#chomp monster tale

[erusgabu]

The buddies of my first Metroidvania

[antondis0]

Hilda and Chomp

Hilda dressed as Ellie from Monster Tale, next to hilda is Ellie's partner Chomp.

[mushroomaisha]

A rough doodle with a pencil and school pens.

I haven't been able to get my creative juices going cuz high school really sucks but an image of Ellie wearing those clothes have been haunting me so I decided to draw it while I have no school work.

[heechwe]

dancing with our hands tied ↦ sjy

⋆ pairing: sim (jake) jaeyun x fem!reader ⋆ word count: 7.7k ⋆ genre: semi-angst, fluff, smut (18+/mdni!) ⋆ tags: brothersbsf!jake, minor age difference, college au, friends with benefits, secret relationship, light choking, semi-public sex, oral (f + m receiving), fingering penetration, unprotected sex (please practice safe sex folks). ⋆ synopsis: What began as a simple friends-with-benefits situation with your brother's best friend has turned into something deeper, and you now find that your emotions are more complicated than you initially thought. ➸ bless @temptaetions for giving me so much amazing dialogue to work with and @sweetvenomnet for getting me through finishing this monster!

You did not envision Sunday morning sitting across from your brother, concealing the bottom half of your body with your comforter and Jake next to you in bed. Jay’s face is a jumble of shock and anger, fists balled at his sides. You’re unsure if he’s ready to kick his best friend’s ass or throw him out by his neck, or both.

“How the fuck did this fucking happen,” Jay yells.

Well, you think, the beginning is a lot easier to explain than where we’re at now…

The first night you slept with Jake six months ago was like any other. Jay, your older brother by two years, was home with his best friend for the weekend. They had bonded over their freshman year as dorm buddies and Jay immediately inserted Jake into the family. “He’s like the brother I never had,” Jay would say when people would comment on them being attached at the hip.

It was not unusual for the two of them to stay over at your parents’ house when they were back in town. The university was more than three hours away. If they tried to drive home the same day, it would only end in a headache thanks to the rush-hour traffic. 

It was nice to see Jay succeeding though, his footsteps being ones you’d hope to follow in one day. He had it all figured out, while you were anything but decided. Still unsure about what to do now that you had graduated, you chose to stay home and attend community college in the meantime.

But Jay occasionally being back in your presence meant he had to fulfill his annoying brotherly roles, like boring you with tales of campus and admonishing you for risqué outfit choices.

Like that night.

He stopped you short at the door with judgmental eyes scanning up and down your dress. “Absolutely not.”

You scoffed and pushed him out of your way. The dress hugged your curves just right and the color fit your aestethic. You knew when you bought it that the length wasn’t ideal for everyday wear, but it was perfect for a night out. Jay wouldn’t tell you otherwise. “You don’t have to act like Dad, dude.”

“Listen,” he said, rolling his eyes. “We all know you’re a woman. You don’t need to prove it with a little black dress.”

“Unless you’re blind, this dress is blue,” you mocked him.

“You know what I mean, smart-ass! You’re not leaving wearing that!”

“What’s going on,” Jake called from the kitchen.

“My sister’s about to walk out of the house in a napkin,” Jay responded, sarcasm dripping from his mouth.

“You’re such a prick,” you said, crossing your arms.

Jake sauntered into the sitting room, a bag of chips in his hand. He was taken back by the outfit, his eyes slowly trailing down your body. His Adam’s apple bobbed as Jay continued on his tirade about modesty to nobody but the air.

“You look pretty,” Jake said finally. He popped a chip in his mouth.

Your cheeks turned red instantly. Jay’s best friend wasn’t unattractive to look at, not in the slightest, so hearing him say such a thing even in quick passing made your body tense.

Before you could thank him for the compliment, Jay coughed like he swallowed his own spit.

“Did you just say she looks pretty?” Jay asked in his best friend’s direction.

Jake chomped down on another chip. “What,” he said, his mouth full.

“If I heard that right, you just said my sister looks pretty in her dress.”

“Yes?” Jake’s expression morphed into confusion as your brother’s face went pale.

“Do you have a death wish?” Jay asked.

“Bro, c’mon—”

“No, seriously. Do you?”

You backed up towards the door, making sure not to clack your heels too hard on the tile to be noticed.

Jay, however, sensed your escape. “I meant it! You’re not leaving without putting something else on.”

“Seongie, stop being an asshole. I’m gonna be late,” you whined.

“Dude, all I said was that she looked pretty,” Jake butted in.

Jay turned his focus back to him. “You said the girl you fucked at that club on Fifth was pretty.”

“Bro, I’m not gonna fuck—” Jake ran his free hand through his hair, smiling in incredulity at the ridiculous conversation. “Just trust me.”

“Finish that sentence.”

Jake scoffed, mouth agape. “What the hell, man?”

“Finish. The. Sentence. Jaeyun.”

“Okay, if you’re done being weirdly overprotective and Jaeyun’s done taking back his compliment, I have a happy hour to go to.”

Jay was so preoccupied with Jake at that point that he barely registered your words and your exit from the house. Before he could protest again, Jake interrupted him.

“I’m not going to fuck your sister, Jong,” he says.

“Thanks, that’s reassuring,” Jay responded.

As you closed the door, you heard Jake say, “But if she fucks me, that’s a different story.”

Despite walking down the cobblestone pathway, you heard Jake’s cries from your older brother whacking him. Jay screamed, “You sick fuck!”

Your cheeks felt hot when you finally got inside of your friend’s car. You greeted them with a smile when you sat in the back seat, but your mind kept playing back Jake’s words. He must have had enough pickings on campus and in his hometown to keep him satisfied. He didn’t need to put his effort or interest in you. There’s no way that he would, right?

Five hours later, the clock just shy of 1 AM, you stepped quietly inside to not wake your parents. Tiptoeing up the stairs to your room, you didn’t see Jay’s bedroom light on, certain he was fast asleep. That gave you some relief knowing he didn’t stick around to admonish you for not listening to his forceful advice.

What you weren’t expecting was Jake to be sprawled out on your bed, his body akin to a limp starfish. He had been scrolling endlessly through his Instagram feed until you creaked open the door to your room.

A silent scream jolted your pulse. “Jaeyun, what the fuck are you doing here?” you asked.

“Jongseong told me to wait for you. He wanted to make sure you got home safe,” Jake said absentmindedly, like being in your bed is a natural occurrence by now.

You suppressed the urge to roll your eyes. “Helicopter Himbo couldn’t do that himself?”

“He linked up with some girl he knows…Dahyun I think was her name?”

You sighed. Of course Jay had to hook up with his high school ex when he had no other options to exhaust. You thought Jay had higher standards than that at this point in his life, but he was still Jay.

You nodded. The soles of your feet throbbed from wearing your heels longer than you intended to. You tried to hide the pain on your face, but Jake was quick to walk over to you and feign concern.

“You okay?” He asked.

“Yeah. I’m just slightly buzzed and I’d like to see the inside of my eyelids and forget how bad my feet hurt right now.” You released a breathless laugh. “You can text my doofus of a brother and tell him I’m in one piece.” 

You practically motioned your head towards the door, but Jake only smirked in response.

“Well, first things first, let’s take these off.” Before you knew it, Jake leaned down and began unbuckling the clasps of your stilettos for you. The sight made the alcoholic buzz running through your veins mutate into something sensual. You felt the ache between your legs as Jake’s fingers caressed the skin of your ankle as he was taking off your shoes for you, and immediately you remembered who he was.

This was wrong, and in no way going to happen. Not with someone who your brother confided in and loved so dearly. No matter how it felt every time you looked at him, or if he did intimate things like this that made you question everything.

“I meant what I said earlier you know,” Jake whispered. “And I wasn’t trying to take it back when Jongseong was grilling me about it.”

“I get it. He can be intense sometimes,” you mumbled.

“But you did look pretty. Fuck, you still do.” Jake chuckled to himself and positioned your feet out of the shoes and onto the carpet floor. The fabric felt cool against your toes, and instinctively you released a pleasurable sigh.

“So much better,” you moaned, smiling. “Thank you.”

Jake stood up, his grin infectious. “My pleasure.”

Neither of you moved, and admittedly you were glad Jake hadn’t made his exit yet. In the blur between your gratitude and onslaught of confusing feelings, the tether between your head and your body loosened. 

Then you were kissing him. You were kissing your brother’s best friend and enjoying it very much, an amalgamation of all the passing glances you threw at him when Jay wasn’t looking and the semi-flirty conversations coming to a head in your lips and tongue.

Jake was kissing you back with the same fervor, his hands roaming to the curve of your ass and groaning in your mouth at the sensation of your bodies touching.

“Fuck,” Jake swore and pulled you in tighter, clutching at the hem of your dress.

In a tangle of fingers and lips, you almost didn’t register the feeling of your mattress against your back and the cool air on your skin when Jake pulled the dress down your body. But you did relish in the feeling of his tongue between your legs and how deliciously he slipped inside of you afterwards. And by that point, there was no time to regret and worry about what would happen next. All that mattered was the present and savoring it.

Three weeks after that first encounter, it was easy to forget it ever happened. The next morning, Jay and Jake had gone back to campus without a word. That was normal for them, seeing as they woke early and didn’t want to disturb anyone in the house.

For you, it was a bit disheartening, but it proved exactly what you knew. It was a mistake and a potential repeat was nonexistent. “Jeong’ll never find out and this can stay buried,” you told yourself.

Jay was too busy with his studies to respond with anything but one-word answers to your texts after that, so you gave up initiating anything. Jake, however, began texting you often to either greet you in the morning or say he hoped you were having a good day. It was sweet, but you didn’t read too deep into it. You replied in kind and left it at that.

Then, the boys came back one Friday afternoon in Jake’s Tahoe, and your nerves were live wires at their impromptu arrival. You had not seen Jake since that night in your bedroom. You felt the heaviness of guilt when you welcomed Jay home with a hug. A secret shouldn’t have had the power to eat you alive,  but it did all the same.

And it didn’t help seeing Jake either. His smile took you back to the hours you had spent together in your bed. It was a kaleidoscope of memories. His hands on your hips, his whispers in your ear, his mouth in between your legs— 

“Yo!” Jay waved his hand in front of your face. “I asked if you could help us with the last duffel bag.”

“Yeah, of course,” you said, walking over to the trunk. Jake’s shoulder brushed yours as you moved past him, and you couldn’t help the way your breath hitched. If you weren’t deluding yourself, you could’ve sworn you heard his throat catch in the same way.

You decided to leave the house that night, meeting up with a classmate to take your mind off of what was waiting at home. The Uber driver was polite, not bothering you as you were lost in your thoughts. Thankfully, the tequila sunrise you gulped down numbed your thought processes long enough that you could unwind and converse without rambling on about the situation you were in.

Then, you heard the ping of your phone and saw Jake’s message light up the screen.

Received at 11:23 PM: I’m picking you up. JS doesn’t want you taking an Uber when you’re not sober.

You sighed and typed back a reply with the hand not holding your drink. The words might have been mistyped, but you knew the message would get across to him.

Sent at 11:27 PM: im find u dont ned to come th last guy w nice.

Received at 11:29 PM: Sure. I’ll be there in 15.

You groaned. Jake could be as stubborn as your brother; it was no surprise the two of them became such good friends.

When Jake’s arrival came closer, you said goodbye and walked out of the bar, kicking your feet on the sidewalk gravel while you waited.

His truck’s lights came into full view a minute later. You got inside without a word, leaning your forehead against the passenger window. Just because he was being stubborn didn’t mean you had to be okay with it.

“Have fun?” Jake kept his focus on the road, but he sounded sincere when he asked about your night. While your heart swelled at the tone of his voice, it made the thoughts you tried so hard to suppress creep back in with full force. You were at a loss as to what to say. Honesty was off the table, but you weren’t capable of pulling your heart from your sleeve.

“I was. Not anymore.” You pouted.

You didn’t let him respond to your comment, instead looking around at his car’s interior and changing the subject. “I didn’t expect you to own a Tahoe.”

“What do you mean?” He asked with a chuckle.

“It’s so much space for one person.”

“Well, it was my dad’s truck. He gave it to me before I left for school. Now, I use it to go hiking and stuff with my dog, Layla.”

You smiled and leaned into the seat, looking at him. “That’s hard to believe.”

“That I have a dog or that I actually do physical activity? You’ve seen my body.”

You giggled and turned away. “I guess both. I’ve always wanted a dog, but Jungseong’s allergic. My parents thought plushies were a good compromise. And it all makes sense now. You can’t be that handsome naturally.”

Jake laughed harder. Without warning, he put his hand on your thigh, the feeling foreign yet incredibly welcome. You hummed in pleasure at the sensation. While you would’ve loved to enjoy the moment, your logic kicked in at the scene playing out in front of you.

“Jaeyun, you can’t just do that.”

“Why not? I wanted to,” he confessed, squeezing the curve of your knee. He moved his hand slowly across your skin.

You bit your lip and shook your head. “Just because you want to doesn’t mean you should.”

“Are we still talking about my hand or something else?” You gave him a stern but cutting look, the Are you kidding me evident in your eyes. It made Jake curse into the open air. “Fuck this.”

Jake pulled off into a vacant parking lot of a convenience store, one lamppost barely lighting the surrounding area. He put the car in park with an aggressive fist on the stick shift.

“Okay,” he started. “You want to talk about that night? Let’s talk about it.”

He inhaled a breath. You were terrified of what was unsaid and what he planned on saying, but you knew it was better to put it to rest sooner rather than later.

“I’m not sorry for what happened that night. I liked it and I liked you.” He looked directly into your eyes, his pupils dilating with extreme vulnerability. “I like you. And I’d like to repeat that night as many times as you want, but you’re my best friend’s sister and I don’t know how to accept those two things being true at once.”

You were taken back, his words the ones you wish you could have said to him before he left that morning. You tried to stamp down the truth many times since then, but Jake feeling the exact same way made you realize it wasn’t wrong to want what you wanted.

And Jay didn’t have to know everything.

“I do too,” you responded. “I like you too, and that night is all I’ve been thinking about.” You felt the knot in your stomach loosen, smiling in surprise from his confession. “And I would like to have more of those nights, for sure. In more than just my bed.”

Jake smirked and leaned in closer to you, lips ghosting over yours. “So if I said I wanted to fuck you in my car, you’d let me?”

You didn’t respond to that question with words, both of you knowing the question itself was rhetorical. You pressed your mouth to his hard.

The kiss was a clash of teeth and tongue, the act a desperate plea to pull each other closer after weeks of not being together. Now that you had Jake where you wanted him, you weren’t letting him go. 

Jake palmed one of your breasts over your shirt, and you partially broke away from his mouth to moan. He swallowed it, tugging on your bottom lip with his teeth.

“You like that?” Jake asked, his voice husky.

“Fuck yes,” you said, knowing it was the truth. Nothing felt better than his touch on your skin.

He grabbed the side of your throat with his free palm. The other was hovering over the waistband of your shorts, his thumbs deftly unbuttoning them and dragging the zipper down.

“Tell me now if you don’t want this,” he panted. “And I swear I’ll stop.”

You shook your head vigorously. “If you stop right now, Jaeyun, I might just have to kill you.”

Jake gave you a crooked smile and kissed you again, harder than the first time but just as pleasurable.

His fingers dipped into your underwear, and you both groaned when he found your clit. He was surprised that the little amount of foreplay already made you this wet. You were just glad to have his fingers where you needed them the most.

You moved your hips in rhythm with his digits, the figure-eight patterns he was drawing into your skin creating stars behind your eyes. You released numerous whimpers and gasps into Jake’s mouth as he kept rubbing up and down your pussy, your clit receiving the most attention.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Jaeyun, I need you inside of me, please,” you begged. You gripped onto his shirt tightly to emphasize how bad the desire was to feel him stretch you open.

He nipped your lips again. “Climb in the back seat, baby.”

Jake followed in suit as soon as you moved from the passenger seat to the back. Once he sat down, you had his pants around his ankles and the head of his dick lined up with your entrance, your panties moved to the side to make room for him.

The fullness of his cock filling you to the hilt made your eyelids flutter. Jake knocked the back of his head into one of the headrests, the groan that left his mouth so beautiful you wished you could’ve replayed the sound on loop.

“God, you’re so tight.” He pushed his hips up further into you, the tip kissing your cervix. “It’s fucking incredible.”

You moaned in agreement. Beginning to grind his hips into yours, you licked and sucked the spot behind Jaeyun’s ear. You remembered how much he loved it the first night you had sex, and he loved it even more now that you were partially in control riding him.

He bucked up into you here and there, but for the most part, you were setting the pace. The sounds of your skin slapping against each other as well as both of your moan-laced expletives filled the back seat.

“That’s it, sweetheart. Bounce on this cock. Show me how much you want me.” He trapped your hips with his hands, holding on tight as you continued to grind against him.

“I want to come so bad, Jae,” you gasped. “Please make me come.”

Jake took his index and middle finger and found your clit again. He circled the nub with tenderness as you continued to ride him without mercy. He knew he could come at anytime with how well you were touching him and taking all of him inside of you, but he had no problem waiting until you found your pleasure first.

You felt the orgasm creeping up on you, starting in the pit of your stomach and ready to come to the surface. You begin to grow sloppy with your rhythm, and Jake took extra effort with his fingers to push you over the edge.

“Let go for me, love. Come all over me.”

You cried out, clutching onto Jake’s hair hard as you rode out your orgasm to its full capacity. Jake let go in that same moment, painting your insides white and cursing the entire time at how good it felt.

When you sat down next to him in the back seat, both of you sated and breathless, you knew the path forward was uncertain. And sure, a million questions still lingered in your mind, but you stored them away without a second thought, refusing to let them ruin your current happiness.

This led to where you were with Jake for the past six months, having sex every time he was in town and even sneaking off to visit him when you had the chance. He would pick you up in his truck and hold your hand across the console the entire drive to and from his student apartment. The two of you were skilled at keeping your trysts out of sight from Jay both in your hometown and on campus, the local spots he wanted to take you to and your favorite hometown stores not ones Jay frequented often.

At the same time, Jay had gotten back into a relationship with Dahyun, but you were optimistic for the both of them this time around. He seemed to be really happy, as were you, although he didn’t know the reason why. Dahyun would hang out with the guys and you when she got off work, and the four of you would drink and watch movies together like any other couples would.

The only part that didn’t fit such a picture perfect image was the fact you and Jake were not a couple at all. You slept together and did most things boyfriends and girlfriends did, but there were no labels. It was as if saying it out loud would make it real, and then you’d have to confront the biggest hurdle of all: telling your brother. And you were determined to put that off for as long as possible.

One morning, as you made breakfast in the kitchen for all three of you, Jake slid in behind you without you noticing. You gasped, feeling his chest against your back. “Jae, you can’t do that!”

“Couldn’t help it. Smelled pretty good in here,” Jake responded, kissing the spot that joined your neck and shoulder together, his hair tickling your ear in the process.

“I know, I can’t wait to eat it.”

“I was gonna say the same thing.” Jake smirked.

“Jae,” you reprimanded him, grinning. “Jongseong could come down at any second.”

“But he’s not. Last time I checked, he was still asleep.” The curve of his lips touched your collarbone, making you shiver.

“And when was that?”

In that moment, you both heard Jay yelling “I did it!” in tandem with his quick steps down the staircase. You both split apart in record time. Jake pretended he was searching for a drink in the fridge while you flipped the fried egg in the pan.

“I finally did it,” Jay exclaimed, a wide smile on his face directed at Jake.

“Did what?” Jake asked.

“I got you a date with Dahyun’s cousin Jihyo tonight. Dahyun’s been dying to go out to this new restaurant downtown, and I know you’ve been lacking in the pussy department lately.” You felt the saliva in the back of your mouth hit the wrong pipe, and you coughed.

“You okay, sis?” Jay asked, grabbing you by the shoulder.

“Yeah. Just choked for a second, sorry.” There was nothing wrong with Jake going out; he had no obligations to you. Yet, at the same time, the thought of him finding someone new felt like acid on your tongue.

Jay turned back to Jake, excitement filling his features again. “Come on man, you haven’t picked anyone up in what? Five months? Either your game got terrible or you’ve been holding out on me about some new chick.”

You plopped the fried egg on the plate next to you and motioned for Jake to pick it up. “Over medium, how you like it.”

“How do you know his egg order, freak?” Jay questioned you with a chuckle.

“I asked him this morning, dingbat. While you were snoring in your room and told me to leave so you could get your beauty rest.” Jay gave you the middle finger but you didn’t pay attention to him. You looked back at Jake with shy eyes. “You want toast?”

“No thank you,” Jake said with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes. You could tell when Jake was uncomfortable. His entire body grew stiff at the thought of being roped into a double date with a stranger.

But, avoiding suspicion, Jake said, “Sure man. Can’t promise I’ll be into her, though.”

Jay smiled and patted his friend on the shoulder. “I’ll take it.”

When Jay ran back upstairs to call Dahyun with the news, Jake dropped his plate back on the counter. He suddenly pinned you against it with his hands on your waist, forcing you to look at him. “I don’t have to go on this date if you don’t want me to.”

You shook your head, the faintest frown on your face, hoping it looked more like an expression of indifference. “If you don’t, Seongie’s going to ask more questions. Besides, we’re not together. You don’t have to ask for my permission.”

“That’s not what I’m doing.” He furrowed his eyebrows. If there was one emotion you didn’t show him often, it was ice. But if the alternative was being emotionally exposed in that moment, you would choose the former.

“You know what I mean.” You broke free from his grasp, swallowing the bitter taste in your mouth. You turned off the stove and threw the sizzling pan into the sink. “Hope you have fun.”

Jake waited for you to elaborate, but after a minute of silence, he admitted his defeat and walked out of the kitchen. It cracked a piece of your heart to be so cold, but what other choices were on the table?

Once he was gone, you grabbed your phone from your pocket. Typing out the number in your mind and pressing the call button, you hoped the man you were looking for answered.

“Sunghoon?” You spoke, relieved he picked up. “I need a huge favor.”

“Do I have to?” Sunghoon groaned, straightening the collar of his polo shirt. “This is so ridiculous.”

“Hold my fucking hand, Hoon, or I swear to god I will tell Professor Choi you used my essay on Machiavelli for your paper.”

He released a low, agitated sound and put his hand in yours, squeezing your palm in retaliation. You smiled and walked into the restaurant. 

You didn’t go all out with your outfit. A simple dress and denim jacket fit with the atmosphere of the Brazilian barbecue joint Dahyun wanted to check out. Sunghoon also followed your instructions to the letter, looking presentable without trying too hard.

The hostess made you both wait fifteen minutes or so for a table. Even at 9 PM on a Saturday, past normal dinner time for most folks, the business was still bustling due to the word of mouth from their grand opening a week ago. It didn’t take long though for you to find Jay and Jake sitting at a table in a corner booth. It was like Jake’s presence in any tiny or expansive space was a magnet, pulling you in without giving you space to put up a fight.

“So that’s the guy,” Sunghoon stated, staring at Jake next to your brother. “He’s cute. I see why you’re in love with him.”

“Shut up!” You laughed and smacked him in the chest. He pretended to act hurt, smiling the entire time.

Your Humanities classmate might have been too sarcastic and vain for his own good, but you knew he was a good friend and would always come if you called. And while it was purely platonic, he didn’t mind playing the part of the arm candy for another free essay.

In the midst of your shared laughter, neither of you saw both Jay and Jake walking over to you. Jay’s cough pulled you out of your trance, and you stood stock still at the sight of Jake’s clenched jaw and crossed arms, immediately dropping Sunghoon’s hand in the process.

Jay said your name in annoyance. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Hoon and I have class together, but we decided to have dinner after studying,” you say with a smile. “Funny we’d be at the same place as you guys!”

“You have my location, dipshit,” Jay said with a stone face.

“Just because I have it doesn’t mean I look at it,” you said in your defense.

Hoon held his hand out to both men, but you knew it was bait specifically meant for Jake. “Nice to meet you.”

Jake clenched his jaw even tighter. You thought he would break the bottom half of his face if he kept it up. To your surprise, he grabbed Sunghoon’s hand like a pure gentleman. Jay did the same.

You immediately felt so small. It didn’t have to be this way, trying to pull a front for this guy that wasn’t even yours. If it took this much effort to be exclusive, a title you didn’t fight for to begin with, maybe it wasn’t meant to be.

When Sunghoon let go of Jay’s hand, you grabbed him by the bicep. “We can just go somewhere else. We’ll probably wait another hour before getting a table if we stay, anyway.”

Jay agreed. “I had to book this in advance, so she’s probably right.”

Jake looked directly in your eyes when he said, “Hope you have fun.” Mirroring your words from earlier, Jake’s were laced with spiteful sarcasm.

Sunghoon put a hand on the small of your back and guided the two of you out of the restaurant. It took everything in you to not turn back and reveal it all in that stupid restaurant, but you circled back to your initial thoughts. What would it do attempting to claim him now? It was already pointless.

You didn’t make it home until midnight, spending the night scarfing down Chinese with Sunghoon in his apartment and watching old seasons of New Girl together. It was a bitch thinking about what it would be like when you got home. Jay would quiz you on Sunghoon and his motives or Jake would get defensive on what you were doing with the guy to begin with. Or both.

The last piece of advice Sunghoon left you with as he drove off was to “be honest” with Jake, if that was any bit as simple as it sounded coming out of his mouth.

You stepped inside your house without a care for your noise level, knowing your parents were off on an overseas conference for four days. And what were the chances the guys had gotten home by now?

 But, like the first night you had spent together, Jake was waiting up for you in your room, sitting stock straight with his hands in his lap.

You didn’t freak out or feel shocked by his presence. You were glad to see him actually, but greeting him with anything but a hello would have been inappropriate given the last few hours.

“Hi,” you began.

“Why have you been gone so long?” His voice was clipped, matter-of-fact but laced with authority. The mixture of sadness and anger in his face surprised you. Jake was always fun, silly, casual…never like this.

“I lost track of time.” It was the easiest answer to give him, even if it wasn’t enough to assuage his concerns. “We just ate takeout and watched sitcoms.”

He nodded and stood up. Walking closer to you, the emotions on his face registered to you so clearly now. The anger was simply misplaced pain, unsure where to go but in front of you for an answer. “What do you want from me?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking you what this is, what are we doing here?” He ran a hand through his hair. “Seeing you tonight with that dickhead was all I thought about while eating that churrasco and listening to Jay’s dumb jokes. And if that’s against some unspoken rule, I need to know.”

You gulped down a heavy bubble of air. It was now or never. Choose to either lose the guy you had spent so much time with by keeping your feelings to yourself or risk him breaking your heart by being vulnerable.

“I don’t want you going on dates with anyone else.” You beginning with that wasn’t perfect, but you were out of ideas.

He nodded. “Okay.”

“Sunghoon’s a friend, but you’re my best friend. And you make me feel like nobody else ever has.” Your lip quivered. “I feel like an idiot for not saying it before, but I’ve liked you since the second Jay introduced all of us to you. And maybe all you want out of this is exclusive sex and I’m even more of an idiot for saying all of this but—”

Jake caught your mouth in a perfect kiss, effectively shutting you up. A tear passed between your lips, but he was all you tasted. He pressed his forehead to yours, eyes bright and expression full of mirth. “You’re a beautiful idiot, but still an idiot for not realizing I feel the same..”

You gasped. Grabbing his shirt, you pulled him back in hungrily.

The subsequent kisses and touches were ripe with the things you didn’t know how to say in words but could easily express with your body. Every kiss on his jaw told him how enraptured he made you feel. Each pass of your hands exploring his naked skin expressed why you saw nobody but him in the most crowded room. And when you took him into your mouth, you hoped Jake knew why it was so easy to fall for him and want nobody else.

“Just like that,” he said, tenderly grabbing your hair as you stroked what you couldn’t fit past your lips.

It didn’t last long. Jake pulled you in his arms and said, “I want to be inside you.” 

Jake held you as you sunk down onto him. Your legs were wrapped around his waist as he sat on the edge of the bed, rocking his hips up into you. No matter how many times you had sex, it still felt incredible feeling all of him fitting around the spaces inside of you. You wished he could occupy them forever.

“Fuck,” you exclaimed, clutching the hair at the nape of his neck. Your bodies were slick, foreheads touching but slippery from perspiration.

But it didn’t matter how loud you were being or how sweaty your skin became. All you could focus on was the words that came out of Jake’s mouth. “God, I love you so much.”

It didn’t make you slow down, instead riding him faster and kissing him fervently in response. You mewled into his mouth, feeling yourself coming undone quickly.

“I’m gonna come,” you announced.

“Right there with you, sweetheart. Come with me,” he said, and so you did. You felt the warmth of him inside of you in tandem with the downfall of your orgasm, siphoning every drop until you were spent.

When you were lying next to each other, however, you remembered those three little words that slipped from his mouth.

“You said you loved me,” you stated in post-coitus bliss, covering half of your face with your comforter.

“So what if I did?” He was glowing, and it only made you smile harder. “So what if I do?”

You smirked and pecked his lips sweetly, nipping his bottom lip. “I love you too, you goof.”

You woke up next to each other that morning, both in a euphoric daze despite your fatigue. You also took into account how you now held the title of Jake’s girlfriend, a majority of the reason why you were a thousand leagues above cloud nine. Jake showed his joy in the form of his tongue pressed to your clit. 

But it didn’t last for long.

You weren’t fast enough to cover yourself when Jay barged in asking whether or not you had seen Jake at all. Little did he know he would find his best friend in the last place he ever expected.

Which led to now, your brother interrogating the two of you like you committed the worst crime humanly possible. In a way, you could see why he would think such a thing.

“So you kiss my sister—” Jay starts.

You cut him off, grabbing Jake’s hand. “I kissed him first.”

“Then you decide to hook up in my car.”

“It was actually my car.” Jake counters, squeezing your fingers with his own.

“And now I find you guys here in your room”—Jay looks directly at you—“just doing whatever the fuck you were doing before I came in.” His face is red from the shock. “How long has this been going on?”

“Six months,” Jake says.

Jay takes a deep breath of air into his lungs, his body rising and falling at a rapid rate. He’s probably grateful your parents can’t hear him yelling. Otherwise they’d come in and ask more invasive questions while you’re not in the position to answer them, half naked and all.

“And where was I while you guys were fucking behind my back?” Jay asks, darting his eyes between the both of you.

“Hanging out between Dahyun’s legs?” You hypothesize, throwing your other hand in the air. “How the hell are we supposed to remember?”

“And you expect me to believe you kissed his scrawny ass first?” Jay asks you.

“Dude, you’ve seen me shirtless,” Jake remarks, rolling his eyes.

 “True, but it’s not much of a show, bro.”

“Seriously, this is not the point!” You yell, placing your face in your hands.

“Yes it is! You’re my sister!”

“And she’s my girlfriend,” Jake interrupts, “so you need to get your head out of your ass and stop acting like she’s not capable of taking care of herself.”

Jake stands up to Jay, the two of them face to face with each other in a way you expected when your relationship came out of the shadows. You don’t want Jay to feel betrayed, but at the same time, it will kill you if Jake gets hurt trying to stick up for you.

“My priority will always be looking out for my family.” Jay turns to you, disappointment clear as day in his eyes. “No matter how I’ve shown it, I didn’t expect to be branded the bad guy for wanting to protect you.”

Jay slams the door on his way out. Tears prick your eyes, silence permeating the bedroom.

Jake sits back down next to you and places a few kisses on the curve of your shoulder. “Believe it or not, but I think he took it better than I thought he would.”

“He hates me,” you sob.

“He doesn’t hate you. Maybe me, but never you.” Jake takes your hand and kisses the inside of your palm, tucking it gingerly between his fingers. “Nobody could ever hate you.”

“I need to fix this, though.” You swiftly kiss Jake’s lips before standing up to get dressed, throwing on a pair of gym shorts and one of his shirts you stole. When you go to Jay’s room, it’s empty. But you hear the faint notes of a guitar from somewhere on the first floor of the house.

You walk down the stairs to find Jay strumming his favorite Yamaha in the living room, the one your father brought home from a trip to Japan for Jay as his graduation present. You step towards his spot on the couch quietly, but he’s already too adept at sensing your presence. He stops playing but says nothing.

“Hey,” you say.

“Don’t.” Jay’s voice is gruff. “Don’t ‘hey’ me right now.”

“Well, if you’re looking for an apology, I’m not going to give you one.”

The two of you are silent, unsure where to take the conversation next. What was there to say? Yes, you felt guilty for keeping Jay in the dark, but either way, the situation would hurt him. His best friend and his younger sister falling in love is not ideal, but feelings couldn’t be fought. All the same, the deceit sat in your stomach like a stone, begging to be thrown away.

You sigh and sit down on the love-seat, adjacent to Jay’s spot on the couch. “I really like him, Seongie,” you confess. “No. I, actually—I love him.”

Jay looks directly at you for the first time, his eyes a bit puffy. “Are you happy?”

“What?”

“Are you happy? Does he treat you well?”

You laugh. “I mean we’ve only been a couple for about 12 hours, so—”

“You know what I mean, asshat.” The two of you share a laugh together, the mood much lighter than before. “Do you see a future with him?”

You nod. “Yeah, I do.”

“Then I can’t get in between that. I just wish one of you would’ve fucking said something.”

“And I would’ve, but you know Jaeyun.”

Jay nods. “He’s a wimp.”

“No,” you shake your head, smiling. “He just didn’t want to hurt you either. He loves you, and I love you, too.” You run a hand through your hair, contemplating your next words. “I’m just not a baby anymore, Jongseong. I know how to handle things.”

Jay nods, sniffling. “I know. It’s just…hard.”

“What is?”

He puts his guitar by his side. Clapping his hands together, he tries to brush off whatever emotion is surfacing. “It’s nothing, I don’t know. Stupid, probably.”

You move positions to sit closer to your brother, placing a hand on his knee. “Nothing you say to me could ever be stupid.”

He knocks you in the shoulder with his fist lightly. “It’s just—when did you get so grown up? You gotta stop doing that.”

“If I did, I’d be dead.”

“True.” Jay chuckles. “I’m sorry for freaking out.”

“I’m sorry for keeping it from you. And I hope you and Jaeyun can talk, too.”

“We will. For now, I’m just glad we did.”

Nodding, you open your arms for a hug, a hug that Jay gladly accepts. It’s a tight one that encompasses both a white flag of retreat and a sincere love for you that you forget to remember sometimes in the midst of his teasing and admonishment. You now know, more than ever, it’s his way of protecting you and proving he cares.

And you’re grateful to have both him and now Jake by your side through all your successes and slip-ups.

“You don’t seriously think I’m okay with you wearing that dress again now that you have a boyfriend, right,” Jay asks. “I’m even more against it because Jake will have a heart attack.”

You chuckle and twirl in the mirror, checking the back of your dress to make sure it’s sitting right on you. “He thought I looked pretty in it the first time.”

“Well now, he’s not worried about you looking pretty. He’s worried about other douchebags checking you out.” Jay flips the page of his book, trying to feign a nonchalant expression. “I’m just saying, he’s still my best friend. I know things.”

You poke your tongue out at your brother. The doorbell rings and you rush to answer, your heart beating at a vigorous pace in your chest.

Once you open the door, Jake’s standing there with a bouquet of flowers and a lopsided grin on his face. When he sees your dress, however, his smile falters a fraction.

“Oh my god, Jay was right!”

“I usually am,” Jay yells from his space in the sitting room armchair.

Jake looks confused, but the realization dawns on him in a flash. “No, you look beautiful. It’s just…a bit short, don’t you think?”

You pout, crossing your arms. “I spent so much time getting ready, Jae.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He takes his free hand and rests it on your hip. “And everyone will be able to see that. I just don’t want to have to fight anyone off at the restaurant.”

You giggle. Going in for an impromptu kiss, you smell the traces of his cologne. The scent could make your knees buckle, but you try to stay confident and lull your boyfriend into submission. “I’ll only be looking at you. And I can defend myself just fine, baby.”

Jake’s bottom lip juts out. “So, I can’t convince you to change?”

You shake your head, grinning.

Jay sneaks up behind you, making you gasp. “If she isn’t gonna listen to her brother, she’s definitely not gonna listen to you, man.”

Jay and Jake exchange a handshake. You’re relieved their relationship has recovered from the reveal of your relationship, but you know that means they have the potential to gang up on you more out of their misguided sense of protection.

“I have the advantage though. She’s in love with me,” Jake sing-songs, kissing you on the cheek after doing so.

“Regardless,” you say, “I’m wearing the dress.”

Jay rolls his eyes. “Just change, for fuck’s sake.”

Jake nods. “Pretty please?”

“Not a chance in hell, boys.”

[katabay]

THE SHERIFF AND GUY OF GISBORNE

uh. try to stay with me for a second. so incest motifs are a huge part of medieval lit. you see it in arthuriana cycles, you see it in romances, it's a whole thing.

Incest and the Medieval Imagination, Elizabeth Archibald

so robin hood. both adaptions and the text itself, tend to get interesting with guy of gisborne. and I will say that while I found the media being discussed in this text absolutely fucking insufferable to watch, the discussion on it was delicious, impeccable, show stopping

Mouvance, Greenwood, and Gender in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Brian J Levy and Lesley Coote

and with regards to discussions on the origin text (which I love and adore forever)

Horseplay: Robin Hood, Guy of Gisborne, and the Neg(oti)ation of the Bestial, Stuart Kane

we're. getting to the point, I promise. guy of gisborne and the sheriff in my own "adaption" are not cousins, but brothers in law (fucked up brothers in law are my thing over on my other blog. brutus and cassius? I'm there. caligula and lepidus? all over that, baby!) because I'm aiming for an adjacent transgression.

on the topic of adjacent transgressions and guy's comment in this comic about cannibalism: there's an overlap in various genres of literature, predominantly in branches of horror and tragedy: between cannibalism and incest. (additionally! a lot of texts will take on christian subtexts and allusions, so there's a bonus homoerotic cannibalism discussion happening wrt communion that I'll get into in the future) it's about. chomping. the teeth, you know.

Managing Monsters, Marina Warner

Statius and Virgil: The Thebaid and the Reinterpretation of the Aeneid, Randall T. Ganiban

there's a 100% chance I will revise the sheriff's design at some point, but I wanted to draw the flowers exploding out of the spine so bad

AND FINALLY, the neck focus on guy is half due to his fate in his origin tale (beheaded) and half my own invention: I girl-with-a-green-ribboned him. a little narrative necromancy, if you will.

[bestfictionaldinosaur]

Brackets Are Here! (Repost)

I made a pretty significant oversight in my last version of this post; I had to make a few more cuts to the lineup, but it should be good to go now! The final (hopefully for real this time) list can be found here!

If you submitted a candidate please verify that the image and name that I used are correct and suitable!!!! (Ctrl+F is your friend!)

If you find a mistake please let me know, and I will either explain or correct it. Additionally, you are welcome to suggest a replacement image of OFFICIAL art!

I will leave it open for a week or so for everyone to review, after which voting will begin and everything will be locked in! So verify that everything looks good with your candidates, reblog if you haven't yet, and get ready to vote!

Oh, and blacklist "saurnament promotion" if you don't want to see repeated reblogs from me!

Text version of bracket lineup under the cut (it's a lot!):

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

Ornithischian Bracket (Round 1)

Ulti [One Piece] Styraco [Dinosaucers]

Pepperoni [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles] Tri-Tip [Skylanders]

Horrorsteed Iguanadon [Dinosaur Arcade] Sabersaurus [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Bix [Dinotopia] Bastiodon [Pokemon]

Spike [Extreme Dinosaurs] Parry [Parry and Carney]

Heavy Tank [Final Fantasy] Territorial Hammerskull [Magic the Gathering]

Rampardos [Pokemon] Gwangi [Valley of Gwangi]

Corythosaurus [Paleo Pines] Iguanador [Flight Rising]

Parasaurmon [Digimon] Tricky the Triceratops [Donkey Kong]

Pachy Zord [Power Rangers] Gulp [Spyro the Dragon]

Zog [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles] Scrut [Banjo-Kazooie]

Tricky [Star Fox] Slug [Transformers]

Scrit [Banjo-Kazooie] Tootsie the Triceratops [Duck Tales]

Boulder [Transformers] Hypsilophodon [The Dinosaur's Diary]

Tricero [Dinosaucers] Dimitri [The Legend of Zelda]

Aladar [Dinosaur (2000)] Parasaurzord [Power Rangers]

Green Torch [DC] Reese [Dinosaurs for Hire]

Craig [Dinosaur Office] Tortoceratops [Dragon Quest]

Trixie [Toy Story] Monochromon [Digimon]

Ducky [Land Before Time] Lambeo [Fossil Fighters]

Lady Margaret [Jurassic Park] Paris [Dinosaur King]

Woog [We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story] Aggron [Pokemon]

Nizbel [Chrono Trigger] Reptil [Marvel]

Armadon [Primal Rage] Chomp [Dinosaur King]

Styracavus [Flight Rising] Riff [Barney]

Triceratops [Dinotopia] Renzor [Super Mario]

Lucky [Paleo Pines] Guiledart [Transformers]

Bakhita [Jurassic Park] Ouranosaurus [Paleo Pines]

Gatling Gun Dino [Spyro the Dragon] BJ [Barney]

Old Buck [Deadsound's Dinosauria/Sauria] Trizaur [Bakugan]

Drip [Tyrannosaurus Drip] Eema [Dinosaur (2000)]

Patchi [Walking With Dinosaurs] Zalmoxes [Prehistoric Planet]

Trixie [Night at the Museum] Scrat [Banjo-Kazooie]

Theo the Triceratops [Prehistoric Park] Psittacosaurus [Paleo Pines]

Babycerasaurus [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Quackpot [Dinosaucers]

Armored Kincaller [Magic the Gathering] Ardun [Xenoblade]

King Dodongo [The Legend of Zelda] Scrotty [Banjo-Kazooie]

Maisuke [Doraemon] Jurrac Iguanon [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Nasaur [Fossil Fighters] Triceratops Dinozord [Power Rangers]

Rodger Blair [Dino Squad] Dweeb [We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story]

Triceratops [Dinosaur Arcade] Rhenoplos [Monster Hunter]

Salada [Fossil Fighters] Kestodon [Monster Hunter]

"Triceratops" [Simba the King Lion] Baby Bop [Barney]

Wonderdon [DC] Cera [Land Before Time]

Pervatasaurus Leeri [The Onion] Treyzer [Bakugan]

Professor Steg [Fortunately, the Milk] Aptonoth [Monster Hunter]

Wuerhosaurus [Paleo Pines] Stego Cyber [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Url [Dinosaur (2000)] Darkyloseid [DC]

Ankylo Hammer Zord [Power Rangers] Snowflake Stegosaurus [Dinosaur Arcade]

Umasou [You Are Umasou] Bellowing Aegisaur [Magic the Gathering]

Scelidosaurus [Paleo Pines] Ankylomon [Digimon]

Stegmutt [Darkwing Duck] Stego [Dinosaucers]

Dromosaur [Magic the Gathering] Stegosaurus [Fantasia]

Stego Spike Zord [Power Rangers] Hard Rock [Extreme Dinosaurs]

Anguirus [Toho/Monsterverse] Bargasaurus [Banjo-Kazooie]

Lowjaw Minmi [Flight Rising] Ankylo [Dinosaucers]

Chase [Transformers] Bumpy [Jurassic Park]

Saberback [Transformers] Tank [Dinosaur King]

Stegz [Extreme Dinosaurs] Spike [Land Before Time]

Lorenzo [Dinosaurs for Hire] Dorothy the Dinosaur [The Wiggles]

Apceros [Monster Hunter] Slobber Tooth [Skylanders]

Stogg [My Singing Monster] Stegomon [Digimon]

Snarl [Transformers] Dazzle [Dazzle the Dinosaur]

Erwin Caruso [Dino Squad] Black Stego [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

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

Saurischian Bracket (Round 1)

Jurrac Guiaba [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Stegosaurus [asdfmovie]

Jurrac Brachis [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Mechazaurus [Mega Man]

Borun-tosaurus [Kirby] Chomposaur [Earthbound]

Meganium [Pokemon] Denver [Denver, the Last Dinosaur]

Titanus [Power Rangers] Alpha [Dinosaur Planet]

Heatwave [Transformers] Molly [The Amazing World of Gumball]

Chomby [Neopets] Infected Argentinosaurus [Primal]

Kommo-o [Pokemon] Littlefoot [Land Before Time]

Magmasaur [Magic the Gathering] UltimateBrachiomon [Digimon]

Sauropod Brachion [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Diplodocus [Walking With Dinosaurs]

Larinoth [Monster Hunter] Beylene [Dinosaur (2000)]

Queen [One Piece] Todd [Dinosaur Office]

Bob [Dinosaur Bob] Arlo [The Good Dinosaur]

Dino [The Flintstones] Bronto Thunder [Dinosaucers]

Gertie the Dinosaur [Gertie the Dinosaur] Aurorus [Pokemon]

Dippy [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles] Ultimate Humungousaur [Ben 10]

Yobby [Tumblr User @iguanamouth's Dream] Tropius [Pokemon]

Dippy [Banjo-Kazooie] Brachiosaur [Final Fantasy]

Humungousaur [Ben 10] Frigi [Fossil Fighters]

Supersaur [DC] The Dinosaur [Danny and the Dinosaur]

Millesaur [Xenoblade] Sludge [Transformers]

Firecracker [Jurassic Park] Slog [Transformers]

Dink [Dink the Little Dinosaur] Brachio [Dinosaucers]

Wetnosaur [Earthbound] Isisaurus [Prehistoric Planet]

Jurrac Gallim [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Scorn [Transformers]

Duna [Fossil Fighters] Jokerzard [DC]

Yoshi Kid [Super Mario] Zuum [Monster Rancher]

Jurrac Spinos [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Flashraptor [DC]

Fiona Flagstaff [Dino Squad] Etali, Primal Conqueror [Magic the Gathering]

Blue [Jurassic Park] Rudy [Ice Age]

Doug Jones [The Velocipastor] Avinychus [Dinosaur Simulator]

Souleating Oviraptor [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Anchovy [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles]

Compsognathus [Paleo Pines] Mr. Conductor [Dinosaur Train]

Page One [One Piece] Cyber Gallimimus [Dinosaur Arcade]

Jurrac Stauriko [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Birdetta [Super Mario]

Indoraptor [Jurassic Park] Amped Raptor [Magic the Gathering]

Aquanyx [DC] Spino Zord [Power Rangers]

Yoshi [Super Mario] Ozzy and Strut [Land Before Time]

Voodoo Microraptor [Dinosaur Arcade] Raptor Red [Raptor Red]

Utahraptor [Quantz Comics] Spinosaurus [Jurassic Park]

Dr. Dinosaur [Atomic Robo] Gunfighter Dino [Spyro the Dragon]

Spinoraptor [Jurassic Park] Mutant Niptor [Neopets]

Dromiceiomimus [Quantz Comics] Tzitzi-Ya-Ku [Monster Hunter]

Chaos Therizinosaurus [Dinosaur Arcade] Diego Brando [JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure]

Sunrise Troodo [Flight Rising] Mononykus [Prehistoric Planet]

Old Lace [Marvel] Mr. Robustus [Reverse Jurassic Park]

Great Wroggi [Monster Hunter] Talon [Primal Rage]

Dinobot [Transformers] Smoking Utahraptor [Walking With Dinosaurs]

Spinomon [Digimon] White Tip [Dinosaur Planet]

The Raptor [Toronto Raptors] Kyraptor [Coromon]

Spino [Fossil Fighters] Jellysaur [Cookie Run]

The Big One / Clever Girl [Jurassic Park] Pantalaza [Magic the Gathering]

Skateboarding Coelophysis [Walking With Dinosaurs] Hook [Bakugan]

Helovolk [Nexomon] Riptor [Killer Instinct]

Tree Creeper [Primeval] Menou [Naruto]

Mr. Pilkington [The Critic] TNT Dino [Spyro the Dragon]

Great Izuchi [Monster Hunter] Night Feeder [Primal]

Jurrac Giganoto [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Alex [Tekken]

Chaos, Limbo, and Grim [Jurassic Park] Jurrac Herra [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Emperor Hugo Khan [Dinotopia] Princess Dei [Dinosaucers]

Deinocheirus [Prehistoric Planet] Rhedosaurus [The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]

Therizinosaurus [Paleo Pines] Burnsaurus [Princess Connect Re:Dive!]

Spiny [Dinosaur King] Seikret [Monster Hunter]

Pod [Dinosaur Planet] Black Veloci [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

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

T-Rex and Friends Bracket (Round 1)

Ultimate Tyranno [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Geno Breaker [Zoids]

Anjanath [Monster Hunter] Dino-Rang [Skylanders]

Ultimate Conductor Tyranno [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Lava Lizard [Spyro the Dragon]

Burn Dinorex [Mega Man] Giganta [DC]

Tyranno Infinity [Yu-Gi-Oh!] Toro [Jurassic Park]

Carney [Parry and Carney] SkullGreymon [Digimon]

Tyrannosaurus Dinozord [Power Rangers] Chote [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles]

D-Rex [Kirby] Tyrantrum [Pokemon]

Dino [Monster Rancher] Devil Dinosaur [Marvel]

Traumador the Tyrannosaur [The Tyrannosaur Chronicles] Hank [Prehistoric Planet]

Indominus Rex [Jurassic Park] T-Rex [Google Dino Run]

Tyrannomon [Digimon] Rockstar [Inazuma Eleven]

Tyranniqueen [Persona] Heart [You Are Umasou]

T-Rox [My Singing Monster] Roberta/Rexy [Jurassic Park]

Buddy [Dinosaur Train] Doodle Beast Tyranno [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Mechagodzilla [Toho/Monsterverse] Scorpius Rex [Jurassic Park]

Dino Agito [Beyblade] Atrocitaurus [DC]

Archie [Dinosaurs for Hire] T-Rex [Astrobot]

Bonehead [Dinosaucers] Fang [Primal]

Tyrano [Chrono Cross] Tyrranax [Magic the Gathering]

Greymon [Digimon] Jurrac Titano [Yu-Gi-Oh!]

Broken Jaw [Dinosaur Revolution] Matilda the T-Rex [Prehistoric Park]

Taurox [Deadsound's Dinosauria/Sauria] Chomper [Land Before Time]

Little Das [Dinosaur Planet] Afsan [The Quintaglio Ascension]

Ace [Dinosaur King] Reptar [Rugrats]

MetalGreymon (Virus) [Digimon] Rex [We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story]

Magnificent Digalus [Xenoblade] RustTyrannomon [Digimon]

Trypticon [Transformers] Megavore [Dinosaur Simulator]

T-Rex in F-14 [Calvin and Hobbes] Rex [Toy Story]

Rosie [Neopets] Colossal Dreadmaw [Magic the Gathering]

Igno [Fossil Fighters] Tyrannosaur [Final Fantasy]

Mr. Patch [Banjo-Kazooie] Freezy Rex [Kirby]

Chopper [Skylanders] T-Rex [Tomb Raider]

T-Rex [Doraemon] Carnozord [Power Rangers]

Grimlock [Transformers] Diablo [Primal Rage]

Tyregg [Nexomon] Vastatosaurus rex [King Kong]

Tina Rex [The Amazing World of Gumball] Black Tyrrano [Chrono Trigger]

Goodsie [Dinosaurchestra] Ferocisaurus [Dragonball]

Speckles [Speckles the Tarbosaurus] Rolf Maxwell [Dino Squad]

Allo [Dinosaucers] FrostBaron Tyrannosaurus [Dinosaur Arcade]

Gorosaurus [Toho/Monsterverse] Iris [Overlord]

Rankar Dragon [Xenogears] Agumon [Digimon]

El Dinosaurio Anacleto [31 Minutos] Godzilla [Toho/Monsterverse]

Skeleton Rex [Castlevania] T-Bone [Extreme Dinosaurs]

Cyclops [Dino Crisis] Deviljho [Monster Hunter]

Bat Walker [DC] Guilmon [Digimon]

Vampire T-Rex [With Animation You Can!] Speega [Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles]

T-Rex [Super Mario] Barney [Barney]

Rexy [Night at the Museum] General Scales [Star Fox]

X Drake [One Piece] Sharptooth [Land Before Time]

Torakor [Neopets] Baby [Dinosaurs]

Carnotaurs [Dinosaur (2000)] Momma Dino [Ice Age]

T-Rex [Quantz Comics] Trox [Bakugan]

Albino Terror [Dinosaur Simulator] Gergoth [Castlevania]

Galem Darkhand [Neopets] Odo [Live A Live]

Tyrannomon X [Digimon] T-Rex [Fantasia]

Bio Rex [F-Zero] Gon [Gon]

Tiny [Meet the Robinsons] T-Rex [Xiaolin Showdown]

Theodore Rex [Theodore Rex] Baby T [Crash Bandicoot]

Hauzer [Red Earth] Stumpy [Dinosaur Revolution]

Kaosseffexx Ultimasauria [Ben 10] Cosmic Allosaurus [Dinosaur Arcade]

Terry [Dinosaur King] Taurox's Carnotaurus [Deadsound's Dinosauria/Sauria]

Quincy (Dream) [Foxtrot] Quantasaurus Rex [Power Rangers]

Mecha Drago [Earthbound] Tinkerbelle [Dinosaur Revolution]

[evolutionsvoid]

I know I have said before that oceans get all the clout and legends when it comes to water bodies, with maybe swamps coming in at second place. There are many obvious reasons for that, but I want to remind folk that there can be fascinating and dangerous things lurking in any water body! Lakes were brought up in some previous entries, with mentions of the Glutwort and Berberoka being terrors found within. I mean, it could be said that lakes and ponds are just mini, salt-free oceans, and that the largest of these types can net the same horror stories and tales of mystery as the sea. But what about rivers? Certainly they deserve some mention as well! There are some neat things found in their depths and rapids! However, I feel the most I see on rivers and streams is them blocking paths and sweeping away fools who dare cross unprepared. The river is an obstacle, and less so a place of intrigue and discovery. What incredible legends are told about these water bodies? What tales of adventure and monsters are centered around such a location? None! None at all, and it is an absolute shame! (Bold claim for someone who doesn't read anything besides dusty tomes and research papers. Maybe one day you could stomach the idea of enjoying some different literature.) There is plenty to be found in these serpentine roads of water! Don't think the sea is the only one that has the monsters people crave! I know some folk in a certain region would happily inform you that the river can, indeed, harbor frightening beasts.

Below the white water and churning current, waiting in the dark muddy depths, is a great pale serpent. Its body can reach over three meters long, and its width is like that of a tree trunk. It has two powerful teeth that it uses as deadly weapons, dooming all it sinks them into. Now it may sound like a vicious viper, a truly monstrous water snake! However, this is no reptile! The beast I am describing is the Indus Worm, which is....well, a worm! And one of impressive size! The description I gave to you earlier was no lie, it is truly that big and it is a pale thing that lives in rivers. The two teeth I mentioned, which you probably envisioned as "fangs," are actually much thicker and broader. Like sharpened boards or a hefty beak, these nasty teeth are not known for venom but sheer strength. A single chomp can punch a hole through your body with ease, and bone turns to pathetic shards when met with this force. What a set of chompers! Wonder what they use those for?

In their early years, these hefty teeth are not really used for carnage. Their diet is mainly algae scrapped from rocks, eventually growing big enough to start gnawing on mussels and hard-shelled foods. At a small size, the teeth also serve as tools for carving holes and grooves into stone, which serve as a good place to hide from the current and predators. Though not big at devouring flesh at these stages, they are still capable of a nasty bite when threatened. Fishermen who haul one up from an accidental snag are sure to keep their fingers clear of their snapping jaws, lest they lose them. When the Indus Worm becomes an adult, that is when the diet gets more meaty. They are ambush hunters, slithering through the mud and murky water in search of prey. Shellfish are still on the menu, and help keep the belly full til something nice and big comes by for a drink. When a large animal stalks close to the water's edge, the Indus attacks. It bursts from the water and seeks to sink its massive teeth into the flesh of its victim. Unless the prey is quick to react and fast in movement, if the bite lands then it is typically over in an instant. Skulls are crushed, organs are punctured, and an entire limb may go missing if the assault misses its mark. Losing limbs and chunks of meat are the "lucky" option if you are able to move vitals out of range in time. Yes, dodging the bite entirely is preferable, but if you are being ambushed at such close range, you don't really get a say if that happens or not.

When the teeth latch on, prey is either dead or mortally wounded. From there, the Indus Worm drags them back into the river with it, where it may dine. With such powerful jaws, the Indus eats everything it can, gorging quickly before scavengers and unwanted guests show up for a free meal. If you are caught by an Indus Worm, just know that there will be nothing left to bury. Unless in your struggle it happens to lop off an arm and leave that behind at the scene. Due to bodies being reduced to paste in their jaws, some wonder how many disappearances near the river are from being washed away versus being taken by a worm. Honestly sounds like a scary story for the saplings already! Stay away from that river or else the worm will get ya! But in this case, the tale isn't a fictional one that conjures a boogeyman to be a stand-in for real life dangers. Seriously, don't go near the river because there actually is a worm!

Their presence makes these water bodies dangerous to those who live nearby, as any muddy shore could be hiding an Indus. They not only attack people, but are perfectly capable of dragging down camels and cows. So when your livestock or beasts of burden stop by for a drink, you have to be on your toes! You fail to secure the area and you could be losing an animal, or yourself! So to avoid this fate, folk will carry ropes with large hooks on the end, and throw them into the waters they wish to use. The movement may trigger an attack, or the barbs being pulled back to shore may snare a hiding worm. In most cases, the thrower will not have the strength to haul in such a catch, and merely cut the line to let the angered worm go. Its writhing and rage will spoil the hunt and make it leave, while also giving a brief window of safety for this section of water. It certainly isn't a perfect system, but I suppose it is the best they got at the moment. Nets are occasionally used, but that way is pretty costly as they are always torn to ribbons in the struggle. Some advice suggests seeking very shallow and clear waters, as it makes the worm easier to spot.

Now it may seem like people want nothing to do with these giant worms, avoiding them entirely. However, Indus Worms are actually hunted pretty frequently, as they fetch a high price! While the huge teeth may make fine trophies or carving material, what people actually want is their oil. What oil you ask? Well, you see, the Indus Worm is a pretty squishy soft thing, which makes it vulnerable to sharp rocks, toothy predators and parasites. So to protect itself, they possess bulbous glands running alongside their body that secretes an oil that coats their form. This oil easily survives water, is pretty bitter and is thick enough to ward off jagged points and hungry parasites. The coating is great for protection, but there is one detail that really gets people's attention: it is flammable.

Indus oil burns intensely, creating a potent flame that sears through anything caught in it. Due to the oily nature, it clings to people, armor and siege weapons, and is even capable of surviving water! The flames cannot be doused with water, they must be smothered, making them very hard to snuff out during battle or chaotic situations. This makes it a highly prized substance for war, sabotage and arson. Indus Worms are caught, killed and strung up above clay vessels, so that they can catch every drop of oil that falls from their sliced bodies. The demand and difficulty in obtaining this oil makes it very expensive, said to only be affordable for royalty and nobles. This oil also gives the Indus Worm a fatal weakness: stick it with flame and the whole beast will go up like dry tinder! However, this obviously consumes the oil, which renders the whole hunt pointless. With how much hypothetical money goes up in smoke when you burn one of these worms, I think folk may throw you in the river with the dying serpent in anger if you choose this method.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

[black-arcana]

Ex-BUTCHER BABIES Singer CARLA HARVEY Launches New Project THE VIOLENT HOUR

Former BUTCHER BABIES singer Carla Harvey has launched a new project called THE VIOLENT HOUR. At least some of the early recording sessions for the project have been overseen by producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER and URIAH HEEP, among many others.

Harvey shared the news of THE VIOLENT HOUR's launch in a social media post on Saturday (September 21). She wrote: "It's coming. I've put my heart and soul into my new project THE VIOLENT HOUR over the last 6 months. I can't wait for you to hear it. Keep your eyes peeled for updates. This is a slower process than I'd like...but...I'm pumped!"

BUTCHER BABIES announced their split with Harvey in July, saying in a statement that "Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band," and wishing "her all the best in her future endeavors."

Carla, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, confirmed her exit from the band in a separate post, saying that she was "super proud" of her work with BUTCHER BABIES and adding that she was "not done making music and performing."

Last fall, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

BUTCHER BABIES recently embarked on a three-week European tour, starting on July 27 at the Stonehenge festival in The Netherlands.

This past January, Harvey and ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

BUTCHER BABIES released a double album "Eye For An Eye..." and "…'Til The World's Blind", in July 2023. The double album celebrated the tenth anniversary of BUTCHER BABIES' critically acclaimed debut, "Goliath", released on July 9, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Smitten with tales of the Sunset Strip, Harvey made the pilgrimage to Los Angeles from her Native Detroit to play a little rock and roll…and instead found herself the entertainment report for a groundbreaking cable TV news program. After hosting two series and acting in a variety of television programs, movies and commercials, Harvey took a break from showbiz to earn her degree in mortuary science. She embarked on a successful career in embalming and funeral directing before going back to her first love: music.

In addition to writing and recording, Carla has a passion for drawing and penning comic books. Her love affair with the genre started when she discovered the Incredible Hulk at four years old. She spent the majority of her teenage years holed up in her room listening to PANTERA and developing an affinity for drawing her own scantily clad comic book characters. Dubbed a "comic book master-mind" by Hustler magazine, Harvey's first published comic book "Butcher Babies" (a fantasy, horror concept surrounding her now-former band),premiered and sold out at its Comic-Con San Diego debut, leaving fans chomping at the bit for her next comic, "Soul Sucka". Shortly after, she released her first full-length novel, "Death And Other Dances", to rave reviews. Carla's art has been featured in Famous Monsters magazine and has graced the cover of iconic Heavy Metal magazine.

[harringtonstilinski]

Always The Babysitter - Chapter Six: The Monster

Author: @harringtonstilinski​ Characters: Steve Harrington x Olivia Henderson(OC) (eventually) Word Count: 2,879 Warnings: lil’ bit more angst, canon violence (aka; steve gets his ass kicked) Smut: no | yes; A/N: Hi, friends! I’m sorry this is late! We get a small Henderson!Sibling interaction in this chapter! If you like this chapter, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox. As always, read at your own risk and enjoy 😊

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“I just don’t understand why we’re coming out here,” Carol said from the backseat. “She obviously doesn’t wanna talk to you.”

“That’s… that’s not it,” Steve said.

“Oh, really?” I said. “Because no girl in their right mind would wanna blow off King Steve.”

“She took the words right out of my mouth,” Carol said.

“Liv, you saw her,” Steve said. “She was acting weird. Something was wrong.”

“She’s stressed because of Will,” I retorted. “So am I, but so what? Who cares?”

“You’re worried about her?” Carol asked.

“What?” Steve and I asked.

“Aww, he is!” Carol leaned forward, putting her arm around Steve, saying,” Aww, Steve has a heart.”

Taking her arm off of him, Steve asked her to stop as she moved to the backseat.

“Oh, Stevie’s in love,” Tommy boasted.

I shrunk in my seat, getting very uncomfortable. I crossed my arms and looked out the window.

I’m not sure if Steve sensed my uncomfortableness or was just tired of the two in the backseat, but I jumped and looked over at Steve as he shouted, “Shut up!”

He looked over at me, saying, “Sorry,” in a quiet voice, knowing that I hate loud noises due to my anxiety. 

Steve pulled up next to the Wheeler house, and I just… looked at it. I felt Steve’s eyes on me, so I looked at him. “I’ll be right back.”

I nodded, tightening my arms. I hated that Steve left me in the car with the two popular wannabe idiots. I watched Steve climb up to Nancy’s window when Carol asked me, “So, how long have you liked Steve?”

“What?” I asked, confused. I looked back at her, seeing her smiling while chewing on her gum. I sighed, “You’re annoying,” while turning back towards the front.

“What was that?” she asked.

“You look like a damn cow chomping on that gum.”

Steve entered the car just then, demeanor completely changed. He looked over at me and the look in his eyes told me he saw something he didn’t like. He tilted his head just a little, his tell tale sign of him asking me a specific question. 

I nodded my head, sighing. “Yeah,” I whispered. “I’ll stay.”

~~~

After he took Carol and Tommy home, Steve and I rode back to his house, the tension intense. I looked out the window, playing with my fingers. When I looked over at him, he was just… calm.

“Do you wanna…” 

“No,” he said.

I nodded my head, afraid he knew we were lying to him earlier.

When we got to his house, he put the car in park and killed the ignition. We sat there for a moment before he just… got out. I looked down at my fingers, taking a few breaths. I half expected him to have already been in his house, but when I looked up, he was waiting for me at the front passenger tire.

I got out and closed the door, following him inside his house where his parents actually sat in the living room. Did they acknowledge us? Nope.

Steve and I went straight to his bedroom, him going to his pajama drawer as I went to the phone in his bedroom. I called my mom, letting her know that I was going to be staying at Steve’s and that I would call her in the morning.

When I turned around, Steve was standing at the foot of his bed holding a pair of sweats and another one of his shirts that I loved. I grabbed them and went into the bathroom to change, quickly brushing my teeth with a spare toothbrush I found. 

I went back into Steve’s room, finding him sitting on the side of his bed before I sat down next to him, facing him with my legs crossed. I looked at my hands and waited a moment before asking, “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Did you know she was with Byers?”

“With him, with him? No, I thought she was with you.”

“No, I mean hanging out. Is that why she ditched me today?”

“I really don’t know,” I said, looking back down at my hands.

I felt the bed move as he got up. Watching as he paced the room, I said, “Steve–”

“You’re lying to me.”

I sighed, closing my eyes. “I knew they were hanging out.”

“Dammit, Liv.”

“But I didn’t know he was going back to her house! I know they started hanging out a little because of Will going missing–”

“How do you know him?”

“I babysit Will from time to time. Dustin, my little brother, is best friends with him, as well as Mike, Nancy’s little brother. We all know each other.”

He sighed. “I can’t believe this.”

“Can’t believe what?”

“That she’d cheat on me,” he whispered.

“Do you honestly think she’s cheating on you?”

“Why else would she be hanging out like that with that weirdo?”

“Why are you so obsessed with this?”

“Because he had his arm around her!” he all but yelled.

“You put your arm around me! What the hell is the difference?”

“She’s my girlfriend! You’re my best friend!”

“Maybe they’re friends now, Steve. Have you ever thought of that?!”

I could feel the anger rolling off of him, so I did the one thing I used to do when he would get this angry with his dad; I wrapped my arms around his middle and pressed my ear to his chest. I could feel him trying to resist until he put his arms around my shoulders and sighed. 

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m just a little upset.”

“I understand,” I said. “And it’s okay to be upset.” I looked up at him, into his beautiful brown eyes. “Just don’t take it too far.”

He kissed my forehead, just like he used to and suggested we lay down. It didn’t take long before I fell asleep to the sound of Steve’s breathing.

When I woke up the next morning, I heard him say, “Yeah. Today. Theater. Just get everything and get down there.”

I sat up and rubbed my eye a little, yawning. “What’s going on?”

He looked at me, walking back to my side and sitting on the mattress. “Nothing. Uhm… do you wanna hang out again today? I can take you home, let you shower and change, check on your mom and little brother.”

I smiled a little. “I’d like that, thank you.”

He changed into some normal clothes for the day, telling me it’s okay if I left my clothes. 

“I’m not sure you want me to do that.” He looked confused, so I told him they were Nancy’s clothes and that I’d probably better take them with me. 

We left his house a few minutes later, arriving at mine about ten minutes later. He’d asked me to meet him at the movie theater a little later, and I agreed, thinking we’d be watching a movie.

After I went inside, I showered and changed, running into Dustin in the hallway. I instantly hugged him, asking him where he was after the funeral. I could feel the confusion running off of him, so I pointed down the hall, silently telling him to go along with it. He gave some bullshit excuse that even I didn’t believe. 

He asked me to go with him to Mike’s house, so I followed him on my bike, letting him know that I had to meet Steve at the movie theater in just a little while. We walked into the Wheeler’s basement, seeing that El’s tent that Mike had set up was torn down.

Mike sighed before saying, “I just… I can’t believe she didn’t come back.”

“She’s gotta be close,” Dustin said.

“Wait, back up,” I said. “What do you mean, didn’t come back?”

Dustin quickly explained to me about how while they were following the magnetic field, they kept going around in circles. Turns out that El was using her powers to mess with the magnetic field. She threw Lucas back with her powers at one point and he went home mad as all hell. El ended up disappearing while Mike and Lucas were fighting.

“She said it wasn’t safe,” Mike said. “She just messed up the compasses because she wanted to protect us. She didn’t betray us.”

“Mike, calm down,” Dustin said.

“I shouldn’t have yelled at her. I never should’ve done that.”

“Wait, you yelled at her?” I asked, arms crossed.

“I didn’t mean to!”

“Mike, this isn’t your fault,” Dustin said.

“Yeah, it’s Lucas’.”

“It wasn’t his fault, either.”

“Look, I’d love to sit here and figure out who’s fault it was for whatever happened, but I have to go,” I said. “I have to go meet and help Nancy with something.” I kissed the top of Dustin’s head. “Be safe, and please for the love of God, make things up with Lucas.” 

I walked outside and got on my bike, making my way to the theater where Steve was standing at the bottom of a ladder while Tommy H. was on the top of it, spray painting All The Right Moves with Nancy The Slut Wheeler.

“Oh, my–” I said, covering my mouth. I looked at Steve, who had an apologetic look on his face. “Don’t you dare. You could’ve called her and broken up with her, not do this.”

“I bet she’s with Byers right now,” Steve said.

“Maybe! I don’t know! I’m not her keeper!”

He sighed and looked back at Tommy, who was climbing down the ladder. When he saw me, he smiled and said, “Come to join the party?”

I rolled my eyes and went down the nearest alley, sitting on a concrete step, Tommy going back to his spray painting on the wall. I just shook my head and looked down at the ground. A pair of shoes came into my view, so I looked up to their owner; Steve.

“Look, I’m really sorry I dragged you into this,” he said, looking almost… regretful. “I know you don’t like this, and I know I’m the one you dragged you here. Just–”

“I won’t say anything,” I said. “Unless she asks.”

He lightly chuckled as Carol was telling Tommy that he wrote like a three year old. He moved a little out of the way as I went to stand, looking at what Tommy was doing.

“Wow, Tommy,” I said, sarcastically. “I didn’t know you could spell. I guess you did learn something last year.”

Nicole snickered as Tommy turned to face me, eyes moving up and down before he said, “Yeah, well, at least I don’t hide shit.”

“Aw, hey there, princess,” Carol said. 

I looked over and watched as Nancy made her way towards us. I scratched my temple and moved to stand beside Steve.

“Uh-oh,” Tommy said. “She looks upset.”

“Shut up, Tommy,” I said.

I watched as Nancy slapped Steve on his cheek out of nowhere. Moving to stand kind of in between them, I held my hands out a little, saying to Nancy, “Calm down, Nance.”

“Calm down?” she asked, voice quivering a little. She looked at Steve and asked, “What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me?” Steve asked. “What’s wrong with you? I was worried about you. I can’t believe that I was actually worried about you.” He looked at me for a split moment, eyes asking for backup.

“What are you talking about?” Nancy exclaimed.

I sighed and said, “I wouldn’t lie, Nance.”

“You don’t wanna be known as the lying slut now, do you?” Carol piped up.

Looking back at her, I said, “Shut up, Carol.”

“Speak of the devil,” Tommy said. 

I looked over and saw Jonathan standing behind Nancy. She turned and looked at Jonathan before looking back at Steve, asking “You came by last night?”

I just looked at Steve looking down at her as Carol said, “Ding, ding, ding! Does she get a prize?”

“Carol, knock it off,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Look, I don’t know what you saw, but it wasn’t like that,” Nancy tried to explain.

Steve’s eyes went up to look at the oldest Byers boy and said, “What, you just let him in your room to–” He blinked and looked back at Nancy before finishing his sentence with, “Study?”

“Or for another pervy photo session?” Tommy asked.

Reaching behind me, I hit Tommy in his stomach. “Shut. Up.”

“We were just–” Nancy said.

“You were just what?” Steve asked. “Finish that sentence. Finish… the sentence.”

She looked at me, asking me with her eyes to back her up now. A few more seconds went by and I took a step towards Steve. I knew exactly what they were up to today and I know that she needed me, but I was kind of upset at her for ditching me for Barb. I wasn’t about to let Steve hanging by doing what she did to me.

He scoffed and said, “Go to hell, Nancy.” He took a step back towards me as Jonathan took one towards Nancy.

“Come on, Nancy,” Jonathan said. “Let’s just go.”

I grabbed Steve’s arm because I knew exactly what was about to go down, but he lightly shoved my arm away while addressing the Byers boy.

“You know what, Byers?” Steve said. “I’m actually kind of impressed.”

“Steve,” I said.

“I always took you for a queer, but I guess you’re just a screw-up like your father,” he said, shoving Jonathan as they walked.

“Steve!” I started walking towards him, trying to get in between him and Jonathan so that something bad wouldn’t go down.

Steve just kept trying to keep me behind him as he continued to taunt Jonathan. “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That house is just full of screw-ups.”

“Steve!” I exclaimed at his choice of words.

“You know, I guess I shouldn’t really be surprised,” Steve continued. “A bunch of screw-ups in your family.”

“Jonathan, leave it,” Nancy said at the same time I said, “Steve, stop it.”

“I mean, your mom–”

“Steve, stop!” I said.

“I’m not even surprised what happened to your brother. I’m sorry I have to be the one to tell you, but the Byers, their family, it’s a disgrace to the entire–”

Nancy and I were yelling at Steve to stop antagonizing Jonathan, but he wouldn’t listen to us ‘cause Jonathan just turned around and punched Steve right on the left side of his face.

When Steve turned to me when he got punched, his shoulder bumped mine. I couldn’t move as I watched him turn a little towards Jonathan. He put his hand on my stomach to push me back as I said, “Steve, no!” to no avail.

Steve launched himself towards Jonathan, wrapping his arms around the oldest Byers boy, putting him on the hood of the car behind them. Steve then got a better grip on Jonathan sending him down the concrete below.

“Steve, stop!” I said, sternly. Again, to avail.

Steve got on top of him for a second before Jonathan rolled them over as Tommy said, “Kick his ass, man!”

“Steve,” Nancy and I said.

He ended up kneeing Jonathan in his side to make him get off of him. Steve tried standing as Jonthan did, the Byers boy getting the advantage by punching Steve in the face again.

“Get in there, he’s going to hurt himself,” Carol said. Wow. She actually does have a brain.

Tommy shoved Jonathan off of Steve, which gave me the clearance I needed to try and get in front of my best friend to talk some sense into him, but as I got in front of him, Steve put his hands on my shoulders and lightly pulled me out of the way as he said, “Hey. Hey! Get out of here! Get out of here! Get out of here!”

Tommy moved as Nicole wrapped her arms around me, trying to keep me in place. We all watched as Jonathan swung at Steve, who ducked before landing a punch to Jonathan, who swung another punch at Steve, causing him to go down. 

“Jonathan, stop!” Nancy and I said.

“Stop! You’re going to hurt him!” I exclaimed, slightly struggling to get out of Nicole’s hold as Jonathan punched Steve again.

Steve went to the ground and Jonathan kneeled next to him, bringing him up by his jacket and punching him again.

“Cops!” Tommy said.

“Shit!” I exclaimed, looking down the alley.

“Jonathan, get off of him!” Nancy yelled.

Three punches, a lot of yelling about cops, plus yelling at Jonathan to stop punching Steve and him also accidentally punching Callahan, Tommy finally got Steve off the ground.

Tommy and Steve started running just as Callahan and I made eye contact.

“Back to the station for you,” he said to me. 

“Shit,” I said before I bolted away from him, going in between Tommy and the car parked in front of me. I didn’t stop running until I found Steve’s car, asking him for his keys. All I could hear as we were running was Callahan calling my name and saying that I was in big trouble and sooner or later I was gonna find myself at the station again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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~~~

A/N 2:  hi, friends! i have no excuse why this late. i really don't. but, please do not hesitate to reblog and give some feedback, whether it be in the reblogs, comments, or my inbox.

Additional Note: i know that some of y’all are waiting to see your requests, and i promise i’ll get to them. the writer’s block hit really bad with them. atb is the only thing i have motivation to post for at the moment.

~~~

Forever / Everything Taglist: @stiles-o-dylan24​​ @stixnstripesworld​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​​​ @quanticobae​​​ @mischiefandi​​​ @kellyashcroft @lauren-novak​​​​

Steve Harrington Taglist: @madaboutjoe

If you’re tagged and didn’t want to be, please let me know.

~~~

*Please don’t post my writing anywhere else without my consent. The author of this work will always and forever be @harringtonstilinski​.

All characters, story lines, and plot aside from y/n and her storyline & plot, are all of the work of The Duffer Brothers.

*These works contain material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.

No part of these works may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

Posted on December 12, 2023

[hugsandchaos]

WARNING: Contains graphic descriptions/depictions of death, including one character death. Please don’t read it you don’t like this. Those who do read this, I really hope this isn’t rushed or sloppy. With that out of the way; Happy Halloween!

Ton-Ton smiled at the fifth s’more placed in front of him and chomped down at it, getting the whole thing into his mouth with that one bite.“This is fun!” He said with his mouth full. Dozer cringed inwardly at this action, but simply looked away to try to ignore it.”We should definitely do this more often!” Ton-Ton added before finally swallowing his food.

Skya nodded in agreement.”Yeah, it’s nice spending a bit of time away from the garage.” She said. Above them, the clouds that seemed to be ever-present in the dark forest blocked what could’ve been a beautiful view of the night sky, but at least the slightly increased darkness made the lightning bitbugs’ glow nicer to look at. The dark forest was also eerily quiet beyond the sounds of the lightning bitbugs and the group—

SNAP

Everyone turned around, some of them scared while others calmer, and were very surprised to see D-structs standing there. A broken twig laid in front of his right tread, which Revvit believed could suggest that it was on purpose to get their attention instead of it being an accident. After all, they hadn’t noticed him until it snapped, and they should’ve heard his treads or something. Still, it was understandably hard to believe that an entire t-trux, and a scraptool, managed to sneak up on them. For some weird reason, D-structs was carrying Skrap-It by biting his back. He looked around the camp and found a branch near his own height, and reached over to place Skrap-It on it.

They snapped out of the surprise they felt, except Click-Clack, who screamed and sprinted into one of the bins of spare bits.“What is it now? Here to ruin our camping trip?” Skya asked sarcastically. Dozer lowered his blades and got ready to charge, but luckily spotted Ty raising one of his tiny arms to signal him to chill.”Relax, we’re just here having a good time.” He said.

“I’m not here to fight either.” D-structs replied. The group went quiet. The dark t-trux sounded almost nothing like himself. It was obviously his voice, but certainly not his usual tone. He sounded... a little scared. It was assertive in a way, like he was calm and serious, but also paranoid. Hearing that kind of voice from D-structs of all trux made the group wonder what could be going on that would make him worried about them. They glanced at each other, confused and a little scared, until Ton-Ton spoke up.”Uh, dude, what are you talking about? And why do you sound like that?” He asked, sounding pretty scared himself at the end.”It’s creeping me out.” He added with a quiet tone.

“I’m trying to be nice, so listen up, scrap heads. You really shouldn’t be here. You got extremely lucky last time you went in, but maybe not this time.” D-structs said. He glanced up at the sky, and when he saw nothing but the clouds, he looked back down at them.”Stay in this group, and we’re all going to leave right now.” He instructed. No one knew what exactly do to. They felt compelled to listen because of how out of character this was for him, but they didn’t exactly trust him. For pretty obvious reasons. The air was more tense than chilly, until Ty unexpectedly let out an irritated groan.“Is this about the monster trux? It’s just an old story!” He said exasperatedly. He knew that it had been around for long enough to get good roots in the minds of the crater’s inhabitants, but he was honestly tired of trux believing the silly old tale. D-structs ignored him at first and placed the lanterns in Ton-Ton’s bed.“You’re right. The monster trux is a story I made up.” He said.

“WHAT?!?” The entire group shouted. Even Ty. He still didn’t believe it, but he was just as confused as to why D-structs would make something like that up. D-structs’ eyes widened and he looked around in alarm, hoping there was a chance their collective shouting wouldn’t alert... whatever he was paranoid over — of their whereabouts. Most of the group didn’t notice his sudden anxiety and glanced over at Ty with confused looks.”I thought you didn’t believe in the monster trux, Ty.” Dozer said with a hint of sarcasm.

Ty shook his head and ignored the tone.“I don’t, but what?! And why?!” He asked. Revvit nodded, he agreed that the question really needed an answer.“Because of what’s actually here. Telling the truth wouldn’t have worked.” D-structs replied.

“What is it?” Skya asked. She was just as nervous as she was curious and excited about what could be really lurking through the trees.“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you, and there isn’t enough time. Let’s just go.” D-structs said, still surveying the area instead of looking at them. It was clear that something was bothering him enough to get him paranoid, but Ty wasn’t going to give up just yet. He wasn’t sure if he trusted him anyways.“Alright, alright, you’ve convinced me. We’ll go.” Ty agreed. The rest of the group turned to him in slight disbelief until they noticed the smile on his face.“If you can catch me!” He said before speeding off. D-structs’ eyes widened as Ty left the camp, but before he went after him, he briefly glanced at Skrap-It and gave him a quiet growl that oddly sounded a lot like clicking. Soon after they had both left, Skrap-It stayed on the branch and Ton-Ton looked up at him.”Dude, why’d he growl at you?” He asked. Skrap-It turned to look at him and shook his head.“Oh, no. He *skrrch* just said “wait here”. He has many *skrrch* different roars and growls that mean different *skrrch* things.” He replied.

“Ah, that’s cool.” Ton-Ton said.

D-structs wanted to shout for Ty to stop and come back, but he knew that would make things worse. One of Them would target them, if they hadn’t already. D-structs hoped with every circuit he had that they either had another target or weren’t in the mood for a fight. Although remembering his last encounter with them, he unfortunately knew that the second one wasn’t very likely. The only shouting he could do was in his mind. Meanwhile, Ty was completely oblivious to the danger, and while D-structs felt a bit jealous about the fact that he didn’t feel the same dread and helplessness he felt, it was always infuriating when he was ignored or not listened to.

“Hey, what’s that?” Ty asked. He quickly made a turn towards what D-structs knew was a small opening. D-structs lunged forward in an attempt to grab his tail with his jaws, but he missed and froze in knowing horror when he saw what Ty was referring to. He was too late. Ty rolled over to the stegarbasaur laying on their side with a look of confusion, which soon changed to shock once he got close enough.

There was some kind of glowing yellow liquid that slowly dissolved what remained of their left back tread and on their side, making the wound worse. Their eyes appeared open, but not awake. Not even alive.

The stegarbasaur was dead.

Upon this realization, Ty’s mind went blank and wild at the same time. What happened? What was the liquid? Was it some kind of acid? How? He hasn’t seen any acid pools outside of the Acid Baths, which was on the other side of the crater, and no acid he’s seen glows. Taking another look at the damage this poor trux died feeling, one question stood out from the rest, which was followed by another question that felt slightly less important, but still a very urgent matter.

What had done this? And was it still here?

D-stucts finally rolled out into the small clearing and saw the same thing, but wasn’t focused on that anymore. Instead, he was focused on getting him out of there and back to the others. D-structs bit Ty’s tail, which he could barely process through his mind trying to deal with the gruesome sight in front of him, and began heading back. Just as they re-entered the tree line and Ty was just about ready to move on his own again, they both heard some kind of sound. It could only be described as a metallic flap and a powerful wind, not quite like a scrapadactyl’s wing flap. It was quieter, yet also sounded stronger. Like the wings were bigger. D-structs briefly froze before continuing to drag the shocked red t-trux back to the others, but at a much slower pace. He somehow became much quieter and managed to avoid multiple pieces of debris from the treetop. Like he was trying to go by undetected, and he was doing a great job.

The sound grew closer and D-structs pulled into a particularly dense cluster of trees. He stopped pulling and lowered his head before releasing Ty’s wrecking ball, then moved in front of him. Ty snapped out of his terrified daze seeing D-structs conceal what caused it in the first place, just enough to understand what he would say.“Stay quiet.” He instructed. Ty couldn’t do anything but nod, but D-structs could tell he took in and understood every word.”Turn your beams off.” He added, turning off his own light. Ty listened and D-structs moved to hide himself in the cluster. He nearly looked as if he had vanished completely, like Ty wouldn’t have known he was there unless he had watched him go there.

The sound flew over them, followed by a strong breeze, and over the small clearing. Something dropped down from above with a small thud. A creature. Not quite like a trux, tool, or scraper of any kind. Not to Ty’s knowledge, at least.

The creature stood on two legs and had two rather long arms, each with three long claws at least half as long as the arms themselves. The claws were more straight than a scraptor’s, but still slightly curved, and it was kind of hard to see the hand they were attached to. Their head was small and not exactly round, but it seemed kind of like that.

They had a pair of wings with odd, curved pieces of metal on the forelimb and what looked like spikes from the elbow joint to where it connected to their back. The tail was just as odd. It was thin and black, which would’ve made it pretty hard to see if it wasn’t for the light of the small propellers at the joint of the wings shining on it and the glowing part of it at the end. The glowing stuff swished around like a liquid and illuminated what looked like a clear container and hook connected to the tail.

The liquid in the tail barely lit up the area around it unless something was very close, so when it moved around the rest of the creature’s body, Ty noticed that part of it was dark and... bigger. It almost appeared to be covering its actual body, shielding its back, neck, and upper part of its legs from view. It almost looked like it had no neck, especially with that weird, flowy clump of stuff on its head and dangling over the shoulders by a few inches. The creature leaned over its side and used its claws to stab into the poor trux and tear open the wound further. It lowered its head, getting closer to the open injury, and closed the gap between its head and the stegarbasaur. It began drinking the oil leaking from the wound.

Ty felt like he stopped breathing for a moment until he remembered to take a breath in to avoid passing out. He had the urge to keep his breathing as silent as possible and only took in slow, deep breaths. After a few seconds, D-structs silently came out of his hiding spot and grabbed Ty by the tail again, dragging him slowly away from the thing. The creature heard them move and whirled their head around so fast that Ty thought it was going to fall off, then he saw its face and any worry he felt about its wellbeing disappeared.

Most of its face — from the top of its head to where the nose would be — was pitch black, almost as if it’s not there, and yet it also looked as if it was there. Those moments where little bits of light would reflect onto a piece of glass were what gave the impression that the part they couldn’t see very well was simply very dark, or maybe it’s face was made of glass. It didn’t seem to have eyes, either, but instead had a sideways or stretched out X symbol piercing through the darkness. The glowing symbol made Ty feel more watched than ever before, like a cold glare through his very soul. Another indicator that it was there was that the weird white stuff on its head didn’t move underneath the head when it would move backwards.

Speaking of the weird white stuff, it looked... well, it was very tough to describe. It looked slightly clumped and moved a bit when the wind blew. Kind of like leaves or weird plants growing out of the top of its head, but not exactly plant-like. The lower part of their face was practically the opposite of the glass. It kind of curved across its face, starting up right by where the audio receptors probably were, going down a bit, then back up around the middle. Its mouth was stretched in a terrifying grin, which looked to be unnaturally wide. Knowing that whatever this creature was knew that he was there filled Ty with an unfamiliar feeling of dread. Every bit of this thing felt too different to be part of this world, from the flat feet planted on the ground up to its sadistic smile. It watched them leave for only a short while and soon began to ignore them in favor of its fresh meal.

Once they were back with the others, Ty still didn’t say a word. On the way back, he had been able to snap out of it enough to start driving on his own, but D-structs had to occasionally push him on the way back so he didn’t hit something that would’ve made more noise than he was already making. Now, they were following him in a single line, with the exception of Click-Clack, Ace, and Waldo riding in Ton-Ton’s bed, Revvit on Ty’s head, and D-structs once again carrying Skrap-It with his jaws. It was slightly irritating with everyone trying not to bump into each other or roll over each other’s treads, but none of them argued much when they saw the state Ty was in when they returned.

“Dude, are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost.” Ton-Ton asked. Then he gasped.“Or the monster trux! Or the ghost of the monster trux!” He continued.

“Calm down, Ton-Ton. Panicking yourself never helps someone who is panicking.” Skya chimed in. She turned to Ty.”But he does have a point. What’s gotten into you?” She asked. Ty blinked and shook his head. He glanced over at D-structs, who was looking like he was ready to leave. Honestly, Ty couldn’t blame him.“What was that?” He asked.

D-structs lowered his head to place Skrap-It on the platform over his left tread so he could talk.“I don’t know. As far as I know, there are only three.” He replied. The group looked between the two, wondering what they were talking about and starting to get frustrated about not knowing. Except for Click-Clack, he seemed happy with not knowing.“There’s three of them?” Ty asked quietly, his voice shaking a bit. The fear in his voice was almost nothing compared to the terror he felt imagining three of those things rushing at him. Then Ty realized something. He briefly forgot all about the fear and looked at D-structs with a look of shock on his face.“That’s why you want us out.” He said. The older t-trux didn’t reply to him or glance at him, he just surveyed the area around them as they moved.

Revvit looked down at Ty’s face from his spot on top of his head.”Ty, we need to know what you saw. You’re really worrying us here.” He said. Ty didn’t respond for a few moments. He glanced over at D-structs as if expecting something from him, but then spoke when he didn’t.”There was this... this thing. I don’t know what it was. There was also a dead stegarbasaur with these weird claw marks and glowing yellow acid stuff on it, and it... I think the creature was responsible.” Ty said. The entire group went dead quiet, aside from the sound of their treads. They glanced between each other, then at Ty.“It was drinking its oil.” He added.

“Stop!! I can’t take it anymore!!” Click-Clack shrieked. D-structs spun his head around and glared right at him.“Quiet!” He snapped at him with a whisper. Click-Clack flinched from his tone and Waldo quickly pulled him back into his panic room to try to de-escalate things.

After a few minutes, Revvit spoke up again. He got the message that they needed to be quiet, so he whispered his next words.“What did it look like?” He asked. Ty opened his mouth to explain, but he was stumped. He wasn’t sure where to start, or even describe it at all. Ty tried to think of how to answer Revvit’s question, but luckily for him, there was an irritated sigh from D-structs and he began explaining.“Bipedal, straight posture, a pair of wings bigger than its body, long stinger tail, flat face mostly made up of a screen, usually has three claws on the end of each arm, but it can change them and switch for something else. I’ve seen them use chainsaws, weird long blades, four numbed claws, and something that can be launched and explodes upon contact with its target.” He explained.

Revvit turned to face him and took a few steps forward on Ty’s head, leaning slightly upwards to the other t-trux.“You’ve faced them before?” He asked. It was probably an obvious question, but he just wanted to make sure before he assumed anything.“Unfortunately.” D-structs replied.

Despite it not being his center of attention, Revvit couldn’t help but notice Skrap-It looking up at D-structs and D-structs occasionally glancing back at him. There was something off about their expressions, and not in a bad way. It was simply a way he hadn’t exactly seen before. D-structs shrugged and Skrap-It put a clamp up against his side, which got his attention again. Skrap-It smiled and D-structs seemed to think about something before giving him a subtle nod.

While Revvit was very curious about what they were doing, he had more important matters to talk about.“Then you’re our best bet at beating them. Please, tell us what you know.” He said.

D-structs shook his head.”There is no beating them. There is no killing them, either. They reattach their limbs, and if they can’t, they’ll regrow them.” He said. Behind him, Revvit heard an irritated groan that was undoubtedly from Dozer.“What I want to know is how anyone even started believing him.” Dozer said. He raised a good point. D-structs wasn’t exactly the trustworthy type. They didn’t believe him themselves until Ty came back looking horrified and following D-structs. So how did he convince the entire crater of something so well that they took it as fact?

D-structs rolled around a tar pit and the others followed as he briefly shone his lights into the pit to let them know it was there.”They appeared pretty soon after I decided this crater would be my new territory. They’re nocturnal, hunt for oil, and one trux, around the size of a dozerstops, is usually enough to keep them from killing another for a few days, I think. I tried warning others, but that didn’t work, so I came up with a new plan.” D-structs started. Everyone glanced at each other shocked as he continued.“Next time my brother visited, I told him about it and we went out to areas where trux gather the most to talk about it again, but this time, we talked about a made up legend about the forest so others would overhear it. At first, it only made the stupid ones braver, but when entire groups of explorers never returned and attempted rescues failed, the crater began to accept it as a fact. I hoped that everyone would stay away long enough for them to leave in whatever way they came.” He finished.

At first, Revvit thought that wouldn’t answer his next question, but then he realized that it didn’t take a genius to understand why he came in after them. He had basically stated the reason in his story.“And if they get us, that would give them more food and more of a reason to stay!” He said. Dozer grunted when Ton-Ton accidentally hit his back tread again.”But we’re a group of five dinotrux and four tools. They wouldn’t stand a chance!” Dozer argued. His hotheadedness was starting to show a bit. D-structs briefly turned around to glare at him, like he was scolding him.“They would, and they have in the past. Multiple trux would go in at once, more than five, and they always met the same fate. They’re more than you think.” He said.

Suddenly, he stopped.

Ty stopped to, and that caused a small chain reaction of the group bumping into each other and getting mad about it.

“Ow, watch it, Skya!”

“Well, I didn’t expect us to suddenly stop! I can see far, but not into the future!”

“Ton-Ton, I think you scratched something!”

“Sorry, Dozer-dude!”

“Guys, be — *skrrch* — quiet!”

Everyone looked ahead to glare at Skrap-It, but he didn’t notice. He was busy looking through the trees for whatever D-structs was staring at. He growled angrily at something, and that something finally revealed itself.

Jumping down from a branch and slowly walking towards them was an odd bipedal creature, yet it wasn’t the one Ty saw earlier. This one had much thinner legs that were covered halfway up with black and yellow warning stripes. Their upper legs were halfway covered down with black, followed by another, thinner stripe of warning stripes. They had a black thing on them very similar to the first one, except it was only covering their upper body and their upper arms. The second creature walked in a slow, tense manner, like it was stalking them. D-structs kept his eyes on it as it stalked to the left and looked at them. No doubt, it was sizing up its opponents. Its tail swished around and slashed against a trunk, leaving what looked like the same yellow acid Ty saw earlier. The tree made a sizzling sound and barely dissolved, but other than that, it didn’t seem to do much damage.

Maybe it takes a lot to leave lasting damage, or maybe it’s slow. Or maybe it doesn’t work on organic matter like trees?

The creature had only been sidestepping the whole time, it didn’t come any closer than it already was and stuck close to the trees and foliage incase it needed to run. It took a step towards Ton-Ton and D-structs snapped — literally. He rushed towards the creature and snapped his jaws at It, but missed as It jumped back and leapt on top of his head. It immediately dug Its long claws into his head, making him roar and thrash his head around to try to shake It off.

Ty was the first to try to help.”Hold still!” He said. Surprisingly, D-structs stopped moving to let Ty grab It with his jaws. When Ty yanked the creature off and tossed It back into the forest, It tore some of his plating off, too. Skya saw It grab onto a tree as It collided with it and look back at them, still with that unsettling, teeth bearing smile. It crouched down and two large wings came from its back, as if from nowhere, and flapped them to propel itself forward. Skya barely had enough time to wrap her hook around It and tugged on It to prevent It from reaching Ty, but It still managed to graze the side of his face. She swung It onto the ground, where Dozer was waiting to charge at It.

He hit the creature with a good amount of force to send it tumbling into a tree. Unexpectedly, D-structs was still in the game as he grabbed It with his claw. In a swift motion, he turned around and threw It. Because of how dark it was, they couldn’t see where It ended up. In Ton-Ton’s bed, Waldo and Ace turned around upon hearing one of the bins open. Click-Clack peeked out ever so slightly.”I-Is it over?” He asked in a hushed tone.”Yes, Click-Clack, it’s over.” Ace replied.

“For now.” Waldo chimed in. Click-Clack yelped and the lid promptly closed again.

Skrap-It climbed up to see the damage done to the top of D-structs head. He made a sound of disgust and shock when he saw it and looked down at the pieces of metal that fell onto the ground.”That’s gonna leave more *skrrch* than a mark.” He said. Revvit, who was also observing what happened, nodded in agreement.”I think you’re going to need some help with that when we get out of here.” He added. Before either could respond, asking what exactly they meant by that, Skya wrapped her hook around the fallen metal and lifted it up to put it in Ton-Ton’s bed. Skrap-It and D-structs glanced at each other before D-structs turned back and continued moving.”I don’t think *skrrch* they’re going to change their mind.” Skrap-It mentioned quietly.

The group continued on, now more alert after seeing that thing for themselves. They understood why Ty looked the way he did when they came back after seeing one. Looking at that thing gave them a feeling of unfamiliar dread and... Well, the other one was hard to describe, but knowing that thing was nearby made them want to speed off. Like fighting It would be useless, even though there was only one at the time and It was only around Dozer’s height. Even worse, they didn’t know It was there until D-structs growled at It to get It to come out.

They hadn’t exactly been paying attention to where they were going as they were more focused on keeping an eye out, so they were a little confused when D-structs began leading them into a cave. As if sending their confusion, he briefly turned around.”Those things hate enclosed spaces, and they’re definitely coming back with friends, so our best bet is probably to wait in here until sunrise.” He said. The others followed inside and Skya had to duck her head really low, lower than she’d like, so she could get inside. When she lifted her head, she was even more irritated to find that she could only lift her neck a foot higher than the entrance.”Ow! And how long do you think it’ll be until morning?” She asked.

Even when everyone was inside, D-structs still stood guard at the side of the entrance from the inside, likely preparing to lunge at whatever comes in after them. He stared at the sky for a few seconds before answering.”I’d say around 6 to 8 hours.” He said. Skrap-It looked up at him from his spot back on one of his tread platforms.”That *skrrch* gives me enough time to fix your head!” He said, jumping down and running over to Ton-Ton to fetch the pieces. Waldo and Ace helped him get the pieces out of his bed and even bring it over to D-structs, who lowered his head when they got closer. Waldo and Ace dropped their sides and backed up a little, and Skrap-It did the same, except he was confident in his steps and didn’t drop his jaw when D-structs lifted the pieces onto his left tread platform. Skrap-It climbed onto it while D-structs kept his head still in front of the platform.

Without a word from either of them, Skrap-It got to work on repairing him. Revvit climbed down from Ty’s head and began approaching them to help, and nearly stopped when D-structs glared at him. He still continued to get closer and climbed onto D-structs to help Skrap-It.”Let’s see what we’re working with here.” He said. Skrap-It stepped to the side and let him have a look.

Luckily, the extra covering on his brain systems were barely damaged. Skrap-It had already fixed a few knocked out wires by wielding them together. Surprisingly, it looked like the only problem was getting the plating back on. Before Revvit said anything on how to do that, Skrap-It already had a task for him in mind.”I need you to hold the plating still.” He said. Revvit wasn’t happy about his thoughts being interrupted, but how was Skrap-It to know when and where his thoughts are going? Besides, he must already have an idea in mind, so he did just that, starting with the one placed the closest.

He pulled one onto his head and carefully stood on the systems, trying his best not to cause more discomfort than he had to. Once it was in place, Skrap-It turned on the weird thing on his head and lowered it. The reptool couldn’t quite see what exactly it was, but he had an idea judging by the blue sparks.“What are you doing?” Revvit asked.

“Wielding it *skrrch* together.” Skrap-It replied, stepping to the side very slowly.

“But doesn’t that hurt?” Revvit asked, glancing over to where D-structs eyes are. He expected an answer from the dark t-trux, but Skrap-It spoke for him instead.“He doesn’t *skrrch* talk when I’m repairing anything on his head. Yes, it does *skrrch* hurt, but he’s pretty tolerant if you ask me.” He explained. Revvit tilted his head slightly in confusion.”What about bolts for some of the edges? We have some spares, and we grabbed some of the ones that fell.” He suggested. Skrap-It stopped and looked up at him.”Wait, really?” He asked.

About ten minutes later, Skrap-It and Revvit had tightened in that last bolt and weirded the last crack. They both climbed down from the platform and D-structs lifted his head back up as both tools back up to give him room.”How does it feel?” Revvit asked. D-structs stared at them quietly, but it wasn’t a glare. He gave them both a small nod and Skrap-It smiled.”Glad to hear *skrrch* it!” He said. D-structs turned back to the entrance of the cave to check for anything.

Revvit turned to Skrap-It with a confused expression.”He didn’t say anything.” He said. Skrap-It briefly closed his eyes and raised a small claw.“Actions *skrrch* speak louder than words.” He said.

“Hey, guys! Come check this out!” Ty called out from deeper inside the cave. While they were repairing D-structs, the others were trying to think of ways to not fall asleep. Skya and Dozer decided to have an argument while Ty opted to explore with Ton-Ton to keep themselves awake. Both tools turned to the tunnel and started walking to see what he was talking about. However, Skrap-It paused and looked over at D-structs.”You coming? *skrrch*” He asked. D-structs took one more look at the area outside before turning around and rolling towards them. Skrap-It hopped onto his platform and looked down at Revvit.”Come on!” He said. Revvit glanced up at D-structs, whose only response was to roll his eyes. He hesitantly climbed up incase he was suddenly told to get off and held onto one of the railings as D-structs continued deeper into the cave.

Down with Ty and Ton-Ton, they had reached presumably the end of the cave and found what looked like an old scraptor nest. There were dead and dismantled trux and scrap everywhere. It was horrifying, and maybe Ty shouldn’t have called the others down here. He couldn’t change his mind, though, since D-structs pulled up next to them.”What do you want?” He asked, accidentally startling the two since they hadn’t heard him coming and his beams were low-light.”Dude, that was scary. I mean, you appeared out of nowhere! Do it again!” Ton-Ton said. D-structs let out a low, irritated growl and Revvit jumped from his platform onto Ty’s. Once he made himself comfortable on his head, he looked around.

“This looks like an old scraptor nest.” He said, coming to the same conclusion as Ty.“That’s what I was thinking.” He said. He rolled over to look at the rest of the large cavern and inwardly cringed at the new dead trux he saw. Both of them were glad that the scraptors who did this weren’t there. Then they found something that made their systems stop cold.

There was a t-trux down here, laying on his side. One of his spikes was broken and his lower jaw was torn apart. His tail was severed and one of his treads was bent the wrong way. The t-trux looked a lot like...

”Uh, D-structs? You know who this is?” Ty asked. Surprisingly, D-structs rolled over to investigate. Upon seeing the stranger, his jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. When Skrap-It saw the same thing, he put a clamp over his mouth. He slowly glanced up at his friend.”Is he...?” He trailed off, clearly not wanting to finish the question even if he could. D-structs slowly nodded. Skrap-It’s expression changed to one of sorrow and he put his clamp up against D-structs.

Whatever sentimental moment they were having was short lived because D-structs suddenly shot his head up and looked at the other.”We need to get out of here, now.” He said with an authority tone.

“Why? Aren’t we safe here?” Ton-Ton asked. That probably wasn’t the response D-structs wanted because he grabbed him by the tail and pulled him to the tunnel they came in from.

“No, now get moving!” D-structs replied. He began pushing Ty towards the tunnel as well. Ty grunted and turned around to glare at him. He didn’t exactly appreciate what he was doing right now.“If there’s something wrong, just say it already!” He shouted. He didn’t get why they suddenly had to leave. D-structs stopped and shot him a glare, either for shouting at him or being loud at all, but obliged to his request.“As you saw, those things have wings, ones that might be difficult to use in caves and tunnels. From what I know, they hate spaces like that. This place could be dangerous for them...” D-structs trailed off. The group wondered what he was going to say next, but Revvit quickly realized what he was hinting at and gasped in horror.“But it’s also dangerous for us!” He exclaimed. The rest of the group, aside from D-structs and Revvit, gasped.

“They were betting on us coming here!” Ty said. He began moving on his own again and looked at Ton-Ton to get him to follow, but stopped. His eyes went wide in terror and the group turned to see what he was looking at.

One of those things was already in there with them.

The creature laughed, but it wasn’t exactly a happy or evil one. It was a laugh coming from the depths of insanity. The creature opened its mouth with a sadistic grin and a deep, male voice, similar to D-structs’, came out.

“I’m over here, brother.”

It didn’t move its mouth as it spoke, as if it was its voice alone. Or perhaps not its own voice at all. After those words, all hell broke loose. D-structs let out the loudest roar they’ve ever heard from him and charged at the creature. Skrap-It cried out and held onto the railings as best as he could.”D-structs, wait!!!” He shouted. The t-trux ignored him and swung his claw around to smash the creature, but it was faster than him. It swiftly moved to the right and lunged forward to slash him. It managed to leave deep claw marks, deep enough to tear the plating and expose a few systems, and luckily, it missed Skrap-It.

D-structs grunted and swiftly spun around to growl at it as it readied itself to charge at him again, but Ty reacted quick enough to swing his own wrecking ball and smash it against the wall. D-structs rolled over to get in front of It, exposing his left side to It, but also using himself as a barrier between It and Skrap-It, who was still on the platform of his right tread. He was also a couple feet in front of the group, so in a way, he was also protecting them. The creature hissed at them, baring all of Its small, but sharp teeth. It glanced between all of them like It was trying to figure out what to do. Then It did something confusing and unbelievable.

One of Its hands retracted into the arm and was replaced by something very odd. It looked denser than the claws and had a weird point at the other end, like it was some kind of cone. No one knew how to describe it at all, but D-structs seemed to know what it was. He gasped in horror as It aimed the odd new hand at the ceiling and turned to the others.”Everyone out!!” He shouted. No one argued and began to hightail it out of there with D-structs at the back, having waited for Ty and Ton-Ton else to start leaving to go himself.

As they rushed to get out as he instructed, D-structs anticipated hearing the explosion, which would be followed by possibly the entire cave system collapsing. He didn’t know for sure if that would really happen, but he wasn’t going to take any chances. He couldn’t keep letting those things live, and the entire group dying would feed them for probably a year. Once they got up to the entrance, Dozer and Skya were already waiting for them to come back since they heard the shouting.”Go, go, go!!” Ty yelled. The two listened and were the first out, followed by Ton-Ton, Ty, and then D-structs. Even when everyone got out, D-structs kept going. Without a second thought, Ty followed him, along with the rest of the group. Behind them, they could hear some kind of rapid thumping, like something running. They all knew what it was and tried going faster without bumping into each other.

They kept going and going, anticipating an ambush every time they heard a thump until they finally breached the tree line and turned around to see the creatures. Not one, but four of them. None of them left the edge of the trees to attack, despite it still being night time. Instead, they started to leave one by one.

Once the last one was gone, the group looked at each other. The whole thing felt like it ended just as quickly as it started, even though it probably last for over an hour. They felt like they could finally breathe again, and that’s what they did.”Everyone okay?” Ty asked. He got positive confirmation from his friends, and even Skrap-It.”That was terrifying!” He said. He glanced up at D-structs.”I don’t *skrrch* think I’ll be able to sleep until *skrrch* morning.” He said. D-structs rolled his eyes and turned to leave.”Wait!” Ty said. D-structs knew what he was going to say and growled.“I still want you out of my crater.” He said. He continued his way back to his cave to finally get some sleep and ignored Ty’s second attempt to talk to him.

The stroll back was rather peaceful, especially compared to what happened. They avoided the places trux usually slept at and enjoyed the silence for a while.“Let’s *skrrch* never do that again.” Skrap-It purposed. D-structs nodded in silent agreement and looked ahead, but Skrap-It could tell he was actually looking out into the distance. He was doing that thing where he only moved to avoid obstacles when they got close enough instead of moving around a yard away from it.“There’s something you need *skrrch* to talk about, is there?” Skrap-It asked.

“Yes.” D-structs replied.

“Is it *skrrch* going to give me nightmares?” Skrap-It asked.

“Most likely.” His intimidating friend said with a light shrug. Skrap-It let out a sigh, the type that let D-structs know that Skrap-It knew whatever that was coming was going to be bad, and he wasn’t going to like it, but he was still more than willing to tough it out for him.“Alright, what’s bugging ya? *skrrch*” He asked.

The cave soon came into view, which brought them both a sense of safety, especially Skrap-It. D-structs was the type to expect being attacked in his own home.“There were smaller bite marks on my brother’s body than the ones we encountered could’ve made, and the one in the cave didn’t follow through on its threat to destroy the cave despite being able to. That wasn’t an old scraptor nest, either.” He said. Skrap-It tilted his head in confusion and thought about what he said. They reached the ramp and Skrap-It waited until they were at the top to hop off.“What does that— Ooooh! Oh, *skrrch* no. Oh, no!” He realized what that meant and ducked down despite no threat being there at the moment.“Please don’t tell me you think they have children?!” He exclaimed. D-structs didn’t answer. After all, he asked him not to and he said please. He didn’t have to, though.

“I’m so not going to sleep well.” He repeated before going inside.

D-structs made himself comfortable in one of the corners of the cave, where his back would be facing the wall and it’d be harder for him to be attacked from either side. At least without him noticing.“They overheat very easily. They might’ve gone into that other cave, but it was cool and damp. This one is hot and dry.” He said, watching Skrap-It climb onto a nearby rock and curl up.“*skrrch* Oh, thank goodness.” Skrap-It said. Despite his earlier claims that he wouldn’t sleep well, he fell asleep pretty quickly. D-structs on the other hand needed to wait around an hour before he finally managed to fall asleep.

[lorei-writes]

HC: Bunnies at Work - Kenshin

Kenshin General Headcanon

This is an old-ish headcanon prepared for the Twilight Fair edition of the @flash-exchange , for @spoopy-fish-writes . I wasn't in a position to post it here as well, and then it felt as if it was too late already... But fandom is all about sharing the joy, so how could it be too late? Everybody, feel invited to sit in for the tale of the greatest bunny wizard...

Content Warnings: none

This is a tale of Ume — „Who is she?” you may ask. The answer is not simple... Although she doesn’t brag! You see, Ume is a rabbit (she does jump rather high); Ume is a witch (her magic knows no bounds); Ume is a ... demon — But she’s very, very nice! Ume is a guardian. The best one Kenshin could have ever had

Ume owns a witch hat. She obtained the trinket after graduating from Hoppxford — special school for magical demonic bunnies.

She majored in Guardianship and Protection of Lost Souls.

Unknowingly, Kenshin has been one of the research objects included in her thesis. (Magic schools for demonic bunnies don’t seem to care much for obtaining consent). She found herself so fascinated by his case that she applied to become his guardian right on the day of her graduation.

Her first self-imposed duty was to memorise Kenshin’s preferences. She put together poems and rhymes to make the task easier on herself.

Plums are quite delicious, so it comes as no surprise: the one treat Kenshin loves are pickled plums. A snack sublime, they suit his taste — NONE can EVER go to waste!

The reason why Ume wanted to research Kenshin in particular? As she found in the registry, he had been cursed with: compassionate heart, young tragic love, ever-present death door, invincibility, and corroding sense of taste. (The prior include only the primary of his afflictions.)

What Ume did not expect was that she would have to solve a number of poltergeist infestation cases as well.

One such instance involved a voracious winged snake spirit who lingered in the castle kitchen.

Two wings growing from its head, its scales glimmered under the light like diamonds — one can only wonder why it had decided to feast on pickled plums. Only pickled plums.

It took Ume several days to realise Kenshin’s mood was growing sour. However, as soon as she became aware of the issue at hand, she hopped straight into the investigation.

The battle that ensued was a most gruesome one. Ume called upon the powers of wind, earth and fire — yet even that was not enough. Cornered, she reached deep within herself to unleash the power sealed there: the mighty chomp. It tilted the scales of battle in her favour, and so, she emerged victorious.

Spells most often utilised by Ume are: Shingen silencer, water sake-fication, Mai summoning, degrumpification, anger management and murder prevention (also known as de-stab).

Another spirit who invited itself over to Kasugayama was Tar-Tar, a small black ball of fuzz that feeds on pleasant dreams and replaces them with nightmares.

It was a powerful opponent as well. Seeing that her chances of success were slim if she were to attempt to exorcise the evil entity on her own, Ume partnered up with Mai.

While Mai comforted Kenshin in the physical realm, Ume left her body and entered his subconscious.

Tar-Tar’s pollution was overwhelming, but she did not consider failure an option. Careful to avoid the sticky substance, she ventured deeper into Kenshin’s mind.

The tricky thing about her task was that Kenshin absolutely could NOT realise she was involved in the operation at all. If she failed to hide her presence, he would remain susceptible to Tar-Tar attacks until the end of his days... But, if he banished the monster “himself”...

Kenshin of the dream was much younger, his features still being those of a boy rather than a man. His arms trembling, he gripped the training sword, a circle of armed men tightening around him. “You couldn’t save her...” they spoke.

Ume called for mist, clouds soon engulfing what was to eventually become a battlefield. She jumped forward. “Lies! Don’t listen to them!” She had a girl cry.

Kenshin looked around — the fight began. The weapon he wielded was poor, so Ume conjured him a better one. She danced alongside him, biting ankles of any of the nightmares... And just before they won, she hopped back into the reality, so that he could never know she was there.

Ume is the chief of the bunny army residing in Kasugayama. She recruited the other bunny guardians herself.

--

Tag List: @cilokgoang @violettduchess @the12thnightproject @oda-princess @tele86

[obscurecharactershowdown]

Group F Round 2

[image ID: the first image is of Ellie, a girl with medium length blue hair and green eyes. a spherical red clip is in her hair. she wears a white sleeveless dress, a brown bag slung over her shoulder, and a large red bracelet. the second image is of the Protagonist of Melatonin. he's a young man wearing a pink hoodie, black sweatpants, and pink slippers, sleeping on a couch in a dark living room, illuminated only by a TV and a small lamp. on his chest is an open laptop. the living room is populated with items like books, gaming equipment, empty cups, glasses, and paper coffee cups, and an empty pizza box. end ID]

Ellie

Monster Tale is an old game for the DS (13 years old holy shit) and in my opinion a VERY underrated classic Ellie is a young girl that gets magically transported to a world filled with monsters. Soon after she meets a baby monster she names Chomp. Chomp was separated from his mother, and so Ellie sets out to help him find her and hopefully find a way home Along the way Ellie learns multiple other kids have been transported to this world, but unlike her, have been using the monsters for their own selfish desires. So she beats them up to get them to stop :p More seriously, the game is very cute and has a big message on friendship and being kind while also standing up for what you believe in. You'd think Chomp would do the fighting, but no! He mostly just assists Ellie, who fights with her handbag and this cool bracelet she found as she explores and tries to find his mom Overall she's a very sweet and caring girl, wanting to help others and do what's right, even if she has to get her hands dirty to do it. I love her a lot! Also a fun fact I thought was neat is that the team behind the game had to go through multiple publishers because they all wanted to change Ellie into a boy or an older woman, and the dev team was adamant that Ellie stays as she is.

Protagonist

Literally super relatable dude. Bestie has sleep problems and dreams about stuff that we usually worry or stress about. Things like money or the future or whatever. Despite the dreams feeling challenging sometimes he still manages to persevere and sleep through the night though! Not me trying to explain the plot of a rhythm game- that’s the best I can do LMAO he’s just a silly guy with a good sense of rhythm and a poor sleep schedule (omg it’s me)

[goldenhallas]

Name: Isene Thorne (aka Ise or Rook) Age: 31 Gender: Female (She/Her) Race: Dalish Elf Class: Rogue Specialisation: Undecided Faction: Grey Wardens Romance: Davrin <3

Isene "Rook" Thorne is a Dalish elf and staunch Grey Warden who grew up roaming the Anderfels with her clan. She was a skilled archer and hunter before she became a Warden.

Backstory

Clan life had always been too small and insular for Isene, who chomped at the bit for action and adventure, and longed to see the world. When she was a teenager she snuck away from camp to explore a nearby village - as she was prone to do - when she was attacked by darkspawn on the way. She would've been toast if it wasn't for the small group of Grey Wardens who swooped in, griffon armour gleaming in the sunlight as they cut down the blighted monsters with their silver swords. It was like something out of a fairy tale. Ise was in awe, and she idolised the Wardens after that. She left her clan in her early 20s to make the arduous journey to Weisshaupt Fortress, where she survived the Joining and trained to become a fully fledged Grey Warden (her prior training in archery and hunting came in very handy here).

When she became a Warden, she was young and idealistic, had an insatiable thirst for adventure, wanted to see the world as much as she wanted to protect people, and viewed the Wardens as knights in shining armour. In the years since, she grew to realise that while there are many heroes among the Wardens, as an organisation they are far from perfect, and she chafed against a lot of leadership decisions. She never directly went against orders - though she bent the rules and stretched definitions here and there - until recently.

During a large darkspawn incursion, Ise was ordered to hold the line with other Grey Wardens until reinforcements arrived. She argued that by then, villagers under attack would be dead. She disobeyed orders, leading the squad into the incursion and sealing the tunnel to the Deep Roads. This turned the tide, and the darkspawn were driven off, saving the villagers. Ise's heroism was popular among the younger Wardens, but others with connections to noble families resented her independent streak - and so did the Commander. Ise chose to step away while tempers cooled. That's when she met Varric Tethras and got pulled into a brand new adventure, the scale of which she could never have imagined.

Personality 

Isene's personality is as vibrant – and recalcitrant – as her big mane of red curls. She is confident, resilient, protective, nurturing, intuitive, always on the move, straight to the point, doesn't suffer fools, and likes conviction, determination and forthrightness in others as well. She's strong and fast (mind and body); she is constantly on the move, always thinking a mile a minute, always doing or needing to do something, and has trouble relaxing and being still. She is also stubborn as an ox and doesn't know when to quit. When her patience is continuously tested and people fail to measure up to her expectations, she is prone to flares of temper, and if she and/or her loved ones are wronged, she will have her retribution. She is an experienced archer and hunter, and as a future Hahren to her clan, she has a certain capacity for guidance and leadership, and highly values her people's culture. Her vallaslin is that of Mythal, The Great Protector, who has always been a source of courage, inspiration and strength for her.

Gets distracted and scatter-brained if she doesn't have her journal to anchor her

Professional troublemaker and chaos gremlin

The elven embodiment of the "This is fine" dog 🙂🔥

Has mummy issues with Mythal (or whatever the deity equivalent is lol)

Thinks on her feet, makes snap decisions and deals with the consequences later

Looks out for the little people who can't defend themselves

Infuriated by people punching down

Likes a stiff drink in a dirty tavern, plays Diamond Back with the best of them, and loves smutty romance novels

HATES cold weather, how she managed to survive all those years living in the wilderness with her clan is beyond me

Favourite food: vegan pierogis

Hobbies: tavern games like Diamond Back, learning to swear in different languages, gymnastics, shooting arrows at fools

Notes / Other

Isene means "the one who is like fire" in elvhen

She speaks 2 languages: Dalish and common/Trade tongue

Links

Isene tag

Isene playlist

Isene pinterest

[spaceumbredoggos]

Yeah, here's the prologue to that deer story i was telling everyone about. I Call it Cervidae. I went down a bunch of deer related rabbitholes to write this.

Red Antler’s ears twitched. He shook his head, sniffing the ground. He could detect the scent of Chipped Prongs nearby. It was Crimson Leaves, the time of year where Elder Doe and her daughters were judging the stags of the herd to see who was fit to be betrothed to them. For four Crimson Leaves now, Red Antler was on top. His ruthless fighting style and tendency to kill all predators with a swift slash of his aptly named blood red antlers has won him favors with Elder Doe. 

There was froth coming from Red Antler’s mouth. It dripped and oozed in viscous drops. Red Antlers chomped on some grass, only to gag uncomfortably as he tried to swallow. His pelt felt hot despite the chilled air of Crimson Leaves. Worse yet was the wound on his left hock that stung from a froth mouthed skunk that he had to fend off from the place of tall broken stones that touched the sky. 

Red Antlers had heard tales of the place of the tall stones. He was warned as a fawn never to go there, as it oozed a hostile aura. His mother, the previous Elder Doe, had come from such place. She told him of how the ground was hard and made of cracked stone. How large corpses of monsters made of material that wasn’t flesh but wasn’t wood or stone either laid on the ground, their spongy paws forever rotating. She had brought herself here as a fawn herself. To the place of sacred grass. The place where grasslands grow for countless tree lengths. The place of woods that surround lakes and where the steaming hot water bursts from wounds in the earth. 

There were other deer here as well. Deer without the snowy white tails and ears that are soft and fluffy called mule deer, tall deer with antlers like trees called elk, the largest deer called moose, and the deer with black tails, creatively named black tailed deer. They all spoke the same language and worshiped The Great Cervalces. 

Whispers battered Red Antler’s ears like festering bugs. He shook his head, unable to swallow the accumulating saliva from his mouth. All he wanted to do was bite, so he sank his teeth into his own forelegs to relieve the ache in his jaws. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this unwell. His mind raced, clouding his once strong and proud head. The throbbing pain clouded his thoughts, making it impossible to think clearly outside of biting and attack.everything made him jump, from the wounds of the wind to the ticks crawling in the grass.

A pair of yellow eyes watched from the shadows of the night. The Great Cervalces was watching in the inky black sky, showing their full face. Red Antler gazed at the pinpricks of light that irritated his sore eyes that illuminated the darkness. He staggered, barely able to keep his balance. The scent of Chipped Prongs was long gone from his nose. 

Red Antler collapsed in the chilled air, bleating out in frustration at his own useless legs. He itched and itched with his antlers at the self inflicted bites on his legs. He drove his antlers into the ground, carving wounds into the earth that summoned ants. He screamed a horrendous scream as he slashed his antlers at every single tree and tussock of grass around. Stomping his hooves furiously, he attracted the attention of a young vixen.

The vixen’s yellow eyes widened with horror as Red Antler went on the attack. With a furious puff out of his chest and a bleat that shattered leaves, he chomped down onto the vixen’s scruff. He furiously shook the creature, russet fur flying everywhere. The vixen yelped in pain and terror, trying to break free from the hostile stag’s relentless assault. Red Antler’s jaw spasmed as he let go of the vixen, blood dripping on her russet colored pelt. She bolted through the forest, yelping in terror and pain.

Hoofsteps sounded from behind Red Antler. He rushed up, only to see a tawny pronghorn approaching him. The pronghorn shook at the sight of Red Antler, who was scrawny with a ragged pelt. The pronghorn bolted, knowing the danger that the frenzied Red Antler could pose. Red Antler already had a nasty temper that few dared to trifle with. Not even a starving pack of wolves could take him down.

Chipped Prongs approached, his ribs jutting out from under his pelt. He swayed from side to side, breathing heavily. His eyes were sunken in, dilated to black beads. Drool formed from the tips of his lips, but not as frothy or viscous as Red Antler’s. Chipped Prongs walked in circles, wobbling. The trods in the grass signaled that he has been doing this a lot for at least several days. 

Normally, Red Antler wouldn’t even consider going anywhere near a stag that walked in circles. An old legend about stags and does that walked in circles said that seasons later, any deer that walked with them would walk in circles too. Often called “Death Circles”, it was known as a sickness that no healer could cure. Herds would often have to flee from areas where the death circles were trod, sometimes for countless tree lengths. 

But Red Antler’s thoughts were too cloudy to rationalize. Red Antler could only think of one thing, and that was to bite. With a huffing bleat, Red Antler sank his teeth into Chipped Prongs. Chipped Prongs bit back, locking his antlers onto Red Antler’s. He wobbled with each thrash of his head to kill, as it was clear all the two could think of was death. 

Red Antler snapped his teeth, trying to get a bite in. His antlers were too interlocked for either stag to escape, caught in a tangle of death. The two stags barked, their voices hoarse and full of rage. The sleeping birds scattered away from the scene, fearing that the trees would fall from the brute strength of the stags. The sounds of the forest were drowned out by the frivolous death battle of the two stags. 

Elder Doe panted as she and her daughter, Leaf Ears, rushed over to the two stags. “What’s going on?” Elder Doe panted, being stopped in her tracks by Leaf Ears. The two does watched in horror at Chipped Prongs’s vacant stare and Red Antler’s frothing mouth. Leaf Ears panted, standing firmly between Elder Doe and the fighting stags. 

“It’s too dangerous.” Leaf Ears tried to guide Elder Doe away from the stags. “What?”

“Red Antler has the thirsting bite.” There was a solemn look of terror in Leaf Ears’s face. “And Chipped Prongs has death circles.” 

“Death circles?” Elder Doe gasped. “What do we do?”

“We move the herds far away from here. We warn all herds that death circles has reached beyond where it was contained in the Wayward Wood. We need to move further west, towards where The Great Cervalces finishes their fight with Aul.”

“You mean through the forests of cracked boulders and tough grasses?” Elder Doe twitched. “Beyond the mountains. There’s a haven deep in the mountains. Where no deer has ever contracted death circles.” Leaf Ears sighed, rushing after Elder Doe. Elder Doe’s eyes were wide with panic as she approached the rest of the herds. Please don’t let it be too late.

[ultramaga]

the acolyte

The reason the tale - the myth - of Arthur survived a thousand years was because, as Campbell pointed out, it resonates with humanity on a deep psychological level.

But leftists hate it, because they are collectivists with the weird twist of assigning value according to intersectionality.

A black lesbian is far more valuable than a white male in their eyes, and if they redid that tale, you just know they would try that twist.

But with the acolyte, they instead rewrote the Jedi as evil, whilst claiming evil doesn't exist. They made black women the chosen one two many, because a white male was the fallen chosen one in Lucas' myth.

And a white male was redeemer.

I think it is very telling that audiences roared to see the return of this Luke Skywalker.

Leftists whine there is star wars fatigue - but there was such a strength to this scene, and it is madness that Leftism controls Disney so powerfully that they castrated him AGAIN right afterwards.

This is an appeal to those who loved Lucas' myth. If you are such a fan, you can see this Jedi is using Darth Vader's fighting style as well as his own. Both walk together as one.

The acolyte is made by people who have gone on the record to say they did it to serve activism, not art. They despise the old fans, and crave the misery of the whites.

They wanted to dilute the original to nothing - tossing out imitations of Excalibur to any fool they could find.

And the most expensive star wars project ever - failed.

Because even if most people have no idea why exactly, it doesn't speak to the soul. It is empty spectacle with malicious intent, like someone using sparklers to light an animal sacrifice.

To the people making it, it is incomprehensible that it failed because they cannot comprehend humans. They blame Russian bots and Gamergate and global warming and heavy metal and ...

Never look at themselves. Because they hate the sight of what is inside. The rot seeping through the mask.

So I hope every Leftist fails to learn from this, and puts their life savings into more and more of these monsters.

Because as they die, so too will Leftism. The average person has no interest in politics until the obnoxious making it their business, and oh the Woke are doing that every day now, forcing themselves in front and center, whilst screaming vile epithets.

I saw a journalist claiming the failure of woke propaganda was because YouTubers were turning people into Nazis.

But the truth is ALMOST NOONE ALIVE WATCHES OR HEARS THE PEOPLE IMPORTANT TO US. Most are barely aware of YouTube anyway. Any more than they know the names of the best French chef when they chomp down on hamburgers.

But they do notice that the same obnoxious screaming maniacs keep shoving filth onto the roll and demanding they eat it up and smile...

[tasteofantasy]

I wanna do this again and I also wanna bring attention to this obscure game. So reblog with a pic of your F/O and I'll assign them a Chomp form from Monster Tale!