#gonna tag the others that have suffered the same fate as i

[angstydiaz]

me when YET ANOTHER SHOW I LIKE GETS CANcELLED

[visionmarred-archive]

Xander’s characterization in The Freshman. why couldn’t he have been more consistently written like that. yes I’m still grumpy about so many of his moments throughout the series and mad at his wasted potential

[residenthughes]

please, go easy

pairing: leon kennedy x gender neutral reader

word count: 1.8k

tags/warning: fluff and angst, leon just needs a big ole hug :(

summary: leon's not been the same since spain. you're intent on finding out why.

notes: this came out of nowhere? was simply on tiktok and came across a post discussing all the events leon's been through and this is the result. don't have much to say except for capcom needs to give us AT LEAST a ten minute cutscene of leon being stupidly happy. it's what we all deserve.

i also posted this on ao3. if you wanted to check it out there, as well as my other fics, please feel free to do so.

the title was inspired by mac demarco's song 'go easy' that came on shuffle whilst writing this :)

enjoy! :)

It’s been a few days since Leon’s returned from his latest mission in Spain and customary to his awaited return, he’s glued himself to you. Any chance he gets - he’s skin to skin with you - head in your lap whilst you silently work away, delicate hands on your waist as you brush your teeth or prepare dinner, limbs tangled in yours as you slumber. Relentless in his aim to be consumed by you, the average joe would grow rather sick of the incessant touches that never seem to leave you. But, you’re not the average joe; you miss Leon’s touch just as much as he does yours and with the harrowing atrocities that plague his mind, you’re sure his touches translate to desperate grips of security in his mind.

You try not to worry. After all, it’s usually a matter of days before Leon has a pep in his step that washes your worries away. But it’s been a week now and nothing’s changed. It’s like he’s returned home every day, ruminating himself to ruins. You’re there for him, without a doubt, making sure to never pry but always serve a remainder to the refuge he might seek. There are some things that we just need to experience alone. You’re all too aware of that. If it was up to you, you’d eat all the monsters in his head for breakfast and kiss away the scars they leave. Alias, you do not hold such power, even if Leon looks at you like you create the constellations in the sky.

It’s a little bit past 10 now. A dull ache thumps in your feet from a long day of work and your attention span suffers too. Mindlessly staring at the TV screen before you, your fingers thread obliviously through the soft strands of Leon’s hair while he lays still in your lap. You think back to how not even an hour ago, the man approached you; figure looming over you as his stature entirely blocked your view. With how sunken in and purple-rimmed his beautiful eyes were, you could easily picture how menacing they were when his life was on the line. But, no. In the case of meeting one’s fate with a bullet to the head, Leon opts for an extension of his hand, hair brush in his grasp.

His hair could use a good brush. He could do with a good brush. So, you let him - legs lazily draped over his shoulders as he relaxes into you, fingertip treading ever so lightly against your skin as you begin to work.

“Think you missed a spot,” he chimes in when your movements come to a final halt. “My hair needs more work than that.”

In one swift motion, you circle your legs around his chest and bring them towards his throat with force. It happens so quickly but Leon still manages to get a hand in to prevent the tighter grip that would have been against his throat. “Don’t push it.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” You hear the smile in his voice and there’s a lightness in your chest you haven’t felt in a while. It’s good to hear how humoured Leon’s responses are. Makes you feel like you’re one step closer.

The phone rings and you’re back pedalling again. You know it’s the sound of Leon’s work phone. It wouldn’t be ringing this late if it wasn’t, right?

Except he doesn’t move, only nudges his head back. “You gonna get that?”

Oh.

It’s yours. How silly of you.

Perhaps, in the chaos of over-concerning yourself with Leon’s state of mind, you’ve managed to absorb yourself into the ugly anxiety it carries. The ring of your phone indicating so. You exhale at the top of your lungs and with the blink of your eyes, you make up your mind.

“Nah,” you smile without the burdens on your shoulder, fingers carding through dusty blond strands. “It’s probably not important.”

It’s almost as if Leon can hear the airness of your voice; the changed way you’re carrying yourself, to which he hums and closes his eyes as the brush bristles graze tenderly against his scalp.

At some point, you knock the back of the hairbrush softly against his scalp and unravel yourself from his grip. Having nodded into a shallow slumber, Leon’s head gives a quick shake before his arm reaches behind him, taking the object and standing to his feet. You expect him to return the hairbrush back to your shared room as he regularly does, but with a careless toss, the hairbrush clatters against the coffee table and he’s collapsing into your lap.

Your hands are thrown up, to express your surprise and slight frustration. “All my hardwork.”

With his curled up body facing the TV, the best face-to-face contact Leon can give you with his head in your lap is a side eye. You snicker at the sight. “It was gonna get messed up anyways.”

“Yeah, later,” you stress with the tug of his hair. Your longtime boyfriend can only laugh as you drag your firm hold. “Not when I’ve just finished brushing it.”

“Oh, boo hoo,” he mocks and you’re pulling at his hair again. At this point, you’re the one messing with his hair and it’s evident to Leon too, who simply laughs at your annoyance. “Thank you, though. It’s been a while since you’ve done this.”

Five weeks ago, you think. That was the last time Leon nestled himself into you, mumbling underneath his breath about how his latest mission required for his hair to be cut short enough that he couldn’t fully enjoy the drawn out brushes of the comb. You laughed, reassuring him that when he ambled through your doorway after a successful mission, his head of hair would be long enough to receive its five star treatment.

It feels like a lifetime ago.

With your chin burrowed into the palm of your hand, you watch the credits roll for the rerun episode you completely missed deep in your thoughts. You settle for another episode’s worth of television before heading to bed. Expecting the light snore of Leon’s slumber, you don’t move around too much but when your eyes cast down to admire your sleeping beauty, he lies awake. Eyes scarlet and forehead puckered. If not for how private the moment seemed, you would have ran your fingers over his forehead creases with the joke, “Don’t think too hard, handsome.”

As you decided earlier, if Leon was open to discussing what had been bothering him, you would be all ears. However, you were not going to overextend yourself to an area you didn’t belong. It wouldn’t be fair to you nor Leon. So, without much to worry, you rest your hand against Leon’s warm shoulder and begin to watch whatever 90s show was playing before you.

It isn’t long - give or take -  ten minutes into the show, during the ad break where Leon finally breaks his silence.

“Do you,” he croaks, body unmoving except for the desperate fingernails that grapple at the material of your trousers. You hold your breath. “Do you think I’ve changed?”

The question is so innocent in nature, but it carries a storm as treacherous as a hornet’s nest. If things were different, if Leon hadn’t boarded that plane to rural Spain, maybe you wouldn’t have to think as hard about your answer. A moment’s glance at his face would lead you to your answer, still quite casual but definitely making sure to let it be known that Leon’s change was evident. Given everything he’s been through and what’s to come, you’re surprised he hasn’t completely shapeshifted into a brand new person. You don’t talk about it much, but that night in Raccoon City changed a lot of things for him and you’re unsure whether it's something he wants to hear. Even now, after pondering the fact on days he was away, you’re still in doubt. The silence is loud and you can’t see his face. It’s truly up to you and you alone to come to your own conclusion.

“In some ways, yes,” you test the syllables that leave your lips, unsure if they bring peace of mind to Leon who quietly listens.

The moment is so delicate, like a basket of eggs. One wrong word, the wrong tone; even an exhale could shatter the dozen, leaving Leon’s vulnerability damaged forever. You want to say everything that’ll keep him here. Long enough, at least, to know where his refuge lies.

“I’d say for as long as we’ve been together, there are some differences in you. And, in me too,”

“But, I think what’s good to keep in mind is that it’s ok to not change and to not feel any shame in that regard.”

Your hands that found a home in the dusty blond locks of his hair move towards his jawline, the bone highlighted by the singular tear that cascades down the ivory of his skin. A quick brush of the thumb and you’re talking again, knowing the additional attention would have him gone with the wind. “No matter what the circumstances, or how many years have gone by, the way I see things is that it’s ok to still care, to still be soft or to even be scared. You shouldn’t feel ashamed of those characteristics if they make you who you are or shape your experiences.”

You say no more, content with the sentiment your words carry. With the entirety of your heart, you hope in the maze of your words, Leon’s found the treasure he’s looking for; the treasure that soothes his wounds and ease his burdens. He’s been through so much, you think to yourself. So, the least you can do is remind him of the man he is, jaded by the terrors of the world but still so full of love, of care and kindness.

There’s a sniffle and it breaks your heart. In the warmth of your lap, your long-time boyfriend moves subtly, staring up at you with dazzling eyes of blue that pool with his heartache. The sight imposes a hefty anguish burn in your chest, but it does not compare to the relief you see settle into Leon’s features. Everything is so easy now; everything goes.

You give a small comforting smile, thumb grazing against the light stubble across Leon’s cheek.

“You should come with a warning sign, you know,” he jokes, all smiles and laughter as he wipes away the remainder of his tears. “Making a man cry over here.”

You press a soft kiss against Leon’s forehead and he instantly leans into your touch. He’s just the sweetest thing, deserves nothing but the utmost of love and affection. “Boo hoo.”

He gives a pointed look and as you pepper the surface of his skin with indulgent kisses, you and him both know it’s easy going from here.

[empresskadia]

Not Everyone Survives [Blue Team| Red Team| Naomi-010]

Prompt: You didn't survive This is my treat for you all, I said, we're gonna be sad together~ I got some Red Team content for you @jackpot-library

Maybe after Cortana, it should've been easier but that was a delusional hope, John doesn't stop, John cannot stop. It's mission after mission for him, with or without Blue team. He gives himself no time to collect himself, John doesn't want to think because if he does, he'd have to accept you're gone. And if he doesn't stop, maybe somewhere, something will stop him and he might get to see his beloved partner again. There isn't a day where he doesn't hold your dog tags and run his thumb across your name or service number and he's so gently with them like it's the last piece of you he has.

For all the battles Kelly's been through, she thought she could handle this death well, especially after losing Sam and the other Spartans, but this was so different. Whenever someone says your name, she'll shuts down, and leave the room without another glance. It doesn't matter if there is an outranking officer on deck, Fred and Linda do their best to cover for her. Kelly's never fully able to let go and always makes it a point to visit your grave often, maybe if she was fast enough this would have never happened.

In his mind, it's his fault, and Fred continuously blames himself, he apologizes again and again while cradling your body until Kelly places a hand on his shoulder. Even then, Fred still feels like you're there with him. Sometimes he'll say something to you and when there's no response, he looks around for a moment before realization sinks in and he apologizes to you again, if only he would've been fast, more prepared and it's a constant cycle that claws at whatever humanity he has left.

It took hours for Linda to move as she sat with your body for a very long, letting the cloth wrap you up, that maybe, you were just asleep under the sheet. For once in her life, she doesn't have the courage, she had held you while you died and it took all her strength. Linda was quiet before but now she only spoke when necessary, and even then, using hand signals more often than not. She always keeps a reminder of you with her, not that she could ever forget, she never would do you the dishonor. It's just a way to keep your memory alive and every shot she makes from then on out is for her partner.

There is a single threat that snapped in Jerome's mind when he witnessed the life drain out of his partner. He held you till the end while you bled out, unable to stop the inevitable no matter how hard he tried, it wasn't enough, he wasn't enough to stop this. And the only answer that's clear in his head is revenge. He will not rest until everyone involved is dealt with and suffers the same fate as his beloved. His partner was the most precious thing to him, and now you were gone, so why shouldn't there be repercussions? Why shouldn't someone pay?

It's hard for Douglas to go on without you, every time he sees someone that even remotely resembles his partner or an object that remembers him of you, his heart stops for a second. He'll visit your grave often with flowers he personally collected and sits there for a long time before telling you about recent missions. He doesn't want his partner to feel lonely, so if no one needs him, that's where the other Spartans can find him. Douglas often tells himself he can handle this, that he has to for your sake because you would be so upset with him if he didn't.

To everyone's surprise, Alice refuses to accept it for the longest time, she saves a seat for you everywhere, even making comments about how she'll tell you about this mission later. No one dares correct her, she wouldn't forgive them. Any weapons her partner may have owned are cared for because she wants them to be perfect for your next use and no one else is allowed to use it. She can't process her grief, this wasn't a challenge, and this wasn't something she could fix, sooner than later her grief turns into anger and Alice can only take it out on the field, littering the ground with her enemies.

Missing her partner hurts like hell; Naomi finally understands the phrase 'a broken heart', it's a wound that will never heal, it's a hole in her chest that will never be content again. And she can only circle back to her thoughts of how lonely you must've felt, that she hadn't been there to die with you or even hold you against her while the light faded from your eyes. Naomi had always been surrounded by death but never believed it could take her partner till she saw your body and could never bring herself to quite look at the stars the same way again. Her star in the sky was no longer there. There is no amount of cheering up that BB or Mal or Vaz can do to bring her back, but she tries to find her partner in the little things, in the breeze kissing her face, in the water dancing against her skin but Naomi misses you and wants her partner back.

[avelera]

June 28, 2023 - The Sandman S2 Set Leaks

Tagging @orionsangel86

So I've been wondering since the "Calliope" episode whether Dream and Calliope's canonical son, Orpheus, was going to be alive, dead, or suffering his Sandman comic-accurate fate in the Netflix show version of the story.

I went into greater detail on my speculation here.

But, as of today, we have some set photos of what looks like a scene between Dream and Orpheus, and I've been asked for my speculation, so here goes.

Everything below the cut is gonna be heavy in both comic and set leak spoilers, y'all. Be warned.

Let's start off with the relevant images!

We've got Dream and Orpheus on a beach. We've got one scene where Dream is hidden behind a whole big stage piece too. What could it all mean??

In no particular order, my thoughts:

This is probably the scene in the comics where Orpheus disowns his father. In the comic, they do it at Dream's palace, but that's probably expensive AND they could poetically be going for that farewell also taking place in the same location that Dream finds Orpheus's severed head later. I wouldn't blame them if they went that route.

Which would make it this scene. One of the shots if of Orpheus walking away from Dream, so that would make sense.

Lines up pretty nicely.

However, it does reverse things a bit. Instead of Orpheus coming to Dream for help, it implies that Dream goes looking for Orpheus while he's mourning on the beach.

The other alternative is that this is after Orpheus tried and failed to save Eurydice. And in the narrow possibility that that's the case, this could be a replacement for the scene where Calliope urges Orpheus to run because the Maenads are bearing down on him.

I kind of hope not. If they replace the scene of Orpheus mourning his failure and his mother coming to warn him about the Maenads and Orpheus ignoring that advice, in favor of having Dream have that scene with Orpheus, it in my mind lends to the possibility that Calliope thinks Orpheus died in the Underworld or some other sequence of it events that culminates in her not knowing her son is a living severed head.

I really, really hope we're not heading to a TV show AU where Orpheus is the living severed head like in the comics, but Calliope doesn't know about it. Because while Calliope in the comics also, like in the show, says that their son is dead the comic also has her visiting Orpheus's severed head throughout his thousands of years of hellish living-death.

Personally, just speaking for myself, I find the entire living-severed-head plotline deeply uncomfortable. I've said before I think it accidentally smacks of ableism to hear over and over again Dream's insistence that Orpheus is "dead" even though he's clearly conscious and able to sleep and dream and talk and have desires about the world, but just isn't able to move on his own anymore. That's not death, that's being a paraplegic. The comic makes it further ambiguous because it seems like Dream is lying to himself when he says his son died long ago. It's also confusing because Calliope, on the whole, seems kinda chill about her son being dead all the times we see her. She and Dream seem like very distant parents if they can bear the pain of their sons literal active torment for thousands of years.

The thought of Dream in the show denying Orpheus even the comfort of his mother is actually completely irredeemably worse in my mind. And the way Calliope discusses mourning their son and Dream's silence in the face of that makes me deeply fear that possibility.

Which is one reason I hope there's no severed head plotline at all. However,

The fact that we've already had Dream reference, in 1.06, that Lady Johanna completed a task for him which, in the comics, was rescuing Orpheus's living severed head, makes me very worried we're sticking to comic canon.

2. The fact that in these set leaks, we see a sort of mini-sound stage where conceivably, Dream could be finding Orpheus's severed head, thus making the disownment scene and the discovery of his head scene take place on the same beach (which would make a ton of sense from a poetic and from a production economy standpoint) make a lot of sense.

Maybe we'll get a variation where Dream finds Orpheus's totally dead severed head on that beach. Maybe Lady Johanna will only be rescuing the skull or the body of Orpheus and they'll make it much, much clearer that Orpheus is just sort of haunting the head, like he can be summoned to it but he's not living in a hellish state of undeath the whole time...?

I could see Dream, by the way, giving that little smirk he does in 1889 about having Lady Johanna do a task for him and succeeding admirably if she was sent to rescue his son's very dead remains and not his actual living severed head. Dream's impishness does not jive at all for me in that scene with the seriousness of the task Johanna does for him in the comic of rescuing Orpheus's helpless severed head. It's very jarring if that's what they go with. It makes me think this plotline is going to be altered somehow. Like having the severed head be dead but just being like a summoning point for Orpheus's oracular powers, perhaps?

In any case, lots of questions raised and answered by these set photos. After all, we still don't have confirmed:

That the severed head plot will be there at all

That we're not just getting a flashback to Orpheus's total perma-death, not the beginning of his severed-head living death

That this is more than just a brief flashback or the introduction of who Orpheus is and we're getting a totally different storyline, like for example that Orpheus is dead on this day, but the severed head can be used to speak to his ghost (infinitely preferable, in my mind, but there's no evidence in any which way for this except Vibes)

We really just don't know yet.

Though, I will say, I hope they get Orpheus some robes where the top and the bottom match, and Dream some shoes that aren't modern dress shoes (oh, and find his ruby??) before any of that happens ;P

[daydreamingfuel]

Freak Like Me

Chapter 3

Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader

AO3 // previous // next

Y/N has just moved to Hawkins from England with her parents and is starting at the high school in the final term of her senior year. Eddie immediately takes a liking to her and they become fast friends, deciding to take her under his wing and falling to her charms. This is Hawkins however and things are never quite as they seem...

WHOLE FIC TAGS & WARNINGS: gratuitous use of Y/N (I'm not sorry), friends to lovers, slow burn, mutual pining, eventual smut, semi-fix-it-fic, angst, injury, canon dialogue and events used, canon graphic violence, no main character death :)

Chapter Tags & Warnings: a hell of a lot of angst, Chrissy gets vecna'd, hurt some comfort, intense flirting with little payoff, daddy issues get worse??

Chapter Word Count: 7.8k

A/N - I apologise in advance, this hurt me to write too so don't yell at me

The days that passed were much the same, the days quickly turned to weeks, and over the month and weeks that they knew each other and grew closer, they had developed a smooth routine. Eddie picking her up for school; lunch with Hellfire; sneaking off to the table in the woods for a smoke and gratuitous but harmless flirting; studying, D&D prep and dinner at either the Y/L/N house or the trailer. On the days Eddie worked and Y/N had a shift at the bakery she managed to land a part-time job at, she would take a coffee and a pastry to him at the record shop so they could have lunch together, quickly learning he forgets to eat between customers and is grumpy the morning after. But Friday night, Hellfire night, was the best. It wasn’t at first, however. The older boys in the group had their grievances, of course, Y/N walking in on them voicing their distaste to Eddie before her first session with the group.

“C’mon, man! She’s gonna ruin it for the rest of us.” Jeff groaned in annoyance, sinking into his seat at the table and glaring at his Dungeon Master.

Gareth harumphed in agreement and spouted his own disapproval, “She’s never played before, this is gonna be shit! This is supposed to be your big final campaign before finals! Just because you’ve got a stupid crush on her doesn’t mean that we have to-”

Eddie's hands slam down on the table. “Enough!” The boys shrunk back in their seats at his sudden raised voice, before his furious gaze locked onto his best friends, “Unless either of you wants your perfectly crafted characters to suffer a fate worse than death in the most horrific ways I can possibly think of I will not have another bad word said about Y/N joining the party. Am I understood?”

“Understood.” They both said, in slight fear at Eddie's rage.

“Understood,” Y/N echoed from the doorway having overheard the whole thing, sparing the boys a glare of her own before sending Eddie a wink and taking her place at the table.

Y/N, despite having a truly horrible first attempt at playing, fell in love with the game, especially once she was the only one who could save them at the end of their first session and won the boys around. She quickly got into the swing of things, returning home from sessions buzzing with anticipation of the next session. Try as she might to get even a small clue about the progression of the story he was crafting, she couldn’t get a word out of Eddie. Not when she brought him freshly baked cookies and let him ramble for hours on end about future campaign ideas. Or when she would excitedly go over her notes in the van on the way back home after a session, hoping that he would let something slip but he never did.

He saw through her every time, “Sorry darlin’ you ain’t getting shit from me.”

“But Eds…” she would whine and close her notebook in a huff, making him laugh, “just something little, basically insignificant. Please, Eddie?”

She made him weak, but not weak enough, “Nice try sweetheart.”

The man took his role as Dungeon Master seriously, and it definitely paid off. Eddie truly came to life when he was DM’ing, and the sessions allowed for an escape Y/N had never had. Not to mention that it was amazing to watch the intense combination of pure joy Eddie clearly got from the game and the stern concentration on running the campaign. Playing ‘God’ for a few hours brought out a rarely seen confident aura. He was enigmatic, and Y/N could feel herself fall for him more and more with every week that passed.

Relationships blossomed in other areas of her life, outside of Eddie, as well. Chrissy had become a hesitant but fierce friend and confidant, and despite the conflicting emotions that came with it, they loved spending time together away from their respective boys. Mostly their conversations stemmed from their joined interest in classic romantic literature, but over time they started to tell each other anything and everything. It felt good to have a feminine best friend again. Someone to have mini spa sessions and self-care days with. To talk about makeup, and romcoms, and go shopping with. To gush about undying crushes and frustrations. Plus, the friendship came with the bonus that it thoroughly pissed off Jason. Of course, Eddie wasn’t sure at first, either. He didn’t trust that it wouldn’t come back to bite them in the ass if Jason were to ever overhear their conversations, but as soon as he learned that Jason hated that the girls were fast friends, he was all for it. Even going as far as to pick them up from shopping trips in the van after work when he could.

Chrissy brought out a side of Y/N that she thought was abandoned in England with her old life. A strange part of her felt like she was leading a double life, and worse was that she kept getting horrific déjà vu from seemingly innocent moments with Chrissy. It wasn’t anyone’s fault but her own for not being honest about her past. But she had such a good thing going she didn’t want to ruin it. But the walls were starting to crack, for both of them. Chrissy could tell that Y/N was hiding something from her, but she couldn’t quite place what, mentally noting all the times that she would vaguely stare off into space then shake it off with a smile and go on as if nothing happened. And Y/N would notice all the skipped meals and times when Chrissy would disappear for a good few minutes after any meals they did have together and come back smelling strongly of perfume, brushing it off just as easily. All they needed was a little push for the walls to come crashing down around them.

Spring Break, something Y/N had never experienced, was coming up fast. Lucas was taking his basketball duties more seriously; the final session of Eddie’s most complex campaign for Hellfire was approaching and they had no idea how it was going to end; college application deadlines creeping up on them - it was all coming to an abrupt end, all too fast. Y/N never thought she would say it, but she wasn’t ready for school to end just yet. Before she had time to fully process anything happening in her life, which was starting to feel more like the beginning of a romcom than reality, the final week of term rolled around. And it flew by. Waking up on Friday, and donning her custom Hellfire shirt which was slightly tailored and re-hemmed to fit her waist and neck better, her mind was flooded with ideas of all the things that she could do during her time off. Most of them including Eddie, she had a big surprise planned for him and couldn’t wait to tell him that night. And Chrissy, they had so many dates planned Y/N had to start writing them down to keep track. And Dustin and Lucas, who had promised to introduce her to some of their other friends in Y/N’s year whilst Mike went to California to visit the Byers.

But her morning didn’t start the way she had wanted. As she mindlessly wandered into the kitchen, she slammed straight into her dad walking towards her room.

“Oop!” Y/N wobbled and he caught her slightly, “Sorry dad, I didn’t realise you were still here.”

“That’s actually why I was coming to wake you. Why are you awake so early?” The man straightened himself out as he talked.

“Pep rally before classes start.” He nodded sharply at Y/N’s answer before turning on his heel and leading Y/N to the kitchen table where Mrs Y/L/N was already sitting, tissue in hand.

“Mum?” Y/N immediately took a seat as close to her mother as she could and gripped her hand, staring at her father incredulously, “Dad, what’s going on?”

“I’m leaving for a few months. Work trip, completely unavoidable.” His eyes flick to the suitcases piled by the door, “I leave for Nevada at noon.”

“Excuse me?” Y/N blinked at the man in front of her, rage consuming her, her breathing becoming more laboured as she processed what her father had said. “You’re just leaving? With no other warning?”

“I received the call this morning, Y/N, there was no further warning.” Mr Y/L/N tried to explain as calmly as possible, but his frustration was evident. His whole body was tensed, hands flexing by his sides, and veins straining on his neck with every word.

“We knew this might happen dear,” Mrs Y/L/N sniffled from beside her, “if his work needs him-”

“Then that’s his main priority, I know.” Y/N finished, unable to hide the bitterness in her voice, making her father sigh and groan in annoyance.

“You’re not making this any easier, do you really believe I want to just leave you and your mother like this?” Mr Y/L/N finally breaks, storming towards and towering over Y/N.

“Well, I haven’t properly seen you in months anyway. So, what difference does it make?” Y/N sunk into her seat, fiddling with her hands in her lap, avoiding eye contact, voice flat.

Silence fell, the room tense. Only broken when Eddie honked from outside.

“I’ve got to go, don’t want to be late for school. I’ll be back late mum, but I’ll be home I promise.” She kisses her mum on the temple and she pats Y/N’s hands in understanding. “Dad…”

“If you get into any trouble, you call me.” Mr Y/L/N says sternly, but his eyes were red from holding back tears. “Don’t get into trouble.”

“I’ll try,” Y/N forced a small smile onto her face before suddenly she was engulfed by her dads' arms. Her heart ached, and she found herself tightening her fists around the fabric of his shirt. The once-familiar scent of his aftershave flooded her senses and soothed a small part of her soul. As she pulled away, she felt a small kiss land on her hairline and she shuddered, holding back her own tears. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. Not now, not ever.

Of course, Eddie immediately noticed something was wrong and a strange feeling of déjà vu washed over them. Her smile at him was forced and his grip on the steering wheel was tight, the bats flying on his forearm once again. He didn’t want to push, and she didn’t speak, slumped against the window, watching the trees and houses go by. Y/N didn’t realise her knee was bouncing until she felt his warm hand fall onto it and squeeze gently to tell her he was there. After a few more minutes of silence, he swallowed his nerves and finally spoke up.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” His voice was soft and worried, he hadn’t seen her this shut off before and it scared him. He heard her sniffle and clear her throat before sitting up straighter and threading her fingers through his hand on her knee.

“I know, Eds, just not right now.” He nodded and squeezed her hand once more, and she squeezed back composing herself a little as they came up to the school, “I need to go meet Chrissy before the pep rally, so quick detour? Then breakfast?”

He responded by pulling into the school car park at the last second and parking up near the gates. He jumped out of the car and rounded the front to open her door, before finally saying, “Yeah, you go have your little gossip session, I’ll be here waiting for you. Don’t be too long or I’ll go eat without you.”

She chuckled slightly and a smile pulled onto his face at the sound, holding onto it as he shut the door to the van and watched her walk away, shouting over her shoulder, “You wouldn’t dare, Munson. I’ll be quick!”

Chrissy all but ran to catch up with Y/N as they entered the building, her ponytail swaying as she looped her arm through Y/N’s. Her smile was as sweet as ever but Y/N saw straight through it. Late the previous night, Y/N had received a phone call from a panicking Chrissy who had just woken up from a horrible nightmare. Y/N had managed to calm her down enough to go back to sleep but the girl was restless. It was obvious to Y/N that her best friend had barely slept a wink after they hung up the phone. To anyone else, she was as bright and bubbly as normal. They walked the familiar path through the school towards the back of the gym, Chrissy gripping Y/N’s arm. Once they reached the door, the blonde turned towards Y/N and pulled her in for a tight hug.

“I can’t do this,” Chrissy whispered, voice small.

Y/N ran a soothing hand up and down her friend's back, “Yes, you can.”

“It just keeps getting worse, Y/N…but I feel paralysed, I just feel like I’m going insane.” Chrissy rambles into Y/N’s shoulder before pulling away and looking her in the eye. “I can’t keep doing this, I’m going to break.”

“Hey, you know I’m always here for you…you don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to but I have noticed that you’re not well, Chris,” Y/N says gently, not wanting Chrissy to push her away but she just sighs and slumps back against the wall, swallowing a lump in her throat.

“These nightmares…they feel too real…like I’m actually living them again,” Chrissy admits to Y/N, who nods in understanding, being plagued by nightmares herself, and allowing her the space to talk. “They’re mostly of my mother, of the things she tells me about myself…my body.”

Y/N takes a deep breath, connecting the dots. Chrissy’s weird behaviour around food and the frequent bathroom visits all started to make sense, and made Y/N so angry at herself for not picking up the signs earlier. “How long have you been…?”

“A couple months,” Chrissy’s arms wrapped around her body, hiding, “but she started restricting my diet years ago when I first became a cheerleader, it got worse when I became captain…and that’s when I started to…”

“Yeah.” Y/N closed her eyes and flexed her hands a little before reaching out and placing a hand on top of Chrissy’s “I’m so sorry.”

Chrissy opened her mouth to speak but stopped herself when she saw the rest of the cheerleaders walking towards them, “We’ll continue this later, don’t think I haven’t noticed you either, no more secrets.” Chrissy’s eyes were wide, searching Y/N’s for any hesitance or doubt but she only found surrender and concern, “For either of us.”

Y/N nodded in agreement and pulled Chrissy back in for another hug, when a thought popped into her head, whispering the idea to her friend, “Feel free to shoot me down, I know it sounds insane but go meet Eddie by the table in the woods during free period, he might be able to give you something to help relax you enough to get a good night’s sleep.”

“Really? He’d do that?” Chrissy asked with a forced smile, being able to see her squad over Y/N’s shoulder and upon feeling Y/N nod, she thought for a second before replying, “I’ll think about it, I’ve got another session with Ms Kelly later, anyway…it might help.”

When Y/N left Chrissy to her other friends, Y/N headed straight back to the van, Eddie back in the driver’s seat, rocking out by himself to the Iron Maiden song blasting through his speakers. His predictability soothed her. They had planned to blow off the pep rally entirely, and go have breakfast at a little diner not too far away before school, and after Chrissy’s confession, Y/N wanted nothing more than a bit of comfort. Pulling open the door and sliding into the passenger seat, she greeted Eddie - “told you I’d be fast” – before settling into the drive to the familiar diner. Breakfast with Eddie was easy, calming despite his hyperactive nature, exactly what she needed after the hell of a morning she was already having. All they could talk about was the impending final session of the campaign that night, Y/N bugging him for any kind of reprieve. Which only made him laugh. The sound had become one of her favourite things and she made it her personal mission to hear it as much as possible.

The rest of her morning ran smoothly after breakfast. She didn’t bump into Chrissy again but the whole school was buzzing after the pep rally, so she assumed everything went well and she managed to perform without cracking. By the time lunch rolled around, Y/N had mostly managed to force the morning from her mind. And Eddie would only push it further away. He had found a copy of a magazine with a scathing article about his beloved game and was animatedly reading it aloud for the group to hear.

“‘The Devil has come to America.’” His voice was deep and lilting, mimicking that of an infomercial voiceover, right as Dustin and Mike take their seats at the table next to Y/N, “‘Dungeons and Dragons, at first regarded as a harmless game of make-believe, now has both parents and psychologists concerned.’” Y/N rolled her eyes, picking at her food as she listened to Eddie, his voice becoming more and more him with every sentence, “‘Studies have linked violent behaviour to the game, saying it promotes satanic worship, ritual sacrifice, sodomy, suicide, and even” He slams the magazine down onto the table “’…murder.’”

The table chuckled at the ridiculous article, and at Eddie, Y/N scoffing before commenting, “Society has to blame something. We're an easy target.”

“Exactly.” Eddie brushes Y/N’s chin with his thumb, lifting it slightly with his index finger, winking before starting to rant, “We're the freaks because we like to play a fantasy game. But-” he rises from his seat and gets up to stand on the table, walking down the middle, “as long as you're into band or science…” he addresses the cliques as he mentions them, voice getting louder, “…or parties,” he mocks the group dressed like they just got back from a rager, who flipped him off, before he directed his attention to his true targets, “or a game where you toss balls into laundry baskets!”

“Loser!” Someone shouts, but Eddie doesn’t care, as he stares down Jason Carver who is glaring right back.

“You want something, freak?” Jason calls him out, and Eddie being Eddie, only mocks further – placing his fingers to his head like devils’ horns as a feral sound falls from his lips, smirking afterwards at Jason's disgusted face, “Prick” Jason mutters to himself as Eddie turns away.

“It's forced conforming. That's what's…” He jumps off the table and scares an innocent bystander, making a further spectacle of himself “…killing the kids!” The group chuckles at his antics but he bows back and holds out a gentlemanly arm to allow two cheerleaders to pass without incident before settling back into his seat, “That's the real monster.” He finishes his rant, one hand picking at his food, the other falling onto Y/N’s knee, her hand immediately covering it with her own, his thumb rubbing a soothing circle into her skin through her jeans.

“So, uh, speaking of monsters,” Dustin pipes up, he’s grinning his usual adorable smile but it doesn’t quite meet his eyes, which are slightly scared, “uh, Lucas has to do his, uh, balls-in-laundry-baskets game. So…he's not gonna be able to make it to Hellfire tonight.” Dustin giggles as he speaks but Eddie just stares blankly back at him, “And I know there's no way we can beat your sadistic campaign without him. So, me and Mike, we were talking, shooting the shit, and we were thinking that maybe we might…” Dustin is stammering, trying to break the question to Eddie gently but Mike, who was growing increasingly more frustrated cuts in.

“Postpone.” Mike finally says, causing the boys at the table to erupt into complaints.

“Postpone? You can't just drop this on us!” Gareth and Jeff are outraged by the mere notion but not as much as Grant who states a firm “Over my dead body.”

Y/N shakes her head at the childish behaviour, sure she loved the game, but wasn’t supporting their friend just as important?

“Shut up!” Eddie finally snaps and silence falls across the table, “You saying Sinclair's been taken in by the dark side?”

“Uh, something like that.” Mike hesitantly agrees but only gets a bit of food thrown at him.

“Something like that?” Eddie echoes, pulling a small ‘Jesus Christ’ from Dustin in response. Eddie just continues, “And rather than find a sub for him, you want…” his eye twitches, “you want to postpone "The Cult of Vecna"?” Eddie finishes incredulously, burning a hole through Mike’s skull with his eyes.

“I…I don't want to postpone it. We don't want to postpone it.” Mike gestures to Dustin who nods emphatically, but Eddie isn’t hearing any of it, standing up from the table, Y/N’s hand gripping his to try and keep him calm, his knuckles turning pink with the force of his grip, “It's just that, you know, most of the subs will be at the championship game.”

“Oh, it's the championship game?” Eddie finally turns back to look at Mike.

Mike seems confused “Yeah?”

“Can I level with you?” He drops Y/N’s hand, and she sighs deeply muttering a small ‘here we go...’ under her breath, knowing that Eddie isn’t going to just let this go and there would be no reasoning with him. “Jeff graduates this year. Gareth's got, what? A year and a half? Me, I am army-crawling my way toward a D in Ms O'Donnell's. If I don't blow her final, and I know I won’t thanks to Y/N,” He smiles at her and she winks back, the tutoring had been working, his grades were up and it looked like was finally going to graduate, “I'm gonna walk that stage next month, I'm gonna look Principal Higgins dead in the eye, I'm gonna flip him the bird, I'm gonna snatch that diploma. I'm gonna run like hell outta here.”

The group once again laughs at Eddie's dramatics, Y/N unable to stop the grin on her face that he was so excited about graduating. But of course, his friends had to humble him a little.

“Didn't you say that last year?” Commented Gareth, smiling smugly but with affection, Jeff added in the same manner, “And the year before?”

“Yeah, yeah, and I was full of shit.” Eddie agrees but continues, his deep brown eyes were wide and hopeful, “This year's different. This year is my year. I can feel it. '86, baby.” He grins, eyes locking onto Y/N’s, a small blush creeping up onto his cheeks but he brushes it off and continues addressing the freshmen who look up at him with admiration, “You know what that means?” the boys shake their heads “It means you boys are the future of Hellfire.” Eddie rounds the table to crouch behind Dustin and Mike, arms draped across their shoulders “I knew it the moment I saw you. You sat on that table right over there, looking like…looking like two little lost sheep. You were wearing a Weird Al T-shirt, which I thought was brave.”

“Thank you.” Dustin nods but is unable to meet Eddie’s intense eye contact.

“Mike, you were wearing whatever shit your mommy bought you from goddamn Gap.” The table laughs once more but it is cut off when Eddie suddenly stands, pulling the freshmen up with him, “And we showed you that school didn't have to be the worst years of your lives, right?

“No.” Mike and Dustin agree, they had been taken in and appreciated for all their quirks and nerdiness by Eddie, they had a friend and inspiration in their Dungeon Master, despite of how much he scared them sometimes.

So, Eddie continued, “Okay, no, no. Well, I'm here to tell you, that there are other little lost sheepies out there who need help. Who need you. And all you guys gotta do is get your Bo-Peeps on and go and find one.” He pushed them away into the crowd, turning back to the table and taking his seat again as the boys scurried off.

“Don’t you think that was a bit much, Eds?” Y/N questions before taking a bite of her sandwich, shrugging it off when Eddie’s glare focuses on her. He was always ‘a bit much’, and they all knew it. His gaze softened when he saw that she was only teasing him. Her eyes sparkled and a smile tried to force its way onto her face behind the sandwich.

“You too, darlin’? You wound me.” His voice is low and warning, making a chill run down her spine but she ignores it and sighs, head tilting slightly.

“I’m just saying that it’s not completely unreasonable for them to want to support Lucas, he has been their best friend since they were kids.” Y/N gently explains, leaning back in her seat as though to challenge him a little. She wasn’t lying but she knew he wouldn’t budge, this was too important to him, but what was the harm in humbling him a little anyway?

Eddie licks his lips and quirks an eyebrow up at her, trying to figure out how best to respond, shocked at her lack of blind obedience to his word. “Do you want to die the most painful death at the hands of my, what was it that Henderson said…sadistic campaign?”

“I was never going to survive to the end anyway, I’m sure you’ve already made sure of that, Dungeon Master.” Y/N bit back with a smile, mischief glinting in her eyes, Eddie's eyes flaming back at her.

Gareth butt in before Eddie could say another word, “Will you two stop flirting at the table?” both of their heads turned to face him, seeing the older boys gagging at their behaviour made them chuckle, hands linking under the table, “I’m trying to eat and you two make me sick.”

“Too bad.” Eddie threw a crust at Gareth who swatted it away as distracted whilst Eddie leaned in to whisper to Y/N, “Valiant effort darlin’, but if you want me to break you’re going to have to try a little harder.”

He turned back to the other boys and chatted mindlessly as Y/N’s mind fogged up.

He knows.

Of course, he knows, idiot, you don’t exactly make it subtle. He probably thinks you’re pathetic, drooling over him.

Shut up.

Come on, you don’t really think you stand a chance? Have you seen yourself? You’re gonna be left alone again if you keep pushing.

First at your old school, now Daddy’s leaving you…how long before Eddie leaves too?

“I gotta go.” Y/N suddenly stood up from the table, grabbing her things and swallowing thickly to suppress the panic swarming her. Eddie's eyes were frantic, tracing her to find what was wrong. “I need to be alone for a bit but I’ll see you all later”

Y/N started walking away, leaving the boys immensely confused until she heard Eddie stumbling after her, “Hold up! Y/N wait!” Y/N kept walking, eventually coming to an empty corridor. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing I just-”

“Cut the bullshit, Y/N. Talk to me.” Eddie says running a hand through his hair in frustration. Y/N slumped back against the wall and slid down to the floor, where Eddie immediately joined her.

“My dad…he’s leaving for a few months, work thing,” Y/N said quietly, staring at her shoes, and fidgeting with the edges of her sleeves, “And I know we don’t have the best relationship, we haven’t been close in years, but still…”

“Is that why you were so sad this morning?” Eddie asked softly and Y/N nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Y/N’s eyes closed, and her head rested back against the wall, trying to find the right words, “I don’t know…I wanted to, I want to tell you everything, I’m just…I’m scared.”

“Scared of me?” Eddie had never sounded so small, the words hung in the air for a moment and Y/N shook her head, eyes springing open to see him chewing on his lip, hands trembling slightly.

“No. Never scared of you.” She reached out and took his hands into hers, “What I need to tell you isn’t easy, and I don’t want to push you away.”

“Whatever it is, I’m not going anywhere.” Eddie pulled her in for a tight hug right as the bell rang, “Except for class.”

Y/N chuckled lightly and pulled herself off the floor. “Free period. I’m gonna go to the library, meet you there after you’ve done whatever deals you have today?” He nods and picks up his bag, following her down the hall.

He walks her to the library and as she enters, he leans on the door frame and asks “Hey, do you think Dustin and Mike are out ‘Bo-Beeping’?”

As it turned out, Mike and Dustin had gotten their ‘Bo-Peep’ on and managed to recruit a sub for Lucas, none other than Lucas’ own little sister Erica Sinclair. She looked sweet enough, bright blue jumper, hair perfectly coifed, and an American flag wrapped around her shoulders like a cape. but her attitude is what immediately sold Y/N. She had no patience for Eddie, making her stifle a laugh from beside him as he reclined in his throne, interrogating the young girl to no mercy.

Erica stood her ground as Eddie towered over her, stating firmly who she was. “My name is Lady Applejack. And I'm a chaotic good half-elf rogue, level 14. I will sneak behind any monster you throw my way and stab them in the back with my poison-soaked kukri. And I'll smile as I watch them die a slow, agonizing death. So, we gonna do this, or we gonna keep chitchatting like this is your mommy's book club?”

Y/N smiled devilishly, strangely proud of the girl, and it was clear that Eddie liked her too, a wide grin spreading across his face before holding his hand out for her to shake, stating, “Welcome to Hellfire.”

The session was brutal. Everyone was struggling to make any hits with enough damage worth a damn, and they were losing their own health quickly. They were floundering. Eddie truly had been evil in his creation of the campaign, but the worst was yet to come for the party.

“The hooded cultists chant, ‘Hail Lord Vecna.’ ‘Hail Lord Vecna.’ They turn to you, remove their hoods. You recognize most of them from Makbar. But there is one you do not recognize,” The group is listening intently, laser-focused on Eddie as he talks, “his skin shrivelled, desiccated. And something else. He is not only missing his left arm,” he hides his arm behind his back, “but his left eye!”

“No! No!” the group erupted into a frustrated and confused chorus.

Y/N frantically looks back through her notes, “This is bullshit!”

“Vecna's dead,” Jeff states firmly, in disbelief

Mike agrees, “He was killed by Kas.”

“So it was thought, my friends. So, it was thought. But Vecna lives.”

Eddie placed the Vecna miniature back on the battle map and Y/N slumped back in her chair, “Fuck…”

“You are scared. You're tired. You are injured. Do you flee Vecna and his cultists?” Eddie questions, giving the party two paths, “Or stand your ground and fight?” They consider the options, “Come on…”

“I say we fight.” Dustin finally answers, “To the death.”

“To the death.” Mike agrees, immediately reiterated by Erica who looks at Y/N.

“Fuck it, to the death!” Y/N echoes and suddenly the whole party is chanting ‘to the death!’ over and over as Eddie falls back into his throne laughing.

With renewed vigour, they go round upon round of combat, winning some but mostly losing. One by one, miniatures were being taken off the map with curses in their wake. The energy in the room was palpable as they played, the heightened emotion in the small room almost electric as they rolled and rolled their dice, trying everything they could to take down Vecna. Their shouts and cries overlap as Eddie cackles at their misfortune, knocking another figurine off the map. When Y/N’s elf finally succumbed to their wounds and died, Y/N let out a scream of anguish having missed her death-saving roll by only 1 point. Grant, at this point, calls a ‘time-out’ and the group huddles up on the opposite end of the table to Eddie's throne.

“Guys, I hate to say this, but we've got to flee,” Gareth states to the group.

“I concur.” Grant immediately agrees and Jeff nods.

But Erica is having none of it. “Didn't we just agree "to the death"?

“That wasn't literal!” Gareth says in rebuttal.

“Oh really?!” Y/N argues back, having just died.

Gareth scratches the back of his neck, in defeat, before he pats Y/N on the back, in comradery, “You lived up to your namesake, you fought and died valiantly.”

“Thank you,” Y/N says in earnest.

Jeff continues despite this, “Still, Vecna just decimated us. We can't kill him with two players.”

“You too? He only has fifteen hit points left. Don't be pussies.” Dustin exclaims, aggravated.

“Pussies?” Gareth bites back, abhorred by the name calling “Really? 'Cause, we're not delusional?”

Erica argues, louder, “Delusional? How about not cowards?

“Hey!” They all turn to face Eddie, who was perched on the edge of the table behind his DM screen, “If I may interject, gentlemen, sweetheart,” Y/N hums with a fake saccharine sweet smile, “Lady Applejack. Whilst I respect the passion, you'd be wise to take Gareth the Great's concern to heart. There is no shame in running. Don't try to be heroes. Not today, 'kay?” He mimics Y/N’s smile and tilts his head.

Y/N can feel the rage burning back up inside her and it was evident that Dustin could feel it too as he holds up a finger and said, “One sec.” The huddle reforms. “What do you think Mike?”

“How many hit points do you and Applejack have left?” Mike asks, trying to think of the best strategy.

“Twelve.” They reply in unison.

Mike nods, before saying, “It's risky as hell. But you're the ones on the battlefield. So, it's your call.”

All eyes lock on Dustin and Erica, they didn’t need to answer for Y/N to know what they were thinking.

“What do you say, Lady Applejack?” Dustin asks.

“You really gotta ask?”

Dustin thinks hard but ultimately makes his decision.

“Screw it.” Dustin turns back to Eddie, “Let's kill the son of a bitch.”

Jeff refutes “The chances of success are 20-to-1!”

Dustin doesn’t waver, “Never tell me the odds. Gimme the D20.”

Eddie throws it to him with a grin, dimples popping out, clearly, they had made the choice he wanted them to. Dustin cups the di in his hands and shakes, eyes locked on the battle map as he released the di and it rolls across the table. They wait anxiously until it lands, ultimately on ‘11’.

“That’s! A! Miss!” Eddie takes great joy in their suffering, Dustin cursing loudly.

It was all up to Erica. The party circled her as she shook the di in her hands, and time seemed to slow down. It was just a game, but Y/N had never felt so nervous. Erica finally released the di with hopeful shouts of ‘Please!’ and ‘Come on!’ from Dustin and Gareth. It rolls fast across the table, and nobody was able to see what it could land on, so they held their breath in wait for it to stop. Eddie leans over to see the result. ‘20’.

“Crit hit!” Erica shouts with pride and the boys go wild in celebration, Y/N laughing in relief and surprise, jumping in a little circle from the intense burst of serotonin.

“And that’s why we play!” Eddie exclaims and presents the board to Erica who is standing proud, a wide grin on her face.

The party was still celebrating as they tumbled out of the doors of the drama room after collecting their things, practically bouncing off the walls as they went. As always Y/N stayed behind to help Eddie clean up, and she couldn’t stop grinning at him. Her heart still pounding in her chest from the adrenaline rush, Eddie could feel the contagious joy radiating off her.

“What’s with you?” Eddie asks as he folds up his DM screen and puts it in his bag, “You died, I’m surprised you didn’t throw another hissy fit like you did the first time you died.”

Y/N smiles fondly at the memory of their first game together all those weeks ago, collecting all the figurines and stray dice off the table. “Am I not allowed to be happy we won, just because I died?”

“I’m not saying that at all,” He drops his bag onto his throne and rounds the table to where she was perched on the edge and caged her in, hands on the table on either side of her hips, “I’m really happy that you’re so into this.”

Her breath caught in her throat at the proximity, but she didn’t waver, holding his intense eye contact. The high of winning boosted her confidence enough to bite the bullet, “Well,” her hands slid up his chest and circled his neck, hands locking behind his head, “I am, into this…in fact, I think you’ve got me addicted, I’m gonna be chasing this feeling forever.”

He chuckles under his breath and drops his forehead to hers, smirking as his hands slide up from the table to wrap around her waist, pulling her closer, “Then it’s a good thing I’m dealing.”

As her nose brushed his, he suddenly jumps back, and scampered to collect his bag from his throne, “Shit, sorry Y/N, I just remembered I’ve got a deal to do.”

Y/N’s face scrunched up in confusion as she collected her things and followed him out of the room, “I thought you did that in free period?”

“I did,” Eddie says then amends, “Well kinda, I didn’t sell her anything then.” 

“So Chrissy actually went to you?” Eddie stops in his tracks.

Never, not even once, had Eddie ever mentioned the names of anyone he sold to. He didn’t want Y/N to be wrapped up in the business, she was, in his opinion, too good for that. The only thing she did know was that his supplier was Reefer Rick, and that was only because he had let it slip one night whilst tired and tipsy. “How the hell do you know it was Chrissy?”

“Because I sent her.” His eyes widened, so she prompted further, “That didn’t occur to you?”

He pauses and thinks it through as they kept walking, Y/N trailing after him. Chrissy, besides himself, was Y/N’s best friend. A little fact that had escaped him upon seeing the cheerleader waiting for him at his bench, shaken up and fidgety. “It slipped my mind…Y/N I told you not to get involved with the dealing!”

They had made it out of the school and as he pulled the large double doors open, he turned to face Y/N. She was wringing her hands out, nose twitching and shoulders tense. “I’m sorry! I just- I was worried about her, thought that you might give her something to-”

“Put her to sleep easy?” Eddie finished the sentence and Y/N nodded.

They wandered in silence up to the van and saw Chrissy waiting by it, before they got close enough for Chrissy to notice them, Y/N stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Look, Eddie, if it makes you more comfortable I’ll wait in the van whilst you finish the deal.”

He shakes his head, “No, no, you’re not staying in the van, you’re coming inside the trailer with us.”

“The trailer?” she was perplexed, he never did deals at home.

“Special occasion, what I’m gonna give her is there, can’t carry it around with me.” Eddie explains, as cryptic as ever but he softens, “Just wait in my room and then we can…finish that conversation we were having earlier?” His hand reaches up to cup her cheek and Y/N leans into it, her eyes fluttering closed briefly.

Y/N could feel her body getting hotter at the thought, mind reeling but answered anyway, “Definitely, there’s some things I need to tell you. Not all bad.”

“Oh?” Eddie’s curiosity was peaked but he doesn’t get an answer as Y/N winks and walks up to the van to greet Chrissy.

The drive from the school to the trailer was surprisingly unawkward, comfortable even, as Chrissy ran them through the championship game highlights – the biggest of which being that Lucas had scored the winning basket. A swell of pride, then regret filled Y/N as she thought about Lucas. It was a huge achievement for the freshman to win the game and he didn’t have his best friends there to support him. She couldn’t help but feel slightly responsible, that she hadn’t fought for the campaign to be postponed so that they could be there. He had made his choice, but they should have respected the boys’ friendships more.

As they pulled up to the trailer, Chrissy jumped out and straightened out her uniform a little as Y/N slid out of the van behind her and slammed the door shut. Eddie led them up to the front door and held it open for them, Y/N immediately made herself comfortable, slinging her bang on the old armchair in the corner and flouncing her way into Eddie's room and flopping down onto the bed. She could hear Eddie rummaging around for something and muffled talking between him and Chrissy.

She wasn’t alone for long though as Eddie waltzed into the room “Sorry I’m late sweetheart,” Y/N sat up and watched as he bypassed her on the bed and headed straight for his cherished guitar, a stunning red B.C Rich Warlock N.J Series. He kissed his fingers and strummed her gently, “You’re beautiful…”

Y/N cleared her throat, “Am I interrupting?”

Eddie snorted, as he rummaged through his messy desk drawers, “I’ll be back for you in a sec, darlin’, I just need to- gotcha.” He pulled out a tin and shut the drawer, standing up straight to go back to Chrissy, “Don’t move.”

As she sat on his bed, alone in his room again, she thought through how she was going to say what she needed to say. How do you tell someone that you like them as way more than a friend without feeling like you’re going to throw up? The mere thought of telling Eddie how she actually felt about him made her heart beat faster and her body tremble a little. Despite part of her knowing, subconsciously, that he might feel the same and she’s just been oblivious to his signs, Y/N wanted to run away, to forget it all and keep going as they have been. Why ruin a good thing right? He was so good to her, took her under his wing, and understood her in a way nobody else ever did. She knew that he took notice of all of her mood swings but didn’t pry, letting her go to him. Until today. But Y/N was terrified of it.

Her thoughts circling her head were suddenly cut off their flight path by the electricity crackling around her. The flickering lights was quickly followed by the sounds of Eddie shouting from the front of the trailer. She had heard him shout countless times that day alone, but not like this. He was terrified.

“Chrissy! Wake up!” His confused and worried shouts echoed through the small space and dragged her to him.

“Eddie, what’s going on?” He didn’t need to answer, “Oh my god...” 

Y/N's heart sunk to her stomach at the sight in front of her. Chrissy was trapped in a trance-like state, eyes fully white as though they had rolled back into her head, eyelids fluttering every so often, her body stiff and unmoving in the middle of the room. “Chrissy?”

“She won’t wake up; I don’t know what happened.” Eddie was frantic, his eyes scanning Chrissy for any signs of consciousness. “I just walked in to give her the K and found her like this. C’mon, Chrissy, wake up!”

Tears streamed down Y/N’s face as she shook Chrissy’s shoulders gently, “Chrissy…please wake up…” she shook a little harder, “wake up..” harder, “wake up!”

Without any warning, Chrissy started to lift into the air, knocking Y/N’s hands off Chrissy and sending her stumbling back into Eddie’s chest. His arms wrapped around her protectively and held her close as Chrissy’s body hit the ceiling. A blood-curdling scream tore from Y/N’s throat, echoed by Eddie, as they watched in horror, as Chrissy’s bones started to bend and break inhumanely. Her legs and arms suddenly contorted mid-air, but she still didn’t wake. When her jaw unhinged and her eyes caved in, blood pouring down her face, Y/N had to turn away and bury into Eddie’s chest. The only indication Y/N had that it was over, was the thud of Chrissy’s lifeless body falling to the floor, Eddie’s arms still caging her to him.

“Y/N…we have to go.” His hoarse voice suddenly filled her ears, she shook her head against him, still sobbing. “Can’t stay here.”

“We can’t leave her,” Y/N looked up at him, his eyes wild with terror as he looked from Chrissy’s body on his floor to the girl in his shaking arms. “Eddie…if you run, you look guilty. And we’re not guilty.”

He shakes his head, mind reeling and every fibre of his being telling him to run, “Y/N, I can’t stay here…they already think I’m a freak, now I’m gonna be called a murderer, I can’t stay…” He pulls away from her, pacing, running his hands through his hair.

“Please don’t run.”

“Y/N I can’t-”

“Eddie,” her hands cup his face, and he finally makes eye contact, a shaking breath released from his trembling lips as she looks at him with so much fear it hurt his soul, “please baby, don’t run away.”

His heart stops for a second. Hands itching to hold her. “Sweetheart…”

“Please.” Her thumbs rub his cheeks. He swallows thickly and grabs her wrists, gently pulling her hands off his face.

He whispers so softly it was barely audible, but she caught it before he left her standing in the room alone, “I’m sorry.”

previous // next

[tintagel-or-cockleshells]

20 Qs for ficcers

I have been tagged by a smorgasbord of wonderful people - @celaestis1, @cha-melodius, @kiwiana-writes and @welcometololaland. One of them even sent me flowers (thanks @clottedcreamfudge, you are a constant delight).

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

12!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

101,280 - not too shabby, I like that it's a round number.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Red, White & Royal Blue, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, Tamora Pierce, *cough* Angels Unlimited...

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Just Like a Dealer (which I am HESITANT about including because, once again, I only wrote the first paragraph)

Henry Fox: All-American Hero

Red, White and Royal Ballet

Alien Magic

Stringbean

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

No! I very rarely respond to comments. Right now, it's because I don't have time, but it's also because every comment will be 'aaaah thank you <3' and that feels like artificially inflating my comment count sometimes. Having said that, if people have questions, I tend to answer them.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It was gonna be Ghosted before @clottedcreamfudge talked me out of it. Maybe When a Dancer Dies, because the 'happy ending' is massively open to interpretation.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Either Henry Fox: All-American Hero or Red, White and Royal Ballet. I mean, I'm writing for a novel with a strong romantic element - it's unusual NOT to write happy endings.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven't yet, but hey! I probably will! And when that happens I will specifically write them into my next fics and make them suffer horrible fates!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I have written explicit stuff before, but not yet for RWRB. However, @dumbpeachjuice left a comment on All-American Hero that has me considering an expansion/missing scene in that world.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

The only crossover I have is Alien Magic, which is two worlds by the same author, Tamora Pierce, and me crossing over characters from one into the universe of the other, but they're aware that the other world exists, it's just on the other side of the globe from them.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

If I have, I don't know about it! Doubtful, though.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I did receive my first comment in Spanish yesterday which made me very happy.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

YES and I have also co-written a book with my BFF.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Fun fact: my fiance and I almost had 'fictional couples' as the theme for our wedding tables but abandoned it because two bridesmaids (u know who u are) would have wanted to sit at different tables.

Top three: Frank and Sadie Doyle, Mel Beeby and Brice de Winter (thoroughly not canon) and, of course, Henry Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor and Alex Claremont-Diaz.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

Henry as a contestant on a pottery show, Alex as the kiln assistant who became a much bigger part in season 2 and has a lot to say.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Punctuality. Does that count? Errr, okay, I can write a banger of a sentence now and then and I'm good at description.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Em-dashes, and trying to be funny. The funniness comes in when I'm not trying too hard.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

It's difficult and I haven't done it yet! I'm learning Swedish (445 days in a row so far) and what gets me is sentence structure. Sometimes it's structured like English, sometimes it's structured like Early Modern English, sometimes the structure is specifically foreign and I fuck it up. However, I really liked what Junot Diaz did in Oscar Wao, which is not italicising words in other languages because that's not how the character thinks.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The very very very first fanfic published somewhere was LoTR. It was about the Entwives and it was dull.

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Ghosted. Or Cold Cases, Lost Causes. Sometimes you want to chew on some PLOT, and Ghosted deals with death, and Cold Cases deals with the ethics of podcasts covering true crime. I can't wait to release the last 3 chapters because I'm proud of how I've ended it!

Tagging -- ah shit, it seems that everyone has been tagged. Okay, if you want to do this, do it and say I tagged you. I love you all!

[french-toast-enjoyer]

Writing Share Game:

Rules: share some writing!

thanks to @rkmoon for the tag, here's a snippet from a symbrock fic I'm not sure is good enough to continue! I also submitted it to @funkycave so if you see it on their blog hey, same hat. lemme know if I should actually write this:

To the world, he was once known as Ediliaphon. The scribe of creation, and the angel of all to be known by man.

Now his collar simply reads “Eddie”. A bastardization of the name given to him by the god he once loved. The God who had abandoned him for daring to question his divine plan.

The God that had left him there, in the writhing city of Pandemonium with every other rejected angel. Tossed like an unwanted, unruly pet. Weighed down with a rock and thrown in a river to die.

And he would’ve died.

For nine full days after the collapse of Lucifer’s army, Eddie and all other now fallen angels had lay in the depths of what was now hell, paralyzed with the never-before-felt sensation that would come to be known as pain.

That fateful period had brought to birth several new, unbearable concepts.

Suffering came forth in the physical anguish of broken bones and hellfire-charred skin. Agony crept into the faces of those lost, regretful angels. And annihilation–

It claimed half of all lower angels on the first night.

Without a master or cause to tie themselves to, without faith in either their love or hatred of God, many of the regretful, lost souls had simply ceased to be. Succumbing to their injuries with no hatred to empower them to stand up and keep fighting.

But for those who did hate?

It disfigured them. Morphed their wounds into splitting heads. Their faces became permanent snarls, their halos had cracked into horns, and their bodies had melded into darkness from days of bitterly crawling on their bellies.

Eddie was lucky. Eddie had avoided both fates, somehow.

It eluded him, how he had fallen without shattering his soft white wings. And how he felt so little in the advent of his fall that malevolence had not consumed his broken, once divine body.

Much like the others, however, he was frail. Fading in real time without a deity to uphold him.

On night one, his wings had wilted, night two, his skin began to burn.

He'd have given up forever to touch God again. Just once.

There were nights when he’d remember his time as a scribe. Appointed by the Father to pen the histories of all that had been created. It'd been so brief, yet so blissful. To think he gave it all up, out of pride. Out of the want for more accolade than the ultimate honor of witnessing the birth of all the world. What a fool he was.

He would’ve died. But on his knees, something had found him.

It called itself Venom. A manifest of sin much like those conceived with Lucifer’s first betrayal. In perpetuity, it was meant to be the lord of treason. Of biting the hand that feeds.

He'd been despondent when the entity had found him. Useless. Too tired to curse God and too prideful to beg for forgiveness.

It had sensed the angel’s weakness. Known it to be the closest thing to a lamb this wretched pit could offer. Only in appearance, of course.

Much like that which tempted Eve, it'd crawled to the angel on its belly, whispering sweet nothings about divinity and reclamation. Offering him protection in exchange for devotion.

Eddie, feeling bloody tears welling in his eyes, knew that his choice was either to obey, or so begin the process of fading away completely.

He'd looked to the heavens. They couldn't be seen. God was not coming to forgive him, much less save his life.

In short, he'd agreed.

So began his life, given up to the first and last entity that'd shown him mercy.

Herein begins the true fall.

I'm gonna tag @spibbb and @bunsofhoney because I like what I've seen of their writing! as always, no pressure to participate:)

[maiemorrae]

Before Page 1 Tag Game

Wanted to try out starting one of these. It might also just be an excuse for me to talk about an event in my world.

Basically, the idea is to give some information about an event or character interaction that is relevant to your WIP but occurs before the events of the story. Ideally, something that wouldn't really be covered in detail in the main story but would be brought up by the characters or has a noticeable impact on the narrative.

Gonna soft poke @amaiguri and @moonfeatherblue if you guys want to try this or pass it on.

The event I have to talk about takes place about 7 years before the start of Lost Recollections.

The Soul-Link Incident, 935 AE

The Soul-Link Incident refers to the successful and attempted assassination attempts on the Commanding Seekers of each city in the Imperium. The attacks were done by a network of arcanists whose main goal was the disruption and overthrowing of the Bureau, Arcanis Volatris. In the end, 3 out of the attempted 12 assassinations were successful.

One of the branches to lose their Commanding Seeker was the seekers of Turis Folis in Noxton. The Volatris' plan in Noxton was carried out by a lone member of the group, a ritualist known as Ryelle. Following weeks of preparation, Ryelle was able to learn about the true identity of the commander and used that knowledge to lead him into a trap. While with him she was able to perform the ritual that had been created and perfected by the Volatris. The ability to link the life force of one person to another.

Shortly after the ritual was complete the then Commander Arcalos was returned to the seekers. He was sparse with the details as to what happened to him, blaming it on one of the rituals done by Ryelle. Some time later Ryelle was captured by the seekers and swiftly sentenced to execution for her attack on the commander and her involvement with Arcanis Volatris.

At the time of her death, she put up no fight and died with a smile on her face. This unsettled the seekers who carried out the act, led by Seeker Robin. Within the hour of Ryelle's death, Commander Arcalos fell deathly ill and it appeared as if his life force was quickly draining. It was then that the commander revealed the truth of Ryelle's plan.

The ritual she performed linked their life forces through the spectral plane. If one of them were to die and their essence destroyed as is normal protocol when someone dies, the other would soon suffer a relatively quick death as their own life force suffers the same fate as the force it's tethered to. The plan relied on the fact that if captured, the Volatris agent would be killed, either just based on their allegiance or failing that, causing enough damage and destruction that the seekers would be left with no choice.

Just before his death, the commander named Seeker Hawk as his successor who reluctantly took on the role passed on by his mentor. It did not take long for news of what happened to spread throughout the other branches of the order but by them, it was too late for some of them which suffered a similar fate to Noxton's. The event now known as the Soul-Link Incident has further increased tensions between the seekers across the nations. The relations between Silver Seekers and their fellows are tense across many branches to this day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was this just an excuse to talk about an event in my world? I'll never tell. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to have some establishing stuff that isn't really needed to know for the story but can add a little bit if you know about it.

[dyedfrog]

the ULTIMATE OMORI fanfic recs because one of my favs just ended and it deserves more recognition!!

Okay lets start this off with the one in question (also not in any particular order)

These Days Without You by Smitty1899. absolutely beautiful, please read it this fanfic needs more of a community around it

By Your Side Once More, or, How Sunny Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Occult by Keltikknight. the suzuki siblings and their immaculate sense of humour. thats all i have to say

A New Dawn In Sunless Skies by letos. i wish this one would update again its got such a cool premise.

Sinking and Heroism by TenPes. linking them together because they're not part of a series.

The Faraway Event by kinemortomoli. me putting this here is actually a cry for help. i dont think this fanfic is dead but i cant suffer alone

Tired by Sunburner. this is pretty short and sweet (more like sad, depending on your ending preference)

DEADSPACE by Es_Novels. this one is so eerie as many zombie fanfics are, but i think the imagery makes this one take the cake

Car Trouble by Smitty1899. oh my god

Birthday Picnic by ToxicPineapple. poor kel. he saw mari like a big sister

stuck on one day for the rest of my life by lowbatteryhealth. we as a fandom need more hero angst

Reciting Wrongly by JonRightBackAtcha. not gonna say anything, just read it

Other Half of The Whole by JonRightBackAtcha. did not realise this and 11 were written by the same person. huh.

Fates of Damnation by Anonymous. oh my got two electric boogaloo

heat haze by crowcinthus. as someone who knows nothing about kagerou project wow

The Healing Properties of Reading a Book Out Loud to Your Loved Ones, and Other Domestic Bullshit by Prince_Enby. this ones good even if it hasnt updated in a while

In Which Sunny Is Bad At Naming Things by Prince_Enby. let me introduce you to the chatfic ever

I'll Cherish You Forever by phoeberrie. tiny bit hesitant to recommend this one bc of the themes but there is another fanfic later on this list with similar themes that is basically on every omori rec list ever so just a warning for stalking, obsession and gore. also, heed the tags. its good but not everyone will be comfortable with it.

Sorry as Can Be, For Whatever That Means by JonRightBackAtcha. quite a few fanfics by this author on here. but what can i say, they're great.

sinking. by marlkarx1. this is really good, also pretty dark. heed the tags.

Despite everything by Aisenic_Warrior. another legendary fic with no updates for over a year.

Sometimes a Knife Fight at 3am Can Mend Any Friendship by Shrimp_fry_rice. i dont believe it. you're telling me a shrimp frying rice wrote this fic?

Overwatered Garden by otomerson. rip flower boy lmao (im crying)

Picnic with Mari AU by Gornkleschnitzer. just gonna recommend the whole au

One More Time by GalileoGalilei. think of a 'watching the show' fanfic but its omori post-bad ending. now that i think about it, a version of this fic but they're watching an unserious playthrough on youtube would be kind of funny.

Sometimes Goodbye is a Second Chance by Smitty1899. whatever you're expecting to happen, you're wrong.

Amusia by JonRightBackAtcha. the legend. i wonder how many times this author has appeared on this list.

Kel kicks Sunny's door down by otomerson. attempted hikkikomori route

The Everyday Shenanigans of Something by Practicallyunethical. obsessed with the references in here.

Reality Check, Please by Paramocks. this fanfic has the kind of humour that could kill a christian grandmother.

Endless Dreaming by otomerson. this fanfiction is so beautiful it can make a grown man cry and thats okay (i dont know the quote dont kill me) please read it

Their Time by ShardOfHope. man this fanfic HURTS. you better read it.

The House That Breathes by Shifting_Walls. THIS IS SO GOOD

Broken Space by SpoonusBoius. yes, this fanfic is dark, but i feel people greatly exaggerate it. its not darker than pursuit, don't worry.

The Sun in Another Solar System by TellThemNaegi. if you look through this entire list while only reading one fanfic from here, please let it be this one. i have been totally fixated on this one and it deserves a mini-community of its own just like some other aus.

You're back, Mari by Anonymous. i hope you all expected this one. this is the mentioned one on no.17. im not sure how many trigger warnings i need considering this entire fic is so infamous i'd be shocked if someone didn't know. i don't want to risk spoiling it so just look at the tags. i was debating putting the sequel on here but decided against it. after all, the absolutely visceral reaction the pursuit au can garner from the fandom after just being mentioned probably has enough potential for a case study.

And there it is. the ultimate omori fanfic rec list consisting of 35 fanfic recs (I was originally gonna put way more on here but i got lazy near the end and put only my all time favourites)

[itsahotminuteinbetween]

I lowkey (highkey) reeeaaaaallly wanna see Nice Eclipse's Moon come to our dimension.

It's probably gonna be an episode, and I can only see it going to ways: he backs down, or he doesn't.

Just think: Solar's (calling him Solar like @ayy-imma-ninja [tthey're at this tumblr so go check'em out if you haven't already {you prob already have tho let's be honest}, I'll probably just end up calling his Moon S.Moon cuz I'm lazy, sorry for the terrible formating of this by the way, I'm terrible at organizing my thoughts...this is why I type in the notes guys] does because it gets very confusing for me, I hope they don't mind if they see this, not gonna tag them cuz I don't wanna bother anyone with my dumb lil ideas) Moon stumbles through the ballpit and rights himself after the initial disorientation, eyes zeroed in on his kill. He scans the Daycare and identifies his target at the security desk. But guess who else is there...?

That's-that's him, right there, talking to Eclipse.

Of course, it isn't really him, he'll probably reason. That's this dimension's Moon, the one Solar seems to be so enamored with. He doesn't talk to Solar, not unless he has to, not after what he did to Sun.

But watching some version of himself talk to him...they're both at at ease with each other, or as relaxed as they can be with whatever seemingly serious hushed conversation going on is about. Still, they're civil with each other, actually bordering on friendly, familiar, even. And seeing that, S.Moon realizes...

This Moon is so much happier than he is.

But of course he's happy. He still has his brother, even after everything they've been through. His brother was lost before they had ever hoped to have gained anything, dead before their lives together even started.

Why does this Moon get to be happy? Why doesn't he deserve that same fate that S. Moon has suffered through? They're the exact same model, the exact same person.

But we're not the same, a quiet voice whispers in the back of his head.

He hates that it sounds like Sun.

I don't think S. Moon is really impulsive enough to actually start a fight. I do think, however, that he has quite a temper, so he probably wouldn't back down if the pair were to suddenly notice him in the ballpit and call him out (yes I'm using this as a way to continue the situation hush I am weak). So. I think the scenario would probably play out as Solar seeing S.Moon in the pit and going 'oh shit I'm gonna die' in that hardly surprised drawl of his, and then our Moon comes out and goes 'uh NOPE not gonna happen'. Which means we've got a battle of the Moons. Yippy-ki-yay. S.Moon probably confronts our Moon, argues with him. ('Why are you defending him? He's the reason our brother's gone!') Cue Solar feelin guilty while Moon goes 'nah dude this guy's different this guy's in my house so back off'

smalll scuffle to continue the plot cuz I HAVE A POINT WITH THIS I PROMISE-

Small scuffle, almost gets into a full-on fight, but who should come to his brother's aid but Sir Sunrise himself. He'd rush in, probably try to calm down this stranger who's he's trying very hard to ignore because it reminds him of the Old Moon so much.

(Remember, S. Moon's not the only one to go through the loss of a brother...)

And S. Moon just...stops. He's still, save for wobbling optics that quiver as they take this Sun in with disbelief.

He hasn't seen his brother in so long. He looks-he looks so different-tired and worn out and far too anxious, more so than he used to be. S.Moon reaches out...

...and then pulls back.

This isn't right. It's him but it's not, it's not him. This Sun has a brother, a family, friends, a life. This Sun has been broken, but he's healing in a way S. Moon never will. And with that all, there's something else he senses...

This Sun is happy.

...S.Moon wonders if his brother would be as happy with him as this one is.

He forces his optics of of the yellow animatronic in front of him and the orange one eyeing him warily.

He then walks back to the ballpit and teleports away without a word.

Solar observes quietly. Another careful prompt from Moon, asking if he thinks S.Moon will come back. It's a soft attempt at reassurance of a presence caring for him at the same time as it serves as a cautious probing at his feelings. He doesn't say much of anything, just shrugging, telling the blue animatronic that he doesn't know what his Moon'll do next, if he'll come back.

But he does know. He knows that there's one thing about every Moon that never changes regardless of the dimension: he always honors his word. And he knows his Moon won't come back.

He can piece together why pretty easily. Seeing this perfect little family that Solar has found and somehow earned a place in further confirmed his cut ties with him. It also cemented something else: S.Moon may never know what family is like. He had that chance with Sun, then Solar, and he blew it. Seeing that bond here, something he can never be a part of...

He knows that he's the outsider now.

That silent staring match between them said it all. S.Moon won't come back. The one and only kind thing he'll ever do for Solar. He'll go back to his dimension, silently aching for a future that he can't have, a world that isn't his. He'll work on his Sun. It's not Sun anymore, either, really, just an empty shell. Moon's no fool. He's probably realized that Sun's gone for ages, he won't come back. He knows that what he works on tirelessly, slaving away at night after night, skipping charges and sacrificing anything, perhaps even the metal plating on his endoskeleton if it comes to it, it's all for the sake of nothing but a hollow corpse, a husk of a brother long gone.

Moon doesn't have anything left to work for.

A part of Solar wants to go back and help him, save him. Maybe he will, someday. But he's making his own decisions now, choosing his own happiness. So he lets Lunar drag him away from the Daycare and his messy thoughts with a question of if he wants to watch more cartoons or maybe play Minecraft if he's not up to it?

Tired optics soften at the gesture and allow the smaller animatronic to lead the way.

He's home now. He's let go.

Eclipse moves on.

Well that accidentally became a drabble instead of an analysis. Oops.

...also I'm gonna tag @sunnyinajar because you seem to like my lil blurps abt tsams? I mean I'm sorry for tagging if you don't you don't have to like it I hope you do but if you don't uh that's okay um I'm gonna save this before I lose confidence and delete it-

[au-starss]

DESTINY’S FATE !

༄ synopsis… diluc’s life is riddled with betrayal, turns out you were no different.

༄ characters… diluc x gn!reader

༄ tags… angst, betrayal, fatui harbinger reader, mentions of execution, capture, no happy ending

༄ words… 1k

༄ author’s thoughts… for my lovely @maaarshieee who dared me to write this ;)

Diluc should have seen this coming.

Life was finally filled with joy and colour. He could see everything in a positive light. Everyday he woke up with a smile and pep in his step. Always eager to start the day. Diluc had a will to live. He was truly happy.

Yes, truly happy.

Happiness doesn’t ever last for Diluc Ragnvindr.

The day was normal for you both. The happy couple lying together in bed, soaking in each other’s presence. Little pecks of kisses and giggles came from you both. Talking about plans for tomorrow after he works his shift.

Just as you were both about to fall into a slumber, the front door to the manor was banged on. The workers have all gone home, so no one except the two of you were there.

Diluc was first to sit up. You follow him, shooting a confused look.

“I’ll go check.” He says, squeezing your hand before standing. “Wait here.”

The redhead stands and walks to the front door, confusion running through his veins. Why is someone banging on the manor door at such a late hour? Even though he was slightly nervous, he didn’t show it.

He finally reached the door and opened it slightly, not able to see the guests. “Who is it?”

“Diluc Ragnvindr.” A male voice said. “We know you have relations with [Name], and we know they are here currently.”

“Excuse me?”

Another voice joined the previous one. “By the order of the fatui, we suggest you open the door.”

The mention of the fatui caused him to open the door all the way. On the other side were three fatui soldiers, as well as someone who looms above them. He had a dark aura to him.

He glared at the group. “My fiancé has no connections with the fatui.”

“It seems as though you’ve been fooled.”

Before Diluc could question it, he hears footsteps from behind him. He turns to see you with a worried look.

“Who’s at the door?” You ask, not able to see your affiliation at the door.

Upon hearing your voice, the darker man pushed past Diluc forcefully. Diluc attempted to pull him away, only to be met with a weapon pointed at him.

Your eyes darken upon seeing him. “You shouldn’t be here.”

“Same could be said to you, Warrior.”

This all felt like a horrible nightmare. Diluc’s stoic expression has long left his face. You tried your best to keep this away from him. To leave everything behind. But that wasn’t possible anymore.

You knew where this was gonna go.

“Come to pay a special visit, Captain?” You speak sarcastically, trying not to show any signs of fear.

“I have.” Capitano responds. “[Name] [L/N], number 12 of the fatui harbingers, by order of her majesty, The Tsaritsa, you have been charged with treason. She orders that you be taken to Snezhnaya immediately.” The man finishes off, his gaze on you never wavering.

You laugh sarcastically, piercing glare never trailing away. “Treason? Now what could possibly warrant that?”

You weren’t stupid. You knew the risks of choosing to stay with Diluc in Mondstadt. The fatui could take it as you betraying them for the other side, which would get you killed.

You hoped they understood if you continued checking in with them, but that wasn’t the case. You turned your back on the plan, and now you must face the consequences.

Your eyes meet Diluc’s, and your heart breaks. He’s on his defense, holding himself back from running to you. But he isn’t worried for you. He’s pissed off.

Everything was falling apart. He built up everything, finally got better after what happened. And now he was suffering the same cruel fate. All by the hands of the fatui.

He was played for a fool, again and again.

You’re unable to try and explain yourself, as two of the guards that accompanied The Captain came behind you, holding your arms back together and tying them together. You quickly try to pull from them, to escape, to run, anything. But he brought the strongest, something thought of considering apprehending a harbinger wasn’t a task for anyone.

“Let me go!” You scream out.

But your pleas were ignored as the hooked their arms in yours, carrying you towards the door. You thrash around violently, a pitiful attempt to escape. Vases and chairs were knocked over in your fit.

“You know exactly where your treason charges are coming from.” Capitano declares.

You make desperate eye contact with your lover again. “Diluc, please! Help!” You cry out, trying to run to him.

He only stared at you in a blurry daze. There wasn’t anything he could do. You were going to be killed for treason. No, you’d be hurt to the point you wished you were dead. Death was too easy for you in their eyes.

“Diluc please!” You beg again, tears filling your eyes. “I’ll quit the harbingers! We’ll run away and hide! Please help! I.. I don’t wanna die!”

But it was all futile. You were on your way out the door thank to the guards, no freedom in sight. You continue thrashing and kicking, giving them a hard time. But soon, you gave up, your body faltering.

What was the point? You were on your deathbed.

Diluc watched lifelessly as all the guards left the room, leaving him and Capitano. The larger man turns to him, looking down.

“Your cooperation was appreciated. Do not attempt to see them again.”

And with that, Diluc was left alone. It felt unreal. Just five minutes ago he was with you in bed, talking about how fun the coming day would be. You were two people hopelessly in love, only to be thrown to the ground and separated.

Diluc wasn’t mad at you. He couldn’t be. You gave up your position of power and everything to be with him. It backfired on you, but you knew that risk. Yet, you chose to stay with him.

He gently shut the front door, leaning his forehead on it. The man’s eyes shut as he loses all emotion and colour he was once feeling again. Every kind of positive emotion he possibly felt was never coming back.

He was a husk of someone who was twice happy before.

All Diluc could possibly do was let out a pitiful laugh as a tear fell down his cheek. Happiness was never meant to be for him. He should have learned his lesson the first time.

Yes, Diluc Ragnvindr should have seen this coming.

[loriane-elmuerto]

WIP Saturday because I said so

Got tagged by the lovely @dihardys to share a WIP I currently have, thank you! ❤️

gonna tag @chuckhansen, @queennymeria, @florbelles, @risingsh0t, @pheedraws , @heroofpenamstan, @cptcassian, @lucky-107, @countessrooster, @jackiesarch, @indorilnerevarine, @shellibisshe, @jennystahl and @cobb-vanthss, only if you want to!

Enjoy some MW2 era content because that's all I can think of rn

It's the third night of the week where Lauren finds herself unable to sleep, the anxiety in her heart and her brain seemingly eating her alive from the inside out. She wishes she could move from the floor she is currently lying on, but any additional movements seem to send her heart into a frenzy.

The floor feels nice. Possibly because she managed to open all of the windows in the room before lying down. The cold winds of November have lowered the temperature almost to that of the Artic, making her entire body tremble, but she likes the feeling. It gives her body something else to concentrate on instead of her running thoughts. It's quiet outside, with the transportation on base seemingly limited tonight, and lights kept to a minimum. Perhaps the universe knew she needed this.

At some point, another figure entered her space. The young sergeant didn't need to open her eyes to know who it was. She allowed them to make their way to the other end of the room and lie down on the same floor, the top of their head almost touching hers.

"It's freezing in here."

"Yeah. Shall I close the windows?"

"No."

Lauren knew Ghost preferred the same environmental conditions, he just wanted to make sure she was still breathing.

"Waiting for the pills to kick in?"

"As always. Need some?"

"You know they don't work on me. Appreciate the gesture."

Deep down, Ghost couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. Though she was aware of the risks when joining the military, it still pains him to see that such a young soul like her has to suffer the same fate as him. She had gotten better since the events of Georgia, but recently, she had started to crumble again.

"I know it must seem laughable to you that I'm losing my mind here over nothing, compared to what you have experienced."

The lieutenant's answer was immediate.

"It's not. I have seen people suffer the same over significantly smaller things. Trauma isn't a competition, Gilbert. We're not competing for a prize over who gets fucked over by life the most. Don't try to lessen the significance of your struggles just because the person next to you has it worse."

Lauren let out a sigh she didn't realize she was holding in.

"Thank you, Simon."

[aquadestinyswriting]

Ten Songs Tag

Thanks for the tag @druidx. Finally getting around to this tag game now I'm home from holiday and can have multiple tags open and the ability to copy/paste effectively. Taking all the songs from my generic Titan Playlist

Tagging: @sparrow-orion-writes , @homesteadchronicles, @warriorbookworm, @mariahwritesstuff,@ashirisu, @thesorcerersapprentice,

Rules: Use your WIP playlist and put it on shuffle. Write the first 10 songs that come up and quote your favorite lyrics from each song and/or the lyrics that fit your WIP best (they might be the same lyrics), then tag 10 people.

All As One- Miracle of Sound

Fight for your values And fight for your friends Fight through this blight Find the light at the end

This one can apply to either the OG Heroes of Toreguarde or to the Destiny's New Servants crew. The lyrics above basically embody the stubborn will to carry on as long as you have others fighting alongside you.

2. Die for You- Otherwise

I would break, I would burn, I would suffer, There's nothing I wouldn't do, do for you. I would lie, I would steal, for no other, You make me feel so alive, So alive I'd die for you!

There are too many couples this would apply to in this damn setting (both romantic and platonic) but I think it fits either Edwin/Selene best and from Edwin's pov if only because I think he really would do all of the above for Selene in the end if she asked (or even if she doesn't).

3. No One Will Save You- Aviators

I burned your world away Devoured by my conviction I left you home afraid While mother's ventured out Don't cry when lanterns fade Soon we'll be awakened But it breaks my heart to say No one will save you now

Oh this one is a good one for the villains, most particularly Darkhide. The chorus basically echoes his kinda sorta regret for needing to sacrifice a whole city of mostly innocent people in order to get what he wants. He was one of the more tragic villains we had in the Destiny's New Servants campaign. A man so broken that he felt he needed to sacrifice so many just to save the one he loved.

4. The Weight of the World (English version)- Neir Automata ost

'Cause we're gonna shout it loud Even if our words seem meaningless It's like I'm carrying the weight of the world I wish that someway, somehow That I could save every one of us But the truth is that I'm only one girl Maybe if I keep believing my dreams will come to life Come to life

The song, as a whole, generally fits Elowyn best, but it does apply to Selene, Meredith and Alexis as well. All four women had to rage against the injustices wrought against them by Fate, Destiny, whatever you want to call it, in order to get the happy ending they wanted.

5. My Revolution- Miracle of Sound

Bring out the brother in me I'm searching for unity Everything is changing Inside of me The city's under my feet The ruins of the elite Everything is changing Inside of me

Ah, the song I chose for Laurence during his little revolution arc. The lyrics above reflect his desire to unite the downtrodden people of Toreguarde to rise up against a clearly corrupt Council and the fact that it changed him, and not in a good way. Clerics of Olidimarra amirite?

6. Hand of Sorrow- Within Temptation

So many dreams were broken and so much was sacrificed Was it worth the ones we loved and had to leave behind? So many years have past, who are the noble and the wise? Will all our sins be justified?

I chose this one to represent Alexis' journey during @druidx's 'What Alexis Did Next', but that part above could apply to any one of the Heroes of Toreguarde because all of them had dreams that were completely shattered at one point and all have various 'sins' to their names that could be justified by the circumstances they happened in. It's also hard to say who were the most noble and wise of them.

7. Building Better Worlds- Aviators

But no the battle isn't won The war has only just begun And we'll keep fighting, keep building A better place for us And if they strike us down tonight We'll sear the darkness with the light

This song was chosen more for the vibes, but this bit here reminds me very strongly of when the Heroes of Toreguarde finally got to the point where they could take Toreguarde back after its fall.

8. Ready Aim Fire- Imagine Dragons

With our backs to the wall The darkness will fall We never quite thought We could lose it all

I like this song as a theme for the first arc I Gm'd after taking over the Destiny's New Servants campaign. As much as the party had won against Darkhide, they quickly found out they still had their proverbial backs to the wall and could easily lose everything they'd just fought for.

9. The Moment We Come Alive- Red

Together we are bright as the stars We're a light that will never die

This whole song is basically a theme for the main thrust of the Darkhide Arc of the Destiny's New Servants campaign, but I particularly love these two lines from the chorus. The party have come together as a proper found family by this point and have become a beacon of hope against the tyranny of Darkhide and his allies.

10. Immortal- Aviators

We make our own way, We rebuild The city's razed Our prophecy is self fulfilled For better days

Both parties from the completed Titan campaigns do basically become legends in their own rights by the time of The Ouroboros of Destiny campaign, so this song is a fitting tribute to them. The above lyrics fit well with the OG heroes rebuilding Toreguarde from the ashes of the Demon War, which is a lovely mental image.

[pervysenpaix]

I said it in the tags but Bakugou really has been warning everyone that Deku is an entire menace about collecting friends and doesn’t care about if they want to be friends or not huh?

Also just wanted to say hi and I love you and hope you’re doing well

Trust me , I know— he tries to warn people because he doesn’t want them to suffer the same fate. He’s in too deep and his past choices means that he now has to live with the cosmic karma that is bestfriend!izuku but that doesn’t mean he can’t look out for others. Lord help you when you’re first introduced into the friend group , Bakugo noticed that glimmer in those jewel toned eyes and immediately saved you from a night listening to Midoriya rambling off hero stats and discussing your quirk. Izuku’s more than happy to chat with his buddy Kacchan — but don’t think he’s the type to forget a face ! He’s gonna catch up and befriend you sooner or later. Whether you like it or not…

Also , you’re so sweet and you make my heart happy. Things have been good, just taking things one day at a time. How about you , my love ? Are you well ?

[pettyprocrastination]

WIP WEDNESDAY

tagged by the lovelies @littleferal and @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa

I’ve honestly been in such a writing fuck that I haven’t been writing barely anything for the past few month but these are the most recently added to wips 

Surrogate- A story about a queen seeking out a demon to get her pregnant so she doesn’t reach the same sad fates her previous husband’s “Barren” wives did before her. Unsure if I want it to be a Demon!Pero Tovar or Oberyn x Reader yet or just an Oc x Reader

As the cold winds curled at your naked body and nipped at your skin, your thoughts began to spiral. 

What if somebody sees you?

What if a guard comes looking for you? 

What if your husband wakes to find you missing? 

What if-

“Your majesty” A low voice echoed and the winds stopped howling. A man, though you knew he was more than such a simple definition, stepped out from the shadows. 

You have heard stories. Of women seeking out deals with other creatures, of fae and demons alike for riches, safety, children. You heard of their silver tongues and nimble fingers and cunning voices that would trick you just as fast as they would kiss you. 

“It’s an honor.”

But you didn’t think he’d be so broad.

 “I need a child.” 

He lowered his eyes to your bare body and the dark curls between your legs. The corner of his lips turned up into a small smile. “So it would seem.” 

The Antichrist Wears Spidermanbandaids (placeholder title)- Novel Iv’e begun for my next semester starting in a month. Focusing on single mom Lillian taking care of her son Micah as sudden change causes them to move back into her grandparents home after their death. Francisco Morales x Lillian. 

“You’ll be able to find a new tenant just fine! This is a great apartment! It’s got good heating, its close to town, great lighting-”

“You forgot to mention it comes with a fucking body count, thanks to you and-”

Lillian stood up suddenly, chair screeching against the linoleum floors. In a second, her demeanor had changed, before she was shrunk back, desperate and bargaining, but now she stood tall, rigid and angry. 

“Don’t.” She warned him lowly. “Don’t blame that on him.” 

He at least had the decency to look ashamed. “You're..you’re right Lil’. I’m sorry I didn't mean.. It’s just. Anybody who looks into this place is gonna see that news article the moment they put the address into a search bar. You know it, I know it.” 

“And we both know that every goddamn house, apartment, and public restroom has some random crime or accident that just so happened to occur in it. That hotel up the street? Some girl was found dead in the freezers.” she told him. “Back in the 70’s, decapitated and everything. But they still get plenty of business!” 

Danny frowned, tilted his head to the side and raised his brows in a way that reminded her of her mother when she was caught in a lie as a child. “Yeah, in the fucking seventies, Lillian. Not a year and a half ago.”

“That murder wasn’t always forties years ago, Danny. If they can rebuild from a headless college girl, you can rebuild from one accident.” 

Of Rusted Rings and Shallow Graves- Marcus Pike struggles with the loss of his wife while somebody watches him grieve and suffer from afar. Marcus Pike x Reader

“It won’t be easy, son.” Your uncle told him, voice a dim murmur that moved through the murky waves of Marcus’ head. “But she’d want you to keep living. Find a reason to keep going, no matter how big or small.” 

He was a widow himself of twenty five years. A man who knew of sadness and grief more than anybody else in the room, his own cuts of grief scabbed and scarred over through years of living and grieving and ‘getting through it’, setting an aged hand on the shoulder of a young husband whose wound was still bleeding.     

Slowly, his voice began to melt away, as did his body. Everything around Marcus was distant

Untitled one shot surrounding The Triple Frontier crew as a group of mercenaries in a Wrong place Wrong time setting and how it all goes down- 

“You don’t need to worry about that, lovebug.”You wiggled your fingers against his stomach and that bright smile you love so much finally began to peek out. “All you need to know is that three days from now, we're gonna be meeting spiderman and eating so much funnel cake it’ll be coming out of your ears.”

Elliot shrieked with laughter while trying to wriggle his way out of your grasp as you tickled and poked him. “Gross!” 

“You hear me right, little man!” As your son continued to laugh and shimmy in your arms, you noticed movement across the lawn. A shadowed figure moving quick and low across the front yard. 

A trick of the light, you told yourself. It’s dark outside after all. 

But three shadows follow it in a tight formation as the first kicked open the front door of your home. 

Elliot noticed your change of demeanor, how you had fallen silent and hands no longer poking his stomach and sides with joy, but gripping his little shirt with trembling hands. “Mama?” He asks softly, staring up at your face that is still fixated on the house. 

Tagging: Whoever wants to join in!!!!