#james probably would be a jock too

[silverscreenlipstick]

to all my writer moots - can one of you, i'm begging and i can't stress this enough because i'm already writing four other fics - write a highschool/college marauders au set in the 90s where Sirius is a cheerleader, Remus some sort of mysterious hot dude or perhaps even jock, and Lily a riot grrrl??

#wolfstar #imagine the bops #i should be writing an excerpt idk what i'm doing here #james probably would be a jock too #or a nerd maybe #reggie would be that kid who collects teeth or something idk

[tvgirllvr]

yall asked for a part 3 … lmk ur thoughts on this one!

James Potter x Reader

Warnings: smut, semi public sex, praise kink, sub james potter, unprotected sex (wear a damn condom), oral sex (female receiving), degrading kink, and probably more lol

To your knowledge, the relationship between you and James Potter had been going smooth. You guys went from enemies to fuck buddies, and even though it really was just sex, there were other pros. You appreciated the way he would walk you to class on occasion and gave you a kiss on your cheek when nobody was looking. Who would have thought that the man you first perceived to be a cocky jock would end up giving you the best head in the books?

You started to question yourself about the true intentions of what you were doing. Yes, there was obviously the amazing sex, but were there other reasons as to why you continued to see him? You didn’t want to admit to yourself that there was a slight chance that you were starting to become fond of Potter. The most evident plan was to continue fooling around without confessing a single word. However, as you were set on putting this plan in action, a major roadblock came into place.

You’re in Slughorn’s class. You walk in and to your shock, you find some Hufflepuff hanging around you and James’ desk. Normally this wouldn’t get under your skin, however, once you see said girl take off his glasses and try them on, a rush of jealousy goes through your body. As you’re walking over to the desk you slam your books down and give the Hufflepuff girl a bitchy look. She reciprocates the look and walks away, but not before giving James a “friendly” push on his shoulder.

“Damn,” you heard James say under his breath.

“What’s that now?” You asked him in a very sarcastic manner.

“She wasn’t flirting.”

“I don’t believe that, and even if she was flirting, it doesn’t matter to me,” you lied.

“…Alright, still down to help me study later?”

“Yep,” you replied without making eye contact.

You could feel his eyes looking at your face as you stared down at your books. Why were you so jealous?

———————————————————————

It’s later that day in the Gryffindor common room. You’re surprised to see that nobody else is there studying too, it’s just you and James. You can feel James slowly starting to inch closer to you but since you’re pissed, you move away. He seems to notice and lets out a sigh.

“Gosh, I don’t understand any of this,” he says in reference to the potions being studied.

“Hm … maybe you should ask your Hufflepuff girlfriend to help you out since I’m not helping you enough,” you shot out.

Nice comeback.

“Damnit! Don’t you understand? She’s just some girl who may or may not be into me. Either way, I don’t care. She’s not the one I’m interested in.”

“Yeah alri - wait. What do you mean by that?” You asked, there’s a different girl he’s interested in?

“Um … I don’t know. Forget it,” he said, definitely hiding something. He pretended to suddenly be interested in the textbook in front of him. You couldn’t explain what you were feeling at that moment.

You two went back to studying. Once you guys finished the list of everything on the next exam you both closed the books and sighed. You gathered all your belongings and stood up to walk to your dorm. As you started walking away you heard James say something in a soft voice.

“You.”

“What?” You asked. What was he talking about?

“The girl. It’s you,” he was making direct eye contact with you, never breaking. His demeanor was turning you on. You paused for a while before answering.

“I don’t believe you,” was all you said.

“What do you mean?” He replied, he was baffled by your response. He thought he was obvious.

“I said: I don’t believe you. You need to prove it,” you stated with confidence.

“Wha - how?”

You sat back on the desk in front of James. You pushed all of his books to the side so there was plenty of room on the desk. You proceeded to spread your legs to reveal your white lace panties that gave James a perfect view of the growing wet spot on your cunt. His mouth was slightly open and his breathing was now increased. He slowly lowered to the ground so he was on his knees, making his face level to your pussy. He was looking at you with the most adorable eyes ever.

“Can I?” He asked. God, who knew James Potter would be such a slut for eating pussy.

“Can you what?” You snarked back. You wanted him to say it.

He gripped his own thighs to try and distract himself from the growing boner he had. By the looks of it, it had to have been painful. However, he was more interested in making you cum on his face. He wanted it so bad.

“Please. Let me touch you. Only you. I want to taste you,” he rambled. He was so horny. You loved the way his brain would go a million miles per hour when he got too excited.

“Go ahead baby,” you told him, “prove it to me.”

He wasted no time in touching you. He bit one end of your panties and pulled it halfway down your thigh with his mouth. He did so with the other end as well, not breaking eye contact at all. As soon as they were off, he began examining your cunt. He was so turned on by how wet you are. He slowly began placing soft kisses on your inner thighs, a few on each, and slowly made his way to your clit.. Slowly kissing it, he ran his hands up and down your legs lightly. He found your inner thighs and spread them as open as they would go, then continued to explore your legs with just his fingertips.

“No teasing baby,” you pleaded, “if you want to make me happy, no teasing. No teas - ,” you were cut off by his instant change in pace. It took no time for him to get the hint. He went from slowly caressing your thighs to gripping them to keep his focus. You let out a stream of moans as you felt him take one hand that was resting on your left leg and place one finger inside you, pumping it in and out as he quickly flicked his tongue against your clit. You felt him place another finger inside and slightly curl it to where it was hitting your g-spot over, and over, and over again. As if that wasn’t enough, he doubled the speed at which his mouth was working on your cunt.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck,” you repeated. You felt James moan in response, sending vibrations up and down your body. You were about to cum and he knew it. With your hands tangled in his hair, you felt him use his left hand to interlock it with your right. This, for some reason, was what pushed you over the edge.

“So fucking good. So fucking good. I’m cumming baby, fuck - ,” you rambled on and on until your high and reached its end. You pulled James off of your pussy and pulled him up to your level. You kissed him, tasting yourself on his lips. You run one hand from his shoulder all the way down to his cock. He was still fully clothed.

“Take your shirt off,” you commanded him. You didn’t expect him to follow so fast. You kept your eyes on him as he removed his jumper revealing a white undershirt that fit his perfectly toned body. You watched as he loosened his belt, which you stopped.

“I didn’t tell you to do that,” you teased, “that part is my job.” You stood up and pushed James down into a chair, the same chair you were studying in earlier. Soon enough your hands found his belt buckle and his boxers were pulled down enough to where his cock was free. He was so hard, precum leaking onto his stomach as his dick laid. You stood up, kissed James softly, then lowered your cunt onto him.

“Fuck!” He yelled. God he was so noisy.

“Shut up. You don’t want to wake everyone up, right James? How humiliating would that be? Everyone knowing how much of a whore you are for it,” you barked at him. He was so cute in that moment. His curls were sticking to his forehead, glasses fogging up from panting. His mouth was open slightly and he was struggling to not keep his eyes closed. You allowed him to hold your ass while you bounced up and down on him.

“Look at me baby,” you told him.

“Fuck, okay,” he replied very softly.

“You have a dirty mouth Potter. All you do is swear and eat me out, not that I’m complaining.”

You don’t know what it was but after that comment, you were able to tell he was about to cum soon. He began to release soft whimpers, trying to obey your demand of being quiet. His hands began to shake and you felt his cock twitch inside you.

“I’m going to cum. Please. I’m going to cum, don’t stop,” he begged. He was begging.

“Go ahead baby. You deserve it, you’re so good,” you praised him. With that comment, you felt his cum spill inside you as he released a moan into your shoulder, pulling you into what seemed like a hug.

You guys stayed like that for a minute. You eventually brought his face a few inches away from yours and kissed him. This was the first kiss where it didn’t seem sexual, but more comfortable. This kiss felt like James holding the door open for you or James offering to carry your books.

“James,” you whispered.

“Yes,” he said.

“I’m glad I’m the girl.”

#enemies to lovers #james potter #james potter smut #marauders #marauders smut #remus lupin #remus lupin smut #sirius black #sirius black smut

[greatcheshire]

What is the deal with Twin Peaks Season 2?

Oh gosh so

Twin Peaks season 1 was a huge surprise hit for ABC, which obviously the executives loved. What they didn't love was the fact that the show, which focused on finding the killer of Laura Palmer, ended its first season without revealing the killer of Laura Palmer. In addition, the show was also such a big hit that they ordered 22 episode for season 2, about three times as many as the 8 episode first season, which meant a lot more space that needed to be filled.

There's also another thing here where season 2 also marked David Lynch putting more... Lynch things in the series. Season 1 had touches of supernatural or surreal elements, sure, especially compared to other TV shows at the time, but for the most part could still be enjoyed or viewed as a standard small town mystery soap opera by a wide amount of its audience. Compare this to early season 2, which introduces spirits, a cream corn ghost child, and sunglasses that possess you and make you smoke cigarettes. A lot of people were put off by this turn, either by it getting too weird for them or for simply not liking the more overt supernatural tone the show was taking.

For what it's worth, in my opinion, the first 9 episodes of Season 2 are phenomenal. Some of my favorite stuff in the series. The moments where Twin Peaks really becomes its own beast. One thing about this section is that this is where ABC was really pushing for Lynch and Frost to reveal the identity of Laura Palmer's killer, something they had never wanted to do but ended up having to do anyway. The end result is the killer getting revealed 1/3 of the way into the season, and the final three episodes dealing with the reveal of the killer and the aftermath are honestly amazing. Fantastic work. Episode 7 has probably my favorite TV moment of all time. It's that damn good.

But then a problem came - the killer was found. The central mystery had been solved.

And there's still 13 more episodes left of the season.

What happened next is one of the most famous quality drop offs in television history. Lynch, both due to his frustrations with ABC and also due to his obligations with filming his movie Wild At Heart, took a step back from the show, letting other writers try to fill in for him. The result was disastrous, with writers struggling to figure out how to replicate Lynch and Frost's style and what Twin Peaks could even be about without the Palmer case.

Some plotlines that are in Twin Peaks season 2, I shit you not:

A business owner gets PTSD and believes himself to be a confederate general, forcing everyone around him to recreate the Civil War with miniatures

David Duchovny shows up as a trans woman FBI agent

The show's Hannibal equivalent disguises himself as a horse and tranq darts a military general involved in classified Area 51 material

The show's Hannibal equivalent kills some random guy and stuffs him in a giant, house sized chess piece as a calling card

Local cool biker James Hurley leaves Twin Peaks, discovers a woman who is trying to scam him into killing her husband but that scam is also a scam from the husband who is also her brother to convince some boy to do a fake scam and attempt to kill him or something and it takes up five episodes and nothing happens and then James leaves the show

The main planned romance arc was vetoed by one of the actors so they had to come up with new love interests solely so fans would stop shipping the two of them. The two new love interests are played by Heather Graham and Billy Zane. They get nothing to do. Heather Graham is a suicidal nun named Annie Blackburn. Billy Zane is a cowboy named John Justice Wheeler

A 40 year old woman with an eyepatch and super strength gets amnesia and believes she's a high school cheerleader. They let her onto the wrestling team because of her super strength and she starts dating the jerk jock there because she's able to dom him

A woman becomes a door knob

They decide to host a beauty pageant to raise money to save a pine weasel. This is the plotline for the final few episodes.

We begin to learn more about UFOs and aliens and the existence of a dark dimension called the Black Lodge

Two men compete to see who is the real father of the sheriff assistant Lucy's child. At one point, they believe he might be the spawn of Satan.

They take Cooper out of the FBI because he went to Canada without permission and place him in Lesbian Flannel for the rest of the season (The only time Lesbian Flannel is a downgrade for a character)

The mayor's 80 year old brother, who investigates UFOs, dies by getting fucked to death by his 20 year old wife. The mayor brings a shotgun to the sheriff's office and plans to shoot the wife for killing his brother with sex and witchcraft. The police solve this by locking them both in the room together until they start to have sex and announce their plans to adopt

And this is just the simplified version of it!  All of this caused Twin Peaks to drop HARD in the ratings. Like literally from the top of the charts to the bottom. This stretch of episodes aren’t entirely bad. There is some good stuff there, the lore is important for future things, and the episodes start to pick up when the Hannibal equivalent Windom Earle gets introduced. But as a whole... OOF is it hard to watch.  Lynch would come back again to direct the season finale of season 2, hoping to generate enough interest from viewers and executives in giving it a season 3. He tossed out the script that was written by the season 2 writing team and made his own thing and it rules. The finale for season 2 is one of the best episodes of TV ever. A high mark of Lynch’s career. It’s so fucking good. It’s so good, it’s worth season 2 despite it all. And it ends on one hell of a cliffhanger. 

Only to get cancelled. 

Lynch was given the opportunity to do a movie to end the series properly and resolve the cliffhanger. Instead he made a prequel. A move that angered many at the time. And then 25 years later, Twin Peaks finally got a third season, one that was so good, it was named the best movie of 2017 by Sight & Sound. But the effects of season 2 live on, the way that it alienated audiences and put Twin Peaks solely into niche territory one baffling decision at a time. 

#Twin Peaks

[wickedwitchofthesouth]

New gen Harry Potter headcanons because I'm waiting for my laundry to dry and I'm bored:

Astoria malfoy is from Japan, so scorpius is wasian but still somehow comes out with that malfoy-blonde hair and blue eyes colour pallet, despite still having very Japanese features just like his mother

Carmen and Marco zabini are twins. Carmen is the older one, and she's a total no-nonsense baddie. Marco, on the other hand, is the very embodiment of a golden retriever boy.

Carmen does Marcos hair because he's horrible at taking care of it, and she learned how to braid at the age of 7.

Albus thinks he looks nothing like Harry, and he actually prides himself on being his father's complete opposite [he's actually the only potter kid that looks like an exact carbon copy of Harry]

The potters speak urdu at home, James Lily and Albus call Harry Baba and ginny muma. I'd like to think Harry- After graduating, probably had a phase where he was immensely involved in learning about his desi heritage. I feel like he probably even travelled to Pakistan a couple of times to reconnect with his culture. But I also feel like he felt more like a third culture kid sort of connection to it. The UK was still his home, and he didn't think that would ever change. He still tried, though. He learned the language and tried to teach it to his children so they wouldn't feel as alienated from their ethnicity as he probably did. Ginny learned urdu alongside him, partially because she just wanted to encourage him.

When scorpius was little he would often find himself talking to the portrait of his uncle regulus that his grandma had put up after the war. Uncle reggie , as he liked to be called, was scorpius' favourite old family memeber.

Harry always introduces Teddy as his oldest son.

Albus is exceptional at potions. He's also very talented in quidditch, the only thing is he doesn't really like playing.

James on the other hand is a total jock. I'm talking Oliver Wood level dedication to the craft of quidditch.

Lily luna is the embodiment of that scene from good omens season two of the little girl going "And I'm jemaimah! I made this pot!!"

Fred II likes to go by freddie, and him and James II are practically James and sirius 2.0. It drives McGonagall crazy.

Carmen and Marco make everyone believe they have twin telepathy as a prank one day, but now they have to keep up the bit because it's too late to drop it.

Scorpius has a pet ferret and he named it bunny. He was 6 and he thought it would be funny.

When scor was a kid he would colour in dracos dark mark with felt tip markers and scribble all over his arm and go "there now it's pretty". One day draco walked into a tattoo parlour with a scribbled mess on his arm and told the artist to make his sons art work permanent. Draco still has the mark but now its sporting all sorts squiggles and shapes in every colour imaginable. Scorpius thinks its embarrassing because that was definitely not one of his more finer works but draco finds comfort in the way his life's biggest regret becomes just a little more bareable because of Scorpius' childish innocence.

Draco is dad of the year. Harry on the other hand... is still trying to get there.

That's all thanks for coming to ny Ted talk

#harry potter #scorbus #albus severus x scorpius #scorpius malfoy #albus severus potter #james sirius potter #lily luna potter #fred weasley #carmen zabini #marco zabini #harry potter and the cursed child #headcanons #hp headcanon

[paceypeternathanslawyer]

It’s funny how Nathan and Haley is a part of the enemies to lovers trope but Haley caught feels for Nathan almost immediately after officially meeting him.

They went to the same school and he was the completely estranged half brother of her best friend but they ran in different circles. Haley was an honor student and more of a geek. Nathan was the king jock/star basketball player and they came from different sides of the track so to speak. Nathan came from a rich family and Haley’s was more middle class. Lucas would commiserate about Nathan and Haley always supported him in his hatred of his half brother. And we see some of that support of his hatred in the first two episodes of season 1. 

Haley starts to tutor Nathan secretly without Lucas’ knowledge around episode 3 and the first Basketball game Haley watched after that is at the beginning of episode 4. I reference that season 6 scene because Haley all but confirms that the Basketball game was around the time she caught feels for him. Based off of how he says that “every basket was his own personal version of a Haley James pick up line” and Haley says “It worked”

I think that Haley caught feels partly because of that first tutoring experience and then the Basketball game just solidified it. She meets this tall, dark and handsome dude who is so charismatic and confident and then to see him back up all that confidence with his athletic skills... was too much for her to take. Who can blame her? LOL

Then that’s why you see Haley try so hard in that episode to go back on her promise to tutor Nathan. She knows she’s catching feels and it scares her cause she knows how messy it would make her friendship with Lucas if she went down that path so she tries so hard to nip it in the bud. She then agrees reluctantly to tutor him until the end of the semester... she probably thought she could stifle her feelings until then but little did she know that she would be married to Nathan by that point. Girl was so in the deep end and she didn’t even know it.

BTW I find it interesting how Haley never felt the need to “bring perspective” to Nathan and Lucas’ relationship prior to that episode 😁😆💗😍

#One Tree Hill #nathan and haley #naley #otp #nathan x haley #haley x nathan #one tree hill: favorites #nathan scott #haley james #haley scott #haley james scott #the wb #the cw #james lafferty #bethany joy lenz #Lucas Scott #chad michael murray

[sebbianas]

okay I'll bitte. I'm still very new here and only ever read anything ab wolfstar. What is the lore w jegulus? I know it's a lot to explain probably but what would be the summary of what you find most alluring and fitting about them together?

i hope you are sitting down for this because this will be long. i will put it in bullet forms so its kinda organized

first, i am a sucker for slytherin/gryffindor ships. idk if its because of drarry or just the natural rivalry that the two houses has shown in the books. i see rivalries to lovers and i go crazy

second, i love the best friend’s sibling trope. i loved it with hinny and so naturally i loved it with jegulus. idk what it is about this trope that i love it so much, i just love the familiarity of it like, i watched you grew up because your older sibling is my best friend so you’ve always been part of my life and now that im getting to know you you arent just my best friend’s sibling you are your own person and wow im in love with you its just chef’s kiss you know?

i love how opposite jegulus are, i love the popular jock vs mysterious jock, i love the loud and reckless vs the quiet and calculating , i love the hero vs the anti-hero. i love how the things that make them who they are is exactly what the other needs, they complete and compliment each other so well that they are the couple who says they are a team and they actually are because of how well the fit.

(in relation to the previous bullet) i love how thru regulus james learns to love the silence, he learns the peacefulness of just being together, of holding each other in comfortable silence and being able to exist together, he always felt the need to be the life of the party or be the energized one who is entertaining everyone but with reg he gets to just exist no demands for anything other than just his presence

and with reg he learns to james that not everything has to be buried and hidden, he learns that his feelings and emotions are not wrong and bad, they are just emotions and james has given him the space to feel that, to exist with it and not oush it down. with james reg is able to see beyond what is offered to him, outside of his parent’s expectations, outside of his own expectations for himself, he gets to be a teenager, gets to be a teenager in love, he gets to know who he wanted to be and he learns to love it, he learns that there is more to life than just surviving

james loves regulus in the way regulus has never known, james values him and his thoughts, listens and remembers, he sees past his sarcastic remarks and eye rolls, he loves him for it even, he cares not because he has to but because he wants to and regulus never had that.

regulus loves james in the way james had never expected, james grew up with so much love that he had too much of it, he doesnt complain tho, so james thought he knew what love is but regulus’ way of loving is so different that it shocked. his love for james is subtle, its a small secret smile directed at him from across the room, its a pinky reaching out to him when they pass by each other, its sending little things that james had said he likes being given to him with nonchalance, its kissing him with reverence and worship, its folding into his arms and openly admiting he felt safe and at peace, its little things makes james blush and stutter because for him love is big gestures and loud declarations he never knew love could be solemn, love could be something they kept to themselves, love that he wanted only for his eyes.

jegulus just having a love that is unexpected and real at such a young age that it becomes something they hold on for the rest of their lives (no matter how short it is lol)

i have so much to say about them im sorry but i do love them so much

[qprstobin]

Oh Eddie 100% was meant to be the king of the underworld, another mirror for Steve. I think that they feel a lot of frustration over how Steve turned out, otherwise I don’t get why they keep making weird doubles for him (we have three! why do we need so much!). I think maybe Eddie is a starter character that they would have developed into a Steve later? Like a character who becomes the confidant for the kids (a very boring choice btw)

The only reason people make Eddie into a victim is to give him the higher ground so that Steve can feel insecure and ashamed, which is a kink for the majority of Steve shippers (like even with Billy which is weird that Steve is sometimes apologizing there too. like guys???? what??????). Canon Eddie is a feral stinky teenage boy. “Mr Cringefail Mr Attentionwhore” to Steve’s “Mr Funny Mr Cool”. Like in order to be the king of the losers and freaks you kinda sorta NEED TO ALSO BE ONE. Steddie are so funny together, like a satirical piece on Romeo and Juliet, whyyyy did people decide to focus on the bullying and victimhood. It doesn’t suit the characters at all

I miss canon Eddie so much, Quinn put so much work into the feral stinky aspect AND YET

I think they also keep trying to, like, recreate the hype they got with Steve accidentally. (Which to an extent they did in Eddie I guess but in a weird way.) But it's hard to do that kind of thing on purpose, you know?

I agree also that Eddie definitely was meant in his own way to be like "king of freaks" or something similar. I think the king titles get tiresome after a while but social hierarchy wise? Most definitely. Which honestly is so much fun! I don't know why people don't lean into it more in a fun way instead of making it angsty. The rivalry they may or may not have could be so incredibly funny but they also make it "oh no :((((( look how mean everyone was". Honestly everyone in this show is casually kinda mean, with a few exceptions (Billy, Troy & James, later Jason) thats all it seems to be, at least if the characters we're introduced to.

Honestly, I'm not sure a lot of these people are actually Steve fans 😭 they don't seem to like Steve very much??? Like Steve fans do enjoy some good whump - either emotional or physical (some of the fics my mutes have read.... Insanity) - and I can attest to that! But like there has to be some pay off for that which a lot of these fics don't seem to have. I'm not sure if people just aren't thinking things through or what.

Also I totally agree I ADORE canon Eddie. He's awkward and a little cringe, and probably is a huge flirt but is very, very bad at it. (Joe Q.'s comment that 'Eddie is never as successful with girls as he thinks he is' lives rent free in my head.) He's dramatic and probably a little gross (at the very least his van must always smell like weed). He is soooo ADHD coded to me, and honestly is just a hilarious outsider pov type character (a dude who thinks he is a freak and a weirdo and then finds out the priss the jock and the loner are all in an actual monster fighting club with his mentees, what's better than this).

I think also when people go too hard into the "he was bullied :(((" thing as opposed to how he actually comes across in canon, is that you lose that narrative foil that makes him so interesting in the first place. Firstly, the obvious Steve parallels, but also I think people miss out on the fact that all of the Spicy Six (minus Argyle 💔) are portrayed when they're first introduced as very much caught up in their own worlds and opinions. Steve is the one who everyone points out because he's definitely has the like biggest and most obvious re-evaluation. But Nancy, Jonathan, and Robin I would argue do too?

Nancy is much more concerned with her new boyfriend who isn't her boyfriend than anything else, very focused on rebelling. She's seen as someone who is uptight and a priss acting out. Barb's disappearance and death completely shakes her foundation, causes her to completely reprioritize her life and what's important.

Jonathan's isn't done in like a great way, because the resolution with the pictures was lazy as hell. But arguably he is going through the same foundation changing first with Will disappearing and then with the pictures. He even says that he saw Nancy as shallow and forgot she was a real person. Them working together is - as poorly done as it is - a similar journey.

Robin's is less on screen, but she goes through a similar thing with the others, overcoming dumb high school biases and befriending Steve. Though hers like I said starts off screen because you get the vibe she started liking Steve before the Russians thing happened.

Eddie is literally going through the same thing. He says himself that he thought Steve was an asshole and that both Steve and Nancy were forcing him to reevaluate his prior biases. A big part of the older crowds upside down journey has always been growing as a person and learning that there's more than meets the eye with others, and moving past stupid high school cliques and biases. The fact so much of fandom ignores that Eddie is also super biased and is also reevaluating his thoughts completely detracts from his character and growth. Like I know the duffers love doing the petty high school "jocks suck and nerds rule" thing, but that doesn't mean fandom has to lol. I feel like giving Eddie all these reasons to not just hate jocks but hate Steve specifically just kinda undermines part of the journey.

Anyway I got WAYYYY off track. Wkenedk this has just been in my head for a while

#eddie munson #steddie #st meta #anon #anonymous #asks

[accio-sriracha]

The Marauders and Lily Evans.

~~~♤~~~

Intro chapter to a fic I haven't worked on in a while but plan to (hopefully) complete soon-ish!

Let me know what you guys think <3

~~~♤~~~

The Marauders were the boys who refused to give up on a world that gave up on them. And they wouldn't have it any other way.

They were trailblazers, unafraid of being different, or making noise, or taking up space.

Anyone who saw them huddled together on the common room floor, or joking and wrestling under a tree by the black lake would say they were the happiest group of friends in the world.

They were reckless late nights and later mornings filled with wild laughter and infectious smiles. They were bonded as brothers, being the only true family some of them had, or at least the only ones worth counting on.

They were courageous, Gryffindor proud and not afraid to take on a bully or two regardless of who they were. They got into more trouble than they should and far less than they wanted to.

The Marauders were a force to be reckoned with, but they were also a safe place to go when you needed a friend, a group of boys who understood better than anyone else would, boys who cared, who cried, and who loved like no other.

Being with them was like sitting safely in the middle of a raging fire, warm and exillerating, a little wild at times but with the promise that they would make sure you'd be alright.

They were supposedly an arrogant jock, a punk-rock arsehole, a nerdy prefect, and a cowardly fourth wheel.

But in truth; James was the most caring person of the group. He looked after the others, reminding them to eat their food and get some sleep. He loved just as deeply as he laughed loudly. He lived life like he only had one day to make it all count, and would drop everything in a moments notice for someone in need. He spent six years chasing the same girl and never went a day without reminding his friends how much he loved them.

Sirius was secretly a softie, a hopeless romantic at heart with love of cheesy rom-coms and all things Remus Lupin. He sang in the shower and would die if he went too long without physical affection. He embraced his friends without a second thought and wasn't ashamed when Mrs. Potter kissed his cheek in public. He traded hair tips with some of the Ravenclaw girls and once let a first year Slytherin borrow his eyeliner. He loved hard, and once he found someone he cared for he never let them go.

Remus was the mastermind of half the Marauders pranks, he swore excessively and dog-eared his pages in his more well-read books. He called his friends idiots and laughed when they fell down, but was always the first to offer them a hand up. It takes a long time for him to trust but he always keeps his word. He has a sharp mind and even sharper tongue and could probably kill a man with just one glare. He's fiercely protective of his friends and would do anything for each of them.

Peter is the heart of the group, he's the one who brings the snacks during study group and reminds James to take care of himself too. He makes all four of their beds during the week of the full moon and keeps a stash of chocolates in his bag for Remus-related emergencies. He's always the first one to hug Sirius and James after a quidditch match regardless of the score, and never says no to a game of gobstones. He always pretends to hate it when they tell him how important he is to them but really it makes him feel incredible. His love is pure and straight from the heart and the boys consider themselves lucky to have him around.

The Marauders were much, much more under the surface than you'd expect. They were a family. An odd one, sure, but full of love and promises of forever.

And for Lily Evans?

They were home.

~~~♤~~~

#harry potter #marauders #marauders era #remus lupin #sirius black #james potter #peter pettigrew #lily evans #marauders headcanon #marauders fanfiction #marauders fic #the marauders #wip #marauders wip #ao3 #wattpad #original fic #i have so many wips its not even funny

[commander-krios]

Happy SpecReqs 2023, @ginbiscuit! I loved your list of requests so much I had to write you another fic. I hope that's ok! So here is some Joker (my fave boy) and James Vega.

Beta done by @comeoniwantacoolname, thank you hun!

~~~~

Title: Yours

Summary: 

What's in a name?

The hell if Joker knows, but it's important to James Vega to give him a nickname, no matter how much he wishes it wasn't. And if someone asked him if he cared about what the nickname ended up being, he would deny it with his last breath.

No amount of denial can change the truth. He secretly loves the attention.

Words: 5816

Rating: T

Relationship: Jeff "Joker" Moreau/James Vega

Additional Tags: Friends to Lovers, Nicknames, Teasing, Massages, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Food as a Love Language, Fluff, Developing Relationship

Read on AO3

~~~

Jeff Moreau was used to being alone. Call it a self preservation instinct or whatever, but each time he let himself trust someone, gave them access to his innermost thoughts and feelings, offered them a chance to know him on a deeper level than just ‘I’m the best pilot in the Alliance’, it always ended with him being disappointed. He could count on one hand the amount of people he trusted more than skin deep and one of them was a sentient AI that could probably kill him by sucking the air out of the entire ship.

It didn’t matter to him. At least, that’s what he told himself. He was always the loner, ever since grade school, since joining the Alliance, and since graduating flight academy. But it irked him a little whenever he saw members of the crew gathered in the mess during their downtime: to play poker, or eat together, or just shoot the shit about inconsequential things. Anything that didn’t involve the damned war they lived and breathed.

That’s why he was immediately suspicious when Lieutenant James Vega came aboard. 

At first glance, Vega seemed like the jocks that used to pick on him in high school: dumb and too into his own muscles to have anything of substance to say. He worked out in the shuttle bay every day. That had to be on the same level of sociopathy as stealing candy from babies.

He even wondered if Shepard had warned Vega about his special brand of humor.

During one of those first nights after leaving Earth to the Reapers, when Jeff had put EDI in charge of flying to the Citadel so he could rest before docking, he ran into Vega in the mess, cooking.

And the food didn’t smell like Gardner’s crap from when Shepard had flown with Cerberus.

Upon sensing his entrance, Vega turned and gave him a small wave, before becoming engrossed in his food preparations once more. Jeff nodded in response, digging into the fridge for something to drink. He wasn’t looking for anything in particular, maybe a light snack before hitting the rack, but he wanted to do it in silence. And Vega seemed incapable of staying quiet.

“Hey Wings, you want any?”

It took him a minute to realize that Vega was talking to him. “What did you just call me?”

The spot between Vega’s eyes wrinkled, nose scrunching as if he realized his nickname could be offensive. “Sorry, it’s something I do with everyone. Make up nicknames. I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Did it? Make him uncomfortable? He was going to say, yeah don’t do that again and leave me the hell alone, but Vega didn’t seem like he was being disingenuous or cruel. Maybe he really was trying to be friendly.

Clearing his throat, Joker shrugged, grabbing the closest drink he could find, not even realizing it wasn’t the water he’d had his eyes on until he closed the fridge. He’d look like an idiot if he opened it again to correct his mistake so he tucked the strawberry protein smoothie under his arm, trying to avoid looking any more stupid than he already did.

“Look, Lieutenant. I don’t mind a nickname but, uh, do you think you could come up with something a little better than Wings?”

The marine cracked a grin. “What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know! Something better than that. Hell, just use Joker because it’s my actual name.” He threw up his hands and the bottle dropped to the floor. Thankfully, glass was banned from starships decades ago and the smoothie rolled across the floor to nestle snugly against James’ foot. The soldier glanced at it briefly before stooping down to pick it up. 

Joker would’ve made a run for it if he thought he could escape without breaking a leg, but that wasn’t reality. So he stood there like an idiot as Vega held the bottle out to him. He snatched it from his hands a little too roughly, but he would chide himself over it later once his cheeks stopped burning from the embarrassment.

“Heads up, that shake tastes more like those indigestion meds that the doc gives you than actual strawberries.” Vega turned back to his pan and whatever it was he was cooking. “Or you can still have a bite of my machaca.”

He had no idea what the hell that was.

“I think I’ll survive fine, thanks.”

Vega shrugged as if he wasn’t bothered either way. 

Joker watched him a minute longer than he should’ve, but wasn’t acknowledged again. Huh. Clutching the bottle of protein drink to his chest, he shuffled out of the mess, shooting a few glances over his shoulder as if James Vega would disappear like a ghost.

When he was certain that the entire interaction had actually happened, Joker entered the crew quarters, taking a swig of the smoothie. As soon as the liquid touched his tongue, he lurched, almost tossing the small amount he drank back up onto the floor. Its chalky consistency with the artificial strawberry flavor was the most disgusting combination he’d ever tasted.

Dammit, Vega was right and if he went back for something else-

Tossing the drink into the trash where it belonged, he decided he would sneak out once he was sure Vega was asleep. No need to embarrass himself further over something like the rumbling of his stomach.

~~~~

Purgatory wasn’t like Afterlife, but that was what made it so appealing to Joker. The music was loud, the drinks were strong, and there was little thinking he could do in this place. Which is exactly how he liked it. The company he acquired that night, however, was another issue.

Jack was sitting with her feet on the table, absorbed in some report from the frontlines. He didn’t expect her to take teaching so seriously, but he liked to be surprised at times. Even with someone nicknamed ‘the Psychotic Biotic.’

“Where the hell is Shepard?” She muttered, tossing the datapad on the table before reaching for her beer. He couldn’t tell what it was by the label but it was definitely not from a human brewery. “He was supposed to meet me here to go over war shit.”

He shrugged, leaning back into his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. He wished he could look as laidback as Jack did even if she was annoyed. But every position was uncomfortable within a few minutes of sitting in it. “Shepard does whatever he wants. He is the boss.”

“He’s not my boss.”

Joker was going to point out that she was officially Alliance personnel now and there might come a time when Shepard would be her boss, but he kept his mouth shut. Jack was the one person he wasn’t willing to antagonize. She could probably kill him with the datapad in front of her. 

Or that stylus she was twirling between her fingers.

“Didn’t say he was. But he’s the most sought after guy in the galaxy right now.” He continued, reaching for his own drink, hoping to avoid talking more before he stuck his foot in his mouth.

Jack rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to tell me that, Flyboy.”

“Hey, that’s a good one!” A voice said over the booming music, directly next to their table. “Mind if I borrow it?”

Eyes wide, Joker glanced up, somehow not surprised to find the familiar brown eyes of James Vega looking back. The marine glanced at him briefly, a smile curling his lips. Joker had to remember to breathe once those eyes were focused on Jack. Where the hell had he come from?

“Borrow what, Muscles?” Jack asked, smirking as she not so subtly checked Vega out. Her gaze roamed over his muscular arms, his chest, pausing to check out his ass and other things. Joker’s hand tightened around the drink he held. “Because I’ll give you anything you want.”

Vega raised an eyebrow at her, returning her grin with his own. “I was talking about the nickname for our pilot here, but I can’t turn down an offer like that.”

Joker sighed, pulling his hat down to avoid seeing the flirting, but unfortunately he could still hear. “Can you take this somewhere else, please? I’d rather not have Vega drool in my beer.”

Jack kicked the table between them, making the drinks wobble dangerously. “Hey, asshole. That’s rude.”

“You’re worried about me being rude?” He snapped, glaring across the small distance at her, feeling his cheeks flush with anger and maybe a little embarrassment. He bit back the next sentence that threatened to spill from his mouth. The Alliance put a collar on you, huh?

“Uh…” James glanced between them as he and Jack stared daggers at each other. “Am I missing something?”

Jack tilted her head slightly, waiting for Joker to explain or to make a joke to diffuse the situation. He refused to do either, hating how easy Jack could get a rise out of him. Damned woman was a pain in the ass.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he glanced away from Jack’s probing gaze and scanned the crowd that gyrated around them. His neck burned, embarrassed at how childish he was being. 

So maybe he wasn’t as ok with being alone as he thought.

“I… uh… have some friends I need to get back to.” James shouted over the music, using his thumb to point at the bar behind him. A bunch of marines dressed in their BDUs were laughing and taking shots, clearly not noticing that Vega wasn’t with them. “But I’ll see you on the ship, man.”

“Yeah.” Joker muttered, although Vega was long gone, melting into the crowd with an ease that made him jealous. If only it could be so easy.

Once the moment passed, he made the mistake of glancing across the table. Jack raised an eyebrow, a shocked laugh leaving her mouth. “Uh, what the fuck was that?”

“Nothing.”

Jack leaned forward and rested her arms on the table, studying him briefly. “I’m not buying the shit you’re selling. What the hell did Muscles do to you?” A smile curled her lips in the next moment and Joker knew he wasn’t going to like what was going to come out of her mouth next. “Wait- are you jealous?”

Joker winced and rubbed his temple, a headache forming behind his eyes. “No.”

Jack laughed, clapping her hands together and relaxing in her seat, a sparkle of mischievous intent in her eyes. “Oh, you are.”

With a disgruntled sigh, Joker pushed the chair back, refusing to be a part of Jack’s games. “I’m going back to the ship.”

Pulling his hat down, Joker tried his best to make it through the crowd before anyone else noticed him. He heard Jack shout something at his back, but he was too far away and the music too loud for him to actually understand what the words were.

He was positive that he should be grateful for that. Jack never had anything good to say.

~~~~

With a sigh that was more of a groan thanks to his aching back, Jeff adjusted his position in an attempt to get comfortable again. He knew he should probably take a break, or a nap, but if he wasn’t pushing himself to the edge, then he wasn’t Jeff Moreau.

“You should rest, Jeff.”

Normally, he would’ve argued, but tonight he was too tired. A long 15 hours of flying on so little sleep from the night before. He should’ve signed off early and gone to crew quarters, but he was stubborn if nothing else. EDI was sitting beside him in that robot body that still gave him the creeps when he caught it out of the corner of his eye.

“Thanks, mom.”

“I am aware that you are using sarcasm, but my intentions are similar to that of a family member. A sister, perhaps.”

“Are you saying you want to be my sister, EDI?”

“I’m saying I care about you, Jeff.”

He sighed, taking his cap off and running a hand through his flattened hair. “Yeah, I know. Fine. I’ll take a break.”

At the very least, he could eat.

Once the door to the elevator shut, he sank against the wall, letting it hold him up while he rode it down a floor to the crew deck. 

Joker was exhausted. He should just crawl into his bunk and sleep until the next shift, but the muscles in his back burned, his legs shook, and he knew without a doubt that he wouldn’t be able to close his eyes with the pain. So a pitstop at the medbay was required first. Chakwas would most likely have something to ease his aches.

The doors opened and he tried his best not to hobble, but each step felt like an electric rod was shoved into his calves, sending sharp stabs of agony through every nerve in his body. The medbay was a few feet from the elevator, but he made the trip in double the time he usually did. Vega was in the mess again, the smell of something spicy filling his nostrils as soon as he entered. 

When he crossed the threshold into the medbay, Chakwas glanced up from her terminal, eyes widening. “Jeff. Are you alright?”

He winced, unable to lie to the only doctor he trusted. She treated him more than a patient, more than an experiment. She was like the mother he’d lost all the years ago, patient and kind, but refused to put up with his bullshit. If pressed, he could admit he loved her like one too.

“Sorry for bothering you so late, but uh, I need something for my back.”

Her eyes softened and with a nod, she reached into the drawer next to her, pulling out a small white bottle. She knocked two small white pills into her outstretched hands before holding it out to him. “Take these with a full glass of water. Then get some rest.”

“Aye, aye.” He muttered weakly, giving a half hearted salute before shuffling from the medbay. 

He couldn’t bother with the water. Walking across the mess was too difficult so he swallowed the pills dry, nearly choking on them. With a tired sigh, Joker immediately slipped into a chair, his head colliding with the table. He didn’t even bother with a greeting, needing food and a nap, but having the energy for neither.

“Rough day, Jefe?”

“Something like that.” Turning his head to lay his cheek against the table, he watched as Vega approached with a plate piled high with another food he’d never seen before. “What does that mean? Jefe?”

“Boss.” The soldier slid onto the seat next to him, setting the plate down gently. At eye level, Joker could see whatever the food he’d made was wrapped in a rough yellowish looking paper. He thought it was paper, at least.

“Don’t let Shepard hear you say that. Pretty sure he’ll be offended if you call me that and not him.”

“Nah, Loco likes his nickname. He’s the easiest CO I’ve had.” James leaned against the chair and watched him with… not pity, exactly. Kindness, understanding. Definitely unexpected.

“Yeah, don’t think I’m a Jefe, no offense.”

Vega shrugged as if the entire thing didn’t mean anything to him. But it clearly did since he was still trying to come up with a nickname for Joker that wasn’t his call sign. “None taken.” 

Joker was about to close his eyes when a plate was placed in front of him, the tantalizing smell of food assaulting his nostrils. He sat up slightly, eyeing the food with suspicion. “What is it?”

“A tamale. My Abuela's recipe. Trust me, it’s the best thing you’ll ever put in your mouth.”

His cheeks heated, mind taking a dirtier turn than it really needed to. “Uh, sure it is.” Joker cleared his throat, sitting up as much as he could, but his back twinged painfully, and he pressed a hand against his spine, biting his lip to stop the hiss that wanted to escape.

Silence fell between them, uncomfortable and tense for Joker because he was so out of his element here. With Shepard and EDI, he didn’t have this problem. They would trade barbs, good natured flirting that meant absolutely nothing because it couldn’t. He could banter with the best of them and he was one of the best. But this strange comradeship with James felt more important.

Joker wasn’t sure he liked it.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Joker lifted the tamale in his hand, rotating it as if it was something requiring inspection. If he was going to eat it, it definitely needed to be edible because it didn’t look that way at all. “Like I could stop you.”

Vega huffed a laugh, watching him fondly. It did nothing for the blush that covered his face. “It’s nothing too weird, I promise.”

“That does nothing to make me feel less suspicious.”

Vega’s smile faltered slightly, but didn’t disappear. Joker didn’t know why that mattered to him. “Are you in pain?”

Joker’s eyes dropped to the plate in front of him. It gave him a reason not to meet Vega’s eyes while he confessed to his weakness. “Is it that obvious?”

The man beside him shifted. He seemed a lot less confident than normal. “I’m not a doctor or anything, but I give a killer massage. If you, uh, ever want to take me up on it.”

Trying to ignore Vega was impossible on the majority of days, but today of all days he wanted to flirt? The stupid jerk was too charming for his own good and didn’t even seem to realize it. And why did Joker actually want to take him up on it?

Joker bit into the food to avoid having to answer, only to come away with a mouth full of the rough covering. He almost gagged at the feel of it in his mouth, stringy and fibrous. 

“You aren’t supposed to eat the husk.”

Spitting it out on the plate, he glared as the marine laughed, tears leaking from his eyes. “Thanks for the heads up.”

“Anything for you, Jefe.”

Joker tried to ignore the little flip of his heart at the words.

~~~~

He found James in his usual spot in the shuttle bay, cataloging the weapons that Shepard had picked up on the Citadel. He was quiet for once, no banter with Cortez filling the echoey space. It felt wrong to intrude on Vega’s privacy even if it wasn’t really private at all. This was where he stayed most of his day working and when he wasn’t in the shuttle bay, he was in the mess. It was predictable, comfortable, and Joker found himself looking forward to those shift changes when they chatted at a table with whatever Vega’s feast for the day was.

But he hadn’t shown up tonight.

So here Joker was, standing like an idiot in the shuttle bay waiting for a sign that he should approach. 

He’d been thinking about the offered massage for weeks now. He didn’t know how to bring it up again because it wasn’t something you just asked for. Especially from someone who wasn’t your doctor or physical therapist. 

There hadn’t been an opportunity for it to come up naturally in their conversations and he didn’t want to seem like some weirdo that wanted James to touch him. The idea was ridiculous. Maybe he wanted to see if it helped his back pain, even if only a little. That was enough of a reason, right?

In fact, it was Shepard that mentioned it one day a few weeks back. Joker had been having a particularly nasty day of sitting in that chair for too long and had complained loudly about it. The Commander made an offhand comment about how Vega had good hands for massage and that it’d helped him out on the bad days when he was feeling tense. Once he got over the mental image of James touching his superior officer in such an intimate way, he wondered if maybe he should at least ask. One massage and then they wouldn’t have to mention it again. If James could work out the kinks in his muscles as good as he cooked…

A thought popped into his head as he stood there, staring at James while he worked on a rifle: What if he wanted more massages? Should he pay Vega back for them somehow? He didn’t have credits and Vega was the superior chef-

With a sigh, he turned around, ready to call for the elevator and go bury himself under a pile of pillows in the crew quarters to hide his mortification when the sound of footsteps made him pause, finger hovering over that tiny button. 

Just push it. Do it dammit.

“Hey man, what brings you all the way down here?”

Closing his eyes, he tried to keep his heart from jumping out of his chest. There was no way he could run now and not look like a freak. His hand dropped from the button and he turned, facing James with as much of a grin as he could muster. It came out as a grimace and James’ eyebrows went up in concern.

“Hey, Vega. Didn’t know you were holed up down here. Pretty sure I hit the wrong button.” He brushed his hand over the back of his neck, fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck. “I meant to go get some food, but ended up here. Sorry to bother you.”

They were stupid, the words that tumbled out of his mouth. He probably should’ve let it go, hit the elevator button and gone back to his chair, but his pain and Shepard’s words had given him a burst of courage. 

When he finally met Vega’s gaze, those dark eyes said so much more than his words could, and Joker immediately knew that he would be sorry if he didn’t follow through. 

Would he embarrass himself? Without a doubt. But if he could get some relief from his awful aches, he’d bear it willingly.

James inspected him briefly, taking in the nervous grin and the slumped shoulders before shaking his head. He didn’t comment on his posture or on the way Joker was clearly attempting to hide the pain he felt with his clenched teeth and pinched expression, the way he shuffled from one foot to the other, how his fingers flexed before he balled them into fists.

“Look, Vega-”

“Call me James.” 

Joker sighed in exhaustion, dropping his gaze to the ground, feeling even more like an idiot. He’d been calling him Vega for so long that he almost forgot he had a first name. With a self deprecating laugh, he rubbed his neck again, hoping that the blush wasn’t obvious in the glaring white lights. “Yeah, ok. James. Listen, I’ve never had many friends before so I don’t know what’s appropriate and what’s not, but-”

“You want one of my massages.” 

It wasn’t a question and Joker found he could only nod, his throat closed up in terror at the idea of someone else knowing him let alone touching him. 

James tried to hide the smile he wore as he turned away, waving Joker to follow him. That was when Joker noticed a small cot set up in the corner, protected by crates on two sides. His own little cozy area where most people probably wouldn’t notice him unless they bumped into him.

“Do you sleep here?” He asked as James began to move some things off of the cot. A rifle, a pair of shorts, a blanket… He piled it on the workbench that waited a few feet away.

“Sometimes. It depends on how much modding Loco needs done on the weapons.” When James faced him again, he noticed that Joker was standing near the cot but hadn’t moved. “Uh, not sure if you want to sit or lay down.”

“I’ll sit.”

The idea of lying in James’ cot and having his hands on him did things to Joker’s body that he didn’t have the brain power to examine. So instead, he sat, the fabric of the cot gently lowering slightly with his weight. He shifted in an attempt to get more comfortable. Once he finished fussing, James sat behind him, doing the same for a moment while the cot tried to accommodate both of them.

“Um, do you mind not crushing me in your gorilla hands?” Joker managed with a strangled squeak, trying not to sound too terrified. “I break easily.”

James coughed, clearly attempting to cover a laugh. “I got you, Halcón.”

The question about what his newest nickname meant died on his lips as soon as James touched him. It was soft at first, a brush of fingertips as James prodded the muscles in his back and shoulders, looking for the majority of the tension. When he found a particularly nasty spot, he pressed his fingers in, making small circles into his skin with the practiced ease of a professional.

Joker bit his lip, his eyes slipping closed. There was still pain, but as James worked, relaxation settled in his muscles and Joker felt himself sagging under the weight of his exhaustion. James moved on to another spot, pressing his fingers in enough to release the tension, but not enough to injure him.

Joker sighed happily, leaning back slightly, enjoying the sensation of James’ fingers running along his spine, brushing against his shoulder, accidently touching the skin of his side when his shirt shifted. He hadn’t felt this relaxed in years. Definitely before he began flying for the Normandy.

James cleared his throat.

That’s when Joker noticed the warmth at his back and James’ breath against his neck. He stiffened immediately, the entire length of his body pressing into the marine’s solid chest. Vega’s hands weren’t massaging him anymore, but were instead resting against his waist, as if he was embracing him.

Joker would’ve jumped away if he was physically capable. He untangled himself from Vega’s arms, cheeks burning, hoping he didn’t do anything weirder than that. 

As if it could get weirder, dumbass.

“Uh, sorry.” He managed, glancing at James from the corner of his eye. When he realized that the marine wasn’t looking in his direction, he faced him with a little more dignity than he thought he was capable of.

James glanced at his hands awkwardly, refusing to meet his eyes. Probably for the best. “Yeah. It’s fine. I’m going to finish these mods, if that’s cool.”

Joker didn’t get a word in before Vega was gone, turning his back on him to hunch over the workbench. Joker tried to ignore the sudden longing to feel James press against his body again.

~~~~

Joker hovered outside of the medbay doors, anxiety causing his hands to shake and his heart to pound, one single thought in his mind: His friendship with James went way beyond the normal boundaries that friends had and he didn’t know what to do about it.

“He’s alright, Jeff.” EDI’s voice said softly from overhead. 

“Yeah.”

“Jeff, your heart rate-”

“I’m fine, EDI.” He ground out, trying his hardest to control his anxiety and anger. It was so fucked. On the other side of those doors-

Shaking his head, he tried to dispel the fear, reminding himself that they were safe, alive. Shepard had returned, Tali had returned and James…

Balancing the plate in his hands, he stepped closer to the door, waiting for the sensor to acknowledge the movement. As the doors parted, he was greeted by the white, sterile medbay, quiet and still except for the hum of the AI core. Chakwas had gone to bed long ago, the shades pulled close to give its patient some modicum of privacy. He stepped inside, eyes trained on the only occupied bed.

The team had returned from Rannoch, mostly in one piece. Tali and Shepard had a few burns from Geth rifles on their armor, exhausted from the ground fight with a fucking Reaper. James had been rushed to Chakwas, having taken a bad hit to the head and all he could think about was the possibility that he was going to lose him.

He isn’t yours to lose.

Swallowing past the lump of terror in his throat, Joker set the plate down on the small table near the bed, taking care to not knock over the mug of water or the painkillers that Chakwas had put out.

Joker watched him for a moment, taking in the hard planes of his face, the chiseled jaw and soft brow, all covered in bruising, and he closed his eyes, holding back tears. He was such an idiot. All of those months when he and James sat together, ate together, had their poker nights or when James would offer him a massage, it meant so much more than either of them realized.

He hoped he wasn’t too late.

Taking a deep breath through his nose and releasing it out of his mouth, Joker opened his eyes, only to find James watching him with that fond expression he’d gotten so used to. There was a question in James’ gaze, lips curling into a smile the longer the silence stretched.

“I brought you something to eat.” Joker said, trying to sound somewhat put together, but he could hear the strangled way his voice came out. “I mean, if you want.”

James’s eyes glanced over at the plate before returning to him. “Smells good. What is it?”

“Oh, an old recipe my mom used to make me when I was sick. Uh, not that you’re sick. It just makes me feel better and I thought it would make you feel better. And now I’m assuming things-

He trailed off, leaving the things he should be saying aloud unsaid. 

When he didn’t continue, James cleared his throat, trying to peek at the plate. “You didn’t say what it was and I am hungry.”

Joker let out a small laugh, his heart settling into a steady rhythm that wasn’t going to kill him. “It’s spezzatino. My mom used to live in Italy before she and dad met. Told me stories about how her mom used to make it for her… when she was sick.”

James watched him as his words failed, leaving him staring at the food. “Are you ok?”

“Me?” Joker had to stop himself from exploding in anger. Did he not realize how close it’d been? “You’re the one who almost got crushed by a fucking Reaper.”

He gripped the spoon tightly in his fist, trying to steady his shaking hands. James shifted his body so that he could sit and covered Jeff’s hand with his own, squeezing gently, affectionately, and it took a minute for Joker to find it in himself to release his hold.

The spoon clattered against the plate.

“I’m ok, querido.” He whispered, pulling Joker on the bed and wrapping him in his arms. Joker took in a shaky breath, burying his face in James’ chest, feeling all at once like he’d come home and terrified that he almost lost the most important person in his life. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You don't know that.” Joker mumbled, refusing to let go of James even if his voice could barely be heard. “I don’t know that either. The Normandy could get hit, I could-”

James ran a hand down his back, his touch as soothing as it’d been the first time and he immediately quieted. “No matter what happens the next time I go down there, I’m going to fight like hell to come back. No Reapers is going to take me from you, Jeff.”

James had never called him by his first name before.

His body protested the movement but he left the safety and warmth of James’ arms so that he could meet his gaze, a smirk on his face. “Didn’t know you even knew my name.”

James laughed, leaning forward to press his lips against Joker’s. He stiffened instinctively, unsure how to respond at first, his brain shutting off at the touch. When James pulled back, concerned and a little disappointed, Joker felt a sudden surge of courage. He moved quicker than he expected that he could, grabbing James by the neck and pulling him closer.

Their mouths met again, first kisses wet and clumsy and rushed, tongues dancing imperfectly against the other. Joker was pretty sure his teeth were chipped after a weird movement had their teeth colliding. But they settled in a rhythm of give and take, each learning how the other liked to kiss.

When they finally parted, their heavy breaths filled the silence.

“What does querido mean?” He asked a minute or two later, slipping his hand into James and admiring how, despite their size difference, they fit together so perfectly.

James coughed a laugh, running his free hand over his face. “Uh, it means beloved.”

Joker’s face heated, but he couldn’t stop the grin that appeared even if he wanted to. He’d always been so afraid of this, of letting someone into his heart, to let them know him as more than Joker. But James managed to wiggle his way past his walls and he wasn’t afraid anymore.

“That’s the one.”

James tilted his head curiously, eyes crinkling in confusion. That ever present smile was still lingering: beautiful, perfect, and safe.

“My nickname. That’s the one I want.” Joker pressed another kiss to James’ lips, feeling the marine respond in kind. “I love it.”

James dropped Joker’s hand before pulling him closer, gentle and sure as ever. “I’m yours, querido. As long as you want me.”

Wrapping his arms around James’ neck, Joker pressed a light kiss along the bruises on his cheek, above his eye before finishing at his mouth. He heard the sharp breath James pulled in and he grinned, in disbelief that he could have this. “I want you. And I, uh…” He trailed off, blush burning his cheeks and neck. “I’m yours too, if you want.”

With a soft chuckle, James brushed a hand against his cheek, fingers trailing over the rough hair of his beard. “I want to.”

His heart hammered against his ribs, anxious and afraid for a brief moment. When he calmed down, let his body realize it didn’t need to run from this. I want this. He felt like his smile would split his face if it got any bigger. 

It wasn’t ‘I love you’, but this thing between them was new, all of it. And when Jeff thought about it later, laying in his bunk and grinning like an idiot teenager, he realized those words meant more to him than any ‘I love you’ could.

#ginbiscuit #my writing #specreqs2023 #mass effect #mass effect fanfic #jeff joker moreau #james vega #joker x vega #jeff joker moreau x james vega #what's their ship name idk #fluff #friendship #love #minor injury #minor hurt/comfort #banter #teasing

[bylerschmyler]

Threats in Stranger Things

This is going to be an analysis on the threats in Stranger Things. 

Although we have different antagonists in every season, the basic threats stay the same. What do I mean exactly: 

Going through the seasons you can see three different kinds of threats in every season:

We have the Bullies:

(Troy/James, Billy, Bruce/Tom, Jason)

The Government:

(Brenner's Agents, Owens Agents, Russians, Sullivan)

And the Supernatural (Upside Down): 

(Demogorgon, Mind Flayer, Mind Flayer Flesh Version, Vecna)

While you can add multiple creatures/persons to each kind every season I will mainly focus on those shown above because these are the main threats in each season. 

The Bullies: 

It is very interesting how they altered the bullies in each season. 

In Season 1 the main bullies are Troy and James who target the party and especially Mike. Their Bullying is focused on HOMOPHOBIA. We see and hear them talking and making fun of Will assuming his homosexuality. 

While Troy and James also make comments to Lucas (racism) and Dustin (anti-disabled) their focus is on Will’s assumed homosexuality and projecting that on to Mike too. 

Other bullies we see throughout the show also focus primarily on homophobia. 

Lonnie called Will a F**.

Steve said to Johnathan that he thought he was a queer. 

I want to mention too that Troy and James are Middle School bullies. This will become more important later.

Important to notice: Troy “forced” Mike to jump off a cliff, which without eleven would have resulted in his death. 

Season 2 has Billy as the main bully. Billy like Troy was influenced by his father (“He was killed by another queer. At Least that's what my dad says”). Difference to note here Billy was in a cycle of abuse. Homophobia is still a topic in Season 2 (Neil’s F** comment) but it shifts to RACISM. And while Mike was a main target of bullying in Season 1 the main target of season 2 is Lucas. Billy’s comments to Max about him are very obviously motivated by racism. When Billy comes to the Byers house he focuses his rage on Lucas. When Lucas fights back, Steve intertwines resulting in shifting Billy’s rage to him. Without Max’s intervention Billy would probably have killed Steve. Most likely in shifting to Lucas right afterwards. 

Billy is a High School Jock fighting with Steve about the “King of Hawkins High” Title. 

Season 3 is a lot different to the former seasons. The focus of the bullying shifts from the party to Nancy. Nancy’s coworkers and boss (Bruce Lowe and Tom Holloway) are 

MISOGYNISTIC. They are making fun of her and not taking her seriously. In difference to S1 and S2 to where the bullies themself tried to kill the bullied in S3 Bruce and Tom are influenced by the Mind Flayer to threaten and eventually kill Nancy and Jonathan. While still in human form Jonathan is taking the hits from Tom, while Nancy gets hurt after they morph into the monster. “The protector” taking the hit is massively paralleling S2 where Steve protects Lucas. 

Tom and Bruce are Work Bullies.

Season 4 is the most complex Situation so far (imo). Obviously El is bullied by Angela and her friends in Lenora. But that is not the main bully threat of S4. Season 4 has Jason as the main bully. While he is also a High School Jock this is not his implied role for the bullying. He is shown as the initiator of a manhunt for Eddie and the Hellfire Club. He quotes the bible and the quote is later used on a banner outside the church. So this is most likely a confrontation with bullying about RELIGOUS BELIEVES. While Satanism in context of Dungeons and Dragons is not comparable to other religious hatred like antisemitism or antiislamism it is shown as such in S4. Jason works as a religious leader motivating his followers to fight against the Satanic Cult (Hellfire).

He tries to kill Lucas in the attic of the creel house with a gun. Other targets during the season were obviously the members of Hellfire Club. Eddie, Dustin, Gareth and Mike are focused on during the Season beside Lucas. 

In every Season there is a different kind of Bully, with a different role and different reason to bully. Lucas is the only one so far being targeted directly twice. One thing all bullies have in common over the season is that they end up trying to kill one of the characters. In Season 1 and Season 3 it is less with the intention to murderer rather then irgnoring the consequenses (S1 Troy not thinking about the danger of the jump, only wanting to make Mike “wet himself”) or being forced by a third Party (Bruce and Tom under the influence of the Mind Flayer). In Season 2 and 4 the bully deliberately decided that he wanted to kill the character they targeted (in both cases Lucas, only that Billy’s violence is redirected to Steve).  

Stranger Things showed us the main reasons for hate against other human being (besides personal reasons)

Sexuality 

Race/Ethnic

Gender

“Religion”

Comparing the Hellfire Club situation to a religious hate trope is a little reach I know, but it is basically exactly that. I mean why else would the show Jason citing the bible and show as the exact same quote in front of a church if it’s not meant to be bound to religion.  

The Government

The threat generated by the government is pretty much always the same with differences in some characteristics. 

In Season 1 the governmental threat was caused by Dr. Brenners hunt for Eleven. So obviously El was Brenners main target but he - or better his agents - didn’t shy away from targeting people around El too. They killed Benny Hammond because he was a witness El existed. 

They later targeted the Party because they suspected their involvement with El after the AV-Club incident. 

While Lucas and Dustin were obviously targeted too, the focus as target is drawn to Mike because they find out that El is “living” with the Wheelers. We are shown his parents and their reaction in contrast to Dustin’s and Lucas' parents who are not really involved in S1 at all. 

Beside their main target (EL) Brenner and his goons have another objective: Keeping the whole situation under the radar. 

This is why they create the scenario with Wil’s fake body and drug Hopper after he broke into the lab. 

The S1 governmental threat is ruthless and trying to cover up their mistakes.

The Latter also accounts to Season 2 governmental threat. Owens said himself, while talking to Nancy and Jonathan in the Lab that they had to hide “one hell of a mistake”. The threat from owens isn’t really tangible but it looms around everything we see. The NDAs everybody involved in Season 1 had to sign are brought up by multiple groups. Lucas with Max, Joyce with Bob and Nancy and Steve with the Hollands. Additionally Hopper fears Owens will take El into captivity again so he hides her in his cabin. 

Important to notice: Owens agents are not ruthless. When Nancy staged the Holland information transfer, Owens agents did not use force/violence but tricked them into a situation where Nancy and Jonthan didn’t seem to have much of a choice than to follow them to the Lab. The threat, as I said already, is more or less only theoretical and on the characters mind but otherwise barely shown. 

In Season 3 we swap governments because the governmental threat is held by the Russians that infiltrated Hawkins. Again the government agents are ruthless and don't shy away from killing. Especially the russian Schwarzenegger is shown as a killing machine. They aim for control of the upside down. Besides the manhunt on Hopper, Joyce and Alexei it is also shown how they treat captives. We see Steve and Robin in the underground base and Steve being tortured by the Russian. The Russians think he is an agent from the CIA or FBI. Later they succeed in taking Hopper hostage and bringing him to Russia.

Season 4 has practically two governmental threats. Sullivan and Russia. But in my opinion the Russian governmental threat is not really governmental but local prison policy. So I will concentrate on Sullivan. 

Sullivan is a high ranked military official, who is portrayed as a man of action rather than a man of science. He thinks that El is on the loose and killing people in Hawkins. He dehumanizes her as “Brenner’s little pet” and later in the season is ready to kill her. He also commands his agents to not hold back. They are literally ready to kill 2 14/15 year olds and a 18 year old in order to achieve their goal in stopping El. Agent Wallace is tortured by Sullivan and they also killed everybody coming out of the NINA project bunker. They are portrayed as massively ruthless and heartless and not negotiable with. Owens tried and failed. 

Important to note here: Sullivan knows about the Byers hiding El and Mike being important to El because of her letter. 

The governmental threat is mostly portrayed as ruthless and ready to kill everybody in their way. The only exception being Owens' agents in Season 2. Excluding the season 2 threat every governmental threat is trying to kill the people involved in disrupting their mission. 

All agents operate from secrecy but are partially keen to start a shootout when it seems necessary. The governmental threat while different in some characteristics is mostly heavily comparable (excluding Season 2). 

The Supernatural (Upside Down)

The Supernatural threat is always the main focus of the show (obviously). There are a lot of similarities which can be easily explained with the threats being part of Hive Mind, but there are also some differences we need to talk about. Through the seasons the main UD threat is altered with being physical and psychic.

In Season 1 the Demogorgon is a physical threat. While it seems that some weird psychic stuff is happening (#will byers vanishing) the Demogorgon itself is shown as a massive physical threat. It is shown as being tall, strong, fast, heaving dangerous claws and an even more dangerous denture. It also seems unstoppable without fire because we see it getting shot multiple times (Nancy and the agents in the school) but it doesn’t die. 

The Demogorgon targets many characters throughout the season. 

Starting with the Lab guy in the very beginning. Then Will (I count him as a Demogorgon victim because we haven’t yet seen an explanation for the weird stuff that happened during his vanishing), Barb, Shepard, Henry and Dale who are taken by it to the UD and killed (excluding Will). It also targets Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve in the Byers house as well as everybody at the school. 

I need to specifically add that the Party (Lucas, Dustin, Mike, El)  is targeted explicitly at the school before EL saves them.  

The Mind Flayer (Shadow Monster) in Season 2 is a psychic threat. While it is supported by the Demodogs (who are physical threats) the main threat explained to us and targeted by the characters is the Mind Flayer. The Mind Flayer possesses Will and uses him as a spy while involuntarily sharing knowledge with him (Will seeing Hopper getting into the tunnels). His main target is to infiltrate Hawkins, growing the gate and spreading his tunnels in order to break free. He wants to control and to kill. The Hive Mind connected to him is what makes him so dangerous because a military tactic of separating the targets to take them one by one is pretty useless. 

In Season 3 the Mind Flayer is reused but it manifests itself in a different form, a physical form. While arguably the main threat could be determined as psychic because you can get flayed, the main characters aren’t in “getting flayed” danger, but endangered by the Flayed itself. 

Billy after the Sauna Test

Tom and Bruce in the hospital

They are also threatened by the physical manifestation of the Mind flayer after the flayed melted together. 

The Flayed are seemingly stronger than normal human being (Billy lifting El up with one arm) who share the pain of the Hive Mind but can take a hit or two. The melted Flayed Mind Flayer is seemingly unstoppable without fire. We see it getting split in half by El and reforging itself soon after. Fire (as always) can hold it back and hurt it but we see it recovering pretty fast. 

It kills Billy with his vine-like claws and also searches Mike, El, and Max with them.

Vecna in Season 4 is a psychic threat. While he is heavily supported by physical threats (Demobats, Demodogs, Demogorgons) like the Mind Flayer in Season 2, he is the main threat. He uses a psychic connection to merge the Upside Down and the Real World through 4 portals which he creates by brutally killing people with his remote killing abilities. We are told (by Brenner and Vecna himself) that he consumes the people he kills this way. So he can enhance himself with their abilities and knowledge. 

In Season 3 Vecna, in the form of the Starcourt Monster, was able to “steal” Els power to open gates. He also saw Mike and Max staying behind with El through Billy's Eyes.

He also controls the Hive Mind (as far as we know). 

What we see in the mind fight with El is that he seems to be way more powerful than El. 

He explicitly targets Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Max, Nancy and El. 

Going into Season 5 

With the knowledge we gathered we can assume a few things for season 5:

First of all I am pretty sure that we see an enhanced Version of the Hellfire manhunt. Because the Duffers told us that they try not to create new characters I think it would be plausible if Andy takes Jason's place and leads the vigilanties. 

Also we most likely will see a different version of the Military buddies of Sullivan in S5. The arc with his vendetta is not yet closed. 

Last but not least we will see what happened to Vecna. But also we most likely (alternating threats) will see a main UD threat of physical nature (Giant creature with a gaping mouth).

I want to point out that Mike is targeted by all of these (potential) threats. He is part of Hellfire, he is known to be in close contact with El by the military and he is heavily foreshadowed to be a target of Vecna in Season 4. So every Mike stan: buckle up for a bumpy ride in S5. 

#stranger things 4 #stranger things #stranger things analysis #stranger things 5 #byler #jancy #mike wheeler #will byers #eleven #lucas sinclair #dustin henderson #max mayfield #stranger things theory #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #joyce byers #jim hopper #steve harrington #robin buckley #billy hargrove #dr. brenner #dr. owens #hawkins #hawkins national laboratory

[kirk-says-wah]

𝐃𝐢𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 - 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟖

Pairings: Kirk/Lars, James/Dave

Tw: torture, murder, blood, gore, violence, kidnapping, drugging, cannibalism

You can also read it here

James should call Cliff.

It’s a good idea. It’s probably a good idea.

He waits anyway, though he’s unsure why.

Maybe because he doesn’t want to believe his friends are involved with this? He doesn’t know how, but he knows they know something. It’s like Lars was just emanating doubt and deceit, and that’s something James hasn’t seen in him since they were at school.

Lars always had a way with words, and he always seemed to be able to keep the bullies away, especially from Kirk. James isn’t sure how he did it when he was such a scrawny dude, but the jocks used to practically run from him. And then, he always used to have that look on his face, the same one he had when he’d told James about seeing Dave.

Smug.

He knows something.

James thinks it’s probably a good idea to go back to the bar, but he’s not sure if they’re gonna tell him anything different. He could maybe persuade them to show him the cctv, but he doubts it. He’s not the police and he’s not pretending to be. And besides, if it just shows Dave leaving with Kirk and Lars like the bartender said, then he knows that he was put into a cab.

Still, it leaves his stomach unsettled, and instead he goes back home to try and sleep it off.

It’s not until the next day that he comes up with an idea.

He’s never met Lars and Kirk’s neighbours, so when he knocks on their door he’s surprised to see an elderly woman, a yellow shirt with white hair pinned up, glasses framing her frail face.

She frowns at him, asks him what he’s selling.

“I err…- I was wondering if you’ve seen anything suspicious lately.”

She squints at him, readjusts the glasses on her nose.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugs, rubbing at his neck. “Like- have you seen your neighbours come home with anyone lately?”

The woman scoffs, crossing shaky arms.

“Those boys next door have a revolving door of men. They’re always bringing someone home.”

James’s stomach drops, and he swallows.

“Oh yeah?” he says, though the humour is lost in his voice.

“I just don’t understand threesomes,” she says, clucking her tongue. “I guess I was just hoping they would’ve settled on someone by now.”

James gives an empty laugh, instead shrugging out his phone from his pocket, bringing up a picture of Dave.

“Have you seen him with them?”

The woman leans forwards, her eyes narrowing as she takes in the picture.

“I don’t know, dear. They’ve had a lot of long haired ones come over lately.”

Long haired? James thinks back to the flyers Cliff was pinning up, a young man with long wavy hair.

Huh.

He wonders if Kirk and Lars have anything to do with him too.

It’s probably nothing. Kirk and Lars have always been adventurous when it comes to sex, even James knows that. Lars always talks about Kirk being a freak in the sheets, so them bringing in a third into their shenanigans doesn’t seem incomprehensible.

He nods at the woman, pocketing his phone, thanking her for her time as he walks away, a pit forming in his stomach.

He should really call Cliff. But still a part of him wants to believe there’s nothing sinister going on here, so he doesn’t, at least not yet.

He sits in his car for a while, contemplating what to do next. He hopes to god nothing bad has happened to Dave. Maybe he’s staying with family or something. Dave’s never really been open about his relatives, but James can’t 100% say that Dave wouldn’t go visit them. It would be strange but not impossible.

He sighs, resting his head against the steering wheel. What he’s about to do next, he’s unsure whether he’s pushing his luck, but he wants more answers before he rings Cliff.

He wants more answers before he admits to his friends being involved with Dave’s disappearance.

— —

Dave is screaming around the gag, jaw clenched as Lars pushes a power drill into his shoulder, the bone cracking and fragmenting, when the door bell rings.

Lars doesn’t stop though, continues to press on the drill until it punctures through to the other side. Dave’s practically vibrating with pain, face bright red as tears stain his cheeks, and Kirk just watches, unsure whether to leave Lars to get the door.

The doorbell rings again. Lars continues on, drilling another hole into Dave’s shoulder next to the other one. Dave’s head is thrown back, panting and thrashing around as much as he can until finally Lars lets up, turning the drill off with a shout.

“For fucks sake.”

He tosses the drill to the floor, sticky, bloodied hands making their way into his hair. Dave is still whimpering, though it sounds mostly involuntary.

Kirk swallows, watching Lars a little warily.

“Do you want me to get that?”

Lars glares at him, abruptly taking a step towards him, hands balled into fists.

“You don’t say a word, got it?” he sneers, dangerously close to Kirk’s face.

Kirk jerks his head in a nod, tries not to show how Lars is starting to scare him.

“Of course. I’m not gonna give us away.”

Lars hands bundle into the front of Kirk’s shirt, pulling their bodies together with a smack, his breath hot on Kirk’s cheeks.

“You better not,” he mutters before he presses a rough kiss to Kirk’s lips. It catches Kirk by surprise but he tries to reciprocate, though Lars is mostly overpowering, a hand coming up to clamp around Kirk’s jaw.

“Go sort it out. I’ll shut him up.”

His voice is sweet, but the grip around Kirk’s chin has Kirk trying to take a step back. He knows Lars is just worked up because he wants to kill Dave already, but he’s never liked it when Lars has manhandled him, and this is no different. Has him feeling humiliated and queasy.

Lars pecks another kiss to his lips, lighter this time, before pulling away.

Kirk takes a moment to regain his footing before he finally moves, hurrying up the stairs to change his shirt and wash his hands.

He doesn’t know how he does it so quickly, probably from practice, but soon enough he’s unlocking the front door in record time.

James is stood on the doorstep, rocking on his heels, looking impatient.

“What took you so long?” he says, jaw set and eyebrows pinched.

“Sorry,” Kirk mumbles, unsure of what else to say as he steps to the side, letting James in.

“Look, I’m a bit busy at the minute so how long do you think you’re gonna be?” he asks, even though he knows it’s sounds insensitive. He just doesn’t want to leave Lars alone with Dave for too long when he’s in such a volatile state.

“Yeah, you’ve been busy a lot lately, haven’t you?” James says, sinking onto the couch.

“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Kirk shoots back, though it sounds a little shaky. He doesn’t sit down, too anxious.

“Nothing,” James waves off, before pulling out his phone. “Have you seen him before?”

Kirk frowns, looking down at a picture of Dave. He looks happy, smiling with a beer in his hand, just like he’d looked the night they’d picked him up; healthy and perfect.

Kirk swallows, tries to hide the familiarity.

“Maybe,” he says, thinking back to what Lars told him he’d said to James. “I think we might have put him in a taxi.”

James nods, though he keeps the phone in Kirk’s view, taunting him.

“So you didn’t bring him back here?”

Kirk tries not to react, panic short circuiting his brain as he tries to breathe as he realises James is on to them.

James is on to them.

He takes in a shaky breath.

“Why the fuck would I do that?” he asks, tries to sound nonchalant.

“Maybe because you and Lars have been bringing men home lately.”

Shit. Shit shit shit.

The alarm rises in Kirk’s gut, and he crosses his arms, tries not to show how much he’s starting to shake. This can’t be real, James can’t know what’s going on. He can’t. Kirk doesn’t know what to say to send him off their trail though. He’s never been a very good liar, Lars has always been the one with a plan, the one with a facade.

“So we like having threesomes, so what?” he says, spitting it like it’ll cover up the panic. “Not everyone’s a prude like you, James.”

“I’m not a prude,” James retorts, standing up

On closer inspection, he looks like he hasn’t slept in days, hair unbrushed and facial hair not as shaped as it usually is. He looks intimidating, something Kirk’s never felt around James. They’ve been best friends for most of his life, and never has James scared him. Maybe it’s the prospect of James finding out that scares him more.

“I just think it’s weird,” James says, crossing his arms, mirroring Kirk.

“Yeah well I don’t have to justify myself,” Kirk hits back, scratching at his arm. “I don’t understand why you’ve come here just to throw it in my face.”

“I just think it’s weird,” James repeats, and Kirk rolls his eyes, turns his back, tries to regain himself. He can’t give himself away, Lars might kill him. No, screw that. Lars will kill him.

He takes a deep breath before finally turning back to James.

“Y’know fuck you,” he spits, jamming a pointy finger at James’s chest. “You don’t get to come into my house and start judging me for my choices.”

James just stares back at him, expressionless, before he sighs, deflating.

“You know what? You’re right,” he says, looking down, away. “I’m sorry.”

Well, that was easy. Kirk can feel his anxiety start to settle, and he shrugs.

“It’s whatever, man,” he says. “I’ve got stuff to do.”

James nods, finally looking back up at him. He’s got a foreign look on his face, and Kirk’s anxiety rises back to the surface.

“Yeah I’m going. I’ll see you later,” James says, voice oddly hollow as he brushes past Kirk before finally leaving, shutting the door behind him.

Shit.

Kirk runs a hand through his hair, his heart hammering against his chest. He can only trust that he threw James off their scent, otherwise this could get ugly.

A sound from the basement gets his attention.

He just wants to kill Dave already, bury the body. At least then he won’t feel so guilty when he speaks to James. But he knows he and Lars need the money, and keeping Dave alive a bit longer is the only way to do that.

He can’t help but think things are turning sour though. Not only is James on their ass, but it’s putting a strain on his and Lars’s relationship.

Dave’s words from the other night keep spinning around Kirk’s head, and he can’t help but think that maybe Dave is right. Maybe Lars is using him.

He brushes it off with a choked sob, pushing the heels of his palms into his eye sockets.

No, Lars loves him. He knows he does. They’ve been together forever, and Lars has always stuck by his side through everything.

So why does he feel like Lars will stab him in the back if he gets the chance?

He brushes away the tears with his fingers, takes a deep breath. He can’t go down there crying, Lars will know something’s wrong.

He clears his throat, blinking away the wetness from his eyes.

He just needs to kill Dave and this will be over.

— —

“Hi Cliff? It’s James from the bar. I think I’ve got something.”

He has a plan. A stupid plan but a plan nonetheless. He peeks at Kirk and Lars’s house from over his steering wheel.

“Shoot. Tell me what you’ve got.”

#metallica #metallica fanfiction #die dead enough #kirk hammett x lars ulrich #kirk hammett/lars ulrich #kirk/lars #kirk hammett #lars ulrich #james hetfield x dave mustaine #james hetfield/dave mustaine #james hetfield #dave mustaine #megadeth #cliff burton #jason newsted #my fics

[synergysilhouette]

Choices review: The Freshman

Everyone talks highly of this series, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on it. Just gonna get this out of the way: This could've been GOC. There's no reason it couldn't be--though I will admit that this means Kaitlyn would either become playersexual (which some fans think would dilute her journey) or remove her as an LI entirely and just make her a platonic friend like Zac--though if MC is GOC, this could be tricky. You'd probably have to reduce their screentime if (depending on your gender) there was no reason you couldn't romance them. I don't wanna advocate for monosexuality for LIs in a romance game for obvious reasons. And since it's been a while since I played this, my review may change after replaying it or remembering certain details.

Book 1 focuses on the beginning of your journey at Hartfield University. I don't recall this book from start to finish, but it certainly had a lot of drama. For one, all three LIs are pushed your way, with Kaitlyn having a crush on you and realizing she's a lesbian, stereotypical sorority girls being possessive of jock Chris, and the studious James asks you to be his fiance for his parents. All this tied together with becoming an assistant to an English professor with a big ego just so you can keep going to college. Crazy, right? I do wish there was less pressure on the romance side. What if you had no interest in James? That'd make the lying to his parents even MORE uncomfortable, and while you and Kaitlyn work it out, I certainly wish she'd had a crush on someone else since it feels awkward if you don't feel the same. And I'm just gonna say I wish Zack had a more standout design; I know he's not a love interest, but he's one of the major characters, and yet he feels plain.

Book 2 focuses on your winter quarter at Hartfield and being a part of James' play, as well as helping Chris running for student president. Again, I do feel like forcing Kaitlyn our way with a kiss felt very awkward; if she didn't have feelings for us prior to this, it would've been fine, but it almost feels like we're leading her on or not letting her work out her sexuality. And Becca needs to go, especially since I was romancing Chris from the start, and her "not as bad as Sebastian" stuff really didn't absolve her to me--especially with her actions later on. And knowing what I know about how Sebastian's future goes, it's weird that the gang rallied around how Chris became a better person despite his criminal history in high school, but the theme of "redemption" doesn't translate too much.

Book 3 focuses on your spring quarter at Hartfield, when you meet a new LI, Kaitlyn joins a band, and dealing with classism at the school. While I like Zig, I'm not a fan of how he's essentially a repeat of Chris, having a criminal record prior to Hartfield, especially since this was covered with Chris in the previous book. I read somewhere that Sebastian made a stereotypical comment towards Zig due to his heritage, though I'd never heard the Latino-barista stereotype before; I thought him having a criminal record felt a bit more stereotypical, in that regard, along with his aggression. It would've been nice if he was written as a kid from a military family with a positive upbringing; his rough home life reminded me of the golden boy from MTFL, and it would've been nice if he was just sheepish and shy rather than confrontational--though I'm assuming the writers did that the contrast with the rest of the gang's easygoing vibe. I do feel weird about James' publicist coming onto him, and it feels like it should've been a bigger deal than it was.

Book 4 is a mini-book that focuses on the gang's summer vacation during a cross-country road trip. It kind of hurt my heart because of Brandon and Zack's relationship being broken for seemingly no reason. I get that the writers were trying to be a bit more realistic with relationships in this series, but I'd have preferred better buildup with the breakup rather than it being so random, or not break them up at all. It would've also been nice if Teddy was an actual LI for him; it was weird that it fizzled out but then we see Teddy again and ahve the option to ask why he didn't call Zack. I also think it's interesting how Zig reveals he's bisexual and it never comes up again--not that sexuality is a personality trait, but it would've been nice to see him talk more about his experience, not just the negative stereotypes he experienced, as well as the option to hook him up with someone similar to Kaitlyn and James. It's a really fun book, though--and it makes me want a Scooby-Doo-inspired Choices book ASAP.

Book 5 (Book 1 of "The Sophomore") sees you begin your sophomore year! After a less than savory living arrangement, you and your friends decide to take over a foreclosed house together, and you eventually invite Becca to live with you, and a little while later, you can date her. However, she hasn't been fully redeemed, as she tries to sabotage her so-called "best friend" since she replaced her as their sorority's new House President. It's really twisted, especially as Madison feels super guilty about it and just wants to be friends. It's pretty toxic, and I don't recall if this led to Madison giving up her position for Becca. I also feel like it's weird that James gets a love interest with Reyna when in one of the special books (which I don't cover), it's noted that he has someone who likes him. Why she isn't just made a love interest, I don't know. I did also feel bad for the pressures Chris faces being the captain of the football team. And honestly given the issue with Zig's criminal record being the hot topic a few books ago, I'm surprised his sexuality isn't mentioned to cause friction among the football team, like an exaggerated version of what happened with Manny. Granted, he was comfortable with his sexuality, and any issues regarding it would essentially feel similar to Kaitlyn's arc, but it's a thought. Btw, I love that the characters get new outfits in the Sophomore year.

Book 6 (Book 2 of "The Sophomore") has you trying to keep your house from being condemned after it's sabotaged. It was actually sabotaged by Sebastian, who tried to make amends at your house party, but only Tyler believes him. Rejected and with everyone assuming the worst of him, he sabotages the house and reports it to the house inspector, hoping you get a fine--only to be horrified that you get condemned instead. ...Really? Why are Becca and Sebastian so toxic even when they're trying to be better? Becca tries to ruin her best friend's reputation when she replaces her, and Sebastian is so lonely he's willing to get the people who rejected his friendship in trouble. But despite their spoiled and unhinged ways, I've gotta call out the hypocrisy here: the gang talks about Zig and Chris being more than their past mistakes, but they sure know how to hold a grudge against those who made recent mistakes--not that they can't do that, but it feels like they're going against their morals. Both Sebastian and Becca tried to screw over their friends, but Becca's the one who gets to stay with us and continue being high-maintenance? We may as well have moved Sebastian in too; I wanted more of him after this book (though the amount of headaches he and Becca could cause together is HIGH). Meanwhile, Tyler and Abby's relationship is fraying and part of me hoped Tyler would end up being bi and being with Sebastian (not that two men can't have platonic relationships with each other; I'm game with Sebastian ending up with MC, too), Chris' dad returning feels like it should've been a bigger arc, and a part of me wishes that Zig had been in dance the whole time, and I do wish we'd gotten more into the conversation about how sexual harassment/assault is common in the MLM community and that Manny definitely deserved worse punishment.

Book 7 (Book 1 of "The Junior") sees you getting an apartment with your LI and investigating a prank gone wrong. Your stay with your LI is pretty rough at first, and I feel like it could've been better-written to reflect the characters' personalities, though I respect the "break up/make up" option because of it. It would've been neat if your LI was annoyed by some of your choice- based decisions, as well. Entering a "fratority" with some dark secrets was fun, and it felt like it could've existed as it's own series rather than one book in a series. It definitely feel like it could've been more darker and mysterious than it ended up being. Though I will admit that despite not romancing him, I'm not huge on the "you can romance a twist villain" because when they're revealed to be bad, it makes your relationship feel like it's been for nothing. I do love that we can give the characters makeovers, though; it's nice to see them in new outfits and hairstyles.

Book 8 (Book 1 of "The Senior") has you figuring out your future ahead of graduation! I do wish we'd had a bit more legroom with what kind of writer we wanted to be and what profession we wanted to do in general. I also would've liked if we could've played as Kaitlyn and decided what kind of sound/visual her band's upcoming album would have. I don't have too many notes on this book, though I do hate how you have to go the sacrifice route; after you get a job offer, your LI is also successful with their career and is going to be in another part of the world; they essentially cut down your dreams, and it not only feels OOC, it feels almost manipulative. In the end, you have to decide if you want to go with them (and maybe find another job), make them give up their dream, or break up and you each follow your own paths. It's essentially a story with no clear winners, though I personally chose to go with them to pursue their dream.

Overall, I see why the series is iconic, and it's continuity over the app's growth really shows in it's quality, though I do wish we'd gotten more books for the junior and senior years, as well as fixing certain character issues and plot points. See you at my next review! Working on TRR right now, but let me know if there's a particular series you want reviewed! I've already done HSS, TRE, D&D, and AME. For now, I'm only making reviews for completed series, AKA 2 or more books (not counting holiday/special books) and the story is not currently in development (ie BOLAS, ID, COP).

#choices #choices stories you play #choices stories we play #choices app #choices game #pixelberry studios #pixelberry #the freshman series #playchoices

[olreid]

EJ please rec me more Sweet Hot Dummy media (preferably beyond Channing Tatum's oeuvre but will not sneer at him)

claire u r KILLING me because of course the first thing i want to rec is SHORESY but i know youve already seen it!! youtube is always recommending me like. shoresy crying compilation. shoresy arguing with teens compilation. shoresy flirting with his tooth gap out compilation. as if i havent suffered enough!!! anyway.

my number one thought for you is josh segarra in sirens. this is short but worth watching just for him hes so stupid and hot. he plays basically the same role in the other two and that's a much better show but he gets far less airtime so. priorities.

timmy olyphant in santa clarita diet is always one of my gold standards for sweet hot dummy altho that show has a lot of gore so i personally struggle to watch it.. he's a jock real estate agent who peaked in high school and he's bad at dancing and that is something that's really personal to me. im also being reminded that there's a crucial mindy project episode where he guest stars as a skateboarder with long hair and a pregnant mermaid neck tattoo who's dumb as rocks so. do with that what you will

i forget whether youve watched american vandal but its important to me that one of the characters' alibis is being too dumb to commit the crime being investigated and everyone is like. yeah that checks out

also idk if youre an enchanted enjoyer but i like in that movie how idina menzel is like. well james marsden youre literally too stupid to survive in new york but you are very hot and chivalrous so we'll make this work.

did you ever watch 4th man out?

i know we probably all know about bill and ted. but theyre out there

ill limit myself to one channing tatum rec but magic mike xxl is just like sweet dumb beefcake: the film.. and i would like to know what you think!!!

#these r my immediate thoughts... but im going to keep thinking. #asks #patrickredactedbrewer

[jfleamont]

the James being the sun thing is definitely new! it really annoys me too. I'm not a fan of the sunshine/chaotic vs the grump/level headed trope anyway it lacks nuance

I mean, I read somewhere why they associate him with the sun and it makes sense: apparently since Remus is the moon and Sirius is the stars, James has to be something related to the sky as well. Also, he's popular (people are attracted to him as if he's the sun) and probably the 'leader' of the group, and his upbringing is not as sad or tragic as Remus' or Sirius'.

While I get it, I think it has led to a misconception about his personality: I've seen him portrayed as this naive, bubbly person, the human embodiment of a golden retriever, a jock who's kind of a himbo whose sole purpose in life is to pine after Lily... It's reductive at best and personally, that's not my James at all.

I talked about him at length here but I'll just say that my James is charismatic, popular and has a big heart, but he can also be mean, unpredictable, moody, arrogant (especially when he was younger); he's intelligent, determined and can be mature and serious (no pun intended!) if the situation calls for it.

I also don't see how Lily would fit into this, because the sun-moon-stars analogy is an exclusively MPP dynamic. Which yes, it makes sense if it's a friendship dynamic but more often than not James is the sun in Wolfstar fics. And it's nice to include James, but Lily gets kinda left out, doesn’t she?

I think it also depends on what fic you read when you first get into the fandom: for me it was The Life And Times, but I remember watching a TikTok of a girl who said she didn't like TLAT James at all because she was used to James in All The Young Dudes.

So yeah, it either started with ATYD or with the whole Jeg*lus thing, but honestly it doesn't bother me too much, because all the fic writers I love don't write him that way and neither do I, so I just ignore it.

#jily #jfleamont rambles #james potter #asks

[padfootastic]

The map in POA showing Peter meant one of two things: either the map was malfunctioning (plausible considering how complex it would have to be and the age of the Marauders at the time of creation, plus how long it’s been since they made it) or Peter is actually alive and the official story from 13 years is totally wrong. Remus never even stopped to consider the first option and hauled ass down to the Shrieking Shack, and what’s even better about his low-key arrogance in his belief in the map, is that he is completely right. Remus went “there’s no way that something we made is teenagers, over a decade ago, is having issues, so there’s a conspiracy going on and I need to catch up with Sirius. If Peter has been alive this entire time, there’s no innocent explanation for why he’s never revealed himself. Time to kill a bitch.”

i’m literally so curious about these bunch of fucking nerds bc while others were releasing dungbombs and trying to pass classes, they were just casually doing this super advanced magic like nbd?????

i mean. was it actually not that complicated? was everyone capable of this? bc it doesn’t seem that way from what we have. but also!!!! it’s always overlooked how fkn smart they are?!? i mean yah remus is a nerd but i think that’s more of a teacher stereotype than any real acknowledgment of these things but james & sirius are fully ignored. hell, they’re treated as dumb jocks????

i’ve seen this come up in fics too actually; people looking at them like they’re idiots bc of their faith in an apparently sentient mao they created as kids but like. are they wrong?

i do completely agree w the arrogance thing tho. i think all of them had some form of superiority complex over others and mixed w the teenage feeling of invulnerability made them really sure of themselves. i think, also, u need to have some level of arrogance just to even think of (and succeed in) doing these things as well. like, the average person will probably discourage themselves from even attempting to start an animagus transformation . there has to be some part of u that’s like ‘nah we got this’ for u to do it ykno? and these guys had it in spades.

#sirius black #james potter #remus lupin #it’s objectively hilarious too #how much faith they had in their past selves #every single one of them #do you know anon—i’m struggling so hard w tags to ur asks bc they’re so detailed #like there’s nothing else i *can* add bc you’ve said it all #and much better than i can too lol #pen’s asks

[hannahsmusings]

Renee

*the past week since my little blow up at the sushi spot had definitely felt like old times, Anthony and I immediately falling back into our old dynamics and he was still just as funny as I remembered him being but I still had my guards up with him, I was still keeping him at a distance, all that anger and resentment couldn’t just disappear after a few days of getting along, I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for him to ditch me again* *I found myself daydreaming about him one too many times so I decided it was time for me to get back out there, find a man to focus my attention on and hopefully get over these weird fluttering feelings I felt whenever I was near Anthony or whenever his dopey little smile entered my mind so when my room mate invited me to go to som sports party, I agreed without much question, not even caring if I saw James, at this point I’d take the distraction, he was a piece of shit but he was good in bed and I think that’s what I needed* *I had even got more dressed up than I normally would, showing off more skin than usual but I was a woman with a mission, even styling my hair so my curls were down and flowing when I usually wore my hair up* *I roll my eyes at Aliyah’s excitement, knowing this guy was probably not that hot since jocks weren’t ever that hot, besides Anthony of course, but she was excited so I wasn’t going to rain on her parade* *I down what was left in my water bottle filled with a mixed drink from our pregame back at our dorm, tossing it away before entering the house with her, linking my arm with hers, the loudness and smell of stale beer hitting my nose immediately and remembering why I never came to these gross houses* God, you’d think with all their pledge money they’d hire a cleaning lady. *I look at Aliyah as she glares at me, throwing my head back and giggling* Sorry, sorry, I know, tonight is about fun… not about my intense dislike of jocks and their… lack of cleanliness. *I pull her into the kitchen, desperate to get another drink in me, not even clocking that Anthony was directly in my line of sight as I pour us both some drinks, clinking our red solo cups together and taking a sip* 

_______________________________________

*groans and rolls my eyes at your comment, shaking my head with a laugh* C’mon girl, positive mindset okay? *you’d always been very cautious around jocks and sports guys and I never really knew why, assuming they just made you feel shy and I wanted to get you out of your shell a little* Maybe JJ can introduce you to one of the other guys on the team. I’m sure he’s got loads of hot friends you can hook up with. *giggles, letting you tug me into the kitchen but not before I was letting my eyes drag over all the hot guys here, humming* God, if I wasn’t already seeing J, I’d be down for any one of these fitties. -Aliyah

*I groan as the other team sinks a ball, lifting the solo cup to drink after making a bit of a fuss, already on a good tipsy level and letting my eyes scan the room as I drink* *my eyes are caught by your dark curls, only seeing you from behind but god damn it was enough of a sight, having always had a thing for tanned curly headed brunettes, letting my gaze trail over your hips and curves down to your bare legs, grinning cockily to myself and elbowing my mate Leon, thinking this girl would be the perfect distraction from you* Who knew all these gorgeous women were hiding on campus? *nods towards you and your friend, both still having your backs to us as you walk into the kitchen, losing sight of you for a moment and smirking* After this game I’m all up on that. 

#renee plot