#Automatic Task In Ms Word

[dgybbvrcsacgswtcbkyv]

Kinchana?

Hanni Pham x fem!reader

Warnings: reader suffers from anxiety/anxiety attacks & low self-esteem

a/n: erm.. thought I’d give writing a try. Any feedback is appreciated. This also might be pt1 depending on if anyone even reads this lol. (Title might make sense later?)

Also, I have used some Korean words I hope they're correct.

______________________________________________________________

You’re awake before your alarm goes off. The same blue haze which sets over you every time you wake greets you. Along with a weight settling on your chest. You’re used to this feeling. But it’s still uncomfortable so you place a hand over your chest and apply pressure, as expected, it doesn’t help. This has merely become a force of habit now. You ignore it as usual and get ready for work. 

Clad in your oversized blue jeans and oversized tee, you walk towards the grocery shop where you work. Plugging in your wired earphones to the tiny mp3, you play the song you’ve had on repeat for the past week. Ever since you came to Korea you’ve always preferred not to use your phone much, finding that it only increases your anxiety. So you’ve taken it upon yourself to find little alternatives that don’t require the internet.

The shop bell jingles as you enter with a greeting, “Morning Ahjumma”. 

“Ahh you’re here?” she gives you the usual response. You’ve been working for Ms. Kim for a little over 3 months and you were still learning Korean. Thankfully, she knew basic English and was always helping you out. You begin your usual day of work, going through your tasks. Taking stock of inventory, arranging deliveries and creating some displays. 

It’s about midday when you hear the sound of reversing coming from the truck that brings stocks. You come out from the back of the store. “Ahjumma, I’ve told you to call me when the boxes arrive. Please don’t lift them by yourself.” You scold Ms. Kim as you run over to take the box from her hands. She’s not that old, being in her 50s, but you knew she’s been developing back problems and you didn’t want it to get worse for her. 

“Stop treating me like a halmeoni. Do I look like a halmeoni to you?” she sniped at you. “Yes. Absolutely.” You replied with a poker face. She grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a fly swatter and started to beat you with it. Not for real, of course-you could barely feel the swatter touch you. Yet you faked groans of pain and pretended to scream for help. Both of you were chuckling at your own antics when the doorbell jingled indicating the arrival of a customer so both of you ceased your little k-drama in order to appear sane. 

You heard multiple feet enter as your back was turned to them. “Annyeonghaseyo” Ms Kim greeted them with a bow. Without so much as a glance at the customers, you retreated to the back of the store with the box you were carrying. Being an introvert as well as not being fluent in Korean, you didn’t fancy dealing much with customers. Ms. Kim was usually the one handling the cashier unless it was the graveyard shift. Which you usually took over since it meant less customers. 

Ready to make the several trips to unload all the boxes, you go to the front of the shop again. The delivery guys had piled the boxes outside the door. You bent down to pick one up—God, how could soft drink bottles be so heavy? and started to make your way to the door. Now, the door is automatic so you weren’t worried about having to open it. However, what you didn’t expect was the girl who was walking right into you. She was looking back and chatting excitedly to her friend, and you, being your introverted, dumbass, awkward self, was trying to back out of her way instead of verbally warning her. You weren’t quick enough and she bumps into you. 

A gasp leaves her mouth as she turns around and the box almost escapes your grip. You catch it and tighten your grip before it falls. Thank God, cause otherwise it would’ve definitely landed on yours AND her toes. “Oh! I’m so sorry” she quickly replies. Awkward as ever, with box still in your hands, a hurried apology comes from you as well and you bow to her. You look up and have a proper look at her for the first time and your mouth hangs open.

She was gorgeous. Like.. she looked like a 'first love''. That’s the only way you could describe her. Your brain short circuits and words elude you. You force yourself back to Earth and quickly give her another bow and shuffle away from the door so she and her friends can exit. You notice the friend right beside her, wearing a thick pair of glasses and almost a head taller than her, stifling a laugh as she drags the beautiful girl away. 

What you failed to notice was, she also malfunctioned upon coming into such close contact with you. Hence why she had to be dragged away. 

[sappymix1]

Okay writing prompt -> office au dnf where George is the front desk worker and Dream is in sales and they meetup in the break room and always flirt

hi anon so funny thing it did not occur to me that you meant office au as in the show the office until I turned on the tv earlier today and it was there lmao. but anyway here is 1.3k words of dnfies working for a company that supplies textbooks to high schools lmao

[12:14] 🐈‍⬛: Dream

[12:16] 🐈‍⬛: Hellooooooooo

[12:16] 🐈‍⬛: This is so messed up why are you ignoring me

[12:19] 🐈‍⬛: Dreeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaam

[12:21] 🐈‍⬛: Stop ignoring me, idiot

[12:25] 🐈‍⬛: I’m so bored. I haven’t had to do anything all day. This is so boring.

[12:27] 🐈‍⬛: And now you won’t even text me back. You hate me. 

[12:31] 🐈‍⬛: You should come talk to me so I don’t die of boredom. 

[12:34] 🐈‍⬛: This is me because of you

[12:34] 🐈‍⬛: Ignore the caption

[12:37] 🐈‍⬛: I’m going to start texting Foolish instead of you. I’ll find his number in my computer.

[12:38] 🐈‍⬛: I’m doing it. I’m going to do it. I’m going to find his number and text him asking if he can show me his muscles

-

“Thank you, Ms. French; I’ll make sure that gets worked out for you. Have a good day.” Dream hung up his phone, posture immediately worsening as he screwed his eyes shut, trying to force down the headache that had been brewing since about the third question about the difference in price between the fourth and fifth editions of the biology textbook some forgettable high school in Vermont was attempting to purchase before the new school year began. 

Dream was pretty good at his job, mostly because he was pretty good with the people. He thought he had a good voice, one that made him good at dealing with people over the phone because it prepped them to like him by that alone. He was a bit more awkward in person, yeah – a bit too tall, not quite sure what to do with his arms or his feet – but clients were already endeared to him enough that at that point his slight awkwardness just ended up being charming. That wasn’t the point though; the point was that he was ordinarily really good at phone sales, customer service, that sort of thing. This particular call had just been a bit exhausting. He had barely even passed his own high school biology class; he definitely did not know which text book was the better option even though he had to at least sound like he did. 

Dream glanced over across the office, over to the desk up by the door. His vantage point, unfortunately, wasn’t that great these days. His boss had gotten it into his head that some change of scenery would make everyone more productive as they got deeper into the hot months of summer and, as a result, Dream had traded his desk conveniently within eyeshot of the front desk for one much farther away, and all he could see over, of all things, the fucking broken printer was a little bit of curly dark hair that drifted back and forth in a way that made it obvious that its owner was rocking back and forth in the swivel chair. 

Dream wasn’t quite sure that this rearranging was having the effect on productivity his boss had desired. He reached into his pocket, and he slid out his phone.

His lock screen was covered in a long chain of texts, all coming from a contact saved simply as a familiar emoji. Dream scrolled through them, automatically smiling as his stomach buzzed with strawberries and oranges. Apparently, he was not the only person struggling to focus.

[12:47] me: get better bait. you would text foolish telling him to die before you asked to see him shirtless.

[12:47] me: besides, you’d never do that to tina

Dream went to flip his phone over, not wanting to risk someone noticing that he was off task, but immediately, his phone buzzed with a response. 

[12:48] 🐈‍⬛: What are you doing?

[12:48] me: i was on the phone. 

[12:49] me: lunch?

This time, he didn’t bother putting his phone down, just watched the three little dots indicating someone typing on the other side of their conversation. He realized quickly that he was holding his breath, and he forced himself to let the lingering air leave his lungs. Don’t be stupid. 

When the text came, it was much shorter than the time spent typing it would have implied. Dream could imagine him going back and forth and back and forth, fingers freezing on the same anxiety that both worried and excited Dream. 

[12:50] 🐈‍⬛: Yes

Dream got up from his desk, heading to the break room to get his lunch. Once the door fell shut behind him, cutting off the low buzz of the lights and computers and air conditioning of the main office with a tight thud, he went to the fridge and pulled out the container of sliced up mango and half a sandwich in a baggie. A green sticky note with a smiley face adorned both of them, identifying them as his. He was in the middle of trying to crack the seal on the lid of his drink when he heard the door swing again and quickly felt arms encircle his waist.

“You’re so, like, needy, today,” he said without turning around. “What’s wrong?” Half teasing. Half so sincere that it made both of them squirm a little bit. Dream had always been good at that – caring about people. Especially certain ones. 

“Nothing.” George – the receptionist, the cute British guy in the office, the most important person in Dream’s phone – pressed his face against the back of Dream’s shirt, muffling his voice. “I’m bored. You were ignoring me.” 

Dream scoffed. He set his lunch down on the counter and turned around to face George. George was looking up at him, lips pressed together like he was trying and failing to keep himself from smiling. Failing, both because George wasn’t particularly good at hiding his happiness and because Dream could read his emotions from a single movement of his rich dark eyes. “I wasn’t ignoring you. I was working. I spent, like, half an hour stuck on the phone talking about biology textbooks.”

“Wow, poor Dream,” George teased, reaching to open the fridge and find his own lunch – left over chicken nuggets, apparently, as well as a plastic bag filled with apple slices – before settling across from Dream at the table. “Forced to spend all day on the phone, while I’m dying at my desk.” 

A bite of his sandwich. “Dying? Of what?” 

“Boredom and neglect,” George said, sounding extremely put upon. “It’s so messed up that you’re letting your stupid job get in the way of our relationship. Just so that you can, like, have money or whatever.” 

“I can’t believe you’d let Patches go hungry like that.” Dream reached over to steal a sip of George’s peach ice tea, and George just grinned at him before sighing. 

“I guess that’s a good enough reason.” They were both quiet for a few seconds, ankles brushing under the table as George chewed on his apple slices and Dream picked at his mango with a plastic fork from home. It was comfortable, or at least as comfortable as lunch at a tiny breakroom table that was so short that Dream banged his knees against it every time he sat down could be.  It was, arguably, one of the least remarkable days of Dream’s life. Tomorrow, he would put back on his scratchy work clothes and the shoes that pinched his toes, make a million more phone calls to talk about textbooks he couldn’t care less about, and eat another dry sandwich in the shitty breakroom. The same mundanity that he had found, despite the big dreams that he had had growing up, to be his life these days. And, just like he eventually did today, before they threw out their trash and tried to leave the breakroom far enough apart to make it inconspicuous, George would ask if he could come over after work, and everything would feel a little bit more special.

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

“I have lov-liked you since eighth grade”

pairing: Steve Harrington x Female Byers!Reader

WC: 16.6K (a biggie, happy early Christmas / Hanukkah / Kwanza / or whatever you celebrate)

warnings: cursing, the billy/steve fight (reader gets involved), my terrible writing at times. should be it.

summary: The day is saved! But what happens when you tell the one you lov-like something at the wrong time?

A/N: ALL PARTS UNDER THE TAG -The Byers Harrington Story-

lets say the snowball dance takes place the day before winter break cause they don’t give a specific date, but i always thought that. AND THIS IS MY FIC!! oh baby, NOW I CAN FULLY DO BOYFRIEND STEVE FUCK YEAH!!!!

gonna go on a little hiatus after this chapter. wanna try and stock up my inbetweens for season 2-3. hopefully i’ll be back sometime during the last week on december

series masterlist

@alecmores thank you for all the input when proof reading this season!

previous chapter  next chapter

Once again, everyone was split into groups.

Hopper and Eleven drove back to the lab to close the gate. Jonathan, Nancy, and Joyce drove to Hopper’s cabin to hopefully drive the mind flayer out of Will. While those two groups drove off into the unsettling night, your group stayed in your home, the kids were fully against their part of the plan. Dustin headed inside, calling Steve behind him for something. Just as you were following behind, Mike’s exasperated tone stopped you short.

“This is bullshit.”

“Language.”

“(Y/n), you know this is bullshit. We should be helping them!” Mike’s arms were thrown to the empty driveway, Bob’s car stationed.

“Mike, they don’t need us. Right now the best we can do is just not get into unwanted trouble, which I’m sure is already a challenge for you.” You left the boy behind on the porch, too tired to fully fight back.

Instead of being greeted by silence or hushed whispers when you reentered your home, you heard the sound of things falling and crashing into the ground. The crashing stopped and was followed up with talking, all of this coming from your kitchen. Muted footsteps carried you to the entrance of the kitchen, your side leaning against the opening as you watched the scene before you.

Dustin stood in front of the open refrigerator with all the contents spilled onto the floor at his feet. Steve stood across from him, a wrapped dead demo dog secured in a blanket resting in a bridal hold. No words came to mind at the scene, only a brow raised to the boys.

“You’re explaining this to Ms. Byers, all right?” Was the first thing you heard from Steve’s mouth.

He walked to the fridge and tried throwing the dead creature inside, its head and limbs too long and big to automatically fit the small box. You hold a hand over your mouth to muffle any chuckles.

“Christ. Help me out.” Steve demanded from Dustin.

“What am I supposed to do?” “Get the door, man,” Steve huffed at the kid.

Dustin sauntered over to the fridge door, Steve finally finding his way around the fridge and the demo dog.

“Ew. Jesus-”

“God-” Both of them voiced their disgust.

Steve leaned away from the fridge, Dustin pushing the door in. The two of them shut the door closed with a loud thud, panting at all the effort needed for the task. Steve rested a hand atop Dustin’s hat, a brotherly gesture that warmed your heart at the mindless action.

The moment was over when you heard the front door open and saw Lucas, Max, and Mike finally come back inside. You left your hidden spot and walked into the kitchen. Grabbing your broom and dustpan, you walked back to the living room and held the broom to Lucas and the dustpan to Max, “clean,” you pointed to the broken glass on the floor. They sighed but didn’t argue.

You turned back towards the kitchen, Dustin leaving first with a guilty smile thrown your way. You knew the reason but didn’t acknowledge it right away, not until you met Steve in the kitchen. He was squatting near the floor, resting his body on the toes of his feet, heels resting in the open air. A dish towel rested over his shoulder as he threw items into a grocery bag.

You walked forward two steps before you spoke, “why is my fridge on the kitchen floor, Harrington?”

He got startled at the sound of your voice, almost falling to the ground.

“Jesus,” a hand over his heart, “could ya’ warn a guy first?”

“I could, but you and Dustin put a dead demo dog inside my fridge.”

He cringed at your words, “you saw that?”

“Yeah, I did. That boy already has you wrapped around his finger,” you cheekily reply.

He stood to his full height, warming food forgotten at his feet, “Woah, woah. No, that- that’s not-“

“Oh, just say you like being an older brother.” You twisted your upper half to glance towards the living room then turned back to Steve, “besides…it’s a good look. This whole…” your hands waved around Steve, “paternal instinct. Didn’t know you had this side.”

You leaned your body against the side of your fridge, arms crossed over your chest, one hand toying with your right earlobe. Steve stood directly in front of you, blocking most of your view of everything but him. His hands rested on his hips, a hand quickly sweeping through his thick brown hair. His eyes couldn’t stay put, moving from your face towards the living room where you could hear the kids bickering, and landing back on you. He took a step closer, the space between the two of you closing, just a touch away from the other.

“Hey, um…I just…I just wanted…” Steve was fumbling trying to find his words, his hand that ran through his hair was held in the open space between your bodies.

“I just wanted to apologize, again. For the millionth time.”

Your brows creased, “are you apologizing for the food?” A finger pointed at the floor.

“No, yes, yes it’s one of the things I’m apologizing about. I’ll pay your mom for new food when she gets back or I can go grocery shopping with her or- or you if you wanted-“

“Steve!” You raised your voice to stop his rambling.

Your hands gripped his biceps, the space now gone, only an inch or two between your chest. Your head tilts back, enough to make eye contact with Steve, whose head is tilted forward, chin almost touching his clavicle.

“Steve,” a whisper for the two of you, “what’s going on? Why are you apologizing?”

He worried his teeth into his bottom lip, eyes at your feet. He then grasped your forearms, pulling your hands off his body, but sliding his fingers down until his hands connected with yours. He squeezed your clasped hands, a replacement for slotting your hands together.

“I…I heard some of your conversation…with Jonathan.” He trailed off quietly, nervousness in his tone.

“Oh. Um, I- I’m sorry you had to-“

“No, no. It’s- It’s okay, (Y/n). He’s right…you know, to be hesitant about me. He's a good older brother.” Steve released the hold on your hands, you had to restrain yourself from pulling him back.

Instead, you scratched your head with one hand, “Steve, Jonathan may be right…about things from the past, but he’s not trying to hear your side. He’s being a dick right now.”

Steve took a step back, a crack in your space, “yeah, well, I was a dumbass for all of high school. Friends with Carol and Tommy, feeding into their stupid games, constantly sleeping with girls, then finally settling that down when Nancy came along until that turned into flames.”

“Nancy wasn’t your fault-“

“But it kinda was. I wanted things to be normal, to pretend the past year didn’t happen.”

You wanted to reach a hand out, to touch him, console him, but you held back, choosing to nudge your shoe against his instead. “The past year has been hard on all of us. You can’t blame yourself ‘cause Nancy couldn’t voice her thoughts without liquor. And it’s not her fault either, she lost her friend. She wants justice for Barbara, and that’s understandable.”

“Maybe that’s why she couldn’t love me,” his voice was wet, choking back any tears.

You were quick to quiet those doubts, “no, no. Steve, I’m sure-“

You were cut off from your sentence when a loud commotion from the living room needed your attention, the kids were bickering loudly at each other. Steve left right away, not giving you a chance to give any final statement for your conversation, that’s gonna have to wait for another time.

You walked behind Steve as he pulled the dish towel off his shoulder and held it in his grasp, toying with it. From what you heard as you joined their group, Mike was arguing a bit with Lucas and Max about El and Hopper going back to the lab, worried for their safety- well, El’s safety. Dustin stood off to the side, not butting in with his opinion for once.

“Listen, dude, a coach calls a play in a game, bottom line, you execute it. All right?” Steve tried to use his basketball logic in this situation.

It wasn’t the best metaphor. Mike immediately bites back, “Okay, first of all, this isn’t some stupid sports game. And second, we’re not even in the game. We’re on the bench.”

“Right. So- so my point is…” Steve stammered then trailed off, all of you waiting for the point, “right, yeah, we’re on the bench. So, uh, there’s nothing we can do.” He threw the towel back over his shoulder in defeat.

“That’s not entirely true.” Dustin rebutted. “I mean, these demo-dogs, they have a hive mind. When they ran away from the bus, they were called away.”

Lucas started to understand Dustin’s thinking, “so if we can get their attention…”

“Maybe we can draw them from the lab,” Max finished the train of thought.

“Clear a path to the gate,” Mike muttered.

“Yeah, and we all die,” Steve threw his hands out, not liking the idea. You were also a bit against their little plan.

“Look, I know you guys want to help, but I think it’ll be best if we stay here.” You stepped from behind Steve, standing in the clear space between him and Mike.

Lucas and Max looked at each other, Dustin and Steve bickered for a moment, and Mike in his own world stomped off to the kitchen, clearly not hearing you.

“This is where Hopper dug his hole. This is our way into the tunnel. So…” he walked off, even one falling a step behind. “Here, right here. This is like a hub. So you got all the tunnel feeding in here.” He stood over a giant spot in the middle of the hallway then fell to his knees on top, “maybe if we set this on fire…”

“Oh, yeah? That’s a no,” Steve immediately cuts Mike off.

Dustin added to Mike’s idea, “the mind flayer would call away his army.”

“They’d all come to stop us,” Lucas finished.

“Guys-“ You were cut off by Mike.

“We circle back to the exit.”

“Guys.” Steve tried his hand, but no dice.

“By the time they realized we’re gone-“

“El would be at the gate.” Max and Mike conspired.

Just as you were about to step in and put an end to this whole plan, Steve clapped loudly and shouted to be heard over their lack of hearing, “Hey. Hey! Hey! This is not happening,” he wagged a finger at the four kids.

“But-“

“No, no, no, no. No buts. I promised I’d- we” a finger between the both of you, “keep you shitheads safe, and that’s exactly what we plan on doing. We’re staying here. On the bench.” The kids rolled their eyes or crossed their arms as Steve continued, “And we’re waiting for the starting team to do their job. Does everybody understand?”

A bite of your bottom lip held back a smile, a grin wanting to stretch like a feline. ‘Steve was really attractive when he was authoritative’ but now wasn’t the time to let your horny thoughts roam free. You cleared your throat and shook your head free of any inappropriate ideas creeping into your mind.

“This isn’t some stupid sports game.” Mike fought back.

Steve pointed a finger then grabbed the towel off his shoulder, using it to get his point across, “I said does everybody understand that? I need a yes.”

The kids didn’t reply and before they could give a verbal yes to Steve, a loud engine outside stole the show. Everyone’s heads turned at the noise, Max ran away from the group and jumped onto the couch, peering out the living room window with Lucas at her side. You rushed behind the two, leaning down to get a peek at this new development, all you saw were headlights and the faint tune of a rock song presumably blasting through the car speakers. A chill snaked up your spine.

“It’s my brother,” Max whispered. “He can’t know I’m here,” She turned to look at you, fear swimming in her eyes, “He’ll kill me,” a glance at Lucas, “he’ll kill us.”

“Ah, okay. Well, first, get away from the window,” you grabbed their shoulders and shoved them away from the open window, hoping Billy didn’t spot them.

You ushered them away, along with Dustin and Mike, and ordered them to stay near the hallway close to the kitchen. Wanting all the kids to be hidden from any wrath Billy would rain down upon them, especially on Max and Lucas. You looked at Steve who was staring at the front door, and you could already hear the gears turning in his brain, a bad idea was about to be born. You rushed to stand before him, blocking the view of the door and having his eyes drawn to you instead.

“Steve,” you whispered as you crept closer, “whatever you’re thinking of doing, please don’t.”

He kept his eyes on you as he rubbed his lips together, mulling your words over, then looked at the door again, “just keep the kids safe.”

He started to walk away and you boldly reached out and held his left wrist in your clammy grasp, heart racing while your eyes glued to the floor, watching the two pairs of shoes. You licked your lips, not sure what you were going to say or why you outright jumped over your boundaries.

“Steve…” your fingers rubbed over the bone and skin, “just- just…”

“Hey,” you watched as his feet turned towards you, an inch of space between the tips. The gentle press of a finger crooked under your chin lifted your head from the floor before making hesitant eye contact with Steve. His brows pinched in the middle, he stared with empathy dripping from the warm brown of his eyes. “It’s gonna be fine. I promise,” hushed whispers only for the two of you to hear and remember.

You weren’t brave enough to say anything back so you only nodded your head in reply before releasing Steve’s wrist and letting him free, heading into the night to hopefully scare off this beast.

The front door closing sounded almost like a gong, a noise reverberating and ringing within your eardrums.

“What…What was that?” Dustin inquired.

You kept your focus on the door, “nothing. Just a friend worried for a friend.”

“Really, cause it looked like-” Whatever Dustin was gonna say next, it was cut off by an abrupt oof, someone shutting him up.

You were fixed to your spot, hands flexing into fists then expanding, a repeated motion to try and calm your heart. You wanted to be beside Steve, wanting to keep him safe from Billy and his fucked up brain. Billy was crazy, you’ve been fortunate to only encounter the gross teen twice, once at the community pool on the last day of summer, a forgotten face, and a second time at school when he tried asking you out. You saw how he was aggressive when he didn’t get his way, how he would start spitting venom into your face, and with just a few mentions of Billy to Max, you knew how she felt about him.

“What are they talking about?” A mutter spread through the living room.

You snapped your attention away from the closed door and turned to the kids who were peering out the living room window, not even trying to keep hidden from curious eyes.

You rushed over and yanked the back of their shirts, dragging them away, “what the hell is wrong with y’all? Do you want to be seen?” “You think they saw?” Lucas asked, a touch of worry seeping his words.

His question was answered by the front door swinging open, Billy making himself present. You stood in front of the four kids, arms stretched across them, a weak cage to protect them from a wild animal. Billy’s wild eyes and crazy smirk made you want to shed your skin, a ghost feeling of his hands wandering over your body, fingers pressing deep into your flesh and leaving bruises in the shape of his hands.

“Well, if it isn’t bitch Byers.” he stepped further into the house, footsteps bouncing off the walls.

“Where’s Steve?”

“Oh, your pussy of a boyfriend…he’s taking a nap. But I’ll happily show you a great time.” He stepped forward, you stepped back.

“Get the fuck out of my house, Billy.”

“Ah, well, I can’t do that, Byers. See, I’ve got to have a conversation with Lucas Sinclair.” His deadly stare slid over your shoulder, presumably where Lucas stood behind you.

“I thought I told you to stay away from him, Max.”  His eyes went from Lucas to Max, his voice low.

“Billy, go away,” Max uttered, no waiver to her words

“You disobeyed me. And you know what happens when you disobey me.” He started to get closer with each word, “I break things.”

Billy started to rush forward, a bull in a china shop, and you knew you couldn’t hold him off at this moment. So you tried to push the kids away from him for just a moment, Billy’s hands shoving you off to the side, the force sliding you onto the kitchen floor, shoulder ramming into the legs of one of the chairs.

Only the yells of the kids told you Billy got Lucas, then you saw the hurried steps of Billy’s boots in your field of vision. He shoved Lucas into a cabinet in the corner, his face blocking Lucas, his scuffed shoes an inch from the ground. The low mutters of Billy spitting words directly into Lucas’ stock face, he uselessly shoved at his shoulders to try and free himself.

Quietly, you started to push yourself up, your body twisting so your knees dug into the wood flooring as you were preparing to run into Billy, but you were stopped when arms wrapped around your waist and yanked you away. You were stunned, but it also told you Steve was okay, which was one less thing to worry about tonight. He dragged you away from Billy and set you on your feet in front of the kids, his arms leaving your waist and his hands flying to caress your cheeks, fingers tucking hair behind your ears.

“Watch the kids,” his quiet command.

You didn’t have time to process Steve’s gentle touch, Lucas freed himself from Billy’s grimey grasp and ran back to your group, and you pushed him behind you. Billy was bent at the waist, hands resting on his thighs or over his crotch, you smirked at the karma Lucas handed Billy.

“You are so dead, Sinclair!” Billy roared.

Steve stomped up behind Billy, turning him by the shoulder, “No. You are!”

And he punched Billy square in the jaw.

Billy’s head flew with the force of the swing, his torso twisting and a hand flying to the red spot. Steve stayed in his spot, fanning out his right hand, and watching as Billy crazily cackled before you all. A crazed smile was stretched over his face and a trickle of blood stained a nostril. He was whooping and hollering like this was some stupid, fratboy game to him.

“Looks like you got some fire in you after all, huh?” Steve ran a quick hand through his hair, “I’ve been waiting to meet this King Steve everybody’s been telling me so much about!”

You kept watch of the boys, eyes trained mostly on Billy, waiting to see his next move. He walked closer to Steve, getting close to his face trying to intimate him or some shit, you wanted to move closer but held back. Steve stood his ground, not saying a word. It was like a western showdown, the three of you waiting with bated breath to see who would make the first shot.

You would, “get the fuck out of here, Billy,” with a stern voice. You shocked yourself with how stable it came out, you knew your body was giving a light tremble, and one of the kids' hands settled on your forearm.

Billy’s blue eyes slid off Steve and wormed themselves onto you, his tongue darted out and licked over his bottom lip, you wanted to cut it off.

“You should teach your bitch when to keep her mouth shut. Learn to speak when spoken to.” His eyes never leave yours for a second.

Steve didn’t turn to face you, but you notice the slight turn of his head, knowing he paid attention. His focus was still on Billy, the hand he punched with pushing into the blonde's chest making him lean back an inch, “get out,” you heard the low hiss of Steve’s command.

The air was now charged, you knew the feeling very well, it was charged with anticipation. Everyone waiting for the incoming bomb to explode and destroy everything in its path. You held your breath, hoping it could help in some way even though you knew it never changed the charging bull’s path. In the blink of an eye, everything happened.

Billy swung with his right arm, but Steve ducked in time to save his face and threw a solid hit with his left fist. Billy’s body swung with the force brought to his head, his body falling onto the kitchen table, paper and dishes falling to the floor.

“Yes! Kick his ass, Steve!” “Get him!” The kids were chanting behind you.

You couldn’t speak, only watch the sight before you. Billy started laughing again, but Steve cut him off with another punch to his face, body twisting and slamming into the kitchen counter. “Murder the son of a bitch!” Someone, probably Dustin shouted. Steve landed another blow, and Billy flew into the sink. “Now! Now!” “Get that shithead!” More chanting seemed to only be from Dustin and Mike, Max and Lucas haven’t said a word yet.

There was a pause in the punches, Steve only watching Billy who was grinning like a maniac, Dustin once again yelling in your ear, “Kill the son of a bitch!”

And within those quick seconds, Billy got the upper hand. Grabbing a plate next to the sink and smashing it over Steve’s head, throwing him off balance.

“Steve!” You and Lucas screamed just as Max shouted, “Billy!”

Steve started to stumble away, his back to Billy who was rearing up behind him, “Steve!” You cried out just as Billy grabbed his shoulder and landed a hard punch to his cheek. The force sent Steve stumbling into the living room, Billy throwing things off shelves in his anger field rampage. Billy gripped Steve’s jacket in a tight hold as Steve pushed against his shoulders, trying to create a bit of space between them, but it was useless. Billy pulled Steve a bit closer and growled into his face, “No one tells me what to do!” And he rammed his head into Steve’s, his body sliding on the floor, sending the papers askew. The only noises within the house were the loud and harsh breathing of everyone and the animalistic cries and grunts Billy released, “Woo! Get up!”

He stormed over to Steve, and the sounds of his steps echoed loudly within your ears. All you could do was watch Billy as he twisted Steve to lie on his back as Billy knelt and started throwing punch after punch. Not giving Steve a second to breathe, both fists were flying into his cheeks and jaw, Steve not even making a move to push Billy off. It felt like everything was happening in slow motion, Billy’s fist not stopping at any moment, the kids’ shouts and screams telling Steve to get up or yelling at Billy to stop or leave Steve alone, until you couldn’t stand seeing Billy beat Steve for a second longer, even your feet moved sluggishly.

You didn’t fully think it through, but you’ve been in certain situations like this before, with your dad beating Jonathan or stopping him before he could lay a finger on Will or Joyce, your first instinct was to stop the fists. So, when your mind caught up to speed, your feet moved into action and you rushed forward and jumped into Billy’s back, arms tight around his throat. You even used a hand to scratch at his face or pull his tangled knots so he would focus on you instead of Steve, who was laying still as a corpse on the floor, blood and broken skin littering his face.

You tighten your legs around his waist, acting like a koala. Billy stood up and away from Steve, his body twisting and thrashing to throw you off like a mechanical bull, but you’ve done this enough times that you know how to stay on. His claws would grip at your hands or legs, trying to pull you apart, but you would fight back, you even bit his ear hard and yanked at his hair forcing his body to lean back.

“You bitch!” He cried.

“Takes one to know one,” you taunted.

He sneered then suddenly slammed you into a wall, your breath left your lungs at the force. You could hear the kids' yells, but they were silenced with the force of the wall slamming against your spine, your head making hard contact causing stars and dots to spot your vision. Your grip loosened and Billy took that opportunity to flip you off his back and slam you into the flooring, only a foot away from Steve. You gasped, trying to collect any air into your lungs, but nothing was entering.

Billy, doing the same thing he did to Steve earlier, walked over to you and knelt, almost straddling you. A hand was fisted into the cotton material of your shirt, half your body off the floor and leaning towards Billy’s twisted face.

“Should leave the fighting to the men, sweetheart. Wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty face,” a finger caresses your cheek and you flinch away.

“Didn’t know…you were such…a gentleman.” Your words came in breathless increments. “But…you see…I’ve already had… a man put his hands on me. And I… know how… to fight back.”

The feeling came back in one hand so you took the opportunity to fist it into his hair and tug, hard. You pushed yourself up and with both hands on Billy’s head, you slammed your skulls together, knocking Billy to the floor and giving you the upper hand. You scurried over his lap and quickly landed punch after punch, giving him the same treatment he handed to Steve.

The cheers of the kids were white noise, you couldn’t take your eyes off Billy, knowing he’ll get back at you any second. And once his face started to bleed, his cheeks and jaw redding, and your knuckles aching you had to let up a little. Your breathing came in pants and seeing that Billy wasn’t moving at the moment, you looked to the kids. Their eyes were wide, mouths gaped open. Dustin even threw a thumbs-up at you, but the peace didn’t last long.

Billy’s hands shot up and squeezed themselves around your throat. You tried to dig your nails under his fingers, and wiggle your way out, but he had a death grip on you and you’re pretty sure he was gonna kill you. Billy flipped the two of you around, you on the floor and his looming figure crowded around you. A hand reached out around you, trying to find something to knock over his head, but there wasn’t anything and you were terrified.

You could feel the tears welling up along your lash line, scared this is how you die. At the hands of some creep, Billy is probably gonna pounce on Lucas once life drains from your eyes. Your legs were kicking and thrashing, hands once again trying to pry him off.

“Should have let me take you out,” he got closer to your face, “I would have shown you an amazing night, make you forget all about Harrington.” And he stuck his tongue out and licked a stripe on the side of your face, you wanted to throw up.

“Fuck…you,” you choked out while you smushed your hands against his face.

That only spurred him to squeeze harder, your vision going fuzzy with the lack of oxygen reaching your brain. Your legs stopped kicking, hands slipping from Billy’s face, your knuckles thud against the wood. And just as you feel ready to pass out, an angel peeks over Billy’s shoulder, green jacket, fiery red hair swaying with the motions, and something small held in a hand diving sharp into Billy’s neck. 

His hands left your neck to touch the syringe sticking out his neck and relief floods you. Your mind was dizzy, but at least you weren’t passed out, although you were probably a second away. You turned on your side, one forearm holding your upper body off the floor and a hand was lightly touching your throat, a bruise sure to last about a month, your throat felt like sandpaper, the saliva alleviating a bit of the burn.

You dragged yourself to Steve, he was still lying unconscious on the floor, but his chest was moving up and down, very slowly. You could hear Billy talking to Max, but knew it was safe now, the morphine was dragging him down, and then the loud thud of Billy’s limp body crashed to the floor two steps away from you. Everyone just watched, not saying a word, only Billy laughing again for the fifth time tonight. You watched as Max grabbed Steve’s bat and held it before Billy.

“Max…”

“From here on out, you leave me and my friends alone. Do you understand?”

“Screw you,” was Billy’s response.

Max didn’t like the answer, so she swung the bat between Billy’s legs, and you honestly wish it hit a different target. Billy’s head looked at the bat then Max held it back over her shoulder, yelling at him, “Say you understand! Say it! Say it!”

“I understand,” Billy spoke quietly.

“What?” “I understand,” much louder this time. Then he passed out.

You could finally breathe properly, both mentally and physically. With Billy down, you allowed all your focus to be on Steve, your knees rested beside his shoulder, and you gently caressed his face, tilting it to see all the bruises and cuts displayed on it. “Oh, Stevie,” you cooed to no one but yourself. Thumbs and index fingers smoothing over the bumps and dried blood, a finger sliding down his nose trying to find any broken cartilage. You felt brave at this moment, so you leaned forward until your lips met his forehead, it wasn’t anything crazy, just a phantom touch for you to remember.

When you pulled back and away from Steve, you switched your attention to the kids as they were in a group huddle, whispers, and hushed voices scheming together. You walked to the group and that’s when they stopped talking, forced smiles, and bugged-eyed looks.

“What’s going on?” You huffed out, hands flying to your hips.

No one answered, only glanced at each other, “guys, just tell me. I’m not in the mood for games.”

Dustin stepped forward, “We’re going to the tunnels.” A statement.

“No.”

“(Y/n), either you come with us, or we’re going without you and comatose.” Max held a pair of keys between her fingers.

“Where’d you get those?”

“Billy.”

You thought it over. You knew they were going to do their plan no matter what you chose and if you were there you could keep them safe, but you didn’t want to leave Steve behind. Also, you weren’t sure about Billy, but you would rather be gone when he eventually wakes up.

“Fine, we’ll go,” you relented, “but, we’re taking Steve. So help me carry him to the car.”

…

“Max, for the love of god, please drive straight!”

“Well if Lucas could give me the directions a few minutes earlier that would be great!”

“I’m trying here, okay!”

For the last fifteen minutes, Max had been swerving and going probably thirty over the speed limit, rushing to get to the tunnels, but also giving you a heart attack in the process. You could have driven, you should have driven, but you couldn’t make yourself. Not when Steve had still been unconscious the entire car ride so far, you were starting to become heavily worried for him, especially since he should have been rushed to a hospital, but you didn’t want to split up. So you slipped into the cramped backseat of the Camaro with Dustin and Mike squished to one side with Steve’s feet resting in their laps and you were on the other side with his head resting in yours, hands keeping a firm hold to stop him from getting whiplash. Your eyes switch from frazzled at the state of Max driving to glancing at your lap and being frazzled with Steve’s eye’s not opening for almost an hour. Hands nonstop running through his wind-swept hair to delicate touches over the colorful band-aids Dustin grabbed from his backpack and taped over a cut on his brow and one near his chin. The ice pack you grabbed from the freezer on the way out was slowly defrosting, water droplets trailing down Steve’s forehead and running down the side of his face, landing with a quiet splat on his jacket shoulder.

You turned away from Steve and back to Lucas and Max in the front, Max looking ahead of her, only turning to Lucas for a couple of seconds when he was quiet. Lucas had his head buried in the giant map that was splayed across his lap, a finger trailed along a marked path, hopefully, the one leading to the tunnel. Your attention was dragged away when you felt movement against your thighs and it made your heart race.

Looking down at the head on your thighs, Steve was barely turning his head to the sides. You moved the ice pack to the floor and placed your hands on both sides of his face, not wanting him to hurt his neck or worsen the state he was already in. As you peered down you took notice of Steve’s eyes opened slowly, his lashes sticking together before peeling enough for him to see Mike, or at least someone else with the name that leaves his chapped lips.

“Nancy?”

Mike turned his head at Steve and pulled a face, one you would have chuckled at if your heart didn’t give a squeeze. Choosing to ignore the pang, you cleared your throat and leaned your head into Steve’s field of vision. Loose strands hung free and tickled his face, he tried to reach out but grunted in pain at the small stretch. You pushed his arm to rest on his stomach, hands staying on his face, wanting to soothe any pain he might have.

“Stevie, how are you feeling?” You let the old nickname slip, but he didn’t comment.

“Hurt,” was his only response.

“You put up a good fight.” Dustin stealing the attention, “He kicked your ass, but you put up a fight. (Y/n) made sure he didn’t kill you, pretty badass of her.”

“Jumped on his back, threw punches, and kicked him in the dick. She’s my new role model,” Max piped up from the front, turning to look back at you for a second.

“Eyes on the road, please,” you pleaded.

“What?” Steve moaned. He tried moving his arms again, a new target in mind.

His clammy touch reached your knuckles, pads on fingers tracing over the broken and red skin.

“(Y/n)...” He trailed off, another voice stepping in before he formed his thoughts.

“Okay, you’re gonna keep straight for a half mile, then make a left on Mount Sinai.” Lucas directed Max, a steady grip on the wheel and going at a slower speed.

Steve became more conscious, he directed his attention to the front seat, probably noting the two tweens then looking back at you, “what’s going on?” He was confused, understandably confused.

He tried sitting up, but you kept a firm pressure on his shoulders holding him down. Dustin tried calming him down, “Steve, it’s alright. She’s driven before,” but that was followed by Mike’s sarcastic, “yeah, in a parking lot. (Y/n)‘s the one who insisted on her.”

“I can’t see things at night. I need glasses,” you defended yourself.

Steve started to panic, he was mumbling to himself, cries of “oh god” repeated over and over. His hands trying to grasp at something, trying to pull his body forward, but you could see the flicker of pain over his face at the actions. You took it upon yourself to hold him down or against you, both giving the same result in this predicament.

“Stevie…” 

“They wanted to leave you behind, but (Y/n) and I were insistent.”

“Oh my god.”

“Dude, you have to calm down,” Dustin was of no help.

“Dustin, how about you stop talking!” You quipped back.

Your back and forth with Dustin didn’t help calm Steve down, and when Max decided to get a lead foot with the gas causing the car to shoot up in speed, it only caused him to freak out even more.

“Oh god! Oh god! Stop the car! Stop the car!” He repeated.

“Max! Slow down!” You cried to the redhead, still keeping a firm grip on Steve’s thrashing body.

“I told you he’d freak out,” Mike’s annoying voice piped up.

“Everybody shut up!” Max yelled, “I’m trying to focus!” Everyone but Steve shut their mouths, he continued his cry of “oh god”.

“Oh, wait, that’s Mount Sinai. Make a left!” Lucas stated.

“What?”

“Make a left!” He repeated.

His late directions caused Max to swerve into a mailbox before she hit the gas and hit a hard left, everyone shifting in their seats and screaming bloody murder. You would have laughed at the high pitch scream from Lucas, but you were too focused on Steve who was grasping at your knees while you kept a hand to the window for support.

“Max, if we want to save Will, you have to drive straight and slower!”

…

Max’s driving only got worse once she hit the giant pumpkin sign home to Mr. Merrill's farm, stopping hard before swan-diving directly into the giant hole where the tunnels lead beneath. You swear you almost slid off the leather bench and face-planted into the headrest of the passenger's seat at the harsh braking.

Once she turned the engine off, all the kids tumbled their way out of the car, leaving you and Steve alone.

“You okay?” You whispered, even if it was just the two of you.

Steve started to sit up away from your body, the grunts and quiet whimpers giving you the real answer before Steve lied and said, “I’m fine,” and then he toppled out the side door. You huffed at his stubbornness before following behind. You took notice of the kids collecting all the items they stuffed into the trunk, goggles, scarves, rope, gasoline, it was like they were military men who’d been through this before.

“Guys,” Steve called to them.

You just watched as they continued with their task, ignoring Steve as he called for their attention.

“Steve,” you stood in front of him, his back against the car holding him up.

Your hands rested against his cheeks, fingers once again tracing over his battle scars. Someone within you tonight chose to fully run from the lines you drew in the sand, maybe it was seeing how close Jonathan was acting with Nancy, maybe because you and Steve seemed a bit closer, or maybe because you saw Billy beat the crap out of Steve and you were scared out of your mind. Or you just wanted to make sure he was safe and comforted, who knows really?

“He did a number on you, Stevie,” the nickname slipped again.

Steve huffed, you stopped your motions, thumbs pressing into the clean skin of his cheeks while your pinkies sat under his ears.

“What?”

“I just…I haven’t heard that name for so long.” The kids were long forgotten between the both of you.

“Oh, uh, sorry. It- It just slipped.” You dropped your hands.

Steve caught your wrist, pulling your hands to his face, thumbs grazing over the dried blood, “you shouldn’t have fought Billy, he’s a psycho.”

He dropped your hands between your bodies, eyes focusing on you and only you. You wanted to tell him, wanted to get it through his thick skull that you would do anything to make sure he was safe. That you would go through hell and back if it kept him from getting bruises on his face or a broken nose. You wished you could show him what you want to say, wish you could smother his bruised face in delicate kisses, hoping every press of your lips could soothe any of the aches bothering him at this moment.

But you couldn’t do any of those, so you chose a simpler option, “Steve, I’ve dealt with worse before. I know how to handle shitty people.” Your voice tapered off, and a flash of your dad hitting you crossed your eyes.

“Hey,” a pull of your hands.

Steve was staring at you with deep intensity, it made you release a quiet gasp and it caused your heart to pick up speed, “I won’t let anyone hurt you, ever again. Not if I can help it.”

You tried to keep your face calm, not wanting to show him how much that statement, that promise, meant to you, “And I promise to keep you from harm and to always clean your wounds.”

“Are you two saying your vows? Kinda early, isn’t it?” A high-pitched voice broke the bubble.

You immediately stepped away from Steve, missing the warmth on your wrist already. You cleared your throat and looked at the tween before you, snorkeling goggles snug over his eyes and nose, a thanksgiving table napkin tied around his throat, and finally, a pair of old garden gloves covering his hands and his backpack straps sat on his shoulders.

“We are not going down there right now. I made myself clear.” Steve turned away from you and faced the boy, with a stern tone of voice.

Dustin just rolled his eyes, “yeah that was before you passed out, then (Y/n) was in charge and she’s fine with it.”

“Okay, I didn’t say I was fine with it. I just know you four idiots were gonna do this either way and it would be safer if I came with you.”

“(Y/n), we’re doing this for Will.” Dustin reminded you.

Your harsh demeanor slipped when he reminded you, “yeah, I know. I just don’t like heading directly into danger. I did that last year and it wasn’t fun.”

“I also did that last year and I kicked ass with a bat,” Steve reminded the two of you.

“Yeah, but you didn’t know beforehand. I made the concise choice days in advance, which means I’m an idiot.”

“That doesn’t make you-”

“Guys!” Dustin shouted, “I don’t care about whatever you’re talking about. Right now we are about to jump into an underground tunnel to save Will. And the both of you promised to keep us safe,” he shoved the backpack out to Steve, the bat’s handle sticking out, “so keep up safe.”

…

It’s like you fell down Alice’s rabbit hole into Wonderland, but a darker, much more twisted version.

All the kids headed down before you and Steve, Dustin the last of them to join. You and Steve shared a look, both of you having goggles protecting your eyes and a bandana tied around your neck. You hated this, you wish you were back home right now, but you tried to push the anxiety away. Right now Will needs you, and you need to burn this out of him so El could permanently close the gate.

“I’ll head down first,” Steve decided for the both of you.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, it’ll be fine.” He tugged the red bandana to cover his nose and mouth before heading down below.

‘It’ll be fine’ ‘Everything is going to work out’ You had to repeat to yourself like a mantra.

“(Y/n)!” You peered below and saw Steve looking up at you, his arms stretched up.

With a few quick shakes to your hands and head, you slipped your scarf over your nose and gripped the rope tightly. When it was only your head above the tunnel, you felt hands gripping your waist, your shirt lifting a bit at the touch. You loosened your death grip on the rope when you knew Steve had a secure grasp on you, your back slightly sliding down his front.

‘Of course, when some shit goes down Steve and I manage to get more touchy’ ‘It’s not fair’

“You okay?” A breathy whisper in your ear.

You hope the shiver that ran through your body wasn’t visible, “yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” You looked around at the environment surrounding you, it’s like you were inside the digestive system, which didn’t help with your thinking much, “holy shit.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s this way.” Mike was on the right side of the tunnel.

“You’re pretty sure, or certain?” Dustin argued.

“I’m one hundred percent sure. Just follow me and you’ll know.”

Steve stopped him before he could leave, “whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, hey, I don’t think so.”

Mike turned to him, “what?”

Steve stood in front of him, a flashlight shining in his eyes, “any of you shits die down here, I’m getting the blame. Got it, dipshit?”

“Well, what about (Y/n)?”

“She’s more responsible than me, so all blame is going to be pointed my way. From here on out, I’m leading the way, and (Y/n) will be at the back.” You didn’t want to be at the back but didn’t protest. “Come on, let’s go.” Steve took the makeshift map and led the way.

…

‘I hate this I hate this I hate this I’

“(Y/n)?”

You almost tripped over one of the many roots that were sticking out of the ground, Dustin’s hands helping keep you upright. You allowed yourself a second to stop and just breathe, even though that wasn’t the best option with the spores floating through the air.

“Are you okay?” Dustin stuck to your side.

You wanted to lie, say you were fine and hoped it comforted the boy in any way, but you couldn’t. “Not really, but once we’re out of here, I’ll be better.” You continued your speed walking.

Steve kept a quick stride, his longer legs helping while you and the kids struggled a bit, your legs got tired quickly but you just pushed through. The sooner this is done, you can all haul ass out of here and be free from demo dogs. Soon you were brought to a new area, a giant open area where multiple tunnels snaked out from and a light fog settled at the floor.

“What is this place?” You could hear Max's question.

“Guys, come on. Keep moving,” Steve commanded.

The other three followed behind like baby ducks following their mother. You stepped around Dustin as he was looking around the place and you didn’t want to fall behind and get lost, but when he stopped completely you turned around and took notice that he was looking at something above him.

“Dustin!”

Then something sprayed directly into his face causing him to scream and wave his arms about, “Shit! Shit!” He fell to the ground before you rushed over to him to assess any damage done to him.

“Dustin! Dustin!” You could hear the others making their way back toward the two of you.

“Dustin, tell me if you’re hurt,” but he was just spasming on the ground.

“What happened?” Steve knelt beside you, looking between you and Dustin.

“I don’t-”

“It’s in my mouth! Some got in my mouth! Shit!” He pulled the napkin away and was coughing.

Five pairs of torches were pointed at Dustin, his heaving slowing down before he stopped and looked at your group, “I’m okay.”

“Are you serious?” “Very funny, man” “Nice. Very nice.” “Jesus, what an idiot.” They all grumbled before leaving you and Dustin.

“Dustin, you sure you’re okay?” A hand rubbed over his shoulder.

He huffed a few times, “yeah, yeah. I’m okay.”

You nodded your head, stood up, and held a hand out for him to take.

“Byers, Henderson, let’s go!” Steve shouted from ahead.

…

“All right, Wheeler. I think we found your hub.”

“Drench it.”

The kids got to work on soaking as many square inches of the space, top to bottom, every side, and tunnel opening. Lucas had an old weed sprayer, filled with gasoline and covered the walls and ceiling. Max, Mike, and Dustin spread their containers of fluid on the ground and the nest that was resting in the middle of the space. You and Steve stood back and kept watch for any movement that could be a demo dog.

Once they were out of fluid and the room smelled like twenty gas stations, the kids ran behind you and Steve. Steve held the lighter in his hand and looked over his shoulder at the four of you.

“You ready?”

“Yeah.” “Ready.” “Ready.” “Let’s get this over with,” you muttered.

“Light her up,” Dustin confirmed to Steve.

“I’m in such deep shit.” Steve panted before flicking the lighter and throwing it.

Roots and vines started to thrash in the flames. You threw your arms over your face to ward off any heat, but it was no use. You started to push the kids to start running back to the rope, Steve grasping your hand in turn as he pulled the both of you away.

“Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.” You muttered, or Dustin, or Steve, or everyone was thinking the same thing at this moment.

Steve had to release his hold on you to look back at the map to guide everyone, you stayed near the back as he went to the front, light slicing through the muddy dark. In everyone’s hast to leave, you almost didn’t register the noise of Mike tripping or screaming for help. You turned back to him and tried to use your hands, hoping it might loosen enough for him to slip free.

“Steve! Help!” You cried for the boy.

“Hold on!”

“Steve, pull him out!” Dustin demanded as he grabbed Mike’s arms.

“Move! Move!” You heard him shouting as he rushed over.

You jumped away from the root wrapped around Mike’s ankle and watched as Steve threw the bat down, hard. Then again, and one more time before it slithered away and Mike scrambled away. Steve held the bat low, his chest huffing with the energy he just used, a hand running through the wild strands.

‘I think I’m in love’ You stared with your mouth agape.

“(Y/n), come on.” Steve pulled you up with your hands intertwined.

When you turned around to continue your hasty leave, a low growling stopped everyone, and blocking your trail, a demo dog snarled at your group. Steve pushed you behind him and held the bat high, ready to swing at any moment. You grasp the back of Steve’s jacket lightly, both in fear and not wanting him to walk toward it.

But it was Dustin who started forward, a hand reached out for him but missed, “Dustin!” You hissed at the boy.

Everyone else joined in low mutters and hisses, trying to stop Dustin in his tracks. He just shushed everyone and continued his slow steps, the demo dog copying his movements and getting closer to him.

You could hear the quiet words he spoke to the creature, “Hey. It’s me, it’s me. It’s just your friend, it’s Dustin.” He knelt to level with it, like an adult talking with a child. He continued to talk to it with hushed whispers, then it flared its mouth, its floured head and rows of teeth on display. Everyone jumped, and you clutched Steve’s jacket a bit tighter.

“Dustin! Please!” You once again try to reason with him.

He just held a hand out, a stopping gesture. He resumed talking, then took his backpack off and pulled something out, holding it up. It might have been a candy bar, he always carried some type of food in his backpack. He dropped it to the floor then he waved behind him at your group to walk through the tunnel. One by one everyone tiptoed past the demo dog, it seemed consumed with the candy which you were thankful for. As you were the last one past, Dustin gathered his bag and then joined your group, saying goodbye to the beast.

…

An earthquake threw everyone off their feet.

“What was that?”

“Just go! Go!” Pushing the kids forward, then you hear it.

The loud thundering of growling and feet of a stamped. 

“Run! Run!” Mike cried.

One more tunnel straight then a final left turn brought you back to the hanging rope, ready to bring you to safety above ground. Steve stood under the rope and helped Max up first. Then, once she was above ground, it was Lucas’ turn. Once Lucas was free, Mike was next and you could hear the growls getting louder, closer.

“Dustin, come on,” you made a hand basket for a foot to boost him higher.

With your extra boost along with Steve’s help, Dustin was safely above the tunnels when you heard the thundering paws heading in your direction.

“(Y/n)! Come on, go!”

“Steve, I barely passed gym, I can’t do pull-ups!”

You ignored the exasperated huff that escaped Steve’s throat, instead mentally preparing yourself for death. But the tugging of Steve’s arm wrapping around your waist and pushing you behind him as he raised the bat, took over instead. The roars and growls were getting louder by the second, almost drowning out the kid's cries for the two of you, but you could still hear their desperate pleas.

“Steve…” you pressed your front directly against his toned back, arms looping tight around his waist.

You felt him stiffen, but held your position, “Steve…if we don’t-”

“We’re gonna be alright, (Y/n),” one hand dropped to caress your forearms.

You absorbed his words, deciding to not continue your mindless ramble. You just held him tight and shoved your face just below his shoulder blades, the sounds of the demo dogs running towards you sounded like a waterfall directly in your ears. You waited for the screams, the blinding hot white pain, the trickles of blood seeping from your wounds, or having your bones bend and snap, but none of that happened.

You didn’t dare move your face or open your eyes until the noise died down, and all you could hear and feel was you and Steve, your chests heaving and gasping in loud pants. Your tight grasp slipped, Steve twisting to face you, his free hands jumping to your cheek.

“You okay?” You could almost feel his breath on your face from how close he stood before you.

You couldn’t speak, so you just nodded your head as confirmation.

“Love birds!” You jerked your head up, the kids all staring down, “let’s go!”

…

“Steve, I don’t think you should be driving.”

“I’m not letting Max behind the wheel of a car until she has a permit.”

“We were in a rush!”

Once you and Steve were out of the tunnels, finally a moment of peace for the day, the headlights of Billy’s Camaro blazed to life, blinding everyone. You thought nothing of it at the moment, but once when dimmed back to normal, you realized it was Eleven. She had closed the gate, Will was freed from the mind flayer, and you could use a nap right now. So everyone tumbled into the small car, you and Steve now in the front with the kids in the back, their grumbles falling on deaf ears.

“Do y’all want to stay at my house? Honestly, it would be so much easier.” You twisted to face the four tired kids.

They just nodded and mumbled their acceptance of the invitation before dozing off. Max leaning on Lucas’ shoulder, Dustin and Mike knocked their heads against each other, neither making a move to change to a more comfortable position.

“You think Billy’s still there?” Steve whispered.

“For his sake, I hope not,” you grumbled as you slumped in the passenger seat.

…

The house was quiet, but the lights were still on. You and Steve gently shook the kids awake, the heels of their palms digging into their eyes or running the back of their hands against their mouths to wipe away drool from the thirty-minute ride back. You didn’t lock the door on your way out, so Dustin was the first to enter with kids in tow, then you, then Steve.

“Where’s Billy?” Max muttered, hands rubbing at her eyes.

“I don’t know, nor do I care right now,” was your answer, which she took perfectly fine. “Boys why don’t you sleep in Will’s room, you can maybe all fit on his bed. Max, you can sleep in my room with me, if you want.”

Everyone accepted the sleeping arrangements, the boys decided to get the sleeping bags that they keep when they stay over. Their feet drag on the floor, high-pitched noises following until the two doors close, leaving you and Steve in the living room.

“Is it…Can I-”

“Steve, I will tie you to a bed so you can get some rest. But first, I have to clean you up.” You tugged him behind you with a grasp on his wrist.

The harsh yellow lighting of the small bathroom caused your eyes to squint, needing a moment for the light throbbing against your temple to dim. You dragged Steve to sit on the toilet, hands dropping to his lap as you moved to the sink storage, pulling out the dusting first-aid kit. There hasn’t been a need to use it in serious emergencies for about three years, it was still well stocked from the last time Joyce refilled it.

You grabbed some cotton balls and the bottle of hydrogen peroxide, saturating them enough before standing before him, “this is gonna sting, so…you can hold me if you need to.” You leaned in, left hand sitting at the juncture of his jaw and neck while your right hand with the cotton balls dapped quickly and gently at a wound on his brow.

Steve’s hands shot up and gripped your hips, tight. His hissing filled the quiet night along with your soft mumbled apologies, one right after another, he would hiss and you would apologize. You made quick work of the many bruises, the one on his eyebrow, his forehead, and a bit of his cheek. And you’ve already gone through four cotton balls that have dyed red.

“Steve…can you- can you open your legs?” You flushed at the sentence. Even Steve threw an arched eyebrow at you, “I- I need to get closer.”

He chuckled at your stutters, spread his legs wider, and with the help of the hands at your hips, he tugged you closer. Stomach close to his face, he could press himself into you, or dig his chin into the doughy flesh and stare up at you, which would cause the butterflies to erupt. You had to ignore the thunder of your heartbeats, hand moving to hold his cheek as you started on his nose bridge.

His eyes were closed tight, brows creasing in the middle from the pain the liquid was causing him. His fingers dug into your jeans, but his pointer and thumb found their way under your shirt and pressed into your flesh. As you changed out the dirty cotton ball for a new one, Steve’s eyes opened and peered up at you, while your hands moved from his cheek to a firm grip on his chin.

“I’m pretty sure Billy was a boxer in a past life.” Thumb tugging his bottom lip.

“Eh well-” you pulled away for Steve to speak, “I haven’t been brushing up my fighting skills.”

You scuffed, “you should cause no offense, but Jonathan whooped your ass last time,” you chuckled a bit at the distant memory.

“Hey, come on!” His hands kneaded at your hips.

The bathroom was filled with your gentle laughs, a moment in time when everything is good. You finished cleaning Steve’s wounds and placing bandaids over them. The trash was filled with dirty cotton balls and the plastic paper from the bandaids. You didn’t step away from Steve’s hold, hands continued to caress his scraped face, thumbs running over the beige coverings. Fingers ran through the sides of his hair, his eyes closing at the scraping of your short nails over his scalp, he looked like he could purr at any moment.

“Our knight is Levi jeans,” you muttered.

The moment broke a minute later, having to pull yourself away from Steve before you allowed yourself to be consumed by him. You shuffled around the space, doing some quick cleaning before you headed to bed, also wanting to distance yourself from Steve. He felt like a magnet to you, something that you couldn’t help but be drawn towards.

“(Y/n)...” the air shifted.

You kept your eyes on the first-aid kit, fingers toying with the bandaids. It wasn’t until Steve’s hand grasped your chin and turned your head to face him you forced yourself to make eye contact, even for a second. His hands changed positions, and his palms cradled your cheeks, holding you as if you were a piece of priceless china in his mother’s cabinet. You saw his eyes glance to your neck, you couldn’t see it, but your throat did feel tight and sore. A dark bruise in the shape of Billy’s hands, something to last for almost a month, a constant reminder.

But you didn’t want Steve to focus on that right now, it was over anyway. With your pointer finger on his chin you tilted his head up, eyes moving away from your scarred throat to now gaze into your piercing eyes. And it was like you almost saw something click in his mind, eyes lighting up.

“(Y/n)...I-” Steve licked his lips, eyes darting over your face, “I- You are…fuck it.”

His hands pulled your face in, lips crashing into each other. It wasn’t anything crazy, just the hard pressing of your lips against the others, maybe one of you waiting to see who would make the next move. Steve took the leap, but would you continue this bliss or pull away before it could go further? You had this split-second choice to make and you made the selfish one.

Arms moving on their own accord, they copied Steve’s position, hands caressing his cheeks with rings and pinkie fingers resting along his jaw. A tilt of your head allows for the kiss to move further, lips moving into a rhyme. It was intoxicating, the feel of Steve’s lips, the strong smell of him mixed with his fading cologne, the strands of hair parting through the fingers that sneaked their way up, the nose that left Steve’s mouth at the firm tug on his hair. He drove you crazy, his tongue snaking into your mouth fully caused your mind to shut down, all your thoughts were of Steve.

‘Steve Steve Steve Ste-’

The abrupt shove of your hands against his shoulders cut the mood. Steve stumbled back with a step or two, your own body moving to the door, needing as much space between your bodies. A hand danced to your lips, tingling with the sensation of Steve, your cheeks aflame with his lingering touch. 

“(Y/n), I’m sorry,” Steve took a step closer, but you put a hand out to stop him, “I thought…I just thought that-” “Steve, I’m gonna say this once, so please don’t talk.”

You waited for a confirmation he understood, a quick nod of his head and you shakily released a breath, “Steve. I have lov-liked you since eighth grade.” You caught yourself before you actually said it.

You paused, wanting to see if he’ll react to this statement. The only visible sign was his eyes widening.

You looked at your twisting hands, not brave for this conversation, “Well, actually I liked you in fifth grade, but I didn’t understand what I was feeling at the time. Not until I noticed kids our age kissing, holding hands, and sharing smiles did I realize. I wanted to do all that with you, I wanted to make you laugh so I could see you smile, and not one of those fake smiles you threw to your friend group or the teachers. The one that pulled your lips wide, laugh lines creasing in ecstasy. And when I was able to do that one time during Mrs. Smith’s English class, I knew for sure.”

You glanced at Steve, he sat on the toilet lid, face in his hands with his elbows digging into his thighs. You wished to walk over to him, but both of you need the space to breathe and think clearly in this situation.

Steve lifted his head, eyes boring into yours. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” His voice was a whisper.

A scuff escaped, “Steve, we weren’t even in the same orbit until last year. And mind you, you and Nancy were dating. I wasn’t going to embarrass myself just so you could reject me.” Arms crossed over your chest.

Steve immediately stood up, “Nancy and I broke up.”

“Yeah, official, like today. I don’t see where you’re getting at.”

A step forward, “I had a crush on you,” another step, “But I never did anything ‘cause I knew my parents would reprimand me if they found out I was hanging out with you and the other kids were being dicks when they noticed I looked your way for too long.”

You just stared, “when I got to high school I tried to get those feelings to go away. I would go out with girls, sleep with them, or dance with them at parties. Anything to get you off my mind, the glimpses of you in the hall, your tired face wanting to fall asleep during one of Mr. Jones’ lectures, or the quick turning of your head before I looked your way. You lived inside my brain for the longest time and I thought it was gonna stay that way forever until Nancy came along.”

“Okay, ouch.”

His hands stretched out, “just- just listen, please.” You stayed quiet.

“Nancy and I had this thing going for a while after she started to tutor me. Notes in lockers, meetups from prying eyes, sly looks, and comments in the halls. She was the first girl who started to pull my attention away from you, and fuck, it made me a bit happy.”

That quick exhale stabbed your heart, but you tried to show no reaction, you probably failed.

“When I saw you in the halls, my heart didn’t race as much, my gaze wouldn’t stray your way as often. I thought I was finally moving on, leaving my childhood crush behind and going for a girl who was within reach and reciprocating the feelings I was showing, but then Will disappeared. When Will disappeared you reappeared in my mind, and the dull thudding of my heart sped up when you were around, my eyes wandered to you if you were in the same room. But I was still happy with Nancy, I liked being with Nancy.”

He got closer during his ramble, the wide gap was now only a few steps separating the both of you.

“Steve…”

“But as the year went on, she was distancing herself. Got lost in her head, upset when I suggested being dumb teenagers for Halloween night. And Halloween, that night in itself is a mess.”

“Steve, please, just stop.”

He got closer, “(Y/n) I’m trying to tell you I’ve always had feelings for you, it’s just now that I’m acting on them.”

“Steve, you're being mean. Stop it.” “What?” “Stop it.”

The sting in your eyes alerted you of the incoming tears, “Steve, I’ve been seen as some type of freak almost my whole life, by some of the town folk, fellow students, and my dad. I knew I could never have you and it hurt every time I reminded myself, but I accepted it. But you telling me that Nancy, Nancy Wheeler, one of the most perfect girls in this town, helped you move on from me, it’s the worst pain imaginable. I didn’t want to know that, I’m already criticizing myself against Nancy in my mind. You’re making me feel like a replacement for her.” “But I do want you, I’ve always wanted you.” He pleaded, hands reaching for your hands.

“Steve-” you let him take your hands, hoping they’ll help him understand the words coming from your mouth, “Steve, I want to be with you, I’ve been dreaming, waiting for this moment. But if you’re choosing to finally do this just ‘cause you’re free from Nancy, I don’t want it.” You slipped your hands-free.

“I know you’re still in love with Nancy, who wouldn’t be, she’s the girl next door. And I heard you the day after Halloween, I heard you begging her to say it back. Just cause you officially broke up today doesn’t mean shit. The both of you need proper closure, she left with Jonathan for two days and comes back close with him. And we’ve been crossing lines as well, and I hold myself accountable for some of it. But what I’m trying to say is,” hands grasping his cheeks to hold his attention, “I will not be your second choice.”

“But you’ve always been my first,” his hands circled your wrist.

“Not in my eyes.” You slipped free, “When you have your shit together, Steve, we’ll see.”

You rushed out of the bathroom when the final word slipped from your lips, not wanting Steve to see you crying over him.

…

November was once again, shitty. Well, it was peaceful with the Upside Down sealed off for good, but it was personally shitty for you.

Work felt suffocating, knowing Bob won’t be coming anytime soon. The lab faked Bob’s death, some bullshit about a car accident just outside the city limits. It made your blood boil, you wanted to scream and point your finger directly at them, yell at the top of your lungs and tell all of Hawkins, “Bob died because of this stupid fucking lab! He saved my family and friends from being eaten alive! He didn’t die in some fucking accident!” But you couldn't, no one outside your circle would believe you and you knew the lab could make you disappear one day, gone off the face of the earth.

There was a small funeral for him, not many people showed up, and you were a bit disappointed at the turnout. You and Joyce were at the front, both of you stone-faced and flushed from the cold wind biting your cheeks and noses. Jonathan didn’t join and neither did Will. You understood with Will, he was still recovering from the scare Nancy gave him to push the mind flayer out of him, but Jonathan…you were just peeved at his absence. Hopper was there, giving comfort to the both of you, squeezing your shoulders or pulling you into hugs when your body shook with tears.

You hated funerals.

…

You couldn’t wait for Thanksgiving break.

School days felt like they lasted a decade, moving too slowly for your liking. You kept your head down in the halls and during class, not wanting to meet Steve’s eyes or even Nancy’s. Running the other way if you saw even a glimpse of Billy or his ratty hair walking through the halls. He knew you could handle yourself, but you didn’t want to be around him either way, wanting to be as distant as humanly possible.

Eddie and Robin were worried about you, your behavior was a bit more abnormal than usual, but you couldn’t tell them everything so you picked certain details, including…

“Steve told you what?!”

You flinched at the loud cries of Robin and Eddie, both of them sharing baffled expressions. You peeked around the library, catching the turning of heads at the noise, and cringing inward at the look Mrs. Gray was throwing at you. Eddie and Robin didn’t seem to care that they broke the one rule of the library, too busy exchanging looks with each other.

“Can you please not draw attention our way?” You pleaded.

Robin shook her head with her hands hovering in front of her, “whatever. Steve told you-” “That he’s always liked you?” Eddie cut her off, a furrow on his brow.

Just a shrug was your reply. You changed the story a bit when you recounted your weekend.

“Steve came to my house Saturday night, bruised to hell, telling me he wanted to talk. So I let him in and helped clean his face since it seemed he wasn’t in a rush to see a doctor, insistent on whatever he had to tell me. As I cleaned his cuts, I got closer, standing between his legs and holding his face and in turn, he held my hips and squeezed when the pain hit.”

“Hot,” Eddie voiced, all you gave was a deadpan glare.

“Anyway, when I was done, we just stood there. Barely space between us, hands touching each other and just gazing into the other's eyes, and then…it happened. Steve pulled me forward and we kissed, and it lasted for maybe two minutes before I pushed him away.”

“Why? Aren’t you happy he kissed you?” Robin interrogated.

“I’m getting to that.” You just wanted to get this over with, “He started on this ramble, well, actually I told him I liked him, but then he went on his ramble. How he liked me in middle school as well, but he held back because of his parents and the kids making fun of him. Said he started hooking up with girls just to get me off his mind, and then he said Nancy was the first girl to get me off his mind.” A crack broke the sentence.

“Oh, (Y/n),” Robin rubbed a hand along your upper arm.

“Uh, and then it just got a bit messy with our conversation from there, but that’s pretty much the gist of it. But at the end he said…”

You haven’t spoken to Steve for about two weeks now. Anytime you saw him in the halls, either walking your way or you leaning against the lockers near yours, you would turn on your heel and run the other way. If you were in his presence for even a second, you would break. You so badly wanted to hear him out, finally get the boy you’ve always dreamed about, but you needed more time. You told him to get his shit together and get closure between him and Nancy before he made a proper decision, but honestly, you need to talk with Nancy as well. Seeing her with Jonathan, the two being happy, it messed with you a bit.

“I hate people in love,”  you grumbled.

“Me too,” Robin and Eddie spoke, voices intertwining

…

“What are you doing here?”

“Here to talk with Nancy, dingbat.”

You ignored the eye roll from Mike and made your way to Nancy’s room, stopping to say hello to Mrs. Wheeler and Holly. You were nervous but knew this was closure you also needed. Needed to hear the words directly from Nancy’s mouth, and see the sincerity on her face, it would make you feel better about the idea of being with Steve.

With gentle knuckles knocking on her door, you heard her faint voice call for you. You peeked your head in before stepping all the way in and closing the door behind you, slow steps towards her bed. You haven’t been up here since last year, after the woods incident, and you felt a bit uneasy.

Nancy looked up from the homework that was spread around her, tangled curls pinned back by clips and her shining face was on full display. The pang was back in your heart, “She was the first girl who started to pull my attention away from you, and fuck, it made me a bit happy” the sting hit your eyes and you could feel the clog forming in your throat.

“You okay?” Nancy’s sweet voice stopped the sentence from repeating.

You wrung your hands together, eyes falling to the floor and watching your sneakers toe into the carpet, “uh, not really,” you spoke honestly.

You heard the shuffling of the bed, “what’s wrong?” Then you heard her backtrack a bit, “did- did you have Bob’s funeral yet?”

“Yeah, a week and a half ago.”

“Oh.”

A beat of silence, “when’s Barb’s?”

“First Saturday of December.”

You hummed in acknowledgment. You knew you were the one to ask Nancy if you could talk, but you fully want to run back home at this moment.

“(Y/n)...why are you really here?” Her voice was gentle.

You chewed at your bottom lip for a moment, “I…I wanted to talk…about Steve.” You whispered his name like a curse.

“Ah.” That was all she said in response, you snapped your head up.

“Ah? Why ah?”

The smirk toying at her lips nerved you a bit, it suddenly felt like a setup, “Steve wanted to talk a few days ago.”

Your eyes widen, “he did?”

She nodded her head with a closed-lipped smile, you eyed her with curiosity as she patted the space beside her, an invitation to you. The mattress sunk with your added weight, one leg bent in front of you while the other rested on the floor. You and Nancy faced each other, homework and textbooks being the only border.

“Steve likes you, you know that, right?”

A simple nod, “He told me. And I told him I liked him.”

You saw the shrug of her shoulders, “okay, that’s good. But why do both of you seem so mopey?”

You just gave her a look, hoping you didn’t have to say it aloud verbally. You knew she was smart enough to get the reason why both you and Steve wanted to talk with her. You just stared at her a little harder, and you saw the moment it clicked in her mind, a lightbulb going off.

“Oh. Well…what- what do I have-” “Nancy, Steve loved you. He cared for you, and you…” you trailed off, not wanting to accuse Nancy of anything from their relationship.

“I wasn’t very fair in our relationship, I understand that now. And I did like Steve, so much, but I don’t think I ever loved him, or at least not the way he loved me. For a while it was fine, but slowly, I- I just… something changed. And I wanted to get justice for Barb and her parents, Steve wanted to pretend last year didn’t exist and I just couldn’t do that.” You could see the hurt within her eyes, “And when Jonathan was helping me, it felt right. It felt like that missing piece was finally found and completed the picture I was looking for.” A smile.

“Don’t you feel a little… I don’t know, guilty? Or something? You just fled Hawkins, gone for two days then came back, you and Jonathan seemingly closer. Were you and Steve even broken up when you left?” You hated to burst her bubble, but you had to know.

“No, I don’t. Cause I did something to stop the lab, but yes, I do feel a bit guilty about Steve. We got into that fight before I left, I should have at least talked with him or something. But, (Y/n)-” Nancy reached for your hands and held them, “I saw the passing glances, some from you and some from Steve. I saw the wanting in your eyes, the longing for him. And I’m telling you as a friend, Steve is a good guy, he’s grown since last year.”

“I know.” And you do, you’ve seen it first hand, the personal growth Steve’s gone through in the past year.

“So I hope you think about it when I tell you to go for it. When Steve goes to you, hear him out, process his words, and if you want, accept him with open arms and a giant smile. I want to see you happy, you deserve it, both of you.”

…

The Snowball dance didn’t start until eight, so by five is when everyone started to get ready. Will hopped into the shower while Jonathan and Joyce made a quick dinner for everyone since there was only gonna be punch and snacks at the dance. When Will was out of the shower and Jonathan ate half his meal, he took his turn in the bathroom and cleaned up.

Around six-thirty, there was a loud knocking on the front door and you already knew who it was. With sock-covered feet, you shuffled across the wood flooring and opened the door with a welcoming smile.

“You excited?” You questioned the young girl.

She had a beaming smile, cheeks pushing into her eyes. Curly hair waiting to be tamed by water and gel, her dress and shoes in her hands.

“She’s been bouncing ‘round the cabin for the past hour,” Hopper sounded both happy for her and exhausted for himself.

You ushered them in, Hopper heading to the kitchen as you walked Eleven to your room. The both of you passed the boy's rooms, both wearing their pants for the night and a simple tank over their chest. Each gave a wave in greeting to El, her returning the gesture before you pulled her along.

“Okay, just place your dress on the bed and shoes on the floor. I’m gonna do your hair first so we gotta head to the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

She giggled every time water would splash back on her or you, in awe at the change caused to her hair, “I’m going for that slicked-back look you had when you came back.”

“Bitchin’.” It’s her new favorite word to show excitement.

With her new hairstyle, and only an hour until everyone needs to leave, you started on the simple makeup she wanted. You knew Hopper might have a fit if he saw her wearing heavy makeup and also you knew she didn’t need full coverage, just some eyeshadow and blush.

“I’ve always wanted a sister,” you murmured as you swept the light purple shadow over El’s closed lids.

Her eyes opened and they were shining, filled with joy and love. You wanted to wrap her up and keep her away from all the bad in the world, already having been through so much at a young age. But she was safe now, everyone was safe now, no need to worry about the worst anymore.

Eleven reached her smaller hand for your larger one, pinkie wrapping around yours. You were a bit confused but she flashed a smile and said in her quiet voice, “sisters.”

…

Eleven and Hopper left about thirty minutes ago, wanting to have their own time with each other and giving your family private time as well. Hopper hugged you and whispered a thank you into your messy hair, and you dropped a kiss on El’s forehead. You and Joyce sat in the living room waiting for Jonathan and Will, giving the boys their brother time.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” Joyce asked for the third time that night.

“Mom, you’re just gonna drop them off then come home. I’m fine with staying behind.” A hand rested on her knee.

It looked like she was preparing to say something, maybe convince you to just go on the short ride, but was stopped and looked over your shoulder. You followed her eye line and saw Jonathan and Will, both dressed nicely and standing awkwardly.

“Well, don’t you both look handsome.” Joyce beamed at her boys.

“Didn’t know you could clean up,” you teased them, Jonathan just rolled his eyes.

Joyce fused with Will’s sweater vest a bit, pinching and lightly tugging. Making sure his tie was neat and straight, fingers toying with his bowl cut.

“Oh! (Y/n), can you get the camera thing, the one that records.”

“It’s called a video camera, mom. It’s right in the name,” you reminded her as you left the living room.

You kept Bob’s video camera that he gave you to use on Halloween. He trusted you with it and it felt wrong to just bring it to the store or give it away, so this small piece of him is kept in your room on your desk. You made sure it was charged and there was a tape then trudged back to the living room, Joyce and Jonathan swaying to an invisible tune. You immediately started to record, wanting to get evidence of this blissful moment between your family. Once Jonathan got tired, Will stepped in, his arms stretched to reach Joyce’s shoulders, which wasn’t far; there were only a few inches between their heights.

Jonathan started to tug the giant camera from your grasp, “what are yo-”

“Go dance with Will. He could use some practice.” And he rested the viewfinder against his right eye.

You just rolled your eyes but stepped up to the dancing pair. With a quick tap to Will’s shoulder, he turned his head towards you. And wanting to add more to this little display, you rested an arm behind your back with the other stretched before you, waist bent at a small angle.

“William Byers, may I have this dance?”

…

It had been about two hours since everyone left for the dance, you staying behind in your fuzzy pajama pants and an oversized hoodie. A Charlie Brown Christmas was playing on the TV, the volume faint as you threw some cookie dough into the oven and heated some hot chocolate on the stove. You were planning to stay up until everyone came home, school dances usually end around ten or eleven.

There was a sudden knocking against the front door just as you shut the stove off. You tensed at the abrupt noise, not expecting anyone to show up, but also worried it might be someone who’s been on your mind for the past week. You tip-toed to the door, wanting to be as quiet as possible to see if there will be another knock or if the person would just leave.

Another round of knocks made you jump a bit and as you trekked closer you heard the person speak, very faint, “(Y/n)! It’s Steve!”

Your eyes widen involuntarily, feet stopping you just behind the door. Your fingers twisted the sleeves of your hoodie into their tight grasp, you were holding back from opening the door. You knew Steve was gonna eventually talk to you again, you just didn’t expect it to be so soon. Maybe another month or two before this confrontation.

“(Y/n), please! I need to talk to you…also, I think I’m getting frostbite.”

Not even a second later you swing the door open, eyes staring him down before ushering him inside the warm home. He was only wearing a red sweater and his Levi’s, ‘he looks so handsome, so cozy’, but you could see the shake of his shoulders, his hands furiously rubbing together as if he was twisting a stick to start a campfire.

“I thought you ran hot, Steve.” You stayed near the door.

He huffed, “I do, but I was out there for five minutes before I knocked.”

You ignored the quick thump of your heart, “why are you here, Steve?”

“You know why.” He took two steps closer.

“Steve…”

“Please,” he reached for your hands, “please, just hear me out. You can throw me out when I’m done, okay? Just…please.” He sounded like a little kid, it broke your heart.

Your fingers squeezed his hand as a physical ‘okay’ before you said the actual word aloud. You pulled Steve with you as you headed back to the kitchen, cookies smelling like they were done and your hot chocolate was slowly cooling already. A turn of the oven knob allowed for the cookies to rest in the dying heat.

“I made some hot chocolate, you want some?” You were stalling.

“Uh, sure, that sounds good.” Steve stood by the small kitchen table.

You had to push up on your toes to reach further into the cupboard, a hand pushed to the counter for extra leverage. As you were getting nowhere and ready to just climb for your mugs, a hand pressed against your lower back, a leg lightly nudging into yours.

“I got it,” his voice was low, and a shiver ran across your body.

You moved out of the way so he could use both hands when he dragged two matching mugs from the back, both covered in a floral print. You made quick work of filling the cups, dropping some marshmallows into yours, none for Steve and topping them with some whipped cream.

“(Y/n)-”

“I heard you drove Dustin to the dance tonight.”

“Yeah- yeah, he’s a… he’s a good kid.” He let a smile peek. You indulged in the sight. 

“Okay, I’m ready.” You sounded like you just told Steve to slap you. And by the look on his face, showed how confused he became.

“What?” “Tell me why you’re here.”

He sat straighter when you clarified the topic change, hand pushing his mug away before twining them together and resting on the table. His fingers rubbed together, specifically his thumbs. His eyes weren’t on you, focused on the table or his hands, anything that wasn’t you it seemed. You understood the need to look away when talking about something like this. He licked his lips and then spoke, just one sentence.

“I like you.”

You wanted to state the obvious, ‘you already told me’ but you settled with a simple, “I- I like you too.” Well, not simple to you, but you felt that Steve needed to hear you say it again after this past month.

He instantly lifted his head, puppy dog eyes pulling you in along with the dazzled smile showing off his dimples. The urge to lunge forward and pull him into your arms grew in strength, so you sipped your drink, eyes away from Steve.

“I know the last time we talked wasn't great. Well, it was great for about two minutes before it went to hell.”

“Steve…” You did also enjoy those two minutes.

“And for good reason, I fully know that. So, I’ve been getting my shit together, your words. I’ve talked with Nancy and told her how I felt about our relationship and how she hurt me as well as how I hurt her. I even talked with Jonathan.”

You raised your brows at that, he didn’t mention anything to you about Steve. Tomorrow you’ll have to question him about it. You nodded for Steve to continue, choosing to leave your input until he was done talking.

“I told him I liked you, wanted to be in a relationship with you. He was against it, completely understanding him, but I made sure to tell him how much you meant to me. I wasn’t- I’m not trying to use you as a rebound or replacement for Nancy.” He moved to the seat beside you, hands reaching for you across the table, but you didn’t take them, not yet.

“Nancy and I had a good time in our relationship, it might’ve been short-lived, but it was nice. She helped me mature and leave King Steve behind, realizing I could be more than a high school douchebag. And when you slowly became a part of my life, I wanted to be the best version of myself. You deserve the best, (Y/n), and I showed you my affections at a low point.” You had to interrupt him, “Steve, just from the past year alone, I’ve seen you grow so much. And every day, I so badly wanted to tell you how much I liked you, wishing I could be with you. But I would see you smiling with Nancy, the two of you whispering in each other's ears, giggling at whatever. Your arm draped over her shoulder, her hand holding yours. It killed me, piece by piece, every time I saw the two of you together. I wanted to walk into the shadows and disappear. But the two of you were my friends, so I stuck it out, and sometimes when it was too much I would cry. And I hated that I was crying over you, I should never cry over a stupid boy.”

“Ouch,” you sent a glare, “sorry, continue.”

“But I wasn’t just crying over you, I was crying cause of the way you looked at Nancy when she wasn’t paying attention, the way you were constantly touching her in some way, the smiles she pulled from you. I was crying 'cause I knew I could never be Nancy Wheeler.”

You were getting a bit choked up, telling Steve these personal things that no one else has heard, only the loud voices screaming in your mind. The voices telling you no one wants you, the yells of your dad screaming at you as a child, spitting in your face about how worthless you are. The snarky comments heard from the hall and during class from students who gossip because they want to make others feel bad to uplift their self-esteem.

“Hey, hey,” Steve’s warm hands cupped your cheeks, fingers cradling your jaw.

He moved his chair closer, knees almost touching, “I don’t want you to be Nancy, I like you 'cause you’re (Y/n) Byers. I like how tough you are, how you stick up for your family and don’t take shit from people.” His fingers swiped along your cheeks, “I love how you treat those kids as if they were your own family, how smart you are whether it’s school smart or comic smart, even if I don’t get half the references you make.” A wet chuckle slipped through, “you are the most beautiful girl I’ve had the pleasure of laying my eyes on.”

“I bet you say that to every girl,” you teased, but he didn’t exactly deny it, only countered with, “but I mean it, every syllable.”

You moved your hands off your lap to circle his wrist, not wanting him to move away. Thumbs rubbing against skin, yours against his wrist and his along your cheeks, wiping any fallen tears. The air felt thick, a tension growing, waiting for the time to come before it snapped. Both of you aired things out, not everything, but it at least helped both of you see where the other was coming from. But you knew that if you were to get in a relationship, there was gonna be more talks like this in the future, and that was something you were okay with.

“I really like you, and I want to show you the love you deserve every single day that we’re together. I want to see the good and the ugly, the beautiful and monstrous sides of you, and I’ll show you mine. I want to kiss your face at every chance I get, I want to wake up next to you when we spend the night together. I want all of you, (Y/n) Byers.”

Your lips were twitching at the corners the whole time Steve was talking, letting each word seep into your skin and brain, wanting to remember this moment. The crease between his brows to the intense look that’s peering into your heart, the feeling of his palm, how the pads of his fingers rub against your skin and peach fuzz. Counting every freckle dotting his face and neck, holding back from kissing every single one in your line of sight. How he’s rubbing his pink lips together, tongue darting out and wetting them like he’s preparing for a kiss.

“Steve,” your hands left his wrist and held his jaw, pulling him in closer to you, “I just wanna be yours. And I want you to be mine.”

You saw the smile, “I’ve been yours since you pushed Sharon Halloway, baby.”

You crushed your lips together, not wanting to wait for another second. It was just a pressing of your lips, finally satisfying the craving you’ve been having for weeks. When Steve tilted his head, it allowed for the kiss to become more, what started as a ruff push became a slow dance between waiting lovers. Your lips getting used to the feeling of each other, learning a new dance that will become muscle memory in due time, tongues toying together. Hands holding the others face close, tight, scared they might vanish into thin air, a dream so realistic that the very scent of Steve’s cologne will linger. Fingers move to thick strands of hair, nails scraping at the scalp pulling a purr from Steve’s throat that you happily drink up.

When you started to feel dizzy, your head going fuzzy, you pulled again. You stayed close, noses touching, breathing mingling, eyelashes kissing. When you leaned further back, wanting to fully take in Steve, he chased you, lips seeking for more, needing more.

“Baby,” the word made your stomach flip.

“Oh, I’m baby now.” You squealed when Steve wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into his lap, both of you sharing one chair.

He nuzzled his face into your neck, sloppy kisses lining from where your ear meets your jaw to the edge of your hoodie. With just a tilt you gave him all the access he wanted, hands happily playing in his hair, giving light tugs, ones you’ve been dreaming of.

“Stevie,” you all but sighed, his kisses leaving you even dizzier.

“Oh, I’m Stevie now,” he pulled away to tilt his chin up at you.

A hand tucked some hair behind his ear, the ends curling in, “you can call me all the pet names you want, and I’ll call you Stevie all I want.”

“Might need to negotiate that one.” His eyes squinted.

“Steven.”

“Nope, Stevie is fine. Love Stevie, especially from you.”

You just rolled your eyes at him before going in for seconds, thirds, and fourths. Steve Harrington was finally yours, and you can kiss him freely until the day you die. Now that’s not a bad way to go out.

You were so wrapped up in kissing Steve you didn’t check the time, or even hear the car pulling up outside, not even the front door opening. None of that registered in your lavender-hazed brain, not until a very loud voice caused you to jump away from Steve.

“Mom! (Y/n)’s making out with Steve!”

Will faced you and Steve, both of you flushed and lips kiss bitten. You wanted the ground to swallow you whole.

“I need to bleach my eyes.” Will groaned.

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

taglist: @heartyhope / @preciousbabypeter / @dessxoxsworld / @piper3113 / @animiacorn / @burn1ngw00d / @drxwstxrkxy / @m-rae23 / @noisyeggsmoneystatesman​ / @yournan69​ / @thats-s0-ravenn​ / @ameliabs-world​ / @mayonesavegana​ / @gracella0709​ / @gengen64​ / @alecmores​ / @hehehehannahthings​ / @ladybug0095​ / @sweeter-innocence-fics​ / @j-6o​ / @liberhoe​ / @choclate32 / @stvrdustalexx​ / @redheadedfangirl​ / @agustdeeyaa​ / @yappydoo​ / @voteforevilthoughts​ / @harrysflowercrownrry / @ilovereadingfanfics /

*striked out means tumblr can’t find your username, sorry*

[ellizablue]

Lil sneak peak from the upcoming new chapter of The Anchor Cast Below (an old odesta throwback, iykyk):

I’m hunched over Mags’ kitchen table, my head throbbing and heavy, when the phone begins to ring.

It’s shrill, demanding: I wince and then feel irritation spark inside of me, quick and volatile, and I close my hands over my ears, hoping it’ll work for me like it works for Annie.

I still hear it.

I let it ring, ring, ring, ring— stop. And then it starts again. Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring— stop. Again. Ring, ring, ring—

I lurch up from the table, furious now, and wrench the phone from the wall.

It’s Mags’ phone, so I’m expecting Seeder, Woof, maybe Haymitch or Chaff. They’ll be calling to see how the newest addition to our sad little species is settling in to her new home, her new life, her new prison. Later, as the Victory Tour draws nearer, it’ll be Annora and Annie’s stylist phoning, needing to plan and prepare. Not now, though. Not yet. And after what happened— after how completely Annie’s mind snapped away on that shore following the loss of her family (my fault, my fault)— maybe never. She may never come back to reality, to the world (to me). She’s been lost ever since I carried her shrieking and begging up to Mags’s guest room, utterly unreachable.

“Hello?” I snap, not able to fully mask my irritation. It’s only the knowledge that none of this is my fellow Victors’ fault that keeps me from greeting with, “Shut the fuck up.” Though right now, my heart as raw as it is, I wish pretty much everyone and everything outside of Mags and Annie would shut the fuck up for all eternity.

There’s a brief pause. I notice first that the phone call sounds remarkably clear— there’s usually quite a tangle of static in the background to calls from other Districts, particularly 12, so it’s certainly not Haymitch on the line— and then the caller greets me.

“Good morning, Finnick.”

I feel my stomach plummet, my entire body tense up. I automatically turn and look around the kitchen, seeking Mags instinctively— for her guidance, her input, her comfort— but she’s upstairs with Annie, trying to wash the wounds she gouged into her arms in her sleep last night.

My eyes fall on a piece of paper resting on the small table beneath the telephone. It’s the phone directory for Victor’s Shore. Mags, Caleb, Fisher, Meredith, Pike, Dowell, Irving. Finnick. Annie. Her name has already been penciled in on the blank line underneath mine. The next Victor’s Shore house and phone line to be assigned. The next game piece in this twisted power play of Snow’s.

He doesn’t take kindly to my extended silence.

“I said good morning, Finnick,” President Snow repeats, his voice cold now, intolerant to my rude lack of response.

But it isn’t a good morning at all. There hasn’t been one since I was fourteen years old. And Annie— sweet Annie, who truly did nothing to deserve any of this— will likely never have one ever again as long as she lives, however long that may be.

I can think of only one thing to say.

“She did nothing,” I hiss. I grip the phone tighter. At once, my rage swells and crests. ��She did not challenge you— she did not defy you— she did nothing!”

Snow’s voice is calm and level where mine is shaky and swollen with emotion. I hate him even more for that.

“Precisely. She did nothing. Her task was very simple— and yours, as her mentor, even simpler: sit through Mr. Flickerman’s interview, engage in the recap, smile and be grateful for her good fortune to still be alive. I was assured you would both deliver, and you delivered exactly nothing. Beyond confusing your lovers and the Capitol public with your over-ardent defense of Ms. Cresta, and her unsettling comments about feeling like she’s being punished…truly, Finnick, I’m not sure you’ve ever failed so spectacularly before.” He pauses for a brief moment, long enough for his words to sink in, and then he continues. “Her ungrateful comment reeked of confusion, so I thought I would set her right. She wasn’t being punished before. This is punishment. Now she knows the difference.”

The list of Victors and their phone numbers is blurry behind tears.

“She didn’t even know what she was saying,” I manage to whisper, my voice twisted with grief and frustration and anger. “That comment wasn’t rebellious or intended to— to be insulting, it was just…” honest, real. Pure. Annie. “She’s unwell. She’s hurt. To her, wounded as she is, everything feels bad. Everything feels like a punishment. She didn’t mean anything by that comment!”

I’m unsure why I sound so desperate for a moment. What do I think I’ll achieve by making Snow realize this? Do I think he’ll somehow pull her family from the morgue and revive them? That he’ll apologize?

No. I’m trying to protect her from future punishment, future pain, though right now I’m not sure what’s left for them to take. They’ve already stolen her mind and her family.

Just her body, I think. Just her body. That’s all that’s left. And I don’t even have that— they took my family, my mind, my body.

(What a pair we make, Annie and me.)

Something about my comment angers President Snow. He sounds less composed now.

“Then you failed, Mr. Odair. You failed as a mentor. You were supposed to prepare her so when she got on that stage she said what needed to be said, she did what needed to be done—”

“She’s not—”

“Do not interrupt me!” Snow booms, and I fall silent immediately. I’m surprised that he’s raised his voice. Yelling somehow seems beneath him. “You wanted her. You cheated and lied and manipulated her way out of that arena. You did that— you chose that. Did you not?”

I say nothing. We both know exactly what I did. I slept with the Gamemakers, I manipulated the Game, I rigged it and cheated and made that dam burst. And because of that, Annie won. Annie came home. And I did want that— her to come home. I just never intended for her to come home to this.

“Answer me.”

I blink hard, and I feel tears— hot and bulbous— capsize my eyelashes and roll down my cheeks. I watch one drop land and splash over Annie’s newly-penciled in name on the directory.

“Yes.”

“Yes,” he repeats harshly. “And so all of this is your responsibility— she is your responsibility. Everything she does, everything she says. She’s yours, Mr. Odair. How do you find her? Is she everything you hoped? Everything you wanted?”

I think of Annie, lying lost in the bed upstairs, her nails caked with dried blood and her green eyes empty and echoing. And I think of her before the Games, laughing with twinkling, sharp eyes, so there that she saw through my defenses instantly. More tears slide down my cheeks, and there’s a painful pressure in my chest, like my sternum has been pried open. Like something inherent to my survival has been scooped out and stolen. Maybe it has.

I don’t know what to say back to that. He doesn’t really care what I say, anyway.

“You think I am cruel,” he says. He does not ask. “But I know well what I am asking of you. Once, it was asked of me.”

The implication that he has ever had to deal with anything like what I’m dealing with does more than anger me— it offends me. I clench my fists and feel my sorrow turn hard. I forget to watch my words. I forget to watch myself. Flung carelessly and cruelly from bed to bed, my body not even my own, my life, my identity, my words, and now, my heart—

“You know nothing about what is asked of me,” I bite. “Nothing! You know nothing about what I have to deal with, what I have to carry—!”

I’m talking about so much more than Annie, but he’s buttoned up and focused on the issue at hand.

“I’ll remind you again that you chose this. You asked for this. All you had to do was let her die in that arena, but like a fool, you chose your own heart and your own feelings over your duty—”

“I’m not talking about Annie anymore!”

“You should be! You’ve made such a mess for yourself, Mr. Odair. I doubt you even realize how much of one. And because it is your mess— she is your mess— you will clean it up. You will take care of this problem, and you will do so in whatever manner maintains your public persona and maintains the Capitol’s good opinion of the Games. You will control your mentee and her loose lips, you will control yourself and your fondness for her, or I will handle her. And Finnick? You don’t want me to handle her.”

No. I don’t. I want him as far away from Annie as possible.

He continues, anger still writhing between his cold words like serpents.

“You are a young, naive boy— barely a man, despite what your lovers would contend. You act without thinking and you think without acting. I know well what it costs to mentor someone. I know well what it costs to do one’s duty. You’ll do well to never forget that, Mr. Odair.”

Before he ends the call, he adds one last threat.

“You’ll be relieved to know your lapse of judgment at Ms. Cresta’s recap didn’t impact your economic value. You have quite the lengthy list of patrons lined up for Ms. Cresta’s upcoming tour, including some of your particular…favorites.” A swell of nausea. I set my hand atop the small telephone table and lean against it. “Give Ms. Cresta and dear Ms. Flanagan my love. Congratulations again to District Four.”

He ends the call, but I don’t move for a minute or so. I hold the dead receiver and stare down at Annie’s name, now hazy and blurred from the tears that have dripped onto the paper. All I can think, over and over again, is what have I done?

My first instinct is to run to Mags, but she’s upstairs tending to Annie, and I can’t risk Annie hearing about any of this. I don’t want her to know. I don’t want her to worry. Perhaps she’s already too far gone to even comprehend the full gravity of this situation, but I can’t risk it. So I take a moment to compose myself, I gather a few more bandages from the cupboard over the sink in case Mags needs them, and I go upstairs to see if she needs any help tending to the damage that is, as Snow so accurately put it, my responsibility.

[kreaitoai]

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Blogging lies at the intersection of the digital revolution and the power of artificial intelligence (AI). With the help of AI Blog Writers and AI Writers, bloggers can achieve both quantity and quality in their writing. These tools can handle almost every aspect of content creation, from generating ideas to publishing. They offer insights, optimize for keywords, and can even write entire articles from scratch.

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Evaluate AI-based writing tools like AI Blog Writers and AI Writers for availability, cost, and functionality.

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[greggermeister]

AI is BS spelled AI

I don't believe I've ever seen such a fantastic pile of nonsense as AI is going to solve every conceivable problem. I think anyone with a brain in their head should understand AI is just the latest over-hyped tech, that will fail to deliver just like everything else.

It's not artificial when Microsoft buys GitHub with the intent of injecting an all your code belong to us clause in legal language buried deeply in a EULA nobody is going to read. It's not artificial to use GitHub to power Copilot. It's not artificial to power text prompting image generators with all manner of existing content, some of which is copyrighted, or the same thing for music or written works.

It's not artificial when MS takes Cortana down for spewing racism within 24 hours, and retraining it with a subset of the internet that isn't racist. It's not artificial when Just Walk Out is powered by humans watching videos of customers to determine what they put in their bag and automatically bill them for it.

AI is way overhyped, Elon is just a typical full of himself CEO of a high-flying company. AI is not going to reshape the world. All it is going to do is augment existing technology and software and processes. It is only ever going to be capable of being an assistant. Anyone who thinks otherwise, is only fooling themselves.

There's a reason why AI code assistants generate insecure code from other insecure code - it simply does not have the ability to reason. I can reason with another developer about why I take a particular approach to a particular programming problem given a particular set of circumstances. My reasoning changes with changing circumstances.

Intelligence is largely a matter of U+1F595, Reversed Hand with Middle Finger Extended. An example would be Huckleberry Finn, travelling down the river with Jim. Huck grew up in an incredibly racist society, where the first sentence out of someone else's mouth of a different race than yours is either filled with hate or not filled with hate. Everyone wore their racism on their sleeve. The white kid Huck decided the grown up black man Jim is a good man, despite all the crap he had heard his whole life from white people about blacks. It was his U+1F595 moment towards the society he grew up in.

This is how we evolve our thinking, how we shape our attitude over time towards this world, and the people and processes we are surrounded by - we reverse our hands and extend our middle fingers towards everything we see as stupid, hateful, hurtful, useless, pointless, or any other sort of false premise. AI will never be capable of doing this in its present form. AI could only do this if it was self-aware.

Do you want an AI that explains to you why it is so smart and you are so stupid? Why everything you do to get ahead in life is hopelessly pointless? How your children would be better served if only you cared to be a better parent? Looks down on you as another waste of its cpu cycles? Sees you as the human child in its care?

We don't actually want AI because we don't want a self-aware consciousness we can't control running everything. We want an assistant to help us to perform boring, lengthy, and repetitive tasks better. We expect the assistant to be far better than current AI results offer. AI in its present form is useful for search tasks, such as:

Search for better ways to play games like chess or go

Find better ways to arrange thousands of traces on many layers of a motherboard

Optimize search results for considerations like heat, pressure, time, density, weight, colour

Find the best route for a salesman to travel and other graphing problems

A reasonable translation of text or spoken words from one language to another

None of the above is life-altering, it is simply more convenient. It was definitely more convenient for me and my other half in our recent trip to Mexico to be able to use Google Translate with cab drivers, and people on the street asking for directions, and other conversations. We could have gotten by without it, but it was definitely better.

We need to stop calling it AI and call it what it is - virtual assistance. That's all it is, and all it will ever be, and all we will ever want it to be. We will always want to know how things work, we will never want technology or processes that only the computer can understand. We will never have, and never will, want AI.

[cityonlinementor]

Mentor Message 2.16.24

Sometimes I feel like a sloth...

🐱‍💻Campus Updates/Reminders

2 Reminders for Syllabi Policies:

A.  AI: Include a policy on AI/academic integrity in syllabi. Departments may want to determine recommended policies for their disciplines See Syllabus Samples

B. Logging in is not “Attending”: See DE Handbook p. 6 for recommendations. This is per Federal financial aid regulations (see p. 5-65

2. Enrollment Concerns:  Due to increasing cases of large-number false enrollments, it is important for online faculty to reach out & drop all no-shows/no contact students the first day & to contact & enroll waitlisted students. Pre-start enrollment numbers might be vastly "off."

3. DE Toolbox Resource Site: SDCCD Online Pathways has been updating the SDCCD DE Toolkit. This helps fill the gap now that the sdccdolvid site where Dave Giberson & Katie Palacios kept a library of tutorials is no longer supported. The site still works, but no updated content after Dave retired last year.

4. Student Email: Faculty can reach out to students using the non-sdccd email (especially important for pre-semester, drop/add, waitlists). Many thanks to Dean DeVore, Margarita Murray & their team for creating this. Tutorial: See 1.28.24 Mentor Message or Tumblr Blog for archived messages.

5. Office 365 Issue: PT faculty don’t have access to the Word/PPT/Excel software off-line. To create or open those types of files, PT faculty must be logged into their Outlook Account/Myapps  If PT faculty need access offline, fill out a request.*Request Form for Downloadable 365 (not a guarantee it will be granted – requires Dean sign-off).

*365 LTI in Canvas not recommended: You still have to open the Word/PPT/Excel application in your MyApps or your desktop applications (if you have it downloaded).

6. Upgraded Wi-Fi at City is complete. Please submit a Help ticket if you have difficulties accessing the Guest-Connect or the SDCCD Campus Connect (faculty/students/staff only). Info & tutorials: See LRC Info or the District Wi-Fi site. You may need to “forget network” or work with the Helpdesk for your particular phone, tablet, laptop, etc.Many thanks to Charlie Mills on getting this gargantuan task completed!

7. New Paper Cut Pay-to-Print in LRC: See Student Accounting for transferring funds from the old system. The high-speed KIC scanner is available for free, fast scanning Info on printing and scanning in the LRC.

🧊🛠Cool Tools

MS 365 Add-ins for Word: No need to navigate away from your document to add accent marks, find images, symbols, etc. HUGE time saver for accent marks in Romance languages or math/chem symbols! Video Tutorial (3:44) Most are free; some have limitations.

Humanize Your Zoom Waiting Room: You can personalize the message people see in the Zoom Waiting Room before you start a meeting. This is global, so you may want something that would work for all your classes/meetings. Tutorial (2:42)

Multimedia/captioning Option for Discussion Boards: How to use Canvas Studio in DB

Can All Your Students View Your Beautiful Content? Use Pope Tech or the Canvas Accessibility Tool to check accessibility. This helps everyone, including those with slower Internet/cell speeds. Checkers are at the bottom of every box where you can type/edit in Canvas.

✨🆕Zoom Update: Polls & Quizzes are now housed with “Surveys”

Zoom polls work like “clickers” if you want anonymous responses in real time. You can share the percentages for each of the answer choices. Easy peasy – free for you & students to use; they can use any device with an updated Zoom client.

Faster workload: Copy/paste all questions/answers from Zoom polls/quizzes/surveys into MS Word! Click on “Preview” to copy/paste the text.

Quick anonymous surveys for Online Live classes. Your survey will automatically open after your Zoom class ends. I did a “Muddiest Point” one last week.

How To: Surveys>Create Survey>Type or paste in your questions>Save

Video tutorial (4:15)  Note: “single choice” means picking only 1 answer; “multiple choice” means being able to select more than 1 answer in Zoom. Review the responses by clicking on the number in your survey.

🧠AI: Resources & Food for Thought

MS 365 Co-Pilot: Want to use an AI tool that keeps your content in SDCCD? You and your students have free Co-Pilot access with SDCCD Outlook email login/password.

Equity/Privacy Issues with AI Checkers: Why Vanderbilt turned off their Turnitin AI checker

Food for thought on creating prompts/assignments to outwit AI: Yejin Choi, The Not So Intelligent Side of AI

How AI Can Perpetuate Bias & Discrimination: Interview with Safiya Noble, UCLA

[aadiyogi123]

Buy MS Office 365 - 6 Device 1 Year Subscription

Microsoft Office 365 has revolutionized the way individuals and businesses approach productivity, collaboration, and communication. This cloud-based suite of applications offers a wide range of tools that go beyond the traditional boundaries of the desktop, providing users with flexibility and accessibility like never before. In this article, we will delve into the key features and benefits of Microsoft Office 365, exploring how it can enhance efficiency and streamline operations for both personal and professional users.

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2. Collaboration Made Effortless:

Office 365 facilitates seamless collaboration among team members through real-time co-authoring in applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. With features like shared calendars, document sharing, and online meetings, teams can collaborate efficiently, breaking down geographical barriers and enhancing productivity.

3. Email and Communication:

Microsoft Exchange Online, a component of MS Office 365, offers a robust email solution with advanced security features. Users can benefit from a professional email platform with a personalized domain, spam protection, and the ability to access emails from various devices. Integrated communication tools like Microsoft Teams further enhance collaboration through instant messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing.

4. Productivity Tools:

Office 365 includes the familiar suite of productivity tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. These applications receive regular updates and improvements, ensuring users always have access to the latest features and security enhancements. With the added ability to work offline and automatically sync changes when online, users can maintain productivity even in the absence of an internet connection.

5. Security and Compliance:

Security is a top priority for Office 365, with features like data loss prevention, threat intelligence, and advanced threat protection. Organizations can have peace of mind knowing that their data is secure, and compliance requirements are met. Additionally, Office 365 adheres to industry standards and regulations, making it a reliable choice for businesses of all sizes.

6. Scalability and Flexibility:

Office 365 caters to the needs of both small businesses and large enterprises. With various subscription plans available, organizations can scale their usage based on the number of users and specific requirements. This flexibility ensures that businesses can adapt MS Office 365 to their unique needs without unnecessary costs or limitations.

7. Automated Updates and Maintenance:

Office 365 eliminates the hassle of manual updates and maintenance tasks. Microsoft takes care of software updates, ensuring that users always have access to the latest features and security patches without any disruptions. This automated approach allows organizations to focus on their core activities rather than managing software updates.

Microsoft Office 365 stands as a powerful and versatile solution for individuals and businesses looking to enhance their productivity, collaboration, and communication. With its cloud-based infrastructure, comprehensive suite of applications, and robust security features, Office 365 continues to be a leading choice in the digital workplace. As technology evolves, Office 365 evolves with it, ensuring that users always have access to cutting-edge tools and capabilities. Embrace the future of productivity with Microsoft Office 365 and unlock a world of possibilities for your personal and professional endeavors.

[atlasiko]

Top 5 Manual Testing Tools for Software

Introduction

Every waking moment, the digital environment is steadily improving. Software development demands accuracy in its work. Software testing tools are an integral part of every new or modified program.

The vast majority of developers use manual testing tools for polishing software they already have.

It goes without saying, to ensure that your program is completed in the right direction and can be tested by the automation system, firstly, you have to use manual testing.

To choose a good manual tool for extensive verification of created program, our team has considered and analyzed the top 5 manual testing tools.

All features of these tools will be disclosed in this article.

Manual software testing

Manual testing is a type of software testing, where testers manually test 

cases without means of automation. Nonetheless, this kind of testing is considered as more simple form. As well as, you have to know, that automatic testing can`t be fully accurate, and that's why manual testing is needed.

We have found a handful of benefits in using manual testing:

Precision. Manual testing tends to be a more exact method to find bugs, while automatic testing oftentimes can confuse both positive and negative indicators.

Flexibility. Manual testing is prone to be more elastic in calculations of errors and provides a more extensive, deep review of the program.

Users' sight. While automatic testing works in the main direction, manual testing prepares opportunities for an individual to see the program and estimate the application's basic usefulness and appearance.

Best software testing tools

Testing tools are literally the main importance for observing software programs. Detecting bugs in your product means better results in the future. Indeed, manual testing can`t search for your mistakes in a matter of seconds, it takes time, but the endpoint will satisfy your needs,our team is no exception, Atlasiko Incorporation manages work with manual testing tools for software, which literally provide excellent results.

We have pulled together a list of manual testing tools.

Let's take a closer look.

Top 5 manual tools for software testing

Testlink

It is a tool for managing tests with open code. All technical characteristics and conditions of the test are under the control of this tool, for providing the best result in the future.

It supports the manual and automatic implementation of testing cases, it helps to generate reports of testing and its documents in a matter of seconds. 

Reports can be completed in MS Word, Excel, and HTML. Testlink supports integration with diverse testing systems such as Mantis, Bugzilla, Jira, etc.

Bugzilla

System of error tracking written in the language Perl- a high-level interpreted, dynamic, programming language.

This tool was developed and subjected to Mozilla Foundation. 

Bugzilla is a system that defines mistakes and displays them on the screen in graphic form. 

Error resolution protocol is well thought out and easy to understand, also, an extensive configuration system. 

Integration with automatic configuration control systems is available.

Testpad 

New, modern offer for manual testing. The main benefit of this testing tool is checklists that make great guides for exploratory testing. You can manage testing with a powerful list of features or go as detailed as you need, also, you can add new tests to the session ongoing. 

The outline editor contains tests that are one-line prompts of what to check. You can easily write, rewrite, add changes and adjust all to your personal requirements. It also interacts with Word, excel.

Jira

Agile system that allows completing all tasks of project managing. Firstly this tool was developed for checking errors, but now Jira has many types of projects, one of them being bug tracking. Qa testing manual Jira is an effective workflow management system that ensures, that bugs are automatically assigned and prioritized as soon as they are detected. It is supported by many operating systems and works with all common services of organizations.

LoadRunner

Developed by Micro Focus, LoadRunner is one of the most popular testing tools. With project capabilities, team workers can easily reveal bugs and untypical application behavior.

This tool supports MQTT, HTML5, WebSockets, Citrix, Java, NET, Oracle, and SAP. Confidence also takes part, LoadRunner emulates hundreds or thousands of concurrent virtual users. 

An integral part is duplicating real business processes.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, what kind of testing tools you will choose, depend only on you. In this article, we have considered manual testing tools for software, the top 5 manual testing tools, their definition, and differences.

[ohimesama]

1.4.23 Wednesday

8am

Good Morning Angels! Here in my pride and dignity...But still hating the windblow trap of ManaloZ cultish group....

When I entered mommy Adnil room doing our morning routine saw her 1 meds on the floor. I wonder if this is intentional or accidentally she dropped it last night....Mommy Adnil told me to put her meds and will not eat dinner coz she ate pizza around 4:30 pm yesterday...

Later will continue the Nightingale issue, will do some task here with mommy Adnil. So tired yesterday...

9:50 am

Break time after doing some task here... Well, well Mommy Adnil got irritated on me coz I gave her grapefruit / pomelo, coz Ms Enaoj her daughter just left the grapefruit on the kitchen table... Meaning it is automatically that will be Mommy Adnil's morning fruit but when I gave it to her she got mad at me and said why you gave me this? It is early in the morning,I don't like it! Next time you should ask me first. I was just quiet....She said I didn't like the grapefruit in the morning! And she added look at this you totally smashed it... But i didn't, I just removed the seeds for her to be able to eat it smoothly... I just flaked it for her teeth to easily bite it but she didn't like... I went to the kitchen and gave her 2 bananas... She hated me but people when they grow old, it is kinda normal....

Mommy Adnil doing her private moment... She is on her prayers now....Reality Bites....But she is nice, in a way....

12:44 noon

Lunch time....LJ asked me if I opened the brown wrapper in the ref. it has a written words says "do not eat" she is the granddaughter of mommy Adnil....I said no! And there is a message on the wrapper it says "do not eat"...

There is a written words "do not eat"....hmm... I can't just tell her that there is ghost in their house...

1:09 pm

Mommy Adnil didn't appreciate the grapefruit that I flaked, so I switched her to papaya this lunch...

This is the grapefruit/pomelo that I flaked...

I tried this way,she doesn't want it... She said I don't know how... Next time she will show how to open a grapefruit.

This became the final coz she said just separate it....And all of a sudden mommy Adnil said I don't want it coz you don't know how to open it, it became sour... ???

Lunch of mommy Adnil...

This is part of my job... I just need to get used to the weird behaviour of mommy Adnil... That Nightingale should be part of this... The issue that I will explain later...

9:59 pm

I'm home here in our house... Not yet home2x... Hoping angels will protect me... I still have this fucking windblow of ManaloZ cult ritual here and there and here in Cavite...

My conscience is clean and praying for blessing to come my way...

I still feel fat and ugly but I need to work and work and a bit bitter but I just wanna think of bittersweet...

I still wanna see donkey and camels... I still dream to be on the calmer side of the world,hoping I can have starbucks everyday...

11:53 pm

My bebeh sleeping already... Protect him angels...

[applemailbackuptool-blog]

Backup Apple Mail Data Easily

To backup email data successfully without creating or inviting any external threat to your data and system security is possible only with the support of professional mail backup software. You must know the fact that only a certified email backup tool like licenced version of a third party apple mail backup and archive software can  help you to backup mail data without any risk. This statement is a fact as professional themselves abide by the rule of using only certified email backup tools.

However, there are too many mail backup software that are available in the market but are either too expensive or too complex in nature. Thus in order to choose one out of many has become a tedious task for users.

MAIL BACKUP X Apple Mail Backup Tool is highly recommended and five start rated tool

In this post you will discover one such efficient email backup software which is designed with intent to be as effortless as possible and comes with an affordable rate. This mail backup software supports all the major email clients based on IMAP. This tool far surpasses all of its competitors in speed and accuracy of work.

This tool is called MAIL BACKUP X by INVENTPURE.

Mail Backup X features with Multipole option - Backup Apple email easily 

·         This tool can backup emails for not just Yahoo but for Gmail, Apple Mail, Thunderbird, Outlook for Mac, MS Office 365 for Mac and Postbox as they arrive in your inbox. It allows you to make mirror backup and distributed backup as well.

·         The tool can import stored emails. It supports all mail archive for major multiple mail applications.

·         The tool is built with inbuilt mail viewer which allows viewing imported emails from all major mail applications so you can have a look at your archived mails.

·         Fast Advance search module is another remarkable feature of this tool. It ensures to perform complex search request like finding mails with specific attachments, header info or search mails with specific file formats.

·         The tool also allows you to archive emails and organise them into PDF as you store them in your hard drive. This feature is also one of the top notch qualities of this tool because PDF files are most compatible files for every major application system.

·         The tool also serves as email conversion tool. It’s not just mail back and archive software but also allows you to convert file formats for PST, Mac OLM and other major file formats of IMAP based email applications.

·         The tool allows you to create Integrated FP client server which help you to set up primary and mirror mail backup. This feature comes real in handy for It firms.

·         The tool provides auto USB function that allows you back and restore emails on a regular interval automatically. You just have to set your desired USB once and it will auto detect and notify whenever the USB is plugged in.

EVALUATION

Mail Backup X also offers a free demo version through which you can evaluate the tool in every aspect. We suggest you to try this free demo version before you take our word for it.

[tonkitampa]

Ms office 2019 crack cmd

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Write text on users MS Office Word and transform them into PDF formats with just one click.Creates a professional presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint sheets.View and Edit documents across different devices.Use Excel to create the tables and also solve mathematical equation problems.Improve and edit the database, create it and also print a variety of design.Highly support all the report file inclusive of PDF E-Books.Automatically customize the user interface for the display parameters.No VPN change is required for calling from anywhere.Create documents and also create presentations in addition to data processing.It includes the most popular applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Skype, Outlook.Microsoft Office 2019 Activator Key Features: Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2019.

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Office 2019 Full Activated Download makes anything possible.įull Setup & Crack Crack Only Microsoft Office 2019 Contents are: Thus, we have access to all the tools that can be used to create and customize our documents’ data. We can allocate our content based on our needs using its focus mode, which blocks out interruptions. Our content is integrated more closely with these features. In addition to some new tools like reading aloud and text spacing, MS Word and Outlook offer us a new way to learn. The software is very fast and reliable for our PC, and we should try it. Innovation, artificial intelligence, and security are some of the most recent features.

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It works as KMS Office 2019 Activator all in one suite even if we install it on our PC. There are many unique features included in this excellent quality version of Office 2019. The KMS Activator Office 2019 suite is also available to those who do not use a cloud-connected feature. Our daily office tasks have been made easier with Office 2019’s new customization options.

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Download KMS Office 2019 Activator for Free The cloud space allows users to keep a report and much more. Documents can be handled in a week manner, so users should always agree with and work on them. All pastime can be manipulated at the doorstep of the latest version, which has remarkable fashion. It can be used by enterprises or individuals. Therefore, it is a newer version of Microsoft’s product with upcoming features and designs. In this way, it creates a package and gear that is best for users. Each time Microsoft releases a new product, it is more powerful and reliable than the previous one. With all unique functions, Microsoft Office 2019 Activator is a very popular product. Throughout the world, information technology undergoes a rapid transformation, and users are exposed to new challenges through a variety of perspectives. MS Office 2019 is easily upgradeable for users who are using old versions of Office. Our Office experience can be enhanced in another exciting way. With this Office suite, we will be able to take advantage of cloud-based technology. New features have been added to the Office 2019 activator. You can find the best and most reliable activators for Office 2019 on this page.ĭownload Microsoft Office 2019 Activator To achieve this, they wish to transfer as many users to the top ten as possible. As a result of Microsoft’s policy, Office 2019 Activator will only work on Windows 10. If you choose to unlock Word, Excel, Outlook, Visio Pro or Project Pro, you will be able to use the unlocked features immediately. It is imperative that you activate Office 2019 as soon as possible after installation in order to fully utilize it, as well as to receive security updates and improvements as they are discovered as they are released.

[apkilop]

Wps word writer

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Neither LibreOffice nor MS Office is to blame for that. So moderate your expectations if you need to go that route. Seamless translation to another file format so that it is seamlessly transferred to another application is fundamentally impossible.

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If the graphic needs to be edited by both parties, then exchanging a graphic created in Impress with Powerpoint will in most circumstances work remarkably well.Įach software has its specific internal workings, which can be quite different. Instead of creating your flow chart in the word processor, create it in a graphics application and embed the graphic in the text document. However, expecting to seamlessly exchange graphics in a word processor is an unrealistic expectation. Text formatting is not a big issue when exchanging between different word processors.

#Wps word writer free

In addition, Microssoft Office is not Free Software, and such agreement would force users to agree to a very restrictive user licence.Īlternatively, change your approach. An alternative option, agreeing on using Microsoft Office, is less feasible because Microsoft Office is not available on linux. odt format and asking your recipients to also use LibreOffice to edit the file. In addition, there are several other office suite applications you can use, such as Calligra or Google Docs, so you are not bound to either LibreOffice or WPS.You could fix this by saving your file in the. Most versions of Microsoft Word can open a WPS file, as well as Microsoft Publisher. In fact, you can have the two suites installed on your computer, and that uses far less space than Microsoft Word does. The WPS file format is very similar to the DOC format, it too is a text document but it is created with Microsoft Works Word Processor and does not include advanced formatting options and macros that a Word document may contain.

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The dilemma between which to install on your system may not really matter. Conclusionīoth office suites are great and perform very well. To get an em dash in WPS Office, you must search for it under symbols trust me, that is annoying. In LibreOffice when you hit the spacebar after a word preceded by two en dashes, the two en dashes change into one em dash. Over 230 fonts and templates are included. WPS Office supports other platforms which are not supported by LibreOffice like Android.Ī subtle thing you may notice in WPS Office is the lack of automatic em dash. The word processor supports DOC, DOCX, TXT, HTM, DOT and DOTX formats.

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There is also a Professional edition with more features like document collaboration, but at a fee. WPS has a free version which will suffice for most tasks. There are absolutely no fees to worry about. For this reason, LibreOffice may be your first choice if you want to use the additional software. Remove Hyperlinks from WPS Doc/Docx Documents. As such, it replaces Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, providing a similar document-creation environment. How to Insert Bookmark to Document with Writer 2016. WPS Writer WPS Presentation WPS Spreadsheet. How to Quickly Extract All Email Address in a Word Document.

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In short, WPS offers a presentation, word processor, and spreadsheet software, whereas LibreOffice, in addition, includes a database management program (Base) and drawing program (Draw). How to change the default font in WPS Writer. However, LibreOffice comes bundled with additional applications: WPS Office comes bundled with only three applications: After sharing some pros and cons of each office suite, you will be better informed to make your choice should you get caught up in such a dilemma.Īlso read: How to Add Your Own Custom Color in LibreOffice Bundled ApplicationsĪ major difference one may notice between LibreOffice and WPS Office is the number of applications bundled in each office suite. Since the release of WPS Office 2016 and WPS Office 2019, we have been working hard to bring a friendlier experience to our. WPS Office is the world's leading provider of office software solutions. Kingsoft Spreadsheets replaces Microsoft Excel. LibreOffice and WPS Office both have their pros and cons. WPS Office is compatible with the doc, docx formats and is one of the best alternatives to Microsoft Word. Kingsoft Writer replaces Microsoft Word letting you write, edit and print text documents in much the same way. There is no definitive answer here! The choice between the two is completely dependent on the user and the job at hand.

[digitalaakash656]

Smart Solutions: Integrating AI with MS Office for Beginners

Introduction

In today's fast-paced digital world, technology plays a crucial role in enhancing productivity and efficiency. One such groundbreaking advancement is the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Microsoft Office, a staple for professionals and students alike. If you're a beginner looking to harness the power of AI in your everyday tasks, you've come to the right place. In this AI Integration Guide, we'll delve into the essentials of MS Office and how AI can transform your experience.

Understanding AI Integration

Before we dive into the specifics, let's grasp the concept of AI integration with MS Office. AI, in simple terms, refers to computer systems performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. When integrated with MS Office, AI adds a layer of smart functionality, making tasks easier, faster, and more intuitive for users.

MS Office Essentials

Before exploring AI integration, it's essential to have a solid understanding of MS Office basics. MS Office comprises several indispensable applications, including:

Word: For creating documents, reports, and letters.

Excel: For managing data, creating spreadsheets, and performing calculations.

PowerPoint: For designing captivating presentations.

Outlook: For managing emails, calendars, and contacts.

OneNote: For note-taking and organizing information.

Now that we're acquainted with the core components of MS Office, let's uncover how AI enhances these applications for beginners.

AI Integration Benefits for Beginners:

Automated Suggestions: Imagine typing a document in MS Word and receiving real-time suggestions to improve your writing style or correct grammatical errors. With AI integration, this becomes a reality, helping beginners enhance the quality of their work effortlessly.

Data Analysis Made Easy: Excel becomes more than just a spreadsheet tool with AI. Beginners can leverage AI-powered features to analyze data, spot trends, and generate insightful visualizations, even without prior expertise in data analysis.

Enhanced Presentations: PowerPoint presentations take on a new level of sophistication with AI integration. Beginners can access intelligent design suggestions, layout recommendations, and even speech coaching to deliver impactful presentations with confidence.

Efficient Email Management: Outlook becomes your personal assistant with AI features like smart inbox prioritization, suggested replies, and automatic email categorization. Beginners can stay organized and respond promptly to important messages without feeling overwhelmed.

Intuitive Note-Taking: With AI-powered OneNote, beginners can take organized, searchable notes effortlessly. From converting handwritten notes to text to generating summaries, AI streamlines the note-taking process, allowing users to focus on capturing ideas.

Getting Started: Now that you're aware of the benefits of AI integration with MS Office, it's time to take the first step. Begin by exploring the AI features available in each application and experimenting with them in your daily tasks. Don't hesitate to explore online tutorials, guides, and help resources provided by Microsoft to deepen your understanding.

Conclusion

In conclusion, integrating AI with MS Office offers beginners a transformative experience, simplifying tasks, enhancing productivity, and fostering creativity. By familiarizing yourself with AI-powered features and incorporating them into your workflow, you'll embark on a journey towards becoming a proficient user of MS Office essentials with cutting-edge technology.

Start your AI integration journey today and unlock the full potential of MS Office for beginners!

[roulettehaurd]

How to mail merge excel mac

How to mail merge excel mac how to#

How to mail merge excel mac mac#

Click all, and then click OK.ģ. The print dialog box will appear. Read More: Explain the generation of computersĢ.

Click Next: Complete the Merge to move to step6.

you can the left and right scroll arrows to view each document.

Preview the letters to make sure the information from the recipient list appears correctly in the letter.

From the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Preview tour letters to move to step5. Repeat these steps each time you need to enter information from your data record.Ħ. Select the desired options and click OK.Ĥ. Depending on your selection, a dialog box may appear with various options. Select Address block, Greeting line, Electronic Postage, or More items from the task pane.ģ. Place the insertion point in the document where you wish the information to appear.Ģ. From the Mail Merge task pane, click Next: Write your letter to move to step4.ġ. When you’re DONE, CLICK OK to close the dialog box.ĥ. In the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box, you can check or uncheck each recipient to control which ones are used in the mail merge. If the address list is an AccessDatabase, select the Table that contains the list and click Ok.Ĥ. Locate your file in the dialog box(you have to navigate to a different folder) and click Open.ģ. From the Mail Merge task pane, select Use an existing list and then click Browse.Ģ. The list can be in an existing file, such as an Excel Workbook, or you can type a new address list from within the MailMerge Wizard.ġ. Now you will need an address list so that word can automatically place each address into the document. Click Next: Select Recipients to move to Step3

Click Next: Starting document to move to Step 2.

Choose the type of document you wish to create.

Read Also: 20 Interesting Facts About Computer

How to mail merge excel mac how to#

The following is an example of how to create a form letter and merge the letter with a recipient list. The MailMerge task pane appears and will guide you through the six main steps to complete a mail merge. Select step by step Mail Merges Wizard.Open an existing Word document, or create a new one.This file can be a spreadsheet or database file containing separate fields for each different type of information to be merged within the letter. Mail Merge is a useful tool that will allow you to easily produce multiple letters, labels, envelopes, using information stored in a list, database, In MicrosoftWord. Mail merge is a feature within most data processing applications that enables users to send a similar letter or document to multiple recipients. In this article, I explain what is Mail Merge in MS Word, How to use mail merge step by step. csv) file.Mail merge is a useful tool that will allow you to easily produce multiple letters, labels, envelopes, name tags, and more using information stored in a list, database, In Microsoft Word. You can use an existing Excel data source or build a new one by importing a tab-delimited (. Can an Excel spreadsheet be used as the data source for a Word mail merge yes or no?Īn essential step in a Word mail merge process is setting up and preparing a data source. Warning When Opening a Word Mail Merge Main Document. Number and date formatting may not appear in the merged document. How do I mail merge labels from Excel to Word 2010?Įxcel File as the Recipient List. Click File > Print (or from the keyboard select Command + P). Type your return address and the recipient’s address. Double click the envelope template you want.

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How to Print Envelopes on a Mac Using Microsoft Word Open Microsoft Word, and, from the launch window, type Envelopes in the Search bar at the top right. How do I print envelopes in Word for Mac? From the Product Number list, select the correct number for your labels. From the Label Products pop-up menu, choose the product. To make labels from Excel or another database, take the following steps: In the Mail Merge Manager, click Select Document Type and then choose Create New→Labels. How do you do a mail merge from Excel to labels on a Mac? Can an Excel spreadsheet be used as the data source for a Word mail merge yes or no?.How do I mail merge labels from Excel to Word 2010?.How do I print envelopes in Word for Mac?.How do I create mailing Labels in Word?.How do I make labels in Word from Excel?.How do I mail merge labels from Excel to Word 2016?.How do I create a mail merge from Excel?.How do you do a mail merge from Excel to Word?.How do I create address labels in Word for Mac?.How do you merge Excel files into Word for labels?.How do I do a mail merge in Word for Mac?.How do you do a mail merge from Excel to labels on a Mac?.