#it might be okay until next February now | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lesservillain · 3 months ago

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vi. for you, there'll be no more crying

summary: things change between you and eddie for the better cw: SMUT, unprotected piv, a fight with rick, eddie recounts what happened to him last year a/n: it's happening!!!!

It’s been almost a month since you’ve seen Eddie Munson.

As you lay in bed after a long day of clinicals, your fingertips and toes still cold from the January snow nipping at them in your school uniform. The blizzard that hit at the beginning of the week left several feet of snow all across Indiana, leaving an appropriate setting for the way you’ve been feeling as of late.

Because you should be at the Munson’s today. You should have been at the Munson’s just about every day since the last time you saw them. But, unexpectedly, you’d been told that you wouldn’t be needed anymore, at least for a little while. It wasn’t a reassuring statement in the least.

You’d took it as maybe just a couple of days, but as February draws closer, you’re starting to feel as if you’d never see your two favorite men ever again.

You didn’t know for sure, but you had a feeling as to why you’d been asked not to come back. It was…embarrassing to think about. You’ve been kicking yourself ever since it happened.

That night on new years when you and Eddie kissed. Accident or not, it felt like the fireworks outside were going off behind your eyelids. Never have you ever felt so…so…connected to someone just from a kiss. And you were certain by the way Eddie was looking at you that he was feeling it, too.

But, now…Maybe he wasn’t red from enjoyment. Maybe it was from disgust.

You didn’t get much time to dwell on it, though. Because immediately after the phone rang, police chief Hopper calling for Eddie. It scared you to see Eddie’s face drop the way it did. You had a sinking feeling it had to do with Wayne. But when Eddie asked you to take him home right away, it left you confused.

He wouldn’t tell you anything. Not even budging a little bit.

“It’s not bout Wayne. He’s fine.”

That’s the extent of information that you were given.

The next day is when Wayne called, reluctantly telling you that you didn’t need to come out for a while. They were having family issues and Wayne was going to be home to take care of him, so you didn’t have to bother with them.

You tried to argue. Tried to tell them that you would come out just to cook and keep them company if need be, but Wayne was insistent that you don’t make the drive out. At least not until they tell you it’s okay. You finally agreed, but it didn’t feel good. Especially since it didn’t make sense.

Eddie and Wayne made it very clear that they didn’t have any family in town. Eddie might have some grandparents in Tennessee, but they’re on his moms side of the family and they’d not heard from them in years. So what kind of family emergency could it possibly be?

After thinking it through, you’ve come to the conclusion that the phone call from Hopper was unrelated and that Eddie was just using it as an excuse to get rid of you.

The kiss was clearly too much for him. It had you wondering if there were times where you’d been too unprofessional. Maybe you were supposed to decline their invitations to come over for holidays. They were just being nice asking you to come over, they didn’t actually mean it.

It was even worse when you called on Wayne’s birthday last week. No one answered, so you just left a voicemail, hoping for but not getting a call back.

And, to top it all off, your clinicals were being held at Hawkins General. Their short staff made the need for help greater than any of the other hospitals around right now, so a lot of the workers there were working past their limits. You’d only just started this week and already felt like you were busting your ass.

The experience you had taking care of Eddie was definitely a help when it came to being more of a help than a hindrance. The patients seemed to really like you, too, which made you feel a little better. Still, you couldn’t help but wish that you were going straight to the Munson’s instead of having to drive all the way home to an empty house after a long day.

Tonya was correct in her suspicions when it came to Charles proposing, so she’d been spending more time with him at his house than at your shared home. It made sense, and you were happy for her. But you still missed having her around to cry on, especially when you were feeling this down.

As you drifted off to sleep, you decided that you were tired of feeling like this. You were going to go to the Munson’s home tomorrow after your clinicals. Even if they turned you away, you wanted to at least apologize for making Eddie feel uncomfortable. You wouldn't be able to go on if you didn’t.

‘If you’re lost, you can look, and you will find mee~”

You belt Cyndi Lauper as you turn into the entrance of the Munson driveway. You were a little suspicious at the amount of tire tracks that seemed to be going up and down the snowy driveway. Maybe the boys had been coming over to see Eddie?

A sports car you’d not seen before sat in the driveway, taking the spot next to where Wayne normally parks his truck. But it was gone. Wayne wasn’t home, but someone else was here?

You pulled into Wayne’s spot and threw your car in park. You were getting angrier with each new question you had bubbling up in your head. You walked around to the unfamiliar car, trying to see inside, but it was too dark and the windows were too tinted to see in.

The sound of the front door opening drew your attention, and you almost started yelling then and there when none other than Reefer Rick himself, illuminated by the porch light, stepped off the porch and peered around to see who was there.

“Well hello, nurse,” he called out, putting a cigarette to his lips and lighting it.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” You round the cars, stomping up to him, the sound of snow crunching under your white sneakers.

“Woah, woah, calm down,” he throws his hands up, the smoke billowing from his lips above your head. “I’m just here to hang out with Eddie while Wayne’s workin’--”

“Wayne’s at work?” You can feel tears starting to form. This is exactly what you didn’t want to happen. “Why--,” you sniffle, “Why didn’t he ask me to come out and stay with Eddie?”

“Um, that is because…-Oh! It was, like super, short notice.” He says, nodding unconvincingly. “Yeah, they just really needed him and, uh, he just didn’t think you’d be able to make it out tonight, ya know?”

“Bullshit.”

He looks at you wide eyed, “Wh-what?”

“That’s bullshit, Rick.” You stand your ground, giving him a look that could kill. But he only grew agitated, nostrils flaring as he towered over you.

“Listen, I don’t know what you’re thinking you’re going to get for coming out here, but they don’t need you anymore.”

The words hit you like an arrow to the chest. All of your suspicions were right, but you…you just couldn’t accept it from him.

“I want to hear that from Eddie.”

“Tough luck,” Rick says, taking another drag.

“I don’t need your permission to talk to him.”

“You do when he said he specifically doesn’t want to talk to you right now.”

The tears fall, but you remain resolute regardless.

“I’m going to talk to him--hey!” You went to walk around him, but he stepped in front of you to prevent you from going any further. You tried it again, and he only moved once more.

“Damn it, just move!”

“I’m not moving,” he says sternly.

“What is this really about, Rick?” He reels back with disbelief.

“What are you talking about?” He says, sounding exacerbated. “I’m trying to keep my friend safe and you wont take a hint? Is that what you want me to say?”

“Keep him safe? Safe from what?” You match his confused energy.

“From you!”

“ME?!” You’re pushed over your limit at this point. “Don’t even fucking try it, Rick. I’ll call you out for filth.”

“Do it then! I’d love to hear what you could possibly have to say about me!”

“Okay! How about the fact that Eddie used to be your biggest dealer? And that I know you’ve been trying to get him to deal for you again?”

“Wh-what? Are you actually insane?!”

“I’m not the insane one here! The man is in a fucking wheelchair! I know you bring your drugs over here, I’ve seen them in his sock drawer.”

“Yeah, because he smokes it himself! How the fuck do you think he’s been getting by without his pain meds, dumbass!”

Ricks words took you back. You knew Eddie wasn’t taking his pain medication anymore, but you thought he was doing okay without it. You didn’t realize it was because he was using weed to feel better.

“I’ve also not been selling it to him. I’ve just been giving him what I can so that the guy above me doesn’t notice. I actually never needed Eddie to sell for me, I’ve just been trying to help the guy out!”

“Oh, don’t try and get all high and mighty. Eddie may not realize it but I know that you have money. Probably from your mommy and daddy.”

Rick is quiet for a moment, the tips of his ears red under the porch light. You knew you’d got him with how long it took for him to respond.

“Listen,” he finally says, his tone much more serious. “Maybe I do have access to money in one way or another, but I’m not going to flaunt it in front of my friend when I know him and Wayne have struggled to keep the lights on. Eddie’s been like a brother to me since he started pestering me as a freshman, and I’ve done what I can to help them out. Things that only stay between Wayne and I, that Eddie doesn’t even know about, if you catch my drift.”

Your eyes go wide and you nod. The feelings you’ve had towards Rick up to this point should make you not believe him, but something about his shift in demeanor has you wanting to be convinced that he’s telling the truth.

“So if you’re understanding where I’m coming from, I think that you should know what I’m going to ask you to do.”

Your head cocks to the side in genuine confusion.

“No, in fact I don’t know. Please tell me.”

Rick rolls his eyes, taking a step closer so that he can speak to you more hushed.

“C’mon, don’t make me do this. Be the better person and just go.”

“Rick, I honest to god don’t have a clue what the fuck you’re talking about. Speak to me in something other than vague threats please.”

He scoffs, leaning down to be at your level.

“If I give you a check to leave here and never come back, will that satiate your needs?”

You blink hard, trying your best to comprehend whatever bullshit Rick is going on about.

“Rick,” you say with a sharp exhale, “I don’t know why you think I would ever want any of your money or why you think you could pay me enough to stay away from Eddie. But, I’m going to say this only once. I am not interested.”

Rick straightens up, head rolling back in frustration.

“I can’t believe you. Do you, like, get off on taking things from people who are suffering or something?”

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not taking anything from anyone!”

“Oh, so you’re meaning to tell me that you’ve just been taking care of Eddie for free this whole time? That Wayne hasn’t been working to keep you around? And now that Eddie doesn’t need you, you’ve come here to try and convince him that he’s still sick so that you can keep getting a check.”

You feel like you’re going insane listening to Rick spout off the made up bullshit that he was spewing at you.

“No! Rick, have you ever even talked to Eddie?! I’ve not taken a single dime from the Munson’s in the last five months that I’ve known them! I was taking care of Eddie through a volunteer program through my school! And when that ended, I agreed to keep taking care of Eddie until he really didn’t need me anymore!”

Rick shakes his head, reeling as he pieces through everything you’ve just told him. It’s quiet for a moment between you two.

“So you’ve really not taken any money from Wayne?”

“No, I have not. Unless you count the times he’s made me food, or bought us all take out. But I don’t ask him to, he always insists.”

His head drops, foot kicking from underneath him.

“Look, I think that we’ve both been…under the wrong impression about each other. I don’t want anything to happen to the Munson’s and I think you don’t want anything to happen to them either.”

“So…we’re on the same page then?” You nod, and Rick laughs. “Well, I’ll be the first to say sorry then. I really thought you were trying to get the little money that they have.”

“And I thought you were trying to get Eddie back into dealing. I’m sorry for thinking that of you.”

“I guess…we’re cool then?”

“I guess so.”

“Cool, well, listen, I know you probably came here to see Eddie. But, I don’t think he would want you to be here right now.”

You frown, unhappy to hear that Rick is still trying to get rid of you.

“I’m sure that he doesn’t, but I really need to talk to him. I just want to clear the air with him and then if he wants nothing to do with me after that…”

“Mmmm, I don’t know what air needs clearing, but Eddie’s being going through some stuff of his own right now. I don’t think its about not wanting to see you…more like he doesn’t want to get you into what he’s got going on.”

You were growing more frustrated with how vague Rick was being. So, instead of wasting more time, you decide to rush past him, heading straight for the front door. But, he didn’t try to stop you. Instead he stood in place, taking a drag of his cigarette as he watches you walk through the front door.

Once inside, you’re greeted by the low hum of music playing from the radio in Eddie’s room, as well as the low murmur of conversation between Eddie and what sounded like Dustin.

Walking down the hall, you stand by the door and peer into the room. Eddie is sitting on the edge of his bed and Dustin is sitting in his chair. They look like they’re looking over a map of some sort and you wonder if it’s one they made for their D and D campaign.

Your eyes scan over Eddie as he talks. Ever so animated as he points things out, while Dustin, just as animated, retorts something back. He looked a little rougher since the last time you saw him. His hair needed some TLC and the dark circles under his eyes made you wonder if he was getting enough sleep. It pained you to think he was having night terrors without you around to comfort him.

After a moment you decide to knock on the door, causing both boys heads to whip around to face you. Dustin smiles upon seeing you, a kneejerk reaction that he has anytime he’s not seen you for a while. Eddie’s reaction isn’t as sweet, his eyes practically bugging out of his head when he realizes that it’s you in his doorway.

“What are you doing here?” He asks coldly. He didn’t seem at all happy to see you and it hurt.

“I’m here to see you, Eddie.” You take a step inside his room, but Eddie reaches a hand out to stop you.

“You need to leave. Now.” He says in a tone that he’s never spoken with you before. You feel tears starting to well up in your eyes, but you do your best to hold them back.

“No,” you say firmly, “Eddie, we need to talk.”

“I know,” he says with a sigh, hand running through his tangled hair. “I know, but…I promise you that we’ll talk, it just can’t be today.”

“Why not?” You feel that you’re borderline petulant sounding, but you don’t know if you can wait any longer now that he’s here in front of you.

“Tonight…just isn’t a good night.”

The sound of the phone ringing catches you off guard. Dustin jumps up from Eddie’s chair and bolts past you to the kitchen. His weird behavior and Eddie’s resistance have you feeling on edge.

“Is everything okay?” You ask concerned.

“Honestly, not really,” Eddie says exasperated. “That’s why I need you to go. I really can’t risk you being here with what’s going on.”

“Eddie, it sounds like you’ve gotten yourself into something dangerous. Does Rick have something to do with--”

“No, it’s nothing to do with Rick. Well, he’s involved now, but he didn’t have to be. But, you’re right, it is dangerous. That’s why you need to go home. I promise you that if everything goes how it’s supposed to, I will call you tomorrow and we can talk about whatever it is that you want to talk about.”

“Whatever it is that I want to talk about? Eddie, what I want to talk about has been eating me alive for the last month. I’ve been worried sick about you, you know.”

“And I’m so sorry, but I really need one more night to get what is going on taken care of and then I’ll--”

“EDDIE! SHE’S UP! THEY SAID SHE’S UP!”

Eddie moves himself into his chair so quickly that you almost miss it. He starts to roll toward you and you side step out of the way to let him pass. Dustin is standing in the living room and Rick was standing at the entry way chewing on his thumb nail.

“I gotta get over there, like, now,” Dustin says in frustration.

“Absolutely not,” Eddie says, pointing at Dustin.

“I’ll take you,” Rick says, pulling his keys from his pocket.

“Rick, no--”

“Eddie, they need me! Just wait here and keep playing your music! I’ll be fine!”

“Dustin, you know what almost happened to me! There’s no way I’m letting you go and get yourself killed!”

“I’m not going to be killed! We know what we need to do to stop him, and they’re going to need me there to make sure that everything goes smoothly. They’re fighting a boss without any support!

“Then I’m going, too!”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Rick says, waving his hands. “I can’t fit your wheelchair in my trunk anyway.

“Fucking damn it,” Eddie curses, hands banging against the armrests of his wheelchair.

“She’s already here, you might as well tell her what’s been going on now,” Dustin says motioning towards you.

“That would really be appreciated!” You say with exhaustion, more confused now than ever.

“Alright, kid, get your shit and let’s go,” Rick says opening the front door. Dustin rushes into the kitchen and grabs a duffel bag with a baseball bat handle sticking out of the zipper.

Just as Dustin is about to run out the door, he stops. Turning to face you, he pauses for a moment.

“Whatever you do, don’t answer the door.”

And with that, he leaves. Only you and Eddie remain.

It’s quiet after you hear Rick take off in his car besides the sound of music still coming from Eddie’s room. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife. Eddie finally takes a deep breath, letting it out before finally speaking.

“Do you still have cassettes in your car?”

The question throws you for a moment, but you nod in response.

“Yeah, I have a few. Why?”

“Go get your favorite one and bring it back in here.”

You didn’t understand why he would ask you to do this, but his serious tone made you take the few steps towards the door. The frigid air hits you once again as you run out to your car. Rummaging through the cassettes you have, you pull out Rumors and run back into the house.

“What is all of this about, Eddie?” You ask. You walk up to him and the takes the cassette from your hand, smirking when he sees what it is.

“You and Wayne and your tastes in music.”

It made you happy to see him smile. It’s felt like eons since you’ve last seen it.

Eddie wordlessly rolls down the hall and you follow behind him. You watch as he pops out the cassette and places it in the case. It’s the one you got him for Christmas. He then replaces it in the player with your Rumors cassette and presses play. Once Second Hand News begins to play, he finally looks at you directly. Your name leaves his lips with a slight shakiness.

“There’s something going on that I really didn’t want you to be involved with. Something that…frankly, I don’t know if you’re even going to believe me when I tell you.”

“Try me,” you say, sitting down on his bed, giving him your full attention.

“Okay, so,” he starts, his hands already fidgeting with the rings on his fingers. “You know how I’ve been telling you bits and pieces about what happened to me last year?” You nod. “Well, I’ve sort of been…well, not really lying. But maybe only telling you half truths.”

Eddie then proceeds to tell you what actually happened to him last year. He tells you about an alternate dimension that exists under ours, that is an almost identical copy of what our world looks like.

“Well, I’ve really only seen Hawkins, so I can’t say it’s the same everywhere. But, it’s a carbon copy of this town frozen in time.”

“Frozen in time?” You ask.

“Yeah, it’s stuck on the day that Will went missing a few years ago.”

“Will went missing?”

“Back in ‘83. It was this big thing where he went missing, then they found his body, but it wasn’t actually his body. Then he came back and people started calling him Zombie Boy.”

“Okay,” is all you can say as you try and wrap your head around that logic.

“When Will was missing, he was actually in the Upside Down. They were able to get him back, thanks to El.”

“El? Like Jane?” You’d heard the guys call her El before. Eddie nods.

“She has these, like, super powers. Kinda like The Force in Star Wars.”

“So she can lift people with her mind?”

“People, objects, and I guess she has a mind power where she can track people down. I think she used it to help them find Will.”

“How is that even possible?” You feel like Eddie’s barely scratched the surface and you already can barely grasp what he’s told you.

“The government and some experiments that happened a few years ago. They had a lab here in town that was destroyed in the earthquake. Which wasn’t a normal quake, by the way. It was caused by Vecna.”

“Who-na?”

Eddie continues telling you about the events leading up to what happened to him. He fills you in on a monster called the Mind Flayer, about how El lost her powers, then got them back. About how Will is somehow connected to this Upside Down place because of his time there, and how he can sense the presence of it.

“Then…” Eddie stops talking for a moment, looking a bit distraught as he collects his thoughts. “Then…um, one night, last year, there was this girl I went to school with. Her name was Chrissy.”

“Was?” You question. Eddie nods solemnly.

“She, um, asked me to sell her some drugs. I didn’t have on me what she wanted, so I brought her…brought her back to the trailer. It was just me and her, Wayne had already gone to work. I was looking for the drugs she wanted aaaand, uuuh, while I was gone…”

You can see Eddie becoming more uncomfortable as he talks. It breaks your heart to see him like this.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, Eddie,” you tell him, hoping that maybe if he skips whatever happened that it would make him less uneasy.

“No, no,” he says, shaking his head, “I-I haven’t really, um, really gotten to talk about it since it happened. I feel like if I do then…” Eddie takes a moment to compost himself, eyes full of tears when he tilts his head up.

“She, um, she was acting weird. Just, standing there, not responding to me. Then, boom.” Eddie lifts his hand up, mimicking it hitting against something above it. “She’s suddenly on the ceiling. As if something was pulling her up by strings. Then her arms and legs…they snapped in ways that aren’t natural. The sounds,” Eddie puts his hands over his ears and leans forwards, eyes wide on the floor. “Then her eyes just popped into her skull. And her jaw…”

“Eddie, it’s okay,” you say rubbing his back as he starts to sob. You pull him closer to you until his head is resting in your lap. You can feel his tears soaking your thighs, but you only continue to rub soothing circles into his back.

“You don’t have to tell me anymore, Eddie. I don’t think you’re ready to relive this.”

His head shoots up from your lap, his face wet with tears, eyes rimmed red. He sniffles as he takes his shirt and wipes his face with it.

“It’s fine, I got this,” he says with a rasp. “That was the worst of it. Um, after that, I just totally freaked out and ran. I wasn’t even thinking straight until I pulled up to Rick’s place. That’s when I realized what happened and…what was going to happen to me. I already didn’t have a good reputation in this town, and I knew if I called the cops after I left…shit even if I hadn’t left, they would have arrested me on the spot.”

Eddie tells you about what happened over the few days he was at Rick’s. About how Dustin, Max, Robin, and Steve found him there and they all explained to him what he told you. How if he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes he wouldn’t have believed them.

He then tells you about the manhunt for him. How a group of boys, one of them being Chrissy’s boyfriend, found him and one of those boys ended up being killed the same way Chrissy had. That made three people total that had been killed by Vecna at that point, and apparently he only needed to kill four.

“Who was his fourth victim?” You ask. Eddie blinks and looks up at you.

“Max was supposed to be.”

Eddie tells you everything. He tells you about Max’s visions and her almost being killed in front of Lucas. How El managed to keep her from dying and that’s how she ended up in the coma she’s in now.

It makes you think about how you’d been taking care of her. Did her mom know this is what happened to her? Or was she just as in the dark about it as you and everyone else was.

You understood why Lucas felt that he couldn’t leave her side. You would probably do the same if you were in his shoes.

“I’m so sorry, Eddie. That must be an awful thing to live with.” You were referring to survivors guilt. You knew Eddie had to have been feeling it this whole time, but you didn’t know the context that made it’s severity make sense.

“I’m trying to deal with it. Honestly…you’ve made me feel a lot better. When Dustin or the guys try to cheer me up, it feels like they’re pitying me. But you…”

You take one of his hands in yours and smile. He looks at you bashfully before adverting his gaze once again. As you hold his hand, you feel the scars that adorn them.

“Eddie,” you say quietly, “What happened to you?”

Eddie remains still, almost tense. There was a long pause before he finally spoke again.

“You know how it’s hard for me to listen to that one Metallica song?”

“The puppet one?”

He nods.

“Yeah, you said it had bad memories.”

“That night, the same night that that happened to Max, we were in the Upside Down. It was Dustin and I, left in charge of creating a distraction so that Steve and Nancy and Robin could get to the big boss. So, I took my guitar from down there and played that song.

“I’d been practicing it every day since I got the album, so I knew that I needed to play it and make it count. I felt so bad ass playing it, too. And, the best part is that it worked. We were able to get all those fucking bats to come to us.”

Eddie was looking past you, recalling that night in his head.

“They swarmed us. Dustin and I were able to get back into the trailer where we thought we were safe. But, those fucks were still able to get in. We took them down, and Dustin wanted to leave…But I was too stubborn.

“Instead of doing the right thing and going with Dustin, I tried to play the hero and wanted to make more of a distraction for the others. So I…ran out there and I tried to fight off hundreds of these bats by myself.”

You gasp, your hand coming to your mouth as you connect the dots.

“Needless to say they made a snack out of me,” Eddie says gesturing to himself. “I was sure I was a gonner, too. I blacked out and everything. Woke up a few days later in a busy hospital where I didn’t receive the best care in the world. But, I was also handcuffed to the bed considering I was still the number one suspect in the murders.”

“Wait, so even though you came in barely alive they still thought you were a murderer?”

“Yep. And, get this, Jason, Chrissy’s boyfriend, he died in the earthquake. His aunt works at the hospital as a nurse. She obviously doesn’t like me, and I don’t blame her. She tried to kill me.”

“What?! How?”

“Apparently she was going to give me like a lethal amount of some kind of narcotic in my IV. But Wayne caught her at the last minute when he came to visit me.”

“And that’s why you were so weary of me.”

Eddie nods, giving you a coy smile. “Sorry about that…”

“Eddie you don’t need to be sorry about any of that. If I had known, I would have done things totally differently--”

“But I’m glad you didn’t. Instead of treating me like a charity case, you treated me like human being despite my shitty attitude. Who knows if we would have gotten to this point if you had known.”

This point. That could mean a myriad of things, but you try not to think about why you came here and instead focus back to the present.

“Wow. That is…a lot.”

“Yeah,” Eddie nods, “I know that most of it sounds like some kind of fantasy, and I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me.”

“Why would you lie to me?”

Eddie looks at you with surprise.

“You don’t think I’m crazy?”

“Eddie, obviously you’re quite upset about all of this. I don’t think you’re that good of an actor to fake it.”

“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” he says with a sigh of relief. “I thought you would have told me to shut up before I could get everything out.”

“You really think that way about me?”

“No, god no,” he says waving his hands, taking yours back in his grip once he’s done, “I just wouldn’t have blamed you if you did.”

“So, I’m guessing that the radio silence from you the last few weeks is because something is happening again?”

“Yes. Do you remember when we were at Grant’s place on New Years?”

Your cheeks go hot and you nod.

“Well, when Hopper called, he told me that something happened to Max that night. Apparently she levitated off of the bed and told Lucas that Vecna would be coming soon.”

You reel back, taken aback at the visual you had in your head of that happening. “No one at the hospital said anything about that.”

“That's because only Lucas and Max’s mom saw it happen. Nearly gave the poor woman a heart attack.”

“I bet it did,” you say thinking about Max’s poor, tired mom.

“Ever since we’ve all been on high alert in case something else happens. But nothing with Max has happened.”

“Has anything happened to you?”

There’s a quiet moment again. Eddie’s thumb rubs circles into the back of your hand as he takes his time to respond.

“I’ve been…having those dreams. But they’ve been more vivid than before. He…he talks to me.”

“Who talks to you?”

“Vecna.”

“The bad guy from the Upside Down has been talking to you?”

Eddie nods. “He told me that I was lucky to get out alive, that he was going to make sure that didn’t happen again.”

A wave of nausea washed over you. Eddie was in real, genuine danger and there’s a possibility that you might not have ever seen him again if you hadn’t come out tonight. How could you even live with yourself if that had been the case?

“Well,” you say after a moment, “That’s not going to happen. Not while I’m around.”

Eddie shakes his head in disbelief. “I just told you I have a target on my back and your first thought isn’t to run?”

“Hell no! I’m not leaving your side ever again at this point.”

Eddie brings a hand to his face, head tilting back. He plays it off as frustration but he’s trying to hide how red his cheeks are from your words. But when he says your name in a whiny tone to punctuate his actual frustration, you suspect he’s going to protest you staying.

“Please don’t make me leave,” you say before he can get another word out. He peeks at you through his fingers, a sad puppy like look on your face as you plead with him. “If I have to be honest with you to get you to let me stay I will be.”

“What do you mean by that?” He says, running his hand down his face so he can look at you properly.

You take a deep breath in and release it.

“Eddie, what I’ve been wanting to talk about…I just, I can’t keep my mind off of you. And, not just in the way I’ve been worried about you…” You bite your lip. “Ever since New Years…when we..you know.”

“When we…”

“Kissed.”

Eddie really blushes now, and you become acutely aware of how your hand is still holding his.

“Ye-yeah, I’ve been…wanting to talk with you about that, too.”

“I want to apologize.”

Sitting up straight, he looks at you like you have two heads. “What do you need to apologize for?”

“That kiss, it was inappropriate. At first it felt like it was just an accident, but the more I’ve been able to think about it the last few weeks…The more I realized that I didn’t want it to be one. And that made me think that you must have felt that way, too. Which was why I thought you stopped having me come over.”

“No, nope, not at all,” Eddie says, waving his hand dismissively. “Honestly, I’ve barely been able to think about that. Not because I don’t want to, but, well, you know, with everything going on.”

“Well, that makes me feel better, kinda. Obviously I’d rather you be mad at me than in danger from a supernatural being, but I’m glad you’re not upset with me at all.”

“I don’t think I could ever be mad at you.” The gooey tone he says those words make you feel like melting into a little puddle on the floor. “I also wouldn’t take back what happened. Because I don’t regret it. Unless you didn’t want it to happen. Then I’ll do my best to forget.”

“You really don’t regret it?”

Eddie shakes his head. “If nothing else, I think that if I died right now that I’d be happy to have had at least that with you.”

You feel your heart beating in your chest. Eddie and you look at each other, the tension thick as both of your true feelings start to surface for the first time like this. You swallow thickly, and Eddie’s eyes shift down. They land on your lips, then back to your eyes.

The string snaps, and you both lean into each other, lips colliding together is a passionate kiss. His hands hold your face in place, yours go straight for his hair, letting your fingers get caught up in his tangled mane. Your lips move in sync as you take each others breath away.

The fireworks from New Years make an appearance in your minds eye once more. But this time, they’re raging more than ever, amplified by the warmth that floods your body as you have this moment with Eddie. All the worries you had fly out the window as he hold you, kissing you with just as much feverence as you have for him.

The moment you pull away from each other feels like being ripped away from a fire in the dead of winter. But Eddie’s face remains close to yours looking at you wildly, a huge grin on display.

“Wow,” he says with a breathy chuckle.

“Yeah,” you say, eyes still closed as you feel a heat starting to burn within you. They remain lidded even with you open them, taking in Eddie’s features up close as he looks at you with a childish wonder.

You can’t help but lean into him again. Letting your lips barely touch as you peck him once, twice. The third time lingers, and you feel the heat of his breath blowing from his nose against your cheeks. You open him up with your mouth, letting yourself into his as your tongue slips inside. There’s some hesitance on his part, but he does his best to match your pace, tongues doing a sloppy dance between you.

As the kiss intensifies, you place your hands on Eddie’s shoulders, pushing him back gently until you’re barely on the bed anymore. You close it with another peck or two, his eyes closed as he chases you. You slide down until your knees hit the push of his carpet and that’s when Eddie opens his eyes. He watches your every move as you place a delicate hand on either knee, pushing his thighs apart until you’re properly wedged between them.

“Wh-what are you…?” Eddie trails of, still wanting to make sure you’re doing what he thinks you’re doing. Your hands move slowly as they run up his thighs until they reach his hips, then you move them back down at the same pace.

“What do you want me to do, Eddie?” You ask, voice smooth as silk as you look up at him.

“Holy fuck,” Eddie huffs, voice shaky. You lay your head on his thigh, looking up at him, and Eddie swears you have a sparkle in your eyes.

“I can do whatever you want me to, you know,” you say with a smile. “If there’s a possibility you might die, might as well make it a night to remember.”

Eddie doesn’t say anything, and it makes you a little nervous. But he couldn’t help it. He was going through every scenario that he’d ever jerked off to with you in it. He was getting so hard that he didn’t know how he was going to be able to keep his cool.

But his silence worried you. Did you come off too strong?

“Eddie? Do you want me to stop?”

Eddie suddenly snaps back into it, shaking his head wildly.

“No, please don’t!” He absentmindedly grabs your hand and places it on his hard cock. You gasp, feeling him through his sleep pants.

“This is what you do to me, you know. And not just now. There’s been so many times where I’ve imagined this happening. But, I gotta say, nothing I’ve imagined has come close to the real thing.”

You eat up his words and they go straight to your core.

“You’ve thought about me?” You ask genuinely.

“I can’t think of anything else but you,” he says lowly. Too bashfully for the mood you’re trying to set. You want him to know he can be open with you, that he doesn’t have to think he isn’t worthy of you.

You adjust your hand so that you’re holding onto his cock and start rubbing him through his pants. Eddie makes little noises in response to your touch that tell you he’s liking it.

“Can I--” You start, but Eddie cuts you off.

“You can do whatever you want,” He says breathily.

“I don’t want to do anything you don’t like though,” you say, looking up at him through your lashes.

“As long as it’s you I’ll like it.”

With that, you let your fingers curl around the hem of his sweats and tug. Eddie lifts himself up a bit so give some slack and you take advantage of it. You pull his sweats down enough that his cock springs free, smacking against his stomach.

You’ve seen his cock briefly before, but to see it now in all it’s glory was a lot. It was as big as you expected it to be, and thick, too. You reached out your hand, wrapping it around him and begin stroking him. His cock jumps in your touch.

Eddies hands are gripping his wheelchair. He can’t believe this is happening to him. He’s never had anyone touch him like this before and the fact that you’re the first to do this was driving him crazy. Every move felt better than he could have even imagined.

He watched in awe as you adjusted yourself, your lips hovering over him as you fucking spit on his cock and rub it in. He feels like he could bust right there, but he does his best to keep calm. The last thing he wants is to embarrass himself by cumming too fast.

But you’re testing his resilience when you take him into your mouth.

“Oh, holy fuck,” he moans as you get as much of him in as you can. With your hand on the base you start bobbing up and down on him, doing your best to open up for him as you take him to the back of your throat over and over.

Eddie’s hands fly to your head. You hesitate for a moment, but when you see up to see the way he’s looking at you, you keep going. Pulling yourself from him, you take your tongue and lick him from base to top, swirling it around his head before going back in for the kill. You open up your throat and take him until your can feel your nose rubbing against hair.

“Haaaaa, oh my god,” he chokes out, his grip on your head getting tighter out of reflex. You hold it for as long as you can, trying your best to hold your breath until you just can’t anymore. You pull off of him again, looking up at him to get his reaction.

“Was that good?” You ask as you stroke him.

“Is the sky blue?” He can’t even believe you’re asking. You smile and lean down to wrap your lips around his tip. You work around it with your tongue as you keep pumping. Eddie grabs the arms of his chair again and his hips buck, putting him further into your mouth. You cough a bit, unprepared for that much of him all at once.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” he says, his hands framing your face. “Are you okay?”

You smile and nod, “Yeah, it’s okay. You’re just so big, Eddie. I can’t take you like that if I’m not ready.”

Eddie’s face is like a tomato from your words. You calling saying he’s big does a little something to his ego that he’s going to keep in his mind for the rest of his life. He leans down and kisses you, taking the lead with his new found confidence. You can feel him guiding you up from the floor with his hands, and you stand until you’re the one leaning down to him.

Eddie suddenly pulls away, locking the brakes of his chair. He places a hand on either arm and pushes himself up so that he’s towering over you, your bodies brushing against each other as he teeters on his leg. Out of instinct you grab him by his waist to hold him up.

But Eddie has other plans. He maneuvers his body, shifting his weight so that he’s pushing against you. This causes you to fall back until you land on the bed, bringing Eddie down with you. Before he can crush you under him, Eddie braces his hands on either side of you, propping himself up so that he’s hovering over you, his knee on the bed between your legs.

Now you’re the one blushing, taken aback by such a smooth move by him. He’s so close to you, his hair curtaining around you so that all you can focus on is his face. Which is looking at you like he also can’t believe that he just pulled that off.

“Hi,” you say when he doesn’t say anything.

“Hi, sweetheart” he says with a classic Eddie chuckle.

You reach up to kiss him again and he melts into it, allowing some of his body to relax into you. It doesn’t take long for things to heat up again, but Eddie doesn’t seem like he’s able to make another move while holding himself up. So you take the opportunity to reach between you and grab him again.

Eddie breaks away and curses, looking at you with a lust filled gaze.

“Can I touch you?” He asks, taking you by surprise.

“Of course,” you say, tickled at the prospect.

Eddie shifts onto his side, and the two of you adjust until you’re laying next to each other. He looks at you up and down and raises his hand. But he freezes before he does anything.

“Wh-where should I touch?” He asks you. You think he’s joking at first but you realize very quickly that he’s not.

“Eddie…have you ever done this before?”

His hand drops, eyes looking away from you in embarrassment.

“Oh, Eddie,” you coo, brushing his hair out of his face. “It’s okay if you haven’t. I just didn’t know.” He looks at you out of the corner of his eye and smiles. It’s still embarrassing, but he should have known you wouldn’t judge him. “Do you want me to show you?”

Eddie’s ears perk up.

“Please?”

You take his hand and guide him to the bottom of your shirt. Gently, you move his hand until it’s under the fabric. The tips of his fingers skim your skin as you raise his hand higher, higher, until it’s touching the cup of your bra. You leave it there and move your shirt up the rest of the way so that your chest is on display.

His eyes are bugging out of his head. Eddie’s seen boobs before. He’d say he’s a pretty big fan of them. But he’s never seen them this up close and personal before. He snaps back to reality when he hears you giggling.

As Eddie ogles your chest, you arch your back and reach around to unclasp your bra. If he’s this amazed covered up, you can only imagine how he’s going to react once he sees the whole picture. Once it’s loose, you pick up Eddie’s hand and remove it, tossing it to the other side of the bed.

“Woah,” he says in awe, eyes blinking rapidly. Your cheeks hurt from how hard you’re smiling at him.

Bringing his hand back down, you place it on your breast, giving him a small squeeze to let him know he can do as he wants. Eddie gets the hint and immediately begins playing with you in his hand. He needs at you, feeling you in palms and with his fingers. He lets yous nipple get caught between two of them and gives a gentle pinch that has you gasping.

“Did that feel good?” He questions, and you nod in response. He likes this answer and tries to do it more, experimenting a bit with pressures and feeling them more. Most of it felt good. Honestly you were more turned on by his fascination than anything. Most guys barely pay attention to your body during sex, but Eddie’s inexperience seemed to be benefiting you.

It’s when Eddie takes it to the next step that you start to feel genuinely turned on.

He moves, letting himself get closer to you until his face is right at your breast. He looks up at you with those big brown eyes, pupils blown out so that they’re almost block, and takes your nipple into his mouth. You can feel the sensation all the way down to your toes as he sucks and licks you. Eddie’s shifts himself so that he can fondle your other breast while he continues working on you.

It becomes too much and not enough all at once and you desperately just want Eddie to touch you in other places. So you take his hand once again, gentle around his scars, and bring it down to the waistband of your jeans. Eddie looks at you, tit still in his mouth, waiting to see what you do next. So you unbutton your pants and wiggle them down as best as you can. Eddie’s head whips around to watch, suddenly very interested in what you’ve got going on.

When you’ve gotten them off, your panties on full display for him, Eddie feels like he’s won the lottery. The reality of everything suddenly sets in that this is actually happening and he’s pretty sure he’s never been so hard in his life. He lets you move his hand down, over the fabric until his hand is where your legs meet. They feel damp to the touch, and Eddie can barely compute that you’re wet. Because of him.

“Do you want me to show you?”

Eddie smacks his lips, still staring at where his hand is touching you. He’s watched porn before, so he thinks he can figure it out. His hand moves from yours and he runs two fingers down your clothed slit, getting a feel of you before he does anything else.

He’s trying to keep himself aware of any movements you make as he continues to feel you. He knows there’s a sweet spot hiding somewhere, he just needs to find it. After a minute he gets frustrated decides to take the plunge. He pulls your panties to the side and repeats what he was doing before.

The sudden gasp you make when he brushes over a certain spot has him celebrating internally. He focuses on what he’s pretty sure is your clit, making small circles with the pads of his fingers. The reaction you give him has him elated, your smalls huffs and moans making him feel like the king of the world. And he did it all by himself!

You were shocked that Eddie was able to make you feel so good so quickly. It was hard to believe he’s never done it before, but you couldn’t think about that as he tended to you. Eddie was so zoned in to what he was doing, and you found it so endearing, but you wanted more.

Bringing yourself forward, you took his face in your hand and turned it, planting a kiss on his lips. He only faltered for a moment, taken by surprise by you, but quickly returned to your needs.

“Eddie,” you breathed against his lips, “feels so good. Need more.”

Oh shit, is this it?

Eddie thought quickly about how he was going to do this. He didn’t know if he would be able to hold himself up on his bad leg. But he would try for you if it’s what he needed to do. He pulled his hand from between your legs and shifted up until he was on one knee, only using his thigh to keep himself balanced.

When his shirt was pulled from over his head, and you couldn’t help but stare. Eddie had started doing some exercises recently to rebuild his strength, push ups, lifting small weights, and it was starting to pay off. And the little trail of hair from his cock to his belly button had you drooling.

Eddie caught you staring and smiled down at you.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

“Maybe next time,” you tease back, and Eddie almost jumps with joy. You hadn’t even done the deed yet and you were already talking about a next time? Maybe Vecna had gotten him in his sleep and this is what his heaven is. He wouldn’t complain if it was.

Eddie does some moving, and you help by opening your legs up for him. He looks at your exposed pussy and just about passes out from the sight. No porn star could compare to the sight of you laying before him, in full view for him to take in.

“Take a picture,” you say, laughing at the trance he seems to be in.

“Sorry,” he blushes. He grabs the sides of your panties and pulls them down until they’re just another piece of clothing on his floor.

He takes a note from a porno he’s watched and runs his fingers through your folds, collecting your wetness before bringing his hand to his cock and pumping it. The sight of it has you feeling hotter than before, a lump forming in your stomach from the little bit he’s touched you already.

Eddie looks like he’s about to take the dive when you stop him.

“Eddie, do you have any condoms?”

Eddie’s eyes go wide, a wave of devastation washing over him.

“I did…but they got destroyed when the trailer did,” he said, as if he didn’t know those condoms wouldn’t have done any good even if he did have them.

“Oh, um, that’s okay,” you say. “Just make sure you pull out. Okay?”

Eddie salutes you, “Scouts honor.”

“Didn’t take you for a scout,” you say jokingly. Eddie simply shrugs and strokes himself a few more times.

Eddie does his best to situate himself, leaning over you with one hand and one leg, using his thigh for support. Before you know it he’s lining himself up at your entrance. The anticipation is palpable as the head of his cock just a thrust away from being inside of you.

Taking a breath, Eddie looks at you.

“You sure you want to do this?”

You can’t help but laugh at the position you’re in for him to ask you that.

“Yes, Eddie, I promise.”

He chuckles, “Okay, well, here goes nothing. Let me know if I do something wrong.”

“Just don’t go in all at once,” you tell him. “Go slow, please.” Eddie aches at how sweet you sound pleading with him.

He takes another breath and goes for it. He pushes himself past the threshold until the tip was all the way in before pulling back out again. He does this a few times, inching in a little more with each thrust until he’s halfway in and already feeling like he’s going to cum.

The stretch is delicious. You didn’t mean for him to go this slow, but you don’t want to discourage him so you let him go at his own pace.

By the time Eddie is almost all the way in his fists are already gripping his bedsheets. It’s indescribable how amazing you feel around him, and it feels like a tidal wave of emotions is on the horizon. But Eddie is determined not to make things weird by crying right now, so instead he looks at you, trying to gauge how you’re feeling about all of this.

Wrong move.

Because the slack jawed, lidded eyed expression you were giving him only made things worse. And then you go and smile at him! Come on!

“You can go faster now,” you say to him after a few slow thrusts. Eddie nods and starts moving a little more, doing his best to get a good rhythm with only one leg. But you take your leg and position it around his thigh, giving him a little more stability which he greatly appreciates.

At his new pace each thrust felt heaven. The way he hits that spot so effortlessly due to his size has your eyes rolling to the back of your head. The room is filled with moans, curses, and Eddie’s name here and there.

He leans in closer to you, his face buried in the crook of your neck. He’s breathing heavy into your ear, little gasps and hisses coming from him as he continues to roll his hips into you.

After a few minutes of bliss, you start to feel a wobbling on either side of you. Eddie’s arms look like they’re about to give out at any second. You thought about it for a moment until an idea popped into your head.

“Eddie,” you huff, getting his attention. He stops, looking at you with a slightly scared expression.

“Y-yeah?”

“Do you trust me?”

He nods, and you take your legs and wrap them around him. With one swift movement, you roll your bodies until you’re sitting on top of him in the bed. The new angle is intense with him sitting so snug inside of you.

The look on Eddie’s face is pure surprise, eyes wide with shock.

“This okay for you?” You ask, and he nods once more. “Good.”

You lean forward, letting your hand run up his stomach to his chest. Then you start to move, going up and down slowly a few times before giving one thrust that had him cursing under his breath. After getting the reaction you want you start to bounce on him, giving him quite the show as you do. You bring his hands to your chest once more to let him feel you up as you milk him for all he’s worth.

“You feel so good, Eddie,” you say to him. Eddie looks at you like you hung the moon.

“Y-yeah?” He stutters.

“So good,” you reassure him.

“Oh god, don’t talk like that,” he says, covering his face with his hands.

“Why not?” you ask, switching from bouncing to rolling your hips as you lay chest to chest with him.

“Jesus christ. Because if you talk like that then I’m gonna come, and I don’t wanna come yet.”

“You can come, Eddie. I want you to,” you say in a sweet tone.

“But you haven’t yet,” he whines. It touches you that he’s worried about making you cum.

“It’s okay if I don’t. This is for you, not me,” you say, caressing his face. But he shakes his head.

“No, want to make you come, too. Don’t wanna be like those assholes who don’t make girls cum.”

“Awe, Eddie, that fact that you even care means you’re not like that. But…” You take his hand, bringing his thumb to your clit. “If you really want to make me come, do what you were doing before.”

“Yes ma’am,” he says, getting started. The combination was delicious as you started to roll your hips again.

It didn’t take long for you to feel like you were on the edge with Eddie’s help. The knot was forming in your stomach once again and you chased that high by grinding down on him, letting his cock hit you right in that sweet spot over and over.

“Oh, fuck, I’m so close,” you say, moving on instinct with what feels good.

Eddie felt like he had front row seats to the best show of his life as he watched you start to come undone on top of him. That deep pit feeling that he’s been trying to ignore was becoming too much for him to stave off for much longer. He was doing his best to try and hold it in because he really wanted to watch you cum on his cock. But every movement you made chipped away at him.

“Shit, oh my god,” you say just before you hit your peak. One more good roll of your hips and the knot inside you snaps. The feeling is intense, and you vision goes blurry as you come hard.

Eddie is losing his mind watching you. The way your pussy is spasming around him is too much for him to handle and he’s suddenly cumming as well.

“Oh, fuck!” He shouts, holding onto your hips as he spills inside of you.

It takes a moment for the both of you to come down and realize what happened. You hop off of him quickly, almost falling off the bed with how shaky your legs were.

“Shit, shit, shit,” you say, jogging into the bathroom to take care of the mess Eddie made.

“I’m so sorry,” he calls to you from the bed. “I-I didn’t mean to!”

Eddie was panicking. He knew he fucked up and there was no way you were going to do this with him ever again now. You might never even speak to him again after what he did.

“Eddie, it’s fine,” you say from the bathroom. “I’ll just clean up really quick and we should be okay. I think my period is due soon anyway.”

He wasn’t really sure what that meant, but the fact you weren’t yelling it him was enough to help him calm down at least a little bit. He sat up fully in the bed and looked down at himself. The lower half of his body where you were was soaking wet, evidence of what the two of you had just done. It hits him like a freight train that you had sex with him. And he made you come? He felt like he was on top of the world.

After cleaning yourself up, you sheepishly reentered Eddie’s bedroom. You had just had sex with him, but you were feeling a little bashful about being naked in front of him. But the way he was looking at you made you feel like you could be covered in mud and he’d still be happy to see you.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

“..and she picked out the venue,” you say as you brush out Eddie’s hair. “I think she wants to do like a mint green and a light orange. Maybe some white or silver or something like that, too.”

“I’m assuming you’re going to be the maiden of honor or whatever it’s called?” Eddie asks, looking at you in the bathroom mirror.

“No, her sister is, but I’m going to be a bridesmaid. I hope she has us wear green dresses instead of orange.”

“I think you would look really pretty in orange.”

You blush, sneaking a peak at him in the mirror. He’s had a grin plastered on his face since you two got in the shower. Even now he’s looking at you like you’re the most beautiful painting in a museum.

“Thanks,” you say softly, finishing the last few knots in his hair. “There, good as new.”

“Hell, yeah,” he says, looking at himself in the mirror, “It fees way better already. I don’t know how I thought I was going to be able to manage this long without you.”

“I guess that means you can’t get rid of me, huh?” You say, wrapping your arms around his shoulders.

“Good thing I didn’t plan on it.”

Warmth flooded your whole body at his words. It felt so good to get your feelings off your chest with him. Of course Tonya was right that he liked you. When he told you that he’d been pining for you for a while, you felt like kicking yourself for never seeing the signs.

You bend down to press a kiss to the crown of his head. His smile grew even wider as you did, the apples of his cheek dusted with a hint of pink. He couldn’t believe that this was even happening to him. How did he manage to get the most perfect girl in the world to like him? Certainly wasn’t his looks, nor his personality. Maybe you were just crazy and taking a chance on him. Whatever your reason, he doesn’t plan on doing anything to mess it up.

“Do you think Dustin and the gang are okay?” You ask suddenly, pulling him from his thoughts.

“Shit, I almost forgot,” Eddie says, suddenly anxious again. “The phone didn’t ring while we were…you know.”

“Not that I heard. Is that a bad thing?”

“Not necessarily,” he says, turning his chair to look at you, “But I was hoping that one of them would call once things are settled down.”

“Can I ask you something?” You say after a beat.

“Of course.”

��Why did Dustin say not to answer the door?”

“Vecna, he’s…doing this weird thing with them. Apparently Nancy slipped into a trance and went to answer the door to their house and it ended up being a trap. She had some scary visions I guess and now she’s petrified to open a door. Jonathan’s been staying with her so she’s not alone.”

“That’s Mike’s sister, right? Has Mike had any visions?”

“Not Mike, but I guess Lucas has been seeing things, too. So we’re just trying to be cautious.”

“What does Wayne think about all of this?”

Eddie chuckles, shifting in his chair.

“He’s always been a believer in the supernatural, so it didn’t take much to convince him of whats been going on. It’s the only reason he hasn’t asked you to come out here instead of Rick. Which, he’s not been doing too bad taking care of me, so don’t be too hard on him.”

“I think Rick and I are cool now,” you say with a smile.

“Well, that’s good to hear,” Eddie starts, “Because I actually needed to ask you something.”

“What’s up?” You ask curiously.

“So, I was going to ask you to go with me as my plus one, just in case I needed help But now…I guess I want to ask you if you wanted to go with me to Rick’s wedding. Not just as my plus one, but as my…”

“As your what?” You ask with a teasing lit.

“As my date,” he says, eyes cast down so he doesn’t have to watch you if you reject him.

“Awe, are you asking me on a date?” You ask.

“Maybeeee…”

“Eddie, of course I’ll go. I’d have gone no matter what, but I’ll especially go as your date.” You reach your hand out for him to take. He looks at it, then up at you before taking your hand in his. He brings is to his lips and places little kisses on your knuckles.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to say yes because of what we did.”

“Eddie, I told you I like you. I’m sure it must be had to think that considering how down on yourself you are, but I really, really do like you. Want to date you, if you want to.”

“So, if everything goes well tonight…maybe we can, like, go see a movie or something?”

“I would love to. We can go to the one close to my house. Oh, maybe we can even double date with Tonya and Charles. She’s been dying to meet you.”

“She has?” He asks, surprised to hear that anyone wants to meet him.

“Yes. She’s the one whose been trying to tell me that you like me for months now.”

The two of you laugh and carry on, eventually heading out to the living room. The two of you get comfortable on the couch after deciding on a movie to watch and popping it into the VHS player. Everything is going well, the two of you stealing little kisses here and there, until about 20 minutes into the movie.

The both of you jump when you hear it. It feels like your heart is beating a million beats per second. You almost think that you imagined it, until you looked over at Eddie, who seemed just as distressed as you.

And then it happens again.

Another knock at the door.

thanks for reading!

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson fan fic #eddie munson stranger things #disabled!eddie munson #eddie munson st #make me better

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venomsnkes · 2 months ago

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𝐈𝐒𝐍'𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐂 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐅𝐀𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄

syn -> you're god vessel, how could you sin.

parings -> leon kennedy x fem!reader

triggers & kinks ->god complex, religious guilt, manipulation, religious talk, delusional leon, dub-con, religious trauma, corruption kink, power imbalance, indoctrination, sacrilege/sacrilegious themes, noncon to dubcon (coercion), confinement. murder,pet-names, religious + cult theme, hallucinations

wc -> 1k

chapter -> 2/ 6 - ch 1

6 months. your life changed 6 months ago when you lost your whole family. leon helped you overcome that loneliness, by molding you into a vessel for his god. your mind, body, and soul were taken care of by leon. you almost felt that he loved you, not just that you had a purpose. you had to keep telling yourself that he doesn't love you, he loves what you mean. he treats you as an asset, not as a person. you need to remember that you are nothing to him but a tool, nothing more. there's nothing more to you than a tool for salvation. you needed to believe he cared, but you knew it wasn't true. he was just doing what he needed to do. still, you felt grateful for the attention he gave you and the compassion he showed. – it was a cold february night, and you were reading your nightly prayers. leon comes into your room. sitting down next to you. "my little dove, what are you doing up so late?" leon asked as he took a deep breath.

you said, "I can't sleep.". leon put his arm around you and said, "let's both pray together. That should make you feel better." he took your hand in his and you both began to pray. "it's okay my dove, i'm here for you," he says softly. you feel his warm, calming energy.

leon was almost upset about what he was about to tell you, but he knew it was necessary for salvation. he looked away for a moment, gathering his thoughts. he looked back at you and said, "the blood of the prophet is the only way our god can fully return little dove, you understand what that means right?" you nodded, your heart heavy with the knowledge of what it meant. you hugged Leon tightly, tears streaming down your face. you knew it was time to prepare for what was to come. leon wiped away a tear and said, "it's time to make a choice. you can keep living in ignorance, or you can embrace the truth and accept salvation. the choice is yours." “we must start preparing your body, little lamb,” leon said. – leon laid your body against his, pushing your dress up. his cold fingers slowly moved against your clothed clit. leon's lips pressed softly against your neck, sending shivers down your spine. his fingers moved slowly, circling your wetness. you moaned in anticipation as he touched you, sending sparks of pleasure through your body. "shh little lamb, you don't want anyone to hear" leon moaned. He moved his hand into your panties , slipping his fingers inside of you. his movements grew faster and faster, pushing you closer and closer to the edge. he curled his fingers, hitting your special spot just right. you gripped his wrist with all your might.

you let out a loud moan, your body trembling with pleasure. leon smiled. he kissed your forehead and whispered, "there, there, now you can relax". your breathing slowed down and you relaxed. leon gently stroked your hair. he wrapped his arms around you and held you close until you drifted off to sleep.

you felt strange, you had always thought a moment like this was supposed to be with your husband. no you cant think like this, this is important for your preparations in becoming the vessel. you felt shameful for thinking like that. you shook off your thoughts and refocused on the task at hand. you had to be strong and do what was necessary for the greater good. 4 days left till your salvation.

“in two days time, we will have to fully prepare your body, everything little dove,” leon said, smiling at you while he was putting his books away. you nodded, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of your stomach. leon stroked your hair gently, trying to reassure you. "don't worry, I'll be with you every step of the way."

you noticed that leon kept the doors shut in his office, you really wish you could see everyone else again. you began having doubts, why did leon keep you all to himself. you started to feel a sense of unease. was leon hiding something from you all? you couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong.

you hadn't seen anyone in days, and when you did see people leon spoke for you. the only time you saw people was during your daily bath. you began to wonder if this really was god's will. shouldn't you as the prophet be spreading the word of god and salvation? you started to question your purpose and the divine plan. was your mission really to bring people closer to god? you began to doubt your own faith and your convictions. you thought of all the people who still hadn't been reached, and the lack of progress in bringing them closer to god. you felt overwhelmed and unsure of how to continue. you decide to bring your concerns to leon.

– “ am i not supposed to spread the will of god?” you asked. all leon says is one word. kneel.

leon hammering your thighs repeatedly with a ruler while saying "without sin, what is there for redemption?" you know your doubts were sin, and your salvation was redemption. how could you sin as the vessel for god. you were terrified that your self-doubt would ruin your salvation. you are god's vessel, how could you sin.

that night, leon has you in his bed. you felt strange, your feelings about leon confused you. did leon really care about you? if leon cared, why did he hit you? you simply came to him about doubts you had, and he punished you. leon pulls you closer to him, you feel his hard cock poking against you. you feel a single tear fall down your cheek. you decide not to say anything, as leon is the only person you have. this is your salvation.

#leon kennedy x reader #resident evil x reader #leon kennedy x you #leon kennedy imagine #leon kennedy fanfic #leon kennedy smut #resident evil smut

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multiwreckedmess · 2 years ago

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February Filth Fest - Day 11

Pairing: Seonghwa x fem!Reader Prompt: Impregnation WC: 2.2k Summary: Married for two years you’ve decided to leave having a child up to fate. Seonghwa wants to give fate a bit of a tip in its favor. TW/CW: FLUFFY. HEAVY pregnancy talk. Unprotected penetration, creampie, nicknames (dear, honey, darling, wife) Seonghwa is obsessed with knocking you up tbh. A lil bit angsty at the end but Seonghwa is real sweet so it’s ok.

“You look so sexy like this,” Seonghwa squeezes you into a tight back hug, planting a kiss on your cheek. Bent over the sink, yellow rubber gloved, face blasted with steam, contrary to his statement you felt perhaps the least sexy you could’ve ever felt. “My darling wife, my sweet wife, my wife who is working far too hard.” He sways with you locked to him, making it nigh impossible to place the rinsed plate into the dishwasher. “If i don’t do it now you’ll go on a cleaning fit later, dear.” You give him a pointed glare, trying to wiggle your shoulders loose. “Then let me have a cleaning fit later, i want you now.” The clicks and pops of his vocal chords are crisp in your ear as he growls, grabbing a handful of your ass along with the statement to drive home the point. “Okay well, can you at least bring me to the bedroom first?” You ask incredulously. “You’re the one still hovering at the sink with those nasty gloves on.” “So you wouldn’t fuck me with cleaning gloves on?” “That’s not the point, you said-” “Nonono, Park Seonghwa. Now who is the obstacle to fucking?” “We aren’t fucking we’re practicing. Remember?” You cringe. “I hate that so much I’m pretty sure that just dried out my cooch.” “Woman!” Seonghwa slams his fist into the counter next to you. “Stop being so obstinate so I can bring you to the bedroom and pump you full of semen like the lord intended!” He scowls, huffing angrily for a moment before both of you crack into large smiles and laughter.

The two of you strip down separately, haphazardly tossing clothes into the hamper until you’re only in your underwear and shirts. It’s comfortable. Quiet. Routine. You pat your face dry of toner and slip into bed next to your husband. Seonghwa was still obsessed with the titles two years later. Husband and wife which he desperately wanted to be father and mother. He’d made it no secret through your courtship that he wanted a family and yet here you were two years into marriage with no children to speak of. He’d equally made it clear that it was up to you when you wanted to start the process, never pressuring or giving a timeline. “It might stress your uterus,” he half-joked. It was only recently that you’d had your implant removed and not replaced. Your internal requirements had been met, your relationship was stable, your jobs were stable, and your housing was stable. If fate dictated now was the time, it was the time, and you left it at that.

Seonghwa was more eager, researching when your most fertile days would be, making sure you were happy and relaxed and well fucked for the whole week surrounding those peak times. And who were you to refuse your gorgeous husband doting on you for a whole week?

“Do you wanna put something on?” “Sure, I think I found a 2 hour long video doc abou-” Seonghwa cut you off, “excellent, 2 hours I’m in. As long as it isn’t one like that one you put on about the internet killer?” He bristles. “Oh no, NO. It’s about queue lines at Disney parks-” “Perfect choice my lovely perfect wife,” he kisses your cheek. “No more serial killer documentaries while I’m trying to get you in the mood.” It’s hard not to laugh at the horrific moment, turned comedic with time. The two of you suppress a giggle as you slot together beneath the sheets. Spooning, the rise and fall of his chest soothes your daily worries. Each pulse is a hypnotic metronome. Your breath slows to match his as you lay there, letting yourself zone out to the dulcet tones of the voiceover artist narrating the documentary. Seonghwa slots his hand in the valley between your breasts. He’d started doing this after you’d mentioned you hated it when they’d crush together and leave your cleavage sweaty. It had started as a small joke but it had become a ritual. Slowly over the thin cotton sleep shirt he thumbed your nipple, casually stroking over the hardening bud. Each swipe tingling, sending a cascade of sparks down your spine and into your core. It was in the name of slowly winding you up, working you into a state of desire. It was honestly your favorite part. Seonghwa loved it too, breast soft and heavy in his hand, feeling the pulse in your neck accelerate as you got more and more worked up. Your not so subtle scootches of your ass back into his crotch, inviting him for more. Waiting until you were pliant to roll you onto your back, discarding your shirts to hold each other more closely. Slowly Seonghwa left open-mouthed kisses in a trail from your neck to your nipple, circling and sucking the tender, swollen area. “They’ll get bigger when I’m pregnant,” you squeeze his shoulders as his tongue circles your areola. “Swollen. And tender. I can help you wash and dry and lotion them.” You roll your eyes and smile, “yeah so helpful Hwa. I’m sure a big burden.” He sucks harshly, eliciting a yelp of pain and sigh of pleasure. “It’s help, take it or leave it.” Sneaking your leg around to his side you slot him between your legs, “I’ll take. I’ll take it.” “Yeah you will,” he rubs his bulge against your pelvis, lining it up with your slit and thrusting, indirectly stimulating your clit. You gasp and giggle, swatting his arm. “You’re so stupid oh my god!” Seonghwa leans over, nose to nose, “but you love me though.” He teases with a sing-song lilt. “Ugh, I do. I do love you.” You grind against him faster, his lips returning to your nipple, hand keeping your other one preoccupied. He feels your rutting grow more desperate until you wrap your arms around his ribs and squeeze him to you, tensing with your first orgasm. Tenderly he kisses your neck. Slipping a finger between your skin and the elastic he asks, “can we take these off” softly. He knows the answer is yes because it always is yes but he always checks to be sure. It’s such a small gesture and yet so important to you still after the years had passed. Lifting your hips to help him slide your underwear out of the way the two of you are finally naked, huddled under the covers. Two of his fingers, long and delicate, slide between your walls. Your lips purse and brows furrow, even though the stretch is only slight. The aim is not another orgasm, just prepping for what’s to come. Still as he curls his fingers upwards it feels nice. He can reach just that little bit deeper, angle himself just a little bit better than you can. Your hips join his slow strokes, heels pressed to the mattress. Messy bun slipping out, letting your hair pile and splay on the pillow Seonghwa likes this version of you the best. When you finally allow yourself to enjoy the moment, brain quieting for even the few minutes together. He’s the only one who gets to see you like this and for that he feels blessed. His wife. Lips to yours he slides his fingers from you, enjoying your gasp against his mouth. Teasing your slit with the head of his cock he smiles as you whine for him. Seonghwa had insisted missionary and its variants were optimal for encouraging sperm retention, reserving any positions where you were on top for “off-peak” days where it didn’t matter as much. Not that you minded anything about missionary. While vanilla as a position, it allowed you to hold onto him closely, feeling warm and loved and protected underneath him. The first stretch is the worst. Tangled in lust and pain despite the prep he still stretches you. Brows furrowed you breathe slowly, pushing up to slide more of him in/ “You okay? Need more-” Seonghwa tentatively retreats. You groan and gasp and grapple his low back, “no, just keep-ugh-I can do it.” He looks worried, “if you’re sure.” He presses into the friction, your tight heat clenching down around him until he’s finally settled fully inside of you.

“Fuck-Hwa- you’re so thick. Fuck.” You grimace. The sting of the stretch you’re used to but always surprises you. No matter how many times you take him it seems your cunt forgets. He’s still as stone inside of you, nuzzling your neck, thumb ghosting over your nipple, letting you work your hips in a circle, slowly relaxing around him. “You’re just too tight. So tiny. No matter how many times I fuck you.” He bites his lip as you manage just a little more inside of you, the little bit he was too nervous to fill you with despite knowing you can take it. He can’t help himself, even though you tell him he can go rougher and that he can make it hurt. He doesn’t want to. Leaning to the side just a little more, rocking your hips up, he reaches into your bedside table and pulls out a small vibrator. “Let me help you.” The toy whirrs to life, fitting snuggly between your bodies. Back arching your walls flutter, working him earnestly. “Hwa-oh shit-” you tug your husbands torso to you. Muscles rippling the closeness stabilizes you. He feels so real, and warm, and sturdy. The overwhelming need to touch, to feel him completely, each little flex and breath.

Seonghwa moves slowly at first. Pulling out just to the tip to slam back into you. The pull of your warm cunt driving him forward again. He loses himself to the rhythm of your whispered moans and sweet affirmations. Your orgasm slicking your walls and easing his thrusts he grabs the underside of your thigh and pushes it back to your shoulder to pound down into you.

Tearing the vibrator from between you and tossing it to the side, Seonghwa presses his forehead to you, sweat traveling the sides of his face. Grunting and panting like animals in heat you no longer worry about how you sound or who might hear. Making noise simply isn't and option you can control anymore. The head just kissing your cervix, pressing into your guts. you shiver and shake and scream with each thrust, nails driving into his biceps. Seonghwa can feel himself getting closer to the edge, driving deeply he spills inside of you, grunting and sighing. Forcing himself to stay inside, head pressed to your cervix as you milk him, making sure each spurt of release reaches its destination.

Lowering your hips making sure to stay inside you pull him back down to you, chests pressed in a sticky warm embrace. You hum, content to be just a little squished beneath him, letting the refractory pulses of his cock still in your walls. He leaves gentle open-mouthed kisses at the crux of your shoulder and neck where he’s landed, breathing hard and heavy. “You think it’ll work?” You whisper in his ear. “No idea.” He kisses your cheek, “if it doesn’t we’ll keep trying.” Suddenly your chest is tense, tears welling. “I just think…I think you’ll be a really good dad.” You try to control your emotions. It feels silly to cry now, not after having been railed within an inch of your life. No, you should’ve cried during, if you were going to cry. Not in the afterglow. “I just want to make you a dad someday.” He hears your voice waiver. Seonghwa is not stupid, the two of you are far too close for you to think anything would slip by him. “Honey, it’s fine, you will. You will.” Groaning he pulls from you, pressing both of your legs into your center, balling you up on yourself. Another small superstition, keeping his cum inside of you for as long as possible, letting gravity aid the process. He grabs the baby wipes, kept nearby on his bedside, gently cleaning himself and then you. Careful to only wipe the areas surrounding. Another small gesture you’d grown accustomed to. A tear slips out, rolling sideways on your cheek, sticking in your ear. “Oh honey. Oh my sweet wife.” Seonghwa kisses your shin, your shoulders, your cheek. “You’re going to be such a good mother. No matter how we do it.” His hand slides between your thigh and your stomach, hand splaying protectively, laying down on his side next to you. “Will you still think I'm pretty when I’m swollen and throwing up every morning?” You smile, a sob slipping out. Seonghwa laughs, squeezing your stomach. “Fucking gorgeous. Especially when your pussy and tits are swollen, getting for our child.” “Fucking nerd,” you sniff. “You love me.” “I know.”

He watches your chest rise and fall, managing the time you’re on your back. He knows eventually you’ll need to get up to use the bathroom but for now he just wants to sit with you and listen to your breathing. No matter what trials may come you’ll always have this moment of peace, together.

As a person who has had a partner for many many years my mission was to make this sort of more realistic? Ish? Did it work? It was sort of nice to write something really fluffy.

#ateez smut #seonghwa smut #ateez hard hours #ateez oneshot #kpop smut #seonghwa x you #seonghwa x reader #february filth fest

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lulublack90 · 9 months ago

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Prompt 13 - Card

@wolfstarmicrofic February 13, word count 400

Previous part First part

Sirius had snuck into Remus’s bed that night after he was certain James and Peter were asleep.

He’d padded across the floor, not thinking until he got to the red velvet hangings around Remus’s bed. He’d raised his hand to pull them back and then froze. It wasn’t until Remus had enough of waiting and ripped the curtains back and dragged Sirius in.

They’d sat there opposite each other, staring. When Sirius didn’t say anything, Remus sighed.

“I’m going to lie down now, Pads. I need to stretch my legs out. If you want to join me, that’s fine, and if you’d rather keep sitting there for a while, that’s fine too.” Sirius had watched Remus slip down the bed and tug the covers over himself.

Sirius sat there and debated. This was a step. A big step, and whichever way he stepped, meant something. Remus didn’t try to convince him to do anything. He left him to decide himself.

Sirius moved the covers aside and lay down beside Remus. Remus gave him a second, then wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. He planted a kiss on top of his dark curls. Sirius released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding and gave in. He snuggled closer to Remus, hiding his face in his neck and letting his body relax.

They lay there for some time in comfortable silence. Remus carded his fingers through Sirius’s hair, and Sirius traced the scars on Remus’s other hand with his fingertips.

“It’s Valentine’s tomorrow.” He whispered, not looking at Remus.

“Okay,” Remus said uncertainly.

“Do you want a card?” Sirius squirmed slightly as he waited for Remus to answer.

Remus’s hand stopped moving in Sirius’s hair. He moved it to cup Sirius’s face, running this thumb along his cheekbone.

“If you want to get me a card, sweetheart. Then get me a card.” Sirius gazed up at him, pressing his face into Remus’s palm. “But please don’t feel like you have to just because it’s Valentine’s Day.” Remus cleared his throat and turned himself to stare into Sirius’s eyes. “Please don’t rush yourself, Sirius. I really think this could be something.—It feels like something, and if we rush, we might not find out what.” Sirius turned his face to kiss Remus’s palm.

“Alright,” He said as he snuggled back down into Remus’s side. “I’ll get you chocolate instead.”

Next part

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ice-ice-lizzie · 4 months ago

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Translation of the Thomas Bordeleau interview on episode 329 of the Sans Restriction podcast hosted by Kevin Raphael. Bold text was originally in English and translator's notes are in brackets. Additional notes are at the end.

Host: Tommy B on the podcast. Tommy B, do you have a new tattoo?

Thom: Mmmm. No. No. Not so far.

Host: It's the same? I haven’t seen [unintelligible].

Thom: (shows him the tattoos on his shoulder)

Host: Okay, ehhhhh.

Thom: I’ve got ‘Bordeleau’ like that (shows tattoo on his bicep) and ‘Bordeleau’ over here as well (shows tattoo on the back of his arm).

Host: Ohhhh. Ohhhhh. It’s like La Valle*. How’s it going Big Dog? Happy to see you, happy to see you, man. How’ve you been spending the summer? You’ve been training here [in Montreal]?

Thom: I’m doing alright. I haven’t seen you too often lately.

[both talking at the same time]

Host: We should go to L'Alliance. I have tickets. I have tickets for L’Alliance.

Thom: Yes, yes.

[both talking at the same time again]

Thom: But ummm, no, it’s going well. Just taking a break and then training. Our season ended early in (he pauses to think) mid-April?

Host: Yo. That’s on paper. (Laughing) Your season ended in mid-February.

Thom: Exactly. Yeah, unfortunately. [Making playoffs] was not in reach that early in the season, but, uh, no, it is what it is. I took a month off.

Host: What did you do? When you were in San Jose and the season ended, you guys had your meetings or whatever the next day I guess?

Thom: Mmm yeah. On the next day maybe, or to give it some time, two or three days later.

Host: So you take care of business and then you come here?

Thom: They can ship your equipment.

Host: Oh! They ship your equipment?

Thom: It’s the teams who do it. It depends on the equipment manager and what they want. We’re lucky. But uhh I ship my car and I keep my equipment in my car so it doesn’t really matter.

Host: So you put your gear in your car and you send it all in a boat?

Thom: No, it’s just on a truck that drives it across country.

Host: Shit, Quebec is [unintelligible] man.

Thom: It’s expensive. Really expensive.

Host: Oh yeah? It’s bad eh?

Thom: It’s a little insane. Having two cars might be worth it. It’s a shit show shipping everything across the continent.

Host: Because you ship everything before [the season] and after [the season]?

Thom: Yeah. Now the team helps but at the beginning, (giggling) at the beginning I did it all.

Host: What’s the thing, that right now, you know, there’s the team, but did you ever think to yourself did I really pay for all of that at the beginning, for real man?

Thom: Oh

Host: There’s plenty of things in this job that I have to do myself, there’s a lot. There’s a lot.

Thom: Sometimes, just for simple things, like food or supplements anyways, like [unintelligible] for nothing. It’s funny I was talking to my dad and he said ‘when you’re playing everyone wants to give you everything for free but you don’t appreciate it until after your career is over because that’s when you need the paid promotions but no one wants to give them to you.

Host: My method is to buy clothes that I like, but after I put them on, I take a photo, or someone takes a photo, it’s on Instagram, put it on Instagram stories, and it’s like yo Kev’s wearing these clothes.

[both taking at the same time]

Thom: For free.

Host: I’m like I ain’t no bitch. Send the goods!

[both talking at the same time]

Thom: It helps to wear the clothing that they give you. Shout out Elwood. They sent me-

Host: Who?

Thom: Elwood.

Host: Where are they from?

Thom: L.A. It’s a brand from L.A. They’re good.

Host: Shout out. (looking into the camera) Yo Elwood! (looking back at Thom) Elwood?

Thom: (laughing) Elwood.

Host: (looking into the camera) Elwood L.A. Yo yo yooooooo. Sans Restrictions podcast needs some Elwood.

Thom: Thanks guys.

Host: Tommy B needs some Elwood.

Both: (laughter)

Host: Ok, so the season ends and you come here but you’re not on vacation.

Tom: Yeah, I had to stay here for a bit because my grandmother has health problems that made it so we needed to stay here with her and my grandfather, then three weeks after we came here, we took a little trip to South Carolina to golf. It was nice. Incredible temperatures.

Host: It’s only me who can say ‘that shit white.' [Host is black]

Tom: Oh yeah. Yeah yeah yeah. Real white.

Host: South Carolina, bro? Like the people there are called Corwin. There’s no Mustafas, there’s no-

Tom: Yeah, there’s not a lot.

Host: There’s like ‘John’

Tom: (snorts) Richard.

Host: Richard. Paul.

[both giggling too much to say anything]

Host: But how’s the golfing down there?

Thom: Insane.

Host: You’ve seen my swing, man?

Thom: On the ice, we’d call it a slapshot, but that’s- that’s not-

Host: It goes straight.

Thom: Yeah, yeah it goes straight.

Host: I can still hear the sound of it-

Thom: But it can actually go too far. It can go too far.

[both talking at the same time]

Host: What’s your [furthest distance]**?

Thom: Not too far. 250? 300?

Host: That’s a lot. That’s a lot. What’s your problem?

Thom: Well, you’re right. I [unintelligible] yesterday. At the tournament, I mean not tournament, at the Benjamin Saint Just Foundation ummmm yeah. They did 400 for the longest drive of the day.

Host: You’re shitting me. This guy is fucking with us. Josh, we invite him on the podcast and he’s fucking with us a little. It’s laughable, Josh. Ok. So the season ends and you’re training how many times a week?

Thom: Everyday.

Host: Every day on the ice?

Tom: No, everyday in the gym. On the ice at the beginning, two times a week, later in the summer three, four, five times a week.

Host: Then how… The season is long. Bro, I listened to the games. I looked for you.

Thom: (laughing through his nose)

Host: Shit, it’s long bro. How is it so long?

Thom: The hardest game of my life was the one that was 10 to 1 against the Oilers at the end of the year.

Host: It was 10 to 1?

Thom: It was bad in every sense of the word. They were just getting through us all over the place.

Host: Oh shit.

[Both laugh]

Host: Ok admit it, admit it, it was 7 to 1 there, and-

Thom: No, but it was 4-0 after like five minutes and we were like oh my god.

Host: How does that happen? 4-0 after five minutes.

Thom: Well, we had a lot, we had a lot of our players who weren’t playing.

Host: Bro, 4-0 after five minutes is classic but [something I can’t make out about comedians in the NHL]

Thom: Yeah, It was tough. It was tough. A tough game. I think that-

Host: When it got to 9 to 1, was there any chatter on the bench?

Thom: Well, no.

Host: Was anyone talking?

Thom: No. We were trying to do something. We were trying to play well. We were trying. The worst thing, I think, was, if I can remember, I think I’m right, but I think, it was 9-1 at the end of the second.

Host: Impossible.

Thom: Or maybe the beginning of the third, because I remember there was a good moment at the end of the game where we didn’t score but, like, we could have had, we could have had it.

Host: Bro. Did you ever have a game this shitty at Michigan or..? (trails off laughing)

Thom: Yeah… I’m sure. I’m sure. It’s tough. You don’t want to get into the habit of losing. You don’t want to develop that kind of mindset. I’ve never had that mindset. Each loss really pisses me off***. It happened so often, but it’s hard to develop an ‘ok, onto the next day’ mindset when it really pisses you off, when you want to win.

Host: At least this year they played you more.

Thom: Yeah, they used me a lot at the end of the year. I really, I found my game in the NHL. I found the optimal place for me, how I see the game, how I think about the game. It clicked.

Host: What was your favorite moment from this year? Not necessarily a goal but like was there a moment there that made you go nice?

Thom: Damn. Umm there’s a lot. Well, at the beginning of the year when we took our team trip to Napa, when I made the team after camp, after I made the team at the beginning of the year, then we took the team trip to Napa. It was my first team trip in the NHL. It was fun. I found it really fun. Ummm, then another moment, another good moment, it was really nice. it was one of those games where I scored twice.

Host: ‘One of’ (laughing).

Thom: No, but it was against Chicago and it was really nice because it was rare this year. It was tough for the fans because of how often we lost and even at the end of the year they showed up. It was really packed. It was a nice feeling, especially at home.

Host: Tell me about the Connor Bedard effect. You’ve played two games against him, right?

Thom: Yeah, two games.

Host: So what’s it like, the Connor Bedard effect?

Thom: It’s crazy. Everyone is already a fan. He’s like the next big thing****, he started with fans, like he already has a fan base. I guess everyone is talking about him, even the journalists.

Host: So, when you see him you want to give him [unintelligible but he does a hand motion like a punch].

Thom: (laughing) No, well, we have lots of friends in common.

Host: You have friends in common?

Thom: Kent Johnson, who I played with in Michigan.

Host: Ohhhh, true. So you’ve already seen him.

Thom: We’ve crossed paths at NHLPA events and things like that.

Host: There’s going to be rumors, you know. They’re going to say ‘Yo, Tommy B is boys with CB’.

Thom: (laughing) No, no, we’re not boys.

Host: No, but do you have boys, besides Kent Johnson, that play with you guys, that you play against in the NHL? You know, a lot of the time in basketball you play against someone a little and there’s a respect that develops and he becomes your boy, right?

Thom: Yeahhh, uh, not lately, just because I was moving up and down between the AHL and the NHL.

Host: You were up more than you were down this year, right?

Thom: I didn’t play badly, but I did play more down than I did up. I spent a little over half the season down [in the AHL]. They brought me up just before the deadline. [Unintelligible] playing with all these teams like that. In the AHL, the players, the roster changes so often. It’s really the guys from Quebec that stick together.

Host: Do you talk to each other very often on the ice?

Thom: Yeah, sometimes. It depends on how you know each other, but there’s even times when you know each other really well but you won’t talk on the ice, just before or after.

Host: In San Jose, you’re the Barracudas?

Thom: Yeah, Barracuda. Yeah. It’s a really good place for the AHL. A new arena, a new dressing room. Listen, for me, the jerseys are good quality, everything is beautiful.

Host: Did you keep a jersey? Did you keep a Barracuda jersey?

Thom: I have a couple, I think.

Host: So you went to Napa, and you also played in the opening game.

Thom: It was a good moment, the opening game.

Host: They said your name!

Thom: It was nice. My first opening game in the NHL. It was really cool.

Host: What do you say, [unintelligible] up in the NHL?

Thom: Uhhhh yes. Yes, but it’s just… It was the first time that I really did that up in the NHL and I want to appreciate it as much as possible.

Host: Were you able to sleep before the opening game?

Thom: Yeah, yeah I had a nap, yeah. Each game day I take a nap. We had a morning skate that morning, after that I went back to our house. I made myself eat. A lot of the time I’ll do normatec^, like I do a lot of things for my legs, just for recovery things for my legs, then I make myself eat. Just pasta all the time before I go to sleep.

Host: The same thing?

Thom: Bolognese. All the time.

Host: All the time?

Thom: Spaghetti Bolognese.

Host: You eat that before going to sleep, bro? That’s the sort of thing my coach told me never to do in gym class. Here comes Kev, you’re already a fat fu-

Thom: It’s a forty minute nap.

Host: A forty minute nap?! [He says something about 20 minutes that I can't make out because they're talking over each other]

Thom: Quick, quick, quick. 45 is perfect for me.

Host: Now we know the demands of the NHL. Pasta and then sleep!

Thom: No, but everyone sleeps before they eat. Everyone has a pre-game meal in the NHL. I’ve done it ever since I came to the NHL.

Host: Oh, yeah?

Thom: Like, the pre-game meal is at one in the afternoon, two in the afternoon. You eat, you take your nap, you have a snack.

Host: Do you have a place far away from the arena or are you close?

Thom: Close. Just beside it. I live downtown. Right there in the middle of it.

Host: Are there guys who stay there because they live too far away?

Thom: Where? At the arena?

Host: Yeah.

Thom: Oh, no, no. Morning skate is over at ten in the morning and we don’t have to be there for the game until 4:35.

Host: So your favorite game was the first game, but you had two goals against Chicago and then who else?

Thom: Ottawa.

Host: Ohhh, but Ottawa… [trails off with the implication that he thinks that Ottawa won the game].

Thom: Oh but us (starts laughing).

Host: (laughing harder)

Thom: Like, we really played well that game, like we were good in that one^^.

[talking over each other]

Host: My guy said ‘us’. (lots of laughing) What song would you choose to put over your goal highlights when you put them on insta reels?

Thom: Damn. Right now-

Host: Not Like Us, by Kendrick Lamar. Yes!

Thom: (laughs) One of Wun.

Host: What’s that, One of Wun?

Thom: From Gunna’s new album.

Host: Oh.

Thom: Mmm-hm.

Host: Oh, yeah?

Thom: Mm-hm.

Host: Okay. That’s not North Carolina. [I think he’s trying to reference earlier when they were talking about South Carolina].

Thom: Nope. Not at all. Not at all. It’s far away.

Host: (mimes playing a banjo) Dinga-linga-a-ling, dinga-ling-a-long. Banjo!

[both giggling]

Host: So, do you celly? When you-

Thom: I could but no. I don’t really do a big celly.

Host: You do the- (badly mimes the heart breaker celly)

Thom: Not really, no.

Host: Who does that one?

Thom: Kane.

Host: Ohh, it’s Patrick Kane who does it.

Thom: Yeah, the heart breaker (mimes the heart breaker celly very small).

Host: Yeah. Ohhhh, you know the name?

Thom: Yeah, you make the heart and then you break it after. (mimes the heart breaker celly).

Host: It’s a heart, bro?

Thom: Heart breaker. (mimes the heart breaker celly).

Host: I thought he was swimming!

Thom: No, no, no, no.

Host: I swear to you, no one knows that.

Thom: Well, that’s what it is. The celly is called the heart breaker.

Host: That’s a team USA thing.

Thom: Everyone who plays hockey knows about it.

Host: (to the producer) Bro, did you know about that? No one knows that it’s called the heart breaker.

Thom: Wow.

Host: We’re going to put that on tiktok. Who knew it was the heart breaker? What’s your favorite celly?

Thom: The heart breaker is beautiful. I’ve never done it but I think it’s great. When someone does it, it’s hockey. But it’s Kane who came up with it.

Host: Oh, he came up with it?

Thom: [He says something about Kane and showtime that I cannot make out]

Host: I like it when you jump. When you jump in your cellies, it’s nice. It makes for good photos. But do you guys celly after every goal?

Thom: A lot of the time I lift up one leg or go to my knees.

Host: Ok, that’s a celly. When someone scores and doesn’t even raise their arms, I’m like, man why don’t you, it’s fucking difficult in the NHL.

Thom: Yeah. Sometimes I do that, but it also depends on the goal and the game.

Host: Even if it’s 10 to 1-

Thom: I guarantee you when Edmonton was beating us 6 to 0 and we scored, I did not celebrate much.

Host: Ok. Are you satisfied with your season? What’s your evaluation? Your first real season.

Thom: My second. For the first one, I spent the majority of the year in the AHL. That was my first real pro season.

Host: So it’s your third year?

Thom: My second full year. My second year that I finished. So I burned that first year when I signed after Michigan and played some NHL games and then after summer.

Host: Oh, it was games at the end of the year.

Thom: Yeah. Games at the end of the year.

(Both laugh)

Thom: Prime time! Prime time!

(they toast with their mugs)

Host: [He says something in English but I can not understand him] (pointing at Thom) He has good people giving him advice! He burned a game!

Thom: No, well, when you sign your contract after you’re 20 and you play a game in the NHL you burn a year.

Host: Mmmm.

Thom: But if you sign before you’re twenty, it’s ten games.

Host: Oh, so you did ten games.

Thom: No, for me it was one game.

Host: Yo, that’s crazy bro. I need your agent in my life, man.

Thom: Pat Brisson. Shout out.

Host: Yo, shout out Pat. Okay, there are lots of comedians who listen. Do you have some advice for them, because I have a problem with you. You, you’re so chill until the third period and then you go crazy. You go crazy! If there’s only 5 minutes left, we’re still sitting on the bench because we can’t play without you. What advice do you have, not for me, because I have a good shot like Antony Duclair, but if you had one piece of advice to give, what would it be?

Thom: Find… umm… the spot on the bench that’s the most comfortable.

Host: (shocked laughter) WOW.

Thom: I’m sorry. (big laughter)

Host: WOW. You there on the ice, such trash talk.

Thom: No no no. (laughing)

Host: It’s impossible. It’s impossible that you don’t trash talk. First of all at Michigan, you trash talked.

Thom: Oh totally.

(both laughing)

Host: Ok. Ok there. We’ve got to be PG, but what is your best trash talk? Your best PG trash talk?

Thom: The best trash talk was our student section at Michigan. They’d look for the families of the players, and they’d get their pictures and social media, ex girlfriends, tinder profiles, all of that.

Host: Shit. You dodged the question by saying that.

Thom: (laughter)

Host: It’s good, it’s good, it’s good. You’re nasty, man.

Thom: PR trained.

Host: You’re nasty. That’s how- no one was talking about it when you came into the league. You explained that it’s not a big deal, but after that, after three years, how do you manage the PR and all of that?

Thom: Uh, well for me, I’ve been lucky with my agent, Pat Brisson. The year before the draft, he had a camp in L.A. We did a practice draft. He made us watch a practice about the news about new supplements and then someone caused a concussion and at the same time-

Host: I caused a concussion..

Thom: (laughs) And at the same time there was an actor from Grown Ups-

Host: Oh yeah?

Thom: -who did our PR training about how to like, show your personality, without putting yourself in a bad spot. He prepared us really well. And then there was a little bit about how to do social media.

Host: It’s not a big deal but that’s not what Jean Sebastian [Dea] said. [Jean-Sebastian Dea's NHL contract was terminated shortly after he appeared on the Sans Restrictions podcast].

[both laughing]

Thom: No comment.

Host: I’m the only one that’s going to lose his job after this podcast. (laughing) Oh man. Okay. It’s true [unintelligible] after the podcast.

Thom: I don’t know about that, but I’ll be surprised if that’s what happens.

Host: Bro, man, [Jean-Sebastian Dea] texted, bro bro [Dea] goes all out for the podcast, okay? Then me, each time I feel like going all out-

Thom: Did you fact check it?

[I’m omitting like three sentences here that make no sense to me]

Host: He came on the podcast.

Thom: He came on the podcast at Christmas?

Host: No at the end of the year. The end of the year. Anyways, he said things, bro. I said what am I going to do with you, man. I said to Bruno [the producer], can we do that? Is that something we can put out? And he said yeah, we can put that out, so I did it and he lost his job. I felt so bad. They said terminated or whatever. I felt bad. I panicked. I texted him, not at the beginning, I texted him two days later, I said yo, my bad, man, he said no, it is what it is, I wanted it. I wanted to sign with the KHL. I said Man, fuck this mother fucker, man. I couldn’t sleep!

Thom: I felt bad!

Host: I couldn’t sleep, bro! But he comes on the pod all the time. He’s welcome to go all out on the pod, the Russians don’t blink, you can say whatever you want^^^. Ok, so what’s been the hardest thing for you right now during your transition from your first year as a pro to your second year? What was the hardest thing, apart from losing 10 to 1?

Thom: Getting sent down to the AHL in my second year.

Host: Oof.

Thom: Yeah, that felt bad.

Host: Did they call you? (mimes putting a phone up to his ear)

Thom: No, it was- At training camp, I made the team, and then I played, mm (he’s counting in his head) eight games? Nine games?

Host: But that went well, didn’t it?

Thom: Personally, I thought it did, but we went zero for ten in the first ten games.

Host: (giggling).

Thom: Something had to give. But you know, obviously, I was the youngest on the team, besides Eklund. And it was me, then Eklund. They wanted me to go back to the AHL. They called me on a road trip that was like seven games, which is a long time to be on the road. We went from California to Florida with stops in Nashville, the Hurricanes, all that. We were on game seven of the road trip and there was a rest day after game six, but before the morning of game seven, at the hotel, the GM called me and came and met me in the lobby. I’d been in the middle of taking a walk, because when we stay in Washington, it’s really beautiful in Georgetown, like around the Four Seasons. It’s really cute. So I was taking a walk, and I was like 15 minutes away from the hotel and he called me and I turned right around and I had a 15 minute walk back and I called my dad because I was sure they were going to send me down. They had just scratched me the game before. I played like 6 games, then I was scratched, then they put me back in the line up for two games, then my last game in the NHL before they sent me down, I remember it was against the Tampa Bay Lightning, we lost, like 8-0. We were more dominated than the game where we lost 10-1. It was horrible. I can’t remember anything except for one zone exit. I think that for me, that was a traumatic NHL game.

Host: He was traumatized!

Thom: One of the things that made me like that, [the zone exit] didn’t bother me until they sent me down.

Host: But that’s crazy, you didn’t have a chance-

Thom: Oh, no, no. Not at all, they tried things-

Host: But that’s not what you told yourself because, for me-

Thom: There was nothing to do, I was just trying to grind it out.

Host: I coach soccer. When the other team drives the ball to us there’s a moment where someone gotta do something.

Thom: Yeah, but…

Host: Hey. Hey.

Thom: But we didn’t necessarily have the tools to-

Host: There wasn’t someone to do something.

Thom: We had Hertl, who did everything for us, but-

Host: Yeah, yeah, but he was all alone.

Thom: Yeah, and Couture was injured the entire season. He had a rough year, unfortunately. He came back for seven games. The seven best games for the Sharks by far. He’s a big piece.

Host: His impact is crazy.

Thom: He’s incredible, a great guy. The best dude ever. He’s really [unintelligible] you can’t replace him. He’s just there to help. He’s like another coach. If you have a question about anything you can ask him and he’ll answer you. He’s my go to when I have a question about anything, it’s him that I ask. He gives me an answer every time with pleasure. He really comes in clutch.

Host: Ok. You lost 8 to 0 and you were at the Four Seasons…

Thom: Yeah, 8-0 and we were at the Four Seasons, I took my walk and they called me, and when I got back then they started talking to me, and I said I think I know where this is going, eh they said unfortunately-

Host: That’s how they welcomed you?

Thom: Well, you know. I didn’t want… I didn’t want… There were other, really good players in the NHL, it’s a tough league. I didn’t want to seem like I had a bad attitude especially because I wanted them to call me back up as fast as possible. Just like, I wanted to play in the AHL and play good minutes, the power play, 5 on 5, and I did that, and when they called me back up to the NHL I wasn’t sent down again because at the end of the season I was playing my best hockey.

Host: And how did they announce that you were being called up again?

Thom: My AHL coach called me and told me, yeah you’ve been called up, you’ll practice with the others tomorrow.

Host: Ok, but talk to me about how it felt! When you were sent down you went from taking the jet to taking the bus.

Thom: Yeah. Yeah.

Host: What takes 2 hours in the NHL takes 12 hours in the AHL.

Thom: Exactly, yeah. It wasn’t that bad but my back did hurt.

Host: So they called you and told you you’re going back to the NHL. How did you react?

Thom: Ah. I was miserable because it was late at night and I just wanted to go back to bed, so I was miserable, but then they told me and I was really excited. And then I didn’t want to go back to bed because I, like, wanted to enjoy it as much as possible before going to bed because I knew as soon as I woke up in the morning it would be like boom business, so I went to bed trying to savor it.

Host: (pretending he’s Thom) Yay! They called me up! [unintelligible]

Thom: Yeah. You switch to a different mode. You enjoy each day. I spent a lot of time with the boys, all of them, even the older guys. It was good to see them again.

Host: So how does like, you’re the smallest one there, right?

Thom: Mmm hmm.

Host: You play like (gestures and makes zooming noise). I have season tickets for the Rocket [the Canadiens AHL affiliate]. Jesus Christ, those guys don’t look where they’re going. I said to Jean-Phillipe Vautier at the celebrity game when he landed a big hit on me, you saw that?

Thom: No.

Host: When he hit me?

Thom: Oh yeah, I think I did see that.

Host: He laid me out, I was like disrespect.

Thom: Me, I’m lucky. I have a guy called Bokondji Imama who changed division.

Host: Oh! You played with Boko?

Thom: Well, I played against him in the AHL.

Host: You played against Boko? Toughhhhh. Was Boko still there when you got sent back down?

Thom: (laughing) Oh, Boko, he’s my boy.

Host: he said, ohh, Boko he doesn’t fuck with me.

Thom: I hope. [unintelligible because he’s laughing so hard]

Host: I know that Boko switches.

Thom: Oh yeah, you see it. Alright, I remember looking for someone else and then, next thing you know, he’s suspended for three games. Damn. Boko’s a different beast.

Host: The toughest guy that I’ve ever met is Boko Imama.

Thom: He skates really fast, he’s the whole package. Shout out Boko Imama.

Host: I saw him at a Rockets game and he was punching guys. Everyone was like eh I’m good. He was pulling on their jerseys like this (pulls the collar of his shirt away from his body). I’m good, I’m good. You’ve never fought, right? You’ve never dropped gloves?

Thom: Me? No, never. I’ve never fought.

Host: You don’t have the taste for it? What’s the closest you’ve ever been to fighting?

Thom: Ah, uhh, there was a moment in the AHL during a back to back where I threw a punch but I didn’t finish it.

Host: It’s what you’ve got to do. I don’t want you to fight because it’s dangerous. (Looks to the camera, pointing) [unintelligible] you ain’t doing this shit. (back to Thom) But you’re capable and say you’re on a team and everyone is squaring off with someone, ok?

Thom: (barely holding back laughter)

Host: Do you look for the smallest guy? Do you scan the crowd or is it really-

Thom: It’s really- It’s the closest guy and if the closest guy is the biggest, you’re like fuck. If the closest guy is the biggest one I just try to keep- I just try to-

Host: What do you guys say to each other when you’re squaring off like that? Like, yo, We’re not the same weight class. You’re heavyweight, I’m lightweight. Do you say, 'it’s not my problem, it’s not your problem, we good? We good'.

Thom: A lot of the time, a lot of the time it’s like that, except for when the other guy did something cheap.

Host: Right, except for that.

Thom: Then there’s no choice. But like if a guy comes out of the penalty box, for something like a back check [laughing too much for me to understand him] (makes a fist and mimes punching someone)

Host: I have a concussion guys! Zach Patterson gave me a concussion. Ok ok. So the AHL, is it, I won’t say easier because there are people who don’t give full respect to the league, but-

Thom: It’s harder.

Host: Yeah. Oh It’s harder, eh? A guy like you has a good way of seeing things. You have good hands. Do you feel like you have more of a place in the NHL than the AHL?

Thom: A little. In a sense, yes just because there’s more finesse in the NHL. In the AHL I’m not a playmaker, I don’t decide games, whatever. There’s less control, it’s just less of a league, but at the same time, there’s enough skills guys on each team, it’s a very good league, but it’s a war every game. Fist after fist.

[someone off screen says something]

Host: You won’t watch AHL games?

Thom: It’s scary.

Host: Oh yeah, it’s more scary.

Thom: Yeah.

Host: Even when I watch the boys play, I text them during the game. (points towards the camera) Yo, by the way, if you play professionally, and you text me back while you’re playing you are a vagabond, ok?

Thom: Yeah that’s weird.

Host: Yo there are so many guys. Yeah! You don’t do that in San Jose?

Thom: No.

Host: You better not.

Thom: (laughter) Put your phone away for the whole period.

Host: I won’t say who it was. I’m not going to snitch, but there was a guy who was texting me for two periods, who is in the NHL, during a very important game. I was working and then I saw a text from him and I was like, are you insane? And then he stopped responding. Do you get on your phone [during a game]?

Thom: No, but there are guys who listen to music on their phone, but no one is like texting (mimes holding a phone in front of him). Maybe sometimes there’s a guy who’s checked out of the game because he wants to text someone.

Host: Oh, huh. Are you going to go to Michigan?

Thom: No, but I went back at the end of last summer. It was really nice to skate with them, they’re a good group to skate with. I’m going to go back before the end of the year.

Host: But you’re not going for a game, for a presentation or anything like that?

Thom: No. No. Michigan, the regionals are in Saint Louis.

Host: Oh, yeah, I saw that.

Thom: We won against North Dakota.

Host: You won a national championship, right?

Thom: No.

[talking over each other- I can't make out what they're saying]

Thom: We lost the frozen four. Yeah. Tough game. One and done man. Tough game. All our season for one game, man.

Host: With all the talent you guys had?

Thom: Yeah.

Host: When you went back to the room and looked around you at all the talent-

Thom: Yeah.

Host: -did you say the fuck happened?

Thom: There were a lot of things expressed in that dressing room by the players there, unfortunately.

[both laughing]

Host: Yes! This is just for me. This is my overtime. What are you watching at the moment to relax?

Thom: I started-

Host: Rookie?

Thom: Alice in Borderland.

Host: What’s that?

Thom: (asking someone off screen) It’s what, Chinese? It’s like, like the same type of thing as Squid Games, but different.

Host: Would you do the Squid Games?

Thom: No, are you insane? It’s too much up to chance.

Host: But the game show version, would you do that?

Thom: Oh, the fake one? Oh yeah, well sure, I would do that. Will there be a Squid Games Quebec?

Host: Don’t give them the idea, man. They’re always looking for ideas. They have 100 USD hidden, what game do you think, without a team, which game could you do?

Thom: I’m trying to remember what the games were.

Host: There’s marbles, the one where you lick a cookie, there’s the, uhh, ice that you have to jump.

Thom: For me, I think the cookie one, or the first one where you have to turn around.

Host: Oh yeah.

Thom: It’s easy.

Host: Really, the cookie one?

Thom: Yeah, the cookie one.

Host: You’re not meticulous enough for that bro.

Thom: I’ll manage.

[both laughing. The host stands up and doubles over]

Thom: I have a wet mouth.

[both laughing more]

Host: Wooo. The podcast is almost over. The podcast is over, huh? Oh shit. I try to talk about business, because that’s what the podcast is for, but I also try to discover the person.

[Both of them laughing too hard to talk]

Host: You can’t make this shit up.

Thom: (takes a sip of water)

Host: I’m trying to reflect. I’m in a wedding, ok? (starts laughing again because Thom looks at him) Hold on, I’m trying to tell you. I’m in a wedding, and it’s all the same people together, and I’m in their wedding and at their wedding they have so many hockey players and I didn’t really know what was happening in the conversation but they explained to me, you know do your thing. Come on, Kev, do your thing, and after that I had 20 pros who were coaching me. Bro.

Thom: Like uncles.

Host: Best moment of my life. Best moment of my life. So I took their advice, you understand? It was theoretical, it was practical, right?

Thom: Yes.

Host: I did my thing, bro.

Thom: So you’re a pro now, or?

Host: No, no, no. My lady and me. She did my thing, bro. It was totally crazy. I woke up and I went to hide in the bathroom, and I texted my people like ‘yo, that worked!’

Thom: No way.

Host: Bro, since that day, bro, my game is at another level bro.

[both laughing]

[both talking over one another]

Host: (pointing at someone offscreen) You go out there (pointing at the door) and I’ll tell you (looking at Thom) something after.

Thom: Okay, okay.

Host: Okay, to finish, if they made a movie out of your life, what type of movie would it be? A romantic comedy, a thriller, what type of movie would it be and who would play you?

Thom: Damn.

Host: And don’t say Tom Holland, you’re too beefy for Tom Holland.

Thom: I don’t know, Tom Holland is pretty beefy.

Host: He goes to the gym?

Thom: Yeah, have you seen him?

Host: Tom Holland does not go to the gym.

Thom: He goes in Spiderman.

Host: Bro, that’s the wish version of Spiderman.

Thom: [unintelligible] Spiderman.

Host: Tobey McGuire is Spiderman bro. What are you talking about? I watched Endgame.

Thom: I have a special love for Tony Stark. I don’t know why, because Spiderman [unintelligible] Tony Stark.

Host: Really, Tony Stark?

Thom: Yeah.

Host: Really?

Thom: Yeah. Iron Man is just a different breed, different aura.

Host: Iron Man’s a little bit of a bitch.

Thom: You think so?

Host: Out of all the superheroes he’s the least powerful.

Thom: The least powerful?!

Host: Bro, he’s a robot.

Thom: But at the end- did you watch the movies? It’s because of him that everything works out!

Host: It might be because of him that everything works out but-

Thom: The technology is insane. Insane.

Host: Alright, moving on.

Thom: He was able to beat Hulk.

Host: Hulk? Hulk isn’t that strong by himself.

Thom: Iron Man isn’t in the same division as the ones that can change reality-

Host: Oh those are whack, those are whack, man, Dr. Strange is a bitch, the day he’s not happy with the way things are he fucks off. The best one is Black Panther.

Thom: Dope. Dope.

Host: Wakanda! My king!

Thom: (into the camera) RIP. RIP.

Host: Ok so who would play you in the movie?

Thom: What type of movie?

Host: Clearly it would be a superhero movie.

Thom: Oh well, maybe. [unintelligible]

Host: [laughing too much for me to understand him]. Ok, so who would play you?

Thom: Who would play me? Uh, I like…

Host: (pointing at someone off screen) Help him.

Thom: The guy that played Harvey Spector, but like in a comedy movie.

Host: Harvey?

Thom: Harvey Spector.

Host: That guy is like 45.

Thom: You want someone that’s my age?

Host: Oh no, but I didn’t expect to hear ‘Harvey Spector’.

Thom: Okay but I don’t know actors that are my age. I think, in the world, like-

Host: Harvey Spector could work.

Thom: Yeah, I think for an adult me.

Host: Like a future you?

Thom: Yeah.

Host: And what would the title of your book be?

Thom: The title of my book? Damn.

Host: I wrote a book, you know.

Thom: Oh really?

Host: I wrote a real book.

Thom: Nice. Is it good?

Host: This book is insane.

Thom: What’s it about?

Host: I can’t say.

Thom: Oh, so it’s not out yet. I’m sure I would have seen it otherwise. You made me think I missed it.

Host: Have you seen the Stanley Cup?

Thom: Seen?

Host: Yeah.

Thom: In my life, I think, yes? But I was young. As for my book, I’d call it bwater^^^^.

Host: bwater?

Thom: (holds up his glass of water) Bwater.

Host: Be water?

Thom: Be water.

Host: Why?

Thom: Adapt. Change form according to your container.

Host: That’s fucking nice. Bwater I like that.

Thom: With a little b-

Host: Like a type of water? That’s great.

Thom: Marketing.

Host: Marketing, yo bwater. That’s a classic, you take off your jersey and underneath (he mimes opening up his shirt) bwater. Okay, last thing. Why are you wearing that hat? Are you a 49’ers fan?

Thom: Yeah, in San Francisco, San Jose-

Host: But are you a fan of the team?

Thom: Of course. I went to two games this year.

Host: A fan of the team for real?

Thom: Yeah.

Host: Y’all like to lose, huh?

Thom: (laughter) It was a strong year for them.

Host: A strong year?

Thom: We’re doing good over here.

Host: You had two super bowls but you’re not in the Stanley Cup finals, you understand, so what are your extension requirements.

Thom: I remember we watched [the Superbowl] live in a restaurant as a team. We watched the TV like (leans forward and stares, eyes wide) what’s happening. I didn’t come back after they lost like that. But shout out to their insane season.

Host: Have you already told the guys on the team?

Thom: I haven’t said anything. I’ve seen Deebo [Samuel] at a shopping mall.

Host: You just crossed paths?

Thom: Yeah. He had shopping bags. He was with someone else.

Host: Did you say ‘What’s up’ to Deebo?

Thom: No, I didn’t say ‘What’s up’ to Deebo at that time. He was on a mission.

Host: In and out. (Laughter). I pass through that neighborhood sometimes.

Thom: Oh really?

Host: There’s [an In-N-Out Burger] in Montreal, did you know?

Thom: Is it uptown?

Host: No, it’s like, on Mansfield. There’s one over there.

Thom: But, no. The guys on the 49’ers I don’t know where they live, because the stadium is ten minutes from San Jose. It’s not in San Fransisco.

Host: I don’t know where the guys are, but the stadium is insane, for example-

Thom: The stadium is sick but it’s ten minutes from San Jose, so it’s 35 minutes from San Francisco, you know?

Host: Have you had any other encounters with celebrities during the season?

Thom: During the season? Who have I met… (thinking)

Host: You don’t have a lot of celebrities in San Jose.

Thom: Uhhh, no we don’t have a lot in San Jose. At times at games we’ve had a couple.

Host: [something about Montreal]

Thom: We only come to Montreal once a year.

Host: Oh poor guy.

Thom: We come in the night before a game, maybe like 1 am and after we play, we leave.

Host: Tommy B?

Thom: Yo.

Host: Thanks a lot for coming on the pod. Do your thing. Off season. There’s no reason to work too hard.

Thom: Yes sir.

Host: Don’t say anything (turning towards the camera) PAY THE MAN.

Thom: (giggles)

Host: PAY. THE. MAN. Put the cash in his account! That’s all I’m asking! Lots and lots of cash! Alright. Pay the man.

Thom: Help your employee.

Host: (laughter) Help your employee. I said not to say anything and you say ‘help your employee’. [unintelligible] the poor thing. Shit.

Notes: *I'm not sure what La Valle is, or if I'm spelling it right. **I'm not sure how to translate this because I'm not familiar with golf terminology in English. ***The french phrase I’m translating as ‘pisses me off’ literally translates to ‘makes me shit myself’. Just a little french lesson for you guys. ****Thom said ‘le nouveau Kid’ like referencing Sid the Kid but translating it to ‘the new kid’ has different connotations in English than it did in French. ^a type of compression therapy ^^The score of the game that Thom is talking about was San Jose 2, Ottawa 1. Thom scored both of San Jose’s goals. ^^^The host is probably unaware but Dea’s KHL contract had already been terminated by the airing of this podcast. ^^^^This is probably a pun. L’eau is the French word for water, like in Bordeleau.

#thomas bordeleau #san jose sharks #kevin raphael #sans restrictions podcast #translation

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c0smiccom3t · 19 days ago

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Dimension Dyfenders Mini-newsletter blog - OCTOBER EDITION!

Hello, everyone!! Welcome back to a new D.D newsletter blog post! This time, like ive said ever since a month ago, it's not a big one, but it's very exciting indeed! So, i guess you can call this a "mini"-newsletter post. Now without further ado... Let's hop 2 it!

BIG NEWS REGARDING POCKET ADVENTURES!!

You guys still remember pocket adventures, do you? If so, remember the part where i said its first minisode's script was half-way done? Well... THIS JUST IN! I'm happy to announce that the script is OFFICIALLY FINISHED! Now, all that I have left for minisode 1 at this rate is finishing up all of its pages! And speaking of pages, Here are some panels from the upcoming pages from the comic, possibly to be finished in April, and planned to be released in May 2025 (the series' anniversary month)!

And that's not all! A script for a minisode of pocket adventures also finished production a while ago. (It's not minisode 2.) But hey, i'm saving that for another time, anyway. It's way too soon, and summer has already passed, so... Maybe next time, waves will be easier to catch. Who knows?🌊🏄‍♂️🏖️

What's that you're saying?

"Comet, that's great and all that Pocket Adventures minisode 1 is coming along great! But what about Toonies?"

Ohhh Am I GLAD you asked!

Lucky for you all, I have more toonies comics planned right inside my noggin. So, once i can think up of any good ideas, they will be released for you all to enjoy! As for the new fans however... Since there are some people (esp on Bluesky) who are NUTS abt Indie animation and comics and all that and want to know about D.D's world, premise, cast, etc... I'm happy to announce that RE-INTRODUCTION COMICS ARE IN THE PLANS! they may not be in development, yet. But I can assure you, new fans who discover this series will get their cake! OH YEAH! I forgot to mention another thing... Sometimes in toonies and in the reintro comics, there will be chibi versions of the characters getting into shenanigans! Here's what one of our characters will look like as a chibi, courtesy of the y2k artstyle and Knockout himself.

Look at this, isn't he adorable?? Just think of what the other characters will look like! the possibilities are endless!

I dont know when those comics will be made and uploaded. But trust me, wether it's the re-intro comics, toonies or Pocket Adventures, you're sure in for a treat! Okay... I'm sure there isn't anything else i wanna say, is there...? Oh yeah! Almost forgot!

So... About the specials.

Yes, I mean the Halloween special AND the supposed to be 3rd anniversary special. As much as it pains me to say it, the latter is NO LONGER an anniversary special due to time constraints and IRL stuff getting in the way. Instead, it will be a regular special! (It's still a special though!) It will be rewritten to fit less into the anniversary type and instead it will be made about something thats the same (the gala) but just 30% different which i cannot say because i put an NDA on myself and i can't get it out because if i try to his highness will kill me.

As for the good news, I can say that there's another special in the back of my mind. Actually, its script has been in development for a while now! Just give it a few februarys and it'll happen. However, i'm not telling what it is, but I'm positive that it'll leave you... Love-struck.👑💕

Speaking of plans and whatnot, I'll have to reveal that there isn't gonna be much content in 2025 after m01, mostly because i'll be working on the minisodes and won't release them until theyre finished and because me and my mom have been thinking of moving back to italy next year once im done with art school. So, that means D.D might go on yet ANOTHER hiatus, unfortunately. HOWEVER, I have BIG plans for 2026! Plans that i can't go much into detail (once again NDA by myself). But i can definitely tell you all, that's its gonna be amazing! No, it's not animated (yet.) but it's def worth waiting for!

And for any "fansies" reading this. Trust me, he's NOT leaving anytime soon, and you know it!

As for other stuff before i close this off. There will be a thread on my bluesky about introducing you all to Dimension Dyfenders as a whole! (once i finish up with concept art + ref sheets and new renders im currently working on.) So, be sure to look out 4 it!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! I am so excited to show off what this series will get into next as yours truly tries to carry it on their back while its 2 team members are away as much as they can! And trust me, I'll be sure to NOT disappoint you all. And thats a promise.

once again, thank you for reading and thank you all for your support! I still will be on the lookout for any fanart i see about the series! Remember, stuff like that and criticism are very appreciated here!! Have a riftastic day/night!!

#Dimension Dyfenders updates #Dimension Dyfenders #Indie comics #Indie comic #webcomic #original characters #stay tuned #IM SO EXCITED GUYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA!!#but also eepy.... i better get some rest #and fast!!#but yeah. hope you're all excited for whats to come! i promise you. again. itll all be worth it in the end!#independent comics #indie animation/comics fans where are youuuuu oooohhhhh

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ririchanva · 6 months ago

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Chapter Eighteen: Battling In New York~! (Part Four)

░❇┊Previous┊❇ ░ ❇┊Next┊❇ ░ ❇┊Masterlist┊❇ ┊AO3 ┊❇░

░❇ Buy Me Some Coffee~? ❇░

Chapter Warning: Semi-violence (but mostly flashback), death of minor character(s), depicts of the occult, some dark imagery.

A/n: Oh my god, I can't believe it's finally here. When was the last update? *looks towards the date of previous chapter* Since February...okay so not too long ago. It's May now and after this chapter, WE ARE GOING TO THE MAIN STORYLINE! Meaning travelling to Japan and heading to U.A. :D How exciting! Not to mention that with this chapter out now, I can focus on making some fanart and Tiktoks for this story along with working on the newer chapters (and hopefully more frequently).

Anyways, let's get on with this finale of this arc, shall we~?

Also, who can guess where the inspiration comes from for the first part of this chapter~?

Green eyes opened with a gasp, chest heaving as they looked around for a moment in confusion. Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed as he frowned, wondering why he was in a bright place. Wasn’t he fighting against the bad guy with Deku, Bakugo and Ladybug—

Adrien’s eyes widened as he then looked down at himself, realising that he was no longer in costume.

“Why aren’t I Chat Noir? Plagg?” He looked around once more, wondering where his cheese loving Kwami has gone, “Plagg! Where are you?”

He started walking, his heart hammering against his chest as he called out the names of his companions.

“Izuku? Marinette? Katsuki? Where are you guys?”

“Have you forgotten the lessons I’ve taught you?”

Adrien’s head snapped to the source of the voice and saw a prim and proper blonde woman in what seems to be a Ladybug costume, standing there with two other figures. Boys that were his age.

Walking over to them, Adrien reached out his hand to touch her shoulder.

“Excuse me, Missus. Can you help—?”

He blinked when his hand went through her, and stepped back in surprise. He squinted his eyes at the woman still sternly looking towards at the male teenagers before her, one dark haired boy being nervous while the other boy with blond hair was glaring down at her defiantly.

“He’s still a threat until he’s dead…” The woman sighed, closing her eyes and then said coldly, “Finish it.”

“No.”

Silence was deafening to Adrien as he stared at the three, wondering what these people were talking about. Where was he? Was he…having a dream? Some sort of vision? Was this what’s happening right now?

Or a memory?

But of whom?

The adult looking Ladybug holder quirked a brow, narrowing her eyes, “..No?”

“What good would killing do?!” The young blond man that spoke before argued, stepping forward as he ignored his dark haired friend trying to stop him, “When mercy is a skill more of this world could learn to use. OUR FRIENDS ARE DEAD!”

Adrien almost jumped at the sudden bodies on the ground surrounding them, a hand covering his mouth as he felt the urge to throw up. A lot of them…looked like fallen heroes.

“OUR FOE IS WEAKENED, THE…The BLOOD WE’VE SHED?! IT NEVER DRIES!” It sounded like the boy was choking up as if holding back the tears, but then suddenly growled in anger, “IS this WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HERO?!”

“Toshinori, stop.” The other boy finally spoke as Adrien turned to look at him along with the blond young man, now named Toshinori, who was swatting his friend’s hand away.

“…All Might?” Adrien questioned, but knew they couldn’t hear him.

“No, Hisashi! Béatrice-san has to hear this!”

Adrien’s eyes widened as he was taking a good look at the young man named Hisashi who looked hurt and looked away. He continued to watch them a little more quietly, not knowing what to do at this moment. What could he do, anyways? Not like they could see him—

Adrien blinked when he thought Hisashi was staring right at him. But the boy turned his back to him as he looked back to his friend beside him, as said friend continued to talk to the woman.

“We are not killing anyone today.”

The Ladybug holder sighed, eyes looked tired as she murmured a ‘Spots off’ before de-transforming in front of them, revealing to be a normal middle aged woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Reckless. Sentimental at best…I know that’s not what Nana has taught you, Toshinori Yagi.”

Anger swelled in Toshinori’s eyes as he stomped his foot on the ground.

“Do NOT bring my Master into this! If she was here—”

“But she’s not here, is she?“

“…”

Béatrice stared at him before letting out a defeated sigh.

“…It was a mistake to take you on as a student. Hisashi Midoriya is the only one that I should be training. What good is training you since you’re not the same as us. I shouldn’t have agreed to Nana’s dying request and the insistent begging from Gran Torino of helping you finish your—“

“That’s just like you,” Toshinori rolled his eyes, snorting sarcastically, “Why should I be surprised? Selfish, prideful and vain—”

“Watch your tone, Toshi! She’s still our teacher!”

“Your teacher, ‘Sashi-kun. Not mine. Never was.”

Hisashi looked to the blond for a moment, as if lost on what to say next. Meanwhile, Adrien had to place a hand over his mouth. Midoriya? As in, Izuku’s…?

“Say no more. I’m gone.“

Hisashi’s eyes widened as he watched his friend start walking away, then looked back at the blank face of the older Ladybug heroine. Shaking his head, he caught up to Toshinori and grabbed his arm.

“Toshi, please! Don’t go! Teacher just wants—”

“Just how long are you going to take orders from her, Hisashi?”

Hisashi stared at him in bewilderment before his arm fell to his side when Toshinori pulled back from him.

“…I’m her student. I’m to be the next Cat Hero alongside her until she is found again by Master Fu to retire. I need to—”

“I guess this is goodbye then.”

“…I thought you were my comrade? My friend?”

“I am, and always will be…But I cannot be around someone that would cross the lines that no human should.” Toshinori paused, before giving a wistful smile, “I hope that you won’t lose [REDACTED] for this…”

Confusion clouded Hisashi’s eyes as Toshinori vanished in a green light, Hisashi and Béatrice disappearing as well to signal the vision was over.

“So…what did you learn from this?”

Adrien turned his head to look at an older man, and the Cat Holder had a feeling who this was.

“…I don’t understand?” Adrien said softly, as the man gave a small smile.

“I bet it’s all confusing, but I had to show you this to tell you…do not trust those that hold One-For-All.”

“What?” Adrien breathed out as his eyes widened, “W-what do you—?”

“I’m not saying they aren’t good people. But there are times that their ways are…questionable. Heroes like him and his Master are not always in our corner when they get involved with the Miraculous Holders and Celestial Guardians.” The man said with a tilt of his head, and sighed, “And as a fellow Cat Holder, I had to come to warn you when uniting with someone that has the power.”

Fellow cat holder?

Adrien stared at him for a moment then gasped, “You’re…?”

A Cheshire like grin appeared on his face as he then gave a small bow, “My name is Hisashi Midoriya. I was a previous holder of the Cat Miraculous.“

Shock wearing off, Adrien asked, “Are you…Izuku’s Dad?”

Hisashi hummed, tilting his head to the other side, “Izuku? Is that his name?”

“And he’s holding One-For-All.”

Hisashi closed his eyes, as he then murmured, “…Toshinori.”

Adrien frowned, “That’s All Might, right?”

“So he kept that stupid name Shield gave him…”

“You’re not answering my questions properly.”

“You must feel disappointed…” The older man saw the confusion on the boy’s face and chuckled softly, “I mean about how I didn’t listen to Toshinori. What did you think of what you saw?”

The blond looked thoughtful for a moment, but then murmured, “Despite that you are partners with your teacher. Toshinori was still your friend. And if I learnt anything, is that if your friend is voicing something not right…I would listen, even if it is against an adult you trusted.”

Hisashi looked surprised for a moment, and chuckled, “I wonder…”

Suddenly, the ground shook for a moment, making Adrien look around in a panic. Although Hisashi didn’t look surprised at all.

“What’s happening?” Adrien asked, trying to keep his footing.

The older man looked at him with a small smile, “I don’t have much more time. Especially since it seems the fight is going to be over soon. I wished we had more time to talk….”

Adrien blinked as he felt himself vanishing, seeing Hisashi’s back turning to him, and the blond was trying to reach out before Hisashi spoke once more.

“We’ll see each other again, little kitten. Tell the new Bug I said hello~”

“Adrien?…Adrien!….Wake up, my son…”

A groan escaped the blond as his eyes open slowly, feeling pain all over his body. Once his vision cleared, he saw a worried looking Amelie and Aizawa staring down at him, Felix behind them.

“M-Mom? What…what happened?”

“I can explain that, if you don’t mind~” Rody also appeared in his field of vision, smiling with Pino and Talli resting on top of his head, “You see…”

He saw lines of green and orange strings around not just Bakugo and Deku…but around Ladybug and Chat Noir as well. It was then light emerald and pink strings were surrounding them as well.

“What are those…?” Thunderbird asked himself before looking around to his fellow heroes, “Is anyone else seeing this?”

“Seeing what?” Rayures asked as she looked confused.

“The fact that Deku, Bakugo, Ladybug and Chat Noir are glowing?“ Carapace supplied, humming a bit, “I mean we all see that~”

“You guys can’t see the strings?”

“Strings?” Shinso asked with a quirked brow, “What strings?”

“They can’t see it, Young Thunderbird,” Talli appeared beside the bird hero, who jumped in surprise, “If you’re going to ask how I am here, your friend Pino allowed me to come out to support you thanks to your quirk. Interesting power, I must say so myself.”

“Then…? What are they?”

“Have you not ever heard of Strings of Fate before?“

“…Those are real?”

Talli nodded, “And watch. They are going to help your friends win~”

Thunderbird turned his head to just see all four heroes racing towards the insane Nine, who was screaming and yelling stuff at them before using his quirks against them. The villain engages Deku, Chat Noir, Bakugo and Ladybug in an intense combat, dodging and going on the offensive as Nine was releasing all his Quirks at their maximum power. Somehow Chat Noir and Ladybug jumped up in the air while the other two heroess were powering themselves up in shared forces, beating Nine down along with the tornado dragons he conjured up. Combining their special powers, Bakugo and Deku managed to shake all of New York, shocking both young and pro-heroes around them while they were protecting the citizens.

Delivering the final blow, Chat Noir and Ladybug summoned some sort of magical blast, a mix of the Miraculous Ladybug and Cataclysm. Once Nine fell in defeat, the four heroes were powered down and started falling from the sky. Thunderbird was ready as he and Lady Dragon flew to the skies and caught a now transformed Adrien and Marinette, Tikki and Plagg landing in their arms, unconscious. Their friends gathered around them quickly, with Hawks and Majestia catching Bakugo and Deku in the process.

“And so, Nine is done, and he along with his crew are captured by the American Heroes Safety Commission and United Heroez are taking them in along with Techno-Pirate.“ Rody finished off his story as he smiled tiredly, giving a thumbs up, “We won.”

Adrien blinked but then slowly grinned, “We…we actually won?”

“Yes, Adrien. And we are very proud of you all,” Amelie said softly before hugging him gently, “But you really worried us, you know? Never do that again, you hear me???”

“S-sorry, Mom…” Adrien smiled weakly before he tilted his head, “What else happened? Where are Deku, Bakugo and Ladybug?”

“Well they are fine for the most part,” Fei came to Rody’s side with a sigh, “All Might and President Hombee are seeing to them right now.”

Adrien turned his head to see an unconscious Deku being held by All Might, the heroine Victory placing a hand onto his shoulder in support. It seemed Bakugo and Marinette were being carried into ambulances along with some other heroes.

“…So it’s over now?”

“For now,” Aizawa said solemnly, “We are still trying to pinpoint the location of one person. The very one that was transporting the Nomus around but somehow made them vanish when the fight was over.”

“How…is New York in one piece though?” Adrien looked around, seeing minimal damage, “I thought that with all four combined powers, we would’ve made a huge crater of maybe the whole state…”

“This I can explain,” Felix murmured as he pulled out his phone and showed his twin the footage of Thunderbird of all people using Miraculous Ladybug and fixing everything and healing some people, “While it’s not as powerful as the real Ladybug, apparently Thunderbird’s Miraculous is able to utilise his quirk into borrowing one’s soul. So, I suppose it’s magic bullsh—“

“Language.” Aizawa interrupted before Amelie laughed.

“So Rody managed to do some of Marinette’s work, and had a bit of help from the Ghost Force, Pixie Girl and Sorcerer into cleaning up the rest of New York. The other young heroes also helped out as well.”

Adrien hummed a little, but then winced as he realized that it hurt to move. Felix noticed this and then gestured his mother to move back before helping Adrien up.

“Come on, brother. We’re going to have to take you to the hospital as well…”

Not far from them, Hawks was listening in on the conversation before slipping away for a moment, walking to an alleyway and pressing onto an earpiece he was wearing.

“Looks like your plan worked a little too well, eh~?”

“It’s all according to Boss, after all,” A familiar deep raspy voice spoke into Hawks’ ear, chuckling, “It wasn’t like we expected Nine and them to actually win against those brats being aided by Pros. But at least we learnt some interesting things.“

“Oh yeah?” Hawks tilted his head, “Like what?”

“As if I would tell you. You’re not initiated fully just yet.”

Hawks pursed his lips before the voice let out a chuckle.

“Anyways, keep playing your role like the good birdie you are and don’t do anything stupid. Until next time, Keigo~”

Hawks tapped his earpiece with a frown, but then blinked as Tokoyami approached him, “Hey Tsukuyomi~ You doing okay?”

“I’m fine. Much more than Midoriya and them,” The bird headed male hummed as Liiri rested on his shoulder, “It is good you and the heroes were there on time.”

“Of course~ As if I’d let my best sidekick be killed,” Hawks noticed Liiri and hummed, “Who’s the chickadee?”

“Liiri. My companion Kwami of the Eagle Miraculous of Freedom.” A sigh escaped Tokoyami before touching the talon pendant around his next, “I was trying to return it to Pixie Girl-san and Sorcerer-san, but apparently they told me that I was the true holder of the Eagle Miraculous now…”

“As if I’d let my fledgling go after finally uniting with him!” Liiri huffed as she rested on top of his head now, puffing their cheeks, “You cannot get rid of me that easily!”

“I do not wish to ‘get rid of you’ as you put it,” Tokoyami said to them softly, “I just did not think I am worth such a powerful artefact in my hands.”

“It looks like you’re the right person for them, Fumi,” Jess walked beside him as she grinned, “I’m pretty sure that it suits you better than anyone else~!”

“I would’ve figured it would’ve gone to someone like you, Jessica-san,” Tokoyami tilted his head before looking worried, “Aeon-san is okay?”

A sigh escaped Jess as she looked conflicted, “Ah, she’s…physically okay. But our moms are kinda having a talk with her.”

Understanding crossed Tokoyami’s features as he nodded.

“It is for the best she knew the truth now rather than in an even more dangerous situation just like hours ago.”

“Still…I am just concerned what this is going to do with her confidence. It was just yesterday she thought she could take on the world and not get hurt.”

“Better to be realistic than to let her live on in a fantasy of being invincible.”

“I guess…”

Tokoyami reached over to touch her shoulder, almost as if comforting her. Jess looked over at her feathered friend and smiled gratefully at him.

“Why don’t we go and see Aeon-san, hm?”

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

“You okay, Young Midoriya? I’m so sorry that I’m late…”

“…Is…Is Kacchan, M-Mari-chan and Adri-kun a-alright?”

All Might smiled softly, hiding his worry as he tried to joke, “Heh, as usual, you’re more worried about other people than you are of yourself. And they are fine. Beat up and tired…but they’ll live.”

Izuku tilted his head as he and All Might looked over at the hospital beds nearby them, seeing Bakugo, Marinette and Adrien close together. Izuku had woken up first and naturally All Might was the first to check up on him.

“Although Young Bakugo woke up first in a panic trying to look for you three, to the point that the doctor had to put him back to sleep by force. He was real worried about you, Young Marinette and Young Adrien.”

A sigh of relief escaped the green haired male as he smiled, “Thank goodness…I-I made them do something pretty crazy…”

“You made them do something…?”

The former One-For-All Holder looked questionably at him, as his student continued on with a sad look, almost looking like he was about to break.

“I’m...I'm s-sorry…” He whispered, closing his eyes, “But…I-I transferred it to him...I-I gave One-For-All t-to Kacchan…”

All Might’s eyes widened in shock, heart stopping for a moment, “You gave him One-For-All?”

Izuku was quiet for a second, before shakily breathing out in reply.

“I-If we hadn’t combined the power of One-For-All itself along w-with the power of both t-the Ladybug and Cat…there was no way we could’ve saved everyone…” He explained while All Might listened with bated breath, “The villain would’ve defeated us. That’s why…I don’t regret what I did.”

All Might knew there was more.

“B-But I feel terrible…because you chose me to be your successor…” More tears fell down the boy’s face as he sniffled, “B-Because you said that I could become a hero like you…I-I just wanted to protect everyone…no m-matter what it took…”

“…And that’s just what we did. Together.”

All Might was surprised that someone cut him off, looking up along with Izuku. Marinette was awake and staring at them with shining eyes. Before the man could stop her, the girl was already getting out of bed, limping all the way to Izuku’s bed and crawled onto it before sitting in front of him. She raised her hands up to touch Izuku’s face, cupping it gently to wipe his tears away.

“We did it. Your plan worked perfectly and everyone is safe. You may have sacrificed big time by giving up your powers to Katsuki, but we defeated Nine and New York is once again at peace. All thanks to you.”

Izuku couldn’t stop crying, as Marinette slowly wrapped her arms around him into a gentle hug, letting him sob onto her shoulder. All Might watched with a heavy heart, deciding to give them a moment before getting up and quietly leaving the room.

As he closed the door behind him, he was surprised seeing the President of the United States and also heroine, Victory, standing close by.

“Camilla…”

“How are the children?”

All Might walked side by side with her down the hospital hallways, sighing.

“Resting easy now. I think this battle took a toll on them. Young Midoriya, especially. How are the rest of them?”

“Not a lot of casualties. Only just bruises and mild concussions but other than that, the rest of the Miraculous team are alright,” Camilla hummed as she then tilted her head to Toshinori, “Doesn’t the Midoriya kid remind you of—?”

“Yes. Too much of him, in fact.” The blond rubbed his temple before glancing at the woman, “…And the League? Any signs of their involvement?”

“None. And the mission from Eraserhead and Nighteye about that cult you were looking for? Also a no go.”

“Hmmm, it’s almost as if this battle was just a taste of what’s to come.”

Camila frowned, “…Is this war of yours going to be global?”

“I am hoping not.” All Might said but looked out the window, “For all our sakes, I am just praying that this will not be a whole World War again.”

“THAT HUUUUUUURTS!”

Marinette’s eye twitched for a moment as she was curled in the four hospital beds that were squished into one giant bed, Adrien and Deku on either side of her, wide awake. After an hour nap, Bakugo woke up and was now being checked by Recovery Girl. Apparently the woman was transported here, thanks to Star Stallion, to heal everyone that was part of the battle.

“WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED TO MEEEEE?!” Bakugo yelled once more, but was silenced by a puckered up Recovery Girl.

Both Marinette and Adrien blushed, covering their eyes when they witnessed the woman smooching his cheek, embarrassed of the scene. According to Deku, that was all part of her healing quirk.

“It’s still a surprise that you still kept One-For-All…” Adrien spoke up after Recovery Girl left, all four of them facing each other, “I wonder what happened?”

“My theory is that Kacchan was knocked out before the power could be transferred fully,” Deku responded with a shrug while cuddled up to Marinette and Adrien resting his head onto her shoulder, “But somehow he doesn’t have the slightest memory of the battle and using it.”

“To be honest, I’m not even sure myself how we won the fight. Sorta blanked out when you guys connected hands,” Marinette then looked to Adrien, “What about you? Do you remember anything?”

Adrien was quiet for a moment, almost alerting Deku and Marinette on how nervous the blond was looking.

“…Adrien?”

“I saw something. And met someone…”

Bakugo was scrubbing his face for a moment before looking up at him, “What’cha see, Furball?”

Adrien glowered playfully at him of the nickname before he turned serious, “I saw a vision…o-or maybe a memory? It's of a former black cat…”

“Who was it? Did he speak to you? Aw, I wished I met a past Ladybug, what was it like?” Marinette asked excitedly before Adrien raised his hand up, “Adrien?”

“I don’t think I’m ready to share it yet, since I’m still processing what had happened. But I’ll tell you guys when I’m ready. It’s…it’s kinda a lot.”

Deku looked understanding and nodded, “Take all the time you need.”

Adrien winced at his words and smiled weakly, almost awkwardly, “Yeah…”

Marinette and Bakugo looked at each other for a moment before Bakugo decided to change the subject.

“So what’s the plan now? What’s our next move?”

“Good question…” Deku hummed, almost closing his eyes when Marinette was scratching the top of his head affectionately, “We’ll need to head to Japan soon and get everyone prepped for U.A. High. Especially with Class A coming back from Nabu Island.”

“Does that include the three new stragglers that you invited?” Bakugo grunted, closing his eyes when Adrien gestured him to come closer, the spiky blond’s head resting on the French boy's lap.

“Yeah…why did you not only kidnap Aurore and Mireille, but you actually got one of my childhood friend as well?” Marinette asked as she looked at Deku, who gave a sheepish smile with a shrug.

“I knew that Socqueline would fit nicely into our group~” Deku tiredly joked, almost yelped when the Ladybug holder pinched his side gently.

“The dragon, though?” Marinette questioned.

“It was the most logical idea I had so far.”

Marinette hummed before she heard a knock on the door. All four of them looked over as it swung open, revealing Kirishima, Kagami, Todoroki and Chloe walking in.

“I hope we are not interrupting anything?” Todoroki asked as he and Chloe sat on one of the couches in the room while Kirishima and Kagami remained standing near them.

“Don’t you all look cozy,” Chloe pointed out, raising a brow at the four in bed, “When did this all happen?”

“It’s not what you think, Chloe,” Adrien said in a drawl as he shrugged, sort of combing his fingers through Bakugo’s hair, “After the fight, we just sorta…felt the need to be closer. Can’t really explain it, but when we first woke up and we couldn’t find each other—”

“—It was like something was cut off, missing. Strange, but I almost thought that the boys…” Marinette closed her eyes, and Chloe shut her mouth from any teasing she had previously, “Tikki and Plagg then explained to us that because we used both combined Miraculous with another anomaly that was equal in power, our human bodies got too absorbed into it…”

“So for now, we stick together until our physical bodies could regulate normally without us going into shock,” Deku added as he soon rolled towards Bakugo, who grunted tiredly.

“…So a cuddle party?” Kirishima questioned innocently before he winced when Kagami nudged at him with a shake of her head.

“I guess so,” Marinette laughed a little as she felt Bakugo roll over to lay his head on her lap now, while Deku nuzzled further into Bakugo’s back and Adrien mostly cuddled into Marinette more, “Tikki said that the tingling feeling of the powers will deplete tomorrow. So that’s at least good news.”

“Makes sense that it would be a lot, considering all four of you almost destroyed New York and maybe the neighbouring cities,” Todoroki said plainly, making Deku, Bakugo, Adrien and Marinette groan.

“If it wasn’t for the Ghost Force, Pixie Girl, Sorcerer and Thunderbird using their combined powers to clean up the cities, I think the government would punish us severely. Probably never to be allowed in American soil again,” Kagami said with a nod.

“Gee, way to make us feel better guys.” Adrien rolled his eyes in sarcasm.

“It’s the truth though, look,” Chloe pulled out her phone to show the news articles and videos talking about them, although Deku and Bakugo’s faces were blurred out, “All Might thought that you guys needed to stay low for now.”

“Which is good. I don’t wanna some wannabe tabloids and gossip rags hounding me,” Bakugo said but then blinked when he suddenly felt a new weight on top of him and saw Todoroki laying on him, “…The hell are you doing, Icy Hot?”

“Don’t friends usually have this kind of contact to feel better?” Todoroki asked innocently before Chloe made herself comfortably close to Adrien, still looking at her phone.

“We aren’t friends, you bastard—Oi!” Bakugo looked down when Kirishima was laying his head onto the blond’s leg, Kagami snuggled up to him, “What are you idiots doing now?!”

“Cuddle party! Like a bonding moment~” The red head chirped, while Kagami was patting Marinette’s hand in comfort, “Besides, you guys looked so comfortable, and when Todoroki made the move, we all joined in~”

“Where is Yaomomo anyways?” Deku asked curiously, Kagami perking up at the question.

“She is still recovering. Nathaniel, Marc and Alix are with her right now,” Kagami responded, reaching Kirishima’s hand and playing with his fingers idly, “But she should be better by tomorrow.”

Suddenly, the door burst open and everyone looked over to see Rose looking bright eyed at them, along with a sheepish looking Juleka and deadpanned Shinso.

“You guys having a slumber party?!” The strong girl clapped her hands, squealing in excitement, “Can we join?”

“Someone say slumber party?” Nino’s head popped in as well, grinning as Sabrina and Felix also peeked in, “Awesome! I want in!”

“Is Izuku awake? What’s going on?” Lila also was trying to push into the room, with Luka trying to reign her in.

Bakugo felt his head throb at too many people in the room, comically yelling to the point of almost popping a blood vessel, “If none of you are the Nerd, Spots or Furball, WOULD YOU IDIOTS GET THE FUCK OUT?!”

Rody stared down at the Miracle Box in hand for a moment with a confused look, before looking back up at Holly and Aster, the Ghost Force gang behind them in their civilian forms.

“…Are you sure you’d want to leave this to me? I mean you guys seem the more worthy and experienced?” He asked slowly, while Aster chuckled in amusement.

“Who are we to question the previous Master’s wish to make you Guardian? Besides, it is not like we can just take it from you?”

“Not if you want your memories erased~” Holly said in a sing-song voice, making Rody sweat drop for a moment.

“I already told you that you are the Guardian now until you have decided to retire, WHICH would be a long LONG time. Plus, you are holding the Thunderbird Miraculous, meaning you’ll have to lead your future team,“ Talli rested on Rody’s shoulder with a stern frown.

Rody rolled his eyes upwards with a groan, “I still feel like this is all happening so fast and unreal at the moment…”

Fei smiled as she patted his arm, “I mean, I thought that way too when I had the Prodigious the first time. But you gotta give yourself credit, Rody. You actually managed to be a hero and save the day.”

“Ugghhh my street cred…” Rody whined playfully, making the others laugh.

“So, what now? I wish you could just stay in New York, ya know?” Liv joked, “It would be nice to have more allies our age here…”

“You’re not coming with us?” Fei and Rody asked at the same time, making the American heroes look confused.

“Why would we? We belong here?” Holly said with an unsure look, looking at her partner, “Right?”

“Then again, with the Southern Miracle Box on the move, it is our duty to keep an eye out for it and it’s guardian,” Aster hummed, looking thoughtful while fixing his glasses.

“But New York?” Holly was gesturing around her, “We swore to protect the city.”

“You know there’s always us, right? And the United Heroez…as useful as they can be at times~” Andy quipped with a grin, making Mike and Liv roll their eyes.

Holly and Aster looked at each other before looking back to Rody and Fei.

“As much as it would be an honour meeting other young heroes, particularly those holding the Miraculous, I’m afraid we cannot leave America alone.” Aster sighed solemnly as Holly nodded.

“Especially with The Witch still prowling around,”

“The Witch?” Rody questioned as Aster glowered.

“One of our mortal enemies. She wishes to harness the secrets of American Magic and, you know, rule the world by being the most powerful being in the universe and all that evil jazz,” He made air quotations with an eye roll, making the blonde beside him snort.

“She’s a nasty piece of work. But it’s not only her, there’s also her boss, Dracula—“

“A-are you seriously talking about the bleh-bleh-belgh, Dracula?!” Rody asked while making clawing gestures and front teeth out while making the sounds, Fei covering her mouth from laughing beside him.

“Don’t laugh, he’s real dangerous. Not to mention he’s working side by side with Mama Witch,” Aster coughed and tried to be serious, but it was sort of hard considering the Ghost Force and Holly were trying not to giggle as well.

“But we could handle Goblins, Trolls and Gargoyles too~ It’s not just ghosts we can whoop ass~” Andy countered, but then hummed, “But oh man…wouldn’t it be cool to go to a superhero school? I mean there’s I-Island, but they are mostly Support Crew and Science Nerds.”

“Why don’t you come?” Fei asked curiously, but Liv gave a weak smile.

“We have family here. Our parents don’t even know we’re superheroes that protect New York every single day, the very reasons why we keep skipping and failing school?”

Mike agreed, “As much as we would love to join you…I’m afraid we can’t—”

Andy let out a shout, making everyone jump.

“Argh! It’s totally not fair! Why don’t we tag along with them?”

Liv levelled a look to her twin brother, “Mom and Dad won’t allow us to go to Japan?”

“Well not unless we had help from certain adults to get us there~?” Andy waggled his brows as Mike looked thoughtful for a moment.

“…Dad is good friends with Rock Lock.”

“Mike!”

“Liv, Andy has a point!” The Blue Ghost hero waved his hands in front of him when the girl glared at him with her hands on her hips like some stern parent, “Besides, why don’t we ask Miss Jones about it?”

“I’ve been meaning to ask this, since you’ve mentioned that name a few times but…who’s Miss Jones?” Fei asked curiously.

Andy decided to answer with a chuckle, “She’s kinda like our boss. She’s also our science teacher in NYC High.”

Liv continued, “She recruited the three of us to form a secret team, the Ghostforce, to protect New York City from the wild ghosts that terrorizes it. We also kinda have another team member who isn’t here.”

“Who?” Rody and Fei asked before Andy snickered.

“Glowboo.”

“….Bless you?” Rody said slowly before Liv almost facepalmed.

“Haha, that’s his name. Glowboo is an android created by Miss Jones to help us during our missions,” Mike explained properly, “We can go meet him and Miss Jones now if you like.”

“Lady Holly and I should look into the missing Miraculous,” Aster spoke softly, glancing at the Pixie Holder, “With the Southern Miracle Box now in good hands, there’s hope that maybe the Miracle Box of the North and it’s Miraculous might be hidden somewhere.”

Rody perked up at this, “…Did you want help finding them?”

This made Holly and Aster look at him with bewilderment.

“…You’d want to help us?” Aster breathed out, Holly’s eyes sparkling with hope.

Rody chuckled, “I am a Guardian after all. And isn’t it a heroic duty as one to help all Miraculous holders?”

A squeal came out of Holly as she swooped in to bring Rody into a hug, surprising both Fei and Aster.

“You’ll really help us?! For really really!?”

“Y-Yes, um, yes…c-choking, not breathing!” Rody wheezed out, almost turning blue but Liv separated them much to Rody’s relief.

Aster looked unsure, “I’m afraid it’s not just going to take a day. In fact, it might take longer than the year we have tried searching, my friend. As we’ve told you before, we seem to be the only ones holding what remains of the American Miraculous other than the Southern Miracle Box you recently acquired.”

Andy hummed, “We’ve tried helping them look since discovering them, but no go.”

“As if science and technology can find magical artefacts as old as the Miraculi…” Hecca said with a drawl at the other red head, who shrugged at the Kwami.

“The only clue I have was that Florra said that her previous holder knew of four Miraculous but they vanished. And then she was gone, thanks to Mama Witch.” A pained look came on Holly’s face, then braved it out when Aster patted her shoulder, “But even then, we don’t know where the four Miraculous are nor feel any sense of where they could be.”

“That sounds awful. Again, I am sorry that you have gone through such ordeals.” Fei said honestly, hand over her heart them looked to Rody, “Aster is right. We cannot do much to help them since we are leaving as soon as the rest of the Miraculous Team checks out of the hospital.”

“It is alright. Thank you for the sentiments on trying to help us, but I think our place is here in New York.” Aster smiled weakly at Fei, as Holly had to turn her head away with slumped shoulders.

Fei honestly felt bad. She wished she could do more.

Rody’s ears twitched for a moment as they continued to talk, his head turned to look off somewhere and Pino stilled. With the American teens and Fei still exchanging words, Rody let himself walk away from them for a moment, brows creased down and lips pursed.

“…Do you hear that, Pino?”

Pino shivered, cooing softly with a nod.

“I see you feel it too.”

Rody and Pino looked to Talli resting on the boy’s other shoulder, staring off in the distance to Central Park.

“What is that?”

“Spirits. Four of them.” Talli hummed, as Rody’s eyes glowed for a moment, “They are calling for help.”

“Do you think it’s has to do with the Four Miraculous?” He asked his Kwami companion, as Pino’s wings fluttered with hope.

“Why don’t we find out?“

Rody looked at the knowing smile that was on the Kwami’s face and grinned, nodding his head and was about to step towards the park when he felt himself pulled back by his jacket. Falling to the ground, he looked up at a panicked Fei, Liv, Holly and Mike while Andy and Aster looked fearfully pissed.

“What did you think you were doing man?! Trying to off yourself?!” Andy yelled straight at his face as Aster helped him up, “DO you know HOW MANY traffic deaths happen in New York? DO ya?!“

“Easy An…” Liv murmured to her twin brother, trying to calm him down.

“Rody, why did you do that?” Fei demanded as she checked her friend over, eyes wide and her face pale.

Rody looked apologetic as he then looked behind her, “Something was calling us. I had to go check.“

“Calling you?” Mike asked, glancing at his friend before looking back at Rody, “What was calling you?”

“I didn’t hear anything,” Holly tilted her head in confusion.

“It is thanks to his quirk and him using the Thunderbird Miraculous, his senses of the spirits and the beyond are heightened,” Talli looked proudly at her wielder, “To the point that I believe he has located four souls that might be owners of the Miraculous you are looking for.”

“That’s impossible.” Florra spoke from Holly’s purse with big eyes, “We have been trying to sense the missing Miraculous and possible holders, and never had once felt or heard anything.”

“It seems my chosen has~” Talli almost looked giddy at this, almost in pride, making Rody look sheepish.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Why don’t we check it out then?“ Andy said, already excited.

“Don’t you think we should tell Sister Marinette and Brother Adrien first?” Fei wondered out loud.

“And what if it’s a trap?” Aster logically added, concern in his eyes.

“But what if it’s a chance?” Holly countered.

“Me and the boys will get Ladybug and Chat Noir,” Liv suggested, already powering up along with Andy and Mike, “Holly and Aster will following you two towards whatever it is that’s calling Rody.”

Rody and Fei looked at each other before nodding.

“Just meet us in Central Park, Fei can even text you our coordinates.”

With the Ghost Force making their way to the hospital, Aster glanced at Holly with a nervous look.

“Is it really this easy?”

Holly knew that Aster had been disappointed through the year every time they were close to finding the Miraculous of the North, and took his hand gently to comfort him.

“We won’t know until we find out? Besides, if it turns out to be another dead end…we’ll still keep on looking.”

The red haired Brit felt a bit more at ease, squeezing his partner’s hand back to signal he was okay.

Fei watched them for a moment before looking back at Rody, “Alright Rods, lead the way.”

“It’s too bad Katsuki kicked us out. I really did want a cuddle pile and a slumber party,” Rose pouted softly, flopping onto Shinso’s lap and looked at everyone in the room with her while Juleka stroked the blonde’s hair while leaning against Shinso.

“Let them rest. They did most of the saving by defeating Nine. They deserve a bit of peace and quiet before we leave,” Nathaniel spoke up from his seat, sketching something in his book.

“Speaking of…” Nino looked towards Aurore and Mireille, “How did you two get dragged into this?”

“The red head with the teeth and the pretty girl with him brought us here,” Aurore murmured before she looked at her former schoolmates with a frown, holding Stompp in her arms, “So I’m assuming that you are all working with Ladybug and Chat Noir?”

“W-well yes…” Marc looked sheepish at her face towards them, and sweat-dropped, “I-It wasn’t like we could tell you…by the way, Aurore, how are you feeling?”

“Traumatized? Exhausted? Just…I dunno,” The blonde murmured, hugging herself, “One minute, I’m in Paris’ hospital, the next I’m in this creepy place with creepy kids and a whack-job doctor—“

“What creepy kids?” Felix questioned.

Mireille took this time to chime in, stroking Ziggy gently.

“We were apparently kidnapped by the doctor that was handling Aurore. And there were others like us where we were held, and the kids there…they were acting like zombies. But Aurore and I managed to escape that place and was rescued by some Japanese policeman.”

“You thinking human trafficking?” Alix wondered while eating some sliced apples by Sabrina, who seemed to be cutting up fruits she had apparently gotten.

“More like quirk trafficking. Considering that Aurore and Mireille both have quirks now,” Shinso pointed out, figuring out Aurore had a Storm Quirk…but with Mireille, he wasn’t sure of since she didn’t even know if she had powers or not.

“Really living up the Stormy Weather name…” Lila murmured with a huff, Chloe stomping her foot and smirked when the Italian yelped in pain.

Although the blonde felt eyes glaring daggers at her and turned her head with a huff, “What?”

Socqueline almost sneered at the rich girl, arms folded as Longg rested on top of her head, “How are you a hero? Last time I met you, you got me expelled from school and I had to move to another part of Paris.”

“Chloe is sorry about that, right Chloe?” Sabrina looked over at her best friend as Chloe huffed.

“Says the martial arts tomboy that almost broke my face and destroyed my phone!”

“You haven’t changed one bit, Bourgeois.”

“Bite me, Wang.”

“Hey now~” Nino got in between them as he raised a brow, then looked to Socqueline, “I’m sorry that you had experienced the Chloe Tyranny like everyone in the room here, but I can vouch that she has…halfway kinda sorta turned over a new leaf?”

“Are you serious?” The Chinese girl was waving her hands around with gestures, “Did you forget that she, her lackey over there and the neanderthal of a jock that is Lê Chiến Kim basically tortured and broke Marinette’s heart?! How Chloe bullied all of us?!”

Nino winced, trying to placate the girl, “I get it, and that was a long time ago—“

“And you!” She poked her finger at his chest, surprising the DJ, “You’re the coward that let it all happen!”

“Stop it!” Nathaniel stood up now, frowning disapprovingly, “Socqueline, you were gone since we graduated from collège, and frankly not all of us are the same as you remember. While, yes, it was recent that Chloe has decided to slowly be a better person. However, she has shown a lot of progress.”

Socqueline didn’t look convinced and huffed quietly, “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Todoroki decided to change subject, “What about Zoe-san? What happened with her?”

“Ah, I talked with Aizawa-sensei about that. Apparently Zoe is now in All Might’s custody with the help of Victory and David Shield. Turns out, Mister Plastic had enough that he decided to sign his parental rights fully over to the State.” Shinso stated, remembering what his mentor had told him this morning.

“That sucks. I mean, she kinda sucked before, but I don’t wish any family to abandon their own…” Alix said with a wince, making Marc look uncomfortable.

Kirishima perked up at the sudden whoosh sound outside the hallways and peeked out for a moment, Kagami looking towards the red head curiously. The two of them then blinked as three coloured ghosts were holding both Marinette and Adrien’s in their arms and flying out the hospital building.

The two looked at each other for a moment.

“…Should we follow them?” Kirishima asked as Kagami smiled, feeling Orikko resting on her shoulder.

“I think we should.”

With a murmur of “Orikko, Sunrise!” and transforming into Onagadori, she picked up Kirishima in her arms easily, which surprised the red head for a moment. Conjuring some wings on her back, she soon flew out of the window to follow after the Ghost Force.

Nathaniel was the only one that watched all this, noting that his other friends didn’t seem to have caught on to anything that happened outside the room. Silently, he got up and decided to visit Momo’s room to check up on her.

“Where are you taking us?”

Fury was thankful that Marinette stopped wriggling around, hitting his shoulder and chest after swooping into her room then taking her to the skies. Maybe he should’ve picked up Adrien instead, but Myst beat him to it.

“I’m sorry, I know you’re recovering and all, but this was an emergency!” The green Ghost Force leader explained, while Krush floated beside them.

“Rody has seem to have found other Miraculous at Central Park. And maybe it’s holders.”

Both Marinette and Adrien gasped.

“Do you think it’s really them?” Adrien asked, feeling excitement of meeting other Miraculous wielders from America before Myst looked concerned.

“I hope so…”

Marinette noticed her expression, but before she could question it, she heard a whistle from below them. Looking down, she saw Thunderbird soaring towards them, along with Lady Dragon.

“Good, you’re both here. I might need you to transform into Ladybug and Chat Noir before I show you what I, Lady Dragon, Pixie girl and Sorcerer found.” Thunderbird said promptly before flying down back to the trees below them, Lady Dragon following him.

Exchanging glances for a moment, both the Ladybug and Cat holder transformed immediately, the Ghost Force landing and placed them down. Ladybug noticed that indeed, Pixie Girl and the Sorcerer were there and looking to the ground with pale faces and wide eyes.

“What’s going on?” Chat Noir asked, looking worried for the two that looked like they were going to throw up.

Lady Dragon turned into her humanoid form before looking awkward and horrified, “W-well…I’m sure the Ghost Force told you why we’re here?”

Ladybug nodded, “You said you might’ve found other Miraculous and their holders.”

Chat Noir looked around, before landing to look at Thunderbird, “Well? Where are they?”

Thunderbird pursed his lips, before pointing a gloved finger down on the ground. This confused them at first, before Fury let out a curse word and gasps from Krush and Myst. Chat Noir was about to question what had them spooked, when Ladybug let out a distraught sound.

Shakingly placing her hands over her mouth, she looked towards Thunderbird’s serious expression.

“A-are they…?”

“Not quite…” Thunderbird murmured as he crouched down and touched the matted forest floor, closing his eyes, breathing in and out slowly, “I feel magic underneath here. And it’s pulsing.”

“Meaning they are alive down there,“ Talli appeared on top of Thunderbird’s head, shocking Ladybug.

“H-How are you here?” Chat Noir stepped over, looking at the bird Kwami, “I thought Kwamis are stuck in the suits when transformed?”

“Thanks to my Chosen’s quirk, I am able to be out and about~” Talli said haughtily, before turning serious as they looked down at the ground, “But yes, it seems there are four beings buried under here.”

“Alive?!” Myst yelped, shaking and Fury had to calm her down.

“Maybe they are in a comatose state,” The Sorcerer said softly before looking to Pixie Girl, “Did you not say that a year ago, the previous Pixie Girl landed in this park and passed Florra down to you before leaving this world?”

Snapping out of her shock, Pixie Girl squeaked with tremor, “A-ah, well, yes! That’s right.”

“Was she alone?”

The caught the winged fairy like heroine off guard at her partner’s question, before looking thoughtful, “…S-She was…I think…?”

The Sorcerer frowned.

“I have a theory…what if the previous Pixie Girl wasn’t alone. What if she had a team, friends, who were also Miraculous Holders? What if she escaped something while they were cursed by some villain…?”

Thunderbird caught onto what he was saying, “It would explain why I can feel souls down here.”

“So…are they really alive down there? But how?” Chat Noir asked, hopeful and yet mortified.

“It’s possible that they are still using their Miraculous. Meaning the suits has protected them and placed them into a magical coma.” Talli theorised as well, looking concerned, “But to do it for this long?”

“How is it that I couldn’t have sensed them before?” The Sorcerer murmured, looking frustrated.

“I think it has something to do with this?“ Thunderbird was pointing at something, and everyone looked to the direction…and saw nothing.

“…Whaaaaaaat are you looking at, Thunderbird?” Fury asked curiously, Thunderbird looking surprised.

“Can’t you see it?” He asked, making Lady Dragon look concerned.

“See what?” She asked, making Thunderbird look even more puzzled.

“The gravestones? Can’t you seem them?”

“Gravestones?” Ladybug looked around once more, seeing nothing and then shaking her head, “I do not see anything, Thunderbird. I’m sorry…”

“As I’ve told you, they can’t see what you can, my Chosen. It is because they are not powerful enough, and your quirk helps a ton with the powers of the Thunderbird. Honestly, I can understand why,” Talli chuckled, as she flew around for a moment, “It’s quite a powerful curse from a high level witch.“

The Sorcerer looked up with a frown, “…Are you saying that is why no one, not even me and my family, could sense them all this time? Because of a Witch’s Curse?”

“Correct! I assume this is why Pala also did not know about this. From what I can guess, this sort of curse is to make sure that those buried down here are not to be found, magic or otherwise. If it’s true that perhaps the Previous Pixie Holder has escaped the grasp of the caster, then perhaps whoever cursed these poor souls was someone dangerous…”

“And…t-the gravestones?” Krush asked slowly, before Talli hummed.

“I believe they are more of Hex Tombs than markings of a grave.”

“What are Hex Tombs?” Lady Dragon asked, seeing the ominous expression on Sorcerer.

“With this sort of spell, it requires A LOT of power,” He explained, as he was summoning his spell-book in hand then flipping the pages with a frown, “Dark magic like this has some requirements. Think like how back in the day, Witches and Wizards used Blood Magic—”

“T-There is THAT sort of magic?!” Myst, Ladybug and Lady Dragon yelped and hugged each other with exclaimed fear, making the boys sweat drop for a moment.

Sorcerer raised a brow, “…Y-Yes? But I think the caster used Curse Magic. Less of a mess and hassle.”

“Curse Magic?” Thunderbird questioned him, “What’s the difference?”

��It’ll be easier to understand if you think of curse magic as something like a lock and key,” The wizard like hero explained, as he was waving a hand when a light illusion of a lock and key appeared before them, “You can place a lock to bound people with a curse, then set a key that will unlock it and dispel the curse…”

Ladybug folded her arms across her chest while Chat Noir tilted his head to the side in confusion.

“But, why even have a key? Why let the cursed person know you can break the curse?” The Cat hero asked, “Isn’t it better not to tell them from a caster’s point of view?”

This made Sorcerer smirk in bitter amusement.

“Curses always come with a cost.”

Everyone was quiet at that, especially with Ladybug. This seems familiar, she would think.

“If you try and change someone’s life, then there’s a huge price for that. But if you create a key to lift that curse, then the risk deceases.” The red head paused as he adjusted his hat, “Then what do you think will happen if you actually tell the victim the way to lift the curse?”

Fury raised a hand, “So, it’s like a Get-Out-of-Jail-Free card!”

The Sorcerer chuckled, “That’s one way of putting it. The cost that you’ll pay for that curse decreases exponentially. So you would take the victim’s characteristics into consideration and pretty much tell them ‘I bet you can’t even do this~!’ And make that the key.”

“But what if you don’t pay for it?” Ladybug asked, as the Sorcerer sighed.

“That’s where Blood Magic comes in. It is not necessary to make a “key”, but if you don’t do so then something like the rest of your lifespan, health, a part of your body….or maybe someone’s life is payment enough. Equivalent Exchange.” It was then the red head said something in a dark tone and smirked, “I think you can even destroy a great country by taking the lives of ten thousand people?Scumbags that love to use the lives of others than their own…”

“That’s horrible!” Ladybug yelled, looking sick to her stomach as Chat Noir also paled.

“But that was old practice. No one really does that anymore,” The Sorcerer assures, “At least, my family and many other good Witches and Wizards find that a bit taboo because it goes against Nature, the purest magic itself. I mean the Kwamis themselves are beings that are contracted entities that requires energy.”

Ladybug thought about it before murmuring, “When…we feed them?”

“Exactly,” The red haired magician nodded, “But they can also feed into your Mana when you bond with them in the form you are in now. I mean, did you not find it odd how you all feel tired after de-transforming?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, and so did Thunderbird and Lady Dragon.

“…Did you guys seriously not realise that?” The Sorcerer said in surprise, “It is why Pixie Girl and I don’t get involved so much in heroic affairs. Because it takes a lot of energy out of us…”

“Is it also the same with our ghosts?” Fury asked, remembering his little companion, Dragoyle, the very being that gives him his powers currently.

“Yes, actually. I am even surprised that you have tamed such creatures considering that pretty much Dark Types of Magical beings are untamable.”

“But…we feed our kwamis?” Chat Noir said, dumbfounded, “Plagg eats a lot of cheese…”

“That is not enough. Maybe that will sate them like a snack, but they would need more than normal food . To have them in fighting shape in power when bonded with their holders, your energies must be compatible to maintain your connection with one another. For example, I notice that Queen Bee is much more powerful than King Stinger when using the Bee Miraculous,” Sorcerer pointed out.

“So…a human and a Kwami have to be compatible?” Ladybug did remember Master Fu saying that.

“Correct. It’s sort of like a plug connecting to an electric socket. If the voltage is not matched, there is a high chance that one or the other might damage themselves or be corrupted.”

“Like Hawkmoth?”

The Sorcerer tilted his head, “This is the villain from your country, yes? The one that is missing?”

“There was another. Mayura. The previous holder of the Peacock,” Ladybug sighed, “But she went missing too.”

“That’s unfortunate…”

“…So someone cursed these people below us?” Fury murmured after a minute, everyone else sort of reeling at Sorcerer’s words.

“They were silenced by someone,” Myst looked sad but then gasped, “But if they are alive…!”

“We have to dig them out!” Pixie Girl was soon bringing forth her magic and summoned vines from the trees, before Sorcerer stopped her.

“If we try digging them out by force, we might activate the curse and hurt them more!”

Ladybug’s head clicked, “The Hex Tombs? Are they the keys to this curse?”

The Sorcerer gave a sharp smile, “Now you’re getting it. I think whoever the Witch that cursed these people didn’t think that someone would find them so quickly. Maybe they expected hundreds of years to go by before the curse’s time weakened and someone came across them.”

“Luckily, we have someone that found them at last!” Lady Dragon said in hope, making the bird hero look perplexed.

“M-Me? Free them?”

“It is why the souls called for you. They can feel that you can feel them too. So they cried for help in hopes that you would come and rescue them.” Talli spoke to her holder dearly, and Thunderbird gulped.

“…What if I screw up?”

“You won’t.” Ladybug assured him as she patted his shoulder, “We’re here in support for you, you’re not alone. You can do this, Thunderbird. You are these missing Miraculous Holders’ only hope!”

With those encouraging words, and the agreement looks from the rest of the teen heroes, Thunderbird felt a bit more confident. Nodding his head, he soon turned his head to the Hex Tombs that he alone could see.

“Okay…so what should I do?”

“First, take look at the tombs. Are there any writings or some sort of markings on them?” The Sorcerer asked, as Thunderbird looked to the Hex Tombs.

“…There are symbols on all four of them?”

“Can you tell us what they are?”

Thunderbird squinted his eyes for a moment, as he observed them.

“Okay, well, the first one looks like…a squid ring?”

Fury and Chat Noir looked at him deadpanned, as if not believing what he was saying right now.

“Are…you sure?” Lady Dragon asked slowly, wondering if what her partner is saying is correct.

“Wait, wait! Uh, there’s what seems to be like wings under it…oh, that might be a halo than a squid ring.”

Ladybug sighed at this, while the boys snickered along with Pixie Girl.

“What are the other symbols?” The Sorcerer urged the bird hero to continue.

“Another one has a horse head that has a horn…a fish tail aaaaand a butterfly?”

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other in surprise. Another Butterfly Miraculous? Then again, they had Lady Dragon, so it made sense there might be other variants of Miraculous. Especially if there are some copying from the Original Chinese Miracle Box. At least, that was what Ladybug remembered from Master Fu’s lessons.

“Good. Now that we know the symbols, we can use those as keys as a way to free them,” The wizard like hero soon was flipping through his spell book as he summoned his staff, “You’re just gonna have to repeat after me. Once you do, you’ll enter the same plane as the spirits and their indicators are the symbols you just saw. Once you find them, you contact me spiritually by reciting the words I will tell you in a minute. The rest of you? Be ready for anything in case something happens. There will be times that when breaking a curse, the caster might’ve set booby traps to stop us.”

“B-Booby traps?” Krush yelped, as Thunderbird sat down cross-legged on the ground in from of the tombstones in front of him and felt Sorcerer kneeling next to him.

“Remember, just go for the symbols and nothing else. Let nothing stop you, no matter what. There will be things that will try and distract you from reaching your destination and/or try and scare you away by using your biggest fears and traumas of the past. But don’t. Especially do not interact with The Man in the Chair.”

Thunderbird nodded, “Okay.”

The Sorcerer then leaned in and whispered into his ear, the other hero listening attentively. Ladybug wished she could hear what was being said, but with a worried look from Chat, she decided to leave it alone. Thunderbird seemed to be silent as Sorcerer leaned back, giving him a moment to process everything.

“I’m ready when you are.” Thunderbird murmured, as he was holding his sickle in hand and closed his eyes.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Lady Dragon asked, but then felt Ladybug’s hand on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, everything’s going to be fine.” She smiled at the other, and Lady Dragon relaxed a little.

The Sorcerer let his spell book float in front of him as he then began to glow a blue magical hue, the light soon embedded to his star staff, breathing out.

“As above, so below. As I believe the world to be, so it is.”

Thunderbird slowly repeated the words, and soon the two were chanting in sync, sort of creeping everyone out except for Lady Dragon and Ladybug. The Shanghai heroine felt nervous as she watched Thunderbird’s breathing slowed, and his whole body was glowing the same way she saw him handling Sole Crusher.

‘Please let him come back in one piece…’

Rody gasped as he saw he was in the same darkness when inside Sole Crusher…except this time, it felt like he was in a cold freezer. Shivering, he rubbed his arms up and down before looking around.

Nothing.

“Well, so much for that…” He murmured but then realised that neither Pino or Talli are with him.

He was alone.

Rody sniffed, trying to keep calm at the fact that not only was he powerless since he was not in his Thunderbird form, but the fact that with this sort of silence and feeling of loneliness…

…this could make him go mad.

“Okay, focus and find the symbols. Nothing to distract me, yup yup…” He said out loud, trying to walk towards where he was feeling the calls were coming from. He just had to focus on finding those symbols and—

“Where you going, son?”

Rody almost froze in shock at the voice, but kept walking as his eyes hardened. Do not turn around.

“Are you still mad at me for leaving you and your siblings, Rodster?”

‘Don’t turn around, no matter what. Focus.’ Rody would think to himself, and closed his eyes when he felt something block his path, breathing heavily as the voice distorted demonically.

“YoU tOo gOoD fOr mE nOw, hUh, LitTLe bAstard~? I rAiSeD yOu bEtTeR thAn tHat~“

Rody just walked around the entity and kept walking, ignoring the growls and mocking voice beckoning him to open his eyes and pay attention to him.

‘There is no way that I would even want to look at my old man…’

“Big Brother?”

Twin voices of children next. A boy and a girl.

Rody almost faltered for a second, but remembered this wasn’t real and kept pushing forward.

“Big Brother? Why are you ignoring us?”

“Did you abandon us, too?”

“You’re worse than Dad.“

“We hate you, Rody.”

“We’re better off without you in our lives.”

“Should’ve died instead of Mom.”

As much as it pained him to hear Roro and Lala’s voice saying those things, Rody couldn’t stop. He can’t stop moving until he finds those souls…

Ladybug gasped as she watched Thunderbird convulsing in place for a second, Lady Dragon already at his side and holding his hands.

“Is this supposed to happen?!” She asked frantically.

The Sorcerer looked solemn but nodded.

“Thankfully, he’s on the right track. Currently, there are forces that are trying to break his spirit and cut the connection to return to his physical form.”

“W-what happens if something does, ya know, cut him off?” Chat Noir wondered in worry.

“Hopefully with the Thunderbird Miraculous, Talli could pull him back out. Pino could do the same, considering how powerful Rody’s quirk apparently is. Gotta say, it’s a good thing his quirk and Miraculous match up to be an all-in-one superpower weapon,” The Sorcerer murmured, keeping his staff focused over Thunderbird’s head.

“I think we lost them…”

“We couldn’t have? We were going the same speed as them. I even used Speed with my Miraculous.”

Kirishima looked at Onagadori in concern for a moment before sighing, knowing it was pointless to go on. As he was about to suggest to go back, a sudden feeling washed over him. Astonished, he heard something from a distance and strained his ears to listen. It almost sounded like some sort of song…and it was coming from—

“…Dori-chan, wait!”

Onagadori stopped mid-flight in the air as she lookeed over at the red head, “What is it, Ei?”

“There’s something calling me. Over there!” He pointed over to the east, the Rooster heroine looking over, “I think we should go over there.”

“What about the Ghost Force, Adrien and Marinette?”

“We’ll catch up to them later. Right now, I think someone needs our help.”

Trusting his instincts, Onagadori decided to follow Kirishima’s instructions and started flying to where he was pointing, hoping that this wasn’t some sort of trap. The red head kept his eyes trained as he told the Rooster Heroine where to go, the feeling and the sound that was calling to him growing stronger and stronger. Until eventually, they ended up in some sort of beach. Kirishima told Onagadori to land, the two then stepping onto the sandy grounds before looking around.

“So? Do you still hear anything, Ei?” The Rooster heroine asked as Kirishima looked around some.

“I do…I think we’re getting closer…” He murmured before he stepped off near the sea for a moment, but paused, as he then felt a warm sensation flowing through him, “What in the…?”

“Ei?”

The Hardening Quirk user placed a finger up, signalling for Onagadori to lower her voice, as he crouched down on the ground. Eyes narrowed and lips pursed, he placed a hand on the wet sand, feeling it for a moment with deep concentration. He suddenly stood up, whirling around to Onagadori with a panicked look.

“I think there’s someone down here! We need to dig them up now!”

“Sublimation!”

Copying Kirishima’s Hardening quirk as he quickly activated his, the two started digging the spot that the red head at pointed at, creating a large hole until suddenly Onagadori felt something touch her hand.

“Wait!”

Kirishima paused as he reached out and touched the object that the Rooster heroine hit, blinking as the two noticed it was—

“It’s a Mini Miracle Box…but it looks different than our ones,” Onagadori murmured as the box started glowing slightly, almost pulsing like a heart beat, “…What if this is calling to you specifically because you are it’s Chosen?”

“Nah, there’s no way…" Kirishima laughed, shaking his head but then was quiet for a second before looking at the girl, “…There’s n-no way I’m supposed to have this, right?”

Onagadori shrugged, then urged him, “Why not open it and find out?”

An audible gulped sounded from the red head for a moment as he looked down at the box, frowning a little with an unsure look. How was he supposed to feel about this? While, yes, he is one of the Guardians of the Miraculous…but he didn’t think he was going to get his own Miraculous. He gave up that idea when he gave the Turtle mantle back, couldn’t be Mandrake again and thought he was going continue on without a Miraculous.

Was this fate?

Closing his eyes, he quickly opened the box and felt warmth at his face and opened his eyes to see a floating Kwami staring back at him. This Kwami was coloured blue with red and black linings and red eyes, almost looking shark like with the way it was grinning at him.

“Hello, my Chosen~! I am Nepp, the Kwami of Waters~!“

“Er, hi?” Kirishima greeted with a grin of his own, Onagadori smiling at the scene before her, “S-Sorry to disappoint you, but you got it all wrong. I’m not your Chosen? I can’t be…”

“But you came when I called!” Nepp tilted their head to the side as they stared up at the young hero, “I have been trying to summon and wait for my Chosen for centuries now. But I felt you close by. If you really weren’t my chosen, you wouldn’t have heard me and come to my rescue~”

“I told you so.” Onagadori said with a smile, Kirishima looking at her with a pout.

Nepp floated around Kirishima’s head, observing him for a moment before smiling, “You look strong. And you feel like you are honest and have a heroic heart~ That’s what I look for in my Chosen~“

This made Kirishima look sheepish, rubbing the side of his neck.

“They’re not wrong. You are all those things and more,” Onagadori said before the red head could retort, shutting down any negative words that Kirishima was about to put on himself, “You should take Nepp.”

“What a wise heroine you are,” Nepp cooed, then blinked, “…You seem to have a Miraculous as well. From the Chinese Sister Box, I assume?”

“You are correct,” Onagadori nodded, making Nepp look impressed, “And there are more of us too.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let us go see them,” The shark like Kwami looked to Kirishima once more and chuckled, “To transform, all you have to say is: Nepp! Rising Tide!”

Kirishima looked nervous, glancing over at Onagadori for a moment before his shoulders slump. But with a touch of her hand, Kirishima felt his heart skip a beat and looked at the Rooster heroine again, who smiled. Her eyes seemed to say she believed in him, and that was all he needed. With a confident smile, he turned to Nepp, who already had a knowing excited smile.

“Nepp! Rising Tide!”

Rody blinked when he felt warmth all over him, and glanced over to see four sets of lights.

Bingo!

Smiling, he was about to step forward when he felt the ground give way under his feet. Eyes widened, he felt his world shift. He tried to scream, but nothing came out of his throat as it felt like he was falling, staring up at the darkness…the nothingness. He tried to flail his arms out, as if to grab something, ANYTHING, that could stop him from falling further and further into the darkness.

‘No no no, I can’t be lost in here! I can’t! I have to get out and get those souls…’

He gasped when he felt something slithering over his arms and legs, dark tendrils wrapping around his limps and dragging him further down into the abyss below him. Silver grey eyes kept looking around in a panic, trying to struggle free but it seemed to make the bindings on him tighten the more he wriggled.

“…Am I going to die here?”

Yes.

Rody felt a shiver down his spine, hearing that deep and calm voice in his head. A presence was made known to his left side, and curiosity got the better of him as he slowly turned his head. He saw a person sitting on some fancy looking resting chair, their back turned away from Rody. Slowly, the shadowed person was turning their head towards the teen, but Rody couldn’t see their face. But somehow…it felt like his heart was constricting, and the air turning hot. Like he was in Hell.

“Do not interact with the Man in the Chair.”

Rody wished he could turn his head away, but somehow his eyes were glued to the being that was taking forever to turn and look at him, but it already felt like Rody’s soul was being sucked away.

“…H-Hello? Is someone there?”

Rody heard a boy’s voice, almost teenage like, as he looked up and saw a blue light floating above him. It laminated so brightly, that it started to form a symbol. Wings with a halo.

It was one of the souls.

“Y-Yes! Yes! I’m here! I’m here! I’ve come to rescue you and your friends!” Rody called out, feeling the bonds on his arms and legs weakening, and soon fought to get free, “I’m coming! I’m coming to rescue you!”

Soon, another glowing light appeared, this one pink and having the fish tail. And another appeared, this one being a green light that had the symbol of a horse’s head with a horn. And finally…a purple light with a butterfly.

Rody had found them.

He struggled harder now, even when he didn’t have to look to see that the man in the chair was now floating closer to him.

“Let…me…go!”

He was reaching his arms up to the light, hands outstretched and desperate hope in his eyes.

Sorcerer’s eyes widened as he sensed power coming from Thunderbird and soon waved his staff in the air.

“Ready yourselves, everyone! He’s found them!”

Ladybug jumped up before she was soon side by side with Lady Dragon, Thunderbird’s body convulsed even more sporadically, almost as if having a seizure. Chat Noir was tense along with the Ghost Force and Pixie Girl, watching as the Hex Tombs appeared and started to shake. Sorcerer was murmuring under his breath in another language, waving his staff around as everything around them was growing dark, almost as if it was night time.

“Ladybug, use your spell! Pixie Girl, ready yourself as well!”

Ladybug looked confused for a moment at the British wizard, “W-what? Why?”

“Use the spell you use when defeating Akumas. Do it now!”

Pixie Girl was already waving her hands around, summoning the tree roots to help her dig up the ground that was breaking under them, giving a chance for whatever is coming to be brought up faster. Deciding to go along with it, Ladybug was soon bringing her yo-yo up and throwing it in the air.

“MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!”

Sparkling ladybugs were magically conjured, flying towards the Hex Tombs as the stones cracked, the ground erupting as glowing figures were starting to uprise from the ground. Thunderbird screamed out as his body froze for a moment, twitching for a few seconds before going slack. Lady Dragon’s heart dropped as she went to feel his pulse, and paled as she felt none.

“Thunderbird! No, no—RODY!” Lady Dragon pressed her hands to pump rapidly against his chest in a panic, Chat Noir immediately rushing over.

“Shit, shit, shit, he’s…he’s not…?”

“Chat Noir! Fury, Krush and Myst need your assistance!”

The feline hero snapped out of his own fear, and looked up seeing the Ghost Force pulling out what seemed to be glowing bodies from the ground, and one seemed to be waving an arm as if needing help to be free. Chat Noir rushed over, grabbing for what seemed to be a glowing purple and white gloved arm, and pulling them up. His eyes widened seeing that the glowing figure was an older African American girl in a white and purple costume and mask…and had beautiful butterfly wings behind her. She coughed, and Chat Noir looked her over to see if she was alright.

“U-Um, Miss, a-are you okay?” Chat Noir spoke in English, gaging the young woman’s reaction.

“H-Huh? Where…where am I? And who are you?” The butterfly heroine looked to the feline hero, glanced her surroundings then eyes widened, “Pixie…W-where are Pixie Girl and the others?!”

Pixie Girl, hearing her name had flown over to them and tilted her head, “Yes? You called me?”

The mysterious girl with the butterfly motif then looked upset, staring at her with confusion.

“…Why do you look different?”

The winged heroine looked confused before the girl narrowed her eyes.

“…You’re not the Pixie Girl I know.”

Before Pixie Girl could question it, Fury’s yelp sounded loudly as a loud smack echoed around them.

“Ow! What the hell?!” The green ghost yelled at some girl with pink hair and suit, having noticeably aquatic features.

It almost reminded Ladybug in her Aquabug form.

The new girl in question was waving her hands in gestures, her face pulled into frown as she soon was smacking Fury again.

“Ow! Make her stop!”

Myst looked over and almost laughed, “Maybe she thought you were a bad guy.”

“…Who are you people?” The voice next to Myst spoke softly, and the magenta coloured ghost girl looked over to see a confused looking dark haired male in a blue hero costume…although his look was unique considering he had six wings floating behind him and his mask had three pairs of eyes.

“Er, the name’s Myst. And who are you and your friends?” She introduced herself calmly, “Do you remember anything about what happened to you guys?”

The angelic like male placed a hand over his heart.

“My name is Seraph…I came with my companions Greenhorn and Miss Mermaid to go against—”

He paused for a moment as suddenly a blue light surrounded his body, and the lights died down to reveal a teenage boy with dark almost bluish hair like Marinette’s, blue eyes behind his glasses and dressed in casual jeans, hoodie and tennis shoes. He seemed in shock for a moment as a little Kwami with tiny wings and a halo fell onto his lap, looking exhausted.

“Their Miraculous must’ve timed out.” Krush said logically, watching the young man that he helped out also glowing green before revealing a young dark skinned male with green highlights in his dreadlocks, his street clothes looking more like Andy’s style and a green coloured Kwami with a horn on it’s forehead also fell onto his lap.

The girl still silently smacking Fury also powered down as she was just an ordinary pink haired girl in gothic casual clothes, her eyes narrowed as a pink Kwami with a cute tiny tail fin fell into her hands.

Chat Noir then felt a warm glow in his arms, as the girl with the butterfly motif soon transformed into a normal older girl with a beanie covering the top of her head, but her braided locks cascaded down past her shoulders, wearing a grungy like styled clothing. A little Kwami that looked a little like Nooroo fell into her hands gently, but the creature was more white than purple with violet linings around their body.

“You said…Miraculous?” The boy that was called Seraph murmured, tilting his head, “Does this mean you’re also like us?”

“Yes!” Pixie Girl immediately spoke as she soon quietly de-transformed in front of them, Florra appearing over her shoulder solemnly, “My name is Holly Rosewood…the new Pixie Girl.”

“Miss Mariposa?” Florra spoke quietly as the girl with the Butterfly Kwami looked up, along with her small companion, “Letta, my friend?”

“Florra? W-what happened? The fight—W-w-where’s Diana?” The girl, now named Mariposa, spoke softly, looking around then back at the Kwami.

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other for a moment while this was going on, as Holly looked uncomfortable.

Florra sighed, shaking her head, “I’m afraid Miss Diana is gone, Miss Mariposa. Miss Holly is my new holder now. You…you were gone for so long, and…she tried looking for you, Miss, she did…”

Mariposa looked shocked, shaking a little as her lower lip quivered, “…How long?”

Florra closed her eyes, “Four years…it was only last year she was defeated and had to pass me onto another so I would not fall into the wrong hands…”

This made Holly look surprised, and Ladybug could sense that probably Florra had not told her that part.

Sorcerer sighed as he too de-transformed, Hecca appearing over his head as he looked over the remaining three new people, “My name is Aster Orion, I am the holder of Hecca and from a family of wizards. We have been looking for more Miraculous holders like you for a while.”

A coughing sound was heard and everyone looked towards Thunderbird, who seemed to move and gave a shallow breath, making everyone relieved. Lady Dragon looked over Thunderbird as he seemed to have automatically de-transformed, revealing an unconscious Rody with Talli and Pino collapsed over his chest.

“I-Is he going to be okay?” The Chinese heroine of the Dragon asked, as Chat Noir looked over and de-transformed as well, feeding Plagg then looked over Rody.

“He’s still breathing. So at least he’s alive…” Adrien said with a small smile, and watched Ladybug de-transform as well, Tikki nuzzling onto her shoulder.

“My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I am one of the Guardians of the Chinese Miracle Box,” She introduced as she looked at the three before her while standing beside Aster, but then noticed something off, “…It’s okay, you can trust us since we are all on the same team. Whoever you are won’t be revealed, but we should make sure that you get to your families, they must be real worried—“

Marinette was surprised when the one that had the angelic like Kwami started laughing, but it sounded more bitter and sarcastic than anything. Confusion was coloured on her face as she looked at the boy, who’s faded looking eyes locked on her direction.

“I don’t think my family would be worried for me in a good sense. Because it was my own father that buried me alive down here~” It sounded in a joking manner, but it caused some of them to look at him as if he was crazy.

“Y-Your father?” Liv, who de-transformed already, said slowly while looking puzzled, “Why would—?”

“Does the name Nolan Kasenti mean anything to anyone?”

Mike raised his hand up, “U-um, yeah? He’s the…He's like a famous philanthropist and the CEO of Kasskorp Tech, the world's biggest tech empire next to Tsurugi Industries? My dad has met him a couple of times?”

The boy smirked for a bit, as he adjusted his glasses, “Yeah. I’m his son, Grady Kasenti.”

A gasp left some of the teens, as Andy’s eyes widened in recognition.

“Wait…I’ve heard of you!” The red head pointed out, looking at the male, “Aren’t you that genius boy that went missing? I’ve seen you all over the news four years ago…you and some other kids…”

The male with the green high-lighted dreads was waving his hands for attention for a moment, and started making hand gestures, almost confusing some of them. The one that caught on was Fei, (who de-transformed during the talk) Aster and Adrien.

The blond blinked when seeing the male make hand signs of pointing to himself, then his palms facing up while shrugging his shoulders, pointing both index fingers away and finally gestured his lips to cheek.

“…You want to go home?”

Marinette looked impressed, “You understood him?”

“I took up sign language in French, English, Chinese and Japanese during my time with, you know who, before I met you,” Adrien explained, before he looked at the male signing once more, “He also wanted to point out that, yes, many kids have been taken. But him and his friends were trying to find them when they were ambushed.”

The one with the Butterfly Kwami, Mariposa, raised her hand, “I was actually supposed to watch these kids with my partner, Pixie Girl…but it seems that she is gone. And now someone else took her place.”

Somehow Holly looked guilty about this before Adrien raised a hand up.

“Why…don’t we go somewhere else to talk about this?”

Grady nodded, “Sounds like a good idea. With me and my team awake now, it’s only a matter of time before my father finds out I’m back and alive.”

“How does it feel?”

Onagadori watched the boy now in what seemed to be in a sleek suit like hers, only it almost had shark like features like in a video game Adrien showed her once. She had to admit, even though Eijiro looked good in red, blue and black suited him find as well. She watched him swim in the ocean for a moment, even using some of his new powers that apparently he just knew on the spot. Definitely, the Miraculous was made for him.

“Feels…awesome!” The Shark hero turned to her, smiling, “What hero name do you think I should use?”

The Rooster heroine tapped her chin for a moment in thought, tilting her head as she hummed, “Well, I won’t call you Shark Boy that’s for sure.”

Laughter sounded from the male, “Y-Yeah, I feel like that one’s taken?”

“Well…if the hero name you use regularly is red themed….or something manly?”

A sheepish look was on the shark teen’s face, and Onagadori smiled fondly.

“So? What’s it going to be?”

The red head took a moment to think, before he snapped his fingers, “What about Shinkusame?”

Onagadori tilted her head, taking moment before nodding, “…Sounds good.”

“You think so?” Shinkusame looked down at himself, then at his weapon in hand, “For a moment I thought I was going to go for something like Hammerhead or Manly Shark—”

“Shinkusame is enough,” The Roostter heroine raised her hand up to stop him, but suddenly felt an odd sensation run down her spine, and it seemed her companion felt it too, “What was that?”

“I dunno?…Maybe there’s a bad guy on the loose?”

“If there is, we should investigate.”

The two soon were rushing to where they felt the weird sensation they were getting, which grew stronger the more they ran. Finally, they seemed to have stopped at an old abandoned factory that was close to a pier, and Onagadori narrowed her eyes.

Shinkusame pursed his lips, looking at the heroine, “The feeling stopped…?”

“…Someone led us here.”

“And you both fell for it.”

The two looked up and immediately jumped away when giant hoofs stomped on the very spot they were previously standing in, almost flattened by the mystery monster. Both the Rooster and Shark Miraculous holders then took in the sight before them, with Onagadori paling and Shinkusame looking confused.

“M-Mother?”

Standing before them was Ikari Gozen,but something about her felt different.

“Give me your Miraculous!”

Onagadori was frozen for a moment, staring in horror at her akumatized mother but then yelped when Shinkusame pulled her out of the way before her bokken hit her.

“Dori-chan, snap out of it!” Shinkusame scolded softly, as he was twirling his triton in hand to block some of the hits while dodging them, “We gotta defeat this foe or call the Team.”

As he said this, however, he noticed a figure moving behind Ikari Gozen. This dark shadowed being leapt into the abandoned factory behind the Akuma, and the Shark hero couldn’t help but feel suspicious about it. Something wasn’t right here, and his gut was telling him that he had to follow them.

“Dori-chan, you think you can handle this thing on your own?”

The Rooster heroine looked puzzled, “I…think so? But what—?”

“If not, call for backup. There’s someone there that’s getting away and might be someone that summoned this akuma! I’m going after them.”

“Shinkusame, wait—“

Wasting no time, the Shark hero jumped passed the horridly red color of an akuma and rushed into the building, aiming to capture whoever it was that ran inside. He paused, looking around for the person until he felt his senses kick in. Jumping out of the way, he looked over to see that it was…some sort of cane? He leapt away when the cane suddenly floated in the air and aimed for him again, but Shinkusame managed to swat it away with his triton.

“Show yourself, villain!”

“A villain? That’s a pretty rude assumption, boy…”

Out of the shadows came a figure, a woman, to be exact. She was pale, almost looking light pastel purple with her almost silver lavender hair woven in a French braided crown twist bun held together with a violet ribbon. She was adorned in what seems to be in a purple turtleneck sweater, a black dress twin tail coat, tight black almost violet pants, and black high heel boots. Her face was covered in a beautiful looking masquerade butterfly mask, her glowing blue-violet eyes staring back at him calmly.

“…Considering how you’re dressed, it’s safe to assume you might be. Especially when attacking me and my friend.” Shinkusame said with a sharp smile, as the woman had one herself painted on her dark lips.

“Perhaps. But then again, I never expected someone to find the Shark Miraculous before me.”

“Too bad you can’t have it! And you won’t be getting away…” He spotted the familiar Butterfly Miraculous perched on her chest and his eyes widened, “You…?”

“You won’t be getting this from me either~” The woman touched over her Miraculous and gave a a small chortle, “Unlike Hawkmoth, I don’t stoop myself lower to a mere child~”

Shinkusame narrowed his eyes and was about to push forward to tackle her, but yelped when she suddenly vanished into butterflies, her titling laughter echoed around him.

“Another time, young hero. We will see each other again soon~”

Shinkusame growled as he looked at the empty space, but shook his head as he rushed to go outside to check on his partner. Although it seems Onagadori had it handled considering that she had the Akuma tied up.

Looking up, Onagadori looked over at the Shark hero and rushed over to him, looking miffed, “Do not run off on me like that!”

“Sorry! I had to try and capture that person…but they got away,” He paused, before looking at her, “They had the Butterfly Miraculous. The one that Hawkmoth used to have on.“

“…It was well assumed there would be a new Butterfly Villain that was not Gabriel Agreste,” Onagadori hummed, but then looked over at the Akuma, “For now, I guess we call Ladybug to de-akumatize this—“

The two heroes gasped when suddenly the akuma started…melting into brown chunks of mud, giving a sadistic grin before completely just a puddle on the ground.

“…It was a distraction.”

“And they were obviously after the Shark Miraculous.”

This caused Onagadori to look at her partner, “What makes you say that?”

Shinkusame sighed, as he was rubbing his head, “Because the villainess I was chasing after admitted it to me.”

“But why would she just…run away instead of fight the Miraculous off you?”

“I dunno? But this is something we should tell Ladybug and them.”

And Onagadori agreed. The two decided to leave right there and then back to the hospital to tell the others, not knowing that pleased eyes were following them.

“What was the point of that?”

The woman sighed as she titled her head to the new voice next to her, and tutted gently.

“Just an observation, if you will. After all, we don’t want to be making the same mistakes as Gabriel…don’t you agree, Tomoe-san~?”

Tomoe snorted, walking beside the Butterfly Villainess as she tapped her cane to the ground once, and shook her head, “I figured that fool would be a failure to us. Especially when he was too emotional with his so called ‘family’ that he deluded himself with…“

Something in the Butterfly Villainess’ facial expression twitched for a second, before she chuckled, “That goes the same for you and your daughter, my dear friend.”

“I have no daughter. Not anymore since she’s as defective as my previous offspring.” Tomoe murmured with disappointment in her voice, before straightening herself up, “The Council have already prepared for the next steps. All we need now is our other partnered benefactors to uphold their end of the bargain.”

“Does this mean 'that' is ready to be operational?”

Tomoe smiled a little, as she was holding what seems to be a small silver ring.

“Thanks to some cooperation from Kasskorp Tech, Operation: Alliance can begin.”

A satisfied smile was on the Butterfly Villainess’ lips before closing her eyes, nodding her head, “Good, good. Proceed with the next phase of our plans. Do not let me down, Tomoe-san.”

“A Tsurugi never fails, Sovereign Pieris.”

Sir Nighteye sighed as he looked at the old rusty train tracks for a moment longer, folding his arms as his eyes were narrowed and full of suspicion.

“We’ve looked around these tunnels for weeks now. There’s nothing left for wherever those cult people used these tunnels for, even with the help of United Heroez intel,” Eraserhead murmured as he lifted his goggles up, looking to the other man with a tired look, “We’ll be flying back to Japan soon. Let’s cut our loses here and leave the rest to Victory and them.”

“Something doesn’t feel right,” The future seeing hero murmured under his breath, still observing the tracks, “It feels like this is all one big goose chase to distract us.”

“You think it’s to get us off track on something big?” Amelie asked not fair from them, lifting her goggles up and tilting her head to look at the two men, “What could be bigger than a cult of the rich and famous?”

“All these names…does not make any sense.” Sir Nighteye pointed out to Eraserhead, “A lot of them aren’t even that rich nor famous. So it begs the question what they all have in common…”

“Either way, this is officially a dead end. Maybe we can re-group with All Might and—“

“Wait…”

Both men stopped talking when Amelie spoke once more, looking down the tunnels with a frown.

“Hime, what is it?” Eraserhead asked as he looked over at her, the blonde woman pointing down to the darkness.

“Someone is here.”

The three adults soon slowly stepped forward cautiously, careful to not set anything off in case it was an ambush of some kind, keeping their guard up. Sweat dripped down their foreheads as they prepared themselves for the worst, but then froze when they heard a shuddering breath. And it sounded female.

Amelie quickly shed her flashlight to the source of the sound, and saw a figure hunched over, shaking. Going closer, despite Eraserhead’s warning, the blonde British woman approached the person and touched their shoulder, turning them around and gasped.

Before them, was Bridgette…and she looked like hell.

“B-Bridgette?” Amelie breathed out as she checked the girl over, worry etched on her face, “What are you doing here in New York? Who’s watching Paris? Where is Onez?”

“Ame, let her breath.” The erasure quirk user told the concerned woman, but then blinked when Bridgette grabbed Amelie’s arm tightly, her eyes blown in fear and looked like she was having a panic attack.

“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Onez, h-he got dispelled a-and I managed to escape—my amok is with her!”

“I-I don’t understand? Who are you talking about?” Amelie asked, trying to calm the girl down but Bridgette looked up for a moment and screamed in terror, making the adults look behind them.

Suddenly, a snap of a finger sounded as a broken looking keychain of the Eiffel Tower dropped in front of them. Amelie cried out when Bridgette turned into feathers, then to dust, vanishing right before her eyes.

“NO!”

Both Eraserhead and Sir Nighteye were quick to search around for any other person nearby, possibly a villain that might’ve done this…but even when shining their light around the tunnel and hearing for any sounds of running footsteps…it was like no one else was here but the three of them.

“…Paris is in danger.” Amelie breathed out as she looked at the dust now covering her hands, the very hands that were holding that poor girl just seconds ago. She felt like she was going to be sick.

“This seems like a warning to us. A warning to stop snooping,” Sir Nighteye said ominously, gnawing at his lower lip as he fisted a hand to his side, “Damn it. We have to call Lenoir-san and check up on them.”

“Already on it.”

Eraserhead was about to text but then paused when seeing Amelie still on her knees, looking at her hands with a vacant expression. His eyes softened as he quietly knelt down next to her, and took her into his arms.

“Hime. We couldn’t…I’m sorry…”

“…Whoever it is that did this. To those poor kids…they will pay dearly. No child is going to be hurt under my watch ever again.”

And Shoto Aizawa knew that she meant that seriously.

Okay and that is a wrap! AND WHAT A END TO THIS ARC, AM I RIGHT?

Okay, so I know you guys have some questions you wanna ask, and you're free to do so by commenting below or just sending me an ask~! :D I'll be happy to answer any questions as long as it doesn't hit spoiler territory. Anyways, thank you all again for the lovely support and still reading this even when I take a long time to update :D

Until the next chapter my lovelies~ PLUS ULTRA, BUG OUT~

-Riri-Chan

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serendertothesquad · 9 months ago

Text

"Wordsville" and the Problem with Cash-Cow Copies

[note original day of creation was February 15, 2024. just...just for reference. trust me bro.]

Hello.

Tonight I am in a silly mood fueled by sleep deprivation.

That means you all get an introspective blog that I will complete within a week and then ask "why'd I write that?"

So here's what's on Seren's lovely table of discussion tonight...

Put...put away the glasses. You don't need your glasses. This is the highest-quality thing I can get.

But et voila. A little project in the works called Wordsville.

Now, at this point you might be asking why I'm referencing "cash-cow copies" in the title. And whoo-hoo...oooooh...well, I don't want to make this some kind of clickbait blog, so I might as well perfect the atomic bomb in five minutes and land it on you folks.

What if I were to tell you that this is a blatant, shameless, slap-a-digital-coat-on-it-and-call-it-a-day copy of Odd Squad?

Ahhh, see, now I have you intrigued. Hopefully. If you are, then peep down below and let me discuss things a little more in-depth for you non-believing hacks asking me if I'm borderline insane.

So to put things in perspective, allow me to explain what Wordsville is, starting with my own personal summary.

Wordsville is an up-and-coming episodic (not to be confused with serialized, that's a whole 'nother ballgame) TV series that is produced (and will later be distributed) by Sinking Ship Entertainment and is made with assistance from WNET, a PBS station located in New Jersey, and TVO Kids, PBS Kids's girlfriend from Canada that's definitely real.

It was announced back in October of last year with a press release from Kidscreen, which didn't give much info aside from the following blurb:

Wordsville stars two child detectives on the hunt for missing words that are causing chaos in their town.

Sounds a little familiar, don'tcha think? Two kid detectives, finding something missing...and that "something missing" is causing chaos where they live?

Oh, but if you think the similarities end there, then no. No the absolute fuck they do not. I've got my bathing suit on and God damn it if I'm not gonna jump all the way in the pool instead of dippin' my little toes in there.

Doing a little bit of digging reveals more tidbits from a casting call for the series. It's rather wordy (ayyyyyy I did a funy), so let's take it piece by piece and discuss accordingly.

Wordsville is a town populated entirely by kids

A town that is populated entirely by children? Now c'mon, surely that doesn't ring a be-

...Ah. Whaddya know. Yes it does.

And with the adults as useless and idiotic as they are, it might as well be a town full of solely children. Next question.

and it’s a place where words matter. A lot. Every kid citizen has a special connection to words. And that means that if something happens to a word, there are far-reaching consequences.

A special connection to words? Like how there are children who have a special connection to normalcy? Stopping, oh, I dunno, hypothetically speaking...

...oddness?

Okay okay, I'm reaching just a wee bit here, but you can't read this and not tell me it echoes the funny kids math show to some degree or another. If an odd thing happens to a person, the whole town suffers. You've seen it. I've seen it. It's been the basis for many an A and B-plot. Must I elaborate? Good, because I don't plan on it. Continuing.

If the Main Street Baker bakes delicious donuts and they all mysteriously disappear, nothing else in Wordsville can taste good until they are returned.

Town Baker walked so Main Street Baker can sprint while blowing their lungs out.

If the Town Doctor’s soothing medication gets swiped, the whole town gets uncontrollably itchy until the medicine-napper is uncovered.

Ignoring the incredibly dark implications of this as well as the implications of this shoddy knockoff town having only one single doctor...

Dr. O walked so the Town Doctor can sprint while blowing their lungs out...over their massive paycheck.

(I technically could have also put New Dr. O too, but I'd like to spring for iconic OG's here. New Dr. O is neither iconic nor an OG.)

And let me remind you that "Torontonians get uncontrollably itchy due to something odd" would, by technicality, classify as an odd problem. Because...I mean, y'know...the cause is something odd happening. Doing shit with words is odd. This needs absolutely no explaining.

If the Local Scientist does an experiment with electricity and all the lights in town go out, they won’t come back on until the experiment wrecker is revealed.

Yep, I've taken shots of every IPA I can. We nearly hit the main character quadfecta, if you discount Dr. "bro thinks she's part of the team" O. All they needed was a bit about a high governing body and we'd round out the quad squad in proper with Oprah!

There's also a sneaky lil' crumb in the form of that blurb relating to Oona, who did, indeed, experiment with electricity in one episode and wound up proving why she can never take up Crossfit.

Hmmmnnnnext!

In each crime, the episodic word disappears and can’t return until the mystery is solved. The impact of the missing word is felt all over town.

This is another one of those things that I gotta wrench a hammy for in terms of comparisons, because about the only thing I can reasonably compare Odd Squad to is the second sentence.

See, here's the thing. You get oddness that happens to a person. Oftentimes, that oddness spreads to other people, whether directly (in the form of diseases and disorders) or indirectly (like the Town Baker's cakes being split in half, which wouldn't please Torontonians poppin' in for a whole cake and eyeing the display to get a feel for one). In a sense, normalcy disappears and, well, it can't return until [insert partner pair here] solve the case. It's kinda the entire schtick of Odd Squad as a franchise. It's formulaic, just like how Wordsville's "words disappear and nothing can be normal until the word returns" schtick is formulaic.

Is it a stretch? Perhaps. Mileage may vary. I think it's a bit of a stretch, personally. But hey, I'm a grown adult critiquing a ripoff of a kids STEM show. I shouldn't be talking. But I didn't start this fandom nearly 10 years ago just to let Sinking Ship's piss-poor attempt at really capitalizing on one of their biggest franchises sliiiiiide right by me on a floor smooth enough where I'm falling on my ass every 10 seconds.

Luckily, best friends and partners Sage and Chase are on the case and run the only detective agency in town. These tech-savvy sleuths solve mysteries entirely virtually because their reading, listening and digital literacy skills are their greatest strengths. Sage and Chase always catch their culprit and make sure everything is right with the word.

Now where in the McFuck do I start with this one? The PAW Patrol catchphrase thrown in complete with shared name? The fact that there is only one detective agency in the entire town? The fact that Sage and Chase are best friends as well as work partners? Or the pun that made me actively cringe in a way I haven't felt since Whitney told James she wanted to go on the lake?

I mean...this is about Odd Squad, so...I guess the second one sounds most plausible.

But that doesn't need explaining either. There is only one detective agency in town. There is one Odd Squad precinct per city or per state.

No, neither does the third bit. I already referenced Olive and Otto above. You should know what's up.

(I've also read that blurb five times now and...well...we'll get to the digital stuff in a bit. That just needs a whole side-set of word vomit.)

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

In my digging of this series -- which, well, wasn't all that much -- I managed to find a few blurbs on our two main characters. The casting call for them, funny enough, called for, and I will quote this exactly, "talent to look 9."

As in, they want the actors to physically look 9 years old.

Which puts that qualifier in the same ballpark as Odd Squad UK's "talent must be Canadian but live in the UK". But at least that prerequisite actually had a legitimate earnest reason behind it, which is that the production needed to be Canadian in a lot more than just the "Canadian prodco works on a British series" sense. Hiring kids who have to physically look 9 years old and will probably be yoted onto the street the second puberty hits them like a truck is a practice not even the most egregious bosses of family-owned-and-operated businesses could pull off.

But enough about the qualifiers. Let's get started on our character comparisons and civil cidiscussion! (Oh the irony...)

And remember this: the casting call was handled by Larissa Mair Casting, who previously did casting for Odd Squad. So that means there will be tinny lil' crumbs of bonus material for me to dissect and discuss! Huzzah! Aw God why can't this happen for Odd Squad UK...man, I'm gonna have to go into my sobbing corner...

First up, we have Sly Sleuth, originally referred to as "Sage" here. I'll also be referring to him as "Sage" in this blog.

Sage is a great detective; thoughtful, extremely logical, and talented at getting information out of people.

Thoughtful of others. Logical. And can wrench information out of suspects like a badass.

Yep, we got an Olive that got hit with an Olando-fied beam. (And because half of you don't know who Olando is: Sage is meant to be a male Olive. I hope that clears things up for you.)

What else?

Nothing related to vocabulary or literacy gets by this investigator. Suspects can underestimate Sage but that is always a mistake. Sage doesn’t scare easily and won’t take no for an answer, traits that make an excellent detective.

You could tell me this was how Olive was meant to be written in "My Better Half", word for word, and I would honestly believe you. Right down to asking, "Her name was Sage in pre-production?"

About the only place I can draw the line here is at Olive not scaring easily. We don't know Sage's backstory -- and once again, this is an episodic series, so don't expect much in the way of plot, backstory included -- but Olive, at least, has a legitimate reason for all the times she covers her ears at loud noises or sharply reacts to something startling.

The former is because of The Censor-Friendly Bullet Massacre of '15.

The latter is because Dalila Bela marched straight out of a viewing of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and never looked back.

I...can't really say either applies to Sage. At least not yet. We'll have to see if Sinking Ship decides to bring Wordsville into its lil' multiverse that Odd Squad and Dino Dana and Endlings and Playdate already share.

Sage is also wise, which is why the name “Sage” is completely appropriate.

Sooooo does that mean his name is Sly because he's cunning like a fox?

Well then in other news, Olive is named such because she was inspired by the famous Law and Order character Olivia Benson. I have fifteen folders that back me right the hell up. Also I contacted Sinking Ship the other day, they explicitly told me.

No, no, but in all seriousness. Olive, too, is very wise. Historian buff, knows her shit about Odd Squad, doo-dah, doo-dah.

Anyway, next up we have Chase, who was renamed to "Gabby Gumshoe". (I'll be referring to her as Chase in this blog, as well.) Let's see what's on the chopping block for her in terms of our favorite food-loving, hella tall, crazy silly blorbo.

Chase is a fantastic detective, but is also goofy[,] funny, visually oriented, and, like the name suggests, loves the “chase”.

Now there's a man who got hit with a yassified beam, right there.

I'll leave it up to you folks whether you consider Otto to be "visually oriented". But in terms of "loving the chase"...yeah, I'd say that fits.

To lay it down: Otto is a rookie agent. Common sense would lead anyone to assume that he has an absolute blast solving odd cases and absorbing every bit of knowledge about Odd Squad that he possibly can. He finds out a villain's on the loose? He's right there, by Olive's side, workin' to catch 'em. He finds out oddness has run rampant throughout the town? He's right on that shit.

Chase, on the other hand, is someone I wouldn't call a rookie. It's made quite evident that she is, for all intents and purposes, seasoned. Seasoned enough that she manages to keep the detective agency she works for afloat and get approval from the others in Wordsville, Sage included. This, perhaps, is because she's not really meant to be an audience surrogate in the same way Otto is. Otto, at least for the first few episodes, serves as a way to ease the audience into Odd Squad and show them what the organization is and what they do without yoting them into it and leaving them asking "Where am I?" more times than a drunkard. Chase doesn't fill that role, because it could be argued that such a show like Wordsville doesn't really need an audience surrogate. Whether that's true, though, remains to be seen.

People tend to underestimate this investigator, but Chase often notices things like a chocolate stain when someone said they didn’t like chocolate or a squiggle of icing that turns out to be the antonym of the word they’re tracking.

Y' take Otto's...Otto's love of food...and y' put it in a gorl...and BAM you got a character.

...

That isn't a joke. It's dead-on serious. Even the casting call script pins Chase as a kid with a sweet tooth! It's just Otto but with a less diverse palate! Otto eats everything! This kid eats sweets! God sakes, give her some juice, make her Oprah, I don't give a shit, fucking hell I'm driving 50 minutes to Burger Ki-

Chase is also great with computers and incredibly artistic. A graphic note taker[,] Chase loves to draw, has a great eye for details, is a big fan of the “zoom in” function, and really enjoys creating animated re-enactments of Word Mysteries.

All right, we finally have somewhere we can draw the line.

No, not at being tech-literate. With being artistic.

Otto's artistic talent kind of varies throughout the franchise. In drawing on paper, he's pretty solid for an I-just-recently-turned-10-please-praise-me-year-old. In making paper airplanes, he's solid enough to take down a grown-ass man and rock his sunglasses when he's done for.

In computer drawing...well...if you can believe it, concepts like Ibispaint and Photoshop don't exist in the world of Odd Squad. (Okay, maaaaybe Photoshop does. I don't think it does. But it could be a good in-universe justification for it.)

We don't know Otto's digital artist merit because we never see him make any digital art. All of his art is solely non-digital. On Chase's side of things, she lives in an era where digital drawing is, like in real life, the norm. It's a contrast that might be one of the more glaring ones when it comes to comparing these two shows.

Now, as for the "creating animated re-enactments" schtick...if that isn't an excuse for Sinking Ship to work their animation magic after the Sandy Cheeks movie, then I honestly don't know what is. If you wanted to make the show animated, you could have made it animated. Would've been cheaper, too!

(And "Word Mysteries"...it's not as grating as Wild Kratts's "Wow Fact", but it's edging pretty close. I blame WNET. That's solely a PBS thing right there. TVO Kids would never.)

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

So we've gotten the discussion about the two main characters out of the way. Now we can dive into the heartier meat. The kind where's it's purple on the inside but you still digest it anyway.

I'm talking, of course, about the sample scripts- script. Singular. There is one script. Uno.

Now, lemme give you a bit of a rundown: casting calls for Odd Squad -- really, most shows, but this is a blog about Odd Squad -- often come with sample scripts. This is so talents can read their parts aloud for the camera and have the tape submitted to the casting agency for consideration. Odd Squad in particular has had quite an interesting ride with sample scripts, from entire episode plots being adapted into final products (with a bit of tweaking) to characters having names different than what they're named in the final product (which is the case with both Sly and Gabby). They're nothing on the scale of ABC Me dropping episodes earlier than PBS or shorts getting dropped as an alleged April Fools prank, but they're pretty damn good crumbs to chew on.

The sample script starts out with Sage and Chase on, of course, a video call. (Sinking Ship made a Zoom reference once. Pray they do not make another by the name of a friendly drug called "Speed" or that term for peeing known as a "Whiz".) Chase explains that she just gave her office chair's wheels a tune-up, which, of course, makes her hungry. Hungry enough that she declares a "cookie break" and immediately takes out a ginormous cookie from hammerspace that just made the European bakery down the street from me start sobbing. (Look, they make good cookies. Giant cookies. Cookies I need two hands just to hold properly. Trust me, it's- it's massive.)

However, when she bites into the cookie, she finds that it tastes absolutely gross -- "not sweet, not even sour". While she ponders if her body has forcefully rejected one of the best sweet treats known to humankind, Sage begins to grow suspicious and asks if it's a Word Mystery they need to solve.

Which is, coincidentally enough, when the Main Street Baker calls in a fit of hysteria, explaining that their "delicious donuts" are gone. And because we can't take enough from Odd Squad, we get a bit of "literal humor" in the form of the donuts both being delicious (probably) and them spelling the word "delicious" prior to their disappearance. After Sage explains what "delicious" means as well as what synonyms are, it's shown that the culprit also struck other pastries, up to and including gingerbread people, which Sage absolutely takes personally because he's a kid of pure culture who gives a big "fuck you" to holiday-specific treats being enjoyed only during said holidays.

Chase, in true Otto fashion, decides to take more bites of her cookie and instantly regrets it. Sage, in true...well...Clint Eastwood fashion (I shit you not, that's literally what it says in the script), declares that they need to find the word "delicious" and fix the pastries.

And...yeah, that's about it. Like I said, there's really not much to go on with casting call sample scripts. Especially not ones from Larissa Mair.

My conclusive thoughts on it, you ask? Well...they can try to hide it, but all it's doing is enforcing my point. From the Main Street Baker having donuts missing similar to how the Town Baker had bagels missing in "Soundcheck", to Chase being an idiot who is obsessed with food the same way Otto is (right down to his willingness to drink Odd Todd's pickle juice when it tasted gross in "Bad Lemonade"!), even down to the "literal metaphor" kind of humor as it applies to singular words. Am I stretching? Perhaps. But these supposedly insignificant pieces are just part of the bigger picture, the larger issue at hand in this long-winded piece.

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

The digital aspect of Wordsville is one of the ways they decided to put a twist on the precedent that Odd Squad set. And it's so blatant and in-your-face that it's on par with shoving a red flag in someone's eyes to blind them.

But here's the thing. The digital aspect been done. Amusingly enough, by the same company.

Lockdown is a show that fits right in with the others at the Shows-Made-During-the-COVID-Pandemic-About-the-COVID-Pandemic club. It was a way to capitalize on something in society that probably will never be relevant again until around 2050. Maybe even earlier than that, at the rate we're going.

I haven't seen it, so I can't speak much about it, but from my side of things it looks a lot like Unfriended if it took place during the pandemic and wasn't a horror movie and involved teens and not young adults/adults/I haven't seen the movie in many years bite me.

But the main difference between Lockdown and Wordsville, relevant to this editorial, is that Lockdown has a legitimate reason to be shot entirely on electronic devices. It's part of the plot. It works, I'm sure. For Wordsville, it makes no sense for the outline and isn't just limiting, but is downright insulting for something "rooted in the 21st century". It's good to be unique when making a show, but there's such a thing as trying too hard to be unique to the point where it's detrimental to your show's quality. Making the show be a digital-only angle isn't a smart move, especially for a detective procedural.

And if it's trying to differentiate itself from Odd Squad...well, do I got some bad news for you.

The show already did an entire Zoom parody in the span of an 11-minute episode.

And I still hate it with all the vitriol of an old woman who hates kids playing with beach balls in the yard pool. It sucks ass. It's entirely unneeded when you have three children sitting around the same table. I could vomit on you all day about it. But at least it's far more justified than Wordsville having its entire formula based on it. You can rip off a show without being limiting.

(don't. seriously. don't.)

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

Before we get to the conclusion, I need to dive deep into Odd Squad's own popularity and explain it a little more beyond just little "trust me bro" tidbits.

If you've been following it for as long as I have, then it's no secret that Odd Squad is one of Sinking Ship's cash-cow franchises. You've got the main series, six different spinoffs, a live show, a book...and I didn't even provide a whole damn list! Point being, it's huge. It doesn't have many roots in pop culture, but from a certain angle, it is an absolutely massive franchise that continues to grow, even in spite of its controversies.

Unlike works such as SpongeBob or Bluey, Odd Squad isn't popular enough to get bonafide ripoffs. The formula is relatively easy to copy, and if anything there are shows that have a similar premise but aren't even close to ripoff territory (K.C. Undercover, for example). It's just that, for all the ripoffs people have done of shows and movies over the years, the motivation for industry bigwigs in taking Odd Squad and running with it just...isn't there. I can connect it to Disney or Dreamworks or Viacom all I want, but at best they have a vague awareness of it that only goes as far as "oh, that's a thing, I guess". At worst, they see it as a pile of shit that would never turn a decent profit.

It could be argued that Sinking Ship wasn't all too well-known in the entertainment sphere up until Odd Squad came around. Looking at their resume doesn't show all too much in the way of what's popular. This is Daniel Cook, Roll Play, Playdate...they don't stick in your head, right? Yeah, none of them stick in my head either. Odd Squad was their first big hit for them, something that really helped them gain ground as a company. It's the one that's pretty much linked with Sinking Ship in news articles. Like husband and wife, but for the TV industry.

But to Hollywood bigwigs, that means about as much as finding a stick on the ground. I guaran-goddamn-tee Bob Iger is not going to put his grubby little hands on the funny kids math franchise and twist the hell out of it. The only way that's happening is if you run "Odd Squad, but make it Disney" through an AI generator. (Which, for the record, I have not done. You can't really replicate Odd Squad characters in animation without making them look like they walked out of yet another Law and Order spinoff that's far more kid-friendly.)

However, even with Odd Squad's varying popularity, there are shows that go just a little beyond having a similar premise to it but don't dive into ripoff territory. Sort of like a next step up.

A long time ago, a few friends and I in an Odd Squad Discord server were discussing the show Numberjacks. You know, that show that Jacknjellify may or may not have used as inspiration for Four's design? Yeah, that's the bitch.

The show has a few similarities to Odd Squad. You've got the focus on math, a system for exiting the couch headquarters that's similar to the tube system, and even the existence of kid agents and incredibly odd villains, one of which, need I remind you, Twitter tried to make into a sexyman for all of two days to varying degrees of success.

I will admit, I haven't seen Numberjacks in several years. In fact, the last time I saw it was when it was brought up as an Odd Squad ripoff. If I recall correctly, the episode that I picked to watch on a whim was "Seaside Adventure", wherein a few numbers take a vacation and trouble occurs. Or something like that. I really can't remember many details.

One thing I do remember, though, is distinctly thinking that I could see the Odd Squad similarities, but...it's not a ripoff. The series premiered in 2006. By that point, Tim McKeon and Adam Peltzman were off on their own ventures as they wrote for cartoons and other things. Thus, Odd Squad hadn't been birthed yet. If anything, Odd Squad took cues from Numberjacks, not the other way around -- but even with the existence of Odd Squad UK, we don't know that for sure. I don't even know how popular Numberjacks was in the UK. I'm a dumb lil' American, not a Daphne-Moon-esque English woman.

Since then, I haven't found anything that has come close to what Wordsville aims to accomplish. Granted, though, I have not looked very hard. I'm moreso keeping an eye on PBS to see if they're going to try and rip off Odd Squad rather than keeping an eye on any random B-lister studio. (And no, I'm not talking about WNET. They are a PBS station, but I'm referring to PBS as a whole entire network, not a sole affiliate.)

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So the question remains: is Wordsville an Odd Squad ripoff?

Yes. On multiple counts. Right down to the name inspo. Guilty as charged. Right to jail.

From it being for the 4-7 demo not unlike Odd Squad's own 4-8 demo, to Sage and Chase being referred to as "Word Detectives" in lieu of "agents", to it being a detective procedural not unlike Odd Squad and its spinoffs, to the synopsis of the show being described as having "a case rooted in a vocabulary lesson" similar to Odd Squad having episodes rooted in STEM lessons, to it actively encouraging the audience to solve mysteries along with Sage and Chase...to Sage and Chase having alliterative theme naming...

Yeah, safe to say, we've got ourselves a ripoff.

There's no denying that Odd Squad is a fantastic franchise. Even through all of its issues, including financial controversies, heavy criticism, and mistreatment from PBS, it has remained strong for nearly 10 years, and will stay strong for many more. Maybe one of these days, it will plant roots deeper into pop culture and become one hell of a phenomenon. We'll have to see.

But the fact that Sinking Ship Entertainment has to resort to borrowing a concept that is unique in its nature, a concept that has already been done, a concept that has been given life and creativity by the people who birthed it, and then try to pass it off as its own original IP is not a good look on them. It's been done similarly before with their other big franchise, Dino Dan -- key word being "similarly" because it's one show and three spinoffs focusing on different characters. That isn't the case with Wordsville, though.

Put it this way: it's a company ripping off not someone else's IP, like many other companies have done and continue to do. It's a company ripping off their own IP.

And really, it doesn't matter how it's done. Stealing is stealing. At the end of the day, all it shows is a complete lack of creativity and a complete craving for the almighty dollar. More so if it's a company stealing from themselves and passing it along as okay.

In spite of this, however, I am perfectly willing to give Wordsville a shot when it comes out. Not so much to see if it's good (though my curiosity is piqued), and definitely not to hate-watch (which has the opposite intended effect on a show or movie), but to see just how far Sinking Ship is willing to push the envelope in affirming viewers and industry buddies alike that this is not, by any and all accounts, a copy of Odd Squad. I want to spot similarities. I want to take whiskey shots until I can do a zoom-zoom to a hospital and then ask if they've got a bottle on board the rig. I want to give a full, I-watched-this-show-now-here-are-my-overall-final-thoughts addendum on the entire issue.

As of now, Wordsville has no narrow timeframe. All I know is that it's releasing this year, likely on TVO Kids in Canada. Whether PBS as a whole will adopt it into its roster -- and if anything, it'll be WNET-exclusive, otherwise we would've heard something about it at the TCA Winter Press Tour a few days back -- for American audiences remains yet to be seen. Rest assured, though, that I'll be keeping an eye on it and rushing to it as soon as the first episode drops. After that, I'll give a proper addendum so I can finally put this issue to bed. Along with myself. Revenge bedtime procrastination is a bitch.

Thanks for reading. This honestly started out as something silly, but then I became analytical. So you got a mix of both in this one. This may or may not be the norm. Day-by-day, y'know?

Seren out.

#odd squad pbs kids #odd squad #wordsville #sinking ship entertainment #seren's studies

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