#musings on Flash Season 4

[zemkzone]

I simply HAVE to know how SITI Team ColdFlash would go about handling DeVoe. And all the changes to that whole arc that would happen because of Len's presence

Ah, the Thinker! Honestly, I think he was the last villain I really paid attention to on The Flash. But he was especially interesting because (1) he was not a speedster and (2) ultimately, he was after Harry Wells's brain. The information the show had on him, that he grew up in Apartheid-time South Africa, then was interested in Sun Tzu, Machiavelli, and other very specifically-bent lines of thought made him different from Zoom (power-hungry creeper), Savitar (CW's OTT sad boi Barry), and the Reverse-Flash (go to experts like @ftl-faster-than-life if you really wanna unpack that man's issues).

I definitely have thoughts on DeVoe in relation to SITI, what would change in his plans, etc., but I'm reluctant to say more because we're still about, oh, three-fourths of the way into the second story in my series and I don't want to spoil the ending. What I will have you remember is that it took years for DeVoe to ultimately strike, and that was made possible in part because the CW!Team Flash was pretty damned lax with their data and secret-keeping. Also, the idea that he manipulated the lives of several people to get them onto a bus at the exact same time? What is he, the Timestream?

My take on things is that, by 2015 (currently where TRAT is), DeVoe probably would have figured out who the Flash and Captain Cold are, not because of dark matter-enhanced intellect, but by making the same leaps of thought my version of Cecile Horton did. But beyond that, DeVoe's (The Flash's writer's room's) entire plan doesn't fly with me.

I know I haven't really answered your question, but I think I've told you something else, if you're reading between the lines. ;) Thanks for the ask, doll~

[lvrrgirlll]

Running a cozy little bed and breakfast and hobo!Patrick charms you into letting him stay for free

The little bell sat on the front desk dinging broke your attention from the coffee you were in the process of making yourself. Walking through the doorway between the kitchen and front entryway, you smile, seeing the disheveled man before you, tapping his fingers against the desk mindlessly.

“Hi, um, I was wondering if I could get a room for the night,” the man asked, tired eyes meeting yours hopefully.

“Of course, it’s $100 a night and that includes breakfast in the morning.” You don’t miss how clearly attractive he is. He looks to be around your age —maybe a little older— and has a sort of swagger that you can’t exactly describe, even despite his tired state.

As he held his credit card up to the machine on the end of the desk, the hopeful look in his eyes seemed to dissipate. He chuckled, looking up at you and offering a tight lipped smile as if it was just a mistake with the machine. “One second…” he murmured, pulling out his phone to check his bank account. You didn’t miss the quiet “oh fuck” that left his mouth as he looked down at his phone before putting it back in his pocket.

He leaned on the desk, laughing dryly as a smirk crossed his face. “So uh… funny story, sweetheart. I’m sort of short on funds. But I’m a tennis player, I’m playing in the challenger a couple miles down the road and if I could just crash here tonight I can pay you back when I win…” His expression is smug but his voice drips with desperation. You can see the dark circles under his eyes and the way his eyelids hang low. He’s endearing, but admittedly smells sort of… ripe. And his pleading eyes really sell it all. How could you say no to him?

Smiling at him again, trying to be warm and understanding, not wanting to embarrass him for his lack of funds, you nod. “Um- sure, you can stay here tonight without paying… yet, that is. As long as you’re sure you’ll win that thing.”

“Oh, I don’t think we have to worry about that,” he muses cockily. “But I get a minimum for just playing in the first round anyways, so even if I lose tomorrow I’ll be able to pay you,” he tacks on seriously.

“Alrighty,” you nod again. “You can follow me up to your room.”

The two of you walk silently up the stairs where 4 doors lie in a small hallway. You open one up, motioning for him to enter as you turn the lights on. The room is quaint but in a cozy sort of way. You ensure he’s settled in and knows where everything is before moving for the door, ready to leave him be. Something in you, though, longs to keep him around as long as you can. His charming air has captured you.

“Have you already eaten dinner,” you ask, turning to look at him, leaning on the doorframe.

Something flashes across his face —surprise maybe. He seems genuinely flattered by your question. Maybe it was just the fact that he hadn’t actually eaten, too eager to get where he was going and concerned he wouldn’t have enough gas if he pulled off the highway to stop anywhere, or maybe it was because he found you irresistible, but he felt a pang of hunger (which type, who’s to say?) in that moment.

“No, I, uh… I haven’t eaten, actually,” he replies gently.

You hum in understanding. “Well I was going to make myself some grilled cheese and tomato soup if you want any? It’s the slow season here so it’s just you and me, but you’re welcome to join if you like.” He nods as you leave with another sweet smile, heading down to the kitchen.

Right as you’re getting the second sandwich out of the pan, your heart footsteps on the creaky floorboards, alerting you of his presence. “Oh, hi. Dinner’s ready.”

He nods, taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen. You bring over his food, then yours, before moving to the fridge, asking if he wanted anything to drink. “Got any beer,” he asks carelessly. You turn around holding two beers in your hands, smiling from ear to ear.

Over dinner the two of you talk about his tennis career, where he strategically avoids telling you about his sort of ‘fall from grace’ and how he got to the point he got to. You’re impressed, of course. He asks you about what made you start a b&b in some random countryside town, to which you tell him how it had been run by your late grandmother before you took over when your parents decided they didn’t want the business. He comments how nice it was for you to do something like that.

Despite his obviously sort of sleazy vibe, he’s been so kind thus far. You’re completely enraptured in him and he knows it too. He can see it in the way you look at him and the way you bite your lip when he says something sort of risqué and the way you rub your thighs together when he stretches, revealing the tiniest bit of his toned abdomen.

The night ends with him in your room instead of his own, taking out all of his troubles on you in the most pleasant ways imaginable. Safe to say, you let him stay through the whole challenger, no longer really worried about the money, but more about the devilishly handsome man before you.

[theterrorfebruaryflash]

Happening now: The Terror February Flash 2025!

The Terror February Flash is an annual fest celebrating our cold boys via fic, art, vids, and other forms of fannish expression.

Why February? Because Something Something Valentine's Day. Why Flash? Because this is a low-pressure, almost-anything-goes prompt meme with a short creation period.

This is mostly a P!atC Server Event, where we will rejoice and squee about each work coming in during February, but anyone with an AO3 account can participate. We'll also post a masterlist to Tumblr at the end of the event.

Schedule for 2025:

Sign-ups and prompt posts: Jan 28 - Feb 6 Prompt claims and creation period: Feb 6 - Feb 28 Works can be posted to the collection any time during the creation period.

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Is this a fic exchange?

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[binbogummy]

Humans are —

I had the urge to write but was so all over the place on what I wanted to write for that I stuck everything I'm into right now onto a wheel and spun it. And guess what? Good Omens won.

Some tags: Reader-insert | Female-reader | Platonic x reader | Fluff | Sickfic | Post-Season 1, Pre-Season 2

Words: 2k+

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | * | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | *²|

Chapter 10| Chapter 11|

~

The rain seemed to fall in sheets, hammering against the Bentley's exterior as it cut through the streets of London. The windshield wipers worked overtime, squeaking faintly as they swiped away the relentless downpour, only for the glass to be blurred again in an instant.

Despite the storm's ferocity, the old car seemed as indifferent to the storm drenched street as its driver did to the complete lack of visibility.

Thunder growled somewhere in the distance and the steerlights overhead illuminated the car's interior and its passengers in brief flashes as they flew by overhead while Crowley cruised a casual 75mph through the tight heart of Soho.

You sat in the passenger seat, watching the water streak and beat against the window as the dark, almost Gothic atmosphere outside was completely blurred.

"All those jokes about London weather really weren't an over-exaggeration, huh? I don't think I've ever seen it come down like this." you mused, finally interrupting the comfrotable silence before a quick cough cleared the building scratchiness in your throat.

Crowley, one hand on the wheel and the other casually draped over the gearshift, didn’t take his eyes off the waterfalling windshield for a moment. "Exaggeration’s the human specialty, love. But in this case, dead accurate. Can't say I haven't seen worse, though."

You let out a little huff and smiled, ironically catching his attention in the form of a sidelong glance, albeit noticeable from under his dark glases, with the soft sniffle that followed your words.

"Not that you seem to mind it too much. Couldn't wait to queue for coffee in the rain? Or maybe you fancy another walk along the Thames, in a gale, without a coat?"

"I had a coat!" you shot back confidently despite Crowley's scathing recap of your week in the city so far. "Besides, it's not exactly as easy for me to get around as it is for you. I've got to make the most of my time while I'm here. London is huge. No matter how many times I come to vist, I can't see enough. No way I'm gonna let the weather get in the way."

While visiting Crowley and Aziraphale was one of the major points of your trip, you'd planned your one-off week in the city around visiting them at the beginning and end of your trip, using the days in between to run around London as you saw fit. With plenty of little pop-ins to Azi's bookshop, of course.

"And you'll be heading home when, exactly?"

"After this weekend." You confirmed, muffling another cough into your elbow. "Catching my flight first thing monday. Oh, and I... appreciate the ride." You added quickly at the end; a strategically placed 'thank you' you hoped he wouldn't notice.

He'd just happned to be passing by as you were running back to your hotel this evening, and considering the way the weather had escalated from a drizzle to a light tsunami, you were rather lucky he had been. How he knew about your escapades from early this week, though, you couldn't be sure. Not that the answer would surprise you.

"Oh, 'course of course." Crowley hummed aloofly, brows raising as he turned sharply to park along the curb. You were momentarily surprised. The rain had muddled the windows so thoroughly you couldn't quite tell where you were but you suppose it was possible he'd already made it to where you were staying considering the speed he was going.

"Oh? Are we there already?"

"Not quite." He killed the engine with a flourish, the car purring into silence as he threw his door open and stepped out onto the street. You recoiled briefly in surprise, the sound of the battering rainfall tripling in volmue as the door was opened. "Gotta drop something off." He continued and you were instantly bitter about the way the falling water seemed to part around him. "Come on then." He casually nodded for you to follow before shutting the door.

You took a moment to sigh, pursuing your lips and briefly wondering if he'd be kind enough to extend that supernatural waterproofing to you, but those hopes we quickly dashed when you stumbled out of the passenger door and the rain immediately greeted you with a cold, unceremonious slap from nearly all directions.

It took everything in you to repress a shriek. The downpour was hard, icy and relentless, soaking through your cloths in seconds. The only brightside was that you'd long since realized where you were and made a mad dash for Aziraphale's bookshop.

"Why'd you park so far away!?" You whined, further waterlogging your sneakers as you splashed through the small current rushing along the curb.

Crowley, one the other hand, had only just rounded the bently, retrieving something from the trunk before following after you at the pace of someone on a leisurely stroll, the rain continuing to slide off and around him and the cardboard box he was now carrying with ease.

You weren't in any mood to wait for him to catch up, but when you reached the familer door of A.Z. Fell & Co, you were disgruntled but unsurprised to find it locked as it always was after hours despite the warm light illuminating the inside.

"Hurry hurry hurry!" You called, waving him over frantically

"I'm coming, I'm coming." He assured, but made no attempt to hurry at all. He had to find this hilarious because it wasn't until he finally got close did the knob you'd been desperately jiggling finally turn, and you nearly fell into the bookshop, your shoes squelching as you stumbled to steady yourself.

Despite being thoroughly soaked through, once inside, the warmth of the shop was quick to wrap around you, and the familiar scent of old books and faintly spiced tea was enough to just barley cut through the smell of cold rain clinging to your skin.

You sighed deeply, catching your breath and composing yourself after the run inside.

"Excuse me~." Crowley hummed and you stumbled again to the side as he slipped in after you, but once he was through you were quick to step back onto the mat that sat inside the entrance, conscious not to drip or track water anywhere inside. "Angel, I've got your books!" He called to the ceiling before tossing the heavy box with a careless thump onto a nearby table, and in doing so spun to look you up and down.

The expression on your face said it all but he only gave you a quick, toothy grin before yelling to the ceiling again, "You got any coffee?", and heading back to what you knew to be Aziraphale's kitchen without waiting for a response.

Not a second after he'd disappeared, though, came the response accompanied by eager footsteps.

"I'm afraid I'm all out at the moment, but I put some tea on when you said you'd be coming! I do wish you would have waited until tomorrow though, this is far from the kind of weather one should be-"

Rounding the spiral staircase from above came Aziraphale, but the hint of exasperation that often laced the angel's tone when speaking to Crowley was interrupted when he reached the bottom and caught sight of you dripping at his door.

His eyes widened in dismay as they took in your thoroughly drenched form. His expression shifted from surprise to see you, then delight, and then to immediate concern, his usual flustered demeanor amplified by the sight of you standing on the increasingly soaked mat at the door.

"Oh, my dear!" he exclaimed, bustling toward you with fluttering hands as if trying to decide whether to usher you inside or scold you for being reckless first. "What on earth are you doing out in this dreadful weather? You’re absolutely soaked through!" Before you could respond, he yelled towards where the demon had disappeared. "Crowley! Get in here!"

"Hm?" Crowley popped back out, a steaming mug in his hand that he took a casual sip from.

"You couldn't have given her a ride? Really?" The angel chided and Crowley scoffed with mock offense, motioning towards you with his mug.

"I did! How do you think she got here? Would have had to walk herself the whole way to Marylbome, otherwise." He shrugged taking another sip of what you were sure you could smell to be fresh brewed coffee.

"I'm alright." You finally spoke up, attempting to reassure Aziraphale. "Just got a little wet on the way in since someone decided to park halfway down the street." You exaggerated lightheartedly.

"That's not true." Crowley was quick to defend, leaning against the doorway to the hall and jutting his mug at the window. "Parked right out front. She's just a bit slow."

You turned to look through the storefront window and the Bently was in fact, right out front now, its headlights fading out as it seemed to have just re-parked itself on its own.

If looks could kill then the one you gave Crowley...still probably wouldn't have had much effect on a demon.

"But anywayー" You decided to move on, "He did offer me a ride back to my hotel. So I can't complain too much. I'll be alright." You insisted, fighting another sniffle.

"Oh, no, no, no," Aziraphale tutted, placing a gentle hand on your shoulder and elbow to shepherd you deeper inside. "That won’t do at all. You’ll catch your death if you stay like this much longer!" He returned to fretting with a mixture of exasperation and genuine concern, gently guiding you to the back of the shop. "Come now, off with your coat." He coaxed and was quick to help you out of the dripping garment. You took your eyes off of it for just a moment, and once off of you, it seemed to have disappeared from his hands completely and into thin air. "I'll fetch you something warm to drink right away."

"That's really not necessary! I appreciate it but I really should be-"

"Nonsense," Aziraphale said firmly, already moving towards the backroom. "Stay there. I'll also fetch some towels, and a blanket! And Crowley, for heaven's sake, don't just stand there. Make yourself useful, please."

Crowley raised an eyebrow over the brim of his glasses, clearly unimpressed by the angel’s scolding, but set his mug down with a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine." He gestured lazily, and you felt a sudden warmth spread through your damp clothes. In an instant, they were bone-dry, though your hair was still wet and the faint chill of having been soaked still lingered on your skin. "There. Happy?"

Your expression softend in surprise as you looked down at yourself, "Yes, actually. Thank you." You thanked genuinely, shuffling in place in a bit of an attempt to shake off the remaining chill.

Aziraphale returned quickly with a few towels and a thick knit blanket stacked in his arms. He paused again when he saw your now-dry clothes before nodding approvingly and setting them by the large armchair that sat near his phonograph.

"Here we go, dear." The angel was at your side again in an instant, gently ushering you toward the armchair and making sure you got settled. “There now, sit down, and we'll have you warmed up in no time!" He assured, handing you a towel.

"Thank you, Aziraphale," you murmured, accepting the towel and starting to dry your hair. It might of been the act of sitting down so suddenly that aggravated the congestion building in your chest, but your murmured thanks came out terribly hoarse and you were forced to clear your throat with a deep cough.

The angel hovered for a moment, seemingly torn between bustling off to do more and staying to ensure you stayed settled properly. You'd actually let yourself relax for a moment, eyes falling closed with a deep breath and another quiet sniffle.

"Really Crowley, you might have mentioned she wasn't feeling well." The knit blanket was draped over your shoulders and meticulously tucketed around you, and you opened your eyes again in surprise.

"Huh?" Aziraphale's words forced you to try to perk up, not wanting to worry the angel, but he seemed to have already diagnosed you. "What? Azi, I'm fine. Again, just got a little waterlogged there is all." You laughed.

"Oh please. You’ve been out in that dreadful weather all day, haven’t you? Honestly, you must take better care of yourself."

"All week actually." Crowley corrected and Aziraphale’s gasp of horror was so genuine it almost made you laugh again, despite another scratchy tickle building in your throat.

"All week? Oh, my dear! No wonder you look absolutely done in! Crowley, how could you let this happen?"

"Let this happen?" Crowley repeated with brows furrowed. "What, am I supposed to follow her around with an umbrella? She's a big girl, Angel. She makes her own terrible decisions."

You opened your mouth to protest, but another cough bubbled up before you could form the words. Crowley smirked, clearly enjoying the validation of his point. Aziraphale shot him a withering glare before patting your hand protectively.

"Well, if you're going to follow her around regardless it wouldn't hurt to be prepared!"

"I'm sorry what?"

"Oh, never mind," Aziraphale quieted down softly, his voice taking on its usual warm, soothing tone as he turned his attention back to you. "You're here now, and I'll make sure you're properly cared for. You'll not go running about in the rain again while you're under this roof, do you understand?"

You began to muster some argument, but your voice seemed to come out hoarse again. "Azi, really, I'm fine. I think I just have a cold, if anything."

"Nonsense," he said again, his gentle smile doing nothing to mask the resolve in his voice. "When it comes to humans, even a sniffle left unchecked can turn into all sorts of unpleasant things. Rest now, and let me handle everything. It'll be quite nice, you'll see!"

"But-"

You were interrupted again when he began fussing with the blanket he'd draped over your shoulders. "Are you warm enough for now? I can fetch another blanket if need be." Then, a fittingly angelic sounding jingle, like that of a bell, sounded from the bookshop's backroom and he stood up tall. "Oh! That would be the tea! You stay put and I'll be right back!"

After Aziraphale bustled off again toward the backroom, you allowed yourself to sink deeper into the armchair with a groan, feeling the warmth of the blankets start to seep into your thoroughly chilled bones.

The smell of brewing tea began wafting through the shop and Crowley plopped himself into one of its many mismatched chairs, his long legs crossed as he pushed his sunglasses down just enough to peer over them at you.

"You know," he drawled lazily, "for someone who claims to be fine, you’re looking suspiciously weak-willed right now."

"Crowley!" Aziraphale's voice called from out of sight. "Be nice!" He scolded but Crowley just grinned.

You rolled your eyes, but there was no real energy behind it. You were more worried about inconveniencing Aziraphale at the moment.

"But that's what you get for running around like a daft tourist, aye?"

You let out a small laugh despite yourself, though it quickly dissolved into another small cough. Maybe you were a little worse off then you originally thought.

Crowley leaned back in his chair, clearly pleased with himself, but before he could continue his teasing, Aziraphale returned, carrying a single tea cup and saucer to you with a sense of urgency that would have led anyone to believe it was the cure for cancer.

"Here you are," He began, setting it on your lap before gently guiding your hands to the saucer and handle, as if worried you didn't have the strength to hold it on your own. "Drink this, dear. It'll do you good. Chamomile with a bit of honey. It's quite soothing.".

"Aziraphale..." You sighed, your resolve slowly caving as you took a sip.

"Good, good," Aziraphale said, "Now, you’ll stay here for the night of course, won’t you? No need to rush off anywhere."

"I really couldn’t impose—"

"Nonsense," he interrupted again with his word of the day, waving off your protest with a flutter of his hand. "You’re not going anywhere in this weather, not while you’re under the weather yourself. I'll fetch you some night clothes and once you've finished your tea we'll get you straight to bed."

"To bed???" You groaned and Crowley nearly snorted, slapping his knee.

"Excited to play nurse again, are we, Angel?"

"Perhaps I am." Aziraphale nodded, "But with only the most honest intentions in mind, of course." He assured you. "I look forward only to seeing you back in tip-top shape! Now, drink up, and I'll arange the guest room~"

~

I'd like for this to have 3 chapters, but that will depend entirely on my ability to deliver...

[sweetbuckybarnes]

Begin Again

Pairings: Colin Bridgerton + Penelope Featherington

Summary: A twist on Episode 4. What if Colin didn’t stop the proposal in time?

Main Masterlist | Albums Masterlist | Red Album

*Spoilers for Season 3 Part 1*

Took a deep breath in the mirror, he didn't like it when I wore high heels, but I do.

Colin rushed to the ball as quickly as his horse would carry him. He had to stop Penelope's pending engagement, she couldn't marry Debling when his heart yearned for her.

He practically flung himself off his horse and made his way into the ball, only to see Debling down on one knee in front of Penelope. He was too late.

He watched as Portia Featherington near enough pushed her daughter into the Lord's arms. It was done.

She was soon to be Lady Debling.

"I am sorry I was too late, Pen," he whispers to himself, watching from the wall as Penelopes head turned and caught his eye. Her eyes were just like his own, heartbroken and grieving that possible life they could have had.

Turn the lock and put my headphones on, he always said he didn't get this song. But I do, I do.

Violet Bridgerton waited to in the drawing room, waiting for Colin to come back home. Oh, how she hoped he wasn't too late. She know he would never recover if Penelope married another, and in turn, it would break hers. She never liked seeing any of her children upset - but whenever Colin was upset, it broke her heart tenfold (he was so much like his father, it made her yearn for her dearly departed Edmund).

The sound of the door slamming shut brought her away from her musings. "Colin? Is that you, dearest?" She made her way to the entrance, and that's when she was her son, out of breath.

No. He wasn't out of breath, he was gasping for air.

It hadn't gone well.

"Mama," he whispers, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. Oh, no. Her worst fears were just confirmed. He was too late. "She... she..."

"Oh, Colin. My darling," she hurried over to her son and wrapped him into her arms as best she could - but he crumbled into a ball on the floor, gasping and sobbing.

She awkwardly manoeuvred them so he could be sitting in her lap (he was far too old and big for this) and brought his head to her heart. "Wh- Why didn't I-I see her so-sooner?" He cried, gripping onto the front of her dress.

Violet could feel the tears welling up in her own eyes. Out of all of her children, Colin was the most sensitive. He always wore his heart on his sleeve, always making sure his younger siblings were entertained whilst also grieving his father. She couldn't imagine what he was going through, the idea of her not having married Edmund destroyed her.

"What is going on?" Anthony asked, coming down the stairs of Bridgerton House, obviously on a late night food search for pregnant Kate. Following him was Eloise. She sometimes came down in the middle of the night looking for a glass of milk.

"Penelope got engaged tonight," Violet said gently. No matter how she had said it, it would have still caused the violent sobs to leave her third son.

Before Anthony married Kate, he wouldn't have known what it would feel like to miss out on the love of ones life. But, now? It gutted him over the idea of not having Kate by his side for the rest of his life.

"Brother. Colin, I am ever so sorry," Anthony tells him resting a hand on his brother's quivering shoulder.

Eloise looked at her family, seriously questioning why her brother was so upset over Penelope getting engaged. He was only helping her get to this point.

"Wasn't this the main goal of you helping her?" She asked.

"Eloise!" Anthony exclaimed.

"Your brother is in love with Penelope, he went to the ball to offer her his hand."

Eloise blinked a few times, looking at her brother. It's not like Penelope felt... the... same. Flashes went through her head of balls and social events from the past two seasons. It was all there as clear as day. Penelope adored Colin.

But, now she was set to marry Lord Debling.

And her brother was sitting on the floor of Bridgerton House, crying his heart out.

And you throw your head back laughin' like a little kid. I think it's strange that you think I'm funny 'cause he never did!

The next morning, Eloise was awake as the sun rose, joining her mother, Anthony and Kate at the breakfast table - trying to eat as much food as physically possible before calling hours start. At the rate she was eating - she could have put Colin to shame.

"Eloise, you must breathe between your bites," Violet tells her daughter.

"I cannot. I must get to the Featherington's before Lord Debling."

Violet gasped happily. "Are you going to see Penelope?" She clasps her hands in front of her.

"I must! I cannot watch Penelope marry that... that..." the word 'fool' was said by Kate (however this was in place of a less dignified word mutter by Anthony). "Fool! When she is so obviously mad for Colin!"

"She is?"

The timid voice of the third son drew the families attention away from the breakfast table. There stood Colin Bridgerton, his eyes bleary from no sleep (they were also red-rimed from crying most of the night). He was still dressed in his clothes from yesterday but currently had his goose down cover wrapped around his shoulders like a security blanket.

"How about," Violet said, getting up from her seat. "You get changed, and you can go over to the Featherington's with Eloise?"

You said you never met a girl who has as many James Taylor records as you, but I do. We tell stories and you don't know why, I'm comin' off a little shy, but I do.

It had been a quiet morning in the Featherington household, Penelope enjoyed it when it was this quiet. Not shouting sisters, no demanding mother.

Portia was sitting with a cup of tea awaiting on the arrival of Lord Debling, as she was ready to marry off her final daughter. Penelope sat on the other sofa, reading one of her new books Emma, the same anonymous author who wrote Pride and Prejudice.

The book was just getting to the best part, when a knock on the Featherington door interrupted their silence. "That will be Lord Debling, put your book away," Portia demands, pulling a face over the simple word - 'book'.

Mrs. Varley curtsied to the two women. "Miss Eloise is here to see Miss Penelope."

"Eloise? Eloise is here to see me?" Penelope asks Varley. The woman nodded. "May I go see Eloise in the garden, mama?"

Portia sighed and waved her youngest away, it may be a while before Lord Debling arrives.

But you start to talk about movies, that your family watches every single Christmas. And I want to talk about that, and for the first time, what's past is past.

Penelope hurried out of the Featherington drawing room, and making her way to the garden. Where she saw her blue dressed best friend.

"Eloise!" Penelope called. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She made her way over to her best friend, has she come to forgive her? That's when she noticed the second person in the garden. Colin. "Oh. Good morning, Mr. Bridgerton."

Colin seemed to shrink in a little on himself. He hated it when she called him 'Mr. Bridgerton', he knew it was customary, they aren't married. But he wants them to be.

"Good morning, Penelope," Eloise greets. Looking between her brother and (possibly former?) best friend. "Are the rumours true? Will you be marrying Lord Debling?"

That was one thing Penelope always admired about Eloise, she never beat around the bush. "I will. It will make mama happy and I will finally be free from her," she heard a whimper like sound escape from the vicinity of Colin. "Are you alright?"

"What if you have another offer?" He asks, staring out at the garden, not daring to turn around and face Penelope.

"Another offer, what are you talking about, Colin?" She asks. "This is exactly what we had been working towards all season. I did not think enlisting you help would also mean you would be telling me who I can and can not marry. You are not my father nor my brother."

It seemed Colin bristled a little at her worse. "What if I have feelings for you?"

Penelope made a noise of disbelief. "Do not say things you do not mean."

"But I do," he turned in his seat to look at her. Penelope looked just as miserable as he did - over the idea of marrying Lord Debling. "I have thought of nothing and no one but you since I came back."

Penelope looked at him with big eyes. Was this actually happening? Her two blue eyes bounced back and forth between Colin's, then she happened to glance over at Eloise. Her face said everything her mouth didn't. She needed to tell Colin about Whistledown.

"There is something I have been keeping from you. It is the reason Eloise and I fell out the way we did."

Colin steps forward and cups Penelope's face with one of his hands. "Nothing could ever change how much I adore you."

She let out a sigh, after her words, he would never look at her the same. "Lady Whistledown is me."

He blinks repeatedly, his hand felling from her cheek and to her shoulder. "I beg your pardon, Pen?"

"I'm Lady Whistledown."

I've been spending the last eight months, thinkin' all love ever does is break, and burn, and end. But on a Wednesday in a café, I watched it begin again.

Colin collapsed back onto the stone seat, making sure he still had hold of one of Penelope's hands. Pen, his Pen, is Lady Whistledown. He could not deny he did wonder whether she had some sort of role of influence on the gossip writer. Little did he know, the cruel woman was the woman he loves.

He looks from Penelope to his sister. "When did you find out?" He asks.

"At the Featherington's ball last season. I found one of her unpublished editions," Eloise didn't mention the money she had found.

He was silent again, as he absorbed the information. He then looked up and raised an eyebrow at the pair. "We could use Whistledown to our advantage," he says, a smirk growing on his face.

There was a similar smirk grew on Penelope's face. "Never did I think you would come to my way of thinking, Lord Whistledown."

"If you keep calling me that, your mama will have yo rush us to the altar."

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

Eloise pulls a face and turns away from the pair. Yes, those two are perfect for each other.

[ohthehypocrisy]

Post Season musings

Phew, I still can't believe Season 3 is over.

For those of you who don't know, I wrapped up Season 3 of my Pokemon Unite posts yesterday, and posted the Season Finale featuring a potential EX license for Zygarde. The Masterpost for Season 3 was also posted yesterday, you'll find it here. (Also, quick aside, I wanted to put in a short description for each one, but I ended up hitting the post text limit. I had to publish it without descriptions in order to fit within the text limit. I hate how empty it looks, ugh)

While I'm here, I can talk a bit about my experience writing Season 3. I'll try to make it brief.

In the Season 3 Masterpost, some of the posts are marked with an asterisk (which is this thing ->*). These are the pokemon that were wedged into the Season out of order for one reason or another.

Ditto was one of these spontaneous additions due to a sudden flash of inspiration on my part, as well as Uxie, Mesprit, & Azelf.

Ogerpon, Tatsugiri & Dondozo, and Palafin were added in to give the Season some Paldean flair, since it was lacking in Gen 9 representation. Ogerpon was a bit more deliberate considering the Teal Mask DLC had just been released around that time.

Wobbuffet was originally a scrapped pokemon, until I was inspired to rework the moveset into what it is now. I mentioned this at the end of the post.

Speaking of reworks, Luxray had a total overhaul of moves and abilities before it was published. Tropius was even supposed to be an All-Rounder before I changed it. Magnezone had a bit of retooling before it was published. Other than that, the other posts mostly retained their attacks and effects.

There are plenty of pokemon in the Season that many would call 'mid choices' and to that I say 'How dare you'. I know there are fans of Cacturne, Exploud, Castform, and especially Cradily out there and I know that they would enjoy the idea that other fans of pokemon want to see them added to Unite.

That said, a lot of these pokemon were victims of my egregious backlogging of posts. Some of these drafts were over half a year old before I finally published them. I won't deny that I was clearing out a bit of space...

At the start of the season, I had mentioned that I had plenty of posts finished and ready to go. This was to give me time and space to publish the Season posts in a timely manner. This lasted up until Obstagoon when I ran out of time and I didn't have the next post prepared.

I had to skip a week a few times just to give myself more time to finish these posts, which I didn't enjoy. I tried to keep these skipped weeks to a minimum, but it was really draining.

In case you're wondering, I'm still not all that settled in real life at the moment. I'm not exactly unemployed, but I don't have a lot of time to myself anymore. I don't regret working on this Season, but I am looking forward to an extended break on my end.

Now, as for the upcoming Season 4, I did say I'm gonna take a break and focus on other things. I will still be here to post about Pokemon Unite, make some more polls even. Maybe I can even get my creative muscles working and propose a short thought experiment. Who knows what'll happen from here on out.

I will be taking more time to get Season 4 ready, though. I want at least half of the drafts finished and ready for publishing before I start again. First things first, though, I need a break. Of course, knowing my hyperfixations, I'm probably gonna make more posts for more pokemon in the meantime. I can't help it, what can you do?

Until then, I'll be leaving you all with this hint for Season 4. Here'es a sneak peek at peak. Make sure you follow for when Season 4 comes out.

See you in the future...

[bookishzelda]

Forehead Kiss (Flufftober Bingo)

Prompt 4 of the @flufftober card

Hey did you guys know there’s almost no fanfiction on the internet for Edmond from Harvest Moon? I guess I’ve gotta do everything around here (pls I'm just kidding, I love all the Edmond lovers out there even though there are few)

Forehead Kiss

Edmond x Farmer OC

Cassandra pushed open the door to the farmhouse—had it gotten heavier lately?—and  leaned against the doorframe. Edmond looked up from his book, flashing his dazzling smile. “Hello, my love,” he said. “I haven’t seen you all day; have you been busy?”

Cassandra heaved a sigh as she closed the door behind her. “Busy is putting it mildly. The change of a season is always tough.”

“Ah, yes, it is the first of summer, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, and that means there was a whole field to clear of dead crops, and till, and plant seeds for the summer. And then the Harvest Goddess wanted me to bring her something from the forest, and I couldn’t say no to her….” She collapsed on the couch beside her husband. “I might sleep in tomorrow.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” he said, setting his book aside and wrapping his arms around her.

Cassandra, suddenly self-conscious, pulled away from him. “Honey, I’m all dirty.”

“Doesn’t matter,” he said, placing his hands behind her head to keep her still. Cassandra blushed as his blue eyes roamed over her, covered in soil and sweat. Even after nearly three years of being together, Edmond still looked at her as if it was the first time he had laid eyes on her. His silver hair glistened in the setting sun that shone through the window, and the sweet, herbal scent that always clung to him wafted to her nose, combining with the musk that she had built up from her day of farm work.

“Why don’t you rest here while I go run you a bath?” Edmond suggested.

Cassandra thought she might melt at the thought. “That sounds lovely. Thank you.”

“Of course, my princess. And I’ll make some herbal tea when you’re finished.” He softly brushed aside her bangs and pressed a kiss to her forehead, paying no attention to the field dust that clung to her face. Cassandra gave a small, contented sigh at the feeling of his lips on her skin.

When he pulled back, she looked up to see his brow furrowed. “And I hope you do take some extra time to sleep tomorrow, my flower. I hate to see you so exhausted. I can take care of the watering and the animals tomorrow.”

“I’m okay,” she insisted with a smile.

“You need a day off. Everything will be just fine if you take a little time to yourself. Promise me?”

“Okay,” she said, laying her hand on his. “I promise. Thank you.”

“It is I who should be thanking you,” Edmond said. “You do so much for the farm, and for the whole island, and for me. I can never show you enough gratitude for the work you put into our life together.” He stood up after a final caress on her cheek and crossed the house to the tiny bathroom.

As the sound of running water began, and Cassandra stretched out over the couch, working her aching muscles, she mused over how lucky she was to have this man as her husband. His soft voice, his gentle hands, and the tender way in which he cared for her were always there to remind her how much she loved him. He was the only man in the world to her, and even after a long day in the fields like this one, she knew it would all be worth it when she could fall into his waiting arms.

The smell of lavender and roses wafted across the room as Edmond reappeared, surrounded by steam from the bath. Cassandra propped herself up to stand, but he quickly slid his arms under her back and legs, scooping her into a bridal carry. She laughed. “Honey, my legs still work.”

“Yes, but this is more fitting for a princess, wouldn’t you agree?” he said with a small smirk.

“By the Harvest Goddess,” she muttered, hiding her reddened cheeks in his shoulder. He carried her into the bathroom and set her down gently on her feet.

“I’ll leave you alone,” he said, his gentle fingers working out the braid in her hair. “Take your time and relax. I infused the water with a healing enchantment, so you should feel the tension melt away after awhile.”

“Oh, that’s sweet. Thank you.”

“I’ll have the tea ready when you’re through. I hope you enjoy your night.” A final kiss on her forehead, and he was gone, leaving her in the quiet of the warm bathroom.

As Cassandra shed the rest of her clothes and lowered herself into the hot water, feeling the enchantment work through her tense muscles, there was only one thought on her mind.

Oh, how she loved him.

[helluvascribe]

Season Finale - Rolando Infests Verosika Part 4

A golden blast shot at Rolando’s side, causing him to shriek in pain. His flesh began to sizzle, and the parasites wiggled and flinched at the sudden light.

“GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY PARTY SHIT SUCKER!”

“Bee?!” Vortex lifted up his face.

It was Beelzebub…a very angry one. She was tall and skeleton-slender, still wearing her party outfit, but looking very different. She had six arms, six legs, and her face was no longer like a golden Hellhound-fox. It was black and in a fly shape, her eyes large and red with many lenses on them…and horrific red pinchers flanking her mouth of sharp teeth. Her hair and tail were now red flames.

Rolando let go of Loona and Verosika, morphing into black goo. Bee in her monstrous fly form, dove down and caught Loona and Verosika before they hit the ground. She landed and gently placed the two by Blitzo and Vortex.

Beelzebub shifted down to her tall demon form with her golden fox face and extra eyes on her face. Her shining golden hair and giant form made her stand out against the gloomy atmosphere.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, laying her giant hands on all four of their foreheads. Instantly, the black parasites disintegrated, and their heads began to clear. Vortex’s wounds were healed.

Beelzebub shifted back into her regular form, hovering with her bee-like wings.

Vortex groaned and smiled up at Bee. “You saved us!”

Bee kissed Vortex on the cheek. “Thank goodness you’re alright!”

Verosika opened her eyes and barely got a scream out before something black slammed into her head.

“Bee?” Loona asked as she began to wake up.

“I’m right here, cutie,” Bee said.

“About time,” Blitzo remarked.

The imp looked around. “Hey, where’s Verosika?”

Verosika sat upright suddenly, her eyes glowing yellow. Everyone turned to look.

“I guess this is goodbye, Blitzo!” she mused, turning her face sideways to grin at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Blitzo said, raising his fists. “It’s time to fuck up that fish once and for…”

But possessed Verosika didn’t fight. She promptly flew away.

There was an awkward silence.

“The fuck?” asked Loona.

0 0 0

“Hello Verosika.”

The succubus gasped as she blinked awake.

“Who’s there?”

She looked down and saw she was chained to a chair in a dark movie theater.

“Your worst nightmare,” the voice answered. An aquatic demon appeared in front of her, giving her a lecherous look.

“I really enjoyed your concerts and your music,” he mentioned. “Seems you and your crew are still experts with love and seduction.”

“What are you and why am I here?” Verosika glared, still trying to wake herself up.

“While your kind feeds off of lust and love, I feed off the opposite: fear and insecurity. And I can sense that under your playgirl persona, you have a bunch.”

“My fears are none of your business, sicko!” she seethed.

Rolando chuckled. “Well, they actually kind of are, now that you’re stuck in your mind…literally.”

Verosika looked around and saw curtains parting to reveal a screen.

“T-this is my mind?”

“Your memories will show up on screen there,” he mentioned. “And all I gotta do is relax as I watch you suffer.”

He propped up on a chair behind her, popcorn in his hand.

“3…2…1…” appeared on the screen as Verosika’s memories flashed before her eyes.

0 0 0 0 0

Born in the Lust Ring, Verosika Mayday didn’t remember too much about her parents, but she remembered them teaching her how to be a seductive succubus from the very beginning. As she grew up, she found she had a natural talent for singing.

Verosika first released single songs to start gaining followers and to practice her skills. She soon put out her first EP and then an album several months later. Despite the competition, she felt like she was born for the pop star role. Indeed, as a succubus, she already had a natural advantage to sway the masses of demons and humans alike, singing charming lustful and catchy songs that got fans ogling after her wherever she went. Asmodeus was so impressed with her talent that he allowed her and her crew of incubi and succubi to travel to Earth to spread lust so more humans would enter Hell. Verosika was more than happy to promote Ozzie’s dinner theater sex-themed club and sing her songs to the delight of demons of many kinds.

0 0 0

Blitzo and Verosika dated for several years. They posed for pictures together at various parties in Pride and Lust. They drank together and shared their stories. Blitzo loved her music and her looks and Verosika could appreciate him starting his own business and being a leader. Plus, she had to admit, he looked pretty hot in leather and cowboy attire.

Events eventually led to one dirty session at a motel when Blitzo followed Verosika on tour. They had rough wild sex, and Blitzo had told her in a stupor to “ride him like a cowboy’s horse,” which she gladly did.

In the morning, Verosika groaned from her hangover. She sat up and moved next to Blitzo. They had been dating for so long, she was ready to tell him her true feelings.

She took a deep breath and looked him in the eyes.

“Blitz…I love you.”

But Blitzo froze. He didn’t reciprocate. In his mind, he panicked. ‘Every time I get too close to others…I only let them down…or worse…they get hurt and die…’

Scenes of losing his mother, Barbie and Fizz flashed through his mind. He couldn’t watch her get hurt because of his actions, too.

“No, no, I can’t do this.” Blitzo stuttered. He had to leave.

Verosika stared in confusion as Blitzo stood up.

“Wait…what do you mean? You love me too, right?”

Blitzo sighed. “Yes…very much. But…I don’t think we should be together.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“I’m not good at getting too close, kay?” he said. “I have to leave before I make things worse.”

“Then let me come with you…”

“No, I need to go on my own.”

“Are you still drunk? Are you seriously thinking of breaking up with me JUST after a fantastic time last night?!”

Blitzo somberly nodded, packing his things.

“Hey, don’t you fucking leave me!”

Blitzo didn’t say a word. He stared with wide eyes at Verosika’s silver credit card and another platinum one she had gotten for her music.

‘That’s enough for months of horse-riding lessons in Wrath!’ Blitzo thought in excitement. ‘My dream come true…truly free!’

In one motion, he swiped all her cards and jumped into the car.

Verosika stared at her empty purse…and then at Blitzo making a getaway. She stormed out of the room.

“WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!”

“Getting ready to live my dream life!” Blitzo called with a laugh.

“GET BACK HERE YOU CHEATING PRICK! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THE ROOM?”

“NOT MY PROBLEM, BITCH! SEE YA!” Blitzo waved, the engine revved and he sped away, leaving Veorsika screaming, broke and distraught.

Verosika had to work several bartender jobs, modeling and releasing more songs to get her money back.

‘Always the same with men and imps,’ Verosika scoffed. ‘They’re only after your money and the promise of fame.’

Verosika…feeling heartbroken by Blitzo, but not fully ready to let him go, opted to get her Blitzo heart tattoo crossed out with a black X instead of removing it.

Verosika drank and drank in her depression, until the Beelzejuice sent her into rehab. Fortunately for her, she got released early due to her fame. “I’m not a sad loser wash-up after all,” she stated. Though she did remember sharing stories and some pleasures with Barbie Wire, Blitzo’s sister.

“Yeah, I hate him too,” Barbie had said in rehab. “You’re here for drinking, right? I was sent here for my H-8 addiction. Love your songs by the way.”

“Thank you,” Verosika smiled as they kissed. “Not many people know just how easy it is to give in and lose yourself like that.”

“Well don’t lose yourself too much,” Barbie said. “Unless you want us to get in trouble for even closer contact.”

Verosika snickered. “I’d be happy to give you a pleasant time from yours truly. Just be sure to buy my albums and stay out of trouble.”

“Sounds like a deal,” Barbie grinned as they kissed and moaned.

“Someone get Verosika out of here,” said some of the incubi and succubi crew members and some of the Sloth Ring hospital nurses. “I don’t think rehab worked quite the way we thought it would.”

0 0 0

Veorsika and her crew remembered “sucking pig dick” back on Earth. It was utterly disgusting, listening to the prisoners leer and groan as she and her crew disguised as humans had to heed to their commands. The demons were saved by Asmodeus, when he rescued them and took them back to Hell.

Verosika was humiliated by Blitzo once again. Just when she had set up a nice recording studio and got a parking spot, Blitzo had to take that from her, too. Why couldn’t he see how much of a selfish prick he was?

0 0 0

Verosika soon threw anti-Blitzo parties every year to dedicate a day for people to hate on him. Blitzo had cheated and hurt many demons and Verosika hosting the parties allowed the community to bond and share their stories. It was like a cross between therapy and Halloween fun.

But even the parties didn’t help completely. Though Verosika could help others, she still had to work on letting Blitzo go. Despite all they had been through, she wished Blitzo luck on his journey to become a better person.

As for her…she would learn to move on and continue her own pursuits like she always did.

0 0 0

“Unholy shit! Fu…” Blitzo yelled, he and Loona both fearful. Blitzo rapidly turned the wheel, and the horn sounded. He slammed on the brakes and the van skidded to a stop. The pink car had a red heart with gold trim on the back and a golden border. The license plate read “SUCK-4-LIFE.” The wheels had small white hearts on the dark inside, white rims surrounding them.

An angry Blitzo rolled his head and turned off the radio.

Oh, you “suck for life,” do ya?!” he asked as he glared at the car. He pulled out his white megaphone and leaned out the window.

“Listen up, you unoriginal pink cum dump!” he yelled through the megaphone. “You have three goddamn seconds to get your tits out of my parking spot!”

A pair of tall high heels lowered to the ground. The shoes were black with pink hearts on them. The figure wore black tight pants with three pink xs on the side. She wore a black and white dress, a black star on the lower half and a large X and O over her breasts. A sparkly light pink fluffy coat covered her shoulders. Her face was dark pink, and a black choker was around her neck. She had a pointed tail, little bat wings and curved pink horns with a few black stars on them. Her hair was long and pinkish white, and sunglasses with pink hearts on them obscured her eyes.

Blitzo lowered his megaphone in shock at the sight of the familiar succubus.

“Oh shit! Verosika?!”

The succubus blew a bubble of pink gum before it popped.

“Blitzo,” she greeted, arms folded. She had pronounced the “o” on purpose to annoy Blitzo.

Blitzo glared. “I should have known you’d be here. I could smell fish for miles. Which is odd because I believe the nearest ocean is…”

Blitzo fell out through the window, face-planting onto the ground. He quickly stood up, pointing at the ground, “…three Rings down!” He was referring to the Ring of Envy where the oceanic ruler Leviathan resided.

“And I should have known you’d be here when I heard the Amber Alerts,” Verosika retorted. She held a white and brown flask bottle in her left hand. It was decorated with a small red and white heart near the top.

“Oh yeah?” he asked. “I’m surprised they let your fat ass outta rehab. I can see you’re still a drunken whore, clutching onto that Beelzejuice juice bottle like it’s the last cock in Hell!”

“They let me out because I’m still famous,” Verosika bragged, flipping back her long hair dramatically, “and rehab is for sad, loser wash-ups.”

She took a drink from her bottle and wiped her black lipstick mouth with a gloved white thumb.

“So, your sister says ‘Hi,’” she smirked.

Blitzo stomped over toward Verosika. “Why are you parkin’ here?” he growled. “This is the only parking spot my company has! So take your tampon race car somewhere else!”

Verosika leaned slightly toward him. “Actually, prick…it has my name on it.”

She pointed down at their feet, where “Verosika” and a heart was spray painted in purple over the previous black “I.M.P.”

Verosika stood up. “I’m doing a bit of freelance for one of the infinitely more successful companies in the building…”

“No way,” Loona breathed as she peered from the van.

“…and they wanted to have me come in this week to lead their team during spring break.”

“A week?!” Blitzo exclaimed loudly. “No, no, you are not parking here for a fucking week!”

Verosika removed her sunglasses, revealing pink irises with yellow sclera.

“Aw, you mad, Blitzo?” she cooed in a mocking tone. “You gonna run off, leaving someone else to pay for the hotel room, steal their car…”

Verosika and Blitzo talked over each other, “…and run three Rings to Wrath and back and max my credit cards on shitty horse-riding lessons?!”

Blitzo stomped his foot. “God dammit whore, you will not let that go!”

Verosika walked past him, showing a middle finger. “Choke on a sandpaper cock.”

Loona lowered her head as she walked by. Blitzo angrily followed Verosika.

“Hold on! You better move that pussy wagon right now or I’m gonna…”

Blitzo froze as he heard a low growling sound behind him. Towering over him was a beefy dark gray Hellhound man. He wore a torn black jacket decorated with red spikes along the shoulders. A black tattoo of a wolf with sharp teeth and a tongue out was on his left shoulder. He had thick eyebrows, torn pointed ears, a black nose and a scar over his milky left eye. His right eye was red.

“You’ll what?” he grunted, showing his sharp white teeth.

Blitzo stuttered and looked around, fearfully. “Or I’ll…um…I’ll…I’ll call HR!”

Blitzo, Verosika and the Hellhound burst into sudden laughter like a sitcom before they calmed down.

“Anyway,” said Verosika, “Meet my new Hellhound, Vortex. Unlike you, he actually does his job well.”

Vortex walked by Verosika’s side as she left. She flipped off Blitzo again before saying, “Ta ta, fuck stain.”

“Ugh, I wasted so much time with a bag of holes like that,” Blitzo muttered in annoyance.

0 0 0

“All righty then,” Moxxie replied, pushing open one of the blue doors and going inside. Electronic music briefly sounded from inside the room. The room had been converted into a dimly lit recording studio, with mixing consoles, effects units, microphones and separate booths. The neon pink border of light just under the ceiling gave it a club-like atmosphere, as did the rows of beer bottles on the counters. The silhouettes of Moxxie, Verosika and her gang of demons were visible from a large glass window.

“Hello Miss Verosika was it?” Moxxie asked, his eyes golden and glowing. “I work for Imp and it is actually rather important for us to retain the singular parking space we were assigned because…”

A woman succubus with a bob of hair pointed at Moxxie. “Aw, look at the little one. He’s got a wittle bow tie!” The gang snickered.

“Please don’t condescend me, ma’am,” Moxxie replied. “I…”

A male incubi leaned uncomfortably close to Moxxie. “Wanna kissy, little guy?”

Moxxie repulsively stepped back. “A…A kind offer, but…I’m married.”

Verosika stepped forward as her hungry gang surrounded Moxxie. “Hey, why don’t you send a little message from me back to your limp-dick boss?”

Verosika and her gang hissed with sharp shadowy mouths over Moxxie. They morphed into monstrous dark forms with razor sharp teeth and glowing red eyes. The imp screamed “Don’t touch thaaaat!” Blitzo raced over and pressed both hands on the window pane in terror.

“Moxxie, do not let her access any of your holes!” he cried.

Moxxie raced back into the hall, his back against the closed doors. He was shaken and battered, with red lipstick kisses all over his face. He had almost been sexually assaulted.

“I…I gotta go lie down…now,” he stuttered as he walked away and collapsed.

Blitzo fumed, veins popping in his yellow eyes. “Oh this won’t stand!”

He boot-kicked both doors open, gaining the attention of his ex and her crew: Josh, Coco, Apple, Kat, Milky, Kiki, and Ace. There were other succubi and incubi with reddish pink skin, horns, pointed tails and small bat wings. A white-haired man wore a black collar with a black upside down cross around his neck. He wore a black short sleeved shirt with a red logo that read “burn forest burn” on it. His taller male partner wore a ripped black tank top with a circled X on it. His hair was black and he had a black goatee. Two demon women partners sat together as well. The first had long dark hair and wore a fishnet top and leggings. The white-haired succubi next to her wore short revealing overalls. Verosika stood poised in the middle.

“Alright, (censored)! That’s it!” Blitzo yelled, marching over toward Verosika. “If you’re gonna be shitty to my employees…” he pointed a finger at her, “…then I challenge you to a fucking…challenge!” He leaned his head back in frustration. “Fuck, I said that twice.”

The woman with long dark hair, Kiki chuckled. “Is this imp boy starting a demon duel?”

“I think he is,” Verosika replied with a snicker. She bent over toward the imp. “What’s the game then, Blitzo?”

“Every year, you STD spreaders go topside for easy pickings while spring break is a prime time for crime of all kinds!” Blitzo responded. He grinned, “So I bet…you succu-bitches can’t fuck as many people as we can off by the end of the day.” He briefly made a hand gesture of a gun.

Verosika and her gang burst into laughter. Blitzo glared in determination. Verosika and the others stopped laughing. “Oh, you’re serious?” Verosika asked. She leaned in and spoke to Blitzo in a low whisper, “Game on, bitch.”

0 0 0

The imps froze when they heard a voice through a microphone. It was Verosika Mayday on stage, in her human form. Her shadowy silhouette in the clearing smoke resembled her demon form. She had blonde hair, tan skin and wore black leggings and high heels. She wore a pink skirt and a matching frilly top that revealed her right shoulder. She had a small black heart on her right cheek. The background lights were pink, giving the appearance of moving hearts. “Verosika Mayday” was on a pink banner overhead. Verosika appeared on two screens on either side of the stage, showing moving hearts of red, pink and white for the background. Six pink spotlights shone on her.

“All right spring breakers! Y’all ready get fucked up and make some bitching bad choices?!”

The crowd cheered in affirmation. A white teen boy with short blonde hair tore off his shirt and yelled “Verosika!” He had her name written in pink on his bare chest.

Verosika sang her song:

“This is your final boarding call.

All aboard

Pack your bags

Sun’s out

Take a vacay babe

Take it straight to Bonetown”

“V-time, free time, baby relax

Self-care, no hair, Brazilian wax

Hardtop succu-bus to the beach

Catch some rays while catching some D”

“Pack your bags

Sun’s out

Take a vacay babe

Take it straight to Bonetown”

“Hot dog, hot bod, sausage and buns

Threesome, fivesome, having some fun

Back to my place, welcome to Hell

Sun’s out, hormones out, how does it smell?”

“Pack your bags

Sun’s out

Take a vacay babe

Take it straight to Bonetown”

Verosika performed her song on stage and took a drink from her bottle. “Fuck you Blitzo” appeared on the screens as Blitzo seethed. The humans made out with others around them. The humans kissed, hugged, and some gave each other anal. One dark woman succubus showed a love-struck man a popsicle with semen-like saliva on it. She grinned and threw herself onto the human male. An incubi with dark hair in human form smiled and snapped his fingers at a blonde man…his sunglasses fell off his surprised sunburned face. Several more succubi and incubi grinned and snuck up on the humans.

“Now, who wants a piece of this?” Verosika called as she took one last gulp.

She tossed her flask into the ocean, creating a small golden portal. A fish appeared, which rapidly grew in size.

Suddenly, a large gush of water rose up from behind them. A dark shadow passed over their faces, darkening the sky. The humans glanced up in shock. Even the demon gang and Verosika looked on in fear and surprise. It was eventually defeated by Millie.

“Blitzo!” Verosika called, pronouncing the ‘o’.

“Oh perfect,” he said sarcastically. He turned around to the human-disguised gang of seducer demons. “That must be the whores!”

Verosika was flanked by four succubi and an incubi disguised as humans. “That was handled rather…obvious, don’t you think?” She grinned a smug grin.

Millie held up Verosika’s flask. “I don’t think this belonged to any of us.”

Millie tossed the flask to Verosika who caught it with one hand. She dropped it into one of the succubus’ hands.

“Would be a shame if anyone found out you guys were behind a giant monster fish in the human world,” Millie added with a grin.

Even Moxxie laughed out loud, pointing at them. “Oh Satan! You all be so fucked!”

Verosika briefly looked concerned, then sneered. “Yeah, well you three nasty ass gremlins will be in shit for not being in disguises!”

Moxxie fell to his knees and face-planted into the sand. He lifted his head up. “A human called me a possum! I am not a possum!” He face-planted again.

Blitzo stepped forward and moved Moxxie out of the way with a foot. “You know, we could keep this little B movie scene on the down low if you agree to let us use that parking space.” Blitzo smirked in anticipation.

Verosika, not wanting to get in trouble, relented with a sigh. “Fine.”

Blitzo raised both arms in the air and laughed in triumph. “We fucking won!”

“Fuck yeah!” Millie cheered.

“In your face, bitch!” Blitzo taunted Verosika, who scowled.

She glared at Blitzo one last time. “Come on, let’s get out of here. Tex!”

Millie carried Moxxie and jumped into the portal.

“Come on, Loonie tooney!” Blitzo called to her. “Let’s go back and park our fat fucking car in our fat fucking space!” He ran off into the portal.

Loona followed Blitzo and fell through the portal on her back.

Blitzo mockingly gave Verosika double middle fingers through the portal from behind her. Verosika growled in anger after noticing. She and her gang made their way up the stairs and onto the street.

A policeman yelled through a megaphone, “Put your hands up, you sick deviants!”

The gang huddled in fear as guns were trained on them. They were surrounded by police cars, a SWAT team, men on horses and a helicopter. A clown and a mime robot were also with the police.

Verosika sighed in defeat. “Alright, sluts, get ready to suck a lot of pig dick.”

Her gang members groaned in disgust at the thought of doing oral with prisoners as they raised their hands in surrender.

0 0 0

Fizzarolli laughed and leaned in toward Blitzo’s face. Fizzarolli then grinned wider against Blitzo when a pink spotlight shone on the long haired Verosika. She held a microphone and wore her tank top, skirt, crossed x leggings and high heel shoes.

“Oh Blitz-o?” she cooed.

Then she began her mocking melody:

“I used to date him (date him, date him!)”

She waved her hips in a wide seductive manner.

Blitzo crossed his arms. “Oh, Verosika, you’re here.”

“I’d stroke and I’d fellate him (fellate him, fellate him!)”

She was referencing to when they got intimate, when she would stroke his dick and cum and please herself on top of him.

Verosika rolled on a table, boobs erect in the air as fans snapped pictures of her. Verosika basked in the attention under the pink spotlight; one imp had a jealous look on her face.

Verosika continued.

“Yeah, but when it was my turn (my turn, my turn!)”

He did no reciprocatin’ (what a dick-bag!)

Blitzo had felt too insecure to cum on top of her.

Verosika shoved Blitzo hard to the ground and backed him up against the wall.

“A selfish imp in the sheets!

And just as bad in the streets!

A reckless, heart-breaking freak!” she spat, getting in close to his face. Guilt and pain was etched onto his face.

0 0 0

“YOU’RE INVITED!!”  “Has Blitzo broken your fucking heart? Do you desire revenge and Halloween fun? Come on over to our Halloween party in the human world (located at 666 South Maple Avenue) for closure and to indulge in our shared hatred for that miserable fuckboy. Enjoy Blitzo body cake, Beelzejuice drinks, music and fun! Also featuring yours truly in concert! Hope to see you there. Verosika Mayday.”

Verosika handed out invitations to her anti-Blitzo party. Incubi and succubi flew off through the Lust Ring, handing out the invites or posting them online for more demons to see. Several succubi and incubi grinned with excitement and started to plan their Halloween costumes.

“I’m so gonna be a mermaid this year!”

“I’m thinking…high school cheerleader!”

“Haha! Witch, please!”

“How about…an angel. The goofy kind, not, you know…”

“That’s a great idea! There’s a spider shopkeeper that sells great sex toys, I bet he could weave up some outfits for us!”

“Me and my brother will make the Blitzo voodoo dolls! My mom’s side of the family comes from Envy.”

“You wanna come with us, too?”

“Nah. I much prefer Hell’s Halloween tradition of surprise-attacking the weaker ones and trick-or-treating for hearts and guts!”

“Your loss, buddy!”

“Hey, Ver,” said a succubus band member. “Where will it be at?”

“Me and my crew have been searching the mortal world and we found this nice mansion on a hill near a forest. The people are out for the night, so thankfully there will be no intervention needed. We got our Asmodean crystals ready for the portal. It begins after sundown.”

“I hear it’s a full moon, too! Extra spooky and special!”

“Hey, Verosika, girl! Great to hear from you! A party in the human world, very unique! I’ll send over some Beelzejuice for you, on the house!”

“Thanks, Bee! I think me and my crew have the perfect idea for the cake, hahahaha!”

“I’ll see you soon, Ver. The band equipment is working, and the stage will soon be set up.”

“Thanks, Tex, I know I can always count on you!”

The invitations spread far and wide throughout the Rings. Several goat demons with candles on their heads peered at theirs with curiosity from the Sloth Ring. Hellhounds from Gluttony howled in excitement and gathered bags of candy and alcoholic drinks.

Blitzo spotted a mansion in the distance up on a hill with two moving pink spotlights. He pulled up to the front. The mansion was made of stones and had several pink tinted windows. Spiderwebs laced the roofs, and five bats dotted the windows. Jack-o-lanterns, headstones and alcohol bottles lined the lawn. Orange strings of lights looped over the bushes near the van.

Blitzo got out, sighing deeply and lowering his head as he snuck inside. The candles lining the steps glowed eerily as he went in.

Up on the ceiling, torn red banners gave the place a haunted house feel. Strings of lights dotted red and purple crisscrossed near the wooden beams and ceiling. Round lights and pink spotlights danced in time with Halloween party music being played. Spotlights blinked from pink, to teal, to orange as disco balls spun around. Neon ghosts with “Boo!” near them in a thought bubble were on display on the walls above. Headstones on a table read “RIP this dip,” and “Here lies dip.” Torn streamers hung like curtains in the open doorways.

It looked like any ordinary Halloween party, but with several differences. An array of demons danced and drank and chatted naturally in their casual clothing. Imps, incubi, succubi, Sloth Ring goats, Hellhounds, and many other types were all together in the space. Several demons wore costumes of their own: an angel, a dinosaur, a white dress, and a cheerleader.

The decorations exemplified the crowds’ hatred for Blitzo ruining their lives in various stages. Hanging paper pumpkins read “Fuck Blitzo,” and a pinata was shaped like a dead Blitzo with xs on his eyes and a noose around its neck. “BLITZO, MORE LIKE SHITZO” was painted on the walls in neon green. In more neon green paint was a Blitzo with xs for eye and a knife in his forehead. “Smells like piss,” “c*nt,” and “loser,” were written next to it. Broken hearts with arrows were also on a wall near broken mirrors.

Several demons wore shirts and jackets that read “I H8 Blitzo,” “Fuck Blitzo,” and “Blitzo, Kill Yourself,” “Die Blitzo Die,””Blitzo sucks ass,” “F U Blitzo,” “Shitzo,” and “Blitzo Hater.” A large neon broken heart glowed from upstairs.

Stolas strolled carefully through the crowd, hearing distant screaming and glass breaking. Once again, the lonely owl felt out of place at another party. He walked toward a wall where two succubi were making out. On the wall was a cardboard target of a dead Blitzo with xs for the eyes and an ax and a knife in it.

Stolas sighed and poured himself a drink into a red cup. The bottle had a wailing ghost on it.

“The one day a year the spirits can rise amongst the living and it’s spent celebrating mutual pettiness.”

“Uh, what?” barked an incubus dressed like a sailor. He had a Blitzo head treat on his fork and an anchor tattoo.

Stolas chuckled nervously. “Oh! Nothing! I was talking to myself.”

“Cool, man, I wish I was you,” he drawled sarcastically before walking away.

Stolas sighed and gulped down his drink. The horned and winged shadows of demons swayed in the changing light. Stolas folded his arms and leaned against the wall.

Verosika Mayday swayed happily though the crowd, holding a bottle of honey-like Beelzejuice alcohol from Beelzebub, the partying ruler of the Gluttony Ring. Verosika wore long torn white pants with a crossed out pink heart on them. She had a short black top that exposed part of her breasts in an oval cut in the middle. She wore a spiky collar, a spiky black belt, fingerless gloves, and high heel black boots with pink xs on them. A red heart tattoo with Blitzo’s name on it had a black X over it on her arm. She had her long white hair in a thick ponytail, her pink heart tail, and pink horns with black stars on them. Small black heart tattoos dotted her cheek and belly button.

She took a swig of her drink. She then glanced over.

“Helllooo freshest ex! Stolas!”

She happily walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Stolas stood agape.

“How’re you doing, baby, you holding up okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Stolas replied. “I felt it rude not to stop by. I don’t get invited out much, but I really shouldn’t stay long.”

“Well, I’m glad you could make it, honey,” Verosika smiled, as they clinked their cups together. Verosika gulped down her drink as Stolas watched the demons dancing. One demon wearing a blue suit held up a voodoo doll of Blitzo and another demon stabbed it with a knife.

“Well, this certainly beats the last Earth party I attended on Hallows Eve,” remarked Stolas.

Stolas took another gulp of his drink when Verosika put a hand on his shoulder, smirking evilly.

“Speaking of cake, you wanna slice it?!”

She pulled Stolas over to the prized food of the party.

“Ohhh…erugh,” Stolas muttered in utter disgust. The cake was shaped like Blitzo’s dead body, with a bloodstained ax in his forehead and five arrows in his chest. A spike jutted through his arm and his eyes were xs, a tongue out. Black frosting appeared like black demon blood.

“I like to start at the neck,” Verosika whispered sinisterly, holding a knife. She hovered over the cake. “Or the dick.”

“Euurgh,” Stolas flinched.

“You’re right,” said Verosika. “Nobody wants his dick, anyway.”

She stabbed the cake crotch area rapidly like a psychotic Psycho killer.

“I-I think I’m content without slicing any of it,” Stolas stuttered, disturbed.

Verosika turned to him with open arms. “Well, live it up, baby, you are with friends here.” She raised her knife proudly. “Fuck Blitzo in the fucking ass!” The crowd cheered and raised their fists.

Verosika shrieked and laughed manically as she sliced the cake neck with her knife and put the Blitzo head onto her plate. Stolas noted all the drinks on the table near the cake, with a note that said, “Have fun! – Bee,” from Beelzebub.

Blitzo popped up among a crowd of demons gathered outside. Several demons held a torn purple flag on a stick with his icon crossed out. A red goat with wings, a candle on his forehead and a 69 shirt was throwing darts at a paper drawing of a dead Blitzo. The drawing had “U suk!” “F u Blitzo!” and “Here,” with red arrows pointing to his crotch area. The goat landed a dart at the crotch target and the crowd cheered. A yellow goat with a snake tail and a teal candle wore a “Blitzo sucks ass” shirt. A tall succubus with a witch hat, a short black skirt and tall black boots burned a life-like Blitzo plushie tied at the stake. More cheering.

Verosika shrieked and laughed manically, holding a microphone as Stolas stood with uncertainty in the crowd.

“Oh shit,” Blitzo ducked.

Next to Verosika on a stage was her dark gray muscular hellhound bodyguard Vortex. His arms were folded, left eye blind with a scar on it, and wore torn black clothing. A black roaring Hellhound tattoo was on his left arm. Among spotlights and strings of lights were red curtains with grinning pumpkins on them and “BLITZO SUCKS” in yellow letters. Verosika grinned.

“Now, it’s time to hear from the special new guest of honor of the night, Stolaaas! Get up here and say a few words!”

The spotlight shone on Stolas, who choked on his purple drink.

Behind Stolas was a pink succubus wearing a white shirt, short shorts and a French-style hat. The other was a female imp wearing sunglasses, white leggings and a white dress with the upside-down hospital cross logo from the Sloth Ring.

“Oh, no. No, no, no, I’m not really, um, heheh…” Stolas protested as the two smiling demon women pushed him onto the stage.

“Uh, I really shouldn’t, I…” Stolas flinched as the spotlight was on him on stage.

Verosika stood beside him. “Tell us all about your experience with Blitzo. That cock-sucking motherfucker!” She put a hand on his shoulder. “C’mon, baby, speak from your heart. We all here know how you feel.”

Stolas stuttered, sweat dripping down his feathered face as he took the microphone. “Um. Oh, ahahaha, um…”

Several demons looked at him: a pink succubus wearing a magenta magicians’ outfit, a succubus with a green mermaid outfit, a fat hairy imp, an incubus wearing a light blue shirt that revealed his chest, a heavy-set succubus wearing black, an incubus with long purple hair, a yellow star on his cheek and a shirt that said, “The Josh hates Blitzo.” A pink spotlight shone on Stolas.

Stolas took a deep breath and began his song. (“The Motherfucker”)

“I let you get too close

I let it go too far

Now I know, now I know

Now I know exactly what you are.”

Verosika and Vortex stood on either side of Stolas, Verosika to his right, Vortex to his left, harmonizing with him.

Verosika and Vortex chorused, “Na-na-na, na na, na, a motherfucker. Na-na-na, na na, na, a motherfucker.”

Behind Stolas were incubi and succubi band members. One was a female with long black hair wearing a black “stand in” shirt, strumming a guitar, wearing black upside-down cross earrings. A muscular incubus wore a torn gray sleeveless jacket and a black collar with an upside down cross. He strummed a black guitar shaped like a black Hellhound mouth. A gray Hellhound played a set of drums with a pink Hellhound roaring mouth on the front.

“But maybe it’s all on me

For missing every sign and every glance and every turn.”

Stolas reached out and flinched when a Blitzo folded his arms and scowled at him. He reached again, but a second Blitzo growled and scowled again.

Vortex and Verosika appeared in other mirrors behind him, waving fingers.

“No, no, no, he’s a motherfucker…”

Stolas continued.

“Maybe there’s something here for us to glean

For you to teach and me to try and learn…”

Stolas placed a hand on another smiling Blitzo, the mirror cracking where he placed his hand. Soon the mirror shattered along with all the other ones.

“No, no, no, he’s a motherfucker,” added Vortex and Verosika again.

“’Cause I am not a thief, but you were mine to earn,” sang Stolas, glancing around anxiously.

“What if I came on too strong?

What if I read this all wrong?

What if we just don’t belong?

All this what if, what if, what if, what if, what if, what if, what if…”

Scenes of Stolas and Blitzo together flashed through the broken shards around him.

“Why, why, why, why, why, why makes me BURN!”

An emotional Stolas briefly transformed into a purple fiery version of his owl demon form. The present stage appeared again.

“Oh, I don’t think you meant to hurt me

‘Cause I don’t think it meant a thing at all!”

“Well, did it?” asked Vortex and Verosika in song.

“No, not at all,” cried Stolas.

“Didn’t mean a goddamn thing,” sang Verosika and Vortex.

“At all, at all, at all…at all…” sang all three.

The incubi and succubi happily waved glowsticks in the air as they swayed to the music.

“The motherfucker…” Stolas whispered with a sad crack in his voice as Blitzo’s eyes filled with tears.

“Thank you for your time,” Stolas said with a bow. The crowd cheered and applauded as he left the stage. Vortex howled in approval.

Verosika then stood on stage, a pink spotlight on her and began her own song. (“Over You”)

“Ever since you went away

I’ve been haunted, haunted

I always get whatever I want

And I wanted, I wanted you.”

Verosika recalled Blitzo and her sitting in a hot tub together, kissing and holding each other close. She remembered saying “I love you” and Blitzo looking shocked.

“So now I’m drawin’ circles in the sand

Try’na understand how you do the things you do.”

She recalled her and Blitzo doing tours together, her singing on stage, him helping to promote her merchandise.

“Baby, I’m not over it

But I’m over you

I’m over you, you, you

Baby, I’m not over it

But I’m over you

I’m over you, you, you.”

She remembered her and Blitzo sighing and lying in bed together at the motel. She woke up in the morning and found her car and credit card gone. She raced out the window, only to see Blitzo speed away.

“Sometimes it still hurts a bit

Sometimes I’m so full of shit

But this much is true

Baby, I’m not over it

I’m over you, you, you.”

Verosika remembered being humiliated by Blitzo and the gang during the spring break tour on Earth. Being forced to pleasure Earth men in prison before Asmodeus got them back to Hell through his portal.

“I thought I could stomp you out

Like a fire, like a flame

It’s done but now I’m covered in ashes.”

Verosika imagined herself covered in ashes on her knees with fallen phoenix wings, Blitzo with fiery wings flying away in the air.

“And I still feel the same (I still feel the same)

I guess if I get rid of every sign of what we ever did

There’d be no one left to blame!”

Another memory of her and Blitzo doing a selfie at a club, her wearing a dark sparkly dress. Another flash of her mocking Blitzo during her song at Ozzie’s.

“Baby, I’m not over it

I’m over you

I’m over you

“Yeah, I try to look ahead

Sometimes I look back instead

Think I always knew, oh

Baby, I’ll get over it

I got over you.”

She took a breath and imagined her and Blitzo drifting apart, but peacefully. His image slowly faded until she only saw herself again. She saw the faces of everyone who cared about her: Vortex and her band crew.

“I got over you

I got over you

I got over you

I got over you.”

The crowd applauded.

“Alrighty, bitches, let’s get wild!” cheered Verosika as the audience applauded once again.

Blitzo sighed sadly and walked back into the building.

He then spotted Verosika moving somberly and gracefully up the stairs.

Blitzo sighed. He figured he’d make one more stop on his apology tour.

He followed Verosika up the stairs. She overlooked the crowd with a cigarette in her hand, standing near the large pink neon broken heart against the wall.

Taking a brave breath, Blitzo removed his hood.

“Hey, Ver.”

“So, an apology tour, huh?” she asked, still staring straight ahead. “You got a lot of balls coming here, Blitzo.”

“Yeah, I know, everyone here hates me.”

“Yep. That’s the point. Dumbass.”

“So what, you’re waiting for your sorry?” Blitzo smirked. He held his hands together mockingly. “Well, I’m sorry for always telling it like it is, sister.”

Verosika seethed. “Oh fuck you, you little prick.”

“What? I’m just being honest! I’m sorry for dumping ya! Sorry for not falling head over heals for you!” Blitzo mentioned down. “Or that guy! Or fucking Dennis! Or anyone at this STUPID FUCKING PARTY!”

“Oh, you are so fucking shitty!” Verosika remarked with a forced laugh. “Do you hear yourself?”

Blitzo turned around to face her. “Everyone’s shitty! Hello? We live in Hell! Why am I all of a sudden the bad guy just because I suck at relationships?”

“Are you expecting…sympathy?” Verosika flicked her cigarette away. She spoke in a mocking voice, “Aww poor Bwitz, finalwwy having to own that his actions affect other people’s fee fees.” She scoffed, “Bitch, please,” before turning to lean against the barrier.

Verosika scowled. “How do you think I felt? When the fun guy I was dating decided to just…bail on me because I make the shitty mistake of saying, ‘I love you?’ Ugh! It was the most embarrassing feeling. To be vulnerable for once and have you leave me behind at a motel, stealing my car and my credit card for your shitty horse-riding lessons…all to hide your stupid fear of intimacy!”

She glared. “Oh, Blitzo, you really know how to send a message in the shittiest fucking way…”

Blitzo slid down the banister, guilt on his face.

Verosika kicked a pole away, allowing herself to sit next to Blitzo, legs dangling.

“No snarky comeback?” she asked.

“No,” Blitzo said, regret on his face. “You’re right. I actually am, you know, sorry. I-I don’t wanna be this way. Not forever.”

Verosika looked thoughtful, then smirked as she looked down. “Looks like Stolas is having a good time.”

“Yeah, well he needs it.”

Stolas danced with the incubus who leaped up happily in the air. Before long, they both started making out and moaning, their two long tongues intertwining.

Blitzo froze with shocked wide eyes.

Verosika smirked wider. “Ooh, a really good time!”

Blitzo fumed, “OH THAT BIRD-STEALING COCKBAG!”

“Hold it, Blitz,” said Verosika, “You know, if you wanna change, it just starts with saying, ‘good for him, hope he gets laid.’” Blitzo angrily gripped the bars of the railing, feeling trapped, exhausted, and heartbroken.

Blitzo then paused. “You…you said my name right…why?”

Verosika smirked. “No need to dwell on the past. Here, have some cake, fuckwad.”

She handed him his heart on a plate…a cake piece shaped like his heart with a fork in it, the black frosting spilling like blood. There was his wounded heart out in the open. He realized that the one who deserved to be at the party the most was…himself. His hidden self-loathing had been holding him back all along. It was as if Verosika was giving him his heart, reminding him to love himself first.

Verosika strolled away, feeling a new form of release from Blitzo.

0 0 0

Fizzarolli was eating a bowl of cereal near a Wally Wackford “Wacky Charms” money-themed cereal box. He slurped out of a curly straw. Fizzarolli gasped. Verosika gasped as well, looking up in concern. The TV showed Blitzo chained up.

0 0 0

A festive song played, sung by Verosika:

“Everyone at the Sinsmas party

Would like a piece of pie!

But everyone at the Sinsmas party

Is gonna fucking die!

‘Cause I’m making a list

I’m checking it twice

I’m gonna make sure that nobody’s nice!

By the time

The night is through

I’m gonna murder you! (Wo-oh-oh-ah!)

Everyone at the Sinsmas party

Is laughin’ all the time! Haha!

So laugh it up while you can

Because I’ll rip out your fucking spine (Rip out your fucking spine)

‘Cause I’m makin’ a list (Makin’ a list)

I’m checking it twice (I’m checking it twice)

I’m gonna make sure that nobody survives

By the time the night is through

I’m gonna murder you!”

0 0 0

Verosika groaned and found herself back in the dark theater of her mind. She strained against the chains and spotted Rolando hovering next to her, hands folded behind his back.

“Now we know just how much of a superficial succu-bitch you really are. You claim you’re over your ex, but you throw silly parties to hate on him! You are blinded by your limelight and think that all of Hell revolves around you. You’re shallow and petty…a lame teenage trend that will soon be forgotten in the myriad of malevolent miscreants in Hell!”

Verosika trembled as Rolando’s harsh remarks cut into her soul and his shadow hovered over her face.

Rolando added, “But still…you really are extra pretty when you cry.”

“You slimy cum-stained freak! Let me go!” cried Verosika.

“Not until I dig into that beautiful head of yours some more.” He glanced down, hungry eyes glowing. “And perhaps elsewhere too. I’m hungry for some succubus tonight.”

“The fuck do you mean…?”Verosika sputtered.

“Remember when you had your fun with that Moxxie imp in your studio?”

Verosika reeled back in disgust. “If I know what you’re thinking, you’d better not…”

Rolando snapped his fingers and Verosika’s clothes disappeared off her body and appeared on a seat next to her. He licked his lips as he took in the sight of her nude pink voluptuous body.

She yelped and her eyes went wide. “Wait…what…no, no, no, what are you doing?!”

Rolando smirked as he settled himself into her lap. He curved his back slightly, leaning into her. His clawed fingers maneuvered between the chains until they kneaded her breasts.

“Hey! Stop it!”

Verosika struggled against the chains and the demon pressing down on her. His fingers felt sharp on her breasts and his long yellow tongue trailing up her cheek felt like a slimy snake.

“GET OFF OF ME!” Verosika cried, her eyes scrunched shut and titled back. She couldn’t bring herself to glance at his smug smirk. He ran his fingers along her large pink and black succubus wings and tugged at them hard. She found herself groaning in disgust as Rolando began to grind against her in a lap dance. His guttural moans swallowed Verosika’s whimpers.

“Hey, take it easy, whore,” Rolando taunted. “You’re a succubus. You should be used to this. Hell, you should be enjoying this.”

Verosika could only sob and moan as Rolando continued to taste and assault her form. Tears ran down her face even as her body instinctively grew warm with pleasure as his hands explored her groin. He licked her tears as they streamed down her pink face.

Rolando chuckled evilly. “Talk about a mind-fuck. Isn’t this fun?”

She heard him groan again and unzip his pants. He held his dick in his hands and moved closer.

Verosika shuddered, drowning out the rest of the experience as best as she could. She felt something hot and wet between her legs, a sting of a bite on her left shoulder, and the demon briefly collapsing on top of her.

Rolando let out a satisfied sigh as he zipped his pants back up. “Well, that hit the spot. You really are a tasty thing.” He licked his lips.

Verosika glared through her tears as her clothes reappeared on her after he snapped his fingers again.

‘Thank Satan it wasn’t full penetration, at least,’ she thought.

“Oh, I’m just getting started, babe,” leered Rolando, his face inches from hers.

More horrific memories and illusions flashed through her head. Visions of Blitzo stealing her credit cards and mocking her with his gang of imps. Large-breasted succubi bullying her when she first began her seductive business.

Her mother and father claiming that she couldn’t rise to the ranks of a pop star and instead stick to prostitution.

Bunches of fans lusting after her or gangs of haters jeering over her music, calling it “mainstream shit.”

Other demons’ albums and record labels receiving more attention and praise than hers.

Her thoughts and vision distorted as she kept consuming her alcohol.

The agonizing feeling of withdrawal as she endured headaches, craving for her drink.

An illusion of her incubi and succubi gang lying dead on the street in a heart shape…and Blitzo curled up in a black blood puddle in the center.

“NOOOO, STOP IT!”

Rolando cackled as the succubus broke down.

“It sure was fun getting inside your mutt bodyguard and your ex,” Rolando chuckled. “Now I’ll hear you sing your serenade of sorrow one last time…as you drown in my homeworld!”

0 0 0

Beelzebub gasped in horror as thunder crashed again. Verosika flew through a portal and vanished.

“She’s going to Envy!”

“For what?” Blitzo asked.

“She’s gonna drown herself! Um…not intentionally.”

Vortex glared at Blitzo.

“For fuck’s sake, I didn’t hurt her that bad!” cried the imp.

Beelzebub waved her hand and vanished through her created portal.

She glanced up at the stormy indigo Envy sky above her.

“Verosika!” she called desperately as the waves crashed. “Verosika!”

She dove into the dark water. She spotted fish with many eyes, large eldritch tentacles waving around, and several mean-looking sharks, but no Verosika.

Her glowing hair lit her surroundings. Then she spotted Verosika’s limp form in Rolando’s arms. He began to sink his teeth into her neck!

Beelzebub zoomed forward, emitting light that sent the infestor back. She grabbed Verosika with one arm and lay her hand on her chest. Verosika gasped for air, almost drowning.

‘Hold on, Verosika,’ Bee thought.

Beelzebub growled and sniffed as Rolando silently fled in black goo.

Before Rolando could get away, Beelzebub teleported in front of him and captured him in a glowing golden bubble of honey. The black goo with glowing yellow eyes squirmed and struggled to get free. Beelzebub waved her hand and a portal back to Gluttony appeared. She rushed through it, tumbling to the ground. Verosika coughed and sputtered on the ground in front of the mansion.

Vortex steadied the succubus as she shivered, coughed, and caught her breath.

“T-Tex?”

“I’m here, Ver.”

Blitzo raced over and gave Verosika a gentle hug…surprisingly, she didn’t pull away. She closed her eyes, happy to be in his arms.

“T-thank you…”

“Let’s get back to partying!” Bee said. “Assuming you all are okay! Free food for all!”

The portal closed and Bee popped the glowing ball of honey hovering next to her. Rolando gasped and fell to the ground in a heap, covered in honey. He looked up nervously and spotted Loona and Vortex growling at him from overhead. The two Hellhounds looked at each other and nodded.

“Heheheh. Nice doggies!” he squeaked.

Rolando screamed as Loona and Vortex mauled him to a brutal death. Blitzo pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of Rolando’s torn body. Loona snapped her teeth into Rolando’s exposed heart.

Verosika gagged at the sight. “I think I’m gonna need a drink.”

Loona and Vortex slurped up Rolando’s intestines like spaghetti Lady and the Tramp style, until their mouths met in a wet kiss.

Bee laughed nervously. “This is not what I meant when I said, ‘food for all.’”

“Rita, Moxxie and Millie will love this!” Blitzo grinned. “Gonna get some good money today!” He texted his client and his co-workers.

Black blood splattered onto Blitzo’s face and Verosika’s dress.

“Augh! Great!” she stomped her foot. “Talk about a party crasher!”

“Don’t be a party-pooper, Ver,” Bee winked. She waved her hand and Verosika’s dress was mended, and her wounds were healed. She was also dry.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she bowed.

“Don’t thank me,” Bee answered, manifesting a bottle in her hands and taking a drink from it. “I may or may not have stolen the healing techniques from Queen Belphegor. She still may have locks on her stash of drugs, but that won’t stop me from trying! You know next time I have a party, I’m gonna ask Satan to pose shirtless for me! He’s so hot when he works out at the gym in Wrath…”

Blitzo and Loona rolled their eyes as she headed back inside and yapped on. The rain and thunder had stopped, and the sky was golden once again. A rainbow with inverted colors appeared in the sky and several demons stopped to admire it.

Verosika sighed and waved her hand. A portal appeared. She snapped her fingers, and her crew of incubi and succubi flew toward her.

“Where’s you going?” Blitzo asked.

“Back to Lust,” she replied. “This party is too much, even for me.”

“Keep in touch?” Blitzo asked.

Verosika briefly turned around. She blew Blitzo a kiss…then flipped him the bird. “Until next time, fuck-wad,” she smirked, before she and her crew vanished to the other side. The portal closed behind them.

Soon it was just Blitzo, Vortex, and Loona standing together.

No words were said…the three of them embraced in a group hug, all thankful to be alive.

After they separated, Loona stared at the ground. Her tail curled up protectively around her.

“Dad…Tex…about my actions, earlier. They were…shitty. Inexcusable. I haven’t appreciated you for all you do…but being abandoned by my parents…almost being put down at the orphanage…it’s all too much…” Tears flowed from her eyes.

Blitzo sighed and pulled his sobbing adoptive daughter close. “Oh Loona. I’m so sorry, too. I had no idea what you’ve been going through. About your past…I still don’t know a whole lot. If I had known…”

“I…I was too afraid to share it, even with you. I had to hide all my shit…to survive in this fucked up world.”

She looked up with teary eyes. “You…don’t still hate me?”

“No, no,” Blitzo breathed. “I could never hate you, no matter what. Back at the adoption center, I saw a lonely girl who wanted more than daily misery. I’d never call myself a real parent…but…I felt like I had to save you.”

“I wasn’t just an assassin for you?”

“You’re so, so much more than that, Loona! You’ve given me another purpose besides killing all the time. You’ve shown me there’s always someone worth fighting for. Without you, I.M.P. is nothing…without you, I am nothing. I think I needed you just as much as you needed me.”

Loona and Blitzo held each other’s hands. “I hope we can fuck up this twisted system.”

“We will…together,” Blitzo said. “Along with killing people on Earth. It’s what we do best.”

“Um, Dad. Can I please go on more missions this time?”

“Hmm…” Blitzo began. “Sure. Only if you teach me some of your magic.”

“It’s a deal.”

Loona and Blitzo shared another heartfelt hug before facing the double doors.

Vortex held open the doors. “So…shall we pick up where we left off?”

“Yeah, why not?” Blitzo said.

“Hey, Blitz!” Bee called. “Up for a rematch of our drinking game?”

“Oh, you are so on!” Blitzo grinned. “I beat ya last time and will happily do so again!”

“Just please be careful, Dad. I’m not dragging your red ass home like last time.”

“What? You planning on drinking, too?”

“After the madness of today, yeah, I need something strong,” Loona admitted.

“Then who the fuck’s gonna drive us home?” Blitzo asked.

Loona and Blitzo both looked at Vortex, who groaned and folded his arms.

“You guys owe me a hell of a lot.”

“Money or sex?” Loona asked with a wink at Vortex.

“A lot of the first…rain check on the second from you,” he replied to Loona as they all headed inside.

Beelzebub and Vortex shared a hug.

“Come on in, Loona. What’re you waiting for?”

Loona paused. “Y-you’re not mad at me for lashing out?”

Bee shrugged. “It’s all good, Loona. I could tell you weren’t in the right mind. Sometimes all it takes is some reflection and time with those you love.”

Loona’s ears perked up and her tail wagged slightly as Vortex and Beelzebub held out their hands as house music played. Loona was soon in the middle of Bee and Vortex. She closed her eyes and for the first time in a long while, she felt happy, safe, and at peace.

Blitzo hugged her from behind. “I’m very proud of you,” he whispered.

“Love you, Dad,” she smiled.

“Alright,” Beelzebub called. “Let’s get this party started!”

“Group selfie!” Bee called out, holding out her cell phone with a pink cover on it with a heart and claw marks in the center. Bee smiled in the back, her arms around Vortex and Loona. Blitzo grinned next to Loona, doing rocker signs with his hands. Loona was in the middle, at ease and the center of attention at last.

“Say, ‘Helluva Hound!’” called Bee, winking at Loona.

“Helluva Hound!” everyone cheered as the party photo was taken and posted on Sinstagram. More photos followed: Bee winning the drinking game, Loona laughing with Vortex, Loona and Blitzo playing volleyball with Rolando’s head, Blitzo dancing on a table, Baldo flirting with the mean poodle demon, Verosika posing with her crew and showing her new album, demons playing in a pool, a deadpan Vortex carrying a drunk Loona and Blitzo to the I.M.P. van…and finally Loona, Vortex, and Bee happy together on the couch. #BestPartyEver! #BeeBuzzsAgain! #LoonaLightsTheNight! #IMPForever!

THE END

[polizwrites]

PoliZ's WIP Update - 2 Apr 2025

Real Life  is still taking its toll, but I still managed to touch  4 fics (4 new and 0 WIPs) for a total of 1395  words this week.

On Ao3, I posted: 

 Freezing Up and Thawing Out - a Steve & Avengers genfic with a bit of h/c. 

The Right Guy for the Job? -- A Tony Stark Bingo Round Robin - March 2025 - Tony & Scott genfic 

On Tumblr I posted: 

 More Than An Inkling - a WinterIron No Powers workplace AU ficlet

An Unexpected Ally - a Winter Soldier & Red Guardian canon compliant ficlet. 

I’m juggling 10-ish  active/semi-active WIPs with my current  deadlines being  the  Tony Stark and Beginning  bingos.  

See  below cut for what I’m working on/planning to work on - arranged more or less by bingos/challenges/etc.  As always, feel free to send me   prompts or plot bunnies as well as asks regarding  any of these projects  or any other WIPs I’ve got out there.   Interaction really helps feed the Muse and keep me motivated!

Character A/Character B Bingo  [CACBB]   

The Character A/Character B blog & Discord server run a bingo where you get monthly 3x3 themed cards - I managed two fills on my February Rare Pair Bingo card -  might sign up for April’s card if I get my writing mojo back on a semi-consistent basis.  

Bucky Barnes Bingo - Round Six [BBB - R6]  (Ends 31 Mar)

This amazing event from the folks over at @buckybarnesbingo just wrapped up - I ended up with 26 fills for a blackout plus and will be making my masterpost shortly.  

* Adoptable Nov - Canon: Animated Series - I picked this up intending to do something with the What If … Captain Carter were the First Avenger? episode from Season One,  but  Season 3’s  What If… The Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?  is the perfect fanfic fodder.  I ended up with An Unexpected Ally - a Winter Soldier POV on the initial events of the episode. It came in at 316 words;   I may write more on this at some point, but wanted to get this fill out there before the bingo ended. 

Beginnings  Bingo  [BB_25]   (Ends 31 May 2025)

This new all-fandoms bingo event (courtesy of  @sweetspicybingo) celebrates beginnings. I’ve got a 3x3 card and have two fills so far - would like to get at least one bingo before it wraps up! 

* A2 - first impression - Combined this with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF289 Blinding Gaze] for  Close Encounters of the Blue-Eyed Kind - a Stony College AU meet cute/meet ugly with Tony literally running into Steve. It came in as a double drabble (200 words) and will get posted to Ao3 before the event ends.

* B3 - First Snow -  Posted Freezing Up and Thawing Out on Ao3 last Friday.  I combined this with  my FFB Feb B3 - "Stay with me." prompt  for a  656 word Steve POV/ platonic Stony genfic where he has a Hard Time dealing with a snowstorm on the way back from a mission.  

Tony Stark Bingo - Mark VIII [TSB_R8]  (Ends 31 May)

This amazing bingo event from the folks over at @tonystarkbingo is still open for pre-made card signups, I believe. I have  twenty-eight squares filled - may try to pick up another adoptable or two before the event ends. 

* T3 - KINK: praise kink Combined this with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF290 Midnight Distractions] Sweet (Tech) Talk  where a pining!Steve visits Tony’s workshop late at night and the way he’s sweet-talking his tech sends Steve’s mind right into the gutter. It came in at 456 words and will get posted to Ao3 before the event is over. 

* Oct Adoptable: Facial Hair Bros - Filled this with  New Kid in Town- a double drabble that crossed over with the Flash Fic Friday prompt  [#FFF287 I Can’t Stand It]. Tony is complaining to Pepper about that so-called wizard stealing his look - she thinks Tony doth protest too much.  It came in at 200 words and will get posted to Ao3 before this event ends. 

* A1 - Evil Exes -  ended up squishing this into Chapter Three  of  Carrying Things Forward. This fic is a followup to my omegaverse fic A Little Bit Carried Away where  Alpha!Bucky has moved in with omega!Tony and they’re figuring out their relationship, including some difficult parts of their pasts.  

* March Adoptable - KINK: Overstimulation – I’m combining this with the April YOTP prompt Dom Bottom/Sub Top for a smutfic where Tony hires Bucky to be his sub for a bit of topping and toy action. Tentatively titled Topsy Turvy, it’s up to 715 words and will probably get posted on Friday.  

Post July Break Bingo 2024  [pJBB_24] (Ends 30 Jun 2025)

I requested two 2x3 cards for this  Discord-server only event from @julybreakbingo  – so if you want to join in the fun, let me know and I’ll try to get you an invite!  I have seven  fics posted & 0 WIPs - need to figure out some more crossovers.

* C1_C1 - “What are we?” - Combined this with the YOTP March prompt  Florist/Tattoo Artist AU, my FFB Feb - A1- Body Art square and last week’s  Flash Fiction Friday prompt [#FFF298 Hidden Chemistry] for  More Than An Inkling, where Tony is all too aware of the trope and tries to resist the chemistry he has with his next-door business neighbor. It came in at  373 words and will get posted before this event ends. 

Fandom Free Bingo - FFB

The @fandom-free-bingo blog offers up themed cards on a monthly basis - either 3x3 or 5x5 - you have a year to create your fanworks if you want them reblogged. 

Gingerbread Edition (December) - Ends 30 Nov 2025 

Three of nine fills completed - one WIPs at the moment

* B2 - FREE - Filling this with a WinterCapFalcon ficlet where our threesome has to deal with a creep. Horning In is coming in at 222 words and will get posted here on Tumblr within the next day or two after a final polish.

* C1 - Juice - Filled this in combination with the Flash Fic Friday prompt [#FFF296 Before the party’s over] and the YOTP March: “What are you doing with that?” prompt for  It Takes a Miracle (Berry)  - a No Powers workplace AU where Tony brings something to experiment with at the monthly team brunch; his crush gets involved. It came in at 526 words and will get posted to Ao3 before the event is over.   

Half-Baked Edition (February) - Ends 31 Jan 2026

 Five of nine fills completed - no WIPs at the moment. 

* A1- Body Art – see  pJBB C1_C1 - “What are we?” above 

* B3 - "Stay with me." - see BB B3 - First Snow prompt above. 

Year of the OTP [YOTP_25]   (Ends Dec 31 2025)

Decided to jump in on this challenge where you create (at least) twelve works for a specific pairing by using the monthly prompts provided. 

* January - Stockholm Syndrome -  Posted Redirected Aim  to Ao3  this Winter Soldier & young!Tony ficlet  combined this prompt  with the Flash Fiction Friday prompt  [#FFF288 Loud Lie, Quiet Truth]  for Redirected Aim .  The Soldier’s mission had been to retrieve the serum Howard Stark had reformulated, leaving no witnesses.  He chose a different target.  It came in at 685 words.

* February - Bed Sharing - Managed to get  Chapter 4 of Carrying Things Forward posted on time -  see pJBB - C1_B2 - Learning to accept that what happened to them wasn't their fault above.

* March - “What are you doing with that?”  - see FFB December C1 - Juice  above. 

* March - Fresh Starts -  see pJBB C2_C2 -  Learning to Love above. 

* March - Florist/Tattoo Artist AU -   see  pJBB C1_C1 - “What are we?” above  

* April - Dom Bottom/Sub Top - see TSB March Adoptable KINK: Overstimulation above. 

Warm and Fluffy   Bingo  [WFB]   (no end date)

Nine fills on my card, courtesy of   @warmandfluffybingocards  - need to try for another crossover or two!

* G1 - Kiss on the Forehead - Filled this with A Damper on Dinner - a domestic Stony ficlet where a power outage threatens their romantic dinner.  It came in at 151 words and will get posted to Ao3 at some point.   

————

On  other creative fronts:  I’m working on Freddy Felt and Fifi Felt  figures from Blue’s Clues  for a commission and also a  Sleepytime Clint for my Fandom Trumps Hate Craft Bazaar winner!  If  you’re looking for one of a kind gifts for birthdays or other celebrations, check  out Stuffed With Character    over on Facebook for a full list of my designs (now over 150!).   These soft stuffed figures are  mostly Marvel and monsters, but I have some Star Wars, Star Trek, DC   and Disney figures as well. Plus I love to take custom design   requests  for any fandom!  I do have one commission slot open this month - feel free to reach out via DM or to  StuffedWithCharacter@gmail.com!  

[theadamantium]

Harri's Picks for 2023

John Wick: Chapter 4

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Saltburn

Barbie

Poor Things

The Iron Claw

Anatomy of a Fall

Maestro

The Flash

Blackberry

The Last of Us - Season 01

Daisy Jones & The Six

Ted Lasso - Season 03

Beef

Only Murders In The Building - Season 03

Måneskin - RUSH! (ARE U COMING?)

Fall Out Boy - So Much (For) Stardust

Inhaler - Cuts & Bruises

The Struts - Pretty Vicious

Hozier - Unreal Unearth

Blink-182 - ONE MORE TIME...

Post Malone - AUSTIN

Teddy Swims - I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)

Greta Van Fleet - Starcatcher

Olivia Rodrigo - GUTS

U2 - U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere

Hozier - Eat Your Young Pop Up Tour

Muse, Evanescence & One OK Rock - Will Of The People Tour

Fall Out Boy - So Much For (Tour) Dust

Dermot Kennedy - Sonder Tour

Baldur's Gate 3

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Resident Evil 4 (Remake)

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Hogwarts Legacy

[badasshybridqueen]

Wanted Plots By Muse

plots Hayley definitely needs organized by muse !

Hope Plots !

#1 - Freaky Friday verse where they switch bodies and there’s so much confusion at first because wtf how did this happen and how do we change back? 

#2 -  17-year-old Hope travels back in time to Season 1 of The Originals in an attempt to change her fate and rewrite history. Determined not to lose either of her parents she surprises them and as she gets to know her parents she secretly works to change the future. [ loosely Based on the S5 plot of The Flash where Nora comes to the present to prevent her fathers death ]  

#3 - A play date gone wrong with Hope, the twins and Caroline

#4 - Give me moments between Hope and Hayley set between S3 and S4. Hope asking about her family, Hayley telling her stories about them. All the moving, the birthdays that are just them, development on how close they are and all the stuff that happened to them while they were on the run. The good stuff, the bad stuff, the breakdowns

#5 - Give me moments between Hope and Hayley set between S4 and S5. A discussion after Hope see’s Klaus killing people - give me her becoming a teenager - give me fights between her and Hayley because she can’t see her dad [ like in S5 ] give me angst and fluff and just everything.

#6 - Hayley and Klaus work so hard to be good for Hope.To show her there’s another way than how they lived. What I want is a thing where something happens that push both Klaus and Hayley over the edge and Hope witnesses just how destructively violent her parents can actually be…

Elijah Plots !

#1 - Hayley goes into labor at the compound

#2 - A hitman is hired to stalk and kill a woman without explanation. He embeds himself into her life waiting for the call knowing eventually it will come and his job will be done. But before the call can come the hitman winds up falling in love with her.

#3 - Give me a scene after the first time they have sex in S2 at that house

#4 - We never really got to see these two go on any dates or anything. Give me something circa S3 with datesss

#5 - No memory Elijah things?

#6 - Elijah married Antoinette - but now has his memories back and comes back to NOLA where Klaus, Hope and Hayley are living all together. Drama, angst and more? 

Klaus Plots !

#1 - Hayley goes into labor at the compound

#2 - Klaus seeing/hearing about Freya using magic on Hayley in S4

#3 - A thread where Davina really is Klaus & Hayley’s daughter from the future.

#4 - AU S5 things where Klaus helps Hayley find a way to break the binding ritual

#5 - Hayley was brought back to life but she was brought back without her memory. Klaus searches for her and when he finds her he needs to bring her home and has to help her remember her life

#6 - Klaus coming to check in on Hope in that scene at the end of the episode, and her asking him to stay with her and Hayley and tell her stories about Marcel. Because he’s her new BFF and BIG BROTHER. omfg [ Season 4 based ]

#7 - Hayley and Klaus ripping apart everyone who came into the compound together because they wanted to hurt Hope…Marcel shaking his head at the mess and making sure Hope doesn’t see. Because He’s #TeamProtectHopesInnocence just like her parents. [ Season 4 based ]

#8 - Haylye telling Klaus she wants to take Hope away from NOLA and she thinks he should go with them. To keep their family together and to make sure Hope doesn’t live the kind of life they’ve had to.  [ Season 4 based ]

Jackson Plots !

#1 - I want a plot where Muse A and Muse B have been married for 15 years (they got married at 16 because Muse A got pregnant) They have 2 kids and are currently going through a divorce. But there are so many feelings still there and they keep falling into the same routine with each other because they’re still in love but they’ve grown into different people. Muse B wants to work things out but Muse A isn’t sure how with how they’ve both changed. [ Semi based on the movie The Story of Us ]

#2 - Jackson is somehow brought back to life without his memory. [ Or with his memory and it’s 5 years later - Hayley is with someone new - angst ]

Girl/Friendship Plots !

#1 - Working Mom’s AU

#2 - Good Girls AU

#3 - Plot based on A Simple Favor 

#4 - Girls night with Hayley, Freya and Rebekah, Cami, Davina or any combination 

#5 - Freya and Hayley things set between S4 & S5. They spent all those years together I’d love to get some bonding

#6 - Freya and Haley family feels after they “kill” The Hollow

General Plots !

#1 - A plot based on the movie Safe Haven 

#2 - give me a thread where Hayley finds a baby after they give Hope to Rebekah and brings it back to the compound like – Uh I’m going to keep it guys K?

#3 - But like I want No Humanity Steroline to come hang out with Dark Klayley. Just saying.

#4 - AU based on Life Unexpected 

#5 - Girl gets pregnant and her boyfriend (the love of her life) marries her, but two months into the marriage he decides he doesn’t want the responsibility of a child so he takes off. But his brother who’s been secretly in love with said girl all through along helps her through the pregnancy and once the baby is born. Cut to 2-3 years later and her husband walks back into their lives to find things are a bit different.

#6 - I want a plot where some witchy thing happens and Hayley wakes up to find her daughter gone and not a single person knows who she is. It’s like she never existed - Hope either. And in order to break the spell she needs to get at least 1 person to actually remember who she is.

[kyliafanfiction]

Okay, so DeVoe was a prick the whole time.

Good to know.

(I mean, he’s not wrong to be cynical about technology, but he’s just an ass in the way he’s arguing the point with her)

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Season 2 Rewatch Drabbles: 2x5 The Doctor

Summary:  A series of 100-500 word drabbles to accompany my rewatch of season 2 of Once Upon a Time as an attempt to finally jump start the muse again.  There will be a drabble–either a deleted scene, a “fix it” fic or a character musing for each episode of the season.  Focus will be on Emma, Henry, the Charmings and Killian–with an emphasis on the very beginnings of Captain Swan’s epic love story, as soon as a certain dashing pirate makes his appearance.  

Word Count: 491

Other Chapters: (1) (2) (3) (4) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16) (17) (17.5) (18) (19) (20) (21-22) (22)

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“Emma, are you sure about this? Mary Margaret asked, brows furrowed. 

Emma stopped pacing and stared at her mother. Truth be told she wasn't sure about anything, hadn’t been, well, really since Henry knocked on her door back in Boston, but especially since she pulled the "blacksmith" out from under the pile of bodies. It was the strangest and most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced, a shoot of pure, unadulterated electricity running through her entire body as soon as she touched his hand. For one moment, one singular moment, everything came into focus, like a camera zooming in on its target.  It was like she'd suddenly found something that she didn't even know she was missing, like in one blinding flash of light, everything in her entire insane life just made sense.

 She'd blinked, let go of his hand and stepped back. The spell was broken.  She’d felt something else, too, when she’d looked into his eyes as he sat at the table, accepting the drink they’d brought him. She’d felt her superpower kick into high gear.  Whoever the hell this man was, he wasn’t a cowardly blacksmith who’d hidden under a pile of bodies to escape murder at Cora’s hands.

 "I'm sure," Emma said, her eyes hard. "He's lying. There's no doubt about it. We can't trust him, anymore than we can trust Cora. Mulan. Tie him to that tree until we can get him to talk."

The man protested weakly as Mulan complied, pulling him roughly with her, slamming him against the tree and binding his hand and stump behind his back. The other princess, Aurora, Emma thought it was, looked troubled, wringing her hands and shooting the man pitying looks. 

Snow pulled her aside and tried one more time.  “Emma, I know Cora.  I know what she’s capable of.  If this man is her victim, maybe we can use that to our advantage.”

Emma glanced over at the man again, saw the look of cowardice leave his eyes and a look of defiance take its place.  Her heart began racing again as her stomach swooped. She hadn't felt anything remotely like this since Neil, and she knew very well how that had ended up. In the space of a moment, Emma built up the walls around her heart thicker and higher and more unscalable than they'd ever been. Never again would she let herself be hurt like that period never again would a man destroy her like Neil had.

“Whether he’s her victim or her coconspirator, he’s going to give us answers, and he’s going to give them right now.”

Ruthlessly shoving the feelings this man inspired into a deep, dark, secret closet of her heart and then padlocking it, Emma clenched her fists and stomped over to him.  She was getting those answers and she was getting them now.  Then she was going home, far far away from piercing blue eyes and a devilishly handsome face.

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[asirensrage]

What if...Steve was a better host?

Rating: T Fandom: Stranger Things Warnings: mentions of violence, starvation. PTSD. Swearing. Summary: A speedrun/flash fic looking at the possibility of what could have happened if Steve followed Barb to the bathroom to make sure she was okay. Spoilers for Stranger Things. Notes: I wrote this in between Vol 1 and Vol 2 of season 4. I wanted to play with the idea of what could have happened if Steve had checked up on Barb after she cut herself. It's not my usual style but I like it. It's not an OC fic. Shoutout to @vixenofcourse who watched me type this up and listened to my rambling about it. Unbeta-d.

Okay. We start with the party. And Barb cutting herself... 

Steve shows her the basic route to the bathroom…and then follows as he sees the blood. He’d rather be making out with Nancy, but it’s important that the friends of the girl you like like you as well. Right? So he goes to make sure she’s okay.

Barb is trying to see how bad it is, running it under water in the sink, but there’s a lot of blood and she doesn’t want to use one of his nice looking towels to stop it. So she tries with toilet paper. Steve comes in, looks at it and is like “shit. Hold on. I have a first aid kit.”

He gets her to sit on the toilet and he sits on the edge of the bathtub or something, just putting pressure on it at first. They’re both uncomfortable. 

Steve breaks first. “You don’t like me, do you?”

“It’s not that,” Barb says. “Well, it is. I mean, you’re not bad but the company you keep…Tommy H is an asshole.” 

Steve gives a sort of laugh because he knows that. “Yeah.” 

“And it’s just…your interest in Nancy feels like it came out of nowhere and she’s so swept up in it, she’s not even acting like she used to.”

“And that’s a bad thing? That she likes me?” Steve has a hurt look on his face that he’s trying to hide but this boy has rejection issues. 

“No, it’s just…I don’t want you to hurt her.”

“Why would I hurt her?”

“Come on.” 

“I like her,” Steve admits. “She’s sweet. Nothing like…” he doesn’t continue. He doesn't need to because Barb knows what he means. It doesn’t lessen the sting that she feels like she’s losing her friend though. 

“You should get back to the party,” Barb says. “I’m fine.”

“Yeah,” he should. He’s being a terrible host but he feels guilty about this too. He was egging her on with the others and she’s right, his friends are assholes. That doesn’t mean he has to let her bleed out in his bathroom though. “This is pretty deep,” he says. “You got yourself good.”

She lets out a watery sort of laugh because it hurts and she had felt so alone sitting at the edge of the pool at a party she didn’t even want to be at. “They don’t mention this when they talk about the dangers of alcohol,” she muses and Steve laughs. He didn’t know she was funny. But then he doesn’t really pay attention to anything but the things he wants. Barb had just been an extension of Nancy. 

“Come on,” he says. “We should get you to the hospital. I think you need stitches.”

“Oh no,” she protests. “My parents will kill me. They think I’m at Nancy’s.”

“Make an excuse. It’s fine. I’ll pay for it.” It’s not like he can’t afford it. He’ll deal with listening to his dad complain about irresponsibility if it means that she’ll be okay. It’s his fault, after all. 

They argue a bit before she agrees and they leave, finding Nancy waiting for them, looking between them totally confused. 

“She needs to go to the hospital,” Steve tells her. The mood for the night is kind of ruined anyway. This wasn’t how he wanted this to go. 

“What?” Nancy looks at Barb. “It’s just a cut,” she says. “She’s fine.” Nancy looks at Barb pointedly. “You’re fine, right?” 

Barb just shakes her head. “I’m just going to go.” 

“No,” Steve says, surprising all of them, himself included. “Nance, she’s bleeding everywhere. Let me get rid of Tommy and Carol. I’ll drive you both.” 

---

Tommy and Carol protest and argue, calling them names but Steve still makes them leave. Nancy is hovering between Barb and Steve, commenting about the party being ruined, to the point that Barb actually snaps. 

“Can you stop? I didn’t even want to be here. Stop blaming me. I told you I didn’t want to do this.” Nancy looks hurt but Barb is tired and her hand hurts. She can’t bring herself to care right now. She refuses to feel bad about it, not when King Steve is actually trying to get her some help while her own best friend thinks they should just go home. 

“You okay?” Steve asks Barb. Things are tense and they dropped Nancy off first. Nancy who’s pissed at something that’s not either of their faults. Steve has never seen Nancy like this but Barb doesn’t seem as surprised. Like she’s used to it. 

It doesn’t take long for her to get stitches. The hospital isn’t that busy since there are no major accidents nearby. She’s surprised though that when she leaves, Steve is still there. She was expecting to have to call her parents and tell them the truth. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I couldn’t just leave you here without a ride. Besides, not like there’s anything waiting for me back home except clean-up duty.” 

Barb offers to help. “It’s the least I can do,” she says. “Since you paid for this.” 

“It’s fine,” Steve says. Still, she insists. It will at least hold off the conversation with her parents about what happened. She’s not exactly looking forward to dealing with Nancy’s hurt expression tomorrow either. 

They don’t make it. 

Something happens. Neither of them can explain it but it was almost like something jumped out in front of the car. Steve tried to swerve before he stopped to make sure he didn’t hit anything. They both get out of the car and the world is wrong. 

“You think we died?” Steve asks. 

“No.” Because while something was clearly wrong, it looked similar to home. She’s religious enough to know it’s not heaven or hell. 

But then something screams and comes out of the woods. It’s nothing either of them has ever seen before and they run. 

Barb is not good at running. She’s never been athletically inclined so it’s no surprise when she falls behind. Steve notices though. He looks back as the..thing is gaining on her. He wants to run like hell but he didn’t leave her when she cut her hand and they’re here together. Besides, this is all his fault. He picks up the nearest stick and runs back to help. 

---

They find Will. Or more so, he finds them. He wants to lead them back to his house, where he feels safe. They follow until Barb realizes that something is following them. Steve holds the stick he’s still carrying as a weapon, as though it will ward the thing off. 

They don’t stay still. It’s not safe. Steve jokes about alien invasion but Will tells them it’s like the game he plays with his friends. Barb has never known much about fantasy. She doubts Steve has either but they let the kid talk quietly. She thinks it makes him feel better. 

They take turns sleeping, but time is weird where they are. None of them really get hungry or tired like they should. There are times when neither of them can sleep and they talk. The awkwardness has long faded, lost with the fear for their lives as they run from the things hunting them. Neither of them admits it out loud but they both know that if they were on their own, they’d have died already. 

Barb finds things they can use. Clothes they can wear and actual useful weapons. Things like an axe, a canteen, and a baseball bat. Will finds a gun and surprises both the teens when he proves he knows how to load and unload it, not that they let him keep it. 

---

They don’t know how long it takes. They don’t know how long it’s been. It feels like years have gone by before they hear voices calling for Will. 

“Mom!” Will runs to it. Steve and Barb run after him, fearing a trap. The things here are smart, but they also follow something that none of them have caught sight of so far. They think there’s something more here, something more powerful that makes the hair on the backs of their necks stand up. They haven’t seen it though. They just keep moving. 

The people calling Will are in hazmat suits. One of them pulls off the helmet when they see them. Both Steve and Barb stop as Will hugs his mom tightly. Barb recognizes the other one as the chief of police. He looks as surprised as they are to see them. 

“You been here the whole time?”

“How did you get here?” 

“We drove,” Steve says and Barb can’t help but laugh because it’s so stupid but so true. 

---

Everyone is in shock when they come out of the…gate. They’re told that the scientists faked Will’s death, but everyone suspected that Steve and Barb ran away together. They both laugh until they’re crying and the humour is twisted with relief and fear. They survived. 

Barb’s parents both come when she’s in the hospital getting tested. Steve looks completely surprised when a woman shows up for him. “Mom?” She looks like she’s been crying. All the parents do. Joyce hugs both the teens, kissing their cheeks and thanking them over and over and over for keeping Will safe. 

Barb, Steve and Will all demand to stay in the same room as each other. None of them want to be parted from each other. They kept each other alive. That doesn’t stop their parents from eventually taking them each home. 

Panic settles in Barb’s chest, feeling like it’s going to crawl out of her chest. It takes a night before Barb and Steve go to the Byers to see Will. It takes a total of two days before Steve is crawling through her window at night to sleep on the floor beside her bed, clutching the hand that she hangs over the side. Neither of them sleeps very well but they sleep better being able to hear each other breathing again. 

Her parents cling to her. Barb is crawling out of her skin at their smothering, at the constant enforced attendance at church to show gratitude for the miracle of her return. They don’t hesitate to take the things she has stashed, prepped just in case because something tells her it’s not over, that it will never be over and the only person she knows who feels the same way is Steve. Her parents want nothing more than to put her experience behind them unless it elevates them or God, they want normal.  Barb can’t give them that.

Nancy begs her for forgiveness. She’s told that she tried to find her, find them both, because she knew, of course, Steve wouldn’t run off with Barb. They wouldn’t do that. Not to her. Barb doesn’t even know how to respond to her. Steve however, does. He does what seems to come naturally after all their time in what Will now calls the upside-down and steps between Barb and the thing that threatens her. 

He tells Nancy to back off. They don’t need her guilt or demands for attention, they need space.

Nancy looks at them, totally confused and hurt and it sends Barb right back to the night where it began. She just leaves. Steve follows. Neither of them turn back to Nancy who’s demanding to know what happened as though she has a right. 

The entire school stares at them. It fuels the rumours that they ran away together, that he knocked her up, that they went to the city for an abortion or gave up the baby, when they stick together. It just makes Barb’s parents smother her even more trying to force her to conform and fit in to quiet the rumours.  They’re not dating. They know too much of each other now to ever see each other like that. Barb would have never expected that she’d call Steve Harrington her best friend but he is now. Even as he flinches still at loud noises, grabbing her hand or wrist, ready to run. Barb can’t comment. She keeps some kind of weapon on her at all times, eyes on the exits. 

---

Neither of them drink anymore. Or attend parties. It brings back the memory of that night and sometimes Barb can’t help but press her fingers into the scar on her thumb. A constant reminder of the person she used to be. The one who followed Nancy and didn’t really protest when she was pressured into doing things she didn’t want to do. 

She does not expect her friendship with Robin to be rekindled. Robin doesn’t ask questions. She doesn’t believe the rumours. She lets Barb dictate the friendship and accepts that Steve is part of the package now. 

So their friendship grows. 

Both teens spend their free time with Will. He tries to teach them Dungeons & Dragons and they try to learn. He’s struggling being back with his friends. They treat him carefully, like he’s going to break. The same way people treat them. 

They meet Eddie one day at lunch. Barb’s seen him around before, Steve tells her they call him the freak, but he sits across from them when Barb is reading a player’s manual, trying to figure out what they need to do to learn this game. 

“Well!” He exclaims and Steve flinches, grabbing her wrist. Barb places the book down, glances around and puts her hand on Steve’s arm. Eddie watches the whole thing and when he continues, his voice is softer. “Sorry ‘bout that. Just wasn’t expecting you to be reading or into D & D. You play?” 

“We’re…” she looks at Steve who seems happy to let her take this one. “We’re learning.”

“Cool. I have a party, a few buddies and I play. I like to be DM.” 

“DM?” Steve asks. He’s still glancing around and Barb knows they need to leave soon. They need to be outside, feel the sun just to remind themselves they’re home. 

“Dungeon Master,” Eddie explains. “The one who makes the story, sets the stage and plays the villains and monsters.”

“I think we’ve had enough of that,” Steve says before he gets up. 

“Sorry,” Barb says and follows after him. 

---

It’s hard to eat. They’re all not used to it anymore. Will pretends to the most, for his mother’s sake. Barb takes small bites, shifting her food around, tuning out the lectures on starving children in Africa, like a sticky side dish served at every single meal. Steve doesn’t even bother trying half the time. 

Steve’s mom divorces his dad. It’s huge news in their town, taking some of the attention finally off of the three of them. Well, not Steve but he just tells her his mom should have done it ages ago. According to him, their marriage had been as good as dead since he left elementary. 

Hopper catches the two of them walking around town at night. Steve is carrying around a bat. Barb has a pocket knife. It’s the least conspicuous weapons they have but Will’s having nightmares and the two of them are going to sit outside his window. Just for a bit. Just to help. He’s too used to them standing guard. 

He doesn’t ask them what they’re doing. Hopper is one of the very few that is well aware of where they’ve been and what they’ve survived. He’s willing to cover for them as long as they’re not doing anything stupid. 

He asks them if they’ve seen a girl. Short brown hair. Will’s age. Her name is Eleven and she goes by El. They haven’t but they promise to keep an eye out for her. 

They don’t see her. At least not at first. She appears about a week later, hiding slightly behind a tree while she stares at them in confusion. They wait, letting her make the first move. Barb just sits on the ground but Steve stays standing. 

“There’s no one around,” he says. “Everyone’s sleeping.” 

The girl doesn’t respond, still watching them. 

“You need something?” Steve asks. “Some food?” Barb takes the bag she has slung over her shoulder and shoves it forward. She carries things like food, flashlights and anything else they might need. Just in case. She has to keep it hidden though, tucked away so her parents don’t steal it again. 

The kid approaches slowly and takes it, scuttering back out of reach. Barb looks at Steve and can already tell he wants to adopt the kid. He had the same look when they met Will and the boy looked at them with such relief. 

---

It takes about a week before they realize the kid has taken to following them around when they’re on the outskirts of the town. Steve keeps up a running commentary on books and history that while correct in the essential points manage to be wrong in all the specifics.  Barb suggests taking turns to save their voices and get her used to them both and starts telling the story of the Three Musketeers to their little shadow like she did in the upside-down with her boys.

It’s another three days before El shows up at Steve’s house in one of the sweaters he’s left out for her. His mother appears behind him as he opens the door and asks “isn’t she a little young for you?” 

“She’s just a kid, mom. She helped us. When we were lost.” 

And just like that, Steve’s mom adopts her. First informally but eventually formally, and anyone who even tries to say anything has to deal with the former Mrs. Joanna Harrington, now Ms. Joanna Comstock. She’s gotten more formidable since Steve went missing. She’s well respected in the town and knows enough dirt about most of the residents to keep them from poking their noses into her business of harassing her son and his friends. She’s also rich, even after the divorce. The court looked favourably on a mother who returned to find her son as opposed to his father who stayed at his conference until it was complete. Money is power and she wields it ruthlessly to bring El into the family.

---

Eddie tracks them down at school. He apologizes for anything he said that set them off. He watches them carefully, twitching slightly as he carefully controls his movements and voice to invite them to a game. He offers to teach them both, let them learn the ways of the game and the tricks of the monsters in it. They’re so used to Will talking about the upside-down as if it’s an extension of D&D that they agree. Any knowledge of potential threats is a good one. Eddie grins at them and invites them to a picnic table in the woods behind the school. It’s secluded enough and outside that they both feel like they can breathe. 

He takes his time and Barb can see when both Steve and Eddie are at their boiling points. She works to diffuse the tension and there are a few times that Eddie offers them the joint he’s smoking. They both refuse and eventually he stops asking. 

All their preparation does nothing when Will is sick and they can all feel the upside-down creeping up on them. It keeps them up at night and they cannot stop themselves from standing guard outside Will’s bedroom window. Jonathan thinks it’s creepy but Steve heard that he had taken pictures of them all from the woods that night of the party. The night they disappeared. So neither of them think Jonathan is allowed to say anything on the subject of creepy, ever. Joyce invites them inside and lets the two of them sit vigil in Will’s bedroom with her. 

The two of them eventually separate. Barb follows El on her quest for answers and when they return, she finds that Steve has adopted more children in his wake. He can’t seem to help it and when they reunite, they refuse to be parted again. 

Barb gets into a last massive fight with her parents. They plead for her to talk to them, tell them what happened. “What did that boy do to you?” But she can’t explain because they won’t listen, don’t believe her. She leaves their house and finds herself at Steve’s. His mother is so used to her that she practically has a key. Joanna bars the door. She failed her child before but she will not again. She does not allow Barb’s parents into her home, nor Nancy who comes at their bidding. The only person she allows is Hopper who doesn’t even need to ask. 

Barb does not need to go back. She’s eighteen. They can’t force her. So she doesn’t. Steve’s house is a big one and for the first time, it feels like it actually has life in it. 

---

Steve is not required to get a job. They avoid the mall because there are too many people and too many noises. The closest they get is the parking lot where they wait for Robin to get off work. El and Will come to them with Max’s concerns about Billy. 

Billy who is acting strange. Billy, who sets off all the alarms in the back of their heads because he is being controlled by the very thing that tried to steal Will from them again. Steve doesn’t really know Billy, aside from a fight that Billy threatened to have but Steve was already armed and had a look in his eye that Billy felt like he didn’t want to press for once. Barb does not know him at all except that he has a sister that Will has complained about, well, that he’s complained about his friends talking about her. 

They deal with Billy. It’s not easy, but Barb and Steve have been planning for everything they could think of. Possession was something in the books they read. Something Will had experienced. They get El’s help and they tie him down with the same type of restraints they use in hospitals. Barb stole them because no one ever expected her to so she was the perfect choice. 

It is not easy. Barb ends up with a broken arm. Steve has a concussion. But Billy is left free if a little broken. They know what that’s like and so they take him in as well. 

It is in the aftermath that they learn everything. How Heather acted as Billy’s replacement, not perfect but enough. The mall exploded, the government appeared again and barely in the nick of time. Hopper was gone. So many people were gone. 

Robin had been roped into an adventure into a Russian base by Dustin and Erica who knew she was their friend. She barely got out alive. 

They are freed from the hospital only to be sentenced to endless questions from the same government officials who demanded answers the last time they had escaped something. There was no Hopper to save them this time. There was a Joyce and Joanna though. Barb thinks the two women might have put the fear of god into some of the officials. Steve thinks it’s awesome.

They bring everyone home. Billy and Robin are brought in and Joanna finally gets the answers to what happened to her son. They explain everything, as much as they can. 

Billy refuses to go home. Max, his sister, refuses to leave him. Joanna finds herself with two more residents in her home, alongside Will, Johnathan and Joyce. The former has yet to feel comfortable enough to leave Steve and Barb’s side again. They don’t mind. Both Joyce and Joanna bar the door to the Hargroves. Max tries to explain things but she’s underage. She has to go with her mother if she demands her to. Billy does not, but he leaves anyway in order to protect her from his father. The mindflayer nearly destroyed him but it also showed him the truth. He sees his father for the weak man that he truly is and Billy cannot be bullied anymore.

Neil tries it once. He blames the broken jaw and clavicle on swerving into a ditch to avoid a deer. No one really believes him. He does not try anything again. 

---

They start to recover. Bit by bit. Piece by piece.  

El dates Mike who irritates Steve. It’s the way the kid talks about anyone he doesn’t already like. Mike does not like Steve. He claims it’s because Steve broke his sister's heart but Barb knows that Mike and Nancy haven’t gotten along in years. El does not date Mike for long. Steve is her brother now. Family first. 

Will tries to keep the peace and play D&D with his friends but Barb has yet to forgive Dustin for drawing Robin into danger where she was tortured. Robin has yet to stop flinching at the sound of Russian or loud male voices from any source. They play at Mike’s house still. 

Jonathan does not know how to deal with the fact that his mother has become friends with Steve’s mother. They are allies now, protecting their children. He tries though. It’s only after he actually apologizes for the things that he’s done, like taking their pictures without consent, that Barb really acknowledges him. 

They are supposed to go to college. None of them do. 

---

Eddie is patient and kind. Barb likes that about him. She doesn’t agree with some of his choices but she knows they each have their reasons. She offers to tutor him when he fails again. He accepts. Steve is no longer attached at her hip. They are getting better at being apart. He stays with Robin and Billy, going where he’s needed the most. Steve likes to be needed. Barb likes to help.

Eddie does his best to make Barb laugh. He tells her he likes to see her smile. She rarely does, at least that he’s seen. He tells her awful jokes and tries to introduce her to music that would have her parents praying. She listens just for that. 

He’s not stupid. He’s just not focused, too interested in doing other things. He looks after her kids though at school. He tells her when they agree to join his D&D group and if he sees any problems they might have. 

The first time he tries to kiss her, she recoils. He blinks at her before he apologizes profusely. “I just thought…I don’t know what I thought. It’s stupid.” 

“It’s not you,” she says. She hasn’t kissed anyone. Ever. No one has ever wanted to before. He stares at her like he can’t believe a word she’s saying. “You just startled me.”

His gaze softens and he apologizes before asking this time if he can kiss her. She nods slowly and he moves carefully, touching her cheek gently before he presses his lips to hers. It’s sweet and kind of perfect and she’s suddenly crying and she doesn’t know why. She thinks it’s because she never expected this to happen. She hasn’t expected to live in a long time. He cracks a joke but doesn’t say anything else. He just holds her. 

It is a complete surprise when Eddie comes to Steve’s door in the middle of the night. He’s crying and scared and he tells them what he saw, what happened to Chrissy Cunningham in his trailer. He’s in a full-blown panic attack but Joanna has taken charge. The first thing she does is call the cops. She fabricates a story of Chrissy coming to Eddie for something to help with the headaches, just some weed she knew he had when someone broke in. Eddie didn’t recognize him, didn’t get a good look. The person had Chrissy but Eddie ran when she died. Self-preservation is a natural instinct, after all. 

The cops come. Barb holds Eddie’s hand as he recounts it. Chrissy was having migraines. She wanted something to help her sleep. He was just going to give her a bit of weed. That’s all. He’s hysterical enough that the cops think he’s high and useless for a statement. They threaten to bring him in on drug charges but Eddie bursts into more tears and Joanna basically dares them to try. She knows every good lawyer in the state. 

Barb didn’t want this to happen. Not to him. She liked having him on the outskirts, part of something normal. Still, what they’re dealing with clearly isn’t something human. She doesn't need to call Steve or Billy who are there, sharing a cigarette of all things as the stress of the implications of this hits. 

“Well,” Billy says. “What are we going to do?” 

---

Another kid is murdered and since Eddie was in the house, under the supervision of not only Joanna but Joyce now as well, it is clear to the cops that he didn’t do it. It is not clear to Jason, Chrissy’s boyfriend who is out for revenge. “You just left her! You son of a bitch! It should have been you!” 

Luckily, Eddie is rarely alone. None of them are. 

“You want to say that again?” Billy asks, using his reputation in his favour. No one knows what happened to Billy, and despite him working to be someone better than what his father has tried to make him, he’s not afraid to make use of his old reputation for the people that have helped him. He doesn’t know Eddie, but he owes Barb and she likes the nerd. 

“You know what he did.”

“Saved himself. Just like any of us would. You ever try this shit again, I won’t hold back. You hear?” 

Jason leaves but Barb isn’t fully convinced that he won’t come back. Billy promises to deal with him though if he does. 

“I know how to fight. Might as well use it.”

---

The government comes for El. She refuses. They all refuse and one of them threatens that if she doesn’t go with them, she won’t be able to save them. She needs their help. 

“Why?” Barb asks. “You never helped before.”

“Yeah,” Steve adds. “What secret shit do you think you have?”  The two of them will always have each other’s backs. El is Steve’s sister. Therefore, she’s Barb’s sister. Family first. 

“You need to know what your mind is hiding,” a man says. El digs her hand into the back of Steve’s shirt and calls him Papa. They’ve heard enough about her life that Steve moves forward to hit him. He’s stopped by the guards. As usual, no one stops Barb. 

Everyone looks at her in surprise but Billy has taught her how to throw a decent punch. “You can’t have her.”

“If you know the history, just tell us.” 

El is not alone. She is surrounded by the family that she chose. Family that chose her. They cannot take her. All for one and one for all.

“It doesn’t work like that,” one man says. 

“Like we give a shit,” Billy answers. 

---

They split up. Of course they do. When they talk about finding out if there’s a gate in a lake, Barb cannot leave Steve alone. Billy stays with the kids, promising to look out for them. Jonathan stays too, looking dreadfully uncomfortable with the company but unable to leave his brother. They have Joyce and Joanna as well, both who protest about their children going. Barb and Steve reassure them though. They’re the only ones who should. They know the place. 

Eddie and Robin follow. Both of them refuse to let them go alone. Barb is not a good swimmer but she doesn’t need to be. The gate pulls them in, as though it’s missed them. 

They’re prepared this time. 

They deal with the bats and run. It is safest to run, they tell them. They don’t entirely know what they’re dealing with but they have a plan. Sort of. They want to burn this place to the ground. 

Everything is the same in the upside down. Just old and overrun with creatures that want them dead. 

“So, this is where you two were?”

“Yeah.”

“Not exactly a vacation,” Eddie muses. 

“No,” Barb agrees. “Not a vacation.” 

“Well, I kind of like it,” Robin says. “It’s quiet.”

“Sure, if you can ignore everything that wants to rip your spine out.” They all look at Steve who just shrugs. “I’m not wrong.” 

---

They find the thing that calls himself Vecna. Or he finds them. 

He claims to be human but they’re all pretty sure that whatever humanity was there is long gone. He talks, promising them relief if they give themselves to him. He sounds like every bad villain from every horror movie Barb has ever heard of. 

It happens quickly. Steve stepped in front, protecting Robin as he used an axe to chop the vine thing Vecna controlled. Another one wraps around his neck. It hangs Eddie upside down by his ankle. Robin is trying to help Steve and Vecna laughs, telling them they deserve this. But Barb…Barb has always gone unnoticed and she’s good at finding things. Barb is prepared. 

She throws the liquid on him. The upside-down has twisted his senses and she suspects he’s forgotten about certain things from the human world. When he turns to her, smug with amusement and asks “is that all you can do?” she knows it for certain.

“No,” she tells him. 

The others are not so blinded and Eddie, even hanging by his ankles, digs out his lighter and flicks it on before throwing it. The vines drop them all and Barb watches Vecna scream. Good, she thinks. Let him suffer.

Steve picks up the axe again and risks the fire to bury it into Vecna’s skull. 

They wait. Eddie tells them that monsters can always respawn. You need to make sure it’s dead. It takes a few tries before they can get the axe back. It’s singed but it’s enough to chop off his head. Something screams in the distance. Barb and Steve each grab one of their friends and they run. 

They manage to find another gate, hidden in Eddie’s home. He tries not to look embarrassed about the fact he lives in a trailer but none of them seem to care. Why would they? They have more important things to worry about. 

It takes time to peel back enough to see the other side. They move the table so they can get closer. It’s easy to go through a gate. It sucks you in once you’re close. Eddie falls nearly headfirst into his trailer in their world. He groans but doesn’t tell them that he likely just cracked a few ribs. He gets the table and stands on it, helping Robin come through. By the time it’s Barb’s turn, things are attacking the trailer. She refuses to go first until Steve agrees that they can go together. Eddie tells them to wait, he can’t hold both of them and moves the couch under the gate. They go together and fall, nearly collapsing on one another, half on the couch and half off. It was a bad idea, but they’re home. The gate closes behind them.

taglist: @raith-way @arrthurpendragon @zeleniafic @jvstjewels @veetlegeuse @chickensarentcheap @booty-boggins @residentdormouse @delicateblackrose @stanshollaand @cantfighthemoonknight @wordspin-shares @chrissymunson

ST tag: @happinessinthedarkesttimes

[ladykatakuri]

Stardust Reblog Challange December Part 2

13th:

Think You Can Handle Me? 1/2 - Crosshair x AFAB!Reader by: @zoeykallus NSFW

The Last Mission - Jedi OC and Clone OC by: @arctrooper69 SFW

Dincember, December 1 - Gift by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

25 Days of Life Day, Day 1 - Cody x Reader Tree Decorating by: @ladysongmaster SFW

25 Days of Lifeday 2 - Hot Cocoa and Fire Place Cuddles with Rex - Rex x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFW

The Toothpick Incident - Crosshair x F!Reader by: @zoeykallus SFW

Gar Cyare Chapter 8 - Alpha 17 x F!Reader by: @wanderinginksplot SFW

Dincember: December 2 - Snow by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

25 Days of Life Day - Hot Cocoa and Fireplace Cuddles - Rex x Reader by: @ladysongmaster SFW

In Time - Tup x Reader by: @kaminocasey NSFW

25 Days of Life Day 3 - Sledding with Gregor by: @kaminocasey SFW

Echo x F!Reader by: @twistedstitcher27 NSFW

Eya Episode VIII - Eya ( and several OCs )by: @galacticgraffiti SFW

Take My Memory: Bonsoir Ch. 7 - Gregor x F!OC Cassia Nu by: @kaminocasey SFW

Meeting the Prodigal Daughter - Count Dooku and Y/N Jinn ( Reader ) by: @monako-jinn-stories SFW

25 Days of Life Day 3 - Soup, Sandwiches and Snow - Gregor x Reader by: @ladysongmaster SFW

Dincember: December 3 - Gloves by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

Caught Ya - Wrecker x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFWish

25 Days of Life Day 4: Decorating the House with Wolffe - Wolffe x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFW

Snowy Retreat - Hunter x F!Reader by: @zoeykallus SFW

Holding On - Hunter x F!Reader by: @nahoney22 SFW

25 Days of Life Day 4 : The Light of the Season - Wolffe x Reader by: @ladysongmaster SFW

Dincember: December 4 - Fire by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

25 Days of Life Day 5: Iceskating with Hunter and Omega by: @kaminocasey SFW

Captain Gregor x Physician F!Reader by: @twistedstitcher27 NSFW

I Will Always Wait for You 15 - Frankie Morales x F!Reader by: @musings-of-a-rose Mature

Inspiration - ARC Trooper Echo x F!Reader by: @wild-karrde NSFW

Walk Me Home Ch.7 - Wolffe x F!OC Cherise by: @cyarbika SFW

Dincember: December 5 - Cold by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

14th:

Security - Honor(Interlude) - Din Djarin x F!OC Astra by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

Cheeky Flashing - TBB x F!Reader by: @nahoney22 Suggestive

Snow, Gifts, Sweets and Life Day - TBB & Rex & Fives x F!Reader HC`s by: @zoeykallus SFW

25 Days of Life Day 6- Making Fudge with Tech - Tech x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFW

About Strange Turn Ons and Love Boners - TBB x Reader HCs by: @zoeykallus Suggestive

Permission to Dance - Tech x F!Reader by: @nahoney22 SFW

Dincember: December 6 Hot Chocolate - Din Djarin x Reader by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

25 Days of Life Day 7 - Life Day Lights Display with Echo - Echo x Reader by : @kaminocasey SFW

The Cover of Night - Marc Spector/Steven Grant x F!Reader by: @interstellarwraith SFW

The Gym Membership 15 : Echo - Echo x F!OC by: @imabeautifulbutterfly SFW

Dincember: December 7 Blanket - Din Djarin x Reader by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

25 Days of Life Day 8 - Decorating Gingerbread Houses with Wrecker - Wrecker x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFW

Dealing with their kids broken hearts - TBB HCs by: @zoeykallus SFW

Seeing Blue (AU) - Cad Bane x GN!Reader by: @nahoney22 SFW

Dincember: December 8 Candle - Din Djarin x Reader by: @dindjarindiaries SFW

Accidently Inflicted Pains - TBB & Cody x F!Reader by: @zoeykallus NSFW

25 Days of Life Day 9 - Decorating Firepuncher as a Joke for Crosshair - Crosshair x Reader by: @kaminocasey SFW ( suggestive language )

Sun and Rain: Age of the Empire Ch10 - The Crash - Hunter x F!OC Kimber by: @photogirl894 SFW



Taglist: @imabeautifulbutterfly@chaoticvampirejedi@hellothere-generalangsty@cyroku@reluctant-mandalore@uponrightful@zinzinina@saradika@galacticgraffiti@ashotofspotchka@dindjarindiaries@dinbeskarbaby@djarrex@djarinsbeskar@rowansparrow@photogirl894@rigelmoonshine@rigel-the-moonstrider@nahoney22@loth-wolffe@neon-junkie@bobafetts-princess@cyarbika@charnelhouse@zoeykallus@kin-rokku@jgvfhl@honestly-shite@here-comes-the-moose@dindjarindiaries@firstofficerwiggles@fictional-men-ruin-lives @ladysongmaster @lozalot @moonstrider9904@lorjukka@m-o-o-n-s-g-o-o-n-s @rain-on-kamino @monako-jinn-stories @middimidoris @wild-karrde @cross-my-heartt

[residentdormouse]

About (me) This Blog

Hey, I'm Mouse! 👋 I'm a 30-something old millennial, just living on Tumblr for a fun escape from the daily bullshit. This had been solely Stand FanFiction before, but since it's bound to expand to different fandoms here soon (a certain wizard has hijacked my brain), I figured my intro should adjust accordingly.

I am but a humble fanfic writing, doodle drawing, nonsense producing Tumblrite. I mean, we're all here for fun right? Right?? Well, I am, so I'm gonna do it anyways. Embrace the cringe. Or is it cringe is dead? Meh, same concept... Some of my stuff has smut (smut lite, if we're being honest), so 18+ and all that jazz - heed warnings, etc. But smut aside, there's bound to be lots of smoking and swearing and violence; that's pretty unavoidable.

If you're just here to talk about fandoms, writing, art, Blorbos, music, anything truly, I'm pretty open for conversation. Just drop an ask or a DM. I don't bite, promise. I'm here for community, 100%.

(I'm on discord too - ResidentDormouse)

FanFiction Masterlist:

The Stand (2020)

Jumping to Wonderland - Main Post w. Links

This page contains everything I have for this OC insert series: artwork, asks, backstories that never made it to AO3, chapter summaries, as well as the links to the stories themselves. Basically all the things you'd see on Blu-ray/DVD features, cause that's still a thing, right?

Supply Run (and other Stand One Shots)

A series of single serving One-Shot stories before/during/after canon. Canon compliant.

Baldur's Gate 3:

Breaking Waves

Waking up on the Nautiloid, Hayden discovers three things: this place is much different than the world she knew, the purple guys are not very nice, and she has pointy ears... One causes more alarm than it should. Now she is left to figure out how to deal with this unfamiliar place, and possibly find her way back home. If Fate wills it, that is.

In Progress Chapter Story : 6 of ???

From Waterdeep

Short one shot in which Gale receives a surprise gift, and Hayden (OC Tav) unlocks a later dialog.

Art:

Gale and Hayden

Team: Gale Needs a Hug

Random Musings/Head cannons:

Weave Scene Thoughts / Does Gale Know Himself? / Chess Banter (w. Beautiful Art by Pelcrow)

Stranger Things:

Even in Death

A Short Drabble post Season 4, using the prompt "Did you think they could protect you", a ghost, and Eddie Munson.

Original Works:

Close to the Vale: WIP

Intro post to an original story I'm starting. This is a full collection of links, character backgrounds, and other information as it's released. Updating on AO3 as I go. Come and hold me accountable for writing on time.

Random Drabbles/Flash Fiction:

Dream Shop Prompt, Sidekick Prompt, Dark Chatroom Prompt, Song Prompt (1)

I also reblog shit posts. A lot. And I reblog other's stories, because that what we do here, yeah? Community. Should anything not be your jam, here's my typical tags to block:

#Mouse's Friend's OCs #Mouse's Friend's Stories #Mouse's Friend's Art #Mouse is back on her Nonsense #Mouse's Tag Games & Reblogs

That said -- Welcome! -- Always feel free to say 'Hi!'