#Mob!Hopper

[ok-i-draw]

“Honey~…”

“Hm…”

Mob au by: @//clownsuu

Nina by: @evillillad

[phoenixwwitch]

so this is a take I’ve never havent seen on here on before but i firmly believe that wayne munson and jim hopper were really good friends. i also believe that hopper really cared for eddie too and was almost as protective over him as wayne was. like hopper would arrest eddie and be like “that was really stupid but maybe kinda funny- ill just take you home so wayne doesn’t kill me.”

[ok-i-draw]

I swear I’m almost done 😭

[neverthebabysitter]

Thinking about that prompt i found on TikTok about faking your death and then coming back and knocking on your best friend's door like nothing happened.

That but make Steve fake his own death accidentally, so he is clueless why Robin is freaking out when he goes to visit her.

(with a side of Steve going feral a la Jonh Wick and Die Hard over his car, i'm so normal about this, so normal, it's not like i use this like an oportunity to make a b99 reference, pff, Gertie who??? )

Like, i know nothing about witness protection and how faking your death would work, but, but- let's use our imagination.

Steve's father being a lawyer and messing with someone he shouldn't have. He ends up dead and because of this, the cops think they could go after Steve too.

Which, true, Steve has an accident that destroys his car (RIP BMW, I love you, but this is for plot reasons, you would be missed), so now he has to be under witness protection.

Steve, like the ball of repressed trauma and anger issues that he is, decides that the best thing to do is go after the people who destroyed his car, a la John Wick; because:

Going after them to avenge his father: no, thank you.

Going after them to avenge his car: yes, let me go for my bat.

That without forgetting to leave a cryptic message to Eddie's and Robin's voicemail.

While Steve is having his own action movie with handling the 'mob' and cops that kinda want to help, kinda don't care; the rest of the Party is freaking out because "WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO ONE INVITED HIM TO SPEND CHRISTMAS WITH SOMEONE AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN HIS CAR WAS FOUND IN THE QUARRY???".

Dustin asks Robin if something happened with Steve during christmas, like kissing under the mistletoe or something, only for Robin to say she didn't invite him because Eddie did, but Eddie hears that and goes, "Uh, no? I chicken out; I thought you would invite him after I didn't."

They asking around if someone invited Steve because it's kind of public knowledge that his parents suck, but no one did, and he hasn't come to the Party's Christmas party yet, so he's probably mad at them.

But Eddie and Robin are having a Bad Feeling™ because of the voicemails, and Hopper is being called to identify a car that it was found in the quarry that morning.

And Hopper knows that car, he has seen that car since Steve was a dumb teenager that got his parties busted by the chief. He hasn't seen Steve for a while. He wasn't at the christmas party. Where was he again?

The Party still isn't in the know, but Hopper is already looking for Steve but he can't find him and-

Remember that i told you Steve was in witness protection? Well, i think sometimes they fake their deaths, i'm not sure, but this is the perfect oportunity and cover to pretend that Steve died.

So the government uses it, and The Party doesn't know because different branch of the government and all that.

When Hopper founds out he doesn't know how to tell the other that Steve had an accident and they are still looking for him in the quarry; but they already know, they used Dustin's cerebro to find out what was going on.

Everyone is devastaded, and then, Eddie and Robin hear their voicemail again only to bring out that maybe it wasn't an accident, that maybe Steve did it on porpose.

And grief, pain, mourning, sadness, anger. Just a lot of feelings.

Meanwhile, Steve is kicking ass and using the Bad Guys™ headquarters like his own personal rage room.

Blablabla something something something.

Steve let out his anger, has a few personal realisations, lets himself think about the trauma he's endured all those years and comes back like a new person, ready to confess his feelings for Eddie Munson and let people care about him.

The first thing is go talk with Robin, she's probably worried about him and she probably knows better than him to help him confess to Eddie.

So he goes, only to be utterly confuse by the amount of tears, snot, yells and hugs that Robin welcomes him. It's not like he died.

Then Robin is flabbergasted by his Audacity.

Both of them fall into a bickering that makes Robin cry harder because she thought she wouldn't have this again and Steve starts to cry because Robin is crying and now they're both crying.

Needless to say, they catch up about all the things that happened in both ends.

It's not the end of tears, hugs and yelling, though.

Just give Steve all the confort that he refused to accept because he didn't think he deserved and that people didn't know how to give.

Fluff, Fluffy, Fluff. A bit of Steddie here.

Yeah, that's all.

[ladykailitha]

Spellbound Part 12

Just two more chapters to go. The climax and the wind down.

Things are really moving along, though to try to sum it up for you it would be easier to say what doesn't happen as there is some much action being packed in a lot of words.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

~

Robin, Steve, and Eddie stepped out of the front door, high above the ground. Below them, Jason was holding Chrissy hostage with a knife to her throat. He was surrounded by his cronies. Not the Watch. Which considering that when Eddie left the group they had both Callahan and Hopper, but now neither of them were there, was a little disconcerting.

He hoped they were okay.

It was just Wayne. Which meant that Argyle had escaped too. This was starting to look worse and worse.

Andrew and Chase, Jason’s closest friends now that Bav had killed Patrick, were looking up at the three of them.

Steve standing in the middle in glorious golden armor, Eddie to his left in his purple and black garb and even Robin looked more powerful then what she had before.

“Get down here, witch!” Jason snarled. “Or I slit your apprentice’s true love’s throat, spilling her blood and binding my family to land forever.”

“Blood magic?” Steve growled. “You dare to dabble in blood magic? Are you insane? Do you not know the cost? What it does to you?”

“I know full well the cost,” Jason snarled. “The Carvers have been practicers of the art for many generations! An angel came to my forefather Demetrius to teach him the art of using the blood of the Lamb of God to bring the world to his bosom.”

“You think you are bringing people to Christ?” Robin hissed. “Through killing and subjugation? Are you an idiot?”

“I don’t answer to you, witch!” he spat. “You better come down here and submit to your punishment and I might let this whore go.” He yanked on Chrissy’s hair, causing her to gasp in pain.

Robin shook her head and jumped deftly to the ground. “So like a man to resort to insulting a woman’s virtue the moment she displeases you. You know full well that she needs to be a virgin for any kind of sacrifice spell.”

Eddie leapt after her and landed even more neatly than she did.

“You better let her go,” he warned, his face a mask of fury. “Just how much damage do you think we can do before and this is a major if, Jason, you take us out?”

Jason tossed her at Chase and Andrew. “Take her back to my father. We’ll still need her for later.”

Chase nodded and took a strangely compliant Chrissy back into town. But as she walked away something fell from her hand.

Steve’s jaw was in a tight line. “Eddie, Robin, I’m going to need you to back away, please.”

Eddie and Robin looked back up at where he was still standing at the front door, then back at Jason who was standing there smug.

Robin grabbed Eddie’s hand and ran underneath Bav all the way to the backdoor. “We really don’t want to see this!”

“Yeah, once is enough thanks!” Eddie agreed. But as they came out from under the house, he paused and pressed his forehead to Bav’s hind leg.

“Take care of him,” he murmured. “Please.”

Then he let Robin pull him farther away.

He looked up at the house and his eyes went wide. Bav who was once a two storey building with gables and bay windows was now a small hut the size of a carriage and was only five feet in the air.

“Holy shit!” he hissed. He turned to Robin. “Did you know she could do that?”

Just then Max and Billy came running up to them.

“I did!” she said proudly. “But this is not the time to waste it how Bav changes shape! We’ve got bigger problems.”

Eddie and Robin looked back at Steve and Bav fighting Jason and then turned back to her.

“What’s going on?”

“Tommy is leading a lynch mob against Steve and you,” Billy said gruffly. “Pitchforks and torches and they’re coming this way!”

“We can’t let them near Steve and Jason!” Robin hissed. “What do we going to do?”

Billy rubbed his chin and then bit his lip. “We need to lead them away from here.”

“The forest!” Eddie said, snapping his fingers. “The Prince of the Forest would be able to protect us!”

“Who’s that?” Max huffed.

Eddie grabbed her hand and started running for the treeline. “No time to explain!”

Billy and Robin ran on their heels.

“Big white angry deer!” Billy bit out. “It’s a good plan.”

“How is that supposed to help us?” Robin growled. “Gore them to death with his antlers until the rest of the mob makes him dinner?!”

Eddie snorted. “I don’t think they’ll be able to pass the treeline!”

Sure enough the four of the hit the tree line and suddenly the white stag stepped out to face the mob that was coming up on them fast.

Witch Hunter Hagan came to a stop in front of the beast. “I banish you in the name of Jesus Christ!”

The crystal blue eyes turned red.

“Demon!” Witch Hunter Hagan cried.

Then a white hind came out of the forest, its back baring two ethereal beings, glowing in gold.

Lord Eanethreal and Lady Melisande slipped off the beast and Lady Melisande patted the hind’s head gently.

“Protect the young ones, your majesty,” she murmured. “My husband and I will take care of the Witch Hunter.”

Then the stag’s eyes returned to crystal blue as he bowed.

It took Eddie a moment. He put Robin on the stag and Max on the hind. Both beast rose to their feet.

“Billy?” Max asked, her lip quivering. “Why aren’t you coming with?”

Billy shook his head. “Virgins only, brat! I’ll be fine!” He smacked the flank of the hind and both deer turned and broke for the trees.

Witch Hunter Hagan held out a crucifix. “High ranking devils! Stand back! You may have dominion over the beasts of Hell, wench! But you have no power over me!”

Lord Eanethreal growled. “You are the thing fowling this place, I will not let your destruction prevail!”

He pulled out a sword made of pure light and Hagan and the mob pulled out swords.

“Steel,” Hagan said with a smirk, eyeing the fae sidelong. “Made with iron. I wonder if it’s enough to hurt you...”

Lady Melisande pulled out a bow made of yew. Her arrows glowed with the same golden glow as herself. “You would have to reach him to find out, filth! Care you to test it?”

“Fan out!” Witch Hunter Hagan called out. “She can’t stop us all.”

Billy picked up a large stick to use as a club and Eddie did a motion with his hand that he had seen Steve do countless times, the black glow of his magic shoot from his fingers.

The mob roared as vines shot up from the ground.

Lord Eanethreal turned to him and then bowed his head. “Witch it is past time for you to come to your power.”

“Blame the Carvers!” Eddie said with a snarl.

“There you go again!” Hagan growled. “Besmirching the names of good folk! You keep their name out of your mouth!”

Then one of the men cried out, “The vines aren’t real! They seek to deceive you!”

And suddenly the mob surged forward, Lord Eanethreal sighed and then waded into the fray, sword swinging and Billy charged in with him swinging the club at anyone who came near.

While the noble fae fought off the mob, Eddie and Billy struggled against the Witch Hunter. Eddie tried to keep his attention off Billy with his illusions, but before he could stop him Hagan ran Billy through.

Eddie’s heart stopped as the blade pierced Billy’s stomach.

Billy grabbed Hagan by the collar, blood drenching his mouth, covering his teeth. “You should have secured your dagger, imbecile.”

Hagan staggered back, taking the sword with him.

At first Eddie couldn’t understand what had happened until the Witch Hunter turned around and he could see the dagger sticking out of his back.

As both Billy and Witch Hunter Hagan stumbled to the ground, out of the out of the woods, Steve came strolling out.

The Witch Hunter looked up at him in all his combat witch glory. A shining beacon of hope to all those who saw him.

All but one.

Thomas Hagan let out a strangled cry, coughing up his life blood, the dark red vanishing against the black of his uniform.

“You were supposed to be the best of us,” he rasped, struggling to reach out to Steve.

Eddie and the noble fae ran to Billy’s side as Steve knelt by the Witch Hunter’s.

“Oh, Tommy,” Steve mourned. “You always did do what your father told you instead of using your own good sense.”

“A witch let my mother die,” he said around the mouthful of blood.

Steve held up his head and drew it onto his lap. “No, Tommy. Your father refused to let Mother see to her until it was too late. She had come by every night, begging your father to let her use the herbs that would lessen the fever that racked your mother’s body. And each time your father turned her away.”

“He lied?”

“I’m so sorry, Tommy,” Steve murmured.

“I hurt so many people and for what?” he rasped. “But no more.” And with that Thomas Hagan, Witch Hunter breathed his last.

~

Steve knew that Jason wouldn’t give up without a fight. That he would strive against him with every fiber of his being and not stop until he had breathed his last.

He stood in front of his home, now the size she was when they traveled to this town, glamoured to look like a carriage instead of what she was. Long since the days of Baba Yaga, witches have had homes that they could take with them and settle in a new place if the old got too intolerant.

But Steve had no desire to leave. He was happy here and he was determined to fight for that happiness.

“Jason,” he growled, light sword in hand. “What do you hope to gain from this? We just want to live in peace.”

“You witches are a plague on God’s green earth!” Jason shrieked. “And we will wipe out your disease with Heaven’s fire!”

Steve let out a slow breath, it catching in his chest. “We were here before your Christ,” he said with conviction. “And we will remain long after you have returned to the dust of the earth.”

Jason let out a gut wrenching snarl in agony and rage. “Why won’t you just die!” he screamed at Steve. “The old ways are dying! Why can’t you die with it?!”

Steve stepped forward with an air of solemnity. “Because witches are the custodians of the Mother and we speak for the lowly brownies. For the noble fae. And yes, even for the wicked redcaps.”

“You’re insane!” Jason cried. “You allow those vile things to exist!”

“No, Jason,” he continued calmly. “Your family did. All it takes is a blessing from a priest and a crucifix and the beast would have been banished. But when your family came to this town, with your blood magic and its spell you allowed the redcap not only to live, but to thrive.” He waved his arm in the direction of the town. “These people knew to avoid the ruins, but you took that knowledge from them. You opened them up to the dangers of the supernatural world.”

“To save it!” Jason insisted, drawing out his sword and waving it around like a mad man.

“For who?” Steve asked. “For its people? They aren’t happy having chunks of their memories gone. For Chrissy? She’s a puppet on a string. She has no mind of her own.”

“She is supposed to be mine!” Jason snarled, pointing the tip of the sword at Steve. “She wasn’t even supposed to know about soulmates or true loves or whatever you freaks call it! You or that Munson boy must have bewitched her!”

“She’s supposed to be her own person, Jason,” Steve murmured. “Humans aren’t meant to be controlled. Eventually they break free.”

“No!” Jason said, wailing. “You must have done something to her. Something to turn her against me!”

Steve shook his head. “She went to the wrong house, Jason. She had gone to Eddie’s house first. If she had met either of us before then, she would have gone to the right house. But she didn’t. She couldn’t have.”

“Enough!” he cried and ran at him sword swinging wildly.

But before he could get anywhere close to Steve Bav knocked him away with one of her forelegs. His sword went flying and he got to his feet. Blood poured from the corner of his mouth and he wiped it away with a huff.

“If that foul thing won’t let us fight man to man,” he sneered, “then I’m going to have to do this the easy way.” He pulled a gun from a holster on his hip. It was a revolver and he spun the chamber. “Iron is iron, after all. It doesn’t need to be a sword that gets you, Harrington. I’ll just have to put you down like the dog you are.”

Steve flicked his hand and out shot a bright light of gold. Suddenly Jason let out shriek of alarm as the wood paneling in the handle of the gun abruptly sprouted flowers. When it landed on the ground, the flowers grew into a sapling.

Jason stumbled to the ground and his hand felt his sword. He grasped the hilt and leapt to his feet, springing forward to attack Steve.

Every time that Jason felt he was getting the upper hand, Bav would strike and he would be sent scrambling for his footing.

He stood panting for breath and covered in sweat. “Even without the help of the foul demon, you are much stronger than before. You were such a weakling. Passing out from just talking to those two devils and their spawn that the Head Watch dares to call his daughter. Your potions and powders having none of the real potency they deserve. But how? How are you able to best me?”

Steve cocked his head to the side. “Well for starters, dumbass, we are outside of town limits and the spell goes to the gate and no further.”

“But even then!” Jason protested.

“Once every one hundred years,” Steve said, a shield appearing in his left hand, “there are a pair of witches born with the power of the gods to take on such evil the world has never seen. And I think it’s you. You and your family has to be stopped.”

“My family will endure!” Jason screamed. “We will rule this country! In another hundred years and the whole world will be under our control!”

Finally a helmet appeared over Steve’s features. “You will die here!”

They attacked at the same time, only this time Jason wasn’t just being pushed back, he was being defeated.

Finally Steve got him turned around and with one final push from Bav, Steve ran his sword clean through the other man.

Jason began to twitch and writhe, his body twisting and folding in on itself.

Steve threw up his shield and just in time for Jason’s form to explode into dust.

Steve’s avatar form vanished and he stumbled to the ground. As he panted for breath, he felt something under his hand. Circe landed on his shoulder.

“Where the hell have you been?” he snapped.

She cawed at him. “You are my familiar. You are supposed to protect me and not run off at the first sign of danger. You’re in trouble, Missy.”

He dusted off his new found object. He tilted his head to the side. “What do you make of this?” He held it up for her see.

She made an odd croaking noise.

“That’s what I thought too,” he said getting to his feet as she fed him some of her energy. “But how did a protection charm come to be all the way out here.”

“Chrissy?” Steve asked. “You sure she was wearing this the day she came to the cottage?”

Circe cried again.

“Well, shit.”

~

Part 13 Part 14

Tag List: TWO SLOTS REMAINING

1- @niniel-karenine @watermelonmite @zerokrox-blog @sadisticaltarts @dolphincliffs

2- @gregre369 @cryptid-system @kultiras @kimsnooks @maya-custodios-dionach

3- @goodolefashionedloverboi @val-from-lawrence @carlyv @wonderland-girl143-blog @bookbinderbitch

4- @bookworm0690 @forgottenkanji @dreamercec @blondie1006 @yikes-a-bee

5- @awkwardgravity1 @oopsallgender @fearieshadow @stedestielfrattficlover @dragonmama76

6- @ellietheasexylibrarian @thedragonsaunt @useless-nb-bisexual @disrespectedgoatman @counting-dollars-counting-stars

7- @tinyplanet95 @ravenfrog @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gutterflower77 @just-a-tiny-void

8- @w1ll0wtr33 @beelze-the-bubkiss @wheneverfeasible @micheledawn1975 @gloomysoup

9- @dotdot-wierdlife @tartarusknight @ollyxar @yesdangerpls @two-vampires-kissing

10- @themoonagainstmers @estrellami-1@steddieislife

[ok-i-draw]

Wow another one of these! So curious!

Tagged by: @maddiethehatter2192

Last song: my oh my [ slowed and revered ]

Favorite color: crimson or lápiz blue

Sweet/spicy/savory: sweet 100% spicy maybe 20%

Relationship status: ….single…. Don’t ask

Last thing I googled: snoopy pics, needed to paint decorations for Christmas

Current obsession: FNAF and Welcome home!

Nine people I'd like to get to know better

Tagged by @meghawhopp <33

Last song: Down by the River by Borislav Slavov from the Baldur’s Gate 3 Soundtrack (or more specifically the cover of Down by the River by Nerissa Ravencroft)

Favorite color: Blue and purple!

Last movie/TV show: Seinfeld, I’m currently on season four!

Sweet/spicy/savory?: I have a huge sweet tooth, so sweet things

Relationship status: Single

Last thing I googled: I searched up the show “Arthur” because I was trying to find that one meme where Buster was like “You really think someone would do that, just go on the internet and spread lies?”

Current obsession: Fragaria memories and tears of themis mostly^^

Tag Nine People: @kyaruun @xinieeee @deadmansbistro @florapot @hunita812 @scuffle-with-spirals @rexonalapis @maxellera @manicpixiedoomedgirl

[tundraechos]

[Image Description: Art showing select things added to Minecraft each year from 2009 to 2024. Above all the art is the text "Minecraft 15th Anniversary" in the style of the official update titles. The years are as follows: 2009: Diamonds, Steve, creepers, oak trees, and grass blocks. 2010: Crafting tables, redstone dust, redstone torches, fishing, Nether portals, and jack-o'-lanterns. 2011: Birch and spruce trees, wolves, beds, endermen, enchanting tables, and villagers. 2012: Cats, jungle trees, cocoa beans, iron golems, ender chests, emeralds, and beacons. 2013: Hoppers, horses, name tags, dark oak and acacia trees, alliums, poppies, sunflowers. 2014: Rabbits, banners, Alex, guardians, and armor stands. 2015 is just text that says "(No significant updates were released this year)". 2016: Elytra, shields, polar bears, llamas, shulker boxes. 2017: Glazed terracotta, recipe book, different colored beds, parrots, and concrete. 2018: Phantoms, tridents, turtle eggs, turtles, coral, and fish mobs. 2019: Foxes, sweet berries, new cat variants, lanterns, pillagers, crossbows, and bees. 2020: Respawn anchors, piglins, crimson and warped fungus, netherite, and lodestones. 2021: Copper, deepslate, moss, axolotls, glow squid, amethyst, and goats. 2022: Wardens, echo shards, goat horns, frogs, allays, and mangrove trees. 2023: Cherry trees, new default player skins, decorated pots, armor trims, sniffers, torchflowers, and pitcher plants. 2024: Armadillos, New wolf variants, wolf armor, maces, wind charges, breezes, and crafters. End Image Description.]

This is a spiritual successor to my 10th anniversary art, which I have always been very proud of. It's amazing to see how far we've come!

[artiststarme]

A Grudge Be Held

Based on an enabling comment from @estrellami-1. Hope you guys like it and please leave me your opinions in the comments!

~*~*~*~

There are a few well known facts in the universe; the earth revolves around the sun, George Michael is gay, Tim Curry has sexy legs, and Eddie Munson holds grudges.

It wasn’t because he was a bad person or because he thought people were inherently bad, he’d just been through too much to waste his time on people that had already wronged him. He didn’t give more than one chance and if they fucked that up, well, they didn’t deserve another one.

He was usually lenient on what constituted a grudge to be held. Unless someone did something directly to him or someone he cared about, it didn’t really bother him and they certainly didn’t make his list. His parents were on there (because why wouldn’t they be?), Mrs. O’Donnell was on there because he was positive at least one of his failed senior years was due to her having a bone to pick with him, and Principal Higgins was on there too because fuck that guy.

Tommy Hagan was on the list because of a rumor started that made life hard for Eddie for awhile (it was true but needless to share), Jason Carver was on there now for starting a mob trying to kill him, and Billy Hargrove earned a spot for being an asshole to anything that moved.

A person that many people were surprised wasn’t on the list was Steve Harrington. The DnD party was shocked when they heard King Steve wasn’t an object of resentment in Eddie. But he’d never done anything out of malice to Eddie specifically. Where others saw confidence and pride, Eddie looked at a lonely and broken teen that was willing to do anything to fit in. He couldn’t hate him for that. And the time where Steve stood up for Eddie against Billy Hargrove at a drug deal gone wrong forever cemented him as a good guy in Eddie’s eyes.

After his experience with the Upside Down, psychic murders, and overall shitshow that was his Spring Break, Eddie and Steve got closer. Steve coerced everyone of authority to clear Eddie’s name with help from Robin, Nancy, and the passed Chief Hopper that apparently wasn’t actually dead. He housed Eddie and Wayne until they could find a new trailer that they could afford. Then he spent every waking moment making sure Eddie was alright and included as part of the group. In laymen’s terms, Steve saved his life.

So in true Eddie fashion, he made the internal dramatic decision that he would hold grudges on Steve’s behalf. He would be a guard dog of sorts, protecting and defending the love of his life his friend. What he didn’t consider was how difficult the task would be.

Through a new lens, Eddie saw that everyone walked all over Steve. The cashiers at the grocery store blatantly charged him extra, the customers at Family Video talked over him nearly every sentence in response to questions they asked, and teens on the street laughed at the scars in their view. Worse of all though, the Party didn’t respect him. Dustin and Mike told him several times a day how stupid he was, Nancy looked at him in pity and shut down all of his opinions, Lucas talked about not having sports in common with anyone right in front of him, and Robin kept blowing off their plans to hang with Vickie.

Through it all, Steve appeared fine. He smiled and nodded in all the right places but as soon as he thought the eyes moved on, his smile would slip to reveal something sadder. And so Eddie’s vengeance began.

He “accidentally” knocked over sales racks near the registers in the grocery store when they charged an extra $2 for milk. He keyed the cars of the teenagers that laughed at the evidence of Steve’s pain. When he saw Officer Callahan yacking at Steve for speeding, he picked up a dozen eggs and pelted the man’s house in revenge.

Dealing with the kids in the Party was trickier. His glares and barbed comebacks were clear enough for Nancy and Robin to change their ways. The kids though just weren’t observant enough to pick up on the clues Eddie tried to drop. One session of a campaign though, the perfect opportunity presented itself.

“I didn’t know there were dragons in the game. If you losers had told me there were dragons, I might’ve considered playing ages ago!” Steve exclaimed from his seat on the couch, intrigued eyes meeting Eddie’s.

Eddie smirked at him. “Oh yeah, Big Boy. You should know by now that I’m full of surprises.”

Steve blushed a little bit but as he went to respond, Mike interrupted. “Steve, you’re not even playing. You shouldn’t even be here much less interrupting the game!”

Steve’s flush turned pale and he shrunk into himself. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I can just uh, I can go. I’ll see you guys later.”

As he moved to get up though, Eddie stood and towered over the table.

“Wait Steve, you’re gonna want to see this part.” He glowered at Mike and rasped his voice to transition back to DM’ing. “A comet flies from the dragon’s cavern and lands on Sir Madeon. Roll for damage.”

“What the hell! No, you can’t do that!” Mike stammered with a dropped jaw.

“I just did, pipsqueak. Roll for damage or die trying.”

“14,” Mike muttered. He glared at Eddie then Steve before pouting in his seat.

“The comet is too large to escape from. Sir Madeon tries to run but he’s not fast enough to avoid the flying stone. It lands on his back in a fiery crumble. The intense heat eats through his flesh, bones, and organs at once leaving only his head and limbs intact, scattered amongst the rest of the Party. He dies a horrendous death and his friends are left alone with only the smell of charred remains to remember him by.” Eddie ends his tirade with a quirked eyebrow. That’ll show these little assholes what happens when they mess with him. A quick glance at Steve shows him excitement and surprise, he absolutely was not expecting that.

“What the fuck. This is supposed to be PG,” Dustin stares at Eddie in horror. “You really just killed a character in the middle of a campaign for Steve?”

“Roll stealth and damage.” Eddie tells him deadpan.

“God-fucking-dammit! Eddie, no, please…”

“Roll or face the consequences!”

“3 stealth, Nat-20 damage,” Dustin whispered with his face in his hands. The other kids watch Eddie in a mixture of confusion and aghastment. But Steve is beaming, teeth shining from ear to ear.

“The dragon hears your cries of grief and turns its burly head towards you. Its glimmering eyes reach the you and the rest of the Party and you see its scaled lips open in a human like smile. With a speed you could never have anticipated, it slithers toward you before standing on muscled hind legs and flapping its leathery wings. Its lips curl around a blue flame. The last thing you feel is a flash of ice before you see no more.

Your friends see you disappear into a pile of ash, the heat of the flame too powerful to escape. The dragon whips its tail towards the party while they stare at where you used to stand. Will the Wise can’t even list his magical staff before the weight of the tail crushes him to the ground in a pile of shattered bones and bloody sinnew.

Luther is impaled by one of the dragon’s back spikes and killed immediately. The light in his eyes fades and all he sees is a figure with a crown waving at him in the distance. Prince Stephen and his pet dragon prosper in the face of their trespassing adversaries once again but the only witnesses to the horror are erased from the Earth.”

The boys stare at him in shock while he arranges his papers and stands. “The end. Steve and I are going to the movies. You bitchasses aren’t invited and if you’re even a little bit nasty to Steve again, I’ll pulverize you in real life just like I killed you in the campaign. Think on that.”

With that, Eddie grabs the hand of a stunned Steve and drags him from the Wheeler’s basement. After that debacle, he’s sure that the kids have gotten their point. And now he’s got a movie to see with his main man.

(The kids absolutely get his point and moving forward are a lot nicer to Steve. And a little scared of how Eddie’s mind works.

Eddie holds a grudge against the kids for months and will still reference their comments when he sees fit for the rest of their lives or at least the rest of his.

And Steve? He starts dating his DM in shining armor a mere two hours later.)

My Permanent Tag List: @doubleb11 @nburkhardt @zerokrox-blog @newtstabber @i-less-than-three-you @carlyv @pyrohonk @sherlock15 @conversesweetheart @estrellami-1 @suddenlyinlove @yikes-a-bee @swimmingbirdrunningrock @perseus-notjackson @anaibis @merricatty @maya-custodios-dionach @grtwdsmwhr @manda-panda-monium @lumoschildextra @goodolefashionedloverboi @mentallyundone @awkwardgravity1 @devondespresso @gregre369 @mysticcrownshipper @disasterlia @lillys-weird-world @messrs-weasley @orangesunsets12 @awkotaco24 @pukner @strangerthingfanfic @dangdirtydemons @bookworm0690 @hannahhook7744 @dreamlandforever @marsbars97 @precursorandthedragon @romanticdestruction @5ammi90 @death-thee-nervousqueer @panicatthediaz @justforthedead89 @futuristicnachostranger @breadboi66 @fandommaniac123

[ivys-garden]

Since people seemed to like it, I thought I'd go more in depth to my idea for Pigeons in Minecraft. Criticism is encouraged and welcome

PIGEONS

Pigeons are a passive mob spawning in all forested biomes as well as deserts and tundras. Pigeons will also rarely Spawn in Woodland Mansions, Pillager Outposts, Witch Huts, Igloos and Villages

Pigeons have 8 distinct looks depending on the biome:

Pigeons can be Tamed by the player using any of the following:

● Carrots

● Golden Carrots

● Potatoes

● Seeds

● Pumpkin Seeds

● Melon Seeds

● Beetroot

● Melon Slices

● Glistering Melon

● Spider Eyes

● Fermented Spider Eye

● Apples

● Golden Apples

● Enchanted Golden Apples

● Sweet Berries

● Glow Berries

● Sugar Cane

● Honey Come

When Tamed, players can make pigeons sit, stand and Perch on their shoulder.

Bird Nests

Bird Nests are naturally occurring in all overworld tree types, they can be harvested by the player with silk touch or crafted like this:

Pigeons and parrots can be sat in Bird Nests and will lay eggs in there when fed (this doesn't require two pigeons or parrots, thisnis indicated by hearts above the birds head) This is the only way to breed pigeons and parrots. Parrot eggs have a yellow tint while pigeon eggs are speckled purple. Eggs hatch after 5 minutes, eggs can be collected via a right click from the player or when the nest is broken with silk touch. Eggs can be placed on the ground in sets of 4. Eggs placed on the ground never hatch. They only hatch when placed back into an egg

Deliveries

Pigeons that lay their eggs in a nest will claim it as there's, pigeons can claim up to two Nests at a time.

Right clicking on a tamed pigeon in a nest with an item in the player's hand opens an interface, similar to the horse, where pigeons can be given an item yo hold. Pigeons can only carry written books and bundles. Assuming the pigeon has claimed two Nests the player can send the pigeon to the other nest on either a one way or return trip.

A pigeon with an item will fly to the other nest, loading chunks as they do so (chucks loaded by a pigeon cannot Spawn mobs or perform tick updates such as crop growth, to prevent lag).

When the pigeon reaches the nest they will place the item into the nest. Items can be removed from the nest via a right click or via a hopper placed below the nest.

Pigeons can go through half block gaps to get to the nest, if they are unable to access the nest after 30 seconds they become frustrated (indicated by particles above their head) and drop the item on the ground.

Assuming that the player chooses for the pigeon to make a return trip, the pigeon will Fly back regardless as to whether or not it could access the nest.

If the player chose one way, the pigeon will stay in the second nest with the deposited item, unless it couldn't access the nest in which case it will automatically teleport back to the player

All players can use Tamed pigeons to send packages, regardless of whether or not they were the one to tame the pigeon.

Achievements and Advancements

Pigeons have one advancement and two achievements:

Special Delivery - Advancement for sending a package with a pigeon

Sky Rat Master - achievement for obtaining all pigeon variants

Spoiled Rotten - achievement for feeding a pigeon one of every golden food item

[ok-i-draw]

Introducing mob!Hopper redesign!

Mob au by: @/clownsuu

What he does:

He’s stationed at the bar with Howdy, becoming a second in command in case Wally calls for Howdy. But when he’s not at the bar, he’s on the hit crew “taking” care of someone…

His personality:

He’s charming and sophisticated, but is also kinda quiet at times. He’s a bit of an introvert but he comes out of his shell sometimes, especially with Nina and Terrin ( Spider crew ) but Nina the most. She reminds him of someone, someone familial…

[lexirosewrites]

For slick sunday

I am once again asking you to imagine Scream Queen O!Steve & horror fan A!Eddie,

except in this idea/AU Eddie is the co host of a horror podcast similar to Dead Meat but it's called (u guessed it) Corroded Coffin, Eddie hosts & A!Jeff co-hosts & O!Gareth mostly works with the sound while A!Chrissy & B!Felix (unnamed freak who apparently has a canon name but idc I like the name felix & using this name made me realize gender things so it has special meaning for me now) ANYWAY Chrissy & B!Felix mostly handle research

Well they talk about all horror not just movies, they discuss books & they discuss other podcasts & of course they discuss movies. Eddie & Chrissy are slasher fans through & through, Jeff is more for the supernatural stories, when Gareth comes on an episode very occasionally he's an unrepentant fan of elevated horror like The VVitch, meanwhile if felix is on an episode it's explicitly because they're talking about cosmic horror OR horror coming out of east asia (felix is a Junji Ito devotee, as am I & yes this is me projecting onto a fictional character)

WELL their podcast is fairly popular, they're considered Z-list celebrities within popular culture maybe D-list amongst horror fans, the Corroded Coffin podcast has gone on tours & done live shows. they've even established a small podcast network they call Hellfire Club & expanded to making more shows: chrissy & felix host a folklore podcast, Jeff & a new guest every week have discussions abt the new expression of horror abt being a marginalized identity (i.e. being a black person in a white supremacist society or being a beta woman/omega in an alpha centric patriarchal culture)

Then one day their business email gets an inquiry abt a new movie coming out in the next year & the executive producer wants to know if they'd be interested in a slight PR stunt/limited podcast series around this movie.

The producer in question is one Jim Hopper, a known name who's only ever produced action flicks, apparently he's dipping his toe into the horror space bc his daughter & step-son r huge fans of the genre & encouraged him to take on a script he'd normally ignore.

The movie is called Strange Times On Main Street & it follows an ensemble cast tht r meant to b the residents of a dwindling town in nowhere Indiana in the early 1980s, the horror factor comes in when the different characters start to see things tht might not b real but all seem connected to an individual who has terrorized the town for decades, culminating in a town hall meeting where they're told there's nothing tht can b done; so the situation dissolves into an eerily quiet mob tht ends up hunting down this person & the movie ends abruptly with this guy being executed in broad daylight practically in the middle of Main street.

They agree right away. The gimmick involves Eddie & Chrissy acting like the hosts of a true crime podcast who are "interviewing" the people of the town supposedly years after the incident. Everyone is excited because there r some big names involved in the movie, most notably the undisputed scream queen Steve Henderson who got half of his fame from working his way up from among stunt doubles on action movies so he's known to do his own stunts.

Well, it's a fantastic process & absolutely everyone has a wonderful time & Eddie sort of bumbles his way thru the episode w Steve (whose character is implied to have been the one to kill the supposed antagonist) but Steve finds it cute & gives Eddie his number.

The movie does well & wins not only a Screamy Award but an actual Oscar. Steve even wins the first Oscar of his career for best omega man in a leading role. He kisses his date before going up to give his speech, who's his date you ask? Eddie Munson host of popular podcast Corroded Coffin

They announce their wedding & mating a month after the awards show

horror meet cute🥰

[the-queen-of-hell-666]

2024 Kinktober Masterlist

I'm so sorry for not posting like at all this year but it's been a very long year. College classes started up again this fall and I'm swamped with work. This is my list for Kinktober this year. I will do my best to keep up but anywho, I hope you enjoy!

Banners by @vase-of-lilies

Key: Fluff; 🌙 // Angst; 👿 // Smut; 🔥 // Dark; 🕸️

Day 1: Deepthroating/Facesitting (Daryl Dixon (Prison Era) x Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 2: Semi-Public Sex (Ransom Drysdale x Nurse!Fem!Reader)🔥

Day 3: Knotting (Alpha!Jim Hopper x Assistant!Omega!Fem!Reader)🌙🔥

Day 4: Phone Sex (John Winchester x Hunter!Fem!Reader)🌙🔥

Day 5: Squirting (Obsessive!Perv!Billy Hargrove x Bimbo!Fem!Reader) 🔥

Day 6: Cuckolding (Shy!Jake Jensen x FemmeFatal!Fem!Reader x Franklin Clay) 🌙🔥

Day 7: Biting/Marking (Possessive!Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 8: Morning Sex (CACW!Steve Rogers x Avenger!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 9: Praise Kink (Insecure!Geralt of Rivia x Healer!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 10: Mommy Kink (Needy!Johnny Storm (CE) x Mommy!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥👿

Day 11: Caught (Daryl Dixon (Prison Era) x Fem!Reader) 🔥

Day 12: Sex Toys (Lawyer!Sam Winchester x Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 13: Virginity Kink (Professor!Logan Howlett x Virgin!Mutant!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 14: Shotgunning (Needy!Ransom Drysdale x Nurse!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 15: Tentacles (Part-Kraken!Steve Rogers x Princess!Fem!Reader) 🕸️🔥

Day 16: Spanking (Johnny Storm (CE) x Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 17: Breeding (Wolf-Hybrid!Geralt of Rivia x Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 18: Tittyfucking (Wade Wilson x Plus-Sized!X-Men!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 19: Hate Sex (Erik Lehnsherr x X-Men!Fem!Reader) 👿🌙🔥

Day 20: Edging (Young!Logan Howlett (X-Men1) x Professor!Mutant!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 21: Dub-con/Non-con (Dark!Lloyd Hansen x Innocent!Fem!Reader) 🕸️👿🔥

Day 22: Stripping (CEO!Nick Fowler x Stripper!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 23: Anal Sex (Dark!Steve Kemp x Innocent!Fem!Reader) 🕸️👿🔥

Day 24: Pegging (Brat!Wade Wilson x Mean!Dom!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 25: Lactation (Dad!Steve Rogers x Mom!Pregnant!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 26: Age Difference (Older!Daryl Dixon (Alexandria Era) x 20s!Sunshine!Fem!Reader) 🌙🔥

Day 27: Gagging (Mob!Bucky Barnes x Bimbo!Fem!Reader)

Day 28: DP in One Hole (CEO!Married!Stucky x Assistant!Fem!Reader)

Day 29: Gloryhole (Jim Hopper x Fem!Reader)

Day 30: Panty Raid/Panty Kink (Shy!Perv!Jake Jensen x Slight!Perv!Fem!Reader)

Day 31: Videoing (Camboy!Eddie Munson x Girlfriend!Fem!Reader)

[acronym-chaos]

Minecraft Inspired ID Pack

[PT: Minecraft Inspired ID Pack].

[ID: A purple thin line divider shaded at the bottom. End ID].

Names

[PT: Names].

Alex, Amber, Amethyst, Ash, Azalea, Blaze, Block, Brick, Briar, Brielle, Brook, Carver, Celeste, Clay, Cobble, Cree, Crystal, Daisy, Dawn, Dusty, Ember, End, Eve, Flora, Flint, Forge, Garnet, Gemma, Granite, Grayson, Harper, Hazel, Holly, Hopper, Iris, Ivy, Jade, Jett, Juniper, Lapis, Laurel, Lilac, Lily, Maple, Marigold, Mason, Meadow, Miner, Mira, Moss, Nova, Oak, Onyx, Opal, Pearl, Pebble, Poppy, Pyre, Quill, Reed, Red, River, Rocky, Rose, Rowan, Ruby, Sage, Sable, Sapphire, Selene, Shale, Sky, Skylar, Slate, Smith, Spruce, Steele, Stella, Stone, Sunny, Terra, Thalia, Timber, Torch, Violet, Wade, Willow

Pronouns

[PT: Pronouns].

A / Ax / Axe; Bla / Blaz / Blaze; Blo / Block / Blocks; Build / Build / Builds; Cob / Cobble / Cobbles; Cra / Craf / Craft; Cra / Craf / Craft; Cree / Creep / Creeper; Dig / Dig / Digs; E / En / End; Flint / Flint / Flints; Fo / For / Forge; Mi / Mine / Mines; Pi / Pick / Picks [Pickaxe]; Red / Stone / Redstones; Sap / Sapling / Saplings; Shea / Shear / Shears; Sho / Shovel / Shovels; Sme / Smelt / Smelts; Sta / Stack / Stacks; Sto / Stone / Stones; Tor / Torch / Torches; Wo / Wood / Woods

Titles

[PT: Titles].

Builder of Worlds; Crafter of Blocks; Master of the Mines; The Blocksmith; The Brave Explorer; The Collector of Resources; The Creator of Realms; The Defender of the Village; The Ender of Mobs; The Master of the Redstone; The Master Miner; The Pixel Pioneer; The Resource Gatherer; The Survival Expert; [Pronoun] Who Crafts with Precision; [Pronoun] Who Delves Deep; [Pronoun] Who Faces the Nether; [Pronoun] Who Mines and Builds; [Pronoun] Who Shapes the World

[ID: A purple thin line divider shaded at the bottom, end ID].

Requested by @rwuffles on Discord!

Also tagging: @pronoun-arc @id-pack-archive

[pupsmailbox]

MINECRAFT ID PACK

NAMES︰ alex. amber. amethyst. ash. azalea. blaze. block. briar. brick. brielle. brier. brook. carver. celeste. clay. cobble. cree. crystal. daisy. dawn. dusty. ember. end. eve. flint. flora. forge. garnet. gemma. granite. grayson. harper. hazel. hero. holly. hopper. iris. ivy. jade. jett. juniper. lapis. laurel. lilac. lily. magnolia. maple. marigold. mason. meadow. miner. mira. moss. nova. oak. onyx. opal. pearl. pebble. poppy. prairie. pyre. quill. red. reed. river. rocky. rose. rowan. ruby. sable. sage. sapphire. selene. shale. sky. skye. skylar. slate. smith. spruce. steele. stella. stephen. stone. sunny. terra. thalia. timber. torch. violet. wade. willow.

PRONOUNS︰ a/axe. adventurer/adventurer. allay/allay. ar/armour. ax/axe. bam/bamboo. bat/bat. bee/bee. biome/biome. birch/birch. bla/blaze. blaz/blaze. blaze/blaze. blo/block. block/block. build/build. bun/bun. cake/cake. chest/chest. clay/clay. cob/cobble. copper/cooper. cow/cow. cra/craft. craf/craft. craft/craft. cre/creative. creep/creeper. creeper/creeper. dark/dark. deep/deepslate. deep/slate. dig/dig. disc/disc. drown/drown. ely/elytra. elytra/elytra. en/end. end/end. end/eye. ender/ender. ender/enderman. enderman/endermen. explorer/explorer. fight/fight. flint/flint. for/forge. fox/fox. ghast/ghast. glow/stone. goat/goat. grav/gravel. heal/heal. hive/hive. hun/hunger. husk/husk. hx/hxm. hy/hym. ice/ice. kaboom/kaboom. kelp/kelp. lav/lava. love/love. magma/magma. mi/mine. mine/mine. mob/mob. mod/mod. moosh/mooshroom. mooshroom/mooshroom. musicnote/musicnote. nether/nether. nostalgia/nostalgia. nostalgic/nostalgic. oak/oak. ocean/ocean. ore/ore. over/overworld. over/world. pearl/pearl. phantom/phantom. pi/pick. pig/pig. pig/pigstep. pig/step. play/player. ram/ram. red/stone. sap/sapling. scream/scream. sculk/sculk. sea/sea. shea/shear. sheep/sheep. sho/shovel. shulk/shulker. shx/hxr. shy/hyr. skele/skeleton. skeleton/skeleton. skulk/skulk. slime/slime. sme/smelt. smp/smp. snow/snow. spawner/spawner. spec/spectator. speed/speedrun. spider/spider. spruce/spruce. sta/stack. sto/stone. strider/strider. surv/survival. survivor/survivor. swo/sword. tele/teleport. terra/terracotta. thxy/thxm. thy/thym. tnt/tnt. tor/torch. tree/tree. ve/vex. vwoop/vwoop. warden/warden. warp/warped. warrior/warrior. wat/water. wit/wither. wither/wither. wo/wood. wolf/wolf. xp/xp. zomb/zombie. zombie/zombie.

[ladykailitha]

Lounge Singer Steve

After seeing pictures of Joe Keery singing on the Late Show and making love to the microphone, I came up with this idea.

~

Steve is a 1920s lounge singer at a club that caters to the mob. There are three factions in town. The Hellfire Boys, The Kings, and The Righteous Undead. And the Upside Down Club is the only neutral ground.

Nancy Wheeler runs the bar with the help of her husband, Jonathan and his brother Will. Robin the band leader of the jazz band and is on trumpet, Dustin on piano, Mike on double bass, Max on drums, and Lucas on sax.

Wayne Munson heads the Hellfire Boys after his idiot brother got himself arrested. Really he’s only holding court until he can train Eddie in all the ways of the business. Which is drugs. Anything you want, they’ve got it.

Billy Hargrove heads the Kings. They run a racketeering gig where they force businesses to pay them protection fees to protect them from the other two gangs. But they’re more likely to break business owners’ knees than the other two gangs are.

The final gang is run by Henry Creel. They’re new in town respectively, having only cropped in the last year or so. No one is quite sure what their business is in, but there has been a lot of talk about guns and newer weapons that came out of The Great War.

Eddie recently came to town, having been left in the care of his ailing mother in New York and having recently moved into the Hawkins borough of Chicago to be with his uncle.

But Eddie isn’t the only newcomer in town from New York. Special Agent Jason Carter from the FBI is in town to help Chief Hopper clear up corruption on the mean streets of Chicago, starting in the Hawkins district.

Eddie gets into town and when he shows up at the Upside Down for the first time he instantly falls in love with Steve and his pipes from heaven. The only trouble is, Stevie has a rule. He doesn’t date anyone on either side of the law, coppers and mobsters alike.

He likes living and isn’t about to get caught up in someone’s vendetta just because he hopped into bed with the wrong person.

Chrissy is a cop undercover as a waitress and cigarette girl and is feeding information to the cops, but because she has a crush on Robin (whom is cross dressing so Chrissy thinks she’s a he) she is always a little late with the good information and early on the bad.

Eddie’s bright idea is to go straight, but when his uncle is trying to get him to take over, Creel wants him for the Righteous Undead, and Billy just wants him dead, it’s going to get complicated fast.

Especially when Steve falls for the absolute dork, too.

[imsodishy]

Good luck with the iv! If you want a prompt, how about "superheroes"?

Ihni! this got away from me (kept me occupied 😅) thank you for the prompt! 💜

"Need a hand, Pretty Boy?"

Steve would roll his eyes if he wasn't right in the middle of fighting off some goon with a machete in a knockoff Soviet military get up.

Once he's broken the guy's wrist and kicked the blade safely off the roof (yes, he'll retrieve it from the fire escape later, Hop) he turns to face Painkiller, gives him a nice big eye roll, so it'll be clear even behind his mask, even from where the vigilante is lounging, up high on a water tank, "Not my name," Steve tells him.

He has to do a quick two-step to dodge one of machete guy's buddies who tried for a low tackle while his back was turned.

Painkiller shouts down from his perch, very much not actually helping despite his offer, "Yeah, but Kid King was a stupid name when you actually were a kid, and you've got to be pushing twenty now," Steve's twenty-two actually, thanks for asking, "When's The Chief gonna let you put on some big-boy pants? When are they gonna let you off the leash, huh?"

Steve trips one of The Kremlin's (stupid fuckin villain name) henchmen into the path of the one charging at him with a lead pipe so they go down in a heap together. Then turns, again, to Painkiller, throws his arms wide, "You see a leash anywhere on me, asshole?"

Steve's been patrolling solo for a couple years now. Even if he's still technically Hopper's sidekick, he's progressing. He's climbing the ladder. And, if he's had the... conversation with Hop a half dozen times in the last couple months about how it doesn't really feel like he is, and it seems like Eleven had leapfrogged past him even though she's five years younger just because she's got powers (and what's a guy like Hop doing with a powered sidekick anyway?), then that's absolutely none of this blonde bitch's business. Because Steve's a team player.

Unlike Pain-in-the-Ass, who showed up one day, out of the blue, with just a bandana covering his face, notorious Mob boss Neil Hargrove's dead body under his boot, and an extensive dossier in his hand that posthumously tied him to a laundry list of stomachturningly awful crimes that no one had been able to pin on him while he was alive.

Who flipped off every licensed hero (big name ones too) who tried to offer him an apprenticeship after that. Skipped sidekicking altogether and flew totally solo, which isn’t how it's been done since, like, the fucking 40s. Which is why he’s still classed as a vigilante.

Why, four year's later, no one's sure of the extent of his powers. Even though he clearly has some kind of powers, nobody walks off the kind injuries Painkiller regularly does without some kind of enhancement. Steve saw him get hit by a truck last week, but tonight, as he jumps down to the level of the roof Steve is on, he looks totally fine. He's got pep in his goddamn step, in his costume that makes a big, defiant point of it. Enough bare skin to scream, Look, ma, no body armor!

"That's so sad, man," Painkiller tsks as he grabs up the lead pipe that got dropped and cracks that last mook standing across the face with a sickening crunch.

He steps over the prone forms of all the other henchmen Steve has laid out and ziptied. He gets right up in Steve's face, "You don't even see it."

Steve is not in the mood tonight.

Because Hop is handling some kind of death ray situation right now, while Steve runs minor interference on the perimeter. Because Nancy's pulling further away everyday, when her coverage of heroes has gotten hostile enough to the whole concept recently that the paper won't run them, and then somehow he's the bad guy when he points out that yeah, obviously they won't print that, Nancy, what did she expect? And there's a whole gaggle of kids in their first domino masks nipping at his heels, progressing in leaps and bounds while Steve's stalled out, and shunted aside.

Steve is so not in the mood.

"You know what I see?" he sneers down his nose, working the bare inch he has on this guy, "I see a tiger hunting rats."

Painkiller laughs like he doesn't really get it, "What?"

"You're scared," Steve says, and the guy stops laughing. "You could be in the Big Leagues in a goddamn second. You're what, indestructible? Got super strength? Electrokinesis?" That last one was a bit of a risk, but Steve's almost sure he's seen him wield lightning in controlled little bursts when he thinks he can get away with it. The gamble pays off, the way those blue eyes widen means he's right, and also right that, "You hide it."

Steve scoffs, prods the ostentatiously bare chest infront of him with two fingers, "You waste your time picking off lowlifes any schmuck with hand-to-hand training could handle because it makes you feel strong."

Steve prods him again, harder, and he sways back a step, even though Steve's just some schmuck, "You're not a vigilante because you don't want anyone telling you what to do, it's because you don't want anyone to know what a scared-" prod, "little-" prod, "boy you are," and one last prod for good luck.

Steve's basically expecting it when the shock and, yeah, fear on Painkiller's face switches lightning fast to anger.

He expects the punch too. Deliberately provoking a guy with super strength, probably not Steve's smartest move.

When he comes to the sun is just starting to rise, and Hopper is crouched over him, tapping his cheek relatively gently, "There you go, kid," he says when Steve starts to come around. "One of 'em get the drop on you?" he asks gesturing to the hog-tied goons scattered around the rooftop.

"Uh, sort of," Steve says, sitting up slow.

Hopper's cowl is hanging loose around his neck, he's sweaty and dirty and favoring his left side pretty obviously. Steve straightens up quickly, "What happened with the weapon? Where's El? Is she okay?"

"Slow down, kid," Hop lays a heavy hand on his shoulder to keep him from shooting to his feet to fast and probably face planting, "El's fine, tired, but fine. She's resting up with Joyce, where I was expecting you to be," he says pointedly.

"The ray?"

"It was touch and go for a bit, but we got lucky, actually. It exploded," Steve blinks, "Generators overloaded and the the whole thing just," Hop times a little explosion with his hands, "Power is out on the east side, fried a big chunk of the grid. Couldn't handle the electric load I guess."

Steve... doesn't blink. But he thinks... for a long time.