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harveybwabbit92 · 9 months ago

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Grocery girl: Ken Sato x reader pt. 1

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You were a delivery girl who was a frequently dispatched to famous baseball player's Ken Sato residence, you were a nobody that anyone hardly paid attention to, until you found the legendary baseball passed out on his front steps looking like hell, being a bit of worry wart you help him inside and that things took a HUGE turn when you find yourself playing mommy for a giant baby dragon....

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Part 2,Part3,part4

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"He's been ordering a lot of Coconut water lately..." R/n mumbled as she loaded up her delivery van with the items on the shopping list Ken Sato's assistant sent her for his bi-weekly delivery, usually he just orders beer, protein shakes and a melange western food some of which were not a common find around Japanese super markets.

R/n had to go special import stores for some of the stuff Mr. Sato orders; which takes R/n though a wild runaround of the entire city, A route that none her other coworkers had the time or patience for; even the self-proclaimed "Sato-fan queen" Who stole R/n's route gave up within 20 minutes when she couldn't find the tiny shop that sold his special brand of coffee.

Her saga ended when she tried to cut corners and grabbed random items and delivered those instead...Yeah, that went over like a lead balloon. Her majesty got a harsh chewing out by the boss after Mr. Sato's assistant complained about the delivery and threatened a restraining order after the younger devilry girl displayed an obsessive and aggressive attitude.

(I.E. taking selfies of herself in front of the house, flirting into the intercom and trying to force herself into Mr Sato's house when she realized he wasn't home.)

Needless to say, R/n was assigned Mr. Sato's personal delivery girl, cos she was the only one that didn't have crush on him. Much to the ire of her female and few male coworkers. R/n remembered the first time Mr. Sato was there to receive his groceries in person. He seemed thrown off by her complete impassiveness towards him....

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{Flashback, To Ken taking the groceries from R/n, he kept staring at the delivery girl expecting her to crack a smile or squeal excitedly or something, but no, she kept a neutral expression on her face and stayed professional during the entire transaction.]

"Uh....Aren't you going to ask for my autograph?"

"Nope."

"But...I'm Ken Sato."

"Yeah, I know who you are and I don't care. sign here."

R/n holds out her tablet as Ken stares at her baffled; he signs the digital receipt, R/n printed out the receipt sticker and slapped it on the the box the baseball player was holding, The (Y/Height) woman then tipped her hat to him before getting into her van and driving off leaving Ken standing in his driveway completely dumbfounded.

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After that Mr. Sato and R/n kept their interactions short and sweet, which seemed to work just fine for them. But things change and R/n was going to experience a very big change in her life.

It all started when the Sato-stalker queen Or Meiko AKA: "Meimei" as calls herself on her blog invited R/n to Mr. Sato's premier game, R/n tried to reject the offer as gently as possible; sports were never really her thing, but the bottle blonde girl had guilt tripped her into going. Apparently she doesn't have many friends (wonder why?), so there was R/n sitting up in the nosebleed section while feeling awkward in the sparkly baseball jersey Meimei had insisted she wear for the occasion.

The whole time the blonde was squealing and blabbing about Mr. Sato and how handsome he was and how unfair it was that R/n got to see him, thought the older woman was quick to dash whatever hopes Meimei had of hearing about Mr. Sato's personal life by informing her that he's barely home when she delivers to him and few times he is there it's just to receive the groceries.

"What goes on in Mr. Sato's private life is not our business..." R/n affirmed Meimei just pouted and called R/n mean before turning her attention to the pitch, she gasped loudly and started shaking R/n excitedly. "Ohmygash,ohmygash!! It's him! she squealed as Mr. Sato stepped on to the field towards his position at bat.

R/n couldn't help but wince when she watched Ken miss the first two balls, she saw the catcher from the other team say something that peeved off Mr. Sato; it looked like they were going to throw down until the umpire calmed it down and Mr. Sato change his position at the third pitch.

He pulled off an impressive power hit that got the crowd screaming and cheering. However, as Meimei was squealing and shaking R/n for what seemed to be for the umpteenth time she failed to notice her older coworker's attention was completely fixated on something else.

She felt R/n suddenly grab her hand. Meimei looked at R/n bemused but then noticed her shocked expression as the older delivery girl pointed up at the sky; the younger one followed her gaze and lost all of her peppiness in seconds as an explosion from a downed aircraft went off over the stadium causing the entire place to shake!

The stadium erupted into chaos as R/n instinctively covered her younger coworker from any fallen debris as the Kaiju alert system went off ordering everyone to evacuate! R/n and Meimei wasted no time getting out of the stadium just in time to see Ultraman arrive and punch the Kaiju away from the stadium. R/n stood back to watch them fight for a few moments before a hysterical Meimei dragged her away...

{Cut to a few hours later}

R/n was finishing up a few late night deliveries, some of her coworker didn't want to come in due to the monster attack so R/n was forced to take over their shifts. She had just finished delivering cat-food to a nice old lady, when she got a call from Mr. Sato he wanted donuts and coffee.

R/n sighed and went to work she pulled up to Ken's home on the old delivery scooter the boss had rusting in the back seeing as it was a small delivery, it was raining heavily by the time she pulled up to the house. R/n walked up and knocked the door Mr. Sato opened the door and looked startled to see her.

"Uh, What are you doing here so late?" He asked looking around his driveway, R/n cocked a brow and held up his order like it should be obvious. "Yeah, I know...But it's usually the old guy that delivers this late." R/n explained he took the night off she was filing in, Ken reluctantly took the donuts when he notices how wet her uniform was and looked outside again and noticed the rusty scooter just chilling in his driveway and frowned.

"You didn't drive all the way up here on that thing did you?" R/n just shrugged Mr. Sato looked like he was going invite her in or something, but they were interrupted by a weird cry coming from somewhere in the house. "What was that?" R/n inquired bouncing on her toes trying to look over his shoulder, the baseball player got this 'oh crap' look on his face as he quickly blocked her view.

"Uh, Nothing, j-just my TV! Here's your tip!" R/n's phone pinged the delivery girl's usual calm demeanor was replaced with one of panic as she tried to explain that Japan doesn't practice tipping! Only for her eyes widened in shock the amount he sent her. "...And e-Even if we did do tips, I think you overdid-" Mr. Sato quickly cuts her off. "No I didn't!" and slammed the door in her face.

R/n blinked a few times as she looked between her phone and the door baffled after a few seconds of trying figure out what that all about? Before shrugging then walked back her scooter and drove off....

{Ken gave the reader about three hundred dollars.)

[Next time R/n finds out just what Mr. Sato was hiding in his house the encounter was both cute and terrifying.]

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Cross posted on my A03/Squidgeworld/Wattpad.

#I was half asleep when I wrote this #i haven't written full stories in so long #ultraman #tokusatsu #ultraman rising #kenji sato #kenji sato x reader #afab reader #emi #emi ultraman #ultraman fanfic #reader insert

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johannestevans · 3 months ago

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It's the Smashwords annual sale, and thousands of eBooks are discounted, with many of mine FREE!

You can browse all of my books on Smashwords here, and delightfully with Smashwords, you can even eBooks as gifts as well as having them for yourself!

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Gerald Poole and the Pirates - Novella. MM and MMM romance. ADHD gentleman and exhausted autistic naval lieutenant are kidnapped by a devilishly sexy pirate and his crew in the 18th century Mediterranean.

Divine Service - Novella. Pre-romance, with Jeeves and Wooster flavouring. A young man coming into himself as a servant in a big house is pulled to a higher destiny by his divine father; meanwhile, a clumsy and abashed young man attempts to escape his family's plans for him.

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Very Well - Romance in Ancient Greece. A herbalist is dispatched for his role in an arranged marriage of sorts with a priest of Aristaeus far from home. With time – and effort – the two of them come to an understanding.

A Man's Indentures - Fantasy/romance short. A man indentured is dispatched to an island to be a bailiff's bodyguard. 13.5k, M/M. A man indentured for his parents' debts is dispatched to a magic-poor island to serve as bodyguard to the local bailiff — an imperfectly beautiful man who has indentures of his own.

A Gift for the Wolfmen - A young man in a brothel is invited to join a quartet of hulking wolf-like warriors. 6.4k, rated E. Two trans men, both being gangbanged and cumflated by four huge cis wolfmen.

Sun-Kissed and Lightning-Touched - A mercenary and a messenger travel together to an isolated mountain shrine. 9k, rated E, cis M/M. Euclides, a mercenary, accompanies the haughty messenger Iridoros to an isolated shrine on the top of a mountain.

Hitting the Books - A young man (age 24) returns to his old school to teach and attempts to pursue his old history teacher. Rated M, 12.6k, cis M/M.

Steps Ahead - A serving boy seduces a prince who is tired of the weight of his crown. Rated M. 13.7k. M/M fantasy, with dark comedy throughout, and a rather fraught romance. Prince Alexander, who hates the weight of his crown, his kingdom, and his princely identity, tries at every opportunity to escape his position, but is foiled at every turn.

Sleeping Beauty - A sailor takes something that doesn't belong to him, and the captain punishes him for it. 9.2k, cis M/trans M and cis M/M. A carpenter's apprentice can't resist the captain's cabin boy while he's meant to be performing maintenance, and afterwards, the captain and the cabin boy punish him between them.

Workplace Connections - A junior secretary makes a friend at work, and some more besides. 10k, rated M, F/F. A young woman makes friends with one of the only male secretaries in her workplace. 1960s Manhattan, featuring lavender marriages, period queerness, autism, misogyny, cats, etc.

Room for Dessert - An office worker is taken out for dinner by his new, hot boss. 5.8k, rated E, M/M. Boss/employee, age difference, power dynamics, food kink, stuffing, kissing, some mild masochism.

For Want of Time - A delivery man is quite infatuated with the clerk at a magical toy shop. Sweet and loving M/M romance developing bit by bit here. Rated T, 6k, with teasing and flirtation throughout. CW for loss of a parent and grief.

The Many Deaths of Baldr the Undying - One of Odin's record-keepers interviews the god Loki on the subject of the god Baldr – his life, his death, and what came after. 13.6k, rated M for violence, featuring some Loki and Baldr, some Odin scheming off-screen.

The Devil's Mark - In medieval Bohemia, a young man trails after the executioner after the hanging of his father. Eventually taking pity on him, the executioner invites him inside. 11k, rated E, M/M. Some age difference, intimacy, oral, first-time topping, and masturbation, but the E rating here is as much here for heavy themes.

Agony and Ecstasy - An abbot takes a stranded sailor on for… personal duties. 6k, M/M, rated E! Age difference, virginity kink, some naivety, some oral and anal, first time enthusiasm.

Gellert's New Job - Gellert has worked as a business manager for the King family for nearly a decade when an error in judgement brings his employment to an abrupt end. Lucien Pike, a rival kingpin, employs his services instead. Fantasy, crime, and a good bit of dark humour. 21k. Rated M. Transgender, autistic man's POV; both protagonists are autistic.

Touch-Starved - When a man finds out about his disabled coworker's active sex life, he's very jealous, and maybe… something else, too. Rated E, cis M/ cis M, 15k! Arden Rice has been friends with Sebastian April for years, and it's never occurred to him before now that April might have an active sex life — let alone a sex life he want to involve himself in.

... and a good few other stories besides!

#musings #original fiction #writers on tumblr #authors on tumblr #original characters

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feminist-space · 6 months ago

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"Now, already experiencing the clawing pangs of contractions, she pulled out a frozen pizza and a salad with creamy everything dressing, savoring the hush that fell over the house, the satisfying crunch of the poppy seeds as she ate.

Horton didn’t realize that she would be drug tested before her child’s birth. Or that the poppy seeds in her salad could trigger a positive result on a urine drug screen, the quick test that hospitals often use to check pregnant patients for illicit drugs.

Many common foods and medications — from antacids to blood pressure and cold medicines — can prompt erroneous results.

The morning after Horton delivered her daughter, a nurse told her she had tested positive for opiates. Horton was shocked. She hadn’t requested an epidural or any narcotic pain medication during labor — she didn’t even like taking Advil. “You’re sure it was mine?” she asked the nurse.

If Horton had been tested under different circumstances — for example, if she was a government employee and required to be tested as part of her job — she would have been entitled to a more advanced test and to a review from a specially trained doctor to confirm the initial result.

But as a mother giving birth, Horton had no such protections. The hospital quickly reported her to child welfare, and the next day, a social worker arrived to take baby Halle into protective custody.

...

To report this story, The Marshall Project interviewed dozens of patients, medical providers, toxicologists and other experts, and collected information on more than 50 mothers in 22 states who faced reports and investigations over positive drug tests that were likely wrong. We also pored over thousands of pages of policy documents from every state child welfare agency in the country.

Problems with drug screens are well known, especially in workplace testing. But there’s been little investigation of how easily false positives can occur inside labor and delivery units, and how quickly families can get trapped inside a system of surveillance and punishment.

Hospitals reported women for positive drug tests after they ate everything bagels and lemon poppy seed muffins, or used medications including the acid reducer Zantac, the antidepressant Zoloft and labetalol, one of the most commonly prescribed blood pressure treatments for pregnant women.

After a California mother had a false positive for meth and PCP, authorities took her newborn, then dispatched two sheriff’s deputies to also remove her toddler from her custody, court records show. In New York, hospital administrators refused to retract a child welfare report based on a false positive result, and instead offered the mother counseling for her trauma, according to a recording of the conversation. And when a Pennsylvania woman tested positive for opioids after eating pasta salad, the hearing officer in her case yelled at her to “buck up, get a backbone, and stop crying,” court records show. It took three months to get her newborn back from foster care.

Federal officials have known for decades that urine screens are not reliable. Poppy seeds — which come from the same plant used to make heroin — are so notorious for causing positives for opiates that last year the Department of Defense directed service members to stop eating them. At hospitals, test results often come with warnings about false positives and direct clinicians to confirm the findings with more definitive tests.

Yet state policies and many hospitals tend to treat drug screens as unassailable evidence of illicit use, The Marshall Project found. Hospitals across the country routinely report cases to authorities without ordering confirmation tests or waiting to receive the results."

Read the full piece here: https://www.themarshallproject.org/2024/09/09/drug-test-pregnancy-pennsylvania-california

#failure in medicine and social care #drug testing false positives

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reasonsforhope · 2 years ago

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Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers walked out of their delivery facility on Thursday to demand that Amazon bargain with them. The 84 drivers currently on strike have held picket lines before, but this is the first time Amazon drivers have walked out in the U.S., according to a Teamsters press release.

The drivers, who work for the Amazon delivery service partner (DSP) Battle-Tested Strategies in Palmdale, California, unionized with the Teamsters in late April, and are demanding that Amazon come to the bargaining table to negotiate a contract. Drivers have already negotiated and ratified a contract with the DSP, which voluntarily recognized their union.

Amazon has previously stated that, because the drivers don’t work directly for Amazon—they work for the DSP, which is then contracted by Amazon—that the company is not obligated to bargain with them. For the past month, the union has been trying to prove that wrong, saying that, despite Amazon placing all responsibility onto the DSP, it is in fact in “complete control” of the DSP’s operations.

“We are on the picket line today to demand the pay and safety standards that we deserve,” said Raj Singh, one unionized driver on strike, in a statement. “We work hard for a multibillion-dollar corporation. We should be able to provide food and clothes for our kids.”

The drivers’ contract with the DSP guarantees a higher wage, protections against the extreme heat of California summers, and the right to refuse unsafe deliveries. Heat is an industry-wide hazard for delivery drivers. Motherboard has previously reported on how UPS drivers must deal with temperatures of over 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer. Earlier this week, the Teamsters won a tentative agreement with UPS guaranteeing improved heat protections and air conditioning in trucks...

“Amazon has no respect for the rule of law, the health of its workers, or the livelihood of their families,” said Randy Korgan, the director of the Teamsters Amazon Division, which has been working to organize Amazon facilities to protect workers and maintain wage standards in the delivery and logistics industry. “Workers are on strike today because the only thing this corporate criminal cares about is profits. We are sending a message to Amazon that violating worker rights will no longer be business as usual.”

-via Motherboard at Vice, June 15, 2023

#labor #labor unions #labor rights #teamsters #amazon #delivery driver #organized labor #strike #ups #good news #hope

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agoldenchara · 7 months ago

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A Bat's Ultimate Plan for Vengeance!

Ch. 2: Absolute goosebumps! What the hell?!

CW: Rina's food. W/C: 2.9k

Though he was upset at your behavior, Mr. Lycaon took no action to move you, nor did he raise his voice. “When our client comes, it is your agreed duty to maintain the reputation of our establishment.” “Fine, fine.” You scoffed. Just at the delivery of your remark, the door to the foyer swung open.

Softness blanketed around you, bringing a source of unfamiliarity and discomfort. Your body ached lightly while your wings twitched numbly beneath your form on the mattress. ‘…. That's weird.. Why is the ground so soft?’

Opening your eyes, you squinted as the coffered ceiling came into focus. The room was dimly lit for your comfort, curtains blacking out the sunlight. The comfort of the situation made you feel fuzzy and warm…’This is wrong’. You jolted up.

“Ahh! Please lay down, my lord!” Your servant from beside you sat up from your bedside and pushed you back into the mattress. “You're still injured from before,” she sniffed. The memory of cold hard metal returned to you, leaving your chest pulsing and aching. “...My dear lackey..” You began by clearing your throat, staring back up at the ceiling, “Just where have you brought me?”

“Uhm, you're at the café the Victoria Housekeeping Co. uses as their front.” She rambled, hoping to satiate your curiosity. You didn't interrupt, favoring to listen instead. “We’re a human resource dispatch agency… We do normal housekeeping, but sometimes we venture into the hollows if we're asked to! The aristocrats like our cafe, and it gives privacy for our clients when they want to hire us. Mr. Lycaon is the boss around here, but Ms. Sebastiane is like the second boss. Ah, wait, you haven’t met her yet..sorry..”

“Hmm.. really?” Corin made a noise of agreement, though it sounded like a squeak instead. “You guys sound like mercenaries. Or like. Assassins. Does that mean you.. can't serve me?” Corin silently helped you sit up as you leaned forward, piling more pillows behind for you to lean on. She opened her mouth to respond, but three knocks on the door interrupted.

Corin pursed her lips, pausing, and turning to answer the door. From behind her, you could make out the intimidating figure of the wolf-thiren from before. “How is he?”

The girl twiddled her fingers nervously. “Mr. Lycaon! They're awake. Would you like to talk to him?” Without answer, she moved aside to let Lycaon through the door. “If that is alright with them,” He responded stiffly.

Corin looked at you, and you looked away, but you still nodded. This wasn't your territory, but his.

He walked forward to your side. Each step he took against the tiled floors made you want to curl in on yourself again. As the distance between you two shortened, you had to forcibly keep your hand from shaking beneath the blanket. “Master..” He tried, but you only bit your lip harder.

“Y/N.” You corrected him, not willing to accept the title. Though you boldly said so, you refused to make eye contact, staring at the blanket below you. Somewhere in thought, you realized that they had changed your clothes. Gone was the ragged sleeveless bodysuit you wore, replaced by a pristine white button up and black shorts. You couldn't tell if you liked this change or not.

“Sir Y/N, do you have anywhere to return?”

“Hmph. I don't need anybody else but Corin by my side. Those loser batholes don't deserve me anyway.” You crossed your arms in defiance, attempting to look smug, but that only put pressure on your chest. You wheezed lightly and uncrossed your arms.

From Lycaon’s eyes, you looked like a kicked puppy instead, ostracized and left alone. Corin perked up and tugged at his sleeve, gesturing for him to bend down so that she could reach his ear. The two whispered back and forth, Lycaon clearly hesitating, but giving in with a sigh. He did not put up much of a fight. Corin beamed, blinking away the tears that had formed from her pleading.

She gently grasped your hands, “Why don’t don't you join us, my lord?”

The longer you stared at her, the more she grew puppy-eyed, lips trembling in embarrassment. “That is.. if you want to..” She trailed off, flushing at your lack of response.

You were torn. Would you stoop as low as to become a servant yourself? “But.. how am I supposed to be seen as a top-notch villain when I'm out there serving others? No one's going to see me as imposing!” Corin side-eyed her boss before looking back at you, letting go of your hands. “S-so you don't want to stay with me? I'm- I'm so sorry for assuming! You probably don't want to be with someone like-”

Before she could completely let go, you held on tighter. “Now, hold on!” She stopped. “If the corporate pyramid scheme is truly a pyramid, then there's absolutely nothing that’s stopping me from climbing it. Your company will be my stepping stone to success! Therefore, you will have me.” Declaring your plans, you clenched a fist up, as if solidifying your emotions.

“So.. you will join!”

“Yes, my dear lackey. That’s what I just said.”

Lycaon- Er, I guess Mr. Lycaon now, cleared his throat after allowing the two of you to have your moment. Seeing as you weren't truly a harm to the agency, he decided to allow you to continue your theatrics, though it would have to be toned down when you were inevitably allowed to interact with the clients. The two of you paused and stared at him, blinking owlishly. He felt as if he had interrupted something between you two.

“Then, in the meantime, we shall have you accommodated. After you're deemed healthy enough to move out and about, your training will begin.”

You nodded at your new superior. Corin raised her hand from beside you, “I can help you.. if you'd let me..”

You swung your arm around her, forcing her to lean closer to your bedside. “I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear servant.”

You realized that it would take you a while to get adjusted to not only the new etiquette of the agency, but to not being constantly out and about as well. Instead of hunting for critters, you were granted packets of thiren-specialized… food, your taste buds unable to cope with the palate of homemade dishes that Rina served you. Lycaon allowed Corin to tend to you especially, Rina encouraging this so that Corin could gain more experience as well as confidence.

“It’s just this way, my lord…!” Corin guided you, your hand on her shoulder as she led you towards the kitchen. You slumped your head over her shoulder dramatically, careful not to put pressure on your bruised ribs. “Ueheuhehh.. I’m so hungry...I could eat a..” Corin nodded. “Yes, Ms. Sebastiane told me that recovering can take a lot out of the body, s-so she said that she would cook up a special remedy for you.” Corin had a good feeling about this dish in her heart, though in her head.. She feared that you would not last. “Um.. if you don’t want to eat it, it’s okay. Don’t force yourself..!” The two of you made your way through the velvet carpeted floors which blanketed the checkered tiles, passing through the beams of sunlight which streamed through the window. Your shadows phased and glided across the floor, dancing between each fleck of light.

Past the double doors was the dining room, where Rina glided to and fro, her skirt swishing delicately as her bangboo spun past, delivering cutlery to their designated places beside the engraved charger plates. “Ah! Corin, little lord. You’ve arrived on time.” “I’m not little.” You replied on reflex. “Wow, this place is super fancy. I’ve only seen stuff like this in movies. Do you all normally have lunch together?” You questioned as you sat, the little bangboo with braids pushing in your chair. You watched the puppets curiously as they twirled about the room, not unlike fairies. The blonde bangboo pushed the dining cart closer as Ms. Sebastiane lifted the lid to the pot, stirring the ladle, the braided one bringing her more plates. “No, unfortunately not. Lycaon will not be joining us because he will be preparing for the arrival of our next client. Ellen is out with her friends at the moment. Sometimes, we all have shifts at different times, according to our clients. This is a special occasion.” Corin spoke up from behind your chair, “Miss..Is it okay if he tries a small serving? I think he should see if he likes it first..” “Well, if you say so~” Rina gently placed down the plate before you, pointing at the specific cutlery you needed. “Remember, outside inwards.” “Right…” You began to sweat. “Nothing that the likes of me can’t handle! Ahaha..” The soup appeared downright unappealing, the broth swirling like purple miasma. It bubbled with unidentified ingredients, shifting around the soup on their own. The soup actually lacked a distinct smell despite its appearance, but seeing as it was soup, that was worrying. You gulped. Corin was practically shaking behind you in fear and worry. If you listened closely, you could hear the beating heart of her bear plush speed up to match its owner’s.

Quickly, you placed the spoon into your mouth, gulping down the soup.

Immediately, shivers ran down your spine, and you dropped the spoon back onto the plate with a clang. Complex flavors flooded your senses and the texture of the liquid was indescribable. Your mouth tingled and your throat numbed as the spices left its aftertaste, the particles roughly sliding down. You’d never tasted anything like it. A gasp was heard behind you. “How is it?”

“G-goosebumps..” You hung your head in shock, though Rina took it positively. You could still feel the warm soup make its way to its destination, burning through your gut. In restrained excitement, she prattled off the exotic list of ingredients she had acquired for the recipe. You recognized none of the herbs or spices used, but Corin seemed to grow paler and paler. “Ms. Sebastiane..” You weakly began, though she corrected you. “Please, call me Rina. We’re soon to be co-workers.” And perhaps her new taste-tester, seeing as you had reacted so strongly.

“Rina… I don’t think anything you listed off is healthy for me..I’ve never been fed those things.” Her dolls giggled behind her, mocking your reaction. One of them hung their head like a limp doll while the other exaggerated you by choking on air and falling over. “What a shame. I’ve heard many call this recipe reenergizing, but I wouldn’t want to force it upon you if you cannot stomach it. It’d only be worse for you in the long run.” She turned to Corin, “Dear, would you like to help me finish off the soup?”

Said girl stuttered and quickly shook her head, headband almost coming loose in the process. “N-No thank you! I’m not hungry.”

Later, Corin would bow to you repeatedly as you downed nutritional packets that you had found in the back of the cupboards, promising to cook for you the next time as an apology. “I get to try your cooking?!” Your head shot out of the compartment in surprise.

The maid nodded meekly as you chewed on the plastic, your teeth piercing through. “Well why didn’t you say so? You’re mine right? Make that an everyday thing and we have a deal!” You pointed at her from halfway within the shelf, your other hand continuing to unwrap the prepackaged meals. “Ahh! D-deal! Please slow down..”

You were granted a small wardrobe of your own that fit the aesthetic of the company. Not quite the uniform, the clothing given to you was both flowy in order to appear elegant, and form fitting at certain points to allow for mobility when you wanted to be more active.

Active, as in.. “Sir Y/N, please come down from the ceiling, or I will have to call Rina to fetch you.” Lycaon sighed as he found you perched upside down on the chandelier, swinging lightly. From beside him, Ellen stood uninterested, tapping away at her phone while leaning on the side of the guest sofa. You clicked your tongue disrespectfully, “Well, you’re no fun, Mr. Lycaon. Rina only captures me because you tell her to. Why don’t you just come up here instead? Didn’t you tell me I had to watch? I can see the whole room from here!” You taunted him, watching as he narrowed his eyes. You wrapped your wings around yourself in a cocoon as your knees bent around the metal frame.

“Fine, fine.” You scoffed.

Just at the delivery of your remark, the door to the foyer swung open. Rina walked through, stopping to acknowledge the person following. “After you.” She bowed her head and folded her hands, awaiting their entrance.

With a silent ‘swoop’, you appeared to the right of Ellen as Lycaon side-eyed you, sparing no more than a glance. You winked and mouthed the words ‘eyes and ears’.

Your boss stepped forward to greet the client. As if a hidden cue played, the attendants of Victoria Housekeeping Co. bowed simultaneously, minus you. Ellen sighed inaudibly and pushed your head down so that you were unable to make eye contact with the aristocrat, or embarrass them.

“Thank you for using the Victoria Housekeeping, where your wish is our command, Master. Please, make yourself comfortable.” Lycaon greeted the client, and only sat when the client did so. From beside, Rina poured out tea, her bangboo delivering the cups.

From behind the sofa, you could tell the guy was oddly young. His coat looked elaborate, yet colorfully pleasing, and his rings glimmered from his fingers, the gems in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Though, his most noticeable feature was his long purple hair, which was tied into a low side ponytail. In fact, he looked so regal that if he had sat still enough, people would assume the scene to be a portrait of an unnamed historical figure.

All in all, this person seemed very unreal to you.

“Let’s.. skip over the pleasantries, shall we?” The client began, placing both hands on his decorative cane. “I’d like to request a few of your attendants to work as temporary bodyguards for my daughter. I’m afraid that one’s a bit too rambunctious for her own good, always sneaking out somewhere.”

He exaggeratedly sighed, like the noble he was. “That girl will probably go and get lost somewhere, and I really need to keep an eye on her. I’ll be away for two weeks, so it’ll probably be in that timeframe.” From behind the man, you silently mimicked his sigh, placing a hand on your forehead in mock worry. Ellen pinched your arm. “Is that something you can do?”

Lycaon nodded in understanding. “Yes, our services do include protection. Is there anybody you would like to request, in particular?”

The man leaned back into the sofa and gestured a hand to his side. The side that you and Ellen were standing at. You began to sweat.

“How about these two?” The butler hesitated. “Master, I’m afraid that will not be possible. Those two are not full time workers. Furthermore, I have yet to train the other. He is simply here for observation.” The man waved a hand in dismissal. “Bah, it’s fine! I’ll just pay extra for the overtime. Young workers like that, right? Besides, people who are a little feisty are perfect for my daughter.” He leaned forward and picked up the teacup, placing the rim of the cup against his lips to test the temperature. “The girl always complains about how stiff her personal maids are. Those two look like they can keep in line enough.” Lycaon hardened his eyes. “Master, no amount of payment shall sway me to jeopardize the completion of the commission nor the safety of my workers if I do not believe them to be ready.” “Can’t he just have training on the job? There’s nothing like on-the-field experience, so I’ve heard.” The man grew increasingly agitated at the resistance, though he smoothed it away with a sip of the tea. “How about just the shark girl?” Lycaon looked to the both of you for your opinions on the matter. Even if he was your employer, he prioritized your decisions first. You and Ellen looked at each other.

‘What do you think?’ You raised an eyebrow.

She nodded her head in the direction of the man. ‘Do you wanna do it?’ She seemed to signal back. The two of you looked back at Mr. Lycaon.

You nodded and grinned while Ellen shrugged uncaringly.

Ellen looked back at you and also nodded in agreement with you, though still shrugging.

Lycaon looked back at the man, him tapping impatiently at the rim of the cup, his cane lay leaning against his leg. “So?”

Lycaon held back another sigh. “Your selected attendants shall do their best to carry out your wishes.” His response pleased the man. “Wonderful. I expect them to be ready at this address by tonight.” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a thin business card. Lycaon received the card with both paws and stood to bow. This time, the entirety of the Victoria Housekeep bowed along. “Thank you for reaching out to us. We hope to meet your expectations throughout the duration of our partnership.”

“As promised, I’ll send over a check for half of the commission.” The man stood with his cane and gleefully sauntered out the room, Rina escorting him out.

Lycaon looked back at the two of you, signaling you both to follow him. It seemed like your smooth recovery at the household would be briefly interrupted.

[Wait, backtrack!] [Onwards!]

#zenless zone zero #zenless zone zero x reader #zzz #zzz x reader #corin wickes #corin wickes x reader #von lycaon #lycaon x reader #corin x reader #von lycaon x reader #victoria housekeeping x reader #victoria housekeeping #ellen joe #alexandrina sebastiane

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blackcorvette · 1 month ago

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Own My Mind

Summary: 1986. Hawkins, Indiana. It’s not your fault that you’re pulled into the messy secrets and hidden world of your small town. It’s not your fault that two of your new acquaintances seem to be fond of you, and not of each other.

Warnings: Language. Stranger Things central violence. Spelling errors, grammar mistakes, and rushed writing. Eventual smut… (buckle in, it’s a long ride.) MDNI

Word Count: 3.9k

A/N: We had the clock app banned for a few hours and I was momentarily frightened over how we’d get season 5 edits :,) Now, if you haven’t already realized, this fic follows through the episodes of season four. Let’s see if there’s any changes…

Currently Reading: Part Two

Masterlist

At nine in the morning, it's been twelve hours since you’ve discovered the intruders. Twelve hours since you had heard Eddie’s story, and pieces of the stories Dustin, Robin, Max and Steve had spared over the few years of curses that they’ve endured.

Sleep came sparingly, and you had been dressed and ready to…you’re not sure exactly, but you couldn’t sit still any longer.

Most days, you walk to the house when making your checks, but this morning you take your car- not caring about how the gravel might scuff the rims or how the dust will dirty the paint. The engine cuts when you pull the key out of the ignition, quickly climbing out and loading your arms with a few bags of snacks and water bottles before shutting the car door.

You haven’t made it halfway to the boathouse when a second car pulls into the drive, the familiar faces from the night before following you to the building, carrying bags of their own.

Robin nods a hello, handing off an extra bag to Dustin and follows him and Max ahead of you to the boathouse. Steve, on the other hand, lingers back, sticking by you.

“Here.” He reaches out, taking the heavier bags from your hands.

“Thanks.” You offer him a small smile, but it’s little more than a nicety, still unnerved by the information fed to you the night before.

He gives you his own polite smile, falling as quickly as your own did, just as exhausted. Quietly, you walk together, following the group to the door.

The quiet, however, is broken when the door opens and a disgruntled, nervous Eddie is posed with a weapon and a few choice words for scaring him so badly.

Dustin grins, raising the bags, while Steve reaches over your head to wave his fingers, an action so petty you nearly laugh. “Delivery service!”

Muttering a few insulting phrases, Eddie takes one of the bags, pulling out the first thing he can reach. A box of cereal. He stalks away, towards the boat he has deemed his favorite spot in the building, opening the box as he walks.

Steve drops the bags on the floor, the others following suit. Groceries spill onto the floor, and you crouch to gather them before they fall into the water to be wasted.

A shadow casts over you, and when you glance up, you see Steve lowering to help you, wordlessly placing them back into the bags.

When you stand, he gestures for you to stand beside him, opening a small bag of trail mix he hadn’t replaced, offering it to you- as if he had known you hadn’t eaten since the afternoon before.

Standing beside Steve against the wall, the two of you share the food. Every time you finish a portion, he’ll pour more into your outstretched hand- an action so natural you could imagine you’ve been close friends for years, rather than acquainted for less than a day.

“So we got, uh…” Dustin begins to talk while Eddie feasts on dry cereal. “Some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?”

Eddie pretends to consider his options, a handful of cereal being dropped back into the yellow box before lifting an equally bright colored bottle of Yoohoo. “Bad news first, always.”

“Alright, bad news.” Dustin continues. “We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you.”

The news is new to you, making you wince, half wondering if you’ve become an accomplice to this entire thing.

“Also, they’re pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.” He adds as if it were the morning weather depicting sunny skies.

“Like, one hundred percent kind of convinced.” Max says, with a bit more sensitivity than Dustin is using with the recently criminalized man sulking in a boat.

You sigh, dropping the side of your head to the support beam you’re leaning against, only to feel Steve’s hand wrap around your wrist and tug it close enough to pour more trail mix into your palm, either as a distraction or apology, you welcome it either way.

“And the good news?” Eddie asks with a tired breath.

Robin is the one to answer. “Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But, if we found out about you, it’s only a matter of time before others do too, and once that gets out. Everyone and their shallow minded mother is gonna be gunning for you.”

Eddie’s eyes turn away. “Hunt the freak, right?”

“Exactly.” Robin says with no hesitation, though you can sense the regret in her voice.

Eddie curses, but Dustin attempts to make a futile attempt at a plan. “So before that happens, we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.”

Steve nods beside you, as if the plan is fullprof, but doesn’t attempt to appear at all convinced when he catches your gaze.

“That’s all, Dustin? That’s all?” Eddie’s smile is forced and bitter.

“Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it.”

“Listen, Eddie.” Robin spares him. “I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this kinda thing before.”

You flick your eyes to Steve who offers an unenthusiastic nod, confirming her claims.

Robin rephrases. “I mean, they have. A few times. And I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based. Theirs was more smoke related. But- bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we’ve got this.”

Steve nods again, this time for more than just you. “Yeah, see, we’ve usually got this girl who has super powers. But, those went bye-bye, so…”

The look on your face but be incredulous, because he shrugs when he sees it, as if trying to weakly convince you it’s true.

“So, we’re technically in more of the…”

“In the brainstorming phase?” Max answers, sounding unsure herself.

“Brainstorming!” Steve smiles and snaps, agreeing.

“There’s nothing to worry about.” Dustin says, causing Steve to huff a laugh to brush it all off- only making you less confident of the situation than you were before.

Before the awkward conversation and failed reassurance can continue, sirens begin to go off outside, making everyone turn. In seconds, Eddie is hidden beneath the tarp again and the rest of you are posed by the windows.

A set of emergency vehicles drive past quickly, their lights and sirens on.

“What do you think they're going to?” You ask out loud, not sure if you’d even earn an answer to the question.

“Robbery?” Robin asks hopefully, though her voice is tense enough to suggest she knows better.

Dustin speaks what everyone’s thinking, even you. “Another victim.”

Listening to the sirens as they fade, you glance at each one of them, trying to figure out if you really do believe there stories- if you trust them enough to stay, or if you should run now.

“There’s only one way to find out.” Steve pushes away from the window, pulling his keys from his pocket and hurrying through the door.

Robin, Max, and Dustin follow quickly. For several seconds, you remain motionless, watching them retreat, listening to the car door open. You don’t have enough time to make your decision, to even catch your breath from the last hours of your life- and yet you willingly follow them.

Quickly, you rush to the door, Steve has just closed the driver side when you appear. When he sees you, he waves a hand to tell you to hurry. Robin, who had taken the passenger seat, tells the kids to move before she climbs into the back without getting out.

You get into the passenger seat as fast as you can, barely closing the door before Steve has reversed out of the driveway and begins to speed down the road to chase the cop cars and ambulance, but they’re too far ahead.

The road is a straight shot for a minute, but you soon pull up to a fork in the road, the emergency vehicles nowhere in sight, and the sirens echoing in every direction. Steve slows the car to a stop, cursing while Dustin’s voice cuts in with a mild complaint. You pay little attention to the argument starting between the four- instead reaching down to lower your window.

The sirens are fainter now, and you squint into the forest in either direction. On the right, you can make out the distant reflection of the lake, more trees past that, and on the left… You have to climb halfway out of the window, your arms against the rooftop of the car.

Steve notices first, his voice snapping from the argument and turning to you. “Hey, what are you-”

The red and blue flashing confirms what you had thought you’d seen. “There.” You point towards the left when you come to a fork in the road. “I can see the lights through the trees.”

“Got it, now get down!” Steve urges, a hand grasping your coat and holding onto you while you ease back into the car, trying not to slip.

Once you’re secured back into your seat, he sets off again, turning left and driving until you finally catch sight of the lights ahead.

“Shit.” Dustin groans as you get closer to the cars, a blockade and several people already on scene. “We’re late- they’ve already secured the scene. And now-”

Max hushes him, then opens her car door to be the first one out. Dustin and Robin follow. You climb out as Steve shuts off the car before stepping out himself. In the distance, you see another familiar face- one you hadn’t thought of since Highschool.

Nancy Wheeler is standing with a pair of officers, who seem to be questioning her. Her eyes land on the group, lingering on you for a few moments too long, and you wonder if she’s having the same thoughts as you. Why is she here?

“Is she…” You turn to Dustin who stands behind you, the car door held open. “Is she part of everything?”

He nods. “It started with Barb.”

“Barb?” You gasp, stomach dropping. “You mean, Barb was in on everything? They said she went missing?”

“She did…sort of?” He shakes his head, not elaborating.

Mind now muddied with the new information, that your friend had been involved is more troubling than anything else that they’ve told you so far. The girl you had spent days searching for, crying for- had not just gone missing but had been entangled in this.

You focus your eyes on the scene in front of you, attempting to make sense of it- to take your mind off of anything else, but it’s anything but comforting.

“A body.” You huff out, seeing the tarp being pulled over a mangled shape in the center of the road. “That’s fucking great.”

“Yeah, well.” Steve shrugs, shutting the car door. “Welcome to the shitstorm.”

The officers let Nancy go, and she immediately begins to walk in your direction. Her arms are crossed, eyes reddened. The group of you meet her halfway, you linger on the edge, unsure of your place in it all.

“What happened?” Dustin is the first to speak, but Nancy shakes her head and her eyes meet yours.

“Who’s this?”

The question makes you raise your brow, the calm accusation in her voice much too passive of the crime still standing in the street behind her. You give her your name, but she does nothing more than stare, scrutinizing your presence.

“She found Eddie.” Steve offers, which causes her eyes to snap to his, attention caught by Eddie’s mention.

“She found him-” Her eyes flick to you, then move back to Steve. “Forest Hills. There’s too many people here, we’ll talk there. Don’t let her go.”

It’s been years since you’ve seen Nancy, and you’ve never spoken to her before- but suddenly you understand the rumors or her too sweet personality being foraged. The entirety of Highschool you managed to never cross paths, and you believed the rumors to be made up by bored students. At least you had until the story about the Halloween party.

Now, you’re sure that they were onto something. She doesn’t even say goodbye, just turns and stalks towards her car across the street. Steve sighs, and gestures back towards his car, everyone else piling in already.

Biting your tongue, you climb back into your seat, closing the car door and letting the mild irritation dissipate.

The drive feels longer than it truly is, Nancy drives ahead, being the first one to pull into the trailer park. She parts a few yards from a set of picnic tables. When Steve parks, you sit for a moment in the car, hesitant to listen to more unpleasant occurrences happening in Hawkins.

You’re the last one to get out of the car, walking towards the picnic table and taking the only free seat, between Steve and Dustin. And directly across from Nancy. You try not to let the fact that she watches every move bother you.

The entire time that Nancy and the rest exchange stories, you remain silent. Soon, they let you speak, telling them how you had found Eddie and helping them explain Eddie’s experience.

“So you’re saying that, this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the Upside Down?” Nancy asks, processing what she’s been given.

“If the shoe fits.” Steve responds, and you hold back a snort.

“Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse.” Dustin begins to say, diving into what he and Eddie had concluded in the boathouse the prior night. “Now, wherever or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

Before you can ask what a Mind Flayer is, Max speaks. “All we know is this is something different. Something new.”

Nancy shakes her head, her face pinched in frustration. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s only a theory.” Dustin is cut off.

“No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense.” She looks up. “I mean… why them?”

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place? They were both at the game.” Even to you, Dustin’s idea seems weak.

“And near the trailer park.” Max says.

You look up, unsettled and meeting Steve’s eyes right before he speaks your mind. “We’re at the trailer park.”

“Should we maybe…” You look around, the entire place seemingly stilled. “Not be here?”

“There is something about this place.” Nancy speaks over you, and you manage not to roll your eyes. “Fred started acting weird the second we got here.”

Robin leans forward. “Acting weird as in…?”

“Scared.” Nancy continues. “On edge. Upset.”

The wind picks up, and you wrap your coat tighter around you, listening to her words and letting them settle.

“Max said Chrissy was upset too.” Dustin remembers, the dots connecting and revealing a little more at a time.

“Yeah, but not here.” She reverses the statement. “She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

Slowly, it clicks into place, your mind adapting to follow the clues and search for leads, eventually leading to one regulation. You have to shake the hesitation before you speak, push away the fear that you’ll be looked down upon if you’re wrong.

“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?” You say, looking at Steve for support before going on. “So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this…Vecman-”

“Vecna.” Dustin corrects.

Steve ignores him,scratching at his jaw with a sort of leisure, which eases the sting of your embarrassment. “I don’t know about you guys, but if I say some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone.”

“Maybe they did.” Max nods. “I saw Chrissy leaving Ms, Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you…you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you. But you might go to your-”

“Your shrink.” Robin finishes.

As if sharing one mind, everyone jumps into action. You stand from the table, heading towards the car, ready to follow your leads. Halfway to the car, you hear Steve’s voice calling after Nancy.

“Whoa, whoa. Nance. Nance!” He attempts to stop her before she can get further. “Nance, where are you going?”

She turns, a look on her face that tells you she’d rather not tell him- let alone anyone else standing here. “Oh, there’s just something I wanna check on first.” She keeps walking, trying to ignore his pressing.

“Something you wanna share with the rest of us?” You ask without thinking, earning a narrowed look from her and a nod of agreement from Dustin.

“I don’t wanna waste your time.” She says to Steve. “It’s a real shot in the dark.”

“Yeah, okay, are you out of your mind?” He asks, his voice taking an edge. “Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose?”

You lean towards Robin, keeping your voice low. “Isn’t she dating the Byers boy?” Robin snorts, and you fight a smile while Steve keeps talking.

“No. It’s too dangerous. You need someone to…” He taps his fingers against his leg, then turns and tosses his car keys to Robin. “Here you go. I’ll stick with Nance, Alright? You guys take the car, check out the shrink.”

Robin scoffs softly and gestures to his car with the keys. “I don’t think you want me driving your car.”

He frowns. “Why?”

“I don’t have a license.” She says as if it were obvious, the keys jingling in her hands as she moves her arms.

“Why don’t you have a license?” He asks, almost offended by her admission.

“I’m poor.” The answer is simple enough.

Max chimes in all too eagerly. “I can drive-”

“No!” Steve’s reaction is immediate, complete with horror and an accusatory finger. “Never again- Please, anybody but you. No.”

Dustin makes a face, as if suggesting he could drive and Steve quickly denies him as well. You don’t even make an attempt, though you’re likely the only other capable driver here.

“Alright, okay. This is stupid.” Robin reaches into Dustin’s backpack, pulling the second Walkie-Talkie from the pocket before stalking towards Nancy. “Us ladies will stick together. Unless, you think we need you to protect us?”

Steve answers with a tight lipped and fake smile, obviously upset by the way she’d handled the situation. Nancy shrugs and turns her back, following Robin to her car.

“Be careful.” Steve raises his voice towards them, Robin raising a peace sign aim response.

“Just gonna stand there and gawk?” Dustin asks, pulling Steve’s attention away from the retreating pair of girls.

“Shut up.” He turns back to the car, walking towards the driver side.

Dustin presses more, for his own amusement. “Why don’t we go? Okay?”

“Shut up and get in the car.” Steve tells him again, walking past Max as she climbs into the backseat. “And wipe your feet.”

Dustin stares straight at him, sticking his leg into the car and wiping his dirty shoes on the floorboard, pissing Steve off further.

“Are they always like this?” You ask Max, sitting in the back with her while Steve yells at Dustin in the front.

She nods. “All the time.”

Steve begins to drive, and not then minutes down the road, the crackling sound of the radio brings to echo through the car- a voice filtering through desperately.

“Lucas?” Dustin scrambles for the radio, answering as fast as he can. “Where the hell have you been?”

“Just listen.” The boy on the other end pleads, sounding no less anxious. “Are you guys looking for Eddie?”

Dustin clicks the button. “We found him, no thanks to you.”

“You found him?” The static becomes thicker and thinner between words.

“A boathouse on Lipton Road.”

“My boathouse.” You say to no one in particular, not earning an answer.

“Don’t worry, he’s safe.” Dustin continues.

“You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?” The tone he takes is more aggressive, betrayal laced.

“That’s bullshit.” Dustin argues. “Eddie tried to save Chrissy.”

Lucas is quick to answer. “Then why do all the cops say he did it?”

Before Dustin can reply, Max reaches across the seat and takes the radio from his hands, raising it to speak. “Lucas, you’re so behind it’s ridiculous, okay? Just meet us at the school- we’ll explain later.”

“I can’t.” He sighs. “I think some real bad shits about to go down.”

She frowns. “What are you talking about? What bad shit?”

Static. He doesn’t answer, not even when Max calls his name a few times in hopes of a response. She continues to try, until eventually giving up, and in less than twenty minutes, you’re in the middle of a neighborhood.

The therapist's house is just like any other, placed on a suburban lawn with equally as quaint neighbors. You’d never suspect that a Highschool student was about to steal the key to confidential information from a school official for the sake of ending the terror of some Vecna monster.

From the car, you watch as Max rings the doorbell and Ms. Kelley answers. They speak for a miner before she allows Max inside, closing the door behind them.

“Okay, she’s in.” Steve says.

Dustin, still not over their spat at the trailer park, spits back with annoyance. “I’m missing collarbones, not eyes.”

“Excuse me?” You ask, bewildered.

“So,” His voice takes a more serious tone, forgoing the question you ask. “Are we gonna talk about it?”

Steve looks away from the house to finally glance at him. “Sorry, talk about what?”

Dustin’s eyes widen, he raises his brows as he speaks. “You’re temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Nance?”

You huff out a laugh, settling in to hear the conversation, giving it your full attention.

“First of all, that’s not what happened.” Steve narrows his eyes at Dustin, not expecting it when you are the one to answer.

“Pretty sure that’s what happened.” You offer a sheepish smile when he gives you a look.

Dustin readily agrees with you. “It was public, there were a lot of witnesses.”

“Are you implying I still have a thing for Nance?” Steve acts offended with the slight suggestion.

“No, he’s not implying.” You can’t hide the smile that spreads on your face, though it’s born of the enjoyment you take in the drama.

“I’m stating.” Dustin adds. “And, as it relates to your steadfast refusal to date Robin, it’s pretty much the only logical explanation.”

“That’s not the only one.” Steve doesn’t hesitate, and it results in a barked laugh you can’t stifle, realizing that Dustin doesn’t have a clue. “And as for Nance- I was just trying to protect a friend. A friend, Henderson. Okay?”

“Okay.” He relents, but the disbelief is evident in his tone and demeanor.

“I don’t wanna find her in the morning with her eyes sucked out of the front of her skull by this Vecna creep-“

Dustin speaks through a short burst of laughter. “You’re like, bright red in the face right now-”

“No I’m not- I don’t wanna talk about it. I’ll punch you so hard in your face that your teeth will fall back out-”

“Whoa.” You cringe.

“Too far.” Dustin frowns at Steve, and your gaze moves between them, watching the guilt settle into Steve’s eyes.

“Not cool. Sorry.” Steve apologizes.

Dustin accepts it immediately, the tension easing just slightly. “Not cool. It’s okay.”

And as most men do, they settle it over a fist bump, which only makes you laugh again to yourself in slight disbelief. But before you can fall back into conversation, Steve looks out the window just as Max begins to walk out and rushes to the car. “Here she comes, here she comes.”

She climbs in quickly, ordering Steve to drive, yelling at him when he doesn’t quickly enough. He starts the car and speeds off, the movement pressing you into the back of your seat and squealing coming from the tires.

#steve x reader #eddie x reader #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #st season 4 #reader insert #x reader #fanfic #my fic #joseph quinn #joe keery

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suckerfordylansstuff · 7 months ago

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New Journey (S.H.) Chapter 4 Season 4

Pairing: Steve Harrington x henderson!reader

Summary: Back to Hawkins for spring break. Y/n believed it would just be a quiet time to cherish with her loved ones, but one day in and another mess had already began.

Warnings: cursing

Notes: Really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially because of all the small bickering moments between the characters. More of that will come in the next chapters. I hope you enjoy and stay safe out there! 💕

Chapter 3 << Masterlist >> Chapter 5

The next day rose, and your first stop was at the market to pick up some food and drinks for Eddie. You were simply chatting with your friends as you opened the door to the lake house not expecting to find a startled Eddie on the other side, the broken beer bottle once again in his hand.

“Delivery service.” your brother said in a light voice as he held up the grocery bags in his hands.

Eddie relaxed and thanked you before grabbing the bags off Dustin’s hands, rushing to see what you got him. He sat on the ground and began stuffing his face with the food.

“So, we got, uh, some good news and some bad news. How do you prefer it?” the rest of you settled around him listening to Dustin explaining what happened after they left him last night.

“Bad news first, always.”

“All right. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they’re definitely looking for you. Also, they’re, uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.”

“Like, a 100% kind of convinced.” Max pointed out.

“And the good news?” Eddie asked, hoping for something to ease his nerves.

“Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it’s only a matter of time before others do too. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you.” Robin told him and the guy responded with bitterness in his words.

“Hunt the freak, right?”

“Something like that.” you nodded.

“Shit.” he cursed under his breath.

“So, before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence.”

“That’s all, Dustin? That’s all?”

“Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it” your brother nodded.

You got why Eddie was so snarky. His whole life changed in the blink of a moment. He didn’t know anything about the Upside Down, about the Mind Flayer, but now he has experienced a traumatic episode happening in front of him, unable to do anything to help the innocent girl and the whole town perceives him as a killer. So, it was understandable why he thought the rest of you were so crazy to think as this is easy, just another Tuesday for you.

“Listen, Eddie, I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this kind of thing before. I mean, they have a- a few times…” Robin pointed towards you and you nodded to confirm her words “…and- and I have once. Mine was more human-flesh-based, theirs was more smoke-related, but bottom line is, collectively, I really feel like we got this.”

“Yeah, we kinda have set a record for the number of times we’ve done this. It’s like an annual event at this point.” you decided to approach the fourth time you’ve dealt with this with more dark humor, just so you could cope with the craziness over this whole thing.

“Yes, see, we usually rely on this girl who has superpowers. But, uh, those went bye-bye, so…” Steve said as he stood next to you.

“So, we’re technically in more of the-”

“Kinda…” Robin and Steve tried to find their words before Max stepped in.

“Brainstorming phase.”

“Brainstorming.” Steve snapped his finger at Max, agreeing with her.

“There-There’s nothing to worry about.” Dustin said it in a way to relax Eddie, but when you looked at said boy’s face he looked anything but relaxed.

Suddenly, you could hear sirens going off outside, alerting all of you.

“Shit…” Steve cursed under his breath.

“Tarp. Tarp. Tarp.” you pointed at Eddie who quickly hid himself under the tarp as the rest of you ran to the windows to check what was happening.

Thankfully the police cars and the ambulance driving by weren’t meant for you, but they did intrigue your interest. So, you collectively decided to follow after them and see if anything new has happened.

You ended up near the trailer park. Steve parked the car and you all got out of your seats to get a better look. As your head lifted up your eyes fell on Nancy’s. She looked scared and you just knew it had to do with what you had found out. And by the apprehensive look on your face, as well as the others, Nancy also knew that this wasn’t just a killer on the loose, it was something you were all too familiar with.

You waited until she gave her statement to the new chief of the police before heading to one of the picnic tables at the park, filling Nancy in on everything you had so far, which wasn’t a lot.

“So, you’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the Upside Down?” Nancy was sitting opposite of you, while Robin and Max sat by her sides.

“If the shoe fits.” Steve answered. He was on your left, playing with your fingers under the table as you looked at Dustin on your right who started talking.

“Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse. Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

“All we know is that this is something different. Something new.” you saw Nancy start shaking her head after Max’s words.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

“It’s only a theory.” Dustin told her but she quickly explained herself.

“No, Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense. I mean, why them?”

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.” you suggested, desperately trying to find a connection.

“They were both at the game.” Dustin pointed out.

“And near the trailer park.” Max said and you felt Steve freeze for a moment next to you.

“We’re at the trailer park. Uh, should we maybe not be here?” you began looking around to see if anything was out of the ordinary, feeling a sense of uneasiness when he pointed it out.

“There is something about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here.” Nancy said, thinking of Fred’s behavior yesterday.

“Acting weird as in…?” Robin asked her.

“Scared, on edge, upset.”

“Max said Chrissy was upset too.” Dustin looked at Max who shrugged her shoulders.

“Yeah, but not here. She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right? So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman-”

“Vecna.” your brother corrected Robin.

“I don’t know about you guys, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone.” Steve told you and you scrunched your brows, a thought coming to mind.

“Yeah, but what if they didn’t really see anything?” you thought out loud, making everyone turn and look at you weirdly “I mean, Will didn’t, the Mind Flayer was playing with his mind, making him see pictures nobody else was. They’d probably thought they were going insane, too scared to talk about it to anyone.”

“Maybe not anyone.” Max caught up on your thinking “I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you… you wouldn’t go to the police. They’d never believe you. But you might go to your-”

“Your shrink.” Robin nodded at her words and you all got out of your seats heading back to your cars. The plan was to go to Ms. Kelley’s office and search for any valuable information about Chrissy.

But as your legs went over to Steve’s car you caught Nancy heading towards the other way. You wondered if she just wanted to get her own car so you asked her.

“Oh, no, there’s something else I wanna check out first.” she answered, still walking further away from the rest of you.

“Something you wanna share with the rest of us?” Dustin asked.

“I don’t wanna waste your time. It’s a real shot in the dark.” she had now stopped, trying to play it off like it wasn’t anything serious, but the look on her face told you otherwise.

“Well, you’re not going alone. No, no way.” you stepped forward before Steve followed behind you.

“Exactly. Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? It’s too dangerous. I-”

“I’ll come with you.” you nodded at your friend and took a step to go by her side, but a hand gripping onto your arm stopped you. You turned your head to see Steve looking at you like you were insane “What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you just hear what I said? It’s too dangerous. You’re not going alone.” he told you, releasing his grasp.

“I won’t be alone. I’ll be with Nancy.”

“I meant without me. You’re not going without me.” his explanation made you tilt your head in question.

“Who’s gonna drive the kids to Ms. Kelley’s house?”

“I- Wait. Here.” he dug into his pocket and took out his car keys, before throwing them at Robin, who caught them with ease “I’ll stick with you two, while Robin drives them. Then we’ll meet up again after Nancy checks out what she wants. Deal?” he directed the question at you, but Robin beat you to the answer.

“I don’t think you want me driving your car.”

“Why?” Steve sighed as he looked at Robin.

“I don’t have a license.”

“Why don’t you have a license?”

“I’m poor.” she said, her words making you stifle a chuckle down.

“I can drive.”

“No!” you pointed your finger at Max.

“No. You’re not driving my car. No way.” Steve said loudly.

Dustin felt like it was his turn, so he shrugged, but you were quick to stop him “No chance, mister.”

“Come on.” your brother whined but Steve agreed with you.

“No.” he turned back to look at you. You had a soft look on your face, which meant that you were getting your way no matter what he said.

“Steve. You can’t come with us. What if they get into trouble? Robin will trip over her own feet with every chance she gets. I’m sorry.” you apologized to your friend, who just dismissed you with a shake of her head.

“No, no, it’s true.”

“You need to keep them safe. Plus, me and Nancy know how to handle ourselves.” you walked next to Nancy, without getting stopped by your boyfriend this time.

“Are you sure? I mean-” a groan from behind him interrupted his reasoning to follow you.

“All right, okay. This is stupid.” Robin marched over to the three people in front of her, returning the keys to Steve and settling her body next to yours, her arm slinging along your shoulders “You get go with the kids. Us ladies will stick together. Unless you think we need you to protect us.” Steve pulled a face at her words, finally accepting defeat.

You smiled and yelled out before Robin dragged you down the road “Love you!”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too. Be careful! Please…”

And you were being careful, because as it turned out Nancy just wanted to check some story she had heard at the library. On your way there she told you about Eddie’s uncle who had told her he knew who had done this to poor Chrissy.

“Okay, help me get this straight. Eddie’s uncle, Wayne, thinks that Victor Creel escaped from Pennhurst Asylum and that he’s the one running around Hawkins committing these murders?” Robin asked Nancy just as you were walking up to the library.

“Pretty much.”

“How old is he supposed to be? Because if you think about our theory, the timing-” your brows were furrowed in thought when Robin interrupted you, nodding her head.

“It doesn’t add up, right? He committed the eyeball murders, like, way back in the ‘50s.”

“Well… ’59.” Nancy opened the door letting you get in first before walking inside herself.

“So, that means these murders predate Eleven and the Upside Down by about 30 years?” you nodded at Robin’s words.

“We know that El opened the gate, so the Upside Down theoretically wasn’t connected to our universe back then, which means that this might disprove our theory.” you walked up to the front desk, letting your arms lean onto it.

“Yeah.” Nancy said from beside you as her head turned left and right trying to find someone who can help you.

“Wait, wouldn’t spooky Victor Creel be like 70 years old?” Robin asked, resting her body on Nancy’s other side.

“Yep.” the girl in the middle rang the bell in front of you.

“So, he’s a grandpa murderer who can turn invisible and lift people into the air.” you chuckled at Robin while Nancy took a deep breath.

“It doesn’t make sense. I know. That’s why I said it was a shot in the dark.” she rang the bell once more.

“I know. I just thought that by ‘shot in the dark’, you were being modest or hiding something super solid up your sleeve that you were gonna wow us with later.” Robin began her daily rant which Nancy was not used to, making her desperate to find the person behind the counter so Robin would stop talking. She rang it again “But this is really, truly a shot in the dark. Like we are snipers with blindfolds on who’ve been spun around 50 times.” you flinched as Nancy started ringing the bell nonstop until a voice called out.

“Coming!” the lady behind the counter appeared with a few books at hand and then turned to the three of you after she set them down.

“Hi. Sorry, we’re in a bit of a rush. Could we get the keys to the basement archives?” Nancy put on her best smile and asked the lady with the sweet voice you were used to all throughout high school.

“Of course. Give me one sec.” she turned and left to find the key.

Your eyes landed on a little bowl next to you filled with different flavors of candy. It felt like forever since you had eaten something, so you settled for a bit of sugar in your system.

“Did I come off mean or condescending or something?” your attention was captured by Robin who was looking straight at Nancy.

“No.” the girl answered quickly, tapping her fingers at the counter, waiting for the librarian to return.

“Right. Sorry. It’s just, you seem annoyed. You don’t know me very well. I don’t really have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues. Tell her, Y/n.” you had just popped the candy into your mouth when she called your name, bringing both their set of eyes on you.

“She doesn’t have a filter or a strong grasp of social cues.” your words were a bit muffled by the sweet in your mouth, but you nodded your head to agree with Robin.

“Okay.” Nancy said with a small smile, but it was obvious she wasn’t into this conversation.

“So, if I said something that upsets you, just know that I know it’s a flaw. Believe me, my mother reminds me daily.”

“Robin…” you warned her to stay on track.

“Got it.” Nancy looked up to see the lady return and she was thankful to continue with their search.

“All right, ladies. Here you go. Have fun.” she handed the keys to Nancy.

“Yep. We’ll try.” Nancy rushed off towards the archives, leaving you, Robin, and the librarian behind. The lady was looking at you with sympathy in her eyes, so you just sent her a tight smile and grabbed onto Robin’s arm, pulling her along with you.

“What have we said about oversharing?” you turned to look at her as she sheepishly smiled at you.

“Don’t do it if we’re not asked?” you nodded at her, but couldn’t help but giggle at her efforts to make it better with Nancy.

“Come on, my socially awkward little girl.” you followed after Nancy and began your investigation.

On the other side of town, Steve had just pulled up at the therapist’s house and watched as Max got out of the car and inside the house.

“Okay. She’s in.” he stated.

“I’m missing collarbones, not eyes.” Dustin stole a look at Steve’s profile before deciding this is the best moment for this talk “So, we’re gonna talk about… it?”

“Huh? Sorry, what? Talk about what?” Steve turned to look at his little friend after focusing on the house in front of them.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed. Both of you have been so weird about it.”

“About what? What are you talking about, Henderson?”

“How you and my sister literally fought in front of us yesterday?” Dustin finally said.

“We didn’t fight. We barely bickered.” Steve defended your situation.

“Well, since I have never seen you fight before, not even after your breakup, it was pretty weird seeing you ‘bickering’. I thought you’d be over the moon to have her back, in a disgusting kind of way.” he couldn’t even count the times when Dustin would have to peer Steve off of you whenever they visited you at college. He loved you both and he knew you were meant for each other, but you were still his sister and he was still his best friend, he didn’t love the sight. Still, it was better than the two of you fighting.

He picked up on it the moment he saw you return home yesterday morning. You never returned this early after spending the night at his. He also saw the way you reacted when you decided to go seek help at Family Video. His last clue was your little fight while they were calling Eddie’s friends to find any clues about his whereabouts. Something was definitely going on between them and he had to know so he could fix it.

“Okay, okay, fine. We did kind of argue about something, but it was stupid, alright? And we’re completely ignoring it until we have this whole thing figured out.” Steve ran his hand through his hair, a habit he developed due to his anxiety.

“Cause that’s healthy.” Dustin said sarcastically, but Steve ignored him, his gaze returning at the house. They stayed silent for a few seconds, but Dustin couldn’t help himself “Why did you fight?”

Steve’s brows shot up “Do you really wanna know why I fought with your sister? No, I don’t think it’s going to put me in a good position.”

“Why, did you do something stupid? I mean, of course, you did.” he joked, trying to ease the tension, but Steve wasn’t having it.

“I didn’t- Look, I don’t wanna talk about it. I’ll punch you so hard in your face your teeth will fall back out.”

“Whoa. Too far.” Dustin told him.

Steve stared at him for a moment before his face softened “Not cool. Sorry.”

“Not cool. It’s okay.” Dustin nodded, forgiving him. They fisted it up and continued on with their waiting.

You ended up squished into a single seat with Robin looking over newspapers in one of the two COM Catalogs available, Nancy occupying the second one right across from you. You had been searching for around 30-40 minutes and you were getting extremely bored because you couldn’t find anything interesting.

“Anything juicy over there?” Robin’s voice filled your eyes as she called out for Nancy.

“Nothing new.” Nancy answered.

“Yep, same here.”

“Victor seemed like a normal guy, honestly.” you noted as your eyes scanned through another paper that described the same story the other ten had.

“Just a dead family, missing eyes, took a plea deal, sent to Pennhurst. Blah, blah, blah, blah.” you watch Robin tilt her body to the left and stare at Nancy’s side of the COM’s “What are we looking for exactly?” you push your body next to her, trying to find a clear view of your other friend, who didn’t seem to pay attention to you.

“Nance?” you called out before Robin knocked on the wood rhythmically to get her attention. It obviously worked when you saw Nancy get on the same pose and stare at the two of you with a forced smile on her face.

“Any mention of wizards or alternate dimensions? Things in that vein?” Robin said calmly but Nancy snapped.

“I don’t know. Okay? It’s starting to seem like this was just a big waste of time.” You just watched as she got up from her seat and began walking up and down “And you guys are obviously bored, so, why don’t you just call Steve to pick you up. You’d prefer to be with them than with me here. And I mean, I’m not really in danger here, so…” she smiled at you and then took her leave downstairs where more papers were kept.

You stayed silent, evaluating what just happened, and then turned to Robin signaling her to just sit here “I’ll go see what’s up.”

Your legs guided you downstairs. Nancy was arms deep into the catalogs looking through the files. After taking your last step down the stairs you crossed your arms across your chest and leaned on the staircase, looking over at your friend.

“What was that?”

Nancy sighed, letting her head fall forward. She wasn’t sure why she snapped. Maybe it was because of Fred, maybe in fear of everything happening, or maybe it was the fact that she couldn’t reach Jonathan, worrying her that something was wrong over in California as well. Or maybe it was all these things at once that made her feel annoyed at the two of you who were just trying to help. Whatever it was she was too embarrassed to talk about it right now, so she tried once again to dismiss you “Y/n, you really didn’t have to come here with me. Thank you for being concerned but I’ll be fine. Tell Steve to come get you, and I’ll get to the bottom of this on my own.”

“You’ve always been stubborn, you know?”

“Yeah…” she agreed with you, her eyes still not reaching yours.

“But you can’t stop me from being here.” you stepped over to one of the drawers, opened it, and began searching as well. You could see Nancy stop her search from the corner of your eyes, now just staring at you.

“Y/n, really I-”

“To be honest, I’m not only here to help. I also used it as an opportunity to take a breath. Focusing my mind on something like this, away from the supernatural, is nice, you know?” you were certain you had finally reached her, that you had found what made her so cold towards you, when Robin messed up your plans.

“And away from Steve.” she was sitting on the staircase, clearly eavesdropping on you two.

“Robin!” you turned to stare at her as she was ascending from the stairs.

“What? Don’t tell me I’m wrong because I’m not.” Robin stood up and step by step reached the floor.

“What happened with Steve?” Nancy’s interest picked up, glad the conversation wasn’t about her now.

“Just a stupid fight, it really doesn’t matter.” you pointed your words at Robin, who just put her hands in the air ‘surrendering’ herself to you.

“Okay.” she wasn’t buying anything you said but decided to ignore it. Instead, she went over to Nancy and opened another one of the drawers to distract herself and found something wildly interesting “Holy shit. The Weekly Watcher. I can’t believe they have this.”

“I remember this. Dustin and I used to love this paper. Well, mainly because it was insane, and we loved insane.” you pointed out, remembering all the crazy stories you would read and the even crazier stories you made up because of it.

“Don’t they write about, like, Bigfoot and UFOs?” Nancy didn’t look too impressed by Robin’s find.

“First of all, UFOs are absolutely real. Bigfoot I’m still on the fence about, but may I remind you two we are looking for information on dark wizards? If someone’s gonna write about that, it’s gonna be these weirdos.” you shared a look with Nancy, silently agreeing with Robin.

You quickly went back upstairs and put the catalog into the COM. Robin was controlling the machine while you and Nancy waited on each of her sides, eyes scanning through the papers to find what you were looking for.

“Ah. ‘Elvis cloned by aliens’.” Nancy’s hopes were shattering second by second, especially when she read that title. It felt like you were searching in the dark.

You, on the other hand, found it amusing and chuckled at the ridiculous titles you were going through.

“You never know.” Robin countered and after Nancy shot her a look, she rolled her eyes and walked away from you.

“ ‘Victor Creel claims vengeful demon killed family. The murder that shocked a small community’.” Robin said in her best cinematic voice but your eyes were stuck on the article in front of you.

“Ha, ha. That’s very funny.” Nancy ignored her, thinking she was joking since this investigation wasn’t leading anywhere.

“We’re not kidding. Get over here.” your hand waved for Nancy to come back beside you and she followed, returning to her spot next to Robin “ ‘According to several insiders, Victor believed his house was haunted by an ancient demon. Victor allegedly hired a priest to exorcise the demon from his home.’”

“Pretty novel for the ‘50s. Exorcist wasn’t out yet.” Robin interrupted your talking to make a joke.

“Keep- keep going.” the other girl, however, motioned for you to continue.

“ Okay, so, Victor claimed this exorcism failed, but it angered its demon, which then murdered his family, removing their eyes. Victor believed he was spared as a punishment.” you finished and turned to look at the two of them.

“Yeah, that’s pretty convenient for Victor.”

“Yeah, or super inconvenient.” Robin switched Nancy’s words making you both look at her “Victor was declared legally insane by the court, right? What if this is why? I mean, it sounds insane. It just didn’t go public because-”

“The plea bargain. The records were sealed.” Nancy caught up to her thinking.

“What if a demon did invade Victor’s home? It’s, just, this wasn’t any old demon…”

“It was Vecna.” you finished Robin’s sentence, finally feeling like you didn’t just waste your entire afternoon.

You rushed to return the key to the librarian, walked out of the building, and took the radio in your hands, urgently, to call Dustin.

“Dustin, do you copy?”

“Yeah, I copy.” he didn’t even miss a second before responding you.

“So, Nancy’s hunch was correct, surprise-surprise. Vecna’s first victims date back all the way to 1959.” you had a small smile on your face, excited about your discovery.

“Okay, that’s totally bonkers, but I can’t really talk right now.” he sounded out of breath.

“Wait, what? Why? What are you doing?” you stopped in your tracks next to the car, pulling the other girls’ attention to you.

“Breaking and entering a school to retrieve confidential and extremely personal files.” he explained, and your brows shot up in disbelief.

“Can you repeat that?” Robin asked, taking the radio in her hands, trying to make sense of his words.

“Just get your ass over here, stat. We’ll explain everything.” and he turned his radio off.

“I thought they were talking to Ms. Kelley.” Nancy had just opened the driver’s door, questioning the whole conversation you just had.

“We leave them alone for two hours.” your friend rolled her eyes and with a quick nod of your own you got into the car as well and drove to Hawkins High, trying to figure out what the hell they were doing there.

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harringtonstilinski · 10 months ago

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Always The Babysitter - Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Monster and the Superhero

Author: @harringtonstilinski Characters: Steve Harrington x Olivia Henderson(OC) Word Count: 2,964 Warnings: fluff, angst, olivia being protective, Smut: no | yes; 18+ MINORS DNI: A/N: Hi, friends! We getting more Eddie in this chapter!! Also, see gif below for fic title inspiration <3 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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Getting a decent night’s sleep is starting to be hard to come by since we figured out another D&D monster is an actual monster. I knew about Vecna from reading Dustin’s D&D manual when he first got it and refreshed myself when he joined Hellfire.

We decided to get Eddie some actual food… or what we thought was actual food from the grocery store, taking it over to Reefer Rick’s, where we told Eddie to stay hidden.

Steve parked the car around where he did last night, all five of us piling out and walking to the boathouse, walking in once we made it. Only this time, Eddie was ready with his sharp glass bottle, pointing it at us at our intrusion.

Dustin and I held up the plastic bags, smiling while saying, “Delivery service.”

Eddie sighed before I shook my bags, setting them down on a table and pulling every item out of the bag. I felt Eddie behind me after a moment before the box of Honeycombs and Yoo-Hoo was removed from my vision.

He sat down in the boat with the box, opening it and tearing the bag open, dipping his hand inside to start munching on the sugary cereal while Robin and Max stood or sat to his left, Dustin, myself and Steve standing or sitting to his right.

“So we got, uhh, some good news and some bad news,” Dustin said. “How do you prefer it?”

With a mouth full of cereal, Eddie said, “Bad news first, always,” before taking a swig of his glorified chocolate milk.

“Alright,” I breathed. “Bad news; Dustin tapped in the Hawkins PD dispatch with his Cerebro and, and they’re definitely looking for you, and they’re pretty convinced you killed Chrissy.”

“Like, 100% kind of convinced,” Max added.

“And the good news, oldest Henderson?” Eddied asked, looking from Max to me.

Smiling, I said, “Your name hasn’t gone public yet. But if we found out about you, it’s a matter of time before others do, too, and once word gets out, everyone and their pea-brained mother is gonna be hunting for you.”

“Hunt the freak, right?” Eddie enunciated.

Scrunching my lips, I closed my eyes and nodded. “Precisely.”

“Shit.”

“So, before that happens, we need to find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence,” Dustin said.

“That’s all, Dustin?” Eddie and I asked. “That’s all?”

“Yeah, no, that’s pretty much it,” he said, pretty sure of himself.

“Little brother, ‘tis not as simple as you think,” I said. “When has it ever been that simple?” I rolled my eyes at his delusions, feeling two hands on my shoulders, pulling me back into a chest; Steve’s chest.

“Listen, Eddie,” Robin said. “I know everything Dustin’s saying sounds totally delusional, but we’ve actually been through this kinda thing before.”

“Well, she’s been through it once,” I said. “Max twice, Dustin, Steve and I three times. Robin’s was more human-flesh-based, while ours was more smoke-related.”

“Bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this.”

Wrapping his arms around my middle and resting his chin on my shoulder, Steve said, “Yeah, see, we usually rely on this girl who has super powers. But, uhh, those went bye-bye, so…”

“So, we’re technically more in the–”

“Kinda.”

“Brainstorming phase?” I asked.

“Brainstorming,” Steve repeated, snapping his fingers. “Good one, babe.”

“There-there-there’s nothing to worry about,” Dustin said.

Steve scoffed behind me, his head moving just a little in curt nod.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath just as I heard sirens, and Steve whispered, “Shit.”

Moving towards the boat, I said, “Eddie, tarp.”

He looked at me, questions floating in his eyes.

“Get back under the tarp.”

“You owe me, Henderson,” he said, my response being “I know,” before Eddie grabbed the side and laid down with the cereal box in his arm, moving the tarp over himself.

The rest of us moved to the windows, watching as police cars and ambulances drove by. As a group, we decided to be nosy as fuck and follow them to see where they were going. Once we found the area, we parked behind a truck, the five of us getting out.

Nancy was standing in the middle of the road, talking to Powell, who took over for Hopper since he… well, since he died. She looked over at us, bringing her fingers up for a small wave.

I looked over at Steve, seeing him wave back at her. I know he doesn’t love her anymore, but there’s always going to be that part of me that thinks he does and always will. Looking back at her, tears welled in my eyes before I could stop them and looked down. Sitting back inside the car, I sniffled lightly, brushing the tear that had regrettably fallen onto my cheek.

When everyone got back in the car, all I could do was look out the window at the trees passing by. What made my anxiety worse… was that Steve didn’t rest his hand on my thigh like he always did. Taking off my right shoe, I sighed, bringing my foot to rest on the seat, lacing my fingers together and resting them at the junction where my foot and calf meet.

Once we made it to the trailer park, Robin, Max and my brother got out of the car, meeting Nancy at the picnic table while Steve and I stayed behind.

He sighed, “I know what you’re thinking, and no.”

I looked down and nodded. “I know. It’s just my stupid brain. You know how it gets.” I crossed my arms, sinking down into the seat a little more. “It just… I saw the way you looked at her.”

“With concern?” he asked. It wasn’t in anger or irritation. His voice was calm and controlled. There were a few times when I had this concern after we got together, and he was always reassuring. Kind of like he was being right now.

Once the reasonable side of my brain caught up and took over my unreasonable side, I sighed and rested my head on my knee, whispering, “I’m sorry.”

Grabbing my hand to lace our fingers, he said, “Her and I are friends. Nothing more. You’re the girl for me.”

I looked at our hands, watching as he brought them up to kiss the back of my own. Smiling, I connected our eyes, seeing those hazel orbs I loved so much. “I love you. And I’m sorry.”

“I love you, too. Let’s go.”

We both got out of the car after I put my shoe back on and retied it. He met me at the front of the car and held his hand out once he saw me round the vehicle, our fingers lacing together as we made our way to the picnic table. When we sat down, we all explained to Nancy what’s been going on.

“So, you’re saying that this thing that killed Fred and Chrissy, it’s from the Upside Down?” Nancy asked.

“If the shoe fits,” I sighed, leaning back against Steve, who wrapped his arms around my middle.

“Our working theory is that he attacks with a spell or a curse,” Dustin said. “Now, whether or not he’s doing the bidding of the Mind Flayer or just loves killing teens, we don’t know.”

“All we know is this is something different,” Max said. “Something new.”

“Doesn’t make sense,” Nancy said.

“It’s just a theory,” Dustin said.

“It’s not supposed to make sense,” I added.

“No, Liv,” Nancy said. “Fred and Chrissy don’t make sense. I mean, why them?”

“Maybe they were just in the wrong place,” Dustin said. “They were both at the game.”

“And near the trailer park,” Max said.

“We’re in the trailer park,” Steve said, holding me a little tighter. “Uh, should we maybe not be here?”

As we all looked around, Nancy said, “There is something about this place. Fred started acting weird the second we got here.”

“Acting weird as in…?” Robin asked.

“Scared, on edge, upset.”

“Max said Chrissy was upset, too,” Dustin said.

“Yeah, but not here,” Max said. “She was crying in the bathroom at school.”

“Serial killers stalk their prey before they strike, right?” Robin asked.

“Affirmative,” I said.

“So, maybe Fred and Chrissy saw this Vecman–”

“Vecna,” Dustin corrected.

Carrying on like nothing happened, Steve said, “I don’t know about you guys, but if I saw some freaky wizard monster, I would mention it to someone.”

“Maybe they did,” Max said. “I saw Chrissy leaving Ms. Kelley’s office. If you saw a monster, you… you go to the police. They’d never believe you.”

“Except Hopper,” I said. “Who’s inconveniently dead.”

“But you might to your–”

“Your shrink,” Robin said.

Max nodded her head and we all formed a plan on what to do. Once the plan was made, we all got up from the table to walk back towards our vehicles. Nancy started walking back towards her car before Steve’s voice stopped her.

“Whoa, whoa, Nance,” he said. “Nance!” He stepped up to her as she turned around, asking, “Where you going?”

“Oh, there’s something I wanna check on first,” she replied.

“Something you maybe wanna share with the rest of us?” Dustin and I asked. “I don’t wanna waste your time. It’s a real shot in the dark.”

“Yeah, okay,” Steve said. “Are you out of your mind? Flying solo with this Vecna creep on the loose? No, it’s too dangerous. You need… you need someone to…” He turned walking up to me, handing me his keys. “Here. I’m gonna stick with Nance, alright? Take the car, check out the shrink. Go back to your house, and I’ll have Nance drop me off there.”

“Why? Why can’t Robin go with her?” I asked, gesturing to our high school friend.

“Yeah, why can’t I go?” Robin asked.

“Liv, if you don’t want to drive, I can,” Max said.

“No,” Steve and I said, looking over at Max.

“No. Never again,” Steve added. “Please. Anybody but you.”

“Come on,” Dustin said.

“No.”

“Okay, this is stupid,” Robin said, grabbing a radio from Dustin’s bag. “Like Liv said, I’ll go with Nancy because us ladies need to stick together. Steve, you stay with your girlfriend.” When she made it to Nancy’s side, she turned back around to face us, saying, “Unless you think we need you to protect us.”

Robin turned on her heel and started walking towards Nancy’s car, the eldest Wheeler taking a moment, looking at my Stevie. I rolled my eyes and got in the car, not meaning to slam the door shut as Steve shouted at them to be careful.

“You just gonna stand there and gawk at your ex-girlfriend, or sit next to my sister and gawk at her?” Dustin said.

“Shut up,” Steve said. “I love your sister. She knows that.” “Why don’t we go?”

“Shut up and get in the car.”

I heard the back door open behind me, so I looked to see who it was before saying, “Dusty, wipe your feet.”

“On the outside, not the inside,” Steve groaned, getting into the car. “Always the babysitter. Always the goddamn babysitter.” He started the car, putting it in drive and riding past Eddie’s trailer that was marked off by police tape.

~~~

Max gave us directions to Ms. Kelley’s house, Steve parking at the end of her driveway on the other side of the street.

“Okay, she’s in,” Steve said, arm resting on the door, the window rolled down.

“I’m missing collarbones,” Dustin said. “Not eyes.” A few seconds later, he said, “So… are we gonna talk about… it?” Turning to face him in the backseat, I furrowed my brows. ��What?”

Pointing in between Steve and I, Dustin said, “You two.”

“Again, I ask… what?”

“The tension between you two. I can feel it from here.”

“Feel what?” Steve asked.

“The sexual electricity?”

“Oh, my god, Dustin!” I exclaimed.

“Your sexual tension was pretty public,” he said. “There’s witnesses. Have you two even–”

Turning back to face the front with my hands up, I said, “I am not having this conversation with you.”

“Are you implying that we haven’t had se–” Steve said.

“Steve!” I interrupted. “We’re not having this conversation with him right now!”

“What about when he was gonna go with Nance instead of staying with you, his girlfriend, my dearest sister?” Dustin said.

“I was trying to protect a friend,” Steve said. “A friend, Hendersons. Okay?”

Turning my head to look at Steve, I gave him a what the fuck look. “Hendersons? As in, plural? Don’t bring me into this, I didn’t say anything.”

“Okay,” Dustin said, amused.

“I don’t wanna find her in the morning with her eyes sucked out of the front of her skull by this Vecna creep,” Steve said.

“Steve, baby, I love that you’re wanting to protect a friend and being all defensive, but now isn’t the time to do that, especially when your anxious girlfriend here is freaking out about you and Nancy, okay?” I said.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with my sister?” Dustin asked.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Steve said. “I love your sister very much, and I especially don’t want anything to happen to her. I’d die if anything happened to her.”

I smiled at that, feeling all the love from him just from those two sentences.

“You’re blushing,” Dustin smiled.

“Drop it, or I’ll punch you so hard in your face your teeth will fall back out.”

“Whoa,” Dustin and I said. “Too far.”

“Not cool. Sorry.”

“Not cool, babe,” I said.

“It’s okay,” Dustin added.

Steve brought his fist up, Dustin hitting Steve’s with his own before Steve held his hand out, looking at me. I laced our fingers before he brought the back of my hand to his mouth, placing a kiss near my ring finger.

I heard the door open, Steve’s attention right on Max as she made her way back to the car, Steve repeating, “Here she comes.”

Max got in the backseat with Dustin, my brother asking, “What’d she say?” “Nothing, just drive,” Max said. “Steve, drive!”

“Okay,” he said, letting go of my hand to start the car and drive off.

Max told us to drive to the high school so that she could snoop through Ms. Kelley’s files for hers and Chrissy’s. Dustin’s walkie went off, a familiar voice coming through.

“Dustin? Olivia? It’s Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin.”

Dustin hit the button on his walkie, speaking into it, “Lucas? Where the hell have you been?”

“Just listen,” Lucas said. “Are you guys looking for Eddie?”

“Yeah, and we found him, no thanks to you.”

“You found him?”

“He’s at a boathouse on Coal Mill Road. Don’t worry, he’s safe.”

“You guys know he killed Chrissy, right?”

“That’s bullshit. Eddie tried to save Chrissy.” “Then why do all the cops say he did it?”

Max took the walkie from Dustin, pressing the button and saying, “Lucas, you’re so behind, it’s ridiculous, okay? Just meet us at the school. We’ll explain later.”

“I… I can’t.”

Taking the walkie from Max, it was my turn to speak into the mouthpiece. “Come again, Sinclair?”

“I think some real bad shit’s about to go down, Liv.”

“Spill it.”

Static sounded from the walkie’s speaker for a moment before I hit my palm against it a couple times before saying into the mouthpiece, “Lucas? Lucas! Shit.”

~~~

It was dark by the time we made it to the school, Max using the keys she stole from Ms. Kelley’s house. Walking down the hallway, Dustin’s walkie went off again, this time Robin’s voice coming through, saying, “Hendersons, do you copy?”

“Yeah, we copy,” Dustin and I said in unison.

“So, Nancy’s a genius. Vecna’s first victims date back all the way to 1959. Her shot in the dark was a bullseye.”

“Okay, that’s, uh, totally bonkers,” Dustin said.

I took the walkie from him, saying, “But we really can’t talk right now.”

“Wait, what are you doing, female Henderson?”

“Breaking and entering into the school to retrieve highly confidential and extremely personal files.” This felt like Sophomore year all over again when I broke into stores. Looking up at Steve, I said, “If I get caught this time, I’m going to jail.”

“We won’t,” he said, shining his flashlight around, looking for any type of security.

“Can you repeat that?”

“Just get your ass over to the high school, Buckley. Stat. We’ll explain everything… if I don’t get arrested again and start living in a cell.”

We found Max at Ms. Kelley’s office as she was just opening the door to walk inside.

“It’s like a mini-Watergate or something,” Dustin said. “Hawkinsgate!”

“Wait a sec,” Steve said. “Didn’t those guys get caught?”

“Holy shit,” Max said from the opened filing cabinet.

“You found it?” Steve asked, walking over to her.

“Yeah, and not just Chrissy’s file,” she said, taking a file out of the cabinet. “Fred was seeing Ms. Kelley, too.”

We all looked at each other, trying to find out what it meant with our eyes until I spoke up. “Well, I’d compare the files, see if the three of you had any symptoms in common.”

We did just that, bringing out her file, Chrissy’s file and Fred’s file. Max sat at the desk, looking at Chrissy’s, seeing the handwritten symptoms on a white sheet of paper. When she asked to see Fred’s file, I handed it to her, moving to stand beside her with my body facing Steve, who was leaning against the desk.

Max was looking as if she were lost in a trance of some sort, so I put my hand on her shoulder, asking, “Max, are you okay? Max? Max, honey, what is it? Max. Max!”

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

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A/N 2: hi, friends! pls be kind and reblog! it really helps us content creators out <3

Additional Note:

~~~

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 May 6, 2024 *Happy half Birthday to this series!!*

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serpentinesheldonserpentine · 5 months ago

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We’ve never depended on them before. Why should we depend on them now?

In the western mountains of North Carolina outside of Asheville, the small communities of Cruso and Canton, wrecked by Hurricane Helene, were not waiting for help from the state or the federal government.

Local restaurants were dispatching food deliveries to homes each evening. Some residents were driving excavators and tractors to clear debris from roads, while others were checking on who had power and who did not. No one was sure whether any disaster relief was coming anytime soon.—NY Times

My friend David is helping his local volunteer fire department in rural Burnsville evacuate the stranded and perform welfare checks neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street, home by home.

David’s selfless service exemplifies the USA at our best. If you are so inclined, you can help :

#neighbors helping neighbors #Hurricane Helene

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rythasbrenelle · 6 months ago

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Prompt #16: Third-rate

Bloody, dirty, and sore, Locke marched across the room and dropped the pouch full of Gelmorran flowers on the counter. Even cut from their roots and taken from their garden, their blue petals pulsed, flashes of scarlet light leaking from the pouch’s opening. “Rough go of things?” Odranne asked, though her face only briefly showed concern. It soon dissipated, replaced by a smile as her eyes fell upon the pouch. “Not so rough you didn’t return with the flowers, it seems. Well done.” “Only just.” Locke dropped into a chair and groaned softly. It was immediate relief for his feet, even if it did nothing for the rest of him. “Don’t think you should send anyone back there though. Whatever you’re doing, make it work just with what I brought back. Dangerous down there.” “What did you find?” She looked back up from the petals, seemingly curious. “An annoying but chivalrous ghost.”

Odranne lifted her eyebrows. “Oh?” “They kept mentioning ‘Her Highness.’ We robbed a dead princess, I think.”

“Long-dead,” Odranne said. “Centuries ago, back when Gelmorra had monarchs and nobles and, well, people. But her garden endures, fortunately.”

“In large part because of her knight, I think. They were more than happy to kill to protect it.” Locke ran his hand through his hair, brushing bangs stiff with sweat and dirt back from his face before rubbing his eye. The headache still throbbed behind it. Experience told him it was there to stay, at least until he got some food in his belly and a good night’s sleep.

“You dispatched this annoying but chivalrous ghost then?” Odranne asked.

“Nah. Not really suited to killing ghosts. Blades and bullets don’t work so good. Fought them to a draw instead.”

A draw was a generous interpretation of their duel, considering the knight had made him look like a third-rate swordsman, but they weren't present to argue that fact. Locke wondered if they had managed to save the garden, but only for a moment, then he shoved that worry to the back of his mind. It wasn’t his problem.

Odranne nodded wordlessly. Was that disappointment there, in the gentle downward turn of her mouth? Or a trick of the light? It was gone when she looked at Locke again.

“Oh, well. You brought back more than enough flowers. With a little luck, this will be all I’ll need. We can call this a success.” Odranne rose from her seat and retrieved a package wrapped in brown paper and a coin purse the size of Locke’s fists held together.

“This,” she said, holding up the parcel before handing it over, “is our friend’s medicine. Do be careful with it.”

Locke wrapped the package up in his cloak and set it at the top of his bag. Barring another woodland incident, it seemed safe enough.

“And this is your pay.” She set the purse on the table; its contents clicked and jingled pleasantly. “You seem accustomed to, ah, shall we say less than ideal conditions? I expect you’ll make it last.”

Locke tilted his head to one side, unsure of what to make of Odranne’s comment, but in the end he decided it didn’t matter. After a quick peek into the coin purse — it was, in fact, real gil — he stowed it away in his bag and stood up.

“Pleasure doing business,” Locke said, though he didn’t think he meant it.

“Likewise. Safe travels, delivery boy.”

Locke nodded and made his way across the workshop. Behind him, he heard the clink of glass bottles and the click of a pestle and mortar as Odranne assembled her equipment. He opened the door and stepped through, leaving her to her work.

He walked through Gridania, head down and eyes forward, avoiding crowds when possible and pushing his way through them when it wasn’t. He briefly entertained the thought of visiting the botanist’s guild and bartering for a bit of wood, but his tools were in the nook he’d found for himself up in Ishgard. Fixing his prosthetic meant heading north again or wasting money on a set of tools in Gridania. Anything of quality would cost him coin he wasn’t willing to spend.

It was Coerthas or rebuild his arm with shoddy equipment.

In the end, he chose neither.

Locke set off southward, back in the direction of the old hermit’s hut. Were he rested, fed, not suffering a clairvoyance-induced headache, still in possession of a functioning left arm, and in the mood to potentially be hunted by a wolf-like thing with too many mouths, he’d have chosen a shortcut through the deeper parts of the forest.

Instead, he did the sensible thing this time and stuck to the road.

Not a bell before nightfall, he found himself approaching a ramshackle little inn. Grimy lamps stood guard over a worn down sign just outside, the name illegible to literate travelers, the little picture above the name eroded by time and weather until it was illegible to Locke. He ventured inside, reserved a bed for a pittance, and purchased a meal of watery vegetable soup with a chunk of stale bread on the side.

By the time he’d dunked his head into a shallow basin, wolfed down his dinner, and passed several ticks listening to two old stablehands argue about chocobo racing, he should have been ready for bed. The previous night had been long, spent delving into Gelmorra’s halls and journeying back to Gridania, and everything ached. He needed, and wanted, rest.

But before he knew it, his feet were carrying him outside and off to the side of the inn. A gentle breeze ghosted across his skin, the light chill a relief against his newest wounds. It was a clear night, perfect for stargazing, though he hardly spared them a glance as he shed his outermost layers and drew his sword.

He had eyes only for the memory of the Gelmorran knight who’d bested him.

#FFxivWrite2024 #FFxivWrite #viera vagabond vibes #Locke's Trading Quest

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velforms · 1 year ago

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Why Does Your Restaurant Need A Food Delivery App?

The culinary landscape is evolving, and restaurants are no longer confined to brick-and-mortar establishments. In this digital age, where convenience and speed are paramount, having a food delivery app for your restaurant is not just an option; it's a necessity. Let's embark on a gastronomic journey through the myriad of reasons why your restaurant needs a complete food delivery dispatching solution.

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In the fast-paced world we live in, convenience reigns supreme. A food delivery app provides customers with the ultimate convenience of ordering food from the comfort of their homes or workplaces. It's not just about saving time; it's about elevating the overall dining experience.

4. Boost in Revenue

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Loyalty in the restaurant industry is built on a foundation of exceptional service and unforgettable flavors. A food delivery app allows you to nurture customer loyalty by offering exclusive deals, discounts, and rewards to repeat customers. It's a potent tool for building lasting relationships with your patrons.

6. Streamlined Operations

Efficiency is the cornerstone of a successful restaurant. A complete food delivery dispatching solution streamlines your operations by automating order management, kitchen coordination, and delivery logistics. This results in smoother workflows, reduced errors, and happier staff.

7. Real-Time Tracking

Customers love transparency, and a food delivery app can provide just that. Real-time tracking allows customers to monitor the status of their orders, from preparation to delivery. It instills trust and satisfaction, knowing exactly when their meal will arrive.

8. Data-Driven Decision Making

Data is the modern restaurateur's secret ingredient. A food delivery app collects invaluable data on customer preferences, order histories, and peak ordering times. Leveraging this data empowers you to make data-driven decisions that enhance your menu, marketing, and overall business strategy.

9. Competitive Advantage

In a crowded restaurant landscape, standing out is crucial. A food delivery app gives you a competitive edge by offering a modern and convenient dining option. It's not just a trend; it's an expectation among today's diners.

10. Adaptability

The restaurant industry is dynamic, and circumstances can change rapidly. A food delivery app provides the flexibility to adapt to different situations. Whether it's a sudden surge in takeout orders or the need to switch to a contactless dining model during a health crisis, your app can evolve with your business.

11. Marketing and Promotion

A food delivery app serves as a powerful marketing tool. You can promote special offers, new menu items, and events directly to your app users. Push notifications, in-app advertising, and email campaigns become your arsenal for engaging with your audience.

12. Sustainable Practices

Going green is not just a trend; it's a global imperative. A food delivery app can support your restaurant's sustainability efforts by reducing the need for single-use packaging and minimizing food wastage through efficient order management.

13. Enhanced Customer Experience

The modern diner expects more than just great food. They seek an enhanced dining experience. A food delivery app can offer features like customized orders, special requests, and easy reordering, all of which contribute to an exceptional customer journey.

14. Adapt to Changing Consumer Behavior

Consumer behavior is constantly evolving. Today, people are accustomed to the ease of online shopping and food delivery. By having a food delivery app, you align your restaurant with these changing preferences and position yourself as a forward-thinking establishment.

15. Safety and Health

In the wake of health concerns, contactless dining options have gained prominence. A food delivery app minimizes physical contact and allows customers to enjoy your cuisine with peace of mind. It's a crucial element in ensuring the safety and health of your patrons.

16. Data Security

Data security is a paramount concern in the digital age. A reputable food delivery app ensures the safety of customer information, payment details, and order history. This builds trust and confidence among your customers.

17. Global Visibility

If you aspire to take your restaurant to an international level, a food delivery app is your ticket to global visibility. It opens doors to a diverse range of customers, including tourists and expatriates looking for familiar flavors from their home countries.

18. Cost-Effective Marketing

Traditional marketing channels can be expensive and yield uncertain results. A food delivery app offers a cost-effective alternative, allowing you to target your marketing efforts precisely to your desired audience.

19. Future-Proofing

The future is digital, and by investing in a food delivery app now, you future-proof your restaurant. As technology advances and customer expectations evolve, your app can adapt and continue to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry.

20. Competitive Benchmarking

Through a food delivery app, you gain insights into your competitors' offerings, pricing, and customer reviews. This invaluable information helps you benchmark your restaurant and make informed decisions to stay ahead in the competitive landscape.

In conclusion, a food delivery solution app is not just a technological accessory for your restaurant; it's a strategic imperative. It's the gateway to a broader customer base, enhanced operational efficiency, and a brighter future for your culinary venture. Embrace the digital dining revolution and serve up success on a digital platter with a complete food delivery dispatching solution.

#complete food delivery dispatching solution

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