#this is supposed to be part of a matching set with ashe but let's see if i get to finishing either of them

[thecraftgremlin]

Look I talk a lot of shit about my own art most of the time, but my linework is something I'm genuinely really proud of.

[eddiesxangel]

Take Me to the Lakes | E.M x f!reader ~ 1/6

AN: Hello! This is a very overdue, completely revised version of one of the first Eddie fics I ever wrote. Hopefully I fixed all of the issues and things I didn’t like. Fingers crossed I didn’t miss anything… hope you enjoy!!

Master list

Summery: This summer was suppose to be the summer to work at your favourite place in the world with your best friend. But things take a turn when it isn’t your best friend you end up working with.

CW: camp AU, counsellor!eddie x f!camp counsellor reader, popular!reader, 18+ content, drinking, weed consumption, angst, eventual smut, fluff, reader and Eddie are in their 20’s. Part 1/?

wc: 13.4k

Finally, your last freshman year of college exam was behind you. Summer was at your fingertips, and you couldn't wait to get it started. Summer was when you could escape the pressures of college life and the expectations of the people in your hometown of Hawkins. Growing up, you were incredibly popular. You were on the student council, a competitive dancer and co-captain of the cheer team in high school. Dancing was your passion; you enjoyed all styles, from jazz and contemporary to ballet and hip-hop. Cheerleading was also important to you; you made the team in your first year of high school. Although you never set out to become part of the popular crowd, your involvement in these extracurricular activities naturally led you to that status.

“Hey! Wait up!” You turn and see your best friend Ashley running towards you as you exit the university campus doors. “I can’t believe you’re trying to sneak out on me before you’re gone for the whole summer!” She exasperated. “It’s not my fault you didn’t send your resume in time! I put a good word for you and everything.” You huffed back with an eye roll. You and Ashely were supposed to work at the sleepover camp where you’ve been a counsellor for the past two summers. Yet Ashley conveniently forgot to submit her application in time.

When you started working at Camp Murdock, nobody knew who you were. It was a fresh start, a clean slate. The camp is located about four hours north of your hometown, and people from all over come to work there for two months during the summer season. Maybe it was the natural surroundings, but you broke out of your shell during your first summer there.

You were no longer labelled as the prude-popular-teacher’s pet cheerleader; you were just you, the loud, outgoing, funny, and goofy camp counsellor. The campers loved learning silly dances to camp songs with you, and you truly felt like yourself at that camp. This summer, you were looking forward to spending time with Ashley, the one person from back home with whom you feel comfortable being yourself. Unlike yourself, Ashley is a confident and independent girl who never adhered to societal norms or cared much about what others thought of her. She was always the one to speak her mind, dress the way she wanted, and hang out with whomever she pleased. Her free-spirited nature and carefree attitude were a breath of fresh air for you, especially since you've always worried about fitting in and what others thought of you. You had hoped that this summer, you could let your guard down and be yourself, only this time with your partner in crime.

You and Ashley were like two individuals from different worlds. While you were more inclined towards mainstream activities, Ashley had a unique taste in hobbies and interests. She was a passionate photographer who loved capturing the world through her lens. Ashley was also a big fan of the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy game and punk music, and she didn't care much about conforming to social norms. Then there was Ashley's style. She was equally distinctive and rebellious. She had short hair, which was always styled in an edgy way. She loved to wear dark, smokey makeup with lots of eyeliner, which matched her punk-inspired wardrobe. She often wore baggy flannel shirts, big jeans and combat boots – a look very different from your own.

Walking together, you two were like a study in contrasts. You attracted many curious glances from the people around you, especially freshmen not used to seeing such different styles. However, over time, people got used to your strikingly different looks and learned to appreciate the uniqueness of your friendship.

“Ash, why couldn’t you submit your application on time?!” You groan as someone catches your eye, walking out of the parking lot.

Him. The guy you’ve been crushing on since the tenth grade. The upper-class man who was supposed to graduate the year you discovered who he was but was held back a few years. When he finally graduated, you saw him around town occasionally, but now you watched as he exited the corner store across the street from the school.

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me; you couldn’t have—” she cut herself off, noticing you were practically drooling at who caught your eye. “You know you could just talk to him? I always talk you up when we play DND.” she raises her brow. “And say what? Hi Eddie, I’ve been in love with you for three years now. Would you please go out with me?” Ash rolls her eyes in response. “Babe, you know you’re one of the most popular girls in Hawkins. You can have any guy you want! You need to try. Start with a ‘hello,” she said, pushing your shoulder toward his van. “Ashley Joanna Thompson, stop!”Just because you’ll never have boy problems…” you frown at her. “You’re right. I only have girl problems. Men are simple creatures, ” she states as a matter of fact. You once again roll your eyes and glance over one more time in Eddie’s direction, seeing him light up a cigarette as he drives off the lot, blasting his heavy metal. You sigh as you get into your car and drive you and Ashley back to your shared apartment.

After returning home, you took a moment to relax and celebrate your successful day with a refreshing drink. You then continued to pack your duffle bag, carefully considering which items you would need for your upcoming trip. As you packed your last-minute essentials into the bag, you couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and sadness thinking about Eddie Munson. You remembered the brief encounter with him in the parking lot and realized that this would be the last time you would see him for the rest of the summer.

As the clock strikes 10:00 pm, you try to calm yourself and get some rest for the long trip tomorrow. However, your mind is preoccupied with thoughts of Eddie, and you can't seem to shake this crush off your mind. You've only had the chance to speak to him three times, and they were all brief and awkward "Heys" when you picked up Ash from the DND club. Despite the limited interactions, you find yourself constantly thinking about him and wondering what it would be like to get to know him better. The more you try to push him out of your mind, the more persistent the thoughts become, making it difficult to focus on anything else. You wonder if it's just a fleeting crush or if there could be something more to it.

When you settle into bed, you let your mind drift off to when you first saw him…. As you made your way through the labyrinthine halls of the school, your mind was preoccupied with the task of finding the drama room. You had promised Ashley that you would pick her up after cheer practice and didn't want to be late. After a few twists and turns, you finally saw the door you sought. Glancing at your watch, you realized you were already 15 minutes behind schedule, thanks to the practice running over its allotted time. Without hesitation, you reached for the door handle and pushed it open. “Hey Ash, I'm so sorry I’m late! Practice—“You stop dead, looking at the group of eyes staring up at you. Your cheeks burned, and you felt embarrassed when you realized they weren’t done yet and had interrupted. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I thought I was late.” Giving Ash a knowing look to say, “Help me.” “It’s ok, babe. We will be done in 15 minutes. Right guys?” She looks around at the rest of the club to confirm; your eyes watch each face to ensure they all nod. “Sit with me,” she smiles. You walk around the group of guys, plus Ashley, smiling meekly as they all stare with mouths open but one. As you saunter towards Ash, you notice all eyes follow your every move. When your gaze meets his, you feel a sudden and unexpected surge of fluttering in your stomach. His eyes are big, beautiful, and the colour of warm chocolate. They exude a softness and warmth that make you feel safe and secure.

His hair is longer than any other guy's at school. It falls in soft waves around his face, giving him an air of mystery and intrigue. You can't help but wonder what it would feel like to run your fingers through it. You notice the leather belt he's wearing, with handcuffs as the buckle. It's both alluring and dangerous at the same time.

His shirt is cut off at the elbow, revealing his forearm tattoos. On his upper arm, you see a group of bats, their wings spread wide as if ready to take flight. But it's the tattoo on his inside forearm that really catches your attention. It's a marionette puppet of a monster, but it was being controlled by a hand. It’s a strange and eerie tattoo, but it only adds to his mystique.

“What’s with pompoms?” One of the other guys asks, jerking you out of your trance. “Don’t be such a jerk, Jered. This is my best friend,” Ashley scowls back. Suddenly, you’re very self-conscious about the cheer practice uniform you had on. “I’m sorry to interrupt again; please continue.” You squeak, trying to keep the peace. The group of them roll their eyes, all but him.

You basically run out of there as soon as Ash is finished. “Who was that?!” You nod your head in his direction as you watch the group if them walk away. “Who? Eddie? He’s our Dungeon Master. He's really theatrical, and he makes you picture the scene,” she laughs. “Eddie,” You sigh. “Oh no, you’re joking, right? You’re a cheerleader, and you’re telling me Eddie Munson is your type?” she almost yells while they’re still in earshot. Clasping your hand over her mouth, you look at Eddie, hoping he didn’t hear anything. “Would you shut up? Why don’t you announce it to the whole town?” You spit through your teeth. “Besides, he didn’t even look at me. I’m some scrawny 10th grander. I’m probably not even his type! You see his tattoos, leather, and chains… he’s probably into rocker chics, and he’s what?” “12th grade,” she confirms, and you groan. “I’ll put in a good word,” she teased. “Would you?” You bite my fingers, giving her the best puppy eyes. “You owe me.” She rolled her eyes.

That was three years ago, and Ashley's “good word” clearly wasn’t doing anything. So you roll over in bed and finally doze off.

—

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

Your alarm clock jolts you awake, and as you groggily reach over to turn it off, you notice the bright red digits displaying 6:30 am. Your first summer day has finally arrived, but you don't get to savour it with a lazy morning. You stretch your arms and rub the sleep out of your eyes while taking a moment to appreciate the soft light filtering through your window.

As you start your day, you decide to wear your favourite camp clothes—a pair of well-worn jean shorts and last year's Camp Murdock heather grey tank top. Camp Murdock is printed in green to match the forest-green spaghetti straps. You slip on your trusty white Keds and take a moment to admire how perfectly the outfit fits you in the mirror.

Before saying goodbye to Ashley, you pack your food and prepare yourself for the long journey ahead. You have four hours of driving before you reach the camp, but you can't wait to get there. The day is filled with excitement, counsellor bonding, and cabin preparation - all in preparation for the campers' arrival in three days.

As you hit the road, you let your mind wander, thinking about all the camp activities you'll enjoy. The warm sun streams through the car window, and you can feel the anticipation building up inside you. You know the journey ahead won't be quick, but you're ready. You take a deep breath and let the adventure begin. The sweet smell of the nearby lake is in the air, adding to the excitement of being up north. It's so strong that you can almost taste the cool, refreshing water on your tongue. You can't help but feel excited as you imagine the adventures that await you at Camp Murdock.

The camp is 20 minutes from the main road, providing a sense of seclusion from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. As you inch closer, the aroma of the surrounding Birch trees fills your senses, as does the sweet scent of freshly cut grass and wildflowers. After an arduous 4.5-hour journey, you finally arrive at Camp Murdock.

Your blissful thoughts were rudely interrupted by a big van cutting in front of you, nearly hitting your front bumper. “Asshole!” You yell out the window while giving the finger. The driver gave a mocking wave as they sped off. This road only goes to one place. You’ll give them a piece of your mind. Minutes later, you arrive and pull up beside the van that had cut you off. You slammed the door as you exited your small red Ford sedan, still feeling furious. This was definitely not how you wanted to start your day. As you huffed and puffed, you noticed the van looked familiar… but no, it couldn't be the same. It was different; it had to be.

You look around the parking lot and notice other cars from past employees, but you don’t see anyone yet. You feel a small butterfly in your stomach, thinking, what if it is the van you think it is? As you take a moment to absorb your surroundings, you notice the quaint cabins, the inviting mess hall, and the mesmerizing beauty of the lake. You can't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquillity as you stand in your happy place.

The gentle waves of the lake, the rustling of the trees, and the chirping of the birds create a serene atmosphere you never want to leave. Every time you come here, you feel refreshed and renewed, ready to face whatever life throws.

“Bambi! you made it!” You whip my head around to see Robin, your best camp friend, whom you’ve worked with for the past two summers. Every year, counsellors are assigned nicknames a few days before the kids come. “Birdie!” You embrace her in a big hug, forgetting about the van and the possibility of who it belongs to. “How are you?! How did you get hotter? I didn’t think that was possible. Come, everyone’s already here! And you have to meet the newbies.” She smiles. You leave your belongings in the car and rush to the mess hall with all the other staff. “So, see any cuties so far?” You jokingly giggle. “Oh, just you wait,” she blushes, making her cheeks the same shade of pink as her tank top. Glancing around, you see our other alumni. “Hey, guys!” You wave enthusiastically. Your best camp friends, Steve, a.k.a. Moose, Nancy, a.k.a. Scout, and Billy, a.k.a. Coyote. They all embrace you in welcome hugs, and you cannot wait to catch up.

You stood scanning the vast wooden mess hall, taking in the rustic ambiance of the place. As you gazed down the rows of brightly coloured picnic tables, a sense of excitement and anticipation began to build up inside you. You were looking for new faces, hoping to meet someone interesting. But deep down, you knew that there was one particular face you were subconsciously seeking out - one that held a special place in your heart.

As you walk around up to greet more of your fellow coworkers, the memory of the van still lingers in the back of your mind. You can't shake off the ‘what if’ feeling you've been carrying since you saw it earlier. You try to push it to the back of your mind and focus on the task at hand—socializing with your colleagues.

As you make your rounds, exchanging pleasantries with familiar faces, your eyes quickly dart across the room. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a figure — a guy with long, curly brown hair dressed in all black. He seems to be in a hurry and is quickly exiting the building from the opposite side of the room.

You can't help but wonder who and what he's up to. You try to catch another glimpse of him, but he's already gone. Curiosity catches up to you, and you excuse yourself from the conversation. You ungracefully maneuver your way through the sea of people, weaving in and out of the throngs until you finally reach the red saloon doors to exit the mess hall. Taking a moment to pause and assess your surroundings, you are struck by the lake's serene beauty. The water is calm and placid; you know it will no longer remain this still for the next three months. The sun shines brightly overhead, casting a brilliant glow across the water's surface. The light is so intense that it almost blinds you, but you can't help but be awed by the breathtaking view before you. You quickly look over to the cabins and see no one. Then, looking to the left, you can see the sports field, not a soul. Where could they have gone? You think. “Bambi, where did you go?” You hear Coyote, a.k.a Billy, behind you. “I thought I saw someone… guess not.” You shrugged. “Don’t worry, you’ll meet everyone. We’re about to start introductions by the pit.” He smiles. “Ok, let’s get going!” You jump onto his back, and he piggybacks you to the fire pit. You met Billy last summer, and he became a very close friend. He and Steve were your go-to guys for anything.

As you and Billy approach the fire pit to greet the other counsellors, you can hear them chatting and catching up before sitting on the bleacher benches around the pit. “OKAY, CAMP, MURDOCK STAFF, TAKE A SEAT AND LISTEN UP!” The camp director, Carol’s voice echoed from the megaphone. You all listen, and you sit between Billy and Robin. “All right, councillors and staff. Let's review some ground rules before we get to the good stuff.” It's good to know Carol’s megaphone still works. “I know some of you are vets here at Camp Murdock, but we have some new faces, so we need a refresher.” You watch Steve roll his eyes as he sits across from you, and you stifle a giggle. Carol continues, “Basic ground rules: Staff are not to be out of their cabins after 11:30 pm, and staff are not to be in the lake alone or unsupervised by another staff member. Staff are NOT allowed to have a romantic or physical relationship with a camper... That said, staff can be with each other if it is consensual, just not during camp hours.” Carol’s eyes graze the crowd as the groans for the guys all come out in sync. This was not a new rule per se, but it was heavily enforced. Last year, Angela and Connor were caught making out in the barn while they were supposed to be on field duty, and both were fired on the spot. “We, here at Camp Murdock, value the experience of the campers and our staff; we know you want to have fun, and you can do whatever you like after camp hours, as long as it’s legal.” That got some giggles from the crowd. The staff were known to sneak in alcohol and pot from time to time on your off days between camper rotations or just in the evenings to blow off some steam. “What are camp hours? I’m so happy you asked! Breakfast is 8:00 am to Bonfire at 8:30 pm. Campers are in cabins by 9:25 pm. That allows councillors to do what they like before we all have to be in our cabins by 11:30 pm on the dot! Do I make myself clear?” Again, her gaze scans the crowd of young adults in front of her, and you see the crowd nod simultaneously. “Good,” she sighs. “Now, Each cabin will be assigned a bit differently this year. Four councillors per staff cabin instead of our usual 6, and camper cabins will be assigned with 2 councillors for 8 campers. Our ages of campers this year remain the same, eight to sixteen years of age. All cabins will be assigned randomly, and you cannot ask to switch with someone… I will assign that later, before the campers arrive, so you and your partner can set up the cabins as you see fit. Next onto the good stuff!” Carol explained the games and how she would divide the staff into six teams.

Those who had attended the event knew that having Steve and you on their team guaranteed victory. Due to your petite stature, you were small enough to blend in and navigate through the trees without being detected, while Moose, a.k.a. Steve, was the fastest kid in the state for three consecutive years. Together, the two of you were an unbeatable team.

“ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP!” Carol’s voice booms in the megaphone again. “Listen for your names to be called! First, we have the Green team…" your name is not called, “and Next is Purple…” still not called. “Okay, Red Team…” still nothing. “Fourth up, we have the Yellow team…” you hadn’t heard your name yet… “Ok Blue… Edward Munson…” At first, you don't realize it because no one at home calls him Edward, but then you lift your head abruptly when it hits you. Your eyes darted back and forth, scanning the area for a man whose name had been called.

Finally, you spotted him descending the bleachers two rows behind you. He had his brown curls tied back in a low bun, wearing a Black Sabbath shirt with the sleeves cut off, revealing his muscular arms, and his signature black skinny jeans hugged his lean legs. A cigarette dangled from his lips, adding to his rugged, rebellious appearance. You watched, transfixed, as he made his way down towards Carol. He flashed her his charming smile as he approached her and accepted his new counsellor shirt. “Edward, no smoking.” She grabs the cigarette from his mouth and puts it out with her foot. “Whatever you say, boss lady,” he smirks at her and walks to the rest of his team. You looked over to Robin, who was being called next, “Oh my god, it’s him!” You half-whisper to her as she gets up. “What?” she looks confused. “Robin Buckley,” you hear Carol call again. “From school! That’s the guy I’ve been talking to you about since last summer!” You glance in his direction. She smiled and wiggled her eyebrows as she went down so Carol would never call her again. “Miss. Buckley,” for the third time, sounding irritated. “Sorry Carol, I’m coming!” she grabbed her shirt and smiled. “OK! Last, we have the Pink team… Rebecca Dawson, Jason Adams, Connie Tilbury, Christopher Jenkins, Ashton Richards, and last but not least, Y/N.” She smiles, finishing the roll call. As you get up and walk over to Carol to collect your camp shirt, you look over to see if Eddie hears your name being called. As you stare over, he doesn’t even glance. He is too busy listening to Robin talking his ear off, pointing in your direction while standing next to Steve and the others on the Blue team.

As the day progressed, you took a lunch break and caught up with Steve and Robin in the line for food.

“That new guy is pretty badass,” Steve exclaims. “Oh, Bambi would know.” Robin winked. Your cheeks suddenly felt flush. “What am I missing?” Steve looks between the two of you. “Bambi looooooves him.” Robin smiles. “Bird, remember how we talked about you sharing too much? You’re doing it again,” you said in a singing voice to avoid sounding mean. However, your face was a dead giveaway as Steve looked down at you. “Edward? That guy is your type?” His voice was loud a little too loud “Would you shut up? Announce it to the whole camp, why don’t you?” You huffed. “No wonder Billy couldn’t get in your pants last summer,” he said half under his breath. “Hey!” you smack his chest with your empty cafeteria tray.

"Jeez Bambi, chill!" Steve defends himself.

“Coyote is just a friend, and there is no way he flirted with me last summer?” You watch, and Robin and Steve look at each other and then back at you, shaking their heads like you’re the crazy one.

“So tell us more about this, Edward.” Steve raises his eyebrows. “He likes being called Eddie.” You mumbled. You didn't enjoy discussing school and home when you were here. This was your escape, but Steve was a trusted friend. “He’s two years older, and he’s really good friends with Ashley. You know, my best friend from home? and I don’t know; I’ve had a big fat crush on him since the tenth grade.” “Billy’s not going to like this; he has competition.” Steve laughed. “No, he doesn’t because I don’t like Billy like that; now I’m not sure I even like him anymore, knowing he was only trying to sleep with me last summer.” You crossed my arms.

As you were about to continue, Billy and Nancy joined the group, and the subject changed. After finishing lunch and the last two activities, we were all called to the sports field to split into our capture-the-flag teams.

“ALRIGHT PEOPLE, LISTEN UP!” The megaphone was more ear-piercing than ever. “Remind me to bury that thing tomorrow.” You hear Eddie mumble to Steve, and you cannot help but giggle. “The teams will consist of Yellow, Red and Green as one and Blue, Pink, and Purple as the next team. However! I will split up Steve and Y/N to make things an even playing field this year.” Your head whips to Steve, and he mimics you before you both yell, “WHAT?!” in unison. “Common Carol, that’s so not fair!” Steve yells out. “Too bad, Moose. You’ll be with the Yellow, Red, and Green side this year; it's the final decision.” Your shoulders sink with disappointment as you watch Steve walk to the other team, cheering and greeting him with open arms. “Alright, I’ll give you 20 minutes to strategize, hide your flag, and devise a game plan. We meet back here at 3:00 p.m. on the dot!” She blows her whistle, and you move to our headquarters, the lifejacket shed. The group moves as one, and you notice who else is on the team. Birdie, Scout, and, most importantly, Eddie. The rest of your friends move to the front, taking on team captain rolls, while you linger behind, trying to summon the courage to speak to Eddie. This was your chance to get friendly; the universe gave you an opportunity, and you had to seize it.

Eddie lingered at the back of the group, and you slowed down just enough, pretending to tie your shoe so he could catch up with you.

“Hey, Eddie.” You smile at him. Eddie looked at you curiously and was a little caught off guard as if he wasn’t expecting anyone to talk to him. “Oh, uh, hi.” He was curious as to how you knew his name. “I didn’t think I would see you here this summer.” You giggle. “Uhh… yea…?” Eddie had no idea who you were, but he did know one thing: you sure were pretty.

Your facial expression betrays you as you attempt to force a smile, revealing the true emotions bubbling beneath the surface. He didn’t know who you were. You are only with Ashley twenty-four-seven back at home, attached at the hip, and he still has no clue. You feel a rush of heat creeping up your neck and spreading to your cheeks, a tell-tale sign of embarrassment. So you choose to give a slight nod, try to laugh it off and turn back so you can catch up to Robin and Nancy.

How could you be so stupid to think he would know who you are?! Of course, he wouldn’t know. He doesn’t care about cheerleading, pep rallies, or anything else. You reach up to touch the messy bun atop your head and yank out the white scrunchy so you can hide behind your hair, trying to make yourself feel better. As you catch up with your friends, they can see on your face that something is up.

“Oh, don’t get too upset. Bambi, we can still beat them even if Moose was forced to abandon us this year.” Nancy encourages, oblivious to the real reason as to why you’re flustered. “We saw you talking to him; how’d it go?!” Robin smiled. “I’m such an embarrassment; he didn’t even know who I was.” You bury your face in your hands. “I thought you said he’s mutual friends with your BFF,” Nancy, always the observant one, asked. “Ugh, he is! That’s why I’m so embarrassed.” You let out a groan and gazed up at the clear, blue sky. “I’m sure if you reminded him that you are friends with Ashley, he would remember?” Nancy reassured you. “I don’t want to talk about it. Let’s focus on the game." You and the girls round up the team. “Ok, we take this game very seriously here at Camp Murdock.” Nancy huddles you in. “We can still win this thing because Bambi is our secret weapon. Bambi wave so everyone knows who you are.” She smiles. You put on a fake smile and wave at everyone, avoiding one person’s set of eyes in particular. Robin then takes over, “I say we make a diversion. Everyone splits up into two, throwing off the other team. Scout and I will stand guard for our flag.” She points to herself and Nancy. “Now we need someone really fast,” you chime in. No one raises their hand but one. Oh god. “Okay, Edward, you and Bambi will be together, and we will use the same strategy she and Steve used last year.” “She can fill you in. The rest will be split into pairs, and we will point you where to go,” she finishes. “Uh, you can call me Eddie; no one calls me Edward.” He politely corrects.

After the instructions, Eddie makes his way over to your side of the huddle while the rest group off to their side on their own. You're going to kill your friends. They know what they’re doing… “Hey, Bambi? Right?” he smiles. “Uh, um. Yeah, obviously not my real name… but Bambi is fine.” Your mouth was dry, and you felt you had forgotten how to speak. “Sorry about earlier. It’s, um, you look familiar, but I’m not sure where I have seen you before… ” He scratches the back of his head, his bicep flexing as he reaches up, and you can’t help but gawk at him. “Yea!” You say a little too enthusiastically. “I’m y/n, you know…Ash’s best friend…” Suddenly it clicks, and you can see the realization in his eyes. How could he have not known? Maybe its because you’re in your natural state. You have no makeup on, and your hair isn’t all done up either. “I guess I’m not used to seeing you out of your cheer uniform or attached at the hip with Ash,” he chuckles. “So, what are you doing here anyway? I didn’t think anyone else from home would show up here.” You ask. “Well, you know, I had my side business as a dealer at school… that got me by, but after my little run-in with chief Jim Hopper a few weeks back, I decided to take a break for the summer, lay low.” He smirked as you listened. “ I thought Ash would also be working here this summer since she wouldn’t stop talking about it in Hellfire, which gave me the idea. I thought it couldn’t be that hard looking after the little twerps, it’s good money.” “Yea, she really screwed me over with that one,” You scoffed. “Same… we should get her back.” He smirks. “Yeah, totally.” “So, Bambi, huh?” He raises a brow. “Oh yeah, it’s um, just a camp thing. Don’t worry you’ll get an assigned nickname soon enough.”

A moment of more awkward silence fills the air before Eddie decides to speak again. “So, what is the master plan everyone talked about back there?” He asks. “Oh umm, uh, so, usually, uh, what happens, is um, that because I’m um smaller, I uh, hide in the tree line once one of the… uh, other team members finds where the flags are hidden, I sneak off to grab it, and then uh, I’d pass it off Moose—Steve, who’s like the fastest kid in the state, but he’s not here so I’ll be passing it to you and all you have to do is to our zone then we win.” You catch your breath. You’re totally rambling and sounding like an idiot. Why can’t you speak in front of him? “Oh…ok, sounds good.” he looks confused, like he is trying to process the jumble of words that fell out of your mouth, but he gives a reassuring smile. When he looks at you like that, your legs feel like Jello, your heart feels like it will fall into your stomach, and you hardly look him in the eyes. His smile is soft and tender compared to his rough and tough exterior.

So far, things seem to be going according to plan. You both have taken cover behind a fallen tree that has become a makeshift shelter. The tree is old and decaying, and the bark peels off in places. The silence between you and Eddie is palpable, and you can feel the tension building up. You want to break the silence and talk to him, but every time you try, your words get stuck in your throat. You can't help but feel slightly envious of Eddie's calm demeanour, which contrasts sharply with your nervousness. You wish you could be as composed as him, but your mind is racing a mile a minute. The longest ten minutes pass, and finally, you can see Robin running towards the two of you. Thank God. “Ok, the flag is by the infirmary; we just need to distract them.” You walked closely behind Robin as you both made your way through the field, with tall grass tickling your ankles as you walked. You could see the lake's shimmering waters in the distance, and the sounds of laughter and chatter from the mess hall carried towards you on the gentle breeze.

Despite the distance, Robin seemed to know exactly where she was going, her steps confident and sure. You walked closely behind Robin as you both made your way through the field, with tall grass tickling your ankles as you walked. You could see the lake's shimmering waters in the distance, and the sounds of laughter and chatter from the mess hall carried towards you on the gentle breeze.

As you walked, you couldn't help but wonder if Eddie was really as fast as he claimed. After all, if he weren't, it would be quite a defeat. In all your years at school with him, you’d never seen him doing anything physical. He was more of the theatrical, misunderstood musician type. “I hope you’re not lying about being fast.” You whisper to him, not thinking about anything else but the game. “What the freak can’t be quick?” He scoffs. “That’s not what I—” “There it is!” Robin cuts you off, but you can’t help but think about what Eddie said…Freak.

The thing about Eddie Munson is that he stood out from the crowd. He was unlike anyone you had ever met. He had a unique personality that not everyone could comprehend. He was always edgy and outspoken, and he never cared about the status quo. One day, during lunchtime, he even stood on the cafeteria table and screamed at one of the basketball players sitting at your table. It was a shocking event that left everyone in the cafeteria stunned.

However, despite his eccentricities, you always admired Eddie's courage to be himself. You didn't like how everyone at school called him a freak, and you always tried to defend him. You stood up for him whenever your so-called friends made fun of him, but they never listened to you. They would mock you for "sympathizing with the freak," and it made you feel isolated.

Despite all of this, you never gave up on Eddie… your attraction to him was too strong. You always knew that he was a kind and genuine person, and you appreciated his unique perspective on life. You hoped that one day, others would see him for who he truly was and accept him for his differences.

The neon yellow flag was posted beside the infirmary door, and you could see the guards on the lookout. Ashton was rounding the corner, and Robin approached the other side as a decoy. “Follow me,” you whisper to Eddie. You could feel his gaze on your back, burning a hole through the thin material of your shirt. “On the count of three, I’ll run over, grab it and bring it back here for you. One… two… three.” You scurry as fast as your legs can take you. You grabbed it easily, but getting back was the hard part. On the way back, you made sure to hide behind objects, making sure the coast was clear until you heard a “Hey!” Steve’s voice came from behind you, and you ran. “Eddie here!” You yell to get his attention. You should have worn your sports bra today. The straps of your tank top and bra are slipping down your shoulders. You totally forgot that you would be doing this when you got dressed this morning.

As you rush towards Eddie, you notice his eyes widen as he watched you run towards him. You hand him the flag, and he takes it from you, holding it tightly in his hands. You can tell that he is not sure what to do as he stares at you, unable to move. You watch him for a moment as he continues to gaze down at you, his wide eyes focused on your chest. “What are you doing? Go!” You give him a little shove, taking him out of his trance, and then he runs like you have never seen anyone run in your life. The guy was right; he was fast.

You can hear cheering from across the field as you try to keep up with him while running away from Steve, trying not to get tagged. “Eddie, run! He’s coming!” You yell to warn him and he looks back. His long hair getting in his eyes, but he can still see Steve on his tail. “Come on, Eddie, you can do it!” You cheer, hoping he can still hear you. You watch as he touches the team's safety zone! You did it! Your team won! “Sorry, Moosey, maybe next year.” You give him a mock pout as he bends over to catch his breath. “Congrats to the winning team!” Carol cheers. “Now you can make your way to the pit. I’ll give you your cabins, and you can set them up.”

“Hey, you were right. You are fast.” You hear Becca say as the group of you return to the pit. She batted her eyes and smiled at him. Was she flirting with him? The pit of jealousy that was forming felt like a rock in your stomach. You could not let this happen, so you marched over to them. “Hey, we make a pretty good team.” Bumping Becca out of your way. “Hey, yeah, we do.” Eddie spoke and you noticed the glint in his eye when he raised his hand for a high five. A playful smile tugged at the corners of his lips, inviting you to join in on the fun. You mirrored his action, raising your own hand to meet his. When both of your palms touched, a jolt of electricity ran through your body, making your heart skip a beat. You couldn't help but smile back at him as he beamed with delight. “I liked having you cheer for me; I finally get why those jocks have you around all the time.” He smirked, and your cheeks burned once again… maybe you can blame it on the sun. “Oh,” you giggled. Thanks…Um, you know, I don’t like it when you say you’re a freak…” The end of your sentence was hardly a whisper. “Oh, well, it was your friends who started it.” You wince at his words. You hate who he thinks you are, and it is all your fault for letting him believe that you are just like the rest of them. “I ask them not to, but they never listen.” You tuck your messy hair behind your ear. “Don’t worry, Princess. You don’t have to worry about that high school bullshit anymore. “Princess?” You scoff. “Well, you were the Princess of Hawkins High.” He says it is a matter of fact. “No, wasn't, you know nothing about me,” “Woah, sorry, didn’t mean to offend you.” he raised his hands in defence. “What’s going on?” Billy, out of all people, comes running up. “Nothing,” you say simultaneously. “Back off, man.” Billy was getting in Eddie’s face. Why was he acting so weird? “What the hell, Billy? Get away from him.” You tried to shove him, but Billy was a foot taller than you and much stronger. “Look, man, nothing happened.” Eddie backed away. “I’ll see you around, Princess.” He winked and walked off to the pit with everyone else. “That guy is-” “Billy, not now.” You huff, trying to walk away. “Come on, Bambi, what’s going on…” “Nothing, let’s get going.” You pull on his arm to get to the pit.

Eddie never meant to hurt your feelings or make you uncomfortable, but he couldn’t help himself; there was just something about you that he couldn’t resist egging you on. You were so cute when your face would scrunch up and think you looked all mean and scary, but in reality, he could compare you to the mouse from Tom and Jerry. His need to push your buttons was strong. Your perfect, cute, irresistible buttons. Eddie had an urge and wanted to see how far he could go. From the moment you first got flustered, he enjoyed it; he liked making you flustered.

At the pit, you were all lined up to get your assigned cabins. Every cabin was assigned by gender, so girl councillors were assigned with girl campers, and boy councillors were assigned with boy campers. Thankfully, you were assigned to cabin 8 with Robin, Nancy, and Cassie, a.k.a. Clover, one of the nicest girls you know. “I'm so happy we are all back together again this year!” Nancy jumped up and down. The three of you have been inseparable the past two summers. “You guys are so lucky you're bunked together; we’re with the two newbies, Eddie and Ashton,” Billy said while walking beside Steve. “At least we’re cabin neighbours!” Nancy observes, seeing that they were assigned to cabin 7. “Bambi, this is great; you have your own little spy squad,” Robin winked, and you rolled your eyes. “What are you talking about Bams?” Billy asks. “Bambi knows Eddie from home and—” You clasped your hand over Robin’s mouth, not wanting to make anything weird since Steve shared the information about Billy liking you last summer. “And nothing.” You finished her sentence. The boys looked at you confused, but you were sure Steve would tell Billy later, seeing as they’re best friends. You didn’t want anyone overhearing since Eddie and Ashton were coming your way. “Hey guys, what are we talking about?” Ashton approached the group with Eddie by his side. “Bambi was telling us how she and Eddie are from the same hometown,” Billy piped up. “Yea, Princess of Hawkins High here,” Eddie smirked. “Please don’t,” you begged. You hadn’t shared your home life with your camp friends, and you didn’t want that to follow you here. “What’s he talking about, Bams?” Nancy asked. “What? You haven’t told them about how you’re Hawkins it girl? Popular cheerleader, homecoming queen, or ringing any bells?” Eddie questioned. “So you do know who she is!” Robin gasped. “I’m more than a cheerleader.” Your eyes stinging, holding back tears. Was that how Eddie only saw you? You guess that’s the persona you were trying to give off; you cannot blame him. But that will all change; you will make it your mission to have Eddie Munson know the real you. Your friends look at you with puzzled faces. “I mean, that makes sense. Of course, you’re popular; you’re one of the best people we know.” Nancy piped up. “Thanks, Scout.” You gave a small smile.

—

Setting up Cabin 8 was a piece of cake. You took the bottom bunk, and Cassie took the top. Robin took the other bottom bunk across from you on the other bed, and Nancy took the top bunk. You got along great with your bunkmates; you were really lucky. If anything, you could have been bunked with Sarina and her group, and that would not have gone over well.

As you helped the girls unpack their bags after arriving at your cabin, you looked out of the window and noticed that you had a perfect view of cabin 7.

You took a moment to admire the lush greenery and the serene surroundings, but your attention was quickly diverted when you noticed Eddie walking in and settling down on his bunk. You could see that he had his guitar with him, and he placed it right across from your own bunk.

After helping others with their tasks, you suddenly realize you have left all your belongings in your car. You decide to inform the girls that you needed to run to the car and retrieve your duffle.

As you step outside, you hear the sound of another cabin door being opened, but you ignore it and focus on getting your stuff. You walk briskly towards the parking lot, scanning for your car. Once you locate it, you quickly unlock the door and retrieve your duffle bag. As you are bent over in the back seat of my car, grabbing your things, a voice startles you. “Could get used to the view,” Eddie smirked. “Ahhh!” You jerk up “fuck!” You turn to see Eddie getting his things out of his van parked beside your car. “Excuse me?” “The lake, God, you’re not that full of yourself, are you?” He chuckled. “Oh, right,” you say, rubbing the back of your head, knowing you will soon have a headache. “You know, I wasn’t going to say anything… but you cut me off,” you say, pointing at his van. “Wouldn’t have to if you drove faster.” “I was going 20 over as it was!” “You know, Princess, I see why Coyote likes you,” he smirked. “What? I, huh? Don’t call me that,” He just smiled and walked away carrying his duffle. His arms showed the curve of his bicep, straining to hold up the big bag, the sheen of sweat glistening on his skin, the tattoos being showed off. You bite your lip, watching him walk away. You really needed to get laid this summer.

—

After dinner, you and the girls had drinks to loosen us up before going to the bonfire. It had been a while since the last time you drank; with finals and studying the past month and a half, no one was partying.

The booze made you feel warm next to the fire, and you could see Eddie sitting on the other side of the bonfire. You couldn’t help but stare until he caught you, and you tried quickly to look away. The second time he catches you staring that night, it didn’t bother you as much as it would have if sober. That was until, the third time within half an hour, he got up. Oh god, you made him uncomfortable.

“Like what you see?” Eddie sneaks up behind you, and you jump at the sudden closeness. “I can’t see much; there's too much smoke in my eyes.” You try to play it off. “Oh, too bad, Princess, because my view was quite clear, had a great view.” he winks. “What did I tell you about calling me that?” You groan. “You’re not helping yourself by acting that way, Prince—” he stops mid-sentence, seeing that you’re giving him a side eye, but he continues on, “Princess,” “I’m not acting like a Princess.” You rolled your eyes, only further proving Eddie’s point. “Could have fooled me, ” He shrugs. “Obviously, you’re not very good on judgment of character.” “No? Enlighten me.”

“Is there a problem here?” Billy somehow appeared again out of thin air and wrapped a protective arm around you. Oh god. “No, Coyote, we’re fine.” You debated whether to take his arm off your shoulder, but you wanted to make Eddie jealous. “I’ll see you around, Princess.” Eddie turned and walked back to the newbies he was befriending. After Eddie leaves your sight, you exhale and shake off Billy, noticing that Eddie is no longer paying attention. “Next time he bothers you, you can come and tell me.” Billy was stern, serious; he had a look in his eye like he’d knock the shit out of him. “Seriously, I’m fine… I gotta go, have an early morning choreography to do.”

—

The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the campgrounds. The excitement of the upcoming campers filled the air, and you couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the day ahead. As the camp's dance teacher, this was your favourite part of the summer. You loved watching the kids grow and improve their skills while helping those starting out.

As you made your way to the dance hall, you could feel the excitement building within you. The hall was empty, as expected, but you could already picture the kids dancing and laughing within its walls. You walked over to the stereo, put down your towel and water bottle, and tied your hair into a high ponytail, ready for the day ahead.

The room was stuffy and hot, with no airflow to speak of. You could feel the sweat starting to bead on your forehead, so you opened up all the windows, letting a refreshing breeze fill the air, and walked over to the standing fan, turning it up to the highest setting.

As you prepared to start your day, you reached for the mixtape you had created earlier to warm up. The tape was filled with various tracks that you thought would help get you in the right mood. You walked over to the boombox and inserted the tape, pressing play. The boombox was filled with all of your favourite songs, both new and old, from various genres. Your taste in music was eclectic, and you didn't like to limit yourself to a particular genre. You enjoyed everything from classic rock to pop, sometimes metal. If a song appealed to you, you liked it, regardless of its genre.

As the music filled the room, you felt yourself beginning to relax and get into the right mindset for the day ahead. The sweet lyrics of Whitney Huston filled the empty room, and you began getting into the movements but not really warming up anymore because the heat alone did that for you. The next song came on and you made a mental note not to use this tape when the kids came to class. The song that came on wasn’t the most appropriate.

You swayed your hips slowly, getting into it. You don’t dance like this in front of anyone unless you’re in class with friends or on stage. You typically hid your sensuality for only the dance floor or when you were having sex. You know that back at home, you are labelled as a prude, but if they only knew…

As the song progressed, so did your movments. You continued down to the floor, snaking your body before popping your hips up and down quickly before sliding back up sensually. As the music moved, you felt the need to let your hair down so you would incorporate some hair-ogropy. Deciding to get off the floor, you went to stand up but slid your hands up your inner thighs, grazing over your pussy lips, hardly being covered by your dance shorts, and continued to trail your hands up past your hips to your breasts.

You turned and swayed until you caught Eddie gawking at you in the mirror. He quickly shut his mouth when he realized you'd seen him. Honestly, if it were anyone else, you would have stopped immediately being embarrassed to expose yourself like this, but you were in your element, and this wasn’t just anyone watching. You wanted him to watch, so you continued as the song went on. Thinking of the sexiest moves you could come up with. The music suddenly stopped, and you felt thirsty. You hurried towards the sound system to turn down the volume and grabbed your water bottle. You sprinkled some water on your face and took a sip before realizing that Eddie was present in the room.

“Are you just going to continue undressing me with your eyes, or are you going to say something?” You smirked. Dance really brought out the confidence in you that normally you didn’t have. He was speechless, but you finally had the upper hand. “Uh..I…um… I thought this was the music hall.” Eddie gulped, but his mouth was dry. “No, it’s the next door over.” You smiled up at him taking one step closer so your bodies were almost touching. “You uh… you’re going to teach that to the kids?” He tried to joke, but he still sounded out of breath. “No, that’s usually reserved for a special audience.” You bite your lip. “Oh, who’s that?” His confidence coming back. You. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” You took another step closer, so close you could smell his aftershave mixed with his mint toothpaste.

His lips were plump and bright pink, probably from biting them, and his eyes were locked on your chest. You were sweating, and you could feel a bead trickle down between your breasts. He quickly looked back up to your eyes when you cleared your throat.

“I guess I was wrong about you, Princess.” He licked his bottom lip. “You don’t know the half of it.” You turn and walk back to the stereo to turn on the music again. You looked back as you turned the dial. “I’d love to continue this conversation, but I have some choreography to complete before they arrive tomorrow.” You nodded your head to the door, signalling him to leave. “Oh, uh…ok yea, I’ll just um. Thanks.” He picked up his guitar case and ran out.

-

After all the dances were complete, you headed to the communal showers. The water was always freezing, so you never wanted to stay there for long, but that cold water felt nice on your hot, sticky skin. You started to hum a random song as you ran the soap along your body.

You didn’t even realize that you actually started singing instead of humming. You must have felt comfortable enough because you only sing when you’re alone.

You're done showering by the time you’ve finished the one song; camp showers really were the quickest. You reach for your bath towel and dry off inside the stall before reaching for your clothes, but then remember that you didn’t bring clean ones. All you had was your sweaty shorts and sports bra… You quickly leave the stall, praying not too many people will see you walking back to the cabin in just your towel.

Unbeknownst to you, Eddie was walking by the communal showers when he suddenly halted because he heard one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard singing an Ozzy Osbourne song. He couldn't resist stopping to investigate. He needed to know who was on the other side. Eddie had been hypnotized, so he didn’t notice that he had been creeping closer and closer to the door to try to hear better over the running water. He was mesmerized by that voice.

When the water turned off, the singing stopped, bringing Eddie back to reality. He realized where he was and what he was doing. Tripping over his feet, he quickly stumbled back, leaving enough space between him and the fire to not look like an absolute creep. But he decided to hang around for a minute or two, pretending to fix his guitar just so he could find out who the mysterious voice was.

As you walk out of the showers, you see Eddie looking just as surprised as you were. Just your luck; the one person you did not want to see while you looked like a wet dog was standing there as if he was waiting for you. You wrap the towel around you tighter, seeing as though you are naked, and you try to avoid him, but he starts speaking. “You know, Ozzy?” He asked, dumbfounded. Oh god, did he hear you? “Uh… yea.” “You have a beautiful voice,” he says without thinking. Of course, it was you. Was there anything you couldn’t do? Eddie thought. You’re extremely smart, athletic, kind to everyone, and you fuck with metal? Why had Eddie never noticed you before?

When you locked eyes with him, his stomach felt like a thousand butterflies had awoken simultaneously. Everything suddenly made sense when he looked at you. The feeling was foreign to Eddie; he didn’t like it. Sure, he had liked girls and had a girlfriend or two, but nothing serious; never had he experienced this strong of a crush develop in such a short amount of time. He tried to swallow it; he wanted to eliminate this feeling, especially because it was you; he was unworthy of it. You deserved someone better. Before Eddie could think his legs were bringing him close to you, he wanted to be near you.

“What?! You heard me?” “I didn’t mean to. You were loud, and I couldn’t help but listen… but not in a bad way!” he said, waving his arms in defence. Was he spying on you? “Fuck! I’m sorry you’re naked, oh god, I mean, I wasn’t looking or anything, I swear! I just needed to know who that voice belonged to! Im sorry, I'll let you go get dressed; I’m not a freak who creeps on girls, I swear!” Eddie was rambling; Eddie didn’t ramble, not like this. Eddie was cool and confident, especially with girls. Eddie was in trouble.

“Eddie, I don’t think you’re a freak. Maybe a perv if you keep walking in on me in these situations.” you giggled. “But this is Murdock, not Hawkins, clean slate for the both of us.” You gave a reassuring smile. “For the both of us?” He questioned “I’m not who you think I am back at home,” you smirked as you began to walk away.

“What does that mean?” He yelled before you were out of earshot. You looked over your shoulder and gave a wink, letting the towel slowly slip as you approached the Cabin door, but you didn’t let him see anything before you walked inside. “God, this girl is going to be my death this summer,” Eddie mumbled to himself.

—

You called Ashley as soon as you were dressed. You had to walk to the office swing as there was only one phone for the staff and campers to use.

Ring, Ring, Rong, Ri-

“Hello, Thompson residence,” Ash answered “You son of a bitch!” You laughed. “Well, hello to you too,” you can hear the smirk in her voice. “You just so happened to leave out the fact that Eddie Munson has also applied for a job here?!” “Oh yeah, did I not tell you?” “Is this why you didn’t apply?! because you knew I’d be alone with him?” You questioned. “No! I genuinely forgot! But happy accident, no?” she laughed. You twisted the cord around your finger and crossed your legs thinking about it. “I cannot believe you didn’t tell me this vital piece of information.” “I thought it would be more fun this way, ya know? I get the theatrics to keep me entertained while you’re gone.” She was such a little shit “Oh, I’m so glad that my infinite crush on Eddie entertains you,” you chuckled. “Babe, come on, you’re in such a good spot! You’re the it girl, you’ve always been; you gotta loosen up, show him the real you. You’re made for one another he doesn’t know it yet because you don’t talk to him.” she emphasized. “Don’t worry. I’ve talked to him more these past three days than I have in the past three years.” You smile. “Details now!” she screamed. “I think he flirted with me while I got my stuff from my car? And he keeps calling me Princess? He said I’m the Princess of Hawkins High. You know anything about that?” There was a clear silence. “Ash!” The slice told you everything. “Ashley” “What do you want me to say? I’m surprised you didn’t know. Everyone loves you; it’s not a bad thing…” “Whatever, I haven’t gotten to the best part!” “Finally,” she sighed, and you could picture her rolling her eyes. “So I was making my dance routines before the kids come, and I had my mixtape on, so you know I was doing my thing because I was alone, or thought I was alone…” “Stop! he walked in on you?!” She gasped. Of course, your best friend has seen the types of dance you do; she is one of the most supportive people you’ve ever met. “His jaw was on the floor! and I didn’t stop, I don’t know what came over me. I just kept going; it was like my body was on fire but in a good way, not sure how else to describe it.” “Babe, oh my god, you’re going to have him in the palm of your hand before you know it.” She reassured. “And to top it all off, he bumped into me after I got out of the shower just now and told me I have, and I quote a beautiful voice.” You sighed like a lovesick teenager. “Bitch! I repeat, you’ll have him in the palm of your hand. I know what he’s like; he’s one of my best friends.” she exclaimed. “Hey! I’m your best friend.” “What I mean is one of my best guy friends… I know how he is, what he likes; trust me, he’s going to like you.” Ash really was an amazing friend. “I just don’t know if I’m his type. That nagging feeling is in the back of my head again.” “He told me once that you’re pretty,” she said nonchalantly. “What?! You’ve never told me anything before?!” “eh, guess I forgot?” Ash shrugged her shoulders. “Forgot? Ashley, come on! Im dying here. I like him so much I feel like I’m going to explode, and that is vital information.” Why would she not tell you? Maybe you’re too annoying, always talking about your crush on Eddie? “Forget Princess of Hawkins, let’s crown you as Drama Queen,” she laughed. “Shut up, enough about me. How have you been?”

— As the new day dawned, the campers eagerly anticipated their arrival at the campsite. After settling into their cabins, they were introduced to their surroundings and felt a sense of excitement in the air. Each camper was eager to make new friends and start their adventure at the camp.

The first day was filled with the joys of getting to know one another, playing games, and indulging in meals that were prepared for them. As the dance instructor, you were given the task of planning your activities for the first week. While dance was your specialty, the campers would be exposed to other activities throughout the week to keep them engaged.

Mondays were dedicated to dance, with Tuesdays offering swimming and other water-related activities. Wednesdays were all about music, Thursdays for sports and nature, and Fridays for arts and crafts. Campers could expect to rotate these activities throughout the week to avoid getting bored with any one thing for too long.

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly Tuesdays, the day when campers could take a refreshing dip in the lake. Even though swimming was designated for Tuesdays, there was free time every day for campers to explore their interests and engage in other activities, individually and with their new friends. As the summer sun beat down, the opportunity to cool off in the lake was a welcome respite for all campers. The schedule ensured that everyone could try out different activities and make the most of their time at camp.

Nighttime was an all-around favourite. After everyone was settled in their bunks, tummy full of S’mores and smelling of bonfire smoke, you, Nancy and Robin walked together towards the mess hall to find the guys playing cards. “What are we playing, and what do I get when I win?” You asked as you opened the doors. Steve, Billy, Eddie and Ashton all turned their heads to see the three of you walking through the red saloon doors. “Don’t you have campers to look after?” Steve joked. “Could say the same to you,” Robin retorted back “Touché.” He smirked. “Well, now that you girls are here, we’re playing strip poker,” Billy laughed. “Always the charmer,” You winced. “Hey, I don’t make the rules.” He raised his hands up in defence. “Fine, I know I’ll be able to stay warm while you freeze your balls off because I’m going to win.” You stare him down. Billy seemingly always had a new way of getting on your last nerve this summer. After finding out he wanted to sleep with you, all of your fond memories of him have been tainted.

“Yeah, like some girl will beat us at poker? Right guys?” Billy chuffed. The other guys knew better than to start with you or the girls. They weren’t so blockheaded as Billy was. “Not that we are excited to see your tiny dick, but shut up and deal.” You sit down, and you hear Steve, Eddie and Ashton chuckle. Yes, you are competitive, and after that exchange, you were more than ready to beat his ass.

The game went on; Nancy, unfortunately, not the best poker face, was out first, forfeiting before she was naked. Steve, Ashton, and Billy were in their boxers, and Eddie and you were still somewhat modest. All you had left was your hoodie, bra, and underwear, where Eddie had his jeans, socks, and underwear still on.

When his shirt came off, you almost lost your cool. Never had you seen him shirtless before, and it was just as good as you pictured him. He was toned, more than you had imagined, and he had more tattoos than you knew about previously. You had only seen what was on his arms before, but now you got to see a spider tattoo under his left collarbone and a zombie head under that. He has another small heart right above his right hip bone, directly beside when his happy trial started… Robin has to nudge you to break your stare before he notices.

Billy’s comment still burned in the back of your mind. You had to get it together; you couldn’t falter, and you only had fifteen minutes before you had to get back to the cabins. “So you want to call it a night, or are you ready to show me some more skin?” you asked, biting your lip. There were audible “ooooohs” coming from the other's mouths. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Princess?” The game was getting too close until you picked up on his tell. His tongue would peek out of the side of his mouth when he was bluffing. You caught it just in time; you were about to fold when you noticed. “I raised you 15… and my bra.” You run your hand under your hoodie to unclasp it and place it on the table. Thankfully, you wore the nice red lacy one and not the boring brown one.

Eddie's big brown eyes doubled in size, which you didn’t think possible when he saw what you had been hiding under the oversized sweatshirt that hit your entire figure.

“Come on, we could have seen her like that all night if one of you were better at poker.” Billy some showing his true colours of being a total douche. You try to ignore his comment. “Nancy, do me a favour and kill Coyote for me, will ya?” You asked while staring into Eddie’s eyes. You knew you had him. “I gotta hand it to your Princess. You sure know how to keep a guy on his toes.” He folds, not showing you his hand. You breathe a sigh of relief that you didn’t know you were holding. “That, boys, is how it’s done.” You clap, and the girls cheer

The rest clear out, talking about the day tomorrow and their plans. You go to reach for your winnings bra, but Eddie's fingers clap around your wrist, not hard but firm enough for you to stop. He grabs the bra by the strap and twirls it around his finger before you comprehend what is going on. “I think I’ll keep this.” He admires it. “Uh, no, I won, I get it back. You scoff. “But did you win, Princess?” He pouts down at you. “You folded.” You say, standing up to reach for your bra. “Uh-huh, not so fast.” He lifts it higher over his head so it’s out of reach. “Come on, Eds, give it back.” You jump up to grab it, but obviously miss. Eddie liked it when you got visibly flustered, especially when you called him ‘Eds’ for the first time. “I couldn’t let those guys see you topless; what kind of gentleman would I be? Especially after you took your bra off? You heard what Billy said; he’s disgusting; how do you even like him?” Eddie shows you his cards, full house; he wasn’t bluffing. “You let me win? But I caught your tell?” you said with disbelief. “And no, I do not like Billy. He likes me, that’s it. I thought he was my friend last summer, but it turns out he was only doing it to get in my pants.” Eddie was glad and relieved to hear you don’t like Billy but also annoyed and angered that he would treat you like that. “Good to know.” He smirks. “So, my bra?” You try to give him your best puppy dog eyes, but he beats you in that department. “My winning token. I think I’ll hang this trophy over my bed and have the campers see what a real woman’s bra looks like.” He winked and turned around. Eddie couldn’t wait to rub in Billy’s face that he kept it. “Hey! I better get that back by the end of the week! You don’t know how much that cost!”

Sure, you were annoyed, but you were also a little exhilarating that Eddie wanted to keep it.

—

The next morning, you thought if you could bribe Eddie, he would give back what belonged to you. You got up early to get some coffee and bring it to his cabin to negotiate.

As you returned from the mess hall, you could see three little heads peeping into the window where Eddie’s bed was. “Hey! What are you creeps looking at?” You can’t help but giggle as you watch three petrified faces turn around. “N-n-nothing, BYE!” The tallest one stuttered, and the three of them ran. By that reaction, you had a feeling it was your bra they were gawking at. You knocked on the door three times and slowly opened it up. “Hey, it’s just me. Is it safe to come in?” you asked, not looking into the cabin in case they had been changing. “All clear, Princess, just me in here,” Eddie replied. You opened the door further and almost dropped the coffee you were holding.

Eddie stood there in all his glory, in a beach towel wrapped low on his hips. He must have just showered. His hair was wet and pushed back off his face. Water droplets still ran down to his happy trail. He had more tattoos on his legs and abdomen, but you didn’t catch what they were as he pulled his forest green Camp Murdock shirt over his head.

“Take a picture; it will last longer, Princess.” He laughed, and you snapped out of it. “I uh, um, sorry, here.” You stuck out your arm out to hand him his coffee. “You trying to poison me, Princess? That’s not very regal of you.” He smirked and took the cup. “It’s a piece offering… for my bra,” you stated. “Oh, I don’t think so; you can’t just bribe me with this sad excuse they call coffee. I have my standards.” He stepped closer to the bra hanging exactly where he said it would be. “I think I won this fair and square. I’ll need something much bigger than coffee, Princess.” he tilted his head, raising his eyebrows at you. “Fine, what do you want? A pack of Camels? Weed? Beer?” “You know I already have all those things, but I’ll think about it. Maybe I’ll ask for a favour? I’ll cash it in soon, but until then, it stays with me.” He took a step closer. “You know, a real gentleman would have walked me back to my cabin last night; I was defenceless, not even my bra to support me if I was being chased.” You mimicked him, taking another step closer.

Eddie had no clue what to think. Were you filtering back? No way. Girls like you didn’t go for guys like him?

Eddie had been around the block a few times regarding dating. He was no novice in the game of love, but he had a particular type that he usually went for. The girls he pursued were nothing like you. Unlike you, they were bold and unafraid of getting down and dirty. They were rocker chicks who were not intimidated by Eddie's tough exterior. However, as much as he enjoyed the company of these girls, he knew deep down that they could never be the ones he truly desired.

“You, Sir Lancelot, are no gentleman.”You laughed, unable to keep up the act.

"Lancelot, huh? Is that name anointed camp name?" He smirks, and you nod.

“My sincerest apologies, Princess.” Eddie bowed to you and you laughed again. Eddie swore he could listen to that laugh on repeat. “I’ll consider your apology if you give me my bra back. It’s my best one.” You bat your lashes and give the biggest puppy dog eyes. Eddie didn’t know how, but you broke him with that look. Your eye colour memorized him; it was quickly turning into his favourite colour. “I-I-I” what was happening to him? Why was he blubbering like a preteen asking out his crush for the first time? Pull yourself together, Munson. “Fine, I will because you are the Princess, and I am your knight in shining armour.” Nice. “Knight in shining armour, you say? I think you’ll have to prove yourself more before I believe you.” You brave another step closer, and the tips of your toes touch. “How can I do that, M’Lady?” “I have an idea.” You slowly raise your toes until your head is up and close your eyes. “Princess? What are y—“ “Oh hey guys, oh sorry, was I interrupting something?” Stevewalked in. You let out an annoyed huff. You were so close that you were sure he was about to lean in. “It’s fine. I was just leaving.” You gave Steve a death stare that Eddie had never seen grace your face before. “What did I do?” Steve looks at Eddie. “Beats me.” Eddie shrugged before he took the first sip of the coffee you got him. To his surprise, it was exactly Eddie’s coffee order.

Next chapter

Tags: @littlexdeaths @siriuslysmoking @peachysink @nailbatanddungeon @leelei1980 @daisy-munson @taintedcigs @take-everything-you-can @strangerstilinski @bl0ssomanddie @seb-buckybarnes @chickenandsheep-blog @lokis-army-77 @ali-r3n @erinekc @impmunson @snowflowersstars246 @micheledawn1975 @princesatracionera @bells-28

[asirensrage]

Profane - Mitsuya Takashi x Reader Oneshot

Title: Profane Rating: Mature Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Pairing: Mitsuya Takashi x Reader Warnings: Non-descriptive smut? Nothing explicit. I don't think there are any major warnings in this one... Word count: ~700 Summary: You meet Mitsuya by accident.

Notes: I really love this fic. Like, I've reread it a thousand times and shared it with a bunch of people already lol. Inspired by the poem PROFANE by Ashe Vernon and I listened to Heat Waves by Glass Animals on repeat as I wrote it. I promise you don't need to know the fandom or character to understand this. I just really love it and I hope you do too.

You meet Mitsuya by accident. 

A chance encounter at a party that you’re only attending because the invite came from a friend of a friend and you felt like you hadn’t seen any of your friends in ages. They were all supposed to be there. Instead, you find yourself getting pushed by accident as you pass the dance floor and it’s enough to make you stumble. You don’t fall though. He catches you by your elbows, keeping you steady and helping you back on your feet. His gaze is soft, kind in comparison to the sharp glare that you send back to whoever knocked you over. 

You thank him for the assistance, and he promises that it was no trouble. You’re easier to catch than his sisters. That sparks a conversation since he’s removing his hands but not stepping back and you’re curious to see if he’s as soft as he looks. There’s something about him that draws you in, even as you’re tempted to step back, teeth snagging on his throat if he gets too close. He doesn’t though, letting you set the tone. 

By the time the party finishes, you’ve exchanged numbers and you leave wondering if maybe you shouldn’t have. You don’t expect him to text or call. 

He does. He tells you to call him Takashi. 

---

You’re abrasive and snap at times when you feel cornered, but he rarely seems to let it dissuade him. He waits, as patient as someone trying to woo a feral cat into their embrace, and you find yourself stepping closer with every interaction. He doesn’t press, doesn’t demand, and you think that you could ruin him. That you’ll break the best parts and lay waste to the remains. He whispers praises into your skin and you can’t help but laugh, teasing him with the attempts before you retreat. You don’t want to set a match to see him burn to embers and try to leave him. 

There is steel behind the softness. 

He has taken care to ease you into him and when you try to run, he pulls you back. He smiles as you snarl, unfettered in the way he presses his mouth against yours. You thought you would break him, but the man holding you is stronger than you realize. He isn’t one to let you run, to let you ruin what he has carefully crafted between you two. 

He shows you what it means to worship. The way he carefully undresses you, as though you are something to cherish in your unwrapping. You think that the longer you stay, the more layers you peel back and start to understand. There is a difference between softness and fragility and he proves to you that he can bear the weight you carry. 

He sets himself between your thighs, leaving marks as he carefully lays a trail with his mouth. His fingers carve a path that only he knows, memorizing the dips and curves of your skin, the places that make your breath hitch and what draws you out. He wants to burn the sounds he pulls from you into his memory. You feared you would leave him in ashes but you have him on his knees as he teaches you what it means to trust and fall in return. 

His moans draw out your own, eager to follow where he gladly leads. He fits with ease, the two of you connected in more ways than just one. You’ve never done anything to earn yourself the look you see in his eyes, but he whispers his praises and you’re inclined to believe. There’s no laughing in return when he feels like he belongs. You dig your teeth into him but he holds your throat with promise, keeping you steady as you both break. He is determined that you only call his name as he murmurs yours like a prayer. You’ve never felt more free than in this moment, here with him and the promises he makes as he kisses you.  

He holds you as softly as you can breathe. You think he might have taken your heart along with your speech, but when you tell him he simply smiles. You’ve had his first, he tells you. It’s only fair. 

---

gen taglist: @raith-way @chickensarentcheap @residentdormouse @themaradwrites @kingsmakers @far-shores

[linkles-art-blog]

Darling, I forgive you, after all Anything is better than to be alone And in the end I guess I had to fall; Always find my place among the ashes…

So, a short time back, I released a poll asking people if they wanted new angst art for Cherish, and the replies given were overwhelmingly positive, so here it is: the first work in a two-part set of angst art pieces.

There is a lot I would like to say in regards to this particular piece and the symbolism behind it, but I think that I will save that for under the cut, due to post length, zoomed in images, and talk of some much heavier subjects.

The idea behind creating these two art pieces was initially to participate in Domestic Violence Awareness Month (which is of course in October, which is also coincidentally Arthur’s birth month), if that gives you any idea of some of the subjects that will be below the cut (along with the usual stuff that I include in all of my art posts).

…And most importantly, if you can, please consider donating to some of the lovely organizations that help victims of various forms of abuse. I don’t want to recommend any particular ones in this post, as I don’t want to accidentally link to a place that may not be as on the level as some others out there, but if you have the time, please explore the Domestic Violence Awareness Month topic online, as I’m sure there are many lovely folks who can direct you to some great ones.

Also, if you think you or someone you know is being abused, or you just want to educate yourself on domestic violence and abuse, please visit thehotline.org and loveisrespect.org, which are two very very lovely sites dedicated to helping people in abusive situations that I myself have visited in the past.

I love you all so much.

Do not repost this artwork anywhere without my explicit permission or claim it as your own. See F.A.Q.s for details.

So, let me start off by saying that Arthur in this artwork was originally supposed to have a similar injury on his head to that which is described in Chapter 13 of my fic, but that was ultimately scrapped as I decided I did not want to be quite that heavy-handed and obvious with the imagery.

With that out of the way, let’s examine the finished piece a bit closer!

First, let’s talk about the (slightly crooked) painting in the background: this piece is actually not created by me at all, but rather, it is a painting from 1870 called Little Red Riding Hood at Her Grandmother’s Door, by Frederick Warne — with the subject, as the title implies, being Little Red Riding Hood arriving at her Grandmother’s cottage.

This sets a subtle nod for the main theme of this piece — with Arthur dressed in an outfit inspired by and matching the same coloring scheme of Little Red Riding Hood’s iconic garb. Paul, on the other hand, sports the gray, white, and black colors of the Wolf, with his shadow coming out behind him as an unsettling and somewhat uncanny wolf shape, grinning with its teeth bared.

The purpose of this symbolism is threefold: Firstly and most superficially, the music video for the song that the second piece was most inspired by also has a slight Little Red Riding Hood theme to it, so this can be seen as a subtle nod to it, but more importantly, it not only sets the precedent of Paul as the predator and Arthur as his prey, but also is meant to hold the same implications of sexual trauma — as well as the old physical violence and “wolf in sheep’s clothing” adage — that the fairytale is commonly viewed through the lens of and thought to represent in modern times.

Continuing forward from that idea, we can see Paul’s right hand reaching uncomfortably close toward Arthur’s inner thigh, whilst Arthur’s hands are in chains — lending not only to the sense that the teen is trapped in this relationship, but that his significantly older lover very simply does not care if he wants to be in it or not, and will do whatever necessary to keep him where he wants him — even if it means mental or some variety of physical harm.

Furthermore, if we examine Rimbaud’s hands, we can see that he is making a careful attempt at signaling his distress to the viewer of the photo — using both of his hands to try to show off the chains and also subtly form and display the two phases of the sign for help — at the same time trying to keep his pose seeming as natural as possible in front of his abuser by not facing them towards the camera, but rather letting them rest downward in his lap.

And to further drive home the point that Verlaine is keeping him trapped in their partnership, we can see the key to Arthur’s cuffs dangling from the chain of the stopwatch in the elder poet’s pocket that is fastened to his lapel.

If we then look to Arthur’s and Paul’s faces, we can further determine the mood of the two men by examining their eyes and expressions.

Whereas Paul is staring intently into his young affair partner’s eyes and grinning widely — with the slightest shimmer visible in his irises — unbothered and uncaring of the wedding ring he still has boldly worn upon his hand, Rimbaud will not look him in the eyes, instead glancing off to the side (almost in the direction of his lover’s ring) with lightless eyes (this is the first time I have drawn Arthur without any form of eye shine to emphasize this point), furrowed eyebrows, and only a half-smile on his face, as barely visible tears well up in the corners of his eyes.

…And yeah, that’s been my little deep-dive on the symbolism of this art piece! I really wanted to create something that at just a quick glance would mostly appear happy and cute, but which — like the painting which is only very slightly tilted) would get increasingly more unsettling the longer and closer you looked at it, and I really hope that I successfully captured that feeling in this work and that you enjoyed reading along with my notes on it!

See you in the next piece!

—

Songs I listened to while drawing this:

My Cherish Playlist (the public and currently only partial version of which you can listen to here.)

Lithium — Evanescence (also linked above in lyric excerpt)

Call Me When You’re Sober — Evanescence

Love the Way You Lie — Eminem ft. Rihanna

Love the Way You Lie (Part 2) — Anson Seabra

His Hands — Jennifer Nettles

Concrete Angel — Martina McBride

Alyssa Lies — Jason Michael Carroll

Do Me a Favor — Anson Seabra

Walked Through Hell — Anson Seabra

Haunted — Evanescence

Surrender — Evanescence

Narcissist — Lauren Spencer Smith

My Heart Can’t Tell You No — Sara Evans

My Heart Can’t Tell You No — Rod Stewart

It’s A Heartache — Rod Stewart

I Don’t Want to Talk About It (1989 Version) — Rod Stewart

The Last Song I’m Wasting On You — Evanescence

I Fell in Love With the Devil — Avril Lavigne

My Happy Ending — Avril Lavigne

Because of You — Kelly Clarkson

Please Don’t Leave Me — P!nk

Try — P!nk

Everybody’s Fool — Evanescence

Tainted Love — Chase Holfelder & Tom Evans

Animal — Chase Hofelder

Vampire — Olivia Rodrigo

Memories — Conan Gray

Summer Child — Conan Gray

How Could You — Jessie Murph

(And mostly unrelated to the vibe but I listened to these too)

The First Cut is the Deepest — Rod Stewart

Half a Man — Dean Lewis

Complicated — Avril Lavigne

Before He Cheats — Carrie Underwood

Raise Your Glass — P!nk

Don’t Speak — No Doubt

Whisper — Evanescence

Taking Over Me — Evanescence

Footnote — Conan Gray

Family Line — Conan Gray

[sapphireginger]

Title: Peter & the Sunflower: Chapter #3 | 1900 - Autumn, Neverland

Pairing: Steter [Stiles + Peter]

Rating: Mature

Warning/Tags:

None

Summary:

“Pan! Come here. I want you to meet some people.” Pan tilted his head and joined Peter, turning to follow the boy’s gaze. He gaped at the three beings below them, sitting like royalty on the smooth obsidian rocks. “Sirens?” he whispered, shocked.  “In a sense, yes. They prefer the term mermaids. However, they are just as deadly and much prettier.”

@steter-stackson-bingo​

Card Number: 107

Square: Sirens Are Mermans

1900 — Autumn, Neverland 

Pan fell in love with his new home. Neverland was beautiful and he relished in all the serenity. There were so many colors, such a glorious thing to see after hatching to find a barren ash colored wasteland instead of the meadow of helianthus it should’ve been. 

He came to Neverland with nothing but after a week had more than he could ever possibly use. Peter offered to teach him how to make clothes if he wanted to. Pan was delighted to learn and now had one set of clothes for each day of the week. He still went barefoot but would now wear a small tunic made from one of Peter’s favorite tunics, a little belt to tie it made from leather and a tiny pair of pants made from the same material as Peter’s tights. His favorites to wear were the red tunic, black belt and black pants since they matched his wings. He also learned to make a small quilt for his feather bed. It was fun to learn, and he grew closer with Peter during that time.  

A few months later, Peter led him to the Numquam Grotto, also known as the Never Grotto. It stole Pan’s breath, his amber eyes wide with awe and wonder. The moon was high and full in the sky as they whizzed through the cavernous space. With giggles like bells, Pan trailed his fingers and toes through the water, using some of his magic to flick water at Peter. 

The Never Boy laughed and shot ahead before doubling back and letting out a crow. Pan blushed as his stomach flipped a little at the sound. The Never Boy sounded so joyous. The Sióg was starting to realize that he had formed an attachment to Peter. He wasn’t sure what to make of it but at the boy’s beckoning and giant grin, he pushed the thought off for now. 

“Pan! Come here. I want you to meet some people.”

Pan tilted his head and joined Peter, turning to follow the boy’s gaze. He gaped at the three beings below them, sitting like royalty on the smooth obsidian rocks. “Sirens?” he whispered, shocked. 

“In a sense, yes. They prefer the term mermaids. However, they are just as deadly and much prettier.”

“Oh. Well, I suppose they are pretty. The way they look I’m sure aided them in drawing people in. Then, the deadly part comes into play?” Pan flushed nervously as Peter’s eyes found his own. “They’re your friends?”

“Yep!” Peter said, popping the p. “But, they’re harmless to me and you, okay?” 

Pan sent him a nervous smile. “Promise?”

Peter grinned and held out his pinky. “I promise.”

With a scrunched up nose, Pan wrapped his small pale hand around Peter’s pinkie and shook it. “Good.” They stared at each other for a bit, until a splash of water echoed around the cavern, drawing their attention. 

“A dolphin!” Pan exclaimed in a breathless whisper of excitement, his wings shivering and fluttering. “It’s gorgeous.” His eyes were glued to the way the creature swam, like the goddess had taught her to dance along with the ocean’s rhythm. Pan was unaware of the admiring gaze of the Never Boy who never got tired of seeing the wonder on his friend’s face. 

After the dolphin had disappeared again, Peter gently nudged the Sióg. “Wanna know their names?”

“Uh yes! Absolutely. Um. I mean assuming they don’t mind?”

“Not at all. So first the one there with blue shells and blue scales with hair like golden sun rays is named Nymeria but I call her Nym or Ria. Second is the raven haired woman there with emerald shells and emerald scales. Her name is Rhymise but I call her Rhys or Ry. Then, last but not least, the one there with lavender shells, lavender scales and hair like a dragon’s fire is Philomena but I call her Mena.”

“Woah,” Pan said softly. “I thought merfolk were super secret or at least isolated. How come they’re not?”

Peter glanced at Pan and then shrugged one shoulder, seemingly nonchalant but his cheeks pinked as he said, “There was a terrible hurricane one year, stretched from the water’s surface to the bottom of the ocean. They were the only ones to survive. I offered them a haven. Here they aren’t disturbed by anyone. Here they don’t have to be afraid.”

Pan’s heart began to race as he admired the blush on Peter’s cheeks, his wings shivering with pride. He had to push away the stray thought that had been plaguing his mind lately. He couldn’t push it away completely though and so, in his mind, only to himself he would agree that Peter would be the perfect maité for him, or for any Sióg really but such things were the things of dreams, not reality. 

“Oh, fair maidens of Poseidon, I have returned. Where’s my hello, Nym, Rhys, and Mena?”

The three mermaids whipped their heads in Peter’s direction and trilled happily as they leapt into the water and swam toward them. “Hello, Peter!” they sang out, their teeth sharp, and deadly and yet hauntingly beautiful. “We missed you!”

Pan’s stomach clenched at the sight of utter adoration in their eyes but when he looked at Peter, sure he’d find the same adoration in his, he was shocked to find the Never Boy completely oblivious. In a way, Pan was glad, because if Peter recognized the look in their eyes, surely he’d recognize the same look in Pan’s eyes. 

Unaware of his new friend’s internal struggles, Peter regaled the maids with tales of his adventures, and Pan found himself just as enraptured by them as the maids were. 

When it came time to leave, Pan was speechless as the maids each offered him a small shell. It was their approval of him, and he tried not to get emotional when he promised he’d return to play soon. 

Peter kept close to him that night, sensing his friend’s emotions and Pan was grateful for the closeness, but even more grateful that the Never Boy didn’t ask what was wrong. 

As Peter slipped into dreamland, Pan, curled up in his meadowlark feather bed, remained awake. It was nearly impossible to fall asleep, for the emotional toll he experienced with the maids made his heart hurt too much to so easily greet the sandman. 

When he had cradled those small shells and had met the gazes of the maids, Pan couldn’t help that he desperately missed his parents. So, confident that the Never Boy was finally asleep, Pan began to cry, the sound of snare drums echoing in the small house as he finally began to grieve. He wept for his parents, wept the hatchlings that never got to live, wept the helianthus blossoms that never bloomed, the flora, the fauna and the goddess herself, for all who were marked by the fire in the valley. Only then, after hours had passed and the sun began to rise, did Pan finally succumb to sleep. 

[ladyhindsight]

After the last evening’s pasta fiasco, i.e. Luke being unable to handle water boiling over to conveniently interrupt Clary and Jocelyn’s conversation, Clary is now asleep and dreaming her prophetic dreams.

I wonder if this imagery later influenced the conception of Ash.

Independent body parts → Clary opened her eyes.

So, Clary wakes up and feels someone next to her. At this point, whenever there is anything Clary and Simon say or think about each other, it’s almost always some throwback to when they were kids and what cookie cutter stuff they used to do. Almost like their relationship now is as hollow because nothing can be said about it rather than always going back to them being kids.

AnYwAy.

It’s Jace. Hooray. The tone of the following scene is... strange. Clary already knows something is wrong for Jace to be so buddy-buddy with Sebastian, sees here that this is not how Jace normally would look at her, and yet the approach is going for sexy. What. Even.

I am uncomfortable. I don’t think I can appropriately put into words how unsettling this scene is. Clary’s attraction to Jace is so all-consuming, hot-and-heavy type of deal that any sense of danger or concern is all wiped away. Because the focus here is how, good heavens, their bodies are pressed against one another, I’d assume this is supposed to be regarded as attractive scene. Not the abhorrence it actually is.

Me. Me, me, me. Clary later does bring up Jace’s family, but the fact that she is written talking about herself first and foremost shows what Clare actually wanted to focus on: Clary’s pain in the center. If Clary would’ve been written as more considerate, the narrative less focused on romantic partners being the essential point of focus as to whatever tragedy is at hand, it might have gone something like this:

You let all of us think you were gone,” she said. “Before that. Everyone thought you—we really thought there was a chance you were—” She broke off; she couldn't say it. Dead. “It’s unforgivable. If any of us had done that to you—”

Just food for thought. Clary and Jace’s reunion then gets interrupted.

Napoleon invaded Russia in late June 1812.

Clary seeing clearer here is an excuse to once again describe Sebastian’s appearance, no matter that she already did it in the Institute library in chapter 3. Which was detailed enough as well:

So this was what her brother looked like. Really looked like, alive and moving and animated. A pale face, all angles and planes, tall and slim in black gear. His hair was silvery white, not dark as it had been when she had first seen him, dyed to match the color of the real Sebastian Verlac’s. His own pale color suited him better. His eyes were black and snapping with life and energy. The last time she’d seen him, floating in a glass coffin like Snow White, one of his hands had been a bandaged stump. Now that hand was whole again, with a silver bracelet glittering on the wrist, but nothing visible showed that it had ever been damaged—and more than damaged, had been missing.

In City of Glass, Clary describes Sebastian when first coming face to face with him:

She’d put everything she had into dreaming up her dark, romantic, shadowy prince, and here he was, standing in front of her—the same pale skin, the same tumbling hair, and eyes so dark, the pupils seemed to meld with the iris. The same high cheekbones and deep-set, shadowed eyes fringed with long lashes.

What essentially changed was his hair color. That’s it. “The differences” Clary here sees is nothing new to her, with the exception of the scar on Sebastian’s wrist Clary did not see before. She has noted everything in his appearance, so trying to justify this passage as a comparison to Clary’s memories from Idris is dumb. ↓

It was Sebastian.

His hair was paper white, his eyes black tunnels fringed by lashes as long as spider’s legs. He wore a white shirt, the sleeves pulled up, and a red scar ringing his wrist like a ridged bracelet.

Like, just get to the point without all the meandering justifications.

Also on the chapter 3, in the library scene, Clary notes that: “Now that hand was whole again, with a silver bracelet glittering on the wrist, but nothing visible showed that it had ever been damaged.” Later, like somewhere in the middle of the book, Clary notes that the bracelet hides the scar on Sebastian’s right wrist. So where is it nooooow???

Hypocritical. Clary and Jace thought they knew they were siblings also, and that didn’t stop them from pining after each other and smushing faces, at least twice, despite the fact that their knowledge turned out to be false.

So kind of you to mention them. Yet the primary focus is Clary’s feelings about Jace’s disappearance.

Implicating that Clary wanted to uncover herself in front of Jace before this point. Also “lovely predatory smile” is... something. Jace regards and regarded Clary like a prey, and her first instinct is to feel all hot about Jace’s appearance and body touching her. It truly is something.

So Sebastian stalks off. Jocelyn sees him in their kitchen and screams. She is in her yoga pants and t-shirt and her hair is in a messy bun because she’s hot like that even after waking up in the middle of the night. Clary runs to Jocely, Jace follows right behind her. A confrontation ensues, and Luke also makes his appearance.

→ Please do.

→ Is that not what Sebastian literally is? Valentine’s son. How is Luke supposed to think of him instead? 

It is true, Luke has defended Jace the most to everyone aside from Clary. But his characterization on the page has never been gentle and kind. Clary reiterates the point how Luke is gentle and kind, but whenever Luke is on the page saying stuff and doing things, he is more like incredibly serious, constantly berating the Lightwoods/the Clave, criticizing people, and acting holier-than-thou given the opportunity. No matter how many time Clary describes Luke as kind and gentle, and although how Luke has treated Jace can be considered kind, I would never in a million years call him gentle. Because he isn’t.

In this scene it is revealed that whatever happens to Sebastian, physical harm or injury, will also happen to Jace. Clary witnesses this as Jace’s chest also gets sliced open when Jocelyn attacks Sebastian. Luke ends up punching Jace.

Clary has already noted:

Beside Clary, Jace sucked in his breath. She whirled to look at him. There was a spreading red stain across the front of his shirt. He touched his hand to it; his fingertips came away bloody. We are bound. Cut him and I bleed. 

It barely needs an explanation why Sebastian’s lip might be bleeding. So: 

→ He was bleeding from a split lip. Jace swung into her field of vision, and there was blood on his mouth where Luke had hit him.

Sebastian stabs Luke. Sebastian and Jace make run for it. Jocelyn calls for aid while trying to help Luke.

Similarly to Jace prioritizing his own guilt and punishment over helping Clary in City of Fallen Angels, Clary prioritized her own guilt and punishment over helping Luke (who is actually dying) in order to score sympathy points for her. Woe is her. What about what Luke deserves? Does Luke not deserve her help, her comfort? Clary thinks about herself and not Luke and what Luke would want.

I once wrote a long-ass post about Clary and her guilt, and though it was about an entirely different matter, Clary’s guilt here is similarly incredibly disingenuous and self-centered.

[jeonginssa]

rain, there's always rain

a/n: i've never added anything non kpop-related to this blog before but i think i;m gonna to just start putting all of my writing on here (unless you all hate it hahaha), please let me know what you think

warnings: this is super depressing and so far everyone i've let read it cried so there's that, if you struggle with su*cidal thoughts maybe dont read this tbh

taglist: @junhour (i wasn't sure if you'd wanna be tagged in this because it's not kpop so just let me know haha)

Acid. That’s how rain felt to happy people, the grey sky come to ruin their otherwise outstanding day. To the lonely, it was home. The sky saying, “I know, I’m crying too.” I didn’t remember the last time the rain burned my skin. All I knew of rain was the way the sound against the windows brought a gentle silence to the steady stream of thoughts within my mind. The way my drenched hair and dripping skin felt like rebirth. Rain doesn’t make your pain go away but it does make you feel like someone else is feeling it with you. Sometimes I can’t help but wonder how many other lonely people are lingering too long before walking back into the house or intentionally leaving without an umbrella for an excuse to feel something that even resembles true understanding. It couldn’t just be me, right? Surely, on a planet of over 7 billion people it’s not just me. Right? I guess I’ll never know. 

I envy them. Of course I envy them. Happy people that is. Yet at the same time I don’t. Will they ever swim the depths the way I have? Will they ever know what it is to burn yourself to ash and recreate yourself from the embers? They say life is about being happy but maybe it’s not. I think life is pain and I’m learning to be okay with that. Perhaps the agonising weight of my own decisions was always supposed to be too much to bear. Perhaps I’m mourning the loss of a life that was never meant to be in the first place. People say that everything happens for a reason and I don’t disagree but they left out the part where sometimes the reason is because you’re supposed to feel like a twig in a room full of matches. That doesn’t mean you’re going to go anywhere. It just means you’re a twig in a room full of matches. Should you wait for someone else to set you on fire or do it yourself? Does it really matter anyway? Perhaps not. 

I knew I should do something. Something that wasn’t sitting on the pavement letting the sky pour all of its woes onto me but how could I? There’s a feeling of loss I always got when the rain stopped. As if it left me intentionally to once again deal with my struggles on my own. I didn’t want to leave the rain the same way it left me. What if the rain pours because it needs a friend too? The rain may be fickle but I am not. I cling to the remnants of stability like a life raft with a hole in the middle. 

You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this but to tell you the truth I don’t know either. I guess I’m just full of thoughts and you seemed like you might listen. I guess you’re running from yourself too. Why else would you want to read my ramblings if not to fill a crippling hole within yourself. I’d like to tell you that it will be okay and that things will turn out great but we both know I don’t really believe that. It could happen sure but I don’t want to tell you it will. Tomorrow might be the worst day of your life so far. How could I bear that guilt? I couldn’t. I don’t say this to make you feel bad. I say this because if nothing else I want you to know that even when you feel like the only star in an empty sky. It’s only because its too bright to see outside of yourself. You’re not alone. You’re not the only person to feel like their lungs are somehow both fire and flood. You’re not the only person to look at the sea and wonder how it would feel if you just kept walking ahead. But you are the only version of you. I can’t tell you what for exactly but I think the world needs all of us. So I hope that you’ll stay. Even if it’s only for as long as I tell my story. I’ll just have to keep telling it.

Do you think there’s a reason for it all? The songs that find us in our darkest times. The random words of wisdom from the cashier on an average Wednesday. The look of shared pain in the eyes of another. If I’m honest I don’t know what answer scares me less. You see the thing is, there’s a certain level of freedom that comes from believing it all means nothing. Why worry when nothing matters anyway? If nothing means anything then there’s no karma, good or bad. When bad things happen they just happen, you can’t blame yourself for random acts. If everything really is as connected as I fear it to be then one way or another, however you choose to look at it, I put myself here. You could say that if I put myself here then I could also get myself out of it. Despite my autonomy I really just feel like a puppet who can’t see their own strings. I don’t know what any of this means but what I do know is that I found you just at the right time. It was almost too late, for both of us. When the world is on fire I hope we can turn to each other.

People frown and look straight ahead as they walk past me. I’m not sure if they think I’m homeless or they haven’t noticed me as they try to see through the rain. I am certain that I don’t particularly care. They scurry ahead, heads down, umbrellas and hoods raised and I don’t know who I should feel more sorry for; me or them. Maybe I just pity us all. Sometimes I’m not sure if I care too much or too little. I have a head full of questions in a world that lacks answers. The more I know the less I realise I know. I live a life of unending uncertainty. Sometimes I come across people and it seems like they have the answers. For a moment they do, but then reality strikes and I see that they’re just as lost as I am. 

Why is it that some people look like hope? Is there a way to turn it off? You see I only find myself drawn to those in the distance. Perhaps that’s my way of seeking safety. They cannot hurt me if they cannot reach me. Yet as they live their lives unaware of the way I orbit around them like a lonely dwarf planet begging for a home, I can only feel the strength of their gravity grow. I wonder what would happen if our forces were to collide. Would we become one as I suspect or would I merely be smashed to smithereens, returned to the dust that I feel I am. We are told all people are equal but I’m not sure that to my core I believe that to be true. There are people I pale in insignificance beside and others who are dwarfed by the light I emit. Every time I think I’ve found my equal I realise it was nothing but an illusion. I wonder if I’m destined to a life of loneliness. I think that might be the case. 

At least we have the rain.

[heliads]

Ok ok so I LOVE Thomas from tmr and I was wondering if I could please ask for a Thomas x reader set in the death cure? Where Thomas is like super protective of her since they’re dating and Theresa still has feelings for him, and when she finds out that Thomas moved on (never liked her back romantically) she hurts the reader in some way? Maybe like when Theresa is kidnapped and taking out everyone’s tag’s from wicked, she cuts (Y/N) and Thomas freaks out at her? Idk feel free to change it up however you want, I love your writing and I know you’ll do my brain justice ❤️

you're so right to love thomas

masterlist

“We don’t have to do this, you know. Say the word and it’s off, I swear.”

Thomas is standing in front of you, eyes full of concern. Every now and then, he glances away from you and back towards the small group of Gladers in the other room. He doesn’t have to worry, though- they can’t hear you. But that’s Thomas for you, you suppose, always worried about something.

After a moment, you shake your head. “I’m not backing out of this, no matter what happens. If we can get Newt a cure, save Minho, and get ourselves out of WICKED’S reach in one go, that’s worth everything to me.”

Thomas sighs, looking relieved. “Any time, though. Saving Newt and Minho doesn’t have to mean risking you.”

You laugh quietly. “It’s not going to risk me. I have you watching my back, and I don’t need anything else.”

Besides, it’s not like this particular risk is going to do anything major. Thomas is referring to the task ahead of you, which involves kidnapping Teresa as she walks home from the WICKED facility so she can remove the tracking chips from the necks of the remaining Gladers. The only problem is that Teresa’s had it out for you for a while, and it all has to do with Thomas.

You knew that Teresa had a thing for Thomas ever since she first showed up in the Box, practically unconscious and a threatening message clenched tightly between her fingers. You could see it in her eyes, the way she looked at him when he wasn’t looking and even when he was. You didn’t know to distrust her until she switched to WICKED for good, but there was always this undercurrent of suspicion, that she knew something about Thomas that you didn’t and therefore expected him to belong to her.

You parted ways with Teresa when she betrayed you all in the Scorch, when Minho was kidnapped. In the time since then, you’ve grown a lot closer to all of the other Gladers, but Thomas especially. In the wake of losing yet another round of allies, you realized that you thought of Thomas as more than just another friend.

A few days later, you and Thomas were talking in the dead of night and he confessed his feelings. It turns out that risking your life does a lot to speed up the talking process, and you’ve never been more happy to have Thomas by your side. It’s hard, sometimes, to think about love and dating like you’re in a normal world where that would happen. You don’t get coffee dates and bouquets of roses, you get chances to break into WICKED facilities and matching tracker chips embedded in your necks. Not a lot of romance there.

Thomas makes up for it, though. He makes you feel like you’re the most important person in the room, and he’s made it clear that he’d let the entire world burn away to ash if it meant keeping you warm. Take right now- even though getting Teresa to help you, albeit reluctantly, could mean freeing Minho and the rest of you from WICKED, he still wants to make sure you’re okay with it.

It reminds you of the long days spent crossing the Scorch, back when you were fighting off Cranks and trying to survive in the relentless heat of the desert. Even when Teresa was there, Thomas only ever had eyes for you. You should have known then that you loved each other. Maybe Teresa should have known too.

In truth, you’re a little nervous to see Teresa again. You’ve seen firsthand now how vengeful she can be when she thinks she’s doing what is right. She betrayed everyone and let WICKED capture Minho if it meant working towards the cure, even though it’s practically common knowledge that the miraculous rescue from the Flare won’t be coming. If she feels entitled to Thomas’ heart, and she finds out that you’ve supposedly stolen it from her, what would Teresa try to do to you to get it back?

It looks like you’ll be finding out soon. The plan to kidnap Teresa is simple- let Thomas guide her to a quieter part of the city, and Newt and Gally will help Thomas knock her unconscious long enough to get her to your secret space. From there, you’ll help interrogate her about how to get into WICKED headquarters, as well as force her to remove the tracking chips from your necks. After that, you’re free. You can hide from WICKED for the rest of your miserable lives, however long those turn out to be.

The Gladers return after about half an hour. Teresa fell for Thomas’ lure completely- one look at him and she was leaving her usual routine, the strict security protocols of WICKED’s staff. You can’t help but wonder if that’s what it’s like to be in love with Thomas, that seeing him and the thought of being with him is enough to convince yourself to risk it all. Some part of you answers that you might be able to find common ground with Teresa on that end. If you saw Thomas after being separated, you would follow him too, even if it was into an early grave.

Teresa looks startled to see Gally and the rest of the Gladers. You can’t entirely blame her- realizing that the Builder was alive after all was a shock to be sure. Regardless, she still seems unwilling to tear her attention away from Thomas, and only after the threat of cutting off her finger does Teresa finally start to realize that you aren’t kidding around.

At last, she shares some key security details with you. The guards in the WICKED complex are vigilant, with cameras and soldiers stationed at every corner. You might be able to get in and save Minho, but it’ll be tricky. You almost want to laugh at that part. You’ve already escaped a massive maze full of monsters, survived the Scorch, and dealt with waves of Cranks as well as WICKED’s goons. What part of your life isn’t tricky?

When Teresa agrees to help take out your tracking chips, you’re not sure whether to feel relieved or anxious. Sure, it would be great to escape WICKED’s noose, but do you really trust Teresa not to ‘accidentally’ sever an artery or something? If she’s truly all about WICKED, this would be the perfect time to escape.

However, you don’t have to worry. Thomas doesn’t leave your side, even when Teresa starts eyeing him like a cold glass of water to a straggler in the Scorch. He squeezes your hand once before it’s your turn, whispering in your ear that he’ll make sure that you’re alright.

Then it’s your time to get your chip removed. You sit backwards in a chair, leaning against the wooden back as you try not to wince. You don’t want to show any signs of pain or weakness, but it’s hard when someone’s poking around in your flesh and not even trying to be gentle. Thomas is watching from a short distance away, refusing to take his eyes off of you lest something happen when he looks away, but there’s only so much he can do.

Teresa speaks, her voice barely audible despite the echoing confines of the room. “So, Thomas seems quite close to you.”

You keep your gaze trained firmly ahead. “I would disagree, he’s practically on the other side of the room.”

Teresa sighs harshly. “You know what I mean. He seems more focused on you than the last time I saw you.”

You lift a shoulder, readjusting your seat as Teresa starts to pull something from the back of your neck. “A lot can happen over the course of a few months. A mutual betrayal is a catalyst for these sorts of things.”

You can practically see Teresa’s frown without having to turn around. “And what are ‘these sorts of things’, exactly?”

You fight the urge to roll your eyes. “I think you know what I’m talking about. We realized we liked each other, and wanted to do something about it before we both died or WICKED got to us.”

You hadn’t intended to talk about the fact that you’re dating Thomas, but you couldn’t really expect to keep it from her. Teresa has a way of finding things out, and she would either have heard it from you or Thomas or one of the other Gladers. At least now you don’t have to worry about tripping over your words as you try to hide a secret that doesn’t need to be hidden.

However, Teresa seems stunned by this piece of information. She stiffens in her seat, the small scalpel freezing in place. “You’re- you’re dating Thomas?”

You hum, trying to ignore the pain of the knife in the back of your neck. “Yeah. Can you hurry with the chip, please?”

Teresa’s voice suddenly turns cold. “Yeah, I can.”

A moment later, some of the worst pain you’ve ever felt erupts across the back of your knife. Out of the corner of your eye, you see blood spatter on the ground, far more blood than should have emerged for such a minute operation. It feels as if she dragged the blade across the back of your neck, and it hurts like hell.

You spin away, hand clamped to the back of your neck. A moment later, it comes away bloody. You glare at her, but Teresa’s just sitting there looking smug. Or, she is, until Thomas comes storming over, looking as furious as the last time she betrayed you.

“What did you do?”

His voice is full of anger, and Teresa flinches.

“I don’t know, Y/N moved and it cut more than it should-”

Thomas shakes his head, the movement sharp. “No, she didn’t. I saw you. Don’t try and blame this on Y/N. I should have known that you’d do something like this. She doesn’t deserve this.”

Teresa scoffs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m helping you right now, aren’t I? I’m taking your chips out.”

Thomas folds his arms across his chest, likely to stop fists from forming. “You’re only doing this because we literally kidnapped you. You wanted to hurt Y/N because you realized that I never loved you. It’s Y/N, it’s always been Y/N. You pulling things like this only makes that more true. I don’t care what you do, but don’t you ever, ever hurt her again.”

Teresa rolls her eyes, although she looks considerably less sure of herself now. “Or what, you’ll kill me?”

Thomas’ voice is darker than you’ve ever heard it. “Maybe I will. We only need you to get us into WICKED so we can save Minho. I don’t remember anything involving you after that.”

Teresa’s face pales. “You wouldn’t.”

Thomas raises an eyebrow. “If you hurt Y/N again? Who knows what I might do.”

His voice is raising, and Gally and the others are starting to look over at the three of you. You lay a hand on Thomas’ arm to start to lead him away, and you’d be lying if you said that you didn’t enjoy the look on Teresa’s face when you do.

You and Thomas don’t stop walking until you’re on the other side of the room, out of earshot of everyone else. Thomas is still fuming.

“How could she do that? Y/N, I’m so sorry, honestly. This is my fault. I should have said something to her earlier.”

You shake your head. “This isn’t your fault, and it’s not mine. She’s always going to be jealous of the fact that I’m happy with you, but we don’t need to pay her any mind.”

Thomas reaches down to take your hand, kissing the fingers despite the blood starting to dry over your skin. “You’re too nice for your own good, you know that? Sometimes, I don’t know how you do it after everything we’ve been through.”

You smile at him. “Sometimes, I don’t know how you keep being able to trust people time and time again. You’ve got a good heart, Thomas. That’s why I love you.”

Thomas’ fingers find the crook of your wrist, as if he can feel your heart by feeling your heartbeat. “I learned a thing or two from you. That’s why I love you.”

You don’t know how the mission to save Minho will go, or if you’ll ever get a shot to truly live in the broken world you call home. What you do know is this moment right here, both you and Thomas are delighted to be together. You don’t think that you need to know anything else.

maze runner tag list: @rogueanschel, @ellobruv-blog, @lxncelot, @neewtmas, @thatfangirl42

[starshipsofstarlord]

Could I request a Bucky Barnes x reader smut? Basically she and Bucky have been together for some time and maybe it’d be a little angst where the two are talking about the future and Bucky not thinking he can ever have a normal future? Which would result in soft smut and later reader being revealed as pregnant so Bucky finally gets his family

I’m Home

Pairing | Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary | based on the request ^^

Warnings | angst, smut, oral sex (m receiving), fluff, pregnancy, mentions of death

Quick link to my masterlist, if you’re interested in reading more of my crap 😬

The Wilson’s boat rocked sturdily upon the water, swaying as the boats worked aboard. Your hand held the weight of a silver spanner, twirling it in your fist as though it were a knife, thinking of the long road ahead of you. Sam had the shield now, that was a good start, but still, there was a ways to go until the world recognised him as the captain that he was meant to be.

There was so much destruction ongoing in the world, what with the flag smashers, and whomever the power broker was, and surely, you knew on the shallow surface, that there would be masses more problems to arise. It was exhausting, to know that there was no end to the war on earth, and that you were surely going to be fighting the threats until you could no more.

Bucky felt the same; he had just gone from one war to another, losing everyone that he cared about along the way. Steve had given everything up to finally find peace, and yet, the two did not share the same opportunity. An escape was never laid at your feet, instead, the pair of you were trapped in the cycle of cruelty, being blended around in a shredder by reality.

“Hey.” A voice confiscated you from the lonesome containment of your thoughts; it was Sam’s hosting sister, Sarah. I’m her own way, though you doubted that she would never admit such a thing, she was a hero. She had become a widow, and not to mention she remained a stable mother to keep her boys afloat, as well as nurturing half the kids that lived within close proximity.

“Hi Sarah.” You put the tool down, giving her your ample attention as you stood, tugging your fingers into the loops of your jeans as you stepped out of the boat, and onto the dock. “Anything I can help with?” It hadn’t passed your attention that Sam and Bucky had disappeared, but not into ash like last time. Instead, they had walked off in the direction of the house, most likely meddling about with a ball, in the back yard with Jim and Jody.

“I just came to let you know I’ve made the sofa up for you and Bucky. Are you sure you’ll be all good, I could always kick Sam outta his bed and make him sleep on the living room floor?” The two of you had nightmares, if you were to be separated from him for even a night, it was certain that the pair of you would greatly suffer. That was something you didn’t want to burden any of the Wilson’s with, screaming in the middle of the night because flashes from your past struck an unconscious nerve.

“All good, and thank you Sarah. You didn’t have to let us stay here, we both appreciate it, a hell of a lot.” One thing that you had learnt throughout your years was to show gratitude. The smallest amount shared had the ability to spring up moods, and had even set you on a much more heroic path than the one that you had been originally been placed upon.

“You’ve earned your stay.” Sam’s sister shrugged with modesty, acknowledging the help that you and Bucky had not only given to Sam, but to her family’s legacy. The two of you had aided with fixing the old wreckage that had now returned to the form of a boat, keeping it afloat rather than permitting it to sink from the quarrels that Sam had with himself regarding fixing the damned yet meaningful port of transport.

“This life you have, it’s great. I get it’s not easy, but it’s beautiful. You have two wonderful kids, that you’ve done such a great job raising, and not to mention, these community that you have is so loving and kind, even to us outsiders.” The pair of you had paused outside of her front door, speaking. “Sam is lucky to have you, he truly is.”

“Well, maybe one day this life could be something similar to what you’ll have.” The sister of your friend smiled, though your mirroring expression retracted. In a stumble of thought, you shook your head, not believing that possibility. This all was... perfect. That was something that you had never had, nor would you think that you’d ever be permitted such a peaceful lifestyle.

“I don’t think that would work out.” You sincerely mumbled, feeling the sad swelling in your chest at the prospect of all the luxuries that life had denied both you and Bucky of. It wasn’t fair all the same, but the two of you were used to being denied human rights, let alone the simplicity of nothing more than a life together. “As nice as it sounds, me and Buck aren’t really cut out for all this I suppose.”

“The world does not choose who can and cannot have a family, there’s always a way. Just because you haven’t had the most ideal line of story does not at all mean that you can’t make it work, from as much as i know, you two deserve a life together, that doesn’t include being shot at, or shooting at other people. Sometimes, you’ve just gotta go for it, and hope for the best.” She gave you a final nod, before heading inside, and you trailed after her into her her residency.

The two of you went your separate ways, and there, you saw Bucky, sat up on the sofa, his hands clasped together as his eyes stared towards the tan bag, that concealed not the shape, but the Stars and Stripes of the infamous shield. It was much a relief that it was no longer in Walker’s toxic clutch, however its presence, among other things, were taking a clear toll on your boyfriend.

“You ever feel like we’re stuck?” The air was tense around you both as he spoke solemnly, it diverting to match the mood of his question. “Like we’re us, and I love us, but it makes me think that it’s it. Just me and you, on this path for the rest of our lives, never getting a compensated break, nor an average person’s future. I want this, what these people here have, not the combat that is aided by this metal arm, or the associations that stick to us like life lines.”

“All the time, it’s on my mind James.” With a sigh, you came to sit beside him on the couch, resting your head against his bionic shoulder. “I ever wonder if there’s a timeline of you and me where there’s none of this ruckus, we just have a nice little house in a quiet and accepting place, and maybe a kid or two in the future.”

“I’d give anything up for that.” He looked at you, almost wide eyed, as his hand slithered down onto your knee cap, rubbing small circles as he wore a blunt and endearing smile upon his infatuating lips. “I mean that Buck, that sounds...”

“Perfect?” He asked, leaning closer as he grabs your chin with his wondrous fingers, his nose brushing alongside your own as his puckered lips fell upon yours, earning a small hun of content from within you. “Because you’re perfect to me, and no matter what life we are encased in, I want to share it with you. I want stare at the night sky and watch the moonlight illuminate the side of your face, and the stars reflect in your entrapping eyes, that I want to look into like a medium’s orbs forever, because that is how I will see the future that I ever so hope for.”

“How long have you been working on that one Barnes, because you are usually not that smooth?” A small laugh erupted from your mouth, but you were quickly silenced as you felt a cold metal hand slither up and beneath the back of your tank top, rubbing along the seam of your spine, as his lips ran down the column of your throat, evoking small and delicate whimpers out of you.

“Shut up doll, because I really want to fuck you now, and those words leaving your mouth are making it kinda hard to concentrate.” A furrow imbedded between his brows, as you tilted your head at him, a smirk proclaiming your expression as you pulled the material over your head, and reached behind yourself to unclip the back of your bra.

“Kinda hard to concentrate, hun?” You asked nonchalantly as his gaze zeroed in on your bare breasts, his hands smoothing along your ribcage as he adjusted his grip of you so that he was palming at your breasts, and squeezing the nipples. “I want you in me baby, I’ve practically gone days without you inside of me.” Licking your lips, you reached down to palm your beloved through his layers, earning a positive groan from the former assassin.

“Hours, you mean. I fingered you on the road trip here.” Yes, that was true, however, it was only his fingers, not even the metal ones, and whilst you loved what they alone could do, he had to be discreet as you were sat on the back of the truck, which had carried the primary parts for the Wilson’s family boat. If you were to scream out, they’d have surely thought that you’d fallen off the back of the truck and pull over, or if they had much sense, they’d have noticed that there was more going on than two passengers sat side by side on the journey to their small neighbourhood by the docks,

“You heard me Barnes, otherwise I’m sure Sam wouldn’t have any problem if I came to his room in this state of undress that I am currently portraying.” Growling was never Bucky’s fortes, however the sound aggressively ripped through the tunnel of his throat, as he threw off his grey top, quickly unfastening his belt, as he awaited for you to strip the rest of your clothing before him.

But rather than doing so, as he stood before you, your hand had trouble resisting the sight of his cock that had bobbed to attention, and thus, you wrapped it around his toned flesh, giving it a couple jerks that had his head reeling back, before you tongued his tip, moaning to yourself at the taste of him invading your sensitive taste buds. “Love your cock.”

As soon as you said that, Bucky gently gathered your head in a ponytail so that it was free from bombarding your face, and groaned as quiet as he could as you sucked him in your mouth, running your tongue up the side of his shaft. “Is that a part of your dream world baby doll, the sight of my cock throbbing to be inching down that perfect little throat of yours?”

To answer him, you pressed your head down deeper, humming around him as your eyes ogled up at the sight of your super soldier, who was trying his hardest to keep his eyes open, and attuned to the sight of you. He held his bottom lip between his teeth, as you lightly gagged around him, pulling off him, and squeezing his balls, before running your hungry tongue along the middle of his sack.

“Always. It would be a dream if you made love to me right here and now though, I’m not sure I can wait any longer James.” Bucky took a long inhale, before ravishingly pulling down your jeans and panties in one go, and tossing you so that he was below your form, and you hovered over him, toying with his erect cock. “I love you so much Bucky, and I’m scared of what’s to come. I have a feeling that there’s gonna be a fight.”

“There’s always a fight doll face.” He rubbed his thumb soothingly across your jaw, pulling your hips down closer so that you were rubbing your slick folds against his standing cock. “But this is what we’re fighting for, the rest of our lives together. I’d be damned, one day after this, and if I were to die, I’d be a happy man. There’d be the memory of you to keep me forever happy in the afterlife, and not to mention, there’d be no more wars for me to participate in.”

“I’m not going to let you die Buck, even hypothetically. We saw how your little hypothetical synopsis went last time.” Tapping his cock against your clit, a breathy sound evicted from your lips, as you stared down at the two of you intimately touching, the sight alone making you more turned on and impatient. “No one is allowed to kill you, otherwise I’ll unleash hell on all their flag smashing asses.”

Giving him one last stroke, you guided his tip towards your entrance, removing your hand once you had him situated, so that you could rest it upon his sturdy shoulder, and sink down on him, the feeling of him stretching you being the most euphoric sensation that you had ever endured. Hushed moans ceased from the both of you, as Bucky’s hands gripped your ass cheeks, only adding to all of the pleasure that was erupting within you.

“Think your pussy is gonna kill me before anyone else does; your so tight.” His pitch had rose, as your fingertips danced along the left side of his handsome face, invisibly connecting the dots of his beauty marks. You allowed the pair of you to adjust for a simple moment, before you began to raise your hips, sliding up his super soldier rod, only to slide down it again.

The actions were repeated, as your own hands trailed down his warm skin, to drag down the golden lines of his vibranium arm, only to bring the weapon to your mouth, and kiss every black finger up, as you tried your best to muffle the moans that were hoping to reap free. “So fucking big, I love you and your cock.” You muttered, your sight turning blurry as Bucky realised that it was his turn to do the work, and thus, he thrusted up into you, making echoing sounds of your skin slapping together reverberate around the room.

“Love you more.” He gritted his teeth, pulling his metallic hand away from your numb lips, so that he could swirl the elegant digits around your clit, the action provoking whimpers to rapidly surpass your exterior, as you bit harshly onto your own lip, and screwed your eyes shut. “Cum for me doll, want you to cover my hard cock in everything you have. Come on baby, you can do it.”

Without much thought, as your mind was too scrambled to do so, you reached for Bucky’s spare hand, pulling it to your mouth as you sucked on his fingers as though you were blowing him. A low moan that was dialled down from the presence of his flesh digits, ran from your mouth, as you began to bounce your hips, chasing and eventually reaching your high. You came around him, pushing him too over the edge, his seed filling your walls, as you collapsed atop of him, huffing from exhaustion as you removed his salivated hand from the realms of your mouth, resting your head against his panting chest.

Stringed sighs fell from Bucky’s breath as he tried to catch his own breath. His hands rubbed your back, not only to comfort you, but also to subconsciously pull you closer against him, and his softening cock that was still inside you, and was keeping his cum plugged within your tender and pulsating walls. If life was easier, there’d be more time for this, and that, but for now, it was just every now and then. Maybe you’d win this fight and survive until the next one, but maybe, you’d lose and never battle again.

Life was precious, that was something that you had not only learned as an avenger, but also something that had been told to you by Isiah. That man thought that you deserved a normal life, no fighting, no super soldiers. He himself was the biggest yet silent critic of those with additional strength, but his opinion was never going to sway you, not as you stared out into Sarah’s backyard, and watched the man that you loved play with the boys.

They had the shield, and were whisking it through the air like a frisbee; dangerous, yes, but again, life could only amount to so much without an ounce of pain. A content and satisfied smile absorbed any pain on your face, you were enraptured with the sight of Bucky like this, he was like an uncle to these two kids. He was no captain America, that was for sure, but you didn’t want a man in Stars and Stripes, all you wanted was him to be at peace, and it was a fact unbeknownst to him, that you had made such an alternative to that.

“Still want all this?” Sarah emerged, a cheap yet formidable bottle of wine pursed in her hand, as she held two clear and tall glasses in her hand. You hummed, watching as she poured the thin red consistency into one glass, but as she went to fill the other, you held out your hand, shaking your head. The woman was confused, last time you had visited, and were entangled on her sofa with the limbs of your boyfriend and a shaggy old blanket, you had kindly accepted her offer.

“Sure do.” You sighed, staring out into the green abyss where Jim was hanging from Bucky’s arm like it were a branch. “How do you do this, this whole mother thing? I’ve never been able to wrap my head around how you make it look so easy, it’s just, you do such a good job.” Your palms rested flat on your thighs as you laughed at Sam ordering Jody to jump on Bucky’s back, as he fell down in faux defeat.

“It never is easy y/n.” She placed the open bottle down, along with the mismatched glasses, that were asymmetrical considering one was half filled and the other wallowed in emptiness. “But every step of difficulty is worth it. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss their father, but they’re my priority. For Jim and Jody, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do, and you’d understand that if you ever opened yourself up to giving your life of heroism up to have all this.”

“I might have to.” Twiddling with your fingers, glancing up at your boyfriend, realising that he was in fact not looking over, you clasped your intwined hands over your stomach, smiling softly to yourself. “And maybe not having another option is the best option for me and Buck, because we don’t have to fight with ourselves over being included in our duties, we have new ones.”

“You’re pregnant, aren’t you?” Sarah asked, resting her nurturing hand upon the tile of your shoulder, prompting you to turn your face towards her. There was a conflict in your eyes, it was something that she recognised her younger self having once worn. It was the idea of putting everything aside, all for a child, everything that she had ever known, so that she could put her baby boy first. “Does Bucky know?”

“He will.” You shifted your head down, unsure of yourself. This had been what you had wanted, and whilst you still envied Sarah for the role she had, you were hurt. A part of you wanted to be an avenger until you were nothing but a soul drifting in the abyss of non existence, another didn’t want to let the knowledge of being a carrier for a new future crumble you. “I just need a moment to tell him.”

“I’ve got it.” She sent you a wink, picking up the items she had brought out, before she called on Sam and the kids to come inside. Sarah had gifted you the opportunity of revealing the truth to your partner with no one else around; you appreciated that. As he stalked closer, you met him halfway, sinking into his arms as he hugged you.

“Looked like you were having fun with the boys.” You verbally noted, loving the feeling of him running his fingers through your hair. “You’re amazing Bucky Barnes, to me and to everyone. I just, don’t want you to freak out on me, I have something big, really big, to tell you, and-“

“Baby, I know.” He smiled, pulling back so that he could look you in the face. “I have super human senses, I heard their little heart beat for the first time yesterday. We’re having a baby, and I couldn’t be happier about it. In fact, I want to ask you if you’ll accept my question of making Sam the godfather.” You nodded, tears standing in your eyes, as you brought the man down for a kiss.

“Yes. But I’m not sure that he’ll be praising us for making a baby when we technically created him or her on the couch inside.” Bucky shook his head at you, kissing your forehead before walking inside with you, preparing to tell the Wilson family, that had along the way became your own, the good news- well, not the sofa bit.

[hurtthemgently]

The tank

Masterlist

Cw: mer whumpee, drugged, bound and gagged, carried, pinned to floor, put on display, multiple whumpers?, multiple whumpees, vampire whumpee

Let me know if I missed anything?

Wayln gazed at their prize, taking in the mer’s beautiful features. His hair a dark blue, attractive even when soaked and tangled. A cloth separated his delicate lips. His scales glinted dark, black with a blueish sheen. They had yet to see the mer’s eyes, as he lay unconscious and bound in a waterlogged crate. Wayln placed a hand gently to his face and he stirred, eyes opening barely before flinching from the bright light.

“Awake already? You sure slept that off quickly”

The mer started at their voice and struggled away from their touch. His movements were still sluggish and the gag muffled his cries. “Hmm. You could use a little more, but you don’t necessarily need to be relaxed or unconscious.”

The mer’s eyes widened, looking up at his captor for any trace of explanation. “Mmh,” he protested as a hand traced his jaw.

“Well, since you’re awake, let’s get you to your tank” Wayln lifted the mer with little trouble, the drug making his struggles weak. They ignored the mer’s protests, carrying him downstairs to a large room filled with comfy seating. There was a bar to one side of the room and a large tank towards the other.

The mer began struggling in earnest as Wayln approached the tank. He squirmed in Wayln l’s arms as they ascended the steps up to the tank.

Wayln set the mer down gently on the platform, looking down at his pleading expression. They finally had a chance to look at the mer’s eyes. Deep vibrant blue, matching the shimmer in his scales. “Vince really wasn’t kidding about how beautiful you are. Ashe isn’t it? Let’s get that rope off your hands.” The mer held still while Wayln untied the knot.

If they were closer to the water, he could pull them in.. and? What? Drown them? He had no way to get out down the steps without falling, much less out of the building. The hopelessness of the situation dawned on Ashe as his hands were freed.

“I’ll take the gag off if you promise not to try and bite me” Wayln held up a small key out of Ashe’s reach. The mer nodded and lowered his gaze to the floor. He spat out the gag as soon as it was loose and glared up at the one who had taken him here.

“What’s that look for?”

“Is there another expression I should have when looking at my abductor?”

“I suppose not. Has the drug worn off completely?”

“…why should I tell you?”

“Think you’re okay to get in the water?”

The mer gave a small huff and looked at the surface of the water. He reached to pull himself closer when Wayln abruptly lifted him up. Pushing himself out of their arms, he landed hard on his back.

“What was the point of that?”

“Don’t… ah hhh.. touch me.”

“Oh dear, it seems that you don’t quite understand who has power here.” Wayln moved to sit on the mer’s waist and pin his wrists. Ashe gasped and squirmed as they restricted his already painful breathing.

“Get off” he seethed

“Trying to order me around now?”

“Let me… ahhk” Wayln cut his words off by pressing a knee into his ribs.

“You can avoid being made.. uncomfortable, if you listen to what I say and don’t fight me. Is that clear?”

The mer nodded desperately, struggling for breath.

“Good. Well, since you seem okay enough to swim,” Wayln picked up the mer and unceremoniously dropped him into the tank. They watched as he swam to hide behind a faux coral structure, peeking around to look at them.

—

Ashe sat in silence at the bottom of the tank. Most of the top was cemented in, the only opening above the waters surface was covered by a padlocked gate. With all possible escape routes too small or too reinforced, the mer was truly and completely trapped.

He watched as people entered the room, among them, his captor. No matter where he went in the tank, he was still in view of part of the room. He curled up in the corner as some of the guests tapped on the glass, sending a pounding noise through the water. The reverberations pummeled against him, hammers slamming his insides. He looked over to Wayln, who didn’t seem to be concerned about him trying to hide, nor about him being hurt by the noise.

After a moment, Wayln left the room. They came back carrying a person who seemed to be asleep. Drugged like Ashe was? He looked to be in his twenties, with dark hair. Completely unremarkable. The guests lost interest in his tank as a new attraction was brought in.

They set the person on one of the couches, where a guest brought his head to her neck. After a second she pushed him away and said something directed at Wayln. Ashe saw a bleeding mark where the person’s mouth had been. Where his fangs had been.

Ashe watched the vampire fall to the floor unconscious while the two were talking. One of the guests lifted him onto a couch and started stroking his hair. Wayln stood and walked to the steps at the opening of the tank, making a pointing motion at the surface of the water. A clear message: come here.

He reluctantly swam towards the gate. Maybe he could get Wayln to stop people tapping on the glass.

“Enjoying the party” Wayln’s taunting was met with a glare from the mer. “If you wanna join in on the fun, I could carry you over to try some venom.”

“Is that all?” Ashe backed away from the gate some, ready to dive back under the surface. He glanced over to where the guests were laugh and talking, an unconscious vampire between them. However bad the tank was, it was the preferable option.

“You seemed to be quite distressed earlier, and that went away when I brought the vampire in.”

“I stopped being distressed when they stopped tapping on the glass.” Ashe hissed at his tormentor.

“Oh, My mistake. One word of advice. They’ll tap more when you hide away, so I’d try not to do that.”

Ashe seethed, wishing there weren’t bars between his hands and Wayln’s neck.

“Maybe you should try that expression on them. You look adorable.” Wayln laughed as the mer swam off with an angry hiss. They walked back down to check on the vampire, who was beginning to stir.

[horrordirtbag]

I see a ton of conflicting information online and the movies contradict each other so I had to ask, do you know of any reliable sources for looking up horror character bios and timelines for the 80s slashers?

I certainly do. Finding direct sources can be a little tricky, this may be my bias but a lot of people just... get it wrong lol. But I'll put a few down here. If you have any specifics lmk

A Nightmare on Elm Street:

http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/site/features/timeline/http://nightmareonelmstreetfilms.com/site/features/timeline/

This site has a pretty solid timeline that backs up it's info, and makes the most sense. Most people go by this I've seen

Friday the 13th:

This timeline is hotly debatable, and finding sources is really hard but since I’m a registered F13 nut I’m just gonna roughly break it down.

What we know for a fact is Jason drowned in 1957, Pamela killed 2 counselors in 1958, the first film is in 1979 (this comes from Pam's tombstone in p4), and parts 2-4 are in 1984. Every sequel after that is a toss up and there is no confirmed date for any of them. However, by guesstimating Tommy's age we can roughly place part 5 and 6 around 1989 and 1990 respectively. In F13: The Game, starting a match on Pinehurst (part 5 location) opens with the date "1989," so take that as you will.

John Carl Buechler has said part 7 is 10 years after part 6, which roughly puts 7, 8 and 9 in the late 90s/early 2000s, right in time for Freddy vs Jason in 2003 which matches up perfectly with the NOES timeline I posted previously. Jason X gives us the dates 2010 and 2455

I can't find any real good sources to back this up, most sites ignore the Buechler thing so they place part 7 too early. But this again from my observation is the most accepted timeline, people just disagree on years, so websites will vary on specifics. But generally this is it

Let me just say, though: when people say 9, X and FvJ are reboots that ignore previous sequels, they are 100% wrong in my book lol. For some reason, a lot of people like to say 9 ignores everything after 4. From everything we know about the making of these movies, they 100% intended to continue off the paramount sequels, just didn't have the rights to say so directly.

Halloween:

This is a nightmare.

Luckily these films mostly take place in their release years with a few exceptions (H2 & HKills)

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre:

This is an even BIGGER nightmare

This is mostly right. The one exception is, TCM 3 and 4 are both extremely bizarre reboots/sequels. It's really unknown what they are. They continue off the original, and only sort of continue off the sequels. They almost line up with the previous sequels, except their are some confusing contradictions that just don't make sense unless you ignore them or do some crazy stretching. It's better to not think too deeply about them.

Also, the remakes both take place in the 1970s and Leatherface 2017 takes place in the 60s if I remember right. Texas Chainsaw 3D was supposed to take place in the 90s but the studios forced them to have it set in modern times which really makes no sense at all.

Evil Dead:

Not a slasher, but people get pretty confused with this timeline so I figured why not talk about it

(clearer picture: https://www.deviantart.com/kombatgod/art/Evil-Dead-Timeline-628952998)

I've seen some people make insanely complicated multiverse fan theories to explain the Evil Dead timeline, but it's honestly all bullshit tbh. The truth is Sam Raimi didn't really give a shit about minor continuity, and copyright issues required them to refilm old scenes for recaps in sequels. That's why Evil Dead 2 has a different intro and ending. Ash vs Evil Dead couldn't outright reference Army of Darkness, but it's been pretty much confirmed AoD is canon with it, especially since the new video game uses characters from AoD and AvED

Important note: Ash vs Evil Dead has stated the original two films take place in 1982. This was likely done because it wasn’t until 1982 that the original really started hitting theaters, even though it was released in 81 and filmed in 1979. Army of Darkness says it takes place in 1300

EDIT:

Just adding a few Evil Dead things. The intro and endings to ED2 seem to be a weird sort of “soft canon,” since AvED uses footage from them but uses the events of ED1 and AoD as primary canon. A lot of people chock these inconsistencies up to Ash being an unreliable narrator, which imo makes the most sense. 

The Evil Dead remake is also debatably not a parallel universe at all, but could take place in the same universe as the main events. Some people also theorize it could be a sequel to just ED1. The director has confirmed these as possibilities.

Child's Play:

This is a little outdated, but breaks it down really well and you'll get the gist of things. The TV show added a lot of new backstory that needs to eventually be added to this

https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3444878/complete-timeline-childs-play-franchise/

These are the big ones but if there's any others I'll gladly talk about them, i love it lol. Most other slasher franchises are pretty straight forward

None of these charts were by me btw

For bios I’m not really sure where I’d look other than their respective wikis. Those can be a bit bloated with info from comics or weird misinterpretations, but they’re mostly right from my knowledge. 

The Hellraiser wikis are a bit misleading though, they take into consideration a lot of the comics that imo muddle the original vision of the Cenobites. Understanding Hellraiser is a daunting task in and of itself.

Can you tell I had fun with this?

[russeliarat]

Part 3 of the Hylia’s Heroines idea because I just had to finish the scenario as a trilogy lol. Part 1 here. Part 2 here. Ring the bells and whistles, it’s finally happened!

With the camp now set away for the combined Chain and Court’s next outing, the clearing had become completely emptied, save for the ashes and charred branches left from the previous night’s fire and the several logs scattered about. It was currently midday, as it seemed that even after months of travelling, some still couldn’t wake at an early time.

Sun led Sky into the middle of the clearing, her hand interlocked with his, insisting that he keeps his eyes closed so he couldn’t see the item she held back her back. She looked up. The Sun was still shining bright in the East, and the clouds littered in a way that sent a gentle glow across the small field. It felt warm and comforting.

Sun turned to look directly at Sky, halting her movements and tapping his hand with her thumb to signal opening his eyes. It felt silly to say but she could stare at the way his eyelashes fluttered all day if she could help it. But unfortunately, she couldn’t - she had an important task after all. Even if it did take several seconds of her staring before Sky softly chuckled to urge her to speak.

“I... Um...” she sighed, fiddling with the fibres of the object in her fist. Sky rubbed his thumb against the back of Sun’s knuckles. She started again.

“Ever since we were kids, I’ve always felt like you’ve been the closest person I’ve ever really connected with. I never had any real friends growing up because I lived in the Knights Academy, but when you moved in because of your parents’ passing - and it seems cruel to say, but - I felt glad we got to meet. Well, I suppose we would have met eventually, but I’m just so happy I got to spend those extra few years with you, Link.”

Sky’s gentle smile seemed to lengthen into a grin as his free hand fiddled with the edges of his sailcloth. “I remember how I slipped down the stairs and fell right into you. I was so embarrassed, I refused to speak to you for a whole week.”

Sun giggled at the memory, “I had to tell you it was okay before you even tried to introduce yourself. It was almost like something out of a storybook.”

“Our lives always felt like a storybook, didn’t it?” Sky hummed. “I suppose we’re going to leave more of an impression than we thought, eh?”

Sun rested her head on Sky’s shoulder, sighing silently. “I hate to admit that you’re right about something so cliché, but you are.”

“Link... I... Uh...” Sun looked to her side as if eyeing the hand held behind her back. “Uhm... You know what,” she raised her head from Sky’s shoulder, “It’s fine.”

Sun attempted to release herself from Sky’s grasp, but he somehow managed to keep a gentle grasp through such a firm hold. His free hand rose to Sun’s hip. “No, no, what’s wrong? Clearly it’s important if you want to give me a speech about our past in an empty field. I won’t judge you, dear.”

“I know you won’t. It’s just that...” Her brows knitted together. She gripped the soft item in her hand just a little tighter.

“That?”

“Gods above, Link. Catch on, will you?” she pleaded. Finally, she gained the courage to free her hand from his grasp, and form a cup from his hands, shoving the object inside and closing his hands with her own. “I’ve been waiting to give you this for what feels like a millennia!”

Gently, she let go of his clasped hands, allowing them to slowly release the object from its cage. What lay in his palms was a small, periwinkle blue feather, only about the size of Sky’s thumb.

His eyes widened in disbelief, “What?” he whispered airily. He turned his eyes to Sun’s. “Did you just...?”

Sun giggled, “Still half-asleep, dove?” She nudged some of Sky’s fringe from his emerald eyes, an old habit of hers to suade away her anxieties. “I did.” She was matching his volume now - a gentle, sweet hush.

“No way,” he gasped, tears beginning to well in his eyes. “No way... Zelda, you- But I- I-”

“You what?” she bounced on her toes.

“I don’t think I could ever be happier to accept.”

[undercityrezident]

So as I expected, Ash won today’s match, but I’m glad that Steven Stone gave Ash run for it. It would’ve been a bit disappointing if Ash wiped the floor with a veteran champion like that.

Poor Dracovish had a rough showing, but I think they’ve taken the unfortunate role of Ash’s comedic-relief ‘mon this season, so it’s not to be unexpected. It did also help to establish Steven’s battle cred as well, not that he really needed it to start with.

In terms of how I liked the battle, it had its ups and downs for me. Some of the battle felt a bit disjointed compared to the past ones, given inconsistency of number of hits and what would qualify is generally ineffective moves against one another’s pokemon leading into their respective KO’s. But in terms of drama, the battle was fairly well-paced. I did enjoy a lot of the clever ploys coming from Steven, especially with regards to his Cradily. That said, Ash always has some ridiculous strategy to pull out of his hat, and he certainly didn’t disappoint with regards to that trend in this battle. Electro-webbing Cradily’s vines was an especially brilliant touch.

I didn’t feel quite the hype in the final match-up with Mega Metagross vs. Pikachu that I felt in the final match-ups with the other matches. Yet, I had to admit I was leaning forward when watching and wondering how the hell Ash was going to pull off a win with Pikachu getting walloped. I knew the Z-Move was coming due to previews last week, and I figured as the battle wore on that it would have to be a widespread tactic in order to get that agile-as-all-hell Mega Metagross. That said, I did not anticipate the idea that you could openly manipulate the direction of that Z-move’s bolts. I was taken by as much surprise as Steven was by that. I suppose Z-moves have a 100% hit rate for a reason?

Overall, it’s not the best battle we’ve seen so far (that honour still goes to Cynthia versus Iris), but it was decent, and I’m hoping we’ll get a lot more tense and a lot more creative in further rounds with Ash. Maybe if we get battles involving more pokemon per round (maybe 4v4 or 5v5 in the semi-finals, and I’m sure the final round will be 6v6) then we’ll get more episodes dedicated to each battle, thus more screen-time for creative and deep battles. One can hope we can get something that will eventually top the magnificence of Ash v Paul in the Lily of the Valley Conference.

The battle aside, I had to say that the big stage center cameos of Harley and Drew aside, I liked that we got to see not one, but two of Ash’s opponents from the Hoenn League’s Ever Grande Conference: namely Morrison and Katie. They’re such small, odd cameos, but it goes to how deep they’re digging to grab characters from the old seasons. That really makes me happy, actually.

Also, Paul, don’t think we didn’t see that damn smirk when you saw Ash capitalizing on your training with him from a few episodes back.

But I think the best thing was how Delia and Professor Oak set up a damn television in the backyard for all Ash’s pokemon! That was heart-touching to say the least. And you had to love it when all his fire-types were up in arms celebrating when they saw Gengar use the move they’d taught them.

What I’m really hoping is that we’ll get to hear a bit more on the Alolan folks cheering from home for Ash in future rounds. They briefly mentioned Ash’s status as Alolan Champion, but this is actually something of an important point for me and why I’m... perhaps shockingly, given my history on this blog... actually fairly invested in Ash’s progress in this tournament.

While you all pick up your jaws off the floor, let me explain.

I’ve never been a big fan of “plot armour” or “protagonist power” in media, and I’ve tended to gravitate more to side-characters than to the bland, generalized characters that tend to spring up in the center spotlight of stories like this to capitalize on mass appeal factor. Ash has been better than most this for a good part of the series for me, but I won’t lie and say that I’ve gotten a bit bored with him a few times. Most often, my gripe with him has been his power-resets and forgetfulness of previous exploits and abilities, which I write off to... well, the writing in the series more than anything.

But the reason I’m actually invested in Ash this time is not just because of the hype in having him actually playing for a real, high-tiered position of recognition within the realm of pokemon battling, nor just because he’s getting to battle these massive, perhaps even titanic, figures in pokemon leagues across the world.

I think the biggest reason for my investiture in Ash now circles back to the fact that he’s now Champion of Alola. Ash has been largely competing for himself, his pokemon, and the urge to best a rival of some sort. But now, as evidenced by the recent episode in which he recently returned to Alola and participated in a Battle Royal in front of a crowd that truly has faith in him, Ash is actually not just representing his own hopes and dreams, but all of those in Alola for whom he has been named champion for.

There’s a special place in my heart for that most recent series in Alola, as well as the characters we met there, and it remains memorable for me for the fact that Ash took a major step forward in his battling career there in becoming champion. Because I can connect Ash’s success to that of Alola’s own through this tournament, I am finding myself more invested than ever in Ash’s presence and success in this tournament.

This is why I’m really hoping we’ll get to see more representation from Alolan characters in future cameos, and it’s also why I might be willing to actually go along with some of this protagonist storytelling bias than I’m usually willing to give when it comes to Ash’s hair-brained, and sometimes even implausible schemes in battles. Suspension of disbelief is a powerful thing sometimes, and for me at least, it’s better served and that much more potent when connected to something bigger than just that single protagonist character.

I just have to ask the writers one thing: please don’t try and have him do thunder armour again... I can only stretch that suspension of disbelief so far.

[misselko]

This is my very first fics that I ever wrote in my whole life!! English isn't my native language but am trying my very best on this.

Your warm supports will be kindly appreciated!! 💕

GENTLE HANDS

Genre: Fluff

Words: 994

Professor Byleth had you two seated together to share his book. Is this a boon or punishment from the Goddess that you had forgotten your textbook and got seated next to him today?

 

Snap!!

 

Dimitri’s cheeks turned red when he realized that he just broke the fourth quill this afternoon. His princely demeanour has long gone since (Y/N) seated next to him. The beautiful girl of his dreams with (E/C) that is full of kindness and soft (H/C) that sways gently under the warm kiss of the sun. So pure and lovely. Even a simple greetings from (Y/N), with beautiful sparkle of your (E/C) eyes and sweet smile always send his heart fluttering. And now.. Having you sitting beside him, twirling your quill softly, listening intently  to the Professor’s war strategy lecture with a cute pout... did things to his heart and the quills, for sure.

He was SUPPOSED to focus on the lecture, really, he is really trying his best to. But all the struggle was in vain when (Y/N) quill slipped from your small, delicate hand, and rolling under the table, near his feet.

“Ah! I-I’m sorry for being so clumsy, Dimitri! Please excuse me, I have to pick it."

You flashed him a heartfelt smile and bow from your desk to try to reach for your quill. The quill kept on rolling further and you had to dive to get a grip on it. The future king of Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd has been reduced to a babbling, incoherent mess when your breasts involuntarily brushes against his leg!!

“AAAARGH!!!”

(Y/N) head bumped very hard against the table at Dimitri’s sudden shout. You tried to rub your sore head softly, absolutely had no idea of the severity of your own clumsiness. The House Leader of Blue Lions’ face has turned crimson red, putting a tomato to a pale comparison!! All eyes were on you and Dimitri making the class lecture halted in abrupt now.

“Dimitri and (Y/N).”

“Y-yes, Professor?”

“See me after class for your detention."

“Yes....”

Dimitri didn’t even able to answer it. He just nodding his head up and downs like a broken parrot, saying barely incomprehensible “Yessshh Professor” under his breath. Feeling (Y/N) soft breasts that grazed his thigh has sent that poor boy to lost his mind. He’d be teased for this surely, for the rest of his life.

(Y/N), a girl who is way much smaller than him has reduced the strong spear wielder into a puddle of mush. What an achievement!!

Sylvain is grinning wide from ear to ear like a cheshire cat, watched the scene playing before him in pure amusement. Felix had his eyes rolled and mutters silent curses. Dedue, Ashe, and Ingrid are concerned for both of you and your extra homework while Mercedes and Annette giggles. Everyone knows how the blond prince cherish and feel about (Y/N), maybe... unless (Y/N).  

The Blue Lions Prince always wear his heart on his sleeve, but being such an oblivious person, you were never aware of the deep feelings that Dimitri hold for you. If only you two were more honest with your feelings toward each others, maybe things wouldn’t be so complicated.

---

You didn’t want to burden Dimitri with punishment for your clumsiness. Guilt and shame has gnawed into your consciousness wildly like a raging tempest. Fortunately, those piling extra assignments were no match for you and Dimitri’s teamwork. The sun has long been set and the stars are out when you finished the tasks. It would be a beautiful evening if only you weren’t on detention. Only you two remains in the classroom that is dimly lighted by candle.

“I’m so sorry for my mistake this afternoon. It had caused you... much discomfort.” (Y/N) apologize. “My clumsiness has put us into some predicament."

“Don’t be, (Y/N)! It’s my fault for being so loud! And.... distracted. But I won’t have it any other way.”

“What do you mean, Dimitri?”

“I.. I.. It was.. I can’t say it was not enjoyable. I mean.. we get to spend some time together like this and... ” his face darkening and cheeks all flushed red.

“D-Dimitri....”

 

You two stand still in the silent classroom, furious blush crept on your faces. Goddess, you can lost yourself inside his beautiful cerulean eyes that staring back at your (E/C) shyly forever.

 

*growls*

 

“Aaah!! I’m sorry for being so louddd!!!”

Heat spread through your cheeks like wildfire and beating heart went into overdrive. Your tummy had this oh-so-perfect timing on ruining your moment with your crush. Goddess Sothis please kill me right here, right now! How wonderful it will be if earth just split and swallow you whole to save you from your embarrassment!!

Crestfallen with your gaze downcast from embarrassment had shattered him. Dimitri sighed. You were always like this, too shy for your own good. Even this shy part of yours is very endearing to him.

Dimitri smiles politely and takes hold of your hand gently. “Let us head to the dining room and get something to eat. It is almost dinner time, after all.”

 A small smile graced his features, not that you would see.

There was something about the softness that intertwined your hands together. Is it love? Your warm, delicate hands are so small and soft compared to his huge, calloused ones. The poor prince almost had his heart stopped when (Y/N) reciprocate his hand.

You can feel a crisp chill in the evening air as the leaves and trees start showing autumn’s golden, orange, and red hues. But those chilly winds are nothing mere than a soft blows with your hands intertwined together, basking in each others’ warmth. Maybe this night won’t be as cold as usual with (Y/N) by his side. You’re both a flustered mess, grappling with excitement and joy and relief and a little anxiety, but it all feels so overwhelming and wonderful. 

It was a boon, after all. Perhaps the best one of all.

[jabbagabba]

La La Land

Read Prologue

Warning ⚠️

Triggering subjects: disassociation, manipulation, mind control, grief. (READ AT OWN RISK)

Wandavision: spoilers (up to episode 6 - just to be safe), violence

———

Pools Of Despair

You weren’t sure how long it’d been, the drive feeling as though it had taken a lifetime. It might have been just down the road and you wouldn’t have been able to tell; time seemed to move torturously slow under Wanda’s control.

She tried to keep herself calm besides your frozen body, already thinking of a way out as she turned the steering wheel. But it was too late to go back.

‘No other way. No other way.’ The words replayed over and over in her head as she finally made it to the front of the building, and it was the first time she fully looked at you. Your face was stoic, the only sign of life being the soft breaths escaping your mouth. You couldn’t look at her - even if you wanted to - and as she reached a hand to your face, the feeling of complete numbness returned.

During the drive there had been small moments of clarity; moments where for the first time you felt in control. It was almost euphoric being able to push through the fog.

But then, as quickly as it had subsided, she would crawl her way back in.

Even now as she turned you toward her fully, you tried to swim through the heaviness, but the black swirls of grief and anguish just got tighter the harder you fought.

Wanda sighed in annoyance. “You can’t go in looking like that.” She pulled at a strand of her hair with a small huff. “Need glasses.”

You were sure if you had control of your body, the pain of your neck would be unbearable, the awkward angle surely making every muscle strain as you were forced to watch her pull apart the car.

This had to have been owned by the only man on the planet that didn’t carry sunglasses in their car. Wanda almost laughed, a punishment for stealing it? She couldn’t be sure.

“Well...” Wanda pulled the blue and white baseball cap by the brim from under her seat. “Better then nothing.” She gave a small smile as she adjusted it on your head, pulling back and grabbing your hand and letting it rest in her lap. “If there was any other way, I swear, I would let you go. But... I just... I can’t live without him.”

You said nothing as she cried.

———

“Head down, get Vision. Leave.” Her voice plagued your every step, each word carved into your brain as you finally reached the front desk.

‘Sword’ was a nice place - or at least had nice flooring - and from the bright light that filled each and every inch of the glossy tile, you knew there had to be a lot of glass. It was a government building after all.

“Can I help you?” Her voice is chirpy, a polite smile painted on her lips, you don’t need to see her eyes to know it wasn’t anything but genuine. She lets the wheels of her chair carry her forward, her computer forgotten besides her as you near the desk.

“Do you have... a meeting?” She smiles again, more forced and you’re able to see the golden pin on her chest that proudly says ‘Mary’ and try once more to float above the darkness.

“I -“ The word leaves your lips aprubtly and the fight drains from you just as fast. “I’m here to inquire about some of my father’s equipment. I’d like it back.” You let the darkness swallow you whole.

“And who are you again?” Mary is quick to pull her deskphone to her ear, hand hovering over the numbers.

———

The name that fell from her lips made Mary freeze. She looked up with wide eyes, both fearful and exited.

Starks were top priority at ‘SWORD’ - she was sure they were top priority everywhere - and as she desperately tried to recall if her boss mentioned anything about Stark equipment, the girl’s patients quickly wore thin.

“Can you please just tell me where to go? I have a long drive ahead of me.” Her voice was a sharp contrast from her apparance. The girl’s voice was stern and loud while her body was scrunched in on itself, eyes glued to the desk. Mary took a glance over the desk and saw the dark fabric of a dress, the hat didn’t even match the girl’s shoes.

“Right.” Mary said. “I’m sorry, just a little... starstruck.” She tried to keep her cool, turning again in her chair and started typing as fast as possible on her little keyboard. The atmosphere was thick with uncomfortable silence and Mary had to make sure not to shiver in the girl’s presence. She scrolled down the list of names and let out a small “ah” when she found your name. Just as quickly as she clicked on it, a pop up window filled the screen

STARK - Access Denined. Call Security

She felt sick; her nerves making her skin pucker as she tried to keep calm. When Mary finally found the courage to move, bile reached through her throat as she saw red eyes looking back.

“Ahh!” Mary was quick to jump out of her chair.

“Fine.” The girl sighed, hand flat on the counter as she took long strides around it. “If you won’t help me.” A red trail flowed through one of the doors; slithering like a snake as it wrapped around the shell shocked receptionist. “I’ll do it myself.”

———

Wanda’s mind had warped, grief and anger become one as she ripped through each and every room of the building. No one was safe from the witch’s wrath as she swung them through various glass panels and equipment. By the third turn she took, guards had given up, opting to instead try desperately to get out of her way.

She had left you at the desk, too transfixed to care and as she heard the various shouts of alarm from down the hallway, she was glad you weren’t in her way.

———

The group of four man were shocked; watching as the two guards dropped their guns and put their hands up for mercy.

“We’ll give you what you want. Please!” One of them - Felix - cried as the woman barreled through the double doors.

Wanda simply flicked her hand and he was sent flying to a wall, his partner following.

“Where is he?” Her accent was thick and the youngest tech almost asked her to repeat herself. “Where is Vision?” The stunned silence only fueled her anger. “You.” Red swirled under one of the men’s feet and lifted him from the ground. “Where?”

If the man could have, he’d be shivering in fear right about now. His life was in the hands of a deranged woman who with a simple flick of her wrist could send him plummeting down ten floors.

Wanda tightened her hold on him in warning and he knew he had to speak.

“Behind us.” He said. “There is a set of double doors, turn left and there’s an examination room.”

“He should be there!” A colleague on his left was shaking as she turn to face him. “He’s not lying.” Wanda let her power swim under him once more beofre gently letting him go.

“Thank you.” She gave a small smile. “Now, go.”

They didn’t have to be told twice.

———

Wanda felt as though she couldn’t breathe, the sight of her dead lover on the table was crippling. Vision was a dark grey; his eyes blank as they stared into her. If it wasn’t for the table itself she would have probably collapsed on to the floor as sobs took over her.

“I cant. I can’t. I -“ The words fell from her lips like a mystical chant. She couldn’t look at him anymore, his body was nothing but an empty shell of parts.

When her body turned to ash; Wanda was ready to die, her last shred of humanity died with Vision. The battlefield would be her final resting place. She chose to spend her last moments hoping that If there was a God that they’d be merciful, that she’d be allowed to spent her afterlife in blissful ignorance.

But instead she woke up.

Five years had passed and she was still there, only now she was alone. It was only after the death of Tony Stark that she let the floodgate of loss fill up her veins. While Thanos was alive, she had a mission; kill him and reverse the snap.

Wanda never imagined the pain that followed. She should have died that day, why couldn’t she have died that day?

Grief had a knack for turning the strongest people into helpless pools of despair.

Vision deserved better. That was what go her up, got her to calm her tears and push herself up. She wasn’t going to let them win. Vision was hers to mourn, to love, and hers to take care of.

She had a new mission, one that was stronger then her need to submit to pain.

But... she needed help carrying him.

———

Your body moved through the halls, following the tethered rope of energy that wrapped around your waist. If it wasn’t for your boots, your feet would have been covered in cuts from the sharp edges of the broken glass that filled the hallways.

The fog had cleared more then before and if you tried hard enough, you might’ve even been able to pull free completely. Wanda was exhausted and the fight had been ripped from you So you let her pull you, let the fog seep through every inch of you.

And as you entered the small room, you forgot you were suppose to care anymore.

“I need you to hold onto his legs.” She said softly, hand stroking his cheek. “Easier to carry both of you.” Your body moved again and you placed a gentle hand onto vision’s ankle.

Wanda wiped the last of her tears away, grabbed onto his arm, and all three of you were lifted off the ground.

———

Hot air blew through Wanda’s hair making her hands continuously push back strands from her face as she walked. The afternoon sun was unrelenting and she had to take several short breaks.

The car was too dangerous to return to - a swarm of agents was not something she wanted to deal with - and controlling someone for almost 24 hour straight took a lot out of her. Her hold on you was weak enough for you to sometimes fully take over, her control turning into a dull ache at the back of your brain.

As she walked in front of you thoughts of running flooded through your brain but the walking had tired your body out, and you were sure that if her little pushes weren’t there, you’d have already collapsed. Even if you had the strength to do it, the empty roads had long ago turned into tall trees and bush. You were in the middle of nowhere and getting loss in the woods with a heartbroken witch was not something you wanted to deal with. So, like a trained puppy, you followed silently behind Vision’s dragging body. It wasn’t hard to keep up, she was as slow as she could be while Vision’s body left a dirt trail.

“Break.” Wanda breathed. Who knew an empty little spot of grass would be so inviting? “Sit.” You felt a small push and follow it down to the ground. You let your fingers grip the direr under them, the cool breeze making you sigh.

“Where-“ The sound of your voice startled both of you but she stayed still. “Where are we going?”

She said nothing, choosing to instead turn on her knees and pull Vision forward by the arms.

“When I was little-“ Wanda smiled to herself as she stared down at Vision. “- I use to dream about this field. Me and Peitro went past it everyday during the summer. It had all these small flowers growing.” You listen intently as she giggles, eyes losing focus as she is hit with the memory. “I always tried to sneak past the fence... but, I was alway stopped by someone.” Her mouth twitches and you feel the pulsing return in your neck. “It’s probably nothing but dirt now, like everything.”

“Where are we going, Wanda?” You try to keep your voice soft, afraid of ruining the small moment as you reached out for her but she was quick to stop you, hand glowing red and inches away from your face.

“Don’t.” She warns. You nod in silent apology.

“We’re not far from a road.” Wanda let’s her hand fall back to her side. “I want you go and call whoever you need to.” You’re almost startled when her control leaves fully from your body, it almost feels empty. “Tell them what I did, or don’t, I don’t care. I have what I want.”

“Wanda -“

“Please.” The crack in her voice makes tears pool in your eyes. “Just go.”

You stand on shaking legs. The world was spinning and you felt as though you had just gotten off a rollercoaster but you tried to steady yourself. Unsure of where to go, you turn to her once more for guidance and she simply points behind you.

Your conscious wouldn’t let you leave. Wanda was tired and you were afraid of leaving her alone. Regardless of what she did; you knew you couldn’t blame her, she had lost everyone.

In a way, so did you.

“I’m sorry about Vision.” Wanda looked up again and gave you a small nod. “About Pietro, about everyone. I wish it was different.”

“Me too, Stark.” She let her fingers wrap around your hand and squeezed. The warmth from the dock returned and you couldn’t help but give her a small grin of gratitude. “I meant what I said at the funeral.”

Both of you were so wrapped up in your own little bubble, you didn’t even question why the birds stopped.

————

Tag list (open, just ask)

@white-wolf-buckaroo @y-napotat

All my stuff is open, and I’m always happy to hear from people so feel free to let me know what ya thought. I always get stuck halfway through writing but I hope it wasn’t too hard to read.

Next chapter will be fun.

[neverlandsky]

Kaz Brekker × Inej Ghafa

Undercover Ballroom AU

843 words || Warning: None

Set after Crooked Kingdom but AU where everyone is alive and happy. (because thats how its supposed to be coz no mourners, no funerals)

Plot: The main six are on a heist to steal a painting from a museum where a ball is held and they have to go undercover. (lies- the main plot is kanej content because i'm trash for them so its not really about the heist-)

All characters are from the Six of Crows duology. References to both the books and the show.

p.s. follow @mvrsecode on instagram <3

Kaz rested his hand on his cane and leaned on one of the pillars. His other hand beckoned Wylan to give him the bag the red-head was carrying.

"Alright here's Plan A. Wylan and Jes will be on-" Kaz started.

"Hey! You finally accepted my nickname," Jesper interrupted, giving a half-smile and fidgeting with his rings.

"Wylan and Jesper will be on the lookout from this roof and they will give us light signals by flickering a device Wylan made. Keep your eyes on the quarter point clockwise on the dome. You will be able to spot the blue light," he explained.

"However, also remember to always focus on your surroundings. The signal they'll give is important but do not act suspicious by constantly looking up. Someone else might spot it," Inej has become quite good at joining Kaz in his plan speeches. She was mostly there to remind the others to take care of themselves, something Kaz always forgot.

"Helvar will enter through the back door and clear our escape route. Make sure no one sees you, take a guard's uniform if you will. Nina will tag along the Ravka guests and into the ballroom. Let's hope the security system isn't counting faces. We need a heartrender inside for emergencies," Kaz wasn't always thorough with his explanation but this time he wouldn't risk it.

"Lastly, Inej and I will pose as the guests Nina put to sleep. When everyone else gets distracted on the main attraction, we will slip out through the open corridor right there and into the rest of the building. I'm sure they wouldn't think to look twice at a couple of kids messing around," Kaz finished and looked at each of them directly in the eye, as if asking if they understood.

Nina, however, knew it was just a display of intimidation. Kaz's heart was beating quickly, possibly because he has to dance with Inej but Nina smiled to herself. After all, Inej's heart was matching his. She smiled to herself, wondering when they would finally admit it, but again maybe she was just a romantic.

"No mourners," Jesper said.

"No funerals." Good luck would've been too much, they do not expect good luck. The least they could hope for is getting out of here alive.

Kaz handed Inej her dress. It would've been hard for her to scale walls if she was in a ball-gown, not that she couldn't do it. It was just impractical. The gown itself was ash blue in color. Kaz didn't know why he thought Inej would've liked it but the small smile on her face confirmed he was right.

Inej layered the dress on top of her black unitard and bulletproof fabric. It would've looked ridiculous if Kaz hadn't gotten the perfect gown. She strapped a dagger around her calf, under her dress. For emergencies, for Plan B and E.

"Good to know you still remember my size," Inej thanked him.

The plan was in motion now. Nina got in quite easily, she looked the part. She was beautiful and obviously charming. She could charm her way through anything. Inej and Kaz, however, was to play a harder role. Two criminals who lived in the streets of Ketterdam to play a rich, privileged couple. Eventually, the guards let them in, with the papers Jesper had gotten forged for them.

Everyone else was dancing. Even Nina had gotten herself a dance partner, a real person, not waffles. Matthias would've had to be restrained if he saw how this man was looking at his girl.

Inej took a deep breath and looked at Kaz, "We should probably-"

"Of course," he knew what she was going to say. They needed to fit in and so they did. Dancing wasn't really Kaz's forte but it was hers.

He offered his gloved hand and he wished he could hold her soft hands again but he couldn't risk fainting in the middle of a heist and compromising it. He could try holding her hands again another time.

Kaz's other arm was loosely wrapped around her waist. Their faces a bit too close. Nina could've heard their heartbeats from a mile away. Even Inej wouldve heard Kaz's heart if she wasn't too focused on her own.

"Are you alright?" Inej whispered. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"I'll be alright. It's you. I'm alright because its you," Kaz was being honest. If it was anyone else, he wouldn't have been alright but it was Inej. He'll be alright. He was still wearing gloves anyways, there wasn't any skin-to-skin contact.

Maybe in another life, in another universe, they could've been in a ballroom as guests, dancing fully comfortable. Not on some heist trying to steal a one-of-a-kind painting worth millions of kruge. He could've held her hand and he would smile without a care. She wouldn't have to be cautious where her hand dropped and she could've rested her head on his shoulders. In another life but not this one. They were just thieves from Ketterdam trying to live better lives.

plus a random pic of them coz theyre so adorable-