#this song got me through church every year
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Finals
Sister Beatrice (Warrior Nun) vs Silque (Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia)
Sister Beatrice is a secret Demon-Fighting Warrior Nun of the Order of the Cruciform Sword.
Silque is a mendicant nun serving the goddess Mila
Sister Beatrice
Sister Beatrice is perfect in every way. She had to be. When you're taught to hate what you are, when what you love, whom you love, brings you nothing but pain, all you have left is to be perfect. To hope that, if you excel enough, in enough ways, then you might be found worthy. Instead, her wealthy, bigoted, British diplomat parents shipped her off to boarding school in Switzerland for the crime of being a lesbian. From there, she joined the Church, married God, and became part of a secret order of demon-fighting black ops nuns. Being married to Jesus wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that she's fallen in love with a woman who rose from the dead, a beautiful bisexual savior with golden retriever energy and a heart of gold, and for whose training and protection Beatrice is responsible. Her best friend, no less. And roommate. Their apartment only has one bed. Maybe it is bad after all. But maybe Beatrice doesn't mind being bad anymore. Maybe she would rather worship her love, her Ava, than any God of any church. Maybe she would kill a dozen men who stood between her and her love while Ave Maria plays in the background. Maybe Beatrice would burn the world to save her. Maybe it wouldn't be enough, in the end. Maybe she would have to send Ava through a portal to Heaven, or Hell, to save Ava's life, moments after learning her love was returned. Maybe she would wait for her Ava to return too. Until, one day...
Silque
Beautiful woman... beautiful woman... Anyway she's the first cleric you get if I recall correctly in the game so you rely on her pretty early on and she's a good unit! She learns warp early which is a great spell for all kinds of strategies. But this isn't about her gameplay! She's just a fun character. She's far from your standard quiet nun type. She enjoys the Girl Talk (tm) and tries to have some with Faye (although Faye shuts it down because she hate gossip or something). She's so cool and girlboss. But even with all that she's still very devout! Because it was Mila's teachings that saved her as a child, she is extremely dedicated to serving the Mother Mila. Also she likes to eat raw bags of flour and hard stale bread. The justification for this was that she was raised humbly (first on a pilgrimage with her mother then by the Novis Priory) but I think it's just goofy as hell. Also she has a high luck growth which is also funny because she gets kidnapped like twice and I don't think that's very lucky.
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More stuff: this is just more stuff but I find it interesting how her mother served the god Duma while she serves the goddess Mila, opposing dieties. Even though she was raised for the first years of her life by her mother who was a Duma Faithful, she was raised the rest of her life in a Mila-dedicated Priory so she serves Mila although her mother served Duma.
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Since people are talking about music for quite a bit of these nuns, her VA sings the ending credits theme for her game! It's not necessarily in character, but it's from the perspective of the Goddess Mila which is really cool. It's a super hopeful song that got me through some really dark times so I'm biased but still.
youtube
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Silque propaganda: she is one of four people in Valentia who can kill a god. She also used to worship said god, making this even better. She also can teleport people an infinite distance. Please vote Silque.
#best nun tournament#Poll#Poll Tournament#Finals#Sister Beatrice#Warrior Nun#Silque#fire emblem#fe echoes#fe15#Youtube
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Forgive Me Father
Pairing: Priest! Yunho x GN! Reader
Summary: Itâd been forever since you stepped into a church, but after one too many life altering events, a friend suggested confessing as a last resort, and it turns out you got more than you prayed for.Â
WC: 2.6k
AU: Religion! Au
Genre: smidgen of Angst, Smutty smut smut smut, porn with plot
Warning(s): Smut! MDNI! priest kink went brrrrr with this man, dacryphilia, impact play, lotttsss of degradation, lil bit of praise, discussion of religion and blasphemous acts, reader can be a bit of a smartass, unprotected sex (that's not very holy⊠wrap it up) - sorry if i'm missing anything!
A/N: Well, I wont ever see Heaven after this. Thank you to @bunnliix for the proofread and help on this one, also @skzdust for you Catholicism knowledge, big shout out to @kpop---scenarios for the title!
Nets: @mirohs-aurora-society
Tag List: @bethelighthalazia @a---shura @kpop---scenarios @autieofthevalley @wisejudgedragonhairdo (send me an ask if you'd like to be added!)
Kinktober & Flufftober Masterlist
It felt like one thing after another, your fiancĂ© ran away with their co-worker and work had eliminated your position, and youâd lost what was supposed to be a lifelong friend in the process, it felt like something was out to get you. Youâd tried everything to help clear any negative thoughts with every feasible solution youâd been recommended when searching the internet.
Journaling? Didnât work - after youâd nearly jammed the pen through one of the books writing all the warning signs down after your fiancĂ© left, and ruined another with tears talking about your friend.
Yoga and Meditation? Nope, after 3 sessions you decided being alone with your thoughts was definitely not the route you wanted to take.
Blasting your favorite songs? It worked⊠until the song you were going to use as your first dance at your wedding came on. Your speaker went through the open window right before you cried yourself to sleep that night.Â
Which brings you to today, a group of your friends had decided to invite you out to lunch, the first time youâd really seen the world had set its sights on you.Â
âOh sweetheartâŠ,â your friend cooed at you across the table, it sounded like she was mocking you at first, despite you knowing she wasnât, you werenât convinced she had an evil bone in her body. âListen⊠I know it isnât usually your thing, but.. Have you thought about church? Or even going to confessionals? They donât really talk to you, the priest just listensâŠ. Once you're done he offers solutions and if you use them, great. If not, no harm no foul?â she shrugs her shoulders unsure of her own words to you.Â
You contemplated for a minute âYouâre right it isnât my thing, I don't really get how sitting next to a stranger whoâs whole personality is religious context, talking to him like youâre talking to airâŠbut if it works for you, that's great⊠for you,â You, admittedly a little harsh, reply back to her.Â
Late one night youâd sat on your bed looking for jobs on your laptop, and with every passing one youâd grown more frustrated, you either didnât have matching qualifications, they wanted a better degree or they werenât even paying a livable wage.Â
âFuck this,â you huff out as you close your laptop, shoving it off your lap and fall back in bed. Youâd pull your hoodie over your face as you listen to the sound of rainfall hit your apartment window and your friends' words ring back in your brain, what else did you really have to lose? Talking to a stranger who knows nothing about you and would likely never see you again, huffing you get dressed and head over to your local church.
Walking in, you take note of the admittedly beautiful surroundings, stained glass windows, marble statues, all of it was cloaked in darkness as night had fallen, but the moon light cascaded through the windows beautifully.Â
You took a moment to look around, familiarizing yourself with your surroundings as it had been years since youâd entered a church. Wooden pews, rich velvet red floors, as dated as it may look, it was beautiful.Â
It wasnât long before your eyes fell on the confessional, a wooden box in the far corner of the room, sighing to yourself, you walked toward it. You slowly reach for the handle and open the door, you sit down in the booth as the silence is suddenly so loud.Â
âWhat brings you here, Child?â A male voice spoke from the otherside of the grate.
Startled, you respond as calmly as you can. âI-Iâm down on my luck and a friend suggested this⊠Iâm hoping you can listen or help?â
The man spoke up once again âVery well, you may proceed.â
With a heavy sigh you proceed to recount the last few months of troubles to the man, feeling yourself getting angry and the tone shift slightly. You feel like you can dig your nails into the laminated wood you sat on, that same grit showing up in the way you speak.
âEasy child...â the man lulls out at you âThere's no need to speak with such venom.â
The tone of his voice admittedly going straight to your core, but why? You donât know anything about the young priest on the other side, other than exactly that, a young man who has devoted his life to the church, are you really that insane?
âSorry sir -âÂ
âPlease, refer to me as father, Father Yunho,â He cuts you off.
âSorry FatherâŠâ you manage to say back, a calmness washing over your voice as you try to push those thoughts to the back of your mind.
âFather, please help.â you whine out, feeling frustrated âI am at the end of my rope and nothing seems to be working,â you admit.
âI see⊠is that all youâd like to confess, child? I have a feeling there is more,â he all but whispers.Â
The way his words fall from his mouth has you pushing your thighs together, his voice was as velvety as the floors of his church, delicate yet demanding.
âN-no father,â you say, barely above a whisper, when you hear a small chuckle on the other side.
âVery well, I sense that you need to reflect on yourself and perhaps your relationship with our savior, putting your faith in him may guide you to the path you are seeking,â he retorts back at you.
âThank you Father.. For listening and.. Helping,â you sound pitiful, you felt as if you were about to cry
âIf you feel the need to come back to confess anything further, Iâm always here child.â he said back to you, his tone calm but with a hidden undertone to it that you couldnât quite discern.
It had been a few weeks since youâd gone to visit Yunho, and out of everything you confessed that night, the one thing that stuck with you was the sound of his voice.Â
The way it flowed like warm honey wouldnât leave your head, what would your name sound like falling from those lips, the noises heâd make, maybe even⊠No, stop, he's a priest, he was there to listen and guide you and now all you can think about is the noises you could make him elicit.
Youâd laid there, itâd been a rough day as several more rejection emails clogged your inbox, you think back to the young priest's words, full of encouragement - but the more they replayed the more you stirred, your hand guiding its way down your body, âFather pleaseâŠâ youâd softly moaned out as your hand dips into your shorts.
It had felt like the universe had given you a break, youâd been given a job offer, and a nice one at that, could this have been the divine intervention the young priest was talking about?
Despite the feeling of gratitude, and things looking up - there was still one thing in the back of your head.Â
Father Yunho.
You found yourself back in the walls of the church late one evening, youâd just come from your first day of work and since the church was on the way home you wanted to stop in, if nothing else to pay your respects and close this chapter of your life.Â
Youâd sat down on the cold bench in the confessional. âFather Yunho? Are you there?â
âOh itâs you again,â he speaks softly. He remembered me? âIs everything okay?â
That damn voice, the way it seeps out of his mouth, the way it makes you think the unholiest thoughts in the holiest of places.
âY-yes⊠well yes and no,â you say to him âI was able to find a job, Today was my first day actually, I wanted to stop in and say thank youâŠâ you trailed off
âAnd?â the young priest smirks to himself, he knows something else has brought you back - no one comes to confess a warm hearted thank you. âI feel as if there is still something you are withholding, child.â
âPlease, call me Y/NâŠâ you muster, trying to change the subject.
âVery well, Y/n,â he says, âPlease, I will not force you but how can I help you if you do not confess what is plaguing you?â
Damn it. He has you cornered, you canât back out of this now.Â
âF-Father, please forgive me, but I.. I have sinned,â you whimper out. âSince the last time we spoke I.. I canât stop thinking of you.â you confess to the young man sitting across the partition from you.
âThinking of me? Thinking of me, how?â he asked you.
âI-â you choke on your own words, âLate at night.. When I replay your words, they start as encouragement and then I canât help but think of what other sounds you can make.. I..â you look at the floor, embarrassed by your own confession, across the partition Yunho's face is getting hotter, and embarrassingly enough to him, his pants are getting tighter.Â
When Yunho took the oath to be a faithful leader for Christ on the altar in this very church he made many vows, including celibacy, which never affected him until now. You, a seemingly innocent individual, came to him for advice, advice he was happy to offer to you, and now sitting across from you as you recount the blasphemous things youâd done while thinking about him, had made him feel things heâd never felt before. Â
âY/n, Pl-Please,â Yunho whined out
âIâm so sorry Father⊠I feel so ashamed at the amount of times I've gotten off to just the mere thought of your voiceâŠâ you feel the tears well up in your eyes.
Yunho is sat across from you and with every whimper and sob he feels it go straight to his dick, painfully aware of just how bad heâs affected you, as itâs now affecting him.
âY-Y/n.. Please.. IâŠâ he breathes out as his head tilts back against the confessional as he tries to push the thoughts out of his head, but now all he can think about is your tear stained face begging for forgiveness and he lets out a low moan.Â
âFather are you⊠are you okay,â you lift your head to look at the mesh partition as if it were him. âIâm sorry if IâŠIf i said too much.â
âSuch- ah- filth should be reprimanded,â Yunho says through gritted teeth.
The sound goes straight to your core, causing you to press your thighs together in response.
âFather I -â Your words were cut short by the confessional door swinging open, leaving you face to face with the young priest.Â
âYou come into the house of Christ with such a perverted mouth and expect me to let you walk away?â He spat at you.âYou are beyond saving Child,â as he pulls you out of the confessional and pushes you onto a nearby pew, leaving you shocked.
âThe likes of you should be punishedâ he sits next to you and pulls you over his lap eliciting a yelp from you. His large hand comes down on your ass, the sound echoing through the church, causing you to cry out.Â
âQuiet, youâll take the punishment as penance for your sins, understood?â You let out a muffled sob âNow, Count.â
âOne..â spank âT-Two,â spank âTh-Three,â you cry out as Yunho's broad hand comes down on your ass, tears rolling down your face.
âSuch a waste of obedience in such a disobedient slut,â he says to you, gently massaging your asscheek from the smacks.Â
âOn your Knees,â you quickly move to place yourself on the ground. âYears ago, I vowed to Christ I would serve him in all his glory, I vowed obedience, poverty and celibacy.. And then my only thanks is to be sent a filthy slut to break me of those vows.â he spits as he removes his robe, and makes quick work of his belt. You sat back watching his every move, eyes eventually finding the tent that had been forming in his slacks.
âFather.. Please⊠please forgive me,â you sob up at him. âQuiet, youâll speak when spoken too, understand?â he looks down at you. âYes, Fatherâ you squeak out as he smirks. âThatâs betterâŠâ he reaches out to cup your face, wiping the stray tear away. âNow, why donât you put this pretty mouth to good use?â he coos at you, tracing your lower lip with his thumb.Â
Leaning back, he pulls out his aching cock, you lean forward and give him and give him a couple experimental pumps, which draws a beautiful noise out of the taller man before taking him completely in your mouth.Â
The warm wet feeling has him in shambles, heâs putting all of his focus into not cumming down your throat immediately as you expertly work his length, his hand finding your hair as he attempts to take control of the situation.Â
âThere you goâŠâ He lulls out, as his mouth drops open, as an unfamiliar pit starts forming in the pit of his stomach. He can feel it building as you bob your head up and down his cock, his grip on your hair tightening as he feels himself getting close, he pulls you away from him, using the hand in your hair to make you look up at him. Drool trailing out of your mouth as you look at him with slightly glassy eyes.
Looking at you, a switch flips in his mind, âSo pretty, so obedient for me,â he says barely above a whisper as a smirk forms on his face. âUp, Iâm not finished with you,â he pulls you to your feet as he stands up, leading you up to the altar, he forces you over it as he kicks your feet apart, he reaches for your hair, pulling it forcing it to look up. In front of you is a large marble statue of Christ.Â
âTo make sure you know just what youâve done, I want you to see him,â he says sternly as tears well in your eyes again, before you can form a reply you feel Yunhoâs cock slide into you, bottoming out rather quickly. The young priest throws his head back as his fingertips dig into your hip, causing you both to moan. Yunho pulls out slowly before ramming himself back into you, setting a rough pace.Â
 âFather.. P-Pleaseâ you beg as his grip on your hair tightens. âF-uck please.. I canât last much longer like this, Father please,â tears stream down your face as you stare at the marble statue in front of you.
âNot my favorite sinner begging for forgiveness nowâ he quips at you, his pace slowing down âTell me exactly why I should forgive you for the sin youâve brought into this church? Before our Lord and savior?â He punctuated each word with a sharp thrust. âHow pathetic, now youâre crying?â he smirks as he pulls you back, body flush with his âGo on, let go.. Show me how much you really are sorry,â He coos in your ear.Â
âFather - I.. Iâ your mind goes blank, your orgasm hits you like a ton of bricks with one final thrust from Yunho, his name falling from your lips like hymns on a Sunday morning, he lets go of your hair, causing you to fall forward onto the altar as he pulls out of you, painting your back in his seed. The feeling of his seed on your back makes you shudder, the aftershocks of your orgasm pulling the energy out of you as you lay on the altar. Catching his breath, Yunho looks down at you, covered in his release and smirks.
âWhoever conceals their sins, does not prosper,â He breathes out âbut one who confesses it finds mercy.â
#mirohsaurorasociety#kinktober#kinktober 2024#atz smut#ateez smut#jeong yunho#yunho#ateez yunho#yunho x reader#yunho smut#jeong yunho smut#ateez yunho smut#yunho x y/n#gn reader#yunho x gn reader#kpop smut#kpop scenarios#ateez scenarios#ateez x reader#ateez#ateez imagines#kpop imagines#source: cafekitsune
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Propaganda
Ava Gardner (The Killers, The Barefoot Contessa)â She's so goddamn hot. Her and Frank Sinatra could've sandwiched me and I would've thanked them for the privilege
Dorothy Dandridge (Carmen Jones, Porgy and Bess, Island in the Sun)â The first Black actress to ever be nominated for best actress, Dorothy Dandridge was a groundbreaking actress who deserved better. She started her career as a singer, being put in a song-and-dance duo with her sister by their stage mother, and singing in soundies (I highly recommend cow cow boogie, it's adorable), proto-music videos. She started appearing as a featured singer in films. Her star was on the rise and she soon became a star solo performer. She continued acting, but had limited options because she refused to do stereotypical roles. She finally landed a starring role in Bright Road in 1953, but it was the movie Carmen Jones that truly cemented her as a star and sex symbol. Not to sound cheesy, but she literally sizzles on screen. You can't help but understand how poor Harry Belafonte gets caught in her trap, just look at her. This is the role that got her that Oscar nom. She didn't win cause I mean #OscarsSoWhite, but she was a sensation and continued starring in films, despite troubles in her life (including a shitty director bf who fucked with her career and a traumatizing pregnancy/delivery). Outside of her filmwork, she was also an activist, fighting against racism. She left behind an amazing legacy, and continues to inspire many actresses to this day (including also very hot first (and only) black woman to win best actress, Halle Berry).
This is round 4 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.
[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]
Ava Gardner:
Ava Gardner is one of my favorite actresses of all time. Although a lot of her roles in movies are about her being beautiful and nothing else, there are some films where her acting truly shines.
Gifset: https://www.tumblr.com/pelopides/721438308726603776/ava-gardner-as-pandora-reynolds-pandora-and-the
Gifset 2: https://www.tumblr.com/portraitoflestatonfire/731899355804598272/if-the-loustat-reunion-doesnt-look-like-this-then
HER FACE. LOOK AT IT. Also was a life long supporter of civil rights and a member of the NAACP, had lots of fun love affairs with other stars, bullfighters, married several times but was also happy in between to just have lovers and was unapologetically herself.
I literally gasp every time I see her.
Between 1942 and 1964, Ava Gardner was credited in no less 50 films, and is still considered by some to be the most beautiful actresses that ever graced the silver screen. Despite life-long insecurities regarding her talent as an actress, she weathered public scandal, industry hostility, and outright condemnation by the Catholic Church with fearless grace. She would later in life talk candidly about the reality and pain of living through two (studio approved!!) abortions during her short marriage to Frank Sinatra, and while the two of them could not make their relationship work, they remained in each otherâs lives for nearly 30 years. She would forever describe herself as a small-town girl who just got lucky, but always felt like a beautiful outsider.
Really genuinely one of the most beautiful human beings I have ever seen. An autodidact. Had amazing chemistry with Gregory Peck to the point where I do think about watching On The Beach again sometimes because they're so good together even though that movie did destroy me. Was a great femme fatale in many movies.
Dorothy Dandridge propaganda:
Beautiful actress and hand-working and talented singer, she's especially notable for the number of firsts she accomplished such as the first African-American woman to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and the first African-American woman to appear on the cover of Life magazine.
Dorothy Dandridge was a classic Hollywood triple threat, singing, dancing, and acting with the best of them. She was the first African American nominated for an academy award for Best Actress for her role in Carmen Jones and she was just jaw-droppingly beautiful.
youtube
this og of black film needs no introduction (star on the hollywood walk of fame anyone?), voice of an angel, heavenly features, just an overall stunning lady :)
Look at her!!! She is so unbelievably charismatic in Carmen, itâs insane. Her chemistry with Harry Belafonte is off the charts, and every time she puts another outdoor [sic] on itâs like âoh god this is a whole new level of stunningâ đ„”. She was so so talented, when sheâs on screen I genuinely dare you to tear your eyes away from her. Deserves to be known so much better but due to Hollywood racism and a tough personal life she didnât make it as big as she should have done. Sheâs incredible.
First Black actress to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress! Was the first choice for the role of Cleopatra that went to Elizabeth Taylor (we were ROBBED).
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Speak Now | Steve Harrington x Fem!Ex!Reader
Summary: You were called in as a last ditch effort by Dustin to convince Steve to back out of an arranged marriage with Kimberly Astor, the heiress of a multi-million dollar company. Only issue is that you were uninvited to the affair, but the kids you used to babysit have another plan.Â
Warnings: Mentions of infidelity, drug abuse, exes to lovers
Based on Taylor Swift's song, Speak Now <3
You shouldnât be here. Youâre being serious, you really shouldnât be here. But when Dustin called you and pleaded for you to drive over two hours from Chicago to your hometown, you knew this wasnât a call to ignore. You werenât the type of girl to barge in on a wedding.
But then again, you knew Steve wasnât the type of boy to marry the wrong girl.Â
âThank God you came,â Dustin runs over to throw his arms around you. He lets out a sigh of relief as he tosses his entire weight onto you. You stagger back as you try to keep him standing, but it had been far too long since you had seen the boy, he had grown faster than you expected. Three years was enough for him to shoot up and tower over you. No longer was he the short curly haired boy you watched over on weekdays to get some pocket money to go on dates with Steve. Now, heâs nearly an adult, packing his things for college and using his free time to call his favorite people: you and Steve. Separately, of course, because you two were no longer a thing.Â
âYou called,â you respond, pulling away. âBesides, it gives me a reason to see you munchkins again.âÂ
âI think we hardly classify as munchkins now,â you hear a voice from behind you. In comes the gang of kids you used to spend nearly every waking day with, all visibly older and dressed fancily for the occasion. Mike, the voice you recognized, leads the group and comes to hug you first.Â
You can barely reach up to hug him. âMike!â you exclaim. âJesus, youâve gotten so big.âÂ
Max steps forward and gives you a small smile, never the one for physical contact after everything that happened. Her glasses frame her face beautifully, and her matured features cause your eyes to water. âEnough of the waterworks,â she tells you firmly. Max cocks her head at the brideâs family, all dressed in tacky pastels. The mom swats at her youngest sonâs hand as she pushes his blond hair back. âWe have more shit to deal with now.âÂ
âIs she that bad?â you ask your friends.Â
Will grimaces along with Lucas and his far from little sister. Erica was never one for hiding her emotions on her face, and that habit seemed to have stuck as she aged. âShe was just yelling at some bridesmaid,â Will replies with a sigh. âPretty sure it was Steveâs cousin, too.âÂ
âShe looks like a pastry,â Eleven deadpans, causing Max to elbow her.Â
You pinch the bridge of your nose and sigh at Elevenâs directness. Things never change, you suppose. âWhere is he?âÂ
Everyone knew who he was. It was the very reason why you drove all this way.Â
âNo clue,â Dustin answers, hands shoved in his pockets. âKimberly has been bothering him about everything needing to be perfect,â Dustinâs voice went high-pitched and unbearable to imitate the rich heiress Steve called his fiance.Â
You never knew why Steve got himself into this. Pleasing his parents was the last thing he ever wanted to do while you were dating. What happened in the three years of leaving Hawkins that made him switch up? This wasnât the Steve you knew, and you knew from the moment Dustin called that you had to stop Steve from ruining his life.Â
Music starts to play, ringing through the halls of the gothic church you were standing in the middle of. The wedding was starting soon. The bells and gonging sound eerily similar to the sounds of the grandfather clock Max vividly described when she was in the hospital after Vecnaâs attack. It sends shivers down your spine but you quickly regain your composure.Â
âWe gotta go,â Max informs you. âSteve made sure to get us seats in the front. Youâll be okay from here?âÂ
âYeah,â you reassure them. âIâll be fine, promise.â Parting ways, you spend the last few minutes looking around for that familiar mop of brown hair. In the distance, you see him and he instantly takes your breath away.Â
Heâs wearing a pressed suit that shows no sign of wrinkles or age. Itâs definitely new and tailored for him, no doubt thanks to his mother. In his suit pocket is a neatly folded white pocket square, and beside it was a freshly picked rose pinned to his breast. He looks like a daydream, but deep down, you knew he was living his worst nightmare.Â
This was all wrong. He hates stiff suits and having his hair slicked back. He never wanted a fancy and lavish affair for a wedding; he always wanted it to be intimate and surrounded by his loved ones and definitely not his snotty relatives. And Steve hated roses. It reminded him too much of his parentsâ materialistic relationship. The one where his mom thought it was perfectly suitable to drink her problems away with wine and the occasional scotch. It was also the one where his dad would just shower his mom with designer purses and roses whenever she found out he was sleeping with yet another unreasonably young secretary.Â
A pained expression rests on Steveâs face as he trails behind the minister. You call out to him through the sea of people. After the third call, he finally perks his ears at your voice and turns to face your direction. A look of surprise replaces his sullen expression. Itâs been three years since heâs last seen you. Three years since you broke things off to move to Chicago. How did you end up back in Hawkins?Â
âWhat are you doing here?â he mouths to you.
Youâre weaving through the crowd, trying to get to him. âSaving you,â you mouth back.Â
His eyebrows furrow in confusion, but before he can do anything about it, heâs nudged forward by a groomsman. Reluctantly, Steve moves forward and walks down the aisle.Â
You donât lose sight of Steve, hiding expertly behind the curtains as the procession continues. He walks down the aisle to the organâs music that reminds you of a death march. You closely watch the rest of the members of the family follow behind Steve. You were so concentrated on the procession that you didnât realize Willâs older brother standing behind you.Â
âL/N what are you doing here?â Jonathan whispers.Â
You jump in shock, gripping the dusty white curtain close to your chest. âJonathan!â you whisper-shouted. âNearly scared the shit out of me. Iâm here to stop a wedding.âÂ
âWhere do you need me?â Jonathan instantly asks. You cock an eyebrow at his eagerness. âListen, Iâve met Kimberly. Steve and I were never best buds, but Iâm not going to let him toss his life away for a nasty person like her. Especially not when youâve loved him all this time.âÂ
You open your mouth to correct him but Jonathan is quick to cut you off. âCut the bull, N/N, we both know the truth. You never stopped loving Harrington, but what I canât wrap my head around is why you left him?âÂ
âI wasnât going to string Steve along for a hopeless long distance relationship,â you shoot back. âI had to move to Chicago for my job. I knew Steve would come with me no matter what I said, so I cut things off.âÂ
Jonathan presses his lips together in a thin line but doesnât say anything else about the topic. âWhy are you hiding, anyway?âÂ
You roll your eyes, peering over the curtains to see the flower girls tossing petals along the pathway. âSeems like I was uninvited by his lovely bride-to-be.âÂ
The music instantly changes as Kimberly walks out in her enormous dress. Her face exudes class and elegance as she takes calculated steps down the aisle. âFucking pageant queen,â Jonathan mutters under his breath.Â
âShe looks beautiful,â you compliment shortly. Thatâs all youâre willing to say about her. From a distance Steve is looking through his bride, eyes only on you. He wishes the one walking down this aisle was you.Â
The rest of the ceremony is a blur to you. Words go in your ear and out the other, and you almost didnât realize the most important part of the wedding has started.Â
âShould anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony,â the minister read aloud from his book. âspeak now or forever hold your peace.â
Taking a deep breath, you emerge from the curtains and raise your hand.Â
Horrified looks from everyone in the room but you only look at Steve. Relief floods his face and his shoulders finally relax.Â
âYou donât want this,â you speak directly to him. âI know you, Steve. You donât want any of this.âÂ
âShe doesnât know what sheâs talking about,â Kimberly cuts in, facing the minister. âSteven wants this. Right, Steven?âÂ
âFor the last time, my name is Steve,â Steve huffs at his now-ex-fiance. âAnd I donât want this. I just want you.â His chocolate brown eyes peer over at you, and a small smile reaches his lips. âIâll meet you out the back door.âÂ
Following his instructions, you run out of the church, dodging angry relatives and their shouts. Keys in hand, you hop into your car and start the engine. Pulling out of your spot, you drive down to the back door where Steve is. You quickly unlock the door as Steve practically jumps in, avoiding the yells of the bridesmaids and dodging the bouquets tossed at his head.
Steve lets out an exhausted huff as he loosens his tie. A giddy smile is on his face as he looks back at you. You canât help but share a similar expression as you step on the gas.Â
âThanks for saving my neck out there,â Steve tells you gratefully.Â
âAnything for you,â you respond, glancing over at him. He still looks the same as ever, if not more handsome. Your heart honestly never stopped beating for him. âIf I didnât make it clear earlier,â you clear your throat awkwardly. âIâm still in love with you, Harrington.âÂ
Silence follows and you can feel your heart beating out of your chest. Soon enough, your worries are calmed when Steve takes one of your hands off the wheel and covers it with his.Â
âI got that, dummy,â he chuckles softly.Â
You sigh in relief, laughing quietly along, too. âSo, where to?âÂ
You couldnât get the glint in his eye off your mind when he smiles at you.
âWhereâs the nearest chapel?âÂ
#stranger things#stranger things fic#stranger things fanfiction#steve harrington#steve harrington fic recs#steve harrington angst#steve harrington x reader#steve harrington imagine#steve harrington fanfic#steve harrington fluff
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*EDITED* PART 1 - Bad Boys: Second Chances
Pairing: Armando x Black! OC (Rya)
Warnings: blood, graphic, guns, death, mature, language (use of the n word), and some other stuff I probably forgot about sorry
Summary: Its been two years since Captain Conrad was framed. Another mission brings the team back together and new relationships are formed. It's said everyone deserves second chances and room to grow. So maybe this is that second chance.
âŠ3 DAYS EARLIERâŠ
"Pl-please-pleaseâŠi-i-i promise I'll fix it! I'll fix it ju-just please."
The helpless man begged on his knees in the center of the church foyer. The dim light shone through the broken painted glass, grazing the man's bruised and beaten face. Begging for mercy to the devil himself.
"Just give me a day I'll fix it I promiseâŠplease."
A loud bang echoed through the foyer, causing the people watching to flinch. Said devil looked down on the unfortunate man, shaking his head.
"A DAY-I fucking-" another loud bang could be heard followed by the sounds of glass shattering as they hit the floor.
"Look at me-" grabbing the helpless man by his neck. "I gave you a fucking month to do this one simple job and you fuck it up," watching the drool spill from the man's mouth and land on his suit jacket. Taking a deep sigh, quickly dropping the man to his knees, listening to him struggle to catch his breath. Slowly walking back to the podium where a selection of items laid.
The faint sound of metal being picked up caused the helpless man to panic.
"N-no-no-no PLEASE PLEASE LORD HAVE MERCY ON ME PLE-" the helpless man's body dropped to the floor. His blood splattered everywhere, forming a thick puddle beneath him.
"Clean it up," watching as no one moved to the request. Irritation filled the man's veins.
"CLEAN THE FUCKING MESS UP," running a hand through his long hair in frustration.
"And not just the bodyâŠfix what the fuck he couldn'tâŠNOW."
--------------------------------------------------------
âŠMIAMIâŠPRESENT DAY, 2026âŠ
"Happy birthday to you."
The soft giggles of a baby could be heard in the singing crowd. The Stevie Wonder version of the birthday song played lightly in the background. Megan, Marcus's daughter, walked into the dim dining room where the crowd was with a gleaming smile on her face. Gently, sitting the birthday cake with the big number 1 on it in front of the small family sitting at the table. Mike holding the chubby baby girl in his lap and Christine, Mike's wife, next to them recording.
"Baby girl, don't get your baby drool all on the cake. Uncle Marcus wants to enjoy a slice or two, okay."
"Marcus, you're not getting no cake. Back up," Mike looked up at his best friend cooing at the little baby staring down at the cake, causing the man to stop smiling.
"Mike, it's a special occasion. I can't just not eat the cake. That's rude, ain't that right, baby girl?"
Both men watched as the little girl squeezed her little hands and jumped towards the cake. Big little eyes targeting the pink frosting.
"Woah, calm down girl," Mike stood up, wiping the frosting on her chubby cheeks. "Acting like your uncle when he sees Skittles."
Almost two years had passed since the two were on a mission to clear Conrad's name. Not long after its success, things went back to normal. Christine fell pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Amara Marie Lowrey. Mike was ecstatic to become a father. Feeling blessed to have been given the opportunity to raise his child. Something he had missed with his first son, Armando, whom he had not heard from or had contact with since his farewell when he got on the boat.
"You wish he was here, huh?"
So deep in his thoughts, he didn't notice everyone had left and Christine took their daughter out of his arms. It was only him and Marcus in the dining room. "What?"
"You do that every time you think about him. You know he can take care of himselfâŠhell, he has better survival skills than us, making fires and shit," patting the taller man's shoulder.
Shaking his head, he sat back down in his chair. "I know, but it's been 2 years and nothing. As fucked up as it sounds, at least I knew where he was when he was in jail."
Sighing, Mike looked out the window and watched as everyone was outside laughing. His wife holding his precious daughter with the biggest smiles on their faces. Love was seen all over. He couldn't help but wish to experience that with his son or at least have his son experience what it's like to be around the people you love to celebrate you.
The sudden sound of a cell phone going off disturbed the silence between the two partners. Quickly looking at the phone and seeing that it was Rita, their Captain, calling. Knowing it must be urgent because she knows today is his daughter's birthday and strictly a family day, he answered the phone.
Marcus watched as his partner's face scrunched up in confusion. "Woah, slow down, what happenedïżœïżœyeahâŠyeahâŠokay, we'll be there, bye."
"We gotta go," grabbing his keys and heading to the back to inform the family of their dismissal. Marcus followed behind, "Yeah, I got that before you hung up. What happened?"
"I don't know. Rita just said she needs us in the office now. Something about a murder," walking back towards the front to head to the car.
"But Mike, hold on, let me get my slice of cake," Marcus says turning towards the kitchen.
"Nigg-" stopping in his tracks to look back at the man.
"Come onnn. it'll be gone before we get back!" Marcus pleads with his eyes wide.
Mike rolls his eyes and grabs the man. "Man, carry yo grown ass to this carâŠtoo damn grown to be acting like a little-ass kid over some cake."
"Aye, now I'm a grown-ass man, Mike. Don't talk like I'm not one. I just wanted a piece of cake, okay? That a crime?"
"Marcus, let's go."
Whining before getting into the car. "Fine, damn."
a/n: Sorry y'all, I suck at descriptions. But yayyy, I decided to write a Bad Boys fic for the first time. Just please excuse the poor writing, I did not edit AT ALL, and it's been a minute since I wrote anything (literally back when Wattpad had no adsđ). So, we're just a lot rusty. I hope y'all enjoy because I have no direction in which this is going; we just gon go wherever the wind takes us. Feel free to comment! I love feedback, and active readers make the experience fun! And to my silent readers, hey pookiesđ«¶đŒ.
#armando aretas#armando aretas x reader#armando aretas x black reader#armando imagine#armando x reader#armando x black!reader#bad boys#bad boys ride or die#bad boys for life#marcus burnett#mike lowrey#jacob scipio#will smith#martin lawrence#bad boys second chances
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Father, Forgive Me | Armageddon Event
Request: Serpent | Choi Yeonjun (TXT) by @biteyoubiteme song!
warnings: MDNI18+, blasphemy, fem!reader, nun!reader, demon!yeonjun, boob play, nipple play, v slight coercion, piv implications
1.1k words
It was the last time. You swore to yourself it was the last time youâd allow a demon in your chambers. Even as Yeonjun taps on your window, his sharp nail making a gentle ding sound on the glass, you ignore him.
You told yourself it was a moment of weakness. You spent years dedicating yourself to the word, to your savior. One night ofâŠsin doesnât erase what youâve sacrificed walking a holy life. You need to close your eyes, pray, and repent. A simple three-step task you must complete if you don't want to burn for eternity, but that damn snake. That damned, rotten soul that wants nothing but your pure one.
Heâs persistent, youâll give him that. The constant ring gently echoing throughout your room blurs any prayer in your head. Focusing is impossible. Everything is impossible with those slit pupils and sharp teeth. Each tap makes you remember how he held you. How his lips sucked and licked on the parts of you that you vowed no one else would ever touch. You unraveled on his tongue one too many times that night. He coaxed you through more and more pleasure with his mouth, his fingers, and his god-forsaken co-
You march to the window, ignoring how his beautiful lips twist into a smile like youâre the best thing heâs seen all day.
You will tell him to go away, that he is not welcome in the house of God.
When you unlatch the lock and open the windows, itâs Yeonjun who speaks first. âI must admit, you playing hard to get only entices me more.â
The warmth in your stomach is from anger, not flustering. You manage to collect yourself saying, âThere is nothing to entice. You are not supposed to be here.â
Yeonjun fakes confusion, tilting his head to one side and furrowing his eyebrows. âNot here? Then where shall we go? The sanctuary? The hall?â He smiles annoyingly attractive. âTell me, nun, where do you wish to be defiled?â
Now you flush with heat, recalling the memories you tried to push away. âHush! It was a mistake! I may have fallen for your tricks and lust, but it wonât happen again. Your presence only brings me misfortune. Thereâs a reason your kind is hated.â
Yeonjinâs pupils grow thinner. His smile turns dark. Limb by limb, he crawls his way into your room.
You take steps back, tilting your head to gaze at his monstrous height. It should be fear running through your veins, but the close proximity makes your knees weak in every wretched way.Â
âIsnât there a saying spoken amongst the church?â He stalks closer. One step of his is 2 steps of yours. Yeonjun backs you up until your back hits the wall and you have no choice but to endure the pooling in your panties. As if he knows, Yeonjun bends down, his neck straining to be eye level. âTo hate the sin and not the sinner? If I recall correctly, oh holy nun, you loved me quite thoroughly that night.â
Long, smooth fingers play with your hair. He curls the end around his digit until it threatens to cut off blood circulation.Â
âIt-it was a mistake.â
âWas it?â Yeonjun goes past your cheek to your ear. His teeth bite down, tugging on the skin until you tremble.Â
âI was tempted.â Youâre whispering now. As if youâd break this trance heâs got you in by speaking any louder. He hums against your ear, licking a soft stripe up.
âWere you?â His lips barely touch you as he speaks. âOr did you finally give in to what you always wanted? What you were meant to worship?â
You should shove him off. Find an escape from between his hands and run into the halls, altering the other nuns and priests about what dwells in their sacred home. About what dwelled in your room, underneath your sheets, and inside the deepest parts of you.
But as Yeonjunâs hands find your breasts on top of your sleeping gown, all you can do is contently sigh and puff your chest.
He smiles. You can feel his lips curve against you, that tainted mouth placing kisses along your neck before he finds the top of your chest. You hate how you tilt the side so he can travel down - hate that he giggles when you do.
The gropes and love bites only make you mewl, fisting your hands to the side in an attempt to control yourself. You fear that if you grab onto him, you may never let go.
Yeonjun leans further down to catch a pebbled nipple in his mouth, tugging at the bud through the gown and drooling over the material. A wet patch soon forms from his ministrations. You canât tell if youâre relieved or frustrated to not feel his tongue on you. That barrier only makes you yearn more - makes those little fists you coiled up unravel and find his hair.
He chuckles with your nipple in his mouth. âYouâre fighting it so passionately. It almost makes me feel bad.â
A rough tug on his hair earns a rougher pull on your chest. You whine, cunt throbbing from the painful pleasure youâre growing to hunger for.Â
âTell me.â Yeonjun switches to your other boob. His words catch your attention and you make the mistake of looking down. Thereâs nothing but sin in his slit eyes, a wicked smile on those swollen lips and it all makes you gush in your underwear. âTell me what you want.â
It feels impossible to speak at all, let alone confess your darkest desires, but Yeonjunâs tongue draws an answer as it circles your peak. He latches his lips around your areola and sucks.Â
He yanks his head back as he keeps the bud between his lips, making your grip tighten in his black hair and tremble in his hold. âI wantâŠI want you t-â
To stop. To leave. To return to the hell that he crawled out of. Anything but stay. Yet, when his hand trails down to cup your mound. To feel how much youâve soiled your underwear just from suckling on your tits, you break.Â
Again.
âI want you.â Itâs firmer now, even if your voice shakes from pleasure. âI want you.â
That ungodly smile he gives you should make you regretful. There should be immeasurable amounts of fear upon seeing his pupils thin like heâs found his prey. Yet, itâs an insatiable craving youâre filled with.
His black heart has poisoned yours. His corrupted soul has wrapped your once pure one with a devilâs thread. Forgiveness is far from you. Salvation would never be tasted upon your tongue. And terrifyingly, itâs not redemption you find yourself wishing to consume.
#smut#txt smut#tomorrow x together smut#tomorrow x together#txt#yeonjun x reader#yeonjun#txt yeonjun#yeonjun txt#choi yeonjun#yeonjun smut#txt yeonjun smut
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Random Hatchetfield Headcanons
The first time Alice Woodward ever smoked weed was when (after much inner turmoil) she asked Deb to shotgun it with her.
Max has two snaggletoothed incisors which is why people swear to god he has fangs.
Deb also has a snaggletooth which is what inspired the vampire part of Aliceâs vampiric sapphic play. Alice also thinks itâs ironic she made a vampire character when Deb is a vegan.
Ruth as a Sophmore hit on Senior Alice a lot. Alice thought it was funny and she and Deb âadoptedâ her. Max and Steph also put the PANIC in bi panic for Ruth.
Max would find it weirdly hot that Grace wears bathing suits under her clothes because of the idea that he gets to see what her body looks like before even she does.
The hospital is downtown, so Becky Barnes definitely got infected in TGWDLM. Despite never wanting to do it again, Becky climbs the tree as someone calls the HFPD to save Kathyâs cat because sheâs still infinitely compassionate even under Pokeyâs control. Plus, Pokey knows she wants to get over the trauma associated with climbing trees, so he makes her do it to give her a big number about finally overcoming her past. She accidentally flings the cat as soon as the song starts, which is why in Show Me Your Hands, the cat dies so quickly even though it JUST got called in.
Peter infected Steph who infected Deb who infected Alice in TGWDLM. Pete and Steph would have been Sophomores and Deb and Alice were Seniors, but I always imagine Steph and Deb knowing eachother because MRFC said Steph is in the Smoke Club on Twitter at some point. Assuming Stephâs been a little punk for a while, sheâs been in the smoke club since at least Sophomore year, and probably a new inductee the same year as TGWDLM (2018).
Alice and one of her parents (maybe Bill) were also raised in purity culture because we know the Woodwards and the Chastitys go to the same church. The Woodwards probably take it with a grain of salt though (Alice has expressed dislike over Graceâs prudishness)- either that or one of her parents (probably her mom) wasnât originally from said church and also raised Alice with âthis is what youâre learning here, but hereâs also what I learned at my church at your age.â Bill was likely the one raised in purity culture because he does NOT LIKE DEB and thinks that if she HAS TO date a girl, she should date someone like Grace Chastity, implying sheâs an exemplary teen girl. Ms. Woodward lets Deb sleep over and probably knows she smokes and likes her anyways; three points for Aliceâs mom not being the puritanical one.
Ted reads romance novels. Heâs a former geek turned sleazeball- you know he reads the smuttiest novels ever and calls them âhis researchâ. He refuses to read any book with the friends to lovers trope because itâs too upsetting to think about. (Side note Time Bastard gave us a definite date that timelines donât branch/reset before depending on whichever theory you believe because the homeless man is in every timeline, meaning that Jennyâs death is fixed in time and never changes: October 7th 2004, so the timelines change anywhere between October 8th 2004 and 2018.)
In whatever timeline Emma finally gets to have her weed farm, she meets Paul when he tells her he was prescribed that marajamij for his anxiety and he was too scared to try Xanax. She thinks heâs kind of cute for a wet cat of a corporate slave. âFuck the patriarchy? Yes please.â (Side note Paul seems so uptight and unfuckable like bro gotta be blank down there like a Ken doll and has no discernible kinks from what I remember while Emma is laid back and chill asf and like⊠normal in comparison so yeah sure Paulkins canonically fucks but does Emma enjoy it?? Like dude even Peteâs more fuckable than him come on.)
Pete and Steph donât kiss when they admit their feelings for eachother even though one of them would die before ever getting to kiss each other because they both think itâll only make it that much harder to go through with sacrificing the other. One of the reasons Pete also chooses to be the one to take the bullet because he doesnât think he even COULD pull the trigger on her. Like itâd be physically impossible for him, in his mind.
TGWDLM was originally meant to be an allegory for the institution brainwashing us. Show Me Your Hands and Americaâs Great Again: examples of people in power working for and fulfilling the evil wishes of some almighty, otherworldly, inhuman THING (be it aliens, be it those in power). Itâs clearly meant to satirize the way that power corrupts and tries to convince you its way is better. Even Hidgens, THE FUCKING TEACHER, tries to teach his student that it will be better for everyone to join in that corruption and give in to the hive mind. This reminds me of how the school system in America tries to paint our history as something glamorous; manifest destiny instead of genocide of the indigenous populations. The people in power convincing those under them that the deaths of countless lives is a good thing and it will pave the way to a better future. Cool motive, still murder. Which is why Emma âFuck the Patriarchyâ Perkins is the last one to be infected. She was incapable of being brainwashed , and even when she was the last one left, she saw that the people watching didnât care, and the all-consuming threat of corrupted power closes in on her until the very last moment.
The Lords in Black were going to try to convince whoever sacrificed their most treasured something to do more work for them, but Grace required very little convincing. Like Wiggly spoke into her mind like âGracy-Wace! You forgot my booky-wook! Look in it, see any thing you like? Wanna kill all the pervy-wervys?â And sheâs like âholy cow I can kill all the pervy-wervys with this book?â Pete would have needed the most convincing because heâs just lost the only girl who will ever love him (in his mind) and so heâd think these things took away his one chance at true love and NEVER want to deal with them again. Even if they offered him a way to get her back, heâs too smart to know that wonât come without an even bigger price AND too paranoid to think she wonât come back wrong like Max did.
If the Green-Foster family ever did get to move to California and Lex got to be an actress, her interview attitude would be a lot like ReneĂ© Rapp and if she ever got asked about why sheâll openly shit talk people in an interview, sheâs like âI used to work retail I learned pretty fast that nothing gets done if you keep your mouth shut.â
#starkid#hatchetfield#tgwdlm#black friday musical#nightmare time#npmd#alice woodward#max jagerman#grace chasity#bill woodward#stephanie lauter#peter spankoffski#ted spankoffski#paulkins#paul matthews#emma perkins#lautski#ruth fleming#becky barnes#lex foster#jenny starkid#lords in black#wiggog y'wrath
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When I was a boy, I only had one dream. I wanted to grow up to be just like my dad. You see, my father wasn't just an adventurer. He was a LEGENDARY adventurer.
Papa Arc: And then I kissed the beast so fair~
Papa Arc: And kissed her beastly bits down there~
When he would come back from his trips, I would sit in the tavern an listen to his songs, and I'd imagine myself traveling with him.
Papa Arc: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA~!
Lady: Kyaaah~!
That's right! My father is the one and only NICHOLAS ARC, the greatest Bard in the whole Kingdom! And I was going to be a Bard just like him!
Or, at least, that's what I thought at the time.
I guess part of growing up is realizing that your heroes aren't perfect. They're flawed people, and sometimes those flaws get really, REALLY messy.
Jaune: Dad, I'm home~!
Papa Arc: NOT THE PROSTATE! NOT THE PROSTATE~!
It was the day when I walked in on my father getting his butt plowed in the middle of an interspecies foursome. Again.
At that moment, I decided that I didn't want to be like my father.
Jaune: Dad...
Papa Arc: WHOA?! You're home early! Wait, let me explain! I'm practicing wrestling!
Jaune: Dad...
Papa Arc: Remember the basics of CQC!
Jaune: Dad, I know what sex is...
Jaune: Dad... I said I wanted to be a Bard like you when I grow up... But I've changed my mind. I'm going to become a PALADIN.
Papa Arc: ...
Papa Arc: Heh... That's a great idea, son! Chicks dig Paladins!
Jaune: No, Dad... A REAL Paladin, not the Fallen kind.
Grimm Lady: Ooh~! Your son is really cute~!
--------------------------------------------------
Years later...
Jaune: Ambrosius, Spirit of Creation and Control, please give me the strength to continue living a healthy and disciplined lifestyle, monogamous and uncorrupted by lust....
Yup, that's me. My name is Jaune Arc, and I'm a "Paladin of Order" now. I try my best every day to be a Lawful and Good citizen.
Nora: HEY! Are you STILL praying, church boy?! Get your ass in gear! It's dungeoning time! We don't got all day if we're gonna loot B3 and get back before happy hour!
Pyrrha: Hello, Jaune~!
This is Nora. She's a real dwarfy Dwarf, and a really good person.
Nora: Hmph!
Pyrrha: Nora's anxious because she's run out of lien again. (Giggles)
And this is Pyrrha, she's a Fighter of Jinn, and has been my best friend since I was a kid.
Nora: So, when did your dad say he was gonna be back?
Jaune: Around sundown, but I'm not exactly excited to be back before then. Really not looking forward to spending time with him.
Pyrrha: Oh, come now, Jaune! He's going to be off on a new adventure soon! Who knows when you'll see him again?
Nora: Yeah! Nicholas Arc is a legend! You should be glad he's your dad!
Jaune: Easy for you guys to say. Every time he goes on an adventure, he comes back with a new WIFE. I heard he was in the Kingdom of Mistral, so he's probably impregnated another Dwarf noble.
Nora: Damn... What an alpha...
Jaune: Do you know how awkward it is to deal with a new stepmom every year? You should see the drawings I did as a kid.
In hindsight, I had a weird family structure growing up.
Jaune: Anyways, it's not like I hate him or anything. I'm just sick of introducing myself to another new "mom".
Nora: Mm... I get that you have daddy issues.
Jaune: Gee, thanks.
Nora: But you don't have to be the opposite of him! You're living with a stick up your ass!
Jaune: I'm living with discipline, Nora. That's what it means to be a Paladin of Order.
Paladins of Ambrosius, the Spirit of Creation and Control, are champions of their own personal laws.
Ironwood: I only poop standing up! THIS is my solemn vow!
By living within the confines of a strict individual code, they seek to free themselves of animalistic desires and act through reason.
Nora: BAH! Order, schnorder! You need to get LAID! That'll fix ya!
Pyrrha: Yeah, Jaune! You do need to get laid! As your best friend, I'll take responsibility! That way we can lose our virginities together~!
Jaune: PYRRHA, YOU SHOULDN'T MAKE JOKES LIKE THAT. YOU SHOULD ONLY HAVE SEX WITH SOMEONE YOU HAVE DEEP, ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR. I KNOW WE'RE CLOSE, BUT YOU WOULD REGRET LOSING YOUR VIRGINITY TO A GUY WHO IS ONLY YOUR FRIEND.
Pyrrha: Yeah... You're right... Ha ha...
Nora: You okay?
Jaune: Let's go.
--------------------------------------------------
Nora: Alright! Get your crap in the bag! It's go time!
Pyrrha: ...
Jaune: Gear check before we go in.
"The Black Roads." It's said it was created by a shunned Witch to avoid outsiders; this cave system leads down into one of the largest dungeons in the continent.
Guard: Hey, Jaune!
Jaune: Hey man.
Guard: Going down the pit, right?
Jaune: Yup.
Guard: Oof... I'd take a rain check on that. There's a horrible creature that was spotted last night.
Jaune: Like what? An alpha beowolf? Or maybe an Ursa?
Guard: WORSE! Word is, someone ran into...
Guard: A GRIMM-KIN!
Nora: A GRIMM-KIN?!
Grimm-Kin are a Grimm subspecies that live deep in the Black Roads. They have a harsh, matriarchal society that enslaves men. It's well-known that Grimm-Kin women are inherently evil.
Jaune: We haven't had a Grimm-Kin sighting in years. Did something happen?
Guard: I'm not sure what's going on, but you be especially careful, Jaune! A handsome guy like you? Grimm-Kin would be slobbering just for the chance to get at your pecker!
Jaune: Don't worry. I'm an expert at rejecting the advances of horny women.
Pyrrha: Oh boy... Wouldn't I know...
Nora: You okay?
--------------------------------------------------
Nora: I HATE GRIMM-KIN! In fact, I HATE REGULAR GRIMM, TOO! I'm not racist. I just don't like Grimm.
Jaune: You're a real dwarfy Dwarf, Nora.
Nora: WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!
Dungeon Level B3
Grimm: (Barks)
Grimm: (Snarls)
Grimm: (Growls)
Grimm: (Yips)
Grimm: ?!
Grimm: (Snaps, Snaps in two)
Pyrrha: Do you ever wonder what the Grimm talk about?
Jaune: Probably Grimm stuff, like how to get the most negative emotions out of a person. Oh, scoop up that ash.
Nora: How much ash have we got? What's the market price?
Jaune: Er, not great. Last I heard, Grimm Ash was going through another inflation.
Nora: AGAIN?! SERIOUSLY?! HOW AM I GONNA PAY MY RENT?!
Jaune: Well, you can stop drinking syrup from the top shelf.
Nora: Wow... That's a low blow. You think we can go deeper than this?
Jaune: I wouldn't do it. We should get at least a four-man party, preferably five.
Nora: Mm...
Pyrrha: (Turns, Sees arrow flying at her)
Jaune: (Grabs Pyrrha, Blocks arrow)
Pyrrha: Thank you, Jaune!
Jaune: See? This is what I'm talking about. We need a scout to prevent ambushes like this. Show yourself... GRIMM.
Cinder: (Steps out) Well, well... You parried my arrow cleanly. Looks like you're not just a pretty face... HUMAN.
Jaune: Why did you attack us, Grimm? We mean you no harm.
Nora: I DO! I'm gonna harm that skull into PIECE, BONE-FACE!
Jaune: Nora, can you please be quiet for just a second?
Cinder: Oh my... Isn't it obvious? I attacked you to get what I want. Because there's one thing every Grimm-Kin girl wants...
Cinder: HER VERY OWN MAN-SLAVE~! HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO~!
Cinder: YOU, PRETTY BOY~!
Jaune: Huh?
Cinder: I like you~! Ufufufu~... Back home, all the men I got were broken hand-me-downs from my mother! Now, I get to finally have my own boy-toy~!
Cinder: Don't worry, I won't kill anyone~! My blades and arrows are coated with knock-out poison, so I can take you all down with just a scratch! Then I'm going to drag pretty boy off and teach him how to please a woman~!
Jaune: Ah... So, let me get this straight. You're attacking us just because you want to have sex with me.
Cinder: Oh~? Have I piqued your interest~?
Cinder: It's not a big deal, is it~? You only need to become my pet and I'll allow you to play with this body. Imagine the desperate moans I'll make as you drag your tongue over my peaks and valleys, driving me wild with pleasure~!
Jaune: Hm... That does sound like a good deal.
Pyrrha: J-Jaune?! Wait! Don't fall for her lies! She's trying to trick you!
Jaune: I'll admit, you're a very attractive lady, and I'm sure there are many men out there who would give up everything to be with someone like you.
Cinder: So you'll be mine then?!
Jaune: BUT I REFUUUSE! GIRLS AND BOYS MUST NOT FORNICATE BEFORE MARRIAAAGE! NO CASUAL ENCOUNTERS! NO KISSING BEFORE THE TENTH DATE! NO MOUTH PLAY! NO ASS PLAY! DEFINITELY NO ASS TO MOUTH PLAY! ONLY MISSIONARY FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROCREATION! BETWEEN MARRIED COUPLES! MONOGAMYYY! NO HAREMS! NO ORGIES! HAND HOLDING IS OKAY, BUT DON'T! LOCK! THOSE! FINGEEERS!
Pyrrha: ...
Jaune: ...
Nora: ...
Cinder: ...
Nora: ...
Cinder: ???
Pyrrha: Whew!
Jaune: Khm! My name is Jaune Arc, and I am a Paladin of Order. THIS is my solemn vow.
Cinder: Uh... Is every surface dweller this prudish, or is it just him?
Jaune: ...
Nora/Pyrrha: It's just him.
Cinder: Okay! So, uh... Kinda got sidetracked, but you're not volunteering to be my man-slave, right?
Jaune: Yeah.
Cinder: Good~! I prefer doing this the old-fashioned way.
Jaune: Here we go. Stay behind me. I'll handle this.
Cinder: Hoohoohoo~! A little overconfident, aren't we? THE ONLY THINGS YOU'LL BE HANDLING ARE MY NIPPLES IN BED~!
Jaune: (Holds action)
Cinder: (Leaping strike)
???: Oscura Ventos...
Cinder: (Knocked on her back) GAH!
Jaune: ?!
???: What have I told you about "No more man slaves"? Such a naughty girl~...
Cinder: Dammit! You always get in my way...
Cinder: MOTHER!
Salem: But then again, I'm not surprised. You always were needy for attention.
Cinder: Why did you stop me?!
Salem: Because slavery is WRONG, Cinder. We need to start treating men as equals.
Jaune: You okay?
Cinder: Oh, fuck off! You were going through three men a day just a week ago, so cut the crap!
Salem: That was the old men. I'm a new woman now, ever since I met...
Salem: (Cuddling to Papa Arc) My husband~! Mr. Nicholas Arc~!
Papa Arc: Heya, son~! How ya doin'?! (Laughing with Salem)
Jaune: ...Hi, Dad.
Papa Arc: Jaune, my boy! How's it hangin'~?
Jaune: I'm fine, Dad. Why are you in the dungeon with two Grimm-Kin?
Papa Arc: Ah, yes... These lovely ladies. It's a long story, one full of danger, adventure, and rrromance~...
Jaune: Let me guess; you and your party were hired by a rival faction in Mistral to attack a Grimm-Kin nation, single-handedly destroying their army and were supposed to kill their leaders, too, but then you saw the Grimm-Kin queen was hot, so you couldn't resist and just had to seduce her and screw her brains out, and then you smuggled her out of the war zone with the promise of marriage... again.
Papa Arc: HUH?! H- H- HOW DID YOU KNOW?!
Jaune: This is, like, the eighth time you've done this, Dad.
Papa Arc: Aw, geez... Don't tell me I'm getting predictable!
Nora: By the Brothers! I'm in awe of this GigaBard! This man is my HERO~!
Papa Arc: Ahem! Well, I was going to do this later with your mother, your sisters, and all your other mommies around, but since you're here now, allow me to introduce...
Papa Arc: Your new stepmother, Salem Arc, formerly Salem, Queen of the Grimm-Kin, and her daughter, Cinder, your new stepsister!
Salem: Apologize to your brother, Cinder~.
Jaune: Grr! I'm sorry I tried to enslave you... I guess...
Papa Arc: I was showing them around the dungeon since it's the most profitable job in the Kingdom of Vale.
Jaune: They'll be living with us in town?
Papa Arc: That's right! They'll be strangers in a strange land and they'll need someone to help them get used to our lifestyle. I'll be with Salem, so could you take care of your sister?
Cinder: Hmph! (Turns away)
Jaune: Uh... My "sister" tried to kidnap me and turn me into her sex slave... five minutes ago.
Papa Arc: I know! Isn't it great?! You're like family already!
Papa Arc: C'mon, Jaune, if someone doesn't watch her, she'll be arrested in a day. And besides...
Cinder: (Turned away from everyone)
Papa Arc: She looks like she could really use a friend.
Jaune: ...Fine, I'll do it.
Papa Arc: Attaboy, Jaune~! I knew you'd say yes! That's why I already bought a HOUSE for you! You two will be living together without any supervision~!
Jaune: What?
Cinder: What?!
Pyrrha: WHA- WHA- WHAT?!
Papa Arc: Sorry, Pyrrha. That's just how these things work.
Jaune: ...
Cinder: ...
Pyrrha: ...
Cinder: Ufu~! Ufufufufu~! I've always wanted a little brother~.
Pyrrha: HUH?!
--------------------------------------------------
And so, in this new house, my strange new life began.
Cinder: Step bro~! Step bro~! Oh, it's just awful~! I forgot to bring my clothes with me, so now I have to come out of the bath NAKED and SOAKING WET~!
Jaune: (Eyes shut) Here, I brought you a change of clothes. Cinder, please stop trying to seduce me. Seeing your nipples aren't going to make me break my vows as a Paladin.
Cinder: (Hugs him) Are you suuure~?
Jaune: Yes.
Some journeys start without taking a step away from home.
Cinder: Help, Step Bro, help~! I'm stuck in this conveniently positioned hole~!
Jaune: NO, YOU'RE NOT! WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT?!
I didn't know this at the time, but my stepsister's appearance was about to steer my Lawful life into a Chaotic world I was utterly unprepared for. But even then, one thing was obvious...
MY GRIMM-KIN STEPSISTER WASN'T GOING TO LEAVE ME ALONE
--------------------------------------------------
Nora: I'm a huge fan of your work, Mr. Arc! Could you sign my hammer?!
Papa Arc: Why, of course, my dwarven friend! Anything for a fan~!
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Alright, here's the part 2 of Hozier songs that remind me of the following OP Men. If you haven't read the first part yet, here's the masterlist! Might be the final part too since I'm running low on ideasâ
Featured Characters: Yamato, Jimbei, Shanks, Law, Kid, and Sabo
CW: Suggestive Content (its Hozier. Some songs are just down right feral)
Yamato
My lover's got humour She's the giggle at a funeral Knows everybody's disapproval I should've worshipped her sooner If the heavens ever did speak She's the last true mouthpiece Every Sunday's getting more bleak A fresh poison each week "We were born sick," you heard them say it My church offers no absolutes She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom" The only heaven I'll be sent to Is when I'm alone with you
In Yamato's eyes, there was just something about you that made you stood out from the rest. Different just like himâ in a good way. That's what kept him drawn to you.
Oh, how he'd worship you like the ethereal being you are. Kneel at your feet and kiss the knuckles of your handsâ the lengths he would go through to be blessed with that smile of yours.
The love you two shared was your own. It doesn't matter if the whole world frowns on it. He loved you, and you loved him. That's all that truly mattered to him.
Jimbei
We lay here for years or for hours Thrown here or found To freeze or to thaw So long, we'd become the flowers Two corpses we were Two corpses I saw
And they'd find us in a week When the weather gets hot After the insects have made their claim I'd be home with you I'd be home with you
I have never known sleep Like the slumber that creeps to me I have never known color Like this morning reveals to me
Jimbei's adoration for you felt as calm and soothing as the gentle waves that lap at your feet by the shorelines. It felt safe and gentleâ almost as if you could fall deeper and deeper without fear or worry.
He held you in his arms and guided you along a field of flowers. His patience as unwavering as his fierve loyalty was to you. And lie beside you to indulge is an indulgence he'd never tire of.
There's a comforting silence that envelops you both. In his eyes, you were all there was. The past, present, and futureâ he craved to share it all with you.
Shanks
But I've had no love like your love, ooh, from nobody I'd be appalled if I saw you ever try to be a saint I wouldn't fall for someone I thought couldn't misbehave But I want you to know that I've had no love like your love
Honey, when you warm the bed on Wednesday (yeah) It's suicide Tuesday back in LA If I had the choice between hearing either noise The excitement of a thousand, or the soothing of your voice
At first chance, I'd take the bed warmed by the body, woo I once warmed my hands over a burning Maserati, woo
You knew Shanks adored the life of piracy, and you respected that. And how he loved you all the more for it. The long distance from your warmth did nothing to wane his burning desire for you.
At every chance he gets, he'll find youâ even if its only for a short while. To remind you just how much his devotion runs deep. He'd gladly spend hours worshipping your body.
He'll find his way back to you. Always. Should his heart be a compass, there is no doubt it'll point to the seas. But you were that little minx that always had him straying far from the sea.
Trafalgar D. Law
Never feel too good in crowds With folks around When they're playing The anthems of rape culture loud Crude and proud Creatures baying All I've ever done is hide From our times When you're near me Honey, when you kill the lights And kiss my eyes I feel like a person for a moment of my life
But you don't know what hell you put me through To have someone kiss the skin that crawls from you To feel your weight in arms I'd never use
It's the god that heroin prays to It feels good, girl, it feels good It feels good, girl, it feels good It feels good, girl, it feels good Oh to be alone with you
Law knows what its like to be alone. A kind of isolation he never even asked for in the first place and yet the gods deemed he go through it. Eventually, it became a comfort to himâ his own company.
All the while you were someone who'd come into his life. A flickering flame in the winter of his soul. And just like a moth, he felt drawn to you in ways he'd never be able to explain.
He expected your love to hurt. It didn't. It enveloped him in a warmth that made him forget what the cold even felt like in the first place. That made him crave more.
Eustass Kid
To be twisted by something A shame without a sin Like how she twisted the bog man After she married him
Rare is this love, keep it covered I need you to run to me, run to me, lover Run until you feel your lungs bleeding
But in all the world There is one lover worthy of her With as many souls claimed as she
But for all he's worth He still shatters always on her earth The cause of every tear she'd ever weep
It was an inexplicable and complicated thing between you and Kid. A burning and passionate love that it left the two of you drawing each other close only to pull away from the other.
By the gods, you knew you'd do anything for each other. The raw and visceral intensity of it kept drawing you two close once more in hopes that your paths will finally intertwine as one.
It may not be today as the bed beside you feels cold and empty. But perhapsâ just maybe, a day will come back that the walls crumble down to guide a path where the two of you can walk together.
Sabo
Give your heart and soul to charity 'Cause the rest of you The best of you Honey, belongs to me
Ain't it a gentle sound, the rollin' in the graves? Ain't it like thunder under earth, the sound it makes? Ain't it exciting you, the rumble where you lay? Ain't you my baby? ain't you my baby?
Nothing fucks with my baby Nothing can get a look in on my baby Nothing fucks with my baby Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing
#one piece#fluff piece#feral piece#yamato x reader#yamato one piece#jimbei x reader#jimbei one piece#shanks x reader#shanks one piece#law x reader#law one piece#kid x reader#kid one piece#sabo x reader#sabo one piece#hozier#ohhh boy this was fun lol
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Break Me Down - Part 2
Pairing: Soldier Boy/Ben x Female Reader
Summary: Youâre a private investigator by trade, but now you happily sit at a desk â leading a surveillance team at Supe Affairs. After managing to end Homelander in New York, Soldier Boy escapes custody. You are recruited for the manhunt, joining Butcherâs team.
Truly, you joined the S.A. for the right reasons. But after you become his accidental hostage, Soldier Boy will break down every single one of themâŠ
đ Break Me Down Masterlist
AN: Surprise Sunday update! I was able to put the finishing touches on Part 2 a bit early. đ
Song used in this chapter is âIf I Didnât Careâ by The Ink Spots (but more like Amy Adams' version). Song inspiration for this chapter (and the song title) is âAll My Livin Timeâ by Radio Company (Jensenâs band with Steve Carlson).
Word Count: 4,500 Warnings: 18+ only! Willful seduction, kidnapping, SB being himself lol.
Part 2: You Move Me, Baby
This next mission was going to be a bit moreâŠhands on.Â
It was a gentlemenâs club, styled like a 1920s speakeasy, of all things. If nothing else, Soldier Boy was predictable.
Through a crack in the dressing room door, you didnât see any gentlemen here. You saw a bunch of skeevy bastards.Â
For the record, you didnât like this plan. But as Butcher once again pointed out, Soldier Boyâs less likely to fuckinâ recognize you than any of us.Â
And you certainly couldnât (wouldnât) imagine Butcher in rhinestone nipple tassels.Â
Right now, you were waiting to be assigned an outfit. Hopefully, you could just blend into the background of whatever performance act the stage manager wanted to slip you into. And you really hoped you wouldnât have to striptease on stage.
In the meantime, you sat on a stool in a black lace bra, matching panties, and sheer pantyhose, while Annie was helping you with your stage makeup. Years as a pageant child had taught her well. You felt like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, fending off getting hairspray up her ass.Â
Sure, you had gone undercover several times, but this was slightly out of your wheelhouse. You bit your lip, forgetting that you were already wearing several coats of scarlet red lipstick.Â
Annie slapped your hand. âStop it. Youâre smudging my paint job.â
You had Butcher and M.M. to thank for arranging this little detail.Â
May they both rot in hell, you silently simmered.Â
âOh, stop pouting. You look great,â Annie said. You caught the little smirk she was trying to taper down.Â
Then the managerâs head popped into the dressing room. When he verified that all the young women had at least their underwear on, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him.
âAll right, listen up,â he said in Spanish. You understood just enough to follow what he was saying. âAngelica got food poisoning.â
You grimaced. Angelica was the main act. She had a whole burlesque-style routine with the rest of the womenâfor which you were meant to step in for one of the girls in the ensemble. Hopefully in the back.Â
âDaniela, youâre filling in,â said the manager, pointing to a busty brunette.Â
âWhat about the second act?â asked another girl. If you remembered right, her name was Raquel. âDani canât sing like Angelica to save her fucking life.â
âExcuse me, bitch. I sing better than you,â Daniela snapped back.
The manager rolled his eyes and clapped his hands harshly to end the bickering.Â
âOkay. Which one of you bitches can actually sing?â he asked, first in Spanish, then in English, you noticed as he glanced at you.
Annie looked at you with raised brows. You glared back at her.Â
Damn you for telling her about your childhood church choir days. You were sure your religious mother never thought youâd be using those talents like this. Â
âNo,â you said firmly. Annie just smiled and waved the manager over.
That was how the two of them ended up all but pushing you on stageâafter Annie had wrangled you into a shimmering red gown over your underwear and pantyhose. It was overlayed with delicate beading in intricate patterns. And it was easily the most beautiful thing youâd ever had on your body.
However, you did take issue with how long the slit was, running all the way up to your hip bone.
Not really â20s style, now is it? you thought sourly.
Annie just slapped your ass and guided you forward.
You shot back one last look at herâone that swore youâd have your revenge.
Then the curtain slid open.Â
Fuck me, you thought nervously. This was really happening!
The lights blinded you for a moment, and you blinked the glare out of your eyes. They soon adjusted as you forced yourself to move towards the microphone at the right-hand side of the stage, close to the live band. The pianist shot you a smile and a wink as he started to play in dulcet tones.
Steeling yourself, you grabbed the microphone with a slight tremor in your hands. You stared out into the crowd as the rest of the band joined in, slow and jazzy.Â
Youâd informed the manager that you really only knew one song by heart.
âEh, that is too slow,â heâd replied to you in English.
âItâs that, or Dani belts out in her best soprano,â you informed him. He sighed and waved a resigned hand.Â
âGet her the red one,â he told Raquel. She then handed you the dress on a hanger.Â
Now, you held the microphone between both hands and started the song your grandmother used to sing to you when you were a kid.
âIf I didnât care, more than words can say,â you began. âIf I didnât care, would I feel this way?â
You took in an unsteady breath. With each note, your voice was getting stronger, more confident.Â
âIf this isnât love, then why do I thrill? And what makes my head go round and round, while my heartâŠstandsâŠstillâŠâ
As you eased into the rest of the song, you remembered your mission.Â
You scanned the dark room, rows of men of all ages, women serving drinks and food and their own bodies. You werenât finding your target.
But this intel was good. The source was the girl youâd replaced in the show, and M.M. had already worked out her safe exit out of the city for a while.Â
There. You finally saw it.Â
Or rather, you saw him.
Towards the back, Soldier Boy sat at a large exclusive booth. He had a long joint propped between his fingers, and a working woman from the club already propositioning to service him. Her manicured hand eased down his chest.Â
He also seemed to have hired men sitting at a table nearby.Â
Your voice nearly hitched at the sight of him, but you forced yourself to take a calming breath during a musical interlude.Â
You knew Annie and the rest of the team were here in the club somewhere, to back you up. But Soldier Boy knew Butcher and his team were onto him. the bastard would recognize them. You were the distraction here.
And if he went away with that escort, he could easily disappear upstairs and hop out the window again, gone like a coil of weed smoke.
Somehow, you needed to keep his ass in his seat.
So your voice came back in strong for the final verse.
âIf I didnât care, would it be the same? Would my every prayer begin and endâŠwith just your name?âÂ
You watched Soldier Boyâs gaze drift toward the stage. Your lips curved as you held his eyes for a momentâŠbut then, you coyly slid your gaze away.Â
Okay, whatâs going to grab his attentionâŠ
You shifted on the stage, letting the curve of your hip and ass sway to one side. You raised your other foot on the tips of your toes. And the slit running up your leg slid open, revealing your tall silver heels and a smooth leg, all the way up to the inside of your thigh. Â
Unfortunately, you hadnât been able to fit your gun holster this time.
âAnd would I be sure that this is love beyond compareâŠâ Your voice rang out on the high note; at that climactic point, the music reached a crescendo.
You turned your head and looked directly into Soldier Boyâs eyes, and his mouth slid into a grin.Â
He was watching you.Â
Good.
âWould all this be true,â you sang, âif I didnât care for youâŠâ
As the final notes reverberated from the piano, applause and male whoops erupted from the crowd.Â
You slowly released the microphone, breaking off eye contact with your target.Â
Then you turned around, trying to hide the nervous tremor in your legs. You pressed a discreet hand to the communicator in your ear after the curtain fell behind you, and you told the team.Â
âHeâs here.âÂ
Annie was no longer backstage.Â
âGood job, crooner,â M.M. said on the comm.Â
âWatch him âtil heâs ready to leave,â Butcher said to everyone.
You agreed and dodged the manager so you could slip to the back room within the dressing room.Â
You were about to change into your real clothes (and grab your gun), when you were stopped by a Latino man. Though he clearly wasnât a local or a tourist. He looked ex-military, complete with a crew cut and dark beard.Â
âSoldier Boy would like to meet you,â he said in lightly accented English. You affected some doe-eyed shock, even though some of your surprise was genuine.Â
Youâd just wanted to keep him watching the show. You hadnât expected him to take the bait this much.Â
âOh, wowâŠwhere? Now?â you asked.
âNow,â he confirmed. âUpstairs.â
He couldnât even pick me up himself? Lazy, you wanted to tsk.
You spied the stage manager over by the doorway. He gave you a stern nod that told you that you had no choice but to accept.Â
Not that you ever intended to decline. Though of fucking course the manager had known Soldier Boy was here. He was probably a damn regular.Â
You gave Soldier Boyâs man a charming smile. âLead the way.â
This wasnât the plan, exactly. You decided it was even better though. Just infinitely more dangerous.Â
Even though you had years of training, honing your body and your mind in a fight, you werenât a supe. You were, in fact, exceedingly breakable.
âAre you crazy, cherie?â Frenchie said on the comm.Â
You also thought you heard M.M. mutter an, âAw shit.â
âShe donât got a choice now,â Butcher said. âBut itâs a good play to get him alone. Slip her one of them hockey pucks.â
You heard M.M., Annie, Butcher, and Frenchieâs continued twittering back and forth about the change of plan. Meanwhile, you were being escorted upstairs.
Kimiko managed to maneuver into your path from the opposite direction, and she slipped a small disk into your hand as she passed you.Â
You gave her a grateful wink and discreetly placed the device into your bra while your escort wasnât looking.Â
It wasnât a dose of Novichok, but it was something that might keep Soldier Boy occupied for a moment. You intended to use it if he got too fucking handsy.
You were let into a room on the third floor. With the lavish way it was furnished, complete with a king-sized bed, it almost looked like a hotel room.Â
Yeah, Hotel California, you thought wryly, as the door shut behind you.Â
Soldier Boy sat at a table by the far wall, gazing out the window with yet another joint (or perhaps the same one?) and a generous pour of whiskey in his hand.Â
Even you could admit, he cut an attractive figure. He was dressed in light brown slacks, a matching suit jacket and a white dress shirt with the top buttons left open. A simple ensemble, but well-tailored and suited to the golden tan heâd developed here in South America. His beard was neatly trimmed, his short hair styled back in its familiar sweep on both sides.Â
Even seated, his posture was casual, yet controlled as his head turned to meet your gaze. A smile started to curve his lips.Â
Show time, you told yourself.Â
âYouâre new,â he said. You tilted your head, a bit of flirtation in your smile.
âWhat makes you say that?â you asked.
He gave you an oh please look. With the hand that held his whiskey, he gestured with a curling finger.Â
âCome âere. Donât be shy,â he said. It was an order rather than a request, but you hid your instinctive annoyance.
You subtly took in a steadying breath. And you moved farther into the room. You didnât stop until you were sitting opposite him at the window, crossing your legs beneath the table.Â
You could tell heâd expected you to take a seat in his lap, but to a degree, you didnât want to do what he expected. He was likely paying the club well for this time. You didnât want to make it easy.
You wanted him to be enticed. Invested in this moment.Â
And distracted, for as long as he let you.Â
You watched him glance down with interest at your bare leg peeking out. At your strappy silver heel shining along with your dress in the soft lamplight, which casted shadows across his profile.Â
âWant a drink?â he asked.Â
You were surprised he was offering you anything. Youâd half-expected him to order you onto your knees already. Upon which, he wouldâve received the gift currently residing in your bra a bit early.Â
You didn't want to take any drink you hadn't poured yourself, but you also needed to keep this act going...
"I'm not gonna fucking drug you," he said, reading the look in your eyes. "What would be the fucking point of that?"
Hmph. smart-ass motherfucker, you thought. But you didn't detect a lie.
You quirked your head and took the proffered sip from his glass. You wanted to play it cool, but maybe you also needed a little liquid courage.Â
âAll right, easy on the booze. Get his guard down,â Butcher said in your ear. You resisted the urge to frown.
Could Butcher see you somehow too? Or was he just hearing the ice clinking in the glass as you gulped it down.Â
âDid you enjoy my performance?â you asked Soldier Boy.
âStill am, doll face,â he said with a smirk. You raised a brow.Â
âIâm not that new,â you replied, biting indelicately on a dark cherry. Your heeled foot slowly slid against the inside of his thigh.Â
It was his turn to raise brow. His head tilted with his smirk.Â
You didnât know if he was more amused than turned on, but his gaze roamed openly over your legs, the cleavage on display, your dark red lips.Â
âAre you enjoying your stay in Medellin?â you asked, trying to keep the conversation going.Â
âOh, yeah. Iâm having a fuckinâ ball,â he said wryly. He dabbed some ash off his blunt with a finger.Â
There was something off there, and you didnât miss it.
âYou sound bored,â you said. Soldier Boy considered you with a lustful, challenging gaze.Â
âMaybe. You gonna help me with that, sweetheart?â
A flutter of nerves churned in your belly, but you used it, letting the feeling prickle awareness across your skin.Â
âDepends,â you said coyly.Â
Both his brows rose this time, as if he was surprised you were actually pretending to resist him.Â
âOn?â
You subtly leaned forward when you gave him back his glass, allowing him to spy a bit more down your dress. You stared into his deep green eyes, and tried not to get lost yourself. He was an attractive man, but he was also your target. A job you intended to finish.Â
A smile played at your lips.
âOn what excites you,â you replied.Â
By the way his eyes darkened, his smile curving, you thought he liked that answer.Â
Then his hand extended toward you, a silent command in his gaze. Steeling yourself, you tried your best to be graceful and sensuous when you took his hand. He playfully jerked you forward, making you fall into his lap.Â
You waved some dank weed smoke out of your face as you looked down at his amused one.Â
He was nearly down to the roach on his joint. Meanwhile, his free heavy hand slid up your bare leg, disappearing beneath your dress and making goosebumps spread across your skin. Your breath hitched, though you disguised it with a smile.Â
âYou afraid of me, sweetheart?â he cooed.Â
Yes, if you were honest with yourself.Â
There was a false sense of security in his deep voice. You looked down into his eyes, very green and intensely focused on you, despite his air of nonchalance.Â
âNot really,â you replied. âOnly that you might get ash on my dress.â
He chuckled, smoke blowing out his nose. He put out the joint in the ashtray and took another sip of his whiskey, likely to drown out the cotton taste in his mouth. You laid a hand on his chest, fingers spreading between the open buttons, and felt his warm skin.Â
He glanced up at you with another challenging tilt to his head. What are you gonna do now?
You met that challenge, boldly leaning down to press a kiss against his lips. You held his face, delving your fingers into his soft hair.Â
Soldier Boy grabbed your hips with a bruising force. It made you wince, instinctively biting into his lower lip. He uttered a pleased sound, guttural in this throat. You braced yourself against the wall behind him for leverage as his chair started to tip back.Â
Before either of you could fall, he lifted you effortlessly by the waist and pivoted, pinning you against that wall. Your legs wrapped around his waist as his tongue invaded your mouth, devouring you with hot and heavy hands holding you in place.
His fingers pressed into the flesh of your thighs, and you knew you couldnât easily escape if you needed to.
This is getting out of handâŠÂ
He was busy kissing a wet and sloppy line down your neck, his beard scraping against your skin. It actually felt so fucking good to be touched. You hadnât experienced it in so long, it almost startled you when your heated core pulsed with the friction you were feeling against the hardness in his slacks.Â
You would never admit it, but it wasnât an act when you moaned into his ear. FuckâŠ
But when his hand again slipped under your dress and crept up your inner thigh, alarm bells triggered in your mind as panic started to set in. You panted for breath.Â
With him seemingly distracted, you reached down into your bra and grabbed the metal disk.Â
You gasped as Soldier Boy grabbed your wrist, tight as a vice. He looked down at you with a sly grin.Â
âYou were fuckable in black, but redâs my favorite so far,â he said.Â
Your eyes widened. When the hell did he see me in black?
And then you remembered. Youâd worn a black dress at the last club, where you got groped on the dance floor and found Soldier Boyâs latest noteâŠ
Had he hung around after all, watching you and the team pick up his clues?
And you realized, he knew exactly who you were.Â
Soldier Boy glanced down at your lips, then at the tops of your breasts heaving as you caught your breath. His eyes shone with mischief and lust.Â
âItâs a real shame. Youâre probably a good fuck too,â he remarked. It sparked your irate disgust like a wildfire.
Then you smirked. âYou can fuck this.âÂ
You activated the disk in your hand and flicked it at him. He instinctively grabbed at his face, releasing you. The device attached to his cheek and electrified enough volts through his body to drop an elephant.Â
Maybe five. The CIA weapons specialist hadnât been too sure.
And a star bolt shot Soldier Boy in the chest, shoving him away before he could grab at you.Â
You jumped back and continued to put several feet of distance between you and Soldier Boy, while Annie and the rest of your team poured into the room. They were poised for a fight, once Soldier Boy ripped the device off his face with a grunt. It probably hadnât hurt him much, but he looked pissed now.Â
He rolled the kinks out of his neck and surveyed the room with a slow gait. He spared you a fleeting glance. You were now at the safety of Kimikoâs side, and Frenchie handed you a gun.Â
âAh, the Scooby Gang,â Soldier Boy remarked. He nodded at Butcher. âThis is how you repay me for taking care of Homelander? My own son.â
âHe werenât your fucking son,â Butcher replied. âIâd reckon you know that best of all.â
Soldier Boyâs lips twitched. Whether at a smile or a frown, you couldnât tell.Â
âYou found me, remember? So what, you got buyerâs remorse?â he said.
âSee, the problem is, supes like you are what we call,â said Butcher, âa menace to fucking society.âÂ
Soldier Boyâs lips pulled down into a frown. He looked a cross between annoyed and impatient.Â
âI fought for my country. I saved livesââ
âYou took just as many as you mightâve saved,â M.M. interrupted. âAnd not just that building you burnt the fuck up last year.âÂ
Soldier Boy hesitated at that. âYou really wanna do this?âÂ
You all really want to die? his eyes said. He got determined silence from all of you. He rolled his shoulders and adjusted his blazer.Â
âAll right,â he shrugged.Â
Then all hell broke loose. You ducked for cover as Soldier Boy deflected the giant flare gun M.M. shot at him. With his bare hand.Â
Hired security then poured into the roomâyou assumed hired by Soldier Boy. And you protected Hughie from getting his neck snapped by shooting a man between the eyes.
You and M.M. continued to fight them off. Meanwhile, Kimiko and Annie tried to give Butcher and Frenchie a chance to get close with the Novichok gas on Soldier Boy.Â
You took care of three more men before you heard a low buzzing sound. You turned around, and a gasp fell from your lips when you saw Soldier Boyâs chest lighting up.Â
You knew what came next.Â
And so did Annie. She poured her all into her next star boltâwhich managed to shove Soldier Boy through the window. She and Kimiko flew or otherwise ran out the window to follow him. While Butcher, Frenchie, and M.M. helped you fight off the last of the hired guns.Â
Finally, you covered Hughie as the five of you left the normal, human way, and ran down the stairs to exit the club. By the time you were able to join Annie and Kimiko, however, Soldier Boy had disappeared.
You glared down the dark, busy streets of Medellin.Â
Damn it!
You returned to the hotel disappointed and angry beyond fucking belief. Mostly at yourself.
After all the work you did, having to seduce and make out with that bastard, only to discover heâd made you long before you took the stage at the club.
Fucking hell, you thought angrily as you kicked at your suitcase. It sent your clothes tumbling across the dirty carpet, but right now you didnât give a fuck. Damn cocky bastard.Â
In the bathroom, you kicked off your heels in relief. You looked yourself over in the mirror and found various cuts and bruises from the fight. Your softly curled hair was a shambles, along with your makeup.Â
Parts of your dress were torn, along with your pantyhose. Which was probably Soldier Boyâs doing, if you thought about it. You sighed.Â
You were about to start undressing, but then you heard something. A small sound, like a thump.Â
Your gun was on the table in the main room. Frowning in suspicion, you left the bathroom cautiously. Before your hand could close around your gun, a gloved hand grabbed your wrist.Â
You aimed a punch with your free one and caught a man directly in the jaw. He reeled back, but was quick to recover and try to grab you again.Â
While the guy was strong, you could feel that he wasnât a supe. A human, you could deal with. He wore a mask over his face, but you could see he had shoulder-length brown hair. He was tall and lean, and one of his boots was strangely larger than the other.
You didnât have time to focus on it. You redirected his following blow and used his strength against him, flipping him over your shoulder. Unfortunately, he landed on the table that held your poor laptop.Â
âAw, shit,â you snapped with a grimace. You searched for your gun in the wreckage.Â
While you were somewhat distracted, he aimed a kick that caught you in the face, sending you onto your back with a pained cry. You quickly rolled over and got to your feet, just as your attacker threw out fist after fist.
You dodged and shoved away most of them, until he grabbed your arm and managed to crack his elbow into your temple.
You went down and hit your head hard against the bedframe.
And it was lights out.
You slowly, painfully woke up in a moving car.Â
You were suffering the cottony taste of a gag in your mouth and a musty bag over your head. Your wrists were tied in front of you, and it felt like you were shoved into the backseat. The car was quiet, save for the radio playing Latin pop on low volume.Â
You never wouldâve thought Shakira would be the background track of your kidnapping, but here you were.Â
The car eventually stopped and you were dragged out, forced onto your feet on a cobblestone driveway. Then into a house.Â
âŠWell, this fucking sucks.
The thought rattled through your mind as you were led down a hallway, across a cold expanse of tile floor. You couldnât see where you were going with this stuffy bag over your head, but you knew it was tile. Your bare feet all but scraped across it as they dragged you.Â
Whoever held your arms in a vice grip eventually forced you to sit in a rickety wooden chair. They pulled your wrists behind the chair and bound them together with a zip tie.Â
You felt the slit on your dress sliding open, so you crossed your legs, for whatever good that would do you. At the very least, it would give the impression that you were sitting here casually, and not (figuratively) shitting yourself with fear. Â
âWhat the hell is this?â a deep, familiar voice asked.
âA gift.â You knew this voice as well. Neither one instilled you with calm.
Then the bag finally came off your head. The gag did not, however. You knew your red dress was in unfortunate tatters. You knew you were bruised and scratched, and overall worse for wear.
But when your gaze found your kidnapper, you glared up at him with a stubborn tilt to your chin. Antonio, Señor Groping Bastard from the club, was smirking back at you.Â
What the fuck.
Then you noticed him.
Soldier Boy stared back at you with raised brows, and instant recognition in his eyes. His lips curved into a smirk.
âHey, sweetheart.â
AN: đŹ So we finally made it to the prologue opener! Was it everything you thought it would be? How did you like her attempt at "undercover?" đ€
And are you ready for what's coming next?
To keep reading: Part 3
Soldier Boy Masterlist
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Long distance Stonathan as requested by @fortnightdjo
---
"So when are we going to meet this imaginary boyfriend of yours, Country Club?"
Steve finishes mixing the bloody mary Rosanne Thorne always ends her night with, though the sun will be starting to peek over the New York City skyline by the time Steve gets home. It has been over a year since he started working at The Back Door and the performers have been asking that same question since they learned he was taken.
The drink is garnished with a skewer of cornichons, salami, and cheese kept on hand specifically for nights Rosanne is on stage.
"Once he gets his acceptance letter," Steve answers as he slides the drink over. He goes back to cleaning, smiling to himself at the thought of finally adding the last piece to complete the life he's built for him and Jonathan.
Back in Indiana, Jonathan is attending community college a short drive from Hawkins. Steve understands why. His family might not need him to help pay for bills anymore and Hopper is there to be the 'man of the house', but Jonathan has been too responsible for his family for too long to just leave. So, Steve made an offer: he would be the carrot at the end of the stick and move to New York City while Jonathan earned what credits he could transfer to NYU. If Jonathan still couldn't leave after a few years of seeing his family was alright without him, Steve would move back with life experience beyond a small, midwest town and an interdimensional hellscape.
Rosanne takes a long sip of her drink, considering Steve in a way he got use to sometime back in high school. "Well, if you decide you want a real boy, I called dibs."
Steve chuckles. "You'll be the first to know."
On his walk home, Steve wonders if the crowd and noise will be too much for Jonathan or if he will like the anonymity of being just another face. There is definitely an appeal to it. Safety, as well, since Steve is more concerned about the military or KGB tracking him than he is pickpockets.
There is a padded envelope in his mail. Excitement breaks through his growing fatigue and he practically runs up the three flights of stairs leading to his one bedroom apartment. It's small, but as much as he can afford within a reasonably walking distance of NYU. He calls Jonathan. As the phone rings, he opens the envelope. A groggy voice greets him.
"Don't you have class, Byers?" Steve teases. He presses play before getting a bagel to pop into the toaster. David Bowie croons about changes through the stereo.
"Fuck you, it's Sunday," Jonathan yawns.
"Church, then." The scoff on the other end of the line makes Steve chuckle.
He listens to Jonathan's usual morning grumbles. They talk for a few minutes every few days between Steve going to sleep and Jonathan waking up since long distance calls are expensive. It also allows Steve to check in. Jonathan is likely to skip meals or sleep if not reminded.
"I'd rather love you then be saved," Jonathan says and Steve melts a little. Before can respond, however, the song changes. He recognizes it immediately.
'Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today'
"You got in," he murmurs in realization. Frank Sinatra continues to sing as Steve repeats, louder, "You got in!"
"I did." The sleep has left Jonathan's voice. Steve can picture the amused quirk of his lips and affection in his eyes along with the shy way he ducks his head whenever someone is happy for him. "Do you still have room for me?"
"I think I can find some."
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Heaven In Your Eyes || Arthur Shelby x Reader!OC
Summary:Â Beaten with guilt and shame after losing his temper again, Arthur's aimless wandering leads him to church. There she is and, after diving into her heavenly eyes, he is convinced God has sent him His sweetest angel to save his bastard soul.
Words:Â 2.6k
TW:Â Blood, a bit of angst, slight blasphemy and bad use of holy water, reckless x caretaker Inspired by the prompt "Where does it hurt? - Everywhere" by @the-three-whumpeteers
Notes:
â Timeline: between seasons 2 and 3
â Heaven is OP's original character but written with the use of « you » (Moodboard here). Heavenâs voice and song is linked, all you have to do is click on the lyrics.
NEXT CHAPTER || Masterlist
The stumbling tall silhouette of Arthur Shelby was crossing through the thick haunting mist of Birmingham. As unwelcoming the town was during the day, it was nothing compared to night time. When sun faded behind the horizon, chased by the pale glowing face of the moon, the whole city turned into a cut-throat area. Arthur brought the neck of the bottle he was holding to his chapped lips and gulped down a mouthful of pure Irish whisky. The fire trail the beverage left behind it as it went down his throat reminded him he was alive â he could still feel something, even though it was the alcoholâs burning. An animal growl escaped from his lips when the bottle left them only for him to lean his back against one of the churchâs gigantic concrete walls. A loud ravenâs croak torn the silent veil of the night, making him swears. The gravel in his voice answered to the dull bird, which was watching him from a tree with his tiny and beady eyes.
« Fooking bird, laughing at me like the rest of âem eh? »
The raven â which was rather large for a bird â tilted its head to the side and kept staring at the drunk man with a cunning interest. Its black eyes, shining under the moonlight, seemed filled with both a wise glare and a mocking sparkle. Soon, Arthurâs curiosity for the ravenâs unusual behavior turned into a senseless anger when he understood why the bird was focusing on him, his explosive rage strengthened by the incredible amount of alcohol he had drunk a bit earlier.
« Itâs the damn blood is it? Stop lookinâ at me like Iâm â Iâm some kind of monster, or a beast or I donât fookinâ know what else! Go to Hell! »
The bottle flew towards the raven but it did not flicker, as if it knew Arthur was not in the shape of being quick nor particularly precise with aiming. As the glass smashed into the ground, Arthur hit the wall behind him with the back of his head and let out a frustrated scream. No more cocaine, no more auto destructive behavior nor suicide attempts for two years straight, and tonight he fucked it all up. He was convinced he could get better, and God knows he tried his best to do so. Got sober from every poison he used to take, got a religious wife that was trying to turn the wolf in him into a sheep⊠Hell, he even brought her flowers every damn day. But then came troubles, taking the shape of his little brother, Thomas Shelby.
He asked him to do the dirty job â again.
With his calloused hands, he took another manâs life. At first Arthur thought he would not be that disturbed at the idea of killing someone, after all he had done that almost his entire life. Just one last time, he told himself, just one last time and Iâll go back to my little peaceful life with me wife.
Yet, the guilt and the shame that struck him after bashing the ladâs head against the edge of a sink until his face became a pile of squishy flesh soon became too much to handle.
As the last spurt of blood spattered his face, Arthurâs clouded mind became suddenly crystal clear: it would never stop. After that epiphany, the older Shelby brother contemplated how everyone he deeply loved tended to use him. For Thomas and the rest of the family he was a mad dog, the combat brute whose only times he could enjoy life without a muzzle were when he had to rip someoneâs throat apart. For his father, he had been nothing else than a poor naive hound that would have done anything to receive his respect. As for Linda, her love was a cruel mirage he wanted to believe with all his heart â but the illusion had vanished in smoke. Whether she considered him as her personal test subject for Christian brainwashing or as a tool to get what she wants, Arthur could not tell. What he could tell though was that he knew she did not really loved him. She wanted to mould him at her will, but he was no lamb. He was a wolf, a beaten and lonely wolf, but still one. And there was no love for rabid wolves, only a bullet through the brain to cure the madness.
As his skull buzzed with macabre thoughts, whose unpleasant noise reminded him of a furious beehive, a bewitching voice pulled him out of his auto-destructive spiraling. Standing at attention and listening carefully, he came to realize that someone was singing inside the church. Arthurâs eyelids fell on his steel blue eyes and the back of his head gently rested against the cold wall behind him, the same wall he had been previously smashing it with. A sighed escaped from his liquored lips as the angelic and hypnotizing voice, slightly muffled by the churchâs heavy wooden doors, plunged him into a soft but oh-so-warm haze.
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering goldâŠ
Lulled by the sad melody carried away with Birminghamâs cold night breeze, the swarm of raging hornets in Arthurâs brain stopped crashing against the bony walls of his skull. Another sigh â one of relief this time, for the unbearable noisy thoughts and violent buzzing had vanished. His trembling fingers, numbed by the blows he had hit his target with one hour ago and still covered with half-dried blood, slid along his temples and slicked his hair back. The utter and feral anger he had felt was reduced to void, for even his old heart had slowed its pace down in his ribcage.
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor boldâŠ
The tune, embedded with melancholy, soothed his troubled mind and to be honest, he could barely believe it. When that switch in his brain flipped, God knew he was not in control anymore - even dear Linda, who still managed to hush down some of his tantrums, could not tame the beast inside when it broke free a bit more fiercely than usual. Yet, this voice did so. This stranger, faceless and nameless ghost of the night, brought him back to sanity with the sole power of her voice. The words she was singing, with her a juvenile and enchanting tone, were wrapping his heart. Arthur sniffed and fought hard against the dawning tears that were forming delicate crystal beads at the corner of his closed eyes.
If he had been the jolly sailor bold, he would have thrown himself out of the boat to join the siren that was singing.
My heart is pierced by Cupid
I disdain all glittering gold.
There is nothing can console me
But my jolly sailor boldâŠ
She repeated, sadder than she previously sang.
Her song sipped through his heart and filled the cracks with molten gold. Arthurâs lips stretched in an almost invisible grin without even realizing it â By her voice, he was convinced she could repair the damaged creatures like him and make them even more beautiful than they were before they had been dragged through the trenchesâ mud and shit. He had barely came to his senses, almost miraculously sobered up, when silent fell again in the church. Arthur reopened his eyes, and shook his head - Had he dreamt? Had it been the whiskey singing to him? No, he could not be that crazy right? Not quite sure if he was starting to hear voices and see things, Shelby decided that he had to found out who had been singing to his very own soul. He wanted to see her, the girl who soothed his foul heart and his twisted mind. He wanted to know, no, he HAD to know, even though his whole being was fragile like a flickering candle flame caught in a hurricane and would probably shatter in million of pieces if she turned out to be an illusion.
Gathering all his remaining strength, Arthur grabbed the handle and opened the churchâs door.
[âŠ]
A shiver ran down your delicate spine at the loud silence that floated in the gigantic and empty church. The peculiar sweet yet strong scent of myrrh, wood and frankincense filled your lungs with its holy fragrance. The vibrations of the last word you sang was still echoing in the room, swirling to the high and sculpted ceiling, from which marble angels were watching over you. If someone would have told you two years ago that the only place you would find comfort would be a church, you would not have believe it. You had never been particularly fervent about religion, but you did believe in higher forces whether they were good or bad. More than a matter of faith, the church itself was an old friend of yours. A gargantuan friend of stone, holy titan always welcoming you even in the darkest moments of your life. What you liked the most were these lonely moments at night, during which you could light up dozen of candles and sing your sorrow to the status and colorful stained-glass windows. No gossip from the parish, no believers swarming like ants within these mighty walls. There were just you, the candle lights and the soothing silence. For a few hours, you could finally find peace.
Brushing the varnished wood of the altar with your thin fingers and painted-red nails, you let your mind drift and, suddenly, the world around you vanished. You sunk so deep in the abyss of your thoughts that you did not hear the creaking sound of the heavy door opening, nor the footsteps that followed. All you could heard were the « Burn witch, burn! » that hundred of villagers screamed at you in the woeful remembrance of your past. And in spite of your immaculate porcelain skin, you bore the scars of their words deep in your soul.
[âŠ]
Arthur made a few steps before freezing, his body refusing to come closer as if the aura around the creature that was standing back to him , right in front of the altar lightened up with dozen and dozen of small dancing flames, was too sanctified to be violated. Bathed in the soft and warm orange hue of candles, the long white hair of the woman fell down the small of her back like an ivory waterfall. Right above her the pale glow of the full moon coming through the stained-glass window formed a luminous halo around her head.
His breathing stopped, choking in his throat at such a divine vision. The gangster opened his mouth to speak but no words managed to come out. He had never been good with words anyway. Instead he moistened his lips and swallowed, his mouth dry. The white-haired girl had started to hum the same song she had been singing a bit earlier, not aware of his presence â and he did not dare to disturbing her as if he feared Godâs punishment. He took another step, the wooden floor creaking under his sole.
This time the angel â because he was convinced it was one â jumped and turned around, an expression of utter surprise veiling her sweet face. Her fox eyes, adorned with two iris so fair it reminded him of aquamarine stones, scrutinized his slightest movements. She remained petrified for what felt eternity for her but, regarding him, time had stopped for good. Arthur finally inhaled sharply, coming back to life.
All those endless nights of crying, all those endless nights of praying in vain for something or someone to save him, and here you were⊠His salvation.
He had asked God to send him, the most desperate sinner of all, His most beautiful Angel and He had done so.
She was not just pretty. She was otherworldly and vaguely threatening. Almost ethereal in her short white dress whose cut let her naked back for the world to see.
« I waited for ya. » He whispered.
She blinked, her full and juicy lips opening with surprise.
He stuttered, looking down and decided it was better for you if he stopped talking. The gravel in his hoarse voice, as strong as it was, sounded indescribably frail. As if this tall and slightly threatening man could shatter at your single touch. Now he felt stupid, clumsy with words contrary to Tommy and his naturally eloquent and charismatic speech. In addition to the unpleasant impression of being a fool, Arthurâs own whisky-scented breath and the strong metallic smell of blood reminded him of his horrific appearance. Overcoming the awe you infused in him, panic started to kick.
You frowned, and all of sudden he did not look that impressive anymore. Swept away by the wind, your face relaxed and wrapped itself with a calm, almost placid expression. You exhaled through your nose and walked towards the gangster, who had brought his bloody hands to each side of his head and was now pulling his own hair in a desperate attempt to not lose track.
« Where does it hurt? » You asked with a quiet and soothing tone, for you were concerned about all the blood he was covered with.
Arthur raised his gaze toward the petite white-haired doll who had just pressed one of her cold little hands on his. Your ice against his fire made his legs weak and his heart missed a beat. How his breathing calmed down at your touch was a mystery, but it did. Not quite comprehending why you did not seem scared of him, he stuttered again, all flustered.
« Shhh, shhhh. Everythingâs okay, take a deep breath and answer with all the time you need. » Your hand gently tightened its grip, willing to show him you were there and you were not going anywhere until he feels better.
« Where does it hurt? »
« Ev-Everywhere love. It hurts everywhere. »
His hands, his face, his body, his brain, his soul, his damn tortured soul⊠It all ached too much, and too constantly for him to bear anymore. E-ve-ry-where, that was all he could say because pain was all he could feel.
Without answering, you pulled him to the altar and invited him to sit on the marble stairs. The strong and fierce gangster followed you without the single physical resistance and gave in between your hands, as a rag doll. All he did was looking at you with his charming but oh-so-exhausted blue eyes as you tore the fabric of your dress near your thighs and soaked it in holy water.
« Let me wash away the blood. » Your voice echoed in the vastness of the church, enticing and haunting at the same time â enough to send a pleasant shiver down his spine. You had barely finished your sentence when you started rubbing the wet cloth against his hollow cheek to clean his pale skin from the dark red blood. Once again, he could not help watching you during the whole ordeal all the while enjoying the fresh sensation of the holy water cleansing the dirt of his soul. Not minding his stare filled with fascination, you focused on your task, brows slightly furrowed and fingers blessing him with the softest and most caring touch someone had given him.
« Yer an Angel. I swear you are eh. »
You quickly glanced at him, a sparkle of amusement shining in your cunning celeste blue eyes, before looking back at what you were doing. The weight of his gaze brought fire to your cheeks, for he looked at you like he had just realized what love was.
He looked at you, and to his greatest surprise, found Heaven in your eyes.
I'm super new in the Peaky Blinders fandom, so please bear with me... Especially since English is not my native language. To be honest I am kind of scared to post it so any comment, review, reblog or constructive criticism is welcome. Also, I'll be more than happy to meet people in the Peaky Blinders fandom! In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed some Arthur and Heaven. Still donât know if Iâll write a full series or snipets of these two love birds.
Tags: @areyenotfondofmelobster
#Arthur shelby#Arthur shelby x reader#Peaky blinders#Peaky blinders x reader#Arthur shelby x oc#arthur shelby x ofc#peaky blinders imagine#peaky blinders fluff#Arthur shelby imagine#Thomas Shelby#Tommy shelby#Arthur Shelby x Heaven#Heaven Shelby#Arthur Shelby fluff
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Fall Out Boy and Colors
Evening Out With Your Girlfriend
none
Take This to Your Grave
"I'm good to go for something golden" - Saturday
"These friends are, new friends are golden" - Homesick at Space Camp
"My insides are copper, I'd kill to make them gold" - Sending Postcards From a Plane Crash (Wish You Were Here)
"My heart is on my sleeve, wear it like a bruise or black eye" - Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
"All the colors of the street signs, they remind me of the pickup truck out in front of your neighbor's house" - Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
From Under The Cork Tree
"You look so good in blue" - Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner
"We're traveled like [nomads] only with worse luck and far less gold" - Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year
"With your backless black dress soaked to the skin" - Champagne For My Real Friends, Real Pain For My Sham Friends
"Someone old, no one new, feeling borrowed, always blue" - I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
"This story's getting old, the homewrecker with the heart of gold" - Snitches And Talkers Get Stitches And Walkers
Infinity On High
"At night, we're painting your trash gold while you sleep" - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
"Kissed teeth stained red from a sour bottle baby girl with eyes the size of baby worlds" - I'm Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off (Me & You)
"I sing the blues and swallow them too" - Hum Hallelujah
"How cruel is the golden rule when the lives we lived are only golden-plated?" - Golden
"Her nose runs ruby red, Death's in a double bed" - The (After) Life Of The Party
"Racing through the city, windows down in the back of yellow checkered cars" - Bang The Doldrums
"There's too much green to feel blue" - Fame < Infamy
"Lips pressed close to mine, true blue" - G.I.N.A.S.F.S.
"Trade baby blues for wide-eyed browns" - G.I.N.A.S.F.S.
"Blackmailed myself, 'cause I ain't got anyone else" - It's Hard To Say "I Do", When I Don't
"I've got the red carpet blues, baby" - It's Hard To Say "I Do", When I Don't
Folie Ă Deux
The (Shipped) Gold Standard (title only)
"I've got a lot of friends who are stars, but some are just black holes" - 27
"Oh, baby, you're a classic, like a little black dress" - Tiffany Blews
"I want to get stuck and be golden in your memory" - w.a.m.s.
"The infrared scope on pointlessness" - West Coast Smoker
Save Rock And Roll
"Silver clouds with gray linings" - The Phoenix
"Because the world is just a teller and we are wearing black masks" - The Phoenix
"Wave the white flag" - The Phoenix
"And when she touched him, he turned ruby red" - Where Did The Party Go
"Your hot whiskey eyes have fanned the flames" - Miss Missing You
"She's his suicide blonde, she's number than gold" - Rat A Tat
"I kept wishing she had blonde ambition and she'd let it go to my head" - Rat A Tat
"As alone as a little white church in the middle of the desert getting burned" - Rat A Tat
"She's sick and she's wrong, she's young dirty blonde" - Rat A Tat
PAX AM Days
"Every time I see you, I just want to paint the walls white" - We Were Doomed From The Start (The King Is Dead)
"You're just a black widow who fell in love with herself" - Hot To The Touch, Cold On The Inside
American Beauty/American Psycho
"Some legends are told, some turn to dust or to gold" - Centuries
"Overhead of the aqua blue" - The Kids Aren't Alright
"I always fall from your window to the pitch black street / And with the black banners raised as the crooked smiles fade" - The Kids Aren't Alright
"I got those jet pack blues" - Jet Pack Blues
"And I'm trying to find my peace of mind behind these two white highway lines" - Jet Pack Blues
"She's in a long black coat tonight waiting for me in the downpour outside" - Jet Pack Blues
"This is a black, black ski mask song" - Novocaine
"If you knew, knew what the bluebirds sang at you, you would never sing along" - Novocaine
"Take this sideshow and all its freaks and turn it into the silver screen dream" - Novocaine
"And I confessed, confessed to you riding shot-gun underneath the purple skies" - Favorite Record
"Live with me forever now, pull the blackout curtains down" - Immortals
"And there's a jet black crow droning on and on and on" - Twin Skeleton's (Hotel In NYC)
MANIA
"You were too good to be true, gold-plated" - The Last Of The Real Ones
"I'll stop wearing black when they make a darker color" - Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)
"These are the last blues we're ever gonna have" - Bishops Knife Trick
So Much (For) Stardust
"It's open season on blue moods" - Heartbreak Feels So Good
"Running middle fingers through the red lights" - Hold Me Like a Grudge
"Fever-dream tangerine sweat" - Hold Me Like a Grudge
"Take a knife and cut through the darkness, castle-temp red wine" - Fake Out
The Pink Seashell (title only)
"Orange leaves, but we're the ones falling off trees" - Baby Annihilation
"Oh, I'm going neon in the night-time" - What a Time To Be Alive
"I got the quarantine blues, bad news, what's left?" - What a Time To Be Alive
Misc.
"Boxed blondes have less fun" - Lake Effect Kid
"Fyre Fest, Black Parade, Michael Phelps, Y2K" - We Didn't Start The Fire
"SpongeBob, Golden State Killer got caught" - We Didn't Start The Fire
"Jeff Bezos, climate change, white rhino goes extinct" - We Didn't Start The Fire
#for sophomore slump i changed the g slur to ânomadsâ to match what patrick sings when they play the song live now#fall out boy#fob#fall out boy lyrics#fob lyrics#patrick stump#pete wentz#joe trohman#andy hurley
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Midnight Church Bells
âł Andrew and his brother sneak out. âł 2k words / also available on ao3! âł This fic is literally a year old lmao?? I was sorting through docs and found this finished draft, so I polished it a bit and here we are. Please forgive past me if the prose is... how we say 'shit'.
The holidays always snuck up on Andrew the same - sudden and unwelcome, but inevitable. This year, heâd been too invested in his studies, and, surprisingly, his own love life to notice much of withering leaves or decorations, but when he turned on the radio and heard those familiar jingles, he groaned in recognition.Â
Really, it was none of those things (despite how much he did tire of those songs) that bittered Christmas for him. It was the fact that once the break started, his family would come calling. And despite all protests, his parents would never let him stay at college during the advent.Â
âItâs time for the Lord.â His motherâs voice lifted through the phone he propped up on his dashboard. âAnd family,â she added after a moment. He resisted the urge to slam his head against the steering wheel, instead opting for biting his tongue. The one time his parents didnât want him studying.Â
Her saying that added to the sting of the season. And family. It seemed that this was the only time of year where that was on her mind.Â
Which all led him to the same spot he was every December 24th: Sitting on his childhood bed, with whatever book he was currently reading in his hands, and classical music playing from his phone.Â
Reclining into his pillow, Andrew lifted his glasses off and put them on the bedside table, a thumb folding the wings as the other worked as a bookmark.Â
Yet he didnât close his eyes. For one of those brief moments in life, he wasnât thinking, or sleeping, or doing really anything at all. He was just there, in a limbo between sleep and consciousness, hoping that if he purposely derived himself the next day wouldnât come as quickly.
And he stayed like that for 5 minutes. Or maybe it was 10, or maybe no time passed at all. But eventually he gave in to rest. No matter what, the morning would come and heâd rather not fall asleep during the already tedious sermons in church. So he set an alarm, put his book on the nightstand, and laid down.
He closed his eyes, and it was like he could hear the ringing already.Â
Maybe he did.
A soft patter-ing rang just outside his door, the familiar sound of footsteps on carpet blotting the silence. And just as he was about to roll over, Andrew heard his door creak open, and the silhouette of a man leaned into the room.Â
âWant to go on a walk?â He whispered, twinged with a sense of boredom.Â
Andrew didnât even need to turn to know who was asking. âGive me a moment,â he sighed, and motioned to push himself off the bed.Â
â
âHow did you know I was awake?â Andrew asked, still pulling his overcoat over his arms.Â
âYour light was on, I saw it through your door.â His brother responded, turning off their driveway onto the sidewalk. He was slightly ahead of Andrew, but slowed a bit so that they were walking together.Â
A cloud of mist formed from his breath as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, pulling the coat closer to himself to save some of his last remaining body heat. A near-midnight flit wasnât what he had planned, but heâd prefer it than trying to sleep. Besides, this may be the only quality time he could spend with his twin during the break. God knows the time theyâve spent at college has already distanced them enough.Â
âSo,â he huffed, searching for a topic of conversation. âHow have you been?âÂ
âFine. Uniâs been beating my ass though - we spent practically the entire week leading up to the holidays in the lab, just sweating over our assignments. Jesus, Iâm not even a Biochem major but Chemistry is just not letting up.â
It had been years since he was in a lab, but with the track he was on, he got the stress with âcrunch timeâ. âI understand. Iâve recently had to rush a project for my Literary Theory course.âÂ
âWhat do you even do in that class?â He questioned, half serious, half mocking.Â
âAnalyze texts, find out how the culture of the author influenced their works.â He could go on: Literary Theory was one of his favorite classes, no matter how rigorous the course was, but he knew his brother wouldnât care to hear the details.Â
Winding down their street, the two carried on talking about academia with a partial interest, not fully understanding eitherâs field of study but trying to be supportive anyways. Soughing wind bent branches to a static beat as they approached the neighborhood's egress. By and by they were talking about the more social aspects of their schooling: Andrewâs literature club, the parties either rarely attended, his brotherâs friends.
âHow has your roommate been?â Andrew asked, kicking a rock under his shoe and watching it roll along the concrete.Â
âGood.â He sighed out a laugh. âHeâs great, actually.â
Andrew glanced over to his brother, and if the slight warmth in his voice wasnât enough, the red on his cheeks told him everything he needed to know. He chuckled too, and gave a soft nudge on his shoulder, making them both smile.Â
In a weird way, they never needed to tell eachother about any of this stuff. Equal parts the awkwardness that surrounded telling your sibling, your twin of all people, who you were interested in and an unspoken alliance against their parents had kept them from ever openly speaking it. But Andrew knew his brother was into guys ever since they were teens, he just didnât know if his brother had caught on to his own preferences yet.
The stone made a sharp sound as it drifted over to his brother, who promptly kicked it back to Andrew with the inside of his shoe.Â
âHelios, right?âÂ
His brother hummed in response.Â
His mind trailed to the man at his college, the one who he had desperately wanted to introduce to him, and found himself grinning at the mere thought. God, he hoped Isaac would like his brother.Â
He opened his mouth, then shut it quickly. What would he even say? He trusted his brother, but to come out was something entirely different, and with Christmas just around the corner? No, heâd wait. Right after, though, heâd tell him. Andrew silently swore it to himself.Â
âHonestly, I prefer the dorms to the house.âÂ
That snapped Andrew out of his thinking. âReally?âÂ
âYeah.â He stopped abruptly, and threw his arms out in exasperation. âIsnât it suffocating to you too?âÂ
Everytime he was in his room, Andrew could only remember the sleepless nights he spent hunched over and studying. The dining table was a barrage of moments he spent silent as his parents and brother fought. The living room was a danger zone, as he never wanted to catch his parents when they were disappointed in his brother, or worse, him. The whole house could burn down and the only memories that would go with it were the most futile. Worse was, even without flames, Andrew felt like he wadded through smoke every time he was in those walls.
He silently nodded his head. His brother just stared at him, as if he wanted voice confirmation. But how can one speak up against the pyre when its fumes had already scorched his vocal cords?Â
After a moment, his brother kept walking, and Andrew followed. âI contemplated not coming back this winter.â He muttered.
âAs did I.â Andrew responded, suddenly getting his voice back.Â
âWhat could you possibly be avoiding?âÂ
A million and one answers filled his head, but none escaped him - no matter what he said, not a single one would measure up to his brother's reasons. So why even bother trying to compare?Â
His twin huffed as he turned away, suddenly gaining some distance on Andrew, and he let him keep it.Â
For a while, the only sound they made was their shoes against concrete sidewalks and the crunch as they occasionally had to step into snow. Andrew brought his hands up to his face, cupping them to breathe and warm himself up. Normally he kept gloves in his pockets, just in case. But, of course, he just had to forget them tonight. His fingers combed through his hair, forcing him to look straight ahead at his brother's back. Again, he bit his tongue. But wasnât that what had gotten him into this situation, unintentionally pushing his brother away by not talking? He didnât understand it, but only continuing the cycle wasnât going to help anything.Â
So he opened his mouth, just in time to slam right into his brother.Â
He stumbled, but his brother didnât flinch. Or even look at Andrew. His eyes remained trained to the tree line, frozen in place.Â
Regaining his footing, Andrew tried again. âDar-â
âStop.â He whispered.
âNo, D-â Â
âShut up, Andrew, just listen.âÂ
So he did.Â
For a few seconds, he didnât hear anything. His eyes fell where his brotherâs were focused, though without his glasses, the details were fuzzy.Â
Then, a distant chime hit his ear.Â
More followed.Â
A symphony of church bells rang, each peal like a glimmer in the air.Â
Andrew knew they rang the bells at midnight every Christmas Eve, though he couldnât remember the last time he had heard them. During mass, he could imagine it would be unbearable. But from here? The sound was quite pleasant.Â
As the bells continued, the twins stood there, listening to it all. Andrew was the first to tear his eyes away from the church he couldnât see, glancing over at his brother through the corner of his eye. It was the first good look he had gotten at him in a long time.Â
Andrew hadnât realized how short a decade was. Though in context of anything else, the last ten years of his life had dawdled. But with his brother? It was like the blink of an eye. One moment they were running and laughing, a mirror image of one another - even the Christmasâ were tolerable. Fun, even. The next, blooming into adulthood - mimics of who they used to be.
In fact, the longer he looked at him, Andrew realized just how much his brother had changed. His hair had definitely grown, locked into a short ponytail that hung low with swooping bangs, and he made the full switch to contacts some time ago. He even got taller, and next to Andrew, he was a lofty inch or two higher. Though that could also be accredited to the boots he wore. (Ashamed to say, Andrew didnât remember when or how he got them. They certainly werenât a gift from their parents, but did his brother even have a job to afford them?) He was more muscular, which wasnât saying much compared to Andrew, but he was certainly leaner. The man never made a mention of continuing his secondary school athletics, but maybe he did as an extracurricular? Again, Andrew was straining to remember specifics. Though, he supposed any reason to play was now null, as originally it was a brilliant excuse to come home late without his parents accusing him of deviancy.Â
But he wasnât too alien to him. There was something still familiar to him, like flecks of gold shining through, no matter how small. After all, they began to sneak out when they were fourteen and are still doing it now. There must be something that still connected them.Â
Right?
Just as he had that thought, he missed his brother's pass, and the pebble went flying into a curb.Â
They walked in silence for a while longer, bells fading to the wind. Eventually they found themselves back on their driveway, and their silence became deafening as they lightened their footsteps. God knows what their parents would do if they found out they had been out so late.
They followed one another up the stairs, crossed the same hallway, and went to rooms adjoining. There was a time they shared one, but that was before they had moved.Â
Andrew slipped open his door, the knob turning slowly as to mute itself. As he slipped in, he turned half-way to see his brother doing the same.
His brother looked up, catching his gaze.Â
Andrew saw himself in the reflection of his eyes. They were bitter, burning with⊠not rage. But a violent form of disappointment.Â
Andrew was the center of it. And he could smell the smoke wafting.Â
#MARSTON TWINS I'VE MISSED YOU#this was the first fic I ever wrote for this fandom!!#finally saw the light of day (escaped google docs)#also yes this lines up with the underground ravens theory because of course it freaking does#sakuverse#zsakuva#andrew marston#zsakuva andrew#marston twins#âtwinâ marston#they kick rocks#divider by cafekitsune
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prophetic nightmares of the dead (steddie)
Eddieâs been dreaming of dying.Â
It started his first round of senior year, some kind of prophetic fuck-up from his brain. No one knows except Wayne. Wayne gets it, kinda, from his time in âNam. Knows how vivid nightmares can get, knows all the tricks to waking up and remembering youâre alive.Â
âItâs that damn music,â he mutters to make Eddie laugh through tears, after Eddieâs woken him up again with his shrieking and stumbling out of his room. âOr that game. Your imagination is vivid enough without you feeding it, boy.â
âYouâre right,â Eddie responds unsteadily. âNo more of that devil shit for me. Iâm going on the straight and narrow. From now on itâll beâŠfucking church hymns and songs about the Lord.â
Wayne hums in absent agreement, still rubbing Eddieâs back. The glass of cold water sits heavy in his hands. He takes a drink.Â
It was practically routine.Â
He got better at waking up silently, at not running to his uncle after the fourth, seventh, twentieth nightmare in a row. Avoided sleeping at all, showed up to school with bags under his eyes and cranky as all hell. His grades dropped lower than ever, Wayne got more and more concerned, and Eddie kept dying every night.Â
The Queen of Hawkins High wasnât the person he was expecting to understand his predicament.Â
âDo you ever feel like youâre losing your mind?â
âUm, you know, just... on a daily basis.â He smiles, tries to make her laugh. Every day until I get out of this damned town.Â
Slowly, he wheedles it out of her.Â
âI keep having these dreams,â she admits. âNightmares. Every night, for years. Itâs alwaysâŠitâs always the same.â
A chill goes down his spine.Â
âIâm sorry, I sound crazy.â
âNo, no, no,â he scrambles to reassure her. âKeep going, itâs okay. Safe space, right? Itâs just me, you, and the trees here.â
She nods, unsteady. âThereâsâŠa monster. And heâŠheâs after me. And when he catches me, I alwaysâŠthe dream always ends with meâŠâ She raises a trembling hand to her eyes, not bothering to wipe away her tears. Almost like sheâs checking if theyâre still there.Â
His blood runs cold.Â
âDying,â he whispers. Chrissy lets out a sob. âEvery night, since â83, youâve dreamed of dying.â
âHow do you know that?â
âBecause itâs me, too, Chrissy.â He jumps up, pacing in circles. âIâŠevery single night, since that Byers kid went missing. Itâs not the same as yours but this isâŠthis is fucking crazy, what are the oddsâoof!â
Chrissy has barreled into his chest, clinging to him with her arms around his neck. He can feel the collar of his t-shirt getting damp.Â
âUh,â he stammers as she sniffles into his shirt. His hands hover around her, not sure what to do until he settles them around her back. âThere, there?â He tries to soothe. Itâs not very soothing, with the way his voice shakes. âItâs okay.â
âSomethingâs wrong with me,â she gasps. âItâs following me. I keep seeing things when Iâm awake, my mother and a clock and a monsterââ
âShit,â he says, a sinking feeling in his chest. Heâs not exactly superstitious, but he has a feeling thereâs more to this than dreams. âHey, listen, Chrissy, youâre gonna be okay. Nothingâs going to happen to you.â
She just shakes her head, burrows in closer like she can worm into his skin if she tries hard enough. Heâs never been hugged like this in his life, and he has no idea what to do with the scared teenager in his arms.Â
âHere, hold on,â he says, and carefully removes her arms from his neck. She wipes her eyes, looking away.Â
âIâm sorry, I justâŠâ
âNo, no, itâs cool,â he says. âPromise. I just wanted to give you this.âÂ
Fumbling, he drapes his leather jacket over her shoulders. Her cheerleading jacket canât be very warm, especially combined with the skirt sheâs wearing.Â
She pulls it tight around herself, even though it probably sticks like weed and cigarettes and Eddieâs BO. Heâs a little too preoccupied to be embarrassed about that right now, though.Â
The bell rings, signaling the end of class. Chrissy startles like a scared rabbit, dread coloring her whole face, and Eddie makes a decision.Â
âDo you want to get out of here?â
Looks like Hellfireâs getting postponed after all.Â
They make a stop at Family Video, partially to rent a movie or two, but mainly because Henderson never shuts up about Steve fucking Harrington so now Eddie knows exactly where he works. Why the little rich boy is working a dead end job with Keith as his manager is a mystery, but itâs not one heâs interested in uncovering. Hopefully heâs on shift today.Â
All of Eddieâs shit luck must have worked to make the stars align, because there he is at the counter, in all his ex-kingly glory. He doesnât look up as the bell rings, apparently focused on whatever he has in hand.Â
âWelcome to Family Video,â he calls, chewing on a pen. âLet me know if you need help finding anything.â
âIs that Blue Jeans?â Eddie asks, walking up to the counter as Chrissy goes to look through the shelves. Harrington jumps, slamming the magazine shut.Â
âHi, what can I get youâMunson?â
âHarrington,â he grins, reveling in the frown he gets in response. Harrington meets his eyes for one startled second before his gaze travels down to his Hellfire shirt, over his vest and bare forearms, and taking in the belt and ripped jeans. Eddie smiles wider. He oh so loves intimidating the jocks and moral majority of this town.Â
âShouldnât you be in school?â Harrington finally asks, eyes jumping back up to meet his gaze.Â
âThatâs actually why Iâm here, I need you to pass on a message for me. Weâre skipping, andââ
âWe?â
âHey Eddie,â Chrissy says, appearing behind him. She lays three movies on the counter. âI picked some out, I hope thatâs okay.â
âYeah, yeah, âcourse,â he says as Harringtonâs eyebrows jut up. Chrissy is still wearing his jacket, and he realizes exactly what this looks like. Shit, is Harrington friends with Carver? They probably have some jock bro code thatâs totally going to end in Eddie getting beat up, shitâ
âHey Chrissy,â Harrington says agreeably. âFinally dump Carver?â
She blinks, startled at the insinuation. Her cheeks flush. âOh, noââ
âItâs not like that,â Eddie breaks in, laughing to cover up the panic he feels. Trying to walk the delicate line between not a queer and not stealing a jockâs girlfriend. âChrissy here just needs some company.â
Harrington nods, clearly not believing them.Â
âSeriously,â he presses. âI mean, can you really see a girl like her with a guy like me?â
Chrissy frowns, but Harrington looks him up and down again.Â
âI mean, yeah,â he says. âBut itâs really none of my business, I donât get paid to care who dates who.â
Eddie blinks. It almost sounds like Harrington was calling him hot or something.
Before he can figure out what Harrington actually meant, he starts scanning the tapes. He pauses on the last one, brow furrowing, before he looks between Eddie and Chrissy with understanding in his eyes. Eddie doesnât know why the sudden change of heart.Â
âRocky Horror Picture Show?â
Shit.Â
He has to clear his throat. âYou have that here?âÂ
They donât. They shouldnât. Itâs not exactly small town video store material. Eddie had to go to Indianapolis to find it again, he knows damn well itâs not at Family Video in fucking Hawkins.Â
But the cover stares up at him anyway.Â
âI found it on one of the shelves,â Chrissy says. âIt looked like it doesnât get checked out a whole lot. Is it any good?â
Eddie braces himself for the slurs. For the bored retail worker to disappear and the Bible thumping, red blooded American to come out. Itâs not Chrissyâs fault, she didnât know any better, but if Harrington knows this movie and now he knows that Eddie knows this movie, thereâs some bruises in his near future.Â
âItâs pretty good,â Harrington says easily. Eddie blinks his eyes open to see him smiling warmly at Chrissy, handing her the tapes. âFor a, ah, certain type of people.
Well color him surprised. This is an interesting turn of events.Â
âI own it,â Eddie blurts out without meaning to. Harringtonâs eyes snap to him, widening at the confession. âItâs, uh, hard to find, I had to go out of town for it. Thatâs why I was surprised.âÂ
 âOh, I guess we donât need to rent it, then,â Chrissy says, completely unaware of the staring contest thatâs happening between him and Harrington.Â
Harrington looks away first. âRight,â he coughs, and goes to cancel it. Chrissy pulls cash out of her pocket.Â
âOh, Chrissy, you donât need toââ
âDonât be dumb,â she says. âI picked the movies, Iâm paying for them.â
He shrugs, unable to fight the logic in that. Heâs not exactly in the mood to spend money right now, anyways, since heâs definitely giving her a discount on the drugs after this.
âWhat was it you needed me to do?â Harrington asks as he prints the receipt.Â
âWhat?â
âYou said you had a message.â
âRight,â Eddie says. He completely forgot about that. âYouâre going to the game tonight, right?â
âHow did you know that?â
âSinclair said you go to all his games.â
âHe talks about me?â
âDude, those kids never shut the fuck up about you,â Eddie says. âMakes me want to pull my hair out.â
âItâs mutual,â Harrington snorts, looking a bit touched. âHenderson already phoned me to ask to join the campaign, man, Iâm not filling inââ
âHe asked you?â
âYeah? Wait, if this isnât about that, then what is it?â
âTell Henderson he got his wish,â Eddie says, putting his hands in his pockets. âIâm postponing the campaign.â
âWait, really? Lucas is going to lose his mind, he was gonna be so bummed if he missed your nerd gameâwait, why are you telling me?â
ââCause weâre ditching, Harrington, catch up.â Sinclair was excited for the end of his campaign? It makes him feel a little bit guilty, somewhere deep in his nonexistent soul. Oh, well. Heâs postponing now.Â
âIâm going to wait in the car,â Chrissy says, and takes the tapes and Eddieâs keys with her.Â
âI see what this is,â Harrington says, leaning closer to Eddie and pillowing his chin on his hand. âYou got them all riled up, and now you want them to shoot the messenger.â
âYou caught me.â He grabs his chest, pretending to be shot. Then he leans forward with a grin. âWhatâre you gonna do about it?â
âMaybe I wonât tell them, make them wait for the entire time for you to show up. Hendersonâll do it, you know. Then whoâll be in trouble?â
Eddie laughs without meaning to. He doesnât believe for a second that Harrington will do it, which surprises him. But it seems like Harrington is full of surprises this afternoon.Â
âSo she really hasnât broken up with him yet?â
âHuh?â
Harrington nods behind him, to where Chrissy is in the van. It seems like sheâs playing music, nodding along with a small smile.Â
âI told you, man, weâre notââ
âThatâs not what I meant, itâs justâŠâ he grimaces. âSheâs way too good for him. And sheâs never seemedâŠyou know. Happy.â
âReally? Iâd have thought you and Carver would get along, you know, jock bonding or something.â
âThe only jock Iâm friends with these days is Sinclair, and heâs as much of a nerd as the rest of âem. Anyways, even if I was still on the team, itâs likeâŠI dunno. He sounds like a preacher.â
âThe devil knows scripture, too?â
âSomething like that.â He shakes his head. âIt doesnât matter. Howâd you two end up hanging out anyway?â
âOh, you know,â Eddie says lightly. âShared visions, strange dreams, things like that.â
He waits for Harrington to laugh it off, to roll his eyes and go back to his girly magazine. It doesnât happen. If anything, Harrington grows sharp, gets a cutting edge Eddieâs never seen on him before. Not even for the time he spent as king, looking for peasants to push around.Â
âVisions? Did you see any weird dust, or animals? People acting weird? Or anything else like that?â
âWhat?â Eddie blinks, startled. âNo? Theyâre just nightmares, dude.â
Actually, his dreams do involve weird looking animals. A bunch of ugly bats, with teeth that hurt. Whoever said you canât feel pain in dreams was a fucking liar.Â
Theyâre not just nightmares, Eddie knows. At least, not for Chrissy. Not if sheâs outright hallucinating. Thereâs something wrong with both of them, and Eddieâs of half a mind to just drive them both down to Pennhurst and get it over with. But thatâs their business, and heâll be damned if he tells King Steve Chrissyâs secrets. Even if he doesnât seem that bad, now, out of the fluorescent lights of their school.Â
âRight, right, of course.â He laughs, dragging a hand down his face. âSorry, Iâm justâŠon edge, I guess. Didnât get a lot of sleep.â
âI know the feeling.â
âRight,â he says again. âWell, have a good day, I guess. Tell Chrissy her tapes are due back in five days. And, uh, thank you for choosing Family Video.â
âYeah, sure thing,â Eddie says, feeling equally unsteady after the weird turn their conversation has taken. He heads for the door, only pausing when Harrington calls out.Â
âOh, and, uh, Eddie?â
âWhat?â He pauses, one hand on the door.Â
âIf anythingâŠweird happens, let me know, all right?â
He has no idea what that means. âDonât worry, Harrington,â he says, throwing a smile over his shoulder. âI live weird.â
When he gets back in the van, Chrissy studies him closely.Â
âWhat?â
âWhat did you and Steve have to talk about? I didn't know you were friends.â
âWeâre not,â he snorts. âMe, friends with the King? Can you imagine? Nah, we share custody of some of the freshmen in Hellfire.â
âI donât know,â she says. âI feel likeâŠâ she trails off, biting her lip raw.Â
âLike what?â He encourages.Â
âYou called me a queen. Does that mean we canât be friends?â
âUhâŠâ Eddie says, stumbling a bit. He does want to be friends with Chrissy. Even without the fact that theyâre probably going to end up at the same cell in the nuthouse, sheâs sweet and quiet in a way that makes him want to ask if anyoneâs ever told her she can be loud. Her eyes are big and sad, but he can see a smile glancing along the edges of her mouth when he looks at her. Sheâs clever, heâll give her that. Heâs been caught hook, line, and sinker. âNo, Iâdâ Iâd like that. To be friends with you.â
Her smile feels brighter than the sun.Â
âThen whatâs so weird about being friends with Steve?â She asks, glancing towards the Family Video window. Harrington looks like heâs back to reading his magazine, but glances up like he can feel them watching him. Eddie looks away and starts the van.Â
âWell, for one thing, youâre not one of the assholes who called me names and pushed me and my friends around.â
Harringtonâs not either, really. Too busy standing around and being self obsessed to bother. His friends did all the pushing around for him. Wouldnât do to get his hands dirtied with the freak. The familiar bitterness rises in his chest, and he tries to push it down. Looks at Chrissy out of the corner of his eye as he pulls out of his parking spot.Â
Her smile has faded, and he could kick himself. âJason is, though,â she says quietly.Â
âHow long have you guys been dating, anyway?â He asks, eager to change the subject. He pulls out of the lot, all too ready to leave the video store and the man who resides in it behind.Â
âThree years.â
Eddie chokes, not expecting that answer in the least. âThree years?â
âWe got together when we were fifteen,â she says, a grimace pulling at her mouth when he glances at her. Shit, maybe Harrington was right and there is trouble in paradise.Â
âHow do you stand him?â
âHe loves me,â she says. Itâs not an answer.Â
âYeah, but Chrissy, heâs like, a major dick.â
âHe loves me,â she repeats. âHe wants to go to college together. He wants to live in Hawkins, and have a pretty white wedding, and a job that pays and a wife thatâs pretty and sweet and doesnât have nightmares about dying every night. A wife thatâs not crazy. And sheâll have his kids, all two and a half of them, and sheâll always smile and stay at home and never do anything with her life because she gave up all her dreams for himââÂ
He pulls onto the side of the road. âJesus,â he breathes, twisting in his seat. âChrissy. Thatâs not love.â
âHeâs safe.â She looks at him imploringly, eyes wet. âI just have to make it until summer. He can have his pretty little girlfriend, his pretty little life. He can have whatever he wants. I just have to make it to summer.â
He swallows back bile. âWhatâs summer?â
She looks down. âI got an early admission. University of Chicago. I have scholarships. Iâll pack everything, and run away there, and Iâll never have to see him or my mom or anyone else in this fucking place ever again.â
âI used to hate Steve,â she whispers. âEven if he was nice to me, I used toâŠjust wish he didnât exist.â
âShit, Chris, so did I. He was an asshole.â
She shakes her head. âNo, because it wasnât like that. It wasnât because of that. I was justâŠjealous.â
âOf Harrington? I think everyoneâs been jealous of him at some point.â
Her face screws up. âYou donât get it,â she says. âI didnât want his house, or his money, or his car, I just wantedâŠâ
âHim?â
âNo!â She pulls her hair in front of face, looking at him desperately. âI wanted to be him, because he wasâŠâ
He really doesnât know where this is going. âBecause he wasâŠ?â
âNancy,â she breathes with a sigh. âHe had Nancy Wheeler, and she was pretty, and smart, and IâŠI wanted it to be me.â
Oh. Oh. Holy shit, Chrissy Cunningham is coming out to him on his ratty couch. Heâs safe, sheâd said about Jason, and heâd thought she was talking about all the other ways he was convenient, but⊠thereâs safety in a shield. Easier to hide behind a boyfriend then have people asking questions you canât answer. Heâll eat his shoes if Jason knows, but at least heâs good for something.Â
Sheâs turning pale. âIâmâIâm sorry, I shouldnât haveâI donât know why I thoughtââ
âWoah, woah, woah,â he says, grasping her hand as she tries to flee. âChrissy, IâChrissy, wait. Me too, okay?âÂ
She freezes. âYou too?â
âYeah, Chris, me too.â
âLike you had a crush on Nancy too?â
The look he gives her speaks volumes.Â
âOh.â She settles back down on the couch, her too-thin wrist trembling in his grip. âOkay.â
âOkay?â He asks, just to make sure.Â
âOkay,â she says.Â
âGood.â He sighs, lets go of her hand to run his fingers through his hair. âSo, Wheeler, huh?â
A flush blooms across her face.Â
Steve breaks the surface again, looking panicked, before being dragged back under.Â
Immediately itâs chaos.Â
âSteve?â Nancy calls, looking over the side of the boat frantically. âSteve?â
Robin jumps in.Â
âWoah, woah, woah,â Eddie says, as something determined flashes over Nancyâs face. âLetâs think about thisââ
She takes a deep breath and dives in after her.Â
âShit!â He looks at Chrissy, eyes wide with dread. âWeâre not going in there, are we?â
Sounds echo from the shore. Shit, the police.Â
Theyâll probably die if they go down there. But if the cops find them, theyâll take Chrissyâs Walkman, and then sheâll definitely die.Â
He sees the same resolve settle over her face.Â
âThis is crazy,â he mutters. âThis is crazy! Dammit, dammit, dammit!â
 She takes his hand. âOn three?â
He lets out a hysterical laugh, gripping her hand tightly.Â
Chrissy counts to three.Â
They jump.Â
He spits blood. It dribbles down his chin, and Eddie follows it down, down, watches a few drops land on that glorious chest and thanks every god there is that heâs too scared for the frankly impressive boner that wants to form.Â
Chrissy elbows him.Â
âHey! What was that for?â
âYouâre drooling,â she whispers.Â
âCan you blame me?â He hisses back. âLook at him! That was some fucking Ozzy shit right there!â
She gives him a look.Â
He toes one of the dead bats by his foot. Ugly little fucker, with sharp teeth. Itâs almost familiar.Â
He doesnât get too far with that train of thought.Â
âSense of humor still intact, thatâs good.â She chuckles nervously. Then she shakes him.Â
âOw, Rob!â
âYou have to stop doing shit like this! âHur, dur, Iâm Steve, Iâm going to go into the highly dangerous portal and get eaten by bats because Iâm stupidââ
âI donât sound like that!â He bats her hands away from his torso. âAlso, you seem to be forgetting the part where I was dragged against my will.â
âYou canât take any more concussions, Steve!â
âNo concussion,â he says, and takes her hands in his. She pauses to breathe. They look like theyâre in their own little world, and something bitter twinges in Eddieâs chest. âNo rabies, no concussion, Iâm okay.â
âYouâre definitely not,â Nancy says as she moves in to wrap his injuries. He grunts in pain.Â
âIâm fine,â he insists, and Eddie snorts. He gets a scathing look in return.Â
âWe are not fine,â Eddie says. âWeâre in some sort of hell dimension, shit, IâŠâ he turns in a circle, finally taking in the world theyâre in. Everything is grey and barren. Red lightning cracks across the sky.Â
It looks exactly like his dream.Â
He lets out a nervous laugh. âWhat the fuck,â he says. âWhat the fuck, what the fuck, what the fuckââ
âEddie?â Chrissy grabs his hand, and he turns to her with wide eyes.Â
âChrissy, itâs just like my dream. This world, those weird fucking creatures, itâs exactly likeâŠâ
She turns pale.Â
âDream?â Nancy asks, sharp. âWhat dream?â
âItâs crazy,â Eddie says weakly. Heâs starting to believe it less and less.Â
âItâs both of us.â Chrissy straightens, raising her chin. âItâs always the same thing. For me, itâs a monster. He takes my eyes, snaps my limbs.â Mercifully, none of them point out the similarities with the recent killings, although all three of them straighten. âFor Eddie, itâsâŠâ
âBats,â he says. âUgly fucking bats, with sharp teeth. Everything is grey and desolate, and thereâs this kidââ
The other three exchange what can only be described as a look.Â
âIâm crazy,â Eddie pleads, trembling. Please, for the love of God, please tell me Iâm crazy. Stick me in the loony bin, tie me up and leave me on the front steps of Pennhurst. Please.Â
âYouâre not crazy,â Nancy confirms. It feels like a death sentence.Â
âSo, whatâs the story there?â Eddie asks, tripping over a rock. âHowâd you figure out the whole âProphetic Nightmares mean deathâ thing, anyway?â
Steve furrows his brow. âYouâre taking this surprisingly well.â
âIâm not.â Eddie lets out a laugh. âTrust me, Iâm not at all. But I think some part of me had always known, you know? Like, it was too real to be just my imagination.â
Steve nods. âAs far as we can tell, itâs only people who die from the Upside-Down,â he tells Eddie. âHas to be directly from it, no second-hand murder or anything.â
âGreat.â
âYeah.â He grimaces. âAnd it can change, you know? You might be having nightmares one night, and then you do something significant enough to change yourâŠfate or whatever, and theyâre gone. Or maybe something happens, and you start having them. Itâs not always set in stone, you know?â
âWell, good,â Eddie breathes. Thereâs a chance they get out of this. âThatâs good.â
âYeah.â
âHow do you know all this? Like, do people just come up to you and tell you their nightmares? Do you go around asking everyone in Hawkins what they dream about?â
âAs far as we can tell, it started with Barb.â
âBarb?â
âYeah, uh, Barbara Holland?â
âThe one who died from the chemical leak?â
Thereâs a heavy silence, where Steve looks at Nancy. Thereâs regret in his eyes.Â
âShe had a nightmare, the night Will disappeared. Told Nancy a monster took her, something with no face and lots of teeth. Nancy told her to lay off the horror movies.â
Something sinks in his stomach.Â
âThat night, they came over to my house, you know? We were messing around, being stupid, and Barb cut herself. It wasnât supposed to be a big deal, we told her to go home and went inside. The next day, she was missing.â
âShit,â Eddie breathes. âThe chemical leak?â
âBullshit,â Steve confirms.Â
âShit.â
Steve blinks, eyes jumping back up to his. âWhat?â He asks, sounding breathless. Poor guy. Those bites must hurt like hell. âSorry, I didnât hear that.â
âItâs fine,â Eddie says, even though his mood sours a bit at the idea of Steve not listening to him. âI was just saying, you and Wheeler looked pretty cozy. I think youâve got a chance.â
Steve stares at him. ââŠwhat?â
âChrist, Harrington, your ex-girlfriend! Nancy Wheeler, who leapt after you without a second thought and was giving you eyes the whole time she was patching you up. Iâm telling you to win her back.â Sorry, Chrissy. She'd told him she was over that particular crush, though, so he figures it's fair game.
âNancy? You want me to date Nancy again?â He asks, as if the idea is so far out of the realm of possibility that itâs baffling.Â
âDo you not?â
âNot really.â
âWhy?â Eddie asks, because if thereâs anything heâs learning about himself these days itâs that heâs a bit of a masochist. âIsnât she the perfect girl for you?â
She is. They fit so well, Eddie could see it from space. Nancy Wheeler, with her determination and fearlessness, guns in her room and fire in her heart. Steve Harrington, the hero, the protector, standing at her side where he belongs. Itâs so storybook it practically writes itself.Â
But Steveâs shaking his head. âWe werenâtâŠgood together,â he says haltingly, as if heâs debating on whether to even tell Eddie this. âI wanted to ignore it all. I was scared of what Iâd seen, scared of the government guys whose NDAâs I signed, justâŠscared. I wanted to pretend like it never happened, like everything was normal. Nancy couldnât do that. She lost Barb, and IâŠtold her to forget. I told her to just put out the story the Feds were selling, because I was a coward. Barbâs parents sold their house to hire an investigator for a girl we knew was dead, and god, Nancyâs faceâŠâ
Eddie doesnât know if he wants to hear this. He looks back up at the girls walking ahead. Nancy looks as fiercely determined as usual, but for the first time, he wonders whatâs behind it.Â
âI hurt her, and she hurt me,â Steve continues. âIâŠshit, I really thought she loved me, you know? I thought we would get married, have kids, the whole nine yards. Realizing it was allâŠwell, bullshit, that was almost worse than any concussion Iâve had, but I don't blame her. I wasnât what she needed.â
âAnd now? I mean, youâre clearly a different guy than you were back then,â Eddie says, because heâs kind of nosy at heart. Steveâs being all introspective and shit, just giving up all this information for free, and he wants to know more. Itâs not at all because something in him turns smug when faced with the fact that the worldâs most fated couple arenât fated at all. Are actually kind of terrible together, if Steveâs to be believed.Â
âItâd just be the same thing all over again. Iâll always love her, but we want different things. Different priorities and stuff. I wouldnât be able to keep up, and sheâs not going to slow down for me.â
It doesnât mean he has a chance. Eddieâs got, like, negative chances with Steve Harrington. Still, the little peacock in him preens.Â
âWhat does she need, then?âÂ
Steveâs face is almost wistful. âShe needs someone like Jonathan. Heâs gotâŠdrive, or whatever. Heâs someone you know you can trust to do what needs to be done. The two of them made sure the stuff about the chemical leak was published, you know that? Nancy needed closure, and Jonathan made it happen. Heâs cool like that. And heâs good to have in a fight, too. Throws a mean punch.â He smiles wryly at that, touching his temple like heâs lost in a memory. âHeâs passionate, and caring, and heâs so stressed all the time, but he still manages to be, like, soothing. And heâs got those eyes, you know? Theyâre big and sad and like, wet all the time. He always looks like heâs about to cry, but it works for him. Heâs justâŠheâs good at making people feel safe.â
Eddie barely processes the words, too busy staring at Steve in confusion, jealousy churning in his gut. Which is to be expected, given that heâs been pushing said jealousy down for this entire conversation, but he doesnât know how they went from Steveâs relationship with Nancy to how pretty Jonathan Byersâs eyes are.Â
Heâs good at making people feel safe. God, he had it all wrong. In the wake of finding out theyâd lived through three world-ending apocalypses, that might be the greatest confession of love heâs ever heard. And itâs from King Steve, about a boy that humbled him so bad he drop-kicked his crown straight across the country.Â
Steve catches him staring and shuts his mouth with a click. Everything has a washed, gray tinge to it, but he swears his cheeks flush.
âIâm rambling,â he laughs, looking slightly panicked. âI was just trying to say that Nancy and I donât fit together. Not like that. I donât really know if we ever did.â
âYeah,â Eddie says, âIâm starting to see why.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â Â
âNothing,â he squeaks. Well, in for a penny, out for a pond, right? Heâs already in hell, might as well try and sus Harrington out while heâs at it. âJustâŠByers? Really?â
âI donâtââ
âDidnât he kick your ass?â
âNot you too!â Steve groans. âI already got the third degree from Robin. I was asking for that beatdown. Shit, some of the stuff I said was so nasty it makes me want to take a shower when I think of it.â
His eyebrows fly up at how easily heâd given up denial. âGotta say, I didnât think heâd be King Steveâs type.â
âHeâIâheâs notââ he stammers. Never mind, then. Denial still firmly in place.Â
At least until Steve lets out a sigh. âI donât know why Iâm trying to deny it. I can see that hanky in your pocket.â
Eddieâs eyes widen innocently. âOh, this?â He asks, tugging it a bit for emphasis. It stays firmly in place, because heâll be damned if he doesnât pin it. He learned after the first three he lost to miscellaneous chaos.Â
âDonât play dumb, thatâs my job,â Steve complains. âShit, I canât believe I said all that. Thatâs fucking embarrassing.â
âI mean, I just tried to get you to win back your ex-girlfriend when youâre in love with her boyfriend,â Eddie says mildly. âI feel like weâre both embarrassed here.â
Steveâs flush would be visible from outer space. âIâm not in love with him.âÂ
âWho are you trying to convince here?â
âIâm not!â He protests. âLike, yeah, I used to be, but Iâve moved on. Firmly moved on. I love him in the same way I love Nancy, you know? Like, sheâs the first person I ever loved, and he made me realize that I like both. Theyâre always going to be part of me. But Iâm not in love with him anymore.â
Eddieâs heart takes off without his permission.Â
âDonât tell Lucas,â she pleads.Â
âI wonât,â Steve promises.Â
Max hesitates.
âYou donât have to tell me ifââ
âIâve been having Nightmares.â
Eddie sucks in a breath.Â
âWhat?â Steve soundsâŠshit, thereâs not a way to describe how broken Steveâs voice is with just those four words.Â
âEver since Billy died,â Max says. âI canâtâŠitâs Vecna. I know it is. He gets me.â
âMax, why wouldnât you tell us? We could haveââ
âI thought it would be easier,â she tells him, voice cracking. âIf I just pulled away, I thought maybe it would hurt less when I finally go. And I thinkâI think I wanted toââ
She cuts off with a sob, and Eddieâs heart fucking shatters.Â
âMax,â Steve says helplessly.Â
âIâm sorry,â she cries. âIâm sorry I didnât tell you, and Iâm sorry I havenât been here, and Iâm sorry for thinking I wanted to die but Steve I donât, I donât, Iâm not ready to go. I donât want to die, I donât want to die, I donât want to, Steve, I donât know what to doââ
Steve pulls her into his chest. She curls her fingers into his shirt, and he meets Eddieâs eyes over her head. Eddie sees tears streaking down his face before he ducks his head back down.Â
âIâm here, Max,â Steve promises. âWeâre gonna figure this out, okay? Iâll do everything I can to fix this. You just keep that Walkman on.â
She nods into his shoulder, still crying. Itâs violent, her sobs shaking her entire body. She looks smaller every time Eddie sees her, like sheâs retreating into herself, and now she looks tiny. Looks all her fifteen years, clinging to the only adult in the vicinity she trusts like heâs her lifeline. And Eddie sees the resolve settle on Steveâs face, knows without a doubt that heâs going to do something stupid.Â
âYes, we do,â Max says quietly. Even from here, Eddie can see her trembling.Â
âNo,â Steve says. âNo, no, no, no, no.â
Sheâs got a whole plan though. Outlines it with steel in her voice, confident enough that everyone nods along. If Eddie didnât know better, heâd believe in it too.Â
Steve looks damn near apocalyptic. âMax,â he says through gritted teeth, âcan I talk to you in the other room?â
Lucas stands up with her, but Steve stops him with a look. Still, he doesnât sit back down until Max puts a hand on his arm.Â
âItâs just Steve,â she tells him quietly. âWe just need a minute.â
No one says anything as they close the door to Maxâs room behind them. A deafening click of the latch in the silence.Â
As soon as the door is closed, Dustin and Erica have their ears pressed to the wood. Chrissy isnât far behind.Â
âGuys,â Nancy hisses, even as she creeps closer, âreally?â
âThis should be a private conversation,â Robin whispers, wringing her hands as Lucas tiptoes across the room to join them. âLike, you know how Steve gets about you munchkins, obviously he wouldnât take this well. Honestly, Iâm not taking this well, and Iâm not your guy's babysitter-slash-big brother-slash-dad. But itâs the best plan weâve got, unless we want to just let Vecna-slash-Henry-slash-One to give up and find his fourth victim somewhere else and we wouldnât know who it was and then he really will open the gates and kill everyone we knowââ
Sheâs shushed by four different people.Â
Eddie gives in, crossing the room as silently as he can to join their little eavesdropping party. Robin follows him.Â
ââsaid you werenât ready,â Steve is snapping, voice barely muffled through the door. Thank God for shitty trailer soundproofing. âI told you all you had to do was keep the goddamn Walkman on, and thatâs what youâre going to do! Weâll find another way.â
âThere is no other way, Steve!â Thereâs a light thump that Eddie thinks might be the stomping of a foot. âItâs our only shot at winning this. It has to be me.â
âNo, it doesnât.â
âWhat are we gonna do? Wait for him to target someone else? Wait for them to die, because I was too selfish? Because Iâm a fucking coward?â
âYes!â Steve hisses, clear as day. Their little group of eavesdroppers look at each other with wide eyes. âFuck, Max, if thatâs what it fucking takes to keep you alive. Heâll find another targetââ
âAre you kidding me right now?â
âIâm not letting you die on my watch, Mayfield. Iâm not letting you die, period.â
Max sounds close to pulling her hair out. âYouâre not letting me do jack shit. I know the risks. Iâm willing to do what it takes.â
Eddieâs heart twists. Jesus, sheâs a fucking kid. Heâs with Steve, on this one.Â
âWell Iâm not,â Steve replies harshly. âAnd if those guys out there knew, they wouldnât be so gung-ho about it either. You know damn well if you told them you were having Nightmaresââ
Dustin loses his balance, and falls on the floor with a thud that seems to echo in the sudden silence that follows. Everyone freezes.Â
When Steve opens the door, heâs glowering. Eddie canât help but notice the tears in his eyes.Â
âSeriously?â He demands.Â
âYouâre having Nightmares?â Lucas asks Max, heartbroken.Â
Maxâs face is thundering. âThat was a private conversation.â
âIf you wanted privacy, maybe you should have better soundproofing,â Dustin snarks. âWe could have heard you from the living room.â
âSorry for assuming we didnât have to ask after closing the goddamn door,â Steve growls.Â
Max pushes past them all, heading straight for the back door.Â
âMax, waitââ
âMax!â
âHold onââ
Steve starts after her, stopping them all in their tracks with a glare when they try to follow. He doesnât say anything, just lets out a derisive huff before slamming the door shut behind him.Â
They stand there, crowded in the tiny hallway, frozen.Â
âI think we may have fudged that one up,â Robin says quietly. No one disagrees with her.Â
By the time they come back inside, everyone else is scavenging for apology food. Max is wiping her eyes, and Steveâs hands shake like he needs a cigarette.Â
âIâm the bait,â Steve announces. No preamble, no room for debate, just laying it down and expecting everyone to go along with it.Â
Obviously, he was hoping for too much given the kids they hang out with.Â
âWill that even work?â Erica scrunches her nose.Â
âYes.â
âWanna elaborate on that?â Robin asks quietly, moving into his space. He gives her a look, but lets her close the distance between them until sheâs taking his arm and dragging him to the couch. He sits obediently, and Max immediately moves to the side Robinâs not on, leaving a bit of distance between them like she wants to be close but is scared to touch.Â
âNope.â
âHow do we even know if itâll work?â Dustin asks. âYou canât just decide Vecna will go for you instead, thatâs not how it works. Thatâs not how any of this works.â
âHeâs right, Steve,â Nancy says apologetically. She backtracks at Steveâs deadly look. âObviously, we wonât use Max anymore if sheâs having Nightmares, but we have no way of knowing if Henry will come for you.â
âI could do it,â Chrissy offers quietly. Bile floods Eddieâs mouth, and he swallows it back with his protests. âHe might still come for me, since I was cursed.â
âYouâre not cursed anymore,â Steve reminds her. âYou donât even need the Walkman. Plus, he wants someone El knows. We donât know that heâd come for you.â
âWe donât know that heâd come for you, either,â Lucas says.Â
âHe will.â
âHe will,â Max affirms quietly. When Eddie looks at her, sheâs staring at her own hands.Â
âHow do you know?â Erica asks.Â
âBecause I had my first vision while we were outside,â Steve says.Â
That shuts them up.Â
Theyâre distracted by Robin standing up abruptly enough to knock over her chair, yelling something incomprehensible at Steve about his âstupid box,â and where he can shove it, whatever that means, and storming off. Steve stays sitting exactly where he is, head down, looking defeated.Â
Eddie and Dustin exchange startled glances.Â
Chrissy creeps up to Steve cautiously. âAre you going to go after her?â
He shakes his head. When he raises it, Eddie notices his eyes are rimmed red. âYou should,â he mumbles. âYouâd probably help more than I would, right now.â
She nods and slips away. Eddie sends Dustin in the Sinclairâs direction, and plops down in Robinâs empty seat.Â
âShe not doing too hot with all this?â
Steve grimaces. âI told her where my will is.â
âAh,â Eddie says, genuinely at a loss for words. âWell, fuck.â
âYeah.â
âYou not leave her anything?â Itâs a shit joke, one that he kicks himself for making, but he laughs. Itâs hoarse and cold and all too fake, but itâs a laugh.Â
âLike, almost everything I have. To be divided as she sees fit.â
âMaking her do all that? No wonder sheâs pissed.â
Steveâs snort is real this time.
#prophetic nightmares of the dead au#stranger things fanfic#steve harrington#eddie munson#robin buckley#chrissy cunningham#steddie#how does chrissy survive vecna? i was going to figure that out#i think my original plan for this was some robin/chrissy as well or maybe nancy/chrissy/robin#btw that jancy speech that steve gave? biased as FUCK#when they got together steve convinced himself it was inevitable bc they're obviously made for each other#in reality they have reached granola bar levels of falling apart#eddie who has outsider pov to the whole thing and can see nancy twitch every time someone mentions her bf is like hmm. doesn't sound right#but i don't know enough about either of them to dispute it#steve gets vecna-ed
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idk anything about 21 pilots, but you talk about them a lot and they seem cool!! Who are they and what are they about and where do i get started in their music đ
GIRL
These kinds of questions make me so happy. People who know me in real life organically ask me to talk about movies and stuff sometimes, but never bands, and when they find out I like twenty one pilots, never them đ
Anyway,
Twenty one pilots is a roughly 15 year-old band led by Tyler Joseph, who used to be an intern at Five14 Church (New Albany Church) in Columbus, Ohio, and a rising basketball star in his schooling. Then, my understanding is, he taught himself how to play piano, got interested in/wrote songs during his senior year of high school, and then eventually dropped out of college to pursue making music full time. The band is named after a play by Arthur Miller called âAll My Sons.â Tyler Joseph studied it in schoolâhe was inspired by the plot of having to make a hard decision that ultimately costs livesâŠand you can hear through all the songs the sense of urgency, and the way the lead singer is convinced that every single choice you make can have dire consequences.
At the start of the band, it had him and two other members. Their first album is called âTwenty One Pilots,â and it has sick album art that everybody loves:
The band played local shows (like in literal houses and backyards and stuff) and were mostly performing songs from this album. My favorite twenty one pilots song is on this album: itâs called Addict With a Pen.
(Specifically, my favorite is this version of him performing it live several years after its release, which I saw after returning from the camp where I got saved.)
youtube
In those early years, twenty one pilots performed songs off of Self-Titled. But they also did a few that Tyler Joseph wrote independently, the ones not featured on the album.
One of the songs that he wrote that isnât on this album was written when he was in high school before he had a band. Itâs called âSave.â He probably recorded it in the early 2000s, but if I donât have my years mixed up, I didnât hear that song until I was 14-turning-15 in the year 2011. And it, along with another song of his called âClear,â played with it, was the first song I ever heard by twenty one pilots. I heard it the week I gave my life to Christ. Save is a gut-scream song about the need to be saved. Itâs hard to listen to. But in the context I heard it in, I needed to be hearing the idea of âneeding salvationâ in that extreme and real of a voice. So I love it.
Clear is about Tyler Josephâs struggle with trying to figure out if itâs better to get people thinking with cryptic lyrics about their need for a saviorâOR should he just come out and say, âIâm a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ is what you need, please believe in Him like I did?â He winds up settling on the first option (sometimes I wish he hadnât) and âtelling the audience what he can,â and not pushing it on them when they âlet him know when theyâve had enough.â
Clear planted the germs in my brain that led to me considering art, and then storytelling as a tool to deliver hard truth âunder the eyes of watchful dragons.â He talks about the concept of Romans 7 using the philosophy of disguising his words, like in Clear, in this interview, which, when I saw the part at about 9 minutes, made me start paying attention to Tyler Joseph as a person instead of just listening to his music.
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Anyway. Back to the band.
One of these independent songs, NOT on the original album of the band, was called âTime to Say Goodbye,â and it has a pretty intense âcycle of knowing youâre messed up (like really messed up. suicide attempt and purposeless darkness levels of messed up) -> unable to fix it on your own -> trying anyway -> failing -> driven to accept Christâs ability to kill the old you so you can live for something bigger than your messed-up selfâ concept in the lyrics.
That whole progression, the âRomans 7 Progression,â I think of it as, winds up being one of the strongest recurring themes in every album afterward.
But I bring it up because the legend is, when performing that song, Time to Say Goodbye, at a little venue, Josh Dun, who already had some experience drumming in a different Christian band, saw twenty one pilots for the first time. And he thought the song and Tyler were brilliant. The current drummer of the band introduced him to Tyler, and when everybody in the band except Tyler quit, Josh Dun quit his job with no fallback plan and became the drummer of twenty one pilots. Since then, they have been a two-man band.
They have their own genre, because theyâre both self-taught, and one of the identifying factors of the band is that both Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph are intensely opposed to giving in to the draw of âFameâ or âSuccess.â They stubbornly insist that they just make music they like. Whatever, thatâs not unique, lots of bands are punk rock and go âfight the power, we donât care what anybody thinks, etc.â
But then you listen to Tyler Joseph adding screamo and ukulele and rap overâŠlike, church-piano, and you hear him say things like, âI just rap because I needed to fit a lot of words in, and also my brother likes fast rap.â and you go, âoh. They meant it. They donât know how any of this works and they just do what they like.â
Especially in their early stuff.
I âgot intoâ twenty one pilots in the year 2011. Thatâs the same year they signed to a record label. They produced what I think is their best album, âVessel,â (nobody agrees with me.)
I could break down every song on the album but nobody wants that and nobody would read it, so Iâll just say; it has deeper exploration of the bandâs same themes:
Be Introspective - All the time, the lead singer is writing lyrics that urgently explore the dark corners of his own fear, doubt, and insecurityâand then he flips it around and begs his listeners to be introspective, too, because âthereâs something you desperately need.â Itâs this idea of not running from your emotions, but letting them drive you to what you need. (Heâs never clear about what that is, though, beyond the general word âfaith.â)
Focus on Your Purpose - They insist that being introspective should lead to picking what you believe, and living it out to make the most of your time.
What Music Should Be For - The lyrics are all about how music should be used to fight darkness, because it can be exorcism of your inner demons, and a rallying cry to gather around and show you that youâre not the only person who has demons. With that in mind, the band is consistently opposed to âheartless,â âmindlessâ music thatâs just there to make you dance or indulge.
Peace Wins, Fear Loses - This theme is where they usually get closest to their Christian roots. The pattern, like I said, is the Romans 7 Cycle: Iâm afraid of who I am because the digger I deep, the darker and crazier I amâŠbut I donât have to act on that fear. I can just throw myself at the mercy ofâŠ._____ which brings peace. Peace wins, fear loses. (After signing to the record label, Tyler Joseph went full-on into the idea in Clear of never saying point-blank that Jesus is the answer. He hints and alludes. But from that moment on, he disguises Biblical principles in zombie-and-darkness metaphors. And he hasnât stopped doing that since 2011.)
Doubt - A recurring theme that actually has nothing to do with the audience is âdoubt.â Tyler Joseph exorcises his issues with not being able to physically see God, and doubting His existence (usually because of a lack of feeling), or doubting His ability to wash Tyler clean, in his songs. All the time. JustâŠconstantly. He sings about it so often. Which, on the one hand, is cool, because many Christian artists sing about the resolve to have faith in the face of doubt. They donât sing so much about the feeling and the addiction to doubt that comes with doubt. If that makes sense. But on the other hand, thatâs not coolâbecause when you only talk about the fact that you have doubts, but you donât ever resolve them, then what youâre doing is youâre constantly rolling around in the problem without ever introducing the solution.
Itâs worth noting that I think their very best song of all time is on this album, and itâs âHolding Onto You.â
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Itâs their full Romans 7 Cycle in a way that addresses doubt, too. The imagery is everything I love about twenty one pilots, which I would sum up as:
âUse dark imagery to prove how defeatable darkness can be.â
I like that kind of imagery for the same reasons I like Halloween.
People started noticing the band, mainstream, worldwide, in 2015, though. When they released âBlurryface.â
They did it in such a cool way. The band loves giving their fans a sense of âuncoveringâ what theyâre doing next. That gives the fans a sense of ownershipâlike theyâre a part of what the band is creating. And, it makes them want to investigate the concepts in the songsâwhich is one step closer to examining what they believe. Organically.
Anyway. They accomplished this before Blurryface, is I remember correctly, by making a Twitter account for this mysterious character. Theyâd livestream Tyler and Josh from the perspective of an unseen, loudly breathing third person. Or the feed would just be a dark shot of the woods. No explanations. At one point I think I remember âheâ even started âhackingâ popular fansâ accounts and making posts in-character. He always spells things in all caps, with words misspelled or smashed together. And heâd tease new songs that would be on the new album.
And then, BAM, Blurryface the album drops, and itâs a smash hit. Every single song. The band had never seen that level of success before, and all of it is very ironic, because the album concept is this: âTyler Joseph puts a name to his Insecurities, who want him dead, and battles them.â
So the whole âalbum cycle,â and all through tour, Tyler Joseph wears inky black paint on his hands and throat, because anxiety gives him the feeling of suffocating. Red is also the signature color of the character representing his dark side, his insecurity: âBlurryface.â
Twenty one pilots have been very intentionally deciding what shirts they wear and what visuals they use from the beginning. Josh was always wearing something alien-associated, and Tyler was always something undead, for example. But this was a whole other level of performance art. During concerts, Tyler Joseph would start out wearing his black paint thick around his neck and hands. But as the live show went on, naturally because of sweat, the paint would get thinner and thinner. So by the end of the show, the feeling is that âBlurryfaceâ has been defeated.
I made a huge post about ranking the Blurryface songs, if you ever have nothing to do for an absurd amount of time and feel like listening to the songs. But those songs are what most people know twenty one pilots by.
Then they took an intensely long hiatus, (I mean. One year of no public appearances.) after the success of Blurryface. I remember wondering if they were ever going to make music again, and thinking âmaybe theyâre the perfect bandâ because in my high-school-entering-college opinion, theyâd never written a bad song or done anything remotely uncool or worth hating from 2009-2016, so if they never made music again theyâd have gone out on top. Plus, at that point, Tyler had married, and, feeling a Christian kinship with him, I had a vague biased opinion that maybe heâd want to settle in with his family and quit the fame game.
But NO. They werenât done! In 2018, the fans discovered this hidden website associated with the band, and you could read letters written by a new character named Clancy. They were about this whole new world Tyler Joseph created, called âTrench,â which consequently became the name of their next album. This was a full-blown concept album. It was a deeper exploration, not of the Romans 7 Cycle that always made me love their lyricsâŠbut more like an exploration of âhow do suicidal thoughts and self-focus captivate you, and what lies do they useâŠand can you ever really escape them?â
There was also a much tighter focus on suicide being the big idealogical villain, the antithesis, of the band. âStay aliveâ and the topic of suicide were always discussed in the rest of the bandâs songs. But the momentum of this album seemed very, very specifically targeted at the issue this time. Thereâs a whole song dedicated to it called Neon Gravestones in the smack middle of the album.
Which is great. Iâm glad. Itâs awesome. But itâs likeâŠâwhatâs the answer?â Way back in âTime to Say Goodbye,â the answer is âreplace physical life-taking with spiritual self-sacrifice and rebirth.â But Trench, and its whole concept, was specifically engineered to leave you with no clear answer to the problem presented.
Worst of all, Tyler Joseph mentioned, in his vague noncommittal way, that this album saw him flirting with the idea of âa world with no Godâ and âloss of faith.â But he never really said he wasnât a Christian anymore, and songs like Morph seem to suggest the opposite.
Anyway. The albumâs excellent âstory,â with its notes of Shawshank Redemption and The Village and 1984 ended on a cliffhanger. The character Clancy kept trying to escape with the help of a rebellion, and kept getting captured, but he always had this sort of confused resolve to âkeep going.â
The next album was weird. They flipped all of their usual imagery on itâs head, from marketing style choices to the literal clothes they wore to tiny things, like whether or not Tyler was standing on Joshâs left or Joshâs right in promotional material. And all of that was intentional. Which is why Iâm obsessed with them.
I love this album because I love them and their intentionality. I donât love it for any other reason; thereâs nothing about this album that is âtwenty one pilotsâ aside from what I just said; they are doing all of that reverse-psychology stuff intentionally. In-story, this is still a continuation of Trench; the idea is that Clancy has been captured and the whole album is propaganda from the villains. So thatâs neat. But anyone who didnât know that, and just remembered twenty one pilots from Stressed Out and punk rock were like, âwhat happened to twenty one pilots? Whatâs wrong with them?â
The album does this thing that they used to do a lot as like a meta-nod at musicâthey would make songs with upbeat melodies and happy sounds, but the lyrics would be about insecurity and darkness and doubt. They did that on purpose. But Scaled and Icy took that tongue-in-cheek style and made it the whole album. Plus, it released during COVID. So on top of all the chaos going on in the world, this band that usually releases music that slaps you upside the head and says, âTHINK. THINK ABOUT HOW SELF-CONTRADICTORY YOU ARE. THINK ABOUT THE DARKNESS AND HOW TO GET OUT OF IT.â suddenly releases an album thatâs more like, âHey everything is fiiiine.â
This album is pretty godless. But again, this was also the album that has nothing to do with anything serious or realâon purposeâexcept in a reverse-psychology way. It was all on purpose.
Fast-forward to today. Clancy just released. Itâs supposed to be the end of this âstoryâ that started with Blurryface overtly, and the concepts that started in Vessel. Musically, concept-wise, itâs a return to form. They do that thing where they switch up the tempo when youâre not expecting it. You canât pin it down to any one genre. Thereâs deep, dark imagery. And the story is back, not with hidden clues, but with in-your-face costumes and a music video for every song.
But the problem is, it wonât end. They said this was the end, and I thought, âif anything forces an artist to use clarity, itâs the end of a story. You have to commit to an ending. You have to say what you believe.â And thatâs all Iâve been wishing would happen since 2017, when I started feeling less like âI relate to those dark thoughts and doubts,â and more like, âIâm worried about them.â Because clarity denotes security in what you believe. And the whole âbattleâ has been against insecurity. And to that extent, doubt.
Itâs not happening, though. They released the last music video, and it really looks like the end of the story is, âand the cycle continues.â Now, thereâs been hints that theyâll end the story after tour season, maybe by releasing an additional single, or some wishful thinkers are even saying âDELUXE ALBUM!!â But for now, itâs another cliffhanger-maybe-unsatisfying-ending.
The further away theyâve gotten from releasing the song âClear,â the further away the focus seems to get from âdarkness is defeatable.â And they left âitâs defeatable specifically by Godâ in the rear view mirror first.
And the thing isâŠI worry about that. Because it really looks like heâs just playing the field. That he started off with the intent to share Christ with people very genuinely, through the gift he was given in writing and music and even the gift he was given in struggling through darkness. And his strategy was, âIâll use art to help people trust me, and then Iâll share what Iâve learned about the Truth (Jesus.)â But thenâŠI mean, from the outside, it looks like they got popular. And they got popular by talking about their struggles. So how do I know he hasnât just slipped into a cycle of doubting, then instead of letting brokenness and doubt drive him back to Christ, and pull others along with him, he sits in brokenness and doubt because heâs relying on the people who relate? Heâs choosing to lean on crowds of people who feel the same way he does, cheering his songs back at him, as his support, when he used to lean on Christ?
And now he canât even see his way back to what looked like (to me) the original intentâhe says things like âI donât think Iâll ever come out and say, âhey I found the answers, here they are, follow me,â in interviews. He skirts. He says, âstay alive, find your purpose, decide what you believe,â but he doesnât say âhereâs why you should stay alive, hereâs what your purpose is, hereâs whatâs worth believing in, hereâs where genuine life comes from.â
So now he gets to tell all his original (and several largely Christian) fans, âI havenât abandoned Christ, I just struggle with doubt and I donât want to alienate my friends (the point of the song Heathens.)â But he turns right around and says to his non-believing fan base, âIâm not telling you what to believeâin fact, maybe Iâm not even sure of what I believe.â
And at some point, that stops being genuine. I think. I donât think heâs reached the point where heâs not genuine yet. I donât believe that of Tyler Joseph. I think heâs still not sure he wants to sing, with all the conviction it would take, about how Jesus is the ONLY way, when he himself feels like he struggles so much with doubt. How do you lead people where youâre imperfectly going? He has a handle on not committing suicide. So he leads them there, as far as he can. ButâŠstill. Thereâs life beyond this life. Thereâs EITHER life or death beyond this death. At some point, does he believe that, or not? Is he going to keep using his gift to supply bandaids to cannonball wounds, or not?
But I have basically been a nervous wreck whenever I think about them, the backing soundtrack of my growing years, since 2017.
I have enormous amounts of respect and this familial loyalty-feeling for both Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun (Tyler more so, because of his impact on me through his individually-released songs when I was in high school and then up through college.) I look at them on like, MTV and junk and have the same familiar, adoring, well-wishing feeling I did when a friend I knew went on to be moderately famous.
And all that to say, I love them, I donât think any other band can do what they do or has done what theyâve done, and theyâre my unmatched favorite. But I can acknowledge that thereâs something that might be rotting in there, now. Something that didnât used to be this way. And you just canât keep going so long, claiming youâre talking about hope, without standing up for the Source of Hope. Thatâs all probably way more than you wanted to know. But thank you for letting me vent it all, even if you didnât get to the bottom!
#twenty one pilots#top#tĂžp#Tyler Joseph#stressed out#music#my favorite band#the favorite band#five14 church#Columbus Ohio#bands#Clancy#meta#analysis#band history#Josh dun#Joshua William dun#Christianity#faith
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