#<3<3<3 to everyone you have my whole heart

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

can you see the stars in your dreams (and do they have a lot to say about me) - Part 17

Or: a secret Admirer AU

PART 1 || PART 2 || PART 3 || PART 4 || PART 5 || PART 6 || PART 7 || PART 8 || PART 9 || PART 10 || PART 11 || PART 1 || PART 13 || PART 14 || PART 15 || PART 16

Eddie’s back to school on Tuesday, black eye turning a mottled sort of green, lip scabbed over. From where he’s hemmed in by Robin and Chrissy, Steve watches Eddie catch a glimpse of him and bolt the other way.

Jeff sighs, lets go of his hold on Chrissy’s arm, and says, “sorry, Steve. I’m just gonna—” and then he points toward Eddie and follows after him without another word.

Steve’s gut clenches with guilt. He’d put that look on Eddie’s face, had caused the rift in his and Jeff’s friendship, had split the forming group up with his ridiculous crush. But Chrissy and Robin are still here, standing by his side.

“Are he and Jeff okay?” Steve asks, biting his lip as he glances at Chrissy.

“I think so,” she says, looking after her boyfriend. “They talked on the phone, but Jeff didn’t tell me what about.”

“Forget about them,” Robin replies, reaching out to take his hand even as it makes everyone around them stare. “Come on, Stevie, or we’ll be late to Ms. Clickity Clack’s class.”

Steve passes the rest of the day in a daze, the spot at his side a revolving cast of Chrissy, Robin, and Jeff, like they’d all talked behind his back and decided he couldn’t be trusted with being alone right now. Steve can’t blame them because as soon as he’s left unattended in his big empty house, he gets out his notebook and pen, and begins to write.

   Eddie —

   I’m sorry I never got to read your last letter, but it wasn’t for me anyways. Maybe none of them were, not really. And I’m sorry about that, even sorrier about how your pretty face got caught in the ceasefire. I’m just full of sorries I’m to scared to tell to your face—from the way you ran when you saw me in the hallway this morning, maybe you wouldn’t want me to anyway.

   You’ve always been the brave one, so you must really want to not see me, huh? I hope you and Jeff are friends again. I’m sorry about that too, I’m the one who asked him not to tell you. I was afraid, but that’s no excuse.

   I don’t know how to stop wanting to right write to you. I can’t turn off the part of me that still wants to know everything about you. There’s a whole in my heart, and I keep trying to find people to fill it, but I can never be in love with someone who loves me back. You know?

   I’m sorry, Eddie. Maybe someday, I’ll get to say it to your face.

   Sorry,

   Steve

He closes the notebook on the damning words and shoves it into his nightstand so he doesn’t have to look at it. Sleep doesn’t come—the house is too quiet. He grabs the phone off his dresser and calls the only other person he knows whose parents trust them enough to have a phone in their bedroom.

“H’lo?” Robin mutters sleepily after finally picking up the phone six rings later.

She sounds tired—Steve’s sorry he woke her. “I wrote another letter,” he says.

That seems to perk her up instantly, as she hisses down the line, “Steven James Harrington.”

“Not my name, Robin Steven Bobbington,” he replies, talking right over her shrieked “well, that’s not mine!” to continue, “I’m not going to send it.”

“You better not,” she replies, and Steve can hear some rustling on her end, like she’s settling back down into her bed. He wishes, suddenly, that he was in there with her, clutching her hand as they fall asleep side by side. Instead, he lays down on his own bed and concentrates on the noises coming down the line.

“Is it stupid that I miss him?” he asks.

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Robin!”

She laughs, a quiet sleepy chuckle that warms him straight through. “I’m just saying! He’s been treating you like shit, Stevie.”

Steve sighs, burrowing down under his comforter and taking the phone with him. “He was different in the letters,” he whispers, like someone in his empty house might hear him otherwise. “Sweeter, you know?”

Robin sighs, “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

There’s enough sorries to go around for all of them, apparently. They’re quiet for a while, Robin’s breathing keeping him company in his big, lonely bed with his big, lonely thoughts.

“I love you, Robbie,” he whispers. “You know that, right?”

He’s been saying it a lot lately, throwing the words around like they’ll connect this time and get him something real. And they had, with Chrissy, with Robin, hell, even with Jeff. Just, not with Eddie. Maybe someday, he’ll learn to be okay with that.

“Love you, too, Dingus,” Robin replies, like it’s easy.

He falls asleep that night to the sound of Robin’s quiet snoring.

***

Eddie thinks about it—obsessively, compulsively. He dreams about it, jerks off about it, fucking cries about it. He reads the letters, again, and again, and again, wishing desperately that he still had that first one. At school, he checks his locker obsessively, compulsively, hoping there’s another note in his locker—there never is.

“Dude, what’s your problem?” Gareth asks, an elbow into Eddie’s side.

“Ow, ribs!” Eddie cries, curling away from him and into Doug at their usual lunch table.

“Sorry!” Gareth replies, leaning away from him and raising his hands up like that’ll somehow prove he’s harmless.

Jeff snorts around his sandwich, “gotta be careful, Gare-bear. He’s precious cargo now.”

“Oh fuck off,” Eddie replies, rolling his eyes as the rest of Hellfire laugh around him.

“No, but seriously, dude,” Gareth asks, this time without the thrown elbow. “What’s up with you?”

Eddie looks across the cafeteria at Steve and Chrissy’s usual spots, still empty the way they have been for weeks. He worries, sometimes, that they’re not eating, and it’s his fault.

Hopefully, they’re just packing lunches from home and eating somewhere else (he’s been too afraid to check).

“Can’t tell you buddy,” Eddie replies, still looking at the empty spot like that’ll somehow make the duo appear. “I promised.”

Gareth, clearly having followed his line of sight, leans closer and asks in an unsubtle whisper, “but it’s about you know what?”

Doug sits on, oblivious, but Jeff snorts again and asks, “okay, you didn’t tell me jack shit, but you told the freshman?”

“Sophomore, jackass!” Gareth cries, before seeming to realize the implications of Jeff’s sentence. “You told Jeff?”

“I knew before you did,” Jeff says smugly, and Eddie’s starting to get pissed off about that again.

“How!”

“Jeff, dearest?” Eddie grits out. “Do you want me to punch you in the face?”

That shuts the table up catastrophically. But in the end, Jeff sighs and says, “I’m coming over after school,” and the rest of lunch is spent fielding Gareth’s indignant questions.

True to his word, Jeff climbs into Eddie’s passenger seat at the end of the day. Eddie doesn’t take them to the trailer, he just drives around, taking back roads round and round, restlessness making his fingers twitch in the gear shift.

Jeff’s the one who breaks the silence, in the end. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” he says, making Eddie flinch at the sudden noise. “Steve just seemed so scared, and Chrissy was crying so—”

“He was scared?” Eddie interrupts, stuck on the thought. He’d known that, before, but now that Eddie’s afraid, too, it hits like a punch to the chest.

“Of course he was,” Eddie replies to his own question. Suddenly unable to focus, Eddie pulls over to the side of the road. “I’m scared, too.”

Jeff sucks in a breath; Eddie doesn’t look away from his own knees.

“Yeah?”

Eddie bites his lip, knowing that Jeff will be able to read between the lines. “Yeah.” His eyes are watering, and Eddie swipes at them, embarrassed. “And I know we’re supposed to be talking about us, but I just—”

“No, hey,” Jeff replies. Eddie hears the sound of his seatbelt unbuckling, and the rustle of him shifting in his seat, and suddenly, Jeff’s hand is clasping Eddie’s shoulder, shaking him around just a little. “You’re my best friend—we’re fine, dude.”

Eddie swipes at his eyes again, “I think I want to ask him out, but what if I’m wrong?” Eddie asks, tracking Jeff’s expression out of the corner of his eye. “I don’t want to hurt him again.”

“So, what?” Jeff asks, voice deadpan. “You find out he likes you and suddenly he’s not just a jock anymore?”

Eddie looks down at his own knees, bracing for a hit he knows will never come. But, Eddie’s always been good at hurting himself, so he thinks about that yellow nail polish again, the enraptured look in Steve’s eyes during every D&D session, the way he’d glued himself to Robin Buckley, band nerd supreme’s side in recent weeks. The way he’d look at Eddie like he wasn’t the king of the freaks, like he was worth something.

“He was never just a jock,” Eddie murmurs. “I just never let myself think about it.”

Jeff mmmhmms him and Eddie knows him well enough to hear the doubt beneath the agreement.

“I was afraid, okay?” Eddie laments, scrunching his eyes closed tight until that makes his bruised eye ache too much. “You wouldn’t get it.”

At that, Jeff scoffs, and before Eddie can start up another tirade, he replies, “right, the black guy dating a white girl in Po-dunk, Indiana has no idea how scary it can be to make a move on the person you like.”

Okay, fair.

“You know what could happen if the wrong person finds out?” Jeff continues. “I’ll be lucky if they let me get out of town alive.”

“Okay, okay! I get it, sorry!” Eddie cries, throwing his hands up in defeat. And Jeff, being the asshole he is, just laughs at his discomfort. “How’s that going anyway?”

“With Chrissy?” Jeff asks, continuing when Eddie nods. “She’s great, man. I really, really like her.”

He’s smiling all goofy and in love. Eddie waits for the jealousy to hit; it never comes. Even as he’d flirted with her, there’d always been a disconnect for him between the letters and the girl. He knows why, now.

“I’m happy for you.”

Jeff aims that same goofy smile at him and punches his shoulder. “Thanks, man.”

Eddie wants to feel that way about someone. He wants to think of them and smile like he just can’t help himself. And with Steve Harrington of all people, maybe he can.

“If I ask Steve out, do you think he’ll still say yes?”

“Oh, for sure,” Jeff replies without hesitation before he turns to Eddie and eyes him up and down. “But are you sure you want to?”

Eddie bites back the defensive retort rising on his tongue, and grits out, “what do you mean?”

Jeff sighs and leans back in his chair. Eddie waits, three seconds from snapping as he stews in Jeff’s silence, hands clenched so hard against the steering wheel that it feels like one of his nails might pop clean off. 

“Jeff–”

“No one’s ever liked you before!” Jeff cries, and it hits Eddie like a punch to the sternum. “And maybe it’s not fair of me to ask but, are you sure you even really like him?”

“What?” Eddie asks, his mind a record skipping against a bent needle. “What do you–”

“Eddie, man,” Jeff sighs, swiveling his head to finally look Eddie directly in the eyes. “Do you like Steve Harrington, or do you just like that he likes you?”

He drops the wheel, hands almost numb as he shakes them out, no longer able to meet Jeff’s eye. 

How would anyone ever know that for sure? How can he know the origin of a feeling when it’s been there, simmering in the background of his brain, just waiting for him to wake up? How can he separate the feeling for a person and the person’s feeling for them?

That’s like asking him to unbraid his hair, let it fall back together, and still be able to tell which strands made up each component of the braid–it can’t be done.

But, “Gareth said I was obsessed with him,” Eddie replies, barely above a whisper. “Like, before I knew he wrote the letters?”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Eddie laughs, but it’s just like Steve said–it sounds different when he doesn’t think it’s funny. “And, he was right, you know? I was flirting with Chrissy, but I couldn’t stop thinking about him.”

Eddie runs a shaking hand through his hair and buries his face into his hands with a shudder. “He’s just–he’s Steve Harrington, right? Everyone knows everything about him, but then he just changes the script!” Eddie’s smiling now, manic, animated. “And I wanted to know everything.”

Eddie drops his hands to look over at Jeff, meeting his eyes once more. Jeff looks patient, ready, hopeful in a way he hadn’t before, so Eddie keeps talking.

“Like, Chrissy was flirting with you and he didn’t even seem to care, and the yellow nail polish, and he came to Hellfire, Jeff. Steve Harrington came and watched us play Dungeons and Dragons.”

“I know,” Jeff replies, grinning now, pearly whites all on full display. 

“And when he came to band practice, he was just like, watching me, and I sort of wanted to die, but in a good way, you know?”

Jeff decidedly does not look like he knows, but he’s still grinning across at Eddie like he’s proud of him. Eddie’s kind of proud, too, that he’s managing to say all of this aloud. It feels somehow new and a long time coming at the same time. 

“Okay, you can ask him out,” Jeff says, turning forward in his seat and buckling his seatbelt once more. 

Eddie laughs. “Oh, because I needed your blessing?”

“Yeah,” Jeff replies, grinning as he turns back to Eddie, looking him up and down like he’s a slab of meat Jeff’s checking for its quality. “Maybe wait until you’re healed up, though. You look like one of those cardboard box kittens that I keep seeing on the news.”

“Shut up!” Eddie squawks, but he’s smiling, helplessly, hopefully.

Eddie Munson with a chance at love, who would’ve thought?

[inmyheaddd]

walkin’ out the door with your bags — part 6

⤷ “i’m not the type to run, i know we’re having fun,”

summary: you and gigi are peacefully enjoying your day, when you find out, grayson’s… back? and he wants to talk. what could go wrong? wc: 3.0k masterlist || part 1 || part 2 || part 3 || part 4 || part 5

14 years old… 

you found him hiding in the library.  

he was slumped in the corner, knees pulled to his chest, head buried in his arms. at first, you weren’t sure it was him—grayson hawthorne never looked so… small. 

his usually pristine shirt slightly wrinkled like he’d been tugging at the hem, and it wasn’t tucked in. he didn’t look straight at you when you stepped in, but he didn’t tell you to leave either.  

“what do you want?” his voice cracked, but he tried to sound cold.  

you didn’t answer. instead, you sat down beside him, legs crossed, like it was the most normal thing in the world. 

he blinked at you, waiting for an explanation, but you just shrugged. years of knowing each other, and it always went down like this. 

“company.” you picked a random book off the nearest shelf and flipped it open. “you can pretend i’m not here.”

he didn’t reply.

minutes passed. long enough that you thought maybe he really would ignore you. at one point, you began actually reading the book you were pretending to read, and nearly forgot about the boy beside you.

but then, out of nowhere, he spoke.

“i don’t know what to do.” he admitted slowly. “there’s this girl… emily,” he said, his voice low, and you felt your heart beat faster. “and… my brother. jameson.”

your chest tightened, though you weren’t sure why. your kept your gaze fixed on the pages of your book, but your hands had stopped turning the pages.

“what about them?” you asked carefully, glancing at him for a second.

he ran a hand through his hair. “she’s… complicated. and jameson—he doesn’t think. he just jumps into things, never stops to think what it might do to everyone else.”

you hesitated, breath hitching as you studied the way he wouldn’t look straight into your eyes. whatever this was, clearly meant a lot.

he continued, looking down at the floor. “it gets repetitive. jameson, emily—they don’t think about the damage until it’s too late. and then they leave me to clean it up. and stupidly, for some reason, i do. i always do.”

you’ve seen grayson sad before, but this was different. he looked… lost. and angry. and for someone like grayson, who always carried himself like he had the whole world in order, it was jarring.

“you’re allowed to be mad, you know,” you said.

that made him pause. “i’m not mad,” he said, but the words sounded like a blatant lie.

your shoulders were barely touching , but the act alone felt larger than anything else. 

you tilted your head, a soft smile growing on your face. “okay, then you’re… frustrated? dissapointed? annoyed? irritated? pick your adjective.”

that earned the tiniest flicker of a smile, and your chest felt a little lighter, but then it disappeared just as quickly. he looked at you then, and something about the way his eyes searched your face made your breath catch.

“sometimes, i think you’re the only person who actually sees me,” he said quietly.

your heart stuttered, and for a second, you couldn’t think of anything to say. 

but then you smiled, “of course i see you,” you rolled your eyes jokingly like he hadn’t just sincerely confirmed that he really did see you as a friend, after years of just feeling like you pestered him. 

your cheeks reddened, “i’m your friend, that’s what i’m here for.” 

“but, you know,” you continued, “you’re surrounded by people who care about you,” you said softly, taking the focus away from you, and back to being there for grayson. “just let yourself see it. don’t push them away.”

his head snapped up at that, his sharp eyes meeting yours. “but people never just… stay.” he mumbled. “they have their own lives, their own motives.”

you stayed. you always would. “that doesn’t mean you have to shut everyone out,” you said, your voice steadier now.

“not everyone’s going to hurt you, grayson. but you won’t know that if you keep closing the door before anyone gets close. i mean, i annoyed you for so many years straight even when you pushed me away.” you said. 

“not everyone has my extreme level of patience and willingness to accept moody brooding.” you joked to lighten the moment, but there was truth behind it, he couldn’t expect people to stick around if he pushed them away.

he stared at you for a long moment, and something in his expression cracked, like he wanted to believe you but didn’t quite know how yet. 

he looked back at the floor, “you never actually irritated me,” he admitted, “and i never hated you. perhaps you’re right, i don’t… i don’t like to let people in.” 

you shrugged casually, “i’m always right.” 

he looked at you with a newfound softness in his eyes. “you’re annoyingly persistent, you know that?” he said finally, your shoulders still brushing against each other. 

“oh, i know.” you grinned. “if i wasn’t, we wouldn’t be friends right now.” you said with a small smile. “someone’s gotta stick around to remind you you’re not as alone as you think.”

for a while, neither of you said anything. grayson leaned his head back against the wall, letting out a long, quiet breath. 

that was when you knew he was replaying your words, letting them sink in—even if he wouldn’t say it outloud. 

— 

present

after days of confusion and radio silence from grayson, you finally told yourself that you were done overthinking. gigi had dragged you to your favorite ice cream shop for a much-needed distraction. 

the two of you sat at your usual table near the front, the smell of waffle cones and the soft hum of background music lulling you back into some sense of normalcy. that was until gigi leaned closer, her voice a hushed whisper.

“don’t look now, but…” gigi trailed off, her eyes going behind you once again. “grayson is kind of, um, here. and sitting behind you.” 

considering gigi had made very careful effort to not even mention his name around you — even when you persisted you didn’t care— hearing graysons name come from her lips stunned you for a moment, then you realized what she had just said. 

“what?” you whispered in shock, and then you turned around before you could think it twice. 

there were quite a few people in the shop, so there was quiet chatter mixed with the background music, but it all seemed to silence. 

but there he was, grayson hawthorne, sitting in the back of the empty icecream shop, glasses on typing on his computer.

‘who did he think he was?’ you thought, ‘coming to our— my place? the one that i introduced him to?’ 

you focused on the anger so you wouldn’t feel anything else. 

what on earth was he doing here? who the hell comes to an ice cream shop and doesn’t even get anything? and does what, office work? and who—

he looked up through his glasses, and you realized to late that you were sort of… full blown staring. 

he met your eyes for the briefest of seconds as you turned your head back around. 

“holy cow…” gigi mumbled as she looked down at her icecream, “he’s giving you a major longing stare right now.”

“okay,” you hummed, raising your eyebrows momentarily in lieu of a shrug that he would he able to see, “i don’t care.”

“sure you don’t,” she replied knowingly, dragging her spoon through her melting sundae. you gave her a look that said you didn’t agree, and that you seriously did not care, but she didn’t say anything. 

a beat passed before gigi suddenly grinned. “okay. in five seconds, i’m giving him a major angry glare.” she mumbled under her breath. 

“gigi, do not.”

“three…

“seriously, don’t.”

“two… one. i’m doing it!”

“gigi!”

she tilted her head back up, and bless her heart, gave her best attempt at a seething glare at grayson. 

it was sort of impossible for her to look angry with her wide blue eyes, no matter how hard she furrowed her brows. 

and she didn’t let up at it for a few seconds, then raised her eyebrows — half surprised and half amused. “ha,” she grinned to herself and fisted the air. “he looked away first. loser.” 

he was probably just crazily confused, you reckoned. 

“okay,” you chuckled under your breath, your cheeks reddening by the second. “um, should we leave now?”

“no,” gigi whined, taking a bite of her icecream. “that’ll make it obvious we’re mad. besides, i haven’t finished my icecream.” 

“well, i think that look you gave him made it more obvious,” you told her, and she only laughed as she shook her head. “but alright.” 

it wasn’t long before you left. you didn’t even have an appetite any more, and you were too overly aware of a presence behind you to focus on anything else. gigi finished her icecream promptly. 

the drive home was quiet. gigi hummed along to the radio, her mood as bright as ever, but you couldn’t shake the tightness in your chest. 

your thoughts churned, questions you’d been trying to bury for a few days swirling all over again.

“you’re quiet,” gigi said after a while, her tone soft. she glanced at you, concerned, but you only shook your head, trying to force a small smile.

“just tired,” you mumbled.

gigi didn’t push, and you could tell she didn’t buy it.

you pulled into the driveway and sat there for a moment, the car engine ticking softly as it cooled. gigi patted your arm before grabbing her bag and heading inside.

you smiled and nodded, muttering something like ‘i’ll meet you inside,’ and you stayed behind for a moment, staring at the steering wheel.

your phone was put on silent, then you scrolled through your notifications. 

grayson 

— Hi, I believe I saw you and Gigi today

you

— yeah haha i think gigi told me she saw you  i thought you were gone for 8 days? — it’s nice to see you back

grayson 

— Likewise. — I think we should talk, It’s been long overdue. 

a scoff escaped before you could stop it. the audacity.

your fingers moved before your brain could catch up.

you

— ok — talk then 

grasyon

— Would you be alright with talking in person?

you 

— yeah sure whatever — where?

grayson

— I’ll come to you.

you

— maybe not — i don’t want to disturb gigi

grayson

— Our park spot, then?

you

— ok

your heart slammed in your chest. you sat there for a moment, staring at the screen wordlessly, trying to process what just happened. 

our? how could he even still use that word?

this was happening, you were going to talk to grayson for real this time. you anticipated it wouldn’t end good. things with him were rarely easy.

you put on your headphones to numb your thoughts, pulled on a hoodie, and made your way out the house. 

the playground was completely empty, which was usually how it was when you and grayson used to go. the sun was already beginning to set when you walked out of your house, and it was fully dark once you arrived, making your way toward your spot. the bench.

it wasn’t anything special—just a worn wooden bench tucked away at the edge of the playground. but it had been yours. you and grayson’s.

he was already there when you arrived, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees, staring at the ground like it might have the answers he needed.

you sat down on the opposite end of the bench, keeping a deliberate distance. “okay,” you said, crossing your arms. “talk.” the park was eerily quiet, the air cooling rapidly as the sun finally disappeared behind the trees. the bench felt cold under your fingers as you sat down, the weight of the moment settling in.

his eyes flicked to yours, and for the first time, you thought you saw a hint of guilt there. 

you were both silent for a few seconds, before you looked away, down at the floor.

“fine, if you won’t talk, i will.” you muttered. 

“grayson,” you sighed, “you can’t just—” you started, your voice breaking slightly before you caught yourself. 

you cleared your throat, willing the tears to stay put. “you can’t just disappear and then show up like nothing happened. like i’m supposed to just... what? forget it?”

he inhaled, then hesitated. “you know, i never meant it to be like this. i didn’t mean for it to feel like that.” he said quietly, his tone so calm that it just made you more angry.

“feel like what, grayson?” you finally snapped your head towards his. “like you were ignoring me? like you couldn’t be bothered to let me know what was going on? because that’s exactly what it felt like.”

his jaw tightened, but he didn’t say anything.

“that’s it?” you scoffed, followed by a bitter laugh as you sat up straight. “you disappear, you come back, and all you’ve got is ‘i didn’t mean for it to feel like that?’”

he wielded silence like a weapon, just like he always had.

you continued, still. “what’s going on with you? you’re acting so— so different, i barely even recognize you.”

he let out a breath as he looked away, running a hand through his hair. “please, don’t make this harder than it already is,” he started, his voice calm but careful. “yes, we are good friends, but we’ve tarnished that too far for us to ever be simply friends again.”

“what? grayson,” you said through a forced laugh, “what are you even saying right now?” you knew precisely what he was saying. 

“you’re a good person.” he said, almost sounding like he was begging for you to see his point, “you’re a lovely person, the most caring and funniest person i’ve met. you deserve better, i’m not the person for you.” 

“grayson, what is wrong with you?” you couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity at what you were hearing, but you were so frustrated at his… selfishness.

“i want you, you want me, right? it’s that simple! just let us be us.”

“it’s never that simple.” he shook his head, that one strand falling back into his face. his brows furrowed slightly like the words hurt him to say.

“it is that simple! you’re making no sense, just— just stop.” you stood up, and he followed, fear flashing in his eyes momentarily. 

you took a slow step away from him.

“you kissed me! you kissed me.” your voice crackled, and you swallowed thickly, forcing yourself to keep going. “if you knew from day one that you couldn’t do this, you should’ve just spared me the effort and left me alone.”

he looked at you like you’d shot a dagger through his heart, though his eyes were the only thing that showed it. were you being unfair? probably. but in your eyes, you had every right to be. 

as much as both of you hated to admit, his eyes were far too easy for you to read. they were like a language only you were fluent in, like you could have a whole conversation without even speaking.

now, all they said was pain. 

“you’re the only thing making things more difficult, gray.” you hated the way your voice trembled. 

low blow after low blow. but he deserved it. 

all those nights you’d spent together? he knew you inside and out, what hurts you, what doesn’t, and exactly how you love.

he knew all of that, and he still thought that leaving because things were difficult was going to be the right thing.

this couldn’t be real.

“look at us, don’t you see it?” he motioned between the two of you, like whatever was happening was a tangible thing he could see. “we’re fighting like this, and we’re not even together. we’re going to ruin each other.”

ruin each other? is that what he thought? god knows how many years of friendship, a pretty perfect friendship too, and he thought making something official would lead to you ruining each other? 

you weren’t fighting with him, you were trying to fight for him. for the chance of you actually being something more. 

“we can’t do this.” his voice felt so detached, but his eyes looked so hurt at the same time. he didn’t getto feel hurt, not when it was his fault. “we’ll just end up hurting eachother, and i don’t want to hurt you.”

you nodded silently, willing your tears back. every inch of you you wanted to scream in his face, “you already have! you coward.”

he was doing nothing but hurt you these past few days.

instead, you nodded, biting the inside of your cheek to keep the tears at bay.

“yeah,” you said, pressing your lips together as you nodded again. “alright. i get it. that’s it then?”

grayson’s eyes narrowed for a split second like he was confused. 

was he surprised? did he think you were going to hang on longer? because you weren’t. you’d spent far too much energy on him. you always saw him as someone worth spending you time on, someone worth trying to figure out, someone you wanted to know.

but you understood now: he didn’t want you to figure him out because he didn’t even know who he was himself. he was scared. but that wasn’t an excuse; you were terrified, and you still were. 

love had always been your fatal flaw, the one thing you were unsure of, but you were willing to dive in head first because it was grayson. 

he just didn’t feel as deeply though. 

you didn’t want to figure him out, and you didn’t want to know anything about him anymore. 

he didn’t answer right away. instead, he looked at you, and for a moment, his mask slipped. his eyes—those stupid, stupid eyes— almost made you want to feel sorry for him. he looked vulnerable, but you were too angry to let it affect you this time.

“i… yes.” grayson finally said, sounding unsure of himself for once in his life. “i suppose that’s it.”

“good,” you nodded as your crossed your arms, “because i don’t want to hear what you have to say ever again.“ 

he reached his hands out but quickly let his arms fall back, curling his fingers into a fist. 

he looked at you like he didn’t know what to say, his mouth opening and closing before he finally settled on just staying silent.

you still felt like there was a million unspoken words that needed to be said, but you turned and walked away. 

for once, you didn’t wait to see if he’d try again.

you willed your feet to move and not think about how he looked behind you, because if you did, even for a second, you had a feeling you’d turn right back. 

a/n: guys it gets better i swear they’ll be happier than ever soon 🙏 taglist: @x-liv25-jamieswife @wish-i-were-heather @thecircularlibrary @whatsamongus @littlemissmentallyunstable

@anintellectualintellectual @lovethornes @maybxlle @sheisntyou @emelia07

 @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @charsoamerican @hxress23 @imaseabear 

@clarissaweasley-10 @off-to-the-r4ces @thelov3lybookworm @graysw1fe @lanterns-and-daydreams 

@hermesenthusiast @elysianwayy77 @that-daughter-of-hephaestus @apollosmusee

[fallen--starlight]

hi tumblr user if-you-soul i need to preface this by saying i was actually discussing the god awful mischaracterization this fandom inflicts on HMS with my besties & opened tumblr to look for your reblog of that soul fanart saying "YOU fell for the character's facade that was meant to be dismantled by the viewer!" & got hit w this & it MADE MY DAY. i fucking love this album to death & im a soul fictionkin so these things drive me up a fucking wall

cccc is pretty straightforward while also being purposefully vague & left up to interpretation in many areas but soooo many people take interpretation to twisting the narrative until its no longer what it was & it makes me ask myself did we listen to same tracks here?? where are yall getting these things from???? this got rly fucking long so im adding a cut here voilá

when people talk abt the mischaracterization in the fandom its usually focused on heart & mind so im INSANELY glad to see someone talk abt the soul shit. cause what kinda crack are people on?? he never threatens to harm h&m except for at the end of TSE where he is... having a mental breakdown? have people forgotten what it's like to have a breakdown??? you say shit you dont mean bc you're splitting at the seams & falling apart. there is no point in the entire album where soul is portrayed as manipulative/entitled/evil/violent/abusive/erratic, which are descriptions a surprisingly large amt of ppl seem to subscribe to? HE'S A VICTIM !!!! & im so glad you said it! i too have been in a kind of middleman position to parties fighting with each other & its insanely detrimental to one's mental health & had me at an incredibly low point so yeah TSE feels deeply personal to me & soul's character in general (waves in soul kin again LMAO), drives me bonkers how ppl describe him.

mind WISHES he was unfeeling. heart calling him an automaton freak doesnt mean he doesnt feel! it means that he just PUSHES AWAY & REPRESSES EMOTION, or at least tries to. like one has to really emphasize that everything between the heart acoustic & the soul eclectic has mind clearly displaying rage & bitterness & all kinds of emotions. even the end of TME says "maybe my existence might be by design, a simple fact that he'll refuse to see" like bro says its a maybe & then immediately claims its a fact yall are falling for his facade so hardcore its not even funny atp. the way people treat heart is borderline gross, he is NOT an uwu baby innocent boy that doesnt know anything & ppl infantilize him so much idek why. heart represents emotion- ALL emotions. & you're right! emotions are so fucking draining & exhausting at times, especially if you're mentally ill! all this weird portrayal of evil mind & innocent heart is so ?? can i quote TSE with neither is wrong yet neither is right. all 3 of them are neither good nor evil. they're people. they're human. the album really emphasizes this a lot.

the juno incident & RoE in general is made to be a much bigger deal by the fandom that it really is. applies to more than one thing in cccc but RoE takes the cake tbh. & yeah! whole is an entirely fanon thing lololol like im pretty fucking sure even chonny jash has said this someway or another. what we call whole is literally just...chonny. i think ppl took dream's "when harmonia shines, atlas beholds her" & RAN. & honestly i like whole hcs but this brings me to another thing: i really feel like cccc fans come up with so many hcs & interpretations for the album that they forget what the canon is in favor of their fanon. there's so much shock gore & gore in general for lowkey no reason in here </3 its so much & for what. fanon is awesome like everyone should be free to do whatever but i do wish ppl would Remember Canon a bit more & separate their hcs from it more. along with the gore. where are yall getting all this insane amount of gore & violence from. i feel like any violence alluded to in the album is more metaphorical than it is physical bc emotions can be felt violently. internal violence. the album is abt the never ending cycle of mental illness getting better & then getting bad again & so forth as a natural part of life & accepting yourself in those moments.

tl;dr u r so correct & i couldnt agree more & you've voiced the way i've felt abt this fandom for ages we lost the fucking plot & kept running anyways lets pause & find it again thank you so much for sharing ur yapsesh with us

Mischaracterization in the CCCC fandom: a yapsesh (alternative title: Erm... What the Gore is Going On?)

Hi. Woaw. I'm actually making that post I talked about.

So. One thing I've noticed in the CCCC fandom is this weird fixation on gore, torture, violence, etc. Usually a level of graphic content that makes your average horror flick look... pretty tame!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy horror! I even think a horror story based around psychological conflict similar to CCCC could work well!

But is it just me, or has this fandom COMPLETELY lost track of what the characters are like in the source material?

Like. Let's be real. Nowhere in the album does Soul do gruesome surgeries on Mind, nowhere does Mind go ripping people to shreds like Doomguy, et cetera. The closest thing we have to an implication of violence is what most of us call the "Juno incident"- as even "tines stabbed through eyes" is clearly a metaphor with the next line: "that the sides have condemned."

Im gonna talk ab the characters themselves under the cut

I feel the biggest victim of this mischaracterization is Soul. In the album he's... kind of a victim, really. He toughs out being dismissed and fought over and pushed aside and outright dehumanized for so, so long. Are we seriously just... going to characterize him based solely on his lowest point in TSE? Spring and a Storm and Mucka Blucka are also songs where he's present- along with his presence in Just Apathy that the fandom seems to outright deny to keep their characterization of him as some violent, abusive monster. (Which, again, is quite literally never alluded to! He's honestly kind of a victim, if anything!)

Ohhkay. Next topic. Mind. Oh boy I have thoughts on how people characterize Mind.

He's not emotionless. If you believe this, you've fallen for his stoic facade. All of his songs are just. So full of so much rage. Maybe even a little bit of grief and sadness and fear, masked by said rage. He isn't some emotionless robot- (Heart calls him an automaton as an insult, but that's another rant.) and honestly it feels like such a disservice to such an interesting character with so much unexplored depth to portray him as such.

Heart. Oh boy. Where do I start. Heart what did they do to you.

Heart is the emotional side, yes, but that isn't just some... smol innocent uwu baby who cries all the time. Emotions aren't small and cute and timid. They're INTENSE and PASSIONATE and EXHAUSTING. Strong emotions leave you so, so drained, good OR bad. This is so much more interesting than portraying him as some "uwu hai dere!!" type of character. Which is nowhere in the album.

Whole is hardly even a character. Soul worshipping and praying to whole is fanon.

This fandom's weird obsession with creating shock gore and one-upping each other in a violence competition has spiraled pretty far out of control, and it's honestly crazy. How do you go from an album about internal conflict to violence that would make even the cast of Resident Evil cringe? Brah.

Final notes uhhh. Soul is a victim who got pushed to his limit, not an evil heartless abuser. Mind is angry and unstable and hurt, not some emotionless robot. Heart is the entire emotional spectrum, not some innocent baby. Ok i . I think that's all. Have a good one

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

I’m a transfem Christian, and sometimes I worry that I’m twisting Christianity to suit my politics and views rather than the reverse. I was raised as a Southern Baptist and left for the Episcopal Church, with the conservatism of the former church being a large reason for my departure. I really don’t want to have to chose between either being able to transition and being a good Christian, but I’m so worried that I’ll have to make that choice.

Hey there, I am so sorry for the delay in responding to this. I don't for a second believe you are "twisting" Christianity to suit your views by living into your true self:

Jesus tells us that we can know a thing by its fruit — if the fruit is good, the tree is good; if the fruit is bad, the tree is bad (Luke 6:43-45; Matthew 7:15-20).

What are the fruits of transition? Joy, community, reconnection with your own body? Life?

What are the fruits of the things preached by ultra conservative churches? Hatred, fear of difference, violence? Deportation instead of love of stranger, judgment instead of mercy, control via terror instead of liberation through God's love?

Near the end of this webpage of mine about a liberatory framework for reading scripture, I address the accusation that queer Christians are just "reading into" the Bible what we want to see. To sum it up, I agree that all people bring our biases to the text — heck, the biblical authors brought their own biases to the text!

“The truth is, you can bend Scripture to say just about anything you want it to say. You can bend it until it breaks. For those who count the Bible as sacred, interpretation is not a matter of whether to pick and choose, but how to pick and choose. We’re all selective. We all wrestle with how to interpret and apply the Bible in our lives. We all go to the text looking for something, and we all have a tendency to find it." - Rachel Held Evans

Many theologians say that when we accept both our own biases and the biases of the people who wrote, edited, and compiled the books of the Bible, the best way to determine what is Divine in scripture is to follow The Rule of Love:

"Any interpretation of scripture is wrong that shows indifference or contempt for any individual or group inside or outside the church. All right interpretations reflect the love of God...for all kinds of people everywhere, everyone included and no one excluded.”

- Shirley Guthrie

The webpage offers more details about this way of reading the Bible, if you are interested. But at the end of the day, the main thing I hope you can come to believe not only in your head but in your heart and your body is that you are beloved. That God created you exactly as you are with purpose and delight. That you have vital gifts to share with the world that the Body of Christ is not whole without.

If you need further assurance through theology, I invite you to check out Austen Hartke's Transgender and Christian YouTube series.

You may also find Rev. Nicole Garcia's story encouraging; she's a trans pastor who once said that she has experienced two vocations in life: one to ordained ministry, and one to being a woman.

God is calling you, too. I pray that you can feel Their presence and love in your life -- even when it's hard to believe in it yourself. <3

(For more, I have a trans tag and an affirmation tag and trans women tag and also an FAQ you might like to peruse through)

[misspelledwordswizard]

Alright, I'm feeling some Sky fluff so how about The Chain ends up on Skyloft and Sky takes the reader for a ride on Crimson as a cute little date?

Oh, that was so sweet to write! I hope you like it <3

A date in the skies

The blond man’s blue eyes shone as he recognized the place they had arrived at after passing through that portal. The blue sky surrounded the surroundings, the wind howled along with the sound of several birds flying nearby, all of this mixing with the natural cacophony of the people who lived there, on that large island in the sky.

The others, however, seemed a little more than confused about their current location. Of course, most quickly associated it with the heroes of the skies, but it was still shocking and intriguing, it was all very new to the others, including me, who had been following them for several months now.

Sky promptly informed and explained to everyone that they were in Skyloft, his home, and made sure to give them a quick tour of it, mainly to prevent them from ending up lost. The sun was shining high in the sky indicating the beginning of the afternoon when he finally finished explaining everything about the island to his brothers, releasing them to explore it at will as long as they returned to the designated meeting point, the knight academy, at the end of the afternoon.

I considered the idea of going exploring as well, I’m naturally quite curious about the place where my beloved was born and raised, but I want much more to spend this time alone with him and enjoy this beautiful day. Knowing Link, he must have planned the whole day for the two of us, maybe he’ll show me the places of his childhood, or we’ll just spend some quiet time together, either way it’ll be great.

I stood next to him as everyone dispersed, some obviously more excited than others, but all curious about the floating island we’d ended up on. As soon as the others were out of sight, we looked at each other, already knowing what the other was thinking, and we smiled at the coincidence.

— Okay, Mr. Romantic, what are your plans for today?

— Oh, I’m so excited for this, I’ve been waiting for the chance to show you Skyloft, and Crimson, and spend some time alone, I could take you flying after a romantic picnic. – He replied, visibly excited about the idea, making me smile at the lovely thought.

— That sounds great, love. I couldn’t think of anything better, but just being able to spend this day with you makes me happy. Especially when it’s been so long since we’ve had our alone time. – I said, remembering all the company, as much as they were very dear to me, sometimes eight brothers-in-law could be a bit much.

With the plans set, we went together first so I could meet my boyfriend’s Loftwing, a large red bird, with a huge beak, who looked at me curiously. He seemed to accept me well, though. He happily let me stroke his soft neck feathers, rubbing his head against me affectionately, and Sky seemed very pleased with that.

After this friendly encounter, we agreed that it would be time to eat something, we had been walking for a while and this would be the perfect moment for that romantic picnic previously planned. We bought some food and walked towards the waterfall that flowed into the island’s lake. It was truly a spectacular sight to behold, the water fell beautifully and sparkled reflecting the sun’s rays, giving the place na almost magical air.

I was totally enchanted by the Remlits on the way there, they were totally adorable, had soft fur and kept following us around so we could play with them. But I have to admit that I almost had a heart attack when I saw Link throw one of them off the edge of the floating island. I mean, I trust my boyfriend, of course I do, but who in their right mind wouldn’t be scared by that? And of course, to my surprise, the little feline came flying back with his ears, which was partly relieving, partly adorable, and partly comical.

We turned our attention back to the meal we were waiting for, choosing a spot near the lake, on the bright green grass, sorting out what we had brought and laying it out on a charming red picnic blanket. We took our time to eat, our conversation flowed as always, it was always a mutual understanding, a comfortable and fun topic to discuss. I love hearing the sound of his voice, how excited he seemed to be talking about his era and his adventures, and now, seeing how beautiful and wonderful this place was, I could understand.

We must have spent a good few hours there, much more engrossed in each other than in the activity itself, and every moment was wonderful, I must say. Sharing a very different pumpkin treat was na experience, it seemed that pumpkins were popular around here, and certainly everything they made with them was delicious.

— Are you ready to go, feather? – Link asked, using his sweet nickname he gave me.

— Sure, dear. I’m excited to do this, even though I must admit I’m a little apprehensive.

— Don’t worry, you’ll be more than safe with me, my love. With that, we finished putting our things away and walked towards the statue of Hylia. The large statue that was visible from all over Skyloft. Arriving there, I was even more impressed by its size, but that didn’t draw as much attention as the red bird that flew over the place, just waiting for the hero’s command.

Link asked me to wait on the edge, and then jumped without any hesitation, something that would have scared me if I hadn’t known it beforehand, but I couldn’t help but be at least a little surprised. Soon the sound of his whistle was heard, and then my boyfriend resurfaced, riding his Loftwing, close to where I was, holding out his hand so I could climb up too. Even though it was a bit difficult, that’s what I did, and then I held on tightly to the blond, making him laugh. My grip tightened when I felt the large bird move, flapping its wings and rising into the sky. I hid my face in the crook of Sky’s neck and only saw what was around us again when I felt the flight stabilize.

The view from up there was incredible, it was possible to see the whole of Skyloft from there. I could see, even though with some difficulty, some of the boys walking towards the knight academy. Only then did I notice that it was late afternoon, the sun was setting on the horizon, bathing everything and everyone with its golden rays that made the situation even more beautiful. It was breathtaking, without a doubt. I managed to get used to the feeling of flying, so it became something fun and magical, and being able to be so close to Link was na added bonus, it was the perfect way to end the day.×

— This is beautiful. – That was all I could think when my mind was too busy processing all of that. – I love you, Link.

— I love you too, feather. – He said smiling, looking divine illuminated by the sunset light, making me think how lucky I was.

[vancemedicibutwhimsical]

So I told myself i'd wait until i drew everyone i wrote down, but i don't have the patience !! So here are the ocs i've gotten to drawing so far!! i'm having so much fun doing these and i CANT WAITTT to do the rest!!!

ps. i hope i did everyone justice :,3

first up, Benji Salinger for @kyayamo !!

Wren Abbas for @raythecreator21 !! <3

Sonya Schmidt for @cyanityy!! :DD

Crow for @sergeantcowboy <3 and Nora Dorn for @aquaberryvanilla!!

I hope you all enjoy!! i love all your bully babies with my whole heart ;3;

BONUS: OC interactions :D

rylie yearning for girl gossip + sky and benji as berries, why of course

[spacetime1969]

Danny Fenton’s Field Trip to the Ghost Zone!

I have had the wonderful opportunity to write a fic inspired by the art of the wonderful @arisu-artnfics as part of @ecto-implosion. I ended up thinking it would be fun to bring in a trope from a completely different fandom, and write a Peter Parker Field Trip fic for Danny Fenton. Enjoy!

Chapter 3: The Field Trip

Ao3 | First | Previous | Next

Dash Baxter hadn’t expected that his class field trip would end up like this. He had been expecting a boring day at the planetarium, but instead they had found themselves in the Ghost Zone!

A lot of things had happened all at once. First they had fallen through a portal and landed in the Ghost Zone. Then their bus driver had abandoned them to dive through the portal as it closed, trapping them all behind him. And then, while the rest of the group was grappling with the fact that they had somehow ended up in another dimension, Fenton and his friends had gone and recruited a ghost to fly them home, somehow!

Honestly, Dash could deal with all of that. It was a lot, but he was an Amity Parker, born and raised! What was weirding him out was how relaxed the nerds were about all of this!

Dash wanted it on the record that he wasn’t scared (definitely not). He was just a little nervous, okay? Don’t judge him! They were in the Ghost Zone! How could he not be at least a little nervous? This is where the ghosts lived! Everyone should be nervous!

Not the nerds though. They only seemed to be mildly annoyed by the fact they were stuck in the afterlife another dimension. He could understand Manson and Valerie, they were both pretty scary themselves. He could even sort of understand Foley, but Fenton was infamous for hiding from even the most tame ghosts, disappearing to some hidey-hole until Phantom took care of them. Heck, he even abandoned his friends a lot of the time, leaving them to be saved by Phantom. So why the heck was Fenton so chill now that they were literally flying through the Ghost Zone?

Dash wasn’t gonna be stuck wondering for long, Mr. Lancer had the same question. “Mr. Fenton, How are you so calm!”

Danny stared at him. “Mr. Lancer, the portal to the Zone is in my parents lab. Did you really think that me and my friends wouldn’t have tried going through?”

Mr. Lancer spluttered at Fenton’s dry response. “I had assumed that your parents at least had enough lab safety in place that you wouldn’t have succeeded!”

Dash may have been a jock, but he wasn’t stupid okay. He had seen enough movies to tell the difference between a laugh and a cackle, and the way that Fenton’s laughter threw his head back and shook his whole body was absolutely a mad scientist’s cackle. The sound almost scared him more than the fact they were stuck in the Ghost Zone.

“Mr. Lancer, we’re Fentons. If my parents go too long without blowing something up, me and Jazz will do something ourselves just to make sure it’s not too quiet.”

Fenton’s friends were nodding along. “Yeah, the first time Danny slept over at my house it was too quiet for him to fall asleep. So he went down to the kitchen, modified the toaster oven to reach 3000°, and poured molten salt into the bathtub. Gave my parent’s a heart attack.”

Lancer’s eye twitched. “How old were you when you did this?”

Fenton shrugged. “Like six I think? I’m not sure. I did learn to get permission first after that though.”

Dash and Paulina shared a look. Holy shit, Fenton was a mad scientist. Like, it was common knowledge that the Fenton parents were, but apparently they had all missed the fact that Danny Fenton was just as crazy as them.

They both jumped when a mechanical hand popped out from a panel in the ceiling and the voice of their ghostly driver echoed through the speakers. “That's science, baby!”

Fenton gave the mechanical hand a high five and chuckled. “Well I didn’t write it down, but I did learn something, so it probably still counts.”

Manson laughed. “Hypothesis, everyone likes explosions before bed. Conclusion, hypothesis incorrect.”

The nerds (and Technus) laughed while the rest of the bus stared at them. Dash didn’t know whether to be terrified of them or just glad that they were still nerds. Then Fenton made eye contact with him and grinned. Definitely terrified of them.

“Well, in the meantime, we have reached our first stop!” Technus said, as the bus made a bumpy landing.

Fenton frowned. “Wait what? Why are we stopping? I thought we were headed to the Far Frozen?”

“That’s the destination, but, since your parent’s shut down the portal, things in the Zone have been shifting around even more than they usually do. So we will have to go from stop to stop and get directions as we travel,” the ghost replied.

“So where have we stopped now?” Valerie asked.

“Jonny and Kitty’s place!”

Fenton looked out the window. “Oh yeah I recognize it! There’s their track.”

“Go see if they know where Dora’s castle is right now. That should be in the right direction.”

“Yeah alright, I’ll go ask,” Fenton said.

The rest of the class pressed their faces to the windows and watched as he walked out of the bus and over to the dirt track. He held his hands to his mouth and yelled.

“Kitty! Johnny! You here?”

There was a moment of silence, and it seemed like there wasn’t gonna be a reply. Then there was the sound of a revving motorcycle. It appeared from behind one of the embankments, with two people riding it. They rode towards Fenton, not slowing down as they got closer and closer.

Fenton just stood there, not even moving as they barreled straight towards him. Dash glanced over at the nerds to see their reaction, only to see them all looking entirely uninterested. Foley wasn’t even watching, messing with his PDA instead. Dash looked back out the window as his other classmates gasped. Just as they thought that Fenton was gonna get turned into a pavement smear the bikers slid into a skid, kcking up enough dust to temporarily block Fenton and the bike from view.

Dash and his classmates watched as the dust cleared, wondering if Fenton had just gotten run over, but when the dust cleared Fenton hadn’t moved an inch. The bike on the other hand, had stopped barely an inch in front of him.

The couple on the bike and Fenton stared each other down.

“Boo! 3/10 try harder next time.”

Dash flinched at the loud voice next to him. He turned to see Manson giving a thumbs down and heckling the ghosts outside. The guy rolled his eyes and the girl in the red jacket blew a sarcastic kiss towards her. Manson laughed and her friends rolled their eyes. The rest of the class was just staring at her, baffled.

With Manson seeming to have broken the staring contest, Fenton and the two ghosts relaxed and started talking, but whatever they were saying was too quiet for Dash to hear. They seemed to argue for a bit, before Fenton shrugged and randomly tackled the guy off his motorcycle.

The class watched in shock as they tussled in the dirt. The other ghost hopped off the motorcycle and went to join them, but Valerie cackled and jumped out the window of the bus. Lancer tried to reach out and grab her but Manson and Tucker blocked him. Not that it mattered, she was already out the window by the time he’d moved.

“Not on my watch Kitty!” Valerie yelled as she tackled the second ghost from behind.

Manson and Foley cheered as the four wrestled in the dirt.

Fenton managed to pin the ghost he was fighting quickly and he tapped out. The two then sat and watched as the others wrestled. It wasn’t long before Valerie also managed a pin, and they all helped each other up. They brushed their clothes off and shook hands, speaking for a moment more before Valerie and Fenton walked back to the bus.

“Okay, Johnny said that Dora’s is about 10° up with a 30° azimuth.” Danny said as he and Valerie climbed back into the bus.

“Alright!” Technus yelled. “Next stop, Dora's Castle!”

Dash fell back into his seat as the bus jumped and they were once again flying through the ghost zone.

For a long moment all the students just sat there, but eventually Paulina broke the silence with the question everyone was wondering. “What was that?” she screeched.

Fenton just looked at her in confusion. “What was what?”

“What do you mean ‘what was what?’ The fighting and stuff! You went from a perfectly civil conversation to fighting in the dirt! Valerie jumped out the window!”

“Oh that! Well Johnny said he wouldn’t tell me unless I fought him. So I did.”

Paulina spluttered at his relaxed statement before turning to their other classmate.

Their classmate who had literally jumped out a window less than ten seconds ago just shrugged. “I wasn’t about to turn down a fight.” Valerie said.

“Why?” Paulina cried.

Valerie just shrugged again. “It’s fun.”

Dash... had no idea how to respond to that. Apparently, neither did Paulina, because she just slumped into her chair.

Dash had no idea how to react to everything he was learning about Fenton and his friends today.

[legendary-69420]

Billionaire on the Track MOMENTS-3 (Extras ✨)

(Racing Hearts : VOLUME ?) MASTERLIST : RACING HEARTS

The interview was going well—smooth, lighthearted, and full of the usual banter that came with Formula 1 media rounds. Charles leaned back in his seat, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips as the reporter posed the next question.

"Charles, being a Ferrari driver comes with some perks, no? Tell us, if you could have any car in the world, what would it be?"

Charles tilted his head, considering the question, then chuckled. "Well, I’m pretty sure that if I ask, ‘I would like to drive this car,’ then Ferrari will make it happen. So yeah, this is obviously very, very special. Whatever car, whichever year, Ferrari can make it happen."

The room erupted in polite laughter, the ease in Charles’ tone and his casual confidence earning a few nods of agreement from the audience.

But then came Mark’s turn.

Sitting beside Charles, Mark Spencer adjusted his watch—a luxury piece that subtly caught the light—and answered with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, I’m pretty sure I’d already own the car I want in my collection."

The room fell silent for a moment, the blunt honesty of Mark’s words catching everyone off guard. Then, scattered laughter and murmurs filled the space.

Charles shot Mark a sideways glance, one eyebrow raised, as if to say, Really? But Mark, as usual, seemed utterly unbothered, leaning back in his chair with an easy smile.

Later, the internet buzzed with reactions to the interview.

"Charles is so spoiled by Ferrari, but Mark is such a spoiled brat…who does he think he is?"

"Wait, how rich is this guy to own every car he wants?"

"I like how he’s crazy rich but never actually mentions it."

"Mark really said 'Oh, I probably already own it' like it's nothing 😭🔥. Must be NICE to be that rich 💸."

"Charles is spoiled by Ferrari, but Mark is on ANOTHER level 😳. Imagine owning every car you dream of 🚗✨. Unreal."

"The AUDACITY of him to say that so casually 😭. I both hate him and want to be him 🥲💀."

"Charles: 'Ferrari will get me anything.' Mark: 'I already have it.' THESE TWO ARE ON COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SPOILED 😭🔥."

"I swear this man lives in a different dimension 😂. Billionaire + F1 driver + insanely hot?? UNFAIR 💔🔥."

"Mark is out here reminding us all that we’re broke in the most elegant way possible 💀💸😭."

"So Mark’s basically been rich, famous, talented, and handsome his entire life? COOL COOL, I’M FINE, DEFINITELY NOT JEALOUS 🥲🔥."

"He’s so rich, yet so CHILL about it 🤷‍♂️😎. That’s the kind of rich we all aspire to be 💰✨."

Mark’s fans were quick to defend him, though, pointing out that his wealth had little to do with his skills on the track. Still, the intrigue around Mark’s family grew.

At home in Monaco, Charles sat on his couch, scrolling through Twitter on his phone. Every other tweet seemed to mention Mark’s comment or speculate about his background. His curiosity got the better of him.

Arthur, Charles’ younger brother, wandered into the living room, munching on an apple.

"Arthur," Charles said, not looking up from his phone, "do me a favor. Look up Mark Spencer’s family. I want to know who they are."

Arthur gave him a skeptical look. "Why? Feeling nosy ?"

"Just do it," Charles said, exasperated. "He said something in the interview today, and now the whole internet is losing its mind."

Arthur sighed, but he grabbed his laptop and started typing. It didn’t take long for him to find what he was looking for. A few minutes later, his eyes widened as he read through the search results.

"Okay," Arthur said, glancing at Charles. "This guy is… loaded. Like, top three billionaires in Italy loaded."

Charles’ eyebrows shot up. "Top three? You’re joking."

"I’m not," Arthur said, spinning the laptop around to show Charles the screen. "The Spencers are involved in everything—Coca-Cola, luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci, you name it. And apparently, they’ve been doing business with Ferrari for, like, 25 years. It’s practically in their blood."

Charles leaned forward, skimming through the details on the screen. The Spencer name carried weight, not just in Italy but globally. Alessandro Spencer, Mark’s father, was listed as one of the most influential businessmen in the world.

"So, he’s not just some rich guy," Charles muttered. "He’s that rich."

Arthur smirked. "Yup. Makes sense why he chose Ferrari, though, doesn’t it? Family history and all that."

Charles frowned. "Do people think that’s why he’s here? Because of his family?"

Arthur shrugged. "Some might. But listen to this—when Alessandro Spencer was asked about it, he said, ‘My son’s professional life is not affected by his family.’ So, basically, Mark got into F1 because of talent, not connections."

Charles leaned back in his seat, processing the information. Mark was an enigma. On one hand, he was the poster child for wealth and privilege, casually mentioning his car collection like it was nothing. On the other hand, he’d worked his way into Formula 1 on merit alone, proving that he wasn’t just coasting on his family name.

"Interesting," Charles murmured, a slight smile tugging at his lips. He was beginning to understand why Mark carried himself the way he did. There was more to the man than met the eye, and Charles couldn’t help but feel a little more intrigued.

---

The next time Charles saw Mark, it was at the track. Mark was leaning against a wall, chatting casually with a few engineers.

"Hey, Spencer," Charles called out, walking over.

Mark turned, his signature smirk already in place. "LecLec. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Charles crossed his arms. "So, how big is this car collection of yours?"

Mark laughed, a deep, genuine sound. "Not Big enough," he said cryptically.

Charles shook his head, a grin breaking through despite himself. "You’re unbelievable."

"I try," Mark said with a wink. Then, as if sensing that Charles had been digging into his background, he added, "You know, you can just ask me next time, instead of sending your little brother on a fact-finding mission."

Charles froze. "How did you—"

Mark simply tapped the side of his head. "I have my ways."

As Mark walked away, Charles couldn’t help but laugh. The guy was impossible to figure out, but one thing was certain—Mark Spencer was full of surprises. (In reality Arthur just mentioned about it when him and Mark were simply texting about casual stuff)

[yournaothings]

The Fight Part One

Dream wasn't a Sans.

He was a Guardian of Positivity made to look like one.

How strange it was to finally see what it was like to fight another version of yourself.

---

@bored-animator

Hello everyone~ Sorry for the long wait!

Oh. That was a long break in between chapters. I kind of did a little summary in this chapter.

I had to be in the right mindset for this one. Rollercoaster of emotions are not fun, but here we are! I'm excited for you all to read this chapter! Please be aware, there is violence and death in this chapter. So, please take care while reading. <3

Characters and their Creators: Nightmare Sans: Jokublog Dream Sans: Jokublog Shattered Dream: galacii

Atara Sol: @cactobutt

The memories played over and over again as if it was a loop. 

She knew they were not her memories, but the one who attacked her; the one who put this spell over her soul that caused her to fall ill. 

A tree full of golden fruit stood tall and proud on top of a hill; at the base were two young skeleton monsters. One with a smile that was as bright as the sun while the other frowned with nervousness. The villagers were once again asking for a share of the delicious Golden Apples; “We can’t let you have the fruit.” The meek skeleton explained. “It is our duty to protect the tree and her fruit.” 

The villagers were unhappy with this, but the brighter skeleton chirped with eagerness that he could aid them. If they couldn’t have the fruit, they would just have to do with the help of one of the Guardians. 

Soon enough it became clear the villagers’ greed got to them and they planned to take the tree whether the Guardians liked it or not. It was a terrible fate; the Negative Guardian was beaten and very near killed. He ate from the tree, an apple that immediately rotten and corrupted as he took a bite. His body breaking as the corruption filled and swallowed his body whole. 

A being like the one who had hurt her. Yet, this one was different. His cyan eye was cruel as he killed all of the villagers. And when his brother came to stop him, he ate a Golden Apple that turned him to stone- the corrupted brother left him and the Multiverse was filled with such darkness. 

Fate was cruel for these two brothers, and it broke her heart to watch. 

The moment the Positive Guardian woke from his stone prison, he was overwhelmed with the power of Negativity and knew he had to stop his brother. With little knowledge, the Positive skeleton ventured out into the Multiverse to hunt for his brother. To stop him. 

On the way, he met so many monsters and humans who helped him on the way. But, nothing could stop him from making that dreadful decision of living through what his brother had. The Positive one ate from the corrupted Apple and the roles were reversed. 

The Positive Guardian became stronger than before, feeding from both Negativity and Positivity. He was angry, yet he wept for the pain his twin brother had faced. From the villagers, the Multiverse, Fate itself. He was angry at his brother for letting him choose this path. He was angry at the villagers for hurting his brother. He would make them pay- 

 “How unfortunate for you, my dear. You are the only one left alive to pay for your ancestors' crimes against my family.” 

It’s not fair. 

It’s not my fault. 

It was so long ago, why attack someone who had nothing to do with that incident? 

It wasn’t fair. 

“I wish I had never been born…” 

“Don’t say that.”

That voice. It was familiar, yet not… 

But, it’s true. If I hadn’t been born, this wouldn’t be happening to me. 

“That’s exactly what he wants you to think. He wants to tear you down until there is nothing left. Don’t let him win.”

The memories faded and once again Norah was in darkness; yet before her was the sun- no. An angel. His presence was comforting and gave her a taste of peace. The darkness all around flinched but did not scramble away. Black tendrils wrapped around her arms, but they were weak and she could see her angel reach out for her. 

“I think it’s time to wake up, Norah. Your family is here with you.”

With the bright light like the sun blocking her view of his face, Norah hadn’t a clue as to who was here saving her. But, she knew he could be trusted. She slowly reached her hand out for his, and when her delicate fingers wrapped around his hand, his closed around hers and he pulled her onto her feet, the tendrils ripping away from her. 

The peace that surrounded her was like a fresh breath of air. He pulled her forward as gently as he could, his arms wrapping around her body and embraced her. He was warm. He was so warm. Norah felt herself ease into his embrace, her eyes closing; She felt painless, peaceful. Her delicate arms wrapped around his middle and she rested her head on his chest. For once in the last… Stars knows how long she was able to rest. 

“I got you, Norah. I got you.”

“It’s time to wake up.”

—---

Norah was in a daze. 

Everything was happening too fast; she was surprised she could even remember how to speak. 

The Skeleton monster who pulled her from her slumber looks so much like her attacker. But, he lacks the black goop that dribbled down his body. Instead, he was as bright as the sun. Her angel. He looked a lot like that young skeleton monster in the memories she was forced to watch. 

You will watch! You will remember what you did to me and my brother!

She remembered how he screamed at her. How angry he was at her- no, not at her. She was sure he saw someone else then. Still, it wasn’t her fault. She wasn’t to blame. 

“You.. You’re not the doctor, right?” She asked, she had to be sure. “He can disguise himself.” 

The room fell silent, the four humans had to take a moment for that to settle in their minds. Dream tensed, he looked so worried now. “I am not the doctor, Norah. But, the way you describe him… Tell me, have you seen his face?” Norah nodded, and she gestures towards him. “He looks just like you, but with black goo.” 

Felix was up on his feet in an instant, his anger returning fast. “You’re the attacker?!” Dream raised his hands to try and calm Felix down. He was so confused; the only one he knew with black goo was his brother. But, he supposed there could be a possibility someone could shapeshift. But with black goo? 

“I am not the doctor.” He repeated to Felix. “I do not have the corruption she is talking about either.” He turned his attention to Norah then. “Did he tell you his name?” Norah shook her head at that. She paused and closed her eyes as a dizzy spell hit her after such a small motion. “When he is a doctor, he looks like a normal monster. But, when no one is around, he is back to his black goo body with those tendrils behind him. He wears a crown on his head, or… Not a crown, but a circlet? It looks like two hands reaching for each other in the center- ah, like this.” 

Norah demonstrates what she was meaning by bringing her hands together, one with the palm turned up and the other with the palm turned down, both in a cupping motion as if they were reaching to grab onto each other. ((Or to fist bump))

Norah lifted her eyes from her hands to look at Dream and she felt her heart skip a beat before picking up its pace. His face paled and the fearful look he gave wasn’t helping ease her panic. Still, she continued to explain; “His one good eye was golden, like yours. But, he holds no compassion, no happiness in that eye. He said that my ancestors had hurt his family long ago and that I had to pay for their crimes.” 

“What the fuck-?!” Felix shouted, Maria snapped at him to not shout or curse in the hospital. Norah ignored Felix’s outburst as she watched Dream slip into his thoughts. She frowned and as she reached her hand out to touch his shoulder to comfort him, the doctor walked in. 

“Well, this is quite the surprise.” 

Everyone in the room turned their attention to the entryway where the doctor stood. His false smile stretched across his lips as he studied the room.  “What a relief, you are awake, Norah-” 

“Enough pretending, you prick.” Felix snapped, his anger targeted at the doctor now. “We know you’re the one who hurt Norah. Drop the fucking act.” His tone dripped with venom, he sounded ready to fight. To tear the asshole into pieces. 

“I see.” The doctor said gently, his smile falling for a moment, before he grinned cruelly. “What a relief. This play-pretend was getting old.” The six of them watched in horror as the disguise fell away to reveal a skeleton monster; his black goo, the corruption dripped off of his body and the tentacles at his back swayed like a cat’s tail would.  

Just as Norah said, the monster looked exactly like Dream, but with the corruption covering his entire body. Dream noted how the damaged eye socket was opposite of his brother’s. “Who are you?” Dream demanded, stepping in between the monster and the small family. He balled his fists at his sides- he wasn’t all alarmed when his weapons didn’t materialize in his grasp. He left them behind, after all. 

“Dream~” The monster purred, his grin widening. “I was surprised you showed up here. At first, I thought you came to stop me, but when I noticed the depression and sadness, I knew you were simply following the same path I did.” 

“What are you talking about? How do you know about me? Explain yourself!” Dream demanded, panic settling in his soul that he refused to show. However, this monster before him seemed to know exactly what he was hiding.  “Do you not get it, yet?” The monster laughed. “I am you. My name is Dream- well, not exactly. See, I used to be like you. Until my last fight with my corrupted brother. After he accused me of not knowing his pain, I ate the black apple, and my soul shattered; I became corrupted myself while my brother was back to normal.

“So, yes. I am Dream, but I go by a different name now; I am called Shattered Dream.”

“Why have you attacked this innocent woman?” Dream asked with a stern frown. He stood tall, a barrier between the human mage, her family, and this monster. 

Shattered found it interesting that his variant didn’t summon his weapons; and what’s this? No circlet? His cruel smile widened, his tendrils at his back swayed with amusement. “It is truly unfortunate for her. I have tracked down every family that has ever hurt Nightmare. Each one fell easily, without much pain. I was at least merciful with them. But, with her. Sweet little Norah? Her ancestors were the ones responsible for striking Nightmare down. The ones who lied to my face and used me. Fate was cruel to Norah-”

Surprisingly, Dream kicked off the tiled floor and threw a punch at Shattered. The corrupted Guardian didn’t expect Dream to do such a thing. Dream quickly backed away to take his place between Shattered and the mortals, his stance wider and ready for a fight. 

“Heh,” Shattered chuckled as he slowly turned his head to smirk at Dream, he wiped away the little mana that leaked from his wound on his face. “Are you really that angry at me for a mortal you have just met? Dream,” He clicked his tongue in disappointment, his eyes closing as he shook his head. His smirk widened as he looked at Dream with such a wicked gaze. “When will you learn that you gain nothing from helping these fools?” 

“Traveling the Multiverse and saving Universes that never repay you? Always take, take, taking! You’ve not changed! It’s the Apple Event all over again!” Shattered exclaimed, his tentacles whipping behind him as he raised his voice to Dream. 

Norah cowered on her hospital bed, Felix staying as close to her as she could to protect her. Lily and Kai stepped in front of their mother, keeping her behind them in case things got bad. Maria remained in the back, fearful not for herself, but for everyone. For Dream. Each and every mortal remained silent, fearing what the corrupted monster would do if anyone were to break the silence.

Dream’s stern look dipped into a glare. Sweat was beading at his forehead; he was beating himself up mentally for leaving his weapons behind. He didn’t think anything like this would happen! 

“I have retired from my duties as a Guardian, so no. It’s not the Apple Event.” Dream narrows his eyes at Shattered. “What I do with my life is of no concern to you.” 

Shattered raised a corrupted brow. “Oh?” He looked amused. “How strange, you broke the loop, then?” Dream kept his glare set on his features, but he was confused. What loop? Sensing his confusion, Shattered dived into Dream’s emotions, pulling out everything he has been feeling these last few weeks- and oh~ How delicious~ 

Dream gasped when Shattered suddenly teleported behind him, his hands grasping Dream’s shoulders and his tentacles surrounding the Guardian. Dream flinched and attempted to break free, but the tentacles found new purchase elsewhere. “You poor thing. Has Nighty really beaten you down enough to make you think all of that?” 

“Shut up! Get off of me!” Dream shoved Shattered away, but he didn’t budge. “Poor Dreamy~ Do you truly believe that you’re so weak?” Shattered laughed. “In this form, you are weak. But you can become stronger! You can defeat your brother and take over the Multiverse!” He leaned in, whispering in Dream’s ear canal all while Dream struggled against him. “We can work together. We can rule the Multiverse! There are many others like us out there, Dream~ Think of the possibilities!” 

“I said,” Dream growled and with a burst of magic straight from his soul, he shoved Shattered back and across the room. “Get off!” 

Kai was quick to pull his sister and mother out of the way as Shattered flew past them and hit the wall. The impact was strong enough it fractured the thick hospital windows. However, it didn’t hurt Shattered as bad as it did the wall. “Such anger~” He laughs at Dream as his tentacles freed him from the wall and he stood tall, his hands held behind his back as if he wasn’t just thrown across the room. His cruel smirk found its way back on his jaw, he looked pleased. “See? Using that negativity will make you stronger, my dear Dream. If only you had used it against Nighty before, you would have won.”

“Shut up!” Dream snapped at him, his anger finally boiling over. He balled his fists as he confronted his newest enemy. “Anger gets you nowhere! It does not win the fight!” Shattered chuckled and raised a brow. “Oh? So, you plan to lose to me?” Dream’s shoulders relaxed as he inhaled deeply and exhaled. He blinked and tried to focus. “I will stop you, Shattered Dream. But, I will use the magic that was given to me. I will use Positivity to stop you.” 

“Even if I can feed on either?” 

The startled gasp that Dream released was enough for Shattered to know; Dream didn’t know. Shattered’s smirk widened cruelly and his tentacles shot out from behind him, grabbing Dream and slamming him through the windows until he was shot out from the second floor. 

“Dream!” Maria and Lily yelled; Lily and Felix were quick to summon their magic, preparing to fight Shattered. He turned to them and laughed. “How cute, do you honestly believe you can defeat me?” 

“Mom! You and Kai take Norah out of here. Get somewhere safe!” Lily barked the orders, her glare fixed on Shattered. Maria hesitated, but knew she had to get Norah out of here. “Come on, Kai.” She said quickly, her son hurrying over to pull the IV and blood pressure cuff from her before scooping her up and hurrying out with his mother. 

“Foolish.” Shattered laughed. “I will find her. I will always be able to find her, until she takes her last breath.” He smirks at the couple and opens his arms wide, his tentacles splayed out behind him; their pointed sharp tips directed at them. “Let’s see what you’ve got!” 

—

If Dream wasn’t used to Nightmare tossing him around in their fights, this would have been way worse than it is. 

Groaning, Dream slowly pulls himself from the wet bushes that caught his fall. He had scratches and bruises all over his body. The glass had sliced through his sweater and pants. Mana flowed from his wounds as he moved to stand on his feet. 

This wasn’t good. 

Like an idiot, he left his weapons behind. They were so far away- 

He raised his hand and tried to call for them, but nothing happened. “Crap.” He hissed and tried to see where he landed. He didn’t go too far, the glass having stopped him from being shot out across the parking lot of the hospital. Thank the Stars he landed in the bushes. 

“Oh no! The others!” He exclaimed in panic and started to make a run for it, but his leg gave out suddenly and he fell with a yelp of pain. Panting hard, he took a moment to let the pain pass before he rolled over onto his bottom and glanced down at his leg. It didn’t look broken, but it could be fractured.. He could feel his magic begin to heal himself, but he didn’t have time to wait-

“Dream! Oh thank heavens!” 

Startled, Dream raised his gaze and glanced behind him to find Maria and Kai with Norah. “You made it out!” He blabbered in surprise. “W-Where are the others? Felix and Lily?” Kai nodded his head towards the window the Guardian had fallen out of. “They’re facing off that bastard.” Dream gasped and tried to stand up once more. “They’re going to get killed! I have to stop them! I have to lead Shattered away from here! It’s not safe for everyone!” 

“Don’t move, sir!” Dream was surprised to see a few of the nurses come out from the hospital. “We have the authorities on the way. Please, sit down so we can take a look at you!” Dream shook his head. “I can’t do that. I have to stop Shattered Dream before he hurts or kills anyone else.” The nurses weren’t having it either; “Sir, we understand you want to help. But, you fell out of the second floor window. Please let us check you over!” Dream sighed and raised his sweater sleeve to show that he was healing.  “I can heal myself. It’s alright, I’ll be okay. Please, let me do my job.” 

He gently pushed them out of his way as he limped towards the entrance- 

“I see why you’ve retired.”

Dream grew tense as he stopped in place before spinning around to see Shattered had slipped out of the broken window with Felix and Lily caught in his tentacles. “You’ve let them fight your battle and now look at them.” 

“Lily! Felix!” 

“Shit!”

Felix and Lily were unconscious in Shattered’s hold. Both bleeding and bruised up. They really didn’t stand a chance against him. He carelessly tossed them to the ground in front of Dream, his smirk sharpening ever so slowly as he felt the rage build within Dream. 

“Ar-Are they alive?” Maria asked breathlessly as Dream knelt down to check them, his magic immediately soaking into their bodies to begin healing them. “They’re alive, Maria. They’ll be okay.” He sighed in relief before raising his gaze to glare at Shattered. The bastard stood there waiting, watching in amusement. “What are you gaining by hurting these people?” Dream asks. 

“I already explained my reasoning.” Shattered said with a shrug of his shoulders. “I’m only here for Norah. The others just got in my way.” His own gaze shifted away from Dream and watched Norah cowarded in Kai’s arms and he grins. “Now, if you don’t mind. I’d like to finish my task and leave. I think you’ll be coming along as well, Dream.” The Guardian hissed at Shattered; “Like hell I will!” Without turning away from Shattered, Dream commanded the nurses to get the two unconscious inside, and for Maria and Kai to get as far away as possible. 

He straightened and started to walk towards Shattered, all the while trying to come up with a plan to stop him. Shattered chuckled in amusement and readied his tentacles. “You won’t be able to defeat me like that, I’m afraid. If you can’t summon your weapons, how are you going to stop me?” Dream tightened his fists as he tried not to show Shattered his nervousness- he probably felt it. 

Before he could speak, a strange crystal like portal appeared to Dream’s right ((Shattered left)) and a thick boot came through, stomping onto the wet grassy ground. A young woman about Lily’s height ((without the boots)) stepped through and grinned. “What did I miss?” 

Her hair was two colors, black and red; her bangs were a blood red while the rest a pitch black. She had many piercings on her ears, her nose- there were too many to count. And let’s not get started on her tattoos… Her outfit was rather revealing- a crop top that showed off her midriff, her bellybutton was pierced too and her shorts were well.. Short. Her boots only stopped above her ankles. Dream averted his eyes quickly from her exposed legs, a yellow flush dusting over his cheekbones. 

The woman glanced around the group, taking in the scene before she closes her eyes and nods. “I understand it.” Then, with a sudden burst of rage, she darted forward, a boot raising and slamming hard into Shattered midsection; the corrupted monster choked back a pained sound as he went flying back and hit a parked car, setting the alarm off. 

Spinning around, the woman glared at Dream with fire in her eyes. “You’re next, goldie.” 

Dream gulped as he backed away slowly, trying to explain that he wasn’t the enemy here- 

“Holy fuck, Atara!” Kai snapped, his eyes wide at how powerful that kick was. Norah cried in relief. “Atara!” Her soft voice calmed the enraged woman. “Norah! You’re awake!” 

Atara rushed past Dream and hugged Norah, making sure to not hurt her. “Are you alright? I’ve been so worried! When did you wake up?” Norah laughs softly and smiles wide, tears in her eyes. “I just woke up, thanks to Dream.” She points towards Goldie. Atara glanced over and grinned. “Hey, nice work, goldie!” 

“G-Goldie??” Dream asked, confused. Everything was happening too fast for his liking. 

“What’s the goopy guy’s deal, huh? He hurt my besties?” Atara asks as she crosses her arms and gives a stern glare. Dream glances back towards Shattered who appears to be dazed for the moment, before he moves to stand with the others. “He’s the one hurting Norah and is another version of myself. I need you all to get far away so you won’t get hurt anymore. This is my fight-” 

“Like hell it is!” Atara snapped at Dream, making him flinch at her volume. “He hurt my best friend! I’m going to pound him into the ground! He’ll be part of the fucking asphalt when I’m through with him!” She threatens and pounds her fist into her hand. “He’s strong, Felix and Lily weren’t able to stop him.” Kai explained. “That’s okay. I’m strong. I can do it.” Atara grins; Dream couldn’t help but think of Undyne. This woman was too much like her. 

Turning around, Atara shakes her arms and stretches out, readying herself for a fight. Her look an excited determined one; “Besides, Red won’t let me go to those underground fights anymore. I’m dying to get some punches in!” She explains. Dream is surprised by the name she dropped- “You mean… Underfell Sans?” 

“Yes,” Maria sighs, exasperated. “She is in a relationship with Red. She always says they’re fine, but I worry.” Dream blinks as he looks at her before glancing towards Atara, watching her stomp her way over towards Shattered. ((He was slowly climbing to his feet, anger boiling through his corrupted body))

“You disgusting mortal!” Shattered snapped, his tentacles whipping around from his irritation. “You dare touch me?!” Atara grins eagerly, her fire back in her eyes. “You hurt my friends. I’m just repaying the favor. Come at me, wuss!” With her hands raised, one a fist the other beckoning Shattered to come at her, Atara prepared for a fight. 

Panicked, Dream called after her to wait- to get out of harm's way. What happened next, Dream didn’t expect. Angry, jagged tentacles flew at Atara and she deflected them each with a burst of magic. Upon impact, the sound of shattering glass was heard and if you looked very carefully, if you squinted… It looked as if walls of gems were shattering where the tentacles hit. 

With sadistic glee, Atara charged forwards and threw a punch at Shattered, missing. She kicked at him, and met a tentacle. She spun around and blasted the goopy skeleton with a burst of her magic. Shards of gems embedded themselves into Shattered, slicing through him and cutting down his tentacles. Of course, more grew immediately after, but Atara was keeping up with him. 

“You might have known her mother.” Maria began to speak. “Astraea was a very powerful sorceress. She enchanted crystals and gems and gave them to those in need of their power, as long as it was used for good.” Dream nods, the name is familiar. “The name rings a bell.” He tells Maria. “That is her only child, Atara Sol. She was raised in Underfell, has learned to fight and to be strong. After her mother passed away, she had gone through so much trauma. It has been a few years, but she has finally found her place with those skeleton brothers, Sans, or “Red” as they call him, as her partner.” 

“I can sense her strong soul.” Dream nods. “She shouldn’t be fighting, though. I should be fighting Shattered. And you should be leaving.” Dream lectures Maria and gives her a stern look. Maria couldn’t stop herself from laughing softly. “You have a determined spirit, Dream. But, you don’t understand. We’re here to help. You’re not on your own, Dream. Your friends are here to help you.” 

Dream glanced at Maria, her bright smile warmed his soul. Her positivity gave him strength. 

“Let us help, Dream. It’s the least we can do.” Norah’s soft voice caught his attention and had him turning to look at her. She stood in front of Kai as he helped balance her. She smiled and reached out for his hands, gently taking them in her own and gave them a squeeze. “You get stronger when you feed on Positivity? Let us help keep your strength up, then. Okay?” Her smile was just as bright, even after being asleep for so long. Her eyes sparkled even with the evening sky hovering over them. The parking lot lights were the only lights illuminating them; the clouds above covering the moon and stars. 

Dream sighs, his gaze falling to stare at their joined hands and he gives a firm squeeze back. “Okay, but the moment it gets too dangerous, you leave.” He says, looking up and back in her eyes, then to Kai and Maria. “I won’t have anyone getting hurt while I’m here.” The three nods, agreeing. “We will, Dream.” Maria promises. 

-

Tentacles covered the young woman, pointed tips ready to pierce her skin. With a yell, her magic burst forth and cut down the tentacles and a boot met his chest this time. Shattered was ready and used his freshly grown tentacles to roll himself back up right. He was getting angrier by the minute. This woman seemed to not grow tired! 

His teeth ground against each other as he used his magic to make copies of himself; one copy on his left, one on his right. “Okay, now it’s getting more interesting!” Atara snarked and readily met the first attack.

She used the tentacles to swing up onto them and ran down the length towards the first copycat, her boot meeting his face. His face separated like liquid before it eased back together around her ankle. Startled, Atara tried to pull her foot out before it was too late; the copy’s face stretched out, morphing into a tentacle and it threw Atara away from it. She hit the ground hard, but was quickly back on her feet. Growling out of frustration, she ran towards the copies and used her magic to tear them apart. 

Just like a Hydra, each time she split them in half, more copies appeared and soon she was surrounded. “Fuck!” She growled, having no time to react when tentacles rained down on her and gripped at her body. Holding her in place, they repaid each strike she gave them, and more. When they had their fun, they threw her out of the goopy pit before they returned back to Shattered Dream. 

Dream was at Atara’s side first, quickly checking over her wounds. “Are you okay?” He asked her, his magic already seeking out her wounds to heal. “I’m fine- ow.” She groaned when he accidentally touched a tender spot. “Looks like I’m out.” She said with a weak grin. “I’m tagging you in, now. Kick his ass for me, okay?” 

He couldn’t help but laugh softly. Even after getting beaten, this young woman could still joke around. “I’ll take care of him. Thank you.” He glanced back at Maria and Kai, both hurrying over with Norah. “Take her into the hospital and don’t come back out.” Maria began to argue; “Now, what did we just agree on-” 

“Maria.” With a stern snap of his voice, Dream gave her a serious look. “It’s time to go inside. I will take care of him.” Maria frowned. “Dream, please be safe.” She tells him and he nods. “I will do my best, Maria.” 

“Ugh,” Shattered grumbled as he suddenly appeared beside them. “It’s disgusting- why do you care for such lowly mortals, Dream? Look how fragile they are-” 

The motion was quick and no one knew it was going to happen. 

A tentacle, sharp as a blade, shot between Dream and Atara and plunged deep into Maria’s midsection; the tip poking out from the otherside. 

Shock was the first emotion Dream felt from all of the mortals. Then, rage and fear and panic. Screaming was heard, a mixture of Maria’s name and pure rage. Maria was raised high above them and tossed aside as if nothing but garbage. 

“Weak. That’s what they are, Dream.” Shattered spat, his grin cruel and sadistic. Blood dripped from the tentacle that pierced the caring mother. Rage filled Dream, he was so angry- “You didn’t have to kill her!” Shattered laughed loudly; “Oh, but I did. To prove my point, Dreamy~” 

“Get everyone into the hospital, Kai.” Dream commanded, his voice left no room for arguments. Kai shook as he felt lost; what was he supposed to do? If he left Norah here, she’d die too. But, he couldn’t leave his mother dying on the lawn of the hospital. Then, there was Atara- “Come on, big guy.” Atara’s beaten body was suddenly beside him. “Let’s do what Goldie says. It’s important, let’s do this. For your mother’s sake.” 

Kai trembled as he held back his tears, his sobs that wanted to come. He had to be strong.  Thankfully, a few staff of the hospital were able to come out to help bring the injured into the hospital. Leaving behind Dream and Shattered Dream. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” Dream repeated, his anger now under control, yet his glare remained. “And I told you, I did. You’re acting foolish, Dream. Forget about these mortals. You want to become stronger? Leave them, and come with me. I will make you stronger. You will overcome and defeat your brother.” 

Dream remained silent for a moment longer before saying, “My intention isn’t to defeat my brother. It’s to save him. I know he’s in there, waiting to be saved.” 

“Dream!” Shattered shouted, his tentacles slapping on the ground in irritation. “He doesn’t want to be saved! Or have you not figured that out yet?” Shattered snapped, his grin long gone and replaced with a scowl. “It’s too late. Your brother is gone. I will show you that. If you come with me, we’ll go see your brother, and I will put an end to all of this nonsense!” 

“I don’t want your help.” Dream says. “I want you gone. To stop hurting my friends. You may have given up on your brother, but I haven’t.” 

Shattered sighs and rolls his eyes. “Fine. Then you leave me no choice.” Dream was ready this time. The tentacles shot at him, ready to grab him and stab him. He dodged each one as best as he could, receiving more scratches and gashes. But, he carried on. Running towards Shattered, the best he could do for now was blast him with his magic and throw punches. 

He miscalculated an attack and was thrown back again, slamming into the ground. He raised his head to glare at his variant, the goopy version of himself raised high with his tentacles as he looked down on him. “Pathetic. You’re weak, Dream. Stop this now.” 

Refusing to give up, Dream climbed back onto his feet and got back into a fighting stance. Shattered snorted and rolled his eyes. He shrugged and grinned. “Stubborn boy.” His tentacles shot at Dream once again, ready to knock him down for good. 

However, blue strings suddenly wrapped around Shattered, startling the goopy Dream. “What the-?!” His tentacles were caught and strung up, before he was yanked back onto the ground where another goopy version of himself hovered over him. 

“How the tables have turned, brother. Looks like it is I who is saving you from bullies.”

[barrencelenny]

✨fav fics published in 2023 ✨

173 fics (+ 15 podfics) (in English) were published in the coldflash tag in 2023! Bless everybody who continues to write fic for a show that has now ended!! Here is a semi complete list of all my faves from this year in lieu of a Spotify wrapped fics edition!!!

heading off the rails by Sandrine shaw

-let Barry be drunk (for a little bit) that's what I always say! he's in his 20s he should be at the club! and that's where he is here! incredible.

Into the Speed Force by captainicecube

-ahhh I just love fics where the speed force is a character and is also Super Creepy Eldritch Horror about it

detox just to retox (i’d promise you anything) by trespresh

-coming back to this series after years since the previous instalment made me go relisten to disloyal order of water buffaloes and single handedly restarted my fob obsession so thanks for that

Seek Comfort, Find Faith by Annawry

-love when fics just have the characters be cursed by magic. it's already a superhero show set in a universe with canon magic users it's not even a reach. also love when their solution is to fuck about it.

to give hope by Aerica_Menai

-Star Trek mention gives me so much serotonin it’s not even funny + honorary mention to ‘Just Another Tuesday Amongst the Stars’ for also being about Star Trek

small favours in high doses by QLaLa

-pov outsider and teacher!barry you are everything to me. the DTR bit had me in stitches. they're both SO goddamn embarrassing my god.

There’s blood on your teeth (let me get that for you) by SoftBoyDepot

-the tag being “if you’re a fan of Leonard Snart begging this is the fic for you!” and boy did it deliver

I Won’t Ever be Too Far Away to Feel You by RedRidingStiles

-this is the only fic where I would agree with len being a cop because it’s so good. the second hand embarrassment of the initial call from Barry makes my chest hurt but hey, that just tells you how visceral the experience of reading can be lmao

So Long, Scarlet Speedster by HowToKillAVampire

-time! travel! You are everything to me! Time travellers wife-esque situations where they meeting out of sync is catnip to me I’m gobbling this fic right up

The Fair Price of a Plate of Dinner by RetroactiveCon

-hehe love fics where both Barry and len are being little shits and causing problems for Joe. Me 🤝 Len “has no interest in Christmas, but do just about anything to cause problems on purpose”

slipstream by wednesday

- competent! Barry is everything to me. Misunderstanding is delicious to me. Len not knowing how to deal with random acts of kindness is Kryptonite to me. You see how this fic is exactly up my alley

[citricacidprince]

Thinking about Psychonauts and how much I love the Aquato family once again

They mean the world to me your honor

[huellitaa]

i giggle so hard whenever i see one of my posts on someone else's blog like omg..... i'm actually liked by people..... blushing rn

[u5an5]

I know ultimate sacrifice is dying in fight for what matters the most and in 100% cases it was reversed by kissing headcanon is strong, but what if your existence was erased from the universe and only I remember about you now instead, huh?

[astranauticus]

in light of the new episode this joke i made once is feeling a lot more relevant

[omegamoo]

moo youre mass reblogging tiktok screenshots about the hallway of humanity..do you want to talk about it

FLORAAA hey hi hey yeah i didn’t realize i reblogged it that many times but. yeah i don’t know im just thinking about how much i love people. and how much we all carry that love around with us all the time :( like. it’s beautiful. i listen to songs and i think of friends i barely talk to anymore. i’ve got a box of letters with hair in a bag from somebody i don’t know when i’ll see again. the guy i met on vacation six or seven years ago sent us christmas cards for years. i still have my old babysitter’s contact in my phone. i don’t know i just LOVE people there is so much love in this world also i LOVE YOUUUUUU BTW AUUGH!

[caimitos]

saw a post about projecting your ethnicity onto a character and started missing vespa ilkay. so so bad