#and all of guilt he'll carry through his life

[hellomayu]

"i'm sorry."

[kimikitti]

In honor of the new Book 7 part I present to you all the right and honorable Lord Calibearn the Pretender. Briar Valley's premier overworked government employee.

Former court jester turned Royal Advisor, he's wrangled almost three generations of Draconia royalty in vastly different ways. He's twisted from the forest animals in sleeping beauty taking over the Prince's coat. Yes, he is made up of a bunch of animals in a fancy stuffed outfit. There's a lore dump below the cut

Unique magic: "Flock Together"- Allows user to control and manipulate groups of small animals. Advanced application allows conscious transfer of the soul

Background:

Calibearn came from a relatively poor background in Briar Valley. He used to sing and play the lute for some extra coin on the streets. When the Royal Court held a competition for a new jester, Calibearn decided to try out. He was successful on account for the unique harmonies he could conjure with forest animals and was appointed as a companion to a young princess Malenoar. It was through this that Calibearn met Raverne and Lilia.

War: (I'm not too set on his lore yet) During the invasion of the Silver Owl, Calibearn was taken hostage trying to evacuate civilians. He was never supposed to be near the front lines, due to his weak nature. While in captivity, Calibearn was forced to give up his original form and escape using his unique magic "Flock Together".

He never found his original body.

Upon his return, Calibearn took on a more ruthless political role under the senate. His sharp tongue and wit led to a meteoric rise in political circles (plus a shit ton of blackmail).

During the seige of Malenoar's castle, Calibearn was faced with a terrible choice. Send more troups to defend Malenoar or move the supplies to secure civilians. He made a choice he'll never forgive himself for.

Relationships:

Malenoar: On account of a shared childhood, they were quite close. Malenoar would frequently tease Cali about his shyness when they were young. Calibearn also entertained the princess with the sordid affairs that happen amongst the nobles in her court. Calibearn was also involved in a lot of the mischief Maleanoar would pull on potential suitors.

Lilia: Calibearn developed a minor crush on Lilia growing up. He holds Lilia in very high regard. After the war, Calibearn and Lilia's relationship deteriorates. Lilia, though still believing in Calibearn as a friend, cannot forgive him for abandoning Maleanoar. Calibearn doesn't believe that Lilia is wrong about that, but also refuses to explain himself. While Lilia is banished, Calibearn constantly petitions the Senate for a repeal of his punishment. He continues to support Lilia indirectly and would often send gifts for Silver through Malleus.

After nearly centuries of healing, Lilia wants to finally have an open conversation of Calibearn about the past. Calibearn runs away from this constantly. Much to the chagrin of literally everyone involved.

Malleus: Due to the fact that the Senate sucks and Lilia was not often allowed to see Malleus, Calibearn self appointed himself to be a tutor and mentor to the young prince. He would often help Malleus sneak out to see Lilia. He wanted the prince to at least have some semblance of a childhood.

Calibearn was not always the best role model at times. He taught Malleus how to curse like a sailor once and got his ass kicked by Lilia. Though he is fond of Malleus, Calibearn felt himself to be a temporary figure in prince's life. The guilt he carried made Calibearn feel that his love for the prince paled in comparison to the love Lilia could give. As such, he kept some amount of distance between him and Malleus.

Malleus on the other hand, grew to respect Calibearn as a mentor. Though that doesn't stop the prince from teasing Calibearn at every opportunity. (Btw the I love DILF mug is from Malleus, Cali has no idea what DILF means no one tell him.) Also, Malleus is constantly trying to get is divorced dads back together. Silver gets enlisted into this fight on account for him being the youngest and cutest.

[auroreliis]

what if reader had k*lled someone before and the batfam (yandere) dis not know like «I dont need your damn protection» reader said to the batfam «but the world is so dangerous out there and your just a baby» the batfam said to reader « B!TCH I have k*lled someone the f you mean im a baby?!?» the batfam with horrified expresion «WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!»

That last little part is a funny little over dramatic way it might go.

Oh, you are COOKED. (Do pardon my use of brainrot language...)

CW: mentions of murder...obviously

The first thing they do is isolate you in a room and keep you there for a while until they figure out what to do with you (and so you can think about what you've done).

What happens next? Therapy sessions, which they all agreed on.

Don't worry, you will tell them everything, specifically Bruce, since he's the one carrying out the therapy sessions.

"Why did you kill that person?"

"How do you feel about it now?"

"Do you regret it?"

"How do you feel after our conversation?"

He pities the person you ended up killing and feels a little disappointed. A life was taken by you, an innocent person's life. He didn't raise you like this, did he...?

However, he also pities you. Unless you are trained to kill someone, it breaks you. He's seen it so many times, people commiting murders and then panicking, breaking down, because they couldn't live with the consequences of their actions.

You're a mere civilian, how could you ever have been exposed to that kind of environment? How could he let this happen? No, it is his fault for waiting so long before saving you from the world. He will teach you why it's wrong. He will make sure you heal and never take another life again. After all, it is his job as your father to guide you in life.

That's right, the only reason you could've done it is because you didn't know any better. You are a mere child in this old, cruel world, after all.

In the end, he holds himself accountable. He should've done better. He should've protected you better from the cruel world you live in.

Dick would be shocked. His little birdie, his angel, killed someone? Impossible. You're so innocent, like a baby, so how could this be true? He would take some time off to come to terms with the fact that you're not the kind of person he expected. When he comes back, after a week, he seems slightly distant.

With time, following your therapy sessions, he will return to his normal, clingy, annoying self. However, you can't help but wonder why he was acting so weird that one week.

Despite the fact that he also kills people, Jason is incredibly suprised and disappointed after hearing that you killed someone. Unlike everyone else, he feels anger. You're so young, so innocent, you grew up in a place where murdering someone was not necessary, so why would you do it? He doesn't kill people because he wants to, he only does it because he needs to. But you didn't need to do it.

That's what upsets him most. You chose to do it. You willingly took a life.

Despite being so hurt, so broken, he still feels an ounce hesitation when killing people, so how come you, someone who didn't go through what he did, could kill someone in a situation that wasn't even self-defense? Nothing could possibly justify it! And here you are, proudly announcing it to them. You should be ashamed.

He kills murderers, so what should he do with you? Does that make you as bad as the criminals he kills? God, he doesn't even want to think about it.

Jason won't get over it for at least a month. He'll be very distant around you and won't be seen smiling for a long time. Towards you exclusively, his behaviour becomes incredibly bitter. In fact, he's the one who most strongly encourages Bruce to carry out the long, grueling therapy sessions. He really thinks it'll do you good...

Tim's reaction would be more mild than expected. He would certainly feel uncomfortable with the fact that you seemingly feel not an ounce of guilt or regret. However, he wouldn't change his behaviour too much for too long.

During the first week, he'd be a bit more careful with his affection towards you. No, it's not because he's scared. He simply wants to observe you and see how effective the therapy sessions are. If he feels that your attitude towards murder hasn't changed, he would encourage Bruce to be more intense during the therapy sessions.

He would be more careful with the activities he offers you, since Bruce called a meeting with everyone to establish more rules, those being directed at Tim mostly. Tim's "cool, lenient older brother"-act needs to change.

From now on, no crime films or shows (especially not any violent ones), no crime documentaries, no crime or detective books, no vular language, no threats towards anyone or anything and for at least 14 months, no leaving the manor.

This change will probably be permanent.

[coffee-obsessed-freak]

Guys, hear me out about this au idea

Tags: Stanley angst. Like a ton of angst

Ok, so you know how in every other universe Dipper and Mabel don't make it out alive, or if they do, they're forced into roles they have to play? Okay so diverging from canon rq to make this AU work but what if their universe was the only one where Stanley stayed/survived?

Ford travels the multiverse, encounters various other versions of himself, and sometimes he'll subtly notice that these alters of himself carry little knick-knacks he'd NEVER be caught dead wearing. Worn-down scarves, old ratty jackets with patches all over them to cover the holes, some characters he can recall from his childhood (none of which are his favorite), brass knuckles?? What??

It starts off as confusion, then curiosity, but it quickly escalates to annoyance when they get defensive and protective over these small knick-knacks. He snaps when one of them derails the entire mission trying to save their scarf when it gets snagged by one of the monsters.

"What's so important about these things that you'd throw our whole life's MEANING away?! How important could it possibly be?!?"

And the Ford he's with. His alter. He looks at him, and there's a distant sorrow in his eyes that Ford just can't seem to pinpoint or understand why.

"Very important. It's everything to me."

And there's a certain unspoken statement there- that it's not about the scarf. Not about the brass knuckles. Not about the small tacky keychains. It's about who they belonged to at some point, and it's there where Ford can't understand.

Who could he have lost in his life that's made him this.. lonesome? Miserable?

And the Ford he's with, his eyes are full of understanding- and very distantly, dull jealousy.

"Oh. You must be the lucky one." the other Ford's voice is empty, "Good for you." he tacks on, through gritted teeth. Try as he may to seem unaffected, but Ford knows how his voice sounds when he's upset and hiding it. So he doesn't push it anymore, keeping his distance.

He starts to piece together exactly what's going on when he begins asking other Fords to share about their universes- they would always find the topic shifting back to Stanley.

Murdered.

Shot.

Dead from hypothermia.

His body was found in a lake. Just 5 miles away from his cabin. Trying to look for Ford.

Stomped to death by a horde of people he'd scammed.

Drowned.

He remembers distantly once, when he was drunk and the other Ford was talking about how his Stanley died young in highschool, days prior to the science fair, Ford would pipe up about how "You must have gotten lucky then, no one was there to ruin your project" and he realizes a second too late what he said, and the guilt fills his lungs like water. It drowns him.

His alter, he speaks up after a tense minute, "I don't feel very lucky. I think I lost more than I gained that day"

Ford stops speaking after that.

[ddejavvu]

hiyaaa, can i request reader x sick!sirius black? like, he has a common cold, but he’s being sooo dramatic about it, acting like he’s dying and making reader get him soup and pamper him and all? love u xx

It's the clatter of the soup bowl against Sirius's nightstand that wakes him; you hadn't meant to set it down so harshly, but the slight warmth of the bowl against your skin had quickly built to a burning sensation the longer you carried it up the stairs.

"Sorry, Siri," You hum sympathetically, but you refrain from spending too much time lingering on the guilt of waking him with a start, as he'd have needed waking anyways in order to eat.

"Soup time?" He rasps, well accustomed to your now three-day-long routine of sleep, soup, medicine, repeat.

"Soup time," You hum in confirmation, "Chicken and stars this time, baby. 'Thought you'd like it."

"Fuckin' love those little stars," He grumbles, face pinched in a grimace as he tries sitting up in bed. You presume it's his head, stuffy from the congestion of his cold.

You've been taking care of him for long enough to know that he'll ask you to feed him, so you pick up the spoon without being asked. He holds his mouth open expectantly and hums at the flavor of the soup, a reassuring sign seeing as yesterday he couldn't taste at all. But when he gently swallows the mouthful of broth his face screws up, and a pitiful groan seeps from his closed mouth.

"My throat," He complains, gruff voice only confirming his ailment, "Ah, fuck, I think this is the end. Can't breathe through m'nose, can't swallow anything, can't be in the light or it makes my head throb."

"I'm sorry, Siri," You croon, thankful that your own nose is clear and free from blockages, "Just a few more days' rest, and-"

"No, this is it," He insists, voice louder than it should be considering he's complaining of a raw throat, "I feel cruel death; his hand upon my skin," He throws a hand over his eyes, his head thumping against the wall behind his bed.

"Okay, no more Shakespeare," You reach for the copy of Hamlet he'd abandoned in favor of a nap, tucking it away beneath the bed, "It's making you far too dramatic."

"Escort me to the window, darling girl; I wish to see the life of spring 'fore I am but a ghost."

"Are you speaking in iambic pentameter?" You scoff, "Sirius, are you even sick anymore, or do you just want princess treatment?"

"Not pentameter, darling," Sirius drawls, his voice still rough but his eyes now bright, confirming your suspicions, "That's seven feet in the last line. Honestly, don't you know anything about poetry?"

"You can feed yourself," You groan, standing from his bedside before he can grab you in protest, and taking his book with you, "And I don't care how many sonnets you write me, I'm not rubbing your feet again tonight!"

[chidorrrita]

・❥・my lady is the sea

a different take on your relationship with l, you're not sure if he loves you or the comfort you bring

: ̗̀➛ l lawliet x gn!reader

: ̗̀➛ cw: brief smut, heavy angst, reader is referred to a whore once

: ̗̀➛ wc: 1.2k

: ̗̀➛ a/n: It’s my girlfriend’s (late) birthday!! Please enjoy this angsty oneshot to celebrate!

He calls out your name. A sailor lost at sea, eyes frantically searching for a light, and you open your arms inviting him in. His body is frigid, his heart shut, but he settles into you. He can never forget the sea, the sound of the waves beating against his ship, the cold that burns his nose, the numbing loneliness. It will stay with him forever, cursed and carved into his bones. You don't mind. You'll carry him inside, wrap him up in you, sit by the fire and offer a warmth he can only imagine, but it will be the best dream he'll ever have. It will keep him alive, if only for a little while longer out there. Give him hope. 

With teary eyes, you say his name back barely above a whisper in fear of scaring him. Holding him tight as if he'll slip through your grasp. You stay there standing in the doorway of your apartment clutching each other as lovers would. He pulls away first, guilt on his face and shame in his eyes, unable to meet your worried gaze, and steps through. A ghostly figure passing through the gates to peace. You stay in place, simply following his figure traverse through your house, floating from one spot to the next in unrest. Body unable to stand still, too accustomed to the swell and curl of the water, the aggressive pulling that keeps him moving in self preservation. 

He does not need to fear it here, and yet his mind is racing. Keep the sails pointed, the ropes drawn tight, the mast steady as another storm rages and lighting blinds him. You must assure him no storm will chase him here, guide him to rest, take his trembling hand in your sure one, and lead him to bed. 

Lull him to sleep with the gentle rock of your hips and your sweet words. The comforting warmth in between your thighs grounding him, bringing him back to you. Hands possessively squeezing your waist as you envelop his cock. No grand show is put on, no loud pornagraphic moans or creaky bed hitting the wall, just easy intimacy the both of you can fall into. Slow staggered, but deep thrusts up into your hole and his chest tightens, abs spasming. You lean down, chest rubbing against each other, he’s infatuated with the way you look above him, the sight alone nearly enough, and then you tell him to breathe. His mind blanks for the first time.

Force him to only think of you, you who stands tall at the bow breaking through currents and gifting him luck, you who slinks beneath the dark water and gorgeous silky voice that beckons him to join, you who awaits on shore clutching a silver locket made from the North of Spain. 

You plague his mind just as much as the fear does becoming this twisted sense of love and protection. He mustn't stay long lest the wind come here and rip you away from his grasp. 

In his last moments, he traces the curve of your spine, the fullness of your thighs, your cupid’s bow. A soft smile graces your lips, a pleasant dream, and little lines adorn the sides of your mouth. You would hate for him to notice, a sign of aging you’d try desperately to undo, but he adores them, thinks of them as a sign of a good life untouched by worry, a life with time to laugh. A deep furrow in his brow is the only wrinkle he has. His thumb rubs at the same spot on your face, hoping to remove any weight carried there. You need not have the same story of sorrow etched on your temple. Far too precious to ever be spoiled. 

Quietly and with all the months of experience, he strays from your warm arms, folds the comforter back, gathers his clothes, and leaves as quickly as he appeared leaving no trace of his ever being there save for the memory you hold deep in your heart. 

You awake clutching the comforter to your chest crying out “Ryu,” but he will never show for that is not his name. A fake he gave when you pressed too much. Ryuzaki. A fake that lies in your bed. You are not as much of an idiot as he thinks, you know it is fake, but it felt better to call him than nothing at all and maybe think he is real and not some ghost of the past haunting you. The true horror of a haunting is not when they are in the house, it is what they do to you after they leave. An uneasiness of when they will return. The dreadful realization you will be stuck in this loop of grief and acceptance of their leaving. That you will never know the reason for the visit, their departure, why they chose you to haunt. Was it because you were the first one  who opened their door at the sounds of their wails, who saw endless pain in their eyes and could not bear to see anymore? 

In between his visits, he’ll send an envelope, unmarked and unassuming, full of cash. Some sort of way of apologizing for he must know too that this relationship is wrong, but all his pride allows him to do is send you a gift. Not one that required much thought or pondering of whether you’d like it, but simply money. Had you not known him, you would’ve taken it as an insult. Money thrown at a cheap whore he visits when in town. You know he does not think of you as such, but you cannot help but feel as one when you lie naked in bed staring at him zip up his pants without so much as a goodbye.

If only you could rip away his pride. Bring him down with you and face himself. Staredown this spector he’s created in your mind and run him out, assure you he will not come back. Give you the comfort you give him when he returns from his travels, but he is far too greedy. He takes everything from you, leaves you with a sliver, and comes back demanding more. 

He is not a sailor for the queen, for justice, he is just as dirty as those criminals he hunts. Squirrels away when bright spot lights try to find him and steal away the hearts of those who care about him. He’s tucked you into his rotten life. Blinded you to make you think he cares, that he leaves for your sake, but how much does he. A mastermind at heart, he knows how to play you. Which strings to pull to have you cradled in his arms. The depth of his affection for you will be unknown, but his obsession with your character is ever present. 

The only sure thing is his love for the sea, the need to explore it, and make his name known for the sake of justice and righteousness. For the sea, he holds true adoration and will always return, and leave you, the forgotten spouse on land. Tied forever to him.

[that-basic-simp]

Not Alone

Mizu X Fem!Reader CW: Bit of angst WC: 1.4k+

"I'm on the path of revenge. There's no room for love, friendship, or weakness. Now, I have a man to kill," Mizu said as she walked away from me.

Where was she going to? I know she was going to Fowler's castle, but alone?

"Alone?" I asked her.

"Yes. Alone," she said.

"After all we've been through," I said.

She stopped and turned her head over her shoulder, "Do yourself a favor, Y/N, forget all about me. Go back home, where you'll live a nice and happy life, marry a nice man, and live a life that isn't drenched in blood and hatred."

"What if I don't want that?"

"What?"

"What if I don't want to marry a nice man? What if I don't want to get married at all?"

She turned her body to face me, "Y/N, what the hell are you saying?"

"I want to be with you, Mizu. No matter what."

She shook her head, "You deserve someone better than me. Someone who will actually love you."

"So your feelings towards me weren't real?" I asked, my voice breaking slightly.

"T-That's not what I meant. I-I," she stopped, her eyes moving back and forth before she shook her head once more. "My feelings for you were real. I-I just can't understand them at this current moment in time. I-I can't love you because of my revenge. I want to love you, but I-I just can't."

"You're going to get yourself killed," I said.

"Better die trying," she said and turned around, stumbling off.

"I hope to never see your face again, Mizu!" I yelled, knowing deep down, that wasn't true.

She stopped just for a moment, but then started to walk off again. Tears streamed down my face as I sat down on some steps that were beside me. Ringo came over and offered comfort as he placed one of his arms on my back.

"Are you going to be ok, Y/N?" Ringo asked.

"I'll be fine," I sighed, standing up. "If Mizu is going to get himself killed, he'll get himself killed."

I walked off in the opposite direction of Mizu, even though she was long gone. Although, I couldn't help but turn back to look in the direction she walked off in. Even though she wasn't going  to be there and wasn't going to come back. Shaking my head, I turned and continued to walk off in the opposite direction.

"Is Mizu dead?" I looked at Ringo as he was carrying a cart with Taigen and Mizu's body on it.

"I'm too scared to look."

I turned and faced Mizu, her chest slowly rising and falling. Taigen's was too. I let out a sigh of relief, but I walked off, Ringo following behind me.

"Do you know where to get help?" Ringo asked.

"I do."

Reaching a lone forge in the middle of the woods, I started to bang on the door of Master Eiji's.

"Hello? Master Eiji? W-We need your help. Mizu is not in the best shape."

There was nothing. Ringo sighed and I turned towards the cart. Grabbing her sword, I hit it against the ground, an odd ringing coming from it. The door opened and Master Eiji's head emerged.

"Mizu. Come inside."

Ringo grabbed the cart and wheeled the two inside.

"Master Eiji, Mizu is in bad shape. Along with Taigen."

"Do you know how to treat wounds?"

"Yes."

"Then get to treating," he said, starting a fire.

Ringo started to make some medicine for both of them while I started with Taigen first, since his injuries were more severe. Ringo came over and stitched up Mizu's wounds since I was still working on Taigen.

"Who knew one man could bleed so much," I said as I wiped the blood from his body before stitching the wounds.

Once we were finished, we let them rest for a while. It was Mizu who came to first and she was starting to walk around the forge. I almost bumped into her when I was bringing in wood for the fire. Her eyes had a pang of guilt in them. Turning away from me, she stepped aside so I could walk into the forge.

A few days had passed and Mizu was still not talking to me. She was off doing something with her sword and whenever we passed by, she would avoid looking at me. I think she wanted to say something, but didn't know what. She infuriated me at times, but she couldn't help it. Her past was a rocky one and it was justified. I just hate it when we're not talking to one another.

"Y/N?" she came to me one night.

Looking up at her, there was a guilty expression on her face as she sat down in front of me.

"Now you want to talk to me?"

"I am sorry," she said. "Sorry for everything I said."

I sighed and shook my head, "I can help, Mizu."

"I know you can, but I can't afford to lose you. N-Not after everything you have ever done for me."

"Mizu," I reached for her hand, but she pulled it away.

"You deserve someone better. Someone who will actually love you and will show you that they love you. Someone that deserves your love."

"And why do you think you're not deserving of my love?"

"Look what I said to you before I left. I basically told you I didn't love you and that you don't deserve me."

"You did say that," I said in a flat tone.

"And I meant it. You really do deserve someone who will truly love you."

"I always thought you truly loved me."

"I do," she quickly argued back. "I-It's just that, fuck."

"Mizu, you're not an easy person to love. And you're not an easy person to show love. But there is one thing I do know about you."

"What's that?"

"You know what you want. Easily. And when you don't know what you want, you come to terms with it and think it over. So all I ask of you is one thing."

"What is it?"

"Think us over," I said and stood up, walking out of the forge.

The following night was back to us not speaking. I wasn't surprised. I did kind of tell her to fuck off without telling it to her face. She still needed to reforge her sword and from what I saw the other day, it wasn't working out well for her. But when I saw smoke rising from the woods, I knew she was back at it. Sighing, I was about to step outside to get some wood for Master Eiji, but I saw her walking towards me. She had her blue haori on and her hair was down to its natural length. I have only ever seen it once and she was absolutely stunning when she let it down. There was writing all over her body.

"Y/N?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know the Heart Sutra?"

"The body is emptiness, an emptiness body. All things are only empty. Nothing is born, nothing broken."

She nodded her head. Raising her hand, she offered me a brush. Grabbing it, she turned around, her back facing me. The haori slid from her shoulders, revealing her bare back.

"There are some things I can't do alone," she said.

Raising the brush, I wrote the words of the Heart Sutra on her back.

"Mizu," I said as I began writing.

"I have been thinking, about us."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I still believe you deserve better. That you are deserving of someone who will love you back. But, maybe once this is all said and done, I can be that person who gives you that love. Shows you what it is like to be loved by someone."

"Mizu, you're the one who needs to be shown what it is like to be loved by someone."

"And that someone, I want it to be you."

I smiled slightly, finishing up. She turned to face me and I placed the brush down on the fence post. Taking her face in my hands, I brushed the soft skin with the pad of my thumb. Thankfully the ink was dry on her face or I would have to redo it for her. I smiled at her and she smiled in return. Pulling her towards me, our lips lightly met one another's. It was just a quick peck, nothing more from it. I pecked her lips a few times before she pulled away.

"I-I need to get back to reforging my sword."

"About that," I reached into my pocket and placed something in her hand.

Her eyes widened to find it was the necklace she had gotten me whenever we first started this relationship.

"Y/N," she said, picking her head up.

"I loved that necklace. Truly I did. But, it was a sign of our love back then. Let it be the reason you're able to forge a stronger sword."

She smiled once more, nodding her head.

"You're not alone in this, Mizu," I said, placing my hand on her cheek once more.

She reached up and grabbed my hand, caressing the skin with her fingers.

"I know," she pressed a soft kiss to my palm. "I have you."

"You always had."

[bairdthereader]

Heartstopper Elders: Coach Singh

One thing I admire about a lot of Alice's work is that for every cruel, bigoted, neglectful, or just bewildered parent, there is often a contrasting adult figure to fill in the gaps.

Many of the teens in Heartstopper are wise beyond their years, keenly observant, and maturely even-tempered in a way that some critics say is unrealistic. (I'd argue that all of them have been through life experiences that made them that way, but that's a post for another day.) Despite this, they still sometimes need guidance and a safe place to land. Alice is brilliant in the changes they made to the show to bring minor comic characters to the fore who provide that counsel and safety. I'll start with Coach Singh for this post.

---

Priya Singh occupies a pivotal role in Nick's life. She's a uniquely placed outside observer who watches as the part of Nick’s life that (until Charlie) made up a lot of his identity and supplied the bulk of his friend group transforms into a space where Nick has to walk the knife’s edge between his old, false self and his emerging and evolving true self. Though she doesn't completely understand the impetus behind it at first, she sees Nick's relationship with his teammates deteriorate and knows that something has changed for Nick. And she has to have noticed that that change happened simultaneously with Charlie’s joining the team. 

When Nick enters Coach Singh's office after she walks in on him and Charlie, he's prepared to be chastised, and possibly assumes he'll be stripped of his captaincy. You can see it in his defensive, protective, and even resigned posture and facial expressions.

It’s interesting that in the comic Coach Singh makes Nick the captain during this conversation, whereas in the show Nick has already been rugby captain for a while at this point. This is a clever change, because it establishes that Nick and Coach Singh have a closer relationship than average, built on mutual respect (as would be necessitated by Nick's holding that position on the team) and it adds a layer of complexity to the strained relationship he now has with the rest of the team. He's responsible, in some ways, for the morale and cohesion of the team and yet now he can't see eye to eye with them. Knowing Nick, this conflict of loyalties would cause him a lot of guilt, especially because--no matter how many jokes are made about his status as rugby king--Nick is actually very good at rugby, works very hard at it, and clearly cares about the sport itself. (In the comic Coach Singh tells Nick she thinks he could pursue rugby after school.) So when this conversation starts, Nick is worried about the status of his captaincy, his relationship with Coach Singh, his relationship with Charlie, and his role in his team's struggles, not to mention his repeated attempts to come out to the few teammates he's starting to feel he can trust again. That's an awful lot for one person to carry.

Coach Singh handles the whole situation beautifully. She starts by reminding Nick, clearly and forcefully, why she made him captain in the first place. Though her delivery is brusque and could be interpreted as corrective, I think by starting the conversation here she's telling Nick that she knows Nick's positive qualities, especially the ability to bring people together, are still part of him, no matter what else is going on at the moment. She's communicating that she understands that the problems that have come up this term aren't, ultimately, his fault. Nick feels such a sense of responsibility that, though he knows he's in the right in this situation, he still feels guilty for the way things are going with the team, so Coach Singh's reassurance at this point is critical.

Then she quickly proceeds to emphatically put herself in his corner: "If any of the lads say anything out of line, you tell me immediately." Nick is very obviously surprised by this show of support and relieved that he's receiving it at all.

Coach Singh reinforces this support by sharing her own coming out story with Nick--making herself vulnerable so that he might feel more comfortable being vulnerable as well--and showing him that she really does understand what he's going through. She reassures him that he is under no obligation to come out, a reminder that Nick needs to hear often because he puts so much pressure on himself to tell people. She's also carefully signaling that Nick can trust her not to out him to the team.

So now, not only does Nick have someone he deeply respects and who is already a fierce, experienced fighter in this particular arena standing by him, supporting him, protecting him (and, by extension, Charlie), but he has a safe base at school, something he desperately needs. His relief at the end of this conversation is palpable. Nick received safety in a part of his life where he has not felt safe for quite a while.

It's worth noting that Charlie has a lot of important moments with Coach Singh as well. Knowing Charlie already from phys ed and his running accomplishments, and likely also as a past victim of bullying, her watchful gaze is naturally going to be on him as he ventures onto the rugby team. She knows that sport can be a rough place for queer people and clearly feels some concern. Her frown here isn't so much about Charlie's trouble getting the hang of a rugby play--she knows he can do it--but about the other boys' teasing reaction to his struggle.

She's always happy to see him, always encouraging him without condescending to him, and vocally praises him in front of his classmates (important!). She shows the other boys that Charlie is someone to be admired, even emulated.

Coach Singh shows Charlie repeatedly that she knows he's capable of anything he sets his mind to. She even manages to correct some of his negative self-talk that is rooted in his unconscious internalization of damaging gay stereotypes, a brilliant mini teaching moment that I think often gets missed.

She's clearly very disturbed and upset by his decision to leave the team, knowing on some level that his reasons for doing so must be very distressing but that he's unwilling to discuss it.

Then she welcomes him back with open arms (literally) when he asks to rejoin the team, knowing that this means Charlie is back in a place where he feels at least some of the confidence he needs to face this challenge again.

I mean, look at her face ⬆️ She may not be loud about it, but Coach Singh is a Charlie champion.

Bonus: Coach Singh will call. you. out.

[creeping-willow]

If they ever do make a ghosts 2 (I doubt it but it'd be nice to finally see it 😭) my ideal continuation wouldn't be an immediate aftermath. I want years to have past, I want Hesh to be far more mature and mellowed out, finally forgiving himself and knowing there was nothing he could've done to save his brother. I want him to be convinved Logan is dead, and while the thought pains him, hes learned to carry on and live the life Logan would've wanted him to.

I need Hesh to come to the chilling realization that his brother has been alive all these years. While he's moved on to the best of his abilities, his brother has been endlessly tortured and broken, over and over until he's finally the perfect soldier Rorke envisioned.

I want Logan to come back with just as strong of a vendetta that Rorke had against the Ghosts, blaming Hesh like Rorke did Elias for leaving him, for not saving him. I want Logan to be filled with guilt, but also filled with anger and hatred for his brother; and all of the other Ghosts.

I desperately want Infinity Ward to focus in on the parallels between Rorke and Logan, and Elias and Hesh. To have Hesh realize there's nothing he can do to save his brother, but still try to get through to him, even if he knows deep down he'll never get Logan back.

I don't want the game to have a "happy" ending. Maybe a bitter sweet one, but I don't want Logan to just fully snap back to how he was. I think an ending where Logan turns against Rorke would be interesting, but I don't want it to just happen suddenly. I want them to draw it out, to gradually show Logan remembering the truth, and slowly getting away from Rorke. Maybe not directly to Hesh, but I do think an ending where Logan kills Rorke would be the best ending to the game tbh

[mysterycitrus]

Jason is my blorbo, my favorite, wretched, little guy and I love him so much. And I love all your posts about him! SO tired of people watering down his character, especially at the expense of other characters. Namely Dick and Tim. I know you're probably tired of talking about J so no hard feelings if you ignore this but I'd love to hear your thoughts and Dick and Jason's relationship. Past, present and where you'd like to see it go in the future. If anywhere. (Also your art is so, so good!! I especially love how you do faces and your coloring)

i actually really enjoy unpacking their relationship. it makes me think about that quote from diary of a wimpy kid - "you're my brother, but you'll never be my friend." idk how they should be written in the future because i think jason needs to be removed from gotham until he grows his personality back, but here's my thoughts on their brains -

from jason's end, there's so much resentment. a large part of his post-resurrection motivations come from the idea that bruce has dishonoured his memory and failed to grieve him, because bruce won't let him or anyone else kill the joker and therefore bruce doesn't love him. bruce rejects his manifesto for fixing gotham, bruce rejects his violence, bruce rejects his politics. would bruce have rejected dick if dick had done this? in jason's mind - no. dick grayson has shackled himself to bruce and is drowning with him. jason does not see that he has also chained himself to bruce and thrown away the key.

it's also worth mentioning that in outsiders 2003 and batman and robin 2009 (when written by winick), jason still fundamentally respects dick's abilities and experience. he think he's weak because he tries to suppress his anger, but i don't think jason would carry that same heavy, debilitating misery from seeing tim or cass or damian - people he was denied knowing by dying, and thus "replaced" by. jason, in some capacity, values dick as an ally. he trusts that dick, for all his flaws, is not a vengeful person (and i'll get to that).

there's a degree of what if there too - both dick and jason lived through a very specific period of bruce's life, which is the period before jason was killed. no one else (aside from babs and alfred) knows what that was like. no one else understands bruce, in that way. they have seen him before that grief in a way no one else who followed can. they're both poor kids brought into wealth. dick transcended into a legacy, and was then discarded. jason was, unconsciously, a tangible replacement for dick (and for robin), but died before bruce had the chance to leave him behind.

by comparison, we see dick reach out to jason, consistently. i'd say that unlike bruce, dick is a pragmatist. he frequently works with murderers. he ran the outsiders. he has, and will continue to, make calls that will questionably result in someone's death. to be clear, that is not the same thing as being a murderer - i think the guilt of that comes very close to killing him - but while he's an inherently optimistic person, i'd say he has realistic expectations for people's behaviour. it's what makes him so efficient as a tactician.

they're also very similar - they respond differently to anger, but they are both explosive. dick doesn't seek retribution on his own behalf, but he will lose control for the people he loves (which includes jason!). going to bat (haha) for jason, and jason then hurting the people he protects (tim, damian, the titans, etc), that's a line jason's crossed. dick won't ever stop swinging out to grab him, because he'll never let anyone fall, but that does not mean he'll be kind when they reach the ground

[bangchansgirlsblog]

Ouchie

**

It happened so quickly. Hyunjin found himself facing an unexpected challenge. He had sustained an injury during a particularly intense rehearsal for the VMA’s. It left not just physical pain but also emotional ripples that extended to the closest person in his life—the ninth member, his girlfriend, Y/n.

He was trying to do a flip off of I.N’s back about once Y/n had walked in he lost concentration and lost his balance causing him to fall on his ankle badly.

As the news of Hyunjin's injury spread within the group, concern and support poured in. The boys, bound by a deep sense of camaraderie, rallied around their injured member. However, within this sea of well-wishing voices, Y/n found herself grappling with an overwhelming sense of guilt.

In the quiet moments that followed the accident, Y/n, her heart heavy with a sense of responsibility, hesitated to approach him. Fear clung to her like a shadow, whispering irrational thoughts that she was somehow the cause of his injury. The once effortless connection between them now felt fragile, and the fear of unintentionally causing him harm loomed large in her mind.

One day, as Hyunjin, determined to bounce back from the injury, navigated through physical therapy, he noticed the subtle distance that had crept into his interactions with her. Her hesitance to touch him, the cautious glances, and the unspoken anxiety were impossible to ignore.

"Baby, can we talk?" Hyunjin implored, his voice a mix of vulnerability and frustration, as he gently grabbed her hand.

Y/n on the other hand, her gaze averted, pulled away. "I... I don't want to hurt you accidentally. I'm scared, Hyunjin."

Hyunjin, sensing the magnitude of her apprehension, furrowed his brows. "Scared? You've been avoiding me, and I don't understand why. I need you with me during this, not distant."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to articulate her fears. "What if I was the reason you got hurt? What if I distract you, and something worse happens?"

Hyunjin, taken aback by her words, held her gaze with a mixture of confusion and concern. "What are you talking about? You didn't cause my injury. Accidents happen, and it's not your fault."

Despite Hyunjin's reassurances, she couldn't shake off the irrational guilt that clung to her. In a desperate attempt to protect him, she distanced herself, inadvertently creating a barrier between them.

Recognizing the complexity of the situation, Chan, the wise leader of Stray Kids, observed the dynamics between Hyunjin and her. Sensing an underlying issue, he decided to intervene, understanding that communication was key to resolving their emotional tangle.

One evening, as they all gathered in the shared space of their dorm, Chan approached her with a gentle smile. "Mind if we talk for a bit?"

She nodded, a mix of apprehension and curiosity in her eyes. Chan guided her to a quieter corner, away from the watchful eyes of the group.

"Something seems off between you and Hyunjin," Chan began, his voice a soothing melody. "Mind sharing what's going on?"

The ninth member, her emotions bubbling beneath the surface, hesitated before speaking. "I'm scared, Chan. I'm scared that I caused Hyunjin's injury, that my presence might distract him, and he'll get hurt again."

Chan, his gaze warm and understanding, took a moment to absorb her words. "Hyunjin cares about you deeply. He wouldn't want you to carry this burden. Let me help you understand that you're not to blame."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to articulate the irrational fears that had taken root in her mind. Chan, with a calm presence, patiently listened, allowing her to unpack the emotional baggage that had been weighing her down.

"Sometimes accidents happen, and they're beyond anyone's control," Chan reassured her. "Hyunjin needs your support, not your distance. It's important to communicate and navigate through these emotions together."

Encouraged by Chan's words, she found herself opening up about the irrational fears that had fueled her distancing from Hyunjin. Chan, with empathy and wisdom, gently guided her toward a more balanced perspective.

"You care about Hyunjin, and that's evident in your concern. But you need to understand that accidents aren't caused by love or distraction. They're unfortunate events that happen in the course of our lives," Chan explained. "Hyunjin doesn't blame you, and he needs you by his side, not pushed away."

Feeling a sense of clarity and comfort, the ninth member nodded. "I just... I don't want to be the reason for his pain. It scares me."

Chan, with a reassuring smile, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Fear is natural, but don't let it control you. Talk to Hyunjin. Share your feelings with him. He loves you, and he wants to face these challenges together."

Armed with Chan's words of wisdom, Y/n approached the impending conversation with a newfound sense of courage. Later that evening, as Stray Kids gathered for a meal, she found herself seeking a quiet moment with Hyunjin.

"Hyunjin, we need to talk," she began, her voice a mix of vulnerability and determination.

Hyunjin, sensing the seriousness of her tone, nodded and guided her to a more secluded corner. "What's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, she looked into his eyes. "I've been scared. Scared that I might have caused your injury, that my presence might distract you and lead to something worse."

Hyunjin, his expression softening, gently cupped her face. "Listen to me, it's not your fault. Accidents happen, and I don't blame you. I need you with me during this, not pushing me away."

Her eyes filling with tears, finally allowed herself to be vulnerable. She shared the irrational fears that had haunted her, the weight of guilt that had driven a wedge between them.

Hyunjin, listening with compassion, wiped away her tears. "I understand your fears, but we face challenges together. You're not a distraction; you're my strength. Don't carry this burden alone. We're a team, okay?"

Embraced by Hyunjin's understanding and reassurance, she felt a sense of relief. The emotional barricade that had separated them began to crumble, making way for a renewed connection.

Later that night, as they all gathered for a practice session, the dynamics within the group had shifted. Their relationship , once tested by emotional tension, now resonated with a shared understanding of vulnerability and support.

Chan, observing the positive change, smiled as he watched Hyunjin and Y/n interact. The unspoken fears had given way to open communication, reinforcing the bond that defined Stray Kids not just as a musical group but as a family of friends navigating the complexities of life together.

The injury that had initially cast a shadow over Hyunjin and his girlfriend's relationship became a testament to the strength that emerged when love, understanding, and open communication prevailed. The stage, once a battleground.

[hippiegoth97]

Rainbow in the Dark

Collage by me :)

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Description: A few months after Eddie's death, he's resurrected by Vecna and recruited to destroy you and the rest of the group. But you're able to get through to Eddie, breaking the spell with the power of your undying love for him. The two of you make up for lost time, and he vows to betray Vecna and help you save the world.

Content Warning 18+ Only, Minors DNI: smut, male reader, vampire!eddie munson, gay!eddie munson, gay!reader, character death (and resurrection), semi-graphic mentions of blood/gore/body parts/organs/other grisly things, vampirism, blood drinking LGBTQ references, oral sex, anal sex, lots of crying, angst

A/N: This story contains dialogue from Stranger Things season four for context within my story, some of which has been modified. The credit for said dialogue goes to the Stranger Things writers, the Duffer Brothers, and Netflix. I only use it for entertainment purposes, I do not own Stranger Things or any of its characters, and I do not profit from my stories.

Word Count: 14.6k

divider by @strangergraphics

Rainbow in the Dark

It's been a little over six months since you lost the big showdown against Vecna. Well, you know Nancy got him pretty good with her shotgun, and Robin molotoved his ass to a crisp. But in the end, it certainly feels like a loss. Vecna isn't actually dead, just severely injured, but you know he'll be back any day now. Max is still down for the count, lifeless in a hospital bed. Lucas hasn't left her side, refusing to give up on her. He barely sleeps or eats, blaming himself for her ending up like this. Most of the people have left town after the earth split open, evacuating as Hawkins has officially been deemed too cursed to live in.

The people still here carry on hunting for Eddie, despite your gang's efforts to convince them of all the upside-down bullshit. He's still being blamed for all of it, the killings, the 'earthquake', the world turning gray from the cracks in the earth. Dustin is a wreck, wracked with guilt over losing his friend. And everyone else is just barely keeping shit together. The upside-down has poisoned about half the town now, the plants are all dead, and any animals left behind have mutated into demogorgon hybrids. Day by day, you lose another battle as more parts of town have to be marked as 'dangerous and toxic'. The worst thing about all of this? You’ve lost the love of your life. Eddie Munson, resident freak, is dead.

You'd been secretly hooking up with Eddie when all this insanity kicked off. You were his right hand man in the Hellfire Club, helping him organize campaigns and recruiting new members. You'd known him for as long as you can remember, but you only became friends a couple years ago. You loved that club, always counting down the minutes until you could be back in the drama room with your favorite band of misfits. You and Eddie in particular became very close, he had taken a certain shine to you that nobody else had the privilege of receiving. One day, after a rather heated D&D session, Eddie asked you to stay back and help him clean up. As always, you happily accepted.

"Hey, you played really well today, Y/N." Eddie says, gathering the dice from around the table to put in his drawstring pouch. You're putting everyone's figures away in their box, and stacking the board tiles.

"Thanks, Eddie." You reply, trying not to blush. You don't understand why, but being around him, especially alone, gives you butterflies. He smiles at you, tossing the pouch into his bag, which lands with a clacking sound. "I'm excited for the next campaign, you're a great dungeon master." You say, meeting his big brown eyes.

He chuckles, walking over to you. "You really think so?" He asks, putting a hand over yours to take the boards from your grasp. You gasp at the contact, swallowing hard as your cheeks heat up beyond your control. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" He teases, eyes flicking to your lips. He's grinning at you, tongue playing at the edge of his mouth. You wait for him to lean forward, to kiss you. You didn't even realize you'd want him to do that, that's odd. But he chickens out, backing off after a moment. He shakes his head, sighing before going back to his things.

"Um, what was that?" You ask, though you're not quite sure why.

"Nothing, Y/N. Don't worry 'bout it." He replies defensively, hoping he hasn't pissed you off. He doesn't want to assume something, and end up making you uncomfortable.

"But it's not nothing. Were you gonna kiss me?" You push, unable to let this go. His head whips around to look at you, eyes wider than you've ever seen them. It's here that you realize how many times you've lost yourself in those eyes. How many occasions your own have lingered over his body, admiring him without even thinking about it. He's so handsome, gorgeous even. You can't help wanting to tangle your fingers in his long hair, taste his plush lips with your own. It has never occurred to you that you're actually attracted to this man, until now.

"N-no." He stutters, forcing a nervous laugh. "What makes you say that?" He acts like what you're suggesting is utterly ridiculous, like he hasn't been secretly checking you out every chance he gets.

You slowly walk over to him, taking your time. He backs up a couple steps, becoming very nervous and assuming you're about to beat him up. "Relax, Eds. Please?" You plead with your eyes, not wanting to scare him. The look on your face makes him relax a little, and he stops moving so you can approach him. You're standing very close to him now, within kissing distance. You raise a hand to stroke his cheek, causing him to flinch. "It's okay." You reassure, and he lets you feel his soft skin with your palm. "You're so pretty, Eds. And I didn't put it together until now, but I'm very attracted to you." You speak quietly, feeling like your words violate the heated silence between you.

He snorts out a laugh. "You just NOW figured out that you like me? Man, you've been staring at me nonstop for months! Not that I'm complaining." He speaks in his usual smart-ass tone, you can't get enough of hearing him talk.

"Well, pardon me, Eddie! I've never looked at a man this way before, I didn't really think I could. Can I just kiss you already?" You roll your eyes, wanting so badly to act on this thing you've subconsciously been wanting for so long.

"Of course, baby. Do your worst." He jokes, making you both laugh to break the tension a little. When you quiet back down, you bring your mouth onto his, immediately melting at how soft his lips are. He tastes like tobacco and Dr. Pepper, a flavor combination you never thought you'd love so much. Your hands slip into his thick hair, weaving your fingers between the locks. Eddie's arms wrap around your back, holding you closer. Your matching Hellfire shirts rub against one another, radiating a welcome warmth between you.

"Hey, guys. I forgot my chemistry textbo-'' Dustin announces as he walks back through the doors to the drama room. He's frozen in his tracks, staring at the scene before him. His words startle you out of your embrace, quickly pushing each other away to try and hide what you were doing. Mortified expressions plague everyone's faces, eyes flicking between the three of you frantically. "Ah, there's my book! I'll just be going now!" He snatches the textbook from the table, about to turn heel and run.

"Dustin, wait!" Eddie calls to him, and Dustin stops in his tracks, turning back around slowly. "Just-..." Eddie gathers the words, struggling to piece them together. "Please don't say anything to anyone?" He begs, and Dustin's fearful expression softens. The kid walks over to the both of you, pulling you in for a group hug. You and Eddie look at each other, confused.

"I promise, your secret is safe with me." Dustin says, muffled against your chests. He lifts his head to look up at your faces. "I was wondering when you were finally gonna get together." He says with a joyful smile.

"What?!" You say simultaneously. Was your mutual attraction THAT obvious?

"Oh, please! The whole club has been talking about it, you two are not nearly as subtle as you think you are. The longing glances? The lingering on any contact either one of you makes on the other? You guys are the most lovesick people I've ever seen, it was getting painful to watch." He pats your shoulders, before turning to leave again. "Relax, I haven't said a word to anyone outside the group, and I don't plan to. I understand how dangerous this town can be. I'm happy for you though, so I'll leave you to it!" He salutes you both, jogging out of the room once more.

You look at Eddie again, utterly surprised that the club put two and two together before you even knew what your feelings meant. "Longing glances?" You ask mockingly, you can't help being a bit annoyed that the group has been talking about you like this.

"Lingering contact?" Eddie says, just as shocked as you are. He contemplates the idea for a moment, before giving you a devilish grin. "Although, I kinda like the sound of that. Maybe we should have some more." He walks the two of you backwards to the nearest wall, and you grunt as your back hits the cinder blocks. His large hand rests next to your face, essentially pinning you where you stand. His breath fans over your lips, your heart racing.

"Do your worst, Munson." You say, smirking as you anticipate his next move.

Rain patters against the windows outside Steve Harrington's house. Everyone had set up here as an official base camp, as it's the largest house of the group that hasn't been condemned yet. The patterns of decay and destruction have miraculously missed this place, the supermarket, and the hospital. But at the back of your mind, you know eventually nowhere will be safe anymore. It's only a matter of time. You're curled up in an armchair, looking out into the distance. Just a couple blocks away, you can see the vines strangling every house, tree, car, etc. Those nasty dust particles swirl around in the air like snow in slow-motion. "Y/N." You hear Jonathan behind you, his fingers tapping on your shoulder.

"Hm?" You hum in questioning, turning to see what he wants. He's holding out a mug of hot coffee, just the way you like it. "Oh, thanks." You say flatly, taking the mug from his pale hands.

"Yeah." He says awkwardly, leaving you to stare outside at the desolation. You take a sip of your drink, feeling the liquid warm you up on this cold October evening. It's Halloween, but nobody is in a particularly festive mood. You look around the living room, your heart sinking at the scene before you. Mike, Will, Erica, and Eleven are mindlessly playing Monopoly, trying to pass the time. They aren't smiling, barely saying a word unless someone owes somebody money.

Nancy, Robin, Steve, and Jonathan sit at a folding table drinking mugs of coffee similar to yours. Their expressions are similarly bleak, bags under their eyes as they don't sleep much. Dustin has separated himself from the others, residing in a spare room upstairs. You've often heard him sobbing when you go up there to use the bathroom, though lately the sound has stopped. The only sign of life he gives is leaving his empty dishes outside the door.

Hopper, Murray, Dmitri and Joyce sit on guard at every entrance, brandishing guns and axes in case any mutant creatures come knocking. Argyle went back home to be with his family a little bit after the fight. You're thankful his joyful spirit didn't have a chance to be broken by him staying in this godforsaken place. And Lucas is still at the hospital with Max, protecting her in her vulnerable state.

You found it odd that even after all this time, there's still running water and electricity in the parts of town that are habitable. You'd asked Hopper about it the other day, thinking that you'd be kicking it old school by now. Turns out, some of the associates of Hawkins Lab pulled some strings to man the power plant and water treatment facilities with a skeleton crew. The workers lock down inside the buildings, receiving weekly shipments of supplies while they keep things running. It seems these government assholes have a vested interest in the lot of you -and anyone you might recruit- surviving and beating Vecna when the time comes. They also ensure the safety of the hospital and Big Buy market so anyone left in town can get what they need.

Most of your parents have left you behind, once you explained that you needed to stay and fight the good fight. The Harringtons, Dustin's mom, the Wheelers, the Sinclairs, the Buckleys, your parents, are all gone. But they call often, letting you know how proud of you they are for trying to save the world. Plus, you have Hopper and the other grownups to keep you safe. Not to mention each other.

Despite sticking together, at least physically in the same house, tensions have been running high. Everyone is scared, sad, and tired. It leads to lots of arguments over who gets a turn sleeping in the beds upstairs while everyone else piles onto the couches or sleeping bags on the floor. Or who gets to shower first in the morning, who has to bring Dustin his next meal upstairs, who has to venture outside for supplies with Hopper or Dmitri. Petty things, really. These little fights always end in everyone involved bursting into exhausted tears, apologizing profusely once they remember the gravity of the situation you're all in.

Most times, you volunteer to do all of the things nobody wants to do to keep the peace. It helps your mind stay busy, keeping it far away from a certain deceased metalhead. You're also pretty built compared to some of the older kids. You worked odd jobs on the local farms before you were roped into the final act of Hawkins' torrid history of monsters and alternate dimensions. So you feel safer going out for food and other necessities, armed with Steve's nail-studded baseball bat to whack any creepy crawlies with.

One thing you've noticed through this whole shitty ordeal though, is how fucking quiet everyone is. There's no real conversation, unless it revolves around a potential plan of attack. No jokes are cracked to break the dismal mood that hangs over you all like the storm clouds outside. Not a single smile can be found on any of your faces, no glimmer of hope in your eyes. It's like, whatever is going on out there, is hollowing all of you out in here.

Eat, sleep, shit, shower, fight. That's all the thought your minds will allow anymore. Sitting, waiting for Vecna to strike again. It feels like it should've already happened by now, six months is an awfully long time to wait around when you plan to take over the world. And sometimes, a creeping, dreadful notion pops into your head to shake things up. You never verbalize it, and if the others think it too, they don't show it. You don't want it to be there, you always try to shove it away. But you can't help it, it just flashes inside your skull like a sickening neon sign. Did it already happen? Are we already dead? Is this what Hell is?

"What the hell? You can't do that!" Mike shouts, breaking the deafening silence. You look over to the kiddos, wondering what the dispute is about.

"What are you talking about, fartface?" Erica retorts, attempting to collect her $200.

"You rolled doubles THREE TIMES! That means you go to jail!" He spits back, snatching her thimble piece and moving it to the jail square.

"Nuh-uh! I don't know how your scrawny ass plays Monopoly, but that's not in the rules!" She puts it back in its original position, crossing her arms petulantly afterwards.

"Kids, please. Don't do this right now." Joyce says meekly, struggling to keep her eyelids from drooping.

"Well, then settle it! Do YOU or do you NOT go to jail after rolling doubles three times?" Mike demands, looking around at all your faces to weigh in.

"I dunno, man. I've never heard of that one." Steve chimes in with a sigh. He squints his eyes shut, taking a big swig of his coffee. You suspect he's been slipping some booze in there on occasion, though you don't blame him one bit.

"Oh, come on! Anybody else?" Mike doesn't let up, wanting to be right more than anything else.

"Look, kid. If you can't agree on a rule, then maybe you should just drop it. Same thing went for whether or not you can buy all the houses for one property at once, instead of one at a time to keep them even." Hopper speaks sternly, his gaze still stuck on the wilting world outside.

"That sounds fair to me!" Erica sneers, and Mike rolls his eyes.

"Whatever! Fuck this, I'm bored anyways." He flips the board over in a fit. The houses and money go flying through the air, clattering loudly to the floor. He stands up, storming off to the kitchen. Everyone exclaims in annoyance, but he just flips you all off.

"Nice." Murray says simply, finding this entire squabble to be a teensy bit entertaining. At least he's having fun, you suppose someone should be.

"Sorry, Erica." Will says, giving her an apologetic look. He's such a sweet kid, reminding you of your younger self. He helps Erica pick up the pieces that are scattered all over the room, while Eleven leaves to console Mike's temper.

"I'm gonna bring Dustin some dinner, maybe he'll talk to me today." You announce. A collective nod affirms your statement, and you go down the hall with your mug in hand. You see Mike leaning against the counter, Eleven's hand on his shoulder. "Hey, kiddos. Everything okay here?" Their eyes flick to you a moment, before proceeding to ignore your presence. "Okay, then." You breathe out, moving past them to dig around for some food for Dustin.

You prepare him a bologna and cheese sandwich, with some potato chips and an Orange Crush on the side. You climb the stairs quietly, not wanting to tick anyone off by being too loud. You reach Dustin's room, knocking on the door. "Just leave it outside." Dustin says weakly, his voice hoarse from sobbing nonstop.

"Dustin, it's me. Can I come in?" You ask, fully expecting him to say no. He's barely let anyone in during all this, closing himself off as a form of self-punishment. You hear no response, which draws out an aggravated sigh from your lips. You set the tray down, turning to leave.

"Okay." He says, immediately regretting it. He doesn't want a pep talk, or to be told Eddie's death wasn't his fault. He doesn't want to hear anything, he feels so guilty. Over these last few years, he's inadvertently led people to their deaths or put them in severe danger. He was the last person to see Will before he went missing. He endangered his friends by keeping Dart as a pet, roping Steve into the chaos of fighting the demodogs. With his stupid Cerebro, he led a band of kids into a secret Russian base. And finally, he got Eddie eaten up by fucking demobats. He swears he's cursed, dooming everyone he knows to pain and suffering.

You hurry into the room, setting the tray on the nightstand. He's laying on the bed, over the covers with his back to you. You sit on the edge, your weight making the bed squeak as it dips. "How are you doing, kiddo?" You ask dumbly, physically cringing at yourself for even bothering with it.

"Terrible, but so is everyone else, I'm sure." Dustin says, sounding utterly resigned.

"Well, you're not wrong. This isn't exactly spring break or anything." You try to lighten things up, but it's as if the air is being sucked out of the room.

He scoffs. "Ha, spring break. That's how this whole stupid mess started." God, you've never heard a child sound so bitter and jaded before. Dustin is usually the heart of the group, always there when you need him, eager to make you smile. But now, he's just as sardonic as the rest of you, even more so in fact.

"Dustin, I really think we've entertained you isolating yourself long enough. Can you please come downstairs? It's been months, and you barely say a word to anyone." You try to reason with him, but he quickly interjects.

"I don't exactly hear lively conversation going on down there, either. Everyone is just sitting and staring, right? Watching the clock tick the minutes away? Waiting for Vecna to come back and put us all out of our misery?" He shouts. He's so angry, you've never seen him like this.

"Look, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. I know you've been having a hard time. But I think you're forgetting that I also lost someone, Dusty. I loved him too, more than you know." Tears prick your eyes, you picture Eddie in your mind. He's laughing, tackling you onto his bed as he peppers your face with kisses. You shake your head, pushing the memory out because it hurts too much. "But he's gone, there's nothing we can do about that." You sniffle, wiping the salty tracks running down your cheeks. "And everyone down there? They feel like they've lost you too. I'm not gonna force you outta here, I just figured I'd let you know we miss you." You wait for a response, but he gives no indication of truly listening to what you're saying. You sigh in defeat, standing up to leave. You open the door, and just as you're about to step into the hallway, you feel Dustin's arms wrap around your waist.

"I'm sorry, Y/N." Dustin sobs, holding you tightly. You turn around to give him a proper hug, letting him cling to you.

"It's okay." You've missed hugs more than you realized, holding Dustin so tightly and not wanting to let go.

"I shouldn't have let him go back in there." He says, muffled against your chest.

"It's not on you, I shouldn't have let him do it. But he made that choice, Dustin. To buy us more time, because he loved us too." You stroke his hair, trying to calm him down.

"It's not fair." Dustin cries, shattering your heart into a million little pieces. He's right, it's not fair. Eddie was such a bright light in the world, never afraid to be himself. And now that he's been snuffed out, the entire universe can feel the loss.

"I know, Dusty." Is all you can think to say. The two of you stand like this for what seems like hours. Holding each other as you mourn Eddie for what you're guessing is the hundredth time. You'd hoped to be making progress in coping with Eddie's death by now. But seeing everyone's sullen faces, looking outside to witness the decay of reality, it only makes that wound split wide open again and again.

You still couldn't convince Dustin to come down and see everyone just yet. But he allowed you to keep him company for a few hours until you were fighting off a yawn. And he promised to try to join the others tomorrow, which you thought was fair enough. "Goodnight, Y/N. Thank you for hanging out with me. It's been really lonely up here." He gives you a weak smile, which you return in kind.

"Thank you for letting me in, kiddo. Get some rest, okay?" You reply, closing the door as you leave. It's your turn to have one of the bedrooms, and you're very thankful. Hopper snores so fucking loud, and Murray sleepwalks, which freaks you out. You don't make a stink about it, but it's nice to have a night of privacy every once in a while. Fourteen people in one house tends to get pretty crowded, even in one as big as this.

Eddie's POV

"Eddie....it's time to wake up." You hear a gravelly, booming voice calling your name. A distorted clock chimes, rattling your brain. "Come along, child. I've been waiting for you." The voice speaks again, and you realize it's inside your head. You open your eyes, only to find pure and utter darkness. You're laying on your back, arms over your chest like a corpse. You try to move, but you're surrounded by compacted earth. What the hell? Where am I? Where's Dustin, or Y/N? A flurry of thoughts dance around in your head, causing you to panic. "Eddie, the time has come for you to join me." The voice speaks once more, and it's here that the jumbled pieces click into place. You died, eaten alive by the demobats. You bled out in Y/N and Dustin's arms, sharing one last tearful goodbye. They must have buried you, and now you're hearing Vecna in your goddamn head. What the fuck?

You begin to claw at the thick dirt, feeling the soil shove its way under your fingernails. There has to be some mistake, you can't actually be dead, right? They wouldn't leave you here, would they? You pant and grunt while you dig upwards, blinking rapidly as the debris falls into your eyes. "Shit. Shit. Shit." You mutter to yourself, trying to fight against your claustrophobia. Your body has gone into overdrive, moving as fast as it can to break free from this prison. This seems to go on for hours, and your arms ache from the work. But you see it, a sliver of stormy sky above you. You keep going, eventually shoving a hand through to the surface. "Yes!" You shout, cheering for yourself in nervous relief.

You're about to worm the hole open so you can climb out of your shallow grave, when you feel a large, spindly hand yank your wrist. You scream, stomach flipping as this mysterious hand lifts you out of the dirt and into the air. The low light of the upside-down shocks your eyes, making you wince. But when you open them again, your face is centimeters away from who you can only guess is Vecna. "Eddie." He says, out loud this time. Another chime of the clock clangs in the air. Your feet dangle just above the ground as you look at him in horror. He's worse than you'd thought he'd be. Grey, fleshy, with tentacles moving about like living strands of hair. His nose is missing, and he looks kinda melted. He stares into your eyes, no clear expression on his face.

He sets you down, and you almost stumble to the ground while trying to gain your footing. "How long have I been here?" You're not sure he'll tell you, but you need answers. There's no way in hell that Y/N or the others would leave you like this.

"About six months, not that it matters." He replies, almost chuckling at the thought. Your eyes widen, six months. You take a moment to look yourself over, wondering how much you've decayed over all that time. And sure enough, you've gone full-on Romero. Your flesh is desiccated, barely hanging onto your bones, torn in multiple places from the bat bites. Your rings hang loosely on your fingers, the tips scraped off from digging your way to the surface. Your clothes are torn, covered in dirt and dried blood. They fit loosely on your rotting body. You feel your face as best you can, almost squishing your eyeballs in the process as they're like grapes gone bad in the refrigerator. You can feel your entire skull, and most of your hair has fallen off your head. If you had anything left in your shriveled stomach, it would surely come up your leathery throat and spew onto the ground below. You contemplate screaming again, but what would the point of that be? Nobody can hear you.

"Then how the fuck am I standing here?" You ask, in utter disbelief that this is happening. Maybe you'll wake up and this has all been a bad dream. Right?

"Well, I need you for a special mission, Eddie." He replies, grinning now. The image of it makes you feel ill, but he continues. "You see, I'm in the final phase of my plan. But I need you to go back to your world, and help me destroy your friends."

"There's no fucking way I'm doing that! I'd rather go back in the ground, thank you!" You shout, how dare he ask you to do such a thing. You refuse to hurt anyone, much less the people who tried to save you.

"Are you sure about that? After all, they left you behind." Vecna says, trying to draw you in. You shake your head, not allowing him to weasel his way into your mind.

"Well yeah, I got eaten by your stupid bats. What the hell were they supposed to do? They would've brought me back up there if they could." You retort, your joints creaking as you cross your arms.

"They could've at least tried to get you to a hospital. Or at least back up there for a proper burial. But no, they left you here to rot with me. The way I see it, they didn't care about you very much at all, Eddie." He moves closer, speaking in your ear. You want to punch him, his words do nothing but anger you. But who exactly is that anger really being directed at? Vecna, or yourself?

"That's not true. I have no reason to believe a damn thing you say. Y/N and Dustin cared about me more than anyone." You stick to your guns, showing him your iron will.

"Let me show you then. Show you just how much your friends care." He speaks mischievously, and you don't like it one bit. But you nod, wanting more than anything to see Y/N's face again. Maybe he'll be proven wrong, he'll know just how much the others miss you. With a wave of Vecna's hand, a billow of red smoke appears, forming an opening to view the right-side-up. "See for yourself, child." Vecna gestures for you to look closely, nudging you nearer to the window he's created. The clock thrums again, making you jump.

Inside, you see the group gathered in Steve's house. It must be Halloween, because everyone is wearing cobbled together costumes, pretending to trick-or-treat around the house. Everyone is smiling and laughing, making the best of their situation. "Okay, so? They've gotta be happy somehow, right? They've all been through so much, way before I got caught up in this." You look at him, unimpressed with his little show. Though, it does sting a bit to see Y/N and Dustin happy when you're not around anymore. But you can't expect them to mourn you forever. You tell yourself, and it's as true as it is painful.

"Just keep watching." Vecna insists, redirecting your attention to the scene he's displayed for you. The focus shifts to a D&D table, with Y/N at the head of it. Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Erica sit around your beautiful boyfriend. They're still dressed in costumes, and Y/N is leading a campaign.

You watch as they all play the game, noticing the campaign is based on something, or someone, in particular. "Your backs are against the wall, Vecna and his bats surround you in his lair. He speaks to you in a booming voice." Y/N weaves the tale for the players, his expression lighting up while he leads them along. "He says, 'You can either fight and die as a group, effectively leading to the destruction of your world. Or....you can sacrifice your friend, Eddie the Banished, to save yourselves.' What do you choose, dear players?" Y/N's expression is odd, nothing you've ever seen before. Like a vulgar glee. This can't be right. There's no way he would make a fucking campaign about you, let alone suggest the others sacrifice you like that. This is sick, Vecna is just trying to manipulate you.

"No! They wouldn't do this! You're trying to scare me, but it's not gonna work!" You scream at him, but it doesn't disguise the tremble in your voice.

"I can only show you what is, Eddie. This window is incapable of deception. It's your world up there, not mine. What you see is the truth. I suggest you keep looking." Vecna says, almost like a warning. But you doubt he can do anything worse than what you've already been through. You sigh, continuing to do as he asks. You still don't quite believe him, mostly.

"I say we fight!" Dustin suggests, which makes you smile. You look at Vecna again, as if to say 'told you so'. But his face stays the same.

"Are you serious? There's no way we can beat Vecna. And Eddie's not even a playing character. We can let him go, easy." Lucas interjects, eager to survive. Your heart sinks, or at least you think it does. You figure it's only fair for the players to weigh their options, you've had them do so on many occasions. But the fact that it's you they're considering letting go, it definitely hurts.

"I second that. Eddie doesn't matter to the game whatsoever." Mike says, and it feels like you've been slapped in the face. Even if it's just an NPC based on you, they don't need to be so harsh. You wonder why Y/N would even consider putting you in the game, just to make the others debate on whether or not to fucking kill you. You thought he had a bit more respect for you, and your relationship. The others come to an agreement, voting to let Vecna take you in exchange for saving their own hides.

"What the fuck is going on?" You feel like you've gone insane, your heart would be pounding right now if it could still beat. You turn away from the images being shown to you, unable to accept this as the truth. But Vecna insists, the window only tells you what reality is.

"I tried to warn you. You must not matter much if you're just cannon-fodder for their silly little games. But I'm afraid that's not the end of it." That stupid fucking voice continues speaking, poisoning your mind with anger and doubt. You groan in annoyance, facing this disgusting play once more.

You see Y/N again, but he's alone with Steve. You're guessing it's his bedroom or something, they're sitting on a bed side by side. Steve's hand is on Y/N's thigh, and it makes you seethe with jealousy. What is Harrington doing, touching your boyfriend? "I'm sorry about Eddie, Y/N." Steve says, but Y/N doesn't seem all that broken up about it. He's staring at Steve's lips, the way he used to stare at your lips.

"No, no. This cannot be happening." You say through gritted teeth, hopelessly watching as Y/N leans a little closer to tuck some loose hair out of Steve's face.

"We weren't that serious. I've always thought you were much cuter than Eddie anyway. I only settled because I figured I never had a chance with you." Y/N replies lustfully, and a lump forms in the back of your throat.

"Well, you do now that he's gone." Steve says, bringing his own face closer to your love's. "Can I kiss you now?" He asks, grinning slyly while looking in Y/N's eyes.

"Do your worst, Harrington." Y/N chuckles, pressing his mouth on Steve's. You gasp in shock, wishing your eyes are deceiving you. That was your line. Steve and Y/N start to make out heavily, their hands tangling in each other's hair. Their lips smack together loudly, and they moan against one another. You feel sick, sicker than you ever thought possible. You fall to the ground, wishing you had tears to cry. You sob dryly, shaking your head as you hold it in your withered hands.

"No, no, no. Y/N, how could you do this to me." You speak pitifully to yourself. You try to slap yourself awake. But the sting of your boney hand on your boney face is nothing compared to having your heart stomped on like this. You proceed to rock back and forth in the dirt, overwhelmed by everything Vecna has shown you. "This can't be real. Y/N loved me. He loved me. And I loved him. This isn't happening. I'll wake up and this will all have been a bad dream. Fuck this, it's bullshit. It's not fucking real! It's not real! IT'S NOT REAL!" You yell, and the clock chimes that fourth and final time.

"I truly am sorry, Eddie. But now, you have no reason to resist. I can restore you, make you strong. All I ask is that you go up there and eliminate Y/N and the others. I've allowed them to get in the way for too long." Vecna says, lifting you up into the air like you saw him do to Chrissy on that fateful night.

"It's not real. It's not real." Is all you can say, repeating it like a mantra. You just wanna wake up, be warm and safe in Y/N's arms again. You wanna be with the Hellfire Club, playing with Dustin and the others. You wanna be back in your trailer, having dinner with Wayne before he leaves for work. Hell, you'd take being in the middle of final exams over this. Your arms spread outwards against your will, and your toes point down at the earth.

"I'll make you all better, Eddie. And then you can exact your revenge." Vecna says, and you feel a shooting pain coursing through you. Your muscles and organs regenerate, filling your rapidly healing flesh. You gasp in air as your lungs inflate, and your heart begins to beat once more.

"No! Don't do this! It's not real! Fuck!" You scream, begging for him to just let you rest. It feels like you're being torn apart, while it's quite the opposite. Scar tissue creeps over your wounds, branding you as the rips in your body close up. Your face and gums plump back up to their original form, and brand new hair sprouts from your scalp, thick and curly as always. You look over yourself, seeing you're practically back to normal. You figure this would be the end of it, but it doesn't stop here.

"I think I'll make some improvements, hopefully they'll suit you well." Vecna says, and you wonder what the fuck that means. You're just about to ask, when your hands start to cramp. You glance over at one, watching in terror as your fingers begin to extend, with long, sharp nails pushing their way through the tips painfully.

"What the fuck!?" You scream as they fully form. You wiggle the digits, noticing the knotted knuckles and how the claws shine in the light. Before you can fully absorb what's happened to your hands, the unbearable sensation migrates to your mouth. Your canines are being forced from their places in your gums, sharp fangs shooting out like daggers to replace them. "Fuck! What the hell are you doing to me? You crazy motherfucker!" You speak with a slight lisp, the fangs getting in the way of your tongue. You scream in agony as your eyeballs pull themselves out of your head, plopping onto the ground. You can't see a damn thing, until some new ones sprout from your skull. Everything is tinted in a bloody hue now. Great, red irises. Real original, Vecna. And finally, two large wings spring violently from your back. They're obscenely large, dark red with black joints. There's holes and tears in them, as if you've already worn them out. "FUCK!" You scream, louder than all the other times. It hurts so fucking bad, you just want to be dead again. It would be so much better than this. Mutated into this monster, about to be enslaved into servitude for Vecna. A single, bloody tear rolls down your cheek as he lowers you back to the ground.

"You're mine now, you will heed my every command." Vecna makes another wave of his hand, and you feel yourself changing again. But this time it's inside your head. Those awful images spin around like a carousel, the costumes, the kiddos sacrificing you, Steve and Y/N kissing. You're no longer in control. It's like you're being tucked away, forced to bear witness as a new entity takes up residence in your mind. Anger, jealousy, and hatred fill you up, pushing out any love, or happiness you once had. You gaze at your new master with a sinister grin.

"Hail. Lord. Vecna." You say, almost mockingly as you call back to the campaign you played before your life as you knew it ended. The power coursing through you is intoxicating, no drug you've ever had even compares. And it's miles above any kiss or touch or fuck Y/N ever gave you. This feels so fucking good. You kneel before Vecna, bowing your head in obedience.

"You'll be the perfect soldier, Eddie. Now go, kill the ones who have betrayed you." He commands, and you nod as you stand again. You turn, giving one last glance at your grave. You notice Dustin and Y/N stuck your guitar into the ground in place of a headstone. How sweet, now I can use it to bash their sorry little heads in. You walk over, yanking the instrument out of the soil with ease. You sling it over your back, taking a running start. You spread your wings, jumping into the air. The wind catches, and you begin your flight to the right-side-up.

You snatch a demobat out of the sky as you ascend, suddenly quite ravenous for some food. It squeals and squirms, gnashing its teeth at you defensively. You just chuckle, watching it struggle to break from your iron grasp. "Payback's a bitch, little guy." You viciously sink your fangs into it, draining its bitter blood. The warm fluid drips down your chin, and you moan pleasurably as it flows into your belly. Once the bat is empty, you let it fall lazily from your palm. You lick your lips, groaning again as this little snack fuels you further. "You're next, Y/N." You say aloud, flapping your wings harder as you laugh menacingly.

Y/N's POV

"Eddie, what are you doing?!" You shout at him as he stands above you through the gate in his trailer. You and Dustin had just assisted him in distracting the demobats, who are currently eating their way through Eddie's bedroom door to get to you. Both you and Dustin have climbed up the knotted sheets to get to the right-side-up, while Eddie glances at the deteriorating door.

He looks up at you, fear and worry in his eyes. Those bats will just come right through and attack you, unless he stalls them. He lets go of the sheet, picking up his spear to cut the end off. The pale fabric falls to the ground, leaving him no path to escape. "Eddie! What the hell are you doing?" Dustin shouts, begging with him to stop messing around. Eddie pushes the mattress out of the way, so you can't follow him. You and Dustin scream helplessly, knowing exactly what he's up to.

"I'm buying more time." He says, flashing you a small heroic smile before dashing for the front door.

"Eddie, no! Please don't do this!" You scream, and Dustin starts sobbing as he yells right along with you. You look at the kid, sharing a tearful glance. "There's no fucking way I'm letting him go." You say, almost angry that Eddie would attempt something so stupid.

The door opens and shuts. And you hear Eddie shout to taunt the bats as he drives them away from the trailer. "Come and get me you sons of bitches!" You gotta move, and fast. You and Dustin move the mattress from your side away, putting one of the kitchen chairs underneath the gate. You step onto it, taking a leap to grab onto the gaping hole above you. It's slick in your hands, but you keep going. You fall through the hole, aiming so you land on your back.

"Fuck!" You shout as the carpet knocks the wind out of you. You lay here for a moment, surging pain running up and down your back.

"Y/N, come on! We gotta stop him!" Dustin cries in desperation. You nod, rolling yourself over with a wince. You make it to your knees, breathing heavily as you push past the pain. You finally stand, putting the mattress back in place so Dustin can get a soft landing.

"C'mon, kiddo. We have to save the jackass." You bark, and he follows your actions precisely, falling gently onto the mattress. You grab his arm, yanking him to stand so the two of you can go to Eddie. You sprint through the door, almost falling down the stairs before your feet touch the vine-tangled ground. You see Eddie riding one of the bicycles, drawing the bats away from you. "Eddie!" You shout, and he glances back at you in surprise. His eyes are wide, he didn't want you back in here.

Eddie hits a vine with his front tire, rolling onto the ground. He grunts roughly, getting back up to keep running. He can't let you or Dustin get hurt. He won't let anyone else end up dead because of him. He continues to let the bats chase him, before he stops in his tracks. He's tired of running, he doesn't want to be a coward anymore. He holds up his shield and spear, yelling as he lets the bats charge him. They swarm around him, there's hundreds flapping viciously about. They blow past in a wave at first, before circling like a screeching tornado. You watch helplessly, there's not a thing you can do to assist him without getting Dustin hurt. "Eddie!" Dustin shouts, wanting him to come back to the both of you.

One by one, bats dive and swipe at Eddie. He's able to dodge them or strike them down pretty easily so far, you think that maybe he'll be alright. But there's too many, you wish there was something you could do. Your mind races, trying to come up with anything to help him. Eddie whacks another bat, adrenaline pumping through his veins. There's so many of them, but he can't give up now. Not while you're watching, not while you're still in danger. "COME ON!" He taunts the creatures, feeling like a badass for fending off multiple bats already. He hopes this energy rushing inside him will keep him safe.

"Eddie, look out!" You cry, as another bat comes up behind him. It wraps its tail around his neck, strangling him to his knees. "No!" You try to run to him, but Dustin holds you back. "Let me go, I have to help him! Let me go!" You scream, tears streaming down your face as you watch your boyfriend get taken down. Four more bats whip their tails around Eddie's arms and legs, holding him down on the ground.

And here is where you reach the point of no return. The other bats descend onto Eddie's body, sinking their sharp teeth into his torso, his face, his limbs. Eddie screams, and it's the worst thing you've ever heard. Blood-curdling, earth-shattering agony. "Eddie!" Dustin yells, wishing he could save him. But you're vastly outnumbered, and the spears and shields aren't nearly enough to take them out. It seems to go on for hours, witnessing the most awful thing you've ever seen. Your love is dying before your eyes, and there's nothing you can do. You've never felt so helpless before.

But the other upside-down team must have finally given it to Vecna real good, because suddenly the bats squeal and fall lifelessly to the ground. You immediately run to Eddie, hoping there's a chance you can get him to a hospital. You kneel at his side, assessing the damage. "I'm here, Eds." You say softly, glancing over his body as he trembles on the ground. What you see tells you it's too late. His body is covered in bites, bleeding too much and too fast. He chokes as he tries to speak, he's bleeding internally too.

"We gotta move him, Y/N. He's in real bad shape." Dustin insists. But you wordlessly shake your head at him. His expression falls, but he doesn't want to make Eddie panic.

"That bad, huh?" Eddie manages to say, thick, liquidy noises mixed in with his voice. You lift his torso into your lap slightly, which makes him groan through gritted teeth.

"No, baby. It's okay. Just let me hold you." You coo at him, controlling your sobs. He's not gonna make it, and he can read it all over your face.

"I didn't run away this time, right?" He asks you, wanting to know if he did good for you and the others. To know he's not a coward.

"No, you didn't. You're so brave, love." You reply, stroking his thick locks as your tears fall. Your breath hitches as you talk to him, this is all too much. You haven't had enough time with him, it's not fair.

"You two are gonna have to look after those little sheep for me, okay?" He says, and those words break your heart more than you could have imagined. You don't want to accept that he's leaving you any moment now, shaking your head in denial. But he repeats himself. "Please, say you'll look after them? For me?" He begs, looking deep into your eyes.

"Okay, we will. I promise." You say, your shoulders shuddering as you cry a little harder.

"Baby, don't be sad. I'll always be with you, okay? You've made this past year MY year. I love you so much." He moves his hand to hold yours, interlocking your fingers together.

"I love you too, Eddie." You reply with a trembling lip. Eddie looks to Dustin for a moment, giving him a large smile.

"And I love you, kid. You're gonna be a kickass dungeon master for me, right?"

"I'll try my best. Nobody can compare to you though, Eddie." Dustin sniffles, wiping his eyes to keep it together.

"Oh, I dunno about that." Eddie laughs, which makes him cough up more blood. "Fuck, that hurts." You frantically wipe it away, though you realize while you're doing it that it makes little difference. He swallows as best he can, cringing at the metallic taste. This is the end of the line, time is almost up. He can feel it, as his blood flows onto you while you hold him. His head feels light, and his body is so weak. He reaches his free hand up to his head, clumsily pulling his bandana off and handing it to you. "I want you to have this, to remember me always." The words are harder to get out now, he can't stop choking and coughing with every movement.

You nod, trying so hard to keep your intense sobs back. You don't want him to see you lose control, but there's a painful lump forming at the back of your throat as you contain your cries. You take hold of the cloth, but his fingers can barely flex enough to let it go. "Can I give you a kiss goodbye at least?" You ask, not caring about the smears of crimson all over his mouth.

"Of course. Do your worst, Y/N." He smirks, flashing his red-tinged teeth at you. Even on death's door, he's still the lovable smartass you fell for. You lean down as carefully as you can, pressing your lips to his. He breathes heavily through his nose, and you feel a tear of his own warm your cheek. Eddie returns the kiss as best he can, using his last bit of strength to express just how much he loves you. After a moment, you feel his body go still beneath you. A thick sigh leaves his lungs, and his mouth stops moving with yours. His hands go limp, letting yours and the bandana fall from his grip.

You bring yourself upright again, looking at Eddie's face. His eyes are closed, and his mouth is slightly agape. He looks so peaceful, except for all the blood. You can't hold back anymore. A loud sob rips itself from your throat, stabbing the still air with its high pitch. You pull his body up to hold him against you. "It's not fair!" You cry, rocking back and forth as his blood soaks through your clothes. "It's not fair!"

Dustin puts a hand on your shoulder, attempting to comfort you through his own tears. "I'm sorry, Y/N. I'm so, so sorry."

"I just want him back! He's supposed to be with me forever, and we���re gonna grow old together. It's not fucking fair!" You scream, so angry and devastated.

"Y/N?" You're being shaken awake, gasping as you open your eyes to see Dustin standing over you. The lights are off, but you can make out his face in the moonlight shining through the window. "You were having a nightmare about Eddie again." He speaks calmly, but his expression shows deep sorrow and concern.

Your heart is pounding, and you're drenched in a cold sweat. You try to steady your breathing, noticing the trail of tears that fell from your eyes as you slept. You dream about Eddie's death almost every night, plagued with each vivid detail. You sigh, semi-relieved that you're not actually back in that awful memory. "Sorry, Dustin. I didn't mean to wake you." You give him a weak smile, carding your hands through your dampened hair.

"It's okay, I just wanted to make sure you were alright." You sit up, letting him pull you in for a hug. "Do you want me to stay with you?" He asks, not sure if you want to be alone anymore after your dream.

"Thanks, buddy. But I'll be okay, I promise." You leave his embrace, meeting his gaze again. He nods in confirmation, before heading to the door. "Goodnight, Dustin." You say simply.

"Goodnight, Y/N." He replies, before closing the door. You let out a deep sigh, rubbing your moist eyes to collect yourself. While your face is covered, you hear the shuffling of feet inside the room. "Do you need something, Dustin?" You ask, thinking maybe he came back in. You put your arms in your lap, blinking to look across the room. But you don't see Dustin, instead you see a sight that has to be a hallucination. You gasp, knowing a scream will just wake everybody up.

Crouching at the foot of your bed, there's a dark figure with glowing, red eyes. Its spindly hands rest at the edge of the mattress, with long, knotted fingers and sharp claws. You can't fully make out the look of it, but it's got long, curly brown hair. Just like Eddie's. But there's no way whatever the fuck this thing is can be Eddie. Right? It doesn't speak at first, just stares at you clutching the covers in your fearful fists. You can't move, or speak, all you can do is hold its intense gaze. After what seems like an eternity, it stands up on two legs to reveal itself. "Did ya miss me?" It says, exactly in Eddie's voice.

"E-eddie?" You ask dumbly, reaching over to turn on the bedside lamp. The light clicks on, and the creature before you shields its eyes while hissing. "Is it really you?" You ask, though the thing standing across from you looks like something out of a horror movie.

It lowers its hand, fully revealing its face to you. "The one and only, baby." You gasp again, it really is him. But not like you once knew him, he's changed. He's got those long fingers, and the blood-red eyes. Inside his mouth are sharp fangs like a vampire, they glint in the light as he smiles at you. You also notice he has huge red wings, tattered and torn like his clothes. "You like my new look, Y/N?" He asks, a strange hint of mischief in his tone. You're overjoyed to see him, regardless of how much he looks like a monster. You've missed him so much, you just wanna kiss his beautiful face. But there's something in the back of your head, telling you -no, warning you- to not get close to him.

"I'm happy to see you, Eds. We've all missed you so much." You can't help the uneasiness in your voice, and your fear only makes Eddie's smile grow wider. He's enjoying your terror, something is definitely wrong here.

"Oh, really? It seemed like you all were getting along just fine without me." He retorts, words dipped in a wash of anger. Your brows furrow, not sure what he's referring to.

"What are you talking about?" You ask, genuinely curious. Has he been like this for a while? Was he watching you? And if so, what did he see that indicated anything other than sheer misery?

His eyes flare with fury, and he raises his voice just a little. "Don't act like you don't know. I saw you. Laughing and playing D&D with the kids. You put me in the campaign, Y/N. And you all voted to sacrifice me to save yourselves." Your eyes widen. What the fuck is he talking about?

"Eddie, we haven't played D&D for months. Did you take a look outside? We've just been watching the world fall apart, waiting for Vecna to come back. That's all, it's been absolutely miserable!" You have no idea where he's gotten his information, but his facts are wrong.

"Don't bullshit me, man! Vecna showed me everything!" Eddie shouts, and you're worried he's going to wake somebody up. He walks around the side of the bed, standing as close to you as he can. He bends over, bringing his face right in front of yours. "He also showed me what you've been getting up to with Steve."

"Steve? What?!" You exclaim, you've never even looked at Steve in that way. He's not making sense, Vecna must be manipulating him.

"You were kissing him, Y/N. You told him you only settled for me, but you wanted him the whole time! Don't try to lie, I saw it all. You and everyone else don't give a fuck about me." He speaks bitterly, almost spitting his words at you. You wish there was a way to convince him, but you doubt you have the capacity to break the curse Vecna's got him under.

"Eddie, I swear. Nothing Vecna showed you is true. He's done this to you, made you a monster. And he's filled your head with lies." You feel tears beginning to sting your eyes, unable to believe this is really happening. You wished every day and night for Eddie to come back to you. But not like this, never like this. "I love you, Eddie. I always will." You say, looking deep into those scarlet eyes of his. You show him the bandana you have tied around your bicep, trying to make him see that you've never forgotten your feelings for him. "Look! I've kept it all this time, to remember you always." His expression doesn't change, but he shakes his head like your words have penetrated the walls a little.

"Y/N, I've been sent here to kill you. All of you. There's nothing you can say to change that. Vecna needs you out of the way." Eddie's tone is different, like it pains him to say these things. There's no more sick glee like before, you must be getting through to him. At least a little bit. You rack your brain, maybe there isn't anything more you can say. But perhaps there’s something you can do.

"Maybe you're right. There's nothing I can say, at least not with words." You act quickly to catch him off guard, afraid of what might happen if you fail. You grab the back of his head with your hands, bringing his face closer. You lean forward, kissing him in a desperate attempt to break this awful spell. He'll see that you've never stopped loving him. You just have to prove it.

"Mmm!" He grunts, attempting to push you away. You're tricking him, and he can't have that. But you won't let go, lacing your fingers behind his skull to keep him in place. Your mouth moves against his, waiting for him to return the kiss. It takes a moment, but you can feel the switch flip once you've been on him long enough. The evil thing Vecna planted inside him is thrown from the driver's seat, allowing his true self to take control once more. He stops struggling, softening at your touch. Eddie's hands grip your face, and he finally moves his lips against yours just like he used to. He even bites your lip, making you gasp. He slips his tongue into your mouth, tangling with yours in a fight for dominance. Tears run down your cheeks, and you can feel some of his own mixing in as you continue to kiss.

You break apart, looking at his saddened face. He sniffles, the corners of his mouth upturning in a friendly smile. "Is it really you, baby?" You ask, still unsure if your little plan has worked. He nods frantically, slinging his guitar off his back and climbing onto the bed to straddle you. His lip is trembling, he's so happy to be free from that mental prison. His wings retract into his back, which gives Eddie a pained look on his face.

"I'm sorry, Y/N. I wasn't in control. Vecna showed me all those awful things. I didn't wanna believe him, the things he showed me were so awful. I knew it wasn't real, it couldn't be. But he made me into this, and he said I have to kill you. But I don't wanna do that. I don't. I don't. I don't." He speaks too fast for his newly-fanged mouth to keep up. He's shaking, and crying bloody tears. You've never seen him so distraught.

"I know, baby. It's okay, it's okay. I'm right here, and I'm never gonna leave you again." You bring his face to yours again, tenderly peppering him with little butterfly kisses. Your forehead rests against his, the two of you let out shuddering breaths as you try to calm down. "Just breathe, Eds. You'll be alright. I'm just so happy you're back here with me." You wrap your arms around him, and he does the same. Your heads lay on each other's shoulders, exchanging your warmth in comfort. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you. I dream about losing you every single night." You say, hiccuping through your words. You've been absolutely wracked with guilt since that tragic night. You cried harder than you ever had before when you buried him in the upside-down.

"It's not your fault, Y/N. I gave myself to save you, those fuckin' bats would've come through the gate if I didn't stop them. I couldn't let anything happen to you." Your grip on him tightens, letting your flexing muscles release all the pent up pain and anguish you've been holding onto these last few months.

"And you're so brave for doing that. Completely stupid, but brave." You can't help letting out a weak laugh at that, and he gladly joins you in it. You've been riding a temperamental wave of sadness and anger the whole time he's been gone. It feels so good to laugh again, even just for a moment. You pull apart to look Eddie over again, taking a real chance to absorb his image. You're afraid he'll evaporate like a mirage at any second, or that the monster will regain control. But all you find is your handsome boyfriend, with a couple new features. You'd be lying if you weren't attracted to them though, those red eyes pierce directly into your soul. "To answer your question before, I do like the new look. It's very...metal." You give him a sly smile, and he picks up on what you mean immediately.

"Is that so? Been missing me in an extra special way, have you?" He asks, his tongue playing seductively at the corner of his mouth. You can't believe you're actually thinking about sex right now, but you find vampires to be really hot. Eddie attempted to dress as one once to impress you, but you almost choked to death when one of his fake fangs came loose.

"Is that crazy?" You ask, blushing like mad. You don't know if he can sleep with you right now, or if certain parts are even still working.

"Not at all, sweetheart. I understand. And I'd be lying if I said I'm not dying to get reacquainted with you." He says, chuckling at his own bad joke.

"Are you able to-..." You start awkwardly, unsure how to phrase your question properly. "Is your-..." You sigh, covering your face with your hands as you laugh. You feel so silly, trying to figure out if his dick is functional or not. He moves your hands with his, taking hold of one to lead it between his legs. His eyes bore into yours, a gentle smile on his lips. Eddie holds your hand to his crotch, and you can already feel how hard he is for you.

"I assure you, my cock works just fine." You squeeze him gently, making him groan. "Fuck, Y/N." His body shudders at the contact, it's been so long since he's felt your touch.

Your own erection begins to grow beneath him, and the room has set itself on fire. You want him so badly, you've wanted just one more night with him more than anything. It seems selfish, but it's not just about the fucking. It's about the love intertwined within it. This man means the absolute world to you, and being with him intimately is the most potent expression of that fact. "I need you, Eddie." You tilt your head to kiss him, and he follows your lead. Your lips meet, and Eddie grips the sides of your face with his large hands. You moan against him, opening your mouth to let his tongue inside like before. He's such a great kisser, it's unreal.

Eddie's shuffles to pull the covers off of you, and you lay back down against the pillow. He puts his knees on either side of you, bringing his lips to your neck. He easily finds your sweet spot, making you moan. "I've missed you so much, baby." He says breathily, dragging his tongue along your throat. He can feel your heartbeat, sense the blood pumping away in your veins. He's suddenly feeling very hungry again, but he doesn't wanna hurt you. You notice an odd look in his eye as he pulls away from your neck.

"What is it, love?" You ask, his pupils are dilated, and he's breathing heavily. He looks at you, licking his lips. It doesn't take a genius to understand what's going on here. "Are you hungry, Eddie?" You say while gazing at him lustfully. He just nods, ashamed that he wants to taste you like that. He mentally curses Vecna for making him into a bloodthirsty monster. You take his hand, trying to reassure him that it's okay. "You don't have to feel bad, love. It's not your fault." He softens a little, his shoulders relaxing. "I can give you what you need, baby. I trust you." He stiffens again, shaking his head.

"Y/N, no. I'm not gonna do that, not to you." He insists, but you want to help him in any way you can.

"Eddie, I want to make you happy. It's just a little taste. It won't kill me." You speak carefully, not wanting to ruin the mood. Eddie sighs. You're so goddamn sweet on him, he has no idea how he got so lucky.

"Are you sure? I'm worried I won't be able to control myself." You hadn't considered that, he is new to this whole thing. How does he know when to stop? Or would he even want to stop? But you figure it's better to give him express permission now, let him get what he needs. As opposed to him getting caught up in the moment and doing it unexpectedly, he might actually hurt you if that happens.

"We'll be careful, okay? Just take it slow, and stop when you have just enough to not be so unbearably hungry anymore." You can't believe you're actually about to let your boyfriend drink your blood, but you hate to see him so miserable.

"Okay, okay. Just please don't let me kill you." He grumbles, frustrated as he battles with his heart and his stomach. You take hold of his hands, stroking them lovingly. He meets your eyes, finding nothing but trust and admiration within them.

"I know you won't kill me, baby. We love each other, and love has far more power than anything Vecna can do." You pull him by his tattered shirt, kissing him roughly to get the point across. You let him go, allowing him to slowly move to your neck. He licks and sucks your flesh, warming you up again. His hand drags down your front, ghosting over your jeans. "Eddie." You sigh, savoring every tantalizing touch he gives you. You lay your arms at your sides, trying to lie still for him.

"Are you ready, love?" Eddie speaks in your ear, sending a chill up your spine. You can hear the pure hunger in his voice, and it only turns you on even more. You want him to taste you, take you any way he desires.

"Yes. Take what you need, sweetheart." You're panting now, anxiously waiting for his sharp fangs to penetrate your skin. You close your eyes, biting your lip to conceal any noises of pain or pleasure you'll let out. Eddie positions his lips in a spot to avoid major arteries, using his newly gifted senses to find the perfect place to drink from you without causing injury. He holds the other side of your throat gently in his hand, keeping you in place in case you try to squirm.

His fangs begin to cut into you, slowly piercing the flesh with a slight burning sensation. You groan, clenching your eyes shut. It feels so good, in a really odd way. Your blood begins to flow, slowly coating Eddie's teeth. He starts to drink, sucking the essence of life from you. He tries to not make overly squelchy noises as he swallows, they don't sound very pleasant. "Mmm." He moans, tasting how perfect you are. Your blood is metallic, but also a little bit sweet. He's never had anything like it, it's absolutely mind-blowing. Your head lightens a little through the sting, which slowly morphs into ecstasy.

"Fuck, Eddie." You whimper, and the sound makes his cock twitch. You didn't expect this experience to arouse you so much. You swear you could cum from this feeling alone, and you almost wanna let him suck you dry. He continues to drain you, carefully keeping track of how much more he needs until he's sated. It's so very tempting to take every last drop of you until there's nothing left. But he won't, he can't do that to you. Just a little more, and he'll be alright again.

A few moments later, Eddie gingerly removes his teeth from your neck. He sits back on his knees, groaning in satisfaction while licking his lips to get every last drop. You see a drip of blood running down his chin, reaching up to wipe it away. He suddenly grabs your wrist, making you gasp in surprise. He stares at the crimson fluid gathered on your thumb, growling lowly at you for 'stealing' his food. He hungrily shoves the thumb into his mouth, rolling his tongue over while making the most inhuman noises. You just watch him breathlessly, seeing him act like a feral animal is definitely doing something for you. Eddie freezes, realizing what he's doing. He lets your hand free, blushing at his behavior. "Sorry." He rubs his neck awkwardly, averting his gaze.

"It's okay, Eds. It's kinda hot, actually." You reply sheepishly, your own cheeks turning red. His eyes flick to yours, a smirk forming on his lips.

"That's right, I forgot about your little vampire fetish." He chuckles, retracing the memory of him dressed up for you in his trailer that one night. What a disaster, he almost killed you when his fang got caught in your windpipe. "Looks like we get a do-over, huh?" Eddie says, finding the choice of 'modifications' Vecna gave him to be an odd coincidence.

"Yeah, and I'm so fuckin' glad we do." You pull him back down, kissing him like your life depends on it. He grunts at the sudden movement, before melting back into you. His hands play with the hem of your t-shirt, wanting to lift it over your head. You sit up against the headboard, letting him remove the clothing. His lips attack your toned chest, nipping your pectorals sensually. "Eddie." You moan, sliding his jackets off his shoulders. He discards them to the floor, removing what's left of his own shirt. You take a moment to look him over, most of his tattoos are gone, having been eaten away and replaced with thick scars.

"They're real ugly, aren't they?" Eddie asks, his tone falling into sadness. You just shake your head, pulling him closer to you so you can kiss every last inch of his pale skin. He groans at your gentle touch, a couple tears rolling down his cheeks. He's so happy you still love every part of him, even if he finds himself a bit horrific.

"You're gorgeous as always, Eddie. My beautiful man." You confess to him, hoping your words ring true in his ears. He grinds his hips against you, unable to help himself. You grope him through his jeans, drawing more hushed noises from his lips.

"Y/N, I need you. Now." He fiddles with your jeans, clumsily unbuttoning them so he can shove his hand inside. You feel his spindly fingers wrap around your dick, making your breath catch in your throat. You gaze into his ruby red eyes, watching him as he strokes your length in his hand. You reach for his belt, undoing it with ease to reciprocate his touch. "Shit." He says through gritted teeth. You both pump each other in your pants, riling yourselves up. This teasing is rapidly becoming unbearable, you don't wanna wait anymore. Eddie shares that sentiment, standing up off the bed to kick off his shoes and shed his pants and boxers. His dick springs up, slapping his stomach.

"Fuck, Eds." You groan, blown away by his perfect body. You put in the effort to take him in, committing every detail to memory. You look him up and down, letting your eyes settle on his aching length. You swear he's grown a couple inches, but maybe you're imagining things.

"See something you like?" He asks, posing intentionally with a hand on his hip to drive you wild.

"I see lots of things I like. Although, one in particular has caught my interest." You can't help biting your lip, watching him undress has distracted you from removing your own clothes. He gestures at you to take off your pants, eagerly scanning over your lower half as you do away with them.

"You're as handsome as I remember, baby. Even more so, in fact." He moves closer, stroking your cheek with the back of his hand. You dangle your legs off the bed, pulling him by the waist to position him a few inches from the bed. You carefully get down on your knees, taking Eddie's dick in your grasp. You look up at him for permission, and he happily gives it to you. "Go ahead, sweetheart." And with that, you sink your mouth down onto him in one smooth motion. He moans, trying to stay quiet. You're so hot and wet around him, his hand instinctively goes to the back of your head to hold you in place. "You feel so good, baby." He praises, making precum drip from you and onto the floor. You gag yourself on him, expertly swirling your tongue just the way he likes. His long nails scratch your scalp, making you moan on him. The vibrations send a chill up his spine, and he can't stop making the sexiest little noises.

You're tempted to jerk yourself off while you blow him, but you force yourself to wait your turn. He'll give you what you want soon enough. "Mmm." You moan against him again, loving every sound he makes in reaction to your touch. You want to make him lose control, he's so fucking pretty when he cums.

He's nearing the end, clutching your head like his life depends on it. "Keep going, love. You're gonna make me cum." Eddie's hips buck forwards into you, choking you with his cock. You let him fuck your face, patiently waiting to taste his load shooting down your throat. You massage his balls in your palm, giving him that extra little bit of stimulation to send him crashing over the edge. "Oh, fuck." Eddie's eyes screw shut, his words coming out strangled as he spills into your mouth. You swallow every last drop, remembering just how good he tastes. You let him ride out his orgasm, and he slips out of your mouth once he calms down. He's panting, slightly sheened in sweat.

"I've missed that so much, you have no idea." You say as you catch your own breath. The acrid air outside hasn't been kind to your lungs when you've ventured out for supplies. You stand up, and Eddie immediately pushes you onto the bed.

"Lay down for me, sweetheart." You do as he asks, but he remains standing. "I just thought of this, like an idiot." He chuckles, before continuing. "You wouldn't happen to have any lube on you, would ya?" He asks, and you shake your head.

"Nope. Although, this is Steve's parents' room. They might have something in the drawers." You proceed to help him dig around in all the drawers, locating a small bottle of exactly what you're looking for. It's half-gone, but it'll do. "Got it!" You show him your prize, and he grins while taking it from you.

"It's our lucky day, love." You get back in position, flat on your back. You spread your legs, propping up your knees. Eddie climbs onto the bed, clicking open the little bottle. "Hold out two fingers." He instructs, and you listen without question. He squirts some of the lube onto them, the cool liquid chilling your skin. "You'll have to loosen yourself up, I'd hate to cut you with my claws." He clicks his fingers together to emphasize his point.

"I appreciate it, Eds." You laugh lightly, letting him watch you lower your fingers. The lube meeting your asshole makes you yelp quietly in shock. It's so fuckin' cold. You carry on, slowly pushing one digit inside yourself. You whimper at the stretch, it's been so long since you've done this. You weren't sure you'd ever do this again, you don't want anyone other than Eddie. "Jesus christ." You meet his gaze, and he's observing you hungrily. He wants to be inside you so badly, you're such a perfect fit around him. You slip in the second finger, groaning again. You slide them together in and out of yourself carefully. You feel your body relaxing, settling back into the groove you used to share with the man crouching above you. "I think I'm ready for you now, love."

He nods, squeezing the bottle into his palm, before stroking it thickly over his dick. "Fuck, that's cold." He says, making you both laugh. You remove your fingers, wiping them on your thigh to get the excess lube off. Eddie positions himself between your legs, placing his tip against your ass. "You ready, sweetheart?" He asks, looking deep into your eyes again. His expression is so warm, and loving. You could swear his red irises changed into the shape of hearts.

"So ready." You reply, waiting for him to enter you. He starts to push in, causing you both to groan. He takes his time, letting you relax around him as he fills you up just like you remember. "I'd forgotten how perfect you fit inside me, Eddie." He takes hold of your own cock, the extra lube allowing his hand to move on you with ease. "Baby, you're gonna be the death of me." The combined sensation he's giving you makes your head spin, and he hasn't even started thrusting yet.

"Never, love." He says simply, pulling himself out before sliding back in. You wrap your arms around his back, holding him close as you press your lips to his. Eddie picks a steady pace, thrusting in and out tenderly. He continues to jerk you off, and slips his tongue into your mouth again. Tension is quickly building inside your belly, you've missed this so fucking much. You can't hold back the tears falling from your eyes, and Eddie pulls his head up when he senses the salty drops on his cheeks. "Is something wrong, baby?" He asks, concern lacing his voice.

"Nothing's wrong. I just missed you, missed this. I never thought I'd see you again, I buried you and left you down there." You sniffle, feeling stupid for sobbing while you're trying to have sex with the man you lost.

"I know, sweetheart. I didn't think I'd ever be back, either. I'm sorry for what I put you through." He starts crying too, drops of blood dripping onto your cheeks. He can only imagine what burying the man you love must be like, and it sounds like the worst thing in the world.

"It's okay. You're here now. Just make love to me, lost time doesn't matter anymore." You sigh heavily, wiping your eyes. He does the same, before picking up where you left off. You push the past away, focusing on the now. The two of you struggle to keep the noise down, having to keep kissing or attacking each other's necks to muffle the sounds. You're practically writhing underneath Eddie, touching every little bit of him you can reach, squeezing his ass to pull him closer to you.

Eddie's not much better, his thrusts are sloppy, inconsistent. You just feel so good, he can't help himself. You both keep it up as best you can, sweating profusely while you claw at each other like wild beasts. "I'm getting close again, baby." Eddie warns, though you don't heed it. You're right behind him, any moment now you'll be overtaken by the pent up lust inside you. You just moan against his slick flesh in response, hoping he knows what you mean. He fucks you a little faster, stroking your cock at the same speed.

"Oh my god. Eddie, fuck!" You whisper-yell, letting pleasure wash over you. Your body jerks upwards beyond your control, yanking on Eddie in the process. Your cum spurts out onto his hand, coating his long fingers and dripping onto your stomach and chest.

Your sudden movements make Eddie come undone right behind you, hips bucking against your ass cheeks as his load paints your insides. "Jesus, fuck." He clenches his teeth, holding back an obscenely loud moan. You ride out your highs together, waiting for the bliss to subside. Your hearts pound in sync as Eddie slips out of you to collapse onto the bed. "God, I love you." He says breathlessly, turning his head to look your way.

"I love you too, Eds. More than anything in the world." You lay on your side, giving him another kiss. You can't get enough of him, and you don't wanna let him go. But you imagine Vecna expects him back soon, thinking Eddie carried out the murders he ordered. "I don't want you to go." You say, desperately wanting him to say 'fuck it' and stay.

"I don't either, love. But I have to, I can feel the thing inside my head trying to fight its way back into control. But I promise, I'll tell Vecna I did what he asked. And then when he thinks he's safe, I'll take his ass out. I'll make him pay for hurting everyone, and for trying to make me hurt you and the others." He's more serious than you've ever seen him before. You nod in agreement, even though you're not sure how easily he'll be able to keep his promise. Like he said, the monster wants back in. And when it's in control, it could easily tell Vecna the truth.

"Okay. Should I tell the others about you? Let them know you're on our side, and want to help us beat Vecna?" You toy with the idea, not sure how the group would respond to such a thing.

"I dunno, it might freak them out. Especially Dustin." Dustin. You completely forgot about him for a moment, and Eddie might be right.

"Maybe I'll just tell a couple people, ones that know to keep their mouth shut? I don't know how long I can keep this to myself. And if someone else knows, maybe it'll be helpful later on." You reason, though you're not sure Eddie will like it.

"That might be a good idea. But they have to keep quiet. It could go very wrong very quickly if I can't keep my hand on the wheel. I'd hate to get everyone's hopes up that I'm alive and on the side of good if it all goes to shit."

"Agreed." You both put your clothes back on, taking many breaks in between to exchange more feverish kisses. You want as much of each other as you can get. Eventually though, Eddie is slinging his guitar back over his shoulders. And now for the hard part, letting him fly back out your window and return to that awful place. Your arms wrap around his neck, and his hands rest on your waist. "Please don't get yourself killed again. Play the part, let the monster out for a while if you need to. I want you back here with me when this is all over. I mean it." You speak with purpose, refusing to have anything outside your desired outcome.

"I'll do everything I can, Y/N. I promise, I'm not going down without a fight. I'll be home again, and we can be happy. Together." He pulls you in for one last kiss, sealing the vow he's made to you. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Eds. Now, go kick his slimy ass!" You say, making him chuckle. He pulls away, and you back up a few steps. He slides your window open, jumping silently to the ground. You lean your head out to watch him, observing his wings extending from his back. He turns to wave back at you, blowing you a kiss. You catch it, holding it to your chest. You gaze in awe as he takes a running start in the moonlight, jumping into the air as the wind fluffs his wings. "Wow." You say to yourself, watching the man you love fly gracefully into the night. Let's hope this plan works.

The end.

[smokeygrayrabbits]

wolfwood cooking for vash, but because hes so used to only cooking for the orphanage he makes way too much. bros used to cooking industrial sized meals and has no concept of how to shrink the recipe. wolfwood starts freaking out over food waste because that's completely unacceptable on a desert planet, especially out in no man's land. he was trying to plan a cute lil date night! now he has to run around giving out food in this asshole town full of asshole people who have been less than accepting of vash and his vashness.

except that vash, little mister no I don't deserve to eat or I don't need to you should have it is a plant. a walking talking generator who, unlike his almond mom of a brother, does actually need to eat. a lot. sure, he refuses to eat most of the time out of either guilt or not wanting to take up precious resources, but he's still hungry all the time. the same hunger that drives his brother to save their sisters. plants give and they give and they give but that takes a toll. all that energy has to come from somewhere, and if they're locked inside away from each other, it can't come from the sun or from food or be supported. it comes directly from them, leaving the plants sick and exhausted, energy, life, slipping away from them, through their fingers like grains of sand.

properly cared for plants powered spaceships and supported the entire human race for years with ease. mistreated plants sent humanity crashing to the ground. vash hasn't been properly cared for a day in his life, definitely not since the fall. he's never had enough food, enough rest, enough care to be truly sated, until he walks into the abandoned house they were staying for the night and sees wolfwood standing over a giant pot of something that's already making vashs mouth water making his too sharp teeth ache with the nerf to chew on something, he'll have to file them down again soon. wolfwoods standing over that big pot of heaven, and vash is to zeroed in on the pot to notice the distraught look on his partners face.

wolfwood, too worried about the massive amounts of impending food waste, didn't notice the tears gathering in vash's eyes or the exited little purr in his throat when he shakily whispers

"is. . . is that all for me?"

yeah spikey. it is. he knows he messed up ok you don't have to be a dick about it WOAH. ok. tackle hug. cool. cool cool cool. this is fine and normal. spikeys just squeezing the life out of Nick, carrying him over to the pot with a spoon in hand and absolutely inhaling the dinner wolfwood made that could feed an army. homy shit he's already a third of the way through it ok damn spikey.

wolfwood is so in awe (and also worried about vash choking at the speed he's eating) that it takes him a minute to register the tears still leaking down vashs face and the little mumbles of thank you thank you that hes whispering out between bites and oh. by some miracle,

wolfwood gets it.

he swipes the serving spoon out of vash's mouth, smooths over the betrayed look with a kiss to his forehead and a hand over spikey hair, and wrangles vash over to the table wolfwood had oh so carefully set earlier, lest it be anything but perfect for their little date night, and deposites vash into a chair with another kiss to his cheek.

wolfwood carries a bowl over to vash, places it in front of him and places the chair that had been on the other end of the table right at vash's side, because hed have to be deaf dumb and blind to not read that need for closeness right now in vash's desperate gripping earlier. he places a spoon in one of vash's hands and links his own through the other, and vash eats. and no food goes to waste.

[soosoosoup]

Haaayy can you tell us more about your au where branch finds cooper's egg?

Hiiii!! Thanks for asking! And of course :)

lol turns out I had a lot more thought out. Fair warning, none of this is concrete, this was thought up a while ago and uhhhhh… writing is not my strong suit lol

In this au I had debated whether to make copper a little bit younger, I already hc him as the youngest of the snack pack so idk if its needed lol.

While in the beginning of making his bunker, branch (who’s maybe 7??) would travel farther out into the forest and gather supplies to build when he stumbles on what looks like an egg? Just in time too, ‘cause Coops pops out like in twt, does his little groove, & then proceeds to flop over to nap (being baby is tiring work).

Branch is just ??? cause like what?? Baby? Way out here in the woods?? Why does the baby have 4 legs??? Why is said baby all alone? And that last part makes b pause for a sec bc where’s his family? Did he lose them? Or is it even worse…was he left behind? (He might be projecting a lil).

Cooper and Branch proceed to live where other kids w/o families go. Caretakers try to care for cooper & he is not having it. After all, branch is the first person he’d ever seen, was the first person who’d carried him. He’s imprinted on branch and whole heartedly believes and he is his family. So if C needs to be taken care of B has to be there. It goes on long enough that the caretaker decides it'll just easier if branch helped take care of him; and who knows maybe he'll regain his color being around such a happy little goober.

At first, branch doesn’t realize how much he means to C and assumes his attachment will fade. After all why wouldn’t it when he’s being doted on by warm and cheerful trolls. But nope! Whenever the caretakers aren't taking cooper around the village, Cooper is always following Branch. Around the pod, and through the woods. Branch looks out for him, talks to him, teaches him what he can, and even plays games! I think the fact that branch has been a part of Coopers whole life gives him a sense of obligation perhaps like a big brother?. It's easy to be open to him.

All attempts to foster Cooper are unsuccessful. It's not that Cooper doesn't match the family, it's that he just doesn't want to live with them. Imagine a foster family having the time of their lives singing & playing around & when the time comes Cooper's like 'I had a lot of fun today! Time to go! what?? Stay here? be a part of your family? ...Nope :D

When the time comes that the bunker can feasibly house him, (preteen?) Branch packs up what little he owns, and prepares to leave that night. It's not like the anyone at the orphanage would chase after him. Well, except for one trolling.

It's been years, long enough that their bond is strong, they're brothers in all but name. At least unnamed on branch's side, he kind of refuses to acknowledge it.

Anyway- Branch waits until everyone falls asleep and sneaks out. He doesn't even make it out of the room lol. One foot out the door and a sleepy voice is asking him where he's going. Branch just says he's going to the bunker, that he'll see him soon, it won't be forever you see what im trying to parallel? and it's true. It's not like he's leaving to who knows where. Cooper just nods & yawns out a "bye, see you later". Love me a parallel

Branch lasts an hour or two in the bunker. He's on edge the whole time, racked w/ guilt. Has a little mental spiral until there is just one loud thought of 'what am i doing? there's someone waiting for me' and runs back.

In the joined room, Cooper fell asleep on branch's bed waiting for him. So making sure not to wake him, Branch rests coopers head on his lap. Leaning against the headboard Branch just stares at his vest left at the end of the bed & has a moment of clarity. Like oh, that's why i felt terrible, i left my little brother behind. (Keep in mind that no, he didn’t really do that, but he’s a kid and that whole ‘see you later’ really shook him so he’s making some jumps in logic)(there some projecting happening as well)

So yeah, gained a brother!! yay!!! Cooper beat you to that revelation yeeaarrrss ago lol.

One thing I like about branch being a big bro is this idea that the more he learns about what it means to be one, the less he can understand his brothers. And are they his brothers?? Over the years it’s not looking like it.

[heartfullofleeches]

Spill

Immortal Male Yan + G.N Criminal Reader

Summary: You kidnapped him to get some information about a shared friend, but he won't give in so easily

Warnings: Sadomasochism themes, violence, slightly suggestive scene

Good little Silas.

Always keeps every word someone says to him.

It's his job afterall - one no-one else in the entire world could full. You see, Silas knew the secrets of a lot of dangerous people. The type of series others would die, or even kill for. Why would these people trust a scrawny, pathetic looking guy like him? It's simple really. He has a bigger secret than all of them combined.

He couldn't die.

It was really hard to convince his boss of his usefulness at first. His buddies put a bullet through his skull and tossed him into the trash out back before he could demonstrate himself. Didn't even buy him dinner before hand. Assholes. Coming back after having his brains splattered on his soon to be employer's did wonders for his credibility. He was mostly used as a living meat shield early on, but with his resilience to wounds and the pain they may cause his boss become more relaxed around him. He had proven worth plus is anyone ever caught wind of their ties and kidnapped him Silas would never saw a thing. He was the perfect lapdog.

After that he pretty much became an outlet for everyone's tales. From little white lights to infidelity, murder, and every other sin in the book. Sweet Silas would do his to lean an ear and give input when requested. By the end of the year Silas had enough information to get everyone involved arrested, murdered, or whatever else might happen if he let any details slip. He could easily save the lives of innocent people, but he had a bigger prey to catch than the fleeting high of justice.

After all, a good boy might go to the police, and he was no good boy.

-

Silas greedily gulps down tablespoons of water as the glass clacks against his teeth.

"Feeling better?"

"Mhm..."

A backhand soars across his face.

"Good."

Silas' head hangs at an awkward angle from the force, red stained saliva dribbling down his lips. He bite into the lower one to avoid making a sound. Normally he'd hold his captor to the same standards as his friends in regards to filling his stomach with something other than water before smacking him around, but this was no ordinary kidnapper. They were intoxicating, threatening, the exact type of person he'd love to...

Ugh, he's getting carried away again.

Best not to do that while he's still playing an innocent victim, especially in front of his Doll. Just a single week before his employment, Silas fell in love. The culprit of his stolen heart was a crook committing another robbery that night, the two's paths crossed in an alley behind the bank. No questions asked, his future spouse stabbed him directly in his chest before they fled the scene. That boldness almost made them an optional playmate, but that hint of guilt in their eyes swept him off his feet. Researching them only made him fall madder in love. He would do anything to have them.

"I don't want to hurt you. Just tell me code to his safe and I'll let you go.

Facing away, Silas is fully able to roll his eyes. At least threaten his life if he speaks while you're at it.

"Please... I really don't know what you're talking about. I'm just a waiter!" He fights in his restraints and sobs with wide eyes, hoping to sell the act anc draw attention away from his lower body. Pitching a tent right in front of his doll on their first meeting was rather embarrassing. You snarl as you pick up your knife.

"Just tell me what I want to know!"

You're so pretty when you scream. Silas can't wait for his turn to play. He holds it isn't too long so he can take a picture of his wounds and mirror them on you so you'll have matching scars. Sure he'll have to redo his now and then, but the photos you take at your wedding won't know that.

You ghost the blade down along his neck. Silas swallows to feel its point and prevent himself from choking on the blood collecting in his mouth. He wants to act just a little longer - but you're making it so hard teasing him like that. He repeats his scripted moto in his head like a pray as you drag the knife down his chest.

Scream. Cry. Scream. Cry. Ah-

Your eyes grow to the size of dinner plates as the tiny moan sounds within the empty room. It's not a whimper you're used to, but one of pure unadulterated lust. "Did.. you just."

No going back now. So much for that.

"Guess I just can't help it, Dolly. You're too fucking irresponsible. I know you wanna hurt me, but since I love you so much I wanna let you in on a little secret. You can hurt me, but you can't kill me. Break me apart if you don't believe me. I'll be back tomorrow to take what's mine."

You step back as he erupts into a fit of shrill laughter. "That bastard- Always hiring the freaks. I can't believe he ditch me for someone like you."

His laughter stops. That's a secret his boss never shared with him. That old fuck would've been dead long before then if he had.

"Ohh, did he do something to hurt you? That changes everything. I'll give you whatever you want to know down to his house code if you let me have first cut."

"Why would you help me?"

"I already told you, Doll." Silas stands up and drops the cuffs to the ground, dislocated bones bopping back into place as he flexes. "I love ya, and I'm gonna make sure whoever's hurt you pays. Got this job just to help you out anyway. Issue is if you want me to spill the beans without a few dates first you gotta spilling my guts on the floor as my spit spills down your pretty throat."

[gnomishcunning]

Re: requests, literally any nsfw for Zevlor? I love one (1) sad old tiefling

i, too, love one sad ole' tiefling. he and karlach own my wholeass heart. some of my own headcanons/portrayals of him snuck into these, hope ya don't mind.

(please send me more asks about zevlor i love him so much)

nsfw below the cut! MDNI

in general-

zevlor's a hopeless romantic in the truest of sense. his entire life has been about devotion - he joined a group of soldiers that you can't quite, he's a paladin who lived by his oath for decades, and he followed the literal god of guardians. he believes in devotion, and that undoubtedly leaked into his concept of relationships

maybe back in his young soldiering days, zevlor had some one-night stands, maybe an occasional fling or two. but his devotion to his duty came first, and he sadly never found time to fall in love like he wanted, or start a family.

so, if you somehow managed to lure zevlor into your bed? you need to know it's because he loves you. even if he hasn't told you.

he's an old, broken paladin. he's not willing to risk heartbreak and further grind down his sense of self-worth, not with everything he's been through.

he's already lost everything that made him who he was. he can't loose you, too.

the first time around? it's all sweetness. he approaches your naked body with a sort of reverence, like he can't quite believe what he's seeing. that this is actually happening.

his attention to detail is paramount. he's trimmed all his talons to a dull sort of safety, he's got warming oil tucked into his belt-pouch, hell - he brings his own contraceptive herbs, if he's with the type partner where that's a concern. he'll eat em in front of you if that helps.

consent is the sexiest thing, and he unwraps you like a present, carefully asking with every piece of clothing removed, dipping his head to press kisses to every new bit of your beautiful self revealed to him.

His hands tremble as they travel over soft skin, careful on every curve he covers. he's constantly checking in, making sure you're okay- can he touch here? caress you?

it's admittedly a very vanilla affair, but it's probably the most tender, loving sex you'll ever have.

he's going to want to top, and gods, how can you say no to that face?

you'll come first. no matter what. he presses kisses down your body until he can attend your clit or cock with careful flicks of his tongue, he'll dribble oil onto his fingers in front of you so he can slowly work you open, taking one finger, then two-

and gods, you just know he'd have amazing hands, right? callused and dextrous after a lifetime of sword-wielding, but ever-so careful and exact.

he won't want to take you until you've made a mess of the bedsheets, and when he does? he wants to take you in missionary so he can reach you everywhere, kiss every bit, and watch - commit every bit of this to memory, just in case he never has the opportunity take you apart, ever again

he's going to do his gods-damned best to insure you both cum at the same time. he'll press careful kisses to your mouth as you fall apart, one hand cupping your chin, just so he can watch your face as you cum

he's not a very loud moaner, but he repeats your name on loop until he finishes.

he gets hella clingy afterwards, and if you two have the right kind of relationship where he feels safe enough to be vulnerable which of course you two do, he'll probably cry afterwards

thankfully, this becomes a regular occurrence for both of you

in terms of kinks? zevlor's a bit of a mixed bag. he's got a lot of things he's passingly thought would be very hot to try with a partner, but he may carry some weird guilt about it.

in kinky, bdsm terms-

i'm a firm believer he's a switch, and he's equally willing (and wanting, tbh) to take both roles on, depending on the night. while bdsm wouldn't be a lifestyle-like thing for him and the majority of y'all's sex is vanilla, there's definitely occasions where he wants to indulge. and they're usually like, specifically-planned and orchestrated occasions, set to consume a whole evening, for both the kinky sex and the aftercare.

safewords include the faerun equivalent to the stoplight system (which i'm still working on), or something simple and straightforward that both of you can easily remember.

'bridle' is what comes to mind off the bat

he's absolute delighted if his partner wanted to take care of him, and yield without a fight. if he verbally protests he should be taking care of you, just say you wanna show him how much you love him. he'll fall apart in moments.

as a submissive? his biggest kinks would be praise and body worship, especially contrasted with some light verbal degradation. he's got some guilt to work through, and it's nice to do that with someone he trusts implicitly. but focus more on rewarding good behavior, rather than punishing bad behavior. he's disappointed enough in himself.

it's worth mentioning, this man is the furthest thing from a brat (for the most part). he wants to be good and get praised, since nothing else gets his heart beating as fast - but if you're being a tease, he's not above squirming and cursing at you in infernal

bondage is a yes, but he prefers one particular facet: rope. shibari's equal parts art form and bondage, and he'd appreciate the care and attention to detail that goes into it.

ironically? you wouldn't need bondage to hold him still. he's pretty damn good at following orders, and he's definitely eager to please. i don't think he'd be into 'good boy', but call him a 'sweet lil soldier'??? hahahaha oh wow

sweet and reassuring aftercare is a necessity, there's like a 95% chance he'd cry in a weird, cathartic sorta way. he's definitely a candidate for subdrop, so watch for that.

regardless of how pretty he is when he falls apart, he'd additionally play dominant with just as much eagerness. just say you trust him implicitly, he's incredibly handsome and attractive when he's in-charge, and you want him to take control. he'll more than happily agree - he's enthusiastic about it, especially when he sees how excited you are about the concept

speaking of- titles. Master sits weird with him, but "Sir" and "Commander" are both on deck. he kinda a fun lil illicit thrill using his old title in the bedroom. it'd go a long way to restore that ole' Hellrider Commander confidence, ngl.

he's a very firm, but very kind dominant, if that makes sense? he issues his commands, wants and expects them to be followed. his rewards good behavior with praise and petting (hair, or elsewhere on your body)

he's got a very good understanding about the lengths and limits of subspace given how well he knows you, he's incredibly attentive about how far his submissive has sunk, mentally, and he'll take them as far as they're looking to go- whether that's just taking their mind off a situation with some sweet tending and an orgasm or three, or totally obliterating their brainpower in a positive way with the paladick(tm) treatment

very into getting his partner to the point all they remember his name, designation, and 'please'. equally as fond as leaving hickies/marks/love bites all across their body, especially where people might be able to see. leaving physical evidence of his effect on his lover is a big turn-on

as equally into bondage and rope as a dominant as he is a submissive. it's a hobby he occasionally indulges in, and he enjoys prettying you up in fancy hemp ropes he probably dyed himself

he's fan-fuckin-tastic with aftercare, it's kind of insane. he's soft and careful, getting you a glass of water, he draws you a warm bath and helps you clean up, and then lures you back into your body from the weird, floaty world of subspace with soft touches and sweet praises. he'll get you snacks afterwards if you need them, and do just about anything you'll ask - from reading a book out-loud so you can listen to his voice, to granting you another orgasm if needed.

for the record if y'all want deets about how he is with a brat or an obedient submissive, someone needs to bite the bullet and send the ask, otherwise this post is gonna extend into forever