#needing to be quiet

[thisapplepielife]

Written for the @steddiemas challenge.

The Sound of Silence

Prompt Day 3: Needing To Be Quiet | Word Count: 952 | Rating: T | CW: Post-Apocalyptic | Tags: Canon Divergence Post-S4, End of the World, Just the Two of Us, The World is Bleak, But We're Together

Set in the same little universe as my Miles to Go drabble but can totally stand alone.

They're walking down another abandoned road, in another abandoned state, and Eddie has lost all sense of where they are these days. It's been a while since they've seen a major city, and Eddie's inner compass has never been great, but it's worse now with no landmarks, and just empty road after empty road. Steve always seems to know where they're going, or if he doesn't, at least he acts like it. 

Eddie's about to ask where they are, when Steve stops in front of him and holds up his fist. 

Eddie immediately pauses behind him. Tries not to breathe, tries not to make any noise at all. Because he knows the system by now. At first all these hand gestures were foreign to him. Was he supposed to steal home or start doing the YMCA? Either seemed possible. 

He knew the hand signal for devil horns. And that's about it. Somehow, Steve hasn't worked those into their shorthand, yet.

But with time, he's learned to read Steve's body language like a goddamn book. He's Samwise, following his very own Frodo. 

And right now, Steve's telling him to stop. And if Steve's telling him to stop, he's also telling him to be quiet. That's been the hardest thing to learn, here, in the after. He can't just talk all the time. But he still wants to, all day long. He wants to tell Steve what he's thinking. He wants to narrate their journey, as they walk to god knows where. 

But he can't. Because it's not safe to make that much noise, not here in this horrible remainder of their world.

He doesn't know where they're going, anyway. 

Steve will think there are others, still out there somewhere else, for whatever reason, and they'll walk. 

And walk.

And walk.

But there never is. It's always just abandoned buildings, and the constant quiet. 

Do you know how quiet the world is when there is nobody else living in it? 

No cars. No stores. No nothing.

Hardly any birds, either. Eddie misses the sounds of the birds, the insects. But the wildlife has started to dwindle, if not outright disappear. Eddie doesn't know if the demodogs and demobats are thinning the herd, or if disease has just taken hold. It's hard to tell, honestly. In this world Vecna left for them. 

When Steve's hand falls slack, lowering to his side, Eddie knows that whatever Steve thought he heard is either gone, or never existed at all. So, Eddie hitches his backpack further up onto his back, and keeps walking. 

Keeps looking at the back of Steve Harrington's head, just like he did in more than one class he'd failed in high school. Steve's a natural leader. Eddie understands why he had followers back then. Why he was King Steve. This is a different situation, to be sure, but Steve took charge in this hellish world. 

And Eddie needed someone to take charge of this, because he wouldn't have made it this far on his own. No way in hell.

Looking at the back of Steve's head today, Eddie thinks Steve needs Eddie to give him a haircut again. But Eddie is hesitant to mention it. Because the last time he did, Steve just wanted him to shave it all off, but Eddie doesn't want that to happen. For some reason, Eddie feels like the day that Steve Harrington gives up on his hair, all hope is lost.

So, Eddie won't say a word. He'll be quiet. He needs that last bit of hope. That last thing, from a world destroyed.

Eddie is still walking, looking at his feet, when the clatter of wood on the road makes his heart race with fear. He looks up and Steve is picking his dropped nailbat up off the asphalt. Eddie reaches for the spear and trash can lid shield strapped across his back, but there's no need. Steve has control of his preferred weapon again, swinging it with precision. He smacks the demobat, sending it flying, then skittering across the abandoned highway. 

Steve's stock still.

Waiting. 

"Steve," Eddie whispers.

"Sshh," Steve whispers back, and Eddie stays quiet. Stays still. 

Waiting to see if it's still alive. Waiting to see if it brought friends.

It hasn't, it seems, and Steve digs in his backpack. Puts on his heavy leather gloves, and carefully walks towards the crumpled, gray mass. 

And just like he did on that dry lake bed, Steve steps on it, this time with his boot. 

Then he pulls it in half.

It's dead now, for sure. And Steve tosses the pieces into the ditch, takes his gloves back off, and walks towards Eddie. 

"I hit a home run with that one," Steve says with a grin, putting his gloves back away, and Eddie smiles at him. 

Steve looks tired, he always looks tired, but at least he's smiling. Eddie never takes that for granted, not these days. 

"You want to find somewhere to hole up for the night?" Steve asks, and Eddie nods. He's always ready to hide out for a few hours. Resting. Sleeping in shifts. Or if they find somewhere that feels safe enough, which isn't all that often, sleeping at the same time. Curled against each other.

Instead of speaking, Eddie makes some random movements with his hands. Including pressing his palms together, laying his cheek on them, and closing his eyes. The universal sign for sleep.

Steve is shaking his head, amused, but he falls in step with Eddie. Beside him this time, not forging ahead. Strolling now, instead of leading the pack. 

Eddie reaches down and takes Steve's hand into his own, lacing their fingers together.

And Steve holds on tight.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @steddiemas and follow along!

If you want to see more of my entries from this challenge, they are in my tag right here!

#steddiemas #steddie fic #steve harrington #eddie munson #steddie #stranger things fic #thisapplepielife: short fic #thisapplepielife: steddiemas #needing to be quiet #apocalypse

[jakeperalta]

letting celebrities think they can and should "use their platform" to speak on all current events and political issues regardless of how educated they are on them was a grave mistake

#i honestly think that's why half of these celebrities are just sharing around these same few wishy washy unhelpful statements #at this point it's a relief when i open an instagram story and it's just a celebrity posting about their regular stuff #like good thank you feel free to just be quiet #or just share some fundraising links if you feel a need to be helpful #but like ultimately if you have a platform of many thousands/millions #then frankly it is your responsibility to make sure what you are sharing is accurate and useful #and not just posting for the sake of posting #but instead somehow we're at the point where the more followers you have the more you are expected to just post something anything #talking

[little-eye-guy]

"this is too raw of a line to come from—" shut up. beauty and meaning is everywhere

#eye guy speaks #i need that phrase to be removed from everyone's vocabulary Please #why are you so convinced that such things cannot be discovered by or found in the mundane #1/1/23 edit: hope you all have enjoyed yourselves bc im ready for some peace and quiet *turns off reblogs* #1/4/23 edit: please don't comment about wanting to reblog. the experience itself may be fleeting but you will have your memory of it #(aka i turned them off for my health and you will be ok. it's just a post)

[absolutedestinyapocalypsse]

if i have to see one more person say that the show downgraded gabe from being abusive to just bad im gonna get my head stuck through a wall out of frustration. sally had to ask him permission to leave her own home with a car she probably pays for as the only person with income. our first impression is him being verbally abusive to a repair person. percy has to brace himself before going inside because he knows it's not safe in HIS own home. gabe ANSWERS SALLYS PHONE WITHOUT HER PERMISSION. he only backs down from making fun of percy when he finds out he was kicked out of school for violence- he's almost impressed. we didnt see gabe physically assault anyone but we have a whole season left to see him go on public tv and frame his own stepson for murder. please please understand that sally yelling back at her abuser does not make him any less abusive or mean he has any less power over her

#im really happy she gave him sass because it proves just that #abuse survivors don't need to be meek and quiet to deserve people believing their abuse #percy jackson disney+ #percy jackon and the olympians #percy jackson #percy jackson tv show

[rubysevens]

anyway in the past week the irish government has voted down two motions which would have condemned the genocide in gaza.

i need everyone to stop lionising ireland as if its not also a european government with strong ties to the us. american weapons pass through shannon airport and will continue to, because yesterday the motion to stop that was voted down 83 to 50.

other governments have done much more but somehow people still act as though ireland is the ultimate palestinian ally and exempt from criticism on its handling of palestine bc it was once colonised, even though that past experience clearly isnt being taken into account by the irish government when creating policy.

i live here i know there’s a lot of public support and sympathy for palestine, which is great, but that isnt reflected in government, and i think ireland should be treated like other countries whose governments have done nothing.

#i mean i think theres also a discrepancy btwn the govt and the people on palestine bc there hasnt been a general election since early 2020 #before the last few rounds of aggression by israel brought it back into mainstream western discussion #but also theres a degree of privilege in ppl not having felt the need to think abt it in 2020 yk. palestinians have been thinking abt this #since 1948 #there’s also the fact that ideological support of palestine absolutely doesn’t equate to better treatment of muslims #i can promise you this country is still very islamophobic and racist no matter where you go #and i feel like that gets glossed over when ireland is treated as the ultimate ally of palestine when. realistically. it isnt #be quiet b #sorry this is like paragraphs but im becoming frustrated 👍 #ive seen other posts abt this im not the first to say it they were just unrebloggable. understandably

[lover-of-mine]

All aboard the clown car 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

#i swear to God DUDE #oh my god #911 abc #911 #thoughts thoughts thoughts #ryan guzman #he needs go shut up #like stay quiet #put him back in pr jail #911 spoilers

[p1nkshield]

Bruce being just as guilty of introducing Jason to people like he is but a small little guy.

Bruce at gala supporting youth literary comprehension programs: Have you met my son Jason? As stubborn as kids can be I managed to get him to attend.

Beneficiary: oh that’s wonderful! Does your son enjoy literature?

Bruce: oh absolutely! That’s what convinced him to even come! He has so many respectable hobbies for someone his age. Kids these days rarely find value in the classics but not Jason! Honestly he reads more, and more in depth, than I do! He’s a little mechanic too! When I first saw him he was trying to take the tires off my car with a lug wrench that was bigger than him! It was quite a sight and a rather unconventional way to meet your son but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Beneficiary, blinks as they try to process all the proud dad info: …well that’s lovely, we have some activities for the children of the donors so that none of them get too bored!

Bruce: that’s great! I’ll let him know. Jason, can you come here for a moment?

A very tall, wide, and muscular man turns around and raises an eyebrow.

What a coincidence, that dude must also be named Jason.

He walks towards them

Jason: what do you want old man?

What

Bruce: there are activities at that table if you’re bored.

Huh

Jason: thanks for the memo but I’m not exactly at coloring book age anymore remember?

Bruce: I suppose you’re right :(

#jason todd #bruce wayne #batfam #incorrect batfamily quotes #the table is set up with those baby chairs meant for kindergartners #Jason eventually gets bored enough that he does color something for a while #Bruce put it on the fridge #bruce is a good dad #hes pretty quiet but ask him about his kids and hoo boy #he was very sad when he realized he doesn’t really need coloring books anymore :( #batman #red hood

[inkskinned]

you get used to it, but it's tiring, because they need you to understand your own life as a series of goalposts. what college are you going to, what's your major going to be, whatcha gonna do with that, oh where will you settle down, when can i expect grandkids.

for the longest time my goals have been so blurry that they track into each other, their undefined edges slipping quietly back into the soft night. today i want to be a writer; tomorrow i will want to be a doctor, later i will wish i took that law school free ride. how the fuck do people just know what they want to do with their life?

where do you want to be in five years? i want to be alive; which is a huge step for me. ten years ago i would have said i want to be asleep and meant i hope that i'm dead by then.

but i want a yellow kitchen and a stand mixer. i want a garden and a fruit tree (cherry, if i can make that happen) and a big yard for my dogs to play in. i want to come home and read poetry out loud to someone and have them close their eyes to listen. i want a summer watergun fight. i want to make snowmen. i want to be the house to go to for halloween. i want my life to settle around me in a softness, for it to lay down gently. if i am very, very, very lucky, i want to travel; finally go someplace overseas.

of course i don't know what i want to be doing professionally. what i actually want to be doing is curling up beside my dog, settling in to read. i want to be making myself a cup of good coffee.

i can't answer the other questions. whenever people asked me what do you want to be when you grow up, i used to say i hope i'm happy.

i hope i'm still kind, five years from now. i hope i never get jaded and mean. i hope i have stayed in therapy. what do you picture yourself doing? when will you actually be an adult about this? why are you so afraid of being ambitious?

am i not ambitious? the other day i rearranged my furniture which doesn't quite fit into my apartment. i watered my plants. i'm going to try to propagate a cherry seed. my five year goal is to spend more time laughing. to lie down in a patch of sunwarm moss. to relax for a minute. to close my eyes and think oh thank god. this is why i stayed. this is finally it.

#writeblr #warm up #something something something took a lot of words to say #um my goals are really specific quiet things #and they're still valuable #bc i used to literally only have the goal of <3 bad things <3 #i was like ''who needs to picture the future? imma head out before then" #good news!!!!!!!!!!! ur in the future!!!! and u stayed!!! and thank god u did bc u actually fucking made it kid!!

[sleepyside]

Another thing that haunts me about this entire thing is that Amanda wasn’t just funny like her coworkers, or funny like other Disney and Nickelodeon actresses. Amanda Bynes was funny like Carol Burnett. Funny like Lucille Ball. She was effervescent and classic. Her comedic sensibilities were deeply intelligent. She had *it*. And she should have grown into one of the best actresses of our generation. But *something* happened and derailed it all. Even if she’s not the same, I truly hope she’s well and happy. I want nothing but the best for her, even if it’s a quiet and private life. I adored her back then and always will.

#Amanda Bynes #quiet on set #it feels ghoulish to hope she comes forward with her story #we aren’t owed anything #I think she just felt like a friend to everyone and we all want to know how to help our friend #whose ass do we need to kick #can we fight for you can we support you can we help you with what you’ve gone through #dan schneider #Nickelodeon #the Amanda show #I spent so much time on amandaplease.com at the library

[turtleblogatlast]

AU where Leo is trapped in the Prison Dimension for months instead of minutes and the only way he gets by with his sanity intact is through recording himself talking to his wrist comm.

When they finally manage to get Leo back and make him rest up to heal, Donnie can’t help but listen to the recordings left behind.

He’s not sure what exactly he’s expecting, only that his subconscious is screaming at him that it has to be heartbreaking, that it has to be torturous.

Instead, what Donnie is subject to is a full thousand hours’ worth of Jupiter Jim and Lou Jitsu crossover fanfiction. More than one part in the series. Spanning well over a million words.

(The worst part is that it’s actually good.)

#rottmnt #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt headcanons #donnie keeps the comms going on in the background as he works #when he gets to the end he’s like what the hell…where’s the rest #donnie: leo where’s part nine #leo barely cognizant after not needing sleep for months: whuh- #donnie: you can’t leave it at a cliffhanger. leo. leo where’s the next part. #listen leo has a great memory for his special interests this is CANON plus he’s a great talker so he would totally be able to do this frfr #whenever he needs to be quiet he’s SILENT but otherwise he’s regaling the exploits of his idols to the captive audience that is The Photo #sometimes Krang sneaks up on him and just listens to him talk like ???? #it starts both as leo trying to comfort himself with his favorite things PLUS comfort himself with thoughts of his father #as splinter makes his own crossover fanfiction when sick lol plus he’s Literally Lou Jitsu #and yes krang ALSO gets a bit invested #leo notices the reduction of Ouch but hey more time for rambling fanfic for him 👍 #idk leo’s a damn good actor/liar/planner/schemer and I genuinely think that can pivot into storytelling so well #the literal second mikey’s hands heal donnie zooms to his side with hand stabilizers and a request to draw ‘scene 82 from recording 3’ #mikey’s like what #so obvs now HE needs to listen as he works #he too gets invested #he comes across raph who mentions having trouble sleeping #mikey: have I got the podcast fanfic for you! #it only somewhat helps raph sleep #somewhat bc sometimes he forces himself to stay awake to hear the rest #yes these recordings go to the whole fam and leo is none the wiser #they don’t even mean to hide it it just never comes up lol #it’s only when donnie FINALLY makes it to the end of the recordings that he confronts leo to continue the story #leo: oH YOU HEARD ALL THAT HUH-

[chipsy]

Mental health status: Need to look at the sea for hours and stay quiet.

#mental health #personal #sea #Peace #words #spilled thoughts #thoughtful #much needed #stay quiet #feelings #emotions #life #chipsy

[musubiki]

please save me star rail danmarch

#hsr #honkai star rail #marth 7th #dan heng #danmarch #art #fanart #please just kiss #anyone peep that very small danmarch crumb this update #(small spoilers from here) #love how dan heng has been hella quiet in the family chat for the whole ass thing #and as soon as march goes (im panicking help) #hes like (do i need to come down and help? should i come down?) #and himeko has to be all (everyone chill please) #huehuehue dan heng.... #i hope he brings his ass down here in the final act

[brookheimer]

shiv was not being altruistic nor intellectually self-interested when she voted against kendall. that was pure raw visceral desperation to maintain some semblance of dignity that she felt kendall being ceo would shred her of. sometimes people do not act in other people’s best interests or their own best interests. sometimes people do the wrong thing for the wrong reasons just because it feels like the right, the only, thing to do. shiv could not let kendall be ceo. she just couldn’t. not because she wanted to sacrifice herself to “stop the cycle,” not because she made a calculation and decided tom was her best interest — because the thought of kendall being ceo and acting like That the rest of their lives when shiv earned that job, she fucking earned it, that was too much to fucking bear. watching him sit in dad’s chair, conduct that vote, grin with entitlement and cockiness and certainty — seeing that elicited a visceral painful all-consuming sensation not dissimilar to overwhelming nausea that, summed up in two words, would simply be: fuck. no. she couldn’t live with that. she just couldn’t. it’s not kind. it’s not smart. it’s just human. painfully, destructively human. because sometimes, that’s all there is to it. not just for shiv, but for everyone. god knows roman and kendall have had those same feelings, made those same self-destructing yet necessary-feeling decisions throughout the show. why does it have to be different for shiv? why can’t she be painfully destructively human, prone to impulsive ill-conceived viscerally felt actions, like everyone else? why are we incapable of allotting her the same nuance and humanity (the good and the bad), the same trauma-informed self-destructive life-ruining hamartias, as we do her brothers? why can’t we fit a whole woman in our heads?

#very surprised to see so many ‘shiv stopped the cycle on purpose blah blah blah’ takes like that didn’t even cross my mind as a motivation #of hers #it wasn’t calculated — i mean kendall winning would be to her benefit in terms of power and respect. that would be best for her #it wasn’t just jealousy or anything either; it wasn’t a coherent thought or plan #it was just I Can’t Fucking Do This #i can’t sit there while he smiles like that when he sits in dad’s chair and hisses that’s fucking right under his breath when someone votes #his way. not when that job was fucking MINE. it was MINE. i can’t- i can’t fucking do it #it’s about preservation of emotional dignity #it’s about self-respect #it’s ironic though because there are few things more undignified and less respected than being a quiet betrayed trophy wife to a weak ceo #husband who earned his position even less than kendall #but she’s not thinking clearly. she’s not Thinking. she just acted because there was this visceral need to act #succession #succession spoilers #shiv roy #100 #500 #casey shut the fuck up about shiv roy #1000

[clonerightsagenda]

"what if you had a mutual aid network that occasionally told interdimensional monsters to fuck off": Discworld witches as a concept

#so much of the Tiffany books in particular are about day to day community support #doing the chores... checking in on the elders who don't have family.... sitting up with the dead #it takes the quiet often uncelebrated everyday work of living and dying #and sets it right up against slaying vampires or vanquishing monsters #and maybe that's another reason why they aren't as popular #beyond yknow. centering women #but man maybe we need more books celebrating the heroism of clipping a lonely 90 year old man's toenails for him #discworld #perpetual perpetual ladies night #why this

[crabsnpersimmons]

"Hair dyes or perms or just a quick snip, you can always count on your ol' pal Clip!"

it's about time i officially shared my design for Clip from my hairdresser au! here's the silly boi himself!

a.k.a. the most complicated character i've ever designed...

close ups and additional comments under the cut!

that's my boi, despite his crazy design, i love him. his silly top knot hat, the horn-like points around his faceplate, his speckled colours, his four arms, and his funky pants. he's just soooooo fun.

Clip likes to play games and knit! he even made the patchwork pants he wears (he made Sun and Moon a pair too, but they're too precious for them to wear... also a little gaudy to wear in public—doesn't stop Clip tho!). He actually makes everything the boys wear, since there's not a lot of things in their size/shape.

instead of resting at night, he can be found in their living room, playing Kirby 64 for the nth time and/or knitting something. he's just too restless to stay still, he's always gotta be doing something and if it isn't gaming, knitting, or hairdressing, then he's up to No GoodTM.

Clip... likes popping balloons. he says "Goodnight!" with each popped balloon and once he's done, he tosses up the scraps like confetti all while giggling joyfully.

needless to say, he is not fun at parties. Sun and Moon don't let him near balloons for this reason.

and yes, he has sewing needles on hand at all times. for fashion emergencies... and for unsuspecting balloons.

Clip's not allowed to have a phone (just imagine all the in-app purchases Sun and Moon would have to deal with), but he likes to keep up with his customers and their games, even if he doesn't get their fixation over bluenets he'll never openly admit it but he prefers curly-haired blond hunks that look sweet in soft pastels but could also squash him like the spider he is

also, he's great at microbraiding! though i imagine if Sun and Moon are free, they'd come help to shorten the wait but also to compete and see who braids the most (Clip always wins of course—make anything into a game, and he's winning)

aaaaand there's this! i wanted to make sure Clip would be able to freely rotate his waist so his arms could have their full range of motion, and this was the solution i came up with: a crop top on top and a wrap around his waist. and Clip here is being a sneaky little scamp about it.

#fnaf eclipse #fnaf dca #dca fandom #fnaf oc #Clip New Do Same You AU #New Do Same You AU #“but crabs YOU designed him you could have made him easier for you to draw” #but everything is just SO FUN and/or lore-relevant! #like the points around his faceplate give me oni vibes i love it #i hate drawing so many hands but man he's just so silly and he needs every last one #and HIS PANTS #LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME THE DCA WOULDN'T WEAR PATCHWORK PANTS IF THEY COULD #legit the pants were a major breakthrough in his design #he's just a silly guy #honestly i have been on a bit of an artblock lately #and maybe drawing Clip wasn't the best way to ease myself out of it #but it worked i think? #i dunno just been overthinking things a lot lately #that's kinda why i've been quiet again on tumblr #i just need to let loose and just let myself have fun yknow? #like this sketch page has a lot of mistakes in it #but i tried not to dwell on those and kept moving forward #it doesn't need to be perfect it just needs to be #bright colours #cw bright colours #crab art #traditional art

[tubbytarchia]

Thinking about them still and always

So I was trying to do a meme redraw and halfway through realised that I mixed two memes up into one so now this is the result lmao. But either way I was thinking of these:

#every time I draw Doc his design changes a little bit haha pain #docm77 #jimmy solidarity #shak's doc&Jimmy thoughts #I dont want to keep labelling Jimmy “son” as if he's not man enough but. For the time being he is very son #I need Doc in his life just to provide him with a safe quiet place where he can begin some kind of healing. you know #Not all Jimmy teasing and stuff is bad absolutely not. But Doc wouldn't find comedy in almost any of it and call it off lol #and good for him #tubby art