#SO I CAN GET RID OF THOSE FUCKING FLIES

[ichorousisopod]

I wonder if my isopods are doing okay...

[nsharks]

bleeding blue | apocalypse au

part six —other parts

pairing: Simon "Ghost" Riley x fem!reader words: 3k tags: death. blood. zombies of course. reader menstruates. single dad ghost. there will be sex but it isn't here yet. slow burn!!! enemies to lovers. summary: After losing your companions, you run into a skull-masked man and his daughter. They are your last hope for survival. a/n: this was longer but i decided to break it up sorry :p

The last glimpse of civilization you had was a chaotic one.

It was the first day of the outbreak.

Freshly infected running around. Bodies scattered in the streets like dead flies. Screaming. Paul grabbing your hand and tugging you towards the treeline. Your nephew shrieking in your sister’s arms. It’s funny how trauma likes to grab hold of the minute details. You can also recall seeing a bus pass by with an ad for some superhero movie. You had planned on seeing it. The bus crashed into a house and the ad was licked by flames.

Paul was always the one to make the trips to pharmacies and markets. He was the one who wielded a gun, not you. You were the one to stay behind, fortify the fence, and watch over the two broken members of your family.

Society's dust— that is what you leave Ghost’s territory for.

You know you need to.

You wait for your period to end.

Freshly spilled blood is not a scent you want to carry. Greys are drawn to it like flies to rot. Something you learned the hard way once during a hunt with Paul. They were able to catch your scent from a further distance than usual because of it.

To your relief, Ghost lets you look at his map.

Of course, you can’t take it with you.

“Jus’ memorize it,” he grumbles under his breath.

So the evening before you venture out, you study the map of Northern England. Ghost brought out a whole stack of them from the room you’re certain is his. You notice a map of the European continent on top, briefly catching a glimpse of a black circle drawn in the middle somewhere, but he is quick to move it underneath the pile.

You focus on the one you need.

There is a black dot to indicate where their camp is amid the forest. Some 20 kilometers south is the closest city. Or village rather. Ribchester. Maybe that is a safer bet than going by yourself to a big city like Manchester. You may have a bow and knife and some strength, but you don't have a car or guns like he does. Or companions coming with you.

Blue helps you turn your pillowcase into a strapped bag with some scissors. You need something to carry what you find. Ghost isn't willing to let you leave with his backpack. Bitterly, you get it. It’s a useful item.

The next morning, you feel as prepared as you can be. You wake up earlier than usual, before Blue has the chance to poke inside your shed with Grim. You eat a big breakfast of two dried squirrels. You have a third one to take with you.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Blue picks at her breakfast as she sits beside you at the table. Her lips twist around thoughtfully.

You glance between her and Ghost. His stare is unreadable like usual. Dark, stoic, and hiding under lowered brows. You wonder what he thinks— if he would be secretly relieved if you don't make it back alive. Probably. He could get rid of you without Blue pointing the blame at him.

"Medicine is important. I need to find my own.”

We can’t risk sneaking anymore, you would say if he wasn’t right there. But by the way she slides her blue eyes to discreetly meet yours, you think she gets the hint.

"Just be careful, okay?" You nod. "And remember—" she lifts a finger, "—you have to shoot those fucks in the brain."

"I know. I've been practicing my aim a bit."

The smile you offer is only half-there. The truth is, you are risking your life with this. Part of you wonders how deeply she has processed that.

Despite her lips appearing more chewed-through than usual, they give a wary smile in return.

“Yeah, we could hear you hitting the trees. Right, Ghost?"

He hums low, but characteristically, doesn't have much to say about you.

But when you head for the cabin door after eating, his firm hand surprises you, gloved and skeletal. It wraps around your bicep and brings you to a halt before you can step outside. Heat spreads through his glove and the layers of your clothes. You turn around just as a metal object is silently offered to your chest. Ghost holds your stare before you look down at what he is giving you.

It's the revolver. The one they collected from that man.

The gun with only one cartridge.

"Thanks."

You bite your cheek to hide the dry tone, slipping the revolver into your coat pocket. Maybe it will come in handy. At least he now trusts you enough not to immediately point it at him or her.

Blue is the one to follow you out to the gate of their camp.

"I hope you find something good."

"Me, too."

"You know, Ghost and I only went on one trip that I can remember," she says as she unlocks the bolts for you.

"Yeah?"

"To get him more ammo from a military base," she explains with a wave of her hand. "It was pretty close, though. He says that we went on one other trip back to Manchester when things first happened, but he carried me on his back the whole time so I don't remember much except for all the loud sounds.”

This part she adds quietly: "Think I closed my eyes for most of it."

"I would have closed my eyes, too, Blue.”

The next glimpse of civilization you get is a desolate one.

Again, you are on your own. Though, maybe you’ve been alone this whole time in a way.

It is that weird time between winter and spring when the air is crisp but the sun is bright. You hope to complete the trip in one day, which gives you about nine hours. You walk and walk, leaving Ghost's familiar territory behind until the trees become new to you again. You’ve never gone south before. You stop by a creek to drink some water along the way. By high noon, you exit the forest for the first time in five years.

You can see it. Overgrown shrubs and dry vines that crawl over cracked concrete. A road. A billboard arches over with a peeled ad for shaving cream, the woman’s face looking mangled. Your bow is poised as you follow the highway towards the village, recalling a time when you used to take the bus ride down this very route to visit your sister’s home. You liked watching the trees and rolling hills pass through the window as you tucked your ears under headphones.

It is so strange.

The air is quiet with abandonment.

Briefly, you ache for a world that once existed and the life you once lived. Car rides. Music whenever you wanted. Drunk outings on the weekends when you were supposed to be studying for nursing school. Hope for a family of your own someday.

But you have to ignore all that to stay focused on the present. Now, life is whittled down to basic needs and protecting yourself the best you can.

The village soon appears as stone buildings with unkempt wisteria scaling the sides. Abandoned cars haphazardly parked throughout the streets. You keep your guard up and your nose flared as you approach. There is a faint, awful scent that looms in the air, but it is not strong enough to cause concern. Not yet.

A pharmacy.

You need to find one.

If you want to make it back to their camp by nightfall, then you can only waste about an hour or two here. You could spend the night in a tree and trek the 20 kilometers tomorrow, but sleeping in a branch is even more unpleasant than your shed and it is risky. You were willing to do it when you had no other choice, but what if some unfriendly people find you this time? Perhaps even unfriendlier than the threat of Ghost's knife to your neck.

An hour is killed just searching for the pharmacy.

You roam the empty streets.

Finally, you catch sight of the faded sign and your heart leaps. But the excitement fades away when your nose and eyes detect the group of Greys just outside the building in an empty parking lot. Their pale eyes aren’t pointed at you yet, so you move behind a crumpled car for cover. If you had gotten any closer, they surely would've smelled your human flesh.

You take a deep breath. How many are there?

Carefully, you poke your head out just an inch to survey the threat. Six of those fucks. That is doable given the range.

The last time you ran into Greys, you had no choice but to run because of the bow Ghost stepped on. This time, you can kill them off with the bow carved by his hands.

You are quick with it. You stand and release arrow by arrow. Four of the six are headshots. You aren't perfect. The last two receive arrows through their shoulders, but this type of wound means nothing to a Grey. It is their brains that are infected with the virus, just like Blue said.

These two begin running towards you, now catching a whiff of your scent.

You climb on top of the car. Hitting a running target is far trickier. You go for the faster one first, using two more arrows before hitting the skull, grey chunks of brain splattering onto the concrete. The slower one just barely reaches the car before you finish it off, the closer distance sharpening this final hit.

The pharmacy is reachable now.

As you run over, you gather the used arrows. Precious ammo. You pull them out of their bodies with a twist and a putrid squelch.

When you push through the doors to the pharmacy, you almost choke. The shelves— they are empty. You breeze through every aisle, eyes and hands seeking anything that could be left, but there is nothing. You check the back. You check the shelves behind the counter.

Empty, empty, empty.

“Oh, fuck me,” you croak. Hot tears spill down your cheeks.

You half expected this.

But you’ve come all this way.

You need something.

There must be somewhere else you can look.

The cars maybe. Most people used to keep med kits somewhere inside. There is a slight chance that one could’ve been forgotten. It is worth a try.

You keep moving, not wanting to return with an empty bag. The white sun hangs high. The dry air turns your tear-stained cheeks sticky. You pick up rocks to begin breaking the windows of the abandoned cars, poking your arm inside to undo the locks, and rummaging through the glove compartments.

CDs, magazines, condom wrappers.

Nothing.

“Please, please.”

You make it down the street like this, checking every single one. Distracted, you shatter the glass of a white sedan without noticing the shadow laying in the backseat.

Fingers wrap around your wrist as you reach for the inner lock.

A maggot-filled mouth lurches for the flesh of your hand.

An arrow won't work here. With a cry, you use your free hand to grab the revolver from your pocket and shoot its head. The sound echoes. The single bullet burrows right between its eyes. The Grey writhes for a moment before going limp against the seat.

Panting, you have to pry the bony fingers off your wrist.

Again, you search the glove compartment. In this car where the stench is thick enough to sicken you, a med kit and a Twix bar fall into your hands.

“Fuck— thank you.”

You stash both into your homemade bag.

You could leave now, but you are itching for some antibiotics. The kit will help you clean wounds without Ghost's help, but it won’t save you if you develop an infection.

The next idea you have is to check a house.

By the look of the sky, you can fit in at least two quick searches. You run over to the next street and kick at the front door of the first one you see. Nothing but knocked-over furniture and torn wallpaper. The bathroom cabinet is empty.

The next one you fight inside is decorated with furniture that smells like faded perfume. The first room you check is a bedroom. In the center, a full set of bones lies on the bed, void of any meat after God knows how long its been there. You try not to look at it. On the floor lies a pile of clothes. You could use some more, still dressed in the ones Ghost found you in. You don't even look at them, just grab what you can fit in your bag and move on to the bathroom.

Here, beside a pair of molded dentures, you find two half-full bottles of pills.

Amoxicillin.

Paracetamol.

You cry some more.

It's not much, but it is enough for now.

Your muscles are fatigued by the time you make it back.

You reek of sweat. It is a long walk. You run into a few more Greys but manage them. You eat the squirrel you brought.

Darkness covers the forest just when you spot the camp's fence in the distance. Relief. You actually did it. Some pride breathes into your tired lungs.

As you get closer, you make out two silhouettes leaving the gate. One is a girl who you tiredly smile at the sight of, and the other is a bulky tank.

You leap over the trench.

But when your boots land on the other side, the end of a rifle pokes your breastbone and prevents you from getting any closer.

"Ghost."

You can't help but shout at him, eyes widening. He is pointing a gun at you? You were just beginning to think he could tolerate you enough to not threaten murder anymore. The memory of your first encounter resurfaces.

"It's just me! What the hell are you doing?"

Panic finds you once again. Your chest rises and falls under his gun’s touch. You glance at Blue, who tries to get near you, but he sticks out an arm to keep her away.

"Dad," Blue groans, "Do you really have to— ”

The tip of the rifle brushes up over your collarbone and toward your neck. Your nerves awaken under cold metal.

"Let me see." His voice is firm.

Oh. Bites. He wants to see if you have any bites.

"Okay, okay." You nod breathlessly.

Swallowing, you gather your braided hair in your hands as he clicks on a flashlight. You have not been offered string to tie them with so most of the hair has fallen out as always. You roll your neck to one side, and then to the other to show him the unmarked skin. But he is not satisfied yet.

He moves the rifle down to the hem of your shirt and uses it to lift up the fabric just beneath your breasts, revealing the skin of your stomach and ribs. You should feel exposed, standing here with your bare midriff under the light, but the two of them have already seen this much of you. You are more concerned about the fact that he could kill you if he actually suspects you could’ve been bitten.

The cold air invites a shiver. Your teeth clench as you stare at him. In the darkness, his eyes almost lean red.

He lowers your shirt.

"Roll 'em up for me,” he demands, now giving a nod to your trousers.

You bend over to roll up the pantlegs, all the way up to your knees so he can’t complain about it. All that is revealed are your unshaven legs and sweat-laced socks. You are sure they can smell them from where they stand.

"She doesn't have any stupid bites, Ghost, alright?"

Blue tugs at his arm with a huff. Finally, the rifle lowers. You straighten back up and exhale the short breath you were holding.

There is a silent moment where the three of you just stand there. An owl hoots. Ghost rubs at his masked jaw and looks you over some more, eyes flicking to the filled bag over your shoulder with a raised brow.

And then, something unexpected.

A small body whirls into yours and you almost stumble back in a step. Blue wraps her arms around your waist and excitedly breathes out, "I knew you'd make it back. Ghost said you wouldn't. I told him you would."

What?

It is a short-lived hug.

But still, the first one you have had in a long time.

After this tiring day, your eyes close with some more moisture. It is a strange feeling, her young embrace. Her palms spread flat against your back and she presses her forehead to your shoulder because she is tall enough to reach it. You are just about to hug her in return, move your arms around her shoulders out of instinct, but she is soon tugged away by a skeletal hand. Her blue eyes drift down to her boots. She looks a mix of irritated and embarrassed.

In a daze, you end up back in the warmth of the cabin.

Blue begs you to show her what you found. You dump the contents of your pillowcase onto the table. Her father’s shadow lurks behind you somewhere, always watching and taking up space, but for now, you ignore him.

You cannot recall a time when you were in this kind of mood. It is enough to surface the waters of your grief. Because now, your survival does not have to rely so much on Ghost's mercy or the risk of Blue’s sneaky hands. Food, a med kit, one type of antibiotic. It should all be enough to keep you alive - to take care of yourself - for at least however long you end up staying here.

"Shit balls." Blue rummages through the goods. "You did pretty good."

"Right? I can't believe it," you whisper numbly. You wipe your eyes.

She holds up the clothes first, starting with a large, floral blouse that looks like something an old lady would wear. Her head tips back with a giggle.

"This is way too big for you."

"I'll make it work," you say, shrugging, but almost manage a quiet laugh, too. You don't really give a fuck what the clothes look like. At least you can change finally into something else - something that didn’t belong to your dead companions.

Where you care about the medicine, Blue is far more intrigued by the candy bar she discovers. She holds it up, and inspects the wrapper with curiously wide eyes, shooting a glance at her dad.

"T-w-i-x," she sounds out with pinched brows. She looks back at you. "What's this?"

"It's like... chocolate," you tell her.

"Oh— no way. Could I try some?"

You don't really care about the Twix bar. You almost forgot about it since the moment you found it in the car. But before you can tell her she can just have it as a late birthday gift - because she has done so much for you - Ghost moves to take it from her hands.

He puts it back down on the table.

“What’s hers is hers, kid. That’s how it works here.“

[thedisablednaturalist]

If you are someone who hates bugs and kills them on sight (except for those that can actually cause considerable harm) please..just..take a second...think before you act. Does that bug need to die? Are you killing it just to feel better?

Yes, phobias are real. I have arachnophobia. And it's taken a long time for me to get to the point I'm at now where i can hold jumping spiders and be sort of near wolf spiders. I still struggle but to be in a field where you're outside a lot, you have to get comfortable with spiders sometimes crawling on you.

The first step is respect. You don't have to like or enjoy bugs. But you need to respect what their role is in the environment. To make it easier, think of animals you DO like and learn about their relationship with bugs. You really like birds? Well guess what a ton of birds eat. Even birds that don't directly eat bugs may eat things that do (ya know the whole food web thing). Bugs also may positively impact their environment through nutrient cycling, eating other, more destructive bugs, eating harmful molds, bacteria, or fungi, pollination, etc.

I used to be skeeved out by a lot of bugs, particularly bug larvae. Guess what I'm studying right now? Invertebrates are so interesting once you get past the initial discomfort.

Many of us believe invertebrates = gross/scary. This needs to stop. Invertebrates are going extinct so fast and because everyone hates them we don't have enough research to even know how many we are losing. Pesticides/herbicides have completely wiped out a significant portion of the invertebrate population, and that's along with other things like pollution, ocean acidification, invasive species, etc.

We are losing spiders. We are losing centipedes. We are losing tiny flies. We are losing worms and beetles and bees and wasps. We are losing butterflies and fireflies. Some invertebrate species only exist in one small pond or cave. Some have never actually been seen and some have only been seen once. And its affecting all of us. Fish are disappearing from streams because there's nothing to eat. Amphibians are disappearing because there's nothing to eat (and bc of chytrid fungus). Bats are disappearing because there's nothing to eat (and bc of white nose syndrome). Pangolins, axolotls, red pandas, armadillos, woodpeckers, monkeys, salamanders, these all have diets that are either partially or only fulfilled by bugs.

I go outside in the summer, and don't even have to use bug spray anymore. I remember getting chased by swarms of nats and mosquitos. Nights glittering with hundreds of fireflies. Now I only worry about mosquitos in the spring by the water. Even then I have maybe 5 bites at most, when before I used to be covered in bites from being outside. Before I was born, windshields used to be COVERED in bugs when you went down the highway.

Please, you don't have to like them, but please make an effort to change your initial reaction. They are earthlings just like us. They don't deserve to die because they aren't cute. We need more funding and research. They are getting wiped out and people think that's a fucking good thing. Stop using bug zappers. Try using bug repellent that doesn't have DEET in it (only use it if absolutely necessary), take the bug out in a cup and piece of paper, use methods other than pesticides to get pests out of your garden. Yes sometimes you need to kill a tick or get the termites or ants out of your house. Sometimes a venomous spider gets in your house and it's not safe to handle them. Sometimes they are killing your plants and you need to get rid of them. But a harmless millipede who's one defense is to literally curl into a little spiral and is completely harmless? Does it really have to die?

[miss-tc-nova]

In a Blink - Leona x Reader

I fucking slow blinked at a video of a cat slow blinking, so I had to write this story because I would fucking do this. I can't control it anymore. Written in the span of a few hours and on the spur of the moment.

Premise: Slow blinking at big kitty

Words: 846

~~~~~

               I carry two trays across the loud, chattery room. Several of my first-year friends are sitting around a table, already digging into their lunches. I greet them as I take my seat and my feline partner and I dig in. There’s never a dull moment with these guys and the Heartslabyul boys are already, comically in the midst of an argument when we join them with Jack mediating and Epel being no help at all.

               “What do you think?”

               Ace turns the conversation on me.

               “Ace, listen to me. There is no world in which you can take on a bear and live.” I point to the Pomfiore student. “You can’t even take Epel, let alone Jack.”

               Ace and Epel frown. Suddenly, the hierarchy of muscle comes into question as my boys break back into the heated discussion.

               My gaze shifts as I laugh. That’s when those intense eyes snare me—scrutinizing, bored, unblinking.

               Leona Kingscholar is a force to be reckoned with. His social status could have me removed from his vicinity with a single word. Hell, he could easily just get rid of me himself with all that power and wit he’s got. Pushing my luck is putting it lightly when I imposed on Savanaclaw while dealing with Azul and his henchmen. I had a direct hand in the events that lead to him exposing his deepest scars. My very first meeting with him started with me treading on his tail. A powerful man in almost every aspect with several reasons to loathe me, I should be cowering beneath his watch.

               But he tolerates me. I can’t call us friends, but I’m not afraid of Leona. I can walk by without flinching. Sometimes I ask him what plants I’m looking for when Professor Crewel sends me to the botanical gardens. Even when I was purposely keeping him up all night to convince him to help me get Ramshackle back, we just talked. Half of it may have been “Why are you so annoying?” and “I would throw you off the balcony if it wasn’t so much effort”, but there were some other words in there too. Point is, he could mess me up but I’m not worth the effort. And I take that as a win.

               Without thinking, I tilt my head and let my eyelids slowly fall.

               Immediately, fire surges into my ears at the devious smirk that stretches his lips. A hand flies to my mouth.

               I’ve made a mistake.

               From Grim I picked up the habit of slow blinking. Though the little dire beast is likely unaware of his instinctual message, the first time I blinked back, he was ecstatic. That day, I couldn’t go anywhere without him following and chattering away. Thus I began to return and initiate the gesture whenever Grim and I made eye contact—just a little message to say “I like you.” Soon enough, that little action became ingrained in my daily life and I’d find myself doing it to friends. Thankfully, they seemed unaware that I was even doing such silly things.

               But Leona knows.

               That smile screams that he’s fully aware of my implied message though I only did so out of silly habit. I’m mortified. Nobody was supposed to know—even Grim doesn’t consciously know that I do this. But of course I had to slow blink at the one freaking feline beastman that would know what I was doing. More than anything, I want to launch myself out the nearest window than face the humiliation he can wrought.

               “Isn’t that right, hench human?” Grim’s voice jerks my attention back to my friends.

               The noise falls from my mouth. “Huh?”

               Epel leans closer. “Are you okay? Your face is as red as an apple on my family’s farm.”

               “Do you want me to carry you to the nurse?” Jack offers.

               “N-No! I’m fine!” I stammer.

               I miss Deuce’s comments that gets them back into their discussion, but my head is still scrambling around my embarrassment. My gaze once again finds the lion prince. Still he stares with that smile that clamps down on my heart.

               Then his stare breaks, slow, steady, and intentional.

               My panic comes to a grinding halt. Suddenly that smile I thought to be a death sentence seems more genuine. I’m utterly baffled. Maybe he doesn’t just tolerate me.

               Maybe we are friends.

               With that, the lion picks up his tray and walks away as if nothing at all had happened.

               “Yo, what areyou looking at?” Ace turns in his seat, trying to see my point of view.

               Oh I can’t tell him. I can’t tell anyone. Otherwise everyone will know of my silly habit and I’ll get so much flack for it. Leona knows this. Maybe we aren’t friends. Maybe I’m prey. Whatever it is, I’m now confused as hell.

               “It’s nothing!” I snap.

               “Are you sure you’re okay?” Deuce asks. “You shouldn’t push yourself if you’re not feeling well.”

               Groaning, I let my burning face fall into my hands.

               Maybe I should still jump out the window.

[manicpixiedreamcurl]

Headcanon: Eddie likes it when you're a little mean

Warnings: alternative bondage (don't smudge your nail polish, Eddie), oral (m receiving), edging, dacryphilia, vague mention of orgasm control.

A/N: in a twist nobody saw coming, Jo writes dom!reader.

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"This is fucking torture," Eddie breathes, thighs twitching under your palms. "You're torturing me right now. That's- that's illegal."

You might laugh at such a statement from your weed smoking, underage drinking, drug dealing boyfriend if your mouth weren't full and drooling around him.

You blink up at him as you pull away. The slow drag of your tongue and the soft inside of your lips along his cock have him letting out a whine approximate to a sad puppy from the back of his throat, high and heartbreaking. It makes your clit throb.

"I can stop if you want," you murmur, laying gentle kisses to the sensitive spot under the round end of his cock. Eddie's hair flies around him with how fast his head shakes, frizzing his curls. You smile, thinking about how you'll look after him when this is over.

You love Eddie all the time. Hyperactive and fidgety when he speaks, focused and alive with a guitar in his hands, blushing and bashful when you call him pretty.

But there's something that warms you from the inside out about Eddie after you've teased him to tears, coaxed him to orgasm kicking and screaming. Boneless, satisfied, quiet; he'll stare at you with those big eyes while you run a hot bath, let you pull him in with his back to your chest so you can rub his shoulders, wash his hair with the care he never gives it on his own. He'll hum happily while you comb that frizz away with your fingers and apple conditioner, let him rest on your chest after until the water goes tepid.

"Please," Eddie gasps when the fantasy has left you teasing the one spot too long for his comfort, his cock aching and full. You didn't think dicks could be pretty until you saw Eddie's like this the first time, pink, slick and twitchy from the tip to his heavy balls. "Please, please, please let me fuck your throat."

Your lips quirk. Wrapping your fingers around him, you pull and twist gently, angling his cock just right so you can settle in between his thighs.

"How you gonna do that without your hands, Eddie?" You ask, opening your mouth to let his balls find your soft tongue. You lathe over them, let him feel the warmth and wet of you where he's sensitive. You get the taste of salt and Eddie in return.

"Jesus Christ," he whines, those big hands of his rising from the bed for a moment before he realises his mistake and presses them flat to the mattress at his sides again. Your chest aches for your well behaved boy even as he whines like a brat. "Why'd you have to paint them before? Coulda- shit, coulda done it after."

You suck gently, humming your consideration around soft flesh. "You get sleepy when you cum, sweet boy. Couldn't have you smudging my hard work rubbing those pretty eyes, could I?"

"Think you planned it," he says, cock weeping at the feeling of your smile against his balls. "Wanted me helpless."

"Me?" You ask, thumb rubbing over the weeping head of his cock. You leave wet kisses up the side of him, silky skin over steel. "That's quite the accusation, Eddie."

You sink your mouth down his heavy dick, fighting your body's reflexes to take him deep, sure he can feel your throat tightening to try and get rid of him. Another day, this is where Eddie's hands would fly to the back of your head, press you down to the end of him until your nose is tickled by dark hair. You see them fly up again in your periphery, shaking in the air and dropping again with a cry from the boy himself. "Stay there. Please, stay there, m'gonna- fuck!"

You pull away with a mean clasp at the base of his cock, watching the tears in his eyes as you blink away all those that choking on him drew from yours.

You can't help it. His shiny eyes, wet cheeks, shaking-bitten-swollen bottom lip. Looking at him like this makes you clench down on emptiness, panties sticking uncomfortably to the wet skin between your thighs.

No-one else in the world looks as pretty crying as Eddie.

You coo, playing with his cock, dragging your own spit up and down with a filthy wet noise at each end. "Always so desperate. You'd rub yourself raw without me, hm?"

He nods, eyes fluttering. You hear a soft sniffle. Your clit aches. "Used to, all the time."

"I know," you nod back. "But you don't have to anymore. Know it hurts now, but it's better in the end, right? You cum so much, Eddie. Fill me up every time."

His legs jerk, and you know he's thinking about the warmth and satisfaction of cumming in your soft cunt. He's told you himself how much he thinks about it. The sensation of feeling his release around his cock, sticky and hot inside you, comes to mind even when you're not there, sneaks up on him in class, during Hellfire, when he's stuck at a red light.

Eddie mumbles another please, voice barely above a whisper. He sniffs, blinks, and catches your eyes. "'ve been good,"

"You're always good, Eddie."

You get the softest smile from him then. A little shy, looking to the side of your head and then back. You sigh dreamily, achingly in love with him, and rest your head on his knee.

In your fantasies, you can keep him going like this for hours, till he's writhing and sweaty and half hating you. But you're not quite strong enough. You can't help but go soft at how proud Eddie gets to be called good.

"Want you to cum in my mouth," you tell him, adoring the shake of his knee under your cheek, the desperate nod, his cock jumping between your fingers. "Whenever you want, sweet boy."

"Thankyouthankyouthanky-" Eddie groans, tense and shaking. He fights what's coming when you take his head into your mouth and suck, knowing if he just lasts a little longer-

You moan around his cock at the sight of him, swallow him down until his sensitive head fills your throat to silence. Your fingers finds his balls, a gentle carress to coax warm cum from them. Eddie watches his cock vanish and reappear from between your spit soaked lips, his own mouth wide and loose to let pretty moans out. He presses the pads of his fingers to the mattress, something in the back of his mind telling him to keep them flat even now.

You play along the thick vein under his cock with your tongue at every movement of your mouth around him, feel it tremble and twitch. This is your favourite part, what makes the long buildup worth every empty, desperate clench of your cunt.

"Nothing feels so good, baby," Eddie says, the delicious stream of consciousness he lets out when you have him here, knowing you're finally going to let him finish with your warmth around him. "Never dreamed I'd ever get this - shit. You on your knees. Your mouth is magic, it's so good- it's so fucking good-"

He falls back, hips rolling up into your mouth. You let him take this, forcing himself a little deeper while he cums in long ropes you can feel sliding down your throat.

You keep him warm until he's whining and oversensitive. Having missed out on his taste, you indulge in wide licks to his head. It must hurt a little, but Eddie only curls his toes, lets you taste what little still clings to him.

You settle back onto your calves and watch him, warmed by the sight of his softening, satisfied cock resting on his thigh. His soft tummy rises and falls with every deep breath, his legs still twitching slightly with aftershocks.

You kiss his knee, press your cheek there to lean against him.

"Let me see your hands, Eddie."

A little more his usual self, he wiggles his fingers at you without sitting up, breathing a final Jesus H Christ into the air while you inspect his hands.

Still as neat as you ever get them with your less than perfect skills and Eddie's constant movement. Ten shiny black nails, not a smudge in sight.

[rubixpsyche]

What’re your headcanons for human!Vox?

Like: Name, specific nationalities, any preferences, what’s changed since he died, etc . Just !!! I love your headcanons so much I need to know more .

Asian!Vox hc

It's my lil baby ok it's my most precious hc to me. (Everything here is up to change because I have not had time to research the diaspora experience and era in which he lived in). Thanks so much for asking, I went overboard tbh this could be 3 posts by itself

Name: Without the best grasp and exposure to English names, someone cruelly suggested one as a joke when he arrived in America and he trusted them, only to find out too late to change it that it was bad, either because people could make fun of him for it, or because it was a name of a infamous figure of the time, and everytime someone made the same stupid joke about it for the rest of his career he got more and more frustrated. (I feel mean picking out an english name and saying it's a 'bad' or stupid one, so hey maybe I'll hold a vote or look up some history.) This constant fucking humiliation is what leads to him overdoing it with learning english, and why he named himself Vox in hell.

He had to live his life talked over, given a name he fucking hated. In death he would speak for himself. And for all these Sinners. This time He would be Their Voice. He'd even make them think it was their choice.

(I'll make up his traditional name later, excited to try)

Nationality: Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Hong Kong. Anyone who speaks Cantonese knows where I'm going with this HAHAHAHAAAAA. Oh I just want to make him swear so beautifully. He doesn't do it much at all in Hell, the internalized racism has him trying so hard to make people think he was white in life. Anytime he does speak canto he tries to pass it off as him having learnt the language for business. This works since he actually has learnt several more languages over the years because that fear of being misrepresented haunts him. With how technology has progressed, I think he would have learnt German, Japanese and Korean, so he could better ensnare newly deceased Sinners he knows worked in the big tech companies in life. Those NDAs don't extend here.

Sometimes he just stews because he knows he could insult someone so well, or at least in a way that will truly satisfy him, but he has to keep his trap shut and his language English. This is also why he gets so fucking flustered in Stayed Gone. He knows he could outperform Alastor EASILY if he wasn't slowed down translating himself. Also why he still uses old slang.

I can't control myself so, readmore time

Vark gets special rambling in cantonese priviledges. I think he is so (affectionately) mean to Vark. He can do that run-on insult thing for 15 minutes. Vark is just happy to be here. People think Vark is bad at listening to orders, secretly Vox has trained em to only listen to canto instructions. Anything in english just flies over his head.

Everything else: I keep just projecting people I know onto em. I think he had (and still does) a janky idea of what "Successful" people looked like, fashion-wise, and emulated it both when he was struggling to make it to now with all his success. Velvette is fucking dieing. That watch is tacky, she doesn't care how expensive it is, get rid of it. Oh my god noone wears chains like that anymore.

He pretends to like all that high-end cuisine and wines, but really he still loves proper savoury food and the cheap beers he had at home or at the places he gambled at (big gambler by the way. Not in a self-sabotaging way, but it was his only socialization outside of work, in life, where he could fucking relax and chat with all the other immigrants there) (they were milking him for all he's worth btw. My god). Everytime a proper chef lands in Hell he snaps them up in the hopes he can get really good food in his tower right at home.

Actually he's still a little bit superstitious, although sometimes he questions the point of that when they're in the Afterlife and have seen the 'answers' noone would ever get in life. It brings him some comfort though, and in some way makes him feel like he still remembers his life. He hates remembering his life but some part of it is so afraid of losing it and himself.

Preferences: To me he reads as someone that ENTIRELY misunderstood his attraction to men as just general admiration. He wanted to be those successful guys, he wanted their lives. Which was true but he was also a lil thirsty. I think he would have gotten a wife, because that was a sign of success, as would having successful/smart children. This is mostly dependant on how long he actually lived. If he died young, or if he was that dedicated to his career, he might not have courted anyone long enough to get married. They would not have been happy.

Even in death he still thought his attraction was just admiration, but he wasn't super resistant to the idea of allowing himself to 'start' getting into men when the general position of Hell changed. As in once sinners didn't give a shit and were openly all queer, he thought noone could give him shit for it, and acted as if he always knew, that he has sooo much experience. Faking it till he makes it. He just had really high standards, guys. Falls into Valentino's bed. Alright.

The 'point' of straight relationships, to him in life, was the nuclear family goal. But noone in hell can reproduce, so who cares!

I wanna nonbinary this fucker so bad but that's too much projection, perhaps, and honestly could be its own post since I would absolutely connect that to the Mechanical thing.

Oh I have/will have more next time, for now I wanna reply to this before it's been too long. Thanks again and ask me more anytime!!

[reasonandempathy]

Looking on from abroad, I don't like any of the recent rulings by SCOTUS ideologically, but they're also clearly correct. The constitution is not in line with liberal or leftwing values. Like I'm not saying "thus these values should not be pursued", but the court's role is to say what the constitution says; and the constitution says "fuck the poor" etc.

They're not though. Before getting into it you need to be aware that there are proper and improper procedures for how these things are done. It makes sense, because otherwise the Supreme Court could pro-actively dictate what the law is and isn't, as you understand.

There have to be cases brought to them, there need to be parties to that case, etc. Does this make sense?

With that said, a brief line about why the recent rulings are actually incorrect.

Dobbs v Jackson (Overturning Roe v Wade) - Arguably the most defensible ruling, it still flies in the face on 50 years of legal precedent, the rulings stand in exact opposition to sworn testimony of many of the judges, and it's still wildly ideologically driven. They were put on that bench to overrule Roe and they took the opportunity to do so.

Biden v Nebraska (No student debt relief) - The Heroes act, which was the law at question, gave the secretary of education the ability to modify or waive parts of the law. The majority opinion is very much a "you're right by what the law says, but it looks wrong to us." They rooted a lot of their ruling on "There's no way that Congress wanted this" despite the heroes act explicitly being for the relief of educational debt during times of national crisis.

Stewart (Gay Web Design) - There is no case. On top of the fact that this is explicitly counter to the entirety of existing civil rights law, precedent, and theory, the web designer was never asked to make a gay wedding website. It was a god damn sham from the word go. It was rooted in a theoretical "wouldn't it be fucked up if I had to do a thing?" It also gives the framework and arguments, in the Justices own god-damnable words, to overturn the Civil Rights Act, Gay Marriage laws, and even a whole host of anti-espionage laws. I actually would like some of those to be overturned, but I'm including them here to emphasize how idiotic, short-sighted, and bullshit the ruling was.

SFA vs Harvard (Affirmative Action) - Also flies in the face of decades of precedent and laws, but more importantly it flies in the face of this own court's other rulings. You may have heard about Allen v Milligan, where the Supreme Court threw out an Alabama congressional map for being really, really racist. That's correct: the map was, but the support for throwing it out was the same argument for the dissent in this case. State bodies can use racial makeup and information in efforts to eliminate racist institutions.

You can make judgments based on race if you're getting rid of racism, basically. Which is what Affirmative Action is intended to do. People can argue that it might need to be more fluid, less restrictive, or reconfigured frequently, sure. But that is a legitimate pursuit and application of governmental power.

There are more problems, and more cases, but there's a reason why law schools and firms all over the country are collectively giving side-eye and shit-talk to this Court.

[thescarletwitchsapprentice]

Forever Home (Yandere!Platonic!Wanda Maximoff/Yandere!Platonic!Scarlet Witch x female!autistic!chaos magic user!ADHD!young adult!reader)

Summary: Your desperate escape attempt from a superwitch seems to come to a standstill thanks to two of your greatest enemies; guilt and splinters.

(CW: Injury, sensory overload, endless house, idk what else, being trapped I guess?)

Author’s Note: There aren’t enough platonic fics.

The house seems endless as you rush through it, trying to find a way out, though you have no doubt that that’s intentional.

Your heart’s beating like mad as you slide around every corner, trying to hide. The anxiety is palpable for you; at only 24, you’re being hunted down, but not by the law. Instead it’s by a woman who’s deemed you her little sister; and to make matters worse, said woman has powerful magic and is corrupted by an evil book.

A case of the Mondays, am I right?

Everything seems too loud to you; your bare feet on the floor, (as you decided to try to leave without your shoes so that they wouldn't make too much noise) your hyperventilating, even the tears seem to have sound now. You need to find somewhere to hide, someplace dark or at least dim, someplace away from your guilt.

Soon you spy a door left open, you don’t even think twice before rushing inside and shutting it. You keep going, rushing down a flight of stairs; your hair only adds to the sensory overload as it brushes against your face and even sticks to it from the tears.

“When I said I wanted someone to take care of me and help me train this new fucking magic that just appeared out of nowhere, this is not what I mean,” you pant as you look around for a place to hide.

That’s another advantage she has over you; she knows her magic, you don’t know yours.

You dash inside of a nearby closet, shut the door, crawl as far back as you can, hide behind a wall of stuff, and sit on the floor, rocking back and forth; the lump in your throat is difficult to get rid of. You feel guilty for trying to leave her, but you also don’t like losing your freedom. You’ve been so scared to tell her, though.

Your stomach churns as you try not to cry out. She gets more protective of you when you cry and if she finds you and sees you with tears in your eyes, she’ll never leave your side. Oh, God.....why did she have to see all of those fucking memories? Yeah, your inner child might be bruised up, but there’s therapy for that, right?

Suddenly you hear footsteps and your brain freezes up. Part of you wants to rush into her arms and cry, but the logical part of you is telling you to keep your fucking mouth shut. But you feel so sick, partially from running, partially from guilt, partially from fear. And then you feel a sort of tickling on your bare feet, but also some pain.

Feeling over your feet, you realize that they’re covered in splinters. Wincing, you try to pull them out yourself, but suddenly the splinter somehow transfers to your thumb, getting in it fairly well.

And that’s when the cup spills over.

You cry out the loudest you ever have, the sound almost shaking the closet. Immediately the door opens and in rushes the person who’s been pursuing you.

“Little sister!”

Wanda kneels next to you, using her magic as a light source. As if on instinct, you practically rush into her, grappling onto her as you weep. She hugs you in return, rubbing your back.

“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” you whimper over and over again.

Wanda gently shushes you.

“It’s alright,” she assures you. “I’m just glad you’re safe, little sister.”

“M-my feets and thumb....they huwt,” you sniffle, feeling like a scared child.

“I know, those splinters....they’re big meanies, huh?” she asks.

“Mm-hmm.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll get those pulled out. And then we can cuddle. Would you like that, little sister?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Standing up, still hugging you and rubbing your back, Wanda gently flies out of the room with you. It was honestly a stroke of luck that she found you. If those splinters weren’t there, she might’ve not been able to find you.

She brings you to your shared bedroom and places you on your bed.

“Why did you try to run away, anyhow?” she asks you.

“I’m scared of losing my freedom,” you confess.

Wanda’s heart melts; she knows that you’re being honest, having major trouble with lies and telling them. Well, except when you’re fine, she knows you sometimes lie about that, but you don’t lie to her out of malice. She gives you your stuffed unicorn.

“This is gonna hurt a little, okay?” she warns you.

“A-are you mad at me?” you whimper as she begins to use her magic to pull out the splinters, starting with the thumb one.

She waits until she pulls out the splinter she’s currently working on to answer.

“No, I’m not mad, little sister,” she confesses gently as she continues to pull them out. “I know that all of this is such a sudden change, but I want to help you feel at home here. I’m glad that you were honest with me about why you tried to run off as well. But I promise that I’ll open up more of this place to you once you’ve adjusted here. I don’t want to overwhelm you with so many changes all at once.”

“But....what about my freedom in the world out there?” you ask innocently.

Wanda pauses for a moment before getting up and sitting on the bed next to you; gently she pets your head.

“You don’t need that world,” she tells you. “It’s not a world that an angel like you belongs in, a world that doesn’t deserve you. All it’s done is hurt you, just because of who you are. But I won't. No, I love you as you are, little sister, and I always will.”

Hearing this, you smile. You don’t care anymore that she’s found you. She’ll be able to protect you and love you. You won’t have to worry about being alone anymore.

“I love you, big sis,” you sniffle as you lean in and hug her.

She smiles.

“I love you too, little sister,” she replies before doing a little quick spell, one that you don’t notice. She lets go after a bit. “Now let’s finish getting those mean old splinters out.”

She manages to get the rest of them out and disinfect both your foot and thumb before bandaging them up. The two of you cuddle as you watch The Dick Van Dyke Show, with you being completely unaware that the spell Wanda cast, as one of the main parts of it, made it so that you’ll never be able to leave this place. It will always morph so that any future escape attempts will lead right back to her or, if she’s out getting groceries or something, back to the bedroom you both share. It also stopped both of you from aging and also assured immortality, so that you two can be a family even beyond the end of time.

After all, this is your forever home.

And your big sister is ready and willing to make sure that that fact sticks in your head.

“I’m all that you need, little sister...”

[captainlunaxmen]

The Lady and the Lord

Chapter 7

Eddie munsom x fem!reader

This is a repost since the old blog doesn't work anymore. 🥰

Chapter summary: pur young adults are stuck in the Upside Down and they do need to get back. But this experience might not be all bad.

Chapter warnings: spoiler season 4, blood, injuries.

If someone told me this morning I'd find myself fighting demonic creatures in the UpsideDown... again... I would've scoffed... loudly.

But yet... that's exactly what I'm doing now: fighting demonic bats in the Upside Down with... oars.

We got rid of some bats that were biting on Steve's sides, but they keep coming and coming.

"Nancy!" I scream as she's attacked by a bat on her back "Stay still"

I strike with all the force I got, the bat whimpers and flies away.

Eddie and Robin got here too, luckily I might add because there are way too many bats for only three people, one of them being held down too.

As they fight off some of those creature I turn to check on Steve who managed to free himself from the bat's hold around his neck and grabs its tail.

"Come here"

"Shit shit shit"

We're all busy using everything possible to hit and kill these things. As I'm about to hit another bat away, another one attached itself to my left arm, biting down.

"Fuck!" I instinctively yell, shaking my arm to get rid of it, but no use.

"I got it, I got it" Eddie runs towards me hitting the bat to the ground and I immediately impale the thing.

"Thanks" I breathlessly say and he nods.

We turn around hearing Steve grunting, seeing him smashing the same bat, that held him down, on the ground and at the end ripping the creature in two.

Quite the hot scene.. if you ask me.. but anyway, the most important thing is that he's.. alive, not sure if he's okay, but he's alive.

I run to him, along with Nancy.

"Steve.."

"Jesus H. Christ!" I hear Eddie yell out of frustration.

"Oh shit... how you feel?" I say looking at Steve's wounds.

"Well, they took about a pound of flesh" he tells us "but other than that, yeah, never better"

"Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?" Robin asks suddenly, as she looks at one of the dead bat on the ground.

"What?" Steve asks, very confused.

"It's just that rabies are, like, my number one greatest fear. And I think we should probably get you to a doctor, like, really soon, because once symptoms set in, it's too late. You're already, like, dead." She rambles.

"Robin, I'm sure-" I start, wanting to reassure her, but I get cut off by the sound of creature chittering.

We look towards the noise and see those bats again, flying towards us, but not quite... they gather around the gate.

"All right. There's not that many" Steve tries "we can take 'em. Right?"

More chittering... and more bats coming.

"You were saying?" Robin says.

"Shit"

"The woods. Come on" Nancy starts to run towards the woods and we all follow her carefully not stepping on the vines.

We ran until we arrive to the Upside Down version of Skull Rock and hide under the stone waiting for the bats to fly beyond that place. All ears to see when the right time to come out arrives.

"Oh.. okay. That was close" Robin comments as we get up.

"Yeah, too close" Eddie replies in a small voice.

"Oh sh.. shit" Steve whispers as he lean on the rock for support.

"Steve.. jesus" Nancy's immediately by his side.

"I'm fine. I'm fine" he replies.

"You're clearly not, Stevie. You're losing too much blood" I tell him getting closer too.

"Yeah exactly" Nancy agrees as together we look closely at those bites.

"C'mon, c'mon sit" she tells him.

Steve with a painful grunt sits.

"Oh" Robin comes closer too.

"That's... a big bite" I comment "does anyone have something to use as.. a bandage or something?" I ask.

Nancy immediately rips her shirt.

"Okay" Robin kneels down with us "so the good news is I'm pretry sure wooziness is not a symptom of rabies. But if you start having hallucinations or muscles spasms, or you start feeling aggressive, like you wanna punch me, let me know."

"Robin" Steve stops her.

"Yeah?"

"I kinda wanna punch you" he says, making me giggle with some relief.

"Sense of humor's still intact. That's a good sign" she laughs nervously and turn to look at me, I nod to help her calm down.

Nancy is ready with the "bandage".

"Here" I help Steve standing straight off the rock, just enough to let Nancy cover his wounds.

While Nancy finishes knotting the ripped shirt on Steve I get up and walk close to Robin as Eddie climb up a big stone to get a better look at the surrounding, I think.

"So, uh, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?" He asks turning to us.

"Basically, yeah" I answer.

He just nods and goes to climb back down, but Nancy warns him.

"Watch out for the vines. It's all a hive mind."

"It's all a what?" Eddie says confused.

"All the creepy crawling around here, dude. They're, like, one or something" Steve tell him "step on a vine, you're stepping on a bat, you're stepping on Vecna"

"But everything from our world is still here, right? Except people, obviously?" Robin asks.

"As far as I understand it, yeah" Nancy replies.

"So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate" Robin suggests, in her ramble.

"I highly doubt the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin. But guns, yeah, sure" Steve tell her.

"We don't have to go all the way downtown for guns" Nancy starts "I have guns in my bedroom."

"You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural, in your bedroom?" Eddie asks, completely surprised.

"Full of surprises, isn't she?" Robin chimes in.

"A Russian Makarov and a Revolver" she specifies.

"Yeah, you almost shot me with that one" Steve remembers.

"You almost deserved that" Nancy replies with a smirk.

Nancy and Steve shares a long stare, luckily, interrupted by Eddie throwing his denim vest.

"For your modesty, dude" he tells him.

"Wait... Nancy" I say, turning to look at her "does that mean you still have my shotgun?"

"I think.. the one Hopper gave you at Starcourt?" She asks and I nod "yeah.. I think I still got it"

"And you have a shotgun.. I shouldn't be surprised anymore.. but shit" Eddie comments.

Before I could answer him another earthquake interrupts us, and makes us fall to the ground.

Nancy against Steve, who holds her as best as he can, me against Eddie next to Robin.

I instinctively grab his hand, more to hold onto something than anything else at this moment, and I feel his other hand holding me close.

Once the earthquake stops Eddie speaks up.

"So guns seem like a pretty good idea to me"

"Definitely" I agree and I get up, helping Robin too.

"So, what are we waiting for?" Steve says, walking in the direction of Nancy's house, torch in hand. "Let's go"

"Yes, mommy" I mutter.

"I heard you" he says back.

I flip him off and, with the others, I follow him.

I walk along side Eddie noticing his nervous demeanour.

"Hey" I softly calls.

"H-hi" he replies.

"All good here?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" he quickly says.

"You know" I start, wanting to make him feel a little bit better "the first time we faced these kind of things, uh, I was scared shitless.. I didn't know what those things were, I didn't know where they were coming from, I didn't know why they were here."

"Must've been terrifying" he comments.

"Yeah, a lot, but now, if I think about our first experience... well, that looks like an easy D&D campaign. The easiest you could think of" I say with a small chuckle, noticing his small smile I continue "You're dealing with the worst of them all and you're behaving so so much better than me back then"

"Now you're just saying that" he says, sending me a sceptical look.

"You don't believe me, my lord?" I ask faking offence, putting my hand on my heart.

"I think, m'lady, that you're being simply too kind" he replies.

"I'm just being honest" I tell him "if it wasn't for those kids I would be dead by now. Not because of those creature, but because of fear" I let out a small laugh.

"You're saying we shouldn't worry then?" He asks.

"I'm afraid we should be worried... this thing is.. far worse than anything we've faced before. I'm not one to sugar-coat something. But.. the thing is that each time seems worse than the previous one, yet we managed to survive each time, so... I'm hopeful" I turn to smile at him.

"Shit.. we do need you at Hellfire. Smart, pretty, great sense of humor and... very cool rings too... perfect" he smiles, and I could simply melt in this exact moment. I look away quickly, trying to hiding my embarrassment.

"Not as cool as yours" I say looking everywhere but him.

"Oh these?" He ask, waving his hands in my face playfully and I laugh, trying not to stare at his hands too much... his hands are just.. too distracting.

We stay silent for a while before I remember something.

"Oh, uh.. I made you something" I tell him, checking my pockets, hoping I didn't lose it somewhere.

"You.. you made me something?" He seems surprised.

"Yeah" I still checking until I find it. "Here... helps with the fidgeting"

I hand him a small black beads ring.

"Wow" he simply says.

"Hope it doesn't ruin your metalhead look" I joke.

"You kidding? This would only make it better" he says. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you, m'lady"

He winks.

"Shut up" I smile again, feeling my cheeks warming more and more as he just looks at me with that sweet smile.

"Why do you know how to use a shotgun?" He suddenly asks.

"Hopper taught me" I answer with a sad smile.

"Oh... cool of him." He comments.

"Yeah. He had so much patience" I chuckle at the memory, looking down with a sad smile.

"Hey.. I'm sorry" Eddie sweetly whispers.

"Don't be. You didn't do anything." I smile at him.

I see him reaching out to my hand but Steve's voice stops him.

"Hey" Steve slows down to catch up with us, and I see Eddie rolling his eyes.

"How's your arm, honey?" Steve asks me.

"What? Oh" I look down to my left arm "Oh, uh.. not that bad, I think"

"I think it needs a bandage or something" Steve says, ready to run up to Nancy and Robin and ask them.

"I got it" Eddie chimes in, he seems almost annoyed though.

Eddie grabs his bandana from his back pocket and goes to wrap my arm in it.

"I'm gonna ruin it" I protest moving away.

"As if I care more about a bandana than you" he instantly says. Surprising not only me and Steve, but also himself I think, considering he widened his eyes slightly.

"Stop complaining, honey" Steve says.

Eddie glare at him just for a second before wrapping the bandana around my injured arm and I hiss at the pain.

"Sorry" he softly says.

"Nah, it's fine" I groan.

He finishes rather quickly. "Here, m'lady"

"Thank you" I say rubbing my arm, just slightly.

"Hey hey don't rub it" Steve stops my movement.

I scoff. "I'm gonna see if Robin and Nancy too will treat me like a child"

I walk faster towards Nancy and Robin.

"Hey, oh! Oh shit, uh, your arm! Are you okay? Do you feel any-"

"I'm fine, Robin. Don't worry. I actually didn't even notice until Steve pointed it out" I chuckle.

"Good.. Good.. but, uh, tell me if you don't feel good okay?" She asks and I nod.

"Promise?" Nancy asks.

"Promise" I say.

I walk a little slower to stay a bit with my thoughts.

I can hear Steve and Eddie talking, but I don't pay too much attention to them at the moment. Focusing instead on the shotgun and when Hopper taught me how to use it.

"Why do I have to learn how to use this?" I asked Hopper, annoyed, as he hand me a shotgun.

"Because, since you refuse to accept any sort of help from me, I'm gonna at least teach how to defend yourself" he answered, exasperated.

"I just refused to live with you" I clarified.

"Exactly" he said "you live alone, it's dangerous. Now again."

I aimed at the empty bottles in front of me.

I shot.

Missed.

"Fuck" I muttered.

"Language." He warned "you're getting closer though. Practice makes perfect. That's how I became... me" he adds proudly.

" Oh. So you're saying you're perfect now?" I challenged with a scoff.

"How come you're so quiet with everyone, but with me you're this noisy?" He spat.

"I..." I stuttered. It was true, he was one of the few people I was comfortable enough to be... a bit louder.

I looked down, ashamed, and heard him sighing.

"Come here" he said patting a spot beside him on the fence.

"I'm sorry" I quietly said with a sigh.

"Nah.. don't apologise. Actually.. it's good you're noisy with me" he assured me.

"Why?" I asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Because it means you trust me enough to speak your mind" he explained. "I see you with those kids, that Wheeler girl, and Joyce's son and that... one with the cool hair"

"Steve" I reminded him.

"Yeah yeah that guy. I see the difference between you talking with them and you talking with anyone else."

"Really?" I asked, once again.

"Yeah! You see, when you talk to your friends you're visibly calm, open and you actually talk, joke and get angry too. But when it's someone you don't know talking to you, you wrap your arms around you, shielding yourself, you talk very little or not at all, you play with your rings to have some sort of excuse not to look at the people you're with." He explained.

I never thought he actually cared this much about me.

"And you noticed all that?" I asked, more to not show that I was happy about it.

"Of course." He nodded "That's why, even though you're getting on my nerves with your comebacks.. I'm also very proud."

I laughed and he did too.

I miss him. Fuck... I really do.

When I hear Nancy's name I snap out of my mind.

"... what happened between you two" I hear Eddie saying. "But if I were you, I would get her back. 'Cause that was as unambiguous a sign of true love as these cynical eyes have ever seen."

Obviously, Steve still has a thing for Nancy.

I hope they sort this out... I don't want him to suffer again.

"What about you, uh?" Steve asks back.

"What about me, Harrington?" Eddie teases.

"Oh I think you know" Steve laughs.

"What? Want me to admit my feelings for Y/n? Saying that she's the only thing I've been thinking about since they paired us up for that stupid project? Or that she's so beautiful that all I want to do is just look at her.. maybe that's why I've been failing O'Donnels' class this whole time."He lets out a small laugh "everytime Henderson or Wheeler mentions her, for whatever reason, I can't help but feel jealous they get to spend so much time with her while I was too much of a coward to talk to her...Fuck.. I'm screwed, man" Eddie rambles, I'm speechless, I never thought he feel this way about... me.

I need all my strength not to turn around and ask him to tell me more.

"Why would you be screwed?" Steve's confused.

"Because... she deserves so much more. I can't do that to her" Eddie replies defeated.

"Let her decide that, uh?" Steve pats him on the shoulder.

Good answer, Steve.

I hear silence for a moment before Eddie's answer.. or more, question.

"There's nothing between you and Y/n, right?" He sounds insecure, almost.

"Man, you just made a whole speech about why I should get Nancy back, not even a few minutes ago, and now you ask if there's something between me and Y/n?" Steve asks in disbelief.

"Uh.. yeah" Eddie simply answers. "You call her 'honey' a lot"

"No, man, there's nothing. She's my best friend since..." He puffs, thinking "ever."

"And, uh, there has never been anything? Like at all?" Eddie checks.

"Well... I did have a crush on her.. for a while, but then we grew apart and... yeah it changed. Then Nancy happened..." Steve explains and I hear Eddie letting out a sigh of relief, but then Steve adds casually "We were each other's first though"

"Uh? What-"

Another earthquake interrupts him.

"Oh shit"

"Okay, second on my list of lists favourite things, earthquakes. Seriously, I'm unsteady enough as it is" Robin says.

I'm holding onto a tree and I see Nancy running and Robin calling for her.

I turn around to check on the boys and nid my head towards the direction Nancy went to and we quickly follow her.

When we spot her, thankfully, the earthquake ceases.

"C'mon" she tells us, walking towards her house.. or this alternate version of it.

"Thank god we were close" Robin breathes out.

"Yeah" I say out of breath.

The house... matches with the rest of the Upside Down, obviously.

Here the cute, clean rooms are dirty and there is this dark dust all over, and the vines are crawling over the walls and the furniture.

"Might be time to get a maid, Wheeler" Robin says, trying to enlighten the mood I think.

"C'mon. I don't want to stay here longer than we have to." Nancy walks upstairs.

"Agree. Definitely don't wanna add 'creepy dimension' to the weird places I had a panic attack in" I blurt out following her.

The others close behind us.

Once we get to her room, Nancy immediately goes to her wardrobe and takes a shoes box.

When she opens it, though, there are no guns... only a pair of shoes.

"Those aren't guns" Eddie sarcastically points out.

"These heels are pointy, but I was hoping for something on the line of a deadly projectile" Robin adds.

"I don't understand" Nancy comments, looking at me.

"You sure you left them here?" I ask.

"Yeah, maybe you left them somewhere else" Eddie tries, getting agitated.

"There's a six-year-old in the house. I know where I keep my guns" Nancy almost snaps at him "and also, I threw these away years ago"

I look down on her desk, thinking, but I notice some notes. Chemistry notes, I helped her writing them so we could practice at home... three years ago.

"Nance.." I say, handing her the notes.

"I get that grades are important to you two, but perhaps studying can wait till we get out of here?" Robin suggests.

"These are from sophomore chemistry." I explain, Nancy looks at me, catching up on what might be happening here.

"Yeah.. and this... this wallpaper, this is old wallpaper" Nancy informes moving around her room to look at the rest "and this mirror, this went to a yard sale. And you" she grabs a stuffed animal "You're not supposed to be here. No, I gave you to cousin Joanna two years ago"

Nancy then moves to grab a diary.

"What is it?" Eddie asks.

"Nancy? You're freaking me out" Robin urges her.

"This doesn't look good" I comment shaking my head waiting for Nancy to confirm my suspicions.

"I think the reason that my guns aren't here is because they don't exist yet" she answers.

"They don't... exist?" Eddie repeats, tensing up more and more each second.

"This diary should be filled of entries. It's not. The last entry is November 6, 1983. The day-"

"Will went missing" I cut her off, earning a nod from her. "The day the gate opened and everything started... we're in the past.. how?"

"I don't know" Nancy shakes her head, defeated.

Suddenly we hear Steve's voice yelling "Dustin! Dustin!" And we immediately hurry downstairs.

Steve's moving awkwardly in the dining room, looking at the ceiling calling Dustin's name.

"Maybe he really does have rabies" Robin suggests.

"Steve!" I call "What the hell are you doing?"

Steve points his torch to us, blinding us for a second.

"He's here. Henderson. That little shit, he's here. He's like...he's in the walls or something. Just listen" he explains breathlessly, pointing his finger up to make us pay attention to... whatever he heard.

As we listen closely, Steve keeps calling for Dustin, but we do manage to hear...his voice!

Oh shit.

"That brings us to the question you first raised" he seems to be saying.

"Oh shit! That's him" I exclaim.

Everyone starts to call for him, yelling his name, hoping he'll hear us.

"Guys! I don't think he can hear us." I grab their attention.

"Yeah, either he can't or he's being a total douchebag." Steve replies.

"Will found a way" I say.

"What?" Steve's turns to me.

"Will. He found a way to speak to Joyce through the lights" Nancy goes to turn some lights on, with no use, nothing turns on.

Steve points his torch to the chandelier. "Guys? You seeing this?"

It's like there is some almost tangible energy surrounding the chandelier and we all gather beneath it.

I reach out to touch it.

"Shit.." I breath.

It's a weird feeling, warm and ticklish.

As we touch the energy around it, it enlightens.

"It.. tickles" Steve comments.

"It's weird, but... pleasant" I agree.

"Yeah" Eddie turns to look at me with a breathed chuckle.

"Does anyone know Morse code?" Nancy suddenly asks.

We all shake our head no.

"Wait, does SOS count?" Eddie asks, earning a light scoff from Robin "is that.. is that good?"

"Yeah, definitely" I tell him.

Immediately Eddie starts to touch the energy in Morse code.

"Yeah, that's working"

We managed to hear Dustin telling us to go to Nancy's room, where they're bringing Nancy's sister's toy. It's supposed to help us communicate more.. effectively.

Hopefully.

We wait kneeling at Nancy's bed, the tension devouring us.

"C'mon, c'mon" Steve keeps mumbling.

I keep fidgeting with my hands and rings, my breath getting heavier and heavier, but suddenly I feel a hand holding mine. I look up seeing Eddie, sending me a reassuring look even if he was just as tense, but it helps my breathing getting even again. He doesn't let go of my hand, though, not that I complain about it.

Dustin's faintly voice snaps us out of our moment.

"You.. seeing this?"

A small mass of energy appears in front of us, just like the one around the chandelier.

When we hear Dustin's laugh we know it's working.

I look at Steve who's already looking towards me, with his "We're okay" look. The one he always gives me when he sees me nervous.

"We're not moving it, but we're gonna unplug it. Stand by" Dustin says.

The energy seems to disappear, but Dustin urges to try again.

"Try it now"

Nancy, unsure, start to "draw" something on the line of "Hi" in the air, basically.

Eddie holds my hand a bit tighter.

They all answer.

"Hi"

"Hey! Hi. That worked!" Dustin exclaims.

"Yes!"

We all let out a sigh of relief and cheer. Robin lets out some relieved giggles.

"Okay. Um.." Nancy starts to draw again.

S T U C K.

"St... stuck!"

"That's what we are" Robin mutters.

"Mhm Mhm" Eddie vigorously nods.

"You can't get back through Watergate?" He asks.

"What the hell's water gate?" Steve asks.

" 'Cause it's in the water and it's a gate" Robin simply explains.

"Oh"

"That's cute" Eddie comments.

"Yeah" I agree.

"Righ, uh... no it's..."

G U A R D E D.

"Guarded. Uh the watergate is guarded" Dustin catches on.

Oh smart boy.

"Perfect, yes yes yes" Steve exclaims.

"We think we have a theory that can help with that" Dustin tells us.

"Genius child." Robin comments, feeling more relaxed now.

"We think watergate isn't the only gate. That there's a gate at every murder site."

"Does anybody understand what he's talking about?" Nancy asks us.

"Nope."

"No"

"No idea"

So she draw a question mark.

"Seriously? How many times do I have to be right on the money before you guys just trust me?" Dustin's voice sound pretty worked up.

"Jesus christ. This kid's gotta get his ego in check" Steve comments, slightly exasperated.

"It's his tone, right?" Eddie chimes in.

"I know" Steve agrees.

"Hey, it's your kid" I tease them.

"Okay so.. how far is your trailer?" Nancy asks Eddie.

"Seven miles?" He replies.

"Nancy?" Robin speaks "uh, I know your house here is, like, weirdly, creepily frozen in time and shit, but haven't you always had bikes?"

"She's right"

"Yeah.. yeah we have" Nancy answers.

We then tell the others to go meet us at Eddie's trailer and we go find the bikes, quickly riding them to Forest Hills Trailer Park.

Hopefully, Dustin's theory is correct once again. Being permanently stuck in the Upside Down is not in my plan, definitely.

Eddie leads the way and we all follow him on our bikes. We don't take much to get there, luckily.

"That's gotta be a Guinness World Record. Most miles travled interdimensionally." Robin jokes as we get off the bikes and head to the trailer.

"And the prize is getting out of here in one piece" I reply.

"Just inhaled a bunch of that crap. It's stuck in my throat." Steve complains couching.

Entering the trailer our attention is immediately on the ceiling. The gate.

"This is where Chrissy died" Eddie explains. "Like, right where she died"

"I think there something in there" Robin warns.

Something from the other side, probably, is trying to pierce through the thin veil of the gate.

"What the hell is that?" Eddie asks as we slowly get closer to inspect it better.

Suddenly the veil is broken and we step back, watching as some mysterious slimy material fall from the crack.

Steve get closer, carefully and we follow close behind.

As soon as we can see on the other side of the gate we all let out a sigh of relief.

There they stand, upside down, Dustin, Max, Lucas and Erica.

"No way" Steve half exclaims.

Dustin laughs as soon as he sees us.

God.. never thought I'd miss that laugh.

"Hi!" He greets.

We a say hi back, shocked... shockingly relieved though.

"Holy shit, this is trippy" Robin comments.

"Yeah.. that's the word" I say with a chuckle.

"Bada-bada boom!" Dustin exclaims ecstatic.

"Okay what's the plan?" Steve asks "how do we.. get back there?"

We all look at each other, uncertain on what to do.

"We got an idea" Dustin tells us.

"We're gonna use, uh, a rope or something and, like, drag you back here" Max explains.

"Yeah, we gonna need something you can fall onto" Dustin says "can we use your mattress?" He asks Eddie.

"Uh, sure, man. Sure" he replies, still out of breath.

"Oh, and the sheets for the rope" he adds.

"Whatever you need."

"Hurry please" Robin asks.

The kids get to work, Dustin and Erica making the rope and Max and Lucas bringing in the mattress. They put it right under the gate, or.. from our perspective, over the gate.

"Those stains are, uh..." Eddie starts explaining, noticing the particularly visible stains on his mattress. "I dunno what those stains are." He finally say, visibly embarrassed.

I try to hold back an amused smile, never thought he'd be the type to get embarrassed over something like this.

The rope is ready and Dustin is about to throw it to us.

"Not quite sure how these physic's gonna work. But, uh...here goes nothing" he finally launch the rope that extends itself like normal gravity permits.

"There we go, and if my theory is correct" Dustin is holding the other end and then lets it go.

The rope stays put... unbelievable.

"That's crazy" I let out a surprised chuckle.

"All right, pull on it! See of it holds" he instructs.

Robin immediately goes to pull on it. It does hold.

"Holy shit"

"Guess I'm the guinea pig" Robin says ready to climb up.

She climbs the rope, grunting and as soon as she get to the top, through the gate, she falls.. she actually falls on the mattress.

"Oh thank god" she exhales "that was fun"

I smile, relieved.

I look at the others seeing if anyone wants to go after her.

"My turn, I guess" I say, not seeing anyone else stepping up.

I pull, experimentally, at the rope and jump holding me up.

I slowly climb up, shit.. never been the athletic type.

Once on the edge of the gate, I feel like being sucked and instantly fall on the mattress, back in our world.

"Shit!" I say as I land, with a grunt. "Fun, yes, but to never do again" I say with a laugh.

Dustin helps me get up so the others can come back too. Max immediately come to hug me and I do too.

"You're okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah, you? What happened to your arm?" Dustin asks worried.

"Nothing unusual" I joke and they smiles.

I see Eddie climbing and then falling.

"That was fun. Shit" He then grabs Dustin hand and get up, getting beside to me and nudging my shoulder playfully.

"All good here?" He whisper to me.

"Yeah" I smile at him.

Now It's supposed to be Nancy's or Steve's turn, but something's wrong.

Steve's screaming Nancy's name, she just stands still.

"Wake up! Wake up! Nancy!" He keeps screaming.

"Oh no no no" I mutter.

"Vecna" Max speaks.

Shit.

[aquaburst3]

Unpopular Hot Take: To be honest, I think the ENG version of the game should've scraped the whole "Vil trying to fix Epel's speech pattern" subplot.

I've read countless hot takes where OP says that Vil is a classist asshole, who wants to get rid of Epel's country accent and replace it with a high class one like himself. But that's not the case at all.

In the Japanese version, Vil doesn't think that Epel's regional accent is a bad thing. His issue lies in the fact that Epel didn't use polite speech and honorifics, being impossible for people to understand. In other words, he just thought that Epel was being rude and hard to understand. Which is a bit more understandable in that context. (Granted, I still think this makes no fucking sense, considering they are speaking an English-like language in universe, so they wouldn't be using those in the first place. But, that's another can of worms I don't want to get into rn.)

To be honest, I can't blame people for most people this side of the fandom missing out on this. This is just one of those things that is lost in translation for westerners thanks to the lack of "polite speech" and honorifics in English. Hell, I didn't learn any of this until others in the fandom pointed it out for me!

The ENG version keeping this aspect in naturally creates this misconception about his character in the western fandom, because it makes it seem like Vil thinks that his accent is shameful, which will rub Western audiences the wrong way. For one, Southern accents really aren’t that hard to understand. And two, there is a negative stereotype that Southern accents are low class and "hickish", especially for Southern bipoc people, which the localization leans into. Western audiences will default to questioning why Vil doesn’t just make Epel speak politely in his natural accent. Therefore, it just doesn't work. Frankly, it shouldn't be Vil fan's job to go around and tell people that it's one big cultural difference and misunderstanding. That should be the localizers' job to make it clear to us in the first place.

The entire point of localization is adjusting a product to fit a different audience. We can argue about the ethics about locationization and how much is too far all fucking day. But I think when a plot line not only always flies over the target audience's head, but damages the intended perception of a character, then the plot line has to go. It's impossible to keep both Yana's authorial intention and have it be clear for western audiences. This is also the reason why I scraped that aspect in all of my fics featuring both Vil and Epel.

[redwineconversation]

lose something, babe, risk something (Lyon - Fleury Postgame Thoughts)

Where the fuck was this Lyon last week?

It's always been true that this team plays better when vexed. They need their feelings hurt, they need to get pissed off, because it brings something out in them. They're better for it in many ways. You would have thought the possibility of not playing in a final would have brought that out in them, but apparently mediocre performances are now deemed acceptable standards.

This team got a lot of backlash after the semi-final loss, and I think it was good for them, I do. There's a somewhat flimsy argument that players should be protected at all costs. I get it in theory but fans should be able to hold players accountable for their performances. If you can say when a team played well, you should also be able to say when they played badly.

And there was a lot of the latter. There was a lot of "get rid of Bompastor" (still true), "sell the dead weight players" (also still true), and more importantly, "this team was a disgrace". The fans were frustrated and disappointed and let their feelings be known. I think that's a good thing. Hold your team accountable when they fall short of the standards you know they are capable of meeting.

I think it's necessary to do that because we saw in Friday's game what happens when Lyon does meet those standards. We saw some really good sequences of play. The movement was better, the passing was crisper. They genuinely looked better. it was nice to see Lyon being, well, Lyon again.

The standout player was obviously Dabritz. She's really become such a big game player, and is genuinely fun to watch. She's just a no-nonsense player, keeps her head down, does her job, and will do her upmost best to drag Lyon over the finish line. She's starting to show some really interesting leadership qualities too. I wonder if she will become like Endler, what the team psychiatrist referred to as a "quiet leader" in that they aren't necessarily vocal / giving big speeches, but players follow by example.

Dabritz flies under the radar a lot of the time, but I think her profile will grow. My true German royalty player. (Can I make royal monarchy jokes considering the Kate Middleton scandal going on? Ehh, why not)

It was nice to keep a clean sheet again though once more I fucking hate how everyone uses "le clean sheet" every time their goalkeeper does the minimum. It's so, so fucking annoying, especially because it was taken out of context. Anyway, defense was good, though I do think Gilles could have done better. She wasn't bad, but when you compare her with her top form, the level definitely wasn't the same. M'Bock is getting back to her pre-injury form, which is always nice to see. Bacha was a little inconsistent but it was nowhere near as inconsistent as the Coupe de France semifinal. Carpenter didn't really do anything which stood out, which is more a reflection on the defense not really having much to do for most of the game than anything else.

Van de Donk was good but not great. It's one of those situations where she played well, could have played better, but was still a good performance. The scuffle at the end which resulted in not one, not two, but three Lyon players having to intervene did make me laugh a little, especially because the audio picked up Bompastor going "Daan Daan Daan DAAN" as soon as van de Donk got up from the foul. Van de Donk is similar to Lyon in that she plays better when she is a little pissed off. Again, not her best performance ever, but she was good, it must be said.

So it was a good win, a good performance. Have they played better? Sure. But they've played worse, especially the horror show that was last week, so it's nice to see Lyon looking like themselves again before the trip to Benfica next week. Bompastor said in the postgame that she's been following Benfica closely, so we'll see that actually translates to the field or not.

[1autistictacticalrefrigerator]

( This is my first time writing a- what? AU? Headcanon? Don’t rip on me if its a little bland or if someone wrote smth similar to this 🫵😔)

So I’ve seen people draw König with a t-shirt or a shirt for the sniper hood, and that gives me a idea. Ok hear me out..

ClosetMonster!König and ClosetOwner!Horangi.

Horangi, as a child, used to hear and fear things that bump in the night. He was afraid of the closet, and what lies inside at 3am. His father would check the closet for Horangi, and tell him, “See? Nothing to be scared of, my boy.” His mother would say that it was just him being imaginative. She told him it was a phase, that when Horangi grew up, he wouldn’t “hear” things coming from the closet anymore.

….Except he didn’t stop hearing the sounds. Of course, as Horangi grew up, and joined the military, he learned to not be scared of “closet monsters” or anything along those goofy lines. He didn’t even believe in it anymore. However, sounds from his closet was definitely there. He was sure he wasn’t delusional, but just in case, to not sound like a fool- he doesn’t tell anyone which he later is grateful for when he wakes up in the middle of the night on a cold, cold, day. Horangi couldn’t sleep, so he decided to sneak out and go for a jog. Maybe that could help calm his mind. He couldn’t go out with his top half bare, so he reaches for the closet, and opens it to try and grab a jacket, or shirt, or something to put on.

BAM!

The closet door flies open with what seemed like the sound of panic. Not from Horangi, though, who already scrambled onto his feet and was reaching for the gun on the nightstand.

“Who the fuck-“ Horangi started before looking up, and he rubbed his eyes, two times, to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He even pinched himself to double check, but that creature was very still there- a monster, that towered over Horangi. Horangi could tell it was upset, but this was a matter of fight of flight for Horangi. Horangi stands up. “Who are you? What’s your name?” Since the monster didn’t seem to show any obvious signs of aggression, Horangi stops pointing the gun at it, not wishing to trigger it- however, still not dropping it just incase the thing goes all ham all of a sudden.

Then the monster stands up. Maybe for intimidation? But when it stands, you could see it’s full monstrous hight, and it’s huge frame. It was humanoid, though, so Horangi was secretly glad he didn’t shoot it on the spot, or else Horangi would’ve felt a little awful for doing so. Horangi didn’t have time to react next though, monstrousy huge claws already were reaching towards him. Ready to grab him.

Horangi suppresses a scream. He’ll have to take care of this giant quietly, meaning he can’t use a gun, or else nearby people’ll be alerted. Horangi ducks and grabs a nearby knife, plunging it into the monster’s tough hide. “OW.” The beast barks. “Stop!”

Horangi freezes- he didn’t necessarily think the monster could speak human language. Okay. Now Horangi feels extra bad for stabbing it, but still. It was HIS closet. And HIS room. The monster can’t stay. The monster grabs Horangi’s wrist forcefully with inhuman strength, making Horangi drop the blade.

“The last owner of this room was nicer..” The monster muttered, “At least they left me alone.”

“Uh, hello. Your in MY room.” Horangi retorts.

“Sure, but this closet was MINE before it was YOURS.” The monster snarls, still refusing to let go of Horangi’s wrist even though Horangi tried to tug it away.

Then for a moment, the two just stayed still. Horangi’s brain was spinning. So this monster can speak. Maybe we can negotiate. I need to get rid of him before it’s officially time to get up.

“Can you get out?” Horangi says, breaking the silence and growing tension.

The monster looked horribly offended, “What?”

“I said, can you get out.” Horangi repeated. What am I doing..? This is stupid.

“How about you get out instead?” The monster spat back.

Horangi blinked. This thing either has intelligence, or I’m just REALLY dumb.

The monster slowly lets go of Horangi’s wrist. “Leave me alone. Or I’ll make you.” It hissed. Then the monster turns around and walked back into the closet, shutting the door in a mood.

“WAIT! We aren’t done here!” Horangi rushed to open the closet again, only to find it was sealed shut. “Can you at least give me my cloths..”

How can someone that big fit in there anyway? Horangi thought. Well there was no hope now. He sighs, climbing back into bed. Maybe the monster would be less angry at him in the morning and then he could talk to it.

…

When Horangi woke up, he saw a pair of cloths neatly folded in front of the closet. Horangi couldn’t help but smile. Maybe they aren’t impossible after all.

Once he was dressed, he decided he’d get some food for the monster as a thanks. After all, the monster seemed persistent in staying in the closet. If Horangi had to share his room, he’d much rather have a less sour roommate who might jump him when he’s getting shuteye.

When Horangi returned with the food, he was hesitant. What did the monster eat? What if a human offering his kind food meant war or something in their language?? Oh well, that’s gonna be it’s problem.

Horangi tries the closet. It wouldn’t budge. Alright- so maybe trying to invade someone’s personal space without warning was rude. Horangi tries a different approach. “Hey, open up? Are you hungry?” Horangi says softly.

The closet was silent. Horangi was just about to give up and leave when the closet opens slightly.

Horangi quickly turns back around, giving the monster distance to come out. “I promise I won’t hurt you.” Horangi coaxes, it was like coaxing a small little lost puppy, in all honesty.

“I’m not scared of you.” The monster mumbles.

He mumbles a lot.

“I’m more dangerous to you than you are to me.” Then it pauses. “What do you want.”

“Hungry..?” Horangi asks, holding out the tray for the monster to grab.

“Are you trying to poison me?” The monster asks suspiciously.

“No.” Horangi says flatly.

“I haven’t ate in a while.” The monster slowly said.

“Then take it.” Horangi said with a hint of impatience. He quickly realized that might’ve been a tad hostile- “If you want.” Horangi quickly adds.

The monster peeks it’s head out of the closet. The first time Horangi saw it was when all lights were off, but now Horangi gawked in disbelief. The monster looks even more human in the light.

“..whoa..” Horangi whispered to himself, mesmerized.

The monster wasn’t very scary in Horangi’s opinion, in fact, it looked kinda hot. No- “kinda” was a understatement. Very hot seemed like better adjective.

The monster finally steps into the light, Horangi was sure he was blushing. The beast had muscles in all the right places, it was tall, and it’s eyes spoke and told stories more than his words did.

“Thank you.. erm..” The monster gestured towards Horangi as it accepted the food.

“Horangi.”

“Thank you Horangi.” The monster’s eyes crinkled.

Is it smiling at me?

“Yeah not a problem..” Horangi nods. “Um, what’s your name? Since you know mine and all.. feel like it’s only fair if I know yours.”

“The name’s König.” König said.

“Well König, I need to go. Can you like.. keep a low profile or something…?” Horangi asks, “Please.”

“I’ve been doing that.” König nods, “Goodbye Horangi.”

And with that, Horangi turns towards his door. He had just made friends with a beast.

…

The next week or two has been the same, Horangi fed König, König thanked him. Not much progress had been made except that sometimes Horangi would talk a bit to König about his day. That is- until the day Horangi comes back injured. Some idiots decide to play a prank on Horangi, but it ended nastily. Horangi was ready to throw hands before he remembered he could get in trouble for doing that, so he stormed back to his room. That night, things between Horangi and König changed.

König could probably hear Horangi stomping back to his room since Horangi was making a almighty racket doing so. When Horangi threw open the door, it was clear he didn’t want to talk for the day. In fact, he hadn’t even spared a look at the closet. That hurt. So at night, König steps out.

“Are you okay?” König asks.

Horangi sighed.

König could see Horangi didn’t stop by medical to get his injury patched. König tried to recall a conversation he had with his roommate.. something about Horangi hating having to go to medical. Well thats okay. König thought.

König scrounges for a medkit in Horangi’s room, earning him a confused look. When König found it, he walked over to Horangi, slowly reaching for Horangi’s wounded arm. Horangi didn’t protest. Maybe he trusted König? Regardless, König felt happy he didn’t pull away.

As König tend to Horangi’s wound, his eyes finally meet’s his human roommate’s. Horangi’s eyes spelled shock and adoration. The fact that König is treating even the most simplest of wounds with such sincerity and care. König finishes bandaging Horangi’s wound.

“Thank you.” Horangi whispered before yawning.

“You should sleep.” König insists.

Horangi grins, already slowly dozing off, “Yeah.. goodnight König.”

And both of them knew after their eyes locked, that things’ll never be the same again.

Fin.

[evaldmark]

My MLP horror

The two last day I consumed an unhealty amount My Little Pony horror. Idk why, I like MLP, I love horror, but I never read or saw the original grimdark MLP story. Until now. Youtube's algorithm just kinda offered to me, and I clicked on it. And somehow I've got an idea, so enjoy :"D First: I don't enjoy body horror, but obviously I need do some physical changes, because its fucking scary. But not too much, becuase I want a pony recognise their dead friends, so cutie mark, color, wings and/or horn stays recognizable. Maybe just a little...off. Like those not-deer story. Hair falling out in clumps, torn mane, damaged hoof, and blood salive. A body untuched by bugs, or flies, or other necrophagous. Doesn't rotten normally, and a flora doens't like it either. So the only way to get rid of it: fire. Seeing your dead friends consumed by flames doesn't do great thing with moral and sanity. I don't have a name for the disase, but I know how it started. Somehow always, okay very often, Fluttershy is the zero patient, but not here! Here is Maud Pie! And Rarity was the catalyst. Kinda. The point is, Rarity went to find some rare crystal, and somehow get lost in an acient cave system. Fortunately Maud found her, and together stambled upon a very mystic and oddly shaped gem. Maud and Rarity split the gem, and somehow they got back to Ponyville. Maud experimenting on the stone and accidentally create a virus. She doesn't know yet what is she done, she just thinking: its a flu, nothing serious. Meanwhile Rarity chop it up the stone, and put in some cute scarfs, and everypony wants and gets one. But when Maud experiment goes wrong every little stone fragment pumping out the disaese. The whole gem is connected, beacause magic, thats why. Maybe later its evolving somehow, and can spread pony to pony, but now its just the stone fragment. Eveypony who has one gets sick: fever, lack of appetite, dreamwalking in two legs and weakness. If the stone fragments gets removed and the pony gets treatment and isolation, they can get better. But if the fragments stay close to the pony more than four days, the disaese just got worse, and this time doesn't matter if the fragment go or stay. The fever goes slightly lower, zero appetite, zero hunger or thirst whatsoever, so the pony lost all of their strenght, only walking on two legs and really, really, really doesn't want stay in one place. And the third stage basically just dead from starvation, or other injury, because the infected pony doesn't mind or acknowledge threat and/or danger. They mostly harmless except when something or someone gets their way. And its also applies when somebody wants to treat them.

So yeah, its not gruesome or horrific, but the whole mental effect is still brutal.

And of course Rarity dies and its effect the magic system - somehow - and Ponyville goes under quarantine. Fluttershy will find a cure, because she is always treat sick animals, so she know whats she is doing! Twilight help with the research, Applejack and Rainbow Dash helps to set up the quarantine. And Pinkie Pie keeps safe the childrens. (Why do children die almost in all horrors? WHY. I'm a Star Wars girlie, Anakin is enough for me) Of course lots of pony also die, but eventually everything gets better, and the gem is gets back where it was found.

Okay, thats it folks, not so much but its honest work. PS.: Pinkie Pie said everything to Twilight before anything is happened, because Pinkie-sense. But Twilight just not believe it.

[lillbiff]

Part 3

tw!

"no. seriously... how do you know how it feels to have maggots inside you're body?" i sighed and turned away from him. "did you really think i left my friends because i was afraid?" i shook my head, and looked into his eyes again. "a guy kidnaped me... i think he was around... i don't know... 70?" i stoped talking. i looked at Fabi, i really hoped that it would be enough, and that he would stop asking... but i guess i'm not so lucky... "what did he do?" i sat down on the edge of the bed, and felt how some tears formed in my eyes. "well ...he tortured me, and uh... used me... i guess" i didn't want to look at him. "t-tortured you? how?" "ah... ya know... whip, rape... this stuff" i risked a quick look at him. his eyes were wide. "WHAT?!" he yelled shocked. I sighed, and rubbed the back of my neck. "he uh... Placed maggots on my open wounds... And... Raped me until i was bleeding... I... Managed to escape, and got back home" Fabi was silent for a while, before he asked: "how did he look?" "uhm... He had dark grey hair, some gold teeth, and green eyes" Fabi stood up, and started to walk towards the door "hey wait! W-where are you going?!" i asked and ran after Fabi "i'm thinking of how i should fucking kill that bastard!" yelled Fabi, and kept walking, some of the girls looked at Fabi confused "hey Fabi! Where are ya going this late?~" asked Fli-fla. "i'm going to shove my foot up into the ass of an old sick bastard!" yelled Fabi furious. "wait!! Fabi!!!!" i yelled after him, and grabed his hand, he stared at me, "Leon, let go" said Fabi. "no... Listen... You wont find him... So... Can we please go back inside?... Please??" Fabi thought for a moment, before he pulled me inside again i didn't really dare to say anything, so i just stayed silently next to Fabi "...do you need anything?" asked Fabi, and i looked over to him. "uhm... No... Thanks...." i mumbled, and looked at the ground. Fabi sat down on his bed, and pulled me with him "u-uh... What are you doing...?" i could feel how i completly turned red. "just relax now... You deserve to relax..." said Fabi calm, and cuddled me. I just enjoyed it, amd rested my head on Fabi's chest, but after a while, could i feel Fabi's hand moving up my hip. I started to blush alot, but tried to ignore it. "Leon... Do... Think about it now?" asked Fabi gentle, and massaged my tigh. "...yes..." Favi looked at me, and lept his arms around me, he gently placed his hand on my side. "then let's get rid of those thoughts... Shall we?~" *Fabi started to tickle fast over my side with his nails, and i squealed loudly before bursting out into high pitched laughter. "NOAHAHAHAAAA!! NOHO! FAHAHAHABIIIIII!!" i squirmend in his arms and he kept tickling me all over my sides. "you are still so ticklish, just like in old times~" Fabi started to Tickle my inner tigh, and i laughed really high pitched with many squeaks now. He got over me, and lifted my shirt "w...wait!!!" i whined, but Fabi bent down and started to kiss my stomach, wich made me scream and buck with laughter "AHAHAHAHHA GAHAHAHAHAHD!!!!! PLEHEHEHAHAHAAASE! IHIHI'M HAPPY!! I'M HAHAHAHAAAAAAAPY!!!!!" i wheezed the words out betwen screams and high pitched laughter, and Fabi stoped, he started to kiss my forehead and cheeks "gosh... How i forget how cute you are..." said Fabi, and kissed my neck gently. I took a deep breath, and relaxed, i completly forget that i was thinking so intensly at my trauma just some minutes ago, and just enjoyed it. "....let me give you a good experince..." i looked at Fabi with a strong blush. I nodded slightly, and he gently stroked my hair. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the affection and kind touch, knowing that Fabi will make sure to keep me happy and safe.

[iagreewithlilithsrightsnwrongs]

do u think when lilith went through the portal a second time, she finally understood/remembered what happened after she got taken by the tarask in s1??? n why she comes back validly shaken n desperate for ANYONE to understand? 

do u think she understood that adriel n reya know each other n he was her best bet at understanding her monster nature? i think thats why she went to him, scared out of her mind but hiding it well, n just going with whatever he was doing cuz she knew, as much as her sisters love her n care for her, they got no fucking clue whats going on. its not their fault, but she did leave toledo n her mother’s house knowing she needed to find answers fast, knowing she could never be the warrior nun and what that entails, knowing she shouldve made peace with that a long time ago but fuck that was her WHOLE LIFE thrown away by a complete newbie who made her like this!!! the very monster she was supposed to hunt!!! 

my bby knew jack shit of what she was doing either, she just traded a bad situation for another bad situation that she could at least understand. i think thats why she trusts adriel so blindly, he SOUNDS like the answers she needed, she feels understood. but its also why at that ava n lilith scene where ava ends up hurting lilith on her face at the end, lilith is so fucking emotional n angry n scared when ava tells her to go back. 

how can she go back when she fucked up like this? how can she go back n act like shes truly at their side when they cant n will never understand hers? how can she go back to a place where it felt like home, like her destiny, when she failed them so horribly? she can never go back. she doesnt believe she can or should. shes heartbroken, n she cares so deeply abt ava n her sisters but those hours spent on the other side showed her some truth she cant ignore. n now she has to live with it. 

she wants to do what the warrior nun would do, save the world of evil, help her sisters. well, sometimes that job has difficult decisions. sometimes ppl die. im thinking abt the first ep when lilith tells mary that she knows what needs to happen. n shes right!! if they want to get rid of evil n save ppl, they need to be objective n follow the protocols. i think her siding with adriel n then her, at the end after he dies, when she warns beatrice of the war, helps ava to a place where she knows she can heal n survive, n literally does not give a single fuck abt adriel afterwards, just needed to warn her sister n go away, maybe to prepare herself for this war, was lilith’s way of doing what a warrior nun would do. 

she thought adriel could actually give her the tools n maybe even help her save the world. but then he died n she understood that maybe she needs to do this shit by herself. so she flies off, no fucks given. her business here is done, n now there’s war preparations to be done. i dont think she was ever in love with adriel, they were using each other for their own goals. 

would i have preferred if lilith found her new monster identity by herself n with the help of her sisters?? yes. do i like that she trusted a crusty white men to do it?? no. but i cant stand when ppl say that lilith loves adriel or smth. bby she didnt blink when the guy died. she was like “oh well, time to help beatrice save ava” like??? that scene shocked me n gave me hope that maybe lilith matured in a way that made her harder to manipulate. doubtful, but im hopeful. 

that girl is still very much driven by ambition but also by praise. those are her weaknesses for sure. 

also im pretty sure shes gonna get killed off next season cuz im used to shows like these to disappoint me so. yh.

[bobgoesw00t]

Top 10 Video Games of All Time: bobgoesw00t Edition (Part 06)

bobgoesw00t here, back again with another update to my Top 10 Video Games of All Time! My Number 5 pick goes to none other than:

The now penultimate game in the Arkhamverse, Batman Arkham Knight.

Many people will say that Arkham City is the better game but I disagree. The main complaint people had was how the game FORCED you to use the Tankmobile/Arkhamobile 2.0 for the majority of the game which is some of the biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Not only was the Arkhamobile the one thing fans kept asking Rocksteady to put into the game, but with the exception of the main story bits where it's required to use the thing, some of the Riddler collectables and some of the side missions...YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE THE TANKMOBILE!!!!!!!Hell, I actually think it's more fun to fly around the city (let's be honest, Batman doesn't really glide around Gotham, he FUCKING FLIES! Even more so if you fully upgrade the Grapple Boost, which LAUNCHES HIM LIKE NO OTHER!!!!!) due to how it can be just as fast as the Tankmobile at times and it really lets you get a good look at how GORGEOUS the game is. As for the Tankmobile itself (yes, I will be continuing to be calling the Batmobile in the game the "Tankmobile" cause it turns into a fucking tank xD), I really don't have any issue with it as the fights with the various drones are spaced apart quite nicely in the main story and the side missions that include them can be tackled at any point and in any order, so if you get bored of them or just want to get them out of the way, do whatever suits you best.

On to the gameplay! Rocksteady FUCKING NAILED THIS IS ABSOLUTELY TO 240% (reference the max completion percentage with the Season of Infamy DLC installed *wink wink*). They took everything from Arkham City and Origins (which for the love of god IS FUCKING CANON SO EVERYONE WHO SAYS IT ISN'T NEEDS TO STFU), left what didn't need to be changed, addressed the issues fans had, and included some stupidly broken abilities that don't break the game completely like the Shock Gauntlets (another ability people didn't like cause it "broke combat" when YOU DIDN'T NEED TO USE THEM OUTSIDE OF A SINGLE BOSS FIGHT!!!!!!! I mean good god people). One of the most useful of those being "Special Combo Batclaw" which totally bypasses the Militia Brute's armor which requires two "Special Combo Takedown" uses when they're at full health. This lets you take them out of the fight much quicker if you need to and the Blade Dodge Takedown is also broken if you use it against Blade Brutes, not to mention it gets rid of 50% of the armor on Militia Brutes. In other words (if there's a Militia Blade Brute/Weapon Specialist), get the combo gauge up with normal goons, Blade Dodge Takedown and hit em with the Special Combo Takedown and BAM, annoying pain in the ass is out of the equation. I also LOVE the updates to Predator Encounter. Being able to use the Disruptor to sabotage various items and follow that up with the Voice Synthesizer never gets old, and HOLY HELL pulling off your first Fear Multi Takedown when it's upgraded to 5 TARGETS is SUPER SATISFYING!!!!!

Gonna lastly talk about the story and characters. I forget who voiced Scarecrow in Arkham Asylum and I'm too lazy to look it up, but they made the right call in having John Nobel voice the character in Arkham Knight. He was AWESOME in Sleepy Hollow on FOX (if you haven't seen that show, go watch it as it's REALLY cool) and while I haven't gotten far enough in Transformers Prime to hear his take on Unicron, I have a feeling he was awesome in the role. His voice just has this "evil" quality to it that makes him the perfect choice to play a character like the Scarecrow. The rest of the returning cast was perfection as usual and I did NOT expect Mark Hamill to come back and voice The Joker after he died at the end of Arkham City (sorry for spoilers if you still haven't played it even though it's been over TEN YEARS SINCE IT CAME OUT) so that was an awesome moment the first time I ran through the game and the majority of the lines that made me laugh out loud came from the parts where Joker was trolling Bruce. I should also talk about the caped crusader and say this is one of the reasons why Arkham Knight beat Arkham City for this spot on my list is because it ended up being Kevin Conroy's favorite performance he did of the character and I have to agree with him on that (here's a link to him saying this: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FRr_rp43ZLY). EVERY time Batman talks in the game, he has this edge to it and shows him struggling to keep his humanity in check as Joker constantly trolls him and slowly tries to take over him from within and the bit at the very end of the story is probably my favorite instances of the iconic line from Batman The Animated Series: https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxeXgftx1qqOH6alMwT37aKU2ncsCxfjKD?feature=shares

I'm beyond ecstatic that Kevin was able to come back one last time to voice the World's Greatest Detective for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League before he passed/pull his own Knightfall Protocol and Rocksteady better give him the BIGGEST send off they can give Batman for his final performance.

I also feel the need to address the BIG elephant in the room when it comes to this game that is the Arkham Knight himself. For those of you who still don't know this by now, STOP READING AND GO TO THE NEXT PARAGRAPH SO YOU DON'T GET SPOILED!!!!! We all know that prior to Arkham Knight coming out, Rocksteady insisted that the titular villain was a 100% completely new and original character...only for that to actually be a load of bullshit with the big reveal that the second Robin, Jason Todd was under that helmet the entire time. Now, while I'm not the biggest comic book reader, even I knew who Jason Todd was prior to playing the game and knew that he died, only to come back as the Red Hood years later. When I first booted up Arkham Knight, I had access to the Red Hood mission as I pre-ordered the game from GameStop and I started the story thinking the Arkham Knight COULDN'T be Jason cause why would they give him a DLC mission as Red Hood if he's the Arkham Knight. So starting the game and for the longest time, I had ZERO idea who was under that fancy helmet. I DID however have some suspects, those being Ra's al Ghul (seeing as his body vanishes if you go back to where the corpse was if you visit that spot in Arkham City after Joker dies), Joker (if I had a thousand dollars for every time a comic book character has DIED only to come back down the line and be like SURPRISE BITCHES I'M NOT DEAD!!! ...I'd be rather wealthy) or Damian Wayne (it wasn't outside the realm of possibility). HOWEVER, once I got to the bit when Harley Quinn takes over the Movie Studios...it started to become pretty obvious that Jason was the Arkham Knight. I still wasn't 100% sure but the final nail in he coffin was when Jason is in the big ass drill thingy at the end of the game and says something along the lines of, "I kept some things to myself...BRUCE." I knew it was Jason right away. So yes, Rocksteady did indeed lie to us about who the Arkham Knight was, but they did a DAMN GOOD JOB keeping that information under wraps for the majority of the story. Even after Joker tells Bruce about what he did to Jason when he had him in the Asylum, there was still the possibility that it could have been Ra's under the mask as the Season of Infamy DLC hadn't been released yet, so his status at the time was unknown. I HAVE to give props to Troy Baker for not only doing Jason, but also BOTH sides of Two-Face and totally nailing it.

In the end, weather you like the overuse of the Tankmobile (even though most people kept BEGGING FOR IT) or the lie about Jason not being the Arkham Knight, you have to admit Rocksteady pulled out all the stops for the then final entry in the Arkhamverse and they did a damn good job wrapping things up while keeping enough open for the possible sequel we're now getting. Batman Arkham Knight gets a x5 Fear Multi Takedown out of 5. 5/5

Honorable Mentions this time go to:

Spider-Man/Pider-Man/Marvel's Spider-Man: Insomniac gave Spider-Man the Arkham treatment in 2018 and FUCKING NAILED IT!!! Golden Story, flawless combat, awesome soundtrack and spot on casting of the characters means this is one game that has me looking forward to it's sequel. PS4 Peter Parker will ALWAYS be better than the Tom Holland deep fake we got with the PS5 version of the game and FUCK INSOMNIAC FOR CHANGING IT!!!

Batman Arkham City: Can't have Arkham Knight without talking about the game set right before it and how it further perfected the combat from Arkham Asylum and had one explosive story