#but eddie is slowly also becoming her idiot

[sp0o0kylights]

Steve wearing a ring Eddie gifts him as a joke (so he can be less prep/more cool) except Steve ends up wearing it all the time.

Something happens-- Eddie misplaces or otherwise forgets his rings one night, and ends up having to go about the day without them.

He's so used to spinning and fidgeting with them that he feels practically naked. Keeps touching his bare fingers and wincing.

Without asking and mid conversation with Robin, Steve offerings him not Steve's own ring, but his entire hand.

Just gives his hand over to Eddie, an intrusive thought he followed without sparing so much as a second to think it through.

(Eddie plays with the ring on Steve's finger anyway, trying not to blush about it, but very much needing the distraction. )

Robin calls them out about ten minutes in, asking why Steve didn't just take the ring off. 

“Oh. I didn't think about that. Sorry Eddie.” 

“Don't apologize man, this is better."

Steve nods like that makes perfect sense, and Eddie refuses to elaborate further.

Robin wants to choke them both because they're fucking romance-blind idiots.

[lesservillain]

v. i want to hold the hand inside you

summary: a collection of moments through the holiday season. also a little bit of insight into eddie's pov. cw: smut (not with eddie), male masturbation, sexual fantasies, two idiots in love trope, eddie's mental anguish a/n: hi i'm back. missed you all and this series. hope it lives up to the hype. around 12.5k words. please continue reading after the fic for an important message regarding this series.

Shuffling down the stairs, you're greeted by the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying in the kitchen. The grumbling in your stomach reminds you that you’d eaten way too much candy the night before, and that real food was much needed if you were going to get through the day.

When you rounded the corner into the kitchen, you were expecting to be greeted by the master chef Charles at the stove. But instead you were greeted by Tonya’s beautiful, slightly confused face. With a rag slung over her shoulder and spatula in hand, you watched her attempt to flip what looked like a very, very fried egg.

“You need some help?” You ask. Tonya jumps, hand on her chest as she catches herself. Clearly she had been in the zone, focused on the task at hand. Although, that didn't seem to keep help her in her food making endeavors.

“Jesus, can you be a little louder when you walk in the room next time?” 

“Sorry Tonnie,” you laugh, moving around her to get a drink from the fridge. “Been working on walking around as quiet as possible so I don’t wake Ed—everyone up when I’m working.”

Tonya's whole demeanor suddenly shifts. After plating the eggs and setting them aside, she turns her whole body to face you. Your eyes go wide as she takes the stance you know so well; the one she takes before she’s about to lecture you.

“While you’re working?” She asks, an eyebrow quirked in a suspicious fashion.

“Y-yeah…" you respond, not liking the way she starts to slowly saunter towards you. "Okay, can we skip the games, please? What’s wrong?”

“Why was there a red cape in your car last night?”

You feel like the room is going to spin. Not wanting to fuss with it you had thrown the costume cape in the back seat when you left Eddie’s last night. By the time you got all of your overthinking in, you’d completely forgotten to grab it and bring it inside. 

“Wha—I, uh—”

Tonya says your name to cut off your babbling. 

“If you wanted to go out and spend Halloween with Sam you could have just told me that.”

“What? Oh, god no.” Your nose scrunches in offense at the mere suggestion until you remember that it’s probably normal to want to spend time with the guy you’re dating. “I mean…I didn’t spend Halloween with Sam.”

“Okaaaay?” She draws the word out, head bobbing as she waits for you to explain yourself. You breath in, looking at her carefully before exhaling with a sigh.

“Promise me you will listen to what I have to say before coming to any conclusions.” 

Tonya says your name with a serious tone. You can see the anger starting to brew in her, and you can only hope that once you tell her everything that’s been going on for the last two months that she’ll understand. The need to rip the band aide off was becoming more apparent, especially when you needed her guidance on some of the thinking you had done.

“Promise me?” You say again, not backing down.

“Ugh, fine.” She walks over to the table and sits down, motioning for you to take the seat across from her. 

“So, I think the first thing I need to clear up is that…I don’t actually have a night job. At least, not in the sense that I’m getting paid. It’s a volunteering position.”

You watch the way her mouth tightens, nostrils flaring as she expresses all her unspoken words with her face. But, she doesn’t say anything so you keep going.

“It’s something that I signed up for at the very beginning of the semester. Granted, it wasn’t supposed to be an overnight thing...but the person I’m taking care of needed overnight care and I just—I couldn’t say no, Tonnie.”

Air blows out between her lips like steam, and you can tell you need to get the rest of the information out to her before she can’t hold it in anymore.

“The reason why I even hid any of this from you is because the person I’ve been taking care of was turned down by everyone else at sign ups…because he was a murder suspect.”

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” Her hands wave in front of her and she shakes her head. “I’m really hoping that I did not hear you right. Because there’s no way you’re telling me that, you, of ALL PEOPLE, have been spending the last two months babysitting a MURDERER?!”

“He didn’t actually murder anyone!” You shout back. Tonya’s eyes roll as she throws her hands up dramatically. 

“What does that even mean?!”

“Eddie was accused of murder, but he didn’t actually do it!”

“Eddie?! Eddie who?!”

“His name is Eddie Munson,” you say, “he was actually framed by the real murderer. The guy tortured him, Tonya! His…his body is covered in scars and…and he ended up loosing his leg. Like, from the knee down. And he was so sick when I got there. He’s come such a long way since then…”

Tonya’s face is like stone, blinking slowly as you go on about Eddie and all the things you’ve helped him accomplish in the last two months. You hadn’t even realized that you’d been rambling until the sound of her bedroom door caught your attention.

“Charles is here?” You ask her quietly after the bathroom door closes. You're shocked when she confirms that he had stayed the night. He'd never stayed the night before, at least while you were there.

“We had a fun night,” Tonya says with a sly smirk. “He’s probably feeling it this morning.”

“Ah, I see,” you nod. The sound of retching coming from the upstairs bathroom had the two of you giggling. Tonya leans in towards you, resting her chin on her hands as she looks at you.

“So,” she starts, “Can I ask you a side question before we get into this Eddie guy?”

“Sure,” you say suspiciously.

“Is Sam real?”

“What?” You chuckle. “Yeah, he’s real. Why do you ask?”

“Well, I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t a lie you made up to go see your little criminal boyfriend.”

You reel back, shocked by the accusations of her statement.

“Eddie’s not my boyfriend,” you assure her. But the look on her face tells you she’s not buying it.

“Really? Because you just talked more about this guy in the last 20 minutes than you’ve talked about Sam since you two started dating.”

“Well…I spend five days a week with him, so of course I have more to say about Eddie than Sam. But…”

“But…?”

“What bit you in the ass this mornin’?”

Eddie stirs his coco wheat's mindlessly as the Andy Griffith’s Show plays on the TV. If you were to ask Wayne, he’d say Eddie was acting like a cat after it got caught in the rain, all pissy and ready to swat and anyone who looked at him.

“Nothin’,” Eddie grumbles, not bothering to look at his uncle as he spoke. Wayne sighed, grabbing the TV remote and turning it off. He shifts forward on the couch cushion until he was sitting on the edge.

“Did somethin’ happen at the Trick r Treat thing?”

Eddie exhaled, slumping back in the recliner dramatically before finally facing his uncle.

“Nothing happened. I just—Did you know she has a boyfriend?”

Wayne’s head tilts to the side. “What? No she don’t? Told me when she started.”

“Well, she must have lied to you because she told Harrington last night that she was seeing some guy named Sam from her school.” Eddie’s arms cross over his chest like a child with an attitude.

“Why’d she tell him that?”

“Because, in typical Harrington fashion, the guy flirts with any girl that crosses his path.”

“So she told him she had a boyfriend?”

“Yep.”

“Maybe she was lyin’ t’em.”

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up. He hadn’t thought about that. He just assumed you hadn’t told him because you knew he liked you by now and didn’t want to hurt his feelings.

“But what if she’s not?” Eddie’s voice is soft in his vulnerability. He’d told Wayne about his growing feelings for you about a month ago. About how he thought you were beautiful from the first time he’d seen you, but he’d stuffed those feeling down immediately. 

He tried his best to push you away, hoping that you’d run with your tail between your legs after how rude he’d been to you. But you didn’t seem to budge, so he tried to ignore you instead. That obviously didn’t work out either. His hopes went up when you saw him on the floor that faithful night. He thought that you’d be so repulsed by him that you’d turn and run on the spot. 

But, of course you didn’t.

You looked at him as if he wasn’t a broken man who’d been beaten and almost eaten alive by supernatural bats. Who’d been abused and almost murdered by hospital staff who were supposed to be in charge of his life. Who was sent home to a place he didn’t know, with barely anything to his name after the Upside Down swallowed his trailer whole.

In hindsight, he almost wishes you had ran. Because this feeling that he’s had every day since has been more painful than any of his scars or shredded limbs. He wishes you had been shallow and vapid, because he would have a reason to hate you, rather than feel lonely whenever you weren’t around. 

And maybe he’d feel less bad about the times he’s touched himself while thinking about how your body presses against his when you help move him to his chair. Or the way your chest brushes against his shoulder when you’ve put your arms around him while you watch their DnD games. 

Shit, he’d only agreed to do physical therapy in the first place because you’d leaned in front of him and practically begged him. Did you know that he could almost see perfectly down your shirt when you did that? He was glad he did it, though, because the strength that’s slowly being restored to his hands was making it easier to jerk off to the thought of you.

Eddie tried to pushed those thoughts back. He didn’t want to feel that way about you. Well, not in this gross, perverted way at least. You didn’t deserve that. 

“If’n she’s not lyin’, then…well…” Wayne settles into a silence. Eddie feels himself getting upset, head titling back to push the impending tears away before they could spill over. 

It wasn’t fair for him to feel this way. He wouldn’t have had a chance with you even before everything that happened to him, so why was he getting all worked up as if you’d ever seen him as anything other than a pitiful shell of the man he used to be. No matter how much you poured into him, he would never have enough to return the favor.

Eddie had been distant the last few weeks. Not back to his grumpy self, but more closed off than he had been with you lately. Any time you touched him unprompted, he would pull away or make an excuse to move away from you. He still talked with you, but that teasing banter that he would throw your way was few and far between. 

It hurt to feel like you were being locked out again, but you didn’t question it. Eddie didn’t owe you any explanations anyway. But you still couldn’t help to over analyze his behaviors every night before falling asleep.

Even now as you sit with him and Wayne and sort through old pictures that Wayne had found after going through their storage unit. Wayne is doing most of the talking, with Eddie chiming in here and there to give short interjections.

“Eddie, you’re joking,” you gasp.

It was just a shoebox, but it was filled to the brim with pictures of Eddie when he was little. The picture in question that you were absolutely gushing over was of Eddie and a woman that you’d assumed to be his mom by their matching chocolate button eyes. Her hair was wild like Eddie’s; long red curls teased to high heaven that framed her delicate face. Toddler Eddie was on her hip in a Christmas themed outfit, a huge, baby toothed grin plastered on his face as beamed at his mother. The back of the picture read ‘Eddie & Flo Christmas ‘68.’

“I’m not,” he says with little enthusiasm. “Unfortunately, I look just like my dad, besides my eyes. Wish I looked more like her, though.” 

“No, look,” you say, pointing at his moms smile. “You have her smile, too. Dimples and all.”

“Hold on,” Eddie says, taking the box and sifting through the pictures. It took him a few minutes to finally pull out a picture before handing it to you. 

What you weren’t prepared to see was a picture of a man who looked practically identical to Eddie, sans the long hair and clad in a military uniform. Next to him was a younger Wayne Munson, dressed in a leather jacket and with a much fuller head of hair. You studied the picture a bit before flipping it over.

‘Allan and Wayne April 1970 Day of Departure’

“Your dad was in Vietnam?” You ask, looking at the picture again, still mesmerized at the resemblance.

“Yeah, he got drafted and shipped out a month before my 5th birthday,” Eddie said with indifference.

“I thought you could be excused from the draft if you were married with kids?”

“Al and Flo weren’t married,” Wayne interjected. “And Al was dead set Eddie wasn’t his so he didn’t even show up to his birth. I’s there, though, cause I knew Flo wasn’t like those other girls he was chasin’ after. And when I tell you I wanted nothin more's to kick my brother’s ass as soon as I saw that little face for the first time.” 

Wayne grabs the box from the coffee table and shuffles around it a bit until he found a picture. He looks at it for a moment before handing it to you. “Poor Flo did all that time cookin’ that one there for him to come out lookin’ exactly like his daddy.”

The picture was of Eddie’s mother in her hospital bed, wild red hair tied up and looking exhausted. But her smile was wild, and she was flashing a peace sign at the camera. An even younger Wayne was holding a bundled up new born Eddie proudly in his arms, holding him up in a way that shows off Eddie’s chubby baby face. He really did look like his dad, the Munson genes definitely being more dominant.

You flip the picture over to read the back.

‘Florence, Wayne, and Edward May 13th, 1965.’

Wayne fished out more pictures of Eddie as a baby, and you cooed over every single one, much to Eddie’s dismay. Through this you discovered Eddie’s middle name was James after his late grandfather that passed on the strong Munson genes to his father.

You couldn’t help but feel bad for Eddie’s mother, though. She was only 17 when she had Eddie, and her strict parents kicked her out because of it. Thankfully, Eddie’s grandparents took her in and Al apparently came around and stepped up when he held Eddie for the first time. 

They stayed living all together until Al was drafted. But not long after, Eddie’s mom got really sick. She had been hiding it, hoping that it would go away on it’s own, until it had suddenly gotten worse. Wayne moved back home to help raise Eddie when his mother started getting sick. She died in 1971, a week before Al was set to come home from Vietnam. 

“That’s when he started gettin’ in trouble. Flo had whipped him into shape in a way not even the military could accomplish. And when she was gone before he could say goodbye—”

“Can I go outside?” Eddie’s hand wipes over his eyes harshly. He scoots to the edge of the chair and reaches out for his wheelchair. You jump up at his request, getting his chair situated for him before helping him into it. He clung to you for a moment longer than he normally would, but you didn’t mind.

“Let me get your coat,” Wayne says, pushing off the couch. When he’s just out of earshot, you look at Eddie, his eyes glassy and downcast as if deep in thought, and tap him on the shoulder.

“Hey, do you think that when you have kids they’ll be clones of you, too?”

Eddie’s posture straightens, his eyes wide when he meets yours. 

“What? I, um, I don’t—” He clears his throat and shifts in his seat. “I haven’t really thought about it. Didn’t really plan on kids anyway.”

“Oh, really? I guess that’s understandable. Not everyone wants kids.”

“Do you?”

“Hmm, maybe one day,” you shrug. “Not really rushing to have one right now or anything. More focused on school and taking care of you.” Eddie smiles, but ducks his head to hide it from you. 

“Well, I guess I’m good practice for taking care of one,” he says.

“No, you’re way harder to take care of.” He barks out a laugh, rolling away from you to meet Wayne half way to the door. 

While the two of them go outside to smoke, you busy yourself in the kitchen putting away the Thanksgiving dinner you and Wayne had put together, with Eddie’s help on stirring duty. Ben had come by and ate with all of you, seemingly more comfortable being around while you were at the Munson’s residence with his more frequent visits.

It didn’t take you long to clean up. Wayne had apologized all morning for the dinner not being anything fancy, and you reassured him every time that you didn’t care. You’d been used to spending Thanksgiving with just your grandparents, and then just your grandma for so long that you’d never made much of a big deal out of the holiday like others do. 

Sam specifically told you on multiple occasions about how everyone in his family makes a very big deal about holidays. Apparently they were also looking forward to meeting you, which came as a shock considering he hadn’t even asked you to go, he just assumed you would. When you told him it felt like it was way too soon to meet his family, he seemed bummed but thankfully didn’t press further.

“Damnit, I told ya she’d be in here cleanin’ up, Eds,” Wayne hollers from the living room.

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it!”

“We’re gonna have to start paying her if she’s gonna start doing the maid’s job,” Eddie says, rolling into the kitchen and up to the fridge. He goes to grab for a beer, but you call for him, stopping him in his tracks.

“Eddie, if you have a beer this late you can’t take your pain meds.”

“That’s fine,” Eddie says, plucking the beer from the door and presenting it to you. “I wasn’t gonna take it tonight anyway.”

“What? Why?”

“Wanna try and get used to not having it.”

You want to argue with him, but he’s giving you that wet, sad look that he knows will get you to fold. And you do, snatching the beer from his hands and popping the tab open. 

He holds his hand out to grab it from you, but you decide to fuck with him a bit and take a sip of it yourself. It tastes like nasty cheep beer, but you do your best to remain as neutral as possible, even letting out an “ahhh” after you swallow.

Eddie looks up at you with pure shock, frozen in place like he was petrified. It makes you laugh as you place the can back in his hand, waiting a moment for him to grab it before letting go.

“Y-you can have it if you want,” he stutters, not moving.

“It’s okay, Eddie, I was just messing with you,” you say, placing a hand on his shoulder as you walk past him out of the kitchen.

Eddie thrusts sloppily into his folded pillow, held together by his body weight as he lays on top of it. It took a lot of trial and error, but Eddie’s found this to be the most effective way for him to get off when his hands are too sore to just jerk off. 

He didn’t mind it though, because this set up made it feel more real to him. He didn’t have any frame of reference to know what it felt like to fuck a real pussy, but the friction of his pillowcase felt good enough that he was able to bypass the texture if he just focused on the fantasies in his head. 

All of them revolved around you, of course. He tries to stave off of giving into his urges. Especially considering he usually had to look you in the face at some point after. He felt like he was going to give himself some kind of pavlov response if he allowed himself to jerk off from any small domestic gesture that you threw his way.

Today was a bit too much for him, though. He’s happy you came over since he fully expected you to ditch him and Wayne for some other plans.

But you didn’t.

Not only did you come over, but you came over early, dressed up in an outfit that had Eddie fighting off a hard on from the moment you arrived. And basically acted as if you’d been part of the family for years rather than only knowing them for a few months. You were a natural addition to the Munson clan and that played on Eddie's mind a lot when he thought about you like this.

And when you took a sip of Eddie’s beer before giving it to him…Eddie was ashamed to even think about how much that affected him. Not only was it practically an indirect kiss, but he’d never seen you let loose like that, even if it was just a sip. You felt comfortable around him to blur that line of professionalism that you tried to keep up when you cared for him, and Eddie was letting the delusions run rampant.

“Haaa, fuck,” he whines into his other pillow as he ruts into the makeshift pussy that he desperately wishes was yours. He’s imagining you lying under him, his bare chest pressing into your back as he plows into you from behind. He thinks about how you’d be calling out his name. Are you vocal in bed, or would you be biting into his pillow like he is now to keep himself quiet?

Eddie pulls his shirt back up to his nose and your scent that rubbed off on it filled his nostrils, sending him over the edge. He cums suddenly with a low groan, spurts of white cum spilling in between the fold of the sandwiched pillow. His breath hitches, eyes going in and out of focus as he cums harder than he ever has before. 

After catching his breath, Eddie pushes himself over and onto his back. He lays there, waiting for the guilt to creep in like it always does. He thinks back to your conversation earlier, about him wanting kids. It kills him. 

Did you really think he would ever have the chance to have kids? Besides not knowing if his swimmers even work after what he went though, he would have to meet someone who would treat him with even a fraction of the kindness you give him. And then he’d have to convince them that he was worthy enough for their love and not a burden. 

You saying you want kids one day hurt even worse. It was a feasible dream for you, to start a family with someone you loved. Eddie had barely thought about kids, but now he’s laying here thinking about what a normal life would be like with you. A house with a white picket fence, two kids, a dog…

Tears rolled down Eddie’s temples and disappeared into his sweaty hair line. He grabbed the soiled pillow and pulled off the pillowcase, carefully pulling it inside out and tossing it into his laundry basket. He pulled his comforter over himself to hide away from the world. 

The bed shakes as Sam lands on his back next to you. He says…something, but you’re too busy in your own head to catch it. The ache between your legs tries to get your attention as well, but you would rather listen to Sam speak than address that right now.

“Hey, are you okay?” Sam’s hand waves in front of your face and you force yourself to smile when you look at him. “Did I really blow your mind that much?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah,” you nod enthusiastically, probably overdoing it. You feel an ick wash over you when he smiles triumphantly. He leans in to kiss you and you turn your head so that his lips hit your cheek.

“I’m gonna go get us some water. Feel free to use my bathroom to clean up.” You lay still until Sam leaves the room, holding your breath until you’re sure he’s gone. 

Jumping up from the bed, you grab your clothes and quickly redress. You can’t find your tights but at this point you don’t even care, you just want to get out of there as fast as you can. Sam is standing in the hallway with a glass of water when you open the bedroom door. He looks at you up and down with confusion.

“You okay?” He asks.

“Yeah, I, uh…I forgot that I promised to help Tonya put up Christmas decorations tomorrow.” You move past him, but he grabs your arm to stop you.

“Do you have to leave right now?” He asks, a distressed look on his face.

“I’m sorry, but I probably should. Tonya likes to get up early to start the process and--”

“Okay, I understand,” Sam says, taking a deep breath in. “Can I, um, I want—I need to ask you something before you go.”

Your heart feels like it’s dropped into your stomach, nauseating you instantly. You have a sneaking suspicion that you know what he’s going to ask, but you really don’t think you can do this right now.

“Can we talk about it later? I think it’s supposed to start snowing soon,” you say, pulling your arm from his grasp. “Really want to get home before the roads get bad—”

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

The reaction your body had to his question was similar to one you would have if you heard nails on a chalkboard. If the ground opened up and swallowed you whole right now you’d be thankful for a quick escape from this situation. 

You relaxed your body and looked at Sam. He’s a nice guy, truly, but after everything that transpired in his bedroom…

“Sam…”

“Yeah?” His puppy dog eyes are making this harder than you want it to be.

“I….” You sigh, “I need to think about it. I’m going through a lot with finals coming up and taking care of Ed—I mean, Mr. Munson--”

“But you’re almost done with both of those? Christmas break is just around the corner, and I really would like you to meet my family.”

“Wait, what do you mean I’m almost done?”

“Well, you’re finals are, like, a week and a half away. And next week is your last week for the volunteer program so you won’t be needing to go to Hawkins anymore. We called all the families and let them know so that they could make other arrangements a week or two ago.”

All the air around you felt like it was sucked away. Wayne didn’t tell you that he had gotten a call. Was he even going to bring it up? Did he just expect you to up and leave him and Eddie?

“Sam, I really need to go,” you say with a strained breath. You don’t give him much of a chance to answer before you’re grabbing your coat and heading out his front door. Snow was already starting to stick to the ground as you got to your car. Sam stood at his front door, still in his boxers as you got in your car and drove off.

Driving on autopilot, your brain began to recall and process exactly what happened while you were with Sam. He had been off putting ever since you saw him after Thanksgiving, but you almost felt bad for him. All this time you convinced yourself that this really attractive guy was giving you attention and you just we’re being grateful for it. 

But today solidified for you that you couldn’t deny the way you were feeling anymore. Not when the whole time the two of you were having sex, you couldn’t get Eddie out of your head. Every touch, every thrust, you could only think about Eddie being the one on top of you making you feel good. You’re pretty sure you would have cum if it was actually Eddie.

The feelings you had for Eddie sat behind a glass wall inside your mind ever since you were able to pour your heart out to Tonya. But, no matter how much you wanted to, you knew you could never act on them. It would go against every code of conduct for you to have a romantic relationship with a patient. You could potentially get kicked out of nursing school if you were ever found out.

Not to mention you had no idea if Eddie would even accept your feelings. Sure, he has come out of his shell and let you into his life in more ways that you had imagined when you first met him. But, you didn’t want to delude yourself into thinking it was anything deeper than an appreciation for the care you’ve given him. Eddie and Wayne were good people, and you didn’t want to mistake that kindness for anything more than what it was.

But, fuck, did it suck to find out you might only have one more week to spend with them.

Between the thick snowflakes and the racing of your mind, you didn’t notice the way the road was getting icier as the snow continued to fall. A turn snuck up on you in the heavy snowfall and you slammed on the brakes to slow down, but your car continued to slide across the snowy road. 

Your car fishhooks before the back end whips around, sending you spinning into a ditch. It’s not a deep one, but the lack of traction under your tire sends them spinning with barely any movement from your car. You curse under your breath, all of your emotions bubbling up until you smack your steering wheel out of frustration.

After taking a few minutes to cool off, you take a look around you to assess your surroundings. It’s hard to see much, the back road you’re on has no streetlights and you’re not sure if you’d be able to see any house lights even if you were in someone’s yard. You start to panic, unsure of what you’re next move should be. You don’t have enough gas to wait out the night, but you should still have an emergency blanket in your trunk.

You have to hype yourself up to leave your car, moving as fast as you could to the back. As you went to open the trunk, fumbling with your keys lead to dropping them in the white snow at your feet. Your eyes stung as your tears began to gather, the cold wind instantly chilling them. 

Without a second thought, you let out a loud scream into the dark night sky. You felt around for your keys, the cold metal biting your already cold hands as you finally opened your trunk, only to find it empty. That’s when you remember that you had taken the blanket out of your trunk and thrown it in your back seat for the trunk r treat night.

The trunk of your car slams hard enough to make the car shake, and you practically rip the door off the hinge when you grab the blanket.

Just as you’re about to get back in your front seat whe a light comes into view from the down the road. Relief washes over you when you can see it’s a car coming your way. You jump up and down, waving your hands around to get the cars attention, the big truck rolling to a stop next to you.

“Are you okay, darlin’?” A little old woman’s voice calls from the rolled down window.

“No,” you yell with a pathetic sniffle. The driver side door of the truck opens and a little old man jumps out and rounds the front. He lets you inside and you slide into the bench seat between the two.

The couple apparently heard you scream from their house and came out to check what was going on. The snow was so thick you didn’t even realize their house was only a few hundred feet away from your car. The woman made you a hot drink as you used their phone to call for someone to pick you up.

“Hello?” Wayne’s gruff voice could have been intimidating to hear if it was anyone else calling the Munson house this time of night.

“Wayne, it’s me.”

You thank the older couple profusely for everything before bounding out to the truck waiting for you in their driveway. It had taken Wayne almost 45 minutes to get to you with all of the snow, but he promised he would get to you even if it took hours.

When you pulled open the passenger door, you were surprised to see Eddie sitting there with a worried look.

“Eddie, I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Boy was worried sick ‘bout’cha,” Wayne calls from the other side of Eddie.

“Wayne,” he groans, scooting over on the bench seat to make room for you. 

“Aw, that was really sweet of you to be worried about me,” you tease, leaning your head on his shoulder to push his buttons a little bit more. Eddie adverts his gaze, mumbling a whatever under his breath making Wayne chuckle.

Wayne backs out of the driveway and starts the journey to Tonya’s. The conversation is light until Wayne asks what you were doing out so late at night during a snow storm.

“I was out with some of my classmates,” you lie, not wanting to bring up being with Sam. The thought of him only brought all of the thoughts you had earlier in the night to the forefront of your mind, and you were suddenly very aware of how much of your body was touching Eddie’s in this cramped seating arrangement. 

The chill of the night had been cut by his natural body heat against you, making you subconsciously curled into him at some point during the drive. You went to pull away, but his body started to move with yours until he was leaning into you.

“Sorry,” he said, trying to adjust himself, “I usually lean against the door to keep my balance.”

“Oh my god, Eddie, I’m sorry,” you say, moving closer to him again. “I would have sat in the middle if I had known.” 

“It’s okay,” he says quietly before you felt his body weight leaning against you again. 

The small talk dwindled into a peaceful quiet as Wayne drove the country road with ease. The snow has started to ease up, almost completely stopped by the time you saw the city marker indicating you were close to being home.

As you were leaning into Eddie’s shoulder, you felt a bit of weight fall on top of your head, your vision slightly obstructed by curly brown hair that fell over your face. Eddie’s light snores next to your ear was all the confirmation you needed that he’d fallen asleep and was using you as a pillow. 

A warm, bubbly feeling filled you at the sudden closeness. Even a small interaction like this made you feel a million times more exultant than you’ve ever felt with Sam. Or anyone for that matter. 

“Wayne,” you called to the older man, wanting to distract yourself from your thoughts. He hummed in response, his hat covered head tilting slightly in your direction while his eyes remained on the snowy roads. “Tonight one of my…friends from class, they mentioned something about this week being the last week of our volunteer work.”

Wayne went rigid in his seat, shifting to sit upright again. He cleared his throat, visibly becoming more distraught with each passing second.

“Yeah, I guess that’s right, isn’t it? I, um…” Wayne ran a hand over his mouth, rubbing it back and forth against the stubble before it landed back on the steering wheel. 

“’ve been-- been trying, ya know, to get someone to take over nights. I thought about askin’ Hop, but he’s done enough for us. Plus he’s got family now, so s’not fair to ask him. Could come off the nights, but that shift diff is really gettin’ us by.” Wayne nods his head to the side, “Ed says he can stay home by himself, but I just…I can’t have em fallin’ and not bein’ able to get emself up. Lord forbid he fall and break his hip er somethin’.”

“So…it sounds like you haven’t found anyone?”

Wayne sighs, shaking his head. “Well, that’s not…” He pauses, letting out a huff of air through his nose. “There is someone who is willing to come a couple nights a week if we need ‘em…”

“But?” You press, curious as to who this person might be.

“But…I’ll just say he’s not my first pick to take responsibility for anyone.”

“I see,” you say, looking down at where Eddie’s thigh is pressed against yours, the end of his jeans smoothed over the amputation spot where you’d sewn the end shut for him.

“Can I ask why you didn’t ask me if I could keep coming over?”

Wayne was still, like he was holding his breath. 

“I, um, we…”

“It’s okay,” you cut him off. “I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like that. If you don’t want me to keep coming I totally understand--”

“No, no! That’s not it at all,” Wayne says defensively. “We both kinda assumed that you weren’t…allowed to.”

“Oh…well I don’t think there’s anything that says I couldn’t keep coming over? It’s not like I’m being paid, so I don’t think I’m violating any of my school’s rules. And he’s been doing so well, it wouldn’t be any different than if anyone else came over to stay with him.”

The truck was quiet for a moment, except for the directions you gave Wayne as he turned into Tonya’s neighborhood. Once he pulled into the empty driveway, he shift the old beater truck into park and turned to look at you. You must have been quite a sight sitting there with his nephew practically on top of you as he snoozed away. But you still smiled up at him, even as he shook his head at the two of you.

“So, I don’t want you to say yes just because I told you I was havin’ trouble. Okay? Promise me if you say yes that it’s not outta pity.”

“I promise,” you say, crossing your fingers for him to see.

“Alright, well, if it’s not gonna cause you any issue, would you be able to keep comin’ down to stay with Ed at night? It doesn’t have to be every day. Like I said, I got someone who said he can stay a night or two a week if we need ‘em—”

“Can I ask who it is you’re talking about?”

“It’s, uh, it’s a guy Ed went to school with. He’s a little older--names Rick—they’ve been friends since Eddie was a freshman—”

“Rick? Like Reefer Rick?” You question, Eddie’s weight on you being the only thing keeping you from jumping out of your seat.

“Well, yeah, that’s him. I guess Eddie must’ve talked bout him by now.”

“He hasn’t told me much about him. But, he did come over one day after you’d already left for work when the boys were over.”

“Ah, yeah, I forgot Eddie told me he came by,” Wayne nodded.

“I guess I understand why you don’t want him to be the one to stay over.” 

“Yeah, he’s just…not a very responsible kid,” Wayne says with a shake of his head.

“That’s like…the nice way to put it, I suppose.” 

Eddie suddenly lifts his head from your shoulder, his tired, confused eyes scanning his surroundings before looking at you. He smiles, breathing in harshly as he stretches, one arm going forward and the other behind you. 

“Hi,” he breathes out, his voice groggy and low from just being asleep. It does that thing to you where it goes straight from your ears to between your legs. 

“Hi Eddie,” you giggle, looking up at his dopey, half asleep still expression. Wayne clears his throat and Eddie’s whole body turns to look at him, then all around once more as if he’s only just noticing his surroundings for the first time.

“Where are we?” He asks with pinched brows.

“My house,” you say, taking that as your cue to grab your things and exit the vehicle.

“Shit, that was a quick drive,” Eddie says running a hand over his eyes.

“Quick only cause you used that poor girl like a mattress while you slept,” Wayne quips. 

“I did? Damn, I’m sorry,” Eddie apologizes, his eyes wide as if panicked.

“Oh, I didn’t care,” you say as you opened the car door, the cold air hitting you straight to the bone and making you shiver. But even with the winter air trying to turn you into a popsicle, you still took your time getting out, not wanting to make Eddie lose his balance and fall. 

Once Eddie was situated back in the passenger seat, you gave the two men your goodbyes, promising Wayne to finish the conversation when you come by on Monday.

The Munson men waited in the drive way to make sure you got inside okay, waving back to you as they took off down the road.

Every day for the next week felt like a rollercoaster. 

Sunday consisted of Tonya taking you to get your car and you ignoring phone calls from Sam. You and Tonya also decorated the house together, so you technically didn’t lie to Sam when you left.

Monday you were almost late to class, doing your best to wait until the last second to pull into the schools parking lot so as to avoid Sam in case he was waiting for you. You felt bad for not giving him an answer before you left him on Saturday. But after an all day conversation with Tonya that started with telling her that you couldn’t get Eddie out of your head while you were having sex with Sam and ended with you guys talking about what colours you think Eddie would like if you ever got married one day, you figured you should probably cut things off with him.

You were never good at telling anyone no, this much you knew about yourself. And if you were completely honest, you were a little worried that if you didn’t wait until the right time that Sam might puppy dog eye you into changing your mind. But, you had to be strong. If you could just get through until next Wednesday after finals…

Speaking of finals. After some discussion with the Munson men, it was decided that you would keep coming to stay with Eddie over night until further notice. Both of them seemed to be relieved, although Eddie did say he wanted to keep working on building his strength so that Wayne would feel comfortable enough to let him be alone at some point in the future.

Once that was settled, you immediately made a deal with Eddie, making him your personal exam study buddy. Every day he quizzed you, went through flash cards with you, and looked over your homework for you, handing it back if he didn’t think the answer you gave matched what the textbook said.

“I feel like I could be a nurse after all of this,” Eddie said, placing the thick deck of flash cards down on the side table. The flipping between the cards had been serving as a good exercise for building up his hand dexterity, but often left them a little sore by the time you’d gone through all of them.

“I think I’d pay good money to see you in one of my school’s nursing uniforms,” you tease, standing up to refill his cup.

“Good money, huh? Like, maybe a college tuition’s worth?” He calls back from his chair. You bark out a laugh.

“You’d have to put that uniform to good use for me to shell out that kind of cash, if you know what I mean.” Eddie howls at your suggestive words.

“Don’t know how good of a dancer I’d be with only one leg, sweetheart!”

After a long week of studying, Friday finally rolled around and it was time to fulfill your part of the bargain. 

With Eddie in the passenger seat, the two of you set off towards Castleton Square in Indianapolis. The roads were busy, full of people with the same idea as you and Eddie; last minute Christmas shopping. 

You’d lied to Wayne about where you were going per Eddie’s request. He knew that if he told Wayne where he was going that he would try and give him money to buy his gifts. 

But ever since his disability checks (finally) started coming in, Eddie had secretly been saving some on the side so that he could get some things for everyone for Christmas.

That included Wayne, and he wasn’t about to use the man’s own money to buy him a Christmas gift. So, as far as Wayne knew, the two of you were going to see Grant and his girlfriend's new apartment. 

“Damn, this place is packed,” Eddie said, head on a swivel as you tried to navigate the mall’s parking lot without taking out a pedestrian. 

“No kidding,” you say, pulling up towards one of the mall’s entrances. 

“I’m gonna let you out here,” you say, flipping on your blinkers. Once Eddie is situated in his chair, you wait for him to wheel inside the first set of doors before taking off to park. 

After 20 minutes of searching and briefly getting into it with a 70 year old over a handicap spot, you finally make your way to the mall entrance. It was just as crazy inside of the mall as you’d expected it to be with Christmas only a few more days away. People of all different background suddenly become unified by their arms being full of copious amounts of shopping bags. 

Eddie sat just inside the doors, eyes flickering across his surroundings, as if anticipating something. But as you enter into the crowded mall, his anxiousness seems to melt away as soon as his gaze meets yours. 

“You okay?” You ask, grabbing your purse from his lap. 

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, waving his hand at you. “I’m just…scoping the place out. For stores to shop in.” He saves himself at the last moment and you decide to let that excuse be enough for you.

To say the mall was pure chaos was an understatement. Many of the stores were restocking shelves at a record speeds, people fighting over toys and clothes and shoes that they HAD to have, lest little Tommy or Susie not get everything on their Christmas list. Every bench was filled to the brim with husbands and dads left in charge of bag duty while their wives wrack up their credit cards in the name of Christmas spirit.

Thankfully, no one wanted to be the person that's a dick to the guy in the wheelchair during the holiday season, so navigating the crowds was a little easier than you anticipated. The two of you bobbed and weaved through the stores, picking up a few things here and there for your respective friends and loved ones. Eddie was even brave enough to do a little shopping on his own while you ran to the bathroom.

Once the two of you regrouped, you took in Eddie’s haggard appearance and decided to call for a cookie break.

“Damn, what do they put in these things?” Eddie asks, his eyes closing as he takes another bite of his double chocolate cookie.

“I don’t know,” you say, sitting on the edge of a cement planter, not a single available seat in sight, “but whatever it is should probably be illegal. I could probably eat 10 of these things.”

“Mmm, agreed,” he says with a mouth full of cookie. 

The two of you sit and enjoy your treats in silence. Not out of neglect for the other, but out a mutual curiosity as you people watch.

 It was interesting to come to your own conclusions about people with only a snapshot of their lives like this, and it makes you wonder how people must be perceiving you and Eddie together. Are people assuming the two of you are dating? You couldn’t blame people for thinking that, but what else were they thinking about you? Do the two of you even look good together?

“Look mommy! What is that?”

The voice of a little boy catches your attention. A small pointed finger in your general direction makes you feel uneasy as you automatically assume the child must be pointing at Eddie. Sure, a man in a wheelchair has the potential to puzzle a child, but you didn’t know how Eddie would react to this kind of attention in a raw, childlike form.

“That’s called a mistletoe, dear,” the stressed mother answers, eyes looking your direction for a brief moment. Except, you notice her gaze lands just above you, prompting you to tilt your head back. And you’d be damned to find a small mistletoe handing from a thin string from the ceiling tile above you. 

“Huh,” you hear Eddie say next to you. The sudden realization that the mistletoe is hanging above yours and Eddie’s head has heat rising to your cheeks. You keep your head locked while your eyes shift to look at Eddie out of your peripheral. 

Sure enough he was looking at it, too. 

“Didn’t see that there before.” The words spill from your mouth without much forethought. Eddie clears his throat, and you steal another quick glance at him. His cheeks have an ever so slight pink tint to them, which only makes your stomach do flips.

Eddie has play flirted and said his fair share of raunchy jokes with you in the recent weeks. Never really giving as much of a hint of embarrassment in his actions, you assumed that he felt comfortable enough with your…friendship? That he didn’t care to treat you like one of his boys.

Given your newly realized feelings, it’s admittedly stung a bit. However, the reaction he’s giving now at being caught under a mistletoe with you is only fueling any delusions that you’ve ever entertained between the two of you.

“Me—me either,” he stutters, his eyes shifting down to the floor tiles beneath him. His bashfulness drives you crazy, and you have the sudden intrusive thought to just kiss him. And you almost consider it, if it wasn’t for the potential awkwardness that would result from your potential misreading of the moment.

“Have-have you, um, ever…you know?” Eddie chokes on almost every word, leg bouncing against the pedal as he speaks.

“I’m sorry, have I ever—?”

“Ever kissed. Like, under the mistletoe or whatever.” Eddie clarifies, gesturing to the decoration while still avoiding eye contact.

“O-oh, um,” you think for a moment of every kiss you’ve ever had in your life and suddenly blanking. “Maybe once or twice. In, like, middle school or high school. What about you?”

Eddie shifts in his chair, “No, no, it’s…I’ve not before. Not that I wouldn’t,” Eddie looks at you, then turns away again. “I mean, I’ve never been under one with someone before.”

“Do you want one?”

Eddie stills, blinking slowly as he processes your words.

“Do I want a kiss?”

You nod.

“I mean I guess I wouldn’t be against—”

Eddie is quieted by the sudden contact. You press your lips against his cheek, landing on the edge of the large scar. It’s only for a moment, but it feels like a lifetime to Eddie. 

When you pull away, you do your best to maintain composure. Giving him a forced smile, you rise from your seat to look at him straight on.

“There you go,” you say, hands landing on your hips. “Now you can say you’ve had your first mistletoe kiss.”

“Eddie, Eddie, shhh it’s okay.”

Pulling him into you, you run a hand up and down his back soothingly in an attempt to calm Eddie’s still sleeping form. Screams of terror begin to fade out into small moans and whimpers the more you comfort him. 

Slowly he wakes, his arms wrapping around you as he begins to sob. You don’t ask him about his dreams, or rather, his nightmares. You’re sure that it would only make things worse, so you just let him cry himself back to sleep against you.

“—Oh, shit, sorry.”

Your eyes shoot open at the sound of Wayne’s voice. You hadn’t even realized you’d fallen asleep, still leaning against the head of Eddie’s bed as he snored in your lap.

“No, it’s okay,” you whisper yawn, gently lifting Eddie’s head until you could place a pillow under it. Tiptoeing out of Eddie’s room, you join Wayne in the hallway, who looks like he just got home.

“Sorry if I woke ya,” Wayne says in a low voice.

“It’s okay, really,” you say rubbing your eyes. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. He had another night terror so I was just trying to settle him down s'all.”

Wayne hums, a hint of disbelief in his tone. You thought about pressing the matter, but figured doubling down would only push Wayne into believing whatever he already convinced himself more. Besides, getting a couple more hours of sleep before the weekend officially started sounded like something you wanted to take advantage of.

When you did finally wake up, you did your normal Saturday morning routine before your morning shift at the coffee shop. After getting dressed, you place a full glass of water and a little cup full of his morning meds on Eddie’s nightstand and pull out a fresh pair of clothes for him to put on after he wakes up. As you go to leave, you glance over to the newly wrapped gifts that sit below the Munson’s Charlie Brown inspired Christmas tree and think about how you wish you had seen Wayne’s face when he saw them earlier. 

Your work day flew by. The nonstop in and out of shoppers getting their morning caffeine fix or their afternoon refill kept you constantly moving. And before you knew it, you were grabbing your own cup to go and heading out the door to trek the the almost 3 hour drive from work to your home town.

Once you made it to Anderson, you stopped by a local flower shop, one that you’d been going to since you were a kid, to pick out some nice flowers to leave at the graves of your parents and grandparents. The owner made some small talk with you, asking about school and how Tonya was doing.

The mentioning of your friend reminded you that you still needed to give her the gift you’d gotten her before she left to visit Charles' family for the holiday. You were thankful that the Munson’s asked you to join them Christmas day, otherwise you’d be spending the holiday by yourself for the first time in your life.

With your flowers in hand, you placed each bundle at the graves. You spent a good amount of time with each one, talking with the markers as if your loved ones were there and listening. You’re not sure how long you were there. But eventually the cold became too much and you had to leave. 

Driving out of the cemetery was always really hard. Your parents had been gone long enough now that you’d come to peace with them being gone. It still hurt, but didn’t feel as much like salt in a wound as your grandparents. But, the deep sadness you normally felt was lighter than usual. The thought of your next destination—back to the same mall you had spent the evening with Eddie in—made you feel like you had a purpose for the first time in a long while.

You’re sure he hadn’t noticed, but you had kept your eye on Eddie as he shopped around. Anything he took interest in as the two of you perused the mall you took note of, fully planning on returning to pick out some to gift him. You doubt that he go you anything, but that didn’t really matter to you. You wanted to get him things he wanted, knowing he wasn’t going to spend the money on himself.

“What’s W.A.S.P?” Tonya mumbles through a mouth full of sugar cookie as she flips a cassette case in her hand. Her eyes go wide as she reads the track titles on the back.

“They’re a metal band,” you say, grabbing it from her and centering it the middle of your wrapping paper. “Jeff gave Eddie a shirt of theirs, so I’m guessing he must like them.” 

“Girl, one of those tracks was called Ballcrusher,” she says with a concerned look that made you laugh.

“Hey, I’m not here to judge,” you shrug, wrapping the cassette nicely and laying it next to a few more that were already wrapped. “It’s cooler than the ovenmits you got Charles.”

“Excuse you, he asked for new mits.” Tonya points her half eaten cookie at you before taking another bite. “And I think they fit his personality very well.”

“They’re plain beige,” you say monotonally.

“Exactly,” Tonya nods with a smile. “Plain and beige, and safe.”

You tsk and roll your eyes, mumbling a little whatever as you organize your gifts. Some might say you went a little overboard for someone who you’ve only been taking care of for just shy of 5 months. But, it was hard to narrow anything down when you envisioned Eddie’s face as he opened all of his new possessions. It was enough to justify the…8…9…11 things you got for him. 

“Can I tell you something…”

You look over at Tonya, who seems to be unable to contain a smile as she waits for you to answer.

“Of course,” you say, turning to give her your full attention.

“Okay, so, I know it’s the holiday season or whatever, and I could totally be wrong. But…”

“But?”

“But…” She takes a deep breath in. “...I think Charlie is going to propose to me at his family’s Christmas.”

You shoot up straight in your chair. A few months ago you might not have been so keen on this speculation, but the last few months Charles seems to have loosened up a bit. You also stopped caring about him taking your parking spot considering you were hardly here much anyway between school, work, and being at the Munson’s. 

“Oh my god. What? Why do you think that?”

“So, we went and did some Christmas shopping at that new outlet mall the other day. And while I was in the bathroom, he thought he would be slick and went into a jewelry shop. When I came out I saw him through the window and I’m, like, 99 percent positive he was looking at rings!”

The two of you gush and squeal over the prospect of Tonya’s future nuptials. Talks of colours and styles of dresses fill the room as the two of you talk for hours. 

“You know,” Tonya starts from the other side of the shower curtain, “Even if you are the maid of honor, I’m putting my foot down about one thing.”

“Oh, yeah,” you ask before spitting out your tooth paste into the sink, “And what might that be?”

“If you plan on bringing Eddie as a plus one, I have to at least meet him once before the actual wedding.”

You feel your cheeks heating up a bit. “I…I don’t see why that couldn’t be arranged—”

“Ideally, I’d also like the two of you to have confessed your love for each other by then, too—”

“Stoooooooop, you don’t know that he’s in love with me. This could be totally one sided.”

“Or,” Tonya pokes her head out from the curtain, “he could be completely head over heals for you and one of you just needs to make a move already.”

“What the—do you need help?” Dustin moves towards you to help with the balancing act of carrying all your presents into the Munson house. He grabs a few gifts and ushers you inside. 

“Thanks Dustin,” you say, heading towards the Christmas tree that is filled even more so now than it was when you left Saturday morning. “It’s starting to look like Santa wont have any room to bring presents.”

“We’re going to take care of most of that tonight,” Jeff says with a smile as he pushes Eddie’s chair into the living room. 

 Eddie looked very handsome tonight in his red sweater and black slacks. It even looked like he took his time to properly do his hair today. You loved when Eddie would let you get his curls looking just right with a little product and styling.

“Hey,” he waved to you, more reserved than his normal goofy self.

“Well, hey there hot stuff. You look really nice tonight,” you say, leaning in to give him a hug. He went rigid for a moment before melting into the embrace. 

“About time you got here,” Mike calls from the kitchen, causing you to jump back. “You better hurry up and get some of this pizza before Gareth freaking eats it all.”

“Dude, I’m hungry!” Gareth shouts defensively. Will puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as everyone laughs them off.

“Where’s your friend,” you ask the room, scanning it for a new face. The boys said they had convinced their friend Lucas to finally come to a Hellfire meeting after several long months.

“He should be here soon,” Dustin says in an overly reassuring way.

“Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it,” Mike scoffs.

“You were there, dude. He said he would come.”

“He said he would think about it. Never said he was gonna show up for sure.”

“If Sinclair shows up, we’ll greet him with open arms,” Eddie speaks up, “And if he doesn’t…well,” the room stills,”...there will always be other Hellfire Club meetings.”

Before the game begins, the boys take turns passing around gifts to each other. You’ve never seen so many sets of colourful dice in your entire life, but they all seemed very excited to receive them. Eddie was given a few band shirts and some cool looking records as well. He was so grateful for each gift he was given, a constant roll of thanks coming from him.

For a moment, you thought he might be getting overwhelmed when you saw a him wipe away a tear. You rest your hand on his arm, but he waves you off and reassures that he’s just really, really happy. It made your heart feel full to see him in such a good place. The amount of growth he’s done in such a short time never ceases to amaze you.

Eventually the game started rolling. You took the opportunity to clean up the mess of wrapping paper that was littered across the living room. The boys tried to get you to join them, but you told them that you wouldn’t be as fun to play with since you’d ask so many questions.

But Eddie still managed to keep you returning to the table. A few beers deep, he decided to skip his nighttime pain med. This led to his hands starting to ache (allegedly), which meant he needed you to roll his dice for him. Even if you knew it was just his way of getting you to hang out and avoid the pile of laundry that was staring you down, you let him have his fun and played along.

“Another 20!” You shout, jumping up and down. Eddie laughs manically while the rest of the table groans and protests.

“Maybe it’s a good thing she didn’t play with us,” Dustin says shaking his head. You stick your tongue out at him and he makes a face back at you.

But the feeling of something touching your back pulls you from the playful banter. Looking around, you realize Eddie has his hand resting on your lower back, rubbing small circles there as he refocuses on the game. It’s not an unwelcome touch by any means, but it does feel very intimate all things considered. 

And it’s only made worse as his hand moves completely across your back, not stopping to trace back and almost hooking you around the waist. He pulls you closer to him until your bodies are flush, besides where the wheelchair separates you. His head rests against you, all of his attention on the game, making the action feel like a subconscious move. 

You weren’t going to make a scene about it, so you instead embrace the affection and let your hand rest on his opposite shoulder. From the corner of your eye you see the smile on his face grow until his dimples are on full display.

At the end of the night, the boys made their exit, leaving the pizza and drinks for you and Eddie to indulge in for the next day. Lucas never showed, but Dustin and Mike seemed determined to make him come out soon.

Once the boys were loaded up and down the drive way, you went straight to the sink to get to work on the dishes. But, before you could get passed the threshold of the kitchen, Eddie gently grabbed your wrist to still you.

“What’s wrong Edward?” You tease. His flush cheeks told you that he let himself go a little more than usually when he drinks.

“Shhhh don’t say my name like that,” he says with a slur of his words.

“Why not? It’s you’re name isn’t it?”

“Makes me feel like I’m in trouble or something.”

“Oh, do you feel guilty about something?”

You didn’t think that your words would hit any chords with Eddie. But the silly outward expression suddenly turned into one of shock. The air shifted in a spit second and you were instantly on damage control.

“What’s wrong?” You ask, fully facing him. Eddie looked like he was on the verge of tears, eyes getting glassier by the second. His body moves as a sob escapes from him, and any resolve Eddie had was gone as he lets everything go.

You crouch in front of him, hands on his shoulders as he begins to wail, body shaking as he lets everything out.

“H-he didn’t--did’t-didn’t show--show up because of me!” The shaky words come out, and you instantly realize the error of your wording.

You pull him into you, letting him cry into your shoulder as you pet his hair, holding him tightly to comfort him

“Shhh, Eddie, nooo,” you speak low next to his ear. “You’re not to blame for what happened. You were a victim, too, Eddie. There isn’t anything you could have done—”

“If I had just died—if Dustin had just left me there instead of finding Steve and Robin…They-they—” 

Eddie starts to hyperventilate. His head lifts from your shoulder as he struggled to get his breath. You jump to your feet and run to the kitchen to grab a paper bag that had been left from the gas station beers. You run back to him and instruct him to breath into it, coaching him to imitate you as you demonstrate taking deep breaths.

After a few minutes, Eddie is able to somewhat calm himself down. Tears still rolling down his cheeks, he leans back into his chair, running his hands over his face and through his hair. You can tell he’s avoiding looking at you. But you’re not sure if its out of shame or if he’ upset with you.

“Eddie?” You ask quietly. He flinches, but slowly lowers his head until he’s facing you, his eyes looking downwards rather than at you. But it’s good enough for you.

“Eddie, I’m sorry—”

“Don’t.” His voice is still wobbly, eyes closing again as he breathes in.

“No, Eddie, you need to listen to me. Okay?”

Eddie looks at you, almost through you, but you take the silence as the signal to continue.

“Eddie…I know it might be hard to understand. But…whatever happened back in March…it’s not your fault.” His eyes shift and he starts to blink rapidly, but he doesn’t speak. “I can understand why you think that your friend is mad at you, but I think you know he’s not. He’s just worried about your other friend, Max. And whatever happened to Max…you didn’t force that monster to do that to her. Nor did you make him hurt the other victims.”

Eddie takes in a sharp breath, coming out haggard as you can tell he’s trying to hold back from crying again.

“And whatever happened to you…” You take his hands in yours, looking at the scared skin that decorates it. You let your hands fall against his thighs, just above where his leg is amputated. “Was not your fault.”

“You’ll never understand,” he says suddenly, catching you off guard. “You don’t know what actually happened.”

“Then, tell me Eddie. Help me understand.”

Eddie’s eyes scan your face. Then his head shakes, his curls whipping around as he does.

“I can’t. Even if I wanted to I…I just can’t.”

You nod, “And that’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. Because I don’t think my mind would change even if I did know.”

“Can I go outside?” He asks, pulling his hands from yours.

“Sure,” you say with a smile. “Maybe we can get you showered and ready for bed after?”

“Yeah, okay,” he says, pushing himself to the door. 

“Just hand me the lighter, asshole.”

Gareth’s hand reaches across the coffee table impatiently for Eddie to hand him the bright red lighter after the joint they were passing around had gone out.

“Nope, only people who tell the truth get to use my lighter,” Eddie says holding the lighter to his chest.

“Eddie, don’t press him. He doesn’t want to talk about it,” you say, taking a sip from your concoction of a drink that Grant’s girlfriend, Tina, made for you. You lean into him so that only he could hear you. “How would you feel if someone was pestering Wayne about Ben like that?”

That seemed to shut Eddie up. He finally tossed the lighter to Gareth, who wasted no time in lighting the joint back up.

“So, how did Christmas at the Munson’s go?” Jeff asks, plopping down on the couch next to Eddie, handing him another beer.

“It was, and I am not exaggerating,” Eddie starts with a slight slur of his words, “probably the best Christmas I’ve ever had. Like, this one right here?” He points his thumb to you. “I didn’t think I’d ever know what it feels like to be spoiled, but that’s definitely how she treated me.”

“Wait a second,” you scoff, “I did not spoil you. I just found some things that I thought you’d like and figured I’d get them for you.” You shrug, giving Tina, Grant's girlfriend, a look of feigned innocence as you turned to face her. The two of you had been doing quite a bit of chatting since you arrived, instantly clicking as you two seemed to have a lot in common.

She did ask you how long you and Eddie had been together, however. And you had to awkwardly explain that you were just his caregiver. It made you wonder what Grant had to be telling her about you and Eddie for her to think that the two of you were together.

“Did you get her anything?” Grant asks, nodding to you.

“Of course,” Eddie says with faux offense. “I bought her some of the lotion that she keeps in her bag, some of her favorite snacks, a copy of her favorite movie that she said she lost when she moved, and a study book for school.”

“You also got me a whole box full of snacks,” you say, nudging him.

“That was just because you are constantly talking about how you wish you had this or that when we’re watching a movie or something,”

“Are you sure you are not dating?” Tina leans in and asks you with genuine curiosity.

The guys laugh, but you reassure her that you’re not.

“When you spend as much time together as we do, you tend to pick up on each other’s interests. I’m sure you and Grant are the same way.”

“We are,” she says with an enthusiastic nod, “Because we are dating.”

“Shh, hey, the ball is gonna drop!”

The small TV in Grant’s living room shows that only 15 seconds remain until the ball is about to drop. You move closer to Eddie to see the TV better, and he wraps an arm around your shoulder to pull you into him. 

Everyone’s eyes are on the TV as the countdown begins. As the numbers go down, you rapidly reflect on 1986. 

The beginning half of the year seemed uneventful compared to the latter in the grand scheme of things. You recall all the highs and lows that you and Eddie have been in together since you first met, when you realized that what you were feeling was more than it should ever be and how you’ll likely never get the chance to do so. 

But you also reflect on the wonderful new friends that you’ve made, including Wayne, who you hoped was having a good night with Ben. And the younger boys, who said they were going to the hospital to spend the new year with Lucas and Max. 

Only a few seconds remain, so you turn to face Eddie, whose eyes were still on the small screen. An idea came across your mind. You pucker your lips, gearing up to plant a fat kiss on his cheek once the ball dropped. You were sure we would be embarrassed getting a cheek kiss in front of his friends, but doubted he could keep a grudge long. 

As the room cheered at the end of the countdown, you closed your eyes and leaned in. 

But you instantly knew something was off once your lips made contact. Instead of the textured skin you were expecting, you felt softness against your lips. 

And when you opened your eyes, you were met with chocolate brown ones looking right back at you. Eyebrows raised into bewilderment, it took you a few seconds to process what was happening. 

Then it hits you. 

You were kissing Eddie. And he wasn't stopping you.

thank you for reading!

a/n: hello! I wanted to make all of the readers of this series aware that I have decided to change up the direction I’m going with it. I feel like I’m straying away from some important elements and I want to try and regroup starting from part 6 and onwards. I plan on keeping some plot points I previously had planned, but they may just be executed differently than I intended. I dont believe the changes will have an affect on the story so far, but still felt that I should mention it.

Again, thank you all for being patient with me and I hope to have the next part out here sooner than later <3

[motherloads]

Meet Me in the Pale Moonlight

Disclaimer: I absolutely love Jenny in the film! Too bad I like writing miscommunication. No bashing of Jenny!

The reader was supposed to be brooding and menacing? But she’s a wreck with a symbiote lol.

My spanish is also pretty meh in writing despite being Mexican myself. I speak better than I write! Pls keep that in mind ◡̈

Summary: The reader watches on the sidelines as Jenny and her longtime crush, Jaime Reyes become close to one another. Being Milagro's closest friend, she dreads when she has to come over and see the lovebirds.

But who says her little friend would allow this to happen? And who says what she sees is true?

->Pairings: Jaime Reyes x F!Reader

-> Use of (Name).

-> Marvel/DC crossover (mentioned Eddie Brock, Peter Parker, and relations to other fic)

->Warning: So much miscommunication, murder talk, and spinal cord removal :(

Once again, please ignore grammar mistakes.

⋆｡°✩

I'm the sweetest girl in town so why are you so mean? When you gonna ditch that stupid, you got? It's me you should be seeing.

"Are you just going to continue to stare?" Milagro questions her close friend, who stares at her brother with a pair of love-sick eyes. "Dude, just go talk to him."

"Can't really do that," Her friend hums in response, "Look, Kord is walking over to him. Now he's going to have the brightest smile ever and then they'll hug Then she's going to pat him on the back and start helping him with your house remodel. Look! They're doing it!"

Exactly at that point, Jaime laughs as Jenny pushes him over, grabbing the paintbrush on her own and assisting him with the cream-colored outer walls. Jaime shakes his head in response, nudging her back.

"So what? I'm his sister, and what I can tell you is that they are NOT together. They're just really good friends!" Milagro explains, quieting down when Jaime looks over. "Come on, clear it up. I don't want to see my best friend so sad."

"I'm grieving," She pouts, lowering herself into the chair, "You don't see what I see. They are definitely together."

"Si no lo preguntas, nunca vas a saber," Another voice exclaims. Both girls turn their heads to her mother who shakes her head at them. "Don't be shy! I don't want my future daughter-in-law to lose her chance."

Feeling her face heat up, she looks away from the older woman's words. "I know he's your son, but I can't. I'm sorry."

Maybe if you weren't such a pussy, you would have gotten the guy. Does the K-dramas we watch together not mean anything?

The sudden voice caused her to jump straight into her seat. Narc had been quiet since she had arrive at the Reyes’ house hold. She hadn’t expected them to speak at all since he rarely did when she was at their residence. At first, it was off putting to never hear the familiar voice, but she slowly grew used to the silence.

Born out of wedlock from the original symbiote, Narc had been the symbiote who had begun their stay before she arrived in this Universe. They were the only connection she had to the life she once had. Or was it the other being stuck here as well? She wasn’t sure, she ignored all contact to the woman connected to her in more ways than one.

"K-Dramas are not real, idiot." She hissed under her breath.

"Did you say something, Mija?" Mrs. Reyes questions, resting her hand under the woman's chin. "You often talk to yourself, just like little Jaime."

"Mama!" Jaime calls out, "I'm not little anymore! Come on, don't tell her that!"

"You are little, cabrón. Don't you remember the incident? Naked con tus chiquito huevitos." His Uncle Rudy cackles, "Don't you remember that, ama?"

Their Nana shakes her head in response, smiling broadly at the memory. Milagro begins to laugh as well while Jenny sits beside the girls with a small nod in the direction of (Name). She returns the gesture, crossing her hands as she ignored how hard her heart hammered.

"I'm lost," (Name) murmurs, "So, so lost...But anyway, I have to head out. Thank you for having me!"

"Come by anytime, (Name)." Jaime grins, walking up to her and hugging the girl tightly, "Just remember to ignore anything they say about me, okay? Don't want them ruining anything."

"They're your family, I don't think they are capable of doing so," She pats his back, looking down at Milagro who fake kisses the air in front of her. Jenny seems to notice as she raises her eyebrows at the duo still hugging.

"You can let me go now, Jaime." (Name) murmurs into his ear, "Don't want her getting the wrong idea."

Jaime pulls away, smiling at the girl in front of him. His eyes flickered down for a second before he looked back at her, "Sorry?" She smiles sadly at him as she moves towards her vehicle. She refuses to look at the family behind her as she hears the conversation pick up again.

I think we should kill her.

"Absolutely not. There is a new hero here, Narc. We can't just murder a well-known figure and expect to get away with it." She groans, buckling her seat belt. She looks back at the family once more as she shifts her gear to drive.

We've done it once. And we can do it again.

"I don't think killing the Green Goblin counts for anything! He was already crazier than us, so the headlines were thanking us!" She exclaims.

His brain was nasty anyway.

⋆｡°✩

"Do you think Blue Beetle is cool?" Milagro asks, absentmindedly moving her straw around in boredom. "Personally, I think he's a huge nerd. What do you think?"

"Who says you can bother me on my shift?" (Name) frowns, cleaning the bar top in front of her, "And how did they let you in?"

"I have my ways," Milagro grins, "Answer my question. I need to know."

"I think he's...unique? From the news I have seen of him, it's obvious he is of Hispanic Descent. His suit is otherworldly, so I'm assuming it's some kind of alien tech he is using. Definitely not Superman, though." (Name) shrugs, moving the alcoholic beverages aside as she begins assisting the bartenders alongside her.

"Do you think he's cute under his mask?" Milagro leans closer, "Would you date him?"

I would eat him.

"I wouldn't eat him," (Name) responds instead. She pauses as the conversation around her began to quiet down. Some stared at her while others whispered to their compadres nearby.

"I...didn't ask that? I asked if you think he's cute and if you would date him. Dude, where the hell is your mind thinking right now?" Milagro whispers, eyeing the men nearby, "God, I’ve always hated this bar. A bunch of chismosos who are almost always cheating on their wives here. They're always eyeing you too. How do you handle that?"

"First, I can't tell if Blue Beetle is cute based on his voice. Second, I wouldn't date him since I am sooo hung up on your brother." Milagro snorts. "Lastly, this is the only bar that offers the minimum wage. I can handle drunk men well, I've always had."

The conversation began to pick up again as most began focusing on the news displayed in front of them. Blue Beetle was shown on live television, fighting off rogue soldiers from Victoria Kord's force. Despite the woman being long gone, the impact she made had not quite disappeared.

"I knew you were still into him! I say you ask him out! You ain't a homewrecker if he isn't in a relationship!"

"Didn't you say Kord and Jaime kissed? That your whole family cheered for the couple?"

"A fluke! It's a fluke I swear, but it is complicated! Just ask Jaime, please? It would be so cool for us to be family."

"If our lives are ever in danger at this very bar, then I'll ask." (Name) turns away from Milagro's eyes, "That means it will never ha-"

Her voice gets cut off when bullets begin hitting the bar's windows, causing the occupants to duck down to safety. Many of the drunken men tried to escape but most were quickly shot down by the bullets.

Milagro screams, ducking down into a crouch as the bullets continue. (Name) ignores the danger as she maneuvers her way through the destruction. She grabs Milagro, forcing the girl to look her in the eyes. "I need you to hide behind the bar, okay? The bullets won't get you. We will protect you.”

"W-who's we?" Milagro cries as (Name) pushes her behind the bar. There was silence for a moment as screams echoed in the bar. "(Name)? Where are you going?" She pushed Milagro down, moving her way from the bar corner as she looked at the bodies around her. Many men stayed below tables, looking at her in fear as she counted the people alive.

"Nobody get up. It’s not ove-" Her words get cut off when bullets pierce through her whole body. She is flung against the countertop as a bullet pierces too close to her heart. She hears her name being called out as Milagro tries to find her way to the woman.

She smiles at the tear-stained face in her vision. The fear in the other girl's eyes was evident as she continued to scream her name. At that moment, smoke bombs are thrown through the window. The screams had begun to mesh together, the fog covering the vision of the little who were still alive.

She feels the blood oozing out of her mouth, the familiar metallic filling up her mouth. She sputters, not being able to breathe.

It's your turn.

My turn.

Shoes stepping on glass were all everyone heard as the perpetrators stepped through the mess they caused. They held their gun up in return, moving through the fog stealthily. As they communicated with one another, they grew unnoticed by the thing they had angered.

"Find the Reyes girl. She is to be left alive." One spoke up, "Kill every survivor." The main soldier calls out. They await the confirmation of the others but they hear nothing. "I need an affirmative."

The soldier gets smacked in response, feeling themselves recoil from the weight against their body. When they look down at the unfamiliar weight, they begin to scream.

The weight crushing them was there comrade. Left unrecognizable with no head in sight. The blood wafts through their mask. They begin to gag as they try to pull the body off of them. They freeze up when a bloodied helmet rolls closer. Empty and dented, the helmet hits their shoe with a loud clank.

The fog begins to clear up, displaying the mess left behind. The soldier tensed when they noticed the bodies presented around the room. Many hung from the lights, their necks cracking from the added weight of their helmet. Others were hazardously thrown against tables. One had a table leg pierced through their helmet.

"Why must humans be so selfish? Is this fun for you, you pathetic piece of shit?" The soldier whimpers in response, turning their eyes away from the figure crouching in front of their face.

The creature, despite crouching, was still overlooking the only soldier left alive. The disarray and multi-color of the night sky reflected back to the onlookers who began to murmur about the new being. They tilt their head and leaned closer to the soldier, their bright, soulless eyes stared into the helmet. They licked the sharp smile forming from the fear they felt radiating off the soldier.

"Unlike the Blue Beetle, we do not care about the lives of our victims. What do you think happens next?"

"W-What the hell are you?"

"If you must know, my host has named us Narc. Will you beg for your life now?"

The Soldier rips their helmet off, looking at Narc with a look of fear, "Please. Please. I'm sorry. I'll never do this again, please!"

"He had once told us the same. You are just like the others. Pathetic. Unworthy. A perfect meal."

A scream is ripped through his victim's vocal cords as Narc bites down. Blood seeped through their mouth as they ripped out the spinal cord in one sharp turn. Narc stands, spitting their leftovers to the side.

"Hey, ugly!" A voice called out, "What the hell are you doing, man?"

Narc cranes their neck towards the entrance of the bar, watching as Blue Beetle floated at his place. They both stared at each other, unmoving.

"Blue Beetle!" A voice calls out, Milagro moving from her hiding spot to the blue-and-black-clad hero. "My friend is gone! She was just--where is she?" She turns her head towards Narc, who stares down at the shaking girl.

"Get away from it!" Blue Beetle yells, flying through the bar as he centers himself between Milagro and Narc. "Take it up with me and not the civilians!"

"He just--he ate all the soldiers--" Milagro gasps, stepping behind Blue Beetle, "I saw what he did--"

"You--What the hell are you?" Blue Beetle points his palms toward Narc, who continues to stare in silence.

"Does my figure scare you? I can hear your heartbeat." Narc cranes their head towards Milagro. Blue Beetle blocks her from their eyesight. “Worry not, we do not hurt the innocent.”

With those words, Narc feels their familiar bulking figure die down to their less impending figure. The duo are lost for words at the new figure presented in front of them.

"I'm so sorry I think I misgendered you--" Milagro's eyes stayed pinned to the pair of boobs Narc had.

"Where's (Name)?" Blue Beetle turns his head around, "Khaji-Da says she is still here! She was working, right?" His questions are to Milagro.

None of the three seemed to notice the survivors running out of the bar.

"She is here. With me." Narc hums, moving closer to Blue Beetle, "Is Khaji-Da your symbiote?"

"Symb--what? What do you mean (Name) is with you?"

"Jaime Reyes. You are a host are you not?"

"Stop avoiding my questions! Where is she?! How do you know my name--That is not my name! I do not know Jaime Reyes. Do you?"

"I have known of the scarab on your back since the beginning. Do not worry, (Name) remains clueless, for now."

"Why are you saying her name as if you know her?" Milagro questions.

Narc purrs, tilting their head closer to Blue Beetle who stepped back hesitantly. "We have known each other for a long time. We are bonded together until she dies. She is my key to survival in your world. She is me. I am her. We are one. We are Narc."

“Like Narcotics? Did she get you from a drug? She doesn’t seem like the type to do drugs.” Milagro questions, stepping closer to the duo, “And why are you so close? I can smell you from here!”

“We are host and symbiote. We am not from here, you see. Your alien won’t know of us.”

Milagro and Blue Beetle share a look, communicating with silent words. Blue Beetle lowers his hand, allowing Narc to step closer. The symbiote smiles, their purrs growing louder.

“I see why she likes you.”

With those words, Narc sinks into (Name)'s skin, leaving the woman defenseless from the eyes of her long-time crush and friend. She drops to the floor, her wounds patching over themselves with a familiar goo.

Blue Beetle drops to the floor, bringing (Name) close to his body. He rocks her back and forth as Milagro stumbles beside him. Her eyes were bloodshot and the tears that disappeared has formed all over again.

"Why didn't she tell us? Why didn't she tell me?" Blue Beetle, now Jaime who removed his helmet. He leans his forehead on the woman and murmurs into her hair. He kisses her temple as Milagro continues to cry.

"Why didn't she tell us her hero name is literally short for Narcotics?!"

⋆｡°✩

(Name) awakes to a horrible headache splintering her head. She groans as she shifts closer to the warmth of an unfamiliar body. She nuzzles in closer to the warmth, groaning at the light against her eyelids.

"Narc turn off the lights...I feel like I've just been shot." She moans, gripping her blanket tighter against her body, "I'm going out with Milagro later. I have to go buy cat food..."

"Milagro is taking care of Eddie, don't worry." A familiar voice whispers against her head, "Just go back to sleep. I'll block the sunlight."

"Thanks, Jaime..." Processing the name that came out, she jumps away from the warmth. She stares at Jaime, who stares back in equal shock and sleepiness. His hair was a mess, pointing in different directions. She presses her hand to her mouth, gasping behind it.

"Oh my god. We didn't have sex, did we? If so, that would be awkward because you are my best friend's brother and you literally have a girlfriend. I can't even get drunk so it's impossible for me to forget--oh my god am I in your house?"

"Hey, Hey," Jaime soothes her, smiling at the woman freaking out in his bed, "We didn't have sex and we were not drunk. You were...shot multiple times and some things came to light, but it's okay now, I promise."

"I'm still sleeping in your bed though! You could have left me, being shot doesn't stop me! We were holding each other?! What would Kord think if she saw this now?" She grips the unfamiliar sweater covering her body, feeling her legs shift through from under the sheets and hit against Jaime's.

"Jenny? What about Jenny? We aren't...We aren't dating if that's what you're worried about." Jaime grabbed her by the face, locking eyes with her who looked anywhere but him. "I can't just leave you when you were hurt."

"Milagro said you two kissed."

"We did once have feelings for each other. But it's long gone now, it was just a...heat of a moment kind of thing." Jaime brings her cheeks towards his chest, which she just noticed had nothing covering him from her eyes. Her hands stopped short on his stomach. She felt his stomach flutter in response.

"Besides, I like someone else. I like you."

She feels her heart stop at his confession.

Knew it.

"No shit." She exclaims, looking up at Jaime who smiles down at her doe-like look.

"I do." He whispers back. They both stared at one another until he leaned closer to her face. She felt his breath fan her face as she wrinkled her nose.

"You stink." She snorts, moving her hands to the back of his neck. He laughs at her words.

"Yours smells much worse. Now, come here--" She cuts him off, smashing her lips to his. He holds her waist, bringing her to sit on his lap. Her tongue finds his, leaning closer as her hand moves to stay on his chest. Biting his lip, she softly sucks it lightly. She opens her eyes to find his eyes half-lidded, enjoying the moment.

When she pulls away, her lips find his neck, kissing down to his collarbone. Pulling her hand back to his neck, she inhales his scent.

"Couldn't have waited until I was asleep. You are always like this. The same exact way with Peter Parker."

They both jump at the new voice, turning their heads towards Narc who floated their head around the room, reading the boxes that held different items. She turns her head to Jaime, eyes wide, waiting for him to begin screaming.

"Narc-uh. They explained more about your origins with each other. After finding them standing in a bloodbath, Milagro and I thought the worst had happened but someone--something told me to let Narc explain."

"They told you about our.... situationship?" She questions, gripping onto Jaime's bicep. "You're supposed to be running away--not making out with me!"

"And you! You aren't supposed to be out. You're grounded!" She growls, pulling Jaime's face into the crook of her neck, "You told him everything, huh? Why can't you ever keep secrets? She'll be angry our cover was blown!"

She ignored the look Narc gives, opting to continue her rant, “Asshole, is it because I’m not letting you meet Red Robin? You know it isn’t allowed!”

"The other youngling saw you get shot. Was I supposed to act as if I ate you instead?"

"Actually, yes! Nobody is supposed to know, you promised. We promised Eddie."

"You made a promise to your cat?" Jaime's muffled voice questions. Despite the situation, he bites her neck. "Who is Peter Parker?"

She glares at Narc, who innocently whistles. "No one Jaime, he is no one."

"Former boy toy." Narc responds instead, "Hell of an amateur kisser."

"You kissed him! Not me!" She turns to Jaime, pulling his head back to stare at him, "I'm so sorry, I don't know why they're acting this way. I'll go right now, seriously. I don't want you in our mess."

"Relax," Jaime comforts, grabbing her hand that stayed on his cheek. He smiles at her, "I can protect myself. Look--"

She felt him shift from under her, watching in shock as his body began to be covered by a familiar suit she had seen countlessly on television. Everything except his face was covered in armor. Whilst she analyzed the markings on his suit, Narc moved closer as well.

"Does your scarab only speak to you?" Narc asks, "It is unlike anything I have seen on my planet. Do you feed them as well?"

"They aren't really fed? They don't need sustenance. Khaji-Da only talks to me in my head so they're like a second voice...and planet?"

"This is going to be a long talk," She sighed, rubbing her eyes tiredly, "At least you don't have to feed them human brains..."

"What?" Jaime recoils, looking at the two with wide eyes, "I'm sorry? Brains? Like Zombies? The Walking Dead? Like zombies from The Last of Us?!"

"I thought you told him everything!"

"I would never tell of my eating habits! Humans are judgemental!"

[peppermintquartz]

"So what's it like, kissing Buck?"

Tommy misses the shot and Eddie catches the rebound. Tossing a shit-eating grin Tommy's way, Eddie races down the court, passing to Lee who's open, and his shot makes the basket.

Tommy shakes his head at Eddie. "That was low."

"Sorry," Eddie says, but he's very clearly not sorry at all.

Tommy's side loses by four points. As usual, winners buy a round of drinks for everyone - non-alcoholic for most of them, since they have to drive - and Eddie drops an ice-cold can of Dr Pepper into Tommy's waiting hands.

"For real, what's it like dating Buck?" Eddie asks quietly, while the other guys joke about something from their own stations.

Tommy can't help his smile. The mere thought of Evan makes his heart warm. "It's nice. It's different from my previous boyfriends. He just... He knows, somehow, what I mean when I say things. I can be an asshole and he's never taken my words the wrong way. So far, at least."

Eddie nudges him with an elbow. "Come on. It can't be all good. We know he can be a reckless idiot."

Tommy's smile fades slightly around the edges, and his tone becomes a little less friendly. "Evan's not an idiot. He's a little impulsive, maybe, but he's smart."

"Hey, didn't mean to imply he wasn't. But I've seen Buck make some truly stupid decisions before, and hell, half the time I was making those same decisions myself."

"Obviously I don't know him from before," says Tommy slowly, measuring out his words. "I've heard from Howie some stuff about the risks Evan took. About that lawsuit also. But thing is, that was then. This is now. And Evan's grown. He still feels things with his whole heart, but he's using his head too." He sighs. "Sometimes I wonder if you still think he's the twenty-something kid you met when you first walked into the 118. But that was how many years ago, Eddie? Even Christopher is a teenager now."

Eddie has to swig from his own can. That hits a little close to home.

"I know what you and he have is special. You two have this, this bond that I can't hope to replace, and, yeah I'm jealous sometimes, but I know he loves you and he loves Christopher, and I can't find it in myself to resent that he has so much love to give." Tommy smiles wryly and shakes his head. "I don't know. I mean, I look at myself back when and I cringe. Maybe Evan was an idiot, but I was a coward. Just went along with the flow, even though I knew the flow was fucking garbage."

"You're a pretty decent guy now," Eddie offers.

"You wouldn't let me date Evan otherwise, don't lie."

"Heh. If you were still an asshole, I would cockblock you every single chance I had. Hell, I'd date Buck myself to keep him from you."

Tommy freezes. His eyes widen. "You... want to date Evan?"

Eddie punches Tommy in the shoulder. "No, you dumbass, I don't. I want him to be happy, to be with a person I can tolerate and who can tolerate me." He lets out a sigh. "Not many women like that Buck and I are pretty tight."

"I'm glad you can tolerate me," says Tommy dryly. He presses the cold can of Dr Pepper to the back of Eddie's neck, making him yelp. "You'll find her. Or she'll find you. I'll even keep an eye out for someone like that." His grin grows cheeky and he chugs the rest of his beverage. "Anything to make sure you never even think of dating Evan."

[mukimokai]

okay no cuz why is every kinich ship valid smh

TW: LONG ASS RAMBLING BUT FUNNY SILLY CUTSIE I PROMISE

kinlani is kinlani. like omg have you seen them: sunshine social butterfly girlfriend and her introverted moon boyfriend that she loves unconditionally. And it's a new concept for her once abused boyfriend who thinks everything comes at a cost: who gets confused when Mualani just loves him without asking for anything in return and he just loves it so much it makes him weak for her; he'd do anything for her without asking for payment like he does with anyone else because she helped him heal and she's his darling little wife who he'd do anything for.

ajawnich (ajaw with the ability to go into human form because seriously. we NEED human ajaw in more ways than one) is your typical doomed mortal x immortal tragedy in which a dragon who is new to human emotions and thinks lowly of humans slowly starts to understand humanity over the years with his infuriating yet kind human companion. Both are emotionally constipated fools; Ajaw pining like a lovesick idiot because he's supposed to hate his companion and want him dead but when that day of death finally comes, Ajaw feels no joy or happiness: just empty as he looks himself in the mirror, touching his face, or, well, Kinich's face.

oronich (idk the ship name, but also it exists lol) is two characters who are seen somewhat as outsiders by their own tribes: Kinich, while loved by most of the children, has a negative reputation for his job while Ororon is seen as a problem child and cast out of society. The two ostracised characters coming together in a doomed "we're kinda similar, aren't we?" Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham style (from stranger things, sorry chat) and forming an unexpected yet wholesome and definitely welcome bond with each other (they'd tend to their garden together).

lynich (a rarepair!! a popular rarepair is a miracle honestly) is two traumatized boys, the flirt and the flustered. One who speaks the truth outright, and one who's every word is a lie. One who thinks everything comes at a price, and one who thinks everything is a trick. When Lyney tells Kinich about his connections with the Fatui, Kinich isn't mad, surprised, but not mad. How could he be? When he knows why Lyney joined? He accepts him with open arms, Weighing the costs, befriending a member of the Fatui would most likely leave him out of their shadier affairs since Lyney would never harm him, right? Right. Even when Lyney succeeds Arlecchino, Even when he becomes a harbinger, even after everything: they're together, despite all the complications there are.

basically yeah. every kinich ship is valid rn. those are the popular ones at least-(ororon and kinich is not popular but it has more content than any others I've seen and ppl actually talked abt it at one point so it's being included)

citlali and kinich is being excluded bcz that's p3d0philia: fanbase, that was your lesson for shipping characters before we even know anything about them/before they're even released smh (/lh lololol)

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to my unfortunate realization: kinlani is poppy and branch smh (singing killed his father and made his mother run away, okay). They're basically every cliche quiet boy and cliche loud girl duo ever in history and they have that absolutely based opposite aesthetic duo vibe going on and it's wonderful i love them to bits and pieces chat.

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ajawnich is princess and the frog in which ajaw turns into a pixel dragon instead of a frog, or beauty and the beast in which ajaw's seal is the rose curse thingie, or both. or fluttercord, cant forget fluttercord. or billford, cant forget billford either. take your pick with them honestly.

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oronich is chrissy and eddie, could also see it being christine and raoul from phantom of the opera in which ajaw is the phantom, kinich is christine, and ororon is raoul.

(wait that's genius, im a fucking genius chat. someone make that an AU and credit me right NEEEEOW.)

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and lynich is kinda just there i dont really know anything else to compare it to but it's giving that one scene in tom and jerry where it's like: "I love you. *smothers in kisses* Why, you set my soul on fire. *smothers in kisses* It is not just a little spark. It is a flame; a big roaring flame. I can feel it now *smothers in kisses*" (the person doing the kissing and talking is lyney in case you couldn't tell LMAOOAO)

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anyways yeah

basically kinich harem i guess

i love being a multishipper because i can collect ships like a bitch and fawn over so many a time whenever i want >:3

also i love the whiplash between some of these: like kinlani and oronich were so wholesome and then you have AUGHHGHG angst with lynich and ajawnich smh.

sorry for rambling lmao but yeah

[bellofthemeadow]

Harrington!reader, Steve’s little sister. Popular, a cheerleader, first time senior and Chrissy’s best friend. But she has a secret that only her best friend knows. She’s had a crush on Eddie Munson since middle school. She’s afraid to tell him, thinking there’s no way he’d be into her. Until one day in the cafeteria, Jason Carver calls Eddie a freak. She confronts him, and punches him in the face, breaking or spraining her hand/wrist. Guess her little secret is out, and she may never be popular again.

OF COURSE MY DEAR ANON! I am so sorry it took forever to address this request! I have just started my final year of Uni, and with four seminars and graduate applications, I have not had any time to write consistently! But this idea was too enticing to pass up, so thank you very much for sharing it! For those waiting on other fics, I am slowly but surely getting back into the groove of writing more consistently so it should all come out sooner rather than later (hopefully) and I always welcome more fics or one shot ideas! Thank you to y'all for bearing with me, I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU SO SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️

No warnings excpet for some violence (against Jason Carver so thats fine I think) and some heavy make out session

Word Count: 5.3K

Masterlist

Hit Me Baby One More Time

You had gotten your first taste of popularity on your very first day of middle school, a couple of years ago. That entire week leading up to it had been filled with fear and stress about what people would think of you. Overwhelmed, you had spent the last few days of your summer agonizing over your outfit choice, turning your daily fashion show into a reluctant performance for your big brother, Steve. Despite his huffs and puffs, he had reassured you that everything would go smoothly, but you couldn't help to worry. Eventually, you ended up settling on a cute white dress that reached just above your knees, paired with a soft baby pink cardigan. You had hoped it would be enough to get some of the right kind of attention that Steve always talked about.

In hindsight, you realized that you might have been a tad dramatic as when lunchtime had rolled around, a group of girls had approached you, giggling with excitement. "Are you Steve Harrington's sister?" they had asked-whispered with bright envious eyes. You slowly nodded, and with elated giggles, they ushered you over to their table, where the popular crowd was hanging out. It turned out your brother had quite the reputation, and while you knew he was popular, you hadn't fully grasped the extent to which the name Harrington would impact your social life. For you, Steve was just the idiot older brother who used Farah Fawcet's hairspray to keep his dumb hair in place – But to everyone else, it seemed that Steve was a pretty big deal. So, you were, it seemed, a legacy, and the rest, as they say, was history. And that very day, you also ended up meeting your future best friend, Chrissy Cunningham, who you would grow to love with all your heart.

Five years had come and gone, and now, you were finally well-established into your senior year, ready to graduate in the spring. And while it was true that your older brother might have facilitated your initial entry into the realm of popularity, you had since etched out a distinctive name for yourself. As your brother moved on to new chapters in his life (namely an underpaid job at family video), your own journey through high school took a markedly different path. In fact, your popularity had continued to ascend, like a rising star in the night sky.

Though the Harrington name may have laid the foundation, you had meticulously built upon it, brick by brick. You had cultivated your own unique persona, and it had become a force to be reckoned with in the hallways of your school. No longer living in the shadow of your brother's glory days, you had emerged as a charismatic figure in your own right.

You had become The Harrington sibling who truly counted, especially after the dramatic showdown between Steve and Billy Hargrove during his own senior year. In the aftermath of that clash, your brother's social standing had taken a considerable hit, with much of his social credit being seized by the mullet-wearing bad-boy. The Harrington name, which had once been associated with Steve's swagger, now conjured images of a radiant, saccharine smile, cheerleading outfits, and a personality as pinky-sweet as bubblegum.

While Chrissy indisputably reigned as the queen of Hawkins High, some believed it was only because you had no desire to claim that throne—a belief rooted in truth as you had no interest of being the queen of anything, especially Hawkins High as beyond Chrissy, you harboured little affection for the other members of the popular clique. Whether it was Jason Carver and his cronies or the remainder of the cheer squad, you couldn't help but find them increasingly vapid.

Nestled at the popular table right in the heart of the bustling cafeteria, always donning Hawkins’ green cheer outfit, a nagging sensation of inauthenticity always clung to you. Hitching deep into your soul, making you feel like the fraud you’ve always believed yourself to be as although your elevated social status had smoothed your journey through high school, ensuring a constant stream of party invitations, a steadfast companion, and even a few favors from teachers who were drawn to your preppy smile and sunny disposition, it all felt like a facade, far removed from your true self.

You’ve always known how deep inside, there were facets of who you really were that you couldn't openly share with anyone but Chrissy. She alone knew of your profound love for fantasy and science fiction novels. Nothing brought you more joy than retreating home to dive headlong into the mystical realms crafted by H.P. Lovecraft or to lose yourself once more in the pages of your well-worn copy of "Frankenstein." Yet, these passions remained concealed beneath the veneer you projected: the princess of Hawkins High, painted in shades of pink, sweet, and deceptively perfect.

The idea of letting those hidden, nerdy passions of yours see the light of day felt like a risky bet, one that could potentially leave you feeling incredibly alone at Hawkins High. The thought of losing friends and having nowhere to sit during lunch was a constant source of worry. You had faith in Chrissy's unwavering support, regardless of your social standing, but you couldn't bear the idea of burdening her. She was just so kind, always forgiving even to those who didn't deserve it, and you didn't want to be the one responsible for pulling her down.

As a result, the decision to keep these aspects of your identity hidden weighed heavily on your heart. It felt like an unspoken loneliness, a sacrifice you were making to preserve the fragile balance of the life you'd carefully constructed in high school. Hawkins High had its own intricate ecosystem, and you were very much a part of it. Your place within that system was delicate, and you couldn't afford to disrupt it, fearing that it might set off a chain reaction that could destabilize everything. You had no intention of being the one to upset the frail high school biome of Hawkins High.

Now, however, your situation was far from ideal as you found yourself sandwiched between Carly and Tina during lunch, and today, they were even more exasperating than usual. There seemed to be some sort of fallout from Tina's last party, something involving a boy, and now the two girls communicated exclusively through snarky remarks, making the tension rise with every snip from either girl. A brewing headache was beginning to claw at your temples as you were waiting for the explosion to erupt sooner rather than later.

What was happening in front of you wasn’t any better as you were given a front-row seat to the somewhat uncomfortable sight of Jason Carver deeply engrossed in a passionate kiss with Chrissy. She appeared to be on the brink of embarrassment, her attempts to gently push Jason away carried out with shy reluctance. "Jason, please," she implored, her manicured hand finding its way to his chest, a plea in her eyes. "Not in front of everyone..."

In response, Jason merely rolled his eyes dismissively. "Come on, baby," he insisted, his voice low and unconcerned. "No one's even paying attention to us."

You couldn't help but scowl, unhappiness etching your delicate features as you watched the uncomfortable display unfold before you. Finally, you couldn't take it any longer. You cleared your throat and loudly exclaimed, "Hey, Chrissy?" All eyes turned to you, and you continued, "Do you think we could slip away from lunch a bit early to go over the routine we've been practicing for the upcoming game? I really want to make sure I've got it down perfectly before tonight's match."

Chrissy's sigh of relief was almost audible, and you could sense her gratitude. In contrast, Jason huffed unhappily, clearly irritated by the interruption. He muttered something about leaving you girls to your conversation before he got up and headed to chat with one of his buddies at the far end of the table.

You and Chrissy shared a quick, wordless girl-to-girl conversation. All the words you needed were conveyed through a bombastic side-eye from you and a subtle nod of your head toward Jason. Chrissy responded with a playful roll of her eyes and a slight shake of her shoulder, silently agreeing with your sentiment.

As your eyes shifted away from Chrissy, they unexpectedly locked onto the deep brown ones of Eddie Munson. Two distinct emotions surged from deep within you. One was a rush of excitement as the warmth of your crush enveloped you, causing your face to flush as red as a ripe apple under his gaze. But in an instant, that crush felt almost crushing when you realized that it wasn't you that Eddie was looking at, but rather Chrissy's high ponytail that had captured his attention.

Eddie and Chrissy. Chrissy and Eddie. ChrissyandEddie. It was an undeniable fact that the guy you had the most enormous crush on happened to be utterly smitten with your best friend. It felt almost tragically comical, if you were being honest with yourself. Throughout high school, countless guys had mustered the courage to ask you out, but you had dismissed them all without a second thought. Football jocks, band nerds, potheads, music fanatics – none of them could hold a candle to Eddie Munson in your eyes.From the very moment you first crossed paths with Eddie during your freshman year, your heart had been irreversibly, completely, and utterly captivated by the charismatic and outspoken boy. You were utterly unprepared for it, not like you were out there seeking Cupid's arrow to pierce your heart. You had simply been an unsuspecting victim of one of its whims, but the exquisite pain that followed was worth it. At least, you hoped so.

Thanks to Eddie's recurring attempts at redoing his senior year and your placement in advanced classes, your worlds intersected more than once. One particularly unforgettable encounter unfolded in Mrs. Allen's math class, where the teacher had a peculiar notion that pairing the class's worst student (Eddie) with its best (you) would somehow work magic. You were left a bit shy and entirely tongue-tied in his presence, but Eddie had an uncanny talent for leaning in close and delivering a barrage of side-splitting, utterly inappropriate observations about Mrs. Allen that left you snorting with laughter. For a glorious three months, Eddie was your math partner in crime, and during that time, you dared to believe that something more could evolve from your interactions. If only you could string together coherent sentences without tripping over your words.

However, as fate would have it, the teacher eventually grew tired of her seating arrangement, deciding it was high time to shake things up. This twist in your high school narrative resulted in you and Eddie being separated, an alteration you weren't particularly thrilled about. The new arrangement effectively put a damper on your burgeoning connection.

It was in the midst of this seating shuffle that Eddie tossed a rather loaded question your way, catching you off guard. "Your friend Chrissy," he began, as you felt yourself shrink under his gaze. "Is she still with that Carver douche?" Your gaze faltered as you met his, a nod escaping your lips as a wave of disappointment surged within you. Inwardly grappling with the sting of unspoken heartache, you found yourself clutching the hem of your cheer skirt almost desperately. Without another word, you retreated to your newly assigned seat, a sense of melancholy lingering like a shadow and bitter disappointment coating your tongue.

Even now, your gaze would involuntarily flicker to Eddie whenever you found yourself in the same room. Often, he'd be engrossed in conversations with his bandmates or his D&D group, leaving you on the outside looking in. It was a conflicting sensation, feeling his presence so near yet so far away. If only you could gather the nerve to strike up a conversation with him, but you hesitated. After all, you were the popular girl, the one who played by the rules, and good girls weren't supposed to mix with people like Eddie, no matter how much you desperately longed for it. Perhaps during math class today, you thought, you might find a plausible excuse to approach him. Maybe something as simple as asking about the homework or...

"And what the hell do you think you're staring at, Freak!?" The sudden hush that swept over the cafeteria was palpable as every head turned toward Jason, who had abandoned your table and was now striding purposefully toward the one where Eddie and his friends were seated. A chill coursed through your veins, causing your face to pale. You couldn't tear your eyes away from the unfolding drama as Eddie rose from his seat. While he appeared outwardly confident, the telltale clenching and unclenching of his hand betrayed the nervousness bubbling beneath the surface. It was clear to you that what he was displaying might just be a facade of bravado.

"Did you dribble that orange ball a few too many times, Carver?" Eddie sarcastically chimed in. His words hung in the air, an open challenge that seemed to stoke the flames of Jason's anger. In a fit of rage, Jason lunged forward, grabbing Eddie by the front of his well-worn jeans jacket. The cafeteria held its breath, anticipation hanging heavy in.

 A gasp escaped your lips, a sharp, involuntary intake of breath as the dramatic confrontation unfolded before your eyes. Abruptly, you shot up from your seat, causing Chrissy to turn around in surprise. She sent you an uncertain look as you started to stride toward the two boys. It was as if you were possessed by a force stronger than yourself, you couldn’t let whatever was happening continue – you had to do something!

"Don't try to bullshit me, freak!" Jason's voice reverberated through the cafeteria, anger and scorn dripping from his words. "I saw you looking at Chrissy. You think you can just lay your eyes on her, you freak? She isn't yours; you're nothing but trailer trash! Don't you ever dare to look at her again, alright? Or I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!" Jason was so close to Eddie's face that his spittle sprayed across the other boy's features. He shoved Eddie backward, and it was at that moment, as you were making your way between the mass of students that had clustered around Jason and Eddie that you felt a surge of red-hot anger like nothing you had ever felt before.

"Do I make myself clear, freak?" Jason continued, his voice dripping with malice. "Or do I need to send my boys to deal with you and your pathetic group of losers?" Eddie looked incensed, but he cowered under Jason's menacing threat.

"I...wasn't...looking," Eddie enunciated each word through gritted teeth, avoiding Jason's eyes. Jason burst into fake laughter, glancing around at the onlookers.

"Does the freak have a crush?" he taunted, his voice cruel and derisive. "That's hilarious. You honestly think you'd have a chance with Chrissy? Be realistic, freak. What is it now, twice repeating your senior year?" Eddie's face turned a deep shade of pink, shame washing over him as Jason's taunts struck at his insecurities. His shoulders sagged with each insult, and he struggled to maintain his composure.

"Everyone knows anyway that the only way a freak like you could ever get close to a girl is when you and your little cult of Satan practice some sacrifices," Jason continued, his words laced with venom. "I'm even surprised they let people like you in here. Everyone knows what kind of trash your dad was, it ain't surprising that the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree…”

You pushed your way through the crowd, determination propelling you forward. Without a second thought, you strode purposefully toward the back of Jason. Eddie's surprised gaze locked onto you as you confidently approached them.

You extended your arm and lightly tapped Jason on the shoulder, effectively cutting off his rant mid-sentence. The abruptness of your action prompted Jason to whirl around to face you, his typically handsome features now contorted into a repulsive mask of anger. It was a stark contrast to the carefully cultivated "cool-guy" image he often projected. But deep down, you knew this enraged countenance was his true face, hidden behind the facade. In fight or flight mode, you recalled your brother Steve's advice about fighting, which you had stored away in your memory, "Sis," Steve's voice echoed in your mind, "when you throw a punch, put your entire body behind it."

And that's precisely what you did. With every ounce of your body weight, you thrust your fist forward directly into Jason's face. The cafeteria was filled with a sharp crack, echoing through the room, followed by a collective gasp from everyone present. An eerie silence descended upon the cafeteria.

Jason lay sprawled on the floor, a violent stream of blood gushing from his nose, while you clutched your hand close to your chest. Tears welled up at the corners of your eyes. No one had ever warned you that hitting someone would hurt like an absolute nightmare! It ] wasn’t like that in the movies!

Your gaze landed on Eddie, and you noticed a peculiar expression take over the young metalhead’s face –  His brown gaze held something unfamiliar, a look you had never seen throughout the time you had been admiring him from afar. I was as though he were seeing you – like he was attempting to decipher the mechanics of your very being. It caught you off guard, this intensity in his stare, and you couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

“YOU BITCH! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM!!!” Jason roared from his sprawled position on the ground.

Reluctantly tearing your gaze away from Eddie, you redirected it toward the fallen boy who cut a rather pathetic figure at your feet. Curling your lip in disdain, you adopted your most haughty tone and huffed, "You, Jason Carver, are the problem here!"

Jason, still sprawled on the floor with a nosebleed, glared up at you, his anger palpable, "You little—"

Before he could finish his sentence, you cut him off with a stern gesture. "Save it, Jason. You had this coming."

A stunned silence blanketed the cafeteria, every eye fixed on the unfolding confrontation. It was as if time had frozen, and the entire room held its breath in rapt attention as Hawkins' princess unleashed her verbal assault on the school's reigning king.

In that moment, you felt like you had the entire cafeteria in a chokehold, and you were determined not to let this opportunity slip away, not after what Jason had put Eddie through. Gathering your resolve, you continued, your voice dripping with disdain, "Do you honestly believe you can bully and belittle people just because they don't conform to your narrow definition of 'normal'? Well, I've had enough of your toxic attitude! You, my dear Jason, are the most insufferable idiot I've ever had the displeasure of encountering in my entire life! And I am done catering to whatever you and your dumb friends say!”

Jason struggled to get up, wiping the blood from his nose with the back of his hand. Turning back to Jason, you crossed your arms and delivered your final message with authority. "Consider this a warning, Jason. Mess with Eddie or anyone else again, and you'll have me to answer to."

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" Principal Higgins' thunderous voice pierced through the otherwise eerily silent cafeteria. In an instant, your confidence evaporated, leaving you feeling pale and exposed. You were caught off guard, unable to process what to do or say.

Before you could even react, a familiar, warm hand firmly grabbed yours, yanking you along as they sprinted in the opposite direction, forcefully pushing people out of the way. It was a grip you knew well, and you didn't hesitate to follow Eddie as he practically dragged you toward the exit of the cafeteria.

The scene you left behind was nothing short of chaotic. The entire school stood in a collective stupor, mouths agape in disbelief. Jason Carver, his face an alarming shade of red, appeared on the brink of an aneurysm as he struggled to regain his composure. Principal Higgins, in his authoritative fury, barked orders at the bewildered students, demanding answers and an immediate end to the commotion.

As you reached the exit and the clamor of the cafeteria began to fade, you couldn't help but let out a giggle of exhilaration. Eddie continued to lead you, now behind the school building and into the dense woods that bordered the campus. The farther you ventured into the secluded forest, the more you appreciated the sudden escape from the madness. Eventually, Eddie brought you to a worn-out picnic table, the wood weathered by years of exposure to the elements. Eddie finally managed to catch his breath. He exhaled heavily and asked, "What the hell... hfff... was that?!"

You leaned against the picnic table, still catching your own breath, and grinned at Eddie. "That, Eddie, was me finally giving Jason Carver a taste of his own medicine. That douchebag had it coming!"

Eddie let out a loud surprised laugh while still trying to catch his breath, his eyes still wide from the unexpected turn of events. "Well, I've gotta say, sweetheart, that was quite the show back there. You really let him have it, you got a mean hook princess." A warm flush of pride swept over you as you soaked in Eddie's praises. How long had you waited to hear him say something like that—to acknowledge you and gaze at you as if you were the most wonderful girl in the world? It was a feeling you had been yearning for so long, and if you were to die right now, you would die happy!

Eddie's warm, chocolate-coloured gaze landed on you, and it felt as though it softly swept over every inch of your being. He spoke, his voice filled with curiosity, "I don't think anyone was expecting Hawkins' princess to come to the defence of the 'freak.' You know they won't let you forget this, right? Why would you risk all that for little old me, Harrington?"

You let out a sigh, the weight of his inquisitive gaze pressing on you. As you closed your eyes briefly, you grappled with the emotions that had been swirling within you since the first time you had laid eyes on Eddie. A small smile crept onto your lips as you slowly opened your eyes, fixing them on the boy of your dreams. "You're worth it, Munson."

Eddie drew in a sharp breath, taking three steps closer to you. His large, warm hands, bearing tiny scars from playing the guitar, gently swept across your cheeks as he gazed intently into your eyes. "Do you mean that, Harrington? Because there's no going back if I kiss you right now—it's you and me, the princess and the 'freak.' You won’t climb back from that fall.”

You glanced at your right hand, the knuckles scraped and the skin raw, with a slight swelling on your wrist. "I think it's a little too late for that anyway," you sheepishly admitted. Eddie smiled warmly, his eyes filled with admiration, before gently taking your hand in his two larger ones. He slowly brought your bruised knuckles to his mouth, planting a soft kiss on each of them, causing your breath to hitch.

"Who knew that the princess of Hawkins High was Indiana’s future boxing champion," Eddie softly joked, his voice laced with affection. "I just feel bad for this pretty, soft hand – all bruised and battered to protect me, like the prettiest knight in pink armor coming to my rescue." You couldn't help but swoon at his words as Eddie continued to softly kiss your hand, his gaze slowly lifting to meet yours, his eyes filled with… Love? Tenderness? A girl could dream.

A warm smile curved across Eddie's lips, and he leaned in, capturing your mouth with his in a searing kiss. As you both savored each other, Eddie's hand slowly wrapped around the base of your neck, holding you close to him. As you were trying not to faint from the sheer pleasure this moment was bringing you, a flash of remembrance rushed through you, snapping you back from your trance and causing you to break the kiss and catch your breath. You whispered softly against Eddie's lips, "What about Chrissy?"

Eddie nuzzled your face with his nose, his lips brushing lightly against your skin. "What about her?" he retorted playfully. "I mean... I thought... I thought you had a thing for her," you admitted meekly.

Eddie smirked against your cheek. "If I did, I wouldn't be kissing you right now, right?" His voice held a teasing edge as he continued to shower your neck with tender kisses.

You closed your eyes, feeling a mix of contradicting emotions – wanting to keep going to feel more of him, wishing him to stop playing with your heart because you weren’t sure you could take it anymore. "I mean it, Eddie... I don't want to be your second choice."

Eddie stopped his ministrations and returned to your face, holding your gaze with his. "You were always my first choice, Eddie," you confessed, tears gathering at the corner of your eyes. "And I don't think I could handle being your backup plan."

Eddie's whispers were tender as he wiped away the tears that had begun to roll down your cheeks. "Nononono, sweetheart. Don't cry, please," he implored softly. "You were always my first choice." His words held a reassuring sincerity that began to soothe your racing heart. But you wouldn’t be so easily swayed, as much as you loathed Jason Carver, you had witnessed first hand how Eddie seemed enraptured with Chrissy.

You huffed in disbelief, but Eddie insisted, urging you to meet his gaze. "No, it's true. Hey, look at me," he gently encouraged. "I never thought I would ever have a chance with a girl like you. You know, you're like my dream girl, right?" You gave him an uncertain look, still wrestling with your doubts. "You always stare at Chrissy, though. And you did ask me if she was still with Jason, remember?"

Eddie released your cheeks and took a step back, embarrassment tinging his cheeks as he used a piece of his shaggy hair to shield himself from you. "I wasn't looking at Chrissy. You're always with Chrissy, so I was looking at you," he admitted, his voice tinged with shyness. "And I only asked you that because I panicked. I was going to ask you out, but the guys had been teasing me for weeks, telling me I was too much of a coward to do it. I guess they were right because I chickened out."

As Eddie continued, his embarrassment grew, and he took another step back. He held the piece of hair in front of his face, as if to hide himself from you. "I've actually had a crush on you since last year," he confessed, his words shocking you.

"Are you joking?!" you blurted out, astonished.

He shook his head, his warm brown eyes holding your gaze. "Not at all, princess," he began with a soft smile. "It was last year. You were on your way back from cheer practice, and you were in a hurry, holding a huge backpack. It happened so fast that you didn't even realize a book had fallen out."

His eyes sparkled as he continued, his tone becoming more animated. "I saw it lying there, and curiosity got the best of me – I picked it up, and to my surprise, it was a copy of 'The Hobbit.’” He grinned as if sharing a secret. "I was planning to return it to you, honestly, but then, when I opened it, I saw that there was a bunch of notes in the margins." Eddie started grinning even more as he continued “All there in the margins, notes, thoughts, musings. It was like reading your mind with every turn of the page. Your insights, your emotions, your laughter, and even your frustrations were all there in the margins. I knew I had stumbled upon the most precious treasure in the universe – it was a private window into you."

Your breath hitched at his words, and as Eddie spoke, you felt a warmth spreading through you, "It felt like we were close," Eddie continued, his gaze never leaving yours. "I couldn't put the book down. It was like having a conversation with you, even when you weren't around. I realized how much we had in common, how you saw the world, and it fascinated me.”

The thought that Eddie had held onto that copy of 'The Hobbit,' with your notes and thoughts, all this time was both surprising and heartwarming. Damn, he was perfect.

"Fuck, I sound so creepy," Eddie confessed, breaking your reverie. He scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish.

But you weren’t creeped out, far from it. For the first time in your life, you felt completely understood by someone – inside and out. "No, Eddie," you whispered softly, your heart swelling with love. "You don't sound creepy at all. You sound... perfect." A sweet cocky grin got etched on Eddie’s lips “Perfect, eh?”

Getting overwhelmed by his stare, you tried to play it cool and diverted his question by teasingly asking, "So you’ve had a big fat crush on me for a while, right?"

Eddie chuckled, taking a step closer to you, his gaze locked on yours. "Don't get too high and mighty, princess," he said with a warm smile, his voice laced with adoration. "From the looks of it, you've got a pretty big crush on little old me too…"

Your heart skipped a beat at his words, and you let out a soft giggle, feeling a delightful warmth in the pit of your stomach. "I can neither confirm nor deny that," you replied in a sing-song voice, your eyes never leaving his.

Eddie's smile deepened, his gaze filled with affection. With a tender touch, he placed his hands on your waist, and before you knew it, he had spun you around. You couldn't help but let out a joyful squeak as you twirled together in a sweet, romantic dance. As he gently lowered you back to the ground, his strong arms remained securely wrapped around your back, pulling you close.

In that intimate moment, it felt as though the world had faded away, leaving just the two of you entwined in each other's embrace. Your breaths synchronized, and you lost yourselves in each other's eyes, the unspoken promise of a beautiful future passing between you.

"Hey, Eddie," you whispered, your voice barely above a breath but filled with affection and longing.

Eddie's gaze softened even more, his eyes filled with tenderness as he held you close. "Yeah, princess?"

With a radiant smile, you leaned in closer to him, your heart singing with love. "I've got a big fat crush on you too."

A soft, contented sigh escaped Eddie's lips, and he held you even tighter as if he never wanted to let you go. "Good." And without another word, he pressed his lips to yours in a bruising kiss. Nothing ever tasted sweeter.

“You gonna be alright sitting with the freaks now?” “As long as I sit with you Eddie, I could not care less.”

The fallen princess and the freak," you thought contentedly, "that has the ringing of a love story for the ages.” And all it took was that punch you threw at Jason Carver's face for you and Eddie to find your way to each other.

[eddygoldarm]

Okay, in this post, I will put all my headcanons for the brawlers origins/backstories.

I'll update it little by little as I go and find more things about them. Note that I I sometimes quit the game for long periods of time so I'm not always updated on the lore. So this is mostly my personal interpretation, if you have any canon information/trivia from the creators/interesting headcanons, feel free to share them! With that said, let's do this!

⬇️

WILD WEST

🩹Shelly : She was a normal farmgirl from the frontier, living in her family's ranch with her animals. But many gangs from the area made her life very difficult, and the rangers never did anything for her, so she decided to become some kind of vigilante. After many lonely years, she met Colt, who she thought was just another idiot. While she was right, he proved himself to be efficient and caring, and he convinced her to stop the cycle of crime by joining him. She accepted, and is now a mercenary working with Colt, fighting to make the frontier a better place. While still hot-headed, she's way more well adjusted and reasonable now, she's just a bit jealous of Colt. As her best friend, she knows him better than anyone else and dislikes the fact that this utter idiot gets more recognition than her.

⭐Colt : Colt has a secret : He is the son of Belle and Sam from the goldarm gang. Born as Edwin, he was raised by the gang and learned all the ins and outs of the criminal life since he was little. His mother Belle pushed him to perform better each day in order to make him strong. That way, he became an incredible shot, but also a boastful and well-groomed boy, never letting show a sign of weakness. But as the heists were getting more difficult, and the gang more violent, Eddy struggled to keep up, and Belle started to neglect him when he failed. He started to hate himself, as he felt like nobody would ever love who he was becoming. So, after a terrible accident that mutated him (that Shelly was in too!), he decided to fake his death to start his own new life. He assumed a new identity, and thanks to his gun skills and tactical knowledge, became a security officer at Starr Park. He slowly climbed the ladder, accomplishing his duty, pleasing the people and making a name for himself. Until he became the Oldtown sheriff, Colt is now happier than ever, as he has all he ever wanted: A great job, a lot of fans and friends that move him... unless?

🌵Spike : Spike was originally a regular cactus, living his normal cactus life in the middle of the desert. Until one day, a mountain of a human fell and landed on him, completely destroying the plant. Hopefully, a little chunk stayed attached to his shirt, and he managed to survive. The small shoot was given to a young Eddy, and then potted. The little plant was the boy's new best friend, he took care of it, carried it everywhere, and even talked to it. Spike learned a lot, everything even, and developed feelings for the boy as he watched him grow and struggle. Until one day, where the plant was blasted once again, it managed to survive, but something changed in Spike. He started to slowly mutate into a humanoïd shape, and could even now form "thoughts". Spike essentially turned into a little human (which freaked out Colt and made him sholt Spike in chock but we avoid talking about that.), that became Colt's new friend. With his newfound appearance, Spike became a weird little guy, just wandering around, either helping his friends or causing mischief. He is living his best life and nobody can stop him, he's a cactus! While more independant, he his still close to Colt, he cheers him up in his own weird ways, and keeps his secrets... which is very useful since he can't speak.

SHAMAN TRIBE

🦅Bo : The shaman tribe are the oldest group of the land, they live secluded in the jungle, in harmony with nature. Bo is one of their warriors, strong, wise and courageous, he was always curious about the world around him. When he was still young, he stepped out the jungle, and fell in love with the beauty of nature and mankind. He started to explore the world, acquiring knowledge and new connexion, that he shared with his peers. Of course, this idea didn't sit well with everyone; Leon and Nita's father, was killed by a man of the frontier, going outside could lead to catastrophe. Bo knew this, but thought it was worth the risk, and some people of the tribe started to go out as well, notably the widow, who was intrigued by Starr Park. While the warrior didn't care for it, he saw that it was cheering her up, and they started to hang out there together, they fell in love, and got married. Taking little Leon and Nita was becoming their ritual, until one faithful day, where the mother vanished without a trace. Submerged by guilt, Bo looked for months for her, sadly, he couldn't find any trace of her. Instead, he decided to take responsability, and took Leon and Nita under his wing. Today he is still a respected warrior, but ha has to carry the burden of his wife's disappearance. Also, Bo isn't his actual name, it's a nickname the people of the frontier have given him. He also uses merch from the park as a voluntary hinderance, to sharpen his skills, they're also gifts from the kids.

🦎Leon : Leon is a child from the shaman tribe, unfortunately, he didn't have a warrior spirit, and was rather shy. He preferred to stay in his corner, observing the world around him, his parents didn't care, and still cherished him. Sadly, the accumulation of his father's death, his replacement by a scary stoic warrior, and his mother's disappearance, made him close in on himself even more. Thanks to a gem mutation, he developped invisibility powers, and used it to hide and to cause trouble. This was a pain to deal with for Bo, who had no experience with parenting. Eventually, with the help of Nita, he managed to earn the child's trust. With time, Leon learned to open up and be a happy kid again, it's still difficult sometimes, he's still a troublemaker! But that's why we love him!

🐻Nita : Nita barely knew her parents, she always carried the teddy her mom had given her for comfort. When she disappeared, all she had to look up too was her big brother (Bo was too busy looking for her mom to take care of them), so she became a fierce little troublemaker like him. Together they began causing mayhem wherever they went, and this was the happiest she ever was. Of course, this fell back on her, when the teddy got destroyed (Bull did it), this got her seething with rage, giving birth to Bruce, the fierce spirit-bear (thanks in part to a gem mutation). After seeing the damage Nita had done, Bo finally decided to step in : he defeated the bear, and stitched the plushie back together. That way, she could always be comforted by someone if she ever felt angry.

RETROPOLIS GANG

🐂Bull : Bull (I think I saw his real name somewhere but it might have been a jape) was born and raised in the frontier. He was always a big boy, but contrary to his appearance, he was kind and well-mannered. Sadly, those traits that aren't desirable in this harsh environnement, Bull's childhood was difficult, because despite his herculeand strenght, he couldn't bring himself to hurt anyone. I like to think he briefly dated Pam, but she dumped him because he was too much of a wimp. Having enough of this, he quit his farm for Retropolis, where he got a job as a waiter. All wasn't perfect though, there were many gangs fighting, and he always got caught in the fire. One day, he got a spike of courage, and tried to save an innocent client, only to recieve a deadly gem explosion. The radiation, as well as the frustration of years of suffering, made him loose all his tempter, and in an instant, he singlehandedly obliterated the gang responsible. They all started to respect him and do favors for him. At first he didn't want this kind of power, he felt guilty for beating all these people, but he soon realized he could use it to do some good, he could maintain order and protect underdogs like him. Bull slowly assumed a stronger, bolder character, recruited some goons, and founded his own gang. While Bull's gang was terrifying, their goal was only to put those who caused trouble, and hurt innocents back in their place. Today Bull owns the diner, and is a well-known figure in Retropolis, feared by some, respected by many, despite his looks and methods, it's undeniable that he made the city a safer place. He might be scary now, but deep down, he's still the kind humble farmboy, so, as long as you're polite, you're always welcole at Bull's diner! His pancakes are bangin too.

🐦‍⬛Crow: He was just a normal bird, flying around, earing seeds etc... But one day, he got shot and fell into a crevasse filled with gems. This caused him to mutate enormously, and to become quasi-human. Crow was terrified; his body and world had changed, and he was all alone. So he wandered, trying to make sense of everything. But he got soon spotted by many criminals, who tried to capture him. After days of escape, Crow was cornered at Retropolis, he felt like he was doomed to suffer for the rest of his life. It was at this moment that somewhat lended him a hand for the first time: Bull saw what was happening to the strange bird-man, and ordered everyone to leave him alone. He gave him a jacket, lead him to his restaurant, and cooked him a breakfast. Crow had now a roof and a friend. The bird-man had come a long way, he learned to move, to speak and to act like a human, but he still has a long way to go to figure himself out, bird or human? Maybe something completely different, only time will tell. In the meantime, Crow is happy to belong somewhere, somewhere safe.

⚾Bibi : I headcanon that she's Kenji's daughter, she grew up in the sushi restaurant in Retropolis, helping her mom and dad. Contrary to now, she was a sweet and well-mannered girl, all was well until Starr Park attacked the restaurant, her mother got kidnapped, and her father went in hiding to try and fing her. Lost and confused, she didn't understand why her father suddently left her when she needed him most, so she saught refuge at Bull's diner, because she knew he could help. Bull accepted to take her under his wing, on the condition that she would be a part of his gang. Since then, Bibi has toughen up a lot, she adopted a bad girl attitude to match with Bull and Crow's energy, but if you look behind her façade, you can easily see she's still a sweet girl, she likes candy, video games and cute animals. Bull doesn't treat her like a child, but he still takes care of her, he's like a second dad to her.

(I'm sensing a pattern with Bo and Bull adopting weird children here lol)

STARRCADE

🕹️Brock : I don't think Brock has anything special, really, he's probably the most normal of all the brawlers. He's always was a geek, and was frequently bullied for liking comics, cartoons and video games. In his teens, with the help of Colt (who he met at Starr Park), and his dad, who is a ranger, he learned to assert and defend himself. He turned his nerdiness into a strengh, learning to dress cool, talk back, and creating gadgets to defend himself (a rocket launcher is a bit overkill imo). Despite his certified freshness, he's a bit of a bum, but he's fine with his life, he works in something that he's passionate about thanks to the arcade, and he's surrounded by cool friends.

🔫Rico : Like all robots of his kind, Rico was designed for combat, he was part of a squadron belonging to the rangers, and obeyed to the orders like any other robots would. Until one day, when he was ordered to get stolen gems back from the Gold Arm. During this mission, he got shot (by Eddy or Belle) in just the right spot, causing a mutation thanks to the nearby gems. Rico gained a free will and a consciousness, this, mixed to his calculator-brain, made him an extremely accurate shooter. He hid it at first, but the rangers quickly noticed it, and started treating him as an equal, he was given clothes, promoted, and nicknamed "Ricochet" because of his famous gun tricks. Eventually, Rico got tired of following orders, he wanted to be his own person, so he said goodbye to the rangers, and became a bounty hunter. This was the robot's prime years, as he wandered the desert, he became famous, as he was at the time the only independant robot, and a dreaded sharpshooter. It was at this time that he met Piper, but they weren't lovers, I'm not sure if they were partners or ennemies. Sadly, all things had to come to an end, and one day, he crossed paths with the Gold Arm once again, who completely obliterated him, he wasn't buried like a person, but thrown in the scrapyard. A few years after, Brock found his carcass, took it, and frankensteined him with a gumball machine, thinking it could be a great addition to the Starrcade. But by fixing him, Rico woke up again: the bounty hunter returned. Brock realised that he had just ressucitated one of the most famous figures of the frontier, he thought it was lit. The robot didn't feel like going back to his old ways, he thought the Starrcade was a nice place, so he decided to retire, and to hang out in Retropolis. He's not as fierce as he used to be, now he prefers to be silly and to play the gallery with his bouncy balls. And yeah, he dated a vending machine, but Frank broke it, and now he is with Piper, who charmed with his new persona.

👾 8-Bit : He is an old arcade machine that was given life after Brock forgot gems on it. He used to display a bad and difficult game, and all the players that tried to beat it spat their anger and frustration at him. Now that he is alive, he is a pure machine of hatred, trying to beat all the people that mistreated him. He respects Brock because he's one of the few that was good at his game.

BANDSTAND

🏋️El Primo : He is Shelly's cousin, and grew up on the same farm as her. He became passionate about lucha libre from a very early age, and began practicing on everyone and everything. Thanks to his training, he became very strong, he was a bit of a beloved local figure, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted to become the strongest in the universe, but he felt like he couldn't progress. One night, as he was practicing under the moon, he saw a purple meteor descend from the sky. He thought that if he mutated, he could finally become strong, so he tried to intercept it, not realizing how much danger he was putting himself in. Thankfully, Shelly saved him in extremis, and scholded him for being and idiot, telling him that being mutated isn't fun or cool. They watched the stars fall together, the wrestler felt like he could become as powerful as them, so he modeled his famous jump move after the meteor's fall. Now, to spice up his tale, he tells everyone that the meteor hit him right in the face, gifting him with immense power and beauty. But both Shelly and him know he's just strong like that ;] Now he is a travelling luchador with his bandstand friends Poco and Amber.

🎺Poco : Poco used to be a normal human, he was a promising musician of the frontier, with his own life and family. Sadly, he tragically passed away in a brawl between criminals, before he could meet his fame. Decades later, because of a mutation, he ressucitated (Maybe Mortis did it lol), but he was cursed to be a skeleton for the rest of his life. Saddened by his state, and the loss of his home and loved ones, he began to wander the desert, playing mournful balads to himself. He didn't hurt anyone, but people avoided him for his appearance. One day, as he was approaching Oldtown, he met with someone who was badly hurt and couldn't move (idk who could that be, maybe Shelly when she was a vigilante? or El Primo or Amber), he decided to keep them company, and to play his guitar to soothe them. Little did he know, his beautiful music had now the power to heal others. Extremely grateful and excited by this, the person introduced them to the people of Oldtown, who slowly started to accept him. Now Poco has regained his true colors, and is beloved by everyone, nothing makes him happier than seeing the smiles he brings to everyone.

🔥Amber : I don't know of any potential backstory leads for Amber. I just think she's a normal girl who LOVES fire and wanted to be a performer with the baton (idk how you call this lmao). The problem was, she gets too carried away, and tends to destroy everything, which discouraged her. El Primo thought it was cool as hell though, and asked her to be a part of his show.

OLDTOWN

🍺Barley : Like the other cyclop robots, Barley was a fighter, and like some of his kind, he was destroyed in a fight, then repurposed by the common people (possibly by a younger Pam). He belonged to the previous owner of the Oldtown bar, and served as a simple bartender, he wasn't very special, but he was a fun novelty that attracted customers. While he was a great bartender, it seemed like his code wasn't changed properly, and each time a fight burst in the bar, he would go in fighter mode, and destroy everything himself. At one point he gained consciouness, and the fights multiplied, he started to feel remorse for his owner and fatigue to have to clean everything else. So he worked on himself a bit, his boss gave him a classy look, complete with a nice oufit and a mustache, and he made it a point to keep the bar in order. The owner eventually passed away, and Barley inherited the bar, and to this day, he's still serving his customers with a lovely smile. He still has "anger issues" though.

🌂Piper : Not sure for Piper yet. She was either a deadly criminal, a bounty hunter or a respected ranger, she knew Ricochet and the Goldarm gang personally. But one day she got tired of fighting, so she left her wild life, and came back to Oldtown, where she opened her charming bakery. While she isn't one to fight in the spotlight, she still has her fighter reflexes for before, so don't tease her.

🐍Byron : Byron is one of the sons of the Starr family, and Belle's older brother, since an early age, Byron was passionate about poisons and toxins. He studied snakes, scorpions and other venomous creatures, in the hopes of becoming a pharmacist, and make a ton of money selling miracle remedies. Byron was never involved in his family's business, mostly developping his practice on his side, so he was really surprised when Belle ran away and became an outlaw (he's a bit out of touch with his surroundings). A few years later, she showed up at his place with an injured Sam, he knew how dangerous they were, but as a man of the medical field, he had no choice but to help them. So, he began working for them, little by little, attracted by his greed, and his familial bond with Belle. Realising how successful this partnership was becoming, he gave up on his studies, preferring to supply the gang with remedies and poisons in exchange for money. Eventually, the gang got caught, and Byron with it, he was sent to prison, but managed to smooth talk his captives into getting a shorter sentence. Byron is back in Oldtown now, while unable to become a proper pharmacist, a medical diploma is just a paper to him. Because he's basically Colt's uncle, he allowed him to sell his products, as long as he didn't cause trouble. While Byron didn't achieve his dream, he's still became the richest person in Oldtown thanks to his passion, living the dream life in his big house filled with snakes. Also, like Belle, he's blacklisted from the Starr family gatherings, but he doesn't care.

BIODOME

🌹Rosa : Originating from Super City, Rosa is a talented botanist. One day, because of a lab accident, she suffered from a mutation, which made her strong as heck. So she made it her goal to study this phenomenon. While she had a lot of theoretical knowledge, she rarely ventured outside her lab, and lacked field experience. She worked so hard that she started to neglect her family, and her sisters went missing (One of them being Lily, they are so similar to me!!). Feeling remorse she decided to got to the jungle, where she thought Lily went, and where the mutated flora was plentiful. It was a dangerous territory, but she found a way to protect herself : she punched all the plants that tried to attack her, and domesticated a baby mutated plant to make and make herself and armor out of it. While she didn't find her sister (well, she did, but she didn't recognize her, and punched her as well), she learned a lot on her journey. Thanks to her talent, she was appointed by Starr Park to work at their shiny new Biodome, a giant greenhouse created in the hopes of rehabilitating plantlife in the frontier. Now she works here with her assistants Bea and Sprout, making new discoveries everyday.

🐝Bea : SHE LIKES BEES. I think she grew up in the frontier, where insects are fairly rare. When she understood their importance in the ecosystem, and the power they could have to repopulate the frontier, she fell in love with them, especially the bees. So she studied the bees, and became a bee scientist, and now she works at the biodome where she uses bees to help Rosa with her plant research. She's not as interested in the mutations as her, she's more of a tech nerd, she created the bee drone, as well as Sprout.

🌱Sprout : Sprout was originally a standard smart seed incubator, it's simply designed to keep seeds in good health before while they hatch. One day, after one of her jungle explorations, Rosa found a really strange mutated seed, brought it back to the biodome, and put it in the incubator to study it. Over the days, the incubator started to malfunction, it started to speak and move by itself. Bea checked it, and noticed that as it was growing, the seed was slowly taking over the incubator, who started to mutate as well. At one point, it almost seemed like it was having a mind of its own, so Bea decided to upgrade it, giving it arms and wheels, so it could be monitored more easily, and also drawing a face on it. And so, Sprout was born, they're Rosa and Bea's little assistant in the biodome, taking care of the plants. To this day, nobody knows what the seed holds, but Sprout takes care of it rigourously.

SCRAPPERS

🔧Jessie : She's a wild kid, since she was little, she's used to the rough and tough of the frontier. She was possibly born with a mutation that made her extremely intelligent, and by watching her mother, she quickly learned to make all kinds of different machines. She didn't have any friends growing up, so she considers her home-made electro gun and turret, Scrappy as such. Now that she's a little bit older, she wants to be let on her own, and make new friends by herself. Unfortunately Pam is too scared for her, and Nani won't let her wander off, when will they learn that she is a big girl now? Despite her intelligence and courage, she's still a little girl, she likes dolls and cute animals, and cries like a baby when she doesn't get her way.

⚙️Pam : I like to think that Pam was an heir to the Starr family, but, like Belle, decided to flee as she didn't like the life that was promised to her. Before running away, she was a worker at the robot factory, and she used her experience to make a living as a scrapper. She was a free spirit, and was carried by the wind, one day quietly visiting Oldtown, and the other riding to hell with the bikers. Pam's life was difficult, but she was strong enough to be happy with it. Eventually, she fell pregnant with Jessie (Bull is possibly the father, it could be really funny), and that made her an easy target. She decided to stop wandering, and to settle in the scrapyard, her pregnancy was difficult, as she had to defend herself, her baby, and her livelyhood alone. She managed it, but this experience calmed her down a little bit, she couldn't afford to do as she pleased anymore, now that she had a child. She is very protective of Jessie because of it, and she built Nani to watch over her. That still doesn't mean she's still sitting around doing nothing! Pam is always present for a little action, especially when it comes to annoy the Starrs.

🐥Nani : Nani was a scrapped mousebot, repurposed by Pam to be Jessie's nanny. She loves her family and is even more protective over Jessie than Pam. She doesn't hesitate to spy on her with Peep when she wanders too far. Nothing too complicated about her. I like to think that one day Starr Park got a hold of her, while she was freed by Pam, they still could used her as a basis to create R-T.

MINERS

🧨Dynamike : Mike was a miner back in the old days, his favorite part of the job was seeing the explosions him and his coworkers caused. This lead him to not be very careful with his equipement; one day, the canary they were using escaped in a new tunnel, as Mike tried to retrieve it, a wall crashed behind him, blocking the exit. Despite attempts to save him, the rescuers couldn't do anything, and left him for dead. Over 40 years later, as the miners where digging nearby, Dynamike, and his birdie reemerged from the tunnel, like nothing happened. To this day, nobody knows how they survived in there, when asked, he only responds with nonsense, it seems like years of isolation caused him to go a bit crazy. Nowadays, he's still working at the mines, and loving every second of it.

👷Jackie : She was originally a construction worker in Super City, but she got fired for being too vulgar and destructive. She then reconverted as a miner, where she suffered a mutation because of the gems. While she's not really passionate about her job, she's glad she can unwind as much as she wants.

⛏️Carl : Carl was a standard miner robot, since recent times, they've replaced the miners, as they are safer and more efficient. Jackie pushed him in a crevasse once, and he mutated, gaining a consciouness. Carl is a geology nerd, and unlike the other robots, he spends his time studying the rocks and gems they find. While he is very useful for the miners, Jacky can't stand him and his nerdyness, and she bullies him a bit.

PIRATES

🛢️Darryl : Same as the other cyclops, Darryl once gained consciousness after an accident involving gems. He was badly beat up, but he was repaired by people living near the beach (maybe Penny's family), replacing his full torso area by a big barrel, hence why he looks a bit different from the other robots. He soon realised that he didn't like to work for them, he wanted to live his own life, free from society, so, he became a pirate! He put on a hat, found a boat, and formed a crew, and now sails on the seven seas! Little did he know that managing a crew also took responsability, but he loves his little guys, so he tried his best.

💀Penny : Penny is a rebellious girl from the beach, her parents didn't really take care of her, so she did as she pleased, and survived by stealing from tourists. When she learned that Darryl was looking for crewmates, she immediately joined him. She met Jessie at the beach once, and they became good friends, Jessie taught her a bit of mecanics, and she learned to make her own turrets.

💣Tick : He's one of Penny's creations, and also her pet. He's a very basic robot, made of three canons stitched together. All he does on the ship is blow things up and be silly.

GHOST TRAIN

🚂Chuck : Chuck was a famous and passionate maestro, he was always looking to surpass himself in his art. His concerts where impressive, but he felt like he could do even better. Sadly, one day, the train he was taking derailled at the ghost station. While everyone evacuated safely, some debris fell on Chuck, and he couldn't move anymore, and he passed away in there. He later woke up as a ghost, bound to the train's seat, he had become the ghost train's new conductor. While it was confusing at first, he quickly got a hang of his new body, and exploited his powers to create even more powerful music! Chuck fell into a sick obsession with them, making him look crazy and scary, but the apparition of Gus soften him up a bit, and he remembered how to have fun with music!

🎈Gus : He was a regular kid with his head in the clouds, that liked balloons a lot. One day, as he was coming back from Starr Park, he lost his balloon in a train tunnel, and he went after it. The boy was never seen again, but some people say they can see the apparition of a boy with a balloon in the ghost station. Gus became a ghost because of a mutation, and is permanently bound to the train and the station. It was scary and confusing at first, but Chuck told him there was nothing to fear. He is used to it now, he uses his new powers to give a scare to the ghost station visitors, since he has nothing better to do.

🕶️Shade : It's a pile of clothes from the station's lost and found that mutated. Gus found it and quickly became its best friend. Unlike Gus or Chuck, Shade it very friendly towards the visitors, but they tend to run away from it as well.

MORTUARY

🦇 Mortis : Mortis' mom tragically passed away when he was little, since then, he had a fascination for death, he isolated himself from his family to study it in detail. He took trips to the graveyard to experiment on bodies, and eventually gained enough experience to become a mortician. One day though, he fell in a grave full of gems, and mutated, becoming essentially a vampire. He took this opportunity to study death even further, using his necromancy powers to hopefully one day resurrect the dead, or achieve immortality. He managed to do it several times, notably creating Frank. But as the years went by, started to outgrow his loved ones, and became a recluse in his own family. The only one that wasn't scared of him was a young EMZ, who thought her uncle was really cool. Mortis started to feel loved, and to assert himself again thanks to the little girl. Sadly, she passed away because of a sickness, Mortis couldn't accept it, and he resurrected her, cursing her with a zombified body and eternal life. EMZ hated her uncle for what he had done, but she made peace with it thanks to Frank, and Mortis promised to fix his mistake. Today Mortis is still the local mortician, living a cool vampire life with his zombie friends, he doesn't resurrect anyone anymore.

🪦Frank : Frank isn't actually a frankenstein monster, he's just the zombie of the Starr family's butler. Mortis was close to him, so after his death, he tried to ressucitate him, with mixed results. While Frank is alive, the resurrection made him broken in some ways, he barely had memories of his past life, couldn't speak, and had a very awkward body. Mortis admired him though, considering him as a huge achievement. He didn't really treat him like a person at that time though, which angered Frank a lot. He spent a lot of time trying to cope with his meare existence, and what would be his place in the world. Thankfully, when EMZ entered the picture, Mortis softened a lot, and he pushed Frank to explore himself, and to live his own life. He discovered that music was a great way for him to express himself, and he could do it without destroying everything! So he decided to become a DJ, and hosts raves every week at the graveyard!

💅EMZ : She was an outgoing and a bit quirky girl, liking everything spookh and a bit gross. She loved her uncle Mortis, because he was basically a vampire. Sadly, she passed away because of a sickness, but Mortis ressucitated her later. She was now a zombie girl, cursed with a putrefied body, her skin was purple, she was mostly bones, and had no hair and nose. Her schoolmates were mocking her for her appearance, and made her life miserable. She got so frustrated, that she completely leaned in her monster persona, and became a scary, sassy bully herself. But thanks to Frank and Mortis, she got the courage to assert herself once again, and so, she changed her appearance to become who she really wanted to be. She became the queen we all know and love today, and didn't even give a look to her bullies, she prefered to help girls like her feel more confident in themselves. To do this, she became a beauty influencer, and later launched her own line of beauty products!

STUNT SHOW

🎆Stu : Stu is former fighter drone, who was badly beat up after a brawl, he had no bottom part and his eye glow blue instead of yellow. He was found, and repurposed by Janet and Bonnie's parents to be a crash test robot for their stunts. Stu was "mistreated" but he loved it, and eventually gained a consciousness after a bad stunt, he was truly a part of the family. Sadly, one day, the girl's parents died in a tragic accident. Janet got depressed, and didn't want to perform anymore. Stu was left purposeless, as he only knew how to crash onto things. So, he took it upon himself to take care of the girls, and with the help of Bonnie, he managed to cheer Janet back up. He's now the leader of the stunt show and while it's difficult for him, he does his best everyday to bring the girls to their fullest potential.

🚀Janet : Janet has always seen her parents and Stu perform on stage, she loved the spotlights and the sparks in peoples eyes during the show. But unlike her parents, she wanted to become a singer more than anything, and she began to perform at an early age. Unfortunately, when her parents passed away after the accident, she was too scared to go on stage again. She saw how much Stu struggled to take care of the both of them, and slowly, she started to open up again. Little by little, with the encouragements of her little sister, she got the courage to step back on stage. She now gives everything she has during each show, wanting to impress people with her stunts and voice, as well as honour her parent's memory. She also is now responsible for everything regarding security in the show, making sure that nobody gets hurt, everyone (even Stu) has to wear a helmet now!

🦷Bonnie : Bonnie loved to watch her parents fly around during their show, and wanted to be just like them, but she was still too young to perform such dangerous stunts. Her mother promised that when she'd be old enough, they'd fly to the moon together. When they died, she couldn't accept Stu as their substitute, and began to behave badly to drive him nuts. She'd crawl around her parent's old stuff, and try to imitate them by jumping around between the obstacles. One day, she hid in her mother's canon, thinking she was ready to go see her mom on the moon, Stu fired it by accident, and she was launched in the air. She loved the sensation of flying through the sky, and the adrenaline it gave her, but she didn't notice she was about to crash. Stu managed to catch her, and miraculously, she was safe. This incident made Janet terrified, and she grounded her very badly. Bonnie wasn't discouraged, she wanted to fly again! So she started to slowly practice with Stu, and showed Janet what she was capable of. In return, both Janet and Stu found their purpose again, and you know the rest of the story!

GIFT SHOP

🪙 Griff : Griff spent the majority of his life in the frontier, and made his bread and butter as "professional scammer". With each new day, he came up with a new crazy plan to scam some idiots. He never got rich, but he had enough to live a tranquil life. He lived many years like this, until he scammed the wrong person, and the rangers finally caught up to his misdeeds. To avoid getting caught, he assumed a completely new identity, and sweet-talked his way into becoming the boss of the shiny new Starr Park gift shop! He wore this crazy hat and outfit as a way to hide in plain sight. Little did he know, owning a business takes work, and while he's good at making money, he's bad, oh so bad at keeping it.

🖤Edgar : Edgar is actually an heir to the powerful Starr family. The Starrs are all about their clean and traditional public image, and Edgar... let's say he stands out a bit too much. So, in order to correct his behavior, his mom thought it would be a great idea to get him a job. Meet new people, have responsabilities and all this schtick. So, she forced Griff to employ her son (since she can easily get him fired, or worse), and today, the poor kid wastes his day in this miserable shop. Edgar is a terrible employee, all he does is hang around, hands in his pockets, and complain, but Griff has to keep him if he wants to keep his life.

📒Colette : Since she was little, Colette LOVED everything Starr Park-related, like a Disney adult would. So when she heard a gift shop had just opened, she saw an opportunity to get closer to the brawlers, and to get tons of free merch! So she jumped on the occasion, and practically begged Griff to take her in. He was reluctant to employ this terrifying girl at first, but he saw how knowledgeable and dedicaded she was, and saw a way to cut corners thanks to her. Today Colette is living the best life ever, working her dream job, with loving coworkers, where she can stalk her favorite brawlers all day... Truly the dream!

Castle Courtyard

📞Grom : Little is known about Grom, what we do know is that, he has always served as manpower for various businesses and organisations. He saw a lot of things, bad things, but he had a job to do, and it wasn't asking questions. The second-to-last job he ever had was a playground supervisor in kindergarten, but he wasn't prepared for it. Nobody knows what happened back there, but this is what broke him, and even though he's now walking on greener pastures at Starr Park, he's never been the same ever again.

🗑️Ash : As a kid, Ash had big dreams of becoming a knight in shiny armor like in the old legends, to slay a dragon and get married to a beautiful princess. But life hasn't been good for him, and now he's a Starr Park janitor, who has to fight off rats and is stuck with a crazy russian man. The fact that he's rather crancky is understable. Still, deep inside, Ash still has that childish dream, wearing that trash can and brandishing his trusty broom and shovel is a way for him to reclaim it... charming...

🐀Moe : Moe is of the same rat colony that Ash constantly fights against. Unfortunately, he mutated very early in his life, and was never really part of the colony, as he was too human. He roamed in the park for a while, surviving off garbage that was left on the ground. Ash knew of his presence, and tried to get rid of him, as he thought he was just a big vermin. Grom found the rat though, and immediately fell in love with him, he adopted the little rat and named him Moe. Ash warmed up to him as well, and agreed to keep him, as long as he was helping them. So they built Moe his weird drilling machine, and he's now an unofficial Starr Park employee! Free labor!! Yaay!

SNOTEL

🐧Mr.P : He's always been a businessman on the grind, always speeding off to some meeting, working hours on end, without taking any breaks. All this to reach the top. While it somewhat worked, being now the owner of the Starr Park Snotel, it took a toll on his sanity. The stress of the business life turned him into a cranky, manic and tyrannical boss. He barely articulates when he speaks anymore, that's why his speech sounds like crazy penguin blabberings. No idea why he wears a penguin suit though.

🌬️ Gale : Gale seems to have his life figured out since he was young; he's a gardener/landscaper, and has been for 50 years now. Despite always doing the same job, he is completely contempt with his life. His work is his passion, but he nevers overdoes it: patience, steadyness, and kindness are his keys to a job well-done. Even at 60, at the top of a freezing mountain, under the orders of a crazy boss, he still blows the snow away with a tender smile. He likes his job so much that he doesn't even realize Mr.P doesn't respect his worker rights.

🍧 Lou : The Lous (idk what would be their real name) are a famous brand of robots scattered all over the frontier. They are ice-making robots, design to serve refreshing treats to the thirsty and over-heating people of the badlands. Due to their popularity, Mr.P thought it would be a great idea to buy one for the Snotel. He didn't really get why these robots were popular in the first place... nobody really needs shaved-ice on an ice-covered mountain... So now, poor Lou just sits there collecting dust. Gale comforts him by telling him that he just has to wait, and his time will come, but Mr.P pressures him to work harder to attract customers. He doesn't know what to do!! (Idk how he would've gained a consciousness though).

GOLDARM GANG

🎯 Belle : Belle Starr was one of the many daughters of the Starr family, she was to be raised to become a succesfull heir and raise children of her own to ensure the family's destiny. But she never wanted that life, Belle wanted to be free and make her own choices, instead of sewing and singing, Belle liked robotics and shooting, which she loved to practice with her father, who was a brilliant engineer, partially responsible for the creation of the modern cyclops bots. On the opposite, her mother tried everything possible to force Belle to become a noble woman. This lead her to discover, after the death of her little brother Edwin, how corrupt and evil her family's intentions were. She decided to run away, and to dedicate her life to fighting against the Starr's control of the land, marking her as an outlaw. During these years, as she multiplied her crimes, she became known as one of the most dangerous and terrfying outlaws, slowly recruting others like her, forming her group, the Goldarm Gang. Amongst them was Sam Bronson, a former factory worker who was the first to join her cause, and building her a golden arm after her old one gosld severed in the factory. They fell in love, got married, and had a child together, that she named after her little brother, Eddy. Their life was difficult, but the gang had each other, they were a small family. Nut Belle didn't want her son to suffer like she did in the past, so she pushed him to perform better and better with each mission. She witnessed the stress this was putting him under, but the thought of losing her son terrified her. Eventually, Eddy had enough, and denounced the gang to the rangers. They were all caught on a gem cargo, which exploded, killing Eddy, and all the gang was sentenced to jail. Both Belle and Sam managed to escape years later, and despite the grief, the guilt, the hatred and vindictiveness in Belle's heart, she seems to have settled down a little bit, living a quieter life with her husband and beloved robot-daughter Pearl. Her time hasn't come yet, and she still fights against the Starrs, but she has new opponents now, an idiotic pretty-cow-boy-toy and his enraged and brutish girlfriend.

🧲 Sam : Sam Bronson comes from a poor farmer family of the frontier. He always was the one to repair his family's old broken down trucks, and developed a passion for mecanics. His upbringing was difficult, as he was often the victim of criminal scum and corrupt rangers, who used robots to oppress his family. He decided to work at the robot factory to help them, and he quickly became respected and beloved by his coworkers for his skill and sense of humor. Sadly, one day, the direction of the factory decided to make the factory self-sufficient, and to fire most of the staff. Sam was revolted, and contested the decision, but they started to turn the robots against them, starting a riot. At this point, Sam realized that the machines he helped making weren't made to protect or help people, but to oppress them, and he, who saw technology as a beautiful invention, started to harbor a hatred for this perversion. During the riot, he met Belle, who was trying to destroy the facility, and had lost her arm in the commotion. They saved each other, and from then on, Sam decided to follow Belle, wanting to fight against the corruption of the land. He built her a new gold arm, fell in love, married her, had a son bla, bla, bla, you know the rest of the story. While Belle was very vindictive towards the Starrs, Sam is a bit more mesured: his main goal is to protect the common folk, and so, despite his appearance, is the voice of reason within the gang. He loved his son more than anything, and wanted to give him a happy life, so, he started to build a robot for him, but could never finish it before it was too late. Sam was devastated by his death, and didn't talk to Belle for months afterwards, but he realized she needed him too in order to grieve. So they got back together, and Sam forced Belle to slow down, take their time to heal and enjoy their life. He finally finished Pearl, and she makes their life a little brighter everyday, just like Eddy did. Despite his unconditional love for Belle, deep down, Sam hasn't fully forgiven her for what she did to their son.

🍪 Pearl : Pearl is Sam's passion project, a gift he wanted to give to his family and a way to prove that robots aren't supposed to be made to fight. He worked on her since Eddy was little, she was supposed to be her nanny and big sister, she would be motherly, tend to the house, and even make cakes, that Belle loves. But he was so busy with gang business, he could never finish her in time. Fast forward to when him and Belle escaped prison, Sam needed a way to distract himself from their unresolved feelings, and to cheer up/apologize to/make Belle open up. So he finished her in like, a week. Belle was really touched by this kind of dorky gesture from Sam, and quickly adopted Pearl as her own daughter. Pearl helped repair Belle and Sam's relationship by setting normalcy back between them. She is a bit disconnected from the gang's history, she knows about it, but her job is more to keep her family happy and proud, and she's really good at it. Belle and Sam kinda suck at directly express love to each other, so they express it through Pearl, she's their to represent their love (like a real child would). Well, all that's pretty and all, but Belle still managed to find a way to weaponize her 🤦... things never change...

BRAWLYWOOD

💎Lola : Lola was always a narcissist and craved attention, I don't know how this trait developped in her, but she moved to Brawlywood with dreams of becoming a big actress in the movie industry. She landed a job as a tour guide, where she always played grand theatrics to grab her audience attention. Eventually, thanks to her dramatic presentations and excentric character, she would become an attraction herself, rather than the landmarks she was supposed to present. By pulling some strings, she grabbed the attention of a Brawlywood producer, and instantly got the first role in a big movie. She was only supposed to be a secondary character, but the lead actress had an "unfortunate" accident, leaving her role to Lola. During the shooting, an on-set accident caused her to suffer a mutation, creating her ego-double, and bringing out her full dramatic potential. Thanks to her theatrics, she instantly became a big shot in Brawlywood, and she's today bathing in the attention she always craved. Nobody tell her she's a terrible actor.

🎬Gray : Contrary to Lola, Gray was always discreet and introverted, he probably had a simple job in Brawlywood, and preferred staying alone, as attention made him very nervous. Unfortunately, Gray was cursed with a strangely "quirky" character, and a unique appearance, making him easily noticeable amongst a crowd. People would be intrigued by him, giving him a lot of attention, but he would just freeze up in place, embarrassed of himself. He loved performing as a way to relieve his anxiety, he was an outsanding actor, dancer and singer, but he'd always do it alone to express himself, and never had the ambition to become an actor. His secret talents were unfortunately noticed by a Brawlywood producer (the same that hired Lola), thinking he was the perfect fit for an upcoming movie, and, he reluctantly accepted the role, thinking that it could be a good opportunity to show his talents. He loved working on set, and bonded a lot with Lola, who was a bit weird like him. Sadly, his anxiety was too much to bear, and he couldn't say a line one the cameras rolled. He was about to give up the role, when the incident happened, giving him weird mime powers, and this gave him an idea. Using her theatrics, Lola forced the production to change Gray's character, to be a silent one, and while this wasn't a full fix, he was way more confortable in this role, and could finally perform. The movie was terrible because of it's chaotic production, but Gray's performance was a highlight of it, and he became a recognized comedian. With time, he polished his character to be the Charlie Chaplin-mime type we all know today, it's only while wearing this persona that he feels truly comfortable performing in front of others. Lola is a very dear friend to him, despite her egocenstrism, she's one of the few ones that understand him.

🐒Mico : Mico was a huge Brawlywood celebrity, as a trained actor monkey, he was truly living the life : an infinite supply of bananas, a nice bed, and adoring fans, all he had to do was obey his trainer, smile to the camera here, do a little flip there, and he was rewarded. Mico's was on a little cloud, until everything went apeshit, what seemed like an umpteenth regular movie set exploded, and the next morning, he was way taller, had hands and feet, and could speak like his owner, he became human! He was no longer the cute domestic monkey who was applauded for his tricks, no, he was now just a regular dude, and nobody had any use for him anymore, so he was fired. No more were the gourmet meals, soft sheets and free pets for him, now, he had to work like everybody else. How dare they throw me away! I was on top! I was a superstar! I'll show them! I'll show all of them that I'm great, and I'll get my glory back, he thought. So, he went back all the way to the bottom of the Brawlywood ladder, becoming a mic operator. It'll be a long and harduous journey, but one day, he will be back on top, and direct his own movie, and he'll make fools out of all of them!!

CANDYLAND :

🍭Mandy : She was a regular candy maker with a bit of a go-getter attitude. One day she suffered a mutation that gave her candy-kinesis powers, but she also went completely nuts, making her the perfect fit to become the queen of Starr Park's Candyland. She's now completely comitted to the role, and rules her candy shop like a deranged tyrant. I like to think she's been affected by the mutation a lot more than other brawlers, changing her personality and even her body chemistry, causing her tears to be rainbows.

🃏Chester : Chester is a young aspiring comedian, notably specializing in pranks. He has his own Youtube channel where he likes to show his jokes and tricks, much to the annoyance of his victims. It's not about the views for him, it's about fun and creativity, and the more he can annoy, the more fun he has. Mandy is and will always be his favorite victim, as she's VERY irritable. He is obnoxious, but I don't want to think of him as those deranged prank youtubers who do everything for views, I think he's a bit more wholesome like Rémi Gaillard (idk if you know him.).

🦄Berry : BArry is a very passionate artist, patient and creative, he likes to use colours to paint the wonderful fantasies that he's dreaming of. Sadly, selling paintings doesn't pay the bills these days, so he took this job as a mascot at Mandy's candy shop, and is forced to babysit these two nutcases all day long. What once was an inspired dreaming unicorn became a jaded and desparate donkey. Despite the misery of his situation, he's still attached to Mandy and Chester, they always make a mess, but their crazy characters allow him to dream and have fun during his shifts. When the day comes to an end, he puts the costume down, goes back home, and paints scenes of a castle floating on cotton-candy clouds.

MYSTIC

👁️Tara : She's a traveller from a distant land, who's come to the frontier with her family in search of truth about the world, spirits, destiny and all that. The divinatory arts are tradition in her family, practicing them since she was little, she's opened a litteral third eye. Thus allowing her to see a world beyond comprehension, and to read people like an open book. Sensing the energy radiating from the badlands, she predicted something big is going to happen, but somehow, she doesn't know what exactly it is yet, but she does know that it's going to change the stars themselves. In the meantime, she's opened a trincket shop and a divinatory parlor to earn a little money, only 10% of it's real magic though, but it's important to support local businesses! Another thing, I like to think she's not a mutant, but that she got her powers from actual magic training.

🌙Sandy : Tara's magically-enclined little brother, as a kid woth great potential, he was (unwillingly) brought along with her on her journey, and now helps out in her shop. Well, help out is a big word, as he is heavily connected to the spirit world, and a growing teenage boy, Sandy spends 80% of his time napping. It's not really his fault, it's like each time he wakes up, some unknown force pulls him back to his dreams. It was really terrifying for him at first, as he was scared of becoming comatose his whole life. But with the guidance of Tara and Gene, he has learned to harness the power of the subconscious. He has now the ability to manipulate to his will, using sand as a catalyst. Through these means, Sandy's still able to be active while sleeping, all the while his mind wanders the spirit world. Despite his great power, he's not as interested in magic and destiny etc... as Tara, he doesn't like responsability, and just wants to use it as he pleases. Tara doesn't mind, as long as she has her baby brother by her side, she's happy.

🧞Gene : A litteral genie, old as time itself, and powerful beyond comprehension, like all of his peers, he was one of the primordial spirits that shaped the world as it is today. He wasn't good nor evil, but being an entity of immense power, he once caused a lot of misery to humans, as they were mere insects to them. But one they, to stop him, a brave magician trapped him in an enchanted lamp, rendering him powerless. He was abandoned during centuries, but he took this time to reflect and observe humans, gaining empathy and humanity himself. One day, a descendant of the magician, in a desperate search for protecting his people, freed him, and proposed a deal: he would help him avoid an umcoming catastrophe, by granting three wishes, in exchange for his freedom. The genie, having sympathy for the human, accepted, but could only grant one wish in time, before the deal could be concluded. Only one third of the genie was freed, in the form of a weird little purple guy, most of his power was stuck in the lamp as well. It was unfortunate, but the human's wish was enough to save their family, who adopted the genie as thanks for saving their life. The tiny genie became a full part of the family, watching over each generation and teaching them magic, while his power was limited, he didn't care, as he had now people who loved him. Today, he's just a little silly genie, following Tara along on her journey, and while he's acting as a buffoon most of the time, he's always there to watch over her.

SUPERHEROES

⚡Max : Max was a run of the mill woman from Super City, she's very athletic and lovs to run, always looking to improve her performance. One day, she was selected to try a new energy drink that was in testing, the main component of the drink were refined gems. While it didn't seem to be anything special at first, it had an interesting effect on Max; it turns out that she could metabolize it extremely fast, boosting her performance to new heights. She began to use this new ability to help the people of Super City, and soon, she became a local hero. And thanks to her sponsor, she was able to have her own gadgets, costume and team, just like in old super-hero comics. And thus, Max, the defender of Super City was born!

🤘Surge : Surge used to be a regular vending machine, I like to think he was Rico's ex, but after Frank broke it, it was repurposed to sell Max's energy drink, recieving a red and yellow paint job, and a shiny futuristic look. But being still a bit broken, the liquid leaked into it's circuits, and the machine took life. Seeing this as a great advertisement opportunity, the drink brand modified him to make it look like a full-on mech, creating Surge Protector! Just like Max, Surge can harness the power of the drink to boost his performances. He joined Max's team, and spends his life defending the city against kaijus and giant robots, all with his iconic surfer dude attitude.

🤖 Meg : Just like Jessie, Meg is a prodigy, she entered the best university at a very early age, and promised to become an exceptionnal engineer. With her talents and passion, she felt like she could change the world, but sadly, she was constantly infantilized by her classmates because of her age and childish interests. In fact, Meg was a huge comic fan, and, feeling inspired by them, she built her own mech, to prove she could make great things. While a kaiju was attacking the city, she threw herself into battle, not realizing the danger she was putting herself in. Hopefully she was saved by Max and Surge, who, impressed by her craftsmanship, decided to take her under their wing. Today, Meg is the heroe's little helper, making repairs to Surge, improving her own robot, and building tools to help them. She's still infantilized though, and Max doesn't want her clumsiness to get them in trouble. So she doesn't have as much of an active role as she'd like in the team, but she's still very proud to be able to have an impact on the world, even if it's little.

🐕 Colonel Ruffs : Ruffs was a regular puppy, he lived isolated in the wasteland with his owner, who was an excentric, but passionate and loving astrophysicist. Since the land became deserted, the space programs have all stopped to a halt, but the scientist had the crazy ambition to build a rocket ship by themselves, so they could reach the stars, and live in orbit with their beloved companion. Ruffs didn't fully understand, but he loved to accompagny his owner in their quest, and dreamt of the many stars they observed together. Sadly, as they were close to finishing the rocket, a gem explosion occured, ending the scientist's life, and mutating the poor dog. After accompagning him in their last breaths, he made the promise of one day reaching the stars. Thanks to his newfound intelligence, he studied his master's plans, finished the rocket, and managed to send himself into orbit, finally accomplishing their dream. Today, Ruffs is a talented space-traveler, proudly piloting his ship and fighting off invaderd from outer-space. On earth, he's a bit of an urban legend, there are many reports of a dog in a spaceship, landing in the middle of the desert, but nothing has ever been proven.

💧Squeak : Nothing special to say about the little guy, he was born out of Ruff's mutated saliva, and has been living on the ship ever since. Squeak is dedicated to his creator, and does his best to help around the ship, but he's too innocent to realise that he's always making a mess. This drives Ruffs nuts, but deep down, he really loves him, making the life in space a little less lonely, he treats him like his own pet/son.

🪲 Eve : Eve is a flea from outer space! Her species is parasitic, invading other planets in order to multiply and "colonize" it. And she has found the perfect host to raise her lovely babies, Ruffs, the space dog! Eve is dead set on using his lush fur to multiply, so she bothers the Starr Force very often. Of course, Ruffs won't let that happen, and fights her off fiercely in order to protect his planet for this evil invader. He doesn't realise that Eve doesn't really want anything to do with earth though, and in fact, doesn't even represent a threat to it (she's flea-sized! What is she gonna do???). All she wants is that warm, soft, lushous dog fur.

VELOCIRAPIDS

🐊Buzz : Buzz comes from the coast of the land, and his job was BEACH. Always prancing about on the sand, bossing the swimmers around, acting like he owns the place. His parents told him to stop pretending to be important and get an actual job or they would cut him off. So, when he found a job offer to work at the velocirapids at Starr Park, he jumped at the opportunity, thinking he could still practice his passion. Little did he know, the offer wasn't for being a lifeguard, but to be a dinosaur-mascot. Today, Buzz works at the water park, bossing the swimmers around, flexing his (unlicensed) rescuing skills, and blowing his whistle at every opportunity, all the while in his ridiculous green dinosaur suit.

🌭Doug : Doug is a floatie from the velocirapids that mysteriously came alive one day. When the staff found this out, they went in panic mode, not wanting this freak of nature to be out in the public. So they told him : "We're gonna give you a job and shelter, but you have to pretend to be human, and you can never leave this place.", Doug looked around, he had a pool, slides, sunlight, and he said "okay!". And now he's a hot dog seller.

TURBO THEATER

[gravedigginbbydoll]

Hawkins University : The Munson Edition

AN: Hey, y'all. So we're almost done! This is the last chapter before an epilogue! I'll be sad to see this one go but I'm glad that it happened. Pls remember that reblogs and comments are appreciated! Also feedback!

→ cliches: friends to lovers, heavy use of nicknames instead of Y/N, we're all just struggling college kids, Music Tutor! Eddie, Resident Assistant! Reader, good girl x bad boy, instant connections, 'I don't trust most people but I trust you', 'are we friends or more?', and 'I can't believe you're such a slut that you have a special dtf drawer...'

→ warnings: mature topics, insecurity, hurt and comfort, drinking and drug usage, strong language, bullying, mental health, discussion of suicide and self harm, mature thoughts, eventual smut, minors dni

→ pairing: modern!college!eddie x college!fem!reader

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Chapter 10

Eddie's POV

Eddie was on cloud nine. He had the girl of his dreams, was finally happy in his major and passing his classes, and Corroded Coffin was steadily on the rise. 

Steve wouldn’t let him live it down, teasing him about the lovesick grin he had and how he ‘felt’ in his gut that you and Eddie would get together. 

Eddie felt a bit saddened by the fact that you had gotten together before finals, so you weren’t able to sleep over as much or go on a date yet. Eddie couldn’t wait to take you out and treat you. You were his girl now. 

But he also couldn’t shake this feeling. You were texting him still, sure, but you had seemed to be avoiding him even after finals, claiming that your job had you absolutely booked. 

Eddie couldn’t help but feel like maybe you were avoiding him now after sleeping together. Maybe you regretted being with him. Maybe you faked it? He couldn’t stop anxiously questioning if you still wanted to be with him. 

Eddie would not admit it aloud, but he was slowly falling for you. 

He knew how you drank your coffee, or how you loved playing with his hair. He knew how nervous you got in new spaces, and how you laughed. He wanted to learn more. He wanted to carve memories of you into his brain, wanted to have the imprint of your figure in his mattress, have your touch burned into his skin. 

He kept pushing off the idea of falling for you. He knew he was on the edge of the cliff, teetering on letting go. But goddamnit, if he wasn’t afraid. Eddie knew himself. When he fell, it was hard and fast. 

It was fully consuming. 

He was scared to let go and have you disappear, just like so many people in his life. Or worse, have you become disgusted with the intricacies of him. You knew so much, but Eddie still guarded parts of his heart. 

Which was why he was staring at his phone, awaiting your text back, when he asked if you could head out to dinner after your shift. 

Your reply stung. 

Sorry, not this time Eds, I’ve got to help my coworker with her on-call. 

Eddie, in a flurry of hurt and bitterness, almost texted back ‘Then when?’. He stopped himself before. 

He’d somehow fucked it up. 

He knew it. 

“Am I an idiot, Kurt?,” Eddie questioned the stray cat currently chowing down on his porch. Eddie had started feeding the cat when he noticed him digging through the apartment trash, feeling a tug at his heart. He’d always loved animals, knowing they wouldn’t judge him, even if he was a burnout. Kurt meowed at Eddie, chubby tomcat cheeks making Eddie chuckle a bit.  Eddie took a drag from his cigarette, careful to aim it away from Kurt, who resumed chowing down. He only looked up when he heard a commotion from the parking lot, seeing Robin and Steve scramble over to the porch, both of them calling Eddie’s name. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Okay, okay…What’s the big deal, Beavis and Butthead?,” Eddie teased, still trying to calm his nerves. Steve and Robin as a pair usually were a bit over dramatic about things (even for Eddie, who often dramatized most things.) 

Robin stopped, her hands on her knees as she tried to regulate her breathing, wheezing. Steve was a bit better off, sighing before going into what was going on. 

“Some account tried to follow Rob and I and we were like no, but we were curious because the account follows Corroded Coffin. And Robin and I were talking about how Bug has kinda been AWOL, and avoiding us. And so we were wondering if maybe there was something she wasn’t telling us about, so we went to look at the account, and it’s some troll posting super mean shit about Bug and calling her names just because she’s dating you, and-” 

Eddie saw red at the mention. If there was one thing the Munson boy had little to no patience for, it was bullies. He felt his stomach twist at the thought of you dealing with the hate all alone, trying to push people away so as to keep from bothering them. His jaw clenched, his fists flexing and clenching, trying to soothe the anger he felt. 

“What’s the account?,” Eddie asked calmly, controlling his tone and temper, jaw set. 

Steve blinked a bit, shocked by Eddie’s tone but also seeming a bit fearful. “Uh, it’s something like the exterminator? Here,” Steve handed over his phone, showing the Instagram account. 

Eddie scrolled through the account, the posts getting more aggressive as the account owner seemed to take candids of you, and post them. The words were cutting, and just…

Eddie felt his hands shake as he handed back the phone, anger running through him, a slow simmering boil. He walked inside, Steve and Robin following in confusion before Robin finally broke the tense silence. 

“Eddie, what’re you-” 

Eddie spun around, eyes rimmed red, hands shaking as he clenched his fists. “I’m fixing it.” 

Eddie pulled out his phone, calling the one person he knew could get down to the bottom of this. 

“Henderson…I need you to ask Susie for a favor.” 

Eddie was lucky that Steve had introduced him to Dustin Henderson. Dustin looked up to Eddie, and his little group of friends had somehow stuck to Eddie like old gum on his shoe. But maybe a bit more endearing. 

Dustin’s girlfriend, Susie, was a tech nerd and genius, and somehow knew how to trace or hack most things. 

Which was exactly what she did. 

She traced the Instagram account down to an email, discovering what the email was a backup for, and informed Eddie. 

Tammy Dreser. A member of the Hawkins Cheer team, and a close friend to Chrissy Cunningham. Both of them were part of the same sorority. 

Which led Eddie here. In front of the sorority house on his bike, his face both angry and determined. He swung his leg off his bike, heading up to the door to knock loudly, met with Chrissy Cunningham’s surprised expression. 

“Eddie, what are you-” 

Eddie pushed past her into the house carefully, turning to her. 

“We need to talk.” 

Chrissy blinked a bit before closing the door, sighing. “Okay…What about?,” She questioned, crossing her arms, eyebrows furrowed. 

“This,” Eddie said pointedly, shoving a phone in Chrissy’s face, the device already showing the account, Chrissy squinting to see the account and frowning. 

“What? Eddie, I don’t know what this is.” 

“Tammy made it. I have…sources… who connected it to her email. And I don’t take kindly to people mistreating my girl,” Eddie stated, his tone teetering on a growl. 

Chrissy frowned, eyebrows furrowed. She bit her lip and gestured for Eddie to follow her to the kitchen, sitting down at the table. 

“Let me call Tammy. We can talk this out,” Chrissy sighed, dialing away on her phone. 

Eddie sat there, leg shaking in the hyper feminized kitchen, a frown practically etched on his face as Taffy entered, her blue eyes widening and cheeks turning red as she saw Eddie. She was quick to fix her hair and smile, putting out a perfectly manicured hand for him to shake. 

“Eddie, right? I’m Tammy,” She said, tone bubbly as ever. 

Eddie nodded, not returning the handshake. He was trying to keep his cool, and not explode on this petite brunette. 

Chrissy cleared her throat. “Well, Tammy, it seems there has been an acc-” 

Eddie can’t take tiptoeing around the subject, so he interjects. “I found an account cyberbullying my girlfriend. Connected to your email. Care to explain?,” Eddie grinned sarcastically, lifting his brows. 

Tammy turned white as a ghost and started laughing, shaking her head. “I don’t…What? I don’t know-” 

Eddie laughed humorlessly and shook his head. “Don’t bullshit me. Fess up, Tammy,” He said her name like an insult, making her cheeks flush red. He stared at her, her eyes wide and her shoulders caving in under his gaze. Eddie counted almost 5 minutes before she finally gave in. 

“Fine! I made it. I was angry that Chrissy hooked up with you when I had a crush on you, and I wanted to make it look like she made the account,” She confessed, flustered and upset. 

Chrissy’s brow furrowed and she appeared hurt, mumbling to herself.

"You're the one who hacked my Instagram...I kept wondering why I couldn't log in and why my account seemed to be following more people."

Eddie's heart panged a little bit for the blonde, who despite her best intentions, had horrible friends and a tendency to be naive or absent minded. But he'd worry about it later. Eddie was too focused on Tammy. “Take. Down. The. Damn. Account,” He gritted out, every word making Tammy sink further into her chair as she nodded, appearing annoyed and embarrassed. 

“Fine, Fine! I will!” 

Eddie stood up and nodded at the two, heading to the door as he heard hushed arguing and felt waves of hurt come from the room. 

“You deserve better friends, Cunningham,” Eddie called out as he left, too focused on his mission. 

He had to get to you. 

Eddie came into the building, making a beeline for your dorm. He knocked on your door frantically, hearing you scramble and run to the door, opening it a bit, just enough for you to poke your head out, your eyes rimmed red. Your brows furrowed as you looked up, a bit confused. 

“Eds? What’re you doing-” 

Eddie pushed himself inside the room, gentle but firm. You felt anxiety swirl in your belly at the disarrayed state of your room, the way you hadn’t had a good shower, stewing in your depression. Eddie’s stomach dropped as his heart ached. 

You had been going through this alone?

Eddie frowned, his voice soft. “Baby…why didn’t you tell me?”

You felt your lip begin to tremble as your eyes stung, the sensation alerting you of the oncoming tears. You swallowed, trying to calm your shaking. 

“I just…I didn’t want to bother you during finals, and honestly it wasn’t a big deal, I just-” 

You felt your voice tremble, your vision beginning to blur. You shook a bit, feeling Eddie embrace you. You smelled his green apple shampoo and body wash, his warm vanilla and spice cologne…all below a soft lingering scent of cigarettes. You melted into his arms, sighing, tears still flowing. 

Eddie sat you down on your bed, his heart squeezed at the sight of you so broken, and so lost. He kicked himself for not being able to see through your walls through text, and held you close. You sobbed into his shirt, shaking. Eddie rubbed your back, pressing his lips to your forehead, murmuring reassurances of ‘it’s okay’ and ‘i’ve got you’. 

When your tears had stopped flowing, Eddie continued to hold you, rubbing your back softly. He felt the urge to talk to you, so he let himself speak without thinking. 

“When I was in high school…I was extremely bullied. I was called a freak, viewed as an outcast. My mom had died and my dad was in prison. People knew Uncle Wayne and I lived in a trailer, and they didn’t let me live it down. When I came here, I thought I finally escaped it…Except… I didn’t. Jason was here. He was one of the people who bullied me extensively back home. He made my life a living hell. He posted shit about me, made flyers claiming I was a psychopath… it was…hell.” 

Eddie swallowed, avoiding your gaze, trying to continue despite the sour memories. 

“I was in a really dark place. I started doing harder drugs, drinking, and just…self harming any way I could. I was flunking, and lonely, as I was 20 years old and a freshman. I…I didn’t tell Steve about it. But he kind of…knew. And right as I was starting to get even worse, right as I considered ending it…Steve reached out. He supported me. He stood up for me while Jason was being a dick. And…a big part of me knows, if he never reached out…I wouldn’t be here.” 

Eddie's throat felt thick, his hands shaking as he looked down at you, your red rimmed eyes looking at him in sorrow and worry. He grabbed your face, leaning his head down to press his forehead against yours. 

“I don’t ever want you to feel that way, baby. Okay? I lo-, Eddie cuts himself off, swallowing, the word getting stuck in his throat. 

“I care about you.” 

You look up, sighing shakily and nodding, melting into his arms. 

“I care about you too. I’m sorry.” 

Eddie kissed you, trying to pour all of his feelings into the exchange, holding your face like you were fragile glass. He pulled away slowly, tugging you into his arms and just holding you that night, letting you melt into him. 

He’d tell you soon.

But for that night...he just would be there for you.

Taglist: @josephquinnsfreckles @corrodedcoffincumslut @kirisuteg0men @bebe07011 @amira0303 @vintagehellfire @lottie-90 @animechick555

[livwritesstuff]

2002, established relationship, dads!steddie living in boston with their 1yo daughter, another excerpt of this bc i think it's my actual fav part

“I’m done with this goddamn city,” Ed yelled up the stairs, “So fuckin’ serious, Steve. I’m out.”

Steve sighed, well-acquainted with this one of Ed’s many tirades.

Just as he was standing up from where he’d been sitting at his desk looking over some notes and prepping for a counseling session later that afternoon, he heard the door shut loudly (though not a full slam, he noted, because Ed had Moe with him). He headed out into the hallway in time to see Ed coming up the stairs, Moe balanced in one arm.

“What happened now?” Steve asked.

“An idiot BU kid driving Daddy’s Lexus almost T-boned me with Moe in the backseat because — apparently — red lights are just a fucking suggestion here.”

“I mean…I’m pretty sure you ran every red light in Hawkins when you were nineteen.”

It wasn’t a helpful comment, per se, and Steve knew that, but when Ed was riled up like this, there really weren’t any helpful comments available.

“That’s entirely different,” Ed countered, passing Moe over to him so he could pull off his own jacket, “There’s, like, six people on the road at any given moment in Hawkins, and two traffic lights.”

“Okay, well, we can move, love,” Steve said tiredly, steadily approaching his limit for how many times he could listen to Eddie rant about this particular issue without taking any sort of real action to solve it, “Nobody said we had to stay in Boston. Also — we can actually afford to buy a house now, so…”

“Wha— we can?”

“A down payment, yeah.”

“The fuck is a downpayment?”

“Uh…” Steve paused. He’d long since become comfortable with his role in his and Ed’s finances — being that he’s almost entirely in charge of them. He knew that Ed had grown up worrying about money in a way that Steve never had to so he actually liked being able to take over that part of their life together. He liked being able to let Ed not think about it (even though sometimes it meant that his thirty-five-year-old life partner asked him what a goddamn down payment was), “It’s kind of like putting a security deposit down on an apartment, except instead of for securing a lease, it’s for securing a loan — sort of. That’s…there’s better ways of explaining it, and there’s a lot more to it, but it’s sort of like we’re paying a certain amount of the mortgage upfront to prove that we’re committed to paying it off month-to-month.”

“How much is it?”

“Depends,” Steve shrugged, running a hand over Moe’s hair as she started to doze off, her head drooping down to rest on his shoulder, “Pretty sure twenty percent is considered, like, ideal, or something, so it all comes down to what our budget is.”

“What’s our budget?”

Steve leveled an eyebrow at him.

“What?” Ed asked.

“Do you actually wanna know? Because when I tried to show you our electric bill last week you pretended to be asleep.”

“Uh — buying a fuckin’ house together is totally different from you reprimanding me about leaving the heat on too long.”

“I don’t think I’d have to reprimand you anymore if you saw the electric bill.”

“Okay — yes, Stevie, I actually would like to be involved in our finances just this once because I care very, very deeply about us buying a house. I really do.”

“Alright,” he replied, knowing he still sounded a tad skeptical, “I mean, if you actually wanna know about this stuff, I’ve got some spreadsheets I’ve been using to keep track of that kind of thing, and we can—”

“Baby, if you wanted to talk about spreading sheets, all you had to do was ask,” Ed grinned wickedly, an expression that slowly began to fade as his eyes slid off of Steve’s and onto the opposite wall, probably as he considered how wise a comment that had been to make.

Steve stared at him for a long while.

“Okay,” he finally said, “I’m gonna go put our child down for a nap. If in that time you decide you can be a grownup while we talk about spending a fuck-load of money on property we’ll own and be entirely responsible for, let me know.”

“You got it, man.” 

[nburkhardt]

Heyyy girlie!!!! Came to give you a prompt for you to try! Hope you enjoy this little angst fest.

Also to be very honest, I was listening to "Friends on the Other Side" as I was thinking about this prompt lol.

Steve gets cursed by Vecna and he is shown instead of horrible things happening to him and the people he cares about, he is shown actual events of people ridiculing and insulting him. Dustin calling him names, Robin shown distain whenever he talks, Eddie flat out ignoring him for DND, Hopper saying how he feels bad for Steve. All things angsty!

And Vecna says, "See? They don't care about you. But I do. You and I can give each other what we never were given - A true family."

And Steve accepts, while everyone is oblivious to what they have created.

Imagine the DEVESTATION when they all discover that it's entirely their fault Steve is now a puppet under Vecna's control.

You can decide the ending there!

Anywayyssssss, hope you have a good day!

(Also the prompt you asked is on its way!)

I want to begin to say that when I originally read this prompt I was dying. It was already hurting me reading this then i decided I could do it. I could write it out. But I went with Steve as a victim instead of puppet, thought that would also be so good. Like just imagine with me real quick before I get into the fic… maybe he gets infected by the bats and that’s how Vecna uses him and it isn’t until it’s too late for anyone to save him. OR OR Eddie becomes Kas and them along with Vecna is unstoppable because none of The Party wants to fight them. ANYWAY, onto the fic:

WARNING: Major Character Death, lots of hurt and no comfort.

——————

He doesn’t notice he’s cursed until it’s too late.

His hearing has been shit for a while, so hearing the clock ticking is too much like the nearly non-stop buzzing already in his ears. The grandfather clock is shown to him while he’s in the middle of looking around at the school. It looks like it belongs there.

The vision?

It’s his actual memories.

It’s reality, it’s too much, it’s draining.

An old memory of his dad calling him worthless, his mom pushing him away when he’s hurt and the endless babysitters that brush him off. There’s memories of Tommy and Carol hanging off him but putting him down for wanting to hang out just the three of them instead of a party with drugs and alcohol. There’s the “bullshit” and “you’re an idiot” from Nancy thrown in there.

The memories with Robin before they became best friends, memories of her making fun of him for another girl telling him no. The memories of all the kids putting him down or demanding things of him while calling him asshole.

The only reason he realizes it’s fake, that he’s one of Vecna’s victims is the quick fake-memory of Eddie. He doesn’t have many memories with the guy, he’s talked to him maybe a few times before this week.

The fake-memory starts with a promise of weed, of Eddie agreeing to meet him but it ends with Eddie laughing at him before walking away.

It’s then that he stops, the panic is still there but he’s standing still and slowly the area around him fades and in it’s place is the Upside Down.

“Oh Steven” a voice speaks up and he freezes, “Isn’t it time to realize they don’t care? That the love you give is wasted?”

He shakes his head, hands covering his eyes to think and wipe away the tears, the evidence of how true it is. He can’t move, he’s frozen and he feels more than sees Vecna come up to him.

Hopefully the others have noticed him, he thinks, hopes they’ll notice. They do care, in their own way- he knows this. Robin cares, says they’re soulmates.

She has to care… right?

(Eddie notices Steve first. How still he is and then he notices his eyes and it makes him freak. Robin pales when she notices and immediately shakes him, begging him to knock it off.)

There’s a noise, movement in front of him and he refuses to move his hands. Doesn’t want to give Vecna the satisfaction of knowing it’s getting to him. He’s fucking twenty years old, he can handle this. Max managed to beat him and she’s fourteen.

There’s a sigh, and it’s close. Too close. He feels something grab hold of his wrist and he shuts his eyes as his hand is forced away, “Steven, Steven, Steven. Why are you fighting? They don’t love you, they don’t care. With me, you’ll be cared for, you’ll be loved and away from all those who hurt you. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

He feels his wrist being pulled away, tries to fight it but Vecna or whatever it is pulling is stronger. He holds still and keeps his eyes tightly shut.

“My, my. You are stubborn, Steven.” Vecna lets out a cruel laugh, “Why fight me, you know you’ll lose”

Fighting is all he has. It’s all he’s known. He’s fought his whole life, he couldn’t stop even if he wanted to, it’s his reality. It’s who he is.

Steve Harrington is a fighter. Has been since he was a little boy. Memories of his dad yelling, of kid bullies and eventually his mother pulling his arms as he panics. Fighting is what he knows, just, he loses.

Losing is easy. Winning is hard and it seems, he isn’t supposed to be a winner.

Vecna must know this, because his arms are yanked down and it’s such a shock, his eyes fly open and he’s face to face with Vecna.

A vicious smile on Vecna’s face, “Stop fighting me, Steven.”

He shakes his head, ignoring the stinging of his eyes and the pain in his wrists. He can do this, he can hold off like Max did. The others should know what’s happening by now.

He isn’t weak.

There’s a hand on his cheek, it’s gentle and it hurts how much he craves it. Without his say, he leans into it. It’s been so long, a few tears betray him falling down his cheeks.

“With me, you’ll be cared for.” Vecna speaks out with a soft tone, something he didn’t think was possible that’s willing to kill anyone, “you’ll be loved and respected”

(Steve is floating, he’s floating so far up that no one can reach him now. There’s tears falling from his glazed over eyes. Everyone is screaming, trying helplessly to get to him.)

“come now, we both know you’ll lose.”

He’s not fighting the tears anymore, they’re falling freely and he wishes for someone- anyone to save him. Wishes to be stronger, be the person he always wanted to be.

But he’s so tired. He’s so exhausted and so fucking sad. Tired of being someone he’s not. Tired of ignoring the sting of words, jokes from his friends.

He wants, he wishes.

Wishes for exactly what Vecna is promising.

Blinking hard and he breathes, not fighting against the vines holding him now. Looks up towards the red sky, it’s scary.

It’s nothing like he wanted.

But he doesn’t know anymore.

“You’ll be okay, with me” Vecna says, it’s not a promise and it’s not soft. It’s sinister, it’s just a saying.

He knows and hates himself.

Hates how tired he is as he gives up.

He knows he’s a victim, a pawn in Vecna’s plan.

It doesn’t stop the relief he feels, even as he listens to Vecna’s sinister laughter at him.

(His arms are broken, Steve’s arms are broken. He’s still floating and his arms are bent in different directions. There’s screaming, crying and everyone is shaking.

How did they miss this? How did they not know?)

Letting go is the easiest thing he’s ever done. Even with the knowledge that he’s a victim and it’s disappointing to his friends, it’s letting the bad guy win.

But he’s tired, so tired.

There’s no pain for him, not anymore. With this he doesn’t need to try, doesn’t need to ignore the jokes or the poorly disguised mean behavior towards him. Doesn’t need to be useful to be around those he thought of as family.

He doesn’t need to fight anymore.

He can rest.

~~~~

The sound of bones breaking and screaming makes him want to run away. But he’s stuck in place, face wet with tears and his throat hurts from screaming.

He can’t look away.

Up in the sky is Steve Harrington. Floating much like Chrissy, eyes glazed over and frozen. The difference, tears are freely falling down his cheeks. His arms are now bent in different directions and he can’t look away.

He hears everyone around him fall down, sobbing still. He’d look around, but he can’t look away from Steve.

Refuses to look away.

Refuses to run away.

How did they not know? How did they miss this? Why didn’t Steve mention anything? What happened? How did this happen? How did his friends, his family not know he was hurting?

The sounds of everyone around him sobbing, the sound of Steve’s body break is making him wish to be deaf.

This is all too much.

This is too heartbreaking.

It feels like losing.

Hearing a loud crash, really sets reality in. They are losing. They lost the moment Steve stopped moving and his eyes glazed over.

It’s with that, that makes him fall to the ground with tears falling down his face. His gaze falling onto the pile of limbs that was Steve Harrington.

That was the man who willing to dive into Lover’s Lake to find a gate, the same one to bite a demonic bat because it was choking him, so determined to be the last one out of hell.

How did they miss this?

What are they supposed to do now?

————

I’m sorry 😭

I couldn’t turn it around, I couldn’t figure out how to make this with a happy ending. So I didn’t and it’s heartbreaking, I made myself tear up so much I had to stop writing the other night.

If you have any prompts or ideas, send them my way!

Permanent Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @itsfreakingbats @mysticcrownshipper @artiststarme @thereindeerlady @justforthedead89 @ronniescontinuum @freyaforestafay @harvesteee (if you want to be added, let me know!)

[finniestoncrane]

i feel so annoying and weird asking you to write this but if you have the time can i request for you to please write about gotham eddie verbally degrading and humiliating the shit out of you, making you feel stupid - preferably you can also include some nsfw elements like choking, slapping reader on the face, putting his fingers in her mouth dhdjdkd - ofc make it as long or short as you would like❤️❤️❤️❤️ im just giving ideas write it however you would like!!

(i just adore your writing sm and you are the only one i trust to give the most accurate and amazing representation of the different versions of the riddler)

i wish you an amazing day(or night) and i hope you are feeling loved and appreciated❤️

On Your Knees

Gotham!Riddler x GN!Reader, word count: 450 anon this is the nicest thing you are so lovely! please don't feel weird or annoying at all!! that comment means the world to me, and i'm so sorry this took a while to get out but i hope it's what you were looking for! 💚🔍 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: degradation, choking, humiliation, slapping, implied oral sex

Every second that you knelt in front of him, fumbling, your fingers uncoordinated and shaking, only made you more stressed, more nervous, more flustered. And more aroused.

“Your levels of capabilities are even lower than I first thought. This should be a simple task, an easy to complete action that even you would be capable of.”

He punctuated his word with a grip on your chin, forcing your head to angle up and look at him. And from down there, Edward Nygma looked every bit the part. The Riddler. Cruel, genius, criminal.

“Take a deep breath. Calm your idiotic nerves. And I’ll tell you once more. Unbuckle. My. Belt.”

A quick breath in, you put your fingers back to work, managing the buckle with ease now that you were focused, driven, ready to prove yourself capable for him. But as you began to tease the leather through the belt loop, you felt a hot stinging on your cheek where he had struck it.

“I said unbuckle it, not take it off. So not only are you an idiot, you can’t even listen to, or follow for that matter, basic instructions.”

“Sorry, Edward.”

“Not sorry enough.”

He gripped your chin again, tighter this time, with his thumb pressing down on your bottom row of teeth. Holding your mouth open, he laughed at you, cruel and sharp. You felt your face reddening, embarrassed at the position you now held. Removing his thumb, he quickly replaced it with two of his fingers, using them to hold your tongue down flat and then running them slowly up it, into your mouth, down to the back of your throat. When you gagged, he withdrew them quickly, taking a hold of your neck.

“I’m embarrassed for you.”

He wore a face of false sympathy, tilting his head to the side with a soft, yet nasty smile, looking down at you with pity. As you stared up at him, squeezing your thighs together, he watched you squirm. As you felt your arousal building, he grabbed you by the throat, not impeding your breathing in anyway, but tight and powerful enough that he could if he wanted to. The leather of his driving gloves, smooth against your skin.

“You’re pathetic. I know that… because I was too. But I was capable enough to become better. You will struggle on your knees like the stupid, insignificant, incapable dullard that you are.”

He pulled the belt through the loops of his pants, snapping the leather together in front of you. And as you stared up at him, eyes stinging with anticipation, he unzipped his pants, holding his cock in his leather-clad hands, silently.

“Are you going to use your initiative? Or do I have to force this lesson on you as well?”

[halestrom]

📓📓📓📓📓📓📓📓📓📓

i knew u were gonna do this. cracks fingers. alright.

📓 Daredevil: Matt and Foggy as magical lawyers who use little loopholes to win. Basically, fae law meets DD. Matt is ready to fight a sideh for Foggy's hand at all times.

📓 SGA; Rodney can turn into a dragon like the ones from Pern where he can go to the in between and he doesn't tell anyone. At least until they're stuck on a ship and he can go into space as a dragon bc he can hold his breath. He saves people. Idk.

📓 SGA: my 300k epic Evan/Rodney and ace!john learning how to be in a relationship and how that works. It lives rent free in my brain and Ill prob never write it because it will be SO MUCH and also, ahhhh

📓 SGA: John, Rodney and a few others go back in time with the intent on hijacking the SGC so they can go back to Atlantis. It doesn't go according to plan. John saves his Mom from dying and she becomes President bc SHE WANTS TO KNOW WHERE HER BABY IS OKAY? and its just All Bad as they keep trying to get to Atlantis. Ronon also went back as well and he's mad bc he's like. 6 when they get back.

📓 SGA: Rodney and John knew each other and so when John sits down in the chair its a spiderman meme moment and then O'Neill is glaring at John and John's putting 2 and 2 together and getting 4 bc he's not an idiot and basically goes "so...aliens huh?" this is also mixed with my story idea that johns been dreaming of the stargate since it was reopened for the SGC bc of his connection with Ancient technology and he gets flashes whenever someone goes through the gate of what they went through.

📓 SGA: Rodney's brain is the super sonic high way and so the Goa'uld can't actually take over him bc his brain works so quickly they can't focus and idk where I go with this but I have it stuck in my mind forever.

📓 911: Eddie and Buck fucked a lot, and also have a lot of threesoms with people bc they can, and then would stop fucking whenever they got a partner bc they sex is just the fun part. They never needed it bc their relationship is good without it. The rest of the 118 find out and Question them and they end up together. AKA the one where no one wants to explain to Bobby what an Eiffel Tower is. (Honestly this might be getting written)

📓 SGA: Rodney and Cadman meets Race to Witch Mountain where they're twins but didn't know it and turns out Duet just opens their psychic connection and they Dislike It. we're ignoring the age differences okay

📓 SGA: Mutant AU. Rodney has super powers that let him interact with technology in a very nteresting way. It goes to shit when he goes to Atlantis and has to learn to function with a city that is alive. (it gets better...eventually...he has a lot of headaches)

📓SG1: Post Canon Daniel and Vala getting together, slowly and sweetly and learning how not to be major dicks to each other.

I DID IT

[ghost-proofbaby]

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me or The Tortured Poet's Department for your ask game 🌌🤍

BAAAABE i love you <3

Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? encapsulates my favorite type of female lead to write, honestly, so it could apply to so many of them. willow in 'so mordor it is' in the way her sanity is just slowly draining as she gets deeper and deeper into the mess that was canon, reader in 'twenty four hours' in all her accumulating self hatred through overthinking every little thing prior to the bet, and (sorry to bring up the astarion fic) aruna in 'the moon will sing' as she has to decipher who she truly is and if she really is a good person at her core.

so basically what i'm saying is i'm cheating because this song is deeply personal to me and calls to the piece of myself that i can't help but put into every character/reader i write. the whole growing up meek and kind and eventually becoming what you can only see as the villain because you let it all (life, trauma, etc.) get to you. i could dissect this song and apply it in every which way, but that might be a conversation for me to have with a therapist lol <3

The Tortured Poets Department has to go to the dynamic between reader and eddie in 'twenty four hours'. i like the way it seems to be a song with a little self-awareness and pokes a little bit of fun at the whole aesthetic this album is based on (cough who even uses a typewriter anyway? cough) and i think that's something very prevalent between those two idiots from twenty four. they know their entire feud was ridiculous, they know their hatred for each other is going to be very funny years down the road. and they've got a little toxicity that fits the bridge fairly well. (also the ring mention. who would i be not to give this song to the couple i wrote that literally utilized putting rings on and making a joke out of being married?)

[thedemonicpup]

Toxic Breathing

By Ripley Salem

                Chapter 4: Run Away Baby!

   The five take off running with Royal and Addie leading the way for Milah and Aether and Nova following up the rear making sure no one is left behind. The incoherent sound of growling and groans starts to double in size behind Nova, the streets full of debris and bodies of those who would be somewhat familiar to Addie and Nova “Addie! Do not look at the ground! Whatever you do, don't do it!” Nova shouts out to Addie as the five continue to run, she had seen the bodies of Joyce Byers and Jim Hopper just discarded on the floor, they were holding each other in the face of their demise nearby were the bodies of Mike Wheeler and Will Byers they both had a hold of each others hands typical Mike up until the end to never let go of Will. Addie screams as she sees these familiar bodies but her eyes course over to the lifeless body of Eleven, dried blood coming from one of her nostrils like she had tried to fight this but to no avail, Addie's legs become weak seeing these young bodies just left there on the floor like they had zero meaning in this world anymore. Aether as he runs sees the body of his beloved love interest Billy Hargrove completely torn apart, his eyes swimming with pain-stricken tears. Aether knew that he had helped Billy survive the attack on Starcourt Mall and now seeing Billy with no innards and an unrecognisable face, he felt his sister squeeze his hand acknowledging the pain that Aether was feeling but still they continued to run following Addie and Royal. Addie’s eyes land on the alive face of one Gareth Emerson, someone she had become very close to over the years, the pleading look in Gareth’s eyes meets Addie’s, “Gareth! I’m coming!” Addie yells out to Gareth, Gareth merely shakes his head no as a shadowy form appears behind him. In a mere moment Gareth was there he was quickly gone. This struck Addie hard in the chest convinced she would never see the loveable drummer boy again, Royal grabbed Addie “Now isn’t the time! We need to get away to safety! Come on!” The ground rumbles beneath their feet. 

   Several large gaping openings tear through the ground and weird particles that almost look like snow explode into the air, Milah lost her footing as the ground shook and she tumbled onto the floor once more dragging her clumsy brother with her. Nova runs up and grabs the pair dragging them across the floor. There is no time to wait for them to get back to their feet “Weeee!!” both Milah and Aether laugh as they get dragged. As Nova dragged the brother-sister duo along with her, her ocean-blue eyes fell upon a sight she really didn’t want to see, it sent a crushing pain to her chest as she stopped static, Royal and Addie had also saw the sight that Nova’s eyes had befalls, Addie turns to Nova with a sorrowful look “Novs…I'm so sorry” Nova didn’t respond nor did her eyes leave the body that was before her, it was her brother Eddie. It looked like his body had been ejected from these cracks that had opened all over Hawkins, he was clutching something, and this something was something both Addie and Nova recognized “I..is that?” Nova stutters as she approaches the tangled body of her brother, once beside her idiot brother she collapses to her knees, “H..he’s holding the heart-shaped locket that our mom had left for us, m..my brother had taken out the picture of mom and dad and replaced it with a picture of Steve.” Milah and Aether slowly get up from the ground and walk over to Nova, the sound of the growling was coming up behind them quickly “W..we need to go!” Addie tells Nova trying to drag her away from Eddie’s body but Nova refuses to move. “Just go! Leave me!” Nova shouted at the four, she wasn’t going to move easily away from her brother, she didn’t care if these creatures were running to her location. Addie doesn’t want to leave her best friend behind but Royal doesn’t really give her a choice as he picks her up over his shoulder and starts running which Milah and Aether follow. 

  The four finally find their way into an abandoned grocery store, panting for breath Royal slams the door shut and immediately starts ensuring the perimeter is secure and that nothing can get in, Addie just stares ahead numb to the core knowing that her best friend had just sacrificed herself to save the four, tears just pour from her green eyes as she backs up into a secluded corner and falls to the floor. Milah and Aether check each other over making sure they are not hurt in any way, they didn’t quite understand what the hell was happening but they knew if they didn’t stick with Addie and Royal they were certain to die. Aether breathing heavily looked around the environment they had found themselves in, “Surely there is food in here right?” he asked this was the most logical question he had ever asked in his life, Royal looked over at the smaller boy and smiled “Yeah, I would say so why don’t you and your sister go and see what you can gather up, we are going to need all the resources and food we can find. This world, this town is completely fucked”

( Special Thanks to @hellfirekitten86 for the help with the grammatical stuffs!)

[commenter2]

Alpha Betas episode ideas

In my last pic I talked about how I believe the Alpha Betas web series should be given another chance as it had the potential of being a good series but was the victim of bad timing.

I’m happy to say that it was recently brought to my attention that a while ago the VA for Mason (who is also a director and producer of the show) stated that there has been talks about doing stuff with the show, so there is some hope it could return one day! Until then I’m going to help spread the word about the series by making content about it.

I thought I start by making a list of ideas for episodes the series could have if it ever returns. Spoilers ahead for those who haven’t watched the first season yet, but luckily all the episodes are available to view on YouTube so I recommend checking them out.

Rated E for Eat S#$@- Alpha Team has to deal with a problem in a family friendly kids game, which they hate as it’s really simple and boring to them. Mason (the weapons expert) takes it the worse since he can’t use guns in it, while the others are able to at least use their talents to a degree, which Buck makes fun of Mason for. It would be interesting to see him try to prove to the others that he is more than the weapon’s guy.

Alpha Bravo Tango- Before it was written out, it sounded like there was going to be a plotline where Alpha Team would have to secretly deal with another team of gamers called Bravo Team. Now at the beginning of episode 2 Allision made it sound like they were among the other dead teams, but I could see a few ways to bring the original Bravo Team back, one simple way is that they really messed up on a job and were fired before the main story of season 1.  I’d also be okay with an entire new team but still. 

Either way Bravo Team’s main goal in the series is to aid Alpha Team during bigger missions, and to prove to Allison that they are better than Alpha Team and deserve to replace them.

I could see this leading to a 2-episode story where a multiplayer only game is acting up, so both Alpha and Beta Team are sent in to fix the problem, but because the teams dislike each other they mess up the simple task, and now have to actually work together in order to save the day.

Gamer girl, I mean woman, I mean female- The title is based on a joke from the pilot.

One of the team members is sick and because she is knowledgeable about the game causing trouble and Bravo Team is busy with something else, Ruby (the lady who runs the equipment that sends Alpha Team into games, and who Eddie has a crush on) has to go into the game to help.

It would be interesting to see Ruby fighting alongside Alpha Team instead of just giving them support/commentary. Maybe as a result of her adventure she will get a slight understanding on why they act the way they do; she still thinks they are immature idiots but oddly respects them a bit more. I also see such an episode being filled with jokes about gamers girls and about what guys think gamer girls are like, but I mostly could see some ship moments happening between her and Eddie.

Alpha Red vs. Omega Blue- Continuing the idea of Ruby being a gamer, I could see her befriending several other gamer girls and forming a gaming squad called Omega that becomes popular online. Unknown to Ruby, these girls are saboteurs/anarchist and are trying to take down parts of the U.S. energy grid for reasons which leads to a confrontation with Alpha Team.

I could see this being a continuing storyline in the series as we see Ruby slowly realize what is going on.

Government mandated gaming tournament- In the pilot it was implied that other parts of the world power their countries via video games and occasionally they would attack another countries’ systems. What if secretly, governments from the around the world partake in video game tournaments as a way to settle certain problems without actual bloodshed and this time Alpha Team is being sent to participate.

Console War 3- The next generation of consoles are coming out and one hacker obsessed with a certain console series is determined to make his console the best, so he causes chaos through a popular FPS game about World War 3 in hopes people will switch consoles. Of course this would be bad for energy grids around the world so Alpha Team deals with this, but they soon start to argue about which of the upcoming consoles is better, districting them from completing the mission.

Grand Tommy Auto- While Tommy is an expert in controlling vehicles in video games, he canonically can’t actually drive them in real life. That sucks for him as his gear gets damaged before a mission, and now has to use devices based on the mechanics of a real car to control a vehicle needed to save the day. Will Tommy learn how to properly drive to save the day, or will his friends and part of the world be doomed?

Punk Spunc- After a mission, a virus infects Spunc, Alpha Teams AI buddy, causing him to act up and go rouge. Alpha Team has to find a way to cure Spunc before Steven (who hates Spunc) destroys him.

Body swap like episode- Since Alpha Team uses unique machinery to enter video games, there obviously needs to be such an episode. I could see this happening during a mission where they are permanently locked in as a certain class/character from the game that they personally specialize in. Something happens in the real world that messes with the machinery which somehow causes Alpha Team to switch bodies in the game, and now they have to learn how to handle using their new classes before it is too late.

Freemiumdeddon- Alpha Team has to deal with a freemium game on the fritz, but this becomes a personal mission of vengeance for Buck. He once was addicted to a freemium game and it almost ruined his life so while facing the problem with the others, he secretly tries to destroy the game and prevent others from suffering what he went through, which could just be as dangerous. They should have the freemium game be a Sea of Thieves/Skull & Bones parody just so they have the excuse to have Buck go all Captain Ahab XD.

Gaming Community vs. T.B.A.G.- With Alpha Betas being a M rated series about video games, there would totally be jokes about tea-bagging in it, but I had a different idea related to it.

Not all threats to the Energy Division are from video games on the fritz or hackers, as I could see Alpha Team and the other members of the Energy Division having to deal with an organization in the real world called T.B.A.G. “Tough Beings Against Games”, whose goal is to ban all video games.

I could see having such an enemy have moments throughout the series that foreshadow that the group is not what it seems, but more on that later.

Dating Reality or Dating Simpulator- Steven falls for an NPC from a videogame that was discontinued and destroyed for being too buggy, but he saves her before she got deleted for good and puts her in a female robot body. The NPC has trouble getting use to the real world and, of course, goes on a rampage causing the others to try and stop her. I say at the end some of the characters are able to save the NPC and she and Steven are able to stay together, as Steven does deserve some happiness. Either that or she becomes attracted to Spunc, making Steven made, which is admittedly kind of funny XD. Maybe that last thing could be an alternate ending.

Eddie’s Game- This would be a multi episode story that would also count as the series finale, as I could see Alpha Betas having 2-3 more seasons if it ever comes back, which I’d be okay with.

For those who haven’t seen the pilot or the first season there are aliens in the series, and (major spoilers for the season 1 finale) the wife (named Lisa) of the evil alien Alpha Team killed was able to escape from Area 51 thanks Alpha Team freeing her for fun. I could see Lisa wanting revenge and plans on destroying Earth for killing her husband and keeping her locked up for so long. 

I would make it so it was revealed that since she couldn’t attack directly at first, Lisa had to recruit others to help her. Here we find out she was the true leader of T.B.A.G. and used the organization to weaken the world enough for her forces to attack, and that one of the members of Omega was working for her. Apparently Lisa and her husband had daughters so maybe said Omega member was one of them in disguised. 

However again gamers are the answer to saving the day as governments of the world have made war machines that can be controlled by gamers like jets/spaceships, boats, and maybe a parody of that mech from Overwatch. With this and a lot of previous character working together, they combat the aliens with Eddie being the leader as he develops a grudge towards Lisa during the story. I also could see a joke where Lisa’s other daughter appears out of nowhere wanting to help the humans stop her revenge obsessed mom and sister and shows them a weakness to her mom’s fleet, resulting in the others making a semi 4th wall breaking joke where they point out how convenient all of this is.

Of course they defeat the fleet and Lisa, but Eddie and a few other characters spare Lisa and just tells her and her daughters to leave and never return, as they know this isn’t a game. The series wraps up with the world now knowing video games power the world (angering gamers for doing it for free) so the world decide to look for alternate means for energy. Alpha Team is disbanded but unlike last time, Eddie is okay with it especially since at this point he and Ruby have gotten together. The guys still manage to hang out through games and I could see Steven hanging out with them too.

Maybe there could be an alternate ending to the finale where Eddie kills Lisa and we see a slightly different epilogue, referencing games that have multiple different endings.

If I could come up with all of these ideas, imagine what could happen with a full team of writers working on the show. I really hope it will come back one day and if you think so too, then favorite Alpha Betas content like this and help spread the word.

What kind of stories could you see happening in Alpha Betas if it was to return?

[greenpidge101]

Richie and Stanley’s friendship pt3

What Bill and Eddie learned from being friends with Stanley and Richie was that they were little shits. You’d think that Stanley would a saint but with Richie, they become two halves of a whole idiot. 

The amount of trouble they got into because of the two boys was crazy. The rest of the losers would find this out when they joined later on. 

Richie and Stan very much enabled each other. Richie could somehow convince Stan to do literally anything and Stanley would be an annoying little shit when he needed to be.

Most teachers prayed that they didn't have the two boys together in their classes. They were both good students who were on honor role and got amazing grades, its just they would find ways to annoy each other and bickered like an old married couple. 

The two boys had many firsts together. Stanley taught Richie how to ride his bike without training wheels, Richie helped Stanley through his first Panic attack, sneaking into a R rated movies, Richie was the reason Stanley found a Barred owl nest,fighting a demon clown... etc

The boys also had there first kiss together, they were about 15 when it happened. The boys were just hanging out after school working on a project and Richie asked Stan to kiss him. Stanley looks at his best friend and kisses him. Richie kisses him back, the kiss lasted like 5 seconds and then after the boys went back to there homework.

They don’t really talk about that kiss until later when Richie comes out to Stan as Bisexual. Stanley is super supportive, saying that he already kinda guessed knew but he was proud of him nonetheless.

As they get older, more and more loser start leaving and forgetting, leaving just Stan, Richie and Mike. (The order in my head goes Bev, Bill, Ben, Eddie)

Richie is heartbroken after eddie leaves the summer before their senior year and turns to Stan for comfort. Stanley,of course ,helps out his best friend. Mike helps out as well but since Stanley knows him best, mike lets him take the lead.

Mike, Stanley and Richie get really close and hang out every day, trying and figure out why the other losers forgot. This is where Mike agrees to stay behind so that he doesn’t forgot.

Throughout the school year Richie gets really nervous about going away to college because he doesn’t want to forget and gets Stanley to apply to the same colleges as him. Stanley also doesn’t want to forget so he does

But the clown has it ways and they don’t get into the same colleges. The boys are devastated. And Richie even considers just not going to college at all and just following Stanley to Georgia. Stanley doesn’t like that idea and knows how badly Richie wants to get as far away from Derry as he can.

The summer after graduation, the boys plus Mike plan a huge week long camping trip because Stanley got early admission and has to leave early for college. They try to make the best out of it but Richie is a hot mess the whole trip.

Stanley leaves two days after they get back from the trip. The Tozier’s take off of work to help pack Stanley’s things into the his car/say goodbye. Maggie cry’s when she hugs Stanley for the last time and Went holds back his when it’s his turn. When Stanley gets to Richie, they are both in hysterics. They can barely get any words out.

Stanley hands Richie his bird book and Richie gives Stanley a mix tape hoping that will help them remember each other. (It doesn’t) Stanley gives Richie one last hug and gets into his car and drives off.

Richie calls Stanley every day up until he leaves for college, then the calls slowly start to fade. Both the boys know that they have to call someone but they can’t remember who.

A few weeks after the calls stop coming Stanley meets Patty Blum, she reminds him of someone but he can’t place his finger on it. They become best friends quickly and later start dating. Stanley is head over heels in love with her but he can’t help but feel like he’s still missing something(or someone)important. They date throughout college and get married a little after they graduate. With the money they got from the wedding, they buy a cute house to start there lives together. Stanley creates an accounting firm with a friends from college that becomes pretty successful.

Richie makes lots of friends during his time in college but none of them fill the Stan sized whole in his heart. Senior year of college he meets his future manager Steve during a open mic. Steve is witty and quick thinking, and finds Richie somewhat funny. They become quick friends and Steve offers Richie a chance at becoming big. Richie takes the offer and drops out of college. He becomes Richie “Trashmouth” Tozier the loud mouth comedian.

Part one

Part two

Let me know if you want a part 4 :)