#my little rag-tag bunch of misfits

[redstuffs-ig]

Assorted Krayt's Claw headcanons because I guess that's gonna be my niche now

How they formed:

Krayt's Claw was formed shortly after Boba Fett and Bossk broke out of the Republic Judiciary Detention Center. Feeling bitter about being left behind by Aurra Sing on Florrum and believing in strength in numbers, Boba pitched the idea to Bossk, who agreed to see what he could do with his contacts in the underworld. They first tried to sell the idea to fellow escapee Cad Bane, but he wasn't interested.

The first official member was Latts Razzi, who had fallen under hard times and needed some credits to afford her lavish lifestyle. At first she only considered signing on for a few jobs, but eventually decided to become a full-timer after warming up to the team.

Dengar joined shortly after. Already a successful bounty hunter during the Clone Wars, he saw something in the young Fett that convinced him this enterprise may be worth his while. He and Bossk knew each other from before, and kept a friendly rivalry of sorts going on. Dengar was only a part-timer however, as he was also an aspiring swoop racing champion.

C-21 Highsinger was the last to join the original ensemble. A prototype, one-of-a-kind Hunter-Killer, he went rogue and struck out on his own for motives unknown. One day Boba walked into their base with the towering droid in tow and introduced it as "Highsinger". No one knew how he had convinced that monster that sticking around would be worth its while, but they knew better than to ask questions.

Embo had been in talks to join the team for a while after being approached by Latts, but he only became an official member after Boba Fett vanquished Cad Bane during the last months of the war. He got along surprisingly well, and added a nice bit of street cred to the group.

Oked was only a hired goon brought in for the Quarxite job. He was not mourned nor missed.

Random shit I came up with:

Marrok, Embo's pet anooba, is the unofficial team mascot. Everyone finds themselves doting on the fluffy space dog, and even the impassible Highsinger allows it to rub against his leg. That being said, it has a habit of growling at Dengar whenever he says something stupid, which happens quite frequently.

Bossk's ship, the Hound's Tooth, was their only vehicle for some time. The first few rides were full of nothing but complaining about the smell and unfriendly atmosphere while the lizard silently seethed. It took a lot of convincing for Boba to finally agree to let them use the recently-reclaimed Slave I as their vehicle. Embo never flies with the group, instead using his personal transport, the Guillotine, for every mission. Just about everyone resents him for that fact.

Latts and Dengar are the fashionistas of the group, and tend to suggest outfit changes to the other hunters, a proposition that is rarely accepted. They occasionally rate their co-workers' choice in clothing; Embo has the best look by far, Boba's placing went up by a significant margin after he began sporting his father's Mandalorian armor, and Bossk has been the worst-dressed Trandoshan in Tatooine for a few consecutive years now.

Only Latts can wield her grappling boa scarf effectively, and at many points everyone has tried to employ it in some capacity at least once. None succeeded. How she does it is a mystery.

Dengar once introduced Manaroo, while the two were early into their relationship, to the rest of the team. The fact the poor Aruzan survived three hours of being intimidated by some of the galaxy's meanest-looking bounty hunters confirmed to Dengar that she was the one. They've been married happily since. I don't care what the sequels say.

During a mission to Coruscant, Highsinger inexplicably disappeared with no one knowing where he went. While the rest of the team wanted to leave him behind and get going, Boba demanded they at least try to look for him. He was eventually found at the Droid Spa, enjoying a relaxing oil bath as two beautiful androids scrubbed his joints clean of any grime. To say they were all pissed would be the understatement of the millennium.

After Boba regained his armor and bested Cad Bane in a duel, the following group dinner was filled with everyone taking turns to talk about how much they didn't like the blue cowboy. Whether they were trying to warm up to the new boss or maybe let loose some steam, no one knows.

Krayt's Claw eventually disbanded after Boba came of age and began taking solo jobs, though he remained in contact with most of the team and kept tabs on what they were up to. Nothing was known of Latts' whereabouts after she started her syndicate, however.

[queenimmadolla]

𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈

(Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader)

summary: You cancel on your plans to hang out with your crush, Eddie, and your friends when you realize your competition for his affections will also be there. So, naturally, Eddie comes to you.

warnings: misunderstandings, little bit of hurt, little bit of angst, a lot of fluff and a lot of comforting,

a/n: little companion piece to In My Dreams. inspired by Hozier’s song Would That I, my re-watching of grey’s anatomy, my love for Lexie Grey who heavily inspires Reader’s personality in this, and that confession. for creative purposes we’re gonna pretend Halloween 5 came out before 1986, Eddie got held back like twice maximum, and everyone is alive/lives in Hawkins because this is an ideal world. probably won’t be able to post much in the coming weeks so enjoy and let me know what you think (don’t be a jerk)! mistakes will be fixed later.

You open the sliding door of the shower with a sigh, arm curling around your body at the slight temperature change as you yank the towel off the bathroom counter where you had set it and wrap it around your body, quickly drying off your limbs. Once you’re dry enough, you step out of the shower, towel now wrapped around your body as you grab a clean t-shirt to wrap around your drenched hair.

You swipe the condensation from the steam off the mirror, staring at your bare, disappointed face before the steam fogs it up again.

Your body heaves out another sigh as you prepare to go through your routine in a failed attempt to not think about all the fun your friends are having without you at that very moment.

It wasn’t like they hadn’t invited you, because they had. Heather had come bounding up to you during break on Tuesday to tell you about the group’s plans to hang out on Friday night, go to the mall, head to the movies then grab a bite to eat and probably hang out at someone’s house. You’d agreed immediately, loving nothing more than spending time with your friends. But then you had found out two things that had certainly rained on your parade before it even started:

1.) Roxy Campbell was going. Heather knew how much you two didn’t get along (a dislike that had been mutual since elementary school but had only spiked in animosity in recent years) and had hurriedly explained that it hadn’t been her that extended the invitation to Roxy, which lead you to reason number two.

2.) Chrissy Cunningham would be there. There wasn’t any bad blood between you and Chrissy, far from actually. You didn’t interact with her too much, she was more Heather’s friend than yours (and you sometimes wondered about that, they often cuddled up during big sleepovers, and disappeared at gatherings) but the common factor between Roxy, Chrissy and you was the real problem.

See, you wouldn’t have a problem being in the same place as Roxy on her own, and same goes for Chrissy, but together, they would just be too much for your insecurity, because Eddie was going.

You’d had a crush on Eddie since the fourth grade (he’d been a couple of grades ahead of you at the time, but now he was attainable, or you had thought he was) but it was when Heather had sucked you into their rag tag group consisting of a bunch of social misfits (Steve, Jonathan, Nancy, Argyle, Barb, Robin, Eden, Eddie and a partridge in a pear tree) during junior year that you actually fell in love with him.

He’d been the one you had bonded with the most, you had almost nothing in common—but it didn’t seem to matter because he made you feel like you mattered. He made you feel seen when you thought you were invisible, made you feel heard when you thought no one was listening, and you just. . .you really loved the way he made you feel.

And you were stupid enough to love him. Stupid enough to love his long curls, his smile (the crazed one was a favorite of yours, but it was topped by the shy one he’d always exchange with you when it was just the two of you in your own world—regardless of your friends surrounding you, or when you were in class and you’d turn in your seat to look back at Eddie and he’d already be watching you, he’d give you that same, beautiful smile), the way he’d doodle silly little things all over his hands (and you could go super into depth about your admiration for those hands), how he resembled a Gremlin when he ate, how he couldn’t seem to sit like a normal person in most public settings unless he was mentally exhausted, his dramatics and the stupid faces he’d make, the way he’d bark at Tommy H. when the jerk dared to try and approach Steve or if he was simply annoying Eddie, how much time and effort he put into campaigns, how he never seemed to get mad during the rare campaigns in which the Hellfire Club managed to breeze right through his monsters, mazes, and obstacles. You could go on forever and that was the problem.

Roxy started liking Eddie right around the time you fell in love with him—because she always has to have whatever you want—and Chrissy was the last girl you were aware he’d had a crush on. A crush he’d had since the seventh grade. Given the current strength of your feelings for a crush you’d had for far longer, you didn’t have any hopes that he’d moved on, since you—ya know hadn’t. Roxy didn’t really intimidate you, but if you were sandwiched between the two girls—or worse, if Eddie was, you’d be forced to watch either another girl flirt with him or watch him flirt with another girl. Both of those options sounded terrible to you and you were positive you’d just end up with a stomach ache that had you nearly bedridden like you always did when it came to heartbreak.

After three days of debating, you’d called Heather before you were all supposed to meet up at the mall and had used your mom not letting you go out because you had chores to do as an excuse. Your mom wouldn’t have appreciated being made the villain but they had all seen you looking perfectly fine at school only a couple of hours earlier, meaning you couldn’t play sick, so she’d just have to take one for the team.

Heather had sounded disappointed but understood and told you she’d let the rest of the group know.

Then you proceeded to have a breakdown, you’d cried and cried, crawled into your shower, cried so much and let the reality of not ever being able to love Eddie and be loved by him crash down on you, your chances of being the reason he smiles and feels loved circle the drain before washing away as your body shook with your sobs. At one point you had thought you might suffocate with it all, but you hadn’t. Once the hot water had begun to lower in temperature, you forced yourself to get up and get yourself together. Eddie should be able to be happy with whoever he wanted and if you were really his friend, you would have to be happy for him and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

So, here you were. All alone on a Friday night while the rest of the teenagers in Hawkins got to be, well, teenagers.

You try cheering yourself up by doing a full body shave since you have the time, moisturizing heavily with sweet smelling lotion, shaping your eyebrows, doing a ton of face masks—you may be feeling pathetic but your skin sure wasn’t—and painting your nails and toes. You’d gone with a metallic green this time in an effort to be daring. You even put your earrings back in, just to feel a little less naked.

Once the polish is dry and you have done all the self-care you can think of, you’re left with nothing to do and no one to keep you company. Even your mind is quiet and your thoughts are whispers, if anything. They’re not nice whispers, so you decide to watch a movie. You throw on one of your comfy sweaters and a pair of boy shorts before running downstairs to sort through the rentals your family still has. Normally, you wouldn’t go running out in your underwear regardless of how similar to shorts they appear, but even your parents had plans tonight, Fridays were date night. They’d come home sometime after 2 am, giggling and so in love as they tiptoed—incredibly loudly, somehow—past your room to try and not wake you up while you listened to them trip and stumble down the hall because you couldn’t help but like to listen and imagine it being you and Eddie one day; drunk, in love and without a care in the world because you’d have each other and maybe a slightly sleep deprived teenage daughter.

The movie selections aren’t too vast, most of yours had been returned on Wednesday—WAIT, SCORE!

You admire the VHS cover of The Last Unicorn with a smile before tucking it under your arm and disconnecting the VCR from the TV in the living room. You carry the bulky thing and its wires up to your room, quickly setting it up to your smaller tv and popping the tape in. While the previews play, you pull the soaked t-shirt off your head, your hair is still damp but as you look at yourself in your bedroom mirror, you can’t help but smile. Your face is glowing, you smell amazing, you hair—while still somewhat wet—looks promising to dry and set satisfactory. Hell, the damp look is working for you on its own. With a smile on your face, you feel and look beautiful.

The t-shirt is tossed into your hamper and you dig out a couple of your favorite snacks from your hoarding place under your bed before you settle on top of it, belly down and your comfiest pillow under your chin as the movie begins.

The movie is comforting and provides you a sense of nostalgia, though it hadn’t come out too long ago. You chalk it up to its dated terms and the general setting of it.

You’re completely invested in it, mind filled with nothing but commentary. You’re wondering why the animators made Celaeno the Harpy’s three titties so big and bouncy when the sound of knuckles rapping on your window surprises you. You push yourself up on your arms, craning your head to look even though you have an inkling who it is, the only person to regularly visit you via window pane.

Sure enough, Eddie is grinning at you from the other side, gesturing down to your window locks. You hadn’t been expecting him so you’d left it secured. It was only a little past 8 pm and hang outs nearly went on to 1 am, why wasn’t he with everyone else?

You move your snacks aside and abandon your pillow in favor of climbing off your bed to pause the movie before you make your way over, unlocking and opening the window for him.

“FINALLY!” Eddie grunts out as he tumbles in, rolling a little ways away before he jumps up and stretches his arms out so high he’s almost touching your ceiling. You roll your eyes, a small laugh slipping past your lips as your fondness for the silly boy quickly rises to the surface.

“Oh, quit it, you faker. You weren’t out there that long.”

Eddie scowls at you, eyes narrowed playfully. He won’t bother telling you that he’d been there for ten minutes (after he’d struggled to get on the roof for the same amount of time, Jesus H. Christ, it never got easier scaling your home, but he’d be damned if he stopped doing it, it was romantic and he was in the middle of wooing) watching you in a non-creepy manner, you’d looked so beautiful and peaceful; he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off of you or even consider making you aware of his presence until the overwhelming urge to hold you had taken over. He didn’t know if he’d finally be able to work up the courage to do so but the distance between you, and the physical separation started to give him anxiety so he’d knocked.

“You still took your sweet time getting off your butt to let me in,” Eddie teases as he makes himself comfortable, kicking off his shoes and shrugging off his jacket to hang on your desk chair. He even takes the chain off of his jeans, tucking it into one of the jacket pockets.

“I wasn’t expecting you!” You throw your hands up in defeat after you shut the window again.

Eddie’s grin turns sly, “Did I surprise you, kid?”

Now it’s your turn to narrow your eyes at him, because you know he doesn’t have the audacity to bring this up again. “Do. Not. Start.”

“It’s just pretty interesting for a guy whom you referred to as predictable today, at 10:06 in Mr. Bellow’s class, to surprise you in a manner that is evidently not so predictable.” He’s smug, so very smug as he crosses his arms and smirks.

You groan, though there’s no annoyance to it, in fact—you’re fighting off a smile. If you smile, he wins and that’s what he wants. You can’t give him that, it's the little teasing game you have going on. You will not break.

“You accuse me of holding onto grudges─”

“Because you do.”

“—yet here you are, bringing up something from the past!”

“It happened today!”

“Yeah, earlier today, as in not right now, meaning the past. Besides, I wasn't wrong. You always climb up to my window and you always try to be unexpected, so really, this was very much so an Eddie thing to do and I am—in fact—correct about you being predictable.” You state as you make your way back to your bed, climbing back on top and folding your legs criss cross style.

Eddie stares at you from where he’s standing, amusement clear in those big beautiful, Bambi eyes of his. The smirk is still there, but it’s not so sly or smug anymore, more gentle and you can tell he’s trying to not let it break into a grin but he’s smiling, nonetheless, so you win. And he knows it.

He shakes his head, turning to look at your poster and art covered walls so you can’t see just how big his grin is. When he finally composes himself, his body is relaxed, arms dropping to dangle by his sides as he stalks towards your bed.

“You’re delusional.”

“Am I wrong, though?” You beam up at him and he can’t say no to you, ever.

With a heavy sigh, he drops his weight onto your bed, falling onto his back. Your poor snacks go tumbling but you don’t care, leaning an elbow on your knee as you rest your chin in the palm of your hand while you peer down at him.

“No. What are we watching?”

“You didn’t answer my earlier question.”

“You didn’t ask a question.” You know he knows what you’re referring to.

“I could smother you right now.”

“Mm, but you won’t.”

You drop your hand from your chin to dart forward and tickle his side. Eddie yelps, letting out a loud laugh as he tries to wrangle your hand in his, securing your wrist in his grasp.

“Okay! Okay! Fine, what’s your question?”

“Why aren’t you with everyone else?” You exclaim, in your rush of adrenaline, rather than ask.

Eddie answers like it’s the most simple question in the world, blinking up at you as though the answer should have been obvious to you, “Because you’re not there.”

Your brows furrow, a confused smile crossing your lips and Eddie wants to lean up and kiss the spot between your eyebrows to ease them. You smell so good, too. He just wants to bury his face in your neck, your hair, suffocate himself with you ‘til his lungs refuse oxygen in favor of needing you to breathe.

“I’m hardly the life of the party, Eddie.”

Not when Roxy and Chrissy are around, you think to yourself. If you’re being honest, Chrissy seems more fun than Roxy, and so are you. Anyone is better than Roxy. You can’t help but briefly wonder how Roxy can be friends, acquaintances, whatever, with Chrissy—not that there’s anything wrong with the sweet blonde—but if it was obvious to you that Eddie liked Chrissy, it should have been obvious to Roxy. Roxy loathed you even more than she had before for being friends with Eddie, you figured she’d hate Chrissy since she was the object of his affections.

“You’re spacing’ out on me, kid.” You’re literally shaken from your thoughts when Eddie puts his giant freaking hand on the top of your damp head, giving it a gentle shake. He laughs at your expression when you swat his hand away.

“Sorry, was just thinking about something. Did you say something?”

“I said you’re the life of my party,” Eddie repeats, trying to maintain his cool, despite how fast his heart was racing. He’d do that a lot, drop little hints to see if you picked up on them with hopes you would. Then, he’d have the perfect opportunity to finally tell you how he feels; like how his heart had just about dropped out of his ass when Heather had come on her own and told them you wouldn’t be joining them. He’d been sullen and mostly quiet as they walked through the mall. Steve and Argyle had tried to cheer him up, but it was useless. Chrissy had even tried to strike up a conversation but he couldn’t think about anything but you, so that had dropped pretty fast and he was sure he’d come off as rude, only he couldn’t care right then but he’d apologize next week at school.

Eddie couldn’t even recall what movie they had ended up watching. Even if he had been trying to pay attention, Roxy was constantly trying to talk to him during the movie so he wouldn’t have been able to hear it anyways. The entire time he was trying to think of why you hadn’t shown up. Heather had mentioned something about your mom, but Eddie knew your parents had date nights on Fridays so you were pretty much free to do whatever you wanted. Were you sick? On your period? Suffering? And here he was, albeit not having an even decent time, hanging out with his friends when he could have been comforting you or just with you. He left before the movie hit the halfway point.

“Coolest person I know, kid.”

You smile, sinking back into your shoulders shyly, you may not have been the apple of his eye, but you were still cool in his, “Thanks, Eddie. You’re the coolest person I know, too. Maybe even the best person I know, in general. Don’t tell Robin or Eden I said that.”

Eddie chuckles, still hyper aware of your wrist in his hand, if he plays this right he could just slide it up ‘til he’s palm to palm with you and intertwine your fing─

“The Last Unicorn,” You announce, finally answering his question as you sit up only to lean back into your pillows, pulling your wrist out of his hold just as Eddie had been about to trail his hand higher. You pat the spot next to you as you pull your knees to your chest. “We lost the remote so you’ll have to go press ‘play’.”

“Oh, I’ll have to go press ‘play’, huh?” His amusement is back as he shifts onto his side to face you.

“Mhm,” You nod innocently, placing your finger on the tip of your nose. “Nose goes.”

He stares at you, incredulous, before he reluctantly pushes himself up even though you both know he would have done it regardless.

“That stupid game doesn’t even make sense, if it’s gonna be called ‘Nose Goes’ shouldn’t the first person that touches their nose fucking go?” He grumbles as he presses the button on the VCR before climbing onto the bed, making himself comfy next to you as the movie resumes.

You shush him, eyes fixated on the screen again, on Celaeno, “Look at her boobies.”

Eddie does as you say, guffawing once he notices. He’s more amused with your thought process than he is with the harpy, for obvious reasons. One being that he’s in love with you and how cute you are and the other being that the harpy is far from appealing to look at.

“Wait, does she have three tits?”

“Yeah.”

“Why, though?”

“Because Harpies have three titties, I don’t know, Eddie, I didn’t make the movie.”

“Well, like—does she need the extra one?” He never noticed it before.

“I don’t know, I’m more concerned about how human they look. I get that harpies are kinda supposed to look a little human, but she’s really fugly and not at all human in appearance. They really gave her three human boobs and called it a day. Could have at least given her a human head or some hair but no.”

Eddie’s focused on you, watching you from the corners of his eyes as you rant. One of the things that had broken the awkwardness when you first met was your love of fantasy. You weren’t as obvious about it as he was with his, but he’d seen you reading your copy of The Sword in the Stone after you’d finished a test early, in the English class he shared with you, right before the end of your sophomore year. He’d spent the whole summer wondering about you and he’d been grateful when Heather had been inducted in the group, bringing you with her in the fall. When he failed, he’d been bummed but knowing he got to spend more time with you, learn more about you eased the ache. Falling in love with you had just about healed it completely, and with your encouragement, he was on track to graduate alongside you this year.

When Eddie doesn’t respond, you turn your head to him, raising your brows when you notice his gaze is fixed on you, “You okay, Eddie?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, kid.”

He really is, he’s thinking about all the things he loves about you. How animated you get when you’re excited about something, the way you get all shy when you realize just how excited you’d been, how optimistic you were even when you were having the worst of days—you never lashed out at anyone because of it, how you always put others first (you always claimed to be selfish but the moment you realized you could help someone instead of yourself, you did it), how forgiving you were (Steve had been somewhat of a jerk to you when he was still King Steve but the moment you realized he was genuine in his redemption, you never brought it up and always made sure to mention how he’s grown as a person when someone else brings it up and yeah, Eddie was a little jealous about that). How unapologetically yourself you were, silliness and all (like how you’d gone as Jamie Lloyd in her clown costume with the red nose and mask, from the Halloween movie while everyone else was dressed as provocative as possible for Zoe’s halloween party—and then you’d gone to Tina’s party as an angel with very little covering you up, because you could do both, and Eddie had to spend the entire night hiding an erection). Or how you made the wall flower kids, that Steve and the others sometimes couldn’t see needed attention, feel seen; Lucas, Will and Jane loved it when you came around. They always referred to you and Jonathan as their play parents and yes, Eddie got incredibly jealous with that, too.

And then there was the way you made Eddie feel. Despite his growing friendships, he had still felt a sense of loneliness, still needed his alone time because they overwhelmed him a bit. But not you. You snuck up on him, came into his life so quietly you hadn’t disturbed any of the foundation he’d built around himself to keep the world away, yet still somehow ended up on the same side of the wall with him. When his head got loud, you were there to hush all the thoughts, bringing him a sense of peace. He hardly had to even defend himself to verbal lashings anymore because you were putting whoever it was in their place without even being mean about it, which made him feel like people really were just messing with him to be jerks, like he wasn’t actually a freak. You made him feel like they were the problem, not him. When you looked at him, he felt like you were actually seeing him. Not Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson, not the frontman to a band everyone thought was going nowhere, not some high school repeat, not some drug dealer, not trailer trash, just Eddie.

God, and the way you said his name! You’d beam, sit up straighter while you flashed him that beautiful smile and Eddie felt like he somehow lit up the room for you, despite you already being the brightest thing in any room.

He’d had crushes before, on Chrissy Cunningham, on Ally Citronni, Tammy Thompson—she talked to him, okay? He was lucky if a girl didn’t walk away giggling with her friends and not in the ‘I just talked to a cute boy’ way and she was a nice girl—even the fucking counselor and yeah, he’d had one on you, had expected it to go away like it had with the others, but it hadn’t. Instead, it blossomed into something so intense he couldn’t eat, he couldn’t fucking sleep, he couldn’t think about anything that wasn’t related to you.

Love on the fucking brain.

He’d even been forced to talk to Wayne about you when Tommy H. had asked you out in an attempt to make Carol jealous during one of their break ups. Even though you’d flat out said no, it had been a reality check for Eddie. Someone could easily just steal you away.  Eddie hadn’t been able to sleep right for a week, and he hadn’t even touched his guitars, prompting an Uncle Wayne intervention, that conversation led him here. And all of the other times he’d tried—failed—to tell you how he felt.

You went back to watching the movie, but not Eddie. He was ready for this, fuck the hints.

“I’m glad I’m not in this movie cause I would have started sprinting, then she’d kil─”

Eddie had placed a finger on the side of your chin, directing your face to his instead of the TV while you had been talking and you hadn’t been able to drag your eyes away from the action on screen but that didn’t stop him from kissing you, lips pressing firmly against yours.

That caught your attention.

Your eyes widen as you realize what’s happening and when it becomes clear Eddie won’t be pulling away, you melt into him, eyelids fluttering shut while you return the kiss with the same amount of fervor. The rest of his hand comes to cradle your jaw, thumb stroking your cheek as he licks at your lips. They part for him almost instantly and he moans at the first taste of you, tongue swiping against yours.

Eddie dominates the kiss and you’re helpless to do anything but respond as he explores your mouth, licking any chance of coherency right off your tongue. His other hand slips around your waist, pulling you flush against him, onto his lap and you can’t quite believe that he’s cradling you like this, as though you were something important to him. You can’t even believe he’s kissing you, let alone this thoroughly!

When Eddie finally—and very reluctantly—pulls away, there’s a string of spittle connecting your lips. You lick it up and Eddie nearly creams his pants right there.

You stare up at him, eyes wide and vulnerable as Eddie leans down to press a kiss to your forehead, thumb still stroking your cheek.

“I love you, kid. I’m in love with you. Messed me up the moment Heather dragged you over to the lunch table and you wouldn’t let go of the seat you’d been sitting on at your old table. Had a feeling it’d be you, I hoped it would.” He confesses, voice gentle and nearly a whisper into the charged air between the two of you.

You want to cry the happiest of tears as you finally confess during a moment you genuinely thought wouldn’t come, not after the circumstances of how the night had started for you, “I love you so much, Eddie. You’re all I think about; I can’t sleep, I-I can’t eat and when I didn’t think you could love me I couldn’t breathe. I love you, I love you so much and I wanted to tell you, I did but I was so scared you wouldn’t love me and I’d ruin it all but I do! I love you.”

Eddie’s on you in an instant, lips insistent against yours and you can’t help the few tears that slip out but Eddie’s quick to wipe them away, trying to convey just how much he loves you with his kisses. When he pulls away again, he rests his forehead against yours.

“I’ve tried to tell you so many times, baby. I just—I fucking suck. That’s it,” the way Eddie says it makes you laugh and he smiles at the sound, leaning forward to press another kiss to your lips. “I fucking suck. I have loved you for so long, and I should have told you a long ass time ago, a fucking year ago. You really are the life of my party—love of my life, actually. You’re it for me, like—fuck.”

He’s quiet for a few moments, but you can be patient now, you’re willing to wait for him forever.

When he speaks again, the playful edge is gone, “I want to marry you.”

Your breath hitches along with your heartbeat and Eddie continues, “Not yet, not while we’re in school, but I’m positive I want to marry you. Hell, if I didn’t think I’d distract the shit out of you, I’d carry you to the courthouse right now—don’t be a smart ass, I know what you’re gonna say and I’m very aware they’re not open right now—but I’d sit there and wait. That’s how sure I am. So when we’re ready, when you’re ready, if you’ll have me, I’m gonna marry you. But for now, would you—I don’t know, wanna be my girlfriend?”

You yank him down for another kiss, multiple before you’re pressing them all over his face and you’re sure he’s smiling, can feel his cheeks pull up when your lips pass over them.

“Yes, yes I want to marry you someday and yes, I want to be your girlfriend. I want you, Eddie, and I’ll take you anyway I can have you.”

Eddie pulls you even further to him, something you didn’t think was possible, as he hugs you, the hand on your cheek traveling up to cradle the back of your head.

You can’t see his face in this position, your face is pretty much pressed into the crook of his neck, but you’re sure he’s crying, can feel the wetness on the side of your forehead.

Your arms wrap around his middle, inching the fabric of his shirt up so your fingers can press into his back. Despite the seriousness of your conversation, Eddie lurches forward into the bed and you squeal as you go with him, back meeting your blankets.

“Eddie!” You’re pinned underneath him, and Eddie has no plans on moving.

“Hm?”

“Get off!”

“You just told me you’ll have me any way you want me and now you want me off of you? I am all for the chase, baby, but you really gotta make up your mind.”

“Ugh,” you groan, admitting defeat as your arms wrap around him once more to hold him and he lets out a content sigh, nose nudging your head. You turn your head in the direction and he presses another sweet kiss to your lips before nuzzling his nose against yours.

“I’m gonna run down the halls on monday and tell everyone you’re my girlfriend.”

“How predictable of you.”

“Kid, I swear to God.”

You and Eddie will have to save The Last Unicorn and the harpy with three boobs for another time, too swept up in each other to pay it any mind.

[chrisodonline]

The other day, I was being ridiculous (no surprises there) and telling Apryl that I wanted to see Chris O’D and Paget Brewster do something together and even pitched a show about 2 widowers who meet at crossword puzzle convention and stumble into solving murders. I was joking around about seeing it on Paramount+, so, of course, my brain kept going and came up with possible LA spinoffs. You’re welcome -- or I’m so sorry. There’s no telling which it should be:

Kilbride and Kilbride: Kilbride thinks he’s retired, but then he and his son set up a private investigation business in San Diego.

Assault and Batter:  Nina Barnes a.k.a. Cake Boss Lady balances her day job keeping up a bakery and teaching classes, supplying arms, and helping government agencies with intel. But things get complicated for Cake Boss Lady when she’s asked to become the primary supplier to an international syndicate the feds are trying to take down. Their weapons guy uses her cake decorating classes as a cover to retrieve the goods, but Nina finds herself starting to fall for him. Will she have to pick a side -- or can she have her cake and eat it, too? (The movie version of this would be called Disarmed.)

In from the Cold: Arkady Kolcheck goes Hollywood! When a TV show about Russia during the Cold War is looking for a consultant to help them make things “authentic,” some back channels lead them to Arkady. Arkady thinks he’s the perfect person to help since he’s KGBeen there and done that. After everyone goes through enough legal forms to build a small shelter with, Arkady is hired -- with a federal agent assigned, as their punishment for a recent botched op, to make sure he doesn’t reveal any intel that might hurt the US. Arkady has no issues adjusting to the Hollywood life, but can Hollywood adjust to Arkady?

PSYOP: When the navy needs to conduct a PSYOP, a less common approach for them, they ask Dr. Nate Getz to help plan and prep the team. Nate is surprised by the assignment until he meets the team: a rag-tag bunch of misfits with rogue tendencies and an allergy to authority. While Nate is initially thinking, “Oh no. Not again,” he starts to realize he might be able to help this team in more ways than one. Will this team accept that kind of help, though? (Even though they definitely need it.)

Colonel of Truth: Raymond Hanna’s doctor suggests he start journaling to better cope with his memory loss. Unfortunately for his son Sam, Raymond decides to do something a little different: he’s discovered social media, and he’s not turning back. Raymond is brutally blunt and straightforward with any and all opinions he has on everything: from news stories to movies to women he flirts with at the Senior Center. Sam sees some improvement in Raymond’s overall mood, and his father even seems sharper. However, Sam knows there’s a risk his father could say something he’s not supposed to at any time. Can Sam keep his father at least somewhat reigned in?

(The next one is an inside joke that just keeps going.)

Good Queen Bess Goes West: When Good Queen Bess’s owner inherits a house in a sleepy little town whose main attraction is an Old West themed park, Good Queen Bess goes along for the ride. All is not as it appears, though, and strange things keep happening. People disappear. Items go missing. Rumors that the place is haunted keep swirling. Lucky for the town, Good Queen Bess is on the case, and she is one bad mother clucker. Good Queen Bess soon assembles her team of Bock-aroos to get all Scooby Doo on this joint. Can they find the culprits and bring them to justice, or will they find out the place is truly haunted?

[fantasticallyfruity4]

Everyone thinks my social worker Steve HC is cute and I do get it but like WHAT THE FUCK ELSE IS THIS MAN GOING TO DO??? THE ONLY THING HES EVER FOUND MEANING IN, FULFILLMENT IN, JOY IN IS TAKING CARE OF HIS RAG TAG MISFIT BUNCH OF KIDS??? HELLO??? GIVE THIS MAN HIS MSW!!!!

I happen to have other career HCs???

I also HC grown up max as a adolescent trauma specialist therapist. I think she’d be great at empathizing with teens and young people who have been through horrendous shit. She isn’t the kind of person whose good with kids but she does have a very very soft spot for teens (is Casey projecting? Maybe)

I see Robin owning her own antique store or something like that. She’s a funky little lesbian who has a tendency to infodump she’d be so good at it and so good with ppl.

ANIMATOR! WILL! ANIMATOR! WILL!!!!! Give my man rights!

I feel like everyone says gym teacher chrissy bc she has 0 characterization but YK what I like that, but I like marine biologist chrissy even more. She just feels like such a dolphin girl. Dolphin girl vibes. The horse girls of the ocean, I love them. And I love that for her. Someone give this girl a sea lion to give little cheek kisses.

Idk why but I just see Lucas as a doctor. He’s so kind. He has such a big heart and he’s so protective of the people he loves. He’d be a good doctor, 100%. Bonus points for him as a pediatrician.

God I hope Suzy and Dustin get into comp sci at the right time and make fucking BANK. OC Silicon Valley assholes they deserve the world.

I love that HC ppl have of argyles family owning either a franchise of, or the whole damn surfer boy company. Dudes set for life with the family business and he’s just some stoner.

I can never think of a god career for grown up El. I always get so stumped and resort to her either being like a preschool teacher, joining the force and fallowing in hoppers footsteps (🥺) or her working with Joyce somehow/somewhere.

[littletinydoom]

I was tagged by my pal @letsoulswander to do this 9 books you're going to read this year meme, but since i read very slowly and at unpredictable intervals, this is more of a "next nine books i intend to read" without any sort of time frame put on it..... The first two are books I have half finished and want to finish soon before I move on to anything new: I read Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes last year, it was SO good and i'm enjoying Prime Deceptions arguably even more (because we get to keep the gang together for more of the story and I LOVE a good old fashioned rag tag group of misfits...) This one I'm kind of reading together with @sillymedoingsillythings and she is graciously waiting for me to get a little farther before she continues it. She is very patient. <3 I reread Howl's Movie Castle last year (earlier this year? unclear.) and I loved it so much i decided to keep going with it. I started rereading Castle In The Air a few weeks ago when I was in a rotten mood and wanted a pick-me-up. It helped and I read about 1/3 of it in one afternoon (a lot for me). Also it probably helps a lot that this time I won't be skimming through a bunch wondering just WHEN this will become the HMC sequel I was promised 😂

I signed up for Dracula Daily so I'm very excited to read Dracula in little bite sized bits from May to November! I feel like it's going to give me a little infusion of Halloween Vibes to get me through the summer! I believe Fault Tolerance is coming out in August now? Can't read that till I finish Prime Deceptions. Same situation. Can't do House Of Many Ways until I finish Castle In The Air.

I got Light From Uncommon Stars as a Christmas gift and I'm VERY excited to read it. Based on the synopsis it sounds like it's tailor made for me! I feel like I've been unusually flush with delightful new books and authors lately but I will always make time for my beloved Discworld books! Eric is on of the ones I haven't read yet and there's going to be a new audiobook of it soon. My internal rulebook states that I must read the book first before I can have the audiobook so here it is on the list. My aforementioned pal is currently reading Unnatural Magic and from what I have heard of it it sounds AWESOME so I am very happy getting in line for it. I love all the Discworld sub-series' equally. But. Sam Vimes is my most special boy so the Watch books are the ones I tend to covet and save....Jingo has been sitting on my bedside table for over a year. Like....In Case of Emergency Break Glass. Ok that's that! If you read this far down: wow thanks. If not: fair. Please do hmu if you want to chat about books or if you have any recs (or want any recs from me!). I shall tag @sillymedoingsillythings @cricketnationrise @souldagger aaaaand genuinely anyone else that feels like doing this. For real, I'd love it if a bunch of people did it and tagged me so I can cheat off you and get some more good ideas!

[tinyboxxtink]

“Sharky” *Part 2*

Don’t hate me because Barba is kind of a dick right now. We all know he’s not-- but we need the drama. <3

Part 1

Part 3

Tag List:

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@gibbs274

@dumauier

@wanniiieeee

@objection-argumentative

@word-scribbless

@aprildecker-blog

---------

“So he actually asked you to dinner?” 

“Yeah, but it’s probably some weird tactic to get inside my head,”

“Is he cute?” 

“Why does that matter?”

“Honey it always matters.”

Alright, so you had one friend. One best friend. One very best friend that you’d known since law school. But nobody needed to know that.

“....Yeah, I’d say he’s pretty attractive,” You finally admitted as you reheated your leftovers.

“Oh my God you’ve had sex dreams about this man haven’t you?!” He squealed.

“HOW do you do that?!” You stared at the phone in disbelief.

“It’s a gift,” He laughed. “I can hear the lust in your voice,”

“Whatever,” You grabbed a beer from the fridge.

“So what are you going to wear?” 

“I don’t know, I’ll decide in the moment,” You sat down on your couch and started catching up on your shows with your food and beer.

“Oh no no no, you need to wear your silver dress with those platinum earrings I bought you for Christmas,”

“Seriously, Charles? Are you going to come over and do my hair and make up too?” You chuckled sarcastically as you shoved low mien in your face.

“Do you want me to?” 

“I’m hanging up now,”

“Wait wait wait,” He pleaded and you listened.

“Be nice to him, honey,” 

“I’m always nice,” You stated in an offended tone.

“You’re cordial. Be nice-- Smile, flirt. Have a good time,” You heard his sweet intentions through the phone; it was like he was actually being a caring best friend.

“You make it sound like a date,”

“Well that all depends if you fuck him after,” There he was.

“I’m really hanging up now,”

“Call me after!”

-----

You went with the silver dress and black pumps-- just because Charles had put the idea in your head, not because it was the outfit you looked best in. You stepped out of your Uber in front of the restaurant: 

“Forlini’s” You read out loud. “...This place better not be expensive,” 

You went inside and noticed Barba was already at the bar so you walked over to join him.

 “Hey, Sharky!” His greeting caused an eye roll from you. 

“Seriously can we drop the name? I’m a woman not a fish,” You took a bar stool next to him.

“...Well then you probably shouldn’t have worn that,” He nodded.

“Excuse me?”

“You look like a shark to me,” He gestured to your silver dress; it was tight on the top and kind of flowed down your legs, like a fish tail. You had never noticed it before, but him pointing it out made it suddenly glaringly obvious.

“Alright guppy, what are you drinking?” You smirked, slipping into the bar stool next to him.

“Guppy…” Now he rolled his eyes with a smile. “Scotch, neat,” 

“I’ll have what he’s having, only stronger,” You instructed the bartender, causing an even bigger eye roll from Barba.

“You’re something else, you know that?”

“Thank you,” You beamed proudly.

The bartender returned with your drink; you noticed that he was very young and very good looking. You slipped him a $20 with a sly smile. 

“Keep the change, handsome,” You gave him a wink. He looked between the two of you, confused as to why you’d be flirting shamelessly with him in front of Barba.

“We’re not together,” You said very loudly.

“Wow, don’t say it so eagerly,” 

“Hey I might need some stress relief after this interrogation, I’m just covering my bases,” You smirked, still eyeing the bartender.

“Is that what you think this is?”

“What else is a first date if not an interrogation?” You suddenly realized what you had said and to your dismay you saw Barba caught it too.

“Ah so this IS a date,” He smirked.

“..I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant--” You stumbled over your words as Rafael just smiled at you in amusement. 

“Just shut up and ask your questions, I know you have a list of them” You shook your head dismissively. 

“Not a list…” He nodded to the bartender for another round. “Alright well why did you choose to be a defense attorney?”

“Money,” You replied without a pause. 

“Money? Really?” He asked with a judgey tone. 

“Hey you try growing up dirt poor and see how much you appreciate having money,” You snapped.

“I did, and I do; but it doesn’t run my life,” He shook his head disapprovingly.

“It doesn’t run my life,” You knocked back the rest of your scotch, ready for the new one.

“Really? Then tell me, how do you pick your cases?” He raised an eyebrow.

“My boss gives them to me,” You didn’t see the big deal.

“Uh huh and how does he order them?” He was making a point, you knew he was.

“...By the biggest paycheck for the firm,” You finally admitted.

“Uh huh,” He nodded smugly, sipping his new scotch.

“Look Barba I already told you this, defense lawyers are unfeeling monsters. What else do you want me to say?” You scoffed. 

“Is that the only reason you became one?” He smirked at you.

“No, actually it’s not,” You replied as you sipped your own scotch.

“Really? Why else?” He raised his eyebrows curiously.

“Because any law student out of night school can defend a good guy,” You inched closer to his face. 

“Defending a bad guy is a challenge,” You pulled back and noticed he was still smirking, and he added an approving nod.

“Fair enough,” 

“Really?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I mean you make a good point,” He scanned you up and down. “Everybody loves a challenge,” 

You felt yourself blush as his eyes ran over you, your own eyes surveying his entire body. You would never admit it to anyone, but you did always have a thing for the ADA-- not like “doodle hearts in your notebook” thing, but when he’d do his crosses in court you’d always stare at his perfect ass in those chinos and wonder what it would be like to take a bite out of it. 

Some other days, particularly when he wore the black and pink suit, you’d imagine what it would be like to just shove him onto his little offensive desk and fuck him right there in the courtroom, with everyone watching. You were so lost in your own fantasies that you didn’t notice people approaching you-- 

“Rafa?” An all too familiar voice came from the side of the room. You turned to see Rafael’s rag tag bunch of misfit detectives staring at you.

“Olivia,” Rafael said softly like a kid caught out after curfew.

“So this is why you couldn’t come out with us, because you were taking HER out?” Olivia spat.

“Um excuse you, I’m taking HIM out,” You grabbed Rafael’s hand and put it on your knee.

“NOBODY is taking ANYBODY ‘out’,” Rafael snapped his hand back and gave you a dirty look. 

“Liv it’s just a friendly dinner, and I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to have this conversation,” He gave her those pathetic apologetic eyes, like a puppy who had just peed on the rug.

“Why do you care anyway, detective?” You asked innocently. You knew she had cream in her panties with his name on it, and you weren’t afraid to call her on it. 

“Excuse me?” She scoffed with a laugh. “I care because he’s my best friend, and he doesn’t need to be manipulated by you,”

“Really? Me manipulating him?” You smirked and stood up off your bar stool and got real close to her face. “Then why did he ask me out?”

Olivia stared in horror at you, then Barba, then threw up her hands and stomped off. Carisi, Rollins and Fin all muttered goodbyes and dashed out behind her.

“Why would you do that?!” He looked like he wanted to go after her, but he was staying to have it out with you.

“Why would I--? Are you serious, Barba?!” You continued standing, now crossing your arms. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you?”

“What?” He looked confused but you weren’t buying it.

“You asked me here on purpose,” You narrowed your eyes.

“Well obviously it was on purpose--” He tried playing it off.

“No no, don’t be cute. You asked me here with an agenda,” You inched closer to him.

“What? Oh come on Sharky not everyone is you, with your ulterior motives--” He glanced around nervously.

“MY ulterior--?! You asked me here to make your little work wife jealous!” You were making a scene now, but you didn’t care.

“What? I most certainly did NOT--” He tried defending himself.

“Then why did you ask me to come to the same restaurant you knew they were going to be at? I mean if you didn’t ‘want’ to be caught. I know you’re not that stupid,”

“I forgot,” He muttered softly.

“You FORGOT? Do you really think I’m that stupid? I’m not Olivia,” You crossed your arms again.

“DON’T talk about her,” He growled.

“Oh my god are-- are you on something?!” You threw your hands up. “You clearly have a thing for that woman, and yet you asked me out to parade me in front of her, for why?” You threw your hands up in frustration. 

“I didn’t ask you out for that Y/N, I swear--” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Then WHY did you ask me out?”

“I-I don’t know…” Now he turned those apologetic eyes on you, but you weren’t falling for it like his little detective.

“You’re fucking unbelievable, you know that?” Tears were forming in your throat against your wishes; you would not let this fucker see you have emotions.

“You know you offense lawyers, you sit up there on your moral high horses, judging all of us “bottom feeders”. But I would never fuck with anyone’s emotions or their heart, Barba. That’s just cruel,” 

“I thought you didn’t have a heart,” He was still going for the quips, he had some balls you’d give him that.

“Oh so that’s what this was,” You sucked back the tears as you tried to laugh it off. 

“You wanted to fuck with the big bad Sea Witch, see if she had a heart?”  You really couldn’t believe he was this vindictive. This whole time you thought, maybe....well, you didn’t know what. But you were clearly mistaken.

“No, I’m sorry I was just--” He stood up and tried to put his hand on your shoulder but you jerked away.

“Well guess what, Barba? You win! You made the shark cry. Are you happy?” You couldn’t hold the tears anymore as you yelled. 

“Y/N I’m sorry, I really am--” He tried going for your hand, but you slapped him across the face.

“Don’t follow me,” You warned him as you turned and stormed out of the restaurant.

How could you have been so wrong about him? Why did you even care?

[amazing-spiderling]

5, 6, 11, 23 🙃

What character that you’re writing do you most identify with?

Perhaps this is going to sound strange or narcissistic even... but whoever I tend to be writing at the time? ^_^;; Since I'm just writing for fun for myself anyway, I think I naturally gravitate towards creating fanwork for characters that I can empathize with on some level, or at the very least, explore the parts of their personality that resonate with me. I think that's why I tend to use some of the same themes or ideas (even if the plots are different) or come back to the same core characterization when building a story.

Four example, four of the characters I've spent the most time writing recently are Peter Parker, Wade Wilson, Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson. All pretty different characters, but there's something about each of them that pings with me. For Peter, it's that constant hum of anxiety he has about needing to be doing more, putting his own needs on the back burner to take care of others. For Wade, it can be feelings of outsider-ness, feeling like you have a specific value to those around you, but aren't needed outside of that. (And oof let's not get into body image stuff!) With Matt (especially TV characterization) there's the idea of having to be self reliant and doing everything on his own even when there are people around willing and ready to help. And then Foggy has that "only sane man" vibe a lot of the time, or at least what resonates with me is the feeling of having to keep a level head when people around you are having much more dramatic and unstable moments. None of these things are the SINGLE defining characteristic for any of these characters, but they are the things I think I tend to zero in on because I "get" it, and I think I'll be more effective at exploring those themes in a fic.

What character do you have the most fun writing?

Gosh... You know, I think probably Deadpool? Which is a shame, I don't think I do enough of it. I think it's just easier for me to make myself laugh when I'm writing him. I will go back during editing and go, "yeah, that's still funny" and it makes me smile.

What do you envy in other writers?

The ability to craft rich, lush descriptions. I think it just comes down to how my brain works. I think when I try to describe things (even in speaking) I fall back on the idea of shared experiences more than descriptive language. "I saw that sunset and it made me feel like (something relatable I can't think of right now)" as opposed to describing the blending of colors. I'm sort of having to force myself to do this now though, as I venture into the Daredevil fandom and have to try harder to explain things from Matt's point of view and how he understands things. I have definitely been overwhelmed while reading descriptions of things because I think, wow, in a hundred years with a hundred dictionaries, I would never have thought to describe mountains that way. But I think that's one of the neat things about writing.

What’s the story idea you’ve had in your head for the longest?

Gosh, this is dumb and it's been kicking around, I don't think I really want to write it anymore? Or if I did it would need some severe rewrites and an entire crew of sensitivity readers. But I wanted to write a comic book (or YA book? IDK) about a group of people who were "ordinary" in a world where basically everyone is augmented with some kind of super power, whether it's biological or cybernetic etc. It was like a rag tag bunch of misfits who all had various reasons for not being enhanced, but because enhancements are what are registered with the government, this essentially means that they don't exist. So they come together and form this little squad that operates off the radar to get shit done (mostly helping people that can't work within the system for reasons). They all had they own skills that would come in handy, but they were all things they had to learn and practice (although I remember a few of the members were neurodivergent but that helped them like a pair of twins with the same synesthesia that used it to develop an unbreakable system of code words between them and yes I know that's not how synesthesia works but also I came up with this idea like 20 years ago cut me some slack).

[shaheenarnitipsyart]

The Feast of Monsters

This is 12th time joining @flashfictionfridayofficial ! Thanks for the interesting prompt! This story is set in 1700s, 

Word Count: 996

T/W: non

Oliver(he/him)

Alexis(he/him)

Oliver had been working for the household of the governor of Port Gold since he was a young boy. His family was managing a run-down inn in the hustle-bustle town. Fortunate for his family, and unfortunate for him, one day, a man from the governor's house took him in because Oliver was 'honest' and 'a fast runner.' Actually, Oliver did help that man the other day. Oliver caught a theft who stole a purse from him. For his family, it was a good thing that Oliver could earn more. Yet for Oliver, it was the beginning of a nightmare - well, a sort of funny one, though.

Oliver looked like an ordinary young man. He would prefer taking a nap at the beach and laugh with a rag-tag group of sailors rather than running errands. But he had a peculiar ability which he didn't appreciate at all. He could see the 'greed' of other people. Only extreme ones, of course, as everyone had a certain degree of greed. He became painfully aware of this ability when he started working at the governor's massive mansion. The governor had six hairy arms popping out from his silk coat.  His brother got a bunch of mouths with a massive mustache on his shoulders and arms. The governor's wife had four eyes on her white-coated face. Her sister had horns sticking out from her head. And many people working there had weird stuff as well. The worst part was to watch the governor's four kids growing their horns, claws, and extra arms as they got old. Oliver had seen some penny-pinching folks with four arms at his inn before. But he thought it was a normal thing for stingy people to have extra arms to keep their coins all by themselves. However, what he saw at the mansion was way worse.

Oh well, whatever... I got used to it anyways.

Oliver sighed and pulled his shirt a bit to smooth out some creases. He opened the window facing the sea, breathing in the salty air to his heart content. The sun was slowly setting, and windows and roofs of the houses reflected the sunlight like hundreds of golden mirrors. That was why this area was named Port Gold. Yet, that beautiful moment was ruined by the governor's shout. 'We are going to have a party tonight - a huge one that nobody had ever seen! Everything must be perfect!' Oh yes, that' right. Some ships have arrived, and they'll come here to feast... a feast of monsters, huh? He chuckled sarcastically. Yet, he realised that the second son of the governor would be on one of the ships. His heart sunk. Deemed as 'the stupidest,' that poor boy, Alexis, was ignored by his monstrous family. Interestingly, though, he was the only one spared from the hilarious yet miserable looks that the rest of his family suffered. Well, in the end, I'm the only one who can see those shit. Nobody cares about it. Oliver shrugged his shoulder. However, he still didn't want to see Alexis. Alexis was a curious creature, a misfit of the family. A small daydreamer, shy bookworm but unexpectedly reckless sometimes. Alexis was quite timid, so Oliver helped him out all the time. He went abroad to study a couple of years ago. 

After all, Alexis is a member of this bloody family. He could grow one or two arms already. But please, God or whatever, spare him from the extra mouths! They look too gross. Oliver shook his head and tried to concentrate on his work.

For better or worse, the nobles from the ship didn't betray Oliver's expectations. Under the crystal chandeliers, horrendous-looking creatures dressed in all sorts of silks, furs, and satins crammed in. One of the noblemen got eight arms and tried to take three ladies to dance. One lady had hair full of snakeheads sticking tongues out to other guests. And next to her was a nobleman with massive hairy feet, casually stepping on other people. This theatre of monsters is too much! 

Oliver excused himself from the dance hall and headed out to the balcony. The night breeze gently stroked his hair, and the deep blue of the night sky healed his eyes. He tried to pay attention to the subtle lullaby of the waves.

'Oliver...?' Surprised by an unfamiliar voice, Oliver looked back. '....Alexis, um, young master?' Alexis was barely recognisable apart from ash-blond hair and greenish-blue eyes. Once-a-tiny-pale-boy was now as tall as Oliver. To Oliver's relief, nothing weird growing out from him. 'Welcome back, young master. You turned into such an excellent gentleman.' Yet, Alexis looked frowned when he heard Oliver's formal greeting. Alexis looked away with a pained expression but eventually faced Oliver directly. 'So you mean that now I have extra arms or what?' 'Huh? What the hell! So you can see the hideous stuff..?' Oliver was thuderstruck. 'Had it never crossed your mind? I can see horns and arms...maybe not as vivid as yours, but still it is scary enough.' Alexis said nonchalantly. Oliver was convinced in the end. 'So that's why you asked me that people have extra arms and stuff when you were little. And when I said some people do, you stopped crying!' Alexis nodded and smiled for the first time. 'Alas, I'm so worried that I might have gotten something monstrous like the rest of my family, without realising. Dear Oliver, tell me! I'm not entirely sure...' Before Alexis finished his word, Oliver gave a friendly pat on his head. 'Nah, Alexis, don't worry about it. There's nothing.' Oliver glanced at the noisy dancehall. 'Oh well, you should get back to the dreadful dance party. Or...' 'Or?' 'Maybe we can sneak out and have a look at how your plants are doing. I've taken care of them for you.' Alexis' face was brightened up like a little child. Oliver sighed in relief. You betrayed my expectations in the best possible way.

[impossiblycolorfulpanda]

Azulaang tease - Her soul is free

Here's some dialogue between Aang and Azula after Ozai is killed by Azula’s lighting hands after grabbing him by the throat which caused lightning to spiral out of control and she takes some damage. Shocked and horrified, he quickly goes to her and cradle holds a dying Azula.

Aang: "Azula! Your hurt!"

Azula: "Oh really captain obvious? I figured I'm just in a middle of a tickle fight with sparkles. I hope I'm not the only tasting the irony in this whole situation. Anyways, go look after Kiyi, and once again, sorry for what I did to her."

Aang: "You already told her that yourself. You made amends to her and your mother. We have to get you back to them."

Azula: "Think I'll pass...as you can see...kinda in an unavoidable situation here."

Aang: "Don't say that! Your gonna be ok! I know it!"

Azula: "Don't pop a blood vessel. Sure, You and Zuzu welcomed me into your little rag tag bunch of misfits after you saved me despite it all but let's be honest here. My little stunt with the Kemurikage and new Ozai society just threw away my chance of a future."

Aang: "I don't believe that! You and Zuko fought hard to find your futures. If Zuko can have a future, so can you."

Azula: "My uncle gave his life to ensure everyone's future. Now after he and I made up. I'll be able to be with him. Before I head out I should confess that I miss Ty lee already. She...was the most interesting…out of my little lethal trio. She made me feel...like I don't have to be a monster...I see the errors in taking her for granted...(Azula and Aang look deeply into each others eyes, Azula raises her right hand and places it on Aangs face) I...never thought I'd say this...especially after what I did to you in ba sing se...but you make me feel...the same."

Azula's hand falls down but Aang catches it.

Aang: "No! I won't leave you like this! I got to save you!"

Azula: "You...already...have. You and Zuzu already have...speaking of which...tell him he was right about me...you were both right...(dying exhale, body stops functioning)Aang lets go of Azula's dead hand, he grits his teeth as he chokes back sobs but couldn't keep his tears from escaping endlessly.

Aang: "(voice breaking) no...redeem yourself...find peace."

A month later. Aang visits Azula’s memorial ground. Aang had feelings of paranoia and bitterness. Aang didn’t know if she found peace in death or just more suffering. The thought was eating him up inside. She does not deserve to suffer. Aang went into Azula’s mind, seeing and learning all her memories, knowledge, experience and perspective. Due to Azula being the descendent of avatar Roku, Aang entering her mind ended up creating their spiritual bond. He also can’t forget that Azula also found Zuko. Despite it all, her brother Zuko was also there for her. Believing in her, sticking by her, doing his best to understand and help her hold her pain that she can no longer hold alone. Zuko, patient, forgiving, and unconditionally loving, all strengths he gained from Iroh. Zuko putting everything he learned from Iroh to the test and pass them down to Azula. Aang temporarily made himself a guru and got Azula to open her chakras sometime after. Since then. Azula was able to redeem herself for her past actions, make peace with her family and old and now new friends, what she did in the past, how she got through it. She helped save the world from the red lotus.

Aang felt a chill of a breeze which broke Aang from his negative and paranoid train of thought. He curiously looked around and saw behind him a blissful, purified spirit Azula. She was more beautiful then anything Aang has ever seen.

Aang felt a wave of emotions, mostly joy and sadness. Azula placed her ethereal hand on Aang’s face. 

Azula: (inaudible) “Thank you.”

Azula then vanished in thin air.

Aang, while still overcome with grief, felt relief. He’s grateful that Azula’s gonna be ok. Better then ok. Her suffering ends. Her soul is free.

[nwbeerguide]

Featuring new artwork by Ryan Besch, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery re-releases its s’mores-inspired Milk Stout, Camp Amp.

Press Release

Milton, Del., … It’s time for flannel shirts, changing leaves and delicious fireside treats – fall is officially in full-swing and Dogfish Head has the perfect liquid pairing for the season! Making its comeback for the second consecutive year, Dogfish Head’s Camp Amp is a 6.5% ABV milk stout brewed with real marshmallows, graham crackers, cinnamon, Madagascar vanilla beans and smoked malt. Inspired by chilly nights around the campfire, this nostalgia-inducing libation boasts delectable aromas of chocolate, vanilla, graham cracker, light roast and subtle smoke. Rich with mouth-watering notes of milk chocolate, vanilla and of course, s’mores, Camp Amp is NOW available on taps and shelves nationwide. Check out Dogfish Head’s Fish Finder to track down a 6pk/12oz bottles.

“As the weather cools, I couldn’t be happier to welcome Camp Amp back into my rotating lineup of fall-centric sippers,” said Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Founder & Brewer. “Don’t get me wrong – I love myself a good s’mores sandwich, but with Camp Amp, I can drink-in all the flavors of that classic rustic dessert without the hassle of building a fire (although, I highly recommend enjoying this brew around a campfire’s crackling flame), roasting countless marshmallows until golden brown perfection is achieved and then, dealing with those dreaded post-s’mores sticky fingers. It’s a win-win in my book!”

A delicious addition to Dogfish Head’s portfolio of off-centered ales, this year’s iteration of Camp Amp rounds out the brewery’s 2021 Off-Centered Art Series. This annual collection of limited-edition beers not only personifies the creative expression at the intersection of art and ales but features label artwork by a special collaborating artist. For the brewery’s 2021 lineup, which includes Punkin Ale, Sun-Day-Feels, Mango Smoovie and Camp Amp, that collaborating artist is Ryan Besch. An illustrator based in Buffalo, New York, Besch has been designing gig posters and vinyl art for more than 20 years, and has worked with a plethora of well-known groups, including Phish, The Black Keys, O.A.R. and more.

Besch’s playful, illustration-based take on the label artwork for this year’s iteration of Camp Amp features a colorful group of misfit characters in costumes congregating around a wood stove filled with flames. A rag-tag bunch of only three, these party-goers include a figure with a marshmallow mask, whose melting face suggests he is hanging out a little too close to the fire, playing acoustic tunes on a guitar. As the figure strums, his guitar comes to life and its impending music dances away into the dark night.

For more information about Camp Amp and Dogfish Head’s 2021 Off-Centered Art Series, please visit www.dogfish.com.

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery: Dogfish Head has proudly focused on brewing beers with culinary ingredients outside the Reinheitsgebot since the day it opened as the smallest American craft brewery nearly 25 years ago. Dogfish Head has grown into a top-20 craft brewery and won numerous awards throughout the years, including Wine Enthusiast’s 2015 Brewery of the Year and the James Beard Foundation Award for 2017 Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Professional. A Delaware-based brand with Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, an off-centered brewpub and distillery, Chesapeake & Maine, Dogfish Head’s seafood and cocktail spot, Dogfish Inn, a beer-themed inn on the harbor, and Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, a production brewery and distillery featuring the Tasting Room & Kitchen and Dogfish Head Distilling Co., Dogfish Head is a supporter of the Independent Craft Brewing Seal, the definitive icon for American craft breweries to identify themselves to be independently-owned and carry the torch of transparency, brewing innovation and the freedom of choice originally forged by brewing community pioneers. Dogfish Head currently sells beer in all 50 states and Washington D.C. For more, visit www.dogfish.com, Facebook: @dogfishheadbeer, Twitter: @dogfishbeer, an Instagram: @dogfishhead.

from Northwest Beer Guide - News - The Northwest Beer Guide https://bit.ly/3AOnM7H

[the-sarcastic-trashmouth]

The silence of Nothing

Summary: “Stanley, you have some visitors.” His mother’s soothing voice called out into the dark bedroom. “It’s all your friends.” She explains, opening the door wider to allow light into the room. “Go ahead in… he’s a little… under the weather.” She explains as the losers look into the room before freezing.

Stan was a very precise person when it came to things… so seeing his room in such chaos was… concerning, to say the least.  He liked order and that’s what made him the logical mind of their rag-tag bunch of misfits. 

“Stan?” Bev was the first one to speak. “What’s going on?” She asked, wanting to run her fingers through his greasy curls, but decided against it. 

Stan was staring at the wall in front of him with a blank expression. He wanted to cry… He felt like he should, but there was nothing. No tears or sobbing breathes of sorrow… just a giant hole in his chest that was growing bigger. His throat tightened, making it hard to breathe as his lungs expanded to the max before shakily falling back down.

 “St-St-Stan?” Bill asked.

Stan flinched at the feeling of the bed dipping towards the bottom. He knew that it was Bill but his brain was acting like a terrified animal… All he wanted to do was crawl under the bed so they couldn’t see him anymore.

Pairing: Richie Tozier x Stanley Uris

Warning: Contains Depressive Episodes which may be triggering to some readers. 

Stan felt numb to everything around him.

From a very young age, Stanley Uris was a boy who never spoke often and didn’t interact much with anyone. It concerned his parents because they were scared something may have been wrong with him. It made school hard for both his parents and Stanley because Stan refused to make friends or try and hide so they couldn’t take him to school.

That all changed in second grade. A young black-haired boy with bandages everywhere stumbled up to Stan and asked if he wanted to play. At first, Stan didn’t want anything to do with the boy, however, he was very persistent and soon followed Stan everywhere. It was rather odd for Stan because he went from hating the young boy named Richie… to missing him greatly when Richie had to miss school.

Stan found himself attached to Richie despite always getting annoyed by Richie’s dumb shenanigans. Richie wasn’t just Stan’s first friend… he was the only person that could get an emotion out of Stan. The young blonde-curly-haired boy craved the feelings that Richie had given him when the other would do literally anything.  

Soon the dynamic duo because a trio when William Denbrough weaseled his way into the boys’ space… Not that Stanley really minded, but there was a part of Stan that didn’t like Bill at first. He was scared that Bill was going to take Richie away, but still, Richie was always by Stan’s side. Bill would sit on Stan’s left while Richie was on his right whenever the trio was doing anything from doing school work to outside at recess.

Then came Edward Kaspbrak at the beginning of third grade. The tiny boy was nervous about everything and hated being touched by anyone. However, when he met Bill, Richie, and Stan… his attitude changed slightly. It’s not like he wasn’t still afraid of everything… it’s just… he liked having friends with the other boys.

Stan began to distance himself from the Losers club about three years after the Pennywise incident. Not only was he abandoned by his friends, but he almost was lunch for that dumb flute playing--Off-topic. So… yeah, Stan couldn’t bring himself to be around his friends right now because everyone was dealing with nightmares… He just didn’t want to talk about his.

Stan got into depressive episodes where he wouldn’t move for any reason. His mother merely contacted the school so she could get his homework and wait out the storm. Stanley wouldn’t speak to them anymore and after the entire shit-show of his Bar Mitzvah, his dad wasn’t too keen on speaking to his son either.

“Stanley, you have some visitors.” His mother’s soothing voice called out into the dark bedroom. “It’s all your friends.” She explains, opening the door wider to allow light into the room. “Go ahead in… he’s a little… under the weather.” She explains as the losers look into the room before freezing.

Stan was a very precise person when it came to things… so seeing his room in such chaos was… concerning, to say the least.  He liked order and that’s what made him the logical mind of their rag-tag bunch of misfits.

“Stan?” Bev was the first one to speak. “What’s going on?” She asked, wanting to run her fingers through his greasy curls, but decided against it.

Stan was staring at the wall in front of him with a blank expression. He wanted to cry… He felt like he should, but there was nothing. No tears or sobbing breathes of sorrow… just a giant hole in his chest that was growing bigger. His throat tightened, making it hard to breathe as his lungs expanded to the max before shakily falling back down.

“St-St-Stan?” Bill asked.

Stan flinched at the feeling of the bed dipping towards the bottom. He knew that it was Bill but his brain was acting like a terrified animal… All he wanted to do was crawl under the bed so they couldn’t see him anymore.

“I’m here!” Richie’s loud voice boomed. “Sorry, arguing with parents.” He panted before looking to the bed as he froze. “Shit… Stan?” He rushed up as Bill moved back.

“His mom said he’s been like this for almost a week,” Mike comments softly.

“What’s going on with him? Is he sick?” Eddie asked worriedly, glancing from Bev to Bill.

“Why didn’t you talk to me, Stanny? We promised each other to always talk when we got like this.” Richie whispered as Stan’s eyes fluttered before the dull eyes slowly flickered to Richie.

Stan’s mouth opened, but nothing came from his lips.

“Wait, you know what’s wrong with him?” Ben asked before everyone looked at Richie.

“I don’t… I never fully understood what was going on with Stan. But… But we both get these episodes.” Richie explains softly before crawling onto the bed as Stan watched him. “Alright Stan the man, I’m here now. Sorry, it took me so long to realize what was happening. I knew you were fucking distancing yourself on purpose.” He huffs softly, but there were tears in his eyes.

“How do we help him?” Bev asked softly when Stan moved sluggishly before wrapping his arms around Richie and burying his face into Richie’s stomach to take in the scent of… Richie.

What the other Losers don’t know is… Stan and Richie have been dating since they were fifteen so of course, Richie’s scent would be the thing to calm him down.

“Just being here will help. We can’t physically do anything for him. So just… be here. Your presences let him know that we’re here for him.” Richie smiles softly down at Stan who hasn’t moved.

“Yuh-Yuh-You.. Have you fuh-fuh-faced this before with him?” Bill asked quietly.

“Yeah, but he’s taken care of me too. It’s just how we work. Stan calls me a pompous ass every so often and I annoy him with all my amazing jokes! But we both would drop anything when either one gets like this.” He explains. “Also this is the only time Stan likes physical contact from me so.” He shrugs with a gentle grin.

“Rich.” Stan’s voice was hoarse considering it’s been days since he spoke. He winced at the sharp stabbing pain as he looked up to the other boy.

“You need something? Water? Something to eat?” Richie immediately went into the mode he always did whenever Stan got like this.

Stan shook his head before slumping in relief at the feeling of hot, salted tears trickling down his flushed cheeks. Suddenly a sob tears from his throat as the other losers share heartbroken looks before turning back to see Stan bury his face deeper into Richie’s stomach.

“Ssh, it’s okay. You’re so fucking good, Stan. This world is a better place since you came into it… I’m a better person since you came into my life.” He explains while combing his hands through Stan’s hair. “And when you are feeling better we’re gonna go to the Quarry and I’ll let you push me in.” He grins, making the others snort gently.

Stan’s body was shaking violently as heartbreaking sobs escaped his cracked lips. He just wanted to be with Richie right now because this is the safest he’s felt in days and he didn’t want that feeling to go away.

“Can someone get me a wet washcloth?” Richie asked softly, glancing up from Stan as Bev nods before taking Ben with her. “Is there anything I can do?” Eddie asked quietly to Richie.

“Maybe ask for a glass of water?” Richie offers as Bill and Mike immediately offered to go get it. “Come here, Eds.” He motioned him over when Eddie shifted nervously.

“Would--Is he gonna be okay with that?” Eddie frowns softly.

“When he’s like this… Stan likes to feel safe. So this is how I make him feel safe. Maybe talk to him? You don’t have to touch him… But just be here.” Richie comments as Eddie finally sits on the edge of the bed.

“Hey Stan, I hope you feel better soon. I’m sorry… I’m so sorry you feel this way. I hope you know that all of us are here for you.” Eddie assured, feeling his own tears form. “I know you don’t like talking about it… and I just… I wish you would. I’m so scared for you and it scares me when you stop coming around. We love you so much, Stan… Please remember that.” He begged when Stan turned to face Eddie with a broken expression.

“I’m… I’m sorry.” He croaked out when Eddie shook his head.

“No, no… Don’t be sorry. Don’t ever be sorry for feeling this way. Please… All I ask is that you talk to us. All of us. You’re our best friend, Stan. We aren’t the Losers club without you.” Eddie whispered as Richie grins gently.

“He’s right you know,” Richie whispered before Stan glanced back to him.

Bev and the others soon returned with the requested items as Richie stood up off the bed, causing Eddie to move so the raven-haired boy could get Stan up. Stan was slowly as he sat up, wincing at the sharp pains in his muscles before Richie helped remove his shirt.

“Let’s get you into some new clothes, huh? You think you can wash yourself up?” Richie asked, but the clouded look in Stan’s eyes told him no. “Okay, that’s okay. Here.” He thanked Bev for the small bucket and cloth before he started to scrub gently at Stan’s face.

“Is there anything we can help with?” Bev asked, leaning against the wall at the foot of Stan’s bed.

“Some new clothes, please?” Richie smiled gently when Stan’s eyes fluttered at the feeling of the cloth running down his face. “How are you feeling?” He asked quietly. He knew that these episodes always made Stan sensitive to loud noises.

“Tired.” Stan supplies as Richie nods.

“That’s okay. We can get you to sleep. First, can you drink something for me?” He took the glass from Mike before offering it out to Stan who slowly took sips from the water. “That’s it. Great, thank you.” He smiles before placing a kiss on Stan’s forehead.

“Here.” Ben offered out some new clothing as Richie glanced at the others.

“Might wanna go wait outside. He needs to completely strip down.” He explains when they all nod before going out of the room.

Eddie lingered for a moment longer, squeezing Stan’s hand before he too joined the others outside the room. It was hard to see Stan this way, but honestly, Richie knew exactly what he was doing… It was strange to see Richie so gentle and quiet in these few moments.

“There you go. All done.” Richie smiles at the sight of a redressed Stan before he threw the dirty clothing into a hamper.

“Richie… Thank you. I’m sorry you--” He was cut off by Richie’s hand on his mouth.

“None of that bullshit, Stan the man. We just had a little bump in the road. Nothing that a little tender love can’t fix.” He flashed a grin before he started to clean up the rest of Stan’s room.

“One of the… One of the scars busted open the other day. And there was so… so much blood.” Stan whispered when Richie looked up to him in shock.

“Jesus, Stan… I’m… I’m so sorry. Why didn’t you come to me?” Richie asked before Stan covered his face.

“You had finally told us that your parents were neglecting you… I… I didn’t want to burden you.” He whispered.

“Dude shut the fuck up! Oh… I’ve never been on the other side of that. Anyway--” He cuts himself off, waving his hands frantically. “You would never burden me, Stan. Never, do you hear me? I don’t give a fuck if I’m on my death bed and you just wanna tell me you stubbed your toe. Fucking tell me! Okay, I’m… I’m your best friend. Lean on me.” He bent down so he could look up at Stan.

“Okay, I… Thank you.” He whispered before glancing down at his hands. He began to pinch at the skin between his thumb and index finger. “I had a panic attack… And… And it was awful. I couldn’t function. I fell into a hole that I couldn’t get out of. It was the worst. I wanted to scream but it was like someone had my throat.” He explains before glancing up to Richie who was watching him.

“Well, looks like they don’t have a hold of your voice anymore.” He whispered before placing his hands on top of Stan’s. “You are a tough fucking cookie. Do you hear me, Staniel? The fucking toughest.” He grins warmly.

“Stay with me.” Stan tugs at him.

“You want me to let the others in first?” He asked before getting cut off by Stan’s lips against his own as he froze. “Uh… That’s a no.” He whispered before kissing him again as Stan chuckled gently.

“Yeah, you probably should. They’re worried about me.” Stan comments quietly.

“They’re worried because they care.” Richie resorts before getting up and opening the door. “Alright losers, get in here and get ready for a nap!” He glances back at Stan who rolled his eyes before laying down again.

The others trailed their way in as Richie flopped down onto Stan’s bed with Stan immediately curled up against him. Bev quirks an eyebrow before noticing that look that the two shared as she grins. Soon all the losers grabbed blankets and pillows from the closet while Richie, Stan, and Eddie shared his bed.

It was a tight squeeze with Stan smooshed in the middle… but he kind of enjoyed that.

Stan’s eyes slowly fluttered open before he noticed Richie already asleep with Stan’s head on his chest. He could feel Eddie behind him with their backs together and for the first time in a long time… he felt at peace with himself… He felt… something.

[blurglesmurfklaine]

Okay but holly holiday running glee instead of will... the freedom

I JUST SAW THIS OMFG

Yesssssssss

I just... she would 100% give everyone a fair chance for solos and competitions and stuff and like I feel like Kurt woulda been like “I want to audition for the Defying Gravity solo” and she woulda been like “SURE!”

And the potential for character development is ASTRONOMICAL like, she a lil messy and chaotic but she’s got good intentions. I would loooooove to see her grow into a good educator/director bc she still has a good voice/opinions/ideas?? She just needs a little guidance for sure.

AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR THE NEW DIRECTIONS TO BREAK DOWN HER COMMITMENT ISSUES?? Because of course she’s not gonna be able to help but care about these rag tag bunch of sexually confused misfits????? (Also like now I’m realizing that she actually did help Santana with working through her sexuality and Mr. Schue handled Kurt’s issues... the way he did.)

Overall, I’m sure Holly would have made plenty of mistakes and I’m not saying she’s necessarily a good educator, but I think she had the potential to grow into one and she would have been vastly more entertaining to watch than White Rapping Will thank u for coming to my ted talk I’m sorru for ending this post with thank u for coming to my ted talk

[kellys-book-corner]

Title: Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames (The Band, #2)

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐

Page Count: 510

Prompt: Big Book - Read a book over 500 pages)

Synopsis:

Live fast, die young.

Tam Hashford is tired of working at her local pub, slinging drinks for world-famous mercenaries and listening to the bards sing of adventure and glory in the world beyond her sleepy hometown.

When the biggest mercenary band of all rolls into town, led by the infamous Bloody Rose, Tam jumps at the chance to sign on as their bard. It's adventure she wants - and adventure she gets as the crew embark on a quest that will end in one of two ways: glory or death.

It's time to take a walk on the wyld side.

---

And yet here they all were: at the cold edge of the world - each of them vying to be worthy of one another, to protect one another, to prove themselves a part of something to which they already, irrevocably belonged.

---

I need to start this review by talking about Kings of the Wyld, the first book in this series. I loved Kings of the Wyld so much. It was in my top 5 books of 2019, an instant 5 stars book that had me hooked from the first page with wonderful characters, an amazing plot and a fun adventure that I could re-read again and again.

Bloody Rose is not Kings of the Wyld. I gave this book a 4 star overall because there was so many things that I loved about it, but honestly, a 4 star seems too high, but a 3.75 stars is way too low for this book, so it's more around a 3.9? Being extra picky with this one it seems 😅.

First, what I loved about this book. One of my favourite things to read, especially in fantasy, is a rag-tag bunch of misfits who band together to save the world, and they find a family in each other. I fall for it everytime. It warms my cold heart and this book has that trope in abundance. I teared up at one point because I can feel the bond that these character have a forge and form and it's stellar writing.

I loved the overarching plot, the depth of the characters, the writing style, the humour, the sense of urgency, the conflict, the old characters from the first one that make an appearance, the nods to pop culture and the battle scenes were phenomenal to read. It's funny looking at this book now a few days after reading it, because its easier to see what I loved about it and harder to take away that 4 star rating.

But then I remember my biggest gripe about this book, this biggest disappointment.

Bloody Rose herself.

Here's the thing: I understood her perfectly. I fully, 100% get exactly why she was the way she was, the inner conflict that she had, her desire to just be more than the world expected, and it was done well. But she was selfish and cold and hard and I didn't like her. At all. Tam may be the narrator, but Bloody Rose is the main star and I just couldn't. I like reading about unlikeable characters, but I couldn't tell if we were supposed to like her or not. Everyone else in this book seemed to absolutely love and adore her, all of them willing to sacrifice themselves for her (SPOILER: which led to a death that I am devastated about), and it was kinda frustrating to read. Why were they all willing to follow her to the ends of the earth? Why were they all willing to lay their lives for her? I needed her to be a more fleshed out character with more of a personality. Was the point that even heroes are human? Probably, but from an enjoyment perspective, it really hampered it for me.

I also had some trouble with the pacing; this book is 100 pages too long. It really dragged throughout the first half, but as soon as we got to the second half, it all kicked off. I loved the moral debate and expansion of fighting monsters in an arena for sport from the first book, but you could still have that plot point and cut down a little on the page count. It got a bit repetitive.

Overall, it was a little disappointing. Kings of the Wyld was just so good, and this book, for me, just didn't match it. It was an excellent read with some beautiful and poignant moments, wonderful writing and wonderful characters (Brune being my personal favourite). I feel like the spark that made the first one so good just wasnt there for this one, but I'm still here for the ride, eagerly awaiting the third book.

[ibitchytimemachine]

Chapters: 53/? Fandom: Dragon Ball Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con Summary:

With Earth destroyed, Bulma and the Z gang find themselves in an outer space guerilla war against a tyrant. The mysterious Vengeance seems to be the only hope to win the war against Frieza, but teaming up with him brings its own set of problems.

 AU, ensemble cast but with focus on BV. Several other pairings (m/F and m/m) and non-romantic relationships get significant screen time.

While Vengeance often appears to be a light-hearted, funny story, there are darker elements running through several storylines. Warnings of non-con are for isolated incidents and don't reflect the story as a whole, but explicit descriptions of sex, violence, and general depravity are contained within these chapters.

Of all the Vegebul fics I have read, this one is easily my favorite. It has nuance, gives (almost) every character full and rich motivations and story lines. You find yourself rooting for the oddest pairs and weirdest people. I can not recommend this story enough, and if you wanna read my thoughts on it, lets dive into spoilers below the cut! 

So this story has something for everyone. You want thick well thought out and executed plot? DONE! Humor? DONE! Large cast of characters, both canon and OC who are all pretty well flushed out? DONE! Smut? Name your poison, chances are, its in here. There is so much about this story that I love that I am struggling with exactly the best way to organize my thoughts. So instead of agonizing over it, instead I am just gonna throw away all my careful notes that I have taken during my read and just freaking ramble! 

I think the first thing that people are a little put off on is the rare pair of RaditzXPuar. I will tell you that I 5,000 percent ship these two and it is all because of reading this fic. I love it so much that I MAY have even taken some time to draw my own fan art for the pair, but lets just leave THAT in the vaults xD When Raditz first encounters Puar, he is NOT a cat. Puar is in a Human form and is shifted to be Bulma. Raditz immediately is attracted to Puar’s scent and when they later encounter each other in a bar and end up ( ͡ᵔ ͜ʖ ͡ᵔ ) Ray is still just enamored by Puar’s scent. Whenever we see Rays POV in-between the time that Ray has fucked Human Puar, and the time that Puar is discovered, Ray keeps catching scents of the cat. And it drives him fucking wild. He later says that he is so crazy for Puar that he was about to fuck a houseplant cause it reminded him of Puar. Beyond that we get the backstory on Bonding and that basically Saiyans bond to a mate kinda at random so Ray has basically taken Puar as his husband. Raditz is really a great lover, there is a relationship imbalance between the two, but Ray doesnt take advantage of it. Its really a pretty healthy relationship. Puar gets jealous of some stuff, Ray gets WAY jealous of stuff but they always seem to talk it over. Shit at one point Ray dreams of having kids with Puar, and he is swiftly reminded that Puar is a MAN and will never be and never wants to be a WOMAN. 

A huge part of me feels like this Puarditz pairing is commentary on identity, self acceptance and love. Ray is constantly telling Puar that he doesnt care what his body looks like (except that he is excited to see Puar has a tail), only that it is Puar that he is in love with. It is only Puar Ray wants, no matter if he is a human, cat, plant, screwdriver or anything else. Puar talks about how he feels weird in his cat body, but it is his natural form and he wants to change and be bigger, more menacing, or just different. And I think we can all appreciate that sentiment at some point in our lives, but I can also see this as a low key message about trans acceptance and its fucking beautiful. Hell even Bulma tells Puar that he should take whatever form he is most comfortable in and basically fuck everyone who disagrees. I love that message and I love this pair - fight me. 

I really want to talk about another pretty complex character in this fic, Zarbon. He struggles with so much shame and negativity in this story. He hides behind his good looks and his hair, and when that shit gets cut off, Zarbon is a completely different man, it is shedding his old evil skin and literally growing into his own as a new man, a better person, and you start to care about him. His time with Frieza has basically ruined his ability to have any sort of healthy relationship - friend or other, because he resorts to sex for just about any close relationship he has. The FIRST person he meets after being rescued from Frieza, he starts bedding. Hell he promises a pity fuck to Burter for rescuing him, and come on.. I have never wanted a Burger sex scene more than when I was reading this fic. No really... Catgirl has a way of making you root for just about everyone... I think  that besides the slavers, the only character I HATE is Frieza, and thats pretty cool. AND Speaking of Frieza, shit hes a bad dude in this story. There aren't many POVs of him, and we see a lot of Frieza through Zarbon, Vegeta and Burter, but the POVs after Zarbon escapes and Frieza is trying to replace him is she fucked up shit. You really see his madness when he is sitting in the bloody tub stroking the hair of the dead attendant wishing it was Zarbons. He repeatedly states how much he gave to Zarbon, and how he basically loved him, but then you see him torture the poor man, sexually assault him, and generally just be a complete tyrannical asshole to him. 

The way the Nameks are handled is really cool. I love the nod to canon with them living with the Briefs on Red Station, I love watching Dende figure out how to lead, and struggle with his followers. I love how he makes the decision to room with Gohan as a way of bridging the gap between the Namekians and the Saiyans. The decisions Dende makes shows that he is dedicated to moving forward and not being stuck in the past. But you see him still struggling with things in the past, Zarbon for example. it is hella tense for a while when he first comes aboard because Dende feels Zarbon is responsible for the demise of his people, and Dende seeks out others help and advice on how to manage his feelings. He gets several peoples views and chooses what he thinks is the best, just like a good leader would. He even attempts to make Piccolo feel more welcome in the Namekian contingent of beings on Red Station.

Nappa is a super important character for the beginning of the story. He is the voice of Saiyan past and he advises Vegeta, wether he takes the advice or not. Overall he is the Father figure Vegeta needs (a common role for him) but he tells Vegeta and Raditz about bonding and Gohan comments that it sounds like LOVE. Nappa has some really shitty moments with Bulma, but overall I really like the sweet peeks into his head, when he thinks about his dead wife and babies, or when he tears up about the thought of Bulma and Vegeta having “little princes” of their own, is just heartwarming. And the attraction to Momma Briefs is cute and funny and provides so much ammunition for Bulma to hate Nappa (and boy do they hate each other)

I kinda hate how K18 gets treated in this story, and part of that is how long it takes for 18 to come about, and another part of that is the fact that the story isn't finished. I feel like 18′s android qualities are REALLY played up, which isn't a bad thing - great characterization in fact... but poor Krillin deserves so much better than being mounted with no foreplay and then immediately being engaged... Now I will say that I really like both of these characters in this fic, just wish things were finished cause their relationship has so much more to explore. 

I have both love and hate the Vegebul relationship dynamics in this story. They obviously care for one another, but the relationship seems super unhealthy... there is really no talking, relationship building going on in story. a LOT of fucking sure, but it almost feels like these two banter, fuck but don't really know one another.. and thats kinda sad.. I like that part of a Vegebul fic. Bulma is legit scared of Vegeta on multiple occasions and even in the last published chapter Vegeta looks at her and thinks that she is a monster just like him. And hell with her improvements to the Ki Circlet, she probably is. I will say that their smut is A++ fantastic, it is real, sometimes it is awkward (when they fuck in her lab it is both hot and funny) and there is always a mention of safe sex. 

With all the time spent on, pretty much everyone, including 2 OCs, it is sad that 17, Dr. Briefs and Tien don't get a little more love. They have very very brief scenes peppered throughout the story, and they just seem like after thoughts.. Shit Roshi and Oolong have more impact on the story than any of these three do and thats just a bummer. I am gonna say that maybe they have parts in the unwritten bots of the fic, but who knows if it will ever be updated, much less finished at this point. 

This story is fantastic. I can not recommend it enough. The relationship dynamics alone are fantastic, never mind the fact that Catgirl is FUCKING FANTASTIC at showing not telling, but even when she tells it is impactful. She has a wonderful grasp of character voice and each POV feels like it is actually that characters POV, told through them, not through the lens of a narrator. There are some amazing quotes in this story, some are just funny, 

Others.. Not so much.... 

These are a bunch of misfits thrown together, fighting to survive, and ultimately building a home. Hell Zarbon sees it and is shocked by it.. He says he is amazed by Vegeta “Floating around this country cottage of a ship, lord and master of an assortment of weaklings.” And Zarbon is right. Vegeta is the lord and master of this rag tag crew, and Bulma is their Queen. Their relationship is the glue that holds this little family together. This story is a tale of their struggle to defeat Frieza, but thats not what this story is ABOUT. This story is about, family, friends, love, home and ultimately all the wholesome things humanity has to offer. Sometimes we fuck up, and fight and create drama, but we persevere through those trials and (hopefully) become stronger, more well rounded and more human. And that is a really nice message. 

As a bonus, @rutbisbe drew this amazing Puar/Raditz fan art for this fic and I love it (AND I LOVE THEM SO MUCH)

If you liked this review, after you check this fic out, head over to my A03 and read some of my stuff!

[cygnahime]

FFX Relivebloggening, Part ???

I started this post at least a week ago, probably two. Such is the power of new obsessions.

I haven't posted in a while because a) no one was responding anyway and more importantly b) my friends got me into FFXIV and I've been playing that intensely. Not that I've gotten very far in the plot, but there's so much Stuff one can do. Also it's nice to be run through dungeons by people who have verbally agreed to put up with me not knowing what to do. But it's down for maintenance tonight, and I'm unwillingly awake, so back to the Thunder Plains it is! I'm underleveled, or less overleveled than I'm used to, this time. Yuna doesn't even have Cura yet, and Auron's not dealing the damage I'm used to expecting. I love Maechen's discourse on Bilghen, particularly that, as an Al Bhed, he isn't mentioned in Yevon-sanctioned history - something that is not without relevance to our modern world. Tidus tells Shelinda there won't be a wedding, because he really wants Yuna to turn Seymour down, even though what she's said definitely suggests that she won't. "I must do what everyone wants, not just what I want." Auron's milkshake brings all the boys to the yard, and they're like, "I wonder if you remember me." I guess Rin's Calm Lands Travel Agency was there even back then. (They're in the Jecht spheres, so I guess they were.) And Auron doesn't want Rin saying things that might lead people to realize he did in fact die that night. Tidus is downright terrible at eavesdropping - but then, Yuna is equally terrible at not being eavesdropped on. It takes her a full five seconds to realize she should turn off the sphere. "I know one way to take care of him." Unbeknownst to Tidus, that's exactly what Jyscal meant, and Yuna's stressing over it. It's not a slightly mean joke to her. Wakka may be oblivious to Rikku's race, but he knows Yuna well enough to know when there's something on her mind. He's just kind of given up on getting it out of her - she's not a good liar, but she's stubborn, and Wakka's sure not the kind to subtly worm info out of a person. Poor Rikku. She's doing better with being surrounded by her phobia than most adults I know, and she's only 15. None of Yuna's nearest and dearest want her to marry Seymour. Even Wakka, who you'd think would be all for a maester, is like, "Do you have to marry him?" Tip: if all your friends hate your fiancé, DUMP HIM. (Of course, Yuna knows he's no good, so that tip won't help.) And because a summoner can do whatever she wants, all she has to do is say it's a personal matter, and everyone has to...not be okay with it, any more than they're okay with her being a summoner in the first place, but not try to stop her. Tidus is the only one who doesn't know why everyone is concerned about Yuna's decision-making process, which is ironic given that he's the reason. Lulu says it, if you get her convo in Guadosalam: she would want Yuna to marry for love, even though she'd have to object to her marrying "the one she loves". (Which I've always interpreted as, she shouldn't marry someone who doesn't know she's going to die. It's really not fair to Tidus.) I seriously need to grind some more levels. I am just not getting the damage output I need. "She's naive, serious to a fault, and doesn't ask for help." Much like someone Auron remembers being. He's not thinking of Braska; Braska wasn't any of those things, at least not by the time Auron knew him. But from what we see, Auron was. No wonder he finds her so easy to read. [Some grinding time later] Dona's made good time, at least up until she got caught. And Barthello doesn't know the Al Bhed grabbed her, so they must have really "gotten separated" at some point. Did they have a fight? Or just need a little privacy for one thing or another? You don't want to always live in someone's pocket, no matter how much you love them. At least I wouldn't. And Rikku, of course, is not thinking "good luck", she's thinking "sorry". It's to protect Dona, she can be sure Dona's fine, but Barthello doesn't know that. I wonder how Jecht's sphere got left behind here. Really, I wonder how all of them except Braska's got where they are. (Braska's I assume Auron dropped while crawling down the mountain.) Auron was expecting to find this one here; he says Jecht left it here. I wonder why. I guess by then Jecht had accepted that the only way Tidus was ever seeing him again was in Spira. Auron at the beginning of the journey wants to hurry through it - I think what he says to Jecht offscreen is telling him about all the people Sin is killing while they dilly-dally. Not that he wants Braska to die sooner, but he is on board with the noble sacrifice. But then, by the time they get to Zanarkand...Well, we'll see. And Jecht is the reverse. At first, as Auron says, he's planning to go home, thinking of Spira as an adventure that doesn't really matter overall. But then by Zanarkand he too is very different. Auron has to be the one to tell Tidus that Jecht loved him. And Tidus does want to hear that, but he wanted to hear it from his father, when he needed it, not from someone who came to hear more about Jecht's emotions than his son ever did. Now, this being the HD/International version, I need to go back and get those spheres now, because once I fight Seymour, some of them will be locked behind Dark Aeons, and we don't want that. So, it's the Grand Mini Reunion Tour! (We're gonna stop for the moonlilies.) Thunder Plains: Jecht. Jecht no. This is just kind of a quiet moment, but Jecht made Braska laugh, which is always good. Wait, shit, there's another one in Macalania, isn't there? I'll get it on my way back. Moonflow: This one is from their first time through the Moonflow, the drunken shoopuf attack Auron described for us earlier. Jecht's introduction to Consequences! Not just Auron lecturing him, but Auron making it clear that a mere apology won't cut it if he doesn't change his behavior. Mushroom Rock: Insight into Auron's and Kinoc's relationship. It definitely sounds like Auron refused to do something shady (maybe that marriage, to a woman who didn't want him/he didn't want) that led to him not getting the promotion, and Kinoc did whatever it is, so he gets to advance through the ranks. ...It's really queer, just, the tension between honesty/being out and suffering the consequences vs going along/staying in the closet and getting the benefits of assumed straightness. At least that's what I think. Maybe it's because of the marriage element. Marry the high priest's daughter, advance in your career...or be true to yourself and be cast out. Mi'ihen: Apparently the Chocobo Eater is a chronic or at least recurring problem. I wonder if Team Braska got knocked off the cliff. The sphere is down on the Oldroad, after all. Luca: Sometimes you are suddenly attacked by missing people out of nowhere. I think this is more likely to be on the way back than the way down, but we're getting pretty close either way. Winno: This is clearly on the way to Besaid, because Jecht asks about where they're going after that. Still, Auron and Jecht have warmed up to each other a lot already. And I think by now Jecht definitely knows that Braska's going to die. Besaid: I suspect one of Besaid's good points, to Braska's mind, is that it is literally as far from Bevelle as it is possible to be. It's not like it's far from the "conflict" with Sin; I suspect it's a more political conflict he means. I'm really sad about the cat and dog in Luca waiting by the stairs for their person, a Crusader who's probably never coming home. Babies... Macalania: The very first of the spheres, and I'm kind of curious how any of them got ahold of the security footage from the Bevelle jail. I'd think it was their memories naturally crystallized, but it's shot from over their shoulders. Jecht is an easy sell, especially when he's in the drunk tank and probably also about to be arrested for blasphemy. Meanwhile, Braska loves his irony, and also the rag-tag bunch of misfits trope. And now that I'm back at the end of Macalania Woods, I'm going to end this post finally, after several weeks. If you want to see more in a more timely manner, comment and chat with me? I want! To talk! About video games!

[the-prophet-lemonade]

21, 44, 26 ❤️

21. What was the first fanfic you ever wrote?

it was very much an oc-insert fullmetal alchemist fanfiction that i wrote circa 2007 ... it was so full of ocs that it was barely recognizable as fma derivative ... literally the canon characters only had passing cameos and the rest was just my own characters in an alchemy-based universe lmfao

i can’t remember the plot ... the main character was an alchemist like edward who doesn’t need circles as they’ve seen the gate of truth, and the story started with her looking for her parents’ murderers, and along the way, collecting a rag tag bunch of misfits as her team ... very indulgent, but i was 12 years old and living my fantasy ya feel 

it was about 120 chapters long (but each chapter was maybe 300 words max lol) and i think i got halfway through a sequel? i can’t remember. it was posted in a very obscure portion of the internet ... 

26. How do you come up with your fanfic titles?

i mainly borrow ideas from poetry and music for my fic titles/chapter titles ... richard siken, ocean vuong, and traci brimhall are my biggest inspirations at the moment. i put a lot of work and thought into my fic titles these days as i like to play around with meaning and symbolism a whole lot (even if 99% of people won’t know or understand my references lmfao)

breaking down some of my fic titles:

a cold night for good deeds: this is derivative of “a cold night for alligators”, which has absolutely nothing to do with the fic but i really like the sound and the symmetry of the words. there are a lot of interesting vowel sounds in this title too, especially the clipped “o” sounds, which has a particular pathetic fallacy to me (a cold city, a harsh wind, a storm, the drumbeat of rain etc).

droplets: one word punchy title is easy to market and easy to remember, and seeing as water is an extended metaphor in this fic ... and given That Line in chapter 19 when jean tells marco he loves him ... it works pretty well

whosoever’s is the storm: derivative of a latin proverb (”Cuius est solum, eius est usque ad coelum et ad inferos.”), appropriate for the source material and its canonical themes 

another lover hits the universe: derivative of an allen ginsberg quote (”Another lover hits the universe. The circle is broken. But with death comes rebirth. And like all lovers and sad people, I am a poet.”), especially appropriate given the themes of reincarnation in this fic

verdant night and unmet people: lifted from a phrase in an article i read about the folly of being 20-something, but also has a link to the green light at the end of gatsby’s pier, which is highly appropriate given the setting of this fic lol

as your sun sets (i know you in bleary-eyed 3am): two lines from a poem by naiche parker that i mashed together ... it presents the theme of the fic very succinctly, an intimacy stretched across two places at once, two different time zones.

after dark: named after my fave murakami novella which has very little to do with the themes of fic, but is written with the beautiful detached quality where individual moments that don’t always fit together seamlessly are stitched together into a story, which works nicely for a vignette-style piece

anaphora in the aftermath (of love and violence): i saw the word anaphora in a poem by ocean vuong and loved it, and the stylised the rest of the title a la richard siken. anaphora is repetition of a certain word/phrase at the beginning of successive clauses, and in this fic, the anaphora is alec’s “i love you” confession, and the central theme is how it ripples unspoken through the moments afterwords. 

ghosts that we knew: named after a mumford & sons song ... it’s a fic about ghosts ... go figure 

i like things that are aesthetically pleasing as well, so i am very particular with word choices, format, sound, and rhythm. for example, you will n e v e r see me titling a fic with an indefinite clause (e.g. “to [something]” or “of [something]”) as it makes me irrationally uncomfortable lmfao

i also always avoid vague nouns and pronoun-heavy titles, as i don’t think they make for eye-catching or memorable titles. you need something punchy or something beautiful and extravagant. i like to lead with a strong concept, particularly a visual/dynamic noun or verb (e.g. “as your sun sets (i know you in bleary-eyed 3am”, “droplets”, “whosoever’s is the storm”, “another lover hits the universe”, etc)

44. What ship do you feel needs more attention? 

seeing as i’m in the depths of a got hyperfixation, let’s go for podsa!!!!!! 

sansa has a plethora of ships (of varying quality lmfao) but one of my new faves is sansa and podrick! a lot of this emerged post-season 8 after pod became a knight and got me thinking about how sansa used to pray for the gods to send her a “noble and true knight to champion her” and like ... who is more noble ... than pod (well, besides ser brienne, but briensa is a god tier ship all of its own). anyway, sansa stark deserves a man who will love and respect her and defer to her at all costs, and pod would be good husband material. 

they also have shared history, with both of them living in KL in seasons 2 & 3 and i love the idea that pod had a crush on sansa then, but she was beautiful and sad and unattainable, and obvs she was married to tyrion, who pod was squiring for ... THE ANGST POSSIBILITIES. sansa probably rarely noticed him, but i like to imagine, later, when pod and brienne rescue sansa from the boltons, sansa starts noticing what a fine young man pod has become, and then when he is a knight and she is a queen, she’s like ... “damn son u fill out that gold armour real nice” and then she gets her much deserved happily ever after and ... i guess i’ve thought about this a lot

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