#we will dig into that later

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve and Gareth as Cousins, no longer a warm-up and now called Lifelines, part three! I’ll throw it up on A03 when I finish the fourth part. 

Prior parts can be read here: Part One / Part Two 

First things first, the most amazing @ sereinpetrichor managed to track down the OG Twitter thread this runaway train is based off of! 

It was this thread by @gatorthots, the Tumblr version of which can be read, here.  All blame for this idea firmly rests on their brilliant, plot bunny inducing shoulders. 

The other, follow up thread I mentioned was this one by Silas, whose tumblr name I do not know. 

As always and forever, shout out to the most amazing @chalkysgarbagefire​ who helps me edit/plot/pats my head while I’m crying in their inbox bc the words aren’t wording right. 

Warnings: Steve and Robin are canon (S3) drugged. I took a slightly (kinda sorta) more realistic approach. Vomit mention, canon threat of violence/guns (the Russian guards) Mention of pantsing/past bullying, Steve and Robin’s drugged asses not understanding personal space, Dustin’s canon...Im gonna go with assholishness? but like, I think its more than he’s a young kid and doesn't quite have the emotional growth/awareness yet in this kind of insane situation to know how to react to the whole address/torture bit (really who does)/its a defense mechanism--and Gareth sort of has a panic attack. 

Whatever the hell they had been drugged with, Steve and Robin went from 'giggly happy fun time' to 'vomiting into toilet bowls while loudly wishing for death’ awfully fast. 

Gareth was not an expert on drugs. He knew Eddie wasn't either (the guy never dealt anything stronger than your average psychedelic--had some agreement with his Uncle about only selling "the 70s basics") and repeated looks towards him proved Eddie was still trying to figure out what Steve and Robin were on. 

Answers hadn't exactly been forthcoming--Eddie's gently made attempts at ferreting out information had only caused more confusion.

Like why the two of them were so freaked out about a gate, or what had made Robin gasp, and then laugh so hard she cried when Steve had made a particularly rough noise then muttered; "Even that sounds better than Tammy Thompson." 

Either way, Gareth was mostly trying to figure out what the hell they were going to do, because sobering up in a busy, public mall wasn't exactly the best idea. 

"I regret," Robin tried to say, in-between gagging. "I regret--hrk--" 

"Me too." Steve moaned, head resting against the stall wall. Gareth, still caught up in panic, had been permanently regulated to door guard while Eddie alternated between sweet talking, rubbing backs and offering quietly whispered advice. 

"Let's go back in time and ignore the whole silver cat thing." Robin continued, slumping back down onto the floor. 

"Wouldn't have mattered." Steve muttered. "Dustin would have figured it out without us. Kid’s too damn smart." 

"So?" Robin grumbled, quietly thanking Eddie as he once again brushed her hair out of her face. 

"So he would have gone down there anyway, which means I'd be down there anyway." Steve concluded. "We shouldn't have gotten you involved though." 

He shakily pushed himself up, staggering to his feet and looking like bambi on ice while doing it. 

Eddie quickly came round to offer his help, hands spread as Steve groaned out a curse and clutched his head.  

The older took a step forward right as Steve lurched back, unbalanced and shaky. 

 "Oh shit." He said, eyes wide as he crashed backwards into Eddie, the latter catching him with a grunt. 

Despite the entire situation, Gareth found himself stifling a laugh as Eddie wrapped his noodle arms around Steve's chest, trying to hold the other up without falling himself. 

"Come on big boy, why don't we just siiiit back down." Eddie said, slightly breathless as he helped guide Steve back to the floor. "There we go…"

They did so outside the bathroom stall, Eddie sinking into a kneel as Steve sort of flopped down on top of him. 

Blinked a few times, like the drop had rattled what little sense he’d managed to recover in the last few minutes. 

A pleased noise came out of his cousin's throat, and holy shit was Gareth going to have blackmail for life, because rather than vacate Eddie's lap, Steve just turned around in it. 

Reached up with one finger outstretched and proved himself to be very much still under the influence as he touched Eddie's nose.

"Boop!" He said, and then giggled as Eddie dropped onto his ass in surprise. 

Gareth watched Robin as she took the whole thing in, from Steve's snickers to Eddie's shocked expression, eyes growing wide in excitement. 

He failed entirely to cover his own amusement when Eddie abruptly found himself with two sailors invading his personal space, each taking turns to boop his nose. 

“Uh.” He managed to get out, blinking rapidly and at a loss for words. “Ah.” 

Steve caught the metalhead’s awkward, red-faced expression and proceeded to drop his head to Eddie's shoulder, muffling his laughter against the man's vest. 

The helpless look his best friend sent him was one Gareth would remember for a long time. 

“O-kay.” Eddie said, frazzled, as Steve recovered far too quickly, turning to rest his cheek against a slim shoulder as he walked two fingers up Eddie’s battle vest and towards his hair. Likewise, Robin had discovered Eddie’s wallet chain, and had begun fiddling with it. 

One finger curled around a strand of brown hair and Eddie jerked his head, removing the tempting piece away from Steve’s hands. 

“I know you’re used to getting whatever you want, your highness.” He said, his own hand smacking against his waist before Robin figured out the other end of his chain ended in a handcuff, “But you of all people should know the hair is off limits.” 

Completely undeterred, Steve just gave him a loose, easy grin. “It’s so pretty though.” He complained, fluttering his eyelashes in a blatant attempt to try and turn on the ol’ Harrington charm.  “You can touch mine if you want.” 

Yeah, Gareth’s blackmail was getting better by the second. 

He might even get a new piece for his drum kit out of it, if this kept up. 

Free weed too, considering Eddie’s blush was now fire-engine red. 

“Man,” Eddie said in a clear bid to deflect the entire situation (and Steve’s fingers) away from his hair, “the last time someone called me pretty was right before I got pantsed—-is Tommy H hiding in one of the stalls again?” 

Steve picked his head up, confusion crashing down his face. 

“Did he do that?” He asked. 

Then, with growing horror; “Do you think I’d do that?” 

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that your whole little court’s M.O.?” 

Steve sucked in a breath, looking downright hurt. "I wouldn’t do that." He insisted, eyes wheeling from Eddie to Gareth and back, as though hoping Gareth would back him up. 

“I’m not--I’m not friends with Tommy anymore.” Steve continued, voice growing smaller as he spoke. “I’m not friends with anybody anymore, except maybe Dustin.” 

It sounded so defeated; trodden on and subdued that Gareth stepped forward automatically, to do--something. 

Provide the fucking comfort his cousin was oft denied and hug the guy. 

As always, it turned out to be the wrong move. 

"Oh thank god." A kid said, seconds after bulldozing through the main door and nearly bowling Gareth over in the process. "I found them!" He shouted over his shoulder as swept into the room. 

“Speak of the devil.” Steve said flatly, and even drugged, he managed to pull himself back together from distressed to stoic in mere seconds. 

The curly-haired kid--Dustin apparently--stormed right up to the pile of humans splayed on the floor, hands on his hips. "What the hell. We told you two to stay put!" 

Steve rolled his eyes as Robin booed him. 

“Have you forgotten what’s happening? Or how we’re kinda in a Red Dawn situation?” Dustin continued, looking like he’d just escaped from a summer camp. 

The kid even had a walkie talkie clutched in one hand, of all things. 

“We know.” Steve and Robin deadpanned at once, before looking at each other; Steve pointing a finger towards Robin and Robin pointing one back. 

This caused the kids to trade their own long suffering, “can you believe this shit” faces. 

"We need to go, and the only way we’re gonna get out of here unnoticed is if we blend in with the crowd." Dustin said impatiently.  “Now come on Steve, get up already, you've had worse.”

"I really don't think I have." Steve muttered, but moved to push himself to his feet anyway. 

Eddie beat him to it, and he and Gareth both hovered nearby in case Steve was still unsteady. 

Thankfully, the kids' presence seemed to sober up Robin and Steve both. 

Not actually sober, that wasn't how drugs worked, but whatever was left of the fun was sucked right out of the bathroom, replaced by two teenagers who were sort of functional on whatever they'd been drugged with. 

Stress and adrenaline, Gareth knew, could overcome a lot of things. Including Russian "truth serum" apparently. 

“Yeah well you're lucky you got found by these guys and not anyone else. " Dustin continued pointedly, before turning his attention towards Gareth and Eddie both. "Thanks for watching our friends, but we've got them from here." 

Gareth made a sort of unhinged, disbelieving noise. 

 “No, no you do not.” He declared, anxiety clawing at his gut at the mere thought of abandoning Steve to two children. 

"I don't think you heard him." The girl stepped forward, braids swinging about her face as she lifted her chin and nailed him with a cold glare. 

 As if this entire situation couldn’t possibly get weirder, Gareth suddenly realized she had a helmet in her hands and knee pads on.

 "He said we got this. So scram." She flicked her fingers out in a dismissive sort of "shoo" gesture.

"And leave my drugged cousin with his new girlfriend behind!?" Gareth challenged right back, emotions far too raw and frayed to care he was snarling at a little girl. "I don’t think so!”

"Cousin!?" Dustin bit out, sounding almost betrayed for some reason, at the same time Robin who'd been climbing to her feet with Eddie’s help, shouted; "I am not his girlfriend!" 

Steve, clearly unwilling to entertain whatever fight was brewing, clapped his hands together. 

"Yes cousin, Dustin. It's a type of family member." Steve said, after they all flinched and looked to him. He at least looked steadier on his feet this time, though Gareth still lingered nearby in case he took a wrong step. 

"I know what a cousin is, Steve!" Dustin shot back. 

“Then why are you acting like a lunatic?” Steve complained, and Gareth got to watch in real time as Steve pulled on the persona he often wore in high school down around him. “You said it yourself, we don’t have a lot of time. Worse, I don't know if anyone saw Gareth and Munson here with us.” 

He jerked a thumb sideways in Eddie’s direction, not that anyone couldn’t figure out who “Munson” was. 

“They stay with us until we’re out of this mall.” Steve finished, before he started towards the door.

One step he was Gareth’s cousin, drugged and vulnerable because of it. 

The next he stood taller, talked smoother, took charge with an aurora that said he expected everyone to listen to him. 

It was fake as hell, but it worked. 

“I know you’ve got a plan Dustin, so spill it.” He commanded as he walked.  

 Dustin, despite all the squawking, did just that. 

xXx 

Of all the things Gareth had expected to see upon escorting their little ragtag crew out of the bathroom, groups of intimidating, mean looking assholes wasn’t on the list. 

He found himself repeatedly nudging Eddie in the ribs, unable to take his eyes off what was clearly a checkpoint as he staggered to a halt. 

It was one thing to be told people were after Steve and the “Scoop’s Troop” As Robin had jokingly named them. 

It was another entirely to see the security guard directly in front of him look over a woman’s ID before apologizing to her, a sleazy grin matching his oily pony-tail as he waved her on. 

They really were looking for someone. 

Not someone, Gareth realized in dawning horror.

Them. 

Robin apparently, came to the same conclusion seconds later, because she snatched Steve and Dustin’s arms both, hauling them backwards. 

“Argue about Dustin’s address later, we need to find a different way out.” She hissed quietly as she tried to slowly reversed direction, movements still a bit sloppy. 

She might have even gotten away with it, had Sleazy Pony-Tail not turned and made eye contact with Gareth right after she spoke. 

His eyes swept over him, then to the rest of the group, freezing like a cat that had spotted its prey.

“Abort, abort!” Dustin sputtered, wheeling about on his heel. 

Erica, whose name Gareth had learned when she kicked him in the shin after he asked why an actual infant was running around with Steve and Robin, pointed towards the escalators before she beelined over to it, ducking into the center and riding it down like a slide. 

Something Eddied was downright delighted to copy. 

Gareth might have enjoyed it himself, had he not been looking over his shoulder to see not one, not two, but four security guards giving chase--and gaining. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuckikity fuck.” He heard Robin chant as she shot past, Steve planting himself at the top as he made sure everyone got down to the next level before sliding down himself. 

"Do not let them leave!" One of the guards yelled to the others, accent clear as a bell. 

"Holy shit that guy's actually Russian." Gareth found himself saying as he skidded across the floor and bolted after the others, Steve hot on his heels. 

He had kinda expected the Russian thing to be some sort of drug influenced inside joke and not an actual, honest-to-God Soviet. 

Which led to the question of why the fuck adult men in security uniforms had drugged random teenage retail workers.

Food workers.

Whatever the fuck one called a two people who scooped ice-cream in sailor costumes. 

"There's another group up ahead!" Eddie yelped, swerving sideways and nearly taking Erica out while doing it. 

Noise erupted ahead of them in the form of foreign shouting and loud, harshly barked commands to “Freeze!”  

‘Oh hell no.’ Gareth thought wildly, as he caught the form of the giant fricken gun the guard closest to him held. 

“Split up!” Dustin howled, and before anyone could comment about how bad an idea that was, Gareth found himself being yanked sideways. 

Steve swore loudly behind him as Robin, who’d crashed backwards, pulled him in the opposite direction and in a second their group broke in two. Gareth, Eddie and Dustin going one way, Steve, Robin and Erica another. 

"This isn’t happening." Gareth muttered, words made in a sort of pleading denial as he and Eddie turned the corner and immediately vaulted over the counter of an Orange Julius. “I smoked or drank or did something and this is a hallucination that is not. Actually. Happening.” 

Dustin at least, was smart enough to dive around the counter instead of over it, sliding towards them on his knees. 

Eddie quickly yanked him down to the floor in-between himself and Gareth once he was close enough to grab, one hand going over the hat to shove the kids head down. 

Annoying or not, he was at least several years younger than them, and Gareth could practically feel Eddie’s protective instinct kick in as he kept his hand on Dustin’s head. 

Together they tried to silence their breathing as the guards’ shouting continued on behind them. 

What was worse than their noises though, was when they unexpectedly and suddenly, went silent. 

Gareth’s breath felt far too loud as the stillness gained a suppressive weight, pressing down harshly against him and making it harder and harder to inhale. 

‘Panic attack.’ He realized, thoughts a touch detached. ‘You can’t afford to have a panic attack right now.’ 

Not when it had a high chance of getting them all killed. 

Slowly he moved his own free hand, placing it atop of Eddie’s, fingers gripping down in a way that was no doubt painful. 

Eddie glanced over to him and Gareth thanked every single time he’d smoked way too much weed, because his best friend immediately clocked what was wrong. 

Turned his hand over, so that Gareth could hold onto it atop Dustin’s hat. 

It didn’t help with the knowledge that his very much still drugged cousin and his equally drugged not-girlfriend were also hiding somewhere, or that there was significantly more Russians than there where terrified teenagers (and one--whatever age Erica was.)  

Flashlights cut shapes into the wall overheard, trailing along the Orange Julius menu. Quiet voices covered even quieter footsteps and Gareth had the sudden realization the probability of there being more than one guard carrying a huge gun, was very, very high. 

Worse?

This part of the mall wasn’t that big. There were only so many places to hide, and as such, only so many places to look. 

Death comes for everyone eventually, but Gareth hadn’t exactly expected it to show up before he hit twenty.

Not that they could do anything but wait. Pray to God and the universe and any other higher power he could think of to intervene, head pressed hard against the wood behind him as the small noises drew nearer.

What he hadn’t expected was for said prayers to get answered in the form of a of a fucking car being thrown into the Russian’s like bowling balls. 

“Run!” Dustin shouted, and Gareth wasted absolutely no time in doing just that. 

The only goal on his mind was to find Steve, get out, and then have a very long discussion about what the hell this all was, in that exact order. 

[probablygayattorneys]

Obsessed with the fact that canonically, there are two ways to end a spirit channeling session unexpectedly

1. You can use the magatama of parting, to force the spirit out immediately

2. You can just roast the ghost so fucking hard that she’s exorcised by the sheer force of how mean you are

[n3onwraith]

GOD I love drawing those stupid jorses 😭😭

Straight up made an infection AU bcs it was going around tiktok and now I keep drawing those little fuckers and making new ones it's becoming a problem

Art under the cut, tw for gore in general in some

There's so much more but omg it's becoming a problem 😭😭

Anyways if yall wanna see the infection it's @/mlpchronicwastingfiles on tiktok and updates are slow and actually kinda mediocre because I made the first parts and the next one I have in drafts before I had the progression figured out, so it's all sorts of boring and full of plot holes rn but I promise it will get better!

[rheakira]

Everyday I'm so sad knowing not many people share my headcanon that Starlo and Ed are exes.

Tempted to be the person to make this a thing.

[frecklystars]

HELP THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭💘💖💓💝💝💝💕💖💓💝💘💟💘

[lllsaslll]

"One time Elvis got complaints from the neighbors about noisy fans at the gates of his Bell Air home, he jumps in his Mercedes Limo saying to the fans; "Follow Me"! He drives down to Sunset Boulevard, pulls to the side and starts to sign autographs through the sunroof of the car!"

via Nancy Z. on pintrest

Elvis signing autographs from his Mercedes Benz 600 limo sunroof. Sunset Boulevard, Nov. 12, 1970

[takadanobaba]

Yeah the part two would mainly focus on the town's folks first interactions with the twins and their Pokémon. Most would be completely made up since we haven't fully seen everyones take on them.

Potentially interactions were:

Pierre's hostile first meeting the twins and their starter, he places a 'no Pokémon allowed' sign on the door because he's subtle. (He also hints that all Pokémon were driven out by removing all berry plants when they try to buy berries)

Harvey being a good person but they mistake his friendliness as professionalism, he falls in love with Klinklang.

Emmet and Durant mets Sebastian out on a walk, it is painfully awkward. Sebastian thinks a giant metal ant is cool.

Jas and Vincent sneak into the railway. They met Archeops and call her a turkey since she's 'too big to be a chicken'.

OK I've realised I actually have alot more scenarios then I first thought (I have four-five more tucked away) so that part two is actually possible.

Most of the people are just awkward around the twins and their Pokémon but the few who are hostile kinda warp their views on things.

Fun fact: in the drafts of the fic, the scene between Lewis and the twins was called 'Lewis pulls some petty manager-esque BS to bully Train Boys into not fucking up his train station'.

Oh god Pierre. Step aside Morris we might have a new main antagonist lol

For Harvey, we were thinking that he isn't opposed to Pokémon exactly, just more concerned about the health risks they pose. The twins themselves aren't the healthiest people (Emmet collapses from overwork in his 2-heart event....) and they're a bit out of the norm even among other Pokémon trainers. He's worried for them and they find a mutual annoyance between Harvey's nagging and the twins' stubbornness. Here's their checkup dialogue! Ingo is haunted and Emmet is immune to paralysis due to prolonged exposure. They're fine.

Harvey and Klinklang would be cute though, I haven't considered that!! It fits well since we were thinking that Maru would adore Klinklang too... We were thinking that Maru would be the one to look into getting better Pokemon healthcare in Stardew Valley (with the help of Marnie, since they're essentially animals)... the hospital nerds and Klinklang!

And oh god..... Emmet and Sebastian..... man do I have thoughts on that. Any interaction would definitely be awkward between them and quite possibly end in disaster. I know a few people want to see Emmet and Sebastian together but outside of both of them being the "rude but really just socially inept" type, I think they would clash. Since the twins are on good terms with Maru because she watches over the pokemon for research(/babysitting), Sebastian might be bitter towards them out of association, the twins themselves would feel sorry for Maru for having her brother hate her for no reason of her own. The twins support each other and push each other to be the best they can be, they're inseparable (or at least... shouldn't be separated...) and the thought of their sibling hating them terrifies them. I wouldn't say that they have a healthy relationship since they're a bit dependent on each other, being a two-car train and all.

Ingo would dislike Sebastian for being a bad big brother, and Emmet would dislike him for how ungrateful he is for the people in his life; Emmet's distaste would be stronger though. Along with being terrible to Maru, Sebastian's relationships with his friends would also raise red flags for Emmet (poor guy has trust issues and a low tolerance for that kind of thing). Sam and Abigail both favor Sebastian, but Sebastian has lines about not really seeing Abigail as a friend and thinking that Sam is clingy/annoying to hang out with. Emmet is a little insecure about being the lesser-liked twin and an outcast, he's lonely and while he doesn't bother with faking courtesy like Ingo, he is still verrrry grateful for anyone who isn't deterred by him for whatever reason that may be. Emmet is also a bit clingy with the few people who do win his trust and would probably make Sebastian feel bad for being a bad friend. Emmet and Sebastian are opposites in a conflicting way.

Here's some dialogue made super early on referencing how Sebastian visits the Railroad in his schedules:

Sebastian has a line about how he used to like trains when he was younger too, but it's very distant and angsty, like much of his reflections. He'd probably think of the twins being passionate about their special interest in trains to be a little cringe.... they would think he's cringe for not liking trains as much as them. I feel like they would project a bit and see each other as a reminder of their insecurities so.... they would not be good being together for too long.

Sebastian taking an interest in Durant would be interesting though..... Durant and Excadrill in this mod are drafted to have a henchman and mafia boss dynamic with each other and are always getting into trouble together so maybe he'd enable their shenanigans.

We do have a bit about Jas and Vincent liking Pokemon too! They'd love Archeops since he's basically an extra big and colorful chicken... the kids and Evelyn are the three people who aren't initially deterred by Pokemon, they get used to it for the most part later though.

And LOL love that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

[mitamicah]

Guess Who dyed their hair again x'D

After washing it out where I couldnt resist making jere's "heart hair" 😆

Aaaand then the once-in-a-blue-moon "curls" I get from sleeping with damp hair 😆

[fountainpenguin]

The fact that there is currently not a single Vicky/Mark ship story on either FFN or AO3 when they are a canon couple for multiple seasons (and Mark had a crush on her for at least 9 seasons) is a CRIME, actually :/

[cheerfullycatholic]

Something always has to happen right when we're about to leave for something important 🙄 I just wanna take my cats to the vet I don't need to deal with low tire pressure right now!!!!!

[villainsidestep]

got sad abt fawn’s little motel room again 😞

[direwombat]

we love a good "meet cute" (jacob orchestrating "running into" syb at the butcher's shop after he turned her into a werewolf and makes fun of her for going through...The Changes™)

[orcelito]

Oh yeah. Before the Everything with my shift today, I had an idea for a Wolfwood centered one-shot

Mostly an inkling of an idea. A character study more than anything else. But the idea is there. Maybe eventually I'll pursue it.

[rearranging-deck-chairs]

only good thing abt the vous situation is that it lets me experience tecteun calling 13 the child that im 100% convinced she actually would bc shes the only one who uses tu for her

[grubloved]

it was really wild to figure out at age 22 that i am not actually an introvert at all i fucking LOVE having people around i thrive on someone sitting in the same room as me i love talking and listening. its just that i autistic so i am also constantly at all times doing the equivalent of playing minecraft with 358384 mods installed in order to try and figure out what the fuck anyone means and if they are mad at me and that is absolutely exhausting and it totally wipes me out for like 3 hours afterwards. when i hang out w people who dont have those expectations i actually experience a net gain in energy