#when the new season starts ill be completely caught up

[thewanderingace]

I'm watching season 5 and 6b of 9-1-1 for the first time (I fell way behind) and it's very....interesting to see what I've already seen on tumblr, what I remember the fandom hating, and what's going on that I had no idea even happened because it never talked about in the tags at all.

Taylor is so not as bad as the fandom makes her out to be. I don't agree with all of her decisions (especially with the Jonah storyline) and her and Buck maybe don't make the best pairing but I like her. And she really was just doing her job with the Jonah thing. Nothing inherently bad about that at all. She reports the news and she never named a source or anything. Just means her and Buck don't make the best match. But Taylor as a character is cool and I like her.

Same with Lucy. She's pretty cool actually. I like her a lot. Why the hell did the fandom hate Lucy so much? I was expecting the bitch from hell based on posts I saw but she did nothing wrong the whole season. She was really great and I hope we see her again. She made good rescues, fit in with the group, wasn't pushy or arrogant, followed Bobby's orders but still voiced her knowledge when necessary. She showed emotions and was humble and fun and kind. Why do you all hate her!? Is it because she and Buck kissed? Once? Mutually? But because she's not Eddie that makes her evil or something? She did nothing like that every again nor did she make Buck feel bad or pressured at all so why do we hate Lucy???? I'm so confused about that.

I'm also seeing that tons of people hate Josh now!?!! HOW!? WHY!? Josh is the best! I love Josh! Is it really for the ONE line he said to Eddie in which he was correct? Eddie was a guest. He's not a dispatcher. And besides it acts as a way to get Eddie to realize he's a firefighter. Josh is amazing and I love him.

And how has this whole ass Jonah storyline just never talked about at all?! He kidnapped Hen and Chim and killed Chimney several times just to bring him back!! He nearly drove Bobby to drink again (I love that scene between Bobby and Eddie when Eddie shows up just as Bobby was thinking about drinking again)!!!! And I saw nothing about it!!!

And how about the surprise Karen/Hen vow renewal! That was beautiful! Saw nothing about it on here.

It's just so very telling of the fandom of what I see on screen versus what the fandom fixates on and how they view things. It just serves as a reminder as to why I need to continue to avoid the 911 tag as much as possible if I want to enjoy the show as much as I do because we are so not on the same page here.

[united-under-skyfall]

leverage is so fucking funny. man manages to find the most mentally ill and neurodivergent group of thieves on the market + an even more mentally ill guy whose literal job description was trying to chase all of them, and forces them into a found family speed-run by trying to blow them all up. they lowkey stage a full fucking country wide coup and are like eh 🤷 just another wednesday. this might be a fun place to vacation tho i guess. sophie shows up to her own funeral twice. they're so good at convincing people of their shit that they make a guy's body start reacting to an illness he doesn't have because it isn't real. go completely out on a limb and basically hand this one guy a new password for his computer so they can get into it and he goes with it. parker and hardison have straight up just "fake it 'till you make it"d into the fbi without even attempting to cover their tracks beyond just These Two Guys. half their clients never asked to be their clients and don't know they're their clients, and the other half are random people who find them who fuckin knows how, meanwhile no government agency can track them down without selling their soul to sterling. they make a point to have a dramatic scene w a Big Bad Shadowy Government Guy who doesn't actually get caught or brought to justice or anything telling them he's going to hunt them all down, and in any other show this would probably earn at least a minor arc later on but he literally never shows up again. an entire season finale hinged on a cake and a bunch of clams. they accidentally made eliot a celebrity not once, not twice, but three times. parker blew up her foster parents' house when she was like. nine. and it's hardly a footnote. hardison is just casually an artistic prodigy but it's only ever brought up for the most background of background gags. eliot's biggest beef with parker and hardison for like two and a half seasons is that they won't stop making weird food with lasers and refuse to realize they can't make a decent beer to save their lives. sophie's immediate response to being shot is to call her shooter a wanker. there's a character who has literally killed a man with a mop and they had the audacity to only put her in one episode.

[drvirgus]

heyyyy may i request a dom minji x loser nerdy gp reader? tganks!

hopefully you like it :)

My fav Nerd

Minji X nerdy! G!P Reader

Warnings: SMUT; g!p Reader

wc: 2k

One Shot:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sighing, I closed my eyes, only to immediately feel an elbow jabbing into my side. My eyes widened in shock as I glanced at the person next to me.

It was Kim Minji, one of the most famous people at our college, and we were working on this project together. Since we were both coincidentally absent that day due to illness (though Minji was probably just skipping), the professor had assigned us as a team. Minji looked at me. "I know it's deadly boring, but you can't doze off here," she said, continuing to doodle in her notebook.

"Sorry. I was up all night," I said with a slight laugh, causing Minji to put her pen down. She looked at me, resting her cheek on her hand, and hummed. "You? What were you up to all night?" she asked, a slight grin forming on her face, a certain undertone in her voice.

"Me? Oh, uh... Since the new season of My Hero Academia is coming out, I decided to rewatch everything from the beginning," I replied with a smile. "I always do that when a new season comes out. It's almost like a ritual," I added, feeling more animated as my smile widened.

Minji hummed as she nodded. "A series?" she asked, beginning to scoff. "What else?" she said, her voice quieter now as she rolled her eyes. My smile faded, and my eyes narrowed immediately, causing Minji to stop grinning. "Anime!" I said more seriously. "It's not just a series. It's called anime," I said, shaking my head.

Minji's mouth opened slightly as she looked at me for a while. "You... are you a nerd?" she asked, sounding somewhat surprised, making me roll my eyes immediately. "Why nerd? I just like anime... how does that make me a nerd, exactly?" I asked, frowning, my eyes fixed on Minji.

The black-haired woman beside me chuckled and sat up straight, nodding her head. "You're right," the taller woman said, nodding her head. She hummed as her eyes roamed over my face. "Hey... is it true?" she asked suddenly, which confused me. "Is what true?" I asked, but the black-haired woman simply bit her lip.

"I'm done with this project," Minji suddenly said, and I just nodded in resignation. Understandable. We had been working in her room for several hours already. I stood up from the floor and grabbed my backpack to pack my things.

"Y/n?"

"Hm?"

"Do you like me?"

My eyes widened as I turned my head to the woman who was still sitting on the floor. My breath caught as I just looked down at her. "Want to fuck?"

My eyes widened even more as those words left her mouth. My face flushed instantly, and I could feel my pants getting tighter. I immediately dropped my backpack to the ground and held both hands over my crotch. "W-What? No!" I replied, but my mind screamed at me how stupid I was.

Minji hummed again as she noticed my hand in front of my crotch. She slowly stood up from the floor, tilting her head as she looked down at me. "Really?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No-Yes-No," I said, confused, my face reddening even more. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest as I felt my bulge in my pants growing and even touching my hands that I held in front of me.

Minji laughed a bit. "What's wrong? Are you a virgin?" she asked incredulously, tilting her head. My eyes widened. "What's so wrong about that?!" I asked, now a bit angry, completely forgetting about my bulge as I threw my hands up in the air in disbelief. "What's so bad about it?"

Minji laughed as she wrapped her hands around my neck. My body tensed almost immediately. "Do you want to fuck?" she asked, her voice now softer, more seductive and rough. My mouth opened again, but all I could do was nod. I couldn't lie...

I wanted her.

Minji grinned as she also started nodding. Her body almost pushed me onto her bed. The edge of the bed caused me to sit down on it. "Let's see," the black-haired woman whispered seductively as she slowly dropped to her knees. Her hands at my waistband, she opened the button with just one hand and unzipped it.

My hips lifted from the bed to help her take off my pants, but I didn't know she was also taking off my boxers at the same time. My member immediately sprung up, causing me to pause. My heated member now exposed to the cold air of Minji's room.

"Fuck. Bigger than expected," Minji murmured as she briefly looked up at me before her large hand wrapped around my Cock and began to stroke it gently. My mouth opened, my hands clenching the bedsheets. "Min-Minji," I stuttered as my whole body began to twitch, especially because it was unfamiliar to feel a hand other than mine on my Cock.

Minji chuckled softly as she used her index finger to gather the pre-cum on her finger. I could see her pulling my skin over my pink head repeatedly, leaving it naked shortly after. "So beautiful," she murmured softly as she continued to move her hand agonizingly slowly.

"Minji," I gasped as I looked down at the beautiful woman. She grinned, tilting her head to the side. "Yes? What's wrong?" she asked, laughing softly. She knew exactly what was wrong.

My eyes closed as I bit my lip. "M-More," I said, swallowing my nervousness. "I need more than this," I added, which made Minji hum. "Say please," she demanded, so I opened my eyes and looked at the woman on her knees. A knowing grin on her lips. "Please," I said more quietly, which seemed to satisfy her.

A moan escaped me as I felt her lips on my tip. Shortly after, I felt the warmth enveloping my head. My mouth opened as I leaned back a bit more, my eyes glued to the beautiful woman who was now starting to suck my cock. Her tongue danced over my tip, making me twitch once more.

Her eyes met mine. My face seemed to make her grin. A louder moan escaped my throat as I watched the black-haired woman push her hair out of her face while she moved her head up and down. My mouth opened as I lifted my hand to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Fuck. Your mouth is so hot," I moaned softly. My hips moved to meet her mouth repeatedly. My teeth clenched as I gathered her hair into a ponytail, as she moved her head faster. Her suction grew stronger. "Fuck," I panted as my head tilted back. Her hand now on my balls, massaging them in rhythm with her head movements.

"I- Fuck. I'm coming," I nearly choked out, trying to hold back my orgasm as best I could. She hungrily increased her suction, which immediately pushed me over the edge. I could feel my cock twitching in her mouth with each spurt of cum.

Minji sucked one last time before releasing my cock with a "pop." Her hand still on my shaft as she licked her lips, looking at me. A grin on her face as she started stroking me back to full hardness. "That was quick," Minji said, laughing lightly as she looked at me with a grin.

Slowly but surely, she stood up from her kneeling position and looked down at me. My mouth opened as I stared at the taller woman. My eyes widened as she began to undress. My breath caught as I quickly stood up from her bed, immediately wrapping my hands around her waist and pulling her closer.

Minji giggled, though it sounded more like she was mocking me. She wrapped her hands around my neck, looking deeply into my eyes. "Did you finally find your voice?" she asked, but my jaw just tightened, my eyes narrowing.

I really didn't like being mocked.

"Shut up," I muttered, turning us so that Minji was the one pressed against the bed. My hands on her thighs as I urged her to move to the middle of the bed, which she did immediately. Minji laughed as she noticed my slightly trembling hands trying to pull her pants off. Minji bit her lip as she removed her own pants, tossing them carelessly into her room.

My eyes roamed over her entire naked body. My heart pounded wildly in my chest, my cock twitching madly at the sight alone. The thought of indulging in her, exploring every inch of her body, made me shudder.

My mouth opened as I, without another thought, placed my head between her legs and let my tongue glide between her lips. My body lay on her bed, my head between her legs, my hands gripping her thighs, spreading them repeatedly.

I heard the taller woman laughing as she buried her hand in my hair, pushing my face harder against her. My tongue explored every inch of the unfamiliar territory. When my tongue brushed against her clit, I felt Minji briefly squeeze her thighs together. My eyes narrowed as I focused on that little bundle.

Minji clutched my hair, tugging slightly, but nothing could stop me from sucking on that swollen bundle. My lips enclosed it, and I started sucking on her clit. My tongue circled the already swollen nerve, the tip of my tongue playing with it.

The beautiful woman's moans drove me wild. The taste on my tongue was divine. I could eat her out all day.... 

The loud sound of my sucking echoed through the room. "Fuck. Stop just- fucking- focusing on my clit," Minji moaned, tugging harder on my hair while pressing her hips further into my face. A grin spread across my face as I ignored her plea, continuing to concentrate on the sensitive spot.

Her moans grew louder, and my body began moving against the bed, desperately humping it. My cock rubbed repeatedly against the bedsheets. My fingernails dug into the popular woman's skin as my thoughts became more and more disjointed.

I could feel my orgasm approaching again. My eyes closed as I sucked harder, moving my tongue in circular motions on her clit. Slurping sounds echoed in the room. My fingers now at her entrance, I slid two of them inside her, curling them immediately to create more friction.

"Minji. Minji. Minji. Minji," I moaned between licks as I felt myself cum right there on her bed. My face flushed as I glanced up at the beautiful woman briefly before moving my hand more fervently and returning my tongue to her clit.

God, I was so pussydrunk...

"Fuck. Stop... I... I came," Minji said breathlessly, trying to push my head away from her.

I lifted my head, my hand still gripping her thigh. "What?" I asked, my eyes half-open. My entire mouth glistened with her juices. My mouth opened. "Just a little more," I said suddenly, diving back between her legs. My fingers still inside her, never once having pulled them out.

My senses were completely hazy...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With a smile on my face, I stood at the front door of the beautiful woman's house, putting on my shoes. Minji leaned against the wall, arms crossed over her chest, simply watching me. "So, uh... I'll work on the project some more tonight, and then we should be done," I said as I tied my shoelaces and stood up straight.

My eyes met Minji's as I laughed awkwardly. She hummed in interest, watching me for a long moment. "Does that mean... we won't see each other again?" she asked, uncrossing her arms and stepping closer. Her expression turned serious.

"Uh. I don't know," I replied quietly, adjusting my backpack. "Why?" Minji asked immediately, surprising me. I raised my eyebrows in shock. "Well, uh... because according to you and everyone else, I'm a nerd?" I said uncertainly, laughing awkwardly.

Minji sighed. "So what? You're my favorite nerd," she said more seriously, placing her hand on my hip again. "I don't want this to be the last time we see each other," she said slowly, her voice soft and almost a whisper.

My breath caught as I looked up at her. A small smile spread across my face. "Call me... you have my number," I replied simply, grinning and giving the taller woman a kiss. "But don't think I'll answer," I added jokingly, leaving her apartment with a small laugh.

[omgsuperstarg]

Shut up and Drive- Toto Wolff x Assistant! Reader

Another one shot with the Capricorn King Toto Wolff. I hope yall like it and subscribe for more

This short is based on this video with him and his lovely wife Susie!!! Ughhh I live for them soo much, they're such a cute and POWERFUL COUPLE!!!!

Alright!!! Let's burn some rubber!!!!!!!!!!

As one of Toto's assistants, it's stipulated that you keep him on track of his appointments and all drama that entails throughout the day. You had your fair share of chaos and it always goes on overdrive on a race weekend. Right now the team is currently in Miami for another Race for the 2023 season and with the sweltering sun and hotter cars it was shaping up to be another fun weekend.

This is your outfit. imagine the Mercedes shirt replacing the blouse

Your gloves

You were multitasking between your computer and Toto and Bono as they analyzed data before the race kicked off when suddenly your best friend and Mercedes' Social Media moderator Jessica approached you.

"Y/N just the girl I wanted to see, I have a fun assignment for you," She says smiling evilly

"Oh boy, I know im gonna regret life choices ", I respond playfully scared.

"Don't worry love, you're going to be doing this assignment with Toto so you'll be safe. How do you feel about driving around the BOSS", she says wringing her hands like a bond villain.

"What are we waiting for, LETS GOO!!", you say pulling her towards the beloved team principal.

Once Toto was caught up to speed, both you and Toto proceeded to the vehicle with your cell phone out to capture it all.

Entering the car, you strapped in your seatbelt and began to record your POV.

"Okay guys, here I am bout to be driven around the track by my Boss. If you don't hear from me again you know who to look at", you say while flipping the camera to show your boss.

"Don't worry, you'll be completely fine and ill even drive slow", the statuesque man sounds while patting my shoulder in a comforting way.

"You say that now but I know the gears be running in your head on ways to torment me. I can feel this is your hazing ritual for me since I'm new," you say while giggling. Your face however is still sceptical, the car begins moving as you begin to further document your trip and that's when the chaos starts.

Toto pumps the gas without warning and the speed was astounding like any adrenaline junkie you begin to cheer in delight.

"Wooooo, this is what im talking bout. It's official I'm petitioning for Toto to be a stunt driver!!", you say as your body slightly moves with the car as it turns.

"I wonder if the fans petitioned you to be James Bond, cuz you have the vintage look of the early movies but a lot more gentlemanly. "you say as you whip your head to the statuesque Austrian.

"A few times, I thought about acting, but I figured it wasn't my place.", he says wistfully.

"Alright boss man,it's the final turn. Give me some speed and remember, if I aint feeling some kind of G force you going too slow."you say while giggling.

You take notice of his playful smile,which resembles a wolfish grin. You couldn't help but snap a picture to remember the moment. This should be one of the main pictures of the post. Sadly, all things must end. Finally, it's your turn.

You decided to wear your fingerless leather gloves for this moment and connect your phone to the car's radio since you have the perfect song in mind.

"Okay, now I have one of my lovely assistants to take her little spin round the track," the leader responds with his Austrian accent shining through.

I'm lovely?!?! Aweee sir, you flatter me, but I hope you don't mind if I put on a little music for us to cruise to, "you say, smiling in glee.

So you turn the radio up and started off slow. After the road was clear, I went full-on fast and furious.

You were hitting those turns like the drivers on the track.

"I hope you're enjoying yourself boss", you state while keeping eyes on the road and jamming to the song on the radio. "I can truly say that this is an experience. I love your touch of the gloves and playing Rihanna is quite fitting for the situation", he speaks with his joyful laugh filling your ears.

"I never thought you would be a Rihanna fan", playfully gasping at his statement. You can thank my eldest daughter for that", he says.

"Are you sure you're not a driver?", the boss man playfully asks. "No, I wish. Maybe if I have gotten into it from a young, now I would've been turning heads but I'm happy where I am, I still get to be in a world I love with the most chill team EVER!!", you say getting a little emotional.

The car slows down as you return to the pits, wishing the time wasn't over. After exiting you gave Toto a hug thanking him for a great time as well as for putting up with your crazy fun.

"I enjoyed it and I sure as hell wouldn't mind doing a carpool karaoke with you the next time",

"I've already made note of it sir and Im looking forward to hearing THAT VOICE", you say as you conclude your heart-to-heart heading back to the garage to observe the good chaos of race day.

[wisdomssdaughterr]

PROJECT SUNSHINE CHAPTER FORTY ONE → THE BABYSITTERS CLUB

summary: steve harrington x oc

when another product of Hawkins National Laboratory escaped a long-survived nightmare alongside her sister, she crashed into one unsuspecting teenage boy and dragged him deeper into the dark mysteries that made up their hometown.

word count. 4.0k || masterlist

warnings: cannon typical violence, child abuse, horror, gore, and depictions of mental illness. parts of this story were written pre-season 4 release. cannon divergence.

previous chapter ← → next chapter

The Byers household became the default meeting place for when the world threatened to end. It was where the party and company had regrouped to discuss the dark secrets of the universe and how they planned to stop them using board game logic and middle school book smarts. But, for once, Sunshine found herself inside the home for a reason completely unrelated to the Upside Down or the end of the world. 

The party had taken over the living room with a large banner that they all sat around, and a mess of Will’s art supplies. They worked on a ‘Welcome Home’ sign for their missing party member, who was due to return home the following day. Their loud voices and fits of laughter were a welcomed noise inside the home to everyone. 

Seated in the kitchen, Sunshine joined Nancy, Jonathan, and Joyce around the table with glasses of lemonade and cookies. The conversation she had with her parents the night before still rang in her ears. She was caught between feeling guilty for having to lie to them and knowing that lying was all she could do. It was a complicated line she was forced to walk, but it was something all of them had to do. Everyone besides Will and Jonathan had to lie to their parents about everything they had witnessed and been a part of in their small town. Despite that, everyone tried to resume their lives as normal, whatever that meant. 

“Hopper told you he got everything squared away for you and the kids to start school in the fall,” Joyce said. “Are you excited?” 

Hopper asked her if attending high school was something she wanted to do. The idea was daunting but also exciting. High school was another chance for her to experience the normalcy of life, even if it was only for one year. Everyone had helped her catch up with schooling, teaching her a wide range of things she missed out on inside the Lab. She wasn’t caught up, not completely, but Hopper and Dr. Owens managed to pull some strings and get her enrolled with a promise she’d graduate with a diploma that would set her up for whatever the future held.  

“Yeah, but I’m a little nervous,” she replied honestly. It was nice to have Joyce and Hopper in her life; they were the only adults in her life to who she didn’t have to lie to. 

Beside her, Nancy beamed and patted Sunshine’s hand that rested on the table. “Don’t be! You’ll have John and I with you.” 

She was also incredibly grateful that she wasn’t heading into high school all alone. Not only would she be in the same grade as Nancy and Jonathan, but also Robin and Tamera who she found nice company in. Along with all of them, the party would be starting as freshmen in the fall, including El, Luke, and Leia. If anything, Sunshine was heading into Hawkins High already knowing half of the student body. 

“Have you thought about your classes yet? Or what clubs you want to join?” Nancy asked, eagerly. “John and I are going to run the school paper. It’s not exactly a club people are fighting to join, so you’ll already have a spot on it if you want. Oh! And there’s drama club, art club, or-” Her rambling was cut off by a hand on her shoulder by Jonathan. 

He chuckled softly and said, “I think you’re stressing her out.” He must’ve noticed the wide-eyed look on Sunshine’s face as Nancy spoke. She hadn’t thought much about what actually occurred in school besides learning. Clubs and making new friends, it was a lot to take in for someone who had never experienced anything like that before. 

“Sorry,” Nancy sighed. “I’m just excited for you. It’s a big deal, starting high school, especially for only one year. Then, you know, you’ll graduate and get out of here, if you want. You can get a fresh start.” That was what Nancy wanted, a fresh start, but Sunshine didn’t know what she wanted. She had already been given one when she was reunited with her parents and reintroduced to Hawkins. 

However, the town itself made it hard to forget. A truly fresh start would mean Sunshine leaving, but she didn’t know if she was ready for that. Hawkins was a collection of her nightmares, but it was also where her friends and family were. The group of people whom she had stumbled into due to the luckiest twist of fate was so kind to her in ways she could never fully repay. They all looked out for her and her siblings. They gave them a home and showed them that not everyone in the world was a monster. Sunshine didn’t know if she could ever bear to part with them, but she also knew she didn’t want to stay in Hawkins forever. 

“If that’s something you want to do, leave here,” Joyce added. 

Sunshine toyed with the sun pendant of her necklace and sighed. “I think it’d like to leave here, eventually. After everything, I don’t think I can stay here forever, but I don’t know. I guess I’ve never really had a chance to think about the future before now.” 

Joyce nodded with a sad understanding. She reached out and gently squeezed Sunshine’s arm in a comforting gesture. “You have the rest of your life to think about the future, sweetheart. For now, just take each day at a time.”

That had been her philosophy since she escaped; one day at a time. But it became easy to get swept up in everything that accompanied freedom when it was all in front of her. Sunshine had gone from having every second of her life controlled to being able to live as her own person, not an extension of Dr. Brenner or anyone else in the Lab. There wasn’t a way to simply ease back into life, especially when that process continued to be interrupted by Demogorgons and impending doom looming over her head. As much as she wanted to embrace the normalcy of her new life, she was stuck feeling like she’d never truly escape the Upside Down, the visions Luke had pinned to his wall, and the persistent guilt of keeping secrets from the two people who deserved the truth more than anyone. 

“Hey guys!” Leia poked her head into the kitchen. “We’re all finished! Come check it out.” 

The kids all stood around the banner and observed their work, while Sunshine and the rest of the group from the kitchen joined them in the living room. Even with the storm of thoughts inside her head, she found herself smiling at the party’s art project. The banner was colorful and had a personal touch from each kid. 

“Dustin’s going to love it,” Sunshine said. 

Mike looked pointedly at all of the kids, with his hand clasped in El’s. The smile on his face made him look younger than he had the fall before when he was all pre-teen angst and heartbreak. He resumed his role as leader of the party. “Remember, even if Dustin radios tomorrow, we don’t answer. We can’t ruin the surprise.” 

“We’ll meet at Mike’s in the morning, right?” Lucas asked, earning a nod from the freckled-faced kid. 

As they solidified their plans for Dustin’s return from summer camp, the sound of crunching gravel sounded from outside. Hopper’s truck pulled into the driveway, ready to collect his children for the evening. The party started cleaning up their mess and packed their belongings. 

Hopper joined them inside, greeting the three teens and the party before he and Joyce retreated into the kitchen. The police chief was still in uniform, but he wore an easy-going expression. It was nice to see everyone so relaxed, and so happy. 

Sunshine sat on the couch and helped put all of Will’s markers back neatly inside their box, but most of her attention was on Joyce and Hopper as they spoke softly at the kitchen table over glasses of lemonade. Nancy plopped down beside her, also watching the two interact. She leaned close to Sunshine and whispered, “Jonathan said they used to be close in high school. I don’t think they ever dated, but I can totally see it happening now.” 

That surprised Sunshine. “Ms. Byers and Hopper? Really?” 

Nancy nodded. “Come on, look at them!” 

The two looked content and happy to be in each other's company without some dire situation at hand. Sunshine wanted to believe that was their new normal. The memory of what they’d been through would fade in each other’s company and they’d live the rest of their lives in comfortable stability. 

“How can you tell?” Sunshine asked Nancy. “How do you know anything is going on between them?” 

“I don’t know, you just can. In some people, it’s easy to see. It’s all in how they look at each other with a certain admiration. And it’s also how they listen to each other, like, really listen and not just pretend to. It’s all in their eyes.” 

Sunshine hung on Nancy’s words for a moment, before she followed Nancy’s line of sight that fell past Joyce and Hopper and onto where Jonathan washed dishes at the sink. “Like how you and Jonathan look at each other?” 

A blush crept across Nancy’s cheeks as she ducked her head slightly. “I’d like to think so.” 

She thought of the way Ivy and Three once looked at each other. There was something always unspoken but strong between them. They were only kids, but something was there. It was love, but it was more than that; it was something that Sunshine couldn’t put into words. It was something that happened between people who endured the same awful, terrible things together. The thing that bound them together was stronger than simple admiration or attraction, it was a shared experience that left you knowing you’d never be alone with that grief. Nancy and Jonathan had it carved into the palms of their hands in healed, wavy white scars. Joyce and Hopper had it in the etched worry lines on their worn faces. 

Sunshine’s gaze fell onto the healed-over scars that covered her tattooed wrist, and she was brought back to that night at the Byers last fall when her nail marks were carefully wrapped in gauze by Steve before she returned the favor hours later. He still had a few scars from two fights; one sat on his cheekbone and another through the edge of his eyebrow. 

It was all of the little things set into their skin that served as not only a reminder but also as a bond between them. Nancy had once said something about shared trauma and how that connected all of them to each other in ways of friendship and relationships. 

“Are you guys all ready to go?” Hopper called out to his three superpowered kids. Goodbyes were exchanged before the Hopper-Clan clamored out the front door and piled into the truck. Everyone else finished cleaning up. 

Once the living room was back in order, Max bumped Sunshine’s shoulder with her own, grabbing her attention. “We need a favor from our favorite babysitter.” The remaining members of the party surrounded her, each with a fake innocent look on all of their faces.

Sunshine eyed the group before she stopped on Mike and crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t know,” she said. “I think I may be too much of a stick in the mud to help you guys with any favors, right Mike?” 

A groan sounded from Lucas who then slapped Mike’s arm. “Dude, seriously?” 

“You’re not a stick in the mud, Mike’s just an idiot,” Max said. 

“Hey!” Mike objected, but his motivation to argue left as all of his friends glared at him. He slumped his shoulders in defeat and said, “Come on, I didn’t even mean it. You’re cool, I guess.” That time Will lightly hit Mike’s arm. “Fine! Fine. You are cool and I’m sorry.” 

Sunshine smiled, satisfied with the apology. She knew she’d give in either way, but she didn’t want to seem like such a pushover. “What kind of favor are we talking about?”

Lucas explained that they wanted to sneak into the movies and the only way to do that was through the service hallways that only employees had access to. The only person they knew well enough to allow them in was Steve, but he, apparently, was still mad at them for the last time they snuck into the movies and nearly got him fired. 

“What does that have to do with me?” Sunshine asked. 

“If you ask him for us, he’ll say yes,” Max explained, which Sunshine didn’t quite believe. But it was hard to say no to the pleading eyes of the party. 

“Fine,” she agreed. “But I’m not promising anything.” 

…

“Dingus! Your children are here!” Robin called out from the front counter as she opened the window that looked into the backroom. Steve let out a low groan and took the last bite of his sandwich. 

Across the table, Tamera raised her brows and paused reading her book, which was how she chose to spend her breaks. “Your children? Is there something you’re not telling me, Harrington?” 

“Ha ha,” he mocked. 

As he exited the backroom, a set of kids approached the counter, along with reinforcement. “Really, Sunshine? They roped you into their little schemes now?” 

Max scoffed. “It’s not a scheme. We’re simply saving our money.” 

“You’re going to get me fired,” Steve shot back. “Are you going to use all the money you saved to pay for the gas I use driving you shitheads around?”

“Dramatic much?” Max said, crossing her arms. 

Mike dinged the bell on the counter again, which made Robin’s face contort with a look that told Steve she was seconds away from throwing the bell at the kid. Along with his dinging, Mike said, “So, are you going to let us back there or not?” Beside him, Sunshine cleared her throat and looked at the kid with her eyebrows raised expectantly “Ugh fine. “Please.” 

It looked like it actually pained Mike to be nice to Steve. He wanted to laugh, but he refrained. Mike was nothing but overgrown limbs that he was still figuring out how to lug around, but he was nearly Steve’s height and had a girlfriend who could break limbs with a nod of her head. So, Steve sighed in defeat and wordlessly opened the back door before he ushered the kids into the service hallway. 

Their hushed whispers disappeared with them around a corner and Steve closed the door with a silent prayer that no one caught them or that they didn’t rat him out and get him fired. He hated his job, but he needed it or else his dad was going to hurt a lot more than Steve’s wrist. 

Sunshine had followed him into the back room and stole his seat at the table with Tamera, who had watched the whole interaction with curiosity. 

“I cannot believe you agreed to help them. I’m hurt,” Steve said to Sunshine, placing his hand over his heart as he faked wincing in pain. Tamera closed her book and rolled her eyes before she left to join Robin at the front. 

Sunshine shrugged. “They asked me for a favor, and you know how they get when they want something.” He knew exactly how persistent those kids were. It was hard to say no to them, no matter how annoying they could be. A part of it was guilt, Steve thought. He knew everything that happened was very far out of his control, but he still felt bad for the kids. They had lost a lot, especially Will and the three superpowered siblings. So, Steve felt like it was the least he could do to drive them to and from the arcade and let them sneak into the movie theater. 

“Yeah, I get it,” he said standing at the edge of the table. He tried to lean against it casually, but as he reached down to brace himself with his hand, a sharp pain shot up his arm, starting at his wrist. He pissed out in pain before he could bite his tongue. 

“What’s wrong?” Sunshine’s whole demeanor changed. She sat up straight in her chair and her golden eyes pooled with concern, but Steve tried to play it off. 

His wrist had hurt for the past day and a half, but it seemed to be lessening just slightly, until then. “Nothing. I just hurt my wrist yesterday.” It wasn’t a lie technically. He wasn’t the one who hurt his wrist, but she didn’t need to know that. Sunshine tended to worry about everyone, and he didn’t think he deserved her worry when she had other people, like her siblings to worry about. The bruises on his wrist weren’t bad compared to the only injuries he’d sustained from his two years of monster fighting and years of lectures from his dad.

Sunshine outstretched her hand across the table toward him. “Let me see.” He hesitated but ultimately gave in to her intense gaze. There was a certain look she got when someone close to her got hurt. He saw the same look on her face when Max wiped out on her skateboard and got a bloody nose. He saw it when El was recovering from closing the Gate. And he vividly remembered seeing it when she stood in front of him in the Byers bathroom after his fight with Billy Hargrove. 

With careful hands, Sunshine grasped his wrist and examined it with furrowed brows. The skin around his wrist was a slight twinge of green and blue, but he tried to cover it up the best he could with makeup he found stashed in his mom’s bathroom drawer. 

“How did you hurt it?” 

“I fell and tried to catch myself.” There had only been a handful of times that his dad had done something bad enough to leave a bruise or visible mark, but it used to be easy to lie his way out of questions about it. He used gym class or basketball as excuses, but all he had was his job at Scoops and it wasn’t exactly the most physical job so he was limited on what he could say and get away with. Yet, he tried to curb her worry. “It’s not a big deal. It’ll heal up in a few days and I’ll be good as new.” 

Sunshine shifted her gaze onto his face and stared at him for a moment. It made him feel exposed, like maybe she was reading his mind. Steve was pretty sure that was not a part of her superpower skill set, but he wasn’t positive. 

“You’re lying,” she said, simply. He was caught off guard and fumbled his response. 

“N-No. No, I’m not.” It was as if she saw straight through him, picking up the way he lied through his teeth. 

She sighed, “Steve.” 

He was desperate to shove the conversation in a different direction, anything to get the focus off of him. “Is that another one of your superpowers? Can you read people’s minds? Because let me tell you, that would change a lot of things.” Sunshine remained unwavering, not allowing him to switch gears. Steve swallowed thickly and held his hands in his lap, rubbing his thumb over the bruise on his opposite wrist. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I’m all good, promise.” 

“Was it Billy? Did he do something? Max said he’s been leaving her and party alone, but if he’s back to messing with you I’ll-”

Steve cut her off with a quick shake of his head. “No. It wasn’t Billy.” She seemed to relax slightly at that. Billy had, luckily, left all of them alone. Most importantly, he had left Max and Lucas alone. There was a lingering worry after that night that he would still try to hurt any one of the kids, and that thought made Steve feel ill; though, he was almost certain that even if the thought crossed Billy’s mind, Sunshine would make Billy regret it. 

“But it was someone, wasn’t it?” Sunshine pressed. She leaned her chest against the table, closer to him still with her hand outstretched, despite him having pulled his hand away. “Someone did that. Who? You can trust me.” Her voice softened at the end, which only pained Steve more. 

He trusted her more than he trusted himself most of the time. “I do, it’s just not a big deal and you don’t need to worry about me.” 

“Someone hurt you. I'm going to worry."

“It’s a little bruise. That’s it.” His wrist ached, but the wound went a lot deeper than that. He didn’t want to unpack his issues with his asshole of a dad with Sunshine. Plus, it didn’t seem fair. She had gone through hell and dealt with more assholes than Steve could imagine inside the Lab. He didn’t feel right complaining about his dad when it was nothing even close to what she’d been through.

A frown settled on her lips and his stomach twisted when she quietly said his name, again. He felt himself giving in, the words on the tip of his tongue. Sunshine was one of the few people in his life that he felt terrible lying to. Not even when he dated Nancy did he give in to her constant questions about his parents and their cold and distant ways. Steve would brush her off and Nancy wouldn’t press the issue further. But there was something about Sunshine that made Steve feel vulnerable. 

“My dad and I got into a little disagreement yesterday. He can get, uh, excited when he argues, and he grabbed my wrist a little too hard. But, like I said, it really doesn’t even hurt.” 

The look that settled across Sunshine’s face was hard to pinpoint exactly. It was something between confusion and anger. 

“Your dad hurt you?” 

Steve shook his head. “No. Not really.” 

“Your wrist is bruised. Your dad did that to you?”

“Sometimes dads like mine get angry. It happens.” It did, in his experience at least. He didn’t get dealt the best cards when it came to fathers, but he didn’t get the worst, either. 

“No. People who love you don’t hurt you.” 

“It’s complicated-”

“It’s not,” she cut in. Her narrowed gaze softened as she upturned her palm, holding her hand out to him as her way of offering comfort. The tattoo on her wrist peaked out from under the set of bracelets she wore, and he felt his stomach turn as she said, “Trust me. I know.” He grasped her hand and gave it a light squeeze. 

It wasn’t fair, he thought. She shouldn’t know what that was like. Their situations weren’t comparable. Steve still didn’t understand the full scope of Sunshine’s life at the Lab, but he knew a spat with his dad was nothing compared to what she went through. Yet, she acted as if it was, holding his hand tightly and rubbing her thumb across the top of his hand. 

“My dad can be an asshole sometimes, but he does love me.” Love was just a complicated thing in the Harrington household; it wasn’t something any of them were great at. “He’s just not the best at showing it. But I promise, it’s not a big deal. And if it was, you’d be the first to know, okay?” 

Sunshine didn’t look convinced. “Okay,” she said, quietly. “But if something happens again, just…just tell me.” 

“I will. Promise.” 

With their hands clasped together on the tabletop, Steve with his bruised wrist and Sunshine with her tattooed one, they sat in their feelings, unsure of what to make of them. The knots that had grown in his chest since his conversation with his dad didn’t feel like they were choking him anymore. And with his hand in Sunshine’s, his wrist ached a little less.

Tagged. @sattlersquarry , @leptitlu , @drunkengodsofslaughter

[mx-jinxous]

This is chapter one of a fic I’ve been working on. I wanted to post this, but I’m going to wait to post the rest once I’m finished with the fic completely. I’ll be posting it to AO3 when it’s done, but also here. You can subscribe to the story here to follow

_________

The sun was sinking sooner as the summer trailed towards the unforgiving winter. Steve groaned at the auburn leaves that littered his farm, knowing his schedule was tightening. His field was nearly prepared for the cold, with only a few crops left to harvest before the first snowfall. This wasn’t his first year facing the elements, it was his fourth, but it was going to be his first year doing it with a farmhand - his adopted brother.

He’s a fourteen-year-old, that had no one left. His father was out of the picture since he was a baby, and his mother - passed last spring season. She’d been like a mother to him when he’d been kicked out from his parent's home and shared dinners with him. They’d quickly turned from neighbors to his new family, and all was going well until Claudia got sick. When she started getting ill, Steve moved them into his home. He took care of and fed them, unfortunately, the illness progressed and she knew it was a losing battle. She made one final request of Steve, to watch over Dustin and raise him to be the best man. It was the last promise he gave the woman, she passed not a week later.

It was all he could do to return the kindness she provided when he moved out to the outskirts of the kingdom. He had been secluded before, but now all that remained was Steve’s farm and the unkempt land of the Hendersons. In due time, when Dustin is old enough, he’ll inherit the land, until then he lives with Steve. The kid was too smart for his age, which worked for their farm, but it was also a danger. Dustin was a curious boy that came from a secluded area, with no friends other than Steve. When they have gone into the village market to stock up and sell their goods and wares. Steve often let the young teen venture around to play with the other children.

Everything seemed fine, until after the first few visits. Dustin crowded around Steve around their cart, going as far as to duck behind him when a certain group of kids was nearby. He knew something happened, but the boy only snapped when he broached the topic. After that, the older boy decided to let him come to him when he was ready.

So it was safe to say when he turned around and the younger boy wasn’t there, he just rolled his eyes and looked around to see what had caught the curious boy's attention. He wasn’t too concerned until he spotted the familiar mess of curls disappear into the woods on the edge of Steve’s farm.

“Dustin!” He yelled, dropping his hoe, and sprinting after his brother. The woods were never safe, to begin with, with too many going missing or lost to the trees, which only increased during the nightfall.

He slapped branches out of his path as he saw the bushy hair through the leaves. His calls went unanswered and soon, the boy was gone. Still, Steve shoved through the trees and vines, screaming after his brother. The forest was descending into the darkness as the sun crept behind the trees.

He’d heard the rumor of monsters like everyone else, the wolves and witches that haunted these trees. As to prove his fear true, a cackling echoed through every muscle, forcing him to listen. It wasn’t till his heart calmed that he realized that it wasn’t cackling, it was a child’s laugh - scratch that, a group of them. Swallowing his nerves, Steve picked up a branch and followed the laughter. It took a few minutes and a couple of path changes before he came across a clearing in the forest. There, amongst other children, was Dustin, running around. For the first time since Claudia’s passing, he was acting like a kid and had friends to play with.

Steve couldn’t help but smile from the tree line at the young teenagers. He didn’t know what they were playing, but the smiles said enough. The older brother was tempted to let them keep playing, but a howl cut that thought in two immediately. The kids didn’t even notice as their game continued.

He ran into the clearing, spooking the kids. They hustled backward, leading Dustin with them as they stood guard. The younger boy seemed confused by the sudden switch in the others. Taking in the scene he tried to mediate, stepping in between the people.

“Guys, this is Steve! My brother!” He exclaimed.

“I thought you said he was cool? He looks like a normal farmer.” One of the boys grumbled, getting elbowed by a girl. She was glaring at him.

“You kids shouldn’t be out this late. Don’t you know these woods are dangerous? The wolves are out.” Steve said, closing the distance between him and his brother. Kneeling, he placed a hand on Dustin’s shoulder. He was concerned, the younger boy fiddling up with his fingers. “Why did you run off?”

“My friends wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons. They said the forest is safe, that they play here all the time.”

“Not tonight, or any night. The wolves are hunting and they do not see a difference between you or a rabbit. We must get home.” Dustin huffed but nodded. His brother sighed, standing and directing his attention on the group of children. “Is your home nearby? I can walk with you, or you can stay with us until tomorrow morning. Just don’t play here tonight.”

“Trying to persuade children home, with you, a stranger. Tell me why I shouldn’t leave you as dinner for the wildlife?” A gruff voice said from behind Steve, making the older brother jump back, protecting Dustin as he shoved him behind him. Standing there was a man, blonde curls curtaining rage-filled eyes.

Steve Swallowed, shielding the kids as he backed up. He didn’t have anything other than the branch to defend them, but he’d fight like hell to make sure these kids got out safe. His brain was stalled when the red-headed girl stepped up beside Steve.

“Billy! Stop being a jerk! We were just playing and Dustin’s brother came to come get him.” She growled, crossing her arms at the older man. The older man didn’t wipe the rage from his face, but he seemed to relax. The girl huffed before turning to Steve. “I’m Max. This dummy is my big brother, Billy. He’s our babysitter.” There was an annoyed tone in her voice, but a playful smirk was splayed on her face.

“Still, it is quite unsafe out here. Come on Dustin, I have dinner to prepare.” Steve’s eyes stayed on the man but wrapped his arm around the younger shoulders. Leading him back towards the direction they’d entered, having to pass the man. They were about to clear when a rough grip wrapped around Steve’s upper arm.

“If I see you around them, I’ll treat you as a threat.” He growled, matching glares between the man before pulling his arm free.

“Say goodbye to your friends, Dustin.” He pulled the younger boy with him, the brothers fleeing into the forest.

“But - but!” Hushed yelling was coming from the group.

“We will speak of this at home, now come.” With that, the brothers escaped from the forest.

Once they returned to their farm, night had fallen with a chill nipped at their noses. Dustin wrapped himself in a blanket, slamming his bedroom door, keeping the door shut. Steve sighed, shaking his head as he went to his kitchen to prepare dinner. He figured stewing over it will give Dustin time to understand the dangers out in those woods.

But as the following day continued the younger refused to speak to him, sneering in his direction when they crossed paths. Day bled into the night and dinner was finished, the younger boy shut himself in his room. He left Steve to clean up on his own, but he counted it as a positive compared to the night before. Once everything was cleaned, he blew the candles out before heading to his bed. Like most days he was exhausted, yet sleep eluded him. It was silent - so silent.

When the silent treatment became too overbearing, he decided that this had gone on long enough. Throwing off his comforter, Steve made his way to the younger boy's room, knocking on the door. “Dust? Are you awake?” Silence responded. “Come on Dust. Let’s talk about last night.” He stood there, waiting for any signs of alertness, but there was only quiet.

He cracked the door, peeking into the room. It was dark, the only sign of life was the bundle under the comforter. The full moon was the only light coming in through the window. Steve halted, taking a moment to smile at the boy. The bundle was covered in a blanket, Dustin handling the cold the best he could. He worried about the coming winter, knowing he’d have to return to the forest to collect wood. A gust of wind rocked the house, signaling the approaching cold was due sooner rather than later. He was conflicted though.

Dustin would want to go, and most likely try to sneak off alone to see his friends and that dangerous brother. However, if Steve went alone, the younger boy would be even madder than last night.

To him, it was a lose-lose situation, a situation for tomorrow to worry about. He quietly closed the door, only stopping when another gust of wind hit the house, knocking something loose from Dustin’s bed. Pausing, the older brother waited to see if he stirred, instead more stuff fell loosely.

Warily, Steve approached the bed. He shook the bundle, only for hay to sprinkle out from the blanket. Tearing the comforter off the bed, hay rained down. “Mother fucking-!” He rushed out of the house, checking the barn for the teenager, finding it clear of any humans.

A howl echoed through the night, making Steve freeze. He knew where Dustin went and knew each moment that passed was another he was in danger. Grabbing his gardening scythe and the moon as his only guiding light, he rushed into the trees. Following the path from before, Steve snaps branches while listening for Dustin or any of the other children. Another howl had him stopping, waiting for any movement or sounds, anything that was a possible sign of immediate danger. At the silence, he continued on a sprint towards the clearing.

Steve feared that his brother was taken or bewitched, or worse, became dinner for a monster. That thought was shaken from his head immediately. Though his actions were proving otherwise, Dustin was a smart kid, just let loneliness lead him. He broke into the forest clearing to see the children on the other end. Dustin was easy to spot amongst the group, marching over to them with such urgency that the kids picked up on his presence.

“I told you all once about the dangerousness of this forest, yet you still dared to come out here tonight of all nights?” Steve riffed.

They seemed shocked, or annoyed based on one boy's expression, seeing the older brother standing cautiously with his scythe. Eyes scanned over each other before said boy scoffed. “You brought the geezer, Dustin?! We told you this was a secret meeting. Max hid it from Billy!” Another boy elbowed him, huddled behind Max.

“You are not making this better on yourselves. Your parents must be having a hell of a time trying to find you. You should know better than to test the beasts that hunt here.” Steve berated them with his hands planted on his hips, careful of the scythe.

“Steve, it is fine!” Dustin grumbled, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “They are out here all the time, including evenings, and no wolves or monsters have dared to show their faces!”

The older man scoffed, rolling his eyes as he opened his mouth to argue, however, he was cut off by a howl that ripped through the night. It was closer than it had been on Steve’s venture, the younger wasting no time finding safety behind his brother. He thread his fingers into his sleep shirt, while the rest of the kids huddled behind Max. The children were having a hushed argument, getting shushed by Steve as another howl ripped through the night, impossibly close.

The farmer took a step back, leading the teens back toward his home. It went completely silent around them, his eyes flickering back and forth between the treeline. The wolves had cover to hide behind, and while they were, unfortunately, wide open, the only defense was the scythe gripped at the ready.

Steve had trained in swordsmanship under his parents' behest, but not in years and he never fought against beasts. When the silence carried on, the children began their hushed fighting again. They were making too much noise, they were going to attract the wolves. He made his first mistake when he turned to shush the kids once more, leaving them open.

The wolf pounced, tackling Steve to the ground, the scythe the only thing keeping those teeth from ripping into him. Screams of the kids filtered the air, Dustin standing frozen in place over the fight. It wasn’t a wolf, but a whole other beast. That was the only way to describe the creature, it had fur, teeth, claws, and a snout, but it stood like a man. It was built like a human, but it was stronger than either species.

Without thought, the young boy grabbed a branch from the ground, swinging at the beast. It broke on impact, however, it distracted the creature long enough for Steve to make a move. He brought the scythe down at an angle, the beast noticing and swiping at Steve.

A howl of pain escaped them both, but the beast wasted no time returning to his prey. It snapped his jaw, blood flying around as it struggled at the scythe handle. Dustin attacked with the remainder of the branch, but with each passing moment, the beast got closer to being dinner. He knew it was a losing battle, the hot breath on his face a sign of that, but he needed to fight long enough for the kids to escape. He was screaming at them to run, but the younger boy refused in tears, trying to protect his brother.

Steve refused to hear him out, screaming at him, pleading with him to run, to stay safe like Claudia wanted. But his side hurt. He knew he would face his maker, and he was okay with that. If it means Dustin is safe from this monster, then he was ready to accept death.

As abruptly as the attack had started, it stopped. The beast was gone, replaced by his brother crying on his knees. Words were too muddled to Steve’s ears, pulsing along with his side. The older man turned around to pinpoint the creature, only to see it pinned to the ground by some unseen force. The shy girl that had hidden behind Max was now standing over it, the red-haired girl screaming in anger at the beast.

It didn’t take brains to see what was going on. These were not normal children, but the monsters that haunted the forest, the ones he’s warned Dustin about. With no warning, Steve threw the boy over his shoulder and sprinted. His wound stretched and pulled with each step, trying his best to keep in the cries of pain. Protecting his brother came first and was his only priority. He was in flight mode, using what strength he had to break through the forest edge. His farm was in sight, to his elation he refused to stop or turn around. With a final push, he landed them through the front door, releasing Dustin to bar the door.

They were safe, finally safe, and Steve was tired - so very tired. He slid down the opposing wall, the world spinning and tilting, begging for the calmness of sleep. Dustin was yelling at him, smacking his cheek, panicking like the child he was. He was scared and the older boy knew he’d have to make him calm down, and he would after a nap.

[silentsneezes]

could you maybe elaborate on the whole ”cold season is a nightmare” thing? like maybe how many times he gets sick? that would be totally awesome. (ur work is legit so good, i aspire to write sneezes that good one day🫡)

of course! thank you so much, i’m glad you enjoy my writing :) i hope you enjoy this sick eddie ficlet! (slight snz kink steve)

“Can I get you anything, love?” Steve asks sympathetically. Eddie is strewn over his lap on the couch, breathing congestedly and trying not to let the grim reaper take him away (his words, not Steve’s).

“A new immunde systemb?” Eddie jokes. His pink nostrils flare delicately, raw and bothered from hours of sneezing.

Unsurprisingly, Eddie caught another cold. He’s never been particularly healthy, but cold season always kicks his ass. It seems like every time he gets healthy again, he gets knocked down by some illness. Of course, hanging out with kids all the time hasn’t helped.

Eddie’s chest rises and falls abnormally as his breath catches. Steve reacts before Eddie does, grabbing the (already damp) bandana from Eddie’s lap and massaging the sick boy’s nose.

“Snff… heh…” a sneeze teases the sick boy. His brows are furrowed, mouth slightly agape, pink nose trembling with anticipation for the expulsion. Steve rubs at Eddie’s nose softly with the fabric, either trying to coax out a sneeze or quell the itch. Eddie’s nose decides on the former.

"h'PSHHH! eh EH'K'TSHH! N'GXSHT!"

His body jolts forwards with each sneeze; Steve frowns sympathetically, catching the string of sneezes in Eddie’s bandana.

“Bless you,” he mumbles, shifting to relieve some pressure in his pants.

Eddie relaxes back into Steve, snuffling against his wrist and shutting his heavy eyes. The trailer fills with quiet congested breathing as Steve plays with the ill boy’s hair. They have a few minutes of peace before Eddie’s nose starts twitching again.

He sniffs harshly, not eager to sneeze again, “You’re shidding.. snf… me.”

Steve presses a sympathetic kiss to Eddie’s warm forehead, frowning at the heat. He lifts Eddie off of him and stands up, leaving his ill boyfriend on the couch temporarily. He wanders over to the kitchen and grabs some medicine, a thermometer, and a mug of tea.

"eh'KTSHUH!" Eddie sneezes wetly, resulting in a heavy sniffle. Steve blesses him and returns to the couch.

“Open up,” Steve prompts softly, positioning the thermometer under Eddie’s tongue.

“Well, areb’t you a handsombe nursde. Where’s your dress?”

Steve rolls his eyes and flicks Eddie’s shoulder, “In your dreams, Munson.”

Eddie mumbles a sarcastic comment, but stops when the thermometer nearly falls out of his mouth. The two boys sit in silence as they wait for a temperature reading.

Eddie scowls as a sudden prickling in the back of his nose grows. He brings his thumb and forefinger up to his nose, scrubbing the raw skin roughly.

"k'tshh ih'ntshoo hih'p'TSHH!"

Three sneezes tumble out of him, caught in his bare hand. The thermometer falls onto his lap.

“Shid,” Eddie fumbles for his bandana, cringing at the moisture on his palm.

Steve swallows dryly, his pants creating a tent and his stomach filling with heat.

“Holy shit,” Steve breaths quietly, completely smitten with the sneezy boy, “Bless you.”

Eddie looks up at Steve after giving his nose a soft, but productive, blow. He smirks, “Sorry I’m just so… snddff… sdeezy.”

Steve flushes red, “Shut up,” he quips embarrassedly. He places the thermometer back under Eddie’s tongue.

Luckily, Eddie’s nose decides to calm down for a while. He takes a few fever reducers and curls up on Steve’s lap again, falling into a feverish sleep after a few minutes.

[snifflesthemouse]

The Crown made Diana seem... awful and crazy.

Hello, to all you beautiful people!

This author hopes all is well with each of you! After two solid months of illness after illness, I am back for a new post. Slowly, I inch back into the habits and hobbies I enjoyed pre-illness. There are two things I want to discuss; I should really write out two different posts and include a story of the last time I spoke with my mother before she died when I was on the run back in the old days. But, this author would like to remind you of the ‘taking it slowly’ part.

Therefore, I will say this briefly before I move onto my main topic. Knowing now that Her Majesty the Queen had cancer the last few years of her life, yet Harry did NOTHING to take advantage of that time… well… let me just say. One day he will wake up, and it will be a miracle if the guilt from all his decisions doesn’t crush him whole.

With that, I now would like to discuss the fifth season of The Crown. I’ve watched all five seasons of The Crown, and I have never found the show to be insulting to the Monarch. If anything, I find the show makes it look like Her Majesty had a short stick and the people around her didn’t make it any easier. Diana especially. Before Diana, it was either her sister, her husband, or possibly even her heir.

The fifth season essentially suggests that Diana was too stupid and paranoid to listen to her brother when he called out the inconsistencies from Bashir. There is a literal scene where Diana calls Martin out on all of his inconsistences (re her brother’s appeals and begging her to not go through with it). She has him in the car and she tells him of how her brother had been keeping notes from all the conversations, that he was caught up in many a lie. And yet she was so paranoid, she couldn’t see the reason for the mania. (I’ve been there, not judging, but it is what it is).

The whole entire show makes it look like Peter Morgan is in love with Her Majesty, but everyone else is too selfish and inconsiderate to try and make things easier for the Queen. I’ve never been one of those who saw the show as a bad thing, as long as the person being portrayed was the Queen. But this fifth season explicitly left someone out, which I found odd.

REMEMBER, the show is utter fiction. My fellow AMERICANS, The Crown is a work of FICTION. It is loosly based on factual events, and that is being a bit too generous.

The show also highlighted the Romanovs, and it showed the introduction of Penny to Prince Philip's life. I do wish they'd not make the Queen seem so hysterical with the emotional side of their marriage. They either make her seem superficial, or like she is so good at looking the other way it hurts Prince Philip that she doesn't even try to catch a peek. Like Philip was so unfulfilled he needed the Queen to complete him. Puh-lease. Those two were each other's rock. And they did what they needed to make it work. None of our business how that happened, now is it?

If I were Netflix, and I had an ex-royal, especially the second son of Diana, Princess of Wales on the payroll, wouldn’t it make the most sense to remind people at every opportunity that I had the Spare on the payroll? I mean, the whole point is to remind people of the upcoming content, not the stuff they already put out, right?

So why is it that little Harry didn’t have more than a hand full of lines the whole fifth season, yet William is a breakout role? Diana’s character even says that “all the love the people have for me has transferred to William,” after the interview fight. It was horrific the way they portrayed Diana.

Diana came off as a manipulative woman who knew she was being used and used it to her advantage daily. Even when they cover the divorce, they have a scene where she’s asked to be silent post divorce. She tells the Mediator character essentially that her silence would cost eight figures and start with a three. She hangs out at a hospital and love bombs sick patients just to attract the attention of the Khan (who did surgery on her acupuncturist’s spouse). She uses her children to sow unrest and win favor with the Queen.

Even one scene shows William and the Queen having tea, and the Queen reminding William that he is a child and shouldn’t be worrying about his mother. Then, she eventually has William with her when Diana goes to give her a small warning about the interview coming out with Bashir. Every time you see how Diana used William as a pawn with the Queen. Like she knew the Queen would see her using him, feel empathy for him, and show her favor. And it worked. It legit worked. If this is who Netflix is painting the Diana, Princess of Netflix to be, how can Harry even look himself in the eyes in the morning? I suppose with a LOT of exterior assistance.

And that reward is a threat, btw. I imagine that will be his official straw. Either that or King Charles III has already offered him a deal, and this is his way out. I.E. Old poppa will take me back now if I get rid of her… Harry was/is an addict. He needs frequent dopamine releases to stay interested. She is running out of interesting things, I am almost sure.

If Charles is waiting for the book re the titles, he shouldn’t. I keep checking often to see any changes, and there have been multiple updates to different biographies. Yet the succession withholds all titles for both of the kids. It says a lot. But then again, does it?

The Prince of Wales website still has Charles and Camilla on it as the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. Netflix managed to come across very fair regarding Camilla and Charles. I am telling you, it seemed quite literal and quite personal. Like Netflix was getting revenge. But who am I? It was like they were sticking it to them both. They know Americans won't fact check, and they essentially made Prince Harry's childhood irrelevant in one of their biggest shows. Then, they painted William as the kid who had to parent his parents. How they continue to work with Netflix... wow. Just wow.

IT’S BEEN TOO LONG! Writing again soon, sending love! #royals #thecrown #princeharry

[tresca]

Ngk

Stealing Crowley’s inarticulate consonants here to convey how ill equipped I feel to actually post anything. But I find myself completely overwhelmed at stumbling into the joyous and abundant good omens fandom. I’m no stranger to fandom but its been ages and ages since I attempted to be an active participant of any kind (big fan of lurking, me). My past fandoms have mostly been me going along the ride as things get rolling, building up, etc, slowly friending people, reading, finding forums, etc.

With GO though - I’ve always been a fan of the novel, enjoyed season 1 immensely, but never really went looking for the fandom. Was happy to enjoy it as a stand alone and await the next season and pick up my novel every now and then for a reread. (And get back to making my slow progress through more and more of discworld). I came back to S2 late, was caught up in other shows when it premiered and then I finally watched it in October/Nov and I was promptly bowled over with the tidal wave. That ending meant I couldn’t help myself, had to go find fics and discourse and art and anything to tide me over (particularly since S3 hadn’t yet been announced!). And I haven’t stopped since. I have felt like Aziraphale getting my first taste of the ox ribs and now I am voracious and I can’t seem to get enough. I thought it would be enough for me to just lurk and lurk and lurk, reading and following and liking and consuming. There’s just so many wonderful things to see and read amongst the fandom - yall are a bloody wonder. AND I’ve watched all of Staged multiple times now, listened to Radio Omens, am finally making my way (slowly) through Doctor Who (new, not classic) - a show countless people have always told me I need to watch, and on and on and I find myself wanting to be more a part of things this time, but not really sure how to jump into to a fandom months Too Late (I live in Another Place I guess). and oh god, don’t even get me started on how devastated I am to have missed the graphic novel kickstarter by being Too Late… and how are DT and MS in SO many things, and how do i even break into discord groups? and how did I not know how active NG is on tumblr, I mean, I hadnt even logged into tumblr in maybe a decade and its all so different yet so the same…

Er, ahem I got away from myself there. Not even sure anyone is actually reading this..

All this to say that If you happen to have stumbled here since I have been madly following and liking for the past few weeks. Hello! I’m gonna try to lurk less. You are all wonderful. Please dont mind the inarticulate tresca in the corner here. *meep*

[badassbiburgerbob]

Okay, I keep seeing Chicago Fire stuff on my dash and I'm becoming increasingly intrigued despite myself... is it like the police procedural genre but for the fire department? or something completely different? That last gifset says it's from 2012 and I've never even heard of it??? I'd assumed it was a new show??? If you're at all inclined, I'd love to hear a rant about What This Show Is because I had no idea it existed until I started seeing stuff reblogged and now my curiosity is piqued

Oh my lord where do I begin?

Tldr: It's a drama about a firefighters. It started I think in 2012, I only started watching it last year but I've gotten all caught up. They're in the middle of season 11 now.

But it's so freaking good. Something is always going wrong (hence drama) and each season usually has one overarching problem and then a few small ones. They do cooperate with the pd sometimes though the first season not as much, as a dirty cop tries to kill one of the lieutenants. But they're usually helpful with the pd.

There's a few character deaths that suck which just sort of rip your heart out. It gives kinda a good insight to what firefighters do in a busy urban area tho. It's fiction obviously but they do work with actual firefighters to get things right and one of them ,Tony Ferris, is an actual firefighter with the Chicago fire department. He's not a main main character, but its still cool.

But it's a drama, so shit happens. Like all the time. And sometimes it absolutely sucks (like what the assholes have done to Cindy this season). At one point the chief gets framed for murder and arrested. Another lieutenant, severide, has had people try to kill him a few times, and had his ass kicked. Herrmann (my personal fave) is such a good guy but sparky as fuck and makes multiple bad decisions. He also has the best wife in the whole world, Cindy (I love them so much). He also sets a couch on fire in front of the company's CEO to get him to increase safety standards of his furniture, and it works!

But then it also touches on important issues, like the increased risk of cancer firefighters face, which promts new protocols of equipment and gear cleaning. Mental illness associated with the stuff they see and do, and the death of colleagues that they have to grieve and move on from. And how people in lower income areas struggle and get into trouble. There's a season where Dawson and Casey try to adopt a little boy and end up giving him back to the father and its breaks my heart. They touch briefly on how hard it is for women to get high up in the department because of politics. Although they don't focus at all really on politics, there is an episode where Herrmann screams at his sone for knealing during the anthem but then Herrmann defends his kid to the principal which is super cool. He's got 5 kids and is a pretty good dad, usually. There is one season or two when Casey, one of the fire lieutenants, becomes an alderman so there's some politics in that. There's also a few episodes on substance abuse, and how it affects the people around you.

One episode they get locked in a jail. Another episode they rescue people froma crashes helicopter stuck on a roof. They open a bar and name it Molly's and have to chase off a mob type guy who tries to burn it down at one point. Herrmann beats the crap out of guy who's Crack habit killed his kid. There's an episode where the paramedics get abducted. But everything turns out fine. And then there's episodes where they get married, there's three or four of those and its precious. They have a bbq where there's a surprise promotion. One paramedic Brett, starts a paramdicine van, that goes around helping g people with medicine and stuff, like a visiting nurse type thing kinda. Severide gets married in Vegas, which turns out ok although ots doesn't last. They also get a firehouse dog named pouch who they give away later, for very touching reasons. And then they get another one, a dalmation named Tuesday. Both of which are precious. Some of them have kids, which never fails to make a smile.

There's just so much. But it's such a good show.

It's about the hardships they face and how they deal with the shit that happens in life. And then the joy of what they do and the relationships they have and make. And how they touch snd change peoples lives.

And they absolutely drag eachother through the mud. Sometimes ruthlessly. It's hilarious and I love them for it. There so much sass. God so much sass. It's a really really good show. There's a lot of kinda dark stuff but it's broken up by some positivity and/or comedy and some poignant moments. It shows really good relationships or how to deal with really bad ones.

They're idiots in different ways but also all very lovely. I love them.

They have a few gay characters, too. Right now it's just the one, and he's not doing so good in the dating department. But he's fantastic.

I'm hoping this was at least somewhat coherent. It's kinda late and I'm a bit tired. But I love this show so very much. Easily one of my favorite shows ever. 1000/10 definitely would recommend to everyone. It's on NBC or their streaming platform: peacock (i don't have that one tbh). They usually have a chicago one (which is med fire and pd, three shows) Wednesday at 7pm EST. It's also on ion (I think?), which for anyone in the US with Verizon is channel 31, every Tuesday from like 12pm to about 2 or 3 am the next day, and usually in order. I think that channel is on season 3 rn.

Please ask if you need/want more details. I tried not to spoil anything. But I will rant in more detail if you'd like! I also have gifs but I didn't want to make this too long

[brightgnosis]

We decided to actually go out and have dinner at a sit-down restaurant tonight since it's been forever since we actually did, and I'm so glad we did. The food was amazing.

We stopped at WalGreens on the way home, though, to pick me up a new bottle of Tylenol because I'm down to, like, 3 left in my old bottle. And I've had a headache since earlier today when I tried to play Valheim with my Husband and we got caught in a Blizzard in the Mountain Biome; it decided to trigger a massive headache (we haven't managed to get all of my issues with gaming settled just yet, so certain things still trigger it. Apparently this is one of them). I've been refusing to take a Tylenol for it because I'd already taken one earlier in the day and I was so low. I didn't want to risk not having any for later in the week in case I needed pain management for something else at some point. Especially since I can no longer take my Ketorolac, with me being on the Meloxicam for my joint pain now.

Anyways. When we were leaving we stepped through the Halloween Isle and I found the cutest set of ceramic Pumpkins. So I snagged 3 of them, too, for the Fireplace mantle; one's large and White, and has leaf cutouts, and lights up when you flip a switch on the bottom. And the other two also have little cutouts, but they're like palm sized, and I got one in this pretty Red and another in Orange.

I still need to get a new garland, vase, and bouquet for the mantle. But having a few little Pumpkins now is super cute and a little extra.

I don't know why I've gotten so into decorating for the major seasonal shifts over the last two years? It started with my Husband buying me those bouquets of fake flowers when I was so ill I was completely bedbound for those 3 months in early 2021, so that I could have something nice to look at that the Fat Bastard couldn't eat, while I was suicidal ... It's like it completely rewired my entire world in this weird way. But I'm glad I did, honestly? Because it brings me such a tiny little blip of joy, and I need that.

This blog belongs to a «Multi-Neuroatypical + Multi-Disabled» «Queer» «Childless» «Jewish + Pagan» «NonTraditionalist» Homemaker. TradWives are unwelcome.

[new-hyperfixation-every-month]

(SPOILERS FOR TPP SEASON 4 AND A BIT OF SEASON 3 IG)

so i just finished season 4 of tpp and damn it i have some WORDS TO SAY

i rlly dont know how to feel abt nureyev rn. he clearly expected dark matters to attack the carte blanche, and although he probably isnt working with them, the fact that he also told whoever he took the loan from that he would be bringing them all the items he and the aurinko crime family stole makes me think he didnt just escape from dark matters. he probably used this as an opportunity to escape from the family as well, especially since in the journal he literally tells juno not to look for him.

i hate to say this, bc nureyev is a huge comfort character for me, but i think hes up to smth rlly bad. and i cant believe hes pulling this betrayal bullshit AGAIN

(also i understand he wants juno to learn more abt him and his past, but how did he expect juno to react to the love of his life ranting abt how smitten he was for another guy in a journal made FOR HIM)

the vulnerability in nureyev's journal makes me incredibly happy you have NO IDEA

im such a sucker for characters who mask emotions finally showing vulnerability through stories of their past, in which they didnt feel the need to hide or were only starting to. (for example, the contrast between younger nureyev talking abt the world knowing his name versus older nureyev who can barely even speak it himself; "just...call me what you used to.")

im kind of scared abt the whole slip jackson situation. slip seems completely in love with nureyev, which makes me think nureyev is probably the reason they broke up. he probably did smth hypocritical like lying or betraying slip, and genuinely idk if i can take seeing nureyev do anymore shitty stuff ok i RLLY LIKE HIM and am sick of seeing him being a dick.

SO ANYWAYS bc ive caught up on tpp, ill need a new podcast to listen to soon (RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ALWAYS APPRECIATED) but this is also the perfect time to work on that recap video project i talked abt in another post, so if i do end up doing that, ill update anyone whos interested on the progress as it happens.

ALSO does anyone know when the next episode will be out bc i think im driving myself insane by listening to these unfinished podcasts and now that i think abt it the next two episodes wont even be junoverse so im gonna have to listen to the second citadel thingy too (gimme opinions on that bc i wanna know if its actually good)

[kuackity]

Hello!!! Back again tis I, the only and only braonrot. I only brought up C! Dream because he kinda....got out of jail so I could see the others protecting him bcuz of that. But yeah those takes were *chefs kiss*

I also have a question about Lolito because I've seen recently he was known for killing other people in Karmaland4, what's that all about if you could give me a rundown?/g and the memory loss too, only if you'd like to!

You can see me now, the clown, when the heck did c!dream get out of Jail, I am lost completely I just consume dream smp lore mostly through tumblr so sometimes I lost important lore moments so yeah. Someone is gonna come burn me in a stake. Yeah maybe the karmaland crew would be on guard but I don't think the will hunt down c!dream.

Again a read more cause long thing

Well let's see I was never big on Lolito side of the history but this is what I know.

Lolito knew little about Minecraft so he keep Mangel close (another cc) he went with the jealous bordering crazy behavior about him, and keeping him besides him that's how we went from sweet to crazy I suppose. The thing was because of his lack of knowledge some people started messing with his house, so he started getting some illegal things including monsters to keep, and he even made a gigantic letters saying he would block the sun...fast forward comes the election days he is a candidate and wins so now he is somehow of a corrupt leader, with some people on his side sometime after he is chosen he caught an illness that make him lose his memory's and people started picking on him again telling lies and confusing him making him destroy his house and things because he has full confidence in people again ; so when he got his memory back he was pissed so maybe it was more gradual of a descending to crazyness thing and then the cc!Lolito decided to leave Karmaland so he made a full goodbye saying he is not the best person and things.Then he came back and got sucked in the main storyline.

I don't know which way he is doing this new season but soon I will watch the ep's so yeah.

IF SOMEONE KNOWS BETTER ABOUT LOLLITO DRAG MY ASS and correct my answers.

[guineverependragon]

23 animes in 2023

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to make a list of the new animes that I have enjoyed this past year. I've been completing this anime challenge since 2020 and I'm so grateful to have met new mutuals along the way and explore different genres and animation styles. I look forward to continuing the challenge again in 2024 with 24 animes, and I hope you all enjoy the ride with me. Below is my list, highlighting my top 10, with my overall rating and brief summary (some spoilers).

Happy New Year everyone! (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。

Buddy Daddies (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.8/10; Two assassins accidentally find a 4 year old girl on one of their jobs and eventually become her papas. This series highlighted the important details of parenting while presenting it in a queer platonic way. The fact that they all made it to the end and happily shared their lives together is historical. The angst of episode 10 set the stage for what they were willing to fight for. The growth and development of Rei and Kazuki was beautiful and I love the family they have created together. Angst with a happy ending. One of my favorite found families in one of my favorite comfort series. And the action and call back to details was wonderful. So many tears at the end but I'm glad I stuck it out. 

Natsume Yuujinchou (2008 - ) 6 Seasons (75 episodes, ongoing) 

9.5/10; The series follow Takashi Natsume, an orphan boy in high school who can see yokai (spirits). One day, Takashi finds a very old notebook that his late maternal grandmother, Reiko, who possessed strong spiritual powers, used to bind dozens of powerful demonic spirits, both good and evil, that she defeated to follow her every whim and desire if called upon. Takashi resolves to give back all the names in the age-old notebook, Book of Friends, and in the process joins forces with another feline/wolf-like spirit called Madara (nicknamed "Nyanko-sensei" in his borrowed lucky cat-like form), who knew Reiko when she was alive. Nyanko-sensei intends to take back the notebook after Takashi dies. Until then, he agreed to protect Takashi from the nefarious spirits who want to harm him for being the grandson of Reiko, who died in her young adult years decades prior to the story. The stories of the yokai Natsume meets along his journey are truly heartbreaking and led me to cry on multiple occasions. Natsume's own story of losing his parents and being passed around by family members throughout his life was equally devastating. As Natsume adapts to seeing yokai, he finds true family and friendships and becomes happy. It's a beautiful series from start to finish. 

Skip to Loafer (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

9.5/10; Mitsumi Iwakura is a sparkling high school student who moved from the outskirts of Ishikawa Prefecture to high school in Tokyo after graduating from junior high school. Mitsumi grew up in a depopulated area, with only eight students in her class. However, on the day of her entrance ceremony, she gets caught in the commuter rush and gets lost, and her life plan is quickly frustrated. A tall and handsome boy who was worried about Mitsumi calls out to her and decides to go to school with her every day.  One of my favorite OPs this year. I hope the series will be able to continue. 

The Apothecary Diaries (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes, ongoing)

9.3/10; Set in a fictional country based on Ming-era China, the series follows Maomao, a young girl working as an apothecary in the red-light district, who is kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace as a servant. However, Maomao surprisingly tries to make the best of the situation and wait out her time until she can return home. One day, after hearing rumors that the emperor's children are critically ill, she begins to investigate the cause, using her experience as an apothecary, and successfully solves the mystery of their illness. Even though she intends to remain anonymous, her actions eventually catch the attention of an influential eunuch, Jinshi, and soon finds herself solving various mysteries for the royal court. I became hooked on this series pretty much immediately. The lore of the fictional era paired with the insights of Maomao make a truly fascinating story. I’m excited to see where the second half of the series is headed.

My Happy Marriage (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.2/10; During an era in which spirits and magic are real, but in decline, Miyo Saimori, born without supernatural talent, is forced into an existence of servitude by her abusive stepmother. When Miyo finally comes of marriageable age, though, her hopes of being whisked away to a better life crumble after she discovers her fiancé’s identity: Kiyoka Kudou, a commander apparently so cold and cruel that his previous would-be brides all fled within three days of their engagements. With no home to return to, Miyo resigns herself to her fate—and soon finds that her pale and handsome husband-to-be is anything but the monster she expected. As they slowly open their hearts to each other, both realize the other may be their chance at finding true love and happiness. It has a similar feeling of Cinderella but goes extensively into the aftermath of trauma and learning how to live beyond that. It's true in this case that sometimes love isn't enough but it's certainly important. You find yourself as a viewer wanting Miyo to have the best and also wanting her to believe she deserves the best. And watching Kudou soften his personality as he fell in love with Miyo was such a sweet experience. They are a beautiful couple and I can't wait to see what season two has in store for them. 

My Boss is Goofy (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.1/10; Kentarō Momose, whose physical and mental health deteriorated after his boss's abuse, changed his job to a sales position at an advertising agency. However, due to his trauma, he was unable to move due to stomach pain during his first tour. Momose's new boss, Shirosaki, leaves Momose without saying anything, and Momose becomes worried that his new boss will be the same as before. | This series was so wholesome. I love how it didn't minimize or brush over Momose's trauma simply because he got a new job. They acknowledged that it takes time to heal and just because his new boss was understood doesn't take away the suffering he had to endure. Momose and Shirosaki's relationship was so pure. I loved everything about them. Even if the series isn't considered BL, it was so refreshing to see men be so vulnerable and supportive of each other. I also loved that they had a clearly identified bi character. An adorable wonderful series that I enjoyed very much. 

Loving Yamada at Lv999! (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes) 

8.9/10; The story follows the daily life of college student Akane Kinoshita. After getting dumped by her boyfriend, she continues the game Forest of Savior (FoS) they once played together and attended an offline event of the game. There she encounters an emotionless and handsome high school student named Akito Yamada. Yamada happens to belong to the same guild in the game as Akane, and after this encounter Akane begins to get closer to other members of the guild, especially Yamada. The ending confession was absolutely heartwarming and I really hope we get a season two to see their relationship grows. 

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (2023) 1 Season (24 episodes)

8.9/10; Anne Halford is a candy crafter determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Silver Sugar Master, a title bestowed only by royalty. In order to travel to the capital and realize her dream, she purchases Challe, a handsome but foul-mouthed fairy, as her bodyguard. Anne wishes to befriend her new companion, but in this kingdom where fairies are treated as property upon possession of one of their wings, Challe wants nothing to do with humans. I was truly thrilled with how engaging this series was. After not watching anything for quite some time I was hooked on this series and watched 5 episodes right away. It's a great combination of adventure, coming of age, fantasy, friendship, and slow burn romance. Animation was gorgeous. I hope it gets another season. One of my favorite watches this year! 

I'm in Love with the Villainess (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

8.9/10; Rei Ohashi, an ordinary office worker, is overworked to death and suddenly finds herself reincarnated as Rae Taylor, the heroine of her favorite otome game, Revolution. However, Rae has no interest in the game's three original romance routes with the Bauer Kingdom's princes. Instead, she sets her heart on Claire François, the game's main antagonist. Using her knowledge of the game's events that are yet to come, Rae tries to give Claire a happy ending before the coming revolution destroys any chance of it happening. Initially I was put off by how disinterested Claire seemed in Rae but the slow turnaround and realization of her feelings at the end really made the series worth watching all the way through. I also like how they were direct about Rei being a lesbian and acknowledging that their relationship wouldn't be the typical kind. 

Oshi no Ko (2023) ️1 Season (11 episodes, ongoing) 

️8.8/10; Gynecologist Gorou Amamiya is tasked with helping deliver the children of Ai Hoshino, an idol singer whom he admires, without the knowledge of the general public. However, the night of Ai's delivery, Gorou is murdered by an obsessive fan of Ai's, and is reincarnated as Aquamarine Hoshino, Ai's son, retaining his memories of his previous life. Unbeknownst to him, Aqua's fraternal twin, Ruby Hoshino, is also a reincarnation of one of Gorou's patients who was a fan of Ai's. Four years later, Ai is murdered by the same fan, who later dies by suicide. However, Aqua deduces that the murderer may have had his and Ruby's father as an accomplice and resolves to infiltrate the entertainment industry to find and kill him. This series was wild from start to finish! It immediately pulled me into the dark mystery of the crime involved while also being fun and compelling. I'm excited to see how the story continues to unfold in season two! 

Josee the Tiger and the Fish (2020) Movie (98 minutes) 

8.7/10; Tsuneo Suzukawa is a 22-year-old university student studying marine biology. He works part-time at a diving shop, where he bonds with coworkers Mai and Hayato. On his way home after a lecture, he saves a paraplegic young woman named Kumiko Yamamura, who insists on being called "Josee". After being invited over for dinner as a token of gratitude, Tsuneo receives a job offer from Josee's grandmother, Chizu, to become a caretaker for Josee. A very endearing film about dreams, grief, and overcoming obstacles. Emotionally compelling moments, gorgeous art style, and an overall happy ending. I very much enjoyed the movie. Only wish we could have seen more of them together as an official couple. 

Romantic Killer (2022) 1 Season (12 episodes)

8.6/10; A romantic comedy following Anzu Hoshino who was visited by a wizard named Riri who is on a mission to fix her love life (or lack thereof). By taking away her most precious desires, video games, chocolates, and her beloved cat, Hoshino is forced to address her wholesome harem but finds beloved friendships along the way. I loved this series. Very wholesome, enjoyable, and entertaining. An anti-heroine after my own heart. 

A Silent Voice (2016) Movie (130 minutes)

8.5/10; The film covers elements of coming of age and psychological drama, dealing with themes of bullying, disability, forgiveness, mental health, suicide, and friendship of opposite sexes. It follows the story of a former bully turned social outcast, who decides to reconnect and befriend the deaf girl he had bullied years prior. Tissues are an absolute must for this one!

Hell's Paradise (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes, ongoing)

8.4/10; Sentenced to death, ninja Gabimaru the Hollow finds himself apathetic. After leading a blood-soaked life, Gabimaru believes he deserves to die. However, every attempt to execute him inexplicably fails. Finally, Sagiri Yamada Asaemon, a fledgling member of a famed executioner clan, is asked to take Gabimaru's life; yet Sagiri makes no move to kill him as requested. Insisting that Gabimaru will not die because of his love for his wife, Sagiri instead offers him the chance to obtain a full pardon for his crimes. If he can travel to the island of Shinsekyo and obtain the Elixir of Life—which supposedly grants immortality—and bring it back for the shogun, then his freedom will be assured. But of the many who have traveled to Shinsekyo in search of the mythical Elixir, not a single person has returned sound of mind, if at all. Though unaware of the numerous dangers ahead, Gabimaru decides to accept the offer—alongside ten other death row convicts—in hope that he and his wife may finally live in peace.   Incredible action sequences and excellent animation from MAPPA studios. Excited to see how the story finishes. This was definitely a step out of my usual genre comfort zone.

 Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

8.3/10; Eunha Park dies in modern day Seoul and gets reincarnated in a novel as an extra character named Raeliana McMillan who eventually gets killed off during the story. To avoid her second death, she pretends to be the fiancée of the male lead Duke Noah Volstaire Wynknight for 6 months. Will Noah help Raeliana avoid her ill-fated ending, or is history doomed to repeat itself? 

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

8/10; Himuro-kun is a descendant of a snow woman in Japanese folklore. As a result, when he experiences a strong emotion he can create a snow storm. Before he arrives on his first days as an office worker, he literally gets cold feet and is frozen in place. Fuyutsuki-san helps by providing some warm tea and comfort which forms the beginning of their mutual affection towards each other. This series was a very wholesome slice of life office romance. It was so refreshing to see a male character be so open and vulnerable with his feelings. I hope we'll be able to see more from this series in the future. 

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) Movie (92 minutes)

8/10; One Christmas Eve, three homeless people—a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin, a crossdresser named Hana, and a dependent teenage runaway named Miyuki—discover an abandoned newborn while searching through the garbage for presents. On the baby is a note asking the finder to take good care of her and a key, leading to a bag with clues to the parents' identity. | An interesting interpretation of found family and divine timing. The animation style was really unique and you couldn't help but root for these people who have found one another. It also looks at the darker themes of how homelessness is looked at in Tokyo (but truly the world). Very unique film. 

Otonari ni Ginga (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

7.9/10; Ichirou Kuga has suddenly found himself taking on the responsibility of caring for his two younger siblings after their father's untimely death. To make ends meet, Ichirou rents out rooms in the apartment complex he inherited and works full-time as a shoujo manga artist. However, his manga sales are low, his assistants have recently left, and deadlines are fast approaching. As stress threatens to overtake Ichirou, salvation comes in the form of an extremely competent novice artist, Shiori Goshiki, who becomes his new assistant. With her skills, they are able to tide over the difficult situation, and things begin looking up. But in a bizarre accident, a supernatural experience unfolds between Ichirou and Shirou, which leads her to declare them engaged. With this seemingly innocuous action upending his life, Ichirou now has to manage his new and peculiar relationship with the mysterious girl, all the while following his own passion and fulfilling the duties that rest on his shoulders. The pacing of the series probably would've come across better if I had watched the episodes back to back instead week to week. The romance between the main characters was very sweet and endearing. I think what threw me off was the lore of the princess's world combined with the ordinary day to day. It's a shame the series ended when it did because there's so much left unanswered but I suppose that's the draw to read the manga. Enjoyable and sweet overall. 

Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes)

7.9/10; In the small city of Nanao, insomniac Ganta Nakami tries to catch a nap in his school's abandoned astronomical observatory. There he stumbles upon a sociable and carefree girl named Isaki Magari who has the same problem. The two form an awkward friendship and reestablish their school's defunct astronomy club. It was a very sweet romance between two teenagers that have experienced quite a bit of trauma in their lives. Finding comfort and understanding within each other, they begin to heal and grow closer together. 

Tomo-chan is a girl (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes)

6.2/10; A girl confesses to her childhood friend and he doesn't believe her because he doesn't see her as a girl. Tomo tries to be girlier but ultimately Jun realizes he's loved her all along. The plot loses the thread a few times but the pay off in the end for their relationship was worth it. A cute, silly, fun time watch.

Yuri Is My Job! (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

6/10; Hime Shiraki is a high school girl who deeply cares about her image as a sweet, helpful princess but on the inside only cares about herself. So when she accidentally injures a café manager named Mai Koshiba, she is willing to cover some shifts to keep her façade intact. Hime ends up working as a waitress at a place that is part café, part theater, where all the waitresses pretend to be students at a fictional all-girls boarding school known as Liebe Girls Academy. Hime finds herself drawn to another waitress at the café, who in front of the customers gives Hime love and devotion like she has never known. However, behind the scenes, the girl seems to hate her guts. I really had a difficult time staying interested initially because of the tsundere attitude and it took awhile to find out what was causing it. The episodes that explored the two main character’s histories and background were the best parts of the series. If I rated the series just on those episodes I would've given it a 9 because it really did capture the experience of loving your best friend and being frustrated when they don't understand those feelings. I want to read the manga and see if there's more to the story there but overall I was very disappointed in the anime. 

Omoi Omoware Furi Furare (2020) Movie (103 minutes)

5.8/10; Yuna Ichihara is in the spring before her first year of high school and is pained to be separated from her best friend Sacchan who is moving away. On her way to the train station, she is stopped by a random girl named Akari Yamamoto, who asks her for money for her train fare. Although Yuna is somewhat afraid and reluctant, she gives the girl money, who in turn gives Yuna her bracelet as a promise she will meet her tomorrow to pay her back. On the same day, Yuna runs twice into a boy who looks like the idolized prince of her childhood who she referred to as her first love. After that, the girl named Akari returns Yuna's money, they head home together only to find out that they live in the same apartment building. The girls instantly become friends. However, they find that they explore love in completely different ways, and Yuna may be in love with Akari's younger brother and Akari in love with Yuna's childhood friend. | It's difficult because the series was 12 volumes put into one film so the pacing of it was a bit different. Also with fan subs it's always possible that certain points get lost in translation. The build up to Yuna and Rio was strange, especially since he initially had a crush and kissed his step sister. They eventually got to a cute place but I have a feeling it was better explained in the manga. And for whatever reason I just didn't really care for Akari; she was always keeping secrets and carrying the burden of things when Yuna always offered to help. The animation was stunning and I can tell the story had a lot of potential. 

Fragtime (2019) Movie (61 minutes)

5.7/10; Misuzu Moritani is an introvert who has always had difficulty interacting with her classmates, quickly becoming flustered whenever someone tries to talk to her. Sometimes, she will use her ability to stop time for three minutes to escape troublesome social situations. One day, as Misuzu watches the suspended environment around her, she observes that her classmate, Haruka Murakami, is somehow able to move despite her temporal influence. From that moment on, Misuzu experiences new wonders as she explores more of the world she has long avoided; no matter where time may take her, Misuzu can count on Haruka to always be at her side. It was equally too long and too short. I don't think the point of the movie really came across. The two main girls were very sweet but overall I wanted the story to be more interesting.

[hallmarknostalgia]

Hearties have two reasons to celebrate this month. When Calls the Heart returns for its 10th season on Sunday, July 30, and the cast and crew just got started filming the Western drama’s 11th season.

In WCTH’s Season 10 premiere, Hope Valley faces an economic downturn, as Elizabeth (Erin Krakow) and Bill (Jack Wagner) learn that the town’s children have made a game-changing discovery.

“I am beyond excited for Season 10 of When Calls the Heart to premiere July 30,” Krakow, who’s also an executive producer on the Hallmark Channel show, said in a statement. “This season is full of beautiful moments and exciting twists and turns. I can’t wait for the Hearties to see what we’ve created for them! And I’m so thrilled, proud, and grateful to Hallmark that the show has been renewed for Season 11. We have so many more stories to tell.”

As for WCTH stories already told, scroll down to see IMDb voters’ picks for the 10 best episodes so far.

10. Season 2, Episode 9: “Follow Your Heart”

As a storm rolls in, Elizabeth mulls over her relationship troubles with Jack (Daniel Lissing), who’s busy dealing with a counterfeiter. Meanwhile, Nora (Kristina Wagner) and Bill have an awkward run-in in Hope Valley.

9. Season 2, Episode 1: “Trials of the Heart”

After a fateful kiss with Jack, Elizabeth is pulled back to Hamilton, where her mother has fallen ill. Back in town, the residents gear up for the trial against the Pacific Northwest Mining Company.

8. Season 2, Episode 5: “Heart of the Family”

Elizabeth returns to Hope Valley, and Jack shows off the completed schoolhouse. Clara (Eva Bourne) starts a new job at Abigail’s café, and Rosemary (Pascale Hutton) starts work as a newspaper advice columnist.

7. Season 1, Episode 11: “Rules of Engagement”

Martin Cummins won a Leo Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for this episode, in which his Gowen threatens Abigail (Lori Loughlin) over the mine disaster investigation, while Elizabeth meets Rosemary, Jack’s ex-fiancée.

6. Season 1, Episode 9: “Change of Heart”

Jack gets a dinner date with Elizabeth but hesitates to tell her about his new assignment. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s sister Julie (Charlotte Hegele) arrives in town and chances upon a wounded fugitive.

5. Season 5, Episode 5: “My Heart Is Yours”

Jack and Elizabeth finally tie the knot, though their wedding is almost dashed by a church fire and a calamitous prisoner transfer. “The show again and again delivers suspense, lessons to be learned, and romance,” an IMDb reviewer observed.

4. Season 1, Episode 12: “Prelude to a Kiss”

In the Season 1 finale, Jack investigates the mine explosion with Bill and then decides between Elizabeth and Rosemary. On IMDb, one user called this said this episode, with “so many amazing moments,” was the highlight of the first season.

3. Season 4, Episode 11: “Heart of a Fighter”

Abigail’s son Cody (Carter Ryan) falls ill, and when doctors offer diverging diagnoses, Abigail has to decide whom to believe. Meanwhile, Cody’s medical ordeal stirs up painful memories for Lee (Kavan Smith).

2. Season 4, Episode 7: “My Heart Will Go On”

Elizabeth gets her teaching job back, and she gets a proposal from Jack just before he heads north for an assignment. “This episode of WCTH was the most emotional, heart-wrenching roller coaster of an episode,” an IMDb reviewer raved.

1. Season 3, Episode 9: “Prayers From the Heart”

The Hope Valley townsfolk swing into action when miners get caught up in a mudslide. And Jack nearly dies in an effort to save a child from a flood — though he recovers in time for Rosemary’s wedding to Lee.

[emmerrr]

Just saw you watched kinnporsche, i NEED your thoughts on vegaspete

oh man, where do i even start???

i mean, i think this reddit AITA response sums them up quite nicely:

[text id: “You’re both just enabling each other’s mental illnesses. You’re both perfect for each other. Never change. Just never involve anybody else in what you’ve got going on.”]

no but seriously, like, on the surface, this is a dynamic that usually wouldn’t really be my kinda thing given that vegas literally kidnaps and tortures and degrades pete. it’s, y’know, not the most healthy basis for a relationship of any kind.

...and yet.

up until the point where they’re thrown into the mix together, the only frame of reference we have for vegas’s relationships (for want of a better word) outside of his own family are porsche and tawan. in porsche’s case, vegas really only views him as a shiny new toy of kinn’s that he wants to steal and/or break just because -- it’s not about porsche at all, it’s about his hatred of kinn. and as for tawan -- him being the fucking worst aside -- vegas does just completely manipulate him, telling him exactly what he wants to hear in order to get him to do whatever vegas needs him to do for the minor family. potentially this is up for debate (i haven’t done a deep-dive into the fandom so i wouldn’t really know) but as far as i can tell, vegas never had any real feelings for him, it was all about personal gain. but my point here is that both porsche and tawan are a means to an end for vegas; any time he ever appeared let either of them in at all was nothing but a calculated move.

and it’s interesting when pete gets caught and ends up in vegas’s hands, because up until then, pete’s been someone of little consequence for vegas. i think that vegas would find it a bonus that pete is one of kinn’s favoured bodyguards, but on a personal level, i really don’t think he’s spent all that much time thinking about pete until now at all.

but almost immediately, and obviously through no fault of his own, pete happens to see vegas in some of his most vulnerable moments, directly witnessing vegas being humiliated and abused at the hands of his dad, and then later on just being the only one there to see vegas in the aftermath of subsequent incidents at the safe house. and i think that pete really sees vegas in a way he’s never been seen before; he recognises that deep-seeded isolation and loneliness, the desperation for approval and recognition from a father who’s just never going to give it. obviously none of this excuses any of vegas’s actions, but it informs so much of his behaviour, and pete realises that vegas is still trapped in this cycle of abuse. he can’t help but see vegas in a different light, empathetic almost to a fault.

i like that there’s a lot about vegas and pete’s feelings for each other that are revealed in actions before either of them have had time to think about it. the first big one for me being when vegas finds pete unconscious from his wounds (that vegas inflicted!!!!) becoming inflamed. his panic in that moment is so potent and immediate, that pete’s not waking up, that pete is obviously unwell. and he takes so much care to clean and bandage the wounds, and makes sure pete takes the antibiotics. it’s all so unexpectedly intimate, and pete doesn’t understand it, because what does it matter, why won’t vegas just let him die, what’s the endgame here? and this is the time for me, i think, when you realise that the point where vegas ever could actually kill pete (at least with any kind of intention) has long since passed. (i’m skipping to the end for a second here, but my other favourite of these sort of moments is vegas getting shot in the season finale -- the look of sheer horror on pete’s face, and then he doesn’t even hesitate before killing the shooter. like, that must’ve been someone he knew, but it didn’t matter. just blind rage, a gut reaction.)

and then pete’s given this golden opportunity to escape that he doesn’t take all because he sees the despondent figure of vegas sitting on the grass with his now dead hedgehog (rip king). and you can even see how mad at himself pete is for making this decision, but make it he does as he just can’t bring himself to leave vegas alone like that -- because who else does he have? (i’ll literally never get over this, i think about it all the time. pete was home free but he just couldn’t go. losing my mind over it forever and ever actually.)

beyond all the physical stuff and their obvious attraction to each other (pete being drawn to vegas against his better judgement, vegas being aware of this and using it to get close, to tease, to see if pete will call -- or raise -- his bluff), it’s all the emotional shit that just kills me over and over again. they just get under each other’s skin in both the best and worst ways. there’s the turmoil they both go through when pete gets himself out, that scene intercut between the two of them both in tears over a meal, pete trying to reconcile everything that has happened and how he feels about it, vegas there in the comfy clothes he’d got accustomed to wearing around pete, with a meal he’d made for pete in the hope he’d come back, just...fUCK. and pete begging porsche to just believe him that he really did go home, i can’t cope!!!!

i mean, i could go on and on but when it comes down to it, the effect they have on one another is just so profound, especially considering they have opposing allegiances (at least initially), and it’s just so incredibly compelling. i love that when they first see each other again after pete escapes, he immediately pulls a gun on vegas. i love that he can’t -- won’t -- shoot. i love that vegas knows he won’t. i love that the next time they meet they both pull guns on each other. i love that vegas lowers his first. i love that pete shoots vegas to save him, then beats the shit out of him. i love that vegas tells pete if he dies today, can it be pete who kills him. i love that pete resigns to follow vegas because he just can’t betray his feelings anymore.

i think they’re both complete trainwrecks, they run the risk of becoming dangerously codependent, and the lengths that i imagine they’ll be prepared to go to for each other would make a season 2 (if we get one) very very interesting.

in conclusion, they gave me brainrot, thanks for asking.