#he never got to go through this with sarah :/ but he is with el

[ellieslittlewh0re]

Temptations - stepsister! ellie x fem reader

wk- 3.5k

summary- reader and ellie visit home for the summer after their time away at collage

additional tags: IM SORRY!! I know this is pushing it but it can’t be inc*st if they’re not blood related right? 🙃, reader is Joel’s bio daughter, sarah doesn’t exists in this bc I said so, ellie is adopted, rocker! ellie, band! ellie, loser! ellie, perv! ellie, weed! mention, ellie is kinda awful in this, like typical f*ck boy beat, reader and ellie are polar opposites so they kinda don’t get along, reader is a overachiever, ellie is a deadbeat, nothing too crazy happens in this part, masturbation! warning (ellie), no physical description of reader, mutual pinning and gay longing etc…

part 1 - part 2

psa!! I know this isn’t for everyone!! If you don’t like it, don’t read it!! 🥰

——————————————————————————

The sweltering blaze of the summer Texas sun made my thighs stick to the leather seat of my 97' Buick as I exited the car.

I looked up at the pale yellow house, peeled siding, and a crooked white picket fence hugging the perimeter. It was familiar. It was home. Memories, good and bad, rested in the floorboards.

I stood in the driveway, the strap of my tank loosely hung off my shoulder, backpack slung over one arm, and the other weighed down by a suitcase.

"Hey- kiddo! You're late."

A man shouted from the front porch, waving his hand excitedly.

"I know. I'm sorry. Traffic was bad moving' through Houston." I gave the old man an apologetic smile as he met me halfway, pulling me in for a familiar embrace of musk and pine.

"Jus' glad you made it safe, is all. Dinners on the table. Hope yer hungry- I think I made too much." Joel gave me a smile, the wrinkles on his face looked deeper than I remembered.

He escorts me into the house, taking my bags from me and relieving me of the extra weight.

The house looks the same, but at the same time different. Smaller maybe? The furniture was in the same positions, the walls the same color, although slightly faded from the years.

"Can you go get yer sister? Tell her supper s' ready." The man asks as he turns to the staircase off the entry, bags in hand to put them in my old bedroom.

I tense, my body physically rejecting the idea of my sister- well, step sister.

I was hoping to make it here before she did, give me a few hours of peace before she'd ultimately ruin it.

When Ellie came into this family, it didn't take long for me to become jealous. She quickly clicked with Joel, bonding with him over things that he took an interest in; building shelves, working on cars, hell, even playing guitar.

It's not like I thought my dad loved Ellie more or anything. I knew I'd always be his little girl that got perfect grades and stayed out of trouble, but seeing how his face lit up when Ellie was by his side, grease smeared on her cheek made me heart seare.

I start to head up the stairs, following Joel's lead when I remembered she hasn't slept up there since she was a kid.

During Ellie's angsty teen years, she had begged Joel for days to let her move her bedroom in the basement, claiming "a growing girl needs her own space."

Joel always shot her down, but Ellie wouldn't let up. One night when I couldn't sleep, I got out of bed to get something to drink only to be met with Ellie's 16 year old string bean self pushing her mattress over the railing, and ever since then, the basement has been her territory.

I turn, slowly waking towards the door off of the kitchen that led to said basement, not a hint of enthusiasm in my step.

I creaked open the heavy door, and the wooden steps creaked beneath my feet with each step. Sounds of electronic gunshots and disgruntled curses grew louder as I reached the bottom.

I extend my neck around the corner of the cement room, clothes and empty cans scattered on the floor, music and movie posters filling every inch of the wall surface.

"Els...Ellie." I repeat her name, but she doesn't acknowledge it, her focus never straying from the first person shooter game on the tv. The LED lights that outlined the room turned the space into a purple hue.

My patience wearing thin, I yell her name one last time.

"What?!" Ellie huffed, tearing off the headset that covered her ears and looked at me.

"Dinner is ready." I said plainly, rolling my eyes before going back up the stairs.

"What? I don't even get a hello?"

Ellie yells from her still seated position, a cockiness tingled on her lips.

I scoff, rolling my eyes even harder even if she couldn't witness it. I picture that familiar smug smirk on her face that she had whenever she was trying to piss me off, and it was working.

Ellie loved toying with you like this since you were 16, and she was 17, poking and prodding at you as she sat back, and watched you get worked up. Ellie would never admit it to you, but she loved how no matter how little she tried to rile you up; you'd always bite.

"How's yer classes going? Likin' your teachers alright?" Joel asked between bites of his burger, his eyes glancing at me and over to Ellie, more specifically towards Ellie.

"Good... yeah, everything's good." I nod towards him, giving him a sincere smile to assure him.

Joel winked, smiling back like he knew he could count on me when it came to that sort of thing.

Ellie didn't respond, too busy shoving food in her face which made Joel kick her under the table, jolting her attention away from her plate.

"Ow! What the hell?" Ellie yelled, throwing her hands up.

"Yer classes, Ellie. How are you doin'?" The man asked, a seriousness overtaking his tone.

Ellie groaned, throwing her head back over the top of the wooden dining chair.

"They're fine. Stop worryin'." Ellie gave him a glare before diverting her attention back to her food.

I watch her from across the table, my legs crossed as I quietly ate which was the complete opposite of her.

Ellie's elbows rested on the oak table, her body slightly hunched as she devoured every last bite like she was a starved animal.

I stood at the sink, washing a cup when I felt a hand grab my hip from behind.

"Sorry- here's another one." Ellie talked into my neck, her fingers digging into my hip slightly. Her chest brushed against my back, and her lips too close to my neck. It felt suffocating.

I hadn't realized her presence had me washing the same cup for the entire interaction.

"Hey, Ellie-"

Joel's voice boomed, interrupted into the kitchen, causing Ellie to push herself away quickly.

Joel stood in the archway, his forearm coming up to lean against it.

"I haven't been down in the basement for a long time- please sleep upstairs. I don't need ya gettin' bit by a widow or somthin'."

Ellie groaned, her eyes lolling back into her skull, but she didn't argue.

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

Dinner was long over. Joel retreated into his bed room for the night, placing a kiss on the top of my head before doing so.

I was sitting on the couch; the tv show I was watching was the only source of light that illuminated the main floor.

It was quiet and peaceful, Ellie had gone back down to her dungeon shortly after dinner, playing video games by the sounds of it.

My quiet was disturbed as the heavy basement door swung open, revealing a homely looking Ellie. Her sweatpants hung low on her hips, checkered green and blue boxers peaking above the waistband, and black wifebeater that snugged her torso.

"Isn't past your bed time, young lady?" Ellie teased as she opened the fridge, pulling out a beer before lazily making her way to the living room.

"Who cut your hair, Hellen Keller?" I snapped right back, a smirk on my lips as she took a seat on the opposite end of the couch.

"Oh- ha. Ha. You're funny."

Ellie pulled a lighter out of the pocket of her pants, using the top to pop open the cap of the brown bottle.

Her chuckle was low and raspy as she brought the rim of the bottle to her lips, her head dipping back as she swallowed the liquid.

Ellie had changed a lot since the last time I saw her, almost two years ago. Her hair is shorter, choppier, and a darker shade of brown, almost black.

Ellie is also taller and more muscular like she really grew into herself. Her face has hardened, her cheeks and jaw more apparent than before.

I sneak peeks at her, looking her over and familiarize myself with my step sisters new look. My eyes travel down to the dark green-blue ink that covered her forearm, a moth with fern leaves. It was pretty, almost too delicate looking compared to her, but it suited her.

My eyes scale down further to her hands, long fingers and a prominent veins that curved along. I have to give it to her, she always had beautiful hands.

"Take a picture it will last longer."

Ellie's voice jolted me out of my trance, my head quickly turning back to the tv.

I try to think of something- anything to cover my tracks.

"Don't get cocky- I was looking at your tattoo. It's nice... who did it?"

Ellie lifted her arm, turning it over to observe it.

"My ex. She bought a tattoo gun online and needed someone to practice on." Ellie said nonchalantly, shrugging before looking back up at the tv.

"Well- she did good. Why is she your ex now? You should've kept her around and gotten tatted up." I ask with genuine interest.

Ellie shrugged, taking another sip of her beer.

"Dunno- We kinda just fell out? Plus she caught me with another chick and freaked out." Ellie stated, not a hint of guilt after just admitting she's a cheater.

Somehow it didn't surprise me after all the girls she'd bring home after school. I'd see the same girl come over a few times within the week, only for the girl to be replaced by a different girl, and the cycle continued like that until she left for college.

"You think your big sis is a bad person now?" Ellie asked, a grin on her lips and she took another sip.

"It doesn't make me think of you any differently." I lied. It did make me think of her differently; I started to imagine what her sex life was like.

What's so great about her? That had these girls constantly following her home like a lost puppy. Surely, it's not her sunshine personality.

My mind flicks back to her hands, my eyes still glued to the tv. Her long and rough, calloused fingers must be the magic touch.

Ellie hummed at my response unconvincingly. The light from the tv illuminated the freckles on her cheeks and nose.

"The fuck are we watching anyways? Some cheesy reality show? Wait- is this the gay one?"

Ellie's voice piqued in interest, her back shimming further back into the cushion to her comfortable.

"Um- yeah, why?"

I ask, side eyeing her, not really understanding what the big deal was.

********

The big deal was; Ellie never knew if you were into girls; or not. She tried to figure it out for years, carefully observing the people you brought home for school. You didn't make it easy, and truthfully you were kinda a loner, only having a few close friends that you'd invite over.

Although there was that one time; you came home from school with a different girl that Ellie had never seen before, and when Ellie tried introducing herself, you quickly took the mystery girl's hand in yours and ran upstairs, locking the two of you in your bedroom.

Ellie fought herself over it for a long time, trying to picture you with a girl. She wondered if you had kissed another girl, held another girl's hand, and it drove Ellie fucking insane.

Ellie had a dark secret that she wouldn't dare say out loud and definitely would never let you know about it.

Ellie started thinking about you a lot after you turned 16, and they were almost never innocent thoughts. When you turned 16 it was like Aphrodite came down to earth and blessed you herself.

Ellie wasn't proud that she had these thoughts, I mean, you were her little sis after all, but it didn't stop her from picturing you whenever she fucked random college girls in the fraternity bathrooms.

********

Ellie shushed my question, motioning for me to turn it up and I do.

Four episodes in, both of us were dead silent as we watched the horror that is reality tv dating shows. We shared glances at each other whenever one of the cast members said something outrageous, but other than that, we just watched and enjoyed the presence of one another.

It was getting late, my eyes grew heavy and harder to keep open.

"Alright- it's gettin' late, and I have to shower still. Pick this up tomorrow?" I pause the tv and stand up with a yawn.

Ellie pleaded for one episode, holding her hands in a prayer. I stand my ground, promising her we can binge it tomorrow and that seemed to work.

We go up the stairs, Ellie following close behind as we mumble goodnights to each other before we go into our designated bedrooms.

I rummage through my suitcase, pulling out a over sized t-shirt and underwear.

I turn on the light in the bathroom, closing the door, but not all the way. It was a bad habit that I never grew out of, leaving the bathroom door open a few inches whenever I took a shower or bath. I did it because growing up, I was terrified of the bathroom, scared I'd get locked in and somehow the lights go out, and the grudge lady would be hiding in the shower.

I slip off my jeans and my tank, dropping them to the floor and turn on the water. I wait, holding my hand under the stream until the temperature was up to my standards.

I get in, letting the hot water soothe my aching muscles from sitting in a car all day. I felt the tenseness of my shoulders relax and my heart rate slowing down to a more relaxed pace.

***********

Ellie laid in bed, her arm folding under her head as the springs in the mattress poked her back. She scrolled through various apps, checking social media, playing games and repeating.

The sound of the water running in the room down the hall could be heard faintly in Ellie's old bedroom. The walls were still painted a dark shade of blue, with doodles of planets and rockets hand painted by Ellie herself.

Joel couldn't bring himself to paint over them.

The joint (or a few joints) Ellie smoked after dinner; was starting to kick in and made her crave some sort of barbaric concoction.

Pickles with peanut butter, maybe?

Ellie sighed, lifting her myself from the bed lazily, scratching the back of her neck before she turned the nob.

Ellie entered the long stretch of the hall, passing your bedroom the illuminated with a soft pink hue. Coming up on the bathroom, she paused.

At first, she wanted to tease you, to scold you for still keeping the bathroom open when you showered. You weren't a little kid anymore, and you needed to grow up in Ellie's mind.

On the other hand, Ellie was intrigued. She found herself peeking through the gap, the steamed glass door of the shower made it hard to make out details, but it was enough.

She felt wrong about it. One part of her was pulling her body away, telling her to stop looking, but the other part of her (the more fucked up part) couldn't look away.

Her eyes trailed up the profile of your body; pausing momentarily at points of interest.

Ellie didn't know it at the time, but she was biting down on her lip hard as she looked at the curve of your ass, plump and full, and the way your tits sat so high and perky.

Her hand coming down to cup her cunt, rolling her wrist against her clit. A moan escapes her lips as she continued to watch.

The sound of the water shutting off made Ellie snap back to her senses. She quickly backed away from the door and as quickly and quietly, as she could, made her way back to her bedroom and shut the door.

She fell into the mattress, taking a deep and shaky breath as she realizes what she's done. A wave of guilt washed over her- no, more like a tsunami. You were her step sisters, and even worse you've know eachother since Ellie was 14 and you were 13. You practically grew up together, but how would've Ellie known you'd grow into that.

Ellie couldn't deny she thought you were beautiful. Not just the fake, superficial type of beauty, but naturally, you were breathtaking to her, and your body matched.

As Ellie conflicted with herself, she continued to picture you. She imagined what you looked like underneath her, what you sounded like when she was splitting you open.

The guilt was replaced by lust and hormones, but mostly; lust.

Her hand crept down to the hemp of her boxers, slipping inside. Her other hand grabbed the bottom of her tank and brought it up to hold between her teeth- leaving her breasts exposed.

Ellie's fingers glided along her folds, coating them in her slick. She teased her entrance, rubbing gentle circles around her clit.

"Fuuuck- look what you do t' me, y/n" Ellie stifled a moan, dropping the fabric from her teeth as her middle finger sunk into her pussy, pumping in and out, slowly.

She moaned your name; over and over, adding another finger and quickening the pace.

The scene was honestly pathetic. Ellie's sweats and boxers tugged down to her knees, not bothering to take them off completely. Her breasts were the only thing holding the tank up, her hardened nipples- red and swollen as she harshly tugged at them.

"Fuu- your s-so wet, baby. You like when I fuck you like this? Huh?" Ellie babbled and stuttered, gritting through her teeth as she reached closer to her peak.

She pictured this is what you felt like as she sunk her fingers inside, curling against the spongy walls, hitting the spot that made you squirm with each pump.

She wanted to hear you beg, wanted to hear you say her name over and over until it didn't sound like a word anymore.

"Fuu-fuckin' bitch- d-dirty fuckin' whore-" Ellie curses, jaw slacked and her eyebrows furrowed upwards. Her rhythm became jagged as her hips bucked upwards, fucking herself through her orgasm.

Ellie panted, sprawled across the bed as bolts of electricity continued to send shock waves through her body.

Her inner thighs glistened, her breasts malled and violated.

It was official, Ellie had hit a new level of fucked up, but that's okay as long as you never find out.

It's not like you had your ear pressed against the wall as soon as you heard strange noises coming from your step sisters bedroom.

[billwidoll]

MY RAFE CAMERON LIBRARY

These are all wonderful stories by Rafe Cameron, which I did myself. If you want more, just ask, as orders are open 🍒

[cowgurrrl]

I’m gonna join the Charlie bus and please request her saying dada for the first time please 🥹

You guys love seeing crying dad!joel huh (me too 😈)

Charlotte Elaine Miller loves her dad. You know she does. She lights up when she sees him, giggles loudly when he tickles her, and sleeps the best when she naps on his chest. You know she loves him, but you have to admit that your heart does a flip when her first word is Mama. Joel was gracious and more than happy that her first word was babbled at and for you. Still, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t the tiniest bit jealous.

After that, every time Joel holds Charlie or tells her about his day, he makes a point to call himself Dada and stretch out the consonants in hopes that she’ll mimic them. She listens intently even if she can’t respond until you come through the door and then she’s screeching, “Mama! Mama! Mama!” He brushes it off. She’ll get there, right?

The next word she learns is El. One syllable for one girl. Ellie is ecstatic when Charlie points at her and yells, “El!” It gradually turns into Belle once she hears you call Ellie Bellie and then that’s the only way she refers to her big sister. But, it’s fine. Joel is happy. But like, seriously. How hard can Dada be? He doubles down on referring to himself as Dada and trying to get Charlie to say it but each time she just stares at him like he’s crazy. And he feels a little crazy trying to get her to say it. He’s half-convinced that she’ll never say it or that she’s doing it because she knows how bad he wants her to say it.

Then one night, when you’re fighting a cold and feeling absolutely awful, Charlie wakes up in the middle of the night crying. Joel gets up and walks around the house with her to get her to calm down, which she does but she refuses to go back to sleep. “Mama?” She asks as Joel holds her and he nods. “Mama’s asleep.” He says. “Belle?” “Bellie’s asleep, too.” She starts to get upset again once she realizing two out of three of her favorite people are unconscious and Joel panics for just a second. His guitar sitting in the corner of the living room gives him an idea.

He carefully sets Charlie on the floor and sits in front of her with the guitar in his lap. He plucks one of the strings and watches her eyes widen as she takes in the sight and sound. “‘S that cool, Charlie girl?” He asks, and she smiles. He strums a few times to test her reaction and gets secretly excited when he sees how interested she is in it. He plays an old song that he played for Sarah when she was around this age and smiles when he sees how happy she gets. Her little eyes get droopy and she starts nodding off as she sits there, almost tumbling over because of how tired she is.

Joel drops his guitar in his lap and grabs a chubby baby arm before she can fall over. “I got you, baby girl.” He says as he puts his guitar back in the corner and Charlie climbs into his lap. She yawns, rests her head on his chest, looks up at him with those beautiful eyes, and says, “Dada,” before resting her chin on her hands and closing her eyes again. Joel will never know why she decided to say it in that moment or why the music suddenly made it click for her, but he does know that he sat on the living room floor with her, tears in his eyes, as he rubbed her back and nodded.

“That’s right, Charlie girl. I’m your Dada.”

[kierreras]

so, i think that there is one major flaw that made this season less enjoyable than others (except big john cause we all agree that his whole storyline is a disaster). the lack of pogues interactions was so noticeable. i absolutely adore each and every couple and i’m really glad that the writers gave them time to bond and develop romantic connections, but this show is first and foremost about friendship. we have pogues separated for the most part of the season. the first time we have john b/jj interaction past poguelandia is episode six. six!!! they are supposed to be best friends, but john b is preoccupied with his father’s gold obsession for the most part to even acknowledge that his best friend could be homeless. the same goes for his girlfriend. he didn’t show any interest in where sarah is staying, whether she has food, etc.  how many times the pogues were at the chateau this season? i can count two - when they reunited with big john in episode six and after john b was released from the police department in episode eight. i always considered twinkie and chateau as characters, honestly. however, this season the only pogue beside jb that was in twinkie is jj. it feels like the whole group dynamic was somehow sidelined. and i don’t think that it has something to do with couples getting some focus, because we also kind of had relationships storylines which were mixed with group dynamics without any problems in previous seasons. this season we havr a huge treasure hunt which kind of ruins the whole vibe. those local gold/cross treasure hunts were cringey in some ways, but they have one element that el dorado doesn’t have - we have a connection with them throughout one of the pogues. el dorado is big john’s focus, so it explains why we as viewers don’t feel some sort of investment into that storyline. i think that the lack of friendship moments is also to be blamed on limited screentime (the huge amount of which was wasted on el dorado). we literally had some scenes cut - like sarah talking to pope and cleo about rafe coming back (there was a bts of cline, jd and laci in their episode four outfits outside of heywards). also, in episode seven we could have had sarah and kie talk heart to heart, but that time sarah somehow decided to ignore kiara’s worry for jj. it was such a good moment for girls to bond through boys troubles, but i guess adding another singh “you know” line was more important. also, i really think that we were robbed on pogues interactions in general. like are pope and john b even aware that jj is basically homeless? if pope knows, why didn’t he invite jj to heywards as well? i’m sure jj doesn’t need the whole room to himself, but a simple place to sleep and eat would be nice. 

moving to sarah and jj. just imagine if jj was home when sarah came after being rejected by carreras? i would give everything to see them co-living for at least one episode! by the way, about carreras, kie simply lets sarah go after her parents acted like jerks and threw away a homeless sixteen years old girl. kind of unbelievable for me, but i understand that this whole thing happened so that sarah could accidentally meet topper. there was an opportunity to show the girls bond. was there at least one friendship moment with any of the girls with cleo? it’s such a waste. also, kie saw something between pope and cleo and she could have teased them about it. and do not even get me started on jiara interrupting cleope’s kiss and not saying anything. jj keeping his mouth shut? never heard of it. again, the whole group not having any reaction about kitty hawk? guys, your best friend was sent away and you are just acting like it’s not a big deal? by the way, i understand why many people like episode five. it has this chaotic vibe from earlier seasons. pogues (minus john b) are finally on the mission together and it is pure cinematography. we got their chaotic energy again, a bunch of friendly fights, comedic moments. and these things were exactly what attracted so many viewers in the first place. also, personally i was interested in this mission because pogues were there to get the cross, an artifact that really mattered to one of the characters. so once again viewers are emotionally invested in the mission. whereas there are no emotional investment in el dorado plot. i think in general friendship vibe was present in the first episode and somewhat in the end of episode eight. lack of pogues in the finale is very palpable and it sucks because we have so many wasted opportunities here. i will forever mourn that we didn’t have surfing scenes, hammock scenes, legendary obx parties like boneyard or kegger. still, let’s hope that in next season we will get back our pogues friendship moments. we were absolutely robbed this season, guys.

[starzzoey]

The Contract

"You can't seriously expect us to sign this, making my wife work 4 years for you in one of your nightclubs." Arthur was furious, this was not how their honeymoon was supposed to go. They were meant to be relaxing by the pool, not being pressured to sign a contract to avoid prison time for false drug charges. Yet here they were in the large Mansion of a man calling himself El Rey or The King in english, paper and pen in front of them. "Well, if you want to go back to England and not spend time in a Mexican prison, I do expect you to sign it. Though don't worry, you can still visit her once I deem she has settled in. Now what will it be." El Rey took a puff of his Cigar as he responded to Arthur. His steely and serious gaze resting on the two honeymooners. Feeling there was no choice and much to Arthurs shock, Sarah took the pen and signed her name at the bottom of the contract. El Rey simply smiled as he pressed a button under his desk and two of his men came in. "Boys, please escort this gentlemen out, I believe he has a plane back to England to catch. Also tell the others to not disturb, His wife and I have a contract to discuss."

6 months later and Arthur returned to Mexico after recieving an envelope with a plane ticket and hotel info from El Rey. When he touched down, one of El Rey's men came to pick him up, they gave him enough time to freshen up in his room before being driven to one of El Rey's clubs La Rosa Rosa, The Pink Rose. When Arthur entered he was not expecting Sarah to be working in a place like this. He thought she'd be put to work in a regular nightclub but no this was your run of the mill strip club. He approached the bar praying that she was just a bartender or waitress but his heart sank when she was not the one serving him. So he resigned himself to ordering a Modelo and turned his attention to the stage. Waiting to see his wife. It took about 20 minutes but then she appeared. However his jaw just dropped. Announced to the stage as Sofia Cruz, The pale blonde was gone in her place was a tanned beauty with dyed black hair, enhanced lips and enhanced tits. El Rey completely altered her appearance to fit a more hispanic look. She owned the stage, oozing sensuality as she worked the pole. Sarah was always a quick learner but she looked like she had been doing this her whole adult life. As the Enrique Iglesias song she was dancing to finished and her 10 minute set ended, Arthur turned to the bartender to get a private dance with her. Not wanting to argue why, he chose the gringo compared to a true Mexican babe, The Bartender called Sarah over in spanish. "Sofia, este hombre blanco quiere un baile privado contigo!" Despite having barely any spanish fluency before, Sarah or rather Sofia saunted over, for a split second her sensual and sexual demenour dropped when she saw it was Arthur before quickly returning and guiding him to a private booth. "Private dances only last half an hour, so best say what we want to say fast. El Rey, has been pushing me hard, putting me through rigourous surgeries and training. I can't even speak any english unless the person who got a private dance speaks it. Which given the club is never until you." Just from her voice Arthur could tell, the 6 months had taken a toll, she was already starting to lose her english accent in place of a mexican one. The conversation they had consisted of asking how she was doing and if they treated her well. Sarah described her life under El Rey as living with a golden chain and collar around her neck. A prisoner kept in line under El Rey's harsh watch. Arthur tried to kiss his wife but Sarah stopped him. As much as she wanted to do the same, she knew they were being watched and didn't want either of them to get in trouble. She simply just continued to give Arthur the same sensual lap dance she gave every client who paid for a private dance with her. 30 minutes later, the dance was over and a security guard popped his head in the room "Sofía, el jefe te quiere en su oficina ahora. (Sofia, the boss wants you in his office now.)" and with that Sarah now Sofia left. Leaving Arthur to head back to his hotel room before heading back on a plane the next morning.

After that night, Arthur waited eagerly for another letter to come through the post with another set of plane tickets and hotel info but nothing came. At least not for another 3 years and 5 months. 1 week before the contract was officially over, Arthur got onto the plane back to Mexico and got into the car ready to be taken to the hotel and head to the club. However that was not where they going. Instead they went to the mansion where it all started, the Home of El Rey himself. Confused why he was brought here, he was greeted by the 50 something man in a white suit that reeked of cigar smoke and led into his office. "Cigar? Tequilla?" El Rey offfered both but Arthur only accepted the tequilla. "Why did you bring me here and not the club?" Arthur asked, no demanded. "Patience Arthur, I simply brought you here to explain that the contract has changed. I have simply grown to attached and invested too much into Sofia to let her just head off back to England." El Rey was calm as he spoke, puffing cigar smoke into the air. "That is not what the contract said, after 4 years Sarah would be done and heading back to England." Arthur was getting quite irate at El Rey's attitude and disregard to the contract. "I am the creator of said contract and I can change it how I want. I am the one with the money and power here not you." El Rey raised his voice and slammed his fist onto the desk. "Besides Sofia has changed too much to return to her old life. Don't believe me, see for yourself." El Rey called for the guards to call in Sofia. Arthur was confused, Sofia was here? However that confusion turned to shock when he saw Sarah. She had changed even more in the 3 and a half years since they last saw each other, if he didn't even know it was her, he would have just thought she was Mexican. There was no trace of the caucasian sarah there was only Sofia. She had more of a tan and her ass and thighs were much thicker. At least her hair was back to blonde albeit it was from dying her black hair blonde rather than just letting the black dye fade and return to her natural colour. "Sarah, what have they done to you. You look unrecognisable." Arthur tried to talk with her but he was just ignored as she sauntered her way over to El Rey before sensually sitting on his lap, he looked over to El Rey who had a rather sadistic smile on his face. "I'm afraid Sofia here will not respond to you. You see, she can only speak and understand spanish now. Oh and as you can see, even if she did understand you, she and I have grown rather... Attached." El Rey made sure to emphasise the name Sofia as he spoke. Arthur couldn't believe what he was seeing as El Rey cupped Sofia's ass and seeing her lovingly cuddle up to him. Anger grew inside of him and he raised his voice towards the man who caused him heartache. That raised voice would be his downfall. El Rey called his men into the room and ordered Arthur to be escorted out of his mansion. Meanwhile he called the police and informed them of a problem he was having. 3 months later and Arthur was stuck serving a 10 year sentence on drug smuggling charges that were falsified by El Rey and the local police which El Rey bribed. A warden came up to his cell and gave him a letter, in it it read: "Dear Arthur, You should not have not have raised your voice at me those months ago. I simply wished for you to attend mine and Sofia's wedding but you just so had to ruin it. On the next visitation day, I shall be there, be a good boy and I shall convince them to let you go free with the condition you join me back at the mansion for a discussion. In the meantime please do enjoy these photos of Sofia and I enjoying our wedding night. I do so hope you enjoy the lingerie and ring I got her. Regards, Antonio 'El Rey' Reyes" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hope you enjoyed this story is based on Alison Takes the deal by HP1920 over on Literotica be sure to check that out

[jojo0039]

*Pogue for Life* Secret of the Gnomon Final Part

They start removing all the rocks around the opening. 

"If someone went through this much trouble, this has got to be the way." John states.

 "We cleared enough. Are we ready to do this?" John B says. 

"You three go." Big John says. 

"What? What are you talking about we're all going." John B insists.

 "Buzz and I are not fitting through that wormhole." Big John states.

 "We may have what we think is the way to El Dorado, and you're just gonna sit this one out?" John B questions.

 "We gotta take the training wheels off sometime kid. We'll hold the fort down up here." Big John states.

 "I'm gonna stay up here too. You've been shot, Uncle John. My dad and I have medical supplies. We need to take a look at that wound before it gets infected." Joanna speaks up. 

Buzz gives her a proud look. 

"There was one last part of the message that I didn't tell you." John tells his son. 

John B scoffs. 

"Always keeping secrets, aye pops?" John B retorts.

 "Just listen for a second. The true and patient seeker needs not light to see. Do you two got that?" John asks them. 

Sarah and John B nod their heads. 

"I have three flares here. They're waterproof. I doubt those flashlights will survive the swim. They're 20 minutes each." 

John B takes the flares.

 Jo pulls Sarah into a hug.

 "Be safe." Jo whispers to her. 

Sarah hugs her back tightly. 

Jo wipes the tears from her face. 

She pulls John B into a hug. 

"I love you JB." Jo whispers to him. 

"I love you too." he tells her back. 

"You got this. We've made it this far. P4L." 

She extends her fist for a fist bump. 

John B laughs and fist bumps her. 

"P4L...Take care of my dad for me." he tells her.

 "Of course, I will." she responds. 

The three watch as Sarah and John B disappear under the water and go through the opening.

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Big John sits down on a big rock.

 Joanna and Buzz take medical supplies out of the bags.

 Buzz lifts John's shirt. 

It was bleeding heavily and looked bad.

 "Oh my God. This doesn't look good." Joanna states. 

"Just breathe. What's the first step to take?" Buzz asks her calmy. 

Joanna starts to breathe heavily and become unfocused.

 "I--I d--on't know. I've never dealt with a gunshot wound before." she tells him. 

Big John sits there in silence waiting.

 "Listen. Breathe. You can do this." Buzz assures his daughter.

 She shakes her head. 

"No, No I don't. I can't believe that I thought I could do this!" Joanna continues to freak out.

 "You can. I believe in you. You have come so far. You are brave and smart. I couldn't be more proud to have you as a daughter." Buzz tells her. 

That only makes her cry harder. "I'm not. Dad, I have to tell you something. I'm pregnant." she whispers.

 Buzz looks at her with wide eyes. 

"What?" he questions.

 "I just found out. But I'm not any of those things that you just called me." 

Buzz pulls his daughter to him for a hug. 

"I still mean everything I say. You are here. And you are going to learn. I am going to teach you. Now focus. We need to check to see if he has an exit wound. Okay?" 

Buzz slides his hand behind John to feel for an exit wound.

 "Okay. He doesn't have one. Which means the bullet is still in there. We need to stop the bleeding. He's lost a lot of blood already. I need you to put pressure on the wound." 

Joanna nods her head and uses both hands to cover the wound. 

John lets out a grunt. 

"I'm sorry." she tells him.

 "You're doing good kid. Just keep doing what your dad tells you." John encourages her softly.

 "You're going to be okay. My dad is the best I know." she tells him. 

"I know he is. And you're learning from the best." Buzz rushes back over.

 "Alright, since he was shot in the stomach a tourniquet isn't going to work. We need to slow the bleeding down so we can dress it." Buzz informs her. 

He hands her some of the gauze dressing. 

Jo sees a light by the entrance. 

"Someone is here." Jo whispers. 

Buzz looks towards the direction. 

"We have to move him." 

Jo helps lift John from one side and they hide behind a big pile of thick rocks. 

"I know you're bleeding Mr. Routledge! I know I hit you! And I am going to find you!" 

They hear Singh shout out. 

Jo tries to control her breathing. 

But she is scared.

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

They hear Singh come closer to the water's edge.

 "I know you couldn't have wandered far John! Not with how much you're bleeding! I'm guessing you have Mr. Mills with you trying to stop the bleeding! Be a man John! Don't let your friend and his daughter die for you!" Singh flashes his light around.

 "What are we gonna do? He's gonna be here when Sarah and John B come back through." Jo whispers. 

Buzz is finishing up dressing John's wound. 

"You can't hide from me for much longer!" 

They hear rustling in the water. 

Jo looks over to see John B and Sarah emerge from the water. 

Singh points his gun at them. 

"Not so fast! Go for a little swim, did you? Step out of the water and put your hands up, both of you." 

Jo watches as Sarah and John B slowly walk up out of the water. 

"We have to do something. He's gonna kill them." Jo cries. 

"Show me what's in the bag!" Singh demands of John B. 

He points the gun at Sarah. 

"Alright! Here it is. You can have it!" John B hands the bag over. 

Singh opens it and pulls out a big block of gold. 

Jo's eyes widen. 

"So you found El Dorado at last. Unfortunately for you, your time has come to an end." 

Jo sees Singh point his gun at John B. 

"We have a plan. Do you think you can distract him?" Buzz asks his daughter. 

She nods her head. 

She quickly runs out of the hiding spot. 

"Don't shoot them!" 

Singh turns his attention to Jo. 

She quickly raises her hands. 

"Look at you, defending your friends. You and your father both are going to get killed because of your loyalty to your friends!" Singh shouts at Jo. 

With Singh distracted, Big John emerges from the hiding spot. 

Buzz is holding up a hit stick of dynamite. 

"If you take one more step near those kids, Buzz is gonna blow the whole thing sky high. That roof isn't gonna hold, and you'll never see El Dorado." John threatens. 

Singh points the gun right at John B. 

"If my son dies, then we all die." John continues to threaten. 

"The problem with that John, is that I don't believe you. I don't believe that you would let Mr. Mills here blow up your opportunity to see El Dorado, even to save your own son's life and the life of his friends." 

John turns to Buzz and gives him a nod.

 "This is for you, kid." Big John shouts as Buzz throws the stick toward the entrance. 

"Run!" 

Buzz and John B help Big John run as Sarah and Jo grab the gold and run towards the entrance of the cave. 

The girls make it out and wait. 

They see John B and Buzz supporting John as the explosion hits, knocking everyone to the ground.

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

 Jo has ringing in her ears. 

She quickly gets up and helps Buzz stand up. 

"We gotta go! Anyone could have heard that blast!" 

They quickly run back through the jungle. 

"Hold on a second. I got pretty banged up there. I need to sit." Big John breaths out.

 Buzz quickly rushes over to look at his wound. 

It has started bleeding again. 

Sarah puts the bag down and it clanks loudly. 

"Is that what I think it is?" John questions. 

Sarah opens the bag and pulls a big chunk out. 

Jo's eyes widen. 

"Oh my God! I can't believe you guys actually did it!" Jo exclaims.

 "It's so beautiful, John. It was like nothing you could ever imagine." Sarah tells him.

 "That is amazing. All of you kids have been amazing. Each and every one of you. Thank you." John says to them.

 Ward steps out from the trees and points his gun. 

"Well isn't this sweet." 

Everyone turns to see Ward. 

Jo shakes her head in disappointment. 

She spares a look to Sarah who has the same look.

 "I'm too tired to put my hands up Ward. So if you're not good with that just shoot me now." John retorts. 

"What are you doing, dad?" Sarah questions. 

"Watch what you wish for, my old friend. Hell, the both of you have done this together." Ward directs his attention toward Buzz too.

 "You have it all, don't you guys." Ward takes the gold from Sarah's hand.

 "You get to go back home, back to Kildare, and live happily ever after. With your kids that love you. With my daughter who hates me. And with our future grandchild who I will never get to see. I don't think I can allow that." Ward states. 

The rest of the pogues are waiting behind the tree line and they hear everything, especially the part of the grandchild. 

JJ's eyes widen.

 He knows what that means. 

But his friends are in trouble and the girl he loves is also in trouble. 

He has to save them. 

"You were supposed to be dead, John! Buzz, you were always more loyal to John than to me. Even though we all started this thing together! We grew up together! What makes him more important to you than me?!... It doesn't matter now. You're both going to be dead." Ward points his gun. 

The rest of the pogues run out with machetes. 

"It's over Ward!" 

"You're outnumbered!" 

"Are you gonna shoot us all?!" 

Ward points his gun at all of them. 

Sarah stands in front of the gun. 

"Enough! You're not gonna shoot all of us!" she tells him. 

Ward looks heartbroken. 

" I know you. You forget that I know you." Sarah tells him. 

Ward puts his gun down. 

"You're right. I couldn't do it." he tells her. 

"But I can." 

They all turn around to see Ryan standing over John and Buzz with a gun. 

John B points the gun at him.

 "Toss the gun, boy." Ryan demands. 

"Your boss is dead. You ain't got no reason to shoot us." Big John states. 

"I can think of a few reasons. Toss it." John B tosses the gun. 

Jo feels a tug on her arm and it's JJ pulling her back behind him. 

"You all thought you would end up the gold, huh?" Ryan picks up the gun.

 "My friend back there is dead, because of you." he says to Sarah. 

He then points his gun at Sarah. 

"So you get to die first." Sarah gasps. 

"No!" Ward sprints at Ryan. 

Ryan fires shots into Ward. 

They both fall over the edge. 

They all hear a thump. 

They all stand in silence. 

JJ looks at Jo. 

He pulls her closer to him.

 They all walk over to the edge. 

They see Ward and Ryan both dead. 

Sarah starts to cry. 

Jo puts a comforting hand on her arm. 

JJ links his hand with Jo's. 

"John B! We gotta get your dad out of here!" Buzz shouts. 

John B rushes over to help Buzz lift him up. 

The girls all wrap their arms around Sarah. 

"Come on, we gotta go!" 

They all quickly rush down the mountain. 

They make it to the river. 

The boat is waiting for them. 

But it's too late, Big John doesn't make it.

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18 MONTHS LATER

The town is gathered around for the celebration. 

The mayor, Buzz is giving the speech. 

The group of friends are sitting up on the main steps as they are being recognized.

 "An expedition of one man, John Routledge, and a group of teenagers who are locals to our wonderful town. They have succeeded where centuries of conquistadors, explorers, and admirals have failed. Today, we come together to celebrate these teens who are friends from both sides of the island who came together to solve this 500-year-old mystery. Let's hear it for them!" 

The crowd cheers and the friends all stand up.

 Joanna is wearing a blue and white sundress with white strappy heels and a jean jacket.

 JJ looks down at her with a small smile. 

She looks up at him and they interlock their pinkies together. 

Out in the crowd everyone is cheering for them. 

Topper doesn't look happy.

 He is sitting beside his mom, he is holding a baby girl who is smiling and clapping and pointing.

 Joanna smiles and waves at them. 

Topper rolls his eyes but kisses the baby on the head.

 Some artifacts were collected and laid out on display for the people to see. 

Joanna splits up from the group and walks over to Topper.

 "Thank you for keeping an eye on her." 

Topper gives the baby back.

 "My mom would have killed me if I didn't. Besides she likes me for some reason." Topper tells her coldly.

 "How are you? It's been a while." she asks. 

Topper shrugs his shoulders. 

"I'm okay. You should get back to your friends." 

Topper turns around to walk away. 

"How is he?" she asks him. 

He stops and turns around. 

He scoffs and shakes his head. 

"How do you think he's doing?" 

JJ walks over to them. 

"I'll see you around Joanna." Topper walks away. 

The baby spots JJ and gets excited.

 "Hey babygirl!" 

JJ takes her from Joanna.

 Joanna puts a smile on her face. 

"You look good holding my baby." JJ smiles widely at her.

 "I love being around her. Have you given any more thought to what I asked earlier?" Joanna widens her eyes. 

"I have." she tells him. 

Just then Buzz walks over to them with another man.

 "Here come to Grampy for a second." 

Buzz takes the baby from JJ.

 "This man would like to have a word with you guys." 

JJ motions for everyone to come over. 

"I would just like to say that what you guys accomplished is just amazing. And I was wondering if you would all be so kind as to look at an item of mine." 

He opens his briefcase and pulls out an old and worn book.

 "What type of item is that?" Cleo asks.

 "It's a manuscript. I would investigate it myself, but I'm too long in the tooth. I need partners, and you all were first on my list." The man tells them. 

Jo raises her eyebrows.

 "We're flattered. That's for sure." she comments.

 "May I?" Pope asks holding out his hand.

 "I was hoping you would." The man hands over the book. 

Everyone looks over Pope's shoulder.

 "This is from 1718, geez that's old. There are some exhibition notes. Dates." 

Pope flips through the pages.

 "This is a captain's log. This shows the exact position of the ship." John B informs them. 

"Yes. The exact location where the ship sailed and where it stopped." The man states. 

"Who was the captain?" JJ asks sounding like he is intrigued. 

"Edward Teach." the man informs them.

 Joanna instantly whips her head up. 

She knows that name. 

"No way! Are you serious?" she asks.

 "Who is that?" Kie asks. 

"Blackbeard." The man answers. 

Everyone looks shocked and intrigued. 

JJ smirks and grabs Joanna's hand.

 "Hot damn." John B breaths out with a smirk. 

[themarginalthinker]

Ooo askgame-

16, 18 and 30 Pls

Favourite oc? (From multiple fandoms if can't pick one fandom).

16. Thoughts on mint chocolate chip: I love it. I will NEVER understand people who say mint icecream tastes like toothpaste like bruh what toothpaste are you buying?? I think dark chocolate bitter goes really well with the brightness of mint. Win, always.

18. Boba/tea order: Vanilla chai with whole milk, and black tapioca pearls! I always get it as a weekend treat on Fridays because the place is a two minute walk from my apartment. I should try something else, but I never do lol. It's always just this order, call me predictable lmao

30. Ask me anything - favorite oc: God, what a question I just have so many djfhjsghj. Ok, so, I'll name them from different fandoms, because I cannot have one favorite out of all of them

VTM: A close call between Charlie or Tweak tbh. I think I have to go with Charlie because she is best girl and I love her so much

The Lost Boys: I really like Elder Sarah from our lostboys fic YCCM. I can't wait to introduce everyone to her. Spooky grandma vampire witch.

Homestuck: So, we made this oc child for Karkat and Dave named Astraa - she was actually an oc Berd thought up before we'd even met, who got repurposed for our Homestuck works. She's our baby.

oc works:

Quillguard: goddddd this ones is tough because we love all our characters....hm. I think....Jack. I love you El, you are our main character, but Jack is coming out on top right now.

Equipoisal in Glitch: Cole, hands down. Tortured boy. He gets a happy ending tho.

The Vesnic Institute: (fun fact, Charlie will make a cameo in this one, slightly tweaked for universe purposes) Piper, currently. She's such a pathetic, anxious wreck of a person. Trying to get through a night without having to shoot at something trying to kill her and her squad. She barely affords rent. Grouch the Cat is her roommate and loves her so much it literally saves her life.

Thank you for the asks! :D

[rosettastarlight]

Since I’m finally feeling better, and I figured I should get this all out now before the life gets sucked out of me by the joy that is customer service during the Holidays, bleh, but this is basically headcanons I’ve got for the au where Jim Hopper and Vance Hopper are father and son. Obviously, this is full au since I’ve already discussed canon compliant because the timelines match up a lot better than you think for a tragic backstory, but anyway! Full au entails the Black Phone taking place around 1983 or 1984 which would make Vance only about a year or two above El (I can never see him past 14 whenever I post about him, so he’s 14 when he moves to Hawkins and 13 when he was kidnapped), where Vance ends up moving to Hawkins after his dad insists on seeing him more because both the Grabber and Disappearance of Will Byers would, um, definitely be incidents that made Hopper realize life’s too short. 

I feel like I should also mention I personally headcanon Vance as autistic, and I might give him traits I myself have. Also, that in this au, Vance would have been born in 1969-70 instead of 1964 to fit, and that the “Refrigerator mom theory” was only just starting to be discredited in the 60s and 70s, which was a theory people believed meant autism and neurodivergent symptoms in general were the parents’ fault because they didn’t give their child the correct amount of love and attention they should have during their developmental years. With that aside, I kinda tend to ramble, so if this is long, I’m sorry.

It’s mostly about some I have about Vance in general and the Hopper family before Sarah died, so on we go!

Hopper was still very much nervous about having kids due to the stories he heard from old friends who were exposed to Agent Orange with him, about their kids being born wrong or not at all, so he'd never been more relieved or happy when Vance was born perfectly fine if a little early. He figured he maybe got lucky, and wasn’t quite as anxious or felt as guilty about withholding the risks from Diane when she told him she was pregnant again nearly a year later.

Of course, when Sarah got sick with cancer, Jim realized he wasn’t the one that was lucky, Vance was, and he does wonder to himself sometimes through the years if maybe the reason Vance is so “different” is because the chemicals were passed down to him through Jim, too, just in a different way.

The camera shot of Hopper crying in the hospital stairwell is through the perspective of nine-year-old Vance who realized in that moment his sister was never getting better because his father never cries.

Vance is very touch averse unless you're close to him like friends, his parents or Sarah, and even then a warning is best, from behind is not advised without letting him know its you (after escaping the Grabber, coming up and touches from behind was completely off limits for a long while, it sent him into full fight or flight mode and you know exactly which one he's gonna pick), and sometimes touch can still get too much and he will make it known. He reacts really badly otherwise, if you are not close and you touch him, you get a warning on good days by just pushing you away and on bad days, expect him to swing at you.

Vance is not good at reading social cues or how he's supposed to react in certain situations, which results in his rude and standoffish behavior.

When he likes something, he gets very cautious with anything different, someone once posted that getting Vance to try something new is like getting a feral cat into a bath, and that's all I can see.

When getting instructions, Vance needs them super specific, he'll ask questions and such of what exactly he's doing or grabbing, it drives Jim up the wall and he tries to stay patient when Vance is practically interrogating him or when he's not specific enough which ends with Vance bringing back or doing the wrong thing he was supposed to.

This is both because Hopper knows his son just wants to be sure and do a good job and because he knows if he loses his temper and snaps at him, Vance will bring or do the wrong thing on purpose out of pure pettiness and spite.

Jim and Vance's similarities both divide them and bring them together. When Vance was a kid, it helped bond them because while Jim didn't entirely understand what Vance had, he did understand Vance got angry easily the same way he did when he was younger (although for different reasons, Jim because his dad was a fairly abusive douchebag, and Vance because he is easily overstimulated and had a lot of meltdowns.), and tried ways that helped his anger issues to help Vance that actually worked somewhat.

Big Hopper taught little Hopper how to fight. He thought it might help Vance to get the anger out since sometimes, to him, you just need to hit something, and would often encourage him to playfight or practice his punches when he could see Vance start to get overwhelmed at home.

Diane fought with him about it because she didn't like him encouraging violence to solve problems.

Hopper would also playing loud music on the car radio that he knew Vance liked to calm him down by being able to listen to just one, constant sound while he quietly coached him through breathing techniques.

Overall, neither he nor Diane really understood how to deal with Vance, they did try their best with varying results, but every now and then Vance tries to let them know the effort’s still appreciated.

Jim honestly doesn't mind Vance's aversion and just chooses to appreciate that he must be doing something right that Vance feels safe enough around him to consider his touch familiar and calming.

When they were still married, Diane mostly handled Vance since he needed to be handled somewhat delicately because of his aversions and hypersensitivity but at the same time needed to be taught his behavior wasn’t okay when the teacher called home for the tenth time that week on Wednesday. Meanwhile, because of Jim’s hesitance to be too strict or get angry with either of his kids, he let Sarah get away with a lot.

Daddy’s girl Sarah and Mama’s boy Vance.

I’m taking more my experiences with my brother as kids for this one since we don’t know a lot about Sarah.

Sarah and Vance were pretty close, actually, despite their differences, though Vance had to be reminded a few times to be gentle with his sister. Sometimes, the cute aggression would take hold, and he’d tackle her, poke, or pinch her playfully, and once or twice just pick her up to show he could and carry her around the house like a big teddy bear.

They would chase each other a lot and bring back home sticks, rocks, and whatever poor unfortunate worm they found on the sidewalk or grass outside.

They both loved animals and the zoo, and while never successful, would hide from their parents whenever they lured home a stray animal from mice to dogs.

Even as a kid, Vance would probably try to catch baby alligators if you let him, and “No, honey, you cannot pet the giant snake, just because it’s friend-shaped does not mean it’s a friend.”

Like most siblings, they did get into fights that would turn into brawls, but despite what Jim would ever believe, 8 times out of 10, Sarah did start it and she was a biter.

This is getting really long, so I’m just gonna make this part 1 of 2 and get back to this later.

[total-serene560]

Writing Patterns

thanks for the tag me @longtallglasses and @magentamee!

rules: list the first line(s) of your last 10 8 5 posted fics (and 6 wips) and see if there's a pattern.

(these are not in chronological order of when I wrote them, but man I feel like it's super obvious which ones I wrote more recently)

POSTED:

What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)

This summer, Mike decides, has been complete and utter bullshit. 

I Dare You

It was 3am at that point. The party they left had ended hours ago- one of those end of the year events hosted by their high school that had way too much adult supervision for any of the teenage antics that usually went on at all the parties they never got invited to over the past three years.

The Truth Runs Wild Inside of Me

Mike closes his eyes, El right across from him one second and swallowed up by darkness the next. She had a makeshift blindfold pulled taught over her eyes, making her quick-growing curly hair splay out in all directions when she asked him to sit down in front of her and close his eyes.  

Below The Fold

 It took until Piper was standing in Oberland Station, talking to a confused couple that was really just minding their own business in the biting morning of the autumn wasteland, for her to realize that whoever told her that they had some juicy story for her was a big fat liar. 

Source Decay (first thing I posted after a 5 year gap in writing lol)

Piper stood in front of the massive gate of Diamond City, her face pinched in frustration, “Seriously?” She muttered under her breath, rubbing her temples with her hands as she paced back and forth in front of the gate, “What the hell!”

UNPOSTED WIPS:

A Papercut For Two (Part 1 of A Strange Education)

The morning before his life is set on an unavoidable trajectory for disaster, Mike almost gets his foot run over by Nancy’s stupid car.

Violent Angles (So Tangled Up)

Warm wind blew against his face, picking the loose curly strands of his hair off his forehead and neck as he stepped out of the car and onto the gravel of the parking lot. The papers in his hand fluttered as he turned and closed the car door.

Go West, Young Man

Young boys were not supposed to roam the foothills without supervision. They were full of bears and cougars and abandoned mineshafts that burrowed into the land like goring wounds in the abdomen of a dying cattle driver. The people before had come for copper and gold, and left behind yawning pits that could crush a body as well as a bear’s teeth. And the people before that, he did not know. 

The Way

His mouth tasted like copper and white liquor when he finally came to, body heavy on scratchy carpet that scraped against the right side of his face. His arm was numb beneath him, and he squeezed his fist a few times until the nerves screamed back to life and made his hand feel warm and tingly. He rolled on his back, the popcorn ceiling swimming above him as he fought to keep his eyes open despite the pain piercing through his skull. 

Cyclebreaker

Hopper remembers bringing his fists down into Will's ribs, over and over until he gasped his way back to life. He remembers the phonecalls and the endless appointments with Sam, the odd shiver he’d get realizing that Sam thought Will was his. His and Joyce’s, a miserable little family that tragedy would follow around like the grim reaper, reminding him that he’s not only cursed, but a curse. He remembers how Jonathan told him they’d be okay, how okay never quite turned out to be what any of them expected, once all the dust settled and they tried to piece back together normal. He’d been piecing back together normal since Sarah, though, and he’s convinced it’s made up. A lie meant to comfort those that couldn’t handle the truth; life is going to destroy you, and there’s no way back to normal. 

Unison

“-And that’s the traffic. Now to-”

Nate turned the volume down, one hand on the wheel. Silence filled the void between them.

tagging: @oldfashionedmorphine @fireflywitch @pearlypairings @wendydarlingfics @id-rather-be-home @parkitaco @foodiewithdahoodie and all my other mutuals who write! (sorry if I double tagged you)

[tea-time-with-london]

I agree with the Hopper s3 anon. He was absolutely toxic and what they did to his character was out of pocket.

One thing it was shown that he was on meds in s1, which likely contributed to having his anger issues under control, and he might have gone off the meds between s2 and s3.

But still Hopper isn't the best suited father figure for the Byers or El. Their fight in s2 was so hard to watch, I get him frustrated, but El is a traumatised girl who missed her friends. She only knows violence since she was born essentially, and Hopper can't handle a child like this.

He couldn't even talk normally to Mike in s3, which, yeah, Mike was an ass but he's still a child.

Does the fandom really think Hopper would be supportive of Will coming out? Nope, he was already homophobic to him in s1. He doesn't know how to talk to kids or show empathy for their struggles.

Bob was the only person I could have seen been right for the Byers. He cared about Joyce and the kids. Even though Jonathan didn't like him, Bob was never mean to him. He gave him space. Bob was patient and kind. Hopper is the opposite. He's a lot like Lonnie in terms of having a bad temper. He will trigger Joyce and the boys. Like I love him as an action hero, but he is terrible for the Byers family. And now, with more added trauma, he won't process that well idk. He would need therapy, but it's the 80s, and men show no feelings. Men don't cry kinda bullshit.

I love Jopper in theory (childhood friends to lovers), but they made Hopper into Lonnie 2.0, so I can't ship him with Joyce. She deserves someone like Bob, a gentle soul who keeps her calm and doesn't yell at her for minor things.

Confession #119

Hm. So like I partially get where you're coming from but allow me to touch on a few things, if I may. First, let me just say I also loved Bob. He was a sweet, gentle soul who truly did care for Joyce and the boys. (I wish I could describe my dad's reaction to Bob's death. My dad was mortified. He loved Bob.)

As for Hopper...I don't remember anywhere in season 1 where Hopper was homophobic to Will. I haven't watched season 1 in a bit so I could be misremembering, but I can't even name a scene in my head where he was homophobic.

But a genuine question for you is do you not believe he can change? At all? What would be the point of Hopper going through all 5 seasons and remaining exactly the same?

Hopper is re-learning how to be a parent, this is something I think we all have to remember. His only child died at just like five or six years old. As a parent, he was probably feeling so unbelievably helpless because he couldn't protect or save his little girl. This helplessness transformed into the overprotectiveness we saw in season 2. While he may have been overbearing, it wasn't out of malice. He was trying to do everything he could to keep El safe from the people that wanted to hurt her. And sure, he absolutely could have gone about it a different way, I won't argue against that at all because there were times he could have exercised grace and patience and figured out a solution where they were both happy.

As for season 3, I also wasn't the biggest fan of how Hopper acted toward Mike, but also he's watching his daughter grow up and branch out with friends and her boyfriend and there comes that protectiveness again that a lot of parents have toward their kiddos. Again, obviously I don't approve of the way Mike was treated. I think Hopper could have eased up on him while also implementing boundaries as a parent.

And remember...Hopper only got to spend 5 years with his daughter Sarah. El is like a preteen/teen in seasons 2-3. This is a whole different experience for Hopper. He's never parented a teenager before, much less a teen daughter who is superhuman as a single father. Parenthood is trial and error.

And then we obviously have to factor trauma into the conversation as an explanation for a lot of his behavior, but of course that's never an excuse for behavior. But Hopper loves El, and Hopper loves Joyce (and though I feel like we don't really see Hopper and the Byers brothers in scenes together, I'm sure he loves them too) then I think that's some motivation to work on his own healing so he doesn't project onto other people. My point in saying all this is that characters grow and change. And I think Hopper has honestly showed a lot of feelings. Just think of the conversations he had with Enzo in Russia. He showed genuine, raw emotion talking about Sarah and El and all the shit he's been through. That's process. That's development.

At the end of the day, you feel the way you feel about it all and that's perfectly fine. Just wanted to open up the discussion a bit :)

[acourtofthought]

I would honestly worry more about why el/riel have always been in such good terms than elucien being on pause from the start. To me, it's very odd that Sarah would make elucien mates, just for her to sink elucien so fast when they haven't even had the chance to try at least. I would think differently if they had been on pretty good terms the whole time.. but they haven't even tried for at least a few chapters? Sure, they were on better terms in acowar than acofas and acosf, but it's minimal compared to what el/riel have in acowar. El/riel don't banter at all and they do not challange each other that would make me ignore the fact that they've always been good. They’re shy and polite around each other and it's just not Sarah's style if you compare el/riel to the other ships. It would be even worse if the el/riel fandom were right and el/riel are actually in love, because you're gonna tell me that all they needed were some cute moments here and there and boom- already in love? They have it that easy while the other ships (even the dead ships) went through hell and heaven for each other?

El/riel feels very much like Chaolsryn to me. Chaolsryn also didn't have that much going on between them and they've been only on good terms from the start. I had this gut feeling that they’re not gonna last and I was right. El/riel is lacking something and I always felt like there was something odd about that ship. Before Acosf, I was just a casual reader and all I cared about was Nessian and Feysand, yet even then I felt like el/riel was off compared to Nessian and Feysand. Nessian had such a great Impact on me in acowar, why couldn't el/riel have that too? Why only built Nessian if el/riel was always planned?

"Because Sarah needed to develope them before their book" she legit broke Nessian off in acofas and if El/riel's book is after Acosf, why didn't they have the great development like Nessian had? The only el/riel scenes we got from acosf were mostly moments of Azriel being an overprotective dick, at least 2 or 1 moment of them looking at each other and one little conversation where it wasn't even el/riel related at all. Then we have the bonus chapter that did not make el/riel look great at all.. Sexual tension? Yeah, but instead of "I see all of her" we got "He hadn't gotten that far with his planning, certainly not beyond the fantasies he pleasured himself to". Cut out the gwynriel part and I would still think the same because that el/riel scene just ain't it.

The bonus chapter only confirmed my speculations. I would worry why they're the only sjm couple that has been just going good. I'm feeling that el/riel is there to distract the readers from what's actually going to happen, just like when everyone thought Azriel was the one who knew Elain's problem ("she's a seer" scene) but Lucien was the one who already knew and knew what she needed -> sunshine.

I think casual readers can decide wether or not the el/riel scenes in acowar were romantic (there's a reason why so many were torn between them having chemistry or not), but it takes a second or a third reread with an open mind to see the trap that Sjm has laid there. Even though el/riel was odd to me, I too thought Azriel knew Elain when that was not the case at all.

That was so well thought out and I completely agree. This is a bit off topic but you bringing up the "hadn't gotten that far in his planning" made me remember something that I've been thinking. One of the headliners of the big "Smear Lucien" campaigns is when he said, "I want to see her just once to know" which they completely take out of context. Because Lucien had literally never officially met Elain and she was engaged to someone else. So his reasoning for wanting to first meet her before deciding on his next move makes perfect sense. But what's super ironic is that after knowing and spending time with Elain for over a year, this was Az's thought of Elain, "This one moment and maybe a taste and that would be it." Lucien deciding he wanted to meet her just once while she was in love with another Male is a lot better than Az actually having spent time with Elain and deciding that "this one moment" was all he needed. But somehow that's romantic while Lucien gets torn apart? Hmmmmm....... But back to your comments. Of course none of us know for certain what will happen but if something doesn't logically make sense, it's difficult for me to follow. And what makes no sense is to have SJM make Elain and Lucien Mates only to have them never really get to know one another simply due to the fact that Elain is upset a Bond was forced upon her but to allow her to comfortably and happily fall in love with another Male in someone else's book. So safe, so easy. Just Elain never bothering to deal with the gravity of a Mating Bond while finding herself easily in love with Az. Like you said though, that's the problem. Safe, comfortable, easy. There's really no major issues preventing Az and Elain from being together if that's what they both wanted and either bothered to have a serious conversation about it. The fact that neither is willing to talk about it or anything of depth when together is a major red flag. And you're absolutely right. Elain is super awkward and hesitant around Az and Az is closed off around Elain. Nothing in their body language or conversations speak of any level of actual intimacy. Seriously, what have they been doing for the last year? It's too "middle school crush" to me and definitely not endgame potential. With what you said about Elain and Lucien and why make them Mates only to sink them so fast, YES! Would it make more sense for Elain to have been engaged to Graysen, get kidnapped, thrown into the Cauldron, find out Lucien was her Mate and fall madly in love with him while 1 month out from her wedding? Or......does it make perfect sense that she's struggling with everything that happened and found it easier to distract herself with a Male who she has no freaky Bond with, who looks more human than her actual Mate and who didn't immediately feel drawn to her in the way Lucien did? But a distraction now does not mean it's what's right for her in the long run. Maybe we'll see Elain really get to know Lucien and decide the Bond is still not what she wants. But I find it almost impossible to believe that she's going to make the decision to be with Az based on anything that's happened up to this point in the series. They have no real connection, no common interests, no real depth to their conversations. And I honestly believe there is ZERO chance of her making any decisions until we actually witness her spending time with Lucien and I have to say....E/riels should be very afraid of what those interactions are going to look like compared to those we've seen on E/riel so far.

[undertheknightwing]

okay, I'm midway through s2 of superman and lois and pretty miffed that Jon still doesn't have one actual friend in Smallville.

He has friends on the football team, sure, but from what we've seen on-screen of those friendships they all seem to be pretty shallow-- only consisting of them drinking and partying and talking about football. He doesn't seem to have a deep connection to any of them. Not that Jon having shallow friendships is a bad thing (not every relationship a person is going to have is gonna be a deep connection, and that's perfectly okay and healthy), but it's not healthy that he *only* has shallow friendships.

Like he doesn't have a single person he can actually discuss any thoughts, feelings, or fears with. He has no person to vent to the way that Sarah and Jordan were on literally the first day that they met. Jon had Teagan and now he has Candice, but honestly I feel like both of those girls were just using him, and he hasn't exactly opened up to Candice much.

It's just pretty frustrating to see since at several times in s1 they make a big deal about everything Jon gave up by agreeing to move to Smallville, they make a big deal about him losing Eliza and all his friends, and yet they never actually strive to fix that? He's still very much isolated and alone :(

To this day I still can't figure out what the hell was going on with season 2 and what story they were trying to tell because it bounced around everything and the only message I got from it was "no powers = unimportant".

Not to mention how insanely ooc Clark felt at times. So fucking weird. Forgive the people trying to murder you and destroy the world but your depressed son? nah, he doesn't deserve forgiveness.

It's just-- ughh.. I only rewatch season 2 for my favorite hot topic Superboy.

But everything you said is so right. In s1 Lois kept bringing up the fact that Jon has no friends and now she magically doesn't care at all. Actually, none of them care, it's a game I guess. "Which one of us can neglect Jonathan the most", and they somehow act shocked when Jon gets himself in a toxic situation. I think it's obvious why he's acting out and getting in trouble buttt.. 🤷

He has no friends, no one to talk to, and his girlfriend is manipulative and uses his desperate need for the attention and love he's not getting at home against him. Never gonna understand why the show tried to paint Candick as the poor innocent victim and Jon as the evil villain when she's the x-k dealer who kept telling Jon he'd be better if he took the drugs.. this season is so fucked up, I swear.

Todd's burning hatred of Jon really shined that season.

Jon-El was the best part and his little bit of backstory we saw was more interesting than the entire season. Too bad he ended up getting the same treatment as Jon storywise. He still carried the whole season though, love that raccoon 🖤

If Todd could get over his need to make the story revolve around Jordan, season 2 would have been fucking cool because they really did bring in some good ideas and if they went down those roads instead it would have been such a great season 😮‍💨

[pogueframed]

starter for @everhearts .

the aftermath of their road to el dorado had been more devastating than the actual treasure hunt , john b realized as soon as the pogues stepped a foot on the island once again . not only because they'd left as eight and returned as six , but because he wasn't entirely sure what were they supposed to do now that everything was finally over . john b had strongly dedicated the last year and a half of his life to his father and his father's desires only —— if not with the royal merchant , with the cross , or the hidden city of gold , or whatever other life threatening quest big john might haven been up to that month . and now all of that craziness was over . no more wild adventures or near death experiences , just the good old humdrum routine of adulting . kiara and jj had quickly picked up a somewhat smooth rhythm as soon as they got back , juggling their newfound romantic relationship with their just as new fortune , and pope ... man , he could never know what was exactly going through that dude's head , but he knew he was also getting somewhere with cleo , finding a nice pace after all the chaos these poor teens had been subjected to .

sarah and him , on the other hand ? they weren't as peachy as the rest of their friends, naturally . they'd been the most affected ones out of this —— both of their parents lost to their own greed , leaving them in a weird spot where they've been too busy grieving to even think about their wealth , the threat rafe had pronounced before they left the tarmac , or even what'd happened between the blonde and topper , which now felt a lot more like one of those things you just look away from and pretend they didn't happen in the first place . " not so bad , right ? " he tells the ex kook princess, hand gesturing to the wasteland in front of them . the chateau wasn't the chateau anymore , and it would probably never be —— but with jj's help , and the cash they'd recently acquired , he was starting to put some pieces back together to have a nice place to live in again . building a home , after his had been tragically reduced to nothing but ashes . the new structure is sturdier , good bones to make sure this house resists more than the last one , but it's just that for now : some walls and a roof . " it's gonna take a while , but we're eventually gonna have the chateau 2.0 . " he plops down on the hammock , next to his girlfriend . then , a sigh with a certain hint of melancholy is exhaled , hazel hues stuck anywhere but her face . " it feels like we haven't spoken in years , i missed you . "

[avatarskywalker78]

AO3 Masterpost

even if we can’t find heaven (i’ll walk through hell with you) - Part 1 of The Shieldmaiden Saga, focusing on Steph Taylor - Eddie’s childhood best friend - as she gains powers from the particle accelerator, and soon finds out she’s not the only one, gaining new friends...and discovering that the accelerator was flawed.

love, you’re not alone (cause I’m gonna stand by you) - Part 2 of The Shieldmaiden Saga and a direct sequel to the above, with Steph Taylor continuing to gather friends, help metas, and build a case against Wells as another meta starts making a name for himself in Central City.

to save the world (with a friend by my side) - Longfic for SyFy’s Krypton, where Adam Strange and his friend Ashley Tanner travel back in time to save Krypton. Currently has 8/11 chapters.

flufftober 2021 - A series of (mostly) short fics I wrote for flufftober 2021, complete at 31 stories.

emerald legacy - An AU spanning from Arrow’s S1 finale, where Oliver was the one who died saving Laurel, not Tommy. In the midst of dealing with Oliver’s death, plus the revelation that Thea’s his sister, Tommy decides to take up Oliver’s mantle. Currently has 2 parts.

of legacies and lies - Alex Thompson, Jack Thompson’s granddaughter, goes on the run after the SHIELDRA reveal, and has to deal with the fact that her entire career in SHIELD has been a lie. Meanwhile Jack and Sarah - his wife - are making sure she’s going to get a fair trial when she reaches the US.

a god’s reflection - Loki’s POV after his initial imprisonment post-Avengers as he thinks about his actions, and regrets that he’ll never really have a chance to make amends because he’ll likely be imprisoned for the rest of his life.

when one door closes (another opens) - On Earth-4 in the 22nd Century, Brianna Thawne (Eddie’s distant descendant and her generation’s Cobalt Blue) takes Sara Lance up on her offer to join the Legends.

now we have (the freedom to choose) - an AU of Legends’ S1 finale. Kendra isn’t the only one dealing with destiny, but Carter too - and since he’s the one who always remembers first, it’s unlikely he’s ever had much chance to be with other people like Kendra has. Featuring a more self-aware Carter and a heart to heart with Sara Lance.

you’ve always been (a part of me) - A Seg/Adam fic set 40 years after Krypton’s S2 finale, where they’ve been together almost as long - and Seg is hit with the realization that he’ll eventually outlive Adam.

speak (and i’ll listen) - a short MonWinn fic set in an AU of Supergirl S2 (the AU being that they’re together, and not Mon and Kara). Winn stresses over not being able to stop Music Meister. Mon does his best to comfort him.

to new beginnings - A Westhallen short fic written for Polyam Shpping Day #14, set in an alternate season 2 and featuring the three of them discussing New Year’s resolutions.

brothers (lost and found) - the first part of Cobalt Blue and The Flash, where Barry Allen and Malcolm Thawne have been best friends for six years, with Barry essentially taking on the role of big brother due to Malcolm’s estrangement from his own brother. When Malcolm gets struck by lightning while trying (and failing) to prevent Barry from suffering the same fate, he wakes up five months later with speedster powers, and unbeknownst to him this changes everything.

doubt (and the bonds of love) -  Another short MonWinn fic, set in an alternate S3 where Mon-El never left Earth. Mon-El has become distant all of a sudden and Winn is determined to find out why.

to live and rise (and hope again) - longfic about Eliana Kent, Clark and Lana’s daughter from an alternate universe, as she experiences a massive power boost, becomes a hero, and joins the DEO, while still dealing with her family’s loss and having to work with two of their counterparts.

the future (is ours) - a short Thallen fic, set in a AU where Iris is the Flash, Eobard got defeated without any casulties, and Barry and Eddie are dating - Eddie second guessing his relationship with Barry after Eobard’s manipulations.

right here (is where i’m meant to be) - A lazy morning Segdam fic set post-canon.

Cobra Kai Mini Rewrites - a series of unnconnected oneshots that are rewrites on certain scenes in the show that annoyed me. Complete at 18 stories.

bad boy (no more) - my collection of Mike Barnes redemption fics, which are all standalone, but have the consistent elements of Mike’s wife Leah and his three children, Sarah, Elaine, and Alex. Currently has 5 stories.

flufftober 2022 - my collection of stories for this year’s flufftober spanning various fandoms. Complete at 21 stories.

the truth (long overdue) - a Spider-Man 2 fix-it fic where Peter actually explains things to Harry instead of rushing off and leaving him alone, and this changes everything.

looking for america (coming through your schools) - the first part of the Nicky Connors, Cobra Adjacent series, which focuses on Nicky Connor’s friendship with the OG Cobras, particulary Johnny. This fic is set on New Year’s Eve 1983, with the six of them reflecting on the year past and being hopeful about 1984.

[hullomoon]

hullomoon had a busy april

got in my stride this month as i had many fests in april! so please enjoy these works!

[podfic] pinkie swear | Stranger Things | Robin & Steve | 09:48

Traffic is miserable. Robin passes out during the first traffic jam. Steve puts on Tears for Fears last album and hopes she doesn’t wake up and give him shit. Doesn’t think about the “Break for Emergency” Spotify playlist they all share. Or his yearly plans to get the hell out of Chicago for the Fourth of July. Completely ignores the mess that is late October through November. He weaves through traffic —Robin doesn’t even move when he’s cut off and he lays on his horn.

or, forty years of steve & robin’s friendship

[podfic] coming home to you | Schitt’s Creek | Stevie & David | 11:49

There’s a room in the cottage that’s always ready for her, whenever she needs it.

It’s not a guest room. David and Patrick were very clear on that. The third bedroom is the guest room. But this, this is her room.

There’s Rose Apothecary products in the bathroom, even though she’d still use the drugstore brand if left to her own devices. There’s the old, battered quilt on the foot of the bed that David said didn’t go with the decor, but left it there for her anyway because he knew how much she loved it. There’s even a Sarah McLachan poster on the wall.

There’s a room in the cottage that’s always ready for her, and that’s why she’s definitely not crying on this airplane.

it’s hot when you’re going through hell | Stranger Things | Chrissy/Nancy | explicit | ~2.2k

Every college-aged woman in Hawkins knows: if you have a problem with an ex, you went to Nancy Wheeler

little light will guide them to me | Stranger Things | Eleven/Max | ~1k

El always finds a way to be with Max 

here kitty, kitty | Schitt’s Creek | Patrick/Ted | ~1.3k

Patrick didn't expect to find a cat or meet a hot vet

hold me like you’ll never let me go | Check Please | Jack/Bitty | ~1.6k

Sometimes a neon orange puffer coat is not helpful 

forget this fear and frustration | Stranger Things | Robin/Nancy | 849

Robin reflects on queerness and community

kiss full of color | Stranger Things | Robin/Chrissy/Nancy | ~2k

Robin always worried about finding her soulmate. Then she met Nancy Wheeler and Chrissy Cunningham and worried a little more.

make me scream, make a scene | Stranger Things | Robin/Vickie/Nancy/Barb/Heather/Chrissy | explicit | 508

Robin's just a twenty-something living her best life

why aren’t you scared of me (why do you care for me) | Stranger  Things | Chrissy/Barb | explicit | ~2.2k

Barb comes back and can't stand to be in Hawkins. She ends up meeting Chrissy

and all of it is yours and mine | Stranger Things | Joyce/Karen | ~1.4k

Joyce reflects during a milestone

[lovestuckyhatemarvel]

Season 2 finale!

1.) Mike is so angry at Hopper

2.) I’m with Hopper and also he puts up with a lot and just hugs Mike.

3.) Lucas and Dustin hug El ❤️ and El notices Dustin’s teeth but ignores Max to hug Joyce and I am sad about that! I forgot how eager Max is for friends!!!!

4.) I forgot the gate got huge

5.) Karen is reading a romance novel in a bubble bath. I’m guessing she’s literally never had romance.

7.) rolling my eyes at Billy hitting on Karen so hard. Karen you can do better. Maybe. Barely.

8.) mike is the first person to realize this plan will kill Will

9.) the group kind of agrees that they need to burn it out of will first

10.) ‘I may be a pretty shitty boyfriend but it turns out I’m a pretty damn good babysitter’ and ‘it’s ok nance’ are what steve says when he tells Nancy to go with Jonathan

11.) so the teams are: el with hopper as team 1. Jonathan, nancy, Joyce and will as team 2. Literally everyone else on team 3.

12.) El admits she went to see Mama with a nice man in a big truck and Hopper does a very good job at not losing it. Hopper tells El about Sarah for the first time. Hopper gives such a good apology. El apologizes too

13.) bitchin

14.) I forgot Dustin makes Steve put the demo dog corpse in the fridge

15.) Steve shoots down the lure plan so hard and I’m with him. Mom Steve is here

16.) and now Billy is here, goddamnit

17.) Steve’s act might have worked if the kids hadn’t been looking out the window

18.) damn Billy really stomped on Steve. Billy is such a racist creep. Lucas kicked him in the balls

19.) Steve got 4 hits in before a plate was smashed over his head and then it’s just a fucking massacre until Max drugs him. It also takes like a minute to get him off his feet and even then he’s still conscious and max has to threaten him with the nail bat.

20.) I forgot the will exorcism is in hopper’s cabin

21.) steve is unconscious for seeeeeeeveral minutes and accidentally calls mike Nancy as he wakes up

22.) max is a terrifying driver

23.) I forgot Jonathan turns and hides his face in Nancy’s shoulder as Will screams

24.) yeah Steve has a massive concussion

25.) I forgot El and Dr Owens meet in this episode as Hopper puts a tourniquet on the man’s leg

26.) I forgot Will gets a hand free and starts to choke Joyce

27.) Steve says he’s in such deep shit before flicking the lighter

28.) Nancy jabs Will with a fireplace poker

29.) Steve and co light the demo dogs about the same time that the mind flayer leaves will

30.) will hugging joyce and Jonathan upon waking makes me want to write the duffers a letter to say those 3 have to live. The Byers have gone through enough shit.

31.) mike falls behind and is caught by a vine

32.) Steve kills the vine

33.) Dustin recognizes dart and gives him a three musketeer bar to get them past

34.) Steve gets the kids out of the tunnel first until it’s just him and dustin and he lifts Dustin so he’s not in the way of the demodogs

35.) the cgi is better this season mostly because they’ve given up on making every gateway look like placenta

36.) hopper is so worried about Jane. His daughter is levitating and then just drops

37.) one month later the lab is shut down and Murray watches them go

38.) hop meets with Murray at the bar that I’m pretty sure is the bar from season 1 where he asked about the guy who found the ‘body’

39.) hopper gets the birth certificate and gets permission for el to go to a dance ❤️❤️❤️❤️

40.) kids getting ready for dance montage is so cute

41.) kitten!!!! And also Steve drives Dustin. I forgot how cute this is. I love big brother Steve. But also him sadly looking at Steve is so sad. He then drove off.

42.) I just realized that unless I missed it, Nancy doesn’t actually admit she slept with Jonathan this season

43.) will leaves enough room for Jesus in his dance

44.) Dustin really tries but gets shot down hardddddd. In their defense ‘shall we’ is kind of odd as an approach

45.) I do love that Nancy dances with Dustin.

46.) Hopper and Joyce sharing a cigarette in the parking lot is cute af. Hopper is good at comforting tho

47.) I can’t feel super great about the any kids kissing when I know that Max’s first kiss was also her actress’ first kiss as well. And that’s rough.

48.) mind flayer pop up at the end

Final thoughts on season 2:

Cgi improved mostly because art direction on it shifted slightly. Audio balancing is better but not by much. Pacing is still kind of all over the place and we get a lot of times where we go multiple episodes without touching on one of the like 6 plots of the season. The most jarring and controversial one being Kali, who does show up like 5 times in the season technically but most are flashbacks. This is made worse by her never showing up in the show again as far as I know. There are also things there are just kind of dropped without warning or explanation. Like El’s knowledge and experience seem to vary wildly depending on what the scene needs.

And on interpersonal drama, I know it’s petty but Steve and Nancy don’t ever actually ever have a real conversation about their relationship in the show. Jonathan’s love of photography all but disappeared this season. The Byers dog is gone. The town mentions that Barb died from the leak but like, 8 people went missing last season. It wouldn’t have been hard to mention multiple people, including tragically high schooler Barbara Holland. Like this is one of a ton of shows where I’m not sure they have a continuity person on staff.

It’s a fun season to watch and the ads were slightly less egregious (kfc sad family dinner still terrible) but the Duffer Brothers still licked their way into this one over anything else.