#robin's book log

[readingrobin]

Best Books I Read in 2023

Since there was a bit of demand, here, in no particular order, are the best books that I read over the past year. Some I've done full reviews on, some I've given some smaller thoughts on Storygraph, which you can find on my account here. I'll be sure to link the ones that have reviews.

Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman

2. The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter

3. The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

4. The Scapegracers by H.A. Clarke

5. Hellaween by Moss Lawton

6. Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

7. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

8. Mage and the Endless Unknown by SJ Miller

9. The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

10. Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher

[ofliterarynature]

DECEMBER 2023 WRAP UP

[loved liked ok no thanks (reread) book club*]

Mixed Magics • Chalice • To Shape a Dragon's Breath • The Haunting Season • Hither Page • The Henchmen of Zenda • System Collapse • The Phantom of the Opera • An Unexpected Peril • A Minor Chorus* • The September House • (The Dream Thieves) • The Fragile Threads of Power • The Pinhoe Egg • (Network Effect) • Some Desperate Glory

total: 16 (audiobook: 12 / ebook: 4)

Happy New Year booklr! Here's to actually getting my last monthly wrap-up post of 2023 out in decent time for once.

Some Desperate Glory - I'm getting myself off to a bad start here because I don't actually remember much from the book and I didn't write a review at the time. oops. But I do remember that once things got going I was hooked, and I couldn't wait to pick the audiobook back up. Definitely some content warnings to look out for, but an incredible read. I definitely need to go back and check out the author's other work.

Network Effect - the last book of my Murderbot reread, still great, glad to have finally read this in a text format! Also better suited to be read *after* Fugitive Telemetry, I wish I'd known to read them in chronological order the first time.

The Pinhoe Egg - a nice wrap up to the main Chrestomanci series! Though if anyone can tell me why on eARTH the 'recommended' reading order is like *that*, please explain it to me. I'd forgotten so many things by the time we got back to Cat, if I ever reread I'm going chronologically.

The Fragile Threads of Power - lord help me, I could do a whole rant. A quick summary of my relationship to this series: loved Shades of Magic when it first came out, did not love/was very annoyed by most of it when I reread them in 2023. Also have not really liked any of Schwab's other work. BUT. I was under the impression that this spinoff would have new main characters, and the old ones would be present but not in the center. If I didn't just make this up, it was LIES. The original MC's still dominate probably at least 60% of the book, and you'd think 7 years in-book and more experience on behalf of the writer would mature them, but a) no, and b) so many goddamn flashbacks. And Kel's assasin-sona was so cringe I wanted to cry. I did actually like the new main character which really is the biggest shame of all. If you see me contemplating the next book please stop me.

The Dream Thieves - I don't know that I have much to add yet to my thoughts about TRB in my Nov post, but I've been having a very strange experience where when I'm actively reading these, I'm having an incredibly good time; when I'm not I completely forget I was reading it. lol?

The September House - this is possibly the closest to my ideal horror book that I've ever found??!!? I have a weird relationship with horror, wherein I am not uninterested, but I almost never enjoy the ones I read (I think it has to do with my irl anxiety, idk). But THIS one. It's such an INCREDIBLE blend of like, mundane horrors and dark humor? I loved it. The "you can live with the horrors if you just follow the rules" is very much my vibe, and the way the author chose to have it integrate with the main character's experiences of domestic abuse was very smart. Deeply enjoyed, but probably won't be a favorite.

A Minor Chorus - this month's book club pick! I really really wish I'd liked this, and I'm torn between "thank god it was short," and "oh I wish this was longer." It's about a queer Indigenous doctoral student in Canada who's somewhat lost his way on his dissertation and is instead writing a novel (maybe), inspired by the stories of people in his community. On one hand, the writing was sometimes very beautiful and the different stories were interesting! On the other, my academic-speak abilities are limited, and the narrator did not hold back. He even explicitly states at one point, oh I can't describe my book this way to [character] because he won't understand my academic language. And...yeah. My brain got a little overwhelmed and I skimmed a lot of those parts. The hopeful part of me thinks if that if the book had been longer maybe I would have had time to "get it," but idk.

An Unexpected Peril - Veronica Speedwell is as Veronica Speedwell does. Had a good time with this even though it's proving to not be the most memorable. Mostly I remember intensely panicking over whether or not V had practiced forging the princess's signature, lol.

The Phantom of the Opera - this was a last minute sub for my classics challenge; I've never seen any of the adaptations, but I happened to see the book on tumblr when I was scrambling for a replacement and thought it might be fun. And it was! Quite ridiculous and dramatic, and I had a good time reading it. I was surprised by the outsider POV on the story, but it was good, just a shame that it didn't allow Christine to tell her own story. If anyone has a Christine-centered retelling I should read, let me know! And are there any adaptations I should watch?

System Collapse - new Murderbot! I was so excited for this, I'm irritated that my brain and work schedule didn't want to cooperate and let me read my nice pretty hardcover; I ended up getting the audiobook from the library instead. I had an incredible time, because it's Murderbot, how could I not? But it's also interesting, because Network Effect felt quite cohesive and contained on its own, but this feels very much like an in-between story (almost like Fugitive Telemetry), rather than a continuation of the same thread. I'll be interested to see where Martha takes us from here.

The Henchmen of Zenda - my last KJ Charles of the year! I did mean to get through all of her books, but things slipped by me these last few months so I still have a couple, but managed to fit this standalone in! It's not the only time she's pulled characters from works of classic fiction, and I admit, I'm now very curious and kind of want to read the original Prisoner of Zenda? Definitely this version had an exciting plot that was fun to read, though I don't think it'll be my favorite of her works (yay for a non-traditional relationship structure tho :)

Hither, Page - I don't think I've read Cat Sebastian before, but I've had this one recommended and it sounds right up my ally - historical/cozy myster/spy shenanigans/gay romance! And it was an incredibly pleasant read, would recommend, but I do think it could have been better as both a mystery and a romance.

The Haunting Season - I almost picked this up in October for spooky season, but put if off for Dec since it's meant to be wintery ghost stories - and only just remembered it in time! I almost wish I hadn't. The first two stories were so meh for me that I almost DNF'd it, I just didn't want the fuss of having to find a new audiobook for work the last day before Christmas break. Luckily Natasha Pulley showed up next with a good story (I really ought to read her books) and there was a good run of 4 stories with another 2 meh to round things out. It wasn't a total loss, but I wouldn't really recommend.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath - If you've seen people singing the praises of this book, they're not wrong! It's a very good if sometimes heavy read, and this is definitely the closest I've gotten to liking a boarding school story since Protector of the Small (I got burned out on them very quickly, lol). It does sometimes read like the debut it is, it's not perfect (lots of infodump speeches, lord save me from the technicalities of alchemy/chemistry, and I would have liked to see more done in her relationship with her dragon), but it's also doing some incredible and unique things that really make me want to see more books in this series and whatever else the author writes.

Chalice - I've read Robin Mckinley before and I've found her work ok, but this one has been repeatedly recommended in the HOTE discord server - I figured it would be a good one to wrap up the year with! And surprise surprise, the fealty-coded discord loves a book about... fealty XD and good stewardship, and magic bees, etc. It's incredibly on brand, and I had a lovely time with this fairy-tale of a book.

Mixed Magics - a collection of Chrestomanci short stories; I actually read one of the stories a few months ago due to the recommended reading order (bleh), and thought it would be fairly simple to finish it off before the end of the year, now that I'd finished the rest of the series. All fun, if not equally interesting, and a nice end to the year. Now I just need to find a new Diana Wynne Jones series to try (not on audiobook, alas, my library is all out of those).

(I did almost consider then binging the Hither, Page sequel on new year's eve, just so I wouldn't split the series, but decided against it :D)

[robinwoodsfiction]

Graphic Design Tools & Tips

A.K.A. Reasons I Love Canva by Käri Nuñez I would like to welcome author Käri Nuñez. She creates fantastic journals for readers, teachers, and more. I asked her to give me her favorite graphic design tools and it was all about Canva. I also use Canva on a regular basis so there is much love for the platform here (and no, we aren’t being paid for this post). So, without further ado, here are some…

[ghostlyfleur]

𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡.

steve harrington x fem!reader

summary: the sweet progression of steve and his pretty girl’s relationship.

warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, idiots in love, oblivious!reader, shy!reader, inexperienced!reader. pet names (angel, baby, flower girl, pretty girl, princess, sweet girl). 18+ mdni, smut-adjacent. world building.

word count: ~4.5k

pre-relationship—

steve’s girl friend is a soft spoken, remarkably sweet, gentle soul. she’s shy, way too anxious, so inexperienced that she comes off as innocent. her wardrobe consists of flowy skirts and flowery dresses and soft sweaters and cozy knits, puts flowers in her hairdos like interwoven in braids or tucked in a half-up half-down mess, has this ethereal vibe to the makeup she likes to wear (ie. shimmery eyeshadow in soft colors, highlighter, sparkly lipgloss, white waterline pencil, fairy wing eyeliner designs, and slightly blushy cheeks), wears silver wire-framed glasses at home when not using contacts and steve thinks it brings out her gorgeous eyes even more. she always wears pretty dangly earrings with flowers, her nails painted with glitter nail polish or neutral soft colors, and steve thinks she’s an angel.

the rest of the people in town mostly think her to be weird and unapproachable, with the way she stops mid walk to crouch down and whisper softly to a ladybug she sees on the sidewalk, or when she accidentally bumps into a street pole and yells out a panicked ‘sorry!’ as if she would hear a reply back.

when steve first met his girl, he was enchanted.

she was so soft and beautiful and kind, but also very anxious; something he noticed the first time she walked into scoops ahoy, and steve was so excited to finally talk to the pretty girl that started working at the flower shop down the block that he’s been pining for. the pretty girl’s reaction to his flirting however was of shyness, nervousness, and seemingly scared silence… so steve decided to make a fool out of himself just to see her smile. it was worth it. steve felt as if her laughter was the equivalent of the skies opening up to let sunshine peak through dark clouds. they eased their way into each other’s lives after that. his girl started seeking him out, finding comfort and safety in his presence and caregiving personality, though remaining clueless of his feelings and just how much robin teased him for being a smitten fool.

“pretty flower girl” is how steve referred to her at the beginning, all heart eyes and dreamy sighs. working at a flower shop seems to fit her so entirely, like she’s in her own little world while surrounded by flora. she’s able to tell you the meanings, both positive and negative, of any flower imaginable, of different plants too! keeps a log book and a journal to track her flora friends’ growth, pressed flowers and polaroid pictures of different bouquets, photographs each beautiful arrangement she creates in a picture album.

her home is also completely taken over by pots and plants and gardens and hanging vines, secrets whispered to them while she waters her little friends as needed, full conversations kept that seem to make all the plants bloom and flourish even more. lots of natural light comes in from the many windows of her cabin, surrounded by greenery and trees and a small pond that wild animals often visit, knowing her safe haven is also a safe haven for any animals. the place always smells like whatever she’s baking, the decor homey and filled with crystals and incense and hand painted mugs and vases. greens, yellows, oranges, and tan colors. books balanced on any available surface.

she becomes steve’s girl best friend, and he loves her so much. worships her, really. steve makes it his mission to spoil and love his pretty girl, even if he hides it behind silly flirting and the pretense of friendship.

whenever they’re together, steve and his girl are all the other sees. the gang has a little bet on who will break first, steve or his flower girl.

her sit is always his lap.

steve swears off other girls as soon as he meets her.

he is very affectionate towards her, and she loves to kiss his cheeks.

they often have sleepovers just the two of them.

they’re so close they can just exist together and be at peace.

she’s so supportive of him too, always praising him and hyping him up.

steve is overprotective of her.

whenever one goes the other sure follows.

see, steve’s girl is so sweet on him it drives robin crazy. because robin knows the feelings are reciprocated, but she also knows both steve and his girl enough to know she needs to let them figure this out by themselves. it doesn’t mean robin isn’t their number one fan, though.

steve’s pretty girl bakes him sweets often to bring to him at work to “make your day a little easier, stevie”, she brings him flowers from her job that steve learns to preserve in his room, she gives him her favorite ring that he never takes off. but steve also does little things for his sweet girl— takes care of her and buys her chocolate because it makes her so happy and giddy he falls a little more in love each time. he also reminds her to drink water, buys her favorite snacks for movie night or when she’s on her period, takes her to the movies, drives her everywhere (because she’s his pretty passenger princess) to have some extra time with her.

oh! steve’s girl also has a bunch of homemade gifts that she keeps in a small glass trunk in her home because she’s too shy to give them to her stevie— handmade bracelets, handmade wire rings, pretty things she finds at thrift stores that remind her of her pretty boy, handmade necklaces, small gifts with pressed flowers, letters she writes down because she feels so deeply for her sweet boy that she needs to let it out somehow, and a bunch of other small gifts that she hopes one day she can give to her stevie to show him how much she loves him.

she’s so lovely to her stevie without even realizing, though. she’s demiromantic, you see, and after becoming friends with steve she started to slowly fall for him. the thing is, she knew very well what was happening, she’s very in tune to her emotions, and she fell for him willingly! whereas steve fell for her fast and kept falling.

imagine his girl never had her first kiss… she’s so inexperienced and her sweet persona and gentle demeanor make her seem like the softest person ever. steve is so mesmerized by her.

he flirts with her and is sweet to her and devotes his time to her and spoils her rotten and gives her kisses and hugs and cuddles and all the love he has to give— steve quickly decided that even if they’re ‘just friends’ he’ll still treat her like his princess, give her everything he can and shower her in his adoration until she catches up. and even then, even when it’s so obvious that steve is in love with her, that he blushes and stutters and gets flustered only for her, that he shows her every day just how much he loves her, she remains oblivious.

in her pov, she knows she’s in love with her stevie so she’s going to treat him like the most precious person in her world. which he is. the thing is that she gives him all of her love without ever once considering that he might return it, even as he flirts and quite literally says he’s hers and she’s his all the time, it never even crosses her mind to actually believe it. maybe because she’s trying to protect herself from heartbreak. she just decides that her stevie deserves the world so she’s going to give him all she can.

but she’s so soft with him! holds his face between her hands when talking to him sometimes like she’s holding her whole world on her hands, presses kisses to his cheeks all the time, gives him hugs. she always compliments him, isn’t afraid of telling him exactly what’s on her mind…

“you look so pretty, stevie”

“i’m so proud of you.”

“i missed you lots today!”

“i saw this cute puppy and it reminded me of you ‘cause you’re just as cute!”

“i always prefer your company.”

flower girl is the most adorable sight steve has ever seen! she pouts so prettily whenever she doesn’t get the attention she wants from him, all soft lips and furrowed brows and plush cheeks crossed arms, and steve just wants to pepper kisses all over her face.

her love languages:

she bakes him cookies ; buys him things that remind her of her stevie ; plans these cute little “friend” outings that feel more like dates ; she’s never lacking in her affections though she’s very timid and shy when it happens ; will defend him no matter what ; makes sure to always praise him ; she gets all cranky if someone insults him even playfully ; she’s very shy so she often hides her face on his chest or neck and it makes his heart flutter ; she helps him babysit bc the kids love her ; she gave her stevie a special arrangement of flowers that she created just for him plus a little booklet of pictures of the two of them together that also had pressed flowers on it for his birthday ; she checks in with him every day even if they don’t see each other to make sure her stevie is doing okay ; will stay on the phone with him all night especially if he had a nightmare or a fight with his parents.

where steve’s best friend is all cute and pouty and sweet and clingy and loving but only to her stevie!!!!! and she’s a bit ditzy— talks to animals and plants and inanimate objects like they can answer her, her thoughts jump from one thing to another but steve always entertains her, she skips instead of waking a lot, she dresses all cute and coquette and always has glitter on her somewhere, she gives steve handmade gifts all the time with this shy little smile and blushing and sometimes when the gift is specially meaningful she’ll run away as soon as he accepts it 🥺 she trips over her own feet a lot too!!! so steve has to grip her waist to help her find her footing!!! and it makes her break out in goosebumps!!! and steve is so in love with her, with her ramblings and midnight ice cream cravings and true crime rants and the way she talks about murder and psychopath profiling and laughs at horror movies and has crystals and tarot cards and wants to befriend ghosts, how she gives her stevie little glass bottles with protection spells or anti-anxiety spells or how she always needs to hear his voice before bed.

and she’s so pretty and soft and kind and nice and laughs a lot and everyone loves her— but she never notices how so many people flirt with her, and never notices whenever steve scares possible suitors away, because really she only sees steve!!!!!! and it makes him crazy to see how she blatantly ignores anyone and everyone to focus on him!!!!!

but then one day steve’s girl starts feeling sad and heartbroken because she’s convinced herself that steve still loves nancy so she starts pulling away a little and steve doesn’t understand what he did wrong! robin has to spell it out for him that his girl thinks he still wants nancy when that couldn’t be further from the truth; steve now knows he’s never truly been in love before, not like he is with his angel, and that it was his angel that showed him he deserves someone who loves him just as much as he loves them. therefore, steve does his best to find ways to tell his girl that nancy is in the past, that she has nothing to worry about, but he has to do so while him and his angel aren’t together yet so he slowly breached the subject until he can figure out where his girl stands, if he can make a move, if she’s interested in him too, y’know? like those conversations filled with a deeper meaning and both parties trying to drop hints about their feelings but they’re still too hesitant to be more clear in their affections. for now.

imagine steve spoiling her and making her all giddy and happy and shy and giggly :( i want steve to treat his baby like royalty way before they even get together :( i wanna read about their first kiss and how it makes steve’s knees buckle and how she’s so giggly because it’s her first kiss and he tells her he wants to marry her right then and there and she tells him she never ever would consider being with anyone but her stevie :(

after they get together—

their first kiss happens in what steve considers to be the best night of his life to date.

it was halloween, and he was slightly nervous about going to the fair with not only the kids and robin and eddie, but his girl too. the year before, he stayed in with his angel and robin watching movies and eating junk, which was the perfect night ‘cause he got to cuddle his girl, but last halloween he went out to celebrate didn’t end up being very enjoyable for him… what with having your now-ex call you bulshit, bullshit, bullshit.

however, this is his girl he’s talking about. while it wasn’t a date, simply a hangout with their friend group, steve still considers his girl, well… his. and the fact she insisted on meeting them there herself had him slightly on edge.

she was dressed as a fairy.

steve has never seen anyone as pretty, as mesmerizing. and the way she treated this night, treated him, was driving steve crazy.

first, once she meets everyone at the entrance of the amusement park they agreed to go to, she insists on paying for both herself and steve. literally grabs steve’s wallet from his hand and only gives it back after she pays.

he, of course, only really allows it because she gives him her — in steve’s opinion illegal — pouty puppy eyes that she knows steve can’t say no to.

afterwards, once they all enter and the kids disperse to the various entertainment with the agreement of meeting up later to eat, steve’s girl drags him away from robin and eddie, who were both sporting knowing grins, to a shooting booth where she proceeds to win, suspiciously easily might he add, a stuffed frog for him.

and then she grabs his hand. albeit hesitantly, but she does. intertwining their fingers and everything.

the entire night was a dream for steve, and unbeknownst to him, for his girl too. she had a plan, you see. his angel was pulling out all the stops, even if she was shy and blushy the whole time— paying for the tickets for both of them was number one. followed by winning steve a stuffed animal, holding his hand, sharing fried oreos and cotton candy (again, paid by her), and going to the photobooth. the ferris wheel would be last, but it’s what happens inside the photobooth that matters.

once inside, steve made sure she was sat on his lap. she payed again. the pictures go a little something like this:

1st pic steve is laughing and she’s looking at him like he’s her dream come true which he is / 2nd pic she pushes forward not being able to wait any longer and quickly presses her lips to his a bit messily / 3rd pic is her looking all flustered and shy and doe-eyed while steve has this dazed look in his eyes and his jaw is dropped / 4th pic is steve grabbing her cheeks and kissing her fully, brows furrowed and all.

steve steals another kiss at the top of the ferris wheel, it was giggling and smiling more than kissing, though.

on the drive home, angel makes a stop at their self-assigned star gazing spot where she officially asks steve to be her boyfriend, all flustered and timid but oh so hopeful. another kiss, a resounding “yes” from her sweet boy, and dropping him off with a quick goodnight kiss ends the night, and steve has never been happier.

the fact she planned this whole night, took a chance, romanced the hell out of him, and was so genuine the whole time, looking to make him smile, just because, had steve on a high unlike any other. no one has ever taken the time to spoil him, to do romantic things for him. he’s not used to reciprocity in relationships, but here this angel is professing her love for him and not only saying it but showing him she means it. best night of his life.

and so their relationship begins.

steve harrington just worships his girl, spoils her continuously, and wants to do everything for her. he is overly affectionate and just obsessed with his baby, pictures of her and with her everywhere on his house, his car, his wallet, maybe even a locket he wears with a copy of the picture of their first kiss on it. steve took the photobooth strip and got the second picture, his angel kissing him for the first time, copied and altered to fit into the locket.

everyone in town just knows steve is entirely whipped and he does not care. he is definitely touch starved for his girl, quite a bit jealous, however, but trusts her so much that it just comes out as a sort of possessiveness that isn’t toxic but something both he and, secretly, his angel enjoy. steve always praises her and wants to take care of her because she’s his sweet little angel girl.

steve is also her first everything— first kiss, first date, first boyfriend, first time… and it drives him insane! something about knowing he’s the only one that’s ever had her and the only one she’s ever wanted just drives him up the wall and gets him so needy. so desperate. so whiney and pouty.

something else about steve as a boyfriend is that he’s his angel’s biggest fan — always praising, always encouraging, always in awe of her. will brag about his baby to anyone. randomly brings her up in conversation because she’s all he thinks about and he’s so proud to be hers.

buying her flowers whenever he can so she’ll give him this wide, square smile of hers that takes over her whole face like she can’t control it and her nose scrunches up a bit and he never wants to look at anything but her.

her stevie is really into pda too, can’t take his hands off of her, but nothing extreme; casual touches and pecks on her nose or temple or lips or cheeks, buries his face in her neck often, hand holding constantly!!!!!!, plays with her hair, is always playing with the delicate ‘s’ pendant on her neck that he gifted her and she never takes off (steve has this proud little smile whenever he messes with it).

then there’s the casual dominance— steve tucks her hair behind her ears, ties her shoelaces for her, adjusts the clasp of her necklace, puts her dainty jewelry on for her, braids her hair because she’s always clumsy with it and she prefers his braids over hers, gives her water so she stays hydrated, remembers her meds for her, adjusts her beanie on her hair when it’s cold and she’s wearing one, wipes chocolate from the corner of her mouth because his baby is a messy eater, pulls on her waist when they’re walking so she doesn’t bump into someone or something because she’s too busy talking and looking at him, spoon feeds her when she’s too tired and sleepy and pouty, brushes her teeth for her too when she’s being his cute little tired baby or is in subspace, brushing her hair and treating her like a little doll, his little doll, and loves to shower with her so he can do it for her, loves to drive her everywhere too. she’s his pretty passenger princess and they both take that role very seriously.

and whenever his pretty baby gets all glassy eyed and needy and blushy for him? he melts.

steve has a daddy kink. major one. and when he finally finds his baby, his person, he starts noticing things she might be into for the sole reason of wanting to be the absolute best he can be for his baby. the thing is, he knows she’s entirely new to this and still a bit nervous and hesitant and shy, so he starts by filing things away in his brain to make sure once she’s ready and the time comes that he can treat her perfectly, and give her everything and anything she wants.

his baby is probably a sub, she must be, with how pliable and soft she gets. for sure has an oral fixation, always giving him little kisses and little bites randomly and pressing his hand to her lips so she can softly mouth at them (but will shy away and get flustered when she notices she’s doing this) (she just loves his hands and he knows). steve’s girl also gets all flustered and her breath hitches when he jokingly calls himself ‘daddy’, so he takes that as a good sign because there’s nothing steve wants more in this world than to be her daddy. only hers. to spoil and care for and love his baby to the best of his ability.

she also loves when he manhandles her, he’s noticed— it’s just that steve really enjoys carrying his baby around, loves feeling needed and loves holding her and having her body pressed to his and have her hold on to him, but also he just wants to do things for his baby, doesn’t want her to tire herself out, ever!

she doesn’t need to walk around all the time because her stevie’s here and he won’t have his baby do unnecessary work when he’s around. whenever he grabs her waist and places her on top of a counter or something and stands between her legs? she gets all smiley. steve also absolutely loves how clearly his touch affects her; she hums and melts into him and gets a bit breathless and just tries to bury herself into him until they become one. lots of cuddles and hugs from behind and just being entirely wrapped in each other while wearing the coziest sweaters under the cuddliest blanket are common occurrences.

the main thing, though… is how steve’s shy little girlfriend quickly becomes obsessed with his bulge. loves when her stevie hugs her from behind so it presses against her, or when he has her sit between his legs with her back to his chest, or any time where her stevie is holding her close. he doesn’t even need to be hard for her to enjoy it, i mean, he shows through his jeans even when he’s soft! and she just always thinks it looks so…soft? and chubby? and she just wants it smushed against her at all times.

it takes steve a while to figure it out, but when he does? he’s relentless! pressing up against his baby all. the. fucking. time. just to see her blush and stutter and get all shy… but she also fucking sighs and relaxes whenever he does it, like it’s such a comfort for her? to feel all of him? like it’s all she’s waiting for at all times. and it drives steve crazy how his cute, shy, introverted, virgin girlfriend who giggles all the time and is always flustered by him and hiding her hot cheeks with her hands and is so… clumsy and tentative and nervous when it comes to any sort of affection (which she only accepts from her stevie) ((she definitely hates touch except his)) (((and he knows it too! was one of the things that proved to him his pretty best friend had feelings for him too when they were ‘just friends’))) can be so desperate to feel his bulge against her.

angel also loves that her stevie boy has huge hands! absolutely massive. could-wrap-one-hand-around-your-entire-neck massive, beautiful, strong, soft hands.. and yeah, both steve and his girl definitely have huge size kinks. huge. they haven’t said so out loud yet, but it shows through their actions. steve loves how obvious the size difference is when they’re holding hands, or when his hand is on her soft thighs. most of the time his baby holds his fingers instead because it hurts a little bit to intertwine their fingers for too long and steve thinks it’s fucking adorable. she’s shorter too, so 😵‍💫 her sweet boy goes crazy. teasing, best friend steve comes out sometimes too when he uses her head as an armrest to tease her, or when he full on picks her up to take her somewhere if she’s being a brat or is too lazy, too tired to move.

steve’s angel loves their size difference. so much. it shows when she hides herself against his chest when it’s cold, when she compares hand sizes because “stevie, the difference is just insane!”, when steve smushes her into the mattress when they start fucking later on. steve notices his angel blush or sigh or break out in goosebumps whenever his hands are involved— i mean, can you blame her? his hands are so pretty. she’s always holding and touching and tracing her fingertips over his palms and pressing kisses, biting softly, sucking on his fingers when she’s restless, fidgety, or sleepy.

using steve as a weighted blanket is a must; helps angel when she’s anxious or having a bad day.

to be continued…

── harmo’s footnotes:

please remember to show your support by reblogging!

masterlist. steve dreams.

ghostlyfleur © — all rights reserved. do not repost, copy, or translate.

[cyborg-franky]

Summer is coming... So what are they planning for you?

Citybreak They are planning a long weekend in a city you have always wanted to visit. Nice dinners, taking in the local vibe. Nightlife? Shopping? Museums? Whatever your preference is, they have you covered. Maybe you just want somewhere different to explore and venture around. Looking out your hotel room at night with the skyline of glittering lights! Sanji - Marco - Corazon - Law - Killer - Mihawk - Perona - Boa - Nami - Brook - Robin - Uta

--

Camping The moment summer is around the corner, they get the tent out and make sure it’s ready to go. They are getting into hardcore camping mode. Everything you’d need is all packed and ready. It’s time to have nights out by a lake, maybe fishing or swimming. Campfires and nature are all around you. Thatch - Ace - Sabo - Usopp - Jinbei - Zoro - Luffy --

Beach holiday Sunsets and cocktails, swimming all day, tanning under the sun, building sandcastles together. They can’t wait to feel the sand between their toes and splash you in the water or ensure you have enough sun lotion. Then there is the pier, the view, and the silly games and amusements that line it. Sanji - Marco - Ace - Nami - Jinbei - Franky - Luffy - Robin - Shanks - Crocodile --

Staying at home Both of you are exhausted and just need a rest. You don’t leave your house, and you also don’t lift a finger to work. You both have time to be together, have some movie marathons, catch up on your hobbies, and create creative joint space with one another. You are just decompressing after stress at work. Both of you are ignoring the outside world. Thatch - Deuce - Law - Mihawk - Usopp - Zoro - Robin --

Amusement park holiday They want nothing more than to book a stay at a water park or amusement park. After a long weekend of screaming on the rides, eating junk food, and being scammed at the amusements, they insist on winning you a plush, and in the end, they manage! Walking around the parks until you think your legs might fall off. Taking in the shows and all the entertainment together. Ace - Corazon - Killer - Barto - Sabo - Brook - Franky -Luffy - Buggy - Uta

--

Glamping Wanting to be outside but with class. No sleeping on the ground. They’ve planned a week-long stay at a cabin or a treehouse, maybe a strange-shaped place like a UFO you can sleep in? The calm nights in nature but with a good night's sleep. Also, the hot tub while you listen to the world around you. Thatch - Corazon - Mihawk - Nami - Benn --

Travel to another country It's time to explore another place entirely. They’ve planned this for months, and now it’s time. You both can’t wait to see the sights: the food, the art, the everything. You are immersing yourself in adventures together.  Sanji - Thatch - Deuce - Izou - Law - Doffy - Perona - Sabo - Usopp - Brook - Robin - Shanks - Benn - Crocodile --

Roadtrip Just you and them. The car is packed, the snacks and drinks are loaded in the cooler, and you have a list of things you want to hit on your summer trip. Music, the open road, singing along with one another. Maybe you don’t even have a plan; perhaps you just wing it. Windows down, wind in your hair and being in one another's company. Marco - Ace - Deuce - Kidd - Killer - Sabo - Franky - Zoro - Luffy --

Snowy getaway. Maybe it’s snowboarding and skiing in the cold? Lovely wooden lodges, hot cocoa, and their competitive streak. White snowy scenery and comfy warm sweaters. Log fires and exhausted limbs. Law - Kidd - Ace - Zoro - Robin - Benn --

Resort The best money can buy. Three meals a day, all top-tier with wine, cocktails, and anything you could ask for, brought to your room with the best view in town. A private pool, a private beach area just for you. They have it all planned and want to live in the lap of luxury with you: couples spa day, the works. Sanji - Izou - Doffy - Boa - Nami - Crocodile --

Hotsprings Traditional, calm, relaxing, and good for your soul, it involves just you and your partner chilling out in a beautiful inn with delicious food and birdsong from the garden. This is perfect for you both: taking everything easy at your own pace. Maybe you sit with sake and watch the little animals in the garden. You could cuddle up in the hot spring and feel the world just fade away as you enjoy one another's company in a comfortable silence. Marco - Izou - Law - Killer - Mihawk - Boa - Nami -Jinbei - Zoro - Robin --

Festival Depending on the vibe, you either go camping to a festival with chill vibes or going to fucking party. You guys enjoy the music, so many bands you love. Getting to dance, mosh, sway, whatever to the music together. Getting to camp together as you also meet new people. BBQs, booze, summer vibes for days.

Ace - Kidd - Killer - Perona - Barto - Sabo - Brook - Franky - Uta

[vinelark]

in return for the fic recs i got last month, here are a few fics i read recently that i want to absolutely yell about from the rooftops:

Iron, Fire, Mirror-Glass by PurpleSoot: an early batman days AU where, while slowly healing from a spine-shattering injury, bruce finds an old book about the fae. in a fit of desperation he attempts a Summoning to try to heal his spine. enter: robin.

this story is fantastic—the kind of longfic with a plot so good and satisfying that finishing it leaves you on a reading high for at least a week. one of the best early days bruce fics i’ve ever read, with honorable mentions to excellent alfred and clark and jim and selina characterizations—but robin (dick) really takes the cake here. the balance of chilling, otherworldly, not-quite-human vs. playful, earnest, Still Just a Child…chef’s kiss. the way robin’s character arc drags bruce kicking and screaming through his own emotional growth is so well-paced and well-wrought that i already want to reread just so i can experience it again. this is one of those god-tier longfics that i can’t believe i got to read for free on the internet.

mid-reading testimonial:

The Lone Ranger Never Had to Deal with Bruce Wayne by @theskeptileptic: a tim-joins-the-family-early fic in which tim decides to do everyone (his parents) a solid by faking his own death and running away to canada, except his weirdo neighbor bruce wayne keeps butting in and messing up his plans.

this is one of the rare stories where tim doesn’t know batman’s identity yet, and even rarer stories where that somehow makes the whole thing even more compelling. this fic has two of my favorite things: small, lonely, moderately unhinged tim drake pov, and really good pangs—pangs that are expertly teased out through flashbacks that add context to the present action at exactly the right moments. also, a very fun cameo near the end. i had a blast reading this one, physically clutched my chest more than once, and am already looking forward to rereading.

mid-reading testimonial (feat. @cairoscene):

equivalent exchange by scribblemetimbers (wip): an au set during tim’s robin days in which tim discovers 1) crossroads demons are a thing and 2) people can make deals with them. deals that include bringing people back from the dead, so long as you’re willing to pay the price with your own life.

this fic is so…🤌‼️ it feels like everything i want in a fic so far, down to two incredibly specific concepts i love (bruce, in his grief, saying something harsh to robin!tim with disastrous consequences later + tim making a big secret sacrifice gambit) which are both done so so well, within a larger plot that is also done so so well. the way this fic cuts in and out of scenes at the exact right moments for max tension feels like a masterclass in causing me to tear my hair out (in the best way), and instead of assorted pangs reading it is just one big Pang. it currently leaves off on an agonizing cliffhanger but, again, in the best way. highly recommend. (thank you again @owlbats for the rec!)

exchange between me and my friend after i sent the link, which about sums it up:

and to cut this angst with some humor:

IRIS Log #1548 by @deadchannelradio: a night on patrol as recorded by the bats’ audio logs, centering around red hood getting flung into a ditch and everyone, eventually, getting home safe.

one of the top ten funniest things i’ve ever read—spiritually up there with send to all (and if you’ve seen my fic rec tag you’ll know what a compliment that is). this makes use of the audio log format SO well. the dialogue shines, the jokes land with excellent timing, and it moves at such a clip that it’s pretty much impossible to stop reading once you’ve started. every character shines in this, and i’ve randomly choked on laughter remembering the phrase ‘good god he got thrown like a corn hole beanbag’ like twenty times in the past few weeks.

mid-reading testimonial:

[hotvintagepoll]

Thank u so much for making this blog! Logging on to read all the silly tags of ppl fighting for their lives to convince others to vote for their faves is so wonderful to see. Seeing all of this after a long day being an adult and having responsibilities is so nice and relaxing. And I love how you have inspired some other fandom battle Royale polls too <3 I am low key hoping someone pits all the animated disney characters together (Mufasa from the lion king on top!!!) anyway thank u so much for everything! Can’t wait to see who wins the actor and actress battles!

Thank you! Has no one done a Disney character poll yet? That's nuts.

anyway apropos of nothing. here's this

If you'd like to base your vote off their voices, not their faces, you can hear clips of each of them below:

June Foray (Lucifer in Cinderella)

Verna Felton and Barbara Luddy (Flora and Merriweather, respectively)

Eleanor Audley (Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty)

Phil Harris and Charles Sebastian Thomas Cabot (Baloo and Bagheera, respectively)

Sterling Holloway and Eva Gabor (Roquefort the mouse and Duchess the Cat)

Bill Thompson (The Dodo and The White Rabbit in this same clip from Alice in Wonderland)

edit: fucked up and put the wrong Phil in. It's Phil Harris apparently. The Disney people are allowed to eat me now.

[flowercrowngods]

"Captain."

The quill scratches roughly along the page, too aggressive for the paper softened and hardened over time by wear and tear and seawater air. Ink spills, making a mess of the log's entry, splotching over fingers and staining them almost black in the cabin's dim light, a flame flickering in its hold to the right, unaware of the tension in the air. Unaware of the captain's rapidly beating heart and his hands clenching around the quill until he fears it might break.

Although the fear he feels is not on behalf of the quill in his hand.

"Captain."

His first mate is insistent on gaining his attention, but he refuses to acknowledge that she already has it. He knows it can only mean one thing if she comes to him at this hour, if she seeks him out despite clear orders – or, rather, because of them.

"Steve."

He looks up, his jaw clenched, and the quill breaks, spilling ink all over his palm where the sharp tip is cutting into his skin with a spark of pain that pales in comparison to what he can find in her features.

Robin nods, imperceptible to every other soul in this universe. Every soul that is not him, attuned to her every move, every twitch of a brow, every hint of a frown, and every gesture that she dares him to overlook if only to have an excuse later on.

But she nods. And Steve swallows.

"It's him. He's back."

It's the captain who nods now, incapable of doing anything else, and feeling as his sanity slips away from him, through the cracks in the floorboards and sinking down to the bottom of the ocean to join his heart and his conscience. All have long been lost at the cause of one man.

"Thank you," he says, though his voice does not feel like his own, and the candle beside him flickers once more as if to signal that, really, he shouldn't be sounding like that. He blinks, deliberately, because he has been staring for too long and she doesn't need to know that he has been losing himself since the second she appeared at the door.

"Steve–"

"That's Captain to you."

She swallows, defiant, but choosing her battles wisely. He is grateful, for he hasn't the strength to argue any more than he has the strength to stand upright in this moment.

"Captain," she says, deliberate but gentle, because she knows and she forgives. "Are you alright?"

"No," Steve says, and his voice remains remarkably steady in this confession. "I'll be out in a second. Make sure they do not to say a word to him. Shoot everyone who does, or throw them overboard. Nobody talks to The– to Munson but me. Understood?"

"Understood," she says, straightening her posture, though her eyes remain worried and wary. There is more she wants to say, but Steve dismisses her before leaning his fists on the table and breathing deeply. The tip of the quill buries deeper into his palm and he closes his fingers around it, hard, to keep himself anchored and distract from one pain with another.

Theo is back. Theodore Munson. Though he will have a new name, Steve knows. But those eyes... Those eyes never changed, not once in all this time, and Steve fears that he will break apart if he has to look at them again and find no ounce of recognition. No memory of words whispered in the dark, of gentle touches to roughest scars, of time spent together in different lifetimes.

Steve plucks the tip soiled in ink and blood from his palm and reaches for a book hidden underneath a false bottom in the first drawer of the desk. A book with the initials T M pressed into fine, deep red leather.

He writes, with blood and ink in unsteady hold,

27th March He came is back. I wish he weren't.

@vampeddie remember me talking about this before i disappeared? remember how you went insane? remember that you like me?

[luffyvace]

Heyooo :D

Robin's anon back (ngjfnjff this is so funny to type I hope you don't mind 😭😭), could I request Robin with a male s/o who always take care of the crew ? (He's either like a big bro or a father for some of them) For example : He always makes sure Zoro sleeps in a comfortable position whenever he suddenly takes a nap after training, he always brings to Nami new inks, maps, pens..., candies for Chopper (just like Robin hehehehe), food for Luffy... but in process he kinda neglects himself because he prioritizes the crew above all.

Thank you again for your kindness and I wish you an amazing day/night. ❤️😊

OH HIII ROBIN’S ANON!! i don’t mind you addressing yourself as that at all it’s how i remember you:) 😭!

AWW male s/o sounds so sweet! of course i’ll do this request!!

anytime anyday anon💗💗 you have a wonderful day/night as well <3

YIPPIE I LOVE THIS GIF OF ROBIN<3

ENJOY YOUR HEADCANONS LOVELY ANONYMOUS!!

sooo!

your so helpful!!

“SNACKS! oh gee thanks m/n!”

-luffy

”mmmm…huh? PUT ME DOWN?! oh..hmm…zzzz”

-zoro

”come in! oh m/n, what’s up? is that for me?! thanksss m/n!! your the best! i was running out of paper actually!!….just for the record i don’t owe you any beri for this you know..😗”

-nami

”ahh! m/n! actually i need your help with something…i had usopp to build this shelf for my books only to realize it’s too high..could you get that red one down and..maybe make it lower? hahah 😅”

-chopper

”ohhh! m/n! look! it’s my latest invention!! the only problem is..i’m missing a key piece…see here? it needs something to generate it! could you go back to the island and find something for me?? thanks a lot! i knew i could count on you!”

-usopp

”MMMM/NNNNNNN!!!! MOOOORE SNAAAAAAAAACKS!!”

-luffy..again

”m/n! i’m trying to cook dinner but luffy keeps pestering me! think you could wrestle luffy to go play outside or something?!”

-sanji

”oi! m/n just in time! i need you to go help me test out this SUUUUUUPERRRRR new upgrade i’m making to the sunny! go unfurl the sails!”

-franky

”WHAT IN THE WORLD?! THE LOG POSE IS FACE A COMPLETE 180!! WERE GOING THE WRONG WAY!”

”oh! whoops! i asked m/n to unfurl the sails so i could-“

💥💥 😓 😬 😡✊

(yes this sequence again)

”M/N FIX THIS NOW”

-nami

”m/n!! how very good to see you! i’ve come up with a new song! would you like to hear it? very well—i shall play!”

-brook

you ran to the library as soon as you could and flopped into one of the chairs

a hand touched your shoulder and you wanted to just completely melt away from how tired you were

and yet you were gonna have to help another person

nope!

just robin:)

i mean you didn’t mind helping but…today’s been a long day

robin sits next to you

you air your complaints and get a lot of much needed stress off your shoulders

she sprouts two hands from your back to massage your shoulders and it felt really good

she gives you advice to start saying ‘no’ a little more and that it’s okay to take some time for yourself

she scolds you only a bit when you do this but only because she cares

and especially because she loves you

💗

robin had a hand in the bathroom preparing you a hot bath while you vented to her

after you were done she told you about the shower

and boy it was a real steamy one

just what you needed

robin always knows just what to do when your exhausted

but would prefer if you’d simply solve the problem at hand

LOL

she lectures you about this and man does it drag on

oh well you’d much rather hear her soothing voice than overexert yourself

she recommends you things like meditation and reading

and maybe even to go to chopper about it

especially if things get physical like your back or arms hurt

zoros’ heavy ok?

spawns a bunch of arms to chop your back if that’s what you need

shes the best really

brings you drinks and honestly just caters to you until your feeling better

by then your ready for a hot meal and some sleep

which is exactly what happens thankfully

you two holds hands in your sleep and cuddle a little closer that night

SO SWEET 🥲

these were shorter than my norm

it’s ok bc quality over quantity right?? you can always request more i’m just sleepy rn 😋

also this was in a slightly different writing style than usual so i hope you like!! it’s not permanent tho

[dragonsbluee]

It's Usopp day!! So here are some quick headcannons I've had bouncing around for a while:

Usopp is, hands down the best gift giver of the crew. One of his main love languages is acts of service, you know he's always ready for the crew's birthdays! If he can't find it, more often than not, he'll make it, so when his birthday rolls around, it's all hands on deck.

Contrary to popular belief, Usopp doesn't drink coffee that often. His anxiety plus caffeine isn't a great mix. He doesn't really have a preference between coffee or tea, he's more of a sweet drinks person.

At least twice a week, he and Robin spend some time caring for their plants together. He's working with Robin and Chopper to see if he can cross-breed pop greens with other plants.

Usopp journals pretty consistently. It's a habit he picked up from his mom when she was bedridden and trying to keep occupied and awake. He likes to write down his to-do list, ideas, and first sketches as they pop into his head. It's always somewhere on him or nearby, but no one is allowed to look through it.

(Its definetly not because he loves making little sketches of the crew as they go about their day)

Usopp's sketchbook is where he drafts out his blueprints and works on complex drawings. That's usually in his workshop, and he and Franky communicate on projects through little notes left on pages.

He and Nami are the most consistent writers of the log book. At first, Nami kept it up to date, but Usopp got involved to add more flare, and now it's their little ritual.

Usopp is a little touch starved, and especially after the whole water 7 debacle, starts seeking out comfort and physical affection from his crew mates. Evening cuddles with Luffy and Chopper quickly becomes a regular thing.

Brook and Usopp have a religiously scheduled time one day a week, dedicated to hair care. Neither usually care too much about the shower schedule, but Wash Day is sacred. They pull out all their products and shamelessly hog the bathroom. Sanji brings them snacks and drinks as needed. Sometimes, Chopper joins them when his fur needs a good clean. Brook and Usopp experiment with different styles on Ussop's hair if they have the time and energy. Both of them will never admit just how important it is to them, but they know.

It's not a grudge, per say, but Usopp definitely has some repressed anger towards Yasopp. He loves his dad, respects him, and looks up to him. He also socks him across the face before hugging him when they finally reunite.

It takes Usopp a few hours to wind down if he pushes his observation haki too far. His haki is strong, and it backfires a little, leading to a painful case of sensory overload. He has to lie down in the dark and built himself a wieghted blanket just for occasions like this.

Once, when he got a little too tipsy, and had spent a little too long staring at Kabuto upgrades, Usopp may have considered - very passionatly, out loud - how well Luffy's skin would work as a last ditch replacement for the rubber straps of his slingshot. It took them an hour to convince Luffy to come down from the rigging.

Usopp is not allowed to experiment with explosives on the Sunny unless he is manning the cannons. This is absolutely because of an incident when Ussop was on watch, sleep deprived, and experimenting with new ammunition. Luffy, Nami and Zoro have a pact to ensure Usopp and Buggy never interact with each other.

Speaking of sleep deprivation, when Usopp gets like that, he scares the crew and never even ends up remembering it. All of his intrusive and unhinged thoughts take over, and he loses any filter he has. He's tried to collect Chopper's fur to make a coat, made Jimbei sit still so he could colour match the exact shade of his skin, watered Zoro's head in the middle of his nap, started debating the worst ways to die and why with Robin and made a detailed plan to kidnap and train a news coo to get Nami free newspapers.

[readingrobin]

Ooof this was probably my roughest month when it came to reading, Didn't really get a lot read since my schedule was jam packed and I didn't get as much reading in as I thought I would during vacation. To top it all off, the things I did manage to read mostly fell on the meh side of things, so I can't even say it was worth it for a few good reads. Oh well. I think I'll have better luck in November.

Total Books Read: 5

Total Pages Read: 1,713

Books Read:

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (2.5/5) -

This book has been collecting dust on my bookshelves since the great vampire/werewolf YA fiction boom of the early 2010s. Really the only thing that's been keeping me from reading it has been circumstance and a deluge of other things I'd rather be reading. Big note to self, if the synopsis describes one of the teenage lead characters as "sexy," there's a good chance that I, an almost thirty year old adult, will get one of those ick feelings along my spine. It's one thing if it's coming through the perspective of a teenaged character, and another when you know it's more than likely coming from some middle-aged editor in a publishing office cubicle.

Now if I had read this over a decade ago, odds are I would have loved it. Awesome werewolf mythology that seemed very unique, a badass lead character that's not here for your girly dresses or makeup, sarcasm galore, oh yeah teen me would've eaten it up. While I can still appreciate the lore aspect, there are some qualities of the book that just tire me out.

Love triangles are always going to be some dodgy ground, particularly when you don't care for them or either of the love interests. Shay seemed so irresponsible and okay with constantly putting Calla in danger, even if it had the intention of trying to get her to see the truth behind the Keepers. Rey, though slightly better, made some comments here and there that set my teeth grinding, but at least it felt like he actually respected Calla at times. Pretty sure with how the story is going that Shay is ultimately going to win out in the end, which doesn't really encourage me to read any of the sequels.

At least pour one out for the gay werewolf representation in a time where queer characters, even queer side characters, were in short supply.

While I really liked the werewolf lore, the book also reinforces my least favorite werewolf trope, which is reinforcing incorrect "facts" about actual wolf pack dynamics to explain the weird sexism of the werewolf packs. I know it's all to make the term "alpha wolf" look cool and intimidating, but they literally do not exist. Wolf packs are made up of a mated pair and their kids/extended family. There's very little dominance involved. I know bringing actual reality to this werewolf book means absolutely nothing, but they did it first.

There's also an absurd amount of sexism, misogyny, and slut-shaming going on here and yes, I know it's all for us to realize that werewolf society is corrupt and has this weird propaganda thing going on to keeps the wolves in line, but god it's overbearing at times. It's really just a me thing, but I had to visibly cringe when one of the adults told Calla to "keep her legs shut." I don't know, maybe it was too much just because all the characters are like 15-17 years old and I'm entering my "old person yells at YA for being YA" era. God help me.

So yeah, lots of emotions with this one and I'm not sure if I want to continue the series just to get closure or not.

Don't Turn Out the Lights: A Tribute to Alan Schwartz's Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark edited by Jonathan Maberry (3/5) -

Seeing as I was a giant scaredy cat as a kid, I didn't really grow up with Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. I tried once, but Stephen Gammell's haunting illustrations proved to be too much for little me who already had an overactive imagination. Now that I have a little more stamina when it comes to horror and spooky pictures, I figured to give this collection a try to find some worthwhile middle grade horror. There are definitely strong contenders in this collection, some that'll even unnerve some adults. Others, well, they're there to give a little variety when it comes to the type and tone of the stories.

My favorites would have to be:

"The Carved Bear" "The Golden Peacock" "The Neighbor" "The Bottle Tree" "The Tall Ones"

I don't know if the collection decently balanced between the light spooky stories that were more humorous and the more traumatizing tales. There are two that sort of stick out like sore thumbs, those being R.L. Stine's and Sherrilyn Kenyon's contributions. Stine is known for his off the wall twists, but this one being a little bit more silly, yet typical for his kind of work, doesn't really make it mesh well with the majority of other stories that want to leave you with a shiver down your spine. Kenyon's poem has the same effect, having more of an innocent, playful tone that sets it apart from the other stories, but not in a memorable way. I think if the collection offered a few more stories like these it wouldn't be so noticeable. Each are completely fine on their own, but not when integrated into a collection that aims to leave lasting scares.

Also, it's REALLY noticeable that some of the writers are writing stories centered around certain cultures that aren't their own or that they have done very little research on. I may be as white as winter snow, but even I know that the Devil has nothing to do with Dia de los Muertos. 

The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife (3/5) -

I have such a great fondness for corvids, be they crows, ravens, magpies, or even blue jays, so I figured this book would be right up my alley. Skaife delves into the history behind the ravens' presence at the Towers, which I was surprised but maybe not too much that it holds a legend that may not be as old and revered as once thought.

I've been to the Tower of London, which helped me visualize some of his stories. The ravens there are definitely a quirky bunch. I remember one that graciously allowed a seagull to peck a bit at their raw chicken lunch, only to shoo them off a few seconds after. This cycle would actually repeat itself a bit, a little nibble and then a shoo, it almost seemed like a sort of game. Anyway, they are very amusing birds and Skaife really does make their personalities shine in this book.

There were moments where the book lost a little steam or included something that seemed a bit superfluous. The chapter on ghosts around the grounds seemed a little out of place in a book about the Tower ravens and the stories get a little repetitive once you edge closer to the end. But if you have an interest in the Tower and its inhabitants, I recommend picking it up.

The Oddmire: Changeling by William Ritter (2.5/5) -

I'm not sure if this is a case of me reading this book at the wrong time or I'm just getting more picky with my middle grade fantasy, but I never really felt very invested in this one. It's a great setup for a story, two brothers venture into a dark magical forest to learn which one of them is human and which is a changeling left by a goblin one long ago night. They meet various friends and threats across the way, culminating in a wonderful depiction of family bonds and loyalty. I appreciated how involved their mother was in the story, who had absolutely no qualms about going into the dangerous forest to save her kids. I love seeing more competent parents in fiction, if only just to show kids that some grownups are capable of being helpful at times.

But, other than that, I didn't really get much out of the story. The brothers seemed very interchangeable, not really having distinguishable personalities so that ultimately it doesn't really matter who is human and who is the changeling. They both have the same worries and fears, the same goals, so there's nothing really to set them apart.

The writing style didn't really pull me in either, to the point where by the last couple of chapters I was doing more skimming than actual reading.

I will say that it is a decent fantasy for younger readers looking for a bit of adventure and magic. It twists some fairy tale conventions just enough to feel fresh while holding onto a few just for good measure. I've probably just read too many at this point to really appreciate it.

Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapated by James Sturm, illustrated by Joe Sutphin (5/5) -

I stumbled upon Watership Down a little later in life, knowing full well of its status as one of those "Top 10 Films that Scarred You As A Child." At some point, I had seen the glorious intro to the film, where Frith bestows various gifts to the animals and El-Ahrairah displays his tricks and cunning, and that immediately sent me to the novel. It's a beautiful story, with lush descriptions of the downs and adventure that, while coming from so humble a place, keeps you interested from beginning to end. By some magic, James Sturm and Joe Sutphin managed to capture everything about this story that has delighted readers for decades.

Sutphin goes for a more naturalistic style, keeping the rabbits and other various animals expressive, but not too cartoony. It mostly keeps to a certain realm of reality, with colors that are more muted, but never do any sort of disservice to the setting. While I am a fan of styles that bush boundaries, this style is perfect for Watership Down that, while seemingly fantastical at times, is a very down to earth tale. There's a certain charm to it that comes from the simplicity of its setup, that is a group of animals just trying to survive.

Of course, not every plot point and character makes it through the process of adaptation. I am thankful that Sturm was able to include some of the folk tales of the rabbits, which was one of my favorite elements of the story. Naturally, to keep this story to a single volume and maintain a sense of flow, things would have to be reworked and shifted.

In my opinion, this graphic novel is an exemplary transfiguration on the original story that will please fans and hopefully entice new readers to the book.

Rating Average 3.2

[bluegalaxygirl]

Obsession's Grip (Zosan X Reader) P7

Plot: After saving some of the straw hat crew from a prison, the crew help takes a young man away so he can have a fresh start in life. He's shy but seems to grow attached to Reader in an unhealthy way.

Warning: Bad language, Violence, Kidnapping and Drugs.

Reader is Female (Sorry), Zoro X Sanji X Reader, Poly relationship, established relationship. Reader has the ability to control the snake tattoos on her arms that come alive when she commands, they can change size and are connected to her emotions.

P1 - P2 - P3 - P4 - P5 - P6 - P8 - P9 - P10 - P11 - P12 - P13 - P14

It takes five days for the log pose to reset much to your dismay, it means more time trying to avoid Percy, you tried your best to be nice and find a way to cut any conversation with him short by saying you needed to do something or you had plans with Sanji and Zoro. When ever you went off the ship to explore more and find new things someone would come with you, mainly Sanji since you didn't want Zoro to get lost but you tried to bring Usopp along at least once. What was supposed to be an hour's trip turned into three due to the sniper getting scared and climbing a tree for safety, he refused to come down until you checked it was safe and after all that he struggled to climb down and almost landed face first onto the floor if it wasn't for you. After that you two made an agreement that he would do some of your jobs so you could go out and do his along with your own, the agreement went well since the forest is calm and beautiful plus it gives you time away from Percy who's been creeping you out a little lately. The young man just seems to pop up out of no where when your alone bringing you some tea or something to eat, he's friendly and doesn't ask questions anymore but you still get this uneasy feeling when around him, it also doesn't help that he keeps apologizing because he thinks your still mad about what he said. Because of this you've taken to being around Zoro and Sanji as much as possible, the two don't mind in fact they actively seek you out if they find out your alone just to make sure your ok. Percy stays well away when it comes to Sanji and Zoro, he doesn't talk to them and leaves the room if their in there unless its meal time.

Robin and Nami have also been helping keep you way from him after telling them everything, it turns out you are the only girl he's doing all this too which has made you all on edge. You simply told them to wait it out since he'll be gone when at the next island, as much as he makes you uncomfortable you don't want to leave him stranded on an island. With two days left until the ship sets sail you manage to drag Usopp into the library to help you identify some plants and seeds you've been struggling with, The sniper has been swamped with his own work plus half of yours on top so hasn't had to time to help you. Normally this wouldn't be a problem and you would wait but as of late you've become snappy, impatient and always on edge, some of the crew have no problem answering back which makes you rethink how your acting while others cower away. Sitting at the desk you look through the book while Usopp examines the strange seeds trying to find identifying features, heavy footsteps suddenly get your attention making you jump and turn towards the ladder where Franky suddenly appears. The poor cyborg looks tired and is covered in coal "Hay Usopp, i need your help one of the barrels is busted" Franky sighs before climbing back down the ladder, Usopp looks from the ladder to you slightly scared that you'll tell him off if he goes, with a sigh you wave your hand letting him know it's ok to go. Backing away from you slowly the sniper gets far enough away to feel safe enough to turn his back and head out following Franky, you hate how scared some of the crew are of you now, Usopp, Brook, Chopper, Franky and even Nami have looked at you with fear. Rubbing your face you lean back in your chair groaning to yourself, why can't you relax? Always on edge as if at any moment something bad is going to happen, it doesn't matter where you go on the ship you always feel this way.

You can't get a shower or a bath without making sure over and over again that the door is locked, when you wake up in the middle of the night your eyes stay fix on the door as if waiting for it to open and you've refused to drink any alcohol even when Luffy threw a party, you need to keep a clear and sober head, but for what? "Long day?" Gasping you almost fall out of your chair at how fast you try and move away from the voice next to you "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you" Percy smiles placing a tray down on the desk containing a pot of tea, two cups, sugar cubes and cut up fruit in a bowl. "I was hoping to join you, i wanted to talk about something Luffy told me" The young man smiles pulling over a chair to sit next to you, taking in a breath you sit up straight while biting your inner cheek, you have to make up an excuse to get away and yet you feel bad for treating him like this. He's been nice and apologized over and over again but Zoro did say he's manipulating you, although your still not sure if its intentional or not. "Oh I've seen these before" Percy laughs picking up one of the seeds your struggling to identify, snapping out of your thoughts you look over at the young man watching as he lifts up the seed above his head getting the light to shine down on it "Its out of its shell though which means it's not going to grow anything" Raising an eyebrow you lean against the desk wondering how he knows all this, your brain debated weather to ask about it or not since you don't really want to start a conversation with him if possible.

Sighing you rub your head curiosity and frustration getting the better of you "I can't seem to identify it, could you tell me about it?" You ask pulling your notepad and pen over ready to right down what he tells you, Percy's smile widens as he turns to look at you with joy "Of course" Overjoyed he starts explaining the plant and how it works and what its used for, apparently they used in the prison as lantern fuel which is how he knows about it. You write as he talks not noticing the young man sneaking closer and closer while pouring tea and adding things in just the way you like it before placing it in front of you, giving a hum of thanks you keep writing focused on what your doing until something lands on your shoulder. Jolting you look to your side seeing Percy's chair right up against your and his head on your shoulder, he doesn't move away when you notice instead he shifts his head to look at you "Can you move away, please" You try to stay polite even though your hand is gripping your pen in a death grip, Percy slowly moves his head off your shoulder with a sad look his arms wrapping around himself. Sighing at his actions you stand up grabbing the book on the table and going over to the book case to put it away deciding your done for the day, the room falls into a uncomfortable silence as you go around putting stuff away and collecting the seeds on the desk. "Why don't you like me?" Percy whispers still sitting in the same position as before while you put the seed into a small cloth bag, you go to answer when Zoro's words run though your head, don't answer any emotional questions. Percy looks up at you his eyes welling up with tears when you don't answer or even look at him.

As much as it pains you to do this you know you have to, he's always crossing the line and if you give in he'll keep doing it "I said i was sorry, i really am" Percy lean forward sniffling a little, your heart breaks at the sound of it, you want to hold him and tell him it's ok but you managed to hold yourself back while tying the bag up. Going for your notepad its suddenly pulled away from you by Percy who stands up and backs away holding it tightly to his chest "Percy, hand it over" You stay calm while holding out your hand hoping he will think smart and give it to you but he shakes his head taking another step back "Not until you tell me why your acting like this. I said i was sorry, i even bring you tea and stuff to make up for what i said... i just want you to talk to me" He yells tears running down his face while gripping your notepad tight, keeping your hand out you debate what to do next, you could just walk away but you have no idea what he'll do with your notepad which has a few months worth of work in it. "Please, just tell me what i can do to make things better... When i first met you i was scared but you treated me so kindly, you saved my life, listened to me, gave me comfort. I can see your still a caring person and i can see it hurts you to hold that back. So why are you doing this?" Percy sniffles again as you lower your hand letting it relax at your side, you hate yourself for hurting him like this, it seems rare for him to trust someone and the one person he finally trusts treats him like shit.

Taking mercy on him you sit back down and pat the chair in front of you gesturing for him to sit "I'm sorry for the way I've acted, I'll explain but first we both need to calm down, so we can talk without anger and hurt. I'll let you hold onto my notepad until i'm done ok?" You ask placing your hands on your lap hoping to show him your not a threat, Percy hesitates but soon takes a shaky step closer making his way to the chair and sitting down. Keeping your hands where he can see them you start to explain everything to him and how its making you, Sanji and Zoro feel, you honestly think that what he's done isn't intentional so maybe telling him about it will make him realize his actions and make a change. Percy takes a minute to think it all over while you wait for him to clear his head and get his thoughts together, the tears in his eyes have dried up but their still sad, releasing your notepad from his tight hold Percy holds it out to you letting you take it back and place it on your lap. "I-i didn't think what i was doing was wrong but… i see now it was, i am wrong, I'll try my best not to do anything like that again, just… If i do, please tell me, i don't want you to hate me" The young man gulp while fiddling with his hands, nodding you lean back in your chair glad to get this all out of the way "I still feel like there needs to be space between us and i still think it's a good idea that you stay away from Zoro and Sanji, mainly for your safety" You smile happy that he understands his actions but to be on the safe side you still need to keep that distance, Percy nods wiping his cheeks while giving you a smile "You really are kind, after everything I've done you still care about my safety. Thank you"

Nodding you stand up putting your notebook in your bag along with the bag of seeds before picking it up ready to leave "Wait, you didn't drink your tea" Percy frowns pushing the cup of tea across the desk towards you, turning you look him over then at the tea, you've never eaten or drank anything he's brought for you and thats not about to change "I'll ask Sanji for some, its cold now anyway" You state pulling your bag over your shoulder and walking away, the young man quickly stands putting all the stuff back onto the try and following you "Sanji's not in the kitchen, i can make you one, plus i need to clean all this up" Percy smiles following you out into the garden and then down the ladder into the kitchen "Thanks for the offer but I can do it myself and thanks for cleaning" You give him a smile glad that he's kind enough to clean up what ever mess he makes, some of the crew just leave it for someone else to deal with. Putting your bag down on the stool you look around seeing that the cook really isn't in the kitchen, usually he is at this time of day in order to prep for lunch so something urgent must have come up. "Oh! Of course, if i use something then i should put it away or clean it, thats what i was taught" Percy walks past you placing the tray down next to the sink and starts filling it up, walking around you turn on the kettle, grab a mug and then add your sugar but when you open the jar of tea bags there's nothing in there. Letting out a frustrated sigh you look through the cupboards nearby trying to find more but turn up empty-handed "Miss Y/n, the tea bags are in the pantry in that big wooden box" The young man points out seeing you looking around getting frustrated.

Pinching the bridge of your nose you sigh wondering why of all placed is the tea in the pantry, it's always kept in the cupboard close to the kettle so no one has to enter the pantry. Luckily your one of the few who Sanji trusts enough to give the code too so you easily unlock the pantry and head in, it doesn't take you long to grab what you needed and come back out to finally make yourself some tea while Percy drys his hands and leans against the counter. Sipping on your tea you let out a relaxed sigh finally able to clam your mind, talking to the young man was nerve wracking but at least now you've both come to an understanding so this trip will be a lot less stressful. After taking a few more sips you notice Percy still in the kitchen staring at you with a concerned look, it makes your body tense up again wondering what he's worried about but when you go to ask nothing comes out, you try to speak again only this time something sparkles in front of your eyes like little firefly's flying around "I'm sorry Miss Y/n" Percy sighs stepping closer to you grabbing your tea cup out of your hands and placing it on the counter, stepping away you stumble your legs unable to hold your own weight but the young man grabs you pulling your body into his "Don't worry, I've got you… I'm really sorry but i have to protect you" Percy whispers picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder, you want to stop him to fight back but your mind is fuzzy and your body feels weak, even though your legs are slightly kicking you can't feel your body doing so. As the young man turns ready to leave the kitchen you vision is overcome by floating lights all merging together until there's only white, the light dims over time soon sending you into nothing but black.

Brook makes his way out of the sleeping quarters after trying to work on a new song for a few hours, the sound of yelling from different members of the crew gets his attention, so he makes his way across the deck and up into the kitchen where the sound is coming from. Opening the door he's met with a strange sight, first the kitchen area is a mess, the pantry door is wide open, there's a few broken plate's and cups on the floor, a bitter smell in the air and one of the bar stools has been tipped over. The second thing is the whole crew yelling at each other, Chopper is sitting on the sofa with a towel over his head looking quite upset while Nami and Robin are sitting next to him yelling at Usopp and Luffy who are sitting at the table yelling back. Sanji stands at the head of the table pointing his finger at the captain seeming to be mad at him about something other than what the girls are yelling about while Zoro sits at the table with his arms crossed over his chest clearly tense and ready to blow up at any minute. Franky groans leaning against the wall chugging a coal clearly tired and looking a little depressed, tilting his head Brook noticing your not here and yet your bag is, either you didn't want to argue and walked out or your not apart of this. "Urm… what's wrong?" Hesitating the skeleton speaks up, the room suddenly goes quiet as the crew turn to him with a mixture of anger and annoyance. "Where the hell have you been?" Nami yells standing from her seat making Brook jump in fear of her hitting him.

Robin places her hand on Nami's arm getting the navigator to sit back down "Take a seat and I'll explain" she gestures to one of the chairs but Sanji steps in the way glaring at the skeleton "First i want to know if you've been in the kitchen in the last two hours" The cook pulls out a cigarette placing it between his lips and lighting it all while glaring at Brook who shakes his head "Oh no, I've been writing music for almost… four hours now" He state making everyone sigh in frustration, stepping side Sanji lets Brook pass and take a seat as he puffs on his cigarette trying to calm down "Wow, you really missed everything" Luffy laughs only to get hit in the head by the cook "What are you laughing about? Your still number one on my lift for who did this" Sanji yells pointing at the messy kitchen making the captain pout while looking away. "We'll as you can see the kitchen is a mess, but we don't know who did it. There's been more going on in the past two hours" Robin state calmly trying to stop the room from going back to how it was, Brook nods staying quiet and letting the black haired woman continue. "First the temperature in the aquarium bar went up quite high causing the bottle of wine on the shelves to explode and the fish tank to heat up killing off some of the fish. Sanji cleaned up the mess while Nami and Zoro where supposed to gather all the dead fish when Chopper came running over covered in syrup, someone put a bucket of syrup over the door in his office so Nami asked for my help to cleaning him"

Chopper sighs pulling the towel off his head, its clear now the two girls had to help bath and dry the poor reindeer "Thinking it was Luffy who did the prank-" Luffy suddenly stands shaking his head furiously while looking over at Chopper "I wasn't me i swear, i love pranking you but not like that" The captain tries to defend himself as Usopp pats him on the shoulder trying to calm his friend down. "We'll it's between you and Usopp" Nami growls shaking her head still trying to figure out who did it but Robin places her hand on the girls knee trying to calm her down "Nami told Luffy to help Zoro out with the fish tank since he was on deck. As for Franky and Usopp, as far as i understand one of the barrels that powers the engine burst" the black haired woman looks over at Franky with a sympathetic look, the cyborg sighs and nods before pushing off the wall "Yea, i don't know how it happened still but i'm looking into it, i needed Usopp's help since everyone was busy with other things". Brook nods understanding, but he then hums putting some pieces together that the others missed, Zoro opens his eye looking the skeleton up and down before nodding "i was thinking the same" the swordsman states sitting up straight and unfolding his arms "Everything that happened was too close together making me think its intentional and most likely by the same person, they wanted us all busy-" Zoro stands out of his chair quickly the pieces coming together perfectly but it makes his heart beat faster "When did you last see Y/N?" Sanji yells realizing what's going on, you and Percy are not here, the kitchen's a mess and everyone was distracted. "She was in the library" Usopp gulps concerned by the sudden shift in their aura, Nami stands panicking a little "She was there when we went up to bath chopper but you two were too distracted to notice but when we came down both of you were gone"

Usopp gulps becoming worried by their reactions "I left her up there to help Franky" The sniper points out making Nami's heart sink "Do you think Percy did something?" Nami asks her panicked eyes looking over to Sanji and Zoro who both have a mixture of anger and worry on their faces. The others look at each other in confusion until Luffy stands up glaring at his three friends "What's going on?" The captain asks getting annoyed that he doesn't understand what their talking about. Robin stands up with a way to clam the situation and a plan to help "We thought the situation was fixed but it seems that isn't the case, I'll happily explain but i think its best of Sanji, Zoro and Nami start looking, i doubt their still on the ship" The black haired woman turns to the three who look at their captain in slight panic hoping he will let them go, Luffy nods giving them the go ahead to leave before looking at Robin wanting to know what's going on. The three quickly run out of the kitchen and onto the deck but before the two can leave Nami stops them handing Sanji a transponder snail "I'll look over the map and guide you through, their no point in running in blind, there's area's around here that are good for hiding so i'll tell you how to get there… Stay close to Sanji" The navigator states while pointing a finger at the swordsman not wanting him to get lost, Zoro growls wanting to fight back but his attention turns to the forest feeling its more important to go after you than fight. "Thank you Nami-swan" Sanji smiles with slight tears in his eyes, he's worried about you but the navigator's kindness and eagerness to help really pulls at his heart. Zoro groans grabbing the cooks belt and pulling him off the ship while Nami waists no time heading to the library and going over her map trying to find the best places to search for you.

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

[normansnt]

A book by its cover (Usopp x male!punk!reader)

This picture inspired me BIG time. Also I love that people are finally realizing how nice punks are🦦🧡 It may be a bit long but like not that long its aight I hope you like it

There are no warnings its just fluff🐥

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Black leather jacket with spikes, badges and whatnot. Spiky h/c hair piercings and tattoos all this with black ripped jeans with again different badges and other things on it and black combat boots. Usopp thought this looked quite scary. He looked quite scary. Well ok it looked badass not to mention the guy was handsome... but anyhow he looked like he was from a dark world which Usopp had no intention of entering

The strawhats docked on an island for supplies maybe a little rest and to reset the log pose they had about 1 maybe 1 and a half days. Robin, Nami and Sanji went shopping the girls for clothes Sanji to carry their bags and to buy food. Zoro went to drink beer and take a nap and Luffy went with him claiming he wants to eat (as always). Brook and Jinbe just wanted to look around town. That left Franky, Usopp and Chopper who wanted to go look for supplies for the ship or Usopps bombs and other things.

Thats where they saw him. The guy who sold every kind of parts for ships, to painting supplies, gases and more. He was a tall dude around 6'6 with h/l, h/c hair which was in spikes (or not you decide if it wasn't just ignore it), he had kind e/c eyes and greeted them with a friendly smile. Franky smiled back and got to business right away.

"Hey guys what can I help you with?" Asked the guy in a friendly tone. "We need some supplies for a ship" said Franky cautiously not to mention that they are pirates. "Oh you guys are the Pirates that just docked, ok what kind of parts do you need?" Said the s/c male. Franky, Usopp and Chopper stood there a bit baffled. Even after the guy knew they were pirates the kind smile didn't leave the strangers face.

While Franky was discussing the parts needed Usopp was quiet the whole time something was off with this guy, he looked scary (and handsome but Usopp did not admit that even to himself) but acted very kind and understanding. Not to mention based on what he heard from the conversation he knew what he was talking about. "HAHAHA" Frankies booming laugh got him out of his trance. The guy must have said something awfully funny since he was smiling as well a big smile, a very attractive smile. What? Usopp was very confused at this point. "I could really use someone like you on the ship to help with repairs wouldn't you say Usopp, Chopper?" Asked Franky smiling, the two were just standing there silently. "Sorry how rude of me" said the guy still smiling "I didn't even introduce myself Im Y/N". "Im Franky these two are Usopp and Chopper" smiled Franky while pointing at the two. Usopp and Chopper still didn't say anything. Teddy got down on one knee looked at chopper and reached in his pocket. The too scaredy cats were watching his every move when suddenly he pulled out candy from his pocket. "Do you want one little reindeer?" Asked Y/N with a smile Chopper immediately forgot his fear. Not only because the stranger had candy but because someone finally saw him as a reindeer at the first meeting and not a raccoon. He walked over to Y/N and took some candy. Y/N patted his head. Chopper looked up at him and a bit shyly but asked him: "what are those pointy things on your jacket?". The e/c eyed male laughed and answered: "They are spikes I wear them cuz I think it looks cool" smiled the man than put his tongue out in a rocker way to make the little reindeer laugh. Chopper did laugh and then asked: "Can I touch them?" Y/N smiled and motioned for him to come closer. Chopper liked his spikes very much he thought they are dangerous at first that they hurt, but they didn't. This way Chopper ended up sitting on Y/Ns shoulder. Usopp watched this whole scene with interest. You were THIS nice. Now he feels stupid for thinking you are mean or anything but the way you are dressed deceived him. Usopp was staring at you red faced. It was not only that you were really good looking you had the kindest personality as well and he really couldn't deny it any longer even to himself he liked you, a lot. Y/N looked at him next. "So you're Usopp?" He asked smiling maybe a bit red in the face...? Nah Usopps eyes were lying to him he surely just saw what he wanted to.

"I...uh...YES, I am the great captain Usopp indeed" he said while sweating trying to play it off full of pride. He was kind of embarrassed after a short silence and he was about to apologize when he heard the most pleasant laughter he had ever heard. Y/N laughed at his antics he thought it was hilarious. "Wow alright mighty and powerful captain Usopp" he said whit a mock bow, then they both started laughing Chopper didn't really get it he just sat on Y/Ns shoulder eating the Candy he got while Franky just looked at them with a knowing smile.

After they bought everything they needed (which took nearly the whole day since they had such a great time with Y/N) they had to go back to the ship. Usopp was not happy nor was Chopper and to be fair Franky also took a liking to Y/N so its safe to say none of them wanted to leave him on the island. Y/N was not happy either to see them go he had a great time and enjoyed Usopps funny antics to no end. How ever to recruit a new crew mate was not their job not to mention they had no idea if Y/N was any good in battle.

Usopp was sulking the whole way back. And on the ship as well. They planned to stay on the port of the island for the night then set sail in the morning.

Zoro was on night watch and all of a sudden he saw someone approaching the ship. He stood up to see if the person was actually coming to the ship, but there was no misunderstanding the person was coming to the ship with something on their shoulder and a small bag in their hand. Zoro reacted the moment he saw that that something on the strangers shoulders was an ax.

He jumped off the ship right on the stranger. However, to Zoros utter disbelief, they dodged it. Now that the street light helped him see he saw that it was a guy, wearing a leather jacket with spikes badges and what not. This did not interest him however the thing that bothered him was the ax on his shoulder and the fastness he dodged his attack with it was almost inhuman like.

"What do you want with this ship?" Asked Zoro accusingly. "Listen this is a misunderstanding-" but the stranger did not get to finish their sentence because Zoro attacked. To Zoros disappointed the stranger blocked all of his blows and dodged them with excellence and grace very much like he saw Mihawk do it. The only difference between this guy and Mihawk was that he didn't attack back he just kept defending and of course he used an axe. The rest of the strawhats woke up to this commission outside and watched the fight with shock. Someone holding their own against Zoro with one hand and a small axe without breaking a sweat or attacking back? This was crazy. The moment Usopp stepped on the front of the ship to see whats going on his eyes widened and he looked at Franky. "Isnt that-" "Yes he is" "shouldn't we-" "Yes we should" the two looked at each other then forward at the battle and started yelling "STOP STOP" very loudly Franky jumped off the ship to stop Zoro while Usopp ran over to Y/N to stop him as well.

"Huh?" Asked Zoro after Franky stood in front of him. "Why are you standing in the way?" He asked kind of upset, Franky didn't answer just looked at Y/N and asked "What are you doing here Y/N?".

"Im sorry to disturb your night but after I was going to close the shop I found Usopps bag, and I wanted to return it, so after I left the shop I tried to find your ship based on how you guys described it and well I got kinda lost thats why I only got here this late" explained the s/c male panting lightly due to dodging Zoros attacks. Usopp got red in the face, very red, he left his bag there and didn't even notice since he was busy thinking about Y/N all night. "Thanks Y/N so much somehow I didn't even notice" "Wait you know this punk?" Asked Zoro.

"Wow you're quick" laughed Y/N lightly this made others chuckle a bit as well. "We bought ship supplies from him he was the shop keeper we were telling you about during dinner" yelled Chopper excitedly while running to Y/N to sit on his shoulders. "I don't care what shop you own how did you dodge my attacks this effortlessly?" Asked Zoro still a bit pissed. "Oh thats all thanks to my dad he trained me all my childhood" answered Y/N truthfully. "Your dad? Who is your dad if I may ask the way you move reminds me of someone" asked Sanji. He took a liking to the punk the moment he made fun of Zoro. "Mihawk, Dracule Mihawk" Everyones jaw dropped with their eyes bulging out of their sockets. "MIHAWK HAS A KID???" Yelled Zoro shocked. "Yeah Im kind of used to these reactions however y'all are a bit extreme Im guessing you know him" said Y/N in a usual tone not very phased by their reactions."Join my crew" said Luffy all of a sudden. Nami screamed when she notice Luffy was standing next to her because when everyone came out he was still sleeping. "You look strong and I saw you fight then I heard you are Mihawks son you are joining my crew" said Luffy smiling big. "Oh... eh I really didn't plan on becoming a pirate..." started off Y/N. Then he looked at Usopp who was looking at him with hopeful eyes and then at Chopper who was looking with puppy eyes Franky also tried doing Puppy eyes but it looked rather creepy from a big man like him. It was still hard though Y/N liked this town not to mention his shop. "But you are joining" said Luffy still smiling then headed back to his bed like the discussion was ower "uh..." Y/N stood there confused, then Usopp started laughing, "Yeah Im afraid it isn't your decision " Usopp continued laughing then started to walk towards the ship. With everyone else "Come on Y/N you are our nakama now" smiled Usopp while grabbing his hand and walking to the Thousand sunny. Never judge a book by its cover I guess you could say that for any member of the Straw hat crew Y/N will fit right in.

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WELP

My second fanfic🥳

I wrote this for an embarrassingly long time even I don't know why lol💀

Anyway I LOVE Usopp he is so goofy and no mf in the world will tell me he isn't gay not yo mention Im a HUGE believer of trans Usopp so😗

SO I hope you liked this fic I will write more with time but I have things to do

Ladies, gentlemen and others I hope you enjoyed your reading, good afternoon good evening and goodnight🧡🦖

[mukumukunomi]

From: Your Heart To: Mine

cw: Luffy x fem!reader, romantic pining, long-distance relationship, Wano arc spoilers?, loose cannon compliance (follows cannon loosely).

wc: 2,394k

a/n: Last fic of the year! Mainly just me putting a bunch of ideas into a quick story and will probably have a few more parts in the future. I had several hc's of Luffy being in a relationship with someone far away and someone who he didn't ask to join his crew, and why that might be. And then I had the idea of long-distance penpals and protective!Luffy reunions so it just spiraled from there. Hope you enjoy it, Happy New Year! :)

Part 1

Part 2 (TBD)

❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦ ❦

Luffy shifts in anticipation. “Where is it?”

Dark orbs scan the horizon, mouth chewing loudly on a sandwich as his legs swing over the side of the crow’s nest. It’s a relatively calm day on the Grand Line. The Thousand Sunny’s hull breaks the azure waves as they crest, leaving a wake of churned water behind. Their trail is swiftly swept away by the tides into a stretch of blue on blue. A blurred line where the sea meets the sky. It is only broken by the speckle of fluffy white clouds that lazily trek above him.

In other words, the perfect day for a News Coo to appear.

The bird’s last appearance is fuzzy in his memory. Was it last week? Last month? When was the last time his bounty had gone up? The fact he doesn’t remember concerns him because it means there’s been no news from you in a long while. He only pays attention when there’s something from you.

He yawns, staring up at the sun currently hidden behind a large cloud. The days seem to stretch longer without you. Your island may be far away now, but he can almost feel your presence as if right beside him. What were you doing? What was the last tasty thing you ate? Did you spill three or four bottles of ink today?

Not knowing is its own form of torture. It’s hard to not miss you in the moments where something strikes him with your familiarity. Blue skies remind him of your little blue house on the island. The stars remind him of the lake. The patch of grass that spans Sunny’s deck reminds him of your garden. And Robin’s books remind him of the papers and ink littered across your kitchen table. 

There was no way of knowing then how those small letters in your handwriting would become such a crucial part of his life. In a way, they became points of time where his adventure reconnected to yours. Snippets of your life he would have never known about if you hadn’t logged it for him to see. 

Flapping wings catches his attention as a beak snatches the sandwich from his hand.

“Hey!”

The large gull swoops downwards, landing awkwardly on deck. It narrowly misses hitting Brook, who’s tuning his violin strings, and swerves over to where Nami’s lounging on the deck under an umbrella with Sanji serving beverages. It swallows the half-eaten sandwich whole just as Luffy lands with a thud next to it.

“Give it back!” He yells, grabbing the bird by the neck and shaking it. It doesn’t discourage the creature to hack it up in the slightest.

Nami’s annoyed gaze meets his as she fans herself in the heat. She fishes into her pocket for a moment before extending her hands towards them in a gesturing motion. The flash of something shiny focuses the bird’s attention. “Bring it here, Luffy.”

He grumbles, but obliges. Nami slots the berry into the bag around the News Coo’s neck, then holds her hand out expectantly. The gull drops the newspaper into her open palm. Nami doesn’t retract, leveling a stare at the bird. “Anything else?”

It shakes its head.

The redhead’s frown deepens as she sets the newspaper in her lap. She sits up, flicking another golden coin into the air almost threateningly. “Are you sure? Those letters with the star symbol on them? You didn’t drop it, did you?”

The bird reaffirms its previous gesture with a vigorous shake of its head under her intense glare. It takes Luffy a moment to realize what exactly it means.

No letter.

He drops the bird abruptly as disappointment bubbles inside him. The avian lets out a yelp as Luffy turns to walk dejectedly away, missing the way his navigator’s face falls as he does so. 

���Listen here,” Nami’s voice echoes behind him, now shaking the bird in the same way Luffy had, “You’re going to deliver this letter to Starcleaved Island. Expedited. And don’t return until you bring back news about our friend.”

Luffy registers the sound of several coins before the bird takes off above him again. He feels limbless as he climbs up the stairs towards the back of the boat, drifting his way into the library filled with dusty books and laid out sketches of archeological sites. Robin smiles gently at him as he sinks into a chair next to her. “Can I help you, captain?”

“Oi, Robin, can I see Y/N’s letters again?”

Robin clearly wants to say something, but at the last moment turns to grab a familiar blue leather tome from the shelf behind her. He gently thumbs to the most recent entry, earmarked and already worn from how many times he’s turned to it. Luffy takes a moment to appreciate the way the letter is adhered to the page of the book, obviously done with care in the experienced hands of his archeologist. Without Robin, these letters would have probably ended up lost. It had been her idea to keep them in something more sustainable. 

But the thought is fleeting as his eyes are once again drawn to the top of the last entry:

Luffy, It’s been a long while since you and the crew left. How is everyone? Are they still eating well? You haven’t eaten all of the food I gave you already have you? What adventures have you had since we last spoke?  I’m doing much better now that I’ve gotten over that nasty cold I caught right at the start of the season. Please thank Chopper for the medicinal recipe he sent with your letter last time. Oh! And Sanji’s soup recipe! They were lifesavers! Though, I do wish I were eating it with you. Like when you were here. We had so much fun. We couldn’t keep Zoro and Franky from the alcohol. And Usopp did that weird dance to Brook’s song. Do you remember that? Hopefully, Nami was able to use that note I made. Forgery is all fun and games until you actually have to convince people the documents you write are real. But we know Nami is sneaky, and I’m the best forger there is. There’s no way my handiwork is discernible. You can’t tell the real from my fakes. I thought a lot about what you said. I think maybe you’re right.  I’ve heard Dressarosa has become a really beautiful place after all the unrest there. (Although, I wonder who’s responsible for that?) Maybe I can extend my business further out into the world. Smuggled goods receipt, fake invitations, not-so-deceased wills…my hand itches just thinking about it. Sincerely yours, Y/N P.S Your handwriting has gotten better. Robin must be really patient to get you to sit for more than five minutes. P.P.S You know, I still haven’t been able to get that stain out from where you spilled the red ink. You owe me a new rug.

He notes the date, questioning eyes meeting Robin’s. “How long has it been since we got this letter?”

Robin hums in thought. “About three months.”

No letter from you in almost three months. It wasn’t like you at all. Not with all the previous letters filling up more than half the book already. 

“We’re all worried.” Robin says gently, comfortingly.

 He speaks slowly, eyes not leaving the page. “Y/N can take care of herself. She’s strong.”

He’d already accepted the risks when parting separate ways. He was on his own adventure, and you were on yours. That fact doesn’t stop the ache you leave behind. 

“She would have loved to come with us.” The raven-haired woman muses, flipping to the page of her text where she had left off. It’s both a statement and a question that’s left unanswered as the room goes quiet. 

But Robin's words stick like glue to his mind in the silence. It’s rare for him to reflect on past decisions. He’s not the type to regret. “I know.”

He knew not extending an offer to you had hurt you. Knew how much you would have loved to come. But it hadn’t felt right at the time. Joining his crew wasn’t something you needed. Not in the same way as the rest of the crew. They had been nobodies to the rest of the world. Adrift with no sense of purpose. He had seen their potential and felt their worth through their grit. Each of his current shipmates needed this crew, and this crew only, to realize that. Luffy sensed you already had determined your purpose long ago without them. 

Still, he did need you. In what capacity, he didn’t know. He vowed that once he became the King of the Pirates, he’d circle back down the Grand Line to see you. Perhaps, he’d figure out this feeling in his chest that he hadn’t been able to shake since leaving Starcleaved Island.

***

Well, this was splendid.

You huff in annoyance as you sit in the dingy cell, footsteps loudly clanging from the deck above. It was damp and dark here. You didn't know how long you hadn't showered, nor the last time you saw the sun. The only light source came from the gaps between the floorboards. A slit beam of it shone directly on you, and you savor the sun’s warm comfort as you muse about your predicament.

Starcleaved Island was a peaceful respite on the Grand Line, famed mainly for its phenomena of meteor showers. Boats would go out into the middle of a large lake, which spanned nearly a quarter of the center of the island’s mass, to sight see the recurring celestial objects that streaked across the sky. It was told that once, long ago, a meteor fell and 'cleaved' a hole in the center of the island, which eventually became the lake. You had grown up standing next to that body of water, wishing on those shooting stars, for as long as you could remember. You and your little blue house next to it.

Everything changed when they came. When he came. When Luffy appeared on the shores of the lake next to your house. Half-drowned and soaking to the bone on that brisk morning. You had gotten your first look of one of the most infamous pirates of the sea, besides the ones on wanted posters.

He had been adorable. Was still adorable to you.

You feel yourself flush as the thought permeates your reminiscing. Goosebumps unrelated to the dampness in the air radiate along your skin as you recall his smile and boyish charm. You miss him. There wasn’t a moment since his departure that you didn’t. There was something gravitating to his existence, as if the entire world centered itself on him. He was frightening, quite frankly. All that power and influence in the hands of an idiot. 

Of course each new wanted poster of that adorable idiot went on your fridge for you to ogle. You couldn't resist.

But how in the world did you get such rotten luck? You had just saved up a month’s worth of expenses for travel for a new business venture to Dressarosa when these pirates raided your hometown. And taken you, unfortunately.

The wayward thoughts are broken up by the sound of something clanging against the metal bars of your cell. Narrow eyes glance at you from the other side, a sneer on the pirate’s lips as he spits a wad of chewing tobacco onto the floor. “Girlie, you feel like talkin’ yet?”

You frown, crossing your arms.

The pirate grumbles something under his breath. “Two months of silence isn’t going to bring you back to that shoddy little island we found you at.”

You feel the emotion bubble in your chest, just managing to swallow the sob that wants to tear its way from your throat. That was your shoddy little island. How dare he take you from it?

The man sticks his pinkie-finger in his ear and wiggles it. “Perhaps you’ll talk when we tell ya where we are. Ever heard of Wano, girlie?”

You blink. Wano? The samurai country? From what you understand, they were mostly closed off from the rest of the world. It was at least a three month's travel away from home!

“We’ve got our weapon materials to sell. And unless you want to join the fishes, you’ll forge those documents to say we’re a spice ship.”

You felt your lip curl in disgust. Weapons for what? “How do you even know I-”

“Your bag’s filled with all kinds of unfinished notes for entry into Dressarosa. Quite good.”

You curse. Discretion was gone, it seemed. “I don’t extend my services to scum.”

The brute simply smiles at the rasp of your voice. “I-”

“Captain!”

The man turns at the sound of the voice coming from the deck above. He cranes his neck upwards at the helmsman. Sucking air through the gap in his teeth, the captain calls wearily. “Whaddya’ want!?”

The helmsman’s voice echoes down loudly over the sound of the waves against the hull. “The barrelman spotted a pirate ship crashed on the shore where we were to drop anchor.”

“So what?!”

“The Jolly Roger…it’s the flag of the Strawhats, sir!” 

Your heart skips a beat. The Sunny was here?

The captain blinks with mouth agape as he processes the information. “We…” The man scratches at the scruff on his chin, “We’ll go around it. We’ll pull into port instead.”

“But, sir, without the documents there will be suspicion…”

Your voice comes out louder than you intend. “I’ll do it.”

The captain turns to you quizzically. You clear your throat. “You have example documents, right? I can do it in an hour…unless you broke the inks in my bag.”

There’s suspicion in the man’s gaze. “Really?”

“I don’t work for free. I have one condition: You let me walk away once we dock.”

A laugh that sounds like a pitiful cough erupts from him. “Ha! You know what you’re asking for? If you stay here you won’t be able to leave! You’ll never leave Wano’s borders alive!”

It takes all your strength not to shake anxiously. “Do we have a deal?”

The captain shakes his head as he walks away, chuckling. “Your funeral, girlie.”

You watch him ascend to the deck, letting out a sigh of relief once the trapdoor is shut. Your palms press gently onto your eyeballs as you try to fight the wave of nausea rolling over you.

Sunny was here. Luffy was here.

You had to get away from these people quickly and find him. No matter what it took.

[maelialuv]

Fire Side - Eddie Munson

*NOT MY GIF*

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

Summary: After a campfire with friends, you look at your best friend Eddie in a brand new light. Good thing he brought his van.

Warnings: SMUT! MINORS DNI! mature language, alcohol, jealous!eddie, smut, virgin!reader, reader is 18, The Van.

Word count: 4.3K

"To no more tests, no more shitty cafeteria food and NO MORE SCHOOL!"

As Steve bellowed from on top of a log, you and your friends cheered in excitement, each with a red solo cup in hand. The graduating class of 1985 - well, you and your friends- had gathered by Lover's Lake to set up a bonfire to celebrate the end of senior year. And while he wasn't able to graduate this year, Eddie Munson , as per your incessant pestering, had tagged along with you.

Eddie had been your best friend since your junior, his first senior, year. You'd been nose deep in your schedule when you'd collided with the long haired dungeon master. You'd been knocked right to the floor, the wind smacked right out of you, whilst Eddie stood tall.

"Wow, okay, you're alright, there you go" he'd said, hoisting you up and brushing the dust from your back. "Ouch, Click's history. Rough."

"Had them before?" you asked , taking your books from him as he grabbed them from the floor.

"Let's just say our relationship has not been one of love."

You'd been close with Eddie ever since, but it was your senior year - Eddie's second- that you became best friends. You had nearly every class together, ate lunch together, and hung out almost every day after school at your place or his. You were practically attached at the hip. So when Eddie said he was gonna skip out on the bonfire, you simply wouldn't put up with it. After nagging him for a good twenty minutes straight, he'd said yes to shut you up.

But he was secretly glad he'd come. He loved spending time with you, no matter the setting or reason. He would sit with you and watch paint dry if it meant that you two were hanging out.

The bonfire party consisted of you, Eddie, Steve and Robin, Nancy and a few others. As the night went on and the sky darkened, and the booze ran low, people started to file on to their bikes and head for home until it was just you five left. You five and a bottle of vodka.

"And who hid this from the rest of us?"

"Always gotta bring a spare for the after party, Y/n. Have I taught you nothing?" Steve said, ruffling your hair playfully as he sat down next to you on the logs. He cracked the cap on the bottle. "Ladies first?"

"Straight?" you said, hoping for at least a soda to relieve yourself from the alcohol.

"Why, are you coming on to me?" Steve said with a suggestive wink.

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"It'll be fine , watch." Steve took a tiny swig from the bottle, grimacing lightly as he swallowed. "See." You could see him fighting back a cough.

"Was that meant to impress me, Harrington?"

"Are you impressed?"

You chuckled at your friends antics, ducking down as Harrington ruffled your hair again, this time harder.

Beside you, Eddie was not laughing. Far from it. A simmering anger was spluttering inside of his chest, much like the sparks from the embers of the fire. The way Steve was talking to you - flirting with you- made his blood boil. He was so flippant about it! In front of your friends too! Eddie clenched his hands by his sides, trying his best to shove this anger- or was it discomfort?- down and just enjoy the night. He couldn't take his eyes off of you, however, when you grabbed the bottle from Steve and took a large sip with a straight face, not breaking eye contact with your friend.

Jesus Christ, Eddie thought.

Why not just make out in front of us all?

The bottle got passed around a few times, and soon a happy buzz had worked its way on to all five of you. The fire was dying down, only a light glow now, casting orange light on to everyone's faces. Robin's head rested gently on Nancy's shoulder, eyes closed and murmuring to keep up with the conversation. Moments later, Nancy took on the same tired exterior, resting her head on top of Robin's.

"You guys had enough?" You asked, putting your hand on Nancy's shoulder. She yawned loudly in response. "I think it's time to get them home, Harrington." you said, tossing Steve his keys.

"Yeah, even when the kids aren't around I'm still playing baby sitter." He leaned forward to whisper in your ear. "Don't tell anyone, but I've been having soda all night."

"Wow, party animal. You gonna be okay to drive?" you joked, smiling at Steve's gracious role of designated driver even on graduation night.

"Oh yeah, yeah, I'm good. I'll leave you a message when we're all home." He wrapped his arms over your shoulder in a friendly hug. "Night, squirt. See ya, Eddie!" he called to your best friend, who simply waved in response.

After helping Steve get the girls into his car, you plopped down next to Eddie on the logs, the glow from the moon making his pale skin look ivory in the dark. He was staring into the embers of the fire, twisting his rings round his fingers.

With a tired, but happy, sigh, you rested your head on his shoulder. "I'm sad you didn't graduate with us, Eds, 's gonna be weird not getting to see you every day." Beneath your head, you could feel Eddie tense up.

"Well, you've got Harrington for that now." He laughed humourlessly as he said it, making you furrow your brows in confusion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" lifting your head abruptly when Eddie stood, shifting his feet with his hands in his jean pockets.

"Just that, clearly, Harrington can make you happy. So you won't need to miss me too much. Steve's gotcha covered from here , it seems." He laughed to himself again. "I mean, god, could it be more obvious that he's hot for you? Guy is shameless."

"What?" you gawked at your best friend, a mix of confused and slightly angry at his sudden outburst. "What are you talking about he's hot for me?" In any other situation, Eddie's phrasing would have made you laugh. Now it just made you mad.

"Oh come on, Y/n, he was practically rubbing it in my- our faces all night. Touching your hair all the time? He's gone textbook, which is the first time I think anyone has ever said that for Steve."

"Hey, leave him alone man." You were fully angry now, pissed off at Eddie's change in demeanour. "There's nothing going on with Steve and I. And even if there was - if he wasn't still obviously in love with Nance- why would it be anything to do with you?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

"Because you're my best friend, and I should know these things, and not have it shoved in my face. God, he was practically eye fucking you all night!" Eddie ran his hands through his hair to try and calm his nerves, but he was on fire right now. He was shaking he was so distraught at the thought of Harrington getting to you.

Before he could tell you, or show you, how he felt about you.

Your mouth was agape in shock at Eddie's words. Shocked both at his sense of entitlement to know which boys you were or were not getting with, and at his vulgarity. Steve had been his normal friendly self all night. He made sure you were having fun, he took care of Robin and Nancy. He was just normal Steve.

What had made Eddie so...off?

"What the hell is your problem, Eddie?" you took a step closer to your friend. You were about arms length apart now. "You're being an asshole right now."

"You wanna know my problem?"

"Uh, yeah, that's why I asked."

Eddie paused for a second, rocking on the balls of his feet. Then, in one smooth stride, he walked to you, grabbed your face in his hands.

And kissed you.

Eddie was kissing you.

It was intense, and hard. He grasped your face so gently in his hands, the force of his lips seeming that much bigger. When the initial shock wore off, you pulled away breathlessly.

"What are you doing?" you asked, your hands on his forearms. You were so, so confused. So why were you enjoying it? In those ten short seconds, you'd had a better kiss than in your whole high school experience. Eddie pulled back with a deep sigh.

"That's my problem. Harrington getting to touch you, not a big fan." His hands still rested on your face, thumbs stroking the apples of your cheeks. When you didn't pull away, he touched his forehead to yours gently. "I've liked you for so long, Y/n. So long. And you know I'm not a big feelings guy, but, God, seeing Steve with you tonight just made me wanna scream." You laughed slightly at him. "Oh, that's funny to you , is it?"

"You were jealous, of Steve?"

Eddie looked down at his feet, smiling to himself gently. "Of course that's the bit you listen to." You moved your hands to smooth out his wild hair. You felt like the wind had been kicked from your lungs. Eddie liked you, Eddie was jealous of Steve touching you? As much as you were confused, the small flicker of warmth in your stomach was fanned into a flame as Eddie let out a deep chuckle. "Anything else you picked up on there?"

He was looking so deeply, so intently, into your eyes you felt as though he was seeing your very soul. His hands crept their way up to the back of your head, twining his fingers into the hair at the nape of your neck. "Well," you said, taking on a teasing tone despite your heart thrumming in your chest, "I don't get the jealousy thing." Eddie furrowed his brows. Had he not been clear before? "I don't get being jealous. It's not like Steve and I," you leaned in, hovering your lips over the shell of his ear, "touch here." You lightly kissed the skin below his lobe, grinning when Eddie sucked in a sharp breath.

Lowering your head, you dragged your lips down Eddie's neck. "It's not like he touches me," you kissed his adam's apple, dragging your teeth down to where his shoulders met his neck, "here." You ran your hands up Eddie's arms, lingering around his face and tracing his lips with the tip of your finger. "Wouldn't let him touch me there."

Eddie felt like he was going to implode. Your touches were driving him crazy, and if you didn't just kiss him again, he was gonna go out of his mind. You ceased your movements. "You've got no reason to be jealous of anything, Eds."

"Does Harrington know that?"

"Steve's not here, Eddie." You dropped your hands to your sides. "And even if he was, I wouldn't dream of kissing anyone else but you-"

Eddie's lips cut you off in another searing kiss, this time you reciprocated. It was all teeth and lips, hands in hair, and hands roaming anywhere they could reach. Eddie's lips felt like magic against your own, better than any kiss you'd ever had. When Eddie tugged against your hair, lowering his lips down to nip and kiss the skin of your neck, you groaned aloud. Eddie's head whipped to face you.

"Well, what do we have here?" he smirked, nipping the spot again and taking another groan as encouragement. You yanked his jaw, desperate to kiss him again. "C'mre, Munson." Eddie gladly obliged, crashing your lips together.

You felt overwhelmingly hot in your sweater now, tugging frantically at the hem to get it off without breaking the kiss. "Eds," you said, resting your hands on his cheeks. "can we sit down?"

His eyes lit up, excitement and desire evident in his now black eyes, blown wide and darkened with lust. "We could sit in the van?"

Doors thrown open, you clambered into the back of Eddie's van. You threw your sweater over your head, leaving you in a Van Halen tshirt. "You stealing my clothes now, Y/n?" You had borrowed the shirt last time you stayed at Eddie's place. The sight made Eddie just about burst. Seeing you in his clothes, he felt like he was marking you as his. The attention on the shirt - and your chest- made you suddenly self conscious, as you crossed your arms over your chest.

The pause in activity had made you nervous. What did this make you and Eddie? What would happen to your relationship now? You obviously had feelings for Eddie too, revealed by your feverish desire to kiss him, touch him, have him touch you. You head whirled with anxieties, broken when Eddie's hand wove its way into yours.

"Hey," he said softly, "we can stop if you're uncomfortable. We don't have to do anything, okay?" His thumb rubbed gently against your skin, leaving a blazing trail in its wake. Your whole body thrummed with an electric desire for Eddie. When you didn't respond right away, he scooted on the floor of the van next to you. "What's going on up here, hmm?" He tapped his fingers to your temple lightly.

"Can I tell you something?" you said, gaze on the rug Eddie had laid in the back of the van.

Eddie turned his body completely towards you. "Of course."

"I haven't... been with someone before." you grimaced in embarrassment at yourself. "So, if we do this" you finally met his gaze. "it would be my...first."

Eddie was quiet for a few heartbeats, before he leaned in and placed a soft kiss to your lips. It was slow and gentle, and conveyed his love and all his care for you without saying a word. When he pulled back, he smiled at you. You felt like your heart was in your mouth. He looked at you as if you were the moon. "Are you sure?"

You nodded your head. "I'm sure."

Eddie leaned in to kiss you again, and his tongue made its way into your mouth. You moaned lightly at the sensation. He cupped your jaw, shifting your head to deepen the kiss. Wrapping his arms around you, he lightly laid you down on the bed of the van, moving on top of you. Raising your arms above your head, he intertwined your fingers before peppering kisses down your neck, the hollow of your throat before kissing down your clothed torso. "Can I take this off?"

"Do you want me to take mine off first?" he asked , noting your nervous look. When you nodded, grateful for his patience, he reached to his back and swiped his signature Hellfire shirt off in one swift movement. You'd seen Eddie shirtless before. You'd swam together, and you'd showered at each others houses a million times. But in the white light of the moon, accentuating his light abs and tattoos, it was like the first time. Subconsciously, you reached up to trace the tattoo on Eddie's hip, mindlessly moving across his stomach. He tensed under the touch, sucking in a raged breath.

"Jesus, Y/n, you don't know what you're doing to me."

You sat up slightly, lifting your hand from his stomach to pepper small kisses along the tattoos by Eddie's collar bones. "You're so handsome, Eddie." you whispered against his skin. You lifted your head to meet his lips again, graciously welcoming his tongue back into your mouth as he slid your - his- shirt over your head. "Christ," he breathed as your skin glowed in the light of the moon made you look silver, accentuating your boobs against the stark black of your bra. "You're beautiful."

Eddie pressed wet, open mouthed kisses along your chest, lowering down across your stomach until his lips reached the hem of your jeans. You sucked in a ragged breath, the heat of where the moment was leading finally catching up with you. Without realising it, your hands had begun to tremble lightly with excited nerves. One of Eddie's own large, ringed hands came to grasp you own. "How we doing up there?" he asked, eyes meeting your own as his finger toyed with a stray thread near the button of your jeans.

"Good." you said, flushing dark red at the sight before your eyes. Eddie was sprawled on the bed of the van, body between your opened legs, hair messy and curling round his face. Unable to stop yourself, you pushed a stray curl from his eye. He leaned into your touch, kissing your wrist as he caught it. "Do you want to keep going?"

You'd be insane to stop now. The heat in your stomach was a full on wild fire by now, centred between your legs where Eddie's head was. "Yes," you said breathlessly, "yes, please."

"Okay," Eddie began to unbutton your jeans at a purposefully, painfully slow pace. The coolness of his rings against your bare thighs made you gasp, resulting in a smirk from the metal head between your legs. With your jeans off, Eddie took his own off too. If you'd been staring before, now you were gawking at him. Through his boxers, Eddie was hard enough that you could see the outline of his cock clear as day, despite the limited light. He was big, bigger than you thought you could manage. If you went all the way tonight, it would be painful. Somehow, the thought turned you on even more.

Out of his jeans, Eddie crawled up your chest to reattach his lips to yours in a heated kiss. Feeling a surge of confidence, you ran your tongue along his bottom lip, moaning as he allowed you entrance and his tongue met yours. Subconsciously, you started to grind your hips against Eddie's , shocked at the volume of the gasp that was swallowed by his mouth. Matching your eagerness, Eddie ground his hips down to meet yours. "Fuck," he groaned right in your ear, turning you on even more than before. Something about bringing Eddie pleasure made your own start to pool between your legs.

"Eddie," you sighed, hands woven in his hair as you rutted against him, desperate for any friction you could find.

"Tell me what you want, sweetheart." he sucked on the skin of your neck, surely leaving marks that you would have to cover later. He nipped a particularly sweet spot that made you whine. "Tell me, and I'll give to you." Eddie would give you the moon if you asked. “You,” you breathed in a sigh as his tongue swiped over the bruising skin, “just want you, Eddie.”

Inside his chest, Eddie felt his heart surge. For months, he had been letting guilt eat him up inside. He never meant to fall for you, and he felt terrible for it. But the pain of losing you as a friend would be a thousand times worse than being rejected by you, so he bottled it up. So in the dark of the night, laid down in his van with yourself on display to him, professing your desire for him, Eddie felt confident.

”Well, I'm not going anywhere babe."

Babe

Eddie's delicate fingers wound themselves over the hem of your panties, shimmying them down your legs with heavy eyelids. "Gonna make you feel good , okay?" He threw your underwear over his shoulder blindly. His hands settled fondly on your hips, thumbs rubbing small circles . You felt like you weren't a person anymore, but merely a heap of ash from the sweltering heat you felt in your stomach. Every touch of Eddie's cool skin on the sizzling heat of your own felt like a fire hose on a burning house.

Then you exploded.

Eddie nestled his face between your thighs, wrapping your legs around his head and keeping them there with his arms. He flattened his tongue against you, and you felt like the floor was going to swallow you up. You were instantly melting underneath him, uttering breathless praise as he wrapped his lips around your clit and hummed. You hands clutched and palmed at his hair, desperate for him to be all the more close to you.

"Oh, shit."

"How's it feel, s'good? Tell me how good it feels, Y/n." When you didn't reply right away, he nipped at your inner thigh, leaving a bruise.

"So good, Eds, so so good." So good you could hardly form words, as your mouth seemed able to only form a silent oh as you back arched and your hands flailed around Eddie's hair, messing it up. "So- fuck- good."

Between your legs, Eddie groaned at the praise. The vibrations against you had your eyes rolling back into your skull. Eddie's hand travelled up your stomach before resting against your boobs, kneading and palming them. The coil in the pit of your stomach was close to snapping.

"E-Eddie, I'm gonna-" you cut yourself off as a loud, borderline pornographic moan escaped your mouth as Eddie began to rapidly shake his head bath and forth, tongue a vice on your clit. Your back arched from the floor of the van, almost sitting up, as you came. Eddie's face remained between your legs, licking up the remains of your climax as your chest heaved.

He kissed his way up your stomach to your face, and you crashed your lips to his. You tasted yourself on his mouth, groaning in reaction. "That was so hot," Eddie breathed against you, "almost got off on it."

"Almost?" you pouted your lips lightly at him, the thought of Eddie getting off to you made you ravenous. You reached for the hem of his boxers, completely ready to try your best to return the favour, when Eddie stopped you.

"As amazing as that would be," he said, laughing to himself, - the girl i'm crazy for wants to blow me and I'm saying no?-, "I just wanna make tonight easier for you. It's about you."

"Okay."

Eddie's hands cradled your face as he hovered over you, his hair fanning against your face and creating a cage around you. His eyes were black with lust. He guided your hand to the hem of his underwear. "We can stop now. Just say the word." You shook your head, maybe too quick, as Eddie chuckled.

"I want you, Eddie. All of you. Here." You stroked your knuckles against his cheek. "Now."

"Yes, ma'am."

Eddie moved with a speed that would be comical ,had you not been aching for him in that moment, as he took off his boxers. Reaching into his jean pocket, he pulled out a condom. Tearing it open with his teeth - an action you wished to see many more times- he rolled it down his shaft. "Okay, are you ready? It may hurt, but we'll take it slow and you can take as long as you need, alright?"

"I'm ready."

He took one hand in yours, holding them entwined firmly above your head as he inserted the tip. You gasped, the intrusion bringing a somewhat painful sting. Eddie kissed your neck as he slid in, stopping every inch or so to make sure you were okay. "You're so gorgeous," he sighed into your neck, moaning when he bottomed out and the two of you were entirely connected. "Are you okay?"

There was not a single word in the English language to describe the feeling you felt in that moment. So entirely full of Eddie, consumed by your need for him. When Eddie shifted slightly to get a look at your face, nudging a particularly sweet spot inside you, you whined aloud.

"Oh my God, Eddie please."

"What?"

"Move, please."

That was all Eddie needed. Seeing you fall apart beneath him as he ate you out had driven him nearly mad. And Eddie Munson was content with being insane if it meant he was making you feel the way you sounded when he set a slow, but deep, pace inside you on the floor of his van at Lover's Lake. The sound of skin slapping against skin, moans of ecstasy and high pitched whines echoed throughout the van. "Holy fuck, Y/n," Eddie moaned in your ear, the sound making you clench around him, "you feel so amazing." He kissed all along your collar bones, nipping and sucking as he went.

"So fucking good- shit, baby, I'm not gonna last if you keep doing that." He sighed as you pulled at the hair on the nape of his neck.

"Faster, Eddie, please," you cried. "Please, please."

Eddie wanted to make a mixtape of your moans and little sounds. "You don't need to beg, sweetheart." His hand came between your bodies, rubbing tight circles on your clit. "I've gotcha."

As soon as Eddie made contact with your sensitive bundle of nerves, it was over. A scream of a moan ripped through your throat, eyes clenched tightly shut as you came hard around his cock. "Oh fuck, Eddie, yes-yes-yes!"

"Shit, sweetheart, clenching me so-oh-tight, fuck!"

Eddie's hips stuttered as he came into the condom, arms buckling and chest meeting yours. You wrapped your arms around his back, holding him to you. The two of you stayed like that for a moment, panting and trying to collect yourselves. You felt completely content, blissed out. Eddie swiped your hair from your face as he pulled out. You whimpered at the loss of contact.

Reaching for the blanket at the foot of the van, Eddie wrapped it round the two of you and pulled you to his side. He paused for a second, thinking about his words very carefully. "That was-"

"Amazing." You said, snuggling into his chest and leaving small kisses over the tattoos there.

His heart swelled. "Yeah, pretty fucking great."

He wrapped his arms around you tightly, a hand cradling your head. Without saying the words, the I don't want to forget about this, I don't feel this way about anything or anyone else, the two of you had grown closer than ever before.

Eddie chuckled to himself as your eyes drifted closed, head nestled between his neck and shoulder. "Pretty fucking great."