#finally starting c2 you guys

[yesifitswithyou]

i'm ready for some trauma

[f14fun]

lay all your love on me - op81 (C2)

synopsis: in which oscar piastri and a university student begging for her euro summer vacation collide in a steamy, abba-inspired romance

prose (6.1K words) ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ profile | masterlist | series index ⋆.˚✮🎧✮˚.⋆

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02: Love, Sweat, and Secondhand Embarrassment

"Clemmy I swear I wanted to die that entire time. Whoever I offended in an alternate universe I am so so sorry, I truly believe karma is real now," I lamented, voice weak.

Burying my head in my pillow, I could finally appreciate the cool blast of AC (well, it was a little bit of air conditioning but a little is better than nothing) I scratched my right leg that was hoisted up onto the blue duvet cover. If not for the horrible comedic timing of everything, in that moment, I might have said that I was enjoying myself.

On the other line of the phone, thousands of miles away, it was a completely different story.

"What the fuck," Clementine could barely muster out because she was laughing so hard.

"I still don't think any part of this story is funny, Clem," I roll my eyes and trail off.

"But it is! You genuinely should consider a career in stand-up comedy. If you recounted all of this in front of a paying live audience, I'm just saying it could make you a millionaire overnight," Clementine wheezed.

"Oh, shut up, bitch," I retorted, trying to suppress a smile despite my mortification.

"You know it's true though!" Her girlish giggles rang through my room. I could see her face through the screen and it looked like visible tears were streaming down her face from how funny she found this to be.

"I am completely and utterly humiliated. There is no way I can go downstairs and face everyone right now," I whined. It was true, as twenty minutes ago, mid-Facetime with Clementine, I heard the door to the foyer open and heard a lot of new noises.

New people. The neighbors. The rest of the Australians.

Crikey, mate.

There was no way I could face them. And since Oscar was probably their son (he looked way too young to be a father) he had probably already told them about the wretched and humiliating mishap.

"Seriously, Clemmy, you don’t get it," I said, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice but failing miserably. "This is not just some embarrassing story. This is my life, and I have to face these people now."

Clementine’s laughter finally started to subside, and she took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, I get it. But you have to admit, this is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of disaster. You can’t just ignore it. It’s like the universe is telling you to embrace the chaos."

I sighed, feeling a bit more grounded with her calming tone. "Yeah, well, I’m not exactly feeling the universe’s love right now. I feel like I’ve been dropped into some kind of sitcom. And what if they think I’m a total klutz? I can’t even begin to imagine how Oscar must’ve described me."

"It'll be fine. You are a pro at handling horrible situations. I mean, I can really only think that you have had more bad experiences with guys than good ones!" Clem tried to reassure me.

"Wow, thanks," I deadpanned. "Way to make a girl feel special."

Clementine's voice was full of playful sympathy. "Hey, I’m just saying, you’ve survived everything life’s thrown at you so far. Besides, look at it this way: if they’re judging you based on this one incident, they’re missing out on getting to know the amazing person you are."

"Yeah, because nothing says 'amazing' like face-planting into a pile of shampoo and knocking over a bunch of cleaning supplies," I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone.

Clementine laughed. "Exactly! And let’s be honest, if they do judge you for this, they’re definitely not worth your time. Besides, Oscar might even think you’re charming in a clumsy, endearing kind of way. You never know."

"You should really consider a career in therapy. If I lay here and close my eyes for a bit and sleep for three hours surely your advice will work," I retorted.

"Oh be so serious with me now,"

"I am! Now I can add a new skill to my LinkedIn profile," I said, trying to stifle a giggle. "How about 'Expert in Catastrophic Bathroom Mishaps: Master of Turning Shower Encounters into Slapstick Comedy'?"

Clementine burst into laughter. “That’s quite a title! It’s like you’ve got a whole new niche market for yourself.”

“Right? I’m just waiting for the endorsement from ‘The Association of Embarrassing Bathroom Incidents,’” I said, imagining a badge with that exact title. What a big, fat, fucking joke.

“Or maybe you'll become the keynote speaker for the 'International Conference on Unexpected Water-Based Accidents,’” Clementine added, her voice full of amusement.

“I’ll make sure to include a workshop on ‘How to Survive a Bathroom Collision with Dignity and Humor,’” I said with a chuckle. “And don’t forget the seminar on ‘Turning Slip-and-Fall Disasters into Networking Opportunities.’”

“A career to consider!” Clementine laughed. “And you know what? I’ll be your first fan. Just remember to keep me updated on how your new ‘disastrous bathroom mishap’ career is going.”

“I’ll make sure to do that,” I promised with a smile. “Thanks for the laugh. It’s nice to know that even in the middle of a fiasco, I can count on you to turn it into a comedy show.”

"What can I say, I will never turn down listening to a free shit show," Clementine winked at me through the camera.

"Clem! What the hell!" I waved my manicured pointed nail at her.

"Bye! Don't die from embarrassment before you come back!" She quipped, then promptly hung up.

I lay sprawled on my bed, dreading the thought of going downstairs and facing the group of new neighbors. The whole idea made me cringe. I was just about to mentally prepare myself for the awkward introductions when a sudden knock on my door jolted me upright. My heart raced as I called out lazily, “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Oscar standing there. His eyebrow was raised, and he wore a cheeky grin that did nothing to ease my nerves.

"Well, well, well," he said with an amused smirk. "Looks like you’ve been having quite the chat with 'dearest Clemmy,' haven’t you?"

My face flushed beet red, and I stuttered, struggling to find my words. “W-What are you doing here?”

Oscar leaned casually against the doorframe, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Oh, you know, just overheard you and Clemmy talking about our little mishap. I believe you mentioned something about me being ‘a charming yet infuriating Aussie who managed to turn your bathroom break into a comedy skit.’”

I blinked, stunned into silence. My mouth opened and closed, but no coherent words came out. The sheer embarrassment was overwhelming. Oscar’s casual demeanor and his cheeky grin only made things worse.

“What can I say, my name was called,” Oscar continued with a mischievous glint in his eye. “If someone keeps calling you hot, I mean, wouldn’t you be too curious to listen?”

His smirk only made my breath hitch and my fingers tremble a little more. I could feel my cheeks burning, and I struggled to come up with a response. The playful glint in his eye and his casual attitude did nothing to alleviate my embarrassment. Instead, they only made me feel more flustered.

I took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of composure. “W-Well, I guess I didn’t think anyone would be actually listening.”

Oscar raised an eyebrow playfully, his smirk widening. “Oh, I’m sure you didn’t. But it was too good to pass up. Especially the part where you called me a ‘human wrecking ball.’”

My face flushed a deeper shade of crimson. “Great. Just great,” I muttered, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m sure I’ve made a fantastic first impression.”

Oscar chuckled, leaning casually against the doorframe. “Look, it’s all good. I’ve seen worse first impressions. Trust me. At least you didn’t accidentally set off the fire alarm or flood the place.”

I managed a weak smile, still feeling the sting of embarrassment. “Yeah, well, I’ll try to keep any future disasters to a minimum.”

Look at me, constantly embarrassing myself in front of hot guys. This was the exact reason why I was still bitchless and socially awkward at the ripe age of twenty-one. I could navigate a spreadsheet like a pro, ace exams, and even master the perfect contour, but put me in a room with a cute guy, and I turned into a walking calamity.

I sighed internally, already dreading the inevitable teasing I’d get from Clemmy once she found out I had, yet again, failed to keep my cool around a guy. Maybe I should’ve just stayed in the bathroom and let the ground swallow me whole.

Oscar raised an eyebrow, studying me with a curious look. “You know, you seem like a completely different person right now. Way quieter, more shy… less daring.”

My face flushed with a mix of irritation and embarrassment. “That’s not true,” I snapped, crossing my arms defensively. “I’m exactly the same as I was before.”

Oscar’s grin widened, clearly enjoying the effect his words had on me. “Sure, if you say so. But the girl who almost took me down like a rugby player in the bathroom seemed a lot more fearless.”

My nose flared as I shot him a glare, feeling the fire of indignation rise within me. Who did he think he was, making assumptions about me? I’ll show him just how brave I can be, I thought, my fists clenching. If he wanted to see daring, then I’d make sure he regretted ever doubting me. The nerve of this guy! He might have been hot, but that didn’t give him the right to push my buttons like this.

Oscar gave me a lopsided grin, clearly pleased with himself. "Anyway, everyone’s heading downstairs to meet each other. Figured I’d let you know, since, you know, it’s probably not the best idea to hide out up here forever."

My stomach twisted with nerves at the thought of facing everyone after that humiliating encounter. The idea of meeting new people while still reeling from my disastrous introduction to Oscar was daunting. But there was no way I was going to let him see how nervous I actually was. I took a deep breath, nodding stiffly. "Fine, let’s get this over with."

As we walked out of the room and toward the stairs, I could feel Oscar’s presence behind me—large, imposing, and annoyingly close. My face heated up, and I silently cursed myself for blushing yet again. Why did this guy have to make everything so difficult?

It was like shooting a sitting duck. A little small talk, a smile, and baby, I was stuck. I was a grown woman, for god’s sake, not some teenager swooning over a crush. But there I was, getting flustered over a guy I barely knew. Get a grip, I told myself, trying to shake off the absurdity of the situation. This wasn’t supposed to happen—I wasn’t supposed to be this easily charmed.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, I hesitated, gripping the railing a little longer than usual. I could feel Oscar’s gaze on me, and it only made my nerves worse. Just as I was about to take the first step down, his hand brushed against mine. The contact was brief but enough to send a jolt of awareness through me. His hand was rough with calluses, moderately enveloping mine in a way that felt both comforting and disarming.

What was it about this guy that made me feel so uncharacteristically off-balance? As I tried to steady my racing thoughts, I reminded myself that I had to keep it together. After all, I wasn’t about to let some smooth-talking Aussie turn me into a lovesick fool—no matter how much my traitorous heart seemed to enjoy the challenge.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, my eyes were drawn to two adults who were deep in conversation with my mom. Their warm, friendly demeanor and unmistakable Australian accents told me they were Oscar’s parents. They seemed just as lively and outgoing as he was, which only added to the strangeness of this entire situation.

Then, I spotted Oscar’s siblings—a trio of sisters who looked like carbon copies of him, yet each had her own distinct vibe, like different fonts of the same typeface. They were laughing and joking with each other, their bond evident in the way they effortlessly engaged in light-hearted banter. I felt a pang of envy, wishing I had siblings to share that kind of closeness with.

My daydream was abruptly shattered when Oscar’s large, warm hand clasped onto my shoulder, his fingers pressing gently but firmly against my skin. The unexpected touch sent a jolt through me, making me jump slightly as a flush of heat rushed to my cheeks. His chuckle, deep and amused, rumbled behind me, the sound wrapping around me like a teasing caress. He was standing on the step just above me, close enough that I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. His presence was unmistakably felt—broad, solid, and way too close for comfort, yet somehow not close enough.

His fingers lingered on my shoulder, almost as if he was testing my reaction, and I could feel the warmth radiating from his touch, seeping into my skin. The space between us seemed to shrink with every passing second, and I could barely concentrate on anything but the weight of his hand and the steady beat of my heart hammering in my chest.

Oscar leaned in slightly, his voice low and smooth as honey. “Jumpier than I thought,” he drawled, his tone dripping with playful mischief. “Didn’t take you for the shy type. Especially not after our little bathroom tango.” His grin widened, the corner of his mouth quirking up in a way that was both infuriating and ridiculously charming.

My pulse quickened at the way he was looking at me—those eyes sparkling with amusement, as if he knew exactly what he was doing. I swallowed hard, my mind racing to come up with a retort, but all I could focus on was how his hand, still resting on my shoulder, felt both protective and possessive. The air between us crackled with a tension that was impossible to ignore, and I had to remind myself to breathe.

I could quite literally cut the sexual tension with the dullest fucking butterknife in the world.

I tried to muster a sharp retort, something that would wipe that smug grin off his face, but my brain was too busy short-circuiting to cooperate. All I could manage was a stuttered, “I-I’m not shy! You just—caught me off guard, that’s all.” The words tumbled out, weak and unconvincing, and I mentally cringed at how feeble they sounded.

Oscar’s grin only grew, clearly enjoying my flustered state. He leaned in a little closer, his gaze locked on mine with a playful intensity that made my heart skip a beat. “Off guard, huh?” he murmured, his voice dipping lower. “So, you’re saying if I hadn’t surprised you, you’d be able to keep up?”

I opened my mouth to respond, determined to regain some semblance of dignity, but nothing clever came out. Instead, I just stood there, caught between wanting to pull away from his teasing and feeling inexplicably drawn to his warmth. His hand slid from my shoulder, and the absence of his touch left a surprising chill in its wake.

Realizing that my window for a comeback was closing, I finally managed to sputter, “Y-Yeah, exactly.” I immediately cursed myself for sounding so pathetic. Not exactly the sharp comeback I was hoping for. His smirk deepened, and I could tell he wasn’t buying it for a second.

“Sure, whatever you say,” Oscar replied, his tone still dripping with amusement. He straightened up, giving me a quick wink before stepping down to the next stair. The playful glint in his eyes told me he knew exactly how much he was getting under my skin, and he was loving every second of it.

As he moved past me, I finally found my voice—too little, too late—and muttered under my breath, “Cocky bastard.” But it was quiet enough that I hoped he didn’t hear it. To my dismay, Oscar paused, turning back with a raised eyebrow and an even wider grin.

“Sorry, didn’t catch that,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Care to repeat it?”

My cheeks flamed as I quickly shook my head. “Nope, nothing. Let’s just… go meet everyone.”

Oscar’s grin didn’t falter as he took a step closer, still looming above me. “You know,” he began, his voice casual but with that familiar teasing edge, “I’ve already met everyone else. Your mom, too. And I’ve gotta say, you two seem like complete opposites.”

I blinked up at him, caught off guard again. “Opposites?”

He nodded, leaning against the wall with that effortless ease he seemed to have perfected. “Yep. Your mom’s all smiles and warm welcomes. You, on the other hand… well, you’ve got this whole ‘ready to throw punches’ vibe going on.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to gauge whether he was being serious or just messing with me again. “I do not have a ‘ready to throw punches’ vibe.”

Oscar’s lips twitched like he was holding back a laugh. “Oh, you totally do. But don’t worry,” he added with a playful smirk, “it’s kind of endearing. Keeps things interesting.”

I huffed, crossing my arms over my chest. “Glad to know I’m so entertaining for you.”

He shrugged, unfazed. “Hey, I’m just saying, opposites attract, right? Besides, your mom already likes me. You could take a few notes.”

His comment sent a fresh wave of warmth to my cheeks, both from irritation and something I couldn’t quite place. “I don’t need notes from you,” I shot back, though my voice lacked its usual bite.

Oscar just chuckled, giving me one last teasing wink before turning to head down the stairs. “Whatever you say, mate. Just try not to tackle anyone else while you’re at it.”

"Well well well, what do we have here?" A girl with short hair and a devious grin matching Oscar's grinned at me as well entered the kitchen. Shimmering her hands like "jazz hands", she rolled her eyes and rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

I turned to face the new arrival, immediately recognizing her as one of Oscar’s sisters—one of the three siblings who seemed to share his penchant for mischief. Her cropped hair and sharp, playful eyes made her look like she’d just stepped out of a rom-com where she was the resident troublemaker, always stirring the pot and having a laugh at everyone else’s expense.

“Hey, party people,” she said, her voice dripping with a teasing lilt. She shot me a grin that was almost a mirror image of Oscar’s, mischievous and knowing, like she was in on some inside joke I hadn’t been let in on yet. I could feel the same heat from before creeping up my neck. Why did it feel like these siblings were reading me like an open book?

“Looks like someone’s already made a grand entrance,” she continued, flicking her eyes between me and Oscar with an amused smirk. “Oscar’s been talking about you nonstop since we got here. Said something about a ‘bathroom fiasco’ that deserves an award?”

I shot a glare at Oscar, who was leaning casually against the counter, looking far too pleased with himself. “Did he now?” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the mortification clawing at me.

The girl laughed, light and musical, but with an edge that told me she was fully enjoying every bit of this. “Oh yeah, he’s been filling us in. But don’t worry, we’re used to his tall tales. I’m Hattie, by the way,” she added, extending a hand with exaggerated enthusiasm as if we were meeting on the set of a game show rather than in my kitchen.

I hesitated for a beat before shaking her hand, trying to muster a smile that didn’t look too forced. “Nice to meet you, Hattie. I’m—”

“Oh, I know who you are,” she interrupted, her grin widening. “You’re the girl who almost took out my brother. Honestly, I’m impressed. No one’s ever managed to knock him off his game quite like that.”

I glanced at Oscar, who was watching the exchange with an infuriatingly smug look on his face. Maisie’s comment hung in the air, both a compliment and a lighthearted jab. I couldn’t help but feel like I was once again the butt of some inside joke between the siblings.

“Yeah, well, it’s a special talent of mine,” I said, trying to sound casual but feeling like every word was being scrutinized. “Guess I just have that effect.”

Hattie laughed, the sound bright and unapologetically amused. “Oh, I like you already. But hey, if you’re gonna hang out with us, you better be ready for a little friendly chaos. And maybe a few more unexpected collisions.”

Oscar gave a soft snort of laughter, and I could feel his eyes still on me, assessing, teasing, and—annoyingly—almost impressed. I tried to ignore the butterflies that seemed to be staging a full-on rebellion in my stomach. Clearly, this family thrived on playful torment, and I had somehow found myself right in the middle of it.

“Don’t worry,” I said, straightening up and forcing a confident smile. “I think I can handle whatever you guys throw at me.”

Hattie's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she gave me a mock salute. “That’s the spirit. Welcome to the chaos, mate.”

Oscar chuckled again, giving me that damn wink before pushing off from the counter. “Oh, she’s ready for it. Trust me, she’s already made quite the impression.”

The other two girls strolled in, each with their own distinct energy that filled the room. One had a fierce, confident look, dark hair tied up in a messy bun, and a leather jacket that screamed ‘cooler-than-you’ vibes. The youngest, a curly-haired, bright-eyed whirlwind, practically bounced into the kitchen, her infectious smile lighting up the space.

“So,” I said, feeling slightly overwhelmed by the sudden influx of new faces. “I’ve met Oscar, obviously, and… Hattie, right?” I glanced at the girl who had first greeted me, who nodded with a playful smile. “But I’m afraid I haven’t gotten your names yet,” I continued, pointing between the other two sisters.

The girl with the leather jacket gave me a wry grin, leaning casually against the counter. “I’m Edie,” she said, her voice dripping with casual confidence. “The cooler, smarter middle child.”

Mae, the youngest, immediately chimed in, rolling her eyes at her sister. “And I’m Mae, the fun one,” she said with a giggle, her curls bouncing as she hopped up onto a stool. “Edie’s just mad she wasn’t born with my charm.”

Edie snorted, pretending to be offended. “Please, you’re like a tiny tornado of chaos. But yeah, I guess she’s not wrong,” she added, shooting me a smirk. “Mae’s got a way of making everything a little… livelier.”

I couldn’t help but smile at their playful back-and-forth. “Nice to officially meet you all. And thanks for the heads-up on your brother’s antics,” I said, glancing at Oscar, who was watching the exchange with an amused glint in his eye.

“Oh, trust me,” Hattie added, her grin widening as she nudged Oscar with her elbow. “We’ve got years of experience keeping this one in line. You’re welcome to join the effort.”

Oscar threw his hands up in mock surrender. “Wow, ganging up on me already? This is why I never bring girls home,” he joked, though there was a hint of genuine warmth in his voice, like he was more than used to—and secretly enjoyed—their teasing.

Mae leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Just wait till we start telling you all the embarrassing stories. Oscar’s got quite a few, and we’ve got no problem spilling the tea.”

Oscar smirked, shifting his weight just enough to close the distance between us, his presence suddenly feeling a lot closer, a lot warmer. He leaned in with a casual ease, his movements smooth and unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world to make me squirm. His voice dropped into a playful, low tone, rich and velvety, each word dripping with deliberate charm. “Oh, don’t worry about them,” he murmured, his gaze locked onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat. “I’d much rather hear your stories. You’re far more interesting than anything they could say about me.”

The way he looked at me was like I was the only person in the room, his eyes lingering on mine with a bold, flirtatious glint that sent a shiver down my spine. His grin was maddeningly confident, a little crooked, and devastatingly irresistible—the kind of smile that made it clear he knew exactly what he was doing. It was teasing, suggestive, and far too charming for its own good, like he was daring me to blush, daring me to react.

I felt the heat creeping up my neck, a slow burn that spread across my cheeks, making my skin prickle with the sudden awareness of how close he was. My mind scrambled for something clever to say, but his flirtatious tone, the way his eyes roved over my face as if he was reading every reaction, left me tongue-tied. It was like he was peeling back layers with just a look, searching for the part of me that he could fluster with a few well-placed words and that infuriating smile.

I tried to steady my breath, but his proximity was overwhelming. I could catch the faint scent of his cologne—fresh, with a hint of something spicy—and the subtle shift of his body as he leaned closer sent my senses into overdrive. Every nerve seemed to hum in response to his nearness, and I could feel my face burning hotter, betraying me with every second that I failed to look away.

Edie made a gagging noise, rolling her eyes dramatically. “Ew, Oscar, seriously? Can you not flirt for like five seconds? It’s embarrassing.”

Mae giggled, giving Oscar a playful shove. “Yeah, gross. No one wants to see that. Save it for when we’re not around, Romeo.”

Hattie snorted, shaking her head as she watched Oscar with a mix of amusement and exasperation. “He’s always like this. Thinks he’s Mr. Smooth. Don’t let him get to you.”

But Oscar only chuckled, clearly unfazed by his sisters’ teasing. He turned back to me, his grin widening as he caught sight of my flushed cheeks. “Aww, look at that,” he said, his voice soft and teasing. “Did I make you blush? How cute.”

I quickly tried to hide my face, mortification bubbling up as I realized there was no escaping the heat radiating from my cheeks. “N-No, you didn’t,” I stammered, though the pink tint on my face said otherwise.

Oscar’s smirk deepened, and he leaned in just a little closer, his voice barely above a whisper. “You’re not very good at hiding it, you know. It’s kind of endearing.”

I could practically feel my cheeks getting even more red, if that was even possible. His sisters snickered behind us, enjoying the show as much as they enjoyed tormenting him.

Mae nudged Hattie, whispering loud enough for everyone to hear, “He’s really laying it on thick, huh? Someone needs to put a leash on this one.”

Hattie snickered and turned to me, giving me an exaggeratedly sympathetic look. “Don’t worry, he does this to everyone. It’s part of his ‘charm offensive.’ Just don’t let him get away with it too easily.”

“Yeah, make him work for it,” Edie added with a laugh. “And don’t let that blush fool you. He’s got enough of an ego without you feeding it.”

Oscar just shrugged, clearly unbothered by his sisters’ ribbing. He kept his eyes on me, his smile softening just slightly. “They’re just jealous because they know I’m right. You really are something else.”

I rolled my eyes, trying to fight the smile that was creeping onto my face despite my best efforts. “You’re impossible,” I muttered, crossing my arms in an attempt to compose myself.

Oscar leaned back, finally giving me a bit of space but not without one last wink. “Impossible’s my specialty,” he said, the playful challenge hanging in the air.

Hattie clapped her hands together, breaking the charged silence that had wrapped around us. “Alright, lovebirds, let’s change the scene before this kitchen gets any steamier,” she said with a sly grin, glancing between Oscar and me. “What do you say we all head out to the pool? It’s hot as hell today, and I could use a swim.”

Mae’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, and she bounced on her toes with excitement. “Yes, please! I’ve been dying to jump in all morning. Come on, it’ll be fun.”

Edie shrugged, pushing off the counter. “Sounds like a plan. Beats sitting around here watching Oscar make a fool of himself,” she said, shooting her brother a pointed look that he brushed off with a careless smirk.

I hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden change in plans. The thought of the pool—cool water, bright sun, and lounging with these new, vibrant personalities—was tempting, but my mind immediately jumped to what that would mean: changing into a bikini, being under the sun's scrutiny, and, worse, the idea of Oscar’s eyes on me again, but this time with even less to hide behind.

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I said, trying to sound casual, though my heart was starting to race for an entirely different reason now. “Just give me a minute to get changed.”

As I slipped back into my room, I rummaged through my suitcase, finding the bright bikini I had packed on a whim but hadn’t quite planned on wearing in front of a whole audience of strangers. It was a pretty number—a little more revealing than I was used to—but suddenly, the idea of wearing it around Oscar felt daunting. My insecurities bubbled up: the nagging thoughts of whether my stomach was flat enough, if my thighs looked alright, or if the faint stretch marks I tried so hard to ignore would be too noticeable under the bright afternoon sun.

I took a deep breath, staring at my reflection in the mirror. I tugged at the fabric, trying to adjust it in a way that made me feel more comfortable, but the nerves wouldn’t settle. I could already imagine Oscar’s eyes lingering on me, his playful smirk turning into something more appraising, and the thought sent a rush of heat to my cheeks. God, why was I letting this get to me? It was just a pool. Just a bikini. Just Oscar. But the more I tried to rationalize, the more those little fears crept in, whispering doubts that made my stomach churn.

I was so lost in my own thoughts, adjusting and readjusting the strings and trying to silence the negative self-talk, that I nearly jumped out of my skin when a sudden knock rattled my door. My heart leaped into my throat, and I spun around, my breath catching as I called out, “W-Who is it?”

“It’s me,” came Oscar’s familiar voice, muffled but still clear enough to send a jolt of nerves through me. “Just checking to see if you’re alright in there. You’ve been quiet, and, well, didn’t want you chickening out on us.”

His tone was light, but there was something softer in it, something that caught me off guard. It wasn’t the usual teasing or the cocky one-liners I’d grown accustomed to in the short time I’d known him. This felt… genuine. A flicker of concern threaded through his words, almost like he actually cared if I was okay. My cheeks flushed anew, this time from the unexpected warmth of his attention rather than embarrassment.

I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers fidgeting with the hem of my cover-up as I tried to piece together my swirling thoughts. Was this the same Oscar who had been smirking at me in the kitchen, flirting shamelessly in front of his sisters? The same Oscar who seemed to relish every moment he made me blush or stumble over my words? It was strange, almost disarming, to hear him like this—concerned, attentive, with none of his usual bravado.

My heart fluttered at the thought. What if there was more to him than just the cheeky guy who lived for teasing? I couldn’t help but feel a small, unexpected tug in my chest, an urge to believe that this side of him was real and not just some act. But then, just as quickly, my rational side kicked in, reminding me that I’d known Oscar for all of three hours, most of which had been spent flustered and caught up in his whirlwind of charm.

Was I reading too much into this? Was I letting my own insecurities and wishful thinking color my perception of him? It was hard not to, especially when he swung so easily between flirty and sincere, keeping me constantly off-balance. I barely knew this guy, yet here I was, letting my mind wander into dangerous territory, imagining depth and sincerity that might not even be there.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to steady my thoughts. I didn’t want to jump to conclusions—didn’t want to let a few kind words make me think I’d seen some hidden side of him. But it was hard not to feel flustered when his voice had softened like that, when he’d taken the time to check on me instead of just joking about how long I was taking.

The knock on my door, the concern in his tone—it all felt so different from the playful Oscar who’d swaggered into my life just a few hours ago. Maybe it was nothing, just a moment of decency, a brief glimpse of something real behind the jokes and teasing. Or maybe I was just overthinking, desperate to see something more in him because he’d managed to get under my skin in a way I wasn’t quite prepared for.

I sighed, feeling my cheeks heat up once more as the realization hit me—I was blushing again, and not just from embarrassment this time. There was something about Oscar, something that made me want to believe he was more than the carefree charmer he projected. But whether that was true or just wishful thinking, I couldn’t be sure. Not yet.

“I-I’m fine!” I called back, trying to steady my voice, but it came out shaky, betraying the mix of anxiety and embarrassment that had settled in my chest. “Just… getting ready.”

There was a pause on the other side of the door, long enough that I thought he might have walked away. But then, Oscar’s voice cut through again, softer this time, and with a teasing edge. “You sure? I promise no one’s gonna judge you out there. Least of all me.”

The reassurance felt sincere, but I couldn’t help the way my mind raced with all the what-ifs. What if he did look? What if I didn’t look good enough? What if this stupid bikini made me feel more exposed than I could handle? I glanced at myself one last time in the mirror, trying to summon the confidence that I usually wore so easily, but right now felt like it was hiding somewhere I couldn’t reach.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I finally managed, forcing a smile I hoped he couldn’t hear through the door. “Just... give me a sec. I’ll be right out.”

“Take your time,” Oscar said, his voice fading as he finally moved away from the door. “But don’t take too long. You don’t wanna miss the fun.”

As his footsteps retreated, I let out a shaky breath, trying to collect myself. I ran a hand through my hair, giving myself one last pep talk before heading out. It was just a pool day, I reminded myself. Just a stupid pool day with some new people and a guy who was way too good at making me blush. And maybe, just maybe, it would be fun—if I could get out of my own head long enough to let it be.

─────────────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────────────────

taglist! @mingyusbigrighttoe @theblueblub @demandealalune @linnygirl09

[its-avalon-08]

why did you leave me (cl16)

part10! last part

multipart story! prev

✦ pairing - charles leclerc x female reader

summary : charles and y/n have always been best friends. but y/n has been in love with him forever. when charles starts dating a new girl, out of respect y/n distances herself. but how much is too much?

p.s. read the note at the end!

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

charlesleclerc posted !

liked by landonorris, y/nnn and others

charlesleclerc finally got the girl. i love you mon amor, i can't imagine my life without you and i hope you give me the honor to be by your side for the rest of the time we have. since we were kids playing on slides and jokingly getting married in the playground, i knew that you were my ride or die. my love, my lifeline, y/n i will do everything in my power to be worthy of your love everyday and i promise to never hurt you and be a better person for you. i love you cherie, here is to forever. <3

tagged: y/nnn

900,456,446 comments @y/nnn : i love u charlie, forever and always. ---> liked by author ❤️

@y/nn : sobbing like a baby ---> @charlesleclerc : awwww cherie, i adore you

@landonorris : fucking finally, so glad you both opened your eyes ---> liked by author ❤️

@maxverstappen1: congrats, you two! about time too😂❤️ just a cute little inchident

@pierregasly: wishing you both all the happiness in the world! now double dates with kika and me🍾❤️

@carlossainz55: the perfect couple! cheers to love! now y/n can thirdwheel c2🥂❤️

@lewishamilton: beautiful! sending love and happiness your way. 🌟

@georgerussell63: so so so happy for you guys! ❤️

@maxielfanclub: if you look closely you can see drowning, jk im so happy 4 u both

@landonorrizzzz: cutest ever, i love how everyone is so supportive

@danielricciardo: love this! Cheers to the best couple! 🍻

@sebastianvettel: Wishing you both so much happiness and joy.

@kymillman: Stunning photo dump, Charles! Congratulations to you both! 📸❤️

@f1fanatic: This makes my heart so happy! Congratulations, Charles and Y/N! ❤️

@racingqueen: Such a beautiful couple! Wishing you endless love and joy.

@speedsterlover: Finally! The best love story ever. Congrats, you two!

@f1updates: So happy for you both!

@charlosismylifeline: this is what WE have been waiting for FOR so long, this so cute what

@its-avalon-08: happy ending after all! love you guys!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------the end.

omg you guys this has been such a roller-coaster of emotions finishing this series, your support has been insane and i really do appreciate it. as i finish this story, i want to thank one person who really motivated me to post more chapters for this story and that is @s-awturn ! thank you for interacting with the blog posts and sharing your thoughts! anyway this is the official end to the series! i hope you enjoyed!

[utilitycaster]

Hi, you've mentioned for a few times that people tend to react harder on everything Liam does compared to other male cast members. Why do you think that happens?

This is a good question, and I think genuinely someone could write an entire graduate thesis on fandom and gender, misogyny and backlashes of hate, and I am not the person to do that for a number of reasons. With that said I think there's a couple reasons Liam gets a lot of hate, but I think it's worth noting that literally every cast member gets a pretty significant amount of hate, and that post-Campaign 1 it's honestly been pretty even, from what I've seen, just coming from different quarters.

The first is that, and people who were around while C1 was running feel free to jump in (yes I understand the irony of me, a person who joined the fandom with the start of C2, saying this), but there is a really ahistoric understanding of the fandom in Campaign 1. It's obviously true that there was a ton of misogyny, particularly towards Marisha and Laura (and probably Ashley was spared the worst of it at the time simply by being absent and not out of any respect) but there was also no small amount of homophobia/biphobia (hating on Liam for playing Vax as an openly bi character, hating on Taliesin for being a bi person). There was also, from what I understand, a not-insignificant amount of backlash hate for Vax being bi but choosing to pursue a romantic relationship with Keyleth rather than Gilmore; and people not liking generally that Vax was on the surface the cool fast rogue guy but also was extremely emotional and explored grief and depression in depth.

(I think there's a similarly ahistoric reading that Travis and Sam were the heroes of the dudebro crowd, and to an extent they were, but the downside is, as I said in my post about Marisha, the dudebro crowd of C1 has, thankfully, waned over time, but the backlash towards it hasn't, and so years later people still don't take Travis and Sam's characters seriously and treat them as stupid jokes, despite that never having been the case. Also the dudebros who liked The Player Who Was Asked To Leave have hated Travis from early on, since is feelings on the matter were pretty transparent.)

Moving into Campaign 2, Caleb was quite popular and the "ew, a man having feelings?" crowd was, as mentioned, drifting away, but you got the Marisha Character Defenders who were mad that sometimes characters argued with Beau, or that sometimes people just preferred Caleb to Beau, and you got shippers (largely Beau and Jester shippers) who were furious about Caleb and Jester as a ship. My own feelings aside re: Caleb and Jester and the shippers thereof and their behavior since that ship was sunk, at least they weren't in the habit of harassing cast members over their music choices or sending death threats. A lot of them assumed Fjord was not interested in romance, so Travis was left out of it until pretty late in the campaign, and a lot of them would not admit to being mad at Laura or Marisha, even though they were, ergo: Liam.

The final reason? Liam is on social media and responds to things. I hate to sound like my parents here, but like...Travis and Taliesin get hate on tumblr but also I don't think either of them pay attention or care, so it's not satisfying to people who like being an asshole. Liam actually responds to this stuff (this is not a judgment, I understand the impulse) so people keep doing it. I don't think Liam is actually swayed by the fandom in his gameplay, but I do think he tries to be generous and kind and good faith on social media and so people attempt to take advantage of it. I think Matt is similarly sensitive to the fans but as DM cannot really address all questions/got over it sooner; and Taliesin, Travis, and Sam are all to an extent openly dismissive or oblivious, so while there's some hate it hits a dead end.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group C Round 3: #C8 vs #C2

#C8: Government employee and his white cat boss

#C2: High social anxiety girl has to befriend her whole class

Details and poll under the cut!

*Text in green indicates that something has been changed.

#C8: White Cat Legend 2020 (Dali si Rizhi)

Summary:

Chen Shi, a young man from the countryside, journeys to the capital in search of his missing older brother, whose existence he only knew about upon his mother’s death. He knows neither the name nor face of his brother, and after finally arriving at the capital, he runs out of money as well. One thing led to another, and he finds himself employed at Dali Court, where he works for Vice Minister Li Bing, a large white cat.

On the other hand, Li Bing is of royal blood who was imprisoned because of his family’s treason. Now, he has to work in the government to atone for the crime.

At Dali Court, they review court cases from all over the country. But when an incident involving the esteemed ministers of the royal court breaks out, Dali Court is called to help, only to find themselves entangled in political threads and hit heads with an eccentric demon.

Li Bing is determined to get to the bottom of this, but how far can he go when he could regress into a real cat at any time when left unchecked?

Propaganda:

I’m tired of writing new propaganda every round, so I’m begging you to just trust me that it’s GREAT.

Intriguing plot? Check. Complex and interesting characters? Check. Comedy? Check. Drama? Check. 

The blend of comedy and drama is just so good. I started the show because I love cats and supernatural stuff. Who would’ve thought it would pull me into an abyss of despair of political intrigue. The cat demons turned out to be just the icing on the cake. 

We have all these different characters brought up in different ways that their ideas of what is Right conflict with each other. None of them are exactly Wrong or inherently Evil (well, except for maybe one guy), and this makes it so much more difficult to choose who to root for. You’d think everyone against the protagonists are the Enemies, but turns out even the protagonists are limited by their biases and unintentionally harm others. Even the two protagonists themselves get into arguments because of their different standpoints.

And I just love this because it makes them realistic, you know? The characters don’t always agree with their friends, and their enemies are not completely hostile either. It really all boils down to what they believe in. Sometimes their beliefs align with existing comrades, and sometimes they find it on the other side.

Production-wise, this show also gets a check on everything. As an adaptation, it’s amazing. The original manhua has quite a simple style—kind of like comic book drawings, and panels are all rectangles in one straight line. Storytelling is also simple and straight to the point. 

But the 2020 donghua? God, it went far and beyond that.  The animation team does not cut corners at all, which is a feat considering the show has a low budget from what I’ve heard. 

A short, simple scene in the manhua becomes an emotionally-devastating experience in the donghua. The animation choices, angles, music, and just everything else blend so well to deliver a STORY. This adaptation does not just copy frames from the source (like Blue Lock) or cut/reorder some of the scenes (like Horimiya and Sasaki to Miyano). White Cat Legend 2020 understands the material so well that it can creatively use the advantages of the animation medium to deliver an experience that exceeds even that of the source. Think Mob Pyscho 100 or One Punch Man s1 level of creativity. It even has mini stories at the end of the ending song. For s1, the mini stories are in stop-motion, while for s2 it’s formatted like a video game. You gotta appreciate the effort.

Please just vote for this show. It deserves to be in the Finals.

Trigger Warnings:

Cannibalism - There’s a cat demon who appears in human form, and he eats humans (it’s not shown explicitly, though).

Animal Cruelty or Death - said cat demon also eats animals raw (again, not explicitly)

Graphic Depictions of Cruelty/Violence/Gore - There’s blood and fighting, and somebody also gets tortured in season 2. But again, nothing too graphic

#C2: Hitori Bocchi’s ○○ Lifestyle (HitoriBocchi no MaruMaru Seikatsu)

Summary:

Many of us know what it is like to transition to a new school with few to no friends in a new environment, going through the arduous process of getting to know people again. Bocchi Hitori knows this struggle all too well, having just graduated from elementary school and thrown into middle school. Unfortunately, she suffers from extreme social anxiety: she faints when overwhelmed, vomits when nervous, and draws up ridiculously convoluted plans to avoid social contact. It does not help that her only friend from elementary school, Kai Yawara, will not be attending the same middle school as Bocchi. However, wanting to help her, Kai severs ties with Bocchi and promises to reconcile with her when she befriends all of her classmates in her new middle school class.

Even though Bocchi has no faith in herself, she is determined to be friends with Kai again. Summoning all of her courage, Bocchi takes on the daunting challenge of making friends with her entire class, starting with the delinquent-looking girl sitting in front of her…

Propaganda:

This is a fun and lighthearted show. Watch it if you need something cute to chill out! The art is cute and colorful, the music lively, and the animation fine enough.

As it's adapted from a four-panel gag manga, the story is simple and focuses on the various characters. They all have pun-based names related to their main personality trait, so they're easy to remember if you know some basic Japanese (Hitori Bocchi means all alone, for example). The girls are all adorable and fun in their own quirky ways, and I loved seeing the heroine doing her utmost best to overcome her fears -and other challenges- to befriend them in the hope of fulfilling her promise. That's the power of the Do-Your-Best Fairy! They all care for each other (despite some teasing) and help Bocchi with her monumental task, never pulling her down for her struggles but gently pushing her in the back when needed.

But most importantly, Hitori Bocchi is a very relatable character. As someone suffering the same trouble, I related a lot with Bocchi, from her silliest worries to her escalating panic and weird schemes in an attempt to prevent anything wrong. Anxiety is faithfully represented, mixed with the right amount of laughing to how far Bocchi can get to avoid fearful situations in her very cute ways. It feels good to see a character like me in a such positive light! The struggles are real and acknowledged, and it’s really moving to see our heroine overcome them little by little in a very humanizing way.

This series has become one of my comfort materials, and I come back to it when I need hope and inspiration in everyday social interactions! If you need one last thing to be convinced, listen to that most adorable and silly song that will give you the Power of Motivation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGoGwlNmZUQ 

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how it’s presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[freshcut-chetney]

I think the thing that's really bothered me and made me drift from CR in the past few months is just how rushed it's felt. I truly don't know if it's because the cast are tired of doing this after years, if Matt's tired of DMing after years, or if they thought a faster paced campaign would be better but personally I have not been fully vibing with it since the start.

The fact that a character tied to VM was introduced as their guide in the first episode, already distracting from the story because everyone was going crazy for more VM cameos. That he died in episode 3 and they named their group after this stranger who knew them for 72 hours. This felt like Matt trying to recreate the heartbreak of losing a party member in C2, but because it was a scripted death from a character that was only around for 3 episodes and had made almost no meaningful connections to others in the group, it didn't feel that impactful.

The What The Fuck Is Up With That game took away so much from finding out the characters backstory slowly. C2 characters were so cagey about their backstories, it was a treat to find out more things. I don't think we even found out about Caleb's real training until episode 60? But with C3, suddenly we have most of the characters revealing their backstory or at least big chunks of their backstory by episode 6.

That they were pushed into finally choosing a group name when, at least for M9, the name came more naturally.

The fact that it seems like the big bad has already been revealed and they've been working on taking them down for over 40 episodes now. C2 Big Bad was revealed after episode 100. (I'm hoping this is all a red herring and the real big bad will come later but it's hard to top Evil Moon as the big bad)

I haven't watched C3 since episode 76 but downtime was so little last I watched, it felt like M9 got a lot more downtime to fuck around and have these deep and funny moments. Idk it all feels rushed to me and it's been hard trying to stick with it.

I really hope that if we get Campaign 4, we have a similar structure to C2. More downtime, less immediate backstory reveals, AND especially not doing constant callbacks to C1. Having VM get involved is cool for fans of C1, but even with how little Matt has them do, it still feels like they're supervising BH. BH are supposed to come into being heroes in their own right but it feels like so much of C3 since VM was introduced has been BH looking up at VM like "is this okay? Should we do this? How can we save the world like you guys did?"

[railroad-migraine]

So since C2 is only like 4/5 years behind C3, it would make sense in their adventuring, that they might come across one another. Would it be okay to request a Dorian or Ashton xg!n reader, where they brag about their s/o to Beau (if it's Ashton) or jester (if it's Dorian)? I don't know if that's too specific or makes sense I'm sorry!! ~🌷

This is super cute and omg 🌷 anon I took a big break from writing but I hope you (and my other anons) are still around and enjoy this 💜 Back at it with my fave genasis. I don't normally do crossover stuff unless it's canon but y'know what, this is very self indulgent because I'm back and caught up with critical role ;3

~ Poet

Reader Bragging About Their S/O to the Mighty Nein

Ashton 💙

Okay but initially Beau doesn't get why you're so infatuated with Ashton? They're an asshole, and a self aware one too, so that makes him even more annoying to her. They butt heads when they first meet and it rubs her the wrong way.

But you lightly punch her shoulder and suggest she actually tries talking to him instead of speculating from afar, because you find them soft and caring under that tough exterior, supportive and thoughtful even though it doesn't sound in character.

And Beau finally realises: Oh shit

Ashton is a combination of herself and Yasha. A lovable, smartass barbarian with a not-so-hidden sensitive side.

Reluctantly makes an effort to start conversation with him - simply to pass the time - and hates that the similarities are there and hates that the punk rock's dry personality starts growing on her. At least she now has someone else to poke fun at in a mean-sibling-type way (someone who is far more physically resilient than Caleb).

Dorian 💙

Jester immediately started trying to figure out a plan to set you guys up, only shortly after meeting you both. When she pulled you to the side and waggled her eyebrows in the bard's direction, you laughed and revealed that Dorian was already 'courting' you, as he gently put it.

Encouraged by the trickster, you can't help but gush about all the sweet and romantic things he does for you - calling you his muse, treating you like royalty, waxing poetic about your skills and adventures together...

Jester becomes your relationship's biggest fan from then on.

Dorian gets nervous around Jester after that, because whenever he so much as holds your hand around her, she's already sending a smirk his way. It's friendly teasing, but his face heats up and he chuckles, uneased with the focussed attention.

She tries her best to offer relationship advice (none of it her own, all of it from her books or her mom), and it only flusters you and your bard further.

[thebest-medicine]

Day 10: Ghost

Tickletober 2023 - Critical Role - C2 Mighty Nein - lee!Jester, lee!Fjord, lee!Beau

[see my other tickletober 2023 fics]

A/N: Caleb has some fun with Unseen Servant [continued here]

[read on AO3]

Words: 1.6k

—

It had taken a little time studying and searching around town for Caleb to finally get his hands on a viable copy he could use - to cast as many times as he was able in a day - of a spell he’d been thinking about adding to his repertoire for some time. 

Unseen Servant - it created an invisible, mindless, shapeless force that performed simple tasks as mentally commanded. The question was, how simple did the task need to be? Caleb made his way happily back to where they had set up the Tower, pockets full of extra string and wood chips he’d need as spell components to practice. 

Over the next few days, Caleb practiced with a few times when he was alone in his room - he manifested the unseen servant, commanding various tasks of increasing complexity. First, he  had it picking up a few books. Over the hour he tidied up around the room using the incorporeal helper. He asked it to fetch some items for him, and quirked up a smile as they were brought to his side. He took a bottle of wine and a glass he had brought into the room earlier. The unseen servant poured him a glass as commanded without spilling a drop. The best part was, he didn’t have to verbally state the commands. It was like his own little personal, benevolent, mind reading ghost helper. 

Caleb drummed the balls of his feet on the floor, wanting to try out something that would determine if the time spent finding this was as worthwhile as he’d hoped. He only had to think it. 

Caleb lifted one foot, wincing though he was along, and thought out the command to trace a line down his foot. He shuddered, foot twitching and toes curling, when he felt a finger slide down his foot. 

“Ah- shit. Heh-” Caleb was full on smiling now. Oh yes. This was going to give him an edge. He went through a few checks of more dexterous moves - grabbing a toe, poking, the sensation of wiggling fingers - Caleb pulled one arm up to cover his mouth as he started to snicker outright. 

Soon enough, he called off the little guy who wasn’t a guy- ‘Schmidt’ he thought fondly. He didn’t, after all, want to laugh loud enough to attract any curious tieflings. 

Caleb Widogast was a patient man, disciplined, but he was giddy at the thought of stumbling upon a good time to try to utilize his little friend. He hoped to have a bit of fun with the others before they figured it out. 

…

They were sitting together, talking after a meal - spread in a semi-circle of seats on furniture and the cushions on the floor. Jester was suggesting some games they could play or stories they could tell. Fjord sat right next to her, their thighs pressing together every time she wheedled back and forth in her spot as she spoke. Beau was on the floor, back pressed against the chair where Yasha’s legs came down to wrap around either side of her. Yasha carded her hand through and played with Beau’s hair. 

“Ah- Jester!” Fjord yelped out of the blue, flinching away from her and from a poking, ticklish touch on his side.

She looked at him curiously. His eyes were wide, a little nervous, smiling. “What, Fjord?” She asked. 

Fjord, watching her nervously, felt a scribble of what felt like fingers - though he could see all of hers - down his side and scrambled backward in shock. He put distance between them with a gasp. “No, no tickling- what did you do?” He asked with a squirm, trying to fight the nervous smile on his lip. 

“Who’s tickling? I’m not tickling.” Jester asked, looking more pleased and confused the more Fjord said. 

“What the fuck is- ahaha- what did you, who- who? Ahahah- shit!” Fjord’s speech broke down into giggles and snorts of laughter as the pokes and scribbles suddenly switched to his ribs. He swatted at the source, but felt nothing in the space. “Hehe no- ahh! Stahahap-” He gave up and collapsed back on the floor, wrapping his arms around his middle. 

Mercifully the feeling ebbed away, leaving Fjord grinning like a fool on his back. Jester came more directly into his line of sight, leaning in. “Ooh, what was that all about?” 

He didn’t quite believe just yet, knowing Jester, that she wasn’t involved in what had just happened. “What did you- is this some kind of, of- trickster spell?” 

“Fjord!” She batted at his arm playfully. “I promise I didn’t tickle you!” Jester laughed. “If I did… I’d do it like this.” 

“Shit- no!” Fjord got out as she lobbed herself down over him.

Caleb chuckled as she started taking Fjord apart right in the middle of the den - not unusual for the little trickster. He allowed himself a small smile in pride at his successful instigation. He would definitely be using this more often, he thought as he heard Fjord’s laughter ring out louder.

…

The next time he conjured Schmidt, he had first excused himself to the bathroom - it would only last for an hour at a time, and he couldn’t exactly cast it right in front of everyone. Even if he tried to be subtle, they could be quite perceptive. 

He came back in and made himself comfortable within their circle, sipping some more of the tea from Caduceus. 

Jester was giving a long-winded explanation of a book she had picked up recently when she cut herself off with a shriek. She jumped up in her seat, her eyes scanning between Fjord on one side and Beau on the other. “Hey! Who did that?” Then she grinned. “Are we having another tickle fight?” 

Fjord looked pale as she spoke. He held his hands up, waving them at her defensively. “No, no- it- it wasn’t me!” 

Beau snorted at his reaction, causing Jester to pounce on her. Fjord scrambled away from Jester’s wild tickling, leaving Beau on her own.

…

Their basic shopping and supply run had gone terribly wrong in Beauregard’s eyes. She, Caleb, Caduceus, and Nott wandered the halls of the general store, looking for anything odd or interesting, when something… started happening. 

Beauregard barely held in a gasp at a sudden flicker of sensation, a poke along her side. She spun defensively, drawing in her fists. Nothing. Hmm.

She was talking to the shopkeep, trying to negotiate a deal when a- a feeling- something- pinched along the back of her hips. She cut her words short, barely holding in a laugh. She turned around fast, batted at the air and scowled.

When she turned back around, finding nothing behind her, the gnomish man behind the counter had fixed her with a strange look. “A-Are you alright, miss?”

“I’m fucking great. Anyway-” She took a deep breath. “Is that really the best you can do for us?” 

…

When it happened again at the next shop, she couldn’t even see any of her friends in her line of sight. What the fuck was this. Was their house haunted by some. Weird ass ghost that kept tickling them? Was this some elaborate prank from Jester? Was it the Traveler? Some fucking spell? Whatever it was, Beau was already over it. 

She kept her arms down along her sides as she finished grabbing what she needed from the shop. Checking out, she felt the same wiggling, tickling skitter again, this time over her neck. Almost letting out a squeak, she looked frantically around the room, scanning for anyone else acting strange - or, feeling strange, or looking strange… or-

Caduceus was standing nearby, giving her a slightly concerned frown. Caleb was behind her in another row. Her eyes just caught the shift of Caleb’s lip, the aversion of his eyes; when he saw her look his way, he had immediately schooled his features and pretended to be interested in something else. That fucker must have figured out some, annoying ass spell. The little shit. He’d been doing this at the house. At the tavern. For weeks. How had no one noticed? Well, now Beau noticed. 

Beau scowled at the back of Caleb’s head as they walked back to the tavern, scheming. He definitely had some answering to do for this. 

…

Caleb, satisfied with the progress of his weeks-long ruse, started to make his way out of the room after the rest of them had started to head to bed. He made it a step before something pulled him to a halt by the back of his shirt. 

Caleb spun frantically, trying to face the assailant. He met eyes with Beauregard - who was.. happy? angry? - whatever it was she looked downright dangerous. He took a nervous breath before clearing his throat. He tried to sound casual, maybe a little annoyed - definitely not nervous. “And just what do you think you’re doing, Beauregard?” 

“What am I doing?” Beau scoffed. Caleb heard a little disbelieving laugh as she started dragging him backwards, toward her room. Caleb stumbled back, following her but unable to turn around. 

“Hey!” He argued, as she tossed him ahead of her into the room.

She closed the door, and then spun on her heels to face him. “I saw you.” Beau growled, pointing at him in accusation. “Your little fucking smirk at the shop. I know it’s been you fucking with us, you little shit.” 

Caleb felt his cheeks heating up and couldn’t do anything to stop it. He smiled placatingly, holding up his hands. “Surely, I- heh, I don’t know what you mean-”

“Yeah?” She grinned at him wolfishly. “Well, you’re gonna tell me all about it.”

[pxrxcxa]

Opposite Ends 

Chapter 13 | Together

C1 | C2 | C3 | C4 | C5 | C6 | C7 | C8 | C9 | C10 | C11 | C12 | C13 pt 1 |

Chapter 14 is out now - enjoy Sweet peas, P. x 🌿

Pairing | Eddie x Female reader 18+. Steve x Robin x Female reader platonic friendship

Series summary | Dustins older sister got brought into the group during the events of Starcourt mall, 3 months on she's in her senior year and the kids are starting high school. After everything that went down she feels that she has to keep them safe at all costs, that includes keeping them way from the charismatic 'freak' Eddie Munson that runs a club based on their favourite game. They've both hated each other since freshman year -with good reason-, but when keeping distance between the kids and Eddie means putting herself in the firing line, boundaries get blurred, intentions get lost & the heart speaks louder than the brain.

The story is told from both Y/N & Eddies point of view.

What to expect | Slow burn enemies to lovers, Angst - with a happy ending, fluff & smut (in the later chapters). 18+ to read this story.

Series Warnings | Mentions of abuse, drug use, 18+ smut content

Chapter word count | 6.5k word count

Chapter warnings | Mention of physical abuse, violent descriptions

Any & All comments/reblogs are most appreciated - Love, P. x 🌿

Authors Note | Here is the other half of the chapter :( 🖤 Okay I've got my laptop back (finally 😫👩🏼‍💻) only 2 more chapters to go until the end. I am PUMPED. Let's do this.

Eddie | March 1986

It was well and truly dark, eery shadows moving in the spaces between the trees that our flash lights didn’t meet. Y/n had shot me a look as I shoved branches out of our way and nodded up to where Dustin was slipping further into the darkness, pleading with me in her eyes as I nodded to show her that I understood. 

The pitch black engulfed me as I sped up after him, flinching as the branches of new saplings scratched at my face. 

“Somethings happening.” He muttered as he glanced down at his compass clasped between his hands excitedly, tearing off again as I broke free of the tree line.

“Dustin? Can you slow down? Dustin?” My feet shuffled uncertainly as I swung my head around, my stomach rolled as the gnawing feeling of not being able to deny that I recognised where we were headed, ate at me. 

“I think we’re getting close.” Dustin turned to look at me over his shoulder with a satisfied grin as the moonlight reflected off the flat surface, I shot forward just as he moved to take a step into the lakes edge. 

“Watch your step, big guy.” I gripped the handle of his backpack to jerk him away from it, slapping his chest as the others filed out besides us.

“Oh man.” Steve caved over as he tried to catch his breath, swearing as he gripped his hips and tossed his head back. “You gotta be shitting me.”

“Yeah.” I sighed as the croaking of frogs and birds screeching, cut me off. “I thought these woods were familiar.” Henderson moved to my side as her eyes glimmered, leaning over the water’s edge as she glanced in the direction of Ricks place, hidden behind the thick tufts of trees that curved around us. 

“Lover’s lake.” Robin whispered as the gentle swells lapped at our feet. 

“This is confounding.” Dustin shook his head in disbelief as everyone else grimaced in the same show of shock.  

“There’s a gate in lovers lake?” Max glanced at Dustin and I screwed up my face to remember what y/n had told me that first night they came to the boat house. In between all of the other supernatural shit like fleshy monsters and an upside-down world, gates hadn’t seemed as bad in comparison.

“Whenever the Demogorgon attacked, it always left an opening. Maybe Vecna’s the same way?” Nancy’s voice was loud across the lakes surface as she spun to face y/n. 

“Yeah, only one way to find out.” Y/n pointed her hand at the boat that was washed up on the shoreline a few paces from where we all huddled, three flashlight beams swivelled to outline the metal panelling. 

Steve clapped me on the shoulder as he raised his brows at me, nodding for me to follow as he jumped down onto the bank of dirt. Y/n shot me a panicked look as I passed her, grinning with false confidence as I let the backs of our hands brush against each other. 

My face dropped as I followed the mustard outline of Harrington’s back and reached down to clasp the edge of the boat.

“On three. One. Two. Three.” Steve huffed and blew out his cheeks as the metal groaned and we uprooted it, dropping it further into the water as the droplets splashed onto our jeans. 

“Easy. I…I said easy, man” I rolled my eyes at his whining voice as I felt the mass of warm bodies step up behind us. 

“Sorry, dude.” I scoffed, not surprised that King Harrington would be upset over some damp clothes. 

“Here you go.” He reached out behind us to take Robin’s hand, I grunted as I felt her fingers twist at the top of my hair as she pushed down against both mine and Steve’s head, ignoring his offer of help. 

“Yeah, I’m just gonna do that. Thankyou.” I lurched to the side as she slipped between us, the boat rocking under her weight as y/n laughed silently behind me. 

“Yeah, that works to.” Steve sighed 

I jumped in lightly straight after Robin so I could help y/n into the boat. She jolted in surprise with a small smile as I held my arm out for her and bowed my head, my chest warming at the blush that flared across her cheeks, so strongly I could almost feel the heat from her. 

Wheeler slid in straight after her, breaking Robin’s glare as it flickered between y/n and I, a toothy grin spreading across her face as y/n dropped my hand and scrambled to find a seat.

“Hey, hey, hey, you trying to sink us?” I shoved the front of Dustin’s cap as I watched his clunky shoe lift into the boat, snapping his head back as his face dropped in surprise. “This thing holds three people tops, okay?” He glanced back at his sister for support but she just shook her head.

“It’s better this way, okay? You guys stay here with Max.” Her eyes slid from Little Henderson’s to mine as I crouched along the seat beside her, reaching into my pocket for my pack of smokes.

“Keep an eye out for trouble.” Nancy drew herself to her full height and faced Dustin. 

“You keep an eye out.” He glowered, his face screwing up in betrayal. He leant back in mock surprise, taunting her. “It’s my Goddamn theory.” Y/n’s eyes slithered dangerously at his tone but Robin beat her to it.

“You heard her.” Robin jeered. 

“Who put her in charge?” Dustin pointed in outrage at her as he looked between me and Steve for help, sighing as I grinned and held my hands up hopelessly.

“I did.” Robin shot back, shrugging with confidence. 

“Compass.” The boat shook as Nancy took a step forward, holding her hand out expectantly as y/n laughed.

“Hey! There you go.” Steve tossed his backpack at Dustin’s chest, sending him hurtling back a few paces as he grunted and pushed the boat out from the bank, barely missing the water as he jumped into it at the last second. 

“Ow.” Dustin cried out as Robin handed me an oar and started paddling with her own. “You said three.” Dustin accused, holding his hand in the air angrily as Max shook her head beside him. 

“Sorry.” Steve whispered, waving half-heartedly as we propelled out into deeper waters.  

“Bed time at nine Kiddo’s, miss you already.” Robin stood up to wave at their figures being swallowed up by the distance as Dustin held up the finger at her, grinning as she plopped back down and nudged y/n’s shoulder. 

“Hot enough for you?” She grinned, y/n had her eyes on my arms as I grunted, pushing the oar against the still waters. She flinched as Robin’s words sunk in, spinning away from me like she’d been caught doing something wrong. 

“Uh what?” She blustered, clasping her hands together in her lap. 

“The temperature.” Robin grinned like a wild woman as Steve shook his head and Nancy peered down at Dustin’s compass, biting back her own smile.

“It’s hot as shit, I’m sweating. Might need to take a swim.” Her short curls bounced as she leaned over the edge, staring into the black depths as y/n regained her composure and sat up straight, her own stare sweeping over the streaks of moonlight quivering on the surface. 

“I know you think you’re being funny, but if Dustin’s right, that might be exactly what we have to do.”

Robin groaned as her arms dropped, her oar knocking against the side of the boat and after an hour of rowing, I didn’t blame her either.

“Woah, woah, woah, woah slow down, guys.” Steve’s flashlight blinded us as he swung around and Nancy called out, a slight whirring sound emitting from the compass as she held it out for all of us to see. The wood dropped against the floor with a plank as we pulled the oars out of the water, spraying splotches over everyone as we piled them between our feet.

“Woah.” The indents on the metal disappeared from view as Steve pushed the light right up against it. Y/n bent her head close to mine as we all lent in to look at what Nancy was pointing out, swaying as the boat rocked beneath us. 

Robin jumped as the static on the walkie crackled and Dustin’s voice rang through it. 

Guys, what’s going on? Come on guys, talk to me what going on? 

Robin tugged the antenna upwards as she brought the radio to her lips, peering down at the dial spinning manically as y/n sat back and huffed, pressing her hand into her face. 

“Compass has gone all wonky.” Robin groaned into the walkie to press the importance of her meaning. I gripped the side of the boat behind y/n’s back and reached down to grab the flashlight that Steve had dropped, shining it on him as he tugged off his shoes and peeled away his socks. 

“Steve, what are you doing?” Nancy’s voice harboured a warning as it built up on the preface of an argument. 

“Somebody’s gotta go down and check this thing out.” Steve’s voice was breathy as he snapped back with his reasoning. 

“Unless one of you four can top being a Hawkins High swim co-captain, and a certified life guard for three years, then.... It’s gotta be me, no complaints, alright?” Steve raised his brows in my direction like he was in danger of receiving a rebuff from me, leaning up over the side of the boat as y/n groaned at his subtle brag. 

“Hey, I’m not complaining, I do not wanna go down there.” I dipped my hand into my pocket to grab the plastic bag I’d saved, dumping the rolling papers and my lighter on the floor as I wrapped it around the flashlight. 

Robin and y/n shared a sly grin as we all watched Nancy’s eyes glue to Harrington’s hairy chest as he tugged his sweater over his head.

“Hey. Goodluck.” I glanced at y/n’s smirk to make sure she didn’t have her eyes on Steve’s nudity, palming the flashlight into his hand as he mumbled a thanks and tossed his jumper into my arms. He didn’t see me roll my eyes as I fished a lone cigarette from my pocket.  

“Gross.” I glared in light anger as Robin pinched it from between my lips, angling her arm back to toss it into the water before y/n’s hand shot out to steal it from between her fingers, bringing it to her own mouth as she arched a brow cheekily and lit it up for herself, handing it back to me as it blazed in the dark. 

“Steve. Be careful.” Nancy’s eyes dipped as Steve’s met hers, and Y/n’s eyes met mine over the smoke as we both glanced away, embarrassed, feeling privy to a moment that was not meant for our eyes. 

Steve nodded and took a deep breath, bending his knees before he glided through the air and launched himself into the cold water, splashing us loudly as the boat rocked dangerously and he disappeared under its depths. 

I felt her warm finger tips as she wrapped them around my wrist, sliding along the seat as she pressed her knee against mine and pouted for the cigarette, I gave it up with a smile, unable to resist her charm as she took a deep drag, tracing the outline of her soft features as she let the smoke hiss through her teeth. 

“Where are we at Wheeler?” Robin’s anxious voice snapped me out of my distraction as I reluctantly tore my eyes away from y/n’s lips wrapped around the smoke. 

“Closing in on a minuet.” Nancy’s tone was hard as her eyes squinted at her watch, her voice barely keeping back her own waves of fear.

An uncomfortable silence settled around us, only filled by our short breaths and the slight waves lapping at the edge of the boat as we all watched the water. Each second that the surface stayed still, the the glassy top of it settling from Steve’s departure, riddle the tension with anxiety. 

“Christ.” The water gushed loudly, drowning out my scream so that it was barely audible, the water frothed with angry white bubbles as Steve broke through it, gasping for air as he shook his hair out of his eyes, the wet strands plastered to the side of his face. 

“I found it” He gasped. 

“You found it?” Nancy gripped the ledge as she leaned towards Steve, watching him swim closer. 

“Yeah, I found it.” He nodded, reaching out to the side of the boat for support as he gulped to get his breath back. Y/n shot up from the seat next to me to crouch beside Nancy, clenching her jaw as her as reached out to rub Steve’s arm. 

The touch sent a white hot flash of fire through me, freezing me to the spot as I tried to breathe through my jealously, having to remind myself that they were just friends -good friends- no matter my opinion of him. I flinched as Robin bent over and fiddled with something between our legs, her hands shaking as she yelled into the walkie

“Dustin you are a goddamn Einstein. Steve found the gate –“ Her eyes flashed up to mine in confusion as there was a burst of static and the line dropped out.

“It’s pretty wild. It’s more a snack size gate than the mama gate, but still, it’s pretty damn big.” Steve’s head turned between Nancy’s and y/n’s, his face smacked with shock as he shook away the water that rolled over his lips, pushing his hair back from his face. 

We all clamoured towards him, practically piling on top of each other as the boat dipped, dragging Harrington under the water for a split second as his knuckles strained against his hold on the side of it.

The world fell silent for a moment as he reappeared, looking at all of us in shock before he glanced slowly over his shoulder, his muted scream dying as he disappeared beneath the darkness once more and did not resurface. 

“Steve!” The solidness beneath our feet rolled dangerously as the girls curled over the side, their hands dipping into the water without success as their cries mixed together. 

“Nancy what happened?” Robin flailed her hands around as Nancy stood up, hovering over the side, breathing heavily as she paused. 

“What the hell was that man?” I yelled, turning side to side aimlessly until y/n gripped my knee, her eyes widening as she leant me some of her strength through her firm touch.  

“Wait, wait wait you’re not going in there are you?” The boat rocked again as Nancy lifted her leg up against the side of it, and my hand shot out to stop her.

“Just wait here.” Nancy spat through her teeth as her muscles tensed, jumping into the water smoother than Steve had. 

“Goddamit.” I growled as my eyes flashed up to y/n’s, the look on her face made my chest tighten as her eyes swept the water, her brows knotting together. Robin moved out of the corner of my eye, sliding up the edge backwards as she chewed on her tongue. 

“Nonononono, what are you doing? She said wait.” I blinked with each no, raising my shaking hand between us.

“Yeah I heard her.” She scoffed, her eyes sliding behind me towards y/n.

“She’s in charge.” I pointed to the waves circling out from where Nancy had just dived into. 

“Are you kidding me? I made that shit up.” Robin’s scowled up with me juvenile surprise as she blocked her nose and tumbled back out of the boat. 

“Don’t you go. Don’t –“ I reached out pointlessly as her legs skimmed the water, kicking up great splashes of freezing cold water towards us. 

As soon as Robin’s boots disappeared under the water she shot up from the floor of the boat, it swayed under her weight as the beginning of one of my outbursts echoed into the air. 

“Goddamnit, lying, son-of-a-bitch.” My yell died on my lips as she dropped her jacket off her shoulders, grasping the edge of the boat with a fierce look on her face. 

“No, you are not going in there.” My voice dropped as my hand wrapped around her wrist, locking her in my grasp as I tossed my head, angry heat zapped between our touch as she glared at me and shook me off. 

“Eddie I’m not arguing with you. They helped me save you. It’s our time to save them.” She didn’t look back as she dived under the black waters, trusting and knowing that I would always follow her to the ends of the earth, even to some under water gate to another hellish dimension to save King Harrington. 

“This is so stupid, so stupid, shit shit – “ I slammed Steve’s jumper down as I paced the length of the boat, swearing as I tumbled instead of dived into the freezing water, following the dark outline of y/n’s legs as she swam deeper towards the bottom of the lake. 

Y/N | March 1986 

The red glow burned around me as I kicked through the slimy membrane layer of the gate, screwing up my face as it sucked in against my skin. The pressure of the water threatened to send me spiralling back up to the surface as my hand shot up through the gate, an unnatural shiver trembling through my body as my fingers were met by cold air. 

Two sets of hands gripped onto my arm and tugged, suddenly the pressure switched directions as I was practically hurtled through the gate, the sinking feeling of being airborne before I crashed against the ground. I coughed water from my lungs as I curled over and gasped for the air what was knocked from me, squinting through my eyes as a drenched Nancy and Robin pulled me to my feet. 

Eddie’s hand shot through straight after me, his rings biting into his skin as he gripped the sides trying to find purchase. I dropped to my knees at the gate’s edge, reaching back down through it to rip at his leather jacket, grunting as I pulled him through, Robin rushed to my side and with our combined strength – and a move that defied gravity – Eddie tumbled through the opening as his sneakers kicked him free of the mushy casing. 

Eddie fell against my chest as he swiped at his jacket, breathing heavily as he swept away the slimy pieces that clung to him like they were spider webs. His jaw slackened and his eyes blew wide as a groaning crack of thunder, almost animal like, battled overhead, a blood red flash of lightening danced behind the clouds as it doused everything around us in the same angry glow as the gate. 

The Upside Down 

An alternate dimension that mirrors our world — or at least our world if it was a toxic hellscape overrun with creepy, moving vines, filled with murderous creatures linked together in a hive mind system, and was riddled with electrical storms.

It was a barren landscape filled with dangerous flora and fauna that thrived in the upside down,  peppered with toxic vines and crawling with monsters. It was a damaged image of our world, containing the same locations and infrastructures as 1986 Hawkins, but much darker, colder and obscured by an omnipresent fog, while ash-like spores drifted through the air around us. It harboured the kind of silence that told me it was devoid of human life, instead being overrun by ropy, root-like vines, tendrils and biological membranes that covered practically every surface that I could see. 

Nancy jumped over a thick pile of writhing vines that curled in on themselves like snakes, running without stopping to take a breath as Steve’s screams cut out over the thunder. 

The fear set in as dark, sharp shapes dipped and dived through the air, one of its long tails shot out and wrapped around Steve’s neck, jerking him onto his back as the duplicate oar he was swinging around as a weapon, slipped through his fingers. 

We were close enough now, hurtling over the cracked floor of Lover’s lake, to hear the wet, fleshy sounds as two more of the airborne creatures landed besides Steve and tore into the sides of his stomach, a row of hundreds of razor sharp teeth flashed in the dim light as they opened their wide mouths and buried themselves against him, dancing out of the way from his smacks that grew feebler, his strength slipping away as the sharp tail tightened around his neck.

Nancy’s scream of no mixed in with Steve’s gasps as his lips turned blue, swiping up the oar and slamming it against the creature – now that I was up close, grabbing my own wooden weapon, it resembled some kind of deformed bat, it’s mouth eerily similar to Demogorgon.  

The Demobat squealed like a kicked dog as it flew away, narrowly avoiding Nancy second hit as she smashed the other one still chewing away at Steve’s flesh. 

“Y/n quick hold it!” I slammed my foot down against the tail wrapped around his neck, paralysing fear shooting through me as his lips turned blue and everyone’s screams mixed together. I leant back as it’s needles for teeth narrowly missed my leg, Robin hurtled to my side as she slammed her flashlight against it, yelling for it to get off as Nancy pummelled it with her oar.

Eddie voice strangled as he yelled out a chant of ‘Kill it Kill it’, trailing off as the sky roared overhead and he spun around, lifting his weapon up as the sky darkened and more deathly shapes appeared hurtling straight for us.

“Eddie no.” My shout bit off into a scream as Eddie’s yell of warning fell on deaf ears. I was knocked to the ground as bat blindsided me, clawing onto my back and pinning it down with its weight as it’s hot breath growled into my ear, wet slim dripped down my spine as Robin screamed manically, grabbing a hold of it with her bare hands and pulling me with the creature as she tried to trip it off my skin. 

I screamed out for Eddie as a bat flew down, it’s claws outstretched and angled for him as he barely spun around in time, his oar connecting with it in a wet crunch as the wood splintered into shards. He swore as he tried to reach for me, another screeching creature flying between us until he impaled it on the sharp end of the stick he held, stabbing it against the ground until it’s wings crumpled and it stopped flailing. 

I watched through tears as Steve chomped down on the bat with its tail still wrapped around his neck, crying as the one ripping shreds into my back took what felt like a thousand strands of hair with it as Nancy grabbed a hold of it with Robin and pulled it from me, slamming it against the ground as it struggled to fly away before Nancy put her oar straight through the belly of it. 

I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air as squeals pounded down beside me. Steve slammed the bat against the cracked, dry lake bed as the bones of the creature shattered, blood spurted across my face, drenching my already wet hair as Steve stomped on the bat, pinning it to the ground as he pulled its tail with all of his strength, tearing it in two. 

Eddie tossed what remained of his weapon away, yelling every swear word he knew as Nancy rushed to Steve’s side, a red bolt of lightning cracked overhead as he tossed the bat’s body away. 

“Jesus H. Christ.” Eddie stomped his feet in a classic tantrum before he noticed me curled over, speeding to my side as I wrapped my arm around my middle and couched up a stream of blood. His soft hands wrapped around my elbow as he pulled me to my feet, cupping the sides of my face as his eyes searched mine. 

“What?” I spluttered in surprise as he bit back a small smile. 

“Nothing baby… you just look… uh really metal.” I felt the blood of the bat drip over my parted lip as it curled into a grin, the raw wounds on my back stinging brought tears to my eyes. 

“Are you okay?” Nancy voice was breathless and urgent as her hands rested lightly on Steve’s shoulder.

“Well they took about a pound of flesh.” He turned so we could all see the gaping, ragged red holes edged in the shape of the bats teeth. 

“But other than that, yeah, never better.” Steve shook his head as I hobbled over to him, letting Eddie take most of my weight as he slung my arm over his shoulder. 

“It’s okay Harrington, I’m sure the ladies will really dig those scars.” I lightly punched him on his arm as Nancy dropped her eyes, spinning away as I smiled and squeezed Steve, pulling him in for a bloodied hug as I mumbled that I was glad he was okay. 

“Uh, do you guys think these bats have, like, rabies?” Robins flashlight shook as her hand trembled, prodding at the open body of the bat that Steve had demolished. 

“What?” Steve shook his incuriously as the Nancy and I sighed, Eddie’s face flashed in worry like he completely agreed with Robins fear. 

“Robin I think we have bigger problems than Rabies right now.” I snapped, gripping Eddie’s arm as my head swam. 

“It’s just that rabies are, like my number one greatest fear. And I think we should get you to a doctor soon because once the symptoms set in, it’s too late. You’re already dead.” The short wet strands of her hair twisted around the base of her neck as she cocked her brows questioningly. 

There was a beat of heavy silence, mostly picking at Robins naiveness before we all flinched. A handful of bats fluttered to the ground as Robin shot to my side and Eddie’s arm tightened around me, unconsciously moving closer together as the creatures snapped their mouths at us. 

“Alright. There’s not that many.” The bats screeched in union, laughing at Steve’s words. 

“We can take them.” We all shot Steve a doubtful look.

The chittering chorus of a hundred more creatures like the few we had barely survived fighting off, screeched in the near off distance as a flash of red illuminated the heavy swarm of them flying straight for us. 

“You were saying?” Robin scoffed.

“The woods, come on.” Nancy pawed at Steve’s arm, turning towards the dead forest at the edge of the drained lake bed. 

We didn’t stop to talk before we gasped and took off, Eddie linked his fingers through mine as Nancy sped in the lead and Robin sighed, muttering something about ‘more running’. 

Our pace was slower as we jumped and side stepped the black tendrils that curled around our feet, bringing our shirts up to cover our faces as the white, toxic spores billowed around us, filling our throats as we choked on the air we couldn't avoid. 

The combined screaming was deafening as the swarm roared overhead, the bats slamming into each other as the red lightening ducked and weaved between them, listening to the chittering of their teeth that was strong enough to tear through human flesh. I clutched Eddie’s arm tighter to me as the clap of thunder had all five of us, everyone with the same look of fear on our faces, cowering back against the safety of the upside down version of Skull rock. 

“Oh… okay. That was close.” Robin stumbled to her feet as the mass of bats disappeared into the clouds, my eardrums throbbing as a certain silence fell around us again. 

“Yeah, too close.” Eddie’s voice broke as he reached back to me, helping me to my feet as I brushed the dirt away from my jeans. 

“Oh sh… shit.” Steve’s arm scraped against the rock face as he collapsed against it.  

“Steve? Jesus.” Nancy rushed to his side before any of us could, Steve’s face paled as he gasped for air, swallowing his pain with a grimace. 

“I’m fine.” He argued, waving Nancy off as her hands fluttered effortlessly  around him.

“No, no, no. You’re not. You’re losing blood. Come on, sit okay?” She held onto his shoulders as Steve collapsed to his knees, cringing in agony as both Robin and I crouched besides Nancy, Eddie hovered behind us, wringing his hands as Steve cried out. 

We all bit back groans as Steve’s hands moved away from the haggard wounds at his sides, his hands coming away bloody. 

“Uh okay, so that good news is I’m pretty sure wooziness is not a common symptom of rabies.” Robin started rattling off at lightning speed, as she always did when she panicked. 

“But um, if you start having hallucinations or muscle spasms or you start feeling really aggressive like you wanna punch me, let me know.” Steve’s eyes met mine as we shared a smile over her usual antics. 

“Robin, I love you. But shut up.” I raised my brows at her as I nodded at where Steve had thrown his head back, groaning. 

“Robin?” Steve grunted, panting as he opened his eyes at her.

“Yeah?” She sighed, gripping onto Steve’s arm as she waited. 

“I kind of wanna punch you.” I laughed along with Robin as I turned to Nancy, helping her tear away at her pants as she ripped shreds from them to form makeshifts bandages. 

“Sense of humours still intact. That’s a good sign.” Robin grinned, shaking her head. I held the fabric taught for Nancy as she tore the rest of it out from behind her, holding it up to Steve. 

“You ready?” Her glance was apologetic as he leant up from his heels. Robin pinched at my elbow, tugging me to my feet as we gave them some space. 

“Yeah. Just do it.” Steve bit back a cry as she wrapped it around the wounds, the blood seeping through it almost instantly as he tossed his head back, running his hands through his hair as his chest shuddered.

“Too tight?” Nancy asked, glancing up at him shyly. 

“No, that’s good.” Steve shook his head. 

Robin caught my eye as we watched the tension fly between the two ex-lovers and I had to hide my smile, my own confused thoughts reflecting in her face as Eddie stood between us, his face screwed up as I noticed and pulled him away before he could say something that would embarrass all of us. 

“All right.” Nancy sighed, tying the strips of cloth together. 

“Thanks” Steve breathed. 

Eddie’s brows raised at me in a question, a smirk playing around the corner of his lips. 

“Don’t ask.” I whispered, bringing my hand around the nape of his neck as I pulled him in close to me, burying my head against his chest. Eddie hissed a beath between his teeth as my hands moved up under his jacket, slipping against something wet and I pulled back to look at him accusingly.

“Take your shirt off.” Robin shot me a wild look as she kicked rocks, Eddie laughed as he looked around embarrassed. 

“Right now? In front of everyone?” His eyes gleamed, waiting for me to laugh but I just shook my head. I shoved him over towards the rocks across from us as I jogged back over to Nancy. 

“Can I use some of this?” I waved down at the pile of cloth bundled between her and Steve, she nodded and didn’t look up at me, lost in their own world. 

Robins eyes followed us as I herded Eddie around the rock formation, holding my grumpy expression in place as I tugged at the hem of his shirt. Eddie slipped his jacket off as he tried to keep his face calm, his eyes on mine as I bit back to rise in my throat. He had deep claw marks just below his clavicle, not as deep as Steve’s but still enough to make my stomach roll. 

“Why didn’t you say something?” I snapped, glancing up at his guarded eyes as he watched me work away at his wounds, pinching away the embedded fabric as I chewed down on my cheek, hating every gasp of pain that escaped him. 

“You got hurt as well, you weren’t complaining.” He glanced away as I paused, staring up at his jaw. 

Eddie was trying to be brave 

My heart clenched with the need to protect him, not wanting him to be in a situation where he felt like he had to be brave. I shrugged his words off, being gentler as I wrapped the bandage around his back. 

“I lost a chunk of hair and got a knock to the head. The scratches on my back aren’t anywhere as bad as this, must have been a smaller one that came after me.” I smiled as Eddie wrapped his hand around my wrist, holding my hand against his beating heart as its pace picked up. Warmth swirled around us as his eyes dropped to my lips, his own curling up into a smirk. 

“I didn’t think we’d be back in this position so soon.” He nodded to the natural rock seat I had him pressed against, his grip tightening around me as my thoughts flashed to this morning when he’d had me bent over it.

“Behave.” I grinned, unable to keep my voice steady as he ducked his head, glancing up at me through his lashes.  

“Thank you for taking care of me.” He lurched forward to press his lips against my forehead as Robin’s voice rang out, annoyance clouding it. 

“Yo love birds, I don’t want a repeat of earlier so cut it out or I will find a hose.” Her face was serious as Eddie slid his shirt back on and we walked back out into the open, meeting Nancy and Steve halfway. Eddie disappeared from my side as he climbed the angled rock, pressing his hands on his hips as he reached the top and straightened up to stare out into the forest of dead trees.

“So uh, this place is like Hawkins, but with monsters and nasty shit?” Dark shadows bounced along the lines of Eddie’s face as he slowly turned to face us. 

“Pretty much.” I nodded, crossing my arms over myself as I glanced around. 

“Wait watch out for the vines. It’s all a hive mind.” Nancy dropped her grip around Steve, letting him slouch against the boulder as she shot forward, holding her hand out towards Eddie as he froze.

“It’s all a what?” Eddie gulped, flexing his fingers as he glanced down in panic at his feet.

“All the creepy crawlies around here, dude. They’re like one or something. You step on a vine, you’re stepping on a bat, you’re stepping on Vecna.” Steve grunted as he waved his hands around at all the decaying, moving parts of the Upside down around us. Every single part of it apart of Vecna.

“Shit.” Eddie swallowed hard as he took careful steps back down the rock, waving a cluster of white spores away from his face.

“But everything from our world is still here right? Except, people, obviously?” Robins curious glanced fluttered between Nancy and Steve’s faces as I waited for Eddie at the bottom of the rock, reaching out to steady him as he jumped the last few steps.

“As far as I understand it, yeah.” Nancy nodded.

“So, theoretically, we could go to the police station and steal guns and grenades and whatever we need to blow up those bat things that are guarding the gate.” Robin pointed around at us in earnest. 

“I highly doubt that the Hawkins PD has grenades, Robin. But uh guns, yeah sure.” Steve rolled his eyes but I dropped my hand from around Eddie’s arm, spinning back to face them.

“No, that’s actually not a bad idea.” Robin smiled at my support as my eyes slid to Nancy’s. 

“Well, we don’t have to go all the way downtown for guns. I have guns, in my bedroom.” Nancy looked abashed for the first time as we all stared at her incredulity, Eddie scoffed beside me as his jaw slackened.

“You, Nancy Wheeler, have guns, plural. In your bedroom?” Eddie’s eyes bulged in his skull, staring without shame at Nancy as she sighed. 

“Full of surprises isn’t she?” Robin nodded, clasping her hands together as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

“A Russian Makarov and a revolver.” Nancy clarified, sensing that Eddie didn’t believe her. 

“Yeah, you almost shot me with that one.” Steve slid up beside her, looking at a little better as he bent closer to Nancy and grinned. 

“You almost deserved it.” Even I dropped my eyes at her sultry tone, glancing back up as Eddie’s arms jostled beside me as he pegged his vest at Steve’s chest, sending him hurtling back a few paces. 

“For your modesty dude.”  Eddie cocked his head and Robin and I shared a laugh, glad that Eddie was up fed up with their flirting the same as we were.

The ground split apart beneath our feet, shaking into our bones as an earthquake thundered beneath us. I grunted as Robin tumbled into me, sending us both flying into Eddie’s open arms as we fell to the ground, holding onto each other for dear life. The dead branches snapped from hollow tree trunks as the air around us blurred, rumbling so violently that it rattled my teeth together. 

Chipped rocks clattered around as the ground froze, our heavy breaths panted together as Eddie wrapped his arms around me, holding both Robin and I to his chest as we sat up, peering around as we shivered around in fear and the baying of some hidden monstrosities screeched around us, sending goosebumps along my skin.

“Yeah, so guns seem like a pretty good idea to me.” Eddie’s pupils were blown so wide his eyes were almost entirely black, I nodded as I glanced up at him from where I was pressed against his shoulder. 

“Yeah, me to.” I gasped. The ground settled as everyone caught their breath, Eddie rubbed at his knees from where he’d fallen onto sharp rocks, shaking his head with a small smile as I reached for it with a pout on my lips. 

“So, what are we waiting for?” Steve slid Eddie’s vest on, clicking on the flashlight that he’d somehow managed to keep a hold of, strutting past us as we scrambled to our feet. 

➢ Eddie Tag List } @dotslabyrinth @chanaaaannel @lem0nb0iii @xcarabear @projectcampbell @munchabunch @grungegrrrl @sammararaven @ches-86 @alinepichi @halbhohehalluzination @kalalikalas @thetrashqueen23 @bruh-tato-chap @sagittariughs @c0rroded-coffin @averagemisfit03 @eddiesgffff @churchmuffins @mrsdollardog @ms1oftheboys @pearlsyeaaa @hanahkatexo @bex-tk1 @thatonecluelessbitch @briasnow-blog @aftermidnightwriting @blue-eyed-lion @@figmentofquinn @brittanyyydamnit @edsforehead @ick90 @hesvoid34 @notyuralycat @nevermore66 @readsalot73

Copyright © 2022 by P.McCann.

All Rights Reserved.

[spookydicks]

We already know that this cast is SUPER talented, but the last two weeks REALLY SHOWS THAT.

Just last week, the cast were portraying a completely different set of characters. And this week, they easily reverted back to their old character from c2. Not only are is the energy different, but the physicality is different as well. LETS LOOK CLOSER SHALL WE???

Marisha:

Of course we’re starting with my current gorl. It’s me, we’re talking about here. Now Laudna, laudna laudna laudna. She’s kind, theatrical, eccentric, is definitely a theatre kid, a creative outcast, easygoing and excitable. “Fun scary” of you will. Marisha is a genius at truly becoming her character. Laudna’s wide eyes, creepy yet cute smiles, witchy hands, playing with her hair, crafting, etc…. only adds to that. Of course there’s the voice. The transatlantic accent that plays in my head rent free. The voice that changes pitch based on her mood and of course who can forget the sing songy way she says things…….. BEAU on the other hand is blunt, sarcastic, “a simple girl with simple needs”, cynical, and a self professed “asshole.” Her deeper voice, the way she sits, and her mannerisms emphasize this personality.

Laura:

Next up, everyone’s favorite anxious southern horse girl and sugar loving leetle bloo tiefling. Imogen is always holding herself back. She’s introverted, sold spoken, and considerate (as in not wanting to hear anyone’s thoughts without consent). This shows in her body language. She slouches (??) into herself, making herself smaller, but isn’t afraid to let it all out. Her southern accent links with this as well. On the other, jester is the embodiment of chaotic cuteness. Her Eastern European accent varies in pitch as she speaks, emphasizing this. Her body language is bright to go along with what she says, same thing with using her hands.

Travis:

From having the party braincell to being part of the shenanigans. Our favorite captain is direct, cool, and rational, uses his leadership qualities in his body language and voice (both southern and the irl voice), as in when he stopped the fluffernutter plan. Then, CHETNEY, our favorite semi horny werewolf man, is a bit of a grumpy and stubborn old man who’s also a wild card. His voice is just like a gnome version of Carl Fredrickson from Up. And we love that.

Sam:

Now onto Sam’s characters: Veth and FCG. Veth is extremely motherly to her party and ti her family, but is also one third of the chaos crew and is incredibly eccentric. That shoes in her body language, such as being all jumpy when she first met Twiggy amongst other things, and in the voice, being higher pitched and semi British(??). FCG on the other hand, is kinda like a complete 180. He’s overly kind, helpful and a therapist, even if he’s still learning how to be said therapist. They’re trying y’all. Voice wise, of course he’s got that Jack Mcbrsyer southern accent. Like, to someone he doesn’t like, they’d definitely be like “bless your heart” passive aggressively you can’t tell me otherwise

Ashley:

Oh Ashley. Ashley, Ashley, Ashley. You finally get to show the chaos. For Yasha, she’s way more into herself and thinks before she says anything. Also having half of the parties new cell doesn’t hurt either. The voice Ashley uses for Yasha is deep but also soft to show the softer, more domestic and calmer parts of her. While Fearne is no thoughts, head empty only chaos. She says what she wants, no matter how awkward it may be. She has no filter. “Sleep if for the dead. Oops.”, anyone? Fearne’s voice is as if a Disney princess wasn’t so Disney.

Liam: Now onto Caleb and Orym. Our favorite little guy has the braincells in the group. He’s responsible, level headed and the defacto “straight man”. Orym’s voice is pretty similar to Liam’s own, but the character still comes across in the acting. The most obvious examples are all the times where he acts out that he’s a little guy. (Breaking the sandwiches into quarters, curling up on fearne’s legs, etc).

Caleb, is the opposite. He’s withdrawn, has a whole lot of mental health issues, self loathing, etc), reserved, and the definition of an introvert. This goes into his voice and mannerisms. He speaks very quietly in a German accent and fades into the background in some scenes, for lack of a better word.

Taliesin: Now Ashton and Cadences. *We don’t really know a lot about Kingsley’s personality but my point still stands using Cad* Out of These two are TOTAL OPPOSITES. Ashton’s “cranky “ and “unpleasant”. They care for the rest of the hells in his own way. That comes across in the body language and voice as it to say “I don’t really give a shit”. that’s probably phrased weirdly but you get what I mean. Our favorite firbolg uncle on the other hand, is kind, laid back, blunt, dedicated, and is indeed the “mom” friend of the group. This comes through in the mannurisms Voice wise, Taliesin adds a bit of a gravel(?) to the voice that I can’t help but love.

This might just my theatre kid/actor brain but this cast is just. so talented omg

[kittyphoenix12-xx]

Billy Hargrove Bingo 2022-23

A1 - Possessive Argyle (Argilly /Teen)

Argyle gets a call that Billy is unconscious in the hospital after a fire at Starcourt Mall. He goes to Hawkins to bring him home.

A2 - Compassion (Kingrove /Teen)

The day Billy Hargrove swerved into the parking lot of Hawkins High was the day Patrick McKinney realised he wasn’t alone.

A3 - Starvation (Cunningrove /Teen)

It was New Year's Eve, as the clock struck midnight when Chrissy Cunningham realised that she and Billy Hargrove had more in common than being blonde.

B1 - Tattoos (Mungrove /Teen)

For all his golden splendour, Billy Hargrove faded into Hawkins like some fancy cloth left in the sun for too long. Eddie didn’t want to save Billy Hargrove, but it was a close thing. And it starts with a tattoo.

B2 - Free Space (Billy & El & Max & Will /Gen)

Vecna wouldn’t consider himself an egomaniac. But he was a pretty tough guy to beat. It definitely didn’t hurt his feelings when kids would beat the Mind Flayer, thinking it was the biggest and baddest boss level, only to find that the final level was some guy, and then they would quit the game. Henry was rather proud of his attack combos, he had a defeat rate of 17.5% first try without cheats. But he had a mortal enemy. An Older Brother™.

B3 - Secret Admirer

C1 - The Lock Outside of Billy's Door (Hollogrove /Mature)

There were days when Heather Holloway really, truly hated herself. Days where food tasted horrible, fabric scratched uncomfortably against her skin, and every noise echoed through her head. Her chest would tighten, and tears would well in her eyes, and all she wanted to do was scream. And sometimes, the best thing to do was hate herself with Billy Hargrove.

C2 - First Dance Together (Harringrove /Teen)

Steve knew Billy liked music, really, he did, but Billy never seemed to want to do anything with the music. He was just content to sit back and listen (or violently bang his steering wheel and sing). But he never wanted to dance. aka, 3 times Steve wanted Billy to dance and 1 time he did

C3 - The Party Is Supportive

thanks to @billyhargrovebingo for putting on this event ❤️

i had fun exploring the different relationships between billy and other characters, and i hope you all did too <3

[beforeiread-studies]

hiii!!

✏️, 🌟 & 👻, pleaseee?

Hi anon, nice to meet you & thank you for the ask :)

✏️ a big misconception about your field/a popular, but wrong fact related to your field that makes you cringe?

I study both languages and literature. I cringe when people say "I'm too old to learn a language" or "This language is too hard to learn". No it's not!!! You can do it if you really want to! Maybe you'll never get to a C2 level but you will get damn near close if you let go of this sort of excuses. I just want to grab those people by the shoulders and shake the low self-esteem out of them.

🌟 share one of your academic “core memories”!

I'm not sure what defines an academic core memory but uhm... During COVID most lectures were online. One of my professors had a cat that would sometimes end up on camera and one day every student started showing their own pet. And we are talking about a 200-student class! So many proud pet owners, hehe.

👻 share an academic horror story! (bad group projects, missed an exam, etc)

I don't think I had real horror stories, thankfully. More like stressful ones, like having 7 exams in one week or waiting from 9 am to 8 pm to take an exam. But one time I showed up at an exam and the professor didn't, lol.

It was a German exam and the guy was in charge of the written part. We wait for him for more than one hour and then the faculty finally manages to contact him. As it turns out he didn't have internet at his house so he hadn't received the email with the exam dates??? Anyway, we did the speaking part first with another professor while he ran to the university (which took him another hour). When he arrived he did not have a written test prepared so he just printed random exercises from the workbook.

They were way easier than anything he could have prepared so his mistake was actually convenient. I would have never gotten such a good grade otherwise. (ach, this is making me miss German)

[utilitycaster]

I genuinely found Laudna’s whole “I’m with you no matter what you choose” deeply unsettling and not romantic or cute at *all*. I don’t care how much you love the other person, the appropriate response to “maybe the death cult that killed you has a point” is not “let’s cuddle”, it’s a major reality check and advocating for yourself and your needs. And the fact that Laudna either didn’t find it necessary to do that or wasn’t comfortable doing that speaks volumes.

I mean same; I'm happy to take more questions but I think I've said most of what I can reasonably say here, but yeah. I mean, I distinctly remember, the first week of Campaign 3 - when I was not shipping anything - unfollowing a few people I'd followed for C2 because they were with apparently no sense of reality or irony saying "omg so soft uwu codependent" as if that were a positive trait. And like, you can go back through my archives and essentially for the first six months of the campaign I was like "eh, I don't see anything real with this ship yet, but it does have potential" and my enjoyment of the gnarlrock fight was in fact because I was like oh finally, maybe Imogen and Laudna will have a meaningful conversation! Like, I genuinely thought that would be the point where I started actively shipping it. And then it fizzled out, and now they just keep silently permitting their ever-increasing problems with each other, and like, could you guys actually say anything to each other that isn't just an empty repetition of "I love you, I'm here for you". It all feels so rote and automatic, down to the "I get her a glass of water"; like, it's not the routine of a loving couple, it's two people going through stale patterns because they'd rather be miserable together than risk being alone.

I guess the last thing I'll say here, and then like...feel free to send me stuff but if it's not a question, I may read it and appreciate it but delete it, is that while (understandably) many people who ship this and find it deeply romantic do not follow me and probably have me blocked, a handful do. I had a tag on one post I reblogged about Ashton and Laudna that was like "well obviously I love imodna because imodna but this was a good conversation!" and like...that's it, isn't it? It's Imodna because Imodna. It's a tautology. It just feels so obligatory, like you're supposed to like this because...[footage not found], and if you say "uh...why though, Laudna isn't even comfortable enough to say hey don't get buddy-buddy with the cult that murders everyone, including me," you're met with blank stares. Like, again, I've been cold on it since the gnarlrock fight went nowhere, and more interested in both Imogen and Laudna's relationships, platonic or potentially romantic, with basically everyone else in the party, since then as well; but this episode was the point where I was like "literally, can we discuss that this emperor has no clothes." And again like. The emperor still could put on clothes at some point, but hasn't happened yet.

[facks-stories]

Heres old and new drawings for this character [the first picture is a w.i.p. But I did finish it months ago I for some reason don’t have the picture anymore]

[also the second character in 2 isn’t mine] [and I also forgot to put ending 3 - lovers in the last drawing AND to put the seat line- hopefully you can tell they are sitting without it]

Since I saw some of fella’s posts I’m just going to leave these drawings of my yandere character

Run down:

[I didn’t give him a name] there are 4 endings [strangers,friends, lovers, or stalkers] originally I was making a game but I broke my ipad so now I’m going to write it,

Every chapter I’ll send my friends 4 sentences and they vote on one of them, then that decides on how the chapter goes, once at the final chapter i’ll add up how many times they picked every option, then thats the ending they get

Exa:

C1: strangers dialogue 

C2: friends dialogue

C3: lovers dialogue

C4: lovers dialogue

C5: stalker dialogue

C6: lovers dialogue

Last chapter: lovers ending

I have ideas for how the mini plots will go but not really filler Also if I get more popular I might do a vote here too.

Notes:

The stalker ending isn’t him stalking you, its “you” stalking him [ish, basically “you” become obsessed over him too and “you” guys start dating] 

If you are wondering about the “you”s it’s because the mc isn’t really a y/n you can just make them whatever you want, but i don’t know the acronym for it-  

I at some point wanna redraw the first pose [of the one on whiteboard, but the other one digitally too]

Please don’t compare this story to the game “your boyfriend” 🥲 that game is terrible

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group C Round 2: #C1 vs #C2

#C1: Friendship over nostalgia for the past, and moving forward

#C2: High social anxiety girl has to befriend her whole class

Details and poll under the cut!

#C1: After the Rain (Koi wa Ameagari no You ni)

Summary:

Akira Tachibana, a reserved high school student and former track runner, has not been able to race the same as she used to since she experienced a severe foot injury. And although she is regarded as attractive by her classmates, she is not interested in the boys around school.

While working part-time at the Garden Cafe, Akira begins to develop feelings for the manager—a 45-year-old man named Masami Kondou—despite the large age gap. Kondou shows genuine concern and kindness toward the customers of his restaurant, which, while viewed by others as soft or weak, draws Akira to him. Spending time together at the restaurant, they grow closer, which only strengthens her feelings. Weighed down by these uncertain emotions, Akira finally resolves to confess, but what will be the result?

Alternatively: The main girl works at a diner and misses being able to run. Main guy is the boss at the diner and misses writing.

Propaganda:

It feels like a lot of folks didn’t give this a fair chance because they thought it would be an age gap romance, when it really is more about friendship between the MCs. Don’t be turned off by the opening. It’s cute, but all from MG’s POV. The art is pretty, and Aimer’s “Ref: rain” is one of my favourite songs now, besides it being a beautiful ending theme. Depending on how old you are, you might relate more with one MC over the other.

Trigger Warnings: One-sided age gap. Depending on your views, MC’s friendship with her boss could be uncomfortable

#C2: Hitori Bocchi’s ○○ Lifestyle (HitoriBocchi no MaruMaru Seikatsu)

Summary:

Many of us know what it is like to transition to a new school with few to no friends in a new environment, going through the arduous process of getting to know people again. Bocchi Hitori knows this struggle all too well, having just graduated from elementary school and thrown into middle school. Unfortunately, she suffers from extreme social anxiety: she faints when overwhelmed, vomits when nervous, and draws up ridiculously convoluted plans to avoid social contact. It does not help that her only friend from elementary school, Kai Yawara, will not be attending the same middle school as Bocchi. However, wanting to help her, Kai severs ties with Bocchi and promises to reconcile with her when she befriends all of her classmates in her new middle school class.

Even though Bocchi has no faith in herself, she is determined to be friends with Kai again. Summoning all of her courage, Bocchi takes on the daunting challenge of making friends with her entire class, starting with the delinquent-looking girl sitting in front of her…

Propaganda:

This is a fun and lighthearted show. Watch it if you need something cute to chill out! The art is cute and colorful, the music lively, and the animation fine enough.

As it's adapted from a four-panel gag manga, the story is simple and focuses on the various characters. They all have pun-based names related to their main personality trait, so they're easy to remember if you know some basic Japanese (Hitori Bocchi means all alone, for example). The girls are all adorable and fun in their own quirky ways, and I loved seeing the heroine doing her utmost best to overcome her fears -and other challenges- to befriend them in the hope of fulfilling her promise. That's the power of the Do-Your-Best Fairy! They all care for each other (despite some teasing) and help Bocchi with her monumental task, never pulling her down for her struggles but gently pushing her in the back when needed.

But most importantly, Hitori Bocchi is a very relatable character. As someone suffering the same trouble, I related a lot with Bocchi, from her silliest worries to her escalating panic and weird schemes in an attempt to prevent anything wrong. Anxiety is faithfully represented, mixed with the right amount of laughing to how far Bocchi can get to avoid fearful situations in her very cute ways. It feels good to see a character like me in a such positive light! The struggles are real and acknowledged, and it’s really moving to see our heroine overcome them little by little in a very humanizing way.

This series has become one of my comfort materials, and I come back to it when I need hope and inspiration in everyday social interactions! If you need one last thing to be convinced, listen to that most adorable and silly song that will give you the Power of Motivation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGoGwlNmZUQ 

Trigger Warnings: None.

When reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

If you want to criticize one of the shows above to give the one you’re rooting for an advantage, then do so constructively. I do not tolerate groundless hate or slander on this blog. If I catch you doing such a thing in the notes, be it in the tags or reblogs, I will block you.

Know one of the shows above and not satisfied with how they’re presented in this tournament? Just fill up this form, where you can submit revisions for taglines, propaganda, trigger warnings, and/or video.

[wlwitchofwhitestone]

I'm annoyed by the biphobic bs again. Nothing new to see here. If you read more don't come make it my problem.

I'm not even bi I'm just exhausted on their behalf because the biphobia in this fandom is such a fucking trip. Swear to god if I see L&I described again as lesbians I'm just going to start blocking. It's all plausible deniability and bad faith with y'all and I'm tired of it. People just keep moving the goalposts. Yes comphet is real, no you can't throw it out there for every situation involving two women forever because "you can't prove any previous encounter was real." We have canon crushes and an active attempt at a date with a guy and it's not enough. Don't think I didn't notice also how our Faun druid was allowed and welcomed into the dynamic until she wanted to fuck that old man and didn't say sike and now there's next to nothing about her. Forget ace L, because we are far, far away from the time where anyone is going to respect a physically...uninterested character not wired for sex saying "I turned that part of my brain off a long time ago" - this is still just straight up erasure of a stated canon intrigue and no it's "they're definitely lesbians, I can tell, why are you calling me biphobic/you sound like a t*rf/lesbophobe yourself" (what a hilariously bad faith reading of literally anything I've said as a demigray lesbian, but even if I wasn't, come the fuck on.)

I have watched y'all be fucking shitty to Caleb in real time in the name of your mollys and your drow war criminals and "will he shut up so we can get back to the lesbians," I watched people make the VERY reasonable hc that c2's barbarian was bi before it was "confirmed" otherwise in episode 90-something by her saying "not my thing" and they got ass blasted, I watched the be*ujes ship turn into a seething hotbed of t*rf rot that permeates this ship a campaign later, and I watched people crow about how Liam "finally" played a "real" queer character when our resident halfling said he was only into dudes. Get better soon.