#I WILL recruit her in one of my other campaigns

[animoogus]

For a long time I had no idea you could recruit Minthara, I really thought she was just a minor character to kill with an unreasonably amazing voice/mocap performance.

The way she speaks is kind of bizarre and also has this incredible balance of absolute authority, unhinged overzealous creep, utter control, nasty little freak... I am enchanted. I am obsessed. I must have her (in my party).

[reasonsforhope]

Hazel Chandler was at home taking care of her son when she began flipping through a document that detailed how burning fossil fuels would soon jeopardize the planet.

She can’t quite remember who gave her the report — this was in 1969 — but the moment stands out to her vividly: After reading a list of extreme climate events that would materialize in the coming decades, she looked down at the baby she was nursing, filled with dread.

 “‘Oh my God, I’ve got to do something,’” she remembered thinking...

It was one of several such moments throughout Chandler’s life that propelled her into activist spaces — against the Vietnam War, for civil rights and women’s rights, and in support of environmental causes.

She participated in letter-writing campaigns and helped gather others to write to legislators about vital pieces of environmental legislation including the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, passed in 1970 and 1972, respectively. At the child care center she worked at, she helped plan celebrations around the first Earth Day in 1970. 

Now at 78, after working in child care and health care for most of her life, she’s more engaged than ever. In 2015, she began volunteering with Elder Climate Action, which focuses on activating older people to fight for the environment. She then took a job as a consultant for the Union for Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization. 

More recently, her activism has revolved around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group. Chandler helps rally volunteers to take action on climate and environmental justice issues, recruiting residents to testify and meet with lawmakers. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler tables at Environment Day at Wesley Bolin Plaza in front of the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2024.

Her motivation now is the same as it was decades ago. 

“When I look my grandchildren and my great-grandchildren, my children, in the eye, I have to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could to protect you,’” Chandler said. “I have to be able to tell them that I’ve done everything possible within my ability to help move us forward.” 

Chandler is part of a largely unrecognized contingent of the climate movement in the United States: the climate grannies. 

The most prominent example perhaps, is the actor Jane Fonda. The octogenarian grandmother has been arrested during climate protests a number of times and has her own PAC that funds the campaigns of “climate champions” in local and state elections. 

Climate grannies come equipped with decades of activism experience and aim to pressure the government and corporations to curb fossil fuel emissions. As a result they, alongside women of every age group, are turning out in bigger numbers, both at protests and the polls. All of the climate grandmothers The 19th interviewed for this piece noted one unifying theme: concern for their grandchildren’s futures. 

According to research conducted by Dana R. Fisher, director for the Center of Environment, Community and Equity at American University, while the mainstream environmental movement has typically been dominated by men, women make up 61 percent of climate activists today.  The average age of climate activists was 52 with 24 percent being 69 and older...

A similar trend holds true at the ballot box, according to data collected by the Environmental Voter Project, a nonpartisan organization focused on turning out climate voters in elections. 

A report released by the Environmental Voter Project in December that looked at the patterns of registered voters in 18 different states found that after the Gen Z vote, people 65 and older represent the next largest climate voter group, with older women far exceeding older men in their propensity to list climate as their No. 1 reason for voting. The organization defines climate voters as those who are most likely to list climate change, the environment, or clean air and water as their top political priority.

“Grandmothers are now at the vanguard of today’s climate movement,” said Nathaniel Stinnett, founder of the Environmental Voter Project.

“Older people are three times as likely to list climate as a top priority than middle-aged people. On top of that, women in all age groups are more likely to care about climate than men,” he said. “So you put those two things together … and you can safely say that grandma is much more likely to be a climate voter than your middle-aged man.” 

In Arizona, where Chandler lives, older climate voters make up 231,000 registered voters in the state. The presidential election in the crucial swing state was decided by just 11,000 votes, Stinnett noted.

“Older climate voters can really throw their weight around in Arizona if they organize and if they make sure that everybody goes to the polls,” he said. 

Pictured: Hazel Chandler’s recent activism revolves around her role as the Arizona field coordinator of Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group.

In some cases, their identities as grandmothers have become an organizing force. 

In California, 1000 Grandmothers for Future Generations formed in 2016, after older women from the Bay Area traveled to be in solidarity with Indigenous grandmothers protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. 

“When they came back, they decided to form an organization that would continue to mobilize women on behalf of the climate justice movement,” said Nancy Hollander, a member of the group. 

1000 Grandmothers — in this case, the term encompasses all older women, not just the literal grandmothers — is rooted at the intersection of social justice and the climate crisis, supporting people of color and Indigenous-led causes in the Bay Area. The organization is divided into various working groups, each with a different focus: elections, bank divestments from fossil fuels, legislative work, nonviolent direct actions, among others...

“There are women in the nonviolent direct action part of the organization who really do feel that elder women — it’s their time to stand up and be counted and to get arrested,” Hollander said. “They consider it a historical responsibility and put themselves out there to protect the more vulnerable.” 

But 1000 Grandmothers credits another grandmother activist, Pennie Opal Plant, for helping train their members in nonviolent direct action and for inspiring them to take the lead of Indigenous women in the fight. 

Plant, 66 — an enrolled member of the Yaqui of Southern California tribe, and of undocumented Choctaw and Cherokee ancestry — has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she co-founded with a group of Indigenous grandmothers in 2013, first in solidarity with a group formed by First Nations women in Canada to defend treaty rights and to protect the environment from exploitation. 

Pictured: Pennie Opal Plant has started various organizations over the years, including Idle No More SF Bay, which she founded in 2013 alongside Indigenous grandmothers.

In 2016, Plant gathered with others in front of Wells Fargo Corporate offices in San Francisco, blocking the road in protest of the Dakota Access Pipeline, when she realized the advantages she had as an older woman in the fight. 

As a police liaison — or a person who aims to defuse tension with law enforcement — she went to speak to an officer who was trying to interrupt the action. When she saw him maneuvering his car over a sidewalk, she stood in front of it, her gray hair flowing. “I opened my arms really wide and was like, are you going to run over a grandmother?”

A new idea was born: The Society of Fearless Grandmothers. Once an in-person training — it now mostly exists online as a Facebook page — it helped teach other grandmothers how to protect the youth at protests. 

For Plant, the role of grandmothers in the fight to protect the planet is about a simple Indigenous principle: ensuring the future for the next seven generations. 

“What we’re seeing is a shift starting with Indigenous women, that is lifting up the good things that mothers have to share, the good things that women that love children can share, that will help bring back balance in the world,” Plant said...

[Kathleen] Sullivan is one of approximately 70,000 people over the age of 60 who’ve joined Third Act, a group specifically formed to engage people 60 and older to mobilize for climate action across the country. 

“This is an act of moral responsibility. It’s an act of care. And It’s an act of reciprocity to the way in which we are cared for by the planet,” Sullivan said. “It’s an act of interconnection to your peers, because there can be great joy and great sense of solidarity with other people around this.”

-via The 19th, January 31, 2024

[taintandviolent]

Stalked - Kai Anderson x Reader

summary & wordcount: 2.6K! After breaking up with Kai, he decides you need a little reminder of what once was. idea requested by @kaislittlelamb originally!

w a r n i n g s: smut with very little plot, implied stalking, toxic relationships, throat fucking, blowjobs, Kai being Kai, violence, aggression.

a/n: this was originally a drabble, but got longer - very quickly written, sorry if it's horrible! definitely not my best. thanks for reading it, if you did!!! no taglist this time because it's a pain in the bootay.

full fic under cut!↓ / ao3 link here! /

You'd met with Zack a few times now, but this was the first time you two had actually gotten to talk and get to know each other. He was cute, in a very boy next door sort of way; physically fit, a tousled mess of brown curls, bright green eyes, and bright, white teeth that probably got whitened bi-weekly.

"So, anyways, I moved here about three months ago after my mom moved here, and with her needing help, I figured I might as well stay." 

"Nice." You grinned. 

"Yeah, so I'm definitely still learning the best spots to eat..." 

You casually glanced around the restaurant, scanning the patrons next to you; you were an observer and enjoyed people watching, in all situations. Abruptly, several tables across from you, wavy, blue hair caught your attention. Your expression contorted into one of shock as your eyes trailed down the bridge of the nose, taking in the man's face. No fucking way. 

As though he felt that he was being watched, Kai turned mid-sentence, and immediately made eye contact with you. His brows rose slowly in surprise, and ultimately, delight. You blinked and turned away quickly, engulfing yourself back in the conversation. Or hoping to. But there was no escaping this. 

"Excuse me," you heard him say, before scooting his chair back. The legs scraped against the floor with an awkward sound, and Kai made his way over to you, navigating around the tables. 

Like a child trying to avoid being found, you almost considered sinking down in your seat, chest heaving with shallow breaths. Some luck you had. Some fucking luck. You rolled your eyes, shifting your shoulders. Zack watched you, studying your very apparent discomfort. You felt both men's eyes on you, and laughed nervously into your soda.

"Y/N..." Kai said. 

You said nothing in return, only smiled sarcastically and stirred your soda with the straw. 

"New boyfriend?" He asked, his tone dripping with faux-interest. You knew him. You knew him like the back of your hand, and he wasn't interested. He was waiting to incriminate you.

"No, actually." Zack interjected, bravely. "We're just getting to know each other. It's going well." 

You nodded, giving him a genuine smile. "It is." 

Kai tightened his smile further; the fakeness started to show through the cracks. "Good, good. Well, I just wanted to say hello. I'll leave you two lovebirds to finish your appetizers." 

"You know him?" 

"Unfortunately. Too well." 

"Ex-boyfriend?" Zack asked, popping another spinach-dip loaded chip into his mouth.

Sheepishly, you nodded.

"He looks familiar." 

"Yeah, you've probably seen him on TV. He's a councilman."

Zack snapped his fingers, pointing at you. "That's it! Anderson, right?" 

Again, you nodded. "Yep... that's the one." 

The waiter appeared, meals in hand. As you two ate, the conversation naturally melted away from Kai, which you were grateful for. Especially since it seemed like it was headed in the direction of Zack wanting to vote for him and agreeing with his campaign policies. Unfortunately, Zack fit the bill of one of the men that Kai would easily brainwash, and recruit to his noble cause.

Halfway through dessert, your phone buzzed. You knew who it was from without even looking. The message read: We should get together.

You quickly thumbed out a response. Why? 

Just to talk. 

Against better judgement, you agreed. The rest of the date was spent laughing about poorly written films in the last decade, but in the back of your mind, laughing was the last thing you wanted to be doing. The next hour was a blur. Zack had gone in for a kiss when he was leaving, which you returned, but only briefly. You were distracted. Painfully so. You went from the restaurant to Kai's, but you hardly remembered driving there. Your mind was on autopilot; a rotten, sour feeling bubbling in your stomach. Everything in you said that this was a bad idea, and yet, you gripped the steering wheel hard, looking at his front door.

You got out, locked your car and made your way up the pathway. You only knocked once before the door flew open. He stood tall. Proud. Unwavering. That overly confident, but calm smile plastered on his stupidly-handsome face. His hair hung at his cheeks, greasy as ever. He was pleased you'd shown up - you thought you saw a flicker of doubt that maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't have. But you were a woman of your word, and you weren't going to show him that he was something to fear.

"So, when are you going to break it off with what's-his-name?" Kai asked as he took the basement stairs quickly, trotting down them. You followed, wordlessly, revelling in the familiar sensations. Once you'd stopped at the final step, you glanced forward, eyes locking on the brown leather couch. Out of all the memories that you'd had in that basement, the ones that rushed back were the ones where Kai was fucking you on that couch. Ruthless, merciless fucking until your back hurt and your insides felt like they'd been obliterated twice over. You blinked the images away, swallowing hard. Your head turned before your eyes met his. 

"Zack is actually very nice, and he'd probably treat me very well if I decided to pursue a relationship with him. But since when do you care who I'm with?" 

"It's my business." 

"No, it fucking isn't. It hasn't been for weeks. Last time I checked... I was uhhh, what was it? A stupid bitch?" That had become a favorite alias of his. You plopped down on the sofa, cushions giving way to your weight.

Kai bristled. "You know, you really should be careful what you post on social media." 

"Excuse me?" 

"You never know who could be watching." 

The realisation hits you like a freight train. Him being at the restaurant wasn't a coincidence, it wasn't bad luck. Kai knew exactly where you were going to be and he made it a point to be there. You’d replied to a friend in the comments of a post, telling her that you were going to be at that particular restaurant in the afternoon. He’d seen that.

"You've been.... fucking stalking me!?" 

Kai filled his chest with air, somehow standing taller than he already did. "You sure like to show off your cute little life, don't you? Pathetic little coffee outings and Tapas date nights. But what I want to know..." Kai trailed off, circling you like the pathetic little lamb you were. "...is who you go home and think about. Is it Zack? Or maybe Edward?"  

You felt the muscles underneath your eye twitch. 

"Or is it.... me?" 

Kai finally moved in front of you, his broad chest obscuring your view from everything else. His legs touched your knees. 

"Answer me." 

"I don't have to tell you anything, Kai. You aren't my boyfriend anymore."

"I said answer me!" Kai pressed his thumb and forefinger into your cheeks, making your lips pucker out like a stupid, confused fish. He yanked your head forward, bringing it up towards his. The action strained the muscles in your neck, but you didn't dare say that. This dynamic was very familiar to you. You'd been here before. 

"Seems like you need a little reminder."

A chill ran down your spine.

"Open your mouth." Kai's thumb traced your pouty lips softly, sweeping back and forth. He waited a few seconds, his face tight with impatience and when you didn't concede to his request, Kai forced your mouth open, pressing his fingers into your cheek flesh until you winced and dropped your jaw. 

"Good girl. Now, you're going to keep your mouth open until I say to close it. You understand?" 

You nodded, your tongue resting delicately on your bottom teeth. 

"I have a very important job for you. You're going to stroke my cock until it's hard and then I'm going to throat fuck you."

You held back a cringe. He was always so... direct. Direct with his intentions, direct with his words, direct with his actions. You supposed that was the main vein of why he was doing so well as a councilman; people liked the truth -- and regardless of validity, if something is delivered with enough confidence and directness, it's believed. 

You reached forward tentatively, undoing the button of his dark jeans. The zipper came next, one tooth at a time. You felt the heat of his groin as soon as you leaned forward to pull the jeans over his buttocks, turning your face away so that you weren't met with a mouthful of fabric. With a strong hand, you gripped the elastic of his boxers, pulling them down over his balls - his dick flopped out, heavy and warm to the touch. You sucked a self-encouraging breath into your lungs and reached forward to grip his flaccid cock, inching your lips towards it.

"No." He bucked his hips backwards, furrowing his brows. "What did I say?"

You froze, backpedalled and began stroking, intentionally angling it towards your mouth. Kai let out a shallow breath, pressing his chin against his chest to watch you. You gave it a firm squeeze, and in response, his cock twitched in your grip; it didn't take long for it to swell and stiffen to capacity in your grasp. You paid some attention to the tip, spreading around the slithery pre-cum that had leaked from the slit.  

"I always liked that about you - your willing adherence to any and all demands. You know what I want." 

At least he was praiseful. He always had been, even in the late and toxic stages of your relationship. Still, you chalked it up to him enjoying the sound of his own voice and feeling like he was in control of the situation

Your free hand took hold of his balls, squeezing them softly. At that, Kai vocalized hungrily, grunting low in his throat. He was a very venous man; in any heightened state of emotion that got the blood flowing, his veins popped in his forehead, his neck, his hands... and his cock. Your tongue massaged the veins that swelled on his shaft, flattened out on the thickest one underneath and flicked at the tip.

You continued jerking it, finding a rhythm until Kai's large hand enveloped yours, forcing his cock out of your grasp to replace it with his own. Pumping his cock in and out of his hand a few times quickly, Kai hissed through his teeth, and took a fistful of your hair at the crown of your head. He immediately let go, and cupped the back of your head with his hand, stroking it softly. Tenderly -- like it meant something to him. It didn't. You were a stupid pawn in his story, another one of his dedicated cult members, and he regarded them all the same.

You closed your mouth to swallow, wetting the inside of it before returning to your previous, vulnerable position, tongue out, eyes lifted to meet his. Kai's pitch-dark eyes looked down at you with a roiling expectancy, one that spoke louder than words could. He slapped the tip of his cock against your waiting tongue, revelling in that first, startled flinch.

At first, he slid just the tip along the texture of your tongue, grinding against you, but it didn't take him long to penetrate. The tip of his cock bumped against the back of your throat, and you closed your lips, bowing your head slightly to allow him further down your throat.

“How does that feel?” 

You nodded your head. Kai let out another throaty moan and picked up his pace, thrusting his hips hard into your face as you relaxed your throat as best you could, fighting your gag reflex. His cock filled your throat - violated it - the salty taste of his precum overwhelming your senses. Your nose burned and your eyes watered. You guessed that your eye makeup had begun to stream down your cheeks in ebony ribbons. 

Kai's visual was ethereal. You were coming undone before him - below him - as women should. In such a submissive state, you looked your best. He took a fistful of your hair and yanked you forward, violently forcing you to deep throat his dick. He felt the slick, strong contraction of your reflex and grit his teeth; you were withholding it, but the pathetic, whimpering sounds of your gags drove him forward. He pictured them, remembering all the times that he had been in a similar position with you. 

"Gag," he said, finally. "I want to hear your pain." 

When you didn't, Kai forced his cock further into your throat, until your nose was pressed in the bush of his hair. That did it. With your eyes squeezed shut, your throat repeatedly rebelled. You coughed and gagged around his shaft, the tip still pressed against your tonsils. You finally opened your bleary eyes at him, straining them upwards to get a visual on him, to beg him wordlessly for relief. Kai flattened his hand on the back of your head and bunny humped your face, pulling more desperate gags from your throat.

"Who do you belong to?"

No response. Just a full-mouthed cough.

He took a fistful of your hair, pulling you hard off of his dick. THWACK! Kai's hand whipped across your face, leaving a welting streak of red in its wake. His cock bumped against the roof of your mouth as you nodded slowly, stunned from the sheer force. 

"I'll ask you one more time... who do you belong to?" 

Finally, you gave him another feeble nod and lifted your hand to press a single finger into his pectoral muscle.

"Good... that's what I like to hear. You remembered that it's rude to talk with your mouth full, too. I'm so proud of you."

Kai reinserted his cock into your waiting mouth, almost gently. That was everything but comforting, but this foreplay was familiar to you, and therefore, enjoyable. Sure, the way your throat burned as his dick hammered in and out might've teetered on the edge of discomfiting, but you'd been here before. You knew him, and at one point, you loved him.

You made an O around his cock as he dragged it out from the back of your throat, sucking gently. Kai began thrusting again, but less rhythmically than before. He was losing his steady pace, and that only meant one thing.

"Don't fucking stop," he breathed. "Keep going."

You closed your eyes again, two tears streaming down your blushing, caving cheeks. He was going to cum soon, you felt the tightness, the heat, the urgency behind his thrusts. Pumping his cock in and out of your swollen lips, Kai’s hand snapped to the back of your neck, holding you in place as he thrust remorselessly. 

A second later, he bottomed out again, and you felt his cock twitching, pulsing in your mouth as his orgasm washed down the back of your throat. You coughed a wet, sticky wet cough and Kai groaned, letting his head fall back into his shoulders. 

"Swallow. Fucking swallow it."

You did. You winced as your throat accepted the mouthful of blisteringly hot cum, salty and slightly unpleasant. Your mouth felt sticky and your throat was coated – you couldn't talk, not clearly. So, instead of telling Kai that you hated him, you just glared at him with fire in your gaze, baring your teeth at him like an angry dog.

“Aw, what? What, you hate me? Is that what you want to say?” 

You nodded.

“Go sit at the table. We’re going to talk about that.” 

[wolfsbanesparks]

Fanfic idea!

So I wanted to share an idea i had for a story that just sorta appeared in my brain fully formed. It will be a while before I have time to write it out, but I wanted to share it with y'all now while it's fresh in my mind.

This was inspired by @puppetwoman17 's story "Batson Family Soap Opera" and conversations I've had with @cerealboxlore as well as some other posts I've seen floating around tumblr but can't find right now.

Title: Signed in Blood

Premise: Ebenezer Batson makes a deal with Lady Blaze to bring his son Sinclair back to life, but there's a catch: after a year and a day either Sinclair must return to the land of the dead or a blood relative must take his place.

When the time comes for Blaze to collect on her contract, the Justice League is recruited to protect the Batsons from the hellhounds and demons she sends after them.

Full details under the cut because this will get long. Like the entire fic is there in bullet point form

Okay bullet points for all the plot beats i know (basically an outline of the story)

We open on Lady Blaze tracking down Ebenezer and offering to grant his greatest wish: bringing his son back to life

Ebenezer jumps at the chance and signs the contract with his blood, even knowing the caveat that someone must die in one year. A further stipulation in the contract is that the soul of whoever dies to fulfill the contract will belong to her

Ebenezer loves his son and won't let him die again, but he's still a selfish bastard, so he doesn't plan on dying either

He justifies it to himself with the thought that Sinclair is smarter, more charismatic, and had a bright future whereas Billy is a troubled runaway who will probably become a petty crook etc.

There is only one other blood relative he knows is still alive: Billy

(Billy is of course trans in this but I'll stick to the name and pronouns we know he uses rather than Ebenezer's misgendering and deadnaming)

Sinclair does not know he's dead: Blaze wiped his memory of the accident and used magic to provide false memories to account for the time he was dead

Ebenezer tracks down Billy to take back custody of him so he'll be able to hand him over to Blaze (he knows that if billy dies and he tells people Billy ran away they'll believe it because of his history thus getting away scott free)

Billy is conflicted about being in Ebenezer's custody again, especially with a cousin he doesn't remember (he died before Billy's parents did) who seems a bit off (because he was resurrected with demonic magic)

Sinclair jumps straight into making a name for himself by running for political office (he has ambitions and plans for his future and zero idea what his father did)

While campaigning for office, exactly a year and a day since he was resurrected, Sinclair attends a major political conference

The conference is attacked by hellhounds sent by blaze to remind Ebenezer of their contract. But it causes a huge scene and the Justice League, including Captain Marvel, gets involved to help protect the political leaders of the conference

But they soon realize the main target is Sinclair so they take him and Ebenezer back to their home and offer their protection while they figure out what's going on

Ebenezer is sweating because he has no idea where Billy is so he can't offer him up like he planned (because Billy is CM at the moment) but he figures the JL can keep him and Sinclair alive

Cap is unusually rude and abrasive. He's distant and avoids certain sections of the house. The JL is worried because he never acts like this and they don't know what happened or why he doesn't seem to like the batsons

As they try to figure out why the Batsons are being targeted, a second attack happens at a charity event where the Bromfields had been in attendance (the demons targeting Mary)

The JL brings the Bromfields and the Batsons together to try to find a link. And after Batman runs a DNA test he finds out that Mary is related to them.

(Billy recognized her the moment he saw her locket and is desperately trying to hold himself back from pulling her into a hug and whisking her away from their uncle)

Ebenezer is gobsmacked that his niece is alive, Mary is ecstatic to learn more about her birth family, and the Bromfields are worried about what this all means.

The story of CC and Marilyn comes out and Sinclair tells the JL about Billy and how he's missing and they need to find him before the demons do

Demons attack the house, gunning for Cap as well which leads to some investigation and the theory that Cap is CC with memory loss which he adamantly denies

(Both Billy and Ebenezer are shaken by just how many "dead" Batsons are in the room)

Blaze appears and tells them all that due to her contract they cannot deny her: she is owed the life and soul of one of the Batsons by midnight. A life for a life.

Everyone is freaking out because what contract? And who is she?

But Billy knows who she is and it takes him no time at all to put the pieces together. He confronts Ebenezer and when he denies it, he convinces wonder woman to use the lasso of truth on him

Ebenezer is forced to tell them he made a deal and why: he wanted his son back.

But Sinclair still has no idea he died so he doesn't understand: he would have come home if his dad needed him so bad.

But Billy remembers an incident from when he was a kid living with Ebenezer: playing in the backyard, digging a hole as little kids do and finding a ring engraved with the name Sinclair Batson (a high school class ring that Sinclair always wears, one that he's wearing right now)

His uncle had been furious and punished Billy for it, but later while drunk he sobbed about how his perfect son was gone, how he'd never see him again.

Billy had (rightly) assumed he was dead but didn't ask any questions about him until he was in Ebenezer's custody again, then he assumed he was just young and misunderstood the situation (after all he'd lost so many people at that age. Lots of people were just gone without explanation)

But now he realizes the truth: Sinclair was brought back from the dead and the strange offputting aura was blazes magic

Ebenezer is forced to tell them what happened: how Sinclair died.

It was an accident. The two of them had been arguing about Sinclair going away for college among other things and things got heated. Sinclair tried to sneak out after the argument, climbing out of his window. Ebenezer caught him and shouted for him to get back inside. The shout startled Sinclair and he fell off the roof and broke his neck

Ebenezer couldn't bring himself to call the police, he was terrified they'd arrest him because the neighbors heard them arguing and Sinclair had bruises on his arm from where Ebenezer had grabbed him

So he buried his son in that backyard, telling everyone who asked that Sinclair was away for college and building up the lie so no one suspected the truth. (Billy found Sinclair's ring because he was playing on top of his unmarked grave)

Billy pushes and Ebenezer admits that he'd been planning on giving Billy up in exchange for Sinclair (airing out his justifications)

Everyone is horrified, especially Sinclair. (Not Billy though, this aligned perfectly with the Ebenezer he knew)

There's a lot of argument about what to do: most are in favor of handing Ebenezer over to Blaze but Sinclair is admant that he was supposed to be dead so it should be him she took.

But Billy knows something no one else knows about this deal, not even Ebenezer: Blaze had always intended to reap Billy's soul as payment

She knew there was no love between Billy and Ebenezer but she also knew that Billy would never let anyone (even someone he hates as much as his uncle) become her slave via owning their soul

But if Billy's soul belonged to her, so would his powers and his connection to Shazam and the Rock of Eternity. The contract would back him into a corner and his pure heart would give her the opening she needed.

So Billy pulls Sinclair and Mary aside. Mary's clinging to Sinclair because even though she just found him she doesn't want to lose him.

The three of them hatch a plan

When Blaze arrives and demands her payment Cap steps forward and offers himself (which makes everyone confused since he's been denying being CC all night)

Blaze is ecstatic because she can taste victory

Sinclair steps up and demands to know how they can trust her not to come after them again once she has cap's soul.

After a bit of back and forth, she agrees to add an addendum to the contract Ebenezer signed ensuring that she would never harm any of the Batsons after collecting what she is owed.

All batsons sign the contract in blood

Last is Billy who she tells to power down so she can collect his soul without divine interference

Billy transforms and literally everyone except Blaze is blindsided by the fact that Cap is Billy who has been missing since before this mess began

Blaze shoves her hand into Billy’s chest to rip out his soul and claim her birthright

But before he dies he gives Mary, who is shell shocked and horrified and quickly realizing that's her twin, a nod

As he falls to the ground she remembers the plan: she shouts out "Shazam" and becomes Mary Marvel

You see the night before Billy officially chose her to become his successor as Champion (Sinclair is too closely tied to blazes magic so it would've been too risky to give him. Plus Mary was always destined for the powers of Shazam but had been hidden from him by black Adam's magic)

Just as Blaze was denied her father's power and the Rock of Eternity because he chose Billy as his champion, so she was denied when Billy transferred his powers to mary

She is furious and attacks mary

But upon landing the first hit, Billy is brought back because she hurt a batson rendering the contract null and void

Together Billy and Mary send her back to hell

The epilogue features the Batsons several months later. Ebenezer is in prison for attempted murder (of both Billy and Sinclair) among other crimes. Sinclair still visits him because despite everything he loves his dad and owes him his second chance at life (it's definitely complicated) Sinclair is billys legal guardian and theyd sold the house where both Billy and Sinclair were abused moving into the same neighborhood as the Bromfields so the twins can be together again. Captain Marvel and Mary are beloved heroes and they've officially endorsed Sinclair's campaign which meant he won in a landslide.

And they lived happily ever after

So thoughts?

I told you the idea was fully formed but I'd love to hear what y'all think!

[olderthannetfic]

At the time of writing this, Audrey R. has already resigned from running for OTW board, and the way people have acted about her candidacy the past few days has been disturbing, but also sadly unsurprising. Please, to anyone who may read this- I know those immediate gut reactions of shock, horror, disgust, I personally find that I can't stand Republicans and conservatives, I generally hate their views and what they stand for.

But please, don't just blindly spread misinformation and fear. I know there's little nuance to be found on tumblr, but people were misrepresenting her and her policies and unnecessarily riled each other up to the point where people took it upon themselves to go after her and her employer under false beliefs.

She's a Republican, yes. But how many people have taken the time to actually look her up? She's run as an independent before, her policies aren't the conservative bs people are making it out to be, and quite frankly, in her district, there is no realistic chance for a Democrat or an independent candidate to win elections.

In one of her Q&As, she had this to say:

"One of the most important things I learned on the campaign trail was this: it does not matter how loud your voice is if you don’t have a seat at the table. My advice to #EOTWR is recruit and/or run so they can get a seat, and find ways to involve the people currently in the positions to make change."

Combining her locale, statements, and platform, she's at worst a centrist who's running with the Republicans for a chance to win and actually try to change things within the system in which she's contained.

There's no evidence of her being pro-censorship. There are legitimate concerns about the effects of social media, screens, and the internet on youths, especially because they're so relatively recent in our history. People saw her party, her organization, other people's reactions, and assumed the worst.

If people actually did research and came to their own conclusions or simply decided that a republican affiliation in and of itself was an automatic deal breaker, I completely understand that. I personally wouldn't have voted for her either way. It's understandable that candidates will be discussed and criticised, but don't make things up to make her worse than she actually is.

--

[hippiegoth97]

Rainbow in the Dark

Collage by me :)

Master List

Tag List: @keikoraven @ar-jupiter @alcielo1438 @cairro-xx @stolen-in-moonlight

@micheledawn1975 @janiejenn @rafeyscurtainbangs @melodymunson @spacedoutdaydreamer

@veemoon @sariahs-stuff @feral-pumpkin-energy @comeonatmebruh @munsoneightysixx

@morgthemagpie @josephquinnsfreckles @jenniquinn @userchai @cometzombie

@spookybabey @daggerdaggerkitten @nina6708 @sanctumdemunson @yourdailymemedelivery

@person-005 @slowandsteddie @gri959 @elegantkoalapaper @letitgoandletlive

@loserboysandlithium @costellation-hunter @leelei1980 @h-ness1944 @pretendthisnameisclever

@ohmeg @stalactitekilla @hellfirenacht @birdysaturne @oneforthemunny

@prettyboyeddiemunson @eddievanmunson @msgexymunson @rattkween86 @violetpixiedust

@bimbobaggins69 @angel-munson @eldermayfield @munsonsbtch @bimbogorewhore

@mediocredreams @xxbimbobunnyxx @taintedcigs @ali-r3n @emxxblog

Description: A few months after Eddie's death, he's resurrected by Vecna and recruited to destroy you and the rest of the group. But you're able to get through to Eddie, breaking the spell with the power of your undying love for him. The two of you make up for lost time, and he vows to betray Vecna and help you save the world.

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: smut, male reader, vampire!eddie munson, gay!eddie munson, gay!reader, character death (and resurrection), semi-graphic mentions of blood/gore/body parts/organs/other grisly things, vampirism, blood drinking LGBTQ references, oral sex, anal sex, lots of crying, angst

A/N: This story contains dialogue from Stranger Things season four for context within my story, some of which has been modified. The credit for said dialogue goes to the Stranger Things writers, the Duffer Brothers, and Netflix. I only use it for entertainment purposes, I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters, and I do not profit from my stories.

Word Count: 14.6k

divider by @strangergraphics

Rainbow in the Dark

It's been a little over six months since you lost the big showdown against Vecna. Well, you know Nancy got him pretty good with her shotgun, and Robin molotoved his ass to a crisp. But in the end, it certainly feels like a loss. Vecna isn't actually dead, just severely injured, but you know he'll be back any day now. Max is still down for the count, lifeless in a hospital bed. Lucas hasn't left her side, refusing to give up on her. He barely sleeps or eats, blaming himself for her ending up like this. Most of the people have left town after the earth split open, evacuating as Hawkins has officially been deemed too cursed to live in.

The people still here carry on hunting for Eddie, despite your gang's efforts to convince them of all the upside-down bullshit. He's still being blamed for all of it, the killings, the 'earthquake', the world turning gray from the cracks in the earth. Dustin is a wreck, wracked with guilt over losing his friend. And everyone else is just barely keeping shit together. The upside-down has poisoned about half the town now, the plants are all dead, and any animals left behind have mutated into demogorgon hybrids. Day by day, you lose another battle as more parts of town have to be marked as 'dangerous and toxic'. The worst thing about all of this? You’ve lost the love of your life. Eddie Munson, resident freak, is dead.

You'd been secretly hooking up with Eddie when all this insanity kicked off. You were his right hand man in the Hellfire Club, helping him organize campaigns and recruiting new members. You'd known him for as long as you can remember, but you only became friends a couple years ago. You loved that club, always counting down the minutes until you could be back in the drama room with your favorite band of misfits. You and Eddie in particular became very close, he had taken a certain shine to you that nobody else had the privilege of receiving. One day, after a rather heated D&D session, Eddie asked you to stay back and help him clean up. As always, you happily accepted.

"Hey, you played really well today, Y/N." Eddie says, gathering the dice from around the table to put in his drawstring pouch. You're putting everyone's figures away in their box, and stacking the board tiles.

"Thanks, Eddie." You reply, trying not to blush. You don't understand why, but being around him, especially alone, gives you butterflies. He smiles at you, tossing the pouch into his bag, which lands with a clacking sound. "I'm excited for the next campaign, you're a great dungeon master." You say, meeting his big brown eyes.

He chuckles, walking over to you. "You really think so?" He asks, putting a hand over yours to take the boards from your grasp. You gasp at the contact, swallowing hard as your cheeks heat up beyond your control. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He teases, eyes flicking to your lips. He's grinning at you, tongue playing at the edge of his mouth. You wait for him to lean forward, to kiss you. You didn't even realize you'd want him to do that, that's odd. But he chickens out, backing off after a moment. He shakes his head, sighing before going back to his things.

"Um, what was that?" You ask, though you're not quite sure why.

"Nothing, Y/N. Don't worry 'bout it." He replies defensively, hoping he hasn't pissed you off. He doesn't want to assume something, and end up making you uncomfortable.

"But it's not nothing. Were you gonna kiss me?" You push, unable to let this go. His head whips around to look at you, eyes wider than you've ever seen them. It's here that you realize how many times you've lost yourself in those eyes. How many occasions your own have lingered over his body, admiring him without even thinking about it. He's so handsome, gorgeous even. You can't help wanting to tangle your fingers in his long hair, taste his plush lips with your own. It has never occurred to you that you're actually attracted to this man, until now.

"N-no." He stutters, forcing a nervous laugh. "What makes you say that?" He acts like what you're suggesting is utterly ridiculous, like he hasn't been secretly checking you out every chance he gets.

You slowly walk over to him, taking your time. He backs up a couple steps, becoming very nervous and assuming you're about to beat him up. "Relax, Eds. Please?" You plead with your eyes, not wanting to scare him. The look on your face makes him relax a little, and he stops moving so you can approach him. You're standing very close to him now, within kissing distance. You raise a hand to stroke his cheek, causing him to flinch. "It's okay." You reassure, and he lets you feel his soft skin with your palm. "You're so pretty, Eds. And I didn't put it together until now, but I'm very attracted to you." You speak quietly, feeling like your words violate the heated silence between you.

He snorts out a laugh. "You just NOW figured out that you like me? Man, you've been staring at me nonstop for months! Not that I'm complaining." He speaks in his usual smart-ass tone, you can't get enough of hearing him talk.

"Well, pardon me, Eddie! I've never looked at a man this way before, I didn't really think I could. Can I just kiss you already?" You roll your eyes, wanting so badly to act on this thing you've subconsciously been wanting for so long.

"Of course, baby. Do your worst." He jokes, making you both laugh to break the tension a little. When you quiet back down, you bring your mouth onto his, immediately melting at how soft his lips are. He tastes like tobacco and Dr. Pepper, a flavor combination you never thought you'd love so much. Your hands slip into his thick hair, weaving your fingers between the locks. Eddie's arms wrap around your back, holding you closer. Your matching Hellfire shirts rub against one another, radiating a welcome warmth between you.

"Hey, guys. I forgot my chemistry textbo-'' Dustin announces as he walks back through the doors to the drama room. He's frozen in his tracks, staring at the scene before him. His words startle you out of your embrace, quickly pushing each other away to try and hide what you were doing. Mortified expressions plague everyone's faces, eyes flicking between the three of you frantically. "Ah, there's my book! I'll just be going now!" He snatches the textbook from the table, about to turn heel and run.

"Dustin, wait!" Eddie calls to him, and Dustin stops in his tracks, turning back around slowly. "Just-..." Eddie gathers the words, struggling to piece them together. "Please don't say anything to anyone?" He begs, and Dustin's fearful expression softens. The kid walks over to the both of you, pulling you in for a group hug. You and Eddie look at each other, confused.

"I promise, your secret is safe with me." Dustin says, muffled against your chests. He lifts his head to look up at your faces. "I was wondering when you were finally gonna get together." He says with a joyful smile.

"What?!" You say simultaneously. Was your mutual attraction THAT obvious?

"Oh, please! The whole club has been talking about it, you two are not nearly as subtle as you think you are. The longing glances? The lingering on any contact either one of you makes on the other? You guys are the most lovesick people I've ever seen, it was getting painful to watch." He pats your shoulders, before turning to leave again. "Relax, I haven't said a word to anyone outside the group, and I don't plan to. I understand how dangerous this town can be. I'm happy for you though, so I'll leave you to it!" He salutes you both, jogging out of the room once more.

You look at Eddie again, utterly surprised that the club put two and two together before you even knew what your feelings meant. "Longing glances?" You ask mockingly, you can't help being a bit annoyed that the group has been talking about you like this.

"Lingering contact?" Eddie says, just as shocked as you are. He contemplates the idea for a moment, before giving you a devilish grin. "Although, I kinda like the sound of that. Maybe we should have some more." He walks the two of you backwards to the nearest wall, and you grunt as your back hits the cinder blocks. His large hand rests next to your face, essentially pinning you where you stand. His breath fans over your lips, your heart racing.

"Do your worst, Munson." You say, smirking as you anticipate his next move.

Rain patters against the windows outside Steve Harrington's house. Everyone had set up here as an official base camp, as it's the largest house of the group that hasn't been condemned yet. The patterns of decay and destruction have miraculously missed this place, the supermarket, and the hospital. But at the back of your mind, you know eventually nowhere will be safe anymore. It's only a matter of time. You're curled up in an armchair, looking out into the distance. Just a couple blocks away, you can see the vines strangling every house, tree, car, etc. Those nasty dust particles swirl around in the air like snow in slow-motion. "Y/N." You hear Jonathan behind you, his fingers tapping on your shoulder.

"Hm?" You hum in questioning, turning to see what he wants. He's holding out a mug of hot coffee, just the way you like it. "Oh, thanks." You say flatly, taking the mug from his pale hands.

"Yeah." He says awkwardly, leaving you to stare outside at the desolation. You take a sip of your drink, feeling the liquid warm you up on this cold October evening. It's Halloween, but nobody is in a particularly festive mood. You look around the living room, your heart sinking at the scene before you. Mike, Will, Erica, and Eleven are mindlessly playing Monopoly, trying to pass the time. They aren't smiling, barely saying a word unless someone owes somebody money.

Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Jonathan sit at a folding table drinking mugs of coffee similar to yours. Their expressions are similarly bleak, bags under their eyes as they don't sleep much. Dustin has separated himself from the others, residing in a spare room upstairs. You've often heard him sobbing when you go up there to use the bathroom, though lately the sound has stopped. The only sign of life he gives is leaving his empty dishes outside the door.

Hopper, Murray, Dmitri and Joyce sit on guard at every entrance, brandishing guns and axes in case any mutant creatures come knocking. Argyle went back home to be with his family a little bit after the fight. You're thankful his joyful spirit didn't have a chance to be broken by him staying in this godforsaken place. And Lucas is still at the hospital with Max, protecting her in her vulnerable state.

You found it odd that even after all this time, there's still running water and electricity in the parts of town that are habitable. You'd asked Hopper about it the other day, thinking that you'd be kicking it old school by now. Turns out, some of the associates of Hawkins Lab pulled some strings to man the power plant and water treatment facilities with a skeleton crew. The workers lock down inside the buildings, receiving weekly shipments of supplies while they keep things running. It seems these government assholes have a vested interest in the lot of you -and anyone you might recruit- surviving and beating Vecna when the time comes. They also ensure the safety of the hospital and Big Buy market so anyone left in town can get what they need.

Most of your parents have left you behind, once you explained that you needed to stay and fight the good fight. The Harringtons, Dustin's mom, the Wheelers, the Sinclairs, the Buckleys, your parents, are all gone. But they call often, letting you know how proud of you they are for trying to save the world. Plus, you have Hopper and the other grownups to keep you safe. Not to mention each other.

Despite sticking together, at least physically in the same house, tensions have been running high. Everyone is scared, sad, and tired. It leads to lots of arguments over who gets a turn sleeping in the beds upstairs while everyone else piles onto the couches or sleeping bags on the floor. Or who gets to shower first in the morning, who has to bring Dustin his next meal upstairs, who has to venture outside for supplies with Hopper or Dmitri. Petty things, really. These little fights always end in everyone involved bursting into exhausted tears, apologizing profusely once they remember the gravity of the situation you're all in.

Most times, you volunteer to do all of the things nobody wants to do to keep the peace. It helps your mind stay busy, keeping it far away from a certain deceased metalhead. You're also pretty built compared to some of the older kids. You worked odd jobs on the local farms before you were roped into the final act of Hawkins' torrid history of monsters and alternate dimensions. So you feel safer going out for food and other necessities, armed with Steve's nail-studded baseball bat to whack any creepy crawlies with.

One thing you've noticed through this whole shitty ordeal though, is how fucking quiet everyone is. There's no real conversation, unless it revolves around a potential plan of attack. No jokes are cracked to break the dismal mood that hangs over you all like the storm clouds outside. Not a single smile can be found on any of your faces, no glimmer of hope in your eyes. It's like, whatever is going on out there, is hollowing all of you out in here.

Eat, sleep, shit, shower, fight. That's all the thought your minds will allow anymore. Sitting, waiting for Vecna to strike again. It feels like it should've already happened by now, six months is an awfully long time to wait around when you plan to take over the world. And sometimes, a creeping, dreadful notion pops into your head to shake things up. You never verbalize it, and if the others think it too, they don't show it. You don't want it to be there, you always try to shove it away. But you can't help it, it just flashes inside your skull like a sickening neon sign. Did it already happen? Are we already dead? Is this what Hell is?

"What the hell? You can't do that!" Mike shouts, breaking the deafening silence. You look over to the kiddos, wondering what the dispute is about.

"What are you talking about, fartface?" Erica retorts, attempting to collect her $200.

"You rolled doubles THREE TIMES! That means you go to jail!" He spits back, snatching her thimble piece and moving it to the jail square.

"Nuh-uh! I don't know how your scrawny ass plays Monopoly, but that's not in the rules!" She puts it back in its original position, crossing her arms petulantly afterwards.

"Kids, please. Don't do this right now." Joyce says meekly, struggling to keep her eyelids from drooping.

"Well, then settle it! Do YOU or do you NOT go to jail after rolling doubles three times?" Mike demands, looking around at all your faces to weigh in.

"I dunno, man. I've never heard of that one." Steve chimes in with a sigh. He squints his eyes shut, taking a big swig of his coffee. You suspect he's been slipping some booze in there on occasion, though you don't blame him one bit.

"Oh, come on! Anybody else?" Mike doesn't let up, wanting to be right more than anything else.

"Look, kid. If you can't agree on a rule, then maybe you should just drop it. Same thing went for whether or not you can buy all the houses for one property at once, instead of one at a time to keep them even." Hopper speaks sternly, his gaze still stuck on the wilting world outside.

"That sounds fair to me!" Erica sneers, and Mike rolls his eyes.

"Whatever! Fuck this, I'm bored anyways." He flips the board over in a fit. The houses and money go flying through the air, clattering loudly to the floor. He stands up, storming off to the kitchen. Everyone exclaims in annoyance, but he just flips you all off.

"Nice." Murray says simply, finding this entire squabble to be a teensy bit entertaining. At least he's having fun, you suppose someone should be.

"Sorry, Erica." Will says, giving her an apologetic look. He's such a sweet kid, reminding you of your younger self. He helps Erica pick up the pieces that are scattered all over the room, while Eleven leaves to console Mike's temper.

"I'm gonna bring Dustin some dinner, maybe he'll talk to me today." You announce. A collective nod affirms your statement, and you go down the hall with your mug in hand. You see Mike leaning against the counter, Eleven's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kiddos. Everything okay here?" Their eyes flick to you a moment, before proceeding to ignore your presence. "Okay, then." You breathe out, moving past them to dig around for some food for Dustin.

You prepare him a bologna and cheese sandwich, with some potato chips and an Orange Crush on the side. You climb the stairs quietly, not wanting to tick anyone off by being too loud. You reach Dustin's room, knocking on the door. "Just leave it outside." Dustin says weakly, his voice hoarse from sobbing nonstop.

"Dustin, it's me. Can I come in?" You ask, fully expecting him to say no. He's barely let anyone in during all this, closing himself off as a form of self-punishment. You hear no response, which draws out an aggravated sigh from your lips. You set the tray down, turning to leave.

"Okay." He says, immediately regretting it. He doesn't want a pep talk, or to be told Eddie's death wasn't his fault. He doesn't want to hear anything, he feels so guilty. Over these last few years, he's inadvertently led people to their deaths or put them in severe danger. He was the last person to see Will before he went missing. He endangered his friends by keeping Dart as a pet, roping Steve into the chaos of fighting the demodogs. With his stupid Cerebro, he led a band of kids into a secret Russian base. And finally, he got Eddie eaten up by fucking demobats. He swears he's cursed, dooming everyone he knows to pain and suffering.

You hurry into the room, setting the tray on the nightstand. He's laying on the bed, over the covers with his back to you. You sit on the edge, your weight making the bed squeak as it dips. "How are you doing, kiddo?" You ask dumbly, physically cringing at yourself for even bothering with it.

"Terrible, but so is everyone else, I'm sure." Dustin says, sounding utterly resigned.

"Well, you're not wrong. This isn't exactly spring break or anything." You try to lighten things up, but it's as if the air is being sucked out of the room.

He scoffs. "Ha, spring break. That's how this whole stupid mess started." God, you've never heard a child sound so bitter and jaded before. Dustin is usually the heart of the group, always there when you need him, eager to make you smile. But now, he's just as sardonic as the rest of you, even more so in fact.

"Dustin, I really think we've entertained you isolating yourself long enough. Can you please come downstairs? It's been months, and you barely say a word to anyone." You try to reason with him, but he quickly interjects.

"I don't exactly hear lively conversation going on down there, either. Everyone is just sitting and staring, right? Watching the clock tick the minutes away? Waiting for Vecna to come back and put us all out of our misery?" He shouts. He's so angry, you've never seen him like this.

"Look, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I know you've been having a hard time. But I think you're forgetting that I also lost someone, Dusty. I loved him too, more than you know." Tears prick your eyes, you picture Eddie in your mind. He's laughing, tackling you onto his bed as he peppers your face with kisses. You shake your head, pushing the memory out because it hurts too much. "But he's gone, there's nothing we can do about that." You sniffle, wiping the salty tracks running down your cheeks. "And everyone down there? They feel like they've lost you too. I'm not gonna force you outta here, I just figured I'd let you know we miss you." You wait for a response, but he gives no indication of truly listening to what you're saying. You sigh in defeat, standing up to leave. You open the door, and just as you're about to step into the hallway, you feel Dustin's arms wrap around your waist.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." Dustin sobs, holding you tightly. You turn around to give him a proper hug, letting him cling to you.

"It's okay." You've missed hugs more than you realized, holding Dustin so tightly and not wanting to let go.

"I shouldn't have let him go back in there." He says, muffled against your chest.

"It's not on you, I shouldn't have let him do it. But he made that choice, Dustin. To buy us more time, because he loved us too." You stroke his hair, trying to calm him down.

"It's not fair." Dustin cries, shattering your heart into a million little pieces. He's right, it's not fair. Eddie was such a bright light in the world, never afraid to be himself. And now that he's been snuffed out, the entire universe can feel the loss.

"I know, Dusty." Is all you can think to say. The two of you stand like this for what seems like hours. Holding each other as you mourn Eddie for what you're guessing is the hundredth time. You'd hoped to be making progress in coping with Eddie's death by now. But seeing everyone's sullen faces, looking outside to witness the decay of reality, it only makes that wound split wide open again and again.

You still couldn't convince Dustin to come down and see everyone just yet. But he allowed you to keep him company for a few hours until you were fighting off a yawn. And he promised to try to join the others tomorrow, which you thought was fair enough. "Goodnight, Y/N. Thank you for hanging out with me. It's been really lonely up here." He gives you a weak smile, which you return in kind.

"Thank you for letting me in, kiddo. Get some rest, okay?" You reply, closing the door as you leave. It's your turn to have one of the bedrooms, and you're very thankful. Hopper snores so fucking loud, and Murray sleepwalks, which freaks you out. You don't make a stink about it, but it's nice to have a night of privacy every once in a while. Fourteen people in one house tends to get pretty crowded, even in one as big as this.

Eddie's POV

"Eddie....it's time to wake up." You hear a gravelly, booming voice calling your name. A distorted clock chimes, rattling your brain. "Come along, child. I've been waiting for you." The voice speaks again, and you realize it's inside your head. You open your eyes, only to find pure and utter darkness. You're laying on your back, arms over your chest like a corpse. You try to move, but you're surrounded by compacted earth. What the hell? Where am I? Where's Dustin, or Y/N? A flurry of thoughts dance around in your head, causing you to panic. "Eddie, the time has come for you to join me." The voice speaks once more, and it's here that the jumbled pieces click into place. You died, eaten alive by the demobats. You bled out in Y/N and Dustin's arms, sharing one last tearful goodbye. They must have buried you, and now you're hearing Vecna in your goddamn head. What the fuck?

You begin to claw at the thick dirt, feeling the soil shove its way under your fingernails. There has to be some mistake, you can't actually be dead, right? They wouldn't leave you here, would they? You pant and grunt while you dig upwards, blinking rapidly as the debris falls into your eyes. "Shit. Shit. Shit." You mutter to yourself, trying to fight against your claustrophobia. Your body has gone into overdrive, moving as fast as it can to break free from this prison. This seems to go on for hours, and your arms ache from the work. But you see it, a sliver of stormy sky above you. You keep going, eventually shoving a hand through to the surface. "Yes!" You shout, cheering for yourself in nervous relief.

You're about to worm the hole open so you can climb out of your shallow grave, when you feel a large, spindly hand yank your wrist. You scream, stomach flipping as this mysterious hand lifts you out of the dirt and into the air. The low light of the upside-down shocks your eyes, making you wince. But when you open them again, your face is centimeters away from who you can only guess is Vecna. "Eddie." He says, out loud this time. Another chime of the clock clangs in the air. Your feet dangle just above the ground as you look at him in horror. He's worse than you'd thought he'd be. Grey, fleshy, with tentacles moving about like living strands of hair. His nose is missing, and he looks kinda melted. He stares into your eyes, no clear expression on his face.

He sets you down, and you almost stumble to the ground while trying to gain your footing. "How long have I been here?" You're not sure he'll tell you, but you need answers. There's no way in hell that Y/N or the others would leave you like this.

"About six months, not that it matters." He replies, almost chuckling at the thought. Your eyes widen, six months. You take a moment to look yourself over, wondering how much you've decayed over all that time. And sure enough, you've gone full-on Romero. Your flesh is desiccated, barely hanging onto your bones, torn in multiple places from the bat bites. Your rings hang loosely on your fingers, the tips scraped off from digging your way to the surface. Your clothes are torn, covered in dirt and dried blood. They fit loosely on your rotting body. You feel your face as best you can, almost squishing your eyeballs in the process as they're like grapes gone bad in the refrigerator. You can feel your entire skull, and most of your hair has fallen off your head. If you had anything left in your shriveled stomach, it would surely come up your leathery throat and spew onto the ground below. You contemplate screaming again, but what would the point of that be? Nobody can hear you.

"Then how the fuck am I standing here?" You ask, in utter disbelief that this is happening. Maybe you'll wake up and this has all been a bad dream. Right?

"Well, I need you for a special mission, Eddie." He replies, grinning now. The image of it makes you feel ill, but he continues. "You see, I'm in the final phase of my plan. But I need you to go back to your world, and help me destroy your friends."

"There's no fucking way I'm doing that! I'd rather go back in the ground, thank you!" You shout, how dare he ask you to do such a thing. You refuse to hurt anyone, much less the people who tried to save you.

"Are you sure about that? After all, they left you behind." Vecna says, trying to draw you in. You shake your head, not allowing him to weasel his way into your mind.

"Well yeah, I got eaten by your stupid bats. What the hell were they supposed to do? They would've brought me back up there if they could." You retort, your joints creaking as you cross your arms.

"They could've at least tried to get you to a hospital. Or at least back up there for a proper burial. But no, they left you here to rot with me. The way I see it, they didn't care about you very much at all, Eddie." He moves closer, speaking in your ear. You want to punch him, his words do nothing but anger you. But who exactly is that anger really being directed at? Vecna, or yourself?

"That's not true. I have no reason to believe a damn thing you say. Y/N and Dustin cared about me more than anyone." You stick to your guns, showing him your iron will.

"Let me show you then. Show you just how much your friends care." He speaks mischievously, and you don't like it one bit. But you nod, wanting more than anything to see Y/N's face again. Maybe he'll be proven wrong, he'll know just how much the others miss you. With a wave of Vecna's hand, a billow of red smoke appears, forming an opening to view the right-side-up. "See for yourself, child." Vecna gestures for you to look closely, nudging you nearer to the window he's created. The clock thrums again, making you jump.

Inside, you see the group gathered in Steve's house. It must be Halloween, because everyone is wearing cobbled together costumes, pretending to trick-or-treat around the house. Everyone is smiling and laughing, making the best of their situation. "Okay, so? They've gotta be happy somehow, right? They've all been through so much, way before I got caught up in this." You look at him, unimpressed with his little show. Though, it does sting a bit to see Y/N and Dustin happy when you're not around anymore. But you can't expect them to mourn you forever. You tell yourself, and it's as true as it is painful.

"Just keep watching." Vecna insists, redirecting your attention to the scene he's displayed for you. The focus shifts to a D&D table, with Y/N at the head of it. Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Erica sit around your beautiful boyfriend. They're still dressed in costumes, and Y/N is leading a campaign.

You watch as they all play the game, noticing the campaign is based on something, or someone, in particular. "Your backs are against the wall, Vecna and his bats surround you in his lair. He speaks to you in a booming voice." Y/N weaves the tale for the players, his expression lighting up while he leads them along. "He says, 'You can either fight and die as a group, effectively leading to the destruction of your world. Or....you can sacrifice your friend, Eddie the Banished, to save yourselves.' What do you choose, dear players?" Y/N's expression is odd, nothing you've ever seen before. Like a vulgar glee. This can't be right. There's no way he would make a fucking campaign about you, let alone suggest the others sacrifice you like that. This is sick, Vecna is just trying to manipulate you.

"No! They wouldn't do this! You're trying to scare me, but it's not gonna work!" You scream at him, but it doesn't disguise the tremble in your voice.

"I can only show you what is, Eddie. This window is incapable of deception. It's your world up there, not mine. What you see is the truth. I suggest you keep looking." Vecna says, almost like a warning. But you doubt he can do anything worse than what you've already been through. You sigh, continuing to do as he asks. You still don't quite believe him, mostly.

"I say we fight!" Dustin suggests, which makes you smile. You look at Vecna again, as if to say 'told you so'. But his face stays the same.

"Are you serious? There's no way we can beat Vecna. And Eddie's not even a playing character. We can let him go, easy." Lucas interjects, eager to survive. Your heart sinks, or at least you think it does. You figure it's only fair for the players to weigh their options, you've had them do so on many occasions. But the fact that it's you they're considering letting go, it definitely hurts.

"I second that. Eddie doesn't matter to the game whatsoever." Mike says, and it feels like you've been slapped in the face. Even if it's just an NPC based on you, they don't need to be so harsh. You wonder why Y/N would even consider putting you in the game, just to make the others debate on whether or not to fucking kill you. You thought he had a bit more respect for you, and your relationship. The others come to an agreement, voting to let Vecna take you in exchange for saving their own hides.

"What the fuck is going on?" You feel like you've gone insane, your heart would be pounding right now if it could still beat. You turn away from the images being shown to you, unable to accept this as the truth. But Vecna insists, the window only tells you what reality is.

"I tried to warn you. You must not matter much if you're just cannon-fodder for their silly little games. But I'm afraid that's not the end of it." That stupid fucking voice continues speaking, poisoning your mind with anger and doubt. You groan in annoyance, facing this disgusting play once more.

You see Y/N again, but he's alone with Steve. You're guessing it's his bedroom or something, they're sitting on a bed side by side. Steve's hand is on Y/N's thigh, and it makes you seethe with jealousy. What is Harrington doing, touching your boyfriend? "I'm sorry about Eddie, Y/N." Steve says, but Y/N doesn't seem all that broken up about it. He's staring at Steve's lips, the way he used to stare at your lips.

"No, no. This cannot be happening." You say through gritted teeth, hopelessly watching as Y/N leans a little closer to tuck some loose hair out of Steve's face.

"We weren't that serious. I've always thought you were much cuter than Eddie anyway. I only settled because I figured I never had a chance with you." Y/N replies lustfully, and a lump forms in the back of your throat.

"Well, you do now that he's gone." Steve says, bringing his own face closer to your love's. "Can I kiss you now?" He asks, grinning slyly while looking in Y/N's eyes.

"Do your worst, Harrington." Y/N chuckles, pressing his mouth on Steve's. You gasp in shock, wishing your eyes are deceiving you. That was your line. Steve and Y/N start to make out heavily, their hands tangling in each other's hair. Their lips smack together loudly, and they moan against one another. You feel sick, sicker than you ever thought possible. You fall to the ground, wishing you had tears to cry. You sob dryly, shaking your head as you hold it in your withered hands.

"No, no, no. Y/N, how could you do this to me." You speak pitifully to yourself. You try to slap yourself awake. But the sting of your boney hand on your boney face is nothing compared to having your heart stomped on like this. You proceed to rock back and forth in the dirt, overwhelmed by everything Vecna has shown you. "This can't be real. Y/N loved me. He loved me. And I loved him. This isn't happening. I'll wake up and this will all have been a bad dream. Fuck this, it's bullshit. It's not fucking real! It's not real! IT'S NOT REAL!" You yell, and the clock chimes that fourth and final time.

"I truly am sorry, Eddie. But now, you have no reason to resist. I can restore you, make you strong. All I ask is that you go up there and eliminate Y/N and the others. I've allowed them to get in the way for too long." Vecna says, lifting you up into the air like you saw him do to Chrissy on that fateful night.

"It's not real. It's not real." Is all you can say, repeating it like a mantra. You just wanna wake up, be warm and safe in Y/N's arms again. You wanna be with the Hellfire Club, playing with Dustin and the others. You wanna be back in your trailer, having dinner with Wayne before he leaves for work. Hell, you'd take being in the middle of final exams over this. Your arms spread outwards against your will, and your toes point down at the earth.

"I'll make you all better, Eddie. And then you can exact your revenge." Vecna says, and you feel a shooting pain coursing through you. Your muscles and organs regenerate, filling your rapidly healing flesh. You gasp in air as your lungs inflate, and your heart begins to beat once more.

"No! Don't do this! It's not real! Fuck!" You scream, begging for him to just let you rest. It feels like you're being torn apart, while it's quite the opposite. Scar tissue creeps over your wounds, branding you as the rips in your body close up. Your face and gums plump back up to their original form, and brand new hair sprouts from your scalp, thick and curly as always. You look over yourself, seeing you're practically back to normal. You figure this would be the end of it, but it doesn't stop here.

"I think I'll make some improvements, hopefully they'll suit you well." Vecna says, and you wonder what the fuck that means. You're just about to ask, when your hands start to cramp. You glance over at one, watching in terror as your fingers begin to extend, with long, sharp nails pushing their way through the tips painfully.

"What the fuck!?" You scream as they fully form. You wiggle the digits, noticing the knotted knuckles and how the claws shine in the light. Before you can fully absorb what's happened to your hands, the unbearable sensation migrates to your mouth. Your canines are being forced from their places in your gums, sharp fangs shooting out like daggers to replace them. "Fuck! What the hell are you doing to me? You crazy motherfucker!" You speak with a slight lisp, the fangs getting in the way of your tongue. You scream in agony as your eyeballs pull themselves out of your head, plopping onto the ground. You can't see a damn thing, until some new ones sprout from your skull. Everything is tinted in a bloody hue now. Great, red irises. Real original, Vecna. And finally, two large wings spring violently from your back. They're obscenely large, dark red with black joints. There's holes and tears in them, as if you've already worn them out. "FUCK!" You scream, louder than all the other times. It hurts so fucking bad, you just want to be dead again. It would be so much better than this. Mutated into this monster, about to be enslaved into servitude for Vecna. A single, bloody tear rolls down your cheek as he lowers you back to the ground.

"You're mine now, you will heed my every command." Vecna makes another wave of his hand, and you feel yourself changing again. But this time it's inside your head. Those awful images spin around like a carousel, the costumes, the kiddos sacrificing you, Steve and Y/N kissing. You're no longer in control. It's like you're being tucked away, forced to bear witness as a new entity takes up residence in your mind. Anger, jealousy, and hatred fill you up, pushing out any love, or happiness you once had. You gaze at your new master with a sinister grin.

"Hail. Lord. Vecna." You say, almost mockingly as you call back to the campaign you played before your life as you knew it ended. The power coursing through you is intoxicating, no drug you've ever had even compares. And it's miles above any kiss or touch or fuck Y/N ever gave you. This feels so fucking good. You kneel before Vecna, bowing your head in obedience.

"You'll be the perfect soldier, Eddie. Now go, kill the ones who have betrayed you." He commands, and you nod as you stand again. You turn, giving one last glance at your grave. You notice Dustin and Y/N stuck your guitar into the ground in place of a headstone. How sweet, now I can use it to bash their sorry little heads in. You walk over, yanking the instrument out of the soil with ease. You sling it over your back, taking a running start. You spread your wings, jumping into the air. The wind catches, and you begin your flight to the right-side-up.

You snatch a demobat out of the sky as you ascend, suddenly quite ravenous for some food. It squeals and squirms, gnashing its teeth at you defensively. You just chuckle, watching it struggle to break from your iron grasp. "Payback's a bitch, little guy." You viciously sink your fangs into it, draining its bitter blood. The warm fluid drips down your chin, and you moan pleasurably as it flows into your belly. Once the bat is empty, you let it fall lazily from your palm. You lick your lips, groaning again as this little snack fuels you further. "You're next, Y/N." You say aloud, flapping your wings harder as you laugh menacingly.

Y/N's POV

"Eddie, what are you doing?!" You shout at him as he stands above you through the gate in his trailer. You and Dustin had just assisted him in distracting the demobats, who are currently eating their way through Eddie's bedroom door to get to you. Both you and Dustin have climbed up the knotted sheets to get to the right-side-up, while Eddie glances at the deteriorating door.

He looks up at you, fear and worry in his eyes. Those bats will just come right through and attack you, unless he stalls them. He lets go of the sheet, picking up his spear to cut the end off. The pale fabric falls to the ground, leaving him no path to escape. "Eddie! What the hell are you doing?" Dustin shouts, begging with him to stop messing around. Eddie pushes the mattress out of the way, so you can't follow him. You and Dustin scream helplessly, knowing exactly what he's up to.

"I'm buying more time." He says, flashing you a small heroic smile before dashing for the front door.

"Eddie, no! Please don't do this!" You scream, and Dustin starts sobbing as he yells right along with you. You look at the kid, sharing a tearful glance. "There's no fucking way I'm letting him go." You say, almost angry that Eddie would attempt something so stupid.

The door opens and shuts. And you hear Eddie shout to taunt the bats as he drives them away from the trailer. "Come and get me you sons of bitches!" You gotta move, and fast. You and Dustin move the mattress from your side away, putting one of the kitchen chairs underneath the gate. You step onto it, taking a leap to grab onto the gaping hole above you. It's slick in your hands, but you keep going. You fall through the hole, aiming so you land on your back.

"Fuck!" You shout as the carpet knocks the wind out of you. You lay here for a moment, surging pain running up and down your back.

"Y/N, come on! We gotta stop him!" Dustin cries in desperation. You nod, rolling yourself over with a wince. You make it to your knees, breathing heavily as you push past the pain. You finally stand, putting the mattress back in place so Dustin can get a soft landing.

"C'mon, kiddo. We have to save the jackass." You bark, and he follows your actions precisely, falling gently onto the mattress. You grab his arm, yanking him to stand so the two of you can go to Eddie. You sprint through the door, almost falling down the stairs before your feet touch the vine-tangled ground. You see Eddie riding one of the bicycles, drawing the bats away from you. "Eddie!" You shout, and he glances back at you in surprise. His eyes are wide, he didn't want you back in here.

Eddie hits a vine with his front tire, rolling onto the ground. He grunts roughly, getting back up to keep running. He can't let you or Dustin get hurt. He won't let anyone else end up dead because of him. He continues to let the bats chase him, before he stops in his tracks. He's tired of running, he doesn't want to be a coward anymore. He holds up his shield and spear, yelling as he lets the bats charge him. They swarm around him, there's hundreds flapping viciously about. They blow past in a wave at first, before circling like a screeching tornado. You watch helplessly, there's not a thing you can do to assist him without getting Dustin hurt. "Eddie!" Dustin shouts, wanting him to come back to the both of you.

One by one, bats dive and swipe at Eddie. He's able to dodge them or strike them down pretty easily so far, you think that maybe he'll be alright. But there's too many, you wish there was something you could do. Your mind races, trying to come up with anything to help him. Eddie whacks another bat, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There's so many of them, but he can't give up now. Not while you're watching, not while you're still in danger. "COME ON!" He taunts the creatures, feeling like a badass for fending off multiple bats already. He hopes this energy rushing inside him will keep him safe.

"Eddie, look out!" You cry, as another bat comes up behind him. It wraps its tail around his neck, strangling him to his knees. "No!" You try to run to him, but Dustin holds you back. "Let me go, I have to help him! Let me go!" You scream, tears streaming down your face as you watch your boyfriend get taken down. Four more bats whip their tails around Eddie's arms and legs, holding him down on the ground.

And here is where you reach the point of no return. The other bats descend onto Eddie's body, sinking their sharp teeth into his torso, his face, his limbs. Eddie screams, and it's the worst thing you've ever heard. Blood-curdling, earth-shattering agony. "Eddie!" Dustin yells, wishing he could save him. But you're vastly outnumbered, and the spears and shields aren't nearly enough to take them out. It seems to go on for hours, witnessing the most awful thing you've ever seen. Your love is dying before your eyes, and there's nothing you can do. You've never felt so helpless before.

But the other upside-down team must have finally given it to Vecna real good, because suddenly the bats squeal and fall lifelessly to the ground. You immediately run to Eddie, hoping there's a chance you can get him to a hospital. You kneel at his side, assessing the damage. "I'm here, Eds." You say softly, glancing over his body as he trembles on the ground. What you see tells you it's too late. His body is covered in bites, bleeding too much and too fast. He chokes as he tries to speak, he's bleeding internally too.

"We gotta move him, Y/N. He's in real bad shape." Dustin insists. But you wordlessly shake your head at him. His expression falls, but he doesn't want to make Eddie panic.

"That bad, huh?" Eddie manages to say, thick, liquidy noises mixed in with his voice. You lift his torso into your lap slightly, which makes him groan through gritted teeth.

"No, baby. It's okay. Just let me hold you." You coo at him, controlling your sobs. He's not gonna make it, and he can read it all over your face.

"I didn't run away this time, right?" He asks you, wanting to know if he did good for you and the others. To know he's not a coward.

"No, you didn't. You're so brave, love." You reply, stroking his thick locks as your tears fall. Your breath hitches as you talk to him, this is all too much. You haven't had enough time with him, it's not fair.

"You two are gonna have to look after those little sheep for me, okay?" He says, and those words break your heart more than you could have imagined. You don't want to accept that he's leaving you any moment now, shaking your head in denial. But he repeats himself. "Please, say you'll look after them? For me?" He begs, looking deep into your eyes.

"Okay, we will. I promise." You say, your shoulders shuddering as you cry a little harder.

"Baby, don't be sad. I'll always be with you, okay? You've made this past year MY year. I love you so much." He moves his hand to hold yours, interlocking your fingers together.

"I love you too, Eddie." You reply with a trembling lip. Eddie looks to Dustin for a moment, giving him a large smile.

"And I love you, kid. You're gonna be a kickass dungeon master for me, right?"

"I'll try my best. Nobody can compare to you though, Eddie." Dustin sniffles, wiping his eyes to keep it together.

"Oh, I dunno about that." Eddie laughs, which makes him cough up more blood. "Fuck, that hurts." You frantically wipe it away, though you realize while you're doing it that it makes little difference. He swallows as best he can, cringing at the metallic taste. This is the end of the line, time is almost up. He can feel it, as his blood flows onto you while you hold him. His head feels light, and his body is so weak. He reaches his free hand up to his head, clumsily pulling his bandana off and handing it to you. "I want you to have this, to remember me always." The words are harder to get out now, he can't stop choking and coughing with every movement.

You nod, trying so hard to keep your intense sobs back. You don't want him to see you lose control, but there's a painful lump forming at the back of your throat as you contain your cries. You take hold of the cloth, but his fingers can barely flex enough to let it go. "Can I give you a kiss goodbye at least?" You ask, not caring about the smears of crimson all over his mouth.

"Of course. Do your worst, Y/N." He smirks, flashing his red-tinged teeth at you. Even on death's door, he's still the lovable smartass you fell for. You lean down as carefully as you can, pressing your lips to his. He breathes heavily through his nose, and you feel a tear of his own warm your cheek. Eddie returns the kiss as best he can, using his last bit of strength to express just how much he loves you. After a moment, you feel his body go still beneath you. A thick sigh leaves his lungs, and his mouth stops moving with yours. His hands go limp, letting yours and the bandana fall from his grip.

You bring yourself upright again, looking at Eddie's face. His eyes are closed, and his mouth is slightly agape. He looks so peaceful, except for all the blood. You can't hold back anymore. A loud sob rips itself from your throat, stabbing the still air with its high pitch. You pull his body up to hold him against you. "It's not fair!" You cry, rocking back and forth as his blood soaks through your clothes. "It's not fair!"

Dustin puts a hand on your shoulder, attempting to comfort you through his own tears. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I'm so, so sorry."

"I just want him back! He's supposed to be with me forever, and we’re gonna grow old together. It's not fucking fair!" You scream, so angry and devastated.

"Y/N?" You're being shaken awake, gasping as you open your eyes to see Dustin standing over you. The lights are off, but you can make out his face in the moonlight shining through the window. "You were having a nightmare about Eddie again." He speaks calmly, but his expression shows deep sorrow and concern.

Your heart is pounding, and you're drenched in a cold sweat. You try to steady your breathing, noticing the trail of tears that fell from your eyes as you slept. You dream about Eddie's death almost every night, plagued with each vivid detail. You sigh, semi-relieved that you're not actually back in that awful memory. "Sorry, Dustin. I didn't mean to wake you." You give him a weak smile, carding your hands through your dampened hair.

"It's okay, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." You sit up, letting him pull you in for a hug. "Do you want me to stay with you?" He asks, not sure if you want to be alone anymore after your dream.

"Thanks, buddy. But I'll be okay, I promise." You leave his embrace, meeting his gaze again. He nods in confirmation, before heading to the door. "Goodnight, Dustin." You say simply.

"Goodnight, Y/N." He replies, before closing the door. You let out a deep sigh, rubbing your moist eyes to collect yourself. While your face is covered, you hear the shuffling of feet inside the room. "Do you need something, Dustin?" You ask, thinking maybe he came back in. You put your arms in your lap, blinking to look across the room. But you don't see Dustin, instead you see a sight that has to be a hallucination. You gasp, knowing a scream will just wake everybody up.

Crouching at the foot of your bed, there's a dark figure with glowing, red eyes. Its spindly hands rest at the edge of the mattress, with long, knotted fingers and sharp claws. You can't fully make out the look of it, but it's got long, curly brown hair. Just like Eddie's. But there's no way whatever the fuck this thing is can be Eddie. Right? It doesn't speak at first, just stares at you clutching the covers in your fearful fists. You can't move, or speak, all you can do is hold its intense gaze. After what seems like an eternity, it stands up on two legs to reveal itself. "Did ya miss me?" It says, exactly in Eddie's voice.

"E-eddie?" You ask dumbly, reaching over to turn on the bedside lamp. The light clicks on, and the creature before you shields its eyes while hissing. "Is it really you?" You ask, though the thing standing across from you looks like something out of a horror movie.

It lowers its hand, fully revealing its face to you. "The one and only, baby." You gasp again, it really is him. But not like you once knew him, he's changed. He's got those long fingers, and the blood-red eyes. Inside his mouth are sharp fangs like a vampire, they glint in the light as he smiles at you. You also notice he has huge red wings, tattered and torn like his clothes. "You like my new look, Y/N?" He asks, a strange hint of mischief in his tone. You're overjoyed to see him, regardless of how much he looks like a monster. You've missed him so much, you just wanna kiss his beautiful face. But there's something in the back of your head, telling you -no, warning you- to not get close to him.

"I'm happy to see you, Eds. We've all missed you so much." You can't help the uneasiness in your voice, and your fear only makes Eddie's smile grow wider. He's enjoying your terror, something is definitely wrong here.

"Oh, really? It seemed like you all were getting along just fine without me." He retorts, words dipped in a wash of anger. Your brows furrow, not sure what he's referring to.

"What are you talking about?" You ask, genuinely curious. Has he been like this for a while? Was he watching you? And if so, what did he see that indicated anything other than sheer misery?

His eyes flare with fury, and he raises his voice just a little. "Don't act like you don't know. I saw you. Laughing and playing D&D with the kids. You put me in the campaign, Y/N. And you all voted to sacrifice me to save yourselves." Your eyes widen. What the fuck is he talking about?

"Eddie, we haven't played D&D for months. Did you take a look outside? We've just been watching the world fall apart, waiting for Vecna to come back. That's all, it's been absolutely miserable!" You have no idea where he's gotten his information, but his facts are wrong.

"Don't bullshit me, man! Vecna showed me everything!" Eddie shouts, and you're worried he's going to wake somebody up. He walks around the side of the bed, standing as close to you as he can. He bends over, bringing his face right in front of yours. "He also showed me what you've been getting up to with Steve."

"Steve? What?!" You exclaim, you've never even looked at Steve in that way. He's not making sense, Vecna must be manipulating him.

"You were kissing him, Y/N. You told him you only settled for me, but you wanted him the whole time! Don't try to lie, I saw it all. You and everyone else don't give a fuck about me." He speaks bitterly, almost spitting his words at you. You wish there was a way to convince him, but you doubt you have the capacity to break the curse Vecna's got him under.

"Eddie, I swear. Nothing Vecna showed you is true. He's done this to you, made you a monster. And he's filled your head with lies." You feel tears beginning to sting your eyes, unable to believe this is really happening. You wished every day and night for Eddie to come back to you. But not like this, never like this. "I love you, Eddie. I always will." You say, looking deep into those scarlet eyes of his. You show him the bandana you have tied around your bicep, trying to make him see that you've never forgotten your feelings for him. "Look! I've kept it all this time, to remember you always." His expression doesn't change, but he shakes his head like your words have penetrated the walls a little.

"Y/N, I've been sent here to kill you. All of you. There's nothing you can say to change that. Vecna needs you out of the way." Eddie's tone is different, like it pains him to say these things. There's no more sick glee like before, you must be getting through to him. At least a little bit. You rack your brain, maybe there isn't anything more you can say. But perhaps there’s something you can do.

"Maybe you're right. There's nothing I can say, at least not with words." You act quickly to catch him off guard, afraid of what might happen if you fail. You grab the back of his head with your hands, bringing his face closer. You lean forward, kissing him in a desperate attempt to break this awful spell. He'll see that you've never stopped loving him. You just have to prove it.

"Mmm!" He grunts, attempting to push you away. You're tricking him, and he can't have that. But you won't let go, lacing your fingers behind his skull to keep him in place. Your mouth moves against his, waiting for him to return the kiss. It takes a moment, but you can feel the switch flip once you've been on him long enough. The evil thing Vecna planted inside him is thrown from the driver's seat, allowing his true self to take control once more. He stops struggling, softening at your touch. Eddie's hands grip your face, and he finally moves his lips against yours just like he used to. He even bites your lip, making you gasp. He slips his tongue into your mouth, tangling with yours in a fight for dominance. Tears run down your cheeks, and you can feel some of his own mixing in as you continue to kiss.

You break apart, looking at his saddened face. He sniffles, the corners of his mouth upturning in a friendly smile. "Is it really you, baby?" You ask, still unsure if your little plan has worked. He nods frantically, slinging his guitar off his back and climbing onto the bed to straddle you. His lip is trembling, he's so happy to be free from that mental prison. His wings retract into his back, which gives Eddie a pained look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I wasn't in control. Vecna showed me all those awful things. I didn't wanna believe him, the things he showed me were so awful. I knew it wasn't real, it couldn't be. But he made me into this, and he said I have to kill you. But I don't wanna do that. I don't. I don't. I don't." He speaks too fast for his newly-fanged mouth to keep up. He's shaking, and crying bloody tears. You've never seen him so distraught.

"I know, baby. It's okay, it's okay. I'm right here, and I'm never gonna leave you again." You bring his face to yours again, tenderly peppering him with little butterfly kisses. Your forehead rests against his, the two of you let out shuddering breaths as you try to calm down. "Just breathe, Eds. You'll be alright. I'm just so happy you're back here with me." You wrap your arms around him, and he does the same. Your heads lay on each other's shoulders, exchanging your warmth in comfort. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I dream about losing you every single night." You say, hiccuping through your words. You've been absolutely wracked with guilt since that tragic night. You cried harder than you ever had before when you buried him in the upside-down.

"It's not your fault, Y/N. I gave myself to save you, those fuckin' bats would've come through the gate if I didn't stop them. I couldn't let anything happen to you." Your grip on him tightens, letting your flexing muscles release all the pent up pain and anguish you've been holding onto these last few months.

"And you're so brave for doing that. Completely stupid, but brave." You can't help letting out a weak laugh at that, and he gladly joins you in it. You've been riding a temperamental wave of sadness and anger the whole time he's been gone. It feels so good to laugh again, even just for a moment. You pull apart to look Eddie over again, taking a real chance to absorb his image. You're afraid he'll evaporate like a mirage at any second, or that the monster will regain control. But all you find is your handsome boyfriend, with a couple new features. You'd be lying if you weren't attracted to them though, those red eyes pierce directly into your soul. "To answer your question before, I do like the new look. It's very...metal." You give him a sly smile, and he picks up on what you mean immediately.

"Is that so? Been missing me in an extra special way, have you?" He asks, his tongue playing seductively at the corner of his mouth. You can't believe you're actually thinking about sex right now, but you find vampires to be really hot. Eddie attempted to dress as one once to impress you, but you almost choked to death when one of his fake fangs came loose.

"Is that crazy?" You ask, blushing like mad. You don't know if he can sleep with you right now, or if certain parts are even still working.

"Not at all, sweetheart. I understand. And I'd be lying if I said I'm not dying to get reacquainted with you." He says, chuckling at his own bad joke.

"Are you able to-..." You start awkwardly, unsure how to phrase your question properly. "Is your-..." You sigh, covering your face with your hands as you laugh. You feel so silly, trying to figure out if his dick is functional or not. He moves your hands with his, taking hold of one to lead it between his legs. His eyes bore into yours, a gentle smile on his lips. Eddie holds your hand to his crotch, and you can already feel how hard he is for you.

"I assure you, my cock works just fine." You squeeze him gently, making him groan. "Fuck, Y/N." His body shudders at the contact, it's been so long since he's felt your touch.

Your own erection begins to grow beneath him, and the room has set itself on fire. You want him so badly, you've wanted just one more night with him more than anything. It seems selfish, but it's not just about the fucking. It's about the love intertwined within it. This man means the absolute world to you, and being with him intimately is the most potent expression of that fact. "I need you, Eddie." You tilt your head to kiss him, and he follows your lead. Your lips meet, and Eddie grips the sides of your face with his large hands. You moan against him, opening your mouth to let his tongue inside like before. He's such a great kisser, it's unreal.

Eddie's shuffles to pull the covers off of you, and you lay back down against the pillow. He puts his knees on either side of you, bringing his lips to your neck. He easily finds your sweet spot, making you moan. "I've missed you so much, baby." He says breathily, dragging his tongue along your throat. He can feel your heartbeat, sense the blood pumping away in your veins. He's suddenly feeling very hungry again, but he doesn't wanna hurt you. You notice an odd look in his eye as he pulls away from your neck.

"What is it, love?" You ask, his pupils are dilated, and he's breathing heavily. He looks at you, licking his lips. It doesn't take a genius to understand what's going on here. "Are you hungry, Eddie?" You say while gazing at him lustfully. He just nods, ashamed that he wants to taste you like that. He mentally curses Vecna for making him into a bloodthirsty monster. You take his hand, trying to reassure him that it's okay. "You don't have to feel bad, love. It's not your fault." He softens a little, his shoulders relaxing. "I can give you what you need, baby. I trust you." He stiffens again, shaking his head.

"Y/N, no. I'm not gonna do that, not to you." He insists, but you want to help him in any way you can.

"Eddie, I want to make you happy. It's just a little taste. It won't kill me." You speak carefully, not wanting to ruin the mood. Eddie sighs. You're so goddamn sweet on him, he has no idea how he got so lucky.

"Are you sure? I'm worried I won't be able to control myself." You hadn't considered that, he is new to this whole thing. How does he know when to stop? Or would he even want to stop? But you figure it's better to give him express permission now, let him get what he needs. As opposed to him getting caught up in the moment and doing it unexpectedly, he might actually hurt you if that happens.

"We'll be careful, okay? Just take it slow, and stop when you have just enough to not be so unbearably hungry anymore." You can't believe you're actually about to let your boyfriend drink your blood, but you hate to see him so miserable.

"Okay, okay. Just please don't let me kill you." He grumbles, frustrated as he battles with his heart and his stomach. You take hold of his hands, stroking them lovingly. He meets your eyes, finding nothing but trust and admiration within them.

"I know you won't kill me, baby. We love each other, and love has far more power than anything Vecna can do." You pull him by his tattered shirt, kissing him roughly to get the point across. You let him go, allowing him to slowly move to your neck. He licks and sucks your flesh, warming you up again. His hand drags down your front, ghosting over your jeans. "Eddie." You sigh, savoring every tantalizing touch he gives you. You lay your arms at your sides, trying to lie still for him.

"Are you ready, love?" Eddie speaks in your ear, sending a chill up your spine. You can hear the pure hunger in his voice, and it only turns you on even more. You want him to taste you, take you any way he desires.

"Yes. Take what you need, sweetheart." You're panting now, anxiously waiting for his sharp fangs to penetrate your skin. You close your eyes, biting your lip to conceal any noises of pain or pleasure you'll let out. Eddie positions his lips in a spot to avoid major arteries, using his newly gifted senses to find the perfect place to drink from you without causing injury. He holds the other side of your throat gently in his hand, keeping you in place in case you try to squirm.

His fangs begin to cut into you, slowly piercing the flesh with a slight burning sensation. You groan, clenching your eyes shut. It feels so good, in a really odd way. Your blood begins to flow, slowly coating Eddie's teeth. He starts to drink, sucking the essence of life from you. He tries to not make overly squelchy noises as he swallows, they don't sound very pleasant. "Mmm." He moans, tasting how perfect you are. Your blood is metallic, but also a little bit sweet. He's never had anything like it, it's absolutely mind-blowing. Your head lightens a little through the sting, which slowly morphs into ecstasy.

"Fuck, Eddie." You whimper, and the sound makes his cock twitch. You didn't expect this experience to arouse you so much. You swear you could cum from this feeling alone, and you almost wanna let him suck you dry. He continues to drain you, carefully keeping track of how much more he needs until he's sated. It's so very tempting to take every last drop of you until there's nothing left. But he won't, he can't do that to you. Just a little more, and he'll be alright again.

A few moments later, Eddie gingerly removes his teeth from your neck. He sits back on his knees, groaning in satisfaction while licking his lips to get every last drop. You see a drip of blood running down his chin, reaching up to wipe it away. He suddenly grabs your wrist, making you gasp in surprise. He stares at the crimson fluid gathered on your thumb, growling lowly at you for 'stealing' his food. He hungrily shoves the thumb into his mouth, rolling his tongue over while making the most inhuman noises. You just watch him breathlessly, seeing him act like a feral animal is definitely doing something for you. Eddie freezes, realizing what he's doing. He lets your hand free, blushing at his behavior. "Sorry." He rubs his neck awkwardly, averting his gaze.

"It's okay, Eds. It's kinda hot, actually." You reply sheepishly, your own cheeks turning red. His eyes flick to yours, a smirk forming on his lips.

"That's right, I forgot about your little vampire fetish." He chuckles, retracing the memory of him dressed up for you in his trailer that one night. What a disaster, he almost killed you when his fang got caught in your windpipe. "Looks like we get a do-over, huh?" Eddie says, finding the choice of 'modifications' Vecna gave him to be an odd coincidence.

"Yeah, and I'm so fuckin' glad we do." You pull him back down, kissing him like your life depends on it. He grunts at the sudden movement, before melting back into you. His hands play with the hem of your t-shirt, wanting to lift it over your head. You sit up against the headboard, letting him remove the clothing. His lips attack your toned chest, nipping your pectorals sensually. "Eddie." You moan, sliding his jackets off his shoulders. He discards them to the floor, removing what's left of his own shirt. You take a moment to look him over, most of his tattoos are gone, having been eaten away and replaced with thick scars.

"They're real ugly, aren't they?" Eddie asks, his tone falling into sadness. You just shake your head, pulling him closer to you so you can kiss every last inch of his pale skin. He groans at your gentle touch, a couple tears rolling down his cheeks. He's so happy you still love every part of him, even if he finds himself a bit horrific.

"You're gorgeous as always, Eddie. My beautiful man." You confess to him, hoping your words ring true in his ears. He grinds his hips against you, unable to help himself. You grope him through his jeans, drawing more hushed noises from his lips.

"Y/N, I need you. Now." He fiddles with your jeans, clumsily unbuttoning them so he can shove his hand inside. You feel his spindly fingers wrap around your dick, making your breath catch in your throat. You gaze into his ruby red eyes, watching him as he strokes your length in his hand. You reach for his belt, undoing it with ease to reciprocate his touch. "Shit." He says through gritted teeth. You both pump each other in your pants, riling yourselves up. This teasing is rapidly becoming unbearable, you don't wanna wait anymore. Eddie shares that sentiment, standing up off the bed to kick off his shoes and shed his pants and boxers. His dick springs up, slapping his stomach.

"Fuck, Eds." You groan, blown away by his perfect body. You put in the effort to take him in, committing every detail to memory. You look him up and down, letting your eyes settle on his aching length. You swear he's grown a couple inches, but maybe you're imagining things.

"See something you like?" He asks, posing intentionally with a hand on his hip to drive you wild.

"I see lots of things I like. Although, one in particular has caught my interest." You can't help biting your lip, watching him undress has distracted you from removing your own clothes. He gestures at you to take off your pants, eagerly scanning over your lower half as you do away with them.

"You're as handsome as I remember, baby. Even more so, in fact." He moves closer, stroking your cheek with the back of his hand. You dangle your legs off the bed, pulling him by the waist to position him a few inches from the bed. You carefully get down on your knees, taking Eddie's dick in your grasp. You look up at him for permission, and he happily gives it to you. "Go ahead, sweetheart." And with that, you sink your mouth down onto him in one smooth motion. He moans, trying to stay quiet. You're so hot and wet around him, his hand instinctively goes to the back of your head to hold you in place. "You feel so good, baby." He praises, making precum drip from you and onto the floor. You gag yourself on him, expertly swirling your tongue just the way he likes. His long nails scratch your scalp, making you moan on him. The vibrations send a chill up his spine, and he can't stop making the sexiest little noises.

You're tempted to jerk yourself off while you blow him, but you force yourself to wait your turn. He'll give you what you want soon enough. "Mmm." You moan against him again, loving every sound he makes in reaction to your touch. You want to make him lose control, he's so fucking pretty when he cums.

He's nearing the end, clutching your head like his life depends on it. "Keep going, love. You're gonna make me cum." Eddie's hips buck forwards into you, choking you with his cock. You let him fuck your face, patiently waiting to taste his load shooting down your throat. You massage his balls in your palm, giving him that extra little bit of stimulation to send him crashing over the edge. "Oh, fuck." Eddie's eyes screw shut, his words coming out strangled as he spills into your mouth. You swallow every last drop, remembering just how good he tastes. You let him ride out his orgasm, and he slips out of your mouth once he calms down. He's panting, slightly sheened in sweat.

"I've missed that so much, you have no idea." You say as you catch your own breath. The acrid air outside hasn't been kind to your lungs when you've ventured out for supplies. You stand up, and Eddie immediately pushes you onto the bed.

"Lay down for me, sweetheart." You do as he asks, but he remains standing. "I just thought of this, like an idiot." He chuckles, before continuing. "You wouldn't happen to have any lube on you, would ya?" He asks, and you shake your head.

"Nope. Although, this is Steve's parents' room. They might have something in the drawers." You proceed to help him dig around in all the drawers, locating a small bottle of exactly what you're looking for. It's half-gone, but it'll do. "Got it!" You show him your prize, and he grins while taking it from you.

"It's our lucky day, love." You get back in position, flat on your back. You spread your legs, propping up your knees. Eddie climbs onto the bed, clicking open the little bottle. "Hold out two fingers." He instructs, and you listen without question. He squirts some of the lube onto them, the cool liquid chilling your skin. "You'll have to loosen yourself up, I'd hate to cut you with my claws." He clicks his fingers together to emphasize his point.

"I appreciate it, Eds." You laugh lightly, letting him watch you lower your fingers. The lube meeting your asshole makes you yelp quietly in shock. It's so fuckin' cold. You carry on, slowly pushing one digit inside yourself. You whimper at the stretch, it's been so long since you've done this. You weren't sure you'd ever do this again, you don't want anyone other than Eddie. "Jesus christ." You meet his gaze, and he's observing you hungrily. He wants to be inside you so badly, you're such a perfect fit around him. You slip in the second finger, groaning again. You slide them together in and out of yourself carefully. You feel your body relaxing, settling back into the groove you used to share with the man crouching above you. "I think I'm ready for you now, love."

He nods, squeezing the bottle into his palm, before stroking it thickly over his dick. "Fuck, that's cold." He says, making you both laugh. You remove your fingers, wiping them on your thigh to get the excess lube off. Eddie positions himself between your legs, placing his tip against your ass. "You ready, sweetheart?" He asks, looking deep into your eyes again. His expression is so warm, and loving. You could swear his red irises changed into the shape of hearts.

"So ready." You reply, waiting for him to enter you. He starts to push in, causing you both to groan. He takes his time, letting you relax around him as he fills you up just like you remember. "I'd forgotten how perfect you fit inside me, Eddie." He takes hold of your own cock, the extra lube allowing his hand to move on you with ease. "Baby, you're gonna be the death of me." The combined sensation he's giving you makes your head spin, and he hasn't even started thrusting yet.

"Never, love." He says simply, pulling himself out before sliding back in. You wrap your arms around his back, holding him close as you press your lips to his. Eddie picks a steady pace, thrusting in and out tenderly. He continues to jerk you off, and slips his tongue into your mouth again. Tension is quickly building inside your belly, you've missed this so fucking much. You can't hold back the tears falling from your eyes, and Eddie pulls his head up when he senses the salty drops on his cheeks. "Is something wrong, baby?" He asks, concern lacing his voice.

"Nothing's wrong. I just missed you, missed this. I never thought I'd see you again, I buried you and left you down there." You sniffle, feeling stupid for sobbing while you're trying to have sex with the man you lost.

"I know, sweetheart. I didn't think I'd ever be back, either. I'm sorry for what I put you through." He starts crying too, drops of blood dripping onto your cheeks. He can only imagine what burying the man you love must be like, and it sounds like the worst thing in the world.

"It's okay. You're here now. Just make love to me, lost time doesn't matter anymore." You sigh heavily, wiping your eyes. He does the same, before picking up where you left off. You push the past away, focusing on the now. The two of you struggle to keep the noise down, having to keep kissing or attacking each other's necks to muffle the sounds. You're practically writhing underneath Eddie, touching every little bit of him you can reach, squeezing his ass to pull him closer to you.

Eddie's not much better, his thrusts are sloppy, inconsistent. You just feel so good, he can't help himself. You both keep it up as best you can, sweating profusely while you claw at each other like wild beasts. "I'm getting close again, baby." Eddie warns, though you don't heed it. You're right behind him, any moment now you'll be overtaken by the pent up lust inside you. You just moan against his slick flesh in response, hoping he knows what you mean. He fucks you a little faster, stroking your cock at the same speed.

"Oh my god. Eddie, fuck!" You whisper-yell, letting pleasure wash over you. Your body jerks upwards beyond your control, yanking on Eddie in the process. Your cum spurts out onto his hand, coating his long fingers and dripping onto your stomach and chest.

Your sudden movements make Eddie come undone right behind you, hips bucking against your ass cheeks as his load paints your insides. "Jesus, fuck." He clenches his teeth, holding back an obscenely loud moan. You ride out your highs together, waiting for the bliss to subside. Your hearts pound in sync as Eddie slips out of you to collapse onto the bed. "God, I love you." He says breathlessly, turning his head to look your way.

"I love you too, Eds. More than anything in the world." You lay on your side, giving him another kiss. You can't get enough of him, and you don't wanna let him go. But you imagine Vecna expects him back soon, thinking Eddie carried out the murders he ordered. "I don't want you to go." You say, desperately wanting him to say 'fuck it' and stay.

"I don't either, love. But I have to, I can feel the thing inside my head trying to fight its way back into control. But I promise, I'll tell Vecna I did what he asked. And then when he thinks he's safe, I'll take his ass out. I'll make him pay for hurting everyone, and for trying to make me hurt you and the others." He's more serious than you've ever seen him before. You nod in agreement, even though you're not sure how easily he'll be able to keep his promise. Like he said, the monster wants back in. And when it's in control, it could easily tell Vecna the truth.

"Okay. Should I tell the others about you? Let them know you're on our side, and want to help us beat Vecna?" You toy with the idea, not sure how the group would respond to such a thing.

"I dunno, it might freak them out. Especially Dustin." Dustin. You completely forgot about him for a moment, and Eddie might be right.

"Maybe I'll just tell a couple people, ones that know to keep their mouth shut? I don't know how long I can keep this to myself. And if someone else knows, maybe it'll be helpful later on." You reason, though you're not sure Eddie will like it.

"That might be a good idea. But they have to keep quiet. It could go very wrong very quickly if I can't keep my hand on the wheel. I'd hate to get everyone's hopes up that I'm alive and on the side of good if it all goes to shit."

"Agreed." You both put your clothes back on, taking many breaks in between to exchange more feverish kisses. You want as much of each other as you can get. Eventually though, Eddie is slinging his guitar back over his shoulders. And now for the hard part, letting him fly back out your window and return to that awful place. Your arms wrap around his neck, and his hands rest on your waist. "Please don't get yourself killed again. Play the part, let the monster out for a while if you need to. I want you back here with me when this is all over. I mean it." You speak with purpose, refusing to have anything outside your desired outcome.

"I'll do everything I can, Y/N. I promise, I'm not going down without a fight. I'll be home again, and we can be happy. Together." He pulls you in for one last kiss, sealing the vow he's made to you. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Eds. Now, go kick his slimy ass!" You say, making him chuckle. He pulls away, and you back up a few steps. He slides your window open, jumping silently to the ground. You lean your head out to watch him, observing his wings extending from his back. He turns to wave back at you, blowing you a kiss. You catch it, holding it to your chest. You gaze in awe as he takes a running start in the moonlight, jumping into the air as the wind fluffs his wings. "Wow." You say to yourself, watching the man you love fly gracefully into the night. Let's hope this plan works.

The end.

[schoolhater]

it is election day. i wrote a little essay to share with my IRLs who can't fathom why i might want to abstain from participating in the bloodshed by putting holocaust harris in power, or giving the transpbobic and anti-abortion green party federal campaign money. i've reposted the entire thing under the cut for anyone who wants to read.

but before i begin: donate to mohammed al-habil. he is recovering from surgery, his little sister is chronically ill. the genocide ruined his senior year of high school. it’s his birthday today. he should be celebrating and instead he’s begging on an internet full of people trying to justify the continued destruction of his entire people.

learn more + donate

i keep hearing from people defending their choice to vote for the genocider that even though the democrats are bad, the republicans are worse. or that this election is the most important one. i often see trolley problems that declare that the *only* people who would suffer under the democrats would be palestine, and, because *americans* would suffer under the republicans, we have to put aside our grievances about the potentially-three-hundred-thousand-and-thiry-five people who have been murdered in the past thirteen months and offer our full support to the person who did it.

nearly every time settler colonialism has occurred in history, the first wave of settlers is some vulnerable yet radicalized population who believes they will achieve prosperity in the new world. the uae-backed rsf is establishing settlements using refugees from other african countries in southeast sudan right now. the first wave of israeli settlers were poor. even herzl planned this in the 1890s, in 'the jewish state' he writes that the first wave of settlers should be poor farm workers. and now, the modern settlers in the illegally occupied west bank live in and they are the most radicalized most. despite facing extreme racism within israel, arab israeli settlers are among the most radical zionists. the first settlers in america were poor and tired religious extremists from britain. when they came here they didn't have shit except the military backing of the empire and the carte blanche to commit massacres of indigenous people.

imperialism needs these vulnerable people. it needs to funnel the oppressed populations it creates back into the machine to enact further violence. these people are effective cannon fodder against the indigenous population. they are vulnerable enough that they cannot resist, but their lives are comfortable enough thanks to subsidized housing and special treatment that they begin to identify wholly with the imperialist entity, so they don't even want to. if you're stuck thinking 'well, of course kamala and trump are the same to palestine, but trump will be worse for us!' you've taken the bait. that's exactly the kind of attitude that is allowing this genocide to happen right now. do you know why the usa gives subsidized healthcare to israelis? why we give so many benefits to veterans? why do thousands of people risk their entire lives to come here after we destroy their countries? the usa wants to recruit you into participating in the genocide of gaza so you never oppose it, because it would mean opposing yourself.

even kamala harris knows this. multiple times she's repeated some version of "sure people care about the genocide, but they also care about the price of eggs" as if these things are remotely comparable. because to her supporters, they are. to americans, the rest of the world does not even exist.

i said this on my instagram story and i'll say it again - we understand that the israeli elections are just a performance of democracy to pacify criticism of a violent genocidal apartheid system. none of us would really care if netanyahu stepped down tomorrow because we would see the bombings continue. well, america is the world's "israel"! to the rest of the world, america is that attack dog that only ever brings death and suffering. and regardless of which party is in charge, that doesn't change. and the democrats arent even hiding it anymore.

what the discourse around this election and seeing so many people i once respected voting for the genocide has taught me is that there is no red line for the majority of americans. we are the most self centered, narrow minded, backstabbing group of settlers on this earth. we have seen the terrorist organization that occupies the land we live on fund 70% of the most vile horrific crimes against humanity - the most nightmare inducing rapes, tortures, kidnappings, incarcerations, concentration camps, people being burned alive, people being ripped apart, rendered unrecognizable as human bodies, literally vaporized, killing over three hundred thousand people over thirteen months - and we still want the entities that did all this to exist tomorrow. we want to invest into a future in which all of this still exists.

and when asked to stop, we will threaten to do worse. a greater evil is imagined.

what does this make us?

....

i refuse to participate in this bullshit even to support a third party candidate. i refuse to be bought. i refuse to invest my time and energy into an institution that kills children. i don’t care who runs it.

i wanted to push back against this idea before the polls close as a sort of last ditch effort to be heard. i am not being heard right now. i have gotten into way too many arguments with people i once respected over why voting in favor of a genocide might not be the best idea. and every time i am met with utter disrespect - i am not treated as a person with a political perspective based on my experiences and learning, i am treated like an idiot. and the people voting for genocide are pragmatists, somehow. in lieu of a reason to disagree with me they resort to belittlement. i feel betrayed. i hope this rant changes some minds; if not, let it explain why i treat you differently now.

[opreaadriann]

Last Update of 2024

Hello, everyone! The year where I’ve come back is coming to an end and High School Revenge, unfortunately, is nowhere near the end haha.

I’m going to start this update by thanking everyone for the continued support, it’s amazing to see so many people from back in 2018 still coming back here to check on the story and to see so many new readers invested in my characters. Hopefully in 2025 I’ll push a bit harder than I did this last month and we’ll maybe finish more than one chapter haha. I would also like for our MC to get revenge at least on one of the characters, a semi-big one at least, in the near future…

In theory things should get simpler for future chapters, since I’ll still use many of the events from this chapter and many things that I wrote now will come up later, so that’s gonna be really nice. I’ve also noticed I haven’t played the game myself in a long time, so first thing I’ll do after finishing this chapter is actually reading my own story haha.

To celebrate a bit, here’s a list of all the stuff I’ve written and done this year since coming back, just so I can feel better about it all and not feel like the lazy writer that I know I am:

Chapter 1 – Rewritten a bunch of stuff (18 year old me didn’t do English that well…) – Made Olivia try to stop you from jumping right into the Tragedy – MC’s head now bleeds after being hit with a metallic crown (yikes) – Connor now manipulates MC into feeling accepted by the group

Chapter 2 – Choice to change pronouns and/or transition to a different gender (making dad 1 hate you, yikes…) – Created hobby skill stats (I forgot these didn’t exist) – Become financially independent (kinda…) – Recruit both Angela and Marcus (you could only recruit one. Yikes…) – Extra week for preparation – Colored contacts for eyes – Sexuality and romantic experience choice – Nice little comments if you choose the same family name as one of your other fathers – Choose if you’re a smoker (most important choice here)

Chapter 3 – Chapter 3! This was not a thing before my unfortunate disappearance! Funny thing, the conversation with Michael was already written before my death, but I got very annoyed with the choices I wrote. I allowed you to punch Michael in the face, which resulted in a really weird start for the game. When I saw how weird everything went, I gave up. When I came back, I killed the idea completely. Maybe we can punch him at the start in a DLC… – Rewrites over rewrites. – The first hobby events! – The first meetings with all of the ROs!

Chapter 4 – Too much to write down… Short of it would be: – Relationship events with all ROs – Second hobby event, first chance to ruin your targets’ private life! – Random events! – Burt can stalk people now! (yikes…) – You go to a party and stuff happens! – You can learn one of Connor’s and Michael’s secrets! – You can campaign to become homecoming royalty! – You can ask most of the ROs to homecoming! (I’ll finish this, I promise) – Marcus is much more useful as an ally than Angela! (she’ll get her chance to shine, don’t worry Angela-mancers)

Anyway, more words might have been written, but I forgot. I came back at the end of March, so it’s been 9 months. Pretty crazy stuff. Thanks again for all the support, let’s make 2025 the year we finally get revenge and live out our sick fantasies (and likely feel bad about it afterwards…).

[tremendouskoalachild]

Does the Batman Epic Crime Saga (they better come up with a better name fast) chronology make sense? well, no. am i gonna write a rambling tumblr post about it? you know it!

spoilers for The Batman (2022) and the first 4 episodes of The Penguin (2024)

The Batman is set during Bruce's second year as Batman, and takes place over one week: starting at 8 pm on Thursday, October 31, and ending on Wednesday, November 6.

The Batman was originally filmed as though it is set in 2019, and the days of the week in Bruce's journal match that year's calendar. the shooting was put on hold due to the pandemic, and once it resumed the movie's setting was moved to 2021 (some other dates in the film match that year, and it can be extrapolated from graphics shown on screen). The Penguin takes place firmly in 2022, retconning this.

according to his diary, the Riddler got the idea for his grand plan to reveal corruption in Gotham on Friday, July 16 (of that year, meaning 2021, presumably; the day matches the 2021 calendar). that would mean he spent 3.5 months (107 days) planning and setting it all in motion. he likely intended on using the election's date from the start.

The Waynes were killed 20 years prior to Don Mitchell Jr's murder (October 31), to the week, during Thomas' mayoral campaign (this corresponds to 2001, as seen in the Riddler's video).

here we run into my lack of familiarity with DC lore, but i believe the implication is that Mitchell became mayor in 2001, served 4 consecutive 5-year terms (and was up for reelection in 2021), and Maroni was taken down due to Carmine Falcone's information shortly after Mitchell first took office (the timing of the Maroni bust is very tenuous; i'm largely going by the various claims that Falcone has been the top dog for 20 years, and that removing Maroni was what got him there. there is also Annika's confused recollection of Mitchell telling her Falcone was the informant on that case, and that that's how Mitchell became mayor, even though we know the bust happened during his term. however, Oz was supposedly involved, as alluded to by Sal in The Penguin, and he was merely Sofia's driver just 10 years ago, before moving up in Carmine's organization and gaining control of the drops operation, which was already controlled by the Falcones at that time.)

The Penguin starts one week after Carmine Falcone is killed and the flooding starts (on Election day, November 5), so November 12, 2022.

Oz kills Alberto at night, and spends the time until his next shift securing an alibi and hiding the body, with the help of Vic. Oz takes Alberto's phone and looks through his calendar app, which is showing the current day as November 13, noting he has a shipment scheduled for the evening of Monday, November 18 (this day matches the calendar for 2024 and 2019, but definitely not 2021 or 2022).

The next day (November 13, assuming Oz checked the phone after midnight - seems likely, he went in at night, had a long discussion with Alberto, killed him, dragged his body to the car, and "recruited" Vic before this), Oz reunites with Sofia, recently out of Arkham thanks to her father's death. He is told to move the drops operation to Robbinsville by the Falcones within 48 hours, visits his mother's house, as well as Salvatore Maroni in prison, and frames the Maronis for Alberto's murder.

Presumably the next day, November 14, he visits Sal again, planning their heist. Luca Falcone has arrived to take over the family by then. We see the move to Robbinsville being ambushed by Maronis at night, likely 14 to 15 November (i doubt Oz organized the move he didn't want to do the same day he was ordered to do it, while coordinating with the Maronis; i also doubt Viti would let him get away with missing the 2 day deadline without a fuss). Sofia recruits a detective within hours to find the mole.

Alberto's funeral is on the following day, November 15 (not that it's particularly useful, but we know it isn't a Sunday from Francis mistakenly trying to go to Mass. if we accept the Monday is the 18th, then it must be Friday). After the funeral, Luca suggests to Sofia she leave for Italy. That night we see Vic bury Castillo and Ervad, and Sofia team up with Oz.

In the evening of the shipment, so November 18 according to the calendar, Sofia and Oz start putting their plan in motion. Graciela tells Vic she is leaving the next night, November 19. Johnny Viti confronts Sofia, telling her she has two days left in Gotham before either leaving for Italy or being disposed of, and gives her a boarding pass with the date Thursday, November 20, 2022. (in case you're curious, no, November 20 2022 is not a Thursday. more bizarrely, we know it was Monday on the 18th, so November 20 has to be a Wednesday. the last time Nov 22 fell on a Thursday was 2018, before even the original scrapped setting of the movie.) the boarding time is in the evening, so Johnny seems to be counting the next day, November 19, and the day she's supposed to leave, November 20, as her two days.

The next day, November 19, Sofia and Oz go to the Triads to negotiate, then blackmail Johnny to secure an audience and trial run for that night. It goes well but the Maronis arrive, and a dazed Sofia calls Dr Julian Rush for help after Oz abandons her.

She wakes up at his place the next morning, November 20, and mentions she is supposed to be on a plane to Italy by the next day - not that evening, as it says on the ticket her family bought her. Maybe she's confused after her traumatic incident, or is ignoring the ticket and choosing to interpret Johnny's ultimatum differently.

Julian says she has been out of Arkham for only a few weeks (she was exonerated through Alberto and Julian's efforts after Carmine's death, November 5th - 16 days earlier, so it appears that process was quick). She crashes a family dinner that evening, implies she is leaving the next day, and kills everyone in the mansion except for Gia and Johnny Viti during the night. She wakes Johnny up in the morning of November 21, where we end episode 4.

as for the flashbacks:

Vic's takes place in the hours before the flooding starts, not only confirming that it happened in the evening on November 5, but also that it was Tuesday. This date works for either 2019 or 2024, and matches the day of the week from Alberto's phone in episode 1.

Sofia's flashbacks: 10 years prior to The Penguin, in 2012, reporter Summer Gleeson approached Sofia Falcone with information about several women working for Carmine Falcone strangled over the last decade, so roughly 2002-2012. she herself was killed in the same manner shortly after, and the murders got pinned on Sofia. Sofia was arrested on Carmine's birthday, September 5, and she was held responsible for the murders of Summer and 6 other women (presumably the same ones Summer told her about, as her murder was made to look like Sofia trying to shut her up).

from The Batman we know that Maria Kyle was also strangled by Carmine during this period, in 2004:

while we're looking at tombstones, the Falcone family's plaques in The Penguin episode 2 are the source of Carmine's birth date:

Alberto's body is recovered the day after his murder, and the date November 13 is used on his.

some random tidbits about different characters' ages:

Bella Reál is 28 (said on the tv broadcast in the opening of The Batman).

Bruce Wayne is around 30/was around 10 when his parents died (not said in the film but mentioned in interviews).

Edward Nashton's fake ID under the name Patrick Parker has his date of birth listed as 03/30/1985, which would make this persona 36 in 2021. the ID under his real name appears to list 1984, which would make him around 37/17 at the time of the Waynes' murder, or 1994, making him around 27/7 at the time of the murder. the second interpretation is supported by the Riddler: Year One comic miniseries, written by Riddler actor Paul Dano, showing Edward as a little boy meeting Thomas when he announces his mayoral campaign (and appears to fit better with the speech Edward gives in the film).

Annika Kosolov was born on January 1, 1998, making her 23 if the film takes place in 2021. she is also Estonian. neat.

Selina Kyle was 7 when her mother was killed, which happened in 2004 according to Maria's tombstone in The Batman, making Selina around 24 if we use the 2021 setting (25 for the retcon timeline, birth year around 1997 either way).

Sofia Falcone was 9 when her mother was killed, which happened in 1994 according to her plaque in The Penguin, making Sofia around 37 in the show (birth year around 1985), around 27 when she was arrested and taken to Arkham.

edit: we actually do have Sofia's birth date, thank you @thevoidstaresback93! she was born on January 3, 1985, making her 27 at her arrest and 37 in the show.

from the above we also know that Carla Viti was 28 at Sofia's arrest and must be around 38 in the show.

similarly, we know Johnny Viti, which is apparently his legal name, was 43 in the flashback and must be around 53 in the show.

from his plaque we know Alberto was 38 when Oz killed him, and is a year or two older than his sister Sofia.

Carmine Falcone was 65 when the Riddler finally killed him.

his victims were mostly young women whose exact ages we don't know, long dead before the present day events; we only know that Isabella Falcone was killed at 34, and Maria Kyle at around 28.

Victor Aguilar is 17, since his ID shows his date of birth being April 23, 2005. his girlfriend Graciela is probably around the same age, since they go to school together.

revelations from the Riddler video:

Martha Wayne's parents were killed in 1981 (her mother killed her father and then herself), and her father was 36 at that point.

Wayne Enterprises sent the cease and desist to the journalist digging into Martha's family history on February 16, 2000, over a year and a half before the election in October/November 2001. what a dramatic period of time for everyone involved.

one last hilarious thing: this date in the canon comic released in October 2022, in the same year as the film, fits with the 2020 calendar.

[sexiestpodcastcharacter]

Sexiest Podcast Character — Unscripted Bracket — Round 2

Propaganda

Ver'million "Millie" Blue (Friends at the Table: PARTIZAN):

Mech pilot with a body horror mode and a thematic dog motif. She’s trans in a culture that does gender way different than contemporary human genders, and she’s sexy about it. Escaped a military super soldier cloning program to join a revolutionary organization. Kind of a fish person (pls look up art of her, it’s all excellent). Dreams of settling down into a peaceful life and is so so so wife to me

She's a canonical goth trans woman with sick teal hair and scales and she's an alien who's vaguely fishlike and she's a sniper and an absolute shit kicker she's literally SO sexy

ok so i did just submit Pickman bc she won my tournament but i gotta say, Milli is my personal pick for sexiest f@tt character! she's goth! she could kill me! but she won't! she just wants to be away from the war! she's breaking out of the worldview she's been conditioned in to since infancy! her mech is called the stray dog! and after the campaign ends she goes around recruiting so many people that they recognizably start getting called the stray dogs! she's so excited to have literally any participation in governing! she spends a while going around the moon to install a communications system and gets to learn what its like when you approach people in a way that isn't immediately antagonistic! SHE DECLARED A GOOD HER RIVAL! she got SO close to getting out but then her sense of duty to others pulled her back in (im not actually sure if that last one is hot exactly but it SURE is compelling). AND SHE'S A FISH WHO REJECTED THE GENDER SYSTEM SHE GREW UP IN FOR ONE NOT DESIGNED TO FURTHER WARFARE!

The entire blog @fuckyeahvermillionblue.

Mercedes Oak-Garcia (Dungeons & Daddies):

MILF of the Year

[kneelingshadowsalome]

NOOOO NOT KONIG AS A SPARTAN/GREEK WARRIOR I CANNOT HAVE THAT IMAGE IN MY BRAIN I STILL NEED TO FUNCTION ON THE DAILY DAMNIT😭😭😭

I am a sucker for the warrior claims his spoils of war trope, the whole achilles/briseis from the troy movie vibes💕😫👌🏻 but with a twist 👀

König, the infamous Germanic warrior and beast of a man who has a unique station as commander in the troops of the romans (or something??? lmao don’t @me my brain rot is not historically accurate) because he possesses the perfect balanced mixture of inhuman strength and a cunning strategic mind. Hacking and slashing his way through battle after battle, some call him Ares, the God of War, because they’re convinced that whatever must be under that helmet and hood can’t be an actual human being. He seems to be living and breathing for war and the shedding of blood. That is until during one of his battles he finds himself in the raided temple of Artemis, face to face with a temple maiden who isn’t raped and pillaged by his men. Whether it’s a curse or a blessing from the Gods, he doesn’t know but he falls, and he falls hard for her. Blood is pumping to his heart, which is about to beat its way through his chest, and racing down to his dick which is even harder than after a successful battle. “An Engel” he mutters to himself, and that’s the first time the God of War takes a spoil of war, his very own temple maiden who from now on will only worship him and him alone.

König would be such a hot Spartan warrior/Greek demigod but PLEASE, you have to listen and listen carefully because… König could easily be a prominent figure in the Roman army! They had auxiliary units, Romans used “foreign” warriors all the time, Gauls and German/ic people and whatever, that’s the whole idea behind their expansion idea: to fatten their army with new recruits to push their campaigns and get more slaves to support their crazy economy etc etc

So König could be situated in say for example Germania Superior/Inferior, Raetia or Noricum auxiliary unit, I don’t know what Romans called Austria back then and if they had a separate aux. unit for them, I need to do some googling, if someone knows more about this please correct me! But *grabs you by your bra straps or shirt or whatever* you need to listen, Romans didn’t send their Auxilia to the troops’ native lands which means König would not be posted in Germania/whatever Austria was called BUT he could fight in basically any other area, and get his captive girl from some other bloody sexy violent awesome campaign!!! (Lol why am I so into this idea of him capturing some poor girl into his tent and having his way with her… I’m sorry I need to straighten my skirt and sit pretty with my knees pressed tightly together, nothing to see here, just sippin’ my tea)

No but srsly, NO, now I have to write this. Brb ->

[nesiacha]

Camille Desmoulins and Antoine-François Momoro

Antoine-François Momoro Camille Desmoulins

I couldn't say exactly how, but I have the impression that the printer-bookseller Antoine-François Momoro and the pamphleteer Camille Desmoulins had very opposite paths and were very different despite having similarities, if you know what I mean. Camille Desmoulins was a republican from the start, while Momoro was cautious on the matter and hesitated to publish Desmoulins' pamphlet "La France Libre" in June 1789, only releasing it on July 17, 1789. However, Momoro increasingly engaged in the revolution, eventually becoming one of its key figures and a regular at the Cordeliers Club. He was arrested after the Flight to Varennes, having signed the Champ de Mars petition. Desmoulins, on the other hand, had to go into exile. In this regard, they shared the common ground of being among the harshest critics of the monarchy, although Desmoulins had been vocal much earlier, opposing the property-based suffrage in 1789 and circulating 3,000 copies of his journal "Les Révolutions de France et de Brabant." During the Varennes episode, Momoro ensured that many issues of the Cordeliers Club Journal, which became virulent towards the king due to his escape, were distributed.

Both Camille Desmoulins and Momoro participated in the events of August 10, 1792. While Desmoulins left his mark as a key figure of July 14, 1789, Momoro, alongside Mayor Pache, inscribed the words "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" on public buildings in the summer of 1793. Both played roles in the expulsion of the Girondins. Desmoulins was elected to the Convention, whereas Momoro, though not elected, played a significant role in the Paris Commune, overseeing supplies and soldier morale, among other tasks. He recruited volunteers from various departments and regions and was sent to Vendée alongside Charles Philippe Ronsin. Both men remained actively involved in what was considered a faction until the end, in contrast to their leaders Danton and Hébert, who were less ardent or coherent (although there were no real leaders, if you understand my point).

Their wives played more significant political roles alongside their companions than often portrayed in films. Lucile Desmoulins' journal shows her as a fervent critic of the monarchy, writing dark texts about Marie-Antoinette, approving the King's execution, and defending Camille when the future Marshal Brune asked him to temper his critiques in "Le Vieux Cordelier." Sophie Fournier, Momoro's wife, played a crucial role in her husband's dechristianization campaign, representing the Goddess of Reason armed with a pike at each ceremony (when you consider the struggle of the women of the Revolution to bear arms, in my opinion, it only demonstrates her great determination ). Both Momoro and Desmoulins had only one son from their marriages, and their wives were subject to sexist attacks, similar to Manon Roland, Louise Gély, Marie Françoise Goupil, and even Marie-Antoinette.

However, their paths diverged significantly. Initially cautious, Momoro became increasingly revolutionary, ultimately considered an ultra-revolutionary, while Desmoulins became more moderate. Momoro began to advocate for property rights redistribution, a stance not shared by Desmoulins or many Montagnards, who were moderate on this issue. Momoro supported de-Christianization, while Desmoulins opposed it. Momoro called for harsher measures against counter-revolutionary suspects, whereas Desmoulins, in "Le Vieux Cordelier," called for leniency (except for approve the mock trial of the Hébertists) and advocated for the mass release of counter-revolutionary suspects, many of whom were innocent. During the harsh winter of 1793-1794, Momoro prioritized the suffering of the Parisian masses, a concern Desmoulins did not share.

Despite this, Momoro and many considered Hébertists were sent to the guillotine. It is said that Momoro died bravely, like most of his colleagues except Hébert (his bravery was remarkable given that his wife Sophie was arrested ten days after him, and he knew she could die, yet he refused to show fear in public). Desmoulins, calm when preparing for death, panicked when Lucile was arrested (as unjustly as the arrests of the Hébert and Momoro wives) and expressed his despair all the way to the scaffold. The most horrifying part is that Desmoulins and Momoro learned of their wives' arrests the day before their execution.

My personal reflections: Honestly, I believe there is a golden legend about Camille Desmoulins, which he does not deserve, and a black legend about Momoro's faction, which is also undeserved . As I mentioned in this post https://www.tumblr.com/nesiacha/744960791081631744/the-difference-in-treatment-between-the-indulgents?source=share, in my eyes, Camille Desmoulins is highly overrated. While I do not deny his talents, I do not think he was fit for great responsibilities, unlike men he mocked, like Ronsin, Saint-Just, or Momoro, who worked tirelessly during the revolution's most challenging period. I must say in my eyes that once Desmoulins became a Convention deputy, he seemed to rest more than other revolutionaries. Consider Sonthonax, labeled a Girondin, who accepted a mission to Saint Domingue to better fight against colonizers who denied equal rights between people of color and whites, or Condorcet, who worked with Carnot on women's education with Pastoret and Guilloud, or Charles Philippe Ronsin. Many members of the Committee of Public Safety had grueling schedules in addition to their missions. Other Convention deputies, unlike Desmoulins, were sent on missions, such as Charles Gilbert Romme (and many others). While Desmoulins advocated leniency in "Le Vieux Cordelier," he approves the mock trial that led to the Hébertists' guillotining and said nothing about their wives' arrests (perhaps he planned to call for their release to be fair, but I don't know). Besides being partly responsible for the fall of the Brissotins, he remained silent on the illegal harassment Jacques Roux faced, leading to his suicide, and once said he understood the need to curb liberty for the people's salvation. Nonetheless, Camille Desmoulins should never have been arrested, let alone executed, as he only wrote articles.

In comparison, Momoro, a victim of a black legend, was clearly more honest about following a consistent line. Initially more cautious than Desmoulins in 1789, he ultimately advocated for more social rights. Despite not being elected to the Convention, he played a significant role in the Paris Commune, carrying out various missions during the revolution's most challenging period, from late 1792 to early 1794. During the Convention's invasions, he was among those who demanded vital laws for the revolution, such as the maximum or the revolutionary army's levy. His attempted insurrection was mainly due to the severe suffering of the Parisian masses in the winter of 1793-1794 and the frequent attacks on the Hébertists by the Convention (the arrests of Ronsin and Vincent in 1793), while dubious characters like Danton were free. Momoro was never rehabilitated, unlike Desmoulins, who was falsely accused of sabotaging supplies and destroying his reputation by accumulating 190,000 livres in cash, although he always refused to elevate himself, leaving behind only 26 livres and 400 livres in assignats. As Mathiez Albert, a historian harsh on Robespierre's opponents, said, "One of the main leaders of this Hébertist party, who first tried to translate and represent the popular aspirations against the wealthy bourgeois of the Convention [...] He died poor, as he had lived."

However, Momoro also had his faults, and Desmoulins was right on some points. Nothing is entirely black or white, especially among revolutionaries. The dechristianization campaigns often caused problems for the French Revolution. I understand the anger of incorruptible revolutionaries like Momoro, given the religious intolerance of that time, but intolerance cannot be fought with more intolerance. These campaigns also alienated many French people.

Moreover, if Desmoulins had dubious political allies in Danton, Momoro could be worst. He counted as an ally the horrible Nantes drowner, Carrier (Momoro didn't drown people by the way, but still a bad point for him...). Many French Revolution characters made alliances with dubious figures (like Robespierre, who knew the criticisms against Danton were well-founded but largely allied with him until a certain point), but it's still a big no for me for the alliance with Carrier. Not with one of the most hateful characters of the French Revolution. His last insurrection attempt, which led to his guillotining, was understandable, but the Convention was at a critical point and could not afford a new insurrection. Unlike Hanriot and Chaumette, he was not lucid enough on this point. He should have been more lenient with the suspect laws. Plus let's not forget that the faction call hebertist who after denunce the faction call enragés took them petition.

Even if I am harsh on Camille Desmoulins, I must acknowledge his great courage and contributions to the French Revolution, and like Momoro, he never betrayed his principles. Moreover, I fully agree with him on press freedom and often highlight his reasoning on freedom of expression. It's worth noting that Camille Desmoulins' father died shortly after his son's execution, heartbroken by his loss, just as Momoro's mother, a servant in Besançon, died a week or two after her son's death. Regardless of what one might say, both revolutionaries earned the right to be considered important figures in the 1789-1794 period.

I would like to end with two phrases these two revolutionaries reportedly said shortly before their deaths:

Momoro, during his condemnation: "I am accused, I who gave everything for the Revolution!"

Camille Desmoulins in jail : "I had dreamed of a republic that everyone would have adored."

P.S.: I have searched everywhere for a biography of Sophie Fournier, Momoro's wife. I found it in PDF and French, but I don't know its value.

Here is the link : https://www.sh6e.com/images/publications/Lettre_d_information/2023_05_Lettre_info_Sh6.pdf

[lukedanger]

I made a previous post calling out how Regill's spiel against Irabeth was complete nonsense, and two things were brought up in reblogs: wondering what achievements the Hellknights have to their names without the Knight-Commander or crusaders helping them, and interest in looking at their tactics further.

To summarize the first one: as far as I am aware, the only achievement the Hellknights make on their own is taking that outpost near the Gloomy Gorge, which was described as an abandoned ruin. Everything else they succeed at - even escaping from the Lost Chapel - is either done with the Knight-Commander or with the help of other crusaders like Sosiel. And even then, sometimes with the KC's help they're counter-productive, not to mention hypocrisy that I didn't realize until digging through my screenshots for this.

So, let's actually go down what the Hellknights contribute. I will be focusing specifically on Act II as this is where the "Hellknights are uber competent" nonsense is at full blast.

This is a long post, so the most of it will be under a 'Read More' for the sake of scrolling. TLDR, the Hellknights aren't actually that useful, especially when looking at these four sections:

The Siege of Drezen - Another Way In?

Leper's Smile - Vescavor Fodder

Lost Chapel - Hypocritical Murder is the Best Dumbest Solution

Reliable Redoubt - Regill's Folly

===

The Siege of Drezen - Another Way In?

During the Siege of Drezen at the climax of Act II, if you saved him at the Reliable Redoubt, Regill offers another way into the city to target the giants manning the artillery. He wants the Knight-Commander to accompany him in taking out the artillery to clear the way for the rest of the army, just in case they run into a mythic demon again. And to be entirely fair, on paper and as presented this is an entirely reasonable recommendation! Taking out the artillery quickly is a good way to mitigate casualties, and this is exactly the kind of task that the Knight-Commander and their lance is best at doing. Leper's Smile was overcome exactly through this tactic.

However, in practice... what it actually does is let you skip one skill check to get to past the first gate (crossing the gap to the barracks) or the dungeon path that Nurah could send you down (which you probably want to go down anyways to recruit Arueshalae). Otherwise, you still have to either skill check your way up the walls or fight through the cathedral... and you probably want to clear those anyways just for the loot and XP.

All while costing you morale if you don't have Galfrey and Irabeth to provide leadership to the main army, and locking you to hauling Regill around the entire siege. Quite frankly, I'd rather have Seelah and her noble steed Iomeneigh.

Either way, Regill's "big tactic" at Drezen is basically a wash, all things considered. It lets you skip one skill check at a potentially very high cost, a cost that Regill sneers at not understanding the value of morale in a siege assault. While some of this could be chalked up to level design not lining up with the narrative (would not be the first time - take a look at the stats of units in Crusade Mode), I can't help but wonder if Regill was hoping to swipe a lot of credit for the liberation of Drezen with this.

And this is the most positive contribution the Hellknights offer to the campaign.

===

Leper's Smile - Vescavor Fodder

Leper's Smile is the first 'big' challenge that you face, by this point having either abandoned the Hellknights to their fate or taken the time to rescue them. Faced with the challenge, you need a unit to act as bait to pull the swarm out so the Knight-Commander can take a lance and drive it through the Vescavor Queen's thorax. You get five options of who to pick, the best being Sosiel where his troops hold their ground so he can quickly heal anyone who is overwhelmed - otherwise anyone who scatters too far can't be healed in time.

To focus on the Hellknights, first of all we should remember why Regill is volunteering his forces: "My superiority over the crusaders will not permit me to cower behind them."

Yep. Mister "emotions are a useless distraction" himself wants to feed his own men to vescavors because his ego won't let him allow others to do it. And if they hold their ground, this gets a lot of Hellknights killed. Better them than crusaders, but that's the kind of thing that you expect out of a gentleman officer in Sharpe, not someone who prides himself on pragmatism. His alternative tactic is actually pretty sound - his best protected troops draw aggro, then the rest of the Hellknights hurl acid and fire into the swarm. It costs him some of his best troops, though. Even adamantine doesn't make you invulnerable, whether it's to a vesvacor who gets through one poor sod's visor, or the acid hurled at them.

Either way though, Regill is specifically putting his own troops forward without any of the support that could open up other options because his ego won't allow him to stay behind while others distract the swarm.

The grand irony? The "ideal" solution in this situation is probably to have Sosiel's contingent consist of Hellknights: the Hellknights are a disciplined force who are most likely to hold their nerve and among the most well-armored of the troops on hand. That heavy protection and discipline would merge with Shelyn's miracle through Sosiel to completely minimize casualties - even more so than Sosiel alone and a KC who doesn't delay going after the queen.

Then again, the Hellknights will throw away a perfectly fine Armiger if they can't actually make it to Hellknight, wasting all the resources that went into their training and losing a competent warrior or spellcaster in the process. Why are we surprised?

===

Lost Chapel - Hypocritical Murder is the Best Dumbest Solution

So first of all, the Hellknights get more or less completely captured during this. Even though they presumably would have had their own men on watch due to not considering the crusaders competent. Now, the Hellknights do manage to break out on their own, but they are far from the only ones - other crusaders are able to as well such as one Iomedean paladin who CPEs an entire squad of ghouls or the guy who might lose more than his tooth you can rescue along the way.

Of course, we inevitably meet Yaker at a mixed lance of Armigers and Crusaders, and after some bantering if you comment on the fight in the Hellknights, Yaker will want to execute one of the Mendevan soldiers for panicking. The dialogue in the fight prior does show the Mendevan men-at-arms are at the breaking point, but none of them actually flee the engagement despite escape being the primary goal at the time. And Yaker wants to execute them because Chelaxian law demands an example be made of those who flee when none of them actually have.

Forget the fact that it's somehow "Lawful" of the 'acceptable for a paladin' variety to murder a Mendevan under Chelaxian law while in territory where Mendevan law has jurisdiction. We're trying to rescue as many soldiers as possible, and you want to execute one for being at the end of their rope and about to panic but not actually running away? And yes, doing this will increase your casualty counter for the entire sequence, potentially costing you quite a few soldiers in a portion of the game where they're hard to get!

It's worth noting that this is after Regill had formed a rearguard further up the mountain to buy time for troops to escape and await reinforcements. So not only do we have the above, Yaker is pissing away the objective here. Of course, Regill also claims he will always strive to preserve allied forces, but we've already seen how much of a lie that is at Reliable Redoubt and Leper's Smile... can't believe I missed this line in my first playthrough.

Funnily enough, Regill also makes a lot of noise about how the standing orders for scouts is to not be taken alive and that it was better to kill the wounded than let them be taken even though he had no idea why the gargoyles wanted prisoners. The only Hellknight who chose to die was Marenta, the Armiger who had Trever's shield. Even then, she was acting as a rearguard to allow allies to escape after breaking out of captivity. So much for "never allow yourself to be taken alive" and "deny the enemy prisoners".

(Thank you @forestdragoncat for pointing that out in your reply to my other post!)

===

Reliable Redoubt - Regill's Folly

I could honestly do an entire post dissecting this for how much of a complete failure it is on part of the Hellknights at every level even as the narrative tries to convince us it was cold, ruthless rationality. In the interest of not dissecting the sequence line by line here, I think there's five points that really sum it up well:

The gargoyles specifically went after the supplies of the Sunrise Sword knights in the earlier engagement, retreating once they had completed that objective. The gargoyles didn't even bother with this kind of harassment against the Hellknights: they just overwhelmed them. And that's with them being reinforced by the now-exhausted Sunrise Sword!

Regill had full warning that the gargoyles were coming thanks to the Sunrise Sword, the Sunrise Sword didn't and were ambushed. Yet Regill's troops still had their asses hanging in an undefendable position that they then retreat from to a more defensible location rather than having prepared for the attack.

Even knowing another attack was coming, he gave the Sunrise Sword no supplies and did nothing to bring them back up to full combat effectiveness in anticipation of the attack. This wasted not only the warning they gave but troops he actually thinks had potential! This is the same Hellknight who later says that he will "always preserve the lives of allied forces" because he is thinking in terms of "efficiency and achieving your goals".

The only way the Hellknights win the encounter is if the Knight-Commander diverts the entire campaign to take Drezen to save them. Without that, the Hellknights are crushed. And the Knight-Commander only knows because Yaker disobeyed orders and fled the battlefield... the exact thing he says warrants execution in Lost Chapel.

On top of that, Regill had others killed to stop them from being taken prisoner despite explicitly admitting he doesn't know why the gargoyles wanted them. He and a number of his troops are quite alive should you not reinforce him and find him in Lost Chapel on the hook next to Irabeth.

In short, Regill had every opportunity to put together a better defense thanks to the Sunrise Sword's efforts getting to him, and he pissed it away. I'm not going to say that he could have won the battle outright without the KC, but at close examination it becomes clear that he had failed beyond "competent but up against something where that isn't enough". And then has the audacity once the battle is won to act as if it was the Sunrise Sword who were weak for their "excess of morality" and needed to be remade into Hellknights.

I wonder if Regill realized in his Reckoning after the Reliable Redoubt that he had fucked up and that's why he's so eager to prove himself at Leper's Smile - to hide his folly from his superiors and his new comrades.

===

In the final tally... in Act II, for all the Hellknights acts superior and say they have to teach the Crusaders everything, they either don't contribute much, are outright counterproductive, or they only succeed because the Knight-Commander bails them out. Regill's suggestions in particular tend to be only "better than the default options", and even then not by much.

At least in the councils he gets his act together and starts making some good suggestions, or at least pragmatic ones if ruthless... along with the expected bad suggestions.

Either way actually digging into this makes the sheer hypocrisy of the Hellknights in Wrath of the Righteous come out even more. And I can't tell if this was intended as a subtle criticism of Lawful Evil that a lot of people - myself included - missed because of how much is going on, or if they had genuinely wanted to write the Hellknights as competent Lawful Evil and ended up making them only good at looking like they were competent for making "hard" decisions.

And the sad thing is? Even with all this, Regill is a fascinating character because he actually seems to believe in what he says for the most part - a few exceptions regarding allied forces aside. He's a different kind of Lawful Evil than the usual corruption of Hell as we see in Aeon->Devil, and that contrast would work really well if they leaned into that more.

[misfitwashere]

Friends,

Trump called attention to the discrepancy between his height (reportedly 6-foot-3) and Kamala Harris’s (5-7½ in heels), insisting that no accommodation be made to appear closer in size.

“No boxes or artificial lifts will be allowed to stand on during my upcoming debate with Comrade Kamala Harris,” he wrote, adding that such accommodations would be “a form of cheating.” There’s no evidence Harris has sought such things. 

Nicholas Rule, a psychology professor at the University of Toronto who researches social perception and cognition, said Harris’s shorter height will be irrelevant tonight because she exudes “Tall Energy,” which he defined as “the confidence that comes from being above average height.”

I am 4-feet-10. At my highest, I was 4-feet-11. I doubt I have “Tall energy.” But if I were on the stage tonight with Donald Trump, I’d demolish him. 

To be sure, when it comes to choosing leaders, our society is exceptionally heightist. 

When I ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Massachusetts in 2002, it seemed that the only attribute reporters wanted to cover was my height. Regardless of what I said in my speeches, the Boston Globe ran photos of me standing on boxes so I could see over the podium. The right-wing Boston Herald ran a headline on its front page charging “Short People Are Furious with Reich” because I had joked about my height on the campaign trail. 

None of it helped me with that election. But I didn’t lose because of my height. I lost because I was a lousy campaigner.

Research shows that voters do prefer taller candidates. A paper published in 2013 by psychologists at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands analyzed the results of American presidential elections dating back to 1789. They found that taller candidates received more votes than shorter ones in roughly two-thirds of all elections. And the taller the candidates were relative to their opponents, the greater the average margin of their victory. 

Among presidents who have sought a second term, winners have been two inches taller, on average, than losers. The authors conclude that height may explain as much as 15 percent of the variation in election outcomes. 

It’s similar in the private sector. A survey of the heights of CEOs of Fortune 500 companies showed they were on average six feet tall -- about 2.5 inches taller than the average American man.

Why are we so heightist? Probably because of some genetic trigger in our brain that told early humans they needed the protection of very big men. Other things being equal, large males are more to be feared and they live longer. An impulse to defer to them, or prefer them as mates, makes evolutionary sense.

In Size Matters, Stephen S. Hall writes that in the eighteenth-century Frederick William of Prussia paid huge sums to recruit giant soldiers from around the world, thereby giving tangible value to matters of inches, and revealing “the desirability of height for the first time in a large, post-medieval society.”

But hey, I’m okay with giant soldiers, big security guards, and massive CEOs. I don’t care if I lack “Tall energy.” I’m fortunate to have grown up (or at least grown upward) in a society that values brains at least as much as brawn.

Kamala will win tonight, and she’ll go on to win the election in 55 days — not because of her “Tall energy,” but because she’s smarter, tougher, and better in every way than her large, stupid, decrepit opponent. 

[missvelvetsstuff]

Just A Number

Bucky Barnes x Older Reader

Summary: Reader meets Bucky at a party and the attraction is more than either one of them wants to resist.

Notes: Since most stories are younger readers I felt like having a more mature reader could be a nice change of pace. Especially since I'm creeping up on senior discounts and want to believe Bucky could fall in love with someone like me.

I try to keep my readers description vague but, as always, she's female, tall and this one is obviously 40+

Previous chapter.....

The woman sighed "I'm Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine but you can call me Val. I'm told your entire family is here tonight and I need a word."

Chapter 14

Notes at the end of this chapter.

Warnings: swearing and fluff, talk about sex

Dawn let Val in and led her to the dining room where everyone was having dessert and coffee, they all stopped talking to check out the newcomer. Val sat and accepted the coffee that Dawn offered while everyone else waited for her to speak.

Val looked up from her coffee and winked "I'm sure you're all wondering why I gathered you here today" and chuckled at herself "Sorry, I've always wanted to say that but it's also probably true."

John nodded "We're all listening."

Val nodded " Right. So most of you know I'm working with General Ross on his campaign and his plans to make a team of, ahem, reformed villains. This team would work around the law to help fight our enemies." She paused to take a bite of her dessert "Mmmm, this is very good." And washed it down with a sip of coffee "I'm working on the line up but in addition to you I'm hoping to recruit one of Natasha Romanoffs red room sisters, Yelena Belova, the Red Guardian and the Taskmaster. A couple others are in my sights as well. Some people think that someone like that shouldn't have any close family or attachments but I think having loved ones to fight for is a good thing. A sister or girlfriend who works for Pepper Potts could also be helpful."

Y/N shook her head "I'll support James if he's going to be part of your team but Pepper has done quite a bit for me and I won't betray her or give away any of her or the companies secrets." Bucky squeezed her hand so she knew he supported her.

Val nodded "Fair enough, I'll speak to Mrs Potts-Stark about making you a liaison. Her company has some of the best tech out there." She looked between Bucky and Y/N "You 2 are a good pair, top of the charts in our internal polling. Keep up the good work."

Bucky and Y/N looked at each other, confused but Val had already moved on to John and Olivia "John, you need to stop the womanizing and work on your marriage. It's hard to convince people that you're reformed if you're blatantly cheating on your wife."

She handed Olivia her business card "Call me if he gives you any trouble." She stopped to take a sip of her coffee.

"Bucky and John, you both just need to stay out of trouble until Ross is inaugurated, you'll all be invited and the team will be introduced sometime around then. You may be called on if anything comes up but until then, take an extended vacation, on a grateful government."

Val sat back and took another bite of her tart before John spoke up "But Sharon said-"

Val cleared her throat "Nope, don't even finish that thought. I have Agent Carter working on some other concerns that don't involve you. Your association is done, end of discussion."

She finished her coffee "This tart is delish, I haven't had fresh strawberries in years. So, I'll speak to Pepper and Ross to set that up. Maybe you should take some time too Y/N, see some of the world with the Sargent."

She stood and headed for the front door before anyone else could stand.

"I'll be in touch."

Dawn and Y/N looked at each other and shrugged. Olivia spoke up "Well, she's an odd one. I thought that when John and I met her."

She looked at John "I might be willing to reconcile but you'll have to prove yourself and regain my trust. Maybe some counseling would be a good idea."

John looked around to see everyone glaring at him and shrugged defeated "Yeah, I guess we can try that."

After the kitchen was cleaned up Bucky and Y/N went back to her room. They spent the rest of the day cuddling and watching TV until Bucky spoke up.

"What do you think about what Val said? About taking some time off to see the world?" He looked at her hopefully.

Y/N ran her fingers through his hair "I would love to. Having Michael at 17 kept us from doing much traveling outside of some family road trips. I've always wanted to see more of the world but I don't know if Pepper will be ok with it, I haven't worked for her long enough to have accrued many vacation days. And I definitely don't have a lot of money to toss around."

Bucky nuzzled her neck "Didn't you hear her say an extended vacation on the government? Maybe Olivia could fill in for you with Pepper."

He nibbled on her ear and down her neck "I'd love to get you on a warm, private beach. Maybe Pepper has one we could use, I know Tony had places all over the world."

He kissed her shoulder "we could stay in bed until noon and then go lay on the beach, maybe play in the water. I bet you're a real dish in a swim suit."

He growled as he turned her onto her back, mumbling as he kissed down her body "so beautiful, tastes so sweet." He looked up into her eyes for the ok to go further.

Y/N rolled her eyes at him, exasperated "You're insatiable!"

Bucky nipped the top of one of her breasts "For you doll? Always. You feel and taste so good, I don't think I'll ever get enough."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five days later they were sitting together on the Stark corporate jet, that Pepper insisted they use, but Bucky still hadn't told her where they were headed except that it was someplace warm.

Y/N felt dizzy at the events of the last few days. One day she's having Sunday dinner with her family, then after a few words from Val, a discussion with Pepper, a day of shopping and a day of packing, then she's here sipping expensive champagne while a dark haired, centenarian super soldier is cuddling her in his lap.

She pulled back to look at him "Does all this feel a bit, surreal to you? Life has taken some crazy turns in the last year and I went from mourning to falling for an enhanced hundred year old dreamboat who's taking me on a fancy vacation in a private jet."

Bucky looked at her with a lopsided grip and a twinkle in his blue eyes "Dreamboat, huh? I don't know that someone my age could be considered a dreamboat but my life has felt surreal since Steve saved me the first time. Right now definitely seems like a high point, flying on that private jet with the prettiest doll I've ever met."

Y/N felt her face heat up before fidgeting in his lap until he grabbed her hips to hold her still. "So, how much time until we land?"

Bucky chuckled "It'll be awhile. You want to take a nap or something? Might help us adjust to the time difference."

Y/N looked at him and fluttered her lashes "Have you ever heard of the mile high club?"

He shook his head "No, do we have to reach a certain altitude? Did you tell Happy?"

She giggled "No, that's not it." She leaned to whisper in his ear, explaining what she wanted.

Bucky pulled back, surprised "Right here?"

She shook her head "I mean, we could but there is a bed in back. Most people are on commercial flights so have to do it in the bathroom and hope they don't get caught."

He shook his head "I don't think it would be possible in the bathroom but-" he quickly stood, holding on to the back of her thighs and making her yelp.

Bucky carried her to the back of the plane where he gently dropped her on the bed before quickly removing his clothes. He then focused all his attention on her until she was tired, shaking and slightly dazed from his efforts. He grabbed a towel to clean her up and lay down next to her, chuckling at her soft snores.

They woke shortly before landing and once dressed and fixed up, Y/N looked out a window eyes growing wide at the White sand, coconut trees and blue water.

Bucky helped her off the jet and they walked to a limo.

Happy opened the door for them, smiled and told them "Welcome to Bora Bora, Sargent, Miss.

It's a short ride to the house, please make yourself comfortable."

Y/N looked at Bucky "Bora Bora!?"

He chuckled and nodded "Yep. Pepper has a house here with a private beach. I figure we can relax here for a few days, then decide where else you want to go."

They were both suitably impressed at the huge, beautiful house which included every luxury possible. The largest of the 7 suites opened to the beach with a Jacuzzi on the deck.

Since they had rested on the plane, they changed into cooler clothes, Y/N in a pastel blue gauze dress and Bucky in a t-shirt and shorts, and went for a walk on the beach before lunch.

They walked slowly, holding hands and taking in the beauty before they stopped to watch the water as a pod of dolphins swam past. Once they were out of sight, Bucky pulled her close to kiss her before dropping to one knee.

Y/N looked at him, confused for a minute before she realized what what happening. She felt her heart speed up "Bucky?"

Bucky looked at her with eyes full of love "Y/N, doll, I'm not great with words and I'm horribly broken but I hope I've given you even a fraction of the happiness you've given me and I promise I will do my very best and spend the rest of our lives trying to make you as happy as you make me." He cleared his throat and held out an old fashioned sapphire ring "Marry me?"

Y/N was shocked and speechless with tears streaming down her face as she nodded energetically "Yes! Yes, of course."

Bucky's hands shook as he tried to put the ring on her shaking hand and once that was accomplished he picked her up as he stood and spun them both around. He let her down and kissed her with everything he had.

He pulled back to look in her eyes "I never imagined I'd meet someone like you, especially after.....everything." Took her left hand and kissed the ring "You know, I don't know if I want to wait any longer. How would you feel about a very short engagement that ends at sunset? Or would you rather have a huge, expensive thing?"

Y/N shook her head "I'm sure you know me well enough that I don't want some big, flashy event but I don't know if I could do it without my family. I mean at least Dawn and the kids."

She choked up a little "Besides, Dawn would hurt you so maybe a little planning and a small thing back home?"

Bucky nodded "I think I can work with some of that but before we discuss this anymore, I have a surprise for you."

Y/N giggled "More than proposing?"

"Yeah, it's at the house. C'mon, I'll show you."

He pulled her up the beach impatiently until he got frustrated and threw her over his shoulder.

As they got closer to the house she heard music and voices in the air, Y/N tried to look around and see who was there but couldn't. As soon as Bucky sat her down she turned around and heard people yelling "Surprise!".

The shock almost knocked her over but Bucky was quick to catch her.

Dawn, Michael, Jessie, Olivia, John, Sam and Pepper were standing by the table on the deck that they appeared to be decorating.

Y/N didn't know what to think so hugged all her friends and family that she had seen on the other side of the world less than a day ago.

"I don't understand. What's going on?"

Dawn chuckled "Isn't it obvious, dear sister? We're here for the wedding?"

Y/N turned to Bucky "You planned all this before you even proposed? How did you? What if? That's awfully presumptuous of you, Sargent."

He chuckled "I never had a doubt"

Dawn cackled "Don't let him fool you, Sissy. He's been making me crazy for 2 weeks. Then Val showed up and sent you on vacation so we had to start over."

She winked at Bucky "You two better make this last because I'm not dealing with another wedding. Now, come eat lunch so we can get you ready."

After lunch Dawn took Y/N to one of the bedrooms to fix a wreath in her hair, apply light make up and change her into an ivory, lacy, off the shoulder dress and sandals. She quickly kicked the sandals off.

As the sun began to set the ukulele cover version of "Over the Rainbow" came through speakers on the deck while Michael and Jessie walked their mom to stand beside Bucky who was dressed simply in black slacks and a short sleeved white dress shirt, no shoes.

Everyone stood on the beach for the brief ceremony, officiated by Happy Hogan, cheering loudly and taking pictures when the newly married couple kissed as the sun set behind them.

Notes: this is the end of the story that was in my head but I'll probably be writing more on the newlyweds honeymoon adventures.

I also reserve the right to check in on this couple when Thunderbolts is released.

@supraveng @cjand10 @440mxs-wife @kandis-mom @dtba-grey81 @calwitch @ozwriterchick

[softseaside]

Let me present you Captain Sheryl, the captain of the SoftSeaside, the ship on which Ni'onthe spent 2 years.🍒 🫡

Currently, I’m dming a little campaign for my DnD group where the party solves problems on Ni’onthes home island 🏝️ they are meeting a whole lot of NPCs who are part of Ni’onthes backstory, like her parents, her former classmates and the crew she sailed with 👀 (you can find more about the other crew mates here)

I created the whole crew way back in 2021 and I always mentioned her in the main campaign when playing Ni'onthe, so I am super happy for my friends to finally met them ✨

She is an older human woman who has a chill-but-no-bullshit attitude. She always wears a mischievous smile on her face and has sailed for many, many years now with three other women on the ship.

She likes to pick up people she finds interesting or sees potention and and recruits them into her crew. “Everyone on this team strives for freedom in their own way.” Maybe a freedom that they have yet to discover.”

During Ni'onthe's time at the ship, Sheryl always told her that she has to live freely and occasionally gave her a reality check cecause Ni'onthe was very naive and tend to overestimated herself. Ni'onthe is very grateful for Sheryl showing her "how to live freely" (also she was really gay for her ksdjskdj). Ni'onthe was also asked to join the crew but while Ni'onthe loved the time on the ship she understood that she needs to see gather new experience to awaken her Ki (the main reason why she even sailed with the crew in the first place).

During the main campaign, Ni'onthe heard about a pirate called the "Sheryl the Scarlet One" or the "Blood-Redded Sheryl", a brutal woman who has spilled a lot of blood but has died many years ago. I wonder if she has anything to do with her captain? 👀🤔

Bonus: some old drawings of her from 2021 and 2023