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bonefall · 8 months

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again looking over the reworked history what the hell happened with Ripwater, I wanna know. What *was* that? How did Riverclan kill it?

Oooooh, quite a request! Ripwater, Queen of the Lake, one of the episodes of BB!Po3!

Ripwater is a Wels Catfish, the largest freshwater fish in Europe. The biggest specimen EVER caught was just landed last year, in 2023, 9.4 feet long. It wasn't weighed, but smaller fish than this one have broken 300 pounds.

And it's not a good thing that we're catching so many big ones.

Wels catfish are extremely invasive across most of Europe, introduced for anglers who want to land record-setting catches. They're massive, intelligent carnivores, sometimes called the "freshwater orca" because they will lunge out of the water to catch land prey. They DESTROY the population of anything big enough to fit in its terrible mouth, including fish, amphibians, and even turtles.

They get that big from a mix of constant food and hot temperature. It's a sign that they're devastating their surroundings, and that nothing has been able to kill them for the decades it takes to get so large.

So of course, some dunderhead put them in British rivers, where they've been spreading upwards ever since. Thankfully they thrive better where it's warmer, so they're not too massive of a threat to BB's modeled regions in Northwestern England, but they're fucking coming.

Ripwater's name isn't an exaggeration. That's how they hunt. They gape their jaw and beat their fins like dragons, creating eddies and currents that suck their hapless prey in. When RiverClan names her, it's because they see her ripping the water in half. I was thinking about her recently, and came up with some new stuff. I'll take a brief break from my drafts to serve up some fragments for you.

[A gray cat with blue eyes, Lakepaw, later BB!Lakeheart, swims in bluegreen water surrounded by lilypads. Below her is the massive shadow of Ripwater, a gigantic Wels Catfish. Its eyes flash in the depths.]

SMALL RECAP OF BB!PO3: (to set the stage)

It is now a breather arc, just dedicated to some worldbuilding!

I feel pretty strongly that Po3's strength is how AWESOME of a slice-of-life arc it could have been. To this end, I removed the Kin of your Kin prophecy from it, until it's revealed only at the very end just before Cruel Season.

That's so I can focus on The Three and their adventures around the lake, without this big prophecy looming over them and making the lower-stakes conflicts look small.

Instead, the various episodes of Po3 are related to problems that their new home presents, with just a teeny bit of Sol's magical influence to spice things up.

While Lionpaw learns about the "meaning of strength" and ultimately learns a terrible lesson he will extend to his kits, and Jaypaw finds his limits and learns to prevent others from defining them for him, Hollypaw is grappling with Fire Alone and how to reconcile her grandfather's legacy with her strict dedication to the Warrior Code.

And SO we find ourselves in one of the earliest episodes of BB!Po3; Ripwater the River Demon. This is like... episode 3 or 4, it's a REALLY early one.

I'm just shuffling it around with ANOTHER RiverClan-centric episode; the Shinewater Plague. The oilspill from TNP is now going to be bumped up to Po3 so it's more about establishing Mothwing and her apprentice Willowpaw, to contrast Leafpool and her apprentice Hollypaw, before Holly swaps to being a warrior. Jaypaw completes warrior training before becoming a Cleric apprentice.

So I don't want them to be TOO close together. Maybe put Ripwater in Book 2 and have RiverClan comment that they don't really want to ask for help because of the last big event, Mistystar hates feeling indebted to ThunderClan.

After all, it could basically replace the "flood" episode from Canon Po3, which is often forgotten about anyway. I'm already having ShadowClan construct dams instead of RiverClan anyway...

ANYWAY RIPWATER

I want to start this episode off with Sol/Harry, who is unnamed, messing around near water. He has a bit of a fish motif going on that I want to establish, and I need to get him to start messing with the Clans good and early.

(Specifically his motif is going back and forth between the koi, also an invasive and notably domesticated species, and the atlantic salmon which is famous for its changing life cycle.)

The Wels Catfish is an invasive species to England, slowly making its way up the island from the South. The fish who will become Ripwater, at this point, is already HUGE but not cat-swallowing huge. She's an 80-pounder.

Sol hits her with some godly magic, which allows her to grow at a rapid rate.

The sort of thing where it wouldn't be COMPLETELY implausible. He just... helped it along.

When we get to her first true on-screen appearance interacting with RiverClan, she is nearly 300 pounds of monstrosity with a length of about 8 feet

I'm unsure how, exactly, ThunderClan comes to know of this. But I DO know that I want Hollypaw to be snooping, and heavily encouraged by her mentor Brackenfur to do so. So, somehow, SOMETHING starts going wrong across the lake and ThunderClan catches wind of it.

Thinking about it, this should probably be her first big action after swapping out of Cleric apprenticeship.

One of the few things she's missing about Clerichood is the way she could be close to Willowpaw without needing to sneak around so much. It's easier to just pass it off as "friendship" and "Clerics need to be close." Leafpool and Mothwing are a similar way.

Possibly work in that Hollypaw's also already seeing Heatherpaw in the tunnels, contrast the two things...

At this point, Hollypaw has a crush on Willowpaw, which is requited, but... it's kinda fading.

She still loves her like a friend, but she's liking Heatherpaw a lot more. It doesn't mean she doesn't CARE for Willowpaw, of course, but

Willowpaw is still IN love, and it's slowly becoming unrequited, when it didn't used to be.

And from RiverClan's POV...

The first disappearance is so sudden they have no idea what's happened. I'm planning for it to be Robinpaw.

(I go back and forth on if it's Robinpaw or Dapplepaw, but I'm leaning towards Robinpaw again, because I like Dapplenose too much to have her get killed off here.)

She went out clamming in the lake with her sisters, Lakepaw and Otterpaw, there was a swirl in the water, and that was it. She was gone.

Just like that.

She never came back up. RiverClan searched for her, following the currents, checking the shoreline, everything. It was like she vanished.

Mistystar is suspicious and doing everything in her power to figure out what happened, but... let's face it. It's the word of two apprentices, who were swimming alone, who swear Robinpaw just went under.

Misty JUST got done with the Shinewater Plague and isn't trying to make RiverClan look like it can't keep track of its own young. The most likely situation is that Robinpaw was sucked down by an undertow that the three of them were too inexperienced to recognize.

So... she's pretty adamant about not sharing this information until Robinpaw's body is found. Jaws Style. "We cannot let the other Clans be alarmed by this, else they might meddle in our affairs..."

(and she's still maybe a little paranoid that some snoop in another Clan is going to find out that Leopardstar wasn't killed by a rogue, y'know.)

I don't want it to be TOO much of a bloodbath, so I'm capping Ripwater's body count at three and just aiming for two deaths total.

I'm also going for a coincidence RiverClan is going to interpret as a pattern; this happens a lot, specifically, when they're hunting Freshwater Pearl Mussels.

Ripwater doesn't like the river as much as she likes the lake, but it has nothing to do with their clamming. They're just going to interpret it as such.

Anyway.

The next one she goes after was lucky. By some stroke, she opens her jaw, and the victim is able to grab onto something before they're sucked in. (Maybe toss in something here were it was Holly who was able to help save them.)

Since the WHOLE Po3 Apprentice Generation is going to be getting more focus, there needs to be more input from the RiverClan apprentices. Lakepaw and Otterpaw obviously need time here, but I also NEED to involve Ripplepaw, to establish how he's going to be seen as one of the strongest in RiverClan by OotS.

EDIT FROM THE FUTURE AS I FIGURED STUFF OUT:

It was Ripplepaw, Otterpaw, and their two mentors on a raft who were attacked next. They were fishing for mussels in a shallower part of the lake.

Otterpaw was tethered to the raft with a flax lead, so it wouldn't float off. Or just tugging it in her mouth. Either way she had a line.

When Ripwater attacks her, she is swallowed on the line like a worm on a hook

And it starts pulling the WHOLE RAFT down, just a crummy bundle of sticks

One of the mentors started shouting to cut the line, else it would drag all of them under, but Ripplepaw dives right down to beat its ass without telling them he's not gonna cut it

Hollypaw just rushed right in, didn't think about it, forgetting she was supposed to be trying to sneak around

Taking control as the natural leader she is, she ordered them to shut up and start pulling the opposite way

Underwater, Ripplepaw braced himself against the fish's lips, grabs Otter's tether, and YANKS

Abovewater, the adult warriors are pulling together, Holly grabs the raft and pulls too

Once their paws touch the bottom of the shallows it's over, one last HEAVE-HO and POP!

Otterpaw is FREE

And when it's finally known that the apprentices weren't mistaken, there's a monster in the water, THAT'S when the debate really starts up. Mistystar does NOT want ThunderClan meddling, and she'll already be pissed off that Hollypaw (and any OTHERS who tagged along with her, I wouldn't put it past Honeypaw to wriggle her little yellow butt into a later draft, or Lionpaw for his massive strength) witnessed something that's not her business.

There's a moment from canon I desperately want to keep; where Squirrelflight comes to fetch her daughter.

(more reason to just say this is replacing The Flood Episode from canon lmao)

It's such an interesting moment, and so forgotten. In a nutshell, Squilf is both furious and concerned that her kit went missing and meddled in another Clan's affairs, but... understands the impulse.

Because it's something she would have done.

So when she scolds Hollypaw, there's this aching feeling that she's scolding a younger version of herself. Calling her arrogant and disloyal, that an apprentice's opinions mean less, and that she needs to listen to "older and wiser" warriors within her own Clan.

In BB, I want to do something big with this. Firestar is the figurehead of Fire Alone, who encouraged Hollypaw's behavior through his deputy, Brackenfur, who he set as her mentor for a reason.

But Squirrelflight is being abused. By Brambleclaw.

This is one of the lowest points in Squirrelflight's life, and she is walking a line between self-worth, the warrior code, and her personal beliefs, just like her daughter is.

SO, since I'm already using Brambleclaw's enabling of Ashfur's physical abuse as one of the contributing factors to Hollyleaf's descent, I ALSO want to show how he acts on other characters.

Brambleclaw, Clan Culture, the pressures of their strength-obsessed social system. So it's gotta be Squirrelflight that reminds her, or even plants the seed in her head;

"What you did isn't consistent with the Warrior Code."

Maybe even have Mistystar herself state this earlier, to be echoed by Squirrelflight, offering an alternate perspective to Hollypaw. Make her realize that ThunderClan's political leanings are not universal or even popular.

But when Hollypaw comes back to ThunderClan, whoever set her to be a snoop wants her to spill the beans. This is also a big WIP part, as Hollypaw struggles with if she's going to obey or not, and I still need to set all the political "players" in this moment.

I know for sure, though, that Firestar's IMMEDIATE desire is to meddle like it's an episode of Scooby-Doo. Though he's savvy enough to be smart about how he phrases it and what actions he takes, his ultimate goal is to put his little cheeto-dust paws all over this. And Hollypaw is starting to question how appropriate that actually is.

This is where it starts to really be a rip in Holly's mind. Clans aren't JUST big, blanket groups with united opinions, they're collections of individuals. Mistystar doesn't want meddling, but Willowpaw is in danger. Otterpaw and Lakepaw went all that time without being believed, after they watched their sister die, because they're lowly apprentices like her. Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw are angry and disappointed, while Firestar and Brackenfur are secretly lathering her in praise.

Now imagine me standing in front of a big board where I'm writing ??? because there's a missing chunk here.

I need to connect THIS part to what comes next, which is where ThunderClan DOES come in and help out. Here's the thought process going on in RiverClan;

Willowpaw comes in to do something important. She adores Hollypaw, knows her value as a Cleric, and knows that StarClan can sway Mistystar.

I want her to have a couple of pieces of a vision... BUT. She decides to interpret it in a way that's convenient, and add a few details.

It's not a tooootal lie lmao. It's just 75% true.

This is the true power of Clerics, when they realize it. No one can actually challenge them without just ignoring them or stripping them of power. They are accountable to StarClan alone.

A mentor simply doesn't say this out loud to their apprentice. It's a quiet secret. And Willowpaw just realized it.

and thinking about it... this should be the thing that finally breaks the budding romance Holly and Willow had. Holly is sickened by this, when Willow confesses how she convinced RiverClan to work with ThunderClan.

But, without even being a full Warrior, the apprentice leverages her power as Cleric of RiverClan, and 200 skill points of Improv Acting, to tell them these things;

"StarClan is so angry with us that they've sent a hog to the water! It's why they've sent a ThunderClan apprentice, we must work with them to eliminate the beast that lurks in our waters. With spears and plans, we must hunt it honorably!"

(Mistystar is defensive, but it's not known why) "We haven't disobeyed StarClan in any way. We'd already accepted their help once before, when sickness drove us to weakness, and it's only let them think they can disrespect our borders as they please. This can't be the holy will of our ancestors."

"It's-- We've been disrespecting this bountiful new land that they've so generously given us. That's what the pile of shells in my dream was. Think about it! The last attack was on the shore where we collect mussels. The second attack was on a cat latched to a raft, and it was only the tether that saved them. And the first..."

IVE GOT AN IDEA, Robin, Lake, and Otter WEREN'T clamming when they were attacked. She gestures over to Lake, knowing that if she doesn't back her up, the theory crumbles.

(Otter is in the Cleric's den, unconscious.)

Lake hesitates, not wanting to lie. Willow jumps back in,

"It's why Otterpaw was attacked," does those little jazz-hands to be like 'come in bitch work with me,' "And it's why Lakepaw has to be involved in killing it, to end what she started, and appease StarClan."

Lakepaw more like I LIKE-what-you-just-saidpaw, "It's true, we were so ashamed to admit it, Mistystar, this is all MY fault, I wanted my siblings to dig up mussels, PLEASE let me atone by stabbing the fish to death"

AND AFTER THAT IT'S NOODLIN' TIME

Mistystar, begrudgingly, accepts Firestar's help, or perhaps reaches out to him. Ripwater is a "Hog in the Lake," a beast too big for them to kill honorably on their own.

ThunderClan is the ONLY Clan that uses spears, and only for boar hunts. To protect themselves and to give their quarry a quicker death.

No other Clan touches weapons for dishonor reasons, as they're heavily associated with the demon Shredtail.

I should have Willowpaw explain her half-truth to Hollypaw here, and it's where Hollypaw just... so very suddenly can't look at Willowpaw the same way.

Jaypaw would definitely face an ableist moment from someone, but it's going to have to be one of those times where he accepts that there IS a very real limit to his ability here. Spears are range-weapons and his whiskers don't reach that far. He can't tell where he's stabbing, and the water is going to make it too hard to smell where Ripwater's dangerous mouth is. He can't be chosen for this hunt.

Meanwhile Lionpaw learns from Willowpelt how to make a spear and it is one of the most satisfying things he's ever done in his life, he's like "this is so awesome oh my god i love weapons"

just gently setting up that he's going to eventually become ThunderClan's head of hunting, and also that he's a lil violent

I feel like him and Lakepaw should hit it off a little because they both think the idea of stabbing a fish in the face is super cool, only for someone to growl at them that they shouldn't be enjoying themselves so much

Maybe Blackclaw, fuck that guy

(absolute tangent but BB!Lionblaze is kind of evolving into a little dork and I love that for him. Local himbo only capable of making friends or enemies, all Clanwide opinions on him are polarized, more at 11)

THE PLAN

So how DO they kill that thing? First of all, it's all about strategy.

Immediately they started making a couple of specialized spears. Most spears they make are exclusively for boar-hunting, so they have a distinctive "lug" that prevents a boar from impaling itself down the shaft to get you.

Someone in RiverClan explains that you don't want a fish having the chance to get off a claw. If Ripwater escapes, they might not find her again until she kills someone else

The solution is that these need to be custom-made, with special claw-shaped prongs, so they're chevron ^ shapes instead of tear-drop points. They stab in, and don't pull out.

So they need to make spears from scratch, which is an intensive process, and they don't have time to waste. RiverClan doesn't want to hunt by water that has a chance of having a freshwater orca spawn and drag you in; they'll starve

And there's only so many artisans in TC that can MAKE spears. Glue, twine, shafts, blades... these are all things that take hours of labor to create.

And MORE IMPORTANTLY, they realized from the Raft Rescue that a tether, attached to a floating object, can be very useful. Each weapon has rope tied through it and is tethered to a raft-- which is even MORE intensive, RiverClan had to repurpose several nets to create so many lines, and they only own three rafts, so the rest have driftwood.

So they only have time to create 3 special water-spears, and bring in 2 modified boar-spears.

Lionpaw is like visibly disappointed he can't have one lmao

The only apprentice given a spear is... Lakepaw. And it's a boar-spear

Because she's gonna be bait. They believe the litter is cursed for their "sin" and she'll be the next target.

But still, they chum up the water near the last sighting with blood and crowfood, like hog slop, and wait.

(Heavy WIP stuff here as we get to a play-by-play I haven't fully figured out yet)

Their plan is to get it on the shore as quickly as possible.

Four cats could pull Otterpaw from its mouth, so 5 spearcats and a dozen strong warriors could pull it onto the shore. Surely.

shorely.

It comes as expected, lunging at Lakepaw. She leaps back and tries to use her spear on it, but she is NOT properly trained with it, she stabs its face, but can't break the skull

RiverClan manages to toss a net at the beast, but it's NOT heavy enough

And they managed to get LAKEPAW with it, pressing her to the beast, her spear is dropped into the water

Someone shouts that it swims like an eel, able to just reverse course unlike a REAL fish which must turn

In the panic, warriors start mobbing it.

she thrashes, and splashes and the net is barely holding her back at all

She smashes a warrior with her tail, buffs another with her powerful head

She's stabbed in her side by a ThunderClan warrior (probably Sandstorm), and she turns on the raft they're standing on, breeching and SMASHING it to bits. Lionpaw and the rest of the cats on this raft get dunked

In the water, ThunderClan cats are useless, and RiverClan cats can't properly handle spears.

Someone from RiverClan, probably Blackclaw, tries to free Lakepaw but is scooped up in Ripwater's mouth.

He's screeching and yowling and trying to hold onto its upper jaw, regularly cut off as she dives under

When Willowpelt gets her spear in, she holds onto that damn stick with her LIFE, getting swung around and dunked in the water and then going back up into the air

Thornclaw, holding the other boar-spear, aims for its tail

But it's not enough; Even with several warriors of RiverClan, five spears, a net, and the weight of the two remaining rafts, Ripwater's managing to pull them towards the depths

She's too big to bite, too large to claw, and too strong to hold down

LIONPAW TIME

He grabs the spear that Lakepaw dropped

Ripplepaw seems to zoom right passed him, running away from the fish. He thinks he must be some kind of coward, the fight's NOT OVER YET!! WE NEED TO HELP LAKEPAW

(In a later draft I might have Lionpaw be on the smashed raft, and Ripplepaw brings the spear to him before turning and bolting back to shore. Either way he doesn't explain himself)

He paddles near one of the rafts, and is pulled up onto it

Firestar calls him a WONDERFUL BOY for bringing the spear

Lionpaw mumbles something enthusiastic around the stick in his mouth, wriggles his butt, and jumps back into the water

Grabbing the net sticking to Ripwater and using it like tree bark, he pulls himself on

Bites the spear by the lug like a handle

And stabs it in like a knife

But it's already starting to pull out, too shallow

Filled with anger and resolve, he bites the shaft, and PUSHES

Harder and harder and harder until there's a crackle, the twine breaks loose, and the lug snaps

The rest of the spear slips in as if Ripwater's made of butter

Figuring that's probably deep enough, he lets go of the net, breaching the surface, sputtering and hacking

He's about to dive again to go get Lakepaw, but to his surprise, she breaks the water next to him

and then he feels the fish bump his paws

His name is called from the shore, and there's Hollypaw and Ripplepaw waving. Ripplepaw TOOK HIS SPEAR'S ROPE. Like a GUY WHO THINKS.

Now there was a team of cats on the shore, all the spent warriors who got thrown off, pulling Ripwater to the shore.

And from the feeling of slimy fish under his paws, it seemed like her fight had been all but spent.

And more cats were swimming to shore now, with the ropes attached to the other spears.

Once on the shore, they're able to discover that, tragically, Blackclaw has died. Mistystar in particular looks deeply torn by this, as their relationship was notoriously toxic. But still, he had been the father of her children, and drowned trying to save a Clanmate. She jumps up onto the massive fish, giving a speech about sacrifice, how Blackclaw and Robinpaw would be honored, and that RiverClan has learned its valuable lesson.

Ripwater was symbolic; it's the greed they had unleashed upon the lake by over-exploiting one resource. From now on, they would be respectful of StarClan's bounty. She thanks ThunderClan for helping to fulfill a prophecy, and offers that their debt be repaid by splitting the meat of the hunt.

Hollypaw, internally: "Oh she's doing that on purpose. She knows ThunderClan hates fish and it would be rude to refuse."

Firestar: "well. how could we refuse."

Sandstorm, quietly, in the distance: "easily actually ew"

CLOSING STUFF

I kinda want some kind of "epilogue festival" where the two Clans legitimately celebrate with a somewhat somber meal sharing. Some of these episodes in Po3 will result in lasting traditions and holidays that are celebrated annually.

At that little "fish festival," it works for Holly to officially break it off with poor Willow, to leave this episode off on a bit of a sad note.

This was one of the first times Lionpaw's power becomes obvious, and it's the sort of thing that wasn't really noticed. I figure it would be good for Lakepaw to ask how that lug snapped, she could barely even get the spearhead in. Lionpaw just brags and says it must be because he's SUPER STRONG.

For some reason he's just making a ton of friends whenever I write these out, I think I'm going to lean into it. Lionpaw's got friends when he's a kid lmao, starts losing them over time as he gets more violent.

It's probably because I really need a comic relief in The Three's dynamic. Hollypaw is very dramatic, Jaypaw is dealing with legitimately stressful social issues, and Lionpaw is violent. Someone has to lighten the mood up a little and it's probably because he's The California Girl himself lmao

At this fish festival he also discovers fish isn't actually that bad. Everyone's being weird about this. It's not really that slimy. It's got a strong taste but that's kinda nice, actually?

Could use some berries but like... "damn why don't we do this more often. this would go great with blackberries."

Ripplepaw: "You think so? I can taste sweetness, can I try to make it at home and tell you how it works out at the next Gathering?"

Lionpaw: "It's not hard, you just mash the berries and stew them in a little water before pouring it over your meat. I learned it from Willowpelt, she's got a mad sweet tooth."

Lakepaw: "No offense Lionpaw, but I always thought you were a total lunkhead. I never thought you'd like, cook?"

Lionpaw: "I mean not really, I'm an awful cook, I can just make simple stuff. Willowpelt's just nice enough to be patient with me, my mentor Ashfur says if I can learn something anyone can, haha."

Just a nice little moment for him.

Blackclaw is being mourned in the mortal plane, but secretly, getting a SCATHING trial up in StarClan. His death was heroic, but his ENTIRE LIFE was treacherous.

From teaching Hawkfrost to follow in his father's pawsteps, to joining him in WindClan's Civil War, and his constant arguing and undermining of Mistyfoot back when she was just a deputy trying to do the right thing.

He goes on trial for a bunch of things he did in TigerClan, too, facing his victims who took his misdeeds to their graves. He's not the only cat in RiverClan who is getting a review like this.

Leopardstar is already in the Dark Forest, and soon, Blackclaw's sent there too.

I decided to kill off Blackclaw here so he could have a VERY cool Land Mar;

(context: all Dark Forest demons now get a cool little evil playset area just for them, where they spawn into after they're thrown out of StarClan. These are called Land Mars)

It's still unnamed, but it's basically an even BIGGER Ripwater. It goes above and below the river and lakes of the Dark Forest, popping up in any body of water big enough to hold her.

#better bones au #Land Mar #Ripwater #BB!Po3 #Better Bones AU #BB!Lakeheart #BB!Willowshine #BB!Hollyleaf #Fallenleaf #Wels Catfish #I NEED to make an art tag for my partner #Gamer-the-kittypet art #THEIR SUGGESTION NOT MINE

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lexirosewrites · 23 days

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Phantom of the Opera AU!!!! My very favorite Andrew Lloyd Webber creation!! Especially the 25th anniversary performance at Royal Albert Hall!!!!! There's a free upload on YouTube but the person has their very annoying notification sounds going off every 5 seconds, so I personally bought the video YouTube offers😅

O!Steve is a shy but talented soprano, he's been training with the Loch Nora Opera House since he was all but dumped there by his rich father following his mother's death, his mother often spoke of an Angel of Music in her final days

A!Eddie who is a wealthy Viscount within the Hawkins nobility, he was childhood friends with Steve before Steve fully presented as an omega & he as an alpha, the Harrington family were savvy business owners who had the Munson noble family as one of their investors, he learned violin from Steve's mother

A!Henry/Vecna/One who is the possessive & obsessive Phantom who took particular interest in Steve a year after he came to the Opera House & trained him as a singer while grooming him using the delusion tht he's the Angel of Music his dead mother spoke about

Idea for an excerpt:

An auction takes place quietly within the theater of a dilapidated opera house. A music box in the shape of a pipe organ with a figurine of a demonic faceless dog is auctioned off as Lot 665 to an old man resting in a wheelchair, attended to by a man servant.

The servant retrieves the music box at the old mans request. The man holds the music box carefully, examining it. Then he speaks, as if to himself.

"A collectors piece indeed, every detail exactly as he said. He often spoke of you, my friend. Your velvet lining, and your figurine of lead. Will you still play when the rest of us are dead?"

END EXCERPT IDEA

Blah blah blah the reader travels back in time to many decades ago when the opera house was dazzling & noisy with rehearsals & full of life

Scott Clarke the owner of the Opera leads an interested Owens & Hopper through the audience up to the stage where the cast of the current production were rehearsing, Clarke reveals he's sold the opera to the two gentlemen & promptly leaves upon a suspicious noise followed by a back drop falling.

Something something something

Steve replaces the prima soprano as she refuses to work under the tyranny of the phantom. He gives an astounding standing ovation of a performance tht Eddie happened to b watching.

He reunites w Eddie upon retiring to his dressing room, they share a tender moment, & Eddie invites Steve to come w him & his companions to dinner. Steve tries to object but is persuaded & Eddie leaves exuberant. Then the Phantom speaks, disapproving of this bold suitor & his advances upon his student. Steve apologizes & begs the Phantom to forgive his moment of weakness where he forgot abt his duty as a singer for the Angel of Music. Henry/Vecna/One brings Steve to his domain beneath the opera house & indeed beneath the capital of Hawkins entirely. While Eddie rushes to open the door at the sound of an unfamiliar voice in Steve's room, but it is too late.

Steve is gone w his Angel.

Steve awakes in the Phantoms lair & somehow sees the face beneath the mask, horrified he tries to run, but Henry/Vecna/One catches him & extolls abt his ugliness while deluding himself with talk of Steve growing to love him. Then abruptly he brings Steve back to the theater.

Something or other

Steve reunites w Eddie & begs to never return to the Opera while also fearing for the safety of those still in the opera. The two affirm their love for the other, and Eddie promises to keep Steve safe. Of course the Phantom hears all of this, and begins plotting.

Some time later...

A masquerade is being thrown in the opera house with every cast member & benefactor in attendance. Steve is nervous & Eddie reassures him. Then suddenly the Phantom is there! Interrupting the masquerade! He demands his opera be put on, tht Steve play the prima soprano, & tht his box be left empty. He's already killed the worker in charge of the ropes as proof of his ire.

Steve goes to the graveyard where his mother is buried. He sings a song his mother taught him, and then there is the Phantom! Ready to grab Steve & steal him back to his lair! Eddie charges onto the scene just missing the chance to apprehend the offending Phantom & contents himself w comforting his soon to be wife.

The rest of the plot happens, & while in the end Steve & Eddie r safe, able to leave, & more in love than before...

the Phantom of the Opera seems to have disappeared into the night with no evidence of his death or survival

oooh Phantom is one of my favorite musicals! I lowkey thought Eddie was gonna be the phantom at first, but a happy ending is nice too I guess😂

#slick sunday #steddie #steddie omegaverse #omega steve harrington #alpha eddie munson #steve x eddie #a/b/o #omegaverse #my asks

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rosewaterandivy · 5 days

Text

summer soldier, sunshine patriot

a little amuse bouche for aim low, aim true that’s been knockin’ around the ol’ dome for a while. enjoy 💜

And the guy, no older than Eddie and barely able to grow a beard, caught it in the gut before collapsing in a heap at his feet. Panicked, Eddie drags the soldier toward the cover of trees, yells out “Medic! Medic!” and tries to soothe the rattle of death as best he can even as his voice shakes: “You’re gonna be fine, pal. Help is on the way.”

In the letter sent home to his family, along with his dog tags and personal effects, the acting captain will relay his sympathies to the bereaved back home. He will write that the soldier died quickly and with honor.

This is a lie, of course. The poor bastard died screaming.

Sometimes, it’s all Eddie can see when he shuts his eyes.

Sleep never comes easy.

Men grunting and grumbling, lost in a haze heat thousands miles away from home. You sleep with one eye open, if you sleep at all. An ear to the ground for any hushed footfalls or artillery fire, a radio crackling to life.

A hand on your gun, fingering the trigger if you’re the unlucky sonovabitch on lookout duty. Even then, Eddie keeps his rifle close because some of these boys are greener than the grass he’d laid on back home, back when things weren’t so dire.

The helmet on his head shifts with a soft rattle as he seeks what little comfort there is in a hastily dug foxhole. He licks his lips and tilts his face up to see the dark sky dusted with stars.

Sometimes, if he can just close his eyes, he’ll feel the grip of your hand on his jaw. Taste the waxy floral red of your lipstick as it smears against his mouth— that vibrant pillar-box red. The smell of sweat and bodies, the faint lingering of soap, how the fading light illuminated your hungry gaze. How you looked at him easy and open.

“Jesus,” He says, running a desperate hand down his face, “Fuck.” Thunks his head on the earthen wall behind him, embarrassingly hard. Could come in a minute if he let himself think about it; less, probably.

In the distance, he hears soft popping sounds. Someone curses as something thuds into the camp. A crackle of radio static before Malone bellows:

“Fire-in-the-hole!”

Steve is not a religious man, but as they say, there are no atheists in foxholes.

There’s a bulletproof Bible in his chest pocket, right over his heart.

He’s never cracked the spine, save to open the cover and slot your picture inside. It doesn’t do you justice, but it’ll have to do until he’s back on American soil.

His letters home are all redacted and he couldn’t say where he was precisely if pressed. Currently, he’s somewhere in France about five kilometers due east of the target.

The jump had been fucked from the start and everyone knew it. Night missions are a crap shoot at best and a cluster at worst. The plane had sustained heavy fire to one of the turbines, only to lose it mid-flight.

And the act of jumping itself wasn’t the problem, paratroopers were trained and drilled for weeks on end for this, in addition to their combat, reconnaissance, and medical training. In fact, Steve found the brief moments mid-air before the chaos descended, to be rather freeing.

It was on the ground that things tended to go sideways.

He cuts the lead from the parachute and stuffs the slippery silk into his pack. Men drop softly in the field around him and quickly do the same. He can hear the artillery fire in the distance, can see the bright glow of fires as they burn the village to the ground.

And, for the briefest of moments, Steve wonders if this can possibly be real. How can he be in France stationed in the western theater of war, while you’re back home with his class ring on your pretty little finger? This was all clearly a catastrophic mistake, a visceral nightmare he’s sure to wake from.

”Steve,” your voice says in that husky tone he loves so much, “You come back to me, you hear?”

He thanks his lucky stars that the top brass made them write out wills and designate next of kin before shipping out. Feels like he’s spelled your name out a million times, to the secretaries with their typewriters, the doctors, and his CO; yes sir, that’s my next of kin. Lives in Hawkins, Indiana, mark her down.

The men from his company are scattered across the fields of Normandy and they need to get to rally point. Steve drags a finger along his neck feeling for the gold chain of your locket. His thumb worries against the smooth back of the heart-shaped pendant. He brings it to his lips, warmed from his heaving chest.

Kisses it once for luck, and tucks it underneath his jacket.

He loads his rifle and creeps through the tall grass as mortar shells fall softly in the early morning light.

#steve harrington x reader #eddie munson x reader #steve harrington x you #eddie munson x you #steve harrington fanfiction #eddie munson fanfiction #stranger things fanfiction #fic: alat

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lemotmo · 5 months

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I don’t know what to think regarding buddie. Like one hand we’ve got Tim saying he stopped writing them because he didn’t want to queerbait but now is writing them again because he realized it was harmful to the show to not do so because they are so natural with each other, coupled with Ryan and Oliver having said they want buddie if it happens to be done naturally on one hand and then on the other hand you have Kenny talking about Lou and how great he is and what positive energy he adds to the cast and set and how he can’t wait to see the Buck and Tommy relationship continue on and keep growing.

It’s like what direction are we supposed to be preparing ourselves for them to be going. One second it seems like buddie and then the next it’s right back to feeling like the delusional shipper people had made buddie fans feel like for years now.

Hello Nonny! How are you today? Hope you're having a splendid day.

First order of the day: You are not delusional! We are not delusional! Say it with me! We aren't! It has been confirmed by Oliver and Tim. Buddie was in the works at a certain point in time, but Fox stepped in and prevented it. So no, no delusional people here. We're valid in our convictions.

As for your ask. Well, I don't work for the show, so I don't have any insider information. But I do have common sense, so let's break everything down in smaller parts.

Tim not writing for Buddie anymore out of fear of queerbaiting is something from earlier seasons when Fox was in charge. It's obvious he has changed his mind about it with ABC in charge, seeing as how every single episode has some great and meaningful Buddie scenes. Not just that, there was also a great Buddie and Christopher scene, once again cementing the Buckley-Diaz family as a unit. It's true what he says, they have this natural unforced chemistry.

I didn't know that Kenny said those things about Lou, but I get it. For Kenny Lou is a great co-worker. He has worked with him before in previous seasons and he obviously likes the guy, which... you know, valid. That being said though, Kenny doesn't know where the showrunners are taking all the storylines. Tommy is involved in Buck's storyline and so far only Buck's storyline. (Well, and Eddie's as well I suppose, since Eddie is almost always there when bucktommy are together, which... choices!) Sure, Tommy was at the wedding, but that was only a very brief scene. Also, whether we like it or not, Buck is currently involved with Tommy. So of course Kenny is going to talk about them. What is he going to say? 'Oh hey guys, LOL don't get too attached to Tommy, he won't stick around LOL!' He might have some idea about the oncoming Buddie train, but he can't just talk about that.

Let's take in account all the things we have so far: Buckley-Diaz family in full force, Oliver and Ryan can't shut up about Buddie, Oliver hardly ever mentions bucktommy and when he does it's always in the same way -> Tommy as a guide, gay Yoda to help Buck out. That doesn't sound very romantic to me. Next, Tim likes writing for Buddie (confirmed), magazines are all over Buddie and bucktommy is hardly ever mentioned. The last episode they juxtaposed Tommy and Eddie and showed Eddie consistently by Buck's side, willing to step into his world. Tommy didn't. Lou himself revealed that he isn't allowed to use 'Buck' to address Buck, but he has to use Evan. Evan is a name that Buck heavily associates with his parents and his upbringing. I'm sure there is more, but I can't think of it right now.

The difference in chemistry. I myself don't see it at all, but a lot of people seem to like the bucktommy chemistry in their kisses. But outside of those kisses there is a lot of wooden interactions that don't ring true. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not, but if you place those interactions next to Buck and Eddie's scenes the difference in chemistry is palpable. Buddie oozes natural chemistry. Something bucktommy lack. Again, I really think this might be part of the narrative, to show the eventual incompatibility of both characters.

The list just goes on and on. So, I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to bury the battle axe quite yet. To be honest, I'll probably never bury it. As long as Eddie and Buck are on my TV-screen, I'll ship them, because they are literally made for each other. 6 years of history, friendship, family, hope and love. That is not something to waste and the show knows it all too well.

So yeah Nonny, I said it before and I'll say it again:

I'm securely riding the Buddie train, destination endgame. I won't be satisfied with anything less.

#nonnies galore #buddie #not tagging other ships for obvious reasons #these are only my observations #ship and let ship is still my motto

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gh0stbunnywriter · 2 years

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Steve Harrington was a child actor.

During the mid to late aughts when the Capitalistic Mouse was pumping out teen stars like it was nothing, the Harrington family hopped on that train and rode it until Harrington was written across the t-shirts of every pre-teen girl across america. His face was EVERYWHERE. And yeah, he was the teenage heartthrob pretty boy that was lead singer of his band.

Eddie Munson couldn't escape this mother fucker. Not at school, on the radio in his uncle's car, at every social setting he was forced into.

On the TV in his room with the volume turned so low only he could hear him.

Eddie Munson was a very secret super-fan of Steve Harrington. He owned all his plastic albums and a handful of powder pink t-shirts. He had a poster he kept rolled up, stuffed in the back of his closet right next to his sexuality. Because no one could know that Eddie Munson, the trailer park kid with Metallica always blaring from his smashed phone, liked a fucking boy band.

But trends changed, and Harrington faded off, cutting his contract with The Mouse to live his own life- He’d disappeared for a while- He’d stopped craving the spotlight a long time ago, and Eddie had admitted he was a little more than heartbroken. So Eddie Munson, shoebox full of Steve Harrington paraphernalia shoved under his bed, moved on.

That was, until he heard a very familiar voice on his radio on his way home from work. His aux cord had busted so he was stuck on the greatest hits of the current time, rather than Metallica or Judas Priest.

"Back from his long hiatus, with his new hit single that's topping charts across the globe, here's Steve Harrington!"

Eddie almost swerved off the road.

Of course, when he got home, he was googling shit for hours before finding out that Steve had decided to step back into the spotlight on his own terms, and the public had received him because they loved him. That debut song was the kickoff point. He didn't make a full album or announce his tour until after the tell-all Netflix docu-series that was number one trending every Thursday night for a month. Eddie took off work to watch them the second they released.

He wasn't shocked that the company that made him treated him like a puppet- it'd been seen before with other child stars. It was his family that had Eddie floored. They’d forced him to work, took all the money he'd made up until he was eighteen, and he never saw a dime of it. He didn't even talk to his parents anymore, and they hadn’t contacted him. So, between diner jobs and writing his own music on the side, he reconnected with his old bandmates and decided it was worth trying again, because it had never been about the money for Steve.

So there he was, center stage of a sold out arena, glittering with fresh confidence and a new sound- but the same voice that had snatched Eddie's heart when he was twelve years old. The voice that forced him to have the terrifying realization that he liked boys. It was even more terrifying now that Eddie was just feet away from him in the pit, singing along with every other twenty-something that had snagged floor seats for Steve's return tour.

And in a rush of glittery adrenaline and sweaty bodies, the show was over and Eddie was wandering by himself down busy city streets. He wandered into a shitty hole-in-the-wall gay bar that he was certain only he knew about, because it was always dead when he came around. He slid into his usual seat at the bar and ordered his favorite drink, over the moon that he'd been so close to Steve. It was like all his childhood dreams had all come true. He was lost in his own thoughts when a fresh drink he hadn't ordered was slid in front of him.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Eddie hadn't been facing him, so he could hide his expression when he recognized the voice. It was a voice he knew like the back of his hand, one that had been blasting his eardrums out not an hour ago. He collected himself as quickly as he could, trying to convince himself he was hearing things. He took the cup in his ring-adorned hand and brought it to his lips.

"I dunno, can you?"

Eddie somehow played it cool for the first time in his life. He pretended he didn't know him, when he saw his face. He did let himself get lost in his eyes, though, and Steve probably noticed. He treated him just like he would have treated any other guy that hit on him, except he actually liked this one. And Steve seemed pleased, to not be recognized.

So he took Eddie back to his hotel room, took his number, showed him a good time, and called him the next day. And the day after that, and the day after that.

Steve kept calling him, and Eddie kept answering, twirling his hair and kicking his feet like a schoolgirl because Steve was actually really nice. Down to earth and kind, and he never talked about his work, even when he admitted to Eddie what it was, and Eddie acted shocked. ‘Oh, you have like, a little band? Cool, cool.’ After weeks of back and forth and eventual ‘I wanna see you again’s, Steve asked Eddie to travel with him while he toured, and what was Eddie going to say? No, I'd rather sit alone in my tiny apartment and work my life away in a dull record store? Like hell.

And at the end of the tour, once Steve formally asked him to be his boyfriend and Eddie almost passed out, they bought a cute little house and settled down. Well, as much as a pop star could. He still made music, still played shows, did the usual TV appearances and played in Times Square on new years eve.

Steve Harrington kissed his boyfriend Eddie Munson on national live television, in front of millions of people and the undying internet, and they made headlines.

But, after all that. All the glamor, and the tabloids, Steve went on a break again. Eddie learned that Steve was genuine, and Steve learned that Eddie was hopelessly devoted, and he married him. Eddie took Steve’s last name, of course. It did take some convincing for his uncle, though. To accept the name change- Not that his nephew was gay and in love with a world class pop star.

So, with matching gold bands and wide smiles, they visited Wayne Munson for their first holiday season where Steve wasn't busy working. Eddie showed Steve his childhood bedroom, which had long been turned into Wayne's TV room. They'd spent their holiday bundled up on his tiny old couch, watching age-old holiday specials and napping through the afternoon.

Eddie woke up to Steve on the floor beside him, sifting through an old, weathered shoe box, its contents strewn about the floor, and he wondered if he was in a nightmare.

He dove for the box but the jig was up, he was found out, his goose was cooked, he was a goner, he was fucked. Steve was going to hate him for life. He apologized over and over as he scrambled to tear his Steve Harrington collection away from Steve fucking Harrington himself, but Steve just laughed and held up a sticky note, faded and crumpled, and Eddie wanted to fall through the floor, through all nine circles of hell, and die.

"Eddie Harrington, huh?"

Eddie snatched the dumb note from his school days and apologized again, but Steve was grinning from ear to ear.

"I thought you'd admit it one day, but I'm impressed, babe."

"You knew? How- How long have you known-"

"How many men do you think I see jamming out at my shows? That know every word off my first album from when I was a kid? That aren’t there because their girlfriends dragged them? I had Robin follow you to that shitty bar I found you in because- I had to meet you. I wanted to know who you were. And then you just… Treated me like a human. You pretended you had no fucking clue who I was, man. That was the hottest shit ever."

Eddie didn't know how to react to that. The whole time he pretended not to know who Steve was, Steve was waiting for him to crack. And now, it's five years later and they're married. He supposed they both had a bit of a secret, then. What, with Steve sending his best friend to seek out a fan so he could hit on him? Oh, for shame, Stevie.

"This has gotta be my favorite, though. I'm keeping it."

Steve held a photo up, discolored and worn. It was of Eddie, head shaven, young and free of any of the tattoos and piercings he had now. His arm was slung around a very young Steve, who was about a head taller than Eddie at the time- But they were laughing, because Eddie had just said something that made Steve's eyes light up. Wayne had paid for Eddie to go to one of Steve’s meet and greets before a concert- He was up in the nosebleeds but the meet and greet was all that mattered to him. It had been his christmas and birthday present all wrapped into one, and he’d been so happy.

“You can’t just steal that, it’s my favorite photo of us.”

“Even more than our wedding photo, huh?”

“Oh, it’s not even close, babe.”

Likes and reblogs appreciated ❣️

#steddie #steddie fic #steddie fanfic #steve harrington #steve harrington headcanons #eddie munson #eddie munson headcanons #steve harrington x eddie munson #fanfic #stranger things #ficlet #modern steddie #modern au

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simp-ly-writes · 5 months

Text

Friend of the Captain (pt.3)

Pairing: Edward "Eddie" Horniman x afab!Reader

Summary: Fate keeps pulling its strings, but your's and Eddies appear to be drifting further and further apart- only to see one another at weddings or funerals. But maybe one day, luck will be in your side and then something beautiful can flourish (with a side of cash, of course).

Warnings: 5000~ words, language and light teasing, angst (emotional, alcohol and drug usage, dark thoughts) to fluff, jealousy, and pining (of course).

A/N: Apologies for the wait everyone! A few timings changed but I need plot- okay.

Masterlist | Taglist Request | somewhat un-edited.

(pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3)

↳ "...you're the best friend I could have ever asked for," your words stung, shattering Eddie's heart beyond repair as his face twitched before hiding it in your palm. He made a promise as a child, to always have you in his life yet even as you got closer together, the more he realized how far apart your both were as that moment became a mere distant memory. Eddie was needy for more yet you had already packed up your bags, closed the estate for the summer and went off to find new inspiration worldwide.

↳ He ended up reading a few of the gossip articles his mother left on the coffee table one morning, hot pink, zoomed in features and question marks galore as you walked around in beach wear with another man on your arm. He gripped the magazine, throwing it back on the table before packing his bags and returning back to base.

↳ When Christmas came around once again, you were not at the estate- a newfound tradition it seemed yet your gifts were still left under the tree, perfectly wrapped with each Horniman getting a gift. Eddie looked at the professionally wrapped gift, chuckling to himself at the childish wrapping paper you always insisted on using. This Christmas it was a bunch of little green cars with elf's behind the wheel.

Tearing into the gift, Eddie pauses as he slowly turns the box open to find a custom engraved watch. Flipping it backwards, his finger traces over the engraving- "Always." His mother peers over his shoulder, smiling from ear to ear as she inspects the jewelry. "I'm jealous, Edward," she teases, as Charlotte mockingly coo's- loving as her brother's cheeks paint themselves a pinkish hue. Freddy is already drowning himself in the new bottle of liquor your most recent boyfriend was the owner of its production before Tammy demands her own fair share of the drink.

↳ More years had passed and it was September already. You had yet to go back to dating, stepping away from romance scene at the current news that rocked your world, sending you crashing towards the floor as you fell into your office chair. Gripping your hair, tears streamed endlessly from your eyes as one of your assistants rapidly books the private jet back home to England- both of your parents were just announced dead to the public before you had known privately.

They were on a charity meeting with local schools and had crashed in their helicopter- dying instantly. You felt sick, seeing their bodies broadcasted over live television, smoke exiting from the aircraft as you lunged towards the toilets and threw up your lunch. "The plane has been booked, ma'am," your assistant calls from behind the door as you dress in full black and head towards the airstrip.

↳ You were surprised to find a series of reporters already waiting for you on the runway. Putting on your newest mock-design of sunglasses- it was going to be your first break into another market. Lights flashed in your face, hands racing to pull you into their microphones and endless questions yet the airport staff were not trained for a mob of this size.

They bursted through, making you fall towards the ground as you curled up into a ball- doing your best to avoid being trampled further. You quickly worked your hands through your pockets, clicking the power button thrice in quick succession as your first emergency contact was called and before you knew it- Freddy and Tammy were bursting through the crowd, fists raised as reporters fled the scene.

They were dressed in head to toe in black, ready to take you back towards your family's estate and to the funeral. You stood at the front, head tipped low as your flowing black dress drifted in the crisp cold air. It clung to your bones, finding any skin you had yet to hide as you silently cried, head leaning towards Charlottes already waiting presence as she whispered her condolences to you before pulling away.

You blinked rapidly, doing your best to dry your cheeks as a warm body at your back had you raising an eyebrow, especially when their arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you into a strong hug as your skin became tickled by their stubble. "I came as soon as I could," Eddie spoke over the wind, watching as everyone started making their way towards their cars as light rainfall began to come down.

You turned yourself around in his arms, cries turning into laughter as you shook your head into his shoulder, hands gripping the fabric of his suit, threatening to tear it apart just as you forced yourselves apart. You shook your head, taking another step back as you continued to laugh, Eddie took a large stride forward, head lowering in worry- trying to catch your eyes as your hair began to fall over your face. Taking a sharp sniffle you spoke in even tones, "We only see each other at weddings or funerals, Edward."

"Darling I-" you hold up a hand, shaking your head once more as you take another step back, Eddie moves forward as you dance around one another, rain falling heavier as you walk yourself under a tree canopy. "I made a promise to my father years ago, he wanted me to stop talking with you- begged me on his deathbed that I was unknowing of recently. I made a compromise of being friends yet... If these are the times we find each... Edward I-"

"Please, don't call me Edward," Eddie cuts you off, heart racing as he processes the information you speak. I always knew that old man hated me from the start, business over pleasure any day of the week, Eddie thought to himself. Hands now grasping your shaking shoulders as you can't support yourself with the overwhelming grief- falling forward into his arms. "Eddie," you whisper out in a pleading tone yet unknowing of what you wanted.

Before you both could think further on the subject, your lawyers were demanding of your presence to sign the papers, as the only child of your parents. You were the Duchess of the estate now as the endless sea of documents and hearings suggested. And those small hugs and words sat still underneath that tree, rooted in place as Eddie got called back to work and in the trauma of it all, you were glad everyone left- wanted everyone to leave you alone.

The cameras everywhere started to become too much, the people constantly checking in- tip-toeing around you, as if you would break with their soft tones and bittersweet, pity-filled smiles that mocked the constant aching of your heart and mind. Articles floated around, showing old pictures, telling the world of how you were living the high life with dead money but you had money, you had fame, before this all and now, you wanted to escape it all.

↳ That man you were with was an old picture, that boat party was in early spring and that engagement ring was false news as you threw your phone across the room as it shattered against the tiles. In reality you were sat in your bathtub, barley breathing above the water. You have been feeling an overwhelming numbness in your present and soon enough, you were pulling at everything to just FEEL something these days.

Looking down at your hand, the family crest engraved ring upon your finger sat heavy as you came to realize what such titles costed. Someone was yelling your name from the other side of the door, pounding against the heavy wood as you sunk under, watching the bubbles of your breath break the surface of the water above.

You close your eyes, emptying your lungs before coming back up to the surface and clearing the hair from your eyes. You drain the tub, wet feet pattering against the marble floors and towards the vanity- your gear already waiting for you as you got strapped in and flung the door open.

↳ Determine to FEEL you tested drugs, tested alcohol but they both lost their kick. You tried sleeping around again yet could never get off, so you drove down country streets as fast as you could, jumped out of planes, flung yourself off cliffs and climbed up mountains.

↳ Your business was running in the background as you let it run itself. You sent all the staff home for the remainder of the year with their wages at the estate as you walked the line between fear and adrenaline.

↳ Sabrina had called you after receiving news of you being in the hospital. You had fractured your shoulder from a skiing incident, you smiled through the drugs, holding a thumbs up for the picture as she cried at the image. You looked so lifeless with those eyes, your skin appearing grey as a walking corpse yet you could care less. People still wanted to sleep with you, to "live that high life" and you allowed them to just as every paper told you to.

↳ What surprised you was seeing Freddy out of all people telling you off by your bedside. Tammy nowhere to be seen as he gripped your hand- pleading. You look at him blankly in the eyes, almost falling asleep to what you have heard a thousand times before. Yet there is one question that catches you off guard, your neck straining as you quickly look away to hide the tears beginning to stream down your face.

"W-What would Eddie think of you right now? He's off somewhere, probably getting shot at- thinkin' that his job was ensuringhis girl is safe at home. What a fuckin' joke (name), if you are gonna listen to anything I say, know that you are a joke- and thats coming from the definition of it."

You shake your head, now playing with the various cords in your hands, threatening to rip them out as you choke back a sob. "I'm sorry, Freddy, I'm so sorry for being such a fuckin' mess," you sputter between your lips, taking shallow breaths as your heart monitor rapidly beeps, nurses running into the room as Freddy stands up from his seat as positions himself at the foot of your bed.

"Yeah, well saying you are is a great step, now make something of it because I can't deal with all these crying people. Fathers health is gone- I think this is it..."

↳ Under a year later, Eddies father had passed. You remember never driving more of a wildly than then down the country roads, almost clipping a gate in the process as you opened the door with your own key. Staggering into the new dukes office and sitting by the fire once more as you held his head in your lap, he clenched onto your waist- crying before a knock at the door had him switching back off, hardened exterior as if nothing happened.

↳ You stood up quickly, brushing off your clothes and nodded to him with pained eyes and shaking hands. Your heart burned, wanting to help yet the hollowed look he sent you with the tip of his head was enough to have you swiftly out the door and here you were, dressed in black again as Eddie stood beside you, face hardened while carrying his father to the hole in the ground and while making no move to touch you. You stepped a bit closer to his side once seeing the woman from across the fence looking intently at you both, please make it not be another reporter.

↳ Eddie folded, wrapping an arm around your torso as he pulled you under his long coat- thinking you to be cold as you gripped his hip, turning your head away from their stares and whispered a prayer, setting your bundle of flowers against the grave as Eddie make his own remarks. You both going inside the home.

↳ Sabrina openly sobbed into your shoulder, this is the first time she had seen you since your most recent accident as she whispered in your ear, albeit a bit loudly- perhaps on purpose as Eddie's head snapped over to the both of you- pausing his conversation with Tammy. "I am so thankful that you are alive."

"Why wouldn't they be, mother?" Edward questions, looking between you both with the most remorse he has shown today. Your eyes snap down to his wrist as he plays with the watch you gifted him a few holidays ago. "I don't think this is my thing to speak about, Edward." And with that, she picks up her drink and strides over to the table as the lawyer stands, emptying various files from their brief case to the table.

Memories flash through your minds before Eddie holds your hand, you intertwine your fingers together, giving it a light swing while being unable to look at him in the eyes as you play with the ring on his finger. "I lost myself, Eddie. I-I'm still a bit lost really... I'm getting better- promise just, I fucked up."

"Hey, look at me, darling, look at me, (name)," Edward calls out to you, using his other hand to pick up your chin as you blink away tears. He presses a kiss to your forehead, using a soft tone, "and we will find you again, promise."

↳ Eddie was later pulled away from you as you made your silent escape and exited the room, Eddie becoming drowned in those all-too-familiar papers. You were un-noticing to Sabrinas thoughtful look as you exited the house just as fate would have it for the two of you, so close yet ever-so far.

Geoff was already standing by the front door, tipping his hat towards you as you playfully bowed back- engine roaring back to life as he knocked on your window. Rolling it down with a charming smile, "Everythin' alright Geoff?"

"Yes, my Lady. Just curious- you're not stayin'?"

"Oh... no... I think... never mind," you stutter, smile fluttering as he hums out in reply. "We hope to see you around more often your grace, mother misses you like her own," you nod politely, "I will do my best to then," you state before rolling back up your window and rolling out back down those country roads.

↳ That day Edward Horniman was established as the Duke of Halstead. The news once again meeting your phone screen rather than the word of those close to you.

↳ You wish you could say that you saw one another right after that, but after you made a spontaneous visit to the Halstead manor. The staff members look panicked as they speedily greeted you and tried to move you towards the seating room as you shook them off. Placing your bags by the door before walking further down the hall and towards the office. You looked through the french doors, heart dropping as that woman you had seen earlier flashed Eddie a charming grin.

Sabrina clapped her hands joyfully at whatever had been said as childish jealousy ran rampant in your chest. You glared at the woman, her face tilted away from yours, everyone unknowing of your presence before you walked calmly back down the hall. Picking up your bags with your head held high, the various staff members chased after you, "How about you stay for tea miss? Oh, I'm sure the Duke will be overjoyed to have you stay, Could I bring you bags upstairs for you?"

You sent everyone a small sad smile, their heads dropping down as they silently understood your decision. You dropped your bags back into the boot of your car, slamming the door close as you drove back down the gravel roads. Luna chasing after your car with a wagging tail.

Edwards meeting had finished as he dismissed everyone from the room, standing while taking a sip of his tea- his heart lunged forwards at the sight of your car driving away. He hastily placed his drink down, running down the stairs as his mother called out to him, warning him of the cold weather that morning yet as he opened the door, he could no longer see your car and that door shut just as quickly.

↳ You would try again to see Eddie, yet that woman was always seen right beside him. There was some dark part of you that hoped Eddie would never go back to dating, that you could be selfish yet it would be unfair as you had done your fair share of it. Unknowing to the pain Eddie kept to himself seeing you so happy with someone else. It seemed to him the only times he ever got to see you was when it rained and rained it did.

↳ You took a ride around the estate, really both of your estates since no formal fences were placed. You strode over the overside of the pond, eyes squinted at the sight of the woman once more falling in step with Eddie as Luna raced between their feet. You continued your ride, looking up to the grey gloomy skies with distaste and the next moment you looked back across, they all were gone - if just by your imagination.

↳ You were dressed to the nines, a flowing emerald gown drifting off each curve of your body, emphasizing your natural features as you swirled around the crowds of hungry business men and jealous wives as you picked up a champagne glass from a walking tray and returned to Mr. Johnston's side.

↳ A hand written and delivered invitation graced your doorstep, too tempting to refuse- it had been sometime since you last stepped into the spotlight and done yourself up, and so you went all out. You showcased your newest jewellery line- finally finding more inspiration the more times you reminisced around your inherited property.

↳ A rather bizarre relationship you held with Mr. Johnston as well, as he had tried to purchase your land yet smiled and waved away his deal like a fleeting thought. Mr. Johnston have given you many expensive gifts since them to keep your company with him- adoring your intelligence in everything accessory or business related as you reviewed materials for him as a side-gig and token of friendship

↳ You swayed lightly to the music as he introduced to you hundreds of faces, beyond impressed that me managed to remember the names and family connections of them all. You smiled politely, kissing cheeks and making small talk before being led to the next person, ignoring the stares as they watched you from behind- gown drifting away with you.

↳ Much to your surprise, you were being introduced to the Duke of Halstead himself yet for once you were not most interested in Eddie but the woman that stood ever-so elegantly by his side.

"Susie Glass, its an honour your grace," she said politely, red lipstick curving up into a small smile as you shook hands lightly, swiftly dropping your connection before Eddie picked up your hand, pressing a delicate kiss to the back of it. You both maintained eye-contact as he did so, never wavering before Johnston coughed, and you tipped your head down, a smile fighting against your lips as did Eddies.

With your gaze down, you ignored the rather pushing tones of both parties, focused on the small red liquid, is that blood?, starting to form at the edge of Eddie's shirt. You shifted your weight to stand closer to him, starting to open your mouth to question before Mr. Johnston was calling your name.

"You never told me, duchess that you and the duke had grown up together, what a wonderful sight to see two friends reconnecting. If you will Ms. Glass, I think we should allow them so time to reunite," Johnston comments, eyeing the closing distance between yours and Eddies forms as you blink a thanks to him as he leads Susie towards the bar.

"Is there something you wish to tell me, your grace?" you tease out, hands drifting up his chest to fix his jacket. You hold him there as his eyes quickly flash down to your lips and back up towards your eyes. Your head tilting, well that has changed....

"Can I not admire the dress? It has been some time since we have last seen each other like this. What was it, when we were 20-something?" You instantly remember that night, cheeks a hard red as you blindly follow Eddie down the hall and into an empty room, the door clicks locked as you become lost in the memory.

Eddie had pushed you up against a wall, the paintings swinging almost off their nails as your own scraped against his roots, ensuring that yours lips stayed on one another in a passionate kiss. The shoulder of your dress began to fall as did Eddie's lips, trailing down your chin, to your throat where he sucked a bruise as you softly moaned in his ear.

It was so wrong, you had a boyfriend waiting for you back at university, it was your childhood best friend- the one you promised your father never to be with and yet as he picked you up, hands feeling up your dress and pushed you onto a bed. It never felt so right.

Eddie climbed on top of you, smashing his lips onto your own once more as you whimpered and moaned as he chuckled, shushing you lighting before continuing his attack. You began to unbuttoned his shirt. Nails working down his abs as you smirked to the sound of his breath hitching as you created your own markings to his neck.

Nothing more ever came from your heated make-out sessions or hook-ups. Always resulting in being, "good friends" with one another who needed help...

"Everything alright there, darling?" Eddies baritone voice pulled you out of the memory as you his chest pressed flat against your bare back where your dress dripped. His hands on your hips, his head on your shoulder as you both swayed back and forth lightly.

You pick your hand up, placing it on top of his hands on your waist, circling around each bloody knuckle with concern. "What have you not been telling me, Eddie?" that you love me, your brain pleads to finish for him yet you hold your tongue, bitting your lip from saying anything more.

Eddie hums deeply into your ear as goosebumps coat over your skin, gods you feel like such a horny teenager. But to be fair, that would be the last time you were romantically involved. "I think I will need a few more drinks before I become an open book but, I have been busy in managing my fathers... businesses."

You step away from his touch, gathering distance, eyes firm, "I know what your family does, Edward. Longer than you apparently. I believe it to be the reason why my father never wanted me settling with someone like you-"

"Someone like me?" Eddie challenges. "Do you even have the faintest idea of what Mr. Johnston has done, what your previous boyfriends have done?-"

"Yes, I do. And that should make you understand why I still decide to come back to you, after everything," you finish with, taking a seat in one of the empty chairs by an unlit fireplace as Eddie stands in front of you, undoing his jacket with a hiss as you tut him off in a posh tone.

"Why, Edward-dear, it appears you are the one learning new ideas, would you like some help with that?" You tease out, watching as his shirt turns a deeper red. Edwards rolls his eyes playfully at you as you drink up the sight of this beautiful man, even when bleeding and threatening to stain the designer rug underneath you both.

You kneel lean forward, slowly unbuttoning his shirt as Eddie un-do's his bowtie, it hangs off his shoulders as you dress the wound with the supplies sat conveniently waiting on a nearby shelf. "Arms up now, captain," you playfully command as Eddie complies.

"Never knew you to be such a bossy one," Edward sarcastically comments, looking down at the top of your head fondly. You look up at him through your lashes, blinking twice before continuing your work. "And I never knew you to be bedding your associates-"

A knock at the door sounds as Eddies delicate look before a glare, enforcing that you both would speak about the topic later as you wipe your hands and lean back in the chair, smiling at the women as Eddie leans down, pressing a kiss to your cheek in thanks as he straightens his clothes out.

"Hello, Susan," the Duke greets the once mysterious lady as you look between the two of them, jealousy brewing in your stomach once more, your hands itching to hold on to some part of Eddie once more. "What have you done to him, duchess?" Susie asks you, hands presses and leaning forwards against the back of a chair opposite of yours.

You smile gracefully at the woman, beginning to stand yet as you approach her, Eddie softly grasps your wrist, holding you in place. "Well, by the looks of it. He has been shot- what have you been doing with him, Susie?" you fire back.

"Nothing-"

"Really then?" you cut her off with a scoff as you wiggle your hand from Eddies grasp, moving towards the door, you can hear multiple people moving in the hallway as you curse out, your dress spotted with blood. "Alright then, I think it's time for a sharing circle then..."

"You killed a man?" you ask calmly as Eddie slowly nods his head. "That was something I did- yes-"

"and by the sounds of it, it will not be your last... or hers..." you reply, head leaned into your hand as you found yourself seated once more. The party-goers were dying by the hour as you all soon made your speedy walks back towards your cars.

You joined Eddie that night, helping to redress the wound, dress him for the night, pouring you both another few drinks before pulling him into bed. What surprised you most was his tight grip on your waist as he pulled you down beside him. "Eddie I am not dressed for bed," you spoke softly, not wishing to awake anyone near.

"Sleep naked, wouldn't be the first time-"

You covered his mouth with your hand, shaking it away as he gave it a playful kiss. You heart lunged at the memory of a moment similar to this when you had just been cheated on. Yet you ultimately decide to make yourself comfortable, just as the last, kicking off your shoes but deciding to stare at the side of his face illuminated by the dying embers of the fireplace.

"You know, I think I have had enough drinks for tonight," Eddie comments as you hum out, eyes falling heavy as you press your head into your pillow for the night, taking a deep breath in- "I love you, (name). I've said it so many times to myself that it surprises me to sound so right saying it aloud," you are wide awake now, exhaling heavily as your legs twist together underneath the covers.

"I thought you were with Ms. Glass," you speak in a meek tone, not wanting your heart to explode twice, only one of you can be injured at a time. Edward chuckles, head shaking as he looks at you, brown eyes staring deeply into your own, "Well that same woman told me not to sleep with the help, I'm just taking her advice."

"Well she sounds like a very smart lady then, leaving all the more for me," you tease out, lips pressed together as you eye his own. Eddie leans forward, humming out as your lips connect, your hand finding the back of his head before a hiss escapes between his lips and you rapidly pull back.

"Oh shit, sorry," you apologize, looking under the covers to see your knee brushing into his bruised side. "You can always kiss it better," Eddie retorts as you roll your eyes and press a peck to his lips. "whats that supposed to solve?" And soon you both are up into the early morning hours.

When you awakened the next morning, having breakfast together in the study, you nearly spat our your tea with the words that escaped Eddies lips, "Would you help me steal a car if I asked politely?"

A smirk meets a smile as you tap your chin in mock-contemplation. "sure" you shrug, pulling the man into another kiss with a chuckle. And thus kicked off the rest of your lives together with a healthy side of cash.

Bonus:

↳ Lady Sabrina brought flowers and a bottle of wine to your mothers grave for a chit chat. She poured out to glasses, sitting one by the tombstone as she commented on the nutty taste of the substance.

"I was right in the end, you know. They are a rather marvellous couple and you really should have ended things with that husband of yours. My boy was only ever the most substantial choice, rather embarrassing to think otherwise."

Sabrina could imagine your mother glaring down at her, slipping her the bird while maintaining a pleasant smile. But in due time she would await that interaction as she sipped her wine, embracing victory as she squinted across the field watching as you and Eddie did shooting practice near the woods with a satisfied hum.

(pt.1) (pt.2) (pt.3)

↳ Taglist: @daffodilstark @leavemeslowly @iamasimpingh0e @kneelarmhstrung

↳ A/N: I think thats a wrap for Friend of the Captain... but definitely not for my writing on the Gentlemen (2024)!

#eddie halstead x reader #x reader #eddie x reader #the gentlemen #the gentlemen x reader #netflix #the gentlemen netflix #fanfic #fanfiction #simp-ly #simp-ly-writes #eddie horniman #eddie horniman x reader #edward horniman #edward horniman x reader #the gentlemen 2024 #theo james #theo james x reader

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clairecrive · 2 years

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“Sweetheart”| Eddie Munson x reader

A/n: finally hopping onto the Eddie Munson love train! This was just a little something to get back to writing. It's not proofread and certainly not my best work. I hope you like it anyway x

Hit me up if you want to be tagged in my next Eddie Munson fics.

Warnings: angst to full, mentions of cheating, Eddie being a soft boi.

You weren’t supposed to see each other today. That’s why you were tiptoeing into your boyfriend’s trailer. He didn’t know you were here and you were set on the surprise going smoothly so you were channeling your inner sniper as you made your way towards Eddie’s room.

Every molecule in your body was focused on putting a minimal amount of weight on your feet- this particular board creaked a lot- when you heard it.

“Hi, sweetheart.” It was obviously Eddie’s voice. You could recognise it from a mile away, plus the way the bed moaned was the indisputable tell. No matter how many times had you warned him that he was going to find himself with his ass on the floor if he kept going on, at the end of every day Eddie still threw himself on his bed as if he was still 5.

“You’re so beautiful. I missed you today.”

What. in. the. actual. fuck?!

You just froze. Mid-step, as if you were in a comedy of some sort. On the contrary, it felt like you were currently starring in a drama.

Was this how he spent his free time? Damn him and his dungeon master’s skill. He fooled you big time.

Eddie kept talking to whoever the hell he was talking to unbeknownst of your presence literally a foot away.

Slowly getting your wits back, you forgot about beings stealthy. Your foot heavily hit the floor, giving your presence away. Uncaring of it anymore, you simply decided to go all in.

You pushed the door with such violence, its boom echoed all over the trailer scaring the poor Eddie to death.

The very unmanly scream that left him went completely over you head as you stared down at him.

If looks could kill…

“Who the hell are you talking to, eh,” you hissed as you walked into the room.

“Is this what you do when you’re not with me? Are you that much of an asshole to keep a side piece? Another woman!” Wait…

“Am I the other woman Edward?” Hit by this epiphany, your voice slightly rose.

“What!? What are you- NO. No, no, of course not.” Scrambling for his position on his bed, his hands up falling on the ground in a mess of limbs and sheets.

Hair a mess, Eddie sprints up and frantically gestures at you. “What are you talking about!?”

“Hi, sweetheart. You’re so beautiful.” You parroted in your best (not really) Eddie's voice.

The color drains from Eddie’s face. And there you have it. The answer you were waiting for.

“Well, you see I-“ he starts to explain but your raising your hand stops him.

“I see a cheating asshole, that’s what I see.” You scoff, still unbelievably upset by this discovery. Shaking your head in disappointment, you began to turn around to get out of his room, already done with this conversation.

“Wait, y/n! It’s not want you think!” Eddie’s hand grabs your arm, desperately holding onto you.

Before you could even open your mouth and fire a comeback, words tumbled out of his mouth almost as if he couldn’t control them.

“It’s my guitar,” he exclaims quickly.

“My sweetheart,” he clarifies upon seeing your confused gaze, “is my guitar.”

Taking his words in, your eyes flicker between his red cheeks and his bed where wouldn’t you know it, there’s his guitar.

His grip loosened when he realized that you weren’t going to run away. He let them drop to his sides without moving away from you. When the silence stretched, his hands went up to mess with his hair. A nervous tick.

“You… you were talking to your guitar?” The incredulity and confusion were clear in your voice. But, much to Eddie’s relief, there wasn’t any skepticism in your voice. You knew him very well so, besides the initial shock, it wasn’t that hard to believe him. It was totally something Eddie would do.

Embarrassed, he watched as your expression morphed from one of hurt into one of bewilderment to finally one of amusement.

Your lips trembled as you tried to contain your laugh. It’s that for a handful of minutes your heart was in your throat because of him but even so, you didn’t want him to embarrass him.

Focusing back at him, you notice how he kept looking at his feet and fidgeting with his chain. Closing the distance between you, you gently hold his face in your hands forcing his eyes to meet yours.

“Were you really talking to your guitar?”

“Yeah,” he admits, “sometimes I get lonely without you, you know, so…”

“Aw,” you coo at him slightly pushing on his cheeks making his lips pucker out, “you’re the most adorable sweet thing ever.”

The red on his cheeks deepened and a frown was slowly forming on his lips making them stand out even more.

You stamp a kiss on them, you just couldn’t resist them. “You know you can always call me or come see me, right?”

“You were busy today,” he complains softly.

“Never too busy for you, babyboy.”

You kiss him again before taking his hand and leading him back to his bed.

“Now c’mon, tell me all about your day.”

#eddie munson #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #eddie munson fic #eddie munson angst #eddie munsons fluff #eddie munson blurb #eddie munson imagine #stranger things #joseph quinn

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rvsqualitycertificationspvtltd · 7 months

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Eddy Current Training Courses | NDT STANDARD REFERENCE BLOCKS /NDT FLAW SPECIMENS

Enter Eddy Current Testing (ECT), a cutting-edge non-destructive testing (NDT) technique revered for its ability to detect flaws and anomalies with remarkable precision. Amidst this backdrop, the necessity for proficient Eddy Current Training Courses has never been more vital. Join us as we delve into the realm of the invisible and uncover five compelling reasons to invest in Eddy Current Training.

Know More: NDT STANDARD REFERENCE BLOCKS /NDT FLAW SPECIMENS

#titanium alloys #eddy current training courses #NDT STANDARD REFERENCE BLOCKS /NDT FLAW SPECIMENS #third party inspection services

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dmercer91 · 1 year

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ebug's sister, dm91

taglist, @whenmypartysover

part one / part two / part three / part four / part five / part six / part seven / part eight / part nine / part ten / part eleven

this is after the devs were eliminated!

blakefriarr_

liked by seamuscasey26, markestapa and 7,394 others

blakefriarr_: posting this to inform you all that you're legally obligated to facetime me twice a month during the offseason

not to be gross or whatever but thanks for making my life better

view 745 comments..

nicohischier: why. of all the pictures

→ blakefriarr_: excellent question! i raise you this: why not

adamfantilli: i had to share my slide with molly? preposterous

→ blakefriarr_: maybe if you'd stop letting your phone die all the time she wouldn't be the only reason you have sign of life

→ adamfantilli: buy me a charger

→ blakefriarr_: it's on its way to soph house as we speak i'll get mark to bring it to you

→ adamfantilli: the ten foot ones? → blakefriarr_: of course

→ adamfantilli: sick

jackhughes: i got a better picture than nico i feel honoured

→ blakefriarr_: i almost chose the one you sent me after you lost your tooth but then i found the picture of gravy and lukey needed a slide

→ jackhughes: the end result is all that matters (i feel significantly less honoured)

seamuscasey26: "which fantilli brother is your favourite?"

→ blakefriarr_: "that depends on which one of them is currently sitting right next to you" → luca.fantilli: and then she said adam

→ blakefriarr_: and then i said adam <3

dawson1417: who am i flipping off there

→ blakefriarr_: probably jj

→ jj.friar31: probably me

jj.friar31: you're welcome for being solely responsible for introducing you indirectly to every single one of your friends

→ blakefriarr_: this was 99% me you just happen to play for a nearby college

→ jj.friar31: ok but if i didn't play for a nearby college this wouldn't have happened

→ blakefriarr_: that does not change the fact that you have the personality of drywall

dawson1417: oh hey by the way

→ blakefriarr_: yes dawson

→ dawson1417: imagine if like i didn't need to facetime you cause you'd be with me

→ dawson1417: for the whole summer

→ blakefriarr_: interesting concept

→ dawson1417: that didn't sound like a complete no

→ blakefriarr_: so you know how i was working overtime the last two weeks

→ dawson1417: vividly remember wanting to call in sick on your behalf

→ blakefriarr_: what if i said that was cause i was training the two new hires they got to replace me

→ dawson1417: you're not fucking with me right now right

→ blakefriarr_: about the two people to replace one me thing?? i know that's nuts, right?

→ dawson1417: NO

→ dawson1417: ABOUT THE QUITTING YOUR JOB, B

→ blakefriarr_: no need to yell, baby

→ dawson1417: blake, baby, sweetheart, love of my life i almost made jack crash his car from how hard i slapped his arm there are a plethora of reasons to yell

→ blakefriarr_: <3

ryangraves27: every time i'm not running you get closer

→ blakefriarr_: did you take this from the ed sheeran meme

→ blakefriarr_: gravy my boy you're better than that

→ ryangraves27: it felt like it fit at the time

dougieham: oh

→ blakefriarr_: you inspire me hamstring

→ dougieham: ..oh

→ blakefriarr_: i couldn't really tell but that oh sounded delighted

markestapa: no photo creds for the eddy pic??? ouch

→ blakefriarr_: it is technically my screenshot you were just facetiming me

→ markestapa: i still can't believe i picked up the phone at a party just cause it was you

→ blakefriarr_: i am so universally loved and appreciated

→ markestapa: it's unfortunate, actually

edwards.73: why was i so excited

→ blakefriarr_: i'm pretty sure i heard mark scream that it was me on the phone and you yelled like a caveman

→ edwards.73: that checks

_quinnhughes: and just like that my 23 year no facetime photos streak has ended

→ blakefriarr_: in your defence what i said was fucking hilarious

read more comments..

#dawson mercer #dawson mercer x reader #hockey imagine #nhl imagine #new jersey devils #young wild & free au !

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piratefishmama · 1 year

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Crossing The Line | Part 9

“Eddie. Dude. You have to stop pacing, you’re gonna wear a hole in the goddamn floor and we ain’t covered for that.”

Eddie did not stop pacing, he just turned on his heel and went in the other direction, starting a fresh line in the floor. “But what if— nah, he wouldn’t… I doubt it, no he was probably just—but then what if—"

“Man, you’re spiralling, if he’s gonna come, he’s gonna come, if he doesn’t, then he doesn’t, what’re you worried about, you don't even like the guy” Eddie didn’t stop pacing. “Unless… Do you?”

“I… may have… actually looked into him?”

“You what?”

“After he turned up at the coffee shop! He was just… he was nice, dude, and… an he had no reason to be, at all, I was a bitch for a whole week towards him for no reason, but he was nice, and funny, and he can sing even if he can’t do shit with metal, he can sing, and… his photoshoots don’t touch up shit he really is that pretty, and I think i'm going to spontaneously combust and die if he turns up tonight dressed to blend in.”

“Wow.”

“Leave me alone!”

“Okay, so, what did you find out on your deep dive through Instagram?” Eddie finally stopped pacing. They were in what the bar deemed to be a ‘green room’ which was really just a room in the back for bands to get their shit together before the gig started, Corroded Coffin always turned up a good hour or so early to make sure everything was set, and of course, get rid of any pre-gig jitters. Gareth was the only one completely ready, his drums were already out there, set up and covered by a black sheet waiting for their time to shine, and his outfit was sorted ages ago.

So Gareth was the one currently in charge of dealing with Eddie, while the other two primped elsewhere.

“Not just Instagram, Jesus, imagine if I’d have scrolled too far back and liked a pic from like, 2001 by accident. How about no to that inevitable mortification. I googled.”

“You googled.”

“Yes I googled!! Did you know that he donated like, ninety-something percent of his earnings from a bullshit rom-com soundtrack deal to LGBT charities across the US after they cut a lesbian couple out of it?”

“No…”

“Neither did I! The fucker didn’t tell anyone!! I HAD TO DEEP DIVE INTO ROBIN’S INSTAGRAM! Trust me that was a scary thing to do, she’s scary. but he pulls that shit all the time apparently!” It wasn’t for publicity, it wasn’t to make himself look good to a demographic, he did it because he could. Because he wanted to. “Did you know he regularly terrorizes producers and directors into offering fair contracts for their child actors and young muscians like a goddamn world class showbiz babysitter?”

“…Nope.”

“Neither did I!! Did you know that he got PERMISSION to sing Crazy Train from the actual goddamn Osbornes? Cause I sure as shit didn’t know that either! He spoke to Sharon, DIRECTLY, Gareth, DIRECTLY. What the actual fucknuggets on fire, does he want with me?!”

“I dunno, to kiss you maybe?”

“WHY?!”

“Can’t claim to have an answer dude, you’re not exactly my type. Maybe you’re his, he did come all this way, right?”

“Pretty sure he could find a weird metalhead in his own damn town, y’know?”

“Maybe it’s not the metalhead thing, I dunno Eds, I just know that maybe this guy will be in the crowd, and if he is, hell yeah, you have managed to secure probably thee best opportunity we’ve ever had in the history of ever, by… being a bitch.”

“We’ve ever had?” Eddie looked at him with a small frown

“Yeah man! Steve Harrington is a huge star in the music world. Dude probably has his own goddamn recording studio in his place… maybe if it goes well… we could ask him if we could use it, save us some cash on a recording studio for demos.”

“…Dude. That’s. That’s kinda taking advantage isn’t it? An I’m not whoring myself out to get free studio time.”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it, BUT if you start dating this guy—"

“Gare, anything you say that relates to me using my first potential relationship as a step ladder to fame, is SUPER shitty. Let’s not do that. If he offers, then… maybe, but… that’s not—I wouldn’t even think about asking for that, we wanna get where we’re going on our own, not have it handed to us, right?”

“Well… yeah but… a helping hand would be nice sometimes, y’know? Get us out of playing these shitty dive bar gigs and into the big leagues, you know I can’t stand part time work filling the gaps in the wages, man, retail managers always suck donkey dicks. I cannot work another summer at Staples, they have like no AC, it’s torture, it’s like an oven in there and Ralph doesn’t wear deodorant, he claims it’s an allergy, but I know, I know it’s not, he does it as a power thing it’s weird. This… could be our ticket out.”

“Steve isn’t a ticket. Maybe stop digging a grave you can’t climb out of, yeah? I know I wasn’t the best towards him but… he’s better, deserves better than that… I’m not using him. An honestly I dunno if I’d even know how y’know? It’s not like I’m bursting with experience… barely even—y’know what, I’m not talking about this, big nope on the using Steve as a cheat code to achieving fame! Let’s just… get our shit together and get out there!”

Gareth smiled before rising to his feet, drumsticks in hand “you’re the boss, man. Where’s Jeff an Frank?”

“Bathroom touching up their shit… promise me you won’t bring it up to Steve, yeah? Like… if he does come, you won’t—”

“Dude, dude… I was just throwing out dumb ideas to get you out of your head, I’d never, that’d be really uncool of me” Eddie looked at him with doubt because… okay, maybe there was a little truth to the interest in the subject, Gareth had worked part time in the stationary section of Staples for three years now and he was just about ready to die if he had to deal with his supervisors summer BO any longer, but if Eddie put his foot down and said no, then it was no, the idea was vetoed. Axed. Deader than dead

He could deal with Ralph. Probably.

“…Right, well… oka—”

The door opened, a frizzy head of hair poking around the entry way, one of the bartenders, “You’re on in five guys! Wh—Where’s the rest of you??”

“Gareth go get em for me? I’ll get the crowd warmed up.”

“On it.”

T-5 minutes. Gareth rushed out the opposite door to the bathrooms behind 'stage', otherwise known as the staff bathroom. The bar was heaving, music from the speakers to fill the void of sound before the live music act, loud and thumping, it’d be them soon, filling that void, deep breath. Eddie fluffed his hair once more, spritzed it with hairspray one last time, checked his minimalist eyeliner, and shook himself out, and grabbed his baby.

Show time.

Part 11

#PirateWrites #Crossing The Line #Steddie #Ficlet #okay so... Gareth is a lil desperate to get out of retail #lets cut him some slack #even if he is being a little shit there :'D

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canonicallyobserving911 · 7 months

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WIP Wednesday

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapters 24 & 25 will be posted soon (two chapters will be posted instead of one).

Buck and Eddie got married and Buck's officially Chris' second dad!

Currently 23 chapters completed: 893.1K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

{#1 Previous snippet linked here}

{#2 Previous snippet linked here}

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I'm excited to finish writing Chapters 24 & 25 because Buck and Eddie are married and the Diaz family is starting the second half of their two-week long European family adventure. For anyone who hasn't read Chapters 22 and 23, here's a brief overview. In Chapter 22, Buck and Eddie got married, Chris was their best man and Eddie successfully surprised Buck with all the things he had planned for him including a three-tier wedding cake. Their honeymoon started that night and they had an important conversation before they consummated their marriage. In Chapter 23, they left Rome the day after their wedding and proceeded to visit 5 other cities for the remainder of their time in Italy. By the end of it, they agreed to continue speaking Italian even after they return to the U.S. because while they were in San Gimignano, they made a decision that could affect the course of their family's lives forever. What was the decision? 👀

They departed Rome at the end of the chapter and they landed in London on Christmas Eve to start the second half of their family adventure. What else are they going to do while they're still in Europe? Will Buck meet his biological father? 🤷🏽‍♀️

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Here's a snippet of Eddie on the verge of having a panic attack because of the state he sees Buck in after he enters the room.

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Buck keeps reading, he’s still looking down and by the time he makes it to the end, his chest starts feeling funny again like it's felt for the past two days but it’s much stronger this time. It’s so intense, it causes him to drop the thing he’s holding in his hand. His vision blurs and he thinks he’s grabbing at his chest because his heart feels weird kind of like it did in March but he’s not sure if he’s imagining it.

He leans forward and tries to reach for the back of the couch but his vision starts to close in and to him it appears he’s standing in a haze of fog as everything in his line of sight starts to get smaller. He wants to move but he’s too far away from anything that won’t injure him and he’s scared that if he does, he’ll collapse and bump his head on either the credenza or the end of the couch but neither of them is a viable option.

While he tries to make a split-second decision, at that moment, his husband enters the room with a big smile on his face that quickly turns into one of extreme concern when he sees the state Buck’s in.

That sharp pain Eddie felt in his heart at 3:17AM returns but this time it’s so strong it causes his eyes to widen and all the air gets sucked out of his lungs. He watches as Buck continues to grab at his chest then everything starts happening in slow motion.

With his eyes locked on Buck, he notices his eyes are red rimmed, his cheeks are wet, his skin looks pale and since Eddie’s a trained paramedic, he recognizes the signs of what appears to be a bradycardia event of epic proportions and he knows he needs to act fast or else Buck’s going to hit the floor.

He moves quickly but his legs feel like weights are around his ankles. He needs to move so he can catch him because now Buck’s swaying on his feet and he sees his knees buckle in real time. He sticks his arms out like a quarterback does when he’s about to catch the football and he realizes he did it just in the nick of time because now they’re filled with the weight of his husband and he's able to stop him from hitting his head on the edge of the couch.

Eddie has a flashback to March when Buck was hanging from the aerial and he thinks he’s going to lose it. He screams through labored breaths, “MY LOVE… TALK TO ME. TELL ME WHERE IT HURTS. IS IT YOUR HEART? TALK TO ME PLEASE!”

No response.

Buck’s already unconscious so he gently lays him on the floor, gets on his knees, reaches over from the back of the couch, grabs two throw pillows and puts one underneath his head and the other underneath his ankles to elevate his feet.

After he gets him positioned, he notices Buck’s body is lifeless and it causes him to exhale a half cry and a scream. “OH MY GOD! AMORE—MIO! PLEASE… WAKE UP. WAKE UP FOR ME MY LO—VE! TELL ME WHAT’S WRONG! BUCK PLEASE DO—N’T LEAVE ME… PLEASE!”

No response.

Eddie feels like he’s going to jump out of his skin because he doesn’t know what happened and the last time he saw Buck like this he was hanging from the top of the ladder and his body was dangling in the air. He was dead for three minutes and seventeen seconds and in his mind he’s not sure how long it’s been because he didn’t start counting when he saw Buck fall because he was too busy catching him.

All his fears about Buck dying again and leaving him flood to the front of his mind like the swirling waters from a category 5 hurricane and as tears roll down his face, he feels like he’s drowning and his lungs are beginning to close and he can tell it’s the start of a panic attack.

What happened that caused Buck to have what Eddie believes to be a bradycardia event? 👀

Is it his heart or something else? 🙃

Is it possible there are long lasting effects from the lightning strike that were missed by the cardiologist? 🤷🏽‍♀️

What's going to happen next? Will Eddie have a panic attack? 👀

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This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it. But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

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Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago. They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial. But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories. Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie. It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - With only 14 days remaining until Buck, Eddie and Chris depart Los Angeles, CA traveling to Rome, Italy, for their first family adventure, an early morning conversation about “tying up loose ends” helps Buck and Eddie realize there are still several things left unfinished on their ‘To Do’ lists. The question is will there be enough time to complete all of them?

Chapter 21 - Buck, Eddie and Chris are finalizing their ‘To Do’ Lists, double checking their itineraries and packing their suitcases in preparation for their trip to Europe so they can board their flight that departs Los Angeles, CA on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 3:25PM.

Chapter 22 - While Buck, Eddie and Chris spend the first 8 days of their European family adventure in Italy, their primary reason for going will be fulfilled as well as several others they hadn’t considered or anticipated.

Chapter 23 - As the Diaz Family continues their Italian family adventure, they’ll say, “Ciao” or hello and goodbye to a lot of things almost immediately after they become an official and legal family.

Chapter 24 - Will be posted soon.

Chapter 25 - Will be posted soon.

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Read chapters 1-23 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

Chapters 24 & 25 will be posted soon.

#buddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #christopher diaz #the buckley diaz family #buckley diaz family #The Diaz Family #Fanonwriter2023 on AO3 #Hiatus Reading #911 on abc #911 abc #911 fanfic #buddie fanfic #ao3 fanfic #“I'm still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”#WIP Wednesday #buddie wip #Chapters 24 & 25 will be posted soon

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masterj · 25 days

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Chuggington Headcanon: The Depot Renovation and The Chuggineer's Introduction

So Chuggington fans know that in the fourth season, we see that The Main Depot gets a massive update to accommodate for Chug Patrol Headquarters and The Working Wheels Service Yard. This headcanon will explain this sudden change.

So as we know from the first three seasons, Calley was Chuggington's emergency chugger, dealing with accidents, breakdowns, fires, and even transporting injured people to hospital, as rail is Chuggington's primary form of transport, and road vehicles have not been comfirmed to be canon. However, having only one rescue chugger often proved to be quite stressful, inefficient, and inconvenient, which has been shown on a few occasions in the show.

Near the end of the third season, it was eventually decided by both Vee and The Department of Chuggers that Chuggington's rescue service needed upgrading. However, they did not yet have an official plan, nor where many rescue engines available, so they set up a 'trial method'.

Skylar had rescue training expierence, so Vee decided he could form a team alongside Calley and recruit the trainees, but first, they would need extra training with cars rescue chuggers used.

In his introduction episode, "Brewster's Crane Training," they practice crane control.

Then in "Wobbly Wheels," they learn how to use the Chug Catcher (a sand trap used to stop runaways on the mountain tracks)

In "Top Secret Koko," both Skylar and Calley teach the trainees how to 'piggy-back' wagons (flatbeds used for carrying chuggers)

And finally, the episode "Skylar's Squad," where the trainees get full-on rescue training with Skylar's own set of rescue cars, and the trainees who do the best will be recruited, which ends up being Hoot and Toot.

This, of course, was short lived however, after Chug Patrol, a modern, state of the art rescue squad was made known to Chuggington, and after investments where made, Chuggington would get their own Chug Patrollers and headquarters in The Depot.

To do that however, space would need to be made. At this same time, Vee decided the Fuel Yard also needed upgrading, to accommodate more chuggers for refueling and washing and improve efficiency, which is how The Working Wheels Service Yard came to be.

A lot of work needed to be done, and thus, the renovation began...

Construction started some time after the third season's events. The cafe half of the Colored Tunnels had to be removed to accommodate for Chug Patrol HQ. It had been years since many people where last there so no one was particularly bothered by this. The Rolling Stock Yard was taken down in order for the Working Wheels Yard to be built, however, it was later rebuilt further back outside of the depot. The area for the Fuel Yard was too small to become the Working Wheels Yard, so it was left alone. They would need it for storing materials and rolling stock out of the way anyway.

Vee put Dunbar, Speedy and Skylar in charge of handling the construction work, as they were the current chuggers best suited for the job. Several tracks in front of the Colored Tunnels had to be rearranged, which was handled by Hodge and Eddie, the latter also handling traffic control due to the construction. Calley also assisted by shunting various rolling stock and materials. It was long, dusty work and project took several months (basically the gap between the third and fourth season's airdates in the UK)

As for the other chuggers, they carried on with all the other work. The trainees - except Piper - also had to pitch in to cover for the chuggers busy with the construction, so training was put completely on hold for them until further notice. Despite this however, problems soon arose...

With several lines under unavailable, and cars of building materials blocking the way, chuggers had to be guided around them to get out of the depot. Trains were delayed, passengers complained, and the backlog of traffic started to cause a slowdown in construction, as sometimes, Calley had to clear a way herself to let trains through. Sometimes, chuggers were even re-routed onto Emery's line on the elevated tracks in order to get their trains out of the depot, which held him and his passengers up too!

Poor Vee was now very frazzled. All this 'confusion and delay' made it quite clear to her that having three of four of her working chuggers taken away from their other work and only one chugger to keep the tracks clear wouldn't be enough. If this project was ever going to get done, she needed to call in professional help...

And now, three special new chuggers come onto the scene, and we know who they are...

Fletch, Tyne, and Zack, and they are The Chuggineers!

The Chuggineers are a team of chuggers from Tootington specialized in construction and engineering, in which Zack, Fletch and Tyne were originally part of. Vee got in contact with the manager of Tootington's railway to see if they could lend some of their Chuggineers. Zack, Fletch and Tyne were choosen - and instead of being loned, The manager sold them to Vee, as well as a full set of Chuggineer wagons - Vee was delighted!

So a few days later after they were purchased, Zack and the Chuggineers arrived and set right to work. Things turned around remarkably. As they and their wagons were specialized in this kind of work, The Chuggineers proved much more efficient. Construction of Chug Patrol HQ started to pick up speed again, The Depot started to become less overcrowded with cars, and the other chuggers where able to get back on schedule. Dunbar and Calley still helped with shunting for the project, and sometimes Brewster as well, while Speedy went back up to the quarry, which was to start its expansion soon, but that's another story.

A couple weeks later, Jackman, the soon-to-be chief of Chug Patrol arrived and assisted in finishing CPHQ, as mentioned previously in my headcanon for him. They were soon able to finish work on The Working Wheels Yard. That's when Cormac, the forklift chugger arrived, but again, that's another story.

At long last, the project was finished, Calley went into The Repair Shed for an overhaul, where she was repainted and refitted into her Chug Patrol gear and attire, which she bears to this day, while Zack, Fletch and Tyne and made fast friends with the other chuggers, and were proud to call Chuggington their home.

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penny00dreadful · 1 year

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Return of The King - Part 7

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 8 AO3

When Eddie first put his bedroom together, he didn’t exactly have a lot of time to figure out where everything went. His days and nights were filled trying to get Dustin to talk to him again, keeping an eye on Robin, trying to stop Nancy from getting her hands on an anti-tank missile launcher or something similar and watching the gates for any apocalyptic activity.

He’d just kind of shoved things into corners as he’d pulled them out of the various boxes or stacked them up on top of any surfaces that had an inch of space and even some that didn’t.

Which meant there were a great many things that were very delicately balanced on his desk and windowsill, stuffed into his bookcase or teetering past the point of being safe on wall hung shelves.

He also hadn’t planned much on where he’d put his bed, though after the whole Upside Down nonsense, he tried to keep it as far away from doors and windows as he could. He felt a little easier having his back to a wall. Even easier with his back to a corner.

Which was, of course, not the orientation the room should have been in. It had clearly been laid out to have the bed in the middle, with space for a person to get into and out of bed at whichever side they chose.

But Eddie had made the genius decision to shove his bed into the corner.

All this was to say that maybe he was regretting his decisions now that the very room around them was rattling like a maraca. The most spine-chilling and unnerving sounds were screaming out from the house around them as it shook on its very foundations, sounding like it was going to collapse into rubble at any moment.

He could hear the kids screaming downstairs, he could feel the bed underneath him being tossed side to side, the wooden legs scraping against the floor and everything, everything was falling down around, next to and on top of him.

Or they would be falling down on top of him, big clunky hard backed fantasy books and D&D manuals and heavy nerd figurines with sharp edges falling from the shelves above where he laid his head every night if it wasn’t for the strong golden arms, wide shoulders and giant head of hair that he was currently curled up and cowering underneath.

Wide terrified brown eyes met wide predatory yellow eyes as they stared at each other. Eddie knew Steve would be able to hear his fearful rapid fire heartbeat a mile away, but he wasn’t a mile away, he was barely an inch away, hovering over him with an unreadable expression and as still as stone despite everything moving around them.

There was the irregular thunk, thun- thunkthunk, of things hitting Steve’s back from the shelves above but he didn’t move. Didn’t even flinch.

“S-” Eddie swallowed involuntarily, feeling his heart in his throat and barely able to push through his own clawing terror. “Sweetheart?” He couldn’t even hear his own whispered voice over the deafening crashing and creaking of his home around him.

Steve didn’t blink, but he did move, lowering himself down infinitesimally to place the gentlest of gentle kisses against Eddie’s forehead even as things continued to batter his back. “I’ve got you, baby.”

As Steve pulled back, a particularly thick copy of Jane Austen’s complete works thunked hard against Steve’s head.

Eddie was forced to bite his lip. Even through the terror, even through the fear and the worry, the little shithead that lived inside him refused to stay quiet.

“Don’t.” Steve muttered with a scowl. “Say. A. Word.”

Eddie sucked his lips into his mouth and nodded.

Yeah, okay, that was fair. He’d be well and truly beaten to a bloody pulp by his miscellaneous nerd items if Steve wasn’t taking all the hits for him with his impenetrable body.

Well, maybe not impenetrable.

Actually very penetrable-

The shaking stopped and with it, stopped his train of thought which probably needed to go into horny jail anyway.

There were the last few clattering sounds of things dropping to the floor throughout the house as they both just stared at each other for a few heartbeats.

Then the kids shouting picked up again and they flew into action.

“You’ve got Wayne, I’ve got the kids?” Steve asked, hesitating for just a moment in the hallway.

“Yeah. Yeahyeahyeah.” Eddie nodded, waving him off. “Go.”

The next second Steve was gone and Eddie was left to stumble his way through the debris of fallen framed photos and weird collected knick-knacks that now lay in pieces on the floor.

"Wayne!" He screamed through his uncle's bedroom door, trying to shove it open with every ounce of strength he had, which was unfortunately very little.

It wouldn't budge.

"Wayne, answer me!"

"I'm okay, Ed." Wayne's voice came muffled but strong just on the other side. "Go check on the kids."

“Fuck you, go check on the kids! I’m checking on you, you old fart! Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. Door’s just stuck. Was more worried about you and all that shit you got crushing you to death.”

Eddie let out a huff of air and rested his forehead against the door. “Who knew nerdom could be so dangerous?” He took a step back. “I’m gonna try to break down the door okay?”

He could hear Wayne’s snort from the other side. “Sure thing, kid.”

“Hey! You’re supposed to believe in me!”

“Don’t believe in anything without proof.”

“Well seeing is believing!” Eddie called as he took a step back then rammed his whole body forward, shoulder first. He bounced off the wood like he was a stuffed animal. “Ow. Fuck.”

“Why don’t you go get that boy of yours?” Wayne laughed. “He’s certainly got the arms for it.”

“You rang?” Steve’s voice rumbled from right behind him and Eddie shrieked, nearly jumping out of his skin.

“God, this is just fucking typical.” He placed his hands heavily on his hips and scowled. “Everything okay downstairs?” He muttered.

“As well as it can be, considering. They’re all unharmed. But El and Will have felt something. We need to talk it out with everyone.”

Eddie nodded. No rest for the wicked. “Okay.”

“Are you two smooching out there while your poor old man is locked away in his tower?”

“So this is where you get all that drama from.” Steve grinned over at him while Eddie tried his best to keep his frown on his face.

“Keep up the attitude and I’ll leave you locked in there with nothing to occupy your time besides the yellow fucking wallpaper!”

“As much as I love this witty banter Eds,” Steve placed a warm hand on the small of his back, “there’s possibly an incoming apocalypse?”

“Well alright then.” He gestured to the door. “Show me up. Use your big strong arms. Embarrass me.”

“If you insist.” Steve placed two hands on the door. “You standing back, Wayne?”

“As far back as I can get, kid.”

With what looked like minimal effort Steve pushed and the door swung open with an almighty groan.

Eddie wanted to scoff and roll his eyes, but the only thing that was going through his mind right now was the feral need to bite one of Steve’s biceps.

He would have too if Wayne hadn’t appeared in the doorway a little ruffled but otherwise unharmed, looking like the smug little shit he was and Eddie flew forward.

“See, Ed?” He grunted as Eddie threw himself into his arms. “A little exercise wouldn’t kill ya.”

“I think a little exercise would kill me actually.” He mumbled into his uncle's neck, squeezing tight. “What benefit could I possibly get from exercise?”

“Exercise will give you one of the best highs going.” Steve quipped from the doorway.

Eddie turned to glare at him, keeping an arm around Wayne’s shoulders. “Really? That’s how you’re gonna try and sell exercise to me? Clearly you’ve never tried cocaine.”

Steve just raised his eyebrows and Eddie felt his stomach drop.

He turned to his uncle with what he hoped was his sweetest smile. “I too… have also never… tried cocaine.”

All he got for his efforts was a light smack against the back of his head.

The house was fucking trashed. It was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow after losing most of their stuff during the first quake and only starting to build up their personal items again. Most of Wayne’s mugs were still packed away. He hadn’t found the right space for them yet so it was a small relief that they had survived.

As for the kids and the older teens, they were completely unscathed. That was even though Mike had nearly been crushed by their heavy CRT TV, it he’d been pulled out of the way by Will while El stopped everything else coming down on top of all of them.

It was Henry’s doing.

He’d opened the cracks in the town even wider, extended them further. Where there had once been forest and an expanse of grass at the back of Eddie and Wayne’s house, there was now an unsettlingly deep and clean wound in the earth, carving through the trees and just touching the edge of their back porch.

It was a warning sign.

It was a threat.

Just as the walkie crackled to life, muffled underneath one of the air mattresses, a frantic pounding was heard at the front door.

“Robin?!” Richard Buckley’s voice shouted. “Robin, are you in there? Are you okay?”

“Wayne?” Melissa Buckley called after. “Eddie?”

Robin ran to the door, swiftly unlocking it and swinging it open, throwing herself into her shocked parents arms.

The last time they had seen her she’d been non-verbal and an empty shell of herself. Now she was babbling into their shoulders and clutching them tight, checking them over to make sure they themselves weren’t hurt.

Melissa stared over Robin’s shoulder at Eddie, silently asking What happened? What changed? This is good? What’s going on? Because she’d always looked to him for advice on how to help her daughter.

He seemed to know the most after all. To them, at least.

He didn’t know how to answer.

Steve had long disappeared into the sitting room with the kids and they needed to figure out how to move forward.

“Richard, Melissa.” Wayne stepped forward as they looked up from their daughter to him. “Think we still got electricity. Can I make you both a coffee?”

Robin looked between her parents, Wayne and Eddie, coming to the same understanding that things needed to be figured out quickly, without those not in the know overhearing. For now.

“It’s okay. Go. I-” Robin gestured her parents towards the kitchen before locking eyes with him in an attempt to avoid her parents' stares. “I need to talk to Eddie about something.”

They looked like they wanted to argue but then Wayne, who always just seemed to get it, called them through and Robin sagged against the wall in relief. Eddie leaned next to her, pressing their arms together.

“I think you need to tell your parents to go.” He muttered.

She scoffed, deflecting. “Rude. Wayne just invited them in.”

“Rob. You know I mean Hawkins. I don’t think they’re safe here anymore.”

“They were never safe here. We’re not safe here.” She chewed on her thumb. “You gonna tell Wayne to leave?”

Eddie shook his head. “Might as well tell Skull Rock to pack its bags. He won’t go.”

“What about the kids? Their families?”

“I don’t know.”

Nancy poked her head out of the sitting room door and quickly gestured them inside.

"Don't. Do. Anything. Fucking. Stupid. Over." Hopper's voice came through gruff and strained from the walkie held in El’s hand. If the talk the previous day between the two of them in the back garden was anything to go by, he was probably fighting himself, trying not to tell the kids to hunker down and stay away from everything. But the kids clearly had a plan. Answer going to execute it.

Dustin leaned over to make himself heard as El held the button down. “We won’t!” He huffed. “You do your part and we’ll do ours. Over.”

“What’s going on?” Eddie planted himself down next to Steve whose arm crawled around to rest in his back pocket, out of sight of everyone. “What’s our part?”

“Hopper and Joyce are rounding up the parents.” Steve held his free hand out to Robin who took it and was pulled into their little circle. “There’s democreatures breaking through the cracks in town-”

“What?!” Robin shrieked before flying out of the room and into the kitchen.

Eddie took a moment, allowing himself to lean into Steve just a little more.

He’d never convince Wayne to leave. He’d say and fight with them, he’d insist on it. But he’d never forgive himself if something happened to him.

“Think they’ll listen to her?” He murmured into Steve’s ear.

Steve paused for a moment before shaking his head. “They’ve agreed to leave but only if she goes with them."

Eddie nodded but stopped when Steve grimaced and pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

"She's telling them I'm here and they think she's… not well."

"Shit."

He followed Steve out of the sitting room and could begin to make out the muffled argument coming from the closed kitchen door.

Without knocking Steve opened it wide and stood in the doorway, unmistakably there and alive.

Well…

To their eyes at least.

Wayne had disappeared. Probably out the back to give them some privacy.

Out the back where…

Where there was a giant fuck off crack in the middle of the earth where democreatures were reportedly crawling out of.

Eddie launched forward and wrenched the backdoor open.

Luckily Wayne was only just outside the door and Eddie grabbed him by the arm and dragged him back inside.

"You better unhand me boy or-"

"Wayne." Eddie grasped him by the shoulders and something must have shown on his face because his uncle stopped talking. "Stay away from the cracks."

Wayne gave him a deep, discerning look, one that told him he would have to explain soon.

But for now he just nodded and clapped him on the neck.

When Eddie winced in pain his uncle removed his hand and stared at the spot he’d just uncovered.

Eddie could feel his face turn progressively brighter under Wayne’s gaze.

“The fuck did you boys get up to last night?”

“Nothing!” It came out as a squeak, a pathetic little embarrassing squeak and Wayne eyed him.

“Is this how you kids court each other nowadays?”

“Oh my god, you’re five hundred years old.”

“Apparently still not old enough to understand that. Looks like you let a vampire at your neck, kid.”

Eddie let out a nervous laugh while his uncle continued to stare into his very soul.

“Im- imagine that. Wouldn’t that be something?”

Oh god, Wayne knew. He knew.

Well, okay, maybe he didn’t know that but he definitely knew something was going on.

Luckily for Eddie their attention was grabbed by the spectacle in front of them.

Steve was swamped by the Buckley’s in a great big group hug. Melissa had her hands on his face, brushing his hair back every few seconds as it continued to fall forward over his forehead with tears in her eyes. Richard had an arm around his shoulders telling him “It’s good to have you back, son.” and Robin was leaning into his other side with a small smile on her face.

Steve looked flattered but surprised, even as the group's body language suggested this was not the first time Robin’s hippie parents had handed out their affection to him.

“Your boy’s not used to much touch, is he?” Wayne muttered to him, watching the group like some kind of zoologist.

Eddie nodded. “We’re trying to fix that.” He whispered back, unable to keep the discontent he felt at it from coming through clear in his words.

In the end, Steve along with Eddie and Wayne were able to convince Robin’s parents that they needed to go, just for a little bit. The Munsons lied through their fucking teeth that they would keep her safe, keep an eye on her, keep her out of danger and they all just wanted to stick together in these trying times.

Wayne kept giving Eddie the eye letting him know that if he didn’t have an adequate explanation after all this there’d be hell to pay.

Eddie was pretty sure interdimensional monsters would do the job.

It almost didn’t work, all of them trying to get them to leave for their own safety without being able to tell them too much. The Buckley parents were adamant that they wouldn’t be leaving Robin behind until she pulled what must have been a familial trump card.

“I have free will. I’m using it. I’m staying.”

Richard and Melissa’s breaking hearts were visible on their faces but they took Robin’s word as some kind of gospel.

It was only twenty minutes later they had all the essentials packed up, an occasional screech of the otherworldly creatures carrying over the treetops, letting everyone know their time was running out while Robin gave her parents one last hug and waved them off.

Nancy, Jonathan, Argyle and the kids had worked out a plan with Hopper and Joyce while the rest of them were trying to kick Robin’s parents out of the town.

When Eddie reinterred his sitting room it was to the sight of weapons being traded about and checked over. Weapons that we’re definitely not in his home earlier on.

“Um…” he looked around, hoping the answer would pop out of the ground.

Nancy glanced up and then around at everything before looking back at him.

“I never go anywhere unprepared anymore. And you called Code Red yesterday.”

“Oh.”

Jesus, prepared might have been an understatement. There were guns, crossbows, bats, axes, slingshots and more alcohol than had ever existed in Wayne’s home at one time sitting on the ground with rags being shoved in. The kids were kitting themselves out, Robin was stuffing bottles into her bag and Eddie looked down at himself realising he was still in his pyjamas.

Once he was dressed in his most defensible clothing, he came back downstairs to find his uncle sitting on the couch surrounded by everyone.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s going on,” Wayne answered with crossed arms, “is that no one is leaving the house until you all tell me just what is happening here. Why did I lie to Robin’s parents? Why does my sitting room look like an armoury? What are those noises coming from the town because they don’t sound like any animal I ever heard and you’re all reacting like you know what’s going on and I don’t appreciate being kept out of the loop when it involves my kid.”

Eddie deflated, looking around at everyone who was looking at him, waiting for him to take the lead.

Steve’s hand was at his back, a silent show of support.

“Wayne-”

“You going to war with something?”

He chewed on his lip. He couldn’t lie. Wayne wouldn’t take it. Hell, even if they tied the man up head to toe and locked him in his bedroom, he’d break out before long and come after them either to help or to kill Eddie for trying to keep him out of it.

“Yes.”

“This why you all stayed when the smart thing to do would have been to get the fuck out?”

Everyone around the room gave various nods and he felt Steve tense next to him when Wayne turned his hard gaze on him.

“You weren’t in a hospital out of town.”

Steve gulped. “I wasn’t.”

Wayne nodded. “Okay. Start from the start.”

“Mr. Muns- Wayne.” Nancy cut herself off. “We will explain everything to you, you deserve to know, you’re right. But we are currently on a time limit. The people of the town are in danger and they don’t know how to fight this enemy. There’ll be government agents at the gates by now but they’ve never done anything except make things worse. The most vulnerable spots are where the old gates opened and considering two opened near each other at your old home, that spot is ground zero. Your old neighbours will still be there and won’t know what’s coming. I promise the kids will explain it all to you on the way, they’ve done it before, but we’re really running out of time.”

The two of them stared at each other, hard. Eddie didn’t know if Wayne was trying to get Nancy to flinch or if he was trying to search for the truth in her face but either way she didn’t back down.

“Alright then.” He slapped his hands on his knees and pushed himself to his feet, grabbing a rifle from the pile, checking it over and snatching up two extra magazines. “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Nancy called to the group, heading towards the front door, “Jonathan, Argyle and Robin with me. Kids, Wayne and Steve with Eddie. Kids, you fill Steve and Eddie in on the plan and explain…” she sighed heavily with a wave of her hand, “everything to Wayne. We’ll fill Robin in ourselves on the way there.”

She wrenched the door open and stepped out, doing a quick check of the road before waving them through.

Robin had opened her mouth to argue but Nancy shook her head. “I understand. No one wants to be separated right now, but we can’t all fit in the van, it’s going to be packed enough as it is. Our current priority is getting us there. Okay?”

Robin scowled but nodded before throwing her arms around Steve and squeezing him tight. Eddie was shocked to find himself yanked forward and she enveloped him too.

Turning back to Nancy, Steve laid a hand on her shoulder. “Look out for her, alright?”

Nancy smiled. “You got it.”

They split up, the kids and surprisingly Wayne piling into the back of his van while Eddie and Steve sat up front. They’d already started a slightly pared down but still succinct retelling of their lives for the last few years as Eddie swung out of the driveway.

Almost immediately Eddie could tell this wasn’t going to be an easy ride. The deep cracks that had extended over the town had expanded, little fingers cutting through the tarmac, shallow enough to drive over but deep enough to bump everyone in the car around.

The kids all held onto each other and Wayne as they talked, barely even pausing when they all got knocked side to side. The roads were all surprisingly, worryingly empty.

Either people had already run, leaving everything behind or they were holed up in their homes, waiting. At least that was what Eddie hoped.

Nancy had pulled ahead a while back, her station wagon having a bit more manoeuvrability through the dips and bumps in the road. Plus, if Eddie could guess, they all wanted to get there and deal with the worst of it before the kids had to. Maybe it was so there’d be more time for explanations but he couldn’t be sure.

While the kids talked about pulling the Mindflayer from Will, Will himself stuck his head in between the driver and passenger seats and Eddie could tell Steve was holding himself back from chastising him for being unsafe in a moving vehicle. They didn’t have time. They might need to be up and moving at a seconds notice.

Besides, Steve could get into the back faster than any of them could react if he needed to.

“This is Henry.” Will told them, holding onto the back of their seats for stability.

They nodded. They’d gotten that far before they’d been pulled away to deal with the Buckleys.

“He’s getting closer, he hasn’t come through to this side yet but if he does… El says it’ll be game over. He can’t come through here. We have to finish it. In the Upside Down. Before he has a chance.”

Eddie glanced over at Steve while trying to avoid a particularly uneven section of road. This was all gonna wreak havoc on his suspension.

Expensive havoc.

That was if the world was still standing by this time tomorrow.

“Are you gonna be okay going back?”

Steve hadn’t really told Eddie much about how he’d gotten back from the Upside Down, whether he’d walked out or had to claw his way out, what his time was like in there or how long he was there. All he’d really said was that he hadn’t gotten hungry until he arrived topside again.

Steve just shrugged. “Don’t really have a choice do I? I’m not letting you all go in without me.”

Eddie felt a frown pull at his face while he watched the road before a warm hand settled on his elbow.

“I’ll be okay, Eds.”

When Steve pulled his hand away, Eddie looked over to find Will watching with something curious in his gaze.

“And you, Will the Wise? Your mom and Jonathan okay with you going back in? You okay with going back in?”

Will looked between the two of them, his face grim as he slid his hands from the back of their seats onto their shoulders.

“Like Steve said.” He gave a shrug. “We don’t have a choice.”

Steve and Eddie reached back, to squeeze Will’s hands. Will squeezed back before letting go and returning to his place amongst the kids.

They had just gotten to explaining Steve’s death and resurrection when the walkie crackled.

“Movement on the road ahead!” Robin shouted, her voice staticky. “We passed it by before we could get a good look but-” she cut herself off with a winded noise, “-Jesus, Nance!”

“If I go over another crack the same size as the last one my fucking rear axle is going to come off!”

“We think it’s gone into the forest,” Robin continued, “we don’t know if it’s a demodog or a demogorgon-”

Her voice was drowned out as an incredible impact rocked the entire van.

There was a terrifying moment where Eddie was sure they were pushed onto two wheels and we’re gonna topple over, everyone in the back screaming while he tried to wrench the steering wheel around, for all the good it would do with only two wheels on the road.

They’d already tipped past the apex, over halfway, the gravity would surely take them the whole way down and the sound of metal groaning and screeching out filled his ears as a claw ripped through the side of his van like it was butter.

Steve was in the back instantly, a still stone amongst chaotic waters.

He didn’t have enough limbs to hold onto everyone so they instead held onto him, including Wayne who Eddie had never seen look so serious in his life.

But then they were impossibly crashing back onto four wheels and their grip on the road increased so suddenly they flew forward with a sickening lurch. Eddie glanced up to the rear view mirror and he saw the tell-tale trickle of blood from El’s nose.

“That was bitchin’ supergirl!” He called back to her, slamming his foot down on the accelerator as hard as it would go while an otherworldly shriek sounded just outside the back of the van.

“Demogorgon gaining!” Dustin gave a frantic shout with his nose pressed up against the back window.

The van wouldn’t go any faster, couldn’t go any faster after being shredded up from underneath by the cracks and tossed around like a toy car, no matter how hard Eddie willed it forward.

“Keep driving Ed!” His uncle called as he pulled his rifle out in front of him.

“Yeah, wasn’t really gonna stop, thanks Wayne!”

The kids were pulling out their own weapons from their packs.

When Nancy was in the worst of her rage she’d insisted on the kids getting trained up and while they weren’t disappointed in learning to effectively and safely fire a weapon, Nancy’s single minded determination had made them all nervous.

Wayne turned to Steve.

“Keep ‘em safe, son.”

Steve looked like he was just about ready to jump out of the back of the van on his own and take on the demogorgon single handedly, which in Eddie’s mind would have been both insanely hot and completely terrifying, but at Wayne’s words he looked back at the kids cocking their guns and lighting up their Molotovs and nodded.

Steve grabbed Dustin by the collar, hauling him away from the window and shoving him behind his back with the rest of the kids.

With a grand sweeping motion Wayne threw open the back doors and both he and Eddie got their first look at this mythical demogorgon creature that had haunted all of their lives for three years now, whether they knew it or not.

It was a horribly monstrous thing. All wrong, all incorrect. Skin too pale and too slimy, arms and legs too long. No face. No face apart from a terrifying open petal maw that was almost impossible to look into.

And it was fast. Eddie was hardly driving slow but the thing was keeping speed. Was even closing the distance.

Wayne was braced against the side of the van on one knee and lining up his shot with Lucas on the other side, his crossbow up, ready to shoot. Steve had one hand curled through Lucas’ belt with his other arm and leg braced across the back, keeping the kids from toppling out while they threw their molotovs.

Wayne let off a shot just as Eddie had to swerve to avoid a deep groove in the earth.

“Keep ‘er steady, Ed for fuck sake!”

“I didn’t put the cracks in the earth, old man! What do you want me to do?!”

Lucas’ crossbow bolt ripped through the demogorgon’s flank but the thing barely faltered. At the same time as Will and Wayne fired off two more shots, catching it in the shoulder and the stomach, Dustin and Erica threw their burning molotovs.

Dustin’s landed on the ground and the demogorgon ran through the burning tarmac like it was nothing but Erica’s landed right in the middle of its flower petal mouth and it let out such a terrible screech, every collective hair in the van stood on end.

The creature stumbled, crashing to the ground and quickly being left behind as they continued to speed away.

But it was only down for a few seconds before it launched forwards again, somehow faster, angrier than it had been before.

It was like it all happened in slow motion.

In only a few bounds it had caught up to them, reaching one huge clawed hand out and latching onto the back of the van.

Eddie didn’t even have time to yank the steering wheel around, trying to shake it off before it pulled itself forward, swiping clean through the barrel of Wayne’s gun but aiming for the kids.

An almighty roar ripped through the van, the kind that put a world ending fear into each and every one of them, harsher than the demogorgons, sharper than tearing metal.

Everyone in the van froze up, unable to move while Steve roared again from deep within his chest. His figure was impossibly in shadow, darker, larger, more threatening than any of them had ever seen before.

Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie could have almost mistaken him for another demogorgon, just as tall and lanky and terribly wrong but still human and Steve shaped when he looked directly at him, two impossibilities warring with his perception.

Steve grabbed the charred and still smouldering sides of the demogorgons mouth, digging his fingers in and with another earth shattering, bellowing howl he pulled. Tearing the demogorgons face in two.

The kids were screaming, Wayne was screaming, Eddie was screaming while Steve’s hulking form breathed heavily in front of all of them, kicking the now limp corpse of the demogorgon out of the van.

There was disgusting Upside-Down blood everywhere.

But that was fine, the road behind them was empty. The road in front of them was empty. And Steve’s breathing was starting to calm down.

Then Max slipped.

No one was able to react fast enough and she was in the air before any of them could blink, a gasp being pulled from her lips and wide blue eyes staring back at all of them in horror.

Steve reached out to grasp at her and Eddie held his breath. He was sure those violent claws would tear her to ribbons, not because Steve would want to but just by their very nature, looking so fierce, so terrible.

Steve grabbed Max by the arms, hauling her back into the van before she could touch the ground, pulling her close to his snarling face.

The kids screamed as he lowered his head to her neck and Eddie nearly slammed on the brakes then and there until he saw Steve seemed to be… snuffling?

He sniffed around her neck, her hair, her face and Max, brave, bold, unwavering Max raised her own hand to his cheek, rubbing her thumb along the bone there and said quietly, “I’m alright, Steve.”

Eddie did have to break then, hard and sudden to avoid smashing into the back of Nancy’s empty station wagon.

He wrenched the hand break up and threw himself into the back of the van, crashing to his knees in front of Steve, taking up the space that had previously been occupied by Max who was deposited into Lucas’ arms, almost like Steve could sense Eddie’s impending presence.

“Stevie?” Eddie took Steve’s face in his hands. He was more angular, more pointed, more severe. His eyes were bright yellow, almost glowing and he still held an energy of danger about him.

Steve lowered his head, nuzzling into the spot at Eddie’s neck where he’d bit and sucked not twelve hours ago. Eddie could feel the sharp point of two fangs grazing his skin, preparing to bite as he slid his hands around the back of Steve’s head and into his hair.

He wished he could let him, even just a little sip, but the kids were here, watching wide eyed and scared, Wayne had his sheared gun pointing at Steve and there were demonic creatures breaking through the cracks somewhere in town, there was danger and the apocalypse and they didn’t have time.

Tap, tap.

The fangs retracted.

Steve’s whole body softened and sagged against him and Eddie let out an internal sigh of relief.

He’d never really doubted Steve’s control but that hadn’t meant the whole thing still wasn’t completely, pants shittingly terrifying.

The darkness in the back of the van seemed to recede and the sense of complete impending doom ebbed away.

Only for a moment though as a gunshot cracked through the air and the howl of a dying demodog came from the trailer park behind them.

Steve jerked back in surprise but his face held that familiar softness, that familiar gentleness, though his eyes remained a bright yellow.

“I’m sorry.” He spoke to the van at large but Max shook her head.

“Nothing to be sorry for.”

“You’d never hurt us Steve.” El blinked at him, speaking in her quiet but confident way.

Anything else that was going to be said was cut off by another gunshot and Wayne jumping out of the van, reloading his gun with a gruff “Alright everyone, move out.”

The trailer park was like walking into a horror movie. There were burned patches of grass and trailers on fire. The trailers that weren’t on fire had been ripped open by vicious claws and demonic bodies. There was a dead demogorgon, three dead demodogs, multiple charred and burned demobats and a few unfortunate human bodies scattered around, dressed in pressed black suits and sunglasses.

Nancy, Robin, Jonathan and Argyle along with a few Eddie, Wayne and Max recognized as neighbours had formed a protective circle around the children and the elderly of the park, guns held high and waiting for an opening as demodogs prowled around the perimeter.

They were completely encircled.

“Alright,” Wayne muttered to them, “no molotovs and no guns, can’t risk hitting a civilian. We draw them away from the circle, then we fire upon them, but not a moment before, you all understand me?”

“I can attack without causing civilian casualties.” Well… El always knew how to put things as plainly as possible.

Wayne was thrown for a second. “Wh- oh, superpowers, right?”

She nodded.

“Well if we have them on our side, we might as well use them to our advantage.”

“But-”

“I can do it Mike.” El said with a frown.

“I know you can, but-”

“You believe you're capable, kid?” Wayne looked in between the two of them, eyes finally landing on El.

“Yes. I am capable.” She spoke firmly and with conviction, daring anyone to say otherwise. Wayne nodded back at her.

He’d always been that way with kids, never talked down to them, trusted their judgement about themselves. It was most of the reason Eddie was able to grow up so self-actualised.

“Okay then. That’s your choice to make. How about we support our friend instead of doubting her?” He directed the last part of his statement at Mike who glared back and Eddie found himself almost jealous.

If he’d levelled a glare like that at Wayne at that age he’d have gotten a swift kick in the pants.

Verbally.

“I’m not doubting her.” Mike spat. “I’m just worried about her.”

Eddie was about to open his mouth to tell Mike to show his uncle some damn respect when Steve beat him to it.

“Hey. Wheeler.” Steve had his hands on his hips again. “Who taught you to talk like that to people? After everything Wayne’s done for us?”

Mike crossed his arms but deflated with a little pout on his face. “Sorry, Wayne.”

“Accepted.” Wayne answered with a nod. “You all know your own heads better than anyone else, right?”

All the kids mumbled their agreement.

“Right. So let’s trust El does too, okay?”

El practically inflated with pride, so used to hearing Hopper or Joyce or whoever else tell her she couldn’t or shouldn’t do something, it must have made a difference to have someone believe she knew her own limits.

She proved herself not a second later when she threw her arm out to stop a demodog from wrapping its petaled mouth around Jonathan’s throat, holding it frozen in the air for a second before flinging it backwards.

“Okay!” Wayne called. “Draw them out of that circle! Pick them off one by one as they get distracted and move away. El and Steve can deal with any stragglers who are still too close. Understood?”

“Understood!” They chorused.

Eddie, Wayne and the kids started to make as much noise as possible, banging on trailer walls and shouting as the demodogs began to turn their attention to them.

With their own numbers, extra help from Eddie’s old neighbours, a superpowered girl and a vampire who was looking slightly more feral as the fight went on, the demodogs were dispatched quickly.

And as the group of them ushered their neighbours into their cars and told them all to keep going at least until they were past the next city, they all turned to look back at Eddie and Wayne’s old home.

The trailer that was once the place Eddie felt safest but now, he knew, had featured heavily in all their nightmares.

The place with a giant pulsing gate still visible on a ceiling that was barely even there anymore.

The place Chrissy had died and his whole world had turned upside down.

Eddie took Steve’s hand, bringing it up to his mouth to place a gentle kiss on the back, uncaring of who might see as they all stepped forward.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 (Part 7 excerpt) Part 8 AO3

@romanticdestruction, @darkwitchoferie, @justforthedead89, @didntwant2come, @estrellami-1, @warlordess, @goodolefashionedloverboi, @weeennussy, @studentlife-with-sassyaf-friends

#steddie #steve and robin #steve x eddie #stranger things #eddie x steve #eddie and robin #steddie fic #stranger things fic #fanfic #penny00dreadful #steddie vampire fic #steddie fanfic #vampire au #steddie vampire au #vampire steve #vampire steve harrington #Return of The King #ao3

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