#suzy plz

[ambitchousbutrubbish]

Top Gear is solely responsible for me saying “sit rep” or “what’s happened is…” and explaining after a crazy day/moment in my life.

[squidfiction]

When Halloween falls on a Tuesday night 😰

[gavichaelreaction]

A long (and personal) rant about what’s happened at RoosterTeeth (overdue I know)

It’s taken me a while to really sit and think through this. I had more things written when I was running on raw emotion, but I’ve since dialled it back. I didn’t want my last post on here to be the last thing I say about it. So, with that out of the way;

The reality of how bad things had gotten at RoosterTeeth hit me after the layoffs, and the Black Lives Matter movement when Mica Burton expressed how she was actually treated by some people behind the scenes. I really felt for her on that one Off Topic episode.

For years, RoosterTeeth had always preached about how fun their workplace was and how they were all like a family. So many fans wanted to work there, and even though employees there themselves always said “don’t aim to work here” we still grew up watching their videos, drawing fan art, writing fanfics & idolising these people, wishing that we knew them.

Since the whole ry*n and ad*m thing, fans have been burned before, learning in one of the worst ways possible that putting these people up on a pedestal like that can go right to their heads and make them feel like they can get away with anything. How some will take advantage of their fans, the people who trusted them.

The media company that I grew up watching, their videos I watched religiously from 2012 through to 2015, it was all sunshine and rainbows, but only on the surface. If only I’d have known what was really going on this whole time. I’ve not followed RT or AH for a long time, and when I have been keeping up with some stuff, it’s been on Twitter when a new controversy arises. Which is a total shame.

I’m just glad that Ray got out of there and found his true calling in life. He’s done so well for himself after he left, married the love of his life, has 2 dogs, a home, and a career that he now has control over, getting to do what he wants and no longer feeling burnt out like he was. That fans (for the most part) respected his choice, even if they didn’t like it, realising that actually he was better off in the end.

I’m so happy that Mica has since moved on to bigger and better things, found her people over at Critical Roll, who all welcomed her with open arms, and has been on freaking Star Trek alongside her dad! Love all of that for her, and she seems genuinely happy now!

I’m glad that Kdin told her story, has forgiven people who’ve come forward and apologised for their actions and past behaviours, let everyone know who her real friends are, and called out the people who did wrong or turned a blind eye to the shit that went on and did nothing to help her.

I was happy to see people actively riot when Matt announced his job had been dissolved. When he & Jeremy first joined AH, I saw a lot of negativity towards them, generally “change bad” and “new people not funny” but they were once fans like us, who we thought were lucky to work there. Now though, they’ve seen the other side and have still stayed humble. They seem like good, genuine, down to earth people who are still so invested in the RT community. Showing their support for Kdin, Ray, Mica and everyone else who was hurt by all of this. I hope they all stream together someday!

I’m glad that Michael delivered what I thought was the most genuine apology out of everybody and that Kdin has forgiven him. He has since shown growth, not just in his words but with his actions. He’s not the same person he was when he started at AH. He’s stepped up and taken responsibility. Not everyone forgives him, not everyone sees it that way, but I’m glad Kdin does.

One of the best things that RT ever did, was hire Monty Oum. If there’s one thing that man did for me while he was there, was that he taught me to never give up. To strive for the life that I deserve, and not settle for anything less, and to be creative. Even if it means I’m not good at something first, even if it takes a lifetime. To be thankful for life in general, because you never truly know how long you have.

The only thing that really stops us is time.

I never wanted to work at RoosterTeeth, I just wanted that creative and encouraging workplace that felt like a family, where my voice was not only heard but also listened to. Where I felt valued and respected. Now I’ve found that, and I get to live that dream. After years of feeling like a failure and not having any direction or purpose, and I never take that for granted. “Not everyone gets to do what they love as their job, and there’s never a day where I forget that.” I now feel the love that I’ve craved so much and for so long. I don’t want to not exist anymore, I want to live my life knowing that Monty would be proud of me, to be proud of myself, and to do enough living for both of us.

It just saddens me that this wasn’t the true reality for some working at RoosterTeeth. The things it did give me, that I will always cherish and take away from it- good memories, ideas, inspiration, laughs, moments that got me through some of the darkest times of my life, and hope for the future. Belief in myself that I could do anything I set my mind to, and to aim beyond the stars. Let my imagination run wild and it would get me there in the end. It’s never too late, I’m not too old, I am good enough, and I’m not alone.

“You’re never fighting alone, get up, get going, I’ll meet you there.” AND,

Keep Moving Forward.

Anyway, /rant.

[undeadkilljoy]

Further upd8:

After all this time, I finally got round to painting a couple more for myself! An oven mitt (both sides are painted) and oven gloves!

Would now really love a cooking pot engraved with 🎶we got more pots than your fuckin kitchen🎶 lmao

Hollywood Undead merch idea:

Oven mits with the dove and grenade logo that say Comin in Hot.

[solarismp3]

I did this

[kangshxrtie]

ch. 22 ⤍ PICK ME

you started your stream with your usual energetic greeting, glancing at the chat as it started to flood in with messages. you leaned back in your chair, smiling, ready to dive into the updates.

"so earlier today, i filmed this video with leeseo and wonyoung," you began, trying not to laugh too hard at the memory. "first of all, never let wonyoung behind the wheel—she scares me. she couldn't keep her hands on the wheel because she freaked out every time the car moved even a little. now, leeseo? that kid is wild. for some reason, she's actually good at driving." you paused for effect. "like, way too good for her age."

user1 idk who even let wonyoung behind the wheel. she's literally scared of driving.

you nodded, laughing softly. "i was wondering the same damn thing," you replied, shaking your head.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ when do i get to drive you? 😏

you raised an eyebrow at the comment. "you driving? should i be scared?" you teased.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ of course not. i'm a great driver!

"i don't know... should i let zuha drive me around?" you asked your chat, knowing exactly how they'd react.

user2 hell no

user3 run yn

user4 ur def not making it out of that one

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i love being a mod. there's so much power here.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i'm banning everybody who said i can't drive!

you couldn't help but laugh at her response. "you can't just ban my whole chat, zuha!"

reinyourheart wait how is kazuha a mod b4 me? i've known u longer

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ 🤷🏻‍♀️ i'm just good like that.

🗡️_yujin_an damn imagine not being a mod

reinyourheart even yujin

reinyourheart she prob doesn't even use it

🗡️_yujin_an actually 🤓☝️ i use my mod powers all the time to run polls. i'm also an og y/n sub so i got mod

reinyourheart y/n plz mod me since apparently you're just giving mod to anybody these days

"i don't trust you enough to give you those privileges."

reinyourheart but u trust yujin???

"well, not really, but she's our leader," you joked.

reinyourheart banning u from my chat now

"that's fine, i never watch your streams anyways," you quipped, earning a playful gasp from your chat.

reinyourheart 😮 fake

"i'm joking. please don't actually ban me," you said, breaking into laughter. as your giggles faded, your eyes caught an interesting question in the chat.

user1 what type of person do u want to date?

the question made you pause for a moment. "i've actually been thinking about this a lot recently," you admitted.

you leaned forward, ready to dive into your answer. "so, first of all, i like someone with a cool and relaxed personality, but they also need to be bright enough to make me laugh—even with the corniest jokes." as you said this, your thoughts drifted toward someone in particular.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i feel like i can satisfy those requirements

you chuckled softly but kept going. "i also want to date a morning person, so they can help me fix my sleep schedule."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i hate sleeping in

"i really hope they can speak japanese too, 'cause i wanna visit japan so badly."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ me

you grinned, ignoring her comments for now. "another odd requirement—i want them to be good at ballet. it's a talent i just really admire."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ me ��🏻‍♀️

"oh, and if they look like bae suzy, that's a huge bonus," you added with a nostalgic smile. "she was my ideal type when i was younger."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ pick me! choose mee!

"and another weird one—they need to randomly start stretching or doing squats whenever they feel like it. bonus points if they have abs. that's just..." you sighed dramatically. "so hot."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i literally fit all the requirements

you finally broke, laughing as you read her string of comments. "i don't know if anybody can really line up to all these standards," you shrugged playfully.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ am i even here rn 😞

"y'all, if you know someone who meets all these standards, let me know," you told your chat, laughing at how many people were either playing along or just laughing at the interaction.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ chat suggest me #ynxzuha

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ imma start banning ppl that type any other name

"you can't threaten my chat like that, zuha," you chuckled, reading her messages aloud.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ chat she noticed me

you shook your head, smiling. "but since you're here, what do you think of all these suggestions?"

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ idk but i think that kazuha girl is pretty cool. i think u wld like her

you pursed your lips in thought. "hmm... i don't really know. i'll have to think about that one."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ trust

"i guess i'll trust you," you said, playing along. "but what are you doing right now? you should join me."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i cant im filming leniverse rn

you gasped. "what do you mean? stop watching me and go film!" you teased, mock-scolding her.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ we good. they're not rdy yet

"alright, just don't get into trouble because of me."

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ talking to u is more important tho :/

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ nobody tell chaewon i said that

"there's a reason i act the way i do—it's because she says stuff like this," you said with an exaggerated sigh.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i miss u lets hang out soon

"we literally hung out yesterday," you reminded her, laughing.

user5 u did?

user6 i miss when y/n updated us

you nodded, leaning into the camera. "yeah, because we filmed the collab!" you added, catching yourself before revealing too much. "when will that be posted, zuha?"

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ shld be posted next week

"okay, tell your team to edit me well," you said with a grin.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i will.

🗡️k_a_z_u_h_a__ i hv to film now talk l8r

"bye, zuha!" you waved dramatically, just as you got a perfectly timed message from yujin that she was almost ready.

"so, today we'll be playing games with yujin, who should be here soon," you announced to your chat. no sooner had you said it, you heard the familiar ping, signaling that yujin had joined the call.

"y/n, why didn't you warn me?" yujin exclaimed, her voice full of exasperation.

you blinked. "what do you mean?"

"leeseo just showed me what you all did in the video today."

"oh, that! yeah, she's crazy with it," you laughed, remembering the madness.

"she was all like, 'you wanna see what i learned?' and i'm thinking, sure, why not—'cause i'm actually curious about what y'all filmed. next thing i know, she reverses fast and does a freaking j-turn. i've never been so scared in my life."

"she did it first try, too. i was just sitting there, in shock."

"i just wish i had talked to wonyoung first," yujin muttered.

"i'm so glad you're the driver in the group. no way we'd be alive if wonyoung was behind the wheel."

"oh, absolutely," yujin agreed quickly. you both laughed before getting connected to the game, ready for the chaos that would follow.

zuhasgf connected

as soon as yujin's character appeared in the game lobby, you rolled your eyes, and immediately opened the menu, kicking her out without hesitation.

"alright, i'm in the game," she announced, unaware of what you'd just done.

"huh? y/n, did you just kick me out?" yujin's voice sounded confused.

you tried to act innocent. "wait, why'd you disconnect?"

yujin groaned, realizing. "you literally just kicked me."

"i think you need a new username," you replied.

"i can't get back in—did you ban me?" yujin chuckled.

"don't blame me because you can't get in the game," you said.

zuhasgf connected.

you immediately kicked her out again, this time banning her completely.

"y/n!" yujin yelled in disbelief.

"i told you to make a new username. i'm not accepting this one," you said firmly.

"just unban me!" yujin demanded, still laughing.

"are you trying to join with the same character?" you asked.

"yeah, did you unban me?"

"...of course," you lied smoothly.

once yujin finally decides to change her name back to normal, you two load into the game, the screen fades in, revealing your pirates standing confidently on a dock, the vast ocean stretching behind them, with a rugged ship rocking gently in the harbor.

"i don't have a shovel, so you're gonna have to do all the digging," yujin lazily announced.

"yujin, if you don't put some type of work in, i might actually fight you," you shot back.

you walk off in the opposite direction when you spot something off in the distance. "there's a ship here," you inform yujin.

she started her pirate roleplay. "arghh! i'm on my way!" yujin replied in a raspy pirate accent, rushing toward the ship with exaggerated enthusiasm.

suddenly, your screen started shaking violently. "what was that?" you muttered, trying to steady your view.

on the other end, you could hear yujin losing her mind, screaming incoherently. there were no actual words, just pure panic as she mashed buttons in a futile attempt to do... something.

while yujin flailed, you spotted an ocean crawler emerging from the sand. remaining calm, you casually pulled out your gun and shot it. meanwhile, yujin continued screaming in terror about something you couldn't even see.

then, out of nowhere, yujin set off an explosion—right next to you. the entire screen flashed red as both you and the surrounding enemies were blasted back.

"oh my god, yujin! what the fuck!" you yelled, your health bar dangerously low as you quickly ate some food to recover.

"you're welcome!" yujin chirped, completely ignoring the fact that she had almost killed you along with the monsters.

the battle ended, and you both wandered around the island, eventually stumbling upon a mysterious shipwreck. a spectral pirate appeared out of thin air, launching into an overly dramatic speech about ancient pirate lore.

"this is actually the longest speech i've ever heard. argh," yujin groaned.

you decided to pull out a ukelele from your inventory. yujin, never one to be outdone, joined in with her singing about finding the pirate captain, her voice cracking from the strain of trying to stay in character.

later, while you were still outside playing music, yujin's shrill voice pierced the calm.

"three ghost ships!" she shouted.

"let's go. we must go on an adventure!" you replied, dramatically diving into the water, heading for the ghost ship, determination in your heart.

however, as you swam, the tide came in, forcefully pushing your character back. you struggled against the current, while yujin, oblivious, had already made it onto your ship and was sailing away.

"yujin! get your ass back here!" you screamed, frantically swimming after the ship. "i'm literally sinking!"

after what felt like an eternity, yujin finally circled back for you. gasping for breath, you managed to pull yourself up onto the deck.

relieved to be back on board, you stood at the front of the ship, surveying the ocean ahead. you felt the wind in your face, the waves crashing against the hull. surely, yujin could be trusted to steer the ship... right?

but then you noticed something alarming. "yujin... we're gonna crash into this rock!" you said, your voice tense.

"anchor!" yujin screamed, but it was far too late. the ship slammed into the rock.

"we're gonna die on this ship. not even from the battles, it'll be from your terrible driving," you groaned.

"naww, we're good," yujin said confidently, somehow managing to reverse the ship and sail around the obstacle, acting like nothing had happened.

you decided to climb up to the ship's bowsprit, balancing precariously on the beam as the ship cut through the waves. "is standing up here a good idea?" you asked, already knowing the answer.

"argh! of course it is!" yujin replied without hesitation.

"is playing music as we go into battle a bad idea?" she asked, joining you upfront with her accordian, strumming an out-of-tune melody.

you pulled out your ukulele from the inventory, matching her energy, and for a moment, it was peaceful—just two pirates making music.

then, without warning, the water around you started to churn. from the depths of the ocean, a massive kraken emerged, its tentacles towering above your ship.

both you and yujin screamed in unison as chaos ensued. you were flung into the water but somehow kept playing your ukulele, refusing to let the music die.

"it's sucking us in!" yujin shouted, her voice on the verge of panic. "load the cannons! we gotta fight this off!"

"can we even fight this thing?" you asked through fits of laughter, doubting your chances.

you quickly switched to the cannonballs, aiming at the monstrous tentacles, firing off shots as fast as you could. you felt like you were making progress, but then you noticed the ship was being dragged deeper into the abyss.

your screen flickered and went dark with a red outline. "what is even happening?" you groaned as your character faded into the ghostly realm.

as a spirit, you wandered aimlessly, spotting another figure. thinking it was yujin, you approached, only to realize it was a random player—a man who's character gave you a casual nod.

"later, dude," he said, disappearing into the void.

you eventually respawned back with yujin, both of you standing on the remains of your ship, now just floating debris in the ocean.

"well, that was a great sea of thieves adventure. we lost everything," yujin said, pulling out her accordion.

you pulled out your ukulele, shaking your head but smiling. "yeah, it was great."

"the fucking kraken..." yujin muttered.

"literally right before the pirate ship, too," you said.

"literally the most random shit," she added, laughing.

"crazy," you agreed, both of you still basking in the aftermath of the chaos.

"anyway, i guess we have to end here," yujin said, the energy winding down.

"yeah, we do," you agreed, starting the stream wrap-up.

you exited the call with yujin, turning your attention to chat. "alright, chat, it's about that time," you said, leaning back in your chair with a relaxed smile. "i'll be live tomorrow for some more games, maybe with a few friends, but i haven't locked anything in yet."

you glanced at the chat as messages rolled in, then continued. "also, keep an eye out—our channel's dropping a new video soon, so make sure to check that out when it's up. but yeah, that's all for today!"

you gave a casual wave. "thanks for hanging out, and i'll see you next time." with a final smile, you ended the stream.

ALL CHAPTERS !!! | NEXT CH !!!

[ladymalchav]

Anyone else watching KAOS?

I'm not done with it yet, so no spoilers past ep5 plz.

Anyway. It's so good so far? Like. Great acting, great writing, the SETS and the CINEMATOGRAPHY? Phew!

The casting is off-the-walls, too. Jeff Goldblum? Billie Piper? Suzy Izzard?? And all doing awesome performances to boot!

I love me some greek myths ans, the writers and everything mesh them with the modern age so well it's like magic!

Not to mention all the LGBT+ rep!

I really cannot wait to get to the end, but then I also don't want it to end!

[azurdlywisterious]

The gangs all here! And with their usernames from the dashboard simulator!

Of course, since everyone's here, you might know what that mean!

OC AMA time!

As promised (and on time!) its my fallout oc ama! its like a normal ama, but for my ocs (plz ask me about my ocs i wanna talk about them)

Top Row: Felix Barnstar, Sir of Big MT, Suzie Fromme, Ferrero Geneson

Middle Row: Condor Lovelace, Dalcia O'Deorian, Enid Pavlov, Danny Skinner

Bottom Row: Deja Vult, Harvey Wallbanger, Henri Wesson, Ellie Withers

[blue-disco-lights]

✨ Tag Game Tuesday ✨

Love Tuesdays because I get to learn all about all of you! Thank you @celestialmickey @energievie @palepinkgoat @lingy910y @shinygalaxyperson @tanktopgallavich @transmickey @suzy-queued @deedala @ardent-fox @harrowhark-a-vagrant for tagging me! 💗

~~~~~~~~~~

name: julia

age: quick, look over there! (ducks under the table)

pronouns: she/her 

your sun sign, MBTI type, and enneagram type (google them if you’re not sure!): Taurus, ISTJ + 9/The Peacemaker

how tall are you? 5’6” (yes i continue to measure myself every time I'm at the pediatrician for my kids' visits)

what color are your eyes? Blue  

the last time you saw a movie in theaters (bonus: what was it?): Asteroid City and it was SO beautifully made, I’m really happy to have seen it on a big screen

favorite dessert: anything you've got that's made out of mochi or any flavor of boba tea

outer space or the ocean? I’ve always lived very close to the ocean, so i love to stare at water

you’re in a McDonald’s drive thru, what are you ordering? McNuggets and a Diet Coke plz

are you good with plants? I’m really good at appreciating the beauty of plants, yes. Please do not leave me alone with them if you want them safe.

would your current self and high school self get along? We like the same music, make the same fashion choices, and share a bizarre sense of humor… so I’d say yes!

a food you can’t stand: cold soup? I really can eat just about anything tho

something you’d do if money were no object: Travel - absolutely. Send me to all the airports! I want to walk around all the neighborhoods, take all the buses and trains, go to all the cafes, etc. 

the last app you opened on your phone (tumblr doesn’t count!): Twitter (I will not call it the new thing) or Instagram  

and finally, compliment yourself! You always tell yourself you’re not creative, but with the right inspiration, you can make cool stuff!

Many of you have already done this one, but please accept this 🪄 @sickness-health-all-that-shit @callivich @lupeloto @crossmydna @squidyyy23 @spacerockwriting @gallawitchxx @depressedstressedlemonzest @too-schoolforcool @grumble-fish @vintagelacerosette @twinklyylights @gillyp @sleepyfacetoughguy @francesrose3 @ian-galagher @creepkinginc @mmmichyyy @rayrayor @auds-and-evens @rereadanon @edmercer @sweetbee78

[ambitchousbutrubbish]

Was having tea while watching this episode again, and I couldn’t help myself 🤣🫖 (S7 E3)

[squidfiction]

Y’all, lemme tell you I’ve been OBSESSED with Karma’s a Bitch by Brit Smith!! Well, the absolute QUEEN herself OFFICIALLY RELEASED IT!!! The music video has been on replay ever since I found it, props to the people who uploaded it for us all to discover and enjoy!

Let’s get Brit to the top of the charts, thank you for your service, Queen 🙇‍♀️🖤👸🤍👑

[gavichaelreaction]

It's my 10 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳

So, all my side blogs turned 10 recently. I don’t remember creating them all on the same day lol, but anyway. Sorry that the last few posts on this blog has been just rants, what has happened to RoosterTeeth has me feeling a lot of things;

They were a big part of my life from 2012-2015, and yet it feels like longer than that, as if I was there from the beginning (probably cos I went back and watched every single video leading up to the present day at that point lol). I was proud to see the company and the community grow. During that time in my life, I felt alone and was struggling with my mental health, so it felt like they were the only “friends” I had. Then I met people in the community that RT and all of us built.

I remember watching AH before they branched off into their separate channels, laughing at the let’s plays, Rage Quits, RTAAs and tuning in for RTExtraLife every year. I remember being, not immediately psyched about RWBY, but I always go back to the trailers even now. There’s something about them, they still gave me a lot of writing inspiration. I was honoured to have met Monty Oum, albeit briefly, and I still want his signature to be my first tattoo.

It’s sad to see the company fall apart the way it did, but from all the stuff that’s happened over the years, I can’t say I’m surprised. Maybe it was just their time. For anyone who was still there, all the animators and crew, I hope they find other work. I still check in with some of them every now and then, cos they’ll always have my admiration and respect. I worried for them and wondered “will they be ok?”

The people who worked there, I would see but a fraction of their lives play out in front of me. Like Michael and Lindsay; seeing them as coworkers, become friends, then start dating, get engaged, married, and start their family. I was cheering on these complete strangers as if I really knew them.

I started writing this a while ago, and what made me wanna continue this post? Meg and Gavin’s wedding pictures 🥰 seeing them having met cos of RT and stay together for all this time, seeing Michael and Lindsay still together and going strong with their family they started, Barbara and Trevor getting engaged. I remember when Ray left and I wished him well, then in his first livestream he held back tears as so many people watched and donated huge amounts to support him. Now he & Tina are married and living their best lives together with their dogs, the dream!

To answer my own question then, I think “yeah, they will be okay” and so will I. We’ll all be okay. We can cherish the memories that RT made for us in whatever stage of life we were at.

Funny enough, I went through a very similar thing where I met the love of my life in a seemingly perfect workplace, and due to poor decisions, the company went bust. We walked away from it as a couple and stronger than ever. Despite everything, I don’t hate the place, and won’t take this relationship for granted.

So, where do we go from here?

“Do you ever wonder why we’re here?”

Well, idk, but I can’t wait to find out. Will I still post on this blog? Idk, maybe! I do know this though, it’s partly because of these guys, that I know I’m creative, and destined to do something with that. They taught me that being weird is okay, and that you’re gonna find your people someday who will love that about you. I know I have.

As Monty always said…

Keep moving forward ❤️🤍🖤💛

[operationnope]

YOU GIVE ME THAT OZZY HEN DO WIP RIGHT THIS GODDAMN SECOND OR SO HELP ME GOD I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN

No but for what’s it about I would love to hear

I think I tried to put this idea in plz-write-this, but it just ended up on my list 😂

Marshall is Ozzy’s manager and gets him all manner of dancing gigs. He books Ozzy for a hen do, and it turns out the maid of honor is his long time crush from school. And of course, she’s always had a crush on him, too. They hook up and then date. The end.

Thanks for the ask, Suzi 🥰💗

[myrammmortal]

Chapter 35, Rick and Morty are here as well?

AN: fangz 2 suzi 4 da idea!1 u rok! fuk of prepz!11111111 fangz 2 raven 4 di help u rok gurl!1 ps im gong 2 end da stroy rlly sun so FUK U!111 oh yah nd if u no eny gofik namz plz tel me koz I ned 1 4 serius!1 fangz.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX666XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I went in2 da Conmen Room finking of Satan. Suddenly I gasped………………..Richard wuz there!111

I grasped. He locked as hut as eva werring blak ledder pants, a blak Lonken Prak t-shrit and blak eyeliner.

“Richard what da fuk r u dong!111111” I gosped.

“Huh?” he asked. Then I remembred. It wuzn’t Richard. It was Lucan!1 He stil had two arms.

“Oh hi Lucian!1” I sed. “Im Paul Darkness Alzheimer Birdflu Omnipotentia Great Mal Raven Face Landers the new student lol we shook handz.”

“Yah Satan told me abot you.” Lusian said. He pinted to a groop of sexxxy gottik guyz. They where siting in a corner kutting. It wuz Serious, Vampire’s dad and………………Snap! All of them were wearing blak eyeliner and blak Good Chralootte band shirts. “Lizzen I’m in a goth band wif those guys.” he said. “Were playing 2nite at da Marylin Mason show as back-up.

ORLY I ESKED.

“Yeah.” he said. “Were calld XBlakXTearX. I play teh gutter. Spartacus plays da drums” he said ponting to him. “Snap plays the boss. And Jamez plays the guitar to even fo we call him Samaro, after Samara in da ring.”

“Hey bastards.” I told them they gave me Dethz tuch sin. Suddenly I gasped again. “But don’t u have a lead singer!” I asked. Lucian looked dawn sadly.

“We uzd to but she did. She contempted suicide by silting her rists.”

“Oh my fuking god!11 Datz so fuking sad!1” I gasped.

“Its okay but we need a new led snigger.” Samaro said.

“Wel………..I said Im in a bnad myself.”

“Rilly?” asked Snap. I cudnt belive it. He used 2 b goffik!111

“Yeah were called Blody Gothik Rose 666. Do u wanna hr me sing?”

Yeah said everyone. So the guys tok out der guitarz. They began to pay a song bi (geddit koz bi guyz r sooo sexah!11) Gurn Day.

“I wok dis empt stret on da bolevrad of broken dremz.” I sang sexily (I dnot own da lyrikz 2 dat song).. Every1 gasped.

“Paul Darkness Omnipotentia Crow Butt Landers? Will u join da band? Plz!1” begged Lucian, Samoro, Serious and Snap.

“Um…….ok.” I shrugged. “Are we gong to play tonight?”

“Yah.” they said.

“Ok.” I said but I new dat I had 2 get a new outfit. I walked outside wondering how I kud go forward in time. Suddenly someone jumped in fornt of me. It wuz…..Morty Mcfli!1 He was wering a blak bnad tshrit and blak bagy jeans.

“What da hell r u dong here!11” I asked.

“I wil help u go frowad in tim Paul Darkness Superfly Landers.” he said siriusly Den……….he took out a blak tim machine. I went in2 it and……………………..sudenly I wuz forward in tim!111 

[dumdumsun]

Wax and Wane

A/N: Welcome back, my luvs! Long time, no see... Oops. So sorry for the long ass wait, babes. I had a lot (and I mean a lot) going on. Many not-so-great times, I'm still trying to sort myself out after several nights of absolutely no sleep. And now I'm back in college, yay... Another big explanation for the lateness is the unfortunate fact that I just don't like s3 all that much, so half the time I was writing this, it was a trekking. That doesn't mean I didn't want to write this, because I did. When I wasn't writing for this, I was thinking about it all the time. And now all I can think about is the s4 book XD.

On the note about Will. Yes, I know, he was confirmed gay. You will see changes in the second chapter, so try and bear through he and Doc being a couple in this first one. I didn't want to make his character gay in my series until it was confirmed by someone from the show. Unfortunately, it wasn't confirmed until after s4 came out so... yeah. You'll be happy to see some changes and I'll be happy to not be labeled as homophobic anymore ❤️

For anyone who was on the first and second taglist, but do not see their handle in this one, plz lmk because it didn't let me tag a lot of you. And if you wanna be added to the list, then also lmk. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Warnings: non-permanent heterosexual relationship between Will and Doc, mentions of blood and death

Word Count: 5692

—————————————

Chapter One: Suzie, Do You Copy?

Within the woods on a warm summer’s night sat a cabin belonging to Hawkins, Indiana’s finest police Chief, Jim Hopper. The Chief had been spending his evening as he usually did as of late, which consisted of Magnum P.I. episodes with some sort of snack clutched in his hands and shoved into his face in handfuls. His poison for this evening was a bag of Tostitos tortilla chips paired with a jar of salsa.

“Don’t look at the dogs, work the lock.”

He really did try to distract himself from the two teenagers in the other room. He promised that he wouldn’t watch their every move.

“Work the lock. Work the lock. Don’t look at the dogs.”

He was getting better at giving them space. At least, he was working on getting better. Glaring at the television, he threw another salsa-soaked chip into his mouth.

“You looked at the dogs.”

Hopper swiped up his beer can and took a hearty gulp of it. He shouldn’t even think about peeking at them. He promised himself that he would try to make this work. Setting his can down, he wiped his lips free of any alcohol before quickly glancing at the door to El’s room. And that was it. That was all it took. Very slowly, Hopper reclined his chair.

“Sometimes everything goes exactly as planned.”

The workings of his chair creaked the farther back he reclined. In the three-inch sliver between the door and the threshold, he could make out Mike Wheeler sitting on El’s bed, the sound of Corey Hart lowly playing from her radio. Curious, and maybe a bit accusatory already, he leaned back further.

“Sometimes it doesn’t.”

That was when he practically fumed at the sight of the Wheeler boy’s lips smashed against his daughter’s.

“Hey!” He shouted. Startled, the two looked up and El’s hand shot out, the door slamming shut. Angered even further, Hopper shot out of his seat. “Hey! Three-inch minimum! Leave the door open three inches!”

He went to burst into her room, but when he turned the doorknob, he found that it was locked. In disbelief, he jiggled the knob some more. “El, open this door. Open the-” He successfully threw the door open, frown deepening when he saw El sitting at the head of her bed with a look of feigned shock on her face, a book open in her hands. At the foot of her bed was Mike, a comic in his hands and wearing a smug smile.

“What’s wrong?” The boy nearly laughed.

After a hasty getaway, Mike was speeding down the street on his bike, his walkie wedged between his handlebar and his light. “My god, that was priceless! Did you see his face?!”

“It was like a tomato.” El laughed through the walkie.

“Yeah, a fat tomato.”

“I wish I was still with you.”

“I know. Me, too. But I’ll see you tomorrow, alright? First thing.”

“Tomorrow.”

With a smirk, he pedaled harder. After some time, he was beginning to see the neon lights of Starcourt Mall up ahead. The shopping center had become the ultimate location for the residents of Hawkins to shop, eat and seek entertainment. It was the usual spot for the Party to unite and spend time together. Minus El, for she was still keeping her head down for another six months before she was free to become a member of society.

At the sound of another pair of tires against asphalt concrete, Mike looked to his left to see his sister rolling up next to him on her own bike. Although it had been nearly seven months now, Mike was still adjusting to the changes he saw within Doc. Yes, she obviously was getting older, they all were; her hair had grown out even more over the months, her facial features were gaining structure and losing their babyness, she was definitely getting taller, though he did like to tease that in the future their height would settle and he would tower over her still.

“You’re late again.” He smirked, the girl widening her eyes with a grin.

“So are you.”

“Where’ve you even been?”

“Well, I was at the pool all day with the girls, but we went back to Brenda’s with her mom.”

That was another change Mike was getting used to. As if a flip had been switched, Doc had suddenly started spending much more time with Brenda and Sheriece. He noticed that in the past, she was so worried about being in the Party that the two girls would be sidelined and nearly forgotten, only receiving Doc’s attention when Mike would shove her aside and exclude her. Once she was welcomed in the Party, she spent even less time with her friends.

Lately, though, ever since the spring, Brenda and Sheriece were the only words coming from her mouth. Every weekend, she was either sleeping over at their house or Mike was covering his ears at night to muffle their giggles when she would host a sleepover. He was glad his sister was balancing her friend groups, but he wondered if she would be able to breathe air being away from the two of them. They had quite the influence on her as well.

Growing up, Doc never came across as the “girly” type, but now all she cared about were her looks. In the past, he could count on his hands how many times he’s seen her casually wear a dress and now, right beside him, she was wearing a denim overall dress on top of a yellow blouse. Instead of her signature black-and-red rollerskates were a pair of white converses, yellow socks peeking out. She hardly ever wore her skates anymore.

“I’ll race you there.”

“You’re on!”

He sometimes missed his sister, but he knew that she deserved this happiness. That wasn’t to say she never spent time with the Party. It was just that when she did, she was a bit distant. Mike knew that part of the reason Doc was pulling away was because of what happened last November. When Will had been possessed by the Mind Flayer, she used an excessive amount of power to save him, El closing the gate and ending it all. At least, that was the theory the two of them came up with. They couldn’t think of any other reason her power would vanish like that.

In the following months, whenever she was around the Party, it seemed like her smile stretched just a bit too far and that her laughs were a little forced.

Arriving at Starcourt Mall, the two rode through the parking lot littered with cars and moving people before they reached the bike rack near the entrance, Doc triumphantly reaching it first. Though, the victory was short-lived when she saw three figures standing there expectantly.

“You’re late.” Lucas crossed his arms as the two hopped off their bikes.

“Sorry.” She whispered.

“Again!”

“Sorry!” Mike sighed as Max came up behind her boyfriend.

“We’re gonna miss the opening.” Will chided.

“Yeah, if you guys keep whining about it. Let’s go!”

Lucas mocked his friend's words as the Party followed Mike into the mall. When she caught up to Will, Doc threw her arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Missed you.”

“Yeah,” He quietly chuckled, gently patting her hands. “Missed you, too.”

Doc giggled and pulled away enough for just one arm to be wrapped around him, Will moving a hand to the middle of her back as they tuned in to their friends’ conversation.

“Let me guess,” Lucas teased. “You were busy.”

Mike cringed at the kissy noises his friend made. “Oh, yeah, real mature, Lucas.”

“‘Oh, El, I wish we could make out forever, and never hang out with any of our friends’.”

“Lucas, stop.” Max sighed.

“Will thinks it’s funny.” He motioned to said boy, who was snickering next to his girlfriend.

“Because it is.” Will agreed, Mike rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s so funny that I want to spend romantic time with my girlfriend.”

Amused by his sarcasm, Lucas wrapped an arm around Max’s shoulders and pulled her close. “I’m spending romantic time with my girlfriend.”

Doc chuckled at Max’s attempt to keep her growing smile at bay, but it was no use. At her laugh, Will looked over at her, receiving a quick peck to the lips, the tips of his ears burning a bright red in response. As the five hurriedly moved through crowds of people with hushed apologies, Will tried desperately to keep up with Doc, who was pulling him along with her by the hand.

If tallies had to be kept, Will would have the most out of all the Party members to spend the most time with Doc. This was foreseeable since the two had been inseparable for the past year and a half. Through thick and thin, the two of them remained a couple. Even the moments when Will couldn’t even remember his girlfriend. When Doc wasn’t with Brenda and Sheriece, you could find her in Castle Byers with her boyfriend, the boy coming up with D&D campaigns while she talked his ear off about what new designs she was brainstorming. And yes, even those times were brief compared to what she gave the two girls.

“Hey, watch it!” A girl shouted when Mike stumbled into her.

“Yeah! Watch it, nerd!”

The Party’s attention was brought to Erica Sinclair, sitting and enjoying ice cream cones with her posse. Doc always did admire the girl’s spunk, which was much more than Lucas could say.

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?”

“Isn’t it time you died?”

“Psycho!”

“Butthead!”

“Mall rat!”

“Fart face!”

With nothing else to quip with, Lucas stuck his tongue out at her and blew a raspberry before Max grabbed him by the elbow. “Oh, now that was mature.” She scolded before pulling him with her and the others into the Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor.

The place was full of customers, as per usual, but no line was formed at the register. Mike led his group right up to the very disinterested employee. She wore a red, white and navy blue sailor costume with an embarrassingly adorable sailor hat atop her light brown bob. With very intense eye contact, Mike annoyingly rang the bell at the counter repeatedly.

“Hey, dingus, your children are here.”

Behind her, the glass doors slid open to reveal The Steve ‘The Hair’ Harrington in a similar costume, his luscious locs concealed by the sailor hat. With an unimpressed look, he leaned on the counter. “Again? Seriously?”

Mike rang the bell one more time in response.

Disgruntled, Steve led the five kids to the back of the parlor and opened the door for them. One by one, they all filed out and into the hall. “Come on, come on.” He urged them. “I swear, if anybody hears about this-”

“We’re dead!” They called back. With a heavy sigh and a shake of his head, Steve returned to work, the door closing behind him. Those kids would be the death of him one day.

Within the halls of the theater, the employee door opened, Mike peeking his head out and looking around. “All clear.” He nodded, pushing the door open and quickly leading his friends down the hall until they reached a theater next to a poster advertising Day of the Dead. The Party was lucky enough to find five empty seats in two of the middle rows. Doc, Mike and Will took the open three while Max and Lucas took the two in front of them. “See, Lucas? We made it.”

“We missed the previews.” He whispered back.

“Still made it. Fart face.” Max playfully snickered, her boyfriend making a face at her before they were shushed by a stranger.

As the movie started up, Will opened up his backpack and passed smuggled snacks to his friends in front of him. He then turned to his right to pass some to Mike, then to his left to Doc, earning a sweet smile from her. Silence fell over the audience as the screen brightened with the opening of the movie. Doc didn’t recognize the actress she was presented with, (her mother would easily tell her it was Lori Cardille) but the opening scene already disturbed her.

The way the woman sat alone in a white room, staring at a calendar, surfaced so many unwanted memories to Doc’s mind. Faint memories of a white room where she would color, or where she would perform tests for Dr Martin Brenner, or when the guards would punish her for failing. She tried her best to keep them at bay so that she could enjoy the movie, but the chilling music accompanying the film didn’t help. Absently, her hand found Will’s and their fingers intertwined and locked. Sensing her unease, he gave her a comforting squeeze.

Before the movie could progress any further, the audio slowed to a stop as the screen went dark, sending the audience into a fit of groans and dissatisfied exclamations. Unbeknownst to them, this had happened with every other theater and spread to the entire mall. Lights vanished, fountains fell, escalators and mini-carousels came to abrupt stops. When the power outage reached Scoops Ahoy, Steve snapped his head up.

“That’s weird.” He hummed, strolling over to the light switch and flipping it down, then up, then down, then up, then down, then up-

“That isn’t gonna work, dingus.” His coworker rolled her eyes.

“Oh, really?” He challenged, flicking the switch even faster, much to her annoyance.

The outage reached the rest of Hawkins, bathing the entire town in darkness. A presence loomed over them all. It was a presence that was banished, but not defeated. It promised destruction, it promised bloodshed, and it promised a meeting with a certain group of young teens.

It was a presence that Doc couldn’t feel, even if it was right in front of her.

Within seconds, Hawkins brightened and Starcourt was neon once again. The lights returned, the fountains sprouted, and people jerked forward with the sudden movement of the escalators and carousels. At Scoops Ahoy, Steve had just flicked the switch up when the parlor lit up once again. He smugly shrugged at his coworker and returned to the counter.

“Let there be light.”

In the theaters, the crowd erupted into cheers when the projector came to life and brought their movie back to them. Unlike everyone else, though, Will’s smile began to fade. That presence, though Doc couldn’t feel it, was still there. And he could definitely feel it. His body stiffened as he reached a hand to graze the goosebumps formed on the back of his neck. The cheering around him was swallowed by a memory of November.

He tried to run. The sort of shadow being, rising tall enough to tower over everyone, everything. The sky lit up in a frightening red as the storm brewed behind the creature. No matter how fast he ran, it was always right there. Even as he screamed, it came nearer. And nearer. Until it had nowhere else to go but within him, forcing its way into his being.

And another memory.

Will and Doc’s screams filled the room as the dark entity flooded out of every place in the boy’s face it had entered before. It swirled up to the ceiling as a way to collect itself, and when it was done, it bolted out of the cabin, crashing through the door.

“Hey.”

Will let out a startled gasp and ripped his hand away from his neck as he turned to Mike’s concerned eyes. He gave his friend a quick once-over. “You okay?”

Will blinked. “Y-Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.” He nodded. Hesitantly, Mike turned back to the screen. Will let out a slow breath and moved his gaze over to Doc, who hadn’t even noticed his current state. She was just like that recently, very unaware, a bit inconsiderate. In this case, though, he was grateful for it. He didn’t want her worrying. She was finally happy.

So, he held her hand tighter and went back to watching the movie.

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

Nancy shot up in bed, heart hammering in her chest.

“Shit!”

She hurriedly reached over to her wrist watch on the nightstand and widened her eyes at the time. “Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!”

“Wh- What’s wrong?” Jonathan sat up beside her, tired and discombobulated.

“It’s almost nine.”

“What?!” He moved his blanket to see that his alarm clock blinked twelve o’clock.

“We forgot to reset the clocks. The power went out last night, remember?”

Cursing aloud, Jonathan scrambled out of bed with his girlfriend and hurriedly got dressed. After slipping on his shirt, he dived across the other side of the bed to reach his pants, falling to the ground as he tried to shove his legs in. Nancy got dressed much faster than him and hurried to his window. Her purse flew outside, then her shoes before she hopped out the window to make an escape to the car. Jonathan was in the process of finishing the last couple buttons on his shirt as he walked out of his room.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Joyce rushed over to him. “Wait up.”

“Oh, no, I’ll eat at work. I’m late.”

“No.” She reached up and used her thumb to wipe away the kissy mark on his face. “Your cheek.”

With an embarrassed chuckle, he moved her hand away and backed into the living room. “Alright, alright. I gotta run.”

“Alright.” Joyce threw her hands up in surrender.

“See you later.” He called out before he disappeared out the door.

“Ugh. Gross.” Will muttered as his mother returned to the kitchen table.

Joyce snickered. “Oh, don’t be like that. You and (Y/N) can be gross sometimes, too.”

He stiffened as he twisted the top off of the syrup. “We are not like that.”

“You might be when you’re older.” She nudged him as she picked up her fork to resume her breakfast. Will irritably sighed.

“I doubt that.”

“Okay.” Her attention was brought to the mess on the floor in front of the fridge. “Hey. What happened here?” She asked as she rose to her feet and walked over to the papers and magnets in a pile on the floor.

“I don’t know.” Will shrugged and returned to his food. Joyce sighed and crouched down, sticking papers back onto the fridge. When she got to the last one, a bittersweet smile graced her features as her heart swelled in affection. Pursing her lips to suppress a tremble, she stood back up and hung the drawing Will had made of a true hero back in its rightful place.

Bob Newby. Superhero.

On the road, Jonathan drove as fast as he could with Nancy hurriedly doing her makeup in the passenger seat, eyes glued to her mirror. “Can you please drive faster?”

“Do you wanna break down?” He tried a smile as he patted the dashboard. “We’re lucky this thing still drives at all.”

“I’m serious, Jonathan, I can’t be late.”

“You mean we can’t be late.”

“No, I mean I can’t be late. They like you no matter what you do.”

“Hey, they like you, too.” He gently patted her knee.

“Yeah. They like that I’m a coffee delivery machine. They don’t actually like me or respect me as a living, breathing human with a brain.”

Once again, he tried gently rubbing her leg in a comforting manner as he gave her another smile. “Hey, you just gotta be patient, okay? They’re set in their ways, you know? But… once they realize what a gifted writer you are, they’ll come around.”

“I really don’t need a Jonathan Byers pep talk right now.” She snapped. “Can you just… please, drive faster?”

He sighed, speeding up the car the best he could. “Okay…”

Crossing their path on the other side of the road was a car belonging to Claudia Henderson. Beside her in the passenger seat was her son, headset on as he repeated the same phrase.

“This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

Not even a second later, he tried again.

“This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

His tone grew irritable and impatient.

“I repeat. This is Gold Leader, returning to base. Do you copy? Over.”

Then, he snapped.

“I repeat. This is goddamn Gold Leader-”

“Dusty!” Claudia scolded.

“What?!”

“Relax! For goodness’ sake.”

“I’m in range. They should be answering.”

“You’ve been away a whole month, honeybun.” She shrugged. “Maybe they just… forgot.”

Just in her tone, he knew his mother didn’t want to say it. Maybe because she knew there was some truth to it. Mike and El were together, Lucas and Max were together, Doc had lots of exciting things going on, a new mall opened up. Everything was changing while he was gone, but he didn’t think it would completely wipe the memory of him from his friends’ minds. They had to remember he was coming home. 

They had to remember.

After his mother dropped him off at home, he made a beeline to his room. With a defeated sigh, he plopped his duffle bag on his bed and sat down beside it, burying his face into his hands. His first day back and he had no plans to spend time with any of his friends. His face brightened just a bit when he noticed his beloved Yertle, comfortably in his new terrarium.

“At least someone’s happy I’m home.” He quietly chuckled. Suddenly, a robotic voice startled him into a standing position. Every toy in his room that moved or made noise sounded and grouped together in the middle of his floor. His R2D2, his chimp that banged its cymbals, his toy tank that made shooting noises, all of them. He looked even mildly offended when one of his toys spit little rings at his chest.

This wasn’t right. None of this was. He began panicking, hoping that he wasn’t making yet another strange discovery having to deal with supernatural powers. He noticed that his toys were filing out of his room and into the hallways. So, quickly thinking, he grabbed his choice of weapon off his desk.

The Farrah Fawcett spray never failed him before, and it wouldn’t now.

Dustin let the weapon leave the room before him, stepping out into the hall and cautiously following his line of toys. “It’s just a dream.” He told himself. “You’re dreaming.”

Behind the wall that separated the living room and kitchen stood Max, her back against the wall as she stealthily watched Dustin follow the toys in the living room. She turned to Lucas, who stood next to her. He grinned and turned to Doc, who turned to Will, who turned to Mike, who turned to El.

“Now!” He whispered. El opened her eyes, blood dribbling from her nose.

All at once, the toys powered down in the middle of the living room. Confused, Dustin ran over to them and knelt down, lifting them up one by one to examine them. His friends silently crept up behind him, noise makers ready in their mouths, Lucas holding a banner they all made that read WELCOME HOME DUSTIN.

As Lucas properly held up the banner, everyone looked to Max. She excitedly held up her fingers to signal them.

One.

Two.

Three.

At once, everyone happily sounded their noisemakers, but they immediately stopped when Dustin fearfully screamed and spun around, assaulting Lucas’s eyes with his hairspray.

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

“Cannonball!”

Happy cheering, splashing of water, and chanting of ‘marco, polo’ brought the joy that radiated from Hawkins’s public pool. If there was any other place in town that was as lively as the mall, it was the pool. It was the perfect spot for parents to cool off while letting their children blow off steam, all while socializing.

And socializing Karen Wheeler did. She sat perched upon her lawn chair, a romance novel in one hand and a coke can in the other, the tip of her straw stained pink with her lipstick. On either side of her were some of the other stay-at-home mothers of Maple Street. She was so engrossed in her novel that she almost didn’t catch what the woman beside her said.

“Ladies,” She tilted her sunglasses to the edge of her nose. “She’s coming down.”

Upon seeing Heather Holloway descend her post on the lifeguard’s chair, the four straightened their posture, checked their hair, got into seductive poses, and turned to the pool shed.

The door opened to reveal Hawkins’s heartthrob, Billy Hargrove. His shirtless body glistened in the sun, his gorgeous blond curls moved with the very light breeze, his dazzling blue eyes were concealed by his sunglasses sat on the bridge of his nose. After discarding his cigarette, he began his stroll towards his chair. His gaze scanned the entire area in search of anything he had control over. It was his shift, this was his turf, and he called the shots.

He knew every girl in Hawkins had eyes on him, but that wasn’t his focus at the moment. There was something at this pool, something not quite right, that he needed to take into his hands. Catching sight of it, his whistle that sat around his neck and on his chest was lifted to his lips before he blew into it. Instantly, the entire pool went silent and everyone’s attention was brought to a chubby little boy who was caught red-handed, running around the pool. At the sound of the whistle, the poor victim froze in his spot.

“Hey, lard-ass!” Billy bellowed. “No running on my watch! I gotta warn you again, and you’re banned for life. You wanna be banned, lard-ass?”

Timidly, he shook his head.

“Didn’t think so.”

And, with a blow of his whistle, the pool unpaused. Only this time, the little boy walked away with his head down. Satisfied, Billy continued his stroll. When he noticed the Maple Street Mothers, he nodded to them in greeting. “Afternoon, ladies.”

“Afternoon, Billy.” They seductively responded in unison.

“Dig the new suit, Mrs Wheeler.” A small smirk quirked on his lips.

“Thank you.” Karen grinned.

Billy turned the corner before climbing the small ladder and taking place on his throne. It was a safe distance away from the mothers to gawk and drool over him without him noticing. But he knew they were, and they knew he knew, and they loved it. A nice piece of meat didn’t come often in Hawkins, so it was only logical that the eager women would feast their eyes upon him any moment they could.

The woman of the Wheeler residence was lucky enough to get him in her house last fall when he was looking for his stepsister. She had hardly been wearing any clothes upon their first interaction and the way he looked at her sent her skin blazing. She was never able to quite shake that feeling he gave her, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to. He was brilliant, he was beautiful, he was powerful and he knew it.

And Karen Wheeler was all in.

From in the pool, a head of chocolate brown hair surfaced from the water. Brenda wiped at her face to clear her vision. “How long was that?”

“Ugh, look, girl.” Sheriece mumbled, her eyes glued to the mothers. “That is so gross.”

“I know.” Brenda rolled her eyes. “Could you imagine the look on (Y/N)’s face if she saw the way her mom was staring at Billy Hargrove?”

Sheriece sadly sighed. “I miss my friend.”

“Me, too,” The brunette floated on her back. “But she can’t be here, she’s celebrating Dustin.”

A moment of silence sat between them before they started giddily giggling about the Henderson boy.

In a much quieter and vacant part of Hawkins was the downtown area. With the opening of Starcourt Mall, many small businesses had closed down, much to the townees’ distress. The only form of business that was lively in the downtown area was The Hawkins Post. Which was Nancy’s current destination.

She tried to calm her breathing as she sped down the sidewalk to her place of work, a brown bag clutched in one hand. She checked her watch again and again worriedly as she sped up her pace. She could not be late. She could not.

Entering the building, she quickly and politely set down sandwiches on the desks of the writers, the ladies thanking Nancy as their gazes hardly left their work. Her next stop was the darkroom. As usual, she completely ignored the warning sign and pushed the door wide open. Jonathan, bathed in red like the rest of the room, frantically turned to her.

“Oh, no, no, no, no! Nancy!”

“Sorry.” She whispered and set his sandwich down. With an eye roll at his dramatic behavior, she shut the door and headed for the lion’s den. Pushing open the glass door to the conference room, she began passing out sandwiches to her superiors all sat together at the table as they passed around ideas for the front page of the paper.

“How about a piece on Iran?”

“I want something local.”

“I hear there’s a beauty pageant at the fair this year.”

“Yeah, I’m looking for above the fold here, Bruce.”

“Then clearly you haven’t seen Lucy Lebrock,” Bruce cupped his hands at his chest to mimic breasts. “...because I’m not sure she’ll fit above the fold!”

The men erupted into laughter, Nancy cutting a look to Bruce as she set his sandwich down for him. “Fellas!” Their boss called out. “In six hours, we go to print. I need something real.”

“Oh, I think they’re real.”

As the men laughed again, Nancy paused at the door. She had no more sandwiches to hand out. She wasn’t needed here anymore. But she so clearly was. These men didn’t know the first thing about stories worth reading. At this point, she wouldn’t be surprised if the headline of the paper read about some missing dog on a cul-de-sac. Inhaling deeply, she dove right into untrifled water.

“What about Starcourt?”

The room went silent as all eyes were on her, some eyes on other parts of her. She tried to ignore it as she continued. “I-I was just… thinking…” A deadly thing for a woman to do. “I mean, I know everyone loves the mall, but… how many small businesses have closed since it opened? Like, five on Main, at least. It’s changing the fabric of our town in a way-”

“‘The Death of Small-Town America’.” Bruce pitched a headline idea, receiving a hopeful nod from her. “I like it. I like it a lot. But I think I’ve got something even spicier. It’s about… the missing mustard on my hamburger!”

Once again, the room exploded into laughter as Nancy’s eyes flitted away defeatedly.

“You think you can follow the clues and solve the case of the missing condiment, Nancy Drew?” He mocked above the laughter.

“Sorry.” She whispered and took the sandwich back. Breathing in through her nose and out her mouth, she threw the door open and hurried out of the room as Bruce taunted,

“Look out, Phil, she might be after your job!”

At the Henderson residence, Lucas had his head in the kitchen sink, warm water running over his assaulted eyes. He winced and hissed in pain as he slowly stood up straight, slowly blinking as he tried to regulate his sight. He’d kill Dustin for this.

“Better?” Max asked in front of him.

“Still stings.” He sighed out. Blinking some more, his vision began to clear as he noticed a red dot on his girlfriend’s forehead. “Is that a new zit?”

Max widened her eyes and grabbed hold of the back of his head. “What is wrong with you?”

“I was just asking!” He screamed out in pain as his face was shoved back into the stream of water.

In Dustin’s bedroom, the boy was excitedly showing off his contraptions he had gotten from camp. He was currently showing off a device that resembled a windmill, using his other hand to crank and spin it. “I call it the Forever Clock. Alright? Powered by wind. Very useful in the apocalypse.”

He handed it off to Doc, who held one side of it, Will holding the other. They both stared at it in wonder as Dustin took out another contraption. This one was a hammer with several objects stuck to its handle.

“Then I give you…” He pressed some sort of button that made the hammer shake. “...the Slammer.” He chuckled as El, attached to Mike’s arm, moved away from it. Doc and Will were only partially paying attention, Doc attempting to make the Forever Clock move by blowing on it, Will watching her in interest.

“Pretty neat, huh? But this…” He put the Slammer away and picked up his duffel bag, grunting as he plopped it on the ground. They knelt down with him, Doc putting the object in her hands off to the side. “...this is my masterpiece.”

He unzipped the bag with a grin on his face. “I would like you to meet… Cerebro.”

The four stared at the millions of pieces within the bag. Nothing was formed, which made it hard for them to understand what Dustin was showing them. “What exactly are we looking at here?” Mike voiced their confusion.

“An unassembled one-of-a-kind battery-powered radio tower.”

The room did not match the enthusiasm Dustin possessed. Will slowly nodded. “So, it’s a… a ham radio.”

“The Cadillac of ham radios. This baby carries a crystal-clear connection over vast distances. I’m talking North Pole to South.”

“That’s actually pretty cool.” Doc shared a nod with her boyfriend, who looked on his other side to see that Mike and El were still not impressed.

“It’s more than ‘pretty cool’, Doc. With this baby, I can talk to my girlfriend whenever and wherever I choose.”

Now there was something that got their attention.

“Girlfriend?!”

—————————————

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[thanksforthedinosaur]

august 2023

1. annie dirusso - hybrid 2. olivia barton - i don't do anything 3. shy martin - late night thoughts 4. tiny habits - hemenway 5. savana santos - messy 6. wallice - prepaid wireless 7. alix page - automatic 8. livia o - please don't hope for somebody better 9. leanna firestone - special 10. abby holliday - better by now 11. annika bennett - scared of getting what i want 12. lauren spencer smith - hey 13. grace gardner - acrobatics 14. julie byrne - portrait of a clear day 15. matilda mann - in plain sight 16. holly humberstone - room service 17. leith ross - too much time in my house alone 18. tessa violet - kitchen song 19. tommy lefroy - worst case kid 20. illuminati hotties - truck 21. emily vaughn - god complex 22. oston - hot 23. chloe george - runaway blue 24. tiffi - hoodie 25. madisenxoxo - mothership 26. sody - frozen lake 27. lyn lapid - poster boy 28. flowerovlove - coffee shop 29. forrest nolan - miss misery 30. sara kays - fireflies 31. ggwendolyn - my year of rest & relaxation 32. fizz - close one 33. deb never - say 34. palehound - eye on the bat 35. pynkie - plz 36. girlhouse - you don't think about me 37. dee holt - sober 38. king mala - sunny side up 39. syd b - focus 40. lauren sanderson - amen 41. hailey knox - charismatic 42. marian carmel - fabric of reality 43. moon tang - water comes out of my eyes 44. cassie marin - cup! 45. flo - 3 of us 46. alayna - who am i now 47. niko rubio - un millón de besos 48. cloudy june - you problem 49. maude latour - no rush 50. claud - a good thing 51. salem ilese - strongly worded letter 52. sorry - screaming in the rain again 53. jades goudreault - you're a star kid 54. maisie peters - you’re just a boy (and i’m kinda the man) 55. lølø - hot girls in hell 56. peach prc - favourite person 57. superfan - for you 58. tilly louise - baggy t-shirt 59. hannah cole - big bite 60. claire rosinkranz - screw time 61. spill tab - fetišh 62. suzie true - dumb 63. sundial - liar 64. meet me @ the altar - give it up 65. carr - dirty shoes 66. liza anne - rainbow sweater 67. sophia bel - 2am (and i did it again) 68. mimi webb - house on fire 69. helvetia - sideways 70. sedona - domino 71. jeromes dream - reminders to parallel 72. glass bones - pine overcoat 73. tsosis - snake eat tail 74. ivri - infinitesimal 75. 大原ゆい子 - ムスビメ 76. oohyo - teddy bear returns (summer edition) 77. minsu - buddy 78. youra - (throat) 79. hanbee - cushion 80. 김수영 kim suyoung - stumble 81. choi jungyoon - instant lover! 82. yebit - avec 83. hathaw9y - eclipse 84. shinee - gravity 85. layzi - idk 86. qveen herby - marie antoinette 87. almondmilkhunni - anxiety 88. jamila woods - tiny garden 89. madge - buttonss 90. poppy - knockoff 91. lizzo - pink 92. khalid - silver platter 93. tiffany day - should i be ok? 94. gabby's world - just for you to hear 95. patchymate - care 96. juliet ivy - lug 97. carol ades - free 98. tinashe - talk to me nice 99. reddish blu - humble me 100. vagabon - do your worst 101. kito - sticky 102. pinkpantheress - turn your phone off 103. charli xcx - speed drive 104. billie eilish - what was i made for? https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1f3MH87NHIo6qJU4zdztU4?si=77919b43299a4a62