#i just wanted to add the one dark magic one that’s a big deal and Tumblr immediately said I had to cut down Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[withoutmonsterswebecomethem]

Bryn grinned, “I know. Took a masterclass in telling jokes, can you tell?” He looked off to one side, letting another wave of sickness run its course as he swallowed down the waves. He curled his nose a bit when Benny was talking of negating even dark chocolate. Furthermore, he really didn't pay attention to the sweetness. Perhaps because it didn't seem to matter to him. As his career had begged for a lot of movement, the worry of such things was quite insignificant overall. So more sweet, on top of sweet, wasn't at all a big deal. He gave a nod of his head and looked to the other once again when they asked, trying to verify, if he had had pumpkin-shaped marshmallows, “Oh yeah. Back home, old expired foods were all the rage. I don't think they were the purest form of a pumpkin-shaped marshmallow. But, hey, beggars can't be choosers, right?”

Closing his eyes just when Benny was quieting the Be Our Guest song, he raised his eyebrows, “Wow. That sounded, like, fantastic. You ever consider singing regularly?” He teased. Opening his eyes after a moment's silence, hearing Benny's next comment he glances up, thinking about how to respond to that, “So, you want to be called princess, and invited onto a magic carpet ride? Then, you want to go to a whole new world? Huh. Yeah, you are really in your Aladdin era tonight, aren't you?” Though, he had no room to talk, as he had done something similar, himself. Leaving to restart his life somewhere else.

“Oh. It's a small town, you really had to have messed up for everyone to not trust you.” Though he couldn't really remember if there was anything to add to that, as, he had never really tuned in that much on the town gossip. Being a shut-in for the first couple of years, he lived here, recovering. More or less something along those lines. Absently, his hand moved to rub against a scar under his outfit, on his chest. Maybe that's helped him, he thought, in not being so quick to judge these people, with all their problems. Trust issues, being convinced others in the town hated them, and all. “Oh. Well, uhm. Mindy's nice, if you know them? I talk to them a lot. And. Mio. Annisa. Blue.” He was starting to see he didn't have much in the way of friends, though he had known several others around town, “Uh. Addison. Annaki. Dustin. Ava. I met some guy outside a Halloween store recently, he knows about Godzilla, and that was fun.” All very good people to talk to, If you have talked to?”

At the other's comment on his explanation, he gave a nod, “Yes. It really broke her. That whole thing. Yeah, it is.” He grinned at Benny's questioning and leaned up a bit, “Because. I'm a fire demon, she's an ice demon. And she's innocent and good. And I'm…not. There's something broken in me. And I don't want her to have to worry for me.” He made a face, amused by how into this story Benny was getting, “No. We don't. My color theme is black and white, with purple aura. Hers is a teal blue-green, sea foam-like color. Her hair and clothes are this color. She's also shorter than I am. We both have red eyes, though. She would be happier not knowing I'm alive, I guess.” He shrugged and dropped back down, wishing he had siblings or family. But only for a moment, before brushing it off.

"You're so funny," Benny said with a chuckle. It wasn't funny, but the situation was funny though. He didn't mind the humour at all. "Not even with dark chocolate, really, marshmallows are sweet enough already, don't need to put other stuff on it. Just pure pumpkin-shaped marshmallows." He closed his eyes again, bit his underlip, tried to imagine the actual marshmallows, but found that talking about it made him less eager to eat it. He'd be good if didn't have any more marshmallows or sweets. Perhaps he'd eaten too much. "Yeah? You ate them?" he asked.

Another chuckle, then he grinned and started singing in as low a voices as he could muster. "Be my guest, be my guest, put your spirits to the test, blah blah blaah blah, blah bla-bah, something something and the rest." He hummed in response to the suggestion, trying to remember the movie, it had been long ago, and he certainly hadn't seen the live-action version. He just knew the songs. Or at least he knew the best song by heart. He shook his head. "Or someone who likes to be called princess. I'd probably step on a magic carpet too, to be honest. Fly far away from here." He shrugged, still had his eyes closed, if it wasn't for the cold, he could probably doze off. "Also yeah, wouldn't say it's an easy search to find someone who might trust me."

"Others that are nice to talk to? Alright, pretty, name a few, yeah? Talking is always a good start."

"I appreciate the long explanation," he commented. "Though your poor mother... She lost both her kids? That's fucked up." He still had no idea who it was of course, he could barely remember most of the animated shows he'd seen before on the television, the few there were. "Also why would your twin sister not like to know who you are? You probably look alike, right?" Siblings, that was always a touchy subject, it was easier to imagine he was like Aladdin, an only child.

[drawnfamiliarfaces]

Is there a guide on how you draw and color each of the Homies’ eyes? I noticed each one has their own slight designs to them; maybe to signify their powers and different universes?

dude... its a small thing, but whenever someone notices and brings up details in your designs, its always suh a heart-warming notion that people see the stuff you do... thank you! QwQ this ask just made me so happy ;3 so happy that i actually made a lil guide to explain my design choices! xD

Generally, my artstyle choice is to try and keep as close as possible to the original styles, for several reasons: a) to keep the characters recognizable and b) because im too lazy to try and do something too fancy. xD

Kim was an easy transition from cartoony! Its just her normal eyes, but a bit more anime-like? lol

Jenny's is the same shape, but instead of stylized light, I decided to give her more animatronic/robot like pupil in electric blue & white color, with light in the center (imagine it contracts smaller/bigger like a robot's). Also a bit more color on movable eyelids just for funsies. ;)

Danny's was a bit weird, because I wanted to keep the og big-eyed style, so it resulted in Danny having very big eyes. xD In his ghost form, I decided to give him green sclera and a more narrow (beast-like) pupil, as a nod of other ghosts solid eye colors and a hint to his growing power. ;) (Just imagine when he gets overwhelmed with strong emotions his iris and sclera kinda meld together into solid green!) The growing power is also the reason why I often add green accents into his human blue eyes!

Jake was one of the big changes, since his og cartoony eyes are very plain and boring. So I decided to go a bit nuts. Because of his dragon form, his usual human dark brown/blackish eyes changed colors that range from red-orange-yellow (colors of fire) and his pupil is much narrower than normal human's. The change of eye color can seem like the flare of amber on brown eyes whenever sunlight hits them to other people. And if you notice, I added what seemed to be red eyeliner to his design, which is actually not make-up - it's tough dragon skin! Like Jake's sharper ears its a sign that his dragon form kinda bleeds into his human form, due to his grown strength.

Jun is another easy transition from cartoony to my style! The more notable change I added is that her light brown are now darker and less orange/reddish brown, but more dark pink in shade! It's a hint of her magical power, which is usually in shades of pink (like her hair streak). When she uses magic, her eyes can glow in very light pink colors.

Zak is kinda mix of his two designs, with a dash of my headcanons. Originally his eyes were dark brown, but as his powers awakened more, the color lightened more and more, and after the finale, they gradually turned to his TGIF design color! I kinda like the idea that when he uses his powers now, his pupil glow white amidst the orange/golden. Usually its not that noticable, but its very obvious for other magical beings/wielders.

Ben is another sorta mix, but leaning more towards AF/UA design. I like to headcanon that his eyes were darker green, before he put on Omnitrix again, after which his eyes started to get lighter with that Omnitrix glow which resulted in lighter Omniverse color.

Rex is like... practically his normal eye in my style. xD Maybe a bit more dark browner + sometimes when he uses nanites, the pupil can glow electric blue/white (kinda mix of Zak & Jenny lol).

Randy was actually the biggest pain in the ass and I'm still unsatisfied with it. ;/ I might change it later, but for now its basically the same deal as with Danny! Maybe I'll add something cooler later down the line for him. xD

But, yeah that's basically it! Thank you sm for the ask <3 hehe and i hope you enjoy this lil guide. ;3c

[sunayyyy]

There are a lot of What-ifs when it comes to jason todd. What would've happened if bruce didn't take jason in? what if jason was taken in by selina and became stray? what if jason didn't die?what if jason was found before the lazarus pit? but one that i don't see at all is what if jason didn't come back and just stayed with the All Caste?

The Lost Days arc would go about the same as in canon (without the talia thing because ew), but after the car bomb thing doesn't pan out jason just starts looking into the batfam more. He sees his dad for the first time in years. He forgets everything and considers coming back home.

But then he finds out how his death was handled

Of course he'd still be pissed off about tim becoming robin, but more than that bruce and dick spun it so people though tim was the second robin. Jason's whole identity was usurped, and was prompted by alfred of all people. Add to that the memorial case and the victim blaming, as well as him not having a memorial in titans tower and tim talking shit about him every chance he gets and jason starts to lose hope. But these things could be fixed! These could all be explained away as emotionally incompetent people compartmentaling in order to get over their grief! right?

Then he finds the footage of dick killing the joker for tim. Sure, the joker taunted dick using jason's memory, but it was him thinking tim was dwad that really set him off. The final nail in the coffin would be bruce reviving the joker. Jason now has proof that 1. tim was indeed his replacement, and 2. Bruce's morals and dick's clean hands are worth more than his mangled corpse.

He scraps all of his plans because now he KNOWS that bruce would never kill the joker for him. Disillusioned with bruce and gotham in general, he sneaks into arkham and pits a bullet in the joker's skull, then goes to the all caste for training. If they didn't care about him, why should he care about them?

I think ducra would be less wary about training jason in this au, since his drive for revenge had dissipated, and he wouldn't "bring great evil into this world."

Since ducra wouldn't really show favouritism to jason, since he isn't as much of a flight risk or a time bomb, i think his and essence's relationship would go way better than in canon. Their main points of contention were jason leaving the caste and ducra's favouritism, and without those 2 factors, their relationship could actually flourish.

Due to the all blades being linked to the soul, it would make sense if the caste taught soul magic. This would make jason a way better fighter than any baseline vigilante or assassin. Maybe he could use his abilities to hide his body language to avoid shiva and cass' ability? The all caste doesn't get massacred here, so he learns how to really socialise, talk with people with different experiences, so he could occasionally go back to the alley or the hill to reconnect with his old friends, like dana or numbers, since he wouldn't push people away like in canon.

The untitled wouldn't be as big of a threat as they were in RHatO since there are way more people available, and jason being super trained, so maybe jason would adopt a new vigilante identity to help people on a more personal level. He considers going by Red Hood, as a taunt to the man that killed him, but he doesn't like it. It's a remnant of a past he'd rather forget. Maybe he'd go by cardinal, but he doesn't want to be associated with a bird anymore. I think marauder would be a really good name for him, a man who goes around looking for things to steal and people to fight.

You can have him interact with some justice league dark members, especially Constantine since I really like their dynamic, and he could deal with hellspawns since he wields the allblades now.

JayEssence is a rarepair, which is a shame since i think these 2 could have a really interesting dynamic if written properly, so I'd probably go with that as the endgame ship, but you could work in so many of his ships. JayRose? childhood friends on the titans who reconnected after jason studied under slade for a bit. JayEddie? same thing but they reconnect in hell. Jaytemis? they could run into eachother during a mission and they'd recognise death anywhere. enemies to reluctant allies to lovers. JayDana? classic childhood friends to lovers. The possibilities are endless

[llamagoddessofficial]

how would the normal boyo's react to mc's death?

no murder, nothing crazy, just old age taking away the love of their lives.

and for bonus points lets say they had been happily married for decades as to add on the memories and the sudden shock of losing someone that had become such a key factor in your life.

I think I've mentioned this before, but it doesn't hurt to bring it up again. Aggre Mc is going to live a lot longer than she expected. Even with absolutely no intervention, thanks to her connection with the guys, her Soul has three major sources of magic nearby that instinctively constantly share their power with hers. It will probably expand her lifetime by a century, minimum. Her big issue isn't going to be dying; it's going to be dealing with the implications of living so much longer than she thought she would.

There's also the topic of a Soul bond. If she Soul bonds with any of the three of them, and doesn't have kids, she's pretty much going to live as a monster does (forever, unless interrupted). In Aggre, they definitely discuss the subject of her possible death eventually- and my personal canon post-Aggre is that after settling into a rhythm and spending a few decades together, when Mc decides she wants to Soul bond, the boys elect Sans to be the one she bonds with. She'd then live with them like that.

But... in a hypothetical scenario, where Mc resists everything and dies... I think this is how it would go. Obviously, angst and death under the cut.

Sans: Honestly, Sans takes her approaching death the best. Which should really worry you about how the other two would react. Does he fall apart? Absolutely, the last time he felt this kind of agony was when he lost his mother. But Sans has always been good at disguising his emotions, hiding tremendous pain under an easygoing exterior. He keeps up with the dishes, organises her end of life care, keeps contact with his friends. Papyrus would be the only one to see even a fraction of the true extent of Sans' grief. Sans is about to lose the love of his life, and has completely frozen over to avoid crumbling.

Red: He definitely takes it better than you'd expect, considering he'd have a mended relationship with his brother. But it still hits. It's cruel that the universe sent him someone who taught him how to let himself feel, then took that person away and delivered the worst pain he's ever felt.

Mc would be proud of him, though. Despite the pain, he avoids falling back into the worst of his old addictions, because he knows its not what she would want and it won't actually make the pain go away. It will just numb him to everything; including those who are trying to help. He picks up smoking again in the days leading up to her death, but he avoids the bottle.

Skull: It's hard, for him. It's really hard.

All of them knew it would be particularly difficult for Skull. They had a long time to discuss it- a long time to talk the subject over. Mc prepared stuff for him, for after she's gone... people to talk to, things of hers to hold when it hurts, exercises for him to hopefully learn to deal with it. For a while, everyone was convinced Skull was ready. Even Skull.

... But he just... he just can't do it. He can't do it. He can't let her go. It doesn't matter how many hours she spent holding his hands, how hard they all believed he'd be fine without her- it doesn't matter how much he healed by her side and how well adjusted he seems now. The moment he realises she's really genuinely dying, the journey ahead of him looks so impossibly dark, so frightening. He holds her as she's dying and he feels so small. He cries like a baby and begs her not to leave him behind.

The moment she dies, he catches her Soul. He holds it in his hands, hushing it like a scared bird and tucking it away into his chest, where he can keep her alive. Honestly, they'd have to cut him open if they wanted to let her pass on.

... But I think at that point, Red and Sans aren't exactly fighting to make him let go. In fact... something unspoken passes between the three of them. Skull just did what all of them wanted to do.

Skull gives her to Sans, who keeps her hidden away, within his own Soul. Her Soul knows his best, and will feel most comfortable there long-term.

They'll figure out something. They have all the time in the world.

[fumifooms]

Rarepair pitches: Thistle rarepairs, mithrun x marcille, laios x lycion - Hien x Benichidori - cithadela (formal one to come) - Fleki x Marcille - Laios x Namari (I don’t ship, neutral take) - Mickbell x Rin - Thistle & Falin - Namari x Falin - Hien x unnamed canary - Kabru x Holm - Mickbell x Chilchuck (I don’t ship, neutral take) - Toshiro’s mom x Maizuru - Dandan x Asivia

Lore: Why did Falin see WL (theory) - Magic, desires & funnels (theory?) - beastkin tattoos - succubi vs demons - half-foots and marriage - beauty standards

Misc/short observations: Laios messing up Falin’s hair - gen themes - christian imagery, Falin as a vessel, Dunmeshi & Paprika - found family & Izutsumi - Maizuru cleaning up Toshiro - Marci & Chil matching pouches origins - Chilchuck smokes - ao3 stats when Dunmeshi hit 1k fics - Does Senshi ever laugh - marchil love loses random comp - Lycion wearing a shirt - Chil and letting people drown?? - Chilchuck's succubus bites - Chilchuck pov of Thistle-Marcille fight - Laios’ curse

Headcanons & thoughts: Post-canon Chilchuck & Izu, marchil rambling, Howl’s Moving Castle AU (marchil) - half-foot names - song lyrics for Chilchuck (and wife and marchil) - marchil ship nicknames + pt 2 - party eating misc monsters - Marcille and Chilchuck flower symbolism - Characters and plants symbolism - Chilchuck, family & alcoholism - songs for Chilchuck deluxe

Web weavings: Dungeon food (Laios & WL) - Changeling (Falin), Monsters and Ghosts (Laios & Falin) - The Winged Lion (mini) - Leaving (Chilchuck & his wife) - Out of touch, out of time (Marcille x Chilchuck) - Homegrown (Thistle) - Canines (Mickbell & Kuro) - Dad always said I was like him (Chilchuck & Meijack) - god of death (Marcille & Chilchuck, mini) - Chimera (Laios, mini)

Memes: Dunmeshi meme dumps (rest of the parts are linked on the post) - for the rest I recommend just browsing my ‘dunmeshi memes’ tag either here (blog archive) or here (blog tag).

Featured:

Will occasionally edit in new ones and keep this roughly updated.

Sometimes I talk about fic ideas on this blog, but usually I post and reblog those on my fanfic writing blog @fumiku instead, and my ao3 is Fumiku, I often make character studies yeah but y’know, fics and whatnot. I also uphold @feedmarchil, and I often do fanart at @fuumiku. I also made a post detailling my analysis wips, though it’s already outdated.

Is there an archive for all of your analysis? I want to read them in order 🙇‍♀️

I was gonna say yes and link you to the in-built tumblr blog archive with my tag ‘analysis’ but then I remembered I tag inconsistently. Oops! So here is a huh, attempt. Chronological order is less important imo than topic but for what it’s worth the oldest are the ones to the left. Gonna pin this. This got too much for Tumblr to handle so unfortunately I have to split between reblogs.

This is all for Dunmeshi because I haven’t done nearly as many analyses for anything else. Divided by post type and topic but I do repeats when relevant. My older ones tend to be less polished so uh apologies for that, I’ll put my favorite ones in bold. Looking back there are a lot of posts I’d like to either streamline or remake more complete... Many of this contain spoilers so for that be careful and refer to individual tags.

Masterposts: laimar crumbs (discontinued) - marchil crumbs - Chilchuck’s family - beastkin tattoos - Nakamoto household

Compilations: Marcille’s smile for Laios - Izu dad Chilchuck - Laios bragging faces - Teasing Marcille gone wrong - Chilchuck drunk/drinking - Chilchuck being crass - Chilchuck hugs (incomplete) - Kaka - Hien & Benichidori - Marcille & Chilchuck worsties (incomplete) - Chilchuck old man posture (incomplete) - Chilchuck's type 🤨 (incomplete) - Chilchuck wristwatch - Helki - Marcille and Chilchuck parenting Izutsumi

LAIOS: Succubus scene analysis - Laios-Shuro fight analysis - Izu-Laios relationship analysis - autism & the nonhuman - Laios' nightmare aka autistic existential horror - Laios and chimeras

MARCILLE: Mothers & mom friend Marcille - Chil & Marcille contrasts & parallels - love languages - Marcille and separation - Marcille's view of Chilchuck - Marcille and romance - Marcille and being a burden

CHILCHUCK: Chil’s sense of humor - Chil & Marcille contrasts & parallels - love languages - Chilchuck is underweight -Chilchuck’s family masterpost - Chil’s wife’s appearance - Chilchuck character analysis speedrun - Ask: Chil & wife and change - Ask: Chilchuck, good husband? - Chilchuck’s succubus - the importance of law - getting hired & job description - Chil's buckle shirt & wardrobe - Chilchuck, family & alcoholism - Chilchuck & guilt - Chilchuck and drinking: when and how - Chilchuck in song lyrics

IZUTSUMI: Mothers & mom friend Marcille - Izu-Laios relationship analysis - Nakamoto household masterpost - Izu & alcohol

FALIN: fairy’s child parallels - short Falin analysis - Falin who cares too much and too little - Thistle & Falin - Trans Falin

THISTLE: clown costume & belonging (+ read tags) - Homegrown (web weaving) - Thistle & Delgal and death - Yaad & Thistle - Thistle & Falin

TOSHIRO: Nakamoto household masterpost - Toshiro likes bugs + Falin relevance - Toshiro’s succubus - Trans Toshiro (and Falin) - parallels to Kuro and Forva

Minor characters: Lycion’s dysmorphia + follow-up on his past addiction - Kaka compilation - Chil’s daughters & party brotps - Nakamoto household masterpost (every related character including Toshiro's family members) - Hien’s younger sister - unnamed buzzcut gold-stripper - Dandan - a Hien reading - Yaad & Thistle - Chil's daughters and marriage - Helki - unnamed canary with eye tattoo) - Kuro parallels

Gen: Reactions to the dark magic resurrection

Marcille & Chilchuck: marchil crumbs - contrasts & parallels (not ship) - Taking care of each other sick - Marcille & Chil’s daughters - their love languages (ship but analytical focus) - pre-canon dynamic (not ship) - astrology (ship & short) - Chilchuck's type 🤨 - waxing poetic (good summary) - marchil from Marcille's end - Marcille and romance - marchil & stability

[smilesrobotlover]

Whumptober day 13- left for dead

I swapped today’s prompt with tomorrow’s prompt to make writing this easier :) but yayy! As you can see, this is gonna be such a fun one! :D idk how I feel about this but I kinda accepted that these are not gonna be written well.

Warnings for: Deadhand and a pretty gruesome description of a bite and blood ;) also a near death experience whoops

~~~~~~

Ammon was grateful that torches were magically lit as they walked through the caverns; it was very dark down there. Even with his Hylian eyes, he found himself tripping over rocks and steps that he hadn’t spotted. Poor Kass stumbled into walls and into the men trying to see in the dark, but his Rito eyes were not as attuned to the darkness like Ammon’s Hylian eyes.

“I’m so sorry!” Kass said for the thousandth time after he bumped into Ammon.

“You’re fine, Kass,” Ammon said gently, resting his hand on his wing. “It’s hard to see down here.”

“Yeah,” Benji jumped in, smiling at Kass. “It’s no big deal. Linebeck’s been stumbling along as well.”

Linebeck let out an annoyed huff. “That’s ‘cause I’m lugging your butt around!”

“Oh what? Am I too heavy for you?”

“Yes! How can someone so small be so freaking dense?”

“Maybe you’re just weak!”

“How about I drop you?”

“Don’t drop him, Linebeck,” Ammon warned, grabbing onto Kass’s wing, but the rito flinched and hissed in pain, which caused Ammon to pull away. “What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing, I—” Kass stammered, holding his left wing closer to him. Ammon frowned and glanced at his wing.

“Is your wing injured?”

“I—I–”

“Kass.”

Kass sighed. “Yes… I—I hurt it up on the mountains. I was trapped in a net and fell on it.”

“Goddesses, Kass, why didn’t you say anything? I wouldn’t have forced you down here!”

Kass looked down, sighing once again. “You and Talon already had so much to deal with. And–and then Leon passed out and… I just didn’t want to add more issues.”

Ammon frowned, rubbing Kass’s uninjured wing. “Oh, Kass. You shouldn’t have suffered for our sake. We want to help, no matter how overwhelmed we are.”

“I know…”

It grew silent between the men, and Ammon rubbed his beard, thinking. “There’s two of us injured now… I don’t think it’s best for you all to stay down here.”

Kass glanced at Linebeck and Benji. “But… we can’t leave you alone!”

“Nonsense, we’ve been down here for thirty minutes and have found nothing,” Ammon said, a reassuring smile on his face. “You three can turn back, there’s just a couple of more places that need checking.”

“Oh, are you sure? I’d hate to leave you alone,” Kass said, and Ammon nodded.

“Positive. I don’t want Benji walking on his hurt leg and I don’t want you carrying him with your injured wing. I'll meet you guys up by the well, alright?”

Kass seemed reluctant, but Linebeck was already turned around, hauling Benji back to where the ladder was.

“Hey as long as I can get Benji off my back, I don’t care,” he huffed, and Kass lingered for a moment before turning to Ammon.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine being down here?” He asked, and Ammon chuckled.

“I said I’ll be fine. It’ll take two seconds. I promise.”

Kass sighed and turned to join Linebeck and Benji, but Ammon stopped him for just a moment. “Make sure you get that wing taken care of, alright?”

Kass nodded and smiled slightly, and he turned to join the others, leaving Ammon alone. Admittedly, Ammon didn’t like the idea of being down there alone, but he didn’t like the idea of having to protect three injured friends if something were to happen more. From how quiet it was down in the creepy caverns, Ammon just had to hope that it really was a dead animal decomposing in the well—it certainly smelled like it. But the water didn’t show any signs of blood, or flesh, so Ammon really began to wonder if the man that recruited them was even sane. Oh well, as long as he had the money, Ammon really didn’t care.

He and the others had investigated three rooms, each one being completely empty save for a singular chest containing a fairy in a bottle (who put it there, they didn’t know). There were only two rooms left to investigate, and Ammon reached the first one, not at all being surprised when it was empty. There were jars lining up against the walls, but that was it. Not even enemies of the dead popped up to attack him when he went inside to check the jars. Fortunately, there were a few rupees in them, which Ammon collected happily, and he went back outside, only to nearly get run over by the floating skull, which passed him by as if he were nothing important. He let out a breath as he watched in shock, the eerily silent creature traveling down the hallway with its fiery light shining against the darkness. Ammon let out a breath and continued on opposite from the skull, relieved that it wasn’t actively trying to kill him. Though he supposed he should kill, it—just in case it was the reason for the well acting strange.

When Ammon reached the last room, he entered and was not at all surprised that it was empty. But when he stepped further inside, the door slammed behind him, echoing out against the silence and making him jump ten feet in the air. He spun around and to his horror, saw that it was barred off. There was no escape.

A shuffle behind him reached his ears, and he spun around to see a hand sticking out from the dirt. It was pale with mud and grime smeared all over, along with blood-red fingernails that glistened in the torchlight. Ammon’s blood froze as he stared at it, afraid to step any closer.

The hand remained unmoving, but so did the door no matter what Ammon tried. He knew he had to stay as far away from the hand as possible, but… what if investigating it was the key? What if this hand is responsible for everything? He had a job to do, afterall, and so he couldn’t sit here anymore and do nothing.

Ammon drew his sword and cautiously walked closer to the hand sticking out of the ground. His ears were roaring as he listened for any hint of movement, his eyes were peeled for anything that would pop out and attack, and his body was tensed up so much that he felt like he could kill something in seconds if it came to it. As soon as he got close enough, he let out a yell and swung his sword at the hand, but as soon as it made contact, several other hands popped out from the ground and grabbed Ammon before he could register what was happening. He let out a cry as sharp nails dug into his skin, holding him in place.

“Let. GO!” He yelled, tearing his prosthetic arm out of the hand’s grip, ignoring the pain from the nails tearing his skin, and he turned just in time to spot it.

It looked like a hybrid of a person and a worm, with dirty, bloody, and pale skin that coiled around its body. Ammon couldn’t tell if it even had a face, since all he could see was a long, white neck facing him as it trudged through the dirt, getting dangerously close. His blood ran cold and he thrashed against the hands, not caring how badly they scratched him up. The thing was getting closer, and he needed to get away from it. He was able to get free enough to shift his body, and to his horror, he was suddenly face-to-face with the monster. It looked like a person, but it was deformed with its lips peeled back revealing its large, filthy teeth. Its eyes were sunken in, only showing black shadows where they should be, and its jaw unhinged like a snake as it tilted its head, threatening to bite him.

Ammon yelled in fear as he pulled his arm, slicing his sword right before it took a bite, and he stumbled back, scrambling to the wall as far away from the monster as he could get. The beast turned away in pain, retreating back to the ground, and disappearing before him. But the hands remained, squirming and swiping as if looking for him. Ammon’s heart was threatening to break out of his rib cage as he stood in shock for a moment, trying to comprehend everything he witnessed. But he didn’t get a second of peace as another hand sprang up from the ground, attempting to grab him. He yelled out as he dodged, trying to run back to the door, but he tripped and landed harshly on the ground. At once, the hands grabbed him, once again holding him in place as the beast re-emerged from the ground, wriggling its body through the ground and pointing its head to the ceiling. Ammon pulled against the hands, trying desperately to peel the fingers off of him before the beast reached him, and he nearly got them all off before two grabbed his arms, pulling them behind him. The monster lowered its head and opened its jaw inhumanly wide.

And he couldn’t break away in time before it took a bite.

Its head lurched forward like a snake striking its victim, its jaw clamping onto his right shoulder and neck and squeezing. Ammon tried to scream, but a strained gargle was what escaped his mouth as his lungs were crushed underneath the monster. The sickening sounds of his flesh ripping and his bones cracking and breaking rang out in his ears, and a metallic taste appeared in his mouth. The hands let go, but the beast didn’t, and blood dropped out of both their mouths. Ammon hit it with his prosthetic hand in a pathetic attempt to break free, and finally, it let go. Just as Ammon was released, he weakly stabbed his sword through its soft, fleshy mouth, and the creature gurgled and spat as it pierced through its throat and neck. It crumpled to the ground, along with Ammon, and it grew silent.

Ammon laid on his back, struggling to take in a breath as blood poured out of his shoulder, neck, and mouth. His right side felt numb, yet it was on fire; he felt nothing and everything at once.

He needed to move, to get up, to find the others before his injury overtook him, but he found no strength in his limbs. Everything felt too heavy.

He was going to die. The others wouldn’t find him in time before he succumbed to the monster’s bite. Even so, he still hoped they would. They had to. He couldn’t die like this, not like this. He still needed to find his son, he still had his family to look after, and he still had his friends who depended on him—he couldn’t die in a world that he didn’t belong to! He couldn’t abandon his own! He just… couldn’t���

The corners of his vision began to blur as he laid there, unable to move or scream. His breathing slowed, and he felt the all too familiar feeling of his life fading. Though this time there was no one there to save him. He was going to die, and there was nothing he could do about it. His eyes closed, his body and spirit feeling detached from each other. The last thing he saw was the dark ceiling, dimly lit by the torches circling around in the room.

He only wished that his life didn’t end like this…

…

Then the next thing Ammon remembered was staring up at the ceiling, where a frantic Linebeck stared down at him, an empty bottle in his hands. The man was panting, almost looking like he was going to vomit any second, and Ammon narrowed his eyes confused. What happened?

“A-Ammon?” He asked, his voice shaking and weak. “Are—are you ok?”

Ammon stared for a moment, trying to see if he was ok. His shoulder surprisingly didn’t hurt anymore, though he still felt weak and sick to his stomach. Wasn’t he dying?

“Wha’ happened,” he mumbled, completely out of breath. Linebeck ran a hand through his hair, looking furious.

“You—you said that you were gonna return and—you—you took so long and we were worried and-and we just—I went looking for you and you were dead and I didn’t know what to do so I—I just—“ Linebeck looked at the empty bottle in his hand and shook his head. “I used the fairy we found earlier to save you and—I didn’t know what to do!”

His voice was thick with emotion and he put the bottle away, taking in a deep breath before gagging.

“Oh goddesses—“ he choked, covering his mouth and taking in steady breaths while Ammon watched. The fairy saved his life, he came back and saved him… he thought he was going to die.

“Thank you,” Ammon whispered, smiling weakly at the man. Linebeck sighed and wiped his face down, still glaring hard at him.

“No more separating, you hear?”

Ammon nodded and shakily gave a thumbs up with his prosthetic hand, letting it drop as his mind and body grew fatigued. Linebeck slid his hands under him, and with a grunt, he picked him up and held him close to his chest. Ammon’s head rested limply against him, and he closed his eyes, knowing he was safe now. He was safe, and he was going to live to see another day.

He was going to see his boy again.

[anniebeemine]

prom night- s.r. x oc!daughter

I lost the original ask where someone wanted Naomi going to prom, but here it is. Read more about Spencer and Naomi here

Age: 15 

When Naomi approached Spencer to ask for permission to attend prom, he was ready to say yes. When she mentioned a boy was involved, he hesitated. 

She jutted out a hip, placing a hand on her waist. “Please don’t tell me you want to meet him.” 

Spencer furrowed his brows, and hoping to avoid answering, he faked offense. “What does that mean?”

Naomi shook her head. “It’s just that it’s sort of uncool to have your date meet your dad.” 

Spencer raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with a hint of a smirk. "Uncool? I'm a federal agent, Naomi. That's got to earn me some points." 

Naomi rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "Dad, you know what I mean. It’s embarrassing and you being a federal agent makes it worse. He’ll think you’re interrogating him."

Spencer sighed, softening. "I just want to make sure you're safe, Naomi. But... I’ll try to be 'cool,' okay? Just promise me you’ll let me meet him—briefly. He can pick you up here, I’ll say hello and that’s it.” 

Naomi nodded, her expression relieved. "Okay, deal. But no lectures or quizzes, please."

Spencer chuckled, holding up his hands. "I’ll do my best."

Over the next few weeks, Spencer kept a close eye on Naomi, though he did his best not to be too obvious about it. She and her best friend, Hannah, had scored double dates with two boys from the soccer team. Naomi hadn't given him many details, but Spencer was no stranger to research. A quick flip through last year's yearbook revealed the only boy named Alex on the soccer team—a tall, clean-cut kid with an easy smile. Spencer noted the details, especially that he was a senior and she was only a sophomore, but kept them to himself, deciding to trust Naomi's judgment while staying quietly vigilant.

As prom approached, preparations went into full swing. JJ and Emily, eager to help, took Naomi dress and shoe shopping one weekend. They spent hours going through racks of dresses, each one more glamorous than the last, until Naomi finally settled on a midnight blue gown that flattered her figure and made her feel like a princess. Emily insisted on matching shoes—silver, strappy heels that Naomi wasn't sure she could walk in, let alone dance in, but JJ assured her she'd get the hang of it.

Penelope, not to be left out, booked Naomi a nail appointment at her favorite salon. "This place is magic, sweetie," she told Naomi, guiding her into a plush chair. "They'll make sure your nails are perfect for the big night." Naomi picked a subtle glittery polish that matched her dress, and Penelope smiled approvingly, knowing it would add just the right amount of sparkle.

As the big night grew closer, Naomi found herself surrounded by the women of the BAU, all pitching in to make sure everything was perfect. They fussed over her hair, helped her practice walking in heels, and gave her endless advice on how to navigate the evening. Spencer watched from the sidelines, his heart swelling with a mixture of pride and anxiety. He wasn't sure he was ready for his little girl to be going on a date, but he was grateful she had such strong, supportive women in her life. He was extra grateful that they seemed to be drilling into her head that she deserves nothing but the best. 

On the day of the dance, the house buzzed with activity. Naomi's room was a whirlwind of makeup, dresses, and last-minute nerves. JJ and Emily helped her get dressed while Penelope expertly styled her hair into loose curls that cascaded down her back. Penelope placed a sparkly headband, a pop of sparkle through her dark hair. When Naomi finally emerged, Spencer had to catch his breath. She looked so grown-up, so beautiful, that for a moment, he could hardly believe she was the same little girl who used to beg him for bedtime stories.

Spencer forced a smile, trying to hide the lump in his throat. "You look... amazing, Naomi."

Naomi blushed, fiddling with the hem of her dress. "Thanks, Dad."

He hesitated, then asked, "So, when is Alex picking you up?"

Naomi glanced at the clock. “About twenty minutes.” 

Spencer nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral. “Okay, twenty minutes,” he repeated, more to himself than to Naomi. “I’ll just… get some work done while we wait.”

He retreated to his home office, but focusing on work proved to be difficult. He could hear Naomi moving around the house, her footsteps light and quick, as she gathered her things and came in and out of the bathroom at least four times. Spencer opened a file, trying to immerse himself in the case details, but every sound from the living room pulled his attention away. Finally, he gave up, closing the file and leaning back in his chair. From his desk, he could see Naomi sitting on the couch, her phone in hand, looking as though she was deep in thought. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry. This was a big night for her, and he wished he could do more than just watch from the sidelines.

The ringing of her phone broke the silence. Spencer stiffened, forcing himself to stay put and not eavesdrop as she answered. “Hey, Hannah,” Naomi said, her voice bright but with an edge of uncertainty.

There was a pause, and Spencer knew Hannah was talking, probably updating Naomi on the scene at the dance. Naomi’s face fell slightly as she listened, nodding along to whatever Hannah was saying.

“Wow, already?” Naomi responded, glancing at the clock again. “That’s… Yeah, that’s okay. I’m still waiting here. No, no, it’s fine.”

Spencer heard the slight quiver in her voice and had to grip the armrest of his chair to keep from intervening. He could imagine Hannah, already at the venue, probably telling Naomi about how everyone was lining up for the grand march, and the excitement buzzing through the crowd. He didn’t need to hear the conversation to know what Naomi was thinking—how much she wanted to be there, but how she was starting to doubt it would happen.

There was a longer pause, and then Naomi’s voice came again, quieter this time. “Yeah… I’ll probably just have to miss it this year.” She forced a light laugh, though Spencer could hear the disappointment seeping through. “It’s okay, really. I’ve got two more years of high school to do it anyway. You go ahead, Hannie. You deserve it.” 

Spencer’s heart ached hearing those words. He wanted to go out there, to tell her that it wasn’t fair, that Alex should have been on time, that she shouldn’t have to miss out on something she’d been looking forward to. But he knew he couldn’t swoop in and fix everything for her this time, no matter how much he wanted to.

After a few more words exchanged, Naomi ended the call and set her phone down with a sigh. She stared at the wall, her hands fidgeting with the bangle on her wrist, borrowed from JJ. Spencer could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she was trying so hard to stay composed.

He took a deep breath, then pushed himself up from his chair. Walking out to the living room, he approached the couch and sat down beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Spencer finally broke the silence. “You know,” he said softly, “you don’t have to pretend it doesn’t bother you.”

Naomi glanced at him, her eyes a little shiny. “It does bother me. I’m going to call him.” 

He stayed quiet, offering silent support as she dialed Alex's number. The phone rang once, twice, three times—each ring seemed to stretch out endlessly. Spencer could see the worry and frustration building in her eyes. When the call went to voicemail, Naomi's lips tightened into a thin line. Without hesitating, she redialed, the urgency in her movements more pronounced this time. Spencer could feel the tension radiating off her, a mix of anxiety and anger that bubbled just beneath the surface. It was a familiar look, one he’d seen on so many faces over the years—determined, resolute, the same expression the women in her life made when staring down an unsub.

As the phone continued to ring, Spencer reached out, placing a hand on her arm in a gesture of quiet reassurance. Naomi’s face remained focused, but he could see the storm of emotions behind her eyes. She was determined to get through, to find answers, and nothing was going to stand in her way.

Finally, the call connected, and the sound of Alex's voice filled the room. He was mid-laugh, his tone carefree and oblivious as he said, "Hello?"

Naomi's hand shook as she pressed the speaker button, her voice cold and controlled. "Alex, where are you? You were supposed to be here, like, two hours ago."

There was a brief pause on the other end, and Spencer could practically see Alex shrugging as he responded, "Oh, uh, it’s fine. We’re all just hanging out here at the dance. No big deal."

Naomi’s eyes flashed with anger, her voice rising. "No big deal? I’ve been sitting here, waiting for you! You said you'd pick me up, and now you're just… there already? Without me?"

Alex hissed at someone to shut up on the other end. “I thought I told you I decided to go with Frannie.” 

Naomi's face fell, the color draining from her cheeks as Alex's words hit her like a punch to the gut. Spencer watched, his heart breaking for her, as the anger in her eyes was quickly replaced by hurt and confusion.

“You… you decided to go with Frannie?” Naomi repeated, her voice trembling.

On the other end, Alex seemed almost irritated by her reaction. "I thought I told you. It’s not a big deal, Naomi. I figured you’d find out eventually."

Naomi's grip on the phone tightened, her knuckles turning white. "You figured I’d find out? Are you serious? Why did you even ask me in the first place?"

Spencer could see the tears welling up in her eyes again, and every instinct in him screamed to take the phone and give Alex a piece of his mind. He reached for it but Naomi pulled it away. Naomi took a deep breath, her hand tightening around the phone as she steadied herself. Spencer hesitated, his hand still hovering in the air, but he quickly withdrew it, respecting her silent request for space.

"I can handle this," she whispered, more to herself than to him, though Spencer heard every word. He nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at him, silently offering his support.

Naomi blinked rapidly, forcing the tears back as she focused on her breathing. Finally, she brought the phone back to her ear, her voice controlled but with an underlying edge of hurt. "Alex, I just want to know why."

There was a brief pause on the other end, and when Alex spoke, his voice was a mix of awkwardness and indifference. "I don’t know, Naomi. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. It just kind of happened with Frannie a few days ago, and I figured you’d understand. I mean she and I did date for two years. I’ve known you for three months. Surely you didn’t think you meant more to me than she does."

Naomi closed her eyes, exhaling slowly through her nose. She took another deep breath, swallowing the lump in her throat. 

"Goodbye, Alex," she said, her voice steady but final. Without waiting for a response, she ended the call and placed the phone on the couch beside her.

For a moment, she just sat there, staring at the dark screen, the room eerily quiet around them. Spencer could see the battle she was fighting inside, trying to hold herself together despite the pain.

"Naomi," he said gently, his voice full of concern and love.

Naomi’s whole body began to tremble as she sat there, fists clenching the fabric of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Spencer’s heart ached at the sight, every instinct telling him to reach out, to hold her and tell her it would be okay. But he hesitated, unsure if that was what she needed right now. He watched as she bit down hard on her lip, her eyes squeezed shut as she fought to keep the flood of emotions at bay. Her breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps, the effort it took to maintain control visible in every tense muscle of her small frame. 

Spencer could see the tears gathering in her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. It was as if she believed that if she could just hold on a little longer, she could keep everything from crashing down around her. He could only stand by helplessly, torn between wanting to give her space and wanting to wrap her in his arms.

Then, suddenly, the dam broke. A wail of anguish tore from her lips, a sound so raw and filled with pain that it cut through Spencer like a knife. It was a cry that held every ounce of her hurt, her disappointment, and her heartbreak, and it echoed through the quiet house, making the walls feel like they were closing in.

Naomi shot up from the couch, her heels clicking sharply against the hardwood floor as she bolted for her room. Spencer flinched at the sound, his heart pounding in his chest as he watched her retreating form, torn again between following her and giving her the privacy she seemed to need. The door to her room slammed shut behind her, the sound reverberating through the house and leaving a heavy silence in its wake. Spencer stood there, frozen, feeling the weight of her pain in the stillness that followed. 

He took a tentative step toward her door, then stopped, his hand hovering in the air as he debated what to do. He wanted so badly to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be okay, but he knew that right now, she needed to let it out on her own terms. 

Spencer finally lowered his hand, deciding to give her the space she needed. He knew that he would be there when she was ready, waiting just outside her door, ready to offer her whatever comfort she sought. For now, all he could do was wait and hope that she would let him in when she was ready to face the world again.

It took an agonizing hour before Naomi finally emerged from her room. Spencer had spent that time sitting in the living room, the sound of her muffled sobs seeping through the walls and tearing at his heart. Every sob felt like a knife, each one making him feel more helpless than the last. He wished there was something he could do, some way to make it all better, but all he could do was wait.

When Naomi finally appeared, her eyes were red and puffy, her face streaked with the remnants of tears. She looked smaller somehow, more fragile, as she hesitated in the doorway. Spencer straightened up, his heart breaking all over again at the sight of her.

She stood there for a moment, her fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of her sweatshirt, before she finally spoke, her voice soft and trembling. "Dad… do you think I’m ugly?"

Spencer’s eyes widened in shock, and he was on his feet in an instant, crossing the room to stand in front of her. "Naomi, of course not," he said, his voice firm yet gentle. "You’re beautiful, inside and out. Why would you even think that?"

Naomi didn’t answer right away. Instead, she pulled out her phone, her hands shaking as she opened it and navigated to a specific picture. Spencer could see the anxiety in her eyes as she held the phone out to him. Spencer took the phone from her, his heart sinking as he saw the image on the screen. It was a picture of Alex and a girl he assumed was Frannie, both smiling brightly at the camera. But it wasn’t the picture that made his blood boil—it was the caption underneath it: Pretty girls go to prom. Ugly girls get dumped. 

Spencer felt a surge of anger, his grip on the phone tightening as he read those cruel words. He couldn’t believe that someone would say something so hurtful, especially knowing how it would make Naomi feel. He looked back at his daughter, seeing the hurt in her eyes, and his anger deepened.

"Naomi," he said, his voice filled with both compassion and a quiet fury, "you are not ugly. Not in any way. What she wrote is cruel and untrue, and it says a lot more about her than it does about you."

Naomi’s lower lip trembled, and she looked down at the floor, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "But why would he pick her over me? If I’m not ugly, then why…?" She began to cry again, lip pouting like she did when she was a child. 

Spencer gently cupped her chin, lifting her face so she would look at him. "What Alex did has nothing to do with you, sweetheart. It’s about his poor choices and the kind of people he surrounds himself with. You’re better than that. You deserve someone who sees you for the incredible person you are, inside and out." He waits a minute. “Frankly, Frannie can fuck off and keep that shitty kid.” 

Naomi’s eyes filled with tears again, but this time, there was a flicker of something else—something like hope—in their depths. "But it still hurts," she whispered.

Spencer nodded, his heart aching for her. "I know it does. And it’s okay to hurt. But don’t ever let someone else’s cruelty make you doubt your worth. You are beautiful, strong, and smart, and one day, you’ll find someone who appreciates all of that and more."

Naomi sniffed, a small, sad smile tugging at her lips. "Thanks, Dad."

Spencer pulled her into a hug, holding her close as she let out a shaky breath. "Anytime, sweetheart. I’m here for you, no matter what."

She held onto him for a few minutes, eventually pulling away. She wiped her cheeks and smiled. “Can we watch a movie?” 

Spencer ran his thumb gently along Naomi’s cheek, wiping away the last trace of her tears. “Of course,” he said softly, his voice filled with warmth. 

Naomi nodded, her smile a little brighter now, and turned to head to her room. “I’ll be right back with a DVD,” she called over her shoulder, her tone lighter than before.

As soon as she was out of sight, Spencer pulled out his phone, his fingers moving quickly over the screen. He dialed a number, bringing the phone to his ear. It rang twice before the familiar, bubbly voice of Penelope answered.

“Hey, Garcia. I need a favor,” Spencer said, his voice low and serious. He felled her in on what had happened.

The instant clacking made Spencer’s heart swell. “Oh, he’s going to regret every crossing our precious little Naomi,” she muttered, her tone steely beneath the usual cheerfulness.

"Thank you, Penelope." Spencer ended the call, a small smile tugging at his lips as he put his phone away. He knew Penelope would handle things discreetly, but effectively. Naomi didn’t need to know the details—only that justice had a way of finding those who deserved it.

[rowanraven08]

Unsolicited tma rant no one asked for:

I’ve been thinking a bit about exactly what makes me like the Magnus archives so much, cause I’m not really into horror anthology. Yeah, it’s a good aspect of the genre, but it’s never really caught my interest that much. And I consider myself a fan of horror, but I don’t actually like that many horror movies that much. I like it as a genre, and watching video essays about it, about how different horror affects us, that sort of thing. Horror doesn’t even make me scared usually. I’ll flinch at jump scares of course, but it’s pretty rare that I’m watching a horror movie and be genuinely afraid of the murderer or demon or whatever’s on screen.

Tma even took me a while to get into. I started it maybe in October or November? And it took me until January to get even a dozen episodes in. It was good, but I was really just waiting until it got to the good bits that made everyone love it so much. I knew there was some sort of meta plot, and had a cannon gay ship, that was all I knew when I started, and the reason I kept on with it. I hate to say it, but if I didn’t know even that, I don’t think I would have listened to more than a couple episodes, because short self contained stories isn’t what I’m interested in. Especially when there’s a magic Latin book and a coffin with knocking (I thought it would be a vampire or something) or some weird thing luring people into alleys to kill them. I took those early episodes to be generic devil worship sort of horror, that the weird details were added in just to add to the spook. That’s something that tends to bother me with horror movies, when there’s all this dark magic just for the sake of dark magic, and ends with this big question or realization that can’t be solved. And I do understand ending movies with something the audience can’t understand, because the mystery and strangeness can add to the horror. But I really dislike this, I’m all cool with hard or impossible to understand endings, don’t get me wrong, but when there’s no way to theorize, no dots to start connecting, I find that really frustrating. A good example (I can’t find what movie it is, so if someone know lmk) is a movie with the classic family moves into large old house, creepy basement, with satanic sort of imagery. I did actually like most of it, the stairs to the basement were normal, until there was a ball knocked down them when the light was off, and you could hear it keep going far longer than the actual staircase was. That these stairs kept going for who knows how long when the light is off. What I didn’t like was the end, where we got to see what was at the bottom of these endless stairs, and there’s long lines of people in this void, just standing there. But there was no explanation for this, no way to start theorizing as to what this could be, why it happens.

This is what I thought TMA was gonna be. Each episode never really ended with an explanation, or a way to theorize (early on) and I thought it would stay that way. I remember in January I was finally listening to more on a plane ride, and got to ep22, Martin’s statement about Jane Prentiss. It wasn’t even this specific episode that got me interested, not fully. I did like the worms, description of Jane prentiss, all that but it was when I kinda realized there was something to theorize about, that there was actually something going on behind the scenes. And it kept me listening. It was a bit frustrating how slow the season seemed to go, because I wanted to know what the worms were about, and I admit I rushed through a few episodes, again, thinking they were just filler short stories to break apart the real meat of it. The episode I think that really sealed the deal was strange music, specifically the bit between Sasha and Jon, I wasn’t too interested in creepy clown dolls, but that silly little debate over how to pronounce calliope was honestly charming. Like “oh, these characters aren’t gonna be overdramatized horror movies characters, at least not too much.” Once I got to the season 1 finale I was obsessed and basically finished the rest in two or three weeks (I listened to the last 120 episode in a single week).

And good lord Jonny I am SO SORRY I DOUBTED YOU. Because none of it was creepy books or creepy dolls or weird coffins for the hell of it, you weren’t actually left with no idea of what the ending meant. You just had to listen to Jon as he because paranoid and pulled out the red string, pulling all the pieces together for you until we finally got the big picture. I never once expected the fears, or avatars, or that Robert smirk was anything but a weird architecture, that Jonah Magnus was anything but a stuffy old man who founded the institute. And that’s why I think I love TMA so much, is there really is a big satisfying pay out as a listener, I didn’t even put the dots together myself and it’s still gratifying. The slow realization that these episodes aren’t just horror for the sake of horror, they have a reason, an explanation, and it still manages to keep a level of mystery and unknowability that makes you just always want to know more. Re-listening has been genuinely so fun, because especially with later episodes I’m able to connect those dots, and see the full picture as it unravels. The thing in the dark alley wasn’t targeting smokers to be spooky, it was a monster collecting victims to use in a ritual, and that addiction is part of the web.

So yeah, that was probably really redundant, but I just really love that slow reveal, all the little bits you can connect, and theories you can make. Jonathan Sims forgive me for ever doubting your writing, I see now you’re a genius, please give me your brain, I need it for my own creativity. Thanks for coming to my ted talk

[jo-harrington]

Freaky Friday - A Stranger Things Story (Part 4)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Word Count: 13.8k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader, Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader, Eddie and Steve (Enemies to Friends)

Summary: Eddie thinks that Steve has everything in life handed to him on a silver platter (including his new girlfriend who Eddie has a crush on). And Steve just can't believe that the kids look up to Eddie the Freak, or that he lives his life without giving a single fuck.

Must be nice. But you know what they say, the grass is always greener.

Warnings/Themes: AU with no Upside Down. Angst, body swapping, dark magic/alchemy, unrequited love, mutual pining, fatphobia (if you squint?), Babysitter Steve, unresolved feelings, manipulation/deception, Things That Require Communication (Too Bad There Isn't Any), Reader gets a nickname (Honey), no Y/N if I can help it, brief mention of suicide, self hatred, loss of identity, oral sex (f receiving), vaginal fingering, dry humping

Note: Ok this one...took a while. And after 3 rewrites and me coming to a 3 am epiphany that I'm a better writer than I give myself credit for, here we are. Shout out to @ghost-proofbaby @trashmouth-richie @br0ck-eddie @big-ope-vibes and I'm sure a lot of other people for getting me through this. My computer is currently running like a potato and doesn't want me to add more to this text post.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

"What do you guys think he's doing?"

"He seems pretty focused. New lyrics?"

"Nah, he has to be planning something really messed up for Friday's session."

"Or, instead of lurking around and gossiping like old biddies," Steve raised his voice to add to the commentary. He glanced up from his notebook and passed an expectant look at the rest of Corroded Coffin as they hovered a few feet away, lunches in hand, hesitant to join him at the lunch table. "You could just ask. Now are you guys gonna just stand there looking like nerf herders or are you gonna sit?"

The boys immediately jumped and shuffled to the table to take their seats.

"Uh, so...Eddie," Jeff began hesitantly as worked on the latch of his lunchbox. "What, uh, are you writing?"

"Miller wants an essay about the Constitution," Steve explained and scratched his forehead with the worn-down eraser of his pencil.

"Oh shit, and it's due today?" Dave went wide-eyed.

"Nah, not til next week," Steve shrugged, and then looked up to see the dumbstruck expressions on Eddie's friends' faces. "What?"

"You're...doing homework that's due next week?" Gareth laughed. "Who are you and what've you done with Eddie?" The other boys chuckled and Steve couldn't help but crack a secret smile.

If they only knew.

It was another hour, another day, another week in the body of Eddie Munson.

For the most part it had been bearable, and Steve wondered if it was actually getting easier or he was just getting used to it. He really hadn't realized how many plates Eddie kept spinning though, and when he initially questioned how Eddie continued to fail senior year...well he quickly changed his tune.

On top of the Hellfire Club, Corroded Coffin gigs and practices, and the endless parties that he seemed to be invited to deal at, he seemed to take care of everyone.

He made sure the kids and the guys were all protected from bullies, which meant Steve had to perpetuate the whole Satanic facade--he was getting pretty good at the devil horns and tongue. The money he made dealing immediately got split between various stashes around the trailer, then his and Wayne's wallets, which made Steve extremely guilty about the allowance his mother bribed him with gave him. And if that wasn't enough, Eddie was the one who shopped and made meals for Wayne and, surprisingly, Reefer Rick.

Steve had only seen Rick a handful of times over the years before Eddie had taken over as the designated dealer at all the high school and college parties. More recently, Rick would only make a trip into Hawkins to stop by the VFW and then swing by Family Video. He never questioned why...and he almost felt ashamed that he never did before now.

He got too hung up on rumors and jokes. About Rick. And about Eddie.

Steve had promised to play the part though, and he did...but it was really starting to wear him out.

Still...Steve figured that he would make the slightest bit of an effort on Eddie's school work. For all the glory days of high school that Steve had...he was getting pretty sick of Hawkins High. At the very least, he could help Eddie get out of here. And at the most, if he was stuck in Eddie's body forever...well, he didn't want to be a 50-year old high school senior.

Jeff and the guys had mocked Eddie's speech about flipping Higgins off during graduation...and damn if Steve wasn't going to make that happen, come hell or high water.

The younger boys finally took their seats at the table, Dustin practically bursting with frantic energy, as usual, and Mike extra glum.

"What's got you down Wheeler?" Steve asked, throwing a pretzel at Mike's head. "I know it's only Monday but..."

"Someone's keeping my birthday present a secret," Mike groused and Dustin rolled his eyes.

"Here we go. He's been complaining about it all day," he explained. "Lucas and I literally can't have a minute alone to discuss it."

"You know I hate secrets."

"And he tried to bribe Will."

The two of them squabbled back and forth and Steve grinned fondly.

He might've loathed the homework but he was glad he got to see the kids more. More still, he was...almost grateful that Eddie had been there to guide them through the minefield of the first few months of freshman year, since he couldn't.

"Alright, that's it. Shut up!" Steve finally shouted. "You're just gonna have to have a little patience, Wheeler. Just cuz your mommy still says you're special, doesn't mean everyone else is gonna let you walk all over them."

The guys all snickered and made quiet jabs and kissy noises at him, calling him Mama's Boy and the like, as Mike turned red.

"Shut up I don't--hey, how did you know about that?" he narrowed his eyes. Steve's eyebrows jumped in challenge and Mike backed down with a sigh. "Whatever. Fuck you guys...anyway, Eddie, my sister wants to talk to you," he announced in a bored tone.

Now that piqued Steve's interest; he sat up straight and glanced around the cafeteria for her.

As though he didn't know exactly where she and Jonathan Byers sat.

He felt his heart speed up when he met her eyes and she waved him over.

Steve had done his best over the last year-and-a-half to get over Nancy. He'd gone to prom solo, asked new girls out left and right...shit he'd even tried to get her back once or twice. Or at least get her to dump Jonathan. He wasn't entirely proud of it but...Robin had really been the one to set him straight.

He'd faced a lot of bitter realizations but he thought he'd been through the thick of it. Seeing Nancy in passing now and again at school though...well it wasn't doing anything to help that.

And now Nancy wanted to talk to Eddie? Why? They didn't have any classes together--she had practically all Advanced Placement classes and Eddie obviously didn't. Aside from his association with Mike, Nancy steered clear of Eddie.

As Steve got to his feet--ignoring Dustin's cry of "hey can you meet me in the library after school"--a laughable thought struck Steve.

First you had confessed your crush on Eddie. What if Nancy was next in line?

He faltered in his step as he made his way across the cafeteria.

Maybe it wasn't so laughable after all.

Since you had made that little confession to "Eddie," Steve had gotten half-the-idea in his head that...well Eddie wasn't that bad of a guy, what if he could find Eddie a girlfriend or something? He'd tried to ask out a few of the cheerleaders who had approached him about dealing at a party but was promptly laughed at.

And he wasn't gonna even bring up that one girl who was lingering in the theater department last Friday after school, as he went to set up for Hellfire with the kids. He was lucky she didn't just die of fright as he said hi.

What if the answer was Nancy all along?

It almost made him feel a little sick.

Except...

She liked...weird guys like Jonathan...and Eddie was certainly a weird kind of guy. And one of the things Nancy had liked about Steve had been his cool personality. Sure Eddie was sort of a loser...but she was popular now thanks to Steve...what if she liked the cool, bad boy and was getting bored of Jonathan.

As he continued on his journey he mentally calculated the distance between Will and Nancy. Their table was pretty packed--filled with their friends from Newspaper--and there was more distance between them than there had been between him and Nancy right before they broke up.

"Hey, uh, Byers, Wheeler," he greeted awkwardly and crossed his arms over his chest and devoted his attention to Nancy. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah can we..." she got to her feet and motioned toward the door.

Steve's heart pounded in his ears as he followed.

"Listen, Miss O'Donnell was a little worried about your grade and she asked if I could maybe...tutor you," Nancy explained, then paused pensively. "Actually, I asked her for a letter of recommendation for one of my applications and she said she would if I tutored you ahead of the midterm. Sorry. I-I do think she's really concerned about your progress though."

"I think the more accurate statement is that she doesn't wanna see my ugly mug in her class again next year," he joked and she gave him a tight-lipped, sympathetic smile.

"I didn't want to agree if you weren't open to it," Nancy sighed. "But I really need that letter. You'd...you'd really be my hero if you did this."

Steve stared at her for a moment, his thoughts racing at all the possibilities.

It didn't really sound like she was tempted to leave Jonathan in the first place but...that didn't mean he couldn't turn on the old Harrington charm. She had fallen for it once...maybe she enjoyed the charm just in a different package. And yeah, he had you waiting for him if he ever made it back to his body. But...if he didn't...

"Listen, I want out of here as much as the next person," Steve finally replied. "So, uh, I'm game if you are."

"Great!" Nancy placed a hand on his shoulder excitedly and Steve could practically feel the warmth of it despite the layers of denim and leather. "Uh...I have some free time after school today?"

Steve vaguely remembered Dustin wanting to meet him...he was sure it had something to do with the spell and he certainly didn't want Nancy to find out about that.

"I, uh, have a Hellfire thing," he lied. "How about Wednesday? I always study better with a few snacks. We can meet at Benny's? 5 o'clock?"

Nancy nodded and confirmed the time and place. She placed her hand on his shoulder again, then went back into the cafeteria.

It took a second, but Steve suddenly felt like all the wind was knocked out of him.

"Eddie" had a study date with Nancy on Wednesday.

He had a date with Nancy.

Eddie was halfway through his shift before anything exciting happened.

Sorry, halfway through Steve's shift.

He really wasn't trying to be bitter but...

Eddie had spiraled for a few days after the unfortunate mishap while he was trying to...relieve himself. Sure, it started with "Steve's" relationship with you, but it was almost like Pandora's box; once the box was opened, everything flooded out. He couldn't sleep without thinking of it, and every waking moment, he was consumed by the blaring differences in their lives.

He wasn't himself and it was driving him crazy. Making him sick.

The smell of the laundry detergent Mary Harrington used, the taste of the tap water in their hose, the softness of Steve's bed.

He'd tried to get comfortable in someone else's skin but the truth was that he wasn't going to fit in it, even if he wanted to.

However, in order to get back to his own life, he needed to keep playing the part of King Steve Harrington, keep stuffing himself into a place that didn't fit. Ignore the stifling tightness, the bulges, and the stretching at the seams of his very being.

That didn't mean he had to give up everything that made him Eddie.

He'd had a day off last Tuesday, and he'd just...spent it trying to reconnect with himself.

He'd stopped by Rick's for weed--and also to check on him, even though Rick wouldn't realize he was Eddie--drove up to Fort Wayne to get high and walk through the conservatory, buy some concert tees at the second hand shop.

By the time he arrived at the Hideout for Corroded Coffin's gig, he felt almost whole. And then he had one of the best performances of his life.

Only to realize that he couldn’t fully enjoy it.

Which led him to skip out on Benny’s with the guys after the set, because as much as he wanted to see you, he knew he couldn’t stand to witness the way you would be indifferent to “Eddie” only to dote on “Steve.”

This was so fucked up. He didn’t know how much longer he could take it.

It was as he had that very thought that his beloved van pulled up right outside the store and “Eddie” and the kids piled out, looking frantic and excited.

Dustin caught Eddie��s attention and quickly waved to get him to come outside.

“I thought you were the babysitter Harrington,” Keith sniffed judgmentally from the front of the shop where he was stocking a display. “What’s Munson doing here with your kids?”

“He got custody in the divorce,” Eddie snarled and vaulted over the counter. “I’m taking my lunch.”

“Wh-hey?!” Keith stuttered as Eddie strutted out the door purposefully. “You forgot to clock out!”

Steve and the kids were all talking over one another excitedly by the time he reached the group.

“They wouldn’t tell me shit until we got here,” Steve grinned. “But apparently they figured out how to fix this.”

“What?!” Eddie’s eyes went wide, the prospect of being back in his own body too monumental to not be excited. “That’s great!”

“We’ve translated the passage!” Dustin announced.

“We?” Lucas asked skeptically.

“Lucas translated the passage,” Dustin amended.

Before Eddie knew it, he and Steve were sitting in the back of the van as Dustin, Lucas, and Will went back and forth over their findings.

He felt like he was in an episode of Columbo for a minute. The kids being detectives who solved a great mystery and were reliving their investigation step-by-step. Lucas did most of the Latin translation, but part of it fell on Will’s shoulders. It wasn’t your run-of-the-mill Latin they learned in class but some obscure dialect.

“Which, uh, I coincidentally have a book about because I have actually been coming up with that one-off campaign for Mike’s birthday,” Will confessed and reached up to scratch the back of his neck as he turned red. The other boys whooped and patted him on the back and Eddie couldn’t help but feel proud of him too.

Eddie always said these kids were the future of Hellfire, but truly he couldn't see them having a better DM than Will Byers.

"Anyway," Dustin returned to the topic at hand. "This is what we ended up with." He pulled a crumpled up piece of notebook paper from its place within his backpack and handed it to Eddie.

The page was covered in crossed out words and different scribbles in each of the boys' incredibly distinct handwriting.

"Jeez, you couldn't have at least rewritten it on a fresh piece of paper?" Steve asked critically. Dustin simply rolled his eyes and grumbled something along the lines of "next time you're cursed, you're on your own" as Eddie and Steve leaned together to read the translation.

A journey soon begins, its prize reflected in another's eyes. If what you see is what you lack, then selfless love will change you back.

Eddie felt his throat tighten as the guilt washed over him.

Sure, he had accepted that the fault lay entirely with him--he already vowed not to use any occult books for future campaigns again--but seeing it there on paper just solidified it.

A prize reflected in another's eyes. You. But you weren't some prize to be won. Sure he...he wanted you to be his but you weren't some object. And to think of you that way...well...he knew enough about magic to know that it didn't happen by accident. He had to believe that you were a prize, at least a little bit, to make something like this happen.

He rubbed a hand over his eyes wearily.

This wasn't what he wanted at all.

"Alright, so what does it mean?" Steve questioned.

"It means you two are jealous of each other," Lucas explained.

Both Steve and Eddie stiffened.

"What?" they exclaimed in tandem. They looked at each other and Eddie laughed while Steve simply looked horrified.

"What do you mean, jealous of each other?" Eddie scoffed.

"Oh, come on Munson," Steve rolled his eyes. "Of course you're jealous of me, this entire predicament we're in is because of you and because--."

"No, no," Eddie held out a hand to stop him from continuing. "Shut up. I'm jealous, alright? Jealous that you seem to get everything handed to you. Anything you want? It's yours. Is that what you wanna hear Stevie?

"But," Eddie paused and narrowed his eyes. "Why are you jealous of me?"

"W-what?" Steve coughed awkwardly. "I'm not--"

"Why did you say that Sinclair?" Eddie jumped to his feet and pointed at Lucas. "Why did you say that we were jealous of each other?"

"Uhhh..." Lucas squirmed a little under the intense scrutiny of the older boys. "W-well...it's about the way the sentences were structured. I'm not...I'm not an expert or anything but it's referring to you in plural. If what you, vōs, seek is what you lack. Not you, tu."

Eddie then turned back to Steve and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well?" Eddie asked expectantly.

Steve was still for a moment before he began fidgeting. He fumbled over his words--a bunch of well-you-sees and you-don't-understands--as he pinched the bridge of his nose and ran a hand through his hair. Eddie watched, almost sympathetically knowing how hard it was for him getting used to Steve's unfamiliar body, as Steve faltered with his longer mane.

"It's...I...it doesn't matter!" Steve finally shouted. He jumped to his feet and put his hands on his hips; he began pacing back and forth, one arm occasionally flailing as he gesticulated. "It doesn't matter why I'm jealous of Eddie? So what? We need to figure out how we can fix this.

"Selfless love? For what? For each other?" Steve blew a raspberry childishly. "Fat fucking chance. There has to be another way. I don't care what we need to do. I just want to change back."

"Change back from what?" a light, raspy voice sounded from over their shoulders.

The entire group stiffened and turned toward the voice and, lo and behold, there stood Robin. Shuffling her feet back and forth restlessly, frozen in place as she tugged her family video vest from her backpack. The moment everyone's eyes were on her, she grinned bashfully and waved at them all.

"Well, shit," Steve cursed in the most Eddie-like fashion.

If it had been up to Steve, Robin would never have found out about the whole...switching bodies...curse...spell...thing...

But when did something he wanted ever be taken into account by the universe, huh?

As soon as the group had realized Robin was there, all of the deflection and anger drained from Steve's body. He felt guilty for another one of his friends getting dragged into this mess. Because as much as he was happy to let Eddie take the fall, the fact of the matter was that Steve was just as jealous of Eddie.

As much as Eddie had admitted to being of him.

Steve had wanted to give her an explanation right then and there, and he would have if Keith hadn't chosen that moment to be his usual effervescent self.

"I'm closing the arcade tonight," he opened the door and glared across the parking lot at "Steve" and Robin. "So you need to clock in Buckley, and if your friends are still here by the time I take my break later, your hours are getting cut."

If there was one thing Steve had to choose that he didn't miss about his own life, it would be his boss.

So Steve brought the kids home and then returned to the Family Video parking lot to endure panic-inducing silence as he waited for Eddie and Robin to close the store. He could have listened to one of Eddie's endless tapes or smoked--Eddie's body was constantly craving one thing or another: cigarettes, sugary or salty snacks--to kill the time. He simply couldn't bring himself to do it.

It was a literal out-of-body experience. He watched himself and Robin talk and laugh as they went back and forth, helping customers and cleaning up once the store was empty. He knew his friend, knew that she was stronger and smarter than other people gave her credit for.

But this? This made him feel dizzy sometimes if he thought about it too hard.

He hoped they wouldn't get too far, so he could at least...have a decent conversation with her for the first time in a few weeks. Short of seeing her in passing at school...well...he hadn't gone this long without talking to Robin since they became friends.

And he really needed his best friend right now.

Eventually the lights in the businesses of the strip mall began to click off, one by one, and Steve practically held his breath until Family Video's lights finally shut and Eddie and Robin exited the building.

Eddie slapped a hand on Robin's shoulder and said something that made her roll her eyes before he got into Steve's car and drove away.

Robin made a beeline for the van and silently hopped into the passenger's side. Steve's hands--Eddie's hands--gripped the steering wheel tightly enough that he could feel the rings cutting into the creases of his fingers.

The atmosphere in the van was heavy as he sat under Robin’s scrutinizing gaze.

"I knew something was up," Robin finally announced as she slammed the door closed. Steve looked at her as though she had grown a second head.

"What do you mean ‘you knew?’” Steve asked incredulously.

She sighed and began counting on her fingers.

“You’ve been a real grouch when you’ve picked me up from class lately and I know you’re a morning person. Which sucks, by the way. You asked if I wanted to skip home room and get McDonald’s breakfast with you, you hate McMuffins—”

She went on and on, and Steve melted. Yeah, he could admit they had their squabbles and they didn't always see eye to eye. But at the end of the day, no one really understood them like they did each other.

And it felt really good to be understood as Steve Harrington right now.

"--and then you're always complaining when your mom doesn't cut the crusts off your sandwiches and lately you've just been eating them. Also I mentioned something about Vickie the other day and you just ignored it, so I figured that you were just annoyed with me."

She heaved a little bit at the end, having said the last bit in one go without stopping for air. Steve reached across the console and flicked her ear, causing her to slap at his hand.

"Ow, butthead! What was that for?" she exclaimed.

"Are you fucking kidding me Rob?" Steve burst out laughing and Robin chuckled along with him. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"How was I supposed to know you switched bodies?" she slouched into her seat. "Here I was thinking that you just didn't wanna be friends with me anymore. Which, you have to admit, is a more likely explanation."

Steve was about to protest but he stopped mid-word and frowned.

"You know what? You're right."

"I know," she grinned smugly. "Now what have you been up to and how much help do you need with this whole 'switching back' thing? Because Eddie isn't that great at being Steve, which means you must really suck at being Eddie."

They went back and forth as Steve put the van into drive and regaled Robin with stories and mishaps in the short time he'd spent as Eddie Munson, and she laughed at his stupidity.

After he left Family Video, Eddie found himself driving aimlessly through the streets of Hawkins. He thought a weight would have lifted off his shoulders after he explained everything to Robin, but everything was...almost a little worse now.

She'd had questions, like any normal person would. Actually, a normal person would have just had them committed. Robin was special though; her own brand of freak. And she was quick to adapt.

Eventually though...the topic turned to you.

When was Eddie gonna tell you what happened? Did you already know? You deserved to know before you fell too hard for Steve; otherwise, you'd be heartbroken if you ever found out that he was actually Eddie.

Of course, that only fed into all of Eddie's insecurities and self-hatred. All of the doubts he had spent days trying to stuff into the furthest corner of his mind returned with a vengeance.

You wouldn't feel the same thing about him if he was actually Eddie Munson.

Robin didn't know exactly what her words had done to him; she was fully oblivious to his real feelings for you. So he'd done his best to keep those thoughts at bay, and resolved to treat himself to a drive around with the windows rolled down and headband to Metallica as he smoked.

But then Robin opened her big mouth as they locked up for the night and it sent him into another spiral.

"You know...with a little more time, I would have probably figured it out," she chuckled. "You're not as good at being Steve as you think."

At first he wondered if that meant you might figure it out with a little more time. You were sharp, especially when it came to other people; what if one day he did something so inexplicably Eddie that you simply refused to believe he was Steve anymore. Sure, you probably wouldn't be able to guess that he actually was Eddie but...he wouldn't be the Steve you liked anymore.

If he did tell you the truth, would you break up with him? Would you hate him? He'd gotten close many times...but it was just so...ridiculous.

But then Eddie realized that he had been banking on the fact that he was doing all sorts of lovely things with you, had such a deep connection with you--he thought so, at least--and that Steve himself could never live up to it if they switched back.

What if he had you wrong all along? And it wasn't the deep connection that you both built? But just...the fact that he was Steve? You really hadn't had many .boyfriends during school, when you hung around with Mickey's sister. Or any, actually. What if you had a crush on Steve all that time and now...

Eddie felt sick.

Sicker than he was the other night. Sicker than he felt after a bad high. All he wanted was to go back home; not the empty Harrington house, but home. Back to the trailer and his stupid bed and to Wayne, who would give him a stiff hug once he saw Eddie was feeling so down.

But he couldn't.

So he went to the place that felt the next closest to home as he could get right now.

To Benny's.

Benny's had always felt like home to him. When his mom was still alive, waiting tables. She'd pick him up from school and sometimes bring him to work with her. He'd sit at a table in the very, very corner scribbling in his notebook or reading; she'd always scold him to do his homework but Benny would bring him a milkshake and tell Eddie that if he never finished school Eddie didn't need to either.

And to you.

You'd become more home than he ever realized before. Faced with the thought of losing you, he knew he would get over the pain if he absolutely had to. He could move on. But something would always be missing. If none of this had ever happened, the home that you were to him would have stayed cherry pie slices on Tuesday nights and the scribbles in his old notebooks.

But now he knew the taste of your kiss and the weight of your hand in his. He couldn't pretend anymore. He had to know.

Eddie didn't hesitate as he pulled into the gravel parking lot. He was out of the car and headed into the diner as soon as the keys were out of the ignition.

It was almost closing time, so the diner was pretty quiet save for a family finishing up a late supper and Chief Hopper who sat at the counter with a slice of apple pie, chatting with Benny through the serving hatch. You were hunched at a table--the very same table his mom would sit him at--rolling silverware; your eyes darted around the diner every so often to make sure your customers were taken care of, and they immediately sparkled when they landed on him.

The motivation he had to make it into the diner was immediately replaced by those stupid nerves.

"Hey honey," Eddie greeted nervously once you crossed the diner and stood before him. The courage momentarily gone, especially as you made it to the door to greet him. "Uh...table for one?"

"We're about to close," you frowned and glanced over your shoulder. "Uh, but I can ask Benny if--"

"Wait, no," Eddie stopped you before you could go anywhere. "I was just kidding. I really wanted...to see you. I missed you."

"Oh! I missed you too," you grabbed his hand in yours and squeezed. "It looks like you came here straight from work. Everything ok Steve?

His ears started ringing; there it was again.

Steve, Steve, Steve.

The name he had gotten so used to and so sick of. The person he had gotten so sick of being.

"What do you like about me?" he sought suddenly, desperately. "Like...really, why did you agree to go out with me when you could have...dated any other guy?"

Your eyes went wide and you began squirming nervously. He couldn't quite place it but there was something there...something that made him even more nervous.

"Uh, hey Ben, can I take a quick 5?" you asked over your shoulder and Benny poked his head through the window. He narrowed his eyes at "Steve" momentarily but nodded.

"No funny business kid," Benny warned. "She's the best I've got."

You pulled Eddie out the door and to the side of the building, where you took your breaks. Where he had danced with you last week.

"So?" he began impatiently. "Why do you like me?"

"Where is this coming from?" you questioned quickly. "Did...I don't know...did Eddie say something to you?"

"Eddie?" Had you...told him something? Something that would upset "Steve?" What would you tell him? And why hadn't Steve mentioned anything about you talking to him.

Eddie tried to rationalize it. You saw him as a friend, and Steve knew you thought Eddie was a friend. Steve still saw you as his own girlfriend. Maybe you were trying to...Maybe you...Maybe he...

Fuck it was really confusing if he really thought about it. He just needed a straight fucking answer. Otherwise he was gonna go crazy.

"No," Eddie shook his head. He would have to go out on a limb here. "No Eddie didn't say anything but I...I don't know. We've been going out for a little while I guess...even when I first asked you out, I never asked why you said yes. And I just...don't know why you would even want to go out with me."

Your eyes got sad, and took a breath, almost relieved, as your fidgeting stopped.

"I mean, I guess...I've had crushes and stuff before," you began.

Crushes? Oh god, what if you were about to confess you had a crush on Steve. Steve...well he understood, Steve was handsome...not his type...it would hurt but he understood.

"N-no one ever...ever really wanted to ask me out for more than...than a party or something," you chuckled. "I mean they did but...high school right? Everyone kind of sucked. You kinda sucked too Steve.

"And I really wasn't...ok it's funny because I was actually planning to break things off with you." You chuckled and Eddie perked up a little. "You were kind of...self centered, and you...you kept...I don't know. I know you had that breakup with Nancy, so I didn't want to be mean, but you just kept bringing her up!

"But then you...you really surprised me. I told you...you're not...not anything I expected. You don't even seem like you were when you first asked me out. You're...caring and you listen. You're funny, and you like classic horror movies? And then you--"

You went on and on, eyes getting brighter with each word. Eddie felt lighter. Everything you said that you liked about him, well they were all about Eddie. Not Steve.

He was...he was getting in his head for nothing. That's all it was. It was just...nerves and...and...he had nothing to worry about. He could have you, when all was said and done. Hell, he could probably tell you right now once you were finished; tell you the truth about the spell, tell you that he was Eddie, tell you that he...liked you and that you were the thing that kept him going all this time.

You'd probably be...confused. But you knew him. You knew Eddie. It would all make sense in the end. And hopefully, you wouldn't turn him away.

In that moment, however, seeing that pride and confidence take over you as you listed all the reasons you liked him--the way you were so sure of your feelings--made Eddie's own confidence falter. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that telling the truth felt freeing. To you, you were just confessing how much you liked "Steve," and while all of the things you just said made him...so incredibly happy...he couldn't help but wonder...

What if you were angry that he kept this secret from you? What if you...hated him for lying?

Robin said it herself, you deserved to know the truth, before you fell too hard. He should have told you immediately. He shouldn't have acted in his own interest. You were...you deserved so much better.

The doubt you just helped brush away began festering inside of him again.

You deserved to know the truth, but he couldn't hurt you more now. And as much as he wanted you to...to love him, to love Eddie Munson he knew that you would feel too betrayed to ever trust him again if he told you.

"--and it kind of helps that you're really cute too." You finally finished with the brightest, most tender smile he ever saw. "Sorry I guess that's just the long winded way of me saying...I really like you Steve."

And as Eddie ignored the twist in his gut at Steve's name--as he kissed you--he decided that he simply couldn't tell you the truth. Ever.

Eddie felt bad just leaving after he barged into Benny's like that, and to be completely honest, even though the guilt was eating at him he didn't want to leave your side. He convinced you to go out with him for a late night snack and then he followed you home where he gave you another sweet kiss on your front porch.

"You're spoiling me," you giggled as you fiddled with your keys.

"You deserve a lot more than I can give you, Honey," he told you truthfully. "So much better than someone like me."

"Impossible."

It was close to midnight when he pulled into the Harrington's driveway, and Eddie cursed when he noticed the two expensive cars parked beside each other and the lights on in the house.

He hadn't had the misfortune of encountering both of Steve's parents at the same time yet. His dad was usually at work and mom usually just...gone, so the few times he did see them...they were just on their own and he could dodge any questions or conversations.

"Whatever you do, just don't talk to them," Steve had told him. And Eddie had kept up that end of the deal so far. He couldn't be so sure now. He would just have to try his best to get up the stairs and into bed before they noticed their "son" was home.

Eddie turned the key in the lock as quietly as he could, entered the house and closed the door behind him without more than a click. He avoided dropping his keys in the little dish on the table in the hall--

There was chatter coming from the living room, quiet laughter. That was odd. From what Steve made it sound like, his parents always fought.

--but he couldn't avoid running into the table itself. The table wobbled and the other keys in the dish clattered and caused a commotion. The laughter stopped abruptly.

"Steven?" Mary's voice sounded frantic and alarmed.

Shit.

"Yeah mom, it's me." Eddie winced and tried to steady the table.

"I didn't think you'd be home tonight, it's already so late." She was immediately in the hall, eyes darting around, arms crossed over her chest. Her makeup was smeared and hair disheveled. Even her clothes looked in disarray.

Gross. Eddie didn't want to think about the Harringtons fucking on the couch he took a nap on the other day.

"Worked late," Eddie answered dismissively, wanting desperately to get out of this situation. "Just like dad does."

Eddie tried to take a step around her--if they knew he was home, he might as well grab some water or a pop before he went up to bed. Maybe a beer if he had to think of Steve's parents like that. Mary immediately stepped in front of him and blocked his way.

"I was worried," she stated blankly, eyes dead on him now.

"Clearly not, if you thought I wasn't coming home," Eddie snarked, annoyed now that she was making this difficult for him. Here was the bitchy PTA mom Mary Harrington he knew and loved. "I just want to get a snack and go to bed."

"It's late, just go to bed Steven."

"No, I--"

"Now is that really any way to talk to your mother?" a deep voice sounded from behind Mary.

Eddie rolled his eyes, now ready for a fight with Big Papa Harrington--

The thing about the Harringtons was that they looked like something out of a Sears Catalog. Tom was tall with salt-and-pepper hair that coiffed perfectly on his head, bright blue eyes, and a firm, trustworthy voice that always meant business. Mary was a petite brunette with warm hazel eyes, impeccable taste in clothing, and a sweet voice that went shrill when she was upset. And Steve was a good mix of the two; the perfect poster boy for their coveted suburban life.

--only to freeze in surprise when an older man with blond hair stepped out of the living room. His necktie was in his hand, lipstick was smeared across his mouth, and he was shrugging on his suit jacket. The flag pin on his lapel glinted in the hall light, like the unspoken warning in his eyes.

Eddie's mind raced as he tried to make sense of it all.

Steve asked him not to talk to either of his parents very much, to keep their interactions with him short. How he got bitter at even the mention of his parents. The lunches, the calendar, the laundry. The allowance money that she gave him, even though practically everyone knew Steve had been cut off from his dad's wallet. Eddie thought that the allowance money was the secret they were keeping from Tom.

"You can't be mad at me forever, Steve," she had told him the other day.

"It's good to see you again, Steven," he smiled his election-winning smile and put a protective hand on Mary's shoulder. "We were just discussing how the historical society is contributing to the--"

"Larry was just leaving," Mary announced and glared up at Mayor Kline. The Mayor nodded and patted his hand on her shoulder once again before he slunk between them and out the door, Eddie's eyes following him until he was gone.

For all the gruff manner about him, Eddie's uncle Wayne was a bit of a gossip monger. Always had been. He got most of his gossip from the ladies around the trailer park that would offer a cup of coffee in exchange for some handyman repair work that they couldn't do themselves. So Eddie had become quite adept in Hawkins gossip. Rumor around town was that Tom was the one cheating. It was why Mary had the nicest car and the most expensive jewelry. It was why she went on all of his business trips and was treated to lavish weekend getaways.

No one expected that...

"You're cheating on dad," Eddie practically spat at Mary. She heaved a heavy, tired sigh and rolled her eyes a little bit.

"Yes Steven," she agreed. "We've been through this all before. I'm ruining the family, your father is going to be heartbroken, but I don't think I see him here." She waved her arms out and looked around.

"It's past midnight and he's still at the office crunching the numbers," Mary continued. "There are things you just don't understand and you won't until you're grown up and married. But seeing how late you're coming home. Working late. Just like dad.

"So I don't want to hear it from you. I already made you a deal. You got your allowance back. I get to keep my secrets."

She waved her hands dismissively then turned back into the living room, leaving Eddie behind in the hall to process the entire conversation.

He went through the motions as he trudged up the stairs and got ready for bed. As he went to brush his teeth...he stared at his reflection. At Steve's reflection. Stared into tired eyes with purple circles underneath them and a gauntness that hadn't been there earlier.

On top of all the other shit he was feeling...this especially was heavy, and sickening.

Not because Eddie was fond of Mary or Tom or douchebag Mayor Kline.

Not because he was under some illusion that marriages were supposed to be perfect and families were happy.

Not even at his own partial triumph that the perfect Harringtons were truly about as far from perfect as one could get.

But at the realization Steve had to live with the truth that could break up his family.

Steve's visit had you practically floating through the next few days. It was unexpected and so...perfect.

You had gone a few days without seeing him. Not that...you were trying to be clingy or anything. But for the past two weeks he had been consistent in his attention and affection for you...and for it to suddenly stop the day after you tore up your diary and resolved to get over Eddie?

After you told Eddie about your crush in the first place?

It had you in a panic. And, of course, instead of try to communicate and reach out at all, you internalized it and catastrophized.

What if Eddie told Steve? What if Steve hated you now? What if that's why he hadn't called? Or come in with the rest of the guys after their next show?

You thought it all came crashing down when Steve had stopped by and asked you why you went out with him. You thought he was trying to get the truth out of you and for a moment...it felt like the worst thing in the world.

Losing Steve felt like the worst thing that could ever happen to you.

But when he asked again, seeming so lost and insecure. God, it just cut you, because...how could he not see how great he was? Why did he doubt that you liked him?

You relived it after you got home that night. Went over every moment, tried to make sense of it all. Tried to pinpoint anything you had done. And really the only thing you could think of was telling Eddie about your crush.

But...the good definitely outweighed the bad. Your little self-pity and worry over Steve's abandonment of you had vanished and...even now, you were still giggling over him. Over the happiness you felt that you liked him so much, that he liked you back. Liked you enough to worry that you might not like him.

You had to admit that it all felt silly. All of the back-and-forthing, all the doubt. But silliness was good, and it just made the days pass by swiftly. Benny had kept grumbling good-naturedly at your bright smile. He teased you and asked if you needed a quick 5 minute break later and if Steve would be waiting outside for you after close.

Hell, even Lynn's bitterness wouldn't ruin your good mood.

"Alright, Sunshine," she groused at the start of the early dinner rush, just as you came back from your break. "Better hike up that skirt a few inches. Your boyfriend's here, so you gotta look extra cute if you want a good tip. God knows your serving isn't good enough for it."

You felt yourself getting hot from embarrassment; not for Lynn's rude comments but because she said boyfriend, the fact that he was so recognizable now.

God, if Steve was here, Benny would never let you hear the end of it. But how did she know? Steve had work on Wednesdays...

You subconsciously touched your hair and adjusted your uniform before stepping into the dining room. Your eyes swept over the tables, looking for his familiar fluffy head of hair...only to come across another incredibly familiar head.

Your boyfriend. Lynn thought Eddie was your boyfriend.

Eddie's long, curly mane took flight as his head was thrown back, his laughter lost over the din of chattering customers. For a second you assumed he would be there with Jeff or Gareth--hell, he might even be there with Mickey catching up--until you saw the ultra-styled brunette perm that bounced with every motion.

In that moment, you either turned to stone, or you fell into a deep, dark abyss. It was hard to tell. It could have been both. Or neither. But something happened to you and you ceased to exist as you did just seconds before. Benny's little bell in the service hatch sounded flat and distant. The grumpy old man demanding coffee simply melted into the floor. Lynn became a blur in your peripheral vision and phased between tables like a phantom.

And Eddie and Nancy remained in perfect, painful focus.

Nancy Wheeler. Nancy Wheeler. Nancy Wheeler.

The bell in the window dinged twice and Benny shouted something to Lynn, effectively breaking you from your trance. You wiped your now-clammy hands on your apron and quickly approached the table.

"Hey, how's it going today? Can I get you guys something to drink?" You forced a polite smile onto your face and glanced between them.

This was the closest you'd been to Nancy...possibly ever; she was a year younger than you and aside from your interactions with Steve now, you really never had any business hanging near him when you were still at Hawkins High. She was really pretty. Her blue eyes sparkled, her smile was cute, and her voice was sweet and soft as she asked for coffee, please. Some dark part of you that made you hate yourself though that she was everything you weren't, and you couldn't blame it because Eddie was looking at her like she hung the stars.

"Eddie, are you gonna order?" Nancy's eyebrows jumped expectantly. "It's busy, I'm sure she has other people to help."

"Oh he's a regular he gets--" you started to defend him but Eddie cut you off.

"Just ice water." He didn't even look at you. "Thanks honey."

Your throat got tight and you shot them both a tight smile with a quick "be right back."

How did she do it? How was she...how did she get everyone? She had a boyfriend right? Unless they broke up. But still...she had Steve hung up on her for God-knows-how-long, and now Eddie was like a lovesick puppy.

Your mind raced as you retreated back to the kitchen and went through the motions of your job. Lynn was terrible about starting a fresh pot and you were relieved that you'd have an extra minute of respite to think before you did something stupid like spill hot coffee in Eddie's lap.

What were they doing here? Was this a date? You thought...you saw textbooks on the table. Were they just doing homework or...did they have class together? You'd offered a study session with Eddie once. Not a date. And it was in the library and not Benny's. Fuck. Was it a date? Fuck. And he never looked at anyone like that, let alone you.

Your movements were jerky and full of emotion. Coffee grounds spattered as you scooped them into the brewer, you slammed Eddie's water glass onto the counter, and by the time you were halfway bent inside the ice maker, taking out your frustrations on frozen water, Benny had enough.

"You need a different weapon to stab that ice kid?" Benny chuckled. You stood straight and faced him with, what you were sure was, a pathetic expression.

"I'm sorry Ben I--"

"You just came back from break," he stated matter-of-factly and crossed his arms over his chest. "What's got you all worked up already? Someone out there harassing you? Need me to kick 'em out?"

"I mean, unless you wanna fire me," you replied tiredly, knowing you were more frustrated with yourself than with Eddie or Nancy.

"Ah," he nodded sagely. "I got it. Yeah, I go 8 rounds with myself sometimes too. Wanna talk?"

Did you want to talk to your boss about silly boy trouble? Trouble that you were trying to work through yourself? Because you were supposed to be getting over your crush on Eddie. You were with Steve...and you just needed to remind yourself of that.

Every time you walked out there and saw them talking. If their heads got too close as he whispered something to her over their homework. On the off chance you looked outside and saw them kissing in the parking lot after they left.

You thought...distance from Eddie would work. But you were friends with practically the same people and he always came into Benny's.

Maybe the answer wasn't trying to push Eddie away? Maybe it was just to get closer to Steve?

You ignored the roiling in your stomach and sighed. Either way this wasn't something Benny could help you with.

"Thanks Ben," you responded weakly. "But it's just...I think I have to work it out myself."

Before Eddie knew it, it was Friday and time for Hellfire.

It was weird now, having Robin know the truth about him and Steve. She was having a hard time adjusting to calling him Steve, knowing he was Eddie. Despite the fact that she had been calling him Steve the whole time.

"I'm just going to call you both Dingus," she reasoned. "That way there's no chance of messing it up."

She actually...had been pretty handy the past few days, trying to find the way for the two of them to switch back. She had checked out a bunch of books from the Hawkins Public Library and brought them to Family Video for them to scour through, had apparently taken to sitting with the Hellfire Club at lunch to prevent Steve from making a fool of himself--fat chance--and grilled both Steve and Eddie on every aspect of one another's lives that might be relevant to their switch. More importantly, the switch back.

"What is selfless love? Is it supposed to be...you doing a selfless act for one another? Because I saw this one test Steve took for you last week. He got a B! And you know he's purposefully having tutoring sessions for you? Must suck for him; he aced O'Donnell's class last year."

She had even been a listening ear after Eddie had found out about Steve's mom, and didn't know the best way to get around to talking to him about it.

It had to be eating Steve up inside...hell, Eddie didn't even like the Harringtons and he felt guilty for not telling Tom that his wife was ruining their family and hurting their son by bribing him to keep it all a secret.

Fuck. Were...were he and Steve friends now?

Eddie normally would have shivered at the thought but...actually it was kind of wholesome...to think that King Steve would slum it with the freaks.

But the line would be drawn if he ever had to admit that Steve was a nice guy. Even if it was the only thing that he had to do to get back into his own body...yeah wasn't happening. Guess he would be Steve Harrington forever.

He was currently waiting at the side entrance to the High School for Steve and the others to get back from picking up snacks for their session.

He actually managed to piece together a semi-decent looking outfit. The last few gigs at the Hideout and Hellfire meetings, he had shown up in Steve's signature polo-and-jeans look. But after digging in a box labeled "donate" at the back of Steve's closet, Eddie found what he was pretty sure was Steve's halloween costume a few years back.

A black t-shirt and some...dark grey blazer that Eddie spent his lunch break adding safety pins too--more punk rock than metal but it would do. Pop those on with some black jeans that he also zhuzh'd up...aka cut holes in...perfect Hellfire look.

He wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb at least. Maybe he could ask Steve to bring him an extra shirt next week.

Eddie's van swerved into the parking lot and as soon as it stopped, the back doors swung open and Gareth jumped out with a whoop.

"Harrington, are you ready for carnage tonight?" he shouted at "Steve" and hauled a case of Mountain Dew over his head. The rest of the Hellfire club filtered out and greeted Eddie before helping unload their purchases.

Steve finally joined them and clapped Eddie on the back.

"Glad you could make it, Harrington," Steve winked and looked down at Eddie's clothes. "Slumming it again? What are you wearing?"

"I don't know, Munson," Eddie ran his hands down the front of the blazer. "Just something from the back of the closet."

"The safety pins are pretty cool," Dustin commented with a wink as he and Mike headed in.

Once the guys were inside, Steve hissed in Eddie's ear.

"What did you do to my jacket?"

"Dude you need to stop trusting your mom to buy your clothes," Eddie laughed. "I'm gonna go cross-eyed with all of the stripes."

"You're one to talk," Steve rolled his eyes. "It's a wonder your knees aren't permanently frostbitten. All of your jeans have rips in them."

Eddie shook his head. Asshole.

"Heard you're getting help in O'Donnells," Eddie remarked.

"News travels pretty fast," Steve kicked his feet, spraying the guys with gravel. "Which of you idiots blabbed. Gare?"

"Yeah he's been making kissy faces," Dave coughed and cleared his throat. "I mean...yeah he's been getting special tutoring sessions."

Kissy faces?

"From Nancy Wheeler!"

Wheeler?

"Mike doesn't know his ass from his elbow but even he knows you're crushing on his sister," Gareth teased, earning a high five from the others.

"Lay off," Steve preened in front of the others. "We've only had two study dates."

"Two days in a row!" Jeff protested. "That's your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend...yet."

Eddie felt dizzy; what was even happening. Steve was...Steve was dating you, why the hell was he talking about Nancy like...like he was gonna ask her out. Why was he trying to get him to date Nancy?

He grabbed Steve's arm as the other guys headed in.

"Are you...kidding me Harrington?" Eddie hissed. "I don't need a girlfriend, I just need to be back in my body. Jesus H. Christ."

"You don't...listen Eddie, you don't understand," Steve sighed.

"I think I do, you're obsessed with Nancy and you know she isn't gonna get back with you as yourself so you're trying to get her back as me." Eddie punctuated his words by jamming his finger into Steve's chest.

"She likes bad boys," Steve explained with a shrug. Eddie scoffed.

"Jonathan Byers isn't a bad boy. I'm not a bad boy. You're gonna make me look like an even bigger laughing stock than I already am."

"Well it's a good thing that I'm still you then, you get to enjoy life on top," Steve held out his arms. "It's a win-win. I get Nancy, you get not to be an absolute loser."

"Well what about your girlfriend?" Eddie asked. "You asked me to keep her warm. She's a good one. Don't scare her away."

"You can break up with her if that's your problem," Steve said dismissively. Eddie let out a noise of disbelief. "What? Isn't that it? You're tired of going on lame dates? Listen, we're no closer to switching back than we have been. Why can't you just...accept the inevitable."

"So you just...give up?" Eddie asked. "Because...I dunno, it just sounded like you want to be stuck as me for the rest of time as long as you can be delusional about Nancy."

Eddie realized that he was being thebiggest hypocrite right now.

He just didn't care.

Every day he made himself sick with worry that you were going to find out and hate him. Guilted himself over the fact that he had to lie and deceive you. Every day simply got harder, and as much as he reveled in your affections...he knew it wasn't right.

Eddie had gotten them both into this mess because he couldn't build up the courage to own up to his feelings for you...and now Steve was doing the same thing. Who's to say that if Steve--if "Eddie"--had a chance with Nancy, they might never be able to undo this spell at all.

"I'm not giving up, I'm just..." Steve ran a hand over his face. "Wouldn't it be easier this way?"

There was a second of silence as Eddie connected the dots.

Maybe he wasn't the only one to blame here either. They were both jealous of each other. Eddie jealous because Steve was dating you. But Steve was jealous...because Eddie lived a supposed carefree life. Right? Wasn't that what Steve had said? And...and did Eddie not just find out how un-carefree Steve's life was?

"I get it now," Eddie muttered. "It isn't...it isn't just about Nancy. It's all of it."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"If you're me...then you don't need to worry about keeping mommy and daddy's marriage happy," Eddie explained. "You don't need to...work with Keith. You don't have to worry about living up to expectations when there are none."

"You talked to my mom?" Steve narrowed his eyes, his tone full of betrayal. "What the hell man?"

"I didn't but thanks for the warning man," Eddie scoffed. "Walked in on her and the mayor practically hanging off one another. Ah look at you, see? You look sick to your stomach. Don't worry, I didn't tell anyone. But I bet it's felt good the last few weeks, not having to think about whether or not your dad is gonna find out. That your perfect life is gonna be ruined."

"My life isn't perfect!" Steve exclaimed.

"Neither is mine! If you didn't notice, it's as far from perfect as you can get. Maybe you've just been oblivious to it so far. A few weeks is nothing compared to 20 years man.

"What's gonna happen when the state pen calls on my birthday because dear old dad wants to chat. Or..or when you go to Rick's house to restock your supply and he's having a really bad day. You know how many times I've talked him out of just...ending it? It used to be easier when my mom was around but...guess what Steve? She's dead too.

"My life isn't easy," Eddie concluded. "Isn't perfect. So don't act like everything's easier just cuz you want to get in Nancy Wheeler's pants."

"You don't fucking know what you're talking about," Steve rumbled. "Nancy...shit she's the only person who I've ever loved. Who has ever loved me. Maybe my parents did a long time ago when I was still young enough to be my dad's little buddy and my mom's dress up doll. But not anymore. But Nancy? Nancy got me. She understood me like no one else did."

"What about your friends? What about Robin?"

"What other friends do I have besides Robin?" Steve asked. "They're all gone. They left. Even before graduation."

"And that's what you want now? You want Nancy and my friends too? To help fill your lonely little life?"

"My life is lonely? Please. You're playing a make believe game and wannabe rockstar twice a week with a bunch of kids. All your real friends left you behind too. And I might not know what my future holds but at least I have a future Munson," Steve huffed. "If this spell bullshit hadn't have happened, it isn't hard to guess where you would end up. Still living in that trailer park 20 years from now, fixing toilets, and fucking your fist because who would ever wanna be with someone like you? Who could ever love yo--"

Steve couldn't finish that sentence because Eddie's fist was rocketing into his face. The force of the punch made him fall to the ground.

Eddie felt empowered, filled with righteous anger and self hatred.

There was nothing worse than being faced with the hopelessness of his life, the pointlessness of his future...until those facts came from his own mouth.

"You're on your own Harrington," Eddie shouted as he turned on his heel and walked back to the BMW, not stopping for a second to look back, even as Steve called after him. "You wanna fix my life? You wanna be Eddie Munson? Be Eddie Munson. You don't need my help. Good fucking luck."

“Well here we are, Honey,” Steve announced as he pulled up to the curb in front of your house. “End of the Line. Home Sweet Home.”

It was the perfect date. Again.

Let the record show that Steve was the best at planning dates.

Honestly sometimes...it just seemed too good to be true.

There had been the night when he stopped by Benny's right before closing, and you had that chat outside. Even though you had an early class the next morning, he lured you out to the line of fast food places near the highway on an impromptu date and created ungodly mash ups with different sandwiches.

Or Thursday, he asked if you wanted to have a movie night and you suggested your place since Starcourt was always so packed. He had brought a ton of treats and extra supplies to build a blanket fort in your living room. He stole a few kisses when your hands met in the popcorn bowl. And you had gotten caught making out in the fort by your mom.

Then today--a Saturday of all days--he'd surprised you.

You’d walked outside, running late for your shift, only to find him parked at the curb, leaning against his car with a huge grin on his face. Told you that he had begged Benny to give you the day off to take you for a surprise.

"I have the day off from Family Video," he explained. "Figured I could use a little day out. Thought I could convince you to tag along."

As if a Saturday off wasn't surprising enough in and of itself.

It was honestly like something out of a John Hughes movie.

He had driven you into Indianapolis to go to some outdoor flea market. Played whatever music you wanted on the drive there and back. Got you all the roasted pecans and sweet confections from the vendors at the edge of the market had to offer. Made you fall for him more and more as he talked shop, laughed, and bartered for vintage records and cool sunglasses and a handful of pinback buttons.

"'Get Stoned?'" You laughed and picked out one rather large button.

"Like the Rolling Stones."

"I get it," you laughed. "Just didn't think you were into them enough to get a button."

"Oh...they're the Stones," Steve shrugged. "But, uh, figured...Eddie might be into it."

You really tried not to wince at the mention of Eddie’s name. You smiled and nodded but it just had you thinking back to Eddie and Nancy at Benny's. You knew you had to stop thinking about it...especially in comparison with Steve, and it was getting increasingly more difficult when Steve was the one who brought him up in the first place. Hell, when you stopped at a little drive-in outside of Marion for dinner, Steve even ordered, what you recognized as, Eddie's usual from Benny's.

It honestly threw you for a loop and made you feel a little crazy.

Just weeks ago you would have thought…well you wouldn’t have considered them similar at all.

And now…

Now you weren’t so sure.

You had spilled your heart out to Steve the other night, told him all the things that you liked about him. And it wasn't until you got home from work after seeing Eddie and Nancy together that you realized...a lot of the things you liked about Steve were also things you liked about Eddie.

Sure, Eddie and Steve were hanging out more after all, so they had to have something in common. Maybe hanging around each other brought out the best in one another. The glimpse of Steve you got after that third date…that genuine sweetness…was now only amplified by Eddie’s genuine personality.

Then you had Eddie…his seemingly endless confidence was more of a defense mechanism. Behind closed doors or with your heads leant together over homework he was more vulnerable. Sweeter. But now the confidence had almost made way for cockiness and indifference...which you really had never associated with Eddie before.

So the way he smile and looked at Nancy, the softness he freely gave--

The way you always wanted him to look and smile at you. The way that still devastated you not to be on the receiving end of.

—you rarely saw him show that soft side of himself so freely.

Even if Nancy had a boyfriend…well, it was a hurtful sight to witness and you truly hoped Eddie wouldn’t be hurt if she turned him down.

Huh. Eddie pining after Nancy and Steve being…just a sweetheart. A sweetheart you were falling for. It’s almost like they traded places or something.

You pondered the thought for a second and couldn’t help but laugh at how silly it all was.

“What’s got you laughing?” Steve’s voice broke through your fantastical thoughts and you shook your head.

“Nothing,” you dismissed. “I’m just…just happy.”

Steve smiled that million dollar smile of his--bright and sparkling--and tucked his head into his shoulder a little before glancing back at you.

“Really?” He questioned.

“Yeah.”

“Cuz you had a good time?”

“Well yeah, I always have a good time with you.” You shuffled in your seat a little, tugged at the seatbelt and scuffed your feet against the floor mat. “You, uh...you wanna come in?"

"Uh, is your mom home?" He chuckled nervously. "I don't want a repeat of last time."

No. That was mortifying.

"She's actually out with some coworkers. They got some big contract. Some international account blah," you waved your hand dismissively. "Kinda boring but she doesn't get to go out too much. I dunno.

"But uh...if you did want to come in...we could avoid a play by play. If you catch my drift?" You raised your eyebrows seductively and you thought you made the right reference--he was a sports guy after all. But he just looked like a deer in the headlights.

That was just the natural progression of dating right?

You kiss a little or a lot...and then you make out on your couch...and then...so why did he look shocked. You didn't wanna push him...but he was also Steve Harrington. You honestly thought he would have made a move by now.

Some wicked voice in the back of your head piped up.

Maybe the problem wasn't Steve; maybe you were the problem...

"It's ok if you don't want to," you backtracked, suddenly self-conscious. "Because I know you...you probably work tomorrow or something."

"No!" he shouted, the volume of it a little shocking thanks to the close proximity in the car. "Yes that's...no I...we can go in."

You held back a sigh of relief and smiled shakily.

The walk inside was unremarkable, but every second that passed was filled with more anticipation than the one before. Steve teased you for fumbling with your keys, enough that you dropped them, and he gave your butt a little pat. You grabbed him around the middle and waddled him back from your mother's steam-cleaned carpets so he could kick off his shoes, all the while running your hands over his toned chest. You asked him if he wanted something to drink, like a good hostess would, and he simply quirked a brow and said there was only one thing that could quench his thirst.

But before long it was all just a vague blur because he pushed you up against the wall in the front room and eagerly fused his lips to yours.

Steve was always a little noisy, always humming, but his noises became needier the longer you went. His hands gripped your waist and he thumbed the softness there consistently, as though he needed to prove to himself that you were truly safe within his grasp.

He swallowed the giggles that softly escaped you when his fingers found just the right spot.

"Ticklish?" he broke away and pulled just far enough back to grin through those kiss-swollen lips. You whined impatiently in response. "I think I found my lady's weakness...it's ok. Your secret is safe with me."

A voice echoed in your head, soft and sweet. My lady. Gravelly with sleep in the morning before class, accompanied by a bow, as you passed by Hellfire Club on the way to homeroom

No, no, no. Not again. You were here with Steve. Steve. Not Eddie.

"Mmmh, and what about you?" you muttered petulantly, pushing the thought away. He surged forward for another peck but you kept your hand firm on his chest to hold him back. "Isn't it fair I learn your weakness too?"

"I've gotta have some secrets don't I?" He pulled one of your hands away and pressed feather light kisses to each of your fingers, then the back of your hand.

An image was summoned in your mind's eye, the feeling of lips on your hand as you practiced some sort of Shakespearean reenactment for English class.

Eddie needed to get out of your head. Out of your heart.

You batted Steve's hand away, grabbed his face and mashed your lips to his urgently.

There was a build of anticipation; it was frenzied but it didn't feel rushed. Now that you two had a moment alone--truly alone to explore one another without a nosy neighbor or a potentially wandering police officer or a well-intended parent--it was clear that you both wanted this and wanted to savor every minute of it. Memorize every dip, every curve, every plane. Paint the taste of one another on the canvas of each other's tongues.

He tasted like...

Cherry Pie and Cigarettes and Juicy Fruit Gum.

But he didn't chew Juicy fruit. But he did. But he didn't. Steve didn't. Eddie did.

Steve chewed Big Red. He told you so on your first date when you asked for a stick after the bitter taste of coffee lingered in your mouth.

"I only chew Big Red, is that ok?"

But he had chewed gum in the car after you left the diner. He had his pie, he smoked really quick--a habit you vaguely remembered him saying he was quitting--and he had offered you a piece of Juicy Fruit as he turned the key in the ignition.

You compared Eddie and Steve in the car before, chalked it up to them being friends. But now here he was again and it was driving you crazy. You just wanted to fall for Steve in peace. And you were, you really were, but you were also getting sick of Eddie popping up at the most inopportune times.

You pushed Steve away from you and panted heavily.

"You wanna go to my room?" you asked abruptly. Your eyebrows shot upwards expectantly as Steve stared at you with big, dumb eyes and a shocked expression.

"Yes," he nodded eagerly. "Uh, yeah...yes."

Eddie didn’t know how to feel being in your room.

On the one hand…he doubted whether he should really be here. This was everything he had just condemned Steve for. On the other…it really had been the perfect day with you. You quieted the doubt in his mind. All of Steve’s cutting words about…being alone and never knowing love…they didn’t matter when you held his hand and looked him in the eyes and kissed him.

All of the sweet things you said to him the other night flooded his mind and made him feel like he was underwater. Submerged in your love.

If he closed his eyes and imagined the world was perfect, it did feel like love. He could convince himself that you loved him too. 

The minute your bedroom door was closed behind him, you had grabbed Eddie and pushed him onto your bed. The plush comforter cushioned his fall and your pillows had all bounced around him and he chuckled.

He craned his neck to get a look around your room—white walls decorated with some posters and cutouts from magazines here and there, a small desk, a bookshelf that was so full it was more book than shelf. He’d learned so much about you the past few weeks, more than he had over the past few years of knowing you, but this…aside from the fact that you had crawled onto his lap and we’re nipping at his neck…this was the most intimate he would ever get to know you. Not your body. But your soul, your mind, your light.

If this was his last glimpse of you he ever got in his life, he would die happily. He didn’t need to pretend things were perfect to acknowledge that he was in love with you. It was a fact of his existence at this point. And he needed to show you.

“H-honey?” He asked softly. “Stop.”

“You don’t like this?” You laved at the point where his jaw met his neck before sucking a bruising kiss there. His nerves were alight at the sensation and blood rushed south.

“Where did you learn to do that? Hmm?” He asked teasingly as his hand gripped your waist. You pulled back and grinned like the cat that got the cream. “Oh? You’ve got secrets? Well I’ve got a secret too.”

Something akin to worry flashed behind your eyes and he reached up to caress the side of your face.

“Don’t worry,” he reassured. “It’s not bad. Let me show you.”

Eddie pulled your mouth back to his and you fell into him, obviously enjoying the soft attentions of his kiss. From there he eased you onto your back, happy to hover over you and press his body into yours. He grinned as you made a needy little noise.

More? He could give you more; he was planning on it. More importantly, you were eager to have him take.

You were soft and pliant against him, malleable, as his mouth traveled from yours, down your neck, and further down still. His hands antecedent of his descent, they prepared you for what was to come, gave you every opportunity to push him away, though you never would. He grasped your wrists and pressed them to the soft mattress above your head, rucked up your shirt so he could attend to your breasts.

Fingers deftly peeled away the cups of your bra and as he suckled and venerated, he found that the little strumming motion he liked to do when he played with himself was also one that made you whine deliciously;  calloused pads oscillating over supple fullness and hardened peaks.

Eddie abandoned his paltry devotions to continue onwards. He knelt back and quickly began removing your skirt and underwear, cute little things that would serve no purpose if you were to let him proceed.

“Is this ok Honey? You can tell me to stop,” he assured you. You bit your lip and your bliss-filled face became bashful, but you shook your head anyway. “No? You want me to stop?”

“Don’t stop,” you replied breathily. “Please.”

“I won’t. I’ll give you whatever you want. I promise.”

He ushered you to scoot further up the bed so your head could be cradled by the plush pillows. He couldn’t resist dropping another kiss or two to your lips, to sooth the sting that your teeth were inflicting. Your little needy noises were cute, but you were holding back and he simply couldn’t let that happen. 

“I want to hear you,” he muttered, running his thumb over your lips. “It’s just us. No one will hear. I need to know if I’m doing something you don’t like. Or something you really like. Then I know to do it again next time.”

“Next time?”

“Yeah…this isn’t some quick romp at a party or outside a concert, sweetheart. I want to make you feel good again.” He pressed a kiss to your lips for emphasis. “And again.” Another kiss to your breast. “And again.” One last kiss against your stomach before he settled himself in the cradle of your thighs, hissing the slightest bit as his hips came in contact with your mattress.

He was throbbing, aching for his own pleasure, eager for a release that he’d been ignoring and denying himself. He shifted and found a little friction, the mattress and his jeans doing just enough to sate him while he took care of another hunger.

Never let it be said that Eddie hadn’t met a pussy that he didn’t think was pretty but you—open for him and wanting--were gorgeous. Tempting. Eddie clicked his tongue as he finally got a good look at you, fluttering with want, dripping with ambrosia.

“Why didn’t you tell me you wanted more?” He admonished with a smirk, looking up at you with hooded eyes as he settled your leg over his shoulder, nestling in for an extended, more comfortable time. “I wouldn’t have made you wait so long.”

“I didn’t…I…” Your excuse was cut off by your combined moans as he latched onto you, immediately finding the swollen button at the top of your sex. He laved back and forth, teasing you until you whined. The taste of you, the smell of you—the earthy sweetness that bloomed on his tongue and settled at the base of his throat—caused his hips to jerk against the bed and he pulled back a little, eager but ready to let you feel good for as long as he could. He rotated his attention between your clit and your lips and your neglected little hole, kissed and nuzzled and lapped up whatever slick you gifted him. 

Eddie moved his hand from where it was caressing your thigh so he could ramp up the fun. You jumped as he caressed your lips, played with the spit and slick.

“Do you touch yourself honey?” You covered your face. “Didn’t I just tell you that I wanted to hear you? So tell me, do you touch yourself?”

“Yes,” you threw your hands down and grasped the plush comforter.

“Do you think of me?” You nodded. “I can’t hear you. Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to touch you? Do you want more?” He blew a soft breath across your thigh and you shivered.

“P-please, more.”

Eddie slid his fingers over you, watched as you shuddered and twitched, basked in your wanton little noises. With his other hand, he shifted slightly and undid his belt and the fly of his jeans, pushing them down just so, so he could rock against the bed, seeking more physical relief. He dove back in with kisses and licks and nips, getting adventurous as he slid a finger into you. You stiffened up for just a moment before he took you to higher heights. 

"Uuhnnnhhh, yes," you moaned breathily. Beautifully. "Right there. Yes!"

The tightness was luxurious and his head spun, imagining what the rest of the night might bring. He could feel you panting, getting closer and closer to your peak. He would get you there. Gladly. Again and again. Over and over until you couldn’t take any more.

“Please!”

“What do you want, honey?”

“Please I’ve—“

“You wanna cum sweetheart.” He grinned against you. “I’ll get you there but you have to beg. Come on.”

"P-please S-Steve!"

Eddie froze.

His ears started ringing. His entire body was numb. He couldn’t…couldn’t breathe. It all came flooding back, the realization, the hatred, the resentment. The want to be with you and the fact that he couldn't.

"W-what's wrong?!" you stammered and pushed yourself onto your elbows to get a better view of him. "What happened?"

Eddie couldn't answer. He could barely look at you.

He pushed your leg off his shoulder, and as he did he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror beside the bed—

The freckled skin, the fluffy hair, the rumpled polo, the hazel eyes staring back at him smugly.

--he couldn't even look at himself.

“Please, talk to me. What happened? Did I do something wrong?"

"I just...I..." he choked at the sound of his voice. But not his voice.

He shook his head and pushed himself off the bed. He ran a hand over his face and ignored the questions that came out of you. He quickly yanked up his jeans and barely fastened them. He ignored the belt.

He quickly turned on his heel and ran out of your room. He jammed his feet into his shoes and fumbled with the jacket he had hung on the coat hook by the door to get his keys. 

Not his keys. 

Steve’s keys. Steve’s car, Steve’s body, Steve’s life, Steve’s love.

Not his.

He let the jacket fall to the floor, abandoned, as he quickly made his escape.

All the while you called and ran after him.

"Steve?! Wait! Steve!!"

Tag List is currently suspended.

Freaky Friday Chapter 5 will be uploaded by Sunday, May 21st at 7pm CST.

[sinfullyrosey]

TWST Lamia!Reader Thoughts

I forgot I had typed up this little idea a while back and never finished it. Not one of my better works given how it was written, but eh. Fandom could always need more fics where the Reader isn’t human.

Kalim Al-Asim X GN!Lamia!Reader X Jamil Viper (can be read as either platonic or romantic)

Warnings: Reader does eat somebody, but nothing too graphic is described (it’s not sexual in nature, more so dark tbh)

All Characters are 18+

The Scarabia dormleader hasn’t been as chipper as he usually is. He seems much more distracted, isn’t as excited during parties, and all around just doesn’t seem like himself. Some of the other Scarabia students had taken notice and became concerned, asking if maybe another party would cheer him up or if he should go on a magic carpet ride around the dorm? But any and all suggestions were sadly shot down as the young Asim sighs heavily.

Kalim laments on how he’s homesick and misses his family, but especially misses his “pet snake” that he got as a birthday gift a few years back. He hasn’t seen them since attending Night Raven and has only ever been able to talk to them through the phone. The last bit about talking to the snake confused a few students, but they just chalked it up to something Kalim would do.

So, it was suggested that the snake just be sent over to stay in the Scarabia Dorm by some of the students.

Jamil immediately objected, saying they’re too big and would require a whole dorm room to themselves, along with a strict feeding schedule and he’s already got enough on his plate to deal with and- he’s forced to relent after the Asims agree to send his snake over after Kalim commented on it in their last phone call.

After all, they’ve been rather fussy lately without Kalim around and the servants are scared tired of dealing with the Asim heir’s “pet.”

So, everybody (excluding Kalim and Jamil) was expecting some rare, exotic snake like a python or viper hybrid or other.

What they weren’t expecting was an actual, full-sized lamia nestled comfortably in a bed of pillows and fine silks, decorated in jewelry and gold, their eyes scanning the room and tongue flickering out in contentment.

While the rest of the dorm was gawking and sending questionable looks Jamil’s way, Kalim was vibrating in excitement and blabbing away next to his “pet,” asking them if they were comfortable, if they needed anything, if they were hungry perhaps?

The last comment made the others stiffen and slowly inch their way towards the exit, not wanting to be a possibly hungry lamia’s next meal.

Seizing the opportunity, Jamil grinned and commented, “If any of you cause trouble, you’ll be the next one on their plate.”

The number of incidents that typically happened around the dorm seemed to decrease that first week.

Once things had settled in and the dorm got used to the reptilian dormmate, everything basically went on as usual. Kalim was back to his old self and Jamil now had another thing to add to his daily tasks (though Kalim insisted he could do most of the lamia’s chores on his own). Plus, now Jamil had somebody he could properly vent to who’d listen and act as a second bodyguard to the young heir.

Speaking of which…

One night, Kalim begged to be allowed to have you sleep with him in his bed, just this once! He had cried about how he just really missed you and that he’d be fine considering he used to do the same thing back when they were all kids, which Jamil countered with a, “You weren’t supposed to do it back then either.” No matter the begging and pleading, Jamil said no and that was that. You’d remain in your own room, in your own bed, and Kalim will do the same.

Kalim was sad, but relented, heading off to get ready for bed, you slithering close behind to wish him a goodnight before returning to your own room for the night.

The night was particularly cold, prompting Kalim to sleep with a few extra pillows and sheets. He was curled up peacefully, snuggling a pillow close to him, completely unaware of the danger slowly creeping up and through the open balcony. The stranger, oh-so quietly and cautiously, made their way into the dormroom, scanning the room to make sure the coast was clear.

The room was dark, with only the Moon illuminating the bed where the Asim heir lied, exposed, and unprotected, his usual retainer nowhere in sight. The assassin made sure that everybody else was fast asleep, including Jamil, before making their move. They knew about past assassination attempts and studied them to see where they failed.

Everything had fallen into place and now was the perfect time to strike!

The assassin crouched as to stay stealthy and slowly began to tiptoe towards the canopy, dagger in hand. With each step, Kalim came more into view, still snoozing away. He was surrounded by pillows and blankets, wrapping around him like a warm, secure hug. Too bad it wouldn’t be enough to protect him from the dagger that was now raised and at the ready.

Sudden movement made the assassin halt for a second, shifting their attention away from the sleeping face of the Asim, and towards one of the blankets at his side. The assassin listened and waited in case it was their target that made the movement and was waking up.

Another small movement, this time from the other side of the heir, caught their attention. Something was shifting around the Asim, but the assassin didn’t know quite what it was. They didn’t recall Kalim sharing a bed with anyone or anything, not human or animal.

They tried to follow the movements, but it was hard to see in the dark and seemed to be coming from multiple points on the bed, causing the pillows and sheets to tumble and shift from the odd movements. They followed along around the sleeping boy before, eventually, their gaze stopped towards the end of the bed, a little bit away from Kalim’s position.

What they saw made them stop dead in their tracks.

Through the darkness, the figure of another human was gazing right at them, eyes gleaming at them in a soft, yet menacing glow. They didn’t look like any normal human eyes, the pupils were sharpened into thin slits, resembling some sort of unknown beastman species the assassin was not sure of.

But before the stranger could formulate a plan to off you first before moving onto their real target, more movement on the bed briefly caught their attention. And what they saw made their blood run cold.

They realized all too late it wasn’t just pillows and blankets that surrounded the still sleeping heir. It was the scaly, smooth coils of a reptile that had weaved its way around Kalim and the bed, offering a protective circle around him. Their gaze trailed back down to the other person in the bed whose watchful eyes were still trained on the intruder.

The realization was too late. The lamia had already sat up in bed and in that split second of distracted regret, they striked.

The next morning, Kalim wakes up to see you, his precious lamia friend, with a full belly.

A very full belly.

“Oh, did you get a midnight snack?”

You crack open a single eye, tongue flickering at him sleepily. He beams at your simple response and shuffles out of bed.

“That’s okay, I’ll let Jamil know that you won’t be needing breakfast! I’ll be back later to rub your belly if you want!”

And with that, the excited boy ran out of the room to get something to eat and tell all about the little “sleepover” he had with you, forgetting that Jamil had even forbade it.

Later, Jamil enters the room where you’re still sleeping off the meal and approaches you. He doesn’t say anything, just sizes you up and down before examining further by carefully pressing on your stomach, where the noticeable lump was. You didn’t mind, used to his prodding by this point.

Once he was done checking for whatever he was checking for (not like you cared all that much), Jamil looked at you with an unimpressed expression, crossing his arms.

“You weren’t supposed to be in here.”

You flick your tongue at him.

“But it looks like that was a good thing, if the body in your stomach says anything.”

You respond with another flick, stomach gurgling loudly as if confirming his suspicions.

He could only sigh at your antics.

“Fine, whatever, what’s done is done. I need to get to work before Kalim gets into trouble…”

He turns to leave, only to almost trip in place when something grabs one of his ankles. He looks down to see your tail slowly inching its way up his leg and to his waist. He was about to scold you when you pulled him towards you with your tail.

“Y/N, let go.”

You did not. Instead, curling your tail around him more and pulling him in for cuddles.

“Y/N, no. I’m not Kalim, so no cuddles.”

You nonchalantly stare back at him, readjusting both you and him on the bed to get more comfortable, softly hissing in the process.

“Y/N.”

You yawn.

Now, Jamil was still able to use his hands and magic to get free. If he really wanted to, he could use Snake Whisper to make you let go. But he knew doing so would only irritate you and lead Kalim to try and keep the peace, which would most likely end with all three of you in a cuddle pile.

He can deal with Kalim’s antics, and your antics, but not both of your antics.

The tired student let out a groan, slumping against your coils. He could afford to spend a few minutes or so humoring you until returning back to the stress that is his life. Kalim’s probably too caught up with breakfast and talking the other dorm students’ ear off to notice his absence. So, accepting his fate, Jamil shuffled in his spot to get more comfortable. You allowed him to adjust your coils, but still kept them wrapped around his waist, soaking up his heat just like you had with Kalim last night.

Once settled in, you laid your head back down on the pillow while he used the end of your tail as a makeshift one. He’d never admit it, but he appreciated the attention the lamia was giving him, knowing you were only doing it to give him a break. And besides, Jamil deserved some peace and quite for once.

Bonus

“So much for getting some alone time.”

Jamil sighed, watching as Kalim excitedly rubbed your still full stomach, both hands soothing the restlessness of your belly. It gurgled and growled under his touch. Your underbelly scales were smooth and cold, acting as a stim for Kalim who happily indulged both of you.

“You must have eaten a lot last night, huh Y/N?”

Jamil rolled his eyes at Kalim’s ignorance but wasn’t about to tell him the truth and possibly upset him. Maybe some day he’ll connect the dots on his own, but for now, you’re just his innocent little snake and it will stay that way.

“Yeah, one could say I was hungry enough to eat a whole person.“ You lazily smirked, much to the shock of Jamil and naïve confusion of Kalim.

Welp, maybe those dots will be connected much sooner than anticipated.

[princess-of-the-corner]

I know we discussed it before but Akuma really are depressing/horrifying when viewed from Chloe's perspective cos like.

Off the cuff, her Akuma are among the more self aware and self possessed variety. Anti-Bug is basically just Chloe hopped up on magic juice and extra pissed off. She's not even utterly dominated by some irrational fixation like Dark Cupid, let alone having been rendered barely sapient like Horrificator does to Mylene.

In this regard, Nathanial being so... Well Nathanial, would also reinforce this stance to her as far as personal agency goes.

But then you add in that people can resist them, that she resisted and every Akuma suddenly comes off more like an intentional choice. Which puts the students who tried to kill her, which puts the mother who did kill her her, and the father that tried to render her a brain dead sycophantic toy into a stark and horrifying context.

How do you cope with that?

Especially as someone who is feeling increasingly isolated, like vulnerability is a huge issue and struggles to communicate in general. Treating Akuma like no big deal and Akumatizing over stuff like soccer becomes a lot more logical in that context. Because if you treated Akuma seriously, you'd have to face something far worse.

Yeah like.

I think her view on the whole 'resisting Akumas' thing is also one of the things that stems from pre-existing Trauma™ in that

This was something that she did struggle with initially until she kinda gave up on truly ressting if that made sense? Like she failed to resist Antibug or Queen Wasp, but she overcame it with Miraculer and then after that she's compartmentalized the trauma and all Akumatizations after were a 'choice' to give in.

And there's two things at play:

1.) the 'this trauma is going to happen whether I want it to or not, so my choosing to engage in it it's my choice therefore I'm not a 'victim' thing.

and

2.) According to everyone around me, things that should be simple are things I struggle with because I'm so fucking Unexceptional™ and it's easy for everyone I'm just a moron making things difficult for myself. So clearly since she /can/ resist but it was a struggle, that means it's probably easy for everyone else and they choose not to.

tbh I really need someone to say 'hey even if you think you're willing, you're very much not, but also it's super hard to resist Akumatization /especially/ when you're still mid-despair'

[namig42]

Was chatting with my lovely mutual @mortalasystem about my Wyllstarion fic Just One Yesterday and some of the inspo that got me started on it, and I thought why not share those things with people who might be looking for good recs? With that, here are some of the biggest inspirations for my super involved story!

Friday Nights by @sadinasaphrite

So the first and probably most prominent inspiration for a modern au is this wonderful Bloodweave fic called Friday Nights over on ao3. I really loved the chemistry between Gale and Astarion in this one, and Gale's perspective was very interesting, especially with the mix of magic still in this au. Wonderfully written, very considerate of Astarion's circumstances as a sex worker, and a happy ending to wrap it all up nicely!

Read it on Ao3

Sex worker/Charity worker Halstarion AU by @malacandrax

This comic has nine parts as of now that are all little snippets of Halsin being a concerned social worker and Astarion as a sex worker in a 70s/80s UK setting. OP really took a lot of consideration writing this one and portraying realistic steps that someone in Astarion's situation could take, and I love how they really captured both characters so well. The progression between the Astarion and Halsin is really nicely done, even in such small snippets. 11/10, definitely recommend.

Link to Part 1 here

Perfect Slaughter by @imagineitdearies

This is a Tavstarion fic that honestly captivated me so much from beginning to end. It's a long form fic that is incredibly compelling and is an alternate au prequel to the events of BG3. Tyrus, the protagonist, is a very compelling original character, and his relationship with Astarion in the hell that is Cazador's palace was so well crafted. This was the story that had me wanting to explore more relationships with Astarion in my own writing, focus on dark topics and give them the respect they deserve such as trauma, abuse, and torture, and try my own hand at writing something long form. It's gotten a great deal of praise, all of which is well deserved, and I cannot recommend it enough.

Read it on Ao3

The funny thing about my Wyllstarion thing was that there was actually very little Wyllstarion inspiration. I saw some good art here and there on tumblr, but not very much at the time. My dash was mostly bloodweave if anything. Still, there was just enough of an inkling in my head of Wyll and Astarion, and then a dumbass idea came to me one day.

I wrote it in the first chapter's notes on Ao3, but the thing that kicked this multi chapter obsession into gear was...

Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy

A song off a ten year old album. That's what did it. Specifically the lyrics:

Anything you say can and will be held against you,

So only say my name. It will be held against you.

Those two lines had my brain swimming with a one-shot smut fic of a police officer Wyll and a sex worker Astarion, but a one shot wasn't enough for the romantic that is Wyll. I couldn't write him having a first meeting kind of fling. I wrote out the original one shot idea, let it sit for a couple months, and then suddenly, something clicked in my brain and the whole thing took off from there.

Still, without this lyric, the story wouldn't exist at all. Honestly, going back and listening to the whole song after everything I've written so far, I think it's a fitting title and song in its own way. Highly recommend giving it a listen if you aren't familiar!

---

That's all the big ones. If other things come to mind that I missed, I'll reblog this and add onto it. In the meantime, I highly recommend checking these things out and showing the artists some love! Thanks for taking the time to read, and I hope you found something new to enjoy!

[starrystormwritings]

Kiss With a Fist

Kiss With a Fist

Master List <3 Request List <3 Marauders Master List

Sirius Black x Reader

A/n: I know I promised a Taylor Swift song fic for Sirius but I couldn't pick a song so instead this (especially the start) is inspired by Kiss With a Fist by Florence and the Machine instead even though the lyrics aren't actually used, just wanted to actually post something tbh.

Summary: You've always hated Sirius Black, so being stuck in detention with him is the worst possible scenario.

Warnings: Badly written arguments, swearing, drinking, weed, no smut but making out, once again bad writing lol, female pronouns but undescribed Hogwarts house.

Word Count: 2787

(NOT MT GIF)

"I can't believe you right now." I said with a huff, wiping down the walls of the potion classroom that were stained pink because of none other than the dark haired boy who was scrubbing the floor next to me.

"Oh pipe down L/n I saw you laughing." He chuckled to himself confidently causing me to flick some water from my hand onto him.

The self proclaimed genius had unfortunately been partnered with me for our potions assignment this afternoon and as easy as a wiggenweld potion normally is to brew Sirius thought it was be funny too add a handful of stolen ingredients to the cauldron whilst my back was turned. Resulting in a large explosion of a pink foam that now stained half of the classroom.

Of course Slughorn didn't believe I had nothing to do with it, but luckily enough he thought one detention of cleaning up the mess the muggle way would be enough punishment.

"I did not laugh, I should be in the library right now but instead I'm stuck in here with you cleaning a mess I didn't even cause!" I scrubbed the walls harder with frustration as I spoke, his cockiness was getting to me.

"Merlin it's not that big of a deal! It was funny!" He rolled his eyes at me as I gave him a look of disbelief.

Of course he still managed to look effortless whilst cleaning floors, his long hair had been scraped back into a bun, bits of hair falling out to frame his face and neck, occasionally dropping in front of his eyes. He had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows and both of our robes and ties had been thrown over a chair to keep them out of the way.

The cocky smile finally dropped from his face as he threw the sponge onto the floor in frustration "These stains are never going to come out without magic, nothings happening! How have you gotten rid of so much of it already?"

I scoffed at him for what felt like the hundredth time that day before stepping down from the step ladder I was on to work on a bit of the wall lower down.

"You have to actually put it a bit of effort, actually scrub it rather than doing a half assed job, like always." Sirius had always irked me since we started at Hogwarts, his careless attitude and lack of effort always bugged me. He could so easily be top of our classes if he tried but instead he just goofed off whilst some of us have to put in actual effort.

"Hey what's your problem with me, your good enough friends with Remus and Peter why do you seem to hate me so much?"

I could hear that he had stood up but instead of turning around to face him I just continued to clean the wall.

"Probably because you're a posh prat who doesn't care about his actions and how they affect other people."

He just laughed at me which pissed me off more, causing me to grip the sponge in my hand so hard the bubbles started running down my arm rather than the wall.

"What's so funny?" I asked whilst spinning around to face him, his slouched posture and casual lean against the table behind him causing me to clench my jaw.

"You. I'm sorry we can't all be perfect like you but at least I've got some personality."

It was my turn to laugh now as I crossed my arms, shaking my head at him.

"Oh I have no personality? Because the bad boy with a dark mysterious past that he hides behind jokes and his hair is so original?"

"You don't know anything about my dark mysterious past. At least I'm willing to have fun rather than just hiding in the library all day, there's a reason only one of us has friends." He dropped his rag on the floor, obviously having enough of cleaning now and just enjoying annoying me.

"You don't have friends, you have James and a group of adoring fans who wouldn't like you if they didn't find you hot. And not all of us have the luxury of having fun, I can't get through my exams with a charming smile unlike some people."

"Aw, you think my smiles charming." He sat up now, his height made him tower over me which just seemed to piss me off more.

"No I think you're a spoiled git who's had everything handed to him in life and refuses to see that the world doesn't revolve around him. I'd rather jump off the astronomy tower than spend another second with you and I can't wait for the day when you find out that flashing a smile won't get you out of everything!"

I didn't even realise I'd been marching towards him till my finger jabbed directly into his chest.

He scowled down at me, gripping my wrist with his hand to take it off him.

"And I think that you're a stuck up princess who needs to realise that until you get that stick out of your ass you're going to be miserable for the rest of your life!"

I looked up at him angrily, my hands were shaking with how furious I was and my skin felt like it was burning from where his hand was still holding my wrist.

He mirrored the look on my face before glancing down at my lips for a brief second, before I could comprehend what was happening he lent down and pushed his lips to mine.

It wasn't a gentle kiss, or loving in the slightest. It was harsh and spiteful, his teeth clashed against mine as his hand came up to hold my jaw, backing me up against the bit of wall I had just cleaned.

I dropped the sponge I was holding and let my hand grip onto his hair, covering it in the bubbles that were still running down my arm.

I scrambled to pull him closer to me by his neck as his hand let go of my wrist and instead moved to the bottom of my skirt as he let in to deepen the kiss.

"Sirius? You in the mate?" The familiar voice of James Potter called from the doorway of the room, luckily out of view from where we were.

We both jumped away from each other, turning around to make it look like I was heavily interested in the cleaning again.

I quickly yanked my skirt back down as Sirius attempted to fix his hair and straighten his shirt before the Potter boy had turned the corner.

"Yeah Slughorn has us on clean up duty." He says whilst clearing his throat and chuckling a little.

"Yeah Mary told us what you did thought we'd come give you guys a hand so you might still make it to dinner." Remus said as he approached as well, picking up a rag from the table and heading over to help me.

~~~

I stared at the little piece of parchment in my hand, biting the inside of my cheek as I thought out my options.

Me and Sirius hadn't spoken since the afternoon in potions, luckily with the help of James, Remus and Peter we had finished up in less than an hour and I quickly rushed out and had been avoiding the marauders like the plague since.

Remus had just caught me in the library and handed me the invite that I was now inspecting.

'The marauders invite you to the party of the century (bring your own Fire Whiskey or Witches Brew)'

The piece of parchment was enchanted to have little moving images of fireworks and music notes dancing around the page and the Gryffindoor common room password was printed small on the bottom for anyone who wasn't already in the house.

The Gryffindor parties had become like legend in the school over the past two years, but I had still yet to go to one and now that Christmas break was fast approaching and there was no exams for a while it might be nice to let loose a little.

Luckily I knew exactly where to go to for fire whisky and some less approved plants that were grown in the back of the greenhouse.

~~~

After talking to some Ravenclaw friends who sold me the fire whisky I'd decided I might as well go to the party.

Worse case scenario it sucks and it's awkward and I go to bed early.

Best case scenario I have a great time and get drunk and possibly make a good memory or two.

I'd spent longer than I'd like to admit on getting ready and after a nervous dinner I'd met with Lily Evans to go to the party together.

"I'm so glad you're coming this time! I know as a prefect I shouldn't be really letting this happen but there always so fun, just try and avoid being one of the ones put into detention afterwards, luckily James usually volunteers to take the fall. Of course he's then followed by Sirius, Remus and Peter but usually once they get in trouble the rest of us get let off easily."

She said whilst beaming, her crush on James Potter was hardly subtle anymore.

"Yeah I'm glad I'm going as well, better than spending all night in my dorm, nice to see everyone out side of class and the library."

"You work to hard sometimes you know? You a talented witch Y/n you can take a break now and then."

She uttered the password to the fat lady and our conversation was cut off by the loud music of David Bowie that was playing over an enchanted speaker. Lily smiled as she grabbed my hand and pulled me into the common room and towards Mary and Marline.

After some talking, dancing and drinking the girls dispersed over the room to talk to other friends leaving me sat on the window sill with my glass of fire whisky, very buzzed.

"Is this seat taken?" A boy I recognised from Herbology asked with a smile.

I shook my head and moved up to make space for the Hufflepuff boy to slot himself in next to me.

"I don't know if we've met properly, I'm Michael we've got Herbology together."

I nodded with a smile as I looked at him for a second. He was cute. He was obviously nervous and blushing and he'd clearly been running his hands through his curly light brown hair since it looked more messy and out of place than the rest of him.

"Yeah I know, I'm Y/n. Having fun?"

"Yeah I am thank you, it's a great atmosphere in here and I just didn't want to leave such a pretty girl like you sat over here all by yourself." He chuckled lightly to himself as he looked away, unable to hold eye contact with me.

He chucked differently to Sirius, instead of sounding confident and self assured it was more shy and sweet. He didn't look anything like Sirius either, Michael was cute with pink cheeks and fluffy hair. Sirius was hot with a cocky personality and looked as if he was carved out of stone.

Micheal continued to chat my ear off with Herbology facts and compliments but he could never seem to build up the confidence to look me in the eyes.

I couldn't help but let my eyes wander across the room as I smiled at the sight of my friends dancing stupidly to an ABBA song that was making Remus pretend to plug his ears.

As I looked over to the other side of the room I finally spot Sirius who was leaning against the wall with a cup in his hand staring directly at me.

I quickly looked away back at Micheal but not before noticing Sirius stand up from the wall and head towards me.

"Yeah so that's why without Herbology potions would be completely useless, so basically half of the magical abilities we have would be completely worthless without-"

"Mind if I borrow her for a second?" Sirius says from behind my shoulder, causing me to take a big sip from my cup.

"Oh uh yeah of course, I'll see you in class." Micheal said to me with a big smile, finally meeting my eyes before scurrying off into the crowd.

"Wanna get some fresh air for a second?" Sirius asked, offering his hand to help me up.

"Why would I go anywhere with you?"

"Because I'll talk to you about something other than just Herbology." He said with a laugh.

I looked up at him for a second debating my options, maybe it's the whiskey or the fact that he was genuinely smiling at me but I took his hand and followed him out to the courtyard.

We walked in a comfortable silence, both of us finishing our drinks before he picked a bench to sit on.

December would be here soon and it was obvious by the fact that I could see my breath in front of me.

He wordlessly shook off his jacket and handed it to me.

I just looked at him dumbfounded for a second before he sighed and shook his head.

"Your shivering idiot. See I don't only think of myself, just put the damn jacket on."

I looked at him for another second before sliding my arms through the jacket and pulling it closer to me, it smelt like sandalwood, cigarettes and mint.

"You smoke?" He asked while taking the blunt from behind his ear and lighting it with the end of his wand.

"Sometimes." I said and he chuckled before inhaling and passing it over to me.

"So why'd you ask me to come out here?" I put the blunt in between my lips before inhaling, letting the smoke warm my throat and lungs before tilting my head back against the wall and exhaling, I looked over at him to see him already staring at me and gesturing for me to give the blunt back.

"Maybe I'm drunk but I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah you're definitely drunk."

He laughed and shook his head, taking another hit.

"What you said the other days been bothering me."

I quirked an eyebrow at him, "My words had an effect of the all mighty Sirius Black? Oh my." We both laughed as I lent over to take the blunt from his fingers and bring it to my lips again.

"Yeah your words, along with other things. Do people really think that of me? That I'm just a privileged twat with a confidence program?" He lent back against the wall, using his fingers to comb through his hair.

"You want to know the truth?" I asked with a small smile, a mix of booze and weed making me more confident than I should be.

He nodded, taking the blunt from my hand.

"I was jealous, and annoyed. You're just amazing at everything so easily and I feel like I have to work so hard. And you just waltz in with your effortless smile and pretty face and everything just comes to you."

He laughed again and turned to look at me, taking a last long inhale before stubbing out the blunt onto the floor.

"It's not effortless, you don't know half of it."

"I'd like to."

He lent over to move some hair from my face and tuck it gently behind my ear, letting his hand linger for a second.

"Maybe you will. I don't think your stuck up by the way, I think your brilliant. You drive Remus mad because of your grades which is saying something."

It was my turn to laugh now, "yeah I wish."

"No really you do. I'm sorry for what I did in potions by the way."

"It's fine it didn't take long to clean."

"No not that. The other thing I did in potions." He bit his lip for a second and I could've sworn he wasn't sat that close to me before.

"Oh that? It's fine it's not like I pushed you away." I awkwardly looked forward towards the view in front of us, suddenly very interested in the frozen spiderwebs in the corner.

"Would you care if I did it again? Just out of curiosity." I looked over at him to see that famous Sirius Black smile.

I laughed a little and allowed myself to move closer to him.

"Well there's only one way for you to find out isn't there?"

He laughed again, his finger tracing the bottom of my jaw softly.

He looked at me for a second before leaning in to push his lips against mine again.

There was less rush this time, his touch was softer and gentle. Maybe it was the taste of whiskey and weed coming from him but it was intoxicating.

He pulled away for a second, resting his forehead against mine.

"You called my face pretty." He whispered with a breathless laugh.

"Well you called me brilliant."

He shrugged for a second before I pulled him against me again, tangling my hand into his hair with a smile.

[iceprincessviviane]

Chapter 4 - It's a cleaning day.

Heritage series.

Pairing: Poly!BTS (Demons) x Female!Shy!Skinny!Chosen!Reader

Type: dark romance, horror au, soulmate au, poly relationship, slowburn, yandere.

Warnings: Horror themes, some religion themes (mostly demonic), gore, blood, manipulation, witchcraft, magic themes, death (side characters), mentionings of forced marriage, mentioning about past, loss, yandere, obsessive, possessive, swearing, low self-esteem,dealing with grief, sugestive content and silly jokes created by me. (If there is more to add let me know.)

Previous chapter. Next chapter.

Summary: such a big mansion needs cleaning and this is the time, Y/N will take that challenge. Also having a company during that seems like nice idea.

Author's note: That chapter can be little boring, but I love diving into details in such stories 😌 English isn't my first language so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

MINORS DNI

Next day started slowly, Y/N woke up around 9 a.m with cat still resting near her legs unbothered and curled. She carefuly got up, trying not waking it up and went straight into bathroom to take a shower. Today'll be a day when she is going to take care of mansion. The supplies were filled and she had a car on herself, so nothing was staying in a way. When she went out wearing nothing but sweatshirt, pants and lavender scent, cat lifted it's head then stretched gracefully. They both reached big kitchen when he got a bowl filled with fish and another one with water and Y/N made herself fruit salad. She also checked the list, today was a clearing day, mostly vaccuming and removing dust from the shelves in her room, than clean the bathroom. Cat jumped at her lap and demanded headscratched, which she gladly provided after ending the eating.

"I'm going to call you Ash." Y/N decided and animal just tilted it's head to right. "Your fur remind me of it's color."

The pet's head tilted a little to right, like he was thinking about that, but then nuzzled head into her hand. She smiled and got that as acceptance. After the breakfast cat was allowed outside, when Y/N took vaccum, some rubbers and broom upstairs to her room. The cleaning went smoothly, the most took main area of the masterbedroom, along with it's shelves. The bathroom was suprisingly clean, so she headed to the next room. Till the noon the cleaning lasted, she was suspecting that anyway the unused rooms will again gather dust, but at least any stains or another dirty things'll be gone. Probably the specialist from goverment is used to work with little dust. The biggest challenge will be the main room in 0 level and library. Y/N made herself a break and prepare lunch for herself and Ash, but despite opening doors, the cat was missing. She was slighty worried, something could happen to him or he just left. The cats have their own paths.

Lunch wasn't big but it was a chance for her to take a breath before cleaning the last room on this side. It was a first one - office, with a lot of shelves, that big and old desk with drawers. Y/N tried to clean it carefuly and it came out that some of the drawers are closed and around were no keys. Maybe they were in the ring given by the mayor? It was to check later. Actually she could work here to prevent dust coming here again. The desk was spacious, her laptop and work things would fit perfectly. The clearing ended in late afternoon with also vacuuming big hall on the parter and then Y/N ate a dinner, for supper left once again snadwiches.

When she wanted to go nap a little, the entry phone has ringed. There was also camera to check who's outside and maybe don't bother to go whole way to the gate. To her surprise, outside were two men, one holding something looking like cooking sheet and another one currently looking at camera. She pressed button to talk, said quickly 'coming' then changed shirt to clean one and got outside.

Through gate metal rods Y/N could see them more clearly two visitors, closer one had to her surprise thin, but long coat followed by jeans and lether shoes. His skin was very pale and dark grey, longer hair almost reaching the shoulders. Taller than her and bigger, was holding serious expression. The cookies guardian had brown lether jacket and also jeans but looked more sports, had black raven hair, but cut short in modern style. He was thinnier and looked more deftly. On his was has huge smile and simple glasses. Indeed in his hands were cooking sheet. Y/N came closer with unsure steps and hesitant smile.

"Good morning!" Second one said with happy tone, causing his company to focus on a gate.

"Hi, what's the matter?" She asked in polite voice and open the gate door.

"We've heard that you are new here, so my boyfriend conviced me to come here and say hi, also hand over some of our cookies." The first said in calm and slow tone.

"That's true, actually everyone is saying that I'm new here." Y/N admitted shyly.

"Yea, the words are spreading fast, we just wanted to be nice."

"I'm Hoseak and that grumpy cat over here is Yoongi."

"Thank you, I'm Y/N L/N." They've exchanged the handshake.

"How's everything? It had to be a big change." Yoongi asked looking at the mansion.

"It was a surprise, but I'm trying to catch up with everything here, it's so new and actually quite interesting."

"We are renting cozy cabinet in the woods so it's different." Hoseok admitted and smiled. "Here there are homemade cookies, I hope you'll like them." He said and showed chococlate sweets.

"Oh thank you, but I'm afraid it's too much."

On the sheet were at least twenty. Simple with pieces of chocolate. He handed them over to her and smile has never left his face.

"If you are going to need something we can help. Living alone in such mansion as a woman can be overwhelming. Also it's age doesn't help." Yoongi offered generously.

"Once again thank you, but I'm doing fine for now. Also another residents offered me help, it's so nice. I'm not alone, I just found a stray cat and things are going all right I guess." Y/N smiled nervously.

Couple exchanged soft looks and Yoongi nodded. They seem so different, she could never guess that they were together. They were like sun and moon. The thought strike her a little, she looked at necklace, which was always with her. Men's gaze followed but she failed to notice.

"It's good to have even animal company." Yoongi said and his lips twitched.

"Oh yes, actually your hair's color remind me of Ash fur."

"Oh don't even say thay, Hobi is calling me a cat just enough times." He rolled his eyes and his boyfriend giggled softly.

"It's because you're cat darling. You like to sleep whole day, eat and when eveything is quiet. You also don't really like water."

Y/N smiled at their little bittering. It was so wholesome and calming. "Are you here on holidays?"

"Yes kind of. I'm professional dancer and Yoongi is a music producer." Hoseok explained happily.

"I think, I can imagine how you both met for the first time." She giggled softly.

"Yea, we met at work. Anyway, we just wanted to say hi and see, if you need something. We are going to go. Also be careful, becauae the weather is going to be moody this week."

"Thanks, I hope we can meet maybe in town if you want." She summed up.

They bid their goodbyes and Yoongi left his number in any case. It was so surprising and she was truly touched by all those good people living here and wanting to help her. Usually in those small towns new persons are treating with distance, but she didn't have any of it during talking with mayor or even Namjoon. That was a huge relief actually. Y/N went inside the mansion and left open kitched doors, hanging on chain, if Ash would like to come back. Now when the mansion was slight cleanier, she wanted to look at books, which should be catalogued and maybe try to open the cellars. She went upstairs to also check her laptop and wi-fi tomorrow she wanted to start a work. Her phone ringed with "mayor" name caller, she picked it up immediately.

"Good evening miss L/N. Sorry to interrupt that late."

"Good evening sir. It's okay I wasn't doing anything important."

"I got to know, that government found a specialist, but unfortunately he's abroad. He'll probably be able to show up in the next week if not later." Mayor said with slighty sad tone.

"I'm glad that we are moving with a case. If we cannot speed that it's fine." She said with small smile.

"I will keep you informed miss. Have a good night."

"Goodnight sir."

Her words were a truth, it's good if everything is moving forward even with small steps. After checking the internet connection and setting up her files and noted she went to eat something. Y/N spotted Ash sitting in main hall. Pet just cleaned itself and jumped off the sofa, to greet her. She petted cat's head softly, then going to kitchen. He followed her, but didn't seem hungry, only sipped some water. In that forested area cat could hunt something. She ate the sandwiches then closed all the doors and checked them along with windows. Y/N had Yoongi'a words in mind about the moody weather. After that she headed upstairs to get ready to sleep, cat followed her graciously. The warm shower was all she needed after whole day of cleaning. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Ash was already on the bed stretching. It's when loud bang came to their ears, cat almost jumped at the spot, when Y/N frowned and looked at the closed doors. She put on bathrobe, too a flashlight and phone into a pocket. It needed to be checked. Woman took a deep breath and stepped out of her room turning on light, which also switched up down below. It was the dim one, she didn't want to turn on proper ones. The mansion was drowning in silence, the noise earlier was loke something metal falling on the floor. Ash once again followed her with silent steps and looking down below. Y/N slowly went down by the stairs looking around but everything seemed normal. She wasn't going to yell 'is someone there?' like in those cheap horrors, it was sure that all doors and windows were closed. She was only in kitchen before so they went there. Behind the shadows were shifting and dancing, but one cat's gaze was enough to calm them. In the kitchen was clear what happend. Some bowls fell off from the cabinet without doors and it caused the whole noise. Y/N frowned she didn't even touched those during making supper. She sighed and put them on their place.

"The false alarm." She smiled to Ash and went back with him to her room.

The lonely lamp inside was left turned on in any case. Cat curled around her feet once again after staring intensly into dark places in the room. The night was calm and silent.

Taglist:

@lalavione1309 @hadesnewpersephone @00ihatesnaku @bangtan1325

[unholly-reader]

Darling - Hamish Duke x fem!reader

Just a little something for us all Hamish lovers <3

Please, keep in mind - English is NOT my first language, so I apologize in advance for any errors.

Enjoy

Warnings: a little emotional, fluff

_______________________________

- Vera, are you really that blind? They will remember sooner or later. The hides are incredibly powerful and sensible to magic, might I add. They will not succumb to your wishes. You have to find a different way to convince them to the ideals of the Order. 

The Grand Magus turned away from her sister, huffing out clearly annoyed with the reprimand. 

- I assure you, Aria, your little wolf friends will not pose a threat to us once we induct them into the Order. But first we need to control them. 

- Good God, Vera. These are werewolves, not puppies. You will make an enemy out of them much quicker than you may befriend them. Maybe Jack Morton will be more amicable considering his feelings for miss Drake, however I can’t say the same thing for the rest of them. Lilith won’t forget it. Randall won’t forget it. Hamish won’t…

- Oh please, this again? He doesn’t remember you. He won’t remember you. He will never be back the way you want him to. Deal with it, you big baby. 

- Enough! 

Aria shouted out like an enraged animal sending waves of wind around her settling between the books and furniture fit inside the reliquary. Although Vera never feared her sister’s magic, as the time went by, she started seeing her true power. As much as it didn’t bother her she began worrying if she had overlooked her too much. 

- You don’t get to take him away from me and then rub it in my face, Vera. I don’t care you’re Grand Magus. I don’t care you have the power to destroy me or dispose of me or even kill me. I have loved him for years and there’s no way in Hell I’ll ever stop. Even if he doesn’t remember me. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to prepare for tonight. In case you forgot, we are celebrating your new Acolytes. 

Before Vera could mutter a single word, Aria left the reliquary, heading to the one place she knew she could calm down before the upcoming event of the night. It was as if her feet dragged her to the Den by themselves as she felt no control over her body. One lonely tear slid down her cheek as the house showed up in the distance and all the memories, she made there came running down like an avalanche. Pushing all her emotions aside she stepped confidently inside the Den, heading straight for the stairs and eventually to his room. It still looked as neat as it always has. Bed perfectly made but still wrinkled from the last time she slept there. All his clothes hanging in the closet, his vest and shirts and sweaters. His smell lingering in the room as if he never left. But then again, she knew he would never come back there. 

And just as she did it countless times before, she slowly reached for the one cashmere sweater he always loved and she slid it over her head, feeling his scent fill her nostrils. She couldn’t cry anymore as she has already cried many nights hugging his clothes and sleeping in his bed, where they used to sleep together before. Her dark brown hair splayed on his gray pillows as she laid on her back, hugging her arms gently feeling the fabric of his sweater. 

She didn’t feel the time passing by until one moment she heard some noises coming from downstairs. Normally she would have been alarmed by those sounds but she knew perfectly well nobody came down to the Den and so she had no reason to fear uninvited guests, so she didn’t even move, snuggling even more into his pillow. She chose to ignore the silent steps coming up the stairs same way she ignored the slight crack in the door when it swung open. Only then did she sit up on the king-sized bed and looking at the entrance her heart stopped. 

- Hamish? What are you.. I mean, who are you and how did you find this place? You shouldn’t be here…

- Aria, I remember. 

His voice. Soft as ever, calming as a rainy day in the middle of summer. He stood in the doorway dressed in his somewhat usual attire – the pale blue shirt and a vest fitting him so damn well she almost forgot how to breathe. As soon as she heard his words, she slid off the bed, keeping her arms crossed over her chest as she absentmindedly hugged her form still clad in his sweater. 

- You remember…? 

She could barely speak as her she couldn’t believe her eyes. She stood still frozen in place as Hamish quickly approached her, stretching his arms towards her. 

- Come here, you. 

As her last doubt finally fell, immediately she threw herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Hamish instinctively hugged her back, hiding his face in her shoulder. Holding her close like he used to so many times before finally felt he was himself again. He breathed in her intoxicating scent as memories flooded his mind. Their first date. The first time he kissed her sweet lips. The first night they spent together wrapped in each other’s arms. Aria was barely registering what was happening around because all her focus was on Hamish and his arms holding her so tightly. She let all her anger and rage and overwhelming sadness out, crying inro his chest like a little baby. She clawed at his arms desperately trying to reassure herself, that it was not a dream. 

- I missed you so, so much, Hamish. Every day was like a reoccurring nightmare watching you live your life without me in it. I could barely stand it. 

- Shh, I’m here now, darling. I’m here, everything is alright now – he kept whispering sweet nothings into her ear, holding her trembling body close to him. Slowly he cupped her cheek with his right hand, forcing her to look at him. She was crying her eyes out, mascara slowly dripping down the corner of her lashes, but to him she was still the most beautiful woman he’s ever laid his eyes upon. 

- Don’t you ever forget me again, Hamish Duke. Don’t you even dare. 

- Believe it or not, even when I was supposed to forget you, I remembered. I kept hearing your voice in my dreams, your laughter, seeing you face every night I went to sleep. Missing my darling Aria. 

[jl-11037]

This is the introduction post to my Linked Universe zombie au

Basic summary for the entire au:

The zombie apocalypse happened and everything went to shit. Now those who are left alive have to try to survive. But they have more problems to deal with than just the dead. Between having to find food and water, sicknesses that were once no big deal now being something that can kill you, needing supplies that are no longer being made and just dealing with the collapse of society in general. Those who are left have to fight tooth and nail to survive. Not to mention having to fight the living. The apocalypse just brings out the worst in some people.

Badass summary for the entire au:

The world has been plunged into chaos. The dead have risen and now terrorize the living. Those left alive are now forced to fight to survive. Even in a world drenched in darkness there is still hope. There are people fighting to bring light back to this land and stop the march of the living dead. But the people must be careful, for evil is rising and I do not mean the dead.

Basic au Information:

All of the chain’s Hyrules are combined into one.

List of places included that aren't Hyrule that are included: The Great Sea, Termina, Koholint, Holodrum, Labrynna, Lorule and Hytopia. 

Mix of magic and modern technology.

All characters that were Gorons, Rito, Zora, etc. are now all Hylian. The only ones who aren’t are Fairies and Gerudo. 

The postal system still works in Hyrule and some parts of Termina.

This au includes a large amount of side characters.

Other Information:

The chain are not traveling together. They will interact with each other throughout the au. Some of them know each other from before the apocalypse.

Even though this is a zombie au I don’t plan on killing too many characters. Because I personally don’t like when they kill off a bunch of characters in zombie stuff (looking at you walking dead and dawn of the dead). 

But some characters will die. I have already started choosing characters to kill off.

This post will be updated as I add to this au.

As of right now I have not written any stories for this

If anyone wants to know more my asks are always open and sending asks will help me with coming up with ideas.

The tag for this au is #lu zombie au