#and he even said that he wasn't confident in doing math but still

[toxicanonymity]

Left in Lincoln - Masterlist (indefinite hiatus)

softdark dads' best friend!Joel x virgin f!Reader

gorgeous moodboard by aurorawritestoescape ✨

series masterlist here, a reblog won't stay updated.

official soundtrack 🍑 playlist by readers PREMISE: After you were orphaned by the outbreak, Bill and Frank raised you, sheltered in their closed community. Now 21+, you're still inexperienced. They leave to get treatment for Frank and ask Joel to look in on you while they're gone. The town begins to creep you out, but Joel is glad to provide comfort, protection, and education. WARNINGS: I8+ Big, girthy age gap. Joel is very dark and toxic but acts sweet with reader. Angst. Loss of virginity. Manipulation. Slow-burn horror: no gore, no violence toward reader, but this story has given people nightmares. NO USE OF Y/N.

Floorplan

PLEASE STOP PUTTING THIS FIC INTO AI. It's been made into chat bots at least 3x since August and they all sucked. It hurts my writing and gives me a mental block. Do not copy, translate, re-upload, use AI on, or make bots of any of my work.

Part 1 - This Protector (3k) - He lowered his voice and said, "Feelin' this against you, knowin' it's there." His hips lifted gently, and it swelled harder against you. "It's s'posed to feel good. Nothin' to be ashamed of"

Part 2 - The Dirty Ground (5k) - “Ever had an orgasm, darlin'?” He slowed his hips to talk. . . . “Only in my sleep," you said.” Good, that’s your body takin’ care of you. It’s good for you. . .Gonna take this belt off, k?”

Part 3 - The Cold, Cold Night (7k) - He looked from your eyes to your mouth and back then murmured, "Nap really all ya want?" "Just wanna be with you," you answered quietly.  His deep voice became nearly a whisper. "Love hearin' that, baby."

Part 4 - Apple Blossom (7.5k) - “Gonna take time ‘fore you’re ready for this,” he said with a roll of his hips. . . You asked, “You want it too, don’t you?” “Course I do, baby,” he panted. “Gotta feel good for both of us, though. Gotta do it right.”

Part 5 - Black Math (8.6k) - “God, if you only knew . . .” There wasn't even a hint of shame in his voice. “We’re almost there, I promise.” He tucked in his shirt and adjusted himself while he was at it. “God damn,” he exhaled.  “Turns me on, thinkin’ about it.” 

Part 6 - As Ugly as He Seems (8.4k) - You would've given anything for Joel to wake up and ravage you. “s’what I mean, baby,” he murmured sleepily into your hair. "Can't trust myself." He groaned softly as his palm brought you tighter against him.  You began to reach behind you, but he intercepted your hand. . .

Part 7 - Forever for her (10k) - [loss of virginity] You looked at his clothes and didn't say anything, but he replied to your silent question with a smile and hushed voice. "no, I don't have to be so dressed..."

Thank you so much for reading 🖤. I would love to write a part 8 but I've been through a lot in this fandom and it's impacted my confidence. I don't have an ETA or guarantee, and I humbly ask that you not ask me because I get stressed. Thank you ✨

-----

Art, etc.

HOT fan art by @bonezone44

Ch 1 mood board by @neverwheremoonchild

Ch 1-6 mood board by gracieispunk

Beautiful Collage by @not-a-unique-snowflake-blog

Chapter-specific posters

Hot ominous edit by swagxgarfunkle tiktok

Haunting edit by @iamasaddie

If yours is missing PLEASE let me know I probably tagged improperly & couldn't find.

[therandompagesblog]

SKZ War Chapter 1

Trigger Warnings: none

Lucas Bahng, the born Apex Alpha, liked to think being untouchable was one of his best traits. Being the son of the legendary alpha Christopher Bahng helped. People at school avoided picking fights with him, and the few who dared learned quickly why that was a mistake. Of course, he had the temperament and attitude of his mother Y/N, the Luna, the Omega. Then there was Lucas' younger brother Moon, who was always two steps ahead of him in class and ready to remind him of it at every turn. They even shared classes together. Werewolf lore, art, history, maths, they were together. Even though Lucas was fourteen and Moon was thirteen. The two, however always got up to no good together. They liked to go exploring after school when they were supposed to return home by a certain time, otherwise they would get into trouble with their fathers. By fathers they meant Minho along with Felix who were massive worriers.

"You're going to get us in trouble," Moon said as the two of them skidded to a halt at the edge of the packhouse yard. His voice was quiet but firm, as always. Moon didn't shout or scold. He didn't need to. Lucas rolled his eyes and flicked the collar of his jacket. "Not if you keep up," he said, grinning. He didn't like being told what to do, especially by his younger brother.

They had slipped out of the house early that morning, ducking their father's sharp gaze and the ever-watchful eyes of their many siblings. Breakfast was chaotic as usual, with Holly, Seungmins daughter screaming about not getting the last pancake and Astra, Hyunjins daughter the twin of Sun, knocking over the juice carton. Lucas had barely gotten out the door before Chan cornered him about sports practice. All because he was failing class. Lucas hated sports. Not because he couldn't play—he was decent enough—but because Chan was a mean teacher. Chan was tough on him at school but once he was home he was spoiled rotten. His father adored him.

The moment Chan turned his attention to Moon, Lucas bolted, dragging his brother with him. "Where are we even going?" Moon asked, his dark eyes narrowing. "You know father will here about this. He'll tell father Chan and father Seungmin. Father Seungmin is already grumpy this morning because Sun spilt his drink." Lucas smirked. "Then I guess we don't get caught."

The morning was brisk, the kind that nipped at their skin but didn't quite bite. The forest surrounding the packhouse stretched endlessly, towering pines blotting out the rising sun. Lucas knew these woods like the back of his hand. He and Moon had spent years exploring them, sneaking away from lessons, and pretending to be lone wolves on some grand adventure. But today, the forest felt... different. "Do you smell that?" Moon asked suddenly, sniffing the air. Lucas paused, tilting his head. The breeze carried the usual scents of pine and earth, but beneath it was something sharp, metallic. His heart quickened. "Yeah. It's weird." Moon's hand brushed his arm. "We should go back. This isn't normal." "Relax," Lucas said, though his voice lacked its usual confidence. "It's probably just an old trap or something. We'll check it out and head back before anyone notices we're gone."

The two moved deeper into the woods, the trees closing in around them. The metallic scent grew stronger, mingling with something else, something rotting. Lucas forced down the uneasiness bubbling in his chest. He was an apex, the son of an alpha. He didn't get scared. Still, he couldn't ignore the way Moon was gripping his sleeve now, his quiet demeanor replaced with tension. "Look," Moon whispered. Ahead, the trees parted into a small clearing. At its center stood an old, crumbling house. Vines snaked up its walls, and the windows were dark, like empty sockets in a skull. But what caught Lucas' attention wasn't the house itself, it was the circle surrounding it.

A faint, shimmering barrier encased the house, pulsing with a dark aura. Shadows twisted and writhed within it, and the air buzzed with a low hum, like the growl of a predator waiting to strike. "What is that?" Moon whispered, his voice barely audible. Lucas stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. The barrier was alive, almost breathing. The shadows inside moved with purpose, their shapes flickering between humanoid and monstrous. "Trapped souls," Moon said, his voice trembling. "We learned about this in lore class. That's—" "I know what it is," Lucas snapped, cutting him off. He didn't like the way his chest tightened at the sight of the barrier. He didn't like the way the shadows seemed to notice them, pressing against the edge of the circle as if testing its strength. "Let's go," Moon said, tugging at Lucas' arm. "We shouldn't be here." But Lucas didn't move. Something inside the house was calling to him. It wasn't a voice, not exactly, but a pull, like a thread tugging at the edge of his mind. He took a step forward, and the hum grew louder. "Lucas!" Moon's voice was sharper now, edged with panic. "I'm just looking," Lucas said, though his feet carried him closer. He reached out a hand, hesitating just before touching the barrier. The air around it was cold, and the shadows surged, their shapes twisting violently.

Then he heard it. Lucas. The voice was faint, barely more than a whisper, but it was there. Lucas froze, his heart hammering. "Did you hear that?" Moon shook his head, his eyes wide. "Hear what?" Lucas. Moon. This time, the voice was stronger, more insistent. Lucas turned to Moon, but his brother was already backing away, shaking his head furiously. "We need to go. Now. We need to tell father"

Before Lucas could respond, the barrier flickered, and the shadows parted. For a brief moment, he saw a figure standing in the doorway of the house. It was hard to make out through the swirling darkness, but the figure was tall, with an aura that made the hair on the back of Lucas' neck stand up. "Who are you?" Lucas called out, his voice trembling despite himself. The figure didn't answer. Instead, the voice came again, directly in Lucas' mind Help me.

The barrier pulsed, and the figure stepped forward. Lucas could see him more clearly now. He was young, maybe in his twenties, with sharp features and eyes that glowed faintly in the dim light. His expression was calm, almost serene, but there was an intensity in his gaze that made Lucas shiver. "My name..." the figure said aloud, his voice like the wind cutting through the trees. "Is Hongjoong."The barrier surged again, and the shadows lashed out, forcing Hongjoong back into the darkness. Lucas stumbled, the pull in his chest breaking as the connection severed.Moon grabbed his arm, yanking him away from the clearing. "We're leaving. Now." For once, Lucas didn't argue.

Back at the packhouse, Lucas couldn't shake the image of Hongjoong's face. The way he had called out to them, the way the shadows seemed desperate to keep him trapped. It all swirled in his mind like a storm. "What was that?" Moon asked quietly as they slipped through the door. "I don't know," Lucas said. But deep down, he knew this was just the beginning. "Maybe we should tell mum?" Moon suggested, but Lucas shook his head. "She's always been weird on that topic. Even our fathers have, yet they expect us to learn about it." Lucas answered back. "Learn about what?" Father Jisung asked them as he touched their shoulders making the boys jump. "Nothing." They stated. Yet it wasn't nothing. It was something deep and hidden in the depths of the woods.

Taglist for the iconic readers:

@silentreadersthings @ihrtlix @galaxy4489 @catlove83 @linocz @eastjonowhere @hyunmikim @hpnsfwaddict @tsunderelino @multistan248

[apomaro-mellow]

King&Prince 7

When Eddie returned to the castle, it was in the form of a raven. He perched himself on the outside of Steve's window. The prince was deep asleep and of course, looked completely harmless. Eddie knew not to be fooled by that though. Dustin looked downright cherubic when he slept but could still be an absolute menace. This was a prince, meaning he'd been taught in the ways of strategizing your next move and making every moment count.

It was very likely that he was just regaining energy for an escape attempt later on. Nancy's worries didn't fall on deaf ears. At the time, the reason Eddie didn't put a constant eye on him was because Dustin seemed attached to him already. Now that he was out of the cell, Dustin would probably seek him out at all hours. Which meant the prince wouldn't be able to get far before the young boy mentioned to someone that he couldn't find him.

He was dangerous. Eddie had to remind himself of that even as the prince was surrounded by softness and his face was smoothed of all tension.

The next morning, Steve was awakened by someone banging on the door. "Up and at 'em! Time for work!", Robin shouted through the door.

Steve got up, almost reaching for the doors of the wardrobe before remembering there wouldn't be anything there for him. All he had were the clothes on his back. Even the ones he'd come in with, dirty and wrecked, had been taken. Probably tossed, useless as they were.

He took a quick look at himself in the bathroom mirror. It wasn't too bad. His hair was lacking in its usual style, falling over his forehead, and there was still a bit of darkness under his eyes, but at least he didn't have that layer of filth anymore.

Steve let out a sigh when Robin pounded on the door again. He understood people's problem with him, that didn't mean he liked it.

"What, no breakfast?", Steve asked when she all but dragged him down the hall. They passed a few people who had sneers and glares to spare. At least back home people knew how to hide their disdain for him.

She put him to work in the music room again, arranging chairs with a prepared diagram. He heard someone call her name and she was out of the room, leaving him by himself. Steve wondered if they were just underestimating him or if they were that confident in their security. Steve continued to work for a few minutes before deciding to try and venture outside.

The moment he stuck a foot out the door though, a gaggle of kids were out in the hallway, waiting for him.

"See! I told you!", Dustin exclaimed.

Mike's jaw was on the floor. "They've got you doing chores?!"

"That's gotta be all he's good for", a red-headed girl he didn't recognize said.

The rest of them included Will, Lucas, and another girl he'd never seen before and they started arguing among themselves about Steve and his uses right there.

"Hey, hey!" Steve clapped his hands. "Has no one ever taught you brats any manners?"

"Do you really think so little of us?", Dustin asked.

"Forget it. I've got work to do." Anything to not be surrounded by a random group of children. But just as Steve went in to finish putting up the chairs and arranging the instruments, he was followed right away by the kids, discussing very loudly what was to become of this whole music lesson thing.

"What gives Eddie the right to tell us what to learn?", Lucas asked.

"He's literally in charge of everything else", the red haired girl, Max, said.

"And you guys had no complaints about him making sure you get educated in other things", Mike said.

"Because every young child should have a healthy dose of math, science and the arts", Dustin said.

"Guess what music counts as", Will grinned.

There was that Eddie guy again. Apparently in charge of what these kids learned. Maybe he was some sort of headmaster? Or some kind of higher up here. But Steve had never heard a title attached to their name. Not a lord, or duke, or even a mr. So just who was he to these kids. Steve's interest was almost piqued to ask but he had other things to worry about. Like filling his stomach.

His stomach growling was somehow heard over the cacophony of voices and it was heard by El. Steve had only known her for about fifteen minutes and yet she unnerved him. She laughed and smiled like any child and yet there was something lurking underneath the surface with her.

"He's hungry", she commented.

"Time for lunch then", Dustin decided.

Steve was somehow corralled by them all and he found himself taken to the castle kitchens. He was taken aback by the sights and smells. It was just like the kitchen back home, when he used to sneak down as a kid. The only difference was that instead of a numerous staff, there were much fewer people.

That and some of the pots were stirring themselves. Steve went up to one in awe.

"Magic?"

"Cooking magic", Will explained.

"Sit down, children", a voice said from deeper into the kitchen and Steve was pulled to a small table in the corner with chairs for all of them. The moment they did, a tray of warm bread floated to land in the middle and bowls of soup came flying towards them, landing without spilling a drop.

"Thanks mom!", Dustin called out.

Steve's mouth watered. He'd been eating scraps for days and none of it had been warm. He took his first bite and nearly cried. It was so good. some of the best he'd ever had. The kids were still talking, but Steve hardly paid whatever topic they were discussing any mind. He was too focused on the food. That and the fact that they didn't seem at all bothered by him.

The king's minions had attacked him and thrown him into a dungeon without any thought. The king himself hadn't shown his face until he was sure that Steve had no value as a bargaining chip. That Robin woman saw him as a pack mule and used him as such. The few adults in the kitchen would openly glare at him and Steve wondered if he should worry about poison in his food.

But Dustin and his friends...it was like they didn't care.

Robin appeared just as they finished eating to drag Steve to the library and have him move books around. Steve thought that at least he'd be free of the kids, but of course they weren't too far behind. The idea of library manners were lost to them as well, as they kept their normal volume around what must be thousands of books.

The next couple of days went very much the same, Steve being led around by Robin to reorganize the library. Sometimes it was blessedly quiet, the rest of the time, Dustin was there, asking questions about him or his kingdom which usually prompted some kind of argument amongst his friends.

Somehow, despite himself, Steve started to like them. They even got a laugh out of him once or twice. Dustin was bright, if a bit self righteous. Max was always instigating and it was clear she had fun doing it. Will had a sweet face but wasn't afraid to speak his mind. From what he gathered, they all lived here in the castle, and some of their parents were in the staff.

It was such a routine, that Steve was confused when Robin didn't come to get him one morning. He thought he should wait, but when it got close to noon, well he had to leave in search of food. He was still barefoot, but thankfully that wasn't much of a problem. What was a problem was how he was turned around and didn't know where he was going.

He heard some voices from around the corner and thought of asking for directions before remembering his place. If anyone other than the kids saw him walking around unescorted, they'd probably think he was up to something. Steve ran in the opposite direction, avoiding places he heard people talking and ended up in what looked like a sparring arena. The roof opened up to let the sun in and there was a wall of weapons. The area for sparring itself was a simple arena in the dirt and there was Lucas in the middle of it, struggling to lift a sword that was about as tall as he was.

"Uh, I can explain", Lucas said.

"No need", Steve said, mostly because he didn't want to have to explain what he was doing. "You're obviously in the middle of training." He looked to how big the sword was and how there was no teacher in sight. "A little advice, choose a weapon you can pick up."

Lucas frowned. "Why don't you show me, since you're so badass? Dustin told me you know all these techniques but so far I've just seen you carry stuff."

Steve raised a brow as he walked over and took the sword from Lucas. "Carrying stuffy counts as heavy lifting." He took a step away to get a safe distance and swung the sword with ease. "For now, you might be better with that", he used the sword to point to a rapier on the wall.

"That twig?"

"Think it's too much for you to handle?"

Lucas snorted and took it off the wall. He swung it around, not too confident in it. "Looks like it'll break if I went up against that", he gestured to the broadsword Steve had.

"It's not meant to go head to head like that", Steve said, sure that Lucas was imagining his sword slicing down right on top of Lucas' blade. "Real sword fighting is about using your skill to create an opening to land the right blow."

"Isn't most fighting like that?"

"Just shut up and show me your stance."

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

Nancy was running through her to do list in her head. Spring would be coming soon and while the human inhabitants would be celebrating and holding festivals, the demo-creature population would be preparing for hibernation and there were things that needed to be arranged.

Her thoughts were interrupted by sounds coming from the sparring room. Neither she nor Jeff and called upon anyone but the room could be used by anyone trying to brush up their skills. Curious as to who was putting in extra work, she was surprised to see Lucas clashing swords with the prince. She didn't see anything else but red. She didn't see the smile on Lucas' face or how slowly Steve seemed to move.

She pulled out a dagger first, throwing it right in front of the prince's nose to get him to back off before unsheathing her own sword and getting between him and Lucas.

"Whoa! That was too close! You could've hurt him!", Steve said.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!", Nancy shouted back.

Lucas put a hand to her shoulder from behind. "Calm down, he was just-"

"Stay behind me. I knew something like this would happen." She advanced, raising her sword against Steve.

He was surprised at her ferocity when she was so small. That was when he remembered. "You were part of the ambush!"

"I should have killed you then", Nancy declared while actively trying to kill him. "Eddie was wrong, you're-"

Steve cried out when he tripped on a stray rock, cutting his foot in the process. It caused him to fall forward, which Nancy wasn't prepared for. A rush of black smoke was their saving grace, pushing Steve away and cushioning Nancy before turning into a man that held her close. Not just any man, of course. The king.

And just like most of the court, all he had for Steve was a hardened glower. Lucas had been stupefied into silence but spoke up when he saw the blood.

"Listen, it's not what it looks like! Steve was helping me train."

"And why would he do that?", Nancy demanded to know as she righted herself. "You know we're not taking on anyone new until training officially starts. You shouldn't even be in here."

"Yeah, well he was", Steve said, ignoring the pain in his foot for now as he sat up. "And he needed some pointers."

The king's eyes narrowed. "So you took it upon yourself to train him?" Then he looked to Lucas. "And that's the story you're going with?"

"It's not a story, it's the truth. We were just practicing", Lucas said.

The king stared down at the prince, thoughts running through his head. He approached and Steve held up his sword. His foot might be hurt, but he could still fight if this beast wanted a challenge. To his surprise though, the king paused, and held his hands up like he was trying to show he meant no harm.

He glanced down at Steve's foot. "Let's take care of that first. Everything else can wait."

"I don't need your help", Steve said, rising to his feet. He took a step and while he held back a hiss, he was able to move just fine. He knew he was dripping blood but his pride kept him from looking down. He let the sword drop to the floor. He'd find his way back to his room and tear a bandage from his sheet or something.

He let out a yelp when suddenly he was lifted up into the king's arms and when he blinked their faces were just a breath apart.

"I can appreciate being too proud to accept help, but I won't have you trailing blood around the castle."

Steve had no choice but to cling to him. Walking or being carried, his blood would still drain from his foot, so he could see how it mattered. The king carried him anyway sat Steve on his bed where a bandage cloth was already waiting, as well as a basin of water. He was set down on the bed and Steve expected to be left alone to dress the wound but the king surprised him yet again by kneeling and starting to wash his foot.

"You're...You're the king, aren't you?", Steve asked.

"That I am."

Steve didn't think he needed to elaborate. Kings didn't kneel. For anyone. And they especially didn't help enemy royalty with cuts and bruises. They didn't carry them to their rooms. It made no sense at all for King Edward to treat him like this, especially after what he had to endure in his cell.

"Why were you helping Lucas?", he asked.

Steve shrugged. "Kid needed help. He was trying to lift a sword as big as he was."

"Hmm. Well, considering the current state of affairs, it's been irresponsible of me to leave you unattended for so long. So you'll be getting a new guard detail, starting tomorrow."

That sounded more sensical than anything else that had happened so far, so Steve didn't even question it. Someone came by to drop of dinner, but besides that, Steve didn't see anyone until the next day when the king himself appeared at his door with a pair of well worn boots.

"Of course. You're my guard."

"No one better", the king grinned.

Part 9

Tag Team

@thesuninyaface @only-evanescent @snakeorsquid @ignoremyworld @theclichefortunecookie @goodolefashionedloverboi @just-a-tiny-void @0body0disphoria0 @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @samsoble @jamieweasley13 @y4r3luv @xtkxkrzrizir @un-knownperson @greekgeek24 @justdrugsformethanks @potato-of-the-lord @notaqueenakhaleesi @swimmingbirdrunningrock @queenie-ofthe-void @nebulainajar @lil-gremlin-things @nicememerino @robininblue

[callofdudes]

141 + Rodolfo & Laswell general headcanons

Before he was Ghost (and still sometimes after) he was the guy you'd go to if you had a rip in something or wanted something stitched/embroidered.

His brother was the type to bully him like he did, but if anyone outside the home tried to hurt Simon Tommy would beat them.

Had a schedule where he was to be home straight after school but would sometimes get to go dirt bike riding with Tommy.

Was a prime bullies target because he was very small before his growth spurts. And after said growth spurt has a lot of stretch marks around most of his muscle area.

Is the favorite child of Laswell.

Loves squishmellows, has many.

Will eat Thrills gum just to spite everyone even though it tastes like dish soap and he hates it.

Brings all Gossip to Gaz first.

Because of trauma and stress Simon gets constant migraines and everyone knows to avoid him because he gets insanely cranky.

Knows spanish from how long he was kept in mexico.

Used to play those computer games where you had to input the command of what you wanted the simulation to do.

Doesn't like VR. It's cool but he gets motion sick inside.

Huge mama's boy.

Had braces when he was younger but it didn't stop him from showing off his amazing smile.

Used to bug his older sisters with nerd guns.

I like the idea of Johnny being the youngest chaos gremlin but being the middle child also works for him. (Of two or three sisters)

His parents let him be in football because he was a very smart kid. Topping his science and math classes and becoming valedictorian of his class.

He thinks he's the favorite child of Laswell.

Gets scared when Simon tells him about pixel command prompt games.

While his sisters were watching Frozen he was dealing with the weird crush he had on the king.

Steals pick up lines from Kyle.

Doesn't voice his achievements a whole lot because he wasn't enough for his dad when he was younger no matter what he did. Which has led to his snarky form of confidence and Rizz.

Even older people with take credit for his work and he will fight.

Was 100% a theatre kid.

And an only child.

Is scared to come out even to people close to him after what happened when his platoon mates first found out and wouldn't let it go.

Also thinks he's the favorite child.

Almost got his eyebrow pierced once.

Started to learn what a good father should be because of Price.

Brings all gossip to Ghost first.

Massive people watcher. People credit Ghost for his people watching but it just gives Kyle more opportunity to also people watch.

Has a mentor/big brother little brother relationship with Ghost and they're actually very close.

Used to be a menace when he was younger, and to be fair he still is.

Can't have kids because his balls don't work very well 😅

He was in history in school and was also very good at math.

The Duolingo bird hates him for some reason so he's taken to learning languages from interrogations, now knows 7 languages.

Is Nikolai's permanent backup plan if some shit goes down in Russia and has gotten used to waking up with the man asleep on his couch.

Attracts girls looking for older rich men and it pains him to tell them he is not old, nor is he rich.

Had a strict Military dad who currently still works for the military as a higher rank than him and they do not have a good relationship.

Spends most of her leave time up in the mountains camping. She loves being out in nature.

Has older brothers who are really into rock climbing so she'll accompany them and their friends for rock climbing and camping when she can.

Simon is the favorite child.

Everyone thinks she's married to Price but she'd actually scold him like a child half the day and encourage his antics like a good friend for the rest.

Was in the history and chest club.

Keeps gifting Simon his squishmellows.

Mother to all her 141 children.

Brings her wife to base and Johnny had taken to calling them the "moms".

Will bully people for 141.

Have you ever seen the crazy taser girl?? Yeah, that's him. He has many tasers and he loves them all.

He's actually crazy.

Very capable of yelling and defending himself but Alejandro has bestie senses and usually beats him to whoever did it.

Rudy is quiet but don't bark at him because he barks back.

Alejandro and Rudy used to skip school and go hang out on the cliffs they now trek for military.

His father made a joke once that he was going to get milk and Rudy never recovered mentally.

(and then he left for real-)

He was in photography and sports team manager in school.

After checking out each other's turf, Simon and Rudy are now chronically insane besties.

(had this in my drafts for a while, decided to post because I'm bored.)

[nogenderbee]

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ 𝕄𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕕𝕪 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦 ₊˚ˑ༄

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ anon request: Could I request Neuvillette's s/o making a song about him and singing it with the Melusines and other Fontaine characters?

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Of course! I did it only with melusines in the end so I hope you won't mind that!

Also omg, this is such a cute idea and I won't lie when I say my heart melted a bit just by imagining this. So hopefully you'll like it too!

Also I may've let my creativity carry me here-

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ fluff

As someone who loved and even made music, you simply had to make a song about your boyfriend. You spent many days thinking of perfect way to turn your feelings into music. Untill one day... one pretty rainy day in Fontaine when you were away from your partner who had to stay at work.

You've realized that something calm and slightly melancholic but with rather lovely text would suit his appearence and your feelings perfectly!

And once you've figured it all out, you just needed to decide what instruments to include to math vibe of the song. That's when you got approached by a melusine on Fontaine streets.

"Good morning Y/N! Am I right to assume you're troubled? Do you need any help?"

"No, no, I'm fine. But thank you!"

You said rather confidently and were about to leave with last goodbye but that's when you got an amazing idea!

"Actually... can I count on your help?"

The melusine approved of your idea after brief explanation, seeing it as nice way to thank Neuvilette for his hard work. Before you knew it, you had group of melusines willing to help you out. Of course some had to decline due to work but you were still satisfied with the amount of help.

You presented to them your idea on how they can sing the melody instead of using instruments and others can be background chorus. It was kind of a love song so it was only natural for you to take the leading vocalist role as Neuvilette's partner.

You practiced with melusines almost every day for this specific moment. It was past 8pm, there was almost no one in the area and yet, Neuvilette was still on his office, dealing with work.

You just knew he was tired and what better way to get him to take a break than showing up with loveliest surprise?

You and melusines got ready, even with few papers in hand to make sure no one will mistake their text and role. It may look like a job or forcing it to some, but it really wasn't! You could see from looks on their faces that they were happy to make hydro dragon's night a bit better as well.

"And 3, 2, 1..."

You counted everyone in as you saw their ready glances. As soon as "1" was said, melusines began singing melody just like planned, so you could smoothly enter first verse with the chorus supporting your singing.

Neuvilette, upon hearing the song sang by many familiar voices, couldn't help but stop working on his paper work and get up to check what's going on outside his workplace instead.

Once he left, his expression was one of pure shock but it didn't took long for it to turn into purest smile. He noticed the group you've collected and the emotions you put in singing. Not only that, whole song just put him at ease in just a small moment. So when it ended, he clapped his hands, giving all of you small applause as smile on his face was even more evident.

"That was beautiful. Thank you everyone for surprising me with such an adorable gift."

He made sure to stay polite and thank every single melusine, even inviting them for a drink. Though at the end of the day, his eyes were set on you alone. And when it was just you and him, he made sure to give you a soft kiss, figuring the meaning and effort behind this song by now.

"Thank you for preparing all of that for me. I couldn't ask for better surprise."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

@bleachtheidiot @toyaswif3y - come get your otter judge!

[hoonzluv]

HEART’S ECHOES - NISHIMURA RIKI

chapter 5: goody-two-WHAT?

yn sat alone in the study room, surrounded by books, papers, and notes. she had reserved the room for the tutoring session but felt a bit nervous. even though she had told her teacher she was happy to take on the task, she wasn't entirely sure how it would go.

suddenly, the door opened, and ni-ki walked in, his backpack slung over one shoulder and a carefree expression on his face.

"hey," he said with a light smile.

"hey," yn replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. "how are you?"

"i'm good, i guess. a bit tired from classes, but good. you?"

"i'm good too, thanks. so, what do you want to study today?" yn tried to keep a professional tone, wanting the session to be as productive as possible. "i have these papers for us to go over." she pointed to a stack of neatly organized notes. "these are my class notes. i also have my personal notes if you need something more specific."

ni-ki sat down across from her, pulling out a notebook and a pen from his backpack. he seemed a bit lost, like he didn't know where to start. "uhm, well, i think what i'm struggling with the most is math. i don't get any of the stuff from the last unit."

"perfect, let's start with that," yn said, sifting through her papers until she found the math notes. "i've got everything we've covered so far right here. if you point out what you don't understand, i can help you better."

as yn spoke, ni-ki found himself staring at her for a moment. he'd never really paid much attention to her before, but a few days ago, when they were texting about the session, he had seen her profile picture and realized how pretty she was. now, seeing her in person, he confirmed it. yn was strict and structured, sometimes a bit stubborn, but she had a dedication and passion that he was starting to admire.

ni-ki flipped through his notebook, showing a page full of equations and messy notes.

"it's this part about derivatives. i don't get when to use which rule, and i always mess up the steps."

yn looked at the page and nodded. "okay, let's start with the basics." she grabbed a marker and began writing on a whiteboard mounted on the wall. "there are three main rules you need to know: the power rule, the product rule, and the chain rule. i’m going to explain each one, and then we'll do some exercises together."

“wow, you’re such a goody-two-shoes, ynki teased, grinning at her. “always so prepared and organized. how do you do it?”

“oh, it’s easy,” she replied with a hint of sarcasm, “just years of practice being responsible while others slack off playing with balls.”

ni-ki’s grin faltered for a moment, feeling slightly offended by her comment. “yeah, well, not all of us are perfect,” he muttered, trying to brush it off.

as yn explained, ni-ki paid attention, though he occasionally scratched his head in confusion. she made sure to go step by step, pausing to check that he understood each concept before moving on.

"does that make sense so far?" yn asked after explaining the first rule.

"kind of, but i still feel a bit lost," ni-ki admitted.

"that's okay, it's normal at first. let's practice some examples together." yn wrote an equation on the whiteboard and asked ni-ki to try solving it using the rule they had just reviewed.

ni-ki took the marker and started writing, hesitant at first but growing more confident as yn gave him little nudges of encouragement.

"exactly, that's correct." yn smiled when ni-ki finished the equation. "now let's do another one, but this time using the product rule. remember, the key is to identify the parts of the function and apply the rule correctly."

the session continued this way, with yn patiently guiding ni-ki through different problems. after a while, she noticed that he was starting to grasp the concepts better.

"how do you feel now?" she asked after they solved several exercises together.

"better, definitely. i think i'm starting to get it," ni-ki said, smiling slightly.

"i'm glad to hear that." yn returned the smile. "we can review this as many times as needed. i also have notes on other units if you need help with something else."

"for now, i think this is enough. but i'll definitely need more help with math and maybe with chemistry too."

"perfect, i'm here to help with whatever you need." yn gathered her papers and organized them again. "next time, we can focus on chemistry if that works for you."

“yeah, that sounds good. thanks, yn."

"you're welcome, ni-ki. see you at the next session."

as ni-ki left, yn felt an unexpected relief. he first session had gone better than she expected, and although there was still a lot of work to do, she was confident they could achieve good results together and so she will be able to have one more thing in her extensive school record.

prev - m.list - next

note from now on the chapters will be based on different weeks because i need the story to progress... this stressful to do but i enjoy it XD

©  hoonzluv all rights reserved. 2024.

[cnnmairoll]

Last Tune

Track 01: One Only, Pamungkas ; Playlist (masterlist) Suna x Reader

Oh, there you are Sittin' still, all stripes and lonely Hidin', wishin', waitin'

-

Your mind drifted back to the first time you met Suna. You were classmates but had never spoken to each other. It was the first day of your second year in high school, and you found yourself in the same homeroom. He sat in the back, his dark brown hair slightly tousled, eyes fixed on something outside the window. He always had that blank expression, as if nothing ever truly fazed him.

You were new to the class, having transferred from another school, and you felt a little lost amidst the sea of unfamiliar faces. During lunch, you found a quiet spot under a tree, hoping to escape the awkwardness of trying to fit in. You pulled out a book, seeking solace in its pages.

-

While I'm, here I am I'm standin' still, stare at you only Everythin' gets blurry

-

It was then that you noticed Suna standing a few feet away, his usual indifferent expression replaced by a look of mild curiosity. He approached you slowly, his movements deliberate and unhurried. "You're the new student, right?" he asked, his voice low and calm. You nodded, slightly taken aback by his sudden appearance.

He didn't say much after that, just sat down next to you, his presence quiet but oddly comforting. You exchanged a few words, mostly about the book you were reading, and he listened more than he spoke. It was in that moment you felt the first spark of a connection, something unspoken yet undeniably there.

- All I want is just to stay You can't shake me I would never dare let go Through the talkin' and the walkin' I will give you all of my lovin'

-

Over the next few weeks, you found yourselves spending more time together. Suna had a way of slipping into your daily routine without you even noticing. He would sit next to you in class, walk with you to the school gate, and occasionally join you under the tree during lunch. His presence became a constant in your life, a quiet reassurance amidst the chaos of high school.

You learned that beneath his deadpan exterior, he was surprisingly observant and thoughtful. He noticed the little things, like how you preferred certain snacks or the way you tapped your foot when you were anxious. He wasn't one for grand gestures, but his actions spoke volumes.

-

Start countin' all the days Forever I will stay with you With you, one only you Go far and roam about Come back and callin' out to me To me, one only me

-

You remembered the day you truly became friends. It was after a particularly grueling math test, and you were feeling defeated. Suna found you sitting under the tree, tears of frustration threatening to spill over. Without a word, he sat down and handed you his favorite snack—a simple yet comforting gesture.

"Math sucks," he said bluntly, and you couldn't help but laugh through your tears. It was the first time you saw a hint of a smile on his lips, and it made your heart skip a beat. From that day on, Suna became your confidant, your partner in crime, the one person you could rely on no matter what.

-

Oh, I'm in love What did I do to deserve you? You tell me, what did I do To be with you, love? To be the one you runnin' into When the days do come through

-

He confessed his own frustrations about school and life, and you found a kindred spirit in him. The two of you would often sit together, talking about everything and nothing, your conversations flowing effortlessly. He made you feel seen and understood in a way no one else ever had.

You wondered if he was listening to this playlist somewhere, his expression as unreadable as ever. Did he miss you the way you missed him? Did he replay these songs and feel the same pang of regret?

a/n : this sucks SIGHH first time trying to write a song fic

[bi-bard]

Phoebe Bridgers Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Kaz Brekker - Kaz Brekker Imagine [Shadow & Bone]

Title: Phoebe Bridgers Songs That Would Describe a Relationship with Kaz Brekker

Pairing: Kaz Brekker X Reader

Word Count: 2,671

Warning(s): bad family, anxiety/anxiety attack

Author's Note: This was originally for a different character from a completely different show, but I think it fits Kaz better.

Not even gonna lie, the last song is a bit of a stretch.

**Not intentionally written in chronological order**

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

Smoke Signals

And you, you must have been looking for me Sending smoke signals Pelicans circling Burning trash out on the beach

I had grown used to spending time in Kaz's office when I wasn't working.

It was quiet, calm. Even when he was planning whatever the Crow's next job was, I would find it nice to just be there. To simply exist in that space with Kaz.

He was going over some of the paperwork for the Crow Club. Inventory and budgeting. It was almost humorous, watching someone with such a notorious reputation do something so... normal.

I could tell that he was getting frustrated over something. I was sitting opposite him.

"What is it," I asked. He looked at me as if he was shocked that I noticed him. "You aren't very good at hiding your scowl. What is it?"

He paused, debating if asking for my help was a good idea. "This math isn't adding up."

I stood up and walked around the desk.

"What are you doing?"

"I spent years watching my dad fill out paperwork just like this," I explained. "Let me look it over."

He moved to the side a bit. "You don't talk about your family very often."

"Neither do you," I countered. I glanced at him. My joking tone fell off when I saw the look on his face. "You never asked."

There was a pause as I scribbled on the paper in front of me.

"There. Done," I grinned. "Go ahead and check it, but I'm pretty certain that I'm right."

"Tell me about them."

I took a sharp breath, turning around and leaning against the desk. I looked at him.

"Please."

"I ran from home years ago," I said. "Nothing beyond that is important."

"And you settled here," he asked.

"Didn't have the funds to go anywhere else," I replied.

"Why'd you leave?"

"Kaz-"

He placed his hand over mine. One of the few steps forward we have made since we started this relationship of ours.

"I was unhappy," I never realized how much I despised talking about this. "My parents didn't want children. It was... all too obvious to me. Once I was able to take care of myself, I had to. I left because I needed a place where I wasn't a burden. I needed a home."

"And you chose Ketterdam?"

"I chose the Crows."

He raised an eyebrow at me, pulling his hand back as he leaned back in his seat.

"I met Jesper, started working here, and it all just... clicked. As if I had just been following some path here... to the Crows... to you."

Vulnerability was not an easy thing for Kaz or me. It was stunning how much two words could truly impact both of us. There was a shared tension. A sharp breath through the nose as our hearts both moved a little faster.

But it felt pointless to step back now. "I feel like I've known you my entire life."

There were a few moments before Kaz pushed himself from his seat.

He stepped closer.

We both watched each other closely. I was almost convinced that I could hear his thoughts. I could hear him going back and forth with himself. I waited, watching him map out scenarios for what could happen within the next few seconds.

When he moved, he was slow. I couldn't tell if he was still convincing himself or simply giving me the time to pull away.

When his lips touched mine, it was gentle. I would have called it awkward if I didn't feel how fast my heart was racing and how warm my face was. It was nothing more than a few moments of his lips touching mine.

He leaned back first. I grinned at him.

If this was the feeling that I had been looking for when I left home, then I could confidently say that it was all well worth it.

Steamroller

But then I see you Always smiling Makes me wanna touch you Keep from dying

Working in the Crow Club was more an accident than anything.

Jesper got me the job. He introduced me to Kaz and insisted on giving me a chance. I ended up making drinks.

It was enough for me. I got the money that I needed to survive and for the first time ever, I finally felt like I was a part of something. I had a group, support. It was the only thing that had felt like a family to me.

I didn't think that it would ever go beyond that.

Until one night.

The club had shut down for the night. I was cleaning off the bar when Kaz came down the stairs from his office.

"Evening!" I smiled at him, not quite registering the scowl on his face until after the cheery statement had escaped me. "Are... Are you alright?"

"Can you just... get me a drink," he asked. I nodded before grabbing him a drink. I slid it over to him.

As he sipped, I tried to ask my question again, "Are you alright?"

"Fine."

I couldn't say that it was surprising to only get one-word answers from Kaz. Even on his best days, he wasn't known for long-winded answers. They gave too much away.

I went to put the bottle away, but he stopped me, pointing at the bar so I would put it down.

"That doesn't seem fine," I replied as I did.

"Did I hire you to ask about my feelings?"

"You hired me because Jesper guilted you into it," I shrugged.

"Exactly."

"Meaning that you didn't define my tasks very well," I said. "How would I ever know that you didn't want me to ask about your feelings?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. I just offered a grin to him, tilting my head a bit. He rolled his eyes.

I couldn't force him to talk and he knew that I never would. Instead, I stepped back and walked around the bar, going to check for a few extra glasses that patrons had just left around the club.

I wanted him to talk to me. I would give anything for him to trust me like that. I always wanted to believe that I had stopped considering the possibility of anything happening, but then there would be the nights when it would just be the two of us. I couldn't stop myself from entertaining those possibilities.

And I always felt so childish for that.

I thought that Kaz just continued to ignore my existence.

But when I made it back to the bar with a few glasses, he spoke up.

"Sit with me," he muttered.

"What," I asked, convinced that I had misheard him.

"Sit with me," he spoke up a bit more. "Please."

I set the glasses down before dragging myself onto the seat next to him. "Did you... Did you need something?"

I wonder what went through his head at the time. I wanted to know what potential answers he came up with. If I had my way, I would know every sentence that he held back around me. Just so I could understand it all.

"I just want you around," Kaz confessed.

I tried to bite back the large smile that tried to form on my lips. "Oh."

"Don't be smug about it."

"I'm not," I replied. "But... why me?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes."

He looked at me. "I... like your company... I like... you. You make me feel better."

"Really?"

He didn't respond, instead deciding to look down at the bar.

"Well, for whatever it's worth, I like you too, Kaz."

When he looked back at me, I could have sworn my heart stopped for just a few moments. I had to take a moment to remind myself to breathe. It felt ridiculous, sitting there and feeling so nervous. I felt like nothing more than a scared kid.

"We should talk about... this a bit more, shouldn't we?"

"Maybe."

And that was enough for me to be happy.

For now, at least.

Motion Sickness

I have emotional motion sickness Somebody roll the windows down There are no words in the English language I could scream to drown you out

I had grown accustomed to bumping into people at the Crow Club.

It was kind of a natural consequence of my job. You throw a bunch of people into an arguably small room, tell them all to focus on their game, and then watch them risk far too much money in a night. And then you threw someone in the middle to help the truly committed players get their drinks. It took a lot of convincing and a small bonus fee to convince Kaz to let me do it.

Bumping, nudging, awkward tapping, waving... all of that was usual to me. No one ever grabbed me. Not anymore, anyway. Two mistakes were all it took for that lesson to be learned by all of the patrons.

So, when I was suddenly grabbed while I was on my way back to the bar, I was immediately ready to pick a fight. I turned around immediately but froze before a single angry word could escape me.

My parents were standing in front of me.

"(Y/n)-"

I stumbled back when my mother reached out for me.

She furrowed her eyebrows. As if she was actually surprised why I wasn't jumping for joy over seeing them. She tried to step forward and touch me again.

I stumbled back again, going a little farther this time. "Don't touch me!"

"(Y/n)," she sighed.

My yelling caught the attention of a few patrons. My parents went to move forward, but Jesper walked over, filling in the space between us. He touched my arm, furrowing his eyebrows at me.

I didn't have an explanation for him. Not one that was going to be any good. I couldn't have formed any words if I wanted to. I knew that the words were trying to form; I could feel my jaw moving a few times.

He turned his head away from me, letting go of my arm as he stepped over to my parents. "Who are you?"

"That's our child-"

"No, I'm not," I finally spat out. I felt someone touch my other arm. I looked over at Inej.

"We have been looking for you all this time!"

"Have you?" Kaz stood just a few steps ahead of us. "(Y/n) said that you were more than happy to go about your lives. Let your precious child struggle in the Barrel."

"We didn't know where you had gone-"

"I thought I had made it clear," Kaz grumbled. "You speak to me, not (Y/n)."

"You don't get to tell me whether or not I can talk to my child," my dad snapped at him.

"It's my club, I can do whatever I want."

My parents didn't speak up after that.

"I think you should both leave. (Y/n) has made it clear that they have no interest in speaking with you."

"I am not going anywhere without my kid," my dad stepped up to Kaz, getting in his face. Kaz didn't flinch or step back. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at him.

"I think you are."

"You little rat-"

Kaz turned around and walked toward me. Jesper and Inej blocked him from my father as if they were a wall. I was still tense, fists clenched and jaw tightened and breathing unsteady. I could feel the tears in my eyes, but I didn't want anyone to see them fall. Hell, I barely wanted to let Kaz see them fall.

"Go upstairs," he instructed me quietly. I didn't respond, my eyes still fixated on the intruders. "(Y/n)..."

I finally looked at him.

"Upstairs."

I didn't say a word as I stepped back and walked to the spiral staircase. I could hear my parents yelling for me as I made it over there. I slammed the door of Kaz's office shut, relieved to know that it could muffle some of the sounds of their voices.

I let out a heavy sigh, feeling the tears overflow. I stumbled away from the door.

I found myself curled on the floor at the foot of Kaz's bed. I clasped my hand over my mouth, trying desperately to keep any cries to myself.

I jumped when the door opened a little while later. Kaz was standing in the doorway. He took a deep breath, going to close and lock the door. He stopped in the archway.

"I'm sorry," I muttered in an admittedly pathetic-sounding voice. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"(Y/n)," he said.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Stop," he cut me off. "You are not to blame for what happened today."

I rolled my eyes, looking down at my lap. It was hard to not feel like it was my fault. It was my parents making a scene because of how I left.

"They left," he explained. "I'd like you to take a few days off. Let the dust settle. If they come back, I don't want them having access to you-"

"I thought I'd be happier to see them," I stopped him. I didn't even think about it. "I... I wanted to be happier to see them. But they were just... they were standing there and... they didn't even acknowledge- I know that I left suddenly, and I didn't tell them anything, but they've had years to figure it out. They were awful... and I missed them so much. And I feel so stupid for missing them."

I dug the heels of my palms into my eyes, urging the crying to just stop. I felt this sick feeling in my stomach. I couldn't collect my thoughts. I couldn't find a complete sentence to explain myself.

"(Y/n)..."

I pulled my hands away from my face only to be met with Kaz's hand being held out to me. I took a deep breath before taking his hand, letting him pull me off the floor.

His eyes studied me for a minute. I wondered if he was having as much trouble finding his thoughts as I was. Kaz wasn't used to comforting people, I knew that. But I knew that he was trying his best for me.

"You should lay down," he finally said after a while. "Try to rest."

I nodded, letting go of his hand as I stepped around him. "I'll come back tomorrow."

"I meant... here."

I froze for a moment as I looked back at him. "Here?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

We had made a lot of progress since we first got together. But sleeping in the same bed was entirely new for both of us. And this didn't seem like the time to try to push any more boundaries.

"I have paperwork to take care of anyway," Kaz acted like it was nothing. "Just lay down."

I understood the hint. "I'm not letting you sleep in your chair, Kaz-"

"I'm not letting you go walking around Ketterdam at night when I don't know if you're safe."

I didn't respond to that. I knew how much he cared for me. That didn't change how nice it was to hear it out loud.

"Please, just lay down."

I finally relented, nodding and walking around the bed. "Thank you."

Kaz grinned at me before walking back to his desk, just on the other side of the archway. I pulled off my shoes and tried to get as comfortable as possible under the covers.

The bed was nice. Nothing fit for a king, but nice. It smelled like Kaz. It made it easier for me to bury my face in the pillow and pull the blanket up to my chin.

That sickening feeling in my stomach finally started to fade. I was finally able to breathe evenly.

It was rough. And the next few days were going to be the same.

But I had Kaz and the rest of the Crows.

That made everything just a little bit easier.

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

Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[seysei]

To think that Mikado developed a habit of never finishing a simple chess game with his youngest son after having the little confidence he ever had in himself completely and entirely destroyed by his eldest, who was just five years old at that time.

To think that just like his daddy, (point and laugh yall) Mikuni also pushed misono around while playing chess when they were younger and ended the game very similarly to how his father did with misono, telling misono it's late and that he should go to bed.

To think that Mikuni quite literally planted a false and traumatic memory in Misono's head, the fact that misono was never there and witnessed what happened, the fact that it was such a cruel thing to do to your little brother who was just a child back then, yet somehow you knew that it was essential in order for him to find out the truth about his life that you knew your family was going to keep away from him. No matter how much they lied, that lie you planted was much stronger than theirs. (everytime misono was made to forget, told off or had his memories manipulated by lily, it would always be that one memory Mikuni planted in his mind that doesn't fully disappear, the one reason he needed to visit the east wing for, trying to fully remember, and its always because of that image that he once again tries to make it into the east wing regardless of how many times lily has stopped him)

To think that shuuhei resented the vampire that killed his father, while Mikuni willingly spends day and night with the vampire that killed his mother right in front of him.

To think that Jeje is accepting of Mikuni using him for his own benefit. To think that Jeje is accepting of Mikuni throwing him away once "he no longer has any use of him". (I will literally cry, and I almost did when Jeje thought of it and said "all that's left for me is to see things through, once I lose this name-" LIKE WDYM)

To think that Jeje has gone through many eves and continuesly had to see them lose themselves, become insane and engulf him & he had no control over it. ( and yet.. He still made a couple more contracts in hopes of that "maybe this time it will be different") (it never was)

To think that Jeje volunteered to be sealed away by C3 without even knowing when he will ever wake up again, "hopefully not" is what he most likely wished for, considering his character and how he was looking for a way to die to begin with. (yet something deep inside of him couldn't help but be a little.. Perhaps happy..? grateful? When Kiriko broke the seal on him)

To think that Mikado thought of and gave a sincere gift to the woman whom he was having an affair with, while neglecting his own wife who was one of the sweetest and greatest supports to him and his lack of abilities.

To think that abel is just that 'coincidence' of a gift that Mikado's wife (Kiriko) received from him, yet Mikuni still holds it dear to him as keepsake that once belonged to his mother, regardless of him knowing the disappointing truth behind it.

To think that you thought this post was going to end soon.

To think that Mikuni knew of his father's affair far before his mother even figured it out, (you do the math on how young he was then) Yet of course kept quiet, lived with it, decided to be mature about it, understanding that no good would come out of telling her, understanding that you cannot change what's already happened and that his mother was bound to find out soon enough anyway-..Because, according to him, his father wasn't that good at keeping it a secret. (even so, I feel like deep down mikuni felt very guilty, like he was betraying his mother by feigning ignorance to it and was no different from the others in the house who tuned a blind eye to his mother's heart & feelings)

To think that Mikuni grew up too fast & Misono grew up too slow due to one knowing too much for his own good (although he probably thinks that knowing too much is better than knowing too little, and perhaps he's right about that) while the other was kept in the dark so he doesn't meet the same fate as the one who knew too much.

To think that Mikuni wanted people to perceive him in a bad way/as the perpetrator/as a bad person, and according to himself & Jeje it will be for his own benefit... (perhaps because its easier to control or fool others when you know how they perceive you? Who knows. Furthermore, to be fair, he isn't far from a bad person if not one, undeniably a criminal with a variety of different crimes, makes Jeje do the dirty work so his own hands remain clean and pure)

To think that Mikuni burned down the east wing, the place that holds both good & bad memories for him. His diary, his books, his secrets and feelings, things that he never told, feelings that he left behind, equipment from his childhood such as the violin that his mother gave him for one of his birthdays along with the many music sheets spread all over the floor. The place where his mother died before him, the place where he first made his contract with Jeje, the place that holds so much importance to his story. It All burned to ashes, all possible pieces and traces of himself that remained in that place, for seven years after he left- its gone. Turned into dust.

To think that some still hold hope for the alicein family to become one piece once again after allat? I won't even blame Mikuni if he suddenly decided to burn the rest of the house. (/hj) (I'm not) (jk lol)

(I'm really not)

[bruh-2004]

𝙉𝙀𝙍𝘿 𝘽𝙊𝙔 ➻ 𝙂𝙐𝙉-𝙄𝙇 (𝙓𝘿𝙃)

WARNINGS: fem! masturbation, explicit, inappropriate words, mention of penetration at the end, a hot nerd gun-il to destroy the sanity of the fandom.

SYNOPSIS: It was college exam time, you were having difficulty studying and decided to ask the hot nerd in your class for help.

───✱*.｡:｡✱*.:｡✧*.｡✰*.:｡✧*.｡:｡*.｡✱ ───

"So, doing it this way we managed to get the result of the account, it's not as difficult as it seems, don't you agree?", you nodded, pretending to be paying attention to the boy's explanation, the time for exams at your college had arrived. , unfortunately there was a math subject and you were always terrible at that subject since school, knowing that you couldn't do it alone you decided to ask the hot nerd in your class for help, goo gun-il.

There was no way to lie, he could even be a nerd, but an extremely handsome and attractive nerd, in fact you never had anything against nerds, on the contrary, you always admired their intelligence, but you had never been interested in any, but that changed when you met gun-il. He's a nice guy too, he agreed to help you without any problem, but let's say that your goal wasn't just to study, it was also to try to flirt with him, in the hope of finally being able to kiss him.

"Y/N, are you sure you can understand? You seem a little hazy" he said making you come back to reality, you sighed and got up from the couch leaving him a little confused. "I understood to a certain extent, but now my mind is in a knot... Can we take a break?", gun-il chuckled and agreed, getting up and placing the book on the coffee table, you gave the idea of ​​going have a snack and he agreed, so you went to the kitchen.

It wasn't 100% easy for gun-il to be there with you, he secretly likes you, he thought you were a beautiful and interesting girl from the first time he saw you, although they didn't talk often every time they exchanged words with you. You always treated him very well and it made his heart flutter, sometimes he thought you were crazy for talking to a nerd, but he was happy for you to talk to him.

When you were tidying up the things that got dirty you ended up dropping a glass of water in Gun-il's direction, wetting his shirt, you got a little scared, apologizing again and again and he laughed at the situation saying that everything was fine, the boy's shirt You ended up getting soaked and since you didn't have another shirt you thought about what to do, until you came up with an idea that would happily help you put your plan into practice. "I don't have a shirt to lend you, but you can take off yours and I'll put it out to dry, I don't mind seeing you without a shirt so if you don't mind you can feel free", he was a little shocked by the proposal , but gun-il is a different nerd, he's a little shy but not that much, not to mention that he gained confidence since he started working out, he ended up accepting the idea and took off his shirt.

Your gaze was focused on him, observing how beautiful he is, he looked at his muscular arms and his clearly toned abdomen, damn you had to hold back a lot to not drool in front of him. "Here you go, thank you" he said handing you the shirt, still a little dazed you told him to wait for you in the room and you'd be right back.

---------------- ♡ ---------------- ♡ ----------------

You two had gone back to studying, but if you weren't paying attention before, now it got worse, how could you concentrate with his muscular arms right by your side? 0 conditions. At this point in the championship you were already surrendered, you decided to put your plan into practice straight away.

"Gun-il, do you happen to have a girlfriend?", he looked at you immediately, stopping reading the contents of the book. "I don't have... Why the question out of nowhere?", you laughed quietly and took the book out of his hands, leaving it next to you on the sofa, gun-il was confused seeing you look at him carefully and put a hand up to him. his arm, stroking it slowly. "It's just that you're so beautiful, smart, fit... I thought you had it, but I'm happy to know you don't have it", "I don't understand what you're trying to say with all this Y/N", again you laughed and so he decided to demonstrate with actions.

Your other hand went to his thigh, you felt him shiver and with that you realized that he was enjoying the situation, your hand went up his thigh further and you left a grip on the spot, the two of you looked at each other and you said "Do you understand now or do you want me to demonstrate more?", he laughed and one of his hands held yours, which was on his thigh, "I didn't know you had feelings for me" his look had adopted a different shine, you laughed too and stood up going in front of him, you knelt on the floor and held both of his thighs, his gaze was attentive to you, the sexual tension was clearly growing.

"I feel gun-il, since I saw you I felt something different, I couldn't take it anymore, every night I dreamed about you", you started to slowly move your hands up his thighs, threatening to get close to that place. "And... What were those dreams like?", he asked, a little shy, but curious, you laughed. "For a nerd you're pretty interested, huh", he laughed and said "It's just that I'm not like other nerds... But tell me, if you want of course", "What about if... I count on body language?”, he agreed, giving you a signal to go ahead.

His hands finally reached the long-awaited place, gun-il was freaking out inside, he wanted this as much as you did. He bit his lip when your hands lowered his shorts, you removed the piece completely from his body and threw it on the floor, with this extra freedom you began to caress his dick through his underwear.

Moans were coming out of the boy's beautiful lips, you already had your mouth on his cock, sucking eagerly, sucking, licking, doing everything he allowed you to do, gun-il had loosened up with your touches, his hands were in your hair, pressing the strands, he was loving the way you took his dick all the way in, almost choking. "I've imagined so many times you sucking me like that... By God, woman, you're incredible", you smiled at what he said, removing your mouth from his dick and licking the pre-cum, "I'm happy to hear that, you're the one who it's incredibly hot, will you be free tomorrow to help me with my studies again?", gun-il laughed and replied yes, you stuck his dick in your mouth again, alternating between going deep and sucking just the glans, this cycle remained until finally you managed to make him cum in your mouth, while you were soaking wet from that alone, without even having received a touch from him.

"Damn, you suck me so well, I think I'm going to want that every day", he said looking at you smiling, you got up and wasted no time, took off all your clothes and went onto his lap, your intimacy contracted just by feeling the contact with his dick, gun-il noticed and smiled, taking his hands to your waist and without saying anything he brought your lips together, the kiss became wild at the same moment, he kissed you so well, better than you imagined , the way he squeezed your waist made you more and more excited, like something automatic you started rubbing yourself on his dick.

“Y/N... I want to fuck you so bad, I can’t handle you rubbing yourself like that,” you watched as he threw his head back. "Don't hold back, fuck me, I swear I'll keep your little secret and continue supporting the shy nerd image", gun-il had fun with you, it was crazy how he could feel several things at the same time.

"Well, since it's like this, be ready to have to miss tomorrow", gun-il stopped wasting time and held his own cock, brushing your intimate area, ready to fill you.

[serendertothesquad]

Seren's Studies: Odd Squad UK -- "The Other Ozzie" Episode Followup, Part 2

Look, I'm not gonna lie...whoever said this episode was good is someone I'm gonna smack. Because my lower body is screaming from dashing to McDonald's, but my hands are primed.

I kid, I kid. I will not smack anyone. But let's see what happens after the break anyway.

Okay, when I said in my followup for "Oddtober the Thirteenth" that this was gonna fuck with the timeline, I said it with "it's not actually gonna happen, right?" confidence.

WELL GUESS THE FUCK WHAT IT'S FUCKING WITH THE TIMELINE AND FUCK YOU JON. KA-CHOW YOUR WAY INTO THE CANNON.

Halfway in, I'm getting the unsettling feeling that, much like Marty Marmalade was previously, Oz is meant to be an audience surrogate for all the kids who can't figure this shit out. Not as strictly as Marty was, but the sentiment is still very much there.

Sorry, Orli, but this episode you're getting dethroned.

"Without a script, I'm useless."

"But you're...you're reciting lines from a script right now."

"No, no. I need the script in my hand. That's how this works, I'm afraid."

"You know what I'm going to say, don't you, Agent Onit?"

"Can I just tell you the name of the place? Without giving you the coordinates?"

"I understand you need to tell them for the math lesson, but give me the name of the place first."

"...The writers are breathing down my ne-"

"JUST DO IT."

No no no. If you were green, you'd be de- stop. Stop it. STOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHP-

In which Oz finally learns about autonomy as a member of the Homo sapiens species.

And still botches it up anyway because...uh...

I dunno, can I headcanon him as autistic? Is...can I do that? Because the more I think about it, the more I start to do an "oh my God, I can relate" DiCaprio point.

This "I'm not good with faces" bit isn't really funny to me. Again, you can have a gag, but there's a difference between spacing it out and using it for everyone. When you do the latter, it's a very irritating inconvenience.

Wh- since fucking when? He's cartoonish, sure, but that doesn't exactly translate to being fast.

Jon, my guy, you're going up there with the ranks of Omar and Tasha and I don't like that.

So if he gets a bunch of ideas at once, will he get a migraine? Will his head and brain explode in a big gory mess?

Yeeeeeeeeah, an exciting chase to catch the villain! ...That will only last for less than a minute.

Won't get fooled again...until I'm fooled again.

Now, see, this portal effect is cool. It looks like glittery slime. I like it.

Timetastrophe? Jon's never heard of he.

Seriously, I devised better rules in The Odd Squad Council and yes that is a shameless self-plug and no I don't regret anything.

Ahhhhhh, here it is. The famous blooper reel of the episode. The blooper reel that we really should have gotten for the entire franchise.

Honestly, we should have gotten this dramatic announcer guy a good 8 years ago when they were advertising the first movie.

Okay, I was half-expecting this, but my attention's really more on how Orby is just Orli with glitter scrunchies. (And Oz is just Ozzie with sunglasses, but y'know, that's a little bit besides my point.)

Like I said, this is the blooper reel we should have gotten for the franchise, but instead get tacked onto the end of a decent-but-also-terrible episode.

If you're willing to film BTS content, you're willing to share the blooper reel. Make that a hashtag!

EVEN THE ANNOUNCER GUY IS FUCKIN' FED UP WITH THIS SHIT AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh God...I wasn't expecting to cackle but this was an absolutely beautiful cherry on top.

Guy who knows autonomy, meet a girl who doesn't.

And your credits for this episode. Real shame they didn't give the Mayor a name like with Mackelmore, but I call him Ryan Lewis and I'm fandom founder so you have to listen to-

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

Overall, this was...a hard pill to swallow. Between the board of villains and...well...Oz, this episode is not one I'm particularly fond of. I feel like if they explored a bit more of the Movie Star Dimension instead of staying in the world we know, it would have been better. The way it is now, it seems more like they're trying to shove a unique concept in there but failing to make it actually unique aside from Oz himself.

And speaking of Oz...enough with the damn Math Lady memes. I'm like the "stop talking about Among Us" guy but it's "stop doing Math Lady". Get with the times, boomers.

Well, now that that's over, we've reached the finale, kicking things off with "Three is the Oddest Number", which will introduce the Terrible Three. Confidence not inspired in me, but I have a small sliver of hope. Just a small one.

Seren out!

[tomwambsgans]

so i've assumed for the longest time that 2x7 must take place in march of 2020 because in 2x9 DC, gil refers to march 12th as the night that tom sent greg the "can't make a tomlette" emails, and of course a deleted scene from that episode is the only time we would have ever seen that phrase mentioned otherwise. it also makes complete sense, narratively, to essentially do a little fakeout: "tom, is [the date that you burned the documents] significant to you?" "nope! (feeling confident bc there's no proof of him having done that on that day)" "well that's the day you sent all these batshit emails, and how i know for certain you are well acquainted with greg hirsch." "uh oh"

ntm the fact that it makes a lot of sense as a character choice for tom to specifically send greg that email over and over again on the night that he's kinda trying to punish greg, and where he's probably totally unable to sleep.

anyway, there's a But incoming... i fucking wish there wasn't, but. somehow i've only just now realized that in DC, gil refers to the thanksgiving of 1x5 as "last year." which would indicate that it's still 2019, and therefore the march 12th he's referring to should be a day very close to tom's wedding. and, admittedly... it's not totally out there that tom's initial reason for coining the phrase was because he learned about the Greg The Egg nickname, from shiv having told him after hearing it from caroline. hell, maybe it was when they first started at ATN and it was tom's anxiety spilling out to match greg's Principles.

obviously it's a lot of personal bias that mainly makes me not want this to be the case, like... the sheer amount of fic i've written just confidently using the timeline where a year has passed in the first 7 episodes of season 2, which would be fucked to hell if i accept that DC is in 2019 lol

however..... it IS pretty undeniable that at least a year passes in season 2. do the math: exactly 2 years between the pilot and 4x1. ~5 months pass in s1. 2 and a half weeks pass between 2x9 and 3x5 (according to frank). the rest of s3 takes place - MOST LIKELY - over the course of no more than 4 months. about 3 months pass between s3 and 4, based on knowledge of shiv's pregnancy. and no gaps between seasons otherwise... that's a year left. there HAS to be at least one months-long timeskip somewhere in there. and it's always seemed very plausibly to be between tern haven and argestes, given the notion of pierce "fucking them about." for the longest time i've even specifically imagined argestes as being after the holidays and in january of 2020, partially bc that's convenient for why any notion of logan's 81st bday, the recny ball of 2019, and the holidays are all completely missing. the holidays would also be a good excuse on pierce's end not to rush a deal, and finally, i took into account the weather in that episode.

frankly, i consider the climate heavily when i'm working out the timeline of a show. especially this one. if they wanted to make it plausibly deniable what time of year it was, they'd set the episode indoors. or they'd pick a different part of the world for the roys to visit. and in the season 2 finale, they're on a yacht and explicitly swimming in the mediterranean. it's VERY unlikely that they'd be comfortable hanging around in swim trunks and swimming in those waters if it was any time between october and march. going off of that... if s3 begins in late 2019 as opposed to april/may of 2020, then caroline sent out her wedding invitations no less than 6 months early.

basically it's split between this:

what gil said has more weight. we can assume that the seemingly conflicting weather is a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in 2019, the emails were around the time of the wedding, and the huge timeskip containing the holidays is in s3 which also means that caroline sent out her invitations very early

settings and characterizations have more weight. we can assume either that gil misspoke or that it's a metatextual flub to be ignored. DC is in april of 2020, the emails were sent during The Return, and the huge timeskip was in s2 and took the holidays of 2019 with them

[starwarsmum]

Onto Day 20 of @maribat-calendar-events Maribat BioFamily September and we're back in my BioDad Bruce Wayne AU!

Marinette sat in the exam hall, powering through her maths paper as fast as she could. She had been working hard in her classes and was confident that she was going to pass with flying colours. So taking her time seemed pointless and she was determined to enjoy the very little sunshine that was peeking through the constant cloud cover.

When she was finally free, she raced out of the room, dropping her paper on the teacher's desk. She breathed in deeply when she stepped outside, smiling up at the weak sunlight. She missed the sunny afternoons she used to enjoy in Paris, and still felt the dull ache of missing her parents.

When Alfred turned up to take her and Jason home she was quiet, though she didn't feel as hopeless as she did when she had first arrived. She felt like they were starting to get to a place where she could start healing from the loss, not only of her parents, but of her friends too. 

She had begun to talk to Jason a lot more, about her parents, about the life she had left behind in Paris. In turn he'd shared some of the details of his upbringing, such as it was. Of the man who had died at the hands of Two Face and the woman who had overdosed not long before he met Bruce.

And he had told her excitedly of the woman that it turned out might be his biological mother. She had been sad but encouraged him to do what he could to find her. After all, as they both well knew, there was no guarantee that family would still be there later.

When they arrived back at the manor that afternoon, however, Jason was whisked away by Bruce to talk about something privately. Marinette, used to these little tête-a-têtes, sat down in the kitchen with Alfred. She chatted about her favourite recipes and baked goods. It had taken a long time for her to get comfortable with talking about anything related to her parents, but it was slowly improving.

After a solitary dinner, Marinette wandered over to Jason's room, curious. When she arrived, he was packing a bag, flitting around the room anxiously. She cleared her throat and knocked firmly. He cursed when he dropped what he was holding but turned to her and grinned. 

“Hey Mari,” he said, resuming packing. She stepped into the room, picking up a shirt he had dropped near the door. She waited patiently as he rushed around, throwing everything into his bag. Eventually he stopped and sat on the bed, glancing over to her. “Bruce found a lead on her. Sheila, I mean.”

“Oh! That's good news, right?” Marinette was pleased for him, even as envy spiked through her gut. She knew that their situations were actually pretty similar, parents he had known his whole life being dead only to have someone new who might fill the space. But he had had time to grieve his first parents before finding Sheila, so he was only excited.

“Yeah, only I have to travel to find her,” he grimaced, taking the shirt from her hands and stuffing it into the bag. He wasn't looking at her any more, twiddling the straps to his bag nervously. “It means I won't be here for a while, I'm sorry.”

Marinette focused on her breathing for a moment. She knew she didn't have a claim to Jason's time, that she was just someone who had been foisted into his life, but he had been hugely supportive. And she would be lying if she said she wasn't harbouring a small crush, even as she tried to push it down. 

“I mean, if you need me here, I can stay,” he said after a few minutes, sincerity obvious in his tone. But Marinette shook her head, knowing that Jason was desperate to find his mother.

“No, you have to go. It's not like you get the chance to find a parent every day, and you don't want to be t-too late,” she felt a cold lump settle in her stomach and wrapped her arms around her middle. “Just…just promise you'll come back as soon as you can?”

“Promise,” Jason said, beaming at her before jumping back up and grabbing the bag. He faltered as he touched the door handle. “Listen, Bruce isn't exactly thrilled with the idea of me going to find her. Will you cover for me? Just say we're doing homework or something and then that I went to bed early? I don't want him trying to stop me.”

“Sure thing, Jay.”

_ _ _

When Marinette woke up the following day, Alfred was knocking on her door and reminding her that she needed to have breakfast. She was sitting at the breakfast bar when Bruce swept into the room to talk to Alfred. Marinette was surprised; Bruce was usually even more chronically late to things by sleeping in than she had been.

“He isn't in his room.” Marinette froze, dropping the cutlery as she flicked her gaze to the adults in the room. Alfred gave her a quick, searching look, which she couldn't hold. Bruce turned towards her, as though he hadn't realised she was in the room. “Marinette? Have you seen Jason since he went to bed last night?”

“Um, I- no, I haven't seen him,” she said, picking at her fingers nervously. She could almost feel the scrutiny from the pair and quickly shoveled some food into her mouth. She glanced up at them, only to see them exchange a look. She swallowed hard and hoped that a night was enough for Jason to make headway in finding his mother.

“Miss Marinette, when did you last see Master Jason?” Alfred asked, his tone kind but firm. Marinette focused on her plate, chewing her cheek furiously. He waited patiently, something that made Marinette feel even more nervous.

“I…saw him last night?” She said weakly, cursing her inability to tell lies unless her secret identity was on the line - which was no longer an issue. The silence that followed her statement made her wince and she glanced at Bruce, who was watching her with a furrowed brow. She cracked. “Look, I know you didn't want him to go after her, but it's his mother and if he doesn't go now, when could he?”

“He could have gone when we had made a plan,” Bruce said in a clipped tone he had never directed at her before. She could almost feel the anger rolling off of him in waves and shrank in on herself. “Jason has a tendency to rush into things when he should wait, and it could get him seriously hurt, Marinette.”

“But what were the chances of her disappearing before he followed, if he waited?” Marinette shot back stubbornly, not expecting Bruce to be able to counter it. So she felt her cheeks redden when he did.

“Given that she's been in the same place for quite some time, I'd think he had time to plan,” Bruce snapped, fist thumping onto the counter in frustration. Marinette felt herself getting angry too, standing up so she could glare properly. It made her shorter, given the stools were pretty tall, but she felt silly arguing while sitting down.

“Listen, it's Jay's choice if he wants to go and find her. Now, I'm going to school,” she said, dismissing him with a glare. She turned to Alfred, losing some of her steel when he gave her a disappointed look. “I'm sorry, Mister Alfred, but he asked me to give him the chance to find her.”

“I understand, Miss Marinette. I only hope he is safe, following after a woman he has never met,” Alfred replied, making Marinette feel small. She hunched in on herself, flinching when Bruce muttered something darkly and swept from the room. She assumed he was going to drag Jason back and then she would get a punishment for her insubordination.

She only hoped that Jason had the chance to find Sheila before Bruce found him.

_ _ _

Marinette sat in the drawing room, hands shaking and stomach rolling. Bruce had returned that evening - alone. Alfred had asked her to wait for them in the drawing room and they had yet to return for her. She was desperate to know where Jason was. Had he decided to stay with his mother for a while? Was he coming back separately but soon? Or had he and Bruce fought, and he was cooling off somewhere else?

She was broken from her thoughts by the door opening again, Alfred and Bruce coming in. They had grave looks on their faces, and Marinette began to panic. Why weren't they saying anything? She looked to Alfred desperately, searching for some sign of what was going on. But it was Bruce who spoke.

“Marinette, we need to tell you what happened, and it isn't easy,” he said, voice stilted and stiff. She flinched, turning wide eyes onto Alfred who shook his head gently. A cold feeling spread through her, starting at her fingertips and toes, and creeping along her veins into her chest.

“Okay, but can you tell me when Jay's coming home?” Everything stopped when Bruce flinched, her heart trying to push itself out of her chest. Her lungs couldn't get enough air, but she tried again. “Mr Wayne, Mister Alfred, when is Jay coming home? I- we have a test on Wednesday, it's literature and he would hate to miss it. I know he said he'd be gone for a while, but I don't think he'd like to fail a test just because-”

“He's dead,” Bruce said, cutting her off. Marinette froze, her breath shortening painfully as she tried to process the words. She looked back at Alfred, waiting for him to deny it, to say that Bruce was playing a cruel joke to teach her not to lie. But he merely looked at her sadly, his eyes red.

She didn't remember much after that, she thought that someone had wrapped an arm around her but the only thing she could feel was a dragging, crushing sensation, as though someone was pulling her heart out of her chest and squeezing. She vaguely recalled Bruce saying something about a funeral - how did she have another funeral to attend, for people who had lives ahead of them? For someone her own age? - before leaving the room.

She went through the motions of nodding and listening to snippets as Alfred explained in more detail - Sheila, the Joker, a bomb - but mostly she was crumbling. She felt the piece of her that had been repairing, with every shared evening, with every heartfelt conversation she and Jason had had, crack apart. And this time, she didn't think she could put it all back together.

[kinshenewa]

Moon sighed irritably, glancing down at his tablet as he walked. He had to always ensure his duties were up to date, which allowed him the freedom to walk around as he pleased and not be confined behind a desk like some people. His nose twitched, and he looked up, a decadent and delightful scent hitting his olfactory senses.

He looked around the drab grey hallway, walking further as he tried to pinpoint the scent. It was spicy, tangy, sweet. Like human chili mixed with lemon. He liked human food, it always intrigued him. But this smell intrigued him even more.

He kept walking, eyes half closing. Nearly running into a wall, his eyes snapped open to see he was at the gym, which was pretty quiet save for soft breaths. There seemed to be only one person working out right now.

Moon loved working out. He loved to feel the strain on his muscles as he got stronger. He looked gangly, like the rest of his species, but he was actually impressively strong. He was a bit insecure, however, so he usually did his workouts at night, when everyone was asleep.

Strangely enough, it was quite late, and yet someone was in the gym.

He walked further in, looking around before seeing something that made his breath hitch.

It was that human. She had a look of concentration, wearing black headphones as she did squats with a large weight. His eyes widened as he noticed the weight ring that was visible to him had a "50 lbs" on it. This human must be American.

She breathed heavily, staring at herself in the mirror. In this lighting, she looked so strong and muscular, her thighs almost as thick as his waist when she squatted down.

He put a hand over his heart, which beat fast as a gentle blue blush dusted his face. He was speechless, his jaw dropped. Oh wow...

She then set down the weight, sighing as she laid on her back on the floor. "Gods fucking damned it." She muttered, and Moon's blush darkened ever so slightly. Her voice... Sun wasn't lying when he said she sounded like a queen. It wasn't high-pitched like most females, but more androgynous and raspy, perfect for lullabies.

"How long ya gonna stand there and stare?" She asked, taking off her headphones as she stared at the ceiling.

Moon startled slightly, broken out of his reverie. "O-oh, um, apologies. I was coming here to work out, and... couldn't help but notice your strength...." Moon replied softly, and she chuckled as she looked at him.

"Ah, Moon. The lunar part of the Celestial Jester twins." She said with a smirk, "Ya know, soon as I smelled ya, I could feel my heart rate increasing in terror. Not gonna lie, you actually helped a bit with my workout, so thanks for that." She shrugged, sitting up with a hum. She stretched her arms above her head.

Moon could feel his breath stolen away by this muscular beauty, the lighting illuminating her impressive musculature.

"Anyway, how much you squat? I'm curious how strong ya are." She said, smiling at him as she stood up. He could see her pale face, her quivering hands, and twitching eyes. He knew she was terrified right now, but at least was making an effort to be friendly.

"Oh, um, well, in human terms you would understand, I can squat with 200 pounds." Moon responded after a moment.

The human chuckled as she replied, "Times that by 3 over 2 and that is how much I lift."

Moon thought for a moment, doing a quick bit of mental math before he gasped incredulously, "300 pounds?!" He could feel his heart speeding up as his face grew warm. Oh she was strong. She was very very strong.

"Yeah. I could probably lift more, but I still feel a bit of uh... what the word... resistance when I do it with 300. Don't want to overexert myself and fold like a lawn chair!" She replied with a laugh, and Moon's face flushed. Oh god, her laugh, it was beautiful. Raspy and slightly deep that sent a shiver down his spine.

She walked closer, smiling up at him confidently as she said, "Let's see you lift, bro."

Moon blinked, his red eyes widening. He chuckled nervously as he said, "Oh, well, uh, I'm actually a bit shy about that..."

She snorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry about being insecure around me. I'm not a judge-y person. I don't like being judged, so I don't judge others." She replied with a smile.

Moon could feel a fluttering sensation in his stomach, his hands clasped over his heart as he looked at her with wide eyes. Such a kind and considerate person!

"That is... quite nice." He finally said, and she smiled and nodded. He checked the time, seeing midnight fast approaching. "Well, um, I need to go." He said softly.

Cadence smiled, waving a hand dismissively. "Aight then, see ya around hotstuff." She replied, chuckling as she turned and left.

Moon blinked, watching her leave. He went back to his room in a daze, his face a dark blue. Entering the living room, he saw Sun sprawled on the couch, tinkering with a human phone. Sun looked up and saw Moon, smirking as he sat up and teased, "Ooh, what's got the big Moonie all flustered?"

Moon frowned at Sun, huffing and crossing his arms. "Well, if you MUST know.... I ran into the human.... At the gym." He replied, and Sun let out a loud 'ooh'. "Oh shut up, I was just going to do my normal workout, then saw.... her there." Moon snapped, covering his face with his hands as he added quietly, "She can squat with 300 pounds on her shoulders.

Sun looked surprised, eyebrows raised as he replied, "Wow! Looks like we got a big muscle mommy on our hands~"

Moon glared, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at Sun's face. Sun laughed boisterously as the pillow hit his face, and Moon blushed deeper as he said, "Sh-shut up! I'm going to bed."

"Have muscular dreams~!" Sun teased, and Moon growled as he went into their shared bedroom. He plopped onto the bed, covering his face with his left hand as his right hand held his heart.

He could understand his brother's interest with the human now.

And he had no plans to ignore her.

[alexsno1student]

Sunday night. The worst night of the week. Maddie's stomach churned at the thought of another week of school, the dreaded uniform, the snarky teachers, and worst of all, the stupid pressure of stupid senior year. She couldn't do it, she wouldn't. Maybe she'd put on her best act for her mom the next morning; "Mom, it's my period! The cramps are sooo bad and they kept me up all night!" No, it would never work, her mom wouldn't let her miss a day unless she was on her deathbed. She sighed, checking her timetable to see the dreaded day ahead. But there it was, highlighted in yellow: "Monday, 4th period, Biology." Maddie's eyes lit up and her heart fluttered. She didn't mind sitting through her boring math class or an hour of her insane english teacher - it was all worth it for Mr Reed. She daydreamed about him as she pulled on her plaid pyjama pants and grey tank top. His soft olive skin and dark curly hair, his chiselled jaw and nose like a greek god. His shirts just tight enough to reveal the lean and muscular frame underneath, and his sleeves rolled up to reveal his veiny arms and hands. Oh how Maddie wished those hands would touch her. How she wished she could rip that shirt from him. He was only thirty, but the bags under his eyes and unkempt hair, and his often unshaven jaw made it clear that Mr Reed had been through some shit, despite his humorous demeanour. He was a mysterious man, and all the mystery only made Maddie want to dive deeper into him. It wasn't just lust. The way he made her laugh, the stolen glances between them. Maddie was, even if delusional, in love with her teacher.

"Maddie, hurry up and grab your books, we don't want to be late to bio!" Clara called, as she stood in the doorway of their AP history classroom.

"I'm coming!"

Maddie jogged to catch up with her as Clara walked down the hallway toward the laboratories.

"Do i look okay?"

"Babe, you look hot as always." Clara replied, her uncurbed confidence rubbing off on Maddie. Maddie wore a pair of black jeans and a dark green tank top, and her faithful black converse which she wore almost everywhere. The jeans and top were small enough to reveal a bit of midriff, Maddie's belly peircing poking out, and just enough cleavage so as not to be dress coded, but still catch Mr Reed's eye. Maddie had a small frame, slim arms and legs and an hourglass waist. She knew was blessed with a great metabolism, because she barely had to exercise to have the body all the girls her age dreamt of. She had dirty blonde hair that fell in natural waves, and her face was scattered with freckles. Maddie didn't think she was particularly beautiful, but she knew she was pretty. The type of humble pretty that girls admire and boys chase. But she had never been interested in boys her age. Because she was in love with-

"Mr Reed! Hi Sir, how are you?"

Clara's remark made Maddie's eyes shoot up. Her blue eyes met Mr Reed's brown eyes for what felt like a small eternity. She didn't want it to end.

"Hi girls! Come on in."

Maddie followed Clara into the classroom and set her books down.

"You're blushing?" Clara said.

"Shut up! It's just hot in here or something"

The first half of the period went by in a flash. Mr Reed had been talking about genetics... probably. He could have been reading an instruction manual, and Maddie still would have been entranced. She sat the whole 30 minutes with her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her hand, and her eyes roaming Mr Reed's face and body. His Jawline, the gum in his mouth while he talked, the way his hands moved and all the definition in his veins. It felt so wrong but so right. Ugh, what was she thinking? Maddie would never have a chance with a teacher. The remainder of the lesson consisted of individual work, or in Maddie's case, daydreaming. Shortly before the end of the lesson, Maddie felt Mr Reed's eyes burning into her. This was her chance. She twirled her hair for a moment, allowing Mr Reed a moment of candid beauty to admire, before she looked up at him, his eyes quickly darting away. Maddie blushed and stared back down at her untouched work. That had to mean something.

Feet began to shuffle outside in the hallway and the bell sounded, as Maddie's class started to join the masses of students on their way to lunch. Mr Reed put a hand on Maddie's shoulder and she swivelled around, the warmth of his hand on her shoulder still tingling.

"Can I chat to you a sec?" he asked, looking into Maddie's eyes.

"Of course!"

Clara peered her head back around, confused as to why Maddie hadn't come out of the classroom yet.

"Don't wait up Clara, save me a seat in the cafeteria."

Clara nodded and swung back around the door and out into the bustling hallway.

"what's up?" Maddie inquired.

"I just wanted to check in and make sure everything was ok with you?"

"Yeah, Im fine, why wouldn't I be?" Maddie said.

"I don't know, you just seemed distracted today. I just wanted to make sure everything was ok... Look. I really care about you, okay? And by senior year, I see my students as people, you know, not just kids or a job."

Maddie blushed. Why did she have to blush so easily?

"Thanks sir, I really appreciate that." she replied, gripping the back of her neck.

"Alright Maddie. See you round!"

"Bye sir!"

Maddie practically skipped to the cafeteria, and replayed the interaction for the rest of the day in her mind. He cared about her. He saw her as a person. Maybe she did have a chance with him.

The clock in the car read 5:04 pm. "Shit, I'm late!" Maddie muttered, putting her car quickly into park before she ran into the bar. As an 18 year old, Maddie could finally work for her Aunt Ella at her bar; 'Riverside Oaks.' It paid well, but it was really sad to see the regulars drown their sorrows in liquor every weeknight. A ways into her shift, Maddie yawned. It was only 8 o'clock, 3 hours left. Ugh.

"Hey Mads, you look tired hun. It's a slow night - you can leave early if you want and i'll close up? How about you finish at 8:30 tonight?"

"Really Aunt Ella? Thank you! That would be amazing!"

"No worries kiddo!"

Maddie smiled and turned around to retrieve a washcloth from the sink and when she turned back around she froze in shock. It couldn't be? "Mr Reed?" He whipped his head around as he stumbled toward the bar, and his face lit up when he saw Maddie.

"Maddie! It's Aaron by the way, you don't have to call me Mr Reed. You work here?" He was slurring his words, it was clear he'd already been drinking. She giggled as she replied, "Okay, Aaron. And yes I work here, what can I get for you?"

"A whiskey please."

"You sure you're up for more? It's a Monday night sir- I mean Aaron, don't you have classes to teach tomorrow?" Maddie teased, as she filled a crystal glass with whiskey.

"Nah, fuck work. Can't be all work no play, can it?"

Maddie giggled. She liked the ragged, unkempt, shirt untucked, foul mouthed Mr Reed even more than the intelligent, put-together Mr Reed she knew at school. As she handed the glass to Aaron, their hands brushed together, and Maddie blushed and quickly turned away. She craved that touch every day and it lived up to her dreams, it sent sparks spiralling from her fingertips along her arm and down her spine.

Mr Reed smiled teasingly at Maddie, looking up at her with a glint in his gorgeous deep brown eyes.

"What?" she laughed.

"Nothing, it's just - has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?"

Maddie's cheeks must have been on fire.

"I wouldn't say beautiful-"

"You don't need to be humble Maddie. You're gorgeous. Inside and out. I think about you every day. And I know I'm drunk right now, but I'm a big believer in drunk words are sober thoughts."

Maddie was dumbfounded. She didn't know what to say. All the fantasies and daydreams flashed rapidly across her mind, and without a second thought she slung herself over the bar to Mr Reed. She cupped his face in her hands and pressed her lips into his. The moment their lips met she melted into him, their tongues dancing around each others mouths in perfect harmony. Maddie could taste the whiskey on his sweet lips, drawing the taste into her mouth with every addictive kiss. She pulled herself away to look at Mr Reed, his face mirroring the euphoric shock of her own.

"When do you get off Maddie?"

"In 5 minutes. I just need to clean up and I can go."

"Do you live close to the bar?"

"Not really, it's a 20 minute drive. Why?" she replied

"Do you have plans tonight?"

"On a Monday night? No, i'm home alone tonight, my parents travel for work and I have school tomorrow."

Mr Reed nodded as Maddie cleaned herself up and tossed the remaining glasses into the sink to be washed.

"Come on uh Aaron, I'll walk you out."

Maddie took Mr Reed by the elbow and they walked out together. There were only 2 cars in the parking lot - Maddie's and Aunt Ella's.

"Do you have a ride home? Where's your house?"

"Oh don't worry about me Maddie, I can walk - it's just 20 blocks from here."

"Oh Mr Reed-"

"Aaron"

"Sorry, Aaron, I can't let you walk that far when I can drive it in minutes. I insist"

"It's ok, really-"

"Don't worry about it, just get in the car."

They drove about 5 minutes, Mr Reed's hand gripping Maddie's inner thigh as she let out a small whimper. The intense desire she felt in that moment was enough to suppress the shock at the events of the night. She glanced toward Mr Reed, and it was obvious from his groin that he wanted her as bad as she wanted him.

"I can come inside and help you with that?" Maddie suggested playfully as she brushed her fingertips against his crotch."

He groaned at her touch and tightened his grip on her thigh.

"I'll take that as a yes" Maddie laughed, and Mr Reed replied "A big one", the pair laughing as Maddie pulled up. She texted her mom to tell her she'd be staying at Clara's house for the night before sharing a passionate kiss with Mr Reed and getting out of the car. Maddie and Mr Reed made it inside, making out as the door shut behind them. They made their way to the living room in a tango of making out and stripping one another's clothes off. Mr Reed unclipped Maddie's bra with ease, throwing it over his shoulder as she ran a hand down his chiselled chest and moaned into his mouth. Maddie fell back into the sofa with a squeal of delight as Mr Reed - No. Aaron. This was real, she had to think of him as a real person now - held himself up over her. She had a moment to admire his body in all its glory before she gasped with the entry. Aaron brought his mouth back up to meet hers. They rolled over so Maddie straddled him on her knees, flipping her hair out of her face and melting back into Aaron's mouth. " Oh Aaron" she moaned into his mouth, "Aaron don't stop". Maddie ran her fingers through Aaron's curls before a pleasure immeasurable to anything she'd experienced before began to rise. She moaned as Aaron whimpered, and Maddie knew that although it was incredibly wrong, it felt incredibly right.

Maddie woke up cradled in Aaron's arms, wearing a large, pale blue, button up shirt of his, his breath slow and steady against the back of her neck. The events of the previous night came flooding back to Maddie, and she smiled contentedly, stroking Aaron's arm. She felt Aaron yawn and stretch his arm out before replacing it on her head and stroking her hair.

"Good morning sleepy head" Maddie said.

Aaron leaned over to kiss her, their lips softly parting and and falling into place, like pieces of a puzzle, moulding into one another. He kissed Maddie's head before glancing at the clock.

"Shit!"

It was 9:20, 10 minutes before second period. Maddie didn't even have clothes to wear, a toothbrush, a hair brush, and they had to leave right now to get to school on time. The pair scrambled off the sofa, and Maddie pulled on her jeans and sneakers from work the night before. They were dirty, but they'd have to do. She wasn't wearing her work shirt to school either - 'Aaron's shirt it is,' she thought. She threw her hair into a loose bun and threw a piece of gum into her mouth. Aaron looked equally frazzled, his curly hair a mess and his shirt only half tucked in. They ran out the door, and Maddie headed toward her car.

"Come with me, we can use the staff car park - it'll be quicker."

Maddie thought for a second before running over to the passenger door of Aaron's car. As he sped to school, Maddie pulled up her Tuesday timetable. She had already missed English. "Tuesday, second period, Biology." NO. WAY.

"Aaron, we have bio right now..." Maddie said fearfully. Aaron threw his head back in laughter.

"It's ok Maddie, no one will know." he smiled.

"It's funny seeing you paranoid."

"shut up" Maddie giggled, pushing Aaron's leg.

When they arrived at school, Maddie and Aaron ran straight to the biology classroom. They were only about 5 minutes late, surely no one would notice. Maddie pushed the door open, and stood in the doorway to catch her breath. She looked up and instantly her cheeks turned redder. Everyone was looking at her, and behind her, where she could feel Mr Reed standing. She was suddenly very conscious of the fact she was wearing Mr Reed's shirt. Clara's mouth fell open before she mouthed "what the fuck?" to Maddie. Maddie's eyes darted down and she quickly went to sit with Clara. Mr Reed walked to the front of the class and leaned on his desk, shooting Maddie a knowing look.

"Why's everyone so quiet? Did someone die?" He asked the class. A couple of people laughed awkwardly as Mr Reed put the work up on the screen.

"Alright, today we'll be working in pairs analysing blood cells under a microscope."

Leah raised her hand, "Sir, there's an odd number. Can i join a group?"

"Sure Leah, how about you work with Clara, and Maddie can work by herself. Maddie, is that ok? Just let me know if you need any extra help."

"Thanks Aar-" Maddie's face turned beet red. "-Mr Reed." Clara shot Maddie an incredulous look, which Maddie pretended not to see. No one could know about this. A little way into the lesson, Mr Reed sauntered over to Maddie's lab table. He shot a glance around the classroom - everyone was focused on their own work. He placed a hand on her waist and slid it down over her butt, stroking his fingers up and down her thigh. Maddie took a shaking breath in and smiled a flirty smile up at her teacher.

"Do you need a hand Maddie?"

"Yes please sir," she replied innocently, "I don't know how to work the dials on the microscope." she cooed. Mr Reed laughed and took her hands in his as he stood behind her. He placed Maddie's hands gently on either side of the microscope, twisting the dials slowly and caressing her soft hands with his thumbs. Maddie arched her back, pushing her butt further into Mr Reed's crotch. She could feel him rise against her butt, and he adjusted his shirt before walking around to the front of Maddie's desk. "Maddie Maddie Maddie." he shook his head and raised his eyebrows mockingly. "See me after class." he winked.

The bell rang for first break, and Maddie hung back, pretending to take a long time packing her microscope up. Once the rest of the class had left, Aaron closed the door and walked intently over to Maddies desk, gripping her face between his warm and familiar hands, his lips melting into hers. Maddie moaned softly into his mouth before he picked her up and planted her onto the table top. Maddie crossed her legs around Aaron's waist and pressed her body into his. She pushed Aaron don into a chair, and traced her fingers down his chest, his stomach, past his waistline and down between his legs. Aaron let out a gentle moan, "oh Maddie," his desire impossible to restrain. Maddie broke away from Aaron's mouth, kissing his neck, his chest, all the way down as she unzipped his pants and pulled down his underwear. She looked up at Mr Reed, watching his head fall back as he gasped at the prospect of the imminent pleasure he would soon recieve, before Maddie went down.

"Oh Maddie. I've never been through a more tortourous class. That really tested my self-control" He laughed.

Maddie laughed, her throat still warm. It had tested her self control too.

"So worth it though. That may have been the best head I've ever had."

"Really?", Maddie replied, "It was my first time."

"Bullshit." Aaron replied incredulously. "It must be something about you that made it."

Maddie laughed. "I believe that, I've never heard a grown man whimper," she teased. She looked up innocently at Mr Reed, suppressing a shy smile, when there was a knock at the door. A quiet panic ensued, the pairs eyes growing wide at one another. Mr Reed zipped up his fly and stuffed his shirt into his pants as Maddie fixed her hair and ran around to sit behind a desk. The head of the science faculty, Mrs Davis, burst in.

"Hey Aaron, could y- oh, I didn't realise you'd have a student in here. Hi Maddie, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, extra credit!" Maddie replied nervously, while Mr Reed said "I was just helping her catch up on some work."

Mrs Davis shot Mr Reed a questioning look. "I'm helping her with the extra credit work."

"Right..." Mrs Davis said slowly. "Anyways, Mr Reed, would you be able to cover one of my classes next Wednesday? I sent an email, just accept the invite if you can. Thanks Aaron."

[captainlunaxmen]

The Lady and the Lord

Chapter 5

Eddie munson x fem!reader

This is a repost since the old blog doesn't work anymore. 🥰

Chapter summary: time to pay a little visit at Creel's house.

Chapter warnings: spoiler season 4, the reader being insecure... I think that's it.

We meet all at Nancy's, again. Sleeping all together in their basement.

It would've felt like a nice sleepover, if it wasn't for the situation at hand.

We decided to make turns to check in on Max. So now's my turn and she wanted to chat a bit, remembering old times, she said it helps her so I, more than gladly, indulge.

"Do you remember when you had to tutor me when I first arrived here? To help me catch up on... what was that?" She asks me in a whisper, not wanting to wake the others.

"Math" I remember "I had to come all the way to your house"

"Yeah.. and Billy wouldn't stop bothering you" she chuckle at the memory. That's how we started to bond.

"Yeah... I couldn't even explain one thing to you without feeling him gawking" I chuckle too.

"I honestly thought he had a genuine crush on you" she confides.

"Oh yeah?" I'm surprised "Why's that?"

"I don't know" she shrugs "whenever he knew you had to come over, he made sure to be found working out"

"I thought he always worked out" I wonder.

"Not that always" she clarifies "he always asks if I had tutoring lessons, trying to sound casual, but I knew he didn't care about that at all."

"Oh god" I softly laugh.

"Yeah, and when I said yes, he immediately started to lift something, you know, so he had an excuse to take his shirt off by the time you were there" she explains with a sad smile. "Thought I never noticed"

"I didn't know" I tell her with a sweet smile.

"Yeah.. well.. if anything I hoped you two could've had a chance, somehow, maybe you were what he needed to be someone better." she lowers her eyes, fidgeting with the headphones wire. "If only he was less of an asshole.." she adds with a sad smile.

"It's a sweet thought, really" I say with a chuckle and I gently hold her hand.

"But I guess he wasn't your type, uh? Metalhead nerd is more your kind of thing" she says.

It's good she still tries to joke, she's strong. Thankfully.

"Oh not you too" I roll my eyes.

"You didn't notice how Munson looked at you at the boathouse" she tells me.

"And how?" I challenge, raising an eyebrow.

"Like you were the only one in the room" she answers.

"Like Lucas looks at you?" I remark.

"Maybe" she says, slightly blushing. Good thing her feelings for Lucas haven't changed... that's good.

"Hey.." a sleepy Dustin greets.

"Hey, Dusty" I wave at him.

"Hi"

"It's my turn, get some sleep" He softly tells me.

"I can stay up a while longer if you want" I offer.

"Sleep, Y/n. I'm okay, don't worry" Max reassures me.

"I got her" Dustin gives me thumbs up and a playful wink.

"Okay, okay. If you need anything wake me up, okay?" I tell them and when they nod I make my way to my sleeping bag next to Steve.

I close my eyes and try to sleep, to regain some strength.

I wake up to the sound of Nancy's voice talking to someone on the radio.

"... unless you want me going out into the world."

Eddie.

"No no no. Don't do that" Nancy answers with a sleeping voice. "Stay where you are and we'll be there as soon as we can"

I get closer to her.

"Eddie?" I whisper and Nancy nods.

"Yeah yeah yeah, listen... uh.. can you pick me up a six-pack?" He asks.

Nancy and I roll our eyes.

"I know, it's stupid ad shit, drinking right now, but a cold beer would really calm my jangled nerves"

"Where's Max?" She asks me, I turn to look at where Max wad supposed to be finding that spit empty.

Fuck.

"Here" she hands me the radio and move to wake Dustin, who was supposed to watch her.

"Hello?" Eddie calls."Wheeler?"

"Yeah, hi sorry. We are having a little problem" I tell him.

"M'lady!" he flirts.

"Hi Eddie, need anything?" I ask him.

"Only your beautiful presence"

I can tell.. I can fucking tell he's smirking right now.

Nancy and Dustin ran upstairs after Nancy mouthed "stay here" and I nodded.

"We're...we're gonna be there soon. I promised right?" I assure him.

"That you did."

"So no need to worry" I tell him. "Right?"

"Right, can't wait to see your pretty face again, m'lady" he sweetly tells me.

"Oh god" I mutter, feeling my cheeks heating up once more because of him.

"You know... I can tell from here that you're smiling, so.. you smiling for me, beautiful?" He asks with a teasing tone.

"I told you to stop" I chuckle.

"Never"

"Okay please, you guys, stop flirting" Steve's voice interrupts us.

"We're not flirting" I say embarrassed.

"Yeah we are" Eddie disagrees.

"We have to go, We're gonna be there as soon as possible, promise"

"Promise" he sigh "please?"

The way his voice breaks a little...

"Of course, you take care okay?"

"Sure"

I put the radio down.

"You guys..." Steve starts.

"No Stevie... we... uh... he's just trying to ease the situation, I'm just a distraction" wave him off and he looks at me with a sceptical look.

"Guys" Nancy run back to us. "We.. we might have a lead"

Their lead brings us to a creepy-looking house, worthy of any good horror movie.

Wooden planks on the broken window, cracked walls.. scary just enough.

We walk up to the front door, finding it obstructed by a big wooden plank.

"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" Steve asks, as he remove the nails blocking the plank.

"We're not sure. We're just know this house is important to Vecna" Nancy answers, while helping him.

"That's not exactly promising" I comment looking at Robin, who shrugs.

"Yeah, because Max saw it on Vecna's red soup mind world?" Steve asks.

"Basically" Nancy looks at me with an encouraging smile, not a very convinced one, but it will do.

"Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is. Why he's back. Why he killed the Creels. And how to stop him before he comes back for Max" Dustin suggests.

"But how? Should we expect to find an Upside down version of a diary where he writes all his plans?" I ask. "We know he kills from there and-"

"Wait..." Lucas interrupts me" we don't think he's in here, do we?"

"Guess we'll find out" Max replies.

Nancy and Steve let the plank fall to the ground with a loud thud.

Steve go to open the door, but it's closed.

"It's locked. Should I knock, see if anybody home?" He asks sarcastically.

"No need" Robin chimes in, we all turn to look at her holding a brick. "I found a key" she states simply.

With that Steve breaks the glass on the door and finally opens the door and we all enter. Lucas tries to turn a lamp on, but obviously I doesn't work.

"Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill" he jokes.

So we turn our flashlights on.

"Where'd everyone get those?" I hear Steve ask, quite confused.

"Do you need to be told everything? You're not a child" Dustin basically scolds him and I let out a small laugh.

After Steve got his own flashlight, we start to properly explore the big house.

We look at the ground floor, there's the study, I think, the living room..

"They just left everything." Nancy comments, not shocked, but almost sad.

"I guess a triple homicide isn't for resale value" Robin replies, trying to enlighten the mood.

"Unless you have a fetishism for horror movies and... dust" I say.

"Exactly" Robin agrees with me.

"Hey, guys?" Max calls.

We all go to her, finding her staring at a grandfather clock.

"You all see that, right?" She asks, worried.

We all nod and she seems to calm a bit.

"Is that it? The clock you saw at the school?" I ask her and she nods, still staring at it.

"I mean, it's... just a clock..Right?" Robin says, I don't know if to reassure her or something. "Like a normal old clock"

"Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks? Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?" Steve rambles.

"I think you cracked the case, Steve" Dustin tells him, his sarcastic tone very tangible and Steve glares at him.

"All I know is the answers are here. Somewhere. Okay, everyone stay in groups. Robin, Y/n upstairs"

Nancy, Robin and I walk upstairs, Lucas and Max stay on the ground floor, and Steve and Dustin follow us.

We explore for a while and somehow I found myself investigating a room with Dustin.

"I'd really like Steve's theory to be true... it would be so much easier" I comment.

"Yeah, we could just burn all grandfather clocks in Hawkins" Dustin giggles.

"Yeah exactly! God... why life can't be like a D&D campaign.." I complain.

"That's what I always say" Dustin smiles proudly. "Why you never came to one of our campaign?"

"What?" I ask, focus more on looking for any possible clue than anything else.

"Why have you never joined us?" He repeats.

"Oh you know, problem with people" I shrug.

"But you and-"

"You say something about Eddie, I'm gonna burn you instead of the clocks and hope Vecna likes it enough to go away." I cut him off.

"Only because you know I'm right" he states.

I turn around to glare at him.

"Oh c'mon.." he sighs "look.. I know Eddie. I, unfortunately, saw him flirt with a random person once and it's nothing like it. It's like he's... courting you, you know. He calls his flings 'baby' not 'm'lady'."

"He might be trying something new" I shrug looking away from Dustin.

"You're in denial.. you'll soon realise I'm right and I'm gonna be there ready to say 'I told you so', and I'll be very very happy, because you two are perfect for each other!" he says proudly.

I just roll my eyes, I honestly can't believe what he says it's true. I don't think anyone could really feel something for me.. that simply can't be.

"Why don't you want to believe me?" Dustin asks, confused.

"It's not that" I sigh "Listen, I know you mean well by that, and I'd love for it to be true..." I take a deep breath" like... fine, I might.. might have a small crush, okay, but.. it's just something that doesn't happen to me, Dusty. The first time I actually wanted to give it a try and accept a family, it was taken from me."

"It can't happen everytime.. give it a try." He suggests with a sweet encouraging smile.

"Mh" I reply, not entirely convinced and he just smiles more.

I roll my eyes again.

All of a sudden the lights flicker.

"Guys!" Lucas calls our attention and we all go downstairs, gathering under a chandelier.

The lights buzzing and flickering.

"It's like the Christmas lights" Nancy comments in a whisper and I nod staring at the lights.

"Christmas light?" Robin asks, whispering too.

"When Will was stuck in the Upside Down, he found a way to communicate through lights." I whisper back at her.

"Vecna's here, in this house" Lucas says. "Just on the other side"

The lights suddenly shut down.

"I think he just left the room" Robin declares.

"Did he hear us?" Max asks.

"Can he see us?" Steve asks, concerned.

"Headphones" Lucas tells Max, who quickly put them on.

"Wait, wait. Everyone, turn off your flashlights and spread out" Nancy orders.

We all do as she says.

"We're not gonna be able to see of we tuen off our flash...lights" Steve protests but gives in eventually.

We all spread out in the house, waiting for any signs of Vecna, walking around the house, not exactly to look at it anymore.

"I found him!" Robin exclaims from another room "I got him"

When we arrive there her flashlight shut down. "I..I had him" she says almost apologetically.

But in that moment Steve's flashlights turns on.

"Oh.. woah.. oh I think he's moving" Steve points out ad he too moves "He's moving, he's moving."

He walks upstairs and we follow closely behind him, but when we get there...

"I lost him" Steve mutters.

"No you didn't" Max walks towards a door and cracks it open, buzzing sounds filling the air and we notice the lights in the attic flickering, just like before.

"It's an attic. Of course it's an attic" Robin sighs.

When we're almost there Dustin speaks up.

"Hold up, guys. What if he's leading us into a trap?"

But none of us acknowledge him as we keep on walking up the stairs, gathering once again under a ceiling light.

"Flashlights" Dustin points out.

We look at our torch, they're on and flickering.

"Okay, what's happening?" Steve wonders.

Lights intensify more and more each second.

"What the fuck" I mutter.

It looks like an energy storage or something.

All of sudden the flickering flashlights start to explode, one at a time, quickly till the one from the ceiling.

Everything falls into darkness.

"You guys okay?" Steve asks alarmed, looking at each of us.

"Yeah"

"Yeah, man"

"Okay"

We say.

"What the hell was that?" He asks.

"I.. I don't know" Nancy blurts out.

"It looked like an energy storage or some shit" Dustin suggests.

"Yeah exactly" I agree with him.

"Now we know he's here and that we can... trace him... not sure how that could help, but it's still something, right? Maybe we should go back home and think about all this? Or not, I mean" Robin starts to ramble.

"Yeah.. that's a good idea" Nancy speaks up.

"Definitely" I agree.

"Yeah, let's go" Steve leads the way out of the house.

As we pass the the front door, Dustin picks up his backpack and my gaze fall to the radio.. we didn't have the radio upstairs.. what if something happened to Eddie?

Maybe not.. he said he'd stay at the boathouse.. right? He wouldn't wander around... it's fine, we probably would've heard some noises if he contacted us. Right?.. yeah..yeah...

I try to convince myself.

I wanted to go check on Eddie, but Steve insisted on resting and going all together tomorrow.. so here I am, making jewellery in the Wheeler's basement to keep my mind busy since there's no way I'm gonna fall asleep anytime soon.

I really hope Eddie is okay.