#it's not like i'm a monster or anything but i sometimes am my own worst critic you know?

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Demon King Headcanons

You have accepted the Demon King’s marriage proposal!

I wasn't planning on writing a second part, but some of you gave me ideas and I decided on short headcanons instead. The image of a big, buff, evil Overlord lovingly doing house chores for their human was too tempting.

Content: gender neutral reader, monster romance

[Main Story]

The proposal, as you quickly found out, came as a surprise to everyone. Not even the King’s loyal butler knew of such intentions; he’d assumed they were finally going to destroy everything and everyone at once. To him, the dramatic scene of you and his Lord enveloped in flames was anything but a romantic confession. It was your final battle. So one might imagine the poor lizard’s confusion when the Demon King returned with you following behind. “S-sir?” He questioned meekly. The armored creature nodded at his servant. “It has been done. We’ll plan the wedding upon our arrival home.” The what? His baffled expression must’ve given him away, because the Demon continued: “What’re you gawking like that for? Didn’t I ask you earlier how humans forge a bond?” The butler stumbled to search for his words, swallowing dryly. “Well y-yes, your Majesty…I just didn’t expect it to be anything more than curiosity.”

The same speechless reaction repeated itself all the way to the Kingdom. Soldiers, diplomats, other monstrous entities of the unknown Land, they all greeted you in disbelief. So much, in fact, that you began to poke fun at their hesitant response: “I am his mortal enemy”, you’d announce with a dramatic bow. “Spouse! We talked about this!” the Demon Lord would quickly correct you, flustered.

Truth be told, you're not quite sure what made you accept this ridiculous offer. Perhaps a mixture of intrigue and disillusionment. The city you've dedicated yourself to stood no longer, burnt to a crisp along with its corruption and crookery. In a way, the monster had unshackled you from a responsibility you no longer wanted to bear. And if that wasn't enough to convince you, well, the sight of the Ruler himself kneeling before you certainly sealed the deal.

Although it may take a while for you to accept the idea that your worst adversary had actually been infatuated with you this entire time. Were there even any hints? During your last battle you nearly died. You'd crawled out of an enormous crater on your fours, bones shattered and ligaments torn. When you pointed this out to your groom-to-be, he stared at you in horror. "I had no idea humans were that fragile. I was trying to adjust my strength so as to not do any harm." You could only nod, patting away the sweat beads forming on your forehead. Uh huh. Maybe it's better you didn't experience his full range of attacks.

Ever since the devastating revelation, he's been extra careful when handling you. Sometimes he'll awkwardly hover his large hands above you, with a concentrated frown on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" you ask, eyeing him suspiciously. "I'm trying to be gentle." he'll answer. "You're not even touching me." Fair point, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

The Demon King will often ask you about customs from your world as a way to make you comfortable, just in case you get struck by the occasional homesickness. His Realm is very different from what you're used to, after all. Lamentably, his own years spent in the human world were not too fruitful from a cultural point of view. He was either busy stalking you or devouring the souls of the innocent. Now that he has nothing else to worry about, he will gladly listen and even do his best to actively participate.

You wake up shrouded in thick smoke. Overwhelmed by heavy déjà vu, you rush down the grand stairs, searching for the source of the fire. Are you being attacked? Enemies of the Demon King? You elbow yourself against the kitchen door, similar to when you left your home to find the city ablaze. The Demon Lord turns to face you, visibly overwhelmed and exhausted. You gawk at the scene unfolding before you and remember to close your mouth, mainly out of politeness. "It's too small. I'm afraid I cannot use it", he reveals timidly, holding a human spatula between his fingers to showcase the impractical size difference. You glance at the disastrous attempt behind him and manage to deduce he'd been trying to make breakfast. In an unspoken agreement, he steps back and allows you to take over.

"I'm surprised you let him burn down the kitchen", you mention to the butler once you get a moment to yourself. The scaly servant sighs, and theatrically lifts his clawed hands in hopelessness. "Pointless to argue with him when he's like this, (Y/N). In my entire life serving the Family, I've never witnessed a more stubborn leader." He points to the lavish portraits adorning the walls with a faint smile. "And, to put it frankly, he's obsessed with you. I've never seen him in a more deplorable state. Marrying a human?! The shame, the outrage!” he cries out. “No offense intended to you, of course. You must understand." You hum in agreement, a tad uncomfortable, yet sympathetic. "M-maybe it'll tone down after the wedding?" you suggest as encouragement. "Oh, no, I suspect it will only get worse", he bemoans in return. Then, he promptly straightens his back and resumes his duties.

You go on your own way, not wanting to burden the lizard in his work. As you cross the hallway, you find the Demon King himself scanning each room, somewhat agitated. He notices you and his features soften. "I was wondering where you'd vanished." You approach him with the words of the butler still ringing in your ears.

[zephyr-ro-emenki]

I was recently introduced to the Idea of Percy being a reincarnated Odysseus and I have to say I'm in love. I've only really seen 1 fic with that idea so far, and I absolutely love it.

Because picture it, your Odysseus, you've returned home after 20 years, and you lived out the rest of your days as king alongside your family, passing on the title of king to your son, and still coping with all the horrors you saw in your journey, all the death you wrought, all of your trauma and regrets. Then one day, when your old, your wife probably having died before you met your natural end of old age, hoping to see her and be reunited in the afterlife, entrusting the kingdom you and your wife fought for to your son and Best Friend/Mentor/3rd member of your romantic relationship...

And then you and all your trauma are reborn as a Baby.

And you find out 12 years later that your father is Poseidon, the very God who tormented you for half your time away from home, and who made you into a man-made-monster.

And now, your new mother is stuck in a relationship with a absolutely Horrible man named Gabe who reminds him of the stories Penelope told him of the absolute worst of her Suitors. Your first and best friend in this new life acts so much like Polites that it Hurts, and you have to constantly stop yourself from calling him such. The first person you lock eyes with at camp is this blond girl who looks and reminds you so much of Athena that it hurts and makes you wish that Athena would accept your prayers after all these years.

And then, to top it all off, you, an Archer, are now stuck in a body that is absolutely Horrendous at Archery.

Obviously this must be Poseidon getting the last laugh and torturing you, it has to be.

Now picture how everyone else probably sees this.

Sally expected her newborn son Perseus's first words to be something normal like Mama or Dada or something, but instead his first words are "Penelope" and he's very protective of you, oftentimes referring to your 1st husband Gabe as "Another Suitor who will die by my blade" and your utterly confused on why he has so much faith that his true father will return to them and save them from Gabe (he thinks his father is just like him and is forced away by a war of some kind)

Grover expected this Demi-God he sensed at Yancy academy to be the standard for Demi-Gods, but instead he gets a Demi-God who slots in next to him like he's something that's been missing from him for his entire life, who gives off so many confusing combinations of emotions when he see's him, and who sometimes slips up and calls him "Polities" when he's in high stress situations or without realizing and he just has to cope that this Demi-God has his own name for him.

Poseidon is absolutely confused, because he's never interacted with his son once except for sneaking to meet him as a new born, but as soon as his son learns he is his father, his son is absolutely terrified and also unquenchably angry. He's terrified out of his mind whenever he's brought up, but when he's face to face with Poseidon himself, his anger in barely contained, held back by politeness and terror, a true trauma response and PTSD and he's left questioning who hurt him? Who made him so afraid of his father? He can't possibly have done anything to Percy, because he's never interacted with him before, but he's terrified as if he's spoken to Poseidon before and is on edge whenever he meets him. And he swears to hurt whoever made his son fear his own father.

And then Poseidon learns that Odysseus was reborn as his son and he has to realize that "Oh... I am the one who hurt my son."

And then the rest of the camp has to picture Percy as this contradiction of a kid. A kid who's strangely knowledgeable about Archery yet is terrible at it, a kid who could recite off every step of operating a Greek/Ithican warship and every form of ship or raft as if he had at least 30 years of experience with them despite being 12, who is a son of Poseidon who's absolutely terrified of getting into the ocean water, and who looks like he's never trained his body a day in his life but can effortlessly pull off disarming moves and put the camps best fighters on their ass with a few moves.

And then Sea of Monsters happens and Odysseus has that moment of "Oh Poseidon is REALLY fucking with me if he thinks I'm going through our entire journey a second time, except in reverse Order."

[doomlazy]

My Negative About Sonic Movies, For What They Did To Tails?

Do You Know About Tails in Sonic Movies...?they making him, such a worse. Just liket the game tails.

And also, the worst part of sonic movie 3 is…. Tails failed to save sonic in the second time after falling to stop to blow up the earth, and knuckles saves them. Do you think i am dumb? No… I was always right, and i'm not blinded… I completely realized, for what they giving to them. The same awful thing like that?! Knuckles always the coolest, and shadow too?! So the both are getting they ow spin-off! But not tails?! Because filmmaker or writers or producers, nothing what they giving to tails, just giving him a small screening, and skipping to him like the second movie does to him?! Because knuckles and shadow Including sonic himself, are always the coolest and the best character BUT NOT HIM?!! I DON'T GIVE A DAMN, AND I VERY, VERY CRITICIZING AND FULLY NEGATIVELY ABOUT HIS SONIC FILMS, LIKE THE SEQUELS!… SONIC SEQUEL FILMS, THAT ACTUALLY RUINING TAILS' REPUTATION IN THE BIG SCREEN! AND I COMPLETELY REALIZE FOR THAT!? SO I VERY CARED ABOUT HIM, AND I NOT GOINGTO CARED ABOUT FOCUSING ABOUT KNUCKLES AND SHADOW, BUT SONIC. IS PRETTY ANNOYING TALKING HEDGEHOG, BUT SOMETIMES I CARED TO HIM… AND YOU KNOW WHAT?! KNUCKLES SPIN-OFF SHOW, DESERVED TO FAILED, BECAUSE I REALIZED HOW AWFUL THIS SHOW IT IS. SO THANKS TO WADE FOR STOLE HIS SHOW, AND I'M PRETTY APPRECIATED THAT, EVEN HAD HIS VERY SMALL ROLE IN THE THIRD FILM, BECAUSE THE NEGATIVE OF THE FIRST SPIN-OFF. SO THAT'S WHAT KNUCKLES DESERVE! BECAUSE HE'S A DUMB RED ECHIDNA! So That's Why… My Great Decision. To Hate A Good Movie, That What I Criticized. But I'm Very Glad, It Will Never Win An Awards, Once Again… And I'm Pretty Happy, Because Oscars ineligible Sonic Movie 3. So This Is Great! It Deserve It, to Never Win Forever!

And I'm Pretty Understand Matt Walsh. For Hating This Movie, Becaude I Was The First One Who Hate This Movie!

And Sonic Fans, Are Completely Blind, Seflish, Cruel, Disgusting, Stupid, And Nostalgic.

Because I'm Not Grow Up This Ftanchise… because I'm Not A Sonic Fan Enough, But. I Was a started to Being a Sonic Fan, In 2022. And That's I Started to grow Being a Fan. But Not sonic, or shadow or others… It Was Tails, that makes me strong, to feel abiut him, and his motives and i'm very understandaable about him… So if Someone Who Hates Tails, Or Treating Him Like Calling Him Annoying, Awful And Worse. Or Trying To Rid Him, From They Own Fan Fictions Like AU. Or Anything Who insulting and Hating tails…?

I Hope They Died In Hell, To Suffer What They Did. Tails Was a completely Inoccent poor two tailed fox. And they just insult him and disrespecting him, and bullying him… By Haters. They Are The Real Villains, They Are The Real Monsters. they Are, The Worse!

Sonic fans Are The Villain Too, Because They Are Nostalgic, Seflish And Stupid.

So i am the one… Who actually Right.

That's why… I hate Sonic movies Anymore.

Because I'm a small fan, because i wasn't grow up in sonic media franchise. My nostalgia about sonic, is memorable & forgotten. Of what i saw… I remember i was first time to played sonic game, in my bootleg psp with retro games in 2012.

But i am a fan of tails. Because he's a poor boy, that never give him his own…?

That's Why… I Am A Huge Fan Of Tails Of Everything, And I Hate Ruining For Him, by Worse Portrayed And Poor Written To Him…

I Hate Sonic Movies Anymore, Because Of Tails Awful Portraying In The Him.

I Can Blame The Filmmaker or Writers And Producers As What I Want. Because They Are Responsible For Him?!

Don't Not Wrong Me!… 😤💢

[troius]

I just want to say a few things before you get to the end. First up, it's been a pleasure to read your thoughts on the series; like any fan, you have your own unique interpretations and it's always good to read how fans see certain scenes. It's also been fantastic to see fellow fans respond to your posts adding on to what you've written, again bringing your thoughts out more and generating discussion.

Also, seeing your thoughts has made me appreciate scenes and characters I never thought I would -- Yamamoto for instance, who would've thought?! They've also reminded me of why I fell in love with the series as much as I did, from the artwork to the themes to the incredible bonds between the characters. You've reminded me that BLEACH has it's flaws that can sometimes take you out of the story, but when it hits, it 100% HITS! It's a manga that's about the bonds we form, how they can help us overcome challenges and be a source of light in our lives. It's about the ways we overcome grief and the fear of death, whether it's literally fighting your way through it or slowly coming to a state of acceptance as time goes on. It's about the 'hearts' of people, about what they look like and how they're shared between those you choose. I could go on and on, but then this would become an essay and we'd be here all day.

All of this is to say, thank you for choosing to create a Tumblr account and deciding to read the series and give your thoughts along the way. I can't believe you've finally reached the end, it almost feels like I'm saying goodbye to the manga again!! I don't think I'm the only one here who sees you as a big and valued part of the community on here, so I hope you'll be sticking around! :)

Thank you so much Rays! Response under the cut because it went long.

This won't surprise you, but I too have grown in my appreciation for the series over the course of the uh three years that I've run this blog. Bleach has character concepts I've never seen elsewhere. It has moments of storytelling brilliance. It has truly, phenomenally astonishing art.

But more than anything else, I, like you, am impressed by the heart. For a story that's largely about the afterlife, Bleach is shockingly humanistic, locating virtue not in any system of belief, in any group or faction in the various conflicts that provide the setting for the manga, but in people. All people, whether they're our extremely relatable teenage protagonist and his friends, the occasionally sketchy adults in his life, or the various adversaries ranging from evil monsters to supernatural samurai to a regular-ass gang to a foreign apocalypse cult. Bleach never, not once, lets the viewer fall into the comfortable childish space of believing that there's good people and bad people in the world.

There's just people. Sometimes these people want to do bad things, like execute their sisters, or kidnap your girlfriend, or isolate you from your family, or destroy the entire world. Bleach doesn't flinch away from that either. But it (again, very humanistically) locates those bad actions not in the individual human beings, but in our relationships with one another through the systems and structures we've created to organize ourselves.

And yet in the face of the idea that humans do their worst work through other people, that's also where Bleach locates its greatest virtue. Alone, we're nothing. It's the bonds that we have with others that are what make life worth living, that are the source of everything good in this world. And navigating that dynamic, between spiritual bonds and structural shackles...that's really what adult life is all about, isn't it?

Anyhow, my adult life has been greatly enriched by all of you on here. But I'll take the chance to thank you specifically Rays, for being such a source of joy. Your positivity and passion are the sort of thing that makes a humble blogger want to come back for more, and I've deeply enjoyed hearing all of your thoughts, not just on my liveblog, but through your own posts and writing. I'll be sticking around for sure.

[nova-alien-rants]

trying to finally heal my NPD and dealing with the damage it's caused is so fucking devastating

uhh if you demonize narcs please get off my blog before i launch you into the sun uhh this post is kinda long

it just... it hurts so bad dude. and i feel like my BPD makes it even worse because every time i'm confronted with the reality that i've fucked up those around me so badly, i can end up spiraling into thinking i'm the worst person ever, i deserve to die, i ruin everything, there's no hope for me, etc. it's so awful. i genuinely hate how much i've hurt those in my life.

examples:

i've gaslit my gf to the point where she still feels like SHE'S the problem, even though it's literally been me all along. she kept trying to help me and i villainized her the whole time. i'm disgusted with how i acted. my eyes have been opened and i no longer act the way i did, but the damage has been done and i can't help but cry because of how much i've hurt her these past several years.

my friend became used to me making backhanded jabs and even passive aggressive remarks because i always felt threatened by him. i stopped being mean to him like that, but because he was used to that dynamic with me, he kept up with his own vindictiveness and made me feel terrible that i trained him to do that in the first place. he doesn't do it with anyone else.

i've lost many friends and gotten into baseless arguments simply because i was acting like a giant asshole under the delusion that THEY were the assholes, not me. even though they literally did not do anything. my own ego was wounded and that wasn't their fault. i was such a fool for destroying those relationships.

i feel so fucking despondent so much of the time now, and i keep flip flopping between "there's hope for me and i can help reduce the stigma of NPD" and "i am the worst person ever, i'm a horrible monster who just hurts people, there's no getting better for me." my emotions are so intense. either they're everywhere, or they're nowhere. i also feel so much grief. i could have had amazing relationships with amazing people around me, and to an extent i do now! but so much of the lives of myself and others have been absolutely ravaged by my own self obsession and vindictiveness, and i can't help but wonder what things would be like if i weren't the way i am. honestly i'm so ashamed of myself for letting things get to this point.

whenever i would do research on NPD, i would wonder like... why do people not know they have this condition? how could they possibly not know when it fucks up their lives so bad? i knew about my BPD and OCPD before i even knew what those conditions were called, and those are also ego-syntonic personality disorders! so i was REALLY thrown a curveball when i was told i'm a narc. it felt like my world shattered and i simultaneously could see clearer, but also felt so much shame and sadness. and other things, but i don't even know what in specific. bad things. it seriously changed how i viewed myself and everyone and everything in this world around me.

i remember i would always tell myself i would never end up like my parents, both of whom are narcissists. they were and still are the worst abusers out of all the abusers i've ever had in my life. so when i found out i was a narc, too, i felt disgusted not only because it explained so much of my life, but also because it meant my worst fear had come true. i associate narcissism with my parents. i'd be lying if i were to say i didn't have my own internalized ableism about NPD due to them. at the same time though, i get distressed from sharing physical features with them too, so it's hard to really say. it just sucks all around.

i feel like some kind of evil monster crying crocodile tears upon finally having it click that they actually are, indeed, some kind of evil monster. i've hurt so many people so badly and i was totally blind to it. COMPLETELY. to the point i genuinely believed THEY were the ones hurting ME. sometimes i'm so consumed with shame i literally never want to show my face to anyone ever again. i want to run away and start a new life where no one knows who i am or what my past was like. but alas, such is not feasible, so i am stuck dealing with the consequences of my actions. and accept them i will, of course, because it's the grave i dug for myself, but fuck, man. this feels so awful. i feel so awful.

[theshippingqueens-blog]

more random incorrect qoute posts because im currently not in the mood to write puzzle because im working on a project

Setting: They're in the Duel Monsters card shop, looking for new cards.

Yugi: (Holds up a ridiculous-looking card with a cartoonish duck on it) Atem, look! This one's called "Quacky the Destroyer"! Atem: (Stares at the card with a mix of disdain and disbelief) Yugi, I have battled gods and fought in shadow realms. Please tell me you are not seriously considering adding…a duck…to our deck. Yugi: But he looks so happy! Atem: That is the face of pure, unadulterated chaos. Put. It. Down.

Setting: Back at Yugi's place. Atem is trying to use a microwave for the first time.

Atem: (Points at the microwave) Explain to me, Yugi. How does this… metal box… harness the very fire of Ra, but without any flames? Yugi: (Chuckles) It uses microwaves, Atem. It’s not magic. Atem: But… it rotates the food! Surely that is an ancient incantation of some kind! Tell me the ritual! Yugi: It’s… it’s just a motor. Look, do you want your popcorn or not? Atem: (Eyes the microwave suspiciously) Very well. But I’m watching it.

Context: They're trying to blend into a crowd, but Atem isn't cooperating.

Yugi: (Whispering urgently) Atem, you need to lower your voice! You're drawing attention!

Atem: (Speaking in his usual booming voice) Nonsense, Yugi! A king commands attention! Why should I cower amongst these… commoners?

Yugi: (Facepalming) We're at the local farmers market, Atem. Just… buy the damn tomatoes quietly!

atem: Do you want to know your gay name? yugi: My… my gay name? atem: Yeah, it's your first name- yugi: Haha. Very funny atem- atem: gets down on one knee And my last name. yugi: Oh- oh my god.

some dnf because why not

Dream, panicking, after George almost falls off a cliff: "George! Oh my god, are you okay?! I can't lose you, you're like, my favorite thing!" George, dusting himself off: "You have a whole Minecraft world full of things, Dream." Dream: “Yeah, but you’re the… best thing."

George: Annoyed tone "Dream, where are my glasses? I can't see anything." Dream: Holding George's glasses up high, out of reach "But George… you always look so cute when you're squinting!" George: Grumbling "Give me my glasses, you green gremlin!" Dream: Sighs dramatically "Fine, but you're ruining the aesthetic."

Dream: George, I have a confession to make.

George: (Sighs, braced for the worst) Okay, shoot.

Dream: I… may have accidentally traded all of our diamonds for wool.

George: (Deadpan) Was it at least pretty wool?

Setting: They're having a heated debate about something ridiculous.

Dream: I'm telling you, George, cats are clearly superior to dogs! Their independence is admirable. George: (Scoffs) Yeah, independence like knocking water glasses off the counter at 3 AM? I'd rather have a dog who loves me! Dream: (Dramatically) You're saying you'd rather have a dog than me?! Is that what this is about, George?! George: (Confused) What? No!

Dream: (Staring intensely at George editing a video) You know, sometimes I think about… us. George: (Without looking up) Is the texture pack not loading for you again? Because I can help, I swear, it's not that hard. Dream: (Sighs dramatically) Nevermind.

Dream: (Panicked, on comms) George! I'm surrounded by Creepers! I need backup! George: (Calmly, from his own stream) Okay, okay, what do you need? Dream: (Shrieking) I don't know! Just… be there! Exist! Be a powerful, George-shaped shield! George: (Muttering to his chat) I can't believe this is my life.

[goes-whump-in-the-night]

aphrodisiac

Synopsis: Blake slips a little something extra into Rory's dinner.

Content Warnings: immortal whumpee, lady whumpee, captivity, bound, aphrodisiacs, drugged, forced arousal/orgasm, slight nsfwhump

Author's Notes: I think Blake doesn't really care what specifically happens to Rory so long as it's awful for her. I may write a part two for this sometime. Gotta have lots of tests for your science!

There had been something in Rory's food.

She should've known.

She should have fucking known.

Of course Blake would've had the sense not to make it too obvious. It wasn't as though he'd had the servants bring her a platter of filet mignon and a glass of whatever wine he locked away underground just as jealously as he kept her.

But there had been a bread roll - still warm and soft with a pat of butter - served beside her usual tasteless porridge. Rory had thought that, maybe, it was another of Blake's little taunts - just another way of reminding of good things, so he could snatch them away from her again.

Or maybe it was a servant or someone in the kitchen, taking the smallest amount of mercy on her, trying to assuage their own guilt while taking a paycheck from an absolute monster.

Or maybe it was just poisoned, and she would be dead again soon. Really, Rory had been too hungry to care which one it was, and that one glorious mouthful of warmth had been too much for her to resist.

She wished she had though, even if it would've inevitably been stuffed down her throat if she hadn't eaten it on her own, because now -

Blake had arrived at her cell 20 minutes after the dinner tray, flanked by his hired guards, Garret and Sienna. Without a word from their employer, the two of them had proceeded in, dragging Rory to her feet and beginning to tightly bind her arms behind her with rope.

Normally, if she was unshackled as she was, Rory would've backed herself into a corner and started kicking and scratching and struggling against them, futile as her efforts would be.

On this occasion, however, not only was Rory practically limp in their grasp, needing to lean against Garret to so much as stand while Sienna began to bind her, the merest jostling of her person caused Rory to let out a terrible, humiliating moan.

There had been something in Rory's food - and she knew without a shadow of a doubt because her entire body was on fire with arousal.

Rory could barely even lift her head as Blake approached her. She didn't want to anyway. It was the only even mildly conscious thought she had, that she didn't want him to see her with her face as flushed as freshly beaten flesh, tears of frustration spilling from the corners of her eyes, her body heaving with every breath she took as she used every ounce of her concentration not to - not to -

Blake grabbed Rory's fiery bangs and forced her to meet his eyes regardless. As usual, what Rory wanted didn't have anything to do with what she got.

"Are you enjoying my present, darling?" the man asked. He titled Rory's head back and forth, admiring his handiwork.

Rory breathed in heavily a moment, trying to compose herself. "What did y...wha' di - " she tried to asked, but even those meager words slurred in her mouth, coming out weak and breathy.

Garret had to re-double his efforts to hold her upright as she stumbled into him. Rory thought she heard Sienna snicker behind her.

Blake seemed no less amused. "Let me save you the effort," he said with a controlled smirk. "I'm a monster, I'm the worst, I am, in your preferred terminology, a 'sick fuck.' But you may be pleased to learn that today's activity is contributing to scientific advancement as well. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Oh...yeah..." Rory gasped out as carefully as she could manage. "I...I'm so - "

Every breath felt like it was bringing her closer to the edge. Her head swam and she could barely see straight, as if she was standing in a fun house world, and that was to say nothing of the heat building between her thighs, but she couldn't even think of that, because if she thought of that -

Blake used just a knuckle from his free hand to tip Rory's gasping mouth closed. "Keep your mouth shut, darling," he told her. "You'll attract flies gaping like that."

If Rory's body and mind hadn't been otherwise consumed, she knew she would've been overcome by a hatred for Blake as she had never felt before.

"It's a new drug some acquaintances of mine have developed," Blake carried on. "An aphrodisiac, in case you hadn't guessed. Too powerful and too costly for mass-market consumption, but just perfect for the...let's just say, special friends of people such as myself."

Rory blinked at him heavily, her brain struggling to process. What did he mean by that? Friends? People like him? Like her?

"It's still in the early stages of development, and my acquaintances needed some test subjects, so I volunteered you to help them out," he said. "After all, any unfortunate side effects can be healed by your unique physiology, and I find it a nice excuse to dote on you while you're in this state."

"Dote - !" The screamed word had barely escaped Rory's lips before it was followed by a gasp - another gasp, a strangled, half-suppressed scream as Rory squeezed her legs together, begging, pleading with her body not to betray her, not when it had carried her through so much pain and suffering, not to fail her here - now -

Blake held her face up to stare into his, watching her with a placid smile as the convulsion of pleasure wracked her body. He only let go when she finished with a whimper, letting her head fall away with any remaining shred of her pride.

"Well, it's good to see it seems to be working," Blake mused. "Although, I suppose that's hardly surprising. I gave you four times the recommended dose. A bit of impish curiosity on my part. Perhaps not the best decision for test results, but I was so excited to see you like this."

Four times the dose. No wonder. Her body still shook and shivered, gripped with an irrepressible heat. The aphrodisiac had far from left her. The only thing the first release had given her was the presence of mind to listen to Blake's cool voice above her as it prepared to take her again.

"Here's what's going to happen next. Garret and Sienna are going to take you upstairs to one of my guest rooms. They will tie you to the bed, which I hope you'll find to your liking, as you will remain there for the next 48 hours, minimum, both to experience the drug fully, then to observe any immediate after-effects.

"You will have cameras recording you at all times. Every move, every sound, every expression. These recordings will be shared with my acquaintances, in addition to the copies I will keep for my own reference. You will be accompanied at all times by a rotation of my medical staff, who will occasionally ask you questions about your physical state. I have given them and the rest of my staff strict instructions to not to touch you under any circumstances. However..."

At this, Blake leaned close over Rory's bowed head, his deep voice rumbling down through her.

"If you find any way to misbehave, or give any impression you are not giving your full and honest cooperation with the doctors' questions, I have given them and the rest of my staff full discretion to administer additional doses of the drug, until you decide to cooperate again. Is that understood?"

Rory's mouth fell open at the thought. Her body burned badly enough as it was. She could barely stay conscious of anything but the primal sensations ripping through her. And Blake's people - she could already imagine Sienna making her swallow another dose after dose just to see her squirm, or worse, just so they could keep her under observation and keep running the clock on billable hours for Blake.

"I said - "

Blake grabbed Rory's chin suddenly and harshly, forcing her head up once again.

"Is that," he repeated, "understood?"

Rory blinked in his grasp. She could feel the heat rising in her again. Weakly, she nodded, if only to tear his eyes off her as soon as possible.

"Good," Blake nodded before letting her go. "Very good."

The man took a step back before looking to his security team. "Make sure she's settled and our team have everything they need," he instructed them.

In perfect tandem, Sienna and Garret nodded and began to drag Rory out of the cell. She had already resigned herself to this new torment when, as usual, Blake found one last way to turn the screws that much tighter.

"And make sure my darling receives another dose when you arrive, will you?" he called out. "She's really got to learn, there's no room for non-compliance in these types of things."

[twig-tea]

Get To Know Me Tag

Tagged by @telomeke @lurkingshan @my-rose-tinted-glasses @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle and @hyeoni-comb thank you all! 💕

Do you make your bed?

I like a messy bed, it feels more welcoming to me somehow. The only time I make my bed is when I'm without heat and it's winter, then you gotta do it to keep in any residual warmth! But normally I'd rather keep everything loose.

What’s your favorite number?

I....don't think I have one? Is this a thing people have, how do you choose?

What is your job?

I manage a team of Product Owners in the Operations division of a multinational company. In other words, I go to a lot of meetings.

If you could go back to school, would you?

Absolutely not. Beyond the fact that I was formerly a substantive editor of university textbooks, which included both editing the textbook content and sometimes writing their ancillaries (tests, powerpoint slides, etc.) so it feels like I took first-year Sociology at least ten times, I just don't love formalized education. I love learning but on my own terms and at my own pace.

Can you parallel park?

I can't drive at all! Technically I learned how, took lessons and everything, but never got my license.

A job you had that would surprise people?

Hmm. I was a call center person for half a day, it was terrible and I left without getting paid for the work I did because I was so eager to get out of there I didn't want to fight them for my pay (even though I needed the money which is why I was there in the first place). I hate phone calls, I can't hear well on the phone, and it was clear the call center script was designed to be exploitative. It was one of the worst jobs for me I could have taken lol

Do you think aliens are real?

I think it's extremely likely!

Can you drive a manual car?

Nope, even when I learned, it was only on an automatic.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I'm not guilty about it but I can decimate an entire family size mac and cheese when I'm feeling down.

Tattoos?

I have 3 tattoos; one on each foot and one on the back of my neck. They form a rainbow.

Favorite color?

Blue-green! The shade of preference for any given moment varies, but anything in the region from mint to aqua to teal to turquoise will do; I love them all.

Favorite type of music?

My music taste varies widely but the common denominators are 1) fast tempo or upbeat, 2) solid harmonies, and 3) if there's a tempo or key change I am doubly sold.

Do you like puzzles?

Love puzzles of all kinds. I have a collection of jigsaw puzzles I do regularly, and word puzzles, logic puzzles, sudoku type stuff is all very fun. I don't make a lot of time for them but I do them occasionally and always enjoy it.

Any phobias?

I am afraid of falling. Not heights, but falling. The difference is: I can lean over the railing at the top of a 20-storey building or walk on a glass floor over a big drop and just feel a minor thrill, but am terrified to the point of maybe crying if I have to balance on a single step of a ladder or walk across a patch of ice. I had several brushes with death related to falling when I was a kid, and a few bad falls that caused injury as an adult, so it makes sense. Luckily I am pretty tall so I rarely have to do any kind of ladder-ing!

Favorite childhood sport?

American-style tackle football. We used to play at lunch on the pavement because the soccer kids got the field; we played in all seasons including snow, and we did it for love of the sport. I loved it a lot.

Do you talk to yourself?

Occasionally I'll provide a little commentary on what's happening aloud to myself; but I don't really have fully conversations.

What movies do you adore?

I have loved a lot of movies in my time! A few random ones that come to mind right now because I've been thinking about them for whatever reason are Saving Face (2004), Monster (2023), Practical Magic (1998), Moonlight (2016), and Clue (1985).

Coffee or tea?

Despite my username being a type of tea, in this as in all things I am a perfect Kinsey 3. Love both equally and drink a ton of both (coffee more regularly, tea in greater volume).

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

Lifeguard, I think! And then when I was in elementary school I wanted to edit textbooks (I was that kid who got annoyed whenever there were mistakes), so I did actually get to do my childhood dream job.

No pressure tags just going with vibes based on who I've interacted with recently (if you've done this already tag me in the comments!): @rocketturtle4 @visualtaehyun @sollucets @troubled-mind @jimmysea @ginnymoonbeam

[lost-scarecrow]

I never did share my KinitoPET oc playlists did I?

Anyways! These are just songs that remind me of them in someway. Could be something they'd listen too, something about the song represents them (title, album, cover art, lyric, interpretation, vibe, or genre), or I just like it and decided they need to like it too.

Obligatory tags for the askblogs Scar and Atâhk are from. Seriously check them out! and the other awesome askblogs and just blogs in general in this circle, I feel completely surrounded by the coolest and most talented people with the most inspiring, motivating passion for their characters and what they create. It's really helped me be more openly passionate about my own OCs.

Learn more and experience the serverbox au, where Scar is an asker character, here: @lastintheserverbox

Learn more and experience electronicdissonance, where Atâhk is a character, here: @electricdissonance

I'll add a read more because this is going to be... A lot.

Content warnings for: car accidents (not in-depth mention), missing peoples cases, character death (temporary), self loathing

Scar!

I really enjoyed making his playlist! I've been listening to it on repeat for like two weeks now! Rotating him and everyone else on serverbox in my head.

Five songs from his playlist that really stand out to me and my reason's why:

Gilded Lily - Cults || "Haven't I given enough, given enough?" || he feels like he's losing everything, has lost everything. Does he really need to give up more?

Only Human - Philip Ayers || it's the title and vibe. He might living in the digital world, but even then he's still only human he has hopes, dreams, and ideas for the future, he still gets sad, angry, and happy.

Disembodied Mind - Sparkbird || "I am in trouble with myself again... That's why I'll do anything to keep myself away from me maybe when I'm gone I'll see me in a better light" || He doesn't have the best opinion of himself, he sometimes wishes he did.

Milk Carton - Madilyn Mei || "Say, is that the kid from the milk carton? Can I do anything when I'm also missing?" || He's gone missing twice in his life. Once when he was a kid, around four or five, when him and his dad first moved to British Columbia. The second time was when he died, nobody saw him leave town or hear anything about him going anywhere, he was a little bit of a hermit, especially after Dahlia's passing, but he was still sociable and told people most of his important plans to leave just incase there was a wildfire, storm, or a rockslide so people wouldn't get trapped going up the mountain to warn him. They never really got closure on his case, they searched his house and found nothing that indicated he left or planned to go anywhere. His phone was still next to his desktop, dust had already began settling on everything. His car and his car keys were all still there. He just vanished.

Cold Island - My Singing Monsters || "Nobody likes me, everyone is afraid of me." || He tends to assume the worst when he gets in trouble, he doesn't have a good opinion of himself so why would anyone else?

---

Dot!

I got to include some different types of songs in her playlist because of what I image her to be! She's a seal/selkie in the digital world, she's also originally from Newfoundland and Labrador but her family also moved to Kelowna around the same time Scar's did, her mother is Labrador Inuit and her father is a second generation Scottish immigrant from Newfoundland.

Five songs from her playlist that stand out to me and my reason's why:

Great Big Sea/Gone By The Board - Great Big Sea (Newfoundland folk song) || I just like this song. This is the reason she's from Newfoundland and Labrador and not anywhere.

Bones In the Ocean - The Longest Johns || "I remember the living, do they think of me?" || Dahlia had a Kinito and he was on her phone with her, he enjoyed being with her when she visited Scar, he had never met Scar properly but he liked Scar he was a good friend a perfect second best friend for his best friend. When Dahlia was in her accident, they were driving home from Scar's. Kinito was with her and she knew Kinito could pull her into his world, he had offered it before but she told him she couldn't not if it meant leaving Scar behind. She remembers reaching for her phone and telling Kinito this was a special exception for her declining his offer, before she was fully dead he pulled her in, unable to pull her entire body into the phone he pulled in just her consciousness. She often thinks about Scar, wondering how often he thinks about her. Not knowing both of them are dead and living in the digital world.

Deal With Destiny - LDShadowlady, Scott Major, Pokopom || arguably a very silly song to list after all that I just wrote but listen, it fits Dot. She would've loved Empires Lizzy without a doubt.

4am (Acoustic) - Derivakat || "Keep me up 'til 4am, I'll stay up for you" || mainly the vibes of the lyrics, she'd stay awake if any one of her friends just needed someone to be awake with them.

Jort Storm - Slimecicle || She'd be singing this song all the time. It's chaotic, it's silly, it's a banger. She considers the lyrics "Got a genetic test but all my genes were shorts" a musical and writing masterpiece.

---

Atâhk!

So many choral songs! I just started building the playlist and was taken in by the amount of choral music I could put in his playlist. It's why his playlist is 21 hours long. I got a silly. Also his songs I chose ended up being more of the vibe of him.

Five Six songs from his playlist that really stand out to me and my reason's why:

Suspicion Of Humans / 人間への疑惑 - Akimitsu Honma, 関向弥生 || It's got a bit of a silly little vibe to it, sounds like someone is about to pull a little trick. "suspicioun of humans"? More like "be suspicious of that coyote over there with a bottle of glitter". It's 4:30 am I don't know what I'm saying but please understand the vibe. It's because Atâhk is silly and would pull little (harmless) gags and tricks.

Hug All Your Friends - Cavetown || "Life's too short, to worry about things that we got wrong, so hug all your friends and let them know, you're not letting go. No, I won't let go, oh" || a rule he lives by. Hug all your friends, there's way too much going on in the world to not let your friends know you care, to let them know you love them.

The Moon Will Sing - The Crane Wives || not so much the song, while this band is something Atâhk would listen too, it's the album title "Coyote Stories". Atâhk is a coyote it made me think of him.

Earth Song - Frank Ticheli, VOCES8, Requiem - Eliza Gilkyson|| "But music and singing shall be my refuge And music and singing shall be my light A light of song, shining strong: Hallelujah! Through darkness and pain and strive, I'll sing. Be. See. Live. Peace." - Earth Song, "mother mary, calm our fears, have mercy drowning in a sea of tears, have mercy. hear our mournful plea. our world has been shaken. we wander our homelands forsaken" - Requiem || This is a double feature of songs, because these songs are more of a personal choice to add rather than more of a specific character choice. With how I ended up making Atâhk as a person, he is empathetic, passionate, and a little bit overly sensitive. These songs, I imagine would have a similar effect on him as they did on me when I first sang them in choir, move him to tears. These songs are gorgeous and incredibly powerful.

Your Evening Porch - harren || you might need a little comfort after listening to those two songs, why not have a comfort song of mine and Atâhk's? He listens to a variety of genres and styles, but this? this song, this vibe, this is absolutely his favourite.

[candyeyeunicornskull]

"The self-reflection on the Introspection." & "Childish to the heart"

|| inner healing part 1 ||

"I wasn't so surprised that swap was being nice to me, I'm surprised on that he wants to be friends with me after what I have done. What's worse is that he walked in on me, doing self-therapy in my notes and papers. he hugged me and told me he was so proud of me. And he just...cried, he cried so hard. I have never in my whole life been so embarrassed and cringed by my own self. I don't like being vulnerable, it's reasonable. I just don't wanna be taken advantage of. And swap? He blindly risks it all by simply being fucking nice to them! Sometimes I'm wonder if he has...and if he did. why did he continues to be nice to people? I won't ever understand optimistic people. Sometimes I secretly worry for him, as a person whose been in their head alot, for years. It isn't fun, it's painful, torture process to crawl out of. I can tell, he's recently doing the same. There is no other reason for him to talk to me, unless he wants to know through my experience and advice. Because to him, I'm a "bad boy" who knows alot and dealt with alot of bullshit. I'm like the worst version of him, his the best version of me. I'm not a idoit and either he is. But honestly, I could give a shit less, I got free pizza from him and now we're watching the X-files. I'll. . .appreciate him more. For being here at least." 

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

I stand outside in the cold snow, the snow was piling up onto my shoulders and coat. It was getting dark as the sunsets to dawn. I was waiting for the red light just to cross down the street, I looked in glass of the window and see my own self-reflection that didn't belong to me. It's a shadow of me, of someone toxic and abusive I used to be. a monster beyond redemption. noone understands me better then I do, I won't understand why people wanted to be friends with me. being trapped in this body and have a brain that is strongly against me is already insufferable and suffocating. I know something is wrong me and there's more. But I'm fine. I'm okay, it's all in my head. I'm in a safe place, I'm not in danger.

Why am I panicking over nothing again?

There's nothing to fight for.

..Five. I see a trash can, window, snowman, a red car, and a tree. Four...I'm a holding a bag, I can feel plastic, I feel my jacket against my bones..its warm. Fuck, I don't know what else. Okay okay okay so I'm...swapfell and it's 2013, December 9th.10:45 pm.

I'm safe, I'm fine. I see the colors of red, white, blue sky , and green. I see Christmas lights...I'm safe, just stop looking in the reflection. It's just a Hallucination, I'm fine.

I am okay. I'm here today.

I'm gonna walk across the street now.

I am safe.

Just bringing dounts to my friends.

I'm just. . . .annoyed and exhausted with myself today. I can't even FUCKING handle my own mood swings! NO... no.

Just bring the dounts to our friends and shut the fuck up...

Why do they even like me?

{{It's kinda vent/but not really since I was planning to kidnapped sfg and make a story about mental health issues. But I am kinda projecting onto him and Fluttershy 👹but you won't know. If it's me or the character, OR THE LYRICS HA THATS RIGHT. Anyways I was aggressively inspired by "bit of a monster" by vylet pony. This drawing was supposed to be experimental with a new brush, and such. I felt so comfortable and brave enough with it, I honestly feel like I can draw any pose in it♡ so I'm sorry if anything is off with the pose and such, this was supposed to be a fun drawing I WAS AGGRESSIVELY INSPIRED BY VYLET PONY SO MEANING FULL SHIT SO HA}}

[charliedawn]

HUNT THE FREAK

Eddie Munson x Teacher!Reader

Part 7

tags: @ironsaladwitch

Saturday arrived, and Eddie made his way to the basketball court near the school, curiosity gnawing at him. Who was this mystery coach ? He got there early, glancing around as he waited. His foot tapped impatiently. Then he saw you approaching.

Eddie did a double take.

"You ? You're the coach ?" he asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

You chuckled. "Not quite."

Before he could question you further, a familiar voice called out behind him.

"Think fast, Munson."

A basketball flew toward him.

Eddie barely managed to catch it, fumbling slightly before securing his grip. He turned to find none other than Steve Harrington standing there, arms crossed, smirking.

"Harrington ?" Eddie blinked. "What the hell are you doing here ?"

Steve tilted his head toward you. "Miss Garrett asked me to help you out. Apparently, you still suck at sports, and she thinks I can do something about it."

Eddie stared, stunned. Of all people, Steve Harrington was his coach ?

Shaking his head, he let out a disbelieving laugh. "I can't believe you're actually going along with this. What's in it for you ?"

Steve shrugged. "Let’s just say I owe Miss Garrett a favor. And, honestly ? It’s kind of fun watching you squirm."

Eddie scowled. "I am not squirming. I just don’t see why I need to do this. I mean, come on—I'm a D&D nerd metalhead, not a jock. My natural habitat is a dimly lit basement full of dice, monsters, and questionable snack choices."

Steve smirked. "Yeah, well, life isn’t always a basement campaign, Munson. Sometimes, you gotta move. Sports build stamina, agility, and—"

"Teamwork, yeah, yeah," Eddie muttered, rolling his eyes. "I’ve heard the speech before. But when’s the last time you actually needed to outrun anything ?"

Steve chuckled. "High school, man. You think I kept this perfect hair by not dodging incoming disasters ?"

Eddie snorted. "Okay, fair point." He turned to you. "But do I have to ? Can't I just—oh, I don't know—skip this whole sports thing ?"

Steve clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You should be grateful I even agreed to train you. I know for a fact you’ve been avoiding P.E. like it's the plague."

Eddie groaned. "Fine, fine. But I’m doing this reluctantly."

Steve grinned. "Good. Now get ready to get your ass whooped."

Eddie sighed, but then he caught the look on your face—expectant, encouraging. And suddenly, he really didn’t want to disappoint you.

"Ah, damn it," he muttered. "Alright. But just so we're clear, I suck at this. I’m tall, clumsy, and have the coordination of a newborn giraffe. This is gonna be a disaster."

Steve smirked. "Noted."

Eddie followed you both onto the court, already dreading the impending humiliation. His worst fears were confirmed the moment the game started. Steve dribbled effortlessly, making every shot look easy. You weren’t far behind, your movements smooth and controlled. Meanwhile, Eddie—

The ball slipped through his fingers.

Then bounced off his foot.

Then—somehow—he tripped over his own shoelaces, landing hard on the ground.

Flat on his back, he groaned. "This is hopeless. I’m more likely to break my face than make a basket."

You stepped forward, offering him a hand.

"Up and about, young man," you said, a teasing glint in your eye. "We are not giving up."

Eddie sighed but took your hand nonetheless, letting you pull him to his feet. His face was flushed—not just from exertion but from the fact that, against all logic, he actually wanted to get better at this.

If only to impress you.

By the third time Eddie hit the ground, you barely hesitated before helping him back up again, offering a small smile. "Making your poor teacher look back here, Mister Munson. Students are supposed to be learning, in case you weren’t aware ?"

Eddie groaned as he got to his feet, brushing off his jeans. "Yeah, yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one kissing the ground every five seconds."

Around him, the other players watched with amused smirks. Eddie huffed, gripping the ball tighter. He did his best, but it was obvious basketball wasn’t his thing. His shots missed completely, his passes were wild, and his footwork was a mess. Every few minutes, he found himself stumbling over nothing, barely catching himself before face-planting.

"Jesus H. Christ," he muttered, frustration bubbling up. "I told you I suck at this ! Can we be done now ?"

Steve, dribbling effortlessly, shook his head. "Look at my hands and my legs, Eddie. Watch how I move."

Eddie sighed but focused, watching the way Steve kept the ball close, his movements controlled and deliberate. His hands worked in sync with his feet, staying light, steady.

"I...I think I get it," Eddie said. "Small, controlled movements. Keep the ball close, stay on my feet..."

Steve grinned. "Exactly. Don’t just throw the ball and pray. Be precise."

Eddie hesitated, then tried to mimic Steve’s movements. His dribbling was still clumsy, but there was a noticeable improvement.

"Like this ?" he asked, brows furrowed in concentration.

Steve nodded. "Yeah ! Now, pass it to me."

Eddie focused, bringing the ball back before sending it toward Steve with an awkward flick of his wrist. The pass was wobbly, but it made it.

"Nice !" Steve caught it with ease. "Now, move with me. We’re going toward the net."

A small, pleased smile crept onto Eddie’s face. He fell into step beside Steve, moving towards the basket, still mirroring his movements.

"Alright, let’s do this. I think I’m getting the hang of it."

Steve shot him a look of approval. "You’re doing good, Munson ! Just stay low, bend your knees, and stay light on your feet. Alright, you’re gonna take the shot."

Eddie swallowed, nerves prickling his skin. He could feel it—this was the moment. He took a deep breath, lined up his shot...

And fumbled.

The ball bounced off the rim and spun away.

"Damn it !" he snapped, frustration evident.

Steve clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, it’s okay ! That was way better than before."

From the sidelines, you called out.

"It’s okay, Mister Munson ! You’re doing great! Try again !"

Your encouragement eased some of Eddie’s embarrassment. He took another deep breath, rolling his shoulders.

"One more time," he said, more determined now. "I got this."

Steve nodded. "Yeah, you do. Focus, breathe, trust yourself. Stay low, keep your knees bent."

Eddie adjusted his stance, dribbling a few times to steady himself. His heart pounded as he locked onto the net.

Then, laughter.

"Is that Munson and Harrington ?"

"Is the freak training ?"

"Didn’t think I’d see the day Munson actually tried to play basketball."

Eddie’s stomach twisted. The mocking words hit harder than he wanted to admit. He bit his lip, his grip tightening on the ball. Steve immediately noticed the shift—the way Eddie’s shoulders hunched slightly, the light in his eyes dimming.

"Ignore them, Munson," he muttered, stepping closer. "They’re just a bunch of idiots. You’re here for you, not them."

Eddie clenched his jaw, trying to block them out, but it wasn’t easy. Steve leaned in slightly, voice firm but quiet.

"Don’t let their crap get to you. They’re not worth it. You’re doing this to prove something to yourself, not them. Use that."

The whispering quieted. Maybe they realized Steve wasn’t having it, or maybe they got bored. Either way, the jeers stopped.

Steve patted Eddie’s back. "They’re just jealous they don’t have the guts to try something new. You’re doing fine."

Eddie inhaled deeply, tension easing just a little. He glanced at Steve, a grateful look flickering across his face.

"Thanks, Harrington."

And then—

"You got this, Eddie !"

Your voice rang out loud and clear, cutting through everything else. Eddie’s head snapped up, eyes locking onto you. Right. He wasn’t gonna disappoint you. Not this time.

"I got this," he muttered under his breath, nodding to himself.

He squared his stance, rolling his shoulders. Knees bent. Light on his feet. He dribbled, finding his rhythm.

This time, he wouldn’t miss.

Eddie took a deep breath, eyes locked on the basket. Everything else faded away—the noise, the other players, even his own doubts. This was for you. His fingers tightened around the ball, heart hammering in his chest.

With a flick of his wrist, he released it.

The ball soared through the air in a perfect arc, as if gravity had momentarily let go. It kissed the backboard, bounced on the rim once—twice—then...

Swish.

The net snapped as the ball sank cleanly through the hoop.

Thump !

For a second, everything stood still. Then, the rush hit him all at once.

"I...I made it," Eddie murmured, barely believing it himself.

You were frozen for a heartbeat before launching into the air with an excited shriek.

"YES ! WOOHOO ! YOU DID IT ! GO, MISTER MUNSON !"

Steve let out a low chuckle, shaking his head in amusement.

"Look at that ! Your first basket. Not bad, Munson."

Eddie just stood there, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I…I did it ?" The grin spread across his face before he could stop it. A mix of shock, pride, and pure adrenaline flooded through him. "I actually did it !"

Your enthusiasm made it even better. He turned to you, heart swelling at your radiant grin.

"Did you see that ? Did you see it, Miss G ?"

"Did I see it ?!" You beamed. "Of course I did ! That was amazing !"

Eddie let out an incredulous laugh, his excitement bubbling over.

"I MADE A BASKET !"

Without thinking, he threw his fists in the air. Before he could react, you ran onto the court and wrapped your arms around him, practically bouncing with joy.

"Aaah ! You did it ! I knew you could !"

Your momentum knocked him back a step, but he quickly recovered, arms looping tightly around you. With a triumphant laugh, he lifted you off the ground, spinning you in a wide circle.

"DID YOU SEE THAT ?!"

You laughed breathlessly. "Yes ! Yes ! I saw it !"

Steve smirked. "That’s some serious cheerleading, Munson."

Eddie shot him a cheeky grin. "Miss G’s always been my cheerleader. Gotta have the right motivation, Harrington."

Steve rolled his eyes with a good-natured scoff. "Yeah, yeah, shut up, Munson."

The other players were still staring, some in shock, some impressed, some just trying to process the fact that Eddie “The Freak” Munson had actually scored. Eddie set you down carefully, but his hands lingered at your waist for a moment. He was still shocked and looked back at the ball.

"I can’t believe it," he said, shaking his head with a laugh. "Me. Eddie Munson. The school freak. Just played basketball."

Steve chuckled. "Yep. You’re officially part of the basketball squad now. Welcome to the cool kids' club."

Eddie shot him a deadpan look. "Do not insult me, Harrington. I would rather die." But his lips split into a grin before he chuckled. He had done it. He was impressed by his own performance. The group of boys who had been mocking Eddie groaned and muttered under their breath.

"Whatever...it was just a lucky shot."

"Yeah ! You still suck, Munson !"

Eddie tensed at the insults, his excitement quickly turning into frustration. His fists clenched, and he was ready to fire back.

But Steve, standing next to him, stepped in.

"Hey ! Knock it off, you little twerps. Can’t you just say ‘good job’ and move on ? Munson made a basket, he’s learning. What’s your problem ?"

The boys were caught off guard by Steve's sharp tone. They hadn’t expected him to defend Eddie.

"We’re just saying ! He sucks, and he knows it."

Steve opened his mouth to retort, but Eddie, hands still clenched, stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"It’s fine, Harrington. Let them think whatever they want. I’m here to play, not to impress them."

But then, one of the boys shouted. "Freak ! You and your overpriced weed !"

That caught his attention. He bit his tongue and chuckled bitterly before turning towards the jocks.

"Overpriced weed ?" he spat back, irritation creeping into his voice. "You wish you could afford my premium quality, losers !" He then flipped them off with a proud grin.

The boys scoffed and some returned the gesture.

"Yeah, whatever, freak. Just because you know how to roll a blunt doesn’t make you special."

Eddie’s jaw tightened, his fists balled at his sides. He wanted to lash out, but Steve’s hand on his arm kept him in check. You shook your head, stepping closer and gently taking his hand in yours. "Hey, hey...it’s okay. Don’t listen to them. You did great, alright ?"

Eddie looked down at your hand, his racing heart slowly calming at your touch. The anger started to ebb away as he met your eyes, your reassuring words cutting through the noise.

"Yeah...yeah, okay," he muttered, his voice quieter now.

The insults still stung, but having you there made it easier to ignore them. He let out a deep breath, a small smile tugging at his lips despite everything.

"Yeah, listen to your teacher, Munson !" One of the boys cackled.

"Hey, Miss G ! Come play with us !" another one shouted, wolf-whistling.

Eddie’s jaw clenched again, fury bubbling inside him. They could insult him, but bringing you into this was crossing a line. He started to step forward, but Steve’s hand on his arm stopped him, silently urging him to stay calm.

You, on the other hand, just laughed, unfazed by their crude attempts.

"Sorry, boys. I forgot my sportswear at home," you replied with a forced smile.

Steve, his patience wearing thin, stepped up, glaring at the group. "Leave her alone, you idiots. You're acting like pricks."

The boys instantly quieted, the playful atmosphere vanishing as Steve’s warning sunk in. Eddie stood there, his tension easing a bit with Steve taking control of the situation, and you by his side. You suddenly let go of Eddie’s hand and turned your face fully towards the students, your voice firm and commanding.

"Have you forgotten that I am a teacher ? You are to address me with respect. Or would you like me to have a conversation with the headmaster about your inappropriate behaviour ?"

The boys' smirks faded quickly, their bravado shrinking as your authoritative tone cut through the air.

"No, Ma’am," they muttered, their eyes now downcast.

Steve shot them a smug look, and Eddie couldn’t suppress a small smirk, feeling satisfied to see the boys now visibly shrinking in their basketball shoes.

One of them, trying to regain some of his lost confidence, muttered under his breath, "Freak..."

Eddie’s jaw tightened, the insult digging deep. But your hand found its way back to his, your touch a silent reminder to keep his cool.

"That’s enough," you declared, your voice still firm but calm. "One more word out of any of you, and you will be hearing from the headmaster. Is that clear ?"

The boys nodded quickly, chastened. They knew they’d pushed their luck too far and didn’t want to provoke you any further. But then, one of them, an older kid who you recognized as the older brother of one of the jocks, let out a laugh. His smirk was smug and his tone was dripping with arrogance.

"Hey, sweetheart ! Come and get yourself a taste of a real man !"

Eddie’s eye twitched at the crude comment. His anger flared up, but your hand still held his, grounding him. You stayed calm, your voice unwavering.

"I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that, Mister Benson. Consider this a warning. One more inappropriate comment and I’ll be speaking to your parents."

Benson scoffed, a defiant smirk on his face.

"My parents ? They don’t care what I do, Miss G. I graduated. I’m free. But you could have a lot more fun with me than you do with that freak."

Eddie’s face darkened instantly. His fists clenched at his sides, and without thinking, he took a step forward, ready to confront the boy. But before he could make another move, Steve grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

"Hey, man, chill. Not worth it."

Eddie struggled against Steve’s grip, his anger flaring again as he tried to break free.

"Let me go, Harrington. I’m gonna knock his damn teeth out."

Eddie’s voice was a low hiss. He was itching to go after Benson, but Steve kept a firm hold on him.

"Let me go, Steve," Eddie hissed again, his temper threatening to explode. "I’m gonna kick their sorry asses."

Steve tightened his grip on Eddie’s arm, not letting him go.

"And just make things worse ?" Steve countered, his voice stern. "Don’t give them the satisfaction, man. Let it go."

You looked at Eddie, your gaze softening but still firm.

"Mister Munson. No. I can handle myself."

You turned your attention back to Benson, locking eyes with him.

"Where is your leader ? Jason Carver ? Shouldn’t he be with you ?"

Benson’s smirk faltered, his tone dripping with disdain "Oh, he’s around. But he’s got other things to do than babysit us."

Eddie scoffed, muttering under his breath, "Too busy banging that cheerleader to care about you losers, huh ?"

You shot Eddie a warning glare and reprimanded him. "Mister Munson. That is not how we talk."

Eddie grimaced, realizing he’d gone a bit too far. He lowered his gaze sheepishly.

"Right...sorry, Miss G..." he muttered.

You nodded before focusing your attention back on Benson. "Go home, Mister Benson. Or it will be your little brother who gets in trouble. And I’m sure as the ‘caring and responsible big brother’ you are, you wouldn’t want him to suffer the consequences of your crude remarks, would you ?"

Benson rolled his eyes, his bravado deflating as he knew he had no ground to stand on.

"Fine. Whatever. We’re leaving..." he grumbled, motioning for the others to follow.

The boys grumbled and muttered insults under their breath, but they eventually followed his lead, walking off the court with their tails between their legs. Eddie stood there, still seething, but a sense of relief washed over him as the situation finally died down. He exhaled a shaky breath, turning his gaze back to you.

"Thanks," he muttered, squeezing your hand gently. "You really know how to handle them."

You gave him a small smile, your grip on his hand reassuring. "It’s nothing. Just doing my job." You released his hand and he looked down at his now empty hand—his fingers flexing and unflexing. He wouldn’t have minded a second more, but it was best to leave…As you, Steve, and Eddie turned to make your exit, the boys called out one more time.

"Hey, freak !"

Eddie bristled, his fists instinctively clenching. His gaze snapped back to the boys. He was done with their nonsense, but then a smug grin spread across his face.

"Oh, I'm the freak, am I ?" he called back. "Says the guys who look like they're auditioning for the 'Douchebag Academy.'"

The boys scowled and shouted more insults, but Eddie just laughed and flipped them off, clearly unfazed one more time. Steve shook his head, chuckling at Eddie’s antics. He knew how much Eddie loved getting the last word in, almost as much as he loved causing trouble.

"You really have to get the last word in, don’t you, man ?" Steve said with a smirk.

Eddie just shrugged and smirked back. "Hey, if they’re gonna call me a freak, might as well live up to their expectations. Plus, it’s fun to mess with them; pisses them off real good."

Suddenly, you saw one of the boys pick up a rock and hurl it towards Eddie.

"Watch out !" you shouted, pushing Eddie out of the way at the last second. But instead of Eddie, the rock hit you square on the shoulder. You gasped in pain as the rock made contact, and Eddie stumbled back, his eyes wide with shock as he watched you take the blow.

"Miss G !" Eddie yelled, his anger and shock overtaken by a deep concern as he grabbed your arms gently and pulled you against him in order to protect you if more rocks were to follow. Steve wasn’t far behind, his eyes darkening in anger as he realized what had just happened.

"Hey, you idiots ! What the hell is wrong with you ?!" Steve shouted, his voice full of fury.

Benson and the other boys froze, stunned by the reality of what had just occurred. They turned to Romy, the one who had thrown the rock, who seemed equally shocked by his own actions.

"What the hell ?! You just assaulted a teacher, you idiot !" one of the boys yelled, and without a second thought, they all ran off, knowing they’d be in deep trouble if they stuck around.

Eddie gently touched your injured shoulder, his face full of concern.

"Are you okay ?" he asked softly, his voice a little shaky with worry. Steve was right behind him, his hands clenched into fists as he glared at the fleeing boys.

"Those idiots...I can’t believe they just did that," Steve muttered, his tone full of disgust.

You gave a weak chuckle, trying to downplay the situation. "It’s okay. It’s just my arm…"

Eddie gently took hold of your injured arm, his voice soft and reassuring.

"Let me see," he said, his fingers carefully rolling up your sleeve to inspect the injury. The skin around where the rock hit was already turning red and beginning to bruise. Eddie’s heart sank.

"Damn it...they really got you good," Eddie murmured and you winced as his fingers brushed over the sore area, but you tried to keep your composure, forcing a smile.

"It’s just a little sore, I’ll be fine…"

Eddie frowned, his hands gently lowering your arm. His brow furrowed with guilt as he shook his head.

"You shouldn’t have pushed me out of the way…You got hurt because of me…" His voice was thick with regret and worry.

You huffed softly, not letting him wallow in guilt. "Mister Munson. You are my student. I have a duty to protect you until you graduate. I will not let you get hurt. That is out of the question."

He gave a small shake of his head, clearly torn.

"I know you want to protect me, Miss G," Eddie said, his voice low but sincere. "But you shouldn't have to get hurt because of it…"

Steve sighed. "Not to cut the moment short, but I think we should get out of here before those guys decide to attack us again or do something worse."

Eddie nodded reluctantly, finally tearing his gaze away from your injured arm. "Yeah...you're right, Harrington."

He shot one last lingering glance at the bruise beginning to form on your skin before he turned away.

"Let’s go."

The three of you moved quickly, putting distance between yourselves and the rowdy group of boys. Once you were out of sight and earshot, Eddie exhaled deeply, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"Jesus, that was intense. Remind me not to play ball with you guys again anytime soon." He glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "Still, you jumping in front of that rock for me was pretty badass. Not gonna lie. My hero."

You rolled your eyes, but a small laugh escaped despite yourself. "Silence, Mister Munson. I was just doing my job."

Steve chuckled, still wound up from the altercation, but amused by the playful exchange between you two. "Yeah, yeah. Your knight in shining armor who also happens to wear tweed skirts."

Eddie joined in with a laugh, the tension finally starting to break as the lighthearted teasing began.

You arched a brow at them both, feigning offense.

"What is wrong with tweed skirts ?"

The boys shared an amused look before Steve spoke first, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with tweed skirts."

Eddie, never missing a chance to poke fun, added, "It's just not exactly the traditional knight’s armor, Miss G."

Steve nodded in agreement, still grinning. "Yeah. I don’t really remember Sir Galahad in a tweed skirt."

Your eyes widened, clearly shocked.

"You know Galahad ? How ? Nevermind—" You cut yourself off, suddenly unsure if you really wanted to know. Your eyes then caught sight of a certain branch, and a grin spread across your face. You grabbed the long branch with your uninjured arm, lifting it as you pointed dramatically.

"En garde ! I am Lady Garrett of Caamelot, High Mage of the classes of Hawkins High, and Keeper of the Youth !"

Eddie and Steve both burst into laughter, clearly amused by your sudden shift into roleplay.

"Lady Garrett of Caamelot, huh ?" Eddie teased, clearly enjoying the game.

Steve leaned in with a smirk. "Oh, please. I’m Sir Harrington, Master of the Basketball Court and Defender of the Innocent !"

He grabbed a nearby branch of his own, and the two of you began playfully clashing your sticks together. You raised your branch, taking the duel seriously with a mock-stern expression. "I shall not go down so easily, Sir Harrington ! As the High Mage of the classroom, my powers are unmatched !"

Eddie grinned widely, holding his own stick like a sword. "Not so fast, Lady Garrett. I’m Eddie Munson, the fearsome wielder of the guitar and King of Hellfire Club ! I shall not be bested so easily !"

You gasped dramatically. "Ah ! You miscreants ! You dare team up against me ?" Laughter bubbled up as the sticks clashed again, and you felt yourself slipping into a carefree childhood moment—it felt nice.

Eddie's grin stretched wider as the playful battle continued, sticks clashing with each swing. "You cannot defeat us both, Lady Garrett ! Our forces are too great !"

Steve leaned into the game, pretending to be serious. "Yeah ! What Munson said !"

Laughing, you bolted away and climbed up a nearby rock, lifting your skirt before grinning down at them with mock arrogance. "Yield ! I’ve got the high ground !"

Eddie and Steve paused, eyes wide in mock horror.

"Oh, not fair, Miss G," Eddie protested, trying to hold back a laugh. "That’s cheating, Miss G !"

Steve struggled to maintain a serious face, but the corners of his lips betrayed him. "Yeah ! You’re supposed to fight fair and square !"

You smiled triumphantly from your perch. "Nobody said I played fair ! Now, as my first decree, I hereby command Eddie Munson the Brave to graduate by the end of the year and Steve the Valiant to help us in our quest ! Do you accept the call ?"

Eddie rolled his eyes playfully, pretending to be exasperated at your commanding tone. "Alright, Lady Bossy of Caamelot, I accept your decree. I shall graduate by the end of the year."

He glanced at Steve, who shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, I'm a free agent. But I guess I’ll help you with your little quest."

They both raised their sticks in mock-salute, ready for more imaginary battle.

You grinned, indulging in the moment as you continued the playful fight. "Ahah !"

Eddie and Steve sparred back, parrying your strikes with their makeshift swords.

"Not so tough now, are you ?" Eddie teased, his grin widening.

Steve laughed, swinging his stick wildly as if gaining the upper hand. "You're outnumbered, Miss G. You’re no match for us."

You dodged and ducked effortlessly, a playful smirk on your lips. "Oh, really ? I wouldn't be so sure about that, boys…"

Eddie, enjoying the game and impressed by your agility, chuckled. "You're pretty tough for a teacher, Miss G. But we’re not going down that easily."

Steve nodded, his focus still locked on you. "Yeah, you might have the high ground, but we’re still kicking your ass."

You laughed at their confidence, eyes gleaming with playful competitiveness. "Oh, don’t you dare underestimate me."

With that, you launched a swift attack, your stick cutting through the air toward Steve. He barely dodged, eyes widening in surprise.

"Hey, watch it there, Miss G !" he warned, though his grin never faltered. "You almost had me."

Eddie smirked, twirling his own branch. "Careful, my lady. You don’t want to accidentally take out the King of Hellfire in the heat of battle."

Instead of responding, you suddenly leaped, landing behind them in a flash. Eddie and Steve whirled around, sticks raised, ready to defend themselves.

"Oh, so that’s how you wanna play, huh ?" Eddie chuckled.

Steve shook his head, grinning. "You’re quick, Miss G. But we’re coming for you !"

You took off running, their laughter echoing behind you—until a loud thud sounded. Turning back, you saw Eddie sprawled on the ground, his stick discarded beside him. Your heart missed a beat.

"Mister Munson ?! Are you alright ?" You shouted.

Eddie groaned, rubbing his head. "Yeah, yeah…just ate a bit of dirt."

He started to sit up, clearly shaken but playing it off. You immediately knelt beside him, concern written all over your face.

"Are you sure ? You took a pretty bad fall—"

Before you could finish, Eddie smirked mischievously—and in one swift motion, he grabbed your arm and yanked you down. You yelped in all indignity as you tumbled beside him, your stick slipping from your grasp. Steve swooped in, snatching it up just as Eddie lifted his own stick to your throat, eyes twinkling with mischief.

"…Team MH for the win. Sorry, my Lady."

Steve burst out laughing. "Nice one, man," he chuckled.

You lay there in shock, staring at Eddie in disbelief. "You…you tricked me."

Eddie grinned, clearly proud of himself. "Never underestimate the King of Hellfire, my lady. I always find a way to win."

You scoffed before flopping onto a pile of crisp, reddened leaves. "Fine. I yield."

Eddie chuckled, tossing his stick aside before lying down next to you. "That's what I thought. You've just been outmaneuvered by the freak and the ex-king of Hawkins High himself."

Steve plopped down beside you both, leaning back against a tree with your abandoned stick still in hand. "Yeah, you got played, teach. Sorry."

You smiled, closing your eyes. "…If it means you two winning, I suppose my pride isn't that important."

Eddie smirked, his gaze drifting toward your relaxed expression. "You’re a good sport, Miss G. Most teachers wouldn’t let us get away with this."

Steve twirled the stick absentmindedly. "Yeah, and most teachers wouldn’t pick up branches and try to fight us in the first place."

You shrugged, amusement dancing in your eyes. "Teachers are human too, boys."

Eddie propped himself up on one elbow, looking at you thoughtfully. "Yeah, but most humans don’t jump in front of rocks to save me."

Steve snorted. "And most humans don’t engage in full-on sword fights with their students."

You simply smiled, letting the conversation fade into a comfortable silence. The forest hummed around you, the rustling leaves and distant birdsong filling the air. After a few minutes, Eddie’s voice broke the stillness, a teasing edge to his tone.

"So…does Miss G have a first name, or are we stuck calling you that forever ?"

You smirked. "I am still your teacher, Mister Munson."

Eddie rolled his eyes, grinning. "Come on, we just had an epic sword fight. I think we can drop the formalities for a bit."

Steve chuckled, shifting against the tree. "Yeah, he’s got a point. No harm in using your first name once in a while."

You hummed, pretending to think it over. "If you two are so eager to know, then I guess Mister Munson better graduate this year. Only then will I tell you my first name."

Eddie sat up, brushing leaves from his hair. "Alright, deal. Class of '86, here I come."

Steve smirked and raised a mock salute. "Godspeed, man."

Then, catching sight of the setting sun, Steve suddenly jumped up. "Shit ! I gotta pick up Dustin ! Promised we’d hit the arcade. See you guys !"

Eddie waved lazily. "Later, Harrington. Tell Dustin we’ve got a Hellfire meeting this week."

As Steve disappeared down the path, Eddie turned back to you, his gaze lingering before he smiled. "And then there were two."

A comfortable silence settled between you before Eddie spoke again, his tone laced with amusement. "You know, I'm kinda surprised…Most teachers would be too worried about their reputation to have a sword fight with their students."

You chuckled, eyes still closed. "Well…let’s just say I never had much of a reputation to begin with."

Eddie tilted his head, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "What do you mean ?"

You smiled, exhaling softly. "The other teachers…they’re not exactly my biggest fans, to say the least."

Eddie raised an eyebrow. "Why ? You seem pretty cool to me."

You shrugged. "They don’t agree. They think I’m too soft on students. Too…'progressive' for a small town like Hawkins, I guess."

Eddie let out a dry chuckle, shaking his head. "So you don’t quite fit into this little red-blooded American town, huh ? That makes two of us."

You opened your eyes, meeting his gaze with a softness he hadn’t seen before. It struck him then—this was the first time he was seeing you outside of a professional setting. And you were smiling at him.

"I guess that’s true, Mister Munson."

He stared for a moment, then leaned back against the same tree Steve had been sitting against earlier, his dark eyes tracing your features. The setting sun bathed you in gold, streaking through your hair, illuminating your face. You watched how the light caught in his curls, and he watched how the glow softened your expression. Silence fell again, this time more weighted—comfortable yet charged. The forest hummed around you both, a peaceful backdrop to the unspoken thoughts lingering between you.

Then Eddie smirked, breaking the moment.

"You know, you're really not like any teacher I've ever had before, Miss G."

You matched his smirk with one of your own. "Oh ? Shocker. I take it most teachers don’t duel their students with sticks ?"

Eddie snorted. "Nah, you’re the first."

You sat up, leaning against the trunk beside him, the golden light casting warm hues in your hair. Your brown/green/blue/dark eyes caught the sun just right, glinting almost amber. He found himself staring. If he had been a painter, he knew he wouldn’t have been able to capture you—not entirely. He had seen plenty of pretty girls before, but not like this. Not the kind of beautiful you were.

He shook himself from his thoughts and smirked again.

"But it’s not just the sword fight," he added, his tone shifting slightly. "It’s everything. You’re different. You actually care about teaching. You don’t just go through the motions, treating it like a job you’re stuck with. It’s like…you actually want us to do well."

His gaze searched yours.

"Tell me something—do you really dream about all of us graduating ? Do you really want that ?"

Your expression softened.

"Of course I do," you said without hesitation. "I know schools in towns like Hawkins have a 'one-size-fits-all' mentality, but I’ve always wanted to help the kids who don’t quite fit in."

Your eyes found his again.

"Kids like you, Mister Munson."

He blinked, momentarily caught off guard by your words. He wasn’t used to being seen like that—like this. Clearing his throat, he tried to play it cool. Okay, Munson. It’s not like she told you she cared about you specifically. Don’t make a big deal out of this…

“Me ? I don’t need any help. I’m doing just fine on my own.” He scoffed and shrugged.

You chuckled, tilting your head slightly.

“Yes…I imagine you would say that. You seem like the type who doesn’t need anyone for anything. You’d rather struggle alone than ask for help.” You smiled knowingly. “Good thing I’m not asking, then. I’m giving.”

His lips quirked into a smirk.

“Giving, huh ? And what exactly are you trying to give me, Miss G ?”

Your eyes met his, steady and certain.

“…A chance, Mister Munson.”

His smirk faltered just slightly, curiosity flickering across his face.

“A chance, huh ? That sounds like a lot of responsibility for a teacher. Trying to save the town’s resident freak, are you ?”

You shook your head, your smile warm but firm. “No. You’re not a freak, Eddie. You’re just a kid who got dealt an unfair hand. But I know you’re capable of more—I just want to give you the opportunity to reach it.” A pause. Then, softly, “I believe you’re worth the chance.”

He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but there was something unsteady in his chest. A flutter, subtle but persistent. “And what makes you think I’m worth all that effort, Miss G ? I’m just a high school dropout with a few screws loose.”

Your gaze softened, your voice turning warm—like a cup of tea on a cold day, steadying and sure. Eddie felt himself relax, his usual sharp edges dulling in your presence.

“I think,” you said gently, “it’s because you’re more than that. You’re smart. Capable. Surprisingly sensitive.” A small smile. “And you have a good heart, Mister Munson.”

Heat crawled up his neck at your words, something unfamiliar settling in his chest. He scoffed again, but it lacked its usual bite.

“You’re laying it on a little thick there, Miss G.”He tried for nonchalance, but the lazy grin tugging at his lips betrayed him. He wasn’t immune to flattery. One more compliment, and he might just float straight to heaven.

You smiled.

"Maybe. Or maybe you just can't see all the things that make you worth the chance. You care, Mister Munson. And I don’t believe you’re dangerous—just the unfortunate victim of a town that doesn’t understand you." You tilted your head thoughtfully. "Actually, you remind me of a story..."

He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"A story ? Let me guess—The Hunchback of Notre Dame ? Frankenstein ?" His tone was teasing, but there was something guarded behind it, like he was bracing for confirmation.

You shook your head.

"Neither. No, the story I’m thinking of is The Artist of the Beautiful by Nathaniel Hawthorne."

Eddie's brows furrowed.

"Hawthorne, huh ? Can’t say I’ve read that one. What’s it about ?"

You hummed, glancing up at the sky as you gathered your thoughts.

"The Artist of the Beautiful is about the struggle between artistic beauty and practical reality. It follows a watchmaker named Owen Warland—delicate, sensitive, and obsessed with creating something truly beautiful. His masterpiece ? A lifelike, mechanical butterfly. But the people around him don’t understand his vision. His old master, Peter Hovenden, sees him as weak. Hovenden’s daughter, Annie—the woman Owen loves—chooses a blacksmith instead. And yet, Owen dedicates himself to his art despite the mockery, the setbacks, and his own self-doubt. And when he finally perfects his butterfly, he presents it to Annie. But she and her husband don’t really see it. They don’t understand what it means. And in the end, their child—completely unaware of its value—crushes it. But Owen doesn’t despair. He’s already found his joy in creating it. The beauty he made was never for them—it was for him."

Eddie was silent for a moment, his dark eyes reflecting something unreadable. The story stirred something in him, an unsettling kind of recognition. He smiled and sighed.

"Sounds kinda bleak to me," he muttered.

"Bleak ?" you echoed.

He nodded, frowning slightly. "Yeah. The guy spends his whole life making this beautiful thing, only for everyone to dismiss it. And then some little kid just smashes it ? That’s—" He exhaled sharply. "Bleak."

Your smile was faint.

"Maybe so."

Eddie studied you then, catching the sadness in your expression. For a split second, he had the ridiculous thought that he could kiss it away. He shook his head. Nope. Not going there.

"Why’re you telling me this story, Miss G ?" He asked instead. You shrugged, your expression tinged with something wistful.

"I guess I see some parallels. Maybe not the butterflies, but…the struggle for appreciation. The way it feels when your art is dismissed or crushed." You paused, then said quietly, "It can seem bleak."

You took a slow breath.

"But it’s important to hold on to what makes you special—even if the world doesn’t understand it. And who knows ? Maybe one day, the right person will come along. Someone who does understand."

Eddie scoffed, slipping back into his usual defense mechanism—sarcasm. "Yeah, sure. And maybe one day I’ll find a unicorn in the woods to ride off into the sunset with."

You looked at him, your voice steady.

"Mister Munson."

He met your gaze, still clinging to his usual mockery.

"Yeah, Miss G ?"

You hesitated for only a second before speaking. "Once you graduate…do something for me."

Eddie raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued despite his flippant attitude. "Depends on what it is, Miss G. But I’m listening."

You took a breath before your voice lost all playfulness.

"Get out of Hawkins. And never look back."

For the first time, he was caught off guard. He had never heard you so serious before, but he recovered quickly, scoffing as if the idea was absurd. "And why the hell would I do that, huh ? I have everything I need right here. Why leave ?"

"Because you could be so much more," you said simply. "You have a dream. Don’t let Hawkins be the graveyard where it dies."

His laughter was bitter, his dark eyes shadowed with something unreadable.

"And where exactly is the great Eddie Munson supposed to go ?" He spread his arms dramatically. "I'm a high school dropout with a rap sheet longer than a Bible verse. No one’s rolling out the red carpet for me."

You shrugged. "University."

Eddie blinked. "University ?" He scoffed again, but there was something hesitant in the way he did it.

"If you’d believe it," you continued. "I’d help you."

The smirk vanished from his face. He stared at you, genuinely surprised. "You would ? What, get me into some fancy college where I wouldn’t last a week ?"

You shook your head.

"Talent is priceless, Mister Munson. And if you believe you have what it takes, then yes—I would help you. Go to a music school. Make it out there."

Eddie’s heart pounded at your words. The idea was almost too good to entertain. He’d dreamed of it, sure. But dreams didn’t mean shit in Hawkins.

"You’d do that for me ?" He started playing nervous with his rings. "Why ?"

Your fingers sank into the crisp red leaves around you as you lowered your gaze.

"Because Hawkins kills dreams, Mister Munson. It makes people apathetic, worse than animals baited by fear. And I made myself a promise when I became a teacher—if I could help even one kid escape, I would." You lifted your head, eyes steady. "If I find students ready to get out of Hawkins, I will help them."

Eddie felt something unfamiliar twist in his chest. Hope. It was dangerous. He wasn’t used to people offering him anything without some kind of catch. "And you think I’m one of them ? One of the ones ready to escape this hellhole ?"

You nodded without hesitation.

"I do. I see something in you, Eddie Munson. Something that will make you soar if you just let it."

Your words struck something deep inside him, something he wasn’t ready to acknowledge. He tried to brush it off, force a weak smirk, but his voice was quieter than he meant it to be.

"You sure you’re not just seeing some fool who can’t let go of his wild dreams ?"

You smiled softly, shaking your head.

"No. I see a young, talented man whose passion should never be buried in the suffocating soil of Hawkins."

Eddie swallowed hard. His usual cocky bravado faltered under your unwavering sincerity. The idea of leaving—really leaving—felt more real than it ever had.

"And if I were to do this…" He exhaled sharply. "What would you expect in return, Miss G ?"

You held his gaze, your expression serious but full of encouragement. "Only that you give me your word that you’ll work hard. That you’ll take every opportunity I can give you. And that until then, you never—under any circumstances—let this town make you change who you are."

He stared at you, emotions flickering across his face—doubt, amusement, intrigue. Your words pulled him in, but he still held back, wary. "And if I mess up ? If I screw this whole thing up and ruin my one shot to get out of Hawkins ?"

You tilted your head, pretending to consider it before breaking into a grin.

"Then…I get your guitar."

His eyes widened in surprise before he gasped in horror. "Wait…My guitar ? Not my soul, not my firstborn, not a kidney—my guitar ?"

You nodded with a grin. "Yep. Your beloved guitar."

Eddie clutched his chest with a dramatic gasp.

"What ?! You'd really take Bessie from me ?" He looked genuinely scandalized, as if you'd just threatened his very existence. That guitar was his treasure, his lifeline, the one thing in this godforsaken town that had never let him down. The thought of losing it ? Unthinkable.

"Please, no. Anything but the guitar. Not my Bessie." His voice dropped into a pleading tone, but there was a playful glint in his eyes.

You crossed your arms, unimpressed. "You’re acting like I just sentenced you to death."

"Because you have !" He pointed at you, eyes narrowing. "You're crueler than I thought, you know that ? Using my one weakness against me. And here I was, thinking you actually cared about me..."

You chuckled. "I do. Why else would I be going through all this trouble ? Besides, it’s not like I even know how to play."

"Exactly !" He scoffed. "So why would you want it ? It’s useless to you ! What, are you planning to mount it on your wall as some kind of trophy ? A reminder that you bested the great Eddie Munson ?"

His smirk returned, eyes half-lidded with feigned accusation.

"You just wanna see me suffer, don’t you, Miss G ? Admit it."

You leaned in slightly, lowering your voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "…I’d turn it into firewood."

Eddie recoiled like you'd just slapped him.

"Firewood ?" His voice cracked. "You wouldn’t."

His hands gripped the air as if shielding his precious instrument from an unseen threat.

You shrugged, fighting back a laugh. "Winter’s cold, Eddie. Gotta keep warm somehow."

He gaped at you, jaw dropping in sheer horror.

"You monster," he whispered, voice laced with mock-betrayal. "My poor, innocent guitar. Just kindling for your fireplace…"

You smirked. "Guess you better not mess up, then."

He let out a dramatic sigh, his face twisting into a mock pout as he clutched his chest like he’d just been struck by a blow to the heart.

“Alright, alright !” He groaned, his voice dripping with sarcasm but a hint of real worry in his eyes. “I’ll do my best to keep my precious Bessie safe. Wouldn’t want her to end up in the firewood pile. I mean, who even does that to a guy’s soul like that ?”

He glanced at you, his smirk still present but now softened. You really wanted him to succeed, huh ? “Guess I’ll just have to make sure I don’t disappoint you ? Don’t want you turning my world into kindling.”

You raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in your gaze. “Good choice, Mister Munson.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, a playful grin on his lips. "Hey ! That’s my guitar we’re talking about. I would never joke about my Bessie. She’s the love of my life."

You chuckled. "Graduate and you won’t have to suffer."

He groaned, but his expression was still filled with mock-horror. "You're giving me an incentive to graduate, alright. But don't worry, I'll graduate. No way I'm letting my baby become fireplace fuel."

He paused, a smirk returning to his face, and leaned closer to her. "But seriously…don’t touch my guitar. Ever. Got it ?"

You arched a challenging eyebrow at him. "Or what ?"

He chuckled darkly, his smirk growing into a mischievous grin. "Or I'll have to resort to drastic measures, Miss G. Don't you mess with a man and his guitar."

He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a low whisper, his breath hot against your ear. "And I can promise you, you won't like what I'll do if you keep threatening my baby's existence."

You closed your eyes—unbothered.

"Threatening a teacher, Mister Munson ? Bold move."

He chuckled, his usual playful demeanor returning full force. "Oh, it’s not a threat. It’s more of a promise, Miss G. If you go near my guitar, I will make sure to put shaving cream in your desk drawer, prank your class chalkboards, or worst of all, replace your coffee with decaf."

You grinned. "I never use the drawers. I would replace the chalkboard. And I bring my own coffee to school."

He feigned a wounded expression. "Damn, you've thought about it, huh ? You just have to ruin my fun, don't you, Miss G ?" He leaned back, his eyes glinting with mischief and a hint of admiration. "Always one step ahead, aren't you ?"

You still had your eyes closed—enjoying the quiet moment before a chill ran through you. You smiled before standing up. "Always, Mister Munson. Now, come on. It’s time to go home. We’ll have an English tutoring class together tomorrow night at the school library at 7 pm. Do not be late."

He sighed dramatically, but a hint of excitement shone through. "Fine, fine. I'll be there. I'm more of a rock concert at night kind of guy. But for you, Miss G, I'll make an exception. I’ll get to class. And then straight to the library."

You smiled and helped him up. "And no dilly-dallying."

He gave her a mock salute, his smirk wide and somewhat mocking. "Aye aye, captain. No dilly-dallying, I promise. I'll go straight from class to the library, just like a model student…I guess I should get you back home though. Me being a gentleman and all."

You chuckled lightly, your eyes twinkling with amusement. He looked inside them and wondered if he could see the universe if he stared long enough. "Your chivalry is appreciated, Mister Munson. How could I possibly resist such gallant escort to my home ?"

He chuckled, offering you gallantly his arm. "With such high praise, Miss G, how could I refuse ? Ladies first."

You laughed softly and looped your arm through his, playing along. "Such a gentleman. Your mother should be proud."

His smile faltered slightly. "Yes…Maybe."

You noticed the shift in his expression, recognizing that you may have struck a nerve. You looked at him with a soft, empathetic gaze. "I'm sorry...Did I say something wrong ?"

He shook his head, masking his emotions with a casual smile. "Nah, it's nothing…Just a bit touchy subject, that's all. Mom's been gone for a while now. So is my dad. It’s just…me and my uncle now."

You felt a pang of sympathy, understanding the pain behind his words. You squeezed his arm comfortingly. "I’m sorry, Eddie. Losing family is never easy."

He shrugged, his usual facade of nonchalance returning quickly. "It is what it is, huh ? They’ve been gone for years, I’ve moved on. No need to pity me."

"I am not." He looked at you, his dark eyes searching yours for any hint of falsehood. He was used to people looking at him with pity, it was not often that he met someone who did not.

"You’re not ?"

You shook your head, your eyes meeting his with a firm yet gentle gaze. "No, Eddie. I’m not. I’m simply…expressing my sympathy for your loss. It takes strength to move on, and I find it admirable."

He felt somewhat taken aback by your sincerity. He was used to being treated as nothing more than the school screw-up. No one had ever told him they found him admirable before. His heart skipped a beat. Something about the way you were looking at him sent a strange shiver down his spine. You could have told him straight bullshit that he would have gobbled it up and thank you for it…But you didn’t. You were honest with him. And in that moment, he wasn’t sure what to do with it.

He cleared his throat, trying to regain his usual cocky demeanor but failing just a bit.

"Well, uh...I appreciate that. Really," he muttered, avoiding your gaze for a moment, his cheeks slightly flushed.

You smiled, sensing his discomfort but choosing not to press further. You were content with just offering him that quiet moment of understanding.

"Good," you replied softly. "Because I mean it."

He swallowed, his gaze flickering back to you, though he quickly masked it with a grin.

"Guess I’m lucky to have such an understanding teacher, huh ?" he joked, but there was a hint of something deeper, a genuine warmth underneath his usual sarcasm.

You nodded, your smile widening as you gave him a playful nudge. "Just don't get used to it, Mister Munson. I can only be this nice to you for so long."

His smirk returned, but this time it was lighter, less guarded. "Don’t worry, Miss G. I’ll make sure to take full advantage of your kindness while I can."

He held your gaze for a moment, his smile shifting into something more sincere—something he didn’t show often, but it was there. You turned, guiding him down the path toward your home, the evening air crisp and peaceful around you. For once, there was no tension, just the sound of footsteps and the unspoken understanding between the two of you. As you walked side by side, Eddie couldn't help but feel a little more hopeful, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. Maybe—just maybe—there was a way out for him. And maybe, just maybe, there was someone who saw it too.

[ixtaek]

Hey hey it’s me from AO3 and DON’T LET THE TROLLS GET YOU DOWN! I’m not just saying this because I would love an update (although I would) but because you do write fight scenes really well! If anything, the fact that your fight scenes have to be so comprehensive (juggling 4-8 characters at a time most scenes, fights often doubling as character/emotional story beats), it speaks even more to your skill that they land as well as they do. If you’re simply choosing to go back and edit because you want your writing to be the best it possibly can, I fully support you—but don’t get discouraged by some asshole. There are people who support what you do just the way it is <3

Oh man I so appreciate these kind words, but I want it to be clear: the person who said I "cannot write fight scenes" was me! I have never written a story with more than one or two fights (and even then, they were brief, usually only swords, and one-on-one), and Crossing of Stars has had a half dozen or more, usually with multiple people and a variety of skills. I'm intimidated by this penultimate battle I want to write, because I don't want it to be a repeat of an earlier fight, and I want to use everyone for it (I'm at the point where I have to keep a list, and sometimes stop and count everyone to make sure I'm not forgetting somebody in the action) and have a variety of monsters. Plus it's been a busy time for me with the business, and the wacky weather has me a little sick. I am hoping I'll be able to get over the block and finish it soon. My bf and I jokingly said we should co-opt his DnD group to act it out and give me some ideas, or that I should play TotK and limit myself to items that represent the character to get a feel for it (Rigito would be only dazzlefruit and a laser emitter shield--as someone who primarily uses spears and bows, it would certainly be a challenge). Ironically, I know almost exactly how the final battle will go. I may try writing that ahead of time just to ease myself over the writers block lol. But I do appreciate the support! I am my own worst critic, but it really encourages me to know people like the story!

[mayaswiterblog]

Me Inside, Me Outside (Homework)

This homework poem was written on 11 April 2019, translated into English on 18 April 2019 and then posted on Wattpad.

Translated Version

The demon out there It spits, it torments The Eyes glow With blood-red flow Sometimes yellow Or even another time With a Green shine

Demonic Moon Ignites Again When not shining It shines For me Warmth or Cold Whatever you feel But the Sun Blinds ye all Just like a magician Mirrors, illusions Do you see it That norm' lie?

They murmur They ponder They build Their own world Their own community You're alone You're odd Friends, treasures Under your wings The blood streams The Sun burns the feathers But the smile never fades Because faith is great When doing it for the greater good

And when others laugh with joy It recharges Anybody's welcome To my magic cave But only the backdoor Is open for a few more And only one life form Is my resource My only treasure

The World is sometimes Very strange Good or Bad An accident can be A good sign Even when it feels bad The good will always find it And change the fate Twisting it so tightly That it hurts But giggle still

In the vast SeaSky There's plenty of star-fish They gleam They shine Big & Small In the depth of that Ocean Another door in motion To another World Through the Roman corridor An enormous library can be found It's big, alright Full of rough drafts Written and drawn About anything and everything Nobody would read them anyway Unless you recommend them Or maybe find them yourself

But even the Water is not Always Peaceful There are all kinds of fish Could be a shark Or even an octopus A Pacific whale A Cute catfish

Who would even Love a monster? Either a stupid hero Or a brave knight

Say one thing Hear another The body's ugly The mind is great Think beyond everything See something else Understand very much But hard to explain A hand and a soul A Spirit of the Art Knowledge & sweet biscuits Ate way too much Without drinking water The thirst pressures The Self-esteem drops

But the smile still stays still 'Cause mum says "Always tolerate the pain It will go away again" "Panicking is the worst Always do your best" "Stay strong, unbend And never trust anyone To the very end."

No one ever cared Beside mum alone Friends came Then left The new came along But only a couple Stayed as life companions

Own people Like Romeo and Juliet Always claim You're not a person You're selfless Altruism reincarnate Who are you? I'm a woman, I'm a small girl Nobody will pay Attention Nobody understands They're gonna get Upset anyway I'm soulless I'm a Soviet robot I always float in the air

Until I found a new cave On the top of another mountain A new folk, a new song I felt the life As if I was a child again Silent like a black cat I observed and studied But I spoke and meowed Like a white kitty cat

The more you stay The easier is to see How tough I am Even if not acknowledge it myself They call for me As if I was A lost poor puss

Now that the sweet ring changes Tune so spiritually deep And so quivering It's scary Ghostly alarming The invisible thundercloud Always floating above the head But I wasn't left alone after all I've got a flower behind my ear Hugs and kisses A Friendship Love Even my laughter echoed at last With such ease, free and loud

And once again I found something insane Like a lucky accident Above the gleaming snow Under the freezing stars That creature right there So bright, so warm Couldn't even believe But it doesn't bother him To the slightest The heart beats, the heart freezes "You're beautiful, you're pretty" And he always says No matter how many times I show him my sharp teeth "You're cute, I wanna love you"

Finally, I am crying The icy walls melt The love is felt I feel myself As a beautiful woman And not anymore As a small room girl I'm able to scream, I'm able to sneer I can neigh now, I can chirp now I purr more, I wind like a snake I'm being myself I found my own tone of voice My heart is strong Because I'm honest with myself I'm humane now And it shows.

ORIGINAL SCRIPT:

Minä sisälta, Minä ulkoa

Demoni siellä Se sylkii, se räkisee Silmät kiiltävät Veren-punaisina Joskus keltaisine, Tai jopa Vihreinä

Demoni Kuu Syttyihän Taas Kun ei pasta Paistaa Se mulla Lämpö tai Kylmyys Mitä vaan tunnet Mutta aurinkohan Sokeuttaa Kuin taikuri Peilit, illusiot Näetkö sen Se normi valhetta?

He supinavat He ajattelevat He rakentavat Oman maailmansa Oman seuransa Olet yksin Olet outo Kaverit, aarteet Siipiesi alla Veri valuu Aurinko polttaa höyheniä Mutta hymyilee aina Koska uskomus on suuri Että muille tekee hyvää

Ja toiset nauravat ilotse Se tuo energiaa Omalle taika luolalle Tervetuloa kuka tahansa Mutta vain takaovi On avoin pari hahmoille Ja vain yksi eliö On voimavarani Ainoa aarteni

Maailma on joskus Tosi ihme Hyvä tai paha Vahinko voi olla Hyvä merkki Vaikka tuntuu pahaa Hyvää löytää sen kyllä Ja muuttaa sen kohtalon Vääntääksen niin kireeksi Että sattuu Mutta nauraa silti

Meritaivaalla on Plajon tähtikaloja Ne kiiltää Ne loistaa Suuria & pieniä Ton meritaivaan syvyydessä Löytyy toinen ovi Toiseen maailmaan Roomalaisen käytävän kautta Löytyy erinnomainen kirjasto Onhan se suuri Täynnä luonnoksia Kirjoitettu ja piiretty Mistä vaan tahansa Kukaanhan ei lue niitä Kunnes suosittelet Tai ehkä löydät itse

Mutta Vesikin ei ole Aina rauhallinen Kaloja on monenlaisia Voi olla hai Tai vaikkapa mustekkala Tyyni valas Söpö merikissa

Kukahan hirviötä Tykkää? Joko typerä sankari Tai rohkea ritari

Puhuu yhtä Kuuluu toista Ruumis ruma Mieli valtava Ajattelee yli kaiken Näkee muuta Ymmärtää todella paljon Mutta hankalaa selittää Käsi ja sielu Taiteen henki Tiede & makeat keksit Syönnyt liian liikaa Vesiä juomatta Jano painaa Itsetunto putoaa

Mutta hymy pysyy Koska äiti sanoo "Kestä kivun aina Sehän lähtee pois" "Paniikki on pahinta Tee parhaasi mukaan" "Pysy vahvana Ja älä luota ketään Luppuun asti."

Kukaan ei välittänyt Paitsi äiti yksin Kaverit tulivat Lähtivät Ja uudet tulivat taas Vain pari kappaletta Elämäntovereita

Omathan ihmiset Kuin Romea ja Julia Aina väittävät Et ole henkilö Olet epäitsekäs Altruismin reinkarnaatio Kuka olet? Olen nainen, Olen pieni tyttö. Kukaan ei ota huomioon Kukaan ei ymmärrä Suuttuvanthan ne silti Olen sieluton Olen Neuvostoliiton robotti Leijun ilmassa aina

Kunnes löysin uuden luolan Toisen vuoren huipulla Uusi kansa, uusi laulu Tunsin elämän Kuin lapsena olisin Hiljaa kuin musta kissa Katsoin ja tutkinut Mutta puhuin ja maukuin Kuin valkoinen kissumirri

Mutta mitä kauemmin viettelee Sitä helpommin näkee Kuinka kova olen Vaikka sitä itse ei tunnustaa He kutsuvat minua Ihan kuin olisin Eksynyt kisu parka

Nyt se suloinen kilinä muuttuu Sävel niin henkisen syvä Ja värisevä Se pelottaa Haamullisesti hälyttää Näkymätön ukkonen Aina kelluu pään päällä Mutta ei yksin jäännytkään Sain kukan korvan taakse Sylit ja pusut Ystävällistä rakkautta Naurunikin vihdoin kaikui Helpotusti äänen vapaasti

Ja kerrankin löytyi jotain järjetöntä Kuin onnen vahinko Kiiltävän lumen päältä Kylmien tähtien alta Se olento sieltä Niin kirkas, niin lämpeä Ei uskoisi kaan Mutta ei häntä kiinnostaa Sydän sykkii, sydän pysähtyy "Olet kaunis, olet ihana" Ja aina hän sanoo Vaikka kuinka paljon Teräviä hampaitani näyttäisi "Olet söpö, haluan raksataa sinua"

Vihdoin itkettää Jäiset seinät sulavat Rakkautta tuntuu Tunnen itsensä Ihanaksi naiseksi Eikä enään Pienekis huone tytöksi Pystyn huutaa, pystyn ivata Voin nyt hirnua, voin nyt visertää Kehrään enemmän, mutkittelen kuin käärme Olen oma itsensä Löysin oman äänen sävynsä Sydämeni on vahva Koska olen rehellinen itseäni kohtaan Olen nyt inhimillinen Ja sen huomaa.

[katierosedreams2]

The monster energy girl experience 

The Monster Energy Girl Experience! Enter to win a chance to get the dream of a lifetime! The Monster Energy Girls are looking to expand and be more inclusive! Win the chance to be flown out to Southern California to meet with the Monster Energy Girls! They will take you on an all expense paid shopping trip to improve your fit! Learn what it takes to be a monster girl as they take you on an all exclusive, all access pass trough their day getting ready for the opening motorcross event of the season! You’ll get to join them in viewing the event as well as joining them in a party after! But that’s just the beginning! You’ll be assigned mentorship from one of the girls, they will help from dating advice to taxes! They are there to help!....

I hardly read much more, skimming the ad for TMEGE. I saw they were looking for young adults entering college, had a flexible schedule, knew how to ride a motorcycle, was no taller then 5’6” and weighed no more than 110 pounds. You also must already have long hair, at least past the shoulders. I saw I had to submit a photo of myself in the smallest, tightest underwear I owned as well as all my measurements and sizes. I found this odd, but I still couldn’t believe my luck! 

I am just about to graduate high school and got accepted into college in Southern California! I also have no job yet, so there’s my flexible schedule! I learned how to ride a motorcycle when I turned 16. I was hoping it would make me seem more manly. 

That’s something I am quite self conscious about. I’m only 5’5” and I weigh only 98 pounds.  Needless to say, I’m a very skinny guy. I also feel like my body is also very feminine. I have small shoulders, a small waist, and large hips, giving me a perfect hourglass body type. My arms and legs are very skinny, and my whole body is completely hairless. And my butt is super big and perky! And to make things even worse, on my chest I have small “fat lumps” as my doctor calls them. I LOOK LIKE I HAVE SMALL BOOBS! Like an A or B cup! But the worst thing is I have a super small penis. I measured once, 1 inch flaccid. That was it. And my balls are as small as marbles.

The doctor said it was a hormonal imbalance. It is probably caused by my undeveloped testicles and high estrogen levels. He recommended medicine to try and fix it, but when I tried it they gave me awful head aches. I couldn’t even get out of bed! And made my stomach so upset I couldn't keep anything down. So I stopped taking them. The doctor said it might work itself out on its own, someday. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve only looked more and more like a girl with a micro dick. I hid my body as best I could with baggy clothes so the other kids wouldn’t know. But this still affected how I felt about myself and I never got the courage to date any of the girls. But I did get friend zoned by most of them. So much so, they would make me sit with them at lunch and go shopping with them. I’d got dragged to all the girly stores and get asked for my opinion on this skirt or top, or if that shade of makeup looked nice, were these nails too long, stuff like that. 

I never had any male friends, they all acted odd to me. Most were kind of mean, and sometimes I’d find boys just staring at me. At my face, or butt, or even my chest. They had this look like they wanted to eat me, or rip me to pieces. I'm not sure what they were thinking, but that’s the best way I can describe it. When I brought this up to my gal friends they said they had the same thing happen to them. This didn’t make me feel any better about myself. They also would comment on how pretty I was, how I would make a pretty girl. That’s why I grew my hair out, they pressured me into it. It was always on the longer side, but when I started high school, the girls decided I should grow it out, that I’d look better. Well, I wanted to get the girls, so if that’s what they thought looked better, then I would be dumb not to, right?!

Well, it didn’t help me get any girls, instead it just had me get more people who would confuse me as a girl, more then a guy. Even after I’d speak they wouldn’t know. I’d have to tell them I was a boy, to which they would look surprised and apologize. I was constantly humiliated. My mother tried to be supportive, but I never felt happy about my body. She suggested I look for things in Southern California that I could meet some people and maybe get some confidence. That’s how I stumbled on TMEGE! 

Well, like I said, I didn’t read all of the ad, I just read some of the things, and thought that this would be a great way to meet super hot girls that I'd get to party with! And even if I don’t get laid and finally lose my virginity, maybe I’ll get my first blow job or even first kiss! And they could help me meet other pretty girls too! Plus, I’d get to travel around the country, get paid, and be surrounded by beautiful women! So, of course, I registered for the contest. I never expected to hear back though.

Two days after my high school graduation, I got an email saying I was a finalist in the contest and that they would like to have a zoom call with me for a final interview! I couldn’t believe it! I scheduled my interview for later that day. I then spent the rest of the day cleaning my room.

 I was struggling to pick out what to wear. I didn’t have many clothes, most of them really hid my body, which is what I wanted. I picked my usual black briefs. They are a little small on me. Sometimes I feel like they look like panties, but mom said she isn’t made of money and can’t just buy me new underwear just because I don’t like mine. Then I picked a pair of baggy jeans I found thrifting. They fit me great, but I’ve just started to wonder if they are women’s pants. And then I picked a white baggy tee shirt and a brown hoodie. 

I looked in the mirror and saw my hair was a mess. I brushed it and styled it to make it look nice. I was almost out of time, so I couldn’t really change, but I felt like I just looked girly. This didn’t give me much hope for my interview. I sat down in front of my computer, checked how I looked, and waited for the zoom to start. 

Suddenly appeared these two beautiful blond women on my screen. They both looked like women every man would fantasize about. They both had long blond hair with big beautiful curlers. Their makeup done perfectly with dark smokey eye, long lashes, and big pink glossy lips. The kind that most would call dick sucking lips. My little dick started to get hard, a whole half inch more, and not even that hard. You can’t even notice it in my pants. They both had sexy white button-up tops with the top buttons undone to show their cleavage. They looked like secretaries in a porno. And right at the top of their cleavage hung a small necklace with a Monster Energy logo.

“Hi there!” They both spoke in unison with pretty voices. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I cleared my throat and tried to answer back with the same enthusiasm. “Hi there!” I heard my voice back in my headphones and was frightened at just how similar I sounded to them. “I’m Haley!” “And I’m Hollie! We are so excited to talk with you!” They both seemed so cheerful! “I’m so excited to talk with you! Thank you for this interview opportunity! I’ve never had an interview before so I’m a little nervous!” I tried to match their excitement. But I was feeling very nervous. I’m not even talking to these women in person, but they are still the most beautiful women I’ve ever even talked to! I couldn’t believe this was real! 

“Oh that’s ok sweetie! Just be yourself! After all, we are looking for someone who’s personality will fit in with the rest of the girls. So why don’t we just dive right in! First tell us a little bit about yourself, and why you registered to win this contest.” Haley’s bubbly cheerful voice was comforting and encouraged me to open up and be honest. 

“Well, my name is Jaycee and I’m 18 years old. I’ve just graduated high school and I’m going to be attending college in Southern California this fall. I’m going there for a communications degree. I signed up for this contest because I thought it might help me get out of my shell. I’m kinda of a shy person, and I haven’t had many friends, pretty much all of them are girls. They and my mom encouraged me to grow and become my true self when I went off to college. And a mentor ship with such lovely ladies and a chance to travel seemed like a great opportunity for that! Haha, also it said the winner would get a new wardrobe and we aren’t exactly well off, so new clothes would help! Most of mine are from good Will and my underwear is so small that it looks like panties!” I laughed nervously, why the hell did I say that?!

The ladies laughed in return. “Yes, the winner will be going on an all expenses paid shopping trip with all of us monster girls! One of the requirements we have here at Monster is a dress code of its employees. We will make sure you look the part! I’m also glad to see you’ll be going to school. We also require our employees to be educated individuals. We also see that you marked yes when we asked if you already knew how to ride a motorcycle?” Hollie replied with just as much cheerfulness as Haley. It was nice to see they had such high standards.

“Yes, I learned how to ride when I got my license at 16. It is a cheaper way to get around, and like I said, we don’t have a lot of money, so it’s been very helpful!” I smiled, still nervous about taking to such beautiful women. “Oh that’s great to hear! Tell us a little bit more about your social life.” Hollie continued. “Well, like I said, I haven’t exactly been a social butterfly, I’m a bit more of a wall flower. I just get a little nervous. My gal friends have been trying to help me overcome that, but I still feel like I have room for improvement!” I tried to sound positive about my situation. 

“And earlier you stated that all of your friends are girls. Is that correct? Also, what has your dating life been like?” Haley sounded a little less cheerful and a little more serious. I didn’t expect them to dig so much into my personal life. “Yes, that’s correct. Grown up all my friends have been girls. I don’t know why exactly. They just pulled me into their group when I was young, and I have just fit right in. So I never gave it much thought. As for my dating life, well, I'm friends with all the girls, so I have never dated anyone. I just struggled to get the courage to ask, I guess.” I was kind of sad about what I was saying. 

“So you’ve never dated anyone? Boy or girl?” Haley asked with a real questioning tone. “No, no one. I haven’t even kissed someone.” I don’t know why I even added that! This is not going to help my chances, but I felt like I should be honest. I did think it was weird they asked if I'd dated boys, but I didn’t think much of it. “That’s ok!” Haley replied cheerfully, almost excited to hear the news that I was a virgin. “Well Hollie and I are both really excited about your interview so far. However, we do have just one more thing to do. You see, we have a physical standard here at Monster and we need to know our girls can meet that standard. So if you would like to continue, we will need to ask that we see you in just your underwear. Your smallest and tightest is best please.” Her cheerfulness gone, replaced with seriousness. 

Girls? It she must have misspoken. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. This would be the most reviled I’ve ever been to another person and they happen to be the two prettiest girls I’ve ever seen!! “Oh, I understand. I actually happen to be wearing them. Just give me one second please.” My voice shaky. I slowly pushed my chair back and stood up so my whole body was in the frame of the camera. It was weird watching me undress as these two gorgeous women stared at me. They were clearly studying their screens as I removed my shirt.

My two small fat lumps looking even more like small boobs. My small shoulders and rib cage going down to my tiny waist. As I slid my pants down, I reviled my wide hips, completing my hourglass figure. My skinny but shapely legs showing my overall feminine looking body. I felt so nervous and self conscious about my body. My little dick shrunk in my black underwear so much it was hardly even there at all. As I stepped out of my pants I heard “Oh, pretty!” from Hollie. Having female friends my whole life, it wasn’t weird hearing a girl say that to me. I got that stuff all the time. Actually, come to think of it, I’ve only ever been told that I was pretty, beautiful, gorgeous, stuff like that. Even from my own mom.

“Ok, can you slowly turn around for us, pause for like thirty seconds with your back to us, and then slowly turn to face us again.” Haley instructed cheerfully. I was so nervous standing in my room in nothing but my underwear as these beautiful women judged me! I slowly turned as instructed and stopped with my back to my screen. “Wow what a bubble butt!” I heard Hollie comment. “Yeah, most women would kill for your butt sweetie!” Haley added. This didn’t make me feel much better. I slowly turned again facing the girls, hoping it wasn’t obvious how red from embarrassment I was. 

“Aw, just so pretty! You have nothing to be nervous about, hun! You're so cute and small! The girls will love you! I think you’ll fit right in!” Hollie said so sweetly “I agree! Why don’t you get dressed, we are going to mute ourselves and talk real quick.” Added Haley. I was so nervous I was shaking as I put my clothes back on. I sat down and saw them talking and smiling. Then I heard Haley speak. “Jaycee, how would you like to join us monster girls!?” Her excitement was obvious and contagious. I couldn’t believe it!! “Oh wow! Really?!” I was in shock! 

“YES GIRL!” Hollie’s excitement was just as contagious! Haley was excited but focused “Now we are emailing you a contract to sign right now! We’ll get you all sorted out and probably have you out here as soon as you can! Now we’ll supply lodging as well as wardrobe, so you don’t need to pack much of everything! Also, please confirm that your sizes are correct.” She was excited but got right to business. “Now I have a flight for tomorrow evening, would that work for you?” Hollie was a little more serious. “Um, I think so! Sorry I'm still in shock!” I could hardly get out.

“Great! I’ll book it!” Hollie smiled. “Ok Jaycee, it’s sent over, check your email!” Haley seemed so excited. “Oh that’s fast! Yep, I got it!” I checked quickly and briefly read the legal contract. I then typed in my name and hit submit. “Ok I signed it!” I was so excited! “Great! we’ll have you sign the actual documents as soon as you get here! I’ll email your flight info as well as all the other things you need. Welcome to The Monster Energy Girl Experience!” Haley spoke with a huge smile. Her soothing, seductive voice just filled me with excitement! I can’t believe I was going to get to be with these beautiful women!

“Oh wow!! I’m so excited! Thank you so much!” I could hardly contain myself! As soon as we said our goodbyes, I jumped around my room! I was just in shock! I felt like I had been dealt a bad hand in life being so small and girly looking, never dating any girls, and finishing high school still a virgin, but now all of that is going to change! I’m going to get to hang out and sleep with the monster energy girls and their friends for all of college!! I might be the luckiest guy to ever live! 

My mother was excited for me, a little confused as to why exactly they wanted me there. She didn’t understand why the monster girls would want a guy there, but she was happy I was happy. She offered to help me pack, but I knew I didn’t need to bring much. I packed a few changes of clothes, and my toiletries. I wasn’t sure what else I would need. I got an email from The Monster Energy Girls later that evening with complete information on my flight, who will be picking me up, where I’ll be going, and the address I’ll be staying at. 

I looked the place up on Google street view. I couldn’t believe it! It was this large hilltop mansion in NewPort that overlooked the ocean! It was so beautiful! It had a swimming pool and everything! I noticed in the email I was going to be living there with at least 2 hot girls! Wow, two smoking hot babes are going to be my roommates in a huge mansion that I don’t have to pay for!! This really is a dream come true!

I could hardly sleep that night. I laid there, excited to sleep. I was thinking about how beautiful those girls were. I couldn’t believe they were real! As I thought about them my small hand wanders down to my little dick, I was hard, well, as hard as I can get. It never really gets that hard, and only grows about a half inch more. Yep, I’m only a inch and a half at my biggest and hardly even hard. But that embarrassment didn’t stop me that night. I couldn’t believe it, I was going to get to loose my virginity to those girls! 

As I pictured their hair, lips, makeup, the outfits, they were just so sexy! I thought about them getting down on their knees and unbuttoning my pants, pulling down my underwear. Before I could even picture them doing anything more, after just a few seconds of my slim index finger and thumb lightly, hardly, moving up and down my dick, I came, dribbling a few drops of cum onto my tummy. My head exploded with ecstasy! I laid there naked, cum still on my hand and tummy, lightly holding my dick pinched between my two fingers as I drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, I almost jumped out of bed when my alarm sounded. I was just filled with energy and excitement! I spent the morning getting the final things ready and texted my closest friend, Jessy, that I’d be leaving for Southern California today. She was surprised, and asked why I was leaving so soon. I told her all about the MEGE and sent her a link to the contest. “Oh wow! I’m surprised you applied to this! But I guess you’ve probably always been in your shell, I’m glad that this will be a chance for you to come out and finally be your true self! I’ll have to visit you when I move there near the end of summer! Can’t wait to see the new you girl!” I was so glad to see she was happy for me! Maybe after this my old friends won’t see me as just another girl in the group. Maybe they will finally see me as a guy! 

My mom drove me to the airport, she gave me a big hug and promised to visit before I started school! Also, if I could also send her the link to the contest, just so she could better explain to her friends and co-workers about what it was I’d be doing. I hugged her again and left to get on my flight. Security was easy with only my small carry-on bag of possessions. As I waited for my flight, I sent my mom the link. I also saw a text from an unknown number saying it was from Haley, that she would be waiting for me at the airport with Hollie and Kayla. I was very excited. I told them I was getting on the plane and couldn’t wait to see them!

After boarding, I put my phone on airplane mode, put on some headphones and relaxed for my flight to LAX. I woke up to the flight attendant gently rocking me. “Pardon me mis, but we are about to land, can you please put your chair up?” She spoke cheerfully. I hate to admit it, but I’ve gotten used to being mistaken as a girl, I can’t wait for this to stop! “Sure thing.” I spoke back kindly with a half smile, trying not to show that it still hurts to be mistaken as a girl. “You have such pretty hair! I hated to wake you, you looked just like a princess!” Her compliment intended to make me feel better, but just made it feel worse. “Oh, that’s so kind of you to say. You look beautiful too!” My mother told me not to correct people when they are being nice and to always compliment them in return. Once I get these hot monster girls I bet things will change, I thought.

As soon as we landed and I left the plane, I turned airplane mode off. I got a bunch of texts from my mother, they mostly look like emotional stuff. I also saw the messages from Haley telling me they were there and waiting for me by the baggage claim. I was too excited to meet them to look at what my mom had said. I’ll read it later.

I hurried to the baggage claim and there they were, three of the most beautiful women I had ever seen! They were all wearing different outfits, but all very sexy. Haley had a patent black four inch pump, her long smooth sexy legs hardly covered by a short leather pencil skirt. A white button up blouse, the top buttons undone so you could see her sexy cleavage. Her blouse was sheer enough that you could see her black lace push-up bra underneath. Around her neck and right about her cleavage was a necklace that had the Monster Energy logo on it. Her blond hair was up in a big high bun. She looked like a sexy secretary or librarian. 

Hollie was wearing 6inch platform pumps, her smooth bear legs also looking incredibly long under her short leather circle skirt. She had a white spaghetti strap crop top on that also showed off her great cleavage. Her hair was up in a high pony tail, with her shiny blond hair flowing down in big sexy curls. She too wore the same necklace. Her small, perfectly manicured hands gently holding a sign that said my name “Jaycee” in cute pink letters with hearts and kisses around it. It was pretty girly but I guess these are girly girls! 

Kayla was wearing 4 inch black leather thigh high boots. Showing off a small amount of her smooth legs before getting it to her very small, very tight, black leather shorts. She was also wearing a white crop top with one inch straps, her cleavage was also very visible. Her brown hair she wore down in big sexy curls. She also wore the same necklace and all three women had matching makeup. All had big ,sexy, DSL that were light pink and almost dripping with lip gloss. The kind of lips every guy would fantasize about. They had a dark smokey eye and long fake lashes. Their eyebrows arched to perfection. They were the stuff of fantasies. 

I saw them before they saw me. They made me stop dead in my tracks. My jaw dropped. At first I didn’t even notice it was them, then I saw their necklaces and couldn’t believe these goddesses were the girls I was going to be with! My dick getting as hard as I can, but not even noticeable in my pants. They then spotted me,”Jaycee!!” Hollie exclaimed! All the girls jumping with excitement, their boobs bouncing as they did. They ran over to me, their heels clicking loudly, drawing the attention of everyone near by. Their smiling perfect faces rushed at me as they surrounded me and stared hugging me. Their boobs almost in my face from the height of their heels, my arms wrapping around their tiny waist just above their leather clad butts. For that moment, I was in heaven. My dick hard, and desperate to cum.

“We are so happy to meet you!!” They all told me. “I’m so happy to meet you too! And to be here!” Our excitement hardly contained. “I’m Hollie!” She said with cheerfulness that just made you smile. “She's the flirt!” Kayla added, “It's true, I just can’t help myself!” Hollie said proudly. “I’m Haley, I’m so happy to have you be apart of our team!” Haley spoke with an excited and seductive voice. “She’s the boss.” Kayla added quickly. “I’m Kayla! I’m the fun one!” She laughed. “I’m Jaycee! I’m so excited about this opportunity!” I didn’t even try to hide my excitement. 

“Well, let’s head to the car! We have plenty of time to learn all about each other!” Haley suggested. We started to walk, two girls on my right and one on my left, before I knew it, they put their arms around my waist. I naturally, without thinking, did the same in return. There I had just landed in LA and I was walking out in a row of sexy women, yep, I got so lucky! 

We got into the car and I put my stuff in the back. I sat down with Haley in the back seat while Hollie drove. She pulled out her purse that they had kept in the car some papers and a pen. “Here’s your contract. When your ready, sign here, here, initial there, and then sign here.” She was so sweet. Without reading a thing, I signed it. “Great! You're now apart of the Monster Energy Girls Experience! So, what we are going to do is, we are first going to go to your new home! Hollie and Kayla live there. They all make great roommates, after all your getting my old room! You’ll love it! It’s a beautiful house. I lived there until they promoted me! I now live a short drive away in Huntington, I was able to get my own place.” She spoke so bubbly. 

“Oh that’s great! I can’t believe I’ll have such pretty roommates!” I just felt like everything just kept getting better! We talked and talked as we slowly made our way in the traffic. The girls were so sweet, cheerful, funny, smart, and sexy! It felt like a dream. 

Arriving at the house, I was even more surprised. It was even bigger and nicer than I thought. It was two stories, had modern architecture and had a huge garage for 8 cars! The front door was massive and it looked straight at the back wall, which was completely made of glass! It had a beautiful view of the ocean in the distance. The large living room was very simple and nicely decorated. A large L-shaped white leather couch, a small glass coffee table under a huge TV. It opened up further to a large space with a pool table by the back wall. The wall on your right was simple with glass stairs leading up to the second story. The kitchen was also large and very open. With the large dinning table in a very open space near the back wall.

The huge back glass wall was incredible, and had two glass doors, one on each side. There was a large fire pit, a BBQ, lots of lounge chairs, a large pool and a hot tub! As well as a in-ground trampoline on one side and a small patch of grass on the other. 

Heading up the glass stairs were six bedrooms! Even though only three of us living there. One was a girl who had just left Monster and the other two were guest rooms. Each very large, all with their own bathrooms with both a shower and separate bath! The walk in closets were huge! You could put hundreds of clothes and shoes in them! The four back rooms were all identical in layout and shared the same, full size, all glass wall as the downstairs! Each with its own door opening to a full-length balcony with some lounge chairs. This doesn’t leave much of any privacy for someone in their room and someone on the balcony, they can just walk right by and look in. But it does at least give you some privacy from most of the backyard below. 

The two guest rooms were in the front, each slightly smaller than the four in the back. There was also a small common space between them that also had a small TV as well as a small couch. The whole building was stunning, lightly decorated, and overall screamed wealth. It was beautiful. My room was the second to last room. I could hardly breathe as they took me through the house, and when they showed me my room I thought I might faint! This had all been so overwhelming! 

Entering my room, you walked down a small hallway and saw a huge bed off to the right, two small night stands on each side. A desk with a computer on it was on the other side, with a large TV above it. The bathroom and closet door were next to each other on the front wall, to your right, after the hallway. 

“Wow, I just can’t believe this is real!” I could hardly contain myself. This dream only kept getting better! “Isn’t it lovely?” Hollie spoke softly. “This was my old room. The sunsets are so stunning from here!” Haley said proudly. “I can’t wait to see it!” I really couldn’t believe this was happening to me! “And these beds are big enough for a few people!” Hollie said with a little wink in her eye. “It’s true! But Hollie would know all about that! She often has more than one boy toy over at a time!” Kayla laughed playfully. Hollie smiled and said, “Dont even act like I’m the only one that does that, Kayla!” looking at me and laughing, “We’ve all done it, at least a few times!”

“Don’t worry, the walls are pretty much sound proof.” Haley winked at me. “That way you won’t have to worry about being too loud when you have some people over!” She smiled flirtously. I can’t believe it! I get to live in this beautiful house with these beautiful, sexy, slutty girls! I’m going to get to fuck them so much!! I just blushed at her response and was glad my baggy pants made it so you couldn’t tell I was getting hard. 

Haley smiled, she could tell I was shy about that. After all, they knew I was a virgin. “So tonight we are going to take it easy, we have a big day for you tomorrow. I’m going to leave, and the girls will give you time to unpack what little you have, and familiarize yourself with the place. Then they will order whatever you’d like for dinner and just eat here and chill. I’ll be working out later with some of the other girls. If you’d like to join, just text me. How we look is an important part of our job, so exercise is an important part of our job too! We don’t care when you do it, just that you do. Tomorrow we will all meet up early, around 8 or so. You’ll get to meet most of everyone else then. Then it’s a long day of unpacking what clothes we have already got for you as well as some of your uniforms. Then we’ll all go to the salon, mani petit, some shopping to get more clothes and whatever else, and then dinner with some of the riders, executives, people like that. How does that sound? If you have any questions you can ask Hollie.” She spoke with such excitement!

“Wow, sounds like a busy but fun day! That sounds great! I ran track in high school, so I don’t mind exercise! This has all just been so incredible! Thank you so much! I feel like this is a fairytale! Like I’m a..” I paused for a second to think. “Princesses!? right!? I just can’t believe it either!” Hollie cheerfully added. I didn’t want to be rude, so I just agreed with her. After that, all the ladies left my room. 

I took my time to explore it, the bed was super comfortable. The computer looked nice and new, so did the TV. I walked into the closet. There must have been at least two hundred hangers! As you walked in there were drawers on the whole right wall, then lots of hanging space along the rest. Most had a top and bottom rack in the middle of the wall, so you could hang twice as much, but then there were some sections that took up both spaces for things like long coats, or I guess, since this was for ladies', long dresses too. Not that I would hang any of those. And then at the other side was a full-length mirror. All round the bottom, top, and with columns throughout were cubbies to put shoes in, enough for what looked like 50 shoes at least! I couldn’t believe it! I had the one pair on my feet. I had a few tee shirts, one extra hoody in addition to the one I was wearing. Two other pairs of pants, five pairs of socks and briefs. That was it. After putting them away, they took up so little room that the closet looked even bigger. My guess as to how many clothes this holds might be even more! Well it’s great that I don’t have to pay for any more clothes! I did notice in the back there were some very girly luggage and hand bags. Some of them had the Monster logo. I guess they were provided by Monster to the girls and Haley left them. Some were just normal, cute-looking purses. I’ll tell Haley about it tomorrow.

After I got unpacked, I met up with Hollie and Kayla to talk about what they wanted for dinner. We decided to have tacos delivered. As we sat on the couch watching the bachelor, eating and talking, I felt like I was with my old friends. Except, these girls are much prettier, and the view out the window is incredible. The girls were telling me all about themselves and the other girls. They kept saying they were so glad I was one of them now, and that I’d fit right in with the girls. And then Hollie said that I’m going to make such a great Monster Girl, I was a little confused, but she must have just misspoke.  

After dinner, we watched the show a little bit longer and gossiped some more. Then Haley texted that she was coming to pick us up to work out. I realized that I didn’t have any workout clothes. Both girls were so nice and offered to wear something they had, and that tomorrow we’ll make sure to pick me up my own. I didn’t really want to cross dress in front of these hot girls. I was hesitant and trying to be polite, but they were very insistent. Both girls dragged me up to the common area and left into their rooms and brought out several options. Leggings, crop tops, shorts, long sleeve tops, shoes, and sports bras even! 

They must just be playing around. They also really seemed like they wanted me to join them to work out. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but I also didn’t want to wear girls' clothes either! I’m self-conscious about my body looking girly enough. The last thing I need to do is dress like a girl too! I picked a white “baggy” long sleeve top, black “baggy” running shorts, and a pair of white running shoes with pink accents. I wasn’t even sure if it was going to fit me! I took them and told the girls I’d go try them on and left for my room. 

I laid them out on the bed. They looked like a super cute, trendy, girly work-out clothes. Maybe it won’t actually look that way on me I thought. I took off my clothes, folded them neatly and put them in the closet. I slipped the long sleeve on over my head. The sleeves didn’t make it all the way to my wrists, they stopped about 2 inches shy. They showed off just how small and dainty my hands are. The sleeves weren’t skin tight, but they were tighter than I thought they would be. As I pulled it over my head and pulled my long hair out of it, I felt my stomach was still kind of cold. I looked down. Great, it’s a cropped top. And because it was kind of loose, my fat lumps on my chest made it look like I had small breasts and the shirt hung away from my body.

I just hope the shorts were better. I slid them up my legs. I wish I had body hair so my legs looked manly! The shorts were snug on my hips and butt and gave me a small wedge. The waist band hugged my waist perfectly, they fit like a glove. They flared out a little bit at the bottom so you couldn’t even tell I had a penis under them. It showed off my hourglass figure. I put on my white no-show socks and put on the shoes. They fit perfectly. I was scared to look in the full-length mirror by the hall leading into my room. OH MY GOD!! I look exactly like a chick! There is no way I can let the sexy girls see me like this!! 

“Come on Jaycee! Let’s go! Wow, you look so cute!! I’m so glad my clothes fit you so well! Come on!” both girls barged into my room. I jumped as the door flew open, and just froze there as they spoke, clearly rushed to leave. They started off leveling me just standing there. I felt so humiliated. I didn’t want them to see me. I guess it is too late now. “COME ON!” Yelled Kayla from outside the door. I just grabbed my phone and wallet and ran. I can’t believe this is happening to me! Maybe I can still play this off. 

I hurried into the waiting car full of gorgeous women. Haley, Hollie, and Kayla looking stunning in their workout clothes. I got in the back and the car started off. “You look so cute! I’m so glad our stuff fits you! Here I grabbed you a jacket just incase you get cold after. We’re going to grab these great protein smoothies!” Kayla handed me her cropped leather jacket. I put it on my lap, trying to hide my girly legs. 

We arrived at the gym and Haley told us that the other girls weren’t going to be able to make it tonight. I was so relieved that none of the other girls were going to see me this way! Our workout was pretty normal, we worked glutes, than core, then I ran a few miles on the treadmill. It was pretty normal and the girls were mostly focused on the workouts. Afterwards, we left to go get this great protein shake. It was so good, and Kayla was right, I was a little cold. I just slipped her jacket over my shoulders, but didn’t put my arms through the sleeves. As we stood there waiting for our drinks, this tall, good looking guy got his drinks, turned around, looked right at me and said as he walked past “Sup baby girl, you lookin fine.” I just froze like a deer in head lights.

I was so embarrassed, I can’t believe this guy thought I was a girl! This is not going to help me sleep with these girls! The girls, of course, thought it was so funny, with teasing “oo he likes you!” and winks. So embarrassing! That’s the same stuff the girls back home would do. I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything, just hoping they would forget about it, and that we could go back to the house and I could get out of these girls' clothes!

Fortunately, as soon as we got our drinks we left, and I felt some relief as I got into my room and out of those clothes! I put them nicely folded on the sink in the bathroom, and started the shower. I put my hair up in a bun and got in. It was warm and soothing and seemed to melt the stress of the last few hours. Of course, the only soaps there were obviously for girls. I picked the least feminine one I could, toasted vanilla. Still pretty girly. I got out, wrapped the towel around me, and walked to my closet for my pajamas. I looked at the huge empty closet, something seemed like it was missing. OH MY GOD, MY CLOTHES!!! They were gone! They were all gone!! HOW!?!

I was about to run out of my room, and saw my body in the mirror with just the towel around my waist and felt like I didn’t look good. My little fat lumps on my chest looked too much like boobs for my liking and I rewarped the towel around my chest, just like a girl would do. I rushed out the hall and down to Hollie's room. I knocked lightly on the door, hopping not to make a scene. She opened her door wearing this lacy sheer night gown and seemed a little confused to see me standing there in a towel. In another sercomstanc this would have been the beginning of a fantasy for me. 

“Is everything ok Jaycee?” A little bit of concern in her voice, she could see on my face I was panicked. “MY CLOTHES! THERE MISSING!” I was almost yelling, I could believe what was happened. “What? That’s odd.” Hollie spoke as she walked past me to my room to see for herself. I followed her to double check I hadn’t imagined it. We both looked in the closet, seeing no trace of my clothes. Hollie checked the hamper, empty. 

“OK, let me tell Haley. But first let me get you something to wear, sweetie.” She headed off to her room, her short sheer nightgown hardly covering the bottom of her butt, not that it mattered because you could see her panties through the gown. I sat on my bed, confused as to what was happening to me. A short while later, Hollie arrived. In her hands were a small thing of clothes and her phone in the other. “Here go put this on, I texted Haley. We’ll see what she thinks.” She seemed helpful and confident we could figure it out. I took the clothes and walked into the bathroom.

“Hey, do you mind if I use your TV while we wait? I was right in the middle of my show.” I heard her speak from the other room. “Sure!” I thoughtlessly replied. I was too worried about wearing what she brought me. In my hands were black lace panties, and a black sheer and lacy nightgown, similar to what she was wearing. “I hope you don’t mind what I got for you! I don’t wear many plane clothes, it’s easier to always look hot if that’s all you own!” Hollie yelled over the sound of the TV from the other room. My heart sank. Not more girly stuff. At least just she’ll see me in this obvious woman’s lingerie. I sighed and put it on. Looking in the mirror didn’t make me feel any better, there wasn’t a single masculine thing about myself. I looked so much like a girl in a sexy nighty and no make up, I even could trick myself! My small bump in my panties not even noticeable through the sheer flowy nighty. 

I had to leave some time. I finally walked out expecting to be laughed at, but she hardly even looked over at me, her attention on her show. “That fits you great!” She commented nicely. Before looking back at her show, she was laying on my bed, relaxing, I guess it wasn’t her clothes missing. I sat on the edge of the bed nervously waiting for Haley’s text. Finally When her phone went off I almost jumped to see the reply...

Katierosedreams OG Cap

[ink-flavored]

💘💙 💞

thank you!!

💘 List 3 traits you admire in one of your OCs (preferably ones that you’d like to emulate in your own life).

Okay, I know Pride is a demon and a murderer and literally sided with Lucifer and makes people hate each other for fun, but he DOES have good qualities. Sometimes.

In the process of his development, Pride has ended up having a lot of traits I wish I had. The very sin he's named for is where a lot of it comes from, funnily enough. He doesn't give a fuck about laws or conventions, breaking rules out of spite and not caring what other people think. He is whatever the exact opposite of a perfectionist is, doing the bare minimum and going "I'm the best and I deserve a medal" -- which isn't always a good thing, but man I wish I had the capacity to do that a lot more often. And even though a lot of the time he is defending himself from things that are not attacks, Pride fights back when he's feels like he's been wronged, unabashedly and without guilt-- I am slowly learning to do this but whew!

💙 Which of your OCs would be your best friend (if they were to exist in real life)? Which would be your worst enemy?

I want to be best friends with Hayden because he has 5 baby dragons and that sounds like my dream life. I would absolutely pet-sit those babies, literally whenever. Plus, he's a nice guy, he's cheerful in spite of adversity, and is generally fun to be around.

I don't know if I'd say "worst enemy" but Park does not want to talk about anything other than baseball and I really. really. do not like sports. Sorry dude.

💞 List 3 tropes that you feature in your WIPs and explain why they’re important to you as a person.

Opposites Attract/Unlikely Friends

I only noticed this one recently, but I really enjoy writing characters that, by all rights, should not like each other, but are actually in love and/or best friends. I just think this trope is fun to write tbh! Concocting two people who shouldn't get along and then having to analyze their characters enough to find something they connect on, and build their relationship out from that one thing, and they change each other's perspective on thew way... it is so so enriching for me. I love it.

2. Redemption/People Can Change

This one is really important to me, and it's always done on purpose. I believe that people can change for the better (or worse, but usually I'm writing it "for better"), no matter how many bad things they've done. Sure, it doesn't erase the harm they might have caused, but anyone can realize their behavior is hurting people and stop doing it. And they can be a good person. I think it's really important to tell those stories, especially in such a polarizing time and the rise of internet "if you've done anything bad ever in your life we are allowed to drag you through the mud for it" culture.

3. Monster/"Evil" Creature Getting Soft Unconditional Love

Being told over and over that you are wrong, monstrous, ugly, disgusting, etc. until you start believing it, then one day someone comes along and goes No, Actually, I Love All Of You, No Exceptions? Gets me every time.

BONUS TROPE: Oblivious Mutual Pining

I write this a lot and it is because I think it's funny. And also because there are a lot of times in life that we (proverbial "we") assume that the people in our lives couldn't possibly like and/or love us the same way we do, so we corral our feelings so we don't come across as "too much" or desperate for attention, or whathaveyou. But like... the world would be a much happier, brighter place, full of a lot more love and a lot less misunderstanding if people were simply honest with each other. And seeing the two idiots get together and love each other honestly is, I think, a genuine reflection of that.

We can laugh at "haha the idiots love each other but can't tell even when it's so obvious" but there's a reason it resonates with so many people. It's yearning for something we wish we were brave enough to do.

[send me an "up close and personal" ask]

[fictionkinfessions]

Dean Winchester had DID. I would know, I was him. The very aggressive John Winchester introject was probably the worst part. Having exclusively the alcoholic, abusive, dismissive, belittling, absentee part of my dad who never saw me as good enough in my head was its own form of hell, and I would know, considering I kinda went there. At least I also had one of mom, the way I remembered her from when I was little. It was really weird having my family both inside and outside my head but once I was sure they weren't weird spirits or demons or whatever, I kinda just... Learned to live with them. Dad got quieter over time but he never fully went dormant. Sometimes, I'm scared he'll come back, even though I'm not his son anymore. I try not to think about him too much because of that, but I needed to properly say it, and to say I can never forgive him. I hate seeing people talk about him like he's redeemable. But I guess canon didn't show all of what I remember so I can't blame them for not knowing that he was just as much a monster as anything we hunted. Maybe not all versions of him were, and I am sorry to those who weren't like that, I just... Can't forget what mine did.