#alien avoidance theory

[the-most-humble-blog]

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You’re not on top of the food chain. You’re what ended the food chain.

You think you’re a normal dude with a job and a phone plan. But to every other living thing on Earth? You are death, wrapped in sweat glands, riding a Honda Civic.

You’re the reason tigers flinch at sounds. You’re why sharks don’t sleep well anymore. You’re the whisper in the trees that makes birds abandon nests mid-hatch.

No animal fears like humans fear. Because no animal ever built an atomic bomb while bored.

Reblog if you’ve accepted that humans are the final boss of the biosphere. Scroll if you still think dolphins are the smart ones.

📜 Read the full horror-comedy doctrine on why nature prays you never wake up hungry: 👉 https://www.patreon.com/TheMostHumble

🧬 Evolution made a mistake. 🔥 You are that mistake. 💀 And you’re doing just fine.

This post made a bear have an existential crisis.

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🔥 HUMANS ARE NIGHTMARE FUEL, AND YOU’RE TOO STUPIDLY ARROGANT TO REALIZE IT

The only reason you’re not in a constant state of horror at what we are… is because you are one. Everything else? We’re the thing that goes bump in the night.

You think sharks are scary? Wolves? Bears? You think lions are apex predators? You think monsters are the things from horror movies?

👎 WRONG. 👎

Because the real apex predator on this rock? The real nightmare fuel? It’s us.

Everything else in nature has rules. 📌 Animals hunt to survive. 📌 Predators kill when necessary. 📌 The wild operates on instinct, balance, and need.

Humans? We kill for fun. We hunt for sport. We conquer because we’re bored. We are so overpowered that we straight-up ran out of things to fear—so we started making up fake horrors just to feel something.

✔ We’re the only species that builds dungeons, torture chambers, and weapons designed to end civilizations in a single strike. ✔ We’re the only creatures that study war as an art form. ✔ We don’t just survive the wild—we bulldoze it, sell it for profit, and sip coffee on top of it.

🚧 YOU NEED PROOF? LET’S PLAY A GAME 🚧

Let me break your brain real quick. Here’s a simple exercise:

🔪 Imagine you’re a tiger. Strong. Fast. Apex predator. Right? Wrong. You’re a joke.

You’re hunting, stalking your prey in the jungle. Then a human walks into your territory. 🟢 Scenario 1: You attack. He shoots you in the face from 200 feet away. You never even saw it coming. 🟢 Scenario 2: You try to be sneaky. Too bad this bastard has infrared night vision, drones, and an automatic rifle that can drop an elephant. 🟢 Scenario 3: He tranquilizes your ass, throws you in a metal box, and ships you to a zoo where children laugh at you for eternity.

🔥 You’re no longer an apex predator. You’re a house cat with bad luck. 🔥

Now let’s go bigger. You’re a great white shark. 🟢 Scenario 1: You spot a human in the water. Easy prey, right? Nope. That tiny, squishy fleshbag is swimming for fun, not even scared of you. He has a spear gun. You don’t. You lose. 🟢 Scenario 2: You try to run. Too bad, he tagged your ass with a GPS tracker and is now monitoring your every move from a satellite in space.

Now let’s go next level. You’re a bear. 🟢 Scenario 1: You charge a man in the woods. Biggest threat of his life, right? Wrong. His species invented high-powered firearms before your species even figured out stairs. 🟢 Scenario 2: You avoid humans. Too bad, he strapped a motion-triggered camera to a tree and now knows exactly where your den is.

🔥 We are the cryptids of the animal kingdom. We are the monsters in the dark. Everything else? Just prey. 🔥

🚧 YOU DON’T FEAR HUMANS BECAUSE YOU’VE NEVER BEEN ON THE OTHER END 🚧

But imagine, for just one second, that you weren’t human.

✔ You don’t speak their language. ✔ You don’t understand their weapons, their machines, their technology. ✔ You just see a hairless ape that can appear out of nowhere, take down the biggest, strongest creatures with zero effort, and leave without a scratch.

THAT is what animals see when they look at us. Not a fellow creature. Not a competitor. A horror story.

📌 We’re the only species that kills its own kind for fun. 📌 We’re the only species that goes to war over invisible concepts like “borders” and “pride.” 📌 We’re the only species that figures out how to domesticate, enslave, and genetically modify others for our entertainment.

👹 Humans aren’t "top of the food chain." We’re the fucking Grim Reaper.

🚧 AND WE’RE ONLY GETTING WORSE 🚧

Evolution didn’t stop with fire and tools. Now we have nuclear bombs, drones, AI-powered death machines, and ways to kill without ever seeing our enemy’s face.

📌 A lion has claws? We have bombs that can wipe out an entire ecosystem in seconds. 📌 A shark has teeth? We have submarines that can nuke an entire coastline. 📌 A bear is strong? We have cybernetic exosuits that make the average human stronger than any beast.

And if aliens ever showed up, they wouldn’t look at lions, sharks, or bears as a threat. They’d look at us. And they’d get the fuck back in their spaceship and leave.

🔥 We are the reason the universe might be empty. If intelligent life existed out there, they probably took one look at us and thought, "Yeah, no thanks." 🔥

🚧 FINAL WARNING: KNOW WHAT YOU ARE 🚧

You’re not an "earthling." You’re a cosmic horror story in human skin.

✔ You don’t live in nature. You conquered it. ✔ You don’t fear the wild. The wild fears you. ✔ You’re not part of the food chain. You ended it.

You are the thing nightmares are made of.

And the only reason you’re not horrified by humans? Because you are one.

🚀 Reblog this and remind every soft-brained idiot that humans are the final boss of reality. 🚀 Comment if you’ve embraced your apex predator status. 🚀 Follow for more unapologetic, fact-based horror comedy.

Ready for more unapologetic truth bombs? Follow The Most Humble Blog for sharp takes, dark humor, and the hard conversations no one else will have.

🔥 No survivors. No mercy. Just human supremacy. 🔥

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[clairelutra]

what we know:

in an age of smartphones, okarun uses a flip phone and doesn't own a computer

the first line that really struck a chord with him from momo is "'cause my parents are gone"

okarun speaks in an oldtimey fashion (uses "jibun" instead of "watashi", which is also polite, but oldfashioned and slightly more masculine than "watashi"), and has multiple times used phrasing similar to ken takakura, the famous actor, without seeming to realize it

okarun shares a name with momo's crush, the famous actor ken takakura

okarun shares many of the personality traits ascribed to ken takakura the actor

ken takakura the actor lived from 1931 to 2014

ken takakura the actor was 8-14 years old at the time of ww2

okarun is in his second year of high school, which means he's 16 or 17

famous ancient people and phenomena (the sumerians, the pyramids&kofun) have been linked to alien activity

okarun explicitly acknowledges that he may have been experimented on by aliens and had his memory wiped

theory 1: okarun is literally ken takakura the actor from the past—specifically from right around ww2, when alien activity was the most likely narratively speaking—temporally displaced, memory wiped, and intentionally or unintentionally prevented from seeing the results of ww2 (or finds the internet too crazy as a modern invention and avoids it for reasons unknown to him)

theory 2: okarun is an average weirdo with neglectful parents who imprinted on the actor who shares his name, probably watching all his movies on vhs or something, and is allergic to the internet from nothing more than a personality quirk

[yumeka-sxf]

Well, seems like something that was just a theory before has come very close to truth...

Because of this major revelation, I wanted to take a deep dive into what we know about Donovan so far and how hints throughout past chapters could indeed indicate that he can read minds. While we still don't have concrete proof for this other than Melinda's word, I don't believe there's anything that discredits this idea, either. In fact, many things throughout the series support it.

First we have Loid's encounter with Donovan way back in chapter 38. I always found it strange that we never got insight into Donovan's thoughts throughout that whole exchange. We always get to know what characters are thinking, even without Anya's mind-reading support. It's not an uncommon storytelling mechanic in general after all, especially for manga. Yet, Endo chose not to give us any insight into what Donovan was thinking. I figured this was simply to avoid spoiling anything about what his exact plans and motives are for future stories (also why Anya was absent for this). But now it seems like this could have also been to hide the fact that he can read minds. If he can read minds, certain things he said during that exchange take on a more ominous meaning. For example, what he said below about how people can never truly understand each other.

It's been a headcanon of mine that the reason why Anya, and perhaps Donovan, were given mind-reading powers, stemmed from the desire for world peace...the idea being that if people could read each other's minds - in other words, always know what others are thinking and feeling, sympathy and understanding would abound.

We learn later on that Donovan had ideas like this even as a kid when he made a similar comment during his debate competition speech. He said that it's impossible to know the true intentions of others so people will forever doubt each other, thus war is inevitable.

We also have the little detail in today's chapter that Donovan did not have the scars on his head during Melinda's flashback (of course, he didn't have them as a kid in chapter 99 either).

Now this is totally my theory, but if we take Melinda's words as the truth, without any misunderstanding, then sometime in Donovan's adult life after he married and had a child, he was experimented on and was given mind-reading powers, perhaps by force but most likely by choice. Now that he has these powers, his laments about people not being able to understand each other are no longer true, at least not for him. Perhaps the experiments done on Anya were preliminary tests that he put together to perfect the mind-reading implementation science before actually doing it to himself. Again, totally just speculation, but not out of the question.

Then we have Demetrius...we learned in chapter 93 that Anya has trouble reading his mind.

If we put that together with Melinda's comment in today's new chapter, that Demetris also took note of Donovan being able to read minds...

...then perhaps Demetrius conditioned himself to think in ways that would make it difficult for his mind to be read, specifically to thwart the "alien" that's impersonating his father. I mentioned last time that I don't think Donovan is actually an alien, and that this description is the only explanation Melinda could come up with to explain his mind-reading powers. If this is true though, it really does make the Desmond dinner scene all the more telling...that throughout all those panels without dialogue, Donovan was absorbing the deepest inner thoughts of his family members (and again, no insight into his own thoughts, just like in chapter 38).

But if the "Donovan can read minds" theory holds true, then the most disturbing idea of all is that Donovan knows that Twilight is a spy. He knows that he's the target of Twilight's mission, and that Twilight seeks to thwart him. Not only that, but depending on what he's read of Damian and Melinda's minds, he knows that they're fond of Anya and Yor, respectively - people who are close to Twilight. Mind-reading powers in the hands of a child are one thing, but in the hands of a shrewd and power political figure...I'm both excited and anxious to find out what Donovan's next move will be!

[creature-wizard]

This is a random message, but recently I've been reading a lot of manga and stories with religious themes. However, I'm gay and have religious trauma so I don't see myself returning to it. But I'm also afraid I'm making a mistake in doing so. Do you think you can point me in tue right direction book wise or christian witch creators? I'm completely new to this and don't want to learn incorrect or conspiracy theory information. Thank you 🩵😊

The best way to avoid internalizing conspiracy theories is to improve your critical thinking and research skills, and to research them from a critical or academic perspective and to learn real history and science. Avoiding "bad" fiction is neither a good nor realistic plan, given that tropes associated with conspiracy theories are found in probably the majority of science fiction and fantasy, and frequently pop up in other forms of fiction as well.

(Avoiding "bad" fiction is the puritan/reactionary's answer to social problems, and it has never fixed a single thing because it's about giving in to a gut reaction telling you to avoid confronting the problem instead of carefully analyzing it to find the actual best solution.)

Here are some resources:

Information Literacy Basics

Critical Thinking Skills: Definitions, Examples, and How to Improve Them

11 Characteristics of Pseudoscience

Six Ways To Debunk Any Conspiracy Theory

Miniminuteman

ESOTERICA

Angela's Symposium

BS-Free Witchcraft

Digital Hammurabi

Misquoting Jesus with Bart Ehrman podcast

It's Probably (not!) Aliens (this is the YouTube page for the podcast, but if you search for it you can find it on other platforms)

Behind The Bastards

Tales of Times Forgotten (you can search the blog for topical words like Atlantis, aliens, antisemitism, conspiracy theory, witch, or whatever)

Jason Colavito's blog (again, you can search for topics)

Conspirituality Podcast

Gutsick Gibbon (debunks young earth creationist claims, do not overlook this one!)

Edit: Adding these. If you're trying to educate yourself on conspiracy theory tropes, consider them required reading:

Check your conspiracy theory. Does it sound anything like this?

Check your conspiracy theory part two: double, double, boil and trouble

Check Your Conspiracy Theory Part Three: Babylonian Mysteries?? In My Religion???

[transfaguette]

listen man. you gotta stop making transandrophobia a transmasc vs transfem thing. and maybe you don’t think youre doing it. you feel hurt and that is extremely valid but youre also not helping yourself by making post after post about exclusively about transfems, no matter how specific and deserving the actual subset of person youre talking about is. I think, also, its alienating to people who would otherwise agree with you but are offput by your language, not in a “well i agree with you but you should say it different” way but a “i would learn more about this topic but this language makes me uncomfortable so i am going to avoid it.” it actually isnt very helpful if you want to argue that transandrophobia doesnt suggest trans women oppress trans men (which it doesnt and never has) if the only perpetrators of it you ever talk about are trans women and that that is the first exposure some people will ever have to the theory.

[naomi-nana]

✎ᝰ. jealousy is a disease !

there's nothing wrong with a little bit of jealousy, right? as long as you're honest about it, surely...

featuring : till

cw : fluff, gn!reader, mentions of death/being killed but nothing too graphic, probably ooc till...

a/n : OMGOMGOMG ALNST FIC ON TUMBLR???? i wasn't expecting to find any, but i find quite a lot!! i was so happy so i decided to make one myself and joined all the other writers>:) i've never watched any theory videos, so i dont really know how till acts. but from the limited videos alone, i can atleast know his personality;)

he really wouldn't have cared at all if you got closer to another human, or even an alien—is what he thought, as if he isn't glaring at you talking to your fans. your smile at those aliens lining up to shake your hands doesn't help. why would you even smile at all the aliens anyways? they all look ugly. he knows that how popular you are is not under your control, and that this is all arranged by your owner. but still, he doesn't like it, not even a single bit.

but he is happy that you're getting the recognition you deserve, after being forc—i mean, working hard for it all. but it still upsets him at how happily you talk to all the aliens, the smile you gave them, the look of adoration that you gave them. you noticed that he's been staring at you the whole time, though. but you made it seem as if you didn't, which annoys him. if he could, he would grab you by the wrist and ran away as fast as he can with you following him. but he won't. he doesn't want or like the risk of the both of you being killed because of that.

so, he endured his jealousy for what felt like an hour, and it all finally ended. "i'm sorry, have i kept you waiting?" you finally turned at him, your face glistening with sweat. even with how messy your makeup and hair has gotten after all those handshake, you still look as ethereal as ever. "till?" you tilt your head curiously when he didn't reply.

"uh—huh, what? sorry. was zonin' out." he noticed that he have been looking at your face the whole time and unintentionally ignored your question. "what did you say again?" he asked, looking away from your face this time in embarrassment. you only chuckled softly at him before finally repeating your question. "no, you didn't, it's alright." he answers quickly, as if trying to hide something, making you raise an eyebrow. "really? i really didn't keep you waiting?"

"no, it's fine. let's get inside the car before the driver leaves us here." the driver really won't leave you both here, since it's literally his job to drive the both of you from place to place. it's just his excuse to leave the place faster so he could make you get away from all your fans. "you seem to be eager of leaving this place, is something wrong?" you come closer to him, concern lacing in your gaze. with how close you are to him, it's hard for him to hide his flustered face.

so, he just turned around and walked towards the exit, making you even more confused and concerned for him. he walks really fast too, while you struggle to follow him behind.

"till, are you alright? do you feel sick? uncomfortable? or is it something else?" you asked him once again, and he avoided your gaze again. it keeps happening over and over to the point that if someone else were to watch you both from afar, they'd thought that the both of you are playing a game of tag. it took a lot of convincing from you, but he finally tells you why. not directly though, he doesn't want you to think that he's too clingy.

"i-i got a little... annoyed, when your fans got closer to you, i guess..." he muttered to himself, which made you unable to hear what he says clearly. you tilt your head to look up at him, then cup his cheeks in your hands, earning a soft gasp from him. "w-what are you—"

"are you perhaps... jealous?" you grin at him, his face growing redder as time pass. "i'm—not! let go of my face!" he grips one of your wrist with his hand, but he didn't even make an attempt to move your hands away from his face. "really? your expression says otherwise." you giggle when he glares at you, although his red face betrays the 'scary look' he's giving you.

"i said i'm not, end of the story. let's get in the car or whatever..." he finally swats your hand away, not too harsh though, and he walks away from you. your giggle only grew louder at how flustered he got just from one single interaction with you. "wait for me, till. you can't leave a celebrity like me behind... you don't want any of my fans catching up to me, do you?"

"ugh, stop talking about that!"

naomi-nana. do NOT repost, do not use,(with or without permission), do not reccommend or talk about my works outside of tumblr.

[luna-azzurra]

Give your protagonist flaws.

Some examples of character flaws that can add humanity to your protagonist

Stubbornness

Stubbornness can cause your protagonist to cling to their viewpoints, even when they know they are wrong, often leading to conflicts with others. This trait can create dramatic tension and drive the narrative forward as the protagonist struggles with the consequences of their inflexibility.

Michael, a seasoned detective, refuses to consider new evidence that contradicts his initial theory about a case. His stubbornness leads to conflicts with his team and delays in solving the case.

Impatience

Impatience can make your protagonist demand immediate results, struggling with long-term goals or slower processes. This flaw can add layers to their journey, showing the difficulties they face in learning the value of patience and strategic planning.

Celeste, an aspiring entrepreneur, rushes the development of her new app, pushing her team to the brink. Her impatience results in a product that is not ready for launch, jeopardizing her startup's future.

Self-Doubt

Self-doubt, despite evident skills and achievements, can impair the protagonist's decision-making and actions. This internal conflict adds a relatable dimension, making their journey toward self-acceptance and confidence compelling.

Jordan, a talented musician, constantly questions his abilities despite receiving praise from peers and critics. His self-doubt hinders him from seizing opportunities that could advance his career.

Short Temper

A short temper can cause your protagonist to react aggressively to provocations or challenges, creating interpersonal issues. This flaw can drive subplots involving reconciliation, personal growth, and the learning of emotional control.

Maria, a brilliant surgeon, often lashes out at her colleagues and patients under pressure. Her short temper strains her professional relationships and threatens her career.

Selfishness

Selfishness can lead the protagonist to place their own needs and desires above others, costing them sympathy and support. This flaw can create opportunities for the character to learn empathy and the importance of selflessness.

Chris, a charismatic lawyer, often prioritizes his career over his family, missing important events and neglecting relationships. His selfishness alienates those who care about him, forcing him to reevaluate his choices.

Arrogance

Arrogance can make your protagonist overestimate their abilities and underestimate challenges, leading to dangerous or embarrassing situations. This flaw provides a platform for the character to learn humility and the value of listening to others.

Mandy, a top student, dismisses her classmates' ideas during group projects, believing she knows best. Her arrogance leads to friction and eventually to a significant mistake that humbles her.

Trust Issues

Trust issues can make it difficult for your protagonist to trust others, hindering teamwork and relationships. This trait can create tension and development opportunities as the character learns to open up and rely on others.

Liam, a former spy, finds it hard to trust anyone due to past betrayals. His trust issues complicate his relationships and collaboration with a new team.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism can lead your protagonist to set unrealistically high standards, never being content with their or others' performance. This flaw can drive stories about the struggle for balance and acceptance of imperfection.

Olivia, an artist, is never satisfied with her work, constantly striving for an unattainable level of perfection. Her perfectionism causes stress and burnout, affecting her creativity and personal life.

Fear of Change

Fear of change can make your protagonist cling to the familiar and avoid necessary or beneficial changes. This resistance can create narrative tension as they are forced to confront and adapt to evolving circumstances.

Jamie, a successful business owner, resists adopting new technologies or methods in his company. His fear of change threatens his business's relevance and growth.

Haunted by the Past

Being haunted by past mistakes or traumas can influence your protagonist's present behavior and decisions. This flaw adds a rich backstory and provides a path for emotional development and overcoming personal demons.

Zack, a war veteran, is haunted by his experiences in combat. His traumatic past affects his current relationships and decisions, leading him on a journey of healing and redemption.

[seth-whumps]

How to Ignore Magical Healing

One of the things I encounter often in media or when writing is the existence of magic, and therefore healing spells. In most magic systems, it renders long-term whump, recovery, or even classic medical tending unnecessary, or just irrelevant. That can be discouraging and uninspiring at times.

We can’t all choose what world The Blorbo™ heralds from, so sometimes we get stuck with a universe that complicates the whump instinct. So, here are some prompts for avoiding magical healing in your whumping!

Wound-based

Prompts that prevent wounds from healing

It’s Just TOO Bad: Uh oh, the healing isn’t working because the wound itself is too bad to fix

Unnatural Origins: The healing isn’t working because the wound itself isn’t natural and so cannot be healed by magical means OR the whumpee is inhuman/the in-universe equivalent, and the magic doesn’t recognize them as something that can be healed (robots, aliens, vampires, etc)

Ailments: The Whumpee has a curse/illness (like the Malady effect in Metaphor: ReFantazio) preventing them from healing at all, so that ailment must be cured before they can heal up 

Prior Requirements: Something must be done before a healing spell can be cast (removing a bullet so it doesn’t fester, stitching the wound so it can heal smoothly)

Poison: The weapon was laced with a poison that, amongst its many effects, is preventing any healing magic from reaching the wound

Situation-based

Prompts to stop your party from casting because of the predicament they’re in

Exhaustion: The party is already at their limits, and they can’t afford another healing spell OR the party doesn’t want to spend anymore magic until it’s absolutely necessary OR The party has already used all of the items in their disposal that provide magical healing (like life stones in SMT)

Prevention: The party cannot reach Whumpee to heal them (barriers, cells, or perhaps the party is otherwise occupied by fighting?)

Dangerous Territory: If the party were to stop and heal Whumpee, they would waste precious time/make too much noise/put themselves in a bad place, so Whumpee has to make it a little further before they can fix the problem

Fear Response: Whumpee has prior poor experiences with magic or healing, and is refusing treatment for as long as they can hold out OR whumpee is magically convinced the party is going to hurt them (fear effects, brainwashing, feeblemind spell in D&D)

Magic Nullification: Magic isn’t allowed (a tournament) or possible (area of effect magic prevention) and the team must make do without

Universe-based

Prompts to engineer/alter the universal requirements to stop magical healing

Risky Measures: Healing spells rely on the wounded person’s energy. If a powerful spell is cast on a poorly off Whumpee, it could use the last of Whumpee’s energy, and kill them

Exchange Theory: Any pain healed on Whumpee is transferred to the person casting the healing spell OR the wound itself is transferred onto someone else

Fine Print: This particular healing spell requires a very specific item (like diamonds in resurrection for D&D) and the team has to find/buy it before they can heal the whumpee

It Just Hurts: Healing spells don’t include pain relief, so when casted, Whumpee can feel every part of their wounds healing (like bones readjusting or flesh stretching)

They Don’t Exist: Healing spells themselves don’t exist, and instead creative ways of wound care are invented like slowing down blood flow or encouraged immune system responses

Final notes

Something you can play with here is if the characters have never practiced first aid! Your caretakers might have no idea how to pack a wound or splint a fracture. Lots of mistakes and tension can grow from there.

Don’t be afraid to alter the universe you’re writing in. Fuck it up, really. There’s something enchanting about adding specific rules in a given world. Adding those requirements gives depth you can play in as a sandbox. Or you can throw the team into a completely different universe, if that’s your fancy!

And remember: you never need to write it realistically. Ignore the healing spells, throw the whumpee in a no-magic AU, hell, just take healing away from those specific people to prevent it–do whatever you want, whatever seems interesting, and have fun doing it. There’s no need to make it seamless. Make it bloody first.

Now, go beat the shit out of your blorbos. 

Love yall! 

- Seth

post dividers by @/saradika-graphics

[revelboo]

I would give my (and Tarantulas) firstborn for a continuation of the aphrodisiac / ovi fic

Congrats, you’re making me actually think about how this could work and I’m not sure how I feel about that 🤣 🔞 mass displaced mech 🌶️

Bound Scenario Pt 2

Tarantulas x Reader

• Venting raggedly as you tremble, he’s reluctant to pull out. Worked so hard for this, taking advantage of this quirk of his organic alt mode, his frames ability to create protoforms, though none of the previous batches of eggs were viable. Without a spark, they’re just wasted materials and a strain on him to produce, dormant. Leaning over you, your pupils are still dilated when he cups your cheek and you lean into the contact. Unsure if his theory is correct, that if he sparks you while you’re full of his eggs, the spark will split. Get pulled into the forming protoforms while you keep them safe, carry them.

• Feeling almost drunk on arousal, aching for more even as you squirm at the uncomfortably full sensation of whatever he put inside you, you groan when he pulls out. And you push up onto your elbow, shuddering when something small and round slips out of you. Is that an egg? Hearing Tarantulas snarl when you try to touch it, catching your wrist and bending over you. Using his mouth and glossa to deliberately press it back inside you. Visor brightening as he brings his extra limbs forward, seeing webbing in his claws as he passes it to his mouth, mandibles pulling it in and then his mouth is on you, his glossa stroking deep, feeling that pressure as you grab at his helm. And feeling a faint, shivery sensation before his head lifts.

• Still crouching between your spread thighs, his head tips when you try to ask a question, the words muffled by the gag and he reaches out to remove it with an extra limb. “What did you just do to me?” You ask and he winces, wondering what part you’ll be angriest about. Laying eggs inside you or the copulatory plug of his webbing meant to keep them where he put them until he removes it to carefully frag you later. Or that he didn’t ask first.

• “I gave you young,” he says and your eyes narrow. “Our young.” Realizing it was an egg and your weird, alien husband laid eggs inside you. Alarmed and hoping he’s not the sort of bug that lays eggs in drugged prey and lets their kids eat their way out. And he’s shifting his plating to expose his spark as he cages you and snares you before you can ask. It’s not the first time you’ve spark bonded him, swimming in the mad, chaos of his broken mind, overwhelming you. So much hate and resentment and longing that you feel like you might lose yourself if you’re tangled in him too long. The ache of wanting a family and having that taken from him just when he thought he had everything, his creation twisted into something unrecognizable. Betrayed and trapped, his slow descent into madness needling at you. And claiming you, having a second chance. Loving you with an all consuming fixation and intensity, needing to be loved, desperate for belonging. Broken and reaching for you, needing you to fix him even though you’re not sure you can. And there’s a question there, a coaxing as his madness sinks in icy shivers into you until you relent just to make it stop. Feel a pull, a loss that echoes through you and you’re reaching even as you lose whatever he just took, feeling it slip right through you.

• Shuddering as his spike releases and pressurizes at the feel of the new spark splintering, he reluctantly severs the connection, shifting his plating. Knowing he needs to explain as he leans over you to free your bound wrists and slides his arms under you. Or he can just avoid your anger and envenomate you again. It’s tempting, but he vents knowing he won’t. “Didn’t occur to you to ask first?” You demand and his mandibles flex. ‘It did, but forgiveness is easier than permission,’ he admits and you reach to grab one of his mandibles and yank making him hiss. “Are your kids going to hatch in me and eat me alive?” Staring in horror that you’d think that, he shakes his head. You’re his, fully bonded to him. “You’re lucky I love you or I’d smack the shit out of you.” You love him?

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[rosachae]

second skin | daniela avanzini x reader

⁍ song: a little death- the neighbourhood ⁍ genre: venom AU! venom is a wingman ⁍ a/n: not my favorite thing i've ever posted, but oh well. i was due for a dani fic. ⁍ wc: 5.4k ⁍ warnings: mentions of injury, fighting. ⁍ synopsis:

daniela didn’t mean to bond with an alien symbiote. she definitely didn’t mean to fall for her friend either. but when a red symbiote attacks the lab and y/n's life is on the line, secrets unravel fast. daniela has to decide if love is worth the risk of being seen for what she really is.

the biosky labs tower loomed over the city like it knew it was important. sleek glass walls, endless silver panels, and sharp geometric angles that screamed “cutting edge science happens here, now please don’t touch anything.” it was the kind of place that had five different security checks just to use the bathroom.

daniela didn’t belong here. not really. she adjusted her press badge for the fourth time as she stepped into the front atrium, pretending not to feel the weight of a literal alien parasite stretching beneath her skin. her boots squeaked on the polished floor. she hated that. why was everything so shiny in science buildings?

she was here under the guise of journalism—technically true. her editor had sent her to get a word from one of biosky’s board members about their latest green tech initiative. something about biodegradable plastic that disintegrated in sunlight. it sounded great in theory. but daniela hadn’t even brought her recorder. or a pen. she wasn’t here for the story.

she was here for lara.

lara worked in r&d and was one of the very few people daniela trusted. she was also the only one—aside from a sleepy convenience store owner, megan, who definitely wasn’t paid enough to deal with parasite-related trauma—who knew about him.

venom.

the symbiote pulsed beneath her ribs, barely contained, like a cat stretching its claws.

“you are stalling,” venom said, voice curling in her head like smoke. “why are we standing in the lobby like a lost child? do you need a map? or a chaperone?”

“i’m blending in,” daniela muttered under her breath, eyes locked on a very intense sculpture made entirely of test tubes.

“you are loitering. you look suspicious. we should eat someone.”

“we’re not eating anyone in the lobby. i have clearance.”

“coward.”

she sighed and started toward the security desk, flashing her badge at a man who looked like he bench-pressed microscopes for fun. after a quick scan and a deadpan stare, she was waved through to the elevators. inside, the air smelled like sterile metal. scientists in white coats passed by, talking about protein strands and molecular something-or-others. one guy walked by holding a tablet and a cup of black coffee that smelled four weeks stale.

daniela kept her head down, following the path lara had texted her earlier. take the east wing, pass the nanotech lab, avoid eye contact with the cryogenics intern because he will talk about freezing mice for twenty minutes. she rounded a corner and slipped into a side hallway marked ‘authorized personnel only.’ a security camera blinked at her.

“friendly little guy,” she mumbled.

“we should wave.”

daniela rolled her eyes.

this part of the lab was quieter. less tour-friendly. the walls narrowed, and the overhead lights buzzed in a way that made her molars itch. it was here, just past a heavy fire door, that she found lara. half-buried in lab equipment and looking very done with the world.

lara glanced up, goggles on her forehead and a pipette in hand.

“you’re late,” she said.

“you’re lucky i came at all,” daniela replied, stepping into the room, the door clicking firmly shut behind her.

lara raised a brow. “did he say that or you?”

“that was me.”

“hm. he’s rubbing off on you. hello, venom.”

a black tendril mists up out of daniela’s back, waving shortly in faux greeting. despite his simple gesture, his voice slurs teasingly in daniela’s mind.

“she looks delicious today. are you certain i cannot eat her? i have been craving indian.”

daniela rolled her eyes again, possibly the hundredth time that week alone, staying silent as venoms tendril retreated back into her. she pulled a small container from the inside pocket of her jacket. it was sealed shut, but the faintest red glow pulsed from within.

lara’s expression shifted immediately, serious now. curious. “that’s from yesterday?”

daniela knew what she was talking about immediately. she could still feel the pang in her ribs when she inhaled, fresh off a beating the night before. she could still remember the sound of megan’s voice, shocked and concerned, when she dragged herself into the chinese girls convenience store with a black eye and a very annoyed (very moody) symbiote bitching about the world as he knew it. megan didn’t even need to ask what’d happened. she simply grabbed her first aid kit and helped daniela stitch up. nothing a good dab of makeup couldn’t hide. 

and of course, she could still feel the way her heart dropped in her chest when y/n’s name filtered across the cracked screen of her phone. she was late. again. they were supposed to meet up with some of their other friends, lara included, for a birthday party of someone whose name daniela didn’t care to remember. truth be told, the latina had only agreed to go for her. y/n, who made her heart race and her palms clammy. y/n, who looked at her in a way that made her feel human– at least more than she did whenever she was reminded of the symbiote coiling through her like a disease she couldn’t rid.

daniela had long since gotten used to everything unusual. her life was flipped upside down the very minute she met venom, as he called himself, and he attached himself to the core of her being. he said they were ‘compatible’. that it would be ‘better this way’. sometimes, she couldn’t help but feel resentful. especially when y/n looked at her with those eyes, unaware of the monster she hid within.

daniela sighed. she’d already debriefed lara on what happened when she called her throughout the night, demanding answers on where she was, telling her how sad y/n was that she seemed to be avoiding her lately. daniela truly had every intention of showing up– she really did. except she couldn’t, not when she was attacked by a red-skinned symbiote she didn’t recognize, despite the primal familiarity that pronged through her like a knife. venom’s doing.

“yeah. the one downtown. he wasn’t like venom. he—i don’t know. didn’t talk. just looked at me like he wanted to melt my bones. he dropped this when we fought. i didn’t want to keep it on me.”

lara took the container carefully, like it might explode. “you did the right thing. i’ll analyze it. lowkey. don’t worry.”

daniela nodded, trying to shake off the memory of blood-red tendrils and that terrible silence.

“he was ugly,” venom said helpfully, his voice echoing through the silence of her mind. “and rude.”

before she could respond, voices echoed from the hallway. footsteps.

lara froze. “shit,” she whispered. “someone’s coming. probably y/n, she said she was coming by to check the cultures—”

the door opened, and there she was.

y/n stepped into the lab like a punch to the lungs. lab coat, clipboard. a soft smile that could melt steel beams. daniela stiffened immediately, like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water down her spine.

“oh—hey,” y/n said, blinking. “daniela?”

daniela opened her mouth, but nothing came out. for a moment she simply stood, buffering as she stared at the girl who consumed her thoughts on the daily– much to venom’s displeasure.

“oh my god,” venom groaned. “not this again.”

 y/n tilted her head, eyes flicking between daniela and lara, then down to the mysterious container on the desk that was glowing faintly red. her brows lifted, but she didn’t say anything about it. not yet.

“i didn’t know you were stopping by,” she said, and god, her voice was soft. friendly. too casual, considering how daniela’s heart had decided to start jackhammering in her chest like it was trying to escape.

daniela cleared her throat, then immediately regretted it when it came out sounding like a dying engine.

“journalism,” she said, too quickly. “i’m here for journalism. official. press things.”

lara made a noise like she was choking on her own spit.

“right,” y/n said slowly, trying not to laugh. “because this is a very newsworthy hallway. here i was thinking you were going to apologize for ghosting me last night.”

despite the slight edge in y/n’s words, daniela could easily detect the light humor wedged between them. she wasn’t too upset, not really. not knowing what to say, the latina rubbed the nape of her neck.

“i’m sorry about that. some stuff came up…,” daniela mumbled, forcing a shrug. “besides, i’m here for work. some cutting edge stuff, you know? top secret. can’t print anything. very hush-hush.”

“you sound unhinged,” venom drawled. “get it over and done with, already. ask her to mate.”

daniela pointedly ignored venom when lara, mercifully, took over. “she was just dropping something off for me. we’re… collaborating.”

y/n looked at the container again. “on radioactive christmas ornaments?”

“biotech art,” daniela blurted.

lara turned away abruptly, coughing suspiciously into her sleeve.

y/n smiled, bright and blinding, and leaned against the edge of the table like she had no idea what she was doing to daniela’s already fragile composure.

“well, if you’re done with your… science drop-off, you should stick around for the tour. there’s a whole new wing they’re opening up today. i was just going to swing by and check it out.”

daniela blinked. did y/n just invite her to stay?

“she is inviting us,” venom confirmed, smug. “maybe we will stay. maybe we shall eat her?”

venom had lived inside of daniela long enough for her to know when he was joking, yet still she fought the urge of telling him to shut up. you’re not helping, she thought, knowing he would hear her loud and clear. 

“uh—i mean, yeah,” daniela said, hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets to hide the way they trembled. “i’ve got time.”

“great,” y/n said, already turning toward the door. “come on. i’ll show you the part of the lab where we keep the really dangerous stuff.”

“yes please,” venom purred. 

lara shot daniela a look as she passed. it said you’re welcome in all caps and underlined three times.

daniela scowled at her but followed y/n out anyway.

they walked in silence for a beat, the bright lights above humming softly. the lab stretched around them, clean and cold, but strangely alive. screens flickered quietly in the background, machines whirred in glass compartments, and somewhere nearby, someone shouted about “rat genomes” and “ethical boundaries.”

daniela stayed a step behind y/n, watching the way she gestured when she talked, the way her hair bounced with each step. it was unbearable.

“just tell her,” venom said. “tell her you want to kiss her and then take her out for greasy tacos. it’s not hard.”

“shut up,” daniela hissed under her breath.

“sorry?” y/n looked over her shoulder.

daniela froze. “nothing. i was just, uh. admiring the… vent system.”

y/n raised an eyebrow. “you’re weird.”

daniela bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling. “you’re just now realizing this?”

y/n laughed. and it echoed in daniela’s ribs like a song she hadn’t heard in years.

they kept walking, deeper into the facility, the air getting colder as the ‘tour’ moved into zones not quite meant for casual visitors. these halls weren’t all glass and chrome like the rest of the building. instead, they were quieter, older. wires snaked along the ceilings like veins. doors hissed softly when they closed behind them. daniela had the distinct feeling they weren’t really supposed to be here. yet, she couldn’t find it within herself to ask. afterall, y/n didn’t seem concerned. she tapped her badge against a side door, waving daniela in like it was nothing. of course, she followed.

every second daniela spent with y/n felt intoxicating, in it’s own simple way. they were friends. had been for years, ever since lara introduced them over a board meeting and hushed laughter. daniela had been enamored ever since. enamored by the sound of y/n’s laugh, the way her smile lit up a room, the way she managed to turn even her darkest days into something worth holding onto. 

and of course, the way y/n looked at her when she admitted at last years new year party she had feelings for her. it lived rent free in her mind-- a record that played on repeat when she lied down at night alone. y/n had said she couldn’t enter the new year without telling her how she felt. daniela wanted so badly to kiss her then and there when the clock hit twelve. to tell y/n that she felt the same way, that she had ever since their eyes met. but, she didn’t.

for all the things daniela avanzini had grown to adore about y/n, through it all, she still couldn’t find it within herself to be honest.

she was dangerous, a fact that kept her up at night whenever she seldom allowed herself to think. 

it tore her apart.

“this is where we keep some of the experimental containment,” y/n said, voice low in a way that sounded conspiratorial. daniela tore herself from her thoughts, focusing entirely on the girl. when y/n knows she has her attention, she continues. “technically, i’m not allowed to bring visitors in here, but technically, you’re a member of the press. so that cancels out, right?”

“definitely how rules work,” daniela replied.

y/n turned, walking backwards now. “so. what’s your angle?”

daniela blinked. “angle?”

“for the article. i know you’re not just here for lara.” she said it with a grin, playful, but there was something beneath it. interest. curiosity. maybe hope.

daniela floundered.

“this is your moment,” venom whispered. “say: ‘i came here for you.’ dramatic pause. raise an eyebrow. smolder.”

daniela stared dumbly. 

.…smolder? she thought. 

“you’re ruining this.”

“i’m just…” she exhaled, rubbing the back of her neck. “it’s been a weird couple weeks. i guess i needed to see someone i didn’t hate.”

y/n’s grin softened. “is that a compliment?”

“i don’t know. depends. do you still microwave fish in the break room?”

“that happened once.” y/n turned back around, but her ears were red.

daniela smiled to herself, just a little.

they entered a side lab that looked like the inside of a very expensive fridge. metal counters, thick glass tubes filled with murky liquid, something humming in the corner that daniela was pretty sure was alive.

“here,” y/n said, stepping aside. “this is where we keep some of the more unstable samples. things that didn’t bond properly. or bonded… wrong.”

daniela’s eyes moved toward a large containment chamber near the back wall. inside, a black smear floated in a thick solution, tendrils curling slowly like seaweed. it didn’t look like venom. it didn’t feel like him either.

she shivered.

y/n noticed. “you okay?”

“yeah,” daniela lied. “just—got a weird vibe. i’ve been writing too many horror articles lately.”

“maybe you’re just getting a sixth sense for drama,” y/n said, still watching her. “you always seem to show up right before things get weird.”

“maybe weird things just follow me,” daniela said, quieter this time.

“she doesn’t know the half of it,” venom added with a snort.

y/n laughed again, stepping closer. “well, for what it’s worth… i’m glad you’re here. you’re not as scary as you act.”

daniela blinked. the words settled somewhere deep in her chest, warm and dangerous. she opened her mouth to say something—anything—but she stopped when the lights flickered. just once. but it was enough.

y/n turned her head. “that’s not supposed to happen.”

the overheads buzzed again, flickering like a warning. the humming in the corner changed pitch. it was no longer soft. it was angry. from down the hall, something slammed. not a door, but something heavier.

daniela’s body tensed when not even a second later, the alarms started with a howl, shrill and piercing, bouncing off the sterile walls like a fire drill from the underworld. lights flashed red overhead, casting the lab in stuttering bursts of color—red, white, red, white—like a heartbeat in panic.

y/n spun toward the door. “what the hell—”

another crash. closer this time.

y/n reached for the wall intercom closest to her. “i-i don’t know what’s going on. i have to talk to central—”

a voice crackled through the lab speakers before she could touch it. not the system voice. not human.

“you have something of mine.”

the voice was wrong. low and sharp, like broken glass dragged across metal. it slithered out of the vents, from the walls, behind their ribs. daniela froze.

“was that…?” y/n didn’t finish the question. her eyes were on daniela now. questioning. uncertain.

daniela moved without thinking, stepping in front of y/n on instinct. her hand went into her coat, where venom curled just beneath her skin, already twitching with anticipation.

“stay behind me,” she said.

y/n looked at her like she was seeing her for the first time. “daniela, what’s going on?”

“he’s here,” venom growled, low and pleased. “our red friend. i can smell him. sharp. rotten. something’s wrong with him.”

the fire door at the end of the hallway slammed open, metal denting from the inside out like someone had punched straight through it. heavy footfalls echoed down the corridor.

venom murmured inside her. “he followed us. he knows. he wants it back.”

“daniela,” y/n said, more quietly this time. “what’s going on?”

she didn’t answer. couldn’t. not without unraveling everything.

and then he appeared. taller than daniela remembered from the day before. red and twisted, like someone had fed barbed wire to a blender. not just red—glowing, pulsing at the edges, veins running hot like lava through a human shape. not quite a man. not quite anything. the symbiote had taken over completely. its eyes that weren’t quite eyes locked onto daniela like it had been hungering for her.

“there you are,” the red symbiote said, grinning. “you took something that doesn’t belong to you.”

daniela spared a quick glance in y/n’s direction, swallowing when she notices the pure shock and horror engraved across her face. the exact kind of horror she lied awake at night worrying about, in the hypothetical situation y/n ever found out the truth. the last thing she ever wanted was for y/n to look at her, scared. like she was a moneter. 

daniela shakes her head, forcing herself to sound composed. “wrong girl.”

the red one tilted his head, almost amused. “you reek of him. of venom.” his smile widened. “don’t play dumb. give it to me, or i take it from the corpse of your little scientist.”

daniela hesitated. just a beat.

“decide,” venom snarled in her skull. “you can’t keep pretending. you’ll lose her.”

daniela grit her teeth. she didn’t want y/n to know. not like this. not with blood and glass and monsters in the walls.

but it didn’t matter.

daniela felt venom rise immediately, slithering under her skin, begging to be let out. not just asking. demanding.

“we need to run,” y/n said, backing up.

“no,” daniela said. “we can’t let him near the rest of the building.”

“what are you talking about? you don’t have a—”

the red thing moved.

fast.

a blur of red tendrils and inhuman muscle, tearing through the hallway like a beast. it slammed a desk out of the way like it was made of cardboard.

y/n grabbed daniela’s arm. “we have to go, now!”

daniela hesitated, just for the briefest of seconds. and then she moved. 

“let me out.”

she didn’t answer. she didn’t have to.

black surged up her throat, over her face, coating her arms in glossy armor and claws. her vision sharpened, blood roaring in her ears. she was in limbo. not quite herself, but also not quite venom. 

y/n screamed. not in terror—more like complete shock.

venom turned and grabbed her gently, claws retracting just enough, and launched both of them through an adjacent wall, crashing through a side corridor just as the red thing smashed into the room behind them. the floor buckled. glass shattered. something exploded in the distance. daniela ran, half-carrying y/n, venom’s strength barely strained. y/n clung to her with both arms, eyes wide, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to ask something but couldn’t find a single word. they reached the elevator lobby, huge and open and full of windows.

and of course, the worst possible place to be.

behind them, the red symbiote burst through the wall like a monster out of a nightmare.

“no elevators,” venom said. “he’ll crush us before the doors even close.”

“stairs,” daniela snapped, pivoting hard.

but they were too late.

the red thing was already there, tendrils slamming into the ceiling above them, knocking loose steel beams and cables. one snapped, and then another. the floor near the stairwell cracked, tiles tumbling into the yawning black of the empty elevator shaft. daniela shoved y/n toward the edge to dodge a swing just a little too hard. immediately, she regrets it when y/n’s heels hit the crumbling floor. it gave way.

“no—!”

she slipped, and she fell. y/n didn’t have enough time to gather her footing before her body was tripping back in to the empty elevator shaft, a height that would certainly kill her on impact. her eyes met daniela’s for the briefest of seconds. 

daniela didn’t think. she let venom take over. completely. black tendrils lashed out like lightning, diving into the shaft. it all happened in a breath.

one second, y/n was falling. the next, she was dangling midair, suspended by something alien, staring up at venom. eight feet tall. snarling. glistening. unmistakable.

the creature reeled her back in like a fish on a line, gently depositing her to the floor. claws curled around her shoulders to steady her.

“are you hurt?” it asked, voice thick and dual-toned, daniela layered beneath the monster.

y/n blinked up at it. “…daniela?”

venom’s eyes narrowed. then softened, just a little.

“surprise,” daniela said through venom’s mouth.

y/n stared up at her—at venom, at daniela—with something unreadable in her eyes. not fear. not exactly. more like the world had just cracked in half and she was still waiting to see how far it would split.

neither daniela nor venom had the chance to say more before the red symbiote came crashing down the elevator shaft. venom immediately sprung into action. tugging y/n into an empty floor, the air tuned impossibly colder. the red symbiotes' movements were cold and fluid when he followed after them, like he knew he had time. like he enjoyed the anticipation. his body shimmered, pulsing with some internal fire. red tendrils dragged across the walls like claws on chalk.

“i should’ve known,” he purred. “venom always did have a soft spot. he likes the pretty ones.”

venom growled, deep and primal, and it echoed from every surface.

the red symbiote didn’t wait. he launched forward, a snarl ripping out of him, arms splitting into barbed whips of glowing red. venom met him halfway, their bodies colliding with a sound like metal being torn in half. they crashed into a far wall. stone cracked, glass burst, a light fixture dropped from the ceiling. daniela twisted under venom’s skin, trying to keep control, trying to aim the fury. the red one lashed out, slicing across her ribs with a jagged blade-arm. venom howled.

venom surged upward, slamming a fist into the red one’s jaw, then ducked under a retaliating swing and drove both claws into his side. red shrieked—inhuman and sharp—and retaliated with a burst of flame-like tendrils that seared across the lab floor.

y/n ducked behind a desk, eyes wide, watching the monsters tear each other apart in the glow of flickering red lights. she wasn’t scared. not really. just stunned. processing.

but when she looked at venom, at daniela, something else bloomed in her chest. recognition. it was her. the way she moved. protected her. even the way she swore under her breath as the red one got in another hit.

still daniela.

venom got the upper hand for a moment, grabbing the red symbiote by the throat and slamming him into the concrete hard enough to make the walls rattle.

“you’re not taking it,” venom snarled.

the red one laughed through cracked teeth. “you think i care about the girl? or you? i want what you stole. the fragment. give it to me.”

daniela faltered for a beat. the artifact. the glowing red sample. lara still had it—hopefully locked away somewhere deeper in the lab. this whole attack… it was never about her. not really. 

venom hesitated. just a second. the red one used it to his advantage. a tendril speared forward, aimed not at venom, but at y/n. daniela didn’t think. she threw herself in front of it. the impact sent her crashing into a column, plaster and sparks exploding around her.venom roared in pain.

“dani!”

daniela hit the ground hard, venom glitching and rippling around her like a damaged projection. her vision swam, but she doesn’t miss the way y/n raced over. she dropped to her knees beside her. 

“what the hell is this? how long have you—”

“not now,” daniela groaned, blood in her mouth.

the red one stalked forward. venom twitched, trying to stand, but the hit had been brutal.

y/n looked up at the monster barreling toward them. with a newfound sense of confidence, she did the only thing she could. she grabbed a fallen metal pipe and hurled it at the red symbiote’s face.

it bounced off with a sad little clang.

he paused, a look of mild offense striking his grotesque face. 

“seriously?” he muttered.

but it was enough.

the red one surged forward again, limbs splintering into hooked blades and writhing spears. he was a storm of red fury, blind and grinning, hammering toward them with all the heat of something barely held together by rage.

but daniela had already risen.

venom rippled over her like liquid shadow, scars mending mid-motion, claws curling longer, sharper. black tendrils writhed along her spine, ready, hungry. there was no hesitation now. no hiding. no pretending.

only her.

“you want it?” she rasped, voice layered and low, venom’s timbre wrapping around hers like thunder. “come and get it.”

she launched.

they collided midair, red and black blurring together in a screech of tearing metal and flesh. daniela let go of restraint. venom knew how to twist, how to hurt, and daniela guided it with fury like a blade.

the red symbiote struck hard, hammering her into a beam. daniela rebounded, claws dragging sparks off the wall as she swung low, raking open his side.

“you’re wasting your breath,” he snarled. “the fragment’s mine.”

venom lunged, wrapping both arms around the red one’s torso, and bit down.

the scream that tore out of the red symbiote was inhuman, rattling the air and shaking the glass.

his form flickered—unstable now, wounded, tendrils flailing. daniela twisted, slamming him through a row of reinforced lab tables. the metal bent like foil.

“dani!” y/n’s voice came from the side, urgent. “his core—bottom left! it’s destabilizing!”

daniela saw it then—a pulsing red glow beneath the symbiote’s chest. flickering, uneven.

she didn’t ask how y/n knew. she just moved.

venom surged up her arms, curling into a blade. she dropped, twisted beneath the red one’s next swing, and drove the blade up into the core.

there was silence, then a sound like pressure releasing—a deep whoomph, followed by a stuttering crackle of light. the red one staggered, glitching, body tearing apart from the inside out.

“no—no—NO—”

he clawed toward her, toward y/n, toward anything. but venom dragged him back. black tendrils crushed inward. one final twist. one last roar.

the red symbiote collapsed with a shriek and a shudder, its body dissolving into steaming sludge that hissed across the tile.

it was over.

daniela stood, swaying slightly. her breathing was ragged, skin streaked with ash and blood. the last of venom curled back beneath her skin, black retreating like ink down a drain.

and then she collapsed to her knees.

“daniela!” y/n was already moving, sliding across broken glass and debris to catch her. “hey—hey, stay with me—”

but her eyes were closed. still breathing. still there. just… barely. the room went quiet.

until something moved.

a ripple across daniela’s shoulder. black. liquid. alive. venom reemerged—not the full monstrous form, but a slick tendril that uncoiled upward, shifting until it formed a rounded head, eyeless and wet with that reflective sheen. small. almost calm.

y/n froze.

the tendril tilted, then spoke.

“she will be fine,” venom said, voice low and rattling. “we have taken worse hits.”

y/n swallowed. “you… you can talk without her?”

“we prefer her,” venom said, almost wistfully. “she is… fun. angry. but warm.”

y/n stared. “she never told me. about you.”

venom shifted, curling gently around daniela’s shoulder like a shawl. protective. oddly tender.

“she didn’t want you to run.”

y/n blinked. “what?”

“you are the reason she holds back. why she is scared. she believes she is a monster.”

the silence between them stretched long and deep.

“but you’re not,” y/n whispered.

venom moved again, this time toward her. not threatening. just… curious. his voice dropped lower.

“you smell like her heart.”

y/n let out a breath. “that’s either very sweet or very creepy.”

a pause. then, unexpectedly, a snort.

“she would say the same.”

y/n almost smiled.

“will she be okay?”

venom retracted a little, folding back down.

“she is waking.”

and just like that, the black melted away again. daniela stirred, a long groan tearing from her. her eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was y/n, sitting right in front of her, hair a mess, lab coat scorched, one scraped knee, and… smiling.

“hey,” y/n said softly. “nice of you to rejoin us.”

daniela winced. “you’re not screaming.”

“not yet.”

a beat.

“venom said i smell like your heart,” y/n added casually.

daniela’s eyes widened.

“oh my god—”

“don’t worry. he’s kind of sweet. in a nightmare slug kind of way.”

the lab was still screaming. alarms howled overhead in stuttering bursts. red lights strobed across shattered glass and scorched tile. from the stairwell, heavy footsteps echoed—boots slamming up the metal steps, guards or scientists or maybe cleanup crews, all just a breath too late.

but in the center of it all, daniela only saw y/n.

her lip was split. her side throbbed. something was probably fractured.and yet, she couldn’t help but frown. 

“are you... are you scared of me?” she asked, voice low, almost too quiet to hear beneath the sirens.

y/n looked at her like that was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard.

“you caught me out of mid-air before i became elevator paste and then took down a rage-possessed lava monster,” she said. “so no. i’m not scared.”

daniela blinked.

y/n leaned closer. “maybe a little mad you didn’t tell me.”

“i didn’t want you to look at me like—like this.”

“well, tough luck.” her voice softened. “because this is how i look at you.”

daniela’s breath hitched when y/n reached out slowly, still cautious, even now. her fingers brushing against daniela’s jaw, hesitant like a question. and then she kissed her. 

it wasn’t soft. it was tired, and cracked, and tasted like smoke and adrenaline and blood—but it was real. daniela’s hands came up into y/n’s hair, pulling her closer like she didn’t care who saw, like she didn’t care if the building collapsed around them. y/n’s fingers curled against her waist, grounding her in the middle of the wreckage.

the footsteps were getting louder. someone was shouting orders. probably close. daniela pulled back just enough to breathe.

y/n’s forehead pressed to hers. “what now?”

behind her eyes, venom stirred. “they will have questions. annoying ones.”

daniela glanced at the ruined elevator, then back to y/n. “lara’s gonna kill me for not waiting.”

“she can wait.” venom’s voice was smug. “take the girl.”

black tendrils curled from beneath daniela’s feet. the world blurred. she grabbed y/n’s hand. didn’t ask.

“hold on,” she whispered.

and then they were gone—swept away through the broken ceiling like smoke, like a shadow vanishing into the night. alarms still blared behind them, questions still screamed in the stairwell. but none of that mattered now. for now, all that mattered was y/n.

and maybe—just maybe—it was time to give honesty a try.

venom purred somewhere beneath her skin.

“finally.”

[cavegirlpoems]

You know another thing that fucking sucks? I actually really enjoy RPGs that basically boil down to 'you're in a hostile unknown environment with lots of weird shit, dangers and potential rewards, go explore and try not to die'. Like survival-horror-ttrpgs, right? And, in theory, this is what D&D is meant to do. Hell, in the early editions - from the original little white books to probably early AD&D 1e - it's actually pretty tightly designed around doing that (with occasional interludes into flabbergasting racism, that we all quietly excise). The problem is that because D&D is marketed as, like, the everything-ttrpg that lets you tell big dramatic stories and have character arcs, the D&D-o-sphere thinks it's too good for that style of play. Like "here's a spooky hole full of traps, try not to die" is somehow looked down on as being unsophisticated reactionary dreck for grognards. And "here's a spooky hole, try not to die" is the only thing D&D is any fucking good at! You want big character drama and an epic narrative and emotional beats? You're on your fucking own, sunshine, D&D won't help you with that. But if you want to get killed in a cave by a spike trap or eyeball monster? D&D's great at that, it loves things that try to kill you. (This is, I think, a distinction between type-1 and type-2 D&D). (D&D 5e is also noticably worse at being D&D-as-survival-horror than earlier editions - except spiders 4e who is a statistical outlier adn should not have been counted - because in their effort to market it as an everything-game, they stripped out a lot of the stuff that actually cared about creating that experience, because some people don't like dying in holes what with taste being subjective and god forbid they play something else instead) And it kinda sucks because in theory if I want to go play a survival horror rpg where I go into a hole/ruin/alien spaceship/haunted house/heist/evil gameshow and try not to die, despite the fact that this is in theory how you're meant to play D&D, in practice that's not how it's gonna go down because 75% of the player base is ignoring the type of game D&D is actually written to be and desperately trying to beat it into the vague shape of a narrative game. Anyway this is why I like OSR stuff, it's like if D&D dropped the facade and stopped pretending to be stuff it's not. (I should note, to avoid pissing on the poor, that I play a whole bunch of stuff, from VtM to a bunch of PbtA hacks, to weird indie things, to larps, to shit I wrote myself. Die-in-a-cave-D&D is part of a healthy varied ttrpg diet)

[zineobiology]

Welcome to the Zine O’Biology Vol.2!

A multi-fandom Star Trek Zine.

Whats New? This time we are organizing the artist/writer partnerships like a bang! We want to avoid some confusion from last time and think this will be best way to do that.

Do you have strong opinions on Vulcan fra’als, Cardassian tails, or how the heck Trill symbionts reproduce? We want to hear from you!

The Zine O’Biology is a fictional comparative xenobiology academic journal set in the Star Trek universe. If you’ve always wanted to wax eloquent for up to 3000 words about your theories on alien biology, welcome to your new home!

We want all your theories about all your favorite aliens! This is a friendly but competitive academic journal where the content of every paper is a little bit suspicious (is this paper based on rumor or fact? What is the methodology?) and some competing authors leave snarky comments on one another’s work. So just like a real academic journal, except ours features the Great Green Anthurium.

We welcome xenobiology articles on all Star Trek aliens from all series!

The final format will be a PDF that you can scroll at your leisure or print at home in order to have a physical copy of the Zine. (This way there is no money involved.)

--SEEKING SUBMISSIONS FOR--

Alien biology articles

Alien biology artwork

In-Universe advertisements

Letters to the editor

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTICLES

How do Andorian genders work? Are Cardassians actually lizards? Why do Klingons have so many redundant organs? What’s the biological purpose of Bajoran nose ridges? What’s the best cement mix for emergency surgery on a Horta?

You’ve been pondering alien biology for years. This is your chance to infodump all your favorite theories to an eager audience of your fellow nerds!

Articles will be separated into two categories: reproductive biology or general biology. Yes, we also want all your theories on what every species is packing downstairs…and how they use it.

Journal articles should be fun and engaging, but also written in your interpretation of a pseudo-academic style, since this is a highly respected Federation xenobiology journal. If you want to keep things more lighthearted and less academic, check out the section on Letters to the Editor.

ALIEN BIOLOGY ARTWORK

If you have independent illustrations about alien biology we would love to see them! If you would like to provide illustrations for one of our journal articles, we will open up bidding so that you can find the perfect article for your ideas!

JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS

Even in a post-need future, academic journals will need a little extra funding. Submit your ads for Ferengi Oomox Creme, Self Sealing Stem Bolts, Gently Used Federation Technology, and, of course, “reproductive aids.” The weirder the better! Have fun with it!

All art needs to be printable at high resolution

ART Sizes:

Full page: 4.5"w x 7.5"h

Column: 2.21"w x 7.5"h

Half Page: 4.5"w x 3.75"h

Square: 2.21"w x 2.18"h

Banner: 4.5"w x 1"h

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Do you have a great idea, but it’s not enough to fill out a 3000 word article? Submit it as a “reaction” to a previous journal article. Feel free to lay into a mythical researcher who does NOT understand why their biological theory is wrong and yours is right!

Max length 1500 words. Enjoy making these plenty frothy!

WANT TO GET INVOLVED, BUT YOU’RE NOT A WRITER OR ARTIST?

WE NEED:

Graphic designers to help with Zine layout

Social media promoters

Alien art and article wranglers (ie: get your fannish friends involved!)

--HOW TO GET INVOLVED--

Fill out the Art or Writing Google Form letting us know your interests or reach out to the Editor in Chief at zineobiology@gmail.com

DEADLINES:

July 15, 2025: Last date for writer applications

August 18, 2025: Last date for Artists applications

August 30th: Writer drafts due. Claims begin.

October 30, 2025: All art, advertising, and journal submissions are due

We hope to have the Zine O’Biology ready for your enjoyment by New Year’s Eve 2025/2026. We all have full time jobs and lives, so that date may change depending on the volume of submissions.

FAQ can be found here.

[felikatze]

follow up to this post i am wearing holes into the carpet.

this current arc on the TL FASCINATES ME because it just taps so much into what The Process is for Kim Soleum and what he loves about horror. Because yknow in that previous post I talked at length about how he loves to Figure Out And Understand The Monster.

so like. yeah. yeah of course he loves Braun's Late-Night Talk Show.

He gets to choose which guest appears, i.e. he gets to pick his favorite stories. And, as part of the crew, he gets to pick them apart and just hear them talk from a safe distance. Just the goddamn horror monster on a talk show talking about itself to the delight of the audience, and also to the delight of himself. This is The Perfect Fanservice for him.

It's like, yknow, a creator confirming all your theories about their work on a podcast. It's getting a good grade in media analysis.

And i'm also thinking about how he actually befriended Braun by appealing to Braun as a creator.

Because where Kim Soleum loves to read and understand stories, Braun loves to create stories. But Braun was trapped in that cycle of attention. He loved his Quiz Show format, but it was getting stale. The views were dropping, and that was depressing him. So he brings on a big flashy guest he doesn't even really like to keep the audience engaged.

And there's like, meta to that as well. Because the new format was just Horror and Gore up the wazoo, people getting killed left and right. There weren't rules on how to survive, you were just dead from the start. It was cheaper horror.

Cuz the knowledge that everyone dies in the end kneecaps tension just as much as knowing that everyone's gonna survive. Hell, knowing everyone dies has less tension than everyone living, because survival at least means excitement about what they might lose along the way.

So, Braun, as a down in the dumps creator, went with cheap thrills for audience engagement at the cost of his integrity. But Kim Soleum reminded him of why he loves to create shows in the first place. Braun wants thrill and laughter and showmanship. And, Braun wants his shows to be his.

The talk show format is a fascinating evolution of that, because talk shows are also about guests. But unlike the choir before it, a talk show lives and dies by its host. Instead of being superceded by his guest, Braun is collaborating with them.

In that sense, it's incredibly sweet that Braun wants to share this with Kim Soleum. Bringing back my old (2 days old) point about how our dear Roe also likes to write, writing as a form of understanding, as a form of analysis and respect, it's self-evident how Braun might consider him a kindred spirit! Wanting to share the joy of creating something fulfilling, from the heart!

where am I going with this. Right. There's still a lot of absurdity to Braun's existence, of course. What TV channel is this even running on? Who are the higher ups, where are the ratings coming from? But it's abundantly clear that all a lot of the horror monsters are sentient.

They have their own values and their own logic. And this logic is alien to humans, but it can be understood. And Soleum does a great job of that. Like bartering in an otherworldy botique to avoid paying with human lives.

And. paces in a circle. Braun did the inverse? Because, when Braun convinces Kim Soleum to go on the talk show, it is made explicitly clear that it is not coercion, or hypnosis, or brainwashing, or any sort of mental contamination. It's all arguments tailored to Kim Soleum. It's all information Braun only knows from spending so much time with and trying to understand his friend.

(...Jury is still entirely out on how much that Silver Ring is actually good for and there was at least some mind-reading involved. Doesn't change that the argumentation was sound and grounded, though.)

It's pretty wild to me, that this all started with the Smiley Stickers and the Good Friend, but when all that's gone, Braun still adores Soleum. Still calls himself friend.

Like all that just gave him a nudge in trying to Get It. By tagging along all this time, Braun's been getting the front row seat to the intricacies of human office drama, to trouble with roommates, to beefing with your superiors. Mundane drama that is either utterly alien to him or all too relatable.

I love the miscommunication of, Kim Soleum thought that the Good Friend was like, just a sliver of the original. But it was Braun, entirely, choosing to answer that call and stick around. Because he must've also been curious, about that strange human that changed him so.

I just. Love how much this flips the tables. From Kim Soleum as the one trying to understand to the one terrified to be understood so thoroughly, mortified that he's actually shared so much of himself with another person. That someone just fully gets his fears and his desires. And how it's not truly about going home, it's about getting out of here.

This relationship isn't going to end well. But it is deeply compelling.

[scribblecon]

Could you do a scenario on Megatron (when he is put in the lost light after the trial) x Human Reader. He is still conflicted about organics, maybe Ultra Magnus advised Megatron to spend time with human Reader for Cybertronian -Human relations.

Cultural Exchange

I’ve set this up to be a multi-part story if people want it :)) Romance is on the table, but it’ll be a slow burn haha

SFW, GN reader

—

“Ultra Magnus, I highly doubt-”

“You’ve been co-captain of this ship for over a month and barely said a word to the human. I just think it would be a good experience for you to spend time with an organic. You’d be surprised how much in common we have with them.”

Megatron sighs. He’s been trying to avoid the little stowaway living aboard the Lost Light. Part because he does not want to get gunned down by the entire crew for accidentally stepping on an organic, no doubt it would be considered a violation of his ‘parole’, even if unintentional. But mostly because you serve as a constant reminder of what the Decepticons have done, what he has done to countless organic species. Your mere presence on the ship makes him… uncomfortable. Seeing you interact with the crew from a distance, actually being helpful in the med bay rather than just a burden. There’s also the matter of your appearance. Alien, yet uncannily similar to a cybertronian. Smaller. Softer. More fragile. It all comes together to throw his stance on organics into question. Perhaps humans are the exception to the rule. But what if they’re not? What if he was wrong about all the others too?

—

Spending an hour every day with a former tyrant is not an ideal use of your time. Ultra Magnus told you this would improve goodwill between Earth and Cybertron. If Megatron, of all people, can learn to get along with an organic — a human, then perhaps others who share his prejudices will learn to shed them. A noble idea and fine in theory, but in practice you feel overcome with nerves. Sitting across the room from Megatron, you don’t think you can initiate a conversation with him. He’s too intimidating. You also get the sense he isn’t about to start talking to you, either. Desperate to avoid small talk you take out a data pad and try to concentrate on reading to pass the time. Surely this is fine, Magnus didn’t say you have to talk to Megatron, just be in the same room as him.

—

Nearly a week has passed, and you still have not uttered a word during your daily sessions. Megatron frowns in your direction. Once again, you’re staring at a datapad. Ignoring him as usual. It hasn’t been long, but Ultra Magnus is getting frustrated about the lack of progress. Knows that neither party is even trying to engage with each other. As he continues to watch you, he notices your death grip on the datapad. Oh. Of course you’re just as uncomfortable as him. Likely even more so. You probably aren’t actually reading anything and just trying to distract yourself until the hour is up.

“You’re afraid of me.” His rumbling voice cuts through the silence, causing your heart to nearly leap out of your throat.

“No,” you try to make your voice sound even. “I just don’t like you.” You haven’t forgotten what his Decepticons did to Earth. You grip your datapad tighter.

Megatron feels the corner of his mouth twitch. You’re clearly lying about being unafraid, it’s expected considering the damage his Decepticons caused on Earth. He’ll let it slide. By responding to him you’re trying to fight the fear. He won’t write you off completely.

“So why are you here?”

“Magnus talked me into it.” You finally put the datapad down and look at him. “What about you? I assume this wasn’t your idea.”

“Ultra Magnus.”

“Ah.”

Another silence fills the room. You feel some of your anxiety melt away knowing you’re both here because of the same person. Then you start mentally cursing Ultra Magnus. He’s probably going to keep these meetings going indefinitely unless you manage to get Megatron to open up. He’s already breathing down your neck about your lack of follow up reports. You need to think of something to talk about that’s relatively painless and pray when you open your mouth you sound more confident than you feel.

“Would you be up for a cultural exchange?”

“A cultural exchange.” He looks unimpressed.

“I mean, people tell me you were a poet before…” You trail off, unsure if addressing the war directly is a good idea. “Have you ever engaged with human literature?”

“No. Never.” He locks eyes with you. “I always thought organic cultures were… inherently lesser. Not worth engaging with.”

You force yourself to maintain eye contact. Is he challenging you?

“Do you still believe that?”

“…I’m not sure.”

That’s… a good sign. Probably. He might be receptive to your idea.

“Why don’t you read a book? A human novel. We can discuss your thoughts on it tomorrow.”

Megatron says nothing, but his frown deepens. You then realise you just gave the worst war criminal in the history of the entire universe homework. A war criminal whose also captain of the ship you live on. Does this count as insubordination?

“Obviously you don’t have to. It was just an idea.” You raise your hands slightly. “But at least we’d have something to talk about.”

He considers your offer. You do have a point about needing some kind of conversation starter when you have so little in common. Ultra Magnus also would probably be satisfied if he shows a willingness to engage in Earth media as well. ‘Reading’ a novel won’t take long when he can simply download information directly into his brain module. He sighs. Not like he has any better ideas.

“Very well. Give me a title and I will read it.”

You scrutinise his features, not expecting him to actually agree to starting a book club with you. What do you even recommend to a former warlord? Something that’s well written, obviously. Something to soften his prejudices against humans. Prejudice…

“How about… Pride and Prejudice? By Jane Austen.” Hopefully he does not interpret the title as a veiled insult. He is prejudiced though. You take a look at the time on your datapad. The hour’s just about up. Thank God. “I’ll uh. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Likewise.” Megatron watches you leave. He didn’t expect you to take initiative. Thought you would cower by the doorway, remain silent out of fear and distrust. Maybe something interesting will come of these daily meetings after all.

—

part 2

[heartavenue]

Welcome to Vogue's 73 Questions!

Hi, we're so happy that you could us for this interview! I ADORE your work. I'm a big fan! Now, let's get started, shall we?

1. What's the first thing you did when you woke up this morning? 2. Follow up: Do you have a morning ritual? 3. Do you know the meaning of your name? 4. Where were you born? 5. What was your childhood like? 6. What's your favorite food? 7. What are your top three beverages? 8. What country would you like to visit someday? 9. Diamonds or pearls? 10. Gold or silver? 11. Kittens or puppies? 12. How would someone describe you in three words? 13. What is your favorite movie? 14. Favorite TV show? 15. What song makes you cry? 16. Do you have any hidden talents? 17. How many languages can you speak? 18. Who is your favorite artist? 19. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? 20. What would an ideal date be for you? 21. Coffee or tea? 22. Favorite color? 23. Least favorite color? 24. Dream vacation spot? 25. If you could have dinner with three people, dead or alive, who would you invite to the table? 26. If you could be born in any era, which one would you choose? 27. What is your dream car? 28. What do you look for in a partner? 29. Do you have any pets? 30. How do you relax? 31. If you were stranded on an island, and you only had three things with you, what would they be? 32. What are you proud of but never had the excuse to talk about? 33. What conspiracy theories do you believe in? 34. What is your favorite animal? 35. Where do you see yourself in the future? 36. What is something that you could talk about for hours? 37. Is water wet? 38. If an alien came to Earth and asked you to take them to your leader, who are you taking them to? 39. Imagine living like a king (wink, wink). What would be your first declaration? 40. What celebrity are you DYING to meet? 41. What's in your bag right now? 42. What's your best pickup line? 43. What's the best part of your day? 44. What's the best compliment you've ever received? 45. What's the best gift you've ever received? 46. What's the last song you listened to? 47. What would you call a male ladybug? 48. What's your favorite thing about your career? 49. Why do round pizzas come in square boxes? 50. Who would play you in a movie? 51. What do you do with lemons when life gives them to you? 52. Can you tell me about your next project? I'm so excited for whatever you do next? 53. What's the craziest fan interaction you've had? 54. Would you date a fan? 55. How do you feel about the paparazzi? 56. What's the best part about being famous? 57. Follow up: Now what is the worst part? 58. What's a fashion trend that you hate? 59. If you weren't famous what would you be doing right now? 60. Have you ever had a bad interaction with another celebrity....? 61. What is the biggest challenge you've faced so far? 62. Who's your role model? 63. Can you give any advice to your fans? 64. What's something your passionate about outside of your career? 65. What would you like remembered about you? 66. Dream collaboration? 67. Are you single? (come on your fans are DYING to know!) 68. What's your favorite childhood movie? 69. Knowing what you do now, would you start this life over again? 70. How should someone get your attention? 71. What makes you smile? 72. What inspired you to pursue your career? 73. What's your life goal?

Okay well it looks like we are all done here! Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to do this interview! I really hope that we cross paths again!

Okay I hope you all really enjoyed this! I tried to avoid asking questions pertaining to certain career that way everyone could do it if they wanted!

Tags: @meilarchives @111-rosewood @julianasversee hope you guys like this!

[dungeon-master-mike]

disclaimer: this is a really wack theory, i'm aware. but bare w me, or don't lol.

All of Mike's closet is blue. All his blankets are blue. His basement carpet is blue. His bedroom walls are blue. Almost all his outfits the whole show contain blue including his shoes from S3.

He even wraps himself up with a blue blanket at the Byers. (mike is gonna fucking love the song i'm blue)

I would think this was typical color coding... If this show wasn't about a group of people exploring a dimension that's you know, entirely fucking blue. This is what initially caught my attention. It's just.. Too much to not mean something.

Mike's nickname is 'Frogface,' which is strange. The rest of the kids' nicknames are all discriminatory, but frogface? What makes this more interesting is the fact within the life cycle of the Demogorgons, the first two stages are frog-like. They're even given names based on that. This is from the Upside Down section of the S1/S2 BTS book. Dustin and the group have a discussion on this in show. This nickname may serve as foreshadowing.

and then.. there's this on the same page... alright.

(i am just now realizing how much this picture reminds me of The Thing, in a way lol)

Mike in season 5 is wearing a sweater with literal democreature heads on it. It's not subtle at all.

During their tunnel mission in s2, Steve says this. Very weird wording. I go into that a little here.

Every film/story hung up or mentioned by Mike are all about an alien or someone from another planet (except Conan). In superman, the dark crystal, star wars and conan the barbarian, the main characters are all orphans. Even in Lord of the rings, another story brought up by Mike, the main character is an orphan. Really would be a big coincidence if this wasn't intentional.

I've made a separate post discussing it, but The Thing being in Mike's basement and staying for the entire show really intrigues me. I do think, in some way, Mike is the show's Thing.

Star Wars is a new poster for Mike in S5 as well 👀 (assuming at least)

Now, I'm not saying that Mike isn't human and is from the Upside Down. Except, that's exactly what I'm saying. I hate saying it because it sounds so fucking bizarre LMFAO. but that's kinda what i'm getting from all this? Like, once you connect all the weird things about Mike and his place in his family, it begins to make sense. It explains almost everything I've seen people mention about Mike in regards to the supernatural.

(get ready for a bunch of whys and hows cause it's a fuck ton, i apologize)

It's why/how:

- He literally drowns himself in blue. Maybe on some sort of subconscious level, it reminds him of the UD. Or perhaps it's just foreshadowing.

-Smalltown Boy is in his playlist. It serves as double meaning. The show would essentially be tying his queerness with the sci-fi/supernatural side of the story. Mike realizing why he's felt different his whole life - He's gay, but also an alien. Because he's a humanoid alien, no one suspects a thing - not even him. Because he's not visibly queer, no one suspects a thing.

- Karen treats him differently compared to Nancy. (Do Karen and Ted know where he's from? That's another discussion. But I think they're hiding the fact he's adopted). It's there if you choose to acknowledge it. This feels like one of the biggest pieces of evidences because of the way the show avoids addressing the reason why.

- Mike is there in the demogorgon life cycle for some reason. If it were for scale comparison, a height would've been provided. Height isn't mentioned anywhere in the book. The section is called "monster morphology"

- Mike was so sure Karen would take El in.

- Mike's wearing that fuckass sweater next season (foreshadowing)

- Vecna calls Mike "his friend" and knows who he is.

- Mike is suspiciously in frame when the others talk about people being flayed and who is the actual source of everything. Will mentions trapping something up there with them when El closed the gate. Hm. "If the brain dies the body dies." Well, a heart's also important. And who is that again?

- all these shots exist (+ fuck ton more). Mike is consistently framed as being part of the UD or "a monster" all along that nobody is seeing, fitting in with his whole invisibility

- He somehow reaches into the UD on Halloween

- He manages to pull Will out of his visions so easily

- Mike is always there when Will senses something connected to the UD approaching or nearby.

- He saw El in the void (the same way that Demogorgon did),

- He intuitively knows so much more than he should about the UD despite not even having gone there, and when he eventually does, it's only briefly. And he just so happens to get grabbed by the vine while he's escaping.. Just to be okay? Change nothing narratively? Okay.

- All the stalker shots

- Mike looks nothing like his family

- He's visually set apart from his family consistently. Giving very much an orphan not fitting in.

-Why they posted this picture of Mike during s5 filming. The same photo that's meant to be with the rest of the family photos but is for some reason singled out... and sat over a children's version of a story that is about a family.

- There's two episodes that feature the name "Monster." "The Monster" 1x06. Mike makes El feel like a monster. "The Monster and the Superhero" 4x03. Mike and El fight in this episode. El is the superhero... So who is the monster?

- My mutual @bobokahn also brought up that Mike may be hearing things others aren't in these scenes. Mike already has his ears covered before Lucas and Dustin..

- The demogorgon imagery in his basement and his weird looking lamp that suspiciously looks like a demogorgon egg or something alike (not saying it actually is though lol. imagine that tho).

-He also has a board game that remains in the same spot the entire show called "Upwords." "Family Fued" is taken away after s1 while the stack remains the same..

Upwords....

- Mike seems like he's missing something. My mutual @brionysea explains perfectly here what I mean.

The list goes on and on but you get the idea.

@madwheelerz also made a post about this a while back. it's actually what first made me look into this more.

(referring to a kid literally named Mikhail. fucking MIKHAIL!!!)

essentially mike next season: