#organized-chaotic-disaster

[iwrite-sinsandtragedies]

@organized-chaotic-disaster I totally see what you mean 😭 (tho I haven’t played the Derek or Baxter DLCs myself). Tbh I think the main reason you can’t be poly is the fact that it would be hard to implement in an already complex game with high customization of your experience, especially since it’s written by one person— idk how they’d do that tbh. And I know GB has gone on record to say that Cove wouldn’t be down for a poly relationship, but it still sucks to not have the option. I understand why poly relationships aren’t really a thing in games— a combination of monogamy being the norm irl and the difficulty in implementing the mechanic itself —but I hope one day those barriers can be broken down so it becomes an option 😭 And sorry if any of this comes across as me coming for you or something, that’s not my intention!!! I just had some thoughts I wanted to share. Overall I definitely agree that things like this could and should be handled better, and hopefully will be with future games with dateable NPCs— I’d love to explore that myself, and I wish I could with OL.

[original post]

Mm, It's certainly not impossible to add in those features [the FH series, for example, is a single writer and they've added in poly options upon fan requests] but, I can understand not wanting to put the extra work in yeah, especially since the creator has been saying for a while now that "this is the last thing I'll do for olba" like, they seem to be really trying to move on to the next project, so I get it.

It's also why I don't expect to ever get any resolution for this😔but it still does make me very sad because I really do love this game so much, it's one of the few forms of media out there that make me feel comfortable/understood/safe with myself and the lack of a poly option really takes away from that feeling quite a bit.

My main gripe though is that there isn't any conversation at all about it. Like, that just takes away from the experience of the game.

Once you choose to date Baxter, everyone just goes 'Error 404' on you and seems to outright forget that you were basically setting up to and expected to marry Cove. That, to me, reads like a failing of writing.

Like, there should be some dialogue, y'know? Cove should be able to question your relationship, even in a round-about and self-concious/self-serving way, there should be some tension there where he has to tackle his very real feelings for you and you can possibly do the same for him but, there's just none. Like, if you flirt with him in Step 2, have that romantic tension carry over to Step 3 he shouldn't be able to just shrug off all his feelings instantly. Feelings don't work that way, bro😂It just bugs me that it's so inorganic and unable to be explored. Cove and MC have a lot of history, they should be able to talk about it in every aspect, y'know?

Also! Not ranting at you specifically, lmao! I'm just sharing my feelings. Thank you so much for replying to me, I really enjoyed reading your thoughts! It's also just nice to see that someone out there also wants the poly options like me🥺we got too much love in our wee little hearts for this single romance bs lmaooo

I lowkey wish there was a mod community for games like these😂ngl, it'd be nice to just have a mod that ignored certain flags or something so that you could at least have the romantic tension still there with Cove while you romance someone else. It doesn't fix the lack of dialogue option but it'd be better than the clear and noticable lack of what was clearly there before. At least then it'd be easier to pretend there was something to bite into lol

[shoot-of-corruption]

((okay, i think I found everything hidden on my blogs that still needs replying to. :D can't wait to put more stuff in the tracker, because i already have to color code to not forget where i have to reply to what on which blog... PFCH))

[princessfbi]

Kisses + 16 + Bucktommy if it sparks joy 🫶

16. Kisses Meant To Distract The Other Person From Whatever They Were Intently     Doing + Bucktommy

“Evan.”

Grunt. That was about all Tommy had gotten out of his boyfriend in the last three hours. Grunts and shrugs and an occasional huh that Tommy never quite knew if they were directed at what he said or at the disaster that had taken over their living room.

Their living room. A place Tommy had once avoided at all costs because every time he sat in it, he felt too big in a too small space that was way too empty. Now it was their living room because the last of Evan’s boxes had finally been delivered and all of their things were mixed in a chaotic mess that did things to Tommy’s heart he was too embarrassed to think about.

“Baby.” Tommy tried again.

Another grunt. There were days Tommy couldn’t get Buck to shut up about whatever hyper fixation his beautiful brain had latched onto and it was one of Tommy’s proudest moments when he realized Evan saw him as the person he was most excited to share those with.

But all Tommy was getting were grunts.

Buck blew out a breath between his lips that was too heavy and too stressed to be classified as a sigh.

Okay. That was enough.

Tommy was not going to let laundry of all things break his boyfriend. They were supposed to be in the honeymoon stages of living together. Bumping into each other in the morning because they were getting used to the new life they were sharing. Dinners warmed in the oven when their shifts went over. Sex in the kitchen because they could!

The mistake had been when Tommy had left Evan to organize their closet. Tommy hadn’t wanted Evan to feel like he was fitting himself in Tommy’s space. He wanted Evan to make the space a space that belonged to both of them.

Tommy hadn’t thought anything of it when he heard the washer and dryer started. But then lunch had passed and dinner had been delivered and the grunting had started when he found Evan surrounded by piles of laundry in the living room.

Tommy crossed the distance between them and tangled his fingers in the wild curls on top of Evan’s head. He tugged lightly, tipping his head back, and smiled at the way Evan’s eyes crossed as he stared up at him. Tommy waited until those eyes focused on him.

“Hi,” Tommy said, “It’s time for dinner.”

Buck grunted. “I’ll be right there. I just—”

Tommy tugged on his curls again even as Evan tried to curl back over the pile of t-shirts. He knew he caught Evan by surprise by the kiss but those were some of Tommy’s favorite kisses. The ones where Evan inhaled before he relaxed beneath the weight of Tommy’s lips, melting against him. Tommy let go of his curls to cup the back of his neck, sweeping his thumb across the soft skin behind his ear.

Evan didn’t even notice when Tommy took the t-shirt from his hands.

“Sorry,” Evan mumbled against his lips. “I didn’t want to mix anything up but then—”

Tommy kissed the apology away, their noses nuzzling against one another as he shook his head.

“I told you,” Tommy said as he bent down, “What’s mine is yours.”

Evan exhaled, that sweet smile of his making an appearance as he pressed into Tommy’s hand.

“Besides,” Tommy mused. “The idea of you in my clothes is kind of hot.”

Buck’s eyes lit up. “Oh really?”

Tommy hummed. “Oh yeah.”

Thankfully a pile of socks cushioned his back as Evan tackled him.

[inkspiredwriting]

Moving Day Madness

Five Hargreeves x Fem!reader

Warnings: none

Five Hargreeves and his wife, Y/N, were finally moving into their own house—a cozy two-story home with a charming garden. It was a new chapter in their lives, and they couldn't wait to start it. Naturally, Five’s siblings insisted on helping with the move, promising it would be a smooth and efficient process.

It was anything but.

The day started off with a series of minor disasters. Diego, ever the overachiever, decided to start unloading the moving truck himself. In his enthusiasm, he misjudged the weight of a box labeled "Kitchen Fragile" and dropped it. The sound of shattering glass was the first omen of the chaos to come.

"Diego!" Five shouted, running over. "That was our wedding china!"

Diego winced. "Sorry, Five. I’ll replace it, I swear."

Meanwhile, Klaus had decided that the best way to help was to "organize" the boxes. This meant he moved them randomly from one spot to another, making it impossible to find anything. Luther, trying to keep the peace, ended up in a shouting match with Klaus about the proper way to stack boxes.

Ben and Viktor were handling the smaller items but got distracted by an impromptu jam session with an old guitar they found in one of the boxes. Their music was great, but it wasn’t helping the move go any faster.

Y/N, trying to stay calm, directed traffic as best as she could. "Luther, please don’t stack boxes higher than Diego’s head. Klaus, stop moving things around. Diego, maybe you can help with the furniture instead."

As the morning wore on, things didn’t improve. The couch got wedged in the front door, with Diego and Luther arguing about the best angle to maneuver it through. Klaus spilled a carton of milk all over the living room carpet while trying to make coffee, and Viktor accidentally knocked over a bookshelf, scattering books everywhere.

"Why is this so complicated?" Five muttered, rubbing his temples.

"Welcome to life with the Hargreeves," Y/N said with a laugh, handing him a cup of coffee. "Just breathe. We’ll get there."

By midday, they managed to get most of the furniture inside, albeit not in the right rooms. The dining table ended up in the living room, and the bedroom dresser was in the hallway. Despite the chaos, there were moments of laughter. Klaus told ridiculous stories that had everyone in stitches, and Ben and Viktor's music provided an unexpected soundtrack to the day.

As the sun began to set, the Hargreeves siblings took a break, collapsing onto various pieces of mismatched furniture in the living room.

"I think that’s everything," Luther said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"More or less," Five replied, looking around at the disarray. "Thanks for your help, everyone."

"Anytime, bro," Diego said, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Now, who wants pizza?" Y/N asked, pulling out her phone.

As they waited for the pizza to arrive, the siblings gradually began to help put things in their proper places. By the time dinner was over, the house was still a mess, but it felt more like home.

Later that night, after everyone had left, Five and Y/N stood in the living room, surveying the chaos.

"Well, it’s a start," Five said with a chuckle.

Y/N smiled, wrapping her arms around him. "We’ll get it sorted. And we’ll have fun doing it."

Five kissed her forehead. "I love you, Y/N. Even if our life is a bit… unconventional."

"I love you too, Five. And I love our life."

As they settled into their new home, surrounded by boxes and memories yet to be made, Five and Jen knew they could do anything —with a little help from their wonderfully chaotic family.

[phanchester]

since there are so many data nerd phannies i decided to make a compilation of all the spreadsheets i could find - lmk if i missed any or if you want me to add any additional details <3

last updated: 30/06/24

actively updating spreadsheets

dan and phil uploads from 2021-2024

dan and phil’s upload schedule from all their channels with days and dates

amount of days in between videos in each channel

pie charts of days of the week they upload

made by @ahappydnp 

everything dan and phil related

all of dan and phil’s video links from all their channels from all their accounts (including super amazing project, snapchat, vine, tiktok and more)

all of dan and phil’s radio shows, including reuploads and playlists, as well as the dan vs phil, fan war and internet news if available for each show with misc clips and written recaps

all of dan and phil’s liveshows, including some written recaps and the app where it was originally posted

all of dan and phil’s vyous including the question they were answering

all of dan and phil’s collaborations and video features (even if they were in the background), including the channel they were originally uploaded on 

all of dan and phil’s interviews

all of dan and phil’s merch, including originally shop links and links to the phandom wiki which has further information

all of dan and phil’s professional photos as well as some fan photos, including the event, photographer and platform

the dates and statuses of each of these videos (lost, archived, unlisted or public)

made by @stillarchivingdnp

dan and phil 2024 upload stats

each of their 2024 videos with channel, upload date, upload time in uk, length, sponsor and editor/s (if applicable) with an accompanying colour-coded calendar

(for amazingphil videos) whether dan featured and (for dapg videos) whether it was gaming/talking and who tweeted it

interactive part where you can see the time period between two videos

averages, maximums and minimums for times between uploads, upload times and runtimes with accompanying graphs

percentage of videos with other editors, with pie charts for all channels and each channel

made by @dnpbeats

all or nothing: dan vs phil season 2

all of the games for season 2, with the year they played them and the results with and without all or nothing coming into play

how often all or nothing came into play and who suggested it

the general impact of all or nothing

made by @organized-chaotic-disaster

dan and phil saying “i love you”

when dan and/or phil said ily

the video and timestamp from when they said ily and whether it was prompted

pie chart of dan or phil saying ily

made by @ahappydnp

games where one of them decides the winner

date and link for each video

overall winner with the winner for each round

breakdown of the amount of times each of them have won each round and the percentage phil has won

made by @dnpbeats

dan and phil 2024 upload schedule

upload date for each video, with the day of the week and approximate time it was uploaded in cst, including the most common and second most common upload day for dapg

days between each upload, including the longest gap, shortest gap, average gap and first and second most common gap for dapg

a colour-coded calendar displaying the upload schedule for dapg and amazingphil

made by @kat-aa

completed spreadsheets

all or nothing: dan vs phil season 1 with a great accompanying document with further details and analysis of the data

all of the games they played, with the year they played them and the results with and without all or nothing coming into play

how often all or nothing came into play and who suggested it

the general impact of all or nothing

made by @organized-chaotic-disaster 

youtuber tours

(not necessarily dnp but it includes them!)

120 different tours, including the creators, names, dates, countries, links (if available) and producers (if applicable)

each tours’ venue capacity range, average and total attendance

individual tour show breakdown with city, state, country and additional notes

data on each venue’s capacity, number of tours, and which youtuber went to each venue

data on each country’s amount of shows, broken down into states and cities

made by @stillarchivingdnp 

gamingmas 2023 schedule

all gamingmas video titles from 2023

the time each video was uploaded in gmt

made by @cactuslester

spreadsheet screenshots in posts

listening trends in all or nothing

scatter graph for the correlation between track number and number of listens

analysis of the data

made by @serendipnpipity

analysis of dnp’s letterboxd ratings and movies with part 1 and part 2

(pt 1) rating distributions for all the movies they’ve rated, including details about which movies one rated higher than the other, and which movies they rated the same

(pt 1) a list of their five-star movies

(pt 1) a list of movies one logged but not the other

(pt 1) cute little misc notes about the specific movies and dates

(pt 2) ratings broken down into genre, studio and franchise with accompanying bar charts

made by @philsrosesweatshirt

views on post-hiatus dapg videos after specific time frames

i believe this is a work of progress!

video titles with the dates and months, along with details of whether they were sponsored or had external editors

view count after 24 hours, 48 hours, 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months

made by @goldenpinof

favourite dnp tour song statistics

years phannies started watching vs the year they joined the phandom represented in a bar graph

favourite dnp tour song in a donut pie graph and a bar graph

favourite song vs year joined represented in a bar graph

made by @serendipnpipity

terrible influence: the tour trailer video analysis

all the videos that appear in terrible influence with additional notes

the list sorted by date, view count and channel specifics

timestamps provided for each clip, both in the video and where they appear in the trailer

made by @emojackolantern

[steddieas-shegoes]

Requests: Steve adopting an abandoned child post earthquake in Hawkins after the spring break from hell. And him realizing all the ways he was hurt as a child due to his parents neglect. And how he overcomes it and raises his baby-child with gentleness, warmth, patience and love

OKAY GENUINELY I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS PROMPT AND IT STILL WASN'T AS MUCH AS I WANTED TO DO. FAIR WARNING: this is an emotional roller coaster. It ends HAPPY. But there are a lot of sad and bittersweet moments and feelings leading up to that moment. There is the mention of child neglect, and that can be difficult for some people to read, even with a happy ending, so please keep that in mind before starting this. Also, this is not how the law or CPS works at all, and it wasn't in the 80s either, but this is fiction and I do what I want. I hope someone can continue this idea somewhere because it is so special to me now. This is 6200 words of me not knowing how to wrap it up with a bow. I hope you love this my darling, thank you for this one. - Mickala ❤️

----------------------------------------------

Steve spent the last 12 hours pacing the waiting room floor at the hospital. He’d promised the kids he would stay until there was an update on Eddie and Max, and their parents had insisted they go home after they’d been quickly attended to for their minor injuries.

Max was stable, but not awake. They weren’t sure if she ever would be again. Steve passed that on to Nancy so she could call everyone.

Eddie finally made it out of surgery, alive, but barely.

He’d lost a lot of blood and they weren’t able to give him a transfusion until Wayne got there to donate.

It was touch and go for another few hours in recovery.

But things calmed down a bit, his heart rate settling at a normal rate, his oxygen maintaining where it should be with the mask on, the bleeding stopped and his blood regenerating on its own.

He wasn’t awake, but he was alive.

That was enough for Wayne and Hopper to kick him out of the hospital and make him go home.

“Shower. Eat. Sleep. In that order, Harrington,” Hopper said, the gruffness in his voice overruled by the concern.

He was up to speed on everything he missed, and he wasn’t thrilled about how much Steve had put on the line for everyone.

So Steve left, even though he wanted to stay, needed to have eyes on Eddie, on Max.

He had to trust that they were being taken care of.

He made it home, did two of the three things Hopper told him to. His shower was long and hot, finally able to wash away the blood and dirt and Upside Down particles that clung to his skin for the last couple of days. His dinner was quick and unfulfilling, but frozen meals usually are.

And then he did try to sleep. He tried on the couch first, his usual go-to spot after crises. Then he tried to go to his bed, hoping the weight of his comforter would help lull him to sleep.

But two hours later, he was still wide awake.

So he got up, put on jeans and a sweater, and made his way to the school, where emergency services had been set up.

It was chaotic, still very little organization amongst groups. The firefighters had been dispatched all over town, and most medical professionals had been called into the hospital or to help EMTs on calls. A handful of teachers had been put in charge of the check-in process here, making sure anyone who came through was on a list of survivors first, then sent to help where they were needed if they were able.

Steve was able, so he put his name on the list and was told to stand with a group at the far corner of the gym. Everyone in this group was waiting for a dispatch crew of firefighters to come get them to help locate survivors.

They were given vests, gloves, and helmets to wear, and given quick safety briefings. They were told not to move any rubble, that if they suspected someone was under some, to call for the professionals. They were just extra eyes and ears because everyone was stretched too thin for a disaster of this magnitude and help from local towns was slow to arrive.

Steve figured this would help him, if he stayed busy and managed to help people, he wouldn’t think about how helpless he was when it came to Max and Eddie.

The first location they were dropped at was a small neighborhood on the outskirts of town. Most of the homes had been completely demolished, cracks in the ground swallowing pieces of them. If there were any survivors here, they would be in desperate need of medical attention.

But after nearly four hours of searching, only one person was found, their leg trapped under a large wooden beam. The leg was broken, but they were fine other than that.

Steve felt relief that nothing more serious had happened there.

But the second area was worse.

It wasn’t a neighborhood, just a small wooded area surrounding two homes a good distance apart. Surprisingly, the homes were still standing, but everything around them was destroyed. Fires had been only recently extinguished, downed trees and power lines blocking most of the driveway and road in front of them.

“This should be relatively quick, both homes are empty and cars are gone, so we think everyone managed to get out safely, but we do need to be sure,” the firefighter in charge of this group said before leading them forward.

The smaller of the two houses was empty, though a mess, like the occupants had rushed to pack necessities and threw anything else on the ground as they rushed to get out.

The other home, though, was surprisingly clean. Kept up in a way Steve wouldn’t have expected for the panic most people showed while escaping town.

Everyone assumed maybe the occupants hadn’t even been home when the quake hit.

But Steve decided to go upstairs anyway.

Something was telling him this wasn’t normal.

It felt familiar in a way he didn’t want to acknowledge yet.

No one else followed him, all of the volunteers congregating in the living room area to discuss their next location before heading back to the school for a break.

Steve followed his gut, and his gut told him to check the bedroom at the end of the hall.

He opened the door, not surprised to see that nothing seemed strange at first glance.

Then he saw movement out of the corner of his eye, under the bed.

He would’ve checked there anyway, that’s where he would have hidden in this kind of situation, too.

“I guess this place is all clear,” Steve said, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone downstairs yet, but loud enough to be heard by the person under the bed.

“Wait!”

It was a kid, Steve figured as much based on the items on the desk in the corner and the poster on the wall.

The small boy crawled out from under the bed, panic on his face.

“Are you gonna take me to my parents?” The boy asked, lips wobbling.

“I’m gonna try. I’m Steve, what’s your name?”

“Elliott.”

“Nice to meet you, Elliott. How old are you?”

“Nine.”

Jesus Christ. Where had his parents even been? Why weren’t they looking for him?

He hoped they were on their way back and just stuck trying to get into town.

But a part of him had already known that wasn’t true. A part of him knew the moment they pulled into the area that he’d find someone left here, someone who shouldn’t have ever been alone.

“Alright, Elliott, let’s get you back to the school. We can put your name on the list so your parents can find you easier, okay? I can stay with you until they get here.”

“I don’t know if they will.”

Steve’s heart stopped for a moment.

Sure, his parents never came back after the Upside Down bullshit, but he’d been a teenager and adult. They probably assumed he wasn’t involved in any of it and was fine.

But Elliott was nine. Even his parents would have come back for him at that age.

They never should have left him alone to begin with, but even they knew the trouble they’d be in for leaving him at that age after a fucking earthquake.

“Of course they will, buddy. It’s just hard getting into Hawkins right now, you’ll see on our way back.”

He placed his hand on Elliott’s shoulder, not surprised when he tensed up under him for a moment before he relaxed.

Steve hadn’t been used to casual touch until he met Nancy.

But Elliott deserved to feel cared for right now, so he kept his hand there, let him get used to it for a moment, and then guided him out the door and down the stairs.

Most of the group had moved back outside, but a few people remained.

One of the few women in the group looked over at his entrance, her jaw dropping when she saw he had a child with him.

“Oh my God!”

Steve held his hand up, knowing Elliott probably didn’t want to draw a lot of attention to himself.

“He’s okay. He managed to find a safe place to hide. His parents might be looking for him though so we should get him back,” Steve said calmly.

No one crowded him, but the firefighter waiting by the van that was transporting everyone checked his heart and lungs, made sure he didn’t have any visible wounds or injuries.

Elliott didn’t let go of Steve the entire time, his hand gripping his forearm like he was terrified to lose him among the group.

Steve didn’t try to pull away, not once.

He knew Elliott needed someone. He could be that someone for him.

—-------------

When they arrived back at the school, they put his name on the list, and since he was a minor, they had him go to one of the classrooms that was being watched over by security while they tried to contact his parents.

He told them they left for a business trip over a week ago, he didn’t know when they would be back, and his aunt checked on him every morning, but he hadn’t seen her since the quake.

Steve stood by as he spoke to the responsible adults, not letting Elliott out of his sight.

Elliott begged for Steve to come with him to wait while they tried to locate his parents, so he did.

He realized pretty quickly that Elliott must not have slept last night; He curled against Steve’s side on the floor almost immediately and fell asleep, light snores making Steve smile to himself.

The floor was hard, the wall behind him was somehow harder, but he wouldn’t move short of another emergency.

They stayed like that for hours, kids coming and going as more were found and reunited with their families.

Elliott was the youngest one left in the room, all the other kids high school age.

When one of the men from the group he was in earlier came in the room to get another kid, he asked if there was any update on Elliott.

“Nah, they’re still trying to find them. The aunt um…” The guy looked nervously down at the sleeping Elliott. “She didn’t make it. Was on her way to try to get him when another crack hit the road she was driving on, car crashed. They contacted the dad’s business and were told he’s out of the country and won’t be returning calls until next week.”

“How long are they gonna make him stay here while they figure it out?”

“No clue, man. I’ll ask someone.”

But he didn’t come back and Elliott deserved something better than the floor to sleep on.

“Hey, buddy,” Steve said, gently nudging his shoulder to wake him up. “Sorry, just gotta run and ask someone something real quick.”

Elliott grabbed his shirt, holding it in his fist tightly.

“Don’t go! Please,” he begged, tears welling in his eyes.

Steve’s heart broke.

He’d been this kid for so much of his childhood, practically begging people to stick around so he didn’t have to be drenched in loneliness again.

He knew he would be right back, but to Elliott, especially after the quake, he probably felt like anyone who left would be gone forever.

“Come with me. We’ll find you some dinner while I find out how things are going.”

He stood up, his legs numb from sitting on the floor so long, and helped Elliott find his balance after waking up so abruptly.

They left the room, the security nodding them on when he saw Steve was with him, and walked down the hall to the cafeteria area.

They were serving ham and cheese sandwiches, bags of chips, and water for everyone. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for now.

If he could find a phone, maybe he could get Robin to bring him and Elliott more food.

Elliott shyly thanked the person handing out the meals, and Steve slowly guided him to an empty table while his eyes searched for anyone he recognized.

He almost did a happy dance when he saw Dustin and Claudia across the room.

“Hey, that’s actually my friend and his mom. Can you wait here while I grab them?”

Elliott nodded nervously, clearly only letting him walk away because he would be within his sight the entire time.

Steve ran over to them, wincing slightly when the bite on his stomach started pulsing. Probably should take it easier while that healed.

“Dustin!” Steve exclaimed as he got closer.

Dustin’s head shot around, smile lighting up his face as he realized it was Steve.

“Dude! Everyone’s been trying to find you for hours. Have you been here all day?”

“Kinda. I came to help with searching and I found a kid earlier. They’re trying to find his parents, but he’s been kind of attached to me.”

“Damn, I hope they find them soon. Phone lines keep going down. You seen Hopper come by yet?”

“No, has he gotten any sleep yet?”

“Doubt it. Ma, do you have any cookies left for Steve?”

Claudia came bustling over, digging through her purse as she walked.

“Oh, I’m sure I do! Hi, Steve, dear. Hope you’re doing okay in all this madness.”

“I’m doing alright,” Steve gave her a small smile as she managed to find the cookies and hand them over. “Hey, do you know the parents of Elliott Devers?”

“Oh, I know of them, sure. Only met them once, they never seem to be in town. He’s a sweet boy, his aunt seems to take care of him most of the time.”

Steve filled her in on what he knew so far, that Elliott’s aunt had died, that no one could reach his parents, that he’d been alone in the house for at least a full day before Steve found him.

That Elliott didn’t seem to want to be separated from Steve.

Dustin was watching him talk, eyebrows furrowing like he was trying to think of something.

“Wait, his dad’s the guy who was under investigation for tax evasion, fraud, and identity theft, isn’t he?”

Steve’s stomach dropped.

His brain made connections that only children of rich parents can in a matter of seconds.

His parents ran to another country on “business” because that was the only way they were allowed to leave while he was under investigation. No one could reach them because they gave fake information so they could go into hiding. Because he was guilty of all of the things he was under investigation for and didn’t want to lose everything and end up in prison.

Fuck.

Claudia must have realized the same thing, a deep frown settling on her face.

“Elliott is the boy sitting at that table?” She asked as she pointed towards him.

He was watching them as he ate, eyes wide as he kept glancing around the room.

Steve nodded.

“If they ran, and they aren’t coming back, where will he go?” Steve asked.

“I’m sure he’ll be placed with a family who can take him until they can figure out a more permanent place, but that may be hard right now with so many people leaving Hawkins. He may have to leave town,” Claudia said, though Steve could tell she was trying to figure out how to take him in, even if only for a few days.

“What would I have to do to keep him while they keep looking?”

“Oh, that’s a question for Hopper, sweetie. I’m not sure you’d fit the requirements, even though I think he’d be very lucky to get to stay with you,” Claudia touched his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze in comfort.

“Is he coming by?”

“Hopper? Yes, he just got done at the hospital handling some things for Edward,” Claudia said.

“Eddie, Ma, how many times do I have to tell you?”

“The tone! Watch it!” Steve said before Claudia could respond.

She smirked at Steve, then gave Dustin a look that said she wasn’t going to listen to him and walked away.

“I gotta go with her, she’s bringing dinner to Wayne at the hospital.”

“Is Eddie awake?”

“Not yet, but they think it could be anytime. They said the drugs in his system are heavy enough to keep him out for a while.”

“But he seems okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Max?”

He almost didn’t want to ask, but he had to.

“No news.”

Steve nodded once, acknowledging that Dustin didn’t want to talk about it right now, that it was tough to even think about how she was probably not gonna wake up anytime soon if ever.

“Hey, come by my house tomorrow, okay? We can watch a movie or somethin’.”

“Sure.”

Steve gave Dustin a quick hug before making his way back to Elliott, who looked like he might start crying any moment.

“Hey, buddy. Sorry that took longer than I thought, but…” Steve pulled the bag of cookies from behind his back with a smile. “I got cookies! Claudia makes the best chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. You’ll love them.”

Elliott relaxed a little, smiling up at Steve as he reached for the bag of cookies.

“Is she nice? She looks nice.”

“She’s awesome. She always brings me soup if I’m sick.”

“Is that what moms do? My aunt sometimes does, but she doesn’t know how to make the kind I like.”

Steve bit his lip.

“What kind do you like?”

“My favorite is tomato and noodles. She can only make chicken noodle. It’s okay, but sometimes it has a funny taste.”

Steve smiled at him, glad he was at least talking, even if what he was saying was heartbreaking.

“I’m sure Claudia can make you some tomato and noodles. I’ll call and ask.”

“But not now, right?”

Elliott’s voice filled with panic, his eyes widening.

“No, I’m staying with you right now. The chief should be here soon and we can figure out what’s going on, okay?”

“Like, the chief of police? You know him?”

“Yeah, Hopper’s nice. Don’t let his mean face scare you. He’s kind of a teddy bear.”

“Excuse you, I’m not a teddy bear. I’m a grizzly bear,” Hopper said behind Steve.

Elliott laughed, and Hopper tried to hide a small smile. Teddy bear.

“Are you Elliott?” Elliott nodded. “Can we go talk for a few minutes just us? I promise Steve can wait right outside the door.”

Hopper gave Steve a look that said he was about to ruin this kid’s day as if it didn’t already suck enough.

“Um, can Steve come in the room too?”

“If you want him to, sure.”

“I want him to.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

Steve grabbed everything off the tables, throwing the trash away on the walk towards the teacher’s lounge area that had been set up for the cops to conduct phone calls and interviews as needed.

It was empty now, probably thanks to Hopper taking control quickly.

They sat down around a table, Elliott’s hand finding Steve’s quickly.

“Alright, Elliott, so I have a few questions and then I have some news,” Hopper started, his voice maintaining no emotion the way he’d been taught.

“Okay.”

“How long have your parents been gone this time?”

“I dunno. A week, maybe a little longer.”

“And you were alone that whole time?”

Elliott looked to Steve, like he needed help to answer, but Steve just smiled at him and mouthed ‘just be honest, you’re not in trouble.’

“Most of the time. My aunt came to check on me in the mornings and bring me food for the day.”

“Aunt Janice?”

“Yeah.”

“Bud, I’m sorry to tell ya this, but your Aunt Janice was in a really bad accident and didn’t make it,” Hopper’s voice started to show some emotion, but Steve squeezed Elliott’s hand so he wouldn’t focus on that.

“She died?”

“Yeah, bud. I’m sorry.”

“But who will bring me food in the morning?”

Steve couldn’t do this. Holy shit, he could not do this. How was Hopper able to do this?

“Well, we still haven’t been able to call your parents. Do you know exactly where they might be?”

“I don’t know. They don’t tell me where they go.”

Steve and Hopper looked at each other.

Hopper knew Steve had been in a similar position when he was younger, but no one checked on him. Hopper had often been the one to show up at his door during his early teens to make sure he had food and wasn’t hurt.

“What if he stayed with me until you find them?” Steve asked Hopper.

Elliott turned to him.

“I can stay with you?” He asked excitedly.

“Oh, I’m not sure about that. There’s a process for this kinda thing,” Hopper began.

“Then start the process. He’s staying with me,” Steve said firmly, not caring if he sounded rude, not caring if Hopper hated him for it, just wanting Elliott safe and in a house instead of a school converted to a disaster relief zone.

Hopper eyed him up and down, and the way Elliott was holding his hand and bouncing excitedly in his chair.

“Alright, fine. But it’s a week by week basis until we can get ahold of his parents,” Hopper said directly to Steve.

“Steve, do you have a microwave? I make popcorn so good, like so good. I can make it tonight even!”

Steve smiled at him, and then at Hopper, who was watching with a fond smile.

“I’m sure I have what you need to make some popcorn, buddy.”

“You wait here, I have to get the release from CPS. They’re in the front office.”

Elliott went on and on about all the things they could do while he stayed with him, and when he found out Steve had a pool, he didn’t even stop for breath as he explained that he was the best swimmer when they took a field trip last year to the pool and that he could probably even beat Steve in a race.

Steve just smiled and agreed.

—-----------------------

A week with Elliott went by, and it was easy.

Steve was terrified how quickly he just fit in.

He fit in at his house, making it feel like a home, with his rambunctious energy and nightly popcorn making.

He fit in with the kids, showing interest in D&D even though he’d never heard of it before.

He even fit with Robin, who kind of hated kids, but thought Elliott was probably the cutest kid she’d ever met.

One night, while Dustin and Mike were showing Elliott how to build a character, Robin asked him the question he’d been dreading.

“What happens if he can’t stay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m assuming they’ll find his parents soon, and when they do, he’ll have to go live with them again. Or at least his mom since his dad will be in prison for life at this rate. How are you gonna handle that?”

He had no clue. He wanted Elliott to have parents who stuck around, and who loved him, and let him pop popcorn every night.

But realistically, even if they did come back, that wasn’t what his life would look like.

His life would be a lot like Steve’s was, sad and lonely, and he didn’t deserve that.

“I’m gonna fight for him. I don’t know what that means yet, but I know that whatever is best for him is what I’m gonna make sure happens.”

Robin wrapped him up in a hug, her arms squeezing him to her.

“You’re gonna be a great dad someday.”

No one had ever said that to him before.

But maybe he could believe it.

—-------------------------------------

Steve was the first person to come to the hospital when Eddie woke up, Elliott excitedly chattering from the backseat of his car the whole way.

It was helping Steve’s nerves, but he knew he wasn’t giving Elliott the attention he needed.

“Sorry, buddy. What was that?”

Elliott was quiet for a moment.

“Are you worried?”

Steve smiled at him in the rearview mirror, his hands gripping the wheel tight.

“A little. You remember how everyone told you about Eddie? How he saved us all and almost died?”

“Yeah, he’s a hero!”

“He is. But he’s still healing and I’m just worried about how hurt he is.”

“Oh. So we can’t hug him or hold his hand to help him feel better?” Elliott groaned. “Oh man, I was gonna bring him popcorn!”

Steve laughed quietly to himself.

“I think he’s on a pretty strict diet right now, buddy. Maybe when he’s out of the hospital we can have him over for a movie and you can make him some.”

“When will he be out?”

“I dunno yet. I think it might still be a little while.”

“Will I still live with you then?”

Steve gulped.

“I hope so.”

“Me too,” Elliott said quietly, staring out the window as they pulled into the hospital parking lot.

His mood was a bit somber as they walked through the halls of the bustling hospital, going to the fifth floor in the elevator where Eddie’s room was.

When he got to the right room, he knocked on the door even though it was open, smiling in at Wayne.

“Hey, come in, Steve. Eddie, Steve’s here,” Wayne said as he turned to Eddie, who was awake, but mostly horizontal still in bed.

“Steve?” Eddie’s rough voice asked.

“Hey, Eds. Hope it’s okay I brought my buddy, Elliott, to say hi. He’s heard a lot about you and Dustin and Mike and Will have been teaching him D&D for when you get out of here.”

Steve walked close to the bed, holding Elliott’s hand. He seemed shy suddenly, which wasn’t like him, not since he was living with Steve.

“Hey, Elliott. You keepin’ Steve company?”

“Yes, sir.”

Wayne snorted.

“Oh, son, you don’t have to be formal with Eddie. He’s barely older than you in his head.”

Eddie glared at Wayne, but smiled at Elliott.

“Seriously, bud, just Eddie is fine. So you ready for a campaign?”

“I dunno. Dustin said maybe I can play with you guys?”

“‘Course you can. I have so many ideas when I get outta here.”

Eddie turned to Steve and gave him a smirk.

“As long as we can host at your place?”

Steve blushed, remembering the last time he had Eddie’s full attention on him, back when his words “make him pay” sounded a lot like “I love you.”

“Yeah. Yeah, we can do that. When do you get out of here?”

Elliott was loosening his anxious grip on Steve’s hand as the nerves wore off.

“They said not for a couple weeks, but I’m gonna walk right out of here the moment I can feel my legs again.”

Elliott let out a giggle and Eddie smiled.

“You can help me, right? I may need some support to run for it.”

“No! You have to stay until you’re all better, goofball.”

“That’s exactly what I told him, Elliott. You’re much wiser than he is,” Wayne said with a roll of his eyes.

Elliott moved closer to the side of the bed, his hands folded in front of him.

“Um. Could I hold your hand? So you feel better?”

Steve was going to cry.

Eddie kind of looked like he might, too.

“Yeah, I could use a hand to hold, bud. Thanks for offering. Wayne’s hand gets sweaty, but don’t tell him I said that,” he whispered the last part to Elliott, but loud enough so everyone could still hear.

Elliott held his hand, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed.

He told Eddie all about the character Dustin and Mike helped him build, about how they might run a practice campaign with him soon. He told him about the popcorn he would make for the first time he came over.

Steve watched fondly, realizing quickly that this wasn’t something he could lose.

Not Elliott, and not Eddie either.

—-----------------------------

Elliott’s parents were still missing.

It’s been almost a month, Eddie was released from the hospital a day ago, and Elliott was still living with Steve.

The longer he stayed, the more it would hurt if he left.

They got into a routine.

School had been canceled for the rest of the year, so they mostly just made breakfast together, went in the pool, hung out with the kids, visited Eddie, played basketball, and had popcorn every night.

Steve knew Elliott was happy, he knew he was happy.

He was terrified it would end.

They were hosting Eddie for a movie night, and Elliott was more excited than ever.

Steve was a nervous wreck.

He was in charge of making sure Eddie didn’t overdo it, making sure he took his nighttime medications, and getting him to bed at a reasonable hour. According to Wayne, his pills made him tired and he would fight sleep if you didn’t force him into a bed.

Steve spent the day cleaning, baking, and preparing.

By dinner time, when Eddie would be arriving, Elliott was starting to question it.

“What’s wrong? Do you not want Eddie to come over?”

“No! Of course I want him to come over.”

“So…why are you being like this?”

“I’m…”

“Is it because you love Eddie?”

Steve choked on air.

“What?”

“Or do you think Eddie doesn’t love you?”

“Elliott, gonna say a big kid word right now. What the hell do you mean?”

Elliott rolled his eyes.

“You want to make Eddie feel happy and safe here, and you always get this stupid look on your face when we visit him, and then when I asked Wayne if you two were boyfriends he laughed and said ‘probably soon.’ So you love him, right?”

Steve’s mouth was working open and shut, open and shut, no noise coming out.

“Two boys can be together, you know. Robin told me.”

“She what? When?”

“When she told me two girls can be together.”

Steve put his face in his hands and couldn’t help the laugh of disbelief he let out as Elliott touched his back to comfort him.

“Did you not know you loved Eddie?”

“Uh. I guess I didn’t know that other people thought I loved Eddie.”

“Oh. So are you gonna be boyfriends?”

“I…I don’t know, buddy. Maybe.”

“I think you should be. Then it might be like I have two dads.”

What?

What.

“What?”

Elliott pulled his hand away and suddenly seemed nervous.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that.”

Steve couldn’t handle the look on Elliott’s face.

“Elliott, look at me, buddy.” He waited for Elliott to look at him. “Is that what you think of me as? Like your dad?”

Elliott nodded.

“Come here,” Steve said, pulling Elliott into a hug. “You’re the best kid, you know that?”

Elliott nodded, and Steve let out a wet laugh.

“Uh, everything okay in here?” Eddie said from the doorway.

“Eddie!” Elliott let out, and despite the mood of the previous conversation, he was smiling from ear to ear.

Eddie smiled at him and pulled him into the least hurt side of him for a hug.

He looked at Steve with a questioning look. Steve just shook his head quickly, wiping the tears from his eyes quickly.

“Can I make popcorn now, pleeeeease?” Elliott asked, bouncing on his heels.

“Yes, fine. But only one bowl right now. You can make more after dinner.”

“Okay, dad!” he yelled as he ran to the popcorn maker.

Eddie’s brows raised to his forehead as he looked at Steve, who was crying buckets at this point.

“What’s that about, Stevie?” Eddie whispered as he came up to him.

“I um, I guess he just feels like I’m his dad,” Steve shrugged.

“Are you okay with that?”

“I just don’t want him to go.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Eddie said, pulling Steve into a crushing hug that had to hurt him. Steve sniffled against his shoulder, letting himself cry for a minute. “Did Hopper say he may have to go soon?”

“No, but I mean, if they find his parents or if CPS decides he has to go to a real family, then he’ll have to.”

“Stevie, they wouldn’t just take him. Not when he’s safe here and wants to be here. I promise.”

“But what if he goes somewhere far away or to people who won’t let me see him?”

Eddie held the back of his head against his shoulder, placing a kiss to the top of his head.

“He won’t. We’ll fight for him to stay here, okay? He’s got a family here, with us. Right?”

“Us?” Steve asked as he pulled away.

“Yeah. Us. Sound okay to you?”

Steve could only nod as he wiped his running nose.

How attractive.

“Hopper still doesn’t have any idea where they are, right?”

“Nope.”

“They’ll give up eventually. I hate to say it, but they won’t put more effort into a kid who has a safe place to go when they have bigger problems. Like how half the town is still homeless because of a fucking earthquake.”

“That’s a big kid word!” Elliott yelled from his spot at the counter.

“I’m a big kid!” Eddie yelled back, smirking at Steve.

“But I’m not!” Elliott yelled as they heard the popcorn machine starting up.

“Fine!”

Eddie placed a kiss on Steve’s forehead, then one against his lips.

It was soft, chaste, barely a kiss at all.

But it was a perfect first kiss for them.

—----------------------------

Another month passed with no news.

Eddie was at Steve’s house almost every day, spending time with Elliott, spending time with the party, with Steve.

Steve had converted the main guest room into Elliott’s permanent bedroom, but was scared to think of it that way still.

Eddie tried to reassure him, but even he was nervous that no final decisions had been made and the case remained open.

Until Hopper came by one night, well after Elliott went to bed. Eddie was doing the dishes while Steve was prepping some fruit for Elliott’s breakfast before his first day of summer camp the next day.

“Hop.”

Steve felt his stomach sink.

They were going to take Elliott.

“Steve. Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Steve let him in, his face forced into casual calm, but on the inside he was already screaming and crying about what was about to happen.

Hopper sat down on the chair, gesturing for Steve and Eddie to sit on the couch.

“So.”

“You’re taking him aren’t you? He can’t stay.”

“What? No.” Hopper frowned. “No, Steve. The opposite actually. We’re closing the case. CPS said after interviews with him, even if his parents did get found or come back on their own, he wouldn’t be put back in their care.”

“But what about putting him with another family?”

Hopper sighed. He watched Eddie place a hand on Steve’s knee to calm him down.

“They’ve spoken in detail with him about his current situation. They believe that you’re the person he wants to live with and they aren’t going to disrupt his life any more than it already has been. If that’s alright with you, of course.”

Steve felt like he could breathe for the first time in his life.

“He can stay? With me?”

“He can stay with you.”

Steve let out a sob and fell against Eddie’s side. Eddie was crying too, but trying to keep more control so he could comfort Steve.

“CPS has to do a home visit to finalize everything, but if you’re good with it, you can officially adopt him. He’s been considered abandoned by his parents, and since it’s been 60 days, they relinquish all rights automatically.”

“How quickly can we do that?”

“We? Both of you?”

“I mean, can we both even do that?”

Hopper shrugged.

“Don’t know. But they’re probably expecting just Steve for now. They’ll call tomorrow to schedule everything and give you a chance to talk to Elliott.”

Steve and Eddie both nodded.

“I’m gonna leave you two to it, but call me if you need me. Congrats, Steve. I know you wanted this. I know he wanted this.”

“Thanks.”

Hopper saw himself out, closing the door quietly so it wouldn’t wake Elliott up.

“Eddie, did that really happen? Am I dreaming?”

“No, sweetheart, you aren’t dreaming.”

“I get to be his dad.”

“Yeah, you do.”

“And you?”

“What about me?”

“Do you want to be his other dad?”

“I would love to, baby. Let’s ask him tomorrow, though. It’s up to him.”

Steve nodded.

It was up to Elliott, but he knew what Elliott wanted.

He knew what he wanted.

They were gonna be a family. A real family. No more worrying about someone deciding to take Elliott away from him.

He could finally use this house that had been left to him by his parents for something other than being miserable. He could keep it filled with love and laughter and happiness and maybe the occasional stupid argument.

Maybe Elliott would make friends at school in the fall and want to have hangouts here. Maybe they could both save up some money and take him on a vacation somewhere. Maybe someday they could get married and Elliott could be the best man.

Anything could happen.

Steve couldn’t wait.

[ha-rinrin]

The Festival

Paring- Jinx X F!Reader

Word count- 31.3k

summary- You're a respected member of the university council, known for your leadership skills and organization. What happens when Jinx, the popular and chaotic students needs your help to set up a wide tech festival?

A little peak to my ao3 fan fiction

You flipped trough the pile of paperwork across the council meeting room. It was the usual chaos, request for funding from various student organizations, complains about the cafeteria's latest attempt at "healthy options," and proposals for next semester’s big events. The list seemed endless, but you were used to it. You thrived in this environment, where order and structure ruled. Here, everything was under control, and that was exactly how you liked it.

Just as your mind starts to drift, Derek, your fellow council member, groans from across the table. "Great. Guess who submitted a new proposal?"

You glance up, knowing the answer before the words even leave his mouth.

"Jinx," he mutters, flipping through a folder. "The campus wildcard."

The mention of Jinx’s name is enough to make everyone shift uncomfortably, and you can feel the tension rise between two of your fellow council members—Vi and Caitlyn. Vi, Jinx’s big sister, sits up a little straighter, her jaw tightening. Caitlyn crosses her arms and lets out a quiet huff of disapproval, she has never been a fan of Jinx.

Your stomach tightens. Jinx is infamous around here. Known for her chaotic energy and wild stunts, she’s the kind of person everyone’s aware of but few actually know. You’ve heard the stories—who hasn’t?—about her explosives demonstrations in the engineering labs, her graffiti art that somehow makes it past security, and the parties that erupt wherever she goes, filled with loud music, dangerous experiments, and neon lights that pulse through the night.

You’ve never directly interacted with her, but as a council member, you’ve cleaned up the aftermath of her stunts more times than you’d like to count.

You reach for her proposal, already dreading what’s inside. "What does she want this time?" she's known for submitting.. well, interesting ideas, one time she send a whole plan on how turning lecture halls into laser tag arenas was such a great idea

Derek slides the file toward you, and you open it, skimming the pages. It’s a proposal for a campus-wide tech festival—robotics demonstrations, live engineering projects, interactive art installations. It’s… ambitious. You can already see the potential for things going disastrously wrong. And of course, there’s an after-party planned. A massive one. but you have to admit, it is a great idea.

"This looks…" you hesitate, unsure whether to call it reckless or brilliant. "Ambitious."

Caitlyn, sitting across from you, scoffs. "Ambitious is one word for it. Catastrophic is another."

Vi shoots her a look, her jaw clenched but silent. Caitlyn doesn’t look fazed. If anything, she seems more annoyed. Caitlyn has never hidden her disdain for Jinx. The chaos Jinx brings to the campus makes Caitlyn’s job on the council infinitely harder, and you’ve heard her vent more than once about how Jinx’s antics undermine the structure Caitlyn and Vi work to maintain.

Still, you can feel the unspoken tension between Vi and Caitlyn every time Jinx comes up. Vi tries to stay neutral, but the protective instinct over her sister is always just beneath the surface.

"Ambitious? More like a disaster waiting to happen," Derek adds, rolling his eyes. "You know how she is. The university won’t let her get within a mile of an event this big without strict supervision."

You sigh, knowing they’re right. Jinx is brilliant, no doubt about that. Her projects, when they work, are incredible. But they almost never come without some sort of explosive twist—sometimes literally. The administration has a close eye on her, and every time she gets close to doing something huge, they pull the reins back, worried about the potential chaos she might unleash.

"I’ll talk to her," you say, closing the file and tucking it under your arm. "See if we can rein in some of these wilder ideas."

You find yourself in the engineering building later that afternoon, a place you rarely visit. The labs are noisy and full of students rushing to meet deadlines, their arms filled with wires, tools, and half-constructed machines. You navigate through the maze of equipment until you find the lab Jinx is rumored to haunt.

The door is slightly open, and you push it gently, stepping inside.

The scene inside is exactly what you’d expect from Jinx. It’s a mess—no, it’s a war zone of wires, gears, tools, and half-assembled robots scattered across every surface. Sparks fly from one corner, where Jinx herself is hunched over a piece of equipment. Her neon-blue hair is pulled into two messy insanely long braids, goggles perched on her forehead, and she’s completely engrossed in whatever she’s working on.

"Jinx?" you call, your voice hesitant.

She doesn’t look up. "If you’re here to tell me I can’t use explosive fuel cells, save it. I already know."

You blink, thrown off by her casual, sarcastic tone. "No… I’m here about your tech festival proposal."

That gets her attention. Jinx straightens up, pushing her goggles up higher and turning to face you. There’s a mischievous glint in her eyes as she grins, clearly pleased with herself. "Oh, that. You council types finally got around to reading it, huh?. About time"

"Yeah, we did," you say annoyed at her comment, stepping into the room carefully, avoiding stray wires and tools as if one wrong step might set off something dangerous. "It’s… ambitious."

Jinx leans back against a cluttered workbench, crossing her arms. "Ambitious is just another word for fun."

"Ambitious is also another word for risky," you counter, trying to keep your tone calm. "The administration has concerns. Especially with your… reputation."

She raises an eyebrow at that, her grin widening. "My reputation? I like to think of myself as the one who makes things interesting."

"Or destructive," you mutter under your breath. Louder, you say, "Look, the council wants to support your idea, but we need guarantees. We can’t have another one of your projects going… rogue."

Jinx’s eyes spark with amusement. "Rogue? That sounds fun. But I get it. You’re here to babysit me, make sure everything stays neat and tidy just as you councils love to do."

"I’m here to help make sure your event doesn’t get shut down before it even starts," you correct her. "The university won’t approve this unless there’s a plan in place to keep things under control."

She’s silent for a moment, her gaze studying you as if she’s trying to decide whether you’re worth her time. Then, to your surprise, she shrugs. "Fine. I’ll play nice. But don’t expect me to turn this into some boring expo where everything’s by the book like you want it to be."

"That’s not what I’m asking," you say, your frustration slipping through despite your best efforts to remain calm. "I’m asking for balance. Something fun and innovative, without… explosions or absolute chaos like you "love to do" ."You quote her, already feeling an intense irritation.

"Explosions make things exciting," she quips, but there’s a softness in her tone now, a hint of cooperation. "But okay, councilor. We’ll do it your way. For now."

You exhale, relieved but still wary. "I’ll get the council to review the budget and schedule a final approval meeting. We’ll need to talk logistics."

"Sounds like a date," she says, and the way her eyes twinkle as she says it makes your heart skip a beat. "By the way, nice to meet you, Y/N. I’ve heard a lot about you."

"You… know my name?" you ask, caught off guard.

"Of course I do," Jinx replies, tossing a wrench onto the workbench with a smirk. "You’re practically a campus legend in the council. Always following the rules, keeping things neat and tidy and on top of that being pretty. It’s cute."

You blush at her calling you not just pretty, but also cute. still, you can’t tell if she’s teasing you or complimenting you—or maybe both—but the playful energy she exudes is enough to leave you flustered, you don't ignore the annoyance though . "Right… well, I’ll be in touch."

As you turn to leave, you can feel her eyes on you, that mischievous grin still lingering. And for the first time, you wonder if you’ve gotten yourself into something far more complicated than you’d expected.

The walk back to the council office feels heavier than usual. You’ve dealt with difficult proposals before—unrealistic requests, last-minute event ideas, student groups that didn’t know how to handle their budgets—but nothing quite like this. Jinx, with her chaotic charm and devil-may-care attitude, had somehow made it feel like agreeing to help her was a far more personal decision than just approving a project.

Back in the council room, Vi and Caitlyn are already waiting, the air between them thick with tension. You can feel it even before you sit down, the awkward space that always opens up between them when Jinx is involved. Caitlyn’s posture is as rigid as ever, her hands clasped neatly in front of her, while Vi looks like she’s been wrestling with something in her mind.

“So?” Caitlyn’s voice is sharp, cutting through the silence as you settle into your chair. “How did it go?”

You hesitate, glancing at Vi, who watches you intently. She doesn’t say anything, but there’s a quiet plea in her expression. She’s stuck in the middle, and you can feel the weight of that as you take a breath.

“She’s willing to compromise,” you say carefully. “She’ll follow our guidelines, but she’s not going to water down the event. It’s still going to be… big.”

“Big,” Caitlyn repeats, her tone flat. “That’s one way to describe it. Let me guess—there’s still an after-party, isn’t there?”

You nod slowly. “Yes, but she’ll cooperate with security measures. No unsupervised explosives. No rogue robots.”

Caitlyn sighs heavily, clearly unimpressed. “And you believe her?”

Vi shifts uncomfortably, her hands tapping against the table as she finally speaks up. “Jinx means well. She just… gets carried away sometimes. But she’ll stick to it. If Y/N’s overseeing things, she’ll fall in line.”

You can hear the underlying frustration in Vi’s voice, the familiar strain of trying to balance loyalty to her sister and the expectations of the council. You’ve seen this dynamic between them before—Vi, fiercely protective of Jinx, but also tired of having to clean up the messes she leaves behind. Caitlyn, on the other hand, is always ready to take a hard line, no matter how much it irritates Vi.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want her involved,” Caitlyn says, her voice tight. “Every time she promises to stay within the lines, she ends up finding a way to blow them up. Literally. And it’s always us who have to clean up the aftermath.”

Vi’s jaw clenches, but she doesn’t snap back. You can tell it’s taking all her patience to hold back her frustration. The room is tense, the air thick with unspoken arguments that have likely played out between them too many times to count.

“Look,” you say, stepping in before things can escalate further, “I’ll be keeping an eye on her. The event will have rules, and she knows the consequences if things get out of hand. I don’t think she’s looking to get herself banned from campus activities.”

Caitlyn lets out a humorless laugh. “Maybe not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if something went wrong. She thrives on chaos.”

Vi shakes her head, her voice softer now, almost pleading. “She’s trying, Caitlyn. She’s not the same as she was back in the day, she's not the same jinx as she was in highscool. She wants this event to work.”

Caitlyn meets her gaze, the tension between them simmering. You’ve seen this argument before, this subtle back-and-forth where neither of them fully wins. You’re caught in the middle of it now, and it’s not a comfortable place to be.

“I’ll keep her in line,” you say again, trying to offer a resolution. “The event will be under control.”

Caitlyn narrows her eyes, but she relents, though her expression remains skeptical. “Fine. But if she steps out of line, it’s on you”

Her words linger longer than they should, the unspoken warning hanging in the air. You nod, not fully understanding the weight of that responsibility. After all, the council is trusting you to make sure this doesn’t become the disaster everyone expects it to be, everything you worked so hard for is at sake now and is on Jinx hands..

nobody was faith in Jinx, well.. except for Vi but she doesn't really count. Highscool Jinx's was something else, she's always been really smart so even after partying all night, drinking, smoking cigarettes and weed on a daily bases, sometimes playing with boys and girls feelings gaining the "school heartbreaker" title, and also getting detention almost every day, she still had the best grades out of all the class. You didn't see her much back then due to being a year above her, but gossip spread fast. Now you’re responsable for any mistake she makes during this festival, great

Continue in ao3

[five-sided-dice]

Types of Writers as D&D Alignment

Lawful Responsible: probably got a publishing deal - takes nice photos - never responds to DMS - business

Neutral Responsible: has a very set schedule to write - won NaNoWriMo - journals > laptops - organized

Chaotic Responsible: good at drawing but prefers writing - writes music as well - never focuses on one project at a time and that's ok - moms friend

Lawful Soft: inspirational quotes - runs a book account as well - likes to post about their cat a lot - very encouraging

Neutral Soft: aesthetic - tea - mood boards - leather bound fancy journals - good handwriting

Chaotic Soft: posts mood boards to procrastinate writing - doesn't follow their own advice - reads your work but forgets to tell you -likes to write coffee shop au's or other fluffy romances

Lawful Disaster: gives good writing advice but says some variant of f*** 50 times to explain it - smart 'texts you at 4am to ramble about world building -probably writes fan fic

Neutral Disaster: never texts with proper grammar - most likely a college student - writes at 4am and is unable to write at any other time - coffee with too much sugar

Chaotic Disaster: word count = 0 - they look like they're about to collapse at any moment - hoodies - energy drinks and death

I actually cant tell which one I am, Can you?

[bazzybelle]

Square/Prompt: B3 - Furry

Title: Bang! Bang! (I'm Aiming At You)

Rating: Mature

Ship(s): Dream of the Endless | Morpheus / Hob Gadling

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Additional Tags: Pining, Light Angst, Horny Dream, Bisexual Disasters, 5K of Morpheus Blue-Screening over how hot Hob is

Summary:

“God, my body is ruined. Gonna head straight home and draw myself a nice hot bath. Soak in there for a month, I think.” Robert clasps his hands together and lifts them high above his head stretching his shoulders and back. The scrubs, which were previously lifting slightly, end up exposing a small section of his stomach. A stomach that is tantalizingly covered in dark, thick hair. A stomach that all too quickly is covered once more as Robert lowers his arms and rolls his shoulders. It is too late, the damage is done. Images of a perfectly furried stomach, and a thick, dark trail leading under his scrub pants is all that enters his mind. A furried stomach that begs for fingers to trail over, twirling the small strands of hair between them. 

Link, if full work is posted elsewhere:

Got another short lil fic for you! I saw the prompt of Furry and knew right away that I had to have Morpheus just obsessing over Hob's hairy body. And because it's ME, I had to throw in a healthy dash of good ol' angst.

Thank you to @seiya-starsniper for beta-reading and providing some good suggestions on how to amp up the angst at the end.

Thank you always to the Chaotic Sprinters at the Sadman Discord Server.

If you are a MASSIVE fan of Grey's Anatomy, see if you can spot the Easter eggs. I've thrown a couple in there for you.

[givethemsmut]

Dom Mysterio x Reader

Chapter Twenty-Four | Where It All Started…

Dom slept the entire flight while I sat there filled with anxiety and guilt. I kept scrolling through the snapped photos of the one ultrasound we got before everything fell apart. I should have been miserable at home, crying in bed, and blaming myself. I felt guilty for letting myself be anything else.

I blamed myself and my body so much I hate myself. I wanted to numb myself any way I could to just stop thinking about it.

Dom wasn’t going to understand. Not when he simply wanted to try again and forget it happened altogether.

Pushing another pill between my lips, I chased it with water and felt the placebo effect take hold of me as I scrolled trying to ignore the pain.

Landing I realized I hadn’t slept more than a few hours when I realized the pills were keeping me awake. I had been running on fumes for weeks, since it happened.

I was cruising for disaster and Dom wasn’t ready to pick of my pieces. Not the way we were right now.

All he saw was baggage and damage I had carried with me my whole life.

"I got us a hotel for tonight and tomorrow then we can hop on the bus. It’s ours, no sharing, this time." Dom grabbed our carry-on bags and lead the way off the plane. He had no idea there was a war inside my head that needed the pills still.

Just outside the airport a car pulled up and someone inside nodded their head enough to signal us over. The car ride was quiet, Dom slide his headphones over his ears and I gazed out the window at all the green we didn’t really have back home.

The venue was less chaotic than I had seen it before, maybe more organized or more staff helping it run smoother but no one seemed to be stressed the same way I remembered.

“Let me know if you wanna go to the hotel. I’ll have an Uber take you. I gotta get warmed up, run a rehearsal before my match with dad.” Dom carried both our bags inside the venue while I didn’t race to keep up with his long legs.

Back home in our bed was safe, no one could hurt us but ourselves.

I wasn’t cleared for working out, sex, birth control or even certain foods but that didn’t stop Dom’s fingers from making me come before we even stepped foot on the flight. Granted, it was all he was willing to do but I wasn’t going to be picky.

No one knew better than me knew I didn’t belong here. Wives, girlfriends, even mistresses belonged at home. Safely, at home.

“Mija, what are you doing here?” Rey walked up to me and I put my arms around him in a deep embrace.

Still holding my bag on my arm I looked around to realized Dom rushed off to work without me registering it. “I came with Dom. I couldn’t be at home anymore.”

I could see his expression turned concerned and I couldn’t understand why. “I really hope Dom wasn’t behind this. He could get fired proving a point.”

“What?” My voice was full of hesitation when I couldn’t follow.

“Mija, the video. WWE may love him as a heel but this… it’s too far. You need to talk to him and settle him down. Humble him. You’re the only voice of reason he’ll listen to. I gotta go prep, I’ll see you later?” Rey jogged past me when I still couldn’t comprehend anything he said.

Deeper in the WWE maze backstage I found a familiar face sitting with a group of wrestlers with a plate in front of him. Finn Balor. “What is Dom in trouble for this time?”

Instantly silencing their conversation and flipping over his phone I felt my level of trust diminish. “Maybe we should talk privately…”

“Why?” I simply asked, “Aren’t you guys his friends?”

Finn’s hand smoothed against my back, guiding me away from the table filled with Judgement day members. “Were you behind this?”

Shoving his phone in my hand he pressed play on a video I knew all too well. A darkly lit video with Dom between my legs and my back arched into him. I could hear myself whimpering under him like if I didn’t come I would die.

Snatching the phone out of his hand I locked it to stop from hearing our pants mixing. Holding his phone hostage I shot his an angry look, “Why would I put that out there? Do you think I want him fired?”

“Every gossip and news channel picked it up. It’s got millions of views, princess. It’s not gonna be bad for his image, he’s already a villain. And if you did this then he can cry innocent.” Finn’s words skated down my spine before I handed him back his phone.

“Where’s Dom? Did he see it?” I asked Finn like I was responsible. “The ring, rehearsal. Good luck, Princess.”

Headed towards the ring I spotted Dom taking falls and hits like choreography. Spotting me he rolled up onto his knees and sat on the rope for me. Hesitating I climbed the apron carefully and stepped inside, something I haven’t done since he trained with his dad. “We should talk…”

“Give us a minute…” he announced to the guys. His hands on his hips he stared at me with his eyebrows wrinkled.

“There’s a video… Finn showed me… someone leaked it or got it somehow. Maybe they know you from WWE? Maybe it’s a fan?” I was speaking too fast, pushing syllables together and expecting his mind to follow.

Pushing his hands through his hair he pulled his shirt up to wipe the sweat from his face. “What video?”

Not giving anything away I pulled my phone out of my sweat pants pocket and googled the video. Within milliseconds the video came up crystal clear with us kissing in bed, his hands fondling me and his tattoos unmistakable.

Taking the phone from my grasp he examined the video. “That’s not us,” he said so matter of fact before slipping the phone back into my hand.

“Dom,” exhaling frustratedly, “I know your tattoos… That’s us.”

“If it’s us then it’s not new. Who cares about some old video that no one can prove?”

“Your parents, your job, our friends, your fans… a lot of people will care. We didn’t even see it all. We have no idea how bad it gets.” I was scared to even watch even though every second of it turned me on.

Kissing my forehead he smiled, “Least they know it’s a storyline now. The truth is on video - not Liv or Rhea. Us. Stop worrying so much.”

Stepping into him I whispered, “Did you… Dom, tell me you didn’t do this.”

Keeping his voice low he scanned the room. “I had to protect us. The storyline doesn’t get magically better, babe. It ends with me on top of her, sexually, almost kissing and Rhea comes back. I know you and we won’t survive a fight every week until this is over. People know it’s fake now.”

“My body is in that video too, Dom.” I shook off his touch and stepped back.

A sharp inhale and his fingers running through his hair again I watched the anger bubble. “Are you fucking kidding me? This solves all our problems.”

“We’re fucking. Naked. That’s private, Dom. Now everyone can see.”

“We were kids then. It’s not new, it’s dark, hard to prove or disprove, you can’t see much. I know what I’m doing.” His phone sat on the apron of the ring, glaring against the lights when he plucked it up. “I sent it to you. It’s not as bad as you think.”

“I’m going to the hotel. I’ll see you after work.” Rushing to the ropes he helped me down still trying to smooth it over. Without my permission Dom took a home video and put it online just to prove I was his and he was mine. I wanted to love him for it but all I felt was naked and violated.

“Better than the one of you and Finn, mi amore.”

My head snapped his direction, glaring at him for settling the score before walking away. Backstage I could feel everyone’s eyes on me until I wanted to scream.

“Nice tape. I’m free for the sequel,” an unfamiliar blonde shouted as I breezed by.

Disgusted, I kept going until the warm air hit my face and the fans cheers and chatter became overwhelming. Finn walked up behind me, hand on my back again and guiding me to his rental car. “Get in. We’re at the same hotel.”

Inside the passenger seat I stayed quiet, letting him fill the silence. “Dom did it, didn’t he?” Staying silent all I wanted to do was watch the video so I knew exactly what everyone saw. “Fuck. Hopefully he doesn’t get suspended again.”

Finn’s words weren’t registering at all when he parked and I bolted from the car. Checking in under Dom’s real last name I took the keycards and headed for the elevators while Finn walked in. Ignoring him I pulled my phone out of my pocket again.

We weren’t strangers to recording our sex or even x-rated photos but this was different. I wasn’t sending Dom some scandalous photo this time. Instead I hit send on the entire world.

The video started with Dom placing it on a bedside table before stepping backwards into frame. Siting against the headboard I watched his hands guide me into frame, straddling his lap. “What did you wanna tell me? How wet you are right now?” I heard his husky voice come through my phone.

“Dom,” my voice whimpered as I settled on his lap without any real pushback. “This isn’t easy… to say and I need to.”

“Go ahead, Mami, you have my attention.”

In a stolen shirt of his, his hands disappear under the material and I gasped from his touch entirely. His mouth covered my neck in kisses while I found the strength to point out my ring.

“Fuck, I’ve missed this. Look at how hard these nipples get for me. I bet your ready for me.”

Lifting the shirt over my head our mouths chased each other and our hands grabbing at whatever we could. My tits we’re on display when he pushed me down to the bed and kissed down my body before his face disappeared between my legs.

Begging him to lick me I let my legs fall open while I touched myself.

Lifting my hips in the air I saw my entire body on display as he ate my pussy.

Stopping the video he was right, it wasn’t new. It was the summer before we left for Florida for his training, his name on my ass and me still thinking he was dating Marie, when he wasn’t.

I was still taking pills. Still hiding being engaged to his best friend out of sheer pity for myself.

I tried to tell Dom but every time I looked at him I fell into his trap. That smile always held me hostage.

I don’t remember there being a camera on his bedside table but it was hard to remember anything but how he felt. Every time I was supposed to break his heart we ended up horizontal in bed.

After showering and order room service I felt more relaxed but not by much when I ended up trolling the comments under the video.

He deserves better.

Why does he even like her?

Mami is always on top.

Liv’e revenge tour gets one stop.

I felt attacked, criticized, and every part of me buried myself further into my hoodie. The hotel door opened and I knew it was Dom, at some point I would have to face him.

He saw the video of Finn and myself. I didn’t have room to complain about this too.

I kept torturing myself by watching it over and over.

Without any words he waltz over to me and forced my face upright while he planted a kiss on my neck. “Did you watch it? I told you it’s not that bad.”

[rebelsofshield]

Some scattered Acolyte theories (spoilers for episode five)

The use of Kylo Ren's motif to accompany Qimir has to be intentional. It's one of the few themes from any of the films to make an appearance in the show so far and pairing it so clearly with Qimir at the episode's close must be doing more than simply recycling a familiar musical cue. From what we've seen, Qimir doesn't seem to have much in common with Kylo/Ben as a character. While Kylo Ren was a villain defined by his conflict and the weight of family legacy, Qimir is a self-declared nobody who comfortably inhabits his Dark Side beliefs.

So what if it's instead a callback to the Knights of Ren as a group? The exact origins of the Knights has yet to be established but we know from Marvel's Star Wars comics that they are an independent group of Dark Siders that have existed for quite sometime, possibly even further back than the events depicted in the Prequel Trilogy. While they would eventually morph into their own organization with separate ideologies and goals than the Sith, the musical callback alongside the visual similarities between Qimir's aesthetic design and Ren and his followers makes me believe that The Acolyte could be showcasing us the creation of the Knights as a purposeful offshoot of the Sith. It would be a fascinating storytelling detail if the Knights of Ren themselves began as an intentional red herring planted by the Sith to prevent discovery by the Jedi. One of the biggest questions hanging over The Acolyte is how exactly the Jedi missed this opportunity to discover the Sith over a hundred years before Palpatine executes their millennia long revenge scheme. While we already know that bureaucracy, ignorance, and fear of political scandal are factors at play here, the creation of the Knights as a scapegoat and smokescreen by the Sith feels like another element that's in play.

Hell, it even makes Ki-Adi Mundi's skepticism of Qui-Gon's claims in The Phantom Menace make more sense. What reason would he have to believe that the attacker Qui-Gon encountered on Tatooine was a Sith when a similar threat a century earlier ended up just being a member of a gang troublesome Dark Side offshoots. A problem, sure, but not the return of the Jedi's dreaded nemesis.

I spent much of the first few episodes of this show convinced that Sol was a fundamentally kindhearted man who was a witness to a terrible mistake the Jedi made on Brendok. Sol's tenderness towards Osha both in the past and present timelines of The Acolyte feels genuine and I'm not inclined to think that he's a devious enough liar to completely fake care and compassion for over a decade. I am, however, coming to wonder if Sol is perhaps hiding much more than we may think and might be one of the guiltiest parties at work here.

Much of this comes down to Qimir's inference that Sol did something to Osha. This feels like a much more pointed and personal accusation than Sol simply being present for the disaster on Brendok. Sol did something to Osha specifically.

It's obvious from how "Destiny" is directed that we are not getting the entirety of the story. Osha's perspective is shown and the events are confusing and chaotic. The Acolyte goes out of its way to make sure we barely see Mae or Mother Aniseya's experiences of that fateful night and I had assumed that we were dealing with a Rashomon set up that would reveal the truth after seeing different vantage points. But now, I'm beginning to doubt that what we even got from Osha is truthful. Even before she blacks out and wakes up aboard the Jedi's ship, there's a lot about what's depicted in "Destiny" that just doesn't make sense. A small fire spreads faster and quicker than it ought too. The witches all appear dead with no visible wounds. Sol's appearance is too sudden. Too much doesn't add up.

Basically, I'm starting to wonder if Sol used the Force to erase or twist certain memories in Osha's mind to cover up the violence on Brendok. Maybe the conflict between the Jedi and Aniseya's coven started out as a peaceful confrontation that escalated into violence through mistake and misunderstanding, but perhaps Sol is so concerned about the truth getting out that he would go as far to alter the mind of a child to keep his secrets. I've always felt that part of Sol's devotion to Osha comes from a sense of shame, but maybe that guilt runs much, much deeper than we think.

The other big leftover mystery from "Destiny" concerns the means and intents behind Osha and Mae's creation. Part of me does still genuinely think that the witches, being a matriarchal single gender culture, birthed both girls as a to ensure that their culture and tradition is passed onto another generation. I don't see Aniseya's ambitions stretching further than her coven on Brendok, particularly in how she views the Force as a Thread that cannot be pulled on without creating consequences. However, while the intentions may be fairly benign, I do not believe that Osha and Mae's creation was a bloodless act. The witches are clearly nervous about the Jedi discovering the true nature of their creation and it seems to stretch beyond their general distrust of the Order. Life doesn't come from nowhere and perhaps costs other lives in the process.

Now, here is where I put on my tinfoil. Like we're entering 2015-2017 Snoke theories territory here. I think Darth Plagueis assisted in the creation of Osha and Mae. One of the few things we know about the canon version of Plagueis is that he was obsessed with finding ways to use the Force to create life. It seems very possible that he might have collaborated with another Force sect for the purposes of experimenting and exploring these possibilities. The witches get the children they want. Plagueis gets knowledge that he deeply desires.

It answers the question of how Qimir knows so much about Mae and Osha in the first place. Sure, Sith are resourceful, but in order to manipulate Mae into becoming his Acolyte he would have to not only know that she existed but also possess extensive knowledge about her past. This feels like information that might come easily to Plagueis's current apprentice. And Sith apprentices sure do love training acolytes to help get their way to the top of the whole Rule of Two situation.

So what does this mean for Osha and Mae's future? There are many different directions to take their story from here and my thoughts about where they are headed as characters ultimately comes down to how definitive of an ending this (and maybe only) season of the Acolyte has. But to me, the groundwork seems laid for a particularly dark ending that sees Osha and Mae trading places. This has already happened in some sense given that Mae went undercover as her twin sister at the end of "Night," but I think The Acolyte is setting up an inversion of Light and Dark between these two.

Given her newfound proximity to Qimir, it feels all too likely that Osha slowly begins to learn the truth about what happened on Brendok and I don't imagine she's going to take it well, especially if my earlier theory about Sol proves correct. Depending on the degree of secrecy and lies, I could see Osha, even momentarily, lashing out violently at Sol upon learning the truth. And maybe she does the one thing Mae never could. Kill a Jedi without a weapon. We end this season of The Acolyte with Osha embracing the Dark and taking her sister's place.

So, where does this leave Mae then? We've also already seen evidence that of the two sisters, Mae is the woman who is most hopeful for a reunion and reconciliation between the two. Hell, she abandons her Dark Side revenge quest almost as soon as she learns that Osha's still alive. Mae may not be without sin, but with each episode I become more and more convinced that she's not a villain. She's a girl who lost everything is eager to cling to even the slightest shred of hope she can. And maybe, come season finale, that hope might be that she can save her sister from the Dark. That would be a hell of a set up for season two. If we get a season two that is. (Please make it so, Leslye.)

[mac-lilly]

Mega Con London BTS Recap

Since this is a more personal recap of MegaCon London (and a bit of a comparison with Back to the Musical World con by Dream It), I didn't include it in the JATP info dump from yesterday.

BTTMW backstory

Let's do some backstory first. As you may know, the official JATP cancellation was announced at the first Back to the Musical World con back in 2021. I wasn't there for multiple reasons including Covid but also I just got into the fandom and it felt weird. I'm socially awkward - I cannot look into people's eyes, I stutter - especially when talking English - or ramble and I struggle to just touch strangers which is not helpful for photo ops.

So what I was supposed to do there? These people are actors - strangers I have nothing to do with. They aren't the characters I've fallen in love with. Yeah, not my thing, I thought.

However, when the BTTMW2 got announced, I was like 'You know, let's go to just show the cast how much you loved the show'. It was supposed to give me some closure. So I went.

And while the con was a fucked-up disaster in terms of organization and schedule - on Sunday, Charlie signed autographs until 10 pm, and Owen would have done the same if his mom hadn't cut off his line. (On that note: Never mess with a German mom protecting her kid. You'll lose.) But meeting the cast was an entirely different experience. I'd never interacted with them before, so I was anxious as fuck. However, they were so nice and considerate - and seeing them goof around was just adorable.

(And this pic is still one of my fav pics ever.)

And not just the cast. I met so many amazing people there who are now my friends. Big shoutout to them!

So, despite my hatred for Dream It, I went to BTTMW4 (and thankfully it was less chaotic than BTTMW2). But I was also determined to go to MegaCon bc I knew Jeremy wouldn't come back to Paris. (Unlike the other JATP cast members, he's done plenty of other cons before and knows that you shouldn't be so drained that require alcohol to make it through the day.)

BTTMW vs MegaCon London

So, just in general: MegaCon was clearly the better experience.

Firstly, it was cheaper than DI. Much cheaper.

(Note 1: The * prices are from 2022 since Jeremy wasn't at BTTMW4. In 2023, the photo with Madi, Owen & Charlie was already €180. All four would have been over €200 for sure.

Note 2: The prices for MegaCon were originally in £. The price in € is what I paid according to my credit card.

Note 3: Even though not 100% accurate: € = $)

Obviously, Charlie canceled later. But I automatically got a refund. So bonus for MegaCon.

Unlike with Dream It, you were allowed to film and take pictures everywhere, which was cool. And since the panels were exclusively in English, you actually got way more content. The panels were also much longer, and it seemed like the cast was more at ease. For example, Owen started to play body drums on stage, and he initiated the boomshakalaka without being drunk. This is such an incredibly sad thing to say, but I've never seen him that relaxed during a panel.

Also, shoutout to the many fans that were at the Saturday panel. According to the hist, it was the largest crowd they had on Saturday. (If MegaCon had been smarter and had announced the Sunday panel before the people got their passes, it would have had a huge audience, too.)

The autographs ran smoothly, and there was always a queue, which was good bc Own confirmed that it was Jeremy who convinced MegaCon to invite him and Charlie. (Madi got invited later - I assume after people haunted them on IG about her.) MegaCon was wary about it bc they had no idea if the cast was worth the money. I hope the audience on Saturday, the lines for the autographs, and the massive delays at the photo studio caused by the JATP fans (and technical issues) convinced them.

Side note: After Charlie canceled, I got an email from MegaCon. And obviously, I know they just used some phrases to placate us. But I still hope they meant it when they wrote,

MegaCon, you won't read this. But if you get them again, I'll be there!

(And again shoutout to the amazing people I met in London. To my fellow German tumblr friends: I loved meeting you guys and hanging out with you!)

So the only thing that wasn't great were the photo ops. Yeah, most of the Saturday photos are terrible bc of the fucked-up lighting, and due to technical issues, there were so many delays. (Though to be fair, BTTMW also had issues with photo ops.)

So overall, I genuinely enjoyed MegaCon, and I'm very excited to head off to Dublin on Saturday to give Jeremy the birthday card. To all the people who signed it: THANK YOU!

Some other random things that don't fit anywhere

Not Owen assuming that Deutsche Bahn must always be on time bc Germans are always on time. Bro, I know it's been a while since you visited Germany ... but please, that was mean.

When I gave him ghostie!Willie, Owen told me how much his family loves the little ghosties 🥹🥹🥹 (which explains why his dad was in my IG stories after he posted the pic of the ghosties.)

It's random, but this con was so much more balanced in terms of fans. I remember fans being kinda uninterested in Jeremy at the BTTMW - some fans even got angry at him bc he refused certain poses. At MegaCon, the interest was equally split between those three, and it made me happy.

Here's the lovely ghost merch I bought at MegaCon. Obviously, the pride ghost and the skateboard ghost are Willex, the couple is Juke, and the ghosts with the kitty and the one with the pumpkin are both Reggie! (I talked to the guys running the stalls, and they were so baffled about all the JATP fans - a few Fantoms came over from the US and Canada just for this con.)

[the-one-who-lambs]

still holding out for an update that give us some lore reason for why Shamura is god of two things at once, even though none of the other Bishops are. it's Chaos, Famine, Death, Plague and just them with War + Knowledge. Massive Monster explain

I've wondered this too, and I've had the headcanon for a while that the Bishops have minor domains as well, or at least things they oversee. I can't decide if I see these "minor domains" as extensions of their main ones, or domains they've inherited from respective gods that they've slain.

For example, I see Leshy as the Bishop of Nature as well, because he seems very intrinsically connected to the forest, and nature is inherently chaotic. Things like natural disasters occur on a whim, and organisms compete for survival with limited resources.

What do y'all see the other Bishops' minor domains as? I have my theories, but I'd like to hear what others have to say too!

[eslanes]

𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕙𝕠𝕝𝕥 𝕗𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕝𝕪

So I got this story stuck in my head, a little spinoff about Faelern going home to Chestnut Ridge for the first time in 20 years due to his father being sick. It would follow his homecoming and explore relationships within his family and get into why he was away for so long. I don't know if I'll ever get time to flesh this out in game but I got inspired and made his whole family.

I had fun doing the family reunion challenge a while back so I did another one. Check out under the cut if you're interested in who's who and a little more about our ever-gloomy Faelern.

Faelern Adan 'the prodigal son' - Leaving home at a young age due to strained familial relationships, Faelern spent most of his adulthood immersed in his studies, obtaining a doctorate in Anthropology and becoming the youngest tenured professor in his department at the University of Britechester. As touched a tiny bit in A Devil Between Us, Faelern spent several years happily married to Laelia, who was tragically murdered during a home invasion 12 years prior. Evidently this devastated Faelern and he hasn't been the same since. This also may be a contributing factor to his intense and chaotic relationship with walking disaster Ms. Aida Fairbairn several years later. Faelern is the third of his father's children.

Sicheii Holt 'the patriarch' - While much calmer in his old age, the eldest member of the Holt family was once a notorious womanizer, creating an extremely tense relationship with his now-deceased wife and mother of Faelern's siblings. This only increased when it was discovered that one of his affairs resulted in a child (uh oh). Exponentially so when said illegitimate child was sent to live with Sicheii and his family after the sudden death of his mother at the age of five. While Sicheii was a generally a good father, his transgressions definitely impacted the family, creating complicated relationships all around (hurrah). At the beginning of the spinoff, he would be severely ill, resulting in Faelern's homecoming.

Atsa Holt 'the golden child' - Atsa, the eldest of Sicheii's children, adored his father from the time he was born. And Sicheii adored his son, spending most of their time hunting and fishing together. Everything changed when Atsa was eight, when younger half-brother Faelern came to live with the family and ruined his idyllic childhood. Atsa blamed his brother for his parents' fighting and shattering the vision he had of his father. Instead of focusing his anger on Sicheii, Atsa turned his resentment towards his half-brother, letting him know he was an enemy and would never belong. As a result, the boys were never close and fought frequently. As an adult, Atsa continues to carry a major chip on his shoulder and does not acknowledge his brother as kin. He is furious that Faelern had the audacity to show his face in Chestnut Ridge. 

Emmaline Holt 'the gossip queen' - Emmaline is Atsa's wife. Much more outgoing and cheerful than her husband, she's often the organizer of family gatherings and parties (she's always knows all the good gossip). Having never met her newly-returned brother-in-law, Em cannot believe that Atsa would treat him so poorly after being away for so long. Between me and you, Atsa will be sleeping on the sofa for a while. 

Jacy Holt 'the wild child' - Atsa's and Emmaline's 9-yo daughter. Twin sister to Mato and the loud one of the two. You'll usually find her annoying her father or on the playground with her friends. 

Mato Holt 'the bookworm' - The quiet, bookish twin and Atsa's constant reminder of his half-brother. The kid is exactly like his uncle Faelern in his interests and demeanor, much to his father's dismay. Mato would much rather be reading in his room than socializing. 

Tallulah Holt 'the dutiful daughter' - Tallulah is the eldest sister, a no-nonsense, tough as nails matriarch with one son of her own. While not particularly close to her half-brother as children, she feels a deep sense of duty to her family and is angered that Faelern would turn his back on them for so long. She has her hands full at the moment, trying to parent the rebellious and surly teenaged Kai as a single parent all while managing her 17 mlm businesses. 

Kai Holt 'the rebellious teen' - Kai is going through a major rebellious phase. The 16 year old has discovered hair bleach, Nirvana and his mother Tallulah at her wits end with him. 

Tahoma Holt 'the jokester' - The running joke in the family is that youngest brother was named after his father's beloved pickup truck (true). Tay is loud, boisterous and the family goofball. A contractor by day, he spends his nights at open mics across the region workshopping his comedy routines, with big dreams of becoming a comedy writer. Unlike the elder siblings, Tay doesn't remember life without his half-brother, and is actually happy to see him again.

Doli Holt 'the baby sister' - Doli is the youngest Holt child by many years. Currently working as a receptionist, Doli has dreams of going to university in the city, just like her older brother, whom she hasn't seen since she was a kid. Having been born after Faelern arrived in the family, Doli only has good memories of her brother. 

Auntie Deborah and Uncle Des Holt 'the elders' - Auntie Deborah and Uncle Des are known as well-respected healers in the community and stable and a positive influence on all the kids. That said, now that they're all adults Des won't stop trying to push his homegrown weed on his nieces and nephews. Tahoma says it tastes like burning hair. 

[lara635kookie]

Red Crackle Week Day 5: Domestic Life (Headcanons)

• They do travel a lot

• But I imagine they would live in San Diego

• In a cozy apartment

• Gray cooks

• No questions asked

• Usually just dinner

• Because the other meals they don't normally are on their home

• Carmen can do the basics

• But she might cause a disaster on the kitchen

• So Gray handles it

• Just like he is the one that usually drives the car

• And Carmen drives the motorcycle

• In comparison, Carmen likes her things organized

• And Gray, he is a little more chaotic

• So they divide according to their strengths

• Sometimes they help the other

• But the only chore they actively do together is grocery shopping

• Which might take a while

• Because they can't exactly draw too much attention

• And maybe some little discussions here and there about what they really need to buy or not

• They order things on weekends, tho

• Gray would try to impress Carmen with his mexican and argentinean food

• Some recipes were more successful than others

• So always that it is a latam food

• They cook it together

• Doing latino food together is like their little tradition

• To just have a good quality time with each other

• So even though they can't do it as frequently as they would like

• They still enjoy it

• Usually on fridays, end of the month

• Idk why tbh, but Gray just passes me some huge dog person vibes

• Like, he doesn't hate cats

• But in comparison, I just feel he would like dogs more (maybe because he is a golden retrivier lmao)

• So they would have a little small/medium sized dog

• According to the rules of the building

• Who is probably full of middle-aged people that they barely interact with

• And they are good neighbors

• And their dog is a good pet

• It would probably be a very loving and loyal, trained male dog

• That they disagreed a lot on what to name it

• But to be cute, I think they would settle for "Wolf", or something similar

[elmeiko88]

Hello there!

It's going to be a hell of a September for me...

A little background on this fic: I was so inspired that it completely blocked me during months.

So I decided to make a series out of it. To ease the pressure.

I've already got another episode lined up for another Fest, which will be available on 28 September...

I've got quite a few ideas for episodes, and you'll understand why when you read it. However, this series is open to requests: watch me take a look at @louieshalo , for whom I wrote this first episode, Love, please, don't hesitate to come to me! I'd be so happy to rewrite a particular episode for you.

This first part is just a drunken revelation that changes lives, and a chaotic start to the holiday.

I need to mentions some people : @cc-horan28 : I can't tell you enough how grateful I am to have you, my wonderful, wonderful, incredible beta. Thank you for always being there, always ready to motivate me, even when I'm an anguished author disaster.

@babyhoneyheslt and @hellolovers13 : You've both been there at one of the crucial moments without knowing it, this fic surely wouldn't be here without you, so thank you!

@red-pandaaa : Thank you for organising this challenge on our wonderful discord, it's always a joy to share our stories with such wonderful people.