#✿;; char

[what-if-rpg]

↪ Have you heard about MIKE CHANG? HE is 30 and hails from LIMA, OHIO. Looks exactly like HARRY SHUM JR., and is OPEN.

“Quote”

↪ IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

FULL NAME: Up to RPer DATE OF BIRTH: Up to RPer SEXUALITY & GENDER: Up to RPer RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single POSITIVE & NEGATIVE TRAITS: Up to RPer OCCUPATION: Dance Instructor at The Last Step CITY: New York, NYC

↪ HEADCANONS:

HEADCANON

HEADCANON

HEADCANON

HEADCANON

↪ IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS:

MRs. & MR. CHANG SR. (Parents): Up to RPer TINA COHEN-CHANG (EX-Girlfriend): Up to RPer SAM EVANS (Best Friend): Up to RPer BRITTANY PIERCE (Best Friend): Up to RPer ARTIE ABRAMS (Friend): Up to RPer

[anonymous-dentist]

Cellbit has always dreamed of dying.

Growing up on the streets, death was his best friend and closest companion. He did what he had to do to survive, and he fell asleep every night under the bridge holding his knife to his chest just in case anyone tried getting smart with him.

The Man In Black always told him that he was too close to death, and Cellbit always agreed. He’d smile and ask the Man In Black for some candy or for a cigarette, and sometimes he’d even get something. (Usually the candy. Not the cigarette.)

By the time he had finally aged out of the system, Cellbit had decided that he wanted to die in a cool way, like on tv. He wanted to explode. He didn’t want to die of pneumonia or anything boring like that; he wanted to be remembered, because maybe then he’d finally get to meet the family he couldn’t remember at his tombstone.

Now, at the ripe old age of 26, Cellbit’s wish is finally being granted as Felps plows the van right into the side of some old hotel Cellbit doesn’t know the name of.

Cellbit sees the wall approaching, eyes widening in a sudden and unfamiliar panic, and he has just enough time to think, ‘Wait, no, I changed my mind-’, before the van makes impact and the world goes white.

He doesn’t feel a thing.

“Cellbit…”

But it’s so beautiful, the End. The ether swirls around him like pearlescent soap bubbles tickling his skin; he’s floating.

“Cellbit..!”

His fingertips are tingling, but he can’t see them. Does he want to? They’re burning, just like the rest of him is. He doesn’t want to see that.

Eyes closed and at peace for the first time in his life, he drifts. The Man In Black was wrong: death is warm.

It’s warm.

It’s hot.

“Cellbit!”

He opens his eyes and stares down at his charred, burning corpse, and he listens to Pac scream- still alive in the back of the van- and he feels Mike’s hand scramble to hold his, and that’s.

“Oh,” Cellbit says, voice hoarse and oddly choked. He swallows the cold in his throat. “So that’s it.”

His body is already unrecognizable. Hair’s gone, skin’s charred. Ugly as hell, but, well, it’s what he wanted.

“Pac…” Mike murmurs. So he’s dead, too. Huh.

There’s a weird buzzing in Cellbit’s skin, eyes on the back of his neck. But when he whips his head around to stare at the hotel at his back, all he sees is a brief flash of red. Nothing, just the building.

“Where’s Felps…?” Cellbit breathes. He jerks his hand out of Mike’s and runs to the driver’s side of the van. “Felps!”

He blinks, and then there’s Forever standing next to him looking very confused.

“What the…” Forever looks around before settling his eyes on his body. “Oh.”

Cellbit puts a hand on his shoulder. His bare shoulder- did he fucking die shirtless? No way…

Cellbit takes his hand off of his shoulder.

“We shouldn’t have let Felps drive,” he says.

Forever glares at him. “No shit! Dude, we’re dead!”

Pac wails. Somehow, he’s still alive. Mike’s by his side, at least, pressed against the outside of the van by Pac’s seat trying to talk to him.

“He’s fine,” Cellbit points out.

“Not for long!” Forever shouts. He runs his hands through his hair before flopping onto the ground in a despairing heap. “Fuck! I knew I shouldn’t have accepted that ad-”

“To be fair, dying wasn’t exactly in the job description,” Cellbit dryly says. He settles into the grass next to Forever, kinda sorta feeling miles and miles away. Shock, he thinks. Huh.

Forever covers his face with his hands and groans, “How are we even here? We’re dead!”

“Ghosts,” Mike comments from the far side of the van. Pac has gone quiet, r-i-p. “Kinda cool, honestly.”

“How is this cool? We’re dead!”

Cellbit stares down at the grass. It’s burning, too, because of course it is. It’s going to die, too. Huh.

He tunes Forever and Mike out as he notices that it isn’t the grass that’s on fire. It’s him: his fingertips are smoldering and crumbling into ash and reforming and crumbling and reforming and crumbling and-

“Hey guys!”

He snaps his head up just in time to watch Felps clamber out of the hole in the wall with a bright smile on his face.

“Look what I’ve got!” he calls, waving one arm.

The other arm drags along a yawning child rubbing his eye with his knuckles.

“You guys suck,” the kid grumbles. (Well, at least he speaks Portuguese…) “I was literally asleep.”

Forever glances out from between his fingers and immediately groans and hides his eyes again.

“I’m not SEEING this,” he moans. “I’m fine, I’m not dead, we aren’t dead, Felps didn’t kill a child…”

“A child?” Pac exclaims, popping into existence next to Mike on the other side of the van.

Cellbit sighs and flops onto his back, eyes slipping shut again. His hand finds Forever’s arm, and he loosely holds it, smiling slightly as Forever swaps his arm out for his hand.

“At least we don’t have to pay rent anymore,” he tells Forever.

So there’s that.

[fryeswiththat]

In a dream where Vecna gives his victims what they want, Jonathan lives with the knowledge that his brother was found. That Will still had nightmares about what happened but he's alright. He's happy. Joyce is happy.

Jonathan tries as hard as he can to break through the mold, tries to see the cracks in the walls - but there's nothing there. Just the sound of the Party playing another session, his brother shyly sharing glances with Mike and Mike doing it back.

Watching his brother attend dances with Mike, Mike who acts like he did before everything went Wrong(tm). Jonathan wakes up after nightmares routinely but - it's hard not to want this life.

A life where some things went wrong but not everything.

And if there's a part of him that realizes what this is, that this is a concept of his own imagining, it's riddled with guilt. Guilt for wanting a "simpler" life, for feeling like wanting it and changing what happened to Will is acting like it was Will's fault to begin with. But it's a life without tragedy and mayhem, where he doesn't have to keep a bat beside his bed.

Everything is fine. It's fine and it's difficult to get used to. This can be his one regret that he'll suffer with, until he can get out.

That's his plan, really, right until he hears Running Up That Hill play on the radio and winces - and sees Mike wince too. Mike, who acts like everything he's not, has pretended not to be in the Real World. Who watched Will with misty eyes and lingering hands, not wanting to let him go. All instances Jonathan chalked up to his dream's manifestation. But it's real, and Mike is real, and he's here. He's here with Jonathan, wanting the same thing he does. Wanting to love Will like Will loves him.

(And Vecna laughs, goading, later, sneering with a mouth of vines and charred lips. "And what would dear Will think, to know that the both of you wanted him to be different?")

[riality-check]

part one

They all expected Vecna to come back.

If there’s no body, no body they can cut up and verify is a real body, they expect it to come back.

That’s how it’s worked since ‘83.

Vecna’s body didn’t lay outside the Creel house, so of course he came back. Charred, missing an eye, more grotesque, and even less human than before. They expected that, and they prepared for it.

They expected Vecna to come back. They didn’t expect Eddie to come back, too.

It was hard to tell it was him at first. His hair had been cut close to his scalp, uneven in places, and he wasn’t all Eddie. Not with the claws and the wings and the too pale skin and the dead black eyes, too dark and too all-encompassing for a person.

A human.

Dustin took one look at him and dropped his weapon. He just shouted his name, over and over and over again, but Eddie didn’t respond.

Dustin begged and pleaded, kept saying, “Eddie, it’s me! Don’t you know me?”

Eddie - well, not-quite-Eddie, just kept moving forward, claws sharp, teeth bared.

Steve had to drag Dustin away, kicking and screaming, when it got too close.

Eddie coming back forced them to change their strategy. They went into battle with music, trying to find the song that would bring him back or at least neutralize him. 

He had to come back. He had to.

Mike had memorized all the pins and patches on his vest, the vest that Steve still had hanging up in his closet. They cycled through band after band, tape after tape, starting with the songs Jeff and Gareth and Archie remembered Eddie always playing in his van and working from there. Judas Priest, Motorhead, Megadeth-

None of them worked.

So, they went to Wayne. Begged him to wrack his brain and figure out a song, any song, that could be Eddie’s favorite, one that was strong enough to break him out. Wayne gave them Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson and Tammy Wynette and Dolly Parton songs, songs that Eddie grew up with, the first songs he learned on guitar, the acoustic one.

None of them worked either.

Eddie wasn’t free until they defeated Vecna. Until both Will and El were gone.

Because Vecna went for Will next. Will, who was his target from the beginning. Will, who was only guilty of being so terribly similar to Henry Creel.

Vecna took him to be a puppet, to infiltrate the party, and then disposed of him.

His fatal mistake had been doing that in front of El. Her fatal mistake had been refusing help from anyone else.

But when the battle was over and the wreckage cleared and the dead buried and Vecna finally burned, they found Eddie.

Eddie. Lucid, scarred, human, and afraid.

The wings and claws shrunk back, and his eyes cleared again, enough to see the whites. But his hair was still short and his skin was still pale and instead of being a terrible, awful thing in the shape of a friend, he just looked…

small.

It took him a week to stop shaking and two more to speak again.

And when he did speak, the first thing he said was, “This one’s lasted a long time. I wonder when he’s going to kill me again.”

part three part four part 5 final part

ao3 link

tag list : @ashwagandalf @novelnovella @hi-im-eff @ladyapplejackdnd @silentiumdelirium @grtwdsmwhr @resident-gay-bitch @brassreign @sidekick-hero @starrystevie @henderdads @greyhoundsgirl 

[hiscleric]

WITH HONOR, WE HOUND: CHAPTER 2 SNIPPET—‘THE FEAST.’

hey y’all! i’ve been going back and forth on whether or not to rework my old byler fantasy au. so, i thought i could share with you a snippet from the unpublished/unfinished second chapter and get your opinions on it! i’d love to know if you think the premise is worth saving. feel free to leave me your thoughts!

enjoy reading! <3

“Sleep,” urged the Cursecaster suddenly, Thistle halting with a single tug. “You will need all of your energy once we arrive.”

Mike glanced toward the Cursecaster. With narrowed eyes, he tried to peer past the lenses covering the sorcerer's own; a futile attempt, as he could only make out the slight curve of his eyes. The knight nodded, the gentle command ringing in his ears before he slumped against Thistle’s warm neck and succumbed to sleep.

In the lands of his short slumber, Mike sat at a feast. He dreamt of roasted plums drenched in spiced wine and warm crusted rolls donned with sweet, hot butter, a speciality in the Dewmire kitchens since he was a boy; plate after plate of tender lamb loin coated in garlic and rosemary passed from hand to hand. Beside him, on his left, Dustin sipped at crisp apple ale and laughed between bites of stewed carrot and beetroot; on his right, Lucas picked at half a roasted pheasant, charred with sage-soaked butter, an occasional response passing through his wine stained lips.

Across from Mike sat the Commander, who held a gilded goblet against the seam of her mouth. She looked different in the light of the candles above; her flaming hair glowed in such a way that it was as if real fire sprouted from her head. In front of her sat a gold plate, piled high with shucks of aurochs shank drowned in steaming brown gravy–a serving of braised leeks covered in bubbling cheese paired with the course. The Commander sat with a fork to her side, yet her food remained untouched; instead, she seemed to feast on Mike’s pointed stare. Even in his dreams, he could not help but shrink under her one eye, piercing blue as if she knew each word before it passed his lips. Glancing toward the patch that covered the other provided no relief, either, for an eerily painted eye of its own laid in stark white against the leathers black; he could not escape her stare.

“Mike,” came her voice, hollow as the bones resting on Lucas’ plate, “time runs short. The days bleed. He is pleading with each breath; his moans haunt our very halls.” The Commander set down her goblet, and as Mike opened his lips to speak, she stabbed into the shanks with the tip of her knife. “You must make haste. Time runs short. The days bleed.” From the puncture left in the aurochs shank spewed thick, clotted blood, dribbling down the stack till it met the gilded plate in a crimson kiss; Mike’s stomach churned, seizing within till the little food he had allowed threatened to rise from his throat.

“What shall you have me do, Commander?” He pleaded, watching as the wine and ale drained from goblets and morphed into blood, filling Dustin’s glass till it spilled over upon Mike’s arm. The knight watched in horror as the stream of red trickled thick down his limb. “Tell me, please, I will do whatever–”

“Your answer lies with the stag. She shall lead you to the tide.” And her grimace turned to a knowing smile, her hand lifting her goblet back to her lips; she took three long swigs, her next words leaking through ruby red teeth, “You must trust him, Mike. Trust him.”

“Trust who?” He asked before he felt the rush up his throat, a loud cough splattering red across the feast in front of him; the blood dribbled in thick strands down his chin, flying off to stain the white of his tunic. His heart thudded loud in his ears, the traceable sounds of Dustin’s laugh and Lucas’ voice tinging each beat–the feast shifted in front of him, each lamb loin and aurochs shank changing into mangled corpses of winged reptiles with slit throats, their gurgled cries mingling with the metal stench of blood in the air. Flies danced atop the curves of their wings, buzzing by his ears and through his hair and past his eyes. “Trust who?” Mike asked again, speech warped by the hot blood pooling with the saliva in his mouth.

The Commander simply smiled, bringing a piece of meat to her bloodstained mouth.

[panicatthediaz]

Ghost That We Know

AN: So, I had a random thought two days ago which spawned a whole ass scene in my head. So here is said scene. This is 994 words of something, don't ask me, I'm not sure either. I make no promises on follow-ups to this, but I have ~thoughts~. This is not a Halloween ficlet, btw, just good ol' canon compliance :) Title after Mumford & Sons of all things.

My first Stranger Things fic/ficlet!

——

It was a fucking nightmare. It took months for the monsters to start coming through the gate, but now there were just too damn many, which is truly not the way Robin expected to go, but it seems her life changed course back in '85 when—

Well, that didn't really matter now, what mattered were the Molotov cocktails she kept having to carry despite already tripping on the uneven asphalt twice.

At least Vickie agreed to stay with the kids...

"You guys there yet?" Dustin questioned through the walkie. At least he didn't sound as exasperated as Mike. "The radio has been silent for a while."

"Great," Steve muttered, holding the axe that Hopper had given him before they split with a white-knuckled grip.

"We're almost there," Nancy replied, walkie in one hand, shotgun in the other. "We'll probably be radio silent for a while too. We'll let you guys know when we're done."

With Will's shout to be careful, the three reached their destination: a smaller, already-closing gate. That meant whatever monster had been waiting was already through. Why the fuck didn't they use the big, seemingly permanent gates? It didn't make sense to Robin.

The area surrounding it was charred, but there were no vines. There was also no one and no sound other than the trio's own breathing and steps.

Nancy held the shotgun at the ready, and Steve handed Robin his lighter, on top of the other two she was given by Hopper and Dmitri plus the one she'd gotten for herself.

She didn't think she would go through four lighters for this, but she was glad to have them all when the first demodog came running around the corner, mouth already covered in blood.

The monster seemed to freeze for a moment before screeching and lunging at them. It was bigger than the last few they'd seen, probably close to being a proper demogorgon.

Nancy's shot pushed it back, but they'd already lost whatever element of surprise they had; other monsters wailed in reaction to the shot, the noise surrounding them.

Robin took one of the bottles in hand, the lighter mostly ready. It took, maybe, just a handful of seconds for the whole lot of Upside-Down creatures to come running from wherever the hell they'd been hiding — everywhere, really.

She lit the cloth up and tossed the first cocktail.

And It was chaos after that; the blast of Nancy's shotgun, Steve's grunts as he swung the axe at whatever didn't fall to fire and lead, the sound of glass breaking and fire igniting as Robin kept throwing the bottles.

"How many of these fuckers came through?!" Steve shouted over the squelch of hitting another demogorgon. The curse that Steve surely let out was covered by the shotgun as Nancy shot another demodog.

"Hey, guys," Robin called out, looking into the bag she had over her shoulder. "I only got two left, so you better hope this is it!"

Steve turned to face her, mouth open to say something, but the sound of breaking glass and the blur of something slamming onto him stopped him short. So much for that being it.

Nancy took a shot at the demogorgon on top of Steve, making it snarl at her, and Robin tossed her second-to-last molotov cocktail at the monster. It staggered off of him, growling, but once again it launched itself at them.

Robin quickly stepped back, just enough space between her and the demogorgon for Nancy to shoot and for a line of fire to appear between them.

She turned to the window the monster had come from, where the fire was also coming from, but the figure standing there was hard to make out.

"Keep shooting!" The man shouted, gesturing wildly toward Nancy. Something about the voice was vaguely familiar to Robin, but the creature's wail after being shot kept her from dwelling on it.

Jesus christ, this one was resilient.

Steve stood up, axe in hand once again, and he swung hard at its neck. With another wail, the monster swiped an arm at Steve, who barely avoided the claws of the still burning monster.

The man cursed loudly and creatively, dropping the flamethrower before running up to the demogorgon and reaching to take the axe in a gloved hand. He swung in the opposite direction, hitting the other side of its neck, and—

Thump.

In the ensuing, deafening silence, Robin and Nancy looked around, expecting something else to jump at them just like this one bastard of a demogorgon had. But it remained silent.

The man stared down at the monster head he'd just chopped off, and Steve stared at him, just a few feet to the side. Everyone just breathed for a moment, the remaining adrenaline fading from their systems.

"Jesus," the man chuckled, breathless, as he shook his head. Robin definitely recognized that voice now. "God, that felt good."

Now that she could actually take a look at him, she could see he was wearing all black; black jeans, black jacket, shoes, everything. He had a bandana covering most of his face, and... swimming goggles protecting his eyes, maybe. She thought it was kind of ridiculous, but it seemed effective against the Upside-Down gunk that the big gates were throwing out.

"You guys okay?" He asked, looking at each of them in turns and pausing at Nancy's still-held-high shotgun. "I promise you won't have to shoot me, Wheeler."

"Eddie?" Steve was the first to snap out of the post-adrenaline haze. He didn't take his eyes off of the man. "What the fuck?"

The man took off the bandana and goggles, and yep, that was Eddie fucking Munson, alright. His hair was shorter, there was a scar poking out from the left side of his jaw, and that excited grin looked a little feral, in Robin's opinion. But there was no mistaking it.

"Did you miss me, big boy?"

Eddie Munson was alive.

——

@benjaminrussell @xxfiction-is-my-realityxx @evan-bumpkin-buckley @dijkstraspath @werelamburrito @swiftiebuckleys

[howtobecomeadragon]

10, 13, 18, 27 please and thank you 🤭🥰

dang okay, i had a lot to say for these!!! hehe thank you for asking 😊

10. has a piece of writing ever haunted you? has your own writing haunted you? what does that mean to you?

hmm. none of my writing haunts me. but I have been a big reader all my life and there are certain books that have stuck with me, due to how much they made me feel, whether it was joy or heartbreak or grief. and I think that is haunting in a way. and I guess in a way those books haunt me bc I want to write something that sticks with someone that long.

some books/series that haunt me: six of crows, in other lands (terribly underrated book), the princess diaries (ik 🫣), many books by tana french, the raven boys, inkheart, neverworld wake, love and other words, his dark materials, wolfsong, the library at mount char, every heart a doorway.

13. what is a subject matter that is incredibly difficult for you to write about? what is easy?

some personal stuff incoming here... everything to do with will's relationship with lonnie in my current big wip (come back to me and forgive everything) is very difficult for me, bc it is very much so inspired by my relationship with my dad. will's rant on the swings was me about my dad, the sneaking around the house trying to avoid lonnie was me growing up with my dad, will putting himself in a situation where he stays with his dad despite everything was me in the past with my dad. upcoming things I haven't posted yet from that fic are as well. i wanted to write about it obviously, but it's been challenging bc of that too!

also umm kissing scenes are impossible, they stress me out to the max.

the easy stuff? the yearning. all the ways that being infatuated with someone shows up in silly little ways. I love that shit.

18. choose a passage from your writing. tell me about the backstory of this moment. how you came up with it, how it changed from start to end.

Here's a little passage from my movie magic fic:

"The Byers had moved to Hawkins five months ago. Or rather, technically, they had moved back to Hawkins five months ago. They’d lived in Hawkins as an unhappy little family until his parents had divorced. Will was only three."

I probably could've had this fic done like a week ago if I hadn't agonized over Will's background. I originally had this ambitious idea of Mike returning movies, but behind that, I was also going to have it so that the Byers moved away from Hawkins when Will was in kindergarten or first grade... so he'd already met Mike. it was going to be this whole complicated thing of Will slowly remembering Mike and figuring out when Mike remembered Will, long lost best friends from when they were 5, etc. it was going to be very dramatic.

but then I was like "??? write a short fic for once, ffs." so I scrapped that idea for this one (still ended up with 14k though. 🙄 I will continue to pursue the goal of writing a short fic). also had a short time where I was just going to have the whole fic be post s5, but I wanted to change the dynamics up a bit.

I may very well return to the concept of Will moving away after meeting Mike in a different fic in the future, but for now I like the simpler concept I went with instead. Will is just a new guy in town.

27. who is the most stressful character you've ever written? why?

Dustin is stressful for me to write tbh?? he's kind of a loose canon and he's very very much so Not Me, so although he had a big scene and a ton of dialogue in one of my fics and he's here and there in other fics, I tend to be cautious about writing him. it's just harder for me to get in his head I guess.

[draculagerard]

just remembered this one time when there was a, uh. a bushfire. and so my father is driving my younger brother up to my mothers place bc it looks like its going in the direction of his house. so like im scared bc ya know he’s essentially out in the middle of buttfuck nowhere and like the sheep and the cat and all our stuff right?? im like 14. and my friends house is also in the path of the fire. and my father puts on the talking heads in the car which seems ya know fine or whatever. anyway in pyscho killer david byrne like scats sort of. he says fa a lot. and it kinda sounds like fire? and my stupid ass brain forgets that some people say fire with the r. one of those people being david byrne. and my idiot panicking brain just goes fire and i burst into tears and confuse the shit out of michael. idk why im telling you all this it just occurred to me that hey that’s kinda embarrassing. anyway my friend was fine and mike was fine. the fire did literally char my friends back fence tho before it changed direction

oh jesus christ that sounds terrible i'm so sorry </3 glad your friend and mike were okay though... also thats not embarrassing i think that's a very justified response

[starlitfunkster]

Friday Night in Hell AU BUT only the FNF Lullaby Mod Characters

Sorry to the Hypno, Alexis, and Hell Bell cast fans.. because I forgot about them! I don't really think Hypno would fit? And honestly, Beelze and HELL BELL would not really change in the mod? ..Alexis wouldn't change either. And I would have no idea what to do with Dawn! (Made ironic now that Part 2 was made. Go check that out btw!)

Uh.. *ahem* I did everyone else though. And also Wally. Don't look at me, I think Wally would make for a sad fnf song.

~Lost Silver - Shade (It's a boy named Ethan, who apparently was killed near Mt. Silver. It does not appear under normal circumstances, only appearing to those of pure heart. Apparently its appearance can either pacify or terrify, depending on who it shows itself too. If proven worthy, it will give you a Cyndaquil, Pikachu, or on very rare occasions, a Celebi. If you are not... well hope you survive if you are not worthy!)

~Blake - Yuki-Onna (Male) (Compared to Mount Red, this boy has a lower kill count. He's a lot less mangled too, being one of his victims. He hides his missing jaw with a medical mask, and bandaged up his chest area where his heart was taken out of him. He will try to protect Mount Red's victims with his Typhlosion, but they usually end up dead before they can escape. All except for Gray, that is.)

~Mount Red - Yuki-Onna (Male) (He was killed by an ex-lover on Mt. Silver. Said lover would take his own life following the killing. If you see Red in a hanbok, hiding his face with his fan, then it's already too late. Male victim's often lose their jaws, whilst female victim's have their hearts torn out.. then later eaten by Red. Killing is hard work when you are a malevolent spirit!)

~Blue Tears - Onryo (He killed himself following his murder on his ex-lover. Now he causes disasters nearby Mt. Silver to prevent people from losing their lives. Most misunderstood him, deeming him a malicious spirit, but in truth he has saved lives in doing this. It's probably cause he's aware of why people are trying to go to Mt. Silver, they want to battle his ex!)

~Silver - Specter (He guards the Ruins of Alph, the location of which Ethan hides within. He will kill those who are not pure of heart by transforming into a Feraligatr! Oh wait, no it's an illusion. The victims usually die by his hands to prevent them from potentially getting (or harming) Celebi.)

~S!3v3n - Wraith (The younger brother of Mike that took his own life after feeling immense guilt over his actions. He tends to avoid Mike whenever possible, as his spirit was fused with Miki's as a last resort from Missing No. He looks more human than Charizard though.. and victims who do not heed Gray's warnings tend to end up as charred corpses.)

~Mike - Revenant (The older brother of Steven that was murdered, and is now seeking revenge. In the sense that his hair turned into wires that can extend to strangle his victims. Some of these victims were just onlookers caught in the middle. And Gray almost became a victim before Red intervened!)

~Glitchy Red - Living Glitch (The guy who isn't a spirit, but lives with Gray because he got his ass haunted. Don't annoy him, and he won't kill you. He has to tolerate so many spirits daily, so it's best not to make that looming anger worse. He also can go into his game and back out whenever he pleases.)

~Wally - Wandering Spirit (A young boy who died due to over-exerting himself during training. Should you seek him out, you must first go through Gardevoir. Even when her trainer was long dead, she still protects his spirit. Often times, he isn't 'home', but if your lucky he'll challenge you to a friendly battle. No consequences for losing, just the sting of defeat. Some hold back on Wally, but others don't. Hackers tend to glitch out of existence if they try to challenge Wally. No one knows why though.)

~Gray - Human (The poor sucker that's haunted to heck and back. Red has to protect him from death from time to time, much to his chagrin. He's constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Worse yet is most of the stress comes from Shinto! (not that she's doing anything bad tho-))

~Shinto - Unknown (A poorly made hypno that seems to love Gray in a friendly way. Even if Gray is like.. scared of her. She can turn into a human! Which confuses the heck out of Gray and Red of all people.)

[starsarefire824]

I know the Duffers handled Robin really well but I have been so burned by other shows and how they handle queer characters. I just. I don't want Byler to blow up like other shows have

Hey anon!

I mean...I definitely have my reservations about how Will and Mike's storyline will pan out throughout season five and the conclusion of the series. For sure I do. And I do wish that a lot of media would be braver in their choices for characters. I would like to see queer storylines in shows that don't center around the topic you know? Like Young Royals and Heartstopper are gorgeous pieces of media--Young Royals is one of my favorite shows of the last couple years, but I would like to start seeing more characters, not even characters, more MAIN characters that are in a story who just happen to be queer, and maybe less of the "media created specifically for queer audiences." Black Sails comes to mind for me as a show that executed that rather perfectly.

And don't misunderstand me, I am SO happy that there are so many more choices when it comes to lgbtq+ media that is made by and for queer people. That is such a fantastic thing that has blossomed a lot in the last few years. I am a younger to middle of the pack age range Millenial and damn if that wouldn't have been lovely for me to have during my pre-teen, coming of age. From my experience, and from a lot of people around me that are also queer, I think it was a much longer and confusing road for a lot of us to get to the point we are now, and I think that we all could have greatly benefited from that type of media. My personal journey was delayed in a lot of ways, and I know media is just one part of the problem, but it really does make me happy to see things like Heartstopper of Sex Education be so popular. 'Cause DAMN if I didn't need those shows when I was 14.

But my real point here is, that I hope the Duffer Brothers really utilize the very rare opportunity they have here. Stranger Things is a very vast, ensemble cast, supernatural family drama that I think has a lot of sociopolitical statements wrapped up into that. But in the end, it's an all-encompassing piece of media that is made up of many genres and has many, many different stories to tell. Will (and Byler) is just one component of that. And so I would LOVE it if they chose to go through with Byler in the end.

I totally agree with you on the Robin storyline. I think that the way they handled that storyline was perfection. It was done in a surprising way, it was done in a sensitive and empathetic way, and it was done in a way that after the reveal it challenged the audience and maybe made people rethink the way they sort of absorb and read media. It inverted tired tropes and it just felt very organic and real between Steve and Robin. It felt like an interaction that really happens to a lot of people. It also gave Steve as a character a lot of growth without having him wrapped up in another love story. I really, really can't tell you how much I love that plot line and how it all turned out in season 3. And even though Robin's romance couldn't be a main focus in season 4 because of what was happening in the overall plot, I thought that they gave it enough attention to make you feel for her and also to root for her and Vickie to be happy. And I mean, how cool is it that there is a CANON lesbian main character in a show that is a cultural phenomena? People of all walks of life, colors, religions, and ages watch this show. People who would never, ever turn on a queer piece of media watch this show. And maybe, just maybe, it might change someone's point of view or bias. Maybe it makes it easier for some thirteen year old somewhere to come to terms with themselves. That's important and it matters. It's reaching an audience that it might not have reached before.

And I one hundred percent think the Duffer Brothers know that. I truly think that it's all intentional on their part and the part of the other writers. They also have characters like Nancy, who goes against most female stereotypes and even plays against a lot of the standard tropes of female characters from the 80s. There's Lucas, who goes against a lot of stereotypes that black characters are pigeonholed into while not white-washing or erasing his blackness in any way. Steve is the jock asshole who went against every trope we thought we were going to get from him. They do a wonderful job of examining cycles of abuse while not necessarily flat out telling you, this is the villain of this story. They like to live in the gray areas and I really respect that. Billy for example, while a very controversial character, is given the same depth and nuance as the "heroes" of the story. Eleven herself, the main hero of our story, isn't good or bad, and her journey and choices are never black and white. Brenner, Hopper, hell, even Henry is highly relatable in a lot of ways. There are sooo many well-written characters, big and small, that are written with care and thought. And this is the reason people so staunchly defend and love and debate their favorite characters. Everyone can find something of themselves in multiple characters and it's why the audience is so attached to what happens to these pretend kids from pretend Hawkins.

And so, when it comes to Will and Mike, and how all of this will play out. I truly trust the Duffer Brother's to write Will's story line with grace and with a lot of care. It seems like they really enjoy writing for Noah Schnapp as an actor and from what I've gathered, they deeply care that his character is given the justice he deserves. So I am of the opinion that whether they write Byler or not, I will be satisfied with his characters final arc. He is my favorite character of the show and that really is what is most important to me when it comes down to it.

That being said, I think that the Duffer Brothers are going to surprise everyone, even us Bylers, with how they write Mike and Will in season five. As much as I like to take care with getting too excited, I'm at a point where I think that the writing, while very subtle, has been leading to no other end than Mike and Will together romantically. The fact that Will has not had a love interest and that there will be no new characters in season 5, the fact that his character has been queer-coded since day one, the fact that they've said season five will directly deal with his coming of age, the fact that Will and Mike have orbited each other since season 1, and literally the entire foreshadowing of season four for me...I just can't see it being written any other way than that.

I think that the Duffers have the talent in the writing room and the general sensitivity of making it no.1: easy to swallow by the GA and maybe even the reddit bros, no. 2: come to fruition in a way that is surprising, heartfelt, and gives you that aha moment of "oh, it really was there all along wasn't it?" I think that they have it in them to write a really beautiful ending for these two characters that would feel authentic and also....just natural. It will be one small but important part of a very complex story involving so many characters and if they do it right, it could be a really beautiful queer story wrapped up in something bigger than that--and maybe open up some people's eyes to how a little boy like Will's life and journey is just as worthy of their time to root for, that his story matters, and what happens to him is just as important as the standard heroes and heroines they are so used to rooting for. It might make people see that queer love can save the world the same as the prince's love for the princess can.

You can't get your hopes up too much, but boy if it doesn't make me smile thinking about the possibilities of that.

[kaleschmidt]

FUCKY OUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!! .....five night feddy

AHHH!!! ok. here we go

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

you see i would say marionette but i think RWQ triumphs. shadow bnuuy :3 .... did i forget springtrap. um. sorry springtrap. oh i also like circus baby + liz. most of my fave chars have tags

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

the balloon boy group are my kids i talk abt this a lot. they are everything 2 me i hope that helps! i'm making up for my earlier hatred of bb back in the days. i am a changed man!

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

chica :3! you know how hard i'm trying to make her so important in the feddyverse lore. she's like also my best friend. i am SO mad that she doesn't have lots of lore importance in the main game like girl LET HER IN THERE!!!!!!!! FUUUUCCCCKKK!!!!

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

oh this is like. most of the human chars. phone guy, fritz, jere, n phone dude. they're like my besties (<- STILL HASN'T MADE THE FEDDYVERSE COUNTERPARTS 4 EVERYONE BUT JERE). ignore that we have like no info on any of them. they're just my besties. but also i'll explode any fritz that is just a michael disguise. hope that helps! im light on phoney + phone dude interps but a lil more pickier w fritz + jere. hope that helps again!

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

springtrap. next question

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

look i know mike + michael may be the same char but i think i should be able to psychologically torment mike in a silly goofy way. ALSO phone guy. i'd never torment any of the animatronics they're like my best friends

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

william afton NEXT FUCKING QUESTION

[zenon-karr]

Just was thinking about how our anti posts for Melville are never ever intended to be aimed at making milkvans change their minds! They’re for us analyzing byler!! They’re for people who already agree not for those who disagree!! Nobody is really being just a melvin hater. I think we all can’t stand the homophobic shippers more than the actual ship Itself. The issue isn’t they ship it over byler it’s the fact /they/ have issues with us analyzing contrary to their ship. And rather than just saying they think Melville is endgame they have to be homophobic about it towards those who think byler is endgame despite the fact they were more popular before s4. They try to convince US rather than our anti minivan posts are for us not for them! This person aimed entire analysis against byler endgame TO us to make us feel delusional when all we been doing is just be excited. It’s be different if people were harassing Noah or sth and that the motive. But nobody was doing this so it just come across annoying and rude. That why we think antis are homophobic because you antagonize us just for analyzing byler is endgame. You can think it’s not endgame on your own space and that doesn’t make you homophobic obviously but when you aim it at us it comes off so homophobic and rude. I’m not sure if these posters were Melville but it’s almost same logic at this point like if you’re just antagonizing queer shippers for shipping it and calling them delusional it’s p homophobic to me. It’s different if it’s in response to people acting poorly but we’re just antagonizing for people shipping and hoping for endgame - how can you not see how it comes across??? We don’t care about the ancient queer baiting ships that were huge before any chars were even confirmed queer. Our ship got big coz they confirmed Will is in love with Mike and because and it’s open ended how Mike feels. END OF!!

In the end of the day, exterior positive or negative commentary by cast and crew for byler don’t matter unless it’s them saying explicitly no as a matter of fact - see johnlock and destiel. (I’m johnlock so not anti). However nothing in the show said how Mike feels. Loving another character does NOT say they don’t love also another see Archie with Betty and Veronica (comic or riverdale) this what I love triangle IS! I saw byler in s2 so I’m confident since then coz there’s no reason to show a close shot of Mike’s hand touching Will’s a la:

Anyway enjoy Mike reciprocating Will’s love:

At the end of the day even anti Melville meta doesn’t matter or blue meets yellow in the west analysis - what does matter is simple stuff like they’ve set up a love triangle. It’s common sense that it’s reciprocated whether Mike is gay or bi! It doesn’t matter most love triangles have one party who loves more than one person or is dating another. Archie literally said he loved Betty and Veronica in one season of Riverdale and is always in comics can’t decide between them! It’s not unrealistic or delusional to think Mike and Will is requited even if the monologue is genuine! They also set it up like benverly she thought the poem was from Bill so she loved him till she realized the poem was from Ben and you can say his weight is parallel with Will being queer and they both would think there’s 0 chance their love is requited and it was because the poem and painting act a representation of loving a person for who they are not what they look like or gender etc. anyway bylers I love you! Sorry we had to see so much anti takes in one day. ✨💚

[x-fizzyp0p-x]

Lost Promise | Billy Showalter /The Paperboy

TW - Canon type violence, heavily implied CSA, implied suicidal thoughts.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41352417

Chatter ran through Billy Showalter’s ears as he glanced up and took a deep breath of fresh air. The sky was beautiful - the sun was just starting to set and he was presented with a beautiful array of colors that mixed perfectly, making him wish he carried around his camera more often. The clouds appeared a beautiful pink with yellow on the horizon and a light blue above it, getting darker the further up it went.

Billy adored small moments like these, even if they were seen as cheesy and weird for a boy to even ponder.

“You coming, Showalter?” Mike, confused, broke the boy out of his trance.

“Oh– yeah yeah,” Billy ran up to the bike rack, where two other boys waited, “Sorry, spaced out.”

The trio unlocked their bikes and hopped on.

“You guys wanna stay the night at mine?” Dan asked. Mike agreed, but Billy shook his head.

“I can’t, my parents don’t want me out past dark. Something about that kid who went missing.”

“D’you wanna just stay at yours then?”

He paused for a moment. He considered it, and as much as he wanted to… It was a Sunday night. That was never a good night for plans, even in summer. He’d be getting home later than he wanted as is.

“Y’know what– God I forgot, my little brother has a soccer game real early tomorrow, I don’t think my parents will want anyone over.”

That was a lie.

“Yeah, okay…” Mike nodded. Dan seemed satisfied with this answer, and began to bike near the road, but the other seemed concerned.

After a moment of silence, he then asked, “Um, hey… Is everything okay with you?”

“Yeah,” Billy stuttered, acting bewildered, “Why?”

“I dunno, you just… We never go over to your house anymore, and you’ve been real quiet.”

Shit.

“Oh it’s nothing. I’m just worried about starting school soon and shit.”

“Well we’ve still got a month left before then. Don’t stress too much, kid.”

“I’ll try.” Billy smiled.

“If your parents change their minds and you wanna call, we’ll be at Dan’s, alright? I’ll be seeing you.”

“See you later.”

Billy was left, sat on his bike for a moment of silent contemplation. Seeing the sky get darker, though, he knew better than to sit around and wait for nighttime. He had enough to take care of as is, and at least wanted some amount of sleep tonight. So, he hopped on fully and rode off in the opposite direction, keeping a close eye out for this rumored kidnapper.

Opening the front door, Billy was immediately greeted with the scent of cigarettes and something burning. He wasn’t all that surprised; he just made sure to check that it was his mother again, and not something actually catching on fire this time. But, there on the kitchen counter sat the charred remains of a chicken.

His parents were fighting again about something or another - it’s not like him listening in did anything - and had basically left his siblings to fend for themselves. But Chris was nowhere to be seen. That didn’t matter; he was plenty old enough to be able to help himself.

It was Eric that he knew he had to look after.

Billy looked through the fridge, scavenging for anything he could find to actually feed 2 people. He was lucky enough to find some deli meat he could make sandwiches with, and paired this alongside some leftover vegetables. He made a plate for Eric first, of course, he wandered into the kitchen and waited patiently at the kitchen table.

“How was the roller rink?” Eric asked as his brother sat across from him.

“It was fun,” Billy passed his brother the plate, “I’ve improved a lot. I think I might learn a few tricks soon.”

The two began to eat, the older trying to talk to distract from the petty argument in the other room.

“I think I might be good enough to teach you finally.”

“Really???”

“Yeah. I’ll have to catch them in a good mood, but I’m sure we can go before summer ends.”

“I hope so…” Eric took a big bite, “Could I bring my friends??”

“Sure thing. Just no more than 2. I’ll be responsible for you all.”

Eric nodded quickly.

“There’s also an arcade, so save up some coins.”

“Is there a prize counter?”

“Course there is.”

The younger gave a big smile, finally cheering up as he finished his food quickly while Billy was still halfway through his. This… Didn’t surprise him, as it meant their parents were probably too busy at work to feed him, and well… Chris was Chris.

“You want more bud?”

Receiving a nod, Billy stood and made the kid another sandwich. They spent the rest of dinner talking about the arcade games and the prizes at the counter, planning to hopefully go next weekend. After they were both done, Billy headed upstairs, bringing up two water bottles and deciding to check on Chris.

Billy knocked on the door. “It’s me.”

“What do you want?”

“Can I come in?”

It was quiet for a moment. “Sure.”

Billy opened the door, instantly smelling the weed, but getting used to it at this point. He saw Chris clumsily spraying febreeze and cologne, trying to cover the smell.

“Got you some water.”

“Thanks. Leave it on the dresser.”

Billy didn’t really bother to make conversation while his older brother was in this state, and just went back to his own room without a second thought.

◇──◆──◇──◆

The next morning, Billy woke up bright and early, both to the sound of his alarm and a furry face licking his own.

He chuckled, “Alright, alright, I’m up.”

Benji wagged his tail as Billy sat up and followed him to the kitchen. He went and waited next to the empty food bowl and watched as the boy filled it up. While he was downstairs, he grabbed a water bottle and a granola bar to eat after he got ready.

Billy had happily settled into the routine of getting up early, even in the summer to deliver the papers. It was a peaceful job, allowing him to get some fresh air and time away from the house with his dog. And while most other kids his age wouldn’t want to bother, he enjoyed the extra money.

Not that his family really needed it, but it wasn’t like he could just ask for money.

It didn’t take him too long to prepare as he banded them all up and took Benji out, starting his route. He headed down the streets, tossing the newspaper to each instructed door as per routine.

There weren’t really any people out yet; just the occasional elderly person enjoying the fresh air, or some people starting to leave for work. So it confused Billy when he saw a black van on the corner of Abney Road. He tried not to think too much of it; it really wasn’t any of his business, and he had a job to do. He had only just started his route, after all.

When he started to ride closer, a man stepped out. He wore a weird outfit and a top hat with glasses that made it hard to see his face. 

The strange man called out to him, making him stop his bike.

“Hey paperboy, can you help me carry some things into my house?” The man smiled, “I managed to pop a disk during one of my shows, could you believe it?”

“Oh I dunno, I’ve gotta get this done, y’know? Can’t be late.”

Benji started to bark, and Billy just patted his back to try and calm him.

“Oh it should only take a second, I just have 2 bags here… And I have some empty change weighing my pockets down, too.”

Billy wasn’t usually one to be flattered, but he did feel bad for the guy, knowing he probably didn’t have anyone else to help him. He complied, having Benji sit and stay while leaving his bike near the van and walking over. 

The man, chuckling, opened the back of the van.

“Let’s see… Lemme get these balloons out of the way…”

He watched as the stranger dug around the van, pulling out a bunch of black balloons and what looked like… A canister of something.

Oh.

Oh.

Before he could try to run, or even get in a fair fight - not that he really even could fight in the first place - he was grabbed, violently, mainly by his waist, and as he screamed, got sprayed with what must’ve been poison or bug repellent as black balloons hid it all. 

Billy grew dizzy and his vision started to blur and he could no longer find the energy to struggle. He went limp as he was tossed into the back of the van, where, of course, there were no grocery bags.

Black spotting started and eventually took over all of his vision, knocking him out as he could only hear the van starting to drive and his dog barking like crazy.

But now… Who would take care of Benji and Eric?

◇──◆──◇──◆

His hearing came back with his consciousness before his sight. Billy could feel himself being carried somewhere, and eventually heard a man talking to him. He was too dazed to understand what he was saying, but tried to listen for any identifying factor regardless. His limp body bounced slightly on a seemingly bare mattress. 

Eventually, some words started to become clear.

“...Your particular little… Routine made it a little easier, at least. Oh, and sorry for the uh… Eye situation.” The man laughed, “The rest of the house is a mess anyways, you wouldn’t want to see it.”

Blinking a few times, Billy could begin to see the outline of the man in the van from earlier… However long ago that was. He began to look around, seeing nothing but an empty, sad basement in small spots of vision. Although, a black phone hung up on the wall caught his attention. And unable to sit still without swaying slightly, he stared at it, a small hint of curiosity and hope.

“Oh don’t mind that old thing… Hasn’t worked for years, not since I was a kid.”

“...You have to let me go.”

“Oh? Do I, now, paperboy?”

“They- everyone knows my route… And my dog, he’ll–”

“He’ll what? Come sniff you down and crack the case?”

Billy averted his eyes once more to the strange man. He was masked now, and despite his face being completely covered, he could tell the bastard was smiling anyways. He seemed so cocky and confident that the boy wouldn’t be able to escape. It was sickening. If Billy really was his second victim, did he really think he’d be able to get away with it twice?

“You kidnapped that other kid… Last month, when he went missing.”

“No, that must’ve been someone else… You’re special, that’s why I brought you here.”

Billy nearly hurled. But he didn’t believe it.

“What’s your name, boy?”

“I don’t have to tell you that…”

The man sighed, “Well no, I suppose you don’t, buuuuut I’ll end up finding out later anyways… In those papers you used to deliver.”

“Well, find out later then.” Billy spat.

“Ouch,” he chuckled, “You’re a feisty one. Couldn’t have expected that.”

It was silent for a moment as the boy took a shaky breath in, trying to decide his next force of action. He couldn’t fight - not physically. He was nowhere near strong enough to take down a middle aged man on his own, his vision was still messed up, and he had no idea where he was. He could be in a house in the middle of nowhere for all he knew - it wasn’t worth the risk. Not right now.

There must’ve been a way to escape when his kidnapper left. There had to be… Something he could do to get out. Benji was still out there waiting for him, wondering where he had gone… God, and what if he had gotten lost?

“Look, if you let me go, it’ll be easier– I won’t even tell the cops about you, I’ll say I was passed out the whole time, that I don’t remember anything…”

Billy didn’t notice he was crying until he felt a cold hand wipe away tears.

“Ohhh, you know I can’t do that now… I promise, I won’t be hurting you anymore. You’re scared, I know… But you’ll start to enjoy your time down here.”

He backed up, recoiling from the touch and getting as far away from his kidnapper as physically possible, making him sigh in clear frustration.

“How about this… I’ll go get you a soda, and give you some time to process this, alright?”

Billy said nothing in response, so the man took this as a yes, and finally made his way upstairs and out of the basement.

The door slammed shut.

◇──◆──◇──◆

Billy wasn’t fed the rest of that day. He could take at least one guess as to why - but hungry or not, he knew he couldn’t sit around and wait to be rescued. 

His vision had gotten better by the next morning with some rest, despite his eyes still hurting. He was able to do a scan of the basement though, not finding much in his favor. There was a single window with a metal grate that was just barely out of his reach. The “bathroom” was mostly empty with the exception of the toilet and a single roll of toilet paper. There was a wall on the other side of the room with a little make-shift hallway that just had a dirt patch covered in tiles, and some wallpaper that seemed to be peeling away.

However… There was a small opening right at the edge of the wall, all the way towards the floor. Investigating it, he stuck his fingers inside, noticing a cable of some sorts. And although Billy thought it was likely connected to something and wouldn’t budge, as he started to tug on it, it started to glide out fairly easily.

The cable was long - definitely long enough to reach the window. It was just a matter of getting it up there, really…

The lights to the basement switched on and Billy stumbled to hide the cable, quickly deciding to put it in the small amount of space there was under the bed. He was lucky enough to be able to do it in time for the kidnapper not to see it, and only saw the boy sitting on the mattress.

Looking over, Billy was relieved to see a tray of food after what was likely 24 hours. He was starving to the point of being shaky and weak, so would take whatever he would get.

“Good morning, paperboy… How did you sleep?”

“Fine.” He muttered plainly, eyes focused on the eggs and sprite that was finally handed to him.

The man sat down across from the bed casually, as if he wasn’t with the child he had brutally kidnapped the other day. The boy stared at him for a moment, confused, as if waiting for him to leave.

“...Aren’t you going to go back upstairs?”

He chuckled, “Well I’d be a bad host if I didn’t keep you any company, wouldn’t I?”

“I-I don’t want you anywhere near me…”

“Aw, you don’t mean that. I know you’re just scared… It’ll just take some time to adjust.”

Realizing this weirdo wasn’t going back upstairs any time soon, he decided to eat anyways, scarfing down his food. Had he not been starving, he’d cringe at the first bite and refuse to take another bite, but he had a feeling he wasn’t in the right place to be making demands.

Frankly, he considered himself still lucky to be alive.

Later that day, however, he took back the thought.

He wished he had been killed.

It was probably a couple hours before his kidnapper did finally leave him to go upstairs, after which he immediately noticed one fatal mistake.

The door was left slightly open.

Just enough to be unlocked.

Billy’s heart fluttered as he nearly shot up. Even if he couldn’t fight, he knew at the very least that he could run. He could run and find help while the man was out doing whatever it was he had left for - work, he hoped. That’d mean he’d be able to escape with an empty house, and completely avoid injury.

Ideally, that is.

Whatever the circumstances, he had to prepare himself to run like hell.

He noticed his hands shaking as he went for the door, hesitating slightly as he slowly opened it as quietly as he could. He saw a set of stairs that he promptly climbed. Billy’s heart rate skyrocketed as he realized that he finally had a fair chance to escape - he could be the last person this sick bastard takes, and no other kid would have to suffer through this.

Another door sat at the top of the stairs, and he turned the knob with his sweaty palm. It was a lot more quiet, albeit pretty creaky, than the giant metal door behind him. That didn’t matter now either way - he needed to leave. Now.

His blood immediately ran cold, and that was obvious in his sudden paleness. Billy froze, unable to find fight in him, begging his instincts to make him do something other than stand there wide-eyed.

Seconds felt like hours as the man slowly stood up, bare from the waist up - aside from that stupid fucking mask of course. 

He held a leather belt.

In all the hours of torture, Billy wondered if he could have actually escaped this fate had he acted earlier. Those few seconds he just stood there. He could’ve screamed. Someone could’ve been outside, or in a neighboring house. They could’ve heard and called the police. 

He could’ve done something.

But now he could do nothing.

That fucking belt was practically leaving him motionless. He was bleeding from how hard the man had beaten him. They were in no specific place, either. It hurt all over. Not even his face was safe from the metal of the belt buckle.

Billy’s waist had some minorly broken skin, but mainly bruises from how hard the man grabbed him. It made no position comfortable - his back suffered the worst lacerations, both of his sides were badly bruised, and his stomach and chest also suffered horrible damage. Sitting wouldn’t be any better, either.

All he could think to do was lay completely still. Hopeless and finally left alone, Billy laid there on the mattress, empty of tears to cry and too exhausted to even bother attempting escape. His kidnapper seemed surprised by his silence afterwards, as if he expected the boy to jump up and beg for his life every time he visited.

He didn’t even have the energy to eat.

◇──◆──◇──◆

The man never did tell Billy how long he’d been down there. In however long it had been, he’d only eaten and drank when he felt like he was going to die, and his instincts took over him more than anything. Yet still, afterwards, he could only lay there and hope for someone to find him.

But, he could only take the waiting for so long.

The kidnapper didn’t leave him alone after that night, of course; he visited often and spent a lot of time with the boy, who felt he was slowly losing his mind. He even reached the point of begging to be killed.

He never got what he wanted.

Finally getting so tired of the wait, he remembered the cable he left under the mattress, still with the potential to be used. Billy had grown bitter and pessimistic, and frankly doubted his plan would work. But even so… Maybe he could find a different way to end his suffering.

It was fairly soon that he’d discover that he wasn’t able to efficiently use the cable to climb. It wouldn’t go through and stay on the grate, not creating any kind of stability.

With a heavy sigh, he searched the basement one more time for anything he could use to his advantage. All he needed was something to climb up, or something long enough to pull the cable through the grate so he wouldn’t have to aimlessly throw it.

For fuck’s sake.

There was nothing.

The man was a fucking creep, but he was at least smart enough to not put anything useful down there. Not to mention the bed being nailed down into the floor.

Billy was defeated.

He slouched against the wall, his back sliding down the cement as he slowly reached the floor. Deep down, he had known, all this time, that he was going to die. But the feeling never really hit him until now. He would never see his own dog again. Or poor Eric, who would never get to go to the roller rink with his older brother. And Chris, who, while an asshole, wouldn't have anyone to take care of him when he’d gone overboard with weed. And his parents. As much as they seemed like they didn’t care, he was sure they were at least a little worried.

Billy imagined his parents felt more guilty than they ever have their entire lives.

All of their years of arguing and neglecting him all led to this; their middle son gone, likely dead or bound to die, taken by someone who was sure to be a local kidnapper. And if they had done something - maybe spent more time with him, raised him better, or taught him how to avoid strangers instead of setting a strict curfew…

They could’ve saved him.

But, that’s just what Billy hoped they felt.

As much as he thought he should've, he didn’t cry. It could’ve been the dehydration, but he just… Couldn’t. He tried to, but all he could feel was an emptiness that swallowed him whole. He just didn’t care anymore.

He was going to die down here.

But the least he could do was try to save the next kid that was unfortunate enough to be taken down here. And the man was sure to take the cable if he found it. So there had to be a way to hide it.

Billy looked around the room, remembering where he initially made the discovery. He was sure he’d be able to snake the cable back into the hole with some time and patience. He just tore up the opening - just a little bit, so as to not be noticed by the kidnapper - and put the end in.

Slowly but surely, the cord became hidden again. It went back into the wall, hidden from plain sight, and as if nothing had ever happened there.

It was only a few minutes later when the door opened once more.

Billy Matthew Showalter stared blankly, accepting his fate.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Um… Hey…” A small voice started, “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

The late paperboy nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned and saw a boy standing behind him. He’d never believed in ghosts before he became one and saw another right there with him.

It took a few moments of silence for him to realize that this was the other missing child - the one on the flyers he always saw. He couldn’t have been any older than 11. And to no surprise, the rumors were true. 

“Why… Are you apologizing? It’s not like there was anything you could do.”

The kid slowly nodded, taking a cautious seat next to the paperboy. They both now watched in silent solidarity as their kidnapper disposed of the fresh body. It was wrapped up in some sheets and blankets, and thrown into a black duffel bag.

After a few minutes, the paperboy spoke again.

“So… How long are we going to be here?”

“I don’t know. I’m guessing until our bodies are found… But who knows how long that’ll be.”

“Can we… Leave?”

“The basement? Yeah, so far. But not the house.”

“Great…” 

The paperboy sighed. The two of them started to walk upstairs, the older getting a look at where he’d be stuck for god-knows-how-long. He’d only gotten a glance of the kitchen once, when he was naive enough to think he could escape. The rest of the house was unimpressive. And he wasn’t surprised to see the man lived alone. Well, aside from a dog, that is.

They both watched as the man carried the duffel bag out of the house.

 “Where does he keep us? Our bodies?”

“He has another house, right across the street. I saw him bring mine there…”

“Probably another basement.”

“I guess.”

It was weird for the paperboy - to watch as his own lifeless body was being carried around like an object, likely about to be buried and forgotten. He’d be sad if he didn’t feel so empty on the inside. 

◇──◆──◇──◆

The kidnapper - now named by the public as “The Grabber” - was quick in getting his next victim. The paperboy somewhat recognized him - he was older, had gotten held back twice, and therefore had still gone to school with him. He was… Surprised, to say the least, that The Grabber was able to take him, given his reputation. But, it made sense when he saw the guy was clearly drugged.

“He did what???”

“Yeah,” the paperboy nodded, “Everyone knew not to fuck with him, they were all terrified. I’d bet he’ll be the one to escape.

“As long as he doesn’t give him anymore of that stuff.”

“True.”

The paperboy sat and thought for a moment, wondering if there was any way the two could help the third victim escape. They couldn’t just speak openly, of course. The Grabber would’ve heard them by now if that was the case.

“Hey kid, have you ever tried the phone?”

“Huh? I mean, yeah, once… But it’s disconnected, remember?”

“Well yeah, but maybe… It could connect a different way.”

The kid watched, confused, as the paperboy walked over to the black phone. He picked the phone up off the receiver, and tried to call the basement. It was illogical, but he had nothing to lose from trying.

The phone rang. The kid looked at him in amazement, and they both now glanced at the third victim, who was sitting up on the mattress. Although drugged, the ringing went on for more than a few seconds, and he didn’t even bat an eye.

He couldn’t hear the phone.

“Well… It almost worked.” The paperboy put the phone down, sighing.

“We could still try it again.”

“I dunno. I don’t think he’ll just… Start hearing it.” He walked over and sat on the other end of the room. “You can try, if you want.”

The kid did, in fact, naively walk over to the phone and try again.

The third victim never did hear the phone, all those months. 

Neither did the fourth.

Or the fifth.

◇──◆──◇──◆

“Kid, you must’ve tried calling that phone a million times,” The paperboy sighs, “And no one ever hears it.”

“But The Grabber has, and if he does, that means there’s still a chance.”

“He’s right,” The new kid walks over to the phone, “If anyone will hear it, it’ll be Finn. His family is… Weird. His mother heard and saw things that weren’t there. And his sister - she had these dreams that just… Always came true.”

None of them had ever seen the new boy so focused and determined on something - not even when he was alive. That Finn boy must’ve been real special to him, the paperboy figured.

“It’s worth a shot, then.” The baseball player walked up to the phone and pulled it off the receiver. 

Everyone else watched the sixth victim intently, now seeing him turn and look at the phone.

“It’s him.” The new boy’s voice cracked.

“Holy shit…” The paperboy muttered, watching as the sixth picked up the phone.

Not even the baseball player had thought this far ahead. He was silent and frozen still before he could even get a word in, and Finn hung up the phone before he could do anything.

The kid smiled again for the first time. “He’s going to get us out of here…”

◇──◆──◇──◆

The paperboy never had the heart to go see his family once everyone had left the house. He knew he should’ve - everyone else paid at least one visit. But he just… Was scared. Of what he might find. And he just might not find what he was looking for at all.

He hoped that his family was moving on well, and learning from their mistakes. That, at the very least, in this moment of tragedy, they were sticking together and getting along for the sake of the funeral, and his memory. But, he also knew that he was the glue of the family. And without the glue, they would all fall apart. He could no longer break up arguments between his parents to tell them that Eric needed serious medical attention, or get Chris to listen to their parents for once in his life, or to keep his little brother distracted during all the screaming matches, or to be the only one feeding the dog.

They would have to figure that out on their own.

He had a feeling they never did.

No one else ever questioned why he never went to his old house. That was personal shit - and they all swore to never bring up the past unless absolutely necessary. All of that was ancient history. It didn’t matter.

All that did matter was finding a way to move on, in their own time.

That’s why they were all surprised when the new boy - Robin - was able to go so quickly. It was common knowledge that he had a very strong attachment to the sixth victim; the paperboy even guessed that they were probably in love, like the rockstar and the baseball player seemed to be. Yet, he didn’t even have to stick around for his funeral. Or anyone else’s.

The paperboy was the one who had to feel awkward, attending his own funeral.

“It can’t be that bad.” The kid tried to cheer him up.

“It’s just… Nerve wracking.” He shook his head, “I’ll have to hear everyone say their condolences and shit.”

“Don’t be such a baby,” The rockstar rolled his eyes, “It’ll probably be your time to move on. You don’t wanna be stuck here like this forever.”

The group was silent for a moment before the paperboy nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.”

They all finally walked into the funeral home, joining Finney and his family, who, of course, they’d all been following around since they escaped. It was nice to be around someone who, at least, was able to talk to them without freaking out. Albeit in other ways than that phone.

The paperboy looked around, noticing a good turnout. That wasn’t what surprised him, though. He noticed his brothers at the front of the room, in front of their parents. And with them was the dog, which was the most confusing part.

“That’s your pup, paperboy?” The rockstar asked.

“Yeah… He was with me, the day that… He took me.”

The baseball player tilted his head, “I’m surprised the funeral directors actually allowed that.”

“...Me too…”

The paperboy slowly walked up to the front of the room, watching as his parents stood in front of the closed casket with Chris and Eric both crying, to his surprise. They were holding hands, too.

Chris hadn’t changed all that much, physically. He’d only appeared to lose a little weight, and seemed more… In touch with his emotions, in a way. Really living up to the hippie stereotype now. But he wasn’t as laid back as the paperboy remembered his brother’s friends being.

Eric had grown. It had been about a year since he'd last seen him, and he was getting used to the sight of his little brother getting older without him. It was… Sad, and scary in a way. In just a couple years, he’d be the same age the paperboy was when he died. And a couple years after that, his younger brother would become his older brother.

The others stood by the paperboy as he kneeled down in front of his dog. The boy hadn’t changed a bit, already being full-grown when they departed. He looked down at his collar, which hadn’t changed either.

“Benji…” He muttered.

The dog stood, suddenly wagging his tail and looking right at the paperboy. He barked.

Chris tried to get the dog to sit, but his tail was wagging about a mile a minute.

“No shit… Your dog sees you, dude.” The rockstar spoke, shocked.

“Huh…” Smiling, the paperboy pet the dog happily.

“What the hell– Benji, sit.” Chris tried to command, looking wherever the dog was so focused on. There was nothing there, and no reason for the dog to be acting so weird all of the sudden.

“Gosh, why’d it get so cold in here…” Eric shivered, hugging himself and petting Benji.

This made Chris pause for a moment.

No. It wasn’t possible.

Ghosts weren’t real. And he was stupid for even considering it.

Chris sighed as he no longer tried to get Benji to sit again. He was on a leash, and wasn’t causing any real distraction, so whatever. It’d be fine, and his parents would suck it up or try to get him to listen themselves.

“Hey paperboy…” The kid smiled, “I think he’s helping you move on.”

Looking down at his hands, he chuckled, “Yeah, I guess so… I could’ve left a long time ago if that was the case.”

Benji seemed finally content, seeing his owner one last time, and sat while still happily accepting the phantom pets while he still could. The paperboy, too, seemed content with this outcome. He was so focused - feeling it was only him and Benji in the room alone - that he didn’t even notice Finney walking over and talking to the rest of his family.

The paperboy smiled and leaned down, giving his dog one more kiss on the head.

“...Good boy.”

Next

Chapter Index

[guessillcallitart]

Last lines

Thanks for tagging me, @365runesofwriting :)

Here are the last lines from my WIP, Victorian Shannon (I couldn't resist posting a whole scene lol):

"Going in?" I shield my eyes from the jubilant morning light. A tall person clad in a long, black coat is revealed. Her long, brown locks tumble down her shoulders. "No." I avert my gaze from the curious, tawny eyes. "You should", she amends with a wry, crooked smile. "You need to talk to Lise. You've known her for the longest. She deserves to know why you're leaving. I was just your girlfriend. One of the people you've dated. I belong in your past in a way." The words carry a mix of bitterness and sorrows. I leap to my feet from my spot on the stairs and extend my hand. I grab Mona's. She surprises me by accepting my gesture. "I'm sorry." My voice sounds hoarse. "I know", Mona replies. She seems determined not to look into my eyes. She lets me draw her hand to my lips, I press a small kiss onto it. Mona shuts her eyes at my touch. A single tear rolls down her cheek. I drop her hand as if it had spontaneously burst into flames and gaze up into the cherry blossoms shining blindingly white against the azure sky. "You weren't just one of the people I dated." I don't dare to look at Mona so I speak to the cherry blossoms. "I don't want you to think that you weren't important or special because you were. You still are, in fact."

"What changed? Why aren't we dating anymore, Mike?" Mona's words ended in a quiet, sad sigh. "I did." My heart hammers in my chest. "I changed."

"Why did you kiss Lise?"

"Because I'm a wanker, alright? And a bloody confused one." I swipe a tear from my cheek. My voice shakes when I resume talking. "I don't why I do anything anymore. Everything's just a blur, a chaos. I... Lately I've just been thinking about Skai. I miss her so much. I'm not sure if I can love anyone like I loved her. Losing her changed me. I've been changing a lot."

"I miss her too but I don't blame her death for everything that has gone wrong. You can't keep blaming her either. Your drinking problem, your relationships gone wrong, you kissing a married woman who's also supposed to be your best mate, those are all on you. Skai died when you were thirteen. I hate that I need to say this but get over her, Mike. Get your shit together."

"I don't have a drinking problem." Finally I look back at Mona. She raises an eyebrow at me. "Sure, keep telling yourself that. I kinda wish you would man up and admit it. You can't just run away from your problems forever you know."

"Well, I can try." I smile wryly. "You're a mess. Get your shit together." Mona rolls her eyes. "You know, I thought I really knew you. Turns out I was wrong. You have real problems." She takes off her necklace and throws it on the ground. The heart breaks in two pieces. "It's broken. Just like us", Mona sums up the situation. "Asshole", she grumbles as she leaves me standing on the parking lot. I find myself watching her walk away. I retake my seat on the stairs and fish a bottle of vodka from my bag. The burning liquid trickles down my throat, filling my chest with the familiar lightness and numbness. My eyes find the pieces of the necklace next to a patch of grass. They glimmer slightly under the sun.

"I tried so hard to be happy. I really did. But it's like a puzzle piece has been missing. I'm coming back, Skai." The words leave my lips making me doubt if I spoke them at all. An old woman walking past wrinkles her nose at me. I chug down the vodka until only a half of the liquid is left. "Bugger off", I grumble.

I'm tagging: @aloeverawrites, @the-void-writes, @char-writes, @magefaery and anyone else who would like to do this :) (no pressure of course!)

[mikewheelertmmoved]

HELLO! YES YOUR PORTRAYAL! let's talk about how perfect and amazing it is? because ugh, i LOVE how you write mike. you put so much into him and tbh, i always get super excited when him and care interact! i enjoy the headcanons you post for him because ngl, i take note of them just to apply them to threads. anywho! please never doubt your portrayal or anything because i swear, you're amazing!

ps: mike is one of care's besties and nothing will change that.

          beep beep how’s my portrayal ?

char, how dare you make me cry? i’m just going to sob for a little bit. but honestly there are no words to describe just how much i appreciate you ( & care ), and hearing this from you? it means so much. i’m so glad you enjoy this mess of a bean. and pls, care can’t get rid of mike even if she wanted to because she is stuck with him <3 @fohrbz

[dxsturbia]

No it doesn’t mom and you are not supposed to be here

I start collecting Social Security benefits right after my 10th birthday do you know what else happens right after my 10th birthday we go to Germany

You promised me I can see the Eiffel Tower and then we are on a sleeper car through Paris and I never get the chance and then you left

When you come back you cannot collect them on my behalf they will revoke them counting the two other benefit checks and your job

So that is never legally changed with the Social Security ministration and you’re giving up custody of me costs me $5000

Char sent me down there with mike

Six months later Michael is asking me for $1500 to fix his truck Because I got my financial aid refund check in the middle of my transfer

Hell no