#much but also i dont. at least not until i know what everyone has gone through first. bc i don’t want to hurt anyone bc it can be painful an

[stevie-petey]

episode nine: the piggyback

“It’s always been you,” Steve whispers, lips pressed above your brow. “The six kids. The family I’ve always wanted. Traveling the countryside. My dream, it’s always had you in it.” You laugh, breathless and in love. “I know, honey.” Sickly sweet warmth cascades through you. Your lips find Steve’s, you kiss the smile off his face. He lets you. “I’ve always known it was going to be the two of us.”

Summary: operation save hawkins is a go. youre eagle one, steve is currently doing that, eddie is youd be lying if you said you havent thought about it, nancy is it happened once in a dream, robin is if you had to pick a girl, and dustin is eagle two. what could possibly go wrong ? spoiler alert: everything. literally everything goes wrong. might as well break a few promises while youre at it. for the plot. but at least its over, right? .... right?

Rating: general, some swearing, violence

Warnings: fem!reader, use of y/n, cursing, weapons, blood, death and gore, injuries, lowkey suicidal thoughts

Words: 8.5k (we broke tradition where the last chapter is the longest but tbh this is probs for the best)

Before you swing in: oh my god this is the end. i am. very very emotional rn. this story is my baby and i dont know what im going to do now that its done. i cant even write an in between chapter because we still dont have season 5 content :((( im gonna miss writing this story, and i will absolutely go crazy waiting for season 5 so i can write again. these next few months will be ROUGH but !!!! thank you guys so so so much for reading. all your comments/reblogs/kudos/likes have meant the world to me. im truly the luckiest girl ever :') for now, and for the final time... enjoy !

–

It’s pitch black outside. All around you is darkness. The sun is long gone, its golden warmth no longer present, retreating into the treeline as if afraid of what the night will bring. 

You’re afraid, too.

Everyone stands around Nancy. The group is quiet as you await whatever she has to say. When she turns to face you, her voice is leveled, calm, but her hands shake. 

She’s afraid, too.

“Okay,” Nancy exhales deeply. “I wanna run through it one more time.” She looks at Robin, prompting her to recite everything back. “Phase one?”

“We meet Erica at the playground.” Robin responds. “She’ll signal Max and Lucas when we’re ready.”

“Phase two.”

You step forward. “Max and I will bait Vecna. When he goes after one of us, he’ll go into his trance. If he chooses Max, we’ll go onto phase three together.”

“And…” Nancy swallows, looking away. “And if he chooses you?”

It’s Steve who steps forward this time. He stands tall, brave, but his voice shakes. “Then I’ll stay with her, walkman ready, while you and Robin go on your own.”

You grab his hand, squeezing it. He squeezes back. 

“Speaking of phase three.” Dustin clears his throat, weary eyes never leaving you. “Me and Eddie wil draw the bats away.”

“Carefully,” you look pointedly at your brother. “Right?”

He rolls his eyes at you while Nancy continues speaking. “Okay, phase four.”

“We head into Vecna’s newly bat-free lair and…” Robin holds up a molotov cocktail. The liquid sloshes around. The scent of gasoline still stings your nose from when you helped her pour it into the bottles earlier. “Flambe.” 

“Nobody moves onto the next phase until we’ve all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what.” Nancy reiterates, looking around the RV. Her eyes linger on you, cautious, almost doubtful. She trusts you. She knows she trusts you. But she also knows your heart and the lengths you’ll go to save others. 

Nancy has always admired your selflessness, but she’s also always seen it as your greatest strength and weakness. A coin, two sides. Now, tonight, she has to hope that you’ll follow the plan. Even if it means leaving Max behind if she’s the one Vecna chooses.

Your eyes harden when you realize what Nancy is thinking. Without saying anything, you nod at her. The jut of your chin tells her that you’ll be fine. That she needs to trust you. 

Eddie’s trailer is only a few yards away, but the walk to it feels like decades. Steve guides and Nancy is close behind him. You stay back, walking beside Dustin. Your shoulders brush. His presence grounds you, reassures you that you will make it through the night. 

Dustin, sensing your fear, reaches for your hand. He extends his warmth to you, silently promising you that he will always be here. There isn’t anything left to say.

Steve opens Eddie’s door, turning the lights on and tossing his backpack to the ground. He eyes the rope that connects the trailer to the Upside Down, getting ready for the part of the plan that you honestly really hate.

“Be careful, please.” You urge him, uncomfortable that he has to be the first one to return to the hell that is the Upside Down. It makes sense, he’s the only one able to climb the rope up, but still. You’ve had shit luck these last few days.

“I’m always careful, angel.” Steve winks at you, rolling his sleeves up. “Here goes nothing.”

He climbs up quickly, years of being an athlete being put to use. Everyone watches anxiously. However, when Steve crosses through the gate and lands with a cheesy flip, you and Robin share a disgusted look. 

“What, does he want us to applaud?” She scoffs.

You shake your head. “Somethings I think he has an imaginary audience in his head.”

“Do you think they ever boo him?” “Not like we do.”

Nancy covers her mouth, muffling her laugh, and Robin snorts. You smile at the two of them, momentarily forgetting what’s to come.

“Alright,” Steve shouts up, tossing down Eddie’s old mattress. “Let’s go.”

You take a deep breath, steadying your nerves. Wiping your hands on your jeans, you place them on the rope and prepare for the inevitable torture that this will be. You’re pretty sure you’re bleeding again. 

“A little help?” You ask the others, motioning towards your injured leg and shoulder. “Sorta out of commission.”

Eddie grips your waist while Robin and Nancy gently hike your legs up. Together the three of them are able to carry you almost all the way up. Breathing through your nose, you grit your teeth and climb the rest of the way, wincing every few seconds. The pain is unbearable.

You really hope you don’t sound as pathetic as you look.

When you land on the mattress, small, black dots litter your vision. “I think I’m gonna throw up.”

Steve is already bending down, helping you up with ease. “And ruin Munson’s tidy home?”

Woozy from pain, you bat Steve away and wait for the others to join. Nancy comes next, then Robin, then Eddie and Dustin. Weapons get tossed down. Bodies land on the mattress with finalizing thuds. 

Outside, it’s just as cold as you remember it. Eddie and Dustin stay in front of the trailer. This is as far as they’re going. They aren’t leaving.

Roughly you pull at your brother. His body lands against yours, but the kiss your press to his forehead is gentle. You haven’t done this since he was a kid. Dustin flings his arms around you, nearly knocking all the air from your lungs. He squeezes you tight, as terrified as you are, and you feel tears in your eyes.

“We’ll come home,” your whisper is hoarse, rough and desperate. You bury your face in his mess of curls and kiss his head again. “The house won’t be empty.”

Dustin sniffles, too weak to hide his tears. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Your throat burns. How can you possibly leave him? 

Vision blurry with tears, Eddie manages to catch your attention as you cling onto your brother. The teen nods, lifting his pinky in the air to wave it at you, reminding you of his promise to you. He’ll protect Dustin. He swore it.

Reluctantly, you pull away from Dustin and wipe your face. “Please don’t die. Who knows what Mews’ ghost would do to you?” Dustin laughs wetly, wiping his own face as well. The thought of your childhood cat haunting his grave is enough to lessen the sting of letting you go. 

“If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort.” Steve breaks the remorseful silence. He doesn’t want anyone getting hurt. He doesn’t want you losing anyone else. “Draw the attention of the bats, keep ‘em busy for a minute or two. We’ll take care of Vecna. Don’t try to be a hero or anything.”

His tone is harsh, but you know Steve means well. You also don’t want Dustin and Eddie anywhere near danger. As long as they stick to the plan, they’ll be fine. They have the quickest escape route and the most amount of protection.

“What Steve is trying to say is that you two better climb back through the gate the moment anything bad happens.” You look at the two boys. They stare at you, grim faced. “I mean it, okay? Go through the gate, don’t try anything else.”

“We’re the decoys, we get it.” Dustin rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry. You and Steve can be the heroes.”

“Look at us,” Eddie nudges your brother’s shoulder. “We’re not heroes.”

Your stomach twists. You hate how Dustin views his and Eddie’s position. They aren’t just decoys, they’re heroes in your eyes. They’re facing an army of bats all on their own, but you don’t dare say this out loud, afraid to encourage them. 

“Just…” your mouth is dry. “Just be safe, alright?”

“We will.” Eddie swallows. Then he pauses, his gaze darkens slightly. Looking back at you, he breathes out, “And make him pay.”

You and Steve look at each other. So much of Eddie’s life has been ruined by Vecna. Even if you all make it out of here alive, killing Vecna, there’s no guarantee that Hawkins will accept him back into the town. You understand the anger that resides within Eddie. The desire to kill the very thing that has destroyed everything he loves. 

You bite your lip. You’ve never made a promise you haven’t been able to keep. But this time you’re facing something bigger than anything you could’ve ever imagined. All this time you’ve tried convincing yourself that you’ll win. That everything will work out.

But you remember last summer. 

The mall. The fire and the deaths. Hopper. Billy. The power Vecna seems to hold, his claws that have sunk into you and Max. His threat to Nancy. The danger that Hawkins is in, up above where your mother sleeps peacefully. Unaware of what you’re sacrificing for her.

This is more than anything you’ve ever dealt with before. But a promise built on an unsteady foundation is all you can give Eddie. 

“Well will,” you echo his earlier promise.

Eddie smiles at you. The one you’ve grown to like, even find charming. Slanted and mischievous. The glint in his eyes never dimmed, even after everything. Through it all, he remained kind.

This is how you’ll always remember him.

– 

The further you walk away from Eddie and Dustin, the harder you have to force yourself to keep going. Your body is heavy, the weight slowing you down, pleading with you to go back. None of this feels right.

Steve’s hand on the small of your back is the only thing keeping your heart from collapsing. Robin’s smile helps, too. 

“You’d think this place gets less creepy the second time around.” She says, stepping over a root. “But I’m still pretty damn creeped out.”

“It isn’t the most pleasant place.” You agree. 

Robin steps over another root, looking back at you as she does so. “At least I’m here to protect you, Y/N. Pretty brave, don’t you think?” “Hey,” Steve warns. “Watch it.”

You knock your shoulder against his and smile apologetically at Robin. “Like always, I think you’re the bravest.”

She smiles proudly, throwing her fist in the air in excitement. However, after stepping over a root for what feels like the tenth time, her heart starts to pound. Looking around, all the trees suddenly look the same. Have you been here before?

“Not to alarm anyone, but I swear we’ve seen this tree before.”

“That’s impossible.” Nancy dimisses.

You agree. “We’re in the woods. All we’re going to see are trees.”

Robin tries to calm herself down, but ultimately fails. There are so many components to the plan, so many ways it can go wrong. “I mean, that would suck, right? Veca destroys the world because we got lost in the woods.”

“We aren’t lost–” You try to reason with her, but Robin is already running away in a panic. You scream at her, terrified of losing her. “Robin!”

“I’ll be back!”

You start to stumble after her. “Why does everyone want to separate?” You huff out, nearly tripping. “There’s safety in numbers! Come back!”

Nancy, seeing your fear for your friend and horrible coordination skills, steps in front of you. “I’ll go after her. You stay here with Steve.”

And then she’s gone, disappearing into the mass of branches alongside Robin. 

“They’ll be fine,” Steve reassures you, grabbing your hand. “They’re tough, even if Robin may lose her mind sometimes when she’s distressed.”

“I think we’re all slowly losing our minds.” You laugh, bitter.

Steve tightens his hand around yours. The two of you walk in silence for a while. The thunder above you serves as a reminder of where you are. The darkness is a threat. But you’re here, together. That’s all that Steve cares about in the end.

“Did you really mean what you said? Back at the cemetery?” He asks, clearing his throat in unease. The question has been on his mind ever since he heard your pleas for Vecna to take you instead of Max. 

He thinks of how adamant you’ve been to protect her. How you’re only here with him right now because Max wouldn’t let you blindly walk towards your death. 

The question strikes deep guilt within you, yet an exhaustion follows. You’re ashamed of how desperately you pleaded to die. Steve and Dustin had to hear you beg for your death. Lucas, too. 

You’re ashamed. Yet you wouldn’t take it back.

“I did.” You finally say. “I wanted him to take me.”

Steve already knew you’d say this. He’d been expecting anger to follow, to be furious with you for sacrificing yourself knowing he’d be left to pick up the pieces. 

But seeing the way you set your jaw and stare ahead, seeing the resolve that masks your face, the acceptance of your decisions, Steve can’t bring himself to be angry. Not at you. 

This is who you are.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” Steve promises you again. He will always promise this to you. Over and over again, he will die saying these words to you. “I-I can’t lose you. I refuse to lose you.”

Your eyes remain downcast. 

“I know that this is how you love,” he grabs your jacket, begging you to look at him. “I know that I can’t let you lose the ones you love. Dustin, Max, Robin, Lucas, or El or Mike or Nancy. Hell, even Jonathan. I won’t let you lose them, but I won’t lose you, either.”

He understands, then. The selflessness within you and its selfish ways. Yet he doesn’t shy away or hiss at its venom. Steve opens his hands and allows the selfishness to stay there, warming it with his skin. 

You kiss him. Surprising both him and you, yet you melt together. Steve circles his arms around your waist, pulls you flush against him, and in the cynicism that surrounds you, there is still love. 

“Thank you,” you breathe against his lips. He’s wonderful. He loves you wholly, without any faults. Your kindness and its destructive ways; he accepts it all. “Thank you for understanding.”

And this, you believe, is the most selfless act a person can do. Steve’s understanding of why you need to do this, to sacrifice your life for Max’s, even if it means he risks losing you. 

“I should be the one thanking you,” Steve kisses you again, softer this time. Slower. 

You pull back, confused. “Why?” He pulls you in again. “I mean, I don’t know if you know this, but I was a pretty huge asshole back then.” You laugh softly, and Steve knows he’s exactly where he’s meant to be. “You saw this good in me that I didn’t know existed. Right off the bat you saw through me, expecting more from me than anyone else ever did. I wouldn’t be who I am now without you. ”

“Steve…”

“And I’m sorry for thinking you didn’t see a future with me.” He continues, unable to stop now. This is everything he’s wanted to tell you ever since you allowed him into your life. “I know it’s stupid now, apologizing for our fight a week ago after the hell we’ve been through since then, but…”

He can’t believe he almost let something as small as a misalignment of where you’ll be a year from now jeopardize what you have. There is a string that attaches Steve to you, it brought you to him and tied your heart to his. 

“I meant what I said, Y/N.” Steve’s forehead presses against yours. “I’d wait forever if it means I can have forever with you.”

His eyes shine down at you, brown and warm. The honey you fell in love with when he pretended not to know your name, all to get you to laugh. 

“When your head went under the water, that night at Lover’s Lake, I thought you were dead.” Your voice shakes, remembering the fear that choked you. “For those thirty seconds, I thought you were dead, and it almost killed me.”

It was then that you realized how truly you can’t lose Steve. You’ve always known this, but to have his soul ripped from yours so suddenly, so permanently, there are no words to express the agony that poisoned you. 

Losing him would be the one thing you’d never recover from.  

“I don’t ever want to live through those thirty seconds again,” you’re crying. Steve is, too. He wipes a tear that falls, strokes your cheek, and you can’t bear the thought of a world without his touch. “I want forever with you, too. We’ll figure it out, but I’m not losing you. You have to be in my life, in whatever capacity. Whether you’re in a small, cramped apartment with me in New York or in Hawkins, waiting for me to come home.”

Your breath hitches. To think that a childish argument almost separated him from you. 

“As long as we come home to one another, it doesn’t matter.” 

Steve is quiet after you’ve said all this, and for a moment you’re scared you’ve said too much. Revealed too much of yourself, convinced him he’s gotten it all wrong, but then he cradles your face. His hands are soft, tender, the weight of them familiar against your skin. 

He kisses your forehead, and you exhale the last of your uncertainty. All that is left within your lungs is love. 

“It’s always been you,” Steve whispers, lips pressed above your brow. “The six kids. The family I’ve always wanted. Traveling the countryside. My dream, it’s always had you in it.”

You laugh, breathless and in love. “I know, honey.” Sickly sweet warmth cascades through you. Your lips find Steve’s, you kiss the smile off his face. He lets you. “I’ve always known it was going to be the two of us.”

Steve smiles, wide and bashful, and you know that this is where you’re meant to be, too.

“Hey, guys!” Robin breaks through the treeline, running back with Nancy right behind her. “Awesome news!”

“We aren’t lost.” Nancy cuts to the chase. “We think the Creel house is up ahead.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” You step out of Steve’s arms, though your hand remains intertwined with his. “Let’s go face imminent doom.”

Nancy huffs out a laugh and Robin winces, though Steve squeezes your hand and is the first one to start walking. Together, the five of you descend deeper into the woods.

Unsurprisingly, the Creel house is even more terrifying in the Upside Down. Bats surround it, their screeches stinging your ears. Lightning flashes a deep, blood red and the thunder that follows causes your heart to drop.

You stand at the crest of the hill. There’s a light below you, its glow pure in the abandoned park where it resides. The same park that you told Erica to hide in as she waited for Max and Lucas to take their place. The light flashes.

It’s time for phase two.

– 

“Max is moving into phase two: distracting Vecna. Y/N, get ready.” Erica’s voice carries into the Upside Down.

Nancy, Robin, and Steve all turn to you. Grief and longing taint their faces. Your walkman hangs from Steve’s hand. He grips it tightly. Tension coats the air, nearly suffocating you; you can’t run anymore. 

No one says anything as you carefully lower yourself to the ground. It’s cold beneath you. Hard, unforgiving. You cross your legs, ignoring the deep ache of your wounds as you do so. You close your eyes. The storm is coming. 

“Take the bait, you son of a bitch.” You hear Nancy whisper. 

You or Max.

Take me, you silently beg. Take. Me. 

Silence settles over the group. Everyone waits with bated breath. No one knows who Vecna will choose. 

Steve stands nervously behind you, his hand on your walkman at all times. 

Just take me. Kill me instead of her. If you’ve watched me for so long, then just get it over with. Don’t make this easy, don’t be such a fucking coward.

The words echo in your head. Taunting Vecna, hoping their malice will be what saves Max. That he’ll choose you in the end, give you what you want. You’ll do whatever, say whatever you need, if it means Max will come home. 

Something pricks your skin. An uncomfortable, electric sensation coats your entire body. 

Vecna. 

For a moment you think he’s listened. You can feel his presence, the weight of him shadows in your mind. He’s here, he’s spared you mercy after prolonged cruelty. He’s chosen you and Max will survive. Her blue eyes will remain bright, her body alive.

Then it all comes crashing down.

“He chose Max. I repeat, he chose Max.” Erica says, voice cutting through the delusions you allowed yourself to get lost in.

Your ears are ringing. Somewhere in your body there is still oxygen that has not escaped you, but you cannot find it. He chose her. 

Robin radios Dustin and Eddie, you think she’s instructing them to move onto phase three, but her words are jumbled in your mind and you can’t hear anything besides the screaming in your head. 

He chose her.

“Y/N,” someone roughly grabs your shoulder. “Y/N, look at me.”

Nancy. She’s in front of you, kneeled down. She grabs your arms, her grip vicious. Her mouth moves. She’s saying something, the way her chest heaves makes you think she’s yelling.

Is she yelling at you?

“Y/N!” The ringing doesn’t subside, but you manage to look at Nancy. “We need to go!”

She’s right. You need to leave. There isn’t time to remember how to breathe. You know this. Somewhere in the distance there’s music. Guitar rifts through the wind, Eddie’s melody enrages the bats that swarm the Creel house. They’re gone in seconds, flying towards the sound, and you need to stick to the plan. 

Your head moves shakily, managing a small nod, and Nancy yanks you up with Steve’s help. She looks at Robin, and suddenly her and Steve grab your arms and force you to walk alongside Nancy. They aren’t aggressive as they do so, nor are they cruel. But you can’t afford to shut down. Not now.

Max won’t survive if you do. There’s no time to hesitate. No turning back.

You hope she finds the light.

Lightning flashes all around you, illuminating the Creel house as you stand before it. Steve opens the door first. The vines that cover the ground writhe at the disturbance. He shines his flashlight, his heart drops when he realizes just how infested the house is.

“Shit,” he breathes out. The floor is virtually impossible to walk across. “That’s not good.”

Then, because he has no other option, Steve starts jumping to any safe spot he can land on. He looks ridiculous as he does so, but for once you aren’t focused on that. Instead, you stare down at your injured leg and wince.

“Great,” your thigh is currently more blood than flesh. Jumping on it is quite literally the last thing you should be doing. “This is gonna hurt.”

“At least you have good balance?” Robin offers, though she doesn’t believe what she’s saying either. 

Nancy grabs your hand, then Robin’s. She looks at the two of you and smiles, trying her best to look reassuring. “It’s okay. You guys got this.”

The first jump hurts, setting the remaining nerves in your upper thigh on fire, but you can’t afford to scream or collapse. You have to remind yourself that the vines are interconnected. One wrong step, one miscalculated fall, and they’ll wrap viciously around you. 

It’s a slow, tedious process trying to get to the attic. The stairs are the hardest part. The vines twist with every step, slithering across the walls. Steve does his best to help you, offering you his hand for support, but you both hold your breath every time your foot slips. 

When you make it to the attic door, everyone readies their weapons. In one hand are your knives, in the other a molotov cocktail. Steve spins you around, digging into the backpack for an ax while Nancy grabs her gun. 

Your foot lifts, about to step forward, before the ground beneath you shakes violently. The entire house trembles, and Steve barely has enough time to catch everyone as all of you struggle not to fall. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” You sneer, holding desperately onto Steve. This is all some sick, cruel joke. A poorly timed rupture in your rapture.

But then the house stills. Everything is quiet. You, Nancy, Steve, and Robin stare at one another, panting. Nobody moves. There’s a clarity in the air, a false sense of security. 

That’s when the first vine latches onto Robin. 

It folds around her ankle before tearing her away from you. She screams, so do you, and her body is thrown against the wall as more vines encase her limbs. They move fast, snake like, and everything unravels after that. 

“Steve! Y/N!” She screeches, terrified. “Nancy!” 

You’re at her side in a second, stabbing at the vines. Your knuckles are white as you grip your knives, your biceps strain. You aren’t letting them take Robin from you. “Hold on!”

Your teeth grit together in exertion, sawing as fast as you can. Steve and Nancy are on the other side, throwing their axes as hard furiously into the vines. But nothing works, they’re too thick, and you don’t realize that one of the vines has wrapped around your arm until it’s too late.

“Y/N!” Steve screams when your body gets lifted into the air. You try to fight it, to pry your arm away, but your legs give out and soon a second vine wraps around your other arm. Then a third, a fourth and a fifth. 

In seconds you’re pressed against the wall. 

“Steve!” Screams are ripped from your throat, you try to call out, to beg for your life, but the more you move, the tighter the vines constrict.

Steve calls after you, ramming into the wall as he tries to cut you loose. “I got you! I–”

The ax he’s holding gets yanked back by a vine. He’s launched into the air, body landing harshly next to yours several feet up the wall. He screams again, but his voice dies when a vine cuts off his breathing and chokes him.

Another vine coils around your throat and suddenly you can’t breathe. Your airway constricts. Sobbing, you try to reach out to Steve. You’re inches apart, his fingers are so close to yours that you can feel their warmth, but you can’t reach him

All you want to do is hold him. 

Nancy falls to the ground, the last victim. She gets thrown to the opposite wall, it all happens so fast that she doesn’t even have time to scream. 

Your vision blurs. You close your eyes.

This is how you’ll die. 

Far away from your home. No one will find your body down here. Dustin will come looking for you and he’ll face the same fate. He will die trying to find you. Vecna will destroy everything you’ve ever loved.

Your lungs burn, fighting for breath that they cannot get. Blood rushes to your head. You take your last breath. The sound of it echoes in your ears. 

Everything goes black. 

Your mother will be worried about you. 

I’m sorry.

– 

There’s a body beneath yours. 

It groans, gasping for air, but your vision is dark and you can’t see anything. Pain erupts in your wrist. You try to move it, but the sting makes you nauseous. 

There’s coughing all around you, but you’re too weak to suck the air back in. Everyone cowers for breath. The vines rescind, unwrapping themselves from your skin. There’s a body beneath you, and a gentle hand cups your cheek, you know it’s Steve.

“Breathe, angel.” His voice cracks, wounded. It hurts to speak, but he needs you to breathe. “Y/N, you have to breathe.”

Everything is numb. Your lungs are empty; you can’t remember how to fill them. Steve coaxes your lips open, blows air in your face, does whatever he can think of to get you to breathe, before finally, miraculously, you inhale sharply and begin coughing. 

“Are you alright?” Steve asks you softly, rubbing your back as you cough. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Your throat is raw. It takes everything within you to speak, but you want to. You need to. There’s only one thing you want to say. “We have to make him pay.”

The anger is back, and Steve’s jaw sets. Vecna has hurt you. He’s hurt everyone you love. He’s chosen Max for his final death and your fury threatens to devour the sanity you have left. You’re tired of his shitty mind games.

It’s like what you promised Eddie: you have to make Vecna pay for what he’s done to you all.

“I don’t believe in a higher power,” Robin rasps, breaking you from your thoughts. “Or divine intervention. But that was a miracle.”

Nancy cocks her gun, already walking towards the attic door. “Then we better not waste it.”

“Phase four.” Steve says, steadying himself against you. 

“Flambe.” Robin finishes. 

You flick your knives out. “Let’s finish this.”

– 

Vecna’s body hangs in the attic, thick, gruesome vines attach him to every crevice. He’s unmoving, eyes closed, and seeing his body up close makes you want to gag. He’s a terrible, vile creature. 

But Dustin had been right: Vecna is in the same trance-like state that El goes into when she uses her powers. 

Without being told to, Robin sets down her bag. All the molotov cocktails are inside. Everyone grabs one, silent. Almost as if you’re all too afraid to break the spell he’s under. You only get one shot at this. 

Steve has the lighter. You hold the first cocktail up, and he looks at you, eyes shining. He asks you if you’re ready, if this is what you really want, and you nod. At your signal, Steve throws the cocktail into the air.

The bottle shatters against Vecna’s body. The flames engulf him, the impact of the blast so powerful that it knocks you and everyone else back. There’s an awful scream as Vecna’s vines begin to snap from the sudden heat.

Your screams mix with his, throwing another cocktail with every ounce of strength you have left in you. You’re bruised and bloodied and exhausted, but you think of Max. You think of Billy and Hopper. Eddie and how his life will never be the same again. You think of Chrissy, Patrick and Fred. All the innocent lives that have been lost for a cause that you despise. 

This is for them. For Hawkins. For your home.

The last of the vines die withering away, and Vecna’s body falls to the ground. He stands, body on fire, and stalks towards you. His eyes are only on you. 

Robin lights the final cocktail and the force of it sends Vecna stumbling back. It’s enough to break through his chest, and he’s weak. Weaker than you’ve ever seen him. 

“Shoot him, Nancy!” You cry, ready for this all to end. 

And she does.

The first blast pierces Vecna’s skin. The second, third, and fourth diminish him to ruined pieces. With every shot, Nancy steps forward, drawing him out, and you’re right behind her. Vecna releases a deep, furious roar. The sound of it sinks into your bones, but you no longer fear him. 

He isn’t worth your fear. 

Nancy raises her gun again. She deals the final blow, sending Vecna through the old, rotted wood of the house into the dark night. He falls, screaming, before everything is quiet. 

The roar of the fire that surrounds you is the only sound. You all stand in the attic, numb. None of it feels real. All that’s left of Vecna is a hole in the house, his body far below, sprawled on the concrete outside. 

“Did we…?” You’re afraid to jinx it, to somehow bring him back. But this has to be it. There isn’t any other way for this to end.

Nancy doesn’t say anything. Instead, she turns around, running back down the stairs. No one has to ask why she does this; you all know. There has to be a body. There must be tangible proof that you’ve won.

Everyone runs outside.

Vecna’s body is gone. 

The only indication that he’d been there is an outline of flames that molt the grass below it. But there is no body.

“No,” you run down the steps, kicking through the grass as you look around. You’re frantic, sprawling on the ground as if you’ll find him buried beneath the ash. “No, where is he?”

You killed him. He was on fire. Nancy put more than five bullets in him. He fell from the attic, a height that alone should’ve killed him. Where the fuck is he? You did everything right. Followed every step of the goddamn plan.

“This doesn’t make any sense.” Something is wrong, you just don’t know what. Steve and the others join you. They’re quiet, fearing what you’re refusing to even consider. Four deaths. That had been all Vecna needed. But you killed him. “None of this makes sense, unless… Unless he–”

No. 

A bell chimes. 

The sound sends you to the ground. Your knees give out, collapsing under the weight of it all. “No!” Your scream is loud, guttural. Tearing from your chest as it tears out your vocal chords. There’s blood in your mouth and you want it to choke you. 

It’s Max. 

He got her. He killed her. 

All of a sudden there are arms around you. Someone carries you back up the stairs, back into the house that has taken everything from you. Steve holds you to his chest as he, Nancy, and Robin stare at the grandfather clock before them. 

It’s alive.

“Four chimes,” Nancy’s voice can barely be heard above your crying. “Max…”

The realization settles upon all of you. You’re in hysterics, no one can calm you down. You’re crying so hard that you can’t breathe, but you don’t want to breathe anymore. 

Grief pours from you in cruel, bitter waves. All you do is cry, barely even registering the earthquake that follows your devastating loss. 

Steve has to set down your crying figure in order to stabilize Robin and Nancy. You curl into yourself on the ground, making yourself as small as possible. There is too much. It’s all too much. Your head digs into the floor beneath you, cutting you, and your tears mix with the blood. 

Over and over again the clock chimes. Like laughter. His laughter. 

He won. 

Steve holds onto the stairs as the earthquake worsens. He has to crawl over to you; you’re rocking back and forth on the ground, your cries heard even above the cracking of the earth. His hand wraps around your weeping body and he won’t let you go. Steve tries to shield you from fallen debris, the world is falling apart, but you don’t move.

You don’t care anymore. 

It’s always your fault in the end. You lose everyone eventually; you get them killed. You can never save them. You will never be able to save them.

She’s gone. 

Max is gone. 

– 

The days pass. You’ll come to remember them in fragments. 

Returning to Eddie’s trailer and finding Dustin crying over his dead body. Prying him away, your tears mixing with your brother’s when you have to tell him that something has happened to Max.

Finding Hawkins in flames. Seeing the deep gashes in the town you grew up in. Stumbling to the Creel house, racing side by side with the ambulances for everyone within the once quiet town, and collapsing again when you find no one there. 

Going home. Your mother’s arms breaking you. 

Steve. How he never left your side throughout it all. Holding Dustin’s hand, unable to stop crying. 

Visiting Max in the hospital the day after. The stench of sterilizer and surgical tools. Seeing her lifeless body still alive. The countless other bodies in the building that died due to your failure. 

When the news broadcasters announce Hawkins to be cursed. The burden that you can’t tell them that they’re right. The guilt seeing your baby brother’s limp. Another scar he will carry with him forever. 

All the hurt in the town. The pain. 

The collapse of your home; they’re calling it an earthquake. 

It all comes to you in flashes. 

Hawkins high school gets converted into a donation center for everyone dishoused. Visiting it is your idea. You can’t bear the thought of spending any more time inside your home knowing there are hundreds of others who no longer have a place to call home. 

“Anything else?” You place your old comics into one of the boxes you’re donating. 

Dustin shakes his head. “That’s the last of it.”

He hasn’t left your side in days. He still keeps your walkman on him, though neither of you know if it’s important anymore. Dustin is afraid that you’ll never put the headphones on again, even if it could save your life. 

You tape the boxes up, carefully writing down their contents on one of the flaps. Your fingers are scabbed. Your wrist is stiff, locking up if you move it too suddenly. 

Books.

Bedding. 

Clothing.

Anything you can offer, you’d give it all to Hawkins if you could.

Steve picks you up. He helps you put the boxes in the back of his car, gentle with you as always. “You guys ready?”

You nod weakly, and Steve kisses your forehead, careful of the cuts that litter it. He helps you into the car. Turns on your favorite songs. Tries to distract you from the wreckage that encases Hawkins as he drives; you keep your head down. You can’t look at any of it. 

Nancy is waiting in her driveway with Robin, a pile of their own boxes at their feet. They greet you kindly, warmly, with an air of fear that you’ll break, and you’re too tired to pretend. 

“I found some more of your old stuff in the attic,” Mrs. Wheeler walks out of the garage, smiling despite the circumstances. “I think it’s lovely you’re doing this, Y/N.”

“We all just want to help,” you politely respond, staying near Steve’s side. 

Nancy picks up one of the stuffed animals in the box and pouts, seeing her old favorite toy. You’re about to tease her, try to laugh, when a pizza delivery van speeds down the block. 

“Someone order a pizza?” Mrs. Wheeler asks.

“Not that I recall.” You mumble, confused as your eyes follow the car. Every business in Hawkins is shut down right now. It doesn’t make sense for there to be a pizza delivery.

It parks in front of the Wheeler’s, and when you see who steps out, you drop the box you’re holding and run towards them. 

Will and El throw themselves around you, hugging you tightly. Dustin joins, and holding them again, having them here with you, makes everything okay for a moment. Your kids are okay, they’re safe. 

“Are you okay?” El asks you, pulling away slightly. Her eyebrows knit in concern when she notices the cuts on your face and how red your eyes are. “Did he get you?”

Somehow you aren’t surprised that she knows about Vecna. 

“I’m okay, sweetie.” Her hair is buzzed. Already you miss the long strands she once had. You don’t know what she’s been through this last week, but you hope, more than anything, that she hasn’t lost her kindness. “I-I’m okay.”

Your voice catches at the end, and immediately El understands that something else happened.

“We were worried about you,” Will doesn’t let you go. “When El told us what was happening, Jonathan almost lost his mind.”

Jonathan.

Hearing his name makes you remember everything. Instinctively your eyes find him. They always do. Jonathan has Nancy in his arms, but when he senses your eyes on him, he looks up at you. He will always be able to find you. Your heart stops, looking into his once familiar brown eyes.

Jonathan rushes towards you, as he always does, and his arms around you feel like home. 

“Bug,” he breathes against your neck, holding onto you tighter than he ever has before.

You melt when the nickname drips from Jonathan’s lips. It’s been so long since someone has called you that. It’s been even longer since you’ve held Jonathan like this. 

“God, what happened to you?” His eyes roam your body, catching on your bandaged shoulder and thigh. The cuts on your cheek. You try to ease his concern, grabbing his hands, but Jonathan starts to ramble. “We-we tried to get back to Hawkins as soon as we could. The second El told me you were in danger I–”

He inhales shakily, presses his face deeper into your neck. “All I could do to stay sane was think of your voice. Of our last phone call.”

You bury your face into Jonathan’s messy hair. You’re crying, but for what, you don’t know. His scent is bittersweet. His arms are reminiscent of what was once. You’ve missed him, but nothing will ever be the same again.

“I need to see her.” El’s raised voice causes you to let go of Jonathan. She’s standing in front of Dustin, arms crossed, and you know he’s told her the truth. “Take me to Max.”

“What’s wrong with Max?” Mike slings an arm over your shoulders, putting all his body weight against you in greeting. “Miss me, Henderson?”

You move his arm down, forcing him into a hug. You want to remember these next few seconds. The remnants of his childhood before it comes crashing down on him. “I did, Wheeler.”

Mike hugs you back, but when he sees the distress on El’s face, he lets you go and walks towards her. “What? What’s going on?”

Dustin is the one who breaks the news. Shamefully, you know it should’ve been you, but you haven’t been able to say Max’s name in days. There’s too much guilt, remorse, resentment that it hadn’t been you. 

It’s a mess of tears and panic when Dustin tells them. Will covers his mouth, holding back tears, while El storms inside the pizza delivery van as Mike demands that Jonathan take him and everyone else to see Max. They don’t believe any of it. El told them that she saved Max. 

“Are you coming, Y/N?” Jonathan holds his keys up. Everyone else, including Nancy, are already inside. A boy your age, you think his name is Argyle, waves at you from the passenger seat. 

So much has changed. Unable to form the right words, you shake your head at Jonathan. Yet even after months apart, he understands your unspoken words. You can’t see Max again. Not yet. It’s too soon, too much for you to bear.

Seeing her limp body once was enough. 

“We’ll be back,” Jonathan hugs you one last time, pressing a kiss to your hairline as he lets you go. “I promise.”

Steve steps forward then, wrapping an arm around your waist as he stands next to you. The two teens lock eyes, Steve gives Jonathan a cool, steely look. He remembers what you’ve told him. He remembers Jonathan’s words to you before everything collapsed. 

Sensing his anger, you squeeze Steve’s arm. Not here, you beg him. Not now.

Exhaling slowly, Steve offers you his hand. You take it, allowing him to walk you back to his car as the others leave.

– 

The donation center is packed. There are so many people inside, sitting on makeshift cots and pinning missing posters of their loved ones to a bulletin board. Nurses tend to the injured. Mothers cradle their children. The sight makes you ache. All these people, displaced by what they believe to be an earthquake.

You set the boxes down at the main dropoff table, and though the kind employee praises you for how organized the boxes are, you can’t help feeling that you should be doing more. 

In the hundreds of injured and grieving people you’ve seen, you’ve only noticed a handful of workers. 

“Is there any way we can help?” You ask the woman, looking around with a frown.

“Truly anything.” Robin says. “We just… we want to help.”

The woman seems surprised, and you wonder how rare it is for kindness to still be in a town that has known nothing but turmoil these last few years. 

You and Steve get placed sorting clothing while Robin is assigned to the food station. Dustin passes out cups of water for everyone. It isn’t much, but the work is meaningful and it eases the tension in your chest. 

“So…” Steve folds a t-shirt. “Can I ask about Jonathan yet?”

Picking up tattered jeans, you place them in the trash pile. “Might as well.”

“How do we feel about his sudden arrival? I mean, the giant pizza statue on the van was a little dramatic for me.”

He’s trying to keep the conversation light, which you appreciate him for, but you also know that Steve is doing this because he’s worried about you. And, you know, he’s unnerved seeing Jonathan. There’s still a lot left unsaid between you. 

“It’s… a lot.” You admit, struggling to find the right words to convey how you feel. “I’m relieved he’s okay, and I really am happy to see him again, but I… I understand, you know. If you’re upset.”

Steve scrunches his face. “I’m not upset, just… I don’t know. Annoyed with the guy.”

“So you’re upset.”

“Okay, no–”

“Is that Vickie with Robin?” You unintentionally cut Steve off, too surprised by the fact that mere feet away from you is Robin and Vickie making sandwiches together. And they’re laughing. “Are they talking together?”

Steve whips his head around, disbelieving, but lets out a low whistle when he sees Robin making easy conversation with Vickie. “Well I’ll be damned. Who knew our girl had it in her?”

The Jonathan talk lays forgotten as you and Steve admire your friend. You share a secret smile, remembering your own first awkward, bantering conversations together. There is so much pain in this town, and yet you watch as love still blossoms within it.

Across the room, you see Dustin talking to an older man. They’re deep in discussion and you notice your brother’s shaking shoulders. He’s crying. The older man is, too. You narrow your eyes, unsure if you should approach, but when Dustin hands the man Eddie’s old guitar pick, you realize who it is. 

“I’ll be back.” You kiss Steve’s cheek, excusing yourself. 

He tries to ask where you’re going, but you’re already gone. Your brother needs you right now.

Walking over, you stand to the side and allow Dustin and Eddie’s uncle some privacy. While there are so many things you want to say to the man, like how kind his nephew had been, how brilliant his mind was and how you’ll never forget the smile that never left his face, this is for Dustin and Dustin only. 

Eddie was his dearest friend. There is no greater loss than that.

Whatever Mr. Munson tells Dustin will be good for him; it will be the closure you can’t give him yourself. 

An arm wraps around you. You lean into the touch, knowing who it is without even having to look. You rest your head on Steve’s shoulder, exhausted, but content with the warmth he offers you. The two of you keep an eye on Dustin, ready to catch him in case he falls. 

Eventually Mr. Munson leaves, and you take his place next to Dustin. The second you sit down, the boy cries into your shoulder. Tears soak your shirt and your brother’s frail body shakes. “I-I had to tell him that Eddie died a hero.”

“I know,” your head falls against his.

“They’ll never know what he did for this town.” Sobs wrack Dustin’s body. “It isn’t-it isn’t fair.”

You rub his back, brush his hair out of his face. “None of it is fair, Dust.”

He cries even harder and you try to shield him from the world with your body. You try to block out the grief, the bitterness that follows death. How empty it can leave you. An emptiness that can swallow a person whole. 

You won’t let it happen to Dustin. 

“We’re gonna get through this together, alright? You and me, just like it’s always been. I promise–” Your words catch in your throat, tears forming in your own eyes. There’s so much you want to promise your brother, to swear that will come true, but you’re just as hurt and lost as he is. 

“I promise,” you make the words come out. “That everything will be okay. We’ll-we’ll be together, heal and do whatever we can to make everything okay. I-I’ll never leave you, you hear me? I won’t leave you again.”

Though Dustin still cries, his breathing slows. 

“Together. We’ll face this together.” As you talk, you notice a crowd of people swarming by the windows. They’re looking at something, staring and gasping. Your voice grows weak, anxious that something bad is about to happen. “It’ll… it’ll all work out.”

Dustin notices the crowd, too. He looks to you for answers, but you’re silent. You don’t know what’s happening. There’s a murmur in the crowd, hushed, urgent. It sets your skin on edge. Even more people get up now, some are even running outside, and every nerve in your body is screaming at you to run. 

Suddenly the room darkens, as if a giant cloud has covered the sky. Your stomach twists, and you get up, following after the crowd. Bodies shove each other, people blindly walk through the haze of whispers and uncertainty. 

When you step outside, all you see is ash.

The ash falls like snowflakes, beautiful and pure. There’s a softness to it, something delicate in the ruin it leaves. Dustin knocks against you, staring up into the sky with the same dread that you feel. The crowd is murmuring with glee, whispering excitedly about what they believe to be snow; but they’re wrong.

You’ve always won in the end. 

You’ve come to believe this to be a fact. You once told Steve that you believed you used up all your luck. Saving Will, closing the gate over and over again. The penance was the deaths from this summer for the greedy way you abused luck.

Steve had reminded you that there was still good leftover in the bad. That there will always be softness in the destruction, a reason for hope. That you will always find a way out, that luck and love were two sides of the same coin.

You’ve always won in the end. 

Yet, lost in the swarm of people, you watch as the sky begins to fall and Hawkins descends into the Upside Down. 

You no longer believe it.

[END OF SEASON FOUR]

-

⌑ series masterlist

⌑ if youd like to buy me a coffee ☕︎

⌑ thank you for reading ! feel free to like, comment, reblog, or send in an ask so we can chat <3

[masterfuldoodler]

I went so insane drawing this. I was having the best time ever, I had to pause so often to freak out at my own art xD and then there is the pain. My friends knew everytime I sat down to draw the end (the last five pages) I plagued them dsbknfh

I even made a playlist for specifically this.

The End of All

I've been brainstorming the final confrontation of the keepers. Tehvlar has finished recreating his body into fully chaos and is mostly dead at this point. It starts as Rhyin and Tehvlar's reunion and spirals out of control.

[cosmicpoutine]

leaving a lil rant here :]

I love Tim and his ships sm. Me personally, I only really ship TimKon. Those two are perfect for eachother and have so much clear queer coding that it’s crazy, and they have dialogue that’s just. gay shaped.

I also get TimBart, I don’t ship it romantically but I get why people do!! Tim and Bart are close as well, and the balance they get between ‘depressed tired wet cat’ and ‘living breathing embodiment of adhd’ is great.

I also get TimBartKon, they’re a trio. They are always a trio, so many people like to bring up how TimKon has so much coding and one of the big examples they use is when Tim tried to clone Kon. You know who else he tried to clone? Bart.

The only Tim ship I don’t get is TimBern, or any ship involving those two. When Bernard first appears, he’s Tim’s bully. He actively makes fun of tim and puts him down and then that character is forgotten about until Tim comes out as bi, then they just rework his character and go “haha guys this is his boyfriend not bully ygs are crazy” and just forget about all the bad stuff Bernard did? Reworking a character is great and all but, it just feels a bit weird and out of place for me. There’s always going to be that certain toxicity for TimBern, at least for me.

homie... bully??? im flabbergasted- im speechless- im jason todd (dead)

okay, im gonna start off by saying you have all the right to not ship them, and im not here to defend timbern as a ship. im here to defend BERNARD DOWD.

first thing bernard does is give tim advice about teachers, and he clearly says they're gonna be good friends.

if bernard was a bully, tim wouldn't hang around him so much. besides, i hate it when people place tim as a helpless little boy who would get bullied. he has put himself in situations where he looks weak on purpose to keep his identity safe, but he's not a victim at all. tim is a social butterfly because he's really good at masking and reading people.

not to mention, both bernard and darla push tim a lot because they're trying to get him to open up and be closer to them, but he keeps pushing them away. tim is a professional liar.

and when tim has to quit robin and start hanging out with normal people, he invites bernard over.

and bernard is acting relatively normal, and he wants to play video games and talk about how hot tim's stepmom is.

bernard is a normal teenager who has no idea one of his friends is the hero he's so obsessed with. he even shows concern for robin dying and makes up an entire conspiracy theory about batman havin a robin orphanage. you can tell he's afraid of robin being gone for real because at this point they haven't seen robin in months bc tim retired.

i dont know what about all of these interactions gave you the vibe that he's a bully because all i see is a normal teenager teasing his friends and being jealous tim gets more bitches.

im not saying that bernard was never mean or weird around tim, but he definitely wasn't actively bullying tim.

bernard is obnoxious and cocky, yes. but thats just because they wrote him as a real person. he's the school's chameleon, maybe even a little bit of a loser, too. he knows everyone but keeps a safe distance so that he doesn't get pushed into a box. im not sure if, at this point, he was already in a cult or being indoctrinated, but when we see his parents and the dowd home in tim drake: robin that just doesn't look right.

also homie talk about "forgetting all the bad things bernard did" (which in my opinion is none but okay lets follow that logic) everyone forget about all the bad things batman did to tim, he was not a kind and loving mentor, he was cruel to both tim and steph. we forget that batman was kind of an asshole to damien in the beginning. all those things are forgotten for the sake of the batfam.

in conclusion: we're just so used to the idea that superheroes can only ever form strong friendship bonds by having near death experiences together that we forget that the secret identifies exist and that the people who know them by their legal name also means a lot to them. after all, these people are the reason why they're heroes.

[python333]

HAI! i rlly like your platonic 141 fics and I'm wondering if we could get some more dad price and/or brother gaz sleepy cuddles? :3

stretched too thin — python333

— — — —

synopsis gaz notices you overworking yourself one night and decides to step in before you end up pulling an all-nighter.

relationships platonic!gaz & gn!reader.

characters gaz.

word count 2.05k

warnings 2nd person pov [you/yours/yourself], usage of pet names [love, darling], usage of c/n [code name/call sign].

note oh my god im so sorry i disappeared for like. a month. ill try my best to not be gone for more than a week at a time, but with all of my schoolwork and just over all stress ive been experiencing lately, i dont know if ill be able to get fics out every week :< ill try my best though! please accept this fic as an apology—its another big bro gaz one!! special shoutout to everyone else who has an older sibling thats very distant with them, you and me are in the same boat fr!! also, last thing—im thinking about making a discord server where i announce when fics are being written and published and stuff, but i dunno if yall would join or anything, so if u would pls lmk!!

You haven’t left your office in five hours. 

Recently—just about two days ago—you finished up an assignment fairly quickly and, as a result, had to write a detailed report of said assignment. It went over the mission you’d gone on, and listed off every major detail you could think of, though because you just can’t give yourself a break you were constantly thinking of other details you might’ve missed even though there was little chance you’d missed anything.

The mission wasn’t anything too important, honestly. It was originally going to be a week-long camp-out reconnaissance by an enemy task force’s base, obtaining information on their schedule and what they did throughout the day and whatnot. However, only a day into the mission, the small squad of soldiers that had accompanied you saw another small military group observing the same group you’d been observing.

So, naturally, you observed them as well. Aren’t you just the best multi-tasker?

The task force eventually found out about the other group, just a day later, while your squad was still in the clear to continue your observations. So, your mission had quickly come to a close—but, because of the circumstances under which the mission had come to a close, you were required to write an extremely detailed report on the other group and the group you’d been observing.

It would be an understatement to say you were tired. You’re exhausted.

Between the non-stop writing, the coffee sitting on your desk that’s been microwaved five times and has been refilled thrice, and the uncomfortable chair you’ve sat in that you have yet to replace, you’re extremely exhausted. Your movements are sluggish, your fingers aren’t as swift on the keyboard of your computer as they usually are, and worst of all—you still have more to write. 

Your eyes stung and felt dry, your hands felt like they were going to stop working completely at any moment, and you were overall just exhausted. 

You look over at the clock on your desk, and it reads 02:28 AM, indicating that you would only have about four hours to sleep if you went to bed now. I’m too far into this report to stop now, You tell yourself, sighing as you blink slowly at your computer screen, If only my vision didn’t keep getting blurry… 

Suddenly, you hear a knock at the door. Your eyebrows furrow together in confusion, and for a second you think you’re hallucinating until the knock sounds once more. 

Reluctantly, with a voice raspy from not using it almost all day, you call out, “Come in!” 

Your voice is softer and quieter than you’d like it to be, but it doesn’t matter too much to you at this moment—at least, not in your foggy mind that still begs you for sleep, even when you have far more of your report to finish. 

The door opens with a creak, and in walks Gaz. 

“Sarg,” He greets you, not bothering to close the door behind him as he walks up to your desk, “Pleasure to see you for the first time in, what… three days?” 

“Two days and eighteen hours,” You correct him, taking a moment to crack your stiff knuckles, not taking your eyes off of your monitor, “And you know you don’t have to call me ‘sarg’ or ‘sergeant’ or anything. We’re the same rank.” 

Gaz promptly ignores you, “Right, well, anything over a day is way too long for me to go without seeing you. Why’re you all cooped up in here on your computer?”

“‘Cause I need to write a report on my assignment,” You briefly explain, before lightly goading Gaz, “Not all of us need a shit ton of attention every day like you do.” 

“Ehh,” Gaz theatrically makes a thinking face, before shrugging, “Not sure what you mean by ‘us’, but alright.” 

“By ‘us’, I mean everyone but you.” 

“Surely that doesn’t include you, right?” 

“It does.” 

Gaz gasps quietly at your reply, before dramatically responding, “Oh, you can’t be serious.”

“I absolutely can,” You hum, finally taking your eyes off of your computer screen to look up at Gaz, “Is it so hard for you to believe that I don’t need to talk to you every waking hour?” 

“It is, actually,” Gaz scoffs, “Because I know that you do need to talk to me every waking hour.” 

“Uh, no I don’t,” You childishly argue, raising an eyebrow at Gaz.

“Uh, yes you do,” Gaz immaturely argues back, crossing his arms, “Look me in the eyes and tell me that the past two days and eighteen hours haven’t been shit because I haven’t given you any attention.”

You open your mouth to form a response but quickly close it, realizing that yeah, actually, I kind of do crave his attention. 

Fuck.

“You’re not the only person that gives me attention,” You point out, hoping to find some way to change the subject.

“Sure, but you like the attention I give you the most,” Gaz hums, leaning forward to rest his crossed arms on your desk opposite of where you sit.

“You don’t know that.”

“Then tell me that I’m wrong,” Gaz challenges you.

You narrow your eyes at him, glaring at him for a moment before sighing, “You suck.”

“Maybe I suck, but you look like you haven’t slept for the past week,” Gaz points out, “You look exhausted, by the way. And dehydrated. Actually, you just look like the human embodiment of a headache.” 

“What the fuck?” 

“I mean that in the most loving, non-offensive way possible.”

“You come into my office, accuse me of needing attention from you, then you insult me by calling me the human version of a headache?”

“It wasn’t an insult!” Gaz raises his hands in surrender, before sighing, “I’m being serious. You look dead, [c/n]. You need sleep.” 

“What I need is to finish this report,” You huff out, beginning to turn your attention back to your computer, before Gaz’s hand is quickly placed on your chin and forces you to look back at him. 

“No, what you need is some rest,” Gaz argues, more serious this time, taking his hand off of your chin—something you shouldn’t miss nearly as much as you do, the warmth of his hand fading far too quickly from your face—and bringing it back to rest on the desk. 

“Maybe you need rest, Gaz.”

“Sure I do,” He shrugs, “But I’m only going to sleep if you do.” 

You raise an eyebrow at him, “Really? You’re pulling that card?”

“I am.” 

You stare at him for a moment, mentally weighing your options, before sighing and bringing your elbows up to the table so that you can place your forehead in your hands.

On one hand, if you stay in your office you can finish up your report before four and then go to sleep, and hope that you magically feel active even with just an hour or two of sleep in the morning. On the other hand, if you go to sleep now, so does Gaz, and then you both get more than just two hours of sleep. 

After another moment of consideration, you huff out a frustrated breath and mutter, “Fine.” 

Gaz smiles down at you and walks around your desk to your side of it, holding out a hand for you to grab to help yourself up from your chair and using his free hand to save your report and power off your monitor. 

You take his hand and stand up, your legs a little weak and balance iffy from sitting down for so long, but within the next few minutes you’re sure you’ll be able to properly walk. You let go of his hand once you’re positive you won’t fall over, and once he sees that you’re able to walk, Gaz silently walks towards the door of your office. Just as quietly, you follow him. 

He turns off the lights for you and lets you walk out of the office first, locking the door from the inside and closing it once you’re out. Once he’s done, he takes the lead again and you follow him down to his sleeping quarters. It’s not too long of a walk there, only two minutes at most.

Once you’re there, Gaz opens the door and lets you walk in first. Once you’re inside and Gaz has closed the door, you shrug off your camouflage patterned jacket and toe off your already loosened tan boots, leaving you in just your camouflage cargo pants and army green undershirt.

You look down at your pants with a frown, knowing from experience that sleeping in them was incredibly uncomfortable and left you regretting your whole existence the morning after, but before you could even look over at Gaz to tell him of your situation, you felt something being thrown at you. 

You immediately turn your attention to the item that had been hurled at you—the item in question being a pair of gray sweatpants, some that would probably be a little bit looser than you’d prefer on your figure—and then look over at Gaz with a questioning look. 

“Figured you wouldn’t wanna sleep in that,” Gaz shrugs, nodding to your cargo pants in response to your nonverbal confusion. 

You hum in appreciation, not wanting to talk too much at the moment, instead waiting for Gaz to look away before slipping off your pants and replacing them with the sweatpants Gaz had thrown at you. The fit isn’t as uncomfortable as you thought they’d be—they’re loose and hang low on your hips, just like you thought they would, of course, but they don’t feel nearly as weird as you thought they would.

Once you’ve tightened the strings on the waist of the pants, you get into Gaz’s bed, pulling the covers up and over yourself. Gaz quickly settles into the bed next to you, quickly getting himself comfortable under the sheets, and pulling the covers up and over his shoulders in one swift movement.

He gets closer to you, so close that his chest presses against your back and you can feel the tip of his nose ghosting over the top of your head. He wraps one arm over your body to pull you impossibly closer to him, and his other arm snakes underneath the side of your body so that both of his arms are wrapped around you.

He hums contently and his thumb rubs small circles into your clothed stomach, the action—despite being small—causing your stomach to warm up almost immediately. 

“Comfortable, darling?” Gaz asks quietly, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head. 

“Very,” You mumble back, trying to subtly lean your head back against Gaz in hopes of getting at least one more kiss. Noticing your efforts, he huffs out a small laugh and presses another gentle kiss right at the edge of your hairline before pressing one last one to your forehead. 

Even with the comforting atmosphere, you can’t find it within yourself to fully relax, your body still tense and stiff underneath the blanket. Gaz, just like he did with your “subtle” movements, notices and frowns. 

“Just sleep,” Gaz tiredly mumbles into the top of your head, “You have to get up in three hours. The sooner you sleep, the more sleep you get.” 

You don’t respond, instead simply sighing and forcing your eyes closed. You do have to admit, it’s nice being able to actually close your eyes for something other than blinking, and closing your eyes for longer than half a second has made you realize that they were even drier than you thought they were. 

Exhausted and ready to finally sleep, you eventually get to a point where you no longer need to force your eyes shut, and as a result, your whole body relaxes for the first time in almost six hours. 

“G’night, love,” Gaz murmurs, feeling your body relax next to his. You hum in acknowledgment of his words, not finding the energy within yourself to properly respond, instead finding yourself drifting off into a deep sleep. 

And if four hours later, Gaz wakes up and simply lies there, not waking you and instead letting you get some more sleep despite you having to be up soon, nobody has to know.

[pinkpastels113]

Tell us how you feel about arcane. Use your emotion words! Use a visual aid if you must, too lol.

you want some visual aid? i'll give you some visual aid:

that describes perfectly ab how i am feeling rn

first of all the LESBIAN SEX SCENE????!! I-??!! i knew that something was bound to happen (esp after meljay and the rated for sex warning in season 2) and i celebrated when they (finally) kissed but oh my god?? an actual lesbian sex scene? in a prison?? in vi's sister's prison?? after a parallel about how cait is always finding her in a prison and expected her to be there?? (with dramatic music and banter and soft giggling and the ANGLES and HAND PLACEMENTS??) I AM NOT OKAY

just that scene alone is enough to nudge me off a cliff. but moving on

how is JAYVIK more homoerotic than now-100%-canon caitvi?? that's all i have to say. (what do you MEAN that love conquers all?? that he loved and admired viktor for all his imperfections and that was what made him special and beautiful?? GET OUTTA HERE)

i did not know that i needed timebomb until this season but HOLY FUCKING SHIT why must you make ekko fall (surprisingly, even to himself) in love with jinx/older powder and have that ripped away from him not like two days later?? WHYYYYY (the dance. the "can we pretend it's like the first time?" the "oh and he's got lines." the nervous wave after he fucked up in that scene with dead vi and powder was like hmp and he goes :(. the mural. im sent. im gone. nobody speak to me.)

ISHA NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (she was just trying to be like jinx and copy everything that she does and is and looked up to her as a hero STOP WHY MUST YOU DO THIS TO ME. also the song?? IM CHINESE BRO AND I WAS SOOOO EMOTIONAL OVER THE LYRICS like hit me where it fucking hurts why dont you)

i cried at how vander suffered a fate worse than death. @becasbelt can attest to that

caitlyn adfshjk i knew she would come around and she was and always has been my blorbo (even if she stayed evil) MWAH my female rage filled, slightly wild, grief clouded, confident, "im an excellent shot," sexy, " i am a decorated officer, leader of house kiramman, address me with respect, or keep your mouth shut." dictator, vampire, badass, mofo. YES

the way she said "no amount of good deeds can undo our crimes" hit me bc she's acknowledging that she went off the rails and did some pretty bad things to justify and achieve (which she didn't. not really) her goals

i LOVED jinx in this season. she single-handedly made it a comedy show and was the sole focus of a lot of the emotional damage the storytellers and animators wanted to convey

the way jesus came to be and then quickly became evil SDFHSDKJ i was legit like WEEO WEEO ABORT ABORT JESUS HAS TURNED EVIL (also want to point out the "no you wont" sky dialogue bc DAMN she really called you out huh viktor)

that alternate universe timebomb episode had me gasping so much (like SILCO?? WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE?? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?? what do you mean everyone is well and happy but at the cost of vi's death???) i think i had asthma for a split second there

MELLLL MY GODDESS MVP PLAYER you saved cait's ass so many times it's not even funny and ugh the way you finally stood up to your mom (very cleverly too, i might add) ugh i applaud

EKKO MY KINGGG the way he hurts himself so bad turning back time and specifically saving jinx from offing herself BYE

HEIMERDINGER MY TINY ANNOYING/affectionate FURBALL WHYY

no but yea i am ruined and my emotions have faded away into numbness and i hope this post was relatable to the people in the arcane fandom and i also agree that this season was way too condensed and rushed and the last episodes in particular needed at least a couple more to drag out the events and character development bc at times when i am supposed to be cheering i am crying and at times i am supposed to be crying i am screaming and at times i am supposed to be screaming i am Horny and at times i am supposed to be Horny my heart is wrenching but only a few tears slip out bc IT IS CUT TO THE NEXT SCENE AGAIN??? does that make sense??

(also do we think jinx is actually dead or no. im still not sure but obv i would hope/am hoping that she is lmao)

[year2000electronics]

Did Mario know about the rumors of the Dark Star Child? If yes, what exactly did he know?

What exactly was that one alternate timeline with Luigi on Bowser's side like? And what had happened to its version of Mario?

Has Antasma ever used his vampire transformation powers (in the main timeline)? And what exactly does that whole process entail?

What happens if any of the Star Children are seperated from their jems?

Does Luigi's Dark Star necklace act funky after the prophecy was foiled, with all that forbidden power but its assigned cause being no more?

EXCELLENT QUESTIONS! answers going under the cut because they got long

so both light and dark prognosticus are kept very secret in the FOTS world, obviously, but seeing as the dark prognosticus is ACTUALLY dangerous, it's far-better kept, so the prophecies of the light prognosticus enter the cultural consciousness much easier, so the stories of the four star children get spread far and wide, and in contrast, the far more secretive dark prognosticus gets seen as "not canonical" or just "old wives' tales"- so for a lot of people, the idea of the dark star child ALONE is ridiculous (it'd kinda be like if you talked to two different, i dont know, christians, and one says the book of revelations is about a hypothetical end, and the other says the rapture is happening Tomorow)

and even then, people who DO believe in the dark star child usually go "well it's probably that furious monster king they mention. he sounds scary"

it's the same for mario, because as much as i love to focus on Luigi's Issues, taking a step back into mario and luigi's ENTIRE life- yknow from birth to present- here's pretty much what it looks like, right

the purple tallies are every "foreshadowing moment" i've put in the timeline, so there's yoshi's island, where the only person who saw that foreshadowing is kamek, and then dream team, where antasma says he sees something dark in luigi, brothership, which i won't get fully into because spoilers, and finally, what i've been lovingly referring to as "the train wreck"- where a bunch of grand reveals all happen near the tail-end.

so for mario, it never even occurred to him! he's lived with this guy for at least 20 years with no incidents up until now! the heck is going on??

as for the alt timeline, i imagined it would be a very similar sort of situation to mlp season 5's finale where the gang travels through a bunch of different super-crazy timelines and you get just enough info to understand what's going on, but you can't stay for long because THERE'S THINGS AT STAKE!!

BUT this specific timeline has luigi being raised by kamek as one of his own, so it's bowser and luigi who end up being The Brothers instead of mario and luigi! mario ends up fine, of course, he just needs to work twice as hard to get stuff done. maybe peach teams up with him instead of getting kidnapped? much to think about. in a hypothetical where this was the real timeline, mario would have to convince both bowser and luigi to go along with him to do SPM lol, what a headache

i did a few sketches of some hypothetical alternate timelines- flashy, conveys what it is quick, and then POOF! its gone

as for antasma, i actually had the idea a while back that maybe he slowly starts turning everyone on pi'illo island into his army, so the more you clear the story, the darker the island gets- but that kinda happens with brothership and the glohmed concordians so i might have to scrap that

but yknow, in bowser's early appearances, he's portrayed as this blue-pale colour, and he also is rocking this really cool cape- and seeing as antasma is using bowser for his own plans in a parasitic way, i think it would actually be super cool for bowser to be a vampire for most of dream team

i think antasma would be the only one who could CAUSE nightmares/fear but anyone turned into a vampire by him would have to suck all the rest/good dreams out of people, so youre left super exhausted and when you go to bed you'll either have no dreams at all or have freaky nightmares

the necklaces have a special connection to the star children! i'm sure youve seen those 'cursed object' or 'magical object' stories where the object will just spawn back somewhere if it's lost. that's good for the star children! their artifacts aren't Artifacts Of Power or anything, moreso just yknow, charms of protection, of good luck, stuff like that. it's a representation of the star spirits' blessing. so a lot of it is just 'these things have sentimental value to these crazy kids'

but of course, they'll come back even if the star children don't want them to at the moment...

and after the fact, luigi's necklace is... wait for it... perfectly normal! it's no longer hidden, but it's not like it's some big scary macguffin, either. it symbolizes that the star children have broken free from the chains of "fate" and "destiny"- how they can choose who they wanna be now. and luigi chooses to be a normal guy!

thanks for your questions!!

[ipostwhatiwant1202]

As a Dad: Leo Edition

note: hey everyone! happy Ramadan, happy Easter, happy Passover, happy Vaisakhi, happy Hanuman Jayanti, happy Mahavir Jayanti, and happy days to secular folks! i hope you all are having a safe holiday.

Authoritative

• there isn't much that we all collectively agree on more about leo than the fact that he's somewhat of a bossy dude

• that being said, he does mellow out in his older years and becomes more laid back...then he had children (biologically by some miracle or by adoption)

• he read every single baby book he could get his hands on but then they went out the window when he realized that parenting is nothing like what they say in books

• the 0-8 month phase wasn't so bad, his sleep schedule is wonky so mostly he's up with the baby. he's very calm, very soft spoken, and gentle with the baby when they're fussy cause they can't communicate

• bath schedule, eating schedule, sleep schedule, the man has schedules people.

• absolutely loves bath time cause he's the dad who will put the bubbles on his head to make the kid laugh (i dont make the rules)

• loves the pre-walking stage the most cause you just put them on the floor and let'em roll and crawl in a confined space

• lord help this man at the walking and talking stages

• he tries to get your kid to talk but all the kid wants to do is scream so..there's that idea gone

• when the kid wants to run around naked while leo's trying to get the diaper back on, now that is where he gets tested cause that little shit-

• incredible amount of patience though, especially with tantrums. splinter never raised his voice at him as a kid until he became a teen, so he wanted to carry that on with his own children

• now when your kid hits the 3-8 stage, oh boy. if leo could go grey, he would be grey.

• he tries to teach your child discipline and respect, and while your kid is respectful, unfortunately they have leo's sharp tongue and makes it everyone's problem

• leo believes in time outs or taking things away as punishment. he doesn't believe in spanking and thinks yelling accomplishes nothing. he does get a certain tone that makes it known he means business

• he knows full well your child is going to make mistakes and creates a safe environment to where your kid can come to him when this does happen without much punishment

• but we all know that's a perfect world and if it's leo's kid, their mouth is going to be their downfall

• he thought the 3-8 stage was bad until ages 13-17, oh boy.

• puberity is not on leo's side here

• grounding becomes more of a ritual and leo runs a tight ship. he will hold his grounding opinion until he thinks it should be lifted, no matter how long it takes

• of course your kid is also a ninja so sneaking out is a thing (leo can't get too mad cause he did the same but "do as i say and not as i do" is leo's famous line)

• reasonable parent and thinks carefully about how severe a punishment should be or if the circumstance really even calls for one

• chores, bedtime until they hit around 13, the kid must have at least an A/B average, a C is acceptable if the subject is particularly hard and the kid is trying their best

• dorky dad. just a dorky dad.

• dad sneezes

• doesn't strike me as a girl dad or boy dad cause he's so attentive no matter the gender

• he's the dad that doesn't call it babysitting cause it's his kids

• he will get down on the floor and play with his kids

• has a little girl? no problem dressing up and letting her do his makeup and nails

• has a little boy? wrestling and rough housing it is

• kid(s)will be respectful and smart, and just very genuinely nice kids

• kid(s)'ll also deck someone with no hesitation

• vegetables are non-negotiable

• very proud man when it comes to his children and never hesitates to praise them

• the children will each have special nicknames

• he's not the fun parent but is also not not the fun parent

• never misses an event, even though he has to attend in the shadows. he is always there

• affectionate dad, more verbally than physically, but he gives your kids head kisses all the time

• as long as the kids aren't trying to kill each other and are just playing, the noise doesn't bother him much...it's the silence that does

• definitely the type of dad to send 👍

[crushedsweets]

Awhile back you answered an ask on how other creeps would respond to Toby's death, and I was wondering how they would respond to Kate death?

IM PUNCHING THE WALL. ALRIGHT. warning for death and grief and mourning . . .

im gonna set this after she starts staying at the proxy cabin and becoming friends with more people, rather than rotting in the mines. im also imagining they find her body in the forest, nobody was there when she died.

tim and brian would have a heavy heart about it. sure, they had massive issues with her, but even by time shes 25+, they still kinda see her as a little kid. she was 14/15 when they met her, and she acted like a feral animal till she was like 17. brian got her a job on the farm, tim helped set up a room for her. they'd help toby set up a grave, but overall they dont go out of their way to mourn her - toby has that handled

which.....guides me towards toby... they've known eachother since they were 17-19, and they are like siblings. when she was in the mines, toby would always bring her food and even dragged a whole mattress there. thats his little sister (she is older than him..) and he had always been so so so protective of her. he loses his shit, screaming and throwing shit. is never home, spends so much time at the mines. chops down random ass trees just cuz he needs to exhaust himself enough to stop feeling so much pain. it feels like losing lyra again. he sets a grave up for her, puts her body in it, carves some stuff into a wooden cross he made from a tree he cut down, lays hella rocks all over. him and nina spend a good chunk of time together. nina has never seen him cry until this. eventually, after he's gone for days, he comes back to the cabin and just rots in his bed almost catatonic. clocky has to come collect him

whiiiiiiich now brings me to clocky. she'd find out from nina, since she'd already be in her own apartment by now and tobys not gonna tell her. she'd immediately get nina, get jack, go to the cabin, and try to console toby and nina the best she(and jack) can. has to learn to bite her tongue when tobys mouthing off cuz hes mad she's trying to help. she doesnt really have time to mourn kate at first, until maybe a week goes by and tobys finally eating again and clockys just sitting there and starts bawling cuz kate was her friend too and she had to immediately go into caretaker mode.

nina. screams and cries and needs to have people with her all the time, no matter what. she doesnt feel safe alone cuz she just wants to curl up and die so so so bad. she makes toby take her to the grave(he doesnt want to but he knows kate would be pissed if he wasnt at least a little nice to nina after this) and she just sobs. she holds toby and tries to be like 'its okay its okay its okay' but neither know who shes comforting. she'd print as many pictures she got of kate as possible (not a lot) and try to scrap book it and try to memorialize her like that. just hold photos and pictures and have them in her apartment and cry. give a photo to toby with a letter written on the back telling him how much kate loved him.

similar to if toby died, jack would try to host stuff. make dinner for them all, invite them over, give everyone space to eat and remember her. he'd go with toby to the grave as well, but he's less assertive with his care compared to clocky. less 'get the fuck up, this is making you feel worse' and more 'you know you can come over right? its not good to stay home alone'. toby would come to see him a lot, too. . .

toby would have to take on a lot of her patrols, so he'd bump into ann and lulu a lot. . . ann would tease him a bit like 'ooo is katey in trouble? whyre you here, handsome?', till he smacks the shit out of her w the handle of his hatchet and he grumbles something about her death. ann would shut up after. she'd be bummed out that kates dead cuz she liked her, but not mourn. lulu wouldn't be able to process it. ann would tell her, lulu would cry, then a day later she's asking when kate's coming to visit.

i dont think anyone else would really be impacted, though... jeff/dina didnt like her, she wasnt close with ben, never even spoke to jane or liu... lazari would cry and draw pictures of her, but she'd be okay shortly after, esp cuz jacks okay.

[mihai-florescu]

Reading your enstars instagram post and man. I am so sorry. I am glad you can still find comfort in the old stories, i know i do. (Atp enstars only exists in the internet archives to me lol). Like you said, not everything after !-era is bad but damn if it hasn't been getting steadily worse. Awful to see something you once loved and held dear morphing into something else entirely. Not gonna lie, i'm almost scared to keep up with any stories releasing after this considering how much they have already made it obvious that they don't care. I don't wanna see the story get butchered anymore than this.

Unfortuantely, they probably won't go eos until they've milked every last penny out of the franchise. By that point i think enstars will be unrecognizable compared to what it had been in the past.

My only hope is that i've seen people specualting that this event wasn't written by akira and if that's the case i do hope akira manages to fight back and get his story back.

Also hi this is cookie btw i just moved bc i can't look at my enstars blog for the mean time

Hii, ive actually been talking about this all day with various friends, some more some less involved in enstars... i think it's everyone's right to distance themselves from something that doesnt spark joy anymore and has let them down. I will focus my reads on mostly ! era stuff but until it shuts down i will keep an eye out on the releases. I cant imagine a world where enstars is still going and i dont at least know the overview of whats going on.

As youve been on twt too, im sure you mightve seen that some of the critiques people are bringing now just to jump on the Hating Everything Enstars are stupid. Im thinking about the buddhism and christianity tweet in particular coming from someone who genuinely seems like they havent read many stories lawl. Theres a difference between actual problems and personal dissatisfactions that things arent the way you want them to be for various personal reason. People should learn their singular experience isnt universal, and characters in a story dont aim to speak for a universal experience either. It's not bad writing for a hidden christian in japan to behave differently from a canadian one, or for eichi to joke around with his childhood friend who happens to be buddhist. Anyway. I will always defend the parts of enstars i think were genuinely good, even if im getting worse at expressing myself in speech.

Anyhow... i dont want to speculate on internal problems but i really do wonder how much of this current direction was akira's choice and how much was happyele. He is no longer one of the only 2 writers (and main one, at that), i wouldnt be surprised if he doesnt have as much influence anymore. We know that in the beginning of es2 he expressed concern that everyone in happyele is insane...lol. He's not a perfect writer but the soul of enstars was brought by him.

Well, as i said, i dont want to speculate anything. I wish to not see so much negativity even on things that dont deserve hate, but ive always had issues with other fans' uninformed reactions. That'll never change even as enstars self destructs more and more. I can hold contempt for both the company and such fans, while treasuring the meaningful parts of the story and its impact on my life going forward too♡ ah my dear story that shouldve been a niche vn with a cult following of few but passionate fans instead of a gacha game gone stale disappointing old fans in pursuit of new ones with gimmicky shock writing...

[pulluppuddles]

scooby-doo thesis

sorry this took me so long to actually type up, i actually didnt expect several people to respond to that n yknow.. thesis writing takes time.. so.. yeah..

below the cut is 2700+ words of infodumping on scooby doo by urs truly 🫡🥺👉🏻👈🏻 enjoy at ur own risk..it got so long.. 😖

~background/credentials~

i grew up watching the original scooby doo where are you? series (fun blazie fact i got the complete og sd series for christmas one year as a kid but i found it under my parents bed on accident like mooooonths ahead of time when i was laying on their floor watching tv and i think i knew i shouldnt have seen it so i just managed to be quiet about until christmas and then went "ohhhh it was a christmas gift that makes sense" in my head on christmas when i got it and i dont think either of my parents know that to this day) as well as the early to mid-2000s what's new scooby doo series with everyone's favorite emo scooby band simple plan pls pay ur respects (sorry simple plan but if u didnt wanna be known as the scooby doo band u rly shouldnt have written such BANGERS SORRY !!) along with the '88-'91 series a pup named scooby doo and all of the movies we're abt to talk abt

as an older kid i've also watched the new scooby doo movies (the show lol) and the new scooby doo show and some of the scooby doo and scrappy doo show and the 13 ghosts series. the newer mystery incorporated series on cartoon network was rly cool!! way more like serious and the mystery lasted the entire series with complex storylines i thought it was really good tbh!! basically what im saying is if its animated from 1969 to 2010 ive probably seen it at least once but more likely like way more times then i could count im just a kid after all

ive seen the live action (the first two i know theres more now but i mean the ones from 2002 and 2004) but respectfully theyre irrelevant to me except that matthew lliard did such a good job playing shaggy that he took over after casey kasem and voiced shaggy in some of the newer animated movies and i think continues to voice shaggy in the animated movies to this day. pretty cool!! the reality is that i was just wayyyy too young to see the live action movies, didnt understand their humor as a literal baby and way too autistic to handle all this change. i also didnt like the implication that scooby is a cannabis fueled hallucination dont talk to me abt that ill cry. or that they made scrappy the villian i disagree, scrappy loves and admires his uncle scooby so much u take it baaaaack 33:

~defining~

im specifically talking about the animated television films and direct-to-video animated films up thru 2010 in this thesis.

~sources~

u wouldnt believe how many times ive gone to the list of scooby-doo media wikipedia page. i didnt count or anything but like ive been coming here for years. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scooby-Doo_media

i dont wanna link every wikipedia page i used bc it started to get ridiculous so just know that i clicked thru on a lot of the movies from the list to their wikipedia pages for further info :pp

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwao_Takamoto the section on iwao takamoto is all taken from this i have to include this link i essentially plagiarized :pp

~era 1~

the first era of scooby are the 4 animated tv films although the 4th is kinda in era 1.5 we'll get there. animated tv films mean that they aired on tv originally before getting any physical release, in contrast to the rest of the movies that went straight to dvd release and then also aired on tv (i think). the first three star shaggy scooby and scrappy, scooby's nephew.

the very first scooby movie is called scooby doo meets the boo brothers (n establishes shaggy as having an uncle who owned a southern plantation during the civil war HMMMM 👀 fun scooby fact there lol; he also has an uncle that owns a castle in europe in the whats new scooby doo series, the rogers family is truly diverse and extensive and also his dad is a cop in a pup named scooby doo lol) from 1987, followed almost exactly a year later by scooby doo and the ghoul school in october '88 which is followed about a month later by scooby doo and the reluctant werewolf in nov '88. these three movies are AWESOME and filled with puns so like rly i was doomed from the start raised on these movies to be a sarcastic lil shit heheh. ghoul school is my favorite from this era and is my favorite scooby ever maybe, it goes back and forth between monster of mexico. i rlyrly love ghoul school tho sibella is the biggest vibe ever i wanna be tannis getting taken care of by sibella so bad it hurts all my life annnnnnnnyway ive gotten off topic a bit.

now the 4th movie scooby doo in arabian nights in era 1.5 is different for a couple reasons that's why its sort of in its own era but it was still an animated tv film but it was released in 1994 and was an adaptation of one thousand and one nights. scrappy is also not in this one just shaggy and scooby and the humor is a little different but i actually just rewatched it yesterday and i forgot how good it is !! also shaggy dresses as a girl for the first time in movie form in this one besides the tutu scene in ghouls school i only noticed recently how often this occurs in this series i grew up with and have loved longer then anything other media and turned out to be trans HMMMM.

~era 2~

the second era also has four movies in it and were animated in japan by mook animation. frank welker is the only returning cast member voicing fred again but doesn't take over scooby yet. these movies star the traditional gang from the original series: fred, daphne, velma, shaggy and scooby. i put these in their own era bc they share characteristics from being made a unique animation studio from overseas. the gang have a style up-do and their attitudes are different. my partner puts it that they really lean into the meddling part and i have to agree. especially in zombie island they act like brats lol i'd try to suck their energy out also heh. also scooby hates cats in this era and doesnt understand that he's a dog despite these being previously established in the original series (scooby is friendly with cats and also knows hes a dog). also importantly different in this era is that the monsters are all real, not humans in masks.

the first movie from this era is scooby doo on zombie island from 1998, which is dedicated to the original voice of scooby don messick who died in 1997. this is my partners favorite scooby movie and the music is AWESOMEEEEE it ROCKS.

the witches ghost has awesome music too via the eco goth group the hex girls that DEFINITELY had nothing to do with me being a lil teenage lesbian (oh my god why r they so hot pls tell me why they made them so hot ????) and their music is fucking awesome and their pagan its p heckin cool i love the hex girls smmmm. it came out similarly like a year later in 1999.

in 2000 scooby doo and the alien invaders came out. this one is my least favorite of this era. its not bad !! its just.. not as good lol.

in 2001 scooby doo and the cyber chase came out n this one is my fav of this era, zombie island is my second and witches ghost i just want an entire movie of the hex girls im literally just watching it for the hex girls every time hahahahaha oh actually!! they brought the hex girls back in a couple episodes in the whats new scooby doo series that was a treat !! they're not quite as cool as the og movie hex girls tho but i rly dont know if u can be so i dont fault them !! dusk was always my fav with the green and the pigtails and the drums but i love them all !!

also super fun fact i learned while making sure her name is dusk (i was right btw its thorn dusk and luna ofc i was right 🥰) is that tim curry plays ben ravencroft in witches ghost which is FUNNY bc he plays the goblin king in 2008 which ive been watching recently so that means tim curry has a HISTORY with scooby and i love that SO MUCH hahaha. also mark hamill of luke skywalker fame voices snakebite scruggs in zombie island and tara strong of twilight princess from my little pony friendship is magic voices lena, she's credited with her maiden name. just some cool stuff. well i think its cool and its my thesis and ur reading it so u must be cool too 🥰

~era 3~

era 3 rly covers the rest of the movies but theres sub eras again if you'll bear with me just a lil longer.

scooby would return to movies in 2003 as the first solo animation project of joseph barbera, since william hanna died in 2001. this is the first time in the movies frank welker takes over as scooby since don messick died in '97. he starts this in the whats new scooby doo series that ran 2002-2006 and era 3's animation style, personalities and humor are all much more similar to whats new scooby doo then era 2's.

era 3.1 consists of 2003's legend of the vampire and monster of mexico, the last two movies to reunite the original series cast. monster of mexico is my other favorite scooby movie although i am forever cursed with learning at a young age that el chupacabra is "like Mexico's version of the bigfoot" from this movie and having to always remember that that's not true lol. the bad guy in this movie is the rich white man trying to steal from the Mexican family and town. good stuff. i like this one a lot. BANGERS!!!!!! if there's something that stays with scooby throughout all these years it's the MUUUUSIC !!!!! legend of the vampire is also cool and GUESS WHO'S BACK MY GIIIIRRRRLLLSSSS the hex girls are back in this one with the same VAs as witches ghost. i also found that they were in mystery incorporated when making sure they were in legend of the vampire!! truly icons i love them sm im so gaaaayyyyyy !!

era 3.2 starts with 2004's loch ness monster and has the voice cast of what's new scooby doo, with velma and daphne's original VA's retiring from scooby at this point. casey kasem and frank welker are still here. era 3 takes the gang worldwide really, with locations from australia to mexico to scotland to hawaii to egypt to the bermuda triangle to the himalayas before they go back to coolsville in 2008's goblin king!! in monster of mexico we see them on a video call in their houses so presumably this is the first time coolsville is seen again in a scooby movie since 2003!! although in goblin king they do use coolsville by name but they don't in monster of mexico so it's not actually confirmed if they're canon living in coolsville at the start of era 3 it's just my head canon. coolsville is the town that the gang is from in the original series and a pup new scooby doo (which is technically a prequel series to the og scooby doo where are you)

~era 4~

2009's samurai sword (which is the only movie i dont own of all of these although that was before i knew this was the last one with casey kasem i just remember being kinda meh on it oops) was the last scooby movie with casey kasem voicing shaggy. 2010's abracadabra doo is the first animated movie that matthew lliard voices shaggy in and the start of era 4. aside from the change from kasem to lliard, the animation style got an upgrade and they took out the "and the" part of the title, from scooby doo "and the" monster of mexico to scooby doo abracadabra doo as one example. this is in line with the release of scooby doo mystery incorporated in 2010. just as era 3's movies partnered with the series that ran in tandem, era 4 has a closer animation style to mystery incorporated and the same voice cast. abracadabra doo is rly good !! it's my partners second favorite scooby !! again guys the music is AWESOME and also velma's little sister mads is in it and rly cute 🥰 they released camp scare in 2010 also it's alright it's not bad. i got it in the set that i bought with most of my other movies otherwise i probably wouldn't have seen it. solid scooby movie, but not one of my favs.

~conclusion~

this is also the end of my eras of expertise if u will. ive seen a couple of the newer scooby movies since 2010 but its all just kinda meh to me, im too autistic n just wanna watch the same movies over and over again for the rest of my life. i have a nightstand drawer that they live in 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 someone else will have to take up the torch for scooby movie eras 2011 and later🫡 or not..theyve been retconning older properties.. like they made a "sequel" to zombie island in 2019 20 years later except did they watch the ending to zombie island ????? #notmyscooby lol 😋

this was mostly a joke but it was also kinda heart warming that multiple people asked for it anyway 🥺👉🏻👈🏻 scooby has been a part of my life as long as i can remember n is my oldest hyperfixation n is something special to me that i can talk abt forever 🥺👉🏻👈🏻💕 i worked rly hard on this n also learned some new scooby trivia in the process n it was fun !! obviously this is all just *my* opinions n preferences n im not shaming anyone who likes or thinks different, this is rly not serious, but pls do be nice to me bc this is something that is important to me that i put a lot of effort into typing out, pls dont call me dumb for making this..

one last scooby fact that i learned while writing this. ive seen iwao takamoto in scooby credits all my life in every credits roll and ive always thought that was amazing! but never looked into him until now. HE DESIGNED SCOOBY DOO GUYS WHAT !!!!! this man went to the Japanese internment camps after the bombing of pearl harbor, survived them, got out and JUST APPLIED TO DISNEY. HE WAS HIRED AT DISNEY IN 1945 GUYS THE WAR E N D E D IN 1945 WHAT A LEGEND !!!!????!!!! he worked for disney from 1945 to 1961 working on animation such as cinderella, peter pan, lady and the tramp, sleeping beauty n one hundred n one dalmatians !! then he went to work for hanna-barbera and designed scooby and astro the dog from the jetsons n others !!!! he has several notable awards but it seems like the golden award from the animation guild in 2005 was the highest honor. he has a memoir i actually wanna get that n read it !! he died in 2007 at the age of 81 but remains in the scooby credits as the character designer past his death 🥲🥹 scooby is based off of an employees great dane at hanna-barbera 🥹💕

~blazies professional opinion ranking~

s tier: ghoul school; monster of mexico;

a tier: boo brothers; reluctant werewolf; zombie island; cyber chase; loch ness monster; aloha scooby doo; where's my mummy; goblin king; abracadabra doo;

b tier: arabian nights; witches ghost; legend of the vampire; chill out scooby doo; pirates ahoy;

c tier: alien invaders; samurai sword; camp scare;

d tier: live action scooby D:< nah im just kidding 😋😋😋

if u made it this far 2700+ words later u care a lot more abt me n my silly scooby opinions then i ever wouldve expected from anyone except my wife who doesnt get a choice (i love uuuuuu 🥰🥰) n im giving u a hemkin kiss on the cheek n hugging u so hard n crying a lil 🥺👉🏻👈🏻💕 believe me that i have plenty more scooby opinions to infodump on but we'll.. i think this is good this is enough scooby infodumping for today 😋💕💕💕

SCOOBY DOOBY DOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!

[ganondoodle]

this isnt as long as before but i just cannot stop thinking about this, why i dislike story and lore boils down to these main point

--the ending feels unsatisfying as hell even if i ignore everything i dont like about how the game treated zelda and ganondorf, the ending itself just feels, despite being presented as super epic an touching, incredibly empty to me and part of it is that it feels like an unearned return to status quo of course i didnt think zelda would stay a dragon and i actually wanted to help her, which is why i kept trying to hunt down impa since she said shes gonna search for a way for us to help zelda, bc i wanted to!! i was eager to help her!

i fully hoped and kinda expected that thered either be some kind of dragon dungeon (think, the water dragon from okami) tho that would be difficult since you can get items from her so i ended up thinking before going into the end thered be a mission with impa (or at least given to you from her) where she found answers in ancient scripts (that she told you she would look through) and that you need to find a special lil thing that will help zelda undragonfy, like some sort of ultra secret forbidden enigma stone able to reverse dragon transformations kinda deal (golden opportunity to make you go and talk to the yiga bc they might know or even own some ancient texts) that youd keep in your inventory until the very end and after you kill dragondorf (pretty mortal for becoming an immortal dragon huh) you take it out and use it, undragonfying zelda and ending in a similar epic falling and paralel to the beginning way

... and instead impa stays in the house and only has a few repeating dialog boxes and does nothing and you cant do anything bc in the end you just get randomly teleported (and stripped of your clothing AGAIN) into some weird ethereal plane somehow?? with the ghost of long ass dead sonia and apparently not as gone as i thought rauru (seriously i felt sad when he went poof at the end of the tutorial but i guess i shouldnt have) awkwardly blasting dragon zelda with some magic tm and its all reversed no problem (heck me for caring i guess) turns out helping her was killing an evil guy we never really knew and mineru just kinda says lol its bc time and light magic i guess lol as an explanation

like i really wanted to go and help zelda! i was motivated to do it and spent HOURS trying to find impa again but i wasnt allowed to do anything bc zelda gets saved by some deus ex machina bs in the end anyway, what a fool i was, of course killing the evil guy is the solution to everything >:( (and no i dont care if its meant as in uwu sonia and rauru wanted to help one last time uwu bc it doesnt change how unsatisfying it was to watch it all just kinda happen)

--point two is just how much totk feels like its trying to REPLACE botw instead of being a sequel, its not building on anything of it its ripping out the fundation and building its own thing in its place, like i was so excited to see what happened to the titans, and all the sheikah tech what they mabe had done in all that time now that theres a tech enthusiastic girl as the head of the monarchy, maybe even find out more about them and instead its just all ... gone with not explanation? theres isnt even a LAME explanation, its just gone?? you never find out what the ancient energy actually was, and why there were concentrations of it in the regions with the ancient furnace (well heck it didnt even have anything to do with ganondorf actualyl bc that would have been too interesting) bc that was so intrigueing?? like yeah where DID it come from and why is it there ?? and oh suddendly hey look theres an even MORE ancient and even MORE advanced civilization thats way COOLER and BETTER than the ancient sheikah now, they also built stuff everywhere and have been here ALL ALONG cant you see its everywhere!! and its the only thing everyone cares about all of the sudden, all evdidence of the ancient sheikah tech was scraped of the earth so there literally only being some guardian parts on top of the hateno lab feels like an oversight now bc everything lese was to thourohgly wiped of the map- for no reason even?? like im totalls fine with it being useless and not working anymore but .... why remove it like it was wiped from history?? and then they have the gall to mention the happenings of botw like, twice in the entire game but still just give you the most basic summary of it mentioned on a sidenote with again not even a hint what happened to all of it

wouldnt there have been the golden opportunity to use it to access the new parts and map points that changed?? like a shrine thats fallen into the underground, an access to caves and the underground in the broken and collapsed elevator tube of a sheikah srhine?? maybe even a broken interior of an old shrine, like the room you get put into with the puzzle and where the monk once were broken and half overgrown in the udnerground? some left over construction site where you can see oh thats how the ancient sheikah got all that tech underground, bc they all had access to it and built it there to then rise up when its needed? maybe even making use of the old sonau sites since they frequnetly built their srhines within those ruins?? that the ancient sheikah found em and put the ruins to use? to research it and built their own stuff from it? it wouldnt have to have any focus, literally just part of the enviroment even

really everything totk does is like -forget botw ever happend, look how much cooler and better i am, who cares about sheikah stuff sonau are the new cool guys that came out of nowhere but now apparently have been everywhere all along actually-

i LOVE botw and with it feeling much more like its attempting to replace botw instead of building its story and world further every reference to botw i found felt like a slap in the face instead, oh look where the shrine of life used to be isnt even a hint left of sheikah tech somehow, and also right under it is the lake of healing filled with sonau structure bc ACTUALLY they were here FIRST bc they are so cool omg you guys

dare i say it feel a little like they wanted to make an entirely different version of botw basically, but wanted to reuse the map and models so they just said yeah uhhhh its totally a sequel yeah yeha that makes sense, its not erasing botw and doing essentiall the same thing again but bigger cooler and better (tm) its just uuh a ...sequel ye.

[zaimta]

I TOTALLY FELT YOU WHEN YOU SAID DR STONE IS LIKE A DRUG OMG its like my lifeline at this point

i was wondering if i could request a small drabble or headcanons for ryusui !! i keep having this repeating idea of him with a reader who’s like his childhood friend and ever since they were young, ryusui always tried to pursue them romantically but reader would always just laugh it off, thinking he was joking. but ryusui never gave up on his love for the reader!!

(spoilers for the treasure island arc)

but once everyone on the perseus gets petrified, leaving the reader (who had gone with the recon team to scout the area), reader starts to realize just how much they were worried for him, and especially when he comes back to them in fragments after kohaku smashed him. and the second that he gets revived, the reader is all over him and telling him how worried they were, and the second that the two of them are alone (maybe the team recognized that they were having a moment and let them have it?) reader confesses that they return his feelings and the possibility of possibly losing him helped them realize that? O:

male reader would be preferred (ryusui bi icon frfr), but i dont mind gender neutral!! :D

thank you so much for your time in advance, and remember to stay hydrated!! (expect more interactions from me, im literally obsessed with your works ❤️❤️)

彡zai says- the brain rot this gave me was insane back on my dr stone grind!! he really is a bi icon i'll never forget what he said to tsukasa (ngl i read it a year ago so i spitballed the lore lol)

paring: ryusui x male reader

warnings: SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

ˏˋ«────── « 𓆩♡𓆪 » ──────»

ever since you were kids you were always the main thing on his mind. he was constantly teasing you and clinging to your side. as you got older it turned into him flirting with you and seeing how far he could push your buttons until you got flustered.

when senku broke him from the stone he was more focused on you than himself, he knew you had an impressive skill set and he used that to his advantage. even if they didn’t have enough revival fluid he brought you along anyways, dressing your statue so when they could revive you, you were ready to go.

when you came to you immediately fell into someone’s arms. their hold on you was firm but also familiar, and their scent was familiar too it was almost comforting. you pulled back to look back at them, and you were met with ryusui smiling down at you “i missed you.”

you laughed and gently removed yourself from his hold “i’m sure you did.” you didn’t notice it but his face slightly faltered.

his flirting was no better when the two of you were alone, as a matter of fact, it was only worse. the two of you sat alone staring at the moon, he spent most of the time staring at you instead of the sky “you’re so handsome, the way you shine in the moonlight is amazing.” you laughed again and rolled your eyes. you always assumed his flirting was just empty words, he was the human version of greed after all he craves everything the world has to offer and he does this to everyone.

“you don’t have to keep saying those things ryusui. i know you don’t mean them.”

he stared at you, no matter how many times he tells you he adores you or how many times he admits how he wants nothing more in the world than you, you never believed him.

at least not until the incident.

when you first laid eyes on his stone body you wanted to scream but you couldn't, the scream was barely louder than a whisper hardly a scream at all. it only got harder when kohaku brought him and the others back as fragments.

the second he was revied the team cleared out and kohaku sent you a knowing glance.

one the two of you were alone you immediately wrapped your arms around him pulling him into a hug "i was so worried about you, i thought i lost you." he returned your embrace and rested a hand on the back of your head pulling you closer to him "you could never lose me." he pressed a gentle kiss to your temple, and for the first time instead of backing away from his affection you accepted it.

you gently pull back from his hug to look at him face to face "i've realized some things."

he raises a brow "and what would that be?"

"how much i care for you, and how much you care for me." his hand moves to gently cup your cheek while his thumb gently caressed your cheek "oh? and how much do i care for you?"

"you've basically spent most of our lives trying to win me over, and every time i never really responded to them or gave you any straight answer. so why did you never give up?"

he smiled at you "that's easy. because i'm the greediest guy there is." your face slightly fell which caused him to chuckle "you didn't let me finish. because i'm the greediest guy there is i know there's no greater treasure than your heart. i'd stop at nothing to make you my boyfriend and to be yours."

[loveiis]

2am.

chris sturniolo x fem!reader

summary: spending the last few nights alone, its boring. your desires are left unfulfilled. why not call chris and see if he’s awake?

warnings: eventual smut, cunnilingus, p in v, unprotected sex, kissing, cursing.

A/N: (this is my first real smut guys dont laf 😔😔)

my eyes opened, once again to the sound of thunder and slow rain starting to fall onto my window. i shuffled around in my bed, the sounds of my sheets shifting as i laid on my side, watching the rain start.

i had been trying to sleep since 10pm tonight, when i got off of a group call with matt, nick, chris, and madi. everyone had gone to sleep, except for me.

living alone has been such a burden for someone like me. im a fucking insomniac and nothing has been able to fix it lately. i just wish something could help me fix my issue.

i turned around to face my nightstand, taking my phone off of the charger. maybe there had to be someone up at this time who i could call for company. i know nobody would come here at 2am.

i scrolled through my messages, trying to find someone who would be awake. i am pretty sure madi and them are already asleep, since we had said our goodnights, plus matt, madi, and nick both stated they were tired. but.. chris didn’t.

maybe he only went to sleep because the rest of them did? i guess i could just text him and find out.

a read receipt! okay. so hes awake. it thought he would’ve went to bed like everyone else did. maybe he tried to but just couldn’t.

okay fine, at least i have someone to talk to. i don’t really want to be by myself right now, the least i can do is have company over the phone.

i hear my phone ring, the screen lighting up with chris’ contact name. i answer the phone.

“hey.” i spoke.

“what’s up?” chris responded.

i didn’t really know what to say, so i just told him the truth.

“so basically i have no idea what to say, i didn’t plan this out i just didn’t want to be by myself again tonight.” i said.

he breathed for a second, then responded.

“so you called.. me, because you needed company?” chris asked

“something wrong with that?” i replied.

“no, i’m just saying.” he said, his raspy voice ringing in my ears.

“so how am i supposed to help if im like 15 minutes away from you?” he asked.

“what? i called for company over the phone. i am not asking you to come over.” i stated.

why would he think that im asking him to come over in this kind of weather?

“company over the phone doesn’t make any sense. if you don’t want to be lonely then this won’t help you.” he continues.

if he doesn’t want to come over why is he talking about it so much? i just wanted a conversation.

“chris. i get it. do you want to come over or something?” i rolled my eyes like he could see my face.

suddenly i heard a car door shut over the phone.

“um.. chris?” i breathed.

“be there in a sec.” he answered.

he had hung up the phone. great, now i had chris driving in a thunderstorm. why would he even want to come see me anyways?

i placed my phone back on the nightstand, and gently stepped out of bed and into my slippers. i stretched and made my way towards kitchen.

i turned on the kitchen light, my eyes scrunching from the sudden brightness. i went to my cabinet and grabbed a mug and placed it on my island counter, then i went to the fridge and grabbed a jug of milk.

i guess milk could also help with my tiredness if chris didn’t. just a backup plan. i poured the milk into the mug until it reached halfway, then screwed the lid back on the milk.

i took the milk again, and placed it back into the refrigerator, closing the door. i took a sip of the cold milk before i put it into the microwave.

but for some reason it had just now hit me. chris was coming over. my crush since highschool was coming to my place. should i change? should i organize my room a bit more? god, i am such a people pleaser. i dont need to do anything, hes a friend now… i guess.

i placed the cup of milk into the microwave, putting the time on 1:30. the microwave whirred as the mug started to spin continuously. i sighed, looking out the kitchen window, the rain now coming down hard and lightning struck.

i felt bad for asking him to come over, but i kind of didn’t. isn’t this what he wanted? driving in a thunderstorm at 2am just because i wanted company? somehow that doesn’t sound like friendship.

what will i do for the next 13 minutes? i guess i could watch my favorite show that i haven’t finished yet.

i walked over to my living room, dropping my body onto the couch. i grabbed the remote and turned the tv on.

netflix had pretty much gotten boring since i’ve basically watched almost every show or movie on here, im just glad i finally have a show to watch.

i turned on my show and got comfy with the fluffy blanket i had left on the couch earlier.

after like five seconds of watching the show the microwave beeped. i paused the show and got up to go get the milk out of the microwave.

i sighed, sitting back down with the warmed milk in my hand. i unpaused it, and continued to watch again.

i don’t think that warm milk was really ideal for this, it’s kind of nasty. but i have to finish it, i need to get to sleep. i took another sip of the milk, my face scrunching at the after taste.

—————————

then i heard a familiar buzz. it was probably chris. i paused the show, and got up to go to the buzzer. just in case if it wasn’t, i asked who it was.

“who is it?” i held down onto the button that activated the intercom on the other side.

“it’s me. let me in.” a familiar voice echoed.

it was definitely chris.

saying nothing else, i pressed the button to let him into the complex.

if i sit down now then i would have to get up again. i’ll just stand by the door until he knocks.

after a little while, i heard knocks at the door. i opened it almost immediately.

“jeez, eager to see me?” he smiled.

“don’t flatter yourself, i didn’t want to sit back down because then i would have to get up again.” i responded.

i let him in as he chuckled a bit. he took his shoes off and his coat. his hair was pretty wet but it made him look so..- nevermind that.

“did you want to come over, or did it feel like i pressured you into coming over?” i closed the door behind him.

“well you didn’t force me, so the first option.” he shook his hair a bit to dry it. “chris! you’re getting it wet!” i say, pointing at the water that was now on my floor.

“pause. but can i get a towel?” he replied. he always has a dirty mind. i was talking about the floor. but maybe there is something else that’s wet—

“whatever. follow me.” i said, motioning for him to come with me.

i led him to the bathroom, i turned on the light and turned around to him. but he seemed like he was looking down at something, he was zoned out.

“um, chris?” i snapped my fingers in his face. “oh, shit. yeah?” he looked back up at me. that was weird. anyways, i grabbed the towel and told him to sit on the edge of the bathtub so i could dry his hair.

“y’know i can do it myself, right?” he laughed. “no, you’ll put the towl on your head then shake it like a dog drying off. that water will get all over my bathroom.” i said. he rolled his eyes in response.

i opened the towel, placing it onto his head, and smoothing out his hair with the towel to dry it. my hands moved around his hair, making sure to fully dry before moving on.

i kept this up for a while, then i felt that i was done. “okay, you’re good.” i spoke.

“no, there’s one spot that’s still wet.” he looked up at me.

“let it air dry, you won’t die.” i rolled my eyes, balling the towel in my hands.

i started to walk over to place the towel back into its original position, but before i could get there i tripped over chris’ foot.

“shit!” i yelled, preparing my body to hit the floor.

but i never hit it.

instead, chris instantly grabbed my waist and pulled me into his lap before i could hit the ground.

“sorry if my foot was in the way.”

i could feel his breath on my neck.

i inhaled and quickly got up.

“its cool. let’s just go watch something.” i replied.

—————————

we sat in the living room, watching my show. chris didn’t really seem interested in it.

“are you even interested?” i looked up at him.

“what? interested in what?” he turned to me.

“the show. are you even interested?” i repeated. “not really, no.” he scratched the back of his head. “alright, then. let’s just go to sleep.” i turned off the tv, and got up to walk to my bedroom.

obviously chris wasn’t going to sleep in here with me.

-

time passed, i was constantly tossing and turning. i hadn’t gone to sleep yet.

“chris?” i softly called from my bed. i heard shuffling in the other room until i saw a figure standing in the doorway. “something wrong?” he questioned.

“mm, no. i can’t sleep.” i say. i tried to work my way around asking him to sleep next to me, since it felt embarrassing to say the words aloud.

“yes i’ll sleep next to you.” he chuckled.

did he read my mind?

he walked towards my bed, getting comfortable on the other side. only the sounds of thunder and rain tapping on my window can be heard now.

maybe i could actually sleep this time.

-

nope, still can’t. i shuffled to turn onto my back, my eyes wide awake and staring at the ceiling.

“still can’t sleep?” chris grumbled. “sorry if i woke you, or something.” i looked at him. but i couldn’t really see his face, it was dark in my room.

“you didn’t. i’ve been awake.” he copied my pose, turning onto his back. we sat in silence for a moment until chris spoke again.

“i think i can help us fall asleep.” he said. as if. nothing can get me to sleep.

“yeah? i’d like to see you try.” i chuckled. suddenly, chris moved under the covers, and pryed my legs open with his hands.

“chris! what the fuck?!” i gasped at his sudden actions. “if you want to get to sleep you’ll trust me.” he said, muffled from being under the covers.

i knew what he was about to do. i wanted it i’ve liked chris for so long, this is what i want. “okay..” i whispered. he looped his fingers around my shorts and my underwear, i lifted my hips to help him remove both articles of clothing.

he then discarded them to the side, and gripped onto my thighs. i took a deep breath in, and out—

i softly moaned as he pressed his tongue onto my clit, circling around it. “fuck— chris.”

he cupped his lips onto my clit, sucking on it. “just like tha- ah-“ my hips snapped as he made a ‘hmm’ noise which made his mouth vibrate on me. “so fuckin’ delicious.” he spoke from under me.

suddenly he had stopped going so slow on me. his tongue started to pick up the pace, his mouth devouring me like crazy. “fuck! holy- shit-” i practically screamed.

i started to shut my legs on his head. “mm” he hummed, splitting my thighs open again.

his grip on me was inescapable, i couldn’t even move. the pleasure started to build up, my hands gripped the pillow covers under my head. “chris! mm- gonna.. fuck!” i could barely get my words out.

a familar knot formed in my stomach, as my moans started to increase in volume. “shit, shit, shit!” i gripped chris’ hair as i released. chris gave me a couple more licks as i came down from my high, and climbed up towards me.

he kissed me, his mouth wet from my arousal, the sweet taste of me lingering in my mouth. then he retracted, sitting in between my legs. i felt his clothed hard on through his pants.

“can we?” he asked, rubbing my clit in circular motions with his thumb. my hips jerked from being sensitive. “y-yes..” i murmured.

i heard the clicking sounds of his belt slipping off, and my heart pounded out of my chest. he pulled his pants down and put his dick on top of my stomach. he was big.

“are you ready?” he caressed my hips. “mhm, just promise to be careful.” i said, sleepily. “i promise, ma.” he pressed his dick against my entrance.

he softly held onto my hips, slowly pushing his head in. he pushed it halfway, my brain already scattered. “fuck, chris. can’t take it.” i moaned.

“i promise you can do this.” he lightly pressed a kiss on my cheek.

i breathed in, feeling him enter me until he finally fit, his dick filling me up. “fuck, you feel so good princess.” he exhaled, dipping his head down to kiss my neck.

i lightly placed my hand on the back of his neck, softly moaning as he reached my sweet spot. “chris.. please..” i whined. “mhm.. use your words, ma.” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver.

“want you to fuck me.. please..” i murmured. he started with slow thrusts as i felt every inch of him enter me and leave repeatedly.

chris has never seen me like this. or been in this situation with me. i felt different, this was different. “god, you’re so perfect.” he spoke, running a hand all the way down my curves, stopping at my hips.

without warning, he started to move faster and harder. “shit! oh my god.” i let out a choked moan, my voice altering due to his thrusting.

chris let out a long but low groan, using his thumb to draw circles on my clit. “fuck, your pussy’s even better than i imagined.” he said.

had chris been dreaming about me like this? this whole time?

“y-you imagined?” i stuttered. “mhm.. wanted to destroy this pussy ever since fuckin’ high school.” he groaned again, lifting my tank all the way up and exposing my boobs.

they were smushed against each other, bouncing everytime he pounded into me. he removed his hand from my clit and held on to one of my boobs.

the thought of him imagining me like this drove me over the edge. “harder…” i softly whined.

just like that, he increased his speed, fucking me at an ungodly pace. my eyes rolled back as he lifted my legs even more towards my chest and gripped on my thighs. “fuck— ‘m gonna cum.. want me to fill your pretty pussy with my cum, hm?” he spoke.

i could barely speak, my brain can’t form words, so i nodded. “words, ma.” he said, sternly. “want you to… fill me— mmph” i reply, my eyelids feeling heavy. i felt my release coming, but at this point my brain had no way of warning him.

“i’m.. hmm.. gonna..” i try. “me too princess. cum with me.” he reached to fondle my breast again. i held the wrist of his hand that was holding my boob as i felt him shoot his warm load inside of me. i followed right after. my eyes fluttered closed as i tried to breathe and recollect my brain.

chris gave a few more thrusts before laying right next to me. “maybe you did help, i am pretty tired now.” i softly laughed against his chest as i cuddled up next to him. “of course, but you’re not falling asleep like this.” he said as he stood up from the bed. “what do you mean?” i turned my head towards him.

next thing i knew, i was in the bathtub, sitting on his lap, my back facing him. “im really glad i met you chris.” my voice bounced off the bathroom walls. “me too, i can’t believe i tried to hide my feelings from you.” he wrapped his arms around me. i sank into his body, relaxing as much as i could.

he placed a kiss to my head, and i fell asleep in his arms.

[truly-morgan]

[QR is trying his best to be a good dad]

Qi Rong + Guzi | Heaven Official’s Office Modern AU 01-09-2021

[#qirong #guzi, modern]

Says thanks to qiurong now I got interested back in dad qr and his son guzi.

But just imagine modern world, qi rong is not known to be kind and good to people. He's pretty harsh and vulgar. He's also not really known for being /that/ good at taking care of children either. He doesn't enter the top 10 of potential babysitters with people he knows. But then one day, out of absolutely nowhere he has a kid?!

He happened to be bothered at work by his cousin and xl annoying husband when he suddenly received a call from school saying guzi is sick and should be taken home. Of course, he curse, mumbling about knowing something was off about guzi this morning and he should just have called in sick at work to make sure guzi was alright.

And xl is just stunned "you have a son!?!".

"No I have a horse. Of course, it's a son" qi rong snaps back.

He doesn't have time to deal with xl disbelief of the news, he has to figure out if someone can replace him for the end of his shift, but he knows it won't be easy because everyone here probably hates him (he can probably play on it being for guzi).

"How long until the end of your shift?" Xl ask before qi rong can go annoy his colleague to cover for him.

"Don't fucking know, about four hours, why" he asked.

"Well, maybe we can go get him for you" xl suggests with a smile, "is it alright sang lan?"

"Anything gege wants to do is alright" hc smiles, although anyone could tell he didn't really want to help qi rong (but since he was xl cousin, someone xl was trying to get close to again...).

Qi rong look at him, seemingly thinking it over.

He seriously doubts anyone would cover for him after having had at least an argument with everyone at least once (and guzi might have been used as an excuse in the past). Plus he couldn't really afford losing this job either by just walking out.

"Okay sure, I'll just call them to say you are picking him up, I'll lead you to my key and DONT enter the kitchen!"

And with that xl and hc are gone to go get guzi while qi rong finishes work.

Qi rong does try not to be distracted, but it is a bit hard when he knows guzi is sick and the one taking care of it is /xl/. As much as he cannot feel hc, he hopes the man makes sure xl doesn't try feeding his son anything he makes himself.

the four hours pass too slowly in his opinion and on his way back he grabs a couple of things to make some chicken soup for guzi (he even grab the shell pasta he seems to like so much). he gets back to his apartment to hc softly trying to stop xl to try and make something for guzi.

He throws on the counter the thing he just bought, getting the attention of the couple, yet he doesn't leave time to ask questions.

he goes directly to guzi's room, his features suddenly more soft and somewhat calmer too, despite his worry. He sits on the bed next to him, passing a hand through his hair and touching his forehead to see if he has a fever.

"You should have told me you were not feeling good" he says, watching as guzi leans into the cool touch of his hands.

"I didn't want you to get in trouble for missing work again" guzi whispered, looking up at qi rong when his dad laughed.

"They can go fuuu" he starts before seeing the look his son was giving him "Eat a cactus, if my son is sick I'll take care of him".

At worst I'll find another job, is what he doesn't add to not worry guzi more.

He smiles at him, happy to see his son being reassured by his words. "Are you hungry? I can make you some chicken soup"

"With the shells?" guzi ask

"With the shells" he replies, passing his hand in guzi hair again. "rest a little bit more while I make it".

with this he got up, missing how some intruders were quickly shuffling back to the living room in silence.

He went back into the kitchen, ignoring the look xl was giving him, clearly wanting to ask questions.

He only put his attention back on him when he suggested helping him out. "Out of my kitchen! don't cross onto the tiles, you'll just make him more sick with your poisonous food" he says, "If you want to help, make your husband do something instead" As much as he didn't like hc, he knew the man was at least decent in cooking, better than whatever his cousin would ever make.

He ignore the glare hc was giving him for talking like this to xl, missing the look xl gave him instead so he could help.

this is how he ended up cooking around hc, an awkward silence falling on them as xl clearly wanted to ask questions but didn't (he figured qi rong wouldn't answer while he was so focused on making his fresh chicken soup for guzi, he was surprised it wasn't a canned one).

qi rong tried ignoring how xl was going back from the kitchen to the room to check on a sleeping guzi, unsure what to do when everyone was already doing something.

"Here, cut some fucking apple slice if you really wanna help" ended up snapping qi rong. He couldn't possibly fuck up cutting an apple right?

It was clearly enough since xl finally settled down to do his task, even making little bunny with the apple pieces.

when everything was ready qi rong found guzi favourite bowl to put his soup in, a glass of water and taking xl apple plate before going back to guzi.

the young boy was awake again, happy to eat something his dad made.

Qi rong talked about his day at work, knowing it would help guzi relax to hear him talk (a contrast to guzi usually being the one to talk about his day when they eat). He managed to keep most of his swearing and cursing under control, otherwise gaining a look from guzi.

it was mostly complaining about clients, but his son seemed rather amused at his tales so he continued until he was done eating everything.

He gave something to help guzi's headache before letting him go back to sleep, reminding him to come get him if something was wrong. when he finally went back to the kitchen he was tired. He had already not slept well the night before and had passed the last couple of hours worried about guzi.

He was greeted with a bowl a soup xl had prepared for him so he could eat too.

"Why are you still here?" he asked, just wanting to be left alone now.

"Wanted to make sure you were oka-"

"No need to fucking lie, I know you worry about guzi" qi rong rolled his eyes. He wouldn't be the first to believe he was not a good fit to take care of him. But he didn't really care, guzi seemed to believe he could and he also believe he was doing a rather good job here. He may not be filthy rich like hc or as kind and gentle as xl, but he was doing his best already.

"Since when do you have a son?" xl asked instead, which did not surprise him either. No one really knew (but why would they need to know anyway? It wasn't like anyone really bothered to ask about how he was doing normally).

"Technically a year and a half" qi rong replied without giving more detail.

"Technically?" Repeated xl, unsure what this was supposed to mean.

"His dad was a shit neighbour and guzi ended up at my place a couple of times before I fully took him in.

Qi rong didn't explain more about how guzi's birth father was an absolute drunk who would get aggressive easily and barely took good care of his wife and son. More than once guzi ended up at his place when no one was home, his dad was too drunk and aggressive or because No one had actually fed him.

His parents ended up dying in a car crash (because the man was drunk). Qi rong was still unsure how he actually managed to get guzi's custody, he worked hard to have so. He might not be perfect, but he already knew him and guzi would Get upset the moment it was insinuated the gege from the next floor wouldn't be the one caring for him.

Qi rong was still fighting to show he /was able/ to take care of guzi properly.

Seeing how qi rong was clearly not going to give more detail xl sighed, fidgeting with hc hands. It was probably too early to get to know more about his cousin. He already took as a victory being trusted to go get guzi, knowing qi rong he could as well just tell him to fuck off.

Plus guzi seemed to recognise him, so qi rong had /somewhat/ mentioned him before. It was a good start to build something that had never been really there.

They ended up leaving when xl was fully sure that qi rong would be alright too. Qi rong was more than happy to finally be left alone, finishing his soup before going back to check on guzi. The boy was awake again and requesting he stay with him for now so he went to lay on the bed next to him (he was a bit too big for it but whatever).

"The nice gege is gone?" Guzi ended up asking.

"Oh, so I am not the nice gege anymore, great" qi rong snorted, "they went home after bothering me".

"But you are not a nice gege anymore," guzi said while turning back to him, "you are my dad".

Qi rong made a show of rolling his eyes, ruffling the boy's hair. Yet inside something was warm at the idea of guzi really seeing him like this, not just as a name used because it was expected in a way after being taken in as his adoptive son.

"Go to sleep now, you won't get better by not resting".

He ended up staying under guzi demand, falling asleep oddly on the bed, thinking of calling in sick if guzi isn't doing better.

He fell asleep with the same nice feeling.

Whatever other thought, as long as Guzi thought he was enough everything would be fine.

Original

[yangscowlick]

You're tags about early hiatus leading to calcified headcanons makes me think about why certain parts of the fandom are so against the idea of yang being butchier and cling to her beacon persona so hard. Odd to me beacon yang's whole thing was she was putting up a front to hide her insecurities, yet early fandom portrayed her as some femme fataleish fashionista that flirted with everyone and talked about her boobs nonstop. But even beacon yang was never like that, and now we have a yang that wears big butch boots and overalls and bomber jackets and likes to manspread and actually it's her gf that likes to get prettied up for their dates while yang watches with heart eyes from afar. Sorry for the essay, I just wonder why early fandom saw a show that telegraphed pretty well that it's about turning tropes on its head and decided "no I want the surface level version of these characters and any change or development that differs from it is bad"

I totally agree and ended up writing an essay in turn!

I think it’s especially annoying when fandom does that with Yang’s V1 “persona” in particular since (1) she got the least amount of development of the girls in V1 (we really don’t “meet” Yang til we get her backstory in Burning the Candle — hell we don’t even get an explanation of her semblance until Painting the Town) and (2) all the girls have grown and changed since we met them, so why are some folks SO stuck on early Yang? But I do think it taking so much longer to really “meet” Yang means there were huge chunks of time between the Yellow Trailer and V1 and then V1 and V2 where people filled her character in how they saw fit and have clung to that.

I think there are sort of two buckets. In the bad faith group are the weebs who saw big boobs and an empty vessel of a character they could project onto. To your point, the show told us from the get-go in her trailer and in her song that she was “more than meets the eye”, but the shonen-brained who are accustomed to fanservice and 2D female side characters saw Yang and assumed she was for Them (and feel betrayed that she isn’t and have made it everyone’s problem). I dont have a lot of patience for those types — they can go watch 99.9% of shonen anime if they want that (though I hope for their sake they expand their media diet…).

I have some more patience for the second bucket who just don’t really understand the lesbian experience and how it can be to re-contextualize your identity once you’ve figured yourself out. Because in some ways you only really “get it” if you’ve gone through it. Yang settling into herself is SO cool to me, because I was similar. In high school, I was pretty femme / assumed I was straight / etc. And even once I understood I liked girls, knowing your identity and integrating your identity are two different things. It’s so normal to me to see Yang “become” Yang as she has (from the way she dresses, her posture, the way she sits, her chivalry, etc) because I lived it. But I think it is lost on some people who just see her “dykeyness” as a retcon and not a development — so to them, I want to try to be patient because I realize what’s obvious to me comes from my lived experiences. (Again, the bad faith folks who wanted surface-level digestible anime waifus don’t get my patience here).

But to those coming at Yang in good faith, Yang coming into herself and getting more butch as time goes on (Yang was always going to be more than her first projection - they spelled it out) is no different than Weiss and Blake settling into their ‘true’ selves (and their color schemes have slowly come to match their aura/soul colors). It’s also a pretty common experience when sexuality is yet another thing piled on top of the identity crisis that is your late teens/early 20s.

I also find it a little silly that people glom onto V1 Yang as this flirty party girl because it’s not even supported by actual canon. Yang plays video games and is like a super-nerd about the table top game they play in V2, but none of those “I miss V1-3 Yang” types are like “why doesn’t she play video games and board games anymore? What a betrayal of her character”? Like why isn’t “gamer bro” Yang part of That fandom’s flanderization of her character? There’s more support in canon for that than her supposed puns…

Anyway, went off on a tangent there, but TLDR: Yang’s butch-ness is completely organic and part of her settling into herself, just as the other characters have settled into their true selves. I dont have time for the folks fueled by entitlement, but I can have time for the folks with empathy who might not have all the inputs to understand it but are willing to listen (and my inbox is open!).

[musubiki]

ok but imagine. lime goes up against the witch king and he fails!!! for one of the first times in his life he fails at something!!!!! but then mochi is able to defeat the witch king and for a sec lime is relieved and he’s so proud of her. he loves her so much. but then he sees a bright light and mochi falls. hes panicking slightly and calls her name quietly then louder as he runs over. the whole battlefield is so quiet bc everyone is like “was that…? did she —“ and once lime reaches her he pulls her body into his lap and takes one look at her face and just SCREAMS. the girl he loves is gone. her eyes are vacant. maybe if he were a little bit stronger he could’ve at the very least helped her defeat him. maybe land the final blow so she’d still be alive and she’d be smiling at him. maybe he’d get to tell her he loved her. but he has to settle for sobbing those words into her hair as he holds her to his chest — to feel her warmth one final time before its gone for good.

btw can totally imagine lime looking up and seeing sulluvan looming over him and lime has a full meltdown saying he won’t let him take mochi

PAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

especially since that was the optimum plan.....let lime or taffy kill the witch king so they dont have to worry about if the wrath of the stars is even real or not

imagine if no one even realizes or registers what happened until they hear lime screaming and THEN it starts to settle in that oh god, please no, not mochi, are you fucking kidding me.,..

and as for sulluvan.......100% lime would lash out at him. get the fuck away from her. but i think the way sulluvan operates is a bit two-fold in the sense that he has a presence in the land of the living and the land of the dead at the same time. so yes hes standing near them, watching lime sob and cry and scream and beg over mochis corpse, but he is ALSO in the land of the dead watching mochi (or her soul anyway) doubled over and crying, not ready to face him, and not ready to leave yet,..

sulluvan calls out to her spirit and she says she knows. she knows she has to go. and asks him just give her a few moments before she has to leave

(anyway all that to say that lime couldnt stop sulluvan from taking her soul if he tried. its already happening)