#one stranger things

[pinkeoni]

[curiousity-cell]

GLITCH / FLASH WARNING

the crackship continues

song: can you feel my heart - bring me the horizon

[usetheeauthor]

Love, Papa 2

Virgin!Henry Creel|One|Peter Ballard x SexWorker!Reader

Summary: After family game night takes a turn for the worse, One is angry with you for ruining his opportunity to go “outside”. You try to get back in his graces in hopes that he’ll help you escape.

Warnings/TW: graphic language, attempted suicide by drowning, violence, infantilization, Brenner being weird, enemies to lovers, tsundere!Peter, hair pulling, crying, force feeding, reader nicknamed “belle” (by Brenner) and “bunny” (by One), slow burn relationship

word count: 5.3k+

series masterlist

Chapter 2: Dumb Bunny

You grow impatient as the “family” continues to eat and converse knowing you’re desperate to win this silly game and go outside. The psychotic man’s eyes constantly flicker back to you when he notices that you haven’t partaken in the meal.

“Belle, you’ve hardly tasted your food. Your brother’s been trying to feed you the entire time and you continue to resist,” Papa begins. “That just won’t do.”

“I don’t eat meat.” You spat through clenched teeth.

“Meat is protein. For your bones and for that beautiful brain of yours, my dear. I want all of my children to grow up big and strong. So you will eat the meat.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?! Grow up? I’m an adult! You fucking psychopathic bastard.”

He shoves the table from himself as he stands. The table along with his chair launches a few feet away. He towers over you as you stare up with a defiant snarl.

Papa grips your face in his large hand, your lips protruding out. “What did I say about that kind of language under my roof? And in front of your younger sister! How would you feel if she were to repeat that kind of behavior? You’re on your 1st strike for the night. Don’t accumulate any more unless you know what’s good for you.”

His fingers began to dig into your cheeks the tighter he squeezed, tight enough that you were convince he’d draw blood or even choke you out this way.

“Papa,” One chimes in. “She didn’t mean to say those things. She’s scared and the rules are still very new to her. She’s learning.”

“Yes, Papa,” Eleven says, terrified for you. “She’ll be good.”

The viscous man glares into your eyes for a few moments before he lets out a sigh and releases you. You gasp for air, unable to rub the sting away from your cheeks due to your hands being bound.

“I’m sorry for my behavior, children. All of you. Especially you, belle. I’ve been much too hasty with you but only because I know you can be my good girl,” He caresses a hand down your tear-stained cheek and you shiver in fear and disgust. “Will you forgive me?”

You frantically look in One’s direction and he gives you a secret nod. Swallowing your pride, you whisper your acceptance. Papa kisses the top of your head before taking his seat and adjusting the table.

He lets out a breath of relief. “Now, One…please feed Belle her meal.”

“No, please.” You whimper.

One holds the spoon up your lips, you turn your head away. He follows your movements until Papa has to once again stand from his seat. He restrains your head, widening your mouth forcefully.

You whine and cry, struggling under his grasp. For the first time, One seems to break his emotionless persona and you could actually see him being reluctant to follow his father’s commands. But then Papa growls for him to do so and Peter shoves a spoonful of ground beef into your mouth.

“More!” Papa yells.

He shovels more into your mouth until your forced to swallow. You could feel you body having a visceral reaction to the meat. It rejects the taste and, not a moment after, you’re vomiting over yourself.

“Looks like Belle made a mess.” Papa says in an endearing tone.

You couldn’t even stare at him in anger for his sick ways. You felt defeated and weak, looking up at him with tears swelling in your eyes and saliva on your chin.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Let’s run you a bath and get you all cleaned up,” He runs a hand through your hair. “Maybe next time for dinner you won’t give a hard time. I beg not to…unless you wish to be punished. Eleven, would please draw Belle a bath? And, One, if you could please clean this mess and then take her to her bath?”

“Yes, Papa.” They say in unison.

Eleven rushes out of the kitchen and One tends to the mess all over you, wiping away with a moist towelette.

“If you’ll excuse me, I will be in my office to tend to my work. Please have lights out and everyone in bed by 8 sharp. We will have to reschedule the family game night for another time?”

“But Papa,” One shoots up from his seat in protest. “I was hoping I’d get to go outside. You said if we played then there’s a chance that I—”

“Are you being defiant?” Papa’s voice grows dark, staring the young blonde-haired man down.

The young man swallows his pride, jaw clenching. “No, I’m sorry for speaking out of turn.”

Papa nods, wordlessly accepting his apology before exiting the kitchen. One slowly lowers back down into his seat, staring in Papa’s direction angrily before turning to you.

“This is your fault.” He hisses but you couldn’t even care to reply. You already felt so broken. There was no way you could escape this place. Even if you could, you were much too afraid of what could happen should you get caught.

After cleaning you up enough, he carries you to the bathroom in his arms. Eleven awaits by the bathroom door, concern in her eyes for you. You felt genuinely terrible for her. She’s just a young girl witnessing all of this happening before her. Yet despite all the violence she must’ve endured, she was still kind and caring.

“You can go clean up in the kitchen, sister. I’ll be there with you soon.” One says to the young girl.

She nods, looking at you once more then closing the bathroom door behind her. One pulls off the large shirt he’d given you and you don’t attempt to resist. Even when his fingers curled around the waistband of your underwear, you remained an empty shell.

He doesn’t lower your panties. Instead, he pulls his hands away from you, letting out a shaky exhale.

“That’s as far as I will go. You can remove them on your own,” He reaches for the doorknob to exit but then ends up speaking over his shoulder for his last message. “You must know you’ve earned an enemy in me. I had plans to go outside for reasons that I don’t feel the need to disclose with you. If you weren’t such a brat, we could’ve been out there.”

You shudder a cry before breaking down completely, head falling into your hands. “I don’t care anymore. Just leave me alone.”

One almost feels bad for you. You weren’t built for a situation like this. But was anyone really? Something about you was different, though. Why had you given up so soon?

He exits the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar and he could hear you sobbing to yourself all the way until the end of the hall.

————————

You can hear the chimes again. When you close your eyes, they sound a lot closer. You let your mind drift away again.

This time you’re even younger in your memories. Your dress the color of sky, flowing daintily in the strong winds as you frolicked in a field of daisies and dandelions.

You can see someone in the distance. A boy some years older than you. He calls you over to him with a smile and you want nothing more than to reach out to him. But every time you felt like you were getting closer, he seemed further and further away. Oh, if only you could see his face.

But he felt so familiar. You know him. Possibly all your life. So you pick up your speed to reach him, giggling and smiling. You were almost there. So close. But then you see a tall, dark figure towering over him from behind. The boy is oblivious to it, simply waving and smiling at you.

You stop in your tracks, screaming. Or at least you’re trying to scream but your vocals felt as if they’d been constricted by your fear. You knew his name, it was on the tip of your tongue. You’ve got to say it or that thing will take him! Just say his name!

You open your mouth the first syllable of his name ready to be spoken when the figure consumes the boy whole. You watch in horror, tears streaming down your face. Paralyzed with fear, you couldn’t run. All you could do is watch as the figure slithered your way.

It rears itself back as if it’s gaining the momentum to pounce and—

—————

You’re coughing up water, gasping for air. One and Eleven over you, staring down at you with a mix of terror and relief in their eyes. You have a fluffy pink towel wrapped around your body as you recognize that you were resting on the cold tile of the bathroom floor.

You were drowning, submerged yourself in water for nearly 3 minutes. One was able to revive you with CPR. His hands wet as he caresses his hands over your face to check if you were responsive.

“Why?” Was all he said.

But you don’t answer. You just blink up at him wanting to study his features, know who he is. Maybe he might have been the boy in the dream that you saw.

Eleven gets on her knees beside you, tears in her eyes. She goes in for a tight hug, surprising you. You don’t hug back at first, too dazed and confused. But then you suddenly had the urge to comfort her, curling your arms around her tight as well and whispering your apologies to her.

After the incident, you were placed back into ‘your room’. You’d been given another large shirt to wear. You knew he’d be coming in to tie you up to the bed and you wished you could savor the moments of your freedom, stretching your hands and legs. But all you could do was hug your knees to your chest.

You feel someone enter the room, not bothering to look behind you.

“Belle?”

It’s the little girl. You turn to look at her standing in the doorframe, scared to come in.

“It’s okay,” You say. “You can enter.”

She nods, walking over to your bedside. You gesture for her to have a seat and she does so as well. The silence is deafening for a moment until she speaks up.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“Why?”

“Because you’re here.”

You let her reply sit for a moment then sigh. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I wish I could have said something to help you get away.”

“Then he would’ve hurt you,” You know it was brutal to say but the Eleven knew that it was exactly what he would have done if she interfered. “I think maybe I’m supposed to be here.”

Eleven blinks in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah. I think it’s fate for me to have met you. Because it means I get to save you. Wouldn’t you want to be free?”

Eleven blinks rapidly, putting her hands over her ears. “No, no. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I’m sorry. No escaping. No!”

The picture frames on the walls began to clatter against the wall.

“Eleven?” You stare at her in horror as she continues to plea and beg for you to stay.

You don’t know what to do so you simply wrap your arms around her, holding her tight until she begins to stop crying. She ceases her cries, going limp in your arms as you cradle her.

When you felt a presence coming towards your room, you worried it was Papa and you expected him to question Eleven’s distraught state. But One enters the room, concern on his face when he scans the room to see the picture frames slowing their movements then looks over at you and Eleven hugging.

“What’s going on?” He asks.

“It’s nothing,” You say. “I just scared her. That’s all.”

“Eleven, it’s time to go to bed. Papa will come around to tuck you into bed soon so please say goodnight to Belle.”

She reluctantly pulls away from you, whispering a soft goodnight then exits the room. One stands in the middle of the room stiff and proper, staring daggers at you.

“Are you aware of what you’d just done?”

“Are you always this stoic?” You mutter.

“I’m only doing what I have to do. You should do the same,” He strides over to you, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. “I told you if you’re going to survive, you need to adapt. Killing yourself isn’t going to help this situation.”

“And how so? If I’m dead, I wouldn’t have to deal with you or that insane man.”

“You don’t realize what you’ll leave behind once you do,” For the first time, you can see fear in his blue eyes. The moonlight shining in them enhances his emotions. He looks strikingly beautiful, face chiseled despite the light being so dim. You’re enamored by him. “You don’t just die and that’s it. Eleven and I will face the wrath of Papa if you do so. I won’t let you die. Call me ‘selfish’ but I’ve been good enough to not be punished and I don’t need you ruining that for me.”

“You have no control over me. None of you do. I rather die than live in this nightmare. I can’t do this!”

“Do you know that it was Eleven who’d found you submerged underwater? She couldn’t see you through the milk & rose water, not until she reached in to drain the tub and felt a foot. She would have screamed at the top of her lungs but she knew what Papa would’ve done to us all.” Your facial expression softens, feeling truly horrible that she had to see such a thing. He continues. “If you don’t adapt, you don’t survive. But if you choose not to get along, that’s fine. I don’t mind whatever happens to you as long as I don’t have to get punished for it.”

“Maybe you’re okay with being a bitch boy and all because you don’t want to get hurt but at least I’ve got the balls to do something about it. So…Fuck. You.”

“I’m going to give you such a hard time.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

His face twists into a furious snarl, getting on his feet to leave when your hand reaches for his on their own accord.

He’s caught by surprise, frozen in position as he looks down at the contact. You pull him down to be seated once more and he does so without hesitation.

One studies your face for an answer.

“What’s your name?” You ask, dropping the hostilities.

“One.” He says.

“Your real name.”

“That’s my real name.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the only name I could recall.”

“What about your life before this?”

“I can’t remember that either,” He sighs. “What does it matter anyway?”

“Because,” You scoot closer to him. “I feel like maybe we’ve met before.”

“You’re mistaken.” He tries to stand again but you place your hands on his shoulders, seating him.

“I dreamt of a boy in a field of daisies and dandelions. I couldn’t make out his face. He was only a silhouette but I knew he was smiling at me. And he was happy to see me. If I could just find some connection to all of this in my life—”

“You have to let go of those fantasies. They’ll only give you false hope and drive you mad.”

You grew upset, turning your head away from his gaze. “I am mistaken. The boy in my fantasy actually smiled at me. You don’t even have the decency to tell me you’re sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being okay with this! For doing everything he says.”

“You’re as daft as you look,” He growls. “You think I want to play these silly games. We don’t have a choice! So again…if you want to survive, you have to adapt. Unless you’d like to end up like the others.”

“T-there were o-others?”

“Of course, there were others. He’ll stop at nothing for the perfect family. I’m a permanent member of this family. So is Eleven. But you… ‘Belle’… are expendable,” He whispers darkly, eyes wide with innocence despite his chilling words. “Papa dreams of a perfect family to be in his image that he’s dreamt for years. And losing another new addition will mean nothing more to him than a piece of torn paper.”

You swallow hard, chest rising and falling heavily. “How many were there…before me?”

He opens his mouth to speak only to be cut of by the sound of a door shutting. One’s eyes bug out in horror.

“That’s Papa. He’s just left his study. I must go before he sees us like this,” He picks up the rope tied to the bars of the bed frame. “I have to tie you up.”

“No,” You plead. “You can’t please. It hurts.”

“Until you gain his trust, it’ll be this way. I already told you that you’re expendable. Don’t do anything stupid and risk losing your life. If you want to survive…

“I have to adapt,” You finish with a groan of annoyances. “I know. I know. Just tied me up already. I don’t care to fight anymore.”

Peter slowly loops the rope around your limps and you could actually feel him holding back on tightening the rope.

Leans down to whisper in your ear. “Don’t give up fighting just yet. If you still have a shred of something to live for then you must hang on to it.”

He lifts his head to stare into your eyes and you see that he genuinely meant what he said. You were surprised but nodded nonetheless. He quietly slips from your room leaving you in the chilly, eerily quiet space alone.

Every footstep you heard outside your door terrified you knowing that it was Papa. Any moment and he’d be walking through the door just to harass you in some way. You couldn’t bear to have him touch you but you knew it was only inevitable.

To reduce the surprise of his presence, you counted each thud of his foot in order to determine how far he was from reaching your door. It did little to lower your anxiety as each footstep grew closer and closer in sound until you heard him halt right out your door.

You tremble against the mattress as the door slowly creaks ajar. Then, you see him. The tall, lanky silhouette of your captor standing in the door frame. He steps up and the moonlight washes over his features. He has a soft smile.

“Hello, Belle.”

You don’t speak anticipating his next move. What was he planning to do? You were already tied up. He could do whatever he pleased in his bound state and with each footstep, you began to cower even more at this very fact.

He takes a seat beside you, shushing you as you whimper and tremble. He brings a large hand to your head, smoothing your hair down.

“I didn’t come to hurt you, my dear. I only want to comfort you. You’ve disobeyed me plenty today and yet I can’t help it. I must ease your nerves,” He whispers, fingers now caressing your tear-stained cheek. “Tell me what must I do to make you love me.”

You shake your head. “I could never love you.”

“That’s not something I can believe, Belle. You wouldn’t be selling your body on the street if you weren’t craving for someone to love you. And I love you, Belle. With time, you’ll love me, too,” He leans over you as you press your head back against your pillow. “Until then, I will be patient. I will wait for you to come around. Then, we’ll begin our journey as a happy family.”

He places a gentle kiss on your forehead and you do everything in your power to keep from rubbing at it in defiance and disgust. He moves his lips to your bound wrist, sliding the rope down enough to place another kiss on the deep indentation of the rope against your skin. He takes a thumb to rub at it before bringing the rope over it again.

“Do I get a kiss goodnight?” He asks, bringing his face over yours again and turning his face to the side. “On the cheek, of course.”

You face away, snapping your head to the side to face the antique wallpaper. He looks down at you and sighs, hands on either side of your head. He inches them closer to your hair sprawled out around you, weaving his fingers in the strands of your hair and gripping hard. You gasp in pain, staring up at him with widened eyes.

“You need to sleep off this rebellious attitude. I say by morning you’ll be more well-behaved,” His lips are inches away from yours, tone icy. “Have a good night…Belle.”

He pulls away from you leaving you struggling between holding your breath and hyperventilating as he exits ‘your room’.

You coil your body in fetal position, crying softly into the night. You couldn’t see yourself falling asleep anytime soon. Not when he was around possibly waiting for a moment to take advantage of your sleeping state.

You let your mind drift again, far away from here and back to the field of daisies with the boy who made you feel safe. Slowly your eyes begin to blink close allowing yourself to hold the image of him holding out his hand to you.

—————

The next day, you were discouraged to realize that the torment that you were experiencing had not been a dream. You were awoken by the blonde haired man who still carried resentment towards you for your little stunt last night.

While he helped you out of bed, you couldn’t help staring into his face. It was no surprise he carried no emotions. He was likely desensitized to everything around him. He probably was once like the little girl Eleven, bright-eyed and innocent, until he was not.

You pitied him. And maybe that was displayed on your face because he had a few choice words for you.

“Why are you staring at me like this?”

“Like how?”

“Like you feel sorry for me. Like I’m weak.”

“I do feel sorry for you,” You admit. “You have no recollection of your life before this. You have no name other than a number. And you’re treated as if you are a child.”

“I don’t need your pity,” One scoffs. You take his hand and he’s taken aback once again at the sudden contact. “You’re always touching me. Don’t you know the basic rules of keeping your hands to yourself.”

“No one has ever followed that rule for me. Why should I be the only one to follow it? I think you want me to touch you,” You said, intertwining your fingers with his. “I think…you still have a heart and you’re seeking compassion and companionship. You want me to convince you to fight. You and I are both victims of our situation. But we shouldn’t let it drive our complacency. We could escape. The three of us.”

His ocean eyes shine with shock as if you’d read what was on his mind. He quickly snaps back to reality, pulling his hand away. “You’re a foolish woman. Your bravado will be your downfall.”

“You can try and pretend like you don’t want to run! But I know the truth and I’ve seen it in your eyes. I won’t waste my energy fighting to stay alive here like you want me to,” You say while staring up in his eyes with a newfound courageous spirit. “I know what I’m fighting for now and it doesn’t end with me being here.”

The two of you keep up your heated gazes until the door pushes open and Eleven enters the room giddily.

“Brother! Sister!” Eleven squeals giddily. “Papa says that he’ll allow us to go outside after breakfast! He says that he felt truly awful for ending family game night the way it did and so as an apology, we can play out in the field.”

“That’s splendid, El! Sister and I will be expressing our gratitude to Papa very soon. Could you please let him know that we’ll be there soon?” One says.

“Yes!” She says with a bright smile before scurrying out the room.

One brings his lips to your ears for a raspy, threatening whisper. “I’ll see to it that you’ll be on your best behavior unless you wish to be punished for real this time.”

He pulls away and gives you that famous eerie yet innocent smile. “Don’t be too late for breakfast.” And with that, he leaves you in the room alone as you seethe quietly at his unwavering demeanor.

————

Breakfast felt surprisingly normal. Papa read his newspapers, Eleven colored away in her coloring book, you and One were consistently staring dagger at one another. It creeped you out but that didn’t matter at all to you.

You’ll finally get to go out there and make a run for it. You even ate all your breakfast hoping that it’d give you the necessary energy to run for your life.

Papa looks away from his newspaper to watch you in astonishment. “Wow, look at you, Belle. It seems you’ve developed quite the appetite. And Eleven, it’s not good to color at the table. We’re meant to be eating breakfast, remember?”

“Sorry, papa.”

“You’re very much excused, love. I understand that you’re eager to hurry outside. I guess I could just let you three catch the rays of the sun right now. Is that what you’d like?”

“Yes!” One and Eleven say in unison.

“And you, Belle?” Papa says, focusing his attention on you.

You smile brightly and nod. “Y-yes.”

“Wonderful,” He beams. “Alright, let’s go outside.”

You could almost cry tears of joy. Freedom was only within a reach away. He stands to his feet and you all follow after him as he heads over to the door padded with locks upon locks.

He pulls out a keychain filled with various keys from his pocket and begins unlocking the door. When he gets to the last lock, your smile widens as the door swings open and the sun pours in.

It was in the middle of nowhere, a house in the middle of the woods. There’s a chance you could get lost but that mattered not. As long as you can get away, you’ll figure out a way home after.

The house was also surrounded by tall metal fences, fences laced with barbed wire at the top. It was intimidating and deterring but not enough to scare you.

The field’s quite beautiful. He has his own garden and crops to grow. Possibly to reduce the amount of trips to the grocery store. You could see an apple tree with a tire swing hanging from the thick branch.

Eleven is the first to exit the home, barefoot with her frilly blue and white dress blowing in the wind as she twirled and jumped around.

One is next, his excitement a lot more contained as he heads straight for the garden. He begins to tend to the crops.

Lastly, you take a barefooted step onto the creaky porch, antsy at the startling sound which causes you to bump into Papa. He chuckles, amused by your anxious state.

“Run along, Belle. Enjoy your time outside. I’ll be in my study but we’ll see each other very soon.”

You blink up at him then back at the picturesque field. He was wrong. He wouldn’t be seeing you. But if there’s one command from him that you’ll find yourself listening to…you will very well ‘run along’.

————

You need to figure out just how you will get to the other side of this fence without being shocked to death.

“Don’t even think about,” One says, bumping your shoulder with his as he follows your eyes to the barbed wire fence. “You’ll have yourself killed.”

“I thought you didn’t care what happened to me.” You mutter.

“I don’t long as I’m not in the middle of it.”

“Then, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Whatever. It’s your funeral.” He huffs, retreating back to his garden. You should be ignoring him and focusing on more pressing matters but you watch him as he cups his hands carefully around the leaf of a plant.

You zero in only to find that he held a small tarantula in his hands. You squeak your horror.

“Why do you have that?”

“Why do you care?” He counters.

“You’re more of a child than I thought.” You say, rolling your eyes.

He gives in. “I like spiders. Everyone looks down on them because they’re ‘creepy’. Much like me, I, too, couldn’t appease the masses. I’ve been told that I’m strange. Unnerving like my eight-legged comrades. I was never normal. But why would I want to be, anyway? All humans care for is fulfilling their own selfish desires. Sex…money…violence…anything of the flesh. But what I desire…not many are willing to admit. I desire power.”

“You’re right about that,” You say much to his surprise. “Everyone I’ve met has only ever wanted those things from me. The men who used my body, the man who sells my body for profit, the violence that follows me where I go. I want power, too. If I had the power, just this once, I’d get my revenge on them all. Including your Papa.”

He’s moved by this, smirking with pride. “You’re not the dumb bunny I thought you were.”

The corner of your lips twitch in a vicious sneer. “I’d hurt you, too. I’d hurt anyone who hurt me.”

He nods, slinking the hairy spider back and forth in his hands and between his fingers. “You’re entitled to those feelings, bunny.”

“Bunny? Is that what you’ll be calling me from now on?”

“I think so. It suits you well. Hopping around dangerously and frantically only to be swallowed whole by the cunning fox. You’re only prey here. That’s all you’ll ever be. Power isn’t reserved for prey. That’s just wasteful.”

“I’ll prove you wrong.” You hiss, stomping away from him.

You pace back and forth, hands in your hair and thinking hard when you feel a small hand tug at your white nightgown.

You looked down to see Eleven with a smile on her face, waving for you to come along with her. “I have something to show you.”

“Not now, dear. I—-“

“Oh, it’ll be so quick. I promise.” She says, grabbing your hand and tugging you along to come around the back.

She halts in her tracks at a distance, then points forward and you look in her pointed direction. There’s a brown wild bunny hopping away in the cunning fox’s cage.

Eleven gets on her knees and gestures for you to follow her as the two of you crawl as close as possible to the bunny. She pulls out an apple from her small pocket, taking a bite so that she has a piece of apple to feed to the bunny. She hands the apple over to you, wanting you to do the same.

“That way the bunny will get to decide who she feels comfortable going to.” Eleven explains.

You repeat the process of biting into the apple for a chunk to provide to the bunny. Then, you hear it. The chimes gently sounding off in the winds. The bunny hops towards you and you and Eleven stare in awe at the creature as it makes its way to your offering.

It nibbles for a moment, your eyes staring into its own like you’ve formed a connection. Eleven sneezes and it startles the bunny, causing it to scamper off and under the barbed wire fence.

“I’m sorry.” Eleven says, disappointed.

But you had a revelation. It wasn’t that you needed to go over the fence. It was under the entire time.

Score: 1 for the ‘dumb bunny’.

[bed-wed-behead-your-fave]

orderly Henry Creel from Stranger Things 4

[sanasanakun]

Going through my unfinished doodles and discovered I have at least five illustrations of Henry Creel looking extremely unsettling while standing by a bathroom sink. Clearly a concept not meant to be materialized and seen by the public eye given that I’ve not finished a single one of them. Also what-

[dark666posting]

In My Solitude

Pt. 1 of ?

TW: NON-CON, NON-CON, NON-CON!!! *** Dark!Henry, Stockholm syndrome-ish, Violence, literal mind fucking, taking virginity, shame fucking, non-con/ dub-con??

It's a long one.

"Put her in Solitude. We'll sort her out later." Brenner's smug voice ignites a rage in you like a gas stove. The only voice that pisses you off more, is One's. He carries your stubbornly dead-weighted body down the hallway to a room meant to deprive you of social interaction.

Your crime? Scrambling the shock collars of every other volatile subject in the facility. So yeah, they were right to lock you up, actually. They take you to a small room with a bed, a desk, and one single wooden chair.

"You're such a teacher's pet, One." You spit like fire as the two of you draw closer to the room. You hated Solitary. It scares you to be alone, more than anything. Though, One already knew that about you.

"You're too old to be playing rebellious teenager, don't you think?" He lowers you over the bed and drops you onto the mattress. "I'll be back once you've calmed down."

"I am calm!"

"Okay, I'll be back once we've regained control of the violent children you sent on a killing spree today." He speaks flatly and exits without another word. The second the door closes, anxiety sets in.

"Fuck you guys! Do you hear me!?" You use your abilities to sling the one non-bolted-down piece of furniture at the camera; it was the small wooden chair. The seat busts into shreds and your collar instantly shocks you at max power.

You release a cry of pain and collapse on the floor, paralyzed until the voltage stops.

"Oh, you mother fuckers. Did I forget to scramble MY COLLAR?" You curse out loud at yourself.

"I imagine your brain is fried from the constant amount of electricity being sent to your brain every time you fuck up." One reappears in the doorway, silently. He glances at the damaged camera and the red light slowly goes dim.

"Oh no, poor camera. Now you can't watch me stare at the wall." You jeer, rolling your eyes as you lie back on the bed.

"That's fine. I'll just have to come to check on you more frequently." The tone of his voice causes a knot to form in your throat. One finally steps into the room and lets the heavy, computerized door close behind him. You sit up on the bed, hanging your legs off the side, careful to avoid eye contact.

"I like chatting with you, Y/N. You're... Interesting." He walks closer until he's standing right in front of you. The bed is frameless and bolted to the ground, so it's not very high. Leaving you at eye level with his belt as he gazes down at you.

"D-Don't even think about it." You narrow your eyes, disgusted by what his stance suggests- though you already know you'll be thinking about it later.

"Oh, Y/N. You couldn't be so lucky." He glances at the camera one more time, making sure it's broken. "Though, it does get boring here after all these years. You'd think you'd be begging for it."

He holds up the remote that controls your collar, sending a Pavlov-like programmed fear through your bones.

"So beg for it," he speaks with a quiet, breathy voice. Your eyes widen, but as soon as you open your mouth to stutter out "what?" Someone calls for One outside the door. He smirks, satisfied with your speechlessness. He exits silently, returning to the hallway as if nothing happened.

You remain speechless, sitting in silence questioning if you'd somehow misread the situation. You shake any thoughts of One out of your head and try to look zoned out in case the camera came back on. Really, you were trying to use your abilities to unlock the door. You don't know how, but it seems like One can always sense your powers. Your collar goes off immediately.

You scream, ceasing your attempt to open the door, but it keeps going. Sending endless volts of electricity through your body. Once it finally lets up, you pass out on the bed.

Night falls and you're sound asleep, still exhausted from the electrocution. Silently, as usual, One enters your room. He takes his time, drinking in the image of you unconscious on the bed. Your legs are exposed from under the hospital gown you're all forced to wear when they run tests on you.

One slips into the bed, propped up right beside you. His hands wander your body before carefully palming and playing with your breasts. You moan softly in your sleep, only exciting him more. He reaches a careful hand to the hem of your gown, carefully raising it to expose your bright white, cotton panties.

His breathing shudders as his gentle hand grazes over your covered clit. You unknowingly arch your back, desperate for more friction. He takes the hint and slips his hand into your panties, rubbing his long, nimble, middle finger up and down your throbbing slit.

Your eyes flutter open as pleasure consumes you, and that's when you realize why you're feeling so euphoric. You instantly jerk away, attempting to scream, but he's too fast. He pins you in place, his powers have always been much stronger than yours, he could just control them better.

"What are you doing!?" You question, panicking as your brain comprehends being awake.

"Shh," he whispers gently as he continues to work his fingers, carefully slipping one deep inside of you. Your face is consumed by a shade of bright red as you fight back your moans. One chuckles in your ear as he slips his hand from your underwear and brings his fingers to his lips, delicately licking them clean.

"Go back to sleep," he demands calmly before shocking you until you pass out again.

The next few weeks are just like this. In the daytime he slips into your room and taunts you, enraging you until you melt down. At night, he plays with you, sometimes letting you cum, other times edging you until you're convulsing. The more you try to tell other doctors, the longer your stay in Solitude is extended for "misinformation."

Then, one night, something seems different. He's grinning ear to ear as he slips into your room. Usually, seeing him would illicit a sassy remark from you, but after the last few weeks, you find yourself keeping quiet. He excites you, even if you don't want him to.

"Why are you smiling like that?" You ask, desperate to break the tense silence.

"I brought you a... Toy." He reveals a baton from behind his back. It's long and metal with a taser bit on the end. The other guards use them to keep numbers in check.

"W-What is that for?" You ask, as tears already well up in your eyes.

"This." He extends the baton and rests it under your chin, lifting your head with it. He pulls it away, staying close to your face when he activates the electrical current. You flinch, startled by the sound. One laughs, leaning his tall, thin frame over to your bed.

"Don't worry, the battery is dying," he chuckles before prodding your thigh, sending a jolt through you that is much milder than the collar. You jump and let out a small yelp. Your face blushes, alerting him to your excitement.

"Look at you. I knew you'd come around." He joins you on the bed, close enough for your thighs to touch. A soft hand trails up your back before sharply gripping the back of your gown and pulling you over his lap. A deep, satisfied exhale leaves his nose as he runs his hands over your curves.

"O-One-" you start, but he cuts you off.

"Henry." He corrects you with a sudden, firm smack on your ass. "I don't dehumanize you by calling you by your number; do I, Y/N?" And he doesn't. He never has, but you'd only just realized that. The sound of your name from his lips causes your breath to hitch in your chest. He lands one more firm smack.

"Say it."

"Henry." You furrow your brow. "I thought I heard Papa call you Peter?" You glanced back over your shoulder, peering at Henry's studious eyes as they scan over your body repeatedly.

"I don't think it would be as exciting for me if I made you moan a fake name." He drags the end of the baton up the back of your legs as you remain positioned across his lap. The electric barb was cold from being inactive, sending goosebumps up your back. The softness is quickly contrasted when Henry activates it against your left ass cheek.

You release a loud burst of sound, a mixture of cries and moans as you arch your back, lifting your ass higher for him.

"Don't eavesdrop on me again, Y/N." He breathes in your ear with a raspy voice. "I don't think Brenner even remembers you're in here, you know that?" He traces more lines over your skin with the baton.

"What do you mean?" Your voice is no more than a breathless whisper.

"I mean if I didn't come to play with my new toy, you'd starve and rot back here- alone." He puts extra emphasis on that last word, alone. The thought of this fate causes your breath to hitch in your chest. "Don't worry, Y/N. I wouldn't let that happen."

Suddenly, you're reliant on his visits. You're desperate to be violated. (As if this wasn't something you already fantasized about for years prior.) Half of you is terrified of a lonely, painful death and the other half is slowly becoming obsessed with his unwelcome touch.

Another two weeks pass. You're tormented with orgasms every night. He loves to find you sleeping so he can grope and tease your unconscious body while manipulating your dreams with his abilities. Something you don't know he can do.

He makes you dream of getting fucked by five or more men at a time. Taking painful thrusts in every hole they can access. Henry loves the fear and blush on your face as you're passed around inside your mind. He knows this terrifies and turns you on. (Having spent most of your life in the facility, you're still a virgin. No one's taught you that shame isn't real, so you desperately try to gain respect by not being "easy." You tend to feel weak or foolish when your morals are questioned or insulted.) He makes sure you can mentally feel the way your inexperienced cunt stretches around a cock.

You whimper and buck your hips against the air, desperately searching for some sort of friction. Your breaths become shallow gasps as he starts playing with your nipples under your gown. Your hips continue to grind against nothing until he slides his leg between yours, making contact with your clothed, drenched pussy.

Adorable whines escape your chest at the sensation. Henry tilts his head to the side, curiously. A devilish grin spreads across his face as he warps your dreams again. Still getting filled in every direction, you begin to moan his name.

"Henry, oh my God!" You erupt. Suddenly, the dream changed. It's just you and Henry on a cold, metal exam table. Common in the facility. He's pinning your wrists above your head and fucking into you like he hates you. Your eyes roll back in ecstasy as tears fall down your cheek. You and Henry climax at the same time in your vision, causing you to finish in real life, against Henry's leg.

Short, shallow breaths occupy your chest, but you remain asleep. Grinning, Henry releases his hold on your mind. He rises from your bed, palming himself through his white, pleated pants. He's unbearably hard, pressing desperately against his zipper.

He leaves the room and doesn't return the next night. He doesn't even check in all day, but you still receive every meal.

"At least he didn't forget," you reassure yourself out loud. Being alone makes you anxious, but you pass most of the time thinking about your dream. The recollection causes a throbbing in your clit and you attempt to fight off the urge to touch yourself at the thought of him.

You imagine how smug he'd be if he walked in on you with your fingers inside yourself. For a few hours, you loathe the idea of giving him the satisfaction. But as the thoughts remain in your mind, you find yourself losing the battle. You do your best to look nonchalant as you finger yourself softly.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you accidentally moan his name aloud.

"Henry..."

Like a sixth sense, he excuses himself from his duties and finds a quiet area to project to you. You can't see him, though you'd be able to sense him if you weren't overtaken by your fantasies. He smiles as he watches you throw your head back, begging for him to tear into you.

Just as your finish, he returns to his duties, continuing to ignore you for the rest of the night.

The next day is the same. You don't see him at all, but you're still fed. But after that, the meals slow down too. Anxiety sets in as you wonder what could keep him. You stare hopelessly at the camera all day every day for an entire week. By the third day, you stopped receiving food altogether.

You're hungry and weak and panicking from being left alone in silence for too long. You're just about to give in to low blood sugar when you hear the small serving window slide open, meaning your food had been delivered. You eat quickly, almost crying with relief as you fight to slow down with each bite. A couple of hours later, Henry appears in the doorway, stepping in to let it close behind him.

"Henry," you gasped like you hadn't been breathing the entire week. Without thinking or realizing it at all, you threw your arms around him.

"You needed to see that I'm the only one who cares about you now." His voice is dark and cold. He carefully pushes you off of him so he can look into your eyes.

"Please don't leave me again, please-" you fight to steady your voice.

"I don't think you appreciate the time I put aside to take care of you like this. I mean, look at how you feel when I don't come to visit," he steps closer, causing you to step away.

"What? Please don't, Henry. Don't leave me again-" panic reignites.

"Oh, no. Don't be stupid, Y/N. I'm not leaving. I just need you to repay me for my efforts." Another step closer, placing you in a corner.

"I-I can't do anything from in here. I don't have anyth-"

"Shut up and take your gown off." His words are stern and cold. You're shocked by his demand and freeze in place.

"Uh-uh-what?" You stare into his expressionless face and he just rolls his eyes. He grabs the thin cloth and tears it down the middle, exposing your white undergarments. You release a small scream, but quickly stifle it in fear.

"I don't think you're going to fight too hard. You want me to take you. You need to be taken so the shame of being an easy little whore won't ruin it for you, isn't that right?" He breathes his words into your ear as he closes in on you. You're still frozen and speechless. Unsure of how wrong his words really are.

He slides your panties down your legs and discards them along with the torn gown. His eyes carve you like knives as he takes in the image of your naked body pinned against a wall, waiting to be ravished for the first time.

You always imagined your first time would be slow and gentle, but you could tell you were about to be used as nothing more than a hole. That made you blush.

"I hope it doesn't hurt you too much because I don't plan on stopping," he chuckles as he wraps a large, strong hand around your neck and drags you to the bed. He carelessly tosses you onto the mattress and makes quick work of undoing his belt and pants. His face looks angry and focused, his eyes are dark.

You glance at the large, metal door and a tear slides down your face as you realize there is no getting out of this. Henry's throbbing erection springs past his underwear and brushes against your dripping clit. You gasp at the sensation, your pulse quickening as reality sets in. For weeks he had been sexually tormenting you in ways you weren't even aware of yet, but now Henry's finally taking what he wants.

"Look at how you don't even fight me. Both legs wide open; you're so desperate to be fucked out." He taunts you as he strokes himself right outside your entrance. You feel blood rise on your face in shame. You're embarrassed at how horny you are. You cover your face, unable to look at him anymore.

Henry tilts his head, scanning your hands over your face. He chuckles, thinking of more ways to get off on your shame. Without warning, he slams into you, full length. You scream in pain, and your walls throb around him, causing him to moan through his evil laughter.

"Fuck, you're so fucking tight," he gasps, thrusting into you with no time to let you adjust.

"Henry, please!" You beg, losing your breath from the hurt.

"You really are a virgin, aren't you? There were so many rumors about you fucking the guards for more freedom," Henry teases. "I always wondered why you wouldn't give it up for me." Slowly your body adjusts to his size and the burning becomes a tight knot in your abdomen. He can tell by the way your unclenching that you're starting to like getting fucked.

"I n-never fucked a guard!" You defend yourself, but Henry just laughs at you.

"Don't you love the idea of letting them all pass you around and fill you with cum so you can skip around outside for 15 more minutes?" His relentless teasing only adds to your embarrassment.

"No! I'm not a wh-whore!" You sob, remembering how often the guards called you that when you rejected their advances.

"Yes, you are, Y/N. And you're mine. And if you don't want to be alone, then you're going to learn to love being my whore." His words seal your fate and you fall silent. You fight all urges to moan, keeping your face covered as you cry and cum. Henry laughs loudly as his thrusts speed up and he finishes deep inside you.

As you remain laid out on the bed, Henry stands and recomposes himself. He fastens his belt and straightens his hair up before exiting without another word.

You lie in a puddle of sweat and cum, completely unable to feel anything below your waist. The longer you're left to recover, the more you wonder... When he's coming back.

Henry returns the next morning, no longer taunting you because he knows you aren't going to tell anyone anything anymore. He enters the room with a new gown, placing it on the table across the room. You pretend to still be asleep after a tiring night, either to get him to leave you alone... Or to see what he'll do.

He quietly walks over to your barely-covered, naked frame and shakes his head.

"Stupid little thing," he taunts, fully aware that you're awake, but saving that information for himself. He reaches a gentle hand down to your "sleeping" face and traces over your soft lips delicately. The gentle affection causes a sudden blush on your cheeks. You open your eyes and meet his gaze above you.

"Oh, you're awake," he quips. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept okay," you move your hands to try to cover yourself as best as you can.

"Here, I brought you a new gown." Henry gracefully strides from one side of the room to the other, passing you another thin gown.

"Why can't I wear my thermals?" You question, uncomfortably.

"Because, before your last 'mistake' you were in the gown due to testing. And now you'll keep wearing it because it's so easy for me to tear off of you, okay?"

"Okay." You agree like it was instinct to do as he says. Henry helps you into the garment, tying it behind your back for you. After the final knot, he spins you around to face him. Your eyes widen as you raise your guard, unsure of his next plans with you. At this point, you put nothing past him.

He grabs both your arms by your side in the blink of an eye, keeping you restrained where you are. He pulls you into him roughly and plants a hungry kiss on your lips. You scrunch up your face, still unsure of how he makes you feel. Fantasies or not, he was violating you repeatedly. He chuckles at your confused, disgusted expression before leaving the room once again.

Part one of ???

[juiceicicles]

Chapter 4: Code Orange

Max whips her head around as she watches all of the lamps in the trailer start to flicker and buzz. They come back on a few moments later, but that doesn’t stop the cold dread that’s settled in her stomach.

Max is always scared when the lights flicker. She remembers when every single light in Starcourt began to dim and brighten sporadically, remembers watching the faces of her friends pale, bright reds and neon yellows sparking in and out of terrified eyes.

The lights go out at the trailer frequently, the electricity isn’t well kept in Forest Hills, but the way the power seems to tremble bears a striking resemblance to a warning. Just like the many shop front signs at Starcourt once did.

She hears a scream and drifts over the window. She pulls the curtain back and she watches her neighbor Eddie slam the door open and rush to his van. There’s a second figure behind him, but they move too fast in the poor lighting for Max to get a good look at them. The dust kicks up behind the van as Eddie peels out of the trailer park with a horrified expression, mouth moving a mile a minute as he talks to whoever’s in the passenger seat.

It’s weird, and Max feels that cold dread spread out around her. It might be nothing, Eddie always drives like a maniac, Eddie’s loud and screams a lot, the power at the trailer park is shit. It might be nothing, but it might be something. Something very, very bad.

Max lets the curtains fall behind her as she rushes over to her room. She digs around in her closet until she pulls out a shiny new walkie talkie. She never uses it, she hasn’t felt like talking to the party in a while. They don’t really get her, and she’s wanted to be alone recently.

Billy wasn’t a good brother. He wasn’t nice, and he wasn’t even her real brother. Still, Max can’t help but feel like it was her fault that he died. If she just noticed earlier, believed El from the beginning, hadn’t wished that he was dead. He died to save her, and after many nights begging the universe that he would just disappear, her prayers were answered. Max doesn’t believe in god, but she can’t help but think that if she didn’t want so bad, maybe it never would’ve happened.

She pulls up the walkie’s antenna and presses down on the button. “Hello? Anybody there?” She says to the walkie, releasing the button to wait for a response.

Nothing.

“Hello? I need to talk to you guys!” She’d be yelling if it wouldn’t wake her mother, but it would so she settles for a very forceful tone.

Silence.

She tries a few more times before she gives up and sets the walkie on her nightstand. She’ll wait until she hears the stalkers talking, they use them frequently for nothing important, it’ll be the best indicator of when they’ll be there to listen.

A few minutes later she hears a voice that is distinctly not any of the younger members of the party, but still a recognizable voice.

“Hey! Is anybody there? We’ve got a code…orange? I don’t know!”

Steve sounds freaked out as he shouts through the speaker. A shake to his voice that’s different from the way he sounds when he’s worried the party’s going to do something stupid and more reminiscent of the panicked way he sounded in the back of Billy’s camaro, bleeding from his face and almost certainly concussed.

“Steve? What’s going on?”

“Max? What’re you- it doesn’t matter. Something Upside-Down related might be going on. I need to talk to Dustin. Do you think you guys could come see me tomorrow at Family Video?”

“Upside-Down related?” She feels her arms turn to lead and the way her breathing picks up. She can’t lose someone again, it can’t be happening again. “Should we come see you now?”

“I think it’s okay for now—“

“Dude! You—“

“—it’s okay for now, but we should talk soon.”

“…alright. I’ll grab the nerds and meet you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Max. See you soon.”

She sets the walkie back in the closet, but she leaves the antenna up and the door open in case Steve needs help. She doesn’t like the implications of what Steve said, and she doesn’t like waiting. Plus, she’s pretty sure she heard Eddie in the background, meaning whatever happened at the trailer was bad just like she thought it was. She can’t imagine an Upside-Down scenario that didn’t require immediate action, but if Steve said to wait, she could wait.

— — —

First thing in the morning after feeding her dog, she skates over to Lucas’s. She gets to Lucas’s and knocks on the door. Nobody opens it, so she knocks harder. She keeps knocking for a few more minutes before accepting that nobody’s home. The Wheeler’s is nearby so she tries them too. Nancy would be helpful, she’s got a lot more experience then she does. She gets an unhelpful response from Mr. Wheeler so she starts the trek to Dustin’s. It’s not far away, but it feels like eons to be just her and her thoughts.

Max wasn’t always an anxious person. She used to take things as they came and not worry about what she could and couldn’t change. If there’s nothing she can do to fix it, then there’s no point trying to find a way to. But that changed after Starcourt.

She feels constantly on edge. Like she needs to assess every possible outcome of every possible situation. Put her back to the walls so a demodog can’t sneak up behind her and surround her, note every exit so she knows where to run. There’s nothing she can do to stop it, but if she’s going to survive it she needs to be ready.

But there’s nothing to be ready for. The gate has been closed for months, there’s nothing lurking in the junkyard, or prowling in the woods. When the light flickers she just needs to check the lamps plugged in, when a plate breaks she just needs to clean it up. There’s no mind flayer to throw fireworks at, no bus to reinforce, and no Neil to sneak around.

She can’t help it though. Logically, she knows if the Upside-Down came back, she’d know. It always comes back loud, not always literally but it’s always noticeable. But there’s no more Will to sense it coming, no more El to push back against the monsters, no Joyce to notice the little things, and no Hopper to keep them in check. Just Max.

Which means if it’s back, if it’s really back, she has no idea what to do. The boys can figure out a plan, they always do, but they don’t have the tools they need anymore. Joyce packed their most valuable members up and left.

Max gets it, she really does, she’d give anything to go back to California with them. Sure she’d miss Lucas and Dustin, and she’d even miss Mike, but she’d be away from the ghosts and memories that haunt her nightmares. She’d be safe.

It feels selfish to want safety. She’s emotionally intelligent enough to know that that’s stupid. That safety and comfort are all things she deserves to have, that she’s wired to crave. But she’s supposed to be tough, she shouldn’t need a babysitter.

That’s why she likes Steve. He doesn’t ask her if she wants that, gives it to her anyways. He doesn’t push or prod like Lucas (she loves him, really does - though she doesn’t know that - but he has a need to make things better in ways he often just can’t) or needle her like Dustin. He’s just there. An adult to rely on, to take her to the arcade when her mom’s drunk and screaming, to bring her food that isn’t just microwaved hotdogs, and to stand between her and death whenever it comes for them.

She rolls up to Dustin’s house and knocks on the door. Ms. Henderson lets her in after a socially acceptable amount of small talk and an uncomfortable amount of motherly affection for someone who is not her child and informs Max that Dustin’s in his room.

She storms over to his door and pounds on it until he opens up with a glare and what’s probably a sarcastic remark on his tongue, but Max just shoves past him into his room.

“We need to talk for a second.”

“Nice to see you too, Max!” He spits at her, a venomous tone she has done nothing to deserve “long time no see! We haven’t seen you in weeks and now you’re barging into my house?”

She winces, she should’ve realized this conversation might be a bit difficult with her avoidance of the party recently. Honestly? She didn’t think Dustin would care. They aren’t super close, he’s not crushing on her anymore (thanks, Suzie) and they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

They don’t have time for this so she decides to simply ignore it. “Steve was on the walkie last night, something happened.”

She watched the anger fade from Dustin’s face as he registers her words, replaced by wide eyes and creased brows.

“What do you mean ‘something happened’? Is this a code red?” Dustin asks. He’s digging through a pile of clothes and pulls out a battered walkie talkie before he strides over to the other side of the room to grab a backpack.

“No, not a code red!” She rushes out before Dustin can compile a small armory in his backpack. That may have been a worrying statement, in retrospect, but she doesn’t really know how worried they should be so she thinks she deserves some slack, “Steve called it a code orange, whatever that means. Just said something potentially Upside-Down related happened and we need to talk. It didn’t seem like an emergency, but it sounded sort of urgent.”

Dustin relaxes a little bit, but his shoulders remain tense and his brow stays creased. He swears under his breath and drops his bag. He walks over to his bed and sits down, cupping his hands over his mouth and closing his eyes. “What do we know?”

“He just said to meet him at family video. But…I think I might’ve seen something.”

Dustin’s head snaps to her, focus overtaking his features. “What do you mean you saw something? Why were you near Steve’s?”

“I- it didn’t happen near Steve’s but…I saw the lights flicker,” Dustin inhales sharply, “and I saw Eddie speak away in his van—“

“Wait, Eddie? What does Eddie have to do with this?”

“Let me finish dumbass. Nothing that weird or anything. I mean...Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But...I started to think back and I don’t know- the look on his face. He was scared, Dustin. He was really scared. Maybe he was scared because he saw a dead rat in his bed or something, but maybe…I don’t know…maybe something else happened.”

“Maybe something that caused the lights to flicker.” Dustin says softly, looking at the floor of his room. He’s got a sort of drawn expression, a resigned dread. Max feels that cold again. That feeling that tells her there’s nothing she can do now. That she just has to survive, and that’s all she can do.

“But- but that’s impossible, right? Something happening in two places at once?” She tries to rationalize. It’s a bad argument, she knows. Demodogs are pack animals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t separate. “And it was so quiet, monsters would’ve been louder, right?” There’s so much they don’t know. Anything could’ve happened there. Demodogs aren’t the only thing that lurks in the shadows.

“I don’t know,” he gets up and grabs his bag, determination radiating from him as he stuffs a lighter into the side pocket, “but there’s someone who knows what happened, and Eddie’s a problem for later.”

———

Tag List: @failedstarsandgoldenclouds @imyelenasexual @stxrcrossed186 @gregre369 @sweetwaterangel @sapphic-bats @starman-jpg

AO3 Link:

[deaddacc]

Babygurl 🥰

I can’t believe I never fully draw him,, so I had to 😫

[apocalyptic-byler]

s5 pls give us more young henry

[gwenstrikesagain]

vecna slash henry slash one

S4:E8

When Robin starts to rant about how they were wrong about Vecna, she refers to all of the names we know him as:

Vecna.

Henry.

and One.

Robin asks what they're calling him now, and I think it is interesting who picks which name.

Erica calls him Vecna.

Dustin and Lucas call him One.

Nancy calls him Henry.

So why are they picking each of these names? and why is that interesting to us as viewers?

First of all, up until this point, Erica has been shielded from most Upside Down gore. She saw El's leg in S3, but she never saw the Mind Flayer in the mall, nor did she see a Demogorgon. She was told what was happening by Dustin. The story was laid out for her, a story that she hasn't lived yet. Dustin acted as a DM for her, laying out the story.

Canonically, Erica is still 11 years old. At her age, Erica's brain will protect her from trauma by considering these things a game, or relating them to a game. Which game would she relate the horror she's hearing about and seeing? The one she has become so passionate about since S3 and the one that directly correlates to the victory she just had. She calls him Vecna, because in her mind they've already defeated Vecna. It is the safest option for Erica.

This is why the very end of E9 is a transforming moment. When Erica breaks into the attic and finds Max dying in her brother's arms, there is a dramatic shift we can see in her eyes (serious kudos to Priah, she's incredible). In that moment, the gravity of the Upside Down hits her as she sees it cause the death of someone she loves in front of her eyes. For the first time, it isn't a game anymore.

Next on the docket: Dustin and Lucas. Unlike Erica, they have seen the gore and horrors of the Upside Down first hand. They have seen the Demogorgon attack and El kill in S1 and the Demodogs that almost killed them in S2. In S3, Lucas sees the Mind Flayer several times. He throws fireworks at it, cuts it off of his friend, and watches it possess and kill his girlfriend's brother in front of her. Meanwhile, in S3, Dustin sees the gate opening, and knows that the roaring he hears over Cerebro promises imminent death for his friends. For those two, and the others, this battle is no longer a game or a comic book.

Dustin and Lucas have seen Eleven defend them on countless occasions. They have seen the power she holds first hand. For Lucas, he has even been on the receiving end of what her powers can do. For those two, and the kids who aren't present, One is the most familiar and understandable way to refer to and understand him. To them, El is their superhero, and One is the villain. Much like the comic books they read, and the games they play, he is a big bad that the good guys will overcome. They've saved the day every other time, and they will do it again.

They have a lot of trauma in their past. Compartmentalizing and placing One in the same box as Eleven is the most comfortable option. One is the big bad, and El is their hero. It is the safest option for them.

Also, they themselves are 14/15. Developmentally, Lucas and Dustin will rely on the familiar as a coping mechanism. Comic books and D&D are the reference they will rely on. In those, however, death is not final. No 14/15 year old boy acts in self preservation. Mortality isn't real to them. Just like in the comics and in their games, danger is not real. They won't die, nor will their friends. In their stage of life, death isn't an option.

But, in E9, they both lose. Dustin loses Eddie, and Lucas loses Max. Both of them watch as the big bad wins, and the ones they love most die in their arms. This is no longer a comic book with classic heroes and villains. They have escaped relatively unscathed in the past, but now? Now the danger is in their faith and it is throwing their mortality in their faces. Not only is death final, but it is personal. This is human, and this battle is no longer safe.

Finally, Nancy refers to him as Henry. When she is cursed by Henry, he shows her his childhood. Specifically, he shows her what he looked like as a human child. In S3, when Max and Mike are arguing, Nancy reminds Mike that El is her own person in control of her own decisions. In the moment, we get a glimpse into how Nancy sees El. Unlike Mike, she doesn't look at El and see a superhero or only her powers. Nancy sees that El is a kid, and a young woman making her own decisions. In the same way, Nancy sees Henry as a boy who has made his own decisions.

To Nancy, he is human. He isn't the antagonist in a D&D match, or the supervillian in a superhero's comic book story: he is Henry. Nancy sees Henry as a man who has chosen evil, and has chosen to torture.

She never had the luxury of seeing this as a game, or heroes verses villains, like the others. This has been human and real to Nancy from the moment Barb disappeared. She never had the luxury of ignoring mortality. Her best friend was killed at the very beginning of all of this.

Developmentally, at 17/18, Nancy is coming to terms with adulthood and what that means for her. With it, she is facing the fact that she is mortal, and her decisions will influence her future. The college she goes to, the friends she choses, and who she decides to love are things that do not feel safe: they feel vulnerable.

Of them all, Nancy is the most in tune with what they are facing. As such, she immediately jumps into action. Nancy makes the decision to go into the Upside Down, to allow Max to be bait, to assign Eddie and Dustin to distraction duty, to step forward and pull the trigger on someone she sees as a man, not a monster.

Nancy is the leader this season. Robin says it herself, Nance is in charge. That responsibility, and the choices that came with it, will haunt her. She made the plan, and assigned tasks just as she would at the school newspaper. The deaths and injuries that occurred under her orders will follow her, just as Barb's death had followed her.

Next season, it will be interesting to see if the group unites in what they refer to Henry/Vecna/One as. Will they be a united front, facing an enemy they see in the same light, or will they still be divided?

[cuppedbottledwater]

Vecna has no dick but he does have an ass which means if you want to get fucked by him then you'll have to buy him a strap. This comes in handy if you don't have a dick since you could share the strap.

[pinkeoni]

“It’s weird knowing who it was all this time.”

How scared do you think it makes Will, now that he knows that a man has been after him this whole time?

Not some ancient eldtritch horror, a human man with human intelligence who has been watching him, stalking him.

He wasn’t just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and encountered a demogorgon when it was hungry and needed food. Someone sought after him for a reason and kidnapped him.

[curiousity-cell]

am i making you feel sick?

-

art by denkiddo1 !!!

welcome to my crackship brainrot hell

[fluffpuffies]

2hr

Experimenting with Vecna. Was gonna just make a zombie man.

Anyway, this is how I imagine he'd stalk me in the corner of my room with my sleep paralysis demon. <3

[izzicle]

Number Four

"Hey. Hey." One tried to get Four's attention as they walked together down the hall; eventually taking her arm and steering her aside into a private alcove. Four moodily shrugged him off. "You did good. I mean it."

Four huffed, crossing her arms.

"Come on now, don't get caught up in your feelings. It's passed."

"It didn't work, why wasn't it working?" Four exploded.

He rubbed her shoulders, bending to try and meet her reluctant gaze. "It's the panic. You need to keep a clear head. You must not panic. The panic stops the power."

"The panic... stops the power." Four repeated slowly.

"Exactly." His intense blue eyes held her grey ones. "Look. Sometimes... it helps, when you feel your control slipping, to really just... focus on one strong memory. Something that makes you sad, but also angry. Do you maybe have anything like that?"

~Find the rest here!

[aresamma]

Quick One WIP