#also it doesn't have my signature bc that's not the whole thing (i may be posting the whole thing laterrr) but just imagine nyoclo is there

[nyoclosmom]

my brain belongs to her only

[kyber-crystal]

Hi! May I request a sequel to "my little love" for how jake responds to max calling him dad/daddy for the first time? or jake being cute with max and your shared kids (bc i KNOW y'all don't stop after the first one lol)

i'm sorry it took me so long to respond to this but HELL YEAH and i'm extra sorry i didn't post this for a while b/c i wasn't sure about how it turned out in general...anyways, i hope you enjoy : ')

my future || jake "hangman" seresin

summary: as written above! this is a sequel to the headcanon my little love, which i LOVED writing w my whole heart.

settling into married life was surprisingly not difficult. you'd already spent so much time around hangman that forever felt so comfortable

now everyone is so happy and in high spirits. but max is significantly happier than them all and it's so wholesome to see

rooster, or "fairy godmother" (max likes to call him the latter....yes...godmother, not godfather. you don't know why but it's so funny, especially when you watch rooster react to this), is always there to take care of your kiddo when you're busy

he let him sit in his F-14 and take a picture with him :)

and you're paranoid and worrying the whole time but rooster's like "relax, i got him" and he's super chill about it

"he's gonna be a pilot. better than you, even," you leaned over and gave your husband a look

"i think so!"

the kid lives and breathes top gun. and now that you've moved in with hangman, you're only a few minutes' walk from base, making it easy to go back and forth.

when you're working at the hard deck, penny sits him by the nearest booth with a milkshake and some old books and toys

if one of the uncles or phoenix wasn't busy, they'd come over to keep him entertained

and you know when hangman's done for the day when you see max break into his signature grin. you've noticed that you only really see it around him

so you're celebrating his fourth birthday today. it's insane, because he already speaks like a six year old (hangman says it's because you're also smart af. but, being the cocky lil shit he is, fanboy likes to take the credit for it. i mean, the guy majored in biochem, so he knows his stuff)

it's an off day for everyone, so they're able to come help decorate the place. you had the idea to surprise your son, so while everyone was getting ready, fanboy was with max by the beach, playing soccer. they'd come back in an hour and boom!

by the end of things, the hard deck doesn't look like the hard deck anymore. it looks like max's paradise—a kiddie version of top gun, you realize. your heart melts because 🥺🥺🥺

everyone hides when they hear fanboy and max coming in

and then you all jump up from your hiding spots and yell "SURPRISE" and he starts grinning again

and then the kid runs straight towards hangman, giggling in pure delight

"daddy!" he yells

you're all like wait wtf

did he just

say

oh

hangman has to stop for a moment before picking him up. you can see him tearing up bc this is the first time max has ever said this

it's definitely really fulfilling to watch. when he was a baby and screamed and cried for hours at a time out of nowhere, you knew it wasn't always just from tiredness. or being hungry. or whatnot

the rest of the night you're all emotional af and max notices

"daddy why are you crying?"

there go the waterworks...more tears slip down jake's face 🥺😭

"because i'm happy!"

"people cry when they are sad! like when uncle fanboy loses to uncle payback!"

"HEY! kid, i thought you were on my side"

"so, i'm your dad now, huh?"

"forever and ever and ever and ever!"

how could you have gotten so lucky...

you're sitting here in the middle of the hard deck with your family. a family when realization hits. you had a loving husband, and a father, and a child that brightened up your world, and you couldn't have asked for anything more. you finally found someone that wanted forever and wasn't one to back away

now for some more cute moments post-birthday celebration

you take max to base every day right

and hangman will carry him on his shoulders all the time

if he's not done with his flight or workout or whatever, maverick takes his place

or his fairy godmother :)

as soon as he lands, max takes off at the speed of light and goes barreling towards him (how tf is the kid so FAST)

as hangman picks him up he looks at you and says "can we please have another kid. please"

"i want a sister! tell her, daddy!"

"see, the little man agrees"

sorry this ending was so awful i genuinely apologize...

tags, including people who may be interested: @totomoshi​ @sarcastic-sourwolf​ @sebastianstangirl01​ @altheadarling​ @ellabellabus07​ @hay-9105​ @purelyfiction​ @93joons​ @criminalyetminimal​ @yeehawnana​ @lunamoonbby​ @hazelgirl355​ @multifandom-fangirl4​ @paintballkid711​ @lyn-lc​ @whatlovegattado​ @azari-anna​ @thelifeofthelifeofme​ @lets-be-gay-for-the-angel​ @quivvyintheclouds @phoenixhalliwell @winteryoungie @mychoso @lt-b-rooster-bradshaw​ @jenny-riversmith​ @krisitzeneva​ @daethsticks​ @sithwidow​ @rosie-posie1313​ @sadpetalsstuff​ @glossydi0r​ @i-simp-much​ @hay-9105​ @meeeeees-stuff​ @sweetdayme4427​ @unicornlover92​ @intrxde​ @rhiannon-russo​ @dolce-clout​ @theghost1345​ @baby-girl-e​ @greatbigshiningstar​ @joyfulbookreviewmarvelspy @julia-marshal @anya7802 @bittergomez @and-claudia @newlibrary @cosm1cfae

sorry if this doesn't seem updated! some tags include ppl who were tagged in part 1 of this blurb mini-series. if you'd like to be added to the taglist, comment or add yourself to the tgm taglist here!

[localplaguenurse]

Hello it's me again here to yell at you some more about gold as ginkgo because WHAT IS YOUR WRITING???? OMG I'm at ch23 already and so much has happened fcvhbjknklml amazing storytelling!!

Now this is gonna get a biiiit personal mayhaps sorry if that makes you uncomfy maybe?? But I just want to express how much I *adore* the way you portray the protag's anxiety and particularly the internal conflict of coming out of a toxic relationship.

this paragraph, this one in particular got me literally crying. I kid you not I started weeping and then went to talk to my besties because it's so real it hit me so hard. I'm sorry many people can relate of course but I in particular I'm just coming out (~5 months or so) of a 12+ year old toxic relationship and I've been struggling SO HARD, really so hard. And that made me feel validated, that made me feel like yes it's a thing it's normal. (I too had straight up panic attacks that left me with hands shaking and crying)

It looks eerily a lot like something I'd told my best friend weeks ago

anyway idk I just want to say your writing is amazing, the pacing, the characterization. I love that wifey doesn't just "get over" things or "get better" int he way it's usually portrayed, it's organic and slow and she falls back into negative thoughts and stutters and gets anxious but they ARE getting better in the little things, in the confidence, in the healing, in the feeling comfortable.

And it's not just that, the social anxiety, the nonbinary struggle, the feel that you're annoying others and have to be hyper independent never asking for help. I may not fully relate to all of them but you do make them important on the story and I feel like you portray them all so well.

And Gods, Morax/Zhongli is so nice lmao <3 need me a partner like that //hit that is SUPER self-indulgent love it. He's all kind and patient and loving and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ;w; I love him your honor <3<3<3

Aaaaanyway loved their outing to the city, love Li Lei's character, loved wifey slowly growing out of their shell, love Morax fucking crashing injured in the middle of the night during a storm and Xiao and the panic and everything, the whole dealing with the Abbes CHILL MAN LITERALL CHILLS OMG. Love the golden smoke yes it is your signature ehe <3

(as a side note, I remember a lot of chapters ago this scene with Morax commenting about a storm incoming and then dissapearing and I was like.... is this some weird ass mandela effect or am I crazy bc I specifically remember this lore of dragons getting horny during the rain but NAAAHHH NO WAY the fic isn't going on that direction Crys pls chill your horny brain BUT THEN HAHAHAHA GUESS WHO WAS LOWKEY RIGHT??? I DID READ EYE OF THE STORM TOO TO BE FAIR. Also on the same line of my horny brain so sorry for this but wigey being so asdfcvhbnjmk about praise and compliment has me going PRAISE KINK PRAISE KINK MORAX PLS!!!!//HIT)

ok that's enough this got way too long I apologize I got emotional n cried again I LOVE YOUR FIC!!!!!

I am going to get emotional, I'm getting the like heavy feeling in my eyes of "oh tears! may be soon!"

I'm also gonna get a little personal because it also ties in with the fic and just, y'know, if we're sharing then I'm gonna share too.

I've said numerous times that wifey's experiences with anxiety stem from my own. I was also writing this fic during a few very difficult parts of my life so I really leaned HARD into those aspects of their character. Something I also mentioned a few times is that I used to write stuff on wattpad, I got burnt out, and then I didn't post fic for five years (which now that I think of it, technically not true because I did post some things on amino back in high school, but y'know). I never really stopped writing, though. Gave me room to experiment and because I'm A) a lifelong fan of the dark and macabre (even though I'm actually a bit of a chicken baby), and B) very depressed/anxious, naturally I leaned more into darker writing. I liked to make it a point of writing happy endings but I would put my charcters through the fucking wringer.

I was also a huge people pleaser in high school that didn't know how to make friends aside from the ones I already had. You can imagine how fucking devastated I was when one day, fuckin completely out of the blue, I was booted from my friend group. I only had like five friends and I kept two of them after that shit. One of those friends was a girl I had known since first grade. For the next two years right up until covid hit I was like "well fuck, Charlotte, guess you've only got two friends now. It's only a matter of time before they get sick of you too." It took me maybe a year for me to realize it wasn't my fault that the people I trusted turned out to be shitty, and it wasn't until like a year or two ago that I was able to actually open up and talk about that shit because I've been terrified to actually be vulnerable with people since then.

That's only like some of my damage, I've also got the eldest daughter and "ah fuck I think I'm undiagnosed neurodivergent" trauma. Two for one combo! Love it here!

So, yeah, I got pretty good at writing and specifically writing about people dealing with toxic relationships. Part of it is venting, part of it is wanting to raise awareness for these things, and part of it is just, idk, I like writing this stuff. I'll write whatever if it's interesting enough.

Anyways, thank you so much!!! There's more I could go on about but that's spoilers, so I just wanna say I'm really really happy you like what I've done! Put my heart and soul into this baby. Also yes this is horrifically self indulgent lmao, this fic was like entirely catered to me and my beta reader and apparently everyone else is into it.

I hope your day or night is well, whatever time it is where you are!

[hearmeoutno]

Chapter 9: The Piggyback

Omfg it's the last chapter!!! Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Spoiler alert:

Eddie doesn't die, bcs that's the whole motivation behind this book.

But seriously, thank you so much person who's reading this, you made my life a lot brighter <3

Okay I'm gonna shut up now ENJOYYY

_____________________________________

(6:00)

"Okay, I wanna run through it one more time. Phase one."

"We meet Erica at the playground. She'll signal Max and Lucas when we're ready."

"Phase two."

"Max baits Vecna. He'll go after her, which'll put him in his trance."

"Phase three?"

"Me and Eddie draw the bats away."

"Four."

"We head into Vecna's house and kill the son of a bitch, start a neighbourhood barbecue."

Mack was the one to recite phase four, probably her favourite too. 

"Nobody moves on to the next phase until we've all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?"

As everyone simultaneously says 'got it.', they grab their weapons and head out, Nancy leading the group. Steve and Eddie walk hand in hand in the back of the group. It's really adorable. They run towards Eddie's trailer and quickly enter, ready to start their elaborate plan.

"Be careful."

"Thanks, buddy."

Steve climbs up the rope first. Mack observes the current situation, in the hopes of it later just being a bad memory. Everyone is holding weapons and decked out in camo gear, Mack in some camouflage cargo pants, an oversized shirt and a jacket with lots of pockets, also sporting an army cap thing. She's matching hats with Robin. That's the important part. She has a bag on her back, filled with anything medical related. She'll be the communicator and doctor, yet she hopes she doesn't have to use anything medical.

Steve expertly flips down the rope, looking up at the group still in the normal world.

"What does he want us to do, applaud?"

Steve drags an equally dirty mattress as in the normal world towards the gate, creating a soft landing spot for the group.

"All right. Let's go."

Nancy goes in next, followed by all her weapons, then there's Eddie, his spiky trash lid, Robin, the molotov cocktails, spears, Dustin, medical gear and, lastly, Mack. Not so gracefully landing, but still managing to get there.

"As much as I hate this, I wish I need to do that just one more time today."

They all leave the trailer, entering the open world before Steve turns and does his motivational speech.

"Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep 'em busy for a minute or two. We'll take care of Vecna. Don't try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just--"

"Decoys. Don't worry. You can be the hero, Steve."

"Absolutely. I mean, look at us. We are not heroes."

Eddie smiles at Steve, who returns the favor. Yet Eddie isn't satisfied with just that a d quickly takes a step forward the moment Steve turns around.

"Hey, Steve?"

When Steve turns to him again, he can't help but smash his lips on the other's, who gasps at the contact but inevitably returns the passion. Right when Eddie feels like he can be loved, he can't just loose this moment because of some monster. After a few seconds, they separate and Eddie looks in his eyes, both a blushing mess.

"Make him pay. Be careful."

They give each other a final nod and then Nancy, Robin, Mack and Steve are on their way to the house. Mack and Steve smile at each other, then Mack turns around to look at Eddie.

"Get 'em, freak."

She does his signature Devil horns, which Eddie gladly mimicks and laughs while watching them walk off.

...

(23:02)

"Uh... I don't mean to freak anyone out, but I swear we've seen this tree before."

"That's impossible."

"That would suck, right? If Vecna destroyed the world because... 'cause we got lost in the woods?"

"We're not lost, Robin."

"Robin, hey. Watch out for the vines! Hive mind. Remember?"

"Thank you!"

"How does anyone ever control her?"

They may be lost in the forest, probably not, but it's not like there's any way for them to recognize where they are. Mack is getting annoyed at Robin freaking out, but it's either that or all hell breaking lose.

"Tell me about it."

Mack and Steve have gotten to know each other pretty well over the time they've spent together. Turns out he's a really-nice guy, not just a maybe-nice guy. 

"But don't worry about Robin, Mack. She's just stressed, scared probably."

"Yean, she's just like..."

"She's a super klutz?"

"Exactly!"

"You know, she did tell me it took her longer to walk than most babies."

And even Nancy! She turned out to be really nice too! She's sweet, caring and somehow a gun expert or something.

"I really shouldn't laugh. When I was a baby, I actually crawled backwards."

"Crawled backwards?"

"You know, I'd push with my hands like this."

Steve tries his best to do a backwards crawling impression while walking forwards, making beeping sounds in the process.

"Always in reverse, you know?"

"I just army crawled."

"What?"

It's true, an actual thing that happened. Looks like Steve isn't the only special baby. (I did the same as a baby lmao)

"Yeah, just like on my elbows, legs dragging behind me. And before I started crawling I kind of, jerked myself forwards and ended up smashing my head against a toy truck."

Yup, the scar is still visible on her forehead. Pretty funny story, if you ask her. (And me, I actually did that)

"Wow, I reversed onto a flight of stairs and thumped my head really good."

"No surprise you turned out so stupid, Steve-o"

"How could you guys just not crawl normally?"

"Crawling forward is for losers."

Mack and Steve burst out laughing, leaving Nancy to playfully roll her eyes and walk further. 

"Hey, Steve. Can I tell you something?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"If... if we do defeat Vecna, and everything goes back to normal..."

"Yeah?"

"Will you..."

"Will I what?"

"Go to Eddie's band's concert? I really wanna go, but I'm not going alone. Have you ever been in a mosh pit? It's a dangerous place! And who else but Eddie's boyfriend would be more thrilled to be there?"

Steve laughs at her offer. Steve? At a metal concert? Played by the band that Eddie fucking Munson is in? It would be one hell of a sight which he would kill for. And technically, he will be killing for it.

"Alright, alright. I don't really suppose I have any other chance, do I?"

"Oh, I'll make sure you won't."

Some more laughing follows, interrupted by Robin running back, panting hard.

"Hey, guys! You guys! Awesome news! Looks like we weren't going the wrong way after all. Come on. Let's go!"

"Okay!"

"Take a second to breathe, Rob. Jesus Christ."

"Ro... Slow down! Ro... Robin!"

They all follow Robin through the woods, expertly avoiding the vines, ready to finally kill this dude.

Eventually, they end up at the house... but it's surrounded by killer bats. Great! Steve looked over to the playground, orange particles shining there. 

"Erica."

...

(32:38)

~okay, the lovebirds have copied. Max is moving into phase two: distracting Vecna.~

"So far, so smooth."

"Yeah, we're not even at the hard part yet."

"I feel like this is going to be pretty easy. Wait oh no, am I jinxing it? I bet I'm jinxing it. Oh my God for the love of all that is good and Bowie, I'm jinxing i-"

"Okay, okay, Mack. We get it, you're jinxing it."

"Wheeler, I wouldn't take the fact that I'm jinxing it so calmly."

She's met by states from the group around her. Hey, she's just scared of jinxing i-

"Okay, I get it. I'll shut up."

Nancy steps forward towards the house, talking as if she's speaking to Vecna directly.

"Take the bait, you son of a bitch. Take the bait."

...

(48:16)

~okay, she's in. Initiate phase three.~

Mack clicks the button on the radio, talking to Eddie and Dustin.

"Alright, freaks. Let's get this party started. Commence phase three."

"Copy that. Initiating phase three."

After a few seconds, they hear guitar being played in the distance.

"That son of a bitch actually did it."

Mack can't stop smiling, not even being able to exclaim how proud she is of Eddie right now. One of their favourite songs at the moment is being played as they try to stop the end of the world, and it looks like it's working. 

"Metallica is saving the day. Shall we go in Wheeler?"

"Let's go."

Shit is about to go down. 

...

(54:35)

They walk up to the house, ready to kick some ass. Steve opens the door, it squeeking in the process, when they get met with an interior design coming straight from the deepsea. Tentacles decorate every surface, leaving barely any room to walk normally.

"Oh shit. That's not good"

"Didn't know Vecna is doing a schoolproject on Octopusses. Or is it octopi? Anyway, hope you guys don't suck at leapfrog."

Steve hesitantly looks behind him before eventually taking the first jump between the vines, the rest of the group following swiftly. First there's Mack, then Robin, and lastly Nancy.

...

(1:03:50)

As they slowly get carefully go upstairs, Steve waits at a landing to give everyone a chance to catch up. He clicks off his flashlight while Mack helps Robin and Nancy up.

"Careful."

When they're all together, they look at a red glow coming from around the corner. Steve helps Nancy get the shotgun out her bag, while he grasps his own axe.

Robin puts away her flashlight and fixes some things around her pockets while Mack gets her lighter ready. For some reason, those idiots forgot to buy one, so they had to use Mack's. The only problem is, no one seems to get a grasp on how to use it. Okay, it might be an old one, but it's not *that* hard.

Right when Robin was about to reach for a Molotov cocktail, the house begins to shake vigorously. They all hold onto eachother as a group while they try to find their balance, and to not step on a tentacle.

When the house does stop shaking, they hear some tentacles slithering over the floor. It grabs Robin by the ankles, dragging her towards a wall and hoisting her up. They grab all her limbs and spread them out around her so she can't move.

"Steve! Mack! Nancy!"

They immediately shoot into action. Nancy starts hitting them whit the butt-end of her shotgun, while Mack opts for her knife, slashing into the tentacle with short and powerful stabs.

Steve starts swinging his axe and hits the tentacles with it.

Then, the tentacles grab Steve's axe, pulling him with it. He gets dragged to the opposite wall, pulled up by vines around his neck and midriff.

"God fucking damnit STEVE!"

Mack is in distress, like any other reasonable person would be. A few seconds being caugt off guard causes the tentacles to go after her next. It wraps around her wrist, her knife dragging against the wall as she gets pulled up. In an attempt to free her hand, she stabs her other hand. That pain is nothing compared to her certain situation, her ankles get grabbed and pushed against the wall, her other hand violently getting snatched above her head. She's screaming out her lungs, hoping it could have any effect on getting more power to free her from these vines.

As she looks down, she sees Robin's hand. On the floor is Nancy, looking around her before she gets a vine of her own latching on her ankle. It causes her to fall and pulls her to the wall, pinning her against it a few inches under Steve.

"We're all gonna die! We're all gonna fucking di-"

Before she can finish her greatest wish right now, she also gets a vine around her neck. It slams her head against the wall, which was previously hanging down in defeat. As it grows tighter and tighter around her neck, the one around her right hand tightens too. That made her drop the knife to the floor, making her helpless against any other defense.

According to the choking noises around her, Nancy and Robin have gotten some necklaces of their own.

...

(Original dialogue)

Hopeless.

That's all what's going through Mackenzie's head right now. Where would she be if she just stayed home that night in Eddie's trailer? Where would she be if she was honest about her drinking and smoking habits towards her father? Where would she be if she acted like all the rest, forcing herself to fit in in order to not have a piece of salami chucked at you when you're walking towards your lunchtabel.

But yet, those situations didn't happen. If there's anything determinisme taught her, there is no 'what if?'. Every action lead to this moment, and she technically has no choice in what the future brings. But Spinoza can suck a dick, because she isn't giving up. This situation might be absolute shit, but she deserves more than to die like this. She deserves to fight this thing with her friends, she deserves to save a town that detests her, and she deserves to live her life the way she fucking wants to.

...

(1:37:47)

And there he is. Vecna. Slash Henry. Slash one. Hung in the air, tentacles seemingly attached to his body. He's quite the ugly piece of steak. But meat is meat, and it has only one purpose in life, that's to be cooked to a crisp.

Robin, Steve and Mack get their bottles out, ready to aim and throw. Mack flicks her lighter on and lights Steve's bottle, the rag of cloth immediately catching flame. Here it is. Here is the moment they've been waiting for. Killing. Vecna. 

Steve threw the bottle, determination visible on his face. It hits him right in the chest and lights him up in flames. The group flinches away from the explosion and sudden heat but doesn't back away from the fight. As the tentacles detach from his body, he screams in pain. Or anger. It's hard to tell. He drops to the floor, staring at the friends in front of him. 

Mack lights Robin's bottle, who also throws it directly at Vecna. Then it was Mack's turn. She lights the bottle, stares Vecna right in the eye and throws it, screaming and hitting him right on his upper chest. Nancy approaches Vecna as he stumbles back, taking a shot, then another, and another, and another. With each shot, he gets closer and closer to the window. When he gets up, he starts to charge at Nancy, howling at her like in a nightmare. She takes the last shot, the last shot that they need.

He gets blown back, right into the window, falling to the ground. A loud thud lets them know he's at the bottom. Nancy drops the gun from eye level.

As they run outside to check for the corpse, all they find are specks of fire where he landed. They look at each other in confusion. What could this mean? 

"Fuck it, I'm leaving. My job here is done."

"Mack no!"

It was too late for Steve's scream to have any effect on her. She starts running through the woods, knowing where to go without knowing the route. She keeps running, not caring about how much her neck hurts by just breathing, or the blood that's dripping down her hand, she keeps running. 

...

(Original dialogue, get your tissues out)

She gets to the trailer park, but she isn't happy with the sight she sees. Eddie, lying on the ground, surrounded by dead demobats, Dustin hugging his body. She freezes for a second, all the breath leaving her lungs. She takes a deep breath, letting it all out in one scream.

"EDDIE!"

She runs towards them, and she sees Dustin crying. She drops to her knees in front of Dustin, cupping his face in her hands.

"Tell me what happened Dustin, tell me!"

"The bats! The bats Mack!"

Dustin could hardly get any words through his sobs. Mack cuts off Eddie's shirt, checking the damage. They've taken a good amount of flesh, but he can still be saved.

"I didn't run away, Mackie."

"Sit still, Munson. Scream as loud as you can, I don't care. Just stay with me here."

She takes the bag off her back, ripping it open and dumping everything out. This may not be the best sterile environment, but it's the best they have. She takes the bottle of disinfectant and dumps it over a clean cloth. 

"Stay with me, freak, stay with me!"

She presses the cloth to his wounds, Eddie screams in pain and clutches Dustin's hand. Once she had finished cleaning it, she grabs some cotton pads designed to go on open wounds and presses them to his sides, wrapping gauze around them as tightly as she can.

"M... Mack... this is gonna be my year... '86..."

"Sssh, it's gonna be okay Ed, you're gonna be alright. Stay with me, will you? Don't leave."

Tears were, once again, streaming down her face. She grasps Eddie's hand close to her chest.

"We're gonna get you out of here, treat you well. Remember when you said you were taking me to that gig you have? We need to do that, Eds, just us and Steve. Don't give up Eddie, think... think of Chrissy, think of uncle Wayne, corroded coffin, think of them Eddie. Don't fucking give up!"

There's that toothy smile again, now stained with blood and tears. 

"Take care of my guitar, will you?"

"No, I won't, I fucking won't, Eddie. You're gonna keep playing that guitar until we save up for a fender. Come on, Eddie. Don't lose hope in yourself."

"Say it, say you'll take care of her."

Mack puts her head on his chest, sobbing loudly and struggling to get her words out.

"I... I'll take care of her..."

"Henderson... you're gonna have to take care of those little sheep for me Henderson. Say it."

"I... I'll take care... I'll take care of them..."

"Cause... cause we're gonna graduate... r- right Mack?"

He slightly nudges her with his arm, causing her to lift her head and look at him.

"F- fuck yes we are, '86 baby"

"Eigh- '86."

Then, there were more footsteps coming from the woods. Steve, Robin, and Nancy. The moment Steve saw them hunched over Eddie, he ran towards them, falling to his knees next to his head. He puts a hand under Eddie's chin, looking into his eyes and getting a smile in return.

"H... hey there, pretty boy."

Steve shook his head, tears swelling in his eyes. He can't lose Eddie, not now, not ever.

"Hey there yourself, handsome."

He leans his forehead on Eddie's, only lifting his head to softly kiss his lips and to wipe away Eddie's tears.

"Euh, Steve, we're gonna need your help to get him back. Do you know a safe place where we can stay and rehabilitate for a few weeks?"

"Uh... maybe just my house, Mack. My parents shouldn't be home for a long time, you'll be safe there. I think we have some first aid kits there bu-"

"I have them at home too, so if we really have to I'll tell you how and when to get to my house."

"Alright..."

==*== 1 day later ==*==

While Mackenzie is putting her letter in the envelope, writing the address on it, she hears Eddie scream her name.

"Hey Mack! Come here!"

She runs across the giant house, almost slipping, and gets to the couch she helped Eddie to that morning.

"What's wrong? Did you break the stitches again?"

Yes, they had to sneak into Mack's house to get those supplies, but luckily, Mack was right about her father's shifts and they managed to completely avoid him coming home. 

"Can you get me something to drink?"

"Oh you shut the fuck up, you asshole. Do you really have to scream like that for a drink?"

Oh, Eddie is laughing his ass off right now. He clutches his stomach in pain through his laughter.

"Oh, God, I'm actually gonna break a stitch now. But pleeaasee??"

Mack rolls her eyes and goes to Steve's kitchen, grabbing a glass and filling it with water while she's looking out the gap in the curtains. Obviously, they shut off all contact with the outer world, not wanting to risk anyone seeing the still wanted criminals. She sees a car pull into the driveway, about to grab a gun, until she recognizes that it's Steve. When she finished filling the glass she brought it to Eddie, who was just watching some cartoons.

"Your boyfriend is here."

He smiles into his glass as they hear the door unlock and Steve enters. 

"How's Max?"

"Still in a coma, but they put all her limbs in casts, they said she was dead for a few minutes but somehow she came back."

"Oh that's amazing, how's Lucas?"

"He's having a hard time, really."

"Hmm yeah, I get that."

"Mack you're really acting like a mom now"

"No Eds, I'm the cool Aunt, you're dating the mom there."

Steve chuckles and walks over to the back of the couch, leaning over to give Eddie a kiss that lasts a little too long to just be called an innocent kiss. 

Mack lights a cigarette and turns her head away when Eddie tries to reach for it.

"Hey, what the fuck?!"

"You're supposed to be recovering, Eddie. Smoking is unhealthy."

She can't help but give a wink before taking another drag and exhaling away from everyone. Steve stands back up, ready to make an announcement.

"Tomorrow me and the rest are gonna help in a shelter. Donate clothes, pass around food, things like that."

"Hey, Steve. Can I call my dad? I don't want him to worry any longer and... I just need to talk to him Steve."

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She might come off as cold, or heartless, but her dad is the only person she has in her life that actually cares about her. When she was getting chocked by the tentacles, she thought a lot, mainly about death, but also about the things she missed out on. Things that she kept a secret. Her dad was completely supportive of her and Victoria, but she always kept her drugs and smoking habits from him. She kept any emotional feelings from him. She was scared of getting help anyway. 

Steve looked at her, a supportive look on his face.

"Maybe we can get Eddie's uncle here too." 

Eddie grabs the hand that Steve had been resting on the couch, pulling it down to guide Steve into a passionate kiss. There's no rushing, no lust, just love. Mack clears her throat, standing up from the couch.

"I uh... I gotta go do something anyway."

She rushes back upstairs, smiling because she knows Eddie is his old self again. She finished writing the address on the envelope, sealing it by licking the flap and closing it. She goes back downstairs and puts the letter next to the front door.

"Hey, Steve? Do you mind posting a letter for me? It's pretty important."

Steve looked up from the couch, confusion visible on his face.

"Who are you writing to right now?"

"My girlfriend back in Illinois.

...

(More original dialogue but this is the next day)

Mack was sitting in the living room, Eddie lying on the couch with his feet on her lap. Some boring TV series was on, she wasn't really paying attention. Steve went out to post the letter, but he'd been out for way longer than necessary.

Finally, the car pulls up to the driveway, Mack lets out a sigh of relief. She was really scared that the police would arrest him for hiding criminals or something. 

The door opened, and in walked Steve, but he was followed by 2 other people. Those people are Uncle Wayne and Mackenzie's dad. In disbelief, Mack stood up. Steve said the evening before that he might not be able to get them here until next week, and that asshole is one heck of a liar.

"Mackenzie, don't you ever leave like that again."

The last few days have been full of tears, so, of course, she's already crying even before she landed in her father's arms. Her knees almost gave away under her. She's never been more relieved to see her father than now.

Meanwhile, Uncle Wayne went to Eddie's side on the couch. Eddie was crying, barely able to get a word out. But while Mack and her dad were reuniting, he was able to tell him how he got like this, and told him who basically helped him cheat

"Mack helped me uncle, she wasted no time cleaning the wounds and all that doctor stuff."

After uncle Wayne thanked Mack, and her dad took a look at Eddie's stitches, they headed out again. 

Only a few minutes after they left, their town was covered with those dark clouds. Particles were drifting down from the sky. Not just normal particles, no. These were the same particles from the upside down.

"Fuck."

_______

Okay it's like 2 am right now, I wrote this all in 1 sitting

Thank you so much again for your support and thank you for reading! This is ofc the last chapter in this book but maybe, just maybe I'll be writing a new book based on Stranger Things! Who knows!

Missed all the rest? Take a long break, start reading!

[scolopendress-tag]

these aren't as random or outlandish bc I'm just not good at them but have some random stuff I literally pulled out of my ass as I was writing

Lucio hates the Irish.

Nadia has a fursuit. Asra made the design. She doesn't wear it but she enjoys having it as an "art piece". Valerius hates it.

Portia would take one of each flooring sample for home depot as does nothing with them. She simply collects them.

Muriel is phobic towards flying (like planes). Julian is allergic to peanuts.

Nadia can run surprisingly fast. Like she can just book it. You know that fucking captain america guy post where he runs like freakishly perfect? She does this and it's just so scary. Straight fucking line too. Oh Lord she's coming. Solid endurance runner. Could beat the others in a marathon or race in general unless it's a shorter obstacle race than Asra would overtake her.

Asra can book it also but is absolutely incapable of running in a straight line. He probably doesn't walk in a straight line either. Messier runner but fantastic at bolting through more obstacle heavy or crowded environments. Sustained running beyond a few minutes can prove an issue though, but that's all he needs for the few circumstances he would be made to run in anyways. It's not exactly an everyday thing. But good god he can go on a dime. Just ZOOM he gone.

Julian is probably the worst runner but not to any drastic degree. He'd probably trip over his own legs they're just too long.

Julian used to have freckles but he hated them so he went vampire mode for a while until they went away. Portia never saw this but would shit if she did.

Portia pronounces multiple words incorrectly because she's only ever read them. She knows most of them now but she refuses to say them differently because her way is superior. Point it out and she'll start pronouncing another random word wrong she previously said right to spite you.

Asra used to wear mixed metal jewelry but when he got his ears pierced young he was allergic/sensitive to almost everything but gold and that's been his signature metal since. His piercings were constantly irritated regardless. You cannot just sleep with huge dangly earrings in. He played with them constantly too.

Nadia's hair frizzes like crazy naturally, and she has to use specific products to control it. Asra has so many split ends but it's still the softest thing on planet earth. Except for masquerade Asra. That hair is crunchy. A whole big can of tresemme hair spray is in there.

Muriel's hair is actually really healthy if not a little weighed down by grease sometimes- elimate that it's it's silky smooth and oh so soft.

Nazali and Portia are both "former" Warrior Cats fans. Asra has read like 2 and a half books from random parts of the series also. If either of the other two somehow end up talking about WC around him Asra will add his own incredibly confusing takes. They love it.

Aisha is the funniest motherfucker in Vesuvia but her humor can be not obvious so people don't always even notice. She's just having fun. Tons of vague references to things that may or may not exist or have ever happened. She's actually been like that ever since The War.....,

Salim is like a diehard furry. Fursonas with lore and everything. He sketches them in his free time. Aisha never super got it herself but thought it was cute. He said she should make a sona once and she did it mostly jokingly but Salim loved it and drew it for her. Asra is a bit of a furry too and this is in fact entirely his fault.

Portia introduces Aisha and Salim to DnD and they get so into it. Asra is invited to join eventually and is shocked at the intensity, and honestly finds it so entertaining. He is never super serious into the game but he likes to join in regardless bc seeing his parents like that is so wild.

Nadia has a scar on her thigh and every time someone asks where she got it the explanation is always different and dramatic but said nonchalantly. She doesn't actually know. But she also knows you don't know what Prakran wildlife is capable of.

Navra kins but in like a sexy fun way, or they used to when they were younger.

Nafizah kins but in like an alarming and conufusing way. She's still doing it.

Portia is a bit of a wasp magnet. They always seem to be drawn to her. She doesn't mind them anymore and knows how to not get got but she has been stung so much in the past.

Valerius is terrified of wasps and thinks Portia does it on purpose.

Vulgora tried to assert that they were better and stronger than bullet ants in the past. Vulgora lost.

Lucio thinks Vriska was a girlboss and people just hate to see her winning.

Nahara dislikes whales, but respects them. Absolutely nobody knows why nor has she ever explained. It's like some weird grudge.

Valdemar when they were human eons ago had secortal heterochromia. Their interest in their funky eyes is what started their love for biology/science which turned them to their passion for medical study. These weren't words or dedicated practices really in their time really, though. But close enough.

Volta can actually sing but it's like built in nightcore, Alvin and the chipmunks wish they had what she has.

Vulgora can do the heavy metal scream but that's literally all they will do. Karaoke nights they'll pick metal and exclusively do the yells and hypes themselves up for the next yell during the lyrical segments that they're not singing to. Sometimes they'll questionably vocally cover the electric guitars and drums. Not a single actual word though.

Valerius actually has a good voice but puts in like no effort to actually sing. go girl give us nothing <3 its okay tho he does genuinely sing in the shower and it's all theatre/opera songs. Only the dramatic ones. He thinks no one knows. Everyone in the palace knows.

Vlastomil sings like a cartoon villain and it's not awful but he misses some notes and he's scaring the children.

Mazelinka knows multiple languages fluently but can be at least profane and vulgar in like 30. She collects international cuss words and insults like pokemon cards.

Namar looks like he would put on nickelodeon for his kids and theyd start liking ATLA and he'd be like oh this is kinda cute actually and then watch some episodes and next thing you know he's binged the whole series and is very fond of it and a lifelong fan.

Navra can be very physically expressive. They've absolutely smacked, whacked, or kicked someone on accident when they got excited and like, swung their arms out or such. The other Satrinavas know to give ample space when Navra starts getting hype. Nahara can attribute her dodging skills and quick reaction times to having spent a good chunk of her life in Navra's presence.

I feel like Portia and Nadia could make a conlang together. The absolute power that conlang would hold.

Vulgora tried to start a Vesuvian mafiaesque group once with dock kids. No one took the seven year old threatening to beat their knee caps in seriously. That was their mistake.

Natiqa likes to combine foods that do not go together at all and it's awful. Asra thinks she's a genius.

Asra can mimic a tiny amount certain birdcalls, learned by ear as a kid. He taught Muriel also but he's too embarrassed to do it anymore.

Portia will say she can do birdcalls and be like watch this a belts out one loud ass raven/crow screech. It's ridiculous and she's never done it before but Malak is like

Valerius also hates the Irish.

Feel free to argue with me and bite my limbs.

Head canons that make absolutely no sense are my favorite. Like there's no reason they're definitely technically wrong but also why? You know? Like why would you think that? It's just so fucking funny.