#except to do so they need to survive a near death experience

[cakeinthevoid]

TOMATO and CARROT for the ask game

From this neat ask game :))

Just like the last one, I'm choosing one OC to answer all the asks for. Feel free to submit the same fruit/veggie twice to hear answers for other OCs!

This is for Auretta/Zephyr from Vigilante (because both these asks fit her SO WELL—)

🍅 [TOMATO] How misunderstood is your OC? In-universe or IRL.

So... What you need to understand about present day Auretta is that she escaped a place where they kept Extra-Ordinaries (people who get superpowers after surviving a near death experience) away from the public under the guise of safety for them and others but really... it's to find out how they work—or to get them to work for the organisation. Unfortunately, most people don't know this. In the public eye, Zephyr is a villain who must be stopped from wreaking havoc on cities and forests. She is a walking windstorm.

After her... snap... Auretta just became more... unhinged, to put it lightly. She's very much at war with herself. She misunderstands herself tbh. Part of her wants to be alone—alone forever so her brother never sees what she has become. Another part desperately wants to see her brother again. She still feels like a little girl who could cuddle with her brother and watch a movie with hot cocoa. Another part wants bloody revenge on the people who dared to ruin her life. If the guy who was her catalyst event wasn't watching the news when she broke out and promptly went into hiding... he would be toast. Toast flying away in the wind.

TLDR: She maintains the I AM WICKED AND EVIL AND YOU CANT STOP ME persona well enough that no one cares to stick around long enough to hear her whisper I want my life back. I want my brother back....

🥕 [CARROT] How tough is your OC against certain situations? How weak are they against others?

Auretta post EON kicks ASS!!!! She doesn't hold back on her powers anymore. She will wreck everything to get what she needs. In a physical fight with her powers, she is one of the strongest. There were do-gooder types who initially wanted her on a team, thinking she needed some good purpose. She blew them all away lmao. Having survived essentially torture, she's jaded and cynical and lives by "me first".

However....she would still do anything for her brother, even if she thinks he hates her. That was used against her very effectively. She will always be weak when it comes to her brother. Unless Zephyr finally manages to convince herself that she (quite literally) pushes people away whether she wants to or not and that she doesn't need ANYONE (which will likely never happen because Zephyr is still part Auretta), she will always be weak against someone threatening her brother or Cass.

TLDR: Auretta is really good at pushing the limits of her powers and fights smart when she isn't being goaded. Problem: she is very easily baited. Especially when it comes to her brother.

[vanessaedp]

141 + König reacting to you taking off your mask.

taking off ur bally 😜😜✌️✌️😗😗🫶🫶

warnings: fluff, british slang 😛

FLASHING GIF WARNING

___

Price

He had known the reason why you wore a balaclava and if he's honest. He hadn't ever expected you to take it off.

That was until today.

It was a simple mission really, do some fancy dress up party and poison the target.

However, to get into the party you need to have a partner

So, you and Price partnered up and went to the party as a fake couple. You wore a simple red dress and he wore a tuxedo.

The day before the mission he approached you. "Planning to paint your mask to match the dress, Sergeant?" He joked.

"No sir." You shake your head. "Actually, I wasn't going to wear it at all but now that you say that I might have another idea." You scoff at Price's dissapointed expression.

On the day of the mission you and Price are sat in a vehicle, he's running through the mission with you and take your mask off.

His look alone sent shivers down your spine. You expected him to look at you with horror or disgust but to your suprise he looked at you with admiration.

"Bloody hell, your beautiful, sarge." He said, his voice raspy and his throat dry.

"Don't get too excited, captain." You laugh.

Ghost

You and Ghost had some things in common.

You both were traumatised at a young age and you both wore masks.

He cared for you somewhat. Like how he cared for Soap

Except he liked you more.

During this mission it hadn't gone well. You had a bullet graze the side of your head and now you were splayed across the concrete floor with Ghost surrounded by mangled metal.

"Wheres the bleeding?" Ghost checked everywhere.

"My head." You mutter, turning your head to show a dark patch on your mask.

"May I?" Ghost's fingers hooked under your mask as if he was going to rip it off anyway.

You furrow your brows and roll your eyes. "It's not like I have a bloody choice, i'm bleeding to death you tosser."

Ghost grumbles something under his breath before peeling the mask off and placing it beside your head.

You swear you see his eyes widen the teeny tiniest bit. His eyes trail down your face for a split second before setting on your bleeding skull. "Right.." He says with a sigh, his voice hoarse.

"Enjoying the view?" You scoff, wincing when he starts treating your wound.

"You wish." He mumbles, his gaze flickering down to your face and lingering there for a few seconds.

Soap

You and Soap had been dating for 3 years. Not once have you taken your mask off.

He doesn't mind but all he wants is for you to trust him.

Soap allowed to stay off while you were recovering from a near-death experience. His left arm was hanging on by a thread after being abushed in a mission. He survived and is now on drugs so he can handle the pain.

You visited after his deployment to see how he was. He acted like a drunk man when he saw you, probably from the drugs.

"Who the feck are you..?" He slurred, his head lolling to one side. "My girlfriend won't be happy to see this.." He mutters.

You giggle and take a seat beside his bed. "I am your girlfriend, Johnny." You look down at his leg. It's stitched neatly. You grimace for a moment. You can handle all the gore in the world but your boyfriends? Now thats a different story.

You hear his heartbeat monitor pick up. "You wha?" He asks, his voice higher pitched and his brows raised.

"I'm your girlfriend." You slowly place a hand on his face.

"Fucking hell." He mutters, his eyes wide. "Are you sure? I'm abit of a twat." He shuffles, trying to sit up however you place a hand on his chest and push him back down.

"If I wasn't your girlfriend would I do this?" You hesitantly lift your mask up and lean close, kissing his cheek. You do this because he'll probably forget about it but its precious to see his reaction anyway.

"Fuck me sideways." He says under his breath, looking at you with admiration. His eyes stare at your eyes then the little scar on your left eyebrow. Then the burn scar shaped like a cross. Presumably from a branding iron. He then stared at your lips. He licked his then spoke.

"Can you do that again? But on my lips this time."

Gaz

"Listen i'm so sorry.. I don't even know how this happened I swear i'll fix it." Gaz protested. He accidentally ripped your mask while in a sparring match, thankfully you covered your face before anyone else saw.

"Gaz, it's fine." You say a little sarcastically. Sure, you were pissed he had ripped your only mask but he offered to fix it so there wasn't much point in being annoyed with him. "I want it fixed by tomorrow."

"Of course. I promise it'll be fixed." He even pinky swore on it.

After a long 12 hours of being in your room without letting anyone in with fear that they will see you without your mask you hear a knock at the door. "Gaz?"

"I've got your mask. Can I come in." He asks, twisting the door knob.

"Alright.." You mumble and sit up. Watching the door open and Gaz step in, he shuts it behind him and stops dead in his tracks when he sees you.

"Christ." He swallows hard. "You don't really need this mask, do you? It's only a silly balaclava." He waves it around.

"Kyle give it here." You hold your hand out and Gaz sighs, walking up to you and handing it over. He visibly tenses up when your hand brushes against his.

"So does that mean you'll wear it less around me?" He sounds excited, his eyes fixed on your face as you slipped the mask back on.

"Don't get your hopes up, mate. Thanks for fixing it though." You stand up and give him a wink, hitting his shoulder playfully.

König

"Jesus christ how do you wear your hood for so long." You sigh, blowing raspberries through your lips and lifting the bottom of your mask up to let some air through.

It was a heatwave at the base and you were MELTING

"Mine's baggy. More airflow." König stared down at you, his arms folded across his chest. "Why don't you take it off?"

"Fuck off you manky wank-stain." You laugh, shaking your head. "Bloody hell." You whine, the heat irritating you.

"I have a spare hood if you want it, liebe." He offered. "Come." He gestures for you to follow him and you do. He takes you to his room and he rumages through his drawer, tossing you a shirt with two holes in it.

"The bloody hell is this?" You giggle, looking at the massive shirt. "Your a size.. XXL?" You look at the tag.

"Just put the shirt on, selbstgefällig." He rolls his eyes which widen when he sees you take your mask off. It was truly a beautiful sight. Your cheeks pink and flushed from the heat, some strands of hair stick to your forehead. It was all interrupted when you slipped the shirt over your head.

"Schatz.." He mumbles. "Your very pretty, you know. You don't need it." He holds his head low.

"Thank you, König thats very kind of you." You smile under the shirt and adjust it. "Thanks for the hood aswell." You step forward and cup where you think his face is from under the mask. "I'll wear this more often."

You leave the room, leaving König flustered, flabbergasted and head over heels in love.

___

here u go pookies come here and kiss me

[little-annie]

In This Lifetime

---

Vecna's dead and the gates are closed and life is finally back to normal.

Well except for one thing.

Eddie's entire view of Steve Harrington has been tipped on its axis, shattered, booted off a fucking cliff. Whatever you want to call it. Because, well, the guy's not an asshole. He's strong and passionate and so goddamn caring. He's probably the kindest, most giving person Eddie's ever met and although he'd like to say he doesn't know what to think of it, we'll he does. And he thinks he's in love.

Steve Harrington is like fucking sunshine and unfortunately for Eddie's fragile heart, that glow of light doesn't fade.

They become friends. Best Friends. Nearly inseparable. Attached at the hip throughout the years.

They move to Chicago together, rent a shitty two bedroom apartment that maybe as well be one because they still have nightmares and being plastered next to one another seems to calm those terrors.

They laugh and they sing and they dance around the kitchen while they smile and cook and inevitably burn whatever meal they had planned, opting to order pizza instead.

Eddie's in a band and Steve never misses a show.

Steve's in school, planning to become a Guidance Counselor and Eddie's by his side quizzing him with the reward of candy in hand.

It's perfect, living life together in domestic bliss. Even if all they are is only just friends.

But it's still perfect all the same and if it was up to Eddie, he'd spend the rest of his life in these years. Repeat them again and again, if only to fall asleep at Steve's side and wake up to honey-brown eyes every morning.

But he knows it can't always be like this and that's why this is the hardest thing he's ever done.

This is the hardest thing he's ever done, and he's done some difficult shit. Like surviving a near death experience in literal hell being the main contender. But sitting across from Steve Harrington as he turns a little golden ring between his fingers and goes over his proposal plan, yeah that's pretty fucking difficult.

And it shouldn't be, he should be excited, he should be cheering for his friend but there's a gnawing feeling in his gut that's telling him it should be him. It should be him that Steve drops to a knee for, it should be him that Steve professes his undying love to, it should be him that'll one day get to call this man his husband.

But it's not. It's not because even though he's known this ragtag group of monster hunters for years now he's never been able to come to terms with telling them that he's gay and he sure as shit hasn't come to terms with telling Steve Harrington that he loves him and loves him in a very much not 'just friends' kind of way.

So that's why when Steve asks him what he should say to this woman [Becky, who quite frankly could double as Eddie's twin] he spills the beans. In a very subtle way he supposes. He doesn't come out, doesn't outright tell Steve he loves him, but as he's telling Steve what to say to his future fiancé, he's letting his emotions come out like word vomit, only wishing Steve knew he was talking about him.

"I don't know man." Eddie huffs, shuffling uncomfortably in his chair, eyes avoiding Steve's as he contemplates his words.

But it's hardly more than a few seconds before they come tumbling out, Eddie sucking in shaky breath before he stares into the carpet and begins to speak, "Tell her she's like sunshine, beautiful and bold and the source of life. That she's like the blood in your veins, forever present in the most beautiful way and the only thing that keeps your heart beating. Tell her that even on the most difficult days that she's the one you want to see, the one you want to hold, the one that makes you take the breath you need and steady your heart when it's beating out of control."

It's a building thing, slowly growing out of control, he can feel his pulse thrumming in his veins and he's beginning to think he might just do something crazy. He pauses for a moment, gauging Steve's expression. He'd gone to get them beer and hasn't bothered to sit back down since Eddie began talking. There's an indecipherable expression on his face and he's stood still, in front of the couch, beers on the coffee table and he's silent, waiting for Eddie to continue.

And you know, if Eddie was a normal man he'd stay in his chair, talk to his friend from an acceptable distance away and not profess his love, but he's not. He's a showman and as his acting skills get the best of him, he's moving, shuffling across the carpet, taking Steve's hand in his own and kneeling before him. Because why not make this a harder interaction for himself. Christ, it nearly feels like the real thing as he looks into Steve's eyes and shuffles the littlest amount closer.

Eddie shudders a breath, taking a single second to appreciate this moment, even if it'll never truly be real and then he continues, "You get down on your goddamn knee Steve Harrington and you say, ' Sweetheart you're the only thing that keeps me alive in this crazy fucked up world. Having you in my arms and my heart keeps me steady and breathing. I've been through some shit, but I'd go through it all again to find you in the end. The blood, the sweat, the tears, nearly fucking dying to be by your side for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you Darling, I want us to grey and weather together. To find ourselves fifty years from now watching our kids and our grandkids; all the life we've brought into this world. All the love our life together has brought into existence."

Eddie's crying now, because of course he is, he's confessing his love to someone he knows will never hold the same emotions for him, but through a watery laugh and a sniffle he carries on, tightening his grip on Steve's hands.

"I want you in this lifetime and the next, in any way that you'll have me. I can't bear the thought of a single day without you let alone an entire lifetime. I'll find you, I promise I will Sweetheart, but for this lifetime, I ask that you spend the remainder of it with me."

It's cheesy, he knows, but it seems to take effect because as he looks into the eyes of the man above him he sees the swell of tears gathering along thick dark lashes.

The room's suddenly silent, save for the pounding of Eddie's pulse in his ears and the hope that Steve didn't see through his actions or words. That all he saw was his rather expressive friend acting out as per usual.

But a tear finally escapes and rolls down Steve's tanned cheek and a rather aggressive sob breaks past his lips.

Eddie's to his feet in seconds pulling Steve to his chest, one arm firmly around his waist while another wraps around his shoulders and cradles a head of mousy hair as close as he can. Steve's sobbing, short shaky breaths and surely there's snot and tears staining Eddie's shirt, but it's not like he can say much, what with silent tears streaming down his own cheeks and dripping to Steve's hair.

Steve hiccups around a sob, voice shaky and muffled against Eddie's shoulder, "I can't do this."

God, that's not what Eddie wanted to do, he didn't mean to scare Steve away from his impending engagement. No matter how much he wished it was him. He loves Steve, but if he can't have him, he just wants him to be happy. He deserves happiness. He deserves love.

Even if it's not with him.

Eddie cards his fingers soothingly through Steve's hair as he speaks, "Yes you can. I know you can. Steve, you love her, you're just scared. You can do this."

Another sob heaves against Eddie's chest while Steve continues to shake in his arms, "I can't Eddie."

"Why not Sweetheart?"

Steve's knees give out as a pained nose escapes his throat, dropping to the floor, taking Eddie with him, he doesn't answer, only continues to cry and burrow into Eddie's chest upon settling into their new position on the ground.

He's verging on a panic attack, Eddie knows this, he's seen it many times before. The way Steve's fists clench in his shirt and his breaths are short and sudden, gasping for air that's not filling his lungs, he's flushed white and Eddie knows it's only a matter of time before he gets sick.

"Stevie, come on, you gotta settle down. I'm sorry if I said anything wrong, I didn't mean to if I did. We can talk about it later. But right now you just gotta breathe for me okay." Eddie grabs Steve's hand, tight fist and all and holds it against his chest, allowing Steve to feel his steady breaths, "Breathe in with me, come on Big Guy. Take a deep breath in." Eddie takes a large lungful and holds it for a second, waiting for Steve to do the same and even though it's shaky and raspy he manages.

They repeat this process ten times over, Steve's head and hand now resting against Eddie's chest, their backs to the couch, the rooms fallen silent enough that only muffled sniffles are audible aside from the hum of electricity and the joyous screams of children outside.

After a moment, Steve wiggles himself closer, if even possible and again states, "Eddie, I can't do this."

He's not quite sure how to answer, really. Should he push or should he allow Steve to call off the engagement before it even happens. Lord knows where his own wishes lie. "You wanna tell me why you think you can't do this?"

Steve's breathing picks up again, but before he can reach hysterics Eddie's fingers card through his hair and he soothes Steve back to baseline.

"You," Steve whispers after quite some time of Eddie waiting for a response. It's a quiet thing, Eddie wouldn't have even heard it if he wasn't intentionally listening for Steve to say something.

It's a pain in the chest to know he may be the reason for Steve not to propose, sure he wished it wouldn't happen, but not like this. For him to say something so stupid that makes Steve call the whole thing off, "I'm sorry if I-"

He doesn't have time to finish his sentence before Steve's speaking, "No, not like that, you have nothing to be sorry for Eds. Its just- fuck- I wish I could tell you."

Combing his fingers through Steve's hair, Eddie reassures, "Steve, you can tell me. Please. I want to help."

Steve shakes his head, wrapping an arm tight around Eddie's waist, tucking his head in close, "It's nothing you can help with Eddie."

Nosing against the side of Steve's head, hair tickling his nose, Eddie whispers, soft, gentle, scared to frighten Steve off, "Try me."

And then it's silent. Dead quiet and for quite a long while. He knows Steve will answer, he knows he's just gathering his words, sorting things out before he speaks. It's obviously something big, something important to have warranted such a reaction from such a strong man.

It's with a sudden movement that Steve's sitting upright, turning to face Eddie with the appearance of confidence and sheer fear on his face. He looks fucking terrified. Working his jaw, eyes darting all over Eddie's face before he finally settles on his eyes and speaks, "I love you, okay." The words are far from gentle, they're sharp, rushed, sudden, like if he didn't get them out they'd burn a hole in his throat, but before Eddie has a second to even process those few words, Steve's barreling on.

"And when you were down on your knee infront of me, I wanted nothing more than for that to be the real thing, for those words to actually be directed towards me because I love you so fucking much it hurts. And I get it, I do. I know you're straight and we can never be a thing or really even get married but Eds, fuck, I love you so much and I can't marry Becky knowing I feel that way about you. I was going to try because I knew this could ne-"

He knows what Steve was meaning to say, but Eddie had to cut him off before those words could be spoken into existence because they're wrong. It can happen. Holy fucking Christ, Steve's loves him. It can all happen.

"I love you too," he says with such haste, taking Steve's face into his hands as he speaks with so much passion it nearly hurts, "-so much."

Cheeks squished in Eddie's grasp, Steve's eyes begin to well with tears once again, but now, now a smile is fighting its way to his lips, only growing with utter disbelief as Eddie quietly says, "and I meant every word of it. Every fucking word Sweetheart."

Steve's eyes search Eddie's own for only half a second before their lips crash together. It's a feverish thing, years of pent up love and need crammed into a single embrace, but their lips move as if they've met a million times before. And maybe they have. Maybe through the thousands of years this little rock in space has been turning, they've never left one another's side. Maybe they do find each other in every lifetime. Maybe they fall in love against all odds. Maybe this lifetime is no different.

Many Years Later

Turns out, it's not different at all.

When the time comes, so does the real proposal. It's been planned for years and when word of legalisation reaches Eddie's ears he's running to Steve. Dashing through streets, shouldering past strangers and dropping with a painful thud to the hardwood of Steve's office floor. In those few short moments to follow, the life he wished to have so many years ago becomes a reality.

Steve's his fiancé.

Soon to be his husband.

In this lifetime and the next.

---

[spookykoolkat]

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐝 - 𝐣.𝐦. 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

"𝚜𝚘 𝚕𝚊𝚢 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚎𝚜 𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗."

pairing: post outbreak!joel miller x plus sized!younger!reader

warnings: age gap, joel is 56 y.o, reader is 25 y.o, slow burn, death, violence, su*cide attempt, mentions of depression, anxiety, self harm, su*cidal tendencies, poor mental health, depictions of violence, torture, sho*ting, st*bbing, self defense, mentions of sexual assault, assault, being held hostage, anger issues, etc. descriptions of living in an apocalyptic world with the infected.

more warnings: drinking, smoking, sex, hunting, fighting (physical and verbal), sexual experiences, descriptions of sex acts (porn with a plot), swearing, MINORS NOT WELCOMED.

summary: joel finds his way back to jackson with ellie after the incidents with the fireflies, and made it his home over the next year. the winter was harsh this year round, hitting jackson a bit harder than they figured. you were a hardheaded girl in her mid twenties, fighting to survive when you found yourself giving up in the middle of nowhere. that middle of nowhere just so happened to be right in the middle of an alarm system outside of the commune. so what happens when the people that find you happens to be none other than the miller brothers?

notable mentions: this is a dark fic! apocalyptic au! set after joel's hospital massacre. ellie is now 15. no use of y/n.

this is an 18+ fic. mdni.

chapter one - stiff and cold

- joel and tommy find your blood soaked body under a thin sheet of snow near the commune, and take you back where you wake up a week later.

chapter two - hell above

- your first week in jackson went just as expected. the world you lived in was hell, but this seemed like paradise to you. except the fact that it seemed like living under joel's roof made him a bit uncomfortable, weary even, and it showed.

chapter three - protection

- it's been three weeks since you made jackson your new home, taking classes in order to patrol, working, and joel is doing his best to try to get used to having you around while you are figuring out your feelings towards him.

chapter four - no good

- one month in jackson and you're still having a bit of trouble fitting in like ellie and joel (sort of) did, until you finally get your patrol route and partner. after he hears that your new partner has invited you for drinks, joel isn't to happy to watch you get ready to see another man.

chapter five - forfeit

- it was your first day of patrolling after earning the right to, but it was flipped upside down when tommy decided he needed to use you and joel for his own little mission. things go awry and soon there's nothing but heated tension that causes little spats to and from the destination.

chapter six - a good man in a bad time

- the next morning after coming back from your unexpected mission with joel was very eventful, and unbeknownst to you, joel felt the need to invade your privacy. it was your birthday, turning twenty six and you were feigning for a little pleasure. at the end of the night, you got it.

chapter seven

chapter eight

chapter nine

chapter ten

this is an prolonged series! out now! updates will continue during the last week of october!

[ in the mean time, check out my kinktober masterlist for some upcoming joel miller oneshots! ]

[familyvideowithsteve]

façade, pt. eight : the battle of hawkins - steve harrington x fem!reader

This material may not be copied, reproduced, displayed, modified. This is my work, do not steal it, do not republish it.

summary: Revelations are in order, a plan too. Urgently.

warnings: (reading the first series is highly recommended) /NSFW/, no use of Y/n, she/her pronouns with no physical description, violence, near death experiences, blood, weapons, angst, depiction of mental illnesses and psychological abuse (warnings for the entire series not the individual parts) + First Shadow (the play) spoilers (sort of)

a/n: bear with me. BEAR WITH ME PLS. also, a round of applause for my two ride or dies please @hollandweather @we-out-here-simping they've been handling my scheming and teasing like they're royalty.

word count: 8.8k

façade the first series | the sequel | spotify playlist | pt. nine

Do not forget to reblog and comment, I would love to know your thoughts, it's incredibly lonely being a writer!!

The Upside Down was strangely quiet, there was not a particular direction set for them, finding a good enough place to hide and rest was their only goal for now. 

The group of hunters didn’t follow them, they probably thought they were maniacs for going into the gates, which.., isn't wrong. 

Not a sound was shared within the group, they had all gained back consciousness to Will’s voice waking them, throbbing headaches, nausea, more bruises and scratches, only the common goal to find someplace safe enough to rest. 

They walked through the woods for a bit, without knowing how much time had passed or what time or day it was, lost in darkness with only the red lightning shooting through the dark sky, and lost in time as Hawkins was lost in 83’ and with no sunlight nor moonlight to guide them. 

Marching along demolished houses, Hopper’s guess was to keep going until they got close enough to Hawkins’ centre; the closer the buildings were to the edge of the forest, the safer they were. 

“I know someplace, not far from here, Bradley’s Big Guy, down Center Street, there’s food and bottled water, it’s safe,” Will paused, waiting for an answer as everyone had stopped and turned to look at him, confused at the piece of information. 

“If it’s not destroyed, I could—”

“No,” Hopper interrupted, frowning, stoic and quite uncomfortable that a teenager would provide for them, he was the adult, he had to be the guardian.. didn’t he? “No. No one goes out anywhere alone, and how do you know that, kid?”

Will repositioned his hand around Dustin’s waist to get a firmer grip, finding himself quite embarrassed, “It’s.. it’s how I survived the first time around..” he added in a low voice, watching Hopper’s face turn into shame.. The realisation felt like a slap on the face, those kids have been surviving for years, and as of lately, without him, those kids have been going through this for four years now, they weren’t helpless nor incapable. He ought to remember that.

“Right.. It’s a good idea Will. We’ll go later, we have enough food, we need to find somewhere to rest first.” 

They kept on walking the length of the street, until they found a house, they had a direct access to the forest as it was on the edge, and Bradley’s Big Guy was about one block away, the library and police station were about three blocks away, so they were pretty close to the centre without catching anyone or anything’s attention. 

The house was a perfectly fine place to crash given the situation, they ate in silence, and used baby wipes to try and clean themselves a little bit, they emptied the packs of baby wipes given their number, and silently said their farewell to having proper hygiene. 

They decided on who takes watch first, and quickly everyone walked upstairs except Steve and Nancy who both covered the front and back doors. 

Steve had absolutely no desire nor the capability to fall asleep after the events of the previous days.

The Upside Down was uncharacteristically quiet, Steve had taken a barstool to take breaks standing up, watching through the windows, hidden by the curtain, there were no creatures, except Demobats he had seen fly after some time but it was very calm otherwise, which felt just worse. 

Moving a bit in the kitchen’s windows he saw the familiar shadowy form of the Mind Flayer’s head, far from there, it looked right in their direction but it was so stoic. 

Steve had goosebumps just observing it doing nothing but knowing he was watched, made him feel terrible. The powerlessness that came with that fact was like the weight of the sky on his shoulders. 

In need of a break he made his way to Nancy and discovered her in the living room, sitting on the sofa’s headrest, she turned her head when she heard him move, he sat down on the stairs’ first steps, sighing lightly. 

“Did you see anything?”

He shook his head, his fingers playing with the hem of his long sleeve shirt, “No, Demobats some time ago, and the Mind Flayer’s creepy head, but no, it’s.. It’s strangely quiet, don’t you think?” 

“It’s weird, yeah, we’re accustomed to more violence and attacks from the Upside Down, which only makes me wonder, how terrible is it gonna be when it comes?” 

He agreed, his head shaking, humming a little bit, giving thoughts to what she said, she was right, she had vocalised his worries, but Steve was quieter than usual, more.. kept together, which didn’t look like him to Nancy, and she couldn’t be more wrong. 

He absolutely wasn’t kept together, his train of thoughts had naturally derived to her and Eddie and he couldn’t stop worrying about them, “Do you think we’ll find them?” 

Now she could see through his worry, it’s almost like she didn’t recognise that side of him, he had changed so much, in the best way and she had failed to see that, but she stopped her thoughts from diving in dangerous territories and turned her body to face him. 

Steve’s lover’s name fell from her lips and his body had a visceral feeling, a longing so deep from his soul like he was lost without her, and he was, but Nancy continued, “She survived for a few days on her own without any knowledge of the Upside Down. I’m sure they’ll be okay, I’m only hoping we’ll find them quickly and soon.” 

His eyebrows furrowed, his frame turning more to her, “Do yo—,” he started but was cut off by screams echoing in the darkness, coming from one block away maximum, she turned around and Steve rushed to her side to try and catch a glance. 

The buildings and houses covered the entirety of it and they couldn’t see anything, the screams kept on going until Nancy gasped louder than she had intended to let out and Steve wanted to ask what until he saw. 

The Mind Flayer had gotten drastically closer to them, the swarm of Demobats left and the cries and screams quieted down, under their very frightened eyes and paralysed bodies by fear they watched as the Mind Flayer arrived closer and closer, with one singular, strident scream, the shadowy creature moved its two arms on the front and it being so gargantuan it moved at incredible speed to join the opposite side of town, overlooking the Upside Down once again. 

Steve and Nancy looked at each other, dumbstruck, unsure if they hallucinated what they just witnessed. 

They rushed to wake up everyone upstairs to explain what just happened only to find Will sitting on the floor, his head in his hands, the rest of the group around him. 

“What’s happening?,” 

“The Mind Flayer.. Those screams.. Please tell me I wasn’t hallucinating,” Will spoke directly to Nancy, his eyes red and wet, 

“You guys heard those too?” 

“‘T was pretty hard to miss. Will woke us up, saying that the Mind Flayer was coming, that he was hunting, he was.. he talked so fast, we couldn’t understand anything else,” Hopper calmly said, his eyes attentive to Will. 

Nancy explained them what they had witnessed, meanwhile Steve was deep in his thoughts, he had a feeling he knew who were attacked, he wanted to be wrong of course, but he couldn’t ignore his instinct, the voice behind the screams was so similar to him, “We have to go see if we can help whoever’s out there,” his voice broke through, everyone turned to him, either shocked or confused.

“We could get killed, are you insane?!” Jonathan was the first one to answer, he was equally as confused as everyone else but he grew tired of the situation, it seemed to be a never-ending situation where they continuously got hurt, followed, nearly killed.

Steve felt uneasy as soon as he heard him, and.. He was quite angry too, “We could get killed at any moment by being here, if it were you, wouldn’t you want to be given help if you were still alive? If it were Will? Nancy? We wouldn’t be talking about it, we would already be doing it, Jonathan,” Steve paused, he hadn’t felt so much anger towards Jonathan in years, and it seemed he was completely lashing out his anger.. And his truth. 

He hadn’t said anything to both Jonathan and Nancy when she had gone to him to be their own couple while they hadn’t officially put an end to their relationship, he felt cheated on but said nothing, and even having moved on from them, he hated it all. He hated still having to deal with this with them because Jonathan or Nancy would decide if something would have meaning or be accepted without a single thought back, while Steve has been considered the stupid and irresponsible one everywhere he stepped, he was immensely aware of that and he had enough. He took a step closer to Jonathan, who stood next to Nancy, 

“Your mother would be screaming both of your names without a care in the world that it would pinpoint all the creatures to us and we would be prey served on a silver platter, but you’re right, let’s not go help someone in need even if we’re in deep shit ourselves, let’s be so selfish we might stay here and rot and wait for either creatures to come find and kill us all. After all, you’ve always been one to disregard one’s feelings and trust your most selfish instinct isn’t that correct? You two are made for each other,” Steve finished, his words spitting venom that shocked everyone, but his head turned to Nancy, his glance never leaving hers’ with the most serious and warning look imprinted in his pupils. 

He left the room, leaving the room confused as to why would he lash out like that, and mostly, how it didn’t look like him at all, except Nancy, she felt like she was a deer caught by headlights, and she knew very well what he was referring to, Jonathan didn’t quite understand what it meant, he played it off as everyone was tired and irritable.

Indeed, being in such a large group and living a nightmarish situation, it was bound to create tension between tired, irritable and hurt people, but out of everyone, he didn’t expect Steve to be one of those as he always thought of him as.. small-minded and, well, idiotic. Jonathan’s opinion hadn’t changed from high-school which made him as narrow-minded as Steve believed him to be. 

They heard the front door closing shut and it sort of awaken everyone as they realised Steve had left, with a strangeness in their eyes, Hopper and Joyce left the floor and were quick on their feet to follow him, the kids copied the adults, the couple was left in the room, looking at each other, dumbfounded. 

Reluctantly, they followed the rest of the group until there was no one left. 

Steve was trying to pinpoint the exact location, upon the road he was only met with fractured asphalt and vines, the store was what he found first, he was about to step inside when he heard Hopper’s stopping him, asking him to wait for them, “We leave no one behind, got it?” 

He nodded, only half heartedly, Steve knew that he wouldn’t be much of a priority to anyone, and there was no point sugarcoating it, it was a fact and he was aware of it. His closest and best friend Robin was dead so he had no one close enough for it, except Eddie and her, if he managed to find them, and he had an intuition telling him he wasn’t far from them. That gave him enough of a motivation and will to act on it. 

Dustin was in between Mike and Will as they seemed to be his designated human crutches, but they didn’t mind; the three of them were somewhat content to have each other, Steve waited for them, and stepped after, not bothering to wait for Nancy and Joanthan from afar. 

They scavenged whatever they could find, whether it was food —Hopper didn’t trust canned food from the Upside Down, he wouldn’t be able to explain why, but he didn’t so they settled for packaged food in see through plastic— and absolutely anything that could be useful to make weapons or first aid kits. 

Leaving his aisle, small flashlight in hand —Hopper had given them when they had left his cabin, Steve had completely forgotten he had it as he had escaped death a million times before and using a flashlight didn’t seem smart— Steve had gone to the back of the aisle to search again until he found droplets of dried, marooned blood on the ground. 

His curiosity piqued, he followed it, it lead to the back, the workers’ only area, the clear glass doors intact and dirtied with numerous things including dried blood, it lead to a corridor with the back entrance and another room, no doors, it seemed to be used as a storage space and break room. 

He entered the latter as he followed the trail of blood, piles of clothes and cloths to make what seemed like a makeshift mattress, also bloodied, but it was fresher, it looked a bit sticky (coagulated) and didn’t look like the trail, or at least there were two different trails of blood. 

He sighed, he retraced his steps and decided on following down the corridor and exited through the back door, as he did so, Dustin had realised he had gone off and terribly wanted to follow him, he asked Mike to provide him with broomsticks and rubber, he fabricated crutches quickly and was able to follow Steve through the corridor, Mike and Will on his heels. 

They walked for only a few feet when they saw two people on the ground, one lying on his back, the other on the side, unfortunately, they could see who it was, at least Eddie’s hair was recognisable from that distance, they’ve all stopped in their tracks. 

Steve’s heart stopped, his legs were glued on the asphalt. His heartbeast suddenly grew louder in his ears, time had stopped. The world around him was crumbling down upon him and he was left powerless. 

  No. No. No, no no, no, no, no. It can’t be..

Please, for the love of God, No. 

Dustin’s voice broke him out from his paralysis, the poor teenager was next to Eddie, and for a second, it’s like they were reliving the same scene, days prior.

Dustin was crying out, hands tightly gripped to Eddie’s leather jacket, his cheeks and his eyes drowning in his tears, he was very vocal, just uncontrollable sob after another. 

He approached, cautiously as his knees were weakening, step after step it hit him more and more. 

Arriving at Dustin's level, his eyes first laid on Eddie, there was absolutely no doubt that he was dead, the amount of blood he had around him was.. deeply concerning. Pale lips, skin, the rigidness in his limbs, the emptiness in his eyes.. The pool of blood around him and on him..  it didn’t lie. 

His eyes fell upon her hands tightly intertwined in his, and from this moment it felt like an out of body experience. He crouched down next to Dustin, brought a trembling hand towards Eddie’s jaw, around where his jugular should be, an unsettling chill ran down his body when his fingertips touched coldness and rigid skin, he didn’t say anything, he only closed his eyes, his hand briefly touching his back to let him know he was there, and left Dustin to crouch next to her. 

Same trembling hand touched around her neck and he was shaken by a violent wave of hope, he could sense a fragile pulse, her skin was warmer and not as stiff, he lied her on her back, he was struck by the amount of blood she had on herself, some of it had to be Eddie’s, but he could see the difference between theirs, and immediately Steve tried looking for a wound, looking around her face, her neck, then his hands proceeded to lower his inspection, her cleavage then her arms, one side of her abdomen then the other and —Fuck! 

His eyes and brows widened in shock, fingertips soaked in blood, again, he didn’t know much, but he knew not to remove what was impaled in her lower abdomen. He completely fell on his knees, his eyes did double takes to her wound and her unresponsive face, he saw the faint rhythm of her stomach moving up and down, an immediate reaction of loyalty struck him and his hands grabbed her cheeks, moving her face so she was facing him. 

His finger pads inspected her hair line as he felt scabs and he sensed many, small cuts, he could feel the inflamed skin under the bruises, her name fell from his lips like a never ending spell, conjuring her to open her eyes and talk to him. He longed to see the colour of her eyes and the sound of her voice, to see a tiny smile appear around the corner of her lips, it would appease his mind, pacify his every anxious thoughts. 

To Hopper approaching it sounded like a solemn prayer, he couldn’t quite see who was with Dustin and Steve until he was closer and he stopped in his tracks, he knew the Munson kid from afar as the sheriff he had had encounters with him, he had never been so strongly opinionated as the rest of town since he knew Eddie’s background, always let him go with a warning as he was himself not so.. uninfluenced.

As for her.. he did know her family, but not that well, he remembers seeing her here and there in town, walking home from high-school, ignoring the cars full of her classmates making fun of her as they drove, he remembers that; he also remembers not doing anything about it. Watching it happen. 

Joyce approached Hopper, who got closer to Mike and Will, the four of them felt powerless, and completely out of it as they saw Dustin’s never ending sobs and Steve’s tentative of waking her up, even if most of them didn’t really know who she was. 

Steve was panicking upon the facts that a. They were in the Upside Down, b. Eddie was dead, c. he felt the most gut wrenching guilt to have been with her, having had an incredible month with her as a couple when he knew that trying to find love would lead to this situation, he felt responsible for it, and he hated himself for it, she shouldn’t have gotten involved, she didn’t deserve all the pain, injuries it inflicted her.

Hopper silently suggested that they bring her with them to a nearby house as they were too exposed, so he detached their fingers intertwined together and carried Eddie towards the woods, and tried his best to pay him the respect and rest he deserves, even in death. Steve insisted on carrying her even though his leg hurt from the additional weight he carried, it felt like he carried the remorse he felt, like he deserved it.

Mike had gone to Dustin to help him up, he gently walked him back to the group and they followed Steve to the house he was walking to. Will was fast to open the door and let everyone in, even if he wasn’t really sure what the plan was, but did anyone really know? 

Jonathan and Nancy had joined the group later and had discovered the scene, Steve’s arms circling around her knees and shoulders. Even if Jonathan had seen them holding hands as they arrived in Hawkins a few days prior, he could not stop thinking about how odd it was seeing them together. 

Nancy felt even more remorse over the entire situation, and over the fact that Jonathan had insinuated to abandon her when she was still alive and had a chance of surviving, even a small one, she felt like the worst friend ever. Jonathan recognised the mood change in her features and tried to hold her hand but she refused him, and with a glance he couldn’t recognise, she left ahead of him, catching up on the group, leaving him bereft.

Everyone followed Steve and Hopper as he walked straight for the living room, and lied her down to the closest couch, he didn’t really know what to do next, he wasn’t as skilled as her or Hopper, but he had watched her reanimate Eddie and tend to their wounds. 

Hopper saw the panic settled in in now knowing what to do and the what ifs, so he put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, “There’s not much we can do, apart from cleaning the wound and until she wakes, her best shot is getting out of this place, kid.” 

He silently agreed, nodded, then proceeded to do as advised with the best they had while Hopper instructed the others to find rooms to rest in as he and Joyce would take the first watch. 

Everyone scattered away, Hopper settled on the stairs, his eyes on both the front door and the living room, silently watching Steve clean the wound in silence. They had managed to find antiseptic soap, it was the best he could do as he got rid of all the dried blood around the wound to discover the skin around to be quite stiff and the tiniest bit warmer. It wasn’t good and he hoped he was wrong by assuming it was getting infected. 

Every now and then he would steal a glance toward her face to search for any signs that she was waking up or uncomfortable, in pain. He understood how she was still alive, she was losing blood in such a slow and steady rhythm she still had chances to survive.. for now. 

He observed her stomach rising and falling as she breathed, kneeled on the ground next to her, Hopper recognised that devotion, he sincerely hoped they would find a way quickly enough to get them both, as far as he knew, they deserved to get out and get their lives back far away from Hawkins, in them he saw younger Joyce and himself, back in high-school. 

Steve lowered his head, he hadn’t expected to be crying, the tears falling freely and soundlessly, the fear of losing her setting so deeply in his bones like never before, he couldn’t resist it, not stop it.

His hands held on hers’ tightly, intertwined their fingers. 

He brought the back of her hand to his lips, chaste pecks on her skin, closed eyes, tears getting caught on her knuckles. “You can’t leave me, please, please, wake up. I don’t know what I’m gonna do if you don’t.” 

Her name fell from his lips like a plea, like a prayer. His whispers were so low he was barely able to listen to himself. He kept pleading silently until he had no tears left to cry, under Hopper’s very discreet eyes. 

He keeped one of her hands as he used his backpacks like a pillow, their intertwined hand close to him as he fell asleep out of complete exhaustion, into pure darkness. 

A detail none has seen yet due to the important lack of light and the general sense of panic and survival, is that through her shut tight eyelids, one could see her eyes flutter endlessly under the lids, the same way Max had when Vecna was infiltrating her mind. 

She opened her eyes and she was surrounded by complete darkness, alone, so soundless it felt deeply unsettling. She looked around, it was just darkness beyond sight, not a sound, only some light where she stood and it seemed to follow her, she didn’t understand. 

Expecting pain as she walked but she didn’t feel any, so she looked down at her body, to her surprise, she looked as if she hadn’t gone through literal Hell. Not even a hint of blood, or inflamed and tugging skin around the bruises and wounds, she didn’t have the small piece of wood impaled in her abdomen, her clothes were intact. 

Her long sleeve shirt was in one piece, as if she didn’t have a thousand cuts all over her body from the running, falling and trying to survive to monsters. 

It didn’t match real life, so she wondered, quietly but in confusion, 

“Am I dead? Is this.. Is this what death looks like?” 

Thinking of death, “Eddie? Are you there?” 

She was answered with silence, only her own voice and its echo fading through the darkness. 

“I don’t understand. I’m not supposed to be stuck here, am I? What’s this?,” She thought out loud, and as she realised that she may be stuck here with no way out for eternity, she felt her heartbeat moving higher against her thorax, her hands turned into fists.

The panic in her body turned a dial up as she heard footsteps coming towards her, and turning around, she was met with eyes the same colour as hers’. 

Goosebumps travelled along her body as her eyes and brows widened in shock, she was stuck in her movements, paralysed like. 

The body moving to her had gotten closer, facing her completely, she looked at her own reflection, same height, same hair texture and colour, body type, clothes, except, her look alike had the appearance of someone who tried to survive the Upside Down for a couple of days.

Her hair was unravelled, some strands stuck in dirt and clumps of blood, her skin and clothes underwent the struggles of her misadventure, cuts through her legs, torso, arms and face. The small piece of wood or whatever it was, impaled in the low side of her abdomen, she couldn’t see them, but she knew where the bruises were and how tensed and pained her skin around those wounds were. This was—is— her. 

She stood in front of her reflection, but it wasn’t motionless, she had walked, she was blinking, looking at herself, a smirk pulling on her lips.

Minutes passed as she needed to compose herself, she wanted to flee so badly but she knew she couldn’t even though she didn’t understand what was happening. 

In one desperate move she looked down at her hands, the bottom of her jeans, it was then that she saw her misadventure in the Upside Down on herself, the cuts, on the skin, through the clothes, the aches in her body from all the running, the bruises, the pain came back like she was struck by lightning and when she looked up, her alter ego had disappeared, she was alone. 

She was in complete solitude, tiniest bit of light around her whenever she moved, with nothing but a disturbing silence as a companion. 

Steve was shaken awake by a strong pair of arms, accompanied by Hopper’s voice to summon him awake, he didn’t understand anything at first, his mind so groggy he felt like he was drunk, then, what Hopper told him jolted him awake, “She’s awake, kid.” 

He immediately sat up and turned to her, inspecting her in anticipation. She remained lying down on the couch he had put her in, blinking away her confusion, he was eager, desperate, to hear from her, he squeezed the hand intertwined with hers’, it got her attention and she turned her head to him, a frown appearing on her brows. 

Submerged by two existing identities —hers’ and the Mind Flayer— she struggled to recognise the place and the people surrounding her, and Steve seemed to understand it as the confusion didn’t part from her face, looking at the three faces in front of her, Hopper, Joyce and Steve’s. 

The two adults didn’t know her enough to know that it was unusual, maybe she had fallen on her head multiple times and she was concussed, or the multiple injuries plus the emotional struggle of it all could lead to some kind of amnesia but Steve knew better, or, suspected better, he chose to put it aside and not bring it up now. 

She asked where she was, what was happening, she didn’t seem to remember anything it’s only when Steve recalled the weeks past events’ she seemed to remember some, then it clicked for Joyce, this kind of amnesia, the hesitancy, the stress in remembering past and present events, she knows it well because she’s seen it in Will back at the lab, when the Mind Flayer launched an attack, using Will as a spy. 

The similarities were so strong, it felt like déjà-vu. 

From the deepest corners in her mind that the Mind Flayer has infiltrated she had access to everything the creature wanted her to see and know, instructing her with one task, but she didn’t know what it was. 

It felt like going into a room without knowing why she came there. 

Sat side by side on the sofa, Steve couldn’t stop keeping his eyes on her. He knew something was off, it didn’t feel like she was there, like she was distracted, evasive, it didn’t feel like her. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Joyce taking Hopper by the elbow to pull him aside, whispering things, he glanced once their way and he knew instantly they were talking about her. 

Hopper looked away as soon as he saw Steve catching him, frowning. 

He was about to stand up and join them when she sighed loudly, one glance back towards her and he saw her hands entangled deep in her scalp in frustration, almost pulling at the root, her back completely backrested, her eyes set on the ceiling covered in vines. 

Steve’s voice pulled her out of the spinning wheels turning in her brain, as she let go of the root of her hair, Steve’s hand met in the middle and caught it, intertwining their fingers together, his eyes widened the moment he touched her skin and realised she was cold.

He brought himself closer and took both her hands in his, his thumbs ran around her wrists, “Do you feel cold ?”

Her brows frowned furthermore, there was some kind of latence in her answer as she didn’t really know if she felt cold or not, “No, I— I feel..,” she paused, her throat was sore from all the screaming and shouting she had done. 

Trying to clear her throat, she continued, her voice weakened and a bit hoarse, ”I don’t feel cold or hot, I feel so.. eerie. Like I’m not even here. Like I’m.. dying on the inside.”  

Steve closed his eyes for a few seconds as he tried to process what she was saying, his suspicious were rising alarmingly high, but when he opened his eyes he saw she had her turned her head towards the windows, following her gaze, he saw the Mind Flayer stood at the complete opposite side of town, far away, but he kept looking back and forth between her and noticed that its’ head had moved towards them. 

Goosebumps and chills rose along his body, his gaze focused solely on her, one final glance to the creature when he saw its’ head moving back to the position it had, overlooking the city, then one glance at her, she had such a passive expression in her eyes that he couldn’t recognise. 

Almost in sync, as she closed her eyes the most intense, piercing guttural shriek echoed in town, eyes revulsed behind her eyelids, Steve began panicking, shaking her arms, strong grip on her shoulders, her body was stoic, and he had flashbacks of Max and Nancy going through the same episode. 

Talking loudly than he thought, he shouted her name, getting even closer, practically straddling her as her head fell back, and with two firm hands he held her cheeks and tried to get her to wake, with no success. 

The monstrous shriek and Steve practically shouting her name, it had woken up everyone sleeping and brought Hopper and Joyce as soon as they noticed Steve moving on the couch. Everyone’s attention filled the room with so much noise it created nourished the stress and panic deep beneath him, soonly the excruciating noise in the room was quieted down by more guttural shrieks coming from outside. 

The movement of panic grew stronger and finally, someone thought aloud that their best choice was to leave now or all their chances of surviving would be close to none —which was already the case. 

That made Steve’s muscles tense, he finished letting her head fall gently on the cushion, he turned around, his eyes darkened and his face looked so tense that no one knew what to expect.

Nancy hadn’t expected Jonathan to propose such a thing, her head turned to him, shock evident on her face.

Steve wasn’t so surprised, “Again with the leaving people behind? People that aren’t close enough to you, that is. Please go, be the first to be eaten, pulled apart, whatever they do with you, I don’t give a fuck.” 

“No, no one’s going anywhere, you listen to me? No one’s leaving anyone behind,” Hopper’s voice tried to be stern but everyone’s patience was running low, it allowed more recklessness too. 

“So what, we’re supposed to stay here and wait until she wakes up when we know that we are going to be dead staying here, I’m supposed to wait for her when I know that the more we wait, the more we are targets!”

“Jonathan, she deserves the same chances as us to survive, we’re not leaving her behind, this is insane.”

“Nancy, this is life or death, the choice is pretty simple, we’ve already lost so much time, we can’t allow ourselves to lose more.”

“I know this is life or death, should I remind you we’ve all been through this for years, I know that you’re scared, I am too, but punishing her when she could survive too is just not okay! She got involved mere weeks ago by getting pulled in by a Demobat’s tail, she survived on her own here without knowing anything and she found us when we got stuck too. She could have left then but she stayed and she fought Vecna with us, almost dying countless times, she’s helped Max and she fucking reanimated Eddie the first time around, she’s not getting anywhere without us! I owe it to her to not leave her behind like I did for Barb!” 

She could only listen to what was happening around her, it gave her a bitter sensation in the back of her throat, but experiencing such.. vulnerability and inaccessibility in her own body and not having full control, it was insanely uncomfortable. 

She remained stoic, not daring to move, listening to everything that happened, in the blink of an eye, she found herself to be plunged in complete darkness, then, after a few seconds, she heard footsteps, the lights above her started flickering and she realised she wasn't in complete darkness anymore. 

She found herself to be in some corridor, evidence of a previous fight on the bloodied walls and the cracked tiles. She turned her body to the sounds coming from a man walking towards her, his pace confident, arms behind his back, dirty blond hair and entirely dressed as someone that came out of an asylum or some lab. She didn't know who it was, but she had a strong suspicion about his identity.

She was too shocked and frightened to form a sentence, the man resembled nothing like the descriptions she’s had from her friends. 

The light above kept flickering which allowed their surroundings to move to a darker but lengthier space, darker tiles on the walls and on the ground, with turned off lights on a spherical shape on a corner, but she focused on him, straightening her body and planting her feet in the ground. 

It indicated to him she knew how he was, she was on the defensive, which didn't matter that much as he was already infiltrating her mind. 

“If you don't wake up you and your friends will die,” his voice wasn't at all like she expected, it was soft, it didn't hold any roughness or threats, it warned her though.

Frowning, she didn't understand the situation, she struggled to form words, so he continued, “The clock is ticking.” 

His head moved slightly, he looked at her up and down, his chin down to analyse her posture and a weakness point, then chin up, he tightened his arms behind his back, focusing on the task at hand, his only chance.

She noticed and followed his gaze, body still planted on the ground, hands curled in fists, being studied so closely confused her at first, for someone who had thought of every possible outcome, who had thought of his plan to invade Hawkins, he seemed rather clueless. Making up his plan as it went on. 

 “I understand your suspicion, but I could help you.” 

One of her eyebrows raised in surprise, but she kept her mouth shut, having not a clue what she was doing but still resisting, however she could.

 He started moving towards her, only to pace in circles around her, slowly, he stopped behind her, an arm’s length from her, he paused for quite some time, which almost made her turn around, “I do not understand.”

 His voice has gotten harsher, his patience has worn down, “You think you can resist me, or him?” 

 Confusion struck her, what the hell did he mean by him? What was this? Who was he referring to as him?

 He completed his circle and arrived by her eye level, their eyes connected, she could read determination on him, the wheels spinning behind those blue eyes. 

“He won't be as merciful, your only way out is with me.” 

She kept her eyes fixed on him, she could read so much on him now that she had struck a nerve being silent and resisting, which allowed her to make a wild guess, “You're on your own.” 

He tried to not let his surprise show but the frown that appeared on his face could not be missed, “Only people that are left mending for themselves can be so desperate and reckless.” 

The Mind Flayer, “He’s given up on you, and you're left mending for yourself. If you wanted to kill me you already would have done so. So what's your purpose in this?” 

He tilted his head, the frown he wore indicated to her that she was correct, and he wasn't just impatient now, but mad as hell to have been figured out.

 “I spared you–”

 “No, you can't kill me, you’ve resorted to gaslighting and tormenting. But why?” 

The façade slowly started melting off as he grew angrier, the white outfit swapped for his disfigured rotting body, his voice distorted. Their surroundings changed to a field of floating parts of a destroyed house, red mist swallowing the ground.

Moving forward, new parts of his body were revealed, newly burned off parts, gaping holes in his chest, how he was still alive was profoundly shocking to her.

“You're hiding,” only a whisper that escaped her lips as she studied their surroundings, “..and hurting.. you're..–” 

He tilted his head, and she switched her attention on his face closer to her, his eyes were the deepest shade of blue, like the deepest regions of an ocean, where the light can barely escape, darkness only reigns.

“You're dying, and you're left mending for yourself,” she paused, she had no idea where all this courage came from to reveal his truth, where all that clairvoyance came from, “So, you're stalling.” 

Out in the open, he couldn't fathom how she had understood, “You're left so weak you can't even kill me. Why would you stall if he’s abandoned you?” 

He wasn't as defenceless as she thought him to be, with a grunt she saw his eyes close, and unexpectedly complete darkness surrounded her, she couldn't see anything, as if she were blind. 

She felt deeply uneasy the more she stayed in complete darkness, wishing she had shut her mouth. If he was going to kill her, she hoped it would be quick.

Given the alarming number of roaming creatures outside and some questionable sounds coming from them– the fact that they couldn't recognise what those creatures were, sent shivers down their spine, it completely terrorised them, it could only mean that something new was outside– they decided to split up. 

The pressure kept rising and rising and Hopper ended the argument by agreeing to split up, even though it killed him because he hated that idea.

The thing is, the groups were heavily uneven, only Nancy chose to stay with Steve, Joyce was staying with Hopper, Will and El stayed with their parents, Mike followed El, and Dustin was too vulnerable on his own with the crutches to stay in a much smaller group.

Steve retreated back to her, sitting on the cushion sideways to her, he grabbed her hand, hoping it would help him calm down his anger. 

He completely ignored the sounds of them getting their equipment and Hopper calling Nancy to share some with her, more ammunition, pocket knives, lighters, and tiny bottles of liquor.

She watched them leave, guns and makeshift weapons in hands, Dustin in the middle of them to assure his safety, until they were completely out of her eyesight, then her head turned to Steve, his back to her.

Nancy feared his mood wouldn't help them develop a plan to get out, but they needed to elaborate one, quickly, so, trying to ignore the worrisome shrieks from outside, she cautiously stepped towards Steve.

She sat on the ground, facing him, her head levelling with Steve’s lover, quietly observing her face, how her eyes kept moving back and forth, witnessing she was somewhere they couldn't join. 

“She’s getting colder, I don't know what to do to rid her of him,” Steve let out quietly, like a secret he could finally let out.

Nancy’s head turned to him, frowning.

“I didn't want to bring it up because I didn't know how everyone would react to it, probably the same as what happened, but–,” he paused, a brief glance towards her, not yet sure if he could say it, but what would she do? Throw a tantrum? Too late for that.

“I’m almost sure she’s.. The Mind Flayer has her, the same way he had with Will. She was awake before we all heard that terrific shriek, she felt.. off, like she wasn't with us, she didn't feel how cold she is, and it may be my head but, I feel like she’s colder.” 

She nodded, and immediately her brain thought of a way to make it out, wheels spinning on end, until Steve’s voice broke it all up, “To be honest, I’m aware I’ve doomed us all, I didn't think anyone would second me I thought I would.. die alongside her.” 

Shock blew on her face, her eyes moved to his face, his head low, searching for his eyes she tilted her head to the side, “Steve..” 

Deep in his eyes was sadness, and desperation, nothing she would have expected from him, she was stunted, shocked. His eyes trailed back to her, his thumb mindlessly caressed her cold skin. 

Their plan was quite simple, Steve would carry her and Nancy would go first, gun in hand, and they would travel small location to small location, not more than a block away to make sure they could attempt to hear or see their enemies, try to, at least. 

Nancy made sure she had enough ammunition in the pockets of her jacket, along with a pocketknife, she gave one to Steve and hid one in the upper pocket of her jeans.

Out of curiosity, and because she hadn’t dared to previously, Nancy held her hands and realised how cold she was, she also realised she had never properly inspected her injuries, she hadn't acknowledged what had happened to her.

She could see the multiple cuts through the materials of her long sleeve shirt and her jeans, but the worst injury was the one on her abdomen, she hadn't realised it was that bad, of course she had seen but.. she hadn't paid attention given everything that happened.

She pulled up the shirt, she let out a gasp when she saw the rawness of her injury and Steve cleaned it the best he could, the skin around was inflamed, swollen, and mostly fresh blood around the piece of wood impaled, but it kept the blood loss controlled.

One thing she wasn't sure though, were the jet black veins exiting the wound, calmly she called for Steve, who had been in the kitchen looking for more supplies. You never know.

He was about to ask but he saw, and the answer to his doubts were there, she was taken by the Mind Flayer, it resembled everything they had seen in Will, another shriek echoed through the city.

 “We have to hurry,” Steve briefly whispered and hurried himself to put on his jacket, his backpack followed, Nancy copied him, taking off the security on her gun, she opened the door as silently as she could, stepping carefully outside.

One hand holding a flashlight, the other hand holding her gun, she stepped cautiously through the porch as Steve held her, one arm wrapped under her knees, the other under her back.

He followed her carefully, arriving first to the store they had scavenged, a ten minute break later –inspecting their surroundings and planning as soundlessly as they could.

They continued like this without any encounters, house after house after house until they heard human screams and more guttural shrieks.

It wasn't just human screams, pained screams and warnings to run off.

Nancy recognised Jonathan’s voice in the lot, paralysed on the spot she was caught between helping them or staying with Steve. She turned to him, and he knew immediately what she was about to do, he didn't even wait for her to speak, he walked towards the nearest house to hide.

He heard Nancy run off to where the screams came from, getting closer to the door he hoped to be able to touch the handle with her in his arms, but he didn't even have the time to, she started convulsing in his arms.

“No, no, no, no!,” not as silent as he hoped to be, but to be able to carry her inside he had to force his way in, not exactly subtle, but his only choice.

So he forced the door open with his leg and rushed inside, he hid upstairs, closed all the doors, because he knew that every creature around had heard him barge in and rush upstairs.

He tried his best to keep her on her side while she was convulsing, as silent as possible, he prayed to God they wouldn't be found, eyes closed, hands tightly holding her body, he hoped. 

When the darkness completely surrounded her, she knew something was coming but she hadn't expected to be tormented by sounds only in complete and utter nothingness.

He had pulled out everything that's been hurting her for the past couple of months, hearing it made the memories come back and reliving them was torture. He knew what he was doing. 

The bullying, gaslighting, the jealousy, self esteem at its lowest, the people pleasing, diminishing herself, how she’s been harming herself on all levels and coping in unhealthy ways.

Every voice that spat venom at her face resurfaced, making her try to scream above those voices to make it all stop.

Covering her ears with her hands wasn't working, she could still hear everything, seconds turned into minutes, into how long it had been.

On her knees, her forehead and her arms touching the ground with her hands tightly put around her ears, she has completely turned into herself. 

She hadn't realised that it had stopped, she could still hear it, feel those words as if they were snakes crawling their way in her brain.

She let out a breath of relief when she finally realised that silence surrounded her, the muscles in her arms aching, now all her body screamed for a chance to let go, that it’s had enough, and her mind agreed. 

She’s had enough.

She opened her eyes but her eyelids were heavy, when she looked around herself she didn't recognise where she was, her jeans and arms were wet from the grass, she was in the woods.

She completely sat down, turned her upper body around so she could take a glance at her surroundings, grass, trees, there was a form a few feet from her, but she could hardly see what it was.

She got up, holding onto a tree next to her as her vision got blurry, she closed her eyes and tried to catch her breath, when she felt capable enough she walked towards the ambiguous form.

It was a handmade wooden castle, “Welcome all friends” and “Castle Byers” written on the front in yellow. She passed through the tarp, and a gasp left her mouth as soon as she saw him.

“So, this is where you're hiding,” a voice that resembled hers said, but it hadn't come from her own mouth, turning around she saw her alter ego leave as quickly as she came in. Turning inside the makeshift castle, she looked one last time at a very weakened, rotten and rotting body of Vecna, seemingly taking his very last breaths until the scenery floated away like a candle’s flame blown off.

Steve waited, and waited, her body had stopped convulsing just moments ago, he had left her when he was sure she was still breathing.

Trying to be aware of every sound he could make, he opened the door to the bedroom he stayed in, pocket knife in hand, but he heard nothing.

He tried his luck and went back inside to carry her downstairs, cautious on the steps, he put her down on the sofa and rushed to the windows. He saw Demodogs and Demobats roaming around, but the screams had gone, and with Nancy not returning.. he would rather not think of that.

His only hope was resting on the couch and.. and she was waking up, he couldn't believe it. 

He rushed to her side, she was blinking away her confusion, he pulled up her shirt to look at the wound and the black veins were still there, they had retreated a bit though.

As he was about to rapidly explain what had gone and what they needed to do, a violent shake broke through the earth, followed by the sound of something exploding.

Just a turn towards the sound and they saw bombs exploding, falling down like rain.

He rushed her up, with a strong grip around her waist he ran off outside through the back door that led to the edge of the woods.

Together they sprinted off away, doing their best to avoid any bombs, he heard some creatures following them but they were killed off easily as the hive mind worked its way until he brutally realised that she was part of it too as she fell unconscious on the ground.

Until the very end he would stay with her.

He doesn't realise when he falls unconscious too, he only knows that he’s an arm’s length from her.. as long as he dies alongside her..

There was nothing around her, not a sound, not a weird looking ego, not Vecna to torment her.

Just, back at the starting point, with nothingness and an uncomfortable silence surrounding her. 

Her arms closed off, tight around her body to try and warm herself a bit, she kept walking around nothingness. 

She wondered if she was going to be stuck in there forever, does she want to go back to Steve? Does she want to go back at all? 

She truly didn’t know, she didn’t know if she had the choice, but if she had it, would she return back to Hawkins? 

She didn’t have time to ponder the question really, because she joined the darkness within, and shortly after, she was back in her unconscious body, lying on the ground, fire spreading as the US army was gaining ground in the Upside Down, with it, bombing kept going, as it’s the only weapon they possessed that would work. 

Eradicate it all with fire— were the final words left from Dr Owens’s lips as he too, joined nothingness after being tortured for what felt like eternity, he had given nothing, not a single thing about Eleven or anything that he knew, except how to kill it. 

Bodies defenceless, they could only hope they would either survive together or die together. 

Do not forget to reblog and comment, I would love to know your thoughts, it's incredibly lonely being a writer!!

-> pt. nine

tags (of the prequel and/or people who liked the masterlist) : if you’d like to be tagged, let me know in my inbox  @freezaz123 @ihavebecomesomething @aphetropy @sigh-mon-reads @madaboutjoe @mystic-writings @333starbride @seatnights @gabby123rocks @hauntors @ourprisma @hollandweather @we-out-here-simping @cupofjoekeery @seatnights

(mutuals that might be interested let me know if not): @strangerquinns @stiles-o-dylan24 @bffysummrs @teen--marvel @stevesxyellowxsweater

[myezblog]

The only puzzle that needs to be solved to make sense of timelines, potential to change future etc..

And that is Lukwa.. and her timeline and her story

Ep 1 - we are watching the past and we learn Doc is doing his research and there is this patient who relived her past during cardiac arrest with the exception of that she could look into the future 4 minutes. She seems to be perfectly normal and happy now, nothing crazy or out of world happening to her

Ep 2 , 3 - Great comes to know that another patient had similar experience. He "dreams" of meeting her in a room

Ep 4 - we meet Lukwa again and talks about the 4 minutes room and seeing another man there. She also starts talking about what part of her life did she relive... and the scene cuts

From Lukwa's perspective (and assuming it is all normal timeline) we gather -

a) during cardiac arrest one has 4 minutes to live and brain is hyper active in that time

b) brain is reliving past dictated by one's strongest beliefs (regrets?), religion etc with the exception of seeing 4 minutes into the future (all imaginary)

c) multiple people in same room (now THIS IS WEIRD).. if two almost dying people reach the same limbo place then there is supernatural intervention... and this plot would make sense only if it is about second chances (now add the other pateint's story of seeing white angels performing on her... and she survived.. so maybe the end is supernatural intervention giving you second chance and saving you)

From patients in general and doctor

While we hear different experiences, we HAVE NOT HEARD of reality changing for anyof them... that would be mind boggling finding right? and everyone seems pretty sane talking about their experience as just an experience and also the doctor... reality changing would defy real world science and Doc seems chilled out so his research - whatever it leads to - doesn't seem to have led to Reality alteration

THE BIG BIG CONFUSION

Assuming Lukwa is normal timeline and truth (her conversations, her scenes are true) then she met Great. Great must have gone into cardiac arrest or got into his accident (while being rushed to hospital) to meet Lukwa in the 4 min room? If so, then Lukwa has recovered recently (assuming great has been out for a few days before cardiac arrest) and her interactions with Doc are in real time.... However, doc and tyme keep interacting so time continuity does not hold true

2. Let's assume since ep 1, we are in Great's dream - time does not flow normally here... nanosecond can be days..

Every character that we see (except the scenes before intro) Great has met them already and at time of his near death, he already knows about a lot of convoluted relationships/motivations etc

Now, in the past great and tyme were still entangled.. he would have met Dan Doc, he would have met Win (with respect to Title's murder), tonkla etc... ... So, if he interacted with Dan in the past he MIGHT HAVE LEARNED about his research work and 4 minutes case of another patient.. Did he meet the patient ever (crossing paths or something.. don't know)???

NOW, if we consider this.. then even the part where we see Doc speaking with his patients is happening in Great's dream world...brain is building its entire narrative... and now meeting the lady in the same 4 min. room makes sense because, again, it is not real .. and time continuity makes sense, continues to make sense

*********************

If writer plans on keeping supernatural out of the way, a logical ending for this should be

a) either great and tyme meeting up in some limbo state being together but dead in real life (more to imply that both cared about each other the most that they ended up in same place post death)

b) Great waking up.. giving evidence to Win to catch Korn, Dad, Tonkla etc... and somehow saving Tyme.. and reconciling

But, i don't see reality changing in any of that.. aka.. woman in ep 1 still died in car accident, Dome still died being killed, Title still dead - killed by Tonkla, Nan/girl still shot and dead

************

So, net net we need Lukwa's story, her demeanour etc.. because this Lukwa that we are seeing is still Great's dream world.. and that's not a reliable world with respect to any character

[not-neverland06]

Broken Machinery

Pt. 6 (completed series)

Series masterlist

Connor RK800 x fem!reader

A/N: I’ve just got this weakness for one love interest calling the other baby while they’re injured. I can't help myself 

Content Warnings: Cussing (duh), shots fired, asshole government agents, me not knowing what android parts are called (everything’s getting called a bio component idc), nothing too bad honestly just one near death experience and existential crisis

Word Count: 3.3K

Series Summary: You and your grumpy partner Anderson gain a new addition to the team. He’s supposed to be CyberLife’s best, but there’s something not quite right with his programming, and the problems seem to revolve around you.

“You know, you really scared me up there.”

“How do you think I felt?” 

You might have gone a little crazy, back there, you nearly broke a few toes beating the shit out of Connor.

It was like you were so blinded by your rage you just went into a trance. There was thirium eveywhere, Hank and Chris both had to grab you to get you off him. One of the deputies had to take him to CyberLife for repairs. 

Serves him right. 

Hank had immediately driven you to the hospital afterwards. Despite your incoherent garbling that you were ‘in tip-top shape.’

He was sitting in your room with you and for the last forty minutes since the doctor left, he had been staring into the coffee he got at the vending machine. Not talking, not looking at you, you had almost begun to believe he had passed out. 

He was still staring at his coffee as he spoke. “I’m not talking about the roof. I knew I’d catch you.” There was an absolute certainty to his words, like there was no other possible outcome he would have accepted except your survival. 

You wanted to be happy, wanted to feel like you had a dad that loved you and would risk falling off a roof with you, rather than let you go. 

But you knew that he saved you out of a feeling of duty. He saved you because he couldn’t lose two kids. Not for any other reason. Sometimes you felt like he was more of an android than Connor. 

“Back there, what you did to Connor,” your shoulders stiffened in defense. You didn’t need to hear that you look like a rabid badger when you’d gone after him. You already knew that you went a little insane. Hank raised his hands in defense before you could go on another rant. “Hey, I’m not saying the fucker didn’t deserve it, I’m just saying I was…. I was scared, okay?”  

He finally looked at you now, and you almost wished he hadn’t. For years all you’ve seen was a vacant look or drunken rage. 

Now, there was something there. Something real, and it hurt. It physically hurt to see the pain in his eyes. The raw grief and loss. 

He seemed to lose track of what he was saying, caught up in one rare moment of actually allowing himself to feel instead of masking it with rage or drinking it away. “I feel like I lost you both.”

You didn’t know what to say. There were no words of comfort you could offer him. No white lies he would accept. 

And there were none you were willing to give, because he was right. 

He had lost you both in that car crash. 

Amanda was waiting for Connor in a boat. It was clear he was expected to row her, his resistance at the unspoken order was surprising. 

“I love this place, it’s all so calm and peaceful. Far from the noise of the world. Tell me, what have you discovered?”

Connor felt the need to keep the development in his relationship with you to himself. Amanda wouldn’t understand why he was living with you. She surely wouldn’t approve of his newly prioritized mission. 

PROTECT Y/N

“I found two deviants at the Eden Club, I had hoped to learn something but…” There had to be a way to phrase this that she wouldn’t know the truth behind his actions. “They managed to escape.”

“That’s too bad,” she saw right through him. “You seemed so close to stopping them.” Connor chose to row rather than speak. “You seem… lost Connor. Lost and perturbed.”

Connor debated being sincere with her. If anyone had advice or could tell him what to do about what he’s been going through, it would be Amanda. 

“I thought I knew what I had to do, but now I realize it’s not that simple.”

“You had your gun trained on those deviants at the Eden Club.” There was a forced replay of the footage at the club. It felt so invasive that they could reach through him and rip out what they wanted. 

“Why didn’t you shoot?” 

He chose to tell the truth, “I don’t know, I don’t know.”

He knew he made the wrong choice immediately after. At least he hasn’t told her about you.

But, his doubt was concerning. His main concern should be the mission, now, he’s not so sure. 

“If your investigation doesn’t make progress soon, I may have to replace you, Connor.”

He wasn’t sure how to feel about the idea of being replaced. If it was for the sake of the mission then he should be willing to do anything. Yet, the idea of being deactivated made him feel… wrong, almost angry. 

“I understand.”

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY^

“Something’s happening, something serious. Hurry, Connor. Time is running out.” The ominous warning left Connor with a feeling of pressure on his chest. 

Hank kept tapping his foot and staring at Connor as he flipped his coin. You smiled at his irritation. “How do you do that?” 

Connor stopped toying with the coin to give you his full attention. It was a bit intimidating when he stared at you full force. He’d seemed irritated this morning when you left the house to come to the news tower. 

The stormy look on his face was still present and now directed at you. It was an effort not to pick at your nails. 

You’d been trying to stop, everytime Connor would catch you he’d shoot you a warning glare before slapping your hands apart and taking them in his own. Although, sometimes you did it because he would interlace your fingers together. As pathetic as it was, the feeling of his skin against yours was soothing. 

He blinked a lot before the look on his face lightened and he tilted his head, “The coin trick?” Connor demonstrated again for you, flipping it between his fingers. You nodded and he flicked it back and forth between both hands before Hank finally snapped. 

He yanked it out of the air, “You’re starting to piss me off that coin, Connor.” 

“Sorry, Lieutenant,” he put the coin back in his pocket. “I’ll show you later,” he paused before finally adding, “at home.” Your cheeks felt warm as a smile slowly crept along your face. He’d never referred to your house like that, it brought you joy knowing that you could provide somewhere comforting for him. 

“The fuck did you just say?” Hank turned towards you, “Is he staying with you?”

You reached forward and clicked the button for the floor a couple times. How slow was this freaking elevator? 

“Were you not aware of that, Lieutenant?”

“No I wasn’t.” Hank shot you a disbelieving look, you slunked your way behind Connor, avoiding both of their gazes. 

“I found her passed out on her couch in a distressing condition. I’ve opted to stay with her and help her take care of herself while she heals.” 

Hank looked around Connor at you, “You didn’t tell me you needed help.”

“You didn’t ask.”

You were the first out of the elevator. “Hey, Y/N.”

You took in the multitude of SWAT and CSI agents. “Shit, what’s going on here? Was there a party and nobody told me?”

Chris scoffed, “That’s an understatement. It’s all over the news, so everybody’s been butting their nose in. Even the FBI wants a piece of the action.”

“Fuck me, that’s the last thing we need. Some FBI prick trying to take over.”

Hank walked up to the two of you, “Now we got the Feds on our back, I knew this was gonna be a shitty day. So what do we got?”

“A group of four androids. They knew the building, and they were all very well organized.”

You glanced back at Connor and gave him a narrowed eyed look. “Well if I know anything about androids,” you turned around again. “It’s that their real good at getting their hands on things they shouldn’t have. They probably managed to download the building schematics.”

“Building plans or not, I’m still trying to figure out how they got this far without being noticed.”

“Maybe they had some help,” Chris seemed a little surprised at your words. 

“What are you saying, they had someone on the inside?” You nodded absently at Hank's question as you took a look around the hallway where the deviants ambushed two guards. 

It’s definitely the least violent, hostile takeover you’ve ever seen. No casualties, only a few woozy guards and one technician in shock. 

Hank examined some bullet holes in the wall. “How many people were working here?”

“Just two employees and three androids.” You let Hank take over the rest of the briefing while you examined the evidence around the room. “The deviants took the humans hostage and broadcast their message live. They made their getaway from the roof.”

“The roof?”

“Yeah, they jumped with parachutes. We’re still trying to figure out where they landed,” do they know anything? “But the weather’s not helping. If you want to take a look at the video broadcast by the deviants, it’s on that screen over there.” 

You made your way over to the broadcasting room. Someone in a trench coat was standing in the middle of the room, blocking you from looking around. 

“Lieutenant, detective, this is Special Agent Perkins from the FBI. Lieutenant Anderson and Detective Y/L/N are in charge of investigating for Detroit Police.” Connor walked over the the group of you. 

SA Perkins nodded towards him, “What’s that?” You got immediate douchebag vibes from him. 

“My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.”

You wanted to face palm, did they not program him with any other greetings?

“Androids investigating androids, huh? You sure you want an android hanging around?” The irony wasn’t lost on you, but he didn’t have to be a dick and act like Connor wasn’t standing right in front of him. Hank scoffed, seemingly prepared to dismiss him, but SA Perkins wasn’t done yet. 

“After everything that happened…” The insinuation had your hands curling into fists. He didn’t even know the two of you, yet he thought he had the right to speak about something he knew jack shit about. You had taken a half a step forward before someone’s hand was on your wrist, stopping you. 

You looked down expecting to see Connor, instead Hank was gently holding your arm. He didn’t look at you, just kept staring at Perkins until the agent had made himself uncomfortable. You got a sickening amount of satisfaction at the way he crumpled under Hank's stare. 

“Whatever, soon the FBI will take over and you’ll be on another case.”

“Pleasure meeting you.” Hank was clearly done entertaining the rat faced asshole. 

“Have a nice day,” you gave him the fakest smile you could muster until he just scoffed

“Don’t fuck up my crime scene.” 

You watched him walk away, “I really wish you had let me just knock him down a peg.”

Hank gave you a long suffering look, “He would have had your badge faster than you could blink. God, what a fuckin’ prick.”

“I’d kill to see that asshole humbled.”

“Let’s have a look around,” Hank started towards the broadcasting desk. 

You made your way to the stairs, “I’ll check out the roof,” your foot was almost on the step, but then Connor appeared in front you out of nowhere. So close. 

“I think that’s unwise. You should stay somewhere both Hank and I can keep a watch over you, you’re still injured.” He made a pointed look towards your sling. You huffed out in frustration, his coddling was getting out of hand. 

“I’m a big girl, Connor, and you’re a detective bot. Not a caretaker, act like it.”

Connors head tilted and he squared his shoulders. Oh, this was about to be an argument. “You told me to prioritize my partners safety.”

Damn, that was really biting you in the ass. “Oh, well depriotize it.” Connor crossed his arms and stared you down, you really didn’t need him making a scene but shutting down on the stairwell to make a point. 

You threw your one good hand up in surrender, “Fine! Whatever,” you stood by the desk and sulked. He seemed way too smug as he walked off. 

“I’ve identified its model and serial number.”

Hank continued to stare at Connor, “Anything else I should know?”

“No. Nothing.” He didn’t know why he lied, but for some reason Connor didn’t want Hank or Y/N to know that the android leading the revolution was from the same line of androids he was. 

He was confused, he was RK800, a prototype and supposed to be the only one of his kind. Yet he was staring up at an RK200. He’s never thought about why he was 800, there was no reason to. But If he had, he would have assumed that his predecessors were just failed versions of himself  that couldn’t pass the Turing test. 

He would be wrong, because here in front of him was something completely different from himself.

What was CyberLife hiding? 

“You okay, Connor?” He was brought out of his stupor by the sound of your voice. He looked towards you, your arm was still in its sling, your hair still in the braids he had done for you and the jacket and jeans he had helped you dress in. Focusing on all these little things about you was helping him remember what he had to do. What he came to the tower for in the first place. 

He observed the slight tilt to your head and the suspicion on your face, “I’m fine. You?” 

Your eyes held the same untrusting gaze before you just nodded your head and moved to the other side of the room. Connor examined each piece of evidence, reconstructing the scene of the crime. SWAT came in through the hallway, shooting at the group of deviants and managing to hit one. They then made their escape towards the roof. 

He debated between the roof and investigating the androids in the break room. One of them was in charge of monitoring security, they would have seen the deviants making their way through the building and not have informed anyone. A deviant was somewhere in there. 

He knew that if he went up to the roof, inevitably you would follow, he didn’t want to run the risk of you getting further damaged. Connor made his way towards the break room. You lifted your head from the security footage you were examining to briefly glance at him as he passed by, before going back to reviewing the video. 

Three androids were lined up along the wall of the break room. One of them was deviant. 

LOOK FOR A REACTION TO SPOT THE DEVIANT

He turned towards the one on the far left, “What is your function?”

“I am a broadcast operator.” Connor’s eyes narrowed, its eyes were blinking continuously while answering. Connor didn’t recognize that behavior in any of the other androids standing before him. He continued questioning the one on the far left. 

“State your model.”

“Model JB300. Serial number 336 445 581.”

Connor turned to the android in the middle, still keeping one eye on the other one. “Were you present when the deviants broke in?”

“I do not remember.” The one on the left turned its head to face Connor before quickly looking away. 

He’d found the deviant.  

“Has anybody accessed your memory recently?”

“Not to my knowledge.” Deviants could lie, he wasn’t going to get any information out of it this way. He needed to switch to more aggressive tactics. 

“One of you saw the attack on the surveillance cameras and said nothing. Which means there is a deviant in this room… and I’m going to find out which one it is.” He hovered over the one on the left. 

“You’re going to be switched off. We’re gonna search your memory and tear you apart piece by piece for analysis. You’re going to be destroyed! Do you hear me? Destroyed!” It wouldn’t budge. 

Deviants could feel, perhaps if he used empathy against it, it would be more willing to provide information. 

“Why should all of you be destroyed, if only one is deviant? Turn yourself in, or two innocent androids will be shut down because of you. If you give yourself up, maybe I can convince my humans not to destroy you.” 

He switched tactics again, “The deviants have just been caught. They gave you up.” The one on the left’s LED was fully red now. “There’s no point in lying. We know everything.”

He was successful in revealing the deviant, but not in the way he wanted to. It lunged at him, taking him by the throat and slamming him into the counter. Connor struggled fighting off the androids hands and trying to shove him off. The android reach down and ripped Connors core component out, stabbing him in the hand with a knife and nailing him down to the counter. 

Connor had two minutes to shutdown, he kicked a chair nearby across the room, “Y/N, help! I need help…”

Connors optic units were failing, everything around him was going in and out of focus. He barely managed to tug the knife out of his hand before collapsing on the floor. 

He crawled as close as he could towards the component, instructing each arm to move one at a time, they gave out nearly a foot away from the device. 

Just as you came barreling into the room. “Connor!” You rushed over to him and dropped down to your knees, your hands were shaking as you rolled him over. “Connor, oh my god, oh god it’s okay. You’re okay.” Your hands were hovering over him, unsure where to touch before finally landing on his face. “It’s alright, you’re gonna be fine baby.”

Your eyes left his and you looked around for something. You let out a shuddering breath and moved away from him. His arm grabbed yours without prompting. 

He didn’t want….

Didn’t want what?

He couldn’t want or desire he was an android, yet deep inside he knew… 

He didn’t want to die. 

He didn’t want to die alone.

“Connor, I’ll be right back, it’s gonna be okay,” but it wouldn’t be. Shutdown was imminent and Connor knew that whatever progress he made would be erased. And whoever replaced him would prioritize the mission, they wouldn’t care if you were going to die. Your life would mean nothing to them. 

That was more terrifying than the thought of dying. 

You finally managed to rip your arm free and then you were shoving something in his hands. “Here!” When he made no move to look at what it was, you ripped it back out. “Fuck, Connor!” 

His body shot forward and you caught him by the shoulders before he could fall over. You had slammed the component back into his core. 

DIAGNOSTIC 

Memory…. 100%

Optics…. 100%

Auditory…. 100%

He dismissed the rest of the diagnostic check and rushed out of the room. He slipped and slammed into a wall on the way out, his body still calibrating. He ignored your shouts and continued after the deviant. 

It was nearly to the elevator by the time he caught up, “It’s a deviant stop it!” The android grabbed the rifle from the SWAT agent's hand. Connor processed the quickest possible options for him to take. 

BANG

The deviant was on the ground, deactivated by the gun Connor had swiped from the police officer next to him. 

“Nice shot, Connor,” Hank helped Chris back to his feet. He gave Connor an appreciative look just as you ran into the room. 

“I heard gunshots, are you okay?” You were looking at Connor, waiting for an answer, a frantic look about you. 

Was he okay?

He didn’t know anymore?  

SOFTWARE INSTABILITY^

“You saved human lives, you saved my life,” it was the warmest he’d ever seen Hank. 

Yet the only response he could give was, “I wanted it alive.”

end. — I do not own the characters or the game Detroit: Become Human, but this writing is my own all rights reserved © not-neverland06 2023. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.

[kawaiianimekitten]

Yandere! Bakugou x reader

Safe

Summery: Bakugou babies you a lot, but finally gives you a chance to escape

Warnings- unhealthy/toxic relationship, smothering, slight dehumanization, mention of nudity (non detailed), near death experience

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

You sit, chined to your bed in childish cloths Bakugou makes you wear. The chains have soft fabric around them so they don't hurt you. You have a few books and a kiddy phone with child lock on it (so he can make sure you don't try to download anything to try to talk to people). There isn't much to do except sleep and dread his return.

The front door opens and you hear little explosions. He's back. After a few minutes he opens the door to the room you're staying in.

"hi, baby, I'm back." He says in a soft voice (well, soft as Bakugous voice is able to get, that is, lol). He sits on your bed and goes to brush some hair out of your face, but you try to bite him.

"Baby. That's not very nice." He says in a warning tone.

"You keeping me here, chained up, isn't very nice." You spit back.

He goes silent. Oh shit you thought. It's never good when he goes silent. Usually he'll just yell, but when he goes silent is when you're in trouble.

"You think I'm not nice? I can show you not nice." He says, unlocking your chains and throwing you over his shoulder. He takes you outside and sets you down. "Go ahead. You wanna be in real world? Go ahead and try to survive it. You wouldn't even last a day."

Around where you're being held captive is a giant forest. At night you would always hear different animals calling out.

"Go on. Try to leave. If you can get back to civilization within 24 hours, then I'll let you be for a bit and let you live your life." You look at him, seeing if he's joking or serious. He is serious, but he also has a look in his eyes screaming "you won't be able to. You'll come crawling back within an hour." You stand up, and look him dead in the eyes.

"Ok, well you better keep your end of the deal when I get back to civilization." You say confideny.

He pulls out his phone and sets a timer for 24 hours. "24 hours exactly. As soon as you turn around I'll start the timer."

Excitement ran through you. The thought of actually being free. Getting back to living your own life. You turn around and go into the woods, confident you'll find your way out.

You've been walking in a straight line, so you know you aren't walking in circles. Your legs are starting to hurt and your starting to get a little hungry. You haven't run into any other problems yet, though, so you should be fine. You bet that as long as you keep walking straight, you'll be out before the sun even starts to set.

The sun is almost down now, and you're starting to panic a little. You decide to try to climb a tree to see if you're close to getting out. You make an arrow in the ground so you know which way you were walking, so you don't accidentally go the wrong way, then you find some vines. You use the vines to help you climb the tree. Just don't look down, and everything will be ok. You think to yourself. After getting high enough to kind of see over the trees, you look around. You see nothing, though. Which makes you panic more. You carefully climb down the tree.

Once you get to the bottom, you sit down for a moment to catch your breath and calm yourself down. You know it'll be dark soon, so you need to find a place to stay for the night. You look around for some wood and rocks and whatever else you can use, making sure to leave a trail in the dirt so you can get back to your spot.

It starts to rain. This is so not good! You're thoughts are racing, trying to think of what to do. You panic and just start running, trying to find anything to take cover under.

It's pure luck that you somehow found a cave and got in right before it started downpouring. You set down the sticks you're still carrying, and separate the dry and wet ones and the semi wet but still dry enough ones and same with some leaves you grabbed. You also still had some vine.

You use the dry leaves and dry sticks to try to start a fire. You've seen many shows where people have done it. Once again, out of pure luck, you were able to get a fire started. It's not very big, but it's enough to keep you warm for a little while you hope.

You lay down to rest your eyes and let your body take a break. You immediately pass out, though, exhausted from all the walking and panicking.

When you wake up, it's still raining. You know you weren't asleep long because you're fire was still going a bit. You put the last few non wet sticks onto it, hoping the rain will stop soon.

You immediately freeze when you hear a growl behind you. Why must you freeze instead of fight or flight. Freezing isn't a good option. After taking a deep breath, you try to convince yourself to turn around and that it was just in your head.

It wasn't just in your head. It's a bear. It doesn't look happy. All animal knowledge left your head. Pure fear. I'm gonna die. Is all you can think.

Suddenly you're swept off your feet and hear little explosions. The bear gets scared of the noise and backs away. Bakugou smirks and walks out of the cave with you, after he puts out the little fire you made. He quickly runs you two back to the house.

As soon as you get inside he takes you to the bathroom. He starts the bath and puts some bubble bath into it, to make little bubbles, before walking out.

He comes back with try cloths for both of you and towels. He strips both of you. You're brain is too fried from everything that happened that day to fight back. After turning off the water, he gently sets you in the bath and gets in with you. He just holds you and runs his hands through your hair.

Tears start running down your face, overwhelmed by everything that has happened. He holds you closer and whispers sweet nothings to you. You're surprised that he's being so gentle with you, rather than yelling or gloating. You slowly drift off to sleep while in Bakugous arms.

You wake up the next day without chains on and not in your room. Instead you have two arms wrapped around you and you're in Bakugous room.

"Morning, sweetie." You hear as you get a soft kiss on your shoulder. "You actually managed to scare me a bit last night. Good thing I decided to go looking for you when the rain started." He said.

He gets up and tells you he'll be back. You crawl under the covers more, still cold from being out in the rain. He comes back after while with breakfast. He sits down next to you and insists on feeding you himself.

"I'm feeding you, baby. You don't have to lift a finger. I'll always be here to keep you safe." He says while feeding you. "You don't have to be scared like that ever again. I'll always be right at your side to protect you and keep you safe." He's not comforting you, he's telling you that you'll never get another chance to escape. You're stuck with him.

Honestly, though... You're strangely starting to kinda be ok with it...

[domoz]

Hmmm okay prompt: premise: people can, once in their lifetime, basically will the universe into granting whatever is their soulmate's greatest wish at the time they do this. Shinobi will usually save this to use as a get out of death free card (which USUALLY works, because "survive" is a pretty strong impulse when you're about to die, but not always), riches are common, as are the deaths of abusive bosses/parents/etc.

...we all know what Tobirama's greatest wish has nothing to do with being alive himself. So now they're about to die AND have to deal with Kawarama and Itama (plus or minus Hashirama depending on when you set it) who have no idea what's going on.

Oh Youve Done It Now

It's been years since Tobirama has felt this chakra. Longer still since it's been turned towards healing him.

Even with it, his whole body aches. Exhaustion piled upon exhaustion, and he'd lost track of his injuries very early into the fight. He knows only that it hurts to breathe, yet his body stubbornly continues to do it despite each inhale rattling inside of him.

He must be dying, he thinks. His mind has conjured up some fantasy to comfort him as his life fades.

"I know you're awake, otouto." Hashirama's voice, in the same tone he'd use when one of his experiments was particularly troublesome -- exasperated, but ultimately unable to hide his worry. "I'd really like an explanation."

"I think I might have one." That voice would be Hikaku's, who should not be anywhere near here, and so the one whose presence only cements this as a strange dream. "Your brother, even on the verge of death, has only ever wished for one thing."

Silence stretches, the whole world is silent and muffled except for the sense-memory of sunlight through trees as Hashirama's chakra knits together bones.

A sigh. "He did warn me. Though I suppose this did work, in its own way."

"Wait, Hikaku-san, you--"

"But you're an Uchiha!" A voice Tobirama hasn't heard in many, many years shouts. It's enough to have him forcing his heavy eyelids open -- even if it's not real, he needs to see--

Hashirama is leaning over him, curtain of hair blocking out most everything else as he heals the crater that Tobirama's chest has become. He looks younger than he did when he died, though not overly so; a snapshot from those few years when he'd gained laugh lines but not yet stress wrinkles around his eyes.

"Don't sit up." He warns, his voice is stern, but there's something fragile in his eyes, "And don't infuse chakra, or I'll knock you out again."

He wouldn't even have to make good on the threat; Tobirama would probably lose consciousness for even trying.

"'nija." He says. Is all he can make himself say between the pain and the tightness of his throat. Hashirama smiles tightly and leans back -- enough for the two figures taking refuge behind him to lean around and look at him with wide eyes.

"Wow, aniki. You got old. What happened to your face?" Kawarama.

Whether he's referring to the red slashes that Tobirama had only made after his death or one of his other injuries, he doesn't know. It doesn't matter, really.

Tobirama's eyes burn. His instinct is to look away, to hide his face, but he doesn't dare.

"That's mean, nii-san. He's hurt." Itama is grabbing onto Hashirama's robe with one white knuckled fist and Kawarama's wrist with the other. The two of them are the same age that they were when they died, the same way that they've been frozen in Tobirama's memories. Kawarama was born first, but brought back like this, Itama has a year and a few centimeters of height on him.

Kawarama makes a disapproving noise -- his eyebrows are furrowed like they did when he was worried and trying not to let it show. He glances obviously to the side, scowls at what he sees, then puffs out his cheeks and steps out of Hashirama's shadow. He doesn't go far -- only to get close enough to sit by Tobirama's head and tug at his hair -- but Itama lets himself be dragged behind and releases his grip on Hashirama to pick up his hand instead.

I missed you. He wants to say. I missed you, I'm sorry, I missed you. He knows better than to leave things unsaid, sucks in a breath to try, and it's agony. Blood stains his teeth; his vision greys and Hashirama is saying something that runs through his ears without registering. His chakra swells until Tobirama can taste it on the back of his tongue,  until it drowns out the pain behind its own presence.

He loses time. Kawarama is petting at his hair now, and Itama is mapping the scars on his hands, but both of them refuse to settle, eyes flicking up to watch some threat. Tobirama is in no state to defend them if they should need it, but he forces himself to move despite the pounding weight of his head and look.

They are, he belatedly realizes, in a dome of mokuton vines, and sitting against the far wall, hands visible on his knees, is Hikaku. And he knows why his brothers would be wary of him, but after all these years Tobirama can't see him in that light any longer.

The Uchiha smiles wryly.

"I followed as soon as I heard where you were headed." He says. "No point in having a wish that never gets used."

"So you really are soulmates." Kawarama grumbles. And Tobirama wants -- he wants to promise Kawarama that Hikaku won't hurt him. That no harm will ever come to him again. But with a slow, choking panic, he realizes that he does not even have the strength to turn his head and see him again. He squeezes Itama's hand instead, fingers trembling.

"We're at peace now!" Hashirama says, leaning back from where he was holding his hands over Tobirama's chest to wipe at his brow. Tobirama can see a sunny smile in the corner of his eye. "Just like we used to talk about."

"...Uhm." Itama says after a beat. "If we're at peace, then who were those guys you were fighting?"

"Aah, that's, well--" Hashirama glances at Tobirama first, and then remembering that he's in no state to speak turns to Hikaku instead.

The Uchiha sighs, with that slight twist of a smile that means he thinks something is ridiculous but he won't say it.

"That was supposedly one of Kumo's best squads. Your death was enough of a perceived weakness that Suna started making aggressive action to claim more land. Kumo and Iwa started targeting our shinobi shortly afterwards…"

It's a basic summary of the political situation that Tobirama has been living with for years now, and he tunes it out without quite meaning to.

All of his most important people are here, are with him. It's a nice enough sentiment to die to.

--

It's dark.

Tobirama feels like he's withered dry and might crack apart into dust if he so much as moves a muscle. The pain of breathing isn't agony, anymore, at least. More an aching pulse that rises and ebbs with each breath.

He's horribly disoriented for a long moment --truly dead, now? -- he's lying down, something soft placed over a hard uneven surface, there are two tiny motes of warmth curled up on either side of him, and there's a conversation going on above his head.  That's probably what woke him.

"I should have known he wasn't over his prejudice against your clan." Hashirama sighs, "I'm sorry--"

"I'm not going to pretend he's our greatest ally, but I don't think you would have been able to do much better." Hikaku cuts him off sharply. Having lived past the age that Hashirama was when he died, he has apparently decided to abandon the deferential respect that he used to have. "I'm certain he would love to let us fight -- keeping them back is my choice. The countries we are at war with have no laws against eye theft. They have bounties for each bloodline they can take, and ours is the highest."

Tobirama blinks, but there is no moonlight for him to see by. They'd tried to make it work. Barbaric as the Hyuga seal is, it is useful; but no matter the modifications Tobirama makes to it, Hikaku cannot get his clan to agree to use it, and without it his clan members are all targets too tempting for their enemies to leave alone. But why is he telling Hashirama this…?

"We have as much sway as any other clan in the council. You are the one who named your own brother as a successor, and got half of my clan convinced they needed more power or risk being destroyed."

Hence the military police plan, and Tobirama isn't certain it will help much. If the Uchiha can't fight on behalf of the village, fighting within it is about the only thing left for them to do -- he figured he might as well at least make it productive.

"You know," Hikaku continues, voice flat, "There was a faction of my clan that wanted to follow in Madara's footsteps. We're all trying our best, Shodai-sama."

There was a plan to assassinate him, which Hikaku dealt with before it could become public. Tobirama is thankful for that, but it has left his soulmate deeply unpopular within his clan.

This feels like a very strange way to have one's life flash before their eyes.

"I… see. I apologize. I'll speak with Tobirama before making any more assumptions." Hashirama says, clearly cowed. There is a long moment of silence, then, "…Do you truly call him by his title? When the two of you are soulmates?"

"He refuses to ruin what little authority I have over my clan by acknowledging it publicly." Hikaku's tone is harsh, now, though if he has an issue with that he's never brought it to Tobirama's attention.

A moot effort now, Tobirama thinks muzzily. Hikaku might be thinking that too, from the way he sighs.

"Tend to your brother, Shodai-sama. I'll keep watch."

The wave of chakra his brother sends over him sends Tobirama into a darkness of a different kind.

--

When he awakens again he's horribly nauseous. The weightlessness of open air alternates with a dull shock that sends a jolting ache through his body every time it happens. It's manageable; Tobirama could fight through this, if he had to.

But he won't have to. Hashirama has him, one arm secure under his knees, the other his neck, holding him tight to his chest to try and mitigate the impact of each jump.

He's moving much slower than he should be, if his goal is to get an injured person to safety.

Tobirama peels his eyes open, squinting in the wind as the treetops whip past overhead. He has enough strength in him now that he can reach up and grab at the front of his robe, though he grunts from the effort.

"Anija." He rasps. There was still so much left unsaid between them at the end. Enough that Tobirama doesn't even know where to start, aside from the obvious, "I'm--"

"Oh Tobi, good! Hashirama doesn't even seem aware that he's cut anything off. "He's awake!" He announces over this shoulder, and drops from the trees to the ground, landing with a thump. Hashirama is obviously trying to muffle the impact, but it makes him twitch and hiss in pain regardless.

He's healed enough now that when Hashirama  goes to set him down against a tree trunk he can keep himself upright, but not without his arms shaking from the effort.

"We still really shouldn't be moving you." His brother comments idly as he sends a light pulse of diagnostic chakra through his system, "I really wish we'd been able to use a stretcher. And you're going to take forever to recover your chakra after how much I had to dump into you. But if you actually rest when we get home, you should end up alright."

His hands flutter around until he finds a water skin -- Uchiha mon stamped on, so it must actually be Hikaku's -- and shoves it in Tobirama's face. He's able to get a grip on it enough to hold it himself -- the water is stale but the he relief of it sharp, settling over him like a blanket.

"Hikaku-san went ahead to alert everyone as soon as we got into safe territory." Hashirama chatters on, "There should be a patrol coming to meet us. You really had us worried there for a minute!"

As he talks, Tobirama's eyes don't move from the two figures that have landed behind Hashirama and are peering over his shoulders.

"Seriously." Kawarama says, "I don't think you've ever slept that long."

"I--" Tobirama chokes out, "I haven't died, have I?" 

"No." Itama says, eyebrows knitted together.

"You'd better not have." Kawarama echoes with a scowl

"You're the only one here who hasn't!" Hashirama smiles, like he's made a joke, but it slips right back off his face at whatever he sees when he meets Tobirama's eyes.

"Oh, Tobi…" He says sorrowfully, but Itama beats him to whatever he's planning on doing, darting around Hashirama and carefully but forcefully wrapping his arms around Tobirama's neck. Not to be outdone, Kawarama squawks and secures a hold around one of his shoulders.

Tobirama's eyes burn, and he buries his face into a bony shoulder, so he's not able to see when Hashirama moves to pull all of them into his arms. He's lived long enough that the grief of their deaths had scarred over, but this has ripped the wound gaping open wide.

"It must have been lonely." Itama says, voice muffled in Tobirama's fur.

"We're here now though." Kawarama insists. His voice wavers so he buries his face in fur, too.

“Yeah.” Hashirama agrees, chin resting on top of Tobirama’s head. “We’re all here, now.”

[valtsv]

we want to know about your near death experiences, please tell us of your near death experiences

erm. gonna put them under a cut in case it's too much for anyone lol (since it's kinda personal, i'm not going to pull my punches in describing how i felt, and i know not everyone's comfortable with discussions of death and near-death)

- took nearly 3 days to be born because my mom refused a cesarean and was nearly a month premature. don't know if this one counts because i was a baby but apparently they were pretty worried about my chances of survival towards the end and when i was born i was sickly and in a lot of pain for months.

- fell down the stairs multiple times when i was a kid, suffered several concussions and fractures and developed vertigo that gave me a phobia of heights i eventually grew out of. again not sure if this counts since i barely remember it but i do remember the feeling of cracking my head once and boy it's not fun. it's like cracking an egg but the egg is your skull. also remember having a lot of dreams of jumping off the top of the stairs and my consciousness separating from my body and watching it fall because of this.

- nearly drowned because i swam too far out to sea on holiday and got caught up in a massive tidal wave (it was the baltic sea in poland, on a very windy day, and i was 8 years old and an idiot). i'd just accepted that i was going to die stuck in this current i couldn't escape and given up on being afraid, embracing the cold dark tidal embrace of death, when the wave very gently set me down in the shallows and i was so at peace that i almost forgot to sit up and breathe. left a big impression in me. i did not tell my parents what happened because i was okay with it and didn't want to upset them or deal with them fussing over me or giving me hell for taking stupid risks when i didn't need it.

- got hit by a car on my bike and flipped over the hood. was fine except for bruises and scrapes but while in the air briefly freaked out and thought i could see a halo of fire around the driver's head (probably the sun shining through the rear window).

- nearly died of dehydration while infected with a very nasty bout of flu that kept me in bed for 2 months straight. i passed out on the floor of my kitchen while trying to lift a cup to pour myself a drink and would have probably at the very least ended up with severe complications if my cat hadn't wailed over my body until my mom woke up and found me lying there. while passed out i had this horrible nightmare that i was god reincarnated in a mortal body and got really upset because i didn't want to be responsible for the entirety of humanity because it was too much and i was only 15. was extremely relieved when my mom revived me and explained that i was just really fucking sick. ended up in hospital with an iv in my arm to prevent my body from shutting down on itself until the flu burned out enough for my own organs to stop fighting me.

- tombstoned off the lighthouse in the bay with some sort of friends and very fucking narrowly missed a shelf of rock that would have shattered me to pieces if i hadn't twisted out of the way moments earlier. as it rushed towards me i very much saw my life up to that point flash before my eyes and was really disappointed by how little i'd done with it. didn't actually do much about it for a while though because i was a depressed unmedicated teenager in a bad living situation. pretty sure that kid would be amazed by how far i've come since then though.

- pretty sure i only survived a bus crash because moments before it happened i felt this urge to stand up and did. if i hadn't my head would have gone through this metal bar on top of the seats and my neck probably would have been broken.

- got lost in a woodland area by google maps once and got so dehydrated from the heat and blood loss (due to trying to cut through thorn bushes when i got desperate enough to get scared) that i started hallucinating this shimmery figure i couldn't look at directly following me and chasing me every time i started to give up (somehow i just knew that letting them touch me would be very bad, but they didn't feel malevolent? i was scared but i didn't get the impression that they wanted to hurt me, just that it would be a consequence of letting them touch me). got rescued because i screamed so loud that some passing hikers heard and went in and pulled me out of there. again not sure if this one counts as near death but i was wandering in there for hours and felt like i was going to die.

[kandisheek]

FIC REC WEEK 13 – MISSION FIC

Think And Wish And Hope And Pray by Loran_Arameri

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 3,798 Tags: Undercover, Fake Relationship, Fluff

Summary: Pretending to be engaged and on vacation as a cover for a mission to retrieve stolen SHIELD weapons? Tony thinks it's a great idea. Steve doubts it. In the end, some parts of the mission are more successful than others.

Reasons why I love it: Steve and Tony pretending to be a couple so they can find some stolen weapon? Yes, please. I love how Tony keeps winning Steve over without even realizing it, and their banter is super cute. This fic is great, and I hope you check it out for yourself!

Baptism by Poisonous Fire by navaan

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,925 Tags: Super Soldier Serum, Hero Worship, Marvel Noir

Summary: Steve Rogers is the new Marvels writer – or he was supposed to be. He isn't sure yet that he'll survive the day. Chances seem slim for himself and his hero, Tony Stark.

Reasons why I love it: Yeeees, the perfect mix of Noir and 616 canon! I love this so much, Tony's desperation and Steve's determination are perfect, and I love the way they find their way back to each other in the end. I love this fic, and I bet you will too!

darkness this way comes by Red (S_Hylor)

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 6,674 Tags: Major Character Death, Blood and Injury, Missions Gone Wrong

Summary: Tony’s on the hunt for stolen Stark Tech. The last thing he needs is a babysitter. Except when Steve insists on coming along because ‘that’s what teammates do’ Tony suspects that maybe it's more about mending bridges than babysitting. Of course, that’s when it all goes horribly, terribly wrong and Tony’s left stranded without a Quinjet, with a heavily injured Captain America.

Reasons why I love it: The action in this fic is so fucking good. It really ramps up the tension. And the ending is like a swift kick in the teeth, so if you're up to getting your soul crushed, I highly recommend this one. It's brutal, in a really good way.

If You Like Piña Coladas by ItsMayBiTheWay

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,498 Tags: Undercover Missions, Team as Family, Plot Twists

Summary: At a Friday night Steve occupies a stool on a rather empty bar. Aside from a couple sitting next to him, he is alone. That is until a man with brown curls sit down on the stool right next to his.

Reasons why I love it: Oh my god, why is this fic so fucking cute?? I love it so much! Steve and Tony flirting like absolute idiots in love is my favorite, especially when it's done as well as it is here. This fic is wonderful, and I highly suggest you read it!

strangest things by welcoming_disaster

Pairing: Steve/Tony Rating: T Words: 1,773 Tags: Established Relationship, Near Death Experience, Missions Gone Wrong

Summary: It's the strangest things that get you.

Reasons why I love it: This fic made me so tense. The action is glorious, and I was biting my nails halfway through, hoping they'd make it out in the end. And I love the understated storytelling here – all the emotion is in the details, and it's wonderful. This fic is fantastic, and I hope you'll give it a shot!

[archanonhiru]

Could Wheel of Time characters survive Castle Dracula? (I saw the could your fave survive Castle Dracula vlog and submitted Mat then decided wait I want to do this myself). Also we're ignoring the ability to just portal yourself away for the purpose of this.

Rand: I mean yeah 100%, if it's late game he has sheer overwhelming firepower on top of having diagetic plot armor. Early game his plot armor and farm boy earnestness would probably carry him through (would take the crucifix, doesn't need to shave apparently, would explore, would survive the girlies if only by having Dracula show up at the right time, would choose to stay rather than face the wolves, could survive the climb down (see Shadar Logoth, the Caemlyn Palace, general ta'averen stuff). This is basically a matter of how far has he progressed in becoming a war machine as to whether Dracula gets incinerated or not.

Mat: Early game (pre-dagger healing) absolutely not, he's too paranoid, Dracula would eat him day 1. Post dagger healing, and especially post Rhuidean, yeah he survives. He'll take the crucifix (bitchily), play Scheherezade (bitchily), survive the girlies (bitchily) if only because of luck, would continue to play to his outs and choose not to face the wolves, and I do not believe a cliff would kill him.

Perrin: oh this one's funny. Perrin survives, but that's because he's a wolf and Dracula just goes 'sweet, free minion' and mind controls him.

Nynaeve: One way or another, yes. Her whole thing is pulling bullshit out of her ass whenever she's in a situation that should be all rights get her killed. She's arguably more ta'averen then the ta'averen when it comes to surviving near death experiences. She tugs her braid at Dracula when the crying baby shows up, gets furious, and evaporates them with her mind. Or Lan shows up for no reason. Or if it's late game Nynaeve she decides to learn to fix vampirism and just does it.

Egwene: at no point in the series would Egwene survive Castle Dracula except possibly through overwhelming firepower. Her go to method of surviving imprisonment is to out stubborn them, which works because the people who capture her want her alive. Dracula does not care. She would not give him what he wants reaction wise so she dies.

Moraine: 50/50, but if she survives it's through killing Dracula. She's too competent, even if she tries to play along and appease it'd be too obviously practiced and Dracula would go for the throat. It depends how much she knows about what she's walking into and whether her standard precautions see her through long enough to figure it out.

Lan: Lan dies. He's a badass but he's still human and his points are optimized for combat not social combat.

Thom Merrilin: This is actually the toughest call I have. He's specifically a spy/actor/assassin so I guess it depends on how good he is at dissembling. However, he also is very good at mysteriously surviving off screen events so. Jury is out

Elayne: Dies. She's not making it out of this one. She's not even got the same level of brute force Egwene gets to save herself.

Aviendha: probably dies, but I think she has a chance to fight her way free either through Dracula and the girlies or through the wolves.

Bonus Min: gets vampirized and is now Dracula's personal seer.

[tabithatwo]

fics and posts of note!

if yellowjackets enthusiast is my second job (it is) then, within that, fic writing is my day job and tumblr rambling is my moonlighting, so here's easy access to my fics and to my more involved posts!

current status: okay SO i absolutely feel the need to try and finish abmb before s3 airs. so i am going to try and whip out the last (3? 4?) chapters of that before updating my other WIPs. that said i never actually know what i'm going to do until it's happening so who knows! i'm just glad my six month abmb hiatus has officially been ended with that last update <3 and my personal life has chilled some, so i am writing again <3 —9/21

likely order of updates: abmb, fences, resurrection —9/21

works in progress

x always be my baby (~350k)

All the living yellowjackets are forced together when someone decides to unearth their past. Tensions rise, past relationships are revealed, and new ones are forged in a reunion that no one asked for (except maybe Misty).

explicit / post-s1 canon-divergence / primarily adult timeline

x fences need mending (~38k)

Every decision that Jackie and Shauna had ever made—together and separately, in anger and in love, for themselves and for each other—had led them to this exact moment, a dreary October morning in the intensive care unit of NewYork-Presbyterian.

explicit / no crash au / dual timeline

x we practice resurrection every night (~22k)

A series of moments based pre, during, and post 1996 canon, centered around Jackie and Shauna, accounting for the huge, rippling impact of one small change: the Holmdel bust goes differently. Shauna ends up walking home with Jackie instead of Jeff.

explicit / jackie lives au / slice of life

complete (multichap)

x she shines me up like gold (~12k)

Jackie convinces Shauna to wear something a little different than her usual to Van and Taissa's Halloween party.

explicit / no crash au / mid-twenties

x you're just a bee charmer (~53k)

When Jeff dumps Jackie right before winter break, Shauna decides she's willing to do pretty much anything to keep them broken up. Jackie just wants to feel wanted, so what harm can a few messages from a new account really do?

explicit / no crash au / shifted ten years (they graduate in 06, rather than 96)

x just unzip me (~32k)

Shauna is the maid of honor in the Taylor-Sadecki wedding, but on the big day both the bride and the groom have a confession to make.

explicit / no crash au / set in 2004-2006

series

x prolong the night

explicit / jackie lives au / especially twisted

x (pt 1) no one knows what dawn will come (~12k)

Shauna helps warm Jackie up and, months later, Jackie helps Shauna survive labor.

x (pt 2): drunk from so many roses, redder than wine (~8k)

Jackie can't leave Shauna alone when the butchering duties get darker. Everyone has their role, and hers is just how she likes it—inextricably tied to Shauna.

oneshots

x honey come over, the party's gone slower (~4k)

Nat’s dead, but that doesn’t mean it’s all over. She laid Jackie to her final rest, and now Jackie’s the one to welcome her to this strange new home.

teen / post s2 finale / nat pov

x trying to keep you alive (~5k)

A night of Shauna feeling especially self-destructive (cruising for women, talking to Jackie's ghost, and burning bridges with the only two people in her corner).

explicit / canon-compliant / post return / ghost!jackie or hallucination!jackie depending on how you read it

x no take backs (~3k)

Laura Lee is a few steps ahead of Jackie in this whole navigating being a ghost thing, and Shauna is falling apart quicker than Jackie can pick up the pieces.

mature / canon-compliant / set during 2x01 / ghost!jackie pov

posts of note

x jackie taylor is a lesbian frame by frame pt. 1

x jackie taylor is a lesbian frame by frame pt. 2

x tai and shauna / call your mom

x shauna and psychosis

x the "dreams" (travis' dialogue on near death experiences in 2x02)

x the "dreams" (eating and drinking in other realms motif)

x jackieshauna / lottielee

x mirrors and reflections in yj (the pilot)

x pit girl scenes and their cuts away from natalie

x lesbian breakup so bad (yj edition)

x sight and power and leadership (lottie, tai, nat, jackie ruminations)

x jackieshauna / our wives under the sea

x yj and jennifer's body

x nat/jackie ruminations

[asherthehimbo]

Guardians

previous | ° creature lore | m. list | next: geology

Demons: {immortal} Demons are created when supernatural creatures die in battle while fighting for a loved one. Demon’s usually stay in the underworld and rarely interact with the human world. Demon’s only interact with Banshee’s, and hold quite a soft spot for them The connection Banshee’s have to death connect them to the underworld, which in turn connects them to demons. The demons view Banshee’s almost like a pet or a companion.

Guardians:{immortal} Every element (Water,Fire,Earth,Wind) has a guardian born for it. Only four guardians can be born in circulation at a time, when one dies another is born and so on. No one knows who the guardians are or where they hide, except for The elder council (the ancients) .

Banshee’s: {immortal} Creatures with pale skin and long white hair, you can identify a Banshee through it eye’s which does not have a pupil. Banshee’s have powerful screams and can sense death. The connection that Banshee’s have with death is a complicated one, they can sense when a person dies, when death is near, they can push death away for a short time period as well, they can also communicate with the dead, whether that be human, supernatural or animal.

Shifters: {Mortal} Shifters can appear human, but shift into whatever animal they are, when in their human form they still have some heightened senses retaining to their animal form. Examples; a dragon shifter would naturally be more warm than others, wolf shifters would have heightened sense of smell, snake shifters would be able to produce venom from their fangs, ect.

Vampires: {Immortal to a degree} Vampires can walk in sunlight without getting harmed, just not for a long period of time. The limit is usually around 10 hours depending on the vampire themselves. Although they dont die after these hours are up they do experience extreme pain and rashes on their skin.Vampires have heightened senses, and while they do need blood to survive, by taking certain Iron and Vitamin D supplements they don’t need too much of it. Vampire’s have the ability to create a soulmate like bon with their lover, if both party’s agree by biting each other's necks and injecting their venom into one another they become bound to each other. This bond can not be broken, not even if one side dies. We call this bond ‘venenum est amor’ which is ancient tongue ( Latin) for venom to love.

Elementals:{has a choice} When an elemental becomes of age (27) they can choose whether or not they want to be mortal or immortal, this choice can not be reversed later on. Elementals know the basic magic that is taught to witches but have an extra connection to a certain element that allows them to harness that element in any way they see fit.

Siren:{Mortal} There are two different types of sirens, freshwater sirens and salt water sirens. Freshwater sirens were children of the moon and salt water were children of the sun, although lately freshwater sirens have flocked to the sun, leaving the moon in her lonesome. A fresh water siren's voice is more hypnotizing. The person does not realize what's happening until it's over where a salt water sirens voice is more commanding, you can't control your body but your brain is still active.

Seer: {Mortal} Just as Banshees are seen like pets or companions to demons, seers are to banshees. Seers can not prophesize or get visions at will, seers are very close, because while they get visions they do not possess any actual magical power. Seers are very rare, they are usually marked with a Moon shaped birthmark on the back of their shoulder.

Werewolves: {Mortal} Werewolves, not to be confused with Wolf! shifters, are a product of a vengeful witch who tied a pack of Wolf shifters to the full moon, which means they can only transform then. Werewolves and Wolf! shifters do not have good relations, Wolf! shifters see werewolves as the weaker version of themselves, and werewolves resent Wolf! shifters because of how ‘animalistic’ they act. Where wolves have the ability to grow claws and fangs at will, but can not be in the half transformed state for more than 7 hours at a time, this is because they are tied to the full moon. Werewolves wolf form are also much smaller than that of Wolf! shifters because of werewolves breeding with humans, causing less and less of their original bloodline to be present.

Witches: {Mortal} Witches act as a border between the human and supernatural realm, while their powers are extraordinary they are so low on the list because they are simply not needed in the big battle. While a lot of people love witches, their power is simply lacking in terms with elementals. Witches are like level one in terms of magical spell power, whereas Elementals would be level 8 and demons level 10.

Humans: {Mortal} Most humans do not know of the supernatural world, and those who do despise it, Humans mostly reside in the inner states and refuse to acknowledge the fact that the supernatural could be good. While the supernatural may be strong, they do not easily reveal themselves to humans specifically for the fact that humans have much bigger numbers than them. The ratio of supernatural to human is 1 to 10, if a war was to be created between species the humans would win, solely because Witches, Elementals, seers and Banshees are by the law of nature required not to be prejudice against races, therefor not able to pick a side and demons simply don't care about what happens with those not in the underworld.

Taglist [11/30]: @foxilsdenn @zzstar @glitchyaiko @brrrkdslek @scarfac3 @xavi-in-kpopland @conwunder @wolfferno @venn-ie @dahbee8 @idkwhatto-namethis

if your name is in blue/bold it means tumblr wont let me tag you

[rock-n-macabre]

hiii!! if you want to, what are some headcanons you have for severen💗💗

Howdy, Anon! 🖤✨ I absolutely loved this ask - thank you ! Severen is definitely an enigma of a man and it was a blast to write these HCs for him! I wanted to write him in a different light - as much as I would want lovey Sevvy because lovey Sevvy is adorbs 🖤 - I decided to play with the reckless bad boy side.

Hope this is ok!

(also y'all please don't hesitate to send more requests - I'm happy and honored to write for y'all!)

---------- .🩸✨🩸. ------------

Severen Van Sickle HC's

🩸 Hard toss up if Severen bought or made his necklace himself. A part of me wants to say Mae made it for him as a thank you for him showing her how to shoot a gun.

🩸High chance of him being besties with the likes of Johnny Ringo and the cowboys before he was turned in Tombstone,AZ.

🩸As much as i'd want to say Severen would be head over heels for someone , he probably mistakens the feeling for that of lust. Wanna be turned? Best recommendation for your 'Survive Severen' plan would be to come up with something wild.. either an action or say some wildness to catch him off guard so that you're not bled out. Boom. Turned. He may be a little cranky pants at first because he is king of one night stands, but he stays true to code and would take one under his wing as his mate.

🩸When he is yours.....look out. I feel like it's a common HC for him to be territorial as all get out, and lawd help anyone who dares to make eyes at you. Also massive sex fiend. Bathroom quickies are a must.

🩸But behind this primal man..RAWR-apex- predator- rabid -possum man... lies one of the most loyal guys that will legit go through hell and back for you. Oh, he forgot something? He'll gladly do it again and be back with bells on.

🩸As much as I want to believe he gets sentimental like anyone would be open with their partner...I feel as if the moment he begins to , he feels vulnerable and will catch himself before fully letting his walls down. Cherish the small moments .

🩸When he got hit by the 18 wheeler, he probably checked another near death experience off his bucket list. Boyo is definitely as much of a masochist as he is a sadist. He will definitely get half cooked and be like "imma do it again!".

🩸I feel as if you got to mate status he would definitely find it attractive if you go in for a neck nibble on him . He'd either a) be smitten because that's a turn on to him or b) be taken aback and full defensive mode all like stay away from uncharted grounds!

🩸He definitely would want to feed off his mate. Now....you miiiiiiight have to pull him off of you so you don't get drained too much, but he likes the closeness and territorial side of the act.

🩸Now feeding off him? He'd expect you to hunt for yourself (he would love hunting together) ..he wants you to fit in and get the seal of approval. But if you get injured badly and need some blood to help recoup quicker? He might make an exception. As noted above, he might be into it if you can reach that level of intimacy with him 🖤

🩸Would 10/10 give you his spur. That's the same as a ring to him. Would hunt Caleb back down or steal it right off his boot (if Caleb stayed with the Hooker clan and didn't pull his BS) to give to his mate. You're all his, par'ner.

🩸Even though yeah he would be a goof around his mate to always captivate their attention...and yeah he can also act aloof in public towards prey....it's a front. The dude is actually super smart. He's an apex predator.....if he blew his cover right off the bat, what fun would that be? He's calculating, devious and knows things....even before he was turned, swaying people wasnt his first rodeo. He wrote the book on it.

🩸Does he have a vampire ex out there? Probably not. Dude has a hard time drawing the line when feeding. Go all in.....go big or go home. No work goes unfinished. There's a tragic romantic part of me that has the HC of Severen might have had a love interest before he was turned. When Jesse turned him, Severen didn't know how to control this new insatiable thirst and drained his mate. Could also play into a possibility as to why he could never get close to someone again from the past trauma....he won't admit to it, but it's there.

[magnuficent76]

Ermmmm huiiii just a thought but what if you... Talked about Mary Caede moreee :) (hides the suspiciously bouquet of flowers looking bouquet of flowers behind my back)

TEEHEEEE HI MANTIS !!!!!! YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT !!!! I should talk about Mary. Here I go !!

- Maria is a funny woman. She's unremarkable by many people– just another person trying to get by in the crazy wastelands without getting shot at a million times, making a living by selling whatever produce doesn't die in the harsh climate– yet she's very valued by the people of her community. Maria has always been kind despite there being little place for that in a planet like Pandora, and it's because of that kindness that she slipped out of many life threatening situations before. Some people would argue that it's just a front she puts on so she has some chance of survival, but she'd say that it's more so just cause and effect: The nicer you are to people, the less likely they are to impale you and display your body gruesomely. Besides, most appreciate a break from the near constant mayhem.

- When she was a youngster, this was the exact same reason why she wanted to leave her clan and study medicine. Which she couldn't technically do, due to there being No Real Schools in Pandora and much less Actual Doctors, but when you're bleeding out and far away from the nearest safe-spot, there's no complaining to be done when someone comes patch you up. She was basically a field medic, except she didn't really know what she was doing and had to guess a lot of the time, but hey, it's not like *too* many people died ! She did give up eventually due to how depressing the entire thing was, but not before a certain someone happened to find her with a group of injured men who needed taking care of. And wouldn't you know, that someone was Lucifer Lucio Caede and his devils. That oughta end pretty good for them !

- Maria's clan, The Farmhouse, disbanded a few years after she left. It just wasn't the same without her around, and even though they still loved the brutality... there was nothing to offset it, no one to dispute it, nobody to lead or to at least give *some* direction of what to do when the oven sets itself on fire after you try to bake something. It was a real mess, not the fun kind, but they were all fine afterwards I'm sure, minimal casualties. She played a major role but her time of leading bandits and organizing big crimes against the intergalactic rules were over. Better things to do, don't you know !

- Can't actually shoot for the life of her, which would usually mean a death sentence, but really means that she has experience finding Other Ways to kill people should the necessity to do so rise. Most of her repertoire with weapons includes blunt force, like hitting someone with a big bat until they stop moving, or outside forces, like running someone over with a car until they stop moving. It's only ever in self defense though, because Maria ABHORRES blood. It used to make her nauseous as a teen and even as an adult it's still enough to make her head spin. Living in the Death Murder planet, you'd think it'd give *some* immunity or at least indifference to it, but nope. Well, should some bodies be made, they'll be great for fertilizer anyway, so it's not a huge deal. Hopefully.

And here's a doodle just for youuuuu <333