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#should probably not buy from them anymore idk
narelleart · 2 years
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I visited a nearby city and stopped in a fish store that had four "species" of Parosphromenus (one undescribed, under a trade name).
I couldn't just leave, so I took home the pair they had of the species highest on the ranking list I'd made previously which also happened to be a critically endangered species. (Parosphromenus gunawani, if they were identified correctly. I'll sort it out when I get a chance to get a better look at them.)
I wish I could have taken the others too - some species had larger groups, and I would have bought every individual they had of any species I bought. But I wasn't prepared for that, I'm limited on tank space in my current living situation and only had one cycled filter ready.
All Parosphromenus are imperiled, they are endemic to niche specialized habitats that are under anthropogenic threat. They have no business in the aquarium trade, and certainly not in brick and mortar shops like this. Another customer was trying to get them to sell him moderately sized catfishes for his one gallon "tank". Anyone could walk in and buy these, with no intention of spawning them, no idea what they are.
I mentioned to the shop owner that they were imperiled and he clearly had no qualms about that, but was more so bothered that I brought it up.
The other Parosphromenus they had were:
P. nagyi
P. ornaticauda
P. sp. "Sentang"
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unreadpoppy · 17 days
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Saw a video and it got me in a mood so i'm making this post.
I don't think people who have never been fat knows how fucking hard it is to find clothing for bigger bodies.
The first issue is finding stuff in your actual size. Because time after time after time and time again I've gone to a store and they only had small and medium sizes. Not even large. And this was not for a few clothes, no. It was for MOST clothes that I found interesting. And then the ones that were marked as large were simply not big enough.
And I know that the reason for that is that brands simply won't make clothes for fat people. It's that because it surely isn't because the large size is selling out fast. They just don't do it. And some people have the nerve to say 'well brands are not obligated to make sizes for everyone' yeah sure, but also, I can't walk naked on the street can I?
Like I don't get it. 'oh but we want our clothes to fit a especific body' so fucking make clothes that are supposed to fit bigger bodies. Doesn't have a to be a whole ass collection.
And then we get on the second problem which is making clothes for plus size people that are ugly as hell. It's always the same stuff: ugly florals, animal print that belongs in another decade, cold shoulders, that weird extra fabric at the end of a shirt to hide the belly, or just black/muted colors.
Like fun fact. If you have big boobs, the hardest thing in the world is trying to find a bra that comes in a color that isn't white, black or beige. Because trust me, I've spent 3 hours walking in the shopping mall and I couldn't find anything that fit my breasts that was like pink (and in that situation I needed a pink bra for a play).
It feels like most clothes made for plus sized people are designed with like 50+ year old white women in mind, and not even that demographic of people are wearing those clothes (my mom is a plus sized 50+ year old white woman and often talks about how ugly some clothes made for people her size are).
It's hard trying to develop your own sense of style when none of the clothes around you are in your size, and when they do, they are just not good looking to you.
But you wanna know what's the down right worst part? Do you know what fucking brand has clothes that look good and are amde for bigger bodies?
The goddamn cancer on this earth that is Shein.
I fucking hate shein. Fast fashion is killin the fashion industry, they literally have people working as slaves and many influecers buy shein clothes by the bulk only to then throw it in the trash. Shein is awful.
But. Unfortunetly, shein is the only place that I found that had clothes that fit me and looked good. I don't like that. I avoided buying from shein for the longest time ever, but jesus christ, when you can't find clothes anywhere else you get desperate.
I tried looking for other places. I tried looking at my local clothing stores and everything was too small for me. I tried looking at online small bussinesses but they either didn't make my size, or it was sold out, or the prices were very high. Tried looking at thrift stores, also didn't find my size.
I try not to buy too much from shein or to spend long periods of time in between buying, because again, I feel bad about buying there. I don't want to buy from there.
Clothing brands/stores gotta do better. And I don't think that's asking for too much.
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saetoru · 6 months
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✩ ‧₊˚ ✩ my life with you (that’s way over now)
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synopsis. some people get drunk calls from their exes, maybe even flowers with hand written apologies. you get a knock on your front door with two random kids and a murder case
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length. 3.0k words (once more it was supposed to be short)
contents. exes to lovers, ex boyfriend! suguru, gn! reader, slightly deviated from canon (he doesn’t kill the entire village + doesn’t defect), slightly a fix-it fic, blood, murder, child abuse + neglect (canon events with suguru and the twins), angst to slight fluff with hopeful ending (pretty much happy tbh), mentions of family + kids, suguru pretty much being a broke and depressed lil guy lollll
notes. idk what this is but it was written for me i just wanted to write it so here. take it and look away
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right before you graduate, you and suguru break up. you don’t want to, but he insists it’s only fair—he can hardly be there for you the way you need him to be, he says. something’s changed in him, it has since that day last year. but still—you don’t want to break up.
so you argue, he stays firm, you cry, he doesn’t change his mind, you break up, he leaves, and the world momentarily collapses.
it’s the way things work, you suppose. they don’t quite always go the way you planned. you graduate not long after that, leaving him behind to throw yourself into work while you toe into the baby steps of adulthood. real adulthood—the jujutsu world has a way of thrusting you into that faster than normal, anyway.
by the time it’s late summer, you get your first apartment. it’s a rundown place—the bathroom tiles look dirty no matter how much you scrub, the walls haven’t been repainted in what seems like decades, and the thermostat never works properly to feel like what the temperature indicates.
but it’s yours—you leave jujutsu high fresh into the real world, paying your taxes and buying your groceries all while you exorcise curses for a living. barely an adult, barely getting by, barely alive as you get up each day and live.
and then suguru comes knocking on your door half past midnight.
“hey,” he says nonchalantly, like there’s nothing wrong with standing there—but you know him better than that. you can hear that detachment in his voice as he stares between your eyes, but not quite in them.
“you—” you start, staring at him incredulously before you decide to give up. there are no surprises with suguru, not anymore you suppose. you don’t really know him anymore. “suguru, it’s midnight,” you sigh—and that’s when you see them: two small children that can’t be much older than five.
bruises are clear as day on their arms, even while standing in the darkness outside. there’s also the slight swollen curve of their eyes, and you can’t help but notice how they’re practically skin and bone. children who have probably not yet even lived for five winters, and you almost wonder if they’ve been through more than you have in you’re entire lifetime.
suguru clears his throat before you can stare at them any longer.
“this is nanako,” he gestures at the blonde, “and this is mimiko.” the brunette one seems more shy, curls behind his leg further as her name is uttered.
you don’t know what to say, so you settle for smiling—you’re not sure if it comes out too genuine, but you try. it’s all you can offer, really.
“hello,” you hum for a moment. and then you turn back to suguru, “it’s midnight.”
“i know.”
“you should be at school grounds.”
“i know.”
“suguru,” you sigh, eyeing the blood stained on his cheek. you don’t like where this is heading. there’s a sick feeling twisting in your gut, bubbling, bubbling, bubbling.
bile. you can taste it. something’s not right.
“where did you find these kids?”
“on a mission,” he says simply, “village heads were keepin’ em locked in a cage like animals. can you believe it?”
again, that casual tone. it almost as easy as humming your favorite tune, as smooth as your skin on freshly washed sheets, as quiet as the first day of snow when the world is still. but something about it is hollow—something’s not right.
“why’d you bring them here? instead of school? shoko should look at them—”
“i told them they’d be safe here.”
they’d be safe anywhere, you think. as long as suguru’s there too. as long they’re under his watchful gaze, nothing could hope to beat down on their youth like it already has their whole lives. but you don’t say that—something tells you he won’t believe you.
maybe not right now.
you don’t look at him. you can’t. something’s not right, but there are children present. so you throw on your best smile and open the door wider, offering them to come in.
your apartment is small, just one bedroom and one bath. there’s hardly enough food for yourself for tonight, you still have to go grocery shopping this week. the missions were lined up back to back to back—but that’s just life as a sorcerer, you suppose. most days you hardly have the energy to eat more than a few apple slices when you return home anyway.
you wave your hand at your place dramatically as you say, “come on in, ladies. your humble abode awaits.”
they giggle slightly at that—it’s the first time suguru hears them laugh. you have that effect, he knew you would. it’s why he brings them here and not there. and…well, there’s a more complicated issue at hand. but that’s for later.
right now…well, for right now, he lets you guide them to the bathroom.
“you have money on you right?” you ask. he blinks, staring at you for a moment before slowly shaking his head.
“spent the last of it on cigarettes this morning.”
great, you think, before sighing and trudging over to grab your wallet as you press a few crisp bills of cash in his hands.
“here.”
“what’s this for?” he raises a brow.
“go buy them clothes,” you look at him like he’s stupid. he might be, in all honesty. just a little. “i’m not putting them back in…those once they’re all cleaned.”
“wha—i’ve never shopped for children before,” he gapes, “and i don’t know what size they are, or—”
“figure it out, suguru,” you say tiredly. it’s half past midnight—by now, you’d be passed out from your mission. he seems to take the hint. “and bring some snacks too. should be enough.”
“fine,” he grumbles—and then he’s walking out the door.
for a second, it feels familiar watching him leave. but then you decide not to dwell on it—there are much more important matters at hand.
you turn to the two girls before crouching in front of them with a gentle smile, “who’s ready for bubbles?”
——————
nanako and mimiko have never had a bubble bath before. you decide to let them taste the first tendrils of youth by splashing in your tiny bathtub while you find suguru for some much needed answers.
he sits on your couch, shirt wrinkled and hair falling loose and blood still staining his cheek as he hunches over his legs, elbows resting on his thighs as he thinks. and thinks. and thinks and thinks and thinks.
you wonder about what—what could be plaguing his mind? a lot you’re sure, but this isn’t suguru. not the one you know, at least.
the one you knew, the voice in your mind hisses—do you really even know him at all anymore?
“so,” you sit on the opposite side of the sofa, curling your legs under yourself as you eye him from the side, “care to explain?”
“i killed them,” he mutters. you go still. “the village heads. i did it without hesitating. that’s bad, right?”
“well fuck, suguru,” you breathe, restless, “that’s certainly not good.”
“i had a reason,” he argues, “all i needed was one.”
“there’s nothing that excuses murder—”
“oh, but we can excuse locking kids in cages, is that right? why? cause they’re sorcerers? they’re not—they’re children.”
“i didn’t say that,” you rub your forehead. this is all too much. too, too much.
being a sorcerer is too much. being in front of suguru is too much.
you finish your third year with a broken heart and graduate in spring—at one point you’d hoped graduating wouldn’t change anything between you and your friends, between you and the boy you loved. everything would be the same, even if you’d leave the place that held you all together—you’d still find a way back to each other, you liked to think. but then it all changes before you can even comprehend.
haibara is dead. nanami is hardly coping. gojo is everywhere but here. shoko is in high demand. suguru is hardly present even when he’s right in front of you. nothing is the same and you don’t think it ever will be. you lose the one thing you count on being yours forever, and now, he’s right here again. but not really here—not with you so much as near you.
suguru has killed people, sitting on your couch with you while the two children he finds are bathing happily in your bathtub.
there’s some irony in that—maybe in a perfect world, suguru and you would sit on the couch, much happier than right now, though. maybe you’d be tucked under his arm and curled into his side as you both chuckle at the happy squeals in the distance. maybe in a perfect world.
but this world is cruel. too cruel, in fact. it forces children to grow up too fast during some times and lets adults continue to be children during others. it’s sickening and all too much.
but this is the world you live in. there’s not much to change in that—not much you can change. maybe sitting on the couch with suguru is what you should be grateful for, whether it’s in this world or another.
“i came here because it’s safe,” he mumbles, quieter this time, “i don’t…i didn’t trust anywhere else.”
something tells you he’s not talking about the kids. you look at him for the first time that night—really look at him. you take in the lost weight, the sunken cheekbones and the bruised under eyes from the lack of sleep. the cracked lips from being chapped and the dry hair that’s lost its normal shine.
something’s not right—you won’t be able to mend it, but you think you can keep it from getting worse.
“it is safe here,” you murmur, nodding in assurance, “but you can’t…i can’t let you do that. not again.”
“what? kill people?” he snorts in dry amusement. it’s quiet for a bit—you open your mouth a few times like you want to say something, but nothing ever comes. he finally decides to fill the silence. “i don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong anymore. people shouldn’t kill. but some people shouldn’t live.”
“i think jujutsu is supposed to save people. not everyone will deserve it, but i suppose we wouldn’t be much better than them if we used it for anything other than that,” you whisper. he looks over at you at that, peers at you deep in thought as he contemplates your words.
“that’s funny,” he chuckles, “i used to think that too.”
“what changed?”
“everything.”
“then change it some more,” you shrug, “until you think it again.” he looks at you incredulously at that, eyeing you like you’re crazy.
“you’re an idiot,” he scoffs.
“says the killer,” you scoff back. you look at him this time, in the eyes and full of conviction, full of promises you couldn’t make before but fully intend to keep now. “don’t kill anyone else and i’ll help you. with those kids, i mean.”
“you want to co parent with me?” he chuckles.
co parent—the word makes your stomach twist. even after all this time, after all the hurt and pain, suguru is easy to imagine that with. he’s easy to imagine anything in the future with, really. he’s always been perfect like that, but you’re starting to realize there’s a lot more imperfections to him than you initially thought.
but it’s okay, you think. if you didn’t stop loving him before, you certainly don’t stop now. blood on his hands or not, he’s yours—even if he doesn’t want to be.
“don’t say it like that,” you murmur softly, hugging your arms around yourself, “please.”
you let yourself be vulnerable for just a moment—not because you want to, but because he needs to know. he needs to know how unfair he’s being and how patient you are with him despite it all. you deserve that much.
“sorry,” he mutters—he has the decency to look away and drop his smile.
“you don’t kill anyone, and i’ll look for a bigger place. deal?”
“for us…all?”
“yes. just until you figure it out, i’ll help you out with them. and then you’ll responsibly use your paycheck as a full time special grade sorcerer and maybe send a few checks my way to say thanks to my good will.”
he chuckles at that, shaking his head. “i’ll repay you,” he hums, tapping his foot. he does that when he’s nervous, you still remember—you could never forget anything about him. “i…i owe you, anyway.”
it’s quiet some more. you don’t know what to say, and quite frankly, you don’t want to say anything at all. but once more, he fills the silence for you after a while.
“what if…” he starts, “what if i want to co parent with you?”
“you dumped me,” you point out, unable to hide the bitterness any longer. it cracks from your tongue through your words like honey that went dry. “remember that? cause i sure remember.”
you’re an adult now, just barely, but an adult all the same. you should handle this the mature way—but you’re still young. still hurt. still blanketed in the fresh wave of nostalgia that leaves you aching with grief.
so you let yourself be bitter. suguru can handle that much after he left you to pick up your shattered pieces.
“i didn’t want to,” he says quietly. “i never wanted to.”
“but you did.”
“i didn’t…you didn’t deserve to see me unstable.”
“you’re not very stable right now either,” you pinch your nose tiredly, “you killed people, suguru. but somehow you can manage to have two kids now. but not me.”
“they need me,” he defends.
“i needed you too,” your voice cracks.
you did. you needed him—and you like to think he needed you too. maybe it wasn’t perfect, nothing ever is, especially not when you fight curses and see their ugliness every day. but that’s the best part of having each other—having something pretty amidst the hideousness.
he left you with more ugly than you knew what to do with. it’s unfair, you think for a moment, unfair that two girls who hardly know him at all have more of him than you ever did. he’d never abandon them—that much you know for sure.
you’ve laughed with him, held him and wiped his tears and kissed him under the moon until it became the sun. you’ve seen him with his hair down and his guard lowered. you’ve seen him in every way possible but in the end, he walked away.
they’ve seen him for less than a day and somehow, he’ll be there forever. there’s something unfair about that and you hate that you’re bitter with children but the world in cruel like that.
suguru slowly inches over—it’s cautious at first, and then he fills the gap all at once. you pretend you don’t feel the way your thighs touch.
“i need you too,” he admits, voice small. there’s a small, shaky crack that eats away at your heart, trying to gnaw into the raw part. the easy to reach part. the part you shouldn’t let him see anymore. “i…i always needed you. i’m sorry.”
“we were supposed to need each other,” you sniffle.
“we do,” he slowly slumps his head onto your shoulder. you let him stay there—don’t dare move a muscle in case he pulls away. “you’re the only thing that keeps me stable. i don’t think that’s fair.”
“needing someone isn’t unfair, suguru,” you scoff.
“okay,” he grabs your hand, squeezing. for the first time, he lets it all go. lets tears slowly slip from the corners of his eyes as he slumps into your side. he cries for riko. for kuroi. for satoru and the time he lost him for a moment. for their youth. for haibara. for not being enough even when he shouldn’t have had to be. somewhere amidst all that, your arms wrap around him and he’s pulled into your chest—that familiar feeling of your fingers threading into his hair makes the world start spinning again. “i need you,” he chokes.
“okay,” you say shakily, nodding slowly as you let yourself hope, “as long as you don’t stop this time.”
he buries his face into your chest, and you kiss the crown of his head.
cruelty is an unstoppable force. your love for suguru is an immovable object. neither is going anywhere, but perhaps they can coexist.
“satoru’s gonna have a massive headache when he explains this one to the higher ups,” you snort after a while.
he laughs into your shirt, real for the first time in a long time. “i’ll buy him something sweet. should make up for it,” he hums. and then he looks up, smiles innocently as he asks, “wanna lend me some cash? i’ll pay you back when i’m a responsible handler of money.”
“you’re hopeless,” you chuckle, “but at least you’re here.”
————— BONUS —————
“okay,” satoru starts, holding his hands up in surrender as he stands before the higher ups. damn old geezers, he thinks. “so he did kill a person or two…but—”
“there is no excuse,” a voice hisses.
“he didn’t mean it,” he huffs indignantly, “it was an accident. those can happen sometimes.”
“what—”
“he’s going through a phase, okay? let him work through it, he’ll be fine.”
“that’s not—”
“i’ll let him off the hook this time,” satoru grins, pushing his glasses up his nose as he shrugs, “he’s got a family now, y’know? kids and a spouse, and they’re looking for a home. can’t take that away from them.”
“he’s not even married—”
“it’ll happen eventually,” he insists, “so let’s all just calm down, yeah? great, thanks!”
“gojo—”
“see ya!”
he walks out, flashing an obnoxious peace sign at the higher ups as they hiss at him to return as he’s walking out. that takes care of that, he thinks, as long as suguru doesn’t make his life harder and kill more people, he can handle it—you did promise him kikufuku if he does.
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satoru is babygirl defender no. 1 ain’t nobody doing it like my guy 🤞🏽 he would be loyal to you while you were in jail no doubts
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gglitch1dd · 28 days
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fighting not to rip out my 4c hair cause its cutting off right now 😭anyway thinking of Dilf! Izuku rn and just imagine
his wifey comes back from work, all tired and beaten up (not physically, but mentally). someone gave her wrong info at a meeting which almost messed up an important project, her boss yelled at her and to end her day off, someone spilled coffee on her favorite top and although its not that bad, it broke her down. so her boys just all come to pamper her in love, the little ones cuddling with their mom while Toshinori maybe cooks her some food, buys her favorite treats or something nice. meanwhile Izuku is maybe going to find a certain boss? idk 🤷🏿‍♀️
Hey lovely!!
Great thing about Reader, she doesn't have a job :)
Let me explain, after marrying Izuku, she quit her job to be a stay at home wife and mother. A homemaker if you will. She had no reason to have a job because Izuku quite literally brings in MILLIONS so there was literally no reason for her to stay at her job in the Heroes Safety Commission. This was her decision and was spoken about in the One Shot I did for Izuku in Breedingtober "His Wife".
BUT
She does run the Deku Foundation, which she does stay at home with occasional visits into meetings or going to outreach and charity events.
So if she was angry about someone not doing their part it would probably look like:
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"... Maybe we should bake her a cake?"
"Oh like how we baked her cookies?"
"Maybe mama just needs a nap."
"Dad said we should give her some space but maybe she doesn't want space?"
"She's our mom though..."
Walking over to you where you were laying on the couch was your little boy, Koda. He waddled over to you with his stuffed bunny in hand. He put his bunny next to you and outstretched his arms. "Hug?"
You stared down at him for a moment before softening. You picked up your little three year old and picked him up into your lap, wrapping your arms around him. "Thanks buddy."
Suddenly you felt yourself bombarded in a huge hug. Four other boys were piling ontop of you, hugging you.
"It's okay mom!"
"Don't worry. We'll find whoever they are and kick them in the shins!"
"I'll bite them in their kneecaps."
"No one messes with the Midoriyas!"
They all hummed in agreement and you couldn't help but laugh and nodded. You kissed their little heads, so grateful to have your boys there to hug you when you needed it.
Later you receive a message from one of your employees that said person who had been giving you a hard time when it came to the Bunny adoption charity event you were running in a months time, had been replaced.
"What do you mean he's not working for us anymore?" You asked as you walked into your bedroom.
"Mrs Midoriya, he isn't on the contact lists anymore but we do have a replacement who is very eager to work with you."
You looked from your phone over to your husband who lay on your bed with his laptop on his lap, having wanted to quickly finish some paperwork before going back out to the boys that were making a whirlwind downstairs. You furrowed your eyebrows. "Alright, well send them a thank you and everything they need to be up to speed." You put down the phone and walked over to your husband. "Izuku."
"Yes, my love." He answered, moving to look up at you immediately, looking so innocent with his green eyes on you.
Your eyebrows furrowed. "Did you do something?" He tilted his head confused. You glared at him playfully. "The only ones able to terminate contracts in the Deku Foundation is me and you, so did you do something?" You asked.
Your husband just stared up at you. He smiled. He stood up and put his hand to caress the side of your head. His large hand dragged down to wrap around your neck as he leaned down to place a kiss on your lips. "Only what needed to be done." He whispered out. "No one makes my wife's life difficult. Not when I work so hard to make your life as easy as possible."
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simplydnp · 20 days
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idk why this matters to me but in the last few months they've been acknowledging so many things I never ever thought they would. pinof and the touching. the phude multiple times. dapc slime (ok they had merch to sell for that one but still)
no but actually. phil literally said 'i thought we weren't acknowledging it' about the phude and now they just bring it up all the time.
pinof reacts... i still can't believe we're in a post pinof-reacts universe. how did that happen. i was changed permanently--like something shuffled in my dna when i got the notif for pinof reacts 1. this is not a physical reaction but a chemical one that cannot be undone. for something that was so... sacred. and integral. to their existence and history. pinof wasn't generally talked about unless it was pinof time. and even then it was 'it'll be up soon' or 'we just posted it' and then Never talked about outside of that. especially not the first one! we freak out about the We Know You Know in the newsletter but it's Always been like that with pinof 1. so to see them--new (& natural 🥺) hair for them both, in a house they bought and built together, in the first few months of giving the gaming channel a second chance--reflect on how it all began? absolutely devastating. and to lean into moments and discuss them in new ways. in territory previously not breached! the 'they're toUching'?!?!? the '11 hour fuck session'!?!? the '£9000 champagne'?!?!? like hey we're not supposed to talk about that, dan and phil might see!! shhh!! but they're the ones saying it!! absolutely wild.
in a way, it had to happen. especially with where we're at now (them literally selling merch of them holding hands). in order for them to move beyond that... mindset? i guess? that a lot of fans had, they had to defang it. i really see it as one of the biggest walls they've broken down in the way they communicate with us. the 'hey. it's okay. we've seen it. it's not a big deal. we will absolutely make fun of you for it though. but we're good.'
i'm just really curious whose idea it was. (lbr it was probably phil given dans not a react kinda guy. but i'd be lying if i said i didn't want to be in the room where it happened when they talked about actually doing it or not, and what it would mean) (big ad revenue thats for sure 🤣 get it kings)
i will never be able to get phil's 'they touched' out of my head and at this point i wouldn't want to. it's absolutely earned. and i guess it makes me a masochist to enjoy the psychic damage it inflicts on me, but such is life i suppose.
the crafts mention really surprised me! i had contemplated a few different scenarios in how they'd go about it, and i'll be honest i feel like they could've committed to the bit a little more but they're forgiven. like what about glitchy interstitials! cuts to the merch website. found footage inserted between sections! i recognize they don't want to 'scare' their usual audience wirh sudden cuts to intense/graphic content but my immersionnn. absolutely shattered by 'oh we have new merch now btw'. cmon boys you love to lie to us. say theres merch up but you dont know where it came from. just that we should buy it 👀 or idk, something clever. and i recognize i may sound like a spoilt brat bc i just got a 14 minute long masterpiece of an unexpected dapc revival, but my immersion. i mean i already bought the merch before they shilled it anyways so it didn't influence me regardless 🤣
ultimately we really are in a new era. even beyond just the revival. i think they're really finding their stride--not only in their content (evidenced by a semi-regular schedule) but also creatively, in doing what they want to do, how they want to do it, and truly not giving that much of a fuck anymore. and i'm really happy for them. phil talked a bit about this in his 'rating my icons' video, where he's kind of decided he doesn't care what people on twitter think, and how it's been good for him, and i think we're seeing that reflected in not only his content, but also the gaming channel. they play what they want. they say what they want. and it's just fun. dan going on the record to say he's really enjoying it makes me so happy to hear, because literally december 2022 he believed he'd disappear after WAD. and now, instead, he gets to play games and make stupid jokes and smile and laugh multiple times a week, and he's really happy about it. he gets to be silly and goofy and crude without having to Stress about it. i keep saying it but they're so settled now. and as someone who's followed them through big changes and turbulent times, getting to see them happy after everything... it brings a lot of hope. and i know theyre millionaires. but there's something to looking at someone you fell in love with 15 years ago the same then as you do now. but instead of it being something scary, something you have to hide, something that feels like it can consume you and everything you have--it gets to be something beautiful. and regular. and embraced. you've read this far you get to listen to me wax poetic about them.
we've been thoroughly boiled and maybe, just maybe, it's warming our hearts too.
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periracha · 4 months
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Waiting
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 ☾ pairing: Dad!Chan x Mom!Reader  ☾ wc: 2k  ☾  genre: fluff, boring domesticity (gasp)  ☾ cw: Christmas themes, kids, suggestive jokes, me trying to be funny idk, language, chan being chan ☾ summary: the bangs get in the holiday spirit!   ☾ a/n: wanted to get a whole aesthetic and masterlist up for this blog before i posted anything but this little idea had my brain in a chokehold all day so,,,,enjoy ! also, let me know if I should continue writing this family so i can give them names, etc.  yes this piece is fluff but this blog is 18+, MDNI
Ripples start to splash against the inside of your mug as you set it down on the coffee table that has been pushed aside for the evening to allow enough room for you and your husband. 
“Clearing the living room floor the second both kids are down and out?” Chan asks with a wiggle of his eyebrow. 
“Bit risky but I can work with this” he says while straining his neck and pulling his left arm across his chest in a stretch in preparation. 
You look up at him when a scoff falls from your lips, “ha yeah you wish. Now get the wrapping paper from the closet” 
“Please” you add with a sarcastic smile and sweet like honey tone. 
He blinked at you silently for a split second before he huffed out a big sigh, “Oh thank god. I don’t think my back could handle these hardwood floors like it used to” he finishes as he makes his way to the hallway closet. 
“Mmm unfortunately the only action these floors have been getting lately is spilled juice and probably some dusty cheetos the kids kicked under the couch” you joke as Chan meets you on the floor with wrapping supplies and gifts. 
A quiet laugh in agreement leaves his lips. 
“She’s gonna love this” Chan says with a grin so wide it meets his eyes. 
He’s holding up a Bluey plushie that plays a few catchphrases from the show when its paw is squeezed. 
“She better…. I’m running out of reasons why she can’t buy it every time we go to the store” you say as you cut wrapping paper big enough to wrap the doll and hand it to him. 
Your daughter had wanted this little plushie for months now, always asking to stop by the toy section whenever you visit your local department store. You quickly learned that simply telling her the store didn’t have anymore wasn’t gonna fly with her. She always found a way to swindle you into the toy aisles, finding the plushie every time. Distracting her with books or other small toys could only get you so far; luckily Christmas was only a few days away and you both would soon see the joy on her face when she opened her gift. 
“How do you even wrap these things??” Chan huffed out with a bewildered look on his face; his brows drawn tight and his eyes wide open. The piece of wrapping paper you had given him was creased all over, and covered in way too many pieces of tape that didn’t actually do anything to keep the paper together. 
A giggle started in your chest but you choked it down with a fake cough. Chan was used to being good at almost anything he put his mind to. 
Dancing? Easy.
Singing? No Problem. 
Writing thousands of unique songs that differed in their own ways? Piece of cake. 
Sports? Absolutely. 
Wrapping a small gift for his three year old daughter? Not so much. 
Carefully, you took the small doll from his hand and replaced it with a box of bath toys for your son. 
“Here, let me handle this…and you wrap these” you said nonchalantly as soon as you made the switch; immediately working on your new task at hand. 
Chan gawked at you with a goofy smile on his face, “You don’t think I can do it?...you’re demoting me to only wrapping boxes?” he laughed while feigning offense. 
“No no no!”, you waved off, “you’re just soooo good! Better than me! The best actually!” you rushed out while trying to contain your laughter but ultimately failing. 
Chan looked at you with pointed eyes, but had a wide smile plastered on his face the entire time. He looked like he was going to say something in retaliation but decided against it, letting out a small chuckle and shaking his head instead while he got to work on the box. 
Many presents later you were both feeling the ache deep in your lower back from hunching over on the floor. 
“Okay that's enough for me, I’m tapping out,” Chan said stretching his back with a yawn. 
You yawned and simply shook your head up and down in agreement, thinking about how you were too tired to even keep your eyes open. 
You got up and gathered all your wrapping supplies to store away. 
“Oh! Can you take all those and put them under the tree?” you asked him while pointing to the group of gifts. 
He hummed a quick mhm and started gathering them in his arms. 
“Make sure to put Bluey on top of the one of the taller presents so they can’t get to it” you called out as you made your way to your room. 
“Yep, got it” Chan quickly responded before placing all the presents down and making his way to follow you to your bedroom. 
~
The next day went blissfully as usual; waking up way too early to cries before the sun is even fully out, only to finally get your son back down and you barely back in bed before your daughter barges in demanding French toast stat. 
Did you even have all the ingredients for french toast? 
You already got one kid handled, Chan could handle this one.
You lightly kicked him in the leg as he laid beside you to wake him up before you made yourself comfortable to fall back asleep. 
When you did wake up, you grabbed your son and met your husband and daughter in the living room, setting him down to crawl around the rug.
“Good morning love”, Chan greeted you with a kiss to your cheek and sliding his arms around your waist in a loose hug. 
You hummed a good morning back before resting your head against his chest. 
“My turn! My turn!” your daughter yelled entirely too close to your eardrum as she stood on the couch in an attempt to be as eye level as she could with you. 
“Coffee?” Chan asked with a smirk as he let you go and made his way to the kitchen. 
“Ohhh yeah” you answered before turning your attention fully on your daughter. 
She puckered her lips and stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to copy her dad’s previous actions. You bent down and she kissed your cheek, “Good morning, mommy!”, she giggled before flopping down on the couch. 
“Oh it is a good morning!” you smiled back to her before tickling her to get some hugs in. 
Chan met you back in the living room with your fresh cup of coffee as you both sat on the couch, watching your children play together in the early morning hours. 
Your son crawled towards the christmas tree and before you could get up to grab him he had already bumped into a few presents, causing one of them to go off. 
“Hello! Hehehe”  
The noise immediately caught your daughter's attention and her head snapped towards the tree before her eyes widened. You could see the wheels starting to turn in her head to try and make sense of what just happened when you looked over at Chan who was sporting a mortified look. Jaw hung open and downward, eyes widening and moving around the room at everyone’s faces. 
The damn Bluey doll had gone off and one of her most wanted presents was most likely spoiled now. 
“WHAT WAS THAT?” she rushed out, walking closer to the tree.
“Your brother!” Chan blurted out way too quickly before tightening his lip into a flat line, realizing what he just did. 
Your daughter stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the both of you. 
“What???” she asked again, her eyes darting between yours and Chan’s a few times. 
“He can talk??, “ she screamed, bewildered at the new information being thrown at her all too quickly, pointing at him and eyes wide as saucers.
You let out a huff of air and forced yourself to take a sip of your coffee, hoping to buy you some time, waiting for your brain to kick on. It was too early for this.
Chan looked at you waiting for you to come in and save the conversation but you had nothing. How were you supposed to convince a 3 year old that her 8 month old brother could now speak when he’s never done that before. 
You’re on your own here. You thought to yourself as your eyes met Chan’s again. His face still stuck in the same shocked expression. 
“Uhh…yeah..yeah…?” Chan tried to get out nonchalantly but it ended up coming out more like a question and high pitched tone, before clearing his throat. 
Your son had now crawled toward your daughter and started grabbing at her legs to get her attention. 
You needed a moment to think but your daughter would absolutely follow you wherever you went to…. Unless…?
You coughed into your arm dramatically, “ooooh mommy needs medicine, I will be right back” you said before quickly standing up and making your way to the hallway cabinets before she could stop you.
Even the possibility of being around cough medicine, seeing it with her own eyes, was enough to keep your daughter from following you. She was not about to risk having to take that, yucky grape stuff, as she likes to call it. 
Chan followed after you, staying in the open area to keep an eye on the two kids. 
“So our 8 month old is saying full words now is he?” you asked, raising your eyebrows when he got closer to you. 
“I panicked okay!”, he screamed in a hushed tone. 
“So you blame it on the baby?!” you asked in disbelief, a laugh starting in the bottom of your throat. You tightened your lips in an effort to stop the smile you knew was coming. 
“What else was I supposed to say it came from?” Chan asked with a strained laugh, “you were no help!” he accused, pointing his finger and narrowing his gaze. 
“I don’t know Chan! The TV? Your phone?” you huffed out off the top of your head and throwing your hands in the air.
“Hm. yeah that would’ve been good”, he said staring at the floor, realizing just how easy those would’ve been to explain away to a child. 
He stepped back from you to get a better look at your kids a few steps away. His brow furrowed so you stepped forward to see what he was looking at. 
Your daughter was sitting directly across from your son with a serious expression on her face, no more playing going on in sight. 
“What..what are you guys doing?” Chan asked loud enough for your kids to hear. 
Your daughter looked back at him, “Waiting,” she said matter of factly before refocusing her attention back on her brother. 
“Waiting foorrr?” Chan asked, raising his eyebrows as you both took a step toward them. 
“Him to talk again” she answered without bothering to even look at Chan this time, her serious gaze never leaving her brother's face. He was babbling and drooling while playing with the legs of her pajama pants. 
You both couldn’t contain the laughs that came from your mouths. Today was going to be a long day. 
You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face as you thought about your family’s antics. Never a boring day in the Bang household, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. 
“Hey Chan, what did you do with the matching talking Bingo we wrapped last night?” 
“Shit” 
©periracha, 2023.
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Text
Shouldn’t Have Traveled
Yandere Diluc, x chubby reader x yandere Zhongli
Words: 5,700+
warnings: poisoning mentions, slightly descriptive murder, unwanted touch,  reader made fun of by others, physically clingy Diluc (you can pry that from my cold, dead, hands)
Took a pic of where the ending scene is for clarity. 
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Sorry if anyone (besides Donna, Diluc, and Zhongli are ooc. Idk their personalities too well yet.
I’ve decided to leave Mondstat. Not for any reason anyone would think. It’s rather awkward and I’ll never admit the real reason to anyone. I can’t really stand being around Diluc anymore. Donna and other’s words are starting to get to me. 
What words? The scathing words of “He’d never like someone like you”. They say that’s due to my different appearance. The words never really hurt, but it’s getting irritating, and I’m unsure how much more I can hear them talk about it before I snap and deck one or more of them. That’s also why I can’t be around Diluc. Just seeing or interacting with him also brings up their words again.  
A few final things are being packed tightly into my large bag. My plan is to just stay at the hotel for a week or two and come back. Then again that plan might change, who knows? If somehow a job comes up and they’re welcoming, I’ll maybe live there instead. 
Thankfully I kept Mora saved up for a while and quit my job at Good Hunter. Being a cook there was exhausting too. One of Donna’s friends also being there obviously made things worse as she framed me for a lot of things, making the others not too happy with me. Think one of the only ones who do still like me is Barbara when they tried to frame me for making her food extra spicy. 
Another glance in my bag. Hmm… I’m a little low on things to drink on my travel to Liyue. Some grape juice would be nice, so I head towards Angel’s Share. 
The group of Diluc-obsessed parasites try to block me. 
“Yeesh, you guys still have a whole fence shoved up your asses? I should have known you have a poor tree up there now too. Sad it had to die for your personalities. All I’m doing is buying grape juice for travel.” I reply and give an eyeroll with it, entering Angel’s Share. 
Their insulted faces a sight to behold being the last thing seen.
A certain redhead was working, catching me by surprise. Really wasn’t expecting for him to be working instead tonight. Fuck. Ah, screw it. A last chat won’t harm anything. 
“Diluc?” 
His head whips towards the door instantly. His eyes zoning onto the bag I’m carrying. They almost seem to narrow. 
“I wasn’t expecting you to be working tonight.” I inform, sitting down in the free seat in front of him. My bag being placed onto the floor. 
Diluc places the glass he had in his hands onto the island and looks me in my eyes. “I decided to give Charles a break for the night.” 
“That’s one thing I admire about you-” His eyes widen slightly, meanwhile I mentally smack myself for letting that slip. “I- well- It’s how you treat your workers. Unlike many I’ve seen, you’re not as harsh with them, and more thoughtful.” 
I cross my arms and mumble “If only Good Hunter stayed the same, I would probably have stayed.”
He rather firmly slams the glass back on the island I didn’t notice he picked back up. “You’re leaving? Alone?” I could almost swear his voice slightly raised like he was worried. Maybe he is? Kaeya has told me he does care about others. As just said how he’s letting Charles have the night off. He  just doesn’t show emotions very well most of the time. 
“Yeah, I was planning on heading to Liyue early in the morning. I was hoping to get some grape juice for on the way there though. It would need to be in something portable. Bottles or even jars would be fine. Of course, I’d pay the fee for those too.”
Diluc’s frown deepens.  
The door open and closed, but I think nothing of it. 
“If you don’t have any, I could go find some and come back for you to fill them, if that would be alright. I don’t want to overwork you.” 
He shakes his head. “No, that would be fine. Believe it or not, it’s not the first time someone has asked for transportable items to be filled. I’ll work on it. You won’t have to worry about carrying them since I’ll be coming with you tomorrow.”
Wha- no! The whole reason I’m leaving is involving him!
“That’s alright. I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re quite a busy person as it already is.” 
His eyes narrow at me. “I’m not taking “no” as an answer. I’m going with. You need a guide.”
His tone scared me a little, I won’t lie to myself. 
He crosses his arms and closes his eyes for a second, taking a breath in before looking at me again. “You don’t even have a vision. You also don’t know where you’re going, and I am worried, whether you believe it or not. I also was planning on going to Liyue as well to visit someone close to me.” 
I hate everything he said was nothing but logic. I would just ask him if I could ask a knight or something to come with, but knowing his strong dislike for them, it would be a bad idea. 
It stays quiet between us for a minute. 
“... Why don’t you go rest up for the night? It’s going to be a long day tomorrow.”
I wonder if I could get far enough before he could catch me if I left tonight.
“You’re giving away what you’re thinking. You better not. I will catch up. Don’t test it.” 
Ugh, fine. I’m still worried since he’ll be tired tomorrow. 
While leaving, the group comes up yet again with bottles in their hands. The door opening and closing must have been a friend I didn’t notice was there. 
They hold out the empty bottles towards me. 
… are they serious? What makes them think I’d trust them? They probably put poison or something in these. Doesn’t help they’re not see through. Yeah, no. I’m not using these. Their smirks are just making me more tired and not wanting to deal with their shit.
“Oh, you guys already know I’m leaving? Uh, thanks…” I take them, already knowing they’re going in the trash. 
“Just a little goodbye gift~” 
Wow, how thoughtful. 
They leave giggling. Probably from malicious intentions. 
“Would you like me to take those, (Y/N)?” suddenly asked a voice. I turn to see Charles. 
“You haven’t left yet?” I asked him. 
“I stayed to clean up a few final things in the back. It’s not my place, but I don’t trust what those women gave you.” 
I glance at the 3 glasses in my hands again. “That makes two of us. Are you sure they won’t be dug into by the cats and dogs around? That’s my main concern if I throw them.”
“I can assure they will be taken care of properly.” He informs. 
I mentally shrug. Eh, whatever. He’s reliable. I pass him the bottles and go to my house one final time. 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I feel a hand on my shoulder as I prepare to exit to the bridge with Diluc. Diluc’s not here yet though. Oh archons, if I ever come back, I’m not going to ever hear the end of I took their “precious Diluc”. Turning around, it’s Venti. One of the closest friends I made here, and only ones left. His face is far more serious than I’ve ever seen it. 
“... Stay safe out there,” He cautiously looks around. I do as well, and the nuisances are not around for once. Diluc however is seen with his own bag coming up. “Especially from him.” He quickly takes his hand off before Diluc could see. 
Diluc glares at Venti while walking up to me. “We better get going.” A hand of his is on my lower back, gently pushing me forward. 
----------------------------------------------------------
Numerous quiet hours pass, and my feet are starting to kill me. I’m starting to think Kaeya lied to me it was an easy day trip. 
Looking at Diluc, he doesn’t even seem to be the slightest bit uncomfortable. The only noticeable thing is the bags growing under his eyes. 
I’ve been trying to think of things to make it less awkward, but nothing comes to mind. He hates small talk. 
“So… should I find a way to message you or something if I want to come back to Mondstadt?” 
Diluc stops for a moment. “... I’ll inform who I’m going to meet.” 
Okay. well, that was a good talk, I guess. 
About an hour later, I’m at my limit. Curse everything and whoever created pain. My feet are going to be sore for weeks at this point. How the hell do people wander like this? 
Diluc still stays vigilant and glares around at every direction like something will pop out. I’m more worried about him collapsing from exhaustion than anything. 
… why do I feel like I still would before he would at this rate? 
“When should we set up a small camp for rest for a while? I only brought my small one for more easy transportation, but I think we could both squeeze in.” though I’d much rather not. 
It’s already near sunset. Holy fuck I’ve been walking ALL day. 
Diluc gives a stare off into the distance in though,, then nods. “I’ll get some firewood.” 
I nod and dig out the tent. Fortunately, slamming the sticks in deep enough was pretty easy and I remember how to set it up from camping with a few friends years ago. 
Diluc comes not long after with an impressive amount of wood, and drops it onto the ground not far from the tent. He piles a few together and scrapes dirt into a pile around it. He then lights his claymore and holds it onto the wood until it starts to burn. 
I begrudgingly have to admit having someone with a pyro vision likely makes traveling a lot easier.  
We both crawl under and it’s so phenomenally awkward. Him closer to the back and I in the front. It’s really crowded just between us. We’re both just staring awkwardly at each other in the eyes. 
… something drops onto the tent. Then another, then several- it’s raining. How did we not notice that sooner? There was no point in making a fire. 
Nope, it’s now already pouring. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” I mumble, but the close proximity likely made him hear it. 
“I never need an umbrella, so I’d be fine. Hopefully the temperature won’t drop too much.”
The temperature does rapidly starts to drop though. Now I’m wishing I brought a second blanket with. My arms get tucked together, trying to keep a bit more warmth. 
Arms grab my sides, making me let out a surprised noise. “Wha- Diluc! I’m not sure if-” 
“Don’t care,” His arms quickly wrap around my back, squeezing me close. “I’d rather you not get sick while we’re on our way.” His great smelling cologn from proximity hitting my senses hard. 
The heat that rushes to my face is even warmer than the warmth radiating out of his clothes. 
“Uh…” What the fuck am I supposed to say? “Ooh this is nice!”??
It’s definitely not! Ugh, why did he have to be the one for this? I should have lied about when I was leaving… 
He tightens his grip when I uncomfortably try to squirm free. “Quit. Moving.” 
I stop and mentally sigh. It better not rain again tomorrow night. 
He never loosens his grip.
------------------------------------------
The tightness around me while slowly coming back makes me try to squirm free again, while the memories of last night catch up.
Diluc’s arms tighten more than last night. Looking at his eyes, he appears to still be asleep. 
The way I’m so torn between enjoying this, and being disgusted is wild. Donna’s words trying to come back. Thankfully the little I know about Diluc is he will never talk about this out loud, even with a blade pointed at him. 
For a second, I wonder if I should wake him or let him sleep. But he should probably get ready to get back to Mondstadt ASAP. 
Well, since it’s not raining anymore, and I’m still uncomfortable at this, I’m waking him up. 
Fortunately, my arms are free. I reach up and shake his shoulder. “Diluc, it’s time for us to continue.” my feet throb in protest at the idea. 
He lets out a sigh, almost like he was disappointed. He lets me go and I roll off onto the ground, then getting up. Checking my bag, it thankfully stayed dry.
I pack my bag back together, and we head off again, much to my feet’s displeasure. But from Diluc informed me earlier, we should be about halfway there. Luckily we’ve only encountered some hillachurls, and he gets rid of them so easily it makes me almost feel bad for them. 
The sights have been beautiful though. Almost to the point I could ignore the still-growing pain in my feet. 
“Here.” 
I turn to notice a clear bottle of grape juice handed to me and take it, finally realizing I haven’t drank anything in a while either. I drink it quickly. 
“It’s better to stay up with fluids and food for long travels. I’ve… learned my lesson before.”
Well, that’s a can of worms I’m not opening. In speaking of bottles though… “Sorry to change off that, but did Charles give you three that weren’t clear?”
Diluc frown gets worse. “He did, and told me how Donna and the others gave you them,” His voice dipped like he was disgusted even thinking about it. “Had them drink from the poisoned bottles they gave you. Unfortunately, it won’t kill them, but it better make them think twice about their actions. Next time I won’t be so lenient.” 
So they were poison- wait, what??? He’s fucking insane! I mean, sure, they were pretty bad and wanted to poison me, but poisoning them back isn’t right either! I force myself to stay calm. I can’t outrun him anyway, and I don’t know where I’m going either if requiring to leave the path. This does open my eyes more on him though. 
A secret part of me is touched he did such a thing for me though. 
“That’s a bit far, isn’t it? Couldn’t you get in trouble for that?” 
“I have my connections if they decide to try anything.” 
I shrug. Eh, whatever I guess. I am still staying a bit away from him, which he seems to notice. He comes over and grabs my bag, pulling me right beside him. 
“I also don’t think me being this close is necessary.” 
“You’d be surprised how quickly an ambush could happen. Especially if we encounter a ruin guard or abyss mage.”
Fat chance a ruin guard would be on the main path. Even I know that. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Yet another day already flies by. I plop my backside onto the ground, take my shoes off, and rub my worsening sore feet. “Ugh, I’m not usually one for complaining, but holy Celestia my feet hurt. Smack Kaeya for me next time you see him for lying it was a rather short trip.”
Diluc jabs the stake quite deeply into the ground and is setting up the tent this time. “I’m surprised you got this far without complaining. If it’s really bad though, do you want me to carry you tomorrow?” 
Gods no. I could never deal with that embarrassment if anyone traveling were to see it. “No. You’d have a lot more to carry than just your bag already. Me and my bag is too much to ask.”  
He gives me a look I can’t understand. Kind of annoying it’s always been rather hard to understand whatever he’s feeling since he hardly shows it. 
“It wouldn’t be.”
“I’d rather not test it. Besides, we should be there by tomorrow noon, right?” 
He nods.
Looking at the darkening sky, it’s likely not going to rain this time. I glance at the tent, not wanting to stand up and walk to it. 
Diluc seems to notice and comes over, crouching down. An arm wraps under my knees, making me instantly realize his intention. “Wait- stop! I can do it!-” 
He puts his other arm behind my back, and easily stands up fully. “Don’t struggle.” 
I feel like I’ve heard stuff like that more the past few days than all my life before combined. 
He places me down on the blanket and sits next to me. Too close next to me. Honestly? I’m too tired to really care at this point. 
An arm wraps around my torso, keeping me closer. What is his obsession with touch!? He never is with anyone anymore, not even his own brother! 
A very gentle squeeze to my stomach makes me whip my head to look down at his hand. 
??? When did he take his glove off!? 
“... I’ve heard what many have been saying. If moving is really what you want, I can’t stop you. However, if you ever wish to visit again, both the Winery and Angel’s Share are always open for you to stay. As for me, I’m angry what they’ve been saying.”
I can’t look at him. I should have known someone like him would so easily catch on.
I begrudgingly have to admit his shoulder is a lot more comfortable than the ground. At least not laying on his chest this time. 
“Who do you have to see, anyways?” 
“Someone you could say I’m very close with. I have something urgent to discuss with them. 
I let out a light chuckle. “Wonder who in the Teyvat got the attention to be cared about by the great Diluc. I’ll surely have to meet them.” 
“You will sooner or later when in Liyue.” 
Not going to tell me? Alright, he can keep his secrets. Not like he has a lack of them. 
----------------------------------------------------------------
I could kiss the dock we’re walking on to enter Liyue. The guards stand down pretty quickly upon seeing Diluc, so they likely know him. 
We get to a hotel and both order rooms. Diluc disappears not too long after, and I stay in my room to rest. I wonder if I should ask someone a tour of Liyue since I know very little about the place. 
But first, some rest.
Several hours later, I’m wandering around again, more refreshed. There seem to be a lot of great restaurants to try. 
“Hey partner! I reckon you’re new here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.” 
I turn around to see someone with two ponytails walking up to me. She feels rather friendly, but still got my guard up a bit just in case. 
“Is it really that obvious?” I ask. 
“Yeah, But you don’t have to worry. We get a lot of people from all over visit here. So, what were ya lookin’ for? I might be able to help.” 
“I was trying to think of where to eat something, honestly. But uh… I’m not really sure what’s right to start with.” 
“That’s easy! You can try something at Wanmin Restaurant! I’m sure my friend there would love to figure out something ya might enjoy! C’mon!” She gestures for me to follow her. 
It doesn’t take long to get there, and there’s a girl cooking very enthusiastically. 
“Heya Xiangling! Got a new friend here for you to figure out what they’d like.” 
She whips her head up. “Xinyan! Ooh, a new person, huh? Where you from!?” 
“From Mondstadt.” 
How hyperactive can someone get? She somehow gets even more excited at the news. 
“Mondstadt!? Ooh! Just let me finish these orders, and I’ll try something you’d like!” 
Sooner than later she finishes, and makes something else I’m confused of, especially from never seeing such ingredients being used in food before. 
… Eyes are on me from behind. I decide to ignore it. It’s probably just someone curious or rude and not worth my time.  
Xiangling passes me something finished I’ve never seen before. I’m a little reluctant to try it, but eventually do after a moment’s pause. It’s delicious. 
I say so and nearly scarf it down. 
They smile back at me. 
“I guess you got another to try your new foods!” Xinyan pipes up. 
Oh hell yeah, I’m willing to try others she makes.
I jump out of my skin as a hand rests on my shoulder that isn’t Xinyan’s or Xiangling’s. 
“Oh Hey, Zhongli! Been a bit. Ya able to show the newbie here around Liyue? You’re a lot better at that than anyone.” 
“I would gladly show a tour around Liyue. I suppose it’s not unknown for me to be the one to do so anymore. Thankfully I’m free to do so now.” 
Hot damn that voice. Dude, don’t stop talking.  I turn to look at the man who was-
… I don’t like how he’s looking at me. It’s not aggression, disgust, etc. It’s more like wonder? Fascination? Something more like that which worries me worse than something negative or neutral. 
He offers his hand to me. Is it to give a handshake or to help me stand up? I reach out to grab his hand. I guess I’ll find-
He grabs it gently, and brings it to his face, kissing the back of it. 
Aw fuck, it was the weird 3rd option. Well, he’s a gentleman at least. 
“Are you ready for the tour, my dear?” 
My- my dear??? A little quick on the draw, Doesn’t he think? 
I stand off the chair. “Yeah! Even though I just got here, I can tell I like it here already.” 
He smiles like he’s very proud of that.
---------------------------------------------------
Great. I have a bad headache now with everything he’s tried to show and inform to me. This feels like something that should have been spread a few sessions. It was great to know, and I enjoyed it all, but this is too much. I can’t decide if Zhongli talking is helping or worsening the pain. 
I rub my forehead. Well, at least it takes away the pain in my feet. “Zhongli?” I cut him off on yet another story of information overload. 
He stops and looks at me. “I’m sorry to cut you short. I really like everything, and am totally down to know more, but it’s too much in one setting for me. Would you… maybe be free to continue tomorrow?” 
His eyes widen slightly. “Ah, I do apologize. I suppose giving more than just the best tour spots was too much. It appears to have given you a headache. Would you like to come to my place for a bit? I have some tea that would help.”
How about No? Have you ever heard of “stranger, danger”? Seriously, I could be a thief or you could be a murderer for all we know. 
“I’m good. Thanks for the offer, though. Just really want to go to bed.”
“Fair enough. Shall we meet at Wanmin Restaurant again tomorrow?” 
I nod and turn to head to my room. 
“See you then, (Y/N).”
A chill comes over me. Could have sworn my name was never mentioned with him. Or maybe I did? Ugh, head says no thinking. 
A group of girls come up to me. “You know, someone like you shouldn’t be interacting with someone like Zhongli.”
Ugh, seriously? He was just showing me around. He really seems to love this place and know the insides and outs. And they should shut up. Their voices are grating my nerves.
A shorter, younger looking woman with them rolls her eyes and almost seems to be playful about it. She comes up to me. “Hey! I’m Hu Tao! It’s nice to see a new face around here!” 
I blink a moment, trying to register how she’s super friendly to me already. Trying to sense if she’s just doing it to stab me later, I can’t feel anything off about her. Her being genuine makes it more jarring. Still keeping guarded though, I smile back at her. “Name’s (Y/N). Visiting from Mondstadt.” 
Hu Tao gives a massive mischievous smirk, like she knows something bit I don’t. “Mondstadt, huh?...” 
“What’s that look for?” I ask. 
“Nothing~”
----------------------------------------
It’s finally around noon when I exit my room. Something from the side jumps out. 
“Ha-what- Hu Tao! What was that for!” 
She giggles. “Nothing serious! It was just funny! 
Yeah, so funny to scare someone just exiting their room. 
“So what are you here for?” Might as well change whatever that was about. 
“To see how you like Liyue so far!” 
I was… not even here for a day? “Well, good so far. Though Zhongli feels a little odd.”
Hu Tao gives me the same massive smirk. “I Don’t know… I think Zhongli sure likes ya!” 
I try not to laugh at the impossibility, but the bark of a disbelieving laugh still comes out. “Yeah right. Not even in my dreams could that happen. I mean, look at him, and look at me.” I joke, while in the proximity of some girls making fun of me earlier. They’re around too, so may as well give them what they want, though it probably won’t help. 
She shrugs. “So? You’d be surprised!”
Thanks for the hope, but no. 
She runs off without another word. 
“I hope you’re well rested?” Inquired the too-familiar voice of Zhongli. 
Oh for fuck sake I just woke up for all this.
“Yeah. Weren’t we going to meet later, though?”
“A friend of mine informed me You’d be around here. With your headache from last night, I guessed it was going to take you a long rest before leaving. Would you like to eat somewhere before we continue where we left off?” 
My stomach growls in agreement. Ugh, stupid thing. “Sure. lead the way.” 
We reached a different restaurant.
One of the girls from before “Hey, look out everyone, they’ve come to eat all your food!” 
Yeah? And what if I do? I’ma nibble all your food for making fun of me. May you always have a mysterious bitemark in everything for eternity. 
A hand is placed on my shoulder. “I would like it if you’d refrain from such vulgar outbursts about someone innocent who’s come to visit Liyue.” Zhongli pipes up. 
The woman’s face was either red with embarrassment or anger at me. Maybe both. 
He lead me to a different one instead, and we ordered. 
I notice he keeps looking at me while we eat. What? He got a staring problem? I’m getting mixed signals of what he’s like. 
Someone came for the mora for our meals. 
Zhongli couldn’t seem to find his, making me nearly facepalm. Whatever, he’s a good man so far, as paying is just a favor for his touring I guess. 
“Ah, there. I apologize it took a bit to find.” 
The waiter didn’t seem to mind and left. 
“Well that sure took a bit to find. Having a hard time remembering where you put your mora doesn’t make sense to me.” I tease.
He nods at me. You’d be right. Thankfully someone very close to me has been watching out for my forgetfulness.” 
Good thing someone is for him.
He showed me the rest around the harbor, and even some grounds out of it. One place being the strange really tall statues by the thing in the sky, named the Jade Chamber I guess.
It was starting to get dark out.  
Zhongli looks over to his right, then stands in front of me. “Apologies, but I will have to cut this short. I need to… take care of something important.” 
His voice dipped into something that almost seemed to show anger. Yikes.
--------------------------------------------
I was still restless after hanging out with Xiangling for a bit again, and left right out the town. It should be safe enough being so close.
The giant statues are visible all the way from here.
A pungent smell hits me as I walk the path. My eyes catch sight of a fight not far up ahead, making me hide behind the rock wall to make sure they wouldn’t see me. I peek up to see
!? Diluc and Zhongli… KILLING people!? The moonlight clearly showing their faces. Neither have psychotic smiles, making it all the more unnerving. Multiple dead Treasure hoarders dead, while one of the women that made fun of me already lying on the ground presumably dead too, and being burned. The pungent smell likely their burning flesh. I can’t believe they’re killers!” 
Zhongli pierces through the chest of the final woman still standing is the one who made fun of me earlier. She opens her mouth to scream, but Diluc covers her mouth.
“Surprised you’re helping. Doesn’t your contract prevent you from harming your Liyue people?” 
“That would normally be the case,” Zhongli then easily pulls his spear from the now corpse of said woman. Her body flops to the ground. 
I’m frozen in my spot. I want nothing more than to move, but my body won’t let me. 
“But that’s a good thing many don’t fully read contracts anymore. They broke my contract I made with them. They originally weren’t Liyue people. I could already tell from how they were not too kind to Liyue by making snide comments that they were nothing but trouble. The contract involved no demeaning remarks anymore, or they shall be removed from Liyue one way or another. It’s not hard to tell where they must have skipped. And they tried to damage Liyue’s newest, finest jewel.”
What the fuck does that mean!? I have to get out of here! Come on body! move!
Diluc sets fire to the corpse. “Suffer the wrath of the rock. Much better than that nuisance of a bard’s.” 
“I agree. I do also admit, I wish you could be here more often than around him. You’ll have plenty of time though. As for making you and our dear like me, that’s still a work in progress. Are you still sure you want to go through with it? Immortality can cause mourning of losing many.”
“I’m not close to many anyways. You’ve not been to Mondstadt, but outside of my work, I’m not well liked by many. They’re not exactly quiet when speaking their opinions. Besides, (Y/N) is in the picture now.” 
Me!? Their behaviors make so much sense now. Oh fuck, fuck, fuck! I REALLY have to leave! 
My body can finally move, and I take a slow step back. Hiding might be the best option since there’s no way I’ll be able to outrun them. 
*Snap*
Their heads whip towards the sound. 
OH MY GODS WHY WAS A STICK THERE!?
I can only hope they think it’s not a human. I hold my breath.
“In speaking of our dear, come on out. It’s safe now. I saw you try to hide earlier.” 
I don’t move. 
The sound of long strides comes towards me. 
I don’t get time to try to bolt before being grabbed by my wrist tightly, but not enough to hurt. My eyes get locked with Zhongli’s, who seem to almost glow a bright golden yellow.  
Diluc comes behind and rather loosely wraps his arms around me, his heat radiating off onto me with his close proximity. It slightly tightens before loosening again. A warning. A threat, showing he won’t hesitate to tighten his grip if I try to struggle free and run. their colognes combining almost making me dizzy. They’re not bad, but both at once is powerful.   
Zhongli reaches his hand and folds it under my chin, making me look up at him. “You must be quite lost, dear. I said we wouldn’t hurt you. And that was a promise.” 
He brings his face to mine and kisses my lips. I was so shocked I didn’t think of biting him until he pulled away. “Now, let’s get back, shall we? I’ll inform of what went on here, then I’ll join the both of you in cuddling. I’m patient, yet I cannot wait.” 
I should have just stayed in Mondstadt.
--------------------------------------------------------------
An: I’m sorry I made Diluc so physically obsessed or it seemed too repetitive to a point. I like to think due to his past, he’s touch-starved to the MAX. He just only shows it to a rare few how much he craves it. Yandere Diluc being even worse. That and I’m rather self-projecting of wanting my favorites being so obsessed with touch with reader lol. 
Not my proudest work, but screw it. Debated whether or not to post it lol. Was trying to write a more self confident chubby reader since apparently a lot of people are annoyed when they’re not. Even though I’m not self confident at all. Oh well. 
Also, writing full fics still feels like pulling teeth
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gabessquishytum · 4 months
Note
Back again to push my retired Dream + sex toys agenda (idk why I'm so into that these days 🤷‍♂️)
So this one is inspired by "Little Histories" by Moorishflower, in which a (temporarily) human Dream doesn't know how to jack off, so he whips his dick out and asks Hob to give him some pointers. All the while Hob is losing his entire mind and wondering when his life turned into a bad porno.
It would start the same way--Dream is human (either temporarily or permanently), he's moved in with Hob, and they're awkwardly dancing around the fact that they're absurdly horny for each other. Dream keeps waking up with morning wood and, annoyingly, he can't just will it away or make himself cum on command anymore. So he asks Hob to instruct him on how to take care of it, but it's not working. He just can't seem to cum, poor baby. Hob would totally just suck him off if he asked, but Dream has made no indication that he actually wants Hob to touch him. Dream asks him what he usually does in this situation, and Hob is just blushing and stuttering and doing the ear pulling thing as he says, "well, um, it can be fun to bring some toys into the mix. I like a bit of prostate stimulation, myself."
Dream just stares at him in adorable confusion for a moment and then he's like, "show me." So Hob shows him his extensive collection of sex toys, all while nearly dying of embarrassment, and Dream is just studying them in fascination. Hob has some toys that he's never used before, still in the packages ("you know how they say you should never go grocery shopping when you're hungry? Well, you also shouldn't shop for sex toys when you're horny, haha"), so he offers Dream a new, beginner-sized dildo and a sample packet of lube that came with it. He starts to explain how to use it, but Dream interrupts him--"show me," he says again.
Hob is so embarrassed and harder than he's ever been in his life, but he's like, "okay, well, I tend to go for something a little bigger. You know me, total slut" and before he knows it he's pulling out his preferred (XL) dildo, fingering himself open, and giving Dream a full demonstration.
Dream is watching with rapt attention and Hob can’t help but notice the growing wet spot on the front of Dream's tented pants. So he pauses and tells Dream, "you know, you could just fuck me instead." (Wow, what a good friend!)
Dream needs no further invitation--he pounces and soon he's railing Hob on the floor of his bedroom. That finally does the trick, and soon Dream is cumming his brains out inside Hob, with Hob following right behind him. Turns out that's a much better solution to the morning wood problem.
(Later, Hob does use the dildo on him, but Dream finds he prefers having Hob's cock in him instead.)
-🍓
AHHHHH. wonderful. Absolutely wonderful.
Just imagine how much Hob enjoys his new purpose in life. Every morning when Dream wakes up with his cock stiff and wanting, he rolls over and yanks Hob’s underwear down before even saying good morning, and he immediately starts rutting the tip of his cock between Hob’s arse cheeks. By the time he's managed to wake up properly, Dream is already fucking into him using the leftover lube from the night before. There's not a day that goes by when Hob doesn't walk around with a very sore hole, and wince whenever he has to sit down. Totally, totally worth it.
And when he's a little bit too sore, he can always flip Dream over and fuck him in retaliation. Dream likes to pretend to squirm away before he's pinned down and properly fucked. Those particular mornings end with Hob inevitably being late for work...
It's fair to say that Dream probably owns more dildos than one human could ever need. He really likes the aesthetic, glittery, colourful ones! Hob has a bad habit of buying Dream toys whenever he sees one he thinks his darling might like, even if they're more likely to actually be used on Hob... Dream prefers looking at them. Or sucking them. The sight of his beautiful, human, horny ex-dreamlord with a purple swirly dildo absentmindedly hanging out of his mouth is one that Hob will always treasure.
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havocskies · 2 years
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Hi! How you doing? Idk if u write yandere (If u don't feel free to delete this!!) if yes could u write some soft yandere hcs for Vance? Have a nice day!
👻- anon
OVERPROTECTIVE VANCE HOPPER HEADCANONS
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hi hi hello !!! i do not write yandere things but i will write overprotective/protective ! thank you so much for the request !
༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶
vance isn't very good at handling his emotions in general so sometimes he's not exactly sure on how protective he should be , he just knows he wants to protect you
he cares abt you a lot which means nothing's happening to you. like at all
he's the toughest kid at school so most people don't even try
if they do though they're paying for it in the worst ways imaginable
someone says something even slightly rude to you? yea he's gonna make them fear for their life
he tried his best to keep his anger under control especially for you so most of the time he doesn't actually do much. they might get grabbed by the shoulders or thrown a bit but that's the least of what he usually does so it's better than the other option
when they test him however he's SERIOUS
pretty sure brady confirmed him to be a sociopath and that if you mess w him he comes back worse
so yea you're basically safe from pretty much everything
other than being an absolute menace to everyone around that he thinks might cause you an ounce of any kind of harm he's genuinely really sweet towards you
maybe not exactly romantic simply bc he's a little awkward (he doesn't get into many romantic relationships due to his habits of threatening people daily) but it'll be clear he favors you over others
he'll let you wear his jacket every once in a while just bc the happiness it gives you makes him even happier than you are (even if the scowl on his face doesn't show it)
he'd be hesitant to let you wear his choker since his mom made it for him but after a while he'd probably let you wear it while he could make sure it didn't get ruined or anything
anyway back to the protective stuff
he occasionally (often) misjudges when he's actually needed
someone bumped into you in the hall? they're now bumped against the lockers by their shoulders and being yelled at
very awkward conversation afterwards bc he'd try his best to defend his behavior
would make it up to you in some subtle way. might buy you a bag of chips a week later when you've already forgotten abt the whole ordeal
he's not good at apologizing like AT ALL simply bc he just doesn't do it often. the most apologizing he does is to his mom when he's at the police station again
his definition of apologizing after a fight between him and someone he thought was a threat to you would be him buying you something tbh
not many apologies through words
dude is horrible at communicating in general honestly
he would NOT be abusive in the slightest. honestly he'd be the absolute opposite
he looks very intimidating (and he is) but he loves being close to you and sharing moments when no one else is around
he's not too big on pda unless someone is flirting w you
then you get an arm around you and the other person gets a fist to their face
most romantic gesture you'd ever get from him honestly
if you ever had any bullies before you started dating you definitely don't anymore
even if you kept it a secret from him he'd find out somehow one way or another
he'd likely be a little upset w you for not telling him but he wouldn't take it out on you in the slightest
honestly it's all gonna be taken out on the bullies
he's definitely been dragged away by cops a couple of times because he wanted to protect you
even though he's not that good at communication from his side if you ever stated his overprotective behavior bothered you he'd try his best to fix it
of course he'd still let his anger control him every once in a while but most of the time he'd ask you for permission to beat them up before he actually does
vance has a dude hanging from the collar of his shirt and just casually looks to you for permission to knock him out
very satisfied when you say yes
whenever you say no though he huffs in a disappointed matter but drops him n just walks away grumbling
probably abt how you shouldn't let people walk all over you n he could've helped
still not necessarily upset w you though
vance would probably leave in order to calm himself down and take you w him bc you're one of the number 1 people to calm him down, his mom being the only other one
he genuinely just loves you so much
dude cannot stand to see you upset in any way
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riise-my-anngel · 1 year
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Idk i just think theres something to say the brothers all realizing what time period you are trapped in and the way they fall apart.
Lucifer and Belphie understand the others fear. Both of them came close to, or succeeded in killing you and they know that time period they WILL try again and thats terrifying. They've done a lot to personally grow from their actions towards you.
And they both have nights where they sit in Lucifers study, drinks in their hand, discussing if they could live with themselves if you are killed by their past selves. And also what happens if you come back, but sre scared or lost trust in their present selves.
Its the most honest the two of of them have been in a long time. Their unique out of the brothers. Their violence towards you was unforgivable but yet you not only forgave them but now love them. Lucifer and Belphie are powerless to protect you from their past selves and they hate themselves for being such violent demons that they know hurting you is probable.
Satan, well, no one understands. He barely does. His room is a wreck. He hasn't been like this in centuries. He has no idea what his past self is capable of towards you all he remembers is his hate for his brothers and no amount of magic would spare you from his wrath tearing your body into peices.
Everyone at RAD is terrified of Satan, everyone who isn't the brothers, angels, or the royals refuse to bring your name up. He's already had to pay for damaging quite a few walls and doors because lesser demons would comment to him about him "finally losing his dumb little pet".
It isn't lost on Satan that the very fact that you're trapped in a time period where his wrath is dangerous and unpredictable, and that has led his present self to cope by being dangerous and unpredictable. He just isn't himself without you anymore.
Levi is lost in a fantasy world. Its easier to pretend you're just in your room if he hides away to his anime and his video games. He can just pretend everything is fine but the second he remembers your not there? Well the HoL isn't the only place that has had issues with Lotan being summoned. A lesser demon made a comment about the "human finally moving on from the lord of losers" and whoops guess that demon and quite a few others drowned to death. Over and over again until Diavolo had to step in and make Levi stop.
Beel can't figure out if he's ravenous or if he never wants to eat again. He fluctuates, some days he destroys whatever kitchen he's in, be it HoL, RAD cafeteria or just whatever restaurant he happens to be nearby. Other days he spends hours in the kitchen making your favourite devildom food, trying to recreate the human world food you two made together, but once its done he feels sick to his stomach that you can't just be there cooking with him and he can't see that shy smile you hide behind your hand when you have something you love. So he just tosses them onto the dining table for the brothers and goes to Fangol practice instead. At least he is more allowed to be aggressive there.
This is worse then losing Lilith, because he might never know what happened to you. Protecting people was his JOB and if he couldn't protect you, then its worse then having to choose betwern siblings lives. It means Beel failed before even trying, in his eyes.
Asmo doesn't recognize himself. He didn't realize how much time his vanity was actually spent with you in his chair and him draped over you behind him constantly doting on you. He buys things he thinks you'd look stunning in or things with your favorite scent and as soon as he gets home? Well not much gets kept. He throws the bottles at his tub until its a scattered mess of liquids that needs to be cleaned and clothes he bought you get torn up. Why should he keep them if you never come home, they would just be a reminder of what he can never see again. He doesn't recognize his reflection without you. You love him for who he is not what he looks like, but all alone he can never see the good you saw in him and he hates that all is left in his reflection is a bitter, miserable demon who lost the only person who loves him for his inner self.
No one even tries to sleep with him, he didn't fool around once you two shared your feelings but now hes offended at even being propositioned. These demons, succubus and incubus, they all just see his face and body and want a peice. You looked him in the eye and fell in love without any charm or magic. Who do these people think they are assuming they could ever live up to you? Many nights he goes out, he ends up physically attacking people who dare get too touchy with him.
Mammon tried. He really did. He wanted to keep his brothers together, but it just isn't working. No one knows if you're alive anymore and Solomon has stopped bothering trying to send word through time to update on your status. Once Solomon stopped? The brothers couldn't stand listening to Mammon being calm and rational anymore. No one knew if you were ever coming back and Mammon didn't know how to make them believe otherwise when he didn't know himself.
He's not in the house a lot anymore. He spent too much time with you in that house he can't stand the sight of it. Ironically he's never been richer. He doesn't see the joy in schemes or ploys without you to scold yet indulge him, you're not around to spend it on, so he just gambles. Wins more, has nothing to do with so he gambles.
In a winning streak, he'd either pull you right to his side or just haul you onto his lap to show off his pretty little good luck charm. Now he's winning all on his own and he doesn't give a shit about any of the people around vying for his attention or time. They ain't you, but he'll take their money cus what else is he going to do. You're not there and no one has the right to even think they could replace you.
They all know one thing though. If you never come back, Solomon better never come back either because they'll take out every single bit of pain on him for as long as the sorcerer could survive it.
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moontyuns · 5 months
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{06:20 pm}
Word count: 0.6k Pairing: Minghao x gn!reader Genre: established relationships, fluff Rating: pg-13
a/n: idk i just suddenly craved something wintery, fluffy and a bit cliche so i wrote this short piece out of the blue eheh
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You come through the office doors, it’s late evening by the time you finish your work, and that’s when you realize that you made the greatest mistake by throwing on a coat instead of the puffer. The temperature dropped significantly, unlike the morning you’re sure that it’s around 4 negative degrees but it feels much colder. “Uh well okay, getting sick is not in my plans so let’s pray I won’t” you muttered under your nose and buried the lower part of your face under the thick material of the sweater's neck. It’s not like it actually helps you the slightest bit to get warmer, but at least the cold wind doesn’t bite your chin anymore.
When you went a few meters from the office building, your hand, which you tried to warm up in the pocket, felt the phone buzzing. You thought that it could be your boyfriend but you remembered that he should still work and he rarely messages you unless it’s something important. You brought the phone closer and it was indeed messages from Minghao. 
Haohao <3: “Hey, love” “Are you free already? I ended earlier today, so i thought we could meet up” “Call me when you see this”
Once you read the last message you dialed his number right away, and after a few seconds, you heard the voice that brought you comfort “Hey, saw my messages?” the boy on the other line asked you. “Mhm, I just went outside of the office. Where can we meet?” you felt your teeth start chattering, you need to go somewhere as soon as possible. “Let’s meet in the “Cosmos” cafe, it’s a block away from your office,” Minghao said, and you felt grateful because it’s probably the farthest you could get without dying from frostbite. “Yep! See you there in a few!” you replied and disconnected. 
You almost run to that cafe and once you are in front of it you peek through the windows to see if Minghao got there or not. When you see no trace of your boyfriend you, for some reason, decide to wait for him outside. You don’t feel your limbs as they feel more like pieces of ice but you still stand outside of the building. A few minutes later you saw your lover getting closer, so you started waving your hand as energetically as you could (even though it probably looked funny considering your state) to greet the boy. “Hi, baby,” Minghao said as he stood before you, he leaned to place a chaste kiss on your cheek and then squinted his eyes at you, “Wait..is it your autumn coat?” you feel embarrassed a bit because it’s always you who can’t predict the weather correctly. “Well yeah…you know a funny story actually..” you didn’t finish your sentence when you heard the boy sighing loudly “God, when will you start checking the forecast before going outside?” The question was obviously rhetorical so you opted to not answer it but divert your eyes to the other side of the road. You heard the boy shuffling and a warm something placed around your neck. It was Minghao’s scarf that he gave to you to warm you up slightly. “Dummy you even waited for me outside..” he shook his head and took your cold hands in his much warmer one and then kissed them. “Let’s go inside, I will buy you a hot chocolate and then we will return home in a taxi, I don’t want you to become an ice princess and then get sick” he placed one last kiss on your forehead and you silently nodded and followed him inside.
Reblogs and likes are highly appreciated <3 Do not - steal / copy / repost / translate any of my works !
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lookismfanfics · 5 months
Note
Idk if your requests are open but if so honestly I'm dying for any sort of Sinu and/or Vasco content you'd be willing to give
𝐃𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬
Notes: I might have slipped fem-coded or fem pronouns into this. Sorry! Self conscious themes. Also, it’s just a little drabble :,)
Sinu x Reader
Genre: Fluff
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“I don’t have dimples!” Sinu complains, poking the sides of his cheek roughly. He preens in the mirror for a bit, plucking at the side of his mouth with a frown. His hands brush stray strands of hair out of his eye every couple seconds.
You lounge on the sofa nearby, eyes glued to your phone. His grumbling rings in the back of your ears, and you shake your head.
“What’s that got to do with anything?” You ask. Sinu turns from the mirror, making a show of dramatically slouching towards you and flopping on the sofa. He pouts his lips and nuzzles into your stomach.
“Dimples are really in nowadays. Y’know… with those young kids and stuff-!” His voice is muffled in your shirt and tinted with some unfamiliar accent.
You resist rolling your eyes for the time being. Stroking his freshly-washed hair, you lean to press a kiss on his head. You sigh, “You kinda are a young kid, Sinu. You’re like— eighteen? Nineteen?”
He lets out a strangled groan and looks up at you. His dark eye sparkles. You catch sight of the goofy smile that spreads across his face. “Nah. I’m getting old.”
You roll your eyes and return your gaze to your phone. Sinu buries his face into your stomach once again. You stay that way for a while.
He scrolls on Newtube himself, eyes scouring the screen filled with attractive people. A diverse collection of strangers and videos wind up on his jumbled feed. That doesn’t matter though. He watches the things with the highest views. The videos everyone is fawning over. (He gets distracted by a couple cute dog videos which he sends to you. But anyway-)
Dimples. He sees a lot of them. The comments that flash on his screen ringing words of “he’s so hot” and “she’s gorgeous” only solidify his argument.
He should get dimples. Probably. You’re bound to love him.
Actually, Sinu isn’t self-conscious by default. He’s been told he’s good looking. He thanks the people showering him with compliments and winks. Ever since he lost his eye, though, he senses his handsomeness meter has depleted. He needs some redeeming trait. Something that calls attention away from his eye… just a little. Of course you’ve never even hinted that you find him imperfections unattractive. Sinu’s just… not the best at reading the room sometimes.
“That’s freaking expensive!” Sinu hollers, staring down at his phone in horror. A plastic surgery add flashes on the screen. Dimple surgery. He blinks in awe.
“What’s ‘freaking expensive’?” You ask, crawling onto the couch beside your boyfriend. Sinu hides his phone screen from you. He aggressively wraps his arm around your shoulders as a distraction. You don’t buy it.
“Ah… just stuff,” Sinu sighs. “I didn’t know you were here.”
His attempts to dance around the subject began to tire you out. You cupped his face and stroked your thumb across his cheeks. “C’mon Sinu. What is it?
He turns his phone screen towards you and flashes a sheepish grin. “Dimple surgery…?”
You stare at his screen for a while before signing. You lay down on his chest and wrap your arms under his. He places a hand against the small of your back.
“You know Sinu I don’t think you need it.”
You look up at him genuinely. His reply is only a soft smile. You close your eyes. The thought of Sinu changing at all is… bizarre— and anyways, you thought his smile was attractive enough on its own.
“You’ve never been trendy anyways…” you mumble.
Sinu laughs. “Cuz I’m a trendsetter.”
“Oh god…”
Needless to say… he didn’t really care for getting dimples anymore.
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flandrepudding · 10 months
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doll collection post
Hi guyz!! so somebody asked me to post my doll collection a while back and I put it off because i'm trying to rearrange my setup but its taking much longer than expected due to irl stuff.
But I dont wanna wait anymore! Feel free to just scroll through the pictures, you don't have to read the commentary if you don't want to. In fact you don't have to scroll through any of this at all. I wrote a lot because I am severely neurodivergent. Having a genuine blogging moment rn.
I have been waiting forever for an excuse to post my collection!! I was so happy someone suggested I do so.
I don't have a lot of room for everybody! Everyone is scattered around my room, but I try my best to display them nicely...
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My G1 collection is moderately sized, these dolls are expensive and difficult to find. There are so many more I want, like Dead Tired Lagoona or Sweet 1600 Draculaura to go with my Sweet 1600 Clawdeen...sigh. But it just keeps getting harder! I am actually content with stopping my G1 collecting hunt for now and instead focusing on G3... Many of these dolls are from my dear friends, especially Leo and Raven (hi guyz!). Without my friends, I would only have three of these dolls... I am so lucky to be so loved!!!
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I don't have many bratz that are in good enough shape to be on display. I really grew up on bratz rather than monster high... but again...these dolls get expensive! Roxxi was always a favorite of mine and a crush! Growing up, I was the type of kid who almost exclusively wanted one brat though. Yasmin. Not Cloe, Jade, or Sasha. I was devoted to collecting Yasmin because she looked similar to me. In retrospect, I really wish I had gotten more of the other girls...I do have some...though their numbers pale in comparison to the Yasmin army.
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The ball-jointed doll is my most expensive doll and my largest doll (she is fucking ginormous). Even when buying her at half the original price (great deal from a great friend) she was hardly affordable.
I bought her because I plan on customizing her to be Flandre Scarlet, my ultimate comfort character! I've always dreamed of having a doll of Flan. SO why not make one myself? I've had her for months but am still too scared to cut that beautiful hair off...I'm no good at cutting wigs/hair in general. I did install her red eyes myself which I've never done before as this is my first and probably last bjd! She is gorgeous but I would consider these dolls luxury items... VERY EXPENSIVE.
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(idk why the exposure is so high on these, sorry!! >_<;)
I am so happy to have the coffin bean playset!! I think it was a really good idea to get it. but I am so sad because I have hardly any room for it! So It's sitting on my dresser in front of a giant mirror so please excuse the poor editing I did to obscure the reflection of me and my living space lol...
I gave my Twyla low pigtails, though they aren't very visible, and my Clawdeen braids! I think Clawdeen looks super cute this way tbh I tried curling her hair again and again and again but the curls always fell out (I dont have much experience)...but honestly... I think I like this look even better ^_^. You can see her ears so well this way.
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This Clawdeen is basically my holy grail and it was gifted to me by Leo, Leo if you're reading this I hope you know you are basically Jesus.
not to get deep but the OMG doll next to her is special to me because it is one of the last gifts I got from my late Grandpa. He took me to target and when I said I liked the doll, no questions asked, he bought her for me. Didn't give me shit for liking dolls at my big age. He simply got her for me because she made me happy, and he wants me to be happy. Dolls can mean so much. Again, I am so lucky to be so loved!!! >:D
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I have this gorgeous Draculaura just chilling next to my jewelry cuz I have nowhere else to put her and honestly she is gorgeous and should stand alone.
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Here I have the pride Bratz next to my bed!!! They mean so much to me, as I said earlier I had a crush on Roxxi. To see she's a canon lesbian now is so incredible!! And Nevra, her girlfriend, is beautiful! They are so cute together... they are never leaving that box though. This was actually the first doll/set of dolls where I fully understood why people are content leaving dolls in their boxes. I love to play with my dolls so much... but I could never play with these two!! If anything happened to them I would lose my mind.
Now... you're probably thinking......where the hell is Lagoona?!?! Do you not have one despite loving her this much? Of course I have a Lagoona. I AM GROWING AN ARMY!!!!!!
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I really, really love Lagoona...I want to get every Lagoona doll I possibly can. Isn't she so cute! I relate to her character in the cartoon a lot too... her life at home, her difficulties speaking up when she is sad or angry, her sporty personality, etc etc... She has quickly claimed her spot as biggest comfort character #2. I included many pictures because I simply cannot pick one, she is flawless. You might recognize the Lagoona on the left, I drew her in that exact pose recently!!
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I have her army on my desk, giving me the strength I need to get through my work... like Homer Simpson with his pictures of baby Maggie at his work. I get endless inspiration and motivation from Lagoona!!!
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And here is the Flandre shrine bonus... I adore her!! I also have finally ordered a fumo flan that should arrive in august around my birthday eeek!!!
Anyways that is my collection. It's been many years in the making, though it's almost doubled since monster high G3 released... Mattel truly has me by the balls right now. If you read any of this, thank you. I put a lot of time into making this post, and it was really fun. I feel like a real blogger right now.
I really really enjoy dolls and talking about them. So I will happily do so anytime I get the chance!!! Will probably do an update once I finally install some more shelves and move stuff around <3
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vole-mon-amour · 11 months
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3x11, part 1.
i was determined to wake up at my own pace but then I saw the pic that Phil posted and it woke me right up. good thing i didn't look at it at 6 am, lol. it's 9:22 am, here we go. (upd: and when i finished with this post, it was 10:23. this is a three hour watch at the very least.)
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Colin really is reborn, huh? I'd expect this from Isaac, but I'm glad it's Colin who stops them.
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What he should have said: "Well guys, you ask Ted first and if he's up to it, we're talking/I'm in."
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Husbands. IDC anymore. They're besties either way.
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"Letting my mom stay with me is the right thing to do, but damn it, it's a pain in the ass."
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Sooo... Jamie really is a nail chewer, huh? Baby boy, that's such a bad habit. Works as a coping mechanism though (probably).
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Jamie is THRILLED to be there.
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The scar. He's such a pretty boy, for real. Leaving Brendan and Jason's name in on purpose bc yeah.
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Might start wailing right here bc Jamie's constant feeling of self-worth aka not being enough in everything aka not deserving other's people love and admiration aka Roy and Keeley can get back together, I don't deserve to be happy with them/one of them. Yeah, this hurts.
I wonder what triggered (dad? :)))) bc Jamie is usually a sunshine, but to see a glimpse of what's actually going on inside Jamie's head is... yeah. Gosh, I love this kid so much.
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What a woman, my goodness. A goddess for real.
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And his hair? :D
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this is a renaissance painting. Bumbercatch is on full adoration mode. Dottie wanting to meet Dani and immediately befriending him. Trent <3333
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The fact that she keep using Oklahoma (and Ted is responding to it like a Pavlov's dog, heh) but that they're CLEARLY best PLATONIC friends. There's no romantic chemistry but a lot of trust and I LOVE seeing it. It would make all the sense in the world if they stay platonic till the end and eventually have their own partners and have double dates and all. Ted with Trent when? Rebecca maybe with her Dutch guy? Someone that would feel her striked by a fucking lightning.
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Now tell me Ted is staying in England.
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A throwback to the first season? Where Rebecca wanted to destroy Ted and knew the owner of the Sun?
I'm sorry, Rebecca is buying A HORSE?? While living in a house in London? It would make way more sense to me if she had a huge territory where she can keep the horse and take care of it and ride it when/if she wants to and spend time with it in general.
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"I'm your future husband-in-law." HE'S SO POLITE. SO GENTLE. IDK about Rebecca's partner, but I know who I want Ted with.
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Baby boy. Baby. Jamie, tell me who hurt you, I'll kill them.
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Are you going to finally kiss Jamie?
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IS HE GOING TO FINALLY KISS JAMIE? I know he won't but omg, everyone else in the room can see it. Everyone else but the main fucking audience.
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"I love your son & I like you very much." HE. HIM. That soft expression, that smile.
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whatsyourcolor · 7 months
Note
I hate to info dump but here we go:
1.Kougami picked Akane up ALL ON HIS OWN..Not because someone ordered him to.Remember Garcia told him how he can’t imagine Kougami being responsible for another person?Coming to pick her up was Kougami’s way of mending things.Apologising to the only person he thinks deserves his apology and taking responsibility for his past behaviour by saying sorry.It’s a massive step for him.This is why Akane brushed off his apology.They caught up on the car as well.
2.The reason Akane wasn’t expecting him is most certainly because he works for foreign affairs.Akane was still an MWPSB employee so she probably thought it’d be Mika or the new inspectors.Also that should tell you something that despite being from a competing ministry he’s able to pick her up.He had to have pulled a lot of strings,request and beg tons of people.
3.Kougami made MULTIPLE requests to visit Akane.They were denied except that one time when he managed to get an approval.He didn’t back out of visiting her because it would be a waste of time.Again that’s a big deal because only Mika who’s the chief inspector had online access to Akane.
4.During the visit he put his back on the door because stooping down to her level would be awkward which makes sense?She’s 5’4” and he’s 6” so it would be uncomfortable to stare through a small window in that height for him so idk what’s wrong with that.He said Frederica/Ginoza thought it would be better for him not to visit her also he didn’t bring any souvenirs because he didn’t know what she liked.There wasn’t a lot of time I am sure.Solitary confinement is solitary for a reason.
5.I am not sure if Frederica is keeping in contact with Tenzing.I should hope so.She better make Kougami call her as well.I am not sure why Kougami would be thinking about Akane while he’s fighting MWPSB enforcers either.
Here’s the thing I think a few people are disappointed that their headcanon doesn’t match the Kougami in canon anymore (which I am sure is sad).But spreading misinformation to make people see Kougami the negative way is turning other people off.My advise is take everything people say with a grain of salt.Some people are helbent on spreading negativity because things didn’t go the way they wanted.
if you are up for it buy the books and run them through a translation or pay a translator to translate.Make up your own mind.
Hi,
Since I haven't read the novels about S3 because I don't speak Japanese, I can't answer to any of those points. Not since @cleverwolfpoetry used to translate the novels, do I know anything of the novels. The only think I know is that the writers said shinkane is platonic and what I got from Providence and Sinners of the System. Other people have read the novels and give their opinion about them. Maybe they're spreading misinformation; I have no idea. But you're right, a grain of salt doesn't hurt.
I don't know if there's a current hate campaign against Kogami (there's always been, though. I remember people crapping on him when he told Akane to kill Makishima), but people are going to hate who they're going to hate. One thing I'll never do is ship Homura and Akane. Or Kogami and Frederica. For me it'll always be Akane and Kogami and I don't care what the writers say. Cleverwolf's translations gave me enough material to deduce that this attempt to bring down shinkane (or to take it out of its ambiguity) is part of the "remodeling" of Psycho-Pass from a philosophical and psychological anime to a more action and plot driven franchise for a different target audience.
Heck, it's all in Makishima's last monologue: "Everyone is alone. Everyone is empty. People no longer have need of others. You can always find a spare for any replacement. Any relationship can be replaced."
Psycho-Pass is about the most human of things: relationships. (And yes, human nature, violence, free will, rationality vs animality, etc). So the writers can say whatever the hell they want, but Akane is not replaceable for Kogami and neither is Kogami for her (remember the All Star novel where holos of all the dead people are tormenting Akane and telling her Ko is dead and she's like "No, that person can't be dead"? I love how Sibyl, Kamui and Togane know Akane is deeply in love with Kogami and they try to use that against her all the time.
At the end of the day, despite the castes the system creates, the human bond will break those chains. The purest-hued young woman falling for a heartbroken criminal is just too delicious a dynamic to ignore.
Also, where the heck are all of you reading the novels? Is anyone sharing the translations somewhere?
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moonchildreads · 11 months
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small town
Chapter 15 - Don't You Want Me
IN THIS CHAPTER: Illicit library naps, a sleepover, and Important Questions get asked [7.3k]
WARNINGS: fear of coming out (lighthearted, everything turns out okay), self doubt, bisexuality? idk if that's a warning but if you haven't noticed yet, eddie and dot are both bi lol
A/N: happy pride friends! i swear to god i didn't plan for this chapter to be out and proud in june, i set the outline in stone months ago but i'm taking it as a happy accident. sorry for posting a day late, yesterday was Not Great but we should get back to friday updates this coming week. enjoy <3
masterlist - prev - next | playlist
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You know I can't believe it When I hear that you won't see me
Monday, May 12th - 1986
The rainy spell that haunted Hawkins at all times continued throughout most of the Monday, up until lunch time when it finally relented. The sky was still mostly dark with heavy clouds hiding the sun while the Hellfire seniors stood just outside the cafeteria doors, waiting for Eddie to be done with the conversation he was about to engage in so they could head to their next classes. All four of them - Dottie, Gareth, Donny, and Jeff - were staring pointedly at him as he approached the cheerleaders’ table.
“Got the goods, Cunningham?” Eddie raised his voice to call Chrissy’s attention.
“Yup! Got ‘em right here!” she said, smiling brightly and reaching into her pocket to grab the remaining prom tickets she’d promised to save for him. He gave her the money and she accepted it gracefully, but when he leaned forward to grab the tickets, she snapped her hand back, lifting it over her head. “You better suit up, Munson, or I’ll personally block your way in.”
“We’ll dress up, I promise,” he said, crossing his heart. “Scout’s honor.”
“You’re not a Scout, Eddie.”
“You don’t know what I get up to in my free time,” he snatched the tickets from her hand and began walking backwards quickly towards the doors. “See you around, Chris! Have a good day, ladies!”
Not a beat had passed since he’d walked away before Chrissy’s friends surrounded her, gossiping loudly about the situation they’d just witnessed. The Freak talking to their Captain? Who did he think he was?
“Ugh, he’s so… scruffy! Why do you let him talk to you like that?” Libby, a junior tumbler said, crossing her arms and burrowing further into her cheer cardigan.
“What do you mean? He was perfectly polite,” Chrissy defended him. “He just wanted to buy some prom tickets.”
“He shouldn’t be talking to you anyway, you aren’t in charge of selling them,” Melissa, a senior flyer and Chrissy’s second in command, scoffed. “I bet he’s not even gonna go, he probably just wanted an excuse to be near you. God, he’s such a freak.”
“I’m on the Prom Planning Committee, it’s more than okay if people ask me about tickets. And don’t call Eddie a freak anymore. It’s not right,” Chrissy said, stomping away to her next class.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?” Libby turned to look at her senior.
“I don’t know but she thinks she’s hot shit since that Ohio State cheer clinic she went to during Spring Break. I don’t like it,” the flyer replied, but Chrissy never heard her, already busy getting her books out of her locker.
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Eddie was pulling out of his driveway to take Dottie home after their usual after school study session when she asked him to drop her off at Gareth’s instead. She mentioned they were having a sleepover at his house so they could work on a Chemistry project that had to be delivered during first period on Tuesday, and that didn’t do anything to calm the little knot Eddie was beginning to recognize as jealousy that formed at the pit of his stomach. The rational part of his brain, the one that knew there was nothing going on between two of his best friends, was at war with the dumb side that wanted to stop the van in the middle of the road and throw a tantrum. He settled on gripping the steering wheel until his fingers hurt when he saw her hug Gareth hello like she hadn’t seen him in years; the younger boy waved at him like Eddie’s heart wasn’t cracking at the slightest hint of being undesirable.
Oblivious to his friend’s feelings, Gareth guided Dottie inside towards his living room where his phone was so she could call her Dad and let him know she'd arrived safely. Once James had been informed of his daughter’s whereabouts, the teens got to work on the coffee table until Gareth’s dad came home from work. Gareth’s mom, Lydia, was a sweet looking woman with bright blue eyes her son had inherited and a big blonde hairdo. She really enjoyed being a hostess, which is why she had gladly slaved herself away in the kitchen all afternoon making a sweet and sour brisket she claimed was her specialty.
"Okay, so we're thinking regular crackers, marshmallows, cereal, toasted bread, untoasted bread, and dry pasta?" Dottie read from their notes.
"We should add something that we know is unhealthy, just to test it out."
"We have marshmallows."
"Yeah, but those are full of air, they'll probably burn really fast. We need something more dense, like… uh…," Gareth thought hard about what they could find in his pantry and still came up with nothing.
"D'you have peanuts? With the shell?"
"Peanuts are unhealthy?"
"I mean, not really, no, but they are, like, high in fat? And I bet the shells burn well."
"Let's do peanuts then," he nodded, jotting it down onto their notebook.
Their last project of the year was free choice, and after perusing a few science magazines in the library, they had settled on building a calorimeter. Truth be told, they should have done it earlier but between Mother’s Day, Hellfire and Dottie spending so much time with Eddie helping him get ready for his exams, Monday night before the project’s due date had to suffice. Gareth had asked his Dad for help to build two calorimeters, which were ready to go on the desk in his bedroom along with the blow-up mattress Dottie would be sleeping on right next to his bed. His Mom had been a little hesitant to let them bunk in the same bedroom, but her son had brought up a good point: his sister, Gretchen, would positively lose her mind if a stranger slept in her bed, so Gareth’s floor was a good compromise as long as they left the door wide open.
When Gareth’s dad, Gavriel, arrived home from a long day at work, dinner was almost ready to be served. Gareth was in the middle of an animated rant, explaining to Dottie about a very special part of their meal he had begged his Mom for to mark the special occasion. He had never really had a sleepover before, and even though they’d be up late into the night working on their project, he was still very excited at the prospect of hanging out with someone he considered one of his closest friends with no time constraints or adult supervision.
“You said you’ve never really tried Jewish food before, so I asked my Mom to make these for you,” Gareth explained, carrying a big plate to the dining table where they usually sat to do homework on Wednesdays, Dottie trailing behind him carrying cutlery and bread.
“They look like hash browns,” she said, peering at the mystery food.
“They are better than hash browns. These are called latkes. My Mom only makes them during Hanukkah, but honestly, I’d eat them every day if I could.”
“Didn’t know you did Hanukkah,” Dottie frowned. “Didn’t you say you went to your Grandparents’ for Christmas last year?”
“Yeah, we do both! And neither, now that I think about it,” he frowned too, like he was just realizing something about his own traditions. “We’re not really religious, I mean… We celebrate, but it’s more about family and getting together. We mix both sides.”
Gavriel was Jewish and Lydia was not, which in turn made their children half-Jewish. This was something Gareth’s friends were aware of, but didn’t entirely understand since they never really talked about what it meant. This, coupled with the fact that the youngest Coleman hadn’t really had close friends until he reached high school and joined Hellfire, led to his now very apparent enthusiasm while showing Dottie everything that made him… well, him. He didn’t consider himself spiritual in the broad sense of the word, but being Jewish was one of the only things he had always known about himself, the part of his identity that no matter what happened would always be his and he was proud of who he was.
Dottie sat at the dinner table with Gareth and his parents to share a lovely meal together and wondered for the millionth time in her life what it would be like to have siblings. She knew her friend and Gretchen, his older sister, hardly saw eye to eye: she was outgoing, sporty, had a lot of friends and a loving boyfriend, and Gareth was nerdy, shy, and obsessed with horror movies to a degree people that didn’t know him too well found off putting. Despite these differences though, it was clear from the way Gareth spoke about his sister that he would gladly walk through literal fire for her, even though he was the first one to chew her out every time she came home and left enough hair to make a wig on their shower wall. He put two latkes on Dottie’s plate, one with applesauce on top, the other one with sour cream and waited for her verdict, big blue eyes shining with excitement.
“Which one’s your fave?” Dottie asked him, holding the one with sour cream like Lydia was doing across from her.
“I’m not gonna tell you, you can’t be biased,” Gareth scoffed, fork halfway to his mouth full of decadent meat. “Gotta form your own opinion.”
“I’m gonna try them both, I just wanted to know which one you liked more,” she defended herself before trying a bit without any sauce first, just to get a feel of the texture. “Okay, yeah, I see what you meant now. These are better than hash browns.”
“Told ya,” he grinned. “Now try it with the sour cream.”
“Gareth, don’t be pushy,” Gavriel warned, but there was no need, she was already on her second bite.
Gareth waited with bated breath as she switched to her other latke, this one with applesauce. He watched her chew, her face giving away nothing while she wiped her hand on a napkin. A few moments of silence went by, both Lydia and Gavriel looking at each other with curious eyes, their son’s eyebrows going higher each second that ticked by. He had never been particularly patient, and Dottie was making him sweat for her review.
“So?” he asked, leaning towards her. “Which one’s better?”
“Are you gonna throw me out if I don’t agree with you?”
“Dot.”
“Sour cream’s better,” she said, and he groaned loudly. “It’s not that applesauce is bad, I just liked the other one more! The chives in the cream make it feel special. Thank you for making these for us, Mrs. Coleman, they are great.”
“Oh, you don’t have to thank me, sweetie!” said Lydia, beaming at the praise. “I like them with chives better too.”
“You are both so wrong,” Gareth said, looking at his father for support. “Tell them they’re wrong, Dad.”
“I like them with both sauces,” Gavriel declared before kissing Lydia’s cheek. “Your mother is a great cook, just eat and be grateful.”
“Ugh. Got no allies in this house.”
“Finish your dinner, Gare, it’s getting cold,” Lydia said, knowing better than anyone else how dramatic her son could be.
As the dinner progressed and his parents chatted with Dottie, eager to know more about her, Gareth couldn’t help but notice just how different it was to have a female best friend than to only have multiple sweaty metalheads around all the time. He loved Jeff, Donny, and Eddie, and he was pretty confident that he would go to war for them if they ever needed him to, but there was a soft quality to his friendship with Dot he had never really experienced before, not even with his sister. He felt less pressure to be traditionally boyish, could have longer, deeper talks and not have to worry about anyone making fun of his feelings when they overwhelmed or confused him. And truthfully, it wasn’t that he couldn’t be 100% himself with the boys, but having a girl in their tight-knit group had meant they were now a lot more careful about how they approached certain topics, or how they behaved in general.
No more farting around in each other’s faces when they got into the van or pausing to stare at boobs during Fast Times at Ridgemont High - they were much more in tune with each other now, noticing the little things they would have easily disregarded before, like Jeff’s apprehension towards the big brother he had once looked up to and tried to emulate, or Donny’s budding excitement at the thought of joining his family’s business after graduation. Or perhaps it hadn’t been Dottie at all who had changed the dynamic of their group, and they had simply, well, grown up. Graduation was just a month away, after all.
After dinner, Gareth’s parents retreated to their living room to relax after a long day while the teens gathered their supplies and slipped outside to the garage to do the practical portion of their project. Gavriel had spent a couple of hours on Saturday helping his son build all the necessary parts for two homemade bomb calorimeters; mainly they had just drilled holes into cans and hoped things would fit in once assembled. Once everything was in place, they got to work with the ease of two people who had been lab partners for a while and knew exactly what their tasks were: Dottie was in charge of the charts and Gareth of the equations. They were both equally excited about the burning though.
“God, this smells like a s’more,” he groaned, the barely there fire under their can of water consuming a marshmallow.
“I don’t like s’mores,” she said, jotting something down on their chart.
“You are so weird.”
They were both sitting in the driveway in front of the garage, the pavement under their jeans a little bit chilly from the day’s overcast sky. They had already burned the bread (toasted and untoasted), cereal, and dry pasta, and were now moving onto the remaining foods, the sickly sweet marshmallow scent mixing with the smoke in the night air.
“So…,” Gareth began, measuring the temperature of the water in the can.
“So?”
“Heard Eddie got you a ticket for prom.”
“Yeah,” she said, nonchalantly. “We got into an argument last week and he wanted to make it up to me.”
“Are you two going together now?”
“No, we’re still going as a group. He just did something nice for me.”
“Sure,” he smirked. “Something nice. Absolutely not strange at all.”
“Just spit it out, G, what do you actually want to ask?” Dottie turned to him with a tired expression.
“What’s going on between you two?”
“Nothing!” she said, a little bit too defensively, which made him lift an eyebrow in response. “Nothing is going on, I promise. We’re just friends.”
“Dot, come on,” he shook his head, big curls swaying back and forth. “Are you seriously telling me that you two aren’t swapping spit during your dates? He bought you a prom ticket, he takes you to dinner all the time, he might as well have fucking tattooed your name on his left tit.”
“Okay, first of all, ew. Swapping spit, really? God have mercy on however kisses you,” she ducked to avoid a marshmallow to her head. “Second, we don’t go on dates. We get together to study and sometimes we eat together, that’s it. Nothing inappropriate has ever happened, so knock it off, okay?”
Gareth saw her jaw clench and decided to drop the subject entirely, switching topics to their current assignment and the different smells certain charred food reminded him of. They completed their work quickly and efficiently, packing up for the night before retreating to the safety of his bedroom. He offered her his shower and Dottie accepted it gladly, desperate for a few minutes alone to clear her head. He fished out clean towels from the hallway storage cupboard, and sent her on her merry way to the Jack and Jill he shared with his sister, wondering if maybe he’d mistaken the signals he’d gotten from watching two of his best friends interact with each other.
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Dottie was spiraling. There was no other way to describe what she was doing while staring at the big bottle of hair conditioner in Gareth and Gretchen’s shared bathroom. The water was scalding, leaving her skin pink and her fingers pruny but she didn’t attempt to move from under the stream for several seconds. Had she really been that obvious? Could people tell that she liked Eddie? Could he tell? What if he didn’t know, but found out and was disgusted about it? She’d shared so much of her past lately, what if he used it as a weapon to hurt her? Oh, but Eddie wasn’t like that. He could be mean when he wanted to, but never to his friends, or at least not intentionally. He could be harsh sometimes, but he didn’t mean to hurt anyone. And besides, he’d offered up his life story to her too so that meant he trusted her. But what if he started hating her? What if he hated that he’d confided in her while she was secretly harboring this big ass crush that seemed to grow every day and left her breathless every time their hands touched? What if -
“Dot? You okay in there?” Gareth’s voice cut straight through the madness swirling inside her head.
“Y-yeah! I’ll be out in a sec!”
“Okay! You want egg cream?”
“What?” she turned off the water and wrapped herself in a fluffy baby pink towel, padding closer to the door.
“Egg cream, it’s like an ice cream float but with no ice cream. Like foamy chocolate milk. You wanna try it?”
“Uh, okay. Sure!”
She could hear him walking away towards the kitchen, socks cushioning his steps, and quickly changed into her pajamas trying to come back down to the present. Gareth had always been incredibly nice to her, and she considered themselves to be pretty close. She thought of all the boys as her best friends, but Gareth and her had immediately clicked in a way that was different than with the rest of them. Jeff was very much an equal, a calming presence, the friend she turned to when she was nervous and needed advice, and he sought her out for comfort as well, their relationship shaped around a sort of gentle give and take. On the other hand, Donny was the big brother she’d never had, guiding her in D&D when she felt particularly lost, sharing music with her, and helping her become more confident in her own skin. She’d return his affections with endless enthusiasm and curiosity, their friendship based on mutual admiration and genuine fondness. And Gareth… Gareth was the rambunctious twin she’d always dreamed of. They bickered incessantly, she’d steal his sweatshirts and then let him copy off her homework, and he’d threaten to burp in her face only to then steer her away from bullies in the hallways. Out of all their friends, he was the most likely to give her his real opinion on something without filtering it, and that’s why when she hung up the towel to dry, she decided he deserved to know the truth.
“Hey,” he said, looking up from the glass he was pouring chocolate syrup into. “You can have that one, I didn’t make you a big one in case you didn’t like it.”
“Thanks,” Dottie smiled lightly, and he smiled back. “What did you say this was called? Creamed egg?”
“Egg cream,” Gareth snorted. “It’s chocolate milk, but with seltzer. It sounds crazy but it’s really good, I promise.”
Dottie took a small sip and scrunched her face instantly making him laugh. With a confused expression, she went in for a second sip, and then a third one. She wiped the foam from her upper lip and set the cup down.
“It’s not gross, but it’s not good either.”
“Yeah, it’s kinda weird, right? That’s why I like it. It’s better with Fox’s U-Bet, but I only have Hershey’s,” he said, before taking a big gulp and downing half his glass in one go. “Ready for bed?”
“Can we take down your Freddy Krueger poster? It gives me the creeps.”
“You’re such a baby,” he teased her, but he was already on his way to his bedroom to unpin it from his wall.
They settled in for the night after brushing their teeth while sharing the sink, playfully bumping each other with their elbows for more space. Gareth not only took his Freddy Krueger poster down, but also his Night of the Living Dead and The Evil Dead posters while Dottie fluffed her pillow, the air mattress bouncing softly every time she moved. They lay in the dark for a few minutes, moonlight barely giving shape to the bumps in the bedroom before she turned to him.
"G?" Dottie whispered, not wanting to wake him up if he'd already fallen asleep.
"Yeah?"
"If I tell you a secret, you promise not to tell anyone? Not even the guys?"
"Of course," the sheets shifted against his legs as he rolled onto his side and she saw his hand extend until it was right next to her. "Pinky swear."
She lifted her own hand up and linked pinkies with him, shaking on it once. He stayed on his side, squinting in the darkness to see her profile but she never spoke. He thought she'd maybe dozed off, but the blow-up mattress began crackling when she turned on her side to look at him. A car sped down the street illuminating the room and both teens stared at each other until the lights dimmed again. Gareth could tell, if only for a brief moment, that she was terrified of what was stuck in her throat.
"Do you… do you wanna, like, come up here?" he asked, thinking of how he used to climb into his sister's bed when he had nightmares as a kid. Gretchen would always protest against it, but when he woke up in her arms after the sun had gone up, he knew she didn't really mind that much.
"Yeah. Yes, thank you. Just for a bit, though."
"Just for a bit," he repeated, moving back towards the wall and leaving space for her to crawl under his covers.
They lay on their sides sharing a pillow, their heads so close they could have smelled each others’ minty breaths if they just inched forward a bit more. By all means, the situation should have been extremely weird, but it wasn't. There was no rush, no expectations, just two friends waiting until one of them was brave enough to spill some truth into the midnight. Only mild nervousness at the conversation that was about to unfold could be found on Gareth's bed at that moment.
"I think I like Eddie," Dottie said, breaking the silence and bracing for an impact that never came.
"You think you like Eddie?"
"I… no. No, I know I like him. I like Eddie."
"Okay. And he doesn't know?"
"I haven't told him, so I hope not."
"And you don't know if he likes you back?"
"I was kinda hoping you'd help me out on that."
"Well," Gareth began. "Not sure I can. I've known him for years and he just doesn't talk about that stuff with us. Not since Polly Sue at least."
"Polly Sue?"
"This girl he liked back when we first met him. They were in junior year, I think they sat together in class. He asked her to prom and she laughed at him in front of everyone," he explained. "It was really bad. Her friends made fun of him for like a whole week."
"That's horrible."
"He never talked about girls again after that. I know he's kissed some after gigs but it hasn't happened in months."
"Maybe he found someone he likes?" she said, chest seizing at the thought.
"I don't think you have anything to worry about. He's literally spending all his free time with you, so you must be doing something right. I bet he likes you too, but he’s too awkward to say it."
"Yeah? You think so?"
"Yeah! Come on, he'd be a dumbass if he didn't like you back. You're great!"
"You have to say that, you're my best friend," she nudged his leg with hers.
"As your best friend I have to also tell you that you're a freak for not liking latkes with applesauce."
"You're the freak, you sleep with socks on."
Both teens giggled at the absurdity of their fight, Gareth swinging a leg over her hip while she gave him a hug with her left arm only, the right one tucked under her head. He hugged her back, also with one arm, his chin barely touching her forehead.
"You know, if you really want to know, you could just ask him," he suggested.
"I can't walk up to him and go "hey Eddie! Do you like me? Oh, why am I asking you say? Don't worry about it, just curious!". Like, I'd literally rather fucking fall into the quarry."
"I'm not saying you should ask him like that, smartass. You could just ask him if he likes anyone, it’s a friendly question."
"And if he says he does and it's not me?"
"Then you know and you can move on. But honestly, I don't think you should worry. He got you a ticket for prom, he's getting all his grades up for you. I think you're good. Just, keep going like that, y'know? Show him what he’s getting with you if he grows some balls."
"You're really smart sometimes, you know that?" she teased, but her voice was full of fondness.
"Eh, I have my moments," he grinned.
They chatted for another hour, gossiping about things they'd heard in the hallways and making plans for the summer after graduation, the places they wanted to see, the food they wanted to try, the people they wanted to meet. Dottie slipped back into her mattress when the yawns became frequent, sheets cold but heart warm with the knowledge that if everything failed, she'd always could count on Gareth to be her best cheerleader.
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Tuesday, May 13th - 1986
If Eddie thought dropping Dottie off at Gareth’s the previous night was bad for his blood pressure, he had no way of preparing himself for the absolute shock it was to see them hanging onto each other near Jeff’s locker where all his friends were congregating before their third period. Gareth was barely awake, clinging to Dottie to keep himself upright despite his head lolling onto hers every few seconds. Dottie looked equally sleepy but seemed to be less in danger of falling to the floor, shoulder tucked under his armpit and locking her body in place. All of that would have been enough to give Eddie a heart attack, but the fact that she was wearing Gareth’s oversized Van Halen sweatshirt tucked into her overalls had his brain firing in wild directions.
"Hey, man," Donny said, standing next to Jeff.
"Hey. You two good?" he asked the tired duo.
"Hi, Ed," Dottie smiled at him sleepily, and Eddie felt his insides turn to mush. "We got an A+."
"First A+ I've gotten since middle school," Gareth muttered, eyes closed but with a satisfied grin on his lips.
"Probably the last one too," Jeff teased, making the curly haired boy blindly lunge at him.
The sudden movement dislodged Dottie’s comfy stand, making her wobble against Eddie's side, left hand coming up to clutch the front of his shirt softly. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders to help stabilize her, but truth be told, he just wanted to hold her and it seemed like a good enough excuse. She didn’t seem to mind, letting herself relax into his soft embrace.
"Sorry," she said, stifling a yawn. "We stayed up really late last night, I'm exhausted."
"I can see that. You wanna skip Calc and take a nap in my van?"
"We can't skip Calc, finals are in a couple of weeks."
"Princess, you're dead on your feet right now."
"We aren't skipping Calc," she said firmly. "I'll nap in the library during fourth."
"Okay," he chuckled. "I'll wake you up for lunch."
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Eddie didn't have the heart to wake her up after she fell asleep. Once fourth period started and they were free to study wherever they wanted, he dragged her towards a dark-ish corner at the back of the library and worked on his drawing portfolio quietly while she snoozed on the carpeted floor, her head resting on his lap. She slept straight through fourth period and lunch, and he made no attempts to rouse her from her slumber before the bell rang signaling the start of the last period and the end to their shared classes for the day. He walked her to her Home Economics classroom where Donny was waiting to fully wake her up with a bone-crunching hug, and hurried towards the Biology class he shared with Jeff who asked about their absence at the lunch table with a worried expression.
By the time they all reconvened in the parking lot at the end of the day, she was looking much more alive and he was hungry as hell. They didn’t stop to get snacks as they so often did, choosing instead to share Dottie’s BLT and chips she’d packed for lunch and the brownies she’d made during Home Ec on their drive to the trailer. She didn’t even wipe his tepid bottle of water before taking her own sip, and he hung onto that detail for far longer than he should have. Who could care about her wearing Gareth’s clothes when she lifted a bit of sandwich to his mouth while his hands were busy switching gears and pulling into a turn?
Wayne, as always, was happy to see her and gave her a big hug when they walked into the trailer. Dottie offered the last piece of brownie to him and Eddie could have sworn the old man thought about bringing out adoption papers right there and then. He left them to chat while he rearranged the mess in his bedroom and then the two teens retreated to the dry comfort of his bed, looming clouds threatening to rain again after it had drizzled all morning. Nobody had told Dottie the midwest was this goddamn rainy before she’d made the big move, but she’d much preferred it to how hot she knew summer was going to get as the days went by. She finished her homework for the day quickly and Eddie let her wander around his room while he steadily worked on his, Biology textbook open next to his knee.
When he was on his last question, he noticed she seemed to be bouncing with energy, keeping herself busy by rearranging his tape collection again. He snapped his textbook shut with enough force for her to jolt her head up, and as soon as he’d cleared his bed from any stray papers, she jumped on it, kneeling in front of his crossed legs with shifty eyes and rosy cheeks.
“Okay, spill. You look like Gareth when he overhears something juicy in the hallway,” Eddie said, leaning back onto the wall behind his bed and crossing his arms.
“Speaking of Gareth,” she began, and Eddie waited patiently. “We were talking about prom last night, and, well, it doesn’t really matter, but I was just wondering if you… because we’re all going together as a group, right? But you got me my ticket and I didn’t want things to be awkward if you did so I thought-”
“Princess, I’m so lost right now.”
“Right. Sorry,” she said sheepishly. She took a deep breath while she rearranged her legs to sit criss-cross in front of him. “I was just wondering if there was someone you liked, you know? At school? Because you got me my ticket and I’m really grateful, but I don’t want to ruin things for you if you want to get a date or something.”
“Did Gareth tell you I liked someone?” he narrowed his eyes in confusion.
“No! No, I asked him about- I can pay you back if you want,” she wrung her hands on her lap.
“You don’t have to pay me back,” he said, sitting up. “I don’t… there isn’t anyone I want to take to prom. I want to go with you. And, y’know, the guys. Hellfire Class of ‘86 and all that, right?”
“Yeah, no, I just thought…,” she chewed on her lower lip, not knowing where to take the conversation. “It’s okay if you wanna go with someone else.”
“Do you want to go with someone else?” Eddie asked, wary.
“I wanna go with you,” she said, and looked up at him suddenly. “Hellfire Class of ‘86, l-like you said.”
“Okay,” he said, untangling her wrung fingers and pulling one hand into his. “Good. Nothing’s changing then. You don’t have to pay me back.”
“Okay,” she repeated. “Good.”
Eddie pulled her by her hand until she fell forward into him, legs tangled on top of his blanket and arms around hers. Where were these questions coming from? Had Gareth mentioned something to make her doubt that he wanted nothing more than to take her to prom? He couldn’t wait until the moment he got to sit next to her in his van with her fancy dress on and a love stricken smile on his face. Dottie settled comfortably on his chest, the side of her nose pressed to his sternum, cheek squished against the soft cotton of his shirt. He wondered if she felt it too, that inexplicable pull between them, that overwhelming need to be close, to feel the heat coming off from each other’s skin.
One time very early into their friendship, Mike had mentioned that it was strange how touchy they both were with one another considering they hadn’t known each other for long. Eddie was someone who never hesitated to pull a friend into his arms, always play fighting with the boys, not entirely understanding what the phrase “personal space” meant. He was loud and boisterous, and he was equally showy in his affections regardless who was on the receiving end: Eddie Munson didn’t half ass anything - anything that mattered to him, anyways. Dottie on the other hand was much more reserved, but still didn’t shy away from physical contact. She was always letting her head fall into someone’s shoulder, consistently linking her arm with her friends’ while they walked through hallways, giving everyone strawberry chapstick kisses on their cheeks as a goodbye. But even after Dustin had pointed all of this out to Mike and everyone had agreed with his assessment and dropped the subject, Eddie had never stopped thinking about it.
In more recent times, he’d begun hoping that maybe all the work he was putting in was actually coming to fruition. He still had a long way to go in his eyes, but he couldn’t complain about the fact that he was currently holding the girl he was secretly in love with while laying on his bed, in the room she had helped clean, with his tummy full of the food she’d prepared. Would it really be too much of a sin to push things further a little bit? To start figuring out where he stood compared to everyone else in her life?
“What about you?” Eddie asked, hand coming up to brush her broken curls out of her face.
“Hm?”
“Do you like someone at school?”
“Not really, no,” she muttered, and he could feel her heart rate pick up under his own chest.
“What about Gareth?”
“Ew,” she said instantly, making him snort. “I love him, but I don’t like him like that. He’s like… Like an annoying brother. Did you know he snores?”
“Be glad all he did was snore. I’ve heard him fart in his sleep and it’s not pretty,” she chuckled. “Be honest now though,” he paused dramatically. “Do I snore?”
“You don’t snore,” she lifted her head, chin hovering where her cheek had been. “Do I?”
“Yeah. Thought we were gonna get kicked out of the library today, it was like an earthquake,” he said, making her gasp and slap his side. “No, you don’t snore, darling. You slept like a baby.”
“What about you though?”
“Do I sleep like a baby?”
“No - Do you like someone?”
“Not really,” now it was his turn for his heart rate to pick up. He hoped she couldn’t feel it under her hands that were now between her chin and his chest.
“What about Chrissy?”
“What about her?” he was confused.
“Dunno. The guys said you weren’t friends until recently and I just wondered. She’s pretty.”
“I suppose so, yeah,” Eddie thought about Chrissy for a bit. He did think she was pretty, but in the same way he thought a sunset was pretty. Nice to look at, pleasant to be around, but not particularly breathtaking. Not to him at least. He hoped Jason Carver thought Chrissy was as stunning as the way he thought Dottie with her wild hair lying on top of him right now was. She deserved that kind of adoration. “I don’t really see her that way. She’s a good friend, though. I told her she should talk to you, I think you’d get along.”
“Why?”
“Why I think you’d get along?” he asked for confirmation, Dottie nodded. Because I’m in love with you and she’s gonna be my maid of honor slash best woman slash whatever that shit’s called at our wedding. “You’re in World History together, right? You’re both sweet, and kind, and caring. And you both like Elton John. And Queen!”
“Everyone likes Queen.”
“Yeah, but not everyone has their records. I don’t. You could talk about that with her, she owns all of them. She says her Dad always gets a new one for her when he’s on a work trip.”
“You really are good friends with her, huh?”
“Like you and Gareth,” he said, wanting to make it clear his eyes were not wandering. He didn’t need Dottie thinking he wasn’t interested in her. “Well, maybe without the sleepovers.”
“Isn’t it dumb though?” Dottie said, furrowing her brow in mild irritation. “How people just assume that if you’re friends with someone of the opposite sex you must be into them?”
“I mean, sometimes friends like each other.”
“Sure, yeah, but not all friends do. Like, no one thinks you and Jeff are dating and I’ve seen you two almost kiss sharing a mic. If you did that with Chrissy, people would think there’s something going on.”
“Dot, you know exactly why people think that,” he lifted an eyebrow. “Fuck Reagan, remember?”
Dottie sat up immediately, looking very rigid. He took his time sitting up too, but took it as a win when she grabbed his hand and began playing with his rings. It almost looked like she was preparing herself to drop a bomb on him, and he couldn’t help but think that it wasn’t necessary. He knew what she was gonna say before she even opened her mouth, because whatever she looked like right now, was exactly how Eddie looked like a few years back when Wayne found a very special magazine he’d bought in Indy hidden underneath his bed amongst all the other ones he didn’t care to put away properly most of the time.
“Eddie, there’s… there’s something you should-”
“I know,” he said, thumb ghosting along hers. “Me too.”
“You too?” she said, confusion and hope mixing in her eyes. He nodded.
“Darling, you love Rocky Horror. That’s kind of a dead giveaway.”
“I like musicals,” she tried to pull back her hand but he held on.
“You do. But we both know it’s not Rocky and Brad you’re into when you watch it.”
“And,” Dottie swallowed a big lump in her throat before continuing. “-that’s okay with you?”
“Why would I care? It’s not like I watched it for Janet,” he revealed, a knowing smile on his face.
“So you like… boys?” she asked, wanting to turn all the cards on the table upright.
“And girls,” he said, her eyes snapping back to his. “And you like girls?”
“And boys. Like you.”
“Like me.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds before she let out an airy laugh, like she had been holding it for a while. Eddie wondered if he was the first person she’d ever told this to. Maybe someday he’d tell her that Wayne wouldn’t care either, and when it happened, she’d tell him that her Auntie Rachel didn’t mind as well, but for now, this shared secret would stay between the four walls of Eddie’s bedroom that no longer smelled like mold or vinegar. It smelled like home.
“Have you…,” Dottie began, not knowing how to ask. He picked up on what she meant instantly.
“Yeah. A couple of times at The Hideout. The guys don’t know though.”
“Do you think they’d have a problem with it?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think I’m ready to find out yet,” he said honestly. She nodded in agreement. “Have you?”
“Just one time. A kiss at a party. We were playing Truth or Dare.”
“Real steamy,” he joked, and she pushed him lightly.
“I was fifteen, okay? It was enough to send me into cardiac arrest.”
“I bet. I thought I was having a weird trip my first time. Didn’t help that we definitely smoked some strange shit before.”
“I feel silly now,” she admitted. “I thought you’d be upset.”
“Come here.”
He opened his arms and she crawled between his legs, squeezing his middle. He rocked them both side to side for a bit to make her giggle and loosen up. Eddie had a good feeling about where they were headed after this and let himself enjoy it, knowing that the knot in his stomach he’d identified as jealousy had begun unraveling. She didn’t like anyone at school and now she knew that he didn’t either. This was good. Things could grow on fertile ground, and he was doing a damn good job at prepping the soil. It was time, he felt, to turn up the heat.
“Hey,” he said, and she hummed in acknowledgement, not lifting her head from his shoulder. “So, you know my birthday is this week, right? Jeff was telling me today that we could have a movie night in his basement. You game?”
“On Thursday?”
“I was thinking on Friday after Hellfire. And on Thursday you can come over and we can, like, hang out? Wayne said he’s gonna get a cake, and I’d kinda really like to spend the day with you both. Nothing big. We can still do homework and stuff, I mean, I’m only halfway done with my portfolio and-”
“I’d love to come. Count me in, birthday boy.”
“Great. I’ll tell Wayne later.”
Later that night, when Dottie was tucked into her own bed after two long days filled with very interesting conversations, she pondered on Gareth’s words. Show him what he’s getting with you if he grows some balls, he had said. Just before she fell asleep, a sudden thought entered her brain and stuck to the front pushing away everything else. Maybe I am the one that needs to grow some balls.
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