#Initially I wanted to draw Lucas here as well

[cinnabon0]

collab with @i-ate-your-dog-srry 🐕

[tenkohibari]

A crazy theory about the traitor of Tokyo Debunker

°°°

I have a theory about who the traitor ghoul could be.

[This is all translated with the translator, I'm sorry for any possible lexical or spelling mistakes, I hope you enjoy my theory]

[Spoilers for everything up to chapter 7]

Okay, I think that they really told us the truth from the beginning.

No, don't go, listen to me--

I think that, in the preface, before the story itself, where they give you to choose a ghoul to supposedly save, that's where the truth lies. Who is the traitor. And that's why I've been studying each of the statements of the 19 ghouls (except for Ed and Lyca) and GUYS I HAVE FOUND SOMETHING.

Before I tell you who I think the traitor is, I'll give you a little introduction: I've studied each of the ways ghouls throw themselves off the terrace and I've found 5 different base drawings, because they are bases that are repeated within the ghouls when they throw themselves off.

For example, base 1 (that's how I called it) is used by Jiro, Alan, Jin, Luca, Leo and Ritsu. I've been looking for ways to relate them to each other, but I haven't found any. Neither between their statements, nor their names, nor their ways of acting in front of MC. I mean, these guys seem to apologize to MC (each in their own way) except for Leo... That said, Leo's statement seemed hopelessly interesting to me, but I'll talk about it in a few paragraphs later. I thought that maybe the Kanji of their initials in Japanese, or maybe the pronunciation of their names in another language give rise to a secret message of why they chose these characters for this pose, or maybe I'm just thinking too much.

Well, the next position, position 2 (according to me, again) is occupied by Yuri, Rui, Taiga and Towa. Here I think the position fits with the boys and their statements, because none of them seem to really want to let you go. That's why they are trying to reach out their hand towards the MC, although perhaps timidly, because they are really accepting their fate.

Position 3, occupied by Tohma, Haku, Haru and Zenji, in their posture they don't try to get close to you in the least. They know they are going to die and they have accepted it. Again, I don't know how to fit it or link them together, but I know that they haven't been chosen at random. In this game nothing is a coincidence.

Position 4, the last one shared between ghouls, is occupied by Kaito, Sho, Romeo and Subaru. Again I don't know how to link them together. Oh well Subaru's statement made me very intrigued, I'll also discuss it later.

Well, and there is ONE LAST POSITION THAT ONLY HAS ONE CHARACTER

That character is Ren. And I think he is the traitor.

WAIT DON'T GO, LET ME EXPLAIN

Now is when you will say "why do you think Ren is the traitor just because of his falling position?" well, WELL. To start with I don't think there are "coincidences" in this game, that is, if they have made an effort to make only one drawing for Ren, there must be a reason, right?

Well, let's analyze his line now step by step:

~~ "This is exactly the reason I didn't want to do this! I knew this was how it would end! What am I doing here? This is all your fault..."

'This is the reason I didn't want to do this'? What does he mean by 'this'? It could be anything, but what if he's talking about betraying MC? Because Taiga never said who the traitor works for. What if he works for Darkwick...?

We can't trust Darkwick, that's become clear throughout the chapters. Also, the ghouls are aware that they're trapped inside the academy, and that's not counting what he did to Lyca. So I don't rule out the possibility that Darkwick was the one who 'hired' our spy, so to speak. Also, from the beginning it's clear that Ren doesn't fit in at Jabberwock, where he was assigned... What is he doing there? What if the academy put him there by rigging the entrance ceremony? Because we all know that Jabberwock is home to a hundred anomalies... And if a student in charge of taking care of them deals with them, it won't look weird. That's why Darkwick brought Ren into Jabberwock and somehow bought him to work there. Because, do you remember the mermaid named by Hyde in chapter 7? The one that's not in Morktranken? The one under Haru's custody? Ren is from Jabberwock, he might know something about it... And have gotten hold of it to give to the patient... Although this deduction leads me to another question: why would the academy do this? Or is Ren working for someone inside the academy, like an independent body...? Like that janitor who appears four times throughout the story, that very suspicious one about whom we know nothing.

Guys, I repeat that in this game COINCIDENCES DO NOT EXIST

'I knew this was how it was going to end!' Ren knew there was something wrong from the beginning? Not even Taiga knew, in his statement he asked us what we had done wrong... And now Ren comes and tells us that he had a bad feeling from the beginning... This causes a lot of doubts. Because what is Ren doing telling us that if he lives always locked in his phone? That only means that he knows more than he says.

'What am I doing here? This is all your fault' To begin with, why does he blame us? Not even Leo (u, damnit bitch) talks to us like Ren does. Also, speaking of Leo, his statement tells us that "I will make those assholes pay for this" IN PLURAL which indicates that the traitor works for someone else and does not do it for his own ideals... With Leo's statement I completely rule out that he is the spy, to tell the truth. But I could be wrong.

Returning to the subject of Ren blaming us, I can only wonder what leads him to that. Why does he blame us? What leads us to the hell in which the game begins...? And why is Ren the only one who blames us while the rest of the ghouls either blame themselves or don't name it. I mean, not even Leo does! This just makes me think more and more that Ren isn't hiding anything good... And I also wonder why Subaru is the only one who blames himself directly. I know his personality is like that... But I can only think of Subaru and his misleading statement... Maybe the company wants us to think badly of him? After all, Professor Moby told us that the Hotarubi ghouls are hiding something. And we don't know if we've really discovered what they're hiding or if we've only seen the tip of the iceberg. And Haku seems pretty suspicious to me too, after telling the principal "have I ever hidden something from you?" BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT HAKU RIGHT NOW. I know he's hiding something, but I don't think he's the traitor.

Now let's talk about Ren's position.

He's the only one who, when he jumps off the balcony, really seems like he doesn't want to do it. He's the one who stretches his hand out more emphatically towards MC, as if he were regretting what he's doing, or as if he's doing this because he has no other choice or... I don't know. His very stiff posture towards you just seems suspicious to me.

But that's because I think he's the traitor, right? Maybe I'm thinking too much, right?

Remember guys that this here is JUST A THEORY because there are still many chapters and many tests left to be able to refute what we've seen so far. I'm also a follower of several theories that I will be publishing and outlining in the future.

And I'm not an expert in making theories so if you see holes in this one, DON'T HESITATE TO DEBATE WITH ME IN A RESPECTFUL WAY. I'll be reading you ^^

[greenfiend]

Will Byers the Love Guru

In Stranger Things 3, he’s the one who’s “not gonna fall in love”, yet he’s out there fixing every one else’s relationship problems…

Lucas/Max

Jonathan/Nancy

Dustin/Suzie

Hopper/Joyce

and even…

Mike/Eleven…

So come along on this wild journey with me as I explain Will’s influence on those pairings…

Before I begin, I must remind you that everything is intentional within this show. If Will suddenly appears within a shot or someone says or does something that doesn’t seem relevant… it is still relevant but just not in the way you might initially think.

I’m going to start with the more simple “fixes” and end with the most complicated.

Lucas/Max

Their relationship in ST3 was fairly low key. Their “breakups” were not serious and were always temporary. Lucas does mess up at times though.

Oops! Code red! Code red! Lucas needs some help asap!

Well that was a close call! Thanks to Will of course, who magically appeared in this shot and clearly influenced Lucas.

Will understands the mysteries of the female species better than these guys clearly. Not sure what they’d do without him.

Jonathan/Nancy

Jonathan and Nancy had a major fight in ST3, and Will is having none of his big bro’s BS! He instantly calls him out for not being there for Nancy.

Will strikes again! Thank goodness for his influence. What a good little bro!

Dustin/Suzie

Okay, things are getting stranger now.

No one believes Dustin has a girlfriend… except for our dear lil Will! But I can’t really blame the others, she did seem unbelievable. I mean she did come from “Camp Know Where”. Sounds pretty made up to me.

Did Will conjure her up? Well… let’s just say it’s interesting that the first ever shot we see of her involves her holding up a book about a wizard… I’m not ruling this out as a possibility… 🧙🏻‍♂️

Hopper/Joyce

Oh Will… sweet sweet Will. He’s worried about his mother, and doesn’t want her to be alone anymore… so what does he do, you ask? Well…

He Marty Mcflys it! He influences Hopper by “flaying” him and pushes him together with his mom!

Things get a tad awkward though. But his intentions were pure!

Mike/Eleven

So… this one is the most complicated one because Will is very biased here obviously. He’s hopelessly in love with Mike. In the beginning, he had a hand in Mike and El’s breakup as he was pulling the strings behind Hopper’s intervention. Hopper “threatened” Mike due to Will’s influence. Now, don’t worry, Will didn’t actually threaten to kill Mike, Mike made that very clear.

Mike and Will have their epic rain fight and things are tense.

Until… Will has a change of heart.

Notice how Will is clearly in the shot here? Well it’s because he is wanting to give his “olive branch” to Mike. He’s tried of the tension between them and wants to make things right.

Look at the words here! These are not Mike’s words. They’re Will’s words to Mike!

Both of these moments are Will putting words into Mike’s mouth, just as he did to Lucas, Jonathan, and Hopper! But he’s not as successful.

The first moment was just bad timing as El was not even present. The second time, the connection was poor, that’s why Mike was literally drawing blanks and unable to complete his sentences. We know this because the walkie talkie call from Dustin provided the subtext for it.

Mike actually doesn’t even remember saying the words because Will said them for him…

In conclusion, Will is a great love guru, but still cannot fix Mike and El’s problems. Dunno if even the most powerful wizard could successfully fix their problems…

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 118

Part 1 Part 117

Winter break passes better than summer had for Will. Mom’s loosened his leash enough that he can go to the arcade unsupervised, or hang out at Dustin’s house, or sequester himself in Mike’s stuffy basement and run a campaign like the good old days.

El closed the gate, and everyone’s convinced the Upside-Down is gone. Only Steve, Eddie, and Will can feel their connection stretch the miles between their abodes and know the truth: it’s not over.

Things will never be the same again.

Will doesn’t mention it. This little slice of normalcy is far too precious to jeopardize with the truth.

The holiday’s in the Byers house have always been low-key, but it’s been worse since last year. They don’t even put up lights anymore. No one’s told him why, and he hasn’t asked.

Still, when he asks his Mom, she gladly agrees to host their extended family. They’d done it at the Munson’s last year, hemmed into a space far too small for that many bodies.

It’s Eddie who suggests a secret santa exchange. Everyone huddles in Will’s living room, pulling names from one of Wayne’s baseball caps, groaning when Carol draws the last slip and it’s her own name. They crumple the pieces and try again.

Will stares down at El’s name and sneaks furtive looks up at her. She wasn’t around last Chrismtas, still holed up in Chief Hopper’s cabin pretending not to exist. But, her leash has been loosened as well, so here she is, beaming down at her own drawn name and bouncing on her toes with excitement.

Has she ever celebrated a holiday before? Has she ever even gotten a present?

It’s a lot of pressure. He feels it pushing down on him, but then Steve throws his arm around Will’s shoulders and initiates their usual tug, tug, tug ritual, and it all eases off. Like, Steve, even unknowingly, will always take the weight off Will’s shoulders and carry it himself.

He stares down at the piece of paper and starts to plan.

It takes the entire allotted two weeks to finish. He stares down at the finished project. Will she like it? Is he skipping over some boundary he doesn’t even know is there?

It doesn’t matter: he’s out of time, so he rolls the paper up and pushes it carefully into one of Jonathan’s old poster tubes, and rushes into the living room to wrap it.

Everyone gathers, sitting on couches and chairs and the carpet. Dustin crouches in the corner where they’d all piled their presents, squinting at small handwriting and passing around a variety of parcels.

They go in a circle, gift after gift. Will opens his own, beaming down at a trio of hand-painted figures from Lucas.

When Jonathan opens his, he stares down at it, mouth opening and closing, no sounds coming out. Will leans over to peer around the half-unwrapped gift to see what’s robbed him of speech.

It’s a cassette player, still in the original box, and it must be nice based on the way Jonathan’s staring at it like it’s the holy grail.

“I put a tape in it for you to listen to,” Steve says. His cheeks are pink, and he’s twiddling the ring on his pinkie. “You said I owed you one.”

Jonathan reaches out to pry the box open, staring in like he’ll find the answers to the meaning of life rather than a cassette player. “I was kidding,” Jonathan replies, but he’s smiling down at it now as he pulls it out of the box and pops the deck to look at what’s inside.

“You don’t even want to know what Stevie here had to do to get Johnny boy's name from the draw,” Eddie says, smiling from where he’s sitting on the rug. Steve elbows him in the ribs, but he just keeps talking. “And then he had to do it all over again when Perky Perkins screwed all his hard work and drew her own name.”

Carol gasps, rounding on Steve and kicking out at him ruthlessly close to his crotch. “You told him?” she shrieks.

Will has no idea what they’re on about but he laughs along with everyone else, watching all three of them descend into an all-out wrestling match like the children they’re not.

It doesn’t stop until they get dangerously close to knocking over the TV, and Mom claps to get their attention. They all settle back in to finish opening presents.

Because Will’s life has always been an unlucky one, El goes last. His anxiety ratchets up with every minute that passes, reaching an all-time-high as she finally starts peeling the paper away.

Unlike the rest of them, she picks the tape off the foil, peeling it away, careful not to rip the paper at all. She folds it all nicely, and hands it to Chief Hopper for safe-keeping.

She then stares down at the cardboard tube, brow furrowed until Mike tells her she has to open the other end. El flips the tube on its head, pulls off the top, and pulls out the rolled up paper inside.

With that same characteristic care, she unrolls it, only to gasp at what she finds. Will watches her face, digging his fingernails into his thighs.

“What is it?” Chief Hopper asks, leaning over her shoulder to ger a peek. He looks down at it with an expressionless face before smiling and patting her shoulder.

El nods, not looking away from the page in front of her.

Will has limited supplies, but he’d used all the best colored pencils he owns, and had Jonathan buy him a big piece of paper from Melvald’s.

On one edge of the page stands El. She looks fierce the way she has every time he’s seen her use her powers, hand raised and a huge beam of white light cutting across the darkness.

Within that beam, he’s painted all the people in this room. First, Chief Hopper in his police uniform, standing beside Mom, gun raised and pointed toward the darkness. Then, Mike, Lucas, and Dusin, dressed as their D&D characters holding a variety of weapons. Will, Steve, and Eddie stand farther along the page, back to back to back as they cover each other’s weak bits. Then Jonathan and Nancy, Nancy with a gun, and Jonathan slightly behind her, all ready to face whatever comes out of the darkness. And at the farthest corner, Barb stands with a baseball bat covered in nails, Carol standing slightly behind her, pointing into the darkness like she’s clueing Barb in on a monster’s location.

The whole thing ended up a little messy. Nancy’s hands look wonky, and there’s something wrong with Steve’s nose, but El’s beaming down at it like it’s the Mona Lisa.

“Be careful with it until we can get a frame for it,” Chief Hopper says, hand still clasping onto her shoulder.

She looks up at him, smiling even wider as she asks, “I can put it in my room?”

“Of course, kid.”

El stares down at the page for a few seconds more before rolling it back up with slow movements, making it small enough that it slides perfectly into its roll. She puts it on Chief Hopper’s lap, staring down at it for a second like she can’t bear to look away.

She then barrels across the room, colliding with Will so hard that they both end up on the carpet. “Thank you, Will,” El says, clutching onto him hard.

He pats her back awkwardly, looking around the room for help and finding none. “You’re welcome.”

“It is the best present I have ever gotten.”

That makes Will a little sad, but all he says is, “Merry Christmas.” He waits uncomfortably for her to get off him so he can sit back up.

It’s not long until everyone starts trickling out, Carol and Barbara herding Max and Lucas along with them to drop off, and Nancy snagging Mike and Dustin after sharing a kiss with Jonathan that Eddie makes barfing noises at.

Chief Hopper shepherds El into his truck, and Wayne follows them out, off to work the night shift.

Only Eddie and Steve stay. They all pile into Will’s room. His bed’s not big enough for the three of them, so they curl around each other on the floor, blankets haphazardly piled atop them.

It doesn’t take Will long to fall asleep, comfortable with Steve and Eddie at his back, the comforting sounds of his Mom cleaning up in the other room.

Part 119

[briarberrythornedhart]

Prompted by: “sitting in his lap would probably fix me”

“Hey!” Eddie snapped his fingers in your direction. “You’ve got initiative, what’s your move?”

It works, his long, strong, fingers are able to snap you out of the near fugue state you’d been in, just staring at the dungeon master and lusting after him with every fiber of your being, pining because he is so close and so far away and sooo unattainable. You clear your throat.

“I try to reason with…”

All the groans from the other players and the slap of Gareth’s hand to his face suddenly overwhelm you with noise and you feel ever so slightly unwelcome again.

They weren’t gatekeeper-misogynists at all and had welcomed you without prejudice - they’d had girl members before so you were nothing new… but your wanting to solve everything through non-violence was getting on even sweet Grant’s last nerve. He’s biting his nails, which you know means he’s losing his cool too.

“Silence!” Eddie commands the other players. He leans your way from his perch in his throne. “They are goblins. You don’t speak goblin, they are going to attack you…” It’s a teeny bit patronizing. He is equal parts threatening and pleading with you. Warning you he can’t save you from yourself. He isn’t going to go easy on you. He isn’t the type and that has only intensified your crush on him.

“You have the perfect spell…” Lucas points to the relevant spell on your character sheet. Max’s boyfriend is hoping to smooth things over, help you make a good decision, for the good of the party.

But you are relentless. “They are not mindless zombies, they have language and art. They live in villages and raise their children. You can’t tell me they are evil because of their... genetics. It’s the god Maglubiyet who is the real villian.”

Eddie smiles but it is 40% grimace. “I agree with you.... and Whilst I respect your commitment to your alignment and your character, you know you can’t personally resolve milennia-old war between the Goblins and....everyone. And you are running out of time, one is raising a horn to his mouth....”

“I bend down and draw in the dirt road - I draw a box...” You sketch your idea on some loose notebook paper from your journal. “With three stick figures in it, and then draw jail bars over the stick figures.”

Eddie watches you - bemused - as you attempt to negotiate a hostage exchange via cartoons drawn in dirt.

He nods, lips set in the smirk that usually means he’s contemplating a rug pull. “The Goblins look at your drawings. Their mouths hang open. One scratches his protruding belly. One nudges the other with his elbow. Dustin, you rolled next highest Initiative. What do you do?”

You know Dustin has your back. And Lucas will probably want to see how your gambit plays out. But Gareth sneaks up behind the goblins and captures them and everything devolves into violence from there.

Jeff ends up with a Goblin speared on his sword, Grant gets an injury you’ll have to heal next game. No one seems pleased. You feel like you’ve been through the Kobayashi Maru test.

Eddie calls a break for pizza and asks you to hang back for a second.

This is when I get kicked out for ruining the game for everyone, You think.

“You are working through something, aren’t you?” Eddie is hugging his knees in his throne. He is threading his pointer finger through the worn holes in his jeans and popping the threads.

“What?”

“Well, you have been staring... like eyes unfocused and hands clenched and - like - it’s totally okay you don’t want to fight. It’s not all about dungeon crawls and fighting baddies... but if you need to talk about... it. Whatever it is - I’m here. You know.... I c-care. Okay? We’re friends - I want you to know I’ll support you.”

“That’s sweet.” It is - it stings like a slap that you are only ever going to be friends, but it’s sweet too. Sweet-Bitter.

Eddie sighs, looks down and then back up at you through his messy curls, “You know, sometimes I think you’d be happier as dungeon master. You wanna try running a one-shot sometime? See if you’d like it?”

You laugh, “As if you’d share your throne.” You tease. He’s got you all wrong. You don’t want to be in control. You just want him to tell you to do different things. Put you in different situations. Hellfire Club has gotten so much more difficult lately because you can’t stop thinking about Eddie and wanting him in every way.

“I totally would.” Eddie looks faux hurt. He scoots himself to the side in the throne, closes his legs together like he NEVER does and brings his hands in to shove between his knees, leaving you maybe 6-8 inches of space. “Look, I can make room.”

“That’s not enough room for my ass.” You shake your head, smiling. Probably blushing, you feel the heat on your cheeks.

You measure your hips and hold up your hands to show him.

You think he probably doesn’t notice that you bite your lip whenever he is this close. You can just catch the scent of his leather jacket and his aftershave or deodorant whatever it is that makes you want to tear his Hellfire club shirt off with your teeth?? Whatever it is, It’s delicious.

“I see your point. You’re just gonna have to sit in my lap.” He shrugs. Smirks. Pats his thigh.

[tendo-64]

Never thought you'd fall so far

Told myself I wasn't gonna draw art of this song but ended up doing it anyway LMAO

Been listening to the human album by 3dg a lot, this song likely being my favorite. Many songs off that album remind me of Claus in general, but I think this one does the most (alongside I Am Machine, which fits the Masked Man very well), the song being about someone who tries to stay strong for their loved ones during the day to protect them but is struggling with their own demons at night.

The "Fallen Angel" denotes a person who feels they have fallen from grace because of their perceived loss of strength from struggling to handle the loss they faced. The original inspiration was a mother having faced the loss of her husband and son, yet put a brave face on for her other son only to grieve at night, making him feel helpless because he didn't know how to help her.

For Claus, this serves as, of course, the loss of his mother and demons that spawned from the three years spent as the commander, and his desire to hide the side effects of grief and trauma from Lucas because he feels he needs to be strong for him. And yet, it's something he has to learn to overcome, as Lucas worries for him. Claus shouldn't have to hide his own pain, he's been hurt too, he needs help too.

Claus is also, literally, a fallen angel, as someone who died and came back to life. He was an angel that had fallen from the afterlife when Porky had him reconstructed, and now he, in his mind, serves as something like what can be described as Lucas's guardian angel. As if that's his sole purpose to have remained on this Earth initially: just so Lucas doesn't hurt anymore. But Lucas doesn't need that from him, he doesn't need Claus to always be strong. He just cares for him and his company, and he wants to help Claus through what he's going through at the same time Claus helps him.

Claus later realizes this of course, and slowly lets down his walls and starts to heal, and gets help, learns to welcome it. He also later realizes he has a purpose outside of protecting Lucas and carves an identity of his own. He's not just here for Lucas, he's here for himself.

[supremechancellorrex]

Now, I gotta say, I find it interesting how there are some people that target you for stating your opinion on fiction. I've had this same Jedi-stan user sending me tens and tens of comments which are based on denial and opinion rather than any logical argument. Now, they're telling others not to read my arguments because... what, it's too scary? They literally reblog my post with a quite insulting argument and then quickly block me because they don't want me to respond.

Well, too bad.

This isn't even an argument based on logic. You just stated your opinion and acted like it was a fact, anyone else who believes differently is doing so "foolishly", more "foolishly" than a child apparently. Because despite much evidence to the contrary in children's media, apparently 'villains' never have any depth or say the truth ever, according to you.

Slick: "Yes, she offered me money. But she offered me something more important, something you wouldn't understand: freedom!"

You know the one thing Slick doesn't actually have? It's freedom. Because, he is a slave, that is a fact. Let's go through the fact that slave isn't a title you award but a state of existence and being, a slave by definition is: "a person who is forced to work for and obey another and is considered to be their property; an enslaved person." That is the clones to a T. Just because Slick was selfish doesn't just invalidate he described a situation which still has not been refuted and instead has been only proven over and over again.

Now, you say "the clones are property of the Republic", and they are under the command... of the Jedi, who are generals and part of the Republic command structure. Legally, the Jedi may not have a say in the fate of the clone troopers other than being in charge of their daily actions and organisation for years, but illegally? Are you claiming that the Jedi could not even think to organise a mass desertion? When the law is unjust, you challenge it, you break it. Now, you try to absolve them here by saying that they had no choice because the Separatists were a threat to the Republic, an institution that supports slavery for its own ends. You may hate it but "Cool motive, still slavery" still applies here. Any institution that supports having an enslaved army does not deserve to exist, and that includes the Jedi Order's support of the Republic.

As for your non-sequitur on the placement of the episode, this is just pointless. There is no basis to discount an episode just because it wasn't in Season 4. This adds nothing to your argument and is just a complete fallacy.

You can't really make this argument on a number of basises. One, the writing intentions have clearly changed since that initial George Lucas' quote decades ago. Not only this, but George Lucas doesn't even own Star Wars anymore and Disney are now in charge, with Dave Filoni and a number of other writers making significant contributions.

Dave Filoni: "So I think that trying to draw these paths of the Jedi and the choices they make and how they wind up good or bad … Yoda isn’t afraid in the prequels to say the Jedi are flawed and that they’ve become greedy and self-interested and arrogant. That helps you understand why they’re going to lose the Clone War and why they’re so ripe for the picking."

I think this quote speaks for itself. Also, I think it was very clear that George Lucas, a man well-known for changing his mind and who was still the executive producer, was on Ahsoka's side in the Wrong Jedi Arc. Otherwise at some point the narrative would have refuted her assertions on the Jedi Order, that's just basic storytelling.

Now, onto the clones. You essentially admit that the draft is essentially slavery in the clones' case. The clones are property and are referred to as such, they can't leave, they can't vote, they have no rights and this has been the case since they were fetuses in tubes. Let's look at Umbara again.

Fives: "We did it. We took Umbara."

Captain Rex: "What’s the point of all this? I mean, why?"

Fives: "I don’t know, sir. I don’t think anybody knows. But I do know that someday this war is gonna end."

Captain Rex: "Then what? We’re soldiers. What happens to us then?"

Considering the fact that the Senate are voting on whether to "decommission" the clones like a product in the Bad Batch, I think it's safe to say that Captain Rex's fears were confirmed. Senator Riyo Chuchi, an actual good person in a bad system, is literally fighting to give the clones any rights at all in the Bad Batch, and she is a lonely voice.

Riyo Chuchi: "[The Clones] are not droids to simply be shut down. These are soldiers who defended us, defended our worlds"

Meanwhile, when the Jedi wax on about the end of the War, they just assume they'll be fulfilling the same duties they did before the war. This is because the Jedi are privileged and are treated as citizens during the War, able to walk around completely uncumbered and engage on a conversational level with the elite. They can also leave the Order, especially if they break the code, which is not something allowed for the clones. They may be servants, but they aren't property, and they have more tools to push back and fight the Senate, which they can walk around freely in a venerated position. You practically say this throughout your argument. Over all, the Jedi are drafted, the clones are slaves. There is a difference in the power dynamic.

The Clone Wars waived the right to be dismissed solely as "It's just a superificial kids show, don't criticise" when it decided to deal with dark, serious topics, including the Republic's growing authoritarianism, political maneuvering, slaughter and murder. All those cases of the Jedi challenging their leaders simply make it more egregious that the Jedi never advocated for the clones to the same level. The fact Mace Windu is willing to fight tooth and nail for the Zillo Beast, however demonstrates no passion to fight for the clone rights, who are slaves soldiers under his command, is actually a pretty bad look. There are also clones that died around the same time as Even Piell, yet they get no rites either.

It's funny you mention Qui Gon Jinn because his opposition to the Jedi Council has been noted previously and it is a critique of the Jedi Order.

Dave Filoni: "I think Qui-Gon in a lot of ways represents the kind of path the Jedi are supposed to be on. He’s the one that’s the most compassionate. But he has no ambition to be part of the council. He feels he can’t do what he needs to do if he’s a part of that. That thinking and that philosophy is from what Dooku taught him. Dooku was a free-thinker and was looking out for people."

Oh, you know Dooku too? The guy who said "The Jedi blindly serve a corrupt Senate that fails the Republic it represents." Looks like he imparted some spirit to his Padawan. Ultimately, this actually supports my arguments that the Jedi Order have lost their way as an institution. Now, earlier you say it "sucks" the Jedi can't allegedly speak out because of the draft, at the same time you... have Jedi speaking out on every topic that isn't clones. Hmm.

Well, mademoiselle-cookie, you have crossed into antisemitic territory here and it's shockingly disgusting of you. The Jedi should not be considered an expy of Jewish people, because that would be really racist of the writers and very misrepresentative. Jewish people are not a fictional order of magic monks that wave lightsabers around, fighting wars with state-owned clone slaves, believe it or not. Going through your argument until now has been bearable, but this really takes the cake. I've warned people to stop using real-life minority groups as meat-shields for their fictional favs, however it seems that privileged people will often use minority groups instinctively for their benefit. The fact you accuse me, a mixed race gay man, as being the type to fall for Nazi lies because I critique the Jedi Order is just the icing on the cake.

Also, you argue "it's a kid's show" and then it's a direct allegory for the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history, at the same time, huh? If this were the case, it would mean it's portrayal is even more important to critique without exception.

But, moving on from your just completely inappropriate allegory. So, the Jedi have a "choice" as you just state. That's much more the clones ever had and that is a privilege. You're essentially arguing for the Jedi to stand back and do nothing by choice while earlier you also argued that the Jedi had to do something in regards to the War as it was the moral choice but also that they 'don't' have a choice. Meanwhile, the Jedi were shown to be willing to overthrow Palpatine given the 'proper motivation', but due to their lack of compassion I guess the enslavement of millions of men such as the clones just wasn't important enough. Your argument falls apart because the Jedi did try to overthrew Palpatine in the end, just not for the slaves.

Using the "Bad guys lie" trope in an absolute capacity is also not an argument. You're just stating your opinion as a fact again and it's very 'convenient' your metric. I could reply "Good guys can be wrong and don't always tell the truth" and we'd, like your point, get nowhere.

Finally, an interesting point. There's no denying that Ahsoka did not make the situation as squeaky clean in her desperation, however ultimately my point still stands that Mace Windu, and I quoted him, said "I understand your sentiment, Obi-Wan. But, if the council does as you suggest. It could be seen as an act of opposition to the Senate. I'm afraid we have little choice."

At the end of the day, the Jedi do have a choice despite what Windu says. The choice was political. The ruling isn't unanimous, because doubts are expressed, but as Mace Windu says what they view as important in response to Obi-Wan saying things don't add up regarding Ahsoka is to focus how it looks to the Senate, a Senate that supports authoritarianism, corruption and slavery. The Jedi arguably lie to themselves and say they support justice, but they don't ultimately. As Jedi Master Dooku, the described "free-thinker", says: "The Jedi blindly serve a corrupt Senate that fails the Republic it represents."

Hmm, you don't seem to understand what an "unreliable narrator" actually is. With your use especially, every single character ever could be described as an unreliable narrator, I can describe Mace Windu as an unreliable narrator or Obi-Wan. I could literally flip your argument and claim the Jedi are unreliable narrators who only think they're doing good because they were raised in an environment which told them this from a young age and ultimately they were propping up a failing, authoritarian, corrupt 'Republic'.

I don't think you realise that Ahsoka's story would not have been presented the way it was in Season 7 if the narrative was not on her side. There were key cues in its structure and quotations that were critical of the Jedi Order, who were mostly in opposition to Ahsoka narratively.

Ahsoka: "This is why the people have lost faith in the Jedi. I had, too, until I was reminded of what the Order means to people who truly need us.” 

What a coincidence that Obi-Wan, a man gifted with the gab, fails to counter this criticism as well. Just like Slick.

We literally see the Jedi propping up the Republic system for the near entirely of the War. They allowed "the destruction of innocent life-forms", the clones, men brainwashed and forced into combat. They also conducted military investigations, deferred to the Senate, and I think it's very telling that Rex did not reveal Cut Lawquane's location to either the Jedi or the rest of the Republic. As Generals, they are a part of the hierarchy, and they support the Republic, a hegemony of laws and demarcations. Also, last I checked, Satine isn't a slave, I only wish Obi-Wan had gone out of his way to protect the clones as people, but I guess he only does that for citizens.

As for Order 66, again, this isn't an argument on your part. I'm well-aware of events, nor did I say they deserved to be murdered. The Jedi Order, specificially their leadership, made "poor choices" and it screwed them over. I also find your Nazi allegory more disgusting personally, but whatever. Now, let's see what the Jedi are actually doing.

Dave Filoni: "They’ve, as an institution, existed for a very long time. It doesn’t mean they’re evil or bad, but they’re making a lot of poor choices, and they can’t get out ahead of things in part because they’re desperately attempting to do things the right way and take an even stance.”

The centrist stance the Jedi take on most matters clearly contributed to their downfall. They made "poor choices" and I am critiquing them for it because allowing slavery at the heart of the Republic is not just a poor choice, but a stupid and immoral one. They are 'desperately attempting to do things the right way', but they don't, and this is why actual criticisms are levied at them. Again, I never argued the Jedi were evil, I argued they should be held accountable for their flaws and mistakes, like everyone should be.

I like how you completely misunderstood my point here despite many other people getting it. The problem is that the Jedi do have a choice, it's just a difficult one. However just because doing the right thing is difficult does not mean you shouldn't do it. The problem with the Jedi allowing countless clones, who are slaves, to die for years and that not prompt them to confront, combat or even overthrow the Republic is it makes them very morally bankrupt. As soon as the Republic said it was going to utilise slaves, the Jedi should have realised the Republic was the enemy of human decency itself. But, as we know from just watching Star Wars media with basic critical thinking or this exchange in Rebels...

Ezra: "Master Yoda, you’re powerful. You must know a way to destroy Vader and his Inquisitors.”

Master Yoda: “Padawan, thousands of Jedi once there were. Then came war. In our arrogance, joined the conflict swiftly we did. Fear, anger hate. Consumed by the dark side the Jedi were.”

I think you need to add more depth to your idea of "good". The Jedi were complicit in their own downfall. The fact you have to jump through so many 'logical' hoops to 'explain' and 'absolve' them is evidence enough. The fact you also dismiss all criticism of the Jedi as anti-Jedi propaganda, even when coming from its own members, from Yoda to Ahsoka, who clearly the narrative sides with. Now, as for your 'the citizens did nothing too' whataboutism argument? Yep. So, if you're arguing the Jedi are as bad as Republic citizens who also enabled clone slavery, then sure, a little 'harsh' of you, but that's what you're actually saying here. Plus, you keep both stating the Jedi have a choice and don't have a choice when it suits you throughout this argument.

And, regardless of whether the SW writers verbally acknowledge the word slavery, it is the story they present by saying the clones are "property" who "have no representation in the Senate". You should watch the Riyo Chuchi episodes in Bad Batch again, because this should be impossible to miss in the discussion of "clone rights". Your attempted use of 'rhetorical' questions instead of an actual argument is also pretty uninspired.

You literally didn't "debunk" anything, mademoiselle-cookie. As usual, you used ad hominem attacks, misused terminology, made antisemitic allegories, and now you're upset someone expressed an opinion you dislike. The fact you warn other people not to read my opinion as if you're the guardian of Jedi stan tumblr and they couldn't bear having someone make a post they don't agree with is also hilarious, I would hope people are full of sterner stuff. After all, people always have a choice, whether to read or not.

[paperback-rascal]

I saw that you answered an ask about writing for the 347th battalion a while back and said no. But do you collect your comics anywhere else so they can more easily be read in long-form format? Possibly with your notes? (I know I've seen some folks put their comics on ao3 or a free tier of patron, for ex)

Short answer: No. I don’t.

Long answer is under the cut

I don’t store my 347th comics anywhere else, 347th is Tumblr (almost)exclusive as I sometimes post pieces I’m the most proud of on my deviantART gallery.

Some of my works end up on Pinterest, but that’s without my permission and those are mostly stuff featuring canon characters from TCW/TBB, not my OCs... but that’s well... Internet for you.

TBH, I never intended to make anything more coherent with the concept! I though I’ll be done with the idea after the initial drawing, but people seemed to like 347th shenanigans so I make more stuff.

The catch of doing it that way is there is no rhyme nor reason to what’s created and in what order. While notes are just... notes - they are nothing to write home about. Especially since, I DO often add necessary infodump for more context under my works - some of those are hidden under the cut/read more if they are lengthy, tho. Not to mention I owe a lot of thanks to @kalm5, for allowing me to bounce ideas off of them, thus helping me shape 347th to what it is now (a lot of clones’ names were their suggestion)!

As for the “collection” aspect - I do have a MASTERLIST post -> [LINK] <- containing most of my works. It’s frequently updated and has it’s own sub-section dedicated to 347th. There is also a dedicated hashtag (#347th Regiment) for the Regiment, so if you search for it at the search bar of my blog all of them will pop-up. I have my archive page of my blog enabled. My asks are opened if you have any additional questions. So yeah... I don’t think it’s necessary to post my stuff in other places, especially since people are not so eager to view content with OCs as some of you think they are.

All in all, it’s all for fun and I never intended to get “serious” with the concept... unless LucasArts hire me to draw comics about 347th, which is highly unlikely also working for a big corporation doesn’t work that way!

Also... bold for you to assume I have a Patreon!

If you want to support me, I’d appreciate if you just... reblog posts you like. Not only to make them more visible on this hellsite (as word-of-the-mouth is *the <<only>> way* to make content creators visible on Tumblr), but also because I kind of gauge people’s interest based on the engagement.

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The OP was referring to this ask -> [LINK] <-

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See more posts about 347th regiment here -> [LINK] <-

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STAR WARS: The Clone Wars/The Bad Batch © George Lucas/ Dave Filoni/ LucasFilm/ Disney

[anglaoshi]

Stand By Me - Algger - SDC (with Lucas)

To begin, I should talk about Algger’s most recent popular dance performance: his duet with Lucas on Street Dance of China.

It is beautiful and imaginative, yet barely scratches the surface of Algger’s potential as a choreographer and dancer. The theme of the challenge was “parallel world” and Algger made a clever interpretation that meshes the mundane with the speculative. Instead of an alternate universe or other paranormal phenomenon, the dance depicts a person’s relationship with their shadow. At the highest conceptual level, the work is a paean to individuals' relationship with their own physical shadows, and the spiritual properties of shadow as companion. 

Perhaps there is an interpretation of this dance in which the shadow is not the physical 2D photonic structure (or its archetypal companion role), but the psychoanalytic concept of the abjected self, with its base drives and repressed needs. No, surely that interpretation would be just my own projection of unfulfilled desire when it comes to this dance. Something that is missing from this dance, for me, is the heft and depth that usually typify Algger’s choreography. When I watch Algger dance, I want to feel my heart race in fear. I want to feel the dangerous atmosphere he creates so gracefully. Of course, it’s perfectly understandable to take a lighter approach instead here, given the broadcasting considerations for SDC. But I don’t have to like it! Still, I think it will draw more fans toward Algger and grow our community, so I can’t be too harsh. 

The elusive, fleeting companionship between a person and their shadow is represented physically through the narrative of the dance. In the story, a person enters the two-dimensional world of the shadow and finds both a splendid environment and a delightful friend. Algger’s explanation of being inspired by perceptual barriers between physical dimensions is reminiscent of the the chapter describing the manufacture of sophons in the novel Three Body by Liu Cixin, which similarly explores the relationship between physical dimensionality and experiential complexity. 

The initial tableau is a genius design. It is visually striking and contains multiple layers of connotation. The backdrop suggests a cityscape, while lights projecting onto the stage form the illusion of a crosswalk. Foreshadowing the themes of the dance, the crosswalk floor– the foundation upon which the dancers play– is brought into existence only by the placement of shadows. As Algger walks on one plane, Lucas mirrors his movements, walking against gravity. The dancers’ roles here are clearly depicted. Algger, who plays the 2D shadow character, casts a strong shadow from sharp key light, while Lucas casts none. The positioning creates an optical illusion, or perceptual shift, where a viewer can, by turns, see two different orientations of a single real moment. Is Algger upright, or is Lucas? It’s a matter of perception, a visceral illustration of the subjectivity, mutability, and distortion that form the barriers between physical planes. Altogether, the image pivots around a dizzying number of physical and conceptual axes. The ideas interact and turn in an elaborate system, like the arcs and globes of an orrery.

In just a few measures, the dance builds to its first peak: a lift. As a matter of technique, the smoothness of this move really is a credit to Lucas, since it’s his momentum and velocity control that brings such a beautiful fluidity to the lift as it twists and rolls. 

Next, as the shadow, Algger gets the idea to flatten Lucas and unfurl him within the 2D world. The flattening move is cute and well timed. The unfurling move, in which Lucas, upside down, is orchestrated by Algger to rotate and swivel in many directions, is visually fascinating, fluent, and clean. 

Regarding the various breaking moves, what I will say is that Algger has earned every right to be fearless. Lucas, of course, is exceptional. They both have immense versatility that expands the potential that their collaboration holds. The main scene of the story, where Lucas and his shadow play together in 2D, depicts a caring friendship. There is a delightful sequence showing how their relationship progresses. First, there is a split screen effect with Algger voguing downstage and Lucas breaking upstage. Here, the shapes of the two dancers’ bodies reverberate, but don’t quite mimic each other. The shapes of the dancers’ bodies is a metaphor for the way a shadow can alter and warp the shape into which it’s cast, which is in turn a metaphor for unfamiliarity, the archetypal experience of starting to make a new friend. Lucas spins his body: Algger rolls his hands. 

Then, the two smile at each other and begin to dance the same steps. Their synchronization is good here, especially for two dancers who do not have much experience as a duo. This is the time, which occurs in any friendship, when the two people discover how much they have in common and what they like to do together. It is a cute, giddy sequence.

Finally, the logic of the dance is drawn neither by refraction nor by synchronization. They now dance synergistically, heightening the exuberant energy. These are two characters who have learned to grow, as themselves, together. Each exerts pressure and provides support, helping their friend to reach new heights. It is a complete and well executed narrative arc. My favorite part is when Lucas somersaults over Algger’s leg, extended in vivacious arabesque.

Interspersed in this storyline is imagery about exciting new experiences, crossing boundaries of perception and dimensionality. Lucas is dazzled by the sights of the parallel 2D world and a ground move suggests a panoramic rotation, as if to bring the 3D experience of a sphere to the 2D world. As they turn, Algger and Lucas look almost flat, like cardboard cutouts. 

Familiarity and fantasticality mingle as the denouement approaches. In a shoulder stand, Algger uses his feet to again mimic and distort the movements of Lucas’s shoulders. This time, the pairing suggests reflection– a kind of loyal, inverted recreation that the shadow makes of the one who casts it. Lucas swivels at the waist: Algger twirls his legs as the knee. 

At the climax, Lucas catches air vaulting over Alggger’s back, flowing into an exuberant freeze. The friends say farewell, and Lucas steps back into his native dimension. The final image is of the two walking in the city together again, bathed in blue light, as if to suggest an entire day has passed in joyful companionship. Now we see that first image from the other perspective, with the dancers’ positions literally switched to illustrate the paradigm shift. Notice, Lucas’s body doesn’t cast a shadow, unlike Algger at the beginning. Because his shadow, his eternal friend and companion, is embodied by Algger. 

Here I have described the main themes and connotations contained in the dance. Overall, it is a complex and heartfelt story told in a charming, guileless mood. As a choreographer, Algger’s aesthetic is often dark, with a luscious density, but this choreography is sprightly, dazzling. The story beats go quickly, and a boyish gentleness replaces Algger’s typical aggression and bravado. It is an ebullient, carefree dance, while also being developed and complete. Algger challenged himself to create a minimalistic and soft piece. As a dance routine in general, or on SDC, this one is easily a 10/10. From the excellent baseline of Algger himself, though, it scores an 8/10 for me. I loved the mood, the artistry with regards to elements of production like costume and lighting, and the complex connotations. But I am someone who came to adore Algger for his succulent, edgy choreography as part of Hello Dance, so it felt sluggish and generic at times. Still, an incredibly enjoyable watch and a virtuosic work in its own right. 

Yibo’s face captured my reaction well, so here’s one for the girlies: 

Next installment: Lonely Warrior, maybe? I’ve also been obsessed with Worth It lately. Chime in if you have a request!

[caramariafilm]

A TIGHT SPOT - Secondary Role for Film Workshop

DESIGN PROCESS!!

The JollyBar!

Originally, when the name was ‘Scolly!’ I worked with using the colour palette to make the bar fit more with the films aesthetic - as seen below.

I would’ve had more information under the text but to be honest I really didn’t like this which is why I stopped working on it. The green and yellow just seemed fake and, even though it would match with the colour scheme, just felt bland and boring. Obviously this isn’t what I was going for as most chocolate brands are much bolder than this.

That’s when I decided on the yellow, red and blue colour palette as this was much more striking and classic. We’d also voted for the name JollyBar so I started working on my second mock-up, drawing out the text in an easily readable font before thinking about the details such as the chocolate company’s name + the type of chocolate bar.

Here is my second sketch!

Already, I was SO much happier with this, I just thought the colours worked really well together and looked like it would fit in perfectly at a corner shop!! I shows the Director and he was really really happy with the design too. This meant I was able to figure out the logistics of actually making it next! (Talked about in my next post).

Gribbons!

The Gribbons packet was much more of a task as I had no idea where to start. My initial sketch was pretty poor looking back now, but hey! I had to start somewhere.

So this was it… I was more experimenting with the design of the packet and trying to figure out where the text would be but it just didn’t look realistic at ALL. I liked the circles and kept them through to my final design, but I’m honestly a bit embarrassed looking back at this design. It was all a learning process for me and this was the first step I had to take to get to my final result which I am really happy with.

I knew where I wanted to go after this design and started sketching up my second attempt. More focus on font choices and adding more dimension to the background to make the condom packet feel more real. I also added a bit more text to see how that fit on the packet.

Here was my second attempt!

I was already a lot happier with this attempt. I changed the colouring slightly to feel more vibrant and stand out against each other as a lot of the condom packets I researched had more of a contrast to them. I also decided to make the text thinner, adding a much more sleek effect to the whole thing. This was still a work in progress but I could tell this was the direction I was heading in, showing the Director to see what he thought before doing anything more. He absolutely loved them!! And said he was completely happy with me to finish them off however I wanted to, and I got to work straight away.

So here is the final result.

Wow! I was just over the moon with how they turned out :) the addition of the bokeh effect to the green highlights in the background just pulled everything together and made the box look much more realistic. All of the contents on the side I also drew and came up with myself, keeping the font similar over the entire packaging. The instructions on the back I got off the internet as I knew we needed text on the back but there wasn’t going to be a close up of it.

I researched an ingredient list for condoms, added an expiry date and best before date to make the whole thing seem more realistic too.

The smaller details I added really pulled everything together and just made the box seem real to me. I was unbelievably happy with the work I put into it and it clearly showed in my final design.

Luca also asked if I could make a few different variations of the condom packets just to have next to the king size. I of course said yes and got to work on them too

Here’s the final designs for my alternate packets. I changed small information like the size and sides, everything else I kept pretty much the exact same as I knew these wouldn’t have a close up in the film.

I’m so happy with the variations I made too, the colour palettes all working well together and by themselves, and matching the aesthetic of generic condom packets.

[crystalelemental]

Unit Teambuilding - Ryuki

He's finally here.  Performing for you.  If you know the words, you can join in too.  Put your HANDS TOGETHER, IF YOU WANNA CLAP!  AS WE TAKE YOU THROUGH, THIS MONKEY RAP, HUH!

General Overview Three years, bro.  Three years, but Ryuki is finally released from NPC hell, with Turtonator.  Dragon main, Tech/Strike is pretty good, Draco Meteor and Overheat are pretty good with Dauntless, but forget all that.  You kids heard about Shell Trap?  Yes, Ryuki has a two-turn damage move that hits all foes but suffers AoE penalty.  If hit by a physical move, he will explode damage on people.  The nice thing is, his initial passive actually does what these moves need to.  SMUN +2, Damage Guard Next, and draws aggro.  This is hilarious.

Problems!  Ryuki only has 2MP on Shell Trap, and it suffers penalty.  It's not exactly clearing stages without some help.  Dragon and Fire are fairly common types, and all of his multipliers are set for on-type similar to Drasna. I wouldn't really recommend the Strike cake on this guy.  The disconnect between his passive lining up strongly with a Fire move while his primary is Dragon is also bizarre.  I don't think Ryuki's set to be bad at all, but I do think he's set to mostly just be okay.  But if I'm reading this right...Ryuki's a Spotlight.  Not a Variety.  It doesn't mention limited.  This dude is general pool.  And that?  That's great.

EX, Role, and Move Level? Sure?  I dunno, Ryuki's a weird Tech in that he's all damage focused.  Shell Trap is his only gimmick, otherwise it's Dauntless Spam.  If you do EX, there's at least an argument for Strike, but I don't know how much I love the idea.  He doesn't seem overly powerful.  Move Level is what you get.  General pool, remember?  Don't force it, don't candy it.

Team 1: Ryuki, SS Brendan, Lucas If you are going for Maximum Ryuki, this is the play. SS Brendan's TM perfectly complements Ryuki's needs, while Lucas supplies Dragon Zone. I will note, this is likely overkill, since Ryuki's multipliers are strictly on-type. And I'm at least a little mad about the fact he's effectively stronger than Drasna at her own game. That said, his problem is speed. Gauges are a huge issue for Ryuki, and you're going to want to mitigate gauge consumption as much as possible, which is why Brendan and Lucas are such effective partners. Brendan has Freevenge, while Lucas has his Free Moves Next effect and caps his own speed.

Team 2: Ryuki, SS Morty, Eevee Lucas Similar to Leon, Ryuki appreciates the core of SS Morty and Eevee Lucas, both for capping out his relevant stats, and at 3/5, for Lucas being able to debuff Atk/Sp Def, which are the exact stats Ryuki needs for maximum Shell Trap efficiency. Limitations of MP do hold Ryuki back, but I do think this is a funny structure that really maximizes the damage of his major gimmick. Again, big focus on gauge, Morty is great for generation.

Team 3: Ryuki, Lodge Morty, Lucian If you're looking a little more general pool, Lodge Morty is a solid enough partner to max his needed stats from TM, while Lucian's debuffs greatly improve his damage output and gauge management. There's also the aspect of survival. See, Lucian's Atk debuffs really help Ryuki manage the hits he'll take while aggro is still on him during Shell Trap strats, and the spread debuffs means better spread damage from the trap. Once again, Lucian casually being the ideal partner for everyone who has ever lived.

Final Thoughts Ryuki's fairly straight-forward as on-type damage, and is pretty good at it. Dragon and Fire aren't the most necessary things in the world, but he handles himself well. I'm a particularly big fan of the Shell Trap gambit, I think that's up with Kimono Grimsley for one of the better gimmicks out there. It's a lot more reliable than SC Guzma, at least. But I also think Ryuki, occupying two fairly common offensive types, isn't exactly breaking records, while the MP consideration on Shell Trap severely limits the fun of his kit. MP Burst recovers one use, but in exchange you'd be using his sync off-type, which isn't exactly ideal. His only sync multiplier is on-type so I wouldn't expect much of him outside of those on-type stages, which means Gauntlet's gonna be a little bit of a problem. Still, I kinda love him. Very fun option for the general pool.

[proud-mama-joyce]

some predictions for the final Vecna showdown

Major spoilers for Vol. 1 below!

First I want to line up several things we know:

Will has an important relationship with the UD: it’s frozen in time on the day he disappeared, and he has more ability to communicate from the UD than other characters. (Joyce had a LOT of string lights that were lit up at once that he couldn’t have been touching simultaneously, and Will shouldn’t have been able to see the alphabet she wrote on the wall if it were frozen in time. Also, Joyce didn’t plug in the string lights when Will was communicating with her. There’s more I could say here, but I’ll leave it at that for now.)

Vecna appears to have been born with his powers—or at the very least, they predated his lab experimentation. This means that it’s possible for other people in the ST universe to also be born with similar abilities.

We have hints that Will’s memories will be explored in Vol. 2 (e.g., Lonnie’s actor appearing at the table read; Noah posting a video of roller skating in his finale outfit)

Noah was wearing a harness at one point while filming S4

When asked about the saddest scene in ST, Noah said he thought of one in S4 (which likely relates to Will)

There’s a mixtape labeled “For Will” in promo material that we haven’t seen in the show yet

Will’s birthday was forgotten in Vol. 1 (and I do not believe this was an accident)

According to Netflix, an out-of-context spoiler word to describe S4 is “yes” (which has only ever been important in the past on the show during Mike’s memory of meeting Will on the swings)

In E7, El overpowers 001 following a memory of her mother’s “I love you,” suggesting again that love provides the key to Vecna’s defeat

In a recent interview, the Duffer brothers said that “Running Up That Hill” was chosen in part because of how well it connected thematically to how Vecna’s curse is defeated. (Does it have something to do with “swapping places,” then?)

From the episode titles that were released, we have several translations of last episode: “The Piggyback," "The Stowaway," "The Infiltration," "Eleven's Plan," "The Stealth Plan," "The Guest," and "The Hunt for Vecna"

That “infiltration” translation is interesting—Dustin asked Max if she thought she had infiltrated Vecna’s mind. He described her location as “Freddy Krueger’s boiler room,” which is notable since El is seen in the HNL boiler room with 001 before their faceoff

The D&D game and basketball game appear to foreshadow someone unexpected coming in at the last minute to provide a victory. Dustin’s roll is too low initially, and then Erica (the guest player) rolls a 20. Lucas is on the bench all game, but provides the winning shot.

More subjectively, there appear to be many Tom Riddle parallels with Vecna. If Will had more abilities than meets the eye, I think Vecna would be *very* interested in him, and possibly become preoccupied with understanding his abilities and the potential threats they may pose to him (in the way that Tom Riddle was obsessed with tracking down Harry). We already know that Will’s disappearance is tied to freezing the UD in time, but we don’t know how that may have affected Vecna—but if it did, it would provide him with a powerful motive for seeking out Will specifically (on top of other reasons).

Now let’s have some fun…here's one way I could imagine this coming together:

Paralleling the D&D and basketball games, the Hawkins gang make a plan to defeat Vecna that initially fails. The California gang + El arrive in Hawkins, El has her powers back, and they think they have everything set up for a victory, albeit a risky one. Since Max is still cursed, they attempt to make use of the fact that she’s familiar with Vecna’s location and tactics and that he’s still after her. Max chooses to stop listening to her mixtape in order to draw Vecna back. In the meantime, Eddie tries to disrupt the demobats’ echolocation abilities by shredding on his guitar, to keep Vecna from scouting for a new victim rather than keeping his attention on Max. Then, El attempts to make a psychic connection with Max during her trance in order to defeat Vecna, while Max tries to hold him off as long as possible. (In this way, they would “piggyback” onto Vecna’s connection with Max.)

However, this plan fails because the moment the California gang arrived, Vecna became obsessed with getting to Will—not only because of his trauma, but because of their similarities (if Will was born with abilities like he was) and/or the past connections he sees with the UD in Will’s memories. If Vecna is like Tom Riddle, he sees Will as a threat he needs to better understand. So Vecna doesn’t want to focus on Max, and he spotted Will before the demobats got diverted. However, he can’t resist the fact that Max is offering herself up to his clutches, so he keeps her in a limbo rather than the full trance that El needs in order for her to enact her part of the plan. El can’t make the connection she needs, and everyone panics.

Then: an unexpected person—Will—provides the key to victory, but it doesn’t look good at first. Vecna curses him while the other planning is being carried out. Maybe Will initially hides it, but eventually Mike sees a nosebleed (like he saw Max’s) and puts two and two together. Mike “kicks into gear” and alerts the others because he realizes Will is in danger—but it’s almost too late. Will is put into a trance with Vecna, and El’s newly regained powers are temporarily too crippled to connect with Will after her attempt with Max. Vecna relentlessly torments Will about feeling forgotten (especially on his birthday), about hiding his love for Mike, about his sexuality, and about his past traumas.

Maybe Vecna brings Will back to his memory of meeting Mike at the swings. If, like Voldemort, Vecna is an antagonist who doesn’t fully understand love, he might think Will wishes he could erase Mike from his life and all the suffering that came along with him. So maybe he asks Will, after all of his tormenting visions, if Will would choose to take back his “yes” to Mike. Even knowing the heartbreak, would he still choose to be his friend? Why return to that, when he could join him instead and make full use of his abilities?

But he underestimates Will—and Mike, who’s losing his mind trying to reach him. (Maybe he’s put on the “For Will” mixtape that he was too scared to give to Will on his birthday, but it’s not enough this time because Vecna learned from his encounter with Max.) Will’s trance goes on, and he levitates. His imminent danger prompts important realizations for Mike and ultimately leads to a love confession. Will more clearly sees what’s happening outside of his trance due to his “true sight” and stronger ability to communicate to/from the UD. He hears Mike’s love confession, which suddenly empowers him against Vecna in the way that El’s mother’s love did.

Will breaks free of Vecna by making a psychic connection with him and reversing who’s in control, overpowering him. “Yes,” he still chooses Mike, even with the pain that has accompanied everything. (Will the Wise rolls a 20. The lights everywhere shine intensely. Mike and the others think all might have been lost.) The psychic connection he creates opens a new rift, allowing him to get back through. He collapses into Mike’s arms, as Mike sobs in relief.

In a quieter moment, Will finally gives Mike his painting. It’s the two of them at the swings when they met. Before, “it was you guys who saved me.” This time, it was Mike.

[victoria-daydreams]

The Dressmaker

Part II

AN: I’m alive! Sorry for the long wait, writing this chapter was pure agony. I had a clear vision for Part I and II, but for Part III, I was drawing blanks. Not proofread in the slightest, I just wanted to get this chapter out at this point

Trigger Warnings: none really, ungodly amounts of mentions of tea

Word Count: 2.8k

Taglist: @siriuslyblackonback​ @unhingedcanary @mariamyousef702 @alastorhazbin​

The Dressmaker: Part III

The moment Selina knew she had Luca Changretta hook, line, and sinker was when a large white box neatly tied with a large blue bow mysteriously appeared at the doorstep of her shop.

“What do you think it is?” Julia asked, standing next to Selina.

“I don’t know,” Selina replied, staring down at the box on the counter.

“It could be a bomb for we all know,” Naveen suggested, to the right of her.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Selina said, laughing lightly. “If that was the case we should all be blown to smithereens already,” she pointed out, tracing the lid of the box.

Gently, she tugged at the ribbon and pulled it free from its knot. With both hands gripping the sides of the box, Selina looked between Naveen and Julia.

“Well, here goes nothing,”

Selina pulled the lid in one swift motion and dropped it onto the counter with a soft thud. Whatever was housed in the container was hidden behind by tissue paper. Selina outstretched her fingers and slowly began to peel back the tissue paper. She couldn't help but feel a smile etch itself onto her lips.

“Is that what I think it is?” Naveen questioned, his brow raised.

“It is,” Julia answered, grinning herself.

Selina reached inside the box, gently lifting the item up. A silk chiffon dress in dark blue and floral print unfurled in front of her. Laughing, Selina pressed the dress against her body.

She gasped, “Oh my, this dress is beautiful,” Selina said, as she moved towards a mirror.

Admiring her reflection, she began posing in different ways with the dress.

“There’s a note here as well,” Naveen informed, walking up behind her.

“Really? What does it say?”

“How did I measure up?” Naveen read, before clearing his throat. “Signed with the initials L.C.,” he added, rolling his eyes.

The smile on Selina’s face only widened and she turned on her heels towards Naveen.

“Whoever could that be?” Julia asked sarcastically.

Selina shoved the dress into Naveen’s hands, “Hold this,” she ordered, and shuffling to behind the counter.

“What are you doing?”

“I need to make a call,”

Naveen scoffed, “I didn’t know you had a personal line to where Changretta’s staying,” he said, walking back over to the counter.

“Aww Naveen,” Julia cooed. “Are you jealous?” she asked,

“No,” he answered defensively, laying the dress down.

“You are!”

Resting her hand on the store telephone, Selina turned around to face Naveen.

“No need to be jealous, we’re still on for tonight aren’t we?” she questioned, with a smile. “You promised me a night full of fun and dancing,” she reminded.

“And it’s a promise I intend to keep Lina,” Naveen beamed.

With that, Selina picked up the telephone and spun the rotary, instructing the operator to connect her to her desired location.

“Shelby Limited Incorporated,”

“It’s working,” Selina stated.

“Good, carry on,” was all Tommy said, and that's all she needed to hear.

~~~x~~~

Selina peered over the steam rising from the teacup towards Luca and Matteo in amusement. Sitting stiffly across from her, Matteo glanced at the sunny tea room with thinly veiled disgust. A waitress stopped at their table, serving two cups of tea and a plate of tea biscuits.

"Tea, gentlemen?" Selina asked, placing her cup down onto its saucer. “So sorry this isn’t The Ritz, I don’t think they’d allow me on the same sidewalk of that building,” she joked.

“You Brits and your tea,” Luca remarked, chuckling a little.

“You must try the biscuits,” Selina encouraged, lifting her cup again. “Matteo,” she called. She thought she saw a vein throb in his forehead at her addressing him. “I heard you couldn’t get enough of them,” she added, with a red lipped smile before sipping the warm liquid.

Matteo’s nostrils flared and his hand balled itself into a tight fist, his knuckles turning white from the grip. Selina had learned that fun, little fact while debating with Luca who’s country had the best food. She may or may not have, coaxed him to tell her about him shoving a biscuit into Matteo’s mouth after he complained about British cuisine. Selina raised her brow at Matteo, silently daring him to say something. It was obvious Matteo wasn’t fond of her, which was fine. Selina equally hated Matteo just as much.

Matteo looked at Luca began speaking in Italian, shooting her tiny glares as he spoke. Then Luca responded in his Italian mumble which Selina had grown to find cute and endearing at that point. Taking another sip of her tea, she watched Matteo stand up from his seat and grab his hat.

“Leaving us so soon?“ she asked, faux sincerity in her voice.

Matteo only narrowed his eyes before walking pass her.

“Nera puttana,” he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear and a brief frown flashed across her face at the insult.

“You have such lovely companions,” Selina noted, with a sarcastic grin as she placed her cup down again. “Terrible manners aside, you wanted to talk. So, here I am,” she stated.

“An odd place for us to talk,”

“You asked for a discrete location,” Selina pointed out. “A coloured inn that’s far from the Shelby’s prying eyes,” she explained, as if it was the most obvious thing. “No one will know you’re here with me,” she assured.

Luca hummed in agreement, “You’re right,” he said, nodding his head. Leaning back in his seat, Luca began to lightly tapping his fingers on the table. “The fall of the Shelbys is inevitable,” he stated casually. “But that doesn’t you have to go down with them,”

Selina felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle. Was he implying that he knew she was indeed a Shelby.

“Me?” Selina asked, her voice inadvertently an octave higher.

“Your business, that is,” Luca clarified.

Internally, she released the breath she was holding. Selina grabbed the teapot from the center of the table and slowly poured the liquid into her cup.

“You’re proposing a business partnership?” she questioned, setting the kettle back down. “If T—” Selina started, but hesitated. “If there’s so much of a word about this conversation that reaches Mr. Shelby’s ears, I will be a dead woman,” she said, hoping that she recovered from the near slip up.

“He would kill you because you’re having tea with me,”

“I can have tea with whoever I damn well please,” she countered, plopping sugar cubes into her cup. “Mr. Shelby does not control all aspects of my life,” she went on. “Hypothetically speaking, if I was interested in this business deal. Potential clients wouldn’t mind a coloured woman is the one selling them dresses?” she questioned.

“Who says the clientele will have to know,” Luca answered.

“If you’re trying to sell me on this hypothetical idea, you’re doing a terrible job,” she deadpanned.

“We’ll throw a white face up next to your work, problem sol—”

“Absolutely fucking not!” Selina hissed, cutting him off. “I’m not going to put a white face to my designs, nor my dresses,” she stated firmly. “Either they take it or leave it,” she demanded.

Luca raised his hands in surrender, “All hypothetical, remember?” he reminded, with a chuckle leaning back in his chair.

Selina didn’t respond, and instead focused on stirring cream into her tea. Bringing the cup to her lips once more, she paused when she saw Luca staring at her.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Selina asked, lowering the cup from her lips.

“I like it when you get fiery,” he replied, clasping his hands together and resting them on his stomach. “And, I can’t help but admire how divine you look in my dress,” he said, his eyes sliding over her.

“Is that all you’re doing?”

“Maybe,” Luca said, an easy smirk on his lips. “I’m also thinking ungentlemanly thoughts about what I want to do to you in that dress,” he informed.

“Hmm,” Selina hummed, mischief gleaming in her eyes. “Do indulge me about these ungentlemanly thoughts of yours,” she encouraged.

Selina stretched her leg out, the tip of her shoe pressing against his calf. Slowly, she ran her foot up and down, lightly stroking his leg.

“I think I can show you better than I can tell you,”

~~~x~~~

Selina fell back onto her bed panting heavily as Luca collapsed on top of her. Her body was covered in a light sheen of sweat causing her chemise to cling to her body. Selina let her head sink into the pillows and closed her eyes, her body twitching and quivering from the aftermath. A breathless minute passed, both of their chests rising and falling, taking in the afterglow of lovemaking. She felt the weight of Luca rolling off to the side of her as she stared dazedly at the ceiling.

“Selina,”

The sound of Luca’s husky voice pulled Selina from her stupor. Lazily, she turned her head to the side to see him gazing down at her. Luca pushed strands of hair out of her face, smiling down at her.

“Hmm,” she hummed.

“I didn’t wear you out, did I?” Luca asked, with a cocky grin.

“No, no, I’m simply recovering,” Selina replied breathily. “I can’t remember the last time that a man made me feel that good,” she explained, throwing her arm over her forehead.

Selina knew it didn’t take much to boost a man’s ego, and praising their prowess in bed was the easiest way to do so. Luckily for Luca, she wasn’t completely lying about his skills. He reached places she didn’t know existed.

“That good huh?”

“Oh, now I wish I didn’t say anything,” Selina complained. “Your arrogant enough as it is,” she remarked.

“What woman doesn’t like a man that’s self-confident?” he joked, dipping down to peck her mouth.

“Unfortunately, that woman is me,”

Luca laughed lightly and moved in again placing a gentle kiss on her lips slow and languid. She let out a sigh of contentment as they met. Selina removed her arm from her forehead, finding purchase at the nape of his neck.

"Don't stop," she panted, as his body moved to cover hers.

Luca’s kisses soon became devouring and his tongue traced across her lower lip, making Selina moan softly. Her lips parted and his tongue slipped between her lips. A groan escaped him as Selina curled her tongue around his in response. Luca sneaked his hand under her chemise, his fingers running along her rib cage. She rocked her hips against his, treasuring the rumble that elicited from deep in Luca’s throat from the action. His tongue retreated, and Selina nipped at his lower lip with before she slowly drawing her mouth away from his.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re trying to prove yourself,” Selina commented, her breath labored.

“Prove what?” he asked innocently, a knowing gleam in his eyes.

“That you still got stamina,” Selina answered, her hand dropping to his shoulder and tracing patterns along it.

Dipping his head again, Luca trailed hot kisses against the crook of her neck and worked his way down, gently sliding down the straps of her chemise as he did so.

“You don’t know how tempting it is to go for another round,” Luca said against her skin, before his mouth suddenly descended upon her breast causing a high pitch gasp to leave her. His mouth encircled the sensitive organ through the thin material, and Selina’s back arched into it, enjoying the sensation.

“W-What’s stopping—Oh god!” she moaned, her eyes fluttering close.

Luca’s tongue flicked out ran along her erect bud, left to right, then up and down before he traced the same pattern again.

He unlatched his lips from her breast, “I have to leave soon,” Luca replied, and Selina’s eyes snapped back on. “I’m going to London for business,” he explained, rolling off of her.

“Dare I ask why?” Selina said, sitting up and leaning against the headboard.

“The less you know the better, sweetheart,” Luca stated, cupping her cheek in his hand and planting another kiss on her mouth. He untangled himself from the bed sheets and stood up, collecting his clothes carelessly discarded about on the floor. “Can I count on you to be my eyes and ears while I’m gone?” he asked, stepping into his boxers.

“You want me to spy on the Shelbys?” Selina asked back incredulously.

“Yeah, problem?”

“Yeah, there is a problem,” she repeated, pushing off the headboard. “I would never be able to get close to him, Thomas Shelby and I are business associates not mates,” she explained. “Not only that, he knows that I associated with you. You, the man who currently has a vendetta against his family,” she said, moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

“And you’re going to be the most important asset to my vendetta,” Luca countered, tucking his shirt into his pants.

“Is that all I am to you? Some discardable asset?” Selina asked, her brow arched.

“No, no, no,” he disagreed, walking over to her and taking her in his. “Of course not,” he said, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

“Then don’t send me on a suicide mission,” Selina replied, gently tugging her hand free. “Mr. Shelby knows you’ve asked me about him and his family,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s not going to work,” Selina explained, a frown lining her forehead.

“Okay, okay,” he conceded softly.

“Thank you,” she said, before bringing her fingers to his chin, “Have fun in London,” she wished, pressing a kissing to his lips. “But not too much fun,” she warned, a teasing smile on her lips before she kissed him again.

~~~x~~~

Later on that night

“Alright, let’s make this quick,” Selina said, taking a drag from her cigarette. “If I stay here any longer, Changretta will get suspicious,” she stated, plopping down into one of her brother’s office chairs.

“Let’s,” Tommy agreed. “What have you learned Lina?” he asked, sitting on the edge of his desk.

“Luca is going to London soon,” she informed, tapping ashes into an ash tray.

“He tell you why?”

She shook her head, “No, but I reckon he’s going to pay Alfie a visit,” she answered, with a shrug. “He means to have you assassinated. Why else would he go to London?” she retorted.

“Anything else?” Tommy questioned.

Her cigarette hovered close around her lips, “Oh, you know, he asked me to be business partners with him,” she answered casually. “And asked me to be his spy,” she told, shifting herself in the chair.

Neither of them said anything for a beat as Selina raised her cigarette back to her lips. Tommy’s eyes never left her, as if he was calculating her expression.

He chuckled to himself, “Did he now? What did you tell him?” Tommy asked, getting up from the desk.

“That it wasn’t feasible. That you and I were not close enough and just business partners. You would make me immediately if I started lingering about and asking questions,” Selina responded, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under Tommy’s harsh stare.

“He believe you?”

She nodded, “I convinced him it was a foolish notion,” Selina said. “I told him, you would be suspicious of me, seeing how we met before without your knowledge,” she explained, crushing the cigarette against the ashtray.

Tommy shoved his hands into his pockets, “Are you still a Shelby?” he asked, his expression

“The fuck kind of question is that Tommy?” Selina asked, clearly offended. “Of course I am!” she exclaimed, getting up from the seat.

“You love him?” Tommy questioned, still eyeing her.

Selina’s face become warmer than usual, “Love is such a strong word,” she commented, and saw Tommy’s jaw tick. “Love who? Luca?” she asked back, feigning confusion.

“Yes, Lina! Who the fuck else do you think I’m talking about!” he snapped, causing her to flinch. Wordlessly, Selina shook her head, but that wasn’t good enough for him. “Say it! Out loud!” he ordered, walking over to her.

Selina felt herself shake a little, very rarely had Tommy been known to snap at her like this.

“No, I don’t love him,” Selina answered honestly, her eyes welling up.

Gently, he grabbed both of her biceps, “You don’t love him, but you do have feelings for him, don’t you?” Tommy asked, his tone much softer than before.

Selina didn’t respond and only stared at her brother, letting the silence be her answer.

“Christ Lina,” Tommy exhaled, pulling her into a hug and tears finally shed from her eyes as she tightly wrapped her arms around him. “I would’ve never put you up to this if the end result was your heart getting broken,” he murmured, into her hair.

Selina buried her face into his chest, “I’m sorry for disappointing you, Tommy,” she apologized, her voice muffled.

“Hey,” he called, pulling back from her. “The last thing you could ever do, is disappoint me,” he said softly, wiping a tear that fell down her cheek.

She nodded slowly, a sniffle escaping her. Tommy reached down into his suit pocket and pulled out his handkerchief, offering it to her which she gratefully took.

“Thank you,” she whispered, wiping her eyes.

It’s too late for her to even think about backing out now, she was in too deep. The only way was forwards to her ill-fated romance with Luca Changretta.

Part IV

[callsign-joyride]

The Freak & The Babysitter | E.M

Pairing: Eddie Munson x gn!reader

Summary: You take matters into your own hands and save Eddie after he tries to sacrifice himself. (The one where it didn't happen.)

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Being the babysitter. Let's go."

Content warnings: MAJOR Vol. 2 spoilers, near death experiences, mentions of death, SO MUCH angst (oh my GOD this was hard to write), a happy ending.

A/N: My "fix it fic". I miss Eddie so much.

My inbox is open!

"Nobody deviates from the plan no matter what, got it?" Nancy asked everyone.

"Got it."

To say that everyone was scared was an understatement. You were stuck with Eddie and Dustin on bat duty while Steve, Nancy, and Robin went to the Creel house. Some part of you knew that things were going to go awry, you just didn't know how or when. Or who would be in danger.

The three of you essentially made Edde's trailer bat proof and you rummaged through the bathroom.

"This'll work," you said, as you picked up a can of hairspray and a lighter.

"What's that for?" Eddie asked.

"Emergencies."

The three of you stood on top of Eddie's trailer as told you to initiate phase three. As soon as Eddie was done, you ran inside. You laughed as Dustin freaked out because of how awesome it was, but the moment didn't last long. All three of you had to seek shelter in the trailer, and the bats started to get in. Eddie had told you and Dustin to go through the gate. Your heart sank as Eddie cut the rope while Dustin was pleading for him not to.

"Dustin, I know you're scared. But as soon as I say the word, you need to do exactly as I say, okay?"

Dustin nodded his head and you looked around the trailer.

"I need a tape and that boombox. Now, I'm gonna get Eddie, but we need to draw the bats away from him, so you take that boombox and get as far away from Eddie and the trailer as you can. You play that tape and you play it loud, and you run. Don't stop until you get back to the trailer. We're getting out of here."

"Y/N?" He asked.

"Yeah?"

"I don't want Eddie to die."

"He won't. Let's get everything we need and kick some ass."

It didn't take long for Dustin to grab the tape and the boombox. You put the tape in your pocket before grabbing a chair. Eddie had moved the mattress that was on the other side, so you landed on the ground with a thud.

"Drop the boombox! I'll catch it!" You yelled. Dustin did as you said and soon, he was in the Upside Down with you. As you made sure that the volume was all the way up, you handed everything to Dustin and told him to run.

You were shortly behind him, but all you had was the lighter and the can of hairspray. Dustin dropped the boombox at the end of the trailer park, and you grabbed a bike and got to Eddie as fast as you could. It was obvious that he was going to try and fight the bats, so you stood next to him.

"I told you to leave!" He yelled.

"Well, I chose not to listen!" You yelled back.

Come on, Dustin.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

You smiled as you heard the introduction to Live Wire by Motley Crue. Adrenaline was coursing through your veins as you used the makeshift blowtorch against the bats. Most of the had been drawn away or cooked at that point.

"Being the babysitter. Let's go."

You and Eddie ran towards the trailer, barely making it without stepping on vines or falling. You grabbed a chair and used it like you had done before.

"We have to help the others!" Dustin yelled.

"Dustin, we don't have time for this. Jump and we'll pull you up!"

"Woah, shit!"

As Dustin jumped, you and Eddie grabbed a hand and started to pull him up. Or down, dependng on how you looked at it.

"Holy shit, that was awesome! Y/N, you're a badass!"

"Yeah, thanks. I need the two of you to stay here. It's not over yet."

You got to your car and sped to Creel House. You ripped the key out of the ignition and ran in, but it was too late. Lucas was yelling for Erica to call an ambulance. Max was in his arms and he was blodied and bruised. Jason was knocked out across the room.

They did it. Nancy didn't miss.

That was when you felt the ground shake beneath your feet. Lucas barely had enough time to pull Max away as the ground opened up. Jason was dead, but you weren't worred about that.

"We have to get out," you said.

"I don't know if I can carry Max!" Lucas yelled.

She had a pulse, but barely.

"I'll help you."

It was a miracle that all of your friends had made it out alive. Eddie and Dustin said that they saw the same thing that you did. The rifts, as you would call them, began at the sight of where each person was killed, or in Max's case, almost killed.

"Did anyone order a pizza?" Karen Wheeler asked as you and the gang helped Nancy put boxes in Steve's car. All of you turned around and saw a van for Surfer Boy Pizza pull up, a place that you had only heard of during your conversations with El and Will. You almost cried when you saw El.

"Hey, Will, this is Eddie. Eddie, this is Will. Eddie's the leader of the Dungeons and Dragons club at the highschool," you told Will.

"That's awesome. Do you guys wanna meet Argyle?"

Everyone got along with Argyle, and it took a few days, but you eventually helped clear Eddie's name.

[moonctzeny]

Can I request WayV reaction to you suddenly avoiding skinship/intimacy because you don't feel attractive anymore after they rejected you once? (they were tired or just not in the mood at that time)

WayV reaction - you avoid intimacy out of insecurity after they rejected your skinship

warnings: WinWin's gets a tiny bit suggestive, alcohol consumption

▪️Kun

He looked so good when he cooked. You couldn’t stop your eyes from following the veins on his arms as he cut the various vegetables in the smallest of pieces. Your fingers ached to run across their length so you let them, stroking the little hairs in the opposite direction from their growth in the meantime.

“Y/n, not now”, he whines with a strictness in his voice that has you withering away from him.

You stayed quiet for the rest of the cooking, watching Kun in silence until he finally put the dish in the oven to cook. He walks over to your seat on the countertop, fitting himself between your legs. His hands find their place on each of your shoulders, making their way down to your elbows lovingly, yet you go rigid at the feeling and back away from his touch.

“Y/n, are you okay?”

“Do I annoy you sometimes?”

Kun’s eyebrows shoot up at your question, dropping his hands immediately to wrap them around your wrists instead.

“Never. What makes you think that?”

“You seemed pretty annoyed at me when you were cooking earlier”

His face stays frozen for a second, trying to figure out what exactly you were talking about. You’re taken aback when he starts to laugh light-heartedly, planting a kiss on your pouty lips.

“I didn’t tell you to stop because I didn’t like you touching me, baby. I needed you to stop because I liked it too much”

▪️Ten

You avoided his kisses like the plague. He wasn’t sure what had gotten into you, usually your nights visiting his dorm consisted of the both of you cuddling each other to death, napping in sheets that smelled of him and inviting the cats that snuggled between you. However now, the more he tried to approach you, the more you scooted away from him, and your excuses were starting to run out.

“Are you avoiding me or something?”

You shake your head negatively, avoiding eye contact so that he doesn’t see through you. But Ten is intuitive, especially when it comes to you, so he repeats the question again until he gets a sigh as an answer.

“You told me off pretty badly when I tried to kiss you an hour ago you know…”

“When I was drawing? You pushed my hand on accident and I missed like, half of my work!”

When he sees you continuing to be visibly upset at him, despite his light and teasing tone, he lifts your hand from your lap to his lips, kissing your wrist, then your palm, then your ring finger.

“I’m sorry if I said something I shouldn’t”, he leans over to peck your lips mid-sentence, and his voice is too soothing for you to resist him, “You know how much I love to kiss you.”

As if to prove his point he brings you closer again, and he smiles into the kiss when he feels you deepening it.

“I could taste your lips forever”

▪️WinWin

▪️WinWin

Your boyfriend was never big on skinship and you knew. You understood his paranoia of holding hands in public, even with sunglasses and a big mask covering half of his handsome face. Being a celebrity isn’t easy and you had come to terms with that, but you didn’t know he would react so coldly to you in this private party with his members being the only ones invited.

You were a little tipsy, holding on to Sicheng’s arm for stability, and admittedly you just wanted a little love from your boyfriend. Pulling his hair out of his eyes, you pucker your lips at him, waiting for a kiss that never came.

“What is up with you today? You’re all over me!”

The drive home was quiet, your whole body facing away from him, eyes staring outside the window or anywhere else but him. You weren’t angry, just sad if anything else, and Sicheng felt he had enough when you started to storm off to your shared bedroom without him. A hand on your wrist stops you abruptly.

“Why are you like this? You’ve been quiet ever since we left the party”

“Do you not find me attractive anymore?”

The filter between your brain and mouth had vanished from the alcohol, shocking Sicheng with your candor.

“What on earth makes you think that?”

“You never kiss me in front of your friends. It’s like you're embarrassed of being seen with me…”

Your boyfriend’s eyebrows furrow, almost meeting on the base of his forehead before he pushes you up against the entrance door. The kiss he initiates is full of passion and something animalistic that you’ve always thought looks good on him. It isn't long before the hands that you so desperately needed on your body before formed bruises on the skin over your hipbones.

“The reason why I don’t kiss you in public is because I won’t be able to stop, not when you always look so pretty. And then I will make you look needy and breathless and messy, just like you do right now. I don’t want anyone else to see you like this. You’re too damn beautiful. You’re mine.”

▪️Lucas

Skinship and Lucas were synonyms when it came to your relationship. He loved getting to touch you at all times, whether it was a big, suffocating hug or just his large hands on the small of your back. You were barely awake when your boyfriend came back to your apartment, his busy schedule with SuperM keeping his side of the bed colder than you’d like. He didn’t even bother to wash up, just took his clothes off and covered himself up with your shared duvet and his chest facing your own. Satisfied with his mere presence, you scoot over, and lay one arm over his waist, bringing yourself closer. It was a shock to you when he turned to the other side, unwrapping your arm in the process and letting it fall in the space between you.

You decided not to address the incident that left a sting to your heart the next morning, spending the whole day with Lucas since it was rare for him to be free of any schedules. It was absolutely lovely, from the movie you watched to the homemade food you prepared for the both of you. Until the sun set again.

“Are you going back to your dorm now?”, you ask him while doing the dishes, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

“Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, maybe you prefer sleeping in your own bed. Alone.”

Your back is facing him but you can sense the pout forming on his handsome features. You feel his body heat as he comes closer to you and wraps his arms around you, only for you to squirm away from his hold and pat your hands dry, leaving the sink.

“What’s wrong?”, Lucas asks quietly, his eyes doubling in size.

“It’s just that last night when I tried to cuddle you to sleep you avoided me… It’s okay if you don’t want to crash here you know-”

“Babe, babe”, he starts, taking your hands in his, “I was dirty and sweaty last night. I didn’t have the energy to shower and I felt gross. I would never reject a night with you”

“Really?”

“Really. Now how about we go to bed and I give you those cuddles that I owe you?”

▪️Xiaojun

It was rare to see Xiaojun be so frustrated with anything. He’d been sitting on that same spot of the bed for hours now, guitar propped up on his lap and a blank sheet of paper in front of him. You tried to relieve his stress anyway you could, massaging his shoulders, kissing his cheek every time he sighed. And while your boyfriend accepted them at first, soon you saw him bend away from your acts of affection, so much so that you were worried about whether you have angered him.

An icky feeling weighed you down when he kept ignoring you as time went by, realizing that today was not the day you’d get the quality time you craved from your boyfriend. Quiet so as not to bother him, you start to collect your things and pack them back into your bag, the sound of the zipper finally catching Xiaojun’s attention.

“Where are you going?”

“You seem busy. I’ll come by another day”

“No no no!”, he exclaims, swiftly pulling his guitar aside, “I was looking forward to seeing you”

“Well you don’t seem to want any love from me right now. We can reschedule our date night for another time”

You didn’t expect him to jump up on his feet so quickly, neither to pull you into a hug as tight. His words come out muffled from your hair that is covering his mouth as he kisses it.

“Don’t leave, please. I’m sorry I was ignoring you”

“No, I’m sorry if I overstepped your personal space”

You soothe out the wrinkles that have formed between his pretty eyebrows with your thumb, taking a moment to appreciate his warm smile before he brings you into a long kiss.

“I’m stuck on this song that I’m writing. Maybe I just need inspiration”

▪️Hendery

“Why are you looking in the mirror so much?”

In the span of the last hour you managed to feel insecure over your hair, your skin, your choice of clothing. You thought you were being subtle when checking out yourself, the reflection only making you wanna shrink even more with every quick glance.

“Do you still find me as attractive as you did when we first met? Like do you ever get butterflies on your stomach anymore?”

“Why are you asking me this all of a sudden?”

You sigh, rubbing your face in embarrassment. Being content in yourself was a challenge on its own, even more so when your boyfriend looked like that.

“When we first started dating we were all over each other. I wouldn’t even make it past your bedroom door before you kissed me everywhere. Ten called us disgusting all the time.”

“And?”

“And now it’s been an hour since I came here and you haven’t even touched me...”

Hendery sighs, and runs his fingers through his hair defeatedly. With a soft hand motion he encourages you to come lie next to him on his bed, cupping your face before leaving a kiss on your lips.

“When we first started dating I couldn’t believe you were mine. I had this urgency in me like I had to taste as much of you as I could. Like you would slip away from my fingers, but-”

“But?”

Hendery takes your hand in his, and starts a trail of shiver-inducing kisses from your wrist up to your shoulder, so slow that you thought he’d never finish his sentence.

“But I realized that it wasn’t fair to you. I want to love you like we have a lifetime ahead, not like our time is running out. I want to love you like you deserve, and I want to take my time”

▪️Yangyang

He was playing that damn video game again. Yangyang always looked so cute when he was concentrating so heavily, lips pursed in a pout and eyes following the different players on the screen. Desperate to feel the softness of his hoodie and comfort on his embrace you come closer to him, attempting to sit on his lap.

“He’s behind you! Shoot! Shoot!” You jump up from your seat along with him, wrapping your hands around his neck to keep your balance. “Babe not now! You made me miss the screen!”

Hurt by his sharp tone and volume of his voice you start to get up, hating the burning feeling of the fresh tears that begged to escape the corners of your eyes.

Yangyang’s grip on your elbow stops you before you leave his lap, a worried look painted on his face.

“What’s wrong? Are you crying?”

“You know sometimes you get so into your games that you yell at me over nothing…”

His pretty face falls into a frown, whole body rigid and focused on your sad expression.

“Baby, come here”

Throwing one leg over his lap, Yangyang turns you around in his hold so that you’re facing him. His fingers pet your hair until you close your eyes in bliss, your breath slowing down until it matches his.

“You’re right. I’m so, so sorry if I said something that hurt you. Will you please stay here? You’re my lucky charm. My beautiful, lucky charm that fits right into my lap”

You smile at his sweet words, letting your head rest against his neck and enjoying the little backrubs he gave you until he felt you were fully relaxed. You easily fell asleep in his arms, your sweet dreams interrupted only from the kisses he left on your temples.

[tryskomys]

PSYCHO KILLER

Eddie Munson x OC

Chapter 19 - Master Of Puppets

Summary: The battle is on. The Bait trio is ready to throw the most metal interdimensional performance of all time. Will they succeed or will guilt prevail over logic?

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫

notes: yeah, we’re getting to the tough part now. it’s just gonna get worse from here, i hope you’re ready, lol. enjoy this one and thanks for reading!

tw: blood, gore, pain, misery

Masterlist

songs:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫

The RV drowned in heavy silence as it was nearing the Forest Hills. The fun game of dress-up and bonding gradually turned sour as the faithful nighttime approached. Suddenly the camo jackets and felt suffocating, heavy as if they were woven from pure lead. The bandanas and berets like robust golden crowns, burdening the heads of the group with an impossible quest.

When they dropped off the Sinclairs and Max in front of the Creel house, not much was said. Only tight hugs and silent words of encouragement were exchanged, as there wasn’t any language in existence that could describe the feelings that filled their chests. A simple good luck had to do.

Maia sat between Dustin and Eddie, darting across their features from time to time. Both of their faces were sporting an unreadable expression, they were clearly focusing on putting on a brave façade despite the dire odds against them. When Steve parked the RV in a nearby forest just outside of the trailer park, none of them seemed to be eager to get up from their seats to get going, so Nancy took initiative after a few moments of stillness.

“Okay, I wanna run through it one more time. Phase one.”

“We meet Erica at the playground. She’ll signal Max and Lucas when we’re ready.” Robin muttered, the cogs in her head turning to thoroughly seal the plan inside. Nancy nodded.

“Phase two.”

“Max baits Vecna. He’ll go after her, which’ll put him in his trance.” Steve chimed in with an uncertain tremble in his voice. Nancy turned to Maia, Dustin and Eddie.

“Phase three?”

“The three of us draw the bats away.” Dustin answered with a determined face as Eddie tapped his and Maia’s heads with a proud grin, earning a smack on the hand from her. She was sporting the same grin as she adjusted her camo bucket hat.

“We head into Vecna’s newly bat-free lair and…flambé.” Robin shook the homemade Molotov she was holding and everyone firmly nodded, turning their attention to Nancy once again.

“Nobody moves on to the next phase until we’ve all copied. Nobody deviates from the plan, no matter what. Got it?” she stated in a strong, confident voice and raised her eyebrows.

The group looked around at each other and agreed, finally having the courage to walk out of the vehicle. They sneaked along the road, jogging warily to the Munson trailer and got in as quick as possible. When they were all inside, Steve took the initiative once again and threw his bag to the floor, swiftly taking the rope in his hands.

“Be careful.” Dustin mumbled and Steve thanked him, patting his shoulder. He climbed up the rope without much troubles and when he entered the treshold, he expertly turned around in the air and landed on his feet. He looked up through the portal and smugly shrugged, dissapearing to carry Eddie’s dirty matress under the gate. Robin shimmied her hands in the air and hooted in sarcastic admiration.

“What does he want us to do, applaud?” she muttered and looked at Nancy, who smirked at her antics while blushing, clearly slightly impressed by Steve’s athletic moves.

He dragged the matress to its place and Nancy was the next one to go, getting help from Robin to climb up. Maia grabbed two extension cords from a drawer next to the door and plugged them into each other as well as into the socket on the wall. She then threw it into the portal, cursing in relief when it went through. Then, one by one, they all climbed to the other side, breathlessly falling on their backs.

When they gathered themselves and their weapons, they stepped out of the trailer and Maia’s nose was immediately punched by the stale air of the Upside Down, the ever present particles filling her lungs. She lightly coughed and followed the rest of the group down the stairs, stopping next to Dustin and Eddie. The Flambé trio started walking away, obviously trying to avoid saying goodbye, but Steve turned around at the last second, shaking his head.

“Hey, guys, listen. If things here start to go south, I mean, at all, you abort. Okay? Draw the attention of the bats. Keep them busy for a minute or two, we’ll take care of Vecna. Don’t try to be cute or be a hero or something. Okay? You guys are just-“ he spewed out, his eyebrows knitted with worry, but Dustin interrupted him.

“Decoys.” he rolled his eyes and nodded. Maia chuckled and folded her arms.

“Don’t worry, you can be the hero, Steve.” she assured him and Eddie hummed in agreement.

“Yeah, absolutely. I mean, look at us. We are not heroes.” Eddie grinned and turned at his two shorter friends, earning a shrug from Dustin and thumbs up from Maia. When she looked between the two boys, though, she felt like they actually were.

Dustin, even with his comical netting attire carried himself with the grace and confidence of an experienced warrior, who’s cheerful grin reminded her of a strong dwarf, maybe even Gimli himself, although without the signature beard.

Eddie, meanwhile, was Aragorn. The tall and handsome Strider with a wild mane of dark curls and piercing eyes, cheeks flushed from the harsh and hostile winds of this forsaken world. The lone ranger who’s done with hiding in the shadows and ready to save the world from doom.

Her painfully low self-esteem didn’t allow her to allign herself with any of the courageous women she admired in her favourite stories, but being in the presence of her friends made her feel…bold. Her ice cold fingers flexed around the scabbard that hung on her hips, feeling on the hard surface of the katana blade inside. That’s when she felt a sprinkle of bravery pepper her brain, realizing that in the end she really might be a halfling shield maiden, ready to protect those who matter the most to her.

Steve nodded and took a few more seconds to look at them, almost as if he was trying to imprint their faces on his brain in case he wouldn’t…see them again. He shook the negative thoughts out of his head and set off. After hesitating for a split moment, Eddie stepped forward, his face pale with anxiety.

“Hey, Steve? Make him pay.”

And with a nod, Steve and the girls departed, slowly dissolving into silouhettes in the dark and decaying forest.

“Well…let’s get to it, boys.” Maia mumbled and grabbed a hammer from the toolbox on the stairs, ready to armor the trailer.

・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・● ●・○・●・

Eddie whistled a nameless tune as he nailed the planks against the windows, jumping when Maia loudly cursed from somewhere on the roof. She was just setting up the extension cords and swiped her finger against the uneven planks of raw wood that decorated the metal surface.

“You good?” Dustin questioned as he carried more planks to the door, assisting Eddie like a true squire.

“Yep, just a splinter.” she muttered and pinched the wood out of her skin, groaning in frustration. Eddie snorted, the curls bouncing under his bandana as he shook his head.

“Not sure if it was a good idea to let you carry a cutting weapon, Anderson.”

“Fuck you, smartass. Focus on your planks.” she stuck out her tounge at him and wiped her sweaty forehead. He just grinned.

“Actually, I’m all done. Henderson?”

“Yup, quest finished.” Dustin responded with a wide smile and they all stepped away from the trailer, admiring their work.

“Not bad!” he giggled, looking between his older friends. They both chuckled.

“Not bad at all.” Eddie mumbled and Maia stuck out her palms, earning a high-five from both sides. Eddie continued.

“Now for the fun part.”

His wide mischeivous smile decorated his cheeks with dimples once again as they entered the trailer and rushed to his room, but he stopped in his tracks when he set his eyes on his treasured instrument. Maia’s eyes widened, completely mesmerised by the apocalyptic beauty unfolding in front of her. A soft curse left Eddie’s lips as he reached out his thin ringed fingers to touch the guitar’s strings, his mouth hanging open in awe.

“It’s like…she was destined for an alternate dimension.” he whispered and Maia just slowly nodded in agreement.

“She’s…beautiful.” she breathlessly let out and chuckled, meeting Dustin’s smiling eyes for a few seconds before setting them on Eddie’s magnificent expression again.

“What do you say, my sheepies? Are you ready for the most metal concert in the history of the world?” he asked as he took the guitar off the wall and turned around at his friends. Maia just smirked and tilted her head while Dustin raised his eyebrows.

“Is that a rhetorical question?”

Eddie just put his guitar on and threw it around his shoulder in one nimble move.

“Let’s do it.”

Not long after they dragged the amps to the roof and positioned themselves, Robin’s staticky voice carried through the walkie that Dustin held in his hand impatiently. He crouched next to the amps while Eddie stood in a powerful stance, fingers ready on the fret board. Maia was standing next to him like a fierce guard, the katana held high and ready in her hand.

“Initiating phase three.” Dustin yelled into the walkie and put it aside, checking for Eddie’s approval before connecting the power cord to the socket.

“CRANK IT.” Maia screamed at Eddie and he nodded, tearing off the guitar pick that hung on his neck with a grunt. He met her eyes and held on to their jade glow for a few moments, as if he was charging himself, and then he finally let it all out.

“Let’s fucking go.” he mumbled before hitting the strings with fierce strenght, strumming the first chords of Metallica’s newest single.

I’m working on something special, halfling.

Woah, I’m all ears!

Nope, you’ll hear it when the time’s right.

He was unusually cryptic about what song he’s currently learning.

Och, come on, mister enigma. Share your mysteries with me!

You won’t have it your way this time, Anderson. The forbidden fruit is not ripe yet. I just wanted to tease you.

Alright then, keep your secrets.

The conversation they had a few weeks ago ran through her head at rapid speed as she watched him rip into the strings, his fingers leaping across the neck of his beautiful guitar with elegant lightness, a strange contrast to the noise they were producing.

She studied his concentrated face, it was illuminated by the red thunder surrounding him - all the dystopy around intensified the confident and otherworldly aura circling his tall figure and she realized that she’d never seen anything more mesmerising. More beautiful. His hair flew through the wind along with his movement and Maia could just watch and nod her head in rhythm, hypnotised.

That changed when she notice a lone bat flying right at him from the behind, so she swung her blade and cut the creature in half before it could even reach him. She looked at Dustin, who was madly headbanging to the melody, his mouth hanging open after her move. She winked at him, not letting her pupil know that she’s surprised by her own skill as well. She mouthed the words to Eddie’s song as he played through it and scouted for more roaming creatures when she spotted a huge black cloud heading in their direction.

They were coming from the Creel house.

“T-minus 30 seconds!” Dustin screamed at Eddie who nodded and, as if it energized him, broke into a screeching guitar solo, plugging the strings at masterful speed. The flock was getting nearer and nearer and Maia impatiently stepped closer to Eddie as Dustin counted the last seconds. With the last chord, Dustin jumped up and ran up to his friends.

“Come on!”

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Eddie screamed as he threw his precious guitar away and jumped down, catching Maia’s hands to stabilize her as she followed him. Her head was pounding with stress as she spewed encouraging words at the boys, trying to hurry them.

“Go, go, go! Close it, Eddie!” she howled and Eddie banged the fence closed, leaving the alien creatures to bite down on the wires. He silently swore under his breath, quickly checking if they’re all okay.

“Dude…Most. Metal. Ever!” Dustin yelled into the room and they all broke out in enthusiastic screams, chaotically hugging each other while jumping up and down. The cheers slowly died down though, as the banging from outside intensified.

The smile dissapeared from Maia’s face and she grabbed the katana that laid on the floor in one hand and the spiked shield in the other. The boys took their spears as well and the three of them created a cluster in the middle of the room, weapons raised in alert, circling around with worried expressions. Eddie’s ears were pierced by the sound of claws against the metal surface of the trailer, scratching the walls as the bats climbed around in an attempt to find an entrance. Maia jumped with each sound of impact, imagining the beasts trying to penetrate the sealed windows with their slimy bodies.

Suddenly, the noises stopped. She looked over her shoulder at Eddie, who had the same bewilderment written all over his face.

“Hey dipshits! Give up that easy, huh?” Dustin screamed and Maia gave him a harsh nudge in the stomach, shushing him with annoyance.

“Is that really necessary?” Eddie hissed and turned around at him as well, getting a soft shrug for an answer. Soft tapping above them made Maia raise her gaze to the top of the trailer, her brows furrowing as she bit down on her bruised lip.

“They’re on the roof.” Eddie muttered, his voice dripping with terror. Then he noticed the vent in the ceiling, meeting Maia’s wide eyes when he looked back down. She darted between the boys soundlessly, her teeth still sunken in her lip.

“They can’t get in through there…can they?” Dustin mumbled, his anxious voice trembling because he already knew the answer. The bats forced their way in with a loud bang, their shrieks filling the trio’s abused ears.

They all had a singular thought in their heads, ran up to the vent and mindlessly stabbed through the hole, splattering the floor with alien blood. Eddie crouched to gain more momentum and then jumped up, holding the spiked shield against the hole as the creatures trashed around, hurting themselves against the nails until the shield held up on its own. Eddie cursed through heavy breathing and Dustin and Maia crumbled down on the floor, trying to catch their breath as well.

“Nice.” Dustin mumbled and raised his hands up to get a high-five from both of them. They didn’t have much time to calm down, as the looming realization hung in the air.

“Are there any other vents?” Dustin meekly questioned and all the colour that was left in Eddie’s face vanished.

“Shit.”

They all ran into Eddie’s room, but the bats were already tearing through the opening, banging into the door as Eddie barely managed to swing it shut. Once again, they were in the kitchen listening to the beasts breaking in and the agressive bashing started cracking the lousy trailer door.

“That’s not gonna hold.” Eddie exclaimed and started pushing Dustin under the portal.

“Let’s go, come on!” Maia screamed and shielded Dustin as he climbed up the rope, groaning. He fell straight into the matress face first and quickly jumped up, hurrying his friends to be quicker.

“Go!” Eddie yelled in Maia’s face and she franatically nodded, throwing her katana away and hopping onto the rope. She grunted with each push up, loudly cursing when she fell on her back and got the wind knocked out of her, wheezing when she sat up.

“Eddie, hurry!” she coughed up and met his eyes. He was already halfway up the rope, but suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He looked between her and the bats, deaf to the pleas of Dustin. Maia just held his desperate gaze, his warm brown eyes dimmed with misery.

She could pinpoint the moment when he made up his mind. She ferociously shook her head and opened her mouth to say something, yell at him, anything to make him stop. But her voice failed her, weakened by the pure horror that crashed through her limbs like a tsunami wave. He dropped down and dragged the matress away from the portal, giving it a kick just to be sure it’s far enough. Then he reached up and swung the spear, cutting the rope in half. Maia wheezed when the rope fell to her feet.

“Eddie, what are you doing?” Dustin screamed, hot tears forming in his eyes. Eddie looked up at them again, flinging the spear around his torso and hanging the shield on it.

“I’m buying more time.”

And with one last look into Maia’s panic-stricken eyes, he was gone.

“EDDIE!” she roared into the portal, but there was no other answer than the sound of flopping wings growing more and more distant. She punched her chest a few times and finally managed to exhale heavily. She ran up to Dustin, who was still shaking his head as tears finally spilled on his cheeks. She put her hands on his shoulders and shook him, bringing his attention on her.

“Dustin, listen. LISTEN TO ME. Stay here, okay? I’ll bring him back, just stay the fuck here. Don’t you dare come after me.” she pulled him into a harsh quick hug and then grabbed a nearby chair. He tried to pull her back, incoherrently babbling about coming with her, but he stopped when she briskly slapped him, leaving a red mark on his chubby cheek. She just stared into his hopeless eyes and pointed at him.

“Stay.”

She positioned the chair under the portal, hopped onto it and loudly huffed, then jumped up with all her strenght and barely managed to catch onto the edge of the gate. With an exhausted groan, she pushed herself up, turning around in the air when her weight shifted into the other side. As soon as Maia felt the hard surface of the floor, hair-raising pain filled her right side and shoulder. She howled as she got up on her fours, sharp pain shooting through her lungs with every small breath she tried to draw in. She attempted to move her shoulder, but it was locked out of its usual place and she could do nothing about it.

She huffed with each step and limped to her katana, grabbing it along with the shield next to it. She didn’t hear Dustin’s outcries, her ears were filled with white noise due to the pain shooting through her neck. She stepped out of the trailer, struggling to walk straight on the uneven surface while her ribs burned like flaming carbon. In the distance, she spotted the swarm swirling around something. Getting nearer, she passed Mike’s bike laying on the ground and she could finally make out the sillouhette of Eddie’s limp body trashing around as the beasts feasted on his flesh. She screamed his name, but there was no answer.

No answer but his deafening cries.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫

Tag list: @kik51199 @preciousbabypeter @sebby-staan @sleepysl0th03 @grungegrrrl