#hi im stephanie and im so lonely

[icyharrington]

So I Can Get Mine, And You Get Yours (Eddie Munson X Reader)

hayyy so for some reason this fic took me like a million years to write even though it’s short ??? idek lmaoo but anyways this shit is finally done !!! i hope y’all like, once i’m done with this im gonna go back to working on some requests and stuff in my inbox!! and feel free to send any ideas u might have uwu

description: after your weed stash is discovered and confiscated by your parents, you’re desperate for a re-up but are unwilling to spend the extra cash. lucky for you though, eddie munson is willing to work out a deal.

contains: sexual tension, dom!eddie, drug mentions, stoner reader lmao, blowjobs, deepthroating/face fucking, dirty talk, eddie is a slightly perverted yet charming asshole, tha reader sucks dick for weed lmao

wc: 5.1k

tagging: @jargotquinn @wordsaretheonlyescape @ankokubunka @rottnteen @msunravelled @animesnowstorm @send-me-a-cryptid @itsanithemenace @lenora91 @mxh0neylol @reddesert-healourblues @capricornrisingsstuff @i-me-mine @somnobun @harrystylesplschokeme @harringtonfan4 @bimbobaggins69 @sarahgarlic @xxlilyxx90 @daddy-long-legolas @virgovixen89 @manicpixieautismgirl @hahahafucku @stephanie-nicks76 @f-me-reid @winterton-reads @dixontardis @kleinegamerin @bbellee @bohemianrhapsody86 @for-hearthand-home​

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my most valued and reliable customer,”  Eddie Munson says with an evil grin as the front door of his trailer swings open. He reclines against the doorframe, eyebrows raising in amusement at the sight of you standing there in front of him.

You’re situated on his porch, huddling your arms together beneath your baggy coat as you shiver in the mid-autumn chill. Narrowing your eyeliner-smeared eyes into a glare, you shove your way past him into the gentle warmth of his home.

“Shut up,” you say irritably, which makes Eddie throw his hands up like he’s at gunpoint.

“Just come right in, I guess!” he exclaims, slamming the door shut in your wake to keep out the cold air. Unfazed, you throw yourself back onto the living room couch, ignoring the look of utter annoyance that stretches itself across Eddie’s angular features when you do. “Now that you’re nice and comfy, what the hell do you need?”

As if the chip on his shoulder is unjustified, you let out an offended scoff. Stalling at his question, you will yourself to break contact with Eddie’s gaze. “…Weed.”

Eddie folds his arms in front of his chest, staring you down; he’s wearing a leather jacket with his Hellfire tee underneath, paired with gray-black jeans and combat boots. With the shitty yellow glow of his trailer surrounding him ominously as he looks down on you with near-black eyes, he almost appears intimidating, but in all honesty, you’d be more afraid of a golden retriever than of Eddie Munson in most situations. He likes to play himself off like he’s some kind of unpredictable bad boy, dealing drugs after school and wreaking havoc in the hallways by way of his wild antics, but you’re not stupid, unlike most of the other Hawkins high attendees.

You’ve been regularly buying weed from Eddie for a few months now; once a week you’ll meet him under the staircase at school to purchase a half-ounce, occasionally sticking around for some idle conversation.

He always struck you as a lonely kind of guy- somebody with a lot to say, but nobody to say it to. You’d nod along as he rambled on about his band, or the assholes at school he hated, or Dungeons and Dragons, which you would pretend to understand just to humor him. He was a nice, if not slightly geeky and eccentric dude, and you could never quite understand the fear your classmates harbored for him.

“Ouch, (y/n). And here I was thinking you just wanted to spend some time basking in my presence.” He shakes his head with a click of his tongue, his face contorting into an exaggerated display of devastation. “What the hell happened to the shit I sold you this morning?”

You grit your teeth into a wince, reminded directly of the cause for your bad mood. Flailing back dramatically against the throw pillows beneath you, you flash Eddie a helpless look. “God, don’t even get me started, Eddie.”

“The cops didn’t catch you, did they?” He knits his brows, voice dropping to a concerned whisper as his spindly frame hunches over you. “You didn’t rat me out, did you? My uncle will be so fuckin’ pissed if our trailer gets raided.”

“No. Worse,” you say flatly, stifling a giggle when his dark eyes expand cartoonishly with alarm. “My mom found it.”

You’d made the mistake of tossing the baggie of weed in your sock drawer before heading to your evening shift at the record store, only for your mom to come across it while putting away laundry that evening; when you’d arrived back home later in the night, you found your mother, red-faced and teary, sitting at the kitchen table across from a box of Kleenex and your stash. Blubbering endlessly about life paths and bad influences, any outsider would have assumed she’d caught you lighting a crack pipe redhanded.

He lets out a prolonged exhale in a combination of relief and exasperation, shaking his head at you like a disappointed parent. “And how exactly is that worse?”

“You haven’t met my mom.” You reposition yourself on the couch, sitting upright and crossing your legs in favor of a less unhinged approach. “She’s gonna be on my ass until the end of time now.”

“Sorry, I’m still having trouble seeing how that’s worse than getting raided by the police,” Eddie says, rolling his eyes as he starts towards the hallway, where you assume his bedroom is located. “So what do you want? Another half?”

“That’d be nice,” you say, chewing your lip apprehensively. You decide not to say anything else until he returns with what you want, spreading your hands out on your knees and drumming your fingers restlessly.

You wouldn’t consider yourself a stoner, though you’ve been smoking daily since your sophomore year of high school, after befriending a few punk-obsessed senior kids who introduced you to it; at this point you’re probably semi-dependent on the naturally occurring substance, but you can’t bring yourself to stop- you love the way it makes you feel, all cozy and content, your cheeks aching from smiling at every damn thing you cross paths with.

You know it’s mildly pathetic to have walked all the way to the trailer park after midnight with the sole intent of replenishing your confiscated stash, but you hate the thought of spending a weekend without any weed.

On second thought, maybe you are a stoner.

When Eddie emerges from his bedroom, he’s carrying a twisted-up Ziploc bag, a telltale earthy green shade visible through the transparent plastic. He swings it back and forth as he approaches you in the living room, humming something off-key to go along with his needlessly jaunty strides. “Should I even sell this to you? Kind of a waste to sell if mommy’s just gonna add it with the other contraband.”

“Hey!” You feel your cheeks burn in response to his teasing, which is embarrassing enough of a reaction in itself- why do you care what Eddie Munson thinks, anyway? “She isn’t going to find it this time.”

He examines the bag thoughtfully, holding it above his head so that it catches in the room’s sallow lighting. “I dunno, (y/n). I dunno.”

Eddie’s doing what he does best: putting on a show, and you don’t know if he’s merely acting on his ever-present impulse to behave idiotically, or if he’s purposefully being an asshole- either way, you can feel your patience gradually depleting by the second. “Eddie, seriously- don’t be a dick. I walked all the way here.”

“That was your idea!” he exclaims, visibly dumbfounded by the audacity of your demeanor. “What if I was all out, huh? Then you’d be shit out of luck, wouldn’t you?”

“Well, good thing you’re not,” you say defiantly, extending a hand in between the two of you with an obnoxious grabbing motion. He’s starting to really get on your nerves now, though you assume it’s intended. “Just give it to me, Eddie.”

He acts like he’s going to hand you the bag before he abruptly retreats his arm to loop behind his back, shoving it into his back pocket. “Not so fast. I want my ten dollars.”

Glancing down at your palms in an attempt to avoid Eddie’s expectant stare, you fidget uncomfortably in your seat, before blurting out, “Yeah, could I maybe get it for free? Just this once?”

Eddie lowers his chin towards his chest, his eyebrows raising in disbelief; you force yourself not to look at him, knowing fully well that you’re making a complete ass of yourself right now. “Sorry, I don’t think I quite got that. Did you say free?”

Fuck. Out of all the people you figured you could get free weed from, Eddie seemed the most likely to oblige, but obviously you’d misjudged him. Maybe you do need to cut back on the Mary Jane, because damn- you’re really starting to act like a corner-store crackhead. You’re growing increasingly more embarrassed with every moment Eddie’s dark eyes remain fixed on you, but you’ve already made the journey, so really, there’s no point in backing down now. “Well, yeah. I mean, I didn’t even end up smoking the other shit I bought. My mom probably threw it in the trash.”

Eddie laughs, though you get the impression he’s doing it at you, rather than with you. “Do you think drug dealers come with fuckin’ insurance or something?”

You stifle a frustrated groan, fully realizing the stupidity of your request now that you’re being called out. Still, you refuse to let him catch on to your self-awareness, choosing instead to double down on your argument. “C’mon, Eddie. I only make three-fifteen an hour and I already spent half my paycheck on cassettes.”

“Well, damn, (y/n)! Learn to manage your finances better, then!” He speaks with a lighthearted tone, but his body language communicates a prominent irritation, his arms crossed firmly over his slender midsection. “If I give you weed for free, then I’m going to lose money, and I’m already strapped for cash. Plus, if word got out that I gave you a freebie- I’d have a whole line of desperate potheads begging outside my door instead of just one.”

You gasp at the bluntness of his remark, huffing out when you can’t think of anything clever to come back with. “I wouldn’t tell anyone you gave it to me for free. I swear.”

“Like I said- I’m too broke to be giving away goddamn goody bags,” Eddie snaps, angling his head to glance not-so-subtly at the front door, before flashing back to assess your flushed face. “I know you probably thought I’d cave at the sight of a pretty girl at my doorstep since I’m a freak who gets no female attention and all that, but I’m sorry to tell you that I actually run my business with integrity.”

The whole of Eddie’s statement blindsides you, and you find yourself blinking wildly as your mind races to process it; he’d just called you pretty, to your face, as matter-of-fact as reciting the alphabet. You can only pray that your complexion doesn’t redden too drastically as you feel your cheeks prickle and flush, but you somehow carry on, feigning indifference to the best of your ability. “You’re a drug dealer, dude. I don’t think there’s any way you can do that with integrity.”

“You can think whatever you like, sweetheart,” Eddie says as he taps your shoulder twice, signaling you to get up, which you do, albeit reluctantly. Once you’re back on your feet, you’re reminded of your height difference, though it had never really crossed your mind in the past; perhaps it’s your close proximity to him that makes it seem so much more conspicuous now, with Eddie looking down on you- literally- from mere inches away. “My answer is still absolutely fuckin’ not.”

“It’s just ten dollars worth of weed!” you yell, not unlike a child being denied a balloon in a grocery store.

“If it’s just ten dollars, why can’t you pay me, huh?”

He bows his head so that his dark, frizzy hair curtains either side of his angular face, shrugging nonchalantly, despite the pride that you can see gleaming within the mischievous blackness of his eyes. Check-fucking-mate.

It dawns on you that you’re probably just going to have to accept not getting your way, and you pout, giving up on trying to convince him. “Because I’m broke.”

“Well, so am I!” He looks at you like you’re out of your mind, and you can almost agree with him, though you’d never say so out loud. During the resulting lapse of awkward silence, you can see him start to ponder something, his mouth screwing up in earnest thought until his tone eventually shifts.“Y’know, if you showed up at any other dealer’s house at this time of night with no money, they’d probably think you were coming to fuck them for drugs.”

Your mouth drops open, and for once, you’re genuinely speechless. The worst part, however, is that he has a valid point- you really are acting like someone trying to whore themselves out for drugs, aren’t you?

“Oh, come on, (y/n). Don’t look at me like you have no idea what I’m talking about.” He chuckles, his eyes dropping to briefly scan you over. You’re not wearing anything scandalous, despite the self-consciousness that floods your body as he surveys you- just your thrifted jeans and an oversize corduroy jacket, hardly the appropriate attire for drug prostitution.

“Um, ew?” you manage to retort, stepping backwards until your calves are pressed up against the couch. There isn’t much space available for you to create any meaningful distance between the two of you, so you’ll just have to settle for the time being. “I totally did not come here to fuck you for weed, you pervert.”

“Oh, so I’m a pervert now for pointing out the obvious,” Eddie says, his hands splaying out theatrically in front of him. “I’m just saying what it looks like, not that I want you to! Jeez!”

You scoff without really thinking, insulted. “Oh, so if I did offer you something in return, you’re saying you’d turn me down?”

Eddie just looks at you with a perplexed expression, before his lips twitch upwards at the corners, giving way to a self-assured smirk. There’s a devious glint in his eyes that you’re not familiar with, and when you peer back up at him, your body inadvertently shifts and squirms. “Not necessarily.”

You attempt to back away but can’t, seeing that you’re cornered up against the couch with nowhere to go. The air is somehow thicker now, more tense, and there’s an invisible hum of electricity that gnaws at your fingertips; it’s like you’re frozen, your limbs stiff and unresponsive, and you gulp, hyper-aware of the sudden tilt in atmosphere.

Eddie’s smirk intensifies as he witnesses your bad attitude slip away, your disposition no longer bold, but trembling and timid. “I don’t normally accept trade offers in the form of sexual favors, but hey, maybe if you ask really nicely, I’ll consider it.”

“Fuck you.” The words come out immediately, desperate to mask  your humiliation with some sort of vitriolic statement, but the effect isn’t what you were hoping for; your voice shakes weakly, and there’s no punch to it, no bite to let him know who he’s messing with. “I would never fuck you, for weed or any other reason. You’re creepy and a freak.”

You’re a bit guilty for getting so nasty with him, but at this point you’ll do anything to prevent your pride from enduring any more blows. Eddie just poises a brow skeptically, cocking his head to one side. “Yeah, I’m so much of a creep that you felt safe coming to my house in the middle of the night to beg for pot, isn’t that right?”

“I wasn’t fucking begging you!” You stomp your foot to accentuate your point, though it just comes off like you’re throwing a tantrum.

“Right- you were just asking persistently, then,” Eddie quips, growing more smug with each second that passes while you cower. “You’re reaaaallllly digging a hole for yourself right now, aren’tcha, sweetheart?”

“Whatever,” you say flatly, finally gathering the courage to step out of Eddie’s way, awkward in your movements as you shuffle toward the front door. “A simple no would’ve sufficed, but I guess being a douchebag works too.”

You’re taken aback when he stops you, his long, jewelry-clad fingers wrapping loosely around your upper arm. There’s a friendlier appearance about him now, and you figure he’s trying to ease up on the intimidation. “Hey, c’mon! I didn’t tell you no, remember? I just said you’d have to ask me nicely.”

You jerk your arm back, scowling, even though your heartbeat inexplicably quickens when he touches you. “Yeah, you said that about me fucking you for weed, and that’s not happening.”

“Why’re you so shy all of a sudden, huh?” he asks, moving beside you to snake an arm around your shoulders. You can smell the cigarette smoke that clings to the inky leather of his jacket as you catch yourself inhaling deeply, and this time, you don’t pull away. “You’re saying you don’t want this?”

He retrieves the half-ounce of weed from his pocket, dangling it above your head like bait. Eddie’s weed isn’t even that good- there’s more seeds and stems than actual flower, and you have to smoke a whole joint’s worth to even feel anything, but damn, do you want it. There’s just something special about his supply, something that caused you to stop buying from all the other dealers in Hawkins and focus your business loyalty solely on him. You give the weed a purposefully-indifferent side-eye, commenting, “What happened to you being too broke to give away free shit?”

“See, hon, it isn’t actually free if I get something in return.” He leans closer to speak directly into your ear, giving you goosebumps when he uses one hand to sweep your hair out of the way. “I like you, (y/n). Like I said- you’re a valued customer. That’s why I’d be willing to work out a deal for you.”

He talks like a Wall Street broker closing in on a deal, which you’d probably laugh at, if you weren’t so fucking nervous. You don’t know what to make of the events that unfold before you like a scene in a bad porno, but you still have a hard time believing that Eddie Munson is actually trying to seduce you right now; part of you wonders if he’s putting on a show in an attempt to teach you a lesson for intruding on his space. “I already told you, Eddie. I didn’t come here to fuck you.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re too good for all of that trashy nonsense,” he deadpans, rubbing your shoulder in circles with his callused palm. ���Pretty girls like you should never give more than a blowjob for some Mary Jane. Right, princess?”

It’s like you’ve just taken a blow to the stomach, with the way his words knock the wind out of you; you quickly turn your head to hide the unmistakeable rosiness that blooms across your cheeks, although the effort is futile. “I- I didn’t say that.”

“C’mon, babe. You really think I believe that you came all the way here just to ask me for a little favor?” He gives your shoulder a condescending pat, chuckling at your efforts to evade him. “You knew exactly what you were doing.”

Had you known what you were doing, at least in your subconscious? It wasn’t like you’d put much thought into your plan before carrying it out, but what if there was an ulterior motive you weren’t even aware of? Are you really so disconnected from yourself that you’d be this clueless to your own intentions?

The way your body reacts to his closeness, however, tells you that Eddie “the freak” Munson has a profound affect on you, perhaps on a far deeper level than you know.

“Sure, if that’s what you wanna believe,” you say dismissively as you place one hand on your hip, regaining a bit of your cool exterior to scan his face over in search of any sign that he’s fucking with you. He appears entertained by your flustered state, but there’s also an earnest look behind his dark eyes, signaling to you that he’s down if you’re down. “But if you wanted me to blow you in exchange for the weed, you could’ve just asked.”

“You’re the one who’s gonna need to ask me, sweetheart. I’m giving you a pretty good deal, don’t ya think?” He bats his lashes mockingly at you, apparently in the mood to drag this little power play out for as long as possible; you can tell it’s turning him on, just from how quick and sharp his breathing is becoming.

As much as you hate yourself for it, you’re turned on, too, with an aching warmth making itself known between your shifting legs; logically, you know you should be ashamed for partaking in such a degrading activity, but physically? Well, that’s a different story altogether.

“Fine, if it helps boost your ego,” you mutter, shocked with yourself for even retaining the ability to speak. You try to keep your words straightforward and unemotional, managing an even “can I blow you for weed, Eddie?”

He looks at you like you’re stupid, letting go of his hold around your shoulder as he drops to sit down on the couch. “I, uh, think you might’ve forgotten something there, (y/n).”

Rolling your eyes, you watch as he unbuckles his belt noisily, leaning back against the throw pillows expectantly. He’s really having fun with this, isn’t he?

“Can I please blow you for weed?” you say through a pained wince, causing a triumphant grin to spread across his face as he continues to undo the front of his pants. Your question is ridiculous, pathetic even, but it’s music to his ears, his head falling back to let out a whoop of obnoxious laughter.

By now, you’re almost positive that this treatment is payback for calling him a freak, and while you probably deserve it, you can’t help but resent him for being an asshole anyway.

“See? Now, was that so fuckin’ difficult?” Eddie chides, eyeing you expectantly as he pulls his jeans and boxers partly down his thighs, exposing himself to you. He’s almost fully hard, and it’s evident that he’s packing a lot more than you ever would’ve guessed, with his thick, flushed length curving gently to one side. You sink onto the floor in front of him, wedging your way between his parted knees so that you’re face-to-face with his hefty dick, which is big enough that you’re actually intimidated by it. “Well, I guess since I’m in such a good mood, I’ll allow it. ”

He puts the bag of weed on the couch next to him, to provide with a good view of what you’re sucking him off for.

“You’re such an asshole,” you murmur, getting into a position where your mouth can reach him. You pretend to be fixated by the view of your own fingers taking hold of his cock, refusing to find out what sort of cocky expression is painted across his angled features.

“Yeah, yeah. I can act however I want,” he says while winding his fingers through your (h/c) hair, not implementing any real force to his grip just yet. “My house, my weed, my rules.”

“Whatever you say, dungeon master,” you say wryly, winking at him as you permit some saliva to dribble from your mouth and onto his cock, which twitches in response to your tongue-in-cheek nickname. You close your mouth around his leaking tip and suck on it lazily, your eyes heavy-lidded as they look up to drink in his admittedly pretty features.

“Yeah, that’s a good fuckin’ girl. You gotta earn it,” he encourages, his hand settling on the back of your head, still entwined with your hair. “D’you do this with all the dealers? Huh?”

You glare up at him resentfully, dipping your head to take him further into your mouth, his skin smooth and salty as you run your tongue along one of his prominent blue-green veins.

Taking advantage of the fact that he has a tight grasp on you, Eddie pushes your head down all the way until you’re gagging on him, causing you to move your hands to splay over his thighs; after a brief moment admiring you as you squirm, he moves you back several inches in a gesture of mercy. “Fuck. Yeah, you want it bad, don’t you? Fucking burnout slut.”

The harshness of his tone causes your head to spin, your panties soaked completely through; you’re sure he can sense how much you like it, because he jerks your head back down until your face is nearly flush with his pelvis once again.

“Must’ve smoked all your brain cells away if you thought you could pull one over on me,” he continues, and although you can’t see his face, you can practically hear the smirk within his voice. He lets up, allowing you the opportunity to bob your head freely up and down his thick cock, sputtering and drooling as you do so.

Hissing, he administers a sharp tug to your scalp, resting his head back as you explore him with your hot, needy mouth; his jaw is unhinged, giving way to a string of profane grunts, hips rocking up beneath you to make contact with the back of your narrow throat.

“Fuck, babe. Yeah, that’s it.” He uses your hair as reigns, guiding your motions to better suit his liking. You’re rendered temporarily speechless, your only sounds being the crude wet noise of your mouth being filled and fucked. “Goddamn, your mouth feels so fuckin’ good.”

The sound of his praise only fuels your avid movements, your fingernails digging through the denim of his jeans, clinging helplessly to him. You purr when he affectionately strokes you from your forehead to the base of your skull, the heavy metal of his rings assisting to cool your feverish skin. “Fuuuck, (y/n). Keep going.”

Doing as he says, you make an effort to take his cock all the way into your throat, peering up from underneath a veil of mascara-coated eyelashes. Eddie’s eyes are closed as he’s enveloped in your inflicted ecstasy, but they flutter open momentarily to meet yours, giving you a goofy half-smile when he notices you. He only abandons his douchey persona for a lapse before swiftly getting back into character, bucking his hips up fiercely into your mouth.

He rolls himself on your face, relishing in the sounds you make, the vibrations reverberating throughout his bottom half. You focus on taking your air in through your nose, ushering shallow gulps of oxygen that are only effective in keeping you from passing out.

“Gotta swallow it all if you really wanna earn it,” he groans, voice hoarse and gravelly. “You gonna do that for me, princess?”

He yanks your head off of his length, and you cough as spit strings rudely from your swollen lips, tears spilling out from the corners of your eyes. He waits for your composure to return, pursing his lips impatiently until you’re done wheezing.

“Yes, Eddie,” you say weakly, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand, completely forgetting that you’re wearing dark mascara (not that you looked any more polished beforehand). He basks in your disheveled appearance, petting your cheek and using his thumb to rid your face of tears, seeming drunk off the sight of you.

“Good girl.” He stands up from his spot on the couch, bringing you into an upright kneeling position by the root of your hair. Obediently, you open your mouth up for him, lolling your head back so he can slide himself deep. “Gonna make me- fuck- cum so hard, baby.”

You go limp as he fucks your face, enjoying the defenseless sensation of being used so carelessly. The arousal is loud and unrelenting as it burns through your core, your thighs squeezing together, needing friction. God, why the fuck had you only offered to blow him?

Eddie’s stomach flexes beneath the cotton of his shirt, and you know he’s about to climax, his head tilted back to fixate on the chipped ceiling. “Shit. Open your mouth.”

Once again, you’re taken off of his cock, which he angles above you, one hand working at his glistening length while the other holds you still.

It only takes a few more strokes before he’s releasing his hot cum into your waiting mouth, adorning the back of your throat with heavy ropes of white. Just like you promised, you swallow it all down with a slutty grin, licking your lips as you shrug your shoulders coyly.

“Holy fuck. Never woulda guessed that (y/n) (y/l/n) is a fuckin’ whore,” he laughs breathlessly, tucking himself back into his boxers and buttoning his jeans. He motions with his head to the half-ounce that still sits untouched on his couch, his fingers hastily buckling up his sturdy black belt. “That’s all yours, babe. I think you earned it.”

“Glad you think so,” you say with a sardonic raise of your brows, snatching up your prize and stuffing it into the inner pocket of your jacket like he might change his mind at any second. “So I guess this is when you tell me to get the fuck out?”

Eddie double-checks that is buckle is properly secured before squinting at you incredulously, seemingly put off by your suggestion. “Are you fuckin’ crazy? You think I’m gonna send you walking off into the night for any hillbilly with a van to snatch you off the side of the road?”

“Eddie, you are a hillbilly with a van.” You fold your arms in front of your chest, somewhat bashful at his sudden protectiveness.

“I am not a goddamn hillbilly, (y/n),” he protests, patting himself down until he hears the faint jingle of his keys from his coat pocket. “Y’know, I could always take my offer back if you’re going to be ungrateful.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” You hug your jacket tighter around you, a challenging expression situating itself over your features as you fight to stand your ground. “What, you think I’m your little slut now or something? I don’t need you to protect me, Eddie. This was a one time thing.”

“No, stupid,” he says as he slides his ring of keys into view. “It’s called not wanting to find your missing poster plastered all around town tomorrow morning. I’d be a piece of shit to let you go, blowjob or otherwise.”

“Whatever,” you mutter bitterly, tucking your hands into the corduroy material of your oversize jacket. “Just remember that this isn’t happening again.”

“Which part? You blowing me for weed, or just hanging out with me at my trailer?” He slips his hand around your waist as he walks you to the door, a hopeful ring to his words.

You stifle a grin, leaning into his shoulder unintentionally. “I’d hardly call what just happened hanging out.”

“Yeah, well. Maybe we can some time, yeah?”

It’s difficult to ignore the way your insides twist, your heart thundering wildly into your ribcage, threatening to break loose. Eddie Munson has successfully charmed you, a feat you never would have thought possible until now, but you don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing it just yet.

Curving your lips into an inhibited smirk, you blink at him sweetly. “Yeah. Maybe.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson smut #eddie munson x you #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson fic #joseph quinn #stranger things #stranger things smut #stranger things x reader #eddie munson imagine #stranger things imagine #mine #stranger things x you #stranger things fanfiction

[dramatic-shitpost-poet]

🦌(deercervidae): (hai im the same one who sent a few anon asks prior. youve prolly seen the username before and im on twitter and instagram) anyway

i love love love the idea of revs being born on Valentines Day (it fits the depressing nature of the show lol). he gets no bitches and he’s been lonely for about 6 decades and sometimes he thinks he was destined to be lonely since he was a baby until his death. but thanks to people like stephanie and orel in his life, it starts to change his pov on life a bit. sure, he’s still depressed, but hes glad hes got a two-person friend group to ease his loneliness and lonely heart.

iil think at some point his heart problems would be at an all time high and would develop a heart attack and be sent to the hospital to get some kind of cardio surgery. i hc him absolutely Hating hospitals and anything medical related so hed be terrified by the thought of having it. Or he would have cardiac arrest when he gets super old and dies from that

- he could die from a broken heart from being lonely forever and being born in Valentines Day (oh the irony)

and back to the ibs thing i saw that IBS is linked to appendicitis so he could get that at some point idk

and since putty hates hospitals stephanie would be there to comfort him and give him company and food when he recovers from whatever operations he has <33

ive also had a medical fixation as well in my younger teen years eeeee

that’s all i got for now for hc/story stuffs

Omg hey!!! I do recognize you. Might reach out on insta later if I have the energy.

Thank you for replying and giving HC, I need this shitttt.

I love your wording on this btw (might steal some to write fanfic if I have it in me). Revs probably only really saw love as romantic love as he chases after that constantly and I don't think he had the best sense of family love. I HC that his father was serving in WW1 or WW2 and away a lot. He either died in combat or returned home being a very distant person. His mother was more strict, constantly working, and not the best at being a parent. I also know he has siblings, but I see him as a middle child or older of some sorts and still very distant. I see Rod moving out asap so he doesn't have the best connection with family love which may also explain his complicated relationship with Stephanie and Orel. He had no role models and is just trying his best.

He constantly chased after romantic love as platonic is only now more so getting talked about and all the media since the beginning of time says that romantic love is a goal for everyone and it'll fix everything!! It's a weird subject but Revs bought into it and as a result, constantly felt like a failure and probably developed rejection sensitive dysphoria from how he was treated too.

It makes ALL the sense of Revs to eventually die of a broken heart as it matches with the story themes of Moral Orel and general physical health. I may be obsessing over this HC..

On the terms of what you are saying, I see him reaching a peak at around 70s or late 60s, after Moral Orel would end or close to the original ending of it timeline wise. He just ages and while he has family love more so now, he still lacks consistency (as both Steph and Orel have other families to go home too and I know Revs would like to *live* with someone constantly for consistency and to not feel alone). He also feels like he failed in many aspects due to depression, his age, etc.

This is a pile up of issues that he barely works on mentally that is combined with kinda a shitty diet and he also smokes, not making his organ issues better at all. It's not sudden, it builds up. I see him either having chest pains at his house or at church and calling Stephanie in a panic. Stephanie would take him to the hospital despite his protests because I think he would majorly have a fear of them (and needles specifically). He gets looked at immediately and probably grts surgery the same night because it's a legit emergency, if he waited he would have died, and low population yada yada. He would be glad Stephanie took him in but be grumpy about it and grumble, saying if God wanted him out he should of went. That and feeling like even MORE of a failure for having health issuss and feeling guilty for making his kid go through this. Stephanie would get mad at the God comment but be more gentle and reassuring for the others. I bet she wouldn't work for at least a week to watch over Revs.

Also, I know for a damn well fact Revs would be stubborn as hell, so Stephanie would have to FORCE him to lay on his back, not move or pick at anything, and take his meds.

After about a month, Stephanie would let Revs have some days where she isn't there again but she still checks on him more often.

I could very much do a fanfic idea with reader taking Stephanie's place as a caregiver after he has surgery. Either way, sweet. But canon, it would be Stephanie caring for him.

Also Orel would visit and be a questioning little autistic child which might make Revs feel insecure because of how personal the questions get, but Stephanie can guide the conversations and everything.

... one final note is I think Revs would be very grumpy and shy about his scars from surgery but dear god I wanna kiss them if he has them and make him a blushy shy mess. Old grumpy Reverend needs more love. Kiss him over his heart too for another personal touch💜

#moral orel #reverend putty #reverend rod putty #stephanie foamwire #stephanie putty #moral orel putty #orel puppington #anon answered #thanks anon! #same anon #anonymous #anon ask #heart #tw hospital

[worldenough-and-time]

DUDE your vampire AU sounds sooo cool !!! tell me more tell me more!!! i am loving your brain dumps rn 👀 👀 👀

(im coming out as a vampire diaries and twilight fan and general fan of vampire lore…this is my dream come true) 🧛‍♂️

Always good to meet a fellow Twilight appreciator, honestly reading those books in middle school was some of the most fun I’ve ever had reading…. Miss Stephanie was really onto something I fear…

Ok so I’ve already told you some of Remus’s tragic backstory in the vampire AU and I bet you were wondering about Sirius and I am happy to report that she too has a tragic backstory!!

So when the story starts she is grieving James who died the previous year. I can’t decide how he died yet… also I feel bad cause I keep killing of James at the start of all fics and then I never get to write him- it’s not that I don’t love him! His death is just an irresistible plot device… anyway Sirius is still estranged from her family and was living with James so she’s really sad and technically can’t pay her rent because Uncle Alphard’s trust doesn’t kick in until she’s 21, so she’s starts working as a high end escort to make money until she gets access to the trust fund. But then she keeps working even after she gets the money because she’s desperately lonely and kind of self destructive so she takes jobs with sketchy dudes and anyway that’s how she ends up with the vamp that Remus saves her from at the beginning of the fic.

Genuinely I don’t know how or why I came up with this backstory for Sirius, it’s one of those things that I think would feel totally natural writing it but when I’m explaining it all like this it feels really weird to be like “yes, obviously, she was working as an escort.”

Anyway, I love the version of Sirius in this fic so much. She finds Remus again and holds on for dear life even though Remus is so insistent that Sirius should just let her go.

#vampire au #wolfstar #lesbian wolfstar #wolfstar fic #sapphic wolfstar #marauders

[croissantbaby]

fuck it im doing a promo because i started fresh and im still at a pathetic follower count. beef me up boys

info under the read more because im too lazy to make a carrd even though i really should

so hey! im Stephanie, but i change my name a lot so this might change soon lmao✌️

im trans (she/her pls) and bi+ace. tripple cheeseburger. me being trans is a big part of who i am, so trans positive posts will show up a lot. and i will constantly headcanon characters as trans and talk about it. as far as im concerned every character is trans.

anyway im 22 years old, but i hate fandom mom culture more than anything so don't worry about me being a fucking weird ass, especially towards kids. like seriously i hate those kinds of people more than anything. totally understand if age makes you uncomfortable though, feel free to block me or let me know if i follow back and you want me to unfollow.

i dont really consider myself in any fandoms and i post random shit more than anything but i still like things! so heres a list of stuff im into

- aggretsuko

-mp100

-bnha (but in a "i watch it for a handful of background characters and thats it" way. erasermic and dabihawks centric really. i dont think ill ever post about other characters lmaoooo)

-one punch man

-final fantasy (cloud is the love of my life)

- dragon age (mostly da 2. i really love fenris 🥰)

- legend of zelda

-pokemon

i dont post explicit/not safe for work content but i reblog implied/suggestive text posts sometimes. i usually tag anything like that as "nsfw text". theyre rare but theyre there.

i dont really tag stuff bc im lazy but if you ever need something tagged i will absolutely do so. send me any kind of message and ill get to it (｡•̀ᴗ-)👍

i myself dont really need anything tagged, i use tumblr mobile practically exclusively and you cant block tags there rip. tagged trans misogynistic posts would be appreciated though :P

i dont really follow for follow but who knows! and again, im 22, and if age bothers you feel free to block me or let me know! i dont want anyone underaged being uncomfortable that a 22 year old is following them, I've been in the same position in the past, i get it, i wont be offended.

#hi im stephanie and im so lonely #hjgfdsxfcgvhbjkl;

[erinevrly]

             ❝ somebody l o v e me, somebody care, somebody hold me when i am SCARED. somebody reach out && hold my hand. somebody somewhere must understand. i found you — you wanted me too.

            somebody touch me, somebody give . . . give me a reason. 𝐈 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄. oh, i don’t ask for much. all i want, 𝒹𝒶𝓇𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 , is a little trust. i found you — you wanted me too.

            somebody trust me, somebody care. i ain’t got much, girl, but i’m willing to share. oh, it’s hard, this world can be so COLD. we all need a little 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 — it’s what makes us whole. ❞ ─┄ ღ

// @thornrosed

#thornrosed #I MADE SOMETHING FOR YOU BECAUSE I LOVE YOU #and because i was listening to la guns and this song came on and inspired me because it screams axl tbh? #it makes me think of when hes alone after stephanie and erin finds him or when its 1986 and he meets erin and his life changes #forever #basically every moment when hes lonely and erin comes to the rescue #even in our thread @ its so easy one kinda #kinda because shell leave him but you know what i mean #and im so bad at these aesthetic things but i hope you like this one :'))) #and ive never really made one for JUST axl before so #LOVE YOU #☆┆ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪs ɴᴏ ᴅᴏᴜʙᴛ﹐ʏᴏᴜ·ʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ ɴᴏᴡ.┆( axl. )

[incorrectbatfam]

im new to this whole batfam thing! what are some popular headcanons and interpretations of the characters??

Anyone else, feel free to chime in.

1. Tim is a sleepless coffee addict

Canon basis: little to none, other than a couple instances where he's seen drinking coffee or mentions staying up late to work. He's human, and no human can conceivably do what he does on no sleep and unhealthy lifestyle.

2. Dick loves cereal

Canon basis: again, not much other than some one-off instances

3. Jason is a literature nerd

Canon basis: there's some substance to this one. We've seen him quoting Shakespeare and reading Austen on multiple occasions, and when he was younger he had a love of school and learning. Jason's overall a well-read and articulate guy, which also points toward a love of classics.

4. Damian loves animals

Canon basis: this one's well-established with parts of the narrative including why Damian loves animals so much—because they can't judge his past the way people do. He's got the most pets out of anyone in the Manor and has no shame showing his gentler side to other creatures.

5. Damian loves art

Canon basis: also true—after Damian's death, we see Bruce going through Damian's sketchbook and it's clear he's remarkably talented. There have also been other instances where we see him drawing or otherwise engaging in art.

6. Cass is the good girl

Canon basis: um... not much. I think Cass's "good girl" reputation is born largely out of stereotypes for Asian girls. In the comics, she is her own breed of chaos and fits in perfectly with the boys. (There was this one panel where she contemplated spitting in someone's face just out of spite but I can't find it.)

7. Stephanie loves waffles

Canon basis: though there's some, I'm not quite sure to what extent. We've seen her enjoy it on multiple occasions and it's said she even makes them better than Alfred (according to Tim).

8. Duke is the normal one

Canon basis: no. Just... no. Compared to the rest of the bats, sure, but that's only 'cause he's newer. But we're talking about a boy who formed We Are Robin when Batman went MIA. We're talking about a boy who jumped off a bridge into a river while running from cops. We're talking about a boy who canonically has PTSD because of the Joker, and who fought dangerous criminals before he had a grasp of what his powers are. On that note, he's also not the boring one—he's a fantasy nerd with a complex past who writes poetry, listens to heavy metal, took on the Riddler's challenge at age ten, and loves digging up dinosaurs.

9. Alfred is a flawless badass

Canon basis: he's portrayed as this butler deus-ex-machina getting the Bats out of sticky situations. In his backstory, he was a spy before working with the Waynes and thus has the fighting experience, and in the comics, he's seen dropping witty lines and overall keeping everyone in check. Which, alright, that's fine on its own. But the fandom tends to put him on a pedestal and believes he can do no wrong, thus ignoring the weaknesses and vulnerabilities that he, like any other good character, has.

10. Bruce is a lone grimdark vigilante

Canon basis: I blame canon. Fuck the comics. I blame the writers who only watched the Nolan movies and somehow that, of the eighty-plus years of Batman content, was the best representation of Bruce Wayne. If Bruce was truly meant to be a lone wolf, why go through the trouble of making all the Robins? Why create an extensive network spanning not just his family, but also folks like the Justice League? Why give him a love interest? I fully blame the DC writers for this angsty punch-drunk image, because they're so focused on hypermasculine badassery or whatever that they forgot what the Bat symbol really stands for.

#ask #anonymous #personal #batfamily #batfam #batbros #batboys #batkids #batsiblings #batclan #batman family #dc comics #tw food mention #tw swearing

[faorism]

needing the au to drop wherein i can commit to writing a historical au,, because since i first watched the db cooper job my mind went straight to OT3! OT3! OT3! (unlike with the van gogh job, since i aint playing with that fucking lieutenant)

one day maybe one dayyyyy i will sit down and i will write the ot3 into that episode's story. so, it'll be the backgrounds for the characters in the flashback (so, stephanie ritter, steve reynolds, and reggie wilkins), but with the necessary personality adjustments (parker, eliot, and hardison respectively). basically, vintage ot3 with some hot as hell aesthetics and secrets and avoiding as much as possible producing copraganda.

so. my thoughts. what i see happening. and this got super long so im throwing this under a cut. and for ease i will call them by their modern day canon names except when making a point.

first, general thoughts about the characters.

and so: steve to eliot. nothing much here on the surface. eliot still volunteers, too much an indoctrinated white man to have been forcibly drafted. so its still one man gone to war. one man come back. eliot would had been noticed early in training for his ability to pick shit up, and they teased at maybe sending him to a special unit. maybe they do, or maybe they don't because they just need to funnel fuckers to the jungle. the vietnam invasion was a terrorist imperialist venture and there's no romanticizing from me about anything done being at all valorous or special or brother-in-arms'y. and eliot commits war crimes under the american stars and stripes instead of just to keep moreau's champaign running. but also maybe moreau is eliot's superior. he certainly would have been rewarded for this ruthlessness. (eliot of course strove to impress moreau because there aint an eliot spencer who wasn't that man's dog at some point, i!!!! dont make the rules). eliot's friend died and eliot's gone off to carry out his wishes and moreau lets him because he Knows eliot is gonna come back. whether its to come back to the same squad, or follow him into deeper spy shit for the military, or to fuck off and go private. then eliot meets parker.

now. stephanie to parker. beth plays normal so well im mad at her, but there's something edgy and strategic about stephanie that i think parker can grab onto. i feel that maybe she was kind of a thief still, but there's more realism to this world so archie wasnt a super secret spy with lasers to practice with, but just a guy with sticky fingers whos a little bored and wants a protege. parker is good really good at what she does, and not having to deal with lasers makes me easy. but she's into scams that are less grifts and more Catch Me If You Can slight of hands. she's always looking for easy money (she was into lifting cars at one point! literally she follows where the crime is). she's doing something in an airport and someone tries to recruit her as a flight attendant because she's got the Look. and yall, flight attendants? that shit was like being a model and an astronaut and a time traveler back then. and according to a teacher i had, who once worked as in the f.a. union, those ladies back in the day were rad and queer and free spirited and runnnnning shit. i think, yes, it's a Job which i think we might resist placing parker into. but! of the jobs, at the time, i really see her rocking it during the time period. (also come on, the opportunities to swindle distracted people of their shit would be endless. they would just think they dropped their stuff in the airport! not that it was stolen.)

finally, reggie to alec. i think hardison will be the hardest to translate. even tho i admittedly listen to a lot of true crime podcasts, i dont know much about fbi life and also definitely don't know about it historically. part of me desperately wants to put him somewhere else even if it does have to stay within the fbi. i might cheat and make him like a Q(uartermaster) to 007/00s like in james bond, and he's like UGH this is horrible god i hate working for the fbi but they will give me funding so...... anyway, here's this totally cool [radio term]. that said, if hardison is stuck in the fbi, why he ends up there is that he is a fucking savant when it comes to research and the man can put together a presentation like no one else. that white man gets all the credit for profiling but it was hardison who goddamn was the google of the microfilm days. reggie felt super square but that might be because he had to deal with mcsweeties db cooper shit day in and day out for years. hardison is more himself. and definitely still a nerd. alec would be into dime fantasy novels and comics and ham radios and oh god he also would be into star trek like the original star trek as it came out and he would be into the zines yes! yessss. omg. also he plays a mean arcade cabinet. but he's mostly well adjusted but lonely. his colleagues dont appreciate him because fbi esp during that time were fucking wilding out and racist as hell aaaaaand im sorry im srry im trying so hard to have fbi hardison make sense but also! acab. ANYWAY.

second, the relationship

i think it would be fun to play with what it means to have parker/eliot start off first and bring in hardison afterwards. (if white collar is your thing, it would be like this canon divergent ot3 fic wherein peter burke is the last to join in.) i feel they would be Super Intense esp since they are carrying this big ass secret. kind of broken and dysfunctional and there's the passion and the commitment, but i think there's also a tenderness that's super hard for them to achieve? and i think there's a way that hardison plays such an important part in who they are and how they are. like, sure i think parker/eliot would have joy but they won't have levity. they would have compassion but they won't have gentleness.

eliot meets hardison after being recruited by nate. i think they get close because while nate and eliot have an interesting and compelling mentorship/friendship, nate is still eliots superior; sometimes its nice to complain about your boss, as hardison will say to eliot to try to make friends. i think hardison and eliot would become legit friends and not just work buddies because they are just not cut out of the same cloth as the rest of their colleagues. they grab beers after work. after hard days, hardison cajoles eliot into going to the arcade. they are friends. real real truly deep best friends, in a way hardison didn't think he could have with a fed and eliot didnt think he would have after his friend died. but also? they are like "buds" who are buds who are desperately tryna to cross any lines because there's a.... tension? an UST between them they dont know what to do with.

parker meets eliot by way of a "lets have my friend for dinner, he's a blast." and immediately immediately hardison is like... wow this woman is beautiful but like, really attracted to her personality. and parker things hardison is kinda dorky but cute dorkie? anyway, they have a puppy love situation growing. and it keeps growing until bam. eliot and parker are like. are we into alec???? fuck we are aren't we.

i think stephanie and steve would never tell reggie (even if somehow they were to be a thing). but parker and eliot? hell yeah they tell hardison. eventually. after a while. sooner than maybe they should. the tension if they should say something is one of the things that build up as UST between them for so long; parker and eliot know they are carrying this huge thing. two huge things. eliot being db cooper and also their massive crush on him.

if i could control myself to stick to a pwp, it would be another christmas. maybe the christmas nine (more?) years down the road. the damn snow grounded hardison's flight back to his nana's, and parker and eliot hear this and invite him over. the egg nog gets flowing and parker eventually is like,, fuck this. and comes onto hardison. and hardison would be like wow wow what but... idk, free love and swinging were In The Thoughts And Minds Of The People. he still checks in with eliot who is like. her body, man; i aint gonna tell her what to do. and for a sec hardison is like, man is this a cuck situation? i guess i can be for it but also...... aint mad if i aint alone. and eliot is so grateful and idk. i just want them all to be happy and having fun and no one to be left out. and yeah i am kinda brushing over a lot of the racial politics which, in a more developed fic rather than a pwp, would definitely need to be brought in; but idk that needs to just be in the bedrock of whatever plot is going into this.

it takes a lot of maneuvering of their lives but they make it work and eventually hardison is a keeper of eliot's secret too.

(apart from the historical aspect, another reason i probably won't actually write this is because i know myself. i would want to do worldbuilding. i would follow eliot and alec to their jobs, but i wouldnt want to write outright copaganda. the grit/realism i would be comfortable with would take a level of research i dont think i can commit to. but if someone wants to take this up or if you figure out a way around this issue, pls do i wont be mad)

#eliot spencer #parker leverage #alec hardison #leverage #thiefsome #okay i srsly am not this active but this week got me wanting to talk and talk about these three beauties #the db cooper job

[duketectivecomics]

You might've answered this already and I just didn't find it, but one thing that always perplexed me about Duke was how old he was in comparison to the other Batkids. It's obvious he's younger than Dick and Babs, and I pretty sure he's younger than Jason and Cass, and older than Damian, but I cannot tell if he's meant to be Tim and Steph's ages, younger, or older. Could you help me?

You’re all kinds of good here, anon!!! I answered a similar ask abt the Order of Adoption but didn’t dive into specific ages on that post BECAUSE well they didn’t ask lmaooo but ALSO:

Comic ages are very fluid usually! While Years™️ might pass in the canon proper, or while time seems to slow to a crawl, having a character’s age outright stated is something that occurs very rarely for most characters, if at all!

Because it’s always much easier to have a floating age range to work and play around in! It’s easier to keep a character Perpetually 12 or 16 or 25 or mid-40s or- you get the idea. SO, with that in mind. Let’s do our Best to Break Down What Age Duke Might Be Currently A N D how it might interact with the Other Batkids!

(Warning for a Very Long Post, lots of issue citations, and a LOT of comics terminology regarding specific runs/events/continunity. I’m gonna try to keep it as clear/concise as possible ofc but plz keep these things in mind! If you’re not at least marginally familiar with Bat-Comics, you might find yourself feeling a little lost here!)

So from the Zero Year arc we see a common Trend that plays out pretty consistently with Batfam comics: a Life-Changing Event Occuring while the protag is Young™️.

(Batman (2011) #30)

With how Duke is drawn in these particular issues, and given the trends of the past, I’d place him in the 8-12 range. The historic precedent being ofc that that is the same range that canon usually places both Bruce and Dick at for their Tragedies™; the more benign reason being that he... just very much Looks to be drawn in that Range. He’s very clearly an Older/Prepubescent child here.

Fast Forward to his Next Appearance in the Endgame arc and-

(Batman (2011) #37)

He’s definitely older! He’s wiser! And he’s giving Batman a fistbump lmao. Again, no strict age given here BUT, since they condensed each Robin to a Year or Two tops with Bruce (its n52 and its fucked up is what it is), we can assume it’s been at least 4-5 since Zero Year (which would mean if we go off the age range I proposed for that year, then theoretically he could be anywhere from 12-16 here, and I think that tracks pretty well. Not Perfectly and Certainly Not so well with Pre52 continuity ofc, but I’ll talk about that later!)

In We Are Robin, while its not stated Directly In The Text, it IS given as an Informational Tidbit that Duke is 16 (specifically this can be found at the end of issue #4)! (Sweet sweet canon confirmation FINALLY)

We know that WAR takes place Fairly Soon after Endgame (almost immediately, give or take a month or two given that Duke’s been placed in a few foster homes at this point and has racked up Quite A File) now, again id like to remind y’all that while this is a NICE starting point to have, keep in mind that comics are fluid and this may be retconned slightly/ignored in later stories bc Keeping Duke 16-ish is in DC’s Best Interest at the moment. (Having Relatable Teen Characters afterall is a Good Marketing strategy™️. And the longer they can Keep them Young, the Better)

With that in mind let’s take a moment to Highlight the fact that Duke and Damian have crossed paths at this point AND the storylines that have occurred during this year that were meant to be in conjunction with one another!

Because Prior to Endgame, Damian had Died! And just a year (in real, meat-space time) before We Are Robin, he was resurrected and had begun his “Year of Atonement” in the Robin: Son of Batman maxiseries. Midway through both this series and WAR (and, we can assume, midway thru this “Year” for Damian) the Robin War begins/ends and we see at least one major Moment between these two boys who will soon call one another brothers:

(Robin War #2)

Given that R:SoB is followed up VERY quickly by Teen Titans Rebirth (in which Damian celebrates his 13th birthday), we can conclude that Damian would be 12 during this time (well, 12 and 1/2 to play it safe lmao). That being said, this Confirms about a 4yr gap between Duke and Damian! (One Batkid down at least! but he’s the key to the others so put a pin in him!)

As We Are Robin draws to its conclusion, DC was releasing another arc that would eventually flow into the Rebirth Era, by the end of which, Bruce would approach Duke with an Idea (which involves Bruce becoming Dukes temporary guardian & as he states Many Times “Trying Something New” with Duke).

And thus the Rebirth Era begins, and Duke began his Year of training (most directly encapsulated by the Cursed Wheel arc in the All-Star Batman run:

(All-Star Batman #1 (back-up story))

Bruce introduces Duke to a training regimen that Alfred has named “the Cursed Wheel”. It encompasses all the training Bruce and the other bats have undergone and condenses it down into color-coordinated segments that will take Duke a Year to Complete.

It can be assumed that by the End of this Year Duke will somehow miraculously still be 16, despite, again, an entire ass year passing.

There’s one story that takes place mid-year in All-Star Batman, and the Cursed Wheel is meant to be capped off by Duke’s first Official Day as the Signal (in the titular Batman & the Signal ofc) BUT, near as I can tell after this story, Dukes age is not brought up again. So until they DO bring it up either in Batman & the Outsiders or whatever future run Duke becomes involved in, we can assume DC will be working with the idea that he’s meant to be in that 16-18 range from here on out (ie still a minor).

But, dear anon, you might be saying “okay, that’s cool, but how does that relate to my question abt how he falls in with the other Bats?” You’ll have to be a little patient with me here, but I think I may have cracked the code!

Keep in mind I’m gonna be addressing both the Post-Crisis to Flashpoint Continuity (ie mid-80s to 2010 in comics history) and the N52-slash-Rebirth Era (2010-Today). Its generally agreed by fandom and DC alike that these points of rebooting &/or Major Events constitute the era of “Modern” comics, and that everything from the 80s-on might more or less be canon on some level, even if not All of it is.

(Plus, most of fandom usually likes to borrow elements from both eras and much more rarely from stories before it, SO-)

Lets do a quick rundown of how everyone who’s Closer to Duke’s Age, Relates to each other first, age-wise:

Given that Jason was 15 when he died, in A Lonely Place of Dying its established that Bruce had become increasingly reckless since his death, and by the end of the story, Tim has stepped in to fill Robin’s shoes (he states that he’s 13 during this story btw). Pretty soon after, Stephanie Brown is introduced & established to be about a year older than Tim (wish I could pin-point a specific issue BUT, i unfortunately haven’t read any Tim OR Steph-involved comics that predate No Man’s Land... Besides the aforementioned Lonely Place and Young Justice technically, but im working on remedying that soon!)

NOW, during the No Man’s Land event, Cassandra is introduced, and pretty soon into her Batgirl run, its revealed that she’s around the same age as Jason (or at least how old he Would Have Been, had he not died.) Now, given that Jay has an August bday and Cass has a January one, fandom sometimes likes to play around with the idea of one being older than the other (OR even speculating/placing them in an AU as twins/siblings, given that Lady Shiva (Cass’ mom) was a Possible Candidate to be Jason’s biological mother but that’s a Whole Other Thing i wont get into here.)

The point being, Cass, in this era of comics, IS slightly older than Tim and Steph. At Tim’s start as Robin, their ages could either line up like: Tim-13, Steph-14, Cass-15 (being a few months ‘behind’ Jay), then Jason at 15/16 (depending on how soon Tim filled the role after Jay died in April) OR Jason-15/16, Cass-16/17 (in this case she’d be a few months ‘ahead’ now instead)

So brief detour to talk New 52, however! Because Tim, Steph & Cass all got switched around from where DC originally left them prior to the reboot! Now I haven’t read much of them in this era, other than Batman & Robin: Eternal, so my Understanding of their current ages is Spotty at Best. The general consensus seems to be that while before N52, Stephanie had been attending her first year of College (& doing VERY WELL i might add), with the reboot she was set back a few years alongside Tim to a vague Late-Teen state (so 16-18-ish, instead of a Very Clearly Established 18/19). Cass is probably the worst off for this reboot, given that B&R:E basically constitutes her new origin for the new continuity, and does nothing to confirm her age (all I really know is that she’s a Vague Late-Teen too... Probably? Maybe?), given how much they infantilize her, and subsequently how fandom in turn has taken to infantilizing her too, theres a semi-popular fanon that places her Younger that Tim and Steph. And I, for one, propose that we ignore that bc its Weak Sauce my dudes.

Some fans chose to ignore N52 continuity due to this vagueness, and will stick to the ages established before the N52/Rebirth reboots. But its something to keep in mind regardless bc we’re all obviously going to pull from what’s most familiar to us!

But WHERE could we place Duke with regards to them, then? Because them being “Late Teens” is certainly much too vague to work with!

This is Where Damian is the key!

Because Damian is one of those rare exceptions to the Reboot Rule. His story flowed almost seamlessly over from before to after. While he was made a Robin at the age of 10, he continued to grow and learn even after the universe was being rewritten to suit the whims of DC editorial. 

If we choose to ignore how everyone else’s ages and origins were swapped around, and stick with the growth that was presented before the reboot, then we can draw some interesting conclusions!

Firstly, though Stephanie also had Died and subsequently Returned, she hadn’t lost much, if any time, from the Ordeal. At the start of her Batgirl run, she is enrolled at a Gotham university and making headway with a more firm foot in the Batfamily (even to the point that she and Damian spend a few issues bonding. At this point in time, Damian is definitely 11, and again, Steph can be assumed to be 18/19 during the course of her run. We’ll assume 18 for clarity’s sake.)

So, then when Damian is 11, now our line up is as Follows:

Dami - 11, Steph - 18, Tim - 17, Cass 19-21 (the range depending again, if you subscribe to Cass being either older/younger than Jason).

WHICH MEANS, If during Robin War Damian is 12 (and a half) THEN We’ve got an age line-up that Potentially looks Like This:

Dami -12(and 1/2), Duke - 16, Tim - 18, Steph - 19, Cass - 20-22 (And Obvsly Jason, Babs & Dick at their varying Older Ages than everyone here)

and im just now realizing i Didnt include Harper in this line-up, but thats bc she’d also throw a big wrench in all this.  I’d personally throw her in with being Steph’s age, but I’m pretty sure she was supposed to be either that, or between Steph and Cass (again, since its N52, i believe Cass was/is assumed to be Younger than Steph, but that contradicts the assumed following of pre52 canon that we have for the above line-up, obvsly, and so we ignore that lmao) 

All this to say, however, that canon and fandom is what you make of it, and if you want to wiggle these ages around a little, you’re more than allowed! God Knows i usually like to skew the Tim-Steph-Cass age group to be a tad older than this in my own fic writing, and I like to have Duke start as a Robin at 14/15 instead of 16, but that’s just bc I like the dynamic potential it could bring with them being Definitively Older that him, and thus in a more secure place to be Mentoring him right alongside Bruce & the others.

But you might see these age ranges and want to do something Different (say, making Tim, Steph, Cass, & Duke all the Same Age at 17 instead! And that very well tracks with how current comics kinda looks right now!) and you’re absolutely valid to do so! Because again, comic character’s ages are meant to be fluid, not fixed!

And at the end of the day, its all about wanting to see these teen heroes kick serious ass haha

#duke thomas #guest starring: #batfamily #damian wayne #tim drake #stephanie brown #cassandra cain #randywrites #randys meta #meta #asked and answered #anonymous asks #this was A LOT and i tried to throw some humor where i could #but uhhhh yeah!!! i hope this helps anon!!! #also just realizing its TWO AM WHERE DID THE TIME GO #ah well. Worth It

[elodiegarner]

ELODIE CAMILLE GARNER  ⁏  thirty-three  ○  investigative journalist for crystal city times  ○  mystic point.

❝ WATCH YOUR TOUNGE AROUND HER. SHE WILL BEAR HER FANGS AND TEAR YOU APART WITH ALL THE GRACE OF A QUEEN. ❞

⇨  aesthetics ⍮ dresses of black lace and velvet, the scent of chanel perfume lingering in the air as she floats past, blood-red fingertips coiled around the grip of a fountain pen, red-bottomed heels clicking against marble floors, rose gold highlighter shimmering along the height of prominent cheekbones, a svelte frame that is shrouded in an air of mystery and intrigue, peach roses in a vase on the window sill, a sense of freedom and carelessness when dancing, deft fingers stained with charcoal and oil paint, the melodic chime of piano keys, delicate digits adorned with moonstone gem rings, a coy smile spread across full rose lips, long chocolate locks blowing in the cool breeze of a summer’s evening, battered books with dog-eared pages, the silvery glint of old scar tissue, ripped leather jackets and worn jeans, & ribbed turtlenecks.

HEYOOO !! s’up buttercups ?? ‘tis i, your friendly neighbourhood loser chrissie, and i’m super duper excited to be here among all you fab human beings !! this here is my precious bby angel elodie and i adore her with my whole entire being. she’s a rather feisty, sassy ball of curiosity and mild rage, oop ?? excuse her blunt nature ; she’s a genuine softy deep down inside. she’s sassy, classy and a lil badassy. also beauty, grace, will punch you in the face. plot-wise, i’m 100% down for literally anything and everything so come at me with whatcha got !! i’m always diggity down to spit ball ideas and form some dope connections so pls feel free to invade my ims or discord ( chrissie.#9606 ) to brainstorm. if ya wanna, go ahead and light up that lil grey heart and i’ll shimmy my irish butt into your ims to discuss plots and all that good stuff. anywho, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we ??

FUNDAMENTALS.

full name. elodie camille garner.

nicknames. el / els.

current age. thirty-three.

birthday. february 6th, 1987.

gender. cisgender female.

pronouns. she / her.

nationality. french.

religion. catholic.

hometown. paris, france.

past residences. marseille, france, & manhattan, nyc, united states.

current residence. mystic point, crystal city, united states.

sexual orientation. heterosexual.

romantic orientation. demiromantic.

education. journalism degree obtained from nyu.

occupation. investigative journalist at crystal city times.

CONNECTIONS.

birth mother. adelaide garner. †

birth father. edward garner. †

full blood siblings. louis garner.

maternal grandmother. celeste dupont. †

maternal grandfather. alexandre dupont. 

paternal grandmother. stephanie garner.

paternal grandfather. gary garner. †

maternal aunts. amelie dupont.

paternal aunts. rebecca garner.

maternal uncles. raphael dupont.

paternal uncles. n/a. 

significant other. gabriel bonneville. †

children. n/a.

pets. n/a.

PROFICIENCIES.

spoken languages. english, french, spanish, italian, & german.

negative traits. flighty, obstinate, assertive, brazen, & destructive.

positive traits. sagacious, alluring, headstrong, elegant, & vehement.

strengths. etiquette, resourcefulness, knowledgeable, quick-thinker, original, brainstorming, charismatic, & energetic.

weaknesses. argumentative, insensitive, intolerant, finds it difficult to focus, & dislikes practical matters.

skills. memory recall, investigating, physical stamina, able to use initiative, & excellent problem-solving abilities.

talents. violin, piano, languages, writing, & photographic memory.

APPEARANCE.

eye colour. light brown with hazel flecks.

hair colour. natural, dark, chocolate brown.

height. five feet, seven inches.

weight. 57 kg.

build. she is considered slightly above average height for a female and is both slender and toned, with slight curvature.

scars. a rather noticeable one across her clavicle and a few others in less visible places.

tattoos. n/a.

piercings. earlobes.

glasses. yes, but usually wears contacts.

prominent feature. full, plump lips.

MISCELLANEOUS.

zodiac. aquarius.

element. air.

house. ravenclaw.

myers briggs type. entp-a.

alignment. chaotic good.

enneagram. type eight.

temperament. choleric.

intelligence type. interpersonal.

character label. the orphic.

past mental disorders. acute stress disorder, depression, & anxiety.

current mental disorders. undiagnosed.

addictions. tobacco, & alcohol.

vices. lust, greed, & wrath.

virtues. temperance, kindness, & humility.

allergies. penicillin.

diet. vegetarian.

accent. french with an undertone of american.

dominant hand. ambidextrous.

blood type. o negative.

felonies. n/a.

vehicle. red 1966 shelby 427 cobra.

BACKGROUND.

TRIGGERS. childbirth death, child abuse, infertility, domestic violence, poison, murder, & death.

Born in the winter of 1987, an innocent baby girl entered the capital of France to a French mother and an English father. Though she’d come into this world placid and silent, her birth was far from being an ode to her future. Instead of the welcoming arms and loving smile of her mother, the first sight Elodie witnessed was the weeping of her father. It wasn’t long until his tears turned into angry fists and hatred shining in dark eyes. This was the only form of her father that Elodie knew — he only element of him she could recall. From the instant she was old enough to figure it out, she knew that her father despised her just as she knew her mother had died giving birth to her.

     Despite leading an obscenely lavish and excessive lifestyle, Elodie was a lonely child; starved of love from her father or even companionship from her brother. As a result of her father’s hatred toward her, Elodie spent her days alone — roaming around the vast house, occupying her childish mind with simple games of hide and seek. Except, she knew no one would ever look for her. Elodie was an outcast in her own family and often wished she had died in place of her mother. She’d spent her entire childhood into her teenage years aiming to please her father. She could play various instruments, speak a handful of languages fluently, recite every Victor Hugo poem word for word. Yet, still, she went unnoticed and neglected by him. All Elodie had ever wanted was to find her place, to fit in, to be cared for. Instead, all she’d got was left behind, disregarded and deemed a burden.

     By the time Elodie turned thirteen, she had begun to develop a deep-rooted hatred and resentment for her father. A loathing so strong that bubbled up deep inside her following years upon years of unfair treatment. Soon, she started acting out — going against her father’s wishes, rebelling and causing trouble. If he was to hate her for no reason, then she would give him a reason. It was through the girl’s behaviour that she found herself shipped off to Marseille to live with her aunt and uncle. It was during this time that within a blink of an eye that Elodie turned hostile and indifferent. As if she had transformed into the polar opposite version of what she’d always been; converting into an alternate version of her former self.

     Comparatively, Elodie’s life with her uncle had been no different to her life with her father. Her time in Marseille had been no walk in the park. Her aunt was a vain, unfeeling woman, unable to conceive a child of her own. Her uncle: an angry, offhand man who often resorted to acts of violence toward his wife, and, eventually, Elodie. From no age, all the girl had known was neglect, hatred and the feeling of being unwanted. Naturally, this was all it had taken for Elodie to turn into a cold, less vibrant girl who became void of emotion and attachment. At least, until she’d turned twenty and had fallen in love with a young accountant named Gabriel.

     At first, their relationship had been innocent and genuine. Gabriel had been the first person to show Elodie an ounce of affection and admiration. Most importantly, he respected her. Without a shadow of a doubt, it was Gabriel’s kindness that had reeled her in; rendering her unable to see the change in his behaviour until it was too late. They married quite quickly — both twenty-two at the time. For the first few months of their marriage, things had been as tranquil as they’d ever been. Gabriel had showered Elodie with love and gifts; treated her the best that she’d ever been treated in her entire life. Then, suddenly, and swiftly, things had taken a nosedive and soon, Gabriel had turned cruel and merciless. He’d hurt her then he’d be the one to shed the tears — claiming his sincere apologies and promising never to lay a finger upon her ever again.

     Fast forward, two more years and countless beatings later, Gabriel had failed to maintain his promises. If anything, his actions had grown much more violent and ruthless. Then twenty-four and having suffered years of her husband’s abuse, Elodie had grown weary and slowly — that deep-seated rage began to boil inside her. It was only a matter of time before she retaliated. Whilst Gabriel left for a while on a business trip, Elodie managed to breathe a sigh of relief at her husband’s absence until a week later when he arrived back in her life. And in that same instance, so was her brother, Louis, with news of their father’s passing.

     Since the death of their father, Elodie’s brother had taken over their family business and out of their father’s clutches, Louis sought his sister out; soon realising the abuse she had been enduring. In fact, it had been her very brother who gave Elodie the poison that she would later use to kill her husband. Concocting a plan to murder Gabriel with the aid of the ricin her brother had provided her with, Elodie had taken action a couple of weeks later. Lacing a glass of red wine with the toxin, Elodie sat back and watched her husband guzzle the liquid down; hours later falling into a severe illness of which she offered to nurse him through all the while knowing that his impending death was inevitable.

     Rendered unable to lash out, Gabriel slowly but surely declined in health until finally, his lungs and kidneys reached failure — resulting in his imminent death. But before this had taken place, Elodie’s brother had helped her flee France mere days before her husband drew his last breath. In fear of falling under any kind of suspicion should Gabriel’s poisoning become uncovered, Elodie wound up in New York City where she laid low for the first few months. For the first year of her residing in the city, Elodie worked as a barmaid whilst attending university, studying a journalism degree.

     After she graduated, Elodie wound up moving to Mystic Point where she moved into a home near the water; working as an investigative journalist at Crystal City Times. Luckily, her secret has remained undiscovered thus far and for obvious reasons, Elodie would prefer to keep her wrongdoing under wraps. Her life might not be ideal but it has given her a second chance, offering her the security and monetary gain she’d lacked throughout her life in Paris. Although she’s been through a lot of adversities, Elodie doesn’t let any of the incidents from her past define her or hold her back. Throughout it all, she learned to look out for herself, to stand up for herself and how to continue surviving even if she was going through hell. She’ll never call herself a victim or bend to anybody’s will ever again.

WANTED PLOTS.

give me all of the connections from friends, frenemies, enemies, hookups, exes, rivals and everything else in between. added bonus if there’s angst or drama. if you have anything in mind feel free to throw it at me, i’m open to the majority of things and have zero triggers so come at me bro !! below you can find some connections i’d love for my bby :

when friends become enemies. maybe this person and elodie were friends from paris that she hung around with and got involved in reckless behaviour with. or maybe this person was someone elodie befriended during her university years. or they could be someone that elodie met when she moved to crystal city. under whichever circumstance they met, one fact remains: the two are no longer on friendly terms. they were once close and trusted each other with anything but now, there is obvious hostility. perhaps there was a betrayal, blackmail, a breach of trust, lack of communication, a simple misunderstanding. whatever it was that cracked this relationship is set in stone and is unlikely to ever go back to how it once was. some things are just too broken to be mended.

you’re in my veins. elodie has always had bad habits. has always gravitated to toxicity like a moth to a flame. thus, it would be safe to assume that 90% of her relationships have also been bad for her. the broken element inside her always found itself magnetised to the darkness in people. more especially, attracted to people she knew were no good for her. though, in the end, elodie would always manage to break free and leave these people behind. however, there was always this one person she couldn’t seem to stay away from. she met them when she moved to crystal city and instantly she knew they would break her heart yet it didn’t deter her from continuing to crawl back to him. these two have what can only be described as a toxic relationship. neither is good for the other yet neither can seem to walk away.

if you don’t have enemies, you don’t have character. of course, it goes without saying that elodie is the kind of woman who could make enemies for herself very easily. due to her sarcastic and distant nature, it would be safe to assume she has quite a few enemies and rivals. though this particular person would be the enemy of all enemies. somebody that she cannot abide and someone who cannot abide her either. they can’t stand the sight of each other and refuse to share the same space unless absolutely necessary. otherwise, there’s a massive chance of a fight outbreaking between them. there could be a history between them that has brought about their hostile nature toward each other. or they could simply dislike each other for no real known reason other than a sense they get from the other. bonus points if they’re crime affiliated!

#childbirth death / #child abuse / #infertility / #domestic violence / #poison / #murder / #death /

[cgirat]

i’m not always proud

brain big so this is a bandersnatch (2018) and pride (2014) crossover fic purely because theyre both set in the 80s and i think that joe & stefan would be a sweet couple. title is from thos moser by gupi ft fraxiom because im like that

joe cooper/stefan butler

Pride 1985. Joe marches proudly; lesbians and gays do support the miners, it's an act of solidarity as they're both treated unfairly by the government and the police. It's the best feeling being proud of who he is because for so long he'd hidden it for fear of how his family might look at him, he was out to practically everyone but the people that were meant to be closest to him. Within just a few months a lot has changed, he's moved in with Stephanie, he's working at a café near Gay's the Word, the pastry chef likes him enough they Joe gets to help out sometimes and the activism is going well so life is really looking up. It's a new way of living and he's getting used to it and overall he's happy with it.

Love does not seem to be something that's going to happen for Joe. He deals with that as best as he can, he doesn't try and force anything, if he goes to the bars and a man there wants him he's okay to make out. But no one asks him out or seems to be looking for commitment, he gets it they're young and he's still early into adulthood so it's whatever.

A young man seems to be loitering after the march is over with his hands in his pockets, eyes wide open and lips set in a straight line. Joe sees him across the street while Steph's abandoned him for some goth lesbian and they make eye contact for a brief moment before he looks away. Joe finds him a weird kind of beautiful, something about him is sharp and Joe doesn't look away. He wouldn't have crossed the street towards the man if he hasn't looked back at Joe. Pride is as good a time as any to be friendly.

Close up the man is shorter than Joe. He's still weirdly handsome at this distance and his dark hair and green eyes are intriguing.

"Did you have fun at the march today?"

The dude looks startled if wide eyes are anything to go by. "Uhhh, well, I didn't catch much of it, I was just on my way back home, actually."

"Oh cool, you should come to next year's march it'll be bigger and better hopefully." Joe smiles politely, getting the cue that the dudes not like him and he's prepared to turn around until he hears him speak again.

"Stefan. Me, uh. I'm Stefan." Stefan falls over his words, smiling sheepishly, revealing rows of shark teeth. His smile is endearing. He puts his hand out for Joe to shake.

"I'm Joe." he accepts Stefan's hand in a shake and Joe notes that his hand is warm but his shake isn't very confident.

They smile at each other for a bit even though it's awkward when Stefan releases Joe's hand and his own retreats to the pockets of his jacket.

"Well if you're not in a rush home feel free to come to our post pride party. It's at Gay's the Word; last years was good so hopefully, this year will be too."

Stefan smiles again. It's toothy and contagious.

They spend the rest of the night getting to know each other. Stefan isn't as closed off as Joe was a year ago, he talks about work and geeks out over computers and video games. He works at Tuckersoft and has already developed a "choose your own adventure" game based off of a book that received decent reviews. Joe thinks he's probably being modest. When he talks about it it seems very complicated and Joe instantly knows that Stefan is way smarter than he'll ever be because he knows smart, educated people things. It's like looking into the past, Stefan is 20 and he's closeted? Straight? Joe doesn't want to ask as it's none of his business no matter how much he wants to kiss him a little.

Joe and Stefan walk arm in arm to the bus stop and stay linked there while waiting. Stefan is a little drunk and so he talks a lot but Joe welcomes it. Joe's laughing at Stefan who can't seem to get over the fact that Joe's nickname is so shit.

"Bromley, of all the town's to be named after-"

"Even now I wonder if it's meant to be cute or if they're taking the piss."

Stefan huffs out a laugh, "I'm thankfully uninteresting so I don't have any nicknames." He pauses. "Having two friends helps as well, one of them is my dad but he's not the nicknaming type."

"It's lonely in the office?"

"Very." Stefan rests his head on the glass of the bus shelter. "Especially today, I wasn't even supposed to be in but my therapist forgot to tell me that she'd moved my appointment to Tuesday so I went there instead. I bet she was at the march today." he pauses for a moment. "Why does she even do appointments on Saturdays? Overworking is my thing."

Joe can't take his eyes away from Stefan's face. His eyes are closed and his face glows in the orange of the street lights.

"She's a lesbian?" He may be curious but whatever Stefan goes to therapy for is none of his business. He wants to know, though, one day.

"I'm not sure, I didn't ask, but you know when you can kinda just tell?"

Joe gulps. "I didn't meet a lesbian until my 20th birthday."

Stefan laughs, eyes opening and staring at Joe incredulously. "Wow, you were incredible sheltered. Can't you just tell? Like Colin's girlfriend, I don't think she's a lesbian because she's dating him but something about her isn't.... Normal."

It's past midnight. June 30th. It's officially his birthday and Joe can't catch a break. "I'm Bromley, remember?"

Stefan's laugh is glorious to hear. It's aided by a few cans of beer but welcome nonetheless. "Well happy gay birthday Bromley." he laughs, gesturing to the pin on Joe’s jacket that he’d forgotten about. of course he blushes, that’s all he’s capable of doing.

Stefan’s bus comes too soon after that. Joe says that if ever he wants to meet up again he should just go to Gay's the Word and ask for him. Then he's gone. Joe's heart flutters.

-

The next time they get the opportunity to hang out Joe ends up going to Stefan's workplace. He brings pastries and coffee which Stefan's boss eyes and makes a point of mentioning how disrespectful Joe is to come to the offices without offerings. Like the weakling he is, he gives Thakur the pain au chocolat that was meant for himself. Stefan laughs to himself, even if he keeps his eyes trained on his monitor. He and Stefan spend the day there, Joe dicks around on the computer next to him and they talk easily about the game, the book and work. Stefan reveals he wasn't really planning on releasing any games after Bandersnatch but he just kept on living after its release and with nothing better to do he started coding again. Joe hates being presumptive but he sees why Stefan's seeing a therapist.

On the way out, they swing round the record shop.

"I told my dad about you. I told him I have three friends now..." But he quickly looks up looking for reassurance from Joe, "if that's alright with you. If we aren't friends he won't be surprised if the number goes down I'm not the easiest person to get along with so-"

"Of course we're friends. You compliment my baking and photography I'm an easy man."

"Really? How easy?"

Joe flushes.

"Bad joke, sorry I didn't take my medication."

"Your medication makes you less inquisitive to your friend’s private lives?"

"Well yeah. I found out most of what I know about Colin when I was flushing them."

"Funny how that works...."

Stefan rolls his eyes while he picks out a record. Pearl jam. Steph loves them.

-

Stefan's a welcome addition to his life. He's easy to get along with, not as loud as Joe's other friends and he makes time for Joe.

He's helping at the book shop (filling shelves, taking some books upstairs for storage) with Mark.

"Y'know Bromley, I'm surprised you have time to be here between work and that boyfriend of yours." He says offhand.

That strikes Joe because boyfriend? He's been single forever having never dated seriously. He tries to never think about that because he's only getting older. He pauses from flipping through the book that he's holding.

"Boyfriend?"

"The one from pride. How'd you not know your own partner, the one with the dark hair and leather jacket?"

"Stefan?" Joe can feel himself flushing. "We're friends, what?" He laughs nervously.

"Oh, poor naive Bromley. You sheltered folk sure do congregate." Mark laughs. It's a joke that Joe doesn't really get it. It's not funny because they're not into each other that way. Joe rationalises it to himself, how Stefan and him just wouldn't work out because Stefan seems preoccupied and Joe doesn't fight for attention. He won't.

#bandersnatch #stefan butler #joe cooper #pride 2014 #yeah still dont know why i wrote this im fgbcdnxm #when i just get an ao3 account like a normal person wayment #cgi writes

[maychorian]

Ooooh I'm wondering if Jason even wants to be robin, cause after trauma like that I doubt he's ready to go out to fight crime (or is he gonna be motivated instead???) hmmmm, but I think Tim is gonna be more motivated to become robin tbh, he's gonna want to protect Jason and fight bastards like Pittman (is Jason gonna be like 'oh hell naw' seeing Tiny Tim ready to FITE and be like nope im gonna be robin) hmmmmmmmmmmmm

Yeah, that’s what I’ve been thinking about. I kinda like the idea of Jason NOT being Robin, tbh. Batman making him Robin was always the sketchiest of the Robin-making decisions. Dick was out on the street looking for his parents’ killer and wouldn’t take no for an answer, Tim demanded to be Robin because Batman needed help, and Damian demanded to be Robin because he saw it as his right. Even Stephanie actively SOUGHT Bruce’s mentorship and was delighted when he gave her the Robin identity, however brief it ended up being.

Batman just sort of…decided that Jason should be Robin, shortly after he fired Dick because he got shot in the arm and Bruce was worried about things getting too dangerous. It didn’t really make sense from a logical standpoint to replace an eighteen-year-old with a twelve-year-old because he thought things were MORE DANGEROUS. Thing is, I don’t think it was a logical decision at all. Bruce was getting lonely working alone after he drove Dick away, and he found this scrappy new kid who he adored and wanted to spend more time with, so he decided that THIS would definitely work. Because Jason had “instincts” and was “tough.” (As if Dick didn’t have instincts and toughness.) So yeah, it made no sense, and Dick was pretty justified in being upset about it.

(In a retcon, Bruce and Dick split up because Dick’s commitments were split between Gotham and the Titans, and Bruce was tired of Dick showing up late to crises and basically told him to just stop showing up at all. So that made slightly more sense, that they just sort of grew apart and Bruce decided Dick needed to grow up without him and without the Robin costume. But then Bruce, like, went out and kidnapped Jason immediately and made him into Robin in like a month, it seemed like, rather than the six months or a year in the original version, so I don’t think it’s better.)

This is not to say that Jason did not enjoy being Robin. He was super excited about it, and he said things like “Being Robin makes you magic.” He loved beating up criminals and being a hero. Jason Todd in the live-action Titans is a great embodiment of that attitude. He sees it as a big thrill, pretty much the best job in the universe, and he doesn’t get why that Dick Grayson would ever leave it behind.

But Jason in Through the Walls… Yeah. I don’t know if he would even want to be Robin, or if Bruce would even offer it to him. Obviously he’ll offer to train Tim and Jason in self-defense, both to help them feel better and because Gotham is a dangerous city even (or maybe especially) for civilians. 

I’ve also considered that maybe the boys would have a discussion about how “Batman needs a Robin” and Jason sort of reluctantly saying “I guess I could,” and Tim instantly retorting, “No, I’LL DO IT, YOU STAY SAFE” because Tim in Through the Walls is incredibly and overwhelmingly protective of Jason.

But I’m kind of in love with the idea of Jason as Robin being attacked by Damian, followed by Tim, dressed as a civilian and therefore ignored by Damian as no threat, instantly going berserk and taking Damian down with, like, a single neck chop.

I dunno. Both scenarios are very appealing to me.

#through the walls #Anonymous

[asianjeremyheere]

more than survive press vid highlights

yall..... the videos so good..... not a fan of suzanna bowling but shes got content......

- jeremy on the bus because his dad isnt up for driving him to school

-christine getting on the bus and bumping into chloe AND rich bc shes reading??

-rich like. messes with michaels hood.

- brooke walking towards the bus. stopping and looking up like she was gonna walk into it

-chloe waving her over and jenna trying to sit with them

-brooke falls forward and jake like. catches her or something?

- this isnt new but jeremys "ah! girls!" immediately followed by "boys!"

-hes really close to the camera after than in this video and he takes a deep breath and hes like mouthing/mumbling to himself i dont know what he says but im pretty sure its something along the lines of "jeremy just get to class"

- "hey chlo i just think we should start seeing other people" "i feel the exact same way!"

- brooke: "you are so mature!"

chloe, slamming her locker shut: "brooke!"

brooke: "i mean i hate him"

- THE HIGHER CHRISTIIIINES?????

-i know this is probs just for rehearsal but jennas space backpack.....

- "macbook pro hard drive" cue jake using his backpack as an air guitar

- "chloe i heard about you and jake..." "not now jenna" "and i saw him flirting with madeline" "....i want details"

- anyway lauren kind of bops along to the music for the start of michaels solo and then disappears behind the lockers looking sad and kind of lonely

- michael, taking out his phone to take a photo: "my mothers would be thrilled"

- anyway i would lay down my LIFE for stephanie hsu

- theres a new harmony on that one 'christiiine' when shes signing up for the play.... u know the one... the one where jer and mike sing it three times and jer goes up on the last one.... thats new... love u will roland

- michael eating jeremys apple... mood

- mr reyes standing next to the play poster looking very excited when jeremy goes to sign

- the section after "teach me how to thrive" when the nananas kick in and everyones dancing and jeremy has to kind of. lean side to side to be seen around chloe??? love that.....

#bmc #be more chill #bmc musical #be more chill musical #more than survive #okay not gonna tag everyone because thats too much #but i love the video #probably going to gif some of it.... esp lauren....... #anyway i love this show u guys.... #txt post #mine

[coolgirl]

how do i start reading about the batkids i’m really overwhelmed help

fuck it if I know… probably the smartest way to tackle it is to follow this list, which pretty much covers the vital Batman related arcs. PERSONALLY, I don’t care about reading about all the batkids, I just picked my favorite ones and just.. read everything I could about them (and lucky for me my favorite batkids don’t have thousands and thousands of comics so ! yay!) here’s some reading orders I made (except for the Damian one)

Jason Todd

Stephanie Brown

Cassandra Cain

Damian Wayne

Duke Thomas

Okay so, if u wanna read it in some kind of order, heres a bit of a general chronological-ish list thats probably innacurate bc i haven’t read all of these and the ones i did read was.. a long time ago. anyways, i hope this is useful, and again, imo its not necessary to read everything in order, but this might help to know a bit whats the timeline of some major events i guess? also i’m definitely going to be editing this post as people point out the mistakes rip! 

(the batkids i added to this timeline are the ones that have active roles in rebirth atm, Dick, Barbara, Jason, Helena, Tim, Stephanie, Cass, Damian, Duke, and the basics of Azrael, Kate, and Luke because i love them)

Dick’s time as Robin (that i have no clue how it goes but uuuh read Robin Year One / The Long Halloween / Dark Victory / The New Teen Titans up until #53)

Batgirl: Year One  

Birth of the Demon and Son of the Demon (here’s the original comic about Damian getting conceived)

Jason time as Robin (post crisis) stop before death in the family

Nightwing: Year One 

Batgirl Special #1 - The Last Batgirl Story 

unfortunately… you gotta at least know a bit of what the killing joke is about

NOW read death in the family… two blows one after the other, If you’re reading the trade that includes a lonely place of dying DON’T read that yet

now you can read the rest of the new teen titans up to #59

now A Lovely Place of Dying, which is Tim’s introduction. 

rest of ntt if u wanna

NOW for oracle!barbara you can either read the suicide squad comics as a whole, which includes little hints of her coming back, or you can skip to  issues #48 and #49. Then The Batman Chronicles #5.

Huntress Vol. 1 - Helena Bertinelli’s introduction

NOW! Steph’s introduction happened on Detective Comics #618

Stephanie’s list, if you’re following the whole list stop at Robin #70 (Tim’s solo is really good to know about them)

Azrael vol. 1: Fallen Angel - Azrael’s introduction

Batman: Knightfall - you know the infamous pic of bane snapping batman’s back like a stick? here it is.

Nightwing (1996)

Young Justice (1998) (NOT the one based on the tv show)

Birds of Prey i would say.. up to #7 

Batman: No Man’s Land

now it’s Cass Time!  Batman #567 was her introduction, and Detective Comics #734 n Legends of the Dark Knight #120 are vital to her story.

Batman & Huntress: A Cry for Blood / Huntress: Year One

Titans (1999)  

Batman Gotham Knights (2000-2006) is a good comic for batfam interactions

Rest of Birds of Prey ig

Teen Titans (2003)

Batman: Hush

Batgirl Volume 1 up to #52

War Games (when Stephanie dies rip)

rest of Batgirl

Batman Lost Days / Batman: Under the Red Hood 

Robin #172-174 (2008) steph comes back!!

Batman: Batman and Son He (Damian) is here babette

Batgirl volume 2 (2008-2009) and  Batman and the Outsiders (2009) are good cass comics up to #14

Robin/Spoiler Special (2008) 

Batman R.I.P. 

Final Crisis

Batman: Last Rites

battle for the cowl SUCKS the only important thing to know is that Dick is Batman now

Batman & Robin (2011) up to #12

Batwoman: Elegy 

Batgirl (2009) up to #14

The Black Mirror is a really good bats dick story.. or so i’ve been told

Red Robin

Batman: Return of Bruce Wayne #1-4 

Batman and robin from #13 to #14

Batman: Return of Bruce wayne #5-6

Batman and Robin #15-16

Batman:The Return 

Batman INC. (2011)

everything else in Batman and Robin, and Batgirl

Gates of Gotham #1-5 (2011) 

OK NOW.. N52. So new 52 was the reboot and it basically just took everything i just mentioned and threw it out of a fucking window. Changes: Barbara is Batgirl again, Cass and Stephanie didnt exist in this timeline for like four years, somehow Jason isnt such a dick, i think Damian didn’t get so fucked over, and uuuh i have no clue what happened with Dick and Tim but i think their whole story with their teams (teen titans / titans / young justice) got incredibly fucked over. Almost every single member of the Batfam (that didn’t get booted from this contuinity) got either a solo or a team book, which are. super good to start, reading order be dammed, but the batfam went through a lot of shit (court of owls, the joker, bruce kinda died, jim gordon became batman, bruce didnt remember anything, dick kinda died and got exposed but came back as a spy, damian died, bruce lost his mind, they kinda went to hell, damian came back, dozens of robins ran around, etc etc etc) so im gonna try to order it as best as i can T__T

Batman, Vol. 4 (Secret City) / DC Comics: Zero Year / Batman, Vol. 5 (Dark City)- Okay so, this wasnt the starting storyline for New 52 but its basically the basis of the batfam and co and introduces Duke and Harper so it’s kinda vital.

Ok so here you can start reading the first volume of.. any of the titles lol. Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Nightwing / Batman and Robin / Teen Titans

Batman: The Night Of The Owls  

Batwoman (2011-2015) 

Batman INC up to #6 - im gonna be honest this run fucking sucks but uh important stuff happens here

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batman and Robin / Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 2 (approx the issue #9 of all these runs were included in the Night of the Owls crossover)

Death Of The Family - this one.. bad.. but ig its important

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batman and Robin /  Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 3

Batman INC #7-8 - okay so. Damian’s death. 

Requiem / Batman and Robin: Requiem - the aftermath of Damian’s death. The first one isn’t collected afaik so i liked you to a reading order if you’re interested 

Nightwing / Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Titans Vol. 4 (here’s Luke Fox’s introduction!)

Forever Evil - the one where shit happens to Dick that i think leads to Grayson and all that spy bs

Yeah.. Grayson now (vol 1-2) - Helena gets re-introduced here!

Red Hood and the Outlaws / Batgirl / Batwing / Teen Titans Vol. 5

Batman Eternal - where Steph gets re-introduced

Batman and Robin: Robin Rises

Batman Endgame (Batman #35 -#36, Batman Annual #3, Batman #37- #39) - Duke is back!!

Grayson Vol 3 

Superheavy (Batman #41-44 / Detective Comics #41-46) - ok so Bruce is gone and now Jim Gordon is Batman.. just nod and smile

Ok so now, Red Hood and the Outlaws and Batgirl don’t get involved in any big storylines anymore, and Teen Titans started from #1 again. 

Teen Titans Vol. 1-2

We are Robin Vol 1 

Batman and Robin Eternal - where Cass gets re-introduced 

Robin: Son of Batman Vol. 1

Red Hood/Arsenal Vol. 1

Robin War 

Grayson Vol 4

Teen Titans Vol. 3-4

Red Hood/Arsenal Vol.2

We Are Robin Vol. 2

Robin Son of Batman Vol. 2 

Super Heavy Part 2 (Detective Comics #47-52 / Batman #47-52 )

OKAY SO. Rebirth is a continuation of New 52, but with some changes bc almost every single damn character got.. lets say nerfed, and people didnt like it so they’re slowly bringing back some elements from pre 52. Here basically just read whatever whenever unless you wanna get into like. the metal event. then i would recommend you to start off the bat with that to get it out of the way as some comics have tie ins. Then heres where the kids appear

All-Star Batman (2016-2017): Bruce and Duke 

Batgirl (2016): Barbara and sometimes Dick

Batgirl and the Birds of Prey (2016): Barbara, Dick, and Helena

Batman (2016): originally Bruce and Duke but now its the Batman and Catwoman show

(if you’re interested in Duke i would say to read those two first as it explains where his character stands on Rebirth)

Batman and the Signal (2017): pretty self explanatory

Batman/Shadow (2017): Damian appears sometimes but.. i heard Bruce is a dick to him here so fuck it

Batwoman (2017): Kate and Julia 

Detective Comics (2016): Cassandra, Azrael, Kate, Tim, and Stephanie

Nightwing (2016): Dick, and sometimes Damian and Helena. 

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016): Just Jason except for the annual that had Dick too

Teen Titans (2016): Damian.. baby boy leads a team

Titans (2016): Dick

Super Sons (2017): Damian team sup with Jon Kent (Superman’s kid)

and finaaally.. some elseworld stories (basically aus) that have cute batkids interactions

Tiny Titans (2008-2015)

Lil’ Gotham (2013-2014)

#this is. a lot. #i added the dates to some bc theres multiple comics numbered like that #and linked the biggest arcs that have like. lots of issues #ANYWAYS THIS IS GONNA BE SO CONFUSING SORRY I DONT KNOW HOW TO LIST ANYMORE.. I lost my touch T___T #faq #?? #anonymous

[stephhannes]

I Was a 23 Year Old Widow & Here’s Where I Went From There

a friend sent me a link to a refinery29 article today (I’m A 31-Year-Old Widow, & I Don’t Know Where To Go From Here) and it felt exactly like something i would have written three years ago, when i was in my first year of widowhood. it basically is something i’ve written three years ago. i remember all of those same feelings, am i doing this right? how do i navigate being hot and young but also a grief-stricken widow? 

the most important lesson i’ve learned in the last three years is this: the world doesn’t revolve around me. 

every time i start freaking out about the nuances of grieving i remind myself, the world doesn’t revolve around you, dummy. and nothing has been more freeing. 

everything in my life revolves around my grief, but there is no one else around me that’s thinking about it as much as i am. so much of my anxiety was defined by if i felt like i was grieving appropriately, in a way that society would approve of- but society isn’t thinking about me and my grief. and if they are, who gives a shit? talk to me when your partner unexpectedly dies at the age of 23. 

when i came back to social media after nathan died, i remember getting comments on photos like “oh, it’s so nice to see you smiling!” that made me so self-conscious. is it too soon to be smiling? is it ok to be having fun with my friends right now? 

i returned to dating apps within a year of nathan’s death, and i kept it secret for a very long time. i didn’t want people to think i was moving on. i wasn’t moving on, i was lonely! i was afraid that people would see me on tinder and be like “oh, she’s not that sad i guess” i was that sad! that’s why i was reverting to the ol’ faithful coping mechanism of entertaining gentlemen callers! 

as someone forced to live in my own grief, of course i was out here catastrophizing every situation possible. i stayed awake at night stressing over ok so when i do eventually date again: when do i tell him that i’m a widow? (literally just whenever it comes up in conversation) is it weird to talk about nathan all the time? (not really, is it actually any different than when someone talks about their ex? if anything, it should be less uncomfortable, my ‘ex’ is dead, there’s no threat there) do i take down the pictures of nathan before inviting someone to my house? (no, it’s my house).

in the piece i wrote 20 days after nathan died, this is what i was panicking about:

And I know that it’s only been a few weeks since Nathan died, but I feel the weight of the 21st century coming down on me already. Theoretically, he and I were so lucky to have found each other so early, not having to navigate our 20s with awkward dates and rifling through dating apps. But in reality, now that’s where I’m going to have to find myself again. I don’t know how to date someone that I haven’t already known for 10 years. When do I tell someone I’m a widow? How much is appropriate amount to mention my dead fiancé during a blind date? When is the appropriate time to update my Facebook relationship status to ‘single’? When am I supposed to take off my engagement ring and show my face on 6th street?

What’s an appropriate tinder bio?

“Hi, I’m Stephanie. I used to be engaged but now I’m not! Hit me up!”

How do I navigate a new relationship with someone when I know that they will never know me as well as Nathan did? I can spend all day talking about who I was in high school, I can explain with detail every moment of my collegiate years, but no one will truly know who I was during those times because they weren’t there.

and here’s the update on that, 3 years later:

as previously mentioned, i’ve had success just bringing it up whenever it happens to come up. i played around with immediately being like “hey i’m steph i’m a widow what’s poppin?” but i think it’s a little more palatable to lure someone in with my insufferable personality and then be like “oh btw im a widow lol” 

i went through a phase where i would tell stories about my time in new york, but omit the fact that the reason i lived there was because of my fiance. or i’d tell stories about “an ex” without being like “well the ex is actually my dead fiance” but that felt weird, so i transitioned to just literally talking about nathan, my dead fiance, whenever i want to. and shockingly, it’s gone over pretty well. men are a lot more receptive to hearing about your ex that you’re still kinda in love with when your ex is dead.

my facebook relationship status is still not updated to single. but i did take it off my profile altogether after about two years. 

i took off my engagement ring about 6 months after nathan died. it was a whole thing. i was tired of people seeing it and assuming i was engaged, and asking me about it and then being forced into being like “oh haha well i’m not engaged anymore” i showed my face on 6th street and hated it, not because of my status as a widow, because i’m 26.

i’m banned from tinder, but my bumble bio is “self made hundredaire / used to work on broadway / never eaten a grape before / very passionate about the monster mash and sparkling water” people seem to like it.

if i could go back in time and whisper to myself “shhh you sweet summer child it literally doesn’t matter” god, i would. i sucked in high school, thank fucking god no one knows what i was actually like then. i was unbelievably depressed in college, we don’t need to re-live that in detail. i’m literally so cool now, and that’s really all that matters. like, i’m fun and a boss babe and smart and hilarious and mysterious (but let’s not focus on the mystery just yet) so does it really matter if someone doesn’t immediately know the nuances of my 15 year old psyche?

+++

when talking about my relationship with nathan, i’ve always framed it as “i know it’s not the end all be all of relationships” and i still firmly believe in that. like the ann druyan quote- “we knew that we were the beneficiaries of chance. we found each other in the cosmos, and that was wonderful.” we had a dope relationship, it ran its course, i learned a bunch of shit about myself and what i need moving forward, and now it’s time to move forward. 

and in moving forward, i have to keep reminding myself that accepting relationships as they come into my life is a fun and exciting experience. it doesn’t have to be daunting and serious and terrifying. part of that has been just forcing myself to get out of my head, stop overthinking everything, and remember that the world does not revolve around me. there’s something about being able to just take what i need, leave what i don’t, for as long as it lasts and being fine with things when they eventually end. 

it’s been kind of hilarious finally going through scenarios i used to agonize over in the middle of the night. everything that i imagined to be a huge deal has been actually, not a deal at all. i had a conversation with a friend a couple of months ago where i was like “i just want a toxic relationship to pass the time,” and she was like “are you saying that because that’s actually what you want, or are you saying that because you’re afraid of being genuinely intimate/vulnerable with someone that’s not nathan?” and i was like, ok first of all i didn’t come here to get dragged like that and secondly…yeah, maybe. 

the vulnerability thing is still tough for me- very much not a fan of talking about my feelings without masking it with comedy. but every step i’ve made in that direction, i’ve been able to do without guilt or questioning myself. 

the first time someone other than nathan slept in my bed, i was worried that i would end up upset- it was fine. i was like “oh, i forgot how nice it is to wake up not alone.”

when i found myself in a vaguely toxic relationship i realized “yeah ok, that’s definitely not what i want.” the last time that person left my house, my first thought was “i miss nathan.” and it wasn’t even necessarily nathan that i missed. i missed being around someone that made me feel like they idk…..cared about me as a person and like…..respected me. 

i spent a lot of time seeking out people that i thought were similar to nathan, and then i realized that the qualities i was attracted to were just the bare minimum of human decency.  the things that i loved the most about my relationship with nathan weren’t necessarily qualities that were exclusive to him (they were things he was very good at, but so are a lot of other people). his willingness to listen to me tell the same stories over and over, his patience with all of my anxiety, how much he loved just spending time around me, the way he valued and respected my opinions, his ability to remember very tiny details, our effortless rapport. 

and at the same time, i’m recognizing strengths in other people that fill in where nathan had some weaknesses. the fact that none of my friends liked him, his inability to cope with my depression, all of the times he’d ask for forgiveness rather than permission, his unwillingness to accept criticism when i was upset with him, or the way he’d continue to push buttons i’d repeatedly asked him to leave alone. 

+++

so maybe it’s the zoloft, or maybe it’s just growing up a little bit- but letting go of all of that anxiety has really allowed me to feel a lot lighter. it feels good to finally be present in all of my relationships, not concerned about how anything looks- rather, just concerning myself with shit that feels right. i’ve always been a pretty solid judge of character, and as soon as i stopped doubting myself, the quality of person that came into my life was immediately a lot better, weird. it’s almost like the only opinion that truly matters....is my own. 

[aestheticvoyage2018]

Day 199: Wednesday July 18, 2018 - “Buckskinned Bachelor”

Only a cowboy like me would throw a bachelor party like this.  A motley crew of ramblers joined me in Page and after breakfast I gave a few words, laid down the plan, let the teams pick sides and wound up 8 rolling with me into Utah for Buckskin Gulch and 10 rolling with Luke to Antelope Canyon.  I made clear to my gang that it was unclear on whether or not we’d get stuck on the road or if we’d hit mud and how I was pretty sure the trail would involve some wading in water....oh and watch out for flash floods!  I was leading the more adventure seeking group.  It included my cousins Stephanie and Teresa who were hungry for a chance to run in their hiking boots and wear their bags on the day that we wouldve been playing in Havasu Falls.  It also included my 2 faithful coyotes Mike and Cory, down from Denver, who dressed with a Ramones shirt and an Indiana Jones costume, were down with whatever Id throw at them.  Uncle Mark came with his humor, his stories, and his hiking poles that proved helpful in finding our way through the water.  Finally Nicole, who faithfully represented team bride in Audrie’s absence, and Zach, who everyone roundly agreed, especially Uncle Mark, was salt of the earth several hours before he proved it in zapping the infamous “taco bill” later.  If Hemingway had hiking friends on his bachelor party - theyd no doubt look like this.  We found the road out to be bumpy but dry - no drama there.  The ranger met us and warned to keep an eye to the sky, which we did, mostly.  We rambled down through Wire Pass, seeking adventure in the climb down and tight narrows and hot sun.  Fun sharing such an awe popping place; getting nature drunk on sandstone with these supertramps that showed up for me this week.   Better than the place, was the watching of these otherwise complete strangers from four different channels of life.  I hope that they stay connected....that this whole thing created the kind of opportunity for a lasting friendship  that led me to so many of my own special people.

A small group of us made it all the way down to the end of the track where we decided to stop and drink a small dab of Makers and pass it around the circle a couple times.  Then we decided to dip in that last deep photo for a group photo.  I set the timer and then turned, run and cannonballed into the puddle with everyone.  Memorable times.

After Buckskin, bagged successful despite all the broken gallons of water, the team rallied out to Lake Powell where under a brewing storm I got a skinny dip at Lone Rock.  Felt so good to get the Houle’s Wash.   Luke showed up with the Tamales and Tequila for the gang and we snacked and toasted and were merry until it was time to freshen back up before sunset at Horeshoe Bend.   Great getting family and friends out for this amazing viewpoint.  If I couldnt give them all Havasu, at least I could give them this, I thought, as we strolled down the hill.   After taking it in and getting a nature hug, Luke and I found a distant rock to sit on together, have a moment, light some sage, and get the vows actually written into the book for Friday night.  I read them to Luke and he approved, so I supposed we’re half married now too.  I wouldnt read them again until Friday. I really enjoyed the butter light from out on Horeshoe Bend and how now so many of those good people can say that theyve seen it too.  Lots of great memories out here over the past 4 years.  I thought to myself, as natural as that felt, that I must be a full on desert rat.  Addicted to these cliffs and mesas and that river.  It runs not past me, but through me.

Song: Paul McCartney - Maybe Im Amazed

Quote: “She is the embodiment of every quote that has ever inspired me and gave guidance to my life.  The persona of all my heroes and those I have admired wrapped into one.  Once a daydream, and a supplicated hope; then a serendipitous accident in the desert, and now my fiancee. She has given this rambler a home. The best things in life are indeed hard to come by, and I should know.  But her goofy laugh, calm presence, and patient holding of space cured me of all my hurts and re-wrote my story” ~Jake Acton, Feb 22, 2015