#Claribel barrow

[justmoreocs-edits]

Random Gif Edits: A Knife's Edge Series

Claribel 'Belle' Barrow and Axel; Belle and Billy Hargrove; Eddie Munson and Belle; Belle and Eddie; Belle and Eddie; Belle and Ximena 'Mia' Moreno; Mia and Eddie; Robin Buckley and Mia; Steve Harrington and Mia.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Eddie Munson wasn’t used to people getting under his skin, seeing him vulnerable. He’d spent years trying to prove to himself that he didn’t care what people thought, especially those he didn’t care about. And yet somehow he found himself dithering on the porch outside the trailer, waiting for one Claribel Barrow to turn up. She’d somehow got him to open up about the blues music he had stashed amongst the metal. His mother’s records. The music that soothed him more than he cared to admit. The music that he thought people would judge him for liking given all they thought they knew about him.

The roar of her bike’s engine snapped his attention up. She carved a path between potholes and eased the bike to a stop beside his van. She idled for a moment, and Eddie wondered if perhaps she wasn’t having second thoughts. After all, they weren’t exactly friends. The conversation had come up out of the blue, the truth tumbling from his lips all because of the earnestness in her eyes. The small smile that encouraged him to talk. The look he knew she shared with everybody because she was a good person, and yet it had worked its magic on him as well.  

Belle removed her helmet, let her hair tumble out before she got off and grinned at him. Eddie watched as she meticulously put her gear on the back before she all but skipped over to him.

‘Thanks for waiting,’ she said brightly, grinning up at him with such kindness in her eyes it melted his heart. ‘I was gonna just knock on doors.’

‘Not the best idea,’ he noted, opening the door and motioning her in. ‘At least one person has a shotgun, I’m sure.’

‘Good to know,’ she noted, tilting her head to duck beneath his arm.

Something stalled in Eddie’s brain. The gesture was an oddly familiar one that it took him a moment to fully accept the implication of everything. Belle Barrow was fine in his company, and had none of the qualms he’d seen with others about where she was. He wasn’t sure if that thrilled or terrified him.

[foxesandmagic]

Weekly Creative Update

Collie and Lion Random Dialogue Edits

Eddie Munson and Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow Lyrics Edits

Fox and Collie Random Dialogue Edits

Eddie Munson and Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow Lyrics Edits

Fox and Lion Random Dialogue Edits

Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow and Axel Dialogue Edits

Lion and Badger Random Dialogue Edits

Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow and Eddie Munson Dialogue Edits

Badger and Fox Random Dialogue Edits

Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow and Eddie Munson Dialogue Edits

Lion and Fox Random Dialogue Edits

Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow and Eddie Munson Dialogue Edits

Fox Drabble

A.J. Drabble

Badger and Lion Random Dialogue Edits

Claribel ‘Belle’ Barrow and Eddie Munson Random Dialogue Edits

Badger Drabble

A Knife’s Edge Chapter Update

Tag List: @fiercefray​, @darknightfrombeyond​, @carmens-garden​, @heirsoflilith​, @unheolycs, @andromedalestrange, (if you want to be added or removed from this, please just let me know).

[ocpotluck]

Happy Halloween [P1] @foxesandmagic

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘Please,’ Eddie whispered, making Belle freeze. Her heart was thundering, blood roaring in her ears, and yet the single word cut through it all easily. Still, she couldn’t turn to look at him, couldn’t bring herself to reveal the tears rolling down her cheeks or the puffiness of her face.

She heard him walking slowly towards her, cautiously almost. As if it had been his fault Steve had made the comment. As if he were the one to start calling her a curse.

‘He’s wrong,’ Eddie told her softly, stopping a short distance behind her. ‘About all of it.’

‘You can’t know that,’ she dared to whisper. ‘You weren’t there.’

‘I do know it,’ he assured her, slowly moving to step around her, to place himself firmly in her line of sight. ‘You are not a curse, Claribel Barrow. You’re a good person.’

Belle wetted her lips, felt the fresh wave of tears rolling down her cheeks.

‘Please don’t let Harrington make you doubt that.’

She roughly wiped the fresh tears from her face and nodded once.

The ghost of a smile across his lips was almost enough to lift her mood.

‘I need to hear the words, Cinderella.’

A soft scoff escaped Belle before she swallowed and tried for a small smile. ‘I won’t let Harrington make me doubt myself.’

Eddie grinned, placed his hands firmly in his pockets. ‘Want me to tell your next teacher you got attacked by an elf or something?’

Belle properly laughed. ‘No thanks,’ she said, offering him a genuine smile this time. ‘But thank you, Eddie.’

He offered a smile and a salute. ‘Anytime, Belle.’

[justmoreocs-edits]

Name Meanings: Multiple Perspective Characters

Inspired by this.

Lucy Hartley from A Few More Hours (Until Dawn); Claribel 'Belle' Burrow and Ximena 'Mia' Moreno from A Knife's Edge (Stranger Things); Chizoba 'Chizzy' Duncan, Alina Driscoll and Montgomery 'Monty' Sanderson from A Matter of Blood (A Discovery of Witches); Francine 'Frankie' Alverez from Crime, Friendship and Other Things (Detroit: Become Human); Cassandra 'Cassie' Verona from Dearest Verona (Deadly Class).

[justmoreocs-writing]

Claribel Barrow was many things, and yet “tactile” was very much not one of them. Even before he’d got to know her better, Eddie had noticed that she never initiated physical contact with people; she didn’t shun it, but she was never the one reaching for it. Robin’s hand placed on her shoulder. A hug from her brother. The barest brush of fingers when papers were passed in classes. For that reason, as they’d grown closer Eddie had tried to temper his own casual contact with her, tried not to drape an arm around her shoulders, or link their arms dramatically, simply because it was what he did.

For him, casual intimacy had always been easy. Right up until the moment Belle practically collided with him. Until her arms were wound tightly around his middle and her face buried against his shoulder. She’d practically flown at him, and while usually instinct would have had him hugging people back, now his arms felt frozen, slightly raised where he’d thrown them out to steady the both of them.

One heartbeat. It felt like a lifetime and also no time at all, before she started to pull away.

‘Sorry,’ she breathed.

A single word, and it brought Eddie crashing back to the present. He pulled her back to him, protectively crossing his arms over her shoulders, gently resting his chin on the top of her head.

‘What happened?’ he whispered, trying to burn the feeling of hugging her into his memory. He wasn’t sure why it mattered, why he cared what it was like because it was simply a hug, and yet he couldn’t help himself before he gently pulled away. An assurance that she could pull away from him whenever she wanted.

‘Not yet,’ she said, her words barely a breath of vibration against his chest.

Eddie dropped a chaste kiss on the top of her head, wondering what possibly could have happened to make her react like that, and if he hated it or was grateful for it in some way.

[justmoreocs-writing]

The cafeteria was a mess of noise, so much sound never really felt possible and yet it always seemed to surprise Mia no matter how many times she dared step foot in the place. But Belle had needed food, and a sly smirk had lit Robin’s face that was impossible to ignore.

‘King of the freaks,’ came a cheerful jeering voice, and instantly Mia’s attention shifted to Belle. A small smile was growing on her face, something almost shy about it.

‘Yeah, some things never change,’ Robin said, and Mia glanced towards Eddie. Despite the chaos of the canteen, his gaze lingered momentarily on Belle as he lowered his hands from his head.

‘I think Tink knows that,’ Mia teased softly, glancing back to Belle. A slight flush had flooded her cheeks as she looked to Mia.

‘Cafeterias are the same everywhere,’ she noted dismissively. ‘Please tell me the food improved though.’

Robin chuckled, slung an arm over her best friend’s shoulders. ‘Of course it didn’t,’ she said, gently guiding Belle towards the line. ‘But I don’t think we’ll get scurvy.’

Mia scoffed, glanced briefly back to Eddie. Perhaps Robin’s decision for the detour rather than sneaking off campus for food wasn’t such a bad thing.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Belle hadn’t meant to run, and yet she couldn’t help it. Most people had seemingly overlooked her returned to Hawkins because of all the other things that had happened. Because she was simply another overlooked teen that returned rather than being lost forever.

Other than Robin, which she’d expected. A few sleepovers, long explanations that brushed partially over the truth, and her best friend had been somewhat sated.

Eddie Munson was not a person that should have recognised her.

‘Jesus, you’re quick.’

Belle jumped at the sound of Eddie’s voice and turned to look at him quickly. He was jumping out of his van, moving slowly towards her like approaching an unfamiliar wild animal.

‘Why’d you follow me?’ she asked, pulling her jacket tighter around herself. She caught the wariness in her voice, even if she hadn’t intended it.

The flicker of a smirk across his lips, rather than hurt, assured her the words hadn’t come out accusatory. They might never really have been friends, but retrospectively she realised she liked Eddie. Liked the way he acted around his friends, the way he seemed to draw the wraiths and strays of Hawkins to him even before it seemed intentional.

Or she had. A lot could change in a few years, she supposed.

‘Thought you might want this, Claribel,’ he offered, holding out her helmet.

‘Please don’t call me that,’ she said, offering a grateful smile as she took the helmet from him carefully.

A slight furrow appeared between his brows; his hand lingered on the helmet, a tether between them.

‘I thought… You ran after I called you “Belle”.’

Belle loosed a nervous chuckle; he released the helmet.

‘I thought people’d forgotten about me,’ she admitted, forcing her attention to the floor. It wasn’t an admittance she’d expected to make, but there was something easy about talking to him. A lack of expectation? She wasn’t sure. ‘It’s still weird hearing anyone but family, and Robin, actually call me that.’

‘I wouldn’t forget you.’

Belle looked up at him sharply. Her breath caught ever so slightly. There was a small smile dancing on his lips. A sincerity in his eyes.

‘But, you keep running off and I might just get a reputation.’

Belle scoffed, felt the smile growing on her face. ‘It’s only been once.’

He offered her a nonchalant shrug. ‘Maybe I’ll start calling you Cinderella so you don’t get freaked by your own name.’

‘Funny,’ she said dryly, but there was no tempering the smile on her face.

‘Want a ride back to your bike?’

‘No, but thanks, Eddie,’ she said, hugging her helmet to her.

Eddie nodded, lingered for a moment as if there was more to say, but seemed to settle for merely a small smile before heading to the van.

‘See you at school, Cinderella,’ he called over his shoulder, and Belle chuckled softly. Maybe being back in Hawkins really would be different, but in a good way.

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘Eddie?’ Belle asked, watching the figure jogging towards her across the car park. She still had her helmet balanced carefully on the bike, the one that she’d saved for and bought herself.

He stopped at the other end of the bike, puffing slightly but attention locked resolutely on her.

‘I’m sorry,’ he said once he’d caught his breath. ‘I shouldn’t have kept asking about everything. It was a dick move. You don’t owe me anything.’

‘Eddie,’ she said softly, taking a step closer to him. Part of her craved to tell him everything. To finally offload the truth of the last few years to somebody. If anybody wouldn’t judge her, it was him. She knew that. And yet she was terrified. He might have been called a freak by society, but she felt like one sometimes because of more than that.

‘Everything all right, Clary?’ Steve’s voice pulled her back to the present, and she glanced over her shoulder. He stood, framed in the doorway of Family Video, expression unreadable. After a few months working together, she recognised the soft concern in his voice; the tentative olive branch.

When she returned her eyes to Eddie, there was something curious behind his eyes. A question as he raised his chin slightly. Belle looked down, unable to take the scrutiny directly.

‘All good,’ she called back, glancing to Steve, hoping he wouldn’t hear the waver to her voice.

He lingered, before ducking back into the shop.

Eddie loosed a soft breath. ‘You don’t have to tell me anything,’ he reiterated gently as she looked back at him through her eyelashes. ‘But I’m here if you ever want to talk, yeah?’ Belle swallowed, wishing she could admit the affection she had for him; how much those words meant. Instead, she offered ‘Thanks, Eddie,’ and hoped it was enough for the moment.

[justmoreocs-edits]

Random Dialogue Prompts: A Knife's Edge (Stranger Things)

[justmoreocs-writing]

‘Don’t do this.’

Belle ignored the insistent voice of Axel. Ignored the fact that she knew he had a point, that what she was doing was a terrible idea. And yet she couldn’t not go back. She had to do something. Had to at least make sure nothing worse had happened.

‘Clary, this is an awful idea.’

Belle pushed back against the pressure of Axel being in her head. He didn’t relent, but as soon as she went through the gate, he’d be gone again.

She paused at the edge of the gate they hadn’t been through before. The gate that marked Fred’s death. The gate that was just close enough to Eddie’s trailer that she thought it might almost be safe.

‘Claribel!’

‘I have to do this,’ she said, before jogging to the gate; before forcing herself through the strange darkness and out into the Upside Down. The chill of the air hit her before Belle forced herself to stop, forced herself not to run right into a vine and give away that somebody was there. Then again, she guessed whatever was in charge of the Upside Down now probably already knew.

She forced herself to breathe, to focus on the way towards the trailer park.

To where they’d left Eddie.

While the world at home was destroyed, with the Upside Down bleeding into it, the nightmarescape looked very much as she remembered it. But she wasn’t there for sightseeing; wasn’t there to try seeing if it still mirrored Hawkins.

Belle glanced at her feet, careful to step over the vines.

Something touched her shoulder. Belle tensed, but refused to give in to the fear. Refused to turn quickly. Vecna had already taken so much from them all, as had the Upside Down itself. She wasn’t going to give it the satisfaction of knowing that it was still winning; that it still instilled terror into them even though they’d come out the other side.

She swallowed as the thing on her shoulder tapped.

Slowly, trying to bite down the fear creeping up her back, Belle turned.

‘E – Eddie?’ she spluttered, eyes raking over the figure standing before her. The figure holding a sword on her shoulder. The figure whose eyes looked at her almost blankly. There was absolutely no recognition in those ever familiar eyes. Where she’d been terrified of being remembered upon her return to Hawkins, now she craved him to see her.

But there was nothing there but a coldness she’d never ascribed to Eddie Munson before.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Eddie was gone. It was the simple truth of the matter and Belle couldn’t quite accept that. Couldn’t believe that the ever lively presence of Eddie Munson wasn’t a mere phone call away. They’d wasted time. Time that there’d been far too little of. But hindsight wasn’t going to change things; Belle knew that better than anyone.

‘Robin said you’d be here.’ Mia’s voice was soft, tentative even. The affection behind Robin’s name was something that almost brought a smile to Belle’s lips. But not quite. It battled against the sadness and loss. The raging sea of grief too much for even that kindness.

Belle didn’t look up from the wooden table of the bench. The bench where she and Eddie had spent so much time trying to revise. Or at least, that had been the intention. Revision usually got pushed aside for random conversations, with Eddie trying to learn the truth about her time away. With her wanting desperately to tell him but worrying that it would ruin whatever was between them.

Mia settled herself on the other side, shifting the bench ever so slightly as she did so.

‘How’s Max?’ Belle asked, hearing the hollowness of her own voice. She wanted to check in with all of them, wanted to see Dustin especially. But she couldn’t. She wanted to be there for them, rather than wallowing in her own grief of the whole situation.

‘Tink,’ Mia said softly, making Belle flinch. The nickname felt wrong without the other part of it. The Lost Boys without Peter. ‘My mom once said,’ Mia began as Belle closed her eyes, as she took a breath, ‘that writing letters helps.’

‘With what?’ Belle slowly looked up. There wasn’t pity behind Mia’s gaze, rather concern. Concern for the distance Belle had put between herself and the others.

Mia made a gesture around them, as if it could encompass everything that they’d been through because words couldn’t. ‘If there’s anything that you didn’t say, or…’

Belle hastily wiped away a stray tear, looked away from Mia. Crying didn’t bother her. What bothered her was knowing that Eddie wouldn’t have wanted sadness. He’d have wanted things filled with laughter and togetherness. He’d have wanted joy. A celebration of everything.

She’d let him down by not rallying with the others to achieve that.

‘Just…’ Mia carefully unloaded some paper and a pen onto the bench from her bag. She offered Belle a small smile before standing up. ‘It might help.’

Belle wetted her lips. She wanted to say something, to thank Mia. But the words caught in her throat. So instead all she did was nod.

A brief smile, an acceptance of thanks, and then Mia was gone. Probably to check in with Robin again. To check Steve was OK. To hold the others together because that’s what they’d all been trying to do since.

With a trembling hand, Belle took up the pen and shifted the paper so she could write on it properly. But where to begin?

Dear…

The pen paused over the paper.

Dear honey, she wrote, the onetime nickname she’d murmured while half asleep had brought such a smile to his face that she couldn’t not use it. Not this time. Not knowing that she should have said it more so he knew the truth was a regret she had to live with.

I miss you.

She paused again before scribbling the words out.

My writing’s almost as bad as yours with this. But, you could probably understand it still.

You are a hero, Edward Munson. One of the greatest around. You helped so many people, and I’m not sure you know it.

I should have told you that more. Should have reminded you bravery’s about more than willingness to fight; to put yourself in danger for others. It’s about showing kindness even in the face of adversity. The little moments of making people realise they matter, even when the world around them might try to keep them down.

Belle stopped once more, hastily dabbed dry the paper where a tear had fallen to smudge her words.

I should’ve spent more time with you when I came back to Hawkins.

But, the time I did spend with you meant more to me than you know. I should have told you that, should have made you realise how much I love you.

Belle went to continue, but her attention drifted back to those words. The truth they held was something that made her breath hitch. Had he known? Did he realise just how much he really meant to her?

I love you.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Eddie drummed his knee nervously, attention on the mall entrance. He’d offered to pick Belle up, but she’d declined. It wasn’t anything personal, he knew that, it just came down to the fact she hadn’t ridden her motorbike for months. Months that he still didn’t know what had happened to her throughout. Months that her brother had said she was fine for; that Robin Buckley had been worried about her for. Months that he’d been terrified would end in him finding out she was another victim of Hawkins.

Unable to stay sat, Eddie jumped up and started pacing the length of the bench. For the most part, people were giving him a wide berth. He didn’t mind it, didn’t mind the looks and the whispers that followed him. Didn’t mind it because he was more than used to ignoring them.

The poster for Back to the Future adorned the wall to his left, colourful against the almost grey of the wall. It caught his attention but didn’t stop his movement. If it hadn’t been for that poster, he wouldn’t have been waiting for Belle in the new mall. He’d have been practicing with the band in Gareth’s garage, making the most of too many hours of sunlight and no school to interrupt it all.

‘We can do something else.’ Belle’s voice pulled Eddie’s attention behind him. She stood at the end of the bench, helmet on the seat in front of her, and leather jacket folded neatly over the back of it. Despite the uncertainty behind her voice, there was a smile on her lips that Eddie had missed more than he cared to admit.

‘You can put those in the van,’ Eddie said, turning to face her properly.

She was already shaking her head as he spoke. ‘It’s fine, but thanks.’ She rolled her jacket awkwardly and tucked it into the helmet. ‘Are you sure you want to watch this?’ She waved an absent hand at the poster.

The movie, Eddie realised, he was actually indifferent to. The past was the past. There were things he’d have liked to change, but he knew that wasn’t possible. The movie seemed like it could be fun though. Something to pass the time. Something that might just stop the questions about Belle’s disappearance from tumbling out of him like they so wanted to.

‘Of course,’ Eddie said, jumping up onto the bench and sitting on the back of it. ‘Are you?’

Belle rolled her eyes before moving to sit on the bench beside him. Eddie’s instinct was to rest his arm on her head, to lean into the contact like he would with most other people. But he’d pulled back since her return, worried that it was all too much. Belle, he knew, had never really been a tactile person. She accepted hugs and contact, but rarely initiated it.

‘My cousin said it was a good film,’ Belle said, leaning her head back against the bench and looking up at him. ‘Said it’d make a difference to all the horrors Tey watches.’

‘But…’ Eddie encouraged, dragging the word out as he dropped to sit on the bench beside her.

She heaved a breath, a wry smirk dancing at the corner of her lips. ‘Time travel. Makes you think, doesn’t it?’

Eddie’s chest tightened. He offered his hand out to her, palm up.

It took a moment for Belle to realise what was going on, and she carefully put her hand in his.

‘It’s just a movie,’ he reminded her softly, trying to squash his own thoughts about what he might have changed.

He just hoped that whatever had happened in her past, somehow spending a little time together might help her forget the worst of it.

[justmoreocs-writing]

If there was one thing Robin knew for certain about Belle it was that she didn’t get mad. Sure, irritated and frustrated, but never full on snapping at people mad. She’d always said life was too short; thought that offering a smile was far better than words spouted in the heat of proper anger.

But everybody had a breaking point. And Robin saw Belle’s during her first week back at Hawkins High.

For once, Hellfire were silent, attention drifting between Eddie and Belle. Waiting for which of them was going to break the spell. Who would admit to being wrong: Eddie for constantly questioning if Belle was OK, or Belle for snapping at him that she wasn’t a lost sheep, not made of glass and about to shatter.

Somehow, Robin managed to find her voice, and placed a careful hand on Belle’s shoulder. Her muscles were tensed, ready for fight or flight.

‘Mia said there might be some, um, extra set pieces to paint.’

Belle glanced briefly up at her, and Robin could see tears shining in her eyes. Whatever anger had built up worried Belle as much as it had everyone else.

Slowly, her attention went back to Eddie. Eddie who was still standing a few steps away looking more concerned than angry. Whatever fire of rage had possessed Belle seemed extinguished in an instant. She pulled away from Robin and tentatively put her hands on Eddie’s sides.

‘I’m sorry.’ The words were barely out of her mouth before he’d put an arm around her, lowered his mouth to the top of her head.

‘It’s OK,’ he murmured, quietly enough that Robin barely heard the reassurance that had Belle wrapping her arms around his back, hiding her face against his chest.

The gesture seemed to baffle him for a moment; Robin understood, Belle would accept hugs and gestures but rarely dolled them out. The moment passed quickly and he wound his arms around her, holding her tight.

‘It’s OK,’ he whispered against her hair, just as Dustin very obviously tried to get the attention of Hellfire.

Robin awkwardly settled herself into the spare seat beside Mike, knowing that if Eddie couldn’t reassure Belle he hadn’t taken it to heart, it was her turn next.

[justmoreocs-writing]

Belle was exhausted, that much Mia had realised as they reached the second half of the play. It might not have been obvious to the others, every cue was right and there were no blips in props being handed out, but Mia could see it.

‘Right,’ she called, clapping as soon as Molly had finished her line. The cast looked to her quickly, breaking character as easily as slipping off a coat. Belle’s attention took a moment to reach her. ‘Let’s call it a night.’

There was the general consensus of murmured agreement. Belle stifled a yawn behind her hand.

In the flurry of leaving preparations, Mia slipped towards Belle. ‘You got a lift?’

‘Eddie,’ Belle said softly, carefully dimming the stage lights. The gesture was considered, Mia made a mental note to thank Eddie for the lift. There was no chance Mia would’ve let her drive home.

Mia put a stilling hand over Belle’s. ‘I’ve got this.’

It was a testament to just how rung out she was that Belle nodded.

At some point during the chaos of movement, Eddie had entered the room. Mia spotted him standing near the doorway; his attention seemed to move through the movement, to focus on Belle as she gathered her things.

Mia turned the sound desk volume down, attention on Belle though. She walked slowly over to Eddie, bag carefully hitched over her shoulder. It was as if she didn’t see him there, and kept walking almost directly at him. Without a word, Eddie opened his arms and allowed her to crash against his chest. He carefully enveloped her in a hug, the ghost of a smile on his face.

Feeling as though she were intruding, Mia went to look away. But not before she saw Belle wrap her arms around Eddie, clinging to him. His arms wound protectively around her as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

A small smirk pulled at Mia’s lips as she turned away, busying herself with putting the boards away for Belle. The Lost Boys owed her one evening of a full rehearsal room tidy up next time they had a Hellfire meeting.