#short-ish entry

[gentleoverdrive]

[4/300] It makes me sad most of the time.

My wife is fast asleep, so I am going to let you in on a little secret, dear reader: You see, my wife? I love her. She literally saved me from falling into irreparable despair and burnout, and for that, she will have my eternal loyalty, both as a life-partner, as a lover, as a husband, as a friend, you name it. ---- I want you all to know this because, despite what I've written about in the past or what I will write about in the future, I am, indeed, a most fortunate man, and I genuinely, un-ironically and unconditionally love my wife with everything I have. She is my girlboss and i am her malewife. I tell you this as a secret because I know for a fact that, just like my daughter, she's not all that fond of social media, so it's unlikely that she'll ever read this, but I want YOU to know. ---- I want you to know that I, a rando on the internet you may have at some point interacted with. is indeed non-ironically blessed to be married to the woman whom with I shared three of the craziest years this period of history has decided to throw at us. And if I ever came to that same crossroads, I would, no bullshit, pick you again as my life partner. I love you. ---- And to my secret keeper(s)? Thank you so much for reading, I'll read you later. alligator!

[whiskeyswifty]

.

[catboii]

← Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 → Full Thread

[Day ####]

Observations have been going well. Agent 23 is happy with the progress that she’s been making, and is feeling more confident with her assignment in front of her peers. It doesn’t feel quite so cringe-worthy to be waving through the window when your Anomaly is actually acknowledging you. 

Currently, she is just sitting and filling out her Observational Notes, detailing the specifics on the reactions given. While doing this, she hears a set of footsteps, familiar in their surefootedness. The Overseer. 23 turns her head toward the sound, but doesn’t move to stop writing, the Overseer pops around to check on how everything is going often, to make sure there are no problems, or, 23 thinks, just to have something to do while there are no issues for them to resolve. 

The Overseer slows down as they approach 23’s area, peering through the door window, then glancing at the monitor as 23 puts the log in her lap, placing the pen in the middle of the pages, so she doesn’t lose her place, then closes it. 

“How is everything going?” The Overseer asks without looking away from the window. It’s casual, almost conversational, but the Agent knows better than to expect chit-chat from her boss.

She gasps quietly at the shock of the unexpected question, and quickly opens the log again, the pen slipping down the centre crease, but she catches it in her lap before it falls to the floor. She talks quickly, excited about her progress, however small. She's used to observing inanimate objects that never move, this is a big step up. “It’s going great! It’s been reacting to the intercom, and I’ve even been trying to get its attention through the window sometimes-” she leans toward the window in the door, holding the log and pen in one hand, while raising the other above the Overseer’s head and waving slowly. The Anomaly, which was apparently staring blankly at the ground, jerks its head up in steps, then tilts it, just like a small bird checking out if something is a predator. “See? It can see me!” After a moment, the Overseer nods thoughtfully, and 23 thinks to herself, again, that if this was just a normal animal, then of course it could see her... Unless it was blind, or short sighted, or had some other visual issue, then any animal would be able to see her. She drops her arm and steps back out of the Overseer’s personal space. “Um, well... I’ve been doing what you said, and it’s going well- is all I mean.”

The Overseer doesn’t ridicule her, or play down her discovery as ‘any animal could do that’. They’re still looking into the room with interest. The creature is still looking at the window with its head tilted. When they finally step back, their eyes keep flicking to the monitor occasionally as they speak. “Well, you know that it’s been seven days since the incident with Agent 47.” It’s a statement, spoken as fact, but 23 had honestly forgotten about that. Agent 47 was from a different section, not someone she’d ever interacted with, but the whole Facility had been put into lockdown temporarily to announce he'd been 'compromised', and his picture had been put up around the Facility, with notes on who to contact, and how, if he was seen. 23 didn’t know what specifically happened, there were a number of rumours that he’d gone into a restricted room against the guidelines, and he’d either been killed, or more likely brainwashed or hypnotised, since the higher ups had posted these notices mentioning 'seeing' him. If he was dead, then why would anyone see him around the Facility? “Have you seen him around?” 23 jolts, as the Overseer basically says what she's thinking about at that moment. She can’t quite place the look that the Overseer gives her, and it takes her a moment to remember that she was asked a question that requires an answer.

“Seen him? No. Not at all. I’ve never met him.” 23 isn't sure if she answered that right, and she tries to think about the question again, but comes up with no better answer.

The Overseer looks as though they’re about to say something, but they seem to reconsider. “Very good,” they say instead. They glance behind them down the corridor for a moment, at nothing in particular. After a quiet few seconds, they look back toward 23, and this time there’s an intent in their statement. “Well. If you do see him. Do not interact with him.” 

23 squints, a little confused, but remembers that there isn’t any official statement on what happened to 47. She decides either her Overseer also hasn’t been told, and just has to reiterate what the notices say, or 47 is in fact still alive. Either way, nothing is really confirmed. She nods. “Of course not. If I see him I’ll contact you immediately.” 

This seems to have been the correct response, this time, as the Overseer finally smiles a little, silently clapping their hands together as they lean in toward the monitor in an exaggerated motion, all the tenseness from before, gone from their posture. “Enough of that. This is going great," they gesture to the monitor, "I know I said you would be on this project for a week, but I think I’ll keep you on until further notice. This is the most progress we’ve gotten.” Before 23 could thank the Overseer for what she assumed was praise, or at least recognition, they continued. “Keep talking to it. That seems to be going well.” 23 opens her mouth to accept, but then falters. She thinks back over what she said so far, but she doesn’t think she mentioned talking to it specifically, just that it reacted to the intercom, which they already knew. She had suspected that they were watching her, as they must be continually monitoring the Anomalies for everyone's safety, including her own, but it felt odd and exposing to have it confirmed, and she wasn’t sure if the Overseer mentioned this to let 23 know that she was being watched, or just assumed she knew and it wasn't a big deal to them.

Still, she smiled, collecting herself and nodding again, enthusiastically. “Of course! I’ve been trying to think of other things to talk to it about, but I’m not sure- um...” she fallters, gnawing on her lip as she tries to find the right words. “What I’m- allowed- to say?” She half grimaces at her own statement, glancing at the Overseer to gauge their reaction, but they just nod understandingly in response. 

“Most subjects that you can discuss in the Staff areas are fine to disclose.” 23 isn’t sure if ‘disclose’ is the right phrase for this situation, she’s talking to a bird, it can’t really understand her, surely. “Just imagine that you were speaking over a non-secure channel, and someone from the outside could be intercepting. If it isn’t something you would discuss openly within earshot of a civilian, then it isn’t appropriate. Otherwise, non-identifying information, casual mentions of your own activities or hobbies," The Overseer makes a gesture toward 23, a friendly-seeming movement. “I’m sure you have interesting hobbies that you can describe to it. Or make something up. Tell it about a fictional scenario, or your daily routine before you come into work. Brushing your teeth. Making toast. Perhaps not driving though, that might be too close to a directional admission.” 

After a few moments, 23 realises that she had started to zone out of the conversation, focusing on what she could talk about, and she quickly smiled and nodded once more. “Alright! Thankyou. I’ll see what I can do.” The Overseer gives their Agent one grand nod, as if to acknowledge this, and dismiss themself. 

Falling back into the routine of observing, recording, and trying to communicate, 23 tries out the idea of talking to it about more personal things. About a hobby? About her morning routine? 

As she’s thinking about what to talk about, she starts thinking about her dog. This morning, she wasn’t ready waiting for her breakfast, like normal. Recently, she’d not quite been herself. The Agent takes in a deep preparatory breath, holds down the button on the intercom, and begins. “I don’t know if you know what a dog is… But I’ve been a bit worried about my dog recently. She’s like family to me. I’ve had her since she was a puppy. She’s eight years old, which I thought was pretty young for a dog, but apparently Golden Retrievers don’t usually live to ten years.” She pauses, starting to reconsider this direction, but when she looks at the monitor, she realises that the creature has taken several steps toward the speaker, more than normal. “She hasn’t been eating or drinking very much," she continues, tentatively. "I managed to get her to eat something this morning, but it took a while. I was nearly late in this morning because of it, but she’s far more important to me than this job.” 23 cringes, silently berating herself, thinking that whoever is monitoring them would have heard that, but she hopes they'll believe that it's actually a lie, and that she's just saying it for the benefit of the observation.

While she's thinking all of this, she notices that the creature has taken another small step forward, but this time she saw it, and it was more of a hop. What you’d expect from a crow or magpie to be honest. She gathers herself again, leaning back into the intercom microphone grate. “I think I’ll have to take her to the Vet, but I don’t really have the time. I have tomorrow off, though, so I suppose I should try and get her in... But would they take her without an appointment?” 

She thinks she’s mostly talking to herself, just out loud, and while she begins to shake her head slowly, feeling silly, all of a sudden the creature has leapt up above the main camera view. 23 looks to one of the side cameras on the monitor, and she can see that it’s perched itself on the camera casing. Shocked, she quickly lets go of the intercom button, scoops up the Observation log and scribbles down what she’s seen. Once she’s gotten down the bare basics: ‘agent talked to anomaly about agent’s pet dog. anomaly approached camera. flew up and landed on camera’, it had returned itself to the ground, but was still facing the lens. 

She smiles to herself, closing the log again, and engaging the intercom once more. “I suppose I’ll call the vet once I get home. Thankyou.” She lets go again, and they return to their new usual routine.

[frogchiro]

Beauty is in the eye of The Beholder

Author's note: My first kinktober entry!! Yay! We're staring with a new-ish concept so I hope you like it!

Also I apologize for the short story but I was moving into my dorm for uni today and it literally took all day so I apologize in advance :((

Warnings: slight nsfw, reader is female, general creepyness, whatever König is (human or not) isn't explicitly specified but he does some unnerving/possibly uncomfortable stuff like stalking so keep it in mind, mentioned death but nothing explicit.

The almost suffocating warmth coming from behind you is almost too much. Almost. However considering the events of the day you guess that it could be called comfortable to be cuddled and nuzzled by König, your colonel, your superior and...well, mate as he calls it. It can be sometimes tricky to hear him, for a man that size he's unnervingly silent and stealthy and his voice is low and quiet, almost whispery, not to mention that König just doesn't talk much so to hear him rasp that one word, 'mate', in your direction is a feat in itself.

While at first you were terrified of the enormous male due to all the stated reasons something about him was equally unnerving and yet alluring, like an invisible pull towards him.

At first you thought you were going crazy, everywhere you went you saw the tall, lean figure of the colonel doing nothing but just...watching you. His bloodshot eyes stared at you without ever blinking as you laid a USB stick with data you managed to hack with a tremble in your hands, your eyes not daring to meet his. Another such instance was when he almost scared you to death in an empty hallway at night when you just wanted to get a quick midnight snack from the kitchen and just barely held in a scream when you noticed König standing in a dark corner, silent and static like always, his head wasn't even moving under his cowl except for his eyes which followed you as you were scuttling and whispering shaky excuses.

You were KorTac's newest asset, a skilled hacker and yet many soldiers underestimated you; you guess you can't really blame them, you're only in your early twenties and your soft build isn't really military-esque so you suppose you kinda look a little mismatched, but that doesn't excuse what people were whispering behind your back. Not all of them, not even the majority as you were considered friendly and overall harmless, and yet these few whispered sneers cut deep into your self esteem which eventually led you into the moment you were now in.

You were laying under a thick blanket with König plastered against your back, your quiet sniffles the only thing that disturbed the otherwise quiet room. You felt bad that you were taking up König's time, after all as a colonel he surely had better things to do than lay around with his 'mate' and comfort her after some asshole insulted her although a small, selfish part of you was over the moon with happiness that the huge male behind you was cuddling and comforting you so sweetly despite not muttering anything besides the occasional nuzzle and a raspy 'pretty...soft...mine'.

Turning around, you smiled tiredly at the man beside you, his wide blue eyes never blinking as they continued to stare at you with the devotion and love someone may only give their god and yet here you are, loved and cherished by this huge man, a monster many call him, a merciless goliath that kills and destroys everything in his path like a god of war but you know better. König's huge hands ran up and down your soft sides, lightly grazing your belly and finally his large, warm hands slipped under your pajama shirt and up to your breast where he squeezed lightly, pinching at your nipple.

"König...Please I-", your pleading for...whatever were quickly cut short when the long haired male leaned in with a purr deep in his chest and nuzzled his hooked nose against your cheek, scarred lips making tiny movements as if kissing you making you giggle wetly, your former awful mood lifting, instead being replaced by a warm feeling of love and pleasure as the big male above you kept nuzzling and kissing you insistently, his hand working your sensitive breasts and slipping down to your pants to finger at your clit making you moan out.

Unbeknownst to you, König already had a plan in his mind. A plan he started to make the moment his sensitive ears caught your distressed sniffles making a concerned whine come up from his chest and the moment he saw you, he could clearly see right through you. Someone hurt you. S̷̙̭̦̜͚̑͝͝o̷̹̺͓͙̭̍̚ͅͅm̸͕̹͖̩̰͝e̸̤͖̞̯̍̂̋̚͜o̷̝̫͎̬͎̟̲̦̞̍̆̿̀̀͛̐ņ̴̧͉̭̪̣̖͆̉̅̀e̵̜̜̪̯͛͑́͘ ̶͎̣̱͎̹̻͍̥̔́͝h̵̙̰͊̈́̑͛̌̚u̷͉̝̤̾̆͌̂̓̀̏̕r̸̛̞̘͉̦͙͈͎̫̩͒͊͗̓́͝t̶̯̝͎̮͕̩̹̀̍ ̷̧̨͔̮͉͇͊͂̏͌̆̅͠y̸̡̛͕͉̖͈͗̿̅ơ̷̢͖̼͉͊̍̊̂̈ͅ��͔ŭ̷̦͔̈́̊̚��. And now he needed to know who. Ah. It was Gavin huh. That overly confident, cocksure rookie who thought that the military was rainbow and fucking sunshine, shaded glasses, cool uniforms, huge expensive cars and women to fuck left and right.

He suspected that that prick made some unwanted advances towards you and the moment you rejected him it was 180 and he was nitpicking everything you did or even how you looked. König knew he was gonna be a problem from the moment he laid eyes on him and now he though it funny to make his mate cry?

You know what they say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Him being the mentioned beholder and König isn't known to be the most benevolent person...If someone doesn't appreciate your beauty of a goddess, why would they need their eyes?

[onlyonewoman]

Current AO3 news from Facebook group:

ADMIN: “Just a few things. Yes, the attacks are still happening so site availability will be spotty at best. This is NOT an attack on the actual content. All stories, user data, etc are safe. DDOS attacks basically overwhelm the servers with requests to the point they cannot handle the load and failover. DDOS attacks last until one of two things happens, either the person/group gets bored and moves on to a new target. Or the site owner finds a way to fortify the servers against the attack. That means this could last for a while. With that in mind, let's all try to keep the panic, humorous or otherwise to a minimum. It's annoying and frustrating, certainly, but it's not the end of the world. The site will eventually be back, it's just going to take time and patience.” In short: - Our content is safe. - Our user data, stories etc are safe. - It’s a DDOS attack meaning it’s basically an attempt at overwhelming the servers, meaning: - DON’T KEEP REFRESHING THE AO3 PAGE!!! - It will last for a while, but there is no need to panic. Copied from one of the reblogs: “To simplify:A DoS or DDoS attack is analogous to a group of people crowding the entry door of a shop, making it hard for legitimate customers to enter, thus disrupting trade and losing the business money.” Also, YES, KEEP REBLOGGING to let people know! The less of us trying to reload the page the better! In the meantime, this is basically me:

Edit again, because this little post got a life of its own and now I feel like Pippin lighting the beacon of Minas Tirith :D

UPDATE AROUND 18:30~ish CET:

YAY!

[emilybeemartin]

Hey! Hey, would you like to be a park ranger?

USA Jobs just posted a bunch of national park ranger positions for summer 2024--everything from small historic sites to the big flagship parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite. These are seasonal positions specifically for interpretive rangers, which means you begin around May-ish and end around September-October-ish. Interpretation is the branch of the NPS that does educational programming and frontline visitor services, like working in the visitor centers, leading guided walks and talks, and just generally interacting with the public in a friendly, helpful way.

If you have a four-year college degree in just about any subject (honestly, I've worked with people with degrees ranging from theater to business to geoscience), or 12 months' relevant work experience (customer service, retail, education, camp counseling, etc), or a combination of the two, you're eligible to apply. All you need is a resume and transcripts if you're using education to qualify.

Just go to USAJobs.gov and search for "park ranger interpretation" in the search bar. The key things you're looking for in the results are listings from the National Park Service, the code GS 5 (which is the entry level for this position), and the phrase Not to Exceed 1039 hours (which indicates it's a seasonal position).

Some tips!

>Each application requires you to answer a questionnaire about your experience with things like customer service, preparing educational programs, researching scientific topics, etc. Be generous with yourself on these, because other folks will be. Even if you don't think you're an "expert" in something, consider your past work creatively. Have you presented research projects in class? Have you worked retail? Can you keep up a professional demeanor when somebody's upset? You have the qualifications. Rate yourself as such.

>Be thorough and specific in your resume. The NPS isn't a one-pager resume organization. They need to see evidence that you have the qualifications you say you do. The best way to ensure this is to copy, word for word, the phrases in the above questionnaire and insert them in the relevant places in your resume. So if the questionnaire says "Can you research, prepare, and present scientific information to a lay public," go to the appropriate place in your resume and write "I researched, prepared, and presented scientific information to my peers" or something similar. I kid you not, my current resume is ten pages long.

>Cover letters are optional but helpful! There are lots of templates online to help you write one; be sure to be professional. Mine is around 250 words and has three short paragraphs:

1- Position I'm applying for

2- Quick summary of most relevant work/education experience

3- Additional skills/rizz that makes me stand out (for me it's writing/illustrating, which helps me create visitor programs)

>Two things the NPS loves that will boost you are foreign language skills and being a US military veteran. Highlight these elements if you have them.

>Are you a schoolteacher? Check out the Teacher-Ranger-Teacher program.

>The big flashy parks are posted as standalone listings, but most of the others are bundled into "Multiple Locations" that are based on region. Consider applying for many of these smaller monuments and historic sites---they get far fewer applicants and are easier to secure. And many are absolutely beautiful. Want to work at Arches? Also apply to Natural Bridges. Want to work in Yellowstone? Also try Lassen Volcanic. Prefer history over science? You have dozens of amazing options from every facet of American history.

>Apply today! Apply now! Many of these parks cap their applicants because they get so many, and the rest will close after a week or so. A glance at the ones that were posted today and yesterday show them either closing on October 15 or 22. Some regions haven't posted yet, so keep checking the website in the next few weeks.

I love my work as a park ranger---it's such a rewarding way to spend a summer (or two, or ten), and it can open doors to other things. You won't get rich, but you will make great friends and great memories, add a killer section to your resume, and spend four months immersed with smart, passionate people in some of the coolest places in the US.

Plus you get a SICK HAT

[fictionadventurer]

Top ten fairytale retelling novels/novellas you've read.

I've already answered my top 10, so here's my shot at listing 11-20.

11. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan: Would probably be higher on the list if I'd remembered it in time. Sci-fi story that's a very loose retelling of "Sleeping Beauty", but so rich and emotionally devastating.

12. Maid and Minstrel and The Beggar Prince by Kate Stradling: Putting both of her short "King Thrushbeard" retellings in one entry. The first is more of a "Beauty and the Beast" tale that makes both leads decent people caught up in a misunderstanding, but I appreciated how it (probably accidentally) made me see the Christ-imagery inherent in the original. The second gives King Thrushbeard some character flaws and a good arc, and has an excellent explanation for why the princess didn't want to marry any of her suitors.

13. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine: Snow White retelling set in the world of Ella Enchanted, and retains that book's creativity in adapting the fairy tale elements. Has an excellent full-cast audiobook.

14. The Stepsister and the Slipper by Nina Clare: Georgette-Heyer-esque Cinderella retelling. Very rushed ending, and not the kind of romance I'd advise anyone to pursue in real life, but very fun.

15. Soot and Slipper by Kate Stradling: Cinderella retelling with an excellent twist, adorable characters, and a convoluted ending.

16. Before Midnight by Cameron Dokey: Short and basic Cinderella retelling that gets on the list because I have extremely fond autumnal associations with this book.

17. Unseen Beauty by Amity Thompson: A "Beauty and the Beast" retelling from the point-of-view of one of the invisible servants. Since I'd had that idea for years before finding this, I was thrilled to find that this story does a pretty good job with it.

18. Exile by Loren G. Warnemuende: The first book in a trilogy that retells "Maid Maleen". I haven't finished the series yet, so maybe it's unfair to put it on here, but I loved the section of the story that takes place in the tower, so I couldn't leave it off the list.

19. The Seventh Raven by David Elliot: A retelling of "The Seven Ravens" that does a decent job of retelling the fairy tale, but I mostly love it as a very well-structured novel-in-verse that structures each POV character's poems with their own poetic form.

20. The Tales of Ambia by Allison Tebo: Fun, slightly Wodehouse-ish retellings that are a breath of fresh air in the romantasy-dominated world of indie retellings

Honorable Mentions:

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Objectively as stories, these should be pretty high up on the list. It had great characters and adapted the fairy tale elements in some amazing ways. But I'm not a fan of a lot of the worldbuilding elements here, so I couldn't bring myself to rank it above some of my beloved, but more-flawed indie retellings.

With Blossoms Gold by Hayden Wand and Sweet Remembrance by Emily Ann Putzke: Both contained in Once: Six Historical Fairy Tale Retellings. The first is "Rapunzel" set in Renaissance Italy with an agoraphobic Rapunzel, and the second is a beautifully devastating retelling of "The Little Match Girl" set during WWII. I haven't read these in a long time, but I remember them both being very good.

Masque by W.R. Gingell: An excellent "Beauty and the Beast" retelling with a very lively Beauty, a Beast who works as a police detective instead of brooding in a castle, and some clever adaptations of the fairy tale elements. Unfortunately, I've decided a couple elements of the magic go beyond what I'm comfortable with, so I couldn't put it on the list, but I had to give it credit.

[spirkme915]

spirk fics i've read in the last two-ish months and loved

I will have you (if you let me) by ros3bud009 @roseymoseyberry (TOS) - starting out this list with a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ fic. i loved everything about this fic - the premise (k&s know they're t'hy'la from the second they meet), the yearning, the journey, the love. i could live in this fic

Spock 🖖 by vaksur, WerewolvesAreReal (TOS) - need a laugh? this one is it. spock decides to use emojis in his comms. shenanigans ensue

A Friend Like You by kierawrites (TAS, yes you read that right an animated series fic!) - pre-slash, a glimpse into their lives after the episode "mudd's passion." this one is short and yet is packed with *them*

A Different Perspective by Maeko (AOS, SNW) - transporter malfunction fic, and this time it brings AOS Spirk to SNW verse. loved this one for the AOS Spirk dynamics, but mostly the SNW Spock and AOS Spock interactions and Maeko's perspective of Vulcan telepathy. it's a fascinating character study!

in the dying of the light by scar_a_mouche (zanni_scaramouche) @zanniscaramouche (AOS) - i'm not sure how to categorize this one, other than to say that i had this *ache* in my chest through every sentence and it just felt so AOS Spirk that i wanted to drown in it. one of my faves over the last few months

Personal Personnel Protocol by dothedeux (TOS) - another comedy entry for the list. this time it's not just the bridge crew that knows what's up, it's the computer. such a fun read and so sweet too

Professor Kirk by TonightNoPoetryWillServe (AOS) - cadet spock, professor kirk, and all kinds of fluff with only a touch of angst. perfect bedtime reading

Let Forever Be by gunstreet @gunstreet (TOS) - listen. i need everyone to drop what they're doing and read this fic. it's a city on the edge of forever fic that is mostly a jim character study but pulls in queer history. it breathes compassion and humanity, and is stocked with OCs you'll fall in love with. another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read

Shall We? by Jenna Hilary Sinclair (JennaHilary) (TOS) - yet another comedy entry? what has the world come to? i love my angst just as much as the next spirk truther, but when comedic spirk is done right it hits perfectly and this one is definitely done right

And When the Bond Breaks by LadyRa (TOS) - finishing this spirk list with a final ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read. this became easily one of my favorite TOS fics of all time. it's from 2003 and deserves WAY MORE hits, kudos, and comments than it has!

for the non-spirk entries this time around:

StarDate.org by Exxact (TOS/AOS fusion) - christine/t'pring and online dating. fluff and friendship. perfect

The Time of Neither by gunstreet (SNW) - spoimler nation rise! your definitive fic has arrived!

My World Is No Longer Hollow by existentialcrisistime @existentialcrisistime (TOS) - a mcspirk fic about finding where you belong. so beautiful

and two recs for WIPs for you to read and subscribe to:

Place Your Hand In Mine by remylebae @twinkboimler (AOS) - a super sweet mckirk fic about leonard having a secret admirer (who could it possibly be??)

It's Not An Illusion by Borealisblue @thetimetostrikeislater (AOS) - gorgeous story about healing and gorgeous artwork? i'm sold!

please do send me recs, and don't be afraid to self-promo! you can find all my recs here

[elsweetheart]

kitties masterlist 🎀

minors do not interact, ellie + abby luvrs please interact <3

ellie williams

୨୧ my ellie headcanons (nsfw)

୨୧ my ellie headcanons part 2 (nsfw)

୨୧ ellie x shy!gf hcs (nsfw)

୨୧ sensitive girl — short drabble

୨୧ beginners luck — dealer!ellie

୨୧ console yourself — clingy!reader

୨୧ mad at eachother headcanons (nsfw)

୨୧ good view — drabble

୨୧ ellie x daddy kink (nsfw)

୨୧ ellie x casual dominance hcs

୨୧ herbal therapy — dealer!ellie (nsfw)

୨୧ dating dealer!ellie hcs

୨୧ have to have you — dealer!ellie prequel

୨୧ you, me and the strap make three. (nsfw)

୨୧ tear you apart. (nsfw-ish)

୨୧ belong to you. (nsfw)

୨୧ bad batch. — dealer!ellie

୨୧ pretty little lady. (nsfw-ish)

୨୧ three’s a crowd. (nsfw)

୨୧ party fever. — dealer!ellie

୨୧ dealer! ellie x sanrio obsessed gf hcs

୨୧ bff!dina helps ellie help you fluff

୨୧ “i feel safe with you.” ellie drabble (short)

୨୧ ellie x crybaby!reader lazy hcs

୨୧ bambi. — short drabble

୨୧ slow burn. (nsfw)

୨୧ sleepy, crybaby cuddles - short drabble

୨୧ being a menace 2 dealer!ellie - short drabble

୨୧ barnyard beauty — slow burn prequel (nsfw-ish)

୨୧ house of balloons — short drabble

୨୧ countin’ up — dealer!ellie

୨୧ flora. — short drabble

୨୧ lovebite. — dealer!ellie short drabble

୨୧ high tide— ellie x reader x abby (nsfw)

୨୧ shotgun champion. — dealer!ellie

୨୧ i’ll be your honey, if you’ll be sweet- dealer!ellie

୨୧ mean!bff!ellie short drabble

୨୧ texts with dealer!ellie

୨୧ all circuits are busy, goodbye -dealer!ellie (nsfw)

୨୧ texts with dealer!ellie part 2

୨୧ ellie brings home a kitten drabble

୨୧ mean!bff!ellie embarrasses you (nsfw)

୨୧ short prompt - ellie fucking from behind (nsfw)

୨୧ texts with dealer!ellie part 3

୨୧ groupchat with dealer!ellie, dina, and jesse

୨୧ what you heard — part one — dealer!ellie

୨୧ texts with dealer!ellie part 4

୨୧ ellie’s journal entries about reader

୨୧ coworker!ellie hcs

୨୧ mean!bff!ellie — back for more. (nsfw)

୨୧ ellie calms crybaby!reader (nsfw)

୨୧ what you heard — part two (nsfw)

୨୧ groupchat with ellie, dina, and jesse part two

୨୧ being a menace to dealer!ellie in the night pt2

୨୧ texts with mean!bff!ellie

୨୧ cats cradle — hybridkitty!reader+ bff!ellie (nsfw)

୨୧ ellie and the popsicle tiny drabble (nsfw)

abby anderson

୨୧ my abby headcanons (nsfw)

୨୧ only you. — shy!reader (nsfw)

୨୧ distraction. (nsfw)

୨୧ mad at eachother headcanons (nsfw)

୨୧ burning desire. — daddy!abby (nsfw)

୨୧ what friends are for. (nsfw)

୨୧ abby being a tease short drabble

୨୧ three’s a crowd. (nsfw)

୨୧ in 2 deep. (nsfw)

୨୧ feathers. (nsfw)

୨୧ college!abby hcs

୨୧ abby anderson x casual dominance hcs

୨୧ abby anderson x ball of energy gf

୨୧ cockwarming abby drabble (nsfw)

୨୧ abby x clumsy!reader hcs

୨୧ mouthful. (nsfw)

୨୧ abby helping reader with curly hair short blurb

୨୧ breathe.— (nsfw)

୨୧ college!abby watches you play a scary game

୨୧ high tide. — abby x reader x ellie (nsfw)

୨୧ abby’s nose — short drabble (nsfw)

୨୧ bratty!reader pushes abby’s buttons (nsfw)

୨୧ feelin’ hot to the touch (nsfw)

୨୧ and i shouldn’t cry, but i love it (nsfw)

୨୧ college!abby helps stressed gf (nsfw)

୨୧ basketball!abby deals with jealous reader (nsfw)

୨୧ basketball!abby and her big hands

୨୧ possessive!college!abby picks you up

୨୧ jealous girl — basketball!abby (nsfw)

୨୧ slutty!roommate!abby (nsfw)

fatherfigure!joel miller

୨୧ what’s the worst that could happen to a girl that’s already hurt?

୨୧ maybe tomorrow you’ll know

♡

[batbabydamian]

hello, i love your blog! i was wondering, is robin: son of batman a good place to start reading about damian, for someone who pretty much just know the basics about him? i know the actual beginning would be somewhere in morrison's run, but r:sob really catch my attention :p

short-ish answer:

i read Damian’s comic appearances/runs in a bonkers order when i first started, and i think R:SOB was one of the easier places to jump in!! it’s a fairly isolated adventure that encapsulates a lot of what makes Damian as Robin so charming!!

Robin: Son of Batman (2015) #1

Gleason’s pitch for this series was basically “Damian on a journey with a bat dragon as his muscle lol :)” and then proceeded to create a story that puts you through a roller coaster of fun!! and emotion!!

long answer:

there’s a bit of history to some of the characters that appear, but it’s summed up quickly so you’re not totally confused!

but here’s a rundown of references beforehand if you’re interested :]

Maya is a new character introduced in this run! her father, Morgan Ducard, was killed by Damian during the arc “Born to Kill” in Batman and Robin (2011) #1-8 another solid entry point into reading Damian!

Batman and Robin (2011) #8

Talia was killed in the same arc as Damian’s own death in Batman Incorporated (2013) #1-13. after a series of events in which Ra’s steals Talia’s and Damian’s bodies from their graves, Talia is revealed to have revived and now hangs around Nanda Parbat with no memories (Batman and Robin (2011) #29-32, Robin Rises: Omega, Batman and Robin #33-37, Robin Rises: Alpha)

Robin Rises: Alpha

Damian’s clone brothers were made by Ra’s accelerating Talia’s method of growing super-humans. during the chase for Damian and Talia’s stolen bodies, Bruce and Aquaman encounter the clones right as they’re born in Batman and Robin (2011) #29

Aquaman keeps them in his custody until Damian, freshly revived, claims them as family and takes them to Al Ghul island to live freely :’) Batman and Robin (2011) #38

Batman and Robin (2011) #38

[cyberdragoninfinity]

I would love to hear your thoughts about the fucked-up turtle (Terapagos)

"Now let's talk about the turtle. Can we talk about the turtle please, Mac? I've been dying to talk about the turtle with you all day."

Ok so. Short Answer Re: Thoughts About Terapagos:

WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE FUCK. WHAT THE FUCK. WHY DID IT DO THAT. WHY DID THEY [GAMEFREAK] DO THAT.

Long Answer Re: Thoughts About Terapagos [SPOILERS FOR THE SCARVIO DLC naturally. i havent seen Horizons so i dont rly know whats goin on with this little guy in the anime, just what we've got in the games]:

When the last little batch of new Pokemon in Indigo Disk leaked, about 12 hours or so-ish before the DLC dropped, I was at dinner with my bestie and we were looking at our phones like we were reading breaking world news. And I was looking at this tiny ass png of Terapagos's full Tera (Stellar) form.

And I immediately blurted out "holy SHIT it's turtles all the way down."

If you're not familiar with the phrase, check out its wikipedia page; here it's most relevant as a saying thrown around with regards to the philosophical concept of infinite regress, i.e. a series of elements (or questions begging an explanation) that that goes on infinitely with each member producing the next. So let's say the world rests on the back of a giant turtle--well, then, what does that turtle stand on to keep it from falling into the void? Why, another, bigger turtle, of course! But what about that turtle? Well, you're not gonna believe this, but it's turtles all the way down.

And here's the other thing about infinite regress: it's a logical fallacy, it's circular reasoning--honestly it's a little bit of a cousin to the "which came first?" chicken and egg argument. The question in these cases never truly gets answered, it just goes on and on forever. Bigger turtles on top of even bigger turtles.

It's a paradox. :)

So Stellar Terapagos, just look at that thing. Even its dex entries talk about how it looks like a planet, how it resembles "the world as the ancients saw it"--it's very much not only trying to evoke the World Turtle concept, but the symbolism of a classic paradoxical saying. So we've already got that going on with it, that already makes me bonkers. AND THAT'S JUST THE SURFACE LEVEL.

Cuz when we look at how Terapagos behaves, things start to go from "well isnt this guy a little weird" to "oh. oh this thing is kind of fucked up and terrifying, hello, what the hell is wrong with it" REAL FAST. Its two most stressed features we see in Indigo Disk are A.) its crystalline nature and how its the progenitor of Terastalization, but also B.) it is ferociously powerful and borderline uncontrollable. It's violent. It bursts out of a Master Ball and almost kills Kieran for daring to try and control it. Heath's illustration of its Stellar form in the Scarlet/Violet Book looks so otherworldly and almost cosmically horrifying. It has Weird Fucking Powers the game does NOT elaborate on (but I will; see more below.)

And also, hey, yeah, its Stellar Form looks like a stack of world turtles, but why the FUCK does its Terastal form also look like a goddamn dream catcher.

Personally I've been a big fan of the 'imagination theory' re: the Professors and the Paradox Pokemon and Area Zero, and folks have been arguing that Indigo Disk debunks that, but honestly I feel like we're loitering around some untold explanation that's even more bizarre. Terapagos is at least on some level tied to dreams and existentialism, and I really feel like there's more to Tera Crystals and Terapagos's relationship with them than what we've been told. Hell, its cry is even the noise we hear all game when we Terastalize our Pokemon, which produces its own myriad of questions (Are the Crystals some degree of alive? The Tera Crowns all do have Terapago's little turtle head at their base, too--does Terapagos physically or spiritually connect with a Terastalizing Pokemon? And what about that weird crystalizing the AI Professor does during its big boss fight? MUCH TO THINK ABOUT.)

Oh, speaking of Crystals--yeah. I can't NOT talk about the Indigo Disk Crystal Pool Postgame Secret when talking about Terapagos. ONE MORE SPOILER WARNING FOR THAT--SERIOUSLY GO TO THE CRYSTAL POOL AFTER GETTING THE DLC CREDITS. IT WILL BLAST YOU TO BITS. anyway.

Yeah so that's what I mean with Why Did It [Terapagos] Do That. The fact that you dont even need to have it in your party for the postgame Crystal Pool cutscene to trigger and for Terapagos to just pop out of the PC boxes on its own accord and warp space and time (and maybe even reality itself) to irreversible consequence, implying once again some great and uncontrollable power within this beast. Crazy Ass Moments in Pokemon History for CERTAIN.

And the thing that makes me most insane, thinking about Terapagos twisting time to allow you to meet the Professor, the Real Live Professor, to swap notes with them so to speak, the way it facilitates all of that, is the position it now puts the player and Scarvio itself in. If the Professor's research rests on the back of a white book given to them by a child, then what does the research of that white book rest upon? Ah, well, the expedition of Area Zero spurred forth by the fallout of the Professor's research. And what did THAT research rest upon, again...?

Turtles. The whole way down. Chickens and eggs and a paradox you're now responsible for. At the hands of a Normal Type Pokemon that tried to kill a 14 year old.

Terapagos scares the shit out of me. I love it so much. Why Did They Make It Like That <3

[gentleoverdrive]

[17/300] I know, I know, I know... By the look in your eyes it's time to go.

Repairing furniture is surprisingly fun! Though I normally like to leave these sorta things to my wife (learning to do woodworking is basically what has led her to become a propmaster + special effects builder), repairing the bed from our studio/guest room was a surprisingly fun endeavor. ---- The day really flew by due to this, I kinda wish I could've tinkered with something else now! Why did I keep my distance from this? I have been a guitar player since I was around 8, why did it take me so long before I got interestd in the inns and outs of actual woodworking?! ---- That John Lennon is so goddamn right, it kinda pisses me off a little bit! Anyway, them's the news regarding this dumbass you enjoy reading.. Take care now, and read you later, alligator!

[indig0trolls]

BIRTHDAY ADOPTS GIVEAWAY RAFFLE!

Wow! I haven't done one of these in a long long time, so bear with me, but I've just felt incredibly lucky and grateful that so many of you have been so supportive, in general but especially since the start of the year, that I wanted to give a little something back as a thank you!

And what better occasion than my upcoming birthday!

So without further ado... onto the important parts!

RAFFLE RULES

This is a TOTALLY FREE TO ENTER raffle!

The only requirement to enter? You MUST be following me! (This is a thing to say thank you for all the support and kindness, after all!)

HOW TO ENTER!

Fill Out these forms! -> Warm Dusk -> Just a Little Squirrely

You MAY enter for both designs, but you can only WIN one!

One entry per person! If I catch you entering multiple times, or having someone enter for you... it's the blacklist for you, sorry kid thems the breaks.

On that note. NO! You cannot enter for someone else to give as a gift! I just see that getting really messy and don't want to have to sort that out.

You CANNOT resell/Trade these designs, PERIOD! Why? Well, I made them with the intention of giving them away! It just doesn't feel in the spirit of them if someone tacks on a bunch of art and upsells it later.

If. IF you get to a point where you have the design and you don't want it anymore... Give it away again! Host another raffle or gift it to a friend (with respects to my blacklist ofc).

RAFFLE ENDS ON MY BIRTHDAY,, WHICH IS JULY 23RD, AT 4:00PM EDT.

SO YOU HAVE 3 ISH DAYS TO ENTER!

And will be rolled shortly thereafter! (Probably around 5:30pm edt if we're being honest!)

FULL TOS UNDER CUT

TOS

By entering you will be agreeing to follow these terms as follows. PLEASE make sure you read them in full to understand them.

You MAY change the design/species of any design i’ve made after youve bought it, but you must leave credit with INDIG0TEA for the design, and the design itself must be recognizable.

Gender/sex/etc is ultimately up to the buyer.

You may not resell or trade these designs PERIOD. You did not pay for them, so you may not be paid for them! If you happen to get more art and want to be rid of them... Give them away! Host another raffle! That's it, sorry!

You may not include my designs in resale bundles. Period.

You may not EVER feed ANY of my art into an AI interface of ANY kind.​​​​​​​​

If gift this design, please inform me that it has been gifted so that I may update the TOS to reflect that and so future owners cannot be scammed.

You may not give this design (or any of my designs) to anyone on my blacklist, which is linked below for your convenience. Doing so will result in immediate blacklisting/blocking of your accounts.

You may not ever edit the original artwork(s).

You may not repost the original artwork to deviantart, instagram, or other social media/portfolio sites.

You may not use this design for the creation of license-able media such as (but is not limited to): books, animated shorts/shows, Vtuber/twitch streamer sonas, comics/webcomics, and video games (free or otherwise). If you would like to use this design in anything like this, we can negotiate a one time licensing fee which covers use in all of the above. This can be anywhere form an additional 150-500$ depending on your intended use.

You MAY use your design for any other purpose, so long as you are not profiting financially off of my work nor passing it off as your own.

You are allowed to store it in your deviantart sta.sh, post it to tumblr profiles, or upload it to websites like toyhou.se with proper credit.

However, you may not reupload to toyhou.se, to keep the ownership log intact, and to keep the original tos consistent.

For my personal comfort, you may not delete original listings from toyhou.seand resell it separately. This is again to keep the ownership log intact, and to keep the original tos consistent. If the person you wish to resell it to does not have a toyhou.se, I have plenty of invite codes I can give out as necessary.

Please credit to INDIG0TEA the first time you post art of them to websites other than toyhou.se

Violation of many of these terms will result in permanent blacklisting/banning from buying or owning designs by me in the future.

BLACKLIST

[salmonball]

— [♡] ; Brand New Eyes

Drummer! Choso x Reader

Choso makes eye contact with you while performing at an underground gig. He also makes eye contact with the guy harassing you.

includes: sexual harassment/assault, afab! reader, swearing, drinking, smoking

wc: 2.5k

(a/n: not a song fic but if you'd like to listen to a song for this fic, I recommend that's what you get - paramore)

It's a Friday night, your friends are busy and you're bored. One of them had mentioned this thing that they did at a nearby college of arts, where multiple "underground" artists would perform for a low entry fee of $10. While checking the organizer's socials to see if there was a show tonight, you are happily surprised to see that there is. You figure if they don't take you at the door you can just aimlessly wander in the city until something else piques your interest.

So it's set. Albeit a bit dangerous, you have been followed home from busier places in broad daylight. Keeping these things in mind while you choose your outfit, you wonder if you can compensate for one of your going-out tops with long pants. Or maybe a sweater over a skirt or shorts? Normally you wouldn't think twice about these things before going out, but today you didn't have your girls. You'd have to fend for yourself.

On top of the risks of doing this by yourself, you also felt self-conscious about it. You've always had a bit of an issue with anxiety. Of course, you know people don't care about your presence or what you're doing, but you can't help but feel like you're always being judged.

Music is thumping on your speakers as you get ready in an attempt to hype yourself up before you leave. You've settled on jeans and an off-the-shoulder long-sleeve. When you get to the place you can tuck in the top so it's slightly cropped. You spend some time on your makeup before stuffing your essentials into a purse, double-checking to make sure everything is in there. With a final once-over of yourself in the mirror, you're off.

You try to romanticize the night on your train ride over, but the nerves start creeping in. The glances made your way by other passengers could be them liking what they see or them thinking you're weird and sensing your loneliness. The sounds in your headphones take the edge off a bit but you find yourself anxiously playing with your sleeves. Ignoring them in favor of staring out the window can only get you so far.

A 10-minute walk from the station brings you to the "venue", which is actually an apartment with a large section dedicated to the event. The bouncer takes your cash with a nod and you waddle in with everyone else. Inside, the crowd is formed around a small platform for the performers with some wandering bodies. You're kind of impressed by the makeshift stage and the theatrics in general, smiling a bit to yourself at this hobbit hole.

Noticing how packed it is you decide to down whatever they were serving before you searched for an area to watch the show. There's an opening on the right side closer to the wall and you let out mumbled apologies as you make your way over. Finally settled, you try to match the energy of the people around you but struggle to find your groove.

That is until you hear the opening notes of your favorite Paramore song. Your eyes widen in shock as they flicker over to the band playing it, Curse X. You didn't know that the bands would be playing covers and you're pleasantly surprised. Finally, with the alcohol seeping into you and one of your comfort songs playing, you start to dance. Nothing crazy enough to disturb the people around you, but you're doing something-ish.

You're watching the band with more enthusiasm now and this makes you see him. The drummer of the band is so fine it almost makes you blush just being in the crowd. He's wearing a plain white t-shirt over pants you can't really see and his arms flex with his movement. But his face... He's nodding to the beat as he plays and his hair bounces with him, framing the perfection perfectly. He has a few piercings you can't help but be drawn to, wondering how they'd feel in your hands—

You stop your mind right there, trying to go back to enjoying the music. Just as you're about to revert your gaze, the guy looks up from his instrument to meet your eyes and you feel your heart pound in your ears. Time slows as you hold eye contact and you manage to smile. You see him smirk before focusing back on his drumsticks. With his attention off of you, you relax and try having fun again.

This is cut short by an intrusion of someone's hands on your hips. You freeze up, glancing back at the culprit. A drunk frat boy who you could only describe as an "NPC" was already looking down at you in his grip. You try to apologetically maneuver your way out of his arms but he pulls you back against his chest and leans down to whisper in your ear.

"Just enjoy the moment, babe," he says, his breath reeking of something they weren't serving here. "No need to be shy around me."

A look of disgust flashes across your face as your nose scrunches up, which you're glad he can't see. "I'm okay, but thank you." It's your attempt to try to tell him politely.

"C'mon, don't be a pussy," he coaxes, pressing against you further.

Of course this would happen to you the second you stepped out of your comfort zone. If your girls were here, he would've already been told off. You try to be more firm as you attempt to escape his grasp, bringing your hands to rip him off you. "I said I'm good," you turn to him, making sure he can see your hard gaze.

He definitely does not like that but he stays where he is as you turn back to the stage. You try to shake off the nerves but you lost all the confidence you just mustered up. You're not dancing anymore as you glance back up at the cute drummer, whose eyes are already on you with furrowed brows. You don't get a chance to psychoanalyze the look before you're pulled into the creep again, this time much rougher.

One of his hands slides down to grab your ass and your eyes widen as you swat at his hand. "Stop touching me!" You look up at him with your jaw unhinged, breathing heavily. He raises an eyebrow challengingly, his other hand on your arm tightening. You were so aghast at this altercation that you hadn't even noticed that the music had slowed to a stop.

"Hey, get that guy out of here!" A voice on stage calls.

You whip your head around to see that the drummer is off his seat and pointing in your direction. Looking around anxiously, you notice that all eyes as far as you could see were now on you and this stupid weirdo. You shrink into yourself as you try not to make direct eye contact with anyone. Sweat was starting to form under your top and you hoped no one could notice.

There are murmurs going around as the guy is escorted out by several of the show "staff" while he shouts profanities at them. His voice can still be heard down the hall as they kick him to the curb.

"You okay?" The main singer asks into his microphone at you. You give a shaken nod at him before he starts up the music again. Several other people around you try to ask the same thing over the music, along with "what happened?", but you can't look at them. You excuse yourself from their questioning, attempting to find the bathroom and fleeing from your spot in the crowd.

You manage to find it and shut yourself in, walking over to stare at yourself in the mirror. Breathing exercises you've learned over the years help your heart rate settle and you try not to think about the scene you just caused. Obviously, it's not your fault, but you feel embarrassed that the band stopped for you and drew so much attention to you. The whole room stopped partying because of you and you can't help but cringe. But you're not sure if there would've been a better solution.

It felt like hours before you heard a knock on the bathroom door. "I'll be out in a second." You recompose yourself and make sure your hair looks good before you prepare to open the door. Nothing prepared you for the face staring at you as it swung open.

"Hey," the drummer awkwardly smiles at you. "Sorry I, uh, just wanted to check in on you. I saw you run off." His band probably just finished their set. You can't help but look over at him in front of you, sweaty and a bit breathy and... really hot. And nervous. The guy in front of you acted nothing like the one on stage and you were kind of into it.

"Oh, thank you. Yeah, I just got kinda nervous with everyone watching me," you admit, rubbing a hand on your arm before looking up at him again. "You guys were really good though, sorry for interrupting."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he quickly reassures you. "But I'm sorry if it embarrassed you for me to call him out like that. I just... I was kind of watching you for a while and I didn't wanna assume until I knew for sure something was up."

"You were watching me instead of your drums?" You tease. "Maybe I didn't have to mess you guys up if you were already doing it."

He lets out a shocked laugh, bringing a hand to the back of his neck. "If you were at a museum, you wouldn't look at the art?"

"Wow," it was your turn to laugh. "That was so corny."

"Sorry, I don't get to save pretty girls from creeps often. I dunno what to do with myself," he makes a show of awkwardly trying to position his hands in a way to seem cooler. Thankfully, someone trying to use the bathroom interrupts him and you both move out of the way. Squeezing into the narrow hallway, you both laugh as you meet each other's eyes. "Do you wanna get some air? And a water, maybe?"

You take up his offer and he grabs 2 water bottles from the fridge before leading you to the fire escape. He opens the window and dramatically gestures for you to go first. You laugh as you climb out and sit, him following behind you with his jacket in hand. There's a cool breeze flowing through your hair and you try to move it out of your face.

"So, do you perform here a lot? You came out here so casually," you open the water he gave to you and drink, staring out at the night lights.

"Yeah, Gojo loves this place. He says it's the key to our 'rising stardom'," he laughs, and you hang onto the sound. He lights a cigarette and holds it out to you. "He's the lead vocalist. And then there's Geto on bass, Nanami on guitar, and me on drums. I'm Choso, by the way."

"Y/N," you respond, taking a drag and handing it back. Your exhale immediately calms you down, you needed that. The smoke clouds in front of you and you watch it disappear in the wind. "I loved your Paramore cover."

"Yeah, I could tell," he catches his slip-up and decides to just let it be. "I noticed you loosened up the second Nanami started playing." He looks over at you with a fond smile.

"That makes me think you saw me before I saw you," you watch him from the corner of your eye and you think he's almost blushing for a split second.

"I won't take offense to that, Gojo is a handsome man," he smirks and you giggle, holding back on saying that you wanted him instead. "Do you go to school here?"

"No, but I go to Jujutsu U, it's nearby," you explain, trying to make up a compass with your hands as you gesture in the general direction of your school.

"I know what JJU is," he rolls his eyes as he gently puts his hand over yours to stop your weird pointing. "You guys are like the Harvard of Tokyo, nerd."

"Hey!" You laugh in false offense, elbowing him. And just like that, it was like you guys clicked. You spent hours talking outside, the soft hum of the music from inside filling the silence when you ran out of things to say. Choso's cigarettes were long gone when you finally noticed that people were filing out the door and the event had ended. You try not to look disappointed as you get up, the wind hitting you way harder.

You hide a shiver that runs through you while you stand and offer a hand to Choso. He takes it and gets off the ground, pausing as he squeezes your hand. "You're freezing."

"A little bit, I didn't even notice it got so late," you take a peek at the emptying "venue" and then pull out your phone. It was almost midnight and you figured you should head home, too. Before you can open your mouth, warmth surrounds you as Choso places his jacket on your shoulders. You give him a shy smile as you put your arms through the sleeves. "Free Curse X merch? Thanks, I'm gonna sell it for thousands."

He snorts, shaking his head as he takes in your form. He steps closer to you to zip it up, his hands lingering at the top. "More like $1 and like, a coffee."

There's an opening. You look down at his jacket and then up at him before biting your lip. "Um, if the coffee is with you, I'll take it."

He stares at you with wide eyes before looking away, letting go of your zipper. There's a moment of silence before his gaze slowly returns to you. "Are you free next Wednesday?"

You can't help but think he's so cute like this, nervous and shy. Maybe he was telling the truth about not flirting with girls often. It actually does look like he doesn't know what to do with himself. You ignore the pang of jealousy thinking about other girls he might've interacted with before, you don't have a claim on this man yet. "Yeah."

"Then it's a date."

After finding out you came alone, he's insistent on driving you home, or at least coming with you to the station closest to your apartment. He also gives you his number "just in case". You allow him to drive you home, as you're also antsy about going home on your own. If his bandmates cheer him on as you two leave together, he doesn't mention it.

✧˖*°࿐

The next time you're bored on a Friday and your friends are busy, you grab $10 and slide into Choso's passenger seat. He greets you with a kiss, shifting gears before placing his hand on your thigh.

"You ready to watch me play, love?"

"That's all I wanted."

— [♡] ;

[bleed-more]

My Updated Headcanons for Seth Wilson

Since a lot of my attention is on Seth right now, I'm writing some updated headcanons for him with things I've learned over the past 4 years! I'm starting with my HCs with evidence and will write my HCs without evidence later >:3c

HEADCANONS WITH EVIDENCE:

- Seth's dog name is Link (Joseph mentioned in a livestream that's Seth the actor's dog's name so in typical MH fashion I imagine dog actor Link also plays dog character Link)

- Seth is about as tall as Brian (this isn't even really a hc but I used to draw him short so I wanted to clear that up)

- Seth did all the TTA entries that include fried images and red motifs (based off of Night Mind's theory that Tim-themed entries are black and white, Brian-themed entries are stereoscopic, and Seth-themed entries are deep-fried/red. They used these colors to both communicate who's speaking AND to let the recipient know who the message is for.)

- Seth used to be Christian but fell out of it by Season 2 (I think Seth is responsible for all the Christian iconography in the first season i.e. stigmata, ark, deluge, etc. considering neither Brian nor Tim were part of TTA yet, and he slowly abandons that faith because.......)

- ...Seth thinks he is a messiah of some kind (from TTA's "Forecast" where he says "AMIAPROPHET." [TW DEAD ANIMALS & ANIMAL CRUELTY FR PLS READ WITH CAUTION] Forecast uses footage from the USSR's "Experiments in the Revival of Organisms: 1940" in which you see a disembodied dog's lung being inflated and deflated by a machine in an effort to keep a dismembered dog's head alive. I don't think it's a coincidence TTA used a dismembered dog to refer to Seth ((or what Seth has become)) and that Seth is both alive(-ish) and has saved others from death, but only in the same fucked up corrupted way you see in the USSR's footage. Which leads me to...)

[END TW]

- ...Seth is trapped somewhere between the line of life and death and is sticking around for the unfinished business of revenge killing Alex (in the TTA entries, while many things are convoluted and unclear, one thing that is very consistent is TTA's hatred of Alex. Seth is vengeful for the death of himself, the attempted and successful murders of his friends. From TTA's "Decay" where Seth is clearly addressing Alex, he says "HE[Jay] WILL LEAD ME[Seth] TO YOU[Alex], LEAD ME TO DEATH[because his job will be done then], LEAD ME TO THE ARK[salvation and an end to his and Alex's suffering])

- Seth is the one responsible for Brian, Tim, and Jay surviving during Alex's first murder attempt (Alex couldn't bring himself to *actually* kill his friends back in 2006, so he lured them to the park and used blunt force trauma to knock them unconscious hoping leaving them for dead out in the park would be enough. Seth, however, had already caught on that something was wrong after Sarah's disappearance (I am going to write a whole thing about this eventually hehehe) and so he knew to be at the park, and after Alex left them, Seth made sure they were safe (there is also info I have here about a lake but that's worth a whole other post, send an ask if you're curious <3)

- And finally, Seth had been well ahead of everyone else in figuring out what was going on (Seth was the camera and tech guy, so it would make sense he would be the first to see what's happening on these cameras, and investigating what might be causing all of this. Seth was the one who coined the term OPERATOR. He understood Alex's actions were being influenced by this creature Seth was seeing while editing Marble Hornets. And I also think Alex knew Seth was catching onto his murder attempts, and that's why Alex took no chances and shot Seth (the first instance of Alex using a gun in the series) instead of hitting him over the head with a pipe and leaving him for the Operator like the others.)

I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOU THINK AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY OF YOUR OWN THEORIES THIS WAS REALLY FUN TO WRITE AND I CANT WAIT TO MAKE PART 2 <3

[carolmunson]

baby, as if (the flashbacks)

the flashbacks: part one. baby as if: masterlist (read with caution.) i looked at that poll and i said 'absolutley not, you'll take what i give you.' jk, but i realized it'll just be easier for me if i take this a few chunks at a time, so i give you the beginning of 'the flashbacks'. here, you'll see eight, six, and five and a half years ago. a little entry way into how reader and (not so) f!boy eddie met and started getting involved. tw: 18+, oral (f recieving), not much in terms of tws for this entry, discussions of drugs and drug dealing -- otherwise pretty fluffy. our timeframe setting starts out in 2007-ish. (take all actual year timelines with a grain of salt, i just like incorporating the early aughts into shit.) but here we go, i give you the beginning of baby as if: the flashbacks.

8 Years Ago You didn't really know each other when he started working at the shop. Your dad had mentioned 'my daughter' in passing, but you didn't go to Hawkins High or middle, you went to the highschool in the next town over using your aunts address because it was a better school. Your parents didn't want you to end up stuck like them, but you'd already beaten them by not getting pregnant at nineteen. He knew you went to college in Fort Wayne to study English -- he thought that was stupid since you spoke English already. Why would you have to spend all that money to study it? That didn't make sense to him.

He did know your little brother, Beau, often found small and sugar high at the end of a long day at kindergarten being dropped at the shop by your mom so she could take more clients at night in the salon. Eddie would take the morning shift on cars and then the afternoon shift as a baby sitter until the shop closed at 5:30. He'd take that time to teach him how to read -- but only the best books. He started with the Hobbit and went from there.

On one particular hot summer night, your mom didn't come by to drop off your brother which made sense since it was the summertime -- but he still heard the pitter patter of his light up sneakers against the concrete floor.

"Beau, don't run please!"

He hadn't heard that voice before, it wasn't nearly as nicotine soaked as your mom's or your aunt's. Eddie feels the slam of a tiny skull against his mid thigh and looks down to see Beau looking up at him with his big baby eyes.

"Hi," Beau says -- breathless in the way little kids are when they run or take a big gulp of water. He reaches up at him with his arms over his head, "I didn't wanna go home yet so I asked sissy if she could take me here after camp."

"Sissy?" Eddie asks with a quirk of his brow, hoisting him up onto his hip, "You're gettin' big dude, I don't know if I can keep pickin' you up."

"My sissy," he says, pointing over to the office your dad normally spent the afternoons in, but there you were right outside of it. Summer sun soaked, shorts tight over your thighs, run down sneakers and an old weathered sweatshirt completed your look. Eddie gulped at the sight of you but you were too preoccupied with your phone to pay attention.

"Mumma, can you tell Eddie about the dragon I saw at the zoo?" Beau asked, shimmying down Eddie's body to get back down on the floor to run to you.

"Okay kid, is she your sister or is she your mom?" Eddie asked, trying to hide confusion and surprised. You look up at him with a gaze that immediately makes him feel stupid, but intruiged.

"Ew, no, I'm definitely his sister," you answer while snapping your phone closed, hand falling onto Beau's head, "Can you guess which one of us was the mistake?"

Your playful grin makes him laugh, "Sorry, he called you mom so -- I just didn't know."

"Don't worry -- it's sorta like when you accidentally call your teacher 'mom' when you're a kid. He just gets confused," you shrug and introduce yourself before asking, "What's your name?"

"I'm Eddie. I uh --"

"Oh! You watch Beau when he's out of school!" you interrupt, "He talks about you all the time."

"You're not telling him about the dragon, sissy," Beau whines and squirms, "I seen a dragon today."

"You saw a dragon today, B," Eddie corrects, "I saw, not I seen."

"Still seen one," Beau crosses and uncrosses his arms with a dramatic eye roll, already bored with the conversation enough to scurry over to another co-worker.

"He saw a bearded dragon lizard at the zoo today," you smile.

"I swear he's five going on fifteen with all that attitude," Eddie says with an exasperated sigh through puffed out cheeks, "Gives me a run for my money..."

You laugh a little out of your nose and flip your phone open, he's stunned at how fast you text. Your thumbs flying over the keyboard of your Sidekick iD. All he had was some Nokia burner from Rick and an iPod he stole at the gym.

"Uh, your dad's in there, by the way. Like, you can just go in," he says. His coverall feels too hot and scratchy, noticibly concious of how much is pools around his sinewy frame. He doesn't look like a man the way the other guys who work here do, he doesn't really feel like one either. Too soft. Too gentle. Even when he was lugging around tires and getting into fights at The Hideout.

"He's on the phone," you scrunch your nose while you point at the door, keys in your hand jingling. He thinks about what you'd do if he reached forward and tapped his finger on it. If he traced down the bridge gently. You look so touchable.

"How come I've never seen you around before? I've been here like, almost a year," he says, running the rag that was over his shoulder through his hands to occupy himself.

"I'm not around a lot, normally in Fort Wayne 'cause I go to school there. I stay with a friend and work at the school over the summer to make some money," you explain, "Trying to save up for my own place."

"Oh, cool," he nods, swallowing the disappointment in his tone. Of course you don't want to stick around this shit hole town. You have better things to do. You're literally in college.

"What's your SN? I'll add you to my buddy list and tell you all the weird shit Beau says this weekend," you giggle.

"What's an SN?" Eddie asks, throat running dry. Is this some kind of joke? Are you trying to make fun of him or something? "SN? Your screen name?" you reply, cocking your head when he still doesn't know what you mean, "Like your AIM screen name?"

"Oh!" he says, embarrassment continuing to creep up on him, "Like, on the computer? We um -- I don't have one at home so I never really signed up for it."

"Oh," you say softly, nodding, "Um, well like, what's your number then? Gotta keep up with Beau's replacement older sibling."

He internally gags when you refer to him as your replacement. Did you already put him in that catergory? The friendzone? That's what they called it at the comic book store when they had their D&D nights and just talked about girls.

"Here," you say, handing the phone out to him with the 'New Contact' page up. He takes it, albiet shakily, unsure if Rick would want him to be giving out his number to just anyone -- but you're so cute and girls never ask for his number. Not even after they hook up with him in his van outside of the bar. Rick would understand.

"Thanks, it's saved under Eddie M," he replies sheepishly, "In case you know any other Eddies."

"I don't," you smile, "But I'll keep the M."

The door to the office opens and your dad appears, tired and disheveled but glad to see you.

"Hey kid, where's the gremlin?" he asks you gruffly.

"I don't know, probably doing something illegal," you shrug, but the pitter patter of light up sneakers on concrete starts up again across the garage.

"Let's go, buddy," he says while Beau leaps up into his arms.

"That was a big jump dude. What, are you half spider monkey or something?" Eddie teases.

"We saw them at the zoo, today!" he calls out, before turning to his dad, "And I also saw a dragon."

"That's very cool, you'll have to draw me a picture when we get home," he says with a nod before putting his attention on Eddie.

"I'm gonna head out, but are you good to lock up here with Mark?"

"Yeah, for sure," Eddie nods. A smile spreads across his lips, maybe you'll think he's important or something, "It was um...it was nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, too," you say softly while you head toward the door with your dad. He tries not to look, but there's something about the way your cut off shorts hug your ass that has heat rushing to his cheeks.

You turn back as the door is about to close behind you and grin, "I was the mistake, by the way. I'll shoot you a text after nine!"

You do text him after nine.

'heyyy. how r u? :)'

No one ever really asks.

Six Years Ago

He didn't mean to fall for you, but how could he not? Your weekly to bi-weekly phone calls during your senior year of college were all he looked forward to. Outside of pay day and parties at Rick's. And D&D campaigns. And shows at The Hideout. You were up there, you were top ten. He swore it. 

He knew when you came home for winter break last year, helping your parents bring Beau to swimming lessons and indoor soccer. It started with small, yearning, glances when your daddy would invite him home for dinner, or you'd drop off lunch for the guys. Soft little flicks of brown eyes from under envious full lashes to watch you watching him, leaning over his work bench to ask him a question for your dad. Watching you live your life in your family’s small house while he ate brisket and showed Beau how to do shading in his coloring books. He nearly died when you grabbed his hand in the kitchen, manicured nails dancing over the new burnished silver jewelry on his fingers and asked, ‘Are these new rings? Where’d you get them?’ 

He'd survey you while you helped your brother with his math homework when your mom was busy with her fourth haircut that night -- your aunt who wouldn't pay her and your dad too burnt out to do anything but drink in front of the TV in his recliner. 

"Oh, no, that's not right," Eddie pipes up gently. You looked up at the sound of his words, sitting across the kitchen table while you stood over your brother's shoulder. 

Eddie blushes, scrunching into his shoulders, "Sorry, sorry, it's just, you're a little off -- when you're converting ounces to pounds you--" 

"I don't need you to teach him about grams, ounces, and pounds, Munson," you say softly, a little giggle escaping your chest. He flushes deeper than before, "I think he's a little young for that." Everyone knew what Eddie did on the side, it didn’t take much to find out what he always had hidden away in his beat up backpack. Your daddy said that it taught him good entrepreneurial skills and as long as he wasn’t getting into trouble or selling to kids, he was fine to work at the shop until the cops came knocking – and they never did. 

"Sorry, I just -- Just because it says 5 doesn't mean it's a half pound. 5 ounces isn't a half pound, it's like a 'gotcha' question," he explains. Your brother's eyes are glued to Eddie, his cool rings and long hair, his leather jacket, the soft stubble on his chin. Eddie was the coolest guy your brother had ever met, so if it meant he had to learn weight conversion from a drug dealer, then so be it. He'd listen to him before he’d listen to you. 

"How many ounces are in a pound, bud?" he asks. 

"Sixteen," your brother replies. 

"What's half of sixteen?" 

"Eight." 

"You're so sharp, dude," Ed encourages, "You should skip second grade, for real."

"So even though it says point five, it's actually eight ounces? Not five ounces?" your brother asks, pencil tracing over the question on his work sheet. 

"Exactly," Eddie grins, "See, you get it." 

He meets your eyes for your approval and when you nod, running a hand over your little brother's head comfortingly, he has to hide the giddiness on his face in his hands. 

"How come Eddie's good at math and you're not?" your brother asks. You laugh, Eddie's snort comes out from behind his hands, dancing through his silver rings. 

"I haven't taken a math class in a while, Eddie does math every day," you say, like a kindergarten teacher trying to explain bomb drills. 

"How come?" 

"Oh, um," you look at Eddie, his flushed cheeks and boyish smile, "He's just -- Eddie's really smart."

You stayed out in Fort Wayne for six months after graduation until your mom got let go at the salon. 'Making room for new talent', they'd said. She'd developed joint pain, recurring carpal tunnel -- she couldn't do as much as she used to. So, like every good first born, you moved back home to help out -- taking whatever job you could find. At first it felt bad to be back in your childhood bedroom, forced back into the mundanity of the world around you. The embarrassment of running into people you knew at the mall or getting gas. But at least one thing was fine, you got to see Eddie -- and he was kind of exciting. Way more exciting than your job at the diner you picked up back in May. It worked out fine, you guess. You'd have mornings off some days to take Beau to school and to soccer, or baseball, or whatever sport he was into that season. Your mom would do hair in the kitchen for the older ladies -- roller sets, perms, colors. She could take her time with them, they had no rush. Then you'd leave for the diner when Beau came home and your mama would take more clients in the evening. Your daddy would be home at five thirty to take on the heat. 

Things were easier on your parents when Eddie started coming around to keep Beau occupied. The second grader had a lot of energy, even after sports practice or game days. Eddie's personality matched his in intensity -- always finding new ways to keep him engaged in his homework, in his reading, in the way he navigated the world. Beau was at a fourth grade reading level by the end of the school year and whipping through math like he was born to know it. Your daddy started taking Eddie to boxing matches and monster truck shows with Beau. Your daddy started to forget you were there, too. 

Except when Eddie’s big brown eyes started to linger a little too long at you one night when you were at work.

“Munson, I’m old. I’m not stupid,” your dad’s voice grumbles like a bad engine when he talks, “You wanna ask my daughter on a date, don’t you?” 

Eddie sputters into his orange soda, smattering it onto Beau who throws into a fit of giggles. 

“Uh – what?” he gasps, “Sir, I – excuse me?” 

“I see how you’ve been lookin’ at her since you saw her two summers ago,” he shakes his head, coughing a cigarette cough into his fist, “You’ve got the most love sick eyes I’ve ever seen.” 

Eddie can’t help the blush that grows in his cheeks, “Sir, I dunno about that.”  “Everyone knows you have a huge crush on sissy, Ed,” Beau says matter of factly, taking a big gulp of his chocolate milk. Ed reaches for the cup as he goes for a second gulp and eases it out of his hands. “Slow down, kid,” he huffs, “And gross, dude. Girls have cooties.” 

“Sissy has her cooties shot,” Beau shrugged, “She told me when I said there’s no way you liked her, ‘cause girls have cooties.” “Did sissy ask if I told you I liked her?” Eddie asks with a smile. Beau smirks and giggles, tiny teeth shining back at his dad – he’s a troublemaker but he’s no good at keeping secrets. Your dad smirks into his coffee mug, too.

“Did she ask you if I liked her?” Eddie’s heart pounds in his chest when your dad nods at his question. 

“Did um – did she say if she liked me?” he stammers out. He pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth to squeeze out any remaining moisture as he saw you walk out of the kitchen to one of your tables. Two regulars, construction guys -- Bryan and Charlie, always come in at the same time and always tip big cause they think you're pretty. Eddie hates that he hates when you talk about them -- you aren't his, it shouldn't make him so upset. He smiles to himself for a minute when you press a hand to your lower back, scrunching your face in pain. He can tell it’s because you always pop your hip to one side when you take an order. 

“She might’ve mentioned something,” your dad shrugs, “But I asked you a question, kid.” 

The sticky heat from outside flows in through the door and into his chest, “Am I allowed to ask her on a date?” 

“She’s twenny-two, she can do what she wants,” he laughs, “Just don’t have her coming home in a cop car and you got my blessing.” 

“I promise I won’t have her come home in a cop car,” he breathes out. His excitement outweighs his embarrassment when you come over to the table. To him, your diner dress fits you just right. To you and your dad, you wished it was a little looser. He swallows hard when you plop your hands on the linoleum and lean forward on your palms. Your manicured nails click on the plastic when you drum them a few times, the pen in your hand shines.

“Anything else I can get you boys?” you ask with a smile. 

“I think we’re heading out, pum’kin,” your dad’s jagged grin shines through his eyes while Beau crawls over Eddie to get out of the booth, “Gotta take this rugrat to the movies for his friend’s birthday party.” 

“But um,” your dad chuckles while he stands up, stretching a bit before adjusting his biker vest, “I think Ed’s gonna stick around. Said he had somethin’ to ask you.” 

Five and ½ Years Ago Money flows when he makes it. Your first date was to the movies, nervous hand holds on your knee – uncertain arm around your shoulder. He smelled like Suave body wash and cigarettes. Your second to some restaurant out of town, he stumbled over his drink order and yours but it made you giggle in a way that made him giggle too. He wore a ‘nice’ shirt that Wayne let him borrow but he shifted in it all night – rolling up the sleeves and opening up the collar. Some chicken scratch tattoos on his forearms. He kissed you in the van with warm full lips and smiled all the way home. But as the months went on and Rick started giving him bigger plays, bigger bricks to move – two years in the trenches had his seeing stacks he had only dreamed of before. You got to reap the benefits. A pair of earrings, nicer dinners, paying for your manicures every now and again. New tattoos on his arms, on his chest, littered in them – good ones too, he’d go out to Ohio for them. He’d work his shifts at the garage with your dad and then on some nights and weekends do his business. Your daddy still looked the other way, if the cops weren’t knocking then it didn’t matter. Eddie was making you happy, he was making everyone happy, so there wasn’t any reason for him to worry. You spent your shifts at the diner thinking about when he’d come pick you up. Thinking about when he’d come in during your opening shifts and flirt with you while he had a cup of coffee – sometimes in his coveralls, sometimes in his clothes from the night before. He smelled good, new colognes – he got a couple. You liked the one he wore on date nights and loved the one he wore during the day. Got some silver chains to match his rings – subtle upgrades. He’d started to fill out some – making more money, eating more, more muscle, more cash, more confidence – still yours. Still lovesick. ‘The most lovesick eyes I’ve ever seen.’  

His hair tickled your thighs while he had you splayed out on the mattress in Rick’s guest room, the ‘welcome to the weekend’ party still raging down stairs as the night begins to approach the early hours of the morning. Perks of living on the outskirts of town – no neighbors to call the cops to tell you to shut the fuck up. The thud of the music makes the walls vibrate, putting you in a steady trance in the dark. The joints you were passed earlier had made their claim, body languid and floaty — he could have you just how he wants you. 

“Fuck, you taste so good,” he whispers into the crease of your thigh while his hands push your knees apart further. His tongue is his best feature, and he knows it now. Easily his strongest muscle with the way it’s started to get him in and out of anything. Sweet charm turned as silver as his rings as he got more and more successful, more and more of Rick’s approval. His tongue lies flat in slow intentional drags between your legs, spit pooling out in its wake. He likes to take his time here to build you up, your soft ‘hm’s encouraging him to keep his pace.

“It’s nice like that, huh?” he asks gently, pressing a kiss to your clit, “Using my tongue on you?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out, eyes closed and sleepy. His head pokes up from between your legs when he notices your body reacting less and less to his mouth. Your sounds get progressively quieter, losing enthusiasm.

“Hey, you okay?” he asks, crawling up over you. 

“Mhm,” you respond, eyes still shut. 

“You fallin’ asleep on me?” he laughs, thumb coming up to run over the side of your head, “You little lightweight.” 

Your lips stretch into a smile, the weight of your high pressing you further into the mattress. Each time you take a breath you feel yourself falling further and further away, it’s almost scary until it's not – because he’s there. You feel the pad of his index finger run down the bridge of your nose and slide over your bottom lip. He quietly eases off the bed, grabbing your panties and jeans from the floor to put them back on with the finesse of a person who’s had to redress their passed out friends many times before. You’re almost out like a light when he drapes the throw blanket over your legs, adjusting it to slouch messily over your shoulders. You barely feel the kiss he leaves on your forehead. 

“I love you,” he whispers, before heading back down stairs for a drink. You wake up to the music still blaring downstairs, mouth dry and disoriented – realizing that what woke you up is the sound of the door opening. 

“Hey sleepy, didn’t mean to wake you,” Eddie whispers, wincing a bit as the music gets louder. He closes the door with his hip, clicking on the overhead light making you both squint, “Well, technically I did, but I didn’t mean to wake you up like this. I brought you some food, baby.” Heat rushes to your face at the name. Baby. No one had ever called you that before. Not other hookups or boyfriends - always ‘babe’, never ‘baby’. Always ‘babe’, never ‘angel’, never ‘sweetheart’, never ‘my girl’. Eddie called you every sweet name he could think of. “Thank you,” you smile, eyes falling on the ringed hand cradling a paper plate with two slices of pizza, dripping in grease. The other held a can of Pepsi that he watched your eyes fall on for a brief moment.

“They didn’t have Coke, m’sorry,” he scrunches his nose, leaning in to give you a kiss while he places the plate and can on the side table, clicking on the lamp. 

“That’s okay, this is fine,” you smile, he smiles back while clicking the big light back off. He crawls onto the bed next to you, the warmth of him enveloping you in his scent, his body heat, his essence. Things moved fast since your first date. You’d never felt loved like this, you’d never been kissed how he kissed you. It’s like he wrote the schematics for your body and kept them a secret until the day you let him touch you in the back of his van. The day you let him take you in your bedroom when your parents went to watch Beau’s baseball game. Even his stare made you flustered. Eddie would say the same about you. Gareth and Jeff would label it as lovedrunk, Rick said he was more addicted to being with you than he was to making him money. Sandra at the diner said he’s obsessed. Obsessed with you. It had a nice ring to it. 

“Thank you again,” you nod, cracking open the can of Pepsi that soothes your dry mouth instantly. 

“Anything for you,” he smiles while his hand reaches to yours, pressing a kiss to your knuckles.

“I heard what you said, by the way,” you smirk, “When you left the room.” 

His face somehow blanches and fumes red like sweet cherries at the same time, “You weren’t supposed to.” 

“Didn’t want me to know that you love me?” you tease, shoulder bumping him with a laugh. He doesn’t laugh back, he just looks at you with soft eyes – big and brown, begging. 

“Is that stupid?” he asks softly, disappointment weighing heavy on his tongue. 

“No! No! It’s not stupid,” you quickly assure, “No, I um –” You smile down into the can of Pepsi, manicured nails on your opposite hand drumming on the aluminum. “I love you, too,” you whisper, “I was nervous that maybe it was too soon. I didn’t like…I didn’t wanna scare you.” “Scared by my girl saying she loves me? Nah,” he shakes his head, teeth gleaming in a smile that hurts his cheeks, “That’s the best shit I’ve heard all year.” “Why don’t you eat first,” he starts huskily, taking your Pepsi can and placing it on the side table. The cologne on his skin had mixed pleasantly with tobacco, enveloping you in sandalwood, fruit, and smoke. His lips were plush as he pressed first against the corner of your mouth and then the other, holding his index finger in the center of yours. He nuzzled your nose gently before easing himself into a deep kiss, index finger tracing down your cheek. “As I was saying,” he starts again, a light giggle floating out of his chest and escaping pink cheeks, “Why don’t you eat first and then maybe we can go to mine and I’ll show you how much I love you.” “What about Wayne?” you ask, looking at his distorted face with your foreheads so close together. He steals a quick kiss from you again, another on your cheek. “Wayne’s staying close to the plant to do a morning shift, so he won’t be home until tomorrow night,” he grins, “We can play house all day tomorrow.” 

“You’re stupid,” you laugh, leaning back to take the pizza off the side table to take a bite. “What? You don’t wanna be my baby all day?” he gets on his knees on the mattress to lean into you, lips finding their way to your cheek and jaw. You squirm under his touch, a feather light gasp coming out of your mouth when he nips at the spot at the top of your neck. “What’s got you so flustered, hm?” he teases into your ear, his ringed hand trailing up your thigh. Your hand covers his and he stops his journey, pulling back a little. “Nothing bad, s’just – I really like it when you call me baby,” you hide your face with one hand, “I don’t think I’ve said that before. It’s just really nice.”  “Baby,” he pours out like warm syrup, it sounds so natural in his nicotine soaked voice. He pulls your hand away, smattering slow soft kisses across your cheeks. Mumbling between each one, “Baby, baby, baby.”