#I'm starting to love book! jo so much so now don't start with me on that bullshit

[muniimyg]

5: the oblivious // series m.list

note: okok... i'm sorry i have to taint them. i jus think... HE DESERVED THIS !!! ahwuhaksjf srsly i tried so hard to keep this fic pure n fluffy ,,, mebe next time LOL

warnings: jk fingers oc in the library :') ,, dirty talk ,, oc cums !! implied smut thru/out their convo ?? yeah ...

taglist request: send a request with the title of this fic “aao” // DO NOT comment here or on the masterlist . it gets confusing and i prefer answering and tagging through asks !!!

🏷️ permanent taglist: @joonsjuice @taetaecatboy @pb-n-juju @miss-rainy-days @firesighgirl @whoa-jo @vantxx95 @pamzn @kakixaku @casspirit0705 @tae165 @defzcl @sopebubbles @leefics @ggukkieland @bebebutbetter @yoongimentita7 @boraength @era-genius @4ksj @vampcharxter @miss-jupiter @floweryjeons @taegijns @jeonqkooks-main @rrosiitas @jkslvsnella @parkinglot-nights @kissyfacekoo

//

“Hey, you.”

Before you can turn your head, it’s like your heart already knows who it is. Actually, it’s pretty much a given on who it is. 

Jungkook catches up next to you, snaking his arm around your waist. He pulls you close and kisses the top of your head, followed by a tight hug. He squeezes you until you squeal free from his grip. 

“There’s a kinder way of greeting me that doesn’t involve squeezing my guts out,” you criticize him half-heartedly. "What ever happened to just saying hi?"

He chuckles. “It went down the drain after the first time I kissed you."

“You always wanna kiss me, huh?”

Pretending to be offended, he shoots you a glare. “Now, now… Don’t act like you didn’t come running back for a goodnight kiss—”

“Okay, okay,” you yield. “I get it. Can you—”

Without hesitation, Jungkook takes your tote bag off of your shoulders. Along with your books in your hands, he tilts his head towards the library, assuming that's where you're headed. You nod in response. Like second nature, he offers you his hand.

You take it.

With a smile, he adds, “Let's go. I got it, mi.”

Confused, you tilt your head at him. “Mi?”

He then scrunches his nose at you. “Figure it out.”

You huff but mutter an “okay, fine.” Although, you don't really think about it. You have a feeling you already know what he means.

With that, you continue to walk towards the library. As you do so, Jungkook walks beside you, happier than ever. He smiles brightly when you ask him about his day. To which he replies that it was the same old same old. He states that the only exciting part about today was that he got dismissed early from class because his professor had an appointment. Hence, him being able to catch up to you on time. On Monday's, you're usually at the library by 2PM sharp. He usually joins you at 3PM, making today an hour more special than usual. You laugh, joking that he's too into you. Jungkook doesn't deny it. Poorly, he utters under his breath; “like you wouldn’t do the same…” 

You laugh because you heard it. 

But more than that, you laugh because it’s true. If the tables were turned, you’d be in his position. You’d be the one looking for him. In all honesty, you don't know when that started... But it has and you wouldn't have it any other way.

Jungkook likes the mood right now. It’s a lot like the end-of-spring weather today. It’s playful and sweet. Moments like these are exactly why he gets so many butterflies when he’s around you. Maybe it’s because he finally feels like things are moving forward between you two. Maybe it’s because he feels your effort. Maybe because it’s finally happening. 

You have butterflies too.

They say love is only really made up of two things: choices and timing. With your entire heart, you can't help but feel hopeful that this is that.

This is it.

When you two make it in front of the library, Jungkook holds the door open for you. Happily, you head to your spot only to find it taken. 

“Oh…” you frown. “That’s—”

“Do you want me to ask them to move?” Jungkook suggests. "I can do it."

He says it nonchalantly like it's no big deal.

That's the difference between you and him. For many things, Jungkook's approach is much more confident and not personal. You on the other hand... Would rather eat the wrong order than correct the workers. It's difficult for you to feel like you aren't inconveniencing others. It's easier for you to suck it up and move on.

With wide eyes, you shake your head. “What? No. That spot—”

“It's yours if you want it... I know you want it. I can get it for you." He repeats himself. "Just tell me to, baby. I got it.” 

Your heart is touched by the way he validates your feelings. More than that, your heart is touched by how he understands and protects what matters to you. There's kindness in his actions. There's thoughtfulness and in a way, it makes you wonder just how well he knows your heart. Though it's just a spot in your favourite library; it's also where you feel the most safe. That's all he really wants... To be with you wherever you are the happiest. He wants it so bad. He just wants to sit with you.

When that realization hits, you can't stop it.

Your heart skips a beat.

“It’s… Okay, fine. Y-yeah, it is my favourite spot but it's also whatever," because wherever you are is my new favourite spot. "We can sit somewhere else—”

His eyes light up.

“I know a spot.”

“You do?”

“Mhmm.” Jungkook nods towards the other end of the library. Before you can think twice, he takes your hand and tugs you to follow him.

And so that's what you do.

You hold his hand tightly.

You follow him.

You set your butterflies free.

Jungkook leads you to the corner of the library. It’s a little secluded, bordered by bookshelves, and only lit by one big window. Your usual spot is right in the heart of the library. Where the high ceilings look magnificent at every time of day, and the busy atmosphere motivates you to keep going… This part of the library is sleepier. It’s hidden. It’s a little—

“I-is this where you go to make out with your girls?” you attempt to joke your nervousness away. 

Jungkook grins. “Jealous?”

“Only if it’s true.” 

He shakes his head, completely impressed with how you answer him. It’s times like these where he has no doubt that he likes the wrong girl. This is it. You’re the best match for him. He won’t have anyone else. 

He refuses to. 

Jungkook pulls you down to his lap, and as you settle in, he kisses your neck. Out of reflex, you hesitate when someone walks past you two. They chuckle at you two as if they know the spot... As if they know Jungkook.

You clear your throat and shift away.

Instantly, he notices and sighs. He isn't disappointed or annoyed, he knows you're shy. He knows you need reassurance. He knows to listen to you.

“___, if you think this is some fuckboy move I’m pulling… You’re right. But it’s not my move. It’s Jin’s.” He confesses. “I’ve never made out with a girl in the library. Never felt like it… Like, it’s just so boring and like… The lowest level of an exhibition kink.” 

“What’s the highest?”

Jungkook blanks out. 

“Don’t edge me like that,” he warns you. “Don’t ask if the answer has nothing to do with you and me.”

More than his head and heart, Jungkook feels like his dick might go crazy.

You laugh, as you get up from his lap and sit on the chair beside him. He groans and keeps his hand on your wrist as you move. Jungkook only lets go when you reach over for your bag and begin to unpack. 

He watches you as you prepare your notes in front of him and turn your laptop on. In complete disbelief of the direction of the conversation, he can’t take his eyes off of you. 

It’s like he’s in a trance. He doesn’t know if he’s even blinking. He must be, right? You’re the only thing that he sees. The only thing he can think of lately... And to see you so close to him? It feels surreal.

He’s so lucky. 

He’s so in love.

There’s no other way of putting it.

Over these past few months, you’ve made it incredibly difficult for him to deny his feelings. He can’t even suppress them anymore like the good subconscious fuckboy he is. You have not only captured his heart with your gentleness, but you have him mesmerized with every single part of yourself that you give to him. As time goes by, he isn’t sure how much more he can hold out before a kiss turns into something more or how many words he has left to use before the words “marry me,” escape his lips. It’s just so easy with you.

It’s so easy to feel loved and be in love. 

“Stop staring at me,” you hum as you read through your articles. You don’t even glance at him, but you feel it. You feel the desire to. You should give in… Right? Maybe—

“God, you have no idea how hard I’m trying.” 

You turn to look at him, lips curved into a small smile. “T-try harder… Like me.”

This time, Jungkook is caught off guard. Maybe you aren't as oblivious as he once thought you were.

“What do you mean?” he asks, moving his seat closer to you. You sit back and lean in towards his body. It's as if the work you prepared to focus on has completely lost its significance.

It has.

“I think you’re handsome,” you admit. You say it so gently that it comes off a little timid... Sure nonetheless. “But you don’t see my eyes popping out of my head—”

“You think I’m handsome?” Jungkook chuckles, feeling flattered with the way you're trying so hard to get past this nonchalantly. Nice try, ___. He plans to milk this out as much as possible. “What else?”

You scrunch your nose at him. “A little annoying to be honest. This is my study time, and you’re acting all cute.”

“So you think I’m handsome and cute?”

Rolling your eyes, you push away from him playfully. “I think you know know what you are.”  

Instantly, he hates the distance you put in between you two. You were just close to him… Why move away? He moves closer to you. You giggle as you feel him moving your hair from your neck. Sweetly, he kisses your neck and behind your ear. 

“Just means more coming from you… You know? Makes me happy when you think of me.”

“I always think of you,” you breathe, pushing him away again. He gives you a lazy smile and you squish his lips together into a pout. “Are you done? Stop staring at me. Stop trying to make out with me. Stop—”

“Why?” Jungkook tests you, removing your hands from his face. You’re tongue tied. “___, if you’re in love with me, fess up now. Aren’t we supposed to be doing that honesty thing?”

“That was more for you than it is for me…” you remind him. “Now, get it together or get out.”

“You can’t kick me out of the library. You aren’t the police. If you are, show me your handcuffs.” Jungkook demands. “Plus, this is my spot.”

With an annoyed tone, you sit up and argue back. “You took my spot—”

“Shhh,” he cuts you off by pressing a kiss on your lips. Your lips chase his as he pulls away. You let out a whine and furrow your eyebrows together.

One more, please.

One more kiss.

Jungkook settles back to his seat and takes his books out. Ignoring your pleas, he places his hand on your knee (like he always does) and hushes you one last time; “___, get it together or get out.” 

Jungkook’s hand on your knees somehow made it up your skirt. 

Let’s not talk about it. Instead, let’s just accept that this is what’s happening now.

Even so, you admit that a part of you should have seen this coming… Nevertheless, you aren’t mad that it’s happening. You’d be lying if you never went through your ovulation and didn’t think about Jungkook… Besides, he’s been so good to you. He deserves this!

God, did he deserve this. 

He has wanted this for so long. Aside from being mindlessly in love with you 24/7, he has thought about it. Of course, he has. At the end of the day, his heart can't be the only thing that's in(to) you. He's a nice guy, meaning he’d rather service you first.

Mark his word but the day you and him actually do sleep together and it's you doing things to him...

It will be unforgettable.

It will be incomparable.

It will be everything.

For now, this is it. His hoodie sits on top of your lap as his fingers are up your pussy. You two are still in the library at his spot. Everyone has left to eat dinner. The only ones at the library are the workers and the try-hard students in the main rooms.

Besides… You’re close. 

Really fucking close.

As his fingers pump inside you, you squirm in your chair. Leaning your forehead against his chest, he rests his chin on top of your head and utters; “take it, baby. You can do it. Make me proud.”

“I c-can’t,” you cry, feeling it in your bones at this point. His fingers curl inside you, and you practically jump out of your seat when he adds his thumb to rub onto your clit. 

“Wish it was my mouth,” he whines. “Can I do that next time, baby? Can I suck your cunt? So fucking swollen right now... You thinking of me eating you out, baby? Wanna lick that pussy so bad.. Ahh, fuck.”

“M-mnhmphh,” you moan at the thought. “Kiss me, p-please…”

You tilt your face up and pursed your lips at him. Jungkook lowers his head and kisses you, deep and slow. It’s a contradiction to how he picks up the pace and fucks you with his fingers. You gasp, mouth opening for him. He catches your tongue and sucks on it. 

Pulling away, you grab a handful of his shirt and tug on it. Holding onto it, you pant and feel the tingles in your body intensify.

“That’s it, ___. Clench around my fucking fingers,” he hisses. “Be an angel and cream them, yeah? Fuck my fingers back if you want. I’ll let you.” 

You shake your head. “N-no. You started this, you finish it.”

He grins. “What my girl wants, she gets.” 

He keeps going, fucking you with his fingers. They curl, searching inside your pussy as if there’s something to fucking find. Actually, maybe he’ll find your dignity in there. You must have lost your mind to be fingered in the fucking library!

Your thoughts are cut off when he pulls his fingers out and rubs your folds. You almost cry when you feel him pinch your clit. 

“Jungkook,” you whine, feeling yourself climax. 

“Jungkook,” he mocks, as he feels your upper body collapse against his. 

As you feel yourself cum, you gather the strength to stick up for yourself. “S-shut up.”

He laughs, and kisses the top of your head as he pulls his fingers out. He murmurs between kisses; “Good job, baby… Did so good. Proud of you.”

Your heart flutters as you catch your breath and straighten your posture. With Jungkook’s free hand, he reaches in his bag for the little packet of tissue (that you had packed in there a few days ago because you noticed he had a runny nose) and nonchalantly wipes your mess. 

“Your fingers—”

Jungkook shoves them in his mouth, sucking on your cum. As he cleans them off, you glare at him. 

“Don't—oh my god," you huff. Suddenly, you feel embarrassed about everything that just happened. Jungkook laughs and leans forward. He kisses your cheek, asking if you're okay. You nod and feel yourself beginning to blank out.

"You're nasty."

He cups your face and kisses your lips. “Yeah, yeah... But, baby, I wasn’t the one that came in the library.”

#bts fic #bts scenario #jk scenario #jk uni au #bts uni au #jk drabble series #jk smut #jk fluff

[tan1shere]

Slumber Party

Ellie williams x fem reader!

A/n: Hello my lovelies, first post on here (more active on wattpad) but thought I'd occasionally post here when I'm bored. If you have any requests at all they're definitely open! Also this is kinda short but I don't plan on making the next part as short. Enjoyyyy ☆°•

My masterlist

Summary: like the song slumber party. Ellie thinks she can treat you better then your shitty girlfriend

Warnings: smut, (not in this chapter) read at your own risk (mdni) Dom but soft, protective, ellie! Reader is quite innocent, is very soft also. Cunnilingus (duh- also not in this chapter) your girlfriend in this is an asshole. Abuse, somewhat angst, crying. Lmk if there was anything else!

Pt 2 here! ~ pt 3 here!

Ellie hated Isabel, your girlfriend. She treated you horribly, and Ellie really hated when you'd bawl your eyes out over the phone to her whenever Isabel would storm out of your shared apartment. She hated the fact anyone would make you cry. She never liked seeing you unhappy. Isabel shared this hatred. She never liked you hanging around Ellie, even if you have known Ellie almost all your life. She would scold you after everytime you and her would hang out. You'd come back to the apartment smiling. "What're you smiling about?" You just smile more happy to tell. "Ellie she makes the funniest jo-" "I don't like you being round her Y/n." You would always stare blankly at her, struggling to find the words, leaving your mouth open while you ponder.

Today was not off to a great start. Ellie had just been over, you two were having such a great time. "I should probably get going squirt." She would flash her smile at you, ruffling your hair slightly, as she stood to go to the door. Ellie was a bit older then you, and come to think of it so was Isabel. Let's just say you had a thing for older ladies. (Only by like 6 years) You also stand up, seeing her out and saying goodbye. But as you open the door you're met woth those dark brown eyes. Isabel had just arrived back from work. She glares at the auburn haired girl, making her way inside. "Well hi to you too." Ellie scoffs then looks at you. "Text you when im home." You give her a small nod and a smile before she leaves to her car. You turn around to be faced with a stern Isabel. "You know how I feel about her being in our home. Especially when I'm not here." You never really talk back to Isabel you always apologize and go into the kitchen to make food. She was truly a bitch and she started showing her true colors the moment you two moved in together. You never understood what you would do so wrong. You made every dinner. Every lil food she'd want. The laundry. Just to please her. And although it'd work, it'd never last. "I'm sorry Iz.. She just really wanted to show me this art she was working on and in person. Nothing more I swear." She let's out a scoff. "Why should I believe you it's almost every day you spend with her. It's sickening and pathetic." You stare at her as she says that. She would always make you feel stupid. When in fact you were quite smart you knew what most things meant. Maybe not so much bedroom stuff. But you were book smart nonetheless. Speaking of bedroom. You were basically a virgin. You've kissed Isabel many times done a lil something here and there but it was definitely not much. So you were certainly not confident on that subject. Although Ellie would tell you all sorts of stories about the girls she's been with. It fascinated you to learn all these new terms and what everything was. "I promise to talk to you before hand next time-" She instantly cuts you off. "Why are you still standing here. Cook, I've been working all day." She spits going to your guys shared bedroom. You sigh doing so. And that was your life.

It was maybe a couple weeks after, you had felt like you were coming down with something so you decided that bed rest was the best thing. It was now 3 in the afternoon. You were sleeping in your bed when the door busted open. "What the fuck are you still doing in bed it's almost 4!" Isabel was home and not happy. You sit up a bit. "Yes I know I'm sorry bu-" She drops her bags. "This place is a mess, there's dishes out. Foods not even ready. Laundry is still in the hamper. What fucking else." You look at her softening your look. "Iz, I'm sorry- I woke up feeling horrid so I decided to stay in bed." She shakes her head. "Even when I have the worst headache known to man I still get my ass up and work. You know all that sweet money, I work for that. And you work here that is your job." This was one of the moments were you'd feel bad for yourself. Weak. Weaker right now considering you're sick. You look down at the sheets. "Are you even listening to me? You spoiled brat." She doesn't do what she does next often but when she does you know you're in the shit. She hits you. Hard. "Wonder why I have a headache all the time. It's you and your whiney voice. Look at how pathetic you are." She glares down at your drowsy figure. You feel tears finally sting as you had held them in. Refusing to let yourself be so weak, but you give in. Feeling overwhelmed with emotions right now. "What the fuck are you gunna be like when I go away in a few weeks huh? You better keep this place spotless you know about the cameras. I'll be watching you." Yes. The oh so lovely cameras. They're only in the kitchen, living room and laundry. The only places you slave away at. "I will iz I promise." She hums. "I'll believe it when i see it. I needa go out and grab some stuff. Make sure dinners ready when I get back." She says before getting her keys and leaving. You then sob. Letting it all out as you shakily grab your phone going to the only person who knows how to comfort you. Ellie.

When she arrives not long after, giving a honk. You go outside and get in the passenger seat. "Off anywhere?" You shake your head. "No that's alright. I don't want to get yelled at.." Ellie sighs. "Bub, you can't keep letting her treat you like this-" "if I left I'd have nowhere to go Els.." She keeps looking at you. "Yes you do. Mine." You let out a small breath looking down at your hands. "Everythings so messy." She nods, even if you can't see. "I know angel but my offer still and will forever stand. I think you should take it." You just wipe the small tears forming at your eyes. "How was your day?" She hates how you change the subject. She always has. She wants to talk about it with you more. Comfort you more. "Pretty easy going. Do you want a hug love?" You shake your head. "Its best if you don't come near me right now-" "I promise it's not gunna affect me if you cry. You know that." You nod. "I know, but I'm sick- thats why she yelled at me.." She furrows her brows. "She got mad at you because you weren't feeling well? What a fucking bitch." You sigh, in the midst of a slight cough. "Angel you should go back in and rest. Let me help-" You immediately shake your head. "She'd know you were there. I- I couldn't risk that." You always felt awful. Not because you got yelled at but because she would want to pick a fight with Ellie too. Ellie was older then Iz too, more mature. Never bought into her crap. "I'll make sure she doesn't yell at you, you really need rest you work your ass off-" You stop her talking. "I don't want her to try anything with you Els." She shakes her head. "She won't. I promise just let me make you some soup and tuck you in. Please, just that." You contemplate whether or not you should but you nod regardless.

She was making the soup trying to be as speedy in hopes she wouldn't bump into Isabel. "Here you go. Say you made it for yourself. I also cleaned a lil." She sends you a wink. And when she says a lil she means the whole lot. "Els, you seriously didn't have to." She smiles gently. "No but I wanted to. I also made something else. Knowing grump would be hungry when she gets back." You look at her so thankful. "You have no idea how much I appreciate you." She gives you a kiss on the head. "Call if you need anything else. I love you." She says while looking in your eyes. "I love you too Els." You respond sweetly. Oh how stupid you were to realize how INlove she was with you. But she plans to show you sooner or later. As she's the one you should truly, be with.

#elliewilliams #ellie williams the last of us smut #ellie the last of us #ellie tlou #ellie williams #ellie x reader #ellie x fem reader #ellie williams smut #ellie williams series

[starrylayle]

Marauders Fandom > "There is no canon !!" and other rhetorics

Guess who's back in their marauders phase after 2-3 years of being dormant lmao?? ((spoiler its me lol)). Anyways, a lot has changed since 2021 in this fandom so I just wanted to talk about the direction i think it's going.

I remember in 2020-21 the fandom started to boom in popularity on tiktok --> esp with the rise wolfstar + atyd. I remember people were so suprised with remus' characterization as 'rougher around the edges' instead of the 'soft boi' thing, and how that influenced the new wolfstar dynamic. [Just want to add that the atyd characterisation is much more complex than this and its one of my fave fics --> I'm more talking about the fandom at large's reaction to this)

And since fandom is incapable of having two nuanced and characters who are not stark opposites,, their roles were basically reversed and now Remus is the toxic dom alpha male and sirius is the cute girlyboy twink --- which um,,, the oc-ification is so real its embarrassing but whatever (omg don't even get me started on jegulus 💀)). I just assumed these would stay as headcanons. But now we have people saying, that 'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' or 'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' which i have sO many issues with so let me just try and compile my thoughts into dot points for the sake of coherency.

'we barely know anything abt the marauders in canon' ---> First of all, Remus, Sirius and Severus are fully fleshed out characters in the og series -- why do you think people would care enough to create an entire fandom based on their backstories if they were 2d flat characters in canon?? Like bffr. I saw a post on here (forgot who it was by, let me know if u know!) that said, 'I didn't cry over sirius' death in OotP just for ppl to say that we know nothing abt him in canon'. Like, its just mind-boggling to me lol.

'isn't the whole point of fandom to make shit up?' --> Ok y'all. For a fandom to work, there have to be some guidelines, some kind of source material, some point of reference so people can build upon it and make content. I think we can all agree on that. One reason why HP is such a popular place for fandom is the world-building and potential plots/storylines. I see some people argue that jk rowling was a shit writer anyways so might as well contradict everything she says. Now, I don't disagree with that point in particular, Jo is a pretty mediocre writer and a terrible person. HOWEVERrr, I'd argue that it is a lot more fascinating when people expand or work on the concepts in HP. JK Rowling has a lot of great ideas but executes them terribly -- I love when fic writes do this, which prolly explain why I love atyd as it is still very much canon compliant but executes themes on class, disability and queerness that jkr could barely do in subtext. This doesn''t mean I only think canon compliant fics are valid. That's not the case! I think as long as the charcterization is consistent to the character and the particular circumstances/world they're in, its fine! In fact, I love seeing how the same character would function if in a different place! I also love seeing explorations of the magic and magic systems in aus or fix it fics (or even canon compliant ones) that still fit in with the canonnical system that we know.

I guess what I'm trying to say I wish the marauders fandom explored the world and charcterizations more deeply instead of creating shallow oc-fied version of the characters that fit into whatever's trending -- like just write your own book or smth lol -- booktok will eat it up i promise.

Also, kinda related kinda not but um,,, why are we romanticising fascists -- like babe no evan rosier is not your babygirl he canonnoically tortured multiple ppl and became a death eater soo... not saying that I wouldn't want an exploration of his character or even a relationship with barty -- (who's not some cool dairk-haired edgelord but a actually a cowardly fascist murderer with blond hair -- yes the blond hair is important) -- I'd just want them to be portrayed as the not morally good people they are. Like,, if u want to oc-ify a character like pick someone whos not a death eater or has little info on them like dirk cresswell or frank longbottom,,, or ya know,, one of the MANY female characters in the fandom ((This fandom also has a problem with women and sapphic ships in general but that's a whole other issue lol).

I know this 'babygirlification' of death eaters doesn't mean to do this, but it also ends up watering down the themes of oppression, bigotry, etc and leaves us with not nearly as complex characters. Also one of the issues I had with the og HP world is that JK will introduce concepts like wizard racism and slavery and then just like,, not really do anything about it or just have half-arsed redemption arcs whilst not ever actually exploring the root of the issue. And now i feel like the fandom is following in those footsteps unfortunately.

Anyways, i've been rambling for too long so I'll just leave it here. Sorry if this came off as mean spirited in anyway,, I just have a lot of thoughts™ and my family is sick of hearing them lol. These opinions are not set in stone however so I'd love to hear your thoughts on this subject! At the end of the day this is fandom and we're supposed to have fun -- so yeah !! thanks for reading if you made it this far!

#marauders #marauders era #the marauders era #sirius black #remus lupin #wolfstar #unpopular take #i think #evan rosier #barty crouch jr #rosekiller #marauder headcanons #marauders hcs #james potter #atyd #atyd fandom #lily evans #sorry yall i dont know how to tag #jegulus #?? #I mentioned it briefly #fun fact my first post on this app was a long post on how much i hated jegulus in choices #but then i deleted it coz it was a bit too mean spirited lol #anyways #I do love me some transfem/gender fuckery sirius #just don’t like cute little uwu sirius #femininity ≠ being weak or whatever #plus it’s not in sirius’ canon character to be uwu #so yeah

[gingerjolover]

josette blurb idea!! a fluffy one where they've been touring for a while and starting miss their partner

everyone has been on a jo kick lately and im living for it!!!

jo gives me the vibe that they are goofy to a fault, like even if they are missing you, you never worry too much because they're always answering the phone with a big smile and wide eyes, "hi baby!!!" or "babe!" just very animated and lovely and cute.

but even after a while, bc we know... muna be booking rn, jo starts to get a little tired, starts missing home just a little more than usual, really misses the mundane routines that y'all have but tries to put on a brave face.

maybe this is when katie, jo, and noami all have colds (i wrote a naomi mini fic based on this) and jo is just really going through it. they are all separated in their own rooms bc sick :( and josette just feels very lonely and wants nothing more than to be in bed with you and have you tickle their back and do a face mask and lay chest to chest just looking at each other (thinking about this makes me want to crawl into a hole i need them)

so you get the phone call, you know they're not feeling well but jo just sounds so sad and you hate it. you're curled up in bed, switching to facetime to see your partner (who looks so cute when they're sick) who's just frowning and all sniffly. the smallest and least animated "i miss you so much" comes out of jo and it makes you want to throw yourself across the country and into their bed because how tf is Jo so cute and so needy and you're not even there to comfort them.

"baby" you say pouting and jo just sighs, so soft and tired and you're tempted to hop on a flight right now because your partner needs you.

"if you don't come visit soon I'm going to go crazy, can we...please figure this out," jo asks desperately.

"let me ask if anyone can watch bleu," you respond biting your lip, and jo is nodding along, holding back tears, because yes you can't just abandon your fur baby so jo is sniffling, avoiding eye contact. "how about i see if your family can watch him and then i'll text franki," you suggest and an hour later jo is half asleep, high on nyquil but you've got a flight for tomorrow night to whichever city jo is in this week and a smile is finally reappearing on their face.

"i love you so much," jo is whispering, ready to pass out and you're just smiling, blowing a kiss at them before falling asleep on facetime with one another:(

#anon cutie #josette maskin x reader #josette maskin blurbs #muna blurbs #gingy's blurb night #okay i might redo this one idk how i feel about it

[thickenmyblood]

I don't know how to thank you. This feels like the end of an era. I can't believe it's been 4yrs since you started posting hiuh and I was instantly hooked. It literally got me through the pandemic. I learned so much from the story and felt I had Neo as a therapist(the best in the world). You must be flooded with asks now but I am really curious how the story formed in your head. It's hard to believe how consistent the story is as you posted chapter by chapter. Did you outline the whole story when you started? did you stick to all the original ideas? if you changed your mind what were they? It really is a master piece - much much better than many published books I read and I hope you will publish someday, if that's what you want.

I'd also offer you my first born to have an epilogue. hopefully lamen with their child(ren) playing on the beach and Nicaise being the doting big brother. they all grew so much and deserve all the happiness. oh and Kastor and Jo and Galen for big family gathering. I'm so proud of all of them.

thank you thank you thank you for all your patience and genius and mostly, generosity.

hello!!!! i'm so happy that my story resonated with you and got you through some tough times. it did the same for me!

It's hard to believe how consistent the story is as you posted chapter by chapter.

thank you!! it will never be as good as it was in my head or as good as I know I could have made it if I had spent more time on it, but for me the most important thing is that it is completed and at least 70% of what I wanted it to be. a win is a win!!!

Did you outline the whole story when you started? did you stick to all the original ideas? if you changed your mind what were they?

i got the idea for a modern au break up fic in 2020 while I was writing and posting wtsioa. i started the story as a 20k one shot and then realized 5k into it or less that it was not going to fit into that word count. the reason was very simple: i did not want a break up fic centered around "miscommunication" in a naive, fluffy way. i did not want to write a fic where the main issue was that one loved the other too much or that they thought the other was cheating when it wasn't true, etc. i wanted to write a break up that felt honest to me, and this meant giving them both issues that felt real, that i saw in myself and in the people around me irl. which meant that it would take them both considerably more than 5k to get over them (if they ever did).

i outlined the fic very roughly. my first drafts . . . they are not it, girl. like, anyone that has read wtsioa knows that. I'm a much better editor than I am a writer, so for hiuh i outlined the main beats (nicaise calls damen after months, damen goes to therapy, nicaise is out of control and some incidents happen, laurent is dating maxime, they get back together). then, i wrote the entire thing in . . . a year? maybe less? then, i made a mistake and got cocky: i edited the first three chapters and started posting on ao3. that's why the fic took so long to post. i had to edit each chapter a lot after the first three were released.

i edited out too many things to count. things you wouldn't believe if I told you now because they make no sense when looking at the finished version. idalia was a pretty big character, and so was jokaste. in the og outline, I debated between claude/heavy drugs for nicaise. i almost named dog NIKANDROS!!!! damen actually punched aktis at the party when he talks shit about laurent . . . which led to him also punching nik. laurent slapping nicaise once. aimeric and damen baking together. then, there were things I wanted to write but couldn't because they didn't feel very real to me, despite being the best self indulgent daydream scenarios ever: damen hunting claude down (yeah, ruth wanted this to happen), dog getting sick, aimeric's EVERYTHING lol, nik and nicaise talking, etc.

thank you for sending this ask and reading the story through all the ups and downs and... lack of updates on my end!!! it has been the best experience ever, knowing that someone out there is reading and cares about what I made. thank you!!!!!!!!

#anon #hiuh #about the epilogue: i feel you #someone asked me what lamen telling nicaise would look like #but I WANNA KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT OKAY #bc i already know what happens inside my head #some people were pissed about the cut off ending but i think it just gives the story such a hopeful note

[halfmoth-halfman]

i hope everyone had a wonderful pride month!! 💜 i can't believe we're already halfway through the year with (almost) six months worth of fic recs!! it's the same as always, we got a rec list for all of the wonderful fics i read, liked, and were written this month!! here's to hopefully six more months 🎉🎉

if you wanna see more more of my fic recs and favs, i have em all on my recs blog, here!! please note the navi page is still under construction!!

and of course, if you have any fic recs of your own, feel free to send em my way here or on my sideblog - i love finding new fics and writers!! 💜

Alex Keller

world caves in - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ you might look at this fic and go, "mothie, i thought you didn't like the miscommunication trope." and you'd be right, i don't like that trope, but this fic came really goddamn close to changing my mind about that because ho-ly hell what an emotional rollercoaster i was taken on. i was captivated. obsessed. enraptured. i could not stop reading this fic, i was hanging onto every word trying to figure out what would happen next!!!

Jake "Hangman" Seresin

born to die - @uselsshuman

✧ emma really tried to kill me on the first day of pride month. she said, "happy pride, now suffer 😌" just swooped in with her beautiful writing and this equally beautiful relationship, luring me in with the best fluff and the cute little callsigns and then left me sobbing on the floor trying to put my heart back together.

Javier Peña

late night texts || prologue | i. say what you want | ii. it's just aah little crush | iii. say that you need me - @mvtthewmurdvck

✧ when i was told about a javi text-fic, i was so excited and then it came out and it was perfect and then the next chapter came out and it was even more perfect and then every chapter after that just kept blowing any expectations i had completely out of the water. i really don't know how jo managaes to write the best fic i've ever read every time, but she's just so unbelievably talented i'm just alsdkasjk

John "Soap" MacTavish

all my life, my love - @uselsshuman

✧ medieval soap fic! medieval soap fic! medieval soap fic!

fun fact about me: i love medieval/royal stuff!! and i also love soap!! so when i saw this, my heart just about leapt out of my chest and i ate👏🏼 it👏🏼 up👏🏼 this wasn't a snack, this was a full-course five-star meal of royal/knight goodness. so good in fact, that i went back for seconds and thirds and will be going back for fourths and fifths before the day is over!!

witch!reader - @peachesofteal

✧ i am in love, i am heartbroken, i need to scream

“What have you done?”

that'll do, johnny - @lundenloves

✧ started reading this for the soulmate!au (because as we all know i am a slut for soulmates) and stayed for what has to be one of the best characterizations of soap i've ever read?? i don't even think saying i'm floored would work here because that just doesn't cover how completely lovely and charming and amazing this is. such a touching and beautiful depiction of a relationship!!

John Price

willow tree march - @yeyinde

✧ i can't. i just- how am i expected to be normal after that? how do i go about my life now that i've read one of the most stunning fics in existence? i change my mind from a few recs list ago, a museum is not enough to capture the pure artistry of lev's fics. i don't even know how to describe how i feel about this, or how much i love it. i read this fic like it's the last time i'll get to gaze up at the stars, wanting to cherish every moment and commit every second to memory.

songs that sounds like sea-foam - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ witches! fae! mermaids! i have been spoiled with an abundance of life-changing fics this month!! the anon who suggested this needs to have all of their dreams come true, and halcyone.....i can't even form words. i need a book of all her fics because her writing needs to be bound in the most beautiful cover with those pages that are edged in gold and given a special place in a library dedicated to the greatest fics of all time.

silkabo - @moriflos

✧ i don't know how to correctly get across the way this fic (and everything that fleur writes let's be honest) just reaches into your soul and completely sucks you in. did it hurt my heart reading this? more than you could possibly imagine, but that's not going to stop me from reading it again and again and again.

nitimur in vetitum - @moriflos

✧ remember when i did that trope ask game and fleur asked me about a/b/o and i said, "i'm not really interested in a/b/o, but there are like a handful of fics that i like that fall under that trope." yeah, this is one of those fics. and how can you blame me when she's written such poetry like this-

(Price reminds you of the streaks of gray across a canvas. Simply there, but not like the saturated hues of the green and yellow and bright reds that flit through the board, catching your eye. He is—)

Keegan P. Russ

first strike - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ i read the warnings: angst and tension and goddamn if that wasn't the most accurate warning i've ever seen. i've never felt such panic and anxiety while reading like bravo at that amazing tension building! but that ending???? oh man, it was so worth it going through all of that just to get to that ending!

König

moths hit the window - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ did i read this because i have a bias toward anything moth related? yes. BUT i also love me some good angst and boy howdy did this deliver! könig is not one of my fav characters, but you best believe he is whenever halcyone writes for him! i don't know what it is about her characterization, but it's always spot on and i just uggghhh there's no character she could write that i wouldn't love.

Kyle "Gaz" Garrick

shaky fingers - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ i stopped working on this fic rec list to read this. i then procrastinated this fic rec list for another two hours so i could re-read it about four more times. if i could dedicate a whole rec list just to one fic, i would make one for this fic in a heartbeat. one of my favorite characters, written by one of my favorite writers, with nothing but fluff?? i am in literal heaven.

he loves me not - @deadbranch

✧ it's the playful banter. the soft teasing. the playful banter. the gaz being a little shy. the playful banter. seriously, i love the banter in this fic, their little back and forths feel so real and grounded and like two people actually talking to each other and i just- i love the way deadbranch writes her characters, i love this fic, i'm just in love.

cult of vagabonds || chapter five: copper talons - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ excuse me one moment while i-

ok now that that's done, this fic has me stressed the fuck out i am so tense but i am craving to know more! i feel like i'm going to start turning into one of those crazy conspiracy theorists with their red string and corkboard and tinfoil hats.

Miguel O'Hara

paper flowers - @luveline

✧ this man has been the source of major brainrot for me, and this fic really filled in that fluff i was craving for him. and with just the perfect sprinkle of angst in there, i really enjoy miguel and reader's relationship and just how into each other they meanwhile everyone else is just 🫣

with my heart and soul - @uselsshuman

✧ you ever look at a fic and know it's going to be good just from the title alone? that's how i felt about this fic, and i was right. it's got everything: there's fluff, there's whump, there's action, there's fun spider banter. all of it put together in a lovely soup flavored with great writing and an added dash em's perfection.

untitled - @luveline

✧ grumpy/sunshine is such a great dynamic and it really shines in this fic. i'm also obsessed with miguel and reader's dynamic. how he knows he cares for her and that means trouble, but he doesn't completely push her away and just accepts it while still trying to maintain some kind of professionalism. he takes his job seriously, and that's absolutely nailed in this fic.

the weight of the world(s) - @ghost-with-a-teacup

✧ i finished reading this, and had to take a moment to step back and just-

five stars. 10/10 would def read again.

just one dance - @ghost-with-a-teacup

✧ i👏🏼love👏🏼this👏🏼fic👏🏼 i will say it to anyone who will listen, i will shout it from the rooftops, i will tell my boyfriend about it until he gets annoyed with me! the softness. the tenderness. the slow-dancing!!!! i love the way tiffany's mind works and cannot thank her enough for this fic 🙏🏼

you call the shots babe, i just wanna be yours - @lymmsweb

✧ this man needs all the breaks and a long spa day, let's be honest. but i love fics where the workaholic get to take a break and this fic really emphasizes those little things, those quiet moments between characters that really bring it all together here.

oh, what can i do? - @uselsshuman

✧ this is how i am every time i reread this fic-

i love the way emma writes miguel, and miguel fluff even more so. got me kicking me feet, and blushing, and twirling my hair, and just fangirling over everything she writes.

what's in between | (II) - @ghost-with-a-teacup

✧ these fics absolutely exploded and oh my gosh do they deserve all of the love and praise they've been getting!!! it actually deserves more, in my opinion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ there's just something so good about the secret relationship trope, and that fun little moment of "actually we're married" is done so well here. so cute and so fun and one of my new comfort fics.

better when you're here - @uselsshuman

✧ one day i will be able to put into words just how much i appreciate and adore emma and her determinedness to provide such beautiful fluff for all of my favorite characters. there is no character she can't write, no character she can't make me love. i am feral for this fic and all of her fics.

welcome to new york || 1 | 2 - @writeforfandoms

✧ i am so intrigued by this fic series...and by intrigued i mean so unbelievably excited to see where this goes that i can barely contain myself. i'm going to have to get another notebook so i can write down my theories and ideas about what's going to happen because i am clawing at my seat with curiosity and excitement!!

Multi

dead disco || on a slow night - @peachesofteal

✧ dead disco, my beloved.

that is all.

diamondback || prologue | chapter one: chasing light - @lethalchiralium

✧ a series i've been so excited for and now it's here!!!!! it's like when you get that feeling of anxious excitement because you don't know what's coming but you know that whatever it is, it's going to be amazing and all you think about for weeks to come. and i know it's going to be like that because that's how i felt with these first two chapters.

Simon "Ghost" Riley

the captain || part 9 - @as-is-above-so-below

✧ i beta read this and was still in awe at how good it was when i read it after it was posted. i might've said this before, but fuck it i'll say it again, i adore freyja and her and ghost's relationship. it's a great mix of humor, drama, love, and teasing and that little list at the end??? 😏

harvest storms - @halcyone-of-the-sea

✧ something i didn't know i needed until i read it, and all i have to say is wow. just wow. the way this fic just evokes these raw emotions in me is insane, such a masterful and very realistic take on ghost dealing with a teen daughter he barely knows. and ghost being the "did you win" type of dad when his kid gets into a fight is just so funny.

the paintings || mermaids - @peachesofteal

✧ hello??? what is this???? peach, miss ma'am, you can't just drop this stunning fic and then expect me to be normal about it. you can't just leave me with this mysteriously astounding worldbuilding, and all this intrigue about ghost, and this beautifully poetic fic that has given me all types of emotions. who gave you the right??? how dare you??? but also thank you so much 🙏🏼

sassy series || school pick-up - @peachesofteal

✧ this is the only series that has me beefing with a non-existent pta mom, but soft dad!simon riley is worth it esp when he's written this well and his relationship with theo is just so goshdarn cute!! ugh, your fics are putting me back in my ghost era in the best possible way and i cannot thank you enough for it.

happiness series || raindrops - @lethalchiralium

✧ i meannnnnn y'all know what i'm gonna say here. i can't help it though, i adore this series, it's fun, it's cute, and yeah it rips your heart out and stomps it into the ground with no apologies sometimes but so what?? if it means i get more cuteness like this, i'll happily take all of the heartbreak. i'm in this one for the long haul!

you've just moved in with simon. great. - @rileyslibrary

✧ i love this so much words cannot describe it. it's so cute, and i love the idea of ghost needing time to adjust from having to constantly take orders to unwinding and not having to worry at home. and the little affirmations at the end, my heart cannot take it!

can't lose you - @sleepiexx

✧ june 1st was the day for people to try and hurt me apparently, because ouch. the arguing, then the guilt, the soft confession, i'm just a mess here, but the ending had me giggling and i love the small moments of levity sprinkled in. what a good way to start off the month!

reasons why ghost likes his medic - @ghostaholics

✧ i'm gonna write a fic, and it's gonna be called reasons why ghostaholics is one of my favorite writers ever. i may be biased about ghost and his medic fics, but this is so good and it just makes sense, y'know? esp with the way it's so beautifully written here, like ghost finding reasons to stay near them, asking them to teach him how to properly suture when he already knows. i just love it, and i love this fic so so much.

#moth fic recs #fave fics #monthly fic recs

[undercoverpena]

fic author self rec

When you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love ❤

tagged by the lovely @wildemaven

[jo note: for this, i've based this entirely of what I've had the most fun working on and what i'm super proud of when looking back on 2023]

✨ late night texts

JAVIER PEÑA

anyone shocked this is here? no, me either. but this little number not only became a favourite for me instantly, but it seems to have done for so many others. the fact i think about them all the time, and have to sorta stop myself from returning to them too often (cause, like, i don't wanna ruin what we all have, you know?). their romance replays in my mind constantly and i adore them with all of my heart.

✨ the book of love

FRANKIE MORALES

this fic all started because of both my love for this man and books, and honestly, i think of it all the time. it was so effortless and fun to write, and it was my first time writing frankie (so i was nervous as fuck) but i had the best time. and i loveeee a meet cute. i want to return back to this pairing one time, because i have a follow-up idea.

✨ be good, be quiet

JOEL MILLER

so, i had this idea and i ran with it, and this is what was born. and anyone who knows me really well, KNOWS that joel is someone i second guess myself over constantly. but with this, i didn't. not once. and i loved it. from writing, to sharing, to posting. it was an experience i hadn't had with him, and i'm so happy i cracked my feelings in this. plus, fingers in your mouth was a new one for me, and i loved it.

✨ can you ever really know

MARCUS PIKE

my first dance into marcus, and ofc i had to be extreme and do bloody eating out on a table. but, i loved writing this. i loved how it turned out. and it's when i first felt comfortable exploring this smuttier side of me, and feeling no shame. and that for me automatically puts it on this list.

✨ a broken sight

JAVIER PEÑA

okay, so technically, fun might not be the best word for this. BUT, i found this so therapeutic. the night before i wrote/posted this, my garden was broken into, and i had to be alone the morning after due to h's work commitments. and, this was the only way i could come to terms with what happened. it fell out of me, and i'm so grateful every day that i have writing and that i can share these sort of things with you all, cause it helped, massively.

no one else did this, but i'm a tiny rule breaker ;) but here's some honourable mentions of 2023 (because i know i don't compliment myself enough, so here we go):

nowhere to run -> you were a challenge, but i'm so glad i began you, and that you're loved by those who do find you (when i don't bury you) i like the way you -> i had so much fun writing this, and honestly it would be sixth on this list. but it's also so recent i finished it, i know my love will only grow for it too. unwrap me now -> birthday sex in a bathroom? sign me up, again. if not for the fact i was shit scared about posting this, it deffo would have made the list further up.

there are so many others, honestly. i could keep going on about what i loved about each fic (pls don't ask, cause i will without any hesitancy) but, i will stop there... for now hahahah.

npts: @thetriumphantpanda @hellishjoel @goodwithcheese @swiftispunk @secretelephanttattoo @morallyinept

#tag games #my fics #jo: my work

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 20 - Self Control

IN THIS CHAPTER: The last high school party, apple flavored Kool-Aid, and Andy gets what he deserves [10.3k]

WARNINGS: underaged drinking, mentions of drug use (weed), slut shaming, a little misunderstanding (gets resolved really quickly), suggestive themes? (very mild, eddie's just a little bit wired, okay?)

A/N: i know i'm a day late, i'm sorry T.T someone got fired at my job and i'm supposed to handle their shit now because my boss is kinda cheap. it is what it is. BUT. hopefully this chapter makes up for my tardiness because as you can probably tell from the banner, the slow burn is officially boiling, you guys! enjoy <3

masterlist - prev - next | playlist

In the night, no control Through the wall something's breaking

Saturday, May 31st - 1986

Dottie was pacing like a nervous dog in a cage, feet hitting the soft rug in front of her closet with each step she took. It was the first Saturday in a long time that she hadn't spent in a blissful domestic bubble with Eddie and she was feeling downright antsy. The night before, once Hellfire had officially said goodbye to its Class of '86, the two teens had sat themselves in a booth at the back of The Hideaway with burgers, fries, and milkshakes, and something had finally clicked into place for her. There was no longer a specific need for them to spend so much time together anymore - no more exams to study for, no more books to read or worksheets to fill, and yet there they were still, on a Friday night, getting food together like usual. Sitting opposite of Eddie in that booth, watching him try to lick ketchup from the corner of his mouth and not reaching the smudge with the tip of his tongue, it dawned on Dottie that she had never loved anyone the way she loved him.

It wasn't that Dottie hadn't loved throughout her life, because truthfully she had. She had loved her Dad first, tiny fingers wrapping around a big thumb when she was just a few hours old. She'd loved her Grandparents, all four of them equally, but maybe no one should tell them that Grandma Jo leaving after a visit would always cause the biggest sobs to escape her tiny toddler body. She'd loved her Uncle Johnny, always cuddling up to him while they lived together, not really understanding that he wasn't actually her Uncle until it was too late to start calling him anything else. She'd loved her friends back in New York, even though she knew now that they hadn't loved her back in return. Hell, she'd loved Tyler, or else it wouldn't have hurt as much as it did when he broke her heart. Dottie wasn't someone that didn't know what loving meant or felt like, but the way she loved Eddie was unlike any other kind of love she had ever experienced before, and she knew she had to tell him sometime soon or she'd regret it for the rest of her life.

But first, there was prom, and graduation, and most pressingly, a party for which she had absolutely no idea of what she was going to wear, hence the continuous pacing. James, tired of hearing the back and forth on the wooden floors for the last fifteen minutes, came into his daughter's bedroom resigned to play stylist for the night like he'd done so many times before. Keeping up with the latest trends for the sake of his little girl was a full time job he had long ago learned to love.

"Do you know what Nancy is gonna wear?" he asked, sitting down at the end of Dottie’s bed.

"No, I didn't think to ask. But she always looks so pretty, Dad, I can't look like a bum."

"How about you tell me what you don't want to wear and we can start from there, okay?"

Thirty minutes later, Dottie had an outfit laid out where James had been sitting and she was doing her makeup in a hurry before Nancy picked her up. The plan was simple: go to the party, say hi to Chrissy and thank her for the invite, hang out with Nancy for a bit, meet up with the boys, and if the party sucked, head over to Jeff's for a movie night. He'd rented Ghoulies and Weird Science for the weekend and he still hadn't seen either, so it seemed as good a backup plan as any. Besides, movie nights had always meant sharing a blanket with Eddie and cozying up to him when she got sleepy. No matter what ended up happening, she knew her night wouldn't be completely terrible.

"Honey? Are you done yet? Nancy is here!" James yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

"I'll be down in a second!" she hurried to put on her clothes and ran down the stairs to meet her friend, crossbody bag bouncing behind her and hitting her backside.

She found Nancy politely making small talk with her Dad on the foyer; James had gone to school with her mom Karen and had fond memories of sharing a desk with her throughout their many years at Hawkins’ various academic buildings. They hadn't exactly been friends, but they always were on good terms and had even worked on a few projects together, namely one about growing sprouts from beans in mason jars when they were in middle school.

"Hey! Sorry for making you wait," Dottie said, stopping to hug Nancy who was better prepared to receive it than she had been in the school’s bathroom a day before.

"You're fine, don't worry about the time," Nancy reassured her. "There aren't any schedules to keep at these parties, everyone just comes and goes when they want to."

"Oh, good to know that we can just leave whenever if it sucks."

"Speaking of that," James said, getting his daughter's attention. "Call me if you're staying at Jeff's, okay? I'll come pick you up tomorrow."

"Donny can drop me off, you don’t gotta come," she waved her hand nonchalantly.

"Okay, but call me anyway so I know where you are. Take care you two, don't get too wild."

"Dad, seriously," Dottie rolled her eyes, exasperated but not without fondness. She knew he worried too much, but after all they’d been through, she couldn't blame him.

"Have a good night, Mr. Burke, it was nice to meet you," Nancy said, heading out with Dottie at her heels.

"You too, Nancy. Say hi to your parents for me, will you?"

The girls got into Nancy's car and drove away towards Loch Nora, the radio playing The Rolling Stones’ Harlem Shuffle softly in the background. They talked about random things, filling the empty space with the kind of anxious but lighthearted conversations one would have with someone they don’t know very well yet. So far their budding friendship had proved satisfactory for both girls, and they were willing to put in the effort to get to know one another better, even when that meant having to venture outside the comfort zone The Weekly Streak’s newsroom provided. During the ride Nancy complimented Dottie's outfit, and in turn, she had loudly admired hers, prompting the blue-eyed girl to admit she'd borrowed the shiny jacket with padded shoulders from her Mom’s wardrobe. After a good-natured laugh, Dottie admitted she had stolen her dress from her Mom’s closet too and Nancy told her her Mom had good taste. When they parked across the street from Jason Carver's house however, the friendly chatter ceased and both girls stared at the two-storey rising in front of them with apprehension.

"I'm so nervous," Dottie admitted, watching the colors spilling from the fairy lights inside the living room paint the veranda red, then green, then blue, and finally back to red.

"Me too," Nancy said, taking a shaky breath. "But we got this. How bad can it be?"

"Yeah. You’re right. It’ll be fun," Dottie nodded, and arm in arm they ventured inside the packed house in search of good old teenage normalcy.

Neither Nancy nor Dottie were having the slightest bit of fun. After a few shouted-over-loud-music hellos to some familiar faces, they had found themselves in Jason’s kitchen, nursing cups of a strange brown concoction that didn’t smell good and tasted even worse. Dottie wasn’t much of a drinker, and apparently Nancy wasn’t either, citing that the last time she’d gotten drunk, she’d embarrassed herself so badly she’d rather not have a repeat. The jocks and popular kids disagreed heavily with that assessment, and were having a lot of fun with two kegs in the backyard next to the pool. Dottie had suggested they venture out, sit by the water where it wasn’t as stuffy, but Nancy had quickly directed her into the kitchen where they ran into Marcie Hurley, an acquaintance from the newspaper club. Marcie was a lovely tall girl with a bold pixie cut; she was currently slightly intoxicated but full of ideas for stories to run in the last edition of The Weekly Streak before summer holidays started. Nancy pretended to listen to her with her utmost attention, but Dottie could tell by the way her eyes were glazed over that she was definitely calculating how much more she’d have to hear before she could get away without coming across as rude. Two girls Dottie didn’t know walked into the kitchen searching for something fruity to drink when they said something that caught her attention.

“What do you mean Munson said no?” one of the girls was saying.

“He said he wasn’t selling tonight! Which is honestly such bullshit, he was smoking with some other guys, he definitely had something on him,” the second girl said, pouring vodka into a cup.

“Show him your tits, maybe he’ll share with you.”

“Ew, I’m not that desperate!” the first one laughed loudly.

Dottie scowled immediately. She’d once gotten curious about him dealing and asked him a couple of questions, like how did he get into selling and if he was allowed to smoke his own product. Eddie hadn’t been particularly proud of his answers, but she told him she didn’t mind: the money helped pay for some bills around the trailer and put food onto their table. It wasn’t like he was dealing hard stuff or was some kind of mafia lord moving tons of product, for fuck’s sake. People talked about him like he had his thumb on the illegal underground in Hawkins when in reality, he was just a teen selling weed and a couple of pills here and there to a few fellow students at parties. Dottie hoped he’d never done something as gross as asking a girl to show him her body in exchange for a couple of hits of a shitty joint. She liked to believe she knew Eddie, and in her opinion he’d never do something like that, but teenagers had never been particularly known for making good choices. Nancy was already looking at her when she turned around, a knowing smile on her face. She nodded towards the door once, and after a whispered “thank you” off Dottie went in search of her friends.

The boys were enjoying the fresh air and sharing a smoke on the veranda at the front of the house, not really ready to go inside and face the music just yet. Donny had picked up Gareth and Jeff on his way to the party, but Eddie had arrived solo just a few minutes after them. They were talking about music, as they often did, when Dottie opened the front door and jumped on Jeff’s back, who flinched in surprise.

“Fucking hell, Dot, you’re gonna kill me someday if you keep doing that,” he said, rubbing his chest.

“I was worried you guys weren’t gonna show up,” she admitted, hanging onto his shoulders. He leaned his weight into her, hands wrapping around her loose wrists like they were backpack straps to keep her in place as they swayed side to side.

“Party sucks that much?” Donny asked, passing along the joint to Gareth.

“I mean, it’s not like I know a lot of people here. I’ve been hearing Nancy talk to other girls all night, and I think she’s as fed up as me.”

“Wanna ditch?” Jeff asked.

“We’re not leaving until I drink my fuckin’ weight in rich people’s beer,” Gareth declared, giving the cig to Eddie who took a long drag and put the roach out on the underside of the railing he was leaning against.

“If you want beer, there are a bunch of cans in the kitchen but you gotta fish them out of the cooler and someone spilled something green in there. It’s kinda gross,” Dottie grimaced.

“What? No keg?”

“Actually, there’s two in the backyard but the basketball team took ownership of one and I think the football team was doing handstands on top of the other one.”

“That’s so fucking lame,” Donny scoffed.

“Well then, who’s down for fishing?” Jeff looked at the guys, and Gareth shrugged, putting his hands in his jean pockets and following him inside.

“You coming?” Donny asked Eddie who didn’t move from his spot.

“Nah, gonna smoke a cig first. You go ahead,” he said, getting his Camels out of his front pocket.

Donny headed back inside and then it was just Dottie and Eddie under the moonlight, the tiny lamp above the front door doing nothing to shield them from the darkness. Eddie smiled, putting the cigarettes back in his pocket and opening his arms so Dottie could sheepishly tuck herself into him. She felt like she could finally breathe easy when feeling his chest rising up and down under her cheek, his warmth seeping into her bones.

“Too many people?” he asked knowingly, cupping the back of her head with one of his hands. Her fingers drew patterns on the soft cotton of his shirt.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “This is nice.”

“Yeah? You like my shirt?”

“Smells good,” she laughed. He smelled like Old Spice aftershave and laundry detergent.

“Why, thank you for noticing I showered, princess,” he said, grinning. “You look pretty. This your Mom’s dress?”

“Yeah,” she beamed, looking down at her shift baby blue dress. “I didn’t know what to wear so I just played it safe. The socks are new though,” she lifted her leg to show her white ankle socks with frills under her black kitten heels.

“So cute,” Eddie pouted theatrically, making her slap his chest in return. “No, really. You look nice.”

“Thanks,” she settled back against him, cheeks burning.

They enjoyed each other’s presence for a few seconds when the front door opened with a bang, an overexcited and red-eyed Chrissy Cunningham spilling out from the inside, her giggles following her as she skipped towards them in tune with the music coming from the speakers in the living room.

“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, a mischievous grin gracing her fairy-like features.

“Hey, Chris,” Eddie smiled, still holding onto Dottie as she turned in his arms to take a look at the newcomer. “How was your latest purchase?

“It was so good. Valerie, Julie and I just smoked a joint each in the bathroom,” she whispered conspiratorially, making Dottie laugh.

“Oh my. What would Jason say if he knew you were hotboxing his shower?” Eddie matched her tone.

“What Jason doesn’t know won’t hurt him. D’you want to smoke with us later, Dot? Only girls allowed.”

“Sorry, I’m not really a smoker,” Dottie said, feeling a little bit dumb. “But I’ll take you up on that Queen song you promised me yesterday if you wanna dance.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Chrissy grabbed her arm and pulled her out of Eddie’s grasp. “She’s mine now, Ed!”

“I can see that. I’m gonna go get a beer,” Eddie said, following them inside. “Have fun, ladies!”

“We will!”

Weed affects different people in different ways. That was a fact Dottie knew after spending so much time with the members of Corroded Coffin, better known as her best friends. Donny was always virtually the same after a good session, just got very thirsty. Eddie would get deep and thoughtful, and once the effects were gone, he’d get so hungry he’d eat drywall if it was the only thing around. Gareth, like Chrissy, would get giggly once he hit that sweet spot. It was like drinking, Donny had told her once. Everyone had a different tolerance, and most of the time taking a few hits of a shared joint wouldn’t be enough to change anyone’s personality significantly. There were other people like Jeff, for example, who had a very low tolerance and had decided to stop smoking altogether after realizing he’d get panicky and his clothes would always start itching each time he indulged in the vice with his friends. None of them had ever questioned him or pressured him to smoke after that, the same way that they didn’t pressure Dottie to smoke or drink when they were doing it around her. They’d always smoke outside, and Dottie and Jeff were free to lounge around on the couch and talk about anything and everything until they all regrouped inside again. Watching Chrissy be so carefree and joyful made Dottie think that maybe she’d enjoy being invited to one of their movie nights some day.

Chrissy, on the other hand, was a girl on a mission. There were no movie nights being planned in her head; she was instead focused on getting information out of Dottie to relay to Eddie at his earliest convenience. Chrissy liked Dottie, she really did. She liked how kind and attentive she was despite always walking around with an anxiety cloud above her head. She liked how she dressed, with her vintage clothing and big earrings Chrissy couldn’t wear because it’d be dangerous for a cheerleader to be tossed around with hoops or fun acrylic shapes dangling from her ears. She liked how she made Eddie feel, and Chrissy liked Eddie very much, so that just cemented Dottie in her mind as a good person to have around. And so, the blonde lulled her into a sense of comradery with heartfelt compliments and wild dances, trying to get to the bottom of the question she’d had swirling around in her brain for two months now: do you like my friend or is he wasting his time to end with his heart broken? To her credit, what came out of her mouth was much more subtle than that.

“Eddie’s awesome, isn’t he?” Chrissy asked, casting her line into the sea and waiting for Dottie to bite.

“Yeah, he’s great!”

“He was so right about us being friends! I’m so happy you came!”

“Well, thank you for inviting me!” Dottie smiled at her, and Chrissy squeezed her hand in response.

The party was in full swing now. Nancy had found a couple of classmates she got along with and finally managed to escape Marcie’s insistent newspaper talk; she looked much more happy talking to them near the door to the backyard than she’d looked like back in the kitchen. Donny, Gareth and Jeff were fishing out beer cans from the cooler and passing them along to people that normally ignored them in the hallways, their bravery for sticking their hands into the horrid green liquid making them the heroes of underaged teens trying to get unbearably drunk before inevitably throwing up all over Mrs. Carver’s bushes. Eddie stood to a side, near the archway that led to the stairs where bubblegum pink eyeshadow Marianne from his Sociology class had just disappeared up to with his lovesick boyfriend trailing behind her, much to his friends’ jeers and claps. The metalhead had a barely sipped on beer in his hand and hearts in his eyes as he watched Dottie and Chrissy spin around in the middle of the living room, singing along to Top 40 hits and dodging couples making out.

Eddie had never felt happy at a house party before. He’d usually drop by, deal a little bit from the back of his van, and speed away either to Jeff’s house to hang out with his friends or back towards his trailer where he’d smoke and fuck around with his guitar until he’d fall asleep on his tummy with his jeans still on. But standing there, seeing his friends being treated like normal people instead of the dirt beneath a shoe, he felt happy at a party for once in his life. He felt like a normal teenager, like everyone else in the Hawkins High Class of ‘86 saying goodbye to a long school year and hello to the unforgettable summer ahead. Chrissy made a suggestive face at him while dancing around with Dottie and Eddie laughed.

“Hey, Munson!” a familiar voice said, coming to clap his shoulder and snapping him out of his trance.

“Hey, Foster. How are you doing?”

“Weird seeing you here,” Kyle Foster of the Yearbook Club said, looking friendly but fidgety. “You never sell inside at these things.”

“Not selling tonight, man. Just enjoying the beer,” he lifted his can above waist level to demonstrate.

“Ah, dude, that sucks. I had a twenty with your name on it,” he clicked his tongue. “But if our deal still stands, I guess in a couple of weeks you’ll have a bag with my name on it.”

“I’m a man of my word, Foster,” Eddie smirked, shoving his hand into his pocket. “But here, for your troubles.”

He produced a tightly rolled joint from inside his packet of Camels and extended it to Kyle, who looked at him like he’d grown two heads. Never in his entire time being Eddie’s customer had he sold him a pre-roll, much less one that he had intended to smoke himself at some point. He eyed him curiously, not making any moves to pluck it out of the dealer’s hand.

“You sure about that, Munson?” he asked, giving him the chance to recant his offer.

“Yeah, you can have it. I’m not gonna smoke it and I’m feeling generous tonight. Just don’t send anyone else my way, okay? It’s the only one I had.”

“Y-yeah, man, sure! Thanks,” Kyle smiled, grabbing his prize for holding a polite conversation with the town’s freak who felt like less and less of a monster as the school year came to a close. “Here, take the twenty anyways,” he pulled a single bill from his back pocket. “Sorry about, y’know, that whole thing. See you when the yearbooks come out!”

And with that, he shoved the note into Eddie’s hand and left towards the backyard, probably in search of a borrowed lighter to spark up in a corner of Jason Carver’s lush garden. Eddie looked down at his hand, snorted, and put the twenty bucks away to spend another day. Maybe he’d get Dottie a strawberry milkshake like he’d done the day before, only to watch her eyes light up at the first taste and indulge in her pleas because it’s so good, Ed, you gotta try this! They make them with real strawberries! Chrissy found his eyes again over Dottie’s shoulder and stuck her tongue out at him. He clutched his chest like he had been hurt by her, overdramatic as always, and Dottie twirled Chrissy around breaking their eye contact. The songs changed but the girls stayed dancing and he kept on watching them with a satisfied smile on his face. It was a shame, really, that Eddie often became blind whenever he saw the girl he was in love with being truly, completely happy, because if he didn’t, he would have noticed one Andy fucking Humphrey staring at him like he could make the dumb metalhead drop dead in a heartbeat just by looking at him.

Jason Carver wasn’t the typical high school bully you’d see in films. Truthfully, he wasn’t even a bully; he just kept quiet while his friends did all the fucked up things the basketball team was infamous for. He was known as someone who would fly off the handle quickly, but not without reason. He took freshmen and sophomores under his wing, taught them what being a good teammate looked like, gave them a family within the walls of Hawkins High as part of his team. Jason was, if anything else failed, extremely protective and fiercely loyal to his own, and expected the same considerations to be returned to him. So when Andy, one of his best friends since elementary, came running to tell him that The Freak of Hawkins High was trying to flirt with his girlfriend in front of everyone, Jason had no reason to doubt him. Why would he, when Andy had been nothing but reliable all this time?

“What do you think you’re doing, creep?” Jason told Eddie, his tone low, trying not to call too much attention to themselves. Chrissy didn’t need to see this, she didn’t have to know she was being ogled by a pervert under his own roof.

“Drinking your beer, Carver, what does it look like I’m doing?” Eddie said with a sour tone, and instantly knew that had been the wrong answer.

“Yeah? What makes you think you’re welcome in my house?”

“Chill, man, I got invited, same as everyone else.”

“Who would want you here?” Chance Peterson said, appearing at Jason’s shoulder. This was bad.

“Uh, his girlfriend? Just like everyone else?” Eddie deadpanned, putting his can of beer on a ledge and lifting his palms. “Look, I’m really not looking to cause any trouble tonight-”

“Why would Chrissy invite you? You aren’t friends,” Patrick asked, and Eddie held back a scoff. He was willing to bet he knew Chrissy, the real Chrissy, more than any of these meatheads did.

“She invited all the seniors, that’s all there is to it. I’m a senior too-”

“Yeah, a senior citizen, you freak,” Chance said. “Why don’t you go home early and leave us actual seniors alone, huh? What is this, your tenth time trying to graduate?”

“See Peterson, I always knew you didn’t know how to count, but didn’t think you would be so bad at it. Should have known though, it’s not like anyone expects you to do anything that isn’t playing around with your balls. Now why don’t you back off and let your captain here and I have a civil conversation, alright?” Eddie looked down at Chance who narrowed his eyes at him, but Jason threw his arm out to stop him from moving forward.

“We’re not having a conversation, Munson. Back off my girlfriend or leave.”

“I’m not interested in your fuckin’ girlfriend, Carver,” Eddie said, bewildered.

“You say that, but you sure were looking at her before we walked in,” Andy said, stepping around his friends to stand next to Jason. “Wanna explain that?”

“Is looking at someone a goddamn crime now? Can’t exactly leave my eyes at home, you dumbass,” Eddie said, getting loud.

“So you were looking at Chrissy!” Jason yelled.

“No, I wasn’t! Believe it or not, not everyone is fuckin’ in love with your girlfriend, man!”

“Hey, what’s going on here?” Donny flanked Eddie, his voice booming over the sound of the music.

“Back off, dude, what’s your deal?” Gareth threatened Chance when he shoulder-checked him.

People were starting to catch on now, curious eyes looking around for the latest gossip. Jason and Eddie yelling at each other wasn’t exactly new, but both groups of friends having a screaming match at a house party? Now, that was juicy. As everyone started insulting and trying to intimidate each other, Eddie looked around trying to find Dottie in the crowd. She was still dancing with Chrissy, oblivious to the conflict, and now another cheerleader had joined them; he was pretty sure she was a junior and her name was Valerie.

“Hey! Stop looking at her, asshole!” Andy said, grabbing Eddie’s hair and turning his head back towards the imminent fight.

Andy’s voice was loud enough to startle the girls and make them look their way. Chrissy and Valerie paled instantly, hurrying forward to try to contain the scene before it turned truly ugly, leaving a path open behind them for Dottie to follow. Chrissy grabbed Jason’s arm and tried pulling him away when Eddie turned to Dottie and shook his head, his curls still in Andy’s grasp.

“It’s okay, Dot, stay over there!” he told her, not wanting to get her involved and hurt.

But it was too late, because Andy, as stupid as he was, caught on pretty quickly. He hadn’t recognized her before, all dolled up and giggly while she danced with Chrissy and Valerie. He’d simply assumed she was one of their friends, maybe even a junior he hadn’t really paid too much attention to while in school. Insistent on Eddie perving on Chrissy, he’d missed a crucial detail: that the unknown girl she was dancing with was the same girl that had threatened him in the AP Spanish classroom just a week ago. The same one that had told him to stay away from the Hellfire Club. That girl wasn’t Chrissy’s friend, she was a freak, merely blending in with the rest of the school population because she didn’t wear dark colors and leather. Andy turned on her so quickly she didn’t have time to heed Eddie’s warning before he was spewing venom towards her.

“I see now, freak,” Andy said, letting go of Eddie’s hair with a shove and stepping towards Dottie. “You weren’t looking at Chrissy, you were looking at your bitch.”

“What the fuck did you just call me?” Dottie said, angrily.

“That’s what you are, isn’t it? The freak’s little bitch. That’s why you came after me last week, huh?” Andy was seething. “Did he tell you to do that?”

“You brought that on your own by being a smug idiot,” she told him, not backing down from the fight even though she was terrified of him.

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Patrick asked.

“This slut tried to tell Mr. Lorenzo that I cheated on a test if I didn’t leave her friends alone,” Andy explained, once again looking smug. Everyone was watching them now. “Said I was gonna lose my ride to college, acted all flirty and shit. What is it, honey? The freak not giving it to you good enough? Do they all share you, like the big whore you a-”

“Fuck!”

Dottie hadn’t hesitated. Instead, she’d just simply punched him right in the face with her right fist, thumb on the outside like her Grandpa Ken had taught her when they were boxing in his backyard one summer, hitting pillows and humming along to the Rocky theme song while Grandma Caroline made fresh lemonade. The crack that followed the punch was deafening. All chatter ceased and the music was turned off - if a needle were to hit the floor, it would have been so easily heard in the silence that followed her expletive. It had hurt for him, yes, something was definitely broken, but the impact on her knuckles had split the delicate skin covering them, not used to being treated so roughly by colliding against a jock’s bones. Andy pinched his nose with pain, blood starting to pour down his cupid’s bow.

“Wait, no!” Chrissy gasped, as Andy reached over to take someone’s beer can out of their hand and emptied it on Dottie’s head, throwing it away once it was empty. The metal clang on the floor until it hit someone’s shoe.

“What the fuck?” Gareth managed to say, before Eddie launched himself and pushed Andy away from Dottie who just stood there clutching at her hand and looking at the floor in shock.

Her Mom’s dress was ruined, sticky liquid dripping from her hair onto the soft fabric, staining everything as it went down, down, down onto her thighs and legs until it reached her socks. She smelled like an alcoholic and her fingers hurt. She felt empty, adrenaline leaving her body as she shivered while everything around her dissolved into utter chaos. The Hellfire Club and the basketball team were yelling and pushing each other once again, people rushing to get out of their way so they wouldn’t get hit. With the reflexes of someone used to being on alert, Nancy grabbed Dottie’s arm and yanked her aside just in time for Andy to push Eddie off himself and into a side table. Eddie hit the floor with a sickening crunch, but what made everyone stop the brawl was the sound of the lamp on top cracking into a million little pieces right next to the couch.

“Jason, stop this!” Chrissy pleaded, hanging onto his arm.

Andy, not one to be deterred, snapped his head towards Dottie, not caring that Nancy threw an arm out to cover her with her own body. He raised his hand, fully on board with hurting either of them to make a point, when Jason finally snapped into action and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him into Patrick’s arms who instantly held him in place, Chance coming over to help.

“Are you crazy?” Jason yelled at his friend. “We don’t hit women!”

He turned just in time to see Chrissy helping Eddie up, the two of them muttering to each other softly, looking a lot more friendly than he liked. His eye twitched once and he looked at Hellfire as they huddled closer to each other and started inching towards the exit, Nancy and Chrissy herding them out.

“Get out of my fucking house!” Jason told them, like they weren’t already trying to leave.

“Gladly,” Donny said, closing the door behind them and shielding them from further aggressions.

“You guys, I am so sorry,” Chrissy was saying, not knowing who to direct it to first.

“It’s okay, Chris. Not your fault your boyfriend has shithead friends,” Eddie said, patting her shoulder in comfort.

“Still, I should have-,” she cut herself off because there was nothing she could have done; the basketball team and the Hellfire Club were destined to hate each other until the end of time. She turned to Dottie instead. “Are you okay?”

“Y-yeah, I think so. My hand hurts,” she sniffed. “I’m sorry we ruined your party.”

“Oh, please, that party sucked,” Chrissy snorted. “The most fun I had all night was when we were dancing with Val.”

“Come on, let’s get you home,” Donny said, guiding Dottie towards his car.

“I can drive her, I brought her here,” Nancy offered, giving him half a smile. She wasn’t friends with the guys, but she knew enough about them through Mike to have at the very least positive feelings towards them. Besides, it wasn’t like Jonathan hadn’t also been an outcast back when he was still in Hawkins. She knew what that was like.

“No, no,” Dottie hurried to say. “You should both go back to the party. Eddie can drive me, Don, I don’t want to ruin your car.”

“Are you sure?” Chrissy said, not wanting to leave her in such a vulnerable state.

“Yes, I’m sure. Go back inside, it’s your party,” she squeezed the blonde’s hand. “I had fun dancing with you, thank you for inviting me.”

“Maybe we can do it again some day? Just us girls?” Chrissy said, eyes full of hope.

“I’d love that,” Dottie said, and she really meant it.

“Okay, then… let’s go back inside, Nancy. Bye guys, drive safe,” Chrissy waved at them, pulling her cardigan closed and both girls disappeared back into the house.

“Is this a bad time to say that I stole a case of beers?” Gareth said, lifting a 12-pack and bringing some much needed humor to the situation.

“Let’s go back to mine then, we can sneak in through the basement door,” Jeff proposed, and Donny nodded.

“I’m… I’m gonna pass, guys,” Eddie said. “I’ll take her home and head back to the trailer. My ass kinda hurts.”

“Have fun without us, okay? I’m sorry I ruined it,” Dottie said, tears swimming in her eyes. Whether it was because of the shame or the pain in her hand, no one knew but no one asked her either.

“Hey now, you didn’t ruin anything. We’ve got an awesome story to tell the kids someday,” Donny laughed.

“Yeah! We’ll be like: Auntie Dot broke a jock’s nose back in high school because he called her names,” Jeff said, putting on an old man voice and Dottie chuckled wetly.

“Come on, let’s go,” Eddie said, guiding her towards his van with a hand on her lower back.

“I should sit in the back, I’m gonna get your seats dirty,” Dottie said.

“Don’t even think about it, there’s no seatbelts in the back,” he said, climbing in and rummaging around for the tarp they covered Gareth’s drumset with when they moved it for gigs.

The music from inside the house was booming again when Donny’s car pulled into the street and the boys left, saying goodbye by honking twice. Eddie covered the front seat with the tarp and helped her get in, clicking the seatbelt for her in place and jogging to get to the driver’s side. Dottie stared out the window as Eddie turned the van on and backed up into the street, waving at a defeated Chrissy who was looking out from the living room’s window. When Eddie stopped at the first intersection, Dottie turned to look at him.

“Ed?” she asked in a shaky voice. “Can you take me to yours instead?”

The trailer was empty with all the lights turned off when they arrived, which was unusual for a Saturday night. Wayne had always had weekends off, after all, he had a kid at home to take care of and nobody was an asshole enough to ask an old man to come in during his time away with his family. Still, as Eddie kneeled down next to the entrance to help Dottie undo her heel buckles, she looked around while holding onto his shoulders and found herself missing her Mr. Wayne. Eddie had asked her in the van why she didn’t want to go home, and she had simply replied she didn’t want to tell her Dad she’d gotten into a fight just yet. She’d failed to mention that she was expecting Wayne to give her the parental comfort she needed, but without the grounding she was sure she was gonna get from her own father.

“He’s at the plant,” Eddie said, guessing her silent inquiry. “He’s doing extra time this weekend so he can take a couple of days off for graduation.”

“That’s really sweet,” she smiled, stepping out of her shoes now that he’d gotten them unbuckled. The beer that had dripped down her legs had stained the tops of her socks.

“Wait here, okay? I’ll get the shower running for you, the knobs are… well, they’re stupid,” he shrugged with resignation. “You can call your Dad if you want, tell him where you are.”

He started the shower for her while she dialed home, James picking up after a few long rings. He listened to her talk quietly while getting her a towel and clean clothes; she hadn’t exactly asked, but Eddie got confirmation that she wanted to spend the night when he heard her lie to her Dad about being at Jeff’s and having a movie night. Eddie wasn’t about to complain about her not mentioning she was with him if it meant he could sleep next to her for a full night. He went back into the bathroom, lowered the toilet’s lid and put the things he’d gathered for her on top before opening the mirror cabinet and pulling out a new toothbrush along with a packet of makeup wipes. She hung up and walked into the small bathroom after him, looking at the items in his hands with a quirked eyebrow.

“I wear eyeliner for our gigs sometimes,” he admitted. “It always looks like shit, but if it’s good enough for Ozzy, it’s good enough for me.”

“Maybe I can teach you how to do it right sometime,” she said, the corner of her mouth lifting into half a smile.

“Maybe you should just do my makeup so I don’t poke my eye out.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll do your makeup next time.”

“Kick your clothes out the door when you take them off, I’ll throw them in the washing machine for you,” he said, and left her to her devices.

He went back into his bedroom to give her privacy and get changed into his own PJs, which consisted of an old ratty t-shirt with a couple of holes around the neck and plaid pants he was sure had belonged to Wayne at some point in their lives. While he busied himself changing his sheets into fresh ones, putting her clothes in the washer and making his bedroom look somewhat presentable, Dottie tried to hurry up in the shower, not wanting to use up all the water. Still, she couldn’t help but take her time appreciating the fact that Eddie actually owned conditioner and that the green apple smell that surrounded him in the mornings belonged to the big bottle of shampoo in the corner of the tub. She washed all the beer off her skin and hair and, feeling a lot more like herself, wrapped her body into the soft off-white towel he’d gotten for her, standing at the mirror to rid herself of her make up as best as she could. She brushed her hair quickly, scrunching her curls into the towel to remove the excessive moisture, and brushed her teeth making a note to buy him a new toothbrush to replace the one she’d used. Timidly, she also reached for his deodorant, reasoning that it was better to use it than to stink up his clothes and bed with her sweat.

She was studying herself in the small mirror, not entirely believing that she was wearing Eddie’s clothes, when she realized the light scabbing on her knuckles had probably loosened up with the water and they were all bloody again like she’d never cleaned them up in the first place. Poking her head out of the bathroom, she directed her voice towards his bedroom where she could hear him pottering about.

“Eddie?” she called.

“Yeah?”

“D’you have any bandages? My hand’s bleeding again.”

“Uh, lemme see,” he pushed the door open and rummaged around in the sink cabinet, grabbing a little bag that contained their first aid supplies. “Come, sit on the bed,” he instructed, and she did as he asked without a word.

He kneeled in front of her and inspected her right hand, closing each finger carefully and pressing on parts of her palm to see if anything hurt. Nothing seemed to be permanently broken, so reached over to his bedside table where a cup of water sat and gave her an ibuprofen to help with the swelling before moving on with his next task. She watched him as he worked diligently to clean the scrapes, long thick fingers fluttering softly on her skin.

“What’s the diagnosis, doc?” Dottie asked.

“I’m getting a weird déjà vu here, princess,” he chuckled. “You need to stop getting into trouble before I get into pre-med.”

“Can’t help it. Trouble’s my middle name.”

“I thought it was Ann?” Eddie said, laughing.

Truthfully, he was joking around to hide the fact that he had been losing his mind since she’d opened the bathroom door and came out all rosy-cheeked, smelling like him and wearing his clothes. He’d given her one of his old shirts, a white one he hardly ever used anymore with a Garfield print at the front and his blue checkered boxers, not expecting them to look as big on her as they did. The hem of the shirt almost covered the shorts, and the short sleeves went past her elbows. The less was said about his gray socks that bunched up at her heel, the better, and he tried not to think about the fact that he knew she wasn’t wearing a bra because he’d had the most mortifying pleasure of throwing the cute cotton garment into his washing machine fifteen minutes earlier. Eddie was wrapping up her knuckles with a long piece of gauze when he noticed she’d gone strangely quiet. He looked up at her face to find her teary-eyed and chewing on a wobbly lip.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, holding onto her hand. “Is it too tight?”

“Is that… what everyone thinks about me?” she whispered, like she was afraid of asking out loud.

“I- I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, darling.”

“Wh-what Andy said. About me being… does everyone think I’m a slut?”

“What? No! Of course not!” he stuck the gauze in place with a piece of medical tape and lifted himself onto his knees between her legs to hug her. “Dot, he didn’t even know who you were until tonight, he was just talking out of his ass.”

“I’m not a whore,” she muttered into his shoulder. “I promise I’m not.”

“Darling, what are you on about, huh?” he grabbed her face with two hands and brought her eyes to his. “I know you’re not. You could sleep with half this town and I still wouldn’t think you’re a whore. You- you can do whatever you want with whoever you want! I know you, you’re… Dot, you’re so fucking nice to me, to all of us, and the only reason Andy said that bullshit about you is because you’re friends with the freaks.”

“I’m not,” she said, and he looked at her in question. “I’m not friends with the freaks. I am a freak.”

“Hell yeah you are,” Eddie smiled. “You are a freak, and you shouldn’t let what that piece of shit said get to you, okay? You broke his fucking nose because he talked shit about you, Dot. You’re so fucking amazing.”

It was probably the way Eddie was looking at her like she’d hung the moon and all the stars, or maybe it was the way he was holding onto her face with a gentleness no one associated with the rugged metalhead, fingers extending under her ears and into her damp hair, thumbs on her cheeks. It was most definitely the way he always took care of her, how he cleaned her wounds like she was the most fragile thing on Earth and how he never hesitated to pull her into his arms whenever she needed a hug without questioning her reasons. But honestly, it was most likely the fact that he was so close to her, his warm breath mingling with her minty one, that had her leaning forward and pecking his lips with hers in the most chaste kiss she’d ever given to anyone in her entire life.

She tried pulling away as fast as she had leaned in, she really tried to, but Eddie felt like he had been struck by a live wire and instinctively chased her mouth with his own, still cupping her face but moving one of his hands to tangle into her hair, finally taking a hold of the proverbial carrot dangling in front of him. He was kissing her - Eddie Munson was kissing Dottie Burke and he couldn’t get enough of it - he needed more, he needed to consume her and she to him until there was nothing left for anyone to see. He grabbed onto her bare thigh to pull himself up and she whimpered, the walls of the illusion suddenly crashing around him. She’d just tearfully asked him if the town thought she was a whore, and his way of reassuring her, had been to deny it and then make a move on her. Eddie jumped back so quickly he fell onto his bruised ass and hissed in pain.

“Fuck, Dot, I’m- I’m so sorry!” he pleaded, leaving her dumbfounded and glazy-eyed.

He’d fucked up. He’d ruined everything. With his eagerness, he’d jumped the gun and now his plan was ruined, and she probably, maybe, definitely thought he was a fucking pervert trying to get into her pants, and yes, he very much would like to do that but not like this. Not before she knew he would quite literally die for her, not before he’d confessed to her the profound love he felt and had finally become the kind of man she deserved to have. Dottie looked at him not understanding what had just happened, but when she moved to get off the bed and closer to him, he jumped off the floor and put even more distance between them.

“I’m so sorry, we shouldn’t- fuck, I didn’t-”

“Eddie, it’s fine-

“No, it’s not fine!” his hands tangled in his own hair while he tried to find the words to explain himself. “This is all wrong, goddamnit-”

“Eddie, calm down-”

“Fuck, Chrissy is gonna kill me, I’m such a fucking idiot-”

“Ch-Chrissy?” Dottie whispered, but he didn’t hear her in the middle of his freakout.

Oh. Oh. She was so stupid. She couldn’t even blame him, she’d been influenced by her aunts and by Gareth - and of course, who wouldn’t be in love with Chrissy Cunningham, Head Cheerleader and Queen of Hawkins High? She was so kind, and friendly, with her gorgeous eyes and warm smiles. And by his own admission, if she was going to kill him, well, that certainly meant she returned Eddie’s affections, did it not? She’d be an idiot not to love Eddie back because Eddie was so loveable. Sweet, silly, wonderful Eddie who had just kissed his best friend and regretted it deeply. She had to get out of there if there was any hope of saving their friendship.

“I’m so sorry,” Dottie said, rushing out of the bedroom and into the kitchen.

“Dot, wait!” Eddie followed her. He had to fix this, he had to tell her, he was gonna tell her- “What are you doing?”

“I’m really so sorry, Eddie, I didn’t know,” she got her damp clothes out of the washing machine; the cycle had probably ended in the middle of his upset rant and neither of them had heard it.

“Where are you going? It’s midnight!” he watched her shove her feet into her heels, not bothering with fastening the buckles before she opened his front door. He had to act fast or he was going to lose her forever.

“Eddie, please,” she asked, tears pooling in her eyes again, voice broken. “I just want to go home. Everything’s fine, I’ll see you on Monday-”

“No!” he threw himself onto the door, closing it again effectively locking her in. “Y-you can’t leave like this! What are you gonna do, walk home in your heels? Are you insane?”

“Please, I’m sorry,” she sobbed, breaking his heart into a million tiny pieces. “We can forget this all happened, please, just let me go!”

“No!”

“Eddie!”

“No! We need to talk about this!”

“There’s nothing to talk about! I didn’t know you were dating her, just let me-”

“Wait, what?” It was Eddie’s turn to be confused. “I’m not dating anyone, what are you talking about?”

“I’m not fucking deaf, Ed! You just said Chrissy was gonna kill you!”

“Yes, but that’s not- Fuck! That’s not what I meant! She’s dating Jason Carver, for fuck’s sake!”

“It’s okay if you like her, she’s fucking perfect-” she babbled, fat tears leaving tracks on her cheeks.

“You’re fucking perfect! God, fuck, this is not what I-” Eddie took the clothes out of her arms and threw them into the living room, pulling her into his arms again.

“Eddie, what the fuck?!” she shrieked, trying to get away from him but he held on tight, throwing her onto his shoulder and sitting her down onto the kitchen counter.

“I made Kool-Aid!”

“What? I don’t want fucking Kool-Aid-”

“Just stop arguing!” he yelled, effectively shutting her up. “I made apple Kool-Aid.”

“...I love apple Kool-Aid,” she said, for lack of a better response.

“I know,” he said, leaning back and looking at her sitting between his arms, palms on the cold surface of his kitchen countertop. “That’s why I keep buying it. For you.”

An ugly sob bubbled up out of her throat and she hid her face in her hands. She wasn’t strong enough to keep fighting with him, and when he hugged her again, fingers tangling back under her ears, she simply bowed her head and cried harder. Eddie kissed her hair and held her, letting her release all the pent up emotions that were swirling in her mind. When she breathed a little bit easier, he looked at her, drying her tears with his thumbs.

“Can I trust you to stay here while I get the Kool-Aid?” he asked, softly.

Dottie nodded, so he moved away from her to get the pitcher out of the fridge. He filled a mug first, watching her legs swinging lightly back and forth while she sniffled and picked at her nails, and stopped before filling the next one. She saw him frown and look around the kitchen before finding what he was looking for: a yellow ceramic mug with a gnome playing the accordion on the front. A couple of weeks ago, the teens had been studying in the trailer on the small table in the kitchen, and Dottie had mentioned to Wayne she was gonna get him a hat with her college logo when she was in Michigan so he could add it to his collection. He’d glowed at that, joking that he was gonna tell everyone his niece was a genius and that he’d leave her her favorite mug in his will in return. The two of them had spent around 30 minutes going through every mug until she decided on one, all while Eddie worked on his homework with a dumb smile on his face. She’d picked a yellow mug with gnome playing the accordion on the front, the very same mug Eddie was now gently putting into her hands filled with apple Kool-Aid he allegedly kept buying because he knew it was her fave flavor.

They sipped their juice in silence until Dottie calmed down, holding onto the mug with both hands for comfort. Eddie stood there, waiting for her to say anything and when it became clear she was not gonna be the first one to talk, he put his mug down and turned to her, pulling on the hem of her borrowed boxers.

“Hey,” he said, ducking his head down to look her into the eyes. She made a small sound of acknowledgment but kept staring at the liquid between her hands. “I’m not dating anyone.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t like Chrissy,” he kept going.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

“Yes, I do. I really fucking do,” he took her mug out of her hands and ducked a bit more. “Dot, look at me. Please.”

“Eddie, it’s fine-”

“I’m kind of insanely in love with you.”

“What?” Dottie breathed out, eyes widening.

“Darling, I haven’t been able to even look at anyone else since the day I met you. I’m so fucking obsessed with you it’s actually embarrassing,” he smiled at her, finally hitting her with the full force of his confession.

“You… you like me?”

“Mhm,” he nodded, lifting her hand and kissing her gauze covered knuckles. “Chrissy has been helping me plan how to ask you out. We’re not secretly dating, she knows I’m crazy about you.”

“Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know,” Dottie murmured, ashamed that she’d jumped the gun with her conclusions.

“You couldn’t know, that was the whole point,” he chuckled. “I was gonna ask you out after graduation, I wanted to have our diplomas and everything but then you kissed me and… you’re awfully impatient, has anyone ever told you that?”

“God, I’m an idiot,” she laughed, hitting her forehead with her palm. “How long had you been planning that?”

“Since around your birthday,” he admitted, and she groaned. “I would have asked you earlier but I wanted to set things straight before, y’know? I wanted to graduate first, maybe get a job, I dunno… Give you what you deserve. Instead you get… this,” he waved his hand around. “Sorry.”

“Eddie, I’m so in love with you, it’s not even funny. What are you talking about?”

“What?”

“Oh my god, we’re both idiots!” Dottie groaned again, and he laughed in disbelief.

“You’re in love with me?”

“Yes! Why did you think I kissed you?!”

“I mean, I kinda figured out you liked me, but love, darling, that’s… That’s a lot.”

“You just said you are “kinda insanely in love” with me, what do you mean it’s a lot?” she looked at him like he had just told her the sky was green.

“Well, yeah, but- that’s different! I’m me!”

“Okay, what the hell does that mean?”

“I don’t know, I just- fuck, I love you and I really, really want to kiss you right now. Would that be okay, darling? Can I kiss you?”

She shook her head at him like he had just said the stupidest thing on Earth and wrapped her arms around him, bringing him forward and pressing their lips together again. Eddie laughed against her mouth, hands coming up to cup the sides of her jaw, thumbs rubbing circles into her skin. They kissed with no hurry and no other motives than to just kiss, savoring the moment like a cold sip of water after a long race. There were no more places to hide, no more shadows lurking in the background. It was just them under the mismatched light bulbs in the Munson kitchen, two mugs and a pitcher filled with Kool-Aid, and limbs tangling with one another, scratching an itch that had once seemed impossible to relieve.

Eddie moved his lips from hers to her cheek, up her nose and eyelids until he reached her forehead and stayed there, just breathing in and basking in the knowledge that they’d jumped off a cliff together and had landed on the other side unscathed. There were so many conversations to be had, so many things to be said, but this was more than okay for him now. This was enough, and for the first time in his whole life, he was enough. Dottie’s hands moved under his shirt, lightly running her short nails over his skin, the motion calming and grounding him. He was hers, and she was his, and there was nothing else that mattered anymore. The waters were calm. The locked padlocks remained in place, but the keys weren’t forgotten or hidden anymore. She felt at peace in a way she had never once felt before, knowing that no matter what came next, they would face it together. She yawned once, burrowing further into his skin, and he chuckled.

“Wanna go to bed now?” he asked, softly.

“Yes, please,” she replied.

Eddie helped her off the counter and let her get comfy in his room while he finished getting ready for bed, turning all the lights off and brushing his teeth with a dazed expression on his face. He found her tucked in on the left side of his bed, the one closest to the wall and realized that he could get used to this so easily. He was sure that once she went home the next day, he’d have trouble falling asleep until she was back next to him, nuzzling into his chest and wearing his clothes. They cuddled in silence, soft touches in the darkness, just exploring skin and calming rapid heartbeats with innocent caresses that revealed just how much they’d longed for this. There would be time for bolder actions, but tonight they just wanted to hold each other tight and never let go. Eddie, however, had one more question to ask before sleep could whisk them away to Dreamland.

“Darling?”

“Mhm?”

“I don’t want to, like, ruin the moment, but… what happens now?”

“Dunno. What do you want to happen?” she asked, moving her leg on top of his so he could shuffle closer to her.

“Can we maybe not tell people this happened so I can ask you out like I planned?” he said, shyly. “I just… I want to do things right with you. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“You’re not fucking anything up, Ed. But sure, we can pretend this didn’t happen and I’ll act surprised when you ask me out,” she rolled her eyes playfully.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant,” he squeezed her closer. “I meant it more like… not telling the guys? You can tell your Dad if you want, though.”

“How about this?” she said, reaching up and kissing his jaw sweetly. “We don’t tell anyone anything, and my Dad doesn’t get an aneurysm every time he sees you. Sound good?”

“You want to lie to your Dad?”

“Not forever. We can tell him before I leave for college. You’re gonna come see me, right?” Dottie asked, hopeful.

“Baby, Michigan is only three hours away. They’re gonna think I’m your roommate with how often I’m gonna be there,” he pecked her hairline.

“Baby?”

“Just trying it on. D’you like it?”

“I love it. And I love you.”

“Fuck, I’ll never get tired of that. I love you,” he chuckled, leaning in to kiss her. “Okay, we won’t tell anyone so your Dad doesn’t murder me.”

“I have one condition though.”

“Okay?”

“I still get to kiss you when we’re alone.”

“You just want me to be your dirty little secret, don’t you?” Eddie joked, poking her side.

“I’ll be yours too if that helps,” she said, cheekily.

“Oh, don’t tempt me with a good time, princess,” he said with a mischievous tone. “Who knows? Might be fun to sneak around all summer.”

Half an hour later, when they were finally falling asleep between soft kisses and whispered sweet nothings, they both agreed that a little bit of teenage disobedience might just be the missing piece they didn’t know they were looking for to complete their perfect summer before officially being adults. After all, it always looked so much fun in movies, right?

taglist (comment below or send me an ask if you want to be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean @every1lovesanunderdog @eg-dr3amer3

#bunny writes #small town fic #eddie munson x female character #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x oc #eddie munson x ofc #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fic #eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson angst #stranger things 4 #stranger things #nancy wheeler #gareth stranger things #jeff stranger things #chrissy cunningham #jason carver #patrick mckinney #andy stranger things #chance stranger things #joseph quinn #baby's first fic

[2ndalt]

Guess who's avoiding homework again???

That's right, I've translated Pamela's section of the extra credits! First, she wrote a letter for the entire Thea Sisters, and from what I can tell this is a "Get to Know Me!" exercise.

She mentions a couple of things about herself, like how "I like simple things, because complicated things make my brain seize up." and that she's very cheerful, but if she's hungry she gets quite cranky. Then she goes off on a tangent about how much she loves pizza *cough* we know *cough* before mentioning her abilities as a mechanic, before signing off with:

"I'm sure I'm forgetting something… I'll tell you in the next episode!"

(I honestly don't know what "I'll tell you in the next episode!" is supposed to mean. Is it a translation error? Is it just one of Pam's colorful phrases?? Is she breaking the fourth wall???)

"P.S for Violet: I'm sorry if I scream every time I see your cricket, but I can't help it!"

Pamela acknowledging her fear of Frilly and apologizing for it is just very cute to see. Like, I hate bugs too, but I'd imagine that it's a lot worse for Pam since insects in New York are absolute menaces (especially when they fly) and only mean trouble for people working in the restaurant industry. Instead of acting like Violet was weird for having a pet cricket, Pamela accepts that Frilly is important to Violet while also coming to terms with her somewhat-irrational fear of insects. She never puts any blame on Violet for the way Pamela feels, and that's the emotional maturity we love to see :)

The next letter from Pam is a doozy, mainly because it's talking about her siblings. Her 9 siblings.

Anyways, the siblings in order are: Vince, the eldest who will inherit the family business, Sam the second oldest who works as a mechanic (possibly where Pam got her mechanic skills from), Bess the third oldest and the prettiest, Flo the fourth oldest and a great dancer, coming in fifth place is our fav Pamela, Gas the sixth and who seems like his only personality trait is being chubby, Jo the seventh youngest ("who ____? like crazy!" I couldn't translate the word beverde so idk what Jo does), Spike the eighth youngest who butts heads with Vince the most often, and finally Gus and Peggy, who are twins and the youngest. I was not kidding, this was a lot of info to keep track of.

First of all: Bless Pamela's mother for giving birth nine different times. Second of all: Here it's revealed that Pamela is the fifth oldest in her family, making her the middle child. Lemme just start off with I DID NOT GET THOSE VIBES FROM HER! I THOUGHT SHE WAS GONNA BE THE OLDEST/SECOND OLDEST INSTEAD SHE'S THE MIDDLE CHILD??!! my mind is shattered. Also, from what little we are told about Pam's family it seems like she's the first one to go to a college/university, which is hella neat.

The next section Pamela writes is a little... weird.

She wants to travel to the year 3000 to see what the future is like, and says some of her own optimistic predictions. Like, curing acne with ice cream or cats becoming really small creatures (Which raises a whole 'nother slew of questions about how mice and cats evolved, but that's for a different post).

But the one that stuck out to me was her idea that for studying, all that they'd have to do is place their heads on a textbook and find out everything there is to know. It sounded familiar and then I realized-

She. She predicted it. In the special edition series, this is literally what Pamela proposed in the very first book. Coincidence? I THINK NOT!

Pamela if you don't stop breaking the fourth wall right now I'm gonna call your editor.

#geronimo stilton #thea sisters #pamela tangu #the bonus scenes are already giving us more personality than the scholastic cut #which one should I translate next?

[punamc]

I installed Tumblr because of @amar-hiyar-majhe

She is an active blogger in Tumblr and since we're very close to each other, she wanted me to write blogs too and then to reblog each other's posts. I did install it a few days back but couldn't actually get the time to sit and think about any desired topic. And everyday she was like "Punam, when are you gonna write blogs???" And each time I said, "I've no idea what to write."

I'm an introvert, a loner and an overthinker. So I guess everyone can understand what I do when I'm alone. I think a lot. I think about everything deeply. But it's not a rare thing. Most of the people (mainly girls) nowadays have the tendency to overthink stuffs.

But usually I don't have the habit of jotting down my feelings. I do write a few paragraphs in my "Keep Notes" app when I feel extreme, which is usually once or twice a month. But I like to keep those private. Moreover, nowadays I'm not even getting the time to feel overwhelmed. It's not like I'm very busy. It's just that I don't allow myself anymore to think too much and get hurt about something which will make no good in my life and like to keep myself busy most of the time. Those used to physically hurt my brain and heart which was absolutely unhealthy so I decided to just stop. Nowadays I have an attitude like "Jo hoga dekha jayega".

Today all of a sudden I remembered someone close to me saying that I should keep a hobby for myself. Something I'll like to do when I'm free which will refresh my brain. I had one before which is singing but due to some reasons it's no more a hobby of mine. After that I didn't consider anything as my hobby. Although I love to read books and sometimes write about stuffs but that's not regular. On a regular basis I usually watch YouTube videos and movies but again it's not so productive. Basically these things don't take much time and we don't require to give much attention and concentration. And for these reasons they're not productive.

I thought I should start being productive now. And writing blogs is one among them. So yeah, from now I'll start writing blogs, not on a daily basis, but whenever it'll be relevant for me.

And that's it! I blabbered too much about myself which was not necessary I guess. Thank you to the few people who'll read it till the end.

We all should start discovering ourselves more.

~Punam

[clairaworlds]

now that I'm home I can elaborate on Dune: Part Two. In case anyone was wondering, here's a quick spoiler-free review: it was really good. I really liked it, but that's coming from someone who has read Dune, started on messiah, and has had a lot of conversations with a certified mega-fan (read all of Frank Herbert's stuff and quite a few of the others as well) if you're familiar with the book(s), it's really good. It changes some stuff but I honestly think it does so out of necessity, and because a movie is a different medium than a book. It really plays to the strengths of what a movie can do. also, it's gorgeous. if you haven't read the books it's still a really good movie and decently approachable (provided you've watched the first one) but I think some things are... easy to miss if you don't have book knowledge. this is not positive nor negative, it's just a thing. it's also my personal opinion that it's probably uhh an easier transition to read the book first and then watch the movie. I wouldn't know I finished Dune about a year ago it's just what I suspect. ok, spoilers below so don't go further than this if you're avoiding them.

the movie was so good, as I said above, there were a lot of changes, I honestly liked most of them, it's a LONG movie, but it feels dense, and almost a little rushed at times because there's SO MUCH it has to fit into one place. The movie does a decent job of fitting everything into the story but there are a few moments where it does struggle. It's sort of hard to truly explain my stance because even some of the things that weren't necessarily my favorite I can understand why they were like that. For example, Alia is my favorite character in Dune and she wasn't even in the book that much, I was extremely sad that she didn't get to stab anyone. She's my favorite freak of nature. That said, I can understand why she wasn't there, I don't think that scene would have had the same flow if she got to commit murder. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn't have condensed the thing into a less than 9-month time span (as Alia hasn't been born yet) but it's not the worst thing and I don't really mind. I was SO happy Gurney got to sing/play I missed that so much in the first one (I really like Gurney).

I, personally thought chani and pauls relationship was really good, the symbolism of her little blue ribbon was really fun. Also, the fact that she stands in defiance of the prophecy set by the Bene Gesserit while simultaneously being a part of it is cool to watch. It's a little less clear what's happening with that if you're not familiar with the books but if you are it's great.

Irulan got to do some things, which in my opinion is really cool. I felt so bad for her at the end of the first book. She's still not in a great place but at least she got to do some stuff.

I liked Jessica being weird and creepy and muttering to her psychic daughter the whole movie. To be honest I wasn't super with it at first but it ended up being fun.

all of the house Harkonnen stuff RULED. like the aesthetics, the vibes, the black and white, the fireworks that looked like drops of blood, the fight scene. it was amazing. I was LIVING for it. why do I want Feyd-Rautha's outfit (from the fight scene) with its long dramatic tastles and cool shapes? Honestly, a lot of the Harkonnen outfits ruled. a lot of the outfits in general ruled. Irulan's weird dimand dress was neat. I loved the beading on her headdress.

sandwalking is still awesome and I loved to see it. every time a Freemen jumped out of the sand I was grinning like a maniack. they were terrifying in a way that's hard to explain. it was awesome to watch.

ok, getting into some of the more serious stuff. The moment where Paul goes to the South and accepts his role is.... just... the way they shot it. the music that played. the terror in Chani's eyes. It was really good. they played it like a tragedy and a work of horror. you were not supposed to look upon this moment with joy or reverence. it felt like something that would--- that could--- only end badly. it was exactly the right feeling for that moment. Paul could never be anything other than a tragic figure, and this moment, this moment where he decides to accept it, that was very much the start of the end. (from a certain point of view, from another, it's been crashing down for a while now, and this was just another step towards oblivion) There are no heroes in Dune, and this moment did not feel heroic. In almost any other movie, any other story, this would be a victory, a moment where the leader steps into their role and rallies their troops. The fact that this moment is horrifying shows me just how much respect this movie gives to its source.

Not only that but the battle at the end had direct parallels to the battle in the first movie. running the opposite direction, and this time our characters are the attackers. It felt epic to see the sandworms and the troops on top of them (also the sand riding scene was fun) then, it turned right back around as the brutality of the attack was emphasized. it felt like watching a massacre because it was. it was supposed to remind you of what happened to Leto and the others. Leto might not have believed in revenge, but his son does. There are no heroes in Dune. there never could have been.

the ornithopters continue to be epic to see on a massive screen. The movie also sounded amazing.

that's most of what I have to say for right now. overall, it was a great movie. I was originally a little nervous to go back in a theater, considering last time it did not go well, but I don't regret this for a second. like all movies you see in theaters it's LOULD, and fairly bright (although I've seen much more blinding movies) I'm decently noise-sensitive and EXTREMELY photosensitive (I don't get seizures or anything, but bright lights will almost always trigger a migraine) I brought a pair of ear-plugs and I could still hear perfectly, although I do have a nasty migraine so there's that. Honestly, this is just a hazard of me seeing literally anything in a theater so I don't blame the movie itself. I wish I could go to theaters without pain, but we don't often get what we wish for. Still, I had fun, and I'd go see it again, so this movie is officially worth the migraine.

#dune #dune movie #dune part two #dune part 2

[pebblysand]

Hi Jo, hope you're doing well! I love your writing and have been enjoying castles sooo much... pushing for you and this wonderful project as it nears the end!

I have a question about your writing process. Forgive me if you've addressed this somewhere in the podcast or your previous posts, but I've noticed that you use a lot of specific dates in your work (Harry moving out of his flat, the start and end dates of the road trip, etc.). I'm wondering whether you always outline your stories by date, or if you ballpark it and occasionally enjoy throwing in dates as a stylistic detail? Is it better for your individual process to know exactly when everything happens? Thanks!

aw, thank you! ❤️

okay so that's a very good question. for castles, yes, i always have the calendar for that year open. there's actually been funny instances in my IRL life where i'll open my calendar on my laptop to book an appointment or something and i'll be like "wait, why is that not the right day of the week" and then realise my calendar is still set to 1998/1999 😆. when i plan chapters (like the road trip for instance), i'll have a rough idea of when things happen, when they get to certain places, etc. now, that might change - for instance, they stayed in Salem a lot less time than i had originally anticipated - but generally, i kind of have the timeframe in my head, even if i might have to move things around a bit whilst writing/editing.

but, i also think it's because of the structure/limited timeframe that castles chapters have operated in so far. it's very different building a timeline on a chapter/one-shot that happens over years v. one that happens over weeks/days. in castles, the shortest chapter (in terms of in-world time spent) is chapter six, which happens over a day. it covers the dementor attack, giulia's death, harry's interrogation at the ministry, and him coming back at the weasleys'. the longest is probably chapter sixteen, which spans about three months. those are shorter time frames where knowing what date things happen exactly is useful.

having said that, if you look at other fics of mine, like the fault in faulty manufacturing or ce ne sont que des cailloux for instance, there are hardly any dates because these span over years. in that case, having specific dates would feel weird/awkward/not useful. think about it: if you follow a character throughout their school years and randomly the author goes "on the 30th of July 2013" you're like: "why is that important?" so, for the most part, i don't know what specific dates things happen in those fics. i might know the month or the year, but it's all relative to scale. if you write something that happens over a single day, you might need to know what time things happen. if you write something that happens over years, you probably only need the year and maybe the month to anchor it.

now, regarding whether i include these as a stylistic detail or for another reason, i actually think it's both. if you've read my other fics, you will know that the near-constant dating of events in castles is actually a feature specific to castles. more specifically, it is a feature of castles bar from certain chapters where it's not. there are a number of reasons for this:

1) chapters one, six and eight do not function like this. other chapters are more or less signposted with dates/times, depending on the events of the particular chapter. this is to emphasise the "blurriness" of those chapters. these are chapters where the trauma is fresh/raw and i find that when you're in these situations, your sense of date/time can get messier.

2) i don't think i've ever mentioned this on here but one of the decisions i made very early on in castles was that there would never be any page breaks. if you were in the fanfiction trenches of the 2010s, you will know that we were all writing with an excessive amount of page breaks. sometimes you'd have one line - page break - two paragraphs - page break. this was (i think) a feature very distinctive of fanfiction, especially of that era. we used page breaks to split up scenes, emphasise certain details/lines, etc. to give you an illustration of that, the fault in faulty manufacturing is written in that style. here's an example:

now, don't get me wrong: i love that style. i love what it can do. i love how you can break things up and highlight memorable lines - it's so much fun. but, one of the things it also does is that you don't have to do transitions, most of the time. and, as i'd been almost exclusively writing in that style for ten years, one thing i really wanted for castles was to learn to work on transitions and not just rely on page breaks for convenience, especially in long works. so, prior to starting castles, i read a lot of fics and tried to see where people were using transitions that i really liked, and one of them ended up being dirgewithoutmusic. if you've read their work, there's this way they do transitions that just looks effortless. it's always: a date, a location, something simple and quick that gets the point across without fluff or too much flowery language. i remember reading one of their fics (i can't recall if it was the Hannah one or the Andromeda one) where they're just like: "In Sixth year, ..." and move on. and i remember being flabbergasted like: "omg, i don't need to be convoluted? i can just say things and it works?" and so, that sort of became the "dates" in castles. signalling the passage of time, and transitions. obviously, i still really love the above style. that's why my more "relaxed" one-shots are almost all written that way. to me, it's still a lot less effort than writing the way castles is written. but it's always good to learn something new.

and lastly, 3), as you probably know, castles isn't written linearly. it depends which chapter but the story oftentimes loops around with integrated flashbacks, etc. having dates of when things actually happens is helpful to me and the reader to situate things in a story like that. if i don't signpost things, it gets pretty confusing.

so, anyway, sorry for the long answer - i hope that helps lol.

#castles #asked and answered

[inlocusmads]

The Eleventh Hour

Ethan wallows in his sorrows. Hope eventually arrives in the form of a pajama-wearing, file-bearing, frantically-running Jane.

Featuring: Ethan Ramsey, Jane Fletcher from Open Heart.

Word Count: 1.9k | No Warnings/General | Post Book 3: In The Future

Tropes: Proposal / Humour

A/N : This is the proposal fic. Yes. You heard that right. No I am not kidding. Yes, it is heartwarming. No, I don't guarantee fluff. Yes, fluff has various interpretations and is left up to the reader to view it whatever way they see fit.

"Marriage isn't really in the cards for me."

"Children? Nah."

"I doubt I'd be a good family person, to say the least. I don't believe I can raise a child or take them to school or – anything of that sort."

"Honestly I'm much better off alone."

It was eleven at night and the doctor was alone, with some nightly patrons at Pauling's Bistro and Bar. 

Ethan wanted to be wrong. He desperately wanted to be. Except it wasn't simple, wasn't it? His friends were all settled and happy. Tobias had a girlfriend now and if trends run smoothly, perhaps he could finally settle down. Ines and Angie were considering sperm donors and everyone was ready. Almost as if they'd had their life sorted out from the very beginning. 

It went Birth. School. Work. Marriage. Death. In that order. Kids were optional, but a wedding! People loved weddings and his father was no exception to it. 

They had a thing going on in his class in the late 80s. The kids there all wanted what their parents had - a great house, a job that paid well, endless candy. They'd all written up their wishes and had read it out to the class. When it has been Ethan's turn, he'd taken his itty project to the front and used his sharp voice to read out his essay. 

"I would love to be a dragon when I grow up!"

Ethan was, safe to say, a bit sad. Pauling's Bistro was quiet that night and he'd been served a sandwich and a tall glass of lemonade. He wasn't quite in the mood for anything strong or anything too fancy, because he believed in not giving into his depressive symptoms, such as impulse buying and keeping quiet to himself in a corner. 

A good cry would do it. 

"Over sandwiches? Really? God, I'm pathetic." Ethan spoke out loud. He massaged his eyes in agony. 

Ethan didn't need kids or a family to be complete. After all, Baz Mirani, a dear friend of his, had come out as asexual and aromatic and he'd mentioned he didn't need a partner or anyone to make his life happy and prosperous. He'd had a plan too - extend the lifespan of his career, travel the world a bit and he'd also mentioned something about garlic bread and cake that he didn't quite understand. 

Unfortunately Ethan wasn't a person on the Ace Spectrum, rather he was actually in a committed relationship. 

For three and a half years to be precise. 

Jane had been his partner for a couple of years and neither had any idea on how to take their relationship. Jane still lived with the Roommates in her Boston flat and occasionally popped by Ethan's for a chat, sometimes. It felt like they were longtime friends who decided to just date out of convenience, peer pressure and boredom. Neither of them were remotely interested in romantic things and often got together for lunch, to talk about dragons and the general way of life. 

So no. They were friends, but now they dated. They're one ring away from getting married, one hyperactive bridesmaid and best man away from a lavish wedding and one paper away from getting a house and starting a proper family. 

Many had already joked. They'd said stuff like, "Oh, you two don't need marriage! You're already together for a really long time!" - a cheeky way of guilting them into throwing a huge inconvenient party, with a cake and a dance. His friends weren't of help either. They'd all subtly hinted that Ethan was not the same, doe-eyed boy he used to be, playing with dragons and tidying up his office. He was growing old and that meant he'd have to get settled down quickly. 

A clap of thunder jolted him awake. He took a small bite of his jalapeno and cheese sandwich, before downing the lemonade in one single go. 

"I didn't ask to be an adult." he mumbled, hazily. "I – just sort of minded my own business and then – these people walk in with their obscure demands and hey, "Look at that" they'd say, "Let's make a mockery of him! He looks like an old lean fellow, someone with nobody to take care of him!" – and the next thing I know, I'm jumping down this – cliff of dread and absolute shame because of course, it's always the fellow who's got everything who can't get it. It's poetic cinema. Writes itself, practically. Three years and a book later, it becomes a movie –"

Another clap of thunder. The people serving him drinks and the patrons threw him concerned looks, as if he's gone loopy in the head. 

"-- annnd it's always me! The miserable loner who can't be bothered to have a good wedding because God forbid him go against his – stupid little feeling policies. Who even – who even made up stuff like that? Was it Mom? Louise? Did Dad have a say in it? Did they – sort of genetically code me into being this – kind of person?"

He'd always blamed Louise for his lack of empathy, but someday he was going to have to fight back. Unfortunately for him, Ethan was more than comfortable to give up and address it slowly. And it was valid, really. Recovering from trauma took time and Ethan should've been a bit more pardoning with himself.

And yet, he subjected himself to torture. He watched his friends post pictures on social media - their "happy lives, happy wives" memes and so on, that it didn't just annoy him. It made him green with envy and blue with sorrow.

He was tired of making excuses.  He was tired of missing out on a life he knew for certain he wasn't going to enjoy.

"Wha' am I suppos'd to do, anyway? Get engaged? Would that please these – Gods of Marriage then?"

The rain poured like hellfire. And suddenly, Ethan spotted a figure running across the street to the Bistro. The figure wore a coat, a pair of sandshoes and was tall enough to stick out like a sore thumb. The figure also had something tucked in their cloak and their steps, though steadfast, weren't very graceful.

"Jane."

She motioned for him to come out. Or maybe she'd gestured at something else. Either way, he complied instantly and abandoned his sandwich; ducking through the door and into the cold night where the storm raged on and on. Jane was dripping wet.

"Jane? Is this you?"

"Certainly haven't done this before – I might've just made a huge mess."

"The pyjamas–"

"Ah yes. Pardon me. They are not an artistic choice." - she adjusted the collars of her shirt. "Anyway – I was about to go to bed a couple of minutes ago, when I realised there was something terribly important I was forgetting. Something so important you could start a war and it's still be even more important than defending the country."

"No, I understand, what is it? An emergency? And how on earth did you find me here?"

"Trial and error." She panted and puffed. "You weren't at the public library or Donahue's. You weren't inside any of the supply closets. So you had to be here."

The rain ravaged. Ethan shrugged off his coat and draped it over Jane, shushing her as she tried to protest. 

"Anyway, it took a while, but I know how much you want the package."

"The what?"

"Kids. A life. An awesome car or something."

"I never said that."

"Ah, but you wouldn't stop complaining and it kind of was annoying. You didn't want the package but at the same time you were envious of the people who had it. So it was paradoxical and I didn't know what I should be doing about it. And then I had this brilliant plan. To you know, make you a little less upset with life."

"I'm not upset with anything! Jane, you need to know that all of this is just–"

"I've known you for eight years. I highly doubt you'd want your cribbings to be ignored. Anyway –"

Jane got down on one knee. Ethan stared; his eyes fixated on her, as she tried to carefully remove the documents under her cloak. 

"This contains two things. An instructional page to become a Canadian citizen and a second page that has everything you need to know about registering yourself as my common-law partner, application, paperwork, blah blah. You get the point."

She looked up at him, cleared her throat and held the manila folder as if it were a velvet box with a delicate ring inside. 

"So – Ethan. Ramsey. Whatever your middle name is. Will you be my common-law partner?"

Ethan paused; his breath hitched and he was certain he couldn't think properly. 

"I really need an answer now because I've badly hurt my knee and it hurts to do anything."

Ethan let out a chuckle, followed by a deep, hearty laugh that stemmed from his stomach. He continued - chuckling, laughing and just in the throes of this euphoric feeling of happiness that he didn't bother paying Jane any attention or her poor scraped knee. 

"Yes." - He smiled. 

"Is that a yes or a "I'll think about it" yes?"

"An actual YES." he screamed a little. 

"You know my middle name is Jonah, right?" Ethan said, as he cut up a piece of the sandwich for both of them to share. Outside, the storm stopped but the rain continued in partial drizzles; probably in tandem with the emotional highs and lows Ethan had faced that day. 

"Yeah, well, I forgot, okay? You can't expect me to remember everything."

"Considering you actually proposed, I think it'd have been nice if you went, Ethan Jonah Ramsey, will you marry me?"

"I thought it would somewhat be the opposite instead." Jane shrugged. "Like, Jantje Claude Fletcher, will you marry me? I thought you were in a rat race or a hamster wheel - or well, whatever - getting a ring, planning a wedding, conspiring with my friends, breaking open a champagne bottle like we're people inaugurating a ship like in those old cartoons."

"Like I said, it isn't in the cards for me. But common-law partnership might be."

"So it isn't a yes yes, then?" Jane raised her brow. 

"No, it is a yes. But I'd like to go through these and do some research."

"So you'd blindly jump in, before reading the manual? That's it. I'm finding a better partner. Goodbye."

"So you're saying this was a test? That there's probably an actual ring hidden inside your pocket right now? And you've got people hidden under the chairs and tables, waiting to yell, Surprise!"

"No. But it is implied." Jane shook her head. "Only joking, but if you desperately want a ring, I can make arrangements."

There was a pause. The two exchanged smiles; several inside jokes shoved up their sleeve, waiting to break out like a dam. But it didn't. Jane sighed, as Ethan dug into his sandwich. 

"This isn't a traditional arrangement, you know, so it did take me by surprise; the swiftness in which you said yes. Are you really sure?"

"Vw--ory sho--re." Ethan spoke, between mouthfuls of food. "I've never been sure ever before. This. It makes sense to me. I have to go through it to thoroughly understand it, but nothing has to change and I'm comfortable with that. Besides it's – it's you isn't it? It's you. Then there's me. And we're – well, we're happy. And I'd rather see you happy than make you hunt for a ring."

"Ah, so you would like a ring." Jane thumped her fist against the table. Ethan smiled a toothy grin. 

"There's this one black ring that I've got my eyes on. It's splendid, okay? It's got a nice engraving of a haiku. And I like haikus."

"Fine. You get your black ring. I'll get a sandwich, but you're paying this time. This is frickin good!"

"Indeed it is! Pauling's never disappoints."

Ethan looked back on the moment. The proposal at Pauling's Bistro. The rain. The storm. It felt like something out of a romance movie when the protagonists finally acknowledged the fact that things have changed. Things are now turning out to be better looking. Except Ethan didn't need a positive change in his life to be hopeful about things. Jane had taught him that even the simplest of crossword puzzles in a Sunday newspaper carried the largest of answers that unlocked the entire universe. Nothing had to change, because everything was great just the way it was.

At least for a while, because the storm didn't end there. It got worse.

"Yeah we're stuck here." Jane remarked. "Want to share some funny work stories?"

"Let's see. There was this man - no, this intern - wait, he could be a surgical one – no, probably from the anaesthetics department – anyway, he ended up doing something so hilarious and so incorrect that…"

Tag List:

Perma: @tessa-liam @peonierose @quixoticdreamer16

OH only: @cariantha @trappedinfanfiction @jerzwriter

#open heart #ethan ramsey x jane fletcher #w:inlocusmads

[bteezxyewriter12]

Save Me/ 19

Pairing- Yoongi x Named Reader

Word count- 2.5k

Includes- Angst, panic attack, then so much fluff

Tag List- @mingtina @jaxxmine

@delightfulmoonbanana

@tannie13 @yeosayang @marsstarxhwa

@borntowalkaway @y00nzin0

DO NOT READ IF ANY OF THIS MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE!!!!

Series Masterlist

J POV

"Uh, Jo?"

I turn to Yoongi

He comes around and sits next to me on the couch

I put down the book I'm reading

"Yeah?"

"Uh I have to tell you something. It's not something you wanna hear", he says

Fear floods my body

What is it?

Is he going to leave me?

I can't handle him leaving

Please no

What's going to happen with Erik?

"Joanne", Yoongi calls

I look up at him

He's looking at me with worry in his gaze

"Are you going to leave me?", I ask trying to hold back tears

"What? No! Never Joanne, no! Don't ever think that. I'm never leaving you. Never.", he reassures me, "I set up everything for us to go to city hall on Monday to get married. The guys are coming too. I'm not going anywhere. I can't live without you and I mean it"

"I'm sorry Yoongi. I just got scared when you said it's something I don't want to hear", I admit

"Joanne, I don't want you to ever worry about that ok? I love you, I've loved you for years and I'm going to love you forever. Nothing will change that ok?"

I nod, feeling so relieved

My body relaxes and the fear leaves

"What did you want to tell me?", I ask

"Uh, it's about Han-jae"

Again fear flies through me

"Is he out? Is that it?", I ask, my body trembling on it's own

Why can't he just leave me alone?

Why do I still have to worry about him?

I just want him to go away

"No he's not out. But there's going to be a trial"

"What?", I shriek, "Why? He did it! He's on fucking video!"

"His defense is insanity. He's saying he went crazy when he found out we were together."

"He was crazy long before that! He killed his other girlfriend! He killed her new boyfriend. He tried to kill me! He fucking disfigured me and left me with all these fucking scars", I yell

Why me?

Why always me?

I thought I was safe

"He didn't disfigure you baby. You're still just as beautiful as the day I saw you when we were eight.", Yoongi responds, "Well I was eight. You were seven"

I know he means it

He thinks I'm beautiful and he looks at me like I am

I just can't understand what he sees because when I look at myself, I see a gross, scarred person.

"Jagi, they're gonna call you in to testify."

What?

No.

They can't

I can't face him

Why are they going to make me be in the same room as him?

Why are they doing this to me?

He's going to see I'm pregnant with Yoongi's baby

He's gonna find out and he's going to come after me, Yoongi and Erik

I can't breathe

I see Yoongi talking to me but I can't hear him over my heartbeat in my ears

This is the worst thing that can happen

I want to disappear

Yoongi's arms around me grounds me and bring me back to the present

Sound rushes back in my ears and I hear his voice

"Jagi, I'm here. I'll be there with you ok? I know it's not something you want to do. I don't want you to do it either but if it helps put him away then maybe that's a good reason to do it"

"I don't want to Yoongi. He's gonna see we're going to have a baby. He's gonna lose it. He's gonna come after us again. Yoongi..", I cry

I'm so scared

I have Erik to worry about now as well as Yoongi

I don't want to see him

I was just starting to be ok

Now it's like I'm starting all over again

"Joanne, he's not going to come after us ok. If he gets out, we'll move. We'll leave Korea, we'll go anywhere that you'll be safe jagi. I promise, I'm not letting anything happen to you or Erik. But I really don't think they'll let him go."

His arms tighten around me, holding me closer to him

I hold on to him, crying on his shirt

"It'll be ok Jo. I'll make everything ok. I promise.", he whispers

I nod

I'm scared but I trust Yoongi with everything in me

If he promises he'll make everything ok then he will

🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱🐱

Yoongi POV

Honestly I'm so scared about her testifying against Han-jae

He is fucking insane and I'm worried he'll try to attack her when he sees her

I wish she didn't have to but she does

If the prosecution calls her, she has to go

All weekend she's been upset, sad and scared

She's starting to jump and flinch again when she gets scared

It's like she's going back to how she used to be

I made the decision to call our therapist and move our appointment to Tuesday because maybe she can help Joanne be ok with this

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

"Ready jagi?", I ask her

She smiles

God I love when she smiles

It blows me away every time

"Yes Yoongi"

I take her hand and we leave the apartment

Once we're in the car, I drive to city hall

They guys are meeting us there

She holds tightly on to me while we walk in the street

"Jo! Yoongi!", Namjoon waves

They guys are in the front of city hall

"Someone's getting married!", Hobi sings as we get closer

I roll my eyes but she's smiling

"Scared?", Jimin teases

Is he for real?

Never

I'm happy and excited

I snort, "No"

She shakes her head

"Lets do this!", Jungkook exclaims

She bursts out laughing

I laugh a little too

He sounds like he's the one getting married

Once inside, Tae finds the area we have to go to and leads the way

The way he's taking over, you'd think he's getting married too

We get to the office a few minutes before our appointment

It's gonna be quick

The officiant is gonna marry us, we sign our marriage certificate, exchange rings and done

Joanne is Catholic and I want her to have the wedding she always thought she'd have

She's not so religious and she doesn't really care about getting married in her religion but I want to do it for her

I'm not religious at all, so it doesn't bother me at all

I convinced her to do it and that will be the ceremony after the baby is born

I'll do anything for her

"Min, Yoongi and Russo, Joanne?", someone calls

"Ready?", I ask again smiling at her

She beams back at me, "Always naekkeo"

I take her hand and we go inside, with the guys following us

"Hello", the officiant greets

"Hi", she answers

"Hi", I say too, bowing

She sees me do it and she does too

"Please, don't worry about that. You have enough to carry around", he says smiling at her

She gives him a smile back

The guys all come in, bowing and saying hello

"Wow six people witnessing", he comments

"Yeah they're our family.", I answer

"You look familiar", he says to Tae

"Oh yeah", Tae smiles, looking unsure of what to say

"We're BTS. The kpop group", I answer for Tae

"Oh really? I've heard of you. You're very popular."

I nod

"It's very nice to see that you're all so close and consider each other family."

"Thanks", I smile

"Ok let's get started", he says

He starts the ceremony, speaking about us choosing to get married, how we'll become one, how we should treat each other and things like that.

He asks for the rings and Hobi comes forward, handing them to the officiant.

He asks me to repeat the vows

I look at Joanne, my beautiful jagi, take her hands and start

"I , Min, Yoongi, take you, Russo, Joanne, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

Half way through I started crying, and my vision is blurry as I look at her

She's crying too and smiling at me

"Now you Ms. Russo"

She nods, breathes, then repeats after him

"I , Russo, Joanne, take you, Min, Yoongi, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live."

I never knew how happy I'd be to hear her say that to me

But I'm elated

I'm staring at the girl I love, while the officiant talks about the rings

"Mr. Min?"

My gaze snaps to the officiant

I wasn't listening

I was too busy getting lost in her eyes

"The ring", he says and hands me her ring, "Repeat after me"

I nod and look back at her

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you.", I say, smiling so widely

I slide the ring on her finger and joy floods my body

I love her more than anything, more than life

The officiant gives her my ring and asks her to repeat after him too

She looks in my eyes as she says,

"I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you."

She slides the ring on my finger and I know I'm never taking it off

The officiant continues speaking about the rings

Then he says, "By the authority vested in me by Seoul, South Korea , I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!"

I instantly move to her and kiss her

Her arms go around my neck, pulling me close to her

The guys clap and I hear sniffing

They're crying too

After the kiss, I put my forehead on hers, looking in her beautiful brown eyes

"I love you Yoongi", she whispers

"I love you Joanne. So much", I answer

"If you'd please sign the marriage certificate, you can go enjoy your day together", the officiant smiles

We go to the table

"I left your last name blank Joanne. Will you keep Russo?"

She shakes her head

"No, it's Min now", she smiles at me

I know I have a big goofy grin on my face

"Ok, very nice."

He fills in her last name then asks us to look it over and sign it

We both read it and I sign it, then she does

The officiant calls the guys over and lets them all sign it as witnesses

"Have a wonderful day and a happy marriage", the officiant says

"Thank you. Good bye", she waves

"Thank you", I repeat

We're going to get a copy of the marriage certificate in a week

The guys leave the room first

When her and I leave, they're standing around with their cell phones and taking pictures

"Really?", I laugh

"Yeah it's your wedding!", Tae exclaims

"No it's not", I reply

"Fine it's your marriage day!", he amends

She burst out laughing at that

"You have to post it on Twitter. ARMYS will be so happy!"

I glance at her

I don't know how she feels about that

"Do you wanna do that jagi? I'll do whatever you want"

"I'm ok with it.", she nods

"Good! Lets go outside so I can get a good shot!", Tae yells, turning and running to the front of the building

"He's insane", Jin mutters

"What a dork", Jungkook agrees

"Oh let him have fun", she laughs

Once outside, Tae takes so many pictures, directing me and her on how to pose

I roll my eyes but do it

He goes through his phone for a few minutes

"Ok these are the best. Pick what you want. I'll also get them printed for you guys", he says smiling

"Thanks Tae", she smiles

I take his phone and scroll, both of us looking through the pictures

Tae is really good at taking pictures

I stop on one picture, eyes wide and she gasps

This is it

This is the one

It's not one he directed

It's of me and Joanne, from the knees up, facing each other, holding hands and just smiling so lovingly at each other

You could feel the love from the picture

"This one jagi", I whisper

"Yeah", she breathes

Tae looks over

"That's my favorite one"

"It's beautiful", Jungkook says, looking at the picture

"This is my other favorite one. You didn't get to it yet", Tae scrolls to the picture

This one is amazing too

It's just a picture of our hands

Tae had us pose where it ended up both of our hands with our rings are holding each others

My hand is over hers, our fingers laced and her ring is against mine, in between my fingers.

"Yes, I love that too", she smiles

"We can put both pictures baby", I suggest

"Ok. That'd be nice", she agrees

"I'll send you guys both pictures. And like I said, I'll have them and the others printed out"

"Thank you Tae", she expresses

"Of course. Anything for you two"

My phone rings and I download the pictures to my gallery.

Then I post the two pictures with the caption, "We're married! My wife is so beautiful. I love her so much"

I show her the tweet and a huge smile bursts on her face

"I love you so much Yoongi", she says

I lean down and kiss her again

I still can't believe she's my wife

She's mine forever

I never thought I'd ever get her

I never thought I'd get married to her

My dream girl

Words can't explain how happy I am

"I love you Jo"

"I love you Yoongi"

"So we're gonna go and leave you two to have a nice day. Alone", Namjoon glares at Tae

"Yeah ok", he mumbles

"You guys don't have to", I answer

"Yes we do. Today is your day to spend together. We know you can't go away on a trip or anything, so we're gonna give you a few days to yourselves", Hobi says

"Don't worry about BTS stuff Yoongi. We got it covered", Jin assures me

I'm actually surprised and touched they're doing this

"Thank you", I say

"Yeah thanks", she repeats

"Of course", Jimin says

One by one they come hug us goodbye and leave

"You wanna go to the park by the Han River?", I ask

"Yeah naekkeo. I'll go anywhere with you."

I kiss her and we walk to the car to spend the day together

#save me #yoongi fanfiction #yoongi fic #yoongi fanfic #min yoongi fanfiction #min yoongi fic #min yoongi fanfic #bts yoongi fic #bts yoongi fanfic #suga fic #suga fanfic #suga fanfiction #bts suga fic #bts suga fanfic #bts fic #bts fanfic #btsfanfiction

[pancakehouse]

heyy mads so actually i need more of your thoughts on amy/laurie and why you don’t understand people defending them…. i remember being kind of baffled by them when i read the book as a young teen so please <3 be a hater <3

hiii laura oh my god i will (gladly) be a hater it comes sooo naturally to me and we all rlly gotta be biting our tongues on here daily, don't we :-/

(pls ... if you are a passionate amy/laurie fan .. just close your eyes and keep scrolling babes i love you sooo much this post cannot hurt you i promise !!!)

OKAY. so i feel like the whole amy/laurie vs jo/laurie debate has been widely discussed (both on The Internet and in my household lol) but for me it's less that i think he should've ended up w jo and more that i think acting like a/l truly love each other and totally definitely make sense is so stupid. it's soooo stupid laura i am rolling my eyes!! can you see me!!!

and the reason i think this! is because, essentially, Alcott uses the four sisters to like ... represent the few limited life paths that were avail to non-wealthy american women in the 19th century, right?

like meg marries the man who is able (if only just) to provide her a stable home. beth pursues her music (piano? if im remembering right) and is content to live her life at home, with her family. amy wants to (and eventually does) marry a wealthy, cultured man of ~Society who can give her a life above the one she was born into.

jo is the wildcard, ofc. the one who goes off-script for the normal young woman, and ofc who alcott views as a reflection of herself. we know that alcott wanted jo to remain unmarried and was strong-armed by publishers to put her w someone, but if she knew she'd have to, then my only explanation for it to not be laurie was to spite the predictable narrative and spite the readers lol.

the guy jo does end up w is so random and just .. makes no sense. if you're making sense of it, you are having to reach so far up your ass to do so! sorry to be crass!!! (rlly leaning into my hater-moment oops)

anyway - the way this connects to amy and laurie is this:

i do not believe (and i'm sure we are not meant to believe) that meg married for love. beth (</3) did not marry ofc. and it's impossible to believe jo married for love if the author intended her to be unmarried. that storyline doesn't exist to me now.

and amy is the sister that is represented as a bit vain; a bit entitled and spoiled in the way youngest children are allowed to be. from the start, it's clear she plans to marry for wealth. even if we're taking from gerwig's adaptation instead of solely the book, then amy still isn't really represented as particularly romantic (the whole 'i'm not a poet' scene) (also tbf it's been awhile since i read the book, but imo she romanticizes her life, yes, but not love itself).

LAURIE is the romantic, the most so, out of all the characters. i genuinely feel like this is the ONLY reason ppl latch onto amy/laurie and try so hard to rationalize it .. bc they can't bear to think of laurie in a marriage that was w his next-best-option rather than True Love (sorry.. by no means a dig at amy...but cmon guys ..)

because i also feel like the only thing laurie really wanted even more than to spend his life w jo, is to be apart of the march family. it was always clear he wanted that, just as it was always clear he loved jo from day 1! and so the only conclusion i was ever able to come from all this is that he loved jo for being jo and he loved amy for being a march sister.

ah god sorry this is SO anysmally long i am SO SO sorry laura dear!! so grateful to you for this opportunity to hate on them (read: cringe & take the romance out of) them as a couple!!! but there is simply no scenario where i can imagine knowing a boy has loved my sister his entire life and then MARRY him after ?? bc she rejected him ??!!! esp knowing amy and jo's history of shared drama. esp bc the entire story is one of sisterhood!

like bro that girl (amy) has mentally been your sister-in-law for a decade ... and now we're saying we LOVE her? puke vom i hate it it makes me cringe and twitchy and yuck. its so weird ppl !!!! so weird.

#omg sooo sorry laura jfc #oh god im so late for something but wow . i feel sooo good rn this was such a nice #sunday activity. coming into your ask box next week to give free ranting reign on whatever ur heart desires <3 #answered #laura tag #also this was not a subject for the dreaded capital d Discourse folks if you disagree i full respect that and i will #give you my little sisters number and y’all can chat about how Right and Correct you are and how Dumb and Wrong i am #tbh having opinions is sooo tiring wow. where’s that nick miller quote that’s like ‘damn! how do you guys care about things so much!’ #feel both cleansed and like i could go for a nap now!

[emmashouldbewriting]

Dearest Emma, Marmie was right. Jo and Laurie were too much alike in temperament and he's too young for Jo and Jo would definitely be miserable if she had to be in Laurie's social circle (imagine Jo in parties & pretty dresses!! The horror!!). Amy was the one for Laurie (their scene at the lake is my absolute fave romantic scene) and Prof Bhaer was the one for Jo (he understood her and gave her space). I admit I'm bias, because hot temper Jo & Laurie were paired with even tempered Amy & Friedrich, and that's me and my husband. Me impatient with bursts of temper and him with infinite patience & good humor. Anyways, I like your books, got them from library, and fun facts: I only started reading romance less than 10 years ago. My usual reads for the longest time were murder mysteries and serious books (lots of historical fictions!! biographies!! books with life lessons!!). Then daily life got heavy, needed something fun, started with Sophie Kinsella. Then Lianne Moriarty (not her recent ones, those are bad) and Jojo Moyes. Now I have Jasmine Guillory in regular reads (she's so good!!), Helen Hoang, Alexis Daria, and many others (mostly young-ish authors), including you. Life is better with romance books!! And murder mysteries books, those are still my number one faves, probably because my first books were Enid Blyton's the Famous Five. Agatha Christie, Anne of Green Gables, Little Women; those are my most re-reads. Recent good books were the latest RIchard Osman's Thursday Murder Club (the Bullet that Missed), Jasmine Guillory's Drunk in Love, and Courtiers by our main rota Val Low (his writing was very good, much better than his writing in the Times). Currently reading Mrs Harries Goes to Paris (Queen Camilla's recommendation) and TBR is Hennesy's Queen Mary's bio, Maggie O'Farrel the Marriage Portrait, and the new Jojo Moyes. My Hogwarts house is Gryffindor, but I cheated at the sorting quiz, and I know that deep down I'm a Hufflepuff. And I only want corgis and golden retrievers in every books, including yours (I don't like cats, sorry to your babies, they're cute tho').

Oh, I know Marmie was right now, but there are some things you never get over LOL

Life is best with romance AND murder books, if you ask me! I love cosy mysteries and is my usual reading, there isn't much romance on my kindle tbh!