tells me.

Tails: Kinda find it hard to believe that she would tell you that.

Omega: (Glares at Tails) My best friend's words of wisdom are above lawwwwww!

Wave: Really don't think that how thar concept works.......(Suddenly Felt Her Body Levitating In the Air Along With Everyone Else) What the- Hey!

Sage: Inside. Now! (Uses her Telekinesis to Carry Everyone Inside the Lair as She Begins to Scold Them on Their Troublesome Mission)

Bonus (One Scolding Session Later)

LeBlanc Café

'Door Open, Bell Ring'

Omega: (Walks Himself Inside the Café Carrying a Shopping Bag in his Hand) I have finally arrived with bottles of coffee creamers!

Sojiro: ('Sighs in Relief') You are a lifesaver, Omega, thank you. I can't begin to tell you how many customers has been chewing my ears off over their coffees not having cream in them. Almost considered retiring for a moment there too.

Omega: (Habds Sojiro the Bag od Coffee Creamer) You will have a proper retirement in due time.

Sojiro: ('Sigh') Yeah, I will. Can't imagine giving my café up to anyone just yet.

?????: OMEGA-KUUUUUUUUN!~

Sojiro:: (Chuckles Lightly Once He see Futuba running over to Omega and Hugging him Very Lovingly) Especially to a hyperactive fireball like her.

Omega: (Gently Pats the Top of Futuba's Head) Greetings, Futuba Sakura. How was your time at the Shujin Academy today?

Futuba: (Rolls her Eyes a Bit) Ehh it was so and so. (Snuggling onto her Embrace with Omega) I thought a lot about you today and I love you too, manl. So much~

Omega: Is that right?

Futuba: Heck yeah!~ You're like one of my best pals EVER! How can I not!~ I really wish I could take you academy with you weren't so big and huggable!~ (Stands on her Tippy Toes and Gives Omega Five Kisses on the Side of his Metal Head)

Omega: That is truly unfortunate indeed. (Smiles Brightly) On a lighter, more cheerier note, I have now obtain the Rocket Controlled Fists Upgrade and have successfully punched Eggman in the face.

Futuba: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Surprise) Ah dude, seriously!? I knew I should've skipped school today!

Sojiro: (Raises an Eyebrow at his Daughter) What was that?

Futuba: I-I mean! Uh....Skipping my way towards school. Like a...good, educated girl I am (Giggles Awkwardly)

Sojiro: Yeah, that better be what you mean, young lady.

Omega: Do not fret, my gremlin friend. I was successfully able to record the event from a first person perspective. (Taps the Side of his Head, Revealing Holographic Video of Eggman Getting Rocket Punched to the Fist in his Point of View)

Futuba: (Eyes Starts to Sparkle in Happiness at the Video) ('Sniff') My bestie~

@caleb13frede

@albion-93

@princekirijo

@cyber-wildcat

@bestpony666

[imamonsterfxcker-sorry]

WTF WAS THAT FIRST LESSON?! RANT ABOUT OBEY ME: NIGHTBRINGER

Okay first, the intro fucking slapped. I'm making that my new ringtone.

Secondly, everything seems pretty much the same to the OG but in all honesty the Ruri -Chan mini game, I'm not a fan of. Didn't really care for it but I gotta deal with it i guess.

Also I'm really into the vtuber vibes of the characters and really like how more interactive the DDD is now.

Also the lag, idk wether it's my signal or the fact that the game just dropped but the lag during the tutorial. Literally had to stop playing cuz the game kept getting stuck on a tutorial and wouldn't load.

‼️ SPOILERS ??‼️(not really but ik some people will get mad probably)

If you haven't played yet or don't want to see anything yet keep scrolling!

First off wtf barbatos? My guy? Why you doing this to us? (But the little peak into his backstory was awesome ngl, really liked that)

Secondly I swear next time Solomon calls I'm bitch slapping that fucker for hanging up on us like that.

Also anyone like low-key sad about the time period we got teleported to? Like they are fresh out of war, like i believe a couple of hours or even a day has passed since everything ended and i know they're hurting from what just happened and now they have to deal with us?

Like wtf is Barbatos planning?? Bc it was never really stated for how long Barbatos worked for Diavolo, like did he start working for him before the war, after the war? (Correct me if I'm wrong but only thing I know is how he stared working for Diavolo) because regardless where we are, this man already knows why and how we got here so is he not gonna say anything to the Prince and the Brothers if we bring it up?

And lastly now WE are in charge of THEM?? Love that lol but why can't they tell we're human? I mean i know Asmo mentioned we smelled good, so maybe that might come up later on and I'm just being impatient lol but for now they think we're a demon so... Low-key got a bit confused there

[pro-fiction-spring-bonnie]

Okay, gotta rant for a bit about a game I am playing.

So, the game is generally good at queer rep. The love interests aren't gender-locked, two of the main characters are enby, and there are even poly options. Great, right?

Well, the game decided to introduce us to a transmasc character and it SUCKED.

The character is one we previously met as female. This is fine.

Except his coming out is so shitty, omg. First, he gives us a 6 sentences summary on how he was a tomboy as a child, thinks he should have been born a man, and that he feels like an impostor as a woman.

He pretty much dumps that outta nowhere, even if the player doesn't prompt him to do so. Which is extra weird considering the game is set during ww2.

Anyways, after that the player is given two options which are (word-for-word) "I'm sorry. That sucks." and "Have you thought that you might be transgender?". One of these is the Correct Option and completely ignores the possibility that maybe the player doesn't want to, you know, have an open talk about queerness with someone who is not a close friend during a time period when being queer is literally illegal.

Again, the game is set during ww2, so transgender isn't even the correct term back then. It feels forced, but it gets worse.

(Also, if the player picks "I'm sorry. This sucks." the character simply doesn't come out for the rest of the game and keeps id-ing as a woman as far as I'm aware)

This man, who until 2 minutes ago had no idea transgender people even existed, immediately goes "I will now publically id as a man during ww2 and fuck transphobes". Dude. Has the author ever thought about running this scene through a couple trans men before publishing the game?

Like, this character's transition is so rushed and badly done that I think it would have been better to just have him show up and go "Hi, you used to know me as [dead name], but turns out I'm a trans man and my name is [correct name]". I legit would have prefered it happening offscreen instead of the mess we got.

I've got nothing to add except that I'm happy you got this off your chest anon, I apologise it's just been sat in my inbox for a month.

[kuma829]

Wedding Speech＊Strumming Bride Light Translation Chapter Seven

Cast: Kaoru, Nagisa, Yuuta, Koga, Adonis

Author(s): Yuumasu and Akira

Season: Summer

Proofread by: Gelyan

Hey, no, you don’t have to do that ♪ If you’re fascinated, then come on, touch it.

Koga: …

Kaoru: …Is it a bad idea?

Koga: … You’re not goin ta do this half heartedly, are you? No, “ah~ I can’t go on anymoooree, I’ve gotta quit.”

Kaoru: Of course. It’s my own idea, so I can’t just give up on it.

Koga: Yer “idea” so that’s why you won’t give up, huh~?

Kaoru: I mean… Correction. I won’t abandon it, period.

Koga: Hmph, ya should’ve said that from the start. Alright, the almighty Oogami Koga will teach ya in person!

Get yer ass ready, I’m going to work you to the bone… ☆

<A few days later>

Kaoru: …~♪

(...Aaa~hh… Seems like I’ve made a mistake in the same place again)

(Let’s try this part again, until my fingers pick this up completely)

…~♪  …~♪  …~♪

(Seems fine? Right, let's do the next four bars now)

…~♪  …~♪  …~♪~…~♪   …~♪

Yuuta: I’m back~ Hey, Hakaze-senpai

You’ve been working hard today, huh? Me too~ Continue working hard on your practice, okay ♪

Kaoru: Yuuta-kun, good job on your hard work as well~

Sorry for always playing my guitar in the dorm everyday. I should be practising in the studio, but I can’t seem to get a reservation to play at this time.

Idols use after work time to practice on their own, huh?

Yuuta: It’s fun to see my senpai get better bit by bit… ☆

Kaoru: Aha, you’re just like a teacher.

In fact, you are a teacher. You’re pretty attentive to the parts I mess up on.

Sorry to do this right after you get home, but do you mind showing me how to play this part?

I can play it with perfect accuracy, but for some reason whenever I practise my fingers get all tangled up in the chords, you see?

Yuuta: Sounds good! Give me a sec to put my bag away, and I’ll be right there, okay?

Kaoru: Mhm! Take all the time you need, okay? Yuuta-senpai ♪

Ah, Ran-kun, welcome home~

Nagisa: Ah, hello. Have you finished practising with the guitar?

Kaoru: Nah, not yet. I’m waiting for Yuuta-kun. I’m asking him for a demonstration on how to play this one part I just can’t seem to get…

Nagisa: … Ah, that’s good. I’m happy you’re not done yet, because recently it seems my favourite activities consist of listening to Kaoru-kun play the guitar.

Kaoru: Even though I suck?

Nagisa: … But you still grow ever so little, day by day

… Stars are born from floating as gas in outer space for thousands of years, so seeing that gas become a “star” is quite interesting.

Kaoru: Haha, you said something similar to Yuuta-kun~

I don’t think it’s bad to be compared to a star, not at all, but I don’t wanna spend thousands of years practising, y’kno? I’d become a fossil~

Yuuta: Sorry for making you wait. Lend me the guitar and sheet music?

Hm… The chord switching is a bit strange here.

The trick to it is to be conscious of the common strings in the previous and following lines—

… ~♪ See, easy right?

Kaoru: So you don’t have to memorise every chord, just let your fingers carry themselves? I see. I’m learning quite a lot.

Nagisa: The movement of the fingers is interesting.

Yuuta: Playing the guitar is fun, do you wanna play with it too, Ran-senpai?

Nagisa: I’ll have to refuse. It would interfere with Kaoru-kun’s practice.

Kaoru: Hey, no, you don’t have to do that ♪ If you’re fascinated, then come on, touch it.

Yuuta: Yeah, please go ahead.

Nagisa: Thank you. I’ll just borrow it for a little.

Kaoru: You’re playing for the first time, yeah? I’ll grab you some sheet music as practice.

Nagisa: … I have something in mind, so it’s fine, you can leave it.

… ♪~♪

Kaoru + Yuuta: Woah~♪ (Applause)

Kaoru: You’re like a role model, Ran-kun~ Wow, Ran-kun seriously can do anything, isn’t that amazing?

Nagisa: I owe it to Kaoru-kun. By seeing the two of you perform together, it gave me a point of reference.

Yuuta: No way~! It’s too perfect of a performance to be from just watching the two of us!

I’ll keep practising too, so then all three of us could have a session sometime!

“Your excellency, when did you learn to play a guitar!” I’m sure Vice President’s going to be completely speechless ♪!

Nagisa: Fufu, that imitation was spot on.

Yuuta: Really!? This is the beeest! I got Ran-senpai’s seal of approval ☆

Kaoru: (A session together, huh? I wonder how long it’ll take me to reach that far~)

(As an ordinary person, I suppose I’ll have to go at an ordinary pace)

<Next Day>

Kaoru: Good Morning~ eh? Koga-kun’s not here yet.

It’s still pretty early in the morning, and he was working late last night, so he’s probably sleeping soundly now.

(I’ll just start practising with what Yuuta-kun taught me yesterday)

(Just be aware of the common chords—)

…~♪

 (Woah~ I did in my first try. It doesn’t feel like all those times I stumbled and failed were real)

It feels good to plaaay, ♪~♪~♪

Adonis: Excuse me, Hakaze-senpai. Are you all alone today?

Kaoru: Eh? Nah, don’t worry. Koga-kun will be here in a bit.

Adonis: I see. That’s good. I brought you both some food.

Kaoru: Ah, a morning only hamburger. Oh that one’s a pancake combo, isn’t it?

Both look delicious, but what about the calories, huh~?

Adonis: Just eat. We’ll be here until evening time, won’t we?

Kaoru: That’s true. Well they do say to start the day with a big breakfast, so I guess dinner will just have to be light then.

Thanks for the food, Adonis-kun

Adonis: Hm. I said I wanted to lend my aid, but it’s frustrating that I can only do this much to help.

I wish I could play the guitar like Oogami…

Kaoru: Don't get all mopey, Adonis-kun. You’ve always been a great help.

… Come to think of it, I haven’t ever thanked you properly, Adonis-kun?

Since it’s just the two of us here, I’ll just say it now.

Adonis: A thanks?

Kaoru: Mhm. I heard from Rei-kun that you noticed I was acting off, and that you asked him for advice on what to do about my strange behaviour, isn’t that right~?

Thinking back on it, you’ve been looking after me since the moment you saw me in the cafeteria, haven’t you? I was so absorbed in my own problems that I completely ignored you.

Even though I’m older than you, I caused you all that unnecessary anxiety… I’m sorry.

Adonis: No, it’s only natural to worry about your friends.

Everyone has their own problems, some they don’t wish to share even with their closest of friends.

Because I love you, as your friend, I didn’t wish to push your boundaries too far, or else it wouldn’t be any better than a betrayal.

So that’s why I suddenly became a bit intrusive. I wanted to hear why you were troubled, but I couldn’t bring myself to step too far beyond your comfort zone. But, then I just ended up making a detour around town dragging Hakaze-senpai around with us, which only confused you…

Kaoru: When you guys were taking me on a trip? I didn’t know why you guys were doing it, but now that I do~ Well, it’s a fond memory now.

It’s rare for all four of us to spend time together like that, yeah?

Adonis: Ah, so it was fun? … Yeah, it was nice to hear about the wedding ceremony from Hakaze-senpai too.

Thank you for sharing your worries with us, Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru: Hm? I think rather, I should say thanks to you

With your kindness, you’re always helping me. Thank you, Adonis-kun.

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[carronpatrick]

Alright, I have a chance to rant. I have held back for MONTHS, allowing the two of you to abuse and gaslight my best friend and someone I consider a sister, so. Enough is enough.

This will be very long as I am very agitated, lmao. Read if you want or fuck off if you want, I genuinely don't care either way. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Act your damn ages already.

First off, if you want me to tag you (or would you prefer me refer to you like you do when you talk shit "you know who you are") I will, happily. You want transparency, let's do it.

Second. In no way is sending death threats okay. I don't even know if her followers did it to you or y'all are just that crazy to send anonymous hate to yourselves for attention, but even fake, it's wrong.

Next, misgendering someone because you're pissy is a childish, ignorant choice, and it is also wrong. Whoever did it, you should seriously be ashamed and take a long look at yourself and do better.

I am in no way condoning any of the hate, real or fake, being sent back and forth. Or the stalker behavior, racist remarks, and absolute absurd disrespect for someone who tried very hard to be your best friend.

-----

In case it's not clear, I fully take Ash's side. (@thevampywolf for those who don't know, that's what I call her.) There's no debate happening, no one will sway my decision. I gathered the facts (yes, those pesky things you conveniently ignore when you're trying to make your own point) and she is not in the wrong here. Period. I've asked third parties who have no idea of the situation, they have ALL agreed with me here.

You say she should "make an official post because right now it sounds really bad on (her) end". She owes y'all absolutely dick diddly.

I have just had enough and while Ash doesn't need one single damn person to defend her, she deserves to be defended and I've held my tongue for long enough. The bullshit needs to stop already.

-----

This all started because you and Ash were best friends. And then you got back/together with your girlfriend (who is now boyfriend, yes, but at the time was identifying as a female, that's why I said girlfriend) and started treating Ash like absolute shit. You commissioned work from her and she delivered, with promises you'd pay her when you got paid, after this drama episode with your roommate, you're helping your s/o through stuff, now they're helping you, now you've just gotta get paid again, oh wait, next holiday, etc. It's been almost half a year. You have your own housing at college and a job. You went out drinking for your birthday. You pay for your own food and clothes and those concert tickets and merch you got. She is not being a bitch to ask you for the payment you verbally/electronically promised in form of a commission.

However, you immediately saw red because HOW DARE she stand up for herself and actually make you follow through and keep your word. Le gasp. It's almost like she's being an adult, wow. And yes, there's also the $60 perfume that you've been holding hostage and gave to your dad to send off. Anyway. Ash asked you, before ending all contact with you, for what you OWE her, and you got pissy and you and your former girlfriend, now boyfriend, (I believe they go by he/him/they/them. If I am wrong, please correct me and I'll fix it.) started talking shit.

If you truly don't want any ties with Ash, you'd send the package you've been keeping from her (not hand it off to your dad and refuse to take accountability for it) and pay her what you owe and stop bringing her up on your numerous blogs and insinuating that she's being a bad person. Don't sit there, hiding behind your keyboards, playing the blame game and being absolute cunts. Grow up. Shame on you.

Ash owes zero explanation, to anyone, for YOUR shitty behaviors or the shitty behaviors of her followers. She's not "condoning the hate as well". That's on y'all and them. I realize you don't apparently have an actual mother figure (your posts, your words - not mine), but she's not responsible for anyone but herself and isn't anyone's mother.

------

Ironic how y'all become racist, vile, disgusting, bitter, and petty people when you think no one's looking. But then try to twist the situation and make it seem like it's someone else in the wrong.

For context if anyone is wondering, here's some of what was said and then deleted, this is just from yesterday. Note the tag you added, targeting Ash. She has not named y'all yet, she literally last even had your initial on her blog on December 4th, in this post where someone else brought you up.

But anyway, onto what actually started the drama today.

There's so much to unpack, but like. How fucking racist and unacceptable. Imagine being so fucking obsessed with someone that you have to attack them over fake names for fake children in fictional stories with your girlfriend and "burst their bubble". Can't relate. The only reason I can imagine is bitterness, jealousy, immaturity, or maybe you're just that hateful, idk. This is just your vitriol from today. You've both sent hate asks to Ash and said nasty, horrid things.

Let's address the underlying racism. First, Han absolutely can pronounce Clementine. He's fluent in English. Just because a three syllable word is too difficult for you to say, doesn't mean everyone else is the same. It's a simple word, a common one, is a name of characters in very popular media (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, The Walking Dead, there's an entire children's book series about a little girl named Clementine of the same name, just for example) and isn't exclusive to only English born speakers.

Secondly, there are literally Korean clementines!! They have multiple kinds - Gam Gyul, Hanrabong, Cheon Hye Hyang... I did a very quick search and found them. Ignorance is not an excuse here.

Third, why do you just assume all the international /foreign boys who your American girlfriend has wet dreams and dirty fantasies about - and writes and publishes filthy kink stories about and even SAID could be with her, dressing up for Halloween as a matching couple one day (yes, I have the screen shot, lmao) - will only be with Korean women and would never date outside their race? And they must name their children Korean names? That's just. Wow. So incredibly racist and ignorant.

Eric Nam, Christian Yu, Chrystal Soo Jung, Joshua Hong, Vernon, Jay Park, Rosé, Jennie, Gray, Jessi, FELIX LEE AND CHRISTOPHER BAHNG FOR FUCKS SAKE are all apparently not real Koreans. 🤔 How dare they have English names! And all those Koreans who decide they want their own English names, how DARE they.

Y'all can delete the posts and try to place blame on anyone else but you still did it and I saw and screenshot it all. The comment and how you hearted each racist post, too. Guess we know how you two really feel about the boys and Asians in general, huh.

-----

Ash has had both of you blocked for quite a while now. I remember the day she did it. So, y'all may wanna make it seem like Ash is contacting you constantly and reaching out, but you're delusional. She literally has both of you blocked on Tumblr, Instagram, Facebook, etc. She only allows you on one social, Snap and that's because you owe her money. She doesn't contact you otherwise. So to go out of your way to stalk her blog and socials and fucking emoji tag, even, is just. Wow.

She has tried, over and over, has given chance after chance after chance (despite being told to cut ties and adandon ship because you're hopeless as a friend and you'll never change your horrible behavior) and went to you saying things along the lines of "hey, if you don't wanna be friends anymore, please just let me know and I'll stop messaging you and let you be" and despite ghosting her like a child instead of facing her like the adult you criticize everyone else for not being, you immediately say things along the lines of "omg I'm soooo sorry, I'll fix it, I didn't mean to do that, of course I wanna be friends!"

But then, surprise, you never change or do better. And you CONTINUE to blame it on anyone and anything else. She realized just how toxic, childish, and wretched you both are, and decided instead of spewing nonsense, to block you and try to end the friendship as quickly as possible. And instead of realizing your mistakes and shitty behaviors, you decided to be ignorant twats online.

I mean, I knew y'all were immature but damn, that's just sad. Ash is living rent free in your heads and it's just absolutely pathetic. I just. You're both so ugly inside, you have to (try to) tear down anyone who disagrees with you or doesn't let the two of you abuse and walk all over that them...

-----

You constantly act like a victim on here. When you get no interaction for a while, suddenly you have an influx of anonymous "hate" (that's written exactly how you type, interestingly enough) despite saying you're going to turn off the fucking feature in the first place. Either you're so desperate for any attention, you're willing to get the hate and thrive in the negativity, or you're just a liar.

You are a jealous, petty, immature bully who sends people anonymous hate to stir the pot. You're so emotionally stunted, you terrorize and poison the very few people who actually want the best for you (fun fact, not someone who enables you and just agrees with everything you say blindly) and want to care for you - and then tell anyone who will listen that it was their fault for leaving once you've ghosted them for months on end. It's never your own fault because you can't accept responsibility for your actions and fucked up behaviors.

-----

If the people who follow you two or Ash knew how horrible you truly are, they'd abandon ship as soon as possible. And they should, cause if they're not careful, they'll be your next victims.

And it's just very sad and honestly, I feel sorry for you. I truly hope you go to therapy and one day grow up and act your age. I, personally, go to therapy since my suicide attempt at 16, and it's fantastic. It doesn't make you broken or something bad. It's something you (and many people for that matter) very obviously need in an attempt to heal whatever has fucked you up so much and I hope you don't have to hit rock bottom to reach out to an actual psychiatrist like I did.

I'm not saying this to be cruel or snide or cutting. This is genuine. You deserve to feel better about yourself and your family and friends. You deserve peace, even if you don't act like you deserve it. I'll pray for you - but as you pretend your boyfriend is God and blaspheme regularly, I'm not sure you'll appreciate the sentiment. I'm still doing it, regardless.

Also, this will sound cunty, but you need to hear it. I realize the blog is deleted and you've deleted the posts but.

Stop glorifying and blaming others for your suicidal desires and tendencies. Being suicidal is not a quirky personality trait, it's a sickness and needs to be taken care of by an actual doctor, not smothered with sex and bitterness and memes.

-----

And now, bring on the hate anons and bullshittery. I've so very suddenly been blocked (then unblocked so I'm just not following anymore) and unfriended as some anons came in. Interesting how that happens. 🤔

-----

Edit: I mistakenly put Lisa (who is Thai) and Mark Tuan (who is Taiwanese-American) under the Koreans with 'English' names. I apologize, sincerely, for my dumbness. 😅 And thank you very very much to the anon who pointed it out cause I'd have never realized it. 🫣

[j-art-2d2]

Correction

Chapter 4/?

Arcane University AU

jinx x caitlyn story (bits of caitvi and jinxlux)

Jinx’s POV

Jinx ignored every text Ekko sent her when she got home and slept until she absolutely had to wake up to catch a ride from Vi. So she wasn’t surprised at all to see Ekko waiting in the car this morning. As soon as she got in, Ekko was asking her what happened and if she was okay. She tried her best not to be annoyed by the amount of care. It’s only because he knows things can get.. difficult for her at times. “Look, I’m fine Ekko, just tired. Super fucking tired.”, noticing how he deflates at her tone she continues, “Aw don’t pout. There will be plenty of days for the Boy wonder to save me… just not today.” The joke seems to put him in a better mood, but what happens next puts Jinx in the worst mood.

Jinx's body reacts to the presence of Caitlyn before she even sees her. Despite this, shock still ran through her bones when she hears Violet beep and shout," Hey Cupcake!! Want a ride?" She watches in horror as Caitlyn scans the seats and goes around to the front seat, accepting the ride. Jinx groans and lets a dragged out,"…nooo..”, before Ekko graciously slaps his hand over Jinx's mouth. She notices the way Caitlyn makes sure her seatbelt is on and secure."…Of course." For the rest of the ride, Jinx is fuming watching every interaction Caitlyn has with Violet. She couldn't even laugh at the way Jayce was struggling to pet a dog while balancing his bagel on top of his coffee when Ekko invites him into the car. She was too busy watching how Caitlyn's face lit up while taking a photo. At that moment, Jinx subconsciously decided that she wanted to be the object of Caitlyn's attention. Whether it was positive or negative didn't matter.

Jinx jumps out of the car and makes a show of hopping on her board and skating away, while Ekko follows suit. She pretends not to notice Caitlyn looking at her for longer than she should. Mission accomplished. There's a pep in her step as she walks into first period. Lux notices the change in Jinx's mood immediately, not failing to comment on it. "Feeling good today are we?", she gleefully says to Jinx. Lux caught herself smiling, simply happy because Jinx was happy. The blue-haired girl plops down and greets Lux with a bone-crushing hug. "Yup! And real happy to see you sunshine!" She actually meant it too, being around Lux did make her happy. After having lunch together and sharing texts, Jinx has some sort of confidence in their newly budding friendship. If Lux thought she was going to stay focused all period, she was horribly mistaken. Jinx being in a better mood meant even more joking around than yesterday. The girls found it near impossible to control their grins.

When it comes time for class to end, Jinx practically leaps out of her seat. She hugs Lux, yet again, and rushes into the hall but doubles back to let Lux know that she's going to the library later for lunch. Caitlyn in mind as she rushes to second period. While skating on campus Jinx puts a bit of extra power behind her pushes, deadset on getting to second period before Caitlyn. “Jinx!" She couldn’t be bothered to respond. "Okay how about we slow down a little?!?" She doesn't stop until she's outside of her class, not caring enough to stop riding her board while inside the building. Jinx doesn't even fully open the door before running up to her seat. The same seat she was regretting yesterday is now the one she's gunning for.

"What the fuck is this a race?!?", Ekko pants while taking his seat. Like Jinx, he also kept the order the same as yesterday, almost as though he knew of her intentions. That's one of the things Jinx liked most about being friends with Ekko. Most of the time, he saw right through her, past the bullshit front she puts on for everyone. But he always just lets Jinx be Jinx , no matter what. "Gotta keep you on your toes right?”, she jokes. She’s so caught up in laughing with Ekko that she doesn't even notice Caitlyn walking in, let alone her lingering stare on Jinx. But she does notice the hand on her shoulder. The touch was so gentle like she was something to be careful with. "Hey Jinx!", she hears and her heart falls to her ass. Honestly, she didn't have a plan for what she would do with Caitlyn’s attention, let alone her touch. Jinx practically feels her skin light on fine underneath Caitlyn's hand. She reacts just as stupidly as she feels, grabbing Ekko’s pencil and using it to poke Caitlyn's hand off of her. "Why are you touching me...?", Jinx asks, not caring how rude she actually sounds. She's more focused on how her impromptu experiment was working.

Jinx would never admit it but she was a little deflated when Caitlyn didn't respond to her, just huffed and sits down in her seat. For the rest of the period, Jinx retains no actual information. She's too busy focusing on how Caitlyn is purposely not engaging with her. Jinx is seething when Caitlyn just ups and leaves, only saying goodbye to Ekko and Jayce. Whether it was her fault or not, being ignored isn't something Jinx can easily take on the chin. To her, it's just another form of rejection. Logically, she can understand why Caitlyn wouldn't want to interact with her. But I’m not exactly known for being realistic now am I?

So of course Jinx couldn't leave the situation alone. She knew exactly where Caitlyn is going and the fastest route there. Jinx's brain is so scrambled that she can't focus well enough to use her board so she settles for a light jog. Halfway there she's out of breath, still feeling the effects of her anger and Caitlyn's touch. She has no idea what to think or feel. One day she hates Caitlyn and the next she's craving her attention. It's not like Jinx doesn't see how questionable her thoughts and actions are. She prides herself on being self-aware of her issues. But regardless, Jinx can't control how she reacts half the time. She’s cursed to feel every emotion way stronger than the average person. Fight or flight, Jinx will always fight.

That being said, Jinx is more than prepared to face the consequences of what she does next. Ignore me all you want, might as well give you another reason to. She marches into the library, grabs a random textbook, and sits where she can easily be seen. Then, Jinx cracks open a book and starts to copy down the info from the textbook into her notebook. What she's writing doesn't matter, it's all for the illusion of being studious anyway. Jinx tries her best not to laugh at Caitlyn's face when she finally enters the library and sees that Jinx is already in there. She pretends to be intensely focused, sticking her pencil between her lips.

Sure that Caitlyn is still focused on her, Jinx makes a show of huffing and putting her hair up in a bun. She can't help but clench her jaw in frustration as she goes back to writing, thinking about how Caitlyn was just purposely ignoring her but now seemed to not be able to take her eyes off of her. Am I only something to be admired quietly from afar, never proudly? Her emotions boil over as Caitlyn makes her way over to Jinx. She breaks character for a moment as Caitlyn tentatively sits down. "How'd you get here so fast?" ..Really...?.. that's what she's worried about? She can’t even bother to apologize? Drowning in her emotions, Jinx allows them to speak for her, aiming to make Caitlyn feel as small as she did. She makes sure to pay attention only to the materials in front of her as she answers, "It's easy when you know where you're going?" Jinx can tell that gets under Caitlyn’s skin, so she's actually pretty surprised to hear her continue the conversation. “Why do you hate me?"

Immediately, Jinx sees the vicious opportunity and takes it. “You haven't given me a reason to like you." Deep down, she knows the words hold more weight to her than they ever could to Caitlyn, but seeing how she's basically storming out of the library helps her satisfaction to overpower any other thought. Mission accomplished.

Jinx can effectively say that the rest of her day was a blur. In retrospect, she felt almost guilty for how she actively decided to push Caitlyn away. It was hours later when she was able to examine her black and white way of thinking; the result of Jinx finding it hard to rationally process emotions in the heat of the moment. Her brain could draw up any conclusion and at the time that's all she'll be able to recognize as fact. It's not like Caitlyn has ever intentionally tried to hurt Jinx's feelings, but honestly, she didn't have to. She feels everything so intensely that Caitlyn couldn't avoid hurting her if she tried.

The pit in Jinx's stomach grows by tenfold when she sees Caitlyn gushing over Violet on the field. When Vi offers Caitlyn a ride, Jinx fears the damage she's done is irreversible. Caitlyn doesn't even act like she knows Jinx is there, despite her very obviously being present. In the car, Jinx digs her knees into the back of Caitlyn's chair. A part of her is hoping Caitlyn will maybe turn around and address the annoyance. Maybe reprimand her. The other part of Jinx is simply acting out in frustration. The flirting happening in front of her is partially driving her mad. Seeing how Caitlyn continues to pay her no mind and flashes her perfect fucking smile at Vi makes Jinx dig her knees deeper. As if her childish antics would come to the rescue. When Caitlyn gets out of the car Vi turns to face Jinx. "Still hate her, huh?" You can't be serious... "Shut the fuck up and drive!", Jinx snaps, no longer able to hold it together. Her feelings were giving her actual whiplash and her sister was not helping.

At home, Jinx goes straight to her

room and blasts music, not wanting to

be bothered. She stays cooped up until Ekko bursts into her room. Jinx doesn't even bother to react, she's already used to Ekko and his surprise visits when she gets like this. She lets him convince her she should go to this party he heard about from Jayce. Jinx was against the idea and put up a fight but relented when Ekko mentioned the prospect of her asking Lux to accompany her. Lux says yes of course. Ekko tells Jinx that he can get a ride for them tomorrow so Vi won't be necessary. It's like he knows about the way Jinx is feeling towards her sister at the moment. He then lets himself out once he’s sure that Jinx is feeling better. She sleeps better that night in her silent room than she did yesterday with music blasting. There were no thoughts she needed to drown out, the idea of spending quality time with Lux helping her to drift off to sleep.

On the night of the party, Jinx puts a significant amount of effort into her appearance. It was the first party of the semester and she was going to make the most of it. She practically skips out to the car when Ekko arrives, Scar in the driver's seat. Jinx plops into the back seat more excited than ever. "Well, hellooooo gentlemen, let's go get fucked up!!!"

[sofipitch]

Quick correction from an insane person who willingly read all the books, Lestat falls in love with the nun is TotBT not in book 5 and Louis is in more books than that. He’s in 1-7 and 11-13. I’m not trying to defend Lestats philandering or anything here but in 5, 6 and 7 Lestat is in a coma/catonic after his journery to heaven and hell, Louis stays by his side for a long time while he’s in that state and continues to visit and care for him even though Lestat can’t talk or move and I found it to he a surprisingly underrated sign of devotion on Louis part that doesn’t really get talked about.

Okay that makes the period blood drinking/pussy eating in book 5 so much funnier. When your vampire friend is hungry and you gotta do what you gotta do 😂

Yeah I skipped the books that Louis and Lestat are technically a part of TVA and B&G. But yeah Louis keeping vigil by Lestat is stupid romantic and I do think the ONLY thing waking Lestat up from his trauma coma being Louis killing himself is very romantic, it is just dulled by the fact that Lestat wakes up just to listen to Sybelle play the piano in TVA but not Louis saying goodbye before he attempts suicide (like maybe Lestat can't control the coma but it also seems like he can? AR make it make sense!) I can't think of many off the cuff but there are fics about this too which I think is a good time period to explore. Gulfport has a flashback/Louis retelling of one event during that time that I really like despite it being sad and fucked up.

So yeah there are little glimpses and that is what I meant that Lestat always goes back to Louis, at least for a little bit. In comparison it seems like Louis spends more time waiting for Lestat, his onlh other love interest is Armand, and some ppl read his interactions with David and Armand again but I don't. Louis is the wife waiting for her husband to come back from the war and the war is Lestat's bad decisions 😂😭

[xoxo-bunnydumpling]

I joined my husband in carting a group of youths home from a protest today. All of his YA Book Club kids let themselves out of school today and went to the town square...I don't know how they managed this but I'd like to think it was some Mission Impossible shit. One of them texted him a picture of the group, captioned "time to be good citizens..." (he tells them at the end of every session "thanks for coming, now go forth and be good citizens, please") so he tumbled out of bed, threw some clothes on, and said "I gotta keep them out of jail."

Not "I have to take them home". We argued this point by text all day.

It got a little rowdy. Cops were called. Several situations happened. Arrests were made. Oddly enough it was mostly church people who got hauled in, so ate up with the spirit that they couldn't keep their hands to themselves.

Eli did what a good adult would do. Tried his best to talk them into going home, kept them from bodily injury (getting pinched by an old lady in the process), and in fact...kept all of them out of jail. However, he didn't do what I would do and call their parents.

So after only texting me periodically all day, he called me.

"Can you...come get the girls and take them home? It's bad enough I didn't call their parents, I don't want anyone to think..."

"Meet me by the cute pink tree."

I was very touched by the number of boys he ended up piling into his car, but it was a hard ride with the girls I ended up piling into mine.

"Where were you?" This girl is definitely looking at me like I'm a piece of shit. "Lebs says you're pretty disobedient. I don't see it." (His kids can pronounce our last name but don't. He's always Lebs, or sometimes Lurch)

From the backseat: "Didn't you climb the theater at the Possum Drop?"

Damn.

"Look...that's...that wasn't a good thing to do and I almost got arrested for it."

"So?"

"So...it wasn't even for a good reason. I just drank too much and acted stupid."

The girl next to me folds her skinny little arms over her chest. "This was a good reason...so where were you? YOU wouldn't miss finals if you went to jail."

I thought about correcting her, I would miss schoolwork if I found myself in the clink, actually but mostly I don't want to admit to her that I spent all day in bed depressed and didn't intend to go anywhere at all. But I just don't say anything. I can't. They can't ever think it's okay to fold like that.

From the backseat again: "Aren't you scared? You can still get pregnant right? What if something happens? What if..."

They're too young for this. Forced into filling their brains with so many what-ifs I'm surprised they're not coming out of their ears. I have no doubt that if one of these girls found themselves pregnant they'd have an uphill battle to fight, convincing their conservative parents that it's anything less than a blessing, or a necessary punishment for premarital relations. But they could have gone one state across and handled it and now...

Womanhood feels so fucking cursed sometimes. I don't know what to say, so I lean on a bad joke.

"Well, hasn't happened successfully yet so...maybe my babymaker's just busted."

"Shit. I'm sorry...fuck, am I allowed to cuss in your car? Sorry."

We end up at Sonic, and because it's a small town in the south, so does Eli's car full of boys. The kids want to sit outside so we do...at some point Eli pulls me into his lap, wraps his arms around me and apologizes into my back. "I'm sorry for making a bad day worse."

"You were just being a good citizen."

I don't tell him I think he'd be a good dad, too. Maybe I should have.