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eddie-sweetheart · 2 years

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Spare me! - Part 1

You and Eddie have a crush on each other, but it takes Murray Bauman to make it embarrassingly clear.

Tropes: Eddie Munson x Henderson female reader, fluff, Murray exposing your feelings, forced proximity, a very soft Eddie.

Warnings: Mention and/or depiction of fighting and wounds, teeny-tiny diversion from the show's timeline (this one's more about the concept than the overall S4 plot😉).

Word count: 5.4k

Author’s notes: I recently rewatched all seasons of ST and noticed how Murray always knows what's going on in the gang's hearts... thought I'd give his Cupid skills a try with Eddie eheh

✨Part 2✨

🌹 Masterlist 🌹

Happiness can be found in the strangest of things; but it never occurred to you that happiness - or, better, relief - might one day come into the shape of a faded and battered-down warehouse in the outskirts of Hawkins.

However, as soon as the once yellow and light blue building comes into sight as you come out of the woods at the side of the road, panting and with your feet hurting like hell from walking all that way, you almost feel like crying.

“We’re here” you state with a tired exhale, a smile warming up your face as you turn to your side. “We made it, Eddie”.

“Thank God” is all Eddie can mutter under his breath before tripping on his feet and almost falling to the ground. You rush to his side, throwing one of his arms around your shoulders as you try to support him.

“Hey, hey, stay with me” you tell him, your free arm on his chest, holding him steady. “Just a few more steps and then you can rest”.

You can feel his chest rising and falling into heavy breaths under the thin layer of his Hellfire shirt as he nods slowly. You’ve never been so physically close to him, you’ve never touched him like this - and sure enough, he’s never leaned on you like his life depended on it, as he’s doing now. The whirlwind of feelings is enough to send your head spinning, but now it’s not a good time for fluttery butterflies and quickened heartbeats: you need to take him inside before he passes out.

You’ve been walking through the woods outside Hawkins for hours after escaping Jason and his crew of insane jocks. You were supposed to bring Eddie some food at Reefer’s Rick, but when you reached the boathouse it was too late: Jason and his goons had found Eddie and had cornered him, turning him into their personal punching ball. He’d been able to stall them for a bit with the same broken bottle he’d used to attack Steve, but it hadn’t been enough.

You even tried to stop them, but Andy had mercilessly elbowed you away, making you trip and fall into the freezing waters of Lovers Lake. Soaking wet, you were struggling to climb back up on the floor of the room when it happened.

Patrick was suddenly frozen still, eyes white and blind. Andy noticed it first, and he tried to bring him back into consciousness by calling his name, shaking him, but you knew he was gone now. You took your chance as soon as the boy started levitating, knowing well enough what was next - and the horror and stupor that possessed Jason and the others as Patrick’s bones started to snap was just the diversion you needed.

While they helplessly tried to save their friend, in a rush of desperation you managed to rise from the lake, grab a semi-unconscious Eddie and make him barely stand up to get him into the boat in the middle of the room. And just as everyone else started to scream in despair at Patrick’s death, you were rowing away from the boathouse, towards the opposite shore of the lake.

Eddie’s wounds, thankfully, weren’t as serious as you feared; but he was bleeding, and you needed a safe place where you could contact the rest of the group and set up a meeting. You needed the help of someone you trusted, who wouldn’t ask too many questions and who lived reasonably close. That’s when it clicked.

You met Murray Bauman two years ago, when you went to his house with Nancy and Jonathan to expose the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Last year, he joined you and the others at Starcourt to bring down the Russians and their damned machine, which opened the Upside Down once again. He knows everything and he would understand - and that’s how you ended up buzzing his intercom in the middle of the night, with Eddie’s body slumped against yours.

“State your name”

Murray’s voice echoes from a speaker above the door. You really don’t have time or energy left for this ritual, but you know it’s mandatory.

“It’s me, Y/n Henderson” you urgently speak up, trying not to be too loud, “Murray, let us in - we need help”.

“Show your face” Murray adds through the speaker, his tone as flat as that of an answering machine.

“Murray, please” you hiss through your teeth, your voice edging towards desperation as you snap your head up towards the camera above you - wondering how he’s going to see anything more than a blurry shape in the dark.

A second later, the metal door of the warehouse swings open to reveal Murray Bauman standing in front of you, with nothing but a white tank top and matching boxers on.

“What do you want?” He asks you, his eyes lingering inquisitively on an almost zoned-out Eddie and his black eye. “You woke me up”.

“It’s back” you blurt out, “it’s back and we’re in danger. I’ll tell you everything, but we need a place to stay for tonight - he’s not doing well” you add, nodding at Eddie. “Please, Murray”.

Murray’s face suddenly turns pale at your words, and he gives you a single, silent nod. He then moves to the side to let you in, his head turning left and right to look at the street before closing the door.

You stumble towards the sofa, Eddie’s weight almost throwing you off balance as you carefully place him down. As soon as he lays his head on one of the pillows, he finally passes out.

“So” Murray addresses you, his head tilted to the side as he nods at Eddie, “who’s that?”

You adjust a strand of Eddie’s curly hair away from his closed eyes and check his temperature and breathing to make sure that he’s okay before turning towards Murray.

“He’s Eddie Munson” you explain with an exhausted sigh.

Murray’s eyes widen as if they’re about to pop out of their sockets, Eddie’s name immediately reminding him of the latest news reports on TV. “Munson? You’ve brought a wanted murderer into my home?” He exclaims under his breath, hands frantically moving in the air.

“He didn’t do it” you’re quick to add, a glimpse of anger straining your voice as you drop down on a chair next to a small table in the kitchen corner, “He’s innocent. I’ll tell you everything, I promise… but I need some water first”

Murray glares at you, but then he moves to the cupboard, grabs two glasses and proceeds to open the freezer.

“I think I have something better than that” he states, taking out of the cold compartment a bottle of vodka.

As you two drink a few shots, the liquor tingling down your throat and burning inside you (but bringing you some much needed comfort), you tell him everything from the start. How you met Eddie by giving Dustin, Mike and Lucas endless lifts to their D&D campaigns, how you and your brother looked for him with Steve, Robin and Max after the events at the trailer park, swearing by his innocence and supporting your claims with Max’s story about the flickering lights and Eddie’s own recounting of Chrissy’s death. How you’re now on the run from Jason Carver and the Hawkins High basketball team, and how you’re planning to meet with everyone else tomorrow.

Murray stares into the void as he listens, taking in every word and growing almost imperceptibly paler.

Once you’re done with the story, the bottle is half empty and your head is slightly spinning. Murray is looking at you with a resigned expression, still sipping on his fifth glass of vodka.

“You can stay” he finally tells you, “but just for tonight. I have a plane to catch tomorrow”.

Even if you knew he would say yes, you’re so relieved you almost hug him. You wouldn’t do that in any normal situation, especially not when he’s still half naked, but you’re so grateful that you’d even be willing to go past that.

However, before you stop yourself, he immediately puts up his hands, shaking his head.

“Uh-uh” he says, “Don’t come any closer, please - you stink. Go take a shower, there’s a clean towel you can use in the bathroom closet”.

Now that the pressing need to find shelter and let Eddie rest and recover is resolved, you remember that you actually need to take care of yourself, as well: your hair and clothes are still a bit damp (and, yes, smelly) from when you fell into the lake, and your side is hurting where Andy’s elbow crashed into it. And, now that your body is finally starting to relax, you’re realizing how exhausted you actually are.

You get up and head towards the corridor, stopping by the sofa to glimpse at Eddie. He’s still knocked out, hair sprawled around his face and a ringed hand resting on his chest. Your gaze softens visibly as you lower your head over his to check his breathing one more time - and you realize that he’s probably shifted into a sleeping spell.

“Can you keep an eye on him while I clean myself up?” You ask Murray as you straighten yourself up again.

Murray knowingly looks at you with his eyebrows raised. “Yeah, sure, it’s not like I’m going anywhere at this point” he blurts out, ushering you with a quick movement of his hands. “Now please go, go, go”.

You get into the bathroom and as you close the door behind you, you finally allow yourself to take a big breath. You carefully remove your t-shirt in front of the mirror to check the damage and you notice that a black and yellow bruise is already forming on your side. You touch it slightly with the tip of your finger and, yeah, it hurts, but it seems quite superficial and not that serious - Eddie has it worse, for sure.

You get into the shower and the hot water makes you sigh in pleasure as soon as it hits your tense shoulders. You’d love to spend a whole hour under the heavy flow, surrounded by warm steam, but you really want to check on Eddie and be there when he wakes up. So, with great effort and a lot of resistance from your body, you turn the water off and get out of the shower box, grabbing a large white towel from the closet that Murray mentioned and wrapping it around your body. Then, you tiptoe back into the living room, trying not to drip too much water on the floor.

“Do you have some clothes I can borrow, by any chance? Mine really need a wash” you ask Murray, who’s still sitting at the table while flipping the pages of today’s newspaper.

“Oh lord, and then what? A VIP ticket to Area 51 as well?” Murray sighs loudly while rolling his eyes, but he immediately pushes the newspaper away and gets up from the chair. “Let me guess: he’ll need my clothes too, right?” He asks you, nodding at Eddie.

“Uhm… yeah, I think so” you shyly reply, earning a glare in return.

“You’re lucky I’ve done an extra load of laundry today” Murray replies, pointing a finger at you before disappearing into the corridor.

You’re about to sit back down on your chair when a low groan makes your head snap around.

“Y/n” Eddie murmurs, his eyes flickering open as you rush to the sofa and kneel by his side on the carpet.

“I’m here, Eddie” you tell him, scanning his face as he comes back into consciousness and feeling his forehead with the back of your hand to check for any signs of a temperature.

“Wait, are you naked?” He slowly asks once he looks at you, still in a confused daze as a tilted smirk appears on his lips.

You let out a chuckle, your hands rushing to tighten the towel around your body. “Don’t even think about that, Munson” you reply, shooting back up on your feet as Murray comes back into the room.

As soon as Eddie sees him, he tries to sit up, but he struggles as pain makes him hiss at any attempt at moving. You help him, accompanying his body up by gently taking his hand with one of yours and placing the other on his back.

“Welcome back to the world of the living. Shower’s that way” Murray states, pointing back towards the bathroom before dropping a bundle of clean clothes on the sofa next to Eddie. “You can use these. I’m also getting you a first aid kit because, if I can be honest, your face looks like shit”.

“Uhm… thanks, man” Eddie tentatively replies, throwing a questioning look in your direction.

“Yeah, yeah, she’s told me everything already” Murray addresses him again, “I know you’re not a serial killer”.

Eddie’s shoulders drop, relief visibly filling him up as he grabs a pair of faded sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt from the pile next to him and manages to stand up, making a few steps towards the bathroom door.

“Do you… uh, do you think you need help with that?” You ask him, blushing slightly at the idea of following him.

Eddie turns towards you, his signature grin back on his lips now that he knows he’s safe. “I can manage that” he says, looking for support on the doorframe as he stumbles a little, “Besides, I don’t think you want to see the sweet old tatties on full display” he jokes.

Your cheeks get even redder as you desperately hope that he’s not reading your mind right now. “Yeah, uhm, cool” you reply, catching a glimpse of a visibly stupefied and slightly annoyed Murray behind you, “I’ll get changed in the meantime. Once you’re done, we’ll try to patch you up”.

“Roger that” Eddie replies, finally closing the bathroom door behind him.

“Was all that flirting necessary?” Murray asks you as he leads you to the guest room, where you plan to change into the remaining gym shorts and hoodie.

“It wasn’t flirting - we’re friends” you briefly explain, shutting his protests down. “I’ll be back in a sec and then I’ll need your radio” you’re then quick to add, getting inside the room and closing the sliding doors.

“We’re friends” Murray mocks you in a high-pitched voice as he goes back to the bottle of vodka, “Yeah, and I’m Russian”.

When you come out of the guest room and sit on the slumped sofa in the living room, Murray brings you his radio, dropping it unceremoniously on the coffee table. You thank him with a smile and start fiddling with the channels until you find the right one.

“Dustin, do you copy?” You ask into the speaker. While you wait for a response, the bathroom door opens to reveal a cleaned up, but still limping, Eddie. He stumbles back to the sofa and sits down next to you.

After a few minutes of silent buzzing, the radio crackles and Dustin voice echoes in the room.

“Y/n, thank god” he exclaims, his familiar voice making both you and Eddie smile, “are you guys okay? You didn’t check in when we called you”

“Yeah, uhm, we had a little setback” you explain, “Reefer Rick’s is compromised - Jason found us. But we made it out and we’re safe at Murray’s. Eddie’s here with me” you add, glancing up at him.

“Hello, Henderson” Eddie says as he leans down towards the radio, his damp hair brushing against your cheek.

“Munson” Steve voice suddenly echoes from the speaker, “do you know where Skull Rock is? Glad to know you’re okay, by the way”

“Hey, I was talking to them” Dustin mutters in the background.

You and Eddie exchange a look, then he gently takes the speaker from your hands to reply. His fingers lightly graze yours with the gesture, making your skin tingle.

“I know it, yeah” he says, nervously scratching his hair, “are we meeting there tomorrow?”

“Yes, ten o’clock, Skull Rock” Steve repeats, “We have to go now, but we’re keeping the line open if you need us. Say hi to y/n for me and try to be careful in the meantime. Over and out”.

Eddie places the radio speaker back on the table and slumps down into the sofa, his hands running up and down his legs.

“Hey” you ask him, placing a hand on one of his to calm him down. “Are you okay?”

He looks at you, his gaze softening. “That’s a good one, sweetheart” he replies, absentmindedly intertwining his fingers with yours. Your stomach turns into a swarm of butterflies as you notice the glint in his eyes - what is going on?

Murray coughs, and you both immediately let go.

“So, uhm, let me take a look at those” you stutter, nodding at the few wounds on Eddie's face as you gently touch him with the tip of your fingers, slowly moving his head side to side to inspect the damage. He has a split lip, a cut on his left cheek and a black eye, with some leftover blood dried just under his nose. Your heart tightens at the thought of what Jason, Andy and Patrick did to him.

“Murray” you ask, turning around to face him, “what about that first aid kit?”

“Yes” Murray exclaims, clapping his hands before rummaging through one of the kitchen drawers until he takes out a small, white box. “This is it, but I’ll leave you to it and go back to sleep” he says, handing the box to you over the sofa, “you know where the guest room is - just don’t be too loud, okay? I’m not in the mood to listen to you two-”

“Murray!” You exclaim horrified, as Eddie’s eyes run back and forth between the two of you in shock. “We’re not sleeping together- I mean, I will stay here on the sofa” you specify, feeling the heat of shame rising up your neck.

“I’m not letting you sleep on the sofa - I’m sleeping on the sofa” Eddie interrupts you in mild confusion.

“Eddie, you’re hurt-” you try to talk back, but he puts one hand up to shush you.

“Nope” he says, shaking his head, “You brought this old, battered body here, you need to rest in a proper bed”.

“Exactly” you specify, “your body is battered, so that’s why-“

“GUYS!” Murray interrupts you with a yell, “Enough with that lovers’ quarrel. Just sleep in the same damn bed like you both clearly so desperately desire and let me rest in peace”.

“It’s not a lovers’ quarrel!” you and Eddie both exclaim, immediately exchanging a look.

Murray stares at you in disbelief as silence suddenly falls in the room - however, it doesn’t last long.

“Oh, spare me!” Murray finally blurts out, loudly. “Fucking unbelievable. Listen” he addresses you both, a finger pointed at your faces. “I’ve been through this shit twice already - Byers and Wheeler first, then Joyce and Hopper. It must run in your whole damn Ghostbusters slash Scooby-Doo group, I swear. You” he turns to Eddie, who looks at him with wide eyes, “you’re the nerdy metalhead that nobody in the whole world would ever love because he’s a freak, am I correct? So you hide behind an unnecessarily thick wall of sarcasm and cynicism because if you don’t put up that façade someone might actually find out that you crave to love, and to be loved. And what happens one day? You find her“ he adds, turning to you next. “And it’s a fucking cliché, because she’s your best friend’s sister and oh my god she’s untouchable and she will never look at you, right? Wrong! Because every time she looks at you - and boy, she does that a lot - she basically melts into the ground, turns literally purple, loses all sense of reason and logic and starts waking up people in the middle of the damn night to keep you safe. On that note: Y/n, stop lying to yourself and finally admit that you’re head over heels about him - and stop being so insecure, so dubious, so full of useless self-pity and worry. Open your beautiful girly eyes and get a grip, because YES - he’s head over heels about you too, okay?”

Murray takes a deep breath as you and Eddie sit there in silence, avoiding each other’s eyes like the plague.

“Good” Murray finally exclaims, proud of his little speech - he’s convinced he’s the best Cupid out there by now. “Have a good night, Mr. and Mrs. Just Friends” he concludes, heading towards his bedroom and locking himself in.

The living room is so silent that you can hear the faint chirping of the crickets outside the house. Your hands are sweating on your lap as their grip on the first-aid box tightens, your eyes locked on it because you’re too embarrassed to meet Eddie’s. Your mind is spinning as it tries to analyze every single interaction, every word you’ve exchanged with him, looking for any possible instance of you slipping up and showing your true feelings - and, for a second, you also consider looking for signs that might confirm what Murray has just stated. That Eddie might actually feel the same.

Little do you know that Eddie is doing the exact same thing. But he’s quicker to find a way to change the subject and tone down the awkwardness, because yes, he’s just been blatantly exposed, but making sure that you’re okay - that both of you are okay with each other - is way more important than finding a way to recover from Murray’s words.

“So, uhm…” he begins, stuttering lightly as he nervously starts playing with his rings. “Is there a… uhm, a bandaid or something in there?” He asks you, nodding at the kit with a tentative smile.

You snap back to reality. “Oh, yeah, I guess so - let me look for it” you blurt out as you open the box, fidgeting with its contents until you manage to find a tiny bottle of disinfectant, a few cotton balls and two bandaids with a red and blue polka dot print on them.

“Not so metal, I’m afraid” you tell Eddie as you show him the bandaids with a small smile that matches his own, making him chuckle as he realizes that yes, probably you’re still okay.

“As long as they keep these battle wounds from bleeding” he jokes, taking them from you before starting to peel one of them open, “I think they’ll do”.

“Oh no, wait” you exclaim, blocking him with your hands. If someone asked, both of you could swear that the sparkles erupting from your hands touching were brightly visible in the dim light of the room. “We need to clean those properly first”.

Eddie sighs in defeat and you proceed by pouring some disinfectant on one cotton ball, dabbing it on the cut on his lip and the wound on his cheek.

“I’m sorry, I know it burns” you apologize as you feel him holding his breath, guessing that it’s because of the pain. That’s true, but just in a very small part - mostly, it’s having you so close to him that leaves him breathless and clueless about making any move. He’s actually too absorbed in admiring your long eyelashes and how they flutter as your eyes attentively scan his face, counting the pale freckles and tiny skin marks scattered on your cheeks and nose, noticing the clean scent of shampoo from your still damp hair and the faint hint of your cologne still left on your neck. Actually, the burning is welcome to him, as it’s the only thing keeping him grounded and restraining him from doing something stupid and way too risky - like, he guesses, kissing you.

“All done” you finally state, tapping on the edge of the bandaid you’ve just placed on his cheek before moving back away from him. Both of you feel the space between your bodies, and it seems as deep as the ocean.

“Thank you, kind lady” he replies, his eyes still lingering on yours.

You both stand up at the same time, the awkwardness back in the room as you nervously look at each other with an embarrassed smile - because, you’ve just realized, it’s time to make a decision on the bed thing.

“Soooo” Eddie tentatively begins, taking a strand of his wavy hair and barely hiding his face behind it as he looks sideways at you, “Since there’s no way I’m letting you sleep on this sucker…” he begins, waving one hand at the sofa.

“Eddie, come on-” you try, but he accepts no protests on your side.

“And you’re too kind and stubborn to let me be the knight in shiny armor” he continues as you scoff, smiling, “I guess we could, uhm…” he concludes, words dying in his throat as a wave of insecurity washes over him. Maybe what he’s about to propose is way out of line…

“Share?” you ask, finishing his sentence - but it’s more a wish than an actual question.

Eddie’s lips curve upside down in one of his signature smiles. “If that’s okay for you, of course… I- I don’t mind” he tells you, waiting patiently for your consent as he begins fiddling again with his rings.

You give him one warm, matching smile. “Seems big enough for two” you say, nodding towards the bed that is visible through the sliding doors of the guest room across from you. “It’s okay for me”.

“Great… great, okay” Eddie states, finally taking a breath as he nods repeatedly. God, not even bullies at school have ever made him so nervous. He should really get a grip.

You head towards the room, bumping into each other as you unsuccessfully try to get in at the same time. You both let out a timid laugh and Eddie moves sideways, bowing slightly and showing you in with an extended arm.

“Ladies first” he theatrically states, letting you into the room.

You take a few steps inside and sit down on the folding bed, which is set up with clean sheets. Probably Murray got it all prepped when you were in the shower and Eddie was still knocked out.

“Good, I always sleep on the left side” Eddie exclaims, as he notices you’ve taken your place on the right edge of the mattress.

You chuckle as you lie back, while Eddie crosses the room to get to the other side of the bed. He lies down with a sigh, too, looking at you one last time for permission to turn the lights off. You nod slightly, tiredness already making its way through your exhausted limbs, and with a flick of Eddie’s fingers the room gets pitch black.

“Goodnight, Eddie” you whisper in the dark.

“Goodnight, sweetheart” he replies, the nickname he started to use as a joke (but that doesn’t feel like a joke anymore) escaping his lips before it’s too late, lingering in the air as silence falls between you once again.

You both turn around away from each other, facing the outer side of the bed. You close your eyes, feeling safe for the first time in hours (and, maybe, days), the comfort of Eddie’s presence next to you and the warmth of the blankets wrapped around you making your mind drift farther, and farther away…

But it takes you just a few seconds to understand that you can’t sleep.

It’s one of those cursed situations in which you’re actually too tired to get some rest, and as your body finally relaxes your mind jolts awake, fully active and functioning better than it ever did.

You sigh deeply, the mattress creaking loudly as you move to turn around and switch position - just to find out that Eddie has turned around as well, and he’s now facing you.

His breath warmly and regularly fans over your face, and you figure he’s asleep - until his voice breaks the silence with a whisper.

“Y/n” he softly asks, “are you awake?”

You smile in the dark, your eyes still closed.

“Mhm”

“I just wanted to say, thank you for today” he murmurs, “You saved my life. Very metal of you”.

“Anytime, Munson” you whisper back, “take it as a thank-you gift for keeping Dustin busy and relieving me of my big sister duties once a week for the past year”.

“That little devil” Eddie chuckles as he scoots closer to you. Your heart starts beating a little faster, as you feel the faint thread of electricity that has formed between your bodies. “I guess stubbornness runs in the family. But I’m grateful to him, actually” he adds, shuffling slightly under the covers.

“Why is that?” you ask him, the thought of sleeping now completely forgotten in some corner of your mind.

Eddie stays silent for a few seconds, then speaks again.

“I guess you don’t remember the first time you brought him to Hellfire” he softly says, and you think you can catch a glimpse of his smile.

“Actually, I do” you reply, the memory of that late September afternoon easily coming to your mind. “Especially because you kept staring at our car when we got there. Leaning against the school’s front door like a dark, mysterious character straight out of a fantasy novel” you joke, tentatively moving your hand in the dark to poke him.

And just as you actually find his body, Eddie finds your hand. His long, slightly calloused fingers intertwine with yours, his thumb drawing soft circles on your burning skin. He’s glad the lights are off, because he’s too scared that you’d back away if you saw the nervousness mixed with badly hidden love in his gaze.

“As nice as your car is” he says, chuckling, “I wasn’t staring at it, at all. I was…” he hesitates, before deciding to risk it all. “I was actually wondering how Henderson could have such a beautiful creature for a sister” he blurts out.

You lie still in the dark, speechless, your hand still into Eddie’s. Your brain is running ten thousand miles an hour, trying to wrap around what he’s just said.

“I mean, he’s a, uhm… a cute kid, I guess?” Eddie quickly adds, trying to make sense of his words, “but when I saw you I thought… I mean, I actually thought, that’s how Arwen must have looked like. And that’s how Aragorn must have felt when he, uhm… ”.

He can’t finish the sentence, because your hand has moved from the gentle grasp of his fingers to his cheek, pulling him closer to you until your lips meet in the dark.

The kiss is soft and slow, and you pour into it all the words you’ve never said and feelings you’ve kept hidden for months, careful to avoid the healing cut on his lower lip as you move. Eddie’s arms wrap around your body, his legs now intertwined with yours under the blanket.

You explore each other’s bodies - your hands through his hair, his lips down your neck, t-shirts lifting up and skin burning at any soft touch as the steel of his rings slides under the thick cotton of your clothes. You both feel safe, understood, and seen even in the pitch black of the room. It almost feels like meeting for the first time, too.

Eddie doesn’t let go of you, not even when you stop kissing to take a breath, the weight of the day now finally overcoming you both. As you lie in his arms, your head placed on his chest so that you can hear the beat of his heart, you realize that this is what true relief - or, better, happiness - must feel like.

“Guess your friend was right” Eddie says, his hand caressing your ruffled hair as his words are followed by a yawn.

“He usually is”. You chuckle, closing your eyes as your breaths deepen and slow down.

Then, you both fall asleep.

—♥︎—

✨Part 2✨

#eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson x female reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson #eddie munson fluff #stranger things 4 #stranger things x reader #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson one shot #eddie munson x henderson reader #eddie munson headcanons #stranger things #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction

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pinkorchidsinspring · 4 months

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EVELYN is that you?! For the Straights, and gays who have never had the soul crushing pleasure of reading (and those who have ;) “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo”, Allow me to elaborate ⬇️

To be clear: Evelyn Hugo Marry’s seven separate men in order to cultivate her Hollywood image, at the expense of her true love interest and sexuality. Aka lavender marriages, aka bearding. She was bi however we barely have one actual male love interest for her..

let’s meander some of the lovely connections our blonde woman-who-is-attending-an-award-show-with-a-woman-on-her-arm-to-✨dispell✨-the-gay-rumors has with the ever amazing Evelyn Hugo 😍

Green is quotes from the book, anything else is Taylor’s lyrics 💗

"It shouldn't be wrong, to love you. How can it be wrong?"

They say I did something bad / Then why's it feel so good?

I love you ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?

Is Evelyn Hugo going to tell me just enough to keep me on the edge of my seat but never enough to truly reveal anything?

What a Mastermind wouldn’t you say?

I did it because I want to climb the ladder as high as I possibly can. I did it because I want my name, the name my father gave me, in big, bold letters one day. This is my chance.

He wanted a bride, I was making my own name

People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth.

I want to wear his initial / On a chain 'round my neck, chain 'round my neck / Not because he owns me / But 'cause he really knows me / Which is more than they can say

Celia was starting to get goose bumps, so I suggested we go back into the living room, where it was warmer. The desert winds had swooped in and turned this June night into a chilly one. When I started to get cold, too, I asked her if she knew how to make a fire.

He built a fire just to keep me warm

Wine went all over her white shirt.

The burgundy on my T-shirt when you splashed your wine into me

I was in emerald green again.

“Evelyn, who was your great love? You can tell me." "Celia St. James.”

I just had to put this in here- no need whatsoever but 😍

Don was off somewhere else, leaving me before I could leave him. Instead, right on my doorstep, was Celia St. James.

Stand there like a ghost / Shaking come the rain, rain / She'll open up the door / And say, are you insane, -ane?

🤭And that's how it works / That's how you get the girl🤷‍♀️

She literally told you-I anyway

You wonder what it must be like to be a man, to be so confident that the final say is yours.

A little side note: The way in which she naturally uses those two fingers is very audacious to me.. but that’s a topic for another time…

I’d risen from ashes more than once by that point. But I didn't want to have to do it again.

And I know I make the same mistakes every time

I'm getting tired even for a phoenix / Always risin' from the ashes / Mendin' all her gashes / You might just have dealt the final blow

"Everyone's a pawn.”

Checkmate, I couldn't lose

One day I'll watch as you're leaving / 'Cause you got tired of my scheming

The black beaded dress I wore that night. Two slits on either side of the skirt went up to my mid-thigh. I loved that dress. (For the nomination for a film called Cornelia Sunset, might I add…)

And what I wanted was to move to the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Where were the original Polaroids for 1989 shot? Oh in manhattan…

Where does Taylor live? In New York… maybe not manhattan… but you get the point..

Welcome to New York, Taylor wrote this song specifically about moving there, and the very diverse people there…

In the pursuit of a great cause, I think people can be of service in a number of different ways. I always felt that my way was to make a lot of money and then channel it to the groups that needed it. It's a bit self-serving, that logic. I know that. But because of who I was, because of the sacrifices I made to hide parts of myself, I was able to give more money than most people ever see in their entire lifetime. I am proud of that.

"Evelyn, you are not capable of giving it up. And you never will be. And it will be the tragedy of my life that I cannot love you enough to make you mine. That you cannot be loved enough to be anyone's.”

"Do something, babe, say something" (say something) / "Lose something, babe, risk something" (you're losin' me) / "Choose something, babe, I got nothing (got nothing) / To believe / Unless you're choosin' me"

Which is about the cruelest thing you can do to someone you love, give them just enough good to make them stick through a hell of a lot of bad.

You know there's many different ways that you can kill the one you love / The slowest way is never loving them enough

And let me just say bring a woman who promised to be Taylor’s “invisible bride any day”, to an award show after that homophobic piece of 🔥🗑️ NYT article calling her only straight…

Not to mention her name starts with a K..

Look how happy tree is, because this Evelyn Hugo won’t be hidden forever 💚🤍

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cult-of-the-eye · 4 months

Text

MAG 89 LETS GOOO

HE FOUND JUDE PERRY OH MY GOD

she sounds kinda hot ngl

heehee they're both pricks

he thinks its cause of the cold lol adding to my folder of evidence for autistic jon hc

love how he says i'm not stupid while meeting up with someone who has literally killed someone

oh god i remember the abbattoir statement...that made me queasy

i don't get what he's trying to do here? like get more info? why is he trying to corroborate the statement? to check if it was real? surely he would know that? i guess that's what its trying to highlight, the fact that jon has no idea what he's doing

ooh jonny boy's trying to stand up for himself

i wonder who would win in a fight, jude perry or michael the distortion

ooh shit she's intense

i love how he's attempting to make jokes in the face of danger like ok then jon pop off i guess

ok so he's catching on to the whole system

HE'S TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HE'S STILL TRYING TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE EVEN THROUGHOUT ALL OF THIS HE'S STILL SERVING THE EYE

that's interesting i wonder if she's met gertrude? i wonder what type of capital A Archivist she was...she was fighting against it her whole time so i guess she tried not to be a good one along with the whole the archives are a mess thing in s1

ooh the compelling

HIS WORDS OMG how interesting that its become his little ritual, something that he just created to try and help do his job has now become a metal link in his shackles

oh wow ok so she's saying give into the compulsion to get statements, feed yourself the knowledge and don't feel bad about it

pretty good advice for not literally burning out lol but probably not for jon

diversity win! the avatar for the literal destruction of the world is sapphic!!

oh wow girl was in love with Agnes jesus

i guess its that kind of cult leader charisma and the devotion of her followers that could be mistaken for love

oh wow this actually made me scared for a bit, for the other avatars it never seemed personal but this actually made me sad for the guy

wow i guess his powers are stronger than i thought, if he managed to compel another avatar

"she demonstrates how easy she is to mould" jesus christ

love how he gets defensive like i could be a good avatar for a fear god focused on beholding!! bro its not a compliment

what's her lot?? how are the entities divided??

man jonny its your fault for naming so many of your characters michael but at least we get bits of charades trying to guess which one it is

fairchilds oh my GOD the VAST

don't shake the fucking hand jesus christ he's gonna shake the hand of course he is

oh her soft like chuckle and her "i lied" oh my god

nice note to end it on, jon's screams of pain

#tma #the magnus archives #jonathan sims #jude perry #mag 89 #the desolation #the mag pod #cult listens to tma

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moonysimp · 1 year

Text

dreamy boy —pedri

im making a habit of writing the dreams i have😭 so enjoy

"i swear to god if you keep playing quevedo i will literally drop you off in the middle of the road", you said pointing a hand gun to pedri as he laughed.

"you have no taste", he said shaking his head.

"im sick of your questionable music", you said and couldn't help to smile. his music taste was really not that diverse, it was pretty much all reggaeton. and you had been listening to it for three hours.

pedri and his friends from the team had organized a trip to frenkie's country house and you had agreed to meet there. you decided to drive and let him be your co-pilot, but that meant the music choice was part of his duty. and he was terrible at doing it.

"play some taylor swift so you at least comprehend a bit about good music while we arrive to the house", you told him and threw your phone at him. he let out a defeated sigh and played your music.

he was your best friend, your trusted companion, he was the one you told your lame jokes, and he was the one who cheered you up when you felt like giving up. he was the one person you were afraid to lose the most.

you arrived to frenkie's and him and his girlfriend mikky welcomed you, you settled in and waited for the rest of the guys to arrive. gavi and ansu joined next, and ferran with his girlfriend came later on.

the whole group stayed in the porch all afternoon, chatting and having a laugh. everyone was always so friendly, and even though they weren't all here, you could feel that the bond between teammates had grown, and they all had become a family. it was very sweet.

you and pedri were the last to go, everyone had left to cook dinner but you had stayed talking and time had moved too fast, maybe 15 minutes had passed since everyone had left and you realized that and stood up.

you were about to say something about going to help them with dinner, but pedri spoke first, well, it was more like he thought out loud. "i firmly believe i could never get tired of listening to you"

his words hit a very deep spot in you, and suddenly you were feeling too many things at once. you broke the distance and hugged him, maybe this was better than any word that could leave your mouth.

he hugged you tight and your face rested on the crook of his neck, and right there under the lights of the stars, all the butterflies broke loose. his thumb drew back and fourth on your waist. and you knew what all of those emotions were, you understood that weird feeling you had been feeling for a while.

it was simply love. you were in love with your best friend.

"can i do something?", he was lost in your smell, in your embrace, so he was pretty shocked when you asked the question.

he leaned back a bit , "what do you want to do?"

you looked at his pretty brown eyes, and didn't overthink it as you brought your lips together and softly kissed him. your hand found his cheek and you felt his recent beard under your touch. he kissed you back without hesitation, his pulse rocketing.

the moment was ruined by the sound steps. you two broke apart and turned to find mikky with widened eyes and a little smile.

"im sorry i didn't mean to interrump", she said quickly and left.

reality hit you. and you panicked, like really badly. pedri hadn't even understood everything that had happened mere seconds ago, but he had a feeling in his chest that it had been the right thing. he opened his mouth to say something, but you turned on your heels and left to your room.

was that the right thing to do? had you just threw years of friendship down the drain? thousands of questions circled your mind. you stayed on your room for a while, thinking about the feel of his lips on yours, and you kept wondering if that had been the one and only time you would kiss him.

you phone rang and it was a message letting you know dinner was ready. you took a deep breath and got out of your room.

you were thinking dinner would be very awkward but everything was nice. the boys had lighted a little fire on the back of the house and after you had dinner, you sat by the fire to eat some marshmallows.

pedri kept glancing at you, but he was trying to be as discreet as possible. once he saw you were finished eating, he got closer and softly spoke to you, "please help me get more wood", his breath brushed your ear, and you closed your eyes.

"yeah alright", you said. it was only going out to get more wood, nothing else. maybe you two would act like nothing had happened so things would not become weird between you.

you two started walking side by side, in silence. he counted the steps, measuring a good distance between the pair of you and the house full of people. after a couple of minutes he was sure nobody could see you and he couldn't keep it together any longer.

he grabbed your hand and intertwined his fingers with yours, your gaze lifted from the grass to look at him and the second you eyes connected he took his other hand and placed it in the back of your head to bring your lips together.

he let it all, he let that kiss tell all the things that he didn't have the words for. all the times he had looked at you for a minute too long, all the times he had fixed his hair whenever you came to his house to hang out, how he enjoyed your head resting on his shoulder and how he loved to watch you dance around to the sound of your favorite songs. all those little things that deep down he knew would lead to bigger things, but that he was too afraid to discover. he wasn't afraid now, in fact, he was eager to find out what it would mean to be more than friends with you.

he broke the kiss, his eyes still closed, "why did you leave?"

"i panicked", you murmured. "i was feeling too much, and i was scared the kiss would've ruined our friendship"

he ran his thumb on your lower lip in a sweet gesture, "im crazy about you", he smiled.

you were sure your heart had never beaten that fast just like you were sure you were crazy about him too.

you got closer, mere inches away for his lips, "i would say the same if your playlist wasn't so horrible"

"oh shut up", he smiled and he kissed you again, and your hands went to his hair, and his hands went to your waist and it all felt like a dream. and this was a dream that neither of you wanted to wake up from.

#pedri #pedri gonzalez #barcelona #oneshot #fanfic #football player #football #friends to lovers

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weirdkpopgirl · 2 years

Text

Periods | Dream Reaction #4

Reaction: When their GF is on their period

Genre: Fluff

Warnings: Mentions of period cramps and blood? Idk lol

Word Count: 1956k

Author’s Note: So I’ve actually been working on this one for quite a while. But writer’s block kept getting in the way. I apologize in advance because these are kinda short. Also, I know some people may not be comfortable with this topic, and I’m certainly not entirely either (kinda silly Ik). I just thought it could bring comfort to us girls out there? Anyway, thank you for reading 😊

~ ~ ~

MARK

In the early stages of your relationship, when situations like this arose, Mark used to feel a bit uncertain about what he should do. But he was so patient and attentive with you. If you texted him not to come over because you were on your period, he would likely disregard it and come over anyway.

He’d ask if you needed anything and get it for you right away. Furthermore, he’d readily give you cuddles upon your request. Mark sort of viewed this as an opportunity to have a lazy day with you and unwind. You’d be resting your head on his lap while he talked about work or his members.

“Then Johnny Hyung said we should try this and I was like ‘huh?’” Your boyfriend chatted animatedly.

While some might have found this incessant talking bothersome, you found it quite endearing. Mark's enthusiastic storytelling served as a pleasant diversion, and you appreciated his openness about his life updates.

Consequently, every time the week of your menstrual cycle rolled around, you and Mark would embrace it as an opportunity to rejuvenate and relish some valuable moments together.

✎__________________________________________________________

RENJUN

Renjun would probably do some research on periods. Like what might help with cramps and how to handle various PMS symptoms. Although you were perfectly capable of managing these aspects on your own, as your boyfriend, he wanted to contribute in any way possible.

To your surprise, Renjun presented you with a comprehensive list of his findings. He'd brew a soothing cup of tea for you and offer herbal medicine. He even went the extra mile to find the best pads for your comfort. He even downloaded the same period tracking app onto his phone to so he could prepare in advance! His dedication left you feeling like he was acting as your caretaker, surpassing all expectations.

You blinked a few times, overwhelmed when he started to do all this. “Renjun—I really don’t think all this is necessary.”

“It’s important to take care of your body, (Y/n)-ah,” He gently chided.

His affectionate words would elicit a smile from you, filling you with gratitude for having such a considerate and caring boyfriend.

✎__________________________________________________________

JENO

Your period always came with bad timing. As you were diligently working on a presentation, another cramp shot through your abdomen. Inhaling deeply, you balled your fingers into fists and pressed them against your palms.

Not even a minute passed before you looked up to catch your boyfriend shaking his head disapprovingly. Whenever he noticed you neglecting self-care, he took swift action. Without uttering a word, Jeno scooped you up into his arms and carried you with bridal elegance to his bedroom.

“Jeno, I’m seriously fine!” You insisted. “It’s not like I’m sick or anything.”

Yet, escaping his grasp proved futile. Your objections gradually faded as he gently laid you upon his bed.

“We’re going to rest here,” He declared, settling beside you. “And you’re not going to think about school.”

A resigned sigh slipped past your lips, fully aware that there was no point in fighting him on this. Jeno knew how you hated to leave things like work off to the side. But he just couldn’t stand to watch you in pain.

“I think you’re just using my period as an excuse to cuddle,” You mumbled with a slight pout.

“Maybe a little?”

Your boyfriend's nose nestled into the crook of your neck. His sturdy arms enveloped your waist securely, while one hand tenderly massaged your lower abdomen, where the cramps were bothering you.

Gradually, discomfort and concerns retreated to the background. Ironically, Jeno grew even more affectionate during your period. But you really couldn’t complain.

✎__________________________________________________________

HAECHAN

Initially, the experience was a little weird for Haechan. He felt sort of bad that you had to go through this monthly ordeal, and he couldn’t really do anything about it. Luckily, you managed to maintain a relatively steady demeanor during your period, which alleviated some of his concerns. While the occasional cramps were bothersome, your overall mood didn't undergo drastic changes, at least not visibly.

During these times, you found yourself grappling with intense emotional surges that deviated from your usual disposition. They were something you couldn’t exactly control and you hated it. Because of that, you tried to stay away from Haechan and deal with things on your own.

Eventually, Haechan would catch on to this and convince you to open up to him. You told him about your tendency to internalize your emotions, which made him feel terrible. While he was an expressive person, you struggled to share how you felt. But once he was more aware, the signs became a lot clearer and he knew what to look out for.

“You know I’m always here for you, Jagiya,” He’d often remind you. You would be sitting at the end of the sofa together, as he spoke softly. “You can cry if you want to, or yell if you’re upset about something. You don’t have to hold it all in when you’re with me.”

Hearing him say this would make you feel so grateful. He was quick to gently wipe the first tear that fell. “I don’t want to be a burden to you,” You admitted.

He would let out a sad chuckle in response. “Believe me babe when I say that you’re never a burden to me.”

Haechan's embrace tightened around you, enveloping you in a reassuring warmth. “You love me at my worst, and I'll do the same for you.”

You seriously could not ask for a sweeter boyfriend than Lee Donghyuck.

✎__________________________________________________________

JAEMIN

You were coming back to the Dream dorm after a lunch date with Jaemin. As you both entered and removed your shoes, a soft gasp escaped your lips. He was about to ask if you were okay before you quickly excused yourself to the bathroom.

Even though you didn’t say anything, he picked up on the situation pretty fast. Being the thoughtful boyfriend he was, Jaemin had become a total pro when your time of the month came. While you rarely complained much about such times, he still took it upon himself to pamper and care for you during this phase.

You shyly walked out of the bathroom, embarrassed by your current predicament. However, any trace of self-consciousness dissipated as you re-entered the living room. Before you, Jaemin had gathered an array of items - his hoodie, a cozy blanket, and a selection of chocolate he discovered in the pantry. Most notably, he sat on the couch, donning the most endearing smile.

You almost wanted to cry with how considerate your boyfriend was. Coming over to sit by him on the couch, you couldn’t help but pout a little.

“You didn’t have to go through all this trouble for me."

“I wanted to though,” He responded simply. “Just let me spoil you, Princess.”

Exhaustion outweighed any inclination to argue, prompting you to let Jaemin draw you into his embrace. Truthfully, his cuddles proved exceptionally soothing during times like these. In moments such as this, you couldn't help but think that if more guys were as caring as Jaemin, the world would indeed be a much kinder place.

✎__________________________________________________________

CHENLE

Perhaps it was the stigma of when a girl was on her time of the month or the culture you grew up in. But you always felt strangely self-conscious about your period. You were also not used to having a boyfriend, making you especially shy and awkward about this. So you unintentionally avoided the topic with Chenle.

Then came that particular night when you and Chenle were having a sleepover at the Dream dorm. The hour was late, yet everyone remained awake and engaged. As you yawned, your gaze fixed on Chenle triumphing over Jisung in a video game.

Somewhere in the middle of the game, your eyes widened when you felt a familiar sensation that caused a surge of panic to shoot through you. Immediately recognizing that your period had begun, you had to stifle a gasp with your hand. Despite your efforts, Chenle detected your startled expression.

“What’s the matter?” He asked, concern evident in his voice.

Jisung leaned forward as well. “Yeah, are you okay?”

Your cheeks heated up at their questions, unsure of what to do in this situation. The worst part was that you didn’t have any pads on you.

“Um—it’s nothing. I just need to use the bathroom,” You managed to reply, rising from your seat.

Tentatively, you glanced at the spot where you had been sitting, relieved to find no evidence of a red stain.

Despite your attempt to downplay the situation, Chenle wasn't oblivious. When you failed to reemerge from the bathroom promptly, he abandoned the game and went to check on you. That's when he encountered you by the front door, in the process of putting on your shoes. You hoped to slip out unnoticed and buy the feminine products you required from a nearby store.

“(Y/n), why are you leaving?” His brows knit in confusion. “Did something happen?”

Cursing inwardly, you turned to face him. "No, I just left something at home. I'll grab it and come back."

“What’s at home that we don’t have here?” Sighing, you realized that you didn’t have much of a choice but to tell Chenle the truth before he misunderstood something.

Reluctantly, you explained to Chenle that you had gotten your period and needed to buy pads. To your surprise, he was pretty chill about the situation.

“That’s it?” He remarked. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”

You shrugged, “I was embarrassed.”

Chenle shook his head and hugged you before offering to go to the store to get pads for you. You argued against it but he insisted. Most likely, you would have to text him the right ones to buy. When he got back, he let you borrow his clothes to change into.

From that point on, Chenle made sure to make it clear to you that you didn’t need to be afraid of coming to him about those things. Yeah, he was young and could be childish at times, but he didn’t want you to feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. Of course, you were grateful for how understanding he was.

✎__________________________________________________________

JISUNG

Similar to Mark, Jisung tended to be somewhat clueless when it came to dealing with your menstrual cycle. On one such occasion, you found yourself reclining on the couch, taking slow breaths in an attempt to ease the cramps that had taken hold. The poor boy would just be watching you helplessly, obvious as to how to respond. Consequently, he'd repeatedly check on you every ten seconds.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Are you hungry?”

“Do you want a blanket?”

“Jisung just shut up,” You retorted with your right arm covering your eyes.

You cherished Jisung's intentions and recognized his well-meaning efforts. Nonetheless, your current state left you considerably annoyed, and his stream of questions wasn't helping matters.

“Oh, okay,” He murmured softly.

However, just as he made a move to leave, you grasped his hand and tugged him down until he was lying beside you in a face-to-face position.

“I’ll be fine,” You told him. “Just stay here with me, for a little while.”

Eager to do something, he allowed your arms to envelop his torso, guiding your head to rest on his chest. A faint smile played on Jisung's lips as he brushed a strand of hair away from your forehead.

Although he'd never admit it openly, Jisung relished having you close in such a manner. Instances, when you sought his affection, were relatively infrequent, and he felt an unexpected sense of protectiveness towards you. In this position, you and he would contentedly remain for the rest of the day, potentially drifting off to sleep at some point.

✎__________________________________________________________

#nct #nct dream #nct dream reactions #mark lee #renjun #jeno #haechan #jaemin #chenle #jisung #nana #fluff #injunnie #nctzen #czennie #kpop #7dream #nct dream x reader

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astrovagrant · 4 months

Text

read my character study that's actually just set dressing for a lizard and an elf to have nat20 makeouts 🤙

parasympathetic –

Everything had been going so well. Zari had a nagging feeling of having missed something from her earlier conversations with Skalazar - the night before and then again this morning - but his transition from panic at her proposition to open desire had given her all the invitation she needed, and enough of a diversion to avoid thinking too hard about it.

Zari had shut the door - throwing them both into the grayscale of near-complete darkness, color drained away in their mutual darkvision - peeled his sleep shirt from him as she slid into his lap, and realized that Skalazar had no idea what he was doing. There was something charming - thrilling, even - about that, though, and she had decided not to think about it as she took his tea from him, placed her hand over one of his, and started to guide him through the basic motions.

She helped him pull off her over-robe, then unwind her sash, then release the ties holding her loose pants over her sharp hips and lifted herself just enough so he could wiggle them off her the rest of the way. That left her with her shirt and smallclothes, still, but she wasn’t quite ready to part with those yet.

Skalazar had been fairly quiet the whole time, fixing her with an intensity and rapt attention that belied the depth of his interest and only asking one or two questions about what was and wasn’t acceptable - ground rules. She was happy to supply them, but it was… a bit strange, to her, and different from the other kinds of amorous intention she’d seen on ample display in the brothels she’d drifted between in her years amongst the people of the Stormborn. Zari wasn’t sure yet what it meant, and wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but as she moved from his lap to the bed beside him and started to pull him sideways and over her for further education, she decided it didn’t matter right now.

Then, of course, her tides changed.

As she reclined back against the single pillow on his bed for support, her good arm outstretched, hand in his and using her movement to carry him along with her, some base pattern recognition living deep in her mind understood the true size of Skalazar as compared to herself - it understood. And it reacted. She felt it happen before he noticed - a tremor starting from the base of her skull, passing in waves down her spine, shaking out along her limbs in an initial shudder, followed by a softer but persistent tremble. Skalazar did see it, then, and froze in place with a flash of alarm, holding himself off of her with elbows locked and eyes wide. Damn it.

“It’s - “ she paused to pull her hand from his and place it against her other shoulder, willing the tremble to stop and failing. Her blood and organs quaked with involuntary physical response to a form - any form - bending over her that was baked so deep into her psyche that even her anticipation of things to come couldn’t hold it at bay. Under her arm, she felt her heart stutter.

“Should I stop?” Skalazar’s voice had gone thin with worry, and Zari shook her head, hair bunching up under her head and spilling out on bed behind her in frazzled waves as she did.

“No. I’d tell you if we needed to stop.” Yet again, her body acted outside of her own control - shaking like a leaf despite how bad that must look, despite any desire of her own. Please. Please. Obey her for once in your miserable existence -

“Are you…”

Hesitation hung around his words, such a far cry from the decisive intensity he’d had just a few minutes ago. Was he thinking better of it? Realizing he didn’t actually want her, or this? The burgeoning heat in her gut curdled a bit into something bitter, though when she’d first tried to leave him after propositioning she hadn’t taken it personally at all - she knew she was not a commonly desired format of woman, and was happy to leave it as yet another of her many misunderstandings.

That said - while she hadn’t necessarily enjoyed any of her past encounters with others more than what she could do for herself - through all of the conflicting messaging she’d read from Skalazar over the past few days, the one common trait seemed to be that he wanted something from her - she just couldn’t tell what. And if it wasn’t sex, then she was out of ideas.

He’d found his tongue in the time it took her to feel a sourness she wasn’t familiar with take root in her chest, and started again.

“Are you afraid of me?”

Oh, no.

She shook her head again, more vehemently this time. “It’s autonomic. It happens sometimes when I - when there’s - “ she paused, considering her phrasing against the tense draw of his brow ridges. “My sympathetic nerves go into overdrive when it feels like someone is… over me.”

The memory of salt and astringency and blood in her mouth, a tired ache overcoming her ability to move her own limbs - never enough to be unconscious, just enough to be pliant - Zari licked her lips against the intrusion. None of that was happening, now, and moreover she knew her own genuine fear enough to know she was not afraid, just that her body hadn’t gotten the message that she was the one very much in control of this situation.

Skalazar moved to sit up, but she found herself placing her hand against his chest to stop him, flattened palm skimming the smaller, softer scales over his pectorals. How much of the rest of him was soft like this? She supposed she’d find out.

“I’m alright. Just - wait here, a minute?” She removed her hand from him and patted her own chest, beckoning him closer. If he rested his weight on her, if she had a moment for her body to accept that it wasn’t in any danger, they could continue without issue - she hoped. They just might need to slow down a little bit.

“I don’t want to crush you.”

“Here - “ Zari’s arm moved down between their bodies to touch the outside of his thigh, continuing to position him and show him where to touch her until he was comfortable enough to do it on his own. “ - tuck your thigh between mine.” His neck feathers flared slightly, their vibrancy lost in the dark but the familiarity of his own unique form of blushing apparent. “It’ll keep you from putting all your weight on me, but I’m sturdier than that.”

Skalazar made a noise with a little too much doubt in it for her liking but ultimately acquiesced, his much thicker and still-clothed thigh slotting between her own. Zari wiggled down a few inches to press herself down onto it, watching in muted and alien satisfaction as he looked away from her and coughed quietly to avoid making an altogether different noise.

She wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to her now as opposed to any other time, but something about Skalazar’s obvious interest in her - despite everything - made the heat between her legs flare pleasantly in a manner she couldn’t honestly say she’d felt before. It was something to be explored, of course, but - for once in her life - she had time. It was a several-day journey to Ödland, after all.

“Good. And if you come down here - “ Zari utilized the interesting reaction she’d observed earlier while she’d been settling into his lap and reached up to run her fingers along the underside of the bony crest that crowned the back of Skalazar’s skull. He shuddered under her touch for a moment before following her down and letting his chest rest against hers, a bulk of his weight settling over her. He seemed unsure what to do with his head, but eventually tucked his long skull in between the space between her head and her neck. He inhaled deeply a few times, and she wondered briefly if that was nerves or if he was specifically smelling her.

It wouldn’t be so bad if he was, she thought.

Silence fell for the moment, and through the comfortable blanket of darkness she realized how cold Skalazar was against her. Zari ran hot regardless, so most people did feel much cooler to the touch, but the large reptilian man on top of her was several degrees colder than your standard human or elf - not as frigid as a corpse, she noted, but easily surpassing the threshold that would kill other species. Their night swims the previous evening had given her a bit more perspective, but she realized in muted wonderment that she - with all her waste heat, which others interpreted as an indication of feverish illness - must feel wonderful just to be near, for him.

Despite her distraction, the alien nature of the situation seized her without warning as she tried to get herself to relax - how hard did she typically avoid being touched? How long had she avoided this kind of contact with only a few disappointing forays, finding no value in the gropings of idiots? She had no need for her magic, here, but what if she got overwhelmed and it lashed out without warning?

Anxiety spiked through her chest, and Skalazar’s mass on top of her seemed, for a moment, to trigger another set of feelings she knew were misplaced - but her limbs were not restrained, and weight was… nice, in a realm she didn’t fully have language for. The side of him that was pressed against her had even begun to fully absorb the heat she generated and seemed to be acting like a thermal battery, keeping her heat close to her body, where she normally was left cold as it immediately dissipated into the environment around her.

Despite that, her heartbeat worsened, thudding high and fast like a rabbit’s. She inhaled deeply, annoyed and trying not to show it. Calm down, she thought at her organs, you’ve copulated like this before. This negative reaction had happened before as well, of course, but this was the first time anyone had slowed or paid enough attention to her to realize it wasn’t the aroused trembling and fluttering heartbeat of an overly-engaged lover.

All the better, if she was honest - her indulging in passive curiosity with the fumbling grip of a stranger (sometimes a very inebriated one, as was often the case in brothels) was no stage for exposing her own vulnerabilities. This wasn’t, either, but Skalazar was already aware of some of her idiosyncrasies and seemed unaffected by them - in some cases, seemed to like them.

“You don’t seem to be calming down.” he whispered. Pressed against her as he was, his voice felt deeper and fuller as she felt the vibrations pass between their chests, despite how quietly they were talking to one another. It was more pleasant than it had any right to be. She wondered if he had realized just from his proximity that her organs were in the wrong places, that her heart thudded in the same place his did, a mirror image - knowledge he would have, with his experience. She wondered if he cared.

Zari sniffed. “We can continue regardless. We’re both aroused, and it’s not the first time I - “

Skalazar shifted his head slightly, and she felt something cool against her neck for a moment before the sensation of wetness followed behind it in a wide stripe parallel to her carotid artery. She gasped at the suddenness of it, and then found herself laughing, a short, sharp noise that seemed to surprise both of them.

“Did you just lick me?”

“I apologize. I have a specialized vomeronasal organ for specific scents - I’ve been curious and I haven’t been able to taste you.” He instantly seemed to regret what he was saying, adding an additional qualifier before she could respond. “I mean - we haven’t… kissed.”

Oh.

Zari had been avoiding that, actually. Other kisses she’d been subjected to had ranged from pointlessly chaste (relatively speaking) to what felt like a vast overcompensation for other lacking sexual attributes, a process that she neither craved nor enjoyed.

One human - an alchemist, if the reek of sulfur and reagent on him informed her of his profession accurately - had even grabbed her tongue afterwards, commenting on its unusual color and variegation as one would an interesting houseplant. She left him with a pile of ashes in place of his clothes, after that, and she’d decided that kissing was often a request for something that she had no interest in giving.

After slightly too long of a beat, Zari realized that the unbidden heat in her face was a blush, and wriggled underneath him to better position herself to look him in the eyes, a bit of a feat with the length of his skull. He’d lifted his head to do the same, it seemed, and she processed for the first time just how close he was. Obviously, he was half laying on top of her, so yes he was close, but this was the longest she’d spent in bodily contact with someone who wasn’t inevitably splattered with her own blood - possibly ever.

Skalazar shifted, then, and she moved back against the wall of his berth to allow him the space he needed to put himself to the side of her, both of them turning simultaneously to face each other. He was certainly too tall for this bed, though it was wide enough to accommodate his need to curl himself up to fit, and Zari carefully re-entangled her legs with his as they settled, bringing their bodies unbearably close again - which he didn’t seem to mind in the least.

For a moment, they said nothing, simply staring at one another as they both tried to resolve their own inner thoughts. There was an expression on his face that she couldn’t quite parse, the keratinized ridges that protected his eyes and vaguely suggested ‘eyebrows’ to her drawn together and mouth set in a thin, thoughtful line as he seemed to study her very seriously.

She wasn’t worried about waning interest - her thigh rubbing intermittently between his own in a reversal of their earlier positioning had confirmed a few other questions she had about lizardfolk physiology as well as what she’d be dealing with soon enough, and even the way he occasionally let his mouth part to facilitate the aforementioned scenting meant he had not, in any way, lost interest.

Still, there was something unsaid - possibly entirely unrelated to her, though she doubted it was entirely unrelated - hanging in the air between them. She almost asked, left the unspoken question linger in the back of her mouth for a moment before her own mind interrupted her with something altogether less pleasant - an unhinged desire to ask for something that she knew that she neither truly wanted nor should he actually give her crawled from a long-ignored corner of her brain.

Could you open me up, put your hands in my ribs, play around until there’s enough gore, until you’re satisfied? - and she recoiled from that line of thinking immediately, finding her face a mirror of Skalazar’s own mild frown. Zari wanted him to have nothing to do with any of that, instinctually (never know of it, even; never know she was ever so at someone’s mercy) - but she had no other context, felt the lack. Being naked and being bare were not the same things - she wanted him to put his hands on her and in her, but not - it could not originate from the same place.

Her newfound pleasure could not live in the same house as that, the chained up thing she kept away from guests and prying eyes alike, that still bled over into everything in her life regardless, no matter what she did. For her own sanity, she had to make sure they stayed firmly separated. A sliver of acute frustration at her inability to understand the true shape of her desire lodged in the back of her brain - something to examine later, or never.

Instead, perhaps simply letting him have what he wanted was a better idea, a panacea to the burned-in fear response that lived in her arousal’s basement, as well as whatever currently ailed him. The rest might matter enough to discuss someday, but she wanted so badly to push through it as if it had no sway over her, as if believing that would make it true. A little kissing wouldn’t hurt her; with the way things had been going, she might even like it.

She leaned forward to chastely press her lips against the end of Skalazar’s snout.

It was a ridiculous move on her part, but the smooth, lightly bumped texture of his less-fatty lip structures was novel enough and the warm puff of air that exhaled from his slitted nostrils right into her face in surprise was distracting enough that she found another small chuckle tumbling out before she could stop it.

“I’ve never kissed lizardfolk before; I’m open to improvements.”

“May I - “ Skalazar’s hands flexed somewhere out of sight - she could feel it more than anything else, see his tail flicking in muted agitation in her peripheral vision - and nodded in response, reaching down to put her hand back over his, bring it up to rest on her hip - a relatively safe, neutral area, at least to start.

His fingers curled into her immediately, testing his grip against her own realization that he’d kept his hands off of her that entire long, long moment, and seemed to return to her like a moth to flame. There was impatience there, alongside the fact that he had clearly worried he’d fucked something up. The blush from earlier, though it hadn’t truly gone away, flushed her face again, slowly spreading down her chest and shoulders underneath the fabric of her shirt - that’d have to go, soon. Then he’d really see it all.

Maybe that, too, was alright.

“You can touch me however you want. I told you I’d let you know if anything wasn’t comfortable, and vice versa.”

With that additional reassurance, something in his face seemed to resolve, and he reached forward to wrap a hand around the back of her head, bringing her face to his with the same raw desire he’d done such a bad job at disguising earlier. As he did, she moved his hand gripping her hip down under the admittedly small curve of her ass, giving him leverage to pull her entire body up to him.

She parted her lips and pressed forward to make it easier for him to meet her, then reached up to reposition his jaw at an angle - he resisted no touch she offered, and a pleased rush of blood ran through her face and started making its way south as he - at first cautiously, but then with rapidly-increasing confidence - licked across her lips and paused for a moment before deciding that the most efficient way to do this - devise a compatible method between their differing physiologies - was going to inherently involve a lot of tongue.

A lot of tongue, and a not-insignificant amount of teeth.

Somewhere in Zari’s mind, a barrier fell apart. She didn’t notice it, or didn’t understand its meaning. All of her attention was focused on the present - the feeling, the heat between them, the need. She felt, for the first time, like she wanted her fill of another living being, and ‘greedy’ didn’t even begin to cover the tidal wave building under her breastbone. She rolled her pelvis into him under his grasp, curling her legs tight around his larger ones, and ate every near-silent utterance he rewarded her with.

Some time later, catching her breath while he continued to run his tongue along her neck and jaw and his hands along her naked legs, Zari realized she was no longer trembling like a prey animal against her will, and the cadence of her heart and heaving chest had everything to do with the brave new world of lizardfolk-elven relations and absolutely nothing to do with fight or flight.

She pushed Skalazar’s shoulder lightly, rolling him so that she could instead sit on top of his cool, scaled belly and continue their endeavors from there. Once fully in place, his clawed hands digging pleasantly into what scant hip and thigh meat she had, she leaned back, leveraging against his grip, and tapped her chin with a finger as if deep in thought.

“Let me know if you’re about ready to be done,” she offered in as sweet a tone as she could muster, dangling the bait just to see if he’d take it. It was surprisingly easy to tease him like this, no awkwardness or tension of uncertain social rules obstructing the basic fact that it would take an act of possibly several Goddesses to separate them from one another at this point.

“We are nowhere close to finished,” he bit out, nearly as breathless as she was and with pupils blown so wide they nearly blacked out his iris. His voice was rougher, composure out the window, and his tone verging on the edge of command. Hook, line, sinker.

Zari leaned back over Skalazar, a very small smile tucked into the corners of her mouth, and he instantly craned his neck to meet her lips and tongue with his own while he hooked his fingers under the hem of her shirt and started to pull upwards - without her guidance.

#pop campaign #zari #skalazar tag #skalazari #we're in it now boys

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wynterhxney · 1 month

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“First damn time I agree to work with you, Fairchild. This is what I’m dealing with.” People are constantly in the fucking way when they need to work. He isn’t talking crew or cast. He’s talking media. Nobody is really supposed to know their location especially when going out of his way to come back to Costa Rica of all places. One might think after getting sick here during his doc era he’d never return. That’s not Lan. Backing down, giving up? Never on the cards but being here filming an adventure genre using lush locales is important. This joint production with Cosmic Vault Productions and Majestic Studios is supposed to be low key. Not to mention the fact he managed to pull strings to get Claudia in this movie. Filming with his friend is surreal. A nice experience because they haven’t done something like this since his early days. “How the hell did these people find out?”

“A bit of talk I imagine.” Tobias sat in the man’s little cabana without much care. Watching the director work is sensational. Just as passionate as the producer suspected and finally he has him right where he wants him, co production. “Relax old boy. You’re Landon bloody Wynter. The man of the hour. How do you suppose a place like this reacts to a big time movie star?”

Landon rolled eyes. Jesus Chris. Why does he even bother to discuss shit with him? As much as he hated the idea of this long ago, there’s a lot of box office to be had here. “Maybe you should tell me then why we’re having such bad luck.” Changing the subject from local media, tourists mainly causing a problem, Landon never had trouble with the local people. They’re courteous to them and he wanted to be courteous to them as well. “We no longer have our animal expert. My editor’s sick… what else?”

The editor in question being one Quincey P. Pruitt who Tobias himself feels is not a good fit. People should tell Landon being friends with that is not wholly good for one’s career. But who is he to argue? Could hardly get him on board with anything until recently so let’s keep it cordial. “Landon, you realize there’s plenty of qualified people to do that for you. I could do it for you. How do you think I started? You think it all just fell into my lap? Fat chance old man.”

God he really hates it when he calls him old man. Definitely a character and he wouldn’t even put it on him being a Brit either. Tobias is just Tobias. With a shake of his head, Landon picked up his bag. On a day like this with a lull in filming he’s going to enjoy the sights of Tamarindo. At least he’ll be able to figure shit out for the coming weeks. The fact Fairchild had to fly out here is any guess but he’s taking it as serious as him. That’s what counts. “I’m going to get drunk.” The director added, leaving the little hotel, expecting Tobias to see himself out. No explanation either. Everyone else seemed to be having a great time. Sightseeing while they’re postponing due to the fact they’ve lost some key people.

Some might say Quincey isn’t key to this but he was hard up for a job. Haven’t worked with him in a while aka since their last sojourn to Costa Rica. This time Lan isn’t the one sick. Best to keep it that way, what better time than to step into a little café?

Okay maybe getting drunk isn’t on his list just yet. Local food sounded like it was up his alley. What he didn’t expect was a group of men huddled up in a corner speaking about an expedition. The type of thing that would catch any self respecting would be adventurer’s attention. While he was very much an A list celebrity these days, Landon knew where his routes lay. Working on location while he had that treasure hunter fever produced some of his most diverse documentaries. They were unlike his cult classics, exploitation and horrors. They were another side to him. This current film is much like that but on a grander scale. He should be focused on that but overhearing some of this discussion despite them speaking Spanish forced him to look.

“I don’t care who is here.” One of the men let slip. “These primates are ours. We take them quietly. Just as we’ve been paid.”

Landon’s eyebrows knit together, turning his head aside to a waitress. She offered a smile immediately, looking him over briefly. “Welcome to Café Tico. What can I get for you?”

Landon peered up at her, unable to keep a smile off his face. Well, it’s better than looking at Tobias all day. @violentwxnter | Jane & Landon Flashbacks

#words like violence break the silence. // landon film interaction #you'll be in my heart. // landon x jane #landon x jane. // the days we met #. // tobias interaction #violentwxnter

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sirjuggles · 1 year

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Worm Reading - Part 1, Insinuation 2.6

So I've heard the series Worm thrown around peripherally over the years but I've never sat down and read it. Lately some folks I follow on Tumblr have been talking about it more, and I do love me a good web serial (shoutout to Astielle and Velveteen Vs. and, uh... Tales of MU but we don't talk about that). With that in mind, I figure I'll dive in and share my experience reading Worm for the first time.

Up front, what I know about Worm before beginning: I know it's yet another take on the reality of a world where some people have superhuman powers. I know the initial main character has bug powers. I'm pretty sure that somewhere along the way there's a massive spike in power level, where we go from dealing with street fights to dealing with civilization-level threats. I think there's some investigation of how people get powers, and experiments with trying to give people powers (that, inevitably for the genre, probably go awry). I also think there might be some shenanigans with the focus of the story, like a primary viewpoint character dies or becomes someone else? I'm hazy on that part.

With that in mind, I began reading this morning. I'm currently up to Insinuation 2.6. I will admit it's a little bit of a struggle to not skim over the school bullying portions. I know this is a story written twelve years ago by an amateur author, but the initial descriptions of all the pretty popular girl bullies and the focus on what they wear and what their hair looks like is definitely the weakest part. Not that this isn't sadly a legitimate depiction of how awful high school can be for many people, but at least for me it's the least interesting thing to read about.

So far it seems that Taylor hasn't really fully thought through how reality on the streets might differ from the Good Superhero VS. Evil Supervillain narrative put out by an organization with a name like THE PROTECTORATE. We've gotten some interesting glimpses into the street-level struggle between gangs led by powered individuals, I'm a little fascinated by this idea of non-powered mooks as basically gang members who rally around a powered leader. I'm gonna slide right over the characterization of the gang led by Lung and chalk that one up 2011 being a different time.

I am SO INTRUIGED by the Undersiders. Specifically it has been established that they have a somewhat diverse mix of powers and have been able to take on or shake off any attempts at suppression from officially authorized teams.

Hellhound: Seems to be general muscle for the team. We have yet to actually speak to her, but I kinda like her? Seems like she looked after herself while homeless for many years, and I can't really begrudge her for being standoffish or abrasive.

Grue: "Darkness Generation" is such a vague power, but I suspect it could be very handy in battlefield control and breaking contact after a fight, which makes their crew substantially more slippery. Deeper implications to how this could be weaponized?

Regent: Vague hero name doesn't seem to indicate any particular power, I'm curious what his deal is.

Tattletale: I'm sorry, I've only known this character for five minutes and I already LOVE her. Her power seems to be information-related, something like she knows the answer to any question asked? If her power is anything like what I think it is, she is CRAZY powerful and is absolutely being underestimated by the narrative at the moment. Can't wait to find out what her deal is.

Only other character we've met so far has been Armsmaster. He seems... fine. Generic corporate superhero. Nifty iconic weapon, not clear what actual powers he might have. He seems nice enough, I was a little surprised that he didn't put more pressure on Taylor to get registered and go legit in their initial interaction. I did feel a brief pang of "oh god I'm old" when the clearly Responsible Adult-coded character is estimated to be about my age or younger.

I'm curious to meet this elusive "Boss" the Undersiders have mentioned, that seems to be a critical part to this story that I suspect will be a central part of which way this story goes. Onward from here!

#parahumans #Worm #wormblr #worm wildbow #worm web serial #first time reading #Worm Readalong

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inazuma-fulgur · 8 months

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In pain whenever someone insists that being naked around children, like in general, is bad

No cloths = pedo (this here is slightly exaggerated but some people actually say that. With words.)

Because nakes = sexual and sexual = bad and impure and children = pure and innocent and without agency

Waiting for the day where changing your childs diaper also becomes sexual and pedo unless *insert arbitrary metric*. If I had to imagine it'd probably be more terf shit, a la all men are horny monsters or only parents of the same SEX as the child should be allowed to.

I will nopt discuss further complications around childbirth because none of this makes sense anyway

I find it especially jarring when other queer people make arguments like that.

Like, y'all can't look at other people and be normal about it. It's not weird to be naked, you are weird for being unable to confront nudity without having secondary thoughts about it. You are the one uncomfortable with it so no one else is allowed to be comfortable with it?

Thinking about FKK (something I don't even know an english term for. Mom told me she and her parents often went to fkk places, because older people still found nudity more normal than we do I'd guess. Maybe they were an outlier but I can't shake the feeling that the younger people get the weirder and less tolerant they get of nudity and other peoples bodies.)

Every year when there's kink at pride discourse I can't help but think about how I wouldn't give two shits about people fucking in public, like it wouldn't be any more annoying that people blasting music and being loud, that's it. It definitely wouldn't smell as bad as some other stuff, like fireworks for example.

I also can't help but think about one of my friends from school who very amused told an anecdote where she went into her parents room while they were having sex when she was a little kid. Shocker, nothing happened to her. Plain seeing sex doesn't hurt, unless you already have been traumatized or smth. Also most of these super weird puritanical ideas only work under the assumption that children have the very same understanding of everything us adults do. Which they don't. How could they, they're learning everything about the world still. Explain it to them so that they can keep themselves safe, you'll have to do it regardless some day.

Go listen to what they're curious about, teach them at the pace they want, answer what they ask.

Because even if I say they don't have the same understanding of things us adults do, that doesn't mean children aren't smart and capable of understanding the bigger world, expanding their horizon.

People like that, in my opinion, just hate children.

Want to control them. Mold them into copies of themselves, perfect what they feel isn't perfect about themselves.

That's not how you treat another person, give kids agency and let them explore stuff. Let children be curious and nosy.

Teach them about consent, because consent isn't just sexual.

Teach them general things that are useful and good.

Teach them about their bodies and signs to look out for, built trust so that when they hit puberty and their needs and experiences change they will talk to you, ask and share what they feel and see. And then expand their horizons more

Please never raise children with preset ideas of how a well raised child has to turn out, with ideas of a fixed process with a fixed result, where certain things are off limits and shouldn't be allowed because they could lead to people growing up who don't fit your personal ideal(s).

Diversity of thought does not mean "diversity until I can't personally understand/relate anymore, beyond that it's evil". The only evil thing is you limiting the beauty and vastness of humanity

Children won't ever fit into your preconceived notions and that's a good thing, we're constantly learning and ideas are changing, and I'm not blaming you for growing older and having bigger more pressing worries and growing out of touch a bit, just don't denie others because of that.

The only way for children around you to be exactly like you is for them to grow up under the exact same conditions as you. But the world around you is changing constantly, even if you feel like YOU are a constant I assure you, you aren't.

Not even siblings or even even twins have that work out for them. Everyone makes different experiences, spends their time differently, cares about different shit. For better and for worse.

Embrace the potential for the worse, because it will lead to the better future you dream of.

If bad ideas are off limits and can't be talked about those ideas can't be challenged.

And if new ideas can't be brought forth nothing better can come into existence.

Yes new ideas will be not just good, there are bad ones. But that's why we discuss and make an effort, that's why we try things to see whether they work or fail.

We can't create the perfect world through logic in our heads and then execute it. Because humans aren't rational, logic is kinda fake even if it isn't, embrace that. Failure is human, failure leads to growth.

Many good things came from experimentation and theory but also from testing and trial and error, brute forcing stuff. Taking what works and optimizing it. Taking what didn't work and tweaking it slightly or taking notes on what has to be avoided in the future.

I love humans, I am human

I wish we would all stop dehumanizing each other constantly

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positivelybeastly · 23 days

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"My slutty pirate outfit doesn't fit anymore." That's how she greets him as she strides into the lab--in her civilian clothes, the provocative costume that's been her staple since 1989 slung over her arm. "I know the new boss isn't going to let us have the night off without a fight, but I'd like the universe to cut me a little bit of slack."

It's less about the costume and more about the change. And the fact the team spent yesterday fighting off the ghosts of dead classmates, which is... fairly brand for October, somehow.

Tess has been arguing with Erik all day, and it's not hard for Hank to figure out why. It's textbook: she feels like she's losing control of her life, and therefore, she's digging her heels in and being stubborn over something that can be controlled. Like a night out, or cheap Halloween decorations. As for their leader, Magneto--is Magneto, and Tess choosing a tacky ghost windsock as the hill on which she's willing to die doesn't bode well for the future.

"Morph and I found it with the old Halloween stuff in the attic." She tosses the outfit--and a couple of old souvenir Halloween shirts onto an unused lab table and pulls up a chair for herself. Then she glances down and picks at a dust bunny stuck to her shirt. "Do you remember how hard we had to fight the Professor to get that Sleepy Hollow trip?"

(Tess. Tess fought him for the Sleepy Hollow trip.)

"I kept freaking out the horse the 'headless' guy was riding." So they bailed on the hayride, and Hank set up somewhere atmospheric to read from the copy of Washington Irving he'd brought with him. She smiles fondly at the memory, flicking the dust bunny to his pristine floor. "You had a bigger audience than anyone by the time you were done."

Her eyes are dark and thoughtful as she watches him swing from the rafters.

"I could get through to the Professor about things like that. Why it all matters and how it keeps us going when things get--" She bares her teeth for a moment, then shakes her head. "When they get the way they get. But I don't know how to make Erik see it."

[Forgive some of the language but it's Provocative Halloween Costume Talk and it's 1997.)

"You surely aren't telling me that Tess McKay, Provocative Privateer of the Ponderous Pools of Westchester, is no longer a fixture of our fair shores?" Hank glances up from his own costume - a startlingly accurate Hamlet outfit that he's patching a few errant holes and frills in, since it hasn't quite survived the interim year unscathed - and smiles at Tess as she strides into the lab with her usual confidence.

Hmmm. Where's his red yarn . . . ah!

"Oh, I remember quite completely. The Professor was very insistent that we couldn't blow our cover, that it simply wasn't wise to have that many mutants - including those of the physically mutated persuasion - out and about, even on Halloween. And you were very insistent right back, if I recall correctly."

Hank does recall correctly. (Of course he does.)

And, naturally, that perfect recall extends to Washington Irving, the self-same author of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. How could it not? Even as he flips up onto the ceiling and clambers away from Tess to fetch his red yarn, the rafters clanging with each self-assured clasp of his feet to their reinforced structure, he doesn't lose a beat.

"“All these, however, were mere terrors of the night, phantoms of the mind that walk in darkness; and though he had seen many spectres in his time, and been more than once beset by Satan in diverse shapes, in his lonely pre-ambulations, yet daylight put an end to all these evils; and he would have passed a pleasant life of it, in spite of the devil and all his works, if his path had not been crossed by a being that causes more perplexity to mortal man than ghosts, goblins, and the whole race of witches put together, and that was - a woman.”

He has a big, teasing grin on his face as he regards Tess, his meaning and his joke plain. What kind of woman could possibly perplex man more than ghost, goblin or witch, hmmmm?

But, this is, despite initial appearances, a serious conversation, and his face mellows for a moment. He can definitely understand Tess' frustration, even as he perceives why Erik is having such a hard time letting them all relax. In amongst all the consternation about his trustworthiness, there's been little time to talk about his leadership style, and the fact that it could use a little work.

Obvious, in retrospect, when one considers his previous attempts to lead a force against the X-Men have gone - not well, but a fact easily lost in the shuffle. Magneto is excellent at charismatic charges against the enemy, logistics, battle tactics, but morale was never his strong suit, was it? How best to rectify . . . ah!

"Just a moment, I think I might . . ."

With a little puff of dust, Hank fishes a rather worn photo album out of a storage container underneath one of his many lab desks, and throws it with expert accuracy, the book opening along its spine and presenting its secrets to Tess.

'Inaugural X-Men Halloween Party, 1983.'

"For whatever reason, I appear to have misplaced Jean and Warren's pictures, I shall have to go rifling through my other albums for completion's sake, but, if you flick over the page . . ."

"Perhaps a reminder for Erik, that even the Professor was not above having a little bit of fun every now and then, might convince him that there is worth in the activity. He need not participate, but, if the Professor was able to convince Scott to let go for one night and simply dress up and have fun, I believe you and I are capable of the same, Tess."

#themckaytriarchy #verse: hated and feared

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blorbologist · 6 months

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Hi 👋 sorry to bother and I hope it's okay: I have a question about AooD (my brain decided to randomly scream Thoughts at me today)

Will characters fit into classic DND classes or are you planning to step away from that? I was wondering if Vex will still be a ranger/rogue or some other multiclass, like adding some paladin because of her close connection to divinity. Or maybe some other characters would have minor changes because they're living in a different age and society looks much different from what we know from VM campaign.

MORE than okay! I'm always looking to talk about this AU and poke at it more <3

I do want to broadly work with the constraints of the world; in Calamity characters still had classes, so I'll be sticking to that.

Here's where things get a lil interesting:

I'm sure you'll have noticed Trinket was not in that first chapter :)

Vex is a rogue/paladin in this AU! This was mostly inspired by Laura's responses to a question about alternative classes; she noted that she initially wanted Vex to be a rogue (but went with ranger so Liam could be rogue), and that the idea of late-campaign Vex being a paladin was pretty cool. The fact this exactly mirrors Vax's canon multiclass (bar the last level in druid) is also very intentional. ;3 However I'm letting Vex have ranged smite, because though everyone bickers that it'd be OP to allow... she's the twin of a god. Beastmaster was chronically underpowered in C1. She deserves this.

(Trinket is in the fic I repeat the boy is in the fic he's just not Vex's ranger companion!)

I'm a bit indecisive about Percy. Either he's an artificer, flavored that all his abilities are just gadgets and tinkering, or he's straight fighter like canon. He's 100% magic-free though, without any warlock abilities, and that definitely puts a chip on his shoulder in this mageocratic society. I fully intend for him to flatly call himself a diversity hire at some point. In much the same way that Cerrit has a bit of hubris for being a rogue keeping wizards in line, Percy has a lot of pride staked in doing just what these fancy mages can without any arcane abilities of his own, using SCIENCE!! to accomplish what they do. Not many people in Aeor who know him personally like him lmao.

As a hint of what's to come, most of the other characters remain the same class as canon, if potentially a different subclass or with a multiclass/different multiclass level distribution. Ex: Tary is either a pure artificer or artificer/wizard, Grog might be a zealot or giant barbarian instead of berserker... Ripley is still fighter/wizard, if an opposite split ;3

The one other major class change might be Pike, due to the lack of strong religious belief during the Age of Arcanum. Back in the day Vasselheim placed at least some importance in the divine, hence labelling attempts at ascension hearsay; see Calamity episode 1. But I don't think even they would be quite as zealous as they are in the modern day; Vespin was a mage, a titled archmage, within the city, and we don't know if Vasselheim had the amount of space devoted to temples it does now. She might be a Divine Soul Sorcerer with one level dip into Cleric, but I'll see how my Vasselheim arc shakes up.

Oh. I lied. There's one more major class difference, but it's with an NPC, and that I'll keep to myself ;3

#critical role #cr fanfic #age of arcanum AU #also!! YOU'RE THE FIRST ONE TO CALL IT AOOD! I love it. Aood. *Aood!*#vox machina

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hella1975 · 1 year

Note

accent enthusiast and yorkshire citizen here: tho posh pricks and classists attack regional accents (even though by nature these accents are arguably MORE english and retain more germanic features because of less education and/or more rurality, while they sound french) because they hate poor people, i am going to hypothesise that they are also racist

so. i assume youre northern by the sound of your h dropping. h dropping is a very white northern accent trait, people who grew up in places with a significant white majority. however, t dropping is very recent addition to working class northern english which originated with estuary english and spread across the country by ethnic minorities - mostly by second/third gen a. carribbean, south asian and polish people. this creates a new type of working class english which is unique to every city, every ethnicity and every household across britain. its called MBE (multicultural british english). it is usually spoken in places with diverse population. and although not much research has been done on these accents (apart from the one in london bc of fucking course), they are spoken by many many people.

mbe is usually a mix of a. carribbean, south asian, polish and regional slang amd accent features. but one defining characteristic is the t dropping. which again is a pretty new accent feature outside of london. so my hypothesis: they focus on the t dropping specifically because it's unique to ethnically diverse english.

i will talk accents with anyone for hours upon hours upon hours anon i am shaking u by the head for all ur thoughts rn. im not from up north! im a midlands girlie through and through, rural england right by the welsh border. mine is technically a rhotic accent with hints of welsh?? but my town in particular has much more welsh elements than midlands elements just bc of how close we are to the border?? idk my accent has been known to confuse people far and wide lol. the perks of being from the midlands truly.

everything you've said here is new to me, are there any sources/articles you could send me so i can read more? this seems super interesting!

i do however know a bit about midlands' accents/rural english accents, and from what i know of them, the 'dropping Ts' part of certain dialects has been present for centuries. it's called the glottal T (which is v funny to me bc saying that out loud on its own will reveal to people if you t-glottal or not). it's really hard to find out where this originated from and i cant speak for up north but ik in my area the general consensus is that it's just. always been around (which i know can't be true so again! if anyone has any sources or knows anything im such a nerd about these things so pls dont be shy!). still, i always thought it came from old english and a lot of influence from scots? and from my knowledge from its origins in england i always thought it did START with the rural areas like mine? alas for my own sanity i try not to research t-glottalling too much bc even the 5 mins i did for this to double check my facts had me seeing words like 'insidious' and 'lazy' and 'ugly' being thrown about literally bc of a single letter. like insidious are we being serious rn. someone tell barnaby from kent to take deep breaths.

the polish thing really interested me here though bc ive heard once or twice people say about my dialect/region that there are polish elements, and as someone who knows nothing about polish i couldn't really pinpoint to you what it was or anything but seeing it in your ask i was like !!!!! fr !!!!! it's interesting that this could be why people say that.

going back to h-dropping and t-glottalling, my region is actually RENOWNED for 'dropping letters and syllablles left right and centre' <- direct quote from someone trying to explain it lmao. like we've got very farmer accents to the point my flatmate once - very rudely - went on and ON about me having a west country accent and even when i explained it to her over and over that no just bc i have a RURAL accent doesnt mean it has to be west country, she still wouldn't let it go and tried to make a joke that my accent was 'inbred' bc of it. this is the flatmate i made cry and is now too scared to stay at our flat though so all is well <3 so yeah it's not just the northerners! even if we all have to suffer at the hands of the RP folk

the mbe thing is super interesting though bc while i dont know enough about it to speak on the letter dropping, i do know that my own accent has picked up a couple mbe features since coming to uni (mainly just new slang than actual accent but ive had to catch myself a couple times icl). not only is my uni city one of the most multicultural cities in england, but a lot of the student population are from london, which IS the most multicultural city in england. i know there's the stereotypical roadman accent that a lot of people tease about, but that is of course hugely inspired by the ethnicities you listed, particularly caribbean, and a lot of that comes right out of london. there's definitely something to be said about the fact that the people who most often get called chavs/get slated for being rough are also the ones who speak with that multicultural accent. like i WONDER what that's about

#im being serious if anyone knows more about this im dying to know #bc it's so hard to find resources on the actual HISTORY of english dialects #mainly bc they're so individual like i literally had to delete a chunk of this response bc i realised someone dedicated enough #could actually figure out my TOWN based purely on the slang/dialect features i was talking about #but yes i know we've said it before but you know when i get mad at americans on here that mimic t-glottalling?#it's bc you sound like barnaby from kent. it's bc there's people i deal with DAILY that think i sound ugly stupid lazy and INSIDIOUS #just bc of a single letter #and that's just the Ts! i said here my accent is known for dropping letters wherever we can! do you know how tired i am of this!#ask

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phoenixyfriend · 2 years

Text

The King, the Soldier, and the Spy: Chapter Two

Chapter 2: Out of the Blue

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

Ahsoka sleeps in a tree.

This is—it’s not planned, is the thing. Nobody told her to sleep in a tree. But the Jedi assumed she would ask if she needed something, and the Mandalorians assumed she’d be taken care of by the Jedi, and she was avoiding everyone already anyway…

So she slips away, parks herself on a branch that lets her lean back against the join of the trunk and another bough, and settles in for a nap.

She is woken by a snowball to the face.

It’s not malicious, and so the Force doesn’t wake her up in time to stop it. It does wake her up in time to prevent an embarrassing fall from the tree. She leans over to glare down at the Mando that threw it.

“Were you up there all night?!” they shout up at her.

She kind of wants to shout back a good ol’ fuck you, if only because of the snowball, but she doesn’t want to jeopardize the working relationship she apparently needs to build here.

“Yeah!” she shouts back. “What’s it to you?”

“Why?” the Mando yells.

Habit? “Didn’t want to inconvenience anyone!” she says, and then decides discretion is the better part of valor, and leans over to drop twenty meters to the ground. She brushes off the snow while the Mando just stares at her. “Anyway, I’m used to it.”

“You don’t even have a jacket.”

She shrugs. “The Force provides.”

“You could have fallen out.”

“Doubtful.”

“We have spare tents.”

“That belong to people who only just died,” she says. “I’m not going to take a dead man’s things, that would be rude. Tactless, at best.”

“A sleeping bag,” the Mando tries. “You could have taken a sleeping bag, at least.”

Ahsoka shrugs again. “Didn’t need one.”

The Mandalorian moves to put a hand to their mouth. They are prevented from completing the movement by their helmet. She waits.

“Okay,” the Mandalorian says. “That’s… right. Whatever. At least come to breakfast?”

“Gladly,” she agrees. “You already know I’m Fulcrum. I don’t know your name?”

“Myles,” he says. “I’m Jango’s second.”

She grasps his forearm, and he shakes it. His helmet is durasteel, so she feels his bemusement through it.

“Surprised?” she asks.

“I shouldn’t be,” he admits freely. “You’re near-fluent in our language and wear armor that’s been forged in our style. I shouldn’t be this taken aback by you using Mandalorian greetings with me.”

“You wouldn’t be the first or the last,” she tells him. “I’m a bit of an odd duck, I’m told. I’m not Mandalorian, never will be, but… the culture has been kind to me.”

The clones. Satine. Bo. Korkie. The Skiratas, when Bo had sent her their way for a fortnight of hiding. Random strangers across the system, from traditionalists who bit out that even the Jedi were better than what the Empire had turned this commercialized, cheap version of their armor into, to New Mandalorians who played to the Empire’s party line in the public sphere, and hid her in their attics behind stormtrooper’s backs.

(Let no one say that the pacifists of Mandalore were cowards.)

(They may not have given her blasters or armor, but they had given her food and shelter, and that alone was a death sentence if the Empire ever found them out.)

(Korkie’s refugee network was a thing of beauty.)

Myles leads her to the collective breakfast pot that’s been set up. It’s porridge. She smiles tightly, and declines.

“You gotta eat,” one of the True Mandalorians says.

Ahsoka raises a brow. She points at the porridge. “I’m not eating that.”

Their face screws up in offense. “What, our food isn’t good enough for you?”

“I’m a carnivore,” she says, absolutely baffled. “Do you—I’m a Togruta, have you never met one before? I can stomach that without vomiting, sure, but it won’t actually do anything for me nutritionally.”

The Mando flushes.

Ahsoka looks around the clearing. It’s mostly Mandalorians, and a handful of Jedi. The Mandalorians are… all human. Maybe near human. They seem human, at least.

She’d thought, for some reason, that the True Mandalorians were more species-diverse than the New, or Death Watch. Bo-Katan had implied as much, once, but… the only non-humans here are herself and two of the Jedi.

“Are you all human?” Ahsoka asks carefully. “…all of you?” [1]

The Mandalorian looks away.

Myles coughs into a fist. “Most of us, yeah. Mandalorian space tends towards humans and part humans. I think about 80% human or mostly human, on average. Haat’ade, we have a few non-humans, but not as many as the Mand’alor would like. Bit of a self-propagating issue, kicked off back when we still had Mereel.”

Ahsoka makes an inquiring noise. She recognizes the name, again mostly due to Bo. “Mereel?”

Myles nods. “He started the faction with friends from his region of Mandalorian space, which was mostly human. When the faction grew, non-human potentials were often leery of joining because we didn’t have enough non-humans in our ranks. It’s a bit better than it used to be, but…”

He gestures across the clearing. “Not enough that a random selection ensures more than one non-human.”

She tries to search the implied one out. It must be obvious, because Myles laughs. He explains, “one of our snipers is Pantoran. She took grave shift watch, so she only just turned in.”

Ah, that would do it.

“Don’t suppose you have any carnivore rations?” Ahsoka asks. It’s not entirely hopeful.

“’Fraid we didn’t pack any,” Myles tells her. He does seem to be pretty sympathetic. “Jedi might have some?”

Yeah, but that would mean talking to them, and while the Mandalorians are perceptive, the Jedi are… more.

And in ways she doesn’t want them to be.

She does need to eat, though.

Ahsoka approaches the Nikto Jedi. He’s… probably a knight? She isn’t sure. She bows shallowly, unsure of how closely she should follow her own culture, here and now.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she murmurs, not wanting to address him as Master before she knows if it’s the proper address. He’s older than her, certainly, but…

She doesn’t technically hold a rank anymore. Not with the Jedi.

“Well met, Fulcrum,” the man intones. “You left before we could ask after your title, yesterday. Are you a knight?”

“I’m—no, it’s complicated,” she says. She’d planned out what to say, she had, but the words flee her head. “I was—I’m not—my master died. I couldn’t make it back to the Jedi for a while, and by the time I could…”

They were gone.

“I didn’t feel it was an option anymore,” she says instead.

The Nikto blinks at her, and then gestures for her to sit. “I am Jedi Knight San-Set Neff. Call me San.”

“You already know what I’m calling myself,” she says.

“I do,” he agrees, and does not comment on the clearly false nature of the name. “Why did you feel you could not return to the Jedi?”

Because they didn’t exist. “I was… in a bad place. Not spiritually, though that too, but rather… I never Fell, but I had to do a number of things to survive that I’m not entirely proud of. There are many dead by my hand, and I don’t…”

She was a war padawan. Her skills, her habits, her philosophy, all are colored by her time in battle and in what passed for black ops in the Rebel Alliance. She could be a Shadow, maybe, but she’s not…

“I’ve been alone for almost three years,” she finally says. “And the Temple wouldn’t know me, so…”

San tilts his head, and then shrugs. “I suppose we shall ask Master Dooku when he arrives.”

“Ah. Yes.”

“Assuming you do not have an issue with his… rancid vibes, was it?”

She shouldn’t have said anything. “I’ll deal.”

He doesn’t quite smile, but there’s a shape of the Nikto equivalent to one in his face. “Just so. I’m assuming you came over here for a reason, though? You and the Mand’alor’s second were discussing something before he pointed you to me.”

“Was wondering if you have any rations fit for a tog,” she admits. “Else I’ll have to go hunting for something I can add to the porridge.”

“I believe we have something freeze-dried for myself and Tiaka,” San says. “Wait here a moment?”

“Happily.”

(Continue on AO3)

#Ahsoka Tano #Jango Fett #Count Dooku #star wars #Myles the Mandalorian #galidraan #phoenix files #the king the soldier and the spy #the clone wars #sw legends #Komari Vosa

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ewan-mo · 7 months

Text

Mo had a dream

20th September 2023

The youngest student at the workshop; 2 months old. Son of Brenda, Community MH nurse, he is just 2 months old. He’s called Zion. And very advanced, of course.

At breakfast today I decided to have avocado. Because I could, because it’s good for me, and because we normally eat quite a bit of it at home.

Our menu here tends to be based on common Ugandan everyday foods, hence yesterday’s liver and cooking banana and today’s avocado.

Ewan began the day’s programme with a snowball exercise. 2-3 people discuss first, then they join another group to become 6 and so on. Each time the group has to decide on its ‘top 3’ – in this case, their top three things learnt as a result of the partnership with Jamie’s Fund. Great to read their results. I was not surprised, but I was moved, to hear mention of loving our patients, and other similar sentiments

Long ago in Malawi, I was surprised and upset to find that the PrivateNotForProfit hospitals, which were mostly faith based, wouldn’t care for any patients with mental illness. While in government service we were developing community mental health care and reducing the population of the mental hospital, the mission hospitals were saying “We don’t do this.”

We asked a question of the Christian Medical Fellowship in UK as to why should this be? That led to a consultation: “Should faith based health institutions provide mental health services?”

An international conference followed in 1998: Developing Mental Health: a Challenge to the Churches. We brought participants from five continents - mental health workers, their managers and their bishops, and had a wonderful week in a conference centre in England.

By then I had a dream: that faith-based hospitals, especially in low-income countries, would develop community mental health services, and offer love and commitment to this group of people who are so often stigmatised, rejected and outcast.

Working in Jamie’s Fund in Uganda, my dream has come true. Our young colleagues here have a shining vision to make things better in mental health, and they are transforming lives. They also love to learn and we are having such a good week with them.

Second on today’s agenda I presented Trauma Matters, prepared by our good friend Helen, a Liverpool psychiatrist. We were all looking forward to her first visit to Uganda – and so was she, but late in the day illness stopped that happening. Interesting presenting other people’s powerpoint! But I already knew that she and I had were of the same tribe, had concerns and values in common, and that it was a privilege to present her work.

After lunch our colleague Sudaat told us about a new syndrome “Shake Shake”. Every so often these slightly odd presentations crop up, often in boarding schools, looking like some weird neurological disease. As far as I know, they never are, but are usually due to underlying stress and the girls ‘catch’ it from each other. You won’t be surprised to hear that in ShakeShake the girls’ legs shake.

Some of our colleagues had asked for screening tools to give them a straightforward and speedy way to assess those patients in medical clinics who come with physical symptoms but appear to have nothing wrong with them. So we talked about screening principles and got them doing translations of one such tool into local languages. Much hilarity ensued. Keeping control was like herding cats.

We took a group photo with the banner of the the Diversity Foundation behind the group. Diversity Travel have been very generous in their support to Jamie’s Fund and have paid about half the cost of this work shop for which we are very grateful..

Ewan enjoys data. Don’t drown in data, turn it into information! Kuule from Bwindi and Lamet from Mukono, both very able and visionary mental health clinicians, joined Ewan to show how it could be done. Kuule and Ewan have recently spent a considerable time preparing a research paper on this very subject, which shows how the number of patients attending mental health clinics around Bwindi has increased as more clinics have been opened as a result of training of clnical staff in basic mental health care, sponsored by JF. The only officially required figures are for the clinic attendances rather than how an individual attends. Just looking at the number of attendances doesn't tell you about the size of pool of patients or if individuals are attending regularly for follow up. You need this to be able to manage your service effectively.

Supper as usual and early bed.

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little-lee-froggie · 2 years

Text

Hello! It’s me, with me content for you! This is the Shinsou one that I’ve been working on forever, and I finally stoped procrastinating and got it the fuck done, so here it is! I could make a part two if anyone wants, but if not, then I won’t. With that, let’s get into it:

_________________________________________

Warnings: slight swearing

Summary: You and Shinsou were always pretty close for siblings, and you treated each other more like childhood friends. Sadly cause of the dorms, you don’t see each other nearly as much as you used to, but that doesn’t change much about your relationship …

Ler: Shinsou

Lee: Reader (as his little sibling, cuz I wanna :p)

You were so excited!! You were going to see your big brother today! With you being two years younger than him, you were in your last year of middle school while he was in his second year of high school, where he lived in a dorm, so you didn’t get to see him very often, just on the weekends.

You lived kinda far from the school. You were currently living with your childhood friend, [FRIEND’S NAME], and you took the bus there, so it took you about an hour to get there. And that’s right where you were right now. Standing in front of the dorms at UA.

You knocked on the big door of class 2A’s dorms, and it opens to reveal Kaminari. “Hey Kami! Is Hitoshi still in his room?”, you asked him, waving in greeting. You knew he would know where Shinsou was considering the fact that Kami was his best friend. “Yep! You know him, probably was up till seven am last night” he said, kinda chuckling to himself.

You smiled at that, remembering how you and Hitoshi used to stay up till sunrise doing whatever you wanted. “Come on in!”, said the electric blonde, holding the door open for you, and bowing as if you were royalty. You giggled a bit and walked in. “Do you want me to bring you to his room, or do you want to wake him up yourself?”, Kami asked, sitting at the counter, already knowing you would prefer to go alone so you could catch up with your brother, but still asking none the less. “I think I’ll go up by myself, but I’ll see you when we come down for breakfast” you say, smiling at him.

You waved to Kaminari as you ascended up the stairs to your brother’s room. You opened the door quietly as to not yet wake up your passed out brother, who was completely under his blanket, head and all.

You tip-toed over to his bed, and shook him gently. “Hitoshi!”, you whisper yelled, he didn’t move at all. He didn’t sleep much, but when he did, he slept heavy. You shook him again. “Hitoshi, wake up!”, you said in the same voice as before.

You were so preoccupied with trying to wake up your brother that you didn’t notice that what you were shaking wasn’t your brother, but a stuffed pair of pants and hoodie, and that your REAL older brother was creeping up behind you.

Before you could call out to him a third time, Shinsou tackled you onto the bed, catching you off guard. You screamed a little, battling whoever just jumped on you, until you heard the voice of your brother say “No need to fight, I just want to see you~”, and you quickly put the pieces together. What you thought was your brother was a diversion, and you had fallen for it.

“Geez, you scared the shit out of me-AHHAHAHAHA! H-HITOSHIHIHIHI WHAT THE FUHUHUCK!!” you yelled as your brother started to tickle the shit out of you. Hitoshi smirked at the loud reaction he got from you. “Sorry. Just have to do my weekly check, you know? Make sure I can still make you giggle and squeak from tickling all your ticklish nerves~” he said back, his smirk growing from a normal smirk to one that could kill god if met with it.

Hitoshi has this thing where he always has to make sure you’re still ticklish every week, even though he knows the answer. When you two were still living together, it would happen multiple times a day, and while you would never admit it, it’s a big reason about why you miss living with your brother so much.

Shinsou is quite observant, so he knows that you prefer the kind of tickles that make you giggle over laughing loudly like you were now, so he went a bit easier on you, listening to the sweet giggles now pouring from your mouth.

“Hitoshihihihihi! Ahaha!!!!” You said, smiling widely, both from the tickles and cuz you enjoyed it. “Awh, look at you! All helpless and giggly! Oh, I could do this forever!!” He teased you, his low voice having a hint of mischief in it.

Up until now, he had you in a back hug type hold, but now he had tuned onto you back, and he was sitting on your waist. He briefly let you catch your breath, and while you were still giggling he looked you in the eyes, smirk still on his face and said “Good to see you kid, I missed you”.

After that, you felt two fingers on either side of you gently walking up your ribs, making you squeak and start giggling louder again. “Ahahaha!!! Hito*squeak*shihihihi!!!!” You managed to get out of your system, your giggles overpowered your voice.

Your eyes were closed tightly, but you could FEEL his smirk, a small blush appearing on your face, and to your dismay, it did not go unnoticed by your brother.

“Awww, you’re blushing already, and I’ve just barely gotten started! At this rate, when I’m done with you, people might mistakenly think your face is beet! Oh well, it’s not like I can control how cute and easy to fluster you are! Not to mention, EXTREMELY ticklish~! Isn’t that right, hmm?? Tickle tickle tickle~”. Geez, why’d he have to know how to fluster you so well…

“Stahahap sahahayihihing thahahat!!!!”, you giggled out, face getting redder by the second. “What, tickle? Oh that’s right , I almost forgot that you can’t say tickle, and it flusters you when others say it! Wow, I remember you being ticklish, but I didn’t think you were THIS ticklish. Awhwhw how cute, you’re trying to escape! Well, at least your instincts are telling you to escape, but I think that you like this, then again, what do I know? I’ve only known you your whole life” he teased, making you blush while still giggling.

“S-shuhuhut uhuhup youhuhu jehehehrk!!!”, you giggled helplessly as you heard a gasp come from your brother. Gosh, he was really going to pull out the dramatics on you. “JERK?! After everything we’ve been through since you were born! I just wanted to catch up with my sibling and be a good big brother, and THIS is the thanks I get?! Well, this might just make me cry” he said, all with that fucking smirk on his face might I add.

He went from scribbling to poking, making you squeak a lot more then before. “Ahaha *squeak* Hitohohoshihihihi nahahah*squeak*AHah!!!” He just chuckled lowly at your little giggles and continued to tease the shit out of you. The blush on your face was continually getting darker and darker.

“Wow, you look like Kirishima’s hair! I forgot how well teasing works on you~!” “S-shuhuhut uhuhuUHUhup!!! Yohou’re sohohoho *squeak* mehehean!!”, you said, kicking and flailing around, doing your best not to hit your brother. He just laughed at you, smirking at your genuinely happy smile.

As much as you put up the front that this annoyed you, he could tell you enjoyed this, in fact, you told him as much yourself; when you were younger, maybe around four, he would try not to tickle you to much in fear of hurting you, but you would always ask him to. Over the years, you stopped asking, instead doing things to tell him you wanted him to tickle you without actually telling him. He also made sure you were ok with it by asking you on a regular basis if there was anything he did that you didn’t want him to do, but you would always say no, and that’s how he knew.

“Aww, I’m mean now, huh~? Oh, sweet little [NAME], you have no idea what mean is~…” he said as he moved his head down towards your stomach, and ever sooo lightly letting his hair slowly drift across it while he started to squeeze your hips.

This, understatedly, made you SCREAM.

“AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! HITOSHIHIHIAHAHA!!!!!!!!”. Now, normally even just the squeezing would have made you scream, but Shinsou just decided to be REALLY mean today and bring his hair into it.

A few minutes later, someone burst into the room. It was none other than Izuku Midoria, and he had a worried look on his face. “I-is everything ok? I heard a scream- wait, what’s happening?”, he asked, worry turning into confusion. “Oh, nothing, just tickling little [NAME] here~” your brother said, opting to poke you again so he could have a conversation with Deku. “Oh, ok. Well, I think it’s almost breakfast, so do you want to come down with me?”, the green haired boy asked politely. “We’ll be down in a few minutes”, your brother replied, still poking you.

After Deku had left the room, your brother finally got off you, and you curled up, still giggling. “So, how has your week been?”, he asked you nonchalantly as you tried to recover from his attack. “It-it was goohohod…” you finally managed to huff out.

After he had brushed your hair (when you were little, he was the only one who was allowed to brush your hair cuz he was always so gentle, so now he likes to do it for you to remind himself of those times), the two of you headed down stairs for breakfast with the rest of 2A.

You and your brother sat with Denki and talked for awhile. After about half an hour, you had finally stopped being so jumpy.

~Time skip~ (around forty minutes)

You were playing video games with Denki and your brother in Denki’s room, and you were winning. “I remember you being worse than me! How did you get so good all of the sudden [NAME]??”, your brother questioned you as you were laser focused on the screen. “When you live in a house with [FRIEND’S NAME], you learn how to get really good at games like this” you said, laughing slightly.

“But you shouldn’t be THIS good!! I beat you at this exact game just a few weeks ago…” Shinsou complained.

“It’s not my fault you suck at video games, Hitoshi” you teased your brother and smiled innocently, making him playfully glare at you.

“Okay, you’re just asking for it at this point, aren’t you~?” Shinsou teased you, slowly moving toward you, his hands forming claws.

Your eyes widened as you slowly backed away, until you quickly got up and sprinted away, small giggles pouring through your mouth, your bother not to far behind you, leaving Kami alone in the room, laughing at the way the two of you teased each other.

The two of you ran all through out the dorm building, every so often passing confused classmates, until you stupidly chose to run into your brothers room. You realized you had messed up your choice of where to run off to, but when you thought to just leave and continue running, you heard your bother close to the door.

“Ohhh [NAME], I know you’re in there~” your bother said, and in a split second you quickly hid behind the headboard of his bed and hoped he wouldn’t go easy on you.

Just in time, you managed to get all your limbs hidden when Shinsou burst through the door. You covered your mouth to try and quiet your heavy breathing and small giggles. However, it didn’t work when he heard your shuffling to cover you mouth, which was enough for him to find out where you were.

But he decided play dumb just to get you even more flustered.

“Hmm, I wonder where [NAME] could have gone… maybe here? Or here? Hmmm… Boo” he said as he appeared at your side, making you squeak. You attempted to run again, but Shinsou caught you over his shoulder and brought you over to his bed again.

You were already giggling and squirming around, making your bother smirk. “Aww, are you already laughing~? Save that for latter, I haven’t even done anything yet!” he teased as you blushed.

In stead of putting you on his bed, he sat down and moved you so he was almost cradling you. He gave you one last smirk before you felt a hand start to tickle your inner thigh and the same in your upper ribs.

You squeaked really loudly as more and more giggles erupted out of you, your legs kicking slightly. Your bother smiled sweetly at your reaction. He loved you as much as an older brother could live his little sibling, and he was so happy to be with you right now. It felt like it had been forever since he’d seen you, even though you see each other every week.

He was brought out of his thought when he looked at your smiling face, listening to your giggles. He smiled more, moving the hand he had on your ribs up to your neck. You squeaked and your giggles rose an octave.

“Hitohohoshihihi nahahahaha!!!” you laughed, melting into your older brother. “What is it [NAME]~?”, he teased you, making the blush on your face a slightly deeper red, not unnoticed by Shinsou.

“Awh, you’re blushing~! How cute… does being tickled really fluster you that badly?? You really are ticklish, aren’t you~?” “Nahahaha dohon’t sahay thahahat!!!!” “Don’t say what? That you’re ticklish?? I’m just stating facts [NAME], no need to blush about it~!”

He continued to tease you ruthlessly, and all you could do was just scream, laugh and blush, which only made it easier for him to tease you, which made the cycle continue.

His teases kept getting even more evil to; “Laugh as loud as you want, it won’t help you, I have all the control, so laugh for me~. That’s right, you are completely at my mercy [NAME]~” “Ohohohoho myhyhyhy gohohohod, shuhuhut uhuhup!!!” you giggled out, prompting your bothers smirk to grow 10x bigger.

“What was that~? Did you just tell me to shut up?? Ohoho, you shouldn’t have said that little [NAME]~… you’re SOOO in for it now~” he said, as he moved one of his hands to your back and the other on your stomach, lining up perfectly with his first one. On top of it all, he buried his face in the crook of your neck started and nuzzling like a cat.

“H-HITOSHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!”, you screamed, kicking your legs around wildly. “What is it [NICKNAME]~? Can’t handle a little tickling~?? That’s to bad, cuz now that I have you, you’re NEVER getting out~!”, he spoke into your neck, adding a chuckle at the end. The vibrations sent up your neck to your ear, making you squeak and scream.

“NAHAHAHA DOHOHON’T TAHAHALK!!! I-IT TICK-“ you stopped midway through you sentence, being taken over by a fit of laughter.

If this were the first time your brother had ever tickled you, maybe he would have believed that you were just laughing to hard to speak, but your bother knew you better than that…

“What were you going to say?? It what~? Common, sayyyy it, don’t be shy~!”, he teased, still speaking into your neck, driving you insane.

“NOHOHO! I WOHOHON’T SAHAHAHAY IHIHIT!!!”, you laughed, covering you face with your hands. “*sigh* You leave me no choice [NAME]…” Shinsou said, finally lifting his head from your neck, making his giant smirk evident.

All of the sudden, his hands quickly moved from the two spots he had them in previous to you very highest ribs, almost in you armpit.

“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! HIT-AHAHA!!!”, you shrieked. If you thought you were loud before, you were sorely mistaken.

Your brother’s hands were tasering and squeezing your upper-most ribs, your hands now moved to try and pry off his hands, so he could see you face, and he smiled. You just looked so happy, and that made him happy. He got so raped up in how happy you made him feel that it caught him off guard when your laughter went silent.

He immediately stopped, and you curled in a ball on his lap. He stroked your hair as some left over giggles flew out of you mouth. Once you had recovered, he smiled at you.

“Sorry, I got distracted, I didn’t realize you were reaching your breaking point” he apologized, and you smiled at him. “I-ihit’s okahahay! I didn’t really mind ihit…” you said quietly, a small blush reappearing on you face. “Aww, no need to blush~!”, your bother teased, making you smile slightly. “Sh-shut up!…” you replied, hiding your face in his chest, not wanting him to see how red your face had gotten, knowing he would tease the shit out of you for it.

The two of you stayed like that for awhile, just the two of you, as close as siblings could be. You were happy to be with your brother again…

~BOUNS!!~ (a few weeks later)

You walked up to your brothers room, glad it was finally the weekend again. You hadn’t had the best week, but you were better now.

As soon as you knocked on your brother’s door, he opened it, lifting you up, startling you. “Wahh!! Hitoshi!”, you yelled, clinging on to him as to not fall.

“Hey [NAME], guess what! I talked to Aizawa, and if you want, you could live in the dorm with me!”, he said excitedly. “Holy shit, REALY?! I’ll have to talk to [FRIEND’S NAME], but of course I want to!!”, you exclaimed happily.

The next weekend came, and you had moved in with your brother in the dorm. It took a bit getting used to, but you were so happy! No more hour long bus rides, no more having to wait for the weekends to see your bother, you could just be with him again like when you were younger.

But most notably, you got tickled a lot more!!

꧁༺To be continued??༻꧂

_________________________________________ That was the fic! I hope you enjoyed it! sorry it took so long to get out, but I hope it was worth the wait!! Again, I could do a part 2 if anyone wants, but I won’t unless someone tells me, so do with that information as you will :) That’s all for now! Hope to see you next time, byeeeee!!

-Froggie :p

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