#it's long but interesting I promise

[rubyfunkey]

The Rehabilitation of Death by @bamsara

didnt have time to clean this like i wanted but i needed to get this scene out of my head desperately. im good now

[damianito]

The holy trinity (close up ↴ )

[nattikay]

the constant inner struggle of a Na'vi speaker/teacher browsing Na'vi OCs

[civetside]

I came across your lapidot fanart recently and I gotta say it's like really bangin'. The texture of the hair, the way you put a little more weight to Lapis that complimented your style. Honestly I see present day Gideon renditions in Lapis' eyes and general bearing.

well buddy do i have content for YOU!

they are like actually all i drew for like 2 years i have no idea how i thought i was straight, thank you sm tho haha! im glad i was a smart enough kid to save all my old art, esp since i just got embarrassed one day and deleted the accounts i had all this artwork on, i know some of it was reposted around but a lot wasn't!!! save your old art guys!!!!! here i doodled them again

these guys are the reason why now i only draw in the most rancid eye bleeding bright colors now a days

[emile-tb]

Live Laugh Vinesplash

[friendlyengie]

Continuing to be annoying about my fem fortress mercs bc I am . Having fun:) here’s a little doodle collection! Uncovered eye designs for Soldier, Spy, n Demo + other nonsense :]

[delta-orionis]

For the past couple of days, I've been tossing around the idea of an iterator OC who is focused around astronomy. I love astronomy, and there's a conspicuous lack of any information about it in Rain World, which I find pretty intriguing. (I made a post about some of my random theories here.) So, I started to think about what an iterator specifically designed to study astronomy might be like. I named them Three Stars Above Clouds (in reference to Orion's belt, because I can't help but put references to Orion in everything I do, I guess). I actually ended up having a lot of thoughts about them, which I'll detail below. (Warning, there's A Lot.)

Three Stars Above Clouds (TSAC) was designed and built by a splinter group of Ancients who believed the Solution to the Great Problem wouldn't be found deep underground, but in the sky. TSAC was created in order to help them collect data about the sky, house their institutions, and conduct research. They were built into a mountain range, where clouds are less likely to form and the air is thinner. (Real world observatories are often built on top of mountains or in arid places like deserts in an attempt to avoid interference from clouds and rain. You can't see the stars if they're hidden behind clouds, after all.)

Three Stars Above Clouds' city is home to several large observatories which keep a constant watch on the sky. I got the idea for TSAC in part from the currently-under-construction Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (also called the Vera C. Rubin Observatory). The LSST is designed to take ultra-high-definition pictures of the entire night sky every couple of nights, in order to monitor for changes. This data will be a treasure trove for astronomers, and can be used for anything from discovering new asteroids and rogue planets, to monitoring distant galaxies for supernovae. One problem that arises from this, however, is the sheer amount of data that this telescope will produce- it's way too much for any human to hope to be able to sift through. I imagine that the Ancients who built TSAC would run into a similar problem; TSAC's observatories generate colossal amounts of data, so a large part of TSAC's duties as an iterator are to sift through and analyze this data to find anything that might be useful in finding the Solution.

Three Stars Above Clouds is relatively isolated as an iterator. They are located at a much higher altitude than their peers, in the middle of a remote mountain range. Their citizens are also somewhat isolated from Ancient society at large, due to their fringe religious beliefs. (Due to the lack of anything astronomy or space-travel related in Rain World's lore, I think the Ancients either largely don't have an interest in studying astronomy, or it's considered taboo due to their religion's focus on ascension, as well as the subterranean Void Sea.)

As for Three Stars Above Clouds themself, they have a bit of a reputation for being a loner. Other iterators sometimes see them as obsessing over something pointless, because despite the vast amounts of data TSAC has collected, so far it's turned up nothing useful in terms of the Solution. However they are sometimes contacted by iterators who might be interested in their data, either for the purpose of research or just out of curiosity. TSAC is happy to talk about their personal research to anyone who is willing to listen.

Three Stars Above Clouds worked closely with their citizens while their city was still inhabited, and misses them deeply. Despite their citizens being gone, they continue with their sky surveys, partially because the desire to do so is hard-coded into their programming, and partially because it at least gives them something to do. Deep down, TSAC is convinced that someday they will come across something extraordinary among the stars.

In order to store the immense amounts of data generated by their observatories, TSAC's city and internal structure contain a wealth of data pearls, which has inevitably led to the amassing of a large Scavenger population both in and around their structure, who regularly raid TSAC's supply of pearls. However, due to TSAC's high altitude, their external structure and surrounding mountains are also home to large colonies of Vultures, which help control the Scavenger population, at the very least. TSAC is quite fond of Vultures for this reason.

The mountains are very cold, which means Three Stars Above Clouds' rain freezes almost immediately into snow and sleet, which falls down onto the surrounding mountains. As the glaciers and snowfall on these mountains melt, the water flows down the mountains into large rivers, and is collected in several dams at ground level. These dams are home to pumping stations which pump water back up into TSAC's can. TSAC's can is fed water through a vast array of underground pipes that snake underneath and through the mountains. The upkeep of these pipes is mostly automated, however, there are some issues that only an engineer can fix. With all of TSAC's engineers gone, their pipe network is extremely prone to failure due to its complexity. They've had a dam or two break in the past, and TSAC knows that it's only a matter of time before all of their dams break and they will lose their water supply for good.

Their void fluid filtration system is also similarly complex; mine shafts are scattered throughout the mountain range and reach deep underground to access the Void Sea. Even though TSAC's ancients don't think Void Fluid is the key to ascension, they still recognize its usefulness as a potent energy source.

These networks of tunnels, pipes, mines, and maintenance stations have become home to a wide range of creatures over the cycles, many seeking refuge from the cold. Maybe there's even a colony of subterranean Slugcats running around down there.

I've also made an annotated version of the drawing of TSAC's can; you can click on the alt text for transcriptions of my notes if you can't read my handwriting. One thing I forgot to note was the green lasers, those are Laser Guide Stars. (I just think they look cool.)

And here's a closer look at TSAC's city, because I'm pretty proud of the way it turned out. (I even snuck the LSST in there on the left, hehe.)

Aaaand I think that's everything! If I got any of the lore wrong, I apologize. Rain World's lore is pretty vague at times, and I tried to do the best with what I know. I also have a pretty strong grasp on astronomy, but not so much on climatology and geology, so if I got some of those things wrong as well, go easy on me, haha. X]

I will say, creating an iterator is an interesting thought experiment. You need to think about the effect they have on the surrounding environment, while keeping in mind that they're sentient and also have an entire city of people living on them that they need to help manage. Iterators are fascinating to me, and I love reading about other people's OCs and seeing the ways they're able to make them unique.

If you read this far, thank you for devoting some of your time to listening to me ramble. You get a gold star: ⭐⭐⭐

Edit: Here's a closeup of their in-game sprite as a reward for reading this far. Yippee

[ifindus]

I’ve never heard of ScotNor before, is there any historical background for the ship? Just curious, they’re a cute couple!

The historical background is a large part of what makes a ship interesting to me, and ScotNor’s history is definitely of great appeal along with their peoples and culture. I’ve touched upon this topic before, but that was probably years ago now, so we’re due for a bit of a refresher! Thanks for the interest 🙏 I’m sure there’s no history I’ve not included in my time line below, but this a summary of what I’ve gathered so far.

Viking Period (→ 1066).

The earliest contact between the nations Norway and Scotland begins in the Viking Age and it presents itself in different manners. Norway is expanding across the islands in the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic and gain sovereignty over Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides among others. Note that this is almost exclusively Norwegian people – the Danes usually went to England and the Swedes went East. This increased the contact between the two nations, manifesting in settlement, integrating with the locals, and more trade. There were some disagreements and there is still several theories about how violent and early the colonisation of the Scottish islands were, but we find some evidence that their interactions remained mostly peaceful in the certain areas. Norwegian Vikings definitely fought against both Gaels and Picts before they joined forces.

The celtic name Laithlind/Lochlann, is thought to reference Scandinavia – mainly Norway, but might also be the word for the Norwegian areas of Scotland. The word means “land of bog/lakes” and could be related to the Welsh word for Scandinavia; Llychlyn

Norse Period (1066 – 1468).

The Norse Period is the name of a period in Scotland from the end of the Viking Age in the middle of the 11th century to 1468, when the Danish King gives away the last of Norway’s territories on the British Isles to the Scottish King as a dowry. During this period people in the Norwegian occupied areas identifies as Norse and their language evolve from Norse into Norn, which was in some places spoken until the 1800s.

The Battle of Largs was fought between Norway and Scotland in 1263 A battle at both sea and on land with no winner. They fought over the rights to the Western Isles, which the Scottish King had tried to buy since 1240, but had been rejected. The Norwegian King felt threatened and left Norway with a great fleet to negotiate/fight. After failed negotiations and some Norwegian raids a huge storm surprised the fleet and crashed some of the boats and washing them ashore where the crews were attacked by twice as many Scottish forces. The storm hindered any tactical moves as the waves and wind made it impossible to control the ships, but eventually the Norsemen got back on some of the ships and it became a long distance battle, which both sides pulled back from after a while. The Norwegian King died from illness in Orkney later that year and his son negotiated a treaty with the Scottish King where he gave up the islands for money and trading prospects with Scotland.

Margaret Maid of Norway, was the granddaughter of the Scottish King and the daughter of the Norwegian King. Her mother’s marriage to the King of Norway was diplomatic and a move to strengthen the relations between the countries. Her mother dies in childbirth and Margaret Maid of Norway suddenly become heir to the Scottish throne when her grandfather dies, but unfortunately she dies only 7 years old from illness on her way across the sea to claim her throne in 1290.

Originally, Norway was part of the Auld Alliance. With the negotiating skills of a Norwegian diplomat, Norway became part of the Auld Alliance in 1295, a military alliance that lasted until 1560. Norway was a member until 1326. The alliance marked the end to Norwegian expansion in the British Isles and cemented their collaboration. The Auld Alliance said that if one of the parties was attacked by England, the others should help. Norway were to supply Scotland with warships while England and France were at war, but Scotland never paid and Norway never sent any ships as they were still hesitant to make an enemy out of England. It’s seen as a bit of a scam on Norway’s part as they accepted a pre-payment for their help, but the money “disappeared” and Norway would never have been able to provide the amount of ships and warriors they promised.

Then Norway becomes a part of the Kalmar union as a result of the devastating effect the Black Death in 1348 had on the Norwegian Elite, leaving Norway weak and under Danish rule for about 400 years, where the Danish king in 1468 gives away Orkney and Shetland as a pawn for the dowry of his daughter because he did not have the money to pay (this situation was never actually resolved and the isles still could be considered only a pawn).

Norway under Denmark and Scotland under England (1397 – 1814).

Norway entered a union with Denmark and Sweden in 1397 and proceeded to fall further under Denmark’s rule for about 400 years until 1814, while Scotland entered a union of crowns with England in 1603 and then later a personal union in 1707, which still stands. During these periods it is difficult to talk about the interactions of the nations Norway and Scotland as they both fall in the shadow of the more powerful nation running the union, Norwegians often just considered Danes by people from other countries at this time.

The Battle of Kringen in 1612 was a battle between invading Scottish mercenaries hired by the Swedes, and Norwegian farmers. Denmark-Norway was at war with Sweden again and the Swedes had employed help by foreign forces – very common at this time, and Scottish mercenaries were famous. The Scottish forces were to meet up with Swedish forces, and while they traversed the country they robbed and pillaged Norwegian farms. Norwegian farmers organized and staged an ambush on Scots as they passed through steep terrain, trapping them by cutting trees and disrupting them by rolling rocks down the mountainside. They were only armed with spears, axes and scythes, but managed to absolutely devastate the Scottish army. The Norwegian farmers only suffered 6 deaths while the Scots only had 18 out of 300 make it out alive in the end.

The 1800s.

In the 1800s, Norway was become its own country (still in a union with Sweden) and it’s at this time tourism in the country becomes popular in Great Britain, with both Scottish and English Lords travelling to Norway to fish salmon and hunt and experience the nature. In 1886 a Scottish shipping company began to provide Norwegian cruises to look at the fjords along the coast of Norway, maybe one of the first ever boat cruises, which was so popular that they increased the amount of ships the following year. This continued until World War One began.

In 1806 a Norwegian son of a wealthy merchant travelled with one of their trading ships to the Caribbean, but the ship sank by Jamaica. He drifted on the shipwreck for three days before he was rescued by a British ship. The officer who took care of him was son of a wealthy Scottish landowner, and they became enamoured with each other and never left the other’s side after this. They spent the rest of their lives together, travelling between their estates in Norway, their castle in Scotland, and apartments in London, Paris, Rome, and Naples.

Skotthyll is a game that used to be prevalent in my region, and it’s said to be a game invented by Scottish engineers who came to Norway to work on a railroad in the 1860s.

The 1900s.

When Norway became independent from Sweden in 1905, the new king received a letter from the authorities on Shetland stating that “today no ‘foreign’ flag is more familiar or more welcome in our voes and havens than that of Norway, and Shetlanders continue to look upon Norway as their mother-land, and recall with pride and affection the time when their forefathers were under the rule of the Kings of Norway”.

During the First World War, Norway was neutral, but very much involved with the ongoing politics as they wanted to keep trading with both sides, but eventually settled for Great Britain when they decided to commit to buying all the fish Germany normally would have bought. When the Germans began sinking Norwegian ships, it also drove them further onto the side of Great Britain.

During the Second World War Norway was occupied by Germany, and many of those who fled went to Great Britain (as was the case with most of Europe). On Shetland, there was established a Norwegian base of operations where Norwegian sailors and volunteers would carry out missions across the North Sea to Norway. There they would smuggle in weapons and provisions and information to the resistance, as well as helping refugees to escape the country. This was of immense help to Norway during the war. Additionally, a training camp for Norwegians was established in the Scottish highlands, where Norwegians who wanted to fight for their country was stationed and trained for missions by the Allies.

[collectivecloseness]

E.M. Little Mermaid AU

Chapter 1

Eddie Munson x reader

Summary: Three days after Eddie Munson dies in the Upside Down, you’re called to make a deal with the not so dead Vecna. One where your boyfriend will be brought back to live a long and healthy life, but after the next three days, you need to receive true loves kiss from him. The only problem is Eddie won’t remember you... and you’ll have no voice. You, and the rest of the party, have three days to make Eddie fall in love with you all over again; especially since you don’t know what power you’ve given Vecna by making a deal with him...

(Notes: Plot loosely based on both movie versions of the little mermaid. Refs to Vecna having a ‘special’ interest in reader, esp in this chapter, but only em/r. Cw: references to character death and trauma)

3 days. It had been three days since Eddie had died in the upside down. And you’d been able to do nothing about it except hold him as he passed.

You had apologised to Steve for slapping him, right after he threw you over his shoulder and dragged you out of the upside down himself because you were still clinging to Eddie. Just wanting to stay with him, uncaring if that sealed your fate too or not.

Steve had of course forgiven you. He was a good man. You could tell he was upset not being able to save his friend also.

But Eddie was more than your friend. He was your soulmate. Your everything. Your future. What would you do now Eddie’s future had gone? Where was your part in the world now?

Nancy had taken the gun out of your hands the moment Steve landed your feet back on the grass and soil, over where the entrance had sealed closed, a gateway through the woods near Eddie’s home. She followed you when you stumbled behind a tree a few steps away. But all you did was hunch your back over, and vomit up your insides onto the ground.

Robin had caught you before you could fall onto your knees into it. And she’d been holding you as Steve held Dustin. You didn’t know what Robin was saying to you. You caught glimpses of what was happening around you, but you weren’t really paying attention.

Eddie was dead. And he wasn’t coming back.

You tried to save him. You’d thrown yourself over him. Your arm had shielded part of his torso as the demobats ripped his stomach open, but it wasn’t enough.

Joyce stitched up your wrecked arm, but you didn’t feel the pain.

Eleven had tried to talk to you. Tried to tug on her older sibling figures shirt. But your eyes remained misty and dazed.

Right up until the moment you burst into tears.

And you hadn’t stopped crying. Not for two days, all you did was cry and scream and choke. You’d had to tell Wayne what happened. He cried with you. But separately.

It was the third night now. You were in Eddie’s room, Robin and Steve staying over today. Wayne couldn’t handle it tonight, he was staying with a good friend, just to sleep.

The first night no one had slept, you’d cried all night in the room where you told Wayne his nephew- his son was dead.

The second you’d stayed in Eddie’s bed. Face buried in the dirty laundry that still smelled of him all over his pillows and covers, sobbing as you looked over the pile of his trinkets and collections all over his room. His room had once been your entire world, because it was just so Eddie. You couldn’t bare the thought of any of it being gone, Wayne moving any of it, because you couldn’t deal with the fact Eddie was gone.

You kept the necklace Eddie gifted you close to your heart, as you had since the moment he’d clasped it around your neck. Pressing a kiss to your ear as he did so - you could still feel the tickle from his laugh, his lips against your ear, his hands warm and always so loving pressing on your shoulders, after his fingers daintily brushed away any of your hair that may get caught, in case you got hurt, twirling your hair around his rings.

Eddie told you you could fill the locket with anything you wanted. He’d even offered up the thought of chopping off a lock of his shaggy mullet, a thought he’d have once been mortified by. Now you wished you’d taken up the offer, but you still liked what it held instead.

Opening the pendant up, at least you would be able to still see that picture you took of Eddie. Smiling, that smile he only ever gave because of you, one that anyone upon looking would immediately be able to sense the love radiating from him in the photo, from the moment it was taken. His big doe brown eyes, those ones you missed staring back at you so much, looking right at the camera, at you every time you looked at it. It felt like he was looking into your soul, even when he was still... And with this you could hold him to your heart, always.

Right now as you lay motionless, unable to cry much tonight, you looked over at Eddie’s vast collection of guitars. Electric and acoustic. You always thought he was so musically talented, and you told Eddie so.

You weren’t nearly as good. Although there was one song you’d always sing to him. You didn’t have the words, but it was a melody. You couldn’t remember if you’d heard it somewhere before, if it was a lullaby, or a song you’d made up as a child, but- but you’d always hum that tune to Eddie when he was sad. It made him feel comforted. That small chorus of notes. You’d sing that melody to him every time Eddie needed it. Your throat felt dry thinking you may never sing it again.

You’ll never see Eddie again.

You’ll never see Eddie again...

You’ll never see Eddie again...

You didn’t remember closing your eyes, you had been so exhausted not even the last three days, but all the time spent trying to help Eddie before you failed him. But suddenly you were dreaming. Well, you thought you were at first. But then it all felt so real.

“Eddie?.. EDDIE!!!” You run over to where you see Eddie walking towards his trailer. Wayne is standing by the door, well worn cigarette dropped on the floor in shock.

And Eddie, your Eddie, is turning around, looking all over, confused, but unharmed. “Y/n?”

You cheer silently, a gasp leaving your massive grin, as you run over to Eddie. Feeling so soothed the moment he wraps his leather clad arms lovingly around your body, his ringed and clean hands immediately burying themselves in your hair, as Eddie always did... does.

Your face is buried into Eddie’s dark curls. A whimper leaves your lips. Eddie’s conditioner smells just the same, and you can catch his sweat, but no grime, in his scent too, pressing your nose and lips to his neck as your chin rests on his black leather jacket, eyelashes fluttering against his mulleted hair that tickles them. And you’re happy.

Eddie’s back! You have to tell everyone!!

Your hands tighten around Eddie’s waist. And while he pulls you in closer, he still doesn’t hurt you with his grip. Ever tender with you, his love. You press a shaky, teary, kiss to his neck, tasting your own salted tears over the small hairs there, and you sink into Eddie’s embrace, ready to look back once more at your boyfriends gorgeous face.

Only to find he doesn’t have one.

You fall back to the ground with a scream caught in your throat, your hands hitting the stone hard dirt as you look at Eddie, pale, faceless, a blur of nothing, just a shape behind perfectly familiar curls, standing above you aimlessly.

The flash of his face, that face, only lasts a moment. And you’re remembering how it felt having Eddie back. The need to tell everyone he was alive still so pertinent.

That need still, the sound of your thoughts, “Eddie’s back... you can see him again” echoey but not unpleasantly loud. The knowledge of Eddie being in your arms just a small step in the future away, they all stay deep in your gut, as demobats swirl above you. No blood on their mouths like the last time you saw them. The sky just red and blue, as it had been down there three days ago. As the same voice you thought you defeated calls to you, to let you know that he promises what you intially experienced just then was real...

Your whole body jolts on Eddie’s bed, finding yourself still facing the side, only a minute or two having passed on the dragon alarm clock you bought Eddie four months ago.

Steve and Robin were still in the kitchen, you saw the light through the slit in Eddie’s door. Wayne still gone for the night. And with everyone out the room, you knew what you felt, what he told you was real.

Vecna had released you. And you can still hear him.

When his voice tells you to follow the bats, you peek outside Eddie’s worn out curtains, and find two demobats, out of place in this world, and in their nature, sitting idly on Eddie’s front lawn. Just waiting for you.  Even though they’re what killed Eddie, you still follow.

Still wearing regular clothes, one of your favourite shirts of Eddie’s on your torso, your necklace under it, you quickly slip on your shoes by his bed without even looking, and make your way to the open space of his trailer.

Steve and Robin immediately stop talking, both turning to you with that same look they’ve had for two or three days now. Not that you’re looking much place else other than the door.

“Hey!.. Hey y/n.”

“Hey man.”

Steve and Robin both greet you, quietening down as their bodies relax while talking to you. Just wanting you to be safe, and knowing right now you need their support more than ever.

You give them a quick nod, but you know you can’t go out there and follow those demobats without getting Steve and Robin uninterested in your comings and goings.

Your friends were eagle eyed looking out for you at the moment, all of them. And you were thankful that your friends were so loving, but right now, you knew you had to get out there.

And so you turned to your biggest target first, Steve, before your eyes had to look anywhere else, to not see all the emotion swimming in his soft brown ones. “I’m just taking a walk. I need to stretch my legs. Get some fresh air in my brain. I don’t think I’ve been feeding it anything else.”

“We- We’ve got pizza!” Robin offers, bringing over a half eaten pizza box from lunch. As they’d all been trying to find quicker ways to eat, to shower, to sleep, because dealing with their traumas right now was time consuming enough.

“Yeah! Let me make you an energy smoothie or something, get some pizza with Robin, like she said.” Steve enthuses, pressing a hand to Robin’s shoulder and giving her a nod, one she gratefully returns; both turning around to do their tasks for you in sync, before you interrupt them.

“No I’m fine. Seriously guys, I just need, like, ten minutes of walking.” It would probably be longer than ten minutes. But you needed them to let you out the house. And they couldn’t exactly be mad at you for lying to them with what you were going through right now.

“We can go with you! Or just one of us, silently.” Steve says enthusiastically, although that last part directed right at Robin. But you shake your head before he can go on, your eyes flitting to the closed curtain on the trailer door as you try to see if they’re still waiting.

“No, guys, I-“ your hand goes to your chest, breathing stuttered. “I just need some time alone with my thoughts. Please. I promise they’re not the self destructive kind. I just need to think.” You looked to both of them, eyes serious.

Steve looks nervous. His eyes a little wider and his lip more bitten, like he already knows he wants to say no, but he’s not sure how to do it without upsetting you any bit. Until Robin surprises him by pressing her hand to his wrist, and stepping up. “Okay. Ten minutes. Try and stay in the trailer park, and like, yeah, if it gets over ten minutes we’ll come to find you, but that’s okay. Just yell if you need anything, alright?”

You were too grateful to be leaving quicker than you could say a thank you, too quick out the door to see Steve giving Robin a look like he wanted to intervene, before she shook her head. Moving towards the window silently, to peek open the curtains, and Steve immediately understanding her.

Inside the park or not, Steve still needed to reassure himself over your safety, so did Robin. Getting his shoes on and kicking Robin’s towards her silently, both grabbing their makeshift weapons still by the front door of the trailer, just in case, Steve too protective not to right now, they both followed you out the door quick enough to see your back moving through the dark trees of Hawkins.

You had stopped dead in front of the demobats, waiting to see if they’d rip you apart just like they did Eddie.

Especially now they were intruding on his home, right after they’d stolen everything from him.

But instead they’d just... looked at you. The feeling was odd, making your skin crawl. Before the nearly identical demobats looked at each other, then chirped nightmarishly before swooping into the sky, gliding at a slow pace above you, to make sure you followed along.

Settling your heartbeat in your chest, at hearing that cry again, the last time you heard it being as Eddie’s own cry joined the chorus, you tried to steady yourself as you followed them. The vision of Eddie, back in your arms, back home - and his voice still looming in your head - causing you to follow.

You went through the woods, following them the whole walk until they took you to a patch of land closeby you knew well from experience was an opening. The one you’d narrowly escaped from three days prior. Leaving Eddie down there.

Robin and Steve had followed along, silently, even as they saw the demobats. They were just glad they’d brought their weapons. They stayed tight knit with each other, not knowing why you were following, if you were under Vecna’s trance again or something, but sneaking along to make sure you would be alright. They knew how ruined you were after Eddie. But they wouldn’t lose you too.

It was only until they saw where the ground had opened up underneath the swirling demobats, and saw you watching the creatures, before looking in the hole, that they yelled.

“Y/N NO!”

You jumped. And Steve and Robin screamed.

They ran right up to where you were, and without a second of hesitation, gripped onto their weapons and each other’s hand, as they leaped into the opening to the Upside Down behind you.

Following the demobats, you shivered as you walked through the upside down, the hellscape you thought you’d all defeated just a few days ago. Not that you could care too much that it was still here right now, not when you were too caught up in having lost your everything to attempt to do so. Now it seemed like it was all for nothing.

The demobats flew slowly so you could carry on at your pace, gliding above you as they lead you. Such a different temperament to when they were all... descending.

They were going to lead you past that spot. You knew it was coming up. So you had to do all in your power to keep your head down, and have your eyes still following the shadows of the monsters in this dim and hellish world. You couldn’t see Eddie like that. After three days. With all those wounds. You gently stroked your healing arm, nervously. And if you did look and he wasn’t there... You didn’t realise you’d been hyperventilating until you heard your own breath.

The noise finally louder than your own thoughts, upon noticing you quickly fought to regain control, a hand on Eddie’s necklace pressed to your chest as you sped up a little, it giving you some bravery as his picture, his gift, reminded you of why you were being brave, and following the demobats as you focused on breathing. They’d already destroyed his body when he was alive, you didn’t want to think of anyone hurting your boy more even after his suffering was supposed to have ended...

Steve and Robin followed close by, weapons ready, bodies never not touching each other, wanting to stay side by side to not be separate, so their platonic other half wouldn’t be hurt. Keeping them safe. Following you silently, as they scanned the place you were heading.

Truthfully, Steve and Robin don’t know what they would do without each other at this point. They’re the only one who... They almost lost each other, so many times the last couple of weeks. It really seemed like they could never rest, now they were back here again. Arms brushing even as they try to stop their weapons from clanging. They’re going to get each other, and you, out of here, together.

They make that promise to themselves each time they make eye contact with their best friend, while they both follow you covertly.

Your breath became a little stuttery as the demobats swooped closer, more at your shoulder height now, and you were lead to an opening, like a rock formation, maybe even a cave, in the woods. Not like the one Eddie used to take you though. This one was bigger... and you’d never felt frightened being with Eddie.

Not until the end.

Now as you saw who was waiting in the entrance, you’d never felt fear like it. Again, until you remembered how you had with Eddie. How nothing could be worse than that memory. And you felt rage, as you were face to face with the human, and smiling, form of Vecna. Alive, and waiting for you, with patience and intrigue.

“Hello y/n.”

You wanted to scream. That’s all you wanted to do. Your anger, your fear, your guilt from your entire life, the way you’d lost Eddie, how unfair it was for him to still think of himself the way he did when he died, when he was one of the best people out there, the way Eddie had died, a hero, just to help defeat this man. This monster. And here he was standing, smiling at you. Both alone.

You wanted to run over there and punch and claw and kick at him until your lungs were raw and your tears made you blind. But better instincts kicked in, and even with all your rage, you knew what was happening here was not right. Your feet took a step back on the, now vineless, rocks, but a woosh of wind from those monster creatures behind you pushed you forward.

Instead of cruelly thinking to yourself how these mutts would be the death of you just like your love, you kept moving forward. And you stood in front of Vecna, Henry, 001, Peter, whatever, you stood in front of him, and you did not falter.

“Why aren’t you dead?”

A smile blossomed through his teeth, and the demobats stayed quiet, behind you, by the entrance. As Vecna circled a position of stones laid by his feet, you circled too, never wanting to let him get you off guard.

“Well that’s a lovely greeting. And here I was wanting to be your friend.”

Robin held her hand on the back of Steve’s, seeing him bouncing in place ready to burst in and tear you out of there, as they got to the entrance upon hearing voices. Both of them felt nearly as awful as you did, seeing Vecna back, alive, smiling. But they stayed put, waiting to see what was happening, even though it killed the both of them to watch him close to their friend. The trauma locked away as they determined to stay strong in this moment for you. They knew you’d need it.

“I’m not going to be friends with you.” You spat, your teeth grit so hard in your mouth you were starting to taste blood. That or the memory of this place was bringing back old senses falsely alerted.

“Oh no? Well that’s a shame. Not even when I’m here to give you a gift?” Vecna cooed, his head tilting, still never taking his eyes off you.

You stopped walking now. Blinking, you took in his words. They were of course teasing, but the actual meaning didn’t seem so to you. You’d met this more human version of Vecna in visions he’d given you before. When you were all at war with him. This seemed like some sort of form in front of you, not just in your mind, although you knew Steve, Robin and Nancy destroyed his physical body. But here was what was left of him. And you could tell his words had some truth behind them.

“What would you have for me?” You questioned, knowing there was only one thing you’d want. Knowing, you didn’t know enough to be able to tell if he could actually give you that, in any way, at all.

Until his words worked with your thoughts, perfectly.

His eyes shone, and his smile never once faded, as Vecna answered you “The only thing you truly want.”

Your heart thumped, a ticklish feeling in your chest like electricity. Feeling it was hard to move your fingers, or your feet, or even to move at all. Just stood there in the face of Vecna’s proposal.

“Eddie’s dead.” The words hurt to say, but you couldn’t afford to be weak around him.

“Mm, right now yes, Eddie is.” Vecna tilted his head, some spark of delight in the conversation. A twinkle of knowledge. “As dead as all the others you and your friends lost. But Eddie doesn’t have to stay that way.” Vecna could practically feel your emotions rushing hot through your body. And he loved it. “What if that were to change? What would you do, to bring Eddie back?”

You tugged Eddie’s shirt further down your shoulders, trying to wrap yourself in it, hoping he’d protect you from this cold chill you weren’t so sure was just to do with the Upside Down. “You can’t do that.”

“OF COURSE I CAN!” Lightning boomed and struck wildly outside. You gasped shrilly as you span to see it, the red and white flashes like claws striking the sky, the two demobats flying and squawking up above the cave like formation’s high ceiling, in place. Unable to see Robin and Steve ducking down, cradling their weapons and each other at this display.

You’d noticed the lack of vines, only two demobats here, but the lighting, his form being here... Clearly Vecna was back in business. If not slightly stunted by you and your friends escapades. By Eddie’s help. Maybe that’s why he had ‘devolved’ to making deals with you.

Vecna calmed as the storm did, a tonal blue outside, even if still dark, as he smoothed back his wavy blonde hair. Smiling at you once again.

You took a step closer, your eyes squinted and questioning on him, but your mind only swirling with Eddie’s face again. Not the vision Vecna had shown you, but your own thoughts. Eddie right back at home, with you, as he deserves to be.

“What’ve you got to lose?” Vecna asks, his voice a soft fry. “I know why Nancy Wheeler took that gun off you so quickly when you got back. Surely you’d do anything to bring Eddie back, where he rightfully belongs. So young to be torn away.”

You swallow. Hands trembly, but body firm, as you remembered the past three days of torment. Knowing how you would’ve give your life for him, right then and there, but you couldn’t go back and change things. How you might’ve even been able to live with yourself tearing the whole town apart, if only Eddie had survived it. And if Vecna has even a chance of what he says he can, what wouldn’t you give?

“You... Can you really do that?” Hope, for the first time in three days, is layered in your voice. Deep under your show of strength, and concerned distrust. But it’s there enough for Vecna to be able to discern it immediately. He knew it’d be there anyway. You really were so easy for him to get.

“My sweet soul, of course I can. Why would I invite you to my home if I couldn’t do what I’m telling you?” His hand goes to his heart, and yours clench tightly by your sides. “You know you’re special to me. Of course I’ll help you out y/n.”

Steve and Robin move forward, weapons in hand, only to be shocked into silence as the demobats swoop out of nowhere in front of them. No squawking or biting or anything, just blocking them, which to your two friends, was infinitely more scarier once they realised.

Especially once they saw that smirk on Vecna’s face, like he knew. And as he took more comfortable steps towards you.

“Think of it as me turning a new leaf. Helping the miserable, the lonely, and depressed, such as yourself y/n.” He smiled charmingly.

Your jaw flexed to the side as you frowned. Your eyes never leaving Vecna, not that he wanted the opposite, as he stood happily close to you now, explaining finally why he’d summoned you here.

Maybe helping to bring light to why you’d followed so willingly, also.

It’s true you were all those things, but you didn’t think Vecna was turning around so quickly.

Vecna alluded from explaining for a few more seconds, instead pacing in front of you with a coy smile on his face, his finger tapping at his chin. “I know I haven’t been... the loveliest to you y/n. You or your loved ones. They weren’t kidding when they called me, well, a bitch.” He chuckled softly.

You almost could too. You made some kind of sound. Remembering how common a nickname it had been for your party. At least, for a little while. Before.

“But I mean it. This once.” He held his finger up, in front of his nose. “Call it what you like, a change of heart, mending my ways, repenting for my sins, seeing the light, all that shit.” He swivelled sharply, standing still in front of you, hands behind his back, head leaned forward to you.

You stood your ground. Even though his smile reminded you of how... close Vecna had seemed to like to get to you in the couple of visions he gave you. You were surprised when Nancy said he’d acted slightly differently towards her in her vision. Eddie had chimed, more like feared, that maybe you were a ‘favourite’ of his. Which is why he picked you to have those visions a little more than the other four young adults around you.

But now it didn’t matter. Not if he could help bring Eddie back. You were listening to every word intently.

“I can bring Eddie back to you. Fully. The way he was.”

You folded.

Your knees went weak. Having to catch yourself before you could visibly stumble too much in front of him, but also so uncaring to that, now he’d said what he’d said. “Really? You really can? Bring Eddie back properly? Not like a... a zombie, or a possessed ‘puppet’ of yours or-“ your voice was wobbling.

“No just like he was before. Exactly the same Eddie as you know, that is for certain.” Vecna nodded. “Of course, there’s a few caveats to that.”

Your breath flew out your lungs. You didn’t trust Vecna for a second. But the thought of Eddie actually being able to come back... To be brought back to life again...

Steve and Robin dodged through the demobats at hearing this, hearing your voice and knowing what it meant. But they only got a step before the monstrous creatures were back again, this time their wings outstretched in front of the two, and snarling dangerous looks on their faces as they hissed.

“Caveats?” You asked, your eyes tracking Vecna widely as he circled around the pebble grouping on the ground, looking up from them, before motioning you closer with a beckoning finger.

“I can bring him back for three days. The same amount of time he was gone. But don’t worry! Besides anything else, I personally assure you, that if you agree to this, and do everything you need to, that I tell you to do, no matter even if you don’t fulfil the contract in the end, Eddie will stay alive for the rest of his natural life. As if he’d never been so brutally ripped apart alive and murdered in the first place.”

You shivered at his words, and you saw his teeth glimmer in response as his lips stretched further in a smile. But he seemed serious, at least, about that part being true.

“Well, he’ll have a long life granted if he doesn’t, I don’t know, get hit by a car while drunk, or falsely shot for a crime he didn’t do, I’m not making him immortal. Just bringing him back. To you.”

You couldn’t even care about how those last two words were practically crooned at you by Vecna. A man who, you hadn’t really figured out, before he was ‘killed’. You knew Hopper had come back as Sheriff to clear Eddie’s name, although too late, even if it gave some peace to Wayne. But what Vecna was offering...

“However, Eddie won’t have his memories of you.”

This shot your head straight up. Your eyes bulging and your heart stuck in your throat, as you received this information.

Yes, you would do anything to bring Eddie back. And he said just agreeing and doing what he asked right now would mean Eddie would stay alive even past those three days. But the thought of him not knowing who you were... if you weren’t in this situation, with this monster, tears would surely be in your eyes. Vecna wanted to explain his plan it seemed though, so you never got too long to ponder over certain specifics he said.

“By the time the sun sets on the third day he’s back, you need to receive something off of Eddie. Something which will bring his memories back of you, and let you both live out the rest of your lives, as if none of this... nastiness,” Vecna held your hand in both of his, patting, before stroking over the fresh scar across your forearm, “had ever happened...”

You, slowly, pulled your hand away. Still listening, but not wanting to piss off Vecna. His blue eyes shot sharp into yours the moment you even started to pull away however. And even though it did make your heart jump, you held your own hand instead, putting it down by your middle, and carried on trying to get all the information you needed for Eddie. “What do I need to get from him?”

Vecna smiled again. You weren’t sure if it was because he was closer, so you could see him more, but this smile felt different. And as he spoke, his voice was so much more softer, as he practically whispered to you “True loves kiss...”

You shoved his chest, backing up a few steps. Vecna looked offended, brushing off his white shirt, while you felt nothing but loathing rile up in you. “Are you serious? How old do you think I am, six? What-“

“Stop talking and listen y/n.” He snapped coldly again, his lips thin, and face sharp.

You did as he said. Closing your mouth, but continuing to stay those few feet apart. Your distrust and despite for him growing more and more.

“What I’m saying is true. I’m experimenting with some new power. And who better to try it on than, you?” He sighed, and the way he looked you up and down made you sure he’d be stroking your cheek right now if he was still so close.

“You poor, desperate, thing. Willing to do anything for your poor Eddie, even make a deal with me.” He sighed folornly at you.

You’re unsure if you’ve ever seen him actually almost enjoying himself. Even while still seeming annoyed he wasn’t controlling all your outcomes like you’re sure he’d love to. Although with how close you were to killing him, you guess him being so close to oblivion might have shaken things up slightly.

“What would you get out of bringing Eddie back?” You ask, genuinely curious because surely he doesn’t expect you to think he’d do this out of the kindness of his heart. He’d never shown any liking towards Eddie. He and his bats were the reason he was dead. He killed him.

Vecna paced one more step, before turning to you, and a dark look you’d seen in his eyes too many times in your short experience with him, flamed once more. “Chaos. Power.”

You inhaled sharply, holding that breath as Vecna walked closer, his mouth rambling along with his twisted mind. “Putting everything out of place for once. Changing human nature so it’s not so destructively and uselessly linear.” Vecna riled up, talking faster and darker and louder and confident. “The chaos of putting someone living again back on the earth who wasn’t before, who’s body was going to rot in this place, bringing him back to live his life on that ground again, doesn’t that show my power?”

You weren’t sure you were supposed to answer. You just watched him. Eventually, a small curl upwards of his lips caught your attention. “Of course, using ‘true loves kiss’ as an end all seems quite powerful, for someone like me to do also. Although there’s another reason that is part of the seal.” He partly explained, and you retained it to memory to make sure that was answered later.

“But it’s not just what I get out of it, it’s what I need before I... allow you and Eddie to be my show of power, and I give you this gift.” He smiled charmingly.

A sick feeling crawled through your veins.

“Of course. I can’t believe we got this far into talking without discussing payment.” You rolled your eyes, your arms coming to cross over your chest, even if your mind and soul was open to what he was saying right now.

But you know Vecna’s tricks. You know his soul. If he even has one. And you dryly chuckle, nodding slowly. “I got it, my life for his, right?” You shake your head, biting your lip, with still some sort of smile on your face at the twisted irony.

You wouldn’t go down to Vecna. For the sake of Eddie’s memory.

Not unless there was absolute certainty...

Because while you would, you would do anything for Eddie, in a heartbeat you would trade your life for his, you do not trust Vecna to uphold his end of the bargain, especially in a situation where you can’t check if he has or not.

“No no no that’s child’s play.” Vecna says quickly. Easily brushing off the notion, which you thought was a stickler. You are surprised, and it definitely keeps you listening, with the thought of you and Eddie being back together seeming not so much like a dream anymore.

“That’s child’s play,” he repeated, spat, “swapping one life for another. I told you y/n I want to show power.”

‘Eddie, Eddie, Eddie’

It’s all you can think about. It was louder than your own thoughts. But you tried to make sure none of this was a trick, although you were sure it was in some way. You knew what he was like, what he had done to El, what he could do to you, you tried to be smart enough to make sure Eddie would come back alive, or you’d be able to kill Vecna right here right now.

“Okay. So what do you want?”

Vecna takes those steps closer in your personal space now. You stand strong. But when his eyes slowly linger, down to your throat, and his hand twitches large by his sides, you can’t help but gulp. Your anxiety actually making it worse. Your veins fluttering in your neck as your eyes tracked his from staring at it, to slowly trailing back up to your own, and his lips spreading into a smile as he spoke up, loudly and clearly.

“Your voice...”

You lean your front back, your neck and head extended that way too, as your own hand comes to rub tenderly over your neck. Realising now as you tried to speak, just how hard it sometimes could be. “M-My voice?”

He nods, his eyes flipping from your hand on your neck, back up to yours. “Just for three days.” He poses. As if it’s that simple.

You weren’t the only one struck by this revelation though.

“Y/-!” Steve and Robin tried to call out for you simultaneously. Their weapons pushing back against the demobats, even if they were still several feet away by the entrance.

They were quickly shut up though, as the few withering vines that were left snapped to attention, and coiled themselves throughly over Steve and Robin’s mouths. Wrapping around their bodies enough so they couldn’t fight back, as the ends twisted and turned to shut them up.

Both friends facing each other, terrified, and looking back to you, who still hadn’t noticed your friends who would’ve talked you out of something so dangerous, having followed you, to help you. Terrified not just for themselves but because they knew what you were going through. And that you were fragile.

Luckily for them the vines didn’t squeeze. They just held them there. As if they themselves, were focused only on waiting for your response.

You kept rubbing your neck, thinking about how your breath sounded, how you used to chat and sing and laugh with Eddie. Why Vecna would need or want that. All these thoughts flowing through your head, that and still ‘Eddie, Eddie, Eddie!’, but you had to use your voice while you can, and ask him at least one thing importantly.

“But without my voice, how will I get him to remember me? Or- or fall in love with me again?”

“You’ll have your looks!” Vecna says, in a way that sounds oddly unlike him, but also as if he’s mocking you, which does seem slightly more in character.

“That pretty face will do wonders...” He hums, his lips pressing together at the end of his sentence as he looks at you.

You feel that chill in the air again.

“And who needs words, y/n? I’m sure you can attempt multiple methods of yours. Eddie’s kind, isn’t he? That’s what you’ve been trying to teach all the others, in your backwards town, in that ignorant world.” Vecna talks, as if spreading a teaching to you.

You definitely know how he feels about the majority of humanity. Having only interacted with few in his existence, he may be more inclined to inform opinions on those he has met. Including, to varying degrees, you and Eddie.

“I’ve watched you, you’re smart, you’re resourceful, you’re... peppy.” The way Vecna enunciates that last word seems to contain a meaning you can’t be bothered to decontstruct right now.

“It will hardly matter if you and Eddie are truly soulmates, will it?” Vecna asks you, as if he is serious which you know he is not. He seems to twist into showing his discontent for yours and Eddie’s lovey dovey semantics as he moves on, with a smile. “Besides, even without dialogue, I’m sure you can use some body language to entice Eddie back.”

You look at Vecna with disgust. Eddie is not like that. He isn’t, not was you still think with relief, with hope, even as you scowl at the monster who was the reason he was dead. Especially when the way Vecna said it, how he looked you up and down, how this was one of the few times any of you would ever see him smile, it made your skin crawl.

You’d say you knew what men could be like, but you would not call Vecna a man. Not even when he was before. He’s always been a monster. But Eddie is not like that. He wouldn’t see you like that, he didn’t. And your Eddie is not a monster either.

Vecna has that look on his face again. The curious one, where he tilts his head. Even when he seems like he’s trying to be ‘playful’, he just always looks full of anger to you.

“Oh come on y/n. I’ve seen it up there. You don’t need your voice. I mean surely, not for Eddie right?” Vecna twists and twists his words. His eyebrows raising as does the corner of his lips, revealing those shark like teeth, whenever he sees you being pulled in by him.

“Men up there don’t like the girls who gossip and yap and bore, at least, that’s what I heard.” He squints his eyes, smiling as he takes another step forward. You think his eyes are shark like too.

You know he doesn’t know Eddie. It’s very clear especially with his words. Eddie and you used to talk, and talk, and talk. You both loved having someone to just talk to, about anything on your mind, for hours at a time; someone who understood what it was like to want to, someone who listened.

When you took a step back, Vecna changed up his method.

“Eddie though, now he never avoids conversation, he is impressed with how you keep up with him, how you can listen and entertain, how you two fit so well even when talking together unendingly, don’t you love that about him? Do most men live up to Eddie Munson?” Vecna asks you, as if he’s curious for your answer. Not just trying to manipulate you.

You notice he uses the word ‘is’ for Eddie. But you also notice the word ‘live’. Your head feels like it’s burning, everything feels so confusing right now.

Robin and Steve struggle to yell behind you.

“But even Eddie would think you were cute, how could he not, still? He would dote on you just the same as before. Knowing Eddie, he might just trip as he fawns over you being so... quiet.” Vecna purrs, leaning forwards again, so close he can afford that last word to be mewled quietly. And with him breathing down at you, for you to still be able to hear him perfectly.

“If you hold your tongue, it may just save your heart.”

You gulp. Feeling like you’re about to choke on your own tongue.

Vecna lifts one thin finger, and so so gently, brushes it down your pulsing neck, right from the centre of your chin, down gentlemanly to the beginning of your collarbone. Removing his hand afterwards. “Don’t you want to win your prize y/n?”

You hate that your breaths are shaky. Because Vecna can hear them, he can probably feel them on his skin. If he really is here, which you suppose now he is, in some way, since you could feel him too. But you don’t want to gulp either, not this close. So you keep on breathing. Until you have enough air in your lungs to speak again.

“Eddie will remember me.” You say confidently. Certain in your meaning, although your voice not sounding quite as harsh as you’d want it to, although still induitible. Still confident, about Eddie, in front of Vecna.

“Sure.” Vecna squints his eyes as he nods. Backing up again, as he paces around his cave.

For a moment you’re begging to yourself that you didn’t piss him off. Because you need Eddie back. Then you find yourself pissed at not wanting to piss Vecna of all people off. But you swallow your emotions, with a gulp now he’s not looking, because Eddie is more important to you than anything.

You hate thinking this, but you would probably do anything Vecna asks you to do right now, all if it meant bringing Eddie back.

“I need something from you.” Vecna turns, his eyes not on you, but body pacing closer.

A shiver runs down your spine. But you force yourself to stay in place, for him.

“Something from you and Eddie. Parts of you.”

Your body completely freezes now, apart from your heart plummeting to your stomach.

You blink tears out of your eyes, ignoring the tickling of your eyelashes to keep your form strong in front of Vecna, even though now you’re presumably to be faced with your worst fear. Which was definitely not him...

“Where-“ you swallow shakily, your spit feeling vile in your own throat. “Where’s his body?..”

“No no no.” Vecna tuts at you, his finger shaking as he finally looks at you again, with that condescending narcissistic look you’re more used to seeing on his features.

“You’re darling. Not like that. I need something physical from you two, from when Eddie was alive of course. I presume you’ve heard of DNA by now?”

You had. Especially with all the snooping through files at the Creel place, you’d started doing a lot more scientific research then you ever would’ve done at Hawkins High. Especially when planning on how to prove Eddie’s innocence as a back up plan once you’d saved the town. Ultimately it didn’t end up saving him anyway.

You know what it is. The fact Eddie is currently dead you know all too well also. But Vecna can’t be asking the impossible of you this early on.

However when you start to ask, your jaw moving open in confusion, Vecna moves in again, just millimetres from you.

His elbow nearly brushing against your torso as he raises his hand. His eyes trained to your lips. While his hand moved upwards, and gently grabs your chin. His touch cold, but body presence emanating onto yours. Vecna’s thumb slides, caressing up your chin... but stopping before he can touch your lips.

Almost like he doesn’t want to contaminate them.

“There’s still traces of Eddie with you y/n. They will fade soon. Then so will Eddie.”

Your heart beats, trying not to suck in your lips, your body warming in thought you still have Eddie’s touch you on, his live touch. His last kiss still lingering with you, living on, even three days later. Even now he was gone.

The mix of your fluttering emotions tingling throughout your body doesn’t change the fact Vecna is still so close and grasping you, still looking to your lips with wicked desire.

Desire for his plans you’re sure. Although you’re not sure what else your lips may hold of interest to him.

“And that’s why our kiss can also break the seal?” You ask, chin upturned, mouth barely moving with his hold, but your eyes nonplussed at him, except for determination of your goal.

“True loves kiss.” He interrupts seriously. Moving his eyes to you, from your lips finally, although his fingers still graze under your chin. “They’re very different things. I need that to prove my power, love defeating death and all those things you don’t need to know about. So that’s what will break it in our little contract.” Vecna finally let’s go of you.

You rub your jaw with gritted teeth, while Vecna backs up a step, not before you take a breath.

“Why? Just for power?” You ask again. He did seem a lot weaker than before. Especially if he was just... talking to you like this, making a deal like he said. Then again, you thought he was dead. But if anything could bring Eddie back.

Vecna nods, but with a tilt in his head, hands held in front of him. “There is one last thing yes.”

He doesn’t need to take a step forward this time. He only leans in.

“If you don’t succeed, you belong to me.”

Robin and Steve barely have time to glance into each other’s panicked eyes, before their wrists and legs are fighting at the vines. Robin trying to grab a weapon from Steve’s bag even with her arm ensnared, Steve trying to kick a rock at one of the demobats hissing in his face, even though he’s terrified of the thing. Especially after seeing what they’ve done, taking a bite out of him, seeing Eddie’s body.

But no matter their panic they are clawing at the vines, Robin trying to stamp on one of the demobats tails, just to try and get your attention with the noise; Steve trying to bite through the vine coiled over his lips, while enticing a demobat to attack to hopefully bite at his restraints instead.

The set of best friends yelling furiously into the vines only smothering their cries, not aiming to kill them this time, which partly makes matters worse.

Panic pumps through their body like ice cold blood, dread oozing in their stomachs, fear causing both of them to strain towards the other, their eyes desperate as they look at their best friend, because they know what your answer will be if neither of them get free.

It’s not a question of what you say. It’s if they can stop you in time.

They need to get you to see them now, to get you away, to do something. Both fighting hard for you, like they always would, how they try to. If one of them can just save you, after they failed to save Eddie.

Looking directly at Vecna, lingering in the silence of his offer, you take two steps back. Finally able to breathe, where he wouldn’t be able to draw you in even more. Breathing air not surrounded by him, taking steps back so you can come back to your reality, to what you’re actually surrounded by.

You followed demobats, monsters, the creatures that killed Eddie down here. To the Upside Down. After having a vision, like the ones he gives people before he kills them. You’re in some kind of cave surrounded by skies that are too blue with red lightning. And here you have the devil himself offering you a deal, in front of you. Surrounded in this nightmare place, seeing clearly you have been lured into the dark by the monster you’ve been fighting so hard against; with no Eddie in sight.

Even taking in your surroundings, the back of your mind only knows it’s not right because Eddie isn’t here with you.

“I don’t know.” You take another step, then two, back. Looking at Vecna as suspiciously as you were before he pulled you in. Dread seeping in your own stomach, your hands twitching by your sides.

You could imagine he was tricking you right now. That Vecna couldn’t actually do this. And why would he want that if you do fail? Or maybe that is to motivate you to absolutely not do so? Importantly, if you do complete everything he asks, what would he do with his growing power, if all went well?

You’d sacrificed Eddie for this town once... you didn’t think you’d do it again. That part wasn’t a problem in your mind, not after you’d lost Eddie once.

You feel bad for thinking it, because you know Eddie wouldn’t want you to, God, fuck, you know Eddie would be shaking you awake, screaming at you right now to fucking run, to not be a hero, to not let anything happen to you. Maybe he was yelling it right now somewhere, banging at whatever gates were keeping you two apart. You could almost see him in front of you, see his hands on your shoulders, those dark eyes in yours as he screams at you. But that’s an almost, Eddie isn’t here, you can’t see him. But if you knew Vecna would truthfully bring him back - you’d do anything right now right here with him.

Vecna sighs.

You’re not sure if you blink, or keep your eyes closed so dissociated in your mind from the moment you lose time, but you open them with a start when Vecna is suddenly stroking your cheek, his blonde waves tickling your temple as he coos to you.

Drawing you in as your knees weaken towards him...

“Ohhhhh poor confused little y/n. A life so full of tough choices. Everything so much harder now you don’t have your Eddie by your side...”

Tears trickle past your lips, ones you hadn’t even noticed in your eyes. And you hiccup quietly a little as Vecna helps lift you steady, just with that one cool and long palm cupping your cheek.

“But I know what you want.” He whispers softly to you, his voice a rumble.

Your cries are small, in nature and in volume. But with Vecna this close, helping you stand, a lock swats at a warm tear on your cheek, brushing it coincidentally away.

That, for some reason, is what pulls you back.

Tears stopping, even with shiny eyes, you pull back silently. Not stopping walking back this time, noticing the surprised look in his eyes as he watches you retreat. And you don’t stay longer. You lean to turn around, continuing to go - you have to get back. Robin and Steve are waiting. Dustin can’t lose you too down here. All your friends have already dealt with too much trauma. Joyce has been working so hard to save you. Wayne needs someone to mourn with. Your family. Eddie!

“You- you’re tricking me.” You say, voice weaker than you’d want it to be but you’re not controlling your emotions anymore. Your thoughts are finally catching up. As your eyes shine in distrust and guilt up at Vecna.

“Tricking you? No- no I don’t trick. I’m trying to help you right now y/n- I am the only one who’s helping you! Truly doing what you’ve been begging someone for, to listen to what you’ve been screaming for.” Vecna’s head twitches as he tilts it. Confused and irritated over how no one ever seems to believe him. Or understand his ways. He’s helped you, and Eleven, and people always, always-! “I promise.” He speaks. But his voice carries that indignant vex from everyone’s disbelief in it still.

Your gut riles and tightens. “This is wrong.” You say, turning further as you walk, shaking your head of the mourning thoughts of Eddie making you numb to common sense, to that anxiety in your brain that’s been screaming at you to run away this entire time.

Thunder roars above you, and you keep your head down, huddling yourself as you keep walking, your skin crawling at the fact you can feel Vecna’s anger behind you.

“Fine y/n! Forget about the world, and love!” He sneers, the air howling without fresh wind. “Go back ‘home’ to your ‘friends’ without him, and never see Eddie again!”

Those words makes you shoot around.

Vecna smirks. He knows he’s got you.

The two demobats swoop out, clearly they were just ahead of you, in the dark close by, but you turn quickly to follow their direction, not seeing what they were distracting you from as you’re turned around. Facing a much bolder Vecna than you’d seen yet.

“Go on and decide y/n.” He sneers, only turning into a smirk as your legs carry you back towards him. “All it will cost is your voice.”

The way Vecna describes it... Eddie is more important than your voice. You’d give anything for him. Even if you were to be without him, if you made this deal, no matter what happened to you, Eddie would be back.

There is no other possible way your Eddie Munson could be alive again.

Vecna stands close to your side, pulling out some kind of contract on a folded piece of paper for you. You raise your brows, even though your mind is fully on Eddie, a twinge of disbelief is shown on your face. “A contract? Seriously?” You ask, genuinely unsure.

Vecna simply shoves it into your hands. He seems to get some type of glee when you hold it. “I need to get that DNA of yours and Eddie’s again, so it was either using this, or...”

His hand running across your cheek, fingertips stretching past your ear gets you to look up from the words on the paper, into his eyes. Unfortunately, they’re back on your mouth.

You can tell it’s purposeful this time though. Vecna seems to delight in making you wriggle. A toothy smile stretching beneath his pink lips when you shrug out of his hold, placing his hand back to his side.

Easily doing so. Your quickly rising and falling chest is for every other reason. As your eyes bore into the paper in your cold hands, knowing in it was the only possible future for Eddie Munson. Rising falling rising falling rising falling, as Vecna talks and talks and talks, while you read and breathe and beat.

“What happened to Eddie is sad. But it happened. Your boyfriend is dead. If you want a miracle to happen you’ve got to pay the price and let me help you y/n. Take a deep breath. Look at it. Who’s around you here to help?! No one! Eddie would be here! But he can’t! You let him die!!!”

You screw your eyes closed. You can’t listen to that you can’t think you can’t not do this you can’t leave Eddie again you can’t do that to him you have to do this with him you have to you can’t not see Eddie again you can’t abandon Eddie to die you have to save him you have to help him now you have to listen you can’t stop listening you can’t let him die.

Vecna smiles up to his demobats, raised above you both in sharp victory.

You have to listen to him you can’t let Eddie die you have to do this for them.

His hand snatches out and grabs your necklace from your collar, throwing it to the ground. It doesn’t break, but opens, to the image of your Eddie, so clear even on the ground like this, smiling up at you. At you.

“This poor-“

Your eyes stay on Eddie’s face.

“Poor-“

Your eyes move to the paper.

“Soul.” Vecna coos.

You don’t realise Vecna’s calling both of you this same thing.

You quickly sign the contract, scribbling your signature on it fast, your blood pumping as you make the choice to be brave. You will bring Eddie back no matter what. Even if you’re giving him to the world, and not yourself anymore. You’re not thinking about you. You can’t even see the words, only Eddie. You need to save Eddie.

You press a kiss to the end of your signature, the wet ink moulding with the spit of your lips. Quickly pulling back the contract and looking at it all. Noticing your wavy signature, not realising until you’d actually looked at what you were writing, you’d signed it with red ink. Until you saw the splotch where you’d kissed it at the end of your name.

Vecna’s eyes had not left you once.

As you’re staring wide eyed at what you’ve just signed, your mouth opening a little in shock, red dotting your lips, immediately a hand is around your neck. You’re cut off with a choke as Vecna grabs you.

He pulls you in close, his nose bumping into your cheek as you panic to stay on your feet, gasping as you feel your neck expand in his cool hands. Your own going to his wrists, feeling the material of his white shirt, his cool skin, the little hairs on his arms, as you try to dislodge his hand a little. Not fighting back as much as you should, one because he was letting you breathe, but mostly because you were willing to let anything happen for this to work.

Suddenly Vecna grabbing you by your throat isn’t as much of an issue, especially since he’s not actually cut off any oxygen, just held you in his grasp; because now you’re distracted by the room spinning, and that definitely isn’t from lack of air flow.

Looking down at your feet you can see the both of you are spinning, and just like Max did, just like Chrissy did, you’re up in the air. Only this time conscious, and with Vecna.

His eyes leer in close as you both raise some inches, continuing to move, his face serious, as his two demobats screech above you. The sound ignited you with terror, panic and trauma from associating it with the sound, the smell, of Eddie’s ripping flesh; and yours under your bandage. But these bats now, they sound like a song out of order, there’s chaos and melody to their shrieks.

Each time you get closer to the sound of their yowls as they fly in the air though, they just raise some more. The storm of the upside down blocking much of your view as you don’t even feel the movement anymore, although that may just be to do with your heart lurching as you go along with this plan, and your eyes held tight on Vecna now.

You feel weird about what’s happening, managing to grab your necklace off the ground without even looking, before you were raised any higher, the winds in the place you thought wouldn’t have any helping you, as you manage to thread your finger through the clasp, small pebbles scratching your arm. You hold it tight before your lose it, the pendant with Eddie’s picture in grasped protectively in your palm, because you know things are happening now.

Your eyes back on Vecna, not fighting his hold on you anymore, just fiercely gripping your necklace of Eddie, you gasp. Breathing deeply as you commit yourself to everything you’re doing right now, planning all this that definitely is trouble, but for Eddie’s life, for what’s right, for the chances he was never given in life and you were fighting to give him now, even though you know what’s happening is wrong, your determination to keep going outweighs any fear that’s howling. Eddie always liked you being a hero, until his final day.

Vecna pulls back distracting you from your head full of Eddie, as you watch his blue eyes move further. His grip loosening, causing you to squeeze onto his wrist. Even as he fully let’s go, you stay in the air. And your breath finally comes back to you when he orders “Sing.”

Words escape you. The only thing you can think of, the only song that seems appropriate in this situation, melancholic, hopeful, and full of meaning and memories of Eddie, is that tune you always used to sing to him.

So you follow Vecna’s instructions.

You sing the melody of the tune you sang to Eddie so many times. When you’d stroke his dark bouncy curls on the couch, once full of life. When he’d hide his face into your chest because he felt safer crying there. When he couldn’t sleep because he was afraid someone would find him and hurt him. When he was afraid of the world. When he was afraid of not being able to show everyone who he really was, before he died.

“Keep singing!”

Vecna yells over the noise inside the rocky structure, noise you’d barely even noticed with your mind so full.

Your focus on the song that was always for Eddie, being for Eddie is such a different way now, as you put your whole chest into it. Raising your voice, and trying to remember the notes just right, even if they didn’t matter to Vecna, they mattered to you and Eddie.

You squeeze your pendant of Eddie tight, willing yourself to be strong enough to do this properly, to be brave for Eddie, like you always were when you hummed this tune for him, to make sure the world didn’t let him down again. You need him to stay strong, you hold onto your necklace with everything you’ve got.

Suddenly that’s when you see it. In the darkness of the Upside Down, of the dark blues and grey clouds and black shadows of this place, you see a ball of light. And as the light moves from your body towards Vecna’s greedy gaze, you’re hearing your own voice getting further away, but feeling your vocal cords move in time. It gives you this sick feeling.

Like something unnatural is being lost, that you can’t produce anything. A sick feeling in your throat, but nothing coming out. That what you’re doing right now, is effecting over there instead. That light should be in your body, and it’s, you’re, moving towards your worst enemy.

Vecna snatches your necklace from your hand, leaving you horrified. You need it back. The picture of Eddie laying close to your heart always, smiling like he was before, looking right at you, from the gift he gave you. Vecna’s hand burning cold on your skin, the chains cutting into your palm, as he steals that away from you.

But then you see your light with your voice going towards Eddie, instead of him, and suddenly, you feel more okay...

Vecna snaps the pendant shut, and you immediately start to feel dizzy.

A rush of dark smoke and red and blue lightning suddenly make outside the cave like structure so crazy, you’re even looking away from Vecna. But when they swirl around you, the smoke and the demobats flying around both you and Vecna in a close loop, you’re looking back to him with horror. Nothing matters but Eddie, but this power floors you, even if you already understood what you’ve signed yourself up for, and still do. Vecna’s using it all on you, he and Eddie are counting on you.

The demobats horrible screeches don’t outweigh the crash and rumble of the hurricane of smoke and lightning you’re trapped in, with your nemesis encaptured right with you. His smirk not on you anymore, but down at your necklace he flips between his fingers. You can only hear the demobats, seeing only smoke and lighting, and Vecna, when the demobats come swooping closer to you both. And then everything is black.

Steve and Robin are horrified as they watch on. The vines immediately withdrew once the smoke started surrounding yours and Vecna’s feet, and everything was too loud and far for you to hear.

Steve helped Robin up, and they grabbed their weapons and they just watched in awe. Weapons ready and pointed, but no sight of you in the powerful haze of elements.

Nothing had attacked them yet, and that left them strong enough to do this, to fight for you if you wouldn’t. But that meant they had to find you first. And now you were trapped up there with Vecna. Robin and Steve couldn’t even hear each other screaming your name, with the booms of thunder and rumbling of this whole world surrounding everything. Let alone you being able to hear them, and know you’re not all on your own.

Until finally, the smoke clears, and you’re only a few feet off the ground, compared to where Steve and Robin were searching up for you before. Luckily enough time for Steve to dive and scrape his barely healing back to hell as he catches you. Landing you on top of him as you fall, which he accentuates with only a cry.

Robin immediately grabs at you, yelling for Steve, as they both hit your cheeks. Robin standing atop with a weapon in hand, and Steve heaving beneath you as he leans over, with you snagged on his chest. Both increasingly hitting you, and shaking you, thunder still quaking as they quickly try and scream your name.

“Let’s go! Steve let’s go!” Robin yells out, red light filling the sky more than the blue cover, shadowing their faces as she helps fireman lift you off of Steve, just to get you up, before he’s on his feet.

“I’ve got them! Let’s go Robin!” Steve yells to her, both of them squinting their eyes from the flying dust and howling wind, as they lean their faces in close to yell. Their hands on each other, and on you, as they yell close to hurriedly plan their escape.

Steve throws you over his shoulder from where Robin was keeping your unconscious body up, and while he secures you quickly with his arm grappling your thighs, they both search around. Robin duel wielding, as Steve manages to hold you over his shoulder, and still hold his axe in another hand.

They can’t see Vecna. There’s no sign of him around. But they’ve got to get you out.

“The wooded path, we should go now!” Robin grabs Steve’s shoulder, both still squinting to see each other, and their way out, before she goes first, slightly lighter on her feet. While Steve still defends her sides, and your back.

Reminded of the time just three days ago he carried you out of the Upside Down like this. Thrown across his shoulder, but this time not kicking and punching and screaming, this time silent. That was worse for Steve. He didn’t think he could feel much worse, but the dejavu of three days ago, in these circumstances, was a lot for him. And this time, you’d managed to do something incredibly dangerous for Eddie, before your friends could stop you...

Both their faces looking to you occasionally, passed out over Steve’s back, your hair slightly obscuring you from Steve’s view, but Robin managing to assure/scare both herself and Steve as she repeats you’re still just out cold. With Steve at least able to feel your breathing over his shoulder, as his arm keeps tight hold of your legs draped on his chest.

Both of them keeping their weapons out in full battle mode as they rush to the exit you entered through, silencing their check ins with each other as the ‘weather’ down there stops, and the eerie quiet of the Upside Down loudens in a way, the closer they get to the exit back home. In a place like this, it shouldn’t be quiet. The two keeping hushed where they can knowing they can’t alert anything out there to the intruders in their space, especially with you unconscious in Steve’s hold.

What’s strange though, is that while they did miss their opportunity at seeing Vecna, nothing attacked any three of you on your way out either.

It let you pass.

[starrywangxian]

it always urks me when i see people saying that wei wuxian was really dumb to not realise that lan wangji was in love with him, and well it is a valid analysis (because there's no right answer here) i do think it's a shallow one. i do understand the appeal and the humour of wei wuxian being the smartest person of his generation but being too stupid to realise when he's in love or when someone is in love with him but i don't really think that's what happened.

i think it's more wei wuxian believing he isn't worthy of love and it's something that you have to earn.

if you think about his upbringing, when he was homeless he was still smiling and kind and never bothered people for food, he waited until it was given to him or would go after the scraps that no one ever ate.

and yi ziyuan really leaned into that fact, telling him he was indispensable and that he was just a pawn to protect jiang cheng and jiang yanli, that this wasn't his family and he was just a servant to them. blaming wei wuxian for everything and punishing him for his achievements instead of celebrating them. wei wuxian constantly felt like he owed the jiangs for taking him in and hence he sacrificed so much for them to 'repay' them.

so when lan wangji clearly shows concern and love for him, wei wuxian explains it away; he thinks that lan wangji is just so noble and kind.

the scene in cql where wei wuxian tries to say that he tricked lan wangji into helping him so that lan wangji's reputation wouldn't be harmed is an example of that. he thinks lan wangji is just kind enough to risk his own reputation to help him but wei wuxian doesn't think he deserves that so once again tries to sacrifice himself to save the ones he loves.

it's also why after their first time, wei wuxian says thank you. because he believes that he's earned lan wangji's attraction and he should be grateful for it. he doesn't consider that it's something lan wangji was giving him freely and willingly just because he loved him and he wanted to.

wangxian's miscommunication comes from lan wangji thinking wei wuxian doesn't love him or that he's just an amusement to him (particularly after their first time) and wei wuxian thinks he's not worthy of love and he doesn't deserve to be happy and in love.

it's a funny gimmick to say that wei wuxian was just too dumb to realise, and i even joke about it when i reread the novel too, but i think there's so much more to pack. with lan wangji too. their characters are so much more than that and their trauma runs very deeply and influences a lot of their actions.

so you're fine to say that wei wuxian is an oblivious dumbass but as long as you realise that that's only really the surface (wei wuxian is an oblivious dumbass yes but he love him for it all the same <3).

[headfullof-ideas]

Some more headcanon-drawings…things…i have doodles

I actually had these done for a while now, just…never posted them. Idk why. Im trying to get some drawing done today, though for whichever project it’s for, I don’t know

[necrotic-nephilim]

i recently remembered DickTim Week 2024 is happening very soon and i looked at the prompts again to see if i could get anything out for it and. the Hades & Persephone AU prompt for day 1 has got me really thinking so here's a vague concept i plan to write.

i've been pretty burnt out on modern Hades & Persephone retellings because of how they always seem to fall into the same generic "innocent wide-eyed girl runs from her evil mean mother into the arms of a dark mysterious man because actually she went willingly and chose to marry him" which has gotten repetitive for my tastes. (for clarity i don't care if this retelling is your cup of tea personally, so long as you're not actively trying to rewrite the original myth and claim untrue things about it, if this is your favorite flavor i sincerely hope you enjoy the buffet i just have little interest in it since it feels overdone for me and exhausted of it's supposed commentary atp)

but? but. biblically accurate Hades & Persephone AU has me all kinds of interested. because wait listen so hear me out right. Hades!Dick and Persephone!Tim, obviously. i feel it'd be more loosely inspired by with themes and imagery (though playing with death and nature powers could be interesting, i haven't decided) rather than explicitly making them gods and all. but. something dark and fucked up where Dick and Bruce are especially estranged. maybe to do with Jason's return, maybe to do with them just clashing and having their usual explosive arguments. and Bruce knows the peace needs to be kept, if he and Dick are at odds then everyone starts to pick sides and things just fracture so he needs a peace offering.

and the peace offering is Tim.

Bruce (the stand-in for Zeus) offers up Tim. agrees to have Tim move to Bludhaven and be Dick's... whatever Dick wants him to be. knowing that with the implication comes the likelihood of Dick grooming Tim. and Tim has no real say and is hesitant to put up a real fight. he doesn't want this, he knows what this is going to imply Dick will do to him, but he also knows if he says no things have the possibility to just... fall apart. so he's the unwilling bride, dragged off to the metaphorical underworld (Bludhaven) with Dick, away from his family, his friends, the life he built.

and on the flip side, i think weirdly enough, your best pick for the Demeter stand-in is *Jason*. just, hear me out on that. not necessarily on the side of it being motherly, but on Jason being just estranged enough from the Batfamily to be the one willing to call it out for being bad and wrong and raising bloody hell to get Tim back. maybe it's because Jason wants Tim for himself, maybe it's truly out of a concern for Tim to have autonomy, i'm toying with the idea of it primarily being Tim's POV and him genuinely not knowing which of these is true. (and the truth possibly ends up being a complicated middle ground) and because i like Helena, i think you can use her as the Hekate stand in, the one who strikes a tentative alliance with Jason and tries to go find Tim and bring him back. Tim stuck with Dick, getting groomed and hyperaware of it, possibly even getting fucked the whole time as well, knowing he can't go back without causing massive issues for Dick and Bruce because well, Bruce did promise him to Dick. so he has to adjust his whole life, try to figure out being a vigilante in this new city with Dick breathing down his neck the whole time.

and then much like the ending of the myth, a sort of compromise is struck that's a shaky deal for everyone involved. Tim is put on an essential timeshare, going back and forth between Gotham, where he has friends and family and a support system, then getting dragged right back to Bludhaven with Dick in this brutal cycle that he slowly gets used to and stockholm'd into even liking it. Dick isn't so bad, once he gets used to the quirks of their unbalanced 'relationship'. the sex is even something he can adjust to as well. not quite a happy ending but one that sits in this realistic grey area that becomes Tim's life.

i will write this, eventually, but i don't know if i'll get to it before DickTim Week ends so by posting the idea i'm essentially putting it out into the world so the peer pressure holds me accountable. i just. really like the potential of making Hades/Persephone AUs as fucked up as they can be simply by adhering to the source material and making it a raw story of being stolen away and forced to like this new home you didn't ask for.

also a less fleshed-out aspect of this idea i have ties into Persephone becoming the Queen of the Underworld when she's taken and how the transition from Kore to Persephone could be reflected in Tim. how he makes the best of the worst situation and becomes something far more dangerous and dark when he's in Bludhaven, possibly takes on a new vigilante name/identity and leans into the worst quirks of his personality he tries to tamper because there's no point in not going full tilt Obsessively Weird if he has no choice anyway and it being one small way he takes back his autonomy, and that inevitably making Dick *more* into him, because he gets to see Tim finally just. let loose.

[beeduoo]

originnssssss who remembers origins i Loved origins

[sea-buns]

Holy fuck, man. What a trip Fearne has been on, huh?

You tell her how grateful you are to have her in your life, you flatter her, you tell her you need her, that you have to do this together. You have her make a promise that has this woman, born of chaos and fey, agreeing through shaking hands and a trembling voice.

You make her deceive your friends; you make her follow where they cannot know; you make her help you into this contraption; you make her feed this thing into you despite the fact that you both have been warned extensively of the risks. You make her watch you crumble and splinter and shatter and fracture and burst and implode. You make her watch you die, over and over and over and over, for a minute in agonizing bullet time.

You make her do all these things, because when she tries to back out, when she tries to not be the one who let you do this—how could you do this—

you tell her, "YOU PROMISED."

Because if there's one thing you know, it's that the fey do not break a promise.

[angelicfangz]

i went to sillyville and everyone there knew you

[pigswithwings]

Chadfield. (Dubious Canon Gorp Arg)

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