#thwape

[juice-boxy]

Me being normal about Squiggles

[xdeath-by-poisonx]

Just a soft moment between two losers ♡♡

..•°♡°•..

The streets of Pentagram City were quieter than usual as Angel made his way back to the hotel, or maybe it was just that late. Val had insisted on reshooting that damned deep throat scene so many times that Angel had completely lost track of time, almost losing his voice in turn. He wrapped all four arms tightly around himself, dragging his feet down the cracked concrete before finally making it to the entrance of the large building. He was tired. So very tired. So much so, that if he still had his soul intact, even that would be fucking tired. 

Angel let out a heavy sigh and opened the door that led him into an all too quiet lobby. The only sound to be heard was the soft humming coming from the only person who was still awake at this hell-forsaken hour - the hotel’s bartender, Husk. Angel let out an exasperated groan as he flopped himself down onto one of the bar stools, his face promptly ‘thwaping’ down onto the wooden counter in front of him. 

“Heh, rough night?”

“Perfect. Best night evah.” Angel murmured into the counter, not moving.

“Hm.. sounds like you could use a drink.” 

The tired demon put up a very sarcastic thumbs up before slumping even further into his stool. Drink.. coke.. death.. whatever. Whatever would stop the constant loop of shit that came with being bound to someone like Val. Or at least make him forget about it for a little while. 

Angel heard a soft chuckle just before the all too familiar sound of liquid pouring into glass, the song Husk was softly humming still lingering on his lips. 

A fact that, for some reason, annoyed the ever living fuck out of Angel. What the fuck did he have to be so happy about anyways? 

“MUST you hum like that?” He growled, fingers coming to grip into his own hair. Hair that was covered in sweat and Satan knows what else. 

He could hear the subtle swish of fabric in response as Husk shrugged. “Humming clears the mind. I dig it.” 

“Well, I'm about to dig your grave in two fucking seconds, Husk, if you don't stop. Ya dig?” 

Angel knew he was taking out his bad mood on the bartender, but on nights like this - nights where he wished he could literally be anyone else - he rarely found himself to be good company. For anyone. Even with the soft spot he held for Husk. 

“Alright, alright. Tough guy.” Husk chuckled, sliding over his drink. “Here.” 

For the first time since Angel had taken his seat at the bar he lifted his head. A somewhat smug smirk dancing at the corner of Husk’s lips. 

“And just what the fuck are you so-”

He couldn't even finish his sentence once his eyes landed on the drink in front of him. The pink shimmering liquid and sweet aroma bringing a slight flush to the demon’s moonlit cheeks. 

“You.. ya remembered my favorite drink?” Angel’s voice was soft, cracking slightly as he looked up at Husk. 

“I'm a bartender, Ange, that's my job.”

“I mean, yah.. but.. thank you.” 

Husk shrugged, though the smile that shone within his eyes was far too prominent to hide. 

“Yeah, well.. looks like you had a rough night, as I said.” 

Angel nodded before taking a generous sip. The drink was expertly mixed and seemed to dance sweetly upon his tongue. 

“You got no idea.” He replied, giving Husk a lopsided smile. “Thanks.. for the drink, I mean.”

“Anytime.” The bartender paused before turning back to the glasses he had been cleaning earlier. “And if you ever wanna talk about your night..  anytime for that too.” 

He gave Angel a wink that only seemed to deepen the soft pink that speckled the demon's cheeks. 

“Alright, I ah.. might just take ya up on that sometime.” Angel replied, taking another deep sip of his drink before leaning back and smiling softly to himself. 

..•°♡°•..

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

A Recipe for Disaster (Chap. 5)

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4 | on AO3 here

Definitely leaning into the tried and true “Eddie falls first” trope with this one, friends :)

“...And he was in a closet?”

“With him, yes.”

Joyce pauses. “The wedding invitations have all been sent out, arrangements have been made…Does he have the makings of a King?”

“He’s young, but I’ve always believed in him.”

The two of them enter the gazebo on the palace grounds and Hopper stops Joyce for a moment. 

“Joyce, please, forget the wedding for a moment.” She turns to Hopper and gives him a confused look. “In a matter of weeks, you will no longer be Queen, and I will no longer be your head of security…I think it’s time to take our friendship out of the shadows.” He levels her with a look, hoping she’ll connect the dots.

She does. “Oh Jim..”

“Yes, my dear, I’d kneel if it wasn’t for my bum knee.” he guides them to one of the benches along the gazebo wall.

“There’s a wedding to be planned, Steve needs me to help him prepare for his coronation..all in less than a month.”

“At least think about it, please?”

She places a hand on his cheek “I will.”

------

Out on the plush green lawn near the palace, Steve let himself take a deep breath, the summer morning air felt amazing on his face. He took a moment while his archery instructor was finishing setting everything up to just soak it in and maybe get some of his tan and freckles back (He’d been inside way too much since the summer had started).

“Okay Your Highness, are you ready to begin?”

“Ready as I can be!” Steve answers cheerily. She returns his smile and gets down to business.

She shows him the proper form to take, his right hand being the one to pull back the arrow itself since it was his dominant, his left holding the bow.

“Damn, this always looks so much easier in the movies.” The bow is tight and it’s much more difficult than he’d thought to pull back the string as far back as he needs to.

“Always is, Your Highness.” His instructor answers his gripe. His shoulder is going to be sore tomorrow.

She leads him in a couple exercises before he even gets an arrow into the bow, but even by lunchtime, his second or third try with an arrow, all he’s done is shoot everywhere but the bullseye that’s been set up for him.

The first one fell directly in front of him, one shot off somewhere into the adjacent gardens (he found out later that that particular arrow speared an unsuspecting garden worker’s can of Coke from his lunch), one popped a wheel on the same gardner’s cart, another shattered one of the lamplights; once, the pull of the string felt super wonky when he pulled back and he and the bow veered off to the right where Dustin and Robin were watching, causing them to dive flat onto the grass to get out of his arrow’s path. He’d even elbowed his instructor directly in the chest when his sweaty fingers slipped off the string and flung it back directly into her.

The last try of the day ended up shooting off and spearing the tree directly behind one Lord Edmund, who’d come out to the garden with a journal like it was habit. He’d startled when it thwaped into the trunk behind him, turning to find out what had made the noise, then back to find Steve with those dark eyes of his. 

“Sorry!” Steve called, then soon after ended the practice session.

–

Along with continuing to practice with the bow for his coronation, Steve also had to get ready for the upcoming review of the palace guard.

He’d have to get comfortable on horseback, and then will have to be fitted later for his official guard-review outfit. First thing up was to meet with the stable master and meet his horse.

“Damn it stinks in here.” 

“Duh, Robin. It’s a barn.”

“I’m allowed to complain, Steve.”

“Good morning Your Highness, Madam Robin. I am Gustav.” The stable master greets them as they enter the huge barn doors.

“Good morning!”

“Are you ready to meet Sandy?” Gustav gestures toward the end of the row of stalls and starts forward in the same direction.

“Sandy?” Steve follows behind

“Yes, sir, she is the sweetest girl here! I’m sure you’ll love her.”

Gustav stops in front of the last stall on the right, and a huge head pops out of the space above the door. “Hey, pretty girl.” he coos at the mare who snuffles at the short hair on top of his head.

“Oh. My. God. She’s beautiful!”

“That she is Miss Robin.” Gustav smiles proudly “So, this is Sandy, she is a good four years old or so, terrified of snakes, loves sugar cubes.”

“Uh, hi Sandy.” Steve says nervously, still standing back a bit while Robin went right up to the door to pat Sandy’s neck. It’s not that he’s scared of horses per se, but he knows that they are much bigger than he is and knows to be wary. If that happens to be a bit more than others, that’s his business.

Sandy’s attention is pulled to Steve when he speaks and her ears perk up directly on top of her head and face forward toward his voice. He steps up slowly, his hand extended, palm up.

As soon as his hand is in her reach, she nuzzles her lips into his palm like she’s looking for something and snorts hot breath into it when she doesn’t find what she wants. It tickles a bit and Steve huffs out a nervous laugh as she turns her head away.

“You’re so spoiled; not everyone needs to give you snacks you know.” Gustav puts his palm out and Sandy immediately takes the sugar cubes from him. ”Have you ever ridden before, highness?”

“No, can’t say I have.” Steve speaks over Robin’s continued coo-ing to Sandy; her face buried into the horse’s neck, and Sandy chewing on the shirt on Robin’s shoulder in turn. “I’d like to though, she seems nice..”

“Would you like to today, or would you just like to just get comfortable around her?”

“Uhm, can we get her ready to ride so I can if I’m feeling ready for it?”

“No problem! Let me take you to grab her saddle. Sandy, don’t eat Madam Robin while we’re gone.”

Sandy turned her head to Gustav at the sound of her name, dragging Robin away from her door by the shirt with the movement which made Steve burst out laughing as he followed Gustav back toward the way they came in.

They turn into a small room just inside the barn entrance where the walls are covered in thick wooden pegs, each with a different saddle draped over them, and a plain saddle over a wooden stand in the middle of the room.

“Have you even been in a saddle?”

“Only on a carousel.”

“Hop up on this one here so I can make sure you’re comfortable, and if I need to pick a different style of saddle for you, I can.”

Steve straddles the fake horse and Robin comes in just as he smashes his junk on that part that sticks up on the front of the saddle. He keels over to the sound of Robin’s laughter.

“Feeling horny Steve?” She cackles “Get it? Cause that’s called a horn?”

“Is it now?” Steve clenches out through his teeth.

Gustav is definitely trying to hold back his own laughter “Besides making sure you avoid the horn next time, would you be comfortable in that style?”

Steve sits back up and seats himself into the saddle fully, it’s comfortable, and he’s surprised that it is. “Yeah, I think I’ll be good.”

Gustav nods and pulls a saddle from the wall and gestures his head for the two to follow him back to Sandy.

He throws the saddle over Sandy’s door and shows Steve how to put all her gear on so he can do it himself (“It helps you bond with her.” he shrugs.). Steve finds it soothing and after getting her ready to go, he is already eager to try riding.

For today, Gustav only leads Sandy around with Steve on her back just to get him used to it and will be leading him on a ride the next day. She is wider around than the fake horse in the saddle room so when they return to the barn, Steve actually feels a bit sore in the hips from extending them farther than he’s used to.

“I’ll take care of her things, Gustav, I want to have some time alone with her if that’s alright?”

“Of course highness, I’m sure she’ll be a great listener.” He gives Steve a wink and tells him he’ll be around, and to give him a shout if he needs anything.

Robin heads back to the palace herself, saying she’s had enough shit smell for the day and says “You better take like three showers before I see you next.”

Then, it’s just him and Sandy. She really was a great listener; he’d noticed that whenever he said anything while on her back, that she’d flick at least one of her ears backward in interest and wouldn’t put it forward again until Steve was done speaking. Now, her head lilts toward him too when he starts talking (complaining) about everything that’s happened to him.

About finding out he was a royal, about his asshole father and old asshole friends, about meeting Robin, tales about college, and (ugh) meeting Edmund.

“Like really, who does he think he is trying to take this from me. He doesn’t even know me and he and that father of his are acting like I’m the worst thing that could happen to Genovia.” Steve sighs in exasperation and continues, still brushing out Sandy's coat with the soft brush he’d found outside her door. “And the fact that he’s that handsome? It’s not even fair.”

Sandy blows out a breath and shakes her big head. 

“Yeah exactly! He’s the worst!” 

Sandy stomps the hoof furthest away from Steve’s own toes, as if to help accentuate his point.

“Thank you!” Steve throws up his hands and smiles. “Okay big girl, I think I’ve brushed you enough for today.” he moves up her side and up to her head, giving her a pat on her cheek. She looks at him intently, ears focused directly at him. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get you a snack, hang on.”

He unlatches Sandy’s door and re-latches it behind him, tossing her brush back in the bucket hanging outside the door where he’d found it before setting off to find where Gustav stashes the horse snacks. Rounding the corner out the door, he smacks into someone. Hard.

“Oh my god, I’m so sor_oh. It’s you.”

Edmund removes his hands from Steve’s shoulders where he’d grabbed ahold to keep him from falling, and rolls his eyes. “Is that all the greeting I get after you almost shoot me with a bow and arrow?”

Steve looks away and crosses his arms “I said I was sorry.” then mutters “Not like you wouldn’t have deserved it…” under his breath.

“What was that, highness?” Edmund actually turns his ear toward Steve and cups his hand around it, you know, like an ass.

“I said, ‘What are you even doing out here.’.” Steve lies

“Are the stables only for you all of a sudden?” Edmund says as he wheels himself around Steve and through the barn doors. 

Steve doesn’t know why he follows, but he does. “I didn’t say that. I was only curious.”

“I’m here to take Danny out for a ride.”

“Danny?”

“Yes, Danny. My horse.”

“You had your horse brought here?” They’ve stopped across the way from Sandy’s stall; inside is a jet black stallion with a gleaming coat. “Of course.” Steve says as he lays eyes on Danny.

“What’s ‘Of course.’?” Edmund unlatches Danny’s stall and steps in.

“He’s all black. That seems on-brand for you, is all.” Steve’s arms are crossed again, and he’s leaning in Danny’s doorway.

Eddie turns back and gives a curious look over Steve’s shoulder. Steve also turns to see what it is he’s looking at. Sandy is looking intently at the two of them from her stall (probably wondering why she still hadn’t gotten any cube shaped sugar yet). “What?”

“And that big girl over there with the sandy-brown hair isn’t on brand for you, big boy?” Eddie’s face cuts into a smile and Steve has a fleeting thought that this is a real, teasing smile. Not a condescending look for once. Steve’s so caught off-guard by the genuine smile (and nickname) that he doesn’t break out into a blush like he probably would’ve normally.

Choosing to ignore that for now, Steve says “Where are the sugar cubes?” 

Eddie looks surprised, like he’d fully expected to see a blush or something from Steve at the ‘big boy’ comment, but says “Uhm, they’re in the storage room next to where they keep all the saddles.”

“Thanks.”

–

Eddie watches Steve walk off to where he’d directed, and caught his mare’s gaze following him as he did.

“You really like him, don’tcha girl?” He says in her direction and sees the ear and eye closest to him turn in his direction briefly, before they both focus back the way Steve’d gone. “Yeah, me too.” He finishes quietly as Steve approaches her, hand full of sweets.

Danny snorts at him. 

“Shut up, you like Sandy.”

—-------

Two days later, Steve is fully comfortable on Sandy’s back and ready to take on the reviewing of the guard. The ceremony is to happen the following morning, broadcasted live to the citizens of Genovia, and despite his confidence in riding now, he’s nervous. He always is when it comes to the media, he knows how badly every little thing he does is picked apart both as it happens, and later on on further media re-coverage of the same story over and over again.

He’s trying to calm himself down by brushing out all of today’s dust from Sandy’s coat when he’s interrupted. He had been methodically going through the motions and calming his mind, Sandy munching on some oats he’d hung up for her by the door when her lifting her head from the bag and focusing intently on the doorway, snaps him out of it.

“What’s wrong, girl?”

Her ear twitches back to him briefly then towards the barn doors again in response. Soon enough, the sound of footsteps crunching through the dirt floor can be heard by Steve’s ears too. Before he can call out, Edmund’s stupid handsome face and his mop of wild and unruly hair is filling the space above Sandy’s door.

“Oh, it’s just you.” Steve gives Sandy a pat as he walks toward Edmund, exiting through her door and closing it behind him.

“So it seems.”

“What do you want, Edmund?”

“Well, I came to make sure Danny got his fill of snacks before heading to bed and saw that Sandy’s light was on. So I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

“How did I just now put together that their names are Sandy and Danny..that’s just perfect.” Steve grumbles to himself as he brushes past Edmund, heading in for the night.

“Can I give you some last minute advice?” He calls to Steve before he can get too far.

Steve turns and puts his hands on his hips, giving a quick motion for Edmund to continue.

“If she should get spooked, try talking her down. She really seems to like you, and will probably calm down with just that.” Eddie absentmindedly reaches for and rubs Sandy’s soft muzzle. She seems to like it too, the traitor.

“Anything else?”

“If that doesn’t work, you might want to just let her run. She’ll most likely just run herself somewhere she feels safe or just run until she tires herself out.”

Somewhat surprised that Eddie’s actually being helpful, Steve gives him an owlish look and a soft “Thanks. Though unless there’s an outbreak of snakes during the ceremony, I think she’ll be fine.” He gives Eddie a small smile.

He gets a similar smile and nod in return before Eddie goes to Danny’s stall like he’d said.

Sandy’s still staring after Eddie when Steve turns back to head into the palace.

—-

Taking his place along the viewing line for the reviewing of the guard, Eddie realizes who it was that he’d been shuffled in next to. None other than Steve’s fiancé, that lady friend of his that he’s always got around, and Dustin. The latter-most of whom gives Eddie a small wave behind the backs of the two women, Eddie gives him a quick wink.

Deciding to be Mr. Nice Guy, he introduces himself to the other two. “I’m Eddie. Viscount Muñoz’s son.” he sticks out his hand to the fiancé, standing directly to his right.

“Ah, the delightful man who’s trying to stage a palace coup.” She grasps his hand in a surprisingly firm handshake from how small her hand is in his. “Nancy Wheeler. Nice to meet you.” She releases his hand and stares pointedly forward, ending any further conversation.

He’s stunned into silence for a moment but before he can recover and retrieve his hand from in front of the admittedly scary woman, Steve’s right hand man leans around the princess and takes it (in another surprisingly firm handshake), “Robin Buckley, official best friend of future King. I don’t like you.” Then again, just as quickly, his hand is empty and he’s grasping at nothing.

“Pleasure.” He puts his hand down with the other, folding them in front of him and waits patiently for Steve to appear, which he does soon after the exchange.

“Hear ye, hear ye, Prince Stephan Artur Harrington-Renaldi reviews the Royal Guard of Genovia.”

If the fleeting glimpse Eddie’d gotten of Steve in his uniform he’d happened to catch on his way out to the grounds was enough to affect him, the sight of him coming down the path on Sandy, tall, proud, strong jaw set, and hair swept back under that cap of his (in addition to the movement of his hips in the saddle as Sandy strutted between the rows of guards) definitely did.

Steve never served officially in Genovia’s military, but as the future de facto leader of their troops, he was outfitted for a commander’s uniform. And Eddie wants to kiss whoever it was that fitted it to him.

His already broad shoulders were made broader by the pauldrons set atop them, and the slim curve of his waist made abundantly clear by how the double-looped gilded rope that hung around his shoulder swayed back and forth in the space between his inner elbow and his side. The gray-ish blue hue of the jacket really set off the golden auburn tones in Steve’s hair and skin..and he shone. He shone, and Eddie wanted to melt in his light forever.

The still-respectful volume of the whispers around him from the other invited guests at the sight of their future king grated on Eddie immensely. How dare they gawk at what is his, what will be his..what he wants to be his? Fuck, Eddie needs Steve, he needs to just be near him, whatever it takes. Just being in his orbit for this month alone will be enough if he will never get anything more.

He does want more. How can he prove himself, how can he fix this? How would Steve ever lo_Eddie’s thoughts are cut off by a worried shriek coming from someone across from him; He looks for who made it, but everyone over there is wearing looks of panic.

His eyes flash immediately back to Steve, only a fraction of a second passing before he’s moving. Hopping over the rope barrier at the same time Dustin puts himself in front of Robin and Nancy.

Sandy did get spooked, she was freaking out and the panicked look on Steve’s face got Eddie to him in no time at all, arms out and cooing to the mare to try and calm her down. Hopper was on Sandy’s other side, also trying to calm the horse. He glanced at Eddie once, and moved to try and help Steve down out of the saddle. 

Steve seemed to be trying what Eddie’d told him the night before, trying his best to make any words at all, but all that was coming out was soft, panicked sounding nonsense. Steve must’ve seen the other two approach from the corner of his eye, and locked eyes with Eddie first, “Eddie? Wha_”

“Your highness! I’m here, I’m_” Steve whirled his head to Hopper, whose hand was reached up to help him, then Sandy was taking off, sending Steve’s cap flying.

She bolted down the remainder of the path with Steve hunched down close to her back. Sandy leapt over a low hedge and immediately turned toward the stables. Without thinking, Eddie tore off after them, bending low to grab Steve’s hat as he passed it.

–

“Stupid, stupid, stupid…how are they ever going to think you can lead this country when you can’t even control your own horse?” Eddie can hear Steve’s grumbling to himself. He’s sitting amongst the saddles when Eddie finds him, elbows on knees, head in hands, and rocking back and forth slightly where he’s sitting.

“You shouldn’t hide,” his voice startled Steve, who looked up at him with shining eyes. “It will only make them talk more.” He holds out Steve’s cap to him, the white top scuffed and covered in dust.

Steve looks at the cap and takes it, grabbing the brim in both hands and worrying it back and forth between them; elbows back on knees and the rocking motion even smaller still, but there nonetheless.

He mutters something under his breath that Eddie can’t quite catch.

“I’m sorry?” 

Steve bolts up from his seat, standing tall with shoulders back and fire in his eyes. “You knew. Didn’t you.” It’s not a question.

Eddie is flabbergasted. “What?” He can barely recognize the small voice that comes out of him.

Steve takes a single step forward in the small room and hovers his face close to Eddie’s. He’s normally the taller one, but in the riding boots he now wears, Steve’s got a couple inches on him and it makes Eddie want to shrink down into nothing.

“You. Knew.” a single tear cuts through the dust that Eddie didn’t even realize was on Steve’s face. Eddie has the overwhelming urge to reach out and wipe it away, to clean all the dirt from his face, but keeps his hands clenched at his sides. “You knew something was going to spook her, that’s why you told me what to do if it happens.” 

Eddie can feel his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish at the accusation “Steve, I didn’t, I_”

Steve shakes his head to stop him from speaking “Take a good look, asshole.” Steve steps back and spreads his arms wide, inviting Eddie’s gaze. Another tear falls down his cheek. “I told you I would not let you ruin me, and yet here I am feeling shit about myself. So you won. You broke me. Happy?”

“Steve_”

“Your Highness, excuse me. The queen has arrived.” Hopper cuts him off.

Steve drops his arms and releases a long breath. He wipes his eyes and schools his features as he brushes past Eddie and Hopper out the door.

Eddie moves to follow him when Hopper’s large palm on his chest stops him.

“Edmund, am I going to be disappointed in you?” Ah, so Hopper thinks he’s got something to do with this.

“Unfortunate incident, that.” his father interrupts, coming into the room with a sly smile on his face before Eddie can eek out a single syllable to Hopper. “I was just leaving, you gonna come see me off?” He directs the last at Eddie, turning for him to follow back out the stable doors.

Hopper’s hand rests on Eddie’s shoulder before he can follow his father, “I would like to speak to your father alone please, Edmund.”

Eddie looks between the two men, his father having turned back and Hopper’s face blank and stony. 

‘Yep, not getting between this.’ he thinks, then skirts himself out the door and around the corner. He may not want to be in the room, but he’s definitely going to stick around to hear.

“Viscount, you may not be aware of what my job entails as the Royal Head of Security. My job is to protect the crown, make sure no harm comes to the crown. To...step in when someone toys with the crown’s emotions, you see.” Eddie feels the color drain away from his face at that last one, Hopper is definitely directing that at him isn’t he?

“I think the whole country is aware of how well you cater to the crown’s emotions.” His father shoots back.

There’s a thick pause then Hopper’s gravelly voice continues. “If you hurt my son, you will answer directly to me. And whatever crimes I commit against you, remember, I have diplomatic immunity in 46 countries. Including Puerto Rico.”

“Sir, I think you’ll find that the word ‘fear’ is not in my vocabulary.” Eddie can so clearly see his father’s face in his mind as he says that, his face would be reddening in anger and doing it’s best to be intimidating (it never works).

“Perhaps not. But it’s in your eyes.” Hopper is done with the conversation. “You forgot something.”

Eddie straightens himself up outside the door, forgetting that he really shouldn’t have been listening in the first place. Hopper pays him no mind, but gives him a short pat on the shoulder. His father exits soon after, something dangling from his shoulder.

It’s a snake. A fake rubber snake. Eddie can’t take his eyes off it. It was him. It was his own father that caused Sandy to get scared. How? He didn’t know; and he was sure that the Viscount wouldn’t tell.

“He could have gotten seriously hurt.” he registers that he’d cut off something his father was saying.

“Excuse me?”

Eddie’s still staring at the toy “You could have seriously hurt Steve. What were you thinking?!” He’s pissed now.

“Oh come off it, you going soft on me boy?” His father takes the toy off his shoulder and tucks it into his jacket pocket as he stomps away from the stables.

Eddie decides then and there he’s done with the man who helped create him. He’ll play double agent if he needs to, but from this moment on, Steve is his first priority.

–

Later that same night, Steve returns to the stables to check in on Sandy.

He’d managed to take off all her gear when she ran them back to the stables, leaving it all draped over her stall door for him to take care of later..only to find her gear gone when he approached; all of it put up where it needed to be, Sandy was brushed, dozing, with something clipped to her mane.

It was a note. In slanted scrawl, it read: “She’s feeling much better now, I hope you are too. -E ”

Pt. 6 here!

Tagging all my lovelies~!: @henderdads @resident-gay-bitch @livewondrousss @sadcanadianwinter @sidebarre @steveshairychest @potentialheartofdarkness @steddieasitgoes @mightbeasleep @princessstevemunson @totallybitchin 

[elvesandlanterns]

Ghost Helpline part 7

“What exactly did she say?”

“I’m telling you bats she just went ‘Questions cost extra’ and then the two of them just disappeared into thin air!!” Arsenal couldn’t fucking believe this, they had been talking in circles for five minutes. The girl left Roy feeling off balance, she creeped him out. There he said it she creeped him the fuck out! A part of him was so unsettled by her all he wanted to do was shoot both those fuckers and be done with it. Then he pushed that unpleasantness down and looked again. All he saw was a tired tired kid. Had he ever been that tired as Speedy? Now he was pushing all those feelings down again because now he didn’t want to kill her or sympathize with her, he guessed some part of being a father had made him weak, now all he wanted were answers!!

Tim was begging to grow worried for Bruce Batman. It was clear to Tim that he was spiraling, understandably, all security forage in the watchtower had come up as static. Glitching widely, the best picture they could capture was of the floor covered in fire Konstelacios metallic boots in the corner. There were no leads; no ancient murals, crumbling statues or off handed anecdotes in a dead man’s journal. Nothing. And according to the team on dragon watch duty there were possibly even more threatening players involved. A group of people strong enough to take down a villain that thwaped Superman like a fly. It was unnerving for Tim, which only meant it must be driving Bruce Batman up a wall. Tim worried.

—- — —-

Konstelacio arrived at Masters Manor with her friend approximately 10 minutes later. A headache forming in between her ears and a sigh escaping her.

All of her brothers ran about packing their things, “See I told you she’d be back! She’s fine.” Konstelacio didn’t bother to check which one of them had spoken, it hardly mattered.

“I’m heading down to the lab, I need to use the portal.” No one answered as she took Aragons hand and descended the steps.

“Whelp, time to face the music buddy.” She pouted, listening to Uncle Dans lecture was going to be a pain.

—— — — —-

Booster came back three days after the meeting, a whole day and a half before Captain Marvel, with a massive concussion .It was a mistake.

[gamergirl929]

I find it funny how Jey is mad about being kicked by Jimmy, but not about Roman thwaping him upside the head all the time.

[thehauntedair]

Day 9: Stars

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Fate lays on her back in the center of a field of flowers. They are yellow, like the sun. She threads her fingers together like they are pieces of string, and she rests them on her chest as she stares up into the night.

“Why?” She asks the stars.

They do not answer.

This is the first time in a long while that they have had the chance to talk.

“Why?” She repeats. “Why this story? Why break everything?”

The stars do not reply.

An owl settles on a nearby branch. She resists the urge to pluck one of those yellow flowers out of the earth.

“Dandelions”, says Time, from behind her. “They are my favorite.”

He settles beside her and tugs one up, roots and all, and twirls it between his fingers.

“Why?” She says again, facing him, this time.

“They are incredibly resilient. They will grow anywhere, regardless of suitability, and make any place they are in beautiful. When they grow old, they turn white, and become made of wishes. And the new ones grow as a result of the wishes of the old.”

He twirls it again.

“They remind me of you.”

She scowls.

“You’re a horrible romantic.”

“I’ve had plenty of time to become so.”

“I want to thwap you. I am resisting thwaping you only because you are very attractive and I love you.”

“Very kind of you.”

“Isn’t it just?”

She stares up at the stars again. They glitter at her menacingly.

“Stars can’t be menacing.” She says to herself. “They’re big balls of gas in space.”

Time laughs.

“And what are we?”

“You don’t want me to answer that.”

“Oh well now I most especially do.”

“Ah forget it, the joke was no good.”

He hums, and pulls her head gently into his lap.

“I like the pink, you know.”

“Really? Thought it might be a bit much for you.”

“Oh, no, it’s wonderful. Bright. Like you.”

She grins, unable to help herself. He strokes her hair, gently. She closes her eyes for a moment, letting herself feel it, linger in it, before returning her gaze to the stars.

She sighs.

“Why?” She asks again. The stars only wink at her.

“You’re crying,” Time remarks, brushing a tear from her cheek.

“I’m not.”

“You are. Why are you crying?”

“Because you picked the stupid flower. I knew you would.”

“No, I don’t think so.”

“Can’t you just trust me?”

He looks at her, eyes to eyes, wonder to wonder.

“With my life. With both of our lives. With the world and everyone in it. But to tell the truth? About your feelings? No.”

“You know,” she chuckles, “that’s very fair. Thank you for knowing me.”

“Thank you for letting me know you. Why are you crying, really?”

“That harbor was my home. Not fate’s home, Mirabel’s, but still. It was my home. Born there, grew up there. Did everything to save it, to open the doors, to bring people in. I loved it, and now it’s gone. I miss it.”

“Oh.” Says Time. It is clear he was not expecting this. “But wasn’t it-“

She sighs. “Yes. But I don’t have to like it, do I?”

Time stares up at the stars.

“Why?” He asks them.

They smile back

And wink.

[ladyantiheroine]

I would wear flip-flops more if the thwaping sound they made against my feet sounded more like Squidward walking.

[anxiouslyfred]

Wanting Draglins

For @sanders-sides-a-spec-week day 1 prompt of dragons

Summary: Patton just wants some kids, some draglins to look after and raise for himself, and for Logan to understand why his suggestions for the easiest route to getting them is something he infintely does not want.

Author's Note: I did mean to write more for this, but forgot it was today until it was getting late so well, here's what we get.

/\/\

“I know both our parents very much left us to learn how to survive as soon as we could get our own food, but I'm telling you Logan, when I get my own draglins, I'll make sure they get all the support and protection they need for as long as they want it. They'll always be able to come to me for advise and help.” Patton was stating, arguing, Logan assumed with the observations he'd just made over how differently the human creatures treated their young compared to dragons.

He shook his head regardless. “For one, I was making observations about our people as a whole, in comparison to these humans as a whole, and expressing my confusion over human's endless need for company or community. For two, just where are you going to get draglins from Patton? You dismiss anyone who has flirted with you and the two attempts that someone has made to mate with you, which I will note is the only way for you to get draglins naturally, you've been so disgusted that you refuse to be on the same continent as them.”

Patton's tail thwaped around at them in annoyance. “That's not the only way, and you already promised that I can help raise your draglins if you ever, and I quote, 'experience the urge to copulate with someone for whom procreation can occur'. Given the amount of quests and attacks these human creatures are leading against us, I shall be the best surrogate father any draglin could have.” He huffed out smoke, one of his wings flaring out to gesture at the crowd of humans stalking around the bottom of the mountain the pair were on currently.

“If you desire that to be your route to family, of course I support you and do not retract my offer for you to aid in raising any young I might have. I merely fail to understand why a dragon so desiring of family denies what is both pleasurable and the simplest method to forming a family genetically close.” Logan acquiesed.

“Because I don't find it pleasurable, nor do I desire that. Cuddles are all I need for occasional physical comfort.” Patton stated. “Romance and sex are simply not for me.”

Logan huffed, a couple of smoke rings drifting from his snout. “Yet you only dream of the family that sex should be a fundamental part of acquiring.”

“I'm sure we have a few friends that can I explain to you why the world and who we are doesn't have to run on logic and rational solutions all the time. Roman was only a country away, last I heard.” Patton wriggled more comfortably into the rocky ledge he'd claimed, glancing over the valley again. “We both know that no matter how much I explain my feelings on the subject you will continue to struggle to understand, however much you try to accept it as my decision.”

“That is true.” He agreed, “Besides you're also right that I've agreed to visit Roman while we're in similar areas, so I best be off.”

[raventroll80]

Is it just me or is every chunk in bedrock Minecraft a slime chunk. Every time I go underground there’s 15 medium to large slimes thwaping their way towards me

[nebulainatree]

Dear Splatana Wiper user,

No, you can't spawn camp an Octobrush by standing right next to me. Your tiny little window wiper's stupid thwap-thwaping is nothing like the strong strokes of an Octobrush. You're pathetic and weak compared to me. Now perish.

[isleofancients]

they feel better with him in their arms, and help him snuggle under their wings, tail thwaping silently. their sockets open just long enough for teal eyelights to meet his pretty lavender ones, and they nod wordlessly in response to his unspoken declaration of 'rest day,' before closing them again, and just snuggling.

they don't sleep, not right away. while Rasse does need to rest more, he's resting now, so they'll save that thought for later. they just... enjoy the closeness of Magnus in their arms, and Rasse curled around both of them. it feels right in a way they don't feel a need to question. this is right where they want to be.

as they do start to finally drift towards sleep, they lift their gaze one more time, regarding the slumbering ink softly...

...and fall asleep, soon after.

From where you rest you can tell that Rasse seems even paler than usual, that the air around him subtly shifts and warps, faint scratches mar his skin and if you breathe deeply...

You can catch the slightest hint of whale-fall rot, buried deep under the smell of vanilla and sugar soap. And even that itself is smothered by a heavily applied dose of something autumnal and cinnamon, like he broke an entire bottle of perfume over his head and maybe chugged some for good measure.

...Magnus' nose is wrinkled as he shoves his face in your feathers, hiding in your matesmell and letting it lull him to sleep.

[drmonkeysetroscans]

Thwaping off.

[countesspetofi]

BATMAN S02E01, "Shoot a Crooked Arrow" Original air date: Sep 7, 1966

[baby-prophet]

my grandma really just was like

[skellebonez]

Hello, hope you're doing well! I came here wondering if you could write more FreeNoodles? Perhaps with 26 and/or 44?

I'm doing pretty ok at the moment! I definitely wanted to write some more soft and sweet FreeNoodles tonight because of some stuff I'll be posted in the coming days, as well as wanting to get something nice and simple out because I have something big happening tomorrow. Warning: it's schmoopy. Like. Just pure schmoop and fluff. You may get cavities.

You don’t hate me./Why are you still awake?

"Tang, what in the world are you doing?" Pigsy muttered softly, just barely peaking his head out from the covers of their bed. "It's..." He frowned, narrowing his gaze at the bedside clock he could see from around his husband's form. "Tang it is 3 in the morning."

"I know, Pigsy, I'm sorry..." Tang muttered softly, looking more than a little bit embarrassed about being caught.

"You don't gotta be sorry, but... Why are you still awake?" The demon asked as he sat up, ignoring Tang's tired and soft protests that he should go back to sleep. "I know you couldn't have gone to sleep, you were still on your tablet when I went to bed, so don't even try to tell me you got any rest."

The scholar pouted dramatically at being called out, lowering his screen to provide dim lighting to both of them rather than just to his own face. Pigsy was right on the money, the other man hadn't gotten any sleep at all. Not in the 4 hours since they had come back to bed.

"I just..." Tang groaned, pulling off his glasses to massage his tired eyes. "Xiaotian's been stressed ever since the festival and I wanted to get as much work done this week as I can so I could... I dunno, just spend time with him? He's been training even more and when he isn't in the shop between orders I barely get to see him, his training day is the only day the shop is closed and I don't want to have work come up to distract me again and I'm pretty sure I made Sun Wukong uncomfortable the last time we interacted so asking to spend time with both of them is completely out of the question and..." He trailed off, shaking his head with a sigh and laying back. "I'm overthinking this aren't I?"

"Yes," Pigsy said plainly, reaching over Tang to grab his tablet and turn the screen off, confiscating it to his side of the bed (knowing Tang could just reach over and grab it anyway). "You are. I'm sure if you asked him to spend an afternoon with you he'd probably be more than happy to talk your ear off about his training." He smirked, flopping himself lengthwise over Tang and smirking at the "OOF" of surprise it got him. "Now go to sleep. I ain't gettin up until you sleep."

"I can't sleep with you crushing my spleen," Tang said, attempting to sound angry but only managing to laugh out with a wheeze before closing his eyes as Pigsy relented and only laid his arm over him. "Alright I'll sleep."

"Good, My Bookworm," Pigsy said with another smirk in a low teasing tone, laughing when Tang's eyes slowly opened and glowered at him.

"Pigsy no," he said flatly, which only made Pigsy laugh even harder. "No, I know what you're doing. You only do the nicknames and that voice for one reason. Do not-"

"My Freeloader." He kissed Tang's cheek.

"Stop it." Tang's glower intensified.

"Sugar." Pigsy continued, smirking as Tang's shoulders pulled up. He only did that when he blushed.

"Noooooo," Tang groaned, attempting to hide his face in the covers and pull away. Pigsy was too strong for him to roll away.

"Specs."

"Pigsy this is revenge for all the times I called you Piggy in front of Xiaotian isn't it?" Tang fake sobbed. Pigsy smirked wider. For someone who flirted by teasing him and freeloading, Tang was incredibly easily flustered by being barraged by nicknames. Even ones as simple and seemingly un-romantic as "Freeloader". One he could handle, 3 or more in a row in the tone of voice Pigsy was using and he was a blushing flustered mess even in the dark.

"Maybe, Tangy," Pigsy smirked even wider as Tang yelled softly into his hands, knowing he has accomplished his goal before pulling him into a hug. It wasn't exactly revenge for his own nickname... but revenge for Tang keeping himself awake was as good an excuse as any to do this.

"I hate you," Tang grumbled out into his hands.

"No you don't," Pigsy rebutted, tucking his husband's head under his chin (something they didn't normally do, Tang was usually in this position but tonight Pigsy wanted to help him sleep faster and this was the best way he knew) and purring softly.

"... No I don't..." Tang agreed after a moment, pulling his hands away from his face to wrap around Pigsy's shoulders before chuckling. "I don't hate that either..."

"So you love it, eh?" Pigsy teased, laughing when Tang thwaped his shoulder gently.

"No, but I love you," the scholar said softly, kissing Pigsy's shoulder awkwardly since he couldn't reach his face.\

"I love you too, Tangy," Pigsy said softly, without the teasing tone this time, and his kissed the top of his head and continued to purr long into the night well after they both finally fell asleep.

[acklesology]

oops sorry! this one 🌹

Castiel leaned against the chain link fence of the batting cage, ignoring the deep hexagonal pattern digging into his ribs. The hissing whirl of the pitching machine, the metal ting! of the bat, and the muted thump of the ball into the tarp played like a symphony into the humid summer sky.

“Your back knee is twisting,” Castiel called out as another baseball thwaped into the canvas tarp.

“Like hell it is,” Dean huffed as he swung the bat in Castiel’s general direction like a weapon instead of sporting equipment.

send me a 🌹 for a sentence (or two!) from a wip