#I can get like that with clash around friends in general but I keep it lows

[frostbite-the-bat]

i hgoupe I'm The roller guy to yall

[cozycottagetarot]

Your First 'Argument' With Them

Notes:

This rather light hearted (save one pile) reading explores the cause and resolution of your first significant argument/fight/tiff with your person.

The energies for you and your person could be potentially switched. For a few piles it felt like the reaction could belong to swapped between the two of you.

This was one of those readings where a lot of info only sorted itself out as I did each section so you really have to stick with me on this one haha.

There's some brief language in pile 3 & 4.

This reading is for entertainment purposes only! ✨

LINKS: Reading Masterlist | Dividers | Ko-Fi | Patreon | Paid Readings — Open 🫧

Pile 1

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: Two of Swords, The World, Queen of Swords, The Chariot 

Your first argument with your person is around a significant and potentially life changing decision that needs to be made. The decision can shape how you two move forward and close out a cycle but the conflict arises because you two have two opposing opinions or desires. There are a lot of different scenarios here however, so keep in mind the details will vary greatly from person to person. It could also be that one person is hesitant while the other is more self-assured. The other scenario I’m picking up on is maybe you (could be them) feel pressured by a time frame in what the decision needs to be made. Another situation that comes to me is being given an ultimatum. In general there’s an energy of stalling and needing to get moving. Sneaky ten of swords was hiding out in the deck! The vibes could be off and hurtful words exchanged. It could be a situation that makes or breaks the relationship.

The Resolution 

Cards: Ace of Wands, Five of Wands, Seven of Wands reversed, Three of Cups, Three of Pentacles 

This might get worse before it reaches a fiery climax and gets better. Quite honestly your person may become more intolerable and you might find yourself fighting to keep your cool. I don’t get a really intense fight though, just being majorly annoyed. You may both turn to your friends to get advice/help or a third party may help you both resolve the conflict. 

In the end, you and your person will try to come up with a solution that works for both of you. They may or may not confess their feelings for you… it depends on your relationship.

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 2

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: Knight of Pentacles, The Lovers, Temperance, Knight of Swords, The Patient Witch, The Magician

The relationship is moving too slowly for someone. One person is comfortable with the pace and the other is like – “okay, um, what are we doing”. The relationship could be what each of you desires but one of you is more laid back and the other is a go-getter… very driven. I’m also getting a cancelled date and one person keeps saying “I want more”. Someone is spoiled by or wants to be spoiled with the other’s love and intention! The other person gives everything, just you know… slowly!

The Resolution 

Cards: Ten of Wands, Page of Swords, Good Luck (Wheel of Fortune) Five of Wands, Ten of Cups 

You two will eventually decide to stop making things so difficult for yourselves. You're only clashing because you can’t see you have to actively figure things out together. The resolution is that things will pick up the pace. It will require you both to turn within though as it seems like the resolution is internal work that in the end pushes you two forward. 

For one of you, it’s about opening up and being vulnerable while for the other it’s about realising you’re allowed to receive. Kind of like the disconnect comes from lack of give and take (it’s there but imbalance). So once that is realised internally it can create a more secure and faster-moving flow. 

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 3

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: The Sun, Ace of Wands, King of Pentacles, The Chariot, Seven of Pentacles 

*If you were drawn to pile two I highly suggest checking that out!

I’ve been fighting for my life on this one Pile 3. I kept doing this pile looking for the source of the first (major) argument or even disagreement but the story wasn’t adding up to anything bad. You two may be a couple that works through disconnects (cause at the point that’s all I can call it) right away. The other piles had arguments with breaks but I get that vibe of you two always working to be on the same page or at least understand each other in the moment. 

But I still need to give you something so I decided to focus on the causes of general conflicts between you two. 

You two may have conflicts/disconnects over expectations of what your lives should look like and even that seems super mild. It’s like ‘maybe life should look like XYZ → but oh wait I’m actually happy with what I have’… you two may have to shed the stories you’ve been told and keep working on what you have together and individually because you’re happy. 

You guys might also be slow to get together as a couple. It felt like a waiting game in one of the previous pulls. Like you’re both hurt from previous experiences but also sure about your feelings for each other but unsure they’re reciprocated. So it’s a ‘will they won’t they’ kind of thing. You may run the risk of being “the one that got away”. 

How Are Conflicts Resolved

Cards: Ace of Cups, Five of Swords, Seven of Wands, Ten of Wands, Seven of Cups 

Conflicts may be so rare and few that you guys would definitely take it to heart. But I’m getting “I choose you you this lifetime and the next”. You two make a conscious decision to be in it together forever. You resolve conflicts through curiosity and a desire to understand each other. It’s like ‘this is the love of my life’ and “I don’t care, we’re getting through this together”. You naturally seek to understand each other and hold one another accountable. 

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 4

‼️ Before you read: This pile has a theme of self confidence and possible anxiety/mental health issues.

The Incident/Cause 

Cards:  Queen of Wands reversed,m Ace of Wands, Good Luck Charm, Nine of Wands, Ten of Swords, Strength 

This feels a bit messy (post-reading– but not really lol)…  someone could have some self-confidence issues here. There’s also some energy of preferring to be alone rather than out with/around other people. 

This fight was ‘bound’ to happen, but at the same time, it’s in your hands? It’s more of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It also has this vibe of being manageable to out of control and needing intervention.  Someone, (likely you but this is one of those piles where the roles could be reversed), could have significant trauma or some anxiety/mental health issues going on. 

Self-love is the issue and it causes a lot of worrying and isolation. It’s so hard to articulate this ‘softly’ which makes it even more challenging. Let's say Person A struggles but Person B can’t see why. In B’s eyes, A is the most gorgeous, passionate, fun, loving person ever. A and B may bicker a lot about the topic but I see this tension swelling and some hurtful things might be said. I think you two may also end up either taking space or separating for a little bit (like days more than weeks). 

The Resolution 

Cards: Page of Swords, Seven of Wands, Knight of Cups, Three of Swords, Queen of Swords, The Chariot 

Your person is going to want to hear your story. You two could end up having a bit of a heart-to-heart. They’re going to work with you to help you get yourself back to a good place again (so supporting you being your own rescuer). They’ll be your accountability partner and cheerleader along the way, standing by your side as you learn to step into your power again. It might happen faster than you think it will, but it doesn’t mean you won’t falter. But when you do you’ll bounce back quicker.

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

[fuctacles]

Remember late bloomers ?

Love popping into my wips and finding finished stuff I should have posted ages ago

Jeff gently informs him that getting running gear for the first date is a bit of an overkill.

“There is so much wrong with that idea. First of all, you hate running. Exercising, in general. And second, this is kinda pathetic.”

Eddie gasps.

“How dare you!”

“Dude, you just officially met today. Why would you waste money on something you might use once and then never again?”

Jeff was, of course, none the wiser that Eddie was about to enter his fit era. He’s going to jog every morning from now on, he’ll get cute matching sets with Miss Stephanie, drink smoothies, and get a gym pass. He’s going to turn his life around, lose the tummy fat he’s been harboring all winter, and turn it into a sixpack. Their fans are going to love it. Stephanie, too. They’ll run off into the sunset—or sunrise—together, they’ll make and raise the healthiest little babies—

“Are you planning your wedding or something?” Jeff interrupts his daydreams with a scoff.

Eddie bristles.

“I’ll be planning your funeral if you don’t start supporting your perpetually single friend,” he bites back.

Jeff raises his eyebrows.

“You sure that’s what you should be saying to the only friend who can lend you some jogging clothes?”

“Uh…”

“Thought so.” And Eddie hates his satisfied smirk but he’s desperate so he bites his tongue. “So, what you really need are good running shoes…”

He feels all kinds of stupid in his sporty get-up. He’s wearing his old Reeboks he wears only when his shitkickers are in repair (he will wear them to his grave), Jeff’s tracksuit pants, and his lucky Ozzy t-shirt. He woke up extra early today and his mug of coffee was almost empty by the point she, Stephanie, rounded the corner.

His mind goes blank when he recognizes his hoodie.

Maybe he hasn't woken up yet. What other explanation was there for this beautiful creature, backlit by the rising sun, to be walking up to him, decked in bright-colored leggings, and tank top and his hoodie, clashing unforgivingly with its blackness?  How else would he get a date with her if it wasn't a dream?

"You're actually dressed for running," she observes. No 'hello', no 'good morning', just her eyes roaming over his body from above. He quickly jumps up from the porch steps.

"Yeah! Lemme just..." He motions to the door with the mug, then quickly gulps down the last mouthful. "Want some water?" he asks, hand on the door. 

Stephanie's eyes snap up to his face.

"Yes."

It's weird, the way she says it, the way her eyes wander over his body. There's no way he's looking that good in borrowed sweats. They have some ugly gym logo on the side too.

"I don't really own gym clothes, but my friend was nice enough to share his," he explains, letting her in. She hums absentmindedly and follows him into the kitchen. He puts the mug in the sink and grabs a glass to fill it with freshly filtered water. When he turns around she's right there, now without the hoodie which she hung over on one of the chairs. Her tits are right there, but he holds her gaze, like a gentleman.

"Thanks." She takes the glass from him and takes a tiny sip, not breaking eye contact. Then puts it aside, on the counter behind him. "What's your stance on making out on the first date?"

Eddie's brain starts screaming.

"Not opposed to it," he answers and is immensely proud of himself for keeping his voice steady.

"Great," she says, almost relieved, as if he could give any other answer than an enthusiastic "ravish me, lady," and gently grabs his face, thumbs rubbing on the stubble along his jaw. She gives him a second to back away before leaning in.

She kisses his lips, just a little peck, a gentle caress. Dives in for another, and one more. Eddie reaches up to run his hands from her elbows up to her shoulders and feels little tremors running through her body. He frowns.

"Steph...?"

She groans instead of answering and her little kisses turn to kitten licks. When he parts his mouth for her, she licks across it, tongue pulling on his upper lip. He yelps in a pleasant surprise.

"I come here with innocent intentions," she says, her voice a bit strained, dipping into lower registers. "And you sit here, with your scrawny little ass in gym sweats." She lets go of his face so her hands can squeeze his waist minutely, before hauling him up onto the counter behind him. He squeaks, less dignified than the sounds he made before, holding onto her. Stephanie presses in and he opens his legs for her without hesitation. "And your dirty old sneakers, ready to jog with me. Eager like a puppy."

Eddie whines at the comparison.

"I'm not," he protests. He's just an adult man confronted with a beautiful woman out of his league.

"You're not?" she asks condescendingly against his ear. She's been rubbing her cheek against his stubble, nosing along the bones like she's the dog, trying to rub her scent all over him. Now she leans back to pout at him. Her lips are plush and pink and they haven't been kissed enough yet. "But I like strays."

Eddie's brain short-circuits.

"Uh... bark?"

She laughs and grips his thighs before capturing his mouth. She dominates the kiss without struggle and Eddie lets her use his mouth to her heart's content. He just wraps his arms around her neck and takes it, moves his tongue where she guides him. He can feel her hands on his thigh itching to touch more, but he doesn't want to part long enough to let her know she can, that she can take whatever she wants.

Eventually, she slides her hands up, thumbs digging into the crease of his thighs, and he mewls. His face immediately goes red at the sound that just left him.

"Well, that's something I'm not gonna un-hear."

Stephanie freezes and moves to pull away, but he traps her with his legs around her waist and presses his face against her shoulder, to hide his shame. Of course this is when Jeff decided to get up and walk into the kitchen.

"Uh, I'm sorry? And, good morning," Stephanie offers, seeing as her actual host won't be of any help. He makes a little wounded sound against her shoulder and she swats his thigh. 

"Good morning," Jeff offers back. "Stephanie, right?"

"Yeah."

"Jeff. I live here too, unfortunately. I was under the impression you were going out for a run, though?" He raises his eyebrows. "Did I lend him my exclusive membership sweats for nothing?"

"They're yours? Can we keep them?" she asks immediately. Eddie presses his nails into her skin not to make a sound at how she said 'we'. "He almost has an ass in them."

"Hey!" It's the first thing he says since Jeff walked in and the first time he moves away from the safety of Stevie-shield. Thankfully, his friend looks mostly amused, not angry or disgusted.

"Please," he makes a face. "I don't want them anymore."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Eddie's eyes narrow, the familiar back and forth giving him enough courage to release Stephanie from the clutch of his legs. She doesn't move far, just enough so the three of them can look at each other and chat comfortably. Well, considering the situation.

"I just saw you dry humping in them and you dare ask me?" Jeff scoffs.

The two culprits start protesting over each other with "We weren't dry humping!" and "We were just kissing?!" but he stops them, raising both his hands.

"I don't care! Just take them and leave the kitchen! I need some caffeine before work and the only bodily fluid I want in it comes from cow tits."

"Ew, dude," Eddie groans, but Stephanie lets out a surprised snort. 

"We're leaving!" she promises, pulling Eddie down from the counter. He scrambles to find balance but she grabs his hand to steady him. Despite them just making out, that's what makes his heart skip a beat. "it was nice to meet you, Jeff!" she offers, waving on her way out of the kitchen.

"Likewise. Good luck on your run!" he calls after them.

"Thanks!" 

Through the windows, he can still see them, Stephanie fixing Eddie's rumpled t-shirt while he's staring up at her with the dumbest expression he's ever seen. And he's seen a lot of them from his friend. 

"Good for him," he mutters to himself with a fond smile. 

[biolumien]

to call home.

pt 4 to the samurai!hoshina fic. pt 3 is here.

notes: i will attempt to tie this up with a neat bow in pt 5... i forgot how frenetic multichapter fics can be... i much prefer the single stuff...!

samurai!soshiro hoshina x fem!reader definite descriptions of gore and blood word count: 1426

“for the last time, hoshina, i do not want to hear about your current wife problems,” gen narumi grumbles. “i cannot begin to tell you how fucking little i care.” he crosses his arms. “you’re here every single fucking day. i told you that we signed off on the alliance papers, right? it’s all in order? your wife’s the one that’s supposed to be going through those. she should be seeing right through your bullshit. i’m not your fucking friend.” 

“please,” hoshina says. “it’s not like i have anyone else to talk to about this.”

“talk to the the old man,” gen deadpans. “what was his name… hibino? the blacksmith?” 

“he’s madly in love with ashiro and is of little help to me,” hoshina replies flatly. 

“ugh.” gen rolls his eyes, leaning forward. the front of his kimono slips a bit, revealing more of his chest as he leans against the table. “so what the hell’s the issue now?” 

hoshina sighs. 

“we sparred the other day. she seemed upset,” hoshina says. “i just wish she’d tell me what she was actually thinking instead of just… staring at me like that.” that look that you give him, where it seems like you want to rip out his stomach and devour it whole. that look that you give him, where you so clearly just—want him dead, more than anything. 

“did you do something to piss her off?” gen asks. 

“no. i just…” hoshina worries his lip. “we haven’t even really done anything.”

“not even sleep together?”

“no, that we did. because we had to,” hoshina says. 

“ugh. of course you can make even the act of sleeping with someone sound dastardly unsexy and so fucking boring,” gen yawns. “what’s the problem, anyhow? we don’t marry for love. it’s duty. i thought you knew better than to believe in childish notions about true love.”

“i believe in true love as much as the next person,” hoshina says, “which is to say that i don’t. not in this life. not in the next.”

gen rolls his eyes. 

“why don’t you just talk to her?” gen asks, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. hoshina supposes that it is, but something about gen saying it to him filled him with some kind of petty rage.

“i’m glad that you seem to think it’s so simple,” hoshina states flatly. “given that you don’t have a wife yet–”

“just can’t keep your mouth shut, huh?” gen’s glare was unimpressed, his hand lowering to the wakizashi at his side. “get out of here before i stab you.”

“ouch, so prickly,” hoshina sneers, but gets up anyway. 

gen stares up at hoshina, yawning inelegantly. 

“i think instead of pussyfooting around this whole thing with your wife you ought to talk to her, quite frankly speaking, about the kind of relationship you want with her. that’s my advice.” 

“hm. that might sound good coming out of anyone else’s mouth but yours,” hoshina says with a leering smile, but the longer he thinks about it, the more gen seems to be right. he’d never truly tried to get to know you, right? nights spent in his own quarters were usually quiet—because he’d always attempted to respect your privacy to the best of his ability. 

you’d wanted nothing to do with him, after all—you barely even mentioned the night you spent together. was he really so clear and obvious in the ways he tried desperately to avoid conflict?

…

probably, now that he thought about it. 

as he settles down for the night, though, something doesn’t feel quite right. he chalks it up to simpler paranoias at first—general anxieties and unrest, the way you’d stared at him during dinner, with a stare so vicious it could kill on its own—up until he hears a bloodcurdling scream.

he bolts out of bed immediately, snatching up his wakizashi and katana, storming towards the source of the noise before he hears the clashing of blades—or a singular crack of one. 

hoshina watches as you cleave an assassin by the neck with a sweep of your naginata, blood splattering across your kimono as you heave out a low breath. as he approaches, you raise your naginata in sudden alarm before lowering your blade. 

“shinobi,” you say, sharply exhaling.

“so it appears,” hoshina says, drawing his katana, stepping behind you with his sword raised in a ready stance. “are you hurt?”

“clearly not,” you say, voice cold even now. “they breached the maids’ quarters. seems like they thought i’d have switched rooms or something out of paranoia.” you level your naginata, adjusting the sleeve of your kimono as you slam the blade into the wall, with an accompanying thud from another assassin.

“a bad actor, you’re saying?” hoshina’s eyes glance across the darkened hallway, his ears straining for any possible sound. he thinks he hears the thudding of footsteps somewhere close, and he raises his sword defensively. “from within the house?” 

“i don’t know,” you respond. “this could just be your family’s enemies. representatives from the narumi clan?” 

“doubtful,” hoshina says. gen wouldn’t be that stupid. “my talks have been going well.”

“well clearly, someone’s fucked up somewhere,” you shout back at him. he wonders why you look beautiful in this moment, blood staining your white kimono and across your face—and then your eyes widen in panic, your lips parting to let out a shout. “soshiro, behind!” 

he whirls around, his blade sinking into the chest of a faceless attacker—he feels the sinking of his blade into the flesh, and he grits his teeth. 

“you saved my life,” hoshina says, not turning to face you. 

“you’re welcome, jackass,” you respond. “keep your eyes and ears open. i’ll fucking kill them all.” 

hoshina laughs. the venom in your voice, usually targeted at him, now freely dished out to your aggressors was a terrifying sound and sight. he thanked the gods at least that he wasn’t your enemy—at least for the moment. 

the house was in disarray—screaming punctuated with the sound of blades, and the darkness made it hard to tell what was really going on, shadows mixed with dark shapes creating an inky blur of sound and physical sensation—but he could carve a path of bodies through it, coat the ground with enough viscera that there would be less sounds of clashing blades. 

as his blade finds the neck of another assassin, hoshina exhales. 

is it over? hoshina wonders. he strains his hearing for the moment, hearing no more footsteps. and yet the air is abuzz with energy–and something doesn’t feel right.

though, he amended, it hadn’t felt right since he’d gotten ready to go to bed. there was terrible unrest. something in the air.

“it’s over, i think,” hoshina says warily, still keeping his sword drawn.

“maybe,” you say, your voice terse.

hoshina leans down, examining one of the bodies, trying to look for an insignia, anything–but the assassins knew better. they bore no symbols of other houses, their weapons nondescript.

and then he hears you shout, and he turns to see you gritting your teeth as you swing your naginata at the same time as the final assassin’s blade connected with your side, having been knocked slightly askew–

you’d saved him.

hoshina moves on instinct as you collapse to the ground, gasping in uneasy pain, trying to hold your side, pulling away to find your hand and sleeve coated with blood. his sword finding the assassin’s stomach–it wasn’t an elegant cut by any means, and he grimaced at the sound of ripping flesh, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care as he rushed to your side, just trying to take in the sight of your blood spilling against the floor.

you cough.

“soshiro,” you whisper, looking up at him. “am i going to die?”

“no,” hoshina says, but the truth is he’s really not sure. he checks your wound–it’s deep, but if a doctor could stem the bleeding, there’d be a chance you might live. “that was stupid of you, you know. you didn’t have to do that.”

you cough, laughing weakly as you press your hand against your side. he pulls you up, holding your head in his arm.

“it’s my duty as your wife,” you say.

“you don’t have to do it if you don’t love me,” hoshina replies softly. your eyes flick to his face, narrow a little before you look away.

“it’s a shame that i think i do,” you say, and there’s not even a shred of resentment in your voice.  

[stevie-petey]

episode three: holly, jolly

Jonathan, your Jonathan, would never do this.  He tries to approach you again but you find yourself stumbling back, knocking against Steve’s chest. Hurt flashes in his eyes, you’ve never flinched at Jonathan’s touch, but what he did has changed everything.  Steve places a hand on your shoulder. “See, you can tell that he knows it was wrong, but that’s the thing about perverts. It’s hard-wired into them. They just can’t help themselves.”  He begins tearing up the pictures, and you can’t believe Jonathan of all people is making you agree with Harrington, yet here you are.

summary: you and jonathan talk it out and things are better (spoiler alert: they aren't), you somehow end up agreeing with steve harrington ?? then you have a minor breakdown in front of the kids and once again fail to prevent them from experiencing more trauma.

rating: general, slight cursing.

warnings: cursing, use of the word “slut”, fem!reader, use of y/n, and description of a dead body. this chapter is pure angst, steve is steve, jonathan is jonathan, and... well. we know how this episode ends.

words: 6.2k

before you swing in: hello ! i'm currently in the early stages of chapter 5, and it's a loooong chapter, so i figured i'd treat y'all to this one before taking my time with updating. this chapter was a bit difficult in terms of bug and jonathan, but i promise that they'll have more time later to really figure out why they keep clashing - for better or for worse lol. if their relationship feels stilted: that's why ! after all, season 1 is literally titled: we don't talk about it or have the time. the title has immense meaning for the overall tone of season 1 (and the song for the series shhh). anyways, enjoy <3

-

The next day you bike to school alone, not bothering to see if Jonathan’s car will pick you up as usual. 

The two of you have never fought before, at least not like this. From the moment you met him when you were twelve, there has never been a time where the two of you haven’t been on the same page. You’ve been in sync from the moment you met. 

Now it feels like everything is off between the two of you. It feels as if the tiny planet you live on is now off kilter, angled ever so slightly now, rotating out of sync. The change is almost imperceptible, but it’s there. You can feel it. 

Last night just proved that there’s something wrong with your relationship with Jonathan, but you can’t figure out what.

Jonathan has never yelled at you before, and you’ve never turned your back on him; then again, he’s also never kept anything from you. While he didn’t admit it last night, you know him. He was hiding something from you last night and it frightens you that he seems too ashamed to tell you what it is. 

You trust him, you do, but the guilt you saw in his eyes makes you uneasy. 

As you walk the school hallway towards your locker, you overhear some girls from your English class talking about Steve and Nancy. You normally wouldn’t eavesdrop on such a conversation, but the girls were talking obnoxiously loud and by the tone of their voice, they weren’t being kind about what they were saying. 

“I heard Harrington got little Miss Wheeler to sleep with him.” One of the girls giggles, looking around to make sure no one is listening.  

“What a slut!” Her friend sneers.

You clear your throat loudly, making sure they hear it, and send a glare their way. “Well, aren’t you guys just peachy?” 

The girls lower their eyes and shift uncomfortably, which pleases you. Good. They should feel bad. What does it matter if Nancy slept with Harrington? It’s always the girls who get labeled the slut, never the man who has slept with more girls than classes he’s passed. 

Typical. 

You roll your eyes at them and continue towards your locker, spotting the couple in question up ahead. Your locker is a few down from Nancy’s and usually you’ve been able to avoid their gross lovey-dovey sessions in the mornings since Jonathan is always running late, but since you didn’t ride with him, you’re forced to deal with two hormonal teens who you don’t necessarily like. 

“Hey, Henderson!” 

Steve stops you as you walk past, causing you to look up in confusion. “Yeah?” 

“How’s Byers doing? Ya know, with everything going on?”

You stare at him, trying to figure out what the punchline is supposed to be. Steve may not be a massive dick, but he’s still a dick, and you can’t imagine he’d ever ask about Jonathan given the fact that he can’t even remember Will’s name. 

“He’s… dealing.” You say, uncomfortable with the entire conversation. 

Steve nods, letting out a slight hum. “Well, tell your guy that any friend of Henderson’s is a friend of mine.” He sends a wink Nancy’s way, and it’s then that you figure out what he’s doing. He’s playing the nice guy card, trying to impress her with his “generosity”, and you’ve had enough of idiotic and emotionally constipated men these last 24 hours. 

“Funny, I don’t tell my friends to get fucked, yet here we are: get fucked, Harrington.” Steve’s eyes widen at your words, taken aback, and Nancy goes to say something but you cut her off. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, Nancy. Why don’t you ask him why everyone’s staring at you? I’m sure it’ll be a thrilling conversation.”

You shove past the two of them and make your way to class. 

– 

You don’t see Jonathan for your next three classes, which only makes your shitty day worse. Not only have you guys never fought before, but you’ve never done the silent treatment either. As far as you can tell, there’s no reason for him not to be in class today besides your fight the night before. 

When it’s your lunch hour you try to find him, because at this point you just want to put it all behind you and move on to focus on Will. You never got the chance to tell Jonathan about El last night, you hadn’t had the time to before things blew up. 

You wait at your usual corner of the lunchroom for Jonathan, but he never appears. You sigh in defeat and pick at your meal, which honestly looks more like prison food than anything else, trying to figure out what you should do next. 

While you’re thinking, Carol’s obnoxious moans carry through the lunchroom. “Oh, Steve! Steeeve!”

Tommy joins in now, banging the table to get a bigger reaction. You see Steve trying not to smile at their antics, but it’s obvious to everyone how uncomfortable Nancy is. You feel pity for her, she deserves better than Harrington and his immature friends. Then again, you suppose she chose this for herself the second she started dating him. 

King Steve has never hidden who he is. 

You watch as Steve says something to appease her, but something catches Nancy’s eye and she turns to face it. Curious, you turn as well and spot Jonathan staring right back at her. They share a look, one that you can’t decipher, and you feel something twist within your stomach. 

It’s not jealousy, at least, not in that way. Jonathan is your only real friend in Hawkins (the kids don’t count, you recognize how embarrassing that is), and you’ve never had to share him before. Clearly Nancy has taken an interest in him of some sort and Jonathan, being ever the private person, has allowed her to, so you just have to swallow down your pride and accept it. 

Besides, you did always tell Jonathan that the two of you needed more friends. 

Taking a deep breath to will your nerves away, you ditch your lunch and follow after Jonathan. Screw whatever silent treatment is in place, he’s your best friend and you honestly don’t think it’s possible for you to ever be angry at him. It just isn’t in your nature. 

For better or for worse, you could never hate Jonathan Byers. 

You catch Jonathan as he’s leaving the photo developing room. He’s holding some pictures in his hands but quickly hides them away when he sees you. 

“Y/N, hi.” 

You ignore the voice in the back of your head telling you that something’s wrong, that he’s still acting weird with you, but you ignore it because you just want some normalcy in your life. You need your best friend. “Hey,”

“Look, I’m so sorry for what I said last night…” 

You brush him off, “It’s okay, I promise.”

Jonathan huffs at you, exasperated as always whenever you let people get away with things that they shouldn’t. “No, it’s not okay. You’ve been nothing short of amazing and I was the dick who yelled at you for it.” 

The two of you are walking out of the school as you talk, and you let out a weak laugh. “I guess you were pretty awful, huh?”

He doesn’t laugh along with you, instead shaking his head in shame. “You didn’t deserve that, not after all you’ve done for me and my mom. I was lying through my teeth last night, you are family, Y/N.” 

“I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s genuinely okay-” 

“Bug, I was a dick. End of discussion. I just… sometimes it feels like I don’t deserve your help, you do so much for us. I let it get to me last night, and I’ll never stop apologizing for it.”

You don’t know what to say, caught off guard by the vulnerability. “Just… don’t do that again, alright? If something is bothering you I’d rather you tell me about it than take your frustration out on me.”

“Deal.”

“Anything else on your mind?” 

Jonathan thinks for a moment and you can tell he’s trying to word whatever is on his mind correctly. “While I know you’ve always loved to help, there’s some things that I have to do on my own, okay? Will, my mom… they’re my responsibility, not yours. I mean, not in a bad way-” 

“Hey, I understand. I need to back off a bit, I recognize that now. I’m sorry, bee.” You kick at a rock in the parking lot, “so we’ve got ourselves a deal?” 

The boy gives you a quizzical look and you laugh at him, extending your hand. When he grabs it, you turn the hold into a handshake. “I’ll calm down my fretting antics and you’ll come to me about whatever is on your mind, no matter what; we don’t hide anything from each other.”

The slight smile Jonathan briefly had on his face vanishes. He pales slightly and quickly releases your hand. “Right.” 

You eye him. “Bee, what aren’t you telling me?”

Caught up in conversation, you and Jonathan don’t see Steve and his gang resting against his car until it’s too late. 

“Hey, man.” Steve approaches, effectively ending your conversation with Jonathan. He glances at you. “Henderson, good to see you again.” 

“I highly doubt it.” 

“What’s going on?” Jonathan asks, putting himself between you and Steve. 

“Nicole here was telling us about your work.”  

Confused, you look at Jonathan. “What, did you start another photo series or something?” 

Steve laughs coldly. “You could say that.” 

Jonathan ignores him and pulls you close behind him, ducking his head down to whisper into your ear, “it’s not what it looks like, trust me.” 

“Bee, what-”

“Henderson, want to take a look with us as, you know, connoisseurs of art?” 

You look at Steve now, more confused than ever, but you feel a slight sense of dread. You know that whatever photo he’s about to pull out will be bad. You know it’ll be connected to Jonathan’s behavior last night, to the guilt he’s been carrying, to the way he hid the same pictures from you not even ten minutes ago. 

You look back to Jonathan now, silently pleading with him for more of an explanation, but he averts his eyes. Exhaling deeply, you face Steve. “Show me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jonathan says, trying to walk away, but Tommy grabs at his backpack. 

“Hey!” You run up to Tommy and start pulling at the bag, but the guy is twice your size and easily wins, accidentally flinging you to the ground. 

Jonathan runs over to check on you. “Y/N!”

At the same time, Steve berates his friend. “Woah, Tommy, easy man! Henderson isn’t who we’re here for, leave her out of this.” 

Both boys crouch next to you and offer you a hand, but you bat them away. You’re irritated and confused and pissed the fuck off at both of them right now for vastly different reasons. You pick yourself up and brush away some dirt that got on your jeans. “Show me the photos, Jonathan.” 

He looks at you, hurt. “Do you not trust me?” 

“Do you trust me?” Your words hang in the air.

Steve is now right behind you. “Oh man he’s like, totally trembling. He must really have something to hide.” 

Jonathan tries to step closer to you, but Steve is now the one who blocks him. You watch silently as he unzips Jonathan’s bag and pulls out the photos, ignoring the pleading look that your friend sends your way. You trust Jonathan more than anyone else in this world, but something doesn’t feel right. 

The photos are tame at first, though admittedly creepy. They’re all still shots of Steve and his friends from the night before, you recognize the famous pool that the whole school talks about when it comes to Harrington’s parties. 

“Your boyfriend is a creep, Y/N.” Steve says, nudging you with his shoulder as he continues to flick through the pictures. 

“He isn’t my-” 

“I was looking for my brother.”

Jonathan’s words make you freeze. “You went looking for Will without me?” 

Steve says something else, but you don’t catch it. You stare at Jonathan, hurt that he’d search for Will without even telling you first. He’s his brother, you understand that, but what would you do if Jonathan went missing too?

Nancy then appears, causing Jonathan to finally look up to catch your eye, but he quickly looks away. “Here’s the starring lady!”

She laughs nervously. “What?”

Carol explains what was going on, and you’re too upset to speak. There’s too many thoughts going through your mind, but when Carol flashes you a picture of Nancy, naked, it takes everything in you not to throw up. 

Jonathan, your Jonathan, would never do this. 

He tries to approach you again but you find yourself stumbling back, knocking against Steve’s chest. Hurt flashes in his eyes, you’ve never flinched at Jonathan’s touch, but what he did has changed everything. 

Steve places a hand on your shoulder. “See, you can tell that he knows it was wrong, but that’s the thing about perverts. It’s hard-wired into them. They just can’t help themselves.” 

He begins tearing up the pictures, and you can’t believe Jonathan of all people is making you agree with Harrington, yet here you are. 

Nancy is his girlfriend, and even outside of that, Jonathan had no right taking pictures of her naked without her consent. You agree with Steve’s actions, but then the camera comes into play. He reaches for Jonathan’s camera, causing him to dive forward to stop anything from happening to it, and it’s finally what breaks you from your shock. 

You react as well, shoving past Steve to try and get to the camera first, but it’s no use. He beats you to it, Carol now holding you back as she digs her claws into your skin. Jonathan is being held back by Tommy, and all the two of you can do is watch helplessly as Steve dangles the camera high in the air. 

What Jonathan did was wrong, there’s no denying that, but you know how long it took him to save up for the thing. How many awful shifts he picked up at the theater to pay for it, adamantly refusing any money both you and Joyce offered him to help pay for it. 

This camera was his and his alone. Paid for with his own money, bought for his own enjoyment, his pride and joy. 

“Here you go, man.” Without even hesitating, Steve lets the camera fall to the ground. 

You gasp, watching as the lens shatters and you crouch down to try and piece it back together. Your hands are shaking, you don’t know what to feel right now, but with how badly your hands shake, it’s no use trying to fix the camera; you need something to distract yourself with. 

Jonathan and Nancy join you on the ground, but you’re too overwhelmed to really notice them. The combination of emotions leaves you wondering if you’re about to cry, throw up, or both. It’s only when Nancy begins snatching up the torn pictures that you acknowledge her presence. 

You grab her hand and catch her eye, “I’m so, so sorry.”

She doesn’t respond, only giving you a slightly confused look, and you recognize how stupid it is that you feel the need to apologize for Jonathan’s actions. You aren’t his keeper, and until now you never even considered he’d do something like this, and yet the guilt creeps in. You open your mouth to say something else, but Steve calls her over to join them and she leaves. 

Jonathan is still next to you, remaining silent even after Nancy’s departure. You can feel his eyes on you as you continue to fumble with the broken camera pieces as a gust of wind blows away the remaining photo shreds. 

“Shit!” A shard of glass from the lens cuts your finger, drawing blood. 

“Bug, let me-” Jonathan grabs at your hand to inspect the cut, but you pull away harshly. 

“Don’t touch me!” 

“Y/N…” The hurt look on his face is almost enough to make you crack, but the blood drips from your finger and falls onto a picture that somehow didn’t blow away. You look at it, seeing the outline of Nancy’s back in the photo, her beautiful side profile perfectly captured. 

The urge to throw up returns. 

“You’re hurt, let me look at it.” Jonathan pleads, his voice soft, with more empathy than he’s ever shown you these last few days. It’s as if last night never happened. As if you’re some idiot who is always ready and willing to come crawling back to those who discard you whenever they please. 

In a way, you suppose that you are. 

You hate it. 

Jonathan tries to grab your hand again but you stand up before he can. “I said don’t touch me.” 

He tries to grab you once more but again you pull away. Your brain is a mess right now trying to comprehend everything that happened within the last fifteen minutes. You look down at the broken camera pieces still laying on the ground, its glass reflecting in the late afternoon light. 

Those photos of Nancy… 

God, you’re an idiot. 

“Nancy is the reason you were such an asshole to me last night, isn’t she?”

“Y/N, those photos-”

“You knew that the second I looked at you I’d know you’d done something terrible.”

Jonathan is silent beside you, but you don’t need to hear whatever excuse he’ll give you to know that you’re right. Instead of telling you what he did last night, he kicked you out of his home in a guilt-crazed daze, saying horrible things to you that he can never take back. 

Instead of being honest with you, he had been a goddamn coward who hurt you in the cruelest way possible. 

Jonathan runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, you know I’ve never been able to lie to you-”

“So naturally you resorted to screaming at me and saying we aren’t family-”

“I regret what I said, but how was I supposed to tell you about the photos if I don’t even know why I took them in the first place?” 

You start pacing around the parking lot, too overwhelmed to stay put. Jonathan’s words only confuse and upset you more. In the midst of your frantic pacing the cut on your finger begins to bleed more, which causes you to wince and catch Jonathan’s attention.

“Bug, you’re in pain,” his voice is gentle now, the worried crease between his brows now prominent in a way that you’ve always found cute. “I’m not just going to stand around while you’re hurt. Let me help.” 

Unfortunately for Jonathan, his words only piss you off more. 

“You’re not just going to stand around while I’m hurt? That’s fucking rich coming from you, Jonathan.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“This entire week I’ve been hurting! I mean,” you let out a laugh laced with tears threatening to spill out. “I lost Will too, did you ever consider that? And I understand he’s your brother and I would lose my mind if anything ever happened to Dustin, but I’ve done nothing but love and support you through this shit show and you haven’t even asked how I’m holding up. I mean, what kind of best friend does that?”

Shame washes over Jonathan. “I didn’t think-” 

“I’ve been exhausting myself trying to help and not once have I considered it a burden because I’m doing this for Will, for you. I’m doing what any decent person is supposed to do, and I’m not asking for praise or-or for a reward but holy fuck, Jonathan! I mean, I understand now that maybe I was bit too much but,”

You’re yelling at him now, all the frustration you’ve been swallowing down these last few days now spills out. “At least treat me like a human being! I mean, the stunt you pulled last night was such bullshit and I was ready to excuse your actions because you’re my best friend and you’re hurting, but then you hide those damn photos from me? Scream at me like I’m some pathetic fucking child because you’re too ashamed of your own actions? We don’t lie to each other.”

Jonathan steps towards you and it isn’t until he’s cradling your head in his hands to wipe away your tears do you realize you’re crying. He’s so tender, gently wiping the tears as they fall, and you feel weak against him, closing your eyes as you soak up the affection. 

“Bug…” His voice cracks, not knowing what else to say. 

You open your eyes now. “You went looking for Will without me… did you even think about what your mom would do if you disappeared too? What I would do if you disappeared?”

“I…”

“And Nancy…” you pull away so that he’s no longer touching you. “That was a line I never thought you would cross. And to lie to me about it, I just… why?”

Jonathan shakes his head, a few tears of his own now beginning to fall. “I don’t know.” 

There’s nothing else you can say; you’ve drained all your energy. A headache is beginning to form and with the parking lot clearing out, indicating the end of the school day, you know you need to leave for work soon. 

Normally when you look at Jonathan, you feel a sense of security, but now all you feel is dread. His shoulders are hunched, the bags under his eyes darker than ever, and at this moment you’re not sure you know who he is anymore. It terrifies the shit out of you. 

“I should go,” you wipe your nose with your sleeve, side stepping Jonathan as you start walking towards the bike stand. 

“You’re leaving?” There’s fear in his voice, and you can hear the undertones of are you leaving me, too?

“I have to work tonight, so I need to-” 

“Let me drive you then, it’s cold and-and we can talk more about this-”

He follows you to your bike and you feel such pity for him. You know he’s right about needing to talk more, but all you want right now is to crawl into bed and pretend that this whole week has been a dream. A horrible, awful dream. 

You offer Jonathan your hand, the cut on your finger no longer bleeding, and intertwine your fingers with his. “I want to be alone right now, okay? Please, just give me some time.” 

He wants to argue with you, you can see it in his eyes, but just like you know him better than anyone else, he knows you just as well. He knows there’s no use trying to change your mind when you get like this; when the feelings become too much and solitude is your only solution. It's happened before in the past, but never with him. 

All he can do is wait for you to come back when you're ready. 

“Okay, I can do that.” 

You squeeze his hand, like you always do, before you let go and bike away. 

He watches as you leave. 

– 

Tonight’s shift is another slow one, which you’re grateful for. 

It was just last week that Jonathan had been driving you, Will, and Dustin to school. You’d been singing some song on the radio and the November air had a slight nostalgia of August warmth. Will and Dustin complained about your singing as you wailed on, Jonathan eventually joining in so that the two younger boys could only cover their ears with their hands and groan in annoyance. 

Now Will is gone, taking the August warmth with him and leaving behind only November cold that leaves your bones feeling raw. 

The laughter is gone, and now you’re afraid that your best friend is gone as well. 

You come home to an empty house, a note on the kitchen counter informing you that your mother is at her knitting club and that Dustin is off with his friends. 

Wonderful. Your brother has once again gone off on some adventure without informing you first. What a lovely addition to your already horrible day. 

You call the Wheeler’s first, hoping that maybe you don’t have to bike around the entire town to find the little shit, but like always: you’re mistaken. 

“I’m sorry, but the boys went out biking right after school.” 

“Oh, lovely then. Thanks, Mrs. Wheeler, have a good night.” 

“You too, dear!”

As soon as you hang up, you allow yourself a moment to just scream. The headache that formed during your fight with Jonathan hasn’t left, you’re tired, you have so much homework that you’re too afraid to even look at, and you still have no idea who El is or what she really knows about Will. 

And now you have to bike all around Hawkins to find said girl, because there’s no way the morons have listened to your orders to stay put with her. 

You check Lucas’ house first, but Erica tells you that they aren’t there and requests that you inform Lucas that her lying fee has been raised to $5. 

“That’s a bit steep, don’t you think?”

“Do you wanna pay?”

“Good point, have a good night then Erica.”

You then search around the middle school, but there’s no sign of them anywhere. After another thirty minutes of nothing, you finally give in to your hunch and bike to the Byers. You’re not sure if Jonathan will be home, but your idiot brother may need you, so you just have to suck it up and check. 

Ultimately you’re glad you do, because as you ride up the driveway you see the boys circling around El. 

“Why did you bring us here?” 

“I have a better question Mike, why did you bring us here?” None of the kids had noticed your arrival, so they all jump at your voice. 

Dustin’s face goes pale. “Y/N! What-what are you doing here?”

“I’ve been looking for you little assholes for an hour now,” you park your bike and step closer to the kids. “Why do you never listen to me when I tell you guys to keep me updated, huh? Do I have a giant sign on my head that says ‘hey, ignore me and treat me like utter shit!’, is that it?” 

No one responds, too stunned by your words. You never cuss at them, and apart from last night, they don’t think they’ve ever seen you so angry before. 

“I’m just so sick and tired of people treating me like I’m some throwaway toy, just casting me aside and forgetting about me until it’s convenient. I have feelings too, isn’t that a wild concept? I mean, who knew Y/N Henderson had any real emotions behind her pathetic need to help everyone around her!” 

Dustin can hear the hurt in your voice and knows that this isn’t just about them sneaking off. You’re upset about something else, someone hurt you and he needs to know who, so he softly asks, “Y/N, what happened?” 

You spin around to face him. “Nothing! That’s what happened! None of you told me anything, everyone has just decided to keep me out of the loop because god forbid I deserve any honesty after years of being there for you guys-”

“Okay, this is definitely about Jonathan then.” Lucas mumbles, which Mike nods in agreement to. 

“This is not about Jonathan-” The sound of sirens cuts you off. 

Everyone freezes, and your heart stops. This is Hawkins, where nothing ever happens; cops don’t just go flying down the street late at night. 

You know, even before you can fully comprehend how, that it’s Will. You can feel it; the sirens are for him, the precious boy you’ve come to love like your own brother. 

Then, to confirm your fears, an ambulance follows behind the line of cop cars, and you feel your entire world shatter.  

“Will…” Mike exhales, and the second the name leaves his lips everyone scrambles for their bikes to follow the cars. 

You know you shouldn’t, you know this won’t end well, but it’s Will. Maybe he’s alive, maybe he simply got lost in the woods and has been wandering around the last three days or so. There’s so many other possibilities, an endless array of explanations, and yet…

Your legs feel heavy as you pedal after the kids. You know that, no matter what you guys end up finding, that nothing will ever be the same again. As you follow, the route you take begins to look familiar, back when you and Jonathan would spend your summers exploring the forest and its surroundings. 

The quarry. 

Suddenly you can’t breathe. “I… I can’t-” 

“Y/N, we have to see if it’s Will!” Dustin calls behind him, too eager to realize exactly where you guys are going. 

If you could just warn them, maybe speed up to block their paths, you could convince them to turn around, but it’s too late. The five of you arrive at the quarry’s edge and toss your bikes behind the fire truck. You see the firemen in the water, sloshing around for something, and you realize what they’re doing a second too late.

Immediately you begin to pull the kids away, not wanting them to see what you desperately hope you’re wrong about, but you’re too late. “Guys, get away from the truck, we shouldn’t be here-”

You’re always too fucking late. 

“Please, we need to leave,” your voice shakes as you try to shield the kids from the sight of Will’s body being pulled from the water.

Mike pulls away from you. “No, it’s not Will. It can’t be.” 

“Mike…” 

The firemen lift the raft up higher and the light lands on Will’s lifeless body, and you feel a piece of you die. He’s always been the smallest of the boys, but as the men lift his dead body out of the water, he’s never looked so small. Will is gone; he’s taken all the light with him. 

Dustin reaches for your hand and is the first to start crying. You pull him into your chest as he sobs. Lucas looks over at you, a silent acceptance in his eyes. “It’s Will. It’s really Will.” 

You grab the boy and pull him into you as well, the two of them now crying as you hold them. All you can do right is hold your boys, staring off into space as you feel them shake with grief against you. This isn’t real. 

From the corner of your eye you see El approaching Mike, and you’re too numb to warn her against it. “Mike…” 

“‘Mike’? ‘Mike,’ what?” He slaps her hand away, which causes you to become alert. He’s hurting, you know Mike loved Will more than anyone else, but he’ll only hurt himself more if he pushes everyone away. 

“Mike, I know you’re upset-” 

He faces you, a betrayed look in his eyes. “Upset? She was supposed to help us find him alive. She said he was alive!” he turns to El now, “why did you lie to us? What’s wrong with you?”

As he yells at the girl you hear his own tears beginning to form, and as you hold his friends, you lean closer to Mike and use your other hand to console him, but he begins to run away. 

Dustin and Lucas watch helplessly as their friend leaves, you all call after him but are ignored. They beg him to stay, too scared to be separated once more now that Will is gone, but Mike doesn’t listen. He grabs his bike, leaving you and the boys alone with El. 

She looks at you, tears in her eyes and a pleading look on her face. She’s looking to you for reassurance, to console her and tell her that everything will be okay with Mike, that he’ll forgive her, but you can’t. 

You also feel betrayed by the girl. You don’t think she was lying, in a sense, but then how can she explain Will’s dead body 50 feet away? El promised you and the boys that Will was alive, but he’s not. 

Tears start to fall down her face. “Y/N?”

You’re sure that when you look back on this moment later, you will have wished that you had done something braver, something more kind to the terrified girl, but you don’t. Instead of wrapping her into your arms alongside Lucas and Dustin, you give El a curt shake of your head, dismissing her. 

It hurts to watch her leave, and you’re ashamed of yourself, but then Dustin lets out another sob while Lucas tightens his hold around you, and you know that you’ve made the right choice for now. You don’t know El or her intentions, but her actions have hurt the people you love the most, and right now you have to put them first. 

You let the boys cry, barely registering anything else. 

– 

Later, much later, after getting Lucas home and tucking Dustin into bed, you finally allow yourself to grieve. You lay in your bed, staring at the framed drawing on your desk that Will had made you for your birthday this year. It was a sweet gift, having drawn you as a princess in one of their DnD campaigns with your sword and shield. Jonathan stands next to you in the picture, holding his own sword and wearing a crown, while Will and the boys are next to him, dressed in their own armor. 

In the picture the six of you are facing a dragon, but there’s a smile on all of your faces as you fight the creature together. You, Jonathan, and your boys; together, there’s nothing that you guys cannot defeat.

It’s your favorite drawing of Will’s. 

And now it’s your last drawing from him. 

The tears come slowly at first, then all at once. You find yourself hunched over, letting out anguished sobs as you mourn for the boy, for Jonathan and Joyce, for your brother and his friends. You mourn for the Byers losing a child, a brother. You mourn for your brother’s now tainted childhood. He’s too young, they all are too young to be experiencing such a loss. 

Will was too young. 

You cry until there’s nothing left within you, and yet the sobs still wrack against your body long after the tears have dried up. It’s a pain like no else. 

Then, as you’re finally beginning to calm down, you hear a knock at your window. 

You get up and fling your curtain open to find Jonathan on the other side. 

Neither of you say anything as you open the window and let him in. Once he’s inside the two of you face each other, unmoving and silent for what feels like years. There’s still a tension there from earlier, though this afternoon feels like decades ago. Jonathan stares at you, a guarded and unsure look on his face, as though he’s afraid that if he breaks in front of you that you’ll push him away. 

Instead, you surprise him by throwing yourself against his chest and into his arms. 

You’re not sure who begins to cry first, but it doesn’t matter. His cries only make you cry harder, having never seen your best friend this heartbroken before, and it’s all so fucking unfair. He doesn’t deserve this, no one does, but especially not Jonathan. He loved his brother so much, with such an intensity that rivaled your own love for Dustin. 

Jonathan pulls away a bit so that he can look at you; tears stream down his face. “He’s gone, bug.” 

“Bee,” you don’t know what more to say. What can you even say? While it feels like your heart has been ripped from your chest along with your bones, you know it only feels worse for Jonathan. No words could ever soothe that ache. 

“He’s gone,”

You grab at his jacket and gently guide him so that you sit on your bed. “Jonathan, look at me.” It takes some coaxing, but eventually he listens. “I’m here, okay? I’m here.”

Your voice cracks at the end, your own grief getting in the way, but it’s all you can say right now. You’re not sure how else to phrase it, how else to tell him that even if everything and everyone else is gone, you’re still here. You’ll never, ever leave him, especially not when he needs you the most now. 

Despite the vague words, Jonathan nods, always able to understand you, and he rests his head against your shoulder as the two of you cry. Faintly you can hear Dustin’s cries through the wall, but you leave him alone. You know he needs to process this alone, just like you needed to, just like Jonathan had before coming here. 

Tomorrow you’ll comfort your brother, you’ll bake the cookies that Joyce loves, and tonight will pass. A day must always end. This day will end, and tomorrow will come. Then, you’ll face this together with everyone you love. 

For now, your best friend needs you, so you let him cry into your shoulder and you run your nails against his scalp and whisper soothing words. Fuck whatever is going on between the two of you. 

Will is dead. The best of you, the purest of you, is dead.

-

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[galactickle]

Ruins of Us

Edmund Pevensie x reader

Summary: The reader has to take care of the kingdom after the Pevensies accidentally leave and is mad when they return.

A/N: aged-up edmund x reader story (like in their early-mid twenties) where time passes the same in narnia as it does in the real world, ok?

Masterlist

You still remember the day they left, at first you were in denial, sending out as many search parties as needed. Then, you were sad, how could they leave you and not say anything? Had they left on purpose? You had missed them terribly. But after months of them being gone, you finally got angry. How dare they leave their people, the people they were sworn to protect.

Soon enough someone had to step up and start making decisions, you knew it wouldn't be long until the other kingdoms found out the Great Kings and Queens of Narnia were gone, and that the kingdom was vulnerable. And you were right, you got word one morning that the Terebinthians were on their way to attack Cair Paravel, you saw the fear in your friends eyes, and you knew then was the time to step up, and you did.

“The palace needs to be evacuated, collect as much supplies as you can without dragging you down, we'll need food, blankets, and medical supplies, go now, and tell everyone you pass, we will need everyone out of the castle within the hour,” you spoke up. Everyone was shocked at first, but quickly nodded and hurried off, they all also knew they were not ready to fight a war.

You, Reepicheep, and his soldiers set off to evacuate everyone into the woods. You remember running through the woods, all the inhabitants of Cair Paravel running amongst you, as you heard the sound of the castle crumbling. You beg yourself not to turn around, to keep running.

Now, here you were, nearly 5 years later, Acting Queen of Narnia, fighting off yet another attack, although you were prepared for this one, the Archenlandians had been trying to invade Narnia ever since the loss of the Kings and Queens.

Your sword clashed against that of the Archenlandian General’s, he was a decent fighter, but you were better. You quickly disarmed him, pointing your sword at his throat, “Tell your troops to fall back,” you spat, “now.” You saw the Generals eyes flick to your right, a small smile on his face, and you quickly turned around and stabbed the attacking soldier in the gut, he slumped to the ground immediately. The General tried to run, but you grabbed his shoulder, spinning him around landing a punch right in his smug face.

“SURRENDER FOR THE KINGS AND QUEENS OF NARNIA HAVE RETURNED!” you heard from over your shoulder, you figured it was just a ruse one of your knights had come up with, so since the General was now distracted, you took the opportunity to knock him to the ground, foot on his chest, sword to his throat, “Tell. Your Men. To Fall. Back,” you demanded, at each pause you dug your foot further into his chest. Once again you saw his eyes flick beside you, you turned to your side, foot still on his chest, only to see a tall dark haired figure slice through another soldier who had been running towards you. The dark haired man turned to you. Edmund.

“Need some help?” he asked with a stupid grin planted on his face. You glared at him, and turned back to the General, who now had his hands raised in defence at the sight of the King of Narnia, “FALL BACK! EVERYONE FALL BACK!” he yelled towards his troops, they were quick to follow orders, and you slowly lifted your foot off his chest, but kept your sword trained on him as he retreated.

When you were satisfied with how far the opposing army had retreated, you turned around, intending to survey the amount of losses and injuries, as you always did at the end of a battle. But of course, he stood in your way, a confused look on his face, “I didn't need your help. I had it handled,” you stated simply, still glaring at him.

Then you stomped away, stopping to talk to your second in command, “Make sure everyone gets the proper medical attention,” you said quickly. She nodded and opened her mouth to respond only to get cut off by someone calling your name. You knew who it was, so you gave her a look and stormed off to the camp your troops had set up.

“Y/N!” Edmund tried again, jogging to catch up to you, only to be stopped by someone stepping in front of him.

“I suggest you leave her alone, your majesty,” the girl told him. He gave her a confused look.

“No, I just need to talk to her--” he started.

“And now's not a good time for that,” the girl in front of him insisted.

The rest of the Pevensies had caught up to Edmund now, wondering where their friend had gone.

“She’s not usually in a good mood after a battle, and I suppose seeing you isn't improving her mood either,” your second in command stated.

“She never used to be like that…” Susan wondered aloud.

“Why wouldn't she want to see us?” Edmund demanded, eyebrows furrowed.

“Hm, I don't know, maybe you abandoned her to run a kingdom that was the job of four people,” the girl stated sarcastically.

“Uh-- We didn't mean to!” Edmund countered.

“I don't imagine that matters much now,” she replied disdainfully.

The rest of the Pevensies seem to agree, all but Edmund, confused as to why his love didn't want to talk to him.

“Just give her some time, Ed,” Peter placed a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder.

“Yeah, I'm sure she'll come around,” Susan added with a small smile.

“I'm not sure if you remember me, but I’m Alanis, Y/N’s second in command,” the girl offered, “Let me show you around the camp.”

The Pevensies nodded, not really knowing what else they could do until they talked to you.

Alanis and the Pevensies stood by the strategy tent, talking amongst themselves, when a man with long brown hair came running through the camp, “Alanis!” he yelled upon spotting the girl.

“Yes, my prince?” she asked teasingly.

“Prince?” Edmund and Susan said simultaneously.

“Have you seen Y/N? Is she alright?” he asked, out of breath.

“She’s fine, has a cut on her leg, but I trust her to get it healed in time, I'm pretty sure she's in her tent,” the girl responded easily. Edmund gaped at the situation unfolding in front of him.

“Thank you!” Caspian said, already walking towards your tent, “You're the best!” he yelled over his shoulder at Alanis. She laughed, but stopped abruptly when she saw the Pevensies staring at her.

“What?” she inquired.

“Prince?” Susan repeated.

“Oh, yeah, Prince Caspian of Telemar, he's a good friend of Y/N’s,” she replied.

“Why would she want to talk to him and not me?” Edmund asked angrily, Alanis didn't know if he was talking to himself or not, but she decided to answer anyway.

“After you left, Y/N was quite upset, when Caspian stumbled into Narnia looking for refuge from his tyrannical uncle, Y/N took him in, and they sort of hit it off. Caspian’s really been the only one to get through to her over the years...” she said the last part solemnly.

Edmund let out a huff, but did not further question it, instead he turned to the direction Caspian had run off, the direction of your tent.

“Y/N?” Caspian called as he reached your tent.

The voice startled you out of your thoughts, “Who is it?” you asked.

“It's me, Caspian.”

“Oh, come in, Caspian!” you let out a sigh of relief. Caspian entered and instantly wrapped you in a hug.

“When I didn't see you helping the wounded, I worried about you,” he said into your shoulder. You let out a soft chuckle.

“I'm fine, just…. avoiding someone,” you said, pulling away and averting your gaze.

“Who? Wait, was it who Alanis was talking to?” you just nodded.

“Who are they?” he prodded. You just blinked at him, surprised he hadn't figured it out. When you didn't answer, it seemed to click, “ Those are the Kings and Queens of Narnia?” he asked, shocked.

“Yup,” you replied with a slow nod, not meeting his gaze again.

“Which one… I mean, aren't you happy to see them?” he asked, raising a hand to rub your back soothingly.

“Of course I am! But I'm also mad! They really think they can walk in here and think everything will be the same! UH! I just, I have a lot of emotions right now and I need some time to think before I blow up at them by accident,” you confided in Caspian.

He nodded, “Okay, that's okay, do you want me to stay and talk? Or would you rather work through it alone?”

You paused. “I think I want to be alone.”

“Alright, well if you change your mind, I won't wander far,” he said with a smirk.

You laughed slightly, and Caspian turned to leave.

“Caspian?” you called before he fully exited the tent.

“Yes?”

“Be nice to them, I may be mad at them, but they're still my friends,” you gave a lopsided smile.

Caspian smiled back at you, “You got it,” and with that he left you to your thoughts.

When Caspian returned to the group, Edmund couldn't help himself, “How is she?” he asked before Caspian even reached them.

“She's fine,” he said with a small smile, before he realized who he was talking to, he immediately dropped to a knee, “your majesties.”

“There's no need to kneel,” Susan told Caspian, a small smile on her face.

“Well, I don't know--” Edmund started but Lucy was quick to jab him in the side and fix him with a glare.

“It's lovely to meet you all, Y/N has told me lots about you,” Caspian said, a large smile dawning on his face now.

“She has?” the siblings inquired, being under the impression that you now hated them.

“Oh of course! Queen Susan the Gentle, Queen Lucy the Valiant, High King Peter the Magnificent, and King Edmund the Just!” he said pointing to each of them as he spoke excitedly, when he reached Edmund they both gave each other unsure looks.

Caspian averts his gaze from Edmunds, “She speaks highly of you all, she has told me all about your adventures,” Caspian continued.

Caspian made sure to distract the Kings and Queens for the rest of the night, knowing you need the space.

It was late evening by the time you left your tent, you walked quickly with your head down, and when you managed to slip into the healers tent without being seen, you left out a sigh of relief.

When you looked up, you could see Eloise giving you a firm look.

Guiltily you said, “I know, I know, I should have come sooner .”

The older lady gave you a slight smile at your humour, “Then why didn't you, Y/N,” despite the smile on her face, she fixed you with a hard look. She gestured for you to sit on the cot next to the door.

“I was… hiding?” you offer with a nervous smile as you sit down.

Eloise rolled her eyes, “You can't hide forever, my dear,” she said while getting to work cleaning your wound.

You let out a long sigh, “I don't intend to, I just… I just need tonight,” you look down, at the slice in your leg, avoiding her gaze, “I wasn't ready for this,” you mumbled. Eloise gently patted your leg, but didnt say anything else until you were all patched up.

“You're good to go my dear,” she gave you a knowing smile and you got up and left the tent.

Your next stop was to try and get some food, and on your way there, you were met with one of you Generals.

“My Queen,” the minotaur in front of you greeted.

“General,” you nodded at him, “We should start packing up at first light, I want to be back at the Capitol by nightfall,” you told him.

The minotaur nodded, “I will let the others know.” and with that he walked off.

After that, you managed to grab some leftover soup and sneak back into your tent, unnoticed by anyone else.

You were one of the first people up in the camp the next morning haven't hardly slept at all last night, too worked up about the return of the Pevensies and all your feelings. You quickly packed up your tent, after 5 years of setting up and taking down camps, you've gotten quite efficient at it. You kept your head down for the rest of the morning, silently helping your troops pack up, and slyly avoiding all your friends, even Caspian and Alanis. It wasn’t until you were walking through the woods that you felt the need to talk to someone. You knew that Edmund was trailing close behind you, but you could see Susan walking a little ways ahead of you, and opted to talk to her first. Picking up your pace you passed a few groups of soldiers, falling into step beside the brunette. Susan turned to you surprised, you gave her a small smile, Susan turned to look behind the both of you, and you knew she was looking for Edmund.

“So…” you began, “how was England?”

Susan looked perplexed, so you pressed further, “What is your life like there? Are you still in school? Have you found anyone?” you nudged her shoulder at the last bit, and she finally cracked a smile.

“I’ve finished school, I’ve been working as a secretary. And, no, I haven't found anyone…” she answered, adding, “and for the record, Edmund hasn’t found anyone else either.”

You sighed, of course she would bring it up.

“Y/N…” she continued.

“Thank you Susan, but I think that’s a matter for me and Edmund to discuss.” and with that you picked up your pace once more, leaving the brunette behind.

You caught up with Caspian, who was close to the front of the group.

He raised an eyebrow at you, “Have you talked to them?”

You nodded hesitantly, “Susan.”

“Edmund?”

“No.”

“Why not?” he asked, exasperated.

“I’m waiting until we get to the Capitol,” you replied simply.

Caspian rolled his eyes at you, “I didn’t blow that stupid horn for you not to talk to him,” Caspian spit out, then promptly clamping his mouth shut, instantly regretting what he said.

“You what ?” you turned to him, nearly stopping in the middle of the forest, but thinking better of it.

“I-- I just, I saw how stressed you’ve been over the past few years, I figured you could use the help!”

You were fuming now. “How dare you. That horn isn’t a toy Caspian!” When he didn’t say anything, and just stood there, looking at you with that pitying face, you huffed and stormed off, taking up the lead of the group.

Thankfully, you weren’t too far from the Capitol at this point. Some of the children who were playing in the streets of the Capitol saw you approaching and quickly yelled, announcing the arrival of the army. You walked through the streets of the Capitol, leading your soldiers to the castle that sat on top of the hill. When you reached the steps of the castle you gestured for the Pevensies to join you and Caspian in your greeting of your people.

“Citizens of Narnia, I am happy to announce that the Archenland Armies have retreated from Narnia. I am also happy to announce the return of your Kings and Queens. I present to you, Queen Susan the Gentle, Queen Lucy the Valiant, High King Peter the Magnificent, and King Edmund the Just,” you pause for the applause, “I hope that you all welcome them with open arms and kindness,” you finish. You turn to Peter with a nod and he begins addressing the people. You avoid the look Edmund gives you.

When Peter finishes, you are the first one to enter the castle. But Edmund is close behind, “ Welcome them with open arms? That's rich coming from you! ” he yells from behind you, you keep walking, knowing he’s following you, you really didn’t want to do this in front of the whole kingdom. You lead him up the stairs, “You’re still ignoring me! This is childish Y/N!” you were almost to your room at this point, you turn around to say “I’m not ignoring you, I just didn’t want to do this in front of everyone,” you turn back around, opening the door to you room, Edmund is quick to follow you in and close the door.

“So what?” he asks when you finally look him in the eyes.

“What?” you ask with raised eyebrows.

“What’s with you, I thought you’d be happy to see me!”

You scoff, “What? Did you expect to come in and save the day and for me to go Oh Edmund, my knight in shining armor I missed you so much ,” freigning a swoon, and then promptly standing back up to shoot him with a glare, you continue, “Sorry to break it to you, King Edmund , but it doesn’t work like that. Of course I’m happy to see you but I’m also pissed off. Do you know who had to pick up Narnia after you left? Do you know who had to take care of the people you so swore to protect? Me, Edmund! Everyone turned to me, I had no one to rely on and I had to run a country all by myself .”

“We didn’t mean to leave…” he replies weakly, and when he sees your annoyed expression, he adds, “And I tried to get back to you! I swear! I tried everything!”

There were tears in your eyes as you looked up at him, “I know,” you said softly.

“I missed you,” he whispered, at this point your faces were only inches away from each other. You leaned in, pressing a light, loving kiss to his lips, Edmund immediately reacted, arms wrapping around your waist, as yours tangled in his hair. You pulled away just long enough to say, “I missed you too,” before going back in.

The kiss grew more heated as the two of you realized how long it had been since you had touched the other, hands explored each others bodies and you pulled Edmund towards the bed, Edmund broke the kiss to remove both of his shirt and your corset top, he looked at your body, eyes lovingly scanning your face, “I love you so much.”

“I love you more,” you said, pushing him down onto the bed.

You climbed on top of him, “I never… got with anyone else you know, ever,” Edmund mumbled.

“Me neither,” you pressed a rough kiss to his lips, but he pushed you back lightly.

“What about Caspian?” he searched your eyes, which you rolled at the question.

“We’re only friends, I promise, well… yeah,” Edmund fixed you with a look that said he knew you were hiding something, even after all these years he still knew your tells. “Okay, well, lets just say that some nobles have taken a certain interest in me since I became Queen, and when Caspian started hanging around, their propositions cut back drastically,” you chose your words carefully as you spoke, and Edmund slowly nodded, “So, whenever there was an event, I would rope Caspian into joining me, as a form of, er, protection? We never did anything, we would just have some drinks, chat, and dance a little, basically as long as I was preoccupied the nobles were less likely to approach me.”

“Okay,” Edmund said, nodding slowly. A smile grew on his face and he pulled your back in for another kiss.

When the two of you had finished, and were cuddling comfortably in your bed, you heard a knock at the door, “If you two are done, dinner is going to be served soon!” the voice of Caspian came from the other side. You and Edmund looked at each other, and you shrugged, “I could go for another round before dinner,” a grin was plastered to your face, and Edmund had a matching one.

“Me too,” he said, pulling you on top of him.

Lets just say the others weren’t surprised when the two of you showed up to dinner late, giggly, red faced, and slightly disheveled.

[moonsaver]

hihi!! could I req some platonic aventurine hcs with a teen!reader?

Fun !

--

He's, in possibly no better words, your ride or die best friend.

I can just imagine him coming to pick you up wherever you live with a Regina George attitude like, "get in loser we're going shopping" (affectionate)

He's very fond of you! Loves having just a buddy around, even tries teaching you some card and coin tricks, giggles sneakily with you in huge casinos as he places bets and shamelessly shows you how he's cheating and turning the game to his favor. He's not sure whether or not he wants you to help him cheat, though. That could spell trouble for you..

Such a Annoying Big Brother vibe, but he's so annoyingly affectionate too. Even platonically, he's literally all over you. Sometimes to embarass you, he acts like some kind of a mother hen, or says embarassing things out loud like "mom said get back before 8 PM for bedtime!" In front of all your friends.

As I said, Aventurine is annoying, even while platonically affectionate. If you're shorter than him, he uses you as an elbow rest, and smugly smiles at you. If you're taller than him, tells you that you're growing too fast and need to slow down, and that you can't have any more milk. Constantly ruffles your hair for fun, pinches your cheeks like an asian aunt, kisses your forehead sloppily and enjoys the cringe on your face when you wipe your forehead.

As I mentioned, he's an absolute asian aunt to you. Makes you sit down and feeds you too much, tells you "kids like you need a balanced diet", obviously quoting someone, as he shoves another platter of whatever he thought was healthy towards you. If you ever find him at a bar, he's the one scolding you as if he wasn't making bets on his life in there. If he can't leave, makes you sit near him and tells the bartender you can't have anything alcoholic, and maybe you should have a glass of milk like all the other kiddos drink. The bartender gives you soda and Aventurine probably drinks half of it anyway.

If anyone's picking on you.. it's alright! Just fun and games, this is how things work in friendships. He'll scare them enough to keep them silent, though! Probably looms around you threateningly with hired bodyguards just to scare them into silence. If you get physically bullied, he's not having it at all. When he finds out,his smug smile drops for a moment, and returns again, but you can tell something's off. He suggests paying back tenfold. Whatever happens next? They had it coming, he tells you.

Loves shopping with you. Purposefully picks out ugly clothing and tells you "you'd look GREAT in this!" And snickers. You have to pick out something equally ugly and take pictures. Half of your shopping is general clothing and the other half are just horrendous clothing you both decided to buy as momentos. Sometimes, when both of you have sleepovers, you put on a diy fashion show and act like divas in these ugly clothes, dying laughing from just how clashing and horrid it looks.

Gets matching sunglasses with you! Maybe he'll customize the shade to match your complexion, but it's definitely matching with his.

Worried that people might come after you. Deep down he's afraid of losing you. After some time you become like family to him. He doesn't have a lot to his name, and could afford to lose everything. But now that you're there, he worries about it. Sometimes, overthinking leads to other worries that you might leave him, cut him off, or not find him "fun" anymore. But all that ends up being pushed to the back of his mind, and he smiles again at you, deciding it's not the time to worry about something like that.

[tightjeansjavi]

Can I just say…

I keep having feral thoughts of Pornstar!Joel maybe feeling tired after a long day and he tries to eat Babylove’s pussy with his usual enthusiasm but she can tell he’s too tired.

So, instead after lots of reassurance from her, he spends his time just kissing her clit and folds because he was foo fucking stubborn to get from between her legs. So he settles a little routine of kissing her clit, pulling away and settling his cheek against her thigh to simply watch her pussy twitch with a lovesick smile on his face before repeating it again.

Oh my god, nonnie!! You can’t do this to me right now 😩😩😩

No cause imagine they get back from the bar super late one night and Ellie is having a sleepover with Dina and some of their friends so Joel and baby love have the whole house to themselves and he’s super enthusiastic the moment they walk through the door he’s kissing all up on your neck, squeezing your ass and thighs through your dress. He’s probably even a little tipsy, curls a sweaty mess strewn across his forehead haphazardly. He tastes like salt, musk, and hint of whiskey when you guide his warm mouth to your own. It’s a messy kiss of tangled tongues and clashing teeth when he lifts the hem of your dress over your ass so he can feel your hot skin beneath his touch.

They stumble up the stairs, giggling between kisses the whole way up to their bedroom. He doesn’t even bother with undressing and just focuses all his attention on you and all the skin he can reach.

He’s between your thighs, licking and kissing everywhere he can reach as he yanks your panties down swiftly and tosses them to the side. All that dancing and drinking has really started to make him feel sleepy, but he’s determined to make you come at least once before knocking out.

“Baby love…” he mumbles groggily against your pussy, tongue lazily lapping through your folds. His half lidded eyes slowly flit up to your face from between your thighs. You reach one hand down, threading your fingers through his messy, sweaty curls to gently brush them from his face.

“Daddy, it’s okay if you’re sleepy.” You reassure him but he shakes his head immediately.

“No, no, baby. M’fine. Wanna make you come, sweet girl. Been promisin’ you all goddamn night and I ain’t about to—”

“Joel.” You hush him, soft yet stern. “It’s okay. We can just cuddle and sleep, okay?”

But your man is relentless, pushing through his drowsiness when he begins to slowly circle his tongue around your clit before kissing it sweetly. He does this a few times before dragging his tongue through your slick folds and back up again. He’s always been so generous and giving, and you could never deny him his favorite meal, after all…

When he grows tired he rests his scruffy cheek against your bare thigh, eyes drooping and growing heavy as he watches your bare pussy twitch, glistening with his salivia and arousal beneath his heady gaze. His smile is a lovesick grin, dripping with sweetness like nectar from a flower, or juice from a ripened peach.

He kisses your clit once more, a goodnight kiss while his strong arms encircle your waist, using your thigh as his personal pillow. He falls asleep shortly after, soft snores tickling the sensitive hair on your skin, but you don’t have the heart to move him, not when he’s looking so peaceful. His lips are so plush, kissable like two cherries.

You continue to gently play with his hair, whispering sweet nothings before you too drift off into a relaxed slumber.

[spiral-lemur]

OK THE ANNUAL’S OUT AND I JUST NEED TO BABBLE ABOUT STUFF SOOO SPOILERS AHEAD READ AT UR OWN RISK ETC ETC ETC

OK STORY NUMBER 1.

Ok wow. No it’s fine really. Go ahead. Go ahead and BREAK MY FUCKING HEART right off the bat. They don’t even know later in they’re subconsciously Still following the path Starline mapped out for them by still aiming to replace Sonic and Tails. Like yeah this time Eggman is on the chopping block for real which would make Starline lose his gay little mind but GODDDDDDD

Also it’s really funny that the general perception is that Kit is the more mellow of the two. Appearance wise? Yeah. Mannerisms? For the most part yeah. But deep down this little guy is FUCKED UP.

Like every so often the comic just reminds you “see this cute little guy? he can and will drown you for nothing more than surge’s happiness if he sees fit.” Lil dude does NOT care. Genuinely curious as to how this plotline will develop later on since Kit is clearly misguided. Yes he wants to help Surge and she’ll be happy for a while with this arrangement…as long as she doesn’t find out. What happens when she finds out though? I doubt she’ll be very happy to know all her “accomplishments” were part of a carefully constructed narrative set up by the very person who was meant to support her. I’m just RRRRRRRRGGHRGGHHHRTHHHHHH about them yknow? Also I think it’s interesting that this is set sometime after issue 75; very curious about what “he had to drag them out of there” means for the safety of Restoration HQ and I’m even more curious about where Surge and Kit are right now. Are they still there? Bunking somewhere else? What happened with them and their ties to Clutch and Mimic? Lots of questions to wait and find out. Very excited to see how this goes.

Now for the Knuckles story; admittedly this one isn’t spinning around my brain as much because of the other two stories, but it’s still a lovely read. It serves as some insight for Knuckles’ thoughts about his current life and relationships with his friends and it brings a good ol’ smile to my face.

The art FUCKS as usual when ABT is involved. Like this page? This page right here. Gorgeous. Would be a very fun redraw I think. And I feel it says a lot about how Knuckles feels about these characters without having to say anything which is nice. Rouge, for all the trouble she gives him, also gives him an outlet to blow off some steam and a reason to keep up with his training(aside from Eggman of course), and she obviously wouldn’t be there if he didn’t respect her to some degree. Sonic is someone Knuckles views as a worthy rival, but he’s also a treasured friend alongside Amy and Tails. They may clash, but he knows that at the end of the day they’ve got his back, and he’s got their’s. The Chaotix are a little trickier to pinpoint, but they’re here for a reason. I believe they add a dash of excitement and companionship to his life. They might be a bunch of clowns, but they’re HIS clowns and he cares about them just as much as everyone else here. He knows he can depend on them when it comes down to it, which is what I believe the Master Emerald was trying to get at here.

Also Sonknux enjoyers got a little snack here. A little treat even. But it’s nice to see that just like these guys are still on Knuckles’ mind, he never left THEIR minds either. It’s nice to see that they aren’t just trying to get his help for something and just giving him a friendly visit because 1.) We get to see Knuckles and 2.) The dude could use a day where they don’t bring trouble to his doorstep LOL

Also what the FUCK happened to the Tornado guys I JUST said you weren’t bringing trouble to his doorstep you better keep it that way—

And then it ends with the gang catching Knux up to speed on their latest shenanigans. Like I mentioned earlier I think this story serves as a look into how Knuckles views his current situation, and it’s very heartwarming in my opinion. I think this sequence really sums up the big takeaway from this story:

sorry the quality is ass it’s hard to do these things on a phone

There was a moment where I thought that bright light echidna was Tikal, and I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t. It’s still nice but if it’d been her, you’d best believe I’d have a lot more screamy words about it. It’s not a bad story at all though, and if you’re a Knuckles fan who loves digging into his deeper thoughts I think this story is a good read for you. Also YIPPIEE KNUCKLES CONFIRMED FOR ISSUE 80!!!

Now for the story that I(and I’m sure many others are) am currently foaming at the mouth the most over. It’s no surprise at all that a look into Mimic’s backstory would be something I eat the fuck up as a massive fan of Tangle, Whisper, and everything relating to them. But holy WOW this story had everything I could’ve wanted and I will be using this as fuel for my Diamond Cutter Autism™️

Okay, starting off with him being an actor before joining the Diamond Cutters. This may not seem as relevant to people compared to literally everything else in this story BUT you guys. You guys. When I tell you I lost my shit. Why? BECAUSE I FUCKING CALLED THAT SHIT.

This excerpt is from a (now scrapped) fic where I tried tackling a possible redemption arc for Mimic. We hadn’t had any backstory for Mimic so I’d tried making one up that tied into his shapeshifting. I ended up scrapping the whole thing because Mimic kept getting worse/more irredeemable as a character and I didn’t feel like trying to keep it going; and I feel the need to bring up that Tangle and Whisper would’ve never fully trusted or forgiven him(like. at all), he just would’ve gotten over trying to kill them by the end. I swear I wasn’t aiming for a “you did this horrible shit but it’s ok you feel bad about it so we’re buddies now :3” type deal. Anyway, that useless bit of info aside, I wrote this thing back in 2022. It’s not EXACTLY the same way obviously, but seeing this after having written him as a former actor made me actually stop and gape for a second before scrambling to find that old draft. I guess I could just SMELL the washed up actor on him. And yeah maybe it was the most plausible thing, but I’ve been given an inch and just this once I’m going to run this mile in circles.

After the whole acting thing, the war started, Mimic wanted to show off, left some other teams for dead, etc etc and then he met THEM.

This…houghhhhhhhhh

Do you think Whisper ever thinks back to this day? Do you think it’s ever crossed her mind that if she’d never invited him, her friends might still be alive? Do you think this thought eats her alive on bad nights? Whisper honey I am so fucking sorry. It’s not your fault, you couldn’t have known how fucking shitty this guy really was. You didn’t deserve that.

FUCK!!!

Ahem. It’s really bittersweet looking into how these guys acted not just as a team, but as friends. We got a better look as to how these guys were personality-wise and it just stings knowing that this little found family is no longer here because one of them just couldn’t handle vulnerability. Smithy was like an older brother—wise, but just as goofy and playful as the rest of them, and just as ready to tease his little twerps. Claire was like an older sister; similar to Smithy, always looking out for the others, but just as ready to make fun of them. She was probably the straightman in a lot of their antics, but with that loving “oh, you” sense to it. Slinger was the goofy, cocky younger brother. Ready to go for the biggest thing he could find, and usually needing to be saved from his own ambition. He’d make up for that trouble by bringing in a lifetime supply of laughs for all of them. And Whisper…honestly I’d go as far as saying Whisper back then was just like Tangle is now. Optimistic, eager, bubbly. I wonder if that might be why she gravitated towards Tangle rather than the other characters she was friendly with; even before their miniseries. I’d show more images for this part but apparently I can only use 10 images on a phone and my computer still isn’t up so that’s just SWELL. For the last image I’ve got, I’ll just use this:

It just stings so HARD when you really think about what was taken from her. We might have gotten the Whisper we know and love because of it, sure. She may not have met any of the people she holds dear now if it hadn’t gone the way it did. But the fact that she had this little family, the fact she loved them so dearly, the fact she’d put so much trust into them—only to have it ripped away in one selfish decision? That’ll hurt forever. That’ll haunt her for the rest of life; it’ll haunt me too. God the Diamond Cutters sting so good.

Now let’s get Mimic’s little monologue in here. Ahem.

“I got what I wanted. Did I just crave validation? Was it ever about the spotlight? I can’t be myself around them. They don’t know what I’ve done…friendship is supposed to feel good. Solid. Like a foundation…so why does it hurt so much? They don’t see I’m a walking contradiction. One look p-past my facade and I’ll be thrown away! I can’t afford to be so fragile. I look back at my acting days with a soul-wrenching truth staring back at me. The more things change, the more they stay the same. It’s a rehearsed charade! They are all mirrors, saying what I want to hear until they get what they want. They can’t be trusted. I refuse to play this game anymore.

The moment an opportunity to be rid of these nuisances came, I readily took it. The Diamond Cutters would be gone from this world and mine. I could clear my mind and never feel such visceral pain from their fake smiles. Attachment was erased, like weeds pulled from a garden, as they perished. The pain inside nearly vanished, a good sign for my healing journey. Yet…there was a single, terribly annoying headache left to deal with. I can’t fix what that team did to me until I shatter every last one. Only with this knife, will I finally be cleansed.

I can’t think straight tonight. What is the point of reflecting on all these memories? Am I afraid? Or am I just…tired? Soon, that pain deep within myself will be washed away. And this can all be a bad, bad dream. I’m selfish, arrogant, and colder than a frozen lake. I enjoy the chase, watching others struggle, and I love that about me! I know what I am, so…who are you?”

Man…a LOT to unpack here.

Mimic is a coward. There’s certainly vitriol to my words, but it’s also just a fact based on the evidence we’ve seen. He’d been burned so many times chasing the spotlight in the past, he’d grown to view it as conditional. No one ever truly valued his contributions in his eyes. He was just another part of an act, and when that act was over, no one would need each other anymore—so whenever he felt done with putting on the “show” of contributing to a new team during the war, he quickly cut ties. Some ways more permanent than others—we’ll never know for certain if he got those people killed like the Diamond Cutters, but he certainly didn’t care if he did. The show was over. It didn’t matter.

Then the Diamond Cutters came along. The show was going well, it was a broadway smash! Then the actor’s nemesis began to creep in; imposter syndrome. Mimic knew deep down, he didn’t deserve this success. How many people did he really cut down as he chased the spotlight? How many people had seen his previous work? How long until that all came back to bite him? He didn’t know. It terrified him deep down, judging from the moments of hesitation he’d shown in his monologue. Surely it began to gnaw at him more and more towards the end. He can’t trust them, his smiles were fake so they all had to be faking too, right? There was no way there was such a thing as genuine friendship, teamwork, or any of the like. If it didn’t exist in his world, it couldn’t have existed at all. It began to be kill or be killed; and Mimic intended to be the one doing the killing. So he cut them down too.

But Whisper survived. Whisper was a present reminder of the horrible, selfish things he’d done. As long as she’s around, he can never fully ignore what he’s left behind. He can never truly run away from all of it. So he has his sights set on her; killing her will surely solve all the pain within himself. It has to. It has to.

And he still hesitates. Maybe it’s the way suppressed guilt is manifesting itself, maybe it’s being overly cautious, he doesn’t know. He doesn’t care. Perhaps once there was a time he could’ve gone back on everything and reinvented himself, but it’s gone now. And he’ll run away from that possibility for the rest of his life. He just has to get rid of that last poster before he can move on to his next big show.

Or I could easily be reading way too much into it but who cares I’m having fun this way! Really enjoyed this story—easily my favorite of the three if you couldn’t tell from all that word vomit. This annual might just be my favorite of them all so far, and I’m excited to see how these characters continue to develop as the comic runs on. That’s just about everything I can think of to say, so that ends my babbling. Thanks to everyone who read this far! I don’t normally get so wordy but this annual really just activated something in me.

[yanderes-galore]

I'm so happy MLP is open because I read them roughly 50 times. Each.

Anywayyyyy

What about a rivalry between Sombra and Chrysalis rivalry??

Ohhhh, I love this idea! I'm not on the Grogar season yet so this is me mostly making comparisons with research.

Yandere! King Sombra with Pegasus! Darling

Yandere! Queen Chrysalis with Pegasus! Darling

Yandere! Queen Chrysalis vs King Sombra

Pairing: Romantic - Rivalry

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Jealousy, Manipulation, Stalking, Hypnotism, Kidnapping, Violence, Clingy behavior, Possessive behavior, Forced relationship.

This is a cool rivalry for me due to their differences in how they go about their obsession.

It's also neat because they're both enemies of the Crystal Empire in their debut.

What may make them clash is the differences in their courting/possession of their darling.

I don't have a general concept for them but ironically they both have a concept with a Pegasus darling on here so there's that-

Queen Chrysalis feeds off the love radiating from her darling.

She does anything she can to get it, even to the point of disguising as a friend or lover to get it.

She's sneaky and farms your love and adoration along with using her magic to hypnotize you into giving more.

She finds your love tastes the sweetest which makes her want even more.

She'll be any type you want if it means she gets to have a feast.

Plus her changelings keep a close eye on you.

She's possessive and replaces those around you with her hive.

She'll do anything to keep your love on her while masquerading as your lover.

Eventually she doesn't just love you for the magic, she loves you because she's addicted to you.

Then there's King Sombra... something completely different.

As you can tell his way of obsession clashes with Queen Chrysalis.

He's a pony made into shadow, a unicorn king who controls ponies through fear.

He is controlling of you through his magic and likes to make you fear him more than love him willingly.

He is the opposite of Queen Chrysalis' plan of being subtle.

How is she supposed to feed off your love if King Sombra keeps controlling you with fear to keep you to himself?

This is what makes them fight as they are both quite possessive.

They could never share as they conflict too much.

They are both manipulative and possessive, a dangerous combo when they are in a rivalry.

Queen Chrysalis no doubt tries to make you trust her more.

Are you scared of the umbral king? That's okay...

Still under the disguise of your lover she pulls you in closer, hiding you away while she feasts on your love.

Meanwhile King Sombra does whatever he can to expose Queen Chrysalis.

Scared of him? Well... you should be more scared of your lover.

They're using you... that's not even their true self.

Somehow Sombra would knock Chrysalis out of her disguise to make you run back to him.

There's no winning this scenario for you.

You don't want to pick either of them but they aren't going to give you a choice.

Eventually either Sombra will materialize and take you away or Chrysalis will send changelings to drag you back to her home.

They no doubt would fight often.

Queen Chrysalis has the advantage in numbers but King Sombra has powerful magic.

They both watch you quietly before finding time to strike.

Even if one acts first, the other will storm them soon after.

Queen Chrysalis is nearly losing it as King Sombra ruined her plan.

They both can use magic to control you but they're constantly countering each other's magic.

You're dragged between the two villains with no possible means of escape.

You can only hope the Princess of Friendship helps you...

Surely she can get rid of them and save you, right?

[theresattrpgforthat]

Now that requests are open, time to drop a request I’ve been waiting on for a while:

Games where you play as bugs. Whether it be the route of Bug Fables, Hollow Knight, A Bugs Life, whatever. Rules light is preferred but I’m open! I just wanna play a game where I can play a Trapjaw Ant interacting with a whole bug bureaucracy that’s as big as a backyard.

THEME: Bug Games

Alright friend, so I think right away you want to look at Cuticorium, which I have talked about in my Insect Games recommendations. It’s about bugs that have gained sentience and also a moral compass, figuring out how to live with each-other in the shade of a magical tree. I’ve also got a few more for you to look at!

Agramabug Hex, by Volpe80.

Have you spent your whole life dreaming about what it would be like to be an insect? To crawl across the floor for a handful of breadcrumbs and a few shabby spells? To clash with the dictates of your religion that is incompatible with the very survival of your species? To trade every amenity you’ve collected in sweat and blood for precious human poo? Well, if that’s what you dream of, I may have something for you!

This is a supplement for Troika that includes a number of buggy backgrounds to choose from, as well as a bug-themed adventure. You’ll need the Troika rulebook in order to play, which is a really kooky ruleset primed for easy character creation and generative adventures.

Depending on the pace of your group, Agramabug Hex may last for a short campaign, with a small hex map for your little bugs to travel all over, and a random village generator to help you populate the map as you go a-traveling. I don’t know how much bug bureaucracy exists in this little world, but the hardscrabble fight of the various bugs for the scraps of human garbage certainly sounds like a conflict that you can throw all of your legs and mandibles into.

Hive & Hill: A Tale of Two Queens, by thebigtabletop.

Long have the insects warred amongst each-other. Hive and hill rarely see eye to eye. Both sides have suffered innumerable losses when war breaks out and prefer to keep their domains separate. Hives rule the skies and hills rule the earth. A singular threat to their way of life binds them together…

Humans have spread across the world forcing the insects into smaller and smaller pockets of the world. Their size and chemicals make them a great threat. While insects are small, they greatly outnumber the humans. In rare moments, the insects are willing to band together to fight the threat.

Upon a checked ground of red and white gingham, the humans have laid a bounty of food. A veritable feast that they seek to consume. While insects on both sides spend a majority of their time seeking out food, even a small sample of the meal that the human’s call a “picnic” would help feed a hive or hill for the long winter. At this moment, both hive and hill have agreed to work together to get the bounty and drive off the humans.

This is a game all about alliances in times of attrition, but placed on a battlefield distanced from human conflict. You use pools of dice to determine how successful each queen is in her manoeuvres, and role-play through blunders and connections between two sides of the field.

Overall I think this game is a bit closer to a board-game or dice game than a typical ttrpg, although the premise might be something that you can take and run with. If you want a collaborative, team-based game, you might want to take a look at Hive & Hill.

Bug Dish: Amuse Bouche, by The One True Ryan Khan.

Bugfolk from every reach come to Tower Lake at least once. You might be here to see the port city of Tower Point, or the golden hives of Honeyflow. Perhaps you’ve come to wander the paths of woven roots in Banyan Cradle, or to circle the lake on the Gossamer Rail.

But you are certainly here to taste the foods of Tower Lake’s Mobile Kitchens. Restaurant crews who travel around the lake creating culinary experiences. Fusing flavours, textures, and aromas with vision to create delectables no bugfolk has tasted before. Whether it’s a traditional dish perfectly executed, or a meal that changes how you think about food, these chefs are masters of their craft.

Bug Dish is a tabletop roleplaying game about bug chefs who travel the world and compete in culinary competitions. Using a bespoke push-your-luck mechanic, spend time to learn about the local cuisine, find out what your rivals are up to, and create meals to wow the judges.

This is a charming little game that casts your bugs as top chefs, tasked with learning the tastes of cantankerous judgy NPCS in preparation for a big cooking competition. I don’t own this game, but judging by the little teasers on the storefront page, your adventures will include various locations to visit and interesting ingredients to harvest in the pursuit of creating the perfect dish. If you prefer to solve your problems with a saucepan rather than a sword, this might be the game for you.

Beetle Knight, by Brooklet Games.

Beetle Knight is a bug-sized role-playing game for your tabletops. It features "contest rolls" where two creatures, or a creature and the arbiter roll dice against one another to determine uncertain outcomes. 

The quickstart for this game starts with a short list of intriguing mysteries that your little characters might find themselves engaging with; from disappearing flies to a water skater trade embargo, to a sudden reticence amongst the court of the Orb Weaver queen. The problems that plague the insect kingdom call for a coterie of buggy knights, called to go where most dare not go!

This game feels heavily inspired by Hollow Knight, and asks the players and GM to engage with contests with e/o every time the Beetle Knights face up against an obstacle. Depending on the foe, this could make play very challenging. Your characters also have a magical resource called Resolve, which can be gained when you roll ties and spend when you want to use the magical items that your knight carries.

The game underwent some fundraising on Kickstarter a while back; there’s no official release of the game yet, but you can still download the Quickstart version of the game if you like. If you want a game with all the fantastical fixings, I recommend Beetle Knight.

Queenless, by Croaker RPGs.

Our Queen is dead! Such sorrow and despair! Without our Queen, our hive, our home, will slowly perish. Our only hope, our only slim hope, is to find, beg, borrow and steal enough Royal Jelly from our neighbours. If we have enough Royal Jelly, maybe, just maybe, we can raise another Queen.

In Queenless you’ll explore the valley, meeting other insects along the way. Your aim is to recover six jars of royal jelly, which your hive will use to raise another Queen. Some insects are friends, such as the Ants who share much in common with the Bees. But some are deadly foes, like the Praying Mantis, who would like nothing more than to eat you up little Bee.

Queenless is built as a solo game from the start with tables, exploration, and other mechanics that will keep you interested and challenge your little bee as it explores the valley on its quest. The core mechanic is based on Firelights, where you use a deck of standard playing cards and dice to determine success, partial success, or failure. You flip two cards and compare them to a dice roll+stats. Easy to figure out and resolve.

If you want a solo game about exploration and survival, but also bargaining with a number of other insects as you search for the things you need in order to raise another queen. Using the Firelights system, you’ll need a deck of playing cards to draw from, using the values of the cards against the results of your dice rolls to determine whether or now you succeed, and whether it will cost you anything to do so. If you want a game that can be be played at the comfort of your own pace, without the constraints of a group, I recommend Queenless.

You might also be interested in…

My Bee Games recommendation post.

This quick Bug Knights recommendation list.

[themagicalghost]

Well look at that, it's the 1 year anniversary from when I played Corporate Clash for the very first time. And I am still here.

What initially got me interested on playing the game was seeing the makeship campaign for the Duck Shuffler plushie, and with how I was seeing some fanart of the managers that got me intruiged before then I was like "Oh fine, I'll try the game". Then what happened? To put it short, I became a part of what seems to be one of the best communities on the web.

Never ever have I been in a community as fun as this one, I like talking to people around in Toontown on a regular basis and see what people are up to. It has a few rotten apples sure, but that is nothing compared to the vast majority of fresh and friendly fruits (and I am not just referring to the queer ones). It's why I still like doing VPs after maxing my Sellbot suit, as there is usually some people willing to chat or are discussing something already. Talking is nice, and just one conversation can make a big difference to brighten someone's day

This community makes me very happy, I had to even hold myself off from just posting how much I liked it. To be honest really, it has improved my social confidence by a lot. I used to barely post anywhere publically before getting into Clash, but after I decided to use this blog to talk about my thoughts and post things I make it had only went uphill since. I can confidentally say it was one of the best decisions I had ever made.

Lots of respect to those who keep the community going wonderfully, this includes all the artists, content creators, Clash Crew members, active toons in general, etc.

And a special thank you to all the dear friends I have made here too, you are very special to me. I can't wait to see what the future of Clash has in store for us, there is a lots of good potential.

I have been on and off posting on this blog, but it doesn't mean anything for how much longer I will stay here. I realized I was not obliged to post all the time, and my own personal life keeps me busy outside of Clash at times is all. Rest assured that this rosey red cat isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

I love you all, stay toony.

-Bumbleburger

Ps. :]

[galeorderbride]

Could I request headcanons for Dark Urge (good-aligned), Geraldus, Astarion, Gale, Wyll, and Halsin with GN Tav who is a martial pacifist please?

Finally, I bring happy tidings in the form of your requested headcanons. I seriously hope you enjoy them, and thank you so much again for your patience <3

I gave Durge GN pronouns as well, just a note.

HCs below the cut, much love xx

Some allusions to romance, but T rating for all

Headcanons for Geraldus, Astarion (spawn), Gale, Wyll, Halsin, and Durge (in that order); Tav as a Martial Pacifist

Geraldus: 

Geraldus would admire someone like this deeply. Tav, representing the grace, confidence and strategy that he believes Harpers should emulate. Traits he tries to achieve but sometimes feels that he falls short on. Especially after the fight at Danthelon’s. Survivor’s guilt would plague his mind a lot after that, and a strong motivation to prove to Jaheira and everyone he cares about that he could do his new job with honour. He wishes he could embody such a tactical way of encountering others of various temperaments.

Perhaps that’s what draws him to Tav. A self assuredness that anyone would be charmed by. And he’d be just as good at Tav’s side in a fight. Given how skilled he is with a bow when they fought those doppelgängers. The two of them would make a good pair, Tav knowing when to choose the battles, and Geraldus swooping in with those archery skills. Eventually, he’d get used to being at Tav’s side, and his confidence in himself would improve, as would his abilities as a Harper. 

Astarion (Spawn):

In all honesty, Astarion wouldn’t care for this attitude much. Not right away, anyway. When he’s absorbed in the need for revenge for all that Cazador did to him, he’d find difficulty in understanding Tav’s general pacifism. This is boring to him, unsatisfying even if it’s a bit more pragmatic. A martial pacifist Tav and Astarion might not even get along that well at first. Suffice it to say, their attitudes toward life tend to—clash. 

This wouldn’t last forever, though. Tav’s peaceful side also implies patience, an understanding that a lot of Astarion’s irritation comes from pain. Once Cazador is defeated and Astarion can begin to heal, he will see the value a little more in how Tav chooses their battles and wishes to cooperate instead of fight. That very patience is what would drive them closer as friends. 

Not to say he wouldn’t get a kick out of the times Tav fights back though, he’d remember those moments fondly. 

Gale: 

Gale isn’t the type to be confrontational for no good reason. He has a value for words and believes deeds reflect the character who performs them. He says it himself when entering the Grove that helping Zevlor with Kagha is a good idea, or, ‘the diplomatic approach’ as he calls it. So, he’s pretty impressed with Tav’s abilities to keep peace early on. Before Elminster charms him, he’s happy to avoid fights or stressful situations anyway, given he doesn’t know when the orb could detonate. 

But Gale has a bit of a wicked side, taking unexpected pleasure in seeing Tav exercise the last resort: fighting. The Shadowlands would force Tav’s hand in heavy combat, pushing off phantoms and cursed harpers in the emerald darkness of Reithwin. At the end of it all, when everyone is taking their breath and Gale sees them covered in viscera and sweat, his growing crush grows into strong desire. Enamoured by Tav’s tactical approach, as capable of swinging a sword as they are in the skill of word. 

Wyll: 

The best thing about Wyll is that, in some ways, he is also a martial pacifist. With those warlock charisma levels, it’s no surprise that he can talk himself out of a situation as adequately as he could fight his way through. Tav and Wyll would be an absolute dream team throughout the journey! Getting along well through conflict but also times of relaxation, sitting around the campfire exchanging stories of past adventures. 

These two learn a lot from each other and it brings them closer. He appreciates a person who can rise above themselves for the greater good, whether they’re angry, vengeful or saddened. To understand that peaceful resolution can get someone even more than fighting them. But he’s also gifted with the sword, enjoys the adrenaline of battle when it comes down to it. Much like Tav, he knows the balance between love and war. 

Halsin: 

Despite his size, the man is not a fighter. Not that he isn’t capable, but that he simply prefers balance to chaos. As is the nature of most Druids. While Halsin struggled with the constant politicking of being Archdruid, that doesn’t mean he doesn’t value the other preservation of peace through words and negotiation. He wouldn’t believe himself to be charismatic enough to manage it himself, certainly not in the way Tav would throughout their adventure. But he would feel confident in Tav’s reliability that shows in their implicit pacifism. Because of this, he’d prefer the ‘pacifist’ side more than the ‘martial’. 

He’d appreciate Tav’s confidence in fighting in the Shadow Cursed Lands. A place that demands combat all the time, not many opportunities to talk one’s way out (at least until they reach Moonrise). But Tav pushes through, helping Halsin break the curse he’s been studying for a century. The rugged journey of finding Thaniel in the Shadow veil is not fit for the faint of heart. And after fighting off undead monsters, only to help Halsin bring Thaniel to camp, the friendly giant has nearly no choice but to fall for Tav. 

Durge (Redeemed): 

Good-aligned Durge wants to be good, but at the beginning of their journey, they have no idea where to start. Bloody urges still fester in their brain despite the tadpole’s influence, and pushing them away is definitely harder than giving in. Honestly, Durge might have initially learned to cool their head and de-escalate violence from Tav when they first met. Watching Tav go through stressful situations with confidence, never losing their temper even when the moment begs for rage. Durge would envy that ability, even to the point of madness as Tav seems to do it so effortlessly, slinking into the background as if they weren’t battling with themselves. 

Nights by the fire with Tav would be the real ticket to Durge admiring them rather than being jealous. Maybe even become entirely attached, as Tav would be understanding and helpful when Durge becomes downtrodden by fighting their ancestral desires, wondering if they’ll ever be able to change despite forcing themselves to be peaceful. Eventually, when Durge frees themselves from the clutches of Bhaal for good, they’d credit Tav as teaching them about the kind of person they want to be from then on.

[edens-passing-if]

Eden's Passing is a 16+ game made in Twine by me, Doc, and is my first attempt at making an interactive fiction game!

Genre: Primarily Fantasy and Comedy focused with a smidge of Mystery and Horror elements. Do tell me if a separate catagory fits, please!

Warnings: Trauma, Bodily Injury without feeling it, Body Horror in general (more will be added as time goes on, these are what I'm currently certain off)

Demo: In the works!

Alone in a land you can't recall and stuck at the bottom of a seemingly endless ravine, the start of your journey isn't a pleasant one. Body slowly crumbling away, memory missing, and seemingly stuck with a stranger intent on calling you a name you can't remember, your attempts to leave seem fruitless until they finally offer a helping hand. Hopefully with no strings attached.

Set in the world of Nyr, you're just a lost soul trying to figure out who you are and what happened to you.

Features, added or intended:

☆ Fully customizable MC (name, hair, skin color, personality, etc.)

☆ Romantic or Platonic routes, Poly included.

☆ Long Crocodile. You'll see. ♡

☆ Learn more about the world and maybe save it, maybe launch a salamander at someone.

☆ Diverse cast of characters, ethnicities, religions, etc! (Please do tell me if anything's not accurate enough, it's fantasy, yes, but I am using some real-life ethnicities and such as basis!)

☆ A lot of lore. A lot. I made a map. I will do more than just a map. It's inevitable.

Eden's Passing isn't romance focused but, those inclined towards it, does have multiple routes with it.

Zacharie, M, 36(RO)

A 4'11" man with spiky green hair and red tinted glasses. Adventurers clothing, torn at the edges and taped to his body on his limbs, cover most of his skin. What you can see of his skin, primarily his face, has stitches spanning the length and width. No one is allowed to touch them. Beyond that, he seems nice, even when he mutters insults at passing plants or argues with books. But his skittishness towards others is concerning, especially the glint of pure terror he sometimes shows. It's typical to see him hovering around Cassian, primarily either hiding behind him or riding his shoulders.

Solo OR Poly route with Cassian or Florian.

Cassian, M, 29 (RO)

At 6'6, he's the tallest of the group. Long black hair drapes down well past his hips, sometimes being used to hide his eyes from others. Old yet well cared for armor is his ordinary choice of clothing, no matter the situation. Quiet and melancholic, it's hard to catch him smiling at much of anything. Despite that, he's the first to jump into a fight to protect his friends. One of the few people to understand Zacharie, he keeps a firm eye on anyone that might pose a threat to the smaller man. A bit of an enabler, he will turn a blind eye to the more playful deeds his companions wish to take.

Solo OR Poly route with Zacharie.

Florian, Gender Selectable (M/F/NB), 25 (RO)

At 5'3", they're the second shortest of the group. Blond curly and short hair, styled like an odd pixie cut, clashes against the bright red coat they drap over themself. Two antennae stick out from their scalp, twitching at any stimulus. A butterfly bow, which sometimes flaps on its own when Florians distressed, keeps it from falling off. When they're not being pestered by Zacharie or Wynn, they're actually the most sensible of the group. A bit of a motherhen, they do their best to prevent the others from getting into trouble. It's a thankless job, and they aren't even getting paid for it.

Solo OR Poly routes with Wynn or Zacharie.

Wynn, Gender Selectable (M/F/NB), 23 (RO)

A 5'9" elf that's joined the group alongside Florian. Long, pointed, and pierced ears flick every so often, parting their short, light purple hair. Clad in a cape that trails in the air and an outfit that shows off a concerning amount of chest, they aren't the shyest with showing skin. Long pants that hide even their boots cover their legs, yet never get dirty as they drag across the ground. A bit of a flirt, they aren't the type to take much seriously. It's common to see them, Zacharie, and Twig up to no good, typically with Wynn at the lead. A natural born leader, one might be confused why they follow MC's lead, even they seem at odds with that fact.

Solo OR Poly route with Florian.

Twig, NB, 26 (RO)

Looming over at 6'4", they tend to forget just how tall they are. Long purple hair ends as their tail begins, the fluff at the end matching their hair. Thick and curly when short, it covers up their eyes from the view of others. 5 horns sprout up from their scalp, imitating a crown of sorts, and range in size from a few inches to just two. Clad in purple and blue robes that are breathable yet skin-tight, they've had Zacharie modify it to properly accommodate their tail. Out of the group, they remain the friendliest even in the face of adversity. It's... hard for others to tell whether they're simply naive or just too forgiving, but regardless of that, they remain the first to lend their hand when others need it. A bit of a goofball as well, it's easy to catch them trying to pick the funnest option first. Quick to trust and quicker to befriend, one might wish to spare them from the cruelty of the world.

Solo route

???, NB, ??? (RO?)

A figure that stands at 5'10, they're your savior from the pit you woke up in. Long hair, starting black and quickly fading to a bright red, flows from their scalp like tendrils. It flows as if hit by a breeze constantly, regardless of airflow. Clad in only a white robe tied shut at the waist by a sash, it's easy to notice the gaps in their skin. They never answer when it's brought up, leaving you wondering just what has saved you from the ravine. Quick to anger, you'd almost think they're unpredictable if not for the consistent causes and phrases. Regardless of who you are, they insist your name is Eden. Regardless of their affection towards you, they refuse to tell you who they are. They insist you'll figure it out.

Solo route.

[k-tarotz]

How the industry view EN-jake. Other idols (female and male), hybe as company,the staffs and bang shihyuk.

I hope this isn't too much. *If you ever consider doing the reading, it can be short* Thankyou 💞💞💞

i will not include bang pd in this but i can do the rest <3

male idols: affectionate, unloyal, naive, dreamer, silly, aloof, head up in clouds, unfriendly, loner, helpful, ‘too much of a good guy’, sweet, kind, lovely/loving, understanding, ‘lets things slide too easily’, well disciplined, scary, carries himself well, aggressive

disc.: this seems to come from many different idols, from different groups and companies. it’s a mix really. some have a crush on him so they view him in a high regard (yes, males), some genuinely hate him bc their s/os might have a crush on jake or have cheated on them with jake (i don’t think jake would intentionally go for someone in a relationship, by the way), some homophobic idols might judge his affectionate side with his members and since jake is emotionally a sensitive person he could be cold and avoid contact with them. however he does seem to have good friends who care about him a lot and watch out for him 🫶🏻

female idols: hot, manly, dependable, heartbreaker, hard to maintain (he could have high standards), sweet, kind, friendly, easy to get along with, very well disciplined, well mannered, attractive, cute, loveable, emotional

disc.: female idols seem to mostly either have a crush on him, want to be friends with him or desire him in other ways~. of course there are people who don’t like him for personal reasons (their friend getting hurt bc of him, stereotyping him based on rumours ect) but he seems to have a lot of admirers, many people are in love with him~ seems like he has both boys and girls love struck~ we ofc don’t think he is a player, rather that he is hard to get and really good in keeping up romantic relationships so that could make people more curious about him~

hybe: lazy, whiner, complainer, kind, bright, friendly, hyper, good in maintaining an image, loveable, ‘the best’, unfocused, perverted, too hyperactive, beautiful, affectionate, talented, stylish, happy person in general

disc.: there are some personality and view clashes here and there but he seems to have mostly great people around him who view him in a nice and positive light. he might also have some one (or some people) who adore him romantically in the company~ ‘hybe’ refers to idols, choreographers, editors, managers, directors ect.

staff: kind, caring, energetic, cute, attentive, caring, strong personality, ambitious, easy to provoke, lazy, one of a kind, ‘kinder than most idols’, sweetheart, affectionate, off limits, flirty

disc.: again they might be people who have romantic feelings for him. we checked, he is single. he is just a heartthrob. though, neither of us thinks he uses his possibilities and good looks for bad things. 🫶🏻

– Candy

[turbulentscrawl]

Identity(V) Headcanons: Luca Balsa

Next up!

Again, I am new to the IDV fandom, and I have never played the game, so these headcanons are informed by my ongoing lore dives sourcing the wiki, japanese twitter responses, comics, stageplay, and more! Some of these may relate to or even contradict character backstory, and some of them are just pure vibes for me. If you like it, consider shooting a request ;)

-So to start, I personally headcanon that Luca initiated the fight that led to the electrical accident. He’s always been hot-headed and impulsive, especially in regard to the source of his pride. I don’t think he intended for the confrontation with Alva to end anywhere near the way it did, but I do think he felt a good shove or two were well-warranted when he found out "his" ideas were being stolen. It’s when Alva fought back a little too viciously that the accident happened—and it well and truly was an accident. Not that it matters much when the only survivor doesn’t remember the event at all.

-He has headaches regularly, and terrible migraines at least once a week. He’s yet to find a way to relieve the migraines and, even worse, they are typically followed by an episode of more intense amnesia. Under normal circumstances, Luca’s memory problems are manageable. He doesn’t remember the accident, and there are massive blackouts in the memories beyond it, but on the average day he only struggles with small details of more recent events. During these post-migraine episodes, though, he completely loses all context for where he is, what he is doing, and who the people around him are. Most of the time, the important bits come back…but not always.

-Forgotten memories are also sometimes sporadically triggered by something mundane. A word, a texture, a sound, and suddenly he’s frozen stock-still in the face of a one-person cinematic viewing. By the time he turns to tell someone about it, though, the memory is gone again.

-To try to combat these issues, Luca keeps notebooks stashed everywhere. He writes down anything that might be important, as well as anything sentimental. The obvious issue with this, however, is that he doesn’t always remember where he keeps these notebooks.

-Despite his memory problems, his personality is largely in-tact. He maintains a lot of gentlemanly mannerisms and is cordial, if not outright friendly, to just about everyone he meets. Generally, he’s only “rude” in the sense that his attention tends to shift very abruptly.

-He’s the sort of person who appreciates variety. In people, food, scenery, just about everything. Part of why he gets along with so many people is because he can genuinely appreciate all manner of skillsets and hobbies. Likewise, to be a friend to him you only need to show appreciation for his work; understanding is not a requirement.

-It’s canon that he dislikes noise, but enjoys music. These might seem like clashing sentiments, but what it really comes down to is expected noise. Music can be relaxing, inspiring, rush-inducing! It holds your mind’s hand and hurries it along its thoughtful way. JUST noise is…chaotic, distracting, and sometimes startling. Plus, Luca likes being able to hum along while he works.

-It’s common to be static-zapped if you touch him. Long-term contact can even cause your hair to start standing on end. Unfortunately, it isn’t something he can control, so just be prepared to deal with it.

-The best Love Language to give Luca is Quality Time. He can honestly work with pretty much all of them, but Quality Time checks multiple boxes—especially if you’re good with parallel play. For one, he gets so busy with his work that it sometimes makes him feel guilty for neglecting the people he cares about. If you’re comfortable just hanging around his space, doing your own thing while he does his, it’s easier for him to check in with you between the erratic come-and-go of his thoughts. Those small bits of time add up, and he feels much better about his workaholic nature. Second, the more you permeate his memory, the less likely he feels he is to forget you. One of the few things he doesn’t struggle to remember is himself, his own name, and if you’re always there maybe it’ll be the same for you.

-He has trouble balancing his priorities. He often foregoes food, sleep, hygiene, and even his loved ones in favor of working on his invention. Sometimes he’s so absorbed in it that he doesn’t even understand the weight of hurtful decisions, but even when he does, he’d find it difficult to change.

-It’s also never impossible for the emotions that caused the accident to rear their head again. If someone were ever to intentionally sabotage Luca’s work or unapologetically steal his ideas, he may very well lash out with violence. Even if it were an accident, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t be enraged.

-Luca has no idea what he’d do with himself if he ever did finish his invention. The guilt he feels for what may-have-happened is confused and warped, and he keeps it buried beneath his weighty obsession with the one thing he’s never forgotten…but if it were ever to be out of the way, Luca might be consumed by darkness.