#Robin: Are you peddling fights now?

[munsonsduchess]

The Prince

summary: eddie is awake but there has been no sign of prince steve since, concern increases for the prince's safety w/c: 1,70 warnings: mentions of eddie's injuries, mentions of blood, swearing, mentions of someone being held against their will (non sexual) a/n: welcome to chapter three of shadow of the moon, now also on ao3 we're getting into the nitty gritty a little bit now since i had a bit of a breakthrough where this story was concerned earlier in the week and i'm excited to get into it with you all

if you like this please reblog so others can find it and enjoy as well, sharing is caring folks!

divider by @firefly-graphics

(moodboard by me)

A few days after Eddie had woken you'd been inundated with visitors. It seemed the Prince had been trying to hold back the horde of young adults who wanted to see their friend now he was no longer in a healing slumber. 

Nancy and Robin had come along to 'supervise' but you suspected that they were really just there to stop Dustin and Mike from causing any more harm to Eddie, 

"What happened?" 

"Did you see the guy?"

"Does Steve know who it was?"

"Is he going to kick their ass?" 

Eddie didn't seem daunted at all by the barrage of questions thrown his way and answered them with ease. No he didn't see who it was, he doesn't know what Steve knows, let's be honest Steve is more likely to get his ass kicked than anyone else. 

The last statement brought laughter flowing freely from the children and even from Nancy and Robin, apparently the Prince had a reputation for losing fights. 

You hadn't seen the Prince since Eddie had woken and you suspected he was finding it hard to leave the grounds of the castle after the stunt at the river, no doubt the young men had been more than eager to tell anyone who'd listen about their chivalrous Prince since word had even reached you by now about how the Prince had 'saved' a young woman by the river but thankfully your name had been omitted, you didn't think the people of Hawkins would be so eager to praise the Prince for his actions if they knew you were involved.

Nancy seemed to catch you deep in thought and had come to sit beside you at your work table, 

"Steve told us what happened, I didn't think Jason Carver would have been the type" 

"I don't think he had the same idea as his friends" you  answered honestly, "he seemed to have a different agenda" 

Nancy hummed in thought. Perhaps she knew something and the incident at the river was only adding fuel to a fire she'd already suspected was burning,

"He's a great follower of the Royal Advisor, Henry, practically idolises him" Nancy spoke carefully, sounding her thoughts out, "Steve has never trusted Henry. There's something about him that just doesn't sit right"

"I've never known a Prince to trust someone with their father's ear" you said, "they're too concerned with what that person might be saying about them and how it would affect their right to the throne" 

"Steve isn't like that. He doesn't care about being King"

It was true you hadn't got that impression from the Prince from the interactions you'd had with him but he was still just that. A prince. You'd really rather not get embroiled in the dramas of Royalty. 

It turned out that Eddie was a terrible patient when he was awake, as you found out when you attempted to change his bandages,

"Ow! That hurts!" 

"If you'd stop flinching it wouldn't hurt!" you snapped back, you'd been trying to change his bandages for the last ten minutes and it was increasingly difficult and your temper was getting the best of you,

"I'm flinching because I was mauled and your bedside manner is terrible! What kind of healer are you anyway?" 

"I think you'll find I am not a healer, Master Edward. I peddle charms and potions but  your friends were desperate when they brought you to my doorstep so I offered my help" 

"Sure as a favour for the Prince" Eddie scoffed, "should have just brought me home"

"Oh yes I'm sure that would have worked out so well" you retorted, "you would have bled out if I had not been here to help"

"Ow!" Eddie was unable to think of a witty comeback when you'd touched the washcloth to one of the larger wounds on his side and he flinched away again,

"If you do not sit still and let me clean your wounds and rebandage them they will become infected and then you will be worse off than you are now, and I don't much feel like explaining to your friends how I let you get that way because you were a fussy child who refused to sit still!" 

Eddie merely pouted and did his best not  to wince the next time you pressed the washcloth to his wounds. Finally you were able to clean and redress Eddie's wounds and he lay back on your bed having been unable to get up and move around quite yet. 

You were still sleeping on your mound of blankets by the hearth and while it wasn't the most comfortable place you were sure the Prince would arrange for his friend to be moved to better lodgings now that he was awake, it was only a matter of time you supposed until you were left to your solitude again. 

The only thing was that neither you nor anyone else apparently had seen or heard from  the prince in more than a week, which was troubling Robin most of all,

"We're best friends, he's never not found some way to contact me" she'd  come by in a frantic state to see if there was anything you could do to try and reach the Prince, "I don't want to think about what might have happened to him" 

"I can try and divine something" you'd told her, "but there is no way to know for certain what is happening" 

You'd brought your cards to the table and had Robin hold them for a while to absorb her energies and her concern for her friend before handing them back. Placing the cards  out in front of you immediately began to show an unfavourable scenario, 

"What? What do they say?" 

"It would seem your prince is being held somewhere, i'm unsure where, he is being held under the instructions of a powerful man, guarded so he cannot leave, this powerful man is angry with the prince for something, he will not harm the prince but he is incredibly angry" 

Robin slammed her hands on the table and stood up in a flash, 

"You heard all that right?" she addressed Eddie as she spoke who you hadn't even realised was awake, "you know what that means"

"Yeah, his old man" Eddie agreed, "probably found out about Steve helping me, you know what happened last time" 

"I'm going to get Nancy" Robin announced as she stormed out of your cottage angrier than you'd ever seen her,

"Well, that's certainly the most emotional reaction to a reading I've had in a while" you sighed picking your cards back up, "I don't know why you're all so eager to involve yourself in the daily lives and drama of your Royals but I commend you for your loyalty" 

"It's not like that" Eddie bit out, "Steve's a good guy" 

"So I'm told. I'm certain it's a welcome change to have a kind ruler waiting in the wings"

"You don't get it" Eddie said, shaking his head, "Steve is different, why do you think he brought me here?" 

"Because I was the closest and I doubt any doctor could have helped you as I did" 

"Because the doctor in the castle would have just let me die!" he all but yelled, "people in town don't give a fuck about me and they'd be happy if I was gone, but not Steve. He dragged my ass here because he trusted you, he knew you'd help. Because he's a good person" 

You were stunned for a moment. You'd simply assumed the Prince endeared people to him by not being as iron fisted as his father clearly was. However the loyalty you'd seen from those who called him friend was different than anything you'd ever seen before where Royalty was concerned. 

Still, you couldn't afford to become attached to anyone in this town no matter how endearing they seemed. Your life was a solitary one, you were simply biding your time until the fine people of Hawkins decided they'd had enough of a witch living in their town. 

It was always the same. No matter where you went. You couldn't count on doing one favour to change the very nature of people. 

Including Princes. 

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added): @babyrunsforfanfic @novelnovella @pillow-titties @yappydoo @filthy-gorgeous-library @likedovesinthewnd @insertcoolnameherethanks

[eyeliveinabook]

Steve Harrington x ADHD reader

I haven’t seen may ADHD stories with Steve most are with Eddie. Now don’t get me wrong Eddie is a great character but I am a Steve girl.  This is more of a friendship with hints of feelings blossoming.  Also I am basing this on my person experience of having ADHD. So it might not be the same for all 

His first impression of you is that you are very quiet. Robin invites you to one of their hangouts at Steve’s place. Robin knows you from the  musical that the school band is helping orchestrate. 

However once Robin brings up topics you liked, that got you talking a mile a minute and that you seem to be changing topics quickly. 

You also find yourself interrupting Steve and Robin a lot. After your 100 time doing it you sheepishly apologize and look like you are going back in your shell. 

Steve says it is fine and tries cracking a joke about how the kids don’t let him talk either. 

You ask if he is comparing you to a kid.

Steve back peddles and is at a lost for words, as his cheeks turn red you start laughing. You let him know that you are only joking.

He cracks a smile that instantly makes your stomachs do flips (cliche I know!) 

You keep talking with Steve and Robin and soon form a great bond. 

Once you meet the rest of the gang they instantly love you and crack jokes about how you are more of the dad to them since you take them on cool adventures (hikes, visiting abandoned building etc.).

The whole gang come to the school’s play to support both you and Robin. You confess to Robin that you have never been so nervous and feel even more fidgety. You try blaming it on the fact that the kids are in the audience and you want them to still think you are cool.  Robin teases that it is not because the kids are there, instead it is because Steve is there. 

Turning red you just give up and agree, no use lying to Robin anyway.

The play is a big success, plus Steve loved watching you. 

Every now and them some of the demodogs escape from the Upside down, and after throwing up and having a “mild” panic at the first encounter you slowly understand everything that is happening. 

You beg Steve to train you, when he declines you tell him that he either helps you or you will go to the kids to help you (you know it is a bad idea but it is the only thing that you can think of) 

Steve then starts training you in what he knows and soon you are able to fight them off. 

He asks you how you are able to fight this well, you simply state that it is probably because you can’t sit still for the life of you. (Percy Jackson reference anyone??)

Steve also notices that when you are in a big group you become overstimulated. You stop talking  however, it looks like you want to be a part of the conversation again but are either bored of the topic or worried that you might be talking to much.

He sat next to you and rubbed your back, this helped ground you and bring you back into the conversation. 

Steve bought you a couple of fingerboards for your birthday. You were puzzled at first and when he explained that maybe it could help with your fidgeting. You immediately turned red but thanked him. Steve noticed that were ever you went you started carrying these things as they helped keep your hands occupied. 

Whenever you guys would go out you would help drive the kids around (Which Steve loved) 

You often go  to the library with Robin to do homework and on the rare occasion Steve joins you guys. He notices that it seems you can not focus and zone out.

He tries rubbing your back again and it works. If he can't rub your back then he will rub your thigh or shoulders. It soon becomes second nature to both of you.

He even rubs your head when you lay on his shoulder while watching movies. (At this point Robin and Dustin make fun of you both)

You confine in him one night that your parents have been pushing you to start medication so that you can be “normal”.

You start to cry about how you feel like something is wrong with you because your brain is so different compared everyone else. 

Steve assures you that there is nothing wrong with you.

When you start your medication it is hard at first, but Steve and the gang are there to help you through it. 

You never really tell Steve or anyone that you have ADHD, it seems to be something that is just unsaid. And you love that from the moment you met Steve he has done nothing but accept you and support you. 

Hope y’all like it and don’t forget to heart and send requests. 

[desultory-novice]

@mobgabriel said…

“frankly if they made a movie with the "relatable real person" and didn't use adeline for the role i would be shocked because of how obvious of an idea it is, she is already a real character who is one of the 2 humans that we see in the setting(with the other one being kirby universe's equivalent of samus),who has very little lore(as far as i remenber the most backstory we get from her is that she went to popstar to study art in the K64 manual wich is frequently ignored) and has ties to what is by far one of the dark matter trilogy wich is one of the best stories to adapt to a kirby movie and you can easily do a emotional climax by having adeline being possessed as a nod to the source material(wich feeds into my extremely Sisyphean hope that the series will one day explore the eldritch horrors of its antagonists form a POV that isn't kirby's)”

I’m of two minds.

I would say my main argument against using Adeleine for THIS is that, as a big Adeleine fan, I’m hesitant to see her worked into the “ingenue in distress” role! I’m a fan of her character (thin as it is, officially) which is why I try to be careful in my own use of her.

Even in Apologies AU, it is mostly Noir quietly pining over their life’s tragedies as I didn’t want to twist Adeleine into the kind of character who is like, grieving the loss of her family so deeply she can no longer get out of bed or remember what food tastes like... Not against sad Adeleine HC though! And a thoughtful/wistful Christopher Robin type Ado is one of my favs! But I do think it’s beneficial to use sparingly rather than risk it becoming the fandom zeitgeist!

Back when I wrote my own fairly serious attempt ^^; at a Kirby movie treatment (though I would change things up if I did it again…) I choose to make Ribbon the “heroine in need of a hero during the 3/4s mark” for that reason! I didn’t love Hollywood heroine-ifying her either, but she DOES have a movie-sized problem in 64 and it did require Kirby’s assistance to solve! Their teaming up to fight Zero 2 feels like one of those kinda ~legendary~ moments that make them the most likely to occupy the lead hero and heroine spots.

The other reason is that anime movies of this type seem to peddle in one-off characters that people utterly unfamiliar with the property can imprint onto. It’s not MY preference, as a fan. I know "member berries" (?) or whatever it's called when new movies dangle cheap nostalgia in front of you is a tech that gets a lot of flack (for being done as a shoddy cash grab, I would like to think) but I WOULD like to be able to point at the colorful shape on screen and go “AH!” instead of be forced to empathize with some random kid we KNOW will NEVER show up again. ("We'll stay friends forever!" :said through tears: "Note: Poochie died on the way back to his home planet")

But can’t deny it seems to be industry standard. And if we're talking about the -possibility- of a Kirby happening movie, even in a highly fictionalized and fun way, the dead-eyed working stiff in me can't help but chime in with "Now, this is how they WOULD do it. Even if it's not necessarily how they should." XD

Oh and I agree that the Dark Matter trilogy/the Dark Matter invasion would make a good movie plot! Zero + Dark Matter are presented as an immediate a global threat, and a visible, compelling one (scary eyeballs!) that is easy to follow!

I've mentioned before that I disagree about RtDL making for "the best" game to movie pipeline project - though I would say now even RtDL could be adapted into a nice movie! It would just have to be one of those compilation movie "retell the story" type deals where you know what you’re going to see. I still hold it would be kinda a bad choice for this hypothetical of “big Hollywood film to use to introduce Kirby and his friends to a wider audience/global audience."

So, if we ever got a DM Trilogy adaptation, I would absolutely love to see our girl in it, but...I also have fond memories of like, various Sailor Moon movies (...okay, I admit it, I’m thinking specifically of that one pegasus one?! XD) and I do think a new, one-off human character would be a way to pull that adaptation off!

:on that note, I've been wanting to design a gijinka for Zero and Gooey so I can pair them with Noir for various fun cough FUN times:

-

>Explore the series’s horrors from an outside Kirby perspective 

👀 Ooh, I like this concept too!

For an actually good Kirby movie idea that still has the mandated "relatable real person": Kirby's clash with Eifilis (which takes place on Shiver Star) causes Kirby to be sent back in time to when Earth was Earth, leading to Kirby making friends with a struggling autistic kid. Kirby, wanting to make sure his new friend stays alive, brings him into the future... Unfortunately, this kid was important to the future of Kirby, being the basis of Zero's negative energy, so Kirby is faced with a dilemma: fix his present, and cause the kid to suffer, or sit in an unfamiliar future, with a friend whose no longer in pain.

Ooh, I think you've got something GOOD going here! In combination with @newthinkerer’s “Kirby movies by decade” this feels like a movie plot that really could have happened! (Give or take the use of the Forgotten Land and Elfilis as major plot points, which would otherwise necessitate it as a “newish” thing.)

Now, I'm a child of the 80s >w> so I can easily envision this as an undiscovered 2D animated movie of that era, in the vein of like, the Rainbow Brite movie, that ends up with surprising amounts of heart despite also playing a little fast and loose with canon! (And experiences a revival in light of the terrible Hollywood Kirby! XD)

It would probably also have a weirdly catchy earworm of an ending song that would have the hardcores combing through used stores and internet archives trying to find the cleanest rip of... (COUGH)

Listen half these lyrics sound like they COULD come from a Kirby movie!!

[unusdesilva]

     “Seems a certain King is having a lot of people wanting to fight him today.”

[ohtobeleah]

Open your heart // Steve Harrington

Summary: While memories flood back as you fight off unconsciousness, Steve fights tirelessly to get you to safety and out of the upside down. At the tail end of one hell of a journey, Steve thinks he’s gotten you out—only to see you fall victim to another evil.

Warnings: Stranger Things spoilers. Mild graphic content. Angst.

Word Count: 3.7k

Author Note: Read part one to Unambiguous Love here. Series Masterlist can be found here.

“Here, I’ll take her again.” Steve gestured to Eddie as he stood waiting at the end of the stairwell, vines sprawled around the Wheelers House. Only in the upside down. “You’ve done enough man.” Eddie didn’t hesitate to hand you over, slumping with a groan, Steve’s heart sunk a little lower every time he heard you yelp or groan in the slightest bit of pain. An ounce of pain was more than enough, But Steve? he knew it must have been extremely painful, his own injuries were killing him. But for you? He’d have to remain strong.

“I think Nancy and Robin found the bikes, anyway, are you sure your good man?” Steve just sighed in response to Eddie’s concern as he pushed the hair from your face, his eyes welling with tears as he watched you fight off unconscious thoughts. Slumping in his arms as small beads of sweat started to litter your forehead. Mumbling unidentifiable sentences softly to yourself as your eyes fluted open then shut, open then shut, neck limp, your head heavy on your shoulders. Most likely a fever setting in. “Steve?”

“I don’t have a choice to be anything but good right now—” Steve groaned as he carried you out of the house, tip towing around vines that slithered absentmindedly over the ground below. “Gotta get her outta here.” Eddie was the first to notice your eyes flickering like crazy behind your eyelids, suddenly not fighting to remain open like they had been not a minute ago. Rapidly moving back and forth.  

“She looks like she’s having a mad dream.” Eddie questioned. Choosing the bike just behind Steve’s so he could keep an eye on you from behind. You know, just to be sure you like didn’t die or something.

“I hope whatever it is its better than being stuck in here.’ Steve replied, helping you to straddle his waist as he sat on the saddle, holding you close to his chest with one arm as he steered with the other. Was this practical? No, was it comfortable? No, was it working with some grace of whatever god was above? Yes. And that was a win Steve was willing to take. “Whatever it is please make it better then here, anywhere but here, I got you Y/n, I got you.” Steve whispered to himself as he worked to peddle the bike. Keeping up with the group as they made their way over to Eddies upside down trailer to meet Dustin who of course had a plan. Steve could hear you mumbling as your head lulled against his shoulder. “I got you.”

Bright florescent lights beamed down from the celling as you held your palm up to the light to cast a shadow across your face, squinting, your vision started to come back as bookshelves full of books just begging to be brought came into frame, lining the hardwood shelves you’d worked hard to colour coordinate and organise by author and genre, a mix of shelves made of oak and pine.

“Isn’t it usually your break around this time champ?” Steve’s voice has your head spinning around before it felt like your body could keep up. “I got you.” You heard Steve say as clear as day, yet his lips didn’t move, his mouth remained shut. He’s cheek a crimson red as he handed you a rouge book that had somehow fallen off one of the shelves. “I’ve got you Y/L/N.”

“I’m sorry what did you say?” you asked curiously as you stepped closer. Steve just scoffed softly in return. Repeating his dream self. Your subconscious version of him.

“I said, when do you get off?” Steve smiled softly as he met you in the middle aisle.

“Um—” you tried to remember, looking down at your watch, there were no hands nor numbers to tell you the time, just a simple blank circle strapped to your wrist. Time obsolete here. Confusion consuming you. “I uh, I’m not sure, I feel like I just got here.”

“Huh, well—” Steve smirked softly as he ran a hand casually through his hair, pushing it up and further away from his face. The scoops uniform looked too good on him for how stupid it was. Evoking a small chuckle from you before you quickly tried to hide it, biting your bottom lip as you held the book to your chest. A red cover, no tittle. Or from what you could see a blurry unfocused heading. Smudged almost. “How about I just hang around here for a while? While you work, surely this place doesn’t get that many customers.” Steve teased, he always tried to get a rise from you about Waldenbooks, he’d never seen a customer below the age of 45 wondering the bookshelves. You knew otherwise, so to bite back would be pointless. Much like the time he’d tried to tease you about your Madonna mix tape that you had playing softly through the speakers. Open Your Heart specifically. At the memory of the time Steve had asked you if you knew Russian in any capacity, Madonna started to play. You couldn’t remember putting a tape in. oddly playing the same song, Open Your Heart. Were you dreaming? Were you dead? Trying to shrug the intrusive thoughts aside, you replied to Steve’s sass.

“Unlike some of us who scoop ice-cream for children who already know how to scam the free sample system, I have a real job with real responsibilities Harrington, I can’t just entertain you whenever you feel like bunking off.” You smirked, turning back into Steve after sliding the unknown book back into the neat and tidy home upon the stacked shelves. Somehow knowing exactly where it came from without knowing the tittle. Steve bit his lower lip as he drew you in, his hands sliding across your waist as he backed you into the shelf behind you, cornering you. “Steve—”

“Scooping ice-cream takes a lot of skill, you see—” Steve paused as his voice grew lower, his breath fanning delicately across your cheek as he leaned in closer towards your ear. Fingertips tilting your chin a little higher to expose your neck. “It has to be just the right amount, too little and it’s not satisfying, too much and it can be painful.” Steve Teased as his eyes met yours, smirking wildly. You swore he could feel your heartbeat beating outside of your chest, the heat rising in your cheeks was clearly radiating against the palm of his hand as he pushed his thumb against your cheek. “But scooping ice-cream isn’t the only thing I’m skilled at, is it?” Steve asked softly before closing the ever so slight gap between you. His lips melting against yours like warm butter to toast. A gentle moan escaped you as Steve deepened the kiss, both his hands now cupping your flushed cheeks. “You wanna come over tonight?”

“What would you do if I said no?” you teased, biting your bottom lip yet again as Steve looked you up and down. You felt like this had happened before, a crazy case of déjà vu.

“Well id just have to great really creative with some magazines and that half empty bottle of lotion hidden in the top of my dresser—” you couldn’t help but to laugh, forcing a smile so mesmerising to plaster upon Steve’s face as you pushed past him, shaking your head as you walked down the aisle, bookshelves either side filled to the brim. “So, is that a, yes?”

“I’ll be there Harington, don’t cream your pants.”

“All right pull on it! See if it holds!?” you heard what sounded like Dustin shout, it echoed inside your head, almost like a painful strike of electricity.

“You, okay?” Steve asked as he frowned his brows, watching as you looked around for where Dustin’s voice was coming from. “Bub?”

“Guess I’m the guinea pig.” Robin’s voice echoed inside your head as Steve placed his hand against your forearm. Worried.

“I think I’m; I think I’m going crazy.” Trying to laugh it off as you shook your head, Steve’s eyes were as serious as you had ever seen them.

“You need to wake up now, okay?” he whispered as he kissed your forehead softly. Wake up Y/n, you’re in danger.”

“What? What are you talking about? I just got here I—” you hissed as your head felt like a million pounds on your shoulders, your body aching, like your flesh was trying to tear away from your bones. Suddenly bloodied and bitten, bruised and throbbing uncontrollably. “Steve?”

“Wake up, don’t stay here, you have to go back.” Steve grew so serious it scared you. The way his eyes turned so dark you hardly recognised him anymore, the lights flickered uncontrollably was books flew from the shelves around you, row by row as if something was coming for you. Someone, something, the subconscious version of Steve you’d concocted inside your head protecting you from something unholy, something dangerous and horrible. Shoving you harshly was a scream you didn’t recognise as Steve’s. “Run—”

“Easy, easy.” It was Steve who spoke, but again his lips didn’t falter, his voice echoing in your head as the Steve who stood before you began to fade as you fell backwards towards the ground, only nothing stopped you, an endless paradox, that same sinking feeling you get while you’re dreaming, and you fall out of bed. Falling into nothingness. A darkness so intoxicating it consumed you whole. Screaming as you fell through the dark void uncontrollably, panicking as you tossed and turned through nothing. Falling. “See you on the other side.” The voice inside your head, Steve’s, voice, spoke again. Only this time louder, pulling you away from inside your subconscious and out into the real world, your eyes opening wide in panic and fear. Steve noticed for a moment that your eyes flashed a bright white, he’d seen that before, with max. You weren’t there for a moment as you tried to take in your surroundings. Your eyes return to their normal shade, all the colours in the world that were Steve’s favourite.  Smacking your arms against Steve as he held you close, flailing with panic as adrenaline flushed through your system, not knowing where you were or what to believe.

“Y/n hey, hey it’s me, easy!” crashing to his knees to console you, Steve tried his best to calm you, brushing your hair from out of your face as you calmed to look at your surroundings, Nancy halfway up a floating rope. “You’re safe, I’ve got you yeah? Gonna get you out of here, I’m right here.”

“No, no no somethings not right!” you cried. “Somethings not right, I was just with you I—” you were hyperventilating.

“How are we gonna get her up here Steve?” Robin asked from above the rope.

“Y/n” Steve cooed as he rocked with you between his thighs. “Listen, see that rope?” Steve guided you to look up, the gang all peering down at you, all faces you knew.

“Yeah?” you whispered, nodding in response.

“Yeah? Yeah good, good, I gotta yet you up there because it’s not safe down here, okay so you gotta work with me for five seconds so we can get outta here.”

“Here, I’ve got a chair Steve, lift her up I’ve got her!” Eddie chimed in, reaching halfway through the gate in the roof or floor or whatever you wanna call it that was in his trailer. Helping you off the ground as gently as he could, Steve helped you reach up for Eddies hands ad he lifted you off the ground. The second he knew Eddie had you he left go. Only to watch you fall back towards him, eyes glowing as you fell on top of him. “Y/n? hey!” Steve worked to tap your cheeks, trying to wake you. “Hey! Y/n answer me, okay? Y/n!?”

“Steve? What’s going on? Eddie shouted. Max knowing exactly what was happening. Her answer alone sending chills down the spines of every single person there.

“Vecna.”

*************

There was something unsettling about this version of the scoops you had grown to love. from the way the lights flickered without a pattern to the way the wall paper melted off the walls. Ice cream sat melted in their tubes, forgotten treats. Flys swirled all over, like they were in search of the sugary melted treat that would have them buzzing for hours to come on sugar highs.

“You should've run faster–” it was a low baritone voice that echoed off the walls that has your breath hiking in your throat. Not a soul in sight until the familiar sight of Steve came out from behind the ice cream bar. His uniform bloodied and torn.

“Steve?” you asked, shaking in fear, your feet stuck to the ground like glue. “What’s going on?”

“Here for your daily sample?” Steve asked as blood dripped from his mouth down his chin, the red caught between his teeth with ease. Your heart couldn't control itself inside your chest as he stepped closer. “Or are you just here to see me?” Steve asked casually as if the world around you wasn't rotting, as if he wasn't rotting before your very eyes.

“I uh– um–” you stammered over your words, too afraid to speak. “Steve–” you couldn't figure out what was going on, how you got here, when this was.

“What's the matter?” Steve hissed, stepping close enough that his breath was fanning over you. “What are you so afraid of?” you didn't even have to ask it, all you had to do was think it. Steve vocalising your very thoughts before you. “Me not loving you?” a sharp chuckle left Steve's mouth as he listed a hand to push the strands of hair that had fallen in bloody clumps behind your hair. “Why would I ever love you to begin with?” it stung like a thousand knives slicing thin cuts against your skin. Your eyes began to well before you could stop the tears streaming down your face.

“Steve–”

“Why would I love you? There's not a single thing to love about you.” it felt as if you were having a heart attack. “How could you ever compare, to anyone, to Robin, to Nancy, to all the girls i've taken home or gone home with–” Steve kept digging his knife deeper into your chest, twisting and turning it deeper every time he spoke. His hand holding you still by the back of your head as you tried to move, frozen in place. Whimpering. “What is there that's so unique and special about you, Y/n that's worthy of love, from anyone–”

“You said you–”you tried to speak, the urge to throw up prominently behind every word you managed to squeak out. “You said you–”

“I will never get over her.” Steve hissed, drawing you harshly into his cold grasp. “You will never be, anything, to me.” pushing yourself away, you fell to the ground, pushing yourself along the ground that shook. The version of Steve who stood before you no longer Steve the next time you looked up at him. Now who you could only assume was Vecna.

“Get away from me!” you screamed as the lights flickered violently. “Get away! dragging yourself long the ground as Vecna stepped towards you, veins wrapping tightly around your wrists, your ankles, swaying you up into the air where they help you. Floating. “STEVE–!”

“He cannot help you now, none of them can.” the low barritions of Vecna's voice dug deep into your soul. “It's time–” clocks, the clocks rang loud around you. “For you’re suffering, to end.”

“I'm not suffering, no, I'm not suffering at all! What su–suffering, please, please don't!” you cried as Vecna approached you, studding you up close. So close you could see the ooz dripping from whatever his skin was. “I'm so happy, i wanna live, i wanna live my life, please– im so utterly in love and–and i haven't even travelled the world!” you couldn't help your tears from flowing effortlessly down your cheeks as you spewed your ambitions and wants to a monster who didn't care. “I'm in love and I know he loves me too, I wanna be a teacher, special education, I wanna get married and have children! Please don't take my life away, I'm begging you!” you screamed as you fought your hardest to get out of Vecna's grasp. “I'm begging you!”

There was no response, just a simple growl. His hand came up so so close to your face you almost felt his fingertips against your forehead, your cheeks. The gentle hum of a tune you knew dearly, held close to your heart, began to play. A beat so catchy it was hard to mistake. A rhythm that made you smile with a chorus that always made you smile, flooding your mind with memories– playing like a rolodex. Madonna’s, Open Your Heart.

“Y/n! Just stay with me! Just stay with me okay?” steved begged you, his hands cupping the sides of your face. Tears streaming freely down his cheeks. “Whatever you guys are doing, hurry up!” Steve shouted up into what felt like an empty void above.

“Steve says you need to hurry!” Erica shouted as she ran down the hall.

“Yeah– no shit! Dustin sassed as he rummaged through Eddie's draws looking for something, anything that would help.

“We’re trying, we can't find anything!” Max tried to explain.

“Seriously! What is all this shit!” Robin shouted as she held out cassette tapes to Eddie.

“What are you even looking for!” Eddie asked curiously with such a panicked undertone.

“Madonna, Blondie, Bowie, Beatles, Music we need music!” Robin shouted back, throwing the tapes everywhere as Eddie snatched one from her hand.

“This IS MUSIC–!!” Eddie hissed, kind shitty with the insult Robin gave his music collection. “Wait! Steve!” Eddie ran towards the gate in his living room, panting as he looked up into the upside down where Steve had you in his arms, eyes still glowing white. “Steve! Y/n likes Madonna, right!?”

“Yeah! Yeah she does! Drop it down! Quickly quickly drop it down, Max’s walkman too!” Steve asked, panic dripping from his tone, he knew you didn't have much time. For Steve, the next 20 seconds or so that it took Eddie to race back to Max, rip her Walkman away and race back to Steve, it felt like an eternity. Holding you gently yet every so tightly in his arms. “We had a deal–” Steve whispered in your ear, pushing your hair out of your face repeatedly as he did so. Losing his mind as he started to believe that he was losing you before he had a chance to be with you. “God dammit we had a deal–”

“Here man, head up!” Eddie's voice drew Steve back to reality for a moment, working quickly to place the cassette in and blast whatever song he thought would have a possibility of working. He wasn't 100% sure what your favourite song was, not with the rate you changed your mind, but god damn he was going to try. Madonna’s, Open your heart playing as loud as it could.

“Please come back to me.” Steve sobbed as he held you in his arms. “Please come back to me!” you could see him, Steve. Crying, holding you in his arms. Another world away as you tried to focus on him. “I love you, I need to be able to tell you that, don't leave me, please.” it was a plea for mercy. Watching him through a faded portal behind Vecna’s shoulder as he held you, trapped in the memory you once adored, now tarnished.

“Steve!” you gasped, a tentacle wrapping around your throat tight. “Ste–”

“You can't escape me.” vecna hissed, that awfully low baritone voice ringing in your ears. “You. Are. Weak.”

“But Steve needs me!” you growled, using all the strength you could find in yourself, you swung your head back then forward hard. Your forehead smacking against Vecna’s hashly. Tenticalls dropping you to the ground as he stumbled backwards ever so slightly. Allowing you a second of time to jump from your knee and run. Run as fast as you could, slipping on the tiles that were Vecna’s upside down version of Scoops. Pushing yourself back up as you ran towards Steve inside the portal. Madonna playing louder with every stride you took.

Open your heart to me, baby, I hold the lock and you hold the key, Open your heart to me, darlin'. I'll give you love if you, you turn the key.

Utter agony consumed your entire being as you coughed and gasped and cried out in Steve's arms. Jumping back into your body, out of vecna’s grasp. Steve’s arms holding you tight. Your wounds throbbing, your heart pounding. All you wanted to do was sleep. Just close your eyes.

“Y/n!” Steve gasped. Eddie hung through the gate above you, his arms outstretched waiting for you. “Oh thank god!”

“Steve lets get her outta there man lets go!” Eddie shouted, growing impatient. Scared outta his own damn mind.

“I love you.” Steve sobbed. Kissing your cheek as he helped you to your feet. Guiding you to Eddie as you struggled to stand, giving up. “We have a deal yeah? Let's get you outta here.” Steve reminded you, sensing your fight fading, you were so close to being safe. “Don't give up on me now, I can't lose you.”

“Harrington, you’re not getting rid of me this easily.” you mumbled, Eddie and the gang working hard to hoist you up out of the upside down. Finally to safety. Steve let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realised he was holding in, climbing the rope behind you.

“Phone, I need a phone!” Steve hissed as he jumped up from the mattress. Dustin gestured to the wall phone as Steve shot to his feet, Robin helped to keep your wounds under pressure to stop the incredible loss of blood. She didn't want to say anything but she would be shocked if you made it through the night. Steve still couldn't control his tears, his face dripping wet as he met Robin's eyes. Watching her take care of you, the love of his life.

“Hello, yes! I need an ambulance!”

[ghostgorlsworld]

Violent Delights (Part Four)

Summary: Billy Hargrove is the silent, angry coworker you've been trying to avoid for months, unwilling to get yourself tangled in Hawkin's bad boy. But one day, you begin to notice the scars on his body, the random attacks of headaches and violent flashbacks, the way you always had a nagging feeling there was someone else peeking at you from his eyes--you've never been able to resist a mystery.

Part Three can be found here: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/writerwannabetree/689942489353895936?source=share

Warnings: 18+, explicit content, making out, dry humping lol, dirty talk.

Part four:

Somewhere between midnight and morning, you had fallen asleep on Robin's bony shoulder, her bowl of popcorn spilling on your lap.

You blink awake, the half-light of tv illuminating Steve passed out on the floor and Robin with her face tucked into a pillow, their snores nearly hiding the sound of the phone ringing.

You stumble to your feet and make your way to the kitchen, stepping over Steve and an empty liquor bottle, the ringing phone making your head ache. "Hello?" You say groggily into the receiver, leaning against the wall to get your bearings. 

"Where's Steve?" A girl's voice demands, her tone high-pitched and panicky. "He's asleep, should I go get him and Robin?" You ask, suddenly more awake. "(Your name)?" "Uh, yeah? Do I know you?" "We met the other day at the movie store, remember? I came to check on Billy?" "Max? Uh, what can I do for you?"

"He needs you," Max says simply. "He-he's on the ground, and he's shaking and he won't come out of it. He's never not come out of it before, it's like…god, just please come. He kept saying your name."

Billy? Why would your coworker ask for you at three in the morning?

"I know this sounds crazy, okay? But…I don't know what else to do. Please." You put your hand against the wall, steadying yourself. "Okay. Where do you live?" You write down the address on the back of your hand—it's that old trailer park in the woods, where Eddie Munson lives. You had been friends with Eddie back in middle school, and while the relationship faded when he went into high school and stayed in high school, you could still remember the route to his house, peddling away on your bike.

"Steve?" You shake Steve awake. "Steve? I need you to drive me to Billy Hargrove's house." Steve blinks up at you blearily, "What?"

"Max called," you say, "He needs my help, Steve, please drive me." Steve looks at you for a long moment, processing your words. He sighs and holds up a hand for you to help him up off the floor. "Grab my keys, kid, they're on the dresser." Robin is awake now, asking questions, but you don't hear them. Steve opens the passenger door for you and you sit without a word, your heart doing a funny little dance in your chest that you don't recognize. 

Robin leans forward from the backseat, setting her bony chin on your shoulder. "Do you have something to tell us, dude? Are you and Hargrove…" She trails off suggestively.

"Jesus, no," you say, wrinkling your nose. "He's a…friend. He has these weird episodes at work sometimes and I sit there with him until it's over. Maybe he thinks I help to bring him out of it or something."

Robin and Steve share a look—a knowing look. "You two knew about this?"

Steve shrugs, "I babysit Max, his little sister, sometimes with her friends. I've heard a thing or two." It's deeper than that, but Steve and Robin have always had secrets. You have bigger things to worry about tonight.

Steve reaches over the console and grips your hand, "Hey, you're doing a good thing. A weird thing, but good. Hargrove isn't…what he used to be." "Yeah, they both bashed each other's faces in once," Robin quips. 

"Really?" You say as Steve rolls his eyes. "That's what this alpha male thing is between you? Some fight two years ago?" "We're over it," Steve lies, "I won anyway." Somehow, you have trouble picturing that. 

Steve parks you in front of a white trailer house with a built-on porch, a collection of lifting weights hidden in the corner. There's no curtains, no extra chairs, or welcome mats—definitely Billy Hargrove's house, it hadn't occurred to him to nest.

You knock on the screen door hesitantly, but instead of Max, Dustin Henderson greets you, his usually cheerful face pale and unsmiling. "Hey," he says, "C'mon in. You work at the Family Video, don't you?" "Yeah," you say, Steve and Robin flanking you. Dustin lights up at the sight of Steve, holding his fist out for a boyish fist-bump. "You came," Max says from the kitchen, her tense face relaxing slightly with relief. "Uh, Billy's in his room if you want to see him. He's not…he's not in good shape, okay? If something goes wrong, just shout and we'll be there." "She's going in by herself?" Steve says, raising his brows.

"He doesn't want anyone else. It's like he's back in there," Max's voice drops to a whisper, "You know, like the Mind-flayer still has him."

You step hesitantly to a closed bedroom door, unknowing of what you will find in there. You open the door carefully, wincing as the hinges squeak.

"Jesus, Billy." Billy is on the ground, curled into himself with his pretty curls slick with sweat and blood. He must have bit through his lip, blood dribbling down his chin and onto the carpet, his eyes blank and unseeing.

You reach out hesitantly to brush his shoulder, his skin hot to the touch, his skin shuddering at the feeling of your palm. "(Your name)?"

"Yeah, Hargrove, it's me." You sit beside him, your knee brushing against his elbow. "Max called me." Billy looks up at you, his eyes dark, dark blue. "I'm tired, sweetheart. I just want to sleep." He sounds like himself, even if there's an undercurrent of something else behind his words. "Okay." You reach for a pillow from the bed, setting it on your lap for his head. "Hargrove, move your head. You can sleep here."

Billy's head falls into your lap with a sigh, his hand curling around your ankle in a painfully tight grip. "Am I human?" He asks softly, hot gaze devouring your face. 

"I don't know what else you would be," you say, brushing sweaty curls out of his face. "Go to sleep, Billy, I'm right here." His grip tightens as his eyes close, as if he was terrified you would sneak out on him. You reach for a nearby shirt and wipe the blood off his mouth, revealing a mess of a lower lip. 

Max stands in the doorway, her arms crossed. "Thank you." You shrug, "Yeah, I mean, what is this? Some kind of ptsd episode? A seizure?"

"I guess ptsd is the best way to describe it," Max says. "Uh, his mom left him when his was a kid, and his dad was an abusive piece of shit. He got in a car accident last year and hit his head—he's been like this ever since."

"Damn," you say, "That's a hell of a childhood." Max laughs and slides down to sit cross-legged on the carpet like you, her eyes on her brother. "Yeah. You know he used to hate me? He was horrible for a long time, it was so bad it was unforgivable." "What changed?" "Billy…well, he tried to give his life for mine. And he took me out of his father's batshit house and gave me a place to stay—I tried to get a job after school, so we could share rent, but he told me to focus on school, he would take care of this rest." Max shakes her head. "Don't get me wrong, he's still an ass sometimes, but…I've never had a real father. But Billy came pretty damn close to making me feel like I do this year."

You reach for her small, pale hand, gripping it gently. Her mouth twitches into a half smile, seeming to be relieved that Billy isn't just on her shoulders anymore. "He didn't want you to know," you say, "He has these episodes sometimes at work, but none of them like this." Max nods. "Yeah, he thinks he's invincible. I've never heard him ask for anyone before, though, are you, uh, his girlfriend or something? Billy mentioned something about you going out with Steve."

You snort. "No to both. Steve and Robin are my friends and Billy is my coworker. I don't think I ever held an actual conversation with Billy until about a month ago."

Steve appears above Max, his brows raising even higher at the sight of big, bad, Billy Hargrove curled up in a girl's lap like a child. "Shit. You think we should get him to a couch or something?" You glance at his bed—the sheets are slick with sweat and blood from his lip. "Yeah, the couch might be better." Amazingly, Billy stays asleep while you, Steve, and Mike Wheeler carry him to the couch. "Jeez, he's heavier than he used to be," Mike grumbles, stumbling over a gap in the rug. Lucas Sinclair gives Billy a disdainful look and moves to stand beside Max, his arm curling around her shoulders comfortingly. 

You sit beside Billy out of obligation, letting his arm curl around your waist as his head lands back in your lap. "I can watch him 'till morning," you say to the room, "If everyone wants to get some sleep." The group of kids and adults glance at each other. 

"Robin and I can come pick you back up in the morning," Steve offers. "It's Saturday, right? No work?" "Yeah, that's good. I'll try and sleep as much as I can until he wakes up." The group of kids all glance at Max, obviously not wanting to leave her. "We can sleep at Eddie's," Dustin offers, "That way we're close if he…if Max needs us." Max nods, glancing at you. "You can probably leave, you know, he's calmed down." You look at Billy's mauled lip. "I'll stay. That way you're not alone." Max smiles at you, relieved. "Thanks." Everyone fades away after another hour, Max finally retreating back to her room after nodding off in the rickety recliner. Billy stirs at the sound of her door closing shut, his eyes still as dark as the night when he looks up at you.

"Hey," you say softly, but he doesn't seem interested in talking. Instead, his hand reaches up to slide through your hair, yanking you down to crush his ruined mouth against yours.

You open your mouth to speak, but his tongue fills it, the metallic tang of blood coming with it. He's strong, pulling you down with him so suddenly he was on top, his sharp hips pressing into yours. 

"What are you doing?" You yelp when Billy breaks away from your mouth to trail kisses down your throat, nipping at your pounding pulse. You can't bring yourself to push him away, not with the way heat is spreading through your stomach, your hands shaking as they curl into his shirt. "Do you want me?" He whispers against your throat, his hips shoving themselves against yours so you can feel his hardness through his sweats. 

"Billy," you say, cupping his jaw. "Billy. Look at me." He does. His eyes are a mixture of blue and black, and for a moment you feel like a rabbit pinned under a fox, his hair spilling over his shoulders, tickling your skin. 

"What's going on?" You ask. "Billy, last night you were just my coworker, and now I'm under you on your couch."

"Forget Harrington," Billy says, sliding his tongue under your jaw. "I'll do whatever you fuckin' want if you just pick me instead. Please." You've never had a boy desperate for you, his fingers digging bruises in your hips, his teeth biting at your shoulder. You've spent the last six months shoving whatever attraction you've felt towards Billy aside, and now it's all rising to the surface—but this is wrong, five minutes ago he was spazzing out in some kind of abuse-triggered memory and now he's rocking his hips against your core, grinding like he was already inside of you. 

"It wasn't a date," you gasp. "I was teasing you, I'm not dating Steve."

He sinks his teeth into your lower lip, then soothes the sting with his tongue. "Shit, honey, you had me goin' there for a sec. Did you want me to be jealous, huh? Is that what you wanted?" You shake your head, forcing his mouth off of yours. "Billy, we shouldn't be doing this. You were just delirious on the floor an hour ago, you need rest and maybe a trip to the hospital-" Billy laughs, nuzzling into your jaw like a cat. "All I need is you, baby."

God, that line is cheesy enough to bring you to your senses. You push gently against his chest and he sits  up, looking at your like a pouting five year old told he can't have anymore cookies. 

"Billy, we can continue this conversation later, this is so not the right time," you tell him sternly. 

"Sweetheart, I'll make you feel real good," he says, leaning into you to steal another kiss. "God, I'm a virgin, Billy, I don't need anything sexual happening on a random couch with a fifteen year old girl is sleeping in the other room."

Billy blinks, taken aback. "You're a virgin?"

"That's what you're shocked about? Really?" He slips off of you, sitting back as he looks at you with a new gleam to his eyes. "Have you ever had a boyfriend?" "No," you say, "It's not exactly like boys are lining up to date me, Hargrove, not everyone is born with charm and looks."

Billy looks at you, tilting his head at the curve of your breasts under your shirt, the soft plushness of your thighs, your mouth slick with his saliva. "You're the prettiest goddamn thing I've ever seen, girl." You roll your eyes. "Go to sleep, Billy. We're both tired." Billy smiles at you, elastic and amiable, the gap in his teeth surprisingly adorable. "Sleep with me. I don't want to be alone." He's serious—he's not trying to get in your pants, just afraid that the monsters will come back if you don't stay. You sigh and turn to your side, wordlessly allowing him to wrap his arms around your waist and bury his face in your hair.

"Thank you," Billy says softly. 

You don't think you've ever heard him say that before.

[imamotherfuckingstar-lord]

more important things

eddie munson x reader

summary: you come to rescue eddie in the upside-down and the two of you have to decide whether to continue with the fight.

a/n: in this story, chrissy is killed in eddie’s trailer but he has an iron clan alibi. established relationship between eddie and reader. some angst?

Eddie Munson’s lungs felt like they were going to cave in, all the heavy breathing he was doing, trying to get the bats from hell to follow him – his feet fumbled against the bike peddles and when he finally jumped off, for the first time in his life he was ready to fight. He wasn’t fighting against Vecna because he had a heart of gold, his reasons were far more selfish – he had people that counted on him, who he wanted to keep safe and there was no way he was going to let Vecna win.

“Come one, you sons of bitches!”

Adrenaline ran through his veins as he used his makeshift shield and long weapon to fight the bats, cursing and shouting every time they took a bite out of his torso. It was painful but nothing could compare to losing what he had back in the real world. A bit of blood pooled in his mouth, but he just spat it out and continued to fight until the shouts of Dustin for him near the trailer could be heard in the air. Eddie screamed, hoping the young kid wouldn’t follow and the simple hesitation weakened his defense, and before he could contemplate what happened- he was on the ground, elbows up in the air protecting this face. Flashes of how much his life had changed in the past year sprouted from his mind – the pure joy he had experienced and the real changes he had made. He stopped selling weed, was on track to finally graduate, and got a real job with Wayne. That’s where he was when Chrissy was attacked and killed – she had gotten it in her mind to come to the trailer looking to score something for her nightmares, at least that’s what Nancy figured when Max explained that she had seen Chrissy walking up to the trailer.

“I saw the door open,” Max said, a chill ran down her back. Eddie shook his head and explained that no one was at home.

“Wayne and I had the same overnight shift, what time did you see her?”

“…sometime after the game.”

“Eddie left to work right after the campaign,” Dustin deduced. “…and the game finished at the same time – he gave me a ride home on his way to work, which is the opposite direction of the trailer park.”

“…so, it was Vecna,” Robin shuddered. The group made plans than, inside Max’s trailer but Eddie, who had willingly talked to the police the morning after his shift – he was cleared for now they said, announced he needed to make a call. Max pointed to the land line, and everyone started talking, giving him the privacy he needed.

Eddie thought of that phone call and the urgency of his voice as he gave instructions, promising he’d explained everything. His eyes teared up at the prospect of never making that call when he heard gun shots and shouts, a few moments later the bats where gone and Eddie laid on his back, bleeding, and aching. His eyes fluttered up to the figure looming over him, gun in hand.

“Eddie!”

Your face appeared through his blurred vision until he blinked a few times, realizing it wasn’t a delusion – he was indeed seeing you in front of him, now kneeling beside him. Placing the gun down, your hands went to this torn shirt and bleeding torso, and you quickly started to work on his wounds. He couldn’t say a word, hands hovering over his head as you took off the line cardigan you were wearing. Lifting his shirt, you asked him to lift his lower half.

“It’s going to hurt, but I need to put pressure on the bleeding,” you explained in your ‘nurse’ voice – at least that’s what he liked to call it. He’d constantly tease you about the matter-of-fact tone and how you needed to work on the bed side manner before you graduated from nursing school. Eddie did as he was told, grunting as you quickly wrapped the cardigan around his waist. Tying it as tightly as possible without hurting him, you relaxed for a moment and took a deep breath, just as Dustin appeared at your side.

“I’ll look at you next,” you gave him a worried smile before turning back to Eddie, tears forming in the corner of your eyes. He noticed right away and begged you not to cry. “What the hell, Eddie! You call me and tell me not to come home, to stay at my mom’s and that you…that you’d explain everything later! I tried calling the house and nothing! Wayne finally called me and told me everything!”

“…. he didn’t know about vecna,” Dustin interrupted, going quiet when Eddie flashed him an annoyed glance.

“I don’t know what that is…” your voice faltered as you finally took a moment to take in your surroundings – it looked like Hawkins, but it obviously wasn’t. “…I came to the trailer to see for myself, then I heard someone screaming for you. He just said you were in trouble and then I climbed a rope through the ceiling…”

“Trippy, right?”

Eddie joked and it lightened the mood, enough for you to realize he was going to make it. Taking a breath, you carefully leaned forward and kissed him on the lips – his mouth tasted a bit like metallic, but it didn’t matter. Dustin, who hadn’t even known Eddie had a significant other, cleared his throat. Eddie rolled his eyes but grunted in pain. “Right…right…Henderson, this is my girl.”

You glanced up at the young boy and held out a hand, he took it and the two of you exchanged names before you asked him to help get Eddie up. “We need to get him to a hospital…”

The two of you managed to help Eddie to his feet, his arms around both your shoulders. Dustin struggled a bit because of his foot, so you urged Eddie to lean more on you until a voice called out and the three of you turned to see three figures running from up the road. It was Steve, Nancy, and Robin – the three of them worse for the wear, shocked looks upon their face when they saw you. Steve recognized you from his graduating class, but neither of you ever spoke in high school.

“What’s going on? You guys okay?”

“Those bat things took a good chunk of him - honestly, I don't know what really happened. I came and shot at a few of them and they were gone,” you explained, requesting for Steve to take Dustin’s place. He did so quickly and the lot of you started toward the trailer, and you listened as Robin broke the news that Vecna had gotten to Max.

“Max Mayfield?”

Your heart dropped and Eddie promised to explain everything – recognizing the mood, you said not another word until everyone was in the trailer. Nancy and Robin started moving furniture, piling whatever they could to get enough height to reach the gate, as Dustin explained. Eddie, a little faint from the bleeding, asked to be put down for a moment. Steve helped him against a broken chair, and you thanked him, checking on Eddie’s wounds as the girls and Dustin continued to work. Steve gave you a look and you smiled. “We had English class together, senior year.”

“Right,” he smiled with a closed mouth and asked how you even got to what he referred to as the Upside-Down. Touching Eddie’s shoulder, you explained that when the father of your child goes missing, you would do everything in your power to find him. Eddie chuckled when everyone stopped and stared at the two of you, and he shrugged lightly.

“Did I not mention I have a little girl?”

“…she’s almost a year now,” you added, nodding to Steve. “Help me with him, yeah?”

Steve, dumbfounded like the rest of his friends, helped Eddie up and you held onto his waist. Dustin, speechless for the first time in his life, patted the pile of sturdy furniture and Nancy declared she’d go first. One by one each took their turn landing on the mattress on the other side of the gate, and when Steve told you to go, you hesitated. “He’s going to be fine; I’ll be as gentle as possible.”

“Go, babe,” Eddie urged, and you nodded, giving his hand a quick squeeze before climbing up the makeshift ladder. At the top, you looked down at Eddie and noticed not a single stuff animal or toy in the living room – which was odd, considering nowadays the trailer looked like a daycare. Steve gave you an encouraging nod and you looked up to see Robin waving at you before you holstered yourself through the hole. A feeling of nausea swept over your body as it landed on the mattress, but Robin helped you up as Steve hollered that Eddie was next. He landed with a loud grunt, and you were quickly at his side, helping him off the landing pad. Steve came next and then everyone was piling out of the trailer, but not before you could give it a good look around – it had been your home for over a year and now it was tainted. Outside, the air felt refreshing, and you quickly fumbled for the keys in your pocket.

“I’m sorry, guys, but Eddie’s involvement ends here.”

Steve stopped at the end of the dirt driveway, and you looked to the blue pick up truck. “I need to take him to the hospital; we have a kid…”

“…she’s right,” Eddie spoke up, shifting away from Steve. You quickly moved to his side and placed an arm around his waist. Dustin, clearly broken from the loss of his friend, nodded.

“We already lost Max.  Eddie, you should go be with your family.”

Nancy, Robin, and Steve exchanged glances and agreed; the latter came up to Eddie and you, placing a gentle hand on Eddie’s shoulder. “You were brave – thank you.”

“Thanks, Harrington – maybe after all this, you guys can come meet my little girl.”

“We’d like that,” Robin smiled, waving Steve over to where Nancy and she stood. “…we need to go.”

Eddie and you stood outside the trailer, bodies leaned into each other, watching as the four ran to Nancy’s car. They all piled in and drove off; sirens and alarms rang in the distance - you looked to Eddie with fear in your eyes.

“We need to go too.”

Helping him into the truck, you slammed the passenger door and felt an eerie sensation in the air. Pushing the fear aside, you got into the car and drove off. Eddie leaned back and touched his torso; the bleeding had stopped. “Don’t touch it, you’ll be fine. I think we should head to my mother’s – I can take you to the hospital there. We need to…

“…get out of Hawkins,” Eddie whispered, eyes staring outside the window. The two of you agreed that something was going on and whatever it was, neither of you wanted to stick around to find out. Eddie, having always felt like a coward, decided if being a coward meant turning your back on a town that only ever outcasted him, then – well, he was perfectly fine with that. He had better things in his life to think about and all he wanted to do was light a cigarette as you drove straight to the only thing important to the both of you – the little girl that loved him unconditionally.

“Let’s get the hell out of here.”

“Forever,” you added. “We can go to California; my dad is out there. He’s been dying to get us to visit…”

The thought of the three of you lounging on the beach, sand in-between your toes brought a smile to his face, and he reached a hand to your elbow. You glanced at him with a smile before turning back to the road. “Yeah, California sounds perfect.”

“California it is – I bet it’s a nice place to raise a kid…”

Eddie agreed, turning the radio on. The truck went quiet, except for the sound of breaking news – “…a massive Earthquake hit Hawkins, Indiana this evening….”. Neither of you said a word as you drove out of the small quiet town, both of you knowing it would be the last time your eyes would set upon it. There was nothing to go back to, the others would understand. Whatever fight was coming, Eddie and you didn’t need to be involve. There was nothing left to do but to get your little girl and make the drive across the country – where the three of you could and would be happy in the sun for years to come. There will be a call, a few years from now, from Steve Harrington – everything was done and over with, finally. Those who survived, will move on and he will ask if the two of you have room at your house for a visitor.

“I’d like to meet your little girl now, plus I’ve never been to California…”

“There’s always room for you, Harrington,” Eddie will say, and Steve will laugh, confessing he might have a few more stragglers with him. Your husband will be excited and declare the more the merrier.

“Great, I’ll let Robin and the others know – Max is excited to show us around her old stomping grounds.”

“I’m glad she’s doing good, just let us know when, we’ll be ready.”

The two men will agree and hang up, Eddie will be giddy and excited to see his old friends – the two of you will lounge on the sofa making plans for the visit, as a feisty six-year-old zooms around the living room – a blow up guitar in hand that her dad won for her at a local carnival.

[hot-girl-nancy]

Honey

Pairing: Nancy Wheeler x fem!reader Summary: It's a shitshow of a summer and Nancy Wheeler has the prettiest smile you have ever seen. A/N: So this is going to be a series, I'll update a masterlist as I post more parts! You are more than welcome to send in suggestions and ideas! ----

It was hard to pretend I didn’t hear the shuffling in the distance while trying to steady my breath. Beside me, Nancy was crouched down and holding on to her walkie-talkie with her left hand. She turned the device completely off and reached out for me with her free hand. I looked down at our intertwined hands and gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

“Do you think it’s still there?” Nancy whispered.

I tried to peek around the corner of the house we were hiding behind. While I wasn’t able to see anything, I could still hear a low chittering sound. That sound alone could flip the strongest of stomachs. I could feel my heart begin to beat faster as I looked back at her. Using my free hand, I put my index finger over my mouth to tell her to be quiet. Nancy’s eyes grew wider and her grip on my hand tightened.

We had no weapons, no forms of safe communication, and no flashlights. We were sitting ducks in this hell-fashioned neighborhood of the Upside Down. I reached down onto the ground to feel around for anything I could toss to create a distraction. Nancy realized what I was doing and she pulled one of her hair barrettes out and handed it to me. Though it was small, it was also metal and would make just the right amount of noise needed to make our escape. I smiled at her, a silent, thank you, before standing to my feet and reeling back to toss the item. 

Suddenly, there was a loud static noise that tore through the air! I dropped to my knees and covered my ears. Nancy looked at me frantically as she covered hers as well. The creature made a high-pitched whining sound as it bolted away from where we were. The static noise stopped abruptly and a small figure rounded the corner. 

“You guys would be dead without me,” Erica said smugly. “Now let’s go before it comes back, that noise won’t deter them for long.”

“Thanks, Erica!” Nancy and I said together. We followed her through the vines of the Upside Down to where our bikes were thrown so we could get back to a gate. 

“Where is everyone else?” Nancy asked, picking her bike up from the ground. She grimaced as slime fell off the handlebars with a loud slurping sound.

“Dustin, Robin, Eddie, and Steve are back at the gate waiting for us. Jonathan, Mike, Will, and El are heading back to the Creel house to look for more info on what we’re going up against.” Erica replied with a shrug.

“What about Lucas and Max?” I asked, pulling my bike up as well. 

“Probably sucking face somewhere being gross.” Erica gagged dramatically. I let out a small laugh at that and we pushed off towards the gate, peddling fast and staying close together.

“One day you’ll be sucking face with someone and it won’t be so gross.” Nancy laughed. 

“I’ve seen who you suck face with, it’s gross.” Erica shot back. I stifled the laughter that threatened to spill out as Nancy cut her eyes toward us. 

—--

“Stop wiggling like that!” Steve shouted out as he held on to my right arm.

“I’m not wiggling, you’re just weak!” I shouted back reaching up (or was it down?) with my other arm to get a better grasp on him. Eddie helped Steve pull me out.

“The wiggling you felt was probably your arms about to give out.” Robin snorted. “Noodle arms, honestly.”

“Listen,” Steve started, putting one hand on his hip and the other in front of him in a “stop” motion. “I’ve been working out, so let’s maybe chill with the noodle arm nonsense.”

“So are you implying I was too heavy?” I crossed my arms and glared at him. 

Dustin let out a loud laugh and turned to Steve in excitement. “How do you plan to answer?” Dustin giggled, “Be careful Steve, Y/N could definitely take you in a fight.”

Steve shook his head. “That’s not what I was saying at all. Can we please just,” he gestured to everyone in the room wildly, “leave?” Dustin’s face dropped as he realized there wouldn’t be a fight. He mumbled something that sounded a lot like “bullshit” under his breath. 

Steve, Eddie, and Dustin started loading equipment into the trunk of Steve’s car while Nancy was fiddling with the walkie-talkie after turning it back on, trying to reach out to the other team. Robin, Erica, and I tasked ourselves with supervising the boys and eating some of the snacks we brought. 

“Son of a bitch, you guys are no help,” Dustin said, lifting some homemade weapons to dump in the trunk. 

Erica smirked at him, “I kept you dummies alive, you all owe me. I was thinking that money would be an appropriate gift. I’m not greedy, $50 sounds reasonable.” 

“$50!” Robin exclaimed, choking on a skittle. “There’s no way in hell we have that kind of cash, especially after Rambo over here used most of our funds for a shotgun.” “A shotgun that will save our lives,” Nancy replied. She stood up from where she had been perched trying to reach the others. “I’m not able to get through to them, we must be just out of range. When was the last time anyone heard from them?”

No one said anything. We all just exchanged glances and shrugs. 

“Right, well, what are we all standing here for? Let’s get our asses in gear and go find them.” Nancy demanded. When no one moved, she exclaimed, much louder, “NOW!”

Steve and Eddie bumped into each other and no one missed the blush on Eddie’s cheeks. I even caught Robin making a kissy face towards him, which in turn had Eddie flipping her back the bird. 

“Someone is going to have to sit in someone else’s lap. We don’t have the room.” Steve said scratching the back of his head. 

“That’s fine, I can sit in Y/N’s lap. I’m sure she won’t mind.” Nancy smiled at me, “Right?”

“Yeah, no, yeah, I mean yeah. Absolutely, that’s fine, that’s cool!” The words stumbled out of my mouth. Erica rolled her eyes, while Dustin, Eddie, and Robin smirked. Steve stared at us and then gestured to the car.

I climbed into the back seat next to Robin, who reached over to pat my lap for Nancy. I shoved Robin’s hand away and she gasped and held her arm as if I had hit her. Nancy climbed into the car carefully and situated herself on my lap. My heart began to race and I prayed she wouldn’t be able to tell. I shoved my hands under my legs, not quite sure what to do with them at that moment. 

“Nancy, can you like, lean down, or back, or something? I can’t see through the rearview mirror.” Eddie asked, turning in his seat to stare at us.

A slight blush crept up on Nancy’s face as she turned to look at me, “Would you mind if I -”

“No, yeah, I mean that’s fine, I don’t mind, really.” I cut her off. I could hear Robin exhale through her nose loudly. Nancy began to lean toward me. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until she asked me if I was okay. I caught Steve’s eye from the front seat as he watched us closely. 

Steve and I weren’t extremely close, but it wasn’t hard to tell he was in love with Nancy. We met through Robin after they started working together at Scoops Ahoy. They had become extremely close that summer and Robin would not shut up about him at school the following semester. I was excited she had found another friend, but the feeling of being replaced never quite went away. 

Robin and I have been best friends since Kindergarten. She stole my crayons and in return, I cut off one of her pigtails. My mother was not happy with that stunt, but Robin’s parents had laughed it off and said it was all a part of kids expressing themselves. It took some time but our parents had become close after that and play dates became a regular thing. 

Growing up close, we learned a lot about each other, including our mutual attraction to women. There was an awkward time in our friendship when we had thought maybe we were the ones for each other, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. Thankfully our friendship recovered from the awkward date and kiss we had shared and now it’s an inside joke between the two of us.

Robin introduced me to Steve a week into the new school year. I had been away that summer, visiting with family in another state and when we returned, the mall had burned down. Robin swore she would tell me what happened, but I had to meet her new friends. So, Friday afternoon, I went to the Family Video store to hang out with Robin and meet Steve. 

When I first walked into the store, there was no sign of anyone being in there. I glanced around at the row of movies on shelves, waiting for Robin to pop up from somewhere. There was a loud crash as a bunch of VHSs fell off a shelf a few rows over.

“Aw, come on!” I heard him shout. 

“You should be more careful, dingus.” Robin’s voice sounded out. I walked over to where the commotion was happening. On the floor, picking up VHSs, was Steve. Robin was a few feet away setting up a cardboard cutout to promote a new release. 

“Hi, welcome to Family Video, anything we can help you with?” Steve asked exasperated. He stood up and shoved the VHSs back on the shelf. I noticed that he looked me over, up and down, before a small smile appeared on his face. “I am completely at your disposal to find the right movie for you.”

“Chill out, dingus. This is my friend, Y/N.” Robin said coming over to hug me. “Dingus, Y/N, Y/N, Dingus” She laughed introducing us. 

Steve rolled his eyes at her, his soft smile returning to his face when he glanced back at me. He reached out to shake my hand. “Hi, I’m Steve. Robin’s told me a lot about you, glad to finally meet you.” I shook his hand, noting the smoothness of his skin. 

“You would have a better chance if you were Nancy Wheeler, big guy.” Robin laughed, clapping a hand on Steve’s back. Both of our heads whipped towards her, his with shock, mine with annoyance. “Oh yeah, she’s playing for our team.” 

Steve looked back at me, then back to Robin. “Do you know any straight people?” 

Robin raised an eyebrow at him and smiled maliciously. “Not. A. Single. One.”

“Are you sure this okay?” Nancy asked, pulling me out of the memory. She was sitting sideways on my lap, leaning into me, with her head on my shoulder. I nodded and instinctively, I put an arm around her to hold on to her then immediately pulled it back as if I had been burned. Nancy stilled for a moment, before grabbing my arm and placing it back around her.

“For safety,” she smiled up at me. Steve turned back around in the front seat and Robin gently elbowed me, she had a smirk on her face. I ignored both of them and focused on my beating heart, trying to regulate my breathing. 

Dustin slammed his door and Eddie started the car. Heavy metal blasted at us over the speakers. Erica reached out and switched it off. 

“Absolutely not.” 

“This is the last time I let you drive my car.” Steve said, looking over Erica at Eddie. 

Eddie didn’t seem phased at all as he turned the music back on and up, stuck his tongue out, and held up the rock-on-hand sign. The car lurched forward as he hit the gas, and we were speeding down the road, on our way to the others. ---- Part 2

[screamingatanemptyroom]

Song of a Mermaid Warrior pt 2

Part 2 to the mermaid story!

Decided to continue it, wanted to see where Jordan's story ends up.

You can read pt 1 here.

Enjoy!

___________________________

“Well, well, well! Never thought I’d see the mermaid herself swimming over to my fetid swamp here in the slums!”

A slim young man with bright purple hair grinned, flipping a silver coin into the air over and over without looking at it. “Thought you said you were never coming back? What, did your last book not sell as well now that you're peddling comforting little lies about your species?”

Jordan leaned against the doorframe of the dilapidated shop, wondering for the thousandth time if this was a bad idea. She knew the answer, deep down, but chose to ignore it. “Tock, cut the crap.”

“Oh sweetie, you haven’t changed. “ Tock laughed. “ I can cut the crap, but not sure what use it would be… crap is notoriously difficult to cut, tends to mush up, you know… and whose crap should be cut? Mine?” He shrugged. “ Sorry to say this body doesn’t make physical waste. What about yours?”

Jordan rubbed her forehead. “I should have known better than to do anything other than speak as literally as possible… I hate fairies.”

“You only know one fairy, darling.” Tock’s eyes blinked, the irises turning green, than orange, than staying at a robin’s egg blue. “Unfair of you to judge the whole species just because you don’t like me. Especially because I have been nothing but fair and helpful to you.”

“You tried to trick me into giving you my skin.”

“TRIED. Tried is the key word there. Plus you didn’t fall for it, so what’s the problem?”

Jordan sighed, knowing that there was never any point with arguing with Tock.

She had run into the fairy over two years ago. At that time she was frantic, trying to find Hunter’s location, and her desperation had led her to the darker corners of the city. She had spent every last coin she had, unable to eat or sleep, and at her darkest moment, she stumbled into Tock’s shop. Later Jordan had realized that it was likely that despair that had allowed her to find his place. There were magic wards to keep all but the most vulnerable out.

When they met, Tock had seen her madness, her obsession, and was ecstatic. He tried to get her to agree to many terrible deals in exchange for tracking down Hunter and after adding a small addendum she had agreed, feeling that whatever price she had to pay was worth it.

In the end, the addendum she had insisted on saved her skin, quite literally. She had added on a time limit that he had to track Hunter down and arrange a meeting. And to Tock’s shock and dismay, whatever elven magic was hiding Hunter’s identity; it was beyond the fairy’s ability to dismantle.

Tock had failed to find Hunter, and the contract expired. Jordan left, at the time feeling a strange mix of disappointment at the failure and gratitude to be still in one piece. As they parted ways, she swore never to come back to his broken place of deals with the devil.

Until today.

“So what brings you here, my lovely little fish?” Tock flipped his coin again, and it sizzled as it disappeared into thin air. “Still trying to find that stubborn elf boyfriend of yours?”

“He was just a friend, and no. I gave up on him years ago.”

Tock frowned, blinking as his eyes turned a bronze color. “Pity. Your skin has only gotten prettier since the last time I saw it… would love to find your price to part with it.”

“…” The memory of Hunter cheerfully making plans to run away with her still hung in her mind. What was it that he had said? “We might lose our clothes and money, but at least we’d have a fun story to tell”? We had no idea what real fairies were like. The ocean’s song in Jordan’s ears was rising, she kept her lips closed to hold back the seductive call of the magic. The fairy noticed her struggle, backing away slightly.

“Fine, fine, no more talk about your skin. Why are you mermaids so sensitive about losing organs?” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Mermaids regenerate, right? Or was that trolls?”

“Tock….” The name was forced out between clenched teeth.

The fairy rolled his eyes, changing them to a pure silver color. “So what deal DO you want to make today, my angry mermaid friend?”

She dug through her pocket handing over a silver badge with a handkerchief. Her touch shouldn’t affect his abilities, but Jordan still didn’t want to touch it. It represented something she had tried to move beyond in the last few years, a part of the past that caused her to wake up sobbing some nights, and to stay up drinking others.

Hunter had been her only friend, the only person in this world she thought she could trust. She had learned the hard way how foolish that trust had been. But once she had finally made peace with that fact, he had sent someone to intrude in her life once more. After forcing her to stay out of his battle, he was inviting her to join him, dangling the one thing he knew she couldn’t resist to get her to agree: the existence of other full blood mermaids.

She wasn’t going to play by his rules. If he was expecting her to run back to his side after forcing her away years ago, he would be sorely disappointed. And if she was going to use the clue he had given her, it was for her reasons and no one else’s. Because for everything he had gotten wrong, Hunter had gotten one thing very right:

She did want to find the mermaids in the city.

Not out of any sense of loyalty or need to find others like her, however. She was simply desperate. The instincts to fight and kill, to use her magic to trap and destroy, grew stronger by the day. Soon she was afraid she’d start killing innocent people. She needed to find a way to control it.

Jordan was hoping that other mermaids would know how.

Maybe other mermaids don’t have this problem. She thought at her darkest moments. Maybe I’m just a killer, a monster.

She tried not to think about that to often.

Tock gingerly picked up the badge, his eyes widening with surprise and turning a glowing violet.

“You always have the best things! Let’s see… silver… It was made several years ago… it had other forms years ago… but the owners of those items died quite violently…” He paused, glancing at her curiously. “Your handiwork, I would guess?”

“No comment.”

“Such an unfriendly fish… good thing you have such pretty skin, otherwise I wouldn’t pay you any attention.” He turned back towards the badge in his hand. “It was made with care and love… quite a pure emotion of care… along with a large amount of hope, all mixed in with the silver as it was reformed… it was part of a set?”

“Yes.” She swallowed uncomfortably, pushing back the memories of a young naïve girl, who thought herself hardened and bitter, carefully making a birthday present for her best friend.

“Can I see the other one?”

She thought of the location of the badge she had once treasured. “No.”

Tock pouted. “Fine. It contains quite a few auras, but the strongest one… is quite familiar.” His eyes turned a bright angry red. “Elf!”

“Yeah, it was Hunter’s.”

“That BASTARD! His blasted elf magic forced me to lose my contract with you!” He tossed the badge to the counter with a disgusted grimace. “You’ll never be that perfect combination of desperate and vulnerable again!” He looked back at me. “You are STILL trying to find that elf who dumped you three years ago? And I thought you had standards.”

The ocean song roared in her ears as it sensed her anger, pushing at her control, leaking from her lips. She could feel it swelling beneath her skin, threatening to force itself out. Tock rolled his eyes at the sight.

“Don’t try your battle magic here. You may be quite terrifying to meet in a dark alleyway, but I have some great wards in place.” He sneered as she kept her lips closed tightly. “Just a word of advice: Don’t face off a fairy in his own home.”

Jordan forced her magic down with great struggle, every instinct wanting to lash out. “I don’t want you to find Hunter. I want to know most frequent locations this amulet has been over the past six months.”

“And that’s not the same thing because…”

“Because it’s not him I’m wanting to find.” If he's found mermaids, then the locations he's been, the people he's spoken to... they'll be clues to track them down.

Tock raised an eyebrow. “Then what ARE you trying to find?”

“None of your business. I just need the locations this object has been most frequently.”

“Very well.” His smile became sly, his eyes shifting away from the angry red to a dark blue. “What deal shall we make for me to do this? How about your skin…”

The last word trailed off as Jordan held up a golden coin.

“…”

_________________________________

The silence in the room stretched on, as Tock’s gaze was locked on the object in her hand. His eye color was shifting rapidly, brown, grey, orange, green, before the whole eye filled with color finally turning a solid, glowing silver. His shoulders twitched, and his teeth grew longer in his mouth, the sharp points pressing into his still human appearing lips.

“Where did you get that?” His whisper had lost all of his previous joking tone. There was a small amount of magic woven into his words, a minor compelling spell to force her to speak, and speak truthfully. It buried itself in her ear, making her thoughts foggy. Jordan smiled, shaking her head as the ocean song within her rose in volume, drowning out the fairy magic easily, keeping her mind clear.

“I’ve picked up a lot of things these past few years.”

“ANSWER. THE. QUESTION.”

“No.” Jordan flipped the coin, mimicking the fairy’s earlier actions. “Don’t try your magic on me, fairy. I’ve had too many years of practice ignoring magical compulsions.”

“Fine.” He sighed loudly. “Do you know what it is you have there? Do you know if there’s any more?”

“I’ve heard stories… tales only whispered in dark alleys and in crumbling basements. Do you know in schools here they teach that the humans are the only ones affected by the Darkness? That losing the ability to have children was the be all and end all of the curse?”

“…” Tock kept silent, staring at her. Shrugging, she continued with a mocking smile.

“What a limited view, right? Turns out that everyone lost something to the Darkness. Every single one. It took whatever that species valued most. For humans, such a short-lived, social people, it was taking away the ability to make new generations. But fairies… you are born of magic and air, part of nature and outside of time. Procreation means nothing to you.” She flipped the coin up, letting it spin in the air before catching it and holding it firmly in her hand. “The Darkness took something much more important to you fairies.”

Tock was trembling at her words, unclear if it was with fear or anger. “What do you think the Darkness took from us?”

Jordan glanced at his empty back. “Your wings.”

“…” The fairy’s hands were gripping the counter in front of him. His fingers sank into the wood as easily as if it was made of clay.

“If it were just something to help you fly, I bet you would have simply made do without them. But they represent something much more important, don’t they?” She leaned closer, ignoring his threatening aura. “That’s where fairies store their magic. So now you have the live with the scraps of magic you absorb from the earth and enchanted items, unable to store it within yourself. That’s why you work here, in this pitiful little shop, unable to do more than hide behind these wards and peddle minor magic tricks for favors.”

“Be careful, mermaid…”

“Oh I’m careful enough, Tock.” She opened her hand and stared at the coin in her palm. “No wonder you wanted my skin… how much magic should be stored within it, I wonder. Enough to last you a few years I would think. Which is why this little coin is so important to you.”

“…”

“Fairy gold.” She held it up again. “Quite pretty, actually, looks like the real thing even on close inspection. But if I were to try to spend it… it would expel all the magic stored inside, turning to wood and taking away my lifetime’s luck. An inconvenience for me… but for you?” She grinned. “It stores enough magic for you to live comfortably for quite some time. You could leave this shop, set up protective wards wherever you ended up. Magic enough to stabilize your appearance so your eyes and ears don’t change; let you blend in if you wanted to leave your house for a change. “

“…”

“So what do you say, Tock.” Jordan flipped the coin one last time. “Do we have a deal?”

After a long pause, the fairy spoke up. “… I …”

“TOCK ARE YOU HERE?!!”

The shop door slammed open and a short redheaded young man burst in. As he rushed to the counter, Jordan got a closer look. He was a few inches shorter than her, his leaner frame still obviously muscular. His facial features were handsome, with bright green eyes that glowed with excitement and fiery red hair that was cropped short. He wore regular clothing, a grey t shirt and jeans, and would have seemed very average except for the massive axe strapped to his back.

Who the heck is this?

“Glit, this isn’t the time.” Tock warned, his tone still angry and tense.

“No, Tock, I’ve been thinking about it… maybe I SHOULD be willing to compromise… exactly how much skin would you need to help me find the dwarves?”

The fairy’s eyes glowed an excited gold, his teeth retracting once more as he stabilized his appearance. “Well now…”

“Add his bill to mine.” Jordan interrupted, glaring at Tock. “No skin.”

“But… that’s unfair! We already had a deal!”

“You didn’t accept it in time, so now the deal has changed. “ She shrugged “The price I’m offering is more than enough to cover us both. I would suggest you take the deal before it changes again.”

Tock glared. “FINE! FINE, I ACCEPT!”

The young man turned to her, shocked. She met his gaze, holding back the urge to sigh. Jordan wasn’t much one for random acts of kindness to strangers, but he reminded her of herself a few years ago. Lost, desperate… the only kind of people who can slip past Tock’s wards. She just wasn’t sure what his reaction would be to her interference… annoyance? Gratitude?’

He grinned at her. “You look really strong! Wanna fight?!”

… Well that certainly hadn’t been the reaction she was expecting.

“Maybe later…”

His shoulders slumped. “Dangit. I was losing hope of meeting a strong person in this awful city… no offense if you like it here.”

“None taken, I don’t.”

“I finally meet someone worthy of a good fight, and I make a terrible first impression.” He sighed. “My Ma always did say I needed to work on my introductions.”

“…And you are?”

His eyes widened. “I haven’t told you that yet?” His hand slapped his forehead. “Sorry, must have been distracted by the whole ‘trading my skin’ thing. I’m Glitenaere ni Tolk Vhelarite, firstborn of Marleiun ge Nerturin, the greatest Dwarven warrior alive… but you can call me Glit!”

She looked over the short young man. “You are the greatest warrior?”

“Nope. My Ma.”

“You’re a dwarf?”

“Since I was born.”

Jordan felt curious, having only ever read about dwarves from human textbooks, which said they were a reclusive, unfriendly race.

The reportedly unfriendly, reclusive dwarf was reaching out to shake her hand. “Thanks for the saving my skin, friend!”

She didn’t take his hand. “Shouldn’t you have a beard?”

Tock burst out into laughter, his eyes turning a humorous magenta. “Wow, way to go straight for the gut.”

“Aww, shut up fairy, she didn’t mean anything by it. Can’t blame her for not knowing in a city like this.” Glit leaned against the counter, rubbing his chin with an idle hand. “I’m a darkling, a child born infected by the Darkness.”

“Every race lost something.” Jordan whispered.

“Not everyone was infected, but those who were never grew beards.” He looked sad for a brief moment. “It’s a symbol of strength, of connection to the Earth… everything in our culture revolves around it.”

“What about the women?”

“Oh they grow them too. You should see my Ma. Her beard makes all the boys cry with jealousy.” Glit laughed. “They all thought with her being the strongest and all, her child would be too… but…”

“…Sorry.”

“Oh don’t worry, friend. I’m not weak. I may not have a connection with the earth and a powerful beard, but I’m a force to be reckoned with when I have an axe in my hand!”

Tock looked up, his eyes turning bright white. “You may have to test that out sooner rather than later. We have company.”

BANG! Something slammed into the closed door behind them.

_________________________________

Jordan took a defensive stance, while Glit drew his axe. “Who’s coming?”

“Probably one of those damn purity obsessed groups. They constantly sweep the slums, looking for low bloods and part elves. Usually the wards keep them away, but today, I got a little… distracted. “

“Great. Not really in the mood to deal with these guys, Tock.”

“They bad guys?” Glit spoke up.

“Yep.” Jordan answered softly. “They do horrible things to those who can’t defend themselves.”

“Fair enough. Today they picked on the wrong type of people, though.” Glit grinned. “Let’s kill them!”

His easy acceptance of the violence they would face ahead gave her a little pause. Before she could examine it too closely, the door crashed open, and a large group of men wearing black cloths around the lower halves of their faces rushed in. In their hands were standard pistols, the dull metal glinting off the many lamps of Tock’s shop.

“Looks like we got a haul, boys!” One of them spotted Glit and Jordan, his eyes widening with shock. “That short one definitely can’t be high purity… he’s either a low blood or a dirty elf mix blood! And the other…” He glanced and Jordan and laughed. “A No Blood? Thought they were all gone!”

Glit twirled the massive axe in his hand with ease, looking confused. “Do I look like an elf?”

Jordan thought of the tall quiet young man who had always followed behind her, always trying to avoid violence. “Not even a little.”

“Ah.” He tossed the axe lightly, catching it with the other hand. “Hey fellas, despite your insults and poor eyesight, I’m gonna be nice. Here’s your one chance to run away, before my strong friend and I start slicing you to pieces.”

Even with the majority of his face covered, the disdain on the attacker’s face was evident. “Shut up, dirty elf! Even with your axe, you really think you can face a group with guns?" He snorted, "Now we’re gonna have fun killing you.”

Glit just laughed at the threat. “I was hoping you guys would say that!”

As the group of attackers spread out around the room, he turned to face one side, leaving his back open to Jordan.

Jordan hesitated briefly at Glit’s open back, startled at the gesture of trust, before slowly turning to cover him. She glanced around to see that Tock had disappeared before closing her eyes, calling up the song within her and setting it free.

From her mouth a song of battle rang out. Several of the attackers stopped in their tracks, caught in her illusion, but the rest were only mildly affected, just barely losing their grips on their weapons.

Jordan cursed silently, still singing. Her magic was very effective against small groups of enemies, but the more people it was spread out against, the less useful it would be.

As the song of death spilled constantly from her lips, she felt her nails grow out into claws and moved forward, striking the attackers that were not incapacitated first. From the side she heard Glit run forward, spinning his axe, blood and tissue flying through the air as he cut through enemies.

Blood dripped from her fingers. She heard someone behind her, preparing to strike and turned, grabbing his neck. She felt the water within his heart, and used her magic to stop it in place. His face turned pale, and clutching his chest, he fell to the ground.

Jordan was feeling the drain of her magic. Her vision was turning a bright blue, the song growing in her mind, calling for her to give in completely.

BANG! A shot rang out past her ear, and sensing the danger, the song surged louder in her soul.

Can’t give up all control to my instincts. She thought grimly, slicing the shooter’s face. I might just lose myself completely.

It was hard, fighting against physical enemies while resisting the magical bind of her own blood, but Jordan forced herself forward, grateful for the help of the dwarf beside her. If she had faced all these enemies by herself, she might have lost to the bloodlust within her.

The air was filled with blood and screams.

And then… there was silence.

__________________________________

Jordan’s vision cleared as she forced the song of the ocean down, keeping it tightly controlled within herself. Her nails retracted and she stood in place, staring down at the blood on her hands.

Hunter always said he didn’t want me to be a killer. She closed her eyes briefly with pain. She felt dirty, worthless. Maybe if I wasn’t one he wouldn’t have left me behind.

Lost in her thoughts, she only came out of it as she felt a warm touch on her hands. Shocked, her eyes flew open, only to see Glit pushing a large wet cloth into her grasp.

“Here, friend, you can clean your hands with this.”

She paused, unused to the kindness, but took it anyways. “Thanks.”

“No problem! You’re amazing! That battle song… had magic in it right? Are you not human?”

“Mermaid.” The word came out before she could stop it, and Jordan pressed her lips together, annoyed. He’s a stranger. No need to tell him anything more. She tucked the dirty rag in her pocket, not wanting to give Tock a free sample of her blood.

“Really? I thought they had all disappeared!” Glit’s face lit up. “My Ma always said that the mermaids were the only warriors she wouldn’t want to face up against! That’s awesome!”

She glanced at the dismembered bodies on his side of the room. “You’re not such a bad fighter yourself.”

His smile brightened. “Really? Thanks! Those guys back home thought I was pretty useless, being a Darkling and all, but if a mermaid warrior says so, I’ll trust your opinion!”

“This is all very touching… but what am I supposed to do about the mess you made?” Tock’s annoyed tone caught their attention.

“We fought off your attackers while you hid in the back, fairy.” Jordan raised an eyebrow. “You can worry about the mess. You’re lucky we don’t charge you for the service.”

“Yeah, what she said!” Glit crossed his arms, standing at her shoulder, and smiled at Tock, the still bloody axe in his hand making the gesture threatening.

Tock rolled his now yellow eyes. “Fine. While you two were gleefully tearing those idiots to pieces, I finished the tasks you gave me.” He spread a map on the counter, ignoring as the far corner was stained with blood. Jordan recognized it as a map of the city. With a golden pen the fairy circled a few buildings. “Here’s where the amulet has spent the most time in the last six months, in order of most time spent.”

She glanced over at Glit beside her. “And the dwarves?”

“Tougher, since he doesn’t have a possession from the dwarves in question, but…” He picked up a silver marker, and circled one place. “There is a high concentration of earth magic here.”

Glit and Jordan stared at the spot, where silver and gold overlapped.

“Looks like me might be looking for the same place.” She whispered.

“Really? That’s great, friend!” He paused. “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Jordan. But I don’t think we’re friends. I don’t trust anyone.” Not anymore.

“Jordan!” He grinned. “Don’t worry, we can still be friends. You don’t have to trust me. I’ll trust you enough for the both of us.”

Tock groaned. “You’re so naïve… why couldn’t you have shown up when the mermaid wasn’t around?! I could have extorted you for so much skin!”

Jordan grabbed the map silently, unsure of how to respond to the dwarf’s enthusiasm.

“If you’re going there, can we go together? I’m looking for a large group of dwarves that disappeared, we think they might be being held captive in the city.”

“…You really shouldn’t trust people so easily.” Her words came out as a pained whisper.

Glit’s face became solemn for the first time since they met. “It’s okay. I’ve grown up in a world that hates me. It’s not been easy, but over the years, I’ve developed a good sense of those around me, and what kind of people they are.”

“And kind of person do you think I am?” She was genuinely curious what the cheerful dwarf thought of her.

“You? Well, you’re someone who cares too much and wishes you wouldn’t. My guess is that you’ve been hurt very badly by someone you trusted… and now you would never wish that same pain on another person.” He shrugged. “So that’s why I trust you. You might kill me if you have to, but you’ll do it facing me. You won’t stab me in the back. You couldn’t bear to do that to someone after what you’ve been through.”

“Interesting opinion.” Jordan felt a strange mixture of despair and relief at his words. “Not put off by me killing men while they’re stunned by magic? That wasn’t just a fight…I’m a killer.”

“Hmm… well, I just chopped up six guys with an axe, and the only reason they didn’t shoot a bunch of holes in me is because of your magic, so I’m pretty sure I can’t judge.” Glit patted her on the back. “Are you looking for mermaids, like I’m looking for dwarves?”

She nodded silently, although silently she thought their reasons for looking were quite different.

“Then let’s go find our people together! You don’t have to trust your back to me, but don’t worry! I’ll defend it anyways.”

“Can you two leave?" Tock rubbed his face tiredly, his eyes flickering between purple and pink. "This touchy feely stuff is bad for my business. What if some desperate fool walks in and is inspired by all your motivational speaking?”

Jordan tossed him the fairy gold, taking back the silver badge she had given him, and turned and left the shop. “Never coming back, Tock.”

“Keep telling yourself that, my fishy friend!” He called back. “You’ll come back. They always do.”

“Okay then! See you later, Tock!” Glit called out as he walked behind her.

“…Actually, I would prefer it if YOU don’t come back. You give me a headache.”

Jordan and Glit left the carnage filled shop behind them

_________________________________

“So mermaids and dwarves being held in the center of the city.” Glit thought out loud. “Some sort of human conspiracy?”

Jordan thought of growing up in the orphanage, the city’s emphasis on having higher purity of mermaid blood rather than human, the complete lack of information on other races. She thought of Hunter and the underground Resistance. Of the Darkness that spread everywhere, touching every species.

Everyone lost something to the darkness, right?

So what did mermaids lose?

... What did I lose?

“There’s something broken about this world, more going on here then we realize.” Jordan answered softly. “But we’re going to figure it out.”

“Together?”

“For now.”

“Awesome!” He pumped a fist in the air. “Wait until I tell my Ma I went on a quest with a mermaid warrior. She’s gonna be so impressed!” He paused. “You two would get along, I think. Strong warrior types and all.”

Jordan sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Why does everyone keep sighing around me?”

“… Let’s go. “

_________________________________

They moved quietly towards the place marked on the map. Glit, surprisingly, activated a hidden mechanism on his axe, folding it into thirds and hiding it in a backpack, and pinned on a “34” badge. He saw her glance at the silver ornament and shrugged. “Snatched this off some guy who tried to mug me when I arrived in town. Most people think I’m just a low purity level student when I’m dressed like this .”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“…” Older than me? Jordan adjusted her mental view of him silently.

“Don’t worry if you thought I was younger.” He raised his hands helplessly. “No beard and the dwarven height tends to confuse people.”

“Sorry.”

“No worries, as long as you don’t think I’m weak and helpless just because I’m shorter than you.”

She thought of him cutting through enemies with his axe. “No chance of that.”

They made they way to the abandoned factory that Tock had marked for them. As they neared the area, Glit pulled out a machine from his bag waving it through the air.

“What’s that?”

“Dwarven machine, it detects the presence of magic.” He frowned. “We need to be careful. This whole place is covered with spells.”

“If this was a human holding place…”

“It shouldn’t have magic.” He finished her thought. “Maybe go up to the roof and enter from there instead?”

They scaled the wall silently, cutting a small hole in the roof with yet another tool from Glit’s bag. As she peered into the building, she felt the ocean’s song start welling up within her.

“There’s danger here. We should go back and regroup.”

“Jordan, look out!” Glit pushed her to the side, wincing as the blow from behind her struck his head instead.

Jordan opened her mouth to release her magic, but before a sound could escape, a hand grasped her arm and magic flooded her body.

“Sleep.” The voice was familiar, but her mind was already falling into darkness.

Jordan woke up on a couch in a dark room. Groaning, she rubbed her head, feeling angry. She knew this feeling, this hung over dizzy sensation. Remembered it too clearly even though she wished she could forget.

“Elven magic.”

Glit groaned from his sprawled position in the corner of the room, his arms and legs tied tightly. The ropes dug into his skin, but he ignored it as he flipped his body into a sitting position on the floor, looking up at her with a sad expression. “Sorry I missed them behind us.”

“It’s fine, thanks for taking that hit for me.” She glanced at the wound on his head, crusted with dried blood, and winced. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just a friendly tap. I’ve got a hard head.” He grinned, then looked around. “Real question is, who has us, and why?”

“I have an idea... but I really hope I’m not right.”

“You always did have good instincts, Jordan.”

The familiar voice spoke up from the doorway, Jordan forced herself to sit up on the couch, staring at their captor with a pained expression.

She knew him.

Of course she knew him.

He had set his trap, sent her his badge, knowing she would use it… and she had fallen for it.

The man who haunted her nightmares smiled sadly at her. “Not happy to see me?”

She blinked, shaking her head slowly. “Hello again, Hunter.”

[siremasterlawrence]

Street Level Part 2

Robin - Jason Todd

A man hidden in the lonely alley ways of out dear Gotham City looks so familiar.

A symbol on his chest evokes a feeling of

fear crushing memories.

Robin tracks down the cries of pain from his bat cycle on the way.

He stops cold right in front of the scene of the crime unable to decipher his own flighty emotions at the moment.

He can’t help himself backing his body to the wall behind him he slides.

The shadowy figure on the wall is tall, dark, menacing and brood and that symbol.

“Hello Robin, my name is Frank Castle” the man offers a hand.

“You may call me….” He starts to open his mouth.

“The Punisher…you kill people” Jason says backing up.

“You know who I am? Cool!” He open a box lifting a cigarette to his mouth.

“By the way the deserve it” the words are so cold completely defiant to his lively attitude.

“Fuck you! No excuse” Jason jolts at his touch.

“Mwahahahahaha” Frank laughs so hard the gun in his hand almost goes off.

“What the fuck man?” Jason yells scared for the first time ever.

“Trigger happy sorry” Frank says shrugging it off before grabbing his bag.

“Goodnight punk” he smirks then knocks him out with one punch.

Frank cracks up dragging his unconscious caucus to a abandoned warehouse.

He throws onto a hook tying him up with few strands of rope, the tape snaps through his teeth and onto Jasons mouth.

Nightwing - Dick Grayson

It is far into the late hours of the night high above the city streets of Gotham City Dick Grayson.

He swings his e-stim sticks spinning in fast motion he clicks his mask as lens cover it.

His eyes are now able to see beyond all of his limits his confidence grows running to the edge of the roof.

Robin alert…Robin alert…Robin alert voice is screaming into his ear non stop.

He is freaking out his head gear shakes a bit sending him flying into panic mode back flipping off the edge.

His feet hit the side of the wall sleeting down to the city ground and goes running off.

Dick Grayson grabs hold of the motorcycles handle, and he lands onto the seat.

He squeezed the bag reviving up his bike the gas seeking out and going for miles.

He dashes down the road taking a detour on a side road, his mind is on a journey.

His thoughts racing out of control because is syncing with his erratic heart beat.

He presses even harder on the peddle with more force hoping to catch the man who dares to face him.

Stopping at the end of the outskirts pass the Gotham City limits his sensors are hey wire.

“Gotham City is my home” Dick Grayson is finally announcing himself.

“Why do you deign to step onto my personal space and property?” A strange man said.

“Show yourself, walk out of the shadows.” He demands the person step out.

“Fair enough! Dick Grayson is it?” My name is Matt Murdock” the man proudly states as he steps into the light.

“Your The Devil Of Hells Kitchen” he says in shock.

“You want your friend? Robin show your friend the way.” Matt snaps his fingers as Jason appears prepped for a fight.

The Batman

The Batman traces the group in the the bay air craft flying above the city tracking us.

Hovering above the city he kicks the back door open, and he throws the rope down.

Landing on top of the building he hides in the shadow and rolls off to the side.

He giggles a bit hitting one over the head hard and grabbing one by the neck.

He knees the next one in the ass, and shove him down onto a unexpected one.

Triggering his gauntlet he erratics the heavy army guard on the roof top.

“ENOUGH STAND DOWN” the voice curls in the air bouncing

“I am vengeance, I am the knight” he spoke continuously.

“I AM BATMAN” his voice reverberates at a expedited pace bouncing wall to wall.

“Bravo…bravo” Matt says clapping at Bruce words resonate with him.

“Boy you have star appeal” Frank claps even more.

“Why are you hear Bruce?” Jason Todd states with a attitude.

Matt goes on a attack with Bruce blow for blow hitting each other.

Frank laughs so hard lifting his guard aiming his gun at him and starts to shoot.

Bruce evading every bullet hitting him back into the wall.

Nightwing slides down matching every move Bruce throws at him, and even surpassing them.

“Finally the student surpasses the Master. Are you going to kill me Dick?” Bruce ask.

No answer came a neck grab, a needle and then he blacked out.

The end

[a-deadly-serenade]

i am CONVINCED that the writers and staff of robin hood thought that they’d be green-lit for a fourth season which is why there’s such a huge dissonance b/w the first and last last half of s3. 

i think it really becomes prominent at the end of s3ep7, after robin and isabella escape the well and robin urges that they need to rescue kate before they leave. the sudden shift in isabella’s character is so sudden and i havent stopped thinking about it since i rewatched the whole season. it’s so... out of place? we spend two episodes dedicated to developing her as an almost antithesis to her brother, almost akin to the chivalry of marian with how she uses her wits to seduce the men in power in order to further her own goals. but then this all gets thrown out the window for... no reason?? i think this is when bbc was like, “hey look this show isn’t getting as many viewers as it once did so we can’t justify how expensive it is to produce so we’re going to be cutting it off our schedule to make room for other shows we want to make” and then made isabella go a-wall and shoddily throw together a story to make HER the villain, along with all the other cazy shit they add.

it’s like... ah yes, this woman who was sold into an abusive marriage in her tender teens, who was shown to still be relentlessly belittled and abused, is definitely who you want to make the villain guys :) they make her turn against robin and for what?? because he wants to save kate?? a member of his GANG?? 

like she gets so UNCHARACTERISTICALLY upset when he confesses he can’t envision the future she described realistically happening because of who he is and the kind of life she lives. if the writers had been smart and handled this with actual finesse, Robin could have easily realized that the two of them were so drawn to each other based on the current circumstances. he fell in love with her charisma, her cunning tactics, her sense of independence and constant defiance towards those around her that reminded him so much of Marian. and i’m sure Isabella was drawn to Robin for his kindness, his own charm, how he fights so valiantly to ensure the safety and prosperity of those we often forget about, maybe even silently wishing that she had met someone like him during her many years as Thornton’s wife. they’ve both suffered betrayal and heartache, so, yeah, it doesn’t surprise me that they hit it off so quickly. but for some reason they want to keep peddling the terrible sub-plot of kate and robin becoming an item, which i could write a WHOLE other post about, so i guess the best option is??? this??? 

make her defy the prince!! with Guy basically placing a death sentence on himself by attacking John in the dungeons, she has no one to rely on anymore!! he was the one that provided her protection but now that’s gone. it’s so DUMB that they made her immediately cling to John, when one of the themes they constantly hammer in, esp in s3ep9, is that she HATES men!! hates them!! they’re liars!! manipulators!! she knows the prince is crazy, why would she ally with him?? AGH 

here, sweetie, i know writing is hard but let me help you out: 

picture the three of them, Robin, Isabella, and Kate escaping Nottingham and they decide that it is no longer safer for Isabella so Robin will hook her up with some money, supplies and send her off to some acquaintances in a far off county. she can start anew, find her place in the world and live her life without having to be tied down. Lord Sheridan could stick around as the actual sheriff and that would make more sense to the eventual tie-in of Vasey showing up for the finale. in fact, that would be even MORE reason for Vasey to want Nottingham back, there’s someone in his seat!! Blamire man could turn on Sheridan, paralleling the loyalty Vasey wished Guy kept for him till the end. 

have ‘a dangerous deal’ take place earlier, giving more time for Guy to develop his relationship with the outlaws and come to terms with more of the things he’s buried inside himself for so long. when it comes time for Robin and Guy to look for Archer (yes u can keep your dumb plot-twist bbc) Isabella could have found herself in York, maybe she works at the bar they go to?? mayyybe she knows who Archer is and is shocked when these two dummies show up and say that it’s their half-brother. ONE of the strongest themes in the show is found family!!!! these two families, who have suffered so much tragedy, can finally become one again and work together to ensure the prosperity of england. Like… was that really so hard?

s3 has just so much wasted potential but Isabella really got the brunt of the stick on this one. she was so engaging and fun in the first two episodes she’s in but really becomes unbearable the further along she’s in the series. like there’s nooo wayy y’all spend sooo much time trying to shove this love triangle of isabella/robin/kate down our throats only to throw it away because ‘ooooh she’s craaazyy see?’ lazy!!! LAZY and i HATE IT!!! isabella deserved soo much better 

[throneoflevin]

One Foot in the Grave

( @miqojak​ for mentions. Be careful what you ask for! My writing is a bit rusty.)

Even as spring crept closer and closer the cold of the North didn’t seem to dwindle. How he hated the cold – dreaded it, truly. The memories from this place, the people out for his head, the damned cold…nothing made it a place he enjoyed coming to. This time he had been smart enough not to get in over his head at least. He was only here to observe, not to fight.

How normal has that become? When was the last time I wore a suit of armor?

When he had taught Jak her painful lesson out in the Forelands. A lesson she had ignored, though he could hardly blame her for that. She was similar enough to him that she would continue to allow people around her – convince herself she was a loner while adding more and more people to her ring of “friends”. She didn’t want to be alone, despite what she said aloud. Just like him, she wanted someone to take the pain away, to tell her everything was okay, to wake up beside every day…to love. The same thing every person in Eorzea wanted. She was young enough to make that mistake, the same mistake he had made more times then he cared to admit. The ones who loved you never stuck around for long. You either buried them, or they tried to bury you. If you were lucky, they just disappeared without a trace.

Was it lucky she disappeared? She is dead, and you know it. Just because you haven’t seen the body doesn’t mean she is going to reappear one day.

He knew that. He didn’t expect Y’ashe to walk through the door of their home one day, not anymore. She was gone, and like everything else he had allowed close, it had faded away. The Seeker exhaled; his breath visible in the chilly air of Ishgard. The heavy furs and large hood kept his face from view while keeping him from drawing too much attention to himself. Thankfully no snow was falling this day, but the frost on stone reminded him that it was never that far away. He watched people pass by in the market, keeping himself tucked away in an alley between merchants peddling jewels and furs like he wore. In truth, he wasn’t looking for anything. He wasn’t here to look for a person, to overhear some sort of information…

Why did I come here again?

As voices from the market began to quiet the sound of footsteps grew louder. His head turned to look further down the alley, a place that was too dark for him to see. In fact, it seemed like just beyond his right foot was nothing but unmoving shadows. Somewhere within that was the source of the footsteps; one after another they drew closer and closer. His ears stood tall beneath his hood, strands of long blond hair falling over his face as he waited…waited for whatever was going to emerge from the dark.

The footsteps stopped, but nothing came forth. They had stopped right beside him, just inside that expanse of black that threatened to swallow him. A few moments passed, the sounds of the market completely fading away as the Seeker focused his attention on the area just to his right. As he opened his mouth to speak the words were swallowed down; a pair of violet eyes appeared in the dark. Only the eyes were visible, but they were familiar to him. He had seen them in the mirror or the reflection in the water in the Forelands every sun for a long time.

“We are so dreadfully bored, aren’t we?”

The voice rumbled out of the darkness. It was low in tone, a growl hidden behind every word as if they were being forced to take form in place of some animal-like sound.

“We are. There is nothing we can do about that, though. I’m not going to needlessly involve myself in other things just to feel like I have something to attend to. I’ve never been able to just…float around idly and do as I please. There was always something to do…always something to fix…always someone to fight.”

“You don’t want to fight them again? You don’t want to get revenge?”

“I do, but that is something that takes time. It is like looking for a ghost.”

He had been searching high and low for any traces of the people who had left him to die out in the snow. Though, truth be told, he had been spending more effort looking for the person who had saved him. All of them were like finding a needle in a haystack, even with the contacts he had in the snow-covered city-state that were going to help him. Every time he spoke to them it was more of the same…”nothing new to report”, “haven’t found a thing”. It was…exhausting.

“Then we should do it ourselves! If we cause a stir, they will come running the settle their unfinished business! All we have to do is—”

“Make ourselves known. Please, don’t embarrass yourself. If you are thinking it then I have already thought it. You are my strength, not my brain. Don’t forget—”

The feeling of claws digging into his flesh caused Ketsuchi’s words to falter, instead replaced by a loud hiss of pain. The darkness extended out in the shape of two beastly hands, the claws of which dug forcefully into his right arm as blood began to stain the heavy furs.

”/You/ should not forget! I am your power and without me you are nothing! I am smothered every sun as you pretend your mind will ever be sharper than your blade! Are you trying to be her? Are you trying to carry on her memory or…or something foolish like that?!”

Ketsuchi offered a scoff as his response to the words, causing the dark arms to retract away from his. “Don’t be ridiculous. You already know that isn’t the case. She made me understand that my mind is just as much a weapon as my sword is.” He turned his attention to the dark where the pair of violet eyes glared back at him. The same torrent of aether was visible deep down in either eye, that violent storm of levin just waiting to be unleashed.

“I’m aware you want to fight. Truthfully, I do as well. Unfortunately, we don’t always get what we want. We have a deal and I intend to uphold my end of it, but you must give me time. Something will come along that will give you a chance to show your strength again…just give me time to find something worth investing in.”

“You have something already. Show her who you really are…she wants to see anyway. Show her. Show her. Show her. Show her.Show her.Show her. Showher.Showher.Showher.Showhershowhershowhershowher. Show her!”

“Jak!” “Jak.”

The two voices muddled together, one the low rumble of a beast in a cage, the other a calm, sadistic, condescending one. The darkness enveloped him; the world covered in a darkness no light could penetrate. Ketsuchi closed his eyes, letting the warmth of that sensation flow over him.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When he opened his eyes, it wasn’t to find himself in the cold. He had fallen asleep on the sofa outside his bedroom, the fire still burning away.

“Good morning, Master Kotetsu.”

The Seeker lifted his mismatched eyes slowly to see the pair of maids standing at the end of the sofa. Both Seeker women smiled sweetly as their tails swung side to side behind them. The male let out a long yawn, turning himself until his feet touched the floor and his back rested against the sofa. His right arm burned; an all-too-familiar pain he had grown used to. His bones ached, his muscles screamed – it felt like his arm was broken, even if it very obviously was not the case.

“…Good morning Miu. Ruka. What time is it?”

“Much later then you normally rest.” The blonde, Miu, responded. She was the more vocal of the pair of sisters and tended to do most of the talking. “Your breakfast had grown cold so we thought we should come get you. Would you like us to make something new?”

Ketsuchi yawned and rubbed at his right eye, trying to shake away some of the exhaustion he felt. “No…that is fine. I need you to contact Tsuki and let her know I’ll be coming by for some healing again. I’ll eat the cold food.”

The pair of Seekers nodded their heads before Ruka left to gather some clothes for him from his bedroom. Miu watched him closely as he rubbed his right arm up and down, even though he knew it would give him no relief from the pain. Ruka returned, offered the clothes, then went down the stairs to tend to other matters.

“…Something to say, Miu?”

Ketsuchi eyed the woman as he pulled his shirt over his head, using only his left arm to do so until his right was required to move to make its way through the arm of the shirt. The Seeker shook her head, flashing a kind smile and bowing before she made her way down the stairs. Ketsuchi let out a heavy sigh before walking over to the window. The sun was already high in the sky, indicating he had slept much longer then he usually would. He must have been exhausted…but as his mind caught up to him, he was reminded of the dream he had.

A small grin curled at the side of his lips, accompanied by the briefest spark of levin from his right eye. He couldn’t feed his other side as much as he wanted any longer…but perhaps it was time to start doing something more. Ishgard was still a task he would have to tackle at some point, but it wasn’t of immediate importance. He would continue to investigate as he had been – keeping his distance and building up a presence for himself. It was a difficult tightrope to walk, between people knowing you were there but just enough that you could wander about uninhibited.

For now, it was time to pay a visit to the little robin. He had taken the time after all to learn about the workings of the business her boss ran and how it connected with everything there. A confusing web of people that formed a hierarchy that made nearly no sense. How they weren’t constantly at one another’s throats in a war for the top seat was baffling to him.

“Well…she wanted to see the Demon. I suppose we should give her a taste then…shouldn’t we?”

The Seeker licked his lips as his left hand gripped at his right elbow. His body didn’t have to last forever…just a little bit longer. Just long enough to make sure once he was gone that the world would have someone to take his place. This world that had taken everything from him…how it would rot from the core outward. He wouldn’t allow it to continue as if no wrongs had been done…he wouldn’t allow it to thrive when it had wronged him so many times. It would fester like an untreated wound. His name still carried weight, carried fear…but soon it would be no more. She wanted chaos, didn’t she? Then it was about time she understood what true chaos was.

He began to hum, the soft sound of that song he had played for her that day. His smirk grew wider as he leaned his head back to stare up at the ceiling.

“Chaos it is, then.”

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of DC: Week of March 27th, 2019

Best of this Week: Detective Comics #1000 - Various Writers and Artists

Possibly more controversial than I'm thinking it'll be, I'm glad Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo did the job of reintroducing Slam Bradley into the DC Universe. Slam Bradley, of course the way I choose to remember him, was one of DC's first characters and the precursor design to modern day Superman. He was a 1930s dick (detective in this case) who made his name in infamy with racist depictions of Chinese people being swung by their braids with toothy grins. He's likely the reason DC won't reprint some of the early Detective Comics works in a compendium.

This is without a doubt, a great celebration for one of the greatest comic book characters of all time, if not THE greatest. The difficulty in reviewing something like this, much like Action Comics #1000 (if I reviewed that one, I don't remember) is that so many stories have their ups and downs, hits or misses and there's so much ground. But some of these were so good that this book is getting an entry all on it's own this week.

He's been made better in recent years with a badass run as a side character in Ed Brubaker and Darwyn Cooke's Catwoman (2001) as a cool former police officer with a son by the name of Slam Jr. on the force. He was probably some of the best parts of his short time there and was very compelling in interactions with Selina.

Kevin Smith and Jim Lee have arguably done some of the best and WORST Batman projects ever, but through the good and the bad, both have immense talent and their tale “Manufacture for Use” added a beautiful layer to the significance of the metal plate that his emblem is made out of.

The book is simple enough, a montage of Batman fighting his greatest villains shows in the background while his alter ego, Matches Malone, has a conversation with a merchant peddling in the various pieces of gear left by villains. He has Harley hammers, crazy quilts and even freeze guns, but there's only one weapon Malone is interested in; The Gun belonging to Joe Chill. The weapon that killed The Wayne Family.

He and others had been leaving Batman clues since his first days as a hero to have him join a guild of detectives, solving unsolvable or very difficult cases and knowing that Slam is one of the detectives along with Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, The Question, Detective Chimp, Elongated Man and his wife, Sue Dibny is relieving and fantastic.

I'm glad DC hasn't shied away from him given his past history. Even his inclusion in Superman of China based on his former character, warts and all, seemed like DC was kinda ashamed of it, but here he is, as awesome as he was later in life!

Upon seeing it, Alfred questions why Bruce would keep it as a trophy, nothing the ridiculousness of The Penny and the Dinosaur, he sees the gun as strange or even perverse. Batman, however, wishes to never see it cause anyone pain again, melting and forming it into an oval adorned with the symbol of a Bat.

Batman has dedicated his life to stopping crime in Gotham at all costs, but not everyone see his methods as being right or just. Doctor Leslie Thompkins has been looking over Bruce since his parent’s murder and oped that he would take his pain and do something productive with it, actually fix Gotham, but instead she sees how vengeance has consumed him, turning him into something of a violent monster himself and she’s not wrong. They meet each other on the anniversary of his parent’s murder in Crime Alley and are beset upon by a group of teenagers whom Batman viciously slaps the hell out of. Dr. Thompkins stops him out of fear and Batman looks like the real villain here.

If that isn't chilling...

Brian Michael Bendis is a GREAT Batman writer. Checking out his 15 pages in the Batman Walmart 100 Page Giants, much like Daredevil, Batman is a character that is PERFECT for him. “I Know” drawn by frequent Bendis collaborator, Alex Maleev, is amazing. Penguin started becoming disillusioned with the meetings put together by villains like The Joker on how to finally get rid of The Batman, Penguin begins to muse about who had the money to fund Batman. I believe he proposed the idea to the others, but they all shot him down, citing times Batman showed up when Bruce was a hostage or how he “blubbered like a baby.”

Penguin didn’t let it go, however, and prepared Suicide Bomb Penguins to attack Wayne Manor while Bruce was hosting a ton of high profile Gothamites. It would have been the end of Bruce Wayne.

Warren Ellis writes some very character driven stories, but when he has to get technical, he is a master as good as any. In “The Batman’s Design” he goes over Batman’s methodology when taking on criminals, treating things like a chess game that he’s already won. He leads the criminals to a trap and plays them like a fiddle, setting off an explosion that knock out or send some flying, determining a sniper’s location and just being so terrifying that the leader just hands him a bomb switch before his ass gets destroyed.

Becky Cloonan does a great job of alternating between cool and warm tones for when Batman is in the shadows vs contending with explosions he’s setting off. Batman looks slim, but imposing regardless. This is definitely some of her best art so far!

Now… if you ask any of my friends from when I was in The Navy, they’ll tell you about how I waited in line for Batman: The Arkham Knight. I was excited. I was elated. The conclusion to an amazing trilogy of games that shaped a newfound love for the character for me! And it bloody sucked. I HATE Arkham Knight with a passion. If it’s not The Batmobile, it’s the Joker, if not the Joker, it’s the Knight himself, if not him, then Scarecrow as the shitty final villain.

I really loved the noir tone that was set by Elizabeth Breitweiser’s colors over Steve Epting’s art. Things are very dark and cool. Batman is shrouded in shadow and Doctor Thompkins acts as a small light by comparison. There is great contrast when action happens with warm tones as Batman slaps the teens and Batman standing in the shadows as Leslie and the kids are under the one light is powerful.

Suffice to say, I was not pleased when it was said that The Arkham Knight would finally be appearing in comics different than his video game counterpart, but… I dunno, I kinda like him here.

His characterization seems to be that of someone who has lived in Gotham and has seen Batman’s methods of treating the poor citizens, the weak and the sick. He sees Batman as a cancer, a darkness that needs to be exterminated for Gotham to truly thrive. The best thing, there’s precedent for this kind of character.

One of the first few arcs for Detective Comics involved a cool set of villains known as The Victim Syndicate, people who have been hurt or grievously injured in Batman’s relentless pursuit of crime. These guys put Batman’s team through the ringer, almost turning Stephanie Brown against him completely as Tim Drake had been presumed dead at the time. Another casualty of war. If I remember right, The First Victim noted that there was someone or something coming for Batman soon and if that’s the Arkham KNight, then I am excited.

The Victim Syndicate was one of James Tynion IV’s best ideas during his run and I really hope whoever the creative team is for Detective Comics thus forth lives up to the quality. Peter J. Tomasi and Doug Mahnke are both amazing, so I have high hopes if its them.

But Penguin had an epiphany. Ending Bruce Wayne would not end Batman. Batman would become focused. Driven. Possibly to the point of killing. Bruce Wayne is the only thing keeping these villains alive, so Penguin relents and never reveals what he believes he knows, until years later when Bruce is old and mute… but who says that Bruce has lost a step? He zaps Penguin who is taken away as Bruce tells him that he knew, pretty much calling him a “coward ass bitch” as he’s taken away.

Overall, while there were few misses, this collection of stories had great ideas, great characterization, heart and was just fantastic. Looking forward to another 80 years!

This one was just cute. The Batfamily interacts with each other and take a FANTASTIC family photo drawn by Tony S. Daniel. Starring, Batman, Alfred, Nightwing, Batgirl, “Robin” Damian Wayne, Red Hood, Batwoman, Catwoman, “(Red) Robin” Tim Drake, Spoiler, The Signal, Cassandra Cain Ace the Bathound and Huntress. It’s a well put together double splash page and everyone, even Bruce seems happy.

[neverwatchedonepiece]

609-610: "Luffy Dies from Exposure?! The Spine Chilling Snow Woman Monet" and "Fists Collide! a Battle of the Two Vice Admirals!"

Surrounded by trash, unsure of location or direction. Too real, Luffy. Too real.

I feel like a broken record at the moment but Punk Hazard really is delivering.

Across 609 and 610, we had Law vs Vergo with a surprise interruption by Smoker. Caesar was the subject of unexpected character development. Even Luffy vs Monet had a twist, with Luffy falling into a trash compactor and meeting a tiny talking dragon.

I bet that’s Foxfire’s son. The little dragon had a kid’s voice.

I’m just glad the big dragon the Strawhats roasted wasn’t Momonosuke (@mrkashkiet, I am looking at you sternly. xD)

Law Just Cannot Quit Smoking

And does not want to.

The action picked up with Vergo hoofing it to the SAD Room. Speed lines ahoy!

Inside, Law slowly drew his sword in front of a vast tank of SAD Gas. Not sure what he was planning to do, but let’s not dwell on it, in case his plan was literally explosive.

Vergo appeared at the door. “I feel like my hand has been bitten by my own dog. This is too much even for a mischievous child. You were always too smart for your own good. People like you tend to die young.”

You know, I’m not keen on stoic villain types but I’ve got to admit that Vergo has some killer lines.

“It would be easiest to crush your heart but I won’t do that. I’ll torment you slowly as I please and warp your smart ass face with fear.”

Like I said, good lines.

He wailed on Law with grim purpose to the point I found myself shouting, “Come on, Law! ROOM YOURSELF OUT OF THERE!”  Law was not having a fun time. (Dare I say, he was SAD?)

But his instinct for shit-talking was irrepressible. “Are you guys frustrated because your scheme is coming crashing down? Is this thing that important to you?”

Well, yeah... If Caesar is *the only person* who can make whatever it is that Doflamingo wants, then SAD must be profitable. Profits before pals seems to be Doflamingo’s modus operandi, but I don’t get the feeling Law is all that surprised Vergo is trying to kill him.

Law did fight back. There was an attempt.  He tried to Room his heart back. But Vergo is fast and snatched Law’s heart from the air.

The worst thing, though? Vergo punched Law so hard he lost his hat. That is not cool. It must have riled Law enough for him to try his (awesome) Counter Shock attack. It was big, flashy and high voltage, but it only left Vergo lightly toasted.

Vergo must have decided to kill Law then because he said, “I have a message from Joker. He said, ‘What a shame.’”

Law was weirdly zen about the whole situation. “Oh, well. It didn’t work. I was pretty sure I could take my heart back from Caesar, but I didn’t expect you here, Vergo.”

The lack of -san honorific was the last straw for Vergo. He squeezed Law’s heart like a stress ball. Toei’s red filter descended. Soul-shredding pain was experienced. Law screamed a lot. As you would if your heart was being squeezed by a maniac.

Then, a shaft of light descended from the vaulted heavens.

Except not really because it was Smoker.

It’s almost the same thing.

Vergo was typically cool about the interruption. “I’m in the middle of something. Does it have to be now, Vice-Admiral Smoker?”

And I did a backflip. Yes. Excellent interruption. Great timing, Smoker! Now stop being so fixated on the Big Tanks That Go “Blort” and execute your glorious revenge!

Really, now I think about it, Vergo is almost as bad as Caesar. When Smoker called Vergo out on his deceit and told him not to tell the G5 Men as he was a father figure to them, Vergo said, “Don’t tell me you actually care about those guys? I’m a base commander. I can do whatever I want to my no-good subordinates.” Another one who treats other people as disposable pawns.

Unsurprisingly, Smoker and Vergo came to blows. Smoker seems to be having more luck than Law, but then Vergo does not have Smoker’s heart in a box. What I’d like to happen is Smoker retrieving Law’s heart and they tag-team Vergo into oblivion.

That sounded wrong. But you get what I mean.

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Rubbery Hope

How did Luffy end up in the Death Star’s trash compactor? 

His battle with a bird woman from Hoth went south. Literally.

And I cannot believe I am about to say this, but I kind of wish Luffy’s fight with Monet was a little bit longer. Her powers are great. Her self-awareness and cunning are too.

She maintained those ten layer kamakura walls without breaking a sweat. When Luffy smashed one layer, she wrapped another around her frozen prison without missing a beat. Luffy knew she was stalling for time and said he’d just break every layer quicker than she could replace them.

“I bet,” she said. Then swept up behind Luffy and, in an oddly flirty manner, whispered in his ear, “I don’t think I’ll win if I fight you, but the strongest isn’t always the winner in a fight.”

Then she grabbed him and wrapped him, literally, in winter’s embrace. 

That hypothermia power was quite cool (no pun intended). Paired with those desolate, snowy vistas and her eerily calm voice urging Luffy to let go, to sleep, relax and let it be, Monet’s Devil Fruit seems pretty strong to me.

But just as Luffy was about to pass out, Zoro’s voice - the very warning he yelled at Luffy a couple of episodes ago - cut through the darkness. “THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW WORLD!”

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the blue filtered haki moments. When he sprang up and let loose that Jet Spear attack, I cheered.

Then he fell through the floor into a garbage chute and I laughed.

It was cool, though. He’s rubber. He’d bounce. And sure enough, it wasn’t long before he was raking through broken gadgets for food. At which point a tiny dragon spoke to him and that is where the story ended.

I am now 75% sure that tiny dragon is Momonosuke. It had a kid’s voice. Probably should be a higher percentage than that but I like to hedge my bets, haha.

Chopper Looks Like Every Harried Substitute Teacher Ever

While Luffy was readjusting to life in a trash compactor with a small talking dragon, Monet flapped away to tick off another box on the never ending to do list: securing the Addicted Experiment Kiddies.

Said kiddies were knocking lumps out of Chopper with their ferocious addict strength. He could not restrain them without hurting them. He tried to convince them not to eat the candy. “I know it’s hard but you have to endure it!”

The thing is, Chopper was dealing with a double helping of trouble here. Not only are they kids, who are naturally more self-centred due to their developing brains. They are also addicts who are so far down the rabbit hole of whatever drug Caesar was peddling they’ll do anything for a fix.

When Chopper’s rumble ball wore off, the kids trampled him and thundered straight for the Biscuit Room, where Mocha was waiting alone.

Luckily, he was picked up by Nami, Zoro, Usopp, Robin, Brook and Foxfire. (Do not remember Brownbeard hanging around. Did he leave or did he just not have any lines?) 

Robin tried to restrain the kids. That was interesting for two reasons: one, I didn’t know Robin could feel damage sustained by her extra hands, and two, she asked Usopp and Brook to try and find a pair of Sea Prism Stone cuffs because Luffy had asked her to. (I bet his plan is to cuff Caesar!)

The kids charged Mocha, who tried to tell them the candy was evil! Then Monet whirled into the room on a frosty zephyr. (The best part of this entrance was when Usopp shouted: “I TOLD YOU THERE WAS A BIRD WOMAN!” He was finally vindicated.) 

Yay, thought Mocha. It’s Monet-san. She’s lovely!

Nooooope. Monet told her, in a sweet, ever-so-reasonable voice that it wasn’t nice to keep all the candy for herself. Mocha should share it with the others, like always. Mocha’s little face when she sensed betrayal was just heart-wrenching. “Why?” she whispered.

Because Monet is a nasty piece of work just like Caesar? Just a thought.

Not sure what’s going to happen here. There are a *lot* of Strawhats in the room, so I’m guessing Monet will be defeated by them. Then they’ll push through, deliver the cuffs and - BAM - we have one angry, kidnapped scientist. 

Sanji Acquires Unexpected Fans

This was a short scene but the fact that Sanji has a cadre of devoted fans in the G5 is hilarious. Yeah, he claims he doesn’t want their approval. And he probably doesn’t.

But Sanji cannot stop himself running back to save the poor saps who can be saved.

This is the Sanji I like: surly on the outside with a golden heart on the inside. More, please!

And the Academy Award for Best Actor goes to . . .

CAESAR CLOWN!

Seriously.

The yarns this guy can spin could crush the GDP of a small textile-dependent country.

Caesar should run for office somewhere. Then he could appoint himself head of the science department.

For that is exactly what has been bugging him for years, it seems. He wants Vegapunk’s job.

Well... maybe not the job. (He’s getting by just fine thanks to pirates. A Government job would ruin that). It’s the fame and kudos. That’s what he’s after.

Plus he has a weird goal: to achieve world peace by obliterating all sources of conflict - collateral damage be damned. Unless he’s lying about that. Given his oscar-winning performance, that would not surprise me.

The action picked up with Caesar caesaring through a pipe and landing outside the Secret Room (I laughed when I realised everyone on Punk Hazard literally calls it the Secret Room).

He was bitching about having to enter the room because it was Vegapunk’s old office. Still, he claimed it was the only place where he could “pull it off”. (I am unsure why he had to go to Vegapunk’s old office just to close some doors, but I’ll chalk it up to plot and say no more.)

He promised to make Luffy, the Strawhats, G5 and Trafalgar Law pay for ruining his plan. It was all their fault! The experiment could have been a great show - everything perfect and beautiful and befitting of the world’s greatest scientist (Vegapunk says hi!) But they screwed it up. He couldn’t let the Strawhats do as they liked. They’d pushed it a little too far and he has Joker on his back now.

He ordered a minion to close the gates to Buildings C and D. This would lure all survivors into one narrow room. His plan? Trap them in the bottleneck and pump the room full of his poison gas through the air vents. He would broadcast it as a snuff movie for the brokers. That would show them what he was really made of!

But the minions hang on his every word and they caught one small discrepancy.

“Um... did you say that *you* had created the poison gas, Master?”

Caesar’s haughty reply was, “Yes, I did.”

“But it’s like Vegapunk’s gas. It freaks us out.” Understandably, the minions probably have ptsd from four years ago.

The moment when Caesar realised he’d let his ego run away with him and opened his big mouth was glorious. How could he spin this? How? The animators did a great job here. You could see the evil, conniving cogs turning in his mind. 

Then he broke out his Oscar winning performance. 

“This is . . . an avenging battle of science. My people! That day, I tried to stop the mad scientist, Vegapunk. No! If such a weapon exploded, what would happen to the people on the island?” Caesar even threw in a melodramatic “YAMEROOOOO, VEGAPUNK!” for some extra emotional sparkle.

“But the accident happened. And he still lords if over us as the head of the science department of the Marines. and he’s considered the world’s greatest scientist. I cannot tolerate it! He’s the cruel man who hurt you all! Do you think it’s right that people still call him the number one scientist? That’s why I want to prove them all wrong. I didn’t want to make a weapon of mass destruction! But I want to show them that there is a greater scientist here. That I am the greatest scientist in the world! When the Marines acknowledge it and when I become head of the science department, my dream will come true. I can use my scientific knowledge to bring peace to the world!”

I honestly had to stop myself giving Caesar a standing ovation. What a performance that was.

You know, it’s weird. Every lie Caesar told there has a basis in truth. That’s the most dangerous liar right there because the lies they tell are more believable. Does the Gas-Gas Fruit confer gaslighting powers too? Because Caesar is a hellishly efficient manipulator.

And while Caesar was congratulating himself, a flashback happened!

Caesar is Prime Material for /r/IAmVerySmart

Caesar with a bob was weird. I’m guessing when he moved to Punk Hazard, there was a lack of stylists, so he just grew his hair out. That hair you see right now? That is four years of growth.

At any rate, Caesar was doing something a bit more important back in Vegapunk’s lab. He was debating morality with some other scientists. They begged him to stop his experiment. If it exploded, it would kill everyone on the island. 

Caesar was typically receptive to criticism. “STFU, boneheads! Where do you think you are? This is a Marine research facility. They want to kill as many pirates as the can. What they need is a weapon that will do it for them.”

“But they don’t want one that will also kill civilians!”

Caesar’s rebuttal? “It’s called collateral damage! If we blow away everything, we can bring peace to the world.” (Does he genuinely believe that? That’s a properly depressing view of the world he holds there, if true.)

“You’re so...”

Caesar had a, “I’m gonna stop you right there” moment. They wanted to say he was cruel? What a joke. They were using prisoners as guinea pigs as if they were trash. What was the difference? (Fair point, Caesar.) Moreover, Admiral Sengoku was too soft, but Akainu, if he was in charge, *he* would want a weapon Caesar made. (Also interesting. I hope Caesar never decides to change sides again. He would be dangerous in Akainu’s hands.)

He went off on one about how Vegapunk had failed to turn people into giants again. Caesar knows you can’t turn people into giants in a short period of time unless you use magic, so had suggested Vegapunk just kidnap some kids and feed them drugs until something worked. What a lovely idea, Caesar! xD

The flash forward revealed Caesar’s “William Birkin Moment”.

Just as he made a significant discovery, Marines burst in and cuffed him with sea prism stone. Vegapunk himself came to see off his old colleague. I was ONE HUNDRED PERCENT HYPED for about half a second. But there was no face. 

Blue balled. Again. xD

Caesar was summarily dismissed from the Science Department. “Your eccentric behaviour is intolerable and I cannot protect you anymore, Caesar.”

Interesting that what the rest of the scientists did was viewed as fine and dandy, but Caesar taking it a step further was regarded as “eccentric”. First off, eccentric is a gross understatement. Secondly, what they’re doing is pretty evil too. Caesar is just overtly, unashamedly amoral. They hide it better.

Suffering such a humiliation, Caesar had his “SCREW YOU!” moment and pushed the big red button. Punk Hazard went up in a Mighty Kaboom-Boom Cloud. 

Still wondering how they all survived that, but I will chalk it up to plot and say no more.

Of course, after Caesar’s theatrics, his minions fell over themselves to apologise. Sorry, Master! You are the saviour, after all.

“Thank you... thank you all,” Caesar simpered, while inside he called them unintelligent fools. So easily manipulated. Dumb as bricks.

This guy needs taking down several pegs. Maybe an entire cloakroom rack.

Luffy, please oblige asap.

Caesar tells a rip-roaring, thigh-slapper of a yo momma joke. 

(No one laughed.)

[rala-arunsun]

My Character Left in the Middle of an Adventure, and I Couldn’t Be Happier About It

Okay, let me set this up.

So, while our party was out adventuring, a gang war had been raging in our hometown of Riverton. We come back to a city torn in 3: the West Side Spiders controlling the lower district, the Blood Blockade controlling the waterfront, and the High Street Kings controlling the upper district.

A representative from the city council, now with effectively no power to run the city since the town guard is not run by a corrupt captain in the pocket of the High Street Kings, comes to us and offers us a fairly large sum of money to take down these gangs and return control of the city to them. I’m playing as Rala, a half-elf Rogue/Wizard who is a criminal, but is also interested in the well-being of people. Off we go to bring down some gangs.

The first gang we tackle is the West Side Spiders. They are so numerous that the power vacuum left behind by the other gangs would immediately be filled by about a million Spiders, so that’s where we go. In the lower district we find some Spiders peddling their drug of choice, Smash (a rage-inducing herb that you smoke).  While the drug seems common down here, also common is the huge amount of poverty and poor living conditions. The people of the lower district love the West Side Spiders, and no one seems to have anything bad to say of them. In fact, the Spiders live in the very same cramped, dingy living spaces as everyone else in the lower district. But, we have a job to do, so we track down their main distribution center of Smash (where the Boss has kindly employed a few civilians from town) and the other mages in the party burn it down.

Seeing the destruction of his primary source of income, the Boss has the Spiders completely shut down access to the lower district until we come and fight him personally. We are forcibly led to the Fight Pit, and Simon, the Boss of the Spiders, gives us a speech. He talks about how we are no better than him, that him pushing Smash to make a living is no different than us taking money to come kill his people. That he is stronger and smarter than we could possibly imagine, and that he’s gonna make us pay for what we did.

After a tough fight, our paladin, Dord, managed to kill him, and the Spiders disbanded. Simon explicitly instructed them to let us go and dissolve the West Side Spiders if he died in the fight, and he commanded so much respect among them that no one dared defy him even in death.

Next up was the Blood Blockade:  band of pirates lead by a Captain who had an iron grip on the city’s river trade. We discovered their hidden base beneath the city thanks to an informant working undercover. It was guarded by a couple of guys disguised as construction workers: after all, who just walks in to an active construction site? After a brief fight where the guards were completely outmatched, Rala warned them to just flee with their lives. Surprisingly, one of them did. Until the sorcerer, Victor, finished him off with a firebolt on his retreat

Rala was livid. Why would you kill a man while he was fleeing? Our job was to defeat the gangs and return the city to normal rule, not systematically murder every person wearing gang colors. The blade singer Azaki claimed that the man would just go and return with more backup, but when pressed Victor admitted that he just killed the guard because the guard was part of the gang so Victor could kill him without any repercussions. Rala called him a murderer and sulked into the hidden base.

After a long period of wandering through the catacombs, we find what the Captain is using this place to store: product. People, animals, mystical creatures, drugs, you name it. We free all of the captives (including a medusa that had been changed into her current form from being a normal woman) and the party kills almost everyone else in the base. Except for one guy that Rala spared for interrogation purposes. We left him at the bottom of a pit, but when we returned to find him he was gone. And when we exited the base, we realized why.

A ton of pirates were waiting for us outside. They subdues us one by one, cowing us into being captured with their sheer numbers. When Rala walked out with the blindfolded medusa, he knew that she would be captured again, so he turned her invisible and told her to leave the city. Then he tried to use magic to fly away but was instantly caught in a net. Only Azaki escaped capture by turning invisible before walking out of the base and following us secretly to the ship where the pirates had loaded us up.

The Captain told us all about how ruthless and cruel he was, but with the help of Rala (who didn't have to give up his weapons) and the still-invisible Azaki, we managed to free ourselves and defeat him after a long and grueling battle.

We celebrated that night at our favorite bar, the Smoke on the Water, but at the end of the night Rala gave his parting words: The captain got what was coming to him, no doubt about it. But Rala didn't want to be a part of a crew who hunted down the citizens of Riverton on the city's dime. He was a criminal too. He'd done things he wasn't proud of, and any one of those guys the party killed over the past two days could've been him. How long would it be until the council knocked on Dord's door and told him to hunt down Rala? How long until the city decided that Victor was too dangerous and needed to be killed? Rala said his goodbyes and said he would be leaving town, but not before he stopped by Simon's grave. A priest from the lower district allowed Rala to speak with Simon's deceased spirit, and Rala tried to convince him to bring the Spiders back. After all, the Spiders took care of the people of the lower district, gave them jobs and protected them. But Simon wouldn't hear it. Rala took the road north out of the city that night.

I could not be happier with the way this all shook out. I brought in a new character to finish the adventure, but it was so satisfying to play out this whole character arc. Rala went from a character who was just happy to help the people to someone with a deep distrust of the city's government and of some of the other player characters. Now he doesn't even know if he wants to come back and keep helping Riverton at all. He didn't realize he had signed up for some extra-judicial killings when he took this job, but now that it's over he sees that the city council is just another gang. I don't know where Rala goes from here, I suspect that he comes back and does some Robin Hood-type stuff to help the people of the lower-districts, but no matter what happens it was such a tremendous experience to realize that a character was growing and changing their viewpoint in real time as I was playing him. When we came to the end of the second gang, I knew that he had to leave because it was the only honest choice for the character. He no longer believed in the mission he was given, and I'm so grateful that I got to play that out. This is why I play tabletop RPGs.

[a-res]

Learning to Drive Headcanons- Batboys

Dick

Batman used to be a lot more strict about rules an laws

Dick was the first child, this was before the other 3 ( or 6? 7? who knows really…) rolled around and Bruce became a bit more chill with things

Learned to drive as soon as he legally could

Maybe once or twice before that when Bruce wasn’t looking

The world’s greatest detective eventually found out though, he was not pleased

Learned to drive back in the good old Robin days when he was the perfect Golden Boy

Read the driving manual

Bruce personally taught him to drive

“Dick for the last time, you will not learn how to drive on the Batmobile!”

The ride usually started pretty safe and gradually became more and more reckless as it went along

Usually ended with Bruce holding on the little handle at the top for dear life

Jason

A train wreck from start to finish

He “knew” how to drive before he met Bruce

And by that he meant he could hot wire a car and drive it far enough to crash in an alley

Bruce didn’t ask how he learned that, he worries enough about the boy

First time he drove after coming to live with Bruce was when he was grounded from patrol but really wanted to help

So he stole an older model of the Batmobile and drove out to find Bruce

Didn't make it past the gate

Alfred received a security alert that the gate had been breached with extreme force

Walks out with a loaded shotgun

Only to find a very wrecked old Batmobile, whats left of the gate and Jason pacing back and forth trying to figure out how he would explain it to Bruce

Once again, Bruce was not pleased

After the incident he decided to properly teach him to drive (Alfred’s advice)

“Ok Jason, now turn carefully. CAREFULLY!”

Tim

Actually did research before attempting to drive

Found the manual for the most common cars in Gotham as well as the one his father owned plus the ones Bruce owns

Knows where every bolt and screw is located on the car he is driving

Watched videos and read up on the best driving techniques

His father signed him up for driving school so he had a few lessons

After Dick and Jason, Bruce was very relieved that this one was not going to be a nightmare on wheels

But nevertheless he had to teach him how to drive drive

Like, being chased by criminals/trying to catch the next maniac without much damage drive

And there is the Batmobile

It’s one thing to know how to drive the Batmobile in theory, it’s a whole different experience when you are behind the wheel

After the first lesson he added more airbags and extra seatbelts

Damian

Has been driving since he was 3

Probably the best driver in the family

With that being said, he’s not allowed to drive

They used too keep a few phonebooks under the seats so should there be an emergency, and Damian had to drive, he would actually be able to reach the peddle

Only on emergencies though

There were enough “emergencies” for Dick to implement a lever that raises the drivers seat and the peddles

Bruce was not happy about this but Dick convinced him “Better safe than sorry”

And there was also that time where he stole the Batmobile

They still have dinner fights over that...