#I’m so sorry for everything this child goes through as an adult

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Little Miss Sunshine 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Nick Fowler

This AU is called Watcher Anonymous and will include different series for different characters. This is our introduction to Nick and Cloudy.

Summary: a bored man needs a new light in his life.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

Nick has a lot of habits. Some would call it a routine. His work is often unpredictable so his personal life needs to be tightly curated.

His new habit is her. He knows he shouldn't. That he's abusing his security clearance and his professional access. He knows that he is in dangerous territory but he's always thrived there.

Unusual territory for sure. He's a bit too old to be in the campus cafe but one might assume he's faculty, not pupil. He imagines that line of work might be boring. Safer, sure, but he's not sure he could bear the monotony.

She's at the corner table with her small tea. The cheapest thing on the menu. She counted out nickels just to purchase it then got a dirty look from the barista for having to pour hot water without a tip.

She pores over a textbook as she nurses the brew. She's oblivious to everything else going on. To him. It might be why she finds herself in such a downtrodden state much of the time.

Her phone lights up. She looks at it and frowns. She shakes her head and goes back to reading. She makes notes in her notebook, roll her hand to stretch her wrist as her fingers cramp. He can't say she doesn't try.

Her cell buzzes again and she blows through her lips and pops her head up. She swipes it up and reads the screen. Her face falls. He subtly slides his own phone from his pocket. He can see her messages on his screen. An old work trick.

'Call me. Now.'

It's from Jackie, her aunt. From his observation, he knows that's her aunt. She lives in her spare room so she can afford her classes. They don't have a very good relationship.

She closes up her books and slides them into her knapsack. She drapes it over her shoulder and her jacket over her forearm as she gets up. She knocks the table and sends the dregs of her tea all over the floor, spilling some down her jeans. She hangs her head and cleans it up. She wads up napkins as she only manages to spread it around. She gives up and apologises to the disproving employee behind the counter before fleeing.

He takes out an earbud and puts it in. She hurries out, a dot on his screen, and he flips through his apps. His Bluetooth picks up her call as her aunt picks up.

"I've been calling," the woman chides.

"I know. Sorry, I'm studying--"

"You have lots of time to study. And to find a new place."

"What?" She blurts out.

"Eh, well, your cousin needs to move back--"

"But-- but I've been paying you--"

"It barely covers the light bill," her aunt snips.

"But I buy my own food and--"

"It's too bad. What am I supposed to do, put my own child out on the street?" She huffs.

"When--"

"This week. You need to start packing."

"This week? How am I supposed to--"

"You're an adult," she derides. "You are just like your mother. I knew this was going to be a problem."

The line clicks. The call's over. Nick sneers and snags someone's gaze. They shy away as they mistake his spite as being aimed at them. He gets up and goes back to the map.

Her mother isn't any better. He's seen their messages. She's on pills even though she denies it. She burned bridges with the rest of the family. Her sister has every right to be upset. He went through months of messages. Still, the sins of the mother don't belong to the daughter. He's no stranger to cruelty, not in his line of work, but he doesn't see how anyone could be mean to her.

This is a problem. Not just for her. He can't just watch her be tossed out and yet, how can unveil himself without giving away the game? Watching is what he does.

He hears her crying before he sees her. She's at the bottom of some stairs, hiding as she mops her face. She doesn't hear him. He doesn't want her too. He needs to figure out how to finagle this. Maybe a fake ad? An email? Campus services always sends out housing stuff... He'll figure it out.

Her shoulders shake as she sobs. His chest pangs. She looks so frail down there. She leans into the wall and hugs her bag. Nothing else has gone right for her but maybe he can be the one thing that does.

Shit. Now his phone is going. He quickly retreats before the vibration can give him away. He pushes through a door and eases it shut behind him. He answers.

"Fowler?" The voice on the other end greets. He furrows his brows. Strange, he hasn't heard from Jensen in years. Not since they worked together.

"Jensen, long time."

"Sure has been," the other man agrees. "I... I have a favour to ask you."

"Really?" Nick taps his chin as his brain sparks. Jensen has a talent for tech and he's clever to boot. "Just so happens, I have one too."

[calmlycawingcrow]

Master and padawan

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

sorry before I go to bed I’m thinking bout the different ways Evangelion portrays csa.

asuka's (metaphorical) rape is done by a stranger. someone she doesn’t know. a literal monster. as someone who’s always prided herself on being able to fight, being able to always win, this shatters asuka, who feels such a thing makes her weak. she responds to her trauma by regressing, playing video games at her friends house and speaking to her like a young child, before shutting down entirely to the point of attempted suicide. she’s later sexually abused by shinji, taking his own trauma out on her, and while we don’t see as much of how that effects her, we see the tragedy of the cycles of abuse play out.

shinji's sexual abuse is done by a friend. he doesn’t realise it’s wrong, and misato thinks she’s helping, because he’s a boy and boys like that right? but misato not realising the harm of her actions do not make her any less harmful. there’s a lot of complicated feelings and emotions there, and it very much deals heavily with the complexities of abuse- not all abusers realise what they’re doing. not all abusers even have sexual intent (misato absolutely doesn’t see shinji in a romantic light at all, she's not attracted to him). not all victims hate their abusers, and not all victims fully realise how inappropriate their abusers actions are. yet, the abuse still has impacts- as seen with shinji's complete lack of sexual boundaries, to the point of assaulting asuka for a desperate sense of control. he recognises that it’s awful- it’s something familiar to him to a degree- but as a severely traumatised child, he lashes out and inflicts his own pain on others. which is not acceptable, obviously, but it’s tragic, and shows how abuse makes people worse.

and as for rei, she's abused by her own father. the signs are there, but they don't entirely click at first, and neither do they click to the adults who should be looking out for her. the sexual abuse she faces is overlooked even when it’s right under everyone’s noses. and when someone does put the dots together, they blame her for it. rei's abuse, like a lot of familial abuse, is either ignored or something she’s considered at fault for, despite being sheltered and groomed all her life, and, y’know, fourteen. rei's arc also focuses heavily on her conflicted feelings about her abuser, but in a different way to shinji. she, at first, idolises gendo. she's been groomed her whole life, and is incredibly isolated. what happens is normal to her, she doesn’t see it as wrong because she’s never been told it’s wrong. the idea of not having faith in gendo is alien to her. but as time goes on, she realises what happens isn’t special, it isn’t okay. by the time she dies and another version of her takes her place (the rei's share a soul, so they’re the same person even if rei iii can’t remember everything) she’s quietly furious at the idea of being a doll, and realises she can be more. when her abuser touches her, she literally tears off his hand. and she attains agency! that’s the final part of her storyline. she has agency, for the first time in her life. and she might have chose to listen to shinji on what to do, but she chose for the first time, it’s a massive step and honestly it really struck me as a beautiful ending to her character arc.

idk man. i just like how this mecha anime interrogates a sensitive subject from multiple angles and has genuinely suprisingly good depictions of even abuse that’s not recognised as abuse by most still. it’s nice! it’s refreshing. honestly, they committed to exploring abuse and never trying to apologise for it, and it’s fucking great. i'm personally not a csa victim, but i did go through sexual trauma at around the same ages of these characters, and i found myself relating a lot to their arcs around this due to that even if our experiences are pretty different. i felt aspects of how i dealt with things, especially in rei and shinji but to a degree asuka as well, and it made me feel more confident in myself. if shinji ikari can choose to live, so can I :)

[februaryfic]

Honey, You're Familiar: Chapter Three

(AO3) (Masterpost) (4625 Words)

A Steve Harrington x meta!Reader slowburn multichapter fic.

Summary: You befriend a psychic, give Steve a pep talk, and get the gang together.

---

You, Hopper and Joyce sit in the Byers’ living room. 

“You kicked Lonnie out again then?” You ask.

“I found the pamphlet, right where you said it would be.” Joyce says furiously. “God, I can’t believe that bastard!”

“I’m sorry-” you begin.

“No, no, this is on me for even believing him in the first place!” Joyce fumes. 

“Let’s focus on Will,” Hopper intervenes, trying to bring calm to the situation. “What do we do next?”

“You go to see Terry Ives,”

“Ives… why do I know that name?” Hopper mutters, before a look of horror dawns in his eyes. “The woman who said Dr Brenner took her kid, from the news report. So she was telling the truth all along?”

You nod solemnly. “Her child, Jane, is the girl who was seen at Benny’s diner, who has been hiding in Mike Wheeler’s basement the past week,”

“The one who’s been in the lab the whole time.”

“That’s right. I’m going to be meeting with her tonight, hopefully, which should set us up well for tomorrow.”

“And what’s happening tomorrow?” Joyce asks.

“Mike Wheeler’s going to jump off a cliff, Jonathan is going to punch a cop, and we might- might- just save your son,”

“Might?” Hopper questions. 

“Just because I know the future, doesn’t mean I control it,” you reply with a shake of your head. “I’ve done everything I can to set us up for success, now we just have to hope that everything goes according to plan. Speaking of—” 

You get up from the couch and head into Will’s room, reaching under the bed to find what you’re looking for. You pull out his walkie-talkie and head back to the adults. “—I need to take this.”

“But it's Will’s.” Joyce weakly protests.

“I know. And when we get him back tomorrow night, I will give it straight back, okay?” you pick your words carefully, and they have the intended effect of reassuring Joyce. She leans back into the sofa heavily.

“You can’t tell us anything else?” Hopper asks, still tense.

You pause. In the show, Hopper tells the lab where El is in exchange for letting him and Joyce go through the gate. You pray he will make a better choice in this reality. “We need to protect Eleven. We need to keep her away from those monsters at the lab, so keep her location a secret.”

You turn to Joyce and add: “And don’t be too hard on Jonathan when you get to the station. It's been a rough week for all of us,”

You go to leave but remember one last thing. “Do you have any children’s gloves?”

—

God it’s cold out. Now that the sun has completely set and the moon hangs in the sky, the November chill permeates the air, cooling you to the bone and making you shiver. The trees seem to shiver too as the wind bristles through them, filling the woods with a susurrus of leaves. The cold makes the scabbed gashes on your calf ache but you maintain your search. In the show, it’s implied that Eleven slept in the woods after the fight with Mike in the junkyard, but you just couldn’t let the poor girl suffer through that. 

Eventually, you spot a flash of baby pink fabric. 

“El! I’m not with the bad men or your papa, I’m a friend of Mike’s! Can we talk please?” You call out, hoping and praying that she dares to trust you.

You hear a rustle from behind a tree before the scruffy girl steps out. “Friend?” She asks, watching you with wide, owlish eyes. 

“Yes, I’m a friend. I know you just had a fight with Mike and I want to help. You can’t stay out here all night, you’ll freeze,”

“You know? Know how?” Her eyes narrow as she wraps her arms around herself.

“It’s a little bit of a long story, will you come back to my home to talk? It’s warm and we can have something nice to eat,”

El hugs herself tighter, clearly feeling the chill but not trusting you enough to follow.

“Eleven, I promise I will do everything I can to keep the bad men away from you. You’re safe with me. Friends don’t lie, right?” taking a risk, you reach your hand out to her. 

She walks towards you at an agonisingly slow pace, as if waiting for you to change your tune and attack. Her small hand slips into yours and you hiss under your breath as you feel her frozen fingers. Thank god for planning ahead. 

“Here,” you offer, pulling the pair of gloves out of your jacket. El watches as you carefully pull them onto her hands and secure them around her wrists.

“Better?” you ask.

“Better,” she echoes.

—

Her eyes follow you in an unnerving way as you potter around your apartment. El is curled up on your armchair with a blanket while you prepare dinner for both of you. 

“You know Mike?” she eventually asks, nervously, like she’s afraid of being told off for speaking. Your heart aches for her. 

“I do! I know Dustin and Will and Lucas too. I work at an arcade, which is a building where you can go to play lots of games,” you explain. 

“Lucas…” she whispers sadly. You head to her and crouch down before the armchair.

“El, you didn’t mean to hurt him. You’re not a monster. He and Mike were fighting, so you wanted them to stop, right?”

She nods her head cautiously, still confused by how you know all this.

“Exactly. And you used a bit too much power and threw Lucas a bit too far. Accidents happen, kiddo. You should still apologise when you next see him, just like he should apologise for saying those bad things about you, but it doesn’t make you a monster,”

“He’s right,” she says, tears now welling in her eyes as her breath catches in her chest. “The bad things. I lied. Lucas is right,” 

You gather her in your arms as her tears turn to full blown sobs. She tenses for a long moment, before returning the hug tightly.

“El… Lucas is upset because his friend is missing. All he saw was you messing with the compasses, but he didn’t understand your intentions.”

“In-ten…”

“Intentions. It means he doesn’t know why you did it.”

“Keep them safe.”

“I know, kiddo. But they don’t know about the gate, or the monster. They don’t know how dangerous it is, so they don’t know what you’re trying to keep them safe from.” 

“You know…?” El pulls back, looking at you cautiously again.

“About the gate and the monster? Yeah,” You say sadly. Your timer in the kitchen goes off, making El jump. “I’ll explain while we’re eating, okay? Food is important, I don’t want you getting hungry.”

El wolfs down your pasta bake like she hasn’t eaten in days. Which, to be fair, is almost the case. You doubt Mike was able to sneak her much.

You tell her about your home world, about the tv show, about the things you’ve changed. She listens attentively through it all.

“Here… why?” she eventually asks, pasta sauce around her mouth. You hand her a napkin, which she stares at in confusion, before you just reach over and wipe it off yourself.

“I don’t know why I’m here,” you admit. “It’s a little scary. I think it might have something to do with the Upside Down, but I came here before the gate was opened,”

“Help find out.” El says with determination, small face turning serious, and you can’t help but smile at her instinct to help.

“Thank you El, that’s really sweet of you. You’re a good kid.” You say, making her blush. 

You get her to help you wash the dishes, letting her play with the soap suds that surround the sink. After, you get out some old pyjamas and offer them to her, but she looks at them unhappily.

“No,” she says, crossing her arms. It takes you a moment to guess why.

“I’m not going to take the dress away from you, kiddo. We can clean it up and you can put it back on tomorrow. This is just so you’re comfy and warm while you sleep.” 

“Promise?”

“I promise, El. I won’t take the dress away from you.”

She takes the dress off and you prepare some warm water as she changes into the pyjamas. You get a cloth and wipe the dirt off the dress, tidying it up a little and leaving it on a hanger where El can see it. It isn’t as good as a full wash, but it’s still an improvement. 

She eventually joins you in the bathroom.

“Can I wash your face?” You ask, showing her the sink of water and the cloth in your hand.

She touches the water and the cloth carefully before nodding slowly at you. Gently, you wipe over her face, removing both the dirt and the old makeup Mike had applied to her face yesterday. She watches you as you move the cloth around her face, carefully scrubbing at a clump of dirt that has nestled its way into her eyebrow.

“Pretty,” she says, looking at you past the washcloth.

“You think I’m pretty? Thank you, El,” you smile. “I think you’re really pretty too,”

She ducks her head at this, pulling away from the cloth. “Lie,” she mutters, embarrassed.

“Hey!” you say, encouraging her head back up so you can look her in the eye. “Friends don’t lie, El. You are really pretty,”

The girl runs an insecure hand over her scalp, but doesn’t duck her head again.

“So what if you don’t have any hair right now? It just means everyone can see your pretty eyes better,” You say, repeating a line your mom once told you when you accidentally cut your bangs too short. “Besides, hair grows back, kiddo. In fact, I know in the future, you have lovely curly hair,”

“Really?” she asks, wide eyed. 

“Really,” you confirm. “Now stay still, I haven’t cleaned behind your ears,”

—

You wake up with visions of the demogorgon still haunting your mind, and a cramp in your mostly healed leg. You had given El your bed and slept curled up in your armchair. You limp over to the toaster and put in some eggos for you both.

“Hurt?” El asks, making you jump. She is peeking her head through the bedroom door which you had left open through the night.

“Uh, yeah. The demogorgon hurt me.”

“When?”

“Tuesday. The same day Mike spent the day with you and you saw the picture of Will.”

“Mike…”

“You’re gonna see him again today, kiddo. In fact, he’s gonna need your help. You remember the mouthbreathers from the middle school?”

She gets a mischievous smile as she thinks back to that day, giving you a nod. 

“Well, they’re going to try and hurt Mike and Dustin. You’ll need to use your powers to save them.”

“Use powers?” She says, her eyes suddenly filling with doubt and fear. The toaster pops and you lead her to the table, handing her the plate of waffles. 

“Your powers aren’t bad, El. You can use them to hurt people, yes, but you can also use them to help. And Mike will need your help today,”

—

You walk Eleven back to the woods, and show her where she can hide near the quarry until the time is right. 

“Okay, today will be a little intense, so I need you to listen, alright? After you’ve helped Mike and Dustin you can stop by Mike’s house to resupply but you need to leave as soon as you can, okay? Your papa is going to come looking for you.”

“Papa?” El gasps, shoulders tensing, and you can’t help but wrap her in your arms once more. 

“Yeah. But I promise we’re all going to do everything we can to keep him away from you, okay? Just make sure Mike and Dustin leave the house really quickly,”

“Okay,” she nods. 

You lean back so you can look into her eyes. “I’ll meet up with you later today, alright? I promise. But you need to help Mike and Dustin on your own first.”

“You go where?”

“I need to go help some other people now, and then we’re all going to meet up together, alright? I will see you later.”

“You promise,” she states.

“That’s right, I do,” You smile at her, giving her one last hug before leaving her in her hiding place. As much as it kills you to leave her, she needs to do this on her own. The situation with Lucas has knocked her confidence. She needs to know that her powers can do good.

—

Your trek over to the police station takes you through town. In the parking lot of the furniture store, you spot a familiar looking car, with a familiar looking boy sulking while sat on the hood. You look at the town clock—do you have time for this? Just because Steve was one of your favourite characters, doesn’t mean you can ignore your responsibilities every time you see him- you need to be at the police station pretty soon. You look over again at the dejected figure, who seems  to be making a tremendous effort to try and fade out of existence. 

God damn it. 

“Steve!” you call out, jogging over. “You look like hell,”

He stays quiet for long enough that it starts to worry you. He just holds his rapidly warming can of soda to his face and stares at the ground. Eventually, you hop up onto the hood of his car next to him, and sit in silence until he’s ready.

“I think I fucked up,” he eventually says.

“Want to talk about it?” you ask, gently. 

“No. I just want—” he breaks off, running a frustrated hand through his hair. “I just- do you ever wish you were someone else? Like, a completely different person? I don’t know. It’s stupid,”

“It’s not stupid, I get it. Like you could just wipe the slate clean and start over, right?”

“Exactly,” he turns to you, finally making eye contact. His face looks even worse up close. “I just think I’ve fucked this all up, y’know? And if I were a different person, I could do it all differently. Do it better,”

“Why can’t you things differently while still being you?” you ask, encouraging him to get to the root of what he’s saying.

“Because! I’m me and everyone knows me. Everyone knows who Steve Harrington is,” He says his own name with venom.

“And who is Steve Harrington?”

He goes quiet again before responding. “An asshole.”

God he makes your heart break sometimes. You shuffle closer to him on the hood so you can lean into his shoulder. He always seemed like a touchy person on the show, and you hope that it will help ground him. The way he sags into your side seems to prove you right. 

“I’ll admit,” You start, “You’ve done some pretty asshole-ish things. Was the graffiti on the marquee you?”

“Tommy,” He replies, “But I agreed. I had him stand on my shoulders so he could do it,”

“That sucks. I bet that really hurt Nancy.”

“Just because someone hurts me, I don’t have to hurt them back twice as bad, right?” he mutters darkly. 

“Right,” you respond, a little surprised that he remembered what you said. “So what are you doing to fix it?”

“What?”

“You say you’re an asshole, but you’re just a person. A person who is making asshole-ish actions maybe—” you nudge him with a smirk and are happy to see him crack a little smile back, “—but you can choose to be different whenever you like.”

“It's not that easy!”

“It really, really is.” You put every ounce of sincerity you can manage into your words, watching Steve consider them. He fusses with his hair anxiously, hesitation lingering around him.

“People will- they’ll say things.”

“People like… Tommy and Carol?”

He hesitates another moment, then nods. 

“Fuck Tommy and Carol!” you say, making him burst into a shocked laugh. “Who cares what those two miserable bitches think. Don’t let them drag you down with them.”

“They’re my only real friends…” Steve all but whispers, as if it's a shameful secret.

“They don’t seem like very ‘real’ friends to me,” you say firmly. “I’ve never had many friends either. I know it's scary to turn your back on them, but you’ll make more friends. Better friends,”

“You never had many friends?” Steve stares at you, aghast.

“Not the point I was trying to make, but yeah. I was alone for most of school.”

“But, why? You’re so nice,”

“I was bullied a lot. Most people didn’t want to be seen with me after that,”

“That’s stupid. They didn’t know what they were missing,” Steve says, with such seriousness that you almost believe it yourself. 

“You’re sweet. Now stop trying to change the subject,” You shove him gently, making him laugh again. “You want to be a different person? Then make different choices.”

“I don’t know how,” he replies honestly.

“You’re smart, you’ll figure it out. But I’ll give you a hint. Spray paint is real annoying to scrub off a marquee,” You slide off the car and give him a smile. “I need to go, but I’ll see you around, yeah?”

Steve looks into your eyes with a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah, see you around Y/n.”

— 

Your conversation with Steve seems to have delayed you perfectly: from across the street you can see Hopper, Joyce, Barb, Nancy, and Jonathan bundled into the car, clearly arguing. Arguing about where the kids might be and how to find them. An argument you can put an end to.

You rap your knuckles on the window, making them all jump.

“Hey, let me in!” you call through the glass.

“Y/n?” Jonathan questions, not opening the door.

“Let her in kid, she knows everything,” Hopper says. Jonathan does and you squeeze into the already crowded backseat. “So, where are they?” he asks.

“Junkyard, but we’ll need to warn them we’re coming,” you say. Jonathan, Nancy and Barb look at you in astonishment. You’ll need to catch them up to speed. 

“How are we supposed to warn them?” Joyce asks.

You pull out the walkie-talkie you took from under Will’s bed two nights ago and smile.

—

Once you’re close enough to the junkyard to be in range, you start talking. It's only you and Hopper left in the car, the others being dropped off at the Byers’ house to leave space for the kids.

“Hey. This is Y/n, from the arcade,” You speak into the walkie. “El, do you remember what I told you before I sent you to the quarry? About how we’d meet up later? I’m here with Chief Hopper. I know where you guys are and we’re heading there now. I’m not going to say where in case they can listen in, but Eleven knows that I’m telling the truth. We need you to meet with us when we call, okay? Do you copy?”

Silence. For 4, 5 seconds, then—

“This is Mike. We copy,”

You sag in relief. “See you soon, stay hidden until you hear us call, okay? And Dustin, this is not a Lando Calrissian situation!”

—

Hopper insists on you staying in the car while he takes out the three lab agents prowling the junkyard. You almost protest, but stop yourself. Those guys have real guns! You don’t have plot armor! You keep your head ducked below the dashboard until Hopper gives you a wave to let you know it’s safe. 

You hop out the car and lead Hopper straight over to the abandoned school bus, knocking on the side of it. 

“This is Y/n and Hopper! You’re safe to come out!” you call. The kids come scrambling out of their hiding places, looking at you and Hopper with wide, suspicious eyes.

Except for El. She immediately runs up to you, before awkwardly stopping. She looks up at you, looks at your arms, and shifts in place. Oh. She wants a hug.

You crouch down and wrap her in your arms, hearing her exhale in relief.

“You promised,” she says.

“I did. Me and the Chief are here to take you guys somewhere safe,” you say. “Well… safer, at least.”

“How do you know El?” Mike squares up with you, eyes narrowed.

“And how did you know about Lando?” Dustin adds, as if that is of equal importance. 

You turn to Mike. “Where do you think she slept last night? I fetched her from the woods and we had a lovely girl’s night.”

Mike looks abashed, knowing he was the one who scared her off into the woods. 

You turn to Dustin. “That one is a little harder to explain. Come on, we’ll talk back at the house,”

—

“So you’re from the future?” Dustin shouts in excitement.

“More like a parallel universe? But kind of, yeah.” you reply.

“Do we have flying cars yet?”

“No.”

“A Mars colony?”

“No.”

“Holograms?” 

“No.”

“What about—”

“Enough!” Hopper yells, silencing the room. “Now that we’re all on the same page, what do we do next?” he asks, making everyone stare at you. 

“Well… in the show El tries to contact Will here, but doesn’t have enough power. So everyone goes to the middle school to make a sensory deprivation bath to help her,”

“Why the middle school?” Lucas asks.

“We need the de-icing salt to make the water buoyant enough. You filled the Byers’ old kiddie pool,” At your words, Joyce leaves the room to go fetch it.

“Why do we even need to do this? Can’t you just tell us where he is?” Jonathan asks, frustrated. He hasn’t made full eye contact with you since you admitted you knew Will was going to be taken, hands clenched by his side. 

“He was eventually found at the library in the version of the story I know. But do we know if that’s changed? If I tell you to go to the library and I’m wrong, you could get killed by the demogorgon before you ever reach him. We need to be sure.” you say firmly. 

Glancing at Barb, you continue: “Besides, I’ve made changes in this world. I don’t know if that will change where he’s found.”

“What kind of changes?” Nancy asks.

You had tidily avoided mentioning your interference with Barb’s death in your original recap, focusing on Will’s disappearance and how you knew about it, but you suppose you were going to have to answer this question eventually. 

“Barbara,” you say, looking at her cautiously. “You were going to be attacked by the demogorgon that night at Steve’s house, by the pool. I lured it away.”

“Attacked…” Barb repeats, sensing the hidden meaning in your words. You give her a guilty half-smile. 

“You fought that thing?” Dustin asks, wide eyed.

“Less ‘fought’ and more ‘biked away from it while crying’, but yeah,” you respond, ducking your head. 

“She told me about why Lonnie was really here, too,” Joyce adds, throwing down the old kiddie pool and rejoining the group. “Helped me find his damn lawyer pamphlet so I could kick him out after the wake.”

“Lawyer pamphlet?” Jonathan repeats. 

Joyce looks at him guiltily. “He wanted to sue the quarry. That’s why he came back,”

Jonathan ducks his head, hiding his anger, and you watch Nancy place a hand on his back in comfort.

“We need to move, we have the pool. Let's go,” Hopper says, making everyone stand up and herd into the various cars. 

You end up in a car with most of the kids and Hopper. El stays stuck to your side, and Mike stays stuck to hers. Dustin and Lucas have a brief argument over who else gets to ride with you before Hopper yells at them to hurry up and Dustin scurries off in defeat. 

“You guys ever wanted to break into your middle school?” You turn back in your seat to ask them, making the boys’ eyes light up. 

—

At the school, Barb pulls you away from the group. You’re on the hunt for duct tape to help black-out some goggles that Joyce had found in the science room. 

“So… I’m supposed to be dead,” she starts as she leads you towards a maintenance closet.

“That’s what happens in the show.” you say nervously, unsure of where she might be going with this. 

“How does it happen?” she asks.

“I’m not sure if I should-”

“Just tell me,” she says bluntly, cutting you off and staring you down. 

You sigh. “Nancy and Steve go upstairs to dry off after jumping in the pool. You say you’re not having fun, Nancy tells you to leave. You go out and sit by the pool and the blood from where you cut yourself attracts the demogorgon. It drags you to the Upside Down and you’re dead within minutes.” 

It’s not a fun story to tell.

“Just like that?” Barb asks.

“Just like that,” You confirm. “Nancy goes off the deep end trying to get answers. She investigates the woods, she talks to the police, she does everything she can to try and find you. In the show, El isn’t just in the bath to try and contact Will. She tries to contact you, too,”

“But I’m dead,” Barb concludes, clearly upset. “How come Will can be saved but I can’t?”

“I don’t know. The demogorgon kills most of the people it takes. Will just got lucky,”

“So it isn’t just me?” 

“What do you mean?”

“It isn’t just me that gets killed. I’m not the only one who couldn’t survive it,”

Ah. That’s what this is about. You stop walking and face her properly.

“Barb, this thing is a killing machine. The fact that Will has survived this long is the exception, not the rule. Two hunters, Dale and Henry, were killed by this thing a few days ago. Two grown men, probably both armed, and they couldn’t fight this thing. You’re not weak for dying to it.”

She sighs and leans against the corridor wall. 

“I saw it. That night when I was meant to die. I was getting into my car when I felt like something was watching me. It made my lights go out, chased me along the side of the road for almost a mile,” she stops and chokes a breath, trying to calm down. “I was so scared, I was crying but I didn’t want to pull over in case it caught up,”

She puts her head in her hands, taking deep breaths. You put a hand on her arm in comfort. 

“I don’t know how I’m supposed to do this,” she says. “Knowing that that thing is out there. I’m not even supposed to be here, how am I supposed to help?”

“If it helps, I’m not supposed to be here either,” you murmur, at a loss on what to say. 

She huffs out a bitter laugh. “Why didn’t you just run?” she asks. “You could have just kept your head down and not gotten involved, no one would blame you,”

“The same reason you’re not running, I suppose,” you reply quietly. 

The two of you stare at each other for several moments, before she gives you a nod and continues walking down the hall to the maintenance closet.

“Are you coming?” she calls over her shoulder to you. 

You jog to catch up, feeling like you’ve achieved a kinship with the girl. 

[gailroberts]

BACKSTORY

The first thought Abigail had when they entered the ring was that it was loud. The cheering seemed to echo off of the walls of the place, making her own thoughts sound soft. She tightened her grip on her uncle’s hand as they made their way through the swarm of adults. It felt like it would be easy to get lost here. Her uncle squeezes her hand.]

“Come on Squirt, when have you ever been shy? I told you, this is a good chance to make some friends. Friends like you.”

[Abigail shrugs, looking around, taking everything in. There were two kids who looked a little older than her in the center of the ring already fighting]

“It’s just loud.”

“Course it's loud, they’re cheering. Right now, they’re cheering for that one over there, the Underdog.” Gail’s uncle picks her up so she can get a better view of the fight, “See the one in the corner catching their breath? That’s Shadow Rider, they can hop into shadows but only for as long as they can hold their breath, and they don’t know which shadow they'll come out of. They’re a newbie. The other one, Jaguar, is the current champ, she can form claws out of her nails. Typically most kids back down after a scratch.”

[Abigail huffs, she could handle a scratch. Her uncle chuckles.}

“I know Squirt, a little scratch is nothing for you right?”

“Yeah, I bet I could take them.”

“Good! Cause I signed you up. You’re match is up next.”

“Wait really?”

“Yup. How else are you gonna meet the kids?”

“I guess that’s fair"

—

[Abigail was holding their broken nose. It hurt. Bad. Why did it hurt so much? The other kids didn’t get this hurt when they were in the ring. The cheering of the crowd goes silent. Abigail looks up to see why. There were multiple small black rifts open around the ring, they were destroying everything they touched and their opponent was starting to get dragged near it. A scream cuts through the crowd. A mother screaming, begging that they stop, that they would let her child live, calling for someone to intervene.

[Abigail realizes it was them. They were the reason the rifts were open. In the midst of the pain the small pressure in the back of their head that they kept there constantly was gone. Abigail quickly focused clamping down on the rifts, building that pressure back up. The rifts slowly close and the kid rushes out of the ring tears streaming down their face. Abigail had won by default. But it didn’t feel like a win. Suddenly they missed the cheering roars of the crowd, where was the applause? Where was the deafening yells. It was silent as the referee claims Abigail as the winner. It was silent as they walked out of the ring and into the locker rooms. It was silent as the other kids rushed out of the locker room when Abigail walked in.

The silence was finally broken by their soft sobs as Abigail crumples into a ball pulling their knees to their chest. The pressure fades and the rifts open once again as they lose themselves in tears. They had nearly killed someone, actually killed someone. They were a monster. The faint memory of a voice fills their ear.

“It’s okay little birdie, let it out”

[They feel a sharp pain on their cheek]

“Sophia Abigail Bauer!”

[Their uncle is in front of them. The rifts are all over the room, the black void pulling locker doors open and destroying anything that can fly into them]

“You have to focus! Shut it down, now!”

[Abigail hesitates for a second before focusing solely on clamping down the magic. Eventually the rifts close and Abigail sniffles]

“I’m sorry Uncle Robbert I was jus-”

“Stop it. You’re fine. The kid is alive, you are alive, and you won. Things are okay.”

“But I nearly hurt them!”

“Abigail you can't focus on that. I’m sorry but you don’t have the privilege. You’re dangerous, but that just means you have to work harder than everyone else. When you lose yourself like this, that is when people are in danger. Cheer up, stop focusing on the past. The only thing you need to focus on is what your next move is.”

“..My next move?”

“Yup. Tears bring danger, so smile. You won and everyone is okay so our next move is ice cream.”

[Abigail tries to smile but it comes out shakey]

“We’ll work on it, come on, you did good work today. You got a sponsor! That means your gonna come and train after school.”

—

“What’s your next move?”

[The voice of Gail’s uncle echoes through her head as Coven tells her the news]

“You’ll be staying with me now that your mother and Uncle are dead.”

“What’s your next move?”

[Gail smiles, it’s a little tight]

“Thanks for taking me in, when’s my next match?

—

[Gail is on fire, they can smell their flesh burning as spitfires flames eat away at their chest.]

“What’s your next move?"

[Spitfire is knocked out within the next ten seconds, Gail laughs away the pain]

—

[Cal is staring at her, waiting for some response. John is her father. John abandoned her. John could have saved-]

“What’s your next move?”

[Gail smiles loose and easy, with practice it now looks far more natural]

“Cool. So what were you thinking for dinner?”

[writer1]

Tales of Kya

A/N: This is an Arcane fic featuring my oc, I hope you enjoy! It most likely will not be in order as I have adhd and want to write what I enjoy and catches my interest.

Chapter 1: Taking chances

“Kya? Pass me that wrench.”

Kya hums softly and passes the wrench to viktor, then she continues to draw up plans for a new invention. She hums softly, her mouth pressed in a tight line. It’s been almost a year. A year since she lost her whole family, a year since she stopped visiting Zaun…. She can’t believe it. How can so much change in such a short time. She looks over at her partners and smiles softly, a blush dusting her cheeks as she starts doodling Viktor.

She was born a Zaunite, and came to the academy to learn and grow her gift of magic. She is a mage, a powerful one who… can’t quite control her powers. The daughter of Vander himself and Maria, a Mage of an extinct tribe. She is.., broken, seeing spirits and supposed hellucinations. but she’s more than that. She’s an inventor, a scientist, an artist… a friend, and maybe someday she could be more to one or… even both of her partners.

Kya shakes the thought from her mind, that’s a silly notion. It’s a bigger possibility that neither love her. But maybe she’ll get the courage soon, hopefully… probably not.

“So, a year since us 3 started Hextech, how should we celebrate?” Jayce asks, spinning in his chair. ”only a week left, we should decide?”

“I’m just gonna stay home.” Kya hums, running her hand through her hair. She’s too nervous and… that’s the anniversary of losing everything. Her whole family.

“That’s what I’m planning to do too.” Viktor hums. “Though if you would like to join me, Jayce? You too, Kya.” He offers, a very rare offer indeed.

“I’d love to.” Jayce hums.

“No, probably not.” Kya stands up. “I’m heading home, I’ll see you two tomorrow.” She says softly and heads out, humming a small song as she goes. 

“Ohhhh-Kay?” Jayce frowns. “I’m worried about her, she was much…. Happier? When we first met.” 

Viktor frowns. “Yeah, but… since then she’s been sad.” He shrugs. “It’s been a year, if she hasn’t told us by now then she’ll probably never tell us.”

“I guess….” Jayce frowns. “Maybe she’ll surprise us.”

“Maybe.”

xxx

He hates you.

How could anyone be your friend?

You love them both, that’s not right.

They’ll never love a misfit like you.

A mage who hides her powers

Who sees things.

Who-

“SHUT UP!” Kya screams and throws her book at one of the figures, tears in her eyes. “Shut the fuck up!” She crumples to her knees and sobs, covering her ears as the voices continue to taunt her.

The voices have been there for years, since she can remember. They were whispers as a child, they grew into talking as a teenager… and as an adult? They became a roar. 

It’s not fair, why can’t they leave her alone? Why must they taunt her so? Why!

I was so disappointed in you.

Kya’s eyes open wide, tears spilling down her cheeks. No. No why are they using him. Anyone but him.

You left us. You left me. Abandoned your roots for Piltover. What kind of daughter are ya? What kind of sister?

“Da… I’m so sorry.” Kya whispers. “Please… Da…”

It’s too late for apologies, I’m dead. The voice of Vander whispers. You let me die. This… is on you.

Kya sobs, whispering apology after apology. Until the voices finally give her a break, and she crawls into bed. Exhausted and broken.

This isn’t fair.

xxx

“You should tell them.”

“How can I, I love them both and… and I’m younger than them, what if they think I’m immature?” Kya asks softly.

“Kya, you’re 22. Only three years younger. That’s okay.” Caitlin smiles. “You’re not immature. or childish. And maybe you don’t have to choose?”

“I’ll definitely have to choose and I can’t.” Kya sighs. “Maybe… Maybe I’ll write them a letter?” She suggests. “I just… I want to do this right.” 

“You will.” Caitlin promises, hugging her. “You’ve got this, okay? I believe in you.” She smiles softly.

“Of course… thanks Cait.” Kya sighs softly, walking with her best friend and ignoring the voices. She won’t let them bring her down. She… can do this. Yes, she can do this. She’s an inventor. A mage. She’s a Zaunite. She’s tougher than any Pilty.

Yeah. She can do this.

xxx

“I can’t do this.” Kya whispers softly to herself, holding the letter tightly in her hands. Her heart is pounding, cheeks feeling hot as she stares at the door to Viktor’s apartment. 

She should have told them she was coming but… if she had that would have been more reason to talk herself out of it so… of course she’s here now. Which is perfect. It’ll be perfect.

Kya sighs, taking a breath. This is it. It’s her time to tell them the truth, that… she’s been in love with them since creating Hextech. That she can’t help but love them both. That they got her through the hardest time of her life without even realizing it. That… if neither of them love her back, that’s okay. That’s okay. It’ll be… okay. Her letter says it all for her, so she won’t freeze up or sound like an idiot.

She goes to knock, but the door is slightly ajar so she just pushes it open. What she sees makes her eyes widen and fill with tears.

Jayce and Viktor are on the couch, making out and holding hands… they’re in love. They’re in a relationship and… and….

Did you really think they could ever love you?

You’re nothing!

A weakling! 

A freak!

An unwanted bitch!

All they want you around for is your mind and your magic.

They will never love you.

No one will ever love you.

Kya is running, down the hall and straight down the stairs as the tears fall and she holds back sobs. It’s not fair. Why do they have to be right? Why can’t anything go right for her? Why!

Back at the apartment, the letter lays on the floor in front of the door, tear drops blurring some words before suddenly it’s picked up, and everything changes

[backinotomehell]

Curse of Alice - Prologue

What's a girl gotta do?

From zero to one hundred, Dawn Butcher experiences her first big trauma in life to end up in a world where only her eleven-year-old self could dream of. The only issue is Dawn isn't eleven, she's a twenty-four-year-old woman who now has to face the reality of reincarnating into a new world, a new world with some backwards views and no modern-day technology.

Game: Ikemen Villains Pairing: OC x Undecided (may use this to my advantage ;))

Future Content Warnings: detailed descriptions of death and murder. Explorations of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), anxiety and depression. Swearing. Potential smut.

AN: Omg this is the first time I'm writing fanfiction in like ten years which feels insane but also lowkey exciting? Really hoping I can keep this up cause I'm completely raw dogging this.

I do not own anything of Cybrid this is just a silly little fanfic idea I had day dreaming at work. I do not own any of the images for the banner either, I just used picsart to put two different images together.

I’m sat in front of an older woman, greying hair frames her face like a halo and a smile graces her wrinkled lips as she hands me some sort of sweet biscuit from her shaky hands, “So.. Dawn, can you tell me how a pretty thing like you arrives here?” Children scream in delight, loud chatter from the adults and horses hooves clop in the background through the old brick walls and just barely over Gaye's frail voice.

How I arrived here? I can barely answer that question. Thoughts swim through my head trying to connect any sort of dots but nothing is connecting. I pull the shrug that I was lent earlier when I first woke up to help cover my shoulders even closer to me and cough as the cold air and rushed thoughts hit me.

How did I end up here?

Romance once upon a time was on the agenda, when I was 11 years old and had unsupervised access to the internet that is. Tweenage and teenage years I would spend my spare time in between school and extracurricular activities getting my hands on whatever romantic anime or otome game I could get my unchecked horny hands on. I’m 24 now, grown up enough to know that 1. I should not have had access to Diabolik Lovers, and 2. I should have saved my money instead of spending it on every Voltage story before the economy went down the drain. 

Manager money has to go to medication and a physical hobby that helps the chemical imbalance in my brain and rent - not to the pretty 2D men. As much as I wish.

Adjusting my bangs in a large mirror I can hear the recognisable sounds of someone knocking, no, smacking their hands on the gross plastic door that keeps me protected from customers until I have to open them. It’s only 8:50 in the morning? A mum, possibly 30, stares me down as I try to just get ready for the day. Exhausted eyes demand my attention as her young child fusses about in the trolley. Starting up the computer I can feel the pressure of her stare start to get to me, I love my job and customer service but people don’t understand boundaries do they?

It’s 8:58 now and I’m feeling nice, twisting the key into its little slot and a loud mechanical noise starts as the roller door goes up. I can distinctly hear the lady but considering the roller door I cannot distinguish what she says but on closer inspection I do recognize her from yesterday. Anna had come in looking for a nice dress to wear to go to her best friends hens night, this was the first time she would be going out on the town after having kids and wanted to look her best after not paying any attention to herself for a long amount of time. We spent an hour together crafting the perfect outfit and truly reminded me why I loved my job working in a clothing store after seeing her confident smile when we found the one but considering she's here before the vyvanse and lexapro cocktail have kicked in tells me one thing.

"I'm sorry lovey... Could you explain to me everything you just said?" Gayes voice interrupted mine, if I explain what any of that was is she gonna send me to an asylum and explain I have Hysteria? Oh em gee wait would that mean I get a vibrator? "Uhh I opened a door for a customer a couple of minutes before opening, before my daily medication that helps me focus had settled into my body?"

Gaye although visibly confused, nodded lightly urging me to continue.

“Hi! I’m so sorry I’m here so early! I was wondering if I could get a refund? My husband didn’t like the way the dress looked on me,” a nervous chuckle leaves her lips.

Ah yes and the reason why romance also wasn’t on the agenda, this shit. Day in and day out I see gorgeous theys and ladies walk in with their partner and their partner is the crustiest thing to exist. They will walk out the store in boredom, not give an actual opinion to how something looks, take the crappiest photos and the worst sentence I could hear when an opinion is asked “Well if you like it, we can buy it” in theory, great! Perfect! In practice it’s a no from me. It’s dismissive. It just hurts seeing a customer be built up only for their partner to tear them down.

The girlies are strong for handling these walking icks, the romance life is not made for me at least in this universe.

“Well you need to get a new husband!” a bright smile adorns my face.

A sharp gasp had rung my ears as Gaye looked on with a shocked face, "Stop looking at me like that! Women are allowed to divorce their husbands where I'm from," Her mouth closes but her eyes still stay wide and attentive, albeit a little judgmental.

God what a day.

On top of customer service, I had to move the whole store around to make room for the 20 boxes of new stock we received along with an hour-long meeting over zoom that more felt like a theft of my time. Guess I should make a game plan for tomorrow, maybe I should look at schedules as they’ll be due soon. The new brief will be released soon right? Training? Too much to do and certainly not enough time.

I was complaining about romance before but in truth, I’m married to my job. I guess there is romance for me in this universe.

"Do you not have a husband? What about children?"

"Gaye I just told you women can divorce their husbands, do you think we care if a woman in her 20's is unwed?"

“Dawn! Arch your back woman!” Immediately I start listening to the dance instructor in front of me as I catch up to where I lost myself in the routine and not in a good way. Despite the scream of my body to take a break I continue to move my body to the heels routine. Flexing, strutting and twirling my way through and ensuring I don’t literally break a leg in the 6 inch heels, although if I did at least I can use up some of that sick leave I never use while my girls can fend for themselves.

Another shocked gasp graces my ears, "You get paid to be sick?" "Only if we have doctors note requiring us to not work as we recover, on another day let me teach you about annual leave," I should've taken more leave now that the subject was bought up, stupid company gets to keep the 150+ hours I haven't used.

I toss my damp aqua hair out of my face as we come to the end of routine, sweat drips down everyone's skin and heavy breaths blend in with Rompe by Daddy Yankee playing loudly on the sound system. Asha leisurely walks over to her phone to put a stop to the repeating music. Usually, she would be fine by the end of every lesson but with the hot Australian nights, no one is immune to its heat. Everyone falls to the ground in various degrees of dramatic and it's silently decided that the next 20 minutes of this class will be to stretch and gossip, physical exercise be damned for the rest of the night.

"Australia?"

"Yes it's where I... Lived? I'm assuming from how cold it is this is not 'Straya," A quiet few seconds pass "Where are we?" "London my sweet," Worried eyes stare at mine as I take a moment to process what she said. "Right... where was I?" My blood starts to run cold, "I think this is where things went downhill," I can feel my pulse start to quicken.

 "Well, the teacher had to leave the room for a little bit, but she was taking longer than expected so I went… To check on her…” Memories start to flood my memory. The blood. Oh god all the blood… My blood.

Gaye was witness to the young woman to quickly go from white to ghostly and passed out on the floor with a large thud. Dawn was far too tall for Gayes frail bones to pick up so instead she covered the passed-out woman with the shrug she was wearing to keep warm and hobbled out the door to go get help.

"I'll go get you a nice, strong man..."

[nightxcreature]

Old MacDonald

Summary: On a hunt with Sam, Dean, and Bobby, Reader finds herself navigating an uncomfortable situation.

Warnings: Cursing (obvs), Claustrophobia, fear of snakes (mentioned), Prob grammar mistakes (sorry), Reader and Dean fighting for a brief moment

Pairing: Bobby Singer x Daughter!Reader, no established relationships

A/N: Sorry i went on a little hiatus, we're prepping for vacation, and I've been distracted getting everything ready for that. I hope you enjoy this one, its just a fun little hunt.

The small axe in my hands hadn’t touched the wooden floorboards since we arrived at the creepy cabin in the woods several hours before, the three men in front of me having taken it upon themselves to try and pry the wood apart with various other tools. We had been looking for the bones of an old farmer from 1780 and had been led here, in search of a tunnel where he had supposedly been disposed of. Dean had been using anything he could find to tear apart the old building, claiming demolition was his ‘specialty’…and I had rolled my eyes so many times at this point that I’m surprised they hadn’t gotten stuck in the back of my head. The three hunters had yet to find the tunnel under the home, throwing boards and dirt around the cabin haphazardly when Sam finally broke through into blank space below his feet.

                “Found it.” He called, bracing himself against the wall in front of him as he regains his footing, “Doesn’t look like any of us are fitting down there though.”

                I pushed off from the stool I had been sitting on to duck under his arm for a good look. The hole was roughly the size of a laundry chute, big enough for a child or small adult to fit through. I grimaced and shook my head, my thoughts already racing at the idea of someone having to go down there; I’ve never been claustrophobic, but I certainly wasn’t interested in developing the fear.

                “Any other ideas?” I ask, still staring down at the tunnel entrance. When no one answered, I slowly looked up and made eye contact with the two men across the room who were looking at me as if I had two heads. I glance up to Sam and raise an eyebrow, “Is there something on my face?”

                He chuckles awkwardly and shakes his head ‘no’ before pulling me away from the edge as he steps back, “I think you misunderstood me…”

                I look between him and the two men currently avoiding my gaze before pointing at the hole in the floor, “You said none of us are fitting down there. I’m not sure how I could misunderstand that.”

                He shakes his head again and gestures between himself, Dean, and Bobby, “None of us are fitting down there.”

                I gape open mouthed at him before bursting into a fit of laughter, “You’re hilarious.”

                None of the men reply, each avoiding my gaze in their own way before Dean mumbles under his breath, “You’re the smallest.”

                My laughter dies as quick as it started when I snap my head in his direction, “Yeah, the smallest, not the stupidest! If you want those damn bones so bad you go down there yourself.” I pointed a finger toward the hole, my other hand placed high on my hip as I glare at him.

                “Me? I couldn’t fit down there if I wanted to!” He yells back, crossing his arms across his chest.

                “So, you admit that you don’t want to?”

                “Who would want to go down there?!”

                “Exactly!”

                A shot goes off in the middle of the cabin causing the two of us to snap our mouths shut. Bobby stands in the center of the room, his shot gun smoking and a harsh look of annoyance on his face. He raises a single finger and points toward Dean, “I raised you boy, if I hear you yell at my little girl like that again I’ll skin your hide, you hear me?”

Dean nods his head and looks back at me, mouthing, “Daddy’s girl.” From behind Bobby’s shoulder.

I roll my eyes and stick my tongue out at him until Bobby turns that menacing finger in my direction, “And you,” He gruffly starts, narrowing his eyes and frowning, “Stop being a wussy and do your damn job. Ain’t a single one of us in this room that’ll let you die.”

A deep sigh leaves my lips as I hold his gaze, “He started it.” I mumble as I cross the room and grab a flashlight from the duffle by the door.

“I don’t care who started it, I’ll finish it.”

I shake my head, patting his back as I pass him on my way back to the hole, “Yeah, I know, Old Man.” I squat down by the tunnels edge and glare back toward all three of them, “If I die, just know that none of you can reach my bones down here and I’ll haunt you for the rest of your miserable lives.”

Sam nods, a slight smirk on his lips as he wraps a rope around my waist, tying it in a knot and grabbing the other end tightly, “Wouldn’t expect anything else.”

I let out a little laugh and glare at Dean playfully, “Better keep that magazine collection in a safe place…ghost me’ll be gunning for it.” I turn back toward the tunnel as he lets out an awkward chuckle, the smile on my face falling as I stare into the darkness. I take a deep breath and brace my arms on the edges before dropping down into the darkness below.

A quiet grunt leaves my body as my feet hit the rough dirt at the bottom, the flashlight had fallen from my loose grip causing the inky blackness of the tunnel to surround me. My breathing was heavy, and a shiver ran through me both at the temperature down here and at the thought of not being alone in this darkness. I scrambled on my hands and knees in search of the light, running my hands cautiously over the ground where I finally found the plastic tool.

“You good, Sweetheart?” I hear from above me, Dean’s baritone echoing down the tunnel as the sound reaches me.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m alright.” I click on the flashlight and crawl my way down the narrow tunnel, as quickly as I can, “Be right back!”

“It smells like ass down here.” I whisper to myself, squinting ahead to try and make out anything that even closely resembles bones, “You better be down here, Old McDonald, or I swear to god on this farm you’ll have my foot in your ass.”

At that, my light lands on a large brown bag thrown against the wall ahead, it looks to be empty save a small bulge at the bottom, “Bingo…” I point the flashlight up toward the ceiling and shimmy my way over the rocks and dirt between the bag and me. Gripping the mouth of the bag, I slowly slid my hand inside.

“Please don’t be a snake, please don’t be a snake. Please, please…” I breathe out a sigh of relief when my fingertips brush the brittle surface of aged bone, “Oh, thank God…”

I dump them out in a pile, glancing at them quickly to make sure they’re real before dumping salt on them and backing down the tunnel again, throwing a lighter as I go. I make my way quickly back to the entrance and stand, bracing one foot on the dirt wall in front of me, “Pull me up!” I yell, feeling a strong tug as one of the guys yanks on the rope. I climb my way up, grabbing onto Sam’s hand as he lugs me the rest of the way out.

“That wasn’t as bad as…” I glance between the three of them, each looking like they’ve had the shit kicked out of them and I grin, “Did he finally show up to stop us?”

Dean rolls his eyes, throwing dirt at me and grabbing his duffle bag, “Just get your shit and lets go.”

I let out a loud laugh, grabbing my bag and throwing it over my shoulder, “You wish you would’ve been the one navigating the tiny hole now, huh?”

[bliss-wily]

king cold as a grandpa please. headcanons or drawing.

Headcanons for now, simply because I’ll only draw when I’m home alone because I’m weird like that.

King Cold as a grandad, so I’m framing this as King Cold and Kuriza mostly but with a side of Cooler and Frieza, so King Cold as a parent too? Anyway~

•I imagine this begins with King Cold badgering Cooler about when he’s getting grandchildren or whatever, while needing successors or whatever.

•In reality he wants more kids to spoil rotten seeing as his two sons are adults.

•I think he would be more shocked that Frieza is having a child first, insert concerned father mode - his little princess is becoming a father!

•More concerned than he lets on due to Frieza’s lack of maturity, probably expects that the elites and advisors would be watching the baby more often than not.

•Once warmed up to the idea he would be coddling Frieza the entire time as his youngest goes through early parenthood.

•Takes a massive shine to Kuriza, the little boy with his pointy head.

•Would be the grandpa who’s constantly wanting the baby to stay with him, imagine glass of wine in one hand, tiny Kuriza in the other.

•Cue Frieza getting super jealous of Kuriza…Cooler being highly amused.

•Kuriza would be spoilt rotten by King Cold, I think. The kind of gramps who would do ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner if that’s what the young Prince wants. Kuriza would have everything new from any planet desired.

“My boy wants a hooded vulture?”, cue someone being sent to earth to go find one.

•Hooded vulture is totally called Kevin, for no obvious reasons. Why a hooded vulture? First animal that came to my mind for some reason.

•Frieza wouldn’t be the favourite anymore…probably. The emperor of the universe would become the biggest brat of the universe.

•King Cold would treat everything Kuriza does as an accomplishment. Accidentally death beam Frieza in the face? Manage to break an expensive bottle of wine? Learns to bite Vegeta in the arm? Gets lost in Raditz’s hair? All accomplishments!

•The walls of any base/ship/palace are adorned with pictures of the three boys. His sons and his grand baby.

Im sorry these aren’t great. Very random and all over the place but it’s nearly 4am and I can’t sleep so…

[thevikingwoman]

FFXIVWrite 2024 - Prompt 27

Fandom: Final Fantasy XIV | Words: 687 | read on Ao3

Meryta Khatin (wol) x Tansui | no spoilers Rating: Teen. Echo, the past, Tansui's background, thoughts about echo and consent, traumatic past, comfort and romance

Memory

Sometimes, the echo is useful. When she learns things that are helpful or insightful, when it reveals something she needs to know. Other times, it’s an annoying interference, rendering her unable to fight and leaving her with a headache. And sometimes it feels deeply wrong, when she learns things she shouldn’t know.

Meryta is currently watching a tiny child, not more then 7 or 8 years old, hide behind a rickety cupboard while his parents argue.

“There’s nothing else to do!” A woman, clad in plain Hingashi clothing, worn and beached from the sun.

“There must be!” A man, tall with short cropped dark hair and short beard, frowns and slams his palm on the table.

“Ssssh Hiroshi. The children will wake.”

“Better they don’t.” He runs his hand across his scalp.

“Half the rice rotted in the fields this year. Either we all starve, or we do this.”

“I’m not selling my daughters.”

“It’s now or later. We have to many mouths to feed.”

The child behind the cupboard whimpers, and slams his hand over his mouth. Meryta knows it’s Tansui, and her heart aches for him. The adults do not hear him.

The scene fades, and shifts, the same small house but it’s early dawn, dim light creeping through the small shuttered windows. The child – Tansui – is sneaking past his sleeping siblings. He looks determined but his eyes brims with unshed tears. He is writing, complicated Hingashi letters. She can’t read it, the powers of her echo doesn’t grant her that, but she can guess. It’s a farewell note.

True enough, with one last look back at his home and his sleeping family, he slips silently out the door. He carries nothing save his ragged clothes. She can feel his emotional turmoil, sadness and anger and fear, through the echo. She wonders how he survived, where he went –

With a rush, the real world comes back, everything sliding into place. Tansui’s kitchen, the stove and table and himself, a concerned look on his face. Her head hurts.

“Meryta, what happened? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I just – the echo. I’ve told you about it, how I can see past events. It always make my head hurt, but I’ll be fine.”

He reaches for her, comforting pat on her shoulder.

“So, what did you see?” He grins. “Ghosts of pirates past? Kami roaming the lands?”

“No, it’s more related to a person than a place.” She reaches for him, now, her heart aching. He was so young. “I’m sorry, Tansui, your family – “

He snatches his hand back, his whole body tensing and eyes narrowing.

“What did you see?”

“You. Overhearing your parents, the trouble with feeding everyone –”

“You have no right!” The anger rolls off Tansui, as he steps into her space and grabs her shoulder. “My family is here, on these waters. I have no other family,” he hisses.

“It’s not like I can control it.” She didn’t want to see it, she doesn’t need to know things without being told. But now she does. She can still feel his fear, feeling small and alone in the world. “Tansui, I’m sorry. No one should go through that.”

“I don’t need your pity!” He lets go, shoving her, though she simply regains her balance, and he storms off, out of his own house.

Meryta gives him ten minutes or so, and then she goes look for him. She knows his usual haunts, and finds him between the sands and rocks, sitting against a tree.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

“I know. I’m sorry too. And I’m sorry you had to see that.”

She crouches down in front of him.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” A sour face, but he reaches for her, and she crawls into his lap. She wants to comfort him, but mayhap the closeness is enough. “Yes. Maybe. Maybe I should explain – but… frankly I prefer not to dwell on it.”

“Okay.” She hates that she forced it from him, and curious as she is, she simply kisses his cheek. He holds her tighter.

[polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup]

Hi! I’ve sent you two asks already, sorry for bothering you. I just can’t stop thinking about nhthcth, but I was wondering, does Jon get paid? Was he getting paid as a child?

For some reason I got this idea in my head that if Jon didn’t get paid the contract wouldn’t work. Because like, contracts are usually an agreement that one person does one thing and gets another thing in return. Like the Magnus Institute’s contract is like “you work here and never leave and sell your soul to me and I’ll give you maybe more than minimum wage,” so if Jon didn’t get paid, the Institute wouldn’t be holding up their end of the contract, so Jon wouldn’t need to hold up his end and he could leave.

Although I don’t know how that would work when Jon’s a child, he wouldn’t have a bank account, (does he have one as an adult?) I assume it would just go to his legal guardian’s bank account, which I guess would be Elias, but did Elias ever fully adopt Jon? Like legally? Did Elias have to forge adoption papers and stuff or did he just kidnap a child and hoped he’d get away with it. (I suppose he did get away with it) does Jon even have an ID? How did he go to university when he doesn’t have any school history past third grade?

Anyway, sorry I started rambling, you of course don’t have to answer this (nor do you need my permission not to answer, so I’m not sure why I said that) this is just a funny little question I was thinking about. Also, sorry if you’ve answered this already or there’s something in the fic that would answer it and I didn’t notice. Thank you for the amazing story and answering my other asks.

So, you've actually hit the nail on the head on one of the very important rules for nhthcth as a universe, insofar as like, magic systems (for lack of a better word) goes. That being said, a lot of the specifics of this ask is something that I can't answer due to spoilers (like how he went to university, whether elias ever adopted him, whether he has an ID). Those will receive direct explanations in the course of the fic so I can't answer them here.

But as to like, the magic system itself, it's already been seen/addressed in the fic (in a lot of disparate bits and pieces), so I don't have a problem with a more detailed explanation below the cut.

so, most of this system has been in subtext and broken up amongst a lot of little moments in the fic itself. its there but figuring it out takes a lot of patchwork. I don't currently have a more explicit breakdown of the system in the narrative itself because having like, Jon explain it super explicitly feels a bit too much like those internal monologues of an anime fight scene where the characters are having these really in-depth breakdowns of what they're planning and what's happening while they're throwing each other through walls. I just like more subtle storytelling, personally? A lot of the time, it just becomes so painfully obvious that they're talking to the audience and it feels clunky and unnatural. So I scattered the foundation of this amongst a bunch of little moments throughout.

You're absolutely dead on about contracts needing to be "one person gets one thing and the other person gets the other." That is a hard and fast rule in nhthcth, and it has everything to do with what the Web is.

One of my favorite bits about TMA world building is that the fears as so metaphysical. Which makes for a very fun (again, for lack of a better word) magic system. I hate it when magic systems break their own rules or become too powerful and you can just supercharge on the Power Of Friendship to do basically anything if you Believe Enough. Personally, I think characters get to really shine and show their intelligence when you stick them with very narrow and firm rules and make them work inside that system without breaking it. TMA in particular does an amazing job with that.

The Fears are the platonic ideals of their own identities and they legitimately cannot resist what they are. The episode with the Web's theatre production best encapsulated this: The Web said something along the lines of "If only you could see the strings on me."

In that same episode, Jon almost got trapped in the Web domain watching endless plays, because the Eye could not resist what it is, and what it is is something that spectates pain endlessly. The Web couldn't resist trapping Jon in there, because that's what it is, despite the fact that it would have fucked its own endgame if it trapped the Archivist in its fucked up theatre production until the End claimed them all. They're incredibly powerful beings, but they're still, in a way, trapped by their own nature. Humans can change, adapt, be different, but the Entities can't be anything but what they are.

In nhthcth there's a line that i tend to use again and again to encapsulate this, and it's usually something along the lines of "These things only are what they are."

They're not versatile forces. They're not a flexible tool like most magic systems where you can use this abstract and malleable force to cast the Spell of Fire and the Spell of Healing and the Spell of Ketamine Ape. They can only do what their own existence allows them and they cannot resist their own nature. It's one of the reasons why Jon in nhthcth is so insistent that the Eye can't be used as a force for good--good is completely outside of its existence. If you know anything about Greek philosophy, I think Plato's idea of the forms is pretty analogous to what the Entities are and how they work.

Which is also why Jon's like, "Duh, of course it's the Web that's got us bound and not the Eye. That's what the Web does."

The Eye just isn't about binding and trapping. What Jonah can use it to do is completely limited to stuff that falls under the Eye's umbrella. He could have the most powerful connection to the Eye on the planet (he doesn't), but that doesn't mean he can supercharge on Eye God Juice and blast a hole through the wall with the power of his mind, right? That would make the entire magic system in TMA ridiculous. In the same way, he can't use the Eye to enforce contract terms. That's not what the Eye does.

That's the Web, through and through. So when you're considering the contract, you have to think in terms of what the Web is.

The thing about the Fears is that they're shown to be a little multifaceted in that multiple distinct fears fit beneath the same umbrella with them. Take the Eye. The fear of someone knowing your deepest, darkest secrets fits beneath it, right? And that's very much Jonah's area of expertise. He probably fed on Martin's terror about being discovered for forging his CV for years. He neutralized Daisy by finding out the secrets that hurt her and using them against you. He's the invasive, watching part of the eye that may know your secrets and want to use it against you.

but the Eye is also the fear of someone watching your pain, your suffering, and (for lack of a better term) getting off on it. Enjoying it. It's bleeding out in the street and, when help finally arrives, they just sit down next to you and watch eagerly as you die.

That is so much the Archivists role.

Sometimes, I think of how terrifying the Archivist would be if it wasn't Jon in the role. Don't get me wrong--he has his moments of terrifying power, and he definitely didn't get good reviews on yelp from statement givers. But, fundamentally, he does care.

But imagine you go to the Magnus Institute under the assumption that they may help. You sit there and you tell them the worst fucking thing that ever happened to you. It's like you're experiencing it a second time, in all the horrific detail. You're retraumatized all over again, and then the Statement ends and you're sitting there, tape recorder still running, and you realize the person you went to for help just... enjoyed every second of pain you went through. There's one episode in particular that I think pulled this feeling off so well--the one where the guy in Scotland who found Gertrude's circle opened with something along the lines of "I don't care about any of this. I just want to know if you'll save my son." Like, imagine the horrible, crushing horror of going to someone for help and the moment you realize that were never going to do anything. They just wanted to watch you die too.

It's also one of the reasons that I think that Jon, for all he thrived as the Archivist, kept so much of who he was because of the inaction part specifically. In Season 1, he makes these vague mentions to fights he's getting into with Elias. Elias keeps lecturing him about noninterference, how they're here to research and not interfere, and Jon has these moments were he's like "anyway I don't give a fuck there's fucking leitners out there and if i have my way there will be a hell of a lot less of them." He legitimately says at one point that he's going to get another lecture about Institute mission statements and watching without interference.

Jon made so many bad choices when he was Becoming, but the one he consistently made against Becoming was that, almost against his will, he wanted to save people. That's picking the opposite of what the Eye is, and I think that that's the part of him that he got to keep.

that was more of an aside and not so relevant to the question. i got on a tangent. but it's here now so it stays. i already typed it. Anywho.

Jonah can't do what Jon does. He can't compel answers out of people. He's a panopticon, and the fear he embodies is that someone may be watching you and catch you in the act. It's not the fear of someone forcing the information out of you. But Jon can't do with Jonah does either. He can't just hop through eyes and spy on people. That's not his relationship with the Eye or the part of it he embodies.

They both have a very metaphysical limitation to their own experience with the Eye, because the idea of the Eye itself is just a human classification. Maybe Jon's sky blue and Jonah's dark blue and the Eye's all the blues, but at the end of the day, we just made up the idea of "blue" to explain our own experience with colors. They don't get to wield the full spectrum of "colors" available under the Eye. They can both be attached to the Eye but they're completely limited to what it means to be sky blue versus dark blue.

So it's important to remember that when you consider the contract, because it's just an aspect of the Web. It's not every aspect of the Web.

The Web is the fear of being totally under control of another--think raymond fielding in Hill Top Road, Mr. Spider, forcing people to walk, that kind of thing--but it's not just that. It's also the fear of being manipulated. Of being outmaneuvered. And I think that fits much more metaphysically with what a contract is than being under total and absolute control.

A contract is just an agreement of rules that two parties have to abide by, right? And sometimes the contract is way more favorable to one party than the other, but we also recognize that there's limits to that. You named a very big one--"this for that." For contracts to be enforceable, there has to be this thing we call "consideration." I get this, you get that. If the contract read "I have to give you one million dollars and you don't have to do anything" that'd be a gratuitous promise and it wouldn't be an enforceable contract.

That being said, consideration doesn't have to be balanced. The contract doesn't have to be fair. I don't know a super huge amount of British law (though a lot of American law is derived from it) but in american contract law we have a standard that basically says there has to be a "mere peppercorn" of consideration. We're not going to see if the exchange is fair, just if there is an exchange. there's this huge body of law around what's allowed in contracts and how contracts should be interpreted because we recognize that, at a certain point, something isn't a contract anymore. It breaks the rules of exchange.

And I think that very much goes towards the real fear the Web would be working with when it comes to the contracts. Think of like, law dramas. People like law dramas because the characters show off how clever they are. They're working in some system of rules and then at the eleventh hour they pull out some kind of loophole or interpretation that saves the day, right? The fact that there are limits and rules to what the characters can do is exactly what makes it so exciting when they figure out how to flip them in their favor. You need to have the chance to succeed in the system, however small, or it all just kind of becomes meaningless. There's no point in manipulation or machinations if you instantly lose no matter what.

That's the exact fear the Web would be playing on with the contracts, in my mind. It's being at the mercy of someone who has to follow the same rules as you, but they're grossly skewed in the other person's favor and the other person is better at using them. It's being stuck in a game where both players have to follow the rules but you have no idea what the rules are, and the other player gets to know them and have them severely favor them.

But the entire fear just becomes kind of ridiculous if it's not limited. It kind of becomes like a game of make believe between little kids if you can just write something in the contract without limitation. Like saying "well, my power is at one million percent" "my power is at one BILLION percent" "my power is at FIVE TRILLION percent." Right? Like, if you're playing that game, the rules don't really mean anything. It's all just bullshit. It doesn't invoke the fear of someone manipulating the rules against you. If the contract terms don't enforce obligations against Jonah too, it just sort of leaves the realm of what fear this is, which breaks the rules of the magic system. Being totally at someone's mercy is just a different fear than having someone outmaneuvering you at rules you both are stuck with.

Which means that, for the contract to be what it is, Jonah has to be bound by it in some way. It has to follow some kind of rules that bind him too. It can be very unbalanced and favor him greatly, but it still needs to set some kind of obligation and limit on him or the entire thing becomes ridiculous.

That's why Jonah so aggressively tries to keep Jon from trying to learn the terms of the contract. If Jon knew the way Jonah was bound by the contract, he'd be able to use the rules against him. Jon's playing the same game as Jonah, but he never got to see the rulebook.

We know two ways from canon that you can use to escape the contract: (1) gouge out your own eyes and (2) the archivist dies and the assistants can leave. but we never see the terms of the contract itself, and the fact that option #2 popped up in season 5 when all we knew before that was option #1 means that maybe there are more ways to break the contract and maybe there aren't. Maybe it's just options 1 and 2, or maybe there's other ways to escape we never figured out. Why do options 1 & 2 work? Is it explicitly written out somewhere in the binding instrument? Is it some loophole that not even elias expected? All we know for certain is that ways out of the contract include but may not be limited to options 1 and 2.

So, yes, Jon gets paid. But is that a term of the contract? Was that the consideration that Jonah wrote down in the Web's binding contract, or is there something else? Jon doesn't know, so he can't use it against him.

Maybe Jonah does have to pay Jon under the contract. Or he's only paying Jon to keep up appearances. Like, yeah, maybe the metaphysically binding contract would allow him to chain people here without paying them, but payroll would still have massive questions about why the Institute Head's angry adoptive son has been the Institute's unpaid slave worker for the past decade.

One of Jonah's biggest strategies to keep Jon from escaping is to abide very strictly by what may or may not be the terms of the Web's contract. Jon can't deduce what the rules are if Jonah voluntarily plays by more rules than he has to.

Take Elias's promise to Tim, for example. Jon still doesn't even know how the Web contract is formed. It sure as hell isn't simply the contract that most employees see--there's no clause that says "and by the way you can never ever quit or leave or you will die xoxoxoxo." Are all the terms already written down somewhere he can't find? Could oral promises be binding? He has no idea, because Elias is never going to act in a way that lets him eliminate the possibility. He'll follow the letter of his promise, and maybe that's because he has to or he'll breach the contract, or maybe that's because he's choosing to keep his promise when he doesn't have to. Elias keeps the terms of the contract unclear by following more rules than he has to.

It's one of the reasons why he uses so much doublespeak. Elias says something like "I'll keep my word, and you'll have to do the same." That only tells us things we already knew--Tim would have to be bound by the contract and wouldn't be able to leave. He'll keep his word, but does Elias have to under the contract? If he broke his word, Jon would be able to conclusively tell that oral conditions are non-binding. He'd know that there's some kind of outside binding instrument that has the rules already set out, and Elias can't change them with an oral promise. But if Elias toes the letter of the oral condition no matter what, then it could be because he has to or it could be because he chose to.

There are rules that Elias has to abide by, but Jon is only pretty certain of a few: 1) He has to have Jon's signature before he moves people into his department. He can't give him assistants unless Jon signs off on it first. Jon only got that much because Elias tried so damn hard to get his signature for the transfer. If Elias could break that rule, there's a pretty good chance that he would have, but he didn't so it probably means he can't. It's a place the contract almost definitely binds him too. 2) the contract kills you if you spend too long away from the Institute, but Elias has a way of letting you stay away for longer. If Jon leaves without approval, then he gets sick within a few weeks. But he's made it months away from the Institute just because Elias approved the leave.

So is that because Elias is the one who triggers the contract killing you in the first place? Or does he have a way of stopping a power that will automatically go off.

If the contract reads, "In the case of unapproved absences, the Head of the Institute may file Form B45, the 'Kill My Errant Employees' Form, and the employee will suffer a heart attack within a period not to exceed fourteen (14) days," then they'd be able to pretty effectively escape just by finding a way to immobilize Elias permanently--chuck him in the Buried, he'll never die but he also won't be able to file a Kill My Errant Employee Form. But if the contract reads "In the case of unapproved absences, the employee will suffer a heart attack within a period not to exceed fourteen (14) days unless the Head of The Institute files Form U95, Approved Leave of Absences," then they need him alive and mobile to file a leave of absence form so Jon won't fucking die the next time he's kidnapped for a month. Or maybe a leave of absence form isn't necessary if Jon's only kept away because of a kidnapping. Maybe the contract reads "In the case of unapproved and voluntary absences" and being involuntarily missing isn't a breach at all. They don't know, because Elias is going to file the fucking leave of absence form whether or not he has to.

If they knew the exact rules and minute details of the contract terms, they could wriggle their way into an exception that makes their conditions more livable. Instead, they're just stuck with a very broad correlation between Elias's action and/or inaction and the contract not killing you when you leave for long periods on approved absences. Maybe they could just chuck him in the Buried and fuck off, but fuck if they know, and that's the sort of risk you really can't take unless you're certain.

A lot of Jon testing boundaries with Elias has been trying to figure out the boundaries of the contract. Remember in the martyrs chapter, where Martin is like "jon why do you have an employee email you're like sixteen???" it's because jon was already an employee, and employees are required to have an official email. He knew it and Elias knew it even if no one else did.

If Elias refused him an official institute email, Jon would know that the contract does not require him to provide all employees with Institute-standard resources as outlined in the employee manual. Maybe sections of the employee manual isn't binding, maybe the entire thing isn't binding. Jon knows breaking the Institute dress code probably isn't a part of the binding contract because of his Epic Fashion Moments (or, if it is, the penalty isn't death like leaving is), but does that apply to all parts of the employee manual? If he doesn't get an official email at the shiny age of sixteen when he's Not Supposed To Be Employed, then he knows another section of the employee manual just doesn't have teeth. But if Elias just gives him what any employee would be entitled to, then it could be because he had to or it could be because he chose to.

It's also the reason why getting people to quit was important to jon--yes, he was trying to get people free of the Institute, but if he pushed someone into quitting, he'd be able to test out some very valuable information about the contract. Can people quit if Elias allows it? Maybe the rule is that the Archives can't quit, but everyone else can if Elias allows it. Maybe everyone can quit if Elias lets them. Maybe no one can quit and they're all fucked. If Elias can let some people quit but never lets them quit, then Jon has no data points to work with when trying to figure out how people escape the contract.

Which is also why elias flipped his shit and burned the HR records the one time Jon managed to get his hands on them. Over the years, there have been people who unknowingly stumbled into one of the rules binding Elias, and he let them quit without protest. There's a very good chance that that's because he had to let them quit. If Jon could find the common denominator between people who quit successfully, then maybe he could figure out how to do the same, which is why Elias has spent so long making sure he gets as little information as possible to work with. Jon can't win the game if he never learns the rules.

It is important to note that Elias breaking the terms of the contract that bind him may not be "and now Jon can finally go home oh my fucking god." The penalties for breach of contract, that we know of, are death. Does Elias face the same penalties if he breaches? Does he face some kind of other penalty? We don't know yet, because Elias is guarding those terms like his fucking life depends on it.

[omegaji]

For kidfic exchange, here be incest and underage if your eyes are burned it’s on YOU!!!

Hello dear creator ILY and I am so sorry for this being late— 

(This is all just optional stuff btw!! Extra info!! Important things are in the DNW on ao3)

I just fucking love jadecest. Take “brotherly love” to a WHOLE new level!!

I also love omegaverse and omega lwj and i will put more details down below.

Jadecest as kids/teens:

So I love the idea of them being really sweet as kids and playing house, like making a house out of sheets and pillows and having dolls or stuffed animals as babies, giving each other kisses and calling each other husband and wife and all that. Maybe even having a wedding ceremony. And LQR tries to dissuade them but they keep doing it… and they keep doing it… and it doesn’t stop… and now they’re like 12 and 15 and STILL doing it and maybe it’s even evolved into real romance. And maybe when they’re both teenagers they take it even further 👀

Same thing as above but Make It Toxic. Maybe they’re grieving their mom and they start using each other as an anchor. LXC takes comfort in babying his baby brother and cuddling him and fretting over him and protecting him from everything bad. And LWJ lets LXC do this because it makes him feel so safe and secure…. And now they have a thing where LWJ is always demanding LXC’s attention and LXC is always giving it and if LWJ doesn’t give HIM attention he starts getting super fussy over him. And… what if this… also goes on way too long and gets even more intense… and it 👀👀👀👀 turns into real incest.

Jadecest as adults:

I would love to see adult jadecest where they became such because of the above circumstances and they still have these tendencies in the present

I love the idea of them having kids and figuring out that the kids are ALSO incestuous, the more abrupt the discovery the better!! Maybe the kids are small and they are mimicking the exact same tendencies as above, maybe they’re teens and the jades walk in on them in the act!!

I’m even okay with them joining in with the teens 👀, but if that’s happening make sure the teens are at least 15

If you want the jades to be actually really distressed about it then go with that!! Do they have to face their own toxic tendencies? Do they wonder if some kind of trauma affected the kids like losing their mom did to the jades? I would prefer it if the jades stayed together in the end though

Please pregji it up in here if you like, omegaverse or genderbend, give lwj so many babies.

Grumpy and heavily pregnant lwj is SO dear to me, especially if LXC dotes on him twice as hard and LWJ is grumpy about it but is even more grumpy if LXC backs off 

If you wanna go into them having disabled kids bc of the incest then please do!! I love the idea of lwj struggling with having disabled kids in a society where disability is treated badly but he is fierce with advocating for them. Try to handle it with sensitivity if you can. If you want the incest to have no effect tho then that’s fine!!

Ooooh what if they find out their kids are incestuous through LQR because he sits them down and scolds them about it, saying he caught the kids and that it’s all jadecest’s fault, etc. However you wanna handle that goes!! 

God i fucking love the idea of LWJ being overly protective and overly fretting over his babies. Maybe he’s doing the same stuff LXC has always done with him. Maybe he’s breastfeeding his children WAY past weaning age. And what if all of this creates an incredibly enmeshed mother-child relationship? 👀

Likes:

Alpha or omega LXC

Omega LWJ

Lwj being a bitey little shit

Typical sibling adversarial behavior (LWJ making bratty noises, LXC calling him a brat, fighting, etc) regardless of age. The idea of LXC picking up a teenage or even grown ass LWJ and carrying him over his shoulder because he refuses to move and LWJ is pulling hair and biting and kicking and LXC is screaming “WANGJI YOU BRAT!!!” is just fantastic 

Protective and doting LXC

Overly protective and overly doting LXC

Spoiled brat LWJ demanding that xiongzhang drops everything and dotes on him (and LXC gladly does)

Fav dynamic is when they’re super possessive of each other and hate it when anyone else gets too close to the other. Especially if they play these games of intentionally making the other jealous to get them riled up — imagining the toxic kids prompt and lwj being mad at lxc so he goes and provokes bullies bc he knows it’ll make lxc 1) get mad at the bullies and 2) give him attention 

PREGJI

Lesbians

Jades being tender with each other

LXC feeling guilty and angsty about the incest but doing it anyway

Omegaverse: growling and posturing even though it’s against Lan rules, scenting each other, “my omega” “my alpha”, crooning especially LXC at LWJ or both of them at their babies

Breastfeeding (in the lactation kink sense but also in the actual breastfeeding sense)

I usually don’t like alpha LWJ or het stuff, but honestly jadecest is a whole other thing for me and I welcome you to switch it up if you have something you really wanna do! LXC doting on his little sister, Omega fem lxc fussing over her submissive yet physically larger alpha little brother, it’s interesting to me!!

I suppose the only thing that wouldn’t be that interesting to me is submissive LXC + dominant LWJ, regardless of gender or omegaverse dynamic or even top/bottom (power bottoms and subby tops have my heart). But both of them being dominant and fighting over it and LXC winning is also very fun 😈

Omegaverse preferences

Intersex male omegas and female alphas

Gender and dynamic is assigned at birth rather than presented at puberty

No betas (the rare sigma or other variation of O and A is interesting, and also beta as a non-assigned dynamic but similar to nonbinary gender IRL is interesting)

A and O have noticeable physical differences; omegas on average are shorter and curvier and have softer features, alphas on average are taller and more bulky when they gain muscle and sharper features

A and O to have on average personality differences associated with societal upbringing/socialization (this doesn’t necessarily mean i like my omegas submissive and my alphas dominant, but that they on average tend to be if that’s how society demands it and if someone does not adhere to the gender and dynamic rules then there’s either some kind of consequence or at least it’s noticed)

Basically, I like A and O to have similar effects on people as M and F have in IRL society, so there’s 4 assigned genders (AF, AM, OF, OM) rather than 2

Alpha women and omega men are sort of in-between in terms of social hierarchy and can choose to present masculine or feminine (more-so in the modern era) and it’s seen as normal, they can use whatever gendered terms they identify with

Claims/marks are not permanent and need to be renewed periodically

No capital C Commands

People in heat or rut CAN control themselves, but it is just really difficult to go against what their instincts say

[golbrocklovely]

I’m not in the snc fandom by any means and I have no plan to do so but being just a causal fan of them, I have seen the way their fans act towards them, especially Colby. It always leaves a horrible taste in my mouth.

I sincerely wish these guys would start setting more boundaries with their fandom. There are sometimes where I see replies to their tweets or just looking up their users on twitter because I’m a nosy rosey sometimes and the things some of their fans say to them, especially Colby is just horrendous and down right yucky. It seems to be getting worse in my end too. The way some of their fans treat Colby likes he’s stupid, slow or like a child is just so gross. He’s a human being. It’s one thing to make a joke, but it’s another thing to treat him like he was born literally yesterday. It sometimes feels like infantalazation. Like this is a huge problem and I just wish that Colby would put his foot down about it. Hell, when everytime there’s a girl involved in his life everything goes haywire towards him. I just feel so bad for him at this point. if I had fans and they were pulling stuff like this, I wound definitely say something, and start muting/ blocking people if it started getting too much. Maybe Colby hates confrontation which I can totally understand. Maybe he hates drama as well. But if his fans keep getting away with basically being overbearing and weird, they’re never gonna treat him like a human.

I also have a hunch that he might be neurodivergent and has anxiety. I see a lot of myself through him. He does a lot of things I do. But I don’t wanna diagnose him because I personally don’t know him like that. I just hope he has a good head on his shoulders when it comes to this type of stuff. and I also just hope one day some of his fans grow up and stop treating him like he’s a dummy when he’s a very intelligent person. It drives me nuts when people do that to him. He clearly is very smart and very empathetic. A bright soul who deserves so much better. 🩷

this ended up being extremely long so... sorry about that haha

i getchu. i understand not wanting to join this fandom. tbh i only really enjoy the fandom on here and that's about it. insta there barely is a fandom, the tiktok fandom is too young and just makes shit up 90% of the time, and twitter…. is insufferable lol

and i completely agree with you about the treatment of colby. it's a weird mix of both treating him like a sex doll and treating him like a baby, which makes both behaviors all the more gross.

like i'll be honest, i don't love all the decisions he makes, and i have talked about that on here countless times. however, i don't actively tell him on social media how to live his life (aka i don't @ him on twitter when he does something that annoys me like a lot of other fans do). and at the end of the day i accept whatever he wants to do with his life. me complaining on here about some of the questionable ppl he has in his life isn't even half as bad as what i've seen on twitter, especially when it comes to some of the girls he occasionally is seen with.

over the years it's gotten worse, and i'm not sure for what reason. it feels like the fans started out on the right foot. they care about colby and don't want to see him get hurt. and i get that, i feel the same way. but at the same time, he's an adult. and in life you're gonna make some dumb decisions, and be friends with dumb ppl that you shouldn't have been. and that's your choice. and that's your mistake to make.

i think part of it is a lot of fans think they are owed a part of colby's life and having a say in it. maybe bc they've put time, effort, and money into being a fan, maybe it's bc they feel like they are friends with him and thus think they can say shit that a friend would say even tho they are a complete stranger to him. and while i can understand somewhat why someone would feel that way briefly, it doesn't change the fact it's not true. you aren't owed anything just bc you've been here a long time or bc you buy merch. so what. you aren't special in either one of those regards.

and when it comes to colby and his dating life… oh boy, that's where most of the drama lies. again, a lot of it comes from fans not wanting him to date a questionable girl. understandable. i get that protectiveness. however it has become very apparent that NO GIRL is good enough for him. fill in the blank on whatever reason, it doesn't matter. there is not a single girl that exists that everyone in the fandom can agree on. and that just shows that a lot of the concern comes from both jealousy and, if we're being completely honest, misogyny.

certain fans are jealous they will never get a chance to be with him, no matter how many y/n insert fanfics they read. and no girl is good enough bc nine times out of ten the reason is bc of something sexist like she's a slut or a gold digger or isn't pretty enough or is too pretty or isn't as good as other girls.

my favorite phrase, highkey, is when a girl is seen with colby, ppl start hating on her and then when asked why someone doesn't like her they respond with "idk she just gives me a bad vibe." lmao happens like clockwork.

all of this is to say that a lot of fans, while they love colby, don't respect him. they don't trust him to make his own decisions bc in their minds, he can't make the "right" ones. and thus needs to smothered into making the right one. and if he doesn't do that, then he deserves to be bitched at for eternity.

tbh i'm surprised colby tolerates half the fanbase at this point. if the fandom isn't yelling at him for breathing wrong, they're making fun of him. and while it's fine to be playful and banter with him, there's a difference between a one off comment and constantly picking at everything he does down to whether or not he has facial hair. like… why are we talking about his body hair? yall are weird for that one.

if i was colby, i wouldn't have fans anymore. bc i would blocking ppl left right and center. idc that you supported me for a long time, if you're mean to me, you're gone. and i ain't gonna listen to (usually) a child yell at me for fucking a random girl (or maybe not even fucking a random girl). that's why last year i wanted him to go chaos mode. i wanted him to fuck every and any girl that said yes strictly so fans would come to the realization that YOU DON'T CONTROL HIM.

get over it or gtfo. it's really that simple.

and as for whether or not he's neurodivergent, that's obviously something he would have to explore himself. i personally have always thought he might secretly have depression and definitely anxiety since he's talked about that part himself. there's a lot of things he has done in the past that make me think there might be something under the surface and reminds me a lot back when i was in denial of what was going on mentally. and there are times he gets into funks, and you can just see the light drain out of him for a bit. but in the end, that's for him to explore and seek help for if he so chooses and feels the need to. i would hope if he truly did ever feel bad he would ask for help.

he's a very strong person and has such a love for life. i just hope he lives it to the fullest. i truly just want to see him happy.

[alaffy]

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 (spoilers)

Nothing above the cut will be spoilers, just my general thoughts.  However, there’s a few things I want to mention that absolutely cannot be discussed without revealing major parts of the movie.  

Honestly, this might be my favorite Guardians movie.  It might also make my top ten of Marvel movies (though I never make that decision without seeing the movie more then once).  I will say this movie is a hard PG-13.  In most cases, it’s more about what is suggested then what is shown (although that’s not true in every case).  And, unsurprisingly as this is the story of Rocket’s origin, this movie takes some extremely dark turns.  If you have young children, you might want to see this movie first as I have a feeling that it may lead to some difficult questions to answer.  

Unlike Thor: Love and Thunder, I think the balance of drama and humor worked for the most part in this movie.  There was the occasion where a joke felt like it went on to long; but I think the humor was needed in the movie just to give the audience a chance to decompress.  And it’s a James Gunn movie; he’s usually pretty good when it comes to deciding when to put in humor.

The movie is beautiful to look at.  The CGI, for the most part, is handled very well.  Especially with the animal characters (well, almost.  There was something off about a character called Teeth’s face, it seemed a bit cartoony in places).  I will say that I’m not as impressed by the music in this volume.  While there are still good moments, some of the songs didn’t fit the scenes as well as one would expect.  

People might be disappointed with the Adam Warlock character.  His behavior is explained in the movie (he was taken out of his cocoon too soon and is more or less a child in an adult’s body) and, as the movie goes along, it becomes apparent that the character is...he’s taking everything in and you can kind of see him grow a little by the end credits.  In other words, yes he’s pretty much comic relief here; but there are signs he could become a more well rounded character as time goes on.  Also, I just like Will Poulter in this and I hope this isn’t his only chance to play the character.

Yes, this is clearly the last movie we will see with this team.  However, they do set up another Guardians team; so there’s a chance they could do Guardians 4 under another director.  However, with the exception of Rocket and Groot, everybody else has left the team.  That doesn’t mean that, if they did a 4th Guardians movie, some of these characters couldn’t come back; but it’s a good stopping point for any of the actors if they choose to move on.  Except, at the very end of the movie, there’s this scene where Peter is sitting at the table with his Grandfather.  Peter’s talking about cutting some woman’s lawn and wondering why her 45 year old son doesn’t do it.  Peter’s grandfather makes some cryptic comment about the son.  Right after, they flash to “the Legendary Star-Lord will return;” which indicates they’re not done with this character.  I was actually surprised as I figured that Chris would be one who might be ready to move on.  Apparently not.

Speaking of moving on...let’s talk about Gamora and Peter.  Understandably, Peter is having a hard time dealing with Gamora’s death seeing as how there’s another Gamora in the universe.  At the same time the amount of restraint Gamora has in this movie by having to deal with the guy who cannot seem to accept that she is not the Gamora he fell in love with...yeah, I felt sorry for him; but I felt more sorry for her.  Fortunately, this does not go where I was afraid it was going to go.  In other words, I was afraid that it would end with them together.  Instead, what we got was something a little more realistic (well, as realistic in a world with two versions of the same person).  As the movie goes along, and as Peter spends more time with the Gamora, he begins to see how the different events that his Gamora lived through vs. the ones that this Gamora has lived through has shaped them into different people.  Simply put, this is not the person he fell in love with.  At the same time, Gamora begins to see why a version of her could have have fallen in love with this man.  Ultimately, it comes to a moment where the two of them acknowledge that the relationship between Peter and the original Gamora was something special; but it was not something that could be replicated (nor should it even try to be replicated) between the two of them.

As I mentioned before, this is Rocket’s origin story.  It’s no shock that this movie is dark.  We knew back in Guardian’s one this would be horrible to watch based on Rocket’s drunken confession.  But, um, seriously what the fuck what the High Evolutionary doing to those animals?  I get evolving Rocket...but what was the purpose of the legs on Floor and why the fuck would you put wheels on a walrus?  How is this evolution?  Just seeing those characters...it’s just like, oh well, this is going to be a hell of a lot worse then I thought.  Of course, I wasn’t surprised that Rocket’s friends would die.  But that whole scene and the way that the High Evolutionary mocked Rocket...I think this is the scene that kids are going to have the hardest time with.  Hell, as an adult, I had a hard time with it.  

And speaking of the High Evolutionary....first of all, great casting.  I’ve seen Chuckwudi Lwuji in a couple of things (most recently Peacemaker) and he’s an amazing actor.  Two things about The High Evolutionary. I think he is one of the best MCU villains; he definitely is one of the most evil. I mean, you take a look at a character like Thanos.  Thanos, in his warped way, believes that what he’s doing is for the betterment of the universe.  He truly believes that all of the woes in the universe can be solved by wiping out half the population.  It’s insane, obviously, and he needed to be stopped; but it is what he believed.  The High Evolutionary may talk about Utopia and the betterment of others; but the reality is that he doesn’t give a shit about that, he just wants to be God.  

Second, there is the argument, one that has a lot of valid points, that Marvel’s one and done approach to villains is a waste, especially how a number of prominent villains have been killed. I would argue that this is one of the few times the villain had to die.  Between the things we are shown in flashback and the sheer genocide we witness in the present day, I think people would be dissatisfied...let’s put it a different way.  I think the audience needed to know that this is a character that would never be able to harm another living being again.  And, let’s face it, now that we have the multiverse; is any character truly dead? (Not saying that this is something Marvel should do.  In fact, I hope that don’t use the multiverse to bring characters back that often).

But this kind of leads into my final point.  In the trailer, there is a moment played for humor where Drax wants to kill people and Quinn is telling him we’re not killing anyone.  And this is a point made multiple times throughout the movie.  That is, until the end of the second act, where Peter straight up murders a man.  And I do mean murder. This man had no weapons and had surrendered.  Peter decides throws this man (and himself) out of a window.  Peter holds onto the man as they fall, until they are caught be Groot (who has formed some sort of tree branch wings).  Still, they continue to plummet to the ground; until Groot pulls up at the last second.  Well, pulls up enough for Peter and him to glide; the man is dragged upon the ground until he lands in a creek bed.  So, let’s be clear, this was a choice by Peter to take a person’s life.

What I found interesting was how little I was shocked or horrified by this event. Like, going to another Marvel show, when US Agent beat that man with Captain America’s shield.  Like this was the moment that proved that Agent could never be the hero because he killed a person in cold blood.  Well, in my mind, that idea has to be amended a bit; because apparently you can.  Now, I think a lot of that has to do with the two people who were killed.  US Agent killed a man who, while he was a part of a terrorist organization, was not the one guilty of killing Agent’s partner.  Then scientist/butcher that Peter killed.... the one thing I remember about him is that he always seemed to be smiling.  The one thing I will say about the High Evolutionary is that I don’t think he took enjoyment from watching creatures suffer (to be clear, I just don’t think he gave a damn); but this guy always seemed....happy.  Again, I think there’s a satisfaction in knowing this person can’t hurt anyone again.  Unlike US Agent, I don’t think this moment made Peter any less of a hero.  In fact, I think it shows how human (for lack of a better term) these characters are.

[alynwrench]

BOO!!

.

.

.

.

Did I get you?

….No?

…..Well maybe this essay worth of questions will! HAHA!

How nonverbal is Lore? Does he say a word every know and again or will he speak full sentences if he has too? Also is he nonverbal by choice or did something happen?

Kepla keeps the circus running via identity fraud. I’m assuming it’s the creators identity he is stealing, but is there anyone else he's snatched the identity of?

Lore and Kepla’s relationship. Tell me more. Give me the lore. Hehehe. How do they interact with each other? How does Kepla feel about Lore sneaking off to kill people?

How do the two interact with strangers vs someone there more close with?

Their opinions on the law? I assume they hate them but I thought I would check.

Is Lore eating the people he kills?

They’re both evil, but do they have soft sides? For example, would they kill a child? Do they have any limits for how far they are willing to take things?

Outside of fire tricks, what else does Kepla do at the circus? Any other tricks he does? Besides identity fraud. What does Lore do at the circus?

Annnnddd - this question totally won’t give away what I’m doing - do you have an ao3? I would love to browse through your bookmarks to see what you enjoy reading!

I’ll officially start working on your gift around Sunday, so feel free to take your time in answering.

There may be a few more questions I have - based on your response and just random ideas slapping me in the face - but for today this is all ^_^

I hope your having a great day and are having a blast with your own gift!

Toodaloo!

⁃ Your Secret Skeleton

OOOGHHH HII... HEHEHEHEHE SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG IVE BEEN... THINKING. 1. Think Ferb from Phineas and Ferb! But more.. cryptic LMAO. It's just the way he is! Nothings happened and its not by choice. 2. Besides the occasional stealing of credit cards forgotten by guests, not really! Some lore about their creator as far as this little AU goes, they were made by Henry's ex girlfriend from his robotics class in high school out of spite for him breaking up with her and focusing on his passion, she 100% ripped off the Sun and Moon design he made in collaboration with the others for Fallfest. I know some of this is a long shot and may not entirely make sense, but long story short she wasnt a good person and the animatronics took that into their own hands LMAO 3. God, it is genuinely so conflicting. There's a bit of everything in there? Hatred for each other, fond respect, some aspects of love, appreciation, deep sadness. They're dependent on each other emotionally but they cannot stand to be around each other. 4. They're both cunning and soft towards guests, Kepla using fruitful and energetic words and keeping people on their toes with his skills, Lore moreso engaging with others through body language as he doesn't speak to guests. No one knows what his voice sounds like during hours, only do the other animatronics know. (Which he sounds like moon with a deeper rasp). They engage the most with children and occasionally adults Whereas with people they know, in this case the other members of the circus, Kepla is an ASSHOLLLEEE always ordering people around as, even though they do have a ringmaster (freddy) he's more for show, for visuals. He focuses on his own act more than organizing the place, Kepla takes it into his own hands. Lore is cold and avoids everyone the moment all the guests are gone, if you want to find him you have to track him down either because he's in his pool isolating or wandering away from their carnival to hunt. He is kinder than Kepla, but that doesn't make him any better. 5. Fuck the law 6. Good question! He is not. It's simply for adrenaline / sport 7. Neither would EVER kill children, though even though they both kill Kepla's strikes are rare and calculated and typically only for individuals who are on their trail (such as authority or guests who are trying to discover the mysteries of their traveling circus), and Lore's are typically for strangers dumb enough to fall for his traps. 8. Like i said earlier Kepla does organizational responsibilities and keeps everyone and their acts in check and gives (unwanted) criticism, Lore simply sulks in his pool all day. he is a soggy boy. 9. I DO have an AO3! Its AlynWrench! but uhhhh

But as for fanfictions and stuff I enjoy I do like Love, Death, and Rollerskates by @ spadillelicious (its my fav of all time fanfic, if ur reading this for some reason hi moot i gotta spread the propoganda) and Confused Spirit by @ midnight-mourning (once again hi moot SPREADING THE PROPOGANDA) I dont read as much as I should... ahehehe... i have a LOT on my to-read list but im GUHH. it takes a lot of work on my own end to get myself to read the fics ive been meaning to read THANK U FOR YOUR HARD WORK, SOLDIER!!!! I SALUTE YOU, feel free to throw more questions at me! Honestly I dont have a lot planned for these guys so this is helping me brainstorm..

[muses-and-odd-fashion]

"So, ummm, I had a parent come in." She continues snacking a bit between words. "I assumed it was going to be, like, a meeting of something before the holidays. Usually those happen if they're gonna go on a trip or they wanna drop off some goodies for their kid's favorite counselor."

"I got yelled at. No, more I got screamed at for ruining their family dynamic and all. I just helped their child recognize better and healthier things to do and ask their parents or other adults they trust and I guess it was more for realizing that said parent was actually really shitty to them."

"I thought I was handling it okay enough until they told me I'd be better off disappearing forever for everyone else's sake and that they're gonna have me fired or something just because they are so full of themselves. That threat, mostly about disappearing forever, kind of-?" Oh, oh yeah. She's absolutely crying now. "It made me remember. It made me relive the time I was completely gone into actual nothingness back in high school. I had a panic attack and the parent walked out all proud of themselves, I think? I don't remember much of what happened after until I woke back up in the nurse's office."

"Mmmph, they said they found me in the farthest bathroom from my office in the school and in a pool of my own tears and vomit. I got cleaned up and went home after resting to just disassociate for a few hours." She sniffles as she works on the second donut more firmly. "I didn't want to go through that again. I don't want to lose my job. I finally thought I had everything okay and fine and then one person decides I'm not worth it and-! And-!" And back to bawling. There she goes.

Deciding to suppress his homicidal desire for the moment, he rounded the counter to gently pull her into a hug, few words needed be said, just holding her in a gentle hug

“I’m so sorry, you don’t deserve any of that”

He couldn’t help but internally think about tracking them down and chewing them out. This is easily the kindest woman he had ever had the pleasure of meeting and she gets treated like this?