#icarus 001

[stellarhistoria]

@strywoven / semi plotted starter for icarus and orlain.

".... A god did it." it wasn't untrue, but it wasn't entirely truthful either.

the marks along his arm that curl and weave like lightning like spiderwebs, as if his arm were glass, ready to shatter at any moment, were a testament to his FAITH. and that much stirred something agonizing in his chest and throat, rather than the usual rage that burned in his stomach. he hated saying it, and he didn't want to admit to it, not to someone who doesn't know him quite yet.

"Perhaps - it's better to say that a god is the reason why it happened."

well, that's a closer truth.

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen's Club series)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 015: Eddie, Do You Copy?

Learning about, understanding, and loving all parts of Eddie.

* = somewhat smut

** = smut

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014**, 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

word count: 5.8k words

disclaimers — fluff, grief, flight of icarus easter eggs bc of eddie’s mom, ANGST, talks of childhood abuse/negligence/foster care, implied domestic violence, homicide, cancer, mentions of suicide, mentions of underaged drinking/drug use if you squint, lil modern-nostaglia moment btwn eddie and the boys (as a treat ✨), erica and wayne cameo yayyy

author's note: eddie is so boyfriend in this chapter 🫠 happy holidays, you filthy animals ♥️

“I put the record on, wait till I hear our song. Every night I’m dancing with your ghost.”

♡

Your eyes accommodate the first beacon of light as thirst creeps its way into your system.

6:38 AM.

Quietly chucking the covers off, you find yourself hobbling over Eddie in attempts to get to the kitchen. You can only hope that it doesn’t wake him.

Eddie responds with a low grumble. Followed by some mumbling and flailing. And then you watch as he shifts around, doing his best to return to the state of comfort he was in before his sleep was interrupted.

But if he’s anything like you — which you know for a fact he is — his cranky self is most likely awake by now and just pretending to be unconscious to avoid early morning conversation.

To put it to the test, you press a soft kiss onto Eddie’s forehead. He smiles.

You smile to yourself. Called it.

When you get to the kitchen, you seek out Eddie’s Garfield mug for your reservoir of choice. And as it fills with water, the bedroom adjacent from his captures your attention.

Steve’s door is open. A huge indicator that he’s still not home.

Judging by the energy levels of everyone last night, you assume it’s because they were still out partying. And for Steve’s sake, a part of you hopes it’s also because he went home with somebody.

Once you’ve got your water, you sneak back into Eddie’s room, using the newfound, natural light to really study it.

You would’ve thought it was an extension of Steve’s room, not Eddie’s. Everything’s a posh navy blue, something Eddie wouldn’t be caught dead in if he had been anywhere else.

But the corner of his room is more like him, decorated with vinyls and a Crosley just like your sister’s. There were records of his favorite metal bands: Sabbath and Maiden. Anthrax, Metallica, and Judas Priest. And the unsuspecting like Elvis, The Doors, and Pink Floyd. Even country — both old and new, Johnny Cash and Chris Young — followed by a wide selection of Chicago blues and bluegrass.

The rest of his personality could be found on the bulletin board sitting on his desk.

Hand soap, dryer sheets, FUCKING DO PAYROLL

Eddie’s to-do list. You let out a soft chuckle.

Familiar faces canvas the board. There’s photos of Eddie, Jeff, Gareth, and Grant. A picture of him with his uncle — Young Eddie with his hair buzzed and Uncle Wayne’s a subtle gray, most likely Eddie’s doing.

There’s a photo of Steve and Eddie at a Colt’s game. Eddie and Dustin. And Eddie with Will at what looked to be a D&D convention of sorts.

But one photo catches your eye the most.

‘MOMMY & ME: LIZ + EDDIE , 1994’

His mom’s name was Liz. You graze the picture of Liz holding a baby Eddie in her arms. On her face was a dimpled smile like no other, the love-filled look in her eyes having been shielded by her thick wavy brown hair.

But you didn’t need to see her eyes to know how much she loved Eddie. You see it in how she’s holding him, gently pressed to her chest while she supports his neck, his beady brown eyes staring at her with the same amount of adoration.

It all reminds you of Mom. You’re almost certain there’s a picture of you two like that, but it’s back home with Billy… evidently a forbidden turf to trek.

At least there’s still the memory of it. But like the bond with your twin, it’s also growing to be distant.

Your eyes and tears trickle down to another picture of her on Eddie’s bulletin board.

It’s of Toddler Eddie now with Liz in what looks like a kitchen. He’s standing on her feet and, judging by the motion of the picture, is dancing along to a song that was probably playing on the stereo. Behind the two of them sat piles and piles of CDs, all of which were all of the blues.

“She was pretty, wasn’t she?”

Eddie is behind you now. He smiles at you with a dreamy gaze, beaming at the mere fact that the two women who made him happiest could be visually processed in the same frame.

You gulp.

“Really, really pretty,” you insist. “You have her smile. A-and her hair.”

"Yeah, I look a lot like her," Eddie chuckles with a hint of pride. He grazes the photos of her in the same way you did. "She’s influenced me a lot growing up. Bet that's why my sperm donor can't stand me."

You carefully dissect his choice of words. There’s a lot of resent for Alan Munson on Eddie’s part. You don’t blame him, if what Billy discovered had been true. It’s the same reason you and him resent Dad.

Eddie fixates on the expression on your face. He knows why this is so moving for you.

“It never gets easier, does it?” he questions, hinting at your own ongoing struggle with grief.

You cross your arms and shake your head. Softly you mutter, “Never.”

You feel stupid. Eddie’s doing his best to navigate his own baggage, yet you still found a way to make it about yourself.

He pulls you close and wraps his arms tenderly around your waist. Eddie doesn’t have to say it to reassure you that your burdens are safe in his presence. You can just feel it. Two traumatized individuals understand each other in a way others can’t.

“Time just keeps going,” you speak again. “Everyone moves on and you’re kinda just…stuck in place.”

“World just keeps going. Grief doesn’t care about your plans when it blindsides you, taking you for everything you’ve got.”

You swallow hard as Eddie’s words sink into you.

Tragedy just feels so non-consensual. No one ever asks for it to happen.

You and Billy can’t even go surfing without thinking about Mom. Whenever you try you both always end up fighting. That’s why Max tends to go alone or with her own friends.

“I have to stay away from a whole genre of music because I’ll burst into tears,” you scoff in agony. “Billy and I can’t even listen to Iration without thinking of our mom.”

“Can’t listen to Muddy Waters without thinking of mine.”

You and Eddie sway in place to the tandem of your beating hearts. It’s a breath of fresh air knowing you have each other now.

After a while, he ruffles your hair and spins you around so that you can face him.

"But enough about that," Eddie attempts a smile. He rubs your shoulders and you hum in awe. "This is supposed to be a happy time."

"Happiness and despair can coexist," you sniff. “Duality, remember?”

Eddie smiles. It's a you're right kind of smile. "I was yesterday years old when I learned that."

He kisses your forehead and soon you two are in the shower, rinsing up and mentally preparing for the long day of errands ahead.

You’re the first to hop out and get dressed, eager to devour a bowl of oatmeal before tackling the day.

"Hey… babe?" Eddie calls out to you from his closet.

The pet name almost sounds too natural rolling off his tongue. But then again he is the owner of a strip club, and was married for a few years before meeting you.

“Yeah?” you call back, heart skipping a beat.

“Can you make me a coffee while you’re out there?” he requests. “The usual black drip coffee with some hazelnut? Please and thank you.”

“Of course, hun.”

You can get used to this.

So you make your way back out into the living room and kitchen shortly after, practically skipping. But the person you see in the kitchen — with tired eyes and a bowl of his own oatmeal in hand — stops you in your tracks.

"Morning, Hargrove," Steve responds.

You're so dumb. You've gotta start realizing that when you sleep with one of them, the other may pop in at any minute. After all, it’s their townhouse.

As frozen in place as you are, you do your best to shoot Steve a shy little wave. Again, the look on his face indecipherable.

"Morning..." you pathetically respond.

Steve eventually grants you a wave back. He pokes around at his oatmeal while you make your way over to the fridge, your cheeks flushing a timid red as you do so.

You move in a way that seems like you were way too conscious of your actions. Even Steve notices. But he keeps trying to eat, his spoon clinking against his bowl as he intermittently clears his throat, all an attempt to fill the void of silence.

"Did you have a fun night?" you question. "You know... bar-hopping."

"Yeah, I did," he replies. "Argyle had to get cut off cuz he was being real extra with it."

"Oh geez."

"I know."

“How was Max?”

“She was fine,” Steve shrugs. “The bars use the same 21+ wristbands Hellfire does so we were able to sneak her in no problem. Chrissy made sure she got home safe. The girls were just stoked they finally got to have a carefree night.”

“That’s so good,” you breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m so happy for them.”

“Yeah,” he nods in agreement. “I’m really happy for them too. Seems like they needed it.”

Finally, your friend decides to address the elephant in the room.

"We uhh..." he begins. "We should probably end what we have going on here. Just so no one gets hurt."

“I think that’s a smart idea too,” you mumble as you nod.

You make your way over to Steve, stunned that he doesn’t shy away from you when you invade his personal space. Instead he leans into you, opening up his lap so you can maneuver between his legs.

You know, like how friends usually talk.

“It was fun while it lasted…”

"I know. I just feel so bad..." you choke, rubbing his arm softly. "I’ve wasted your time."

"I wouldn't say that," Steve refuses, shaking his head rapidly. He touches you back, running his hand across your arm. "I've thoroughly enjoyed your company."

Eventually his hand intertwines with yours.

There’s a heaviness in the room and something tells you that Eddie is near, looming at the foot of his room so that your business with Steve remains uninterrupted. He knows there’s some dust that still needs to settle. And he will linger until it does.

"You helped me get out of a really dark place," Steve admits. "And Eds too, I'm sure."

You look back towards Eddie's room.

“It wasn’t my intention to fall for him,” you say. “It just…happened. The connection, i-it’s...”

“I know…” Steve soothes you. “Been pickin’ up on that for a while. If you think I’m blaming you, I’m not.”

Steve urges you to meet his gaze again. And when a teardrop falls from your eye, he uses his thumb to wipe it away. Tells you to stop, before he too starts crying.

"This is... a huge step for him," Steve manages a grin. “I don’t think you realize, Shy Girl.”

"Yeah, I bet," you nod. "After Isabelle..."

"Yeah, Isabelle and everything else that dude's got going on," he confirms. "This is really good for Eddie. I can tell. It’s why I think it’s best that we part ways.”

Steve eventually does cry too, but it’s a rather suppressed one. The both of you take turns wiping each other’s tears, embracing the presence of each other for just a short while longer before needing to distance yourselves indefinitely.

You’re never going to forget Steve Harrington. His charm. His integrity. His everlasting devotion to the ones he loves most, and how he’d — time and time again — go to the ends of the earth for them. A noble soul in the highest regard. A true king.

“Thank you for being so kind,” you say to him. “You made my first week in Indiana a lot less intimidating. I hope you’ll still be around.”

“Of course I’ll still be around,” Steve chuckles. “Look at our friend group. Look at where I live.”

You share a laugh with him again.

“Ain’t no getting rid of me that easy, Hargrove.”

“I can sure try though, right?”

“Now why would you do that?” he banters sarcastically, chuckling into you.

He kisses your cheek softly one last time. Finally, Eddie’s door swings open, prompting you and Steve to asunder from one another.

“RISE AND FUCKING SHINE!” Eddie announces his entrance. “Both my soul and thine.”

You get out of Eddie’s way so he can go over and hug Steve good morning. Eddie then breaks the hug with a peck on the cheek and rough slap to Steve’s ass. Steve winces but you can tell he enjoys it.

“Mwah!” Eddie cheers. “Love you, babyboy. What you got going on today?”

“Oh, just gonna work on the online biz for a bit,” Steve mumbles as he ushers his hands through some paper. “Then ’m gonna start recruiting peeps for my other new job.”

“I forgot you dropship now,” Eddie says. “How’s that going?”

“Really fucking good,” Steve smiles. “I shouldn’t count on it too much though. It’s why I also have Newby’s. Speaking of which…”

Steve hands you a flyer. You take it from his hands.

NEWBY’S COFFEE ROASTERS: Even Superheroes Need Coffee!

Steve explains to you that a new coffee shop is taking over Family Video’s old suite. The owner grows his own coffee beans and all syrups are organically made from Hawkins locals. And since they’re a Mom and Pop shop, they were really going to need some help.

“If Maxine is still looking for a job, she’s more than welcome to apply,” Steve says. “We’re gonna need baristas. And we’ll be coworkers so whenever she’s on, I can drive her to work.”

“That sounds like an awesome gig for her!” Eddie pitches in. “Free coffee for employees too, I’m guessing.”

Steve nods at Eddie’s remark.

“That’d be amazing,” you blush. “Thank you, Stevie.”

“Thank you, Stevie,” Eddie parrots you. You elbow him playfully.

“Yeah, anything for you guys. I’ll put in a good word for her to Bob. He’s the owner. Great guy.”

“And what about this owner, huh?” Eddie chimes in. “Hope you can pull some strings and snag me some of those magic beans as well. I’m gonna need it. I also don’t mind paying full price cuz it’s goin’ to Newbs.”

“T’yeah with your job? You can have all the beans you want.”

“Mm, speaking of which,” Eddie scoffs as he stares at the time on his Apple Watch. “It’s almost time.”

Steve imitates Eddie’s gesture. Your eyes dart between the two of them, confused about the context of the whole ordeal.

“What are you guys-” you begin.

“Ah, buh-buh!” Steve stops you. “Wait for it…”

You look at the time on your phone to feel some sort of involvement as well.

7:59 —> 8:00

Eddie’s phone rings.

"An everyday thing," Steve tsks, shaking his head, resuming his breakfast as he does so.

"First problem of the day," Eddie looks at you. "It’s always something with Hellfire. From the moment the day begins...Yello?"

It’s Lucas. Sinclair never really calls unless it’s a dire situation, so you listen closely, doing your best to make out what he’s saying on the other line.

"I can't come in tonight,” is what it sounds like.

"Uh, why the fuck not?" your man demands. He places a sassy hand on his hip. "We need you for front of the house."

"Erica's sick and my car is in the shop."

"I'll pay for your Uber, you're coming in."

"I think it's covid. I don't wanna spread it to anyone if l've been exposed."

"It's not fucking covid, you guys have been jabbed more times than I can count for school."

The two continue to bicker back and forth like they’re brothers. Steve excuses himself from the narrative, going over to the kitchen sink to wash the dishes.

You watch Eddie as he lights up a pre-roll, taking a frustrated drag from it while he listens to Lucas’s, probably bullshit, excuse.

Eventually there’s a scuffle on the other line. Something something, “GIMME THE DAMN PHONE” followed by a “NO” followed by a “PHONE. NOW”. Eddie’s drags from his blunt grow increasingly slower.

Then another person speaks. The voice belongs to a girl. She sounds slightly younger than Lucas. And she sounds sick. And angry.

"Listen here, Ed-NERD Alan Munson," the girl hisses sassily. " I KNOW I did not just hear you tell my brother that he is coming in even when HE TOLD YOU why he can't. It's giving desperate. It's giving exploitation of your employees. If you want my brother to come in for a half shift at your stupid gentlemen's club then you best pull up to our residence, YOURSELF, with them spicy chicken wings level Creeping. Death. My tongue? It needs to be on FIRE. My eyes? They need to be burning from the temperature and sauce. My sinuses? BOYYY, you better be-LIEVE they oughta be SO CLEAR, I could cough up a loogie, SPIT IT OUT THE WINDOW, and have it smack you RIGHT UPSIDE THE HEAD SO HARD you won’t even THINK about forcing my brother to do something he isn’t comfortable doing again. Keep trying me, motherfucker. THE FUCK WRONG WITCHU."

Steve is flabbergasted. Eddie's mouth is wide open. You would’ve thought Lucas’s sister was on speakerphone but she wasn’t.

You're scared of Erica Sinclair. And so is Eddie, the way his eyes widen at her spiel. If Lucas's sister ever got into a heated argument with Billy, Billy would go home crying.

“And some sweet potato fries," she adds softly. "Please. Do we have a deal?"

"At your service," Eddie deals her a salute through the phone, even though she can't see it. "Anything Applejack wants, she gets. I'll be over after my Meijer run."

"As you should, sir."

Eddie turns to you after he hangs up the phone. "Don't ever own a business."

——————— 🛒—————

“WE GROW UP AND MOVE AWAY... The seasons pass, but the monsters stay.”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪

Hellfire is Eddie’s baby. The man lives and breathes that strip club.

As much as you’ve already harbored that suspicion, you didn’t realize his work-life balance was practically non-existent. Running errands. Frequent call-outs. Always having to prepare for the unexpected. But that’s the price one pays for owning a business. It also only seems to get harder and harder when you’re a handsome business man like Eddie, someone with the drawing power like that of a 13,000 gauss magnet.

“Mike to Munson, do you copy?”

You and Eddie have hit the road now, ready to start your errands run before your shift begins. As Eddie drives, he has you hold his phone up for him while he speaks to the boys in their group FaceTime call.

“Copy,” Eddie responds. “Thank you for covering ground, dear Paladin. It is because of you we are no longer… short staffed.”

God, they’re such dorks. You’d cringe if Eddie didn’t have the sex appeal of a Roman god.

“It’s the least I can do,” Mike insists. “Taking inventory as we speak. We need more ground chili and pop cans. Cola and Fanta, please. When you go to Meijer.”

“Done deal,” Eds nods. “Who’s doing side quests?”

“Me!” Will chimes in. “Doing silverware, stainless steel, and just helping Jonathan open up the bar.”

“Thank you, Byers-squared.”

“And I’ll sweep and do windows,” Dustin adds. “We’ll figure out the front house situation as it unfolds. Gonna be a little late. Getting gas.”

Eddie places a firm palm over your hand. He smiles at you when you look over.

“Running errands with Shy Girl, we’ll see you soon.”

“Pulling in now. Over.”

“Us too. Over.”

“Over and out, boys.”

————- 🚐———-

After your Meijer run, you and Eddie stop by CVS for Wayne’s medications and the ‘morning after’ pill. And shortly after that, you two haul ass to the other side of town to scoop up Nina.

Eddie gives the young dancer a ride to work almost every day. He also smokes her out before the shift, evident by her waltzing in stoned out of her mind all the time. It brings you peace knowing the whole story now, and that there truly is nothing more to it than that.

“Your boyfriend really needs a new car,” Eddie huffs to Nina as she climbs into the backseat. “Been telling him that shit’s on it’s last good tire.”

Figuratively and literally. The 90s Buick that you caught sight of shortly before Nina shuffled in can only be described as a lost cause. Nina knows it too, the way she scowls at the thing.

She tsks as she clicks her seatbelt in place.

“Duh, Eds. What do you think I’m saving up for?”

Eddie holds up an eighth.

“I can think of a few things,” he chuckles. “I take it you’re a fan of all things eco mode.”

“Hey, it’s 2022, of course we’re going green.”

Eddie grins. “I like how you think, sweetheart.”

Nina looks over to see who’s in the front seat. Her eyes glimmer when she realizes it’s you.

“Oh, hey Shy Girl!” she cheers.

You smile at her contently. Securely.

“Hey, Neens.”

Eddie starts up his van once again.

“Alright everyone,” he says as he shifts gears. “Hold onto something. We’re on a tight schedule so expect some Eddie Stops.”

“Not this again,” Nina mutters.

“Oh boy…” you add.

SKRRRT!

———— 🏠 ————

After dropping both Nina and the groceries off at Hellfire, you and Eddie set out to Forest Hills Trailer Park to visit his infamous Uncle Wayne.

“Wayne’s the man,” Eddie boasts as he drives on. “Taught me how to fish. Somehow taught me how to drive. Automatic and stick.”

He laughs at that one.

“Even took me out of the foster care system when I was 16. I lived in his old room for years while he took the pull-out couch in the living room.”

“Foster care?” you echo as he nods. “He was tired of you jumping from home to home?”

“Nah, I just kept running away,” Eddie cackles. “If a kid was ever in the police station for something, nine times out of 10 it was probably me. I was stressing way too many people out, Uncs probably felt bad for them.”

“But he also loves you, I bet,” you grin. “You’re his nephew, Eddie.”

Eddie smiles too. “Yeah, somethin’ like that.”

Eddie pulls into an empty dirt road just yards from the estate. You two climb out of the van together, slamming the doors in unison.

Eddie leads you up the stairs by the hand, then uses his other one to wave at old neighbors close by.

“Hey y’all! How ya doin’?” he exclaims. He lowers his voice when he speaks to you. “Those are the Johnsons. Their sons were frequent customers of mine in high school.”

Your eyes widen in shock. Eddie waves to another pair of neighbors.

“And those are the Jacobsons. I bought their sons alcohol their senior year for homecoming. Buncha lightweights though. Wouldn’t recommend.”

“Well aren’t you a hero,” you jest.

“Hey, someone’s gotta pay the bills,” Eddie shrugs, half-jokingly. “You would think 40 years at The Plant gave you a decent insurance plan but that wasn’t the case. Had to help Wayne out for a fat minute. Still do every now and then.”

Eddie shifts closer to the door and gives it a couple knocks. He leans his head towards the doorframe, placing his lips just inches away from the chipped, painted wood.

“Wayne Munson,” Eddie bellows in his playful, deep voice. “It’s your friendly neighborhood pharmacist here. I’ve come with your percs, your piss pill, and your Motrin.”

Percocet and Motrin.

Two very strong pain killers. Hearing those names send chills down your spine. Those are the same meds Mom overdosed on when Billy found her.

But given Wayne’s circumstances, it’s not too much of a concern. According to what Eddie has told you, his uncle had just retired and is very frail. Heavy machinery and long hours can do that to someone. Just constant, chronic pain.

The door swings open and you hear Eddie greet Wayne like a grateful man would greet his dad. “Hey, Old Man! How are you?”

“Hello, there my boy. Agh, watch it. ‘s hurtin’ again.”

It didn't seem like anyone was at the door when you look over. But that was because you were looking about two feet too high.

Your eyes travel to the level at which Eddie bends down and there you see Uncle Wayne, having wheeled himself to the door to greet Eddie with a warm hug.

Oh this goes deeper than you thought.

A nose cannula. Yellow grippy socks. The wheelchair that housed his thin, fragile body. The navy blue Pacers beanie that concealed the fact that the man had very little hair.

Wayne’s face was extremely chiseled in, deeming him malnourished and underweight. The bags under his eyes that drooped heavily against his sockets took up a good portion of his face — nearly half.

You look at the place behind him. His trailer had lots of rails installed, Ensure protein shakes for adequate nutrition, and the pull out couch was set up to look like a bedroom, with a collapsible dresser right beside it that was nearly lost in a sea of orange medicine bottles.

The realization nearly knocks the wind out of you.

Wayne is sick. He almost looks terminal.

It feels like the ground had opened up and swallowed you whole. Your knees feel wobbly like gelatin, but Eddie is too busy reuniting with his father figure to notice. When he turns back around, he pulls you into him, with the biggest smile on his face.

“There’s uh, someone I want you to meet,” Eddie says to Wayne, his cheeks now a deep shade of pink. “This is Shy Girl.”

“Shy Girl,” Wayne smiles the same bright smile that Eddie has. “So you’re the THEE Shy Girl that my Eddie’s been rambling to me about. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sweetheart.”

You meet Wayne where he’s at, shaking his cold hand at eye level and giving him the warmest smile you can.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Mr. Munson.”

“Mr. Munson,” Wayne smirks cheekily. There’s a hint of who he used to be when he does that. He was most likely a firecracker just like Eddie, evident by how the two start poking at each other in a teasing manner. “Didn’t realize we were at a business meeting. In that case, we shall not waste any time. You and Eddie can come on in now, Miss Hargrove.”

Butterflies form in your stomach. You never told Wayne your last name.

And soon you’re in Wayne’s trailer, Eddie’s old home before he grew his wings and left the nest. A bittersweet energy floods the room. It only becomes more prominent when you see Eddie and Wayne holding hands as they make their way inside.

“Welcome to my office,” Wayne proceeds, carrying on with the banter. “I’ve got some tea in the cupboards, as well as some stale saltines because this one over here thinks I should watch my sodium intake. You’re more than welcome to help yourself.”

“Thank you so much,” is all you’re able to say.

“No worries, doll.”

Wayne darts his gaze back over to Eddie. “Anywho. Now that the formalities are over… son, I need to take a shit.”

The same dry humor too. You giggle and glance over at Eddie while he grimaces at Wayne in annoyance. But, since it’s not his first rodeo, he obliges, unlocking Wayne’s wheelchair to wheel him over to the commode that was concealed behind a DIY curtain.

“Did you do your exercises today?” you hear Eddie ask him.

"I tried. Got tired ‘bout halfway through.”

“What are your oxygen levels looking like?”

“Satting 88 percent without my oxygen. 93 percent on three liters.”

“That’s what we like to see. Good job, baby. I’m proud of you.”

You stand off to the side, giving Wayne as much privacy and dignity you can throughout this very intimate ordeal.

While Eddie is away with him, you keep yourself distracted with Wayne’s mug collection, as well as the array of trucker hats that decorated one of the four walls. You take a look at what’s on the TV: The Price is Right is just about to go on a commercial break. And on the coffee table rested an assortment of dated magazines, all going back to as early as 2008. Ah yes, recession core.

Within a few short moments, Eddie comes back out. You study him as he makes his way to the kitchen to wash his hands, making faces at the friendly neighborhood cats who liked to make themselves at home on the porch.

“Anyways!” Eddie exclaims. “I’m gonna start making Erica’s wings cuz we got everything here.”

He starts back over to you.

“But before I do, want me to show you my old room? It’s like a huge time capsule. Wayne hasn’t touched it since I left.”

You can barely meet his eyes. Eddie is acting way too normal about this. Or maybe you’re too dramatic.

He sees you frowning, thinking.

“…You okay?” he attempts with you.

"Eds... I didn't know," you whisper softly.

But Eddie smiles a bit. "That's okay. I initially didn't want you to know."

"How bad is it?"

"Stage 3. Lung cancer."

"How long has he had it?"

"Siiiince… March of 2020?” Eddie recalls. "We initially thought it was covid because of all the pulmonary stuff..."

He gestures around his own lungs.

"So what started out as a — rather intimate — nose swab turned into a biopsy that turned into getting a team of specialists….”

He glances over at Wayne to make sure he’s still okay.

“To having uncomfortable talks with the case worker about...exploring other options... And then to me being his full-time caregiver."

"March of 2020..." you recall. "Isn't that the same time you and Isabelle got divorced?"

"We were finalizing it..." Eddie corrects you. “But that’s neither here or there.”

“And Hellfire?”

“We were struggling for a bit not gonna lie,” Eddie chuckles. “It was during the start of covid and no one wanted to leave the house. Even when the babes were smoking hot.”

Holding up a palm, you stop him from explaining any further.

“So let me get this straight,” you state. “Your piece of shit dad UNALIVED your mom in cold blood when you were a kid, your father figure has cancer. You somehow manage to care for him full-time all while basically living at Hellfire, your business that your ex wife tried to SABOTAGE; which led to you getting arrested and released on bail up until your trial where you were then proven NOT GUILTY. But even then, your reputation still remains slightly tainted because almost everyone in Hawkins is a narrow-minded, self-righteous prick who weaponizes religion to get an upper hand? And they know you’re an easy target so that’s exactly what they did in this case, making your life and Wayne’s a living hell when it was the last thing you two needed at the time?”

“It be like that sometimes.”

Eddie flashes you a sarcastic, ‘I’m alive’ peace sign. He’s not helping.

Your heart just about shatters.

Eddie has suffered so much. But he hides it so well with his never-ending sarcasm and Munson magic.

And to think all of this — Hellfire, Wayne, and divorcing Isabelle — went down a couple years ago. He still had his childhood to sort through. If that's even plausible.

“It’s also kinda why Chrissy and I were screwing around,” Eddie adds, snapping you out of your thinking. “Apparently I was constantly depressed and she wanted to keep me distracted and all. Again, fun. But very short-lived.”

You fall into him and squeeze him tight. Eddie is almost taken aback by it. But nevertheless, he returns the favor.

"Are you alright?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" you demand. "You have all of this going on and you're asking me if I'm alright?"

Oh, how lonely Eddie must’ve felt through all of this. You just want to hold him. Take away all of his pain.

It’s always the angels on earth who get sent to hell and back. Eddie deserves the world, and you’re going to go your best to give it to him.

"Are we alright?" you question him.

"Of course we're alright," Eddie insists, ruffling your hair like it’s the silliest thing you’ve ever asked him.

He pulls away from you. Rubs your back delicately as you soak in all of this new information.

“You sure you want to sign up for all of this?”

You are absolutely more than sure.

“Now why would you even ask that?” you choke. “You know my stubborn ass. I’m not backing down without a fight.”

“Yeaaah,” Eddie squints. “I guess you are pretty stubborn.”

You fall into one another again, kissing each other like it’s the air you need to breathe. Eddie delicately cups your face with his hands, relishing in the last couple of smooches before he pulls away.

“I like stubborn though.”

“You and me, Eddie.”

“You and me, sweetheart.”

“Eddie!” Wayne calls, innocently interrupting the moment. “I’m done, boy, now come help me get up.”

“Comin’!” Eddie cranes his neck, shouting in Wayne’s general direction. He kisses you one more time on the forehead before excusing himself. “Be right back, babe.”

You and Eddie leave for Hellfire shortly after spending a little bit more time with Wayne.

The entire ride there, you let Eddie talk about his memories with his uncle… how he’s attended homecoming rallies, talent shows, graduations, and the less-than-celebratory court hearings — loving Eddie unconditionally through thick and thin. He was there for Eddie’s senior prom, snapping photos of him with the boys and his date Ronnie, who was also his best friend at the time.

Wayne was also there for Eddie’s wedding, even though he didn’t particularly like Isabelle. Again, every milestone, Wayne was there for.

You fawn over Eddie as he continues to talk, the spark in his eyes never leaving for as long as it’s about his loved ones. You can only hope he talks to Wayne and the others about you in the same way.

You can’t believe this is real life.

From here on out, it’s going to be you and Eddie. And you’re going to be by his side no matter what, because he’s proven to you that he is committed to doing the same.

From here on out, it’s going to be Shy Girl and Eddie… and nothing… NOTHING will ever change your mind or get in the way of that.

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @hideoutside , @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @lindseyj23, @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @justinelittlewoodsworld , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 48 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[DIVINER] has added [Seyka] to the group

HIMBO: HELLO NEW PERSON!

FlameHairSavior: Erend, if you drive her off, I'm locking you out of the Base.

HIMBO: I JUST SAID HELLO!

MARSHAL Kotallo: Hello, Seyka. It is a pleasure to have a chance to speak with you.

Seyka: Likewise, I guess.

Seyka: Sorry, that sounded rude. I just meant that texts are a little bit of a weird way to first meet people.

ADMIN [Zo]: Maybe, for once, we should do holograms.

[Icarus] has invited [FlameHairSavior] , [DIVINER] , [ HIMBO] , [MARSHAL Kotallo] , ADMIN [Zo ] , [β] , [GAIA] , and [Seyka] to a holo-chat

FlameHairSavior: Dammit, Zo, you just had to give him an opening.

DIVINER: I'm actually a little busy right now!

FlameHairSavior: Is anyone NOT busy right now?

HIMBO: I CAN SPARE TWO MINUTES TO WAVE HELLO.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Agreed. A face to face meeting, for lack of a better word, is worth the slight inconvenience.

β: im still asleep

FlameHairSavior: Let's just get it over with.

----

[β] has left the holo-chat

[Icarus] has ended the holo-chat

Seyka: Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you. You just surprised me.

β: its fine

FlameHairSavior: Okay, now that we're done with that... Alva, how are things looking on your end?

DIVINER: All's good! We should have the two camps reconnected before you know it!

FlameHairSavior: Great.

HIMBO: SO, WAIT, YOU FINISHED EVERYTHING WITH LONDRA, RIGHT? LAST WE HEARD, YOU WERE JUST ABOUT TO GO CHARGING OFF AFTER HIM!

Icarus: She returned just a few minutes before Seyka was added to the chat. I've only heard the very end of the adventure, and I'll admit I'm interested in learning the rest.

MARSHAL Kotallo: I assume you managed to kill Londra.

FlameHairSavior: Yeah. He went down hard, though.

MARSHAL Kotallo: How did you bypass his shields?

FlameHairSavior: He was piloting the Horus, so when I killed it, the feedback killed him too.

HIMBO: WHAT.

ADMIN [Zo]: Wait, the Horus? The Metal Devil? He managed to get it working?

FlameHairSavior: Only partly.

Seyka: It was ripping apart mountains and birthing dozens of machines. If that's partly working, I shudder to imagine one at full strength.

HIMBO: WE TOLD YOU TO TELL US IF A HORUS WENT ACTIVE! I REMEMBER THAT SPECIFICALLY!

ADMIN [Zo]: This alone could be a regional catastrophe. We needed to know.

DIVINER: Right, is everything okay?? Do we need to evacuate??

HIMBO: I CAN HAVE AVAD SEND DOWN THE ARMY, FOR ALL THE GOOD IT WILL DO.

MARSHAL Kotallo: The Tenakth will hold the line as long as we are able.

FlameHairSavior: No, I just said, it's dead. It didn't have a chance to make any more of itself or anything really bad.

HIMBO: YOU STILL SHOULD HAVE TOLD US.

FlameHairSavior: By the time I had a chance, it was already dead.

HIMBO: SO NOW YOU WON'T TEXT WHEN YOU'RE FIGHTING.

Seyka: Why would you text while you're fighting? That sounds dangerous.

FlameHairSavior: It's usually fine.

Seyka: Usually!?

β: what happened with the horus you have to tell us

β: i dont care how long it was buried you cant just blow up a full titan class with some junk arrows

FlameHairSavior: Well, Seyka and the admiral were getting all the survivors organized when Londra brought the Horus online. Dirt, trees falling off it, the whole thing.

Seyka: It destroyed that big sign, too.

FlameHairSavior: Oh, yeah.

DIVINER: Wait... you don't mean the Hollywood sign, do you??

DIVINER: That's a historical landmark!

FlameHairSavior: I think you might be putting too much importance on this.

FlameHairSavior: It was a sign.

β: how was it even still around i would have been surprised if it lasted a hundred years much less a thousand

FlameHairSavior: I found a datapoint about how they treated it with some anti-aging or anti-rust or something.

DIVINER: See!! The Ancestors thought it was important too!

FlameHairSavior: I guess.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, Londra had to pilot the Horus personally. The AI was too degraded.

Icarus: Are you certain? My experience with the Corruptors and Deathbringers leads me to believe that the AI core was quite robust.

FlameHairSavior: Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to how he was doing it, because a METAL DEVIL was BREAKING OUT OF A MOUNTAIN right next to me.

Icarus: ...fair.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Perhaps Londra chose to pilot it personally because he knew better than to let it rampage.

ADMIN [Zo]: At least when he was nearby.

FlameHairSavior: I don't know. But it was definitely degraded. It couldn't handle its heat generation. I blew up every heat sink I could, and he tried to take it out into the ocean to cool down.

Icarus: Hm. A crude solution, but it could be effective.

FlameHairSavior: He was printing out more Corruptors, shooting missiles at me, trying to stab me with tentacles the size of a Slitherfang. About what you'd expect.

Seyka: "About what you would expect." I was flying above the whole time, and let me tell you, watching her fight a machine the size of a MOUNTAIN was incredible and terrifying at the same time.

Seyka: Do you people do this sort of thing all the time?

HIMBO: IT'S PRETTY MUCH JUST ALOY.

ADMIN [Zo]: And even then, a Horus is certainly a new threat.

Seyka: Well, I tried to distract it while Aloy shot out the heat sinks. It let out big energy blasts every time she destroyed one.

Icarus: Fascinating. Do you think that was a deliberate attack, or some side effect of the heat sink breaking?

Seyka: No idea.

FlameHairSavior: I think it was deliberate.

Seyka: This was all while the Metal Devil was running into the ocean, remember. I guess Londra didn't see her as a threat at first.

Seyka: Once he got to the shallows, he turned around and faced her head-on. That was the fight on the beach.

Seyka: When I saw that first tentacle come down, I was sure she was dead.

FlameHairSavior: But I wasn't and I'm fine.

HIMBO: NORMAL PEOPLE GET WORRIED WHEN THEIR FRIENDS FIGHT MACHINE DEMIGODS.

DIVINER: Is that the terminology we're going with?

HIMBO: I DUNNO.

FlameHairSavior: Well, even with the Horus half in the ocean, it was still overheating. I blew up more heatsinks, eventually made a hole in the hull big enough to get through.

FlameHairSavior: Seyka picked me up, got me to the breach, I got inside.

Icarus: There is no possible way that a HORUS is designed to be human-traversible. Even Londra's pilot override must have required major rewiring.

FlameHairSavior: It was a trial.

FlameHairSavior: But I got through, found Londra. There was a shield, but I blew up the power cables, the overload killed him.

FlameHairSavior: The end.

Seyka: You are terrible at telling stories.

FlameHairSavior: What? Am I supposed to go through a blow by blow of how I cut one power cable, then there was a wave of energy, then I destroyed the processors, repeat?

Seyka: I suppose.

FlameHairSavior: Although Londra did give a bad guy speech. I think every Zenith I spoke to had a speech like this. Did they have classes in the old world?

DIVINER: Every show I've ever watched had a bad guy speech! Okay, not EVERY show. But the point is, they had plenty of examples!

FlameHairSavior: Well, MY point is that it all sort of happened pretty fast. Not a lot to talk about.

β: im watching the video right now you skipped over all the times you were like two seconds from dying

Seyka: Wait, you can see what she saw?

β: the focuses record everything

Seyka: Should I be worried?

β: the old world was a horrifying panopticon of privacy violations

β: and it used to be worse before the claw back

GAIA: We can discuss privacy settings, if you like.

Seyka: Uh, maybe later.

FlameHairSavior: I did scan Londra's brain implant, which might be useful.

Icarus: Yes, when he first left Sirius, he began making a plan to defeat NEMESIS. He soon dismissed this as naive and unfeasible, but he did make a list of various weapons companies that might have useful technology to fight.

MARSHAL Kotallo: A goal for the future, then.

Icarus: Precisely.

FlameHairSavior: I looked over the map, and some of these are pretty far. I think we'll need more than just sunwings to get to them in time.

HIMBO: WAIT.

HIMBO: YOU GAVE SEYKA CONTROL OF A SUNWING.

FlameHairSavior: Waterwing.

HIMBO: WHATEVER.

HIMBO: WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE GIVEN US SUNWINGS?

FlameHairSavior: There's no way any of you could have gotten to the Burning Shores fast enough to help me with the Horus.

HIMBO: NOT THAT! I MEAN WHEN WE LEFT THE BASE TO MEET UP WITH OUR ALLIES!

FlameHairSavior: ...oh.

β: oops

Seyka: So. This is the group that's going to save the world?

ADMIN [Zo]: I realize we seem... idiosyncratic, but there is a method to the madness.

MARSHAL Kotallo: We already did save the world once, after all.

HIMBO: ALOY IS ON NUMBER FOUR!

Seyka: FOUR!?

FlameHairSavior: Wait, four? I only count two.

HIMBO: HADES AT MERIDIAN, HEPHAESTUS AT THE CUT, THE ZENITH, AND THEN LONDRA.

FlameHairSavior: HEPHAESTUS didn't count, that was hardly a world-ending disaster. Same with Londra. The world wouldn't have ended if he had won.

HIMBO: IF YOU SAY SO.

Seyka: I am so confused.

β: welcome to the club we have tshirts

Seyka: Okay?

MARSHAL Kotallo: More to the point, there is an orientation packet. I suspect you will find it quite illuminating.

MARSHAL Kotallo: [HZDorientation_packet.pdf]

MARSHAL Kotallo: This is the version without videos, to keep it light enough to transfer.

Seyka: Thank you.

[β] has changed [Seyka] 's name to [Aloy's_BAE]

DIVINER: !!

Aloy's_BAE: Uh... thanks?

FlameHairSavior: What's a BAE and how insulted should she be?

β: old world term for a significant other

DIVINER: [Squee.gif]

FlameHairSavior: Significant other... what?

β: ladylove

β: sweetheart

β: honeybun

β: your girlfriend

Icarus: More childish teasing?

Aloy's_BAE: How did you know that? Did Aloy tell you?

MARSHAL Kotallo: Wait, what?

ADMIN [Zo]: It's real?

FlameHairSavior: BETA. How did you find out.

β: i watched your adventure to the end

FlameHairSavior: ...shit.

HIMBO: HA!

ADMIN [Zo]: From personal experience, I should tell you to take your focus off during intimate moments.

FlameHairSavior: [WorldsLongestGroan.gif]

Aloy's_BAE: Well, I don't think that will be an issue, because I'm going to go drown myself in the ocean now.

FlameHairSavior: Please don't. I prefer you un-drowned.

HIMBO: AW, SHE'S TURNING YOU INTO A SAPPY ROMANTIC!

Aloy's_BAE: You people are so strange.

β: too late you should have run when you had the chance

β: also everyone i know youre too far away to pay me now but dont think ill forget

FlameHairSavior: Pay you?

ADMIN [Zo]: She won the bet.

FlameHairSavior: What bet?

β: on when youd finally get someone

FlameHairSavior: ...

FlameHairSavior: Sylens, is it too late for us to leave the planet?

Icarus: Yes.

Icarus: That ship is too small for all your drama.

FlameHairSavior: I don't know, it's apparently big enough to carry your ego.

Aloy's_BAE: I really don't know what to make of this.

ADMIN [Zo]: You get used to it.

MARSHAL Kotallo: We promise.

Chapter 48 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[astralix]

  Angstober 2024

Act 001 Again

Pretty Guardian ✶ Sailor Moon

Characters: Original Characters, Canon Characters (mentioned) Rating: Teen-Older Teen Genre: Angst, Action, Fantasy/Magical Girl Song: “Village and Void -Aggressive Mix-” Originally from Final Fantasy XIII-2 Words: 576

Disclaimer: I do not own Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon or any of Naoko Takeuchi’s incarnations of Sailor Moon.

  ✦✶✦

  Just as the light begins to fade to dark The moaning wind sings songs to my forebodings Am I alone with no one watching o’er If I do fall will no one come save me?

  ✦✶✦

  It was a crisp autumn evening, and the clouds were wispy amongst the darkened sky.  A lone figure stood on the rooftops overlooking the busy city below.  Clad in a Sailor Senshi uniform, she held a long-staffed Caduceus.  Long locks of light green hair swirled with the playful wind as the guardian heard the ruckus of traffic below.

Her heart continued to fall as thought of the events of last night.  She clasped her available hand over her heart as she thought of her comrade’s grief-stricken screaming.  Eyes closed as tears threatened to fall.  She did not want it to happen again.  

She could still see the blood pooling underneath the young man’s body.  She could still see her comrade dropping to her knees and pleading for him to stay with her.  If he only stayed with her, she could probably heal him and things would be okay!  Sailor Ophiuchus could hear the desperation in her comrade’s voice as she looked up at the older guardian with teary, ruby orbs.  She needed help, but there was nothing the older girl could do.

“Asclepius!  Please!  I… would give everything!”  Back then, she was called Sailor Aesclepius.  Back then, she was training Sailor Icarus, who would now become Sailor Phoenix.  They gave their all fighting evil, but Sailor Icarus had fallen for the enemy.  She was fated to kill the young man.  Back then, there was nothing the Guardian of Hope could do.  Could she have given her Sun Empress the Elixir of Life?  Yes.  However, to a man who destroyed a great deal of their homes and killed a good number of people she could not.  Did he make her friend the happiest person in the world?  Yes.  She made a promise never to make such a concoction ever again, and to the girl’s previous incarnation no less.

“I’m sorry, Icarus,” and she shook her head.  “He’s …” He was not going to last another moment.

History repeated again last night.  It was a different man, but Sailor Icarus was now Sailor Phoenix, and she was Sailor Ophiuchus.

“Ophiuchus, please!  I’m begging you!” her Sun Empress pleaded.

“He’s past when I should give him the elixir, Your Majesty.” She remembered saying, but it was the truth.  Again, Sailor Phoenix fell for the enemy.  Again, her Sun Empress fell for a young man who killed so many people and promised to destroy more that they both held dear.

She could see the anguish in her Sun Empress’ eyes.  She could see the desperation to save him.  However, tears of the Phoenix could do so much.  The Elixir of Life that Ophiuchus could make could do so much.  This man was beyond help.

Was her comrade supposed to suffer this again and again?  She could not fathom the amount of pain her leader was going through.  She wished she could do something about it, but there was nothing.  Her leader had a type, and that type tended to be devoted minions of Chaos.  She wondered how she could save Sailor Phoenix from this pain.  Loving an enemy was one thing, defeating them herself was another.

There was no way.

It was bound to happen again.

Ophiuchus looked in the direction of the door to Phoenix’s penthouse.  The light was still on, so she imagined the other girls were trying to console her.  Ophiuchus turned back towards the darkened sky.  She would stand guard.  She would watch over Sailor Phoenix.

[delta-gambit-au]

Help me choose the night attire for Spam

In light of the results of the previous poll, then I shall share the scribbles I do with the finger on the phone to brainstorm concept art ideas for the AU. I still don't feel very comfortable using that smol screen and the finger and I needed to blow up the canvas to 5000x5000 almost to get better detail. I shall persevere and practice more with it but right now I can only do lineart, some basic paint bucket fills and some layer shenanigans.

Anyway, at least the blog will not go silent while I'm saving for a new tablet. And yes, Spam has several landmarks on his body like all of his other siblings living in the Conglomerate Building at ICARUS. That performed heart-port is a literal "window" to his Darkner soul but I can't reveal for what because spoilers. All of them are marked with their subject number, from #001 to #499. The rest is the standard Addison body with the segmented hands, though he still might look like an Addison in his teen years because of how short Spam is (155 cm // 5.08 inches). By the time he meets with the Addison marketing group, he should be like 21 years old, and by the time the visual-novel starts (around when Spamton meets with Kris for the first time in that back-alley) he should be like between 35 and 45 I believe.

If you have any other questions or suggestions, you can do them freely at the Reply section of this post. I'm all ears 😁 Now time for me to go sleep... 😴

[buriedself]

@ VICORTEZ66 JUST POSTED … Happy 10th birthday to Waldo 🐶💓

001. STATISTICS …

GENERAL DETAILS.

FULL NAME: vicente alejandro cortez. NICKNAME(S): chente, vee, vic, vice, victor (outdated), #66 (outdated). AGE:   forty5. DATE OF BIRTH:   march 27, 1978. PLACE OF BIRTH: miami, florida. CURRENT LOCATION:  manhattan. GENDER:  demi man. PRONOUNS:  he/they. ORIENTATION:  gay. OCCUPATION: retired formula one driver, currently trains formula one drivers & heads an organization for children interested in mechanical engineering. EDUCATION LEVEL: bachelor's of science in mechanical engineering from university of miami.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE, ETC.

HEIGHT:  5'11. TATTOOS:   a few small ones on his calves, drawn by the kids he's mentoring. PIERCINGS: wouldn't you like to know... CLOTHING STYLE:   please don't ask i don't know fashion. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:  prosthetic left arm, glare, scruffy & greying stubble, burn scars on his arms and torso.

HEALTH.

ALLERGIES:   none. SLEEPING HABITS:   gets approximately 7 hours of sleep, occasionally interrupted by nightmares. EATING HABITS: does not like sweets but chocolate <3. SOCIABILITY: 4/10 on a good day. DRINKING / SMOKING / DRUGS: yes / once a blue moon / no.

PERSONALITY.

LABELS / TROPES:  badass teacher, brutal honesty, death glare, jerk with a heart of gold, mentor archetype, seriously scruffy, tragic bromance, used to be a sweet kid, icarus. INSPIRATIONS: wolverine (x-men), sasuke uchiha (naruto), haymitch abernathy (the hunger games), aizawa (bnha). POSITIVE TRAITS:   hot. is that not enough in this economy? cautious. what's it called when you're a good mentor. NEGATIVE TRAITS: reserved, caustic, maybe too sexy? LIKES: cheesy romance movies, quiet, hot cocoa. DISLIKES: the race track, driving, fire. FEARS: car accidents. HABITS:  not making eye contact. HOBBIES: axe throwing.

FAMILY, RELATIONSHIPS, ETC.

MOTHER: alive & well. FATHER: deceased, natural causes. SIGNIFICANT OTHER: none. BEST FRIEND:  tba. EXES: tba. SIBLING(S): two. CHILDREN: none. PET(S):  dachshund named waldo.

002. BIOGRAPHY …

dad was a mechanic that did some formula circuits when vicente was young. he basically grew up in his dad's shop, helping in any way he could. dad would take him to watch races when he could, and he managed to get vicente into karting by pulling some favors with the team he worked with.

his parents were rightfully nervous / scared about letting him do this because he was a reckless kid and a worse teenager. still, they loved him to death and let him race under the condition that he would still go to college and get a worthwhile degree just in case.

he graduated meche early and managed to start formula 1 racing with new york based racing team sentinel racing at 21 years old.

the team really took a chance on him because if he didn't do well, the entire team was going to tank by the time the season was over. he earned fifth in the overall drivers ranking and saved the team.

continued racing for sentinel and practically put the team on the map. over the course of his career, he won a grand total of 5 driver's championships.

[car accident tw] vicente was 32 when his racing career came to an abrupt end. mid-season, he got into a very terrible crash on the track, his car flipping many times and basically exploding into a fireball. he pulled himself out of the wreckage and the fire with the thought that he had to live for the sake of his family. he suffered some burns, as well as the amputation of his left arm below the elbow.

spiraled into a depression in which he isolated himself and just got worse and worse.

had some sense knocked into him a couple years back after which he reemerged and signed a contract with sentinel to train / mentor prospective and current drivers.

also runs a foundation to promote mechanical engineering for kids/teens and is very active in it.

refuses to show up at f1 press events.

is 100% convinced that the driver that crashed into him did it on purpose because he was on track for a sixth win.

has not made an appearance on any circuit since his crash

003. CONNECTIONS …

sentinel drivers he trains / mentors

close friend that pulled him out of his depression

people that were racing around the time he was still active

exes

current situationships

a sentinel sponsor ???

someone who drags him out to events even when he doesn't want to go

his Agent.... sorry for what you have to put up with

other people that had a fall from grace

idk. i am sleepy.

[gldnhrt]

brent antonello, homosexual, cis-male + he/him → isn’t that artemis finch? i’ve seen them hanging out with the witches. i hear they're twenty-seven, but they’ve only been in alexandria for a few days/weeks. they seem to be ambitious & observant, but also selfish & impulsive. it’s cool that they’re capable of hydrokinesis, pyrokinesis, aerokinesis, and geokinesis!

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  001

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄  artemis jonah finch 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄  artie ( siblings ), aj ( friends ), art 𝐃𝐎𝐁  august 8, 1996 𝐀𝐆𝐄  twenty - seven 𝐙𝐎𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐂  leo 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑  cis-male 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐒  he/him 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  homosexual, homoromantic 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍  astoria, oregon 𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐔𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒  english, mandarin, japanese 𝐎𝐂𝐂𝐔𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  politician assistant

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  002

𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌  brent antonello 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑  dark brown hair 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒  hazel eyes 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  6′0″ 𝐏𝐈𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒  none 𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐒  none 𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄  white shirts, button up, cardigans or sweaters in the fall, tom ford shades

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  003

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘  debater ( entp ) 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄  ambitious, observant, charismatic, energetic, reliable 𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄  selfish, impulsive, vain, altruistic, repressed 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓  hiking, running, swimming, surfing 𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 verse-bottom 𝐀𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒  french fries

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  004

𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑  amycus finch 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑  cassandra finch ( deceased ) 𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒  lysander, phoebe, apollonia ( twin sister ), ambrose, damocles, icarus

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  005

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐋𝐒 stiles stilinski ( teen wolf ) , lucifer morningstar ( lucifer ) , tyrion lannister ( game of thrones ) , liv parker ( the vampire diaries ) , freddie mclair ( skins ) , wade wilson ( deadpool ) , eloise bridgerton ( bridgerton )

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  006

𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘

artemis was the third child, second son in the finch family. he felt like he didn't need to worry about his position in their coven. he had his older brother, and then his older sister.

leadership was something he didn't need to worry about, but when his older brother lacked powers, he was closer in line to becoming supreme of their coven, which artemis wanted nothing to do with. he loved his magic, but he just wanted to have his fun.

after the death of their mother, it was clear that his father wanted lysander dead. he was a siphoner, a huge disgrace to the family, and he blamed the death on him.

artemis knew that his brother would never kill their mom. their mother loving all of them, including lysander, not caring that he was a siphoner. artie was there when it all happened, getting small flashbacks, but never the whole pictures, like some kind of fog was hiding the real truth.

after his brother escaped his own death, the remaining finch siblings knew that their own father had gone mad. but they were afraid to ever say anything to him, fear of how he would react.

years had passed, and it was clear that someone else had to become the supreme. phoebe was next in line, but she refused to be part of a coven that would kill their own without trying to find the truth.

artemis and apollonia were next in line. the twins realizing that one of them would have to become the next supreme. it was clear though that his father had favored artemis, and artemis felt like he had this burden he had to carry. the crown falling on him, but he never wanted it in the first place.

even with the whole witch thing happening, artemis was focused on living his life, trying to find what he wants to do with his life. so when he told his father that perhaps alexandria could be the best place to be, he was given the permission to move out there and investigate if anyone may known the whereabouts of his brother.

when he discovered that his brother was there, he informed his father the opposite, saying he may need more time in the city.

he hopes that lysander would let him in his life, and hope that with his help, they could siphon the magic that was blocking his memory, so they could find the truth of what happened the night their mother was killed.

○ ′ ✨  –––––––––––––––––––  007

𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

TBD

[readbentweenthelines]

TASK 001 - Follow the Strange Trails - A Ben anak Bandi Playlist

As someone who appreciates poetry, it should be no surprise that Ben also enjoys music. He believes that music, much like cooking, benefits from a wide pallet, and he likes to sample all different genres and songs, particularly those with interesting lyrics. While he deeply enjoys the lyricism of it all, he also has a special fondness for classic rock music, grunge, and folk.

Ben's playlist is separated into chapters, with a prologue, two chapters, and an epilogue at the end. Each chapter is themed, with the first being representative of his love of rock and the second representing more moody tracks with a heavy focus on lyricism. These are not just songs that Ben would listen to but also music that I believe suit his personality. To quote Shakespeare, "If music be the food of love, play on..."

Listen here. Songs detailed below the cut.

Prologue

Time by Pink Floyd | Every year is getting shorter / Never seem to find the time / Plans that either come to naught / Or half a page of scribbled lines / Hanging on in quiet desperation / Is the English way

Chapter One

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen | Ooh, love, ooh, lover boy / What're you doing tonight? Hey, boy / Write my letter, feel much better / And use my fancy patter on the telephone

Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls | And I'd give up forever to touch you / 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow / You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be / And I don't wanna go home right now

Live and Let Die by Guns 'N Roses | But if this ever changin' world / In which we live in / Makes you give in and cry / Say live and let die / Live and let die

Cemetery Gates by The Smiths | A dreaded sunny day / So I meet you at the cemetry gates / Keats and Yeats are on your side / While Wilde is on mine

Brain Stew by Green Day | My mind is set on overdrive / The clock is laughing in my face / A crooked spine, my senses dulled / Past the point of delirium

Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm | So they came into the outway / It was Sunday / What a black day / I could made a salutation / Sounding heartbeats / Intimidations

Chapter Two

Sunlight by Hozier | Each day, you'd rise with me / Know that I would gladly be / The Icarus to your certainty / Oh, my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight

Mykonos by Fleet Foxes | And you will go to Mykonos / With a vision of a gentle coast / And a sun to maybe dissipate / Shadows of the mess you made

Far From Home (The Raven) by Sam Tinnesz | 'Cause out here in the darkness / And out of the light / If you get to me too late / Just know that I tried / Oh, I'm so far from home

Myth by Beach House | Found yourself in a new direction / Arrows falling from the sun / Canyon calling, would they come to greet you? / Let you know you're not the only one

Way Out There by Lord Huron | Find me way out there / There's no road that will lead us back / When you follow the strange trails / They will take you who knows where

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths | Today, of all days, see / How the most dangerous thing is to love / How you will heal and you'll rise above / Crowned by an overture bold and beyond / Ah, it's more courageous to overcome

Epilogue

Evergreen by Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners | What am I waiting for? / Feet planted beneath / My compass my transport

[princeburned]

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐈𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 - 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦, 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐝 - 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐢𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 ?

#PRINCEBURNED  independent, private & selective C.rown P.rince Rudolf, headcanon based, divorced from history & mostly reimagined for fantasy verses. studied by Flora ( 25, she/they, gmt+1 ) since 2017, sideblog to @j4degoyl

exploring themes of: living in a golden cage, going against the stream, depression & suicide, breaking the cycle, the icarus symbolism

affiliated with @hauntedkaiser

RULES & FURTHER INFO UNDER THE CUT ⬇

001. GENERAL This is a sideblog so follow backs will come from @j4degoyl. especially while I'm still working on putting up the info - never hesitate to ask me any question about my muse, either through my askbox or ims. Triggering content, specifically concerning depression & suicide will be present, so please be aware of that.

002. PORTRAYAL this is not supposed to be a historical portrayal. while I've done extensive research & I'm always willing to discuss it, this is my own fictional version of Rudolf & I'm more interested in exploring the overall story/themes in different universes.

003. HATE I won't accept any hate on my dash. there will be no participation in callout culture of any kind, I'm too tired for this tbh. if I see anything homophobic, biphobic, transphobic, racist etc you'll be blocked very fast.

004. MUN I go by the name Flora (she/they pronouns) & I'm currently studying library science & working a side job. I'm german, so english isn't my first language & I'm always ready to learn.

GOOGLE DOC (FOR FURTHER INFO)

[aemiron-main]

and in addition to james’ scientific explanation, i offer this one: the transplant would work the same way that NINA works in 1986, the same way that El moves things with her mind, the same way that gates to the UD open, the same way that the fleshflayer exists, the same way that 001 survived a icarus-esque fall through multiple dimensions while being struck by lightning.

it’s a sci fi show. suspension of disbelief. im not saying it’ll be unexplained, but “hnl had access to some extra tech/edward’s regenerative abilities came in handy” really isnt farfetched for a show that had el find will in the void via a pool in a school gym.

i understand how one would change someones genitals, but how do you go about implanting a uterus and shit

Uterine transplants are absolutely a thing, they're a touch experimental but they're done as a patch fix for infertility...and that's in normal patients with doctors and scientists who operate under the hippocratic oath. Usually the uterus only stays a couple of years maximum, since it is just a patch fix and like with all other transplants the patient has to be immunosuppressed.

Brenner has no qualms about experimental shit, we know this. He has no respect for bodily autonomy, either, consistently performing procedures against peoples' wills. Nor does he care about "doing no harm" and the ethics of cutting people/beings open.

And Edward...Edward is not a normal patient.

We know he has some kind of fast regenerative healing based on Vecna's recuperation, and we know he's tolerant to a whole manner of otherworldly shit.

On top of that, immunosuppressant therapy had it's discovery boom in 1962. 1962, which is around the time 002 would have been born.

So if we've got a highly tolerant patient, the advent of immunosuppressants, and an organ with a perfect blood type match? Perfect conditions, medically.

[connortalbot]

Of the Blood Moon

It feels like lead on his tongue.

This drink - this poison - it’s made of something otherworldly. Hollis, ever the benevolent ruler, has allowed him to take it in his own time. The first one, at least. The others will, by nature of her punishment, be administered by Esmeray. She will have to follow after the monarch and fulfill every single whim they please. He has no doubt that they will please in having her administer acid into her betrothed’s stomach.

At least tonight he can suffer on his own. At least tonight, he can sit in the old bathroom of the Chameleon Club’s back office, tracing the tile to try and create patterns in his head that don’t exist. At least tonight he can pretend like this is like the time in college he pounded jungle juice to show off to Toby that he had a stomach of steel and then threw up in the bushes because he had no idea what jungle juice was made out of.

He studies the tile until it’s memorized and then he moves along to the walls, stuccoed like popcorn underneath the old peeling wallpaper. It’s the one place in the whole club they haven’t bothered to maintain as luxurious. You can tell, here, in this little bathroom, that the glamor of the faeries is not all it is chocked up to be.

There’s more in the drink. So much more. But every time he lifts it up to drink he can feel the wolf inside him howl in displeasure. Whatever this is, there’s a coding in his brain that rejects it almost instantly. He’s already tried to throw up twice but whatever magic Hollis has stops him from it.

The worst part is that Esme is on the other side of the door.

Connor can’t see her, obviously, because out of his many gifts X-ray vision is not one of them. He knows though, he knows because of course she’s there, silent in her seemingly unending self flagellations. He did it to himself. He agreed to this. That’s what he tried to remind her in the quiet space between them, tucked away under the covers of his bed as she sobbed against him. I would do it again, he had thought about saying, but feared it might only make the situation worse.

Whatever this stuff is looks like it’s going to start bubbling. He hasn’t told anyone else that it’s probably going to kill him according to the parallels of Chloe’s visions of himself and Moira. It feels a bit poetic - dying like she did.

How long is it going to take him to die though? Months? Years? Hours? There’s no telling, not with the way she saw it.

That’s the part that scares him the most. If he takes this now, if he sips it, how many seconds left does he have to be with her.

Under his skin, the wolf is howling for release. Even if he cannot see the moon high in the sky, red and violent and angry as she is, it feels it, that beast inside of him. It threatens to rip through his skin. That familiar crackle is there, that familiar blurred vision as the change starts to tingle at his finger tip. It’s now or never, he realizes.

“I love you, Lara,” Connor says it loud enough that she can hear. It comes out easier each time he does but he doubts she’ll say it.

He can do this. He dated a frat boy in college.

The wolf grabs the cup and drinks it down like it’s a shot of whiskey.

Immediately he thinks he’s going to die.

Connor cries out in pain as it feels like a long claw punches through his chest and rips out his soul. If that scene from Ariel was real, it would be this moment. He can’t even breath as he chokes through the pain, tears blurring his vision. Someone is stirring his insides with the white hot end of a poker and Connor Henry Talbot is honest to God crying.

There is a beast scratching at his chest. Not a beast. The beast. The other part of his heart, the other half of himself. Like Pandora’s box shaking under the weight of an unsteady tower of chairs. He needs to. He has to.

HE HAS TO.

But he can’t. 

The wolf howls again and this time it is him he hears, a strangled cry that rips his throat asunder.

Connor has never felt so small as he does in this moment curled up on the sticky tile floor of the Chameleon, his brow wet with sweat as his body violently shakes. It’s worst than his first Turning because the relief never comes. He wishes he could throw up to end it but whatever that liquid is, it’s part of his now, fused to his insides. It chases after the wolf to burn the fire in his veins.

He spends the hours well into the early morning hours thrashing on the floor until at last he can feel that primordial connection to the moon start slip away. He’s still shaking when the door finally opens and Hollis comes in to pet his head. 

“What a more excellent showings, puppy.”

[prcmethevs]

CLOSED STARTER || icarus volati ( @icarusfclling​ ) LOCATION: somewhere in xenios TIMESTAMP: heteraidia festival – seventh day ; early morning

Months had passed Prometheus were uprooted to Olympe. Yet they had never felt stranger for living in the fever dream they had found themselves thrusted into. They were surrounded by bright neon lights shining bright and high in the night sky, changing weather that always remain too perfect, frivolous trends that change faster than the season, and webs of favors that bind everyone to the ruler of the land. Others continue to proclaim Olympe as heaven of the mortal realm, but Prometheus found themself restless sometimes and seek for a semblance of familiarity. The closest thing they had found was a phantom from simpler days, a past long gone and out of reach.

It was a wonder, how they managed to slink away from one another for such a long time. Though it was perhaps for the best. He’s a liability to your cause, Prometheus told himself the moment they suspected he was now drunk with greed and power. Though perhaps the bigger reason to their hesitation to reach out was the truth that would caused the ghost to fade away into the night, leaving them alone to brace this strange world.

But the need for an answer had grown far too great, and unwittingly, so did their yearning for something old they could maybe hold on to. And so when they had spot him in the halls of Xenios that early morning, after carefully threading the tightrope for the past months, Prometheus dove in. “Has sleep eluded you as well, Legatus?” they asked, careful to maintain the distance separating them.

[discar]

HZD Terraforming Base-001 Text Communications Network

Chapter 47 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

ADMIN [Zo]: GAIA, I have some questions about the machines down in the Burning Shores.

GAIA: Of course. How may I help?

ADMIN [Zo]: Aloy discovered a new machine called the waterwing. It appears to be similar to the sunwing, but with added functionality to allow it to swim underwater in addition to fly.

β: i think its literally a modded sunwing the code is near identical

β: i was able to get aloy an override for it with just a few parts

HIMBO: SPEAKING OF, HOW'D THAT GO?

FlameHairSavior: Dodging anti-air fire, talk later.

ADMIN [Zo]: My question was, what is the point of this machine? I assume it is more difficult to produce than a simple sunwing.

GAIA: The model designated "waterwing" is a dual-mode Acquisition-type machine, designed primarily for collecting and processing destroyed machines and other resources. The sunwing was designed to use solar energy to power its own processors, increasing the amount of time the machine could spend between recharge cycles. The waterwing improves on this base design by adding the functionality to scavenge underwater.

DIVINER: Then why not just make all sunwings waterwings??

Icarus: I assume it as Zo said. It is more difficult to produce. Specialized tools are always easier to design and build than general-purpose ones.

HIMBO: WELL, NO, A HAMMER IS EASIER TO BUILD THAN A CORKSCREW.

HIMBO: BUT A CORKSCREW IS EASIER TO BUILD THAN A CORKSCREW/FIRELIGHTER/SPARKWELDER.

HIMBO: THIS WATERWING ISN'T A GENERAL-PURPOSE TOOL, IT'S A TOOL WITH MULTIPLE SPECIALIZATIONS.

Icarus: I suppose.

GAIA: Correct. There are a variety of air-based Acquisition machines, and a variety of water-based Acquisition machines. Putting both into a single machine would undoubtedly be more expensive than simply building more of each individual machine.

β: we really need to recapture hephaestus

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, and if we had any real leads, I could be doing that instead of dealing with yet another crazy Zenith.

HIMBO: SO YOU LANDED?

FlameHairSavior: Shot down, a little, but we're fine.

β: what do you mean we

FlameHairSavior: I took Seyka with me. She has a stake in this. It's important to her.

FlameHairSavior: Her sister is involved.

FlameHairSavior: And her tribe.

FlameHairSavior: And she's very helpful.

DIVINER: ...huh.

Icarus: This makes me glad I never watched any of those ridiculous teenage dramas.

FlameHairSavior: Whatever. The point is, we're at the park. There's a fake volcano and a bunch of hologram dinosaurs. Lots of Quen guards everywhere.

Icarus: Why in the world would anyone build a fake volcano?

HIMBO: HEY, VOLCANOS ARE COOL!

Icarus: Putting your vernacular aside and accepting the comment in the spirit it was intended, I suspect that volcanoes lose some of their "cool" factor if they lack the ability to actually explode.

FlameHairSavior: I don't think it can explode.

FlameHairSavior: This whole park is some sort of... massive advertisement, or shopping mall, or both, for Londra's wife's most popular holovid series.

DIVINER: WAIT. WAITWAITWAIT.

FlameHairSavior: ...waiting.

FlameHairSavior: Actually stalking a Quen guard.

DIVINER: Are you talking about Pangea???????

FlameHairSavior: I think so, yeah.

DIVINER: [Squee.gif]

DIVINER: We've been looking for that series for forever! We only have the first movie, everything past that is in a format our focuses can't view!

DIVINER: Oh! Oh! If it's a park, there might be a gift shop!

FlameHairSavior: I'm a little busy right now, Alva.

β: also im sure any plush dinosaurs or whatever have long since rotted away to nothing

DIVINER: At least grab me copies of the holovids!

FlameHairSavior: I'll keep an eye out.

----

FlameHairSavior: Huh. Found an old data point about Londra.

DIVINER: Oh? Anything interesting?

FlameHairSavior: Interesting? Yes. Probably not useful, though.

FlameHairSavior: Apparently he thought his wife was cheating on him, so he sent his best friend the bodyguard to investigate her.

DIVINER: And??

FlameHairSavior: And she slept with him.

HIMBO: HA!

ADMIN [Zo]: Erend, be nice.

HIMBO: I'LL BET YOU A BIG BAG OF SHARDS THAT THIS GUY DESERVED WORSE.

----

FlameHairSavior: All right, have a better idea of where we need to go now.

FlameHairSavior: There's a place called the armory which should unlock the volcano, but we needed the key from a guy named Fedder, who was in the big dome.

β: why do you always have to do twenty things to do one thing

FlameHairSavior: I don't know. I really, really don't.

HIMBO: ARMORY? SO THERE WILL BE ZENITH WEAPONS?

FlameHairSavior: Not sure. I got the sense that name might have been from when the park was open. I doubt they had actual weapons inside. And if there are, they're probably all rust by now.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, we spotted Kina in the dome with Fedder. She's definitely with Londra willingly, but she's... practicing for a play? It's weird.

FlameHairSavior: They were just doing a couple lines over and over. "How could I not come back?"

ADMIN [Zo]: Kina is Seyka's sister?

FlameHairSavior: Yeah.

DIVINER: Um, not sure if this is relevant, buuut that was Jane's most famous line from the first Pangea film!

FlameHairSavior: Jane?

DIVINER: Walter Londra's wife! Well, that was her character's name.

HIMBO: SO HE'S... MAKING THE QUEN ACT OUT HIS MOVIE?

DIVINER: We have experience with that sort of thing, so maybe it was their idea?

FlameHairSavior: I don't even know.

FlameHairSavior: Anyway, we waited for her to leave so she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire, killed Fedder, got the key. Almost to the armory now.

DIVINER: Don't let us distract you!

----

FlameHairSavior: Shit. ShitshitSHIT.

Icarus: Everything is going well, I take it?

ADMIN [Zo]: Perhaps the armory was just the fertilizer depository.

FlameHairSavior: Londra has brainwashing tech. That's what MSP is. "Mutiny Suppression Protocol." It got trashed in the Old World because it made the subjects more violent, even if they were also more loyal.

FlameHairSavior: That's why he has so many Quen guards ready to murder.

DIVINER: ...shit!

FlameHairSavior: But he was able to perfect it on the guards. He's planning to use it to brainwash a select retinue of Quen to be his new inner circle, copies of the friends he had in the 21st century.

FlameHairSavior: That's all he wants. Adoring friends who can't quite think for themselves.

β: and what hell just be on a barren planet with his harem

HIMBO: THAT'S NOT WHAT A HAREM IS.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Usually.

HIMBO: UH. I SENSE A STORY, BUT I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO ASK.

MARSHAL Kotallo: Not every Chief of the Tenakth has been as selfless and forward-thinking as Hekarro.

HIMBO: YEP, ALREADY REGRET IT.

FlameHairSavior: He's also getting DNA samples from all the Quen. He's going to have a colony of brainwashed clones to rule over with a pantheon of gods. But of course he'd be the only one with REAL power.

Icarus: How do you know all this? I doubt he left out a datapad detailing his full plans.

FlameHairSavior: We met his personal AI, Nova. He's basically been brainwashing her for a thousand years, "tweaking" her personality hour by hour.

FlameHairSavior: She begged us to kill her.

Icarus: Ah. That is unfortunate on multiple levels.

Icarus: I don't suppose you kept a copy of her core programming?

FlameHairSavior: No.

Icarus: That is likely for the best.

DIVINER: Waitwait! Does that mean Kina is going to be part of his retinue? Since she was doing lines his wife used to do?

FlameHairSavior: Yeah.

DIVINER: ...how old is Kina?

FlameHairSavior: Old enough to understand, young enough that it's still creepy. She hasn't been brainwashed yet, though. He's a perfectionist, so he's putting off the final selection.

ADMIN [Zo]: Small mercies.

FlameHairSavior: I'm going to the volcano. Hopefully I can find a way to kill him through his shield. Maybe this Zenith weapon will do the trick?

Icarus: I haven't seen the specs on it, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I highly doubt Londra would have given a minion something that could hurt him.

----

FlameHairSavior: So, there was a slaughterspine.

β: was it londras

FlameHairSavior: Yeah, and it was a big one.

FlameHairSavior: On the plus side, Kina finally realized what a bastard Londra is.

FlameHairSavior: On the down side, I think Londra has something else waiting in the wings. The slaughterspine felt more like a distraction.

Icarus: How did he control the slaughterspine? You said he was using a HORUS printer, but surely he wouldn't be foolish enough to print out SCARABs.

HIMBO: WHAT ARE THOSE?

Icarus: The Corruptors. They could easily run out of his control, especially if they're fresh from the printer.

FlameHairSavior: He officially doesn't care what happens to this planet, so I don't think he's losing any sleep over that.

DIVINER: What about the Quen!

FlameHairSavior: Oh, right.

FlameHairSavior: Well, after we took down the slaughterspine, Seyka took Kina and the other surviving Quen back to the settlement. I think most of the brainwashed guards are already dead, so they should be able to reintegrate.

DIVINER: That's good to hear!

FlameHairSavior: Londra went back to the bunker. He's up to something big.

HIMBO: KEEP US POSTED!

Chapter 47 | Prev chapter | Next chapter Chapter Index

[ohartemis]

where — helicon deck, pontius when — week one of kalavria with — @icarusfclling

She’s here for work, sure, but she’s also here for leisure. There’s not much to do on Pontius for Artemis besides networking and filling her Talaria account with insight on the many panels and presentations. An outspoken presence, to be sure, but also an outgoing easygoing one. So she parades over the top deck, sunglasses perched on her nose, bathing suit worn under the wrap dress she’s put her body into. Looking for distraction from her restless soul, from the gaping hole in her mind, from the thoughts that keep seeping in.

So, she finds it. Icarus Volati seems to be doing something she thinks he should do more often: relaxing. She moves over, sitting on the empty deck chair next to him, stretching her legs beneath his. “Good afternoon, QM Volati,” she says, placing her sunglasses on the top of her head. “I thought I’d check in. Quite turbulent times, for those of us close to both Zeus Rhea and Hephaestus Galani, after all.” She leans back a little, placing her hands behind her and stretching her toes. A better person would ask whether Icarus wanted to talk of it, but Artemis decides to just introduce the topic and see where it takes her. It’s easier, she finds, to deal with other people’s turbulent emotions on the entire situation compared to her own. “I hope you’re alright.”

[rosewcterdrunk]

OPEN TO: @mxnthe​ LOCATION: Daedalus Studio

The line of ink was broken with a pause, the needle skipping over his hand as Minthe once again moved around him. More often than not, Icarus had other words to describe her movements— she hurled, she fought against gravity, she consumed the action potential of all things around her to move even faster. It may have been dramatic, but he still had a flare for it even after all these years. All that had changed was that he kept it to himself. 

“Minnie,” He said, one of the few words he had spoken between whatever chaos was brewing within the shop. “My gods, if you mess up this tattoo, I will make you pay for the damn cover up.”

[murios]

godbanes  said  :    ❝ who broke the mirror? that’s seven years of bad luck. ❞   ( x )                       ------   icarus   &   kassandra

IS  THERE  GLASS  LAYING  IN  SHARDS  AT  HER  FEET  ?     ------yes,   and  even  if  the  proof  wasn’t  casting  reflective  light  across  the  walls  around  them  from  the  vantage  point  of  right  under  her  sandals,   lying  has  never  been  her  strong  suit.

          ❛  it  may  have   ------gotten  in  my  way.  ❜      she  hadn’t  meant  to  break  it,   she’s  just  a  bit  like  a  bull  in  a  pottery  stall  sometimes   ---a  little  less  graceful  than  she  is  forceful.   the  mirror  was  nothing  more  than  an  innocent  casualty  of  kassandra’s  proximity.   but  even  so,   she  does  not  believe  in  superstition,   not  since  learning  that  the  pythia’s  claims  to  speak  for  the  gods  had  been  unfounded  (  and  thus  her  early  years  of  suffering  had  been  for  naught   ).       ❛  i  can  pay  to  replace  it,   if  it’s  that  important  to  you   ---   ❜    a  ruffling  through  her  pouch  to  produce  a  few  coins.     ❛  ---  five  drachmae  ?  ❜