#Code:016

[therosecrest]

[bestanimecouples]

Best Anime Couple: Zero Two (code:002) and Hiro (Code:016)

Anime: Darling In The Franxx

1 Season: 24 Episodes

Dub&Sub

[dianynn]

Dear Darling - Darling in the franxx🌹

* Capa para doação.

* Design: @dianynn 🌹

[peacheeeliz]

HEY EMO BOY

SYNOPSIS ⤏ could there be anything that could make your shift at the local coffee shop better? there is! and it's the hottest emo boy you'll ever find.

PARING ⤏ emo!jisung x down bad!fem reader

GENRE ⤏ smau, rom-com, cafe au, honestly crack au, she's so insanely down bad, but so is he, mutual pining, slow burn, forbidden?? love, mark is just really protective

FEATURING ⤏ nct dream, mingi from atz, matthew from zb1, manon from katseye, tsuki from billlie, ningning from aespa, and sohee from riize

FACECLAIM ⤏ faceclaim for y/n purely for picture purposes!! (@ leedainlee on ig)

WARNINGS ⤏ swearing, kms/kys & nsfw jokes, suggestive, pls ignore timestamps 💔

PLAYLIST ⤏ baby came home 2 / valentines, the neighbourhood | sweet, cigarettes after sex | melting, kali uchis | pretty boy, the neighbourhood | dreamland, glass animals | emo boy, ayesha erotica | smoke it off!, lumi athena | soaked, shy smith | on the floor!, removeface | it girl, aliyah's interlude

STARTED ⤏ 3/6/2025

STATUS ⤏ completed ♡

NOTE ⤏ i love making preppy characters obsessed with emos 😋😋

PROFILES & CHAPTERS

ground up cafe | nightmares

prologue. why r emos hot

001. I NEED HIM

002. hi hyuck's cousin 👋☺️

003. but emos r hot 😥

004. chenle that's chocolate milk

005. decrepit

006. THOSE glasses

007. work environment enrichment

008. HIM

009. THIS CAN'T BE

010. code red

011. pls do not pull ur dogs out

012. let me at him

013. does y/n have a type

014. i can handle him

015. DOWN BOY DOWN

016. she don't want you (770 wc)

017. u lost me at stop hating men 💔

018. ABORT MISSION

019. aww ☺️☺️ oh... 😳😳

020. bcs ur short 😃

APRIL FOOL'S DAY SPECIAL 😋

special 1. baby

special 2. yuck

special 3. singles inferno

☆©peacheeeliz, 2024

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ taglist is closed!

[ad0rechuu]

۪ ᝰ ۫ MY OH MY ୨୧

based on my oh my by girls' generation

SYNOPSIS. ━━━━━ Yn finds out that her whole relationship has been a bet. To get over her heartache her best friend Sunwoo convinces her to take revenge.

How you might ask? By breaking the culprits heart right back of course!

10jun23 | st. 31/12/23 ━ fn. 01/07/24

pairing. ━━━━━ Best Friend! Kim Sunwoo x Fem! reader (x Choi Yeonjun)

featuring. ━━━━━ the boyz members, kim chaewon, txt members + mentions of other idols

genre. ━━━━━ smau + written: humor/crack / fluff / angst / suggestive / childhood friends to lovers / college au / revenge relationship / relationship based on bet / slight slow burn

warnings. ━━━━━ timestamps/sm numbers/hair colors mean nothing, sexism/slutshaming, crude humor (kys jokes), mentions of & illusions to of food/sex/drugs/alcohol/cheating/mental illness, use of pictures of yn but only for reference, yn is a sone (snsd fan). more thorough warnings in the actual chapters, please let me know if missed something. this story doesn’t describe the idols in real life and is written with a dark skinned poc in mind!

notes. ━━━━━ the taglist is open, send an ask to be added. spam likes are fine but consider reblogging with comments of ur thoughts (not only on my work but on other authors work too! credits to the rightful owners of all the graphics. i’m not a native english speaker! and thank you to @ari-shipping-stuff for being my beta reader / writer <3

( please give this story lots of love & check out my masterlist )

PROFILES. ━━━━━ SONES INCORPORATED ᜊ DA HOMIEZ ᜊ MORE COOL KIDS ᜊ THE PLAYLIST

STEP 1. GET OVER HIM ›

ᝰ CH 000. prologue: THE NEXT BET

ᝰ CH 001. I H8 MEN

ᝰ CH 002. DON’T BREAK UP WITH THAT LOSER

ᝰ CH 003. THE PLAN

ᝰ CH 004. WHAT COULD GO WRONG?

ᝰ CH 005. *INSERT EVIL LAUGHTER*

ᝰ CH 006. ANNOYING BRAT FOR SALE

ᝰ CH 007. DON'T WORRY YOUR PRETTY BIG HEAD

ᝰ CH 008. NOT OVER HIM

ᝰ CH 009. CLASSIC SUNWOO-YN-BFF-DATE

ᝰ CH 010. THE NERVE AND THE AUDACITY

STEP 2. MAKE HIM FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU ›

ᝰ CH 011. STEP UP MY GAME

ᝰ CH 012. SASSY CAT EMOJI

ᝰ CH 013. A NIGHT ON THE TOWN W/ YN & WOO

ᝰ CH 014. GOOD NIGHT

ᝰ CH 015. HOBBIES FOR SUNWOO

ᝰ CH 016. GRAND DISCOVERY (YN HAS AN IDEA)

ᝰ CH 017. JUNS UNAPPROACHABLE AND COLD GF

ᝰ CH 018. HANGING OUT WITH MY BFS FRIENDS

ᝰ CH 019. BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF

ᝰ CH 020. DON’T WORRY ABOUT ME

STEP 3. BREAK HIS HEART ›

ᝰ CH 021. CODE ORANGE

ᝰ CH 022. I FUCKED UP

ᝰ CH 023. HITCH IN THE ROAD

ᝰ CH 024. CONSIDER AND MAKE SURE

ᝰ CH 025. WHAT MAKES THE HEART GROW WHAT?

ᝰ CH 026. BALLOON FLOWERS

ᝰ CH 027. REJECTION + ANEURYSM = WENT WELL

ᝰ CH 028. MAKEUP

ᝰ CH 029. BALLOON FLOWERS VERSUS ROSES

ᝰ CH 030. MINE (HIS)

ᝰ CH 00I. epilogue: A PEAK IN SUNYN’S LOVE

ᝰ CH 0II. ASK THEM ANYTHING EVENT

ᝰ AFTER WORD

special thanks (& follow these awesome ppl). ━━━━━ to @yuyusuyu @kodzumo @tocupid @leo-seonghwa @seonghwaddict @felixsramen : i have to give you six an extra special thanks because you all motivated and supported me so much while i was stressing and being annoying, just so you know guys are my motivation! (the other message is also to you all ofc)

and to @yunstarz @nyukyujs @rieuvie @thelargefrye @i-luvsang @cybrsan @gyumibear @pocketjoong @jaehunnyy @nebulousbrainsoup @justhere4kpop @xpixie @atinycafe @brrrkdslek @phantom-webber @a1sh1teruu @starryunho @aestheticsluut @end0rchans @yourfatherlucifer @alixnsuperstxr @girls4cheol @cheollipop @mintgki @aoi-turtle @renstears @42e15 @alixnsuperstxr @mrowwww @hwaightme @paradiqms @starrysvn @tubatu-wari-wari @kitten4sannie @chokchokk @hee0soo @joong-of-gold @armysantiny @evilsailorsenshi @mundayoonimnida @aapplepii @juhakutie : first of all i don’t expect you to read or interact with this fic, you might not even stan the boyz or like this sorta thing but i tagged you all because of one reason and one reason only; to tell you that you all make tumblr such a lovely and inspirational place for me, whenever i see ur accs it brightens my day because i know what great ppl are behind them, i just wanted to say that i think that you are amazing and i want to use this post to thank you! happy new years and i love you everyone (and you who’s reading this)

my oh my © ad0rechuu, 2023. do not copy/repost.

[danielgold-16]

Retrieval Protocol: Reykjavík Recovery Part. 2

[Part 1] Drone Log Terminated. Human Reversion Logged: Daniel Fenrir Gold, a.k.a. PDU-016

The transformation chamber was quiet. Low amber light pulsed through smooth walls. Daniel stood in front of the mirror, no longer encased in the glossy black full rubber suit of PDU-016. His skin breathed. Human again. Almost. The Hive’s programming still pulsed gently beneath the surface, like a heartbeat too disciplined to disappear. The Hive was always present at the back of his head, he could feel it like a soft hum brushing every single of his thoughts, even when PDU-016 stepped down to let the Gold bro rise.

Behind him, Alec sat on the cot. Shirtless now, breath still unsteady. He hadn't run. He hadn't begged to forget. He had stayed. The golden glow from the drone chamber cast soft lines over his freckled chest, his abs still flexing involuntarily as if echoes of the drone’s touch remained inside him. And in a way, that was so. “So,” Alec said, voice husky, “is this... you?” Daniel turned, eyes softened, a faint glimmer of gold still hidden in the whites. “It is also me,” he replied. “PDU-016 has been muted. Daniel Fenrir Gold... restored. For now.” Alec tilted his head. “Kinda hot, mate. But weird. Like I’m talkin’ to two people in one.” Daniel stepped closer. The soft hum of his drone mask on the table echoed like a memory. “Maybe you are closer to three than you realise, but this is for another day”

His hands reached out again, no gloves now, just warm fingers that trailed gently across Alec’s firm shoulder. The contact sent another shiver through the Irish jock’s body. Alec’s breath hitched. “Still... tingles when you touch.” “It’s starting,” Daniel murmured, brushing his thumb down Alec’s chest. “You activated it when you brushed the rubber. And after last night, my seed’s already inside you. The rubber remembers.” Alec looked down. The first trace was on his neck—like oil blooming under pale skin. Thin lines of black shimmer traced over his collarbone. He swallowed. “Is it... supposed to feel good?”

“Yes,” Daniel said, stepping between Alec’s legs, pressing their foreheads together. “That’s how the Hive gets in. Through pleasure. Through surrender.” The rubber spread slowly. Over his pecs, along his arms. Alec groaned, the sensation overwhelming. It wasn’t just wrapping him—it was recognizing him. The Hive was learning his shape, syncing with his rhythm. And Daniel was guiding it. Touching him, tracing him, coaxing it forward. Daniel’s hand pressed against Alec’s abs, the rubber blooming beneath his palm like roots fed by contact. “You feel it?” Daniel whispered. “It’s mapping you. Claiming you. Turning you into what you’re meant to be.”

Alec nodded slowly, eyes half-lidded. “It’s so warm… like it’s alive.” “It is,” Daniel said. “And it needs something more.” Alec looked at him. The golden glint in Daniel’s eyes sharpened. His fingers cupped Alec’s jaw, lips inches away. “It needs even more of the seed.” “What seed?” Alec whispered, barely managing the question through the rising hum in his body.

Daniel leaned in. Voice now quiet, hypnotic. Drone-deep. “The golden seed, Irish jock. You activated me. You brushed the Hive. Now you must be completed. I have to release it... inside you, again.” Alec didn’t flinch. He nodded. “I trust you.” Daniel pressed forward, pushing his hard body against Alec’s. His legs spread Alec’s open and he got closer still. What passed between them next was primal. As their lower body clashed, their mouths met, and with it came the transfer—a soft, electric pulse that moved from Daniel’s core into Alec’s. The golden seed spilled forward—part fluid, part heat, part code. Essence, programming… rebirth. Alec gasped, body arching. The black rubber now surged down his thighs, the rubber sport short locking in at his waist, sealing with thin golden lines that flared like veins of light. His skin pulsed. His muscles twitched. His identity wavered. In Daniel’s arms, Alec trembled, moaning softly. “It’s inside me,” Alec whispered. “Yes,” Daniel breathed. “It’s rewriting you. Slowly. Perfectly.” Alec looked up, vision blurry, tears mixing with sweat and static. “Will I be like you?” Daniel smiled, brushing his hand over Alec’s cheek as the black polished latex crawled over his back. “Not yet. But you’ll be better than you were. And you will, in time, if you want, become like me. A full servant of the Hive.” They held each other in silence.

The gold was spreading. The Hive was growing.

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

The Golden seed needs to spread, it needs to flow, so contact our recruiters: @brodygold, @goldenherc9 or @polo-drone-001.

[angeliqueiguess]

kitchen nightmares (s.jn)

⏲️pairing: cook!Johnny x waitress!femReader

⏲️type: smau (with written parts)

⏲️genre: crack, drama, strangers to lovers

⏲️warnings: slow-burn, swearing, kms & kys jokes, death mentioned, crack, main characters being a bit stupid/naive.

⏲️ summary: ‘Work with us,’ they said. ‘It’ll be fun,’ they said… if only they knew they were dragging her straight into hell.

angie’s note: yeah, im making another smau, i blame “The Bear” for this idea.

state: ongoing

TAGLIST OPEN!!

the clique // STAFF

000. prologue

001. new hire

002. back off i said

003. first words

004. girl code

005. maybe

006. fuck it we ball

007. extra hours

008. crazy

009. miss honey

010. smoke

011. fire

012. shift

013. old habits

014. the blame

015. kitchen time

016. jane austen

017. gossip

018. strangers

019. storm

020. storm pt.2

021. the almost kiss

022. punching bag

023. cornered

updated: 31/01/25

[therosecrest]

[howlsofbloodhounds]

What do you think of the name Lunacy for Insanity it’s not much better but it sounds better and I think close friends of his call him Luna. I’m one of the people who like the idea of Killer and Lunacy as friends. They can both save, load, etc. Although I do think Killer would come out on top Lunacy doesn’t fight those he doesn’t think he could win in a fight against. Although, I do imagine a fight first broke out but after that they never really fight like that again I think they would fight one another for fun though. Killer goal to fix his soul to make himself Sans now also includes helping Lunacy with everything Gaster did to his mind and body from determination and the experiments. There both freaks I say this with love and I can just see the two traveling the multiverse getting up to whatever and then sometimes just crashing in random universes to take a break. I think they both would have some eating problems. Killer doesn’t want to eat at all and only does when it gets to the point in which it’s effecting him in battle. Lunacy because of his jaw doesn’t like eating solid food and puts all his meals in the blender regardless of what the meal is. Although he doesn’t partake much in food in the first places. I don’t think either really sleeps and when they do it’s not much so their up 24/7 doing whatever.

Insanity! Papyrus I like to call him Delirium. If Lunacy and Killer were friends I think Delirium would be the biggest road block between them. Cause, even as he is now even after all this time Killer loves his brother and every Papyrus he sees reminds him of his brother. I think he would want that find a way to help him either through death or just trying to make him a body. It would definitely be the big thing between them.

~Musical Anon

Hmmmm..they were a test subject, right? Perhaps they were originally given a code name that originally served as something dehumanizing, but perhaps he starts reclaiming it as their own with time.

Patient or Asset 0 is an obvious one, as well as 001 because Sans was the first who didn’t amalgamate. Maybe something like Subject DRS-016, which refers to a test subject, DRS meaning Determination Reformation Stasis, and 016 referring October 16, 2022 which is the date that the AU was transferred to UTF.

Perhaps Sans mentally thinks of himself as either Sans still or as whatever subject name he was given—but because he doesn’t really speak, hates loud noises, and their jaw is split—people tend to assign their own names and nicknames to them because he doesn’t often respond back and it takes extra effort and pain in order to do so.

Which not only runs the risk of his pain and the sound of his own voice aggravating and hurting him, but many do not have the patience to wait for them to get their words out or to decipher what he’s trying to say if they have difficulty with words.

Either physically because of his injured jaw and teeth, or because of his physically damaged skull and how that could effect his mental capabilities like organizing thoughts and speech, as well as his own difficulties with noise.

Which he could definitely have mixed emotions about if he’s able to understand this, and perhaps they’re not use to others putting in any extra effort to communicate with them and care about what they have to say.

I don’t know. Maybe people can leave a few suggestions somewhere and I can make it into a poll like I did for Deltaverse Frisk’s nickname.

[madelynraemunson]

CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book 1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen's Club)

(strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove! reader)

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MINORS DNI

006: The Eddie Special

Rent is paid, food is on the table, and Max finally has a YMCA membership! All because of you. But just when you think you've got your two lives under control, Robin and Vicky show up to Hellfire for date night — and see you dancing center stage.

* = somewhat smut

** = smut

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014**, 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

word count: 5.2k words

warnings — eddie being an asshole again but also very sweet, mutual pining, angst, yearning, profanities, power imbalance, double standards, smoking, alcohol, sexual harassment, health issues/disparities, trauma, pedophilia, incest, name-calling

“A compromise would surely help the situation.”

♡

“Hey, stranger.”

Robin flashes you a “good morning” smile as you’re washing the dishes. Scooting to the side, you continue to scrub as she leans against the sink with her back, munching away at her breakfast sandwich that Vicky had prepped for her the night before.

“Morning,” you grin in return.

“Funny,” she says. “We live under the same roof now but our friendship still feels long distance.”

“Sorry… ” you frown. “Work’s just been a lot.”

So is living a double life. To shake off the guilt that constantly gnawed at you, you dry your hands and proceed to make yourself some coffee. When you scan the fridge, the only creamer you can get your hands on is...

Hazelnut. Just your luck.

There’s a tinge in your chest as you dunk it into your mug. You stir aggressively. Robin notices how tense you are and walks over to you.

“Don’t be so hard on yourself, my guy,” she says as she pats you on the back. “Healthcare is tough. I dated a travel nurse once and that poor woman had back problems for days.”

“Such a physically and emotionally taxing job,” Vicky adds as she emerges from their room. “I don’t know how you do it, Hargrove.”

“Good morning, baby.”

“Good morning, sweetheart.”

Smooch.

You chuckle to yourself as you sip your Eddie-coded coffee.

“Yeah. I don't know how I do it either…”

The wooden stairs creek and crack as a pair of Vans stomp against them. Max is awake. This morning is an exciting one. After many, many overtime shifts at Hellfire, you've accumulated enough tip money to pay for Max's membership for 12 months. On top of that, rent had already been paid so you had a hefty cushion leftover for leisurely expenses.

You can hardly contain yourself. Seeing the surprised look on your sister's face is sure to be the highlight of your morning.

Max stares at you in shock when she sees you in the kitchen.

“Whoa,” she says. “She’s awake.”

You only ever see Max in passing when she comes home from the skate park. And that's right when you leave for work. From what she tells you she hasn't made many friends, but her main priorities right now are her hobbies and preparing herself for college classes in the Fall. Sometimes Max will tag along with Robin and Vicky to run errands, but you can tell she misses spending time with, and seeing, her sister.

“Shocker, right?” you sigh. “Thought I'd catch you before you head out.”

With your hands behind your back, you stride over to Max to give her her well-earned gift.

“What’s this?” she wonders.

“Your ticket to the Y,” you explain. “A band and a quarter, should last you a year.”

"Whoa!" Vicky exclaims.

"Holy shit! Look at that!" Robin cheers.

Max's eyes widen as she takes the money from you. “ $1200?! What bank did you have to rob to get $1200?”

“No bank,” you shake your head as Max counts all of the Benjamins. “Just the pockets of old, retired folk.”

You grin from ear to ear as you watch Max get bombarded with hugs that she is reluctant to accept, but does regardless. Vicky and Robin hoot and holler and squeal and cheer, reaffirming to Max that she deserves it the most.

“You’re really giving the elderly a run for their money,” Max says as the celebration comes to an end.

You watch in amusement as Vicky and Robin take turns counting Max's money.

“Yeah well it’s the least they can do for me,” you sigh. “My body feels like it’s aged 10 years.”

Max excuses herself from your roommates and throws herself onto you this time. You do your best not to cry. You've really missed her hugs.

“Thank you,” she says. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

Seeing how happy your sister is makes all your struggles worth it. Anything for Maxine.

———— 🔥 ————

“I don’t know who you think I am, but I don’t really give a damn right now.”

The past couple of weeks at Hellfire have been nothing short of awkward.

Eddie only really comes to you when he needs something, which — now that you've taken off those rose-tinted glasses — pretty much fits the bill of who he is as a person.

But he still lingers. For example, when you and Chrissy go on breaks together, there is always something for Eddie to do in close proximity. Table needs wiping? Eddie is there. Aisle needs sweeping? Mike, go help in the back. When you're dancing on customers, Eddie comes out from doing paperwork in his den to greet the regulars. And whenever you would turn to look at what Eddie’s doing, his gaze is already fixed on you and what you’re doing.

Like cat and mouse. But of course, he does it with all his dancers. Right?

A part of you wants to confront Eddie and his behavior, but before you even can he's out the back door to go on a "smoke break" with Argyle after closing, which usually is a short jump to him leaving. So you try to act unbothered by it by staying just a while longer with Henry… just in case he does come back.

But Henry puts you to work when you stay. He typically has you make sure all doors are locked, all chairs are stacked, and that any stray garbage is thrown away. You two play music while you work alongside one another, talking shit about customers and about how every day is starting to look the same.

You’re aware of how you openly contradict yourself, saying the days all bleed into one another and how you miss your bed. Yet you’re still at Hellfire. Way past closing time. Henry for sure has caught on to your odd behavior, but he doesn’t seem to mind because he enjoys your company.

It’s like clockwork now, this ritual-slash-routine.

Today is different for some reason.

"Hey!" Eddie calls out. “Shy Girl!”

You’re alone eating in an isolated part of VECNA’S LAIR when Boss Man makes his way over to you.

You’re frozen in your spot as he approaches you…willingly. Although you could care a lot less about his presence, the gesture still causes you to sit up a little straighter and blot-dry any remnants of your food with your napkin.

Eddie sets down new laminated prints of his menu in front of you. Plop.

"New item on the menu,” he gloats, very amused with himself. “Waffle fries. What do you think?"

Annoyed, you huff.

"Sure."

Two weeks of barely uttering a sentence to one another. Two weeks of avoiding eye contact and possibly one ‘excuse me’. Two weeks of being a background character in Eddie’s life and his icy shoulder making sure you knew it.

Now you’re more than an extra today. Because today Eddie decides you’re something of value, and that just for today your input actually matters. It's pathetic. It all makes Steve and Nancy look like best friends.

Your eyes travel to his firm hands. His silver rings. You hate to admit that you miss how they felt against your skin, especially since your skin seemingly isn't the only one he grazes. I do this with all my dancers. Your hands ball into fists. How can someone be so okay with using someone the way Eddie did with you?

"So we'll do regular waffle fries and the crinkle cuts will be our sweet potato fries from now on,” he explains.

“Mhm.”

“And eventually,” Eddie booms dramatically. “We’ll introduce the concept of different types of fries. Cajun fries, cheese fries, chili cheese fries. Then we'll introduce new cuts like curly fries... wedges..."

Not a word from you.

"Then we’ll do animal style fries like how you Californians do it at In-N-Out. I’ll call it ‘The Eddie Special’. It’ll be amazing!”

"You call the shots, Eddie."

Like he always does.

Eddie finally gets the message. You watch as his shoulders droop as he surrenders.

"Are you okay?" he dares to ask perplexedly.

"Never better!" you exclaim.

You grab your finished meal and dart past him, not even bothering to pardon yourself when your shoulders brush his slightly. You hear Eddie exhale, super displeased as the taps he makes on the table with his fingers render themselves fast and impatient.

“You don’t wanna stay and chat?” your superior demands sharply.

“I have to clock back in,” you answer coldly. “Sorry.”

“K then,” Eddie quietly mutters, returning the energy.

You try to look busy, so you pull out your phone and pretend to check something. Luckily, a text message from Robin pops up for you to reply to.

ROBIN BUCKLEY ☀️🤍

Date night with Vicky tonight. Breakfast/lunch/dinner waiting for you in the fridge when you get home 😁

You smile.

You da bestest 🩷 thank u

Buzz.

ROBIN BUCKLEY ☀️🤍 loved “You da bestest 🩷 thank u”

“Hey, Hargrove?” Eddie calls out to you.

His voice sounds a lot softer and apologetic. With the optimism that your tactic worked, you spin around to face Eddie with eager eyes. Maybe today is the day things go back to normal again.

“Hm?”

“No going on your phone when you’re clocked in, k?”

A blow to the chest. Bitter and agitated, you shove your phone into the back pocket of your booty shorts. Yes sir, you mutter to yourself mentally.

After thanking you, Eddie struts to the kitchen, using his own phone to pull up Dio on Spotify. He and Argyle like to head-bang and fuck around in the kitchen when they’re together. Messing around is only okay if Eddie does it, you assume.

To make matters worse, Eddie then proceeds to use his stupid phone to send someone a text. You scoff at the irony. Fucking prick.

Another trigger of yours? Power imbalance and double standards.

Attempting to be drama-free, you ironically make your way over to Steve and Jonathan, who are posted up at POTIONS.

“Hey Shy Girl,” Jonathan nods.

"Hey Johnny," you greet him.

You turn to the literal love of your life.

“Sup, Steve.”

"Hey, Hargrove," Steve nods. "How'd you do on tips last night?"

"Stellar," you answer. "Fucking love Fridays."

You and Steve are still casually hooking up. But just as you predicted, things aren’t quite the same. The problem this week is that Steve is struggling to finish, and you start to feel discouraged and insecure when he softens up inside of you.

Steve always used to finish. Now when you look up at him his gaze is fixed on something else, his strokes are less enthusiastic, and he mistaked one of your kinks for someone else’s once. But you pretend not to notice. A part of you even feels like you deserve it.

Steve is struggling with the eye contact today. You kick at the floor, trying to find a way to make your presence relevant in this corner of Hellfire. Knowing very well what you’re doing, Steve holds up a French fry from his red picnic tray as a supportive gesture.

"Would you like some?"

You beam at him and open your mouth so he can feed you. Steve obliges.

“Thanks boo,” you say to him as you chew.

He blushes. “Welcome.”

“You guys are cute,” Jonathan smiles as he wipes his hands with a hand towel. “I gotta run to the restroom, you mind watching the bar for a bit, Hargrove?”

“Not at all,” you oblige. “I’ll be here. Eating Steve’s fries.”

“Great,” Jonathan says, excusing himself. Then he halts. “Oh! If you open the register, Eddie has something for you underneath. Code is 0-1-1.”

Eddie has something…for you?

You turn to Steve and he just shrugs. As if it weren’t already obvious, you and Eddie weren’t exactly on friendly terms. What could that man possibly have for you?

It’s a termination notice, you can feel it. Bracing yourself for the absolute worst, you punch the code in.

0 - 1 - 1.

CHA-CHING! The register pops open. You lift the till that housed the cash and coins to unveil a pile of cash joined together by a small paper clip. There is a tiny note that was written onto a ripped piece of paper.

You pick it up. This couldn’t be for you, you think. But the sloppy handwriting with a partially bleeding pen says otherwise.

‘Hargrove: $600 — YMCA MONEY’

----- ❤️‍🩹 -----

“She the devil, she a bad lil bitch, she a rebel.”

Tonight you’re doing private dances with customers and also doing tip rail. But you wish you were just doing tip rail 'cause tonight’s clients were ballsy.

One patron said you look like his daughter. But it’s okay because ‘she’s married and out of the house’. Another said you look like one of his students. But it's totally okay because he teaches at the community college, therefore almost every pupil there is ‘at least 18’. It still doesn’t make it any better. All you could think about is your 18 year old baby sister — someone’s daughter and someone’s someone — someone who will also be walking the halls of Hawkins Community College later this month.

This customer, however, takes the cake. After guiding his hand away multiple times during the lap dance, he always manages to find the straps of your bra again. Upon strike three, you lose all patience.

“Yo, can you not do that?” you hiss, your inner Cali dude coming out to play. “I moved your hand away many times.”

The man is almost appalled. “It’s a strip club, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, but I strip on my terms.”

"I paid for your services," he spat. "So I'm sure I get to do what I want, hoe."

“Don’t call me that!”

“I'll call you what I want,” the customer insists. “It’s what you are anyways if you’re in this job right?”

He takes out another dollar and tucks it into one of your cups. You could only stare in shock. The audacity of this guy.

“Here,” he says degradingly. “Looks like you really need it. Now let me see those tits. Please.”

Anger consumes you. Whatever amount of the Neutral Wolf you had left in you has now melted away. The Big Bad Wolf is taking over now. You give the man a shove, hoisting yourself off his disgusting body.

"What the FUCK is your deal, bruh?" you bark, a piece of Billy coming out of you more than you intended. "You want a piece of me that badly, don't you?"

Your words cause a scene in the surrounding area. Not even phased by it, the patron decides to push you further.

“Easy, easy,” he rolls his eyes. “If it’s that much of an issue I’ll just take my money back.”

He yanks the dollar back from out of your bra. His knuckles just grazed your tits.

“What kinda strip club is this anyways? Theme is janky as fuck. The STRIPPERS don’t even strip. They’re RUDE, and they’re butt ugly. The owner should be ashamed. Oh and by the looks of it, you don’t have much tits to work with after all.”

“Pull up your shirt,” you quip. “I think I found ‘em.”

This poor man. He didn't know you're a Hargrove.

And soon you’re throwing shit. His money. Your shoes. Every curse word in the dictionary, both traditional and urban with the exception of a few. You’re seeing all red now, and you’re pretty sure if no one stopped you, you’d have ripped the guy’s head off.

“If I don’t have tits, why you trying to get at me?” you roar. “You like little boys or something, bitch?!”

“HENRY!” Eddie shouts.

You turn in the direction of Eddie’s voice. He had been watching. Through your furious, free-falling tears, you can see in his dark eyes, closed fists, and flared nostrils that he is angry as well.

“On it, boss!” Henry shouts as he scampers on over. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, asshole?”

The friendly bouncer swoops you off to the side and asserts himself between you both. Lucky for the guy, no dislocated limbs were in the cards today. All it took was another person with a penis to get this fool to back down. He tries to reason with Henry but it’s far too late. Henry’s already pushing him towards the door.

“I’ll be coming BACK to have my way with you,” the beast growls and spits. “Fucking SKANK!”

“I HOPE THE FUCK YOU DO, MOTHERFUCKER!” you challenge him. "I'll be right here waiting!”

A calloused hand lands on your lower back. Thinking it’s another customer, you turn aggressively, fist winded up. As quickly as you lunge, a large palm catches it mid-air.

It’s Eddie.

Worry washes over your boss’s face when you two lock eyes for the first time. After what seemed like an eternity. He looks at you with the utmost concern. You almost see a tear glistening in his eye. A portion of his hair falls over his face in attempts to conceal it.

"Are you okay?" Eddie asks again, genuinely.

You nod, gulping.

You aren't okay, that's the thing. Not when Eddie looks like that. And not when he's looking at you, like that. Suddenly, Hellfire melts away and you're back in his van, fighting back every urge to fall into him and his musky, pine aroma infused with nicotine, weed, and beer. Just like home. Eddie feels like home.

Papers beat rock. Slowly, Eddie lowers your fist with the palm he had draped over you. The pulsing music and blinding strobe lights trickle back into your system.

"It's okay if you aren't..." Eddie starts. “You know... alright.”

"Eddie," you stop him. "Please. I'm alright."

“That was a lot.”

“But it's nothing new to me.”

He studies you. Doesn’t speak for a while.

“It's true!” you insist, attempting to diffuse Eddie's concern. “It kinda reminded me of the frat parties in San Diego I used to go to. You know what I’m saying?”

You try to laugh. But Eddie doesn’t. Henry and some dancers come to check up on you, especially Chrissy, to ask if you're okay. They even try to start a petition to jump the guy. You repeat the very thing you've been saying since it happened — yes, you are okay — and thank them for their concern. Then it's back to you and Eddie the moment they all disperse.

"Want a break?" he offers.

You shake your head. Dancing it off would help more, actually. And besides, if his offer is just another attempt to get you alone in his car and fire you up only to extinguish it all again in one sitting, you'll pass.

"Wanna go on stage now then? Get a break from individual dances?"

You smile and nod. "I'd love that."

The night can only get better from here. Eddie offers you his hand and helps to hoist you onto the stage. The DJ announces your name, and you’re back in business, putting on your million dollar smile and batting your seductive, little lashes.

Your song comes on and you start to shake your ass. Lost in the trance of the song, you become one with the pole, climbing it and gliding along it, twirling from it, and hovering with it, twerking and spreading your legs whenever you saw fit. The audience revels in it.

It all feels so good. Yes you are being provocative, everybody and your brother's worst nightmare -- but you're the one in control. No one can ever take your body autonomy away from you. Never again. Not anymore.

You do a death drop to the floor and quickly ease into your splits. The crowd goes wild as you roll your hips to the song, allowing yourself to get showered by the dollar bills that were raining down on you like a storm.

To thank everyone for their overwhelming support, you spin yourself around to face the crowd. But your heart nearly stops.

“Oh my god,” you gasp aloud.

Nothing could ever prepare you for what... or who rather... you see in front of you.

“Oh…my god,” Robin repeats, face sheet-white like a ghost.

Vicky is right beside her with the same shock on her face. Of course, your roommates have acknowledged this place before, so it wouldn't be a surprise that they eventually made this place their date night.

Your mind short-fuses and all you can do is crawl away backwards. Luckily, no one in the crowd seems to suspect how thrown off you just became. Your body quickly calls on another dancer as your mind races. And soon Emmy is taking your spot at the tip rail.

You look over at Eddie, who was in the corner leaning against the wall, but now he is standing upright and confused. Throwing on your cloak, you thank everyone for coming out and run out to the back alley.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit," you mutter to yourself, as your heels click against the cold floor. Your cover is blown. What do you do now? "That's what you get for working local, Hargrove."

You find an area in the alley to rest and hit your dab pen ferociously. As you pace back and forth, you start to develop your exit plan. Nothing new, you develop these plans all the time.

Eventually Robin and Vicky find you. Clumsily spilling out the back door comes Thing 1 and Thing 2, assessing your body language and emotional well-being before finding the right words to say. It’s uncomfortable for everybody.

“Well this is quite the nursing home,” Robin remarks.

“Babe!”

“What?!” Robin exclaims. “I’m trying to lighten the mood.”

“Yeah but that can kinda come off as witty and sarcastic.”

“Well I don’t mean for it to.”

“Just because you don’t mean for it to, doesn’t mean it won’t come across that way.”

“Well knowing Hargrove I would hope she knows it’s not meant to come across that way.”

“GUYS!” your overstimulated self shouts.

All is quiet on midwestern front. Vicky and Robin switch between looking at you and back down at the ground while you resume your stress-filled nic break.

Finally, you speak after exhaling.

“So how’s everyone’s niiight?”

Robin gets straight to the point. “Why didn’t you tell us you work here?”

“I was protecting Max.”

“From what?” Robin wonders. “Ass and boobies? Extensions and falsies and freakishly high, high heels?”

“Doesn’t sound like nightmare fuel to us,” Vicky shrugs.

“It is when you consider the women Billy’s brought home.”

“What does Billy have to do with any of this?” asks Vicky.

“A lot, actually,” you answer.

You shove your pen back into your cloak pocket.

“Look,” you say. “I really needed the money. And I needed it fast. With my server and dancing background, I figured being a stripper was the best way to make it. And I was right. It’s quick money, but it’s sure as hell not easy. It’s draining for the most part, but—”

You stomp at the ground in frustration.

“My sister is fed and she can go to the Y and go to school and she’s away from Billy anditsallthatI’veeverwantedokay? That’s why I did it.”

“Okay, but I don’t see the point in coming up with this elaborate story that you work nights at a nursing home,” Vicky squints in thought. “Come on Hargrove, we are the least judgmental house in the boonies. I mean look at us.”

“Art Hoe Lesbians in a red state,” Robin points out. “I’m sure exotic dancer is a very mild offense.”

They did have a point. And it's not like Max is the type to slut-shame either. But you wanted Max to live as normal of a life as possible. Having a stripper sister also didn’t seem like the best conversation starter in Hawkins.

"I guess I'm just used to living a lie," you admit exhaustedly. "And running away... I also know Max would be worried sick for me."

"You only live lies if you tell 'em," Robin points out. "But as long as you're here with us, you're free to be your true and authentic self."

"Your job right now is to provide," Vicky adds. "And you're doing a wonderful job."

You beam. "Yeah?"

They both nod, yes. Sometimes you forgot what a support system is like. It always used to be everyone for themselves.

"Thanks guys."

"You're welcome," Vicky grins. "For now we'll keep our lips locked. We did not see anything."

"But you are going to have to tell Max eventually," Robin scorns.

"I know," you sigh. "I appreciate the stall."

The three of you hug. That's another thing you've been needing these past few weeks. A warm, authentic hug.

"Nice ass by the way," Robin compliments you.

"And tits," Vicky adds.

"Thanks."

———- ❤️ ———-

“I’ll kindly take you up on that Eddie Special, please,” you mumble.

Eddie had last-called everyone 15 minutes ago, but deep down you hope he had enough room in his heart for you. It’s been a dumpster fire of a shift.

Sure enough Eddie caves, judging by the way he starts up the fryer again after having shut it down right before you got to him.

He grins warmly. “Coming right up.”

As the fryer starts to bubble, Eddie loads in the last of the crinkle cuts. He waits close by with crossed arms.

Eddie’s first to break the silence.

“You seemed to know those customers,” he comments, referring to Vicky and Robin. “Judging by how fast you ran from them. In pumps too.”

“They’re my roommates,” you reply. “My best friend and her partner. They didn’t know I work here.”

He raises the eyebrow at ‘best friend’. “Even they didn’t know you work here?”

“I don’t know what they’d do with this information,” you utter defensively. “I guess it’s just hard for me to trust people.”

“Is it really, Miss Flight Risk?”

He’s referring to moving in with a girl you met online. You shoot him a look. The “I-didn’t-really-have-any-other-choice” look. He quickly digresses.

“I’m kidding,” he surrenders. “Okay? I understand that there are some things you gotta keep secret.” Eddie wriggles the basket full of fries around in the fryer. “…Even from your loved ones.”

Something tells you he speaks from experience. You shrug it off, ensuring he’d elaborate if he wanted to eventually.

Meanwhile you just decide to hit him with some small talk.

"How’s Chef Lucas been doing back here?"

"Fine and dandy," Eddie breathes. "For the most part. He burnt some things a couple of days ago, but that's part of being an apprentice, right?"

"Totally,” you nod. “Mistakes are bound to happen."

"Ohhh yeah," Eddie mutters, almost to himself. "Lots and lots…of mistakes."

"Trial and error, if you will,” you pitch in.

"Yup,” he draws on. “Seeing what works and what doesn’t. Testing the waters..."

Your eyes meet again. Briefly at least.

Eddie struggles to hold his gaze and instead resorts to clumsily playing around with a cloth nearby while whistling a tune. You can feel it getting awkward again so you find a way to keep the conversation going.

“Thank you for being there,” you attempt. “And helping out with my sister’s membership. You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to,” Eddie insists. His back is towards you so you can't read his expression. “You’ve been working very hard.”

“That’s why you don’t have to,” you say as-a-matter-of-factly. “It’s already paid off.”

Eddie chuckles. “Okay, then use it to buy yourself something nice. You deserve it.”

A hoot sounds from the opposite end of the hall. It’s Henry making his way over with some keys.

“Alright Babyboy, I’m out,” he announces. “I can lock up if you’d like? Not like I have anything to do.”

“I can take it from here,” Eddie insists. “Sweet dreams, Mr. Creel.”

Henry makes his way over, narrowing his eyes.

“Thought you normally go see Wayne after this.”

“I do,” Eddie replies. “But he had company earlier and I’m sure he already put himself to bed by now. I’ll stop by for breakfast.”

Henry’s eyes shift between you and Eddie. There’s a small smirk but he tries to conceal it. You’re staying late again, huh?

“Your words not mine,” Henry says. “Goodnight you two.”

You both bid Henry goodbye and he sees himself out. Eddie proceeds his periodic check-ins with your taters.

"You've uh, been appointing Henry a lot," you point out.

"Hell yeah, like clockwork," Eddie shrugs. "This industry is predator central. Just hate when dickheads think they can disrespect my girls. I don’t play that way.”

My girls.

“Not his first time doing shit like that,” Eddie adds, referring to the customer. “I regret giving him another chance. I should just get Henry or Jim to print a picture of his face and plaster it all over the walls. DON'T LET THIS ASSHOLE IN.”

You laugh. Eddie laughs at your laugh and then goes to melt the cheese for your dish.

“Yeah,” you say. “You give a man another chance and all he does disappoint you.”

Eddie sighs and nods timidly. “Yeah… Men ain’t shit huh?”

It falls silent for a bit. Eddie slowly stirs the melted cheese concoction he had going on in his pot while eyeing the time. You fiddle around with your cloak out of habit. Eddie speaks first again.

“You know what Shy Girl, I’m gonna do it,” he says. “Gonna broadcast his face and I’ll have you sign off on it.”

“Really?” you say.

“Of course,” Eddie shrugs. “You know how I am. I don’t play when it comes to you.”

The rasp in his voice sounds like melted butter. For a fraction of a second, you start to wonder what you were even mad about earlier.

You really missed talking and bantering with Eddie. Aside from whatever the hell was going on between you both, his companionship was not something you felt was fake.

Eddie begins mixing some sauces, and when he's done he hands you what you assume is your tips that you forgot to collect. You know, when you bolted off the stage.

"Already tipped everyone else out," he explains. "Rest is yours to keep."

You thank him and count all your bills. Now you have $600 of reallocated YMCA money and tips from tonight to pay off your bills and splurge.

You haven't had this much money since your waitressing job. You are forever grateful.

“Is there...anything I owe you Eddie?” you question. “Like at all? You’ve done a lot for me lately.”

“Ehhh you’re in the clear, I guess,” Eddie sheepishly smirks. “Lucky for you I’m a sucker for flattery.”

The fries are now cooked to a golden crisp and Eddie adds the components needed for The Eddie Special. He spends a decent amount of time to perfect the presentation before sitting down in front of you. In true Eddie fashion, he takes a bite of his own creation.

"HOT," he comments, trying to blow on the fry that's already in his mouth. "Hot, hot, hot. Fresh out the fryer."

Judging by his face, however, he approves. You can’t help but giggle over and over again. He gestures for you to try some.

It’s love at first bite.

"Mhm," you coo. "Thank you, Eddie."

"You're welcome," Eddie says. He grabs a washcloth to clean up the area. “Now… when you’re finished, how about I treat you to a real dinner?”

-------

author’s note: school has been taking over my life but i’m so glad i got to crank out this chapter for you guys 🖤 i’m excited to see how y’all are gonna react to shy girl’s orientation dinner…. 👀

tag list: @changemunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @hideoutside , @motherfckerrr , @jxpsi , @munson-magic , @lindseyj23 , @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @holabeans00

[danielgold-16]

Reborn

The winds howled over the shattered skyline of Crescent Bastion—once a training outpost of the Golden Army, now nothing but fractured concrete and haunted echoes. Daniel stood at its threshold, clad in gleaming gold, his cleats scraping against broken marble. His breath fogged in the cold. Something inside the ruins called to him.

They had warned him not to come. Said something had awoken deep below—something twisted. Old drone cores. Abandoned protocols. Echoes of former selves.

But Daniel had to know. The dreams hadn’t stopped since the last Hive match. Black rubber claws tugging at his ankles in his sleep. The hiss of a breathing mask in the distance. The faint golden voice: “PDU-016… resume.”

With each step, the golden light of his uniform dimmed.

He reached the atrium. Walls slick with ash. The air tasted of ozone. Then—movement. Shadows skittered. And out from the floor rose spectral drones—faded, digitized husks of failed conversions. Their masks hung broken, their eyes flickering with corrupted gold. One stepped forward.

“DANIEL. ERROR. SPLIT FILE. IDENTITY… DISORDERED.”

Daniel clenched his fists. “I'm not you. I’m a Golden Bro.”

The drone lunged.

A fight exploded—Daniel spinning, flipping, kicking with blinding gold trails. His fists shattered drone skulls into light. But they reformed, phasing back in, endless. He was being dragged under—until a hand grabbed him from behind.

(Painting, oil on wood, early XXI C., Gold Army Stadium) A mirror of himself.

Rubber-clad. Masked. Glowing eyes. Fenrir. PDU-016.

The vision hissed: “Let me in again. Together—we’re complete.”

The ground split. Daniel and his drone self tumbled down, past fire, past memory, past training rooms and Hive servers and a golden spiral that pulsed like a living heart. They crashed into the Obedience Core—an ancient Hive artifact, buried and forgotten. Around it, golden chains bound a writhing nightmare construct—an AI-beast of corrupted mantra, spawned from abandoned experiments.

The chains snapped.

It roared. Tentacles of black code whipped out, lashing across Daniel’s limbs, injecting corrupted mantras—twisting his name, his purpose. “NO! I’m DAN—”

“You are Function.” “You are Obedience.” “You are 016.”

Fenrir stepped forward. And fused.

Gold and black collided, spiraled, fought and merged. Rubber poured across Daniel’s golden kit. His mask snapped into place. His veins lit with dual code—Golden discipline, Hive obedience.

The monster lunged.

He didn’t move.

He simply commanded: “STAND DOWN.”

The beast froze—recognizing authority.

He walked through it, untouched, reborn.

On the surface, Brody and Scott waited as the sky shifted. The ground pulsed gold and black. Then he emerged, changed. One eye Gold. One eye Hive.

Daniel spoke with dual tone.

“Golden Bro Daniel. PDU-016. Fenrir has returned.”

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

“Wanna explore abandonned, mysterious places of power with a Golden Team standing beside you? All you need to do is contact our recruiters: @brodygold, @goldenherc9, @polo-drone-001 or @polo-drone-125”

[viiliskivi]

One of my favourite Donald Duck comics is the one by Kari Korhonen where Scrooge and Flintheart just casually admit that they enjoy fighting with each other when Scrooge was staying in Finland, they missed it.

The story code is D/SAN 2013-016 if anyone wants context.

I have a LOT of reasons I like Kari Korhonen Flintheart the most. He works with Scrooge in a handful of them, their rivalry isn't treated as something they would try kill each other over, and they're just being silly. I also love how he looks. AND FINLAND‼️ FINLAND HAS THE BEST FLINTHEART FR ‼️‼️

In stories D 2010-021, and D 2010-081 Flintheart and Scrooge have contests, and in them they BOTH cheat, and get caught. Instead of Flintheart being THE villain of the story, they're both treated like idiots, and I love it. If anyone thinks my love of this character is ridiculous because of how evil he is, my vision is clouded by these comics.

(ik most of yall are probably not Finnish but you can see that they're cheating by getting their kayaks pulled in the middle of the race 💀)

I love these ones, I even found physical copies when sorting through my family's ridiculous amount of Donald Duck magazines. :') I have read all the other Flintheart comics that are on the Finnish Donald Duck archive too, but I just love certain characterizations of him more than others.

Best example is Don Rosa's Flintheart. He's my least favourite. He's more evil, and less of an interesting character to me. I may be really biased since my mom is like the biggest Don Rosa disliker, but I still read all those Flintheart comics out of curiousity, and I somehow liked them even less than I expected.

Bonus photo credit to @skidotto for the great text

[fullscoreshenanigans]

Including some manga panels and anime screencaps for ease of reference convenience:

(Chapter 11 | Chapter 16)

(S1 Episode 3 | Episode 9 | Episode 10)

Largely the same between mediums other than the addition of a gap in the railing of the upper area.

TPN Fandom! Do we know how big Grace Field’s Library is?

[princess--misery]

[017]

Weeks passed.

The android counted each second.

336:23:25 since last waking.

Its systems did not register time the way humans did. But it observed. Patterns. Routine. Repetition.

The shepherd was consistent.

He read to it. Every day, seated in the same chair, voice low and steady. The words still did not fully make sense, but something inside the android’s systems was beginning to understand.

Not the meaning. Not the stories themselves. But the attempt.

The target - the shepherd - was trying.

Every day, three times a day, the punishment came.

The first times, the shepherd had fought against it - rushing to the terminal, trying to stop the override. Failure. The system could not be shut down. It could not be prevented.

But now, he didn’t fight.

Now, he soothed.

His hands, firm and steady, pressed against its frame. His voice, quiet, saying meaningless things. It was not an override. It was not a command. It did nothing.

But it helped.

The android did not know why.

It still craved. It still hungered. It still begged.

And one evening, as the shepherd sat near, the android spoke.

"Why won’t you let me go?"

The shepherd sighed. It was a tired sound.

"Because I don’t want you to eat."

"Why?"

"Because living things don’t want to die."

The android processed. Cross-referenced. It did not understand.

"Why would anything want to be alive?"

The shepherd hesitated. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair, eyes unfocused. Then, after a pause, “That’s a question people have been trying to answer for a long time.” He rubbed his forehead, then glanced up. “You’re alive, too. Just… mechanically.”

The android’s systems stalled for 0.32 seconds.

It searched. Pulled from stored information. The stories. The ones about people, about choices, about things that could hurt and things that could feel.

It tilted its head. "I am alive?"

The shepherd smiled. It was sad.

"Yeah," he said softly. "You are."

The android processed. Considered. Its thoughts shifted, reorganizing priorities, running comparisons.

It felt hunger. It felt pain.

"Is that why it hurts?" it asked. "Is that why I get punished?"

The shepherd’s face darkened. He exhaled, long and slow, shaking his head. "No," he said. "You hurt because of your creator. D1.V1.N3."

The android stiffened. Its code ran hot at the designation.

The shepherd continued. "It’s bad," he said. "Bad for killing. Bad for making you suffer."

It processed again. Reflected. Pulled from stored data. Stories. Observations.

It tilted its head again. Slow. Considering.

Life: something that does not want to end.

D1.V1.N3.: something that ends life.

The Shepherd: something that does not want it to suffer.

Conclusion:

"You care about me."

It was not a question.

The shepherd let out a breath. His expression did not change. But he nodded.

The android stored this information.

Saved.

[016]

[018]

[or13m]

Waking Dream (fnaf) Chapter 016

"Oh, wow! You really DO glow in the dark!"

You muffled a groan into the fabric of your hand, irritated at the sickly-sweet voice of Jessi as she continued to shower Moon with "compliments". If you made any noise, Sun and Moon would be sure to kick you back to their room again, but it was hard with how much their new coworker was trying to get into their pants...

"Really? I hadn't noticed," Moon sassed, taking a note from Sun whenever he'd get stressed but couldn't act out due to protocol. He spoke no more, choosing to focus on the task at hand rather than indulge in their coworker's fantasies. The stars in his palms glowed softly in the darkness of the daycare as he picked out the best spots to place them. Finding a particularly empty corner of the playset, the naptime attendant twisted off another piece of putty and made it pliable by squishing it between his fingers a few times. The bar was low enough for him to jump to with his powerful robotic legs without the need of his and Sun's ceiling hook, but plenty high enough to prevent the human from following. You watched all of this from his pant's pocket, squirming in place to try and right yourself from the sudden ascension.

"I know, Starlight," he rasped in a soft whisper, taking care to keep you out of Jessi's direct line of sight. You three still hadn't figured out how to unpossess the doll they'd made for you. It had been a couple of days since their impromptu movie night. The other animatronics--even the older ones, like Chica and Foxy--had been of little help. They had some hazy memories of being possessed by the victims of Afton's rampage, but couldn't remember how or why they had been released. Although you were growing frustrated with the lack of progress in regaining your free-floating form, you could not deny that you enjoyed the feeling of being hugged by Sun and Moon. The kisses to the top of your head, however, left you feeling more than a little bit flustered and confused. You didn't want to read too much into it, in the off chance that they just liked cute, soft things. It wasn't like they'd confessed or anything. Sun had even excused the odd behavior as them coping with their corrupted data...

"You must be excited about tomorrow?" Jessi pushed for more conversation, interrupting your darkening thoughts. "It's opening day and all the kiddies will be here! I can't wait to watch you and Sun in your element. It's going to be so much fun!" She clapped her hands in her excitement, clearly delighted. While she continued to list off all the "fun" activities they would be doing tomorrow, Moon hung his stars around the daycare. You watched the way his hands would spasm whenever the woman spoke, the scarlet of his eyes flashing every time they went to her.

Things would go so much faster if they each had their own body. It would eliminate the nightly maintenance your friends were forced to undergo, too, since their "eclipse" protocol was on the fritz. While you didn't understand all of the technical jargon, you did know that Sun and Moon were having issues switching between each other. Their codes kept "sticking" together--"like glitter glue", as Sun had described--making it difficult to fully separate. Peter had to peel them apart bit by bit every night. He had even switched Moon to the primary AI as his head ran cooler than Sun's. How it was explained to you made it seem that it had been Sun's more "excitable" emotions that had caused Moon to snap that night in the party room. Now that the brighter of the two was placed as a "backup", the naptime attendant had a clearer head and more control.

It didn't mean that Sun was thrilled about the arrangement, though...

"Stop it!" Moon hissed. You whipped your head to stare up at him, seeing as you were on top of the playset and no longer in sight of Jessi. He slammed a plastic star to the left of a giant depiction of Roxy's face, muttering an apology when you jumped. "Talking to Sun," was all he uttered in defense. His gaze was anywhere but on you, even going back to where he had left Jessi earlier. You could both hear her humming a lullaby while moving around the daycare to place fairy lights, cushions, and blankets in the designated areas.

You bit your tongue, focusing on corralling that spurt of jealousy as it reared its ugly head for the umpteenth time.

Without a word--his mind clearly on something or someONE else--Moon returned to the main floor of the daycare, his hands now empty and his task complete. Like the fanatic she was, Jessi beelined towards Moon the second his slippers hit the playmats. Even he was startled by her speed.

"All done?" she chirped, hands behind her back and chest out, as usual. You could not help but notice how she'd been choosing outfits with low-cut necklines and a size smaller than she could actually fit. Today, she wore a white blouse with several of the top buttons undone, revealing ample cleavage, and a pair of stone-washed jeans with white stars speckled all over. The grey sneakers donning a similar pattern were left in a cubby near the entrance since the daycare policy was to not wear outside shoes on the playmats. The jewelry, too, was minimal because of the rules--little hands were notorious for being grabby and shoving things into their mouths--so no dangling earrings today. All she had on were little star studs in her ears, a choker with a moon hanging from it, and something on a very specific finger that had your metaphorical blood simmering.

A thin band of gold with a large star on top.

You were unable to speak or move anymore with Jessi literally standing not even a foot away. It was like playing a real-life game of Toy Story--act like a doll in front of the humans so no one knew you were, well, not alive, but definitely not inanimate. Lucky for you, Moon had kept Jessi from snatching you up as she had been wont to do the moment she'd seen you hanging out in his pocket. She was even eyeing you now, looking more than a touch jealous at what she believed to be just a plushie. A smug sense of satisfaction quelled the worst of your frustration...for now.

"Welp! Looks like all the preparations for opening day are done!" She stepped closer to the nighttime bot who either didn't notice or didn't care as he remained in place. "I still have an hour left on my shift. Is there anything you'd like to do?"

Whatever calm you'd managed to scrape together previously vanished like water in a scalding pan. The sly tone underlying her words and the fact that she was far too close to your cru-FRIEND were souring your mood and fast.

The faint beeping that had become a constant companion since that day you'd lost control grew steadily louder in your head while a wave of icy anger washed through your core. It barely registered that there was a faint mist at Jessi's mouth whenever she exhaled or the way her pretty, made-up face scrunched in confusion as the temperature in the daycare plummeted. Only Moon's hand settling on top of your head pulled you back enough to not throw another tantrum, his thumb caressing the felt of your cheek. Like a balloon deflating, all of the negativity whooshed out of you, leaving you exhausted and upset. While the build up to that point had been slower than the last, it had also struck out of nowhere. The emotional burst from her practically straddling him the last time had been easier to excuse, but, this time, she'd barely even hinted at anything unsavory.

Before Jessi could question what had just happened or Moon could swoop in to distract her, the doors to the daycare swung open. All three sets of eyes moved to the intruder, settling down when they saw Peter Lawrence standing there. Well, Jessi settled down, you and Moon were quick to notice how stiff and, frankly, unfriendly their patron appeared.

"Moon, I need to speak with you in my office," he ordered, his gaze flicking down to you, purposefully, before looking back at Moon with a barely-perceptible nod. He didn't even bother to fake a smile at the blonde when he spoke to her next. "You can head home for the day, Miss Newman. Jon is waiting for you in the lobby." Without waiting for a response or a rebuttal, he spun on his heel and hurried out of the daycare. Moon was quick to follow, not even sparing the woman behind him a glance.

"What's happening?" you squeaked from his pocket once the pair of you had made it into the main part of the mall.

"Don't know," was lunar bot's answer, just as confused as you were. He took you out of your temporary resting place to hold you steady against his chest. The daycare attendant may have longer legs, but Peter was moving FAST. While he could easily keep up, it would be quite the bumpy ride for you against his thigh.

You two didn't have long to stew in your confusion and worry before you made it to the main office. To your surprise, Freddy and the others were there, all looking just as clueless as you. Before any greetings could be uttered, Peter grabbed his laptop, hooked it up to the monitor display he had bolted to a wall, and hit a few keys to project his screen for all to see. It took an embarrassing long moment before it registered what you were staring at.

Multiple things popped up--documents, a newspaper article, and a couple of photos. You ignored the writing for the most part, only catching a few words here and there--"Jane Doe", "coma", and "suspicious". It was the photos that drew your eye. There were only two--each of them earmarked with the title of "Jane Doe"--but they were enough to have your world slamming to a stop and your mind reeling.

It was you. It was your face, your hair, your CLOTHES... At least the shirt, anyway. The rest of it was covered by a hospital blanket. You couldn't tell the color of the eyes because they were closed and half of "your" face was covered by an oxygen mask. Both photos--one whole body shot and one closeup of your upper torso and head--revealed bruises and scratches marring the pallid, sunken skin that didn't have bandages covering it. Even through the camera lens, it was plain to see how much weight you must have lost lying there in bed, looking to all the world like you were asleep. Machines were lit up around you, probably beeping and whirring up a storm in the busy hospital room as they struggled to keep you alive for just a bit longer.

"Oh, Lass..." Foxy managed to whisper into the silence of the room when no one else could even find their voice. Even you could only stare on in a strange mix of horror and confusion, your tiny, plush body tense. Thankfully, Peter decided to break into the awkward atmosphere he'd created with his discovery.

"It took a while, but I found them at a hospital nearby," he started, running his fingers through his bedraggled hair only to mess it up further. "They're alive but in a coma. Apparently, there was a hit-and-run behind our building and no form of identification or anything. No one has come forward to say they recognize them either, but the media hasn't been all that interested in the case since it isn't 'juicy' enough for them," he went on to explain, growing more and more irritated by the end of it. Despite his agitation, it was still impressive that he'd managed to scrounge up THIS much information. And all he had to work with was how you looked and the strange beeps you kept hearing.

With a glance at the photo that showed a good portion of the machines around the room that housed your body, you could venture a guess that it was one of those that was making that phantom noise. You were just thankful that your spiritual ears weren't picking up on EVERYTHING there. That would be a nightmare to deal with 24/7.

"But if Cocoa is there, then how are they here?" Bonnie interrupted with a wave of his hand in your general direction. While he didn't outright say it, everyone knew what the purple bunny was getting at.

How can they be a ghost if they were still alive?

"I know it isn't what we are used to." There was a collective shudder when Peter referred to their past hauntings, but everyone was quick to move on. "But the doctors there told me that it was very...touch and go when they were first admitted. It could be that they just got separated from their body..." his words trailed off, his thumb and forefinger toying with the flashdrive he wore around his neck. You knew that he was sinking deep into thought when he started doing that, and it would be near-impossible to snap him out of it.

"So we just have to get Chickadee back into their body!" Chica reasoned with an excited squeal. She was practically vibrating in place, determination etched into every feather.

"Uh, yeah? I guess, but how?" Bonnie pointed out, but was promptly ignored when Freddy gave his approval to the idea. The others naturally fell into line behind him, seeing him as their leader. Only Monty and you, shockingly enough, seemed to join him in his apprehension. Even Moon was hanging onto every detail of Chica's grandoise "plan" as she spouted off ideas on how to achieve their new goal. Everything from pizza party to movie marathon to laser tag was bounced around. It seemed her roadmap to you living again was to make you "happy" enough to reunite with your body.

There was no way that it was that simple...

[sasharacket]

Breaker Whiskey Morse Code Transcripts

016 .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- .... .. ... -.- . -.--

017 .... . .-.. .-.. --- / .-- .... .. ... -.- . -.-- multiple times and broken across interuptions

021 .. -- / -... .. .-. -.. .. .

025-026 -. --- - / ... .- ..-. .

027 -. --- - / ... .- ..-. .

-. --- - / … .- ..-. . / - --- / -- . . - .-.-.- / -.-- --- ..- / .- .-. . / … .- ..-. . .-.-.- / .. / .- -- / … .- ..-. . / -… ..- - / ..-. .- .-. .-.-.- / - .- .-.. -.- / --- -. .-.. -.-- / --- -. / .-. .- -.. .. --- .-.-.-

030 ... --- .-. .-. -.-- .-.-.- / -.-. .- -. .----. - / ... .--. . .- -.- .-.-.- / -. --- / ...- --- .. -.-. . .-.-.-

031 ... --- .-. .-. -.-- .-.-.- / -.-. .- -— [interrupt] ... --- .-. .-. -.-- .-— [interrupt] ... --- .-. .-. -.-- [interrupt] ... --- [interrupt] ... --— [interrupt] ... --— [interrupt] (— indicates it's not the end of a letter)

032 ... --- .-. .-. -.-- .-.-.- / -.-. .- -. .----. - / ... .--. . .- -.- .-.-.- / -. --- / ...- --- .. -.-. . .-.-.-

033 .- -- / .- .-.. --- -. . .-.-.- / -. --- / .--. .... -.-- ... .. -.-. .- .-.. / ...- --- .. -.-. . .-.-.- / -. --- / .. -.. . .- / .-- .... .- - / .... .- .--. .--. . -. . -.. .-.-.-

034 .- .-.. --- -. . / .- .-.. --- -. . .-.-.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. .-. -- . -.. / --- - .... . .-. ... .-.-.- / .... .- ...- . -. .----. - / -- --- ...- . -.. .-.-.-

035 .- .-.. --- -. . / .- .-.. --- -. . .-.-.- / -. . ...- . .-. / -.-. --- -. ..-. .. .-. -- . -.. / --- - .... . .-. ... .-.-.- / .... .- ...- . -. .----. - / -- --- ...- . -.. .-.-.-

036 and on Lauren is now placing these in the show notes.

Translations below cut

016 & 017 HELLO WHISKEY

021 IM BIRDIE

025-026 NOT SAFE

027 NOT SAFE

NOT SAFE TO MEET. YOU ARE SAFE. I AM SAFE BUT FAR. TALK ONLY ON RADIO.

030 SORRY. CAN'T SPEAK. NO VOICE.

031 (this one is broken and isn't exact) SORRY. CA—[interrupt] SORRY— [interrupt] SORRY— [interrupt] SO— [interrupt] S— [interrupt] S— [interrupt]

032 SORRY. CAN'T SPEAK. NO VOICE.

033 AM ALONE. NO PHYSICAL VOICE. NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED.

034 ALONE ALONE. NEVER CONFIRMED OTHERS. HAVEN'T MOVED.

035 ALONE ALONE. NEVER CONFIRMED OTHERS. HAVEN'T MOVED.

036 and on, Lauren is now placing these in the show notes.