#i know some fic writers don't cross post since they have a preference with the sites and personally

[bifairywife]

me partially ready to make a fanfiction.net account but then encountered some analysis and talks and rumors that it may shut down:

i dipped in reddit to check it out and this one is one of the top posts about the topic (more rants in tags)

[wolfjackle-creates]

The Two Ghost Motel

So, as I mentioned, I joined the DP Ecto-Implosion Event this past month and it's Posting Week now! So I get to finally share with you the first chapter of my fic. Still working on editing the second half of the fic, but it's fully written as of this time.

For those who don't know, for the Ecto-Implosion event, artists drew/animated/composed some piece of art and writers then went in and wrote fics based off their art.

I was lucky enough to be paired with the super talented @i-think-in-metaphors who made this gorgeous artwork:

You can read on AO3 here (this fic is not locked to AO3 users only).

And for those of you who prefer to read on Tumblr:

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: Minor Original Character Death (not in this chapter)

Fandom: DPxDC (though no knowledge of DC is necessary for this fic. I use a single character and he has amnesia, it takes place in an original setting or Amity)

Summary:

Danny is tired. Endless ghost fights with too many responsibilities and too little time; he barely passed sophomore year. When Ember visits town for a bit of fun, she mentions the Two Ghost Motel, a place of peace and refuge for restless ghosts who aren't ready to cross over. “I’m fine, Ember.” Danny’s got a home and friends. He’s fine, really. But when his parents begin experimenting with electricity to destabilize ghosts, it’s too much for Danny. Unfortunately, neither Sam nor Tucker can host him for the night and he’s left wandering in the night, alone. Then he sees it: The Two Ghost Motel. He checks in. “Welcome.”

-----

Danny wasn’t sure when he first saw the neon sign. Honestly, he didn’t even realize it was something ghostly when he did. He just thought it was one more ghost-themed business that had come to Amity since the portal opened.

But when he mentioned the motel to Sam and Tucker, they looked at him like he was crazy.

“I’ve never heard of any Two Ghost Motel,” said Sam. “Where’d you see it?”

Tucker was typing into his PDA. “Nothing’s coming up online, either.”

“Oh come on, you’re pulling my leg. We’ve passed it at least a half dozen times. Last night when we were leaving Nasty Burger for one! And I think, what, three nights before that? On patrol? Where were we?”

“Dude, that night we were near the library. No where near Nasty Burger. No way you could’ve seen the same place both nights,” said Tucker.

“Danny, when was the last time you got a full night’s sleep?” Sam’s brow was knit in concern.

Danny waved off her concern. “Whatever. I know I’ve seen it. The sign is bright pink and orange with blue ghosts on it.”

Sam just shrugged and shook her head. “Point it out next time you see it.”

Before Danny could reply, his ghost sense went off and he groaned. “Ugh, looks like someone’s around. I’m too tired for this.” Danny glanced around. They were in the park and no humans were nearby so he let his transformation wash over him.

He flew into the air and tried to listen past the sound of his breaths echoing through his mask. Even though he didn’t breathe when transformed, something about the hazmat suit remembered and the sound was inescapable.

A guitar chord played behind him and Danny instinctively threw up a shield and fell ten feet right as a blast from Ember’s instrument headed his way.

“Hey there, baby-pop!” she called. “I was sitting around, bored out of my mind, when I remembered I could just come here to have some fun!”

Danny turned to face her. “Come on, Ember.” His voice always sounded so robotic when filtered through the mask. “I’m tired.”

“Too bad. I’m not.” She grinned at him and strummed a few notes, sending more attacks his way.

Danny dodged, only to have to watch one of the blasts hit a bench and destroy it. He flew higher, hoping her next attacks wouldn’t cause more collateral that would be blamed on him.

“What, you just gonna dance around like that? Come on, attack back!”

“My moves not good enough for you?”

“You need to step it up if you want to be my back up dancer.”

Danny couldn’t help but laugh and when she sent her next blast his way, he avoided it by doing a backwards dive towards the ground only to circle back up until he was facing her. “How’s that?”

“Better, but you’re still not there. Your moves have to match the music!” She played a tune with a fast beat and Danny dodged and spun. And if he added some flair to his movements, well, he deserved the chance to have a little fun.

Another blast his way, and he twisted his hips. Matching Ember’s beat, he sent a few ectoblasts back at her.

Ember laughed. “Now you’re catching on!”

Danny allowed himself a quick glance down where he saw Sam and Tucker not even trying to hide. Tucker was filming them.

Which, of course, is when it all had to be ruined by the unmistakable sounds of the GAV driving cross-country.

“Through the park?” he moaned. “Seriously?”

“Shit, that’s your folks, isn’t it.”

“Yeah. C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

“You’ve got it, babypop. I came here for fun, not to mess with them.”

The GAV came to a stop and Danny saw his mom rush out of the passenger side with one of their new, long-distance guns. He tacked Ember, only just getting her out of the way of the blast.

Without any discussion, both turned invisible and flew out of the park. Danny didn’t let them stop until they were in a forest out of range of his parents’ trackers. Exhaustion set back in as soon as he realized they were safe, and he just plopped down on the ground and leaned against a tree.

“Ready to resume your dancing lessons?” asked Ember.

Danny groaned and rested his head against the rough bark. It was probably stupid, but he let his eyes close. “Maybe next time. I meant it when I said I’m tired.”

She didn’t say anything as one, two, three breaths sounded from his mask. And then he heard some leaves rustle. He cracked open an eye to see Ember making herself comfortable on the ground a few feet away.

“You really are tired, aren’t you?” she asked.

“Yeah. Finals are coming up and if I don’t do well, I’m going to fail sophomore year.”

“Y’know, I’ve heard of a place…”

Danny waited for her to continue, but when she didn’t, he hummed. “A place?”

“Yeah. Haven’t been there myself. But, there’s this place. It’s for ghosts who aren’t ready to move on from Earth just yet. Ghosts who live only on Earth without ever going the Zone get tired and weak. There’s just not enough ectoplasm around. Except for here, of course.”

“So what’s this place do?”

“Gives you somewhere to rest. And recharge. It’s not really on Earth. It’s a sort of in between place. Called the Two Ghost Motel. Might be worth checking in for a night if you ever don’t want to be at home for one reason or another.”

Danny hummed. “I’ve seen it around. Thought it was just a regular motel, but Sam and Tucker didn’t know what I was talking about.”

Ember picked out a tune on her guitar, but this time no attacks emanated from it. “It’s not a place for the living from what I’ve heard. Just the dead.”

Danny looked up at the stars through the tree branches, but he shook his head. “I’m fine, Ember. Just need to get some sleep.”

“Whatever you say, baby-pop.”

---

After that conversation with Ember, the motel began basically haunting him. Every night, as soon as dusk started to fall, he’d see it. Always a few streets away, just sitting there calling to him; it’s sign bright in the dark.

Sam and Tucker couldn’t see it, no matter how often he pointed it out to him. Jazz could sometimes see something out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked on more directly, it was never there.

Danny never approached. He was fine. He had a home and friends. There was no reason to go to some random motel.

Finals came and went. He managed to scrape by with at least Cs in everything. His parents, especially his mom, had not been happy with those grades, but Danny was just glad to have passed.

Didn’t stop him from being grounded and forced to help out more in the lab. One afternoon, he was in his room playing Doomed with Sam and Tucker when he got a message from his parents calling him back down to help them out.

“Ugh, I’ve got to go down to the lab.”

“Seriously?” complained Tucker. “Again?”

“Yeah,” agreed Sam. “Seems you’re always off helping them lately. Can’t you say no?”

“It’s this or having my phone and computer taken away. I’ll take the lab work.” He saved his progress. “Will you guys be on later?”

“Can’t,” said Sam. “My parents are forcing me to go to a fancy dinner somewhere. And they’re not giving me any more information than that to keep me from planning anything disruptive.”

“And mine have declared we’re having a tech-free family bonding night,” said Tucker, rolling his eyes. “With board games! Who plays board games in this day and age?”

Danny laughed. “I’ll see you both tomorrow, then. Later.”

Danny signed off and went downstairs. The hazmat suits were kept in a closet right next to the door to the lab, and Danny went through the process of pulling it all on. The mask that came with it was even more annoying in human form than ghost. The filtered air always tasted strange, but he’d given up complaining about that years ago.

He unlocked the lab door and went down to the lab.

“Dan-o!” called his dad as soon as he saw him. “Come here! You’re job will be to control the current!”

“Uh, current?” asked Danny.

“We’re trying to figure out how to disrupt the electrical signal in ectoplasm that gives ghosts their shape,” explained his mom. She had a bowl of ectoplasm in a glass terrarium and was arranging two metal probes so they dipped into it.

“Exactly!” agreed his dad. “So you’re going to sit at this computer”—he pulled out a chair before one of the lab computers and gestured for Danny to sit—“and adjust the frequency and voltage.”

Danny took a seat and stared at the program that was loaded on the screen. At least he wouldn’t be anywhere near the probes? A glance at the puddle of ectoplasm had him holding back a shudder.

“First we’re going to try and force the ectoplasm to form a shape,” continued his mom. “We’re going to do that with probe A. You’re going to start with a low frequency and voltage and slowly increase it while your father and I mark down how it affects the ectoplasm. We have some hypotheses about when it’ll start to form a shape.”

“And once it forms a shape,” said his dad, “you’ll use probe B to send a contrary electrical signal to destabilize it!”

“And then no more ghost!”

Suddenly Danny was glad his suit had a face mask. His parents were going to do what? Figure out how to use electricity to destabilize ghosts? It wasn’t possible. There was no way it could work. Right? He had to stay and prove to himself they were talking crazy.

“What—” His mouth was dry and he had to try again. “How should I start?”

“The settings are already loaded,” said his mom. She grabbed a tablet and sat down in front of the terrarium.

Dad sat next to her, grinning widely. “Go ahead, Dan-o!”

Danny’s hand shook as he placed it on the mouse. He sat on the other to hide it. Then he turned on the probe.

At first, nothing happened. The ectoplasm stayed a puddle and there was no visible change in it. But as he adjusted the current, it began to ripple. His parents loudly exclaimed over every change as they shouted instructions back to him.

Each change had Danny’s heart beating harder in his chest.

Two hours in is when it happened. The ectoplasm started to form a ball that rose up out of the bowl. Danny could feel something cold in the back of his throat. Not his ghost sense, but something close.

“This is it!” yelled his dad. “Danny, what’re the settings?”

Once more, Danny was glad for the way the mask muffled his voice just enough to mask how horrified he was by the thing that was forming. His parents’ theories about electrical currents couldn’t be true. They couldn’t.

“Now for us to try disrupting the current!” The glee in his mom’s voice made bile rise in Danny’s throat. But when she told him to turn on probe B, he did.

It only took twenty minutes to find the settings that made the ectoplasm fall apart back into a puddle.

Danny was up on his feet, chair toppled, in an instant. He held a gloved hand to his masked face as if he could keep from throwing up with the motion alone. It had looked so much like Ellie when she was destabilizing.

“Danny?” asked his mom, tablet forgotten on her chair as she rushed over to him. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I… I’m feeling a bit sick. Can I, can I go? Bathroom?”

His mom reached out to brush a hand over his covered forehead as if to check his temperature. “Oh sweetie, of course you can. You should’ve told us you weren’t feeling well. There’s some soup in the fridge if you think you can eat that.”

“I— yeah. Thanks.” He didn’t wait to hear anything else she had to say and just ran up the stairs. He shed his gear in record time and ran all the way up to his room. He slammed the door shut and grabbed his backpack from where it hung on his desk chair.

With shaking hands, he took out everything in the main compartment. Then he ran to his dresser and grabbed a change of clothes and something to sleep in. He couldn’t stay here right now. He just couldn’t.

From the bathroom, he grabbed some toiletries and added those.

Less than fifteen minutes after leaving the lab, he was out the front door and walking down the street. It was late, dusk starting to fall.

He considered going to Nasty Burger to get some dinner, but then he remembered the way the ball of ectoplasm had melted and he changed directions. Eventually his wandering brought him to the park where he found a bench in an empty area and sat down, dropping his backpack at his feet.

Danny buried his face in his hands as he forced himself to just breathe. He and Tucker could mess with the results from these experiments just like they had so many times in the past. It was going to be fine.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out.

Jazz: Hey, Danny. Mom said you weren’t feeling well? Jazz: Where’d you go? You’re not in your room. Danny: Sorry, Jazz. I had to get out of the house. Danny: Ask mom and dad about today’s experiments. Danny: You’ll understand why. I’m gonna spend the night at Tuck’s. Jazz: Okay. See you tomorrow? Danny: Yeah. I’ll be back tomorrow. Jazz: Love you.

Of course, Tucker was having a family night. He couldn’t crash that. And Sam’s parents had banned him from their house. Where would he spend the night?

And then he noticed it. Right outside the park glowed the sign: Two Ghost Motel.

He was on his feet and walking there before he’d even consciously made the decision to go. A glance around showed he was alone, that night had fully fallen on Amity so he let his transformation wash over him.

He reached the street and, for the first time, was staring directly at the motel rather than catching glimpses from a block or two away. The parking lot had a few cars in it, the oldest looking like it might’ve been from the twenties with the newest looking like it was ten or fifteen years old.

A glance in either direction showed no cars coming, so Danny crossed the street.

As soon as he stepped off the sidewalk and into the parking lot, Danny could feel a change in the air. It was nothing obvious, but something integral was different. The sounds of the city were muffled, the sense of life dulled. The air felt lighter and the door seemed to call to him. Most importantly, it was easier to push away the memories from his afternoon in the lab.

The sign, when he reached it, buzzed softly in the night. He held a hand up towards it and felt an echoing buzz under his skin.

He stared at the lights for a moment more before continuing towards the building at the other end of the lot. It hadn’t been repaved in ages and was riddled with cracks. But the plants that grew up through them weren’t the normal grasses and dandelions. He wished Sam were with him to help him identify them.

Instead he knelt down and pulled out his phone to take a picture. They glowed slightly in the night, their stems ectoplasm-green with blue leaves and red bulbs. Danny reached out to touch one, only for the bulb to open and snap at his finger.

Danny laughed in surprise as he pulled his hand away. Something inside him relaxed. A night away would do him good and maybe he’d see other cool things besides the flowers.

The motel itself was a long, two-story building. The main entrance was smack in the middle of the building with rows of rooms extending to either side. Next to the office, a passageway through the building led to the back side of the building and had stairs leading up to the second level. It was clearly old, worn in the way only time could do.

The office door wasn’t automatic and the handle stuck slightly under his hand when he tried to turn it. But just a little bit of force had it opening.

Inside, the carpet was worn, beaten down and dull in the middle. The walls were covered in floral wallpaper rather than paint. Against one wall buzzed an ice machine and against the other sat a vending machine. A man with slicked back hair and a cane stared at the vending machine without moving. A two-seater couch was next to the vending machine with a wooden coffee table in front of it. Two women sat side-by-side on it: one in modern jeans and a windbreaker, the other in an old-fashioned dress that looked like it may have come from the sixties. They were holding magazines, but in the time it took Danny to look around, neither had flipped a page.

Cutting off the back of the room was a long desk, behind which sat a closed door. A woman sat behind the desk. Her blonde hair was cut shoulder length and curled inward. She wore bright red lipstick and heavy eye shadow. But strangest of all, she wasn’t moving. Her chest didn’t raise with her breathing, she didn’t shift in her seat. The women on the couch, at least, made the little movements people make when they’re engrossed in their reading. And the man at the vending machine was tapping his fingers on his cane as he tried to decide what to get.

But the woman at the counter was utterly still.

“Evening.” Danny’s voice was loud in the small room.

The woman in modern clothes cocked her head slightly as if trying to hear a distant noise.

“What are you reading?” Danny asked her.

She just shook her head slightly and looked back at her magazine. Slowly, she turned a page.

“Oh-kay,” said Danny to himself. He walked past them as he made his way to the desk.

As soon as he reached it, the woman came to life. She turned and smiled broadly at him and her finger started tapping on a paper log book that sat in front of her. “Well hello there. Welcome to the Two Ghost Motel!” She had a slight southern accent. “What can I do you for?”

“Uh, well. I heard you might have a room I could rent for the night.”

“Sure do,” she agreed with a nod. “Can certainly set you up with one of those.” She looked him up and down then nodded to herself. “Ah, yes. We knew you might need a place soon so we made sure you’d be able to find us. Glad to see you finally stopped in.”

“What, uh, what do you know about me?”

“Same as we know about any of our potential patrons, sweetie. That you’re a restless spirit that isn’t ready to pass on yet. Two Ghost was set up to give you a place to rest while you’re still on Earth.”

“How much would it cost for one night?”

The receptionist threw back her head and laughed. Her teeth were sharper than a normal human’s. Behind him, another voice joined in the laughter. Danny turned to see the modern-dressed woman was finally looking at him, though it was only to laugh at him.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck and smiled self-consciously. “I take it that was a stupid question?”

“Honey, there’s no charge for spending the night. Wouldn’t be much of a place to rest if we forced y’all to pay when no dead has money.”

“Right. So do you want anything in exchange? I’m pretty good at fixing things up.”

“All we want is for you to have a good night’s rest.” She turned the log book around. “I’ll just need you to put down your name here and I’ll give you your key.” She waved her hand to indicate a pen that was chained to the desk.

Danny grabbed it and hesitated just a moment before signing “Phantom” on the page. The ink was ectoplasm-green.

She took the book back and made her own marks before smiling at him. “Well that’s all in order. Now just to get you your room key.” She opened a drawer which was filled with a number of small envelopes, each with a handwritten number on them. She flipped through a few before stopping on one, seemingly at random, and pulling it out. “You’ll be in room 214. Leave the office, take a right. You can’t miss the stairs. Climb ‘em, continue to the back side of the motel, and take a right.”

Danny took the envelope from her. On it, the numbers 214 were written, with Two Ghost Motel in cursive below it. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Enjoy your stay at Two Ghost,” she smiled one more time at him, then looked down at her logbook and froze exactly as she had been when he’d first entered.

“I appreciate your help. You sure there’s nothing I can do in exchange for the room?”

But the woman didn’t stir again. Danny shifted from foot to foot. Should he try and wake her? Was she hurt? Was this a normal ghost thing? He tapped on the desk again.

“Ma’am?”

No response.

Danny looked down at his key and back at the woman. Hesitantly, he turned towards the door, but he couldn’t help looking back frequently. He paused by the women on the couch, but neither looked up from their magazines. At the vending machine, he peered around the man.

“Do they have anything that looks good?” he asked.

The man didn’t move, so Danny shifted until he was standing right next to him and could look inside the machine.

The bottom two rows were filled with drinks, water and Gatorade took up space right next to shots of ectoplasm. And were those beers? What? Above those were a few types of nuts and candy bars and chips. Danny only recognized half the brands.

Then he noticed the package of bottle caps. “Oh man, been ages since I’ve had some bottle caps. Mind if I grab those if you haven’t decided yet?”

The man hummed and moved to the side so Danny could get to the bill input and number pad.

“Thanks, sir! Appreciate it.” He pressed the numbers for the candy to see the price, but the machine whirled to life and it was dropped down without requiring Danny to put in a single cent. “Oh, shit, did I just use your money? What do you like? I’ll get it for you as an apology.”

“I don’t… I don’t remember,” said the man. His voice was very quiet, but clear. Danny couldn’t place his accent.

“Are you looking for a snack or a drink? Sweet or savory?”

“My son always pretended he didn’t like sweets. I was going back to him. How did I end up here?”

“Dunno, sir. But if you like candy, I’d recommend the skittles if you want chewy, m&m’s if you want basic chocolate.” He opened his own package. “Hold out your hand, I’ll give you a few of these so you can see if you like them.”

The man did and looked at his own hand as if he’d never seen it before. Danny turned his package so a few bottlecaps fell out. “Thank you,” said the man.

“Sure thing. Hope you enjoy!”

The man stared at his hand a moment longer before bringing one to his mouth and chewing the candy with a pensive look on his face. “I think I remember these, but it’s been so long. Thank you.”

“Anytime. My name’s Phantom; I’m in room 214 if you need anything.”

“Phantom. Pleasure to meet you. I’m Tom.”

“Well, Mr. Tom, hope you find something to eat that you like.”

Tom hummed and turned back to look at the vending machine. Danny took one last look at the receptionist, still entirely frozen, before slipping out the door. He slipped the package of bottlecaps into his pocket; he’d eat them in his room when he could take his mask off. In the passageway to the back of the motel, two boys played jacks under a flood light.

Danny couldn’t help but pause to watch them. He’d tried playing a few times when he was younger, but Tucker wasn’t into the game and none of the other kids had been willing to spend enough time with the weird ghost-hunter’s kid to teach him.

He waited until the kid who’d been picking up the jacks tossed them back on the ground before asking, “So, who’s winning?”

Both boys looked up at him with the same blank expression. The one on the right was a red-head while the one on the left was brown haired. They were about the same age, maybe ten years old and Danny wondered what happened to bring them here.

“I never learned to play,” Danny admitted, waving a hand to indicate their game. “So I don’t know how to tell. Or, is there even a winner in jacks? I might be completely off the mark.”

The red-head raised his hand. “I’m wining. I’m on the foursies round. Alan is only on twosies.”

“Matt cheated and made me drop my jacks.”

“It wasn’t cheating, just strategy,” protested Matt.

“Cheating,” repeated Alan.

“Prove it by beating your threesies round perfectly this time.”

Danny smiled to himself as the boys returned to their game and ignored his presence entirely.

“How’d you do that?” asked someone behind him.

Danny spun around to see a boy around his own age on the stairs leaning over the railing. He had dark hair and light eyes and was dressed in modern jeans and a t-shirt.

“Do what?” asked Danny.

“Get them to talk to you. Everyone ignores me entirely.”

Danny glanced back at the two boys who were entirely absorbed in their game and not paying Danny or the stranger any attention. “They’re mostly ignoring me, too.”

The kid rolled his eyes. “But they still talked to you. I haven’t even gotten that much.”

Danny shrugged. “I just asked them about their game.”

He groaned and kicked at the railing. “I’ve tried that. Who’re you, anyway?”

“I’m Phantom. Staying here for the night because, well, just because. Who’re you?”

“Jay.”

Danny cocked his head. “Like the bird?”

Jay’s eyes widened in surprise, then he grinned back. “That’s it! I knew I was forgetting something. I’m a bird. Thanks, Phantom.”

Danny laughed. “Sure thing, birdie.” He adjusted his backpack. “Let me put this down. I’m in room 214. What’s there to do in this motel?”

Jay shrugged. “More if you can get the other people to talk to us. But the TV always has your favorite show or movie on and the vending machine in the office always has your favorite snacks.”

As Danny made his way up the stairs, Jay fell in step besides him. “What’s your favorite movie?” he asked.

Jay shrugged again. “Dunno. But every time I turn on the TV it’s playing.”

“What did you watch last, then?”

Jay hesitated a moment and when Danny looked at him, he was frowning. “I don’t…” He shook his head. “I don’t forget things. My d— Someone made sure I could give accurate reports. But I don’t remember.” He looked at Danny with his brow furrowed. “Why don’t I remember?”

Danny shrugged. “Well, when we get to my room, we can turn on the TV and see what comes on.”

Jay brightened immediately at the suggestion. “Duh! That’ll remind me. Thanks, Phantom! Come on, your room’s this way. We’re neighbors; I’m in 215.” He jogged the rest of the way up the stairs so Danny had to speed up, too.

At the top of the stairs, Jay took a right and Danny’s door was several down.

“Home sweet home,” he said, gesturing to the door.

Danny laughed as he unlocked it. “So how long have you been here?” He pushed open his door and took in the space. The carpet looked like it hadn’t been upgraded since the seventies. A double bed sat against one wall covered by a faded, green paisley quilt. A low dresser and box TV against the opposite wall. Most of the wall facing the walkway was taken up with a large window, though the closed blinds kept it private.

It wasn’t until Danny stepped in and dropped his bags on the bed that he realized Jay had neither responded nor followed him in.

“Birdie? Jay? You okay?”

Jay was frozen outside the door staring out into the distance away from the motel. The back of the motel had very few lights, and the night made it seem like there was nothing out there but endless black. When Danny called out, Jay shook himself and grinned as he entered the room and sat down on Danny’s bed with enough force to bounce. “Course I’m okay! Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You spaced out there for a minute.”

Jay rolled his eyes. “No I didn’t. Where’s your remote?” Before Danny could do anything, Jay was already standing and picking it up from the dresser. He turned on the TV. “Oooh, the Godfather! Told you it always has your favorite movie.”

“So The Godfather is your favorite?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen it all the way through.”

“Then you’re in for a treat! Come on, sit next to me. I’ll make sure you notice all the good parts.”

Danny did as told. Which is when he remembered he still had the candy. Wordlessly, he held it out to Jay who grinned as he took a few to snack on.

-----

Chapter 2

Hope you enjoyed chapter 1! This was so much fun to write. I loved taking part in the event so much. Please consider checking out the rest of the art and fics from this event because there are so many talented people who took part. (My reading list is gonna be filled for at least the rest of the year, no lie.)

Just search the tag #ectoimplosion2023 to see what I mean.

[dimepdf]

new to tumblr and wanna start posting stories. i have no fucking clue what im doing or how this works. how did you get the fonts you use for your posts? any tips for beginners and posting stories and all that stuff? im confused AHHHHH.

I'm still a VERY new writer on here as well lmao, but here's some stuff that I wish I knew beforehand :

it really just comes up to what aesthetic you want, knowing what style you like will help with formatting your posts, whether you like the banner look or just text format its really just up to preferences . for me I really like the kpop writer side of Tumblr so that's where my style really comes from. so not copying but taking inspo from your favorite writers will always help lean you in the right aesthetic direction .

if you're talking about how I title my fics I literally just use any font keyboard app that gives you a scroll full of options to choose from or just use some random copy and paste font website like lingo jam or something .

always check to see if your fics are posted in tags, always . sometimes it takes a reupload or two for your posts to show up in the tags, remember there's no shame in reposting if you're not getting any reach .

changing your theme a thousand times is so normal! I've probably changed mine like eight times since I first started my account, I know some moots do some cute seasonal ones which are pretty cunt and I feel like helps followers pick you from the crowd .

get that masterslist in early, whether its a cute pinned welcome post navigating to all your writing or a bio link . I promise you readers love when writing is easily accessible, I also personally hate scrolling through posts just to find someones navigation .

make mutiple blogs if you want to separate posts! right now I have a sims, kpop, fanfic rec, and this blog just to keep things separate and less messy looking .

you don't have to post or write every damn day, burn out is a thing that happens to everyone some more faster than others its fine to just take a damn break whether for a day or a damn month . give your brain a break!

its okay to say no . I've rejected so many fucking fic requests that were either crossing a boundary, for a character I didn't like, or even just because I didn't like the scenario they offered . and that's fine, you're not a robot write what you fucking want .

beta read your work . reading sucks when its you're own writing I get it, but don't let those typo's beat your ass fren .

[noco7]

Hi! I just read your post on Nemma and Noah's characterization in RR and, although I actually really like Nemma, I totally agree with you about how nuts the writing was. But it made me curious so I decided to ask: what are your thoughts on Emma as a character? I quite like her, but I prefer Kitty lol.

Hello! Nice to hear from you, and I'm glad n*mma worked for some people. As for Emma, I'm going to be honest - I don't know what to make of her. The first (and last) time I watched RR, I really tried to like her. I didn't want to be one of those people who hated the female love interest for getting in the way of their gay ship. And I accomplished that, I don't hate Emma. But I don't love her either. Perhaps I should love her. She's a bit like Courtney - not as extreme and so not as interesting imo, but she's still a mean girbloss. And I like evil women. Hell, I like Amy from Pakhitew and the only thing she ever did was be mean to her sister. And I enjoyed every second of it. That girl was so evil it crossed into camp. Considering all those things, Emma should have been easy favorite. But ehh, didn't happen. And I think that's more on me. The more I force myself to like something, the more attention I pay to the flaws. The more people tell me something's bad, the more I look for the good things. It's like I always want to prove someone wrong, whether thats myself or the public. But enough about me, let's talk about Emma:

IMO, Emma has three main things going for her during RR. Her relationship with her sister, her relationship with Noah, and her trust issues regarding alliances. 1) The sister plot. I have mixed feelings about how this plot began, because yeah, Emma was pretty mean. Which I should like, because I liked Amy. But I was never supposed to like Amy, so I did. But I was supposed to like Emma. Emma's a protaganist. So I didn't. 💀 That being said, even I can't deny how well this plotline resolved. Her problem had been her putting the competition ahead of her sister, but for her to accept defeat because her sister was more important? Chef's kiss. Masterful writing. Great message for the kiddies and adults alike.

So yeah, mixed feelings, but overall, I'd say it was Good. 2) Her relationship with Noah. Yeah, no. You already saw me diss this ship, which, sorry. But I will be nicer this time! Despite my dislike, It does solve the problem of her not being over her ex. That's good, that she could find love again. And tbf, I think it does make sense that she likes Noah, or at least more sense the other way around. Since she's allowed to dislike him first, it's not insta-love. And once Noah proves himself by always trying to impress her and help him out, like.. yeah of course she likes the guy who's dedicated to being her simp. I too would grow to like someone who liked me. So what's the problem? Ehh, it's her weird comments. She compares Noah's ass to apples, when the guy is flat af. Emma says Noah's funny in his least funny season, then laughs at one of Noah's jokes, before admitting she doesn't get it. Like, it feels like the writers weren't sure of how to make Noah appealing without making Emma a little insane. The family thing, the hair fish thing, the obession over him even when he's gone. I know that's her thing, that Emma is slightly obsessive. (And I'd be a hypocrite to hate Noah's SO being slightly obsessive. Like that isn't the whole plot of my Noco fic. But uhh, I use it as a way to deconstruct anxiety, neglect, and talk about the importance of consent. TD doesn't do that with Emma. It's just a funny weirdo thing she does 😜)

And perhaps that would be fine and quirky. Not everything has to deep. And that's true. Unfortunately, I'm an ex BNHA stan. For those who don't know about the manga, good, but also there's uhh some Sexist Writing in there. In this specific case, I'm talking about Deku and Ochako. Deku is the main hero guy, and Ochako is the love interest. They both start off as capable heros with their own unique motives, yet as soon as Uraraka started liking Deku, everything became about him. Every fight she thinks of him, 99% of her plot and screentime becomes about him. She stops being a character on her own and more a sattelite that revolves around Deku.

Now, TD didn't do this with Emma. She is still her own character after Noah is gone, and arguably a better one. But still, her continuing to think about Noah to the point of getting distracted rlly bothers me. It's like war flashbacks to 2018. So no, I don't think N*mma was a successful plotline for Emma, because while it did solve her problem ✅ and did kinda make sense ✅ it made her annoying to watch. ❌ And I hate Nemma, so BOOO! Negative points!!

3) But what about her thing about not being able to trust people? And I don't mean men, I mean alliances. There's this whole thing where Kitty tries to get Emma to consider alliances. The Nowen one works, sorta. (You know, if Noah was a true boyfriend, he would have continued the competition, just so he could stay and help his GF. But apparently Noah's just one of those guys who like... is lazy and annoying, meets a girl he likes, puts massive amounts of effort to woo her - then once he gets the girl, he stops. Oof. 💀) But what about the other alliance? The Adversity Twins. Uhhh. Emma kinda betrayed them. For Noah! A good cause! But it kinda weakens her trusting other people, and willingness to help her competitors, when one of her Big Moments was throwing them overboard for her bf she wasn't even dating yet. Wow. I'd be so pissed if I were the Adversity Twins, lmao. This moment isn't bad in itself, but it confuses the message. She's trying to learn how to make alliances, but she throws one alliance to save the other. Net gain 0. And if I'm remembering wrong, she also didn't trust the Surfer Dudes later on? So uhhh. Tl;dr Emma had 3 main things in RR, she aced one of them, flopped in the other, and kinda... nothinged the third. At least for me. So in the end, it all cancels out. I feel like if I watched RR again, I might like her more. And if I liked N*mma, like you do, I might have liked Emma too. Unfortunately, I have taken the path into darkness.

If you're wondering if my fic will bash her, the answer is no. She doesn't have much of a presence in this fic for obvious reasons, and if she appears, it will be brief, and as Noah's friend. Emma the dog, however, will be making consistent appearances. I feel less bad about the overlapping names now that the new TD Season also has another Emma. Thank you TD, for assuaging my guilt. They really do care about their fans. 🤧 And if you're wondering why I named the dog Emma, when I could have just not... I took a Jane Austen class in college, thought Noah would like Austen, Emma is Austen's best book imo, thought the coincidence funny, starting thinking of how to insert his Austen like in the narrative in subtle ways, thought of his dog, and well. Yeah. That's the main reason. Should I have just named her Elizabeth or smth? Yeah. But Noah hates the monarchy :(

[liesareeasier]

‘Home To Hawkins’ By MoonFlowerWrites on WattPad :) An Eddie Munson Fan-Fiction Inspired By Stranger Things

A/N: Hey everyone! Here's the second chapter of my Eddie Munson fan-fic! I'll be posting a chapter for this every few days, so check for updates. :) This is kind of a strangers to friends to lovers story. There will be graphic smut and mature content in this story, so please stop reading if you're not 18+. Thanks for checking out my story and I hope you enjoy it!! xx

~ Abbey, the writer. :) <3 xx

•••

Word Count: 9,230 words :)

•••

I wasn't quite sure why Eddie was here again, since he was just in last night, but the stack of tapes in the younger kid's hands sort of gave me my answer.

They must have stayed up late watching them or something. I wasn't quite sure. I didn't have to wonder for long, since Eddie loudly gave me my answer.

"Good morning, ladies," Eddie said with a large, boisterous grin on his face. "Dustin here tanked our campaign last night and must now face his dire consequences."

Oh, Dustin is Henderson! I've heard Max talk about him a ton of times!

The kid, who I now knew to be Dustin, hung his head and morosely replied to Eddie, "it's not my fault. It's, it's- it was the dice!"

"Blame the dice all you want, Henderson," Eddie said with a demonic chuckle. "You will remain in the dungeon until we meet again..."

"You ready to return all of those already?" Robin asked as she crossed her arms. "You just rented them last night, Eds. There's no way you watched even half of these."

I laughed under my breath and grabbed the returns that I had gotten out from the box. We had already checked them back into the computer system and I wanted to get them back on the shelves.

Robin could certainly deal with Eddie and Dustin on her own. They were her friends, after all. I was still just getting to know them.

I put the movies back into their spots after a bit of searching. One was an action movie and the other was a kid's movie, both near the back end of the store. I started to make my way toward the backroom, needing the go over some paperwork, when Eddie stepped directly into my path.

He looked good today, dressed in almost the same outfit as yesterday. He had on dark grey jeans, his white sneakers, and his vest from yesterday but instead of his devil shirt, he was wearing a Motorhead t-shirt. His ornate rings glinted off of his hands as he ran his fingers through his long brown hair.

Fuck.. How is he so hot?

"Hey, Eddie," I said, trying to hide how nervous he made me. "Why are you back so soon? Our movies not good enough for you?"

"Mm," Eddie purred, leaning up against a display. "Well, you see, the kids were just so devasted after I crushed them last night. Basically cried themselves to sleep after they scarfed down their pity pizzas."

"You don't want to keep what they picked and watch them yourself?" I joked, knowing that their selections were far from what I believed Eddie's taste was.

"If I have to watch 'Fast Times' one more time and watch Sinclair and Wheeler ogle over the nude scenes one more the," he snapped, laughing. "No. No, I won't. I prefer something with a little more...substance." He raised his eyebrows and put his free hand on his hip.

Sinclair? Like Lucas Sinclair? Oh my God! That was totally Max's boyfriend yesterday and I didn't even realize...

Eddie continued, breaking me from my rambling thoughts, "so, you like Hawkins so far? Pretty riveting of a town, huh?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm from here, though. So I kind of knew what to expect," I answered. "It's not overly exciting but this place needed me. So, here I am."

I looked around the store, taking it all in. It still felt pretty strange to be the person in charge of this place. It didn't seem real yet.

"So, Robin said you own this place?" Eddie asked. "I don't mean to be so forward, well maybe I do, but how did you buy the video store?"

"I didnt," I answered, slightly fiddling with the rings on my hands. "It was in my family. It's a long story, but when my grandp-"

My response was gratefully interrupted by Robin coming up to us, "Eddie, let Violet get back to work, please. She has important things to do. Boss things." Robin winked at me and flashed me a quick, playful smile.

"Alright, alright. I'll grab Henderson and we'll be on our way," Eddie said, jokingly throwing his hands into the air. "He got those all checked back in right? I don't need him racking up my late fees again."

"Yeah, Munson, you're all set," Robin said as she and Eddie started walking toward the front of the store. "You know, I was a little harsh yesterday. 'Elm Street' isn't that bad. I just can't do scary movies. Not after..."

Robin's rambling voice trailed off when they were out of my earshot. Eddie flashed a look back at me before he left the store. I held his gaze for just a second more before I swung open the door to the manager's office.

I had so much paperwork to go through before Paul, the store's manager, got here today. Even with the long workday ahead of me, my thoughts kept circling back to Eddie.

Eddie... Eddie Munson... At least I know his name now... He plays it cool and then he gets worked up over his movie rental late fees... What is his deal?

•••

My second day at the video store was noticeably busier than my first. I spent the bulk of my morning reviewing sales records and reaching out to local theaters, looking for a partner for the store.

We had decent sales numbers on our own, but there was still room for improvement, especially if we wanted to remain open long-term. If we could team up with a local movie theater, we would be able to start doing our own, private movie screenings and events.

I would love nothing more than to host something like that. This town was begging for something new and fun to do.

Robin had graciously stayed in the main part of the store while I sorted things out in the back. I only heard the door chime a handful of times and I had told her to grab me if she needed help. She brought me some of her lunch to share and we sat together while we ate, but that was all I had really seen of her.

Keith had also gotten here a little while ago, maybe an hour or so. I introduced myself to him but would have to wait to get to know him better until after I was finished in the office.

After a while, I threw on the headphones to my Walkman and put in a Metallica cassette. I needed to zone out for the last hour until Paul got here. I had never done paperwork like this before and it was going to take some getting used to.

•••

While I was deeply focused on the September sales sheets, a hand rested itself on my shoulder. I shuddered at the sudden touch, ripped the headphones from my ears, and whipped right around.

I relaxed instantly when I saw that it was only Robin who'd touched me. She was now standing in the doorway with a man I didn't recognize right behind her. I stood up and followed her and the guy into the main part of the store.

"Hello. Violet Bradford, I presume," the man said as he held out his sweaty hand for me. "I'm Paul."

"Oh, yes. Paul. It's good to finally put a face to a name. Hello, nice to meet," I said cordially, as I shook his hand and rested my hand in my back pocket to slyly dry it off. "And yep, that's me."

"Well, Violet, think these belong to you," Paul said as he handed me a heavy set of keys on a Garfield keychain. "There's all the keys you'll need. That'll give you access to the cash register, the front and back doors, the safe, and the break room. Now, I hate to cut this short, but I can't stay for my shift today. Good luck to the both of you. I'm off to Miami." Paul chuckled and started to turn away from us but Robin stopped him.

"Miami?" Robin questioned. "What are you talking about, Paul? Since when are you going on vacation?"

"It's not a vacation, sweetheart," Paul rudely mocked.

I did not like the sudden shift in his energy, at all. Robin flashed me a side eye, apprehension apparent on her face over what Paul was going to say next.

He continued after a moment, "I'm moving down there. A new line of boutique hotels is opening up right on the beach and I've been offered a head management position there. Yeah, that's right little girls, I'm going to be running all of them. I'm sure I mentioned it to you."

"No, you sure didn't, Paul," Robin said, the volume of her voice elevating a little bit.

"You never said anything to me about this during our phone calls," I said, utterly confused at why he was abandoning the store with no notice. "What the hell?"

"Look, look kittens," he started, talking obnoxiously with his hands. "The gig here has been nice but to be quite honest with you both, I'm not going to be working under a female. And basically a kid, at that. Good luck here." Paul chuckled with a condescending smirk on his face.

"Fine, get the fuck out of my store then," I snapped at him, my patience having been drained after a long afternoon.

Keith came back to where we were standing and stood watching us, his mouth hanging open in shock as he watched me unleash on Paul.

I continued harshly, "and please, I hope the door hits your sweaty ass on the way out. Good luck in Miami, you scum bastard. Try to crawl back here, ever again, and I'll have your trash ass arrested. Get the fuck out, pig."

Paul scoffed, threw his hands up, and walked toward the door. He flung it open aggressively, mumbled cowardly expletives under his rancid breath, and stormed out, glaring back at me as he walked to his rusted silver sedan.

I walked out the door, stood with my arms crossed, and smiled at him as he left. I gave him a sarcastic wave as he pulled out of the parking lot and flipped him the bird with both hands.

God, I fucking hate misogynistic assholes like that... He was the store's head manager, though... FUCKING HELL! What are we going to do now?!

I marched back into the store, greeted by Robin and Keith's equally shocked faces. I get it, I did snap at Paul but I didn't mean to upset them in the process.

I didn't want to make a bad impression on them but guys like Paul royally pissed me off. I hated that I let him work me up like that, but I couldn't change my reaction now.

"What? Is there something in my hair?" I joked as I tousled my fingers in my waves and walked past them, taking a spot at the front counter.

"You didn't tell me she was insane, Robin," Keith loudly whispered.

"She's not, Keith," Robin retorted, standing up for me. "There's no room for assholes like Paul at Family Video. That was so hot, by the way... Well, I guess we don't have a store manager now but he was leaving anyways."

"He quit?" Keith asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"Guess he's going to run some hotel chain in Miami," Robin said.

"Oh, yeah. My mom got one of those calls too," Keith laughed. "It's a phone scam. My mom looked up the address they gave her and it's for a junkyard near the swamps down there. Pretty sure it was on the news last week."

Robin and I burst out laughing when we realized that Paul had fallen for such a scam. In our brief interaction, I knew he deserved whatever he was getting when he got down to Florida. Once he inevitably came crawling back to Hawkins, there would be no place for him here.

It would be tough, going forward without a seasoned store manager in place, but we would just have to restructure a bit. We would make it, I was sure. There was a capable team still here. We didn't need an asshole like him dragging us down regardless.

"Sorry for all of that, by the way," I said before Keith went to filter out the new releases. "He just- Paul just really got me worked up and I kinda snapped. I hope you don't judge me too much based on that."

"No worries," Keith said with a slanted smile. "I hated the guy anyway. Always going on about how we should convert the store to adult-only movies and could never give a solid recommendation to anyone. His favorite movie is 'Rhinestone', if that tells you how much of a creep he is."

"Do you need help closing, Keith?" Robin asked. "Paul was supposed to stay with you but um, I doubt he's coming back to help you lock up..."

"I got it," Keith said. "I do it all the time. Just leave the register keys so I can make sure those stay locked up. Don't want pond-scum Paul to come back and try anything."

I laughed with Robin once more as Keith walked away. He was kind of monotone but he wasn't exactly as boring as Steve said. Okay, maybe he was, but I figured I was going to get along with him fine enough once I got to know him better.

That would have to wait for another time. My day here was almost up and there were a few things I still needed to do before leaving.

I figured that Max was in school, being that it was a Tuesday, so I looked up the Hawkins High phone number and dialed it. Hopefully, they would connect me to her and I could see what she was up to tonight.

Max wouldn't be able to come to see me at the store as I had originally thought, but I had forgotten all about the fact that she would be in school until after I was off. I hadn't been in school for about two years, so I had kind of forgotten about the timing of it all.

The phone rang and rang until a friendly woman's voice answered on the other line, "Hawkins High School, Go Tigers! This is Melissa, how can I help you today?"

"Hi, Melissa. How are you on this lovely Tuesday? I'm looking to speak to my daughter, Maxine Mayfield," I fibbed slightly, just wanting to make sure I had the best chance of reaching Max. "I need to remind her of her after-school activities and she ran out on me this morning before I could speak with her."

"I'm doing well. Thank you for asking, Mrs. Mayfield. Of course, no need to explain. I know how these kids can be," Melissa laughed casually on the other side of the phone, and I bit my tongue. I couldn't believe she had fallen for that.

She continued, "I'll get her teacher on the line and have them connect you to her. Just stay on your end and give me a moment."

"Perfect. Thank you so much and god bless," I said, choking back tears of laughter on my end.

Max is going to get a kick out of this later...

"Hello? Mom? Is everything okay?" Max's confused voice sounded over the phone after a couple minutes of me waiting.

"Everything's fine," I said. "Max, hi, it's Violet! I just wanted to make sure I could call you here, so I told the front desk I was your mom."

"Oh, no way! Hi!" Max said and I could practically feel her glowing through the phone. "How are you? Are you here yet?"

"Yep! I got into town yesterday," I said smiling. "What are you doing tonight? Can I see you?"

"I have to finish a project after school but we're all going to the arcade later. Me and my friends, that is," she answered. "Meet us there?"

"I will see you there! I haven't been there in forever," I said, looking over to Robin for approval. "Can my friend Robin come too?" Robin nodded, showing that she was down to come with me.

"Robin? Like Robin, Robin?" Max asked, her confusion seeping through the phone.

I was starting to realize that I knew more about these 'strangers', from my conversations with Max, than I had first realized. I wasn't going to let that get in my way of getting to know them. I didn't know too much about them after all, just some bits that Max had relayed to me.

"Yes! I'll explain everything when I see you," I said, remembering that Max knew that I was coming into town but didn't know the exact reason why.

I continued, "And Steve, too. We all had plans tonight. If that's okay with you?"

"Of course! I love Robin and Steve," Max said, softer than before. "Okay, well, my teacher is glaring at me and I need to get back to class. See you at 7! We're getting pizza there, so don't be late!"

"I won't be, Max," I promised. "We'll see you there."

"Bye, Violet," Max said before hanging up.

"Bye, Max," I said, returning the phone to its stand.

I leaned up against the counter and turned my attention back to Robin. She had been listening to my conversation but I wanted to fill her in on the details.

"So, Max said she's meeting her friends at the arcade at 7 for pizza and some games. You in for that?" I asked.

"Absolutely! I'm ready to kick your ass in some games," Robin said, maniacally rubbing her hands together.

"Well, I'm not sure how that's possible when I'm an absolute beast at Ms. Pac-Man and that's where I'll be all night but we'll see," I laughed, playfully raising my eyebrows at her. "Think Steve will want to come? I kind of just hijacked your plans."

Robin nodded, "he'll want to go. There are usually plenty of people our age that go and hang out while their younger siblings play. Any chance to hit on and flirt with girls, Steve is in for."

I smiled and nodded to myself for a second before turning my attention to the clock. It was just about to turn 3:30, meaning our day here was almost over. We just needed to tidy the store a little, vacuum the carpets, and I was going to clean the windows before heading out.

•••

The second the clock struck 4 pm, Robin and I clocked out, said our goodbyes to Keith, and got the hell out of there. I was grateful to have such a trustworthy team as my staff. That is, now that Paul was gone.

'Pond-Scum Paul'... Ha... Keith is funny...

I threw my bag into my back seat and hopped into the front. I handed my box full of cassettes to Robin and let her choose what she wanted to listen to.

"Cool car, by the way," Robin said as she buckled her seatbelt.

"Thank you, Robin. Pick something out for us," I said, beaming at her. "I'm sure it's not a long drive to Steve's but I need something good to drive to."

"Ooh, well, let's see," Robin said as she rifled through my unorganized box of cassettes.

It was just an old Doc Martens box that I kept tucked away in my backseat. I cycled out what was in there with the rest of my tapes at home, depending on what I was currently listening to or felt like I hadn't listened to in a while.

Robin grabbed out my single 'Blondie' cassette and popped it right in. She told me where to go as we drove to Steve's house. She said that he was just going to be home alone and should be there waiting for us.

"His parents work a lot and I think they're out of town right now," Robin said. "He doesn't talk about it much, but I can tell it bothers him and he likes having people over as much as possible. Turn left here."

I followed Robin's direction, trying my best to hear her over the loud music. She bopped her head along to the beat as we neared Steve's street.

"You don't think he'll have a girl over or something, do you?" I said, giggling a bit at the thought.

"Oh god, I hope not," Robin said, burying her face in her hands. "It wouldn't be the first time..."

She paused for a moment, recalling something, before continuing, "take this next right and then his house is the one with his car in the driveway. 7 down on the other side of the street. You can just park in the driveway next to him!"

I turned down Steve's street and started looking for his car. It was right where Robin said that it would be and I turned down the music as I parked next to the burgundy BMW.

I got out of the car, not before grabbing my tote bag, and followed Robin up to the front door. She didn't bother knocking and tried the knob instead. It opened upon her touch and she rolled her eyes as we stepped inside the threshold.

"Really, Steve? You don't lock your doors? After everything?" Robin yelled through the house.

"Shit! Robin?" Steve's voice rang out from up the stairs.

"Down here!" Robin called out.

I looked around at his house and was instantly impressed. It had tall, two-story ceilings and was decorated extremely nicely. It had a nice, modern feel with homey, traditional elements.

"I don't even have my hair done yet. I thought you needed a ride anyways," Steve said when he popped out at the top of the stairs, clad only with a towel, his hair sopping wet. "You didn't tell me she was coming, too!" Steve's eyes widened when he saw that I was also standing in his foyer.

"Hey there," I waved up at Steve, who was visibly blushing from being caught in only his towel.

"Um, hey guys," Steve said. "I'm gonna get dressed and I'll be right down. Robin, show her around the place, will ya?"

Robin nodded and grabbed for my arm. She led me through the large house, showing me all of the expansive rooms, eventually winding up in the backyard. We sat down at the patio table next to the pool and waited for Steve to come out.

Robin said he would probably want to smoke a bowl and that we should wait outside. I hadn't smoked in so long so I was excited to partake with them.

I assumed he was doing his hair and that was what was taking him so long. There was no way he didn't blow dry it every day, with a flow like that.

I didn't mind waiting, especially since it was so nice outside. With winter approaching, I wanted to soak up as much of the outside as I could.

After about 20 minutes or so of waiting, Steve finally came out of the sliding glass door. He was toting a red acrylic bong and a baggy full of some green herbs in his hands. I smiled at him as he made his way over to us.

Steve looked nice, even dressed casually. He had some crisp grey sweatpants on and a green crewneck sweatshirt with a navy polo layered underneath. He was wearing his Cortez's again. I liked his style, even though it wasn't what I gravitated toward.

"So, you knew I would be out at 4 and you were still in the shower?" Robin asked as Steve sat down.

"'Hi, Steve. How are you? Thank you for letting me come over. By the way, our new friend is driving me to your house, so make sure you're decent when we get there'," Steve mocked.

"Fair enough," Robin said, throwing her hands up as Steve started to load the bowl.

"You smoke?" Steve asked, looking toward me as his fingers busted up the sticky buds.

"I have before, yeah," I said. "It's been a little while though."

"Yeah, you're gonna have to drive us later, Steve," Robin laughed, leaning back in her seat as Steve took the first hit of the bowl. "This purple palm tree delight is going to knock her socks off."

He passed the bong to Robin on his left, blew out a cloud of smoke, and addressed her, "and where exactly are going? More plans you failed to fill me in on?"

"Max and everyone are going to the arcade later," I spoke up as I grabbed the acrylic bong from Robin.

I took a deep breath before lighting the hairy buds and deeply inhaling. I cleared the milky hit and held in the smoke until my lungs started to burn. I blew out a rather large cloud before passing the water-pipe back to Steve.

I continued, "and please don't blame Robin. I was the one who called Max and made the plans. It just kind of happened. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but we do want you there."

"No, I'm down to go," Steve said before he hit the still-cherried bowl. "Just need to change before we leave. What time are they getting there?"

"Max said 7," I answered.

"Alright, well, let's finish this and go inside for a few coffees before we leave. We need to wake those eyes of yours up," he lightly touched my knee as he looked at my undoubtedly red eyes. "I have some Visine too. You'll both need it."

Steve laughed as he looked over at Robin, whose eyes were just as red as mine must have been. We all started cracking up as the bud set in. Steve loaded one more bowl after we had burned the first one to white. We only smoked half of the second one before heading inside.

"Steve, you're one to talk," I said as I stood next to him in his large kitchen. "Your eyes are just as bloodshot as ours."

"Shiiit," Steve exclaimed as he looked into a reflective silver tea kettle on his stove.

Steve went over to the coffee pot, turned it on, and went to grab some eye drops from his bathroom. He popped some drops in his eyes when he got back and then handed the bottle to me. He stood incredibly close to me as I slipped the drops into my eyes.

I blinked out the drops, rode out the sting, and passed the bottle to Robin. I quickly put them in and took a seat at one of the leather stools next to the counter. I took a spot next to her and waited for our coffees to be done. The weed was smacking me and I needed the caffeine boost asap.

•••

After we each downed two cups of coffee, Robin and I had made ours mochas with some imported chocolate syrup that Steve's mom kept stocked, we were about ready to leave for the arcade. Steve just wanted to throw some jeans on before we left and then we'd be on our way.

I waited on the couch with Robin, and leaned up against her, while Steve got changed. Even though I was still pretty stoned, I felt safe being with Robin and Steve. It was surprising how quickly I connected to both of them but I wasn't fighting it.

"You almost ready?" Robin called out, standing up off the couch and stretching.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming down," Steve said. "Don't cream your jeans."

"God, you're gross," Robin scoffed as she grabbed her bag and walked toward the front door. "You coming, Violet?"

"Oh, yeah," I said as I popped up and slung my black tote bag over my shoulder. "Let's go!"

"Jesus, you two are going to be so obvious," Steve whined as he rolled his eyes and held the door open for us to leave. "Let's go, stoners."

•••

The drive to the arcade was relatively short and I was relieved that Steve had offered to drive. Well, Robin told him that he was but still. I was slightly sobering up but there was no way that I could drive just yet.

Robin had insisted that I ride in the front seat since she wanted to lie down in the back and I didn't fight her. Steve even let me pick the music for the ride there. He didn't have a wide selection but I settled on a Smiths album.

I'm going to have to give him some of my old tapes to play when I'm in here...

I had almost fallen asleep on the way but shook myself awake when we pulled into the arcade lot. It was busier than I expected it to be and I looked around at all of the people out front. Steve had said that a lot of people came here just to hang out but it was only a Tuesday and I just hadn't expected this.

Once he turned the engine off, Robin jumped up and started opening her car door. Steve walked around to my side of the car and opened my door for me. He held his hand out for me and I grabbed it, allowing him to help me out of the car.

"Thanks," I said, smiling up at him as he closed the door behind me.

He brushed some hair out of my face before replying, "it's no problem, Violet. Come on. Les go inside."

He smiled sweetly at me as we all made our way into the busy arcade. Everyone was staring at the three of us as we walked inside but I blew off the attention. Hawkins was a small town and everyone probably just didn't recognize me.

Steve held open the door for Robin and me and we walked into the arcade. It looked almost exactly the same as when I was a kid, aside from some of the newer games and the Surfer Boy pizza kitchen. Robin had said that their friend managed it but that he wasn't going to be on shift until later.

"Argyle's a huge stoner," Robin whispered to me. "If you need anything, hit him or Eddie up. They'll both be able to help you."

Steve went to the counter and ordered a couple of pizzas before the kids got here. We tried to throw in some cash but Steve insisted on paying. He grabbed us a few cans of Coke from the drink fridge and led us over to a table to wait for the pizza and the kids.

"Steve, please take this," I said, trying to push a $10 bill to him.

He refused, throwing his hands up, "your money is no good here. Sorry!"

"Whatever," I said as I stuffed the bill back into my leather wallet. "Well, I owe you one."

At this point, I couldn't help but notice all the stares hadn't stopped when we came inside. People also kept coming up to us and saying hi to Robin and Steve. I hadn't realized that they were so popular and all of the attention was slightly overwhelming.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, they called Steve's name, alerting us that our pizzas were ready. He had ordered us three pies. A pepperoni, cheese, and a Hawaiian pizza with jalapeños were on the menu for tonight.

I'm not so sure about the pineapple one but I may just be stoned enough to try it...

Just as Steve sat back down with the pizzas, Max and the group of kids I had seen in my store yesterday came barreling around the corner. Max's blue eyes lit up when she saw me sitting there. I hopped right up and ran straight over to her.

"Violet!" Max exclaimed as she jumped into my arms and wrapped herself around me.

"Oh my god, Max! Hi!" I said, trying to hold back tears. I hadn't seen her in person for a few years and I missed her so much.

I continued as I set her back down on the ground, resting my hands on the side of her face, "I missed you so much, cousin!"

"Me too," Max said as her emotions splayed across her face.

I could tell that it was hard on her, having to be apart because of our moms. All of that was going to change. I wasn't going to let their relationship get in the way of mine with my sweet cousin.

"Come on," I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder and leading her over to where Steve, Robin, and the others were waiting. "The pizza is ready and you need to eat some dinner."

"Oh, yum!" Max said. "Is Argyle here yet? He always makes the best pies."

"No, not yet," I answered. "Robin said he'd be in later but it still looks really good."

"Good. I forgot to grab a snack after school so I'm starving," Max said as we got closer to the table. "Okay, so I know you've met Robin and Steve, but have you met everyone yet?"

"I think so," I said as we sat down at the table, in between Robin and the boy I figured was Lucas. Max had said that he was on the basketball team and he was the only kid wearing Hawkins High spirit wear, so I knew it had to be him.

I continued after I grabbed a slice of pepperoni and a slice of the pineapple pizza, "Robin, Steve, and I work together. It's a long story. And then I met all of these guys yesterday at the video store." I smiled at the kids who were all staring, wide-eyed at me.

"Is this your cousin?" The boy who I assumed was Lucas asked Max.

"Yes, hi," I said, leaning around her and answering his question myself. "I'm Violet."

I turned my attention to the rest of the boys before speaking again, "sorry I didn't introduce myself yesterday. It was my first day back in town and to say it was overwhelming would be an understatement."

"S'okay," said the kid I knew as Dustin. "I'm Dustin, that's Mike, Will, and Lucas."

All of the kids waved at me and I returned the favor. They said they had another friend, a girl named El, that might be joining us later.

"Yeah, and don't forget about Eddie," the kid named Mike said as he shot me a look, between scarfing bites of pepperoni pizza.

Eddie...

I gulped upon hearing his name. The thought of him coming tonight honestly hadn't crossed my mind. I want to see him again though, so hopefully, he felt the same.

I finished the last few bites of my pizza and leaned back in my chair. The pineapple and jalapeño pizza was surprisingly delicious but the heartburn wave I was fighting wasn't as great. I decided to step outside for a minute while the kids started playing games and Steve and Robin cleared the table before joining them.

I grabbed Max and told her what I was doing, "I'll be back inside in a few minutes. I just need some air. Meet me over by the Ms. Pac-Man machine?"

Max eagerly nodded and ran to join her friends. I smiled to myself when I saw her throw her arms around her boyfriend and give him a little peck on his cheek. I was so happy for her that she had a good group of friends around her.

She deserves nothing but pure happiness...

•••

The cool, autumn air whipped against my face as I pushed open the door to the arcade. It wasn't as busy out here anymore, only a small crowd gathered near the door.

I was still pretty buzzed from the weed earlier. I just needed to breathe for a second and clear my head.

I leaned up against the window and rested my head back against it. I closed my eyes for a minute, just letting the high wash over me, and relaxed into it.

I was on my own for no longer than two minutes before I heard loud footsteps approaching and could tell that someone had leaned up on the window next to me. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at who was standing next to me.

I should have known it would be him...

"Hi Eddie," I said as I turned my gaze back to the parking lot.

"Waiting for me, I see?" Eddie said and I could practically hear the smug smirk on his face.

"Oh, for sure," I said, crossing my arms and lifting myself off the window, facing him. "Here to escort you inside to the VIP area."

"Well then, m'lady. If you insist," Eddie said as he stuck out his elbow, wanting me to grab it and walk with him.

I laughed off his gentlemanly gesture and walked toward the front door. He scampered behind me and rushed to grab the door. He held it open, flashing me that pretty smile of his, and I walked inside, giving in to him.

I tried to ignore them, but I could hear everyone out front talking... I was pretty sure they were talking about me.

That's her...

That's Harrington's girlfriend?

Who even is she?

That is her, I'm telling you...

He opened her door earlier and touched her face. I'm telling you, they're dating...

I love her outfit...

Why is she with the freak?

How is she with Steve?

That's her, dude...

My cheeks were flushed and I didn't want to acknowledge any of their comments but Eddie was going to let me off so easily. He grabbed my arm softly, gently stopping me from going any further than the lobby of the arcade, but certainly not forcing me to stay with him.

"You're dating Harrington?" Eddie asked, his arm still resting on mine, a frustrated look splashed on his face.

"No, no I'm not dating Steve," I said, sure that Eddie could hear my heart from how fast it was beating. I still felt high from earlier but it wasn't helping to calm me in this situation.

What is this shit Steve made me smoke? It's good, but damn, I need to smoke like half of this amount next time...

I continued, steadying my breathing as Eddie took his tense hand off of me, "I just met him yesterday. That's absurd."

"It's just- everyone outside was saying..." he trailed off, his gaze going to the door before turning back to me. "Sorry. I should know better than to make assumptions about people in this town."

"It's okay, Eddie," I said, flashing him a slant smile. "I guess I can forgive you."

I nudged him and walked over to Max, who I had seen playing on the DigDug machine since I'd walked in. I could feel Eddie's eyes on me as I walked away but I didn't turn around. He couldn't have the satisfaction of knowing how much I already thought about him.

"Hey kid," I said as I stood next to Max. "Pac-Man time?"

"Yes, ugh," Max said as she took her hands off the game. "I can't beat my high score on here. If I could just beat this one part..."

"Let's regroup over here and then we can come back to DigDug," I said as we walked over to the surprisingly empty Ms. Pac-Man machine. "I've never played that one either, so you'll have to show me all your tricks."

"I will after I beat you at this," Max said with a playfully evil grin as she gripped the controls, waiting for me to put some tokens in.

"In your dreams, cousin. In. Your. Dreams," I said, slowly putting my hands on my hips and glaring at her. "Go ahead. Show me what you got, little Mayfield."

•••

We had played Pac-Man for longer than I had planned. Almost an hour had passed and I was smoking Max. I had tried to let her top my score but I was creeping closer and closer to beating the top score on the whole machine. I was in the #3 stop and I couldn't stop at this point.

I need to win this machine... I own this bitch...

I kissed my last token for good luck and rolled it into the machine. Max was right by my side, cheering me on. I could hear a few of the others behind, joining in her cheers, but I was tuning them out. All I was focused on was winning.

After I thought I was about to fail, I came back and almost fainted when the 'High Score' screen started flashing. I could hear the small crowd behind me erupt and all start to grab at me. I was instantly brought back into the moment.

"Holy shit! Holy shit!" Dustin screamed as he tugged on my arm.

"She scored over 200,00! 200,00!" Mike exclaimed, shaking Will's shoulders.

"Nobody has ever scored more than 120!" Dustin said excitedly.

I turned my attention back to the game, needing to put my name into the winning slot. I was about to key in my name when I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"You could name it after me," Eddie said as he leaned up against the machine next to me.

"I think not," I said as I punched in my three-digit name.

V-I-O... Perfect...

I continued, "if you ever beat me, then you can add your own."

"That was cute, by the way," Eddie said, crossing his arms while I started blushing.

"What was, Eddie?" I asked, hoping that my makeup from this morning would still hide how crimson my cheeks had grown.

"Kissing the token before you played the round," Eddie said, leaning in closer to me. "You know, sometimes I do that to my dice when we're playing D&-"

He was cut off by Max pulling me away, toward a table where Robin and Steve were sitting, "leave my cousin alone, Eddie. She's not interested."

I shrugged back at Eddie and smiled his way while Max led me across the arcade. She knew how to get her way and I wasn't going to stop her.

Did Eddie just call me cute? Okay... Breathe... Relax...

Most of the group was sitting down at the table we'd eaten dinner at. Eddie, Lucas, and Will were still off playing games but everybody else looked like they were playing day to go home.

"Heard you kicked some ass at Ms. Pac-Man," Steve said as he tightly gripped my shoulders when I walked up and sat down in the chair in front of him. "So, you just think you can roll into this town and take over our video store and arcade all under 24-hours?"

"What is he talking about, Violet?" Max asked, confused by Steve's statement.

I patted the chair next to me, asking Max to sit down while I started speaking, "I meant to talk to you about that. Did your mom tell you that my grandparents passed away? My dad's parents?"

"Yeah, she told me," Max said, hanging her head a bit. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't know what to say and you never mentioned it so I didn't want to bring it up."

"Max, it's okay," I said, resting my hand on her shaking knee, steadying it. "To be honest, it's not something I like talking about. It's still too fresh but- but um, when they passed, I found out that they still owned the video store. My parents were going to sell it but it went to me instead. So, that's how I met Robin and Steve."

"Oh, oh okay," Max said, nodding as she took it all in. "That makes a lot of sense now. I was so confused when you mentioned knowing them earlier."

"I was going to call you into the store today, too," I said. "Would you maybe want to pick up some shifts at the store? I can pay you well and we can hang out more that way."

"Are you serious? I'd love to! I just have to ask my mom but I'll sure she'll be all for it," Max said, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Does that mean you're staying here?"

"I think so," I answered and as soon as I did, Max wrapped her arms tightly around me. I held her back as I heard Steve start to round everyone up.

The other kids and Eddie joined our group as Steve was handing out the extra pizza to whoever wanted it. Lucas went over and hugged Max goodbye and I could tell she wanted to kiss him but didn't want to in front of everyone.

She's so cute...

"Alright, Stevie boy," Eddie said as he walked over to Steve.

I couldn't help but notice how different the two of them were, yet how similar they seemed. Steve was Ralph Lauren and Eddie was a Metallica merch tent. Based on all of the whispers and stares from earlier, Steve was the more sought-after option in this town but there was something about Eddie.

Don't get me wrong, Steve was hot. Like hot, hot. Eddie just- Eddie was just so beautiful and he had something deeply soulful about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I wanted to get to know more about him if he'd let me.

Eddie continued, breaking my thoughts and annoying me all at the same time, "so, you're taking your girlfriend, and Robin, and Mayfield home?"

"What are you talking about, Munson? My girlfriend?" Steve asked, blushing a little when he looked at me and shook his head in confusion.

"Apparently, we're dating," I said, shrugging my shoulders and crossing my arms.

The kids all erupted in questions.

You're dating Steve?!

My cousin? Really, Steve?

You just met her...

I thought she was with Eddie...

How are you already dating her?

She's too cool for you, Steve...

"Woah, Woah. Slow down," Steve said, frazzled. "What is going on?"

"Violet here was kindly waiting for me outside earlier. When she finally dragged me inside, we heard everyone out there talking about it," Eddie teased, staring dead into my eyes, trying his hardest to wind me up.

"It was just a bunch of gossip, Steve," I said, walking over to Steve and Robin. "But let's go or we'll be late for our date."

I winked at Steve, grabbed his hand in mine, and started walking toward the front door. This time I let the stares fuel me. It felt good to be seen.

I felt like I was finally with the group of people I was looking for. They had welcomed me into their strange, close little family and I felt like I was glowing from their good energy.

Max and Robin followed close behind as we made our way out to Steve's car. Steve was just going to take Max back to his place with us and then I was going to take her home from there. I was sober now and felt safe driving once we got back to Steve's.

I caught Eddie staring at me from next to his van as I slipped into the front seat of Steve's car. I lifted my hand to wave but he didn't wave back. I turned my gaze away from him and closed the passenger door closed behind me.

That's insane... Steve is cute but he couldn't be further from my type... Eddie has to know that... Steve's the kind of guy that I should like, that you're supposed to like... My mom would love him but Eddie... I hope I didn't fuck things up...

I didn't know too much about Eddie, just some things that Max had let slip. She didn't like talking much about what happened in the Upside Down, or whatever they called it, but I knew that Eddie had to carry some of the same traumas.

I don't want to hurt him...

•••

Max and I sat in her driveway for a while when I was dropping her off. It was a school night for her, so she really needed to get inside, but we both didn't want to leave each other.

"Well, I'm busy after school tomorrow but I'm free on Thursday," Max said when we were trying to make plans to see each other next. "I'm sure you're going to Steve's party on Saturday, so maybe I can see you on Sunday, too? Steve doesn't let us come to parties yet." She rolled her eyes, thinking about Steve's mature rules, while she waited for my response.

"Sounds like a plan, to me!" I answered. "I can come over here on Thursday and then maybe we can go to the diner on Sunday for dinner. My treat!"

"Okay! And I'll ask my mom about the job thing when she's home tomorrow," she said with a smile.

"She's still working nights?" I asked, unsure of what she was currently doing for work.

"Yeah. She picks up a lot of shifts nowadays, too," Max said as she reached for the door handle to get out. "Well, I'll see you on Thursday, Violet. I'm glad you're back."

"Me too," I said, beaming at her. "I'm here for you, Max. Whenever you need something or someone, call me. I'm at the hotel on the edge of town. Room 202. I'll give you the number when I see you on Thursday. I can't remember it right now. I love you. Get a good night's sleep and have a good day at school tomorrow."

"Thank you, cousin," Max said as she stood in the doorframe of the car. "That means more to me than you even know. I love you, too! Goodnight!"

I waved to her as she shut the door and she walked up to the front door of her trailer. I waited for her to get safely inside before I pulled away.

•••

I was driving down the last street in the trailer park when I was forced to slam on my breaks. A deer with glowing red eyes jumped out in front of my car, stared at me for a moment, and then took off into the woods.

I put the car into park and jumped out, trying to see where it went but it was too dark. There were only a few street lamps close to me but not where the deer had run.

I'm sure it was just my headlights in its eyes but what the fuck was that thing?

My thoughts were interrupted and I was startled once more when I heard someone call my name through the darkness. I looked around until I saw a figure come into the light of the street lamp.

"Violet?" The voice asked and I realized it was Eddie once I could his face lit up by the overhead light.

"Eddie?" I said, equally as confused as he appeared to be. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I live here," he asked, crossing his arms and looking past me at my car. "What are you doing, slamming on your brakes like that?"

"There was this-" I started but was unsure of exactly how to describe what I had seen. "There was a deer in the road. I just wanted to make sure I didn't hit it. I'm sorry for bothering you. I'll get heading home. Goodni-"

Eddie cut me off, throwing his hands up, "it's fine. You're fine, Violet. I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry. Do you... Do you want to come in for a beer or a bowl or something?"

"Just assuming I drink, Eddie?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Here's hoping," Eddie laughed, jokingly crossing his ringed fingers.

"Okay, sure," I said. "Which one is yours? I should probably move my car out of the middle of the road."

"I'll show you," Eddie said, holding his hand out. "Your keys, please."

"Eddie, what?" I asked, confused by his request. "I can drive my own car."

"You may be in shock from almost hitting that deer. I insist. Allow me," he lowered himself into a bow and held his hand out even further.

I relented and tossed my keys his way. They landed on the ground right in front of him and he scrambled to grab them and open my passenger-side car door before I reached it.

"Here you are," Eddie said as he held my door open for me.

He ran around the front of the car, stopping in the high-beams for a moment, and winking at me before he jumped into the driver's seat.

"Let's see what you're listening to," he said as he turned the car on and my radio up.

"Oh, well, this was Robin's selection from earlier today," I said as the Blondie tape started playing once more. Max and I had never turned any music on earlier, as we were lost in our conversation.

"Not a Blondie fan?" Eddie said as he started our short drive to his trailer.

I can't believe he's driving my car right now...

"They're okay. I'm more into Fleetwood Mac or more hardcore bands," I answered. "Here, this is what I've been listening to lately."

I warily handed my box of cassettes to Eddie as he threw my car into park. We had only been two trailers away from his. We could have just pushed the car here in a shorter amount of time. Eddie eagerly grabbed the box from me and started looking through it.

"No way, no way you listen to this," Eddie said as he pulled out my Metallica and Iron Maiden tapes. "Nobody in this goddamn town ever listens to good music."

"Not until now," I said with a bashful smile. "I did just get here."

"That you did," Eddie said with a smile as he handed back the box of cassettes. "Come on. Let's get inside. I heard there's wild deer running around these parts. Be careful."

Eddie laughed as he got out of the car and raced to open mine. I stayed sitting and let him grab it. I would have usually been annoyed at a guy acting like this but it didn't seem to be put on. Eddie was just sweet and gentlemanly without being pretentious about it.

I followed Eddie up to the door and was greeted by the smell of cigarettes and beer before the door even opened. He swung it open and held it for me as I stepped inside.

Oh my god... What am I doing? What if Max saw me walk in here? I can't believe I'm in Eddie's place right now... God, I have to work early tomorrow... I can't be here long...

"Alright, pick your poison m'lady," Eddie said as he returned with an armful of goodies.

As he laid a few beers, some joints, a bong, and a bottle of vodka on the table I didn't think I'd be going home any time soon.

Oh god, what am I getting myself into...

[kyokiiro]

BFY/DNI!!

BFY

– I'm a minor, so please act appropriate with me. Also, please refrain from flirting with me whether it's supposed to be jokingly or not or if we are close or not. I have a partner, and i find it disrespectful when i flirt with someone or someone flirts with me.

— I tend to bully/tease people who i'm close with, so if i ever overstep a boundry of yours. Please do tell me so i can apologize and refrain from doing it again!

– I'm diagnosed with ADHD so please be patient with me since i tend to be slow with stuff, and i'm quite forgetful. So try to be as respectful as possible!<3

– I have a tendency to get distracted by stuff, or I procrastinate a lot. It's a bad habit of mine that does annoy me to some extent. So don't be surprised if I post 2 fics in a week and then 1 fic in a month or more

– I'm not the best with socializing/interacting both irl and online, so i might be a bit awkward/shy at first:') I do warm up at some point, but i still can't start a conversation unless it's about something that interests me^^

– This is not a spoiler-free or leak-free account!! My fics/posts will have spoilers/leaks if i post a certain fandom. I do put spoilers in them!

– I may get called a psychopath for this. But I really enjoy angsty stories/fics. Yes, they can be painful at times, but I also enjoy them at the same time. So be aware that I can reblog/post angsty fics. But more on the wholesome side, I do enjoy platonic fics as well, sometimes even more than romantic ones. To me, they bring some type of comfort! So feel free to request either angsty or platonic fics:)

– I repost a lot of fan art, which includes ship art. I do NOT ship the characters in the art. I solely repost it because I enjoy the art style. I am fine with discussing topics of ships, even rare pairs, but I do not indulge in them.

– I'm fine with being mutuals if you ask, but as i mentioned before, i'm not the best at talking unless you start the conversation. I'm not that much of a verbal person either, so if you are a writer like me. You will probably see me reblogging your fics silently since i prefer that!

DNI!!

Basic dni - homophobes, racists, sexists, pedophiles, zoophiles, transphobes, ableism, ageism, xenophobes, etc.

Proshippers/darkshippers, comshippers(lightshippers are an exception. Ex of lightshipping: enemies x lovers, etc.), rare-pair antis/cross-ship antis, Israel supporters, neo/xenopronouns-antis(i do not exactly get the concept of neo's/xeno's, but i do not see a problem with it either)

Blank blogs will be blocked when interacted w/ me!!

Please don't interact with me if you're over the age of 26 or under the age of 12. It makes me uncomfortable.

If you're rude or a horrible person in general(you will be blocked if i see you on my blog causing drama.)

Fully NSFW blog/MDNI blogs. If you don't want me to interact with you then please refrain from interacting with me.

Making jokes about r*pe, @b*se, etc

Shipping a canon gay character with a female (vice versa with a canon lesbian character)

Get the fuck off my blog if you support/condone tectone's behaviour. Or just support him in general. (whether you know him or not, his actions are absolutetly disgusting.)

[butdriampagliacci]

hi omg i really love "wildfire"!!! i'm so curious about the behind-the-scenes process behind it. what media inspired you to write it? what's the revision process like and how long does it usually take? what part did u find the most difficult to write? when did you start writing the outline + first draft? are you the type to finish a rough draft of an entire long fic before revising or do you take it chapter by chapter? i have so many questions pls infodump as much as u want about the behind the scenes of the fic i'm so hooked on the story i've been sharing it to all of my mutuals. thank you again for creating it <3

OMG first of all, thank you! I love talking about writing, so infodump I shall!

As far as inspiration goes, I love mysteries and detective stories in general. Some that stand out to me as influencing wildfire are the manga FAKE by Sanami Matoh and Beyond Evil, a kdrama that I highly recommend. Lots of twists and turns in that one. (And of course I like Knives Out and Glass Onion haha, there's a little bit of that too with how Diluc is helping Lumine.) I also have a playlist I made for the fic. If y'all ever want to see that, let me know~

I started writing the fic in September after rotating the idea in my brain for about a year. Initially I wasn't planning on posting it, since people can get pretty heated about kaeluc so it was just for my own amusement. But after talking to friends about it and realizing how much I was enjoying myself, I figured I should go ahead and make an AO3 account and publish it. Seeing other people enjoying it too makes me so happy it's unreal!

Re: the process--I tend to go chapter by chapter, usually with a bit of a buffer. In other words, I try to stay ahead of the most recent chapter, so if chapter 4 is ready to be posted, I'm already working on chapter 5 and so on. I actually started out with a substantial buffer and had about 5 chapters written before I posted the first one. I've got a document called "Misc" where I write scenes out of order or further along in the story to place later. Also, this is going to sound insane, but I don't really outline--at least not strictly. I have a document called "plot notes" to remind myself of certain important clues, the timeline, anything that I came up with while brainstorming. I know what's going to happen in the broad sense (like the solution to the mystery, I know where Aether is haha) but I like to give myself a little freedom to make creative decisions as I work. Sometimes I'll plan for something to happen, but then it doesn't really fit. For example, I had the flashback where Kaeya and Diluc almost kissed as teenagers completed for a while, but had trouble deciding which chapter it should go.

I'm often editing as I go. If I'm writing and the scene feels wrong or the dialogue is off, I'll cut and paste it into my "outtakes and deleted scenes" doc so I can still keep what I like or change my mind later. I re-read the previous chapter to try and keep things consistent and make sure to read my draft before I post to catch whatever I can. (I don't have a beta so any typos or other mistakes are on me TvT) The most difficult parts to write are anything involving actual procedure lmao I do my best to make it seem believable, but I take about as much artistic license as a detective show would. I prefer amateur/gentleman detective stories to police procedurals so that's the vibe I'm going for (despite Kaeya having access to actual law enforcement resources). That, and action scenes aksjdfosdjfoj If you can't already tell, I'm a dialogue/character writer.

As far as how long it takes to write and revise, I can usually finish a 3-4k chapter in roughly a week. That's thanks to my severe brainworms hahahaha I'm lucky to have a lot of free time right now and a slow paced job :> Although I know how the fic will end and the major twists, I'm not sure how long it will take to get there, but we've already crossed the 50k mark, so there's going to be plenty more content haha

Anyway, I've probably talked enough for now but I'm always down to chat fic and writing haha Thank you again for reading and sharing the story! I appreciate it so much~

[bitchassbucky]

Highway 63 (Almost-there 2K writing challenge)

On a dusty stretch of highway that connects two cities, a few aged establishments have made themselves part of the land. They say that some days you wouldn’t find anything but boarded-up buildings and old “Do Not Trespass” signs but there will be nights where people find themselves mingling with the patrons. You have to visit on a warm summer night, though. When the moon is shining and the air is light.

There, you would find a Bar that attracts all kinds of people—city folks, locals, people who wanted to disappear amongst the crowd of faces. The building reeks of cigarette smoke and cheap liquor and yet they see groups of people coming in and out, trying to grab a fix of their favorite sin.

Weary travelers often find themselves checking into the Motel, just a few hundred steps away from the infamous Bar. Some rooms are occupied, some things go bump in the night. It makes a decent stopover rather than sleeping in your car.

Patrons love to rave about the Diner near the Motel. The food tastes like home! they say. The booths are aged and yellow, the buzzing overhead lights are dusty and yet it feels familiar—even if it was your first time here.

Venturing further down the road, you’ll find a dilapidated barn. Nature is on its way reclaiming rotten wood posts and rickety doors. Rumors of ghost and unfriendly souls keeps the walls intact; the rusted tractor sits idle on the side.

If you’re lucky, you’ll find yourself driving down the stretch—catching glimpse of faces you’d never see again. The Motel would’ve had its no vacancy sign up, the Bar would be full of people dancing, the beats spilling onto the street. The Diner would’ve been serving pancakes, chicken, and waffles. Pass by the Barn, maybe you’ll see the vines crawling and waving onto the posts.

If you’re luckier, a postcard would be stuck on your windshield, “Welcome to Highway 63!” it would say. Would you take it as an invitation?

—

Welcome to Bitchassbucky’s almost-there 2K writing challenge! With my blog turning 3 years old this June, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been there since day one. I made lots of friends throughout the years, I even found a bunch of people that I would call my family too.

I’ve decided to take a little break from writing, just until I can find my traction again. Don’t worry, I will be coming back! Hopefully, a better writer.

Anyway, I just really want to thank you for the laughs, for the ugly cries, for the rage, for the keysmashes, and everything in between. You’re always in my heart.

Enough sentiments, let’s get down to business.

Guidelines:

🟪 MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. You are responsible for your own media consumption. We don’t exist to babysit you.

🟪 Send me an ask (with your @ if you’re on anon) with the prompt you’d like to take.

🟪 All stories should take place in the Bar, the Motel, the Diner, the Barn, or along the road. Welcome to Highway 63.

🟪 No minimum word count! If your entry goes beyond 500 words, please use the read more tool. All forms of content is welcome: moodboards, playlists, drabbles, one-shots, series, headcanons, etc. are counted as a valid entry.

🟪 To send an entry, mention me @bitchassbucky and @bitchassbucky-afterdark and use the Welcome to Highway 63 tag.

🟪 Marvel/MCU characters are very much preferred. Let me know if you want to write for another character.

🟪 Maximum of two people can take a prompt.

🟪 Warnings, warnings, warnings. Tag your fics appropriately. Dark (noncon, dubcon, etc.) fics are very much welcomed, just tag it. No cross-tagging too.

🟪 NO DEADLINE, we all hate deadlines. KEEP IT COMIN’, FOLKS.

🟪 Hard no-no’s: bathroom play, blood-incest, underage pairings.

🟪 No RPFs (Real Person Fics). Reader inserts or character/character only. OCs are welcomed!

🟪 Let’s keep all entries inclusive, please!

🟪 DO NOT REPOST WORKS OF OTHER PEOPLE.

Prompts under the cut!

Song prompts

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid by The Offspring

Bad To The Bone by George Thorogood

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen

Girls on Film by Duran Duran ( @belladonnabarnes )

Highway to Hell by AC/DC

Precious Love by James Morrison

Sugar for the Pill by Slowdive

Everybody Talks by Neon Trees ( @blackberrybucky for Bucky)

The Boy from NYC by The Ad Libs

Knock On Wood by Amii Stewart

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) by Marvin Gaye ( @buckyblues for Bucky)

MONTERO (Call Me By My Name) by Lil Nas X

Streets by Doja Cat (@luxeavenger)

Tokyo Love Hotel by Rina Sawayama

Lover Boy by Phum Viphurit

Nobody by Mitski

Take Me To Church by MILCK

Curious by Hayley Kiyoko

Line prompts

"Are you sure we're supposed to be here?" // "Are we even allowed in here?" ( @vibraniumqueen for Bucky)

"The GPS fucked up, didn't it?" ( @phant0m-queen for Bucky) ( @uncensored-steve-the-platypus for Steve)

"Drive slower!"

"Not bad [name], not bad."

"Can you shut the fuck up for just one second?!" ( @whoth3hellisbucky for Bucky)

"What did you do?"

"You don't deserve to know me like this."

"Oh, fuck."

"Do you want any advice?" / "If it's from you, then no."

"If you're reading this, I'm dead." ( @buckycuddlebuddy for Bucky)

"Close your eyes, I wanna surprise you." ( @lokiscollar for Bucky) (@drysdale-barnes for Bucky)

"What are you doing here?" / "What are YOU doing HERE?"

"Are you following me?"

"I'm gonna need a drink." (@fuckandfluff for Bucky)

"Keep walking. Just keep walking."

"Hey, I think I saw something back there."

"Come with me!"

"Hand me the car jack."

"We're in Bumfuck, Middle of Nowhere, what do you think?!"

Trope and AU prompts

Biker AU (very on-the-nose, eh?) ( @mxsamwilson for Bucky) ( @thefallenbibliophilequote for a series)

Rom-com AU

College AU ( @babyboibucky for College!Bucky)

Vacation/road trip AU

Band AU ( @hey-its-grey )

Mob/Gang/Criminals AU ( @buckycuddlebuddy for Bucky) ( @xbuchananbarnes for Sam)

Spies AU

Stalker AU

Dystopian AU

Fuck buddies/friends-with-benefits trope ( @whoth3hellisbucky for Bucky)

Found family trope

Mutual pining trope

Idiot x Dumbass trope ( @vibraniumqueen for Bucky)

Amnesia trope

Unreciprocated feelings trope ( @buckyblues for Bucky)

Lovers-to-friends trope

Friends-to-lovers trope

Enjoy yourself and I’ll see you around.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Hey friends, I've got Some Anon Answers for you! Most of these are so late I'm so sorry lol

1. Awwwe, I'm honored that you're still here. Thank you so much for sharing your feelings with me. I know I say it a lot, but the fact so many people choose to go on the internet to be kind to strangers (anonymously, much less!) is one of my favorite displays of how wonderful people can be.

Thank you for sticking around and reading my stories. I hope I can provide entertainment for you as long as you need it, and I hope you are enjoying all of the new and wonderful things you find ❤️

2. Oh, gosh, you're very sweet! I'll try to answer all of these questions, but I have a tendency to ramble.

My favorite oneshot I've ever written would probably be a tie between Funny Thing Fate (SFW) and It's Too Cliche (NSFW). I love writing Autistic!Reader and the latter was based on multiple real-world events that happened to me. They both flowed so easily and were very cathartic.

Some hobbies are listed in my About Me! But they're pretty boring. I like to bake, cross stitch, play video games, and occasionally something weird like making jewelry or making my own plushes.

My favorite ships from Criminal Minds are pretty uneventful, and I don't feel that strongly about any of them. I really enjoy Temily, JJ/Will, and Ralvez. Beyond that, I feel pretty equally about the rest of them. I do not like Reidams, though, but mostly because I think Cat was written terribly. It had potential, but now it pisses me off. Hate Maxcer and Maeve/Spencer with a burning passion. Lila, Dr. Kimura, Austin, Loker, Tara (originally designed as a love interest for Spencer!) - all way better potential.

I'm not sure I really have any concrete writing goals. I mostly just do it for fun, but I would love to finish my original works I have planned and get them published.

My only general tips for new writers are to keep practicing, edit your own work no matter how cringey it feels, and get comfortable with constructive criticism if you want to improve. Oh, and have fun!

As for your adoration, it is always shocking but always appreciated. I hope this answered most of your questions! I love you, too, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

3. I certainly hope people will be more interested in Wes stories! I really do love him, but I know writing Spencer will give me more interaction. Since I'm relatively busy, I prefer doing whatever people want to see the most. If you have specific trends/characters you prefer, please let me know. I really do take it all into account, especially when rejecting requests.

4. Hey friend! Yeah, TB&TB is back! I'm also going to continue posting oneshots per usual, so if I take another extended break from TB&TB, you'll still have that content ☺️

5. [NSFW] Unfortunately, I'm not sure I could write a whole fic rec list on that trope because it's enormous and there are thousands of works with it. I can only really speak to my own work, which does have quite a bit of Jealous!Spencer, including, among others:

Femme Fatale: Unit Chief Reid is in over his head with the newest BAU member.

Jazz & Jealousy: On a visit from New Orleans, Ethan takes a liking to Spencer’s crush. Spencer is not thrilled by this.

I Like It Like That: Spencer is jealous after a rowdy party.

“Bro Code” Be Damned: Spencer decides that the Bro Code isn’t really a code to be taken seriously when Derek’s girlfriend is feeling neglected.

I also actually have one in my WIPs right now, based on "Piece of You" by Shawn Mendes.

6. [NSFW] You know, I'm not sure I do. The ones that come closest are probably:

Fuzzy Pants (Spencer receiving)

Post Coital Dysphoria (Reader receiving)

Handle With Care (Reader receiving)

It's also sporadically mentioned in Here to Misbehave. Truthfully, I don't write a lot of heavy aftercare because I either find it mind-numbingly dull, weirdly specific, or overdone.

Aftercare as a term is extremely diverse and will look different for everyone. You'd have to be a bit more specific for me to send you in the right direction, because typically what people mean when they say "aftercare" is the same scenario I've seen written hundreds of times over, which is someone giving someone ibuprofen and a Gatorade 😂 (which, funny enough, I have literally never experienced in real life).

7. [NSFW] [Dark Side] Wow! That's an old one alright. I barely remember writing it 😅 But I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, and I do love that line. Now that I am older and wiser (and have actually seen the arc), I find it even more interesting. Especially when you consider that the cast explained in a behind the scenes bit that Spencer learned in prison that he was bad at crime. So, the question remains if he would have become an unsub if he'd been a little bit better at it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my work and say such kind thing. I'm so appreciative for everyone who provides feedback about my writing. You are the reason I'm still here writing!

[feathersandfoxtails]

Tumblr Writer Q&A

Thank you for the tag, @oonajaeadira

1) How many complete fics/one shots do you have that you have not published (yet)? None. I don't sit on something for more than a few days after it being finished or I edit it to death.

2) How many WIPS do you have right now? I don't have anything really started, but I do have some notes down for two stories.

3) Do you take writing requests or write original ideas, or both? I mostly do whatever stories pop into my head, but I am definitely open to writing requests! Honestly I feel like sometimes I don't have any ideas but still want to write, so I love fulfilling others' story wishes.

4) If you do take requests, how many do you currently have? I have three sitting in my inbox that I plan on getting to; I've just been really busy lately and reading a lot of fic instead of writing.

5) How many fandoms do you write for? Just Lin characters (and haha, I count Bruno in there).

6) Are there any fandoms you wrote for in the past that you no longer write for? I got into writing fics waaaay long ago. I published the most for Doctor Who. I also wrote X-Files fic in notebooks.

7) Do you write for ships, reader inserts or other? I LOVE reader inserts! I will do ships as well, but most of Lin's characters don't have them so we have to make our own.

8) Niche fandoms/characters you write for? uh, my whole fandom? we are tiny but lovely. I got a ton of notes on my Encanto fic and got a little scared of that, haha. I just want to hide in my little fandom corner.

9) Do you read fics as well as write them? YES. I love reading fic. The only reason I started writing again is because I was reading so much of it.

10) What is your favorite genre to write for? anything Romance.

11) What is your favorite trope (to read/write)? I adore enemies to lovers and friends to lovers. also give me a good there was only one bed fic any day of the week.

12) What do you do to get motivated to write? watch the source material and/or look at pictures from the source material.

13) Is there a trope/genre you like to read, but not write? I think I stick pretty close to reading what I like to write, but I do read a lot more porn with plot than I actually write.

14) Any characters/fandoms you want to write for that are never requested? I love Alvie so, so much and want to do another fic with him.

15) How long have you been writing fan fiction? since I got back into after a very long hiatus, about a year?

16) Did you read fan fiction before you started writing? definitely. I read it a lot years ago and then stopped. the pandemic helped me rediscover it.

17) Do you only post on Tumblr, or any other sites as well? I started posting on AO3 first and now I cross post.

18) What do you personally consider the word counts of “Drabble”, “One shots” and “fics”? Drabbles are exactly 100 words!! lol. One shot is anything that is only one chapter, no matter the length. Everything is a fic.

19) Which do you prefer to write more? HC, drabbles, oneshots/fics, multi chapter stories, other? I like multi-chapters because I feel like I can delve into things a little more.

20) Are there any stories you have discontinued? If so, why? nope!

21) What is one of your main “pet-peeves” as a writer on Tumblr? although the LMM fandom is AMAZING, I know writers in other fandoms get hate and just, what is the point? if you don't like it, scroll on by.

22) Do you write a particular time of day? I write best in the evenings.

23) Do you listen to music, ambiance/noise, etc to write or do you need silence? mostly silence, though sometimes I have some movie soundtracks I listen to. I find it hard to write to anything with lyrics. however I LOVE making playlists for my fics and will play those constantly throughout my day while I daydream about my fic.

24) Do you outline your fics at all before writing? I'm a pretty big outliner, although it depends on the fic. One shots definitely just sort of come out as they will. But usually with multi-chapters I have a certain arc in mind for the story and make notes to help myself remember and keep myself on track. Pass Back Through The Heart (my Lee story) was heavily outlined because I had two fucking timelines going on at once and wanted each flashback to relate to what was happening in the present time in each chapter. That being said, things still changed along the way!

25) Do you post your writing as soon as you finish it, or do you schedule it to come out at a specific time/day?  I post within a few days of it being done. sometimes I like to let it sit for a day or two and then come back to it again with fresher eyes. For my last two multi-chapters, I was trying to publish a chapter every Sunday, which was a nice self-imposed deadline. I seem to work well with those.

no pressure and all love tagging (with request to start a new post if you partake): @weshallbegolden, @beecastle, @queenofworry, @linnamonrolls0

[tcookies777]

As one of your readers, I have absolutely no issue with a slow build because I signed up for that when I started reading your fic. But I think you are misunderstanding what the rest of us are talking about. Most of us, including me, just doesn’t want to read another fucking sex scene of Kakashi or even Sakura with other characters. That’s it. That is all. That is our issue. Go as slow as you want because we signed up for that. But we just prefer not to read another emotionless sex that doesn’t contribute to anything. And you have reassured that here but some readers don’t follow you here or have tumblr so of course they are gonna assume things that this fic may be similar to other Kakasaku fics that have tons of emotionless sex. We are just hoping your fic is different from those fics.

No, I already understood the comments just fine.

To start, that "emotionless sex scene" between Kakashi and that side character in Chapter 21 does contribute plenty. It's not there for fun or to mock you guys. I like my free time and I would prefer not to waste it writing pointless scenes, so I would never write a sex scene with a side character if it didn't contribute anything. If people are too upset about a sex scene with a side character to bother even attempting to understand the purpose behind it then that's their problem. Feel free to be mad, but don't say the scene doesn't contribute anything when the whole reason I wrote it is because it contributed plenty. Because sometimes actions speak louder than words.

But I won't spoonfeed the answer to people who are too mad about a scene they did not bother to even try to understand let alone read through it without skipping/skimming.

Also, people seem to be focusing only on the AO3 comments. However, I cross-post on FFN and have readers who reach out to me either there or on my other socials. Many readers do see my Asks here since anyone - with or without a Tumblr - can view these Tumblr posts, and then they reach out to me on FFN, Twitter, or Tumblr's private messages. So yes, on AO3, most comments there are about sex with side characters BUT people have expressed other gripes to me as well - including gripes about the slow burn and/or how they just want to see Kakashi and Sakura have sex already. They hop off AO3 and privately message me here, or on Twitter, or they message me on FFN. You are just not seeing my private interactions with many other readers here and across other platforms. You are only seeing the Tumblr Asks that I post publicly (so not including the Asks I answer privately or throw away) and the comments on AO3. Thus, you are only viewing the whole situation from one angle whereas I, as the writer, am seeing everything that's going on.

So that's why my point still stands that regardless of whatever gripe a reader may have with the fic, there is no excuse for being rude to the writer and to fellow readers. If there is something a reader does not want to see in a fic OR there is something they do want to see in a fic asap, then there are other wonderful KakaSaku fics that can meet those expectations. But especially if a reader is getting upset over something that they do not even know for sure will happen to the point that they're being rude to real-life people - their own fellow KakaSaku fans - then that reader needs to step away from the monitor, take a deep breath, and do something positive/productive in their life. It truly astounds me that people would be so rude and upset over something that they don't even know will happen. Yes, your feelings are valid and you are free to voice it - but just be polite about it. As another reader had commented, there is no reason to behave so rudely over fanfiction of all things.

Honestly, all this fearmongering is blowing things out of proportion. Even IF whatever concern that a reader has does come true in the fic and/or persists in the fic, that is still no excuse to be rude to others. So that's why I said that regardless of the reader's gripes, they can quietly drop the fic whenever and for whatever reason. I'd rather a reader do that rather than ruin the fanfiction experience for both the writer and the other readers, some of whom use fanfics as a safe and happy place to escape to from their real-life troubles.

As for Sakae - she's a side character whom Kakashi has a sexual history with but that's it. Is it really so surprising or disgusting to hear that a 31 yr old man like Kakashi has had sexual partners before meeting Sakura? Is it fair to judge and condemn him for having sexual partners before meeting Sakura? If anything, it would be unrealistic for him to not have had any sexual history by his age. And yes, his sexual history does play a purpose in the fic and his characterization, which is why I have to bring it up in the fic. But ever since he met Sakura, Kakashi has only had sex with another character ONE TIME - and that ONE TIME (the chick from the bar in Chapter 21) contributed a purpose, as I said. And I want to emphasize the words ONE TIME for clarification.

Finally, there's no need for profanity, Anon. If you or any reader gets that upset over fanfiction of all things to the point that we forget to show restraint or decency, that's a sign to take a breather and focus on something else - for your mental health and everyone else's because anger is, scientifically speaking, addicting.

Also, the Anon function in Ask boxes does not give anyone the right to abuse their online anonymity and disrespect others who are just sharing their stories for free.

[criticallyacclaimedstranger]

Tumblr writer tag

Tagged by sweet @floraandfrost

1) How many complete fics/one shots do you have that you have not published (yet)? I post everything when I finish it.

2) How many WIPS do you have right now? 11, some of them being worked on more actively than others.

3) Do you take writing requests or write original ideas, or both? Anyone is welcome to ask me for stuff at any point. I might say no but so far I've said yes.

4) If you do take requests, how many do you currently have? Don't have any at the moment.

5) How many fandoms do you write for? Pedro Pascal characters, mostly Frankie Morales.

6) Are there any fandoms you wrote for in the past that you no longer write for? Yes, I've been writing fanfic since before I knew what it was, or before I knew what the internet was. My first fandom that I wrote for was The X-files. Only a friend of mine read those.

7) Do you write for ships, reader inserts or other? I don't think I've ever written an established ship, canon or fanon? It's mostly reader inserts and OFCs. I'm good at OFCs.

8) Niche fandoms/characters you write for? I clearly have a thing for ex military OFCs...

9) Do you read fics as well as write them? Not really, no.

10) What is your favorite genre to write for? I don't think about genres, I just write?

11) What is your favorite trope (to read/write)? I haven't really thought about tropes when writing. I only recently realized Frankie x Lady is friends to lovers? I don't know, I just write. I'm sure my writing is riddled with tropes, but I don't actively choose them?

12) What do you do to get motivated to write? If I want to write, I sit down and write, even if it's just 30 minutes and what I write is a bunch of bollocks. Writing is a lot of revision. If I don't feel like writing, I do something else.

13) Is there a trope/genre you like to read, but not write? I'd like to write something in the style of Isabel Allende, or Donna Haraway.

14) Any characters/fandoms you want to write for that are never requested? I rarely get requests so I haven't had this problem.

15) How long have you been writing fanfiction? Some 25 years, off and on.

16) Did you read fan fiction before you started writing? Nope, wrote it first. Did read a lot of fanfic earlier, though.

17) Do you only post on Tumblr, or any other sites as well? I cross post on Ao3, not everything, but almost.

18) What do you personally consider the word counts of “Drabble”, “One shots” and “fics”? Aren't there inofficial rules about this? Isn't a drabble supposed to be exactly 100 words? And I thought a "one shot" was a standalone fic that's not part of series? HAHAHA OMG I've been using the term wrong for my whole time here. That's embarrassing.

19) Which do you prefer to write more? Oh, that varies. I'm always game for more Frankie x Lady, though. It's like revisiting a familiar old threesome.

20) Are there any stories you have discontinued? If so, why? The Instructor was at a stand-still for a long time, and I didn't really feel like finishing it. I think it was because Marcus Moreno was an early PP character for me, and I fell for him, but then discovered more characters that, to be honest, were better written and also not from a cringey kids movie. But I always felt bad about not finishing it. Now I am (I hope)!

21) What is one of your main “pet-peeves” as a writer on Tumblr? Lack of reader interaction. That's one (of a few) reasons I quit my previous fandoms, so I'm no stranger to doing it again. Sure, I write because I want to, but if I wrote for myself only, I wouldn't be here posting and wanting to talk about my fics, would I?

22) Do you write at a particular time of day? Mainly morning hours. Something during work hours, because my job is hella inconsistent, so sometimes I have nothing to do for hours.

23) Do you listen to music, ambiance/noise, etc to write or do you need silence? Mostly silence. When writing Misty I listen to Kate Bush's 50 Words For Snow album.

24) Do you outline your fics at all before writing? Never! I sometimes feel I should. No, it all starts with one single scene, or maybe just a line.

25) Do you post your writing as soon as you finish it, or do you schedule it to come out at a specific time/day? I always want to post asap but I've learned that, sadly, the time of the day seems to play a very large part of how much attention fics get, so I try to schedule them for the American mornings.

Too tired to tag anyone but feel free to snatch this if you want to!

[missingmywing]

I posted 60 times in 2021

7 posts created (12%)

53 posts reblogged (88%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 7.6 posts.

I added 135 tags in 2021

#reblog - 51 posts

#kingdom hearts - 15 posts

#sora - 12 posts

#persona 5 - 11 posts

#p5 - 10 posts

#super smash bros - 9 posts

#super smash bros ultimate - 9 posts

#ren amamiya - 6 posts

#writing - 6 posts

#writer's problems - 6 posts

Longest Tag: 98 characters

#this is a real fight and i don't understand people's narrow worldview that doesn't understand this

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

So I know everyone is always theorizing who the ~mysterious voice~ in the Dive to Heart is, and I've seen all sorts of theories, such as:

-Yen Sid

-Mickey

-Master of Masters

-Kingdom Hearts

-Ventus

And I happen to prefer those last three, but I raise you a new candidate:

-It's Chrirthy.

Like, we've spent years imagining it as this mysterious, vaguely ominous voice, and instead it's... Chrirthy. In all its high-pitched non-intimidation.

After all, Chrirthy was the voice in KHUX, and in KH3 it did say Sora had crossed there before, and the opening Dive did show that world. That implies that the Dive happened there every time, which... is entirely possible.

10 notes • Posted 2021-05-13 02:29:18 GMT

#4

WE DID IT BOYS

20 notes • Posted 2021-10-05 14:16:30 GMT

#3

Someone needs to take Shining Nikki away from me. I have both too much and too little power here with the camera mode

Post-11/20 Akira

She sad and paranoid.

And judgey endgame Akechi who gets jeans and sneakers because I say so.

23 notes • Posted 2021-10-07 22:43:12 GMT

#2

I CAN'T BELIEVE BOTH OF MY HYPERFIXATIONS ARE IN THE SAME FRAME I'M SO HAPPY

I may or may not already be considering some fics that I've been mentally playing around with for a couple years since Joker got in-

45 notes • Posted 2021-10-05 15:09:04 GMT

#1

This is Nomura's apology for not giving us a Sephiroth fight in KH3.

2870 notes • Posted 2021-10-05 15:15:07 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[seelestia]

ah yes more tears mmm delish *sloshes the tears inside my wine glass* /j sdlfkjsdlf i teared up a lot playing genshin cause i'm an emotional mess ;w;

hehehe worry not i will drop by every now and then to release all the plot bunnies upon you!!

yandere makes some ppl uncomfortable so i need to keep myself from talking about that topic a lot, but i still slip up every now and then ;w; pls don't hesitate to bonk me if i ever gush and make you uncomfortable!! i don't want to cross people's boundaries and making ppl sad is the last thing i want (except from the sadness and pain induced by reading angsty prompts or fics but i mean that's different right ehe)

ohhh i didn't know about albedo + rubedo being an actual thing related to alchemy! wait that is super interesting!! hmmm four stages you say... gasp wait does that mean there are potentially two more clones?????

YES TO THE SUSBEDO SUPREMACY the boy needs love too ;w; what if albedo actually likes the reader but the reader falls in love with rubedo instead and he's just there like 🧍‍♂️ you like him?? him, the imperfect, thrown away copy??? when the original is literally treating you with so much love and warmth??? you chose him??????

GASP HUBBY!!! *paws at the picture like a hyper cat* i-i mean what. i don't know what you're talking about *looks away and whistles innocently* /j

honestly i understand the attraction towards those two!! both are playful and intelligent and very pretty indeed *nod nod*

a type, hm? i don't know if i have a specific type??? i like a lot of characters in genshin!! but if i have to pick, say, a top three... then it's definitely zhongli (bc simp), xiao (he's my main and i love his lore + play style + voice), and kazuha (adorable, 12/10 would squish his cheeks) eheh

you are too kind aaaaaa pls i am unworthy sldkskdkls

i would absolutely love to be writing moots with you!!! but thing is, while my main blog is safe (cause i barely post there), my writing blog isn't 100% minors-friendly (i only write sfw but i consume & reblog nsfw stuff since i'm an adult)! my old posts are untagged and are a mess, but i do have a tag that minors could block if they ever decide to follow and interact. so uh yeah it's up to you!! if you aren't comfortable i can always stay on anon~ also sldksldk nahhh my writing is just okay-ish :p

👀 ohhhhh i will be waiting for when the inspiration strikes you then heheh

better the glass of water than the poor controller i guess lol hrrrgh you know what else is painful aside from weekly bosses? ruin hunters!!! i hate them so much... i nearly skipped the entirety of hidden stride event's first day fight 🙃 just took the easiest difficulty for the primos and ditched the other difficulties. cause they just. won't stop. shooting missiles. help.

- 💠

i remember crying over the perilous trail quest too AAAA i know you are a xiao kisser (us both 🤝), so i apologize if this brings back angsty flashbacks fwjfksje (unless you enjoy crying to that /lh) but the quest and xiao's reminiscence of his past comrades were so good i ugly sobbed ;(

you underestimate how much i love your brain like??? you're always brimming with ideas !! release the plot bunnies >:) that is such a cute mental image fkkwkkdkjf

personally, i don't mind yandere content despite not consuming any myself. i can see why it bothers some people since some works do contain gore/violence and chilling obsession. but these works are merely fictional and most yandere writers have explicitly said that they do not condone this behavior irl, so i think it's up to personal preferences, really !! thank you for being so considerate of others, anon :( i don't bonk people but if you ask and there is a need for it, i shall do so softly! even if you're an angst monster (/lh)

i didn't know either at first until i did some self-indulgent research on albedo and rhinedottir, which eventually led me to reading about alchemy itself !! ooo, two other albedo's??? i think rhinedottir's homunculi only extends to albedo and susbedo, but it can definitely be an au and their personalities can be inspired by the meanings of the other two stages 👀

a love triangle with albedo and susbedo??? HELLO??? chokes. if you do, susbedo is smiling so smugly at albedo rn. susbedo's character is so interesting to me... from what i recall, i remember thinking that he has a sense of arrogance and pent-up grudge / superiority complex against albedo since he was the 'perfect subject'. so, reader falling for him is simultaneously an ego boost yet the most confusing and startling thing ever.

HUBBY. 📸 i caught that slip-up all too well in my mind and this non-existent camera. it's okay, you can admit it. (/j) zhongli, xiao, and kazuha... hmm, i'm trying to look for some sort of pattern here but i think i'll conclude that you don't have much of a specific type and instead, you just fall for whoever you fall for??? the simplest formula >:)

i see, i see !! i myself have also filtered nsfw genshin tags and i don't think i need to dig through your old untagged posts for any reason, so i'm alright with it~ and wdym okay-ish??? your ideas are the best !! i am in need of some new fic to read too 👀 also, this may just be another excuse to support you, hehe~

ruin hunters and their annoying missiles. and the way you can barely attack them when they're in the air and there's no way to dodge their missiles. <//3 THE DEMOTIVATION ON THE VERY FIRST DAY TOO, HELP. so true, why put in more efforts than needed when you can say toodle-oo to the ruin hunters with primos in your inventory??? ;D

[crispy-chan]

4, 7, 8, 20, 21, 41 for the fanfiction writer asks!

Hope you're doing well, lovely💕

- 🍪

I know I disappeared for a long time, I'm sorry!

hello <3, i'm doing well, ty for asking 🥺

4 - my favorite genre to write for

angst

angst angst.

but i also wan't to work on my world building so that i can pump out a hq fantasy fic cause that must be satisfying af :)

i also try my best to write "emotional" shit (cause that's what we do here :p) or at least i attempt to do the sadder parts right but idk if i'm managing lmao

7 - my preferred time to write

when i'm not under pressure. either mornings on weekends or late at night. there's nothing more satisfying than finishing a long fic late at night and posting it before going to bed 😌

8 - where do i take my inspiration from

i lowkey feel like my shit isn't exactly new or unique lmao. it's usually songs (almost every single fic of mine is named after a song) they just inspire me the most and i like to play around with the concepts, etc. also - brooklyn 99. i literally have countless detective/cop au fics planned based off of B99 episodes 😭

i also thrive to be able to write some jake peralta quality humor in the future lol

20 - are there any stories that wished i'd ended differently

tbh, haven't really written that much, ngl. i feel like I'll cross this bridge after I finish maze of memories. and also - the deatheater!chan fic since I have multiple ending ideas lol, we'll see where that goes ...

21 - other writers i admire

as a connoisseur of long fics, most of my fav authors are definitely long fic authors. i read mainly skz and bts fics so these authors usually write for them too:

skz: @/chaninfused, @/jeonginks, @/mintymiknow, @/seungmoe, @/maatryoshkaa

bts: @/jimlingss, @/gukyi

these obviously aren't all of them !! those are just some of my faves that I love to admire from afar, hoping that one day, I'll be able to write stories as captivating as theirs.

41 - my favourite minor character

idk if it technically counts as a minor character but felix from maze of memories, luv you my dude <3. also, sassy jeongin in neverending story.

tysm !! and please, don't apologize !! we all have lives, don't pressure yourself or anything <33

lots of love and stay safe 💕