#oak toad

[weeklyfrogpod]

This week's toady crony is a tiny coiny.

(listen here!)

[thewillowoaklady]

Tiny toad enjoyed the birdbath after a good rain

[kremptstenkman]

Toad Music. You should sample the Toad Music.

[wintereira]

The Toad Alchemy

Całkiem nieprzedświątecznie, ale macie na dobranoc. Ja zmykam podróżować po światach wymyślonych.

[thegaytoadwizard]

Ladies, gentleman and other distinguished beings, I wish to inform you that I have indeed found my gender

[nuala-luna]

🐸

[captainofthenautilus]

another addams family post. this is pugsley's "toad" and this scene has some "toad croaking" foley, which just cracks me up because while one of the common names for this animal is technically "horned toad," that, my friend, is a lizard.

like,,,

[cryptotheism]

The old oak tree was felled by a storm last summer. Men came to clear away the crown where the birds played. You would watch them, from your bedroom window.

The stump stands. Fingers of jagged wood, reaching towards the sky. Motionless.

You approached it one foggy morning, coffee in hand, to find it crawling with fat grubs.

Come spring, a family of toads will nestle themselves in the sepulchre of its roots, and their young will sing you to sleep.

[fakescenariosbeforesleepblog]

Will I ever see you again?

Captain John Price x Fem Reader.

You met the captain in a fancy bar in town, you had a terrible date and Price took good care of your broken heart, now you wonder if you will have the chance to see him again.

Remember to give me a ♥️ if you like the story.

Warning: nothing important, just spelling and grammatical errors.

You were sitting close to the bar, with puffy eyes, your lips pumped more than usual, you cried a lot, you were wearing a beautiful red dress, your hair in soft curls and there was a martini In front of you, you wondered why you asked for that, you needed something stronger to drown your sadness.

A man took a seat beside you, you tried to look normal but your face betrayed you.

- Hey Darling, Are you alright?

You looked in his direction and you were amazed, was very handsome, his beard already had some grey hair, but his eyes, blue as the ocean were beautiful, a very muscular body, he was older than you for sure, but that didn't matter, he was so attractive, you smiled at him and nodded.

- I'm fine, sorry, just a bad date.

- Oh sorry about that, if it helps, I bet that guy is an idiot for leaving a beautiful lady like you crying in a bar.

You didn't know if it was the drink giving you bravery or was your broken heart trying to find a way to heal.

- don't be, if it hadn't been a mess I wouldn't be here talking with a handsome man like you.

He chuckled and nodded, you left your sad mood behind, not every day you find a man like him, you batted your eyes coquettishly.

- So, What's your name stranger?

- I'm John, nice to meet you, what about you? What's the name of the beautiful lady I have in front of me?

He kissed your hand and you blushed.

- I'm (y/n).

You and John talked for hours, he invited more drinks then both decided to take a walk, you discovered that you and him have a lot in common, he told you a bit about his work and you told him about yours, then, still with the bravery to flower of skin, you kissed him, he instantly returned the kiss, was good, no one ever kissed you in that way, eagerly, hungry, desperate, but at the same time, soft, sweet and full of desire and love, after that kiss you definitely were sure all your life you had been kissing toads.

The sexual tension increased, you could feel the urgency to be with him, skin to skin. John was more than ready to continue but as the gentleman he was, he asked you for your permission.

- You're so pretty, call me old school, but I won't do anything, until I have your permission.

- I want this John, I want you.

He kissed you one more time and then he took you to his apartment, which was elegant, a mix between industrial and minimalist decorations, the smell of cigar and oak had you on pure ecstasy, John and you didn't waste time, clothes were scattered around the apartment, hands marks in every mirror, glass, furniture, moans were the melody filling the place, sweat, caresses and kisses, was a magical night, unfortunately all the good things have an end.

The next morning you woke up with a thousand calls of your friends and the guy who dated you, then you found yourself alone In the bed, you took all your clothes and stuff and ran. You didn't read the note John left you «Morning Beautiful, I went to buy something for breakfast, brb».

When John went back, you weren't there anymore, he was sad, but just like you, he thought it was just one night's love.

For months you tried to continue with your life, but the flashbacks of Price invaded you, you weren't dating no one anymore, no one was like John. You visited the bar where you met him a couple times waiting to find him, but it was a waste of time, he wasn't there. You didn't remember the way to his house, you were desperate, Where was he? Was he even real?.

You were walking around, you lived in a small town but with every step you gave the town looked more and more bigger, it was starting to rain but you didn't care, a taxi passed by your side but you didn't even try to look at it, until you heard the car stopped and a voice calling your name caught your attention.

- Y/N!?

You turned your head and there he was, those blue eyes, brown hair, beard with some gray hair, tall and muscular.

- John!

You jumped into his arms, you kissed him, you had him once again.

[slippinmickeys]

I have always had this idea of writing a fantasy-like AU where unbeknownst to her, Scully is a witch and Mulder has been cursed as her familiar, spending his nights, ‘Ladyhawke’-like, as an animal, and his days as a man. I doubt I’ll ever write a full-length fic, but wanted to exorcise the demon, and I had a few rare, free hours this afternoon.

Familiar

Dana wrapped her cloak tightly around her shoulders and looked up at the dark underbelly of the canopy. The oak leaves were still, but there was fluttering movement not high above her head. Feathered things flew in the daylight, but she knew other things, darker things, flew at night. With a swallow of unease, she began to walk more quickly.

There was an old crofters cottage by the edge of the wood past the Roman road that she could rest in if she could get to it. The roof would no doubt leak in the rain and it would be damp as a toad’s foot, but she didn’t feel comfortable out in the open—not with that creature following her. Not with the shouts of “witch!” still ringing in her ears.

She turned to look behind her and saw nothing, but she could sense the animal there, hiding in the undergrowth, biding its time. Patiently stalking her, she thought.

It had been following her for the last three days, glimpses of movement on her periphery, too quick to be human. It had been following her since she’d been run out of her village, since Alexander had whispered “conjurer” to the men as they worked in the fields, to the women as they combed the wool. It had followed her like a shadow, like the rumor that had made her leave.

She spit into the duff. Alexander . He had been her friend, but she had refused his advances. His proposals of marriage. She hadn’t explained that she wanted more from life than to be a brood mare to a villein, working a landlord’s farm, but he knew and the love he’d carried in his eyes turned quickly to hate.

A branch snapped not far behind her, and she cursed her wandering mind, her hand flying to the dagger at her belt. The blade, long and old as the Norsemen who used to land on their shores, seemed to hum as she touched it. She’d named the skean “Bite,” and like the teeth of a cat, it never needed to be sharpened.

The animal, whatever it was, was growing more bold, no longer satisfied with following her at a distance. She was tiring of being stalked, and whipped around on the old game trail, her cloak twirling dramatically around her legs. As she turned, she caught a flash of amber in the moonlight.

“Out then!” She shouted. “Show yourself and let us have it out! I have a shadow already, I have no need for a new one!”

Nothing answered her but the dull hooting of an owl.

She sniffed the air, but caught no scent and turned slowly, having no choice but to continue her lonely sojourn through the wood.

She had no idea where she would go. It had to be far, far away from the village where she’d come of age, left as a babe on the doorstep of a country peasant, wrapped in quality wool with Bite tucked into the bottom of the creel in which she lay, the basket thatched together tightly with river grasses that did not grow anywhere in the whole of the county. The mantle of “conjurer” would follow her like stink clung to the hide of a pig.

She was already the odd orphan with hair like fire, where everyone around her had pelts the color of mud. Perhaps she could lose herself in one of the bigger cities. Though how she would feed, clothe and shelter herself was another matter altogether. She had only the coin she’d sown into the lining of her cloak last autumn.

Ahead, there was a break in the line of trees with dull moonlight shining on a field of barley. The light beyond the field was the grey of twilight; dawn wasn’t far away. If she could make it to the crofter’s cottage without being seen, she could sleep the day away there, rest her head and her sore, aching feet. Leave behind the feeling of being shadowed, of being shunned.

Through the field of barley she walked, a low stone wall just west of the field in a long, unending line, the barrier denoting where one landowner’s property ended and another’s began.

She looked over her shoulder. She saw nothing. A tingling at the base of her spine, however, told her that she had not lost her shadow. Whatever it was was still behind her, though she could not see it. Perhaps it was pressed to the ground like a slinking cat. Perhaps it was something that couldn’t be seen.

The barley was still green. There were tight knots of plaited beads at the tops of its stalks that would be harvested in a few months time, the rough seeds surrounded by long, thin whiskers that grazed along the skin of her arms as she walked, like a lover’s caress.

Or what a lover's caress might feel like if she’d ever granted a man her consent. Alexander was not the only young man in town to have looked at her a bit too long, but her adopted mother had been protective and had warned her of what they might do. She’d raised Dana to be strong and quick, to be aware of her surroundings. Especially when the milites came through, collecting taxes of coin and wool. Those were the men you needed to be careful of, Old Mildred had warned her. Local men could be just as dangerous, but they would think twice being that everyone knew where they laid their heads.

“Any man who touches you without invitation,” she’d tell Dana loudly whenever a villager would look at her with want. “You wait until he sleeps and slice off his cock!”

With a pang, Dana thought of the woman who had found her on her threshold as a babe, who had raised her as her own, though she’d never married, preferring the company of milking goats and chickens. She had been dead not five months, and oh how Dana’s life had changed in that short burst of time.

Over a hill and through a field of rye she walked, ducking under a stile as the light in the sky turned grey, the last of the night’s stars winking off. There at the bottom of the dale stood the crofter’s cottage, surrounded on two sides by thick, old elms.

She picked up her step, letting the pull of the earth carry her more quickly down the hill toward her salvation. The feeling of the creature behind her was even closer now and the urge to draw Bite from its scabbard at her waist and thrust it into the night behind her was nearly overpowering. Instead, she pushed on.

She was almost to the cottage with its thick oaken door. She would be behind it momentarily and safe. But of course that’s when she stumbled over a hidden root.

She fell hard on her side, wrenching her shoulder and bruising her hip. Before she could get to her feet came the sound of heavy padded feet and another crack of branch stepped on. Raising her eyes, she finally caught sight of her pursuer. A large fox, thick of pelt and red as her own hair, darted behind one of the elms just as the rays of the sun rose over the horizon behind it, blinding her momentarily. She blinked several times. And when her vision cleared, it wasn’t a fox that stepped out from behind the old tree, but a man.

Scrabbling to her feet, she whipped Bite from its sheath despite the pain in her shoulder and held it up, the sharp tip pointed at the man who stood before her.

He was young, she saw, perhaps only a year or two older than her. With the blaze of the newly risen sun behind him, his hair looked as fleecy and golden as the fox he had replaced, though when she looked more closely, she found that his hair was brown. She couldn’t discern eye color, but could see that his chin was strong, with a longish nose that leant his face character. He was tall, too. His head nearly as high as the local Sheriff’s gelding.

“Hullo,” he said, his voice light.

She did not gift him with a reply, merely flicking her blade with a quick movement of her wrist. He would know she knew how to wield the weapon she carried.

“You’re the one the villagers call Dana,” he said. His voice was like a low mumble, though pleasant enough.

“I’m the one the villagers call ‘witch,’’’ she hissed, hoping to scare him. Instead of stumbling back in fear though, the young man merely grinned.

She stared at him a long moment, waiting for him to approach or attack, but he leaned against the tree instead.

“You’ve been following me,” she finally said, lowering Bite a bit, though only a bit. She wanted to hear what he had to say for himself.

He shrugged, lackadaisical. She felt her hackles raise.

“You don’t deny it?”

He shrugged again. “It is more an act of self-preservation than ill-intentioned pursuit,” the man explained.

She was losing her fear of him. Or the fear was turning into vexation.

That she had been convinced that her pursuer was an animal rather than a man was not helping. When the fox had walked behind the tree and the man had emerged from the other side with the very breaking of dawn, she had been confused. And confusion always turned her angry. You are too intelligent, Old Mildred had always laughed. Stupid people are always happier, smart people frequently vexed.

“You are Dana, are you not?” he asked.

“You plan to turn me in to the witch slayers?”

“I plan nothing of the kind.”

“Then I am Dana,” she said, and, on a gut feeling, re-sheathed her blade.

“I am glad to hear it,” he said, looking relieved.

“You now know my name,” she said. “I ask you to tell me yours.”

Now that the sun had risen further, he was easier to see. He had kind eyes and was wearing a tightly-woven flaxen garment dyed the color of leaves in the winter.

“I only know what they called me in the village,” he said, a wistful, almost lost look on his face.

“And what’s that?”

“Fox,” he said, with a sheepish tilt to his head.

Her stomach dipped and goose flesh spread over the skin of her arms. Still, what he said was intriguing enough. “Have you no memory?”

“I have knowledge,” he said, his eyes narrowing. He knew unknowable things, she could somehow tell. “But I have no past that I know of.”

“You sound similar to me in that way.”

His eyes sharpened. “You have no past?”

“I have a story that lacks a beginning,” she said simply. “And lately am called only ‘witch.’”

“The villagers don’t know what a witch really is,” he said. “You are not what they think you are.”

“I am not,” she agreed, standing up taller and thrusting forward her chin.

“But a witch you are,” he said, taking a small step toward her. “And I? Am your familiar.”

[thewillowoaklady]

Tiny frog

[spring-sage]

When I was little, my mother had to work two (sometimes, three) jobs. And since we were too young to stay home unsupervised, she would send my sister and I off to live with my Aunt and Uncle during the Summer months.

Their home was located off a dirt road on the west side of town. My uncle’s father owned a bit of the surrounding land back then, so much of it was underdeveloped, with only a few neighboring houses here and there.

Often, around dusk, just before the day turned into night, my uncle would take walks. And I, being his little shadow, was always eager to tag along.

The road we’d walk was lined with huge old oak trees that had thick and reaching branches that extended high above, creating a kind of canopy effect. It felt so very magical to me back then, walking beneath them—like I was in an enchanted forest of some sort.

During those walks we wouldn’t say much. We would just observe the sights and sounds around us. The chirping of crickets, and frogs croaking, toads hopping, birds nestling in the leaves—and so on.

But what was always the most thrilling and exciting was the lightning bugs and how they darted and flashed their blinking neon lights all around us. There must have been thousands of them! (Maybe thats the typical exaggeration of a 6-year-old’s perception, but still, there were many.)

I used to catch as many as I could, and would put them in a jar with a handful of tall grass. There were many nights I’d fall asleep while watching them glow.

Eventually the land was sold, the trees were cut down and cleared out, the dirt road was paved and new ones were made. More and more houses were built, and the lightning bugs went away.

It’s been a good while since I’ve last seen one, but when I do, I’m 6 years old all over again.

[cryptidclaw]

Cryptidclaw's WC Prefixes List!

Yall said you were interested in seeing it so here it is! 

This is a collection of mostly Flora, Fauna, Rocks, and other such things that can be found in Britain since that’s where the books take place! 

I also have other Prefixes that have to do with pelt colors and patterns as well!

Here’s a link to the doc if you dont want to expand a 650 word list on your Tumblr feed lol! the doc is also in my drive linked in my pined post!

below is the actual list! If there are any names you think I should add plz tell me!

EDIT: I will update the doc with new names as I come up with them or have them suggested to me, but I wont update the list on this post! Plz visit my doc for a more updated version!

Animals

Mammal

Badger

Bat

Bear

Beaver

Bison

Boar

Buck

Calf

Cow

Deer

Elk

Fawn

Ferret

Fox

Goat

Hare

Horse

Lamb

Lynx

Marten

Mole

Mouse

Otter

Rabbit

Rat

Seal

Sheep

Shrew

Squirrel

Stoat

Vole

Weasel

Wolf

Wolverine

Amphibians

Frog

Newt

Toad

Reptiles

Scale

Adder

Lizard

Snake

Turtle

Shell

Birds

Bird

Down

Feather

Albatross

Bittern

Buzzard

Chaffinch

Chick

Chicken

Coot

Cormorant

Corvid

Crane

Crow

Curlew

Dove

Duck

Dunlin

Eagle

Egret

Falcon

Finch

Gannet

Goose

Grouse

Gull

Hawk

Hen

Heron

Ibis

Jackdaw

Jay

Kestrel

Kite

Lark

Magpie

Mallard

Merlin

Mockingbird

Murrelet

Nightingale

Osprey

Owl

Partridge

Pelican

Peregrine

Petrel

Pheasant

Pigeon

Plover

Puffin

Quail

Raven

Robin

Rook

Rooster

Ruff

Shrike

Snipe

Sparrow

Starling

Stork

Swallow

Swan

Swift

Tern

Thrasher

Thrush

Vulture

Warbler

Whimbrel

Wren

Freshwater Fish 

Fish

Bass

Bream 

Carp

Dace

Eel

Lamprey

Loach

Minnow

Perch

Pike

Rudd

Salmon

Sterlet

Tench

Trout

Roach

Saltwater fish and other Sea creatures (would cats be able to find some of these? Probably not, I don't care tho)

Alge

Barnacle

Bass (Saltwater version)

Bream (Saltwater version)

Brill

Clam

Cod

Crab

Dolphin

Eel (Saltwater version)

Flounder

Garfish

Halibut

Kelp

Lobster

Mackerel

Mollusk

Orca

Prawn

Ray

Seal

Shark

Shrimp

Starfish

Sting

Urchin

Whale

Insects and Arachnids

Honey

Insect

Web

Ant

Bee

Beetle

Bug

Butterfly

Caterpillar

Cricket

Damselfly

Dragonfly

Fly

Grasshopper

Grub

Hornet

Maggot

Moth

Spider

Wasp

Worm

Trees

Acorn

Bark

Branch

Forest

Hollow

Log

Root

Stump

Timber

Tree

Twig

Wood

Alder

Apple

Ash

Aspen

Beech

Birch

Cedar

Cherry

Chestnut

Cypress

Elm

Fir

Hawthorn

Hazel

Hemlock

Linden

Maple

Oak

Pear

Poplar

Rowan

Redwood

Spruce

Willow

Yew

Flowers, Shrubs and Other plants

Berry

Blossom

Briar

Field

Flower

Leaf

Meadow

Needle

Petal

Shrub

Stem

Thicket

Thorn

Vine

Anemone 

Apricot

Barley 

Bellflower

Bluebell

Borage

Bracken

Bramble

Briar

Burnet

Buttercup

Campion

Chamomile

Chanterelle

Chicory

Clover

Cornflower

Daffodil

Daisy

Dandelion

Dogwood

Fallow

Fennel

Fern

Flax

Foxglove

Furze

Garlic

Ginger

Gorse

Grass

Hay

Heather

Holly

Honeysuckle

Hop

Hyacinth

Iris

Ivy

Juniper

Lavender

Lichen

Lilac

Lilly

Mallow

Marigold

Mint

Mistletoe

Moss

Moss

Mushroom

Nettle

Nightshade

Oat

Olive

Orchid

Parsley

Periwinkle

Pine

Poppy

Primrose

Privet

Raspberry

Reed

Reedmace

Rose

Rush

Rye

Saffron

Sage

Sedge

Seed

Snowdrop

Spindle

Strawberry

Tangerine

Tansy

Teasel

Thistle

Thrift

Thyme

Violet

Weed

Wheat

Woodruff

Yarrow

Rocks and earth

Agate

Amber

Amethyst

Arch

Basalt

Bounder

Cave

Chalk

Coal

Copper

Dirt

Dust

Flint

Garnet

Gold

Granite

Hill

Iron

Jagged

Jet

Mountain

Mud

Peak

Pebble

Pinnacle

Pit

Quartz

Ridge

Rock

Rubble

Ruby

Rust(y)

Sand

Sapphire

Sediment

Silt

Silver

Slate

Soil

Spire

Stone

Trench

Zircon

Water Formations

Bay

Cove

Creek

Delta

Lake

Marsh

Ocean

Pool

Puddle

River

Sea

Water

Weather and such

Autumn

Avalanche

Balmy

Blaze

Blizzard

Breeze

Burnt

Chill

Cinder

Cloud

Cold

Dew

Drift

Drizzle

Drought

Dry

Ember

Fall

Fire

Flame

Flood

Fog

Freeze

Frost

Frozen

Gale

Gust

Hail

Ice

Icicle

Lightening

Mist

Muggy

Rain 

Scorch

Singe

Sky

Sleet

Sloe

Smoke

Snow

Snowflake

Soot

Sorrel

Spark

Spring

Steam

Storm

Summer

Sun

Thunder

Water

Wave

Wet

Wind

Winter

Celestial??

Comet

Dawn

Dusk

Evening 

Midnight

Moon

Morning

Night

Noon

Twilight

Cat Features, Traits, and Misc. 

Azure

Beige

Big

Black

Blonde

Blotch(ed)

Blue

Bounce

Bright 

Brindle

Broken

Bronze

Brown

Bumble

Burgundy

Call

Carmine

Claw

Cobalt

Cream

Crimson

Cry

Curl(y)

Dapple

Dark

Dot(ted)

Dusky

Ebony

Echo

Fallen

Fleck(ed)

Fluffy

Freckle

Ginger

Golden

Gray

Green

Heavy

Kink

Knot(ted)

Light

Little

Lost

Loud

Marbled

Mew

Milk

Mottle

Mumble

Ochre

Odd

One

Orange

Pale

Patch(ed)

Pounce 

Prickle

Ragged

Red

Ripple

Rough

Rugged

Russet

Scarlet

Shade

Shaggy

Sharp

Shimmer

Shining

Small

Smudge

Soft

Song

Speckle

Spike

Splash

Spot(ted)

Streak

Stripe(d)

Strong

Stump(y)

Sweet

Tall

Talon

Tangle

Tatter(ed)

Tawny

Tiny

Tough

Tumble

Twist

Violet

Whisker

Whisper

White

Wild

Wooly

Yellow

[sofiiel]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲: 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐝!𝐄𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Part 2 ⇢

Summary: In which you stumbled upon Cryptid!Eddie cowering in an alleyway one chilly autumn night in Hawkins, Indiana. And make a new friend.

Warnings: Bittersweet fluffy friends. Angst in the form of sad, not so little guy. Cheesiness. DemoEddie.

A/n: I may make a slowly updated friends to lovers series out of this, as I'm fond of their interactions. I'm certainly thinking of writing this from Eddie's pov. Also, I am done with summer so here it's fall 🧡

It's a particularly cold autumn night as you empty the trash from the bakery into the dumpster.

You're new to Hawkins, and you've heard all the strange stories. Though, you thought it was all small town hysteria and conspiracy theories. But the town was now a tourist destination. And a perfect place to open your first business.

You'd had a busy grand opening and your mind is still thinking over the day when you hear a startled yelp from inside the large trashcan.

You stumbled back as a dark figure leaps out and darts into the shadows. A strange high-pitched whine following the sound of scrapping.

Was it a dog?

Pulling your coat around you tighter, you venture to investigate, carefully.

"Stay back..." A raspy voice calls out from the corner. A large wisp of breath floating towards you.

Your feet stop moving, was it the dog's owner? Something wasn't adding up.

"Sir, if you need food for your dog, I have dog treats inside if-"

A distorted laughter seeps from the shadows, it turns into a spine-chilling whinny. If a whistling wind could chortle.

"Please just...go away." said the voice.

He didn't sound like he was in good shape, and you ponder calling the police.

"Hold on, I'll be back, I'm just going to call and get you some help. You don't sound well, sir-"

"Don't do that!" it bellowed. The cry knocks you off your feet, the force behind and it and something else…

You wince, glass shards stuck in your palm. You have little time to worry about it, however, as you feel a thick, warm liquid seep out of your ear.

His yowl felt like standing too near a train whistle.

You sat among the scattered leaves of the large oak tree above your shop, trying to stop the fear racing in your chest.

Pressing a finger to your ear, you examine the blood.

A moan of regret comes from the shadows, "I tried to warn you. Please leave." it says.

Something in the way its words hit your core, sways your fear into an odd curiosity.

"He sounds sad." You find yourself thinking.

One thing was obvious, that cry that pierced your ears, would have hurt any canine to the point of whimpering. His dog was either deaf, or there was never a dog to begin with.

"But could a man hop out of a dumpster with such speed?" you ponder.

Getting to your feet, you hear shuffling in the corner. It's extremely late and Hawkins has gone to bed. In the sleepy quiet, all small sounds are magnified. The same was true to the tiny hiss of pain in the corner.

"Are you hurt?" You question, only to be answered by a hushed growl.

You bit your lip and glance away. "Listen, I won't call the police, but at least let me help." you offer.

He says nothing, but you can hear him slink further into his corner.

"I won't come back there, I promise. I'm just going to bring you a blanket, my first aid kit and maybe something warm to drink?" you say.

He doesn't respond, but he'd made himself perfectly clear any time he'd disagreed with your actions.

"Ok, I'll be right back." you murmur, whisking away to the back door of your shop.

Closing the cold out behind you, you lean against the door and exhale. Just a moment to collect yourself. However, you still had little time to squander.

You take the old lift to your studio above and rummage through your trundle drawers for your extra blanket. Moving about as fast as you are able, you pop a cup of hot chocolate into the microwave.

From your bed came a dry 'mrow' from your calico devon rex.

"Not now Toad, I'll give you your snack later, I promise." you tell her as her green eyes square on you.

At the sound of the 'ding' with blanket and paper cup in hand, you head back down.

In a small amount of time, the wind decided to waken. Opening the back door, you are met with the biting breeze.

There's a slight gasp and a great commotion.

"Shit, fuck...damn it..." a string of soft curses follows the noise of hit metal and pavement.

"A-are you ok? I did say I'd be right back." you call to him. Blanket thrown over your shoulder and cup in hand.

You feel as though someone's watching you with a weighty gaze.

Quietly, you move forward and set the cup on the ground.

"I kinda don't want to lay your blanket down on the cold ground. So, I'll just hold it out to you?" your statement comes out as a question.

He offered no objections, only -

"Could you," he lulled carefully, "possibly look away."

You nod and turn your head, shutting your eyes. Scraping against the concrete tickles your ears.

Briefly against your fingertips, a cold pointed sensation brushes against your skin. The shivering touch stands out even against the frosty night air.

You shut your eyes tighter at the swooshing of the blanket.

More scraping, he must be going for the cup. But why that sound? What's moving along the ground?

Curiosity won't leave you be, and you dare to take a peek.

Your head slowly turns as your eyes widen gradually. Your lips tremble as they part, and your hand goes to silence a gasp.

The man kneeling before you, blanket draped over his shoulders, hardly looked like a man at all.

Long shaggy curls hid his face, lanky arms twice the length of any natural anatomy were thin but strictly muscle. What one would expect to see if you pulled away one's skin.

Hands the length of feet grasped the cup, spindly taloned fingers curling over one another.

If he stood he would be a tower, a gangly frightening tower.

But what shocked you the most was the oddly elegant webbing around his arms.

"Wings." you exhaled.

The creature who'd been happily slurping the chocolate looked up at you with a start.

He was the monster, and yet he was the one who looked terrified. While his body shivered from the cold, fear had him frozen in place.

Dark eyes slowly filled with water, they shimmered under the light of the crescent moon.

You should have been running, you have screamed and called for help. Though somehow in that alley, looking into the face of this creature, you felt as if you were the threat.

Moving carefully, you lower yourself as much as possible.

"You're ok." you tell him. You take your words slowly and make sure to meet his eye.

"I won't hurt you, if you won't hurt me. Deal?" you ask.

He watches you in wonder but manages to nod his head.

Looking over your shoulder, you glance at the door. It probably wasn't wise to bring a monster into your business. It was probably twice as ridiculous when said business was also your home.

With a sigh, you turned back to him and managed a smile. You offered out your hand.

"Come on, You'll freeze to death out here, and you missed the grand opening today. We gave away free finger sandwiches and soup." you tell him.

He blinks several times, his gaze tells you he thinks you're a little looney. However, his eyes fall to your hand, it's in his eyes that he wants to take it.

You wait patiently and twinkle your fingers.

"Well come on, when's the last time you had a nice hot meal, hmm?" you tempt him.

A strangled chuckle chokes out from his throat, droplets of water now coating his eyelashes. He shook his head no, but the weight in your palm and the fingers curled tightly around your hand whispered, "please."

You look on him softly and give the hand dwarfing your own a gentle shake. "Very well then, come on." you hum.

"My name is ____, I hope you'll enjoy Lazy Pot's signature soup." You continue to converse with him, if only to put him at ease. That look on his face left a sour feeling in your gut.

"You're nuts." He murmured.

"I get that a lot." you shrug. Had you turned around, his height may have stunned you.

You lead him to the door, standing in the entryway, when his feet come to a halt. With his hand still gripped onto yours, dead weight pulls you back.

You turn to him with your question silently lingering on your face.

He didn't have to voice his answer.

"I promise, I'm probably the scariest thing about this building." you tell him. His eyes which had been stuck on the door look down to his clawed feet.

He awkwardly raised one digileg and wiped his large foot against the mat.

You weren't going to correct him, for fear you'd scar him off. Waiting for the creature to wipe his feet and ducking to clear the entryway, take his first steps into the door.

What struck you with an uncomfortable tingle down your spin was a red, swollen wound around his right ankle.

The faint sweet and savory smells that hovered in the shop seemed to be luring him in as he gave his lips a lick. One small step at a time, it took a while before he'd made it completely through the door.

"May I close the door now?" You ask.

He gives an absent nod, eyes scanning his new surroundings with a twinkle.

Moving slowly, you closed the door.

With the curtains drawn shut, you watched in wonder while the creature plowed through plates of finger sandwiches, and his third bowl of soup.

Your eyes followed the twined tail that swished about the ground like a cluster of roots.

"How'd I miss that?" you think to yourself.

If it wasn't all so peculiar, you might have laughed. He was hardly frightening, cocooned in his blanket, gobbling down spoonfuls of soup like a child eating all his most favorite food.

With a release of breath, you lean back in your chair, finally able to relax.

The creature came to a realized halt, and with timid eyes glanced up at you. You flashed him a smile.

He reaches his finger out towards the plate piled in sandwiches, "You don't want anything?" He asked between slurps.

Your eyes crease into a smile of their own, "thank you, but those are all yours. I don't think I've ever seen someone enjoy my food this much, please help yourself." You urge.

For a moment you could have sworn you saw red tint his cheeks.

He wiped his mouth with the bend of his wrist and looked away from your eyes.

"Thank you." He murmured quietly.

"No, thank you, I think you've given me the best wordless review I've ever received." you chimed.

Your brows knit with concern as you move to leave the table.

Before you could blind, a hand snatched your arm, a trembling grip held to you.

"I'm just going back to the kitchens, there's a first aid kit back there. Your ankle is hurt." you explain in a slow calm.

His hands ease back, fingers uncurling from your wrists.

"Sorry." he whispers.

"It's fine. I'll be back." you say this, but you can still feel a worried gaze watching as you go.

It was almost uncomfortably quiet while he allowed you to clean and wrap his leg. The food was gone, and he now sipped on a bottle of water.

But you could feel those eyes on you.

"Do you have a name?" you ask him, desperate for sound beyond the ticking of the wall clock.

"I-" his words caught as if trying to remember.

You glance up at him, his eyes wide.

"It's been a long time since I needed to know my own name." he confessed.

"Is it Joe? You look like a Joe." You tease.

The creature shook his head.

"Billy?" You keep up, with a snap of your fingers you grin, "Tom, that's it for sure."

His eyes stay on you before a hint of a smile comes to his face.

"Name's Eddie." he says.

"Well Eddie, I'm glad I found you when I did," you hummed, listening as the wind gave a howl.

You move away, finished with treating his wound. "Where are you from?"

He scoffs, "Hawkins." he said.

"Do you have a home? Family? Others like-"

You swallow your words as Eddie flinched.

"Are there no others like you?" you ask softly.

"No, I came back....wrong." he whispered, lifting his hands so that he might look at them. Eddie gave his fingers a wiggle, his claws clacking together.

It may have been better to change the subject. "What happened to your leg?"

"Bear trap, spent too much time around the local farms." Eddie uttered quickly under his breath.

"Bear trap!" you nearly shout.

Eddie shrugged, "it's happened before." he spoke, eyes wandering between his hands and yours.

You had so many questions. How'd something as large as himself hide for others? It couldn't have been easy.

Was he born this way? If so, why were there none like him?

In the back of your mind, the rumors about the town echoed.

Slowly Eddie pushed out of his seat, "Thank you, ____. I'll hit the roa-"

A loud crack was followed by the delicate tinkling of glass shards against the wood floors.

You duck as you hear cackling and several more crashes.

"Welcome to Hell! Enjoy your grand opening! Freak!" voices shout amongst the laughter.

Your eyes fall on the brick and stones laying on your shop floor.

Headlights blinding both you and Eddie as they brightened before the tire's squealed.

The shop became dark and silence took over once again. The holes in the glass welcoming in the cold wind, insult to injury.

In that silence, you lingered, until it felt safe to move. You rose up and glared at the brick. "It's the same everywhere I go." you murmured.

Eddie turned to you with a brow raised.

You sigh, "I don't know if you have access to news or papers. But I'm kind of infamous by way of an unhinged celebrity dad. He tried to blow up Area 51. Said they were hiding a hell gate. Of course, that drags his novelist chef daughter into the pits as well." you muttered.

"it's stupid." you shrugged, going to fetch the broom.

Eddie's eyes followed you. "hell gate?" he asked.

"Like it said, it's stupid." you called back to him.

Eddie shook his head as if clearing his thoughts or shaking away a bad memory. His eyes going to the window.

"I can go get them, if you'd like." he offered you, voice hollow.

You loot at him steadily, "are you offering because you think that's what a monster ought to do?" You ask.

Eddie turns towards you with clumsy feet, his head tilts a little.

"I mean, at least I'd be good for something like this." he said with a shrug.

Your eyes thinned at him. "You say that like you weren't always...like, that."

"I wasn't," Eddie then chuckled, "alright, I may have always had this ugly mug." he said circling his face.

You frowned a little at his disparaging smile.

"But I wasn't always like this. It kind of just..." Eddie's words faded.

You waited, but knew he had little intentions of finishing that statement.

Eddie glanced around, twiddling his long fingers. "So um," he lulled sucking in his lips, "y-you got another broom. I can help with this." He offered.

You found yourself blinking and, wordless as you watched him, fidget about. The sight of the bashful creature was certainly something to see.

His words crept out from his lips quietly, "or, you know, I can just leave."

Your eyes brows creased as you watched him, his body seemed to turn away from the door naturally. That obscure tail of his wrapping around his feet. Eddie's entirety was trying to fit into the tiny place where he stood.

Saying nothing, you walk to him, tilting your head back to look up at him. Eddie's eyes almost fret full as he waited for you to speak, they wouldn't hold your gaze as he shied them away.

"I'll le-" Eddie gasped silently, his hands naturally gripping the broomstick you'd offered him.

For a moment, he looked at you with eyes so wide you feared they'd roll out from the sockets.

You give him a smile, "I'll go get the other broom." as you turn away from him, you manage to catch a glimpse of a small smile. Both of Eddie's hands clutched the broom stick tightly.

After cleaning up and making Eddie some more soup in thanks, You studied him. "What am I going to do with you?" you pondered.

Eddie clanged his spoon against his bowl, any minute now he'd announce he should leave again. But still his movements were the opposite of what his words would have been.

"I should-"

"Leave?" you asked.

Eddie looked up at you a flushed slightly. "Yeah."

"Where would you go? Where do you go?"

"There are lots of woods and thickets around Hawkins. It's easy to disappear in the cornfield near the outskirts." He murmured.

"But you came all the way to downtown." You stated.

Eddie nodded, "I was checking on someone."

At the twinkle of realization in your eyes, Eddie quickly held out his hands. "I didn't let them see me. I never do." he said.

Looking down at his hands, Eddie flexed his powerful claws, whispering, "not like this."

"but you do have people who care about you and where you might be." you spoke carefully.

Eddie subtly shook his head, "they care, but i've been dead for years now."

"Dead?"

Eddie simply nodded and got to his feet, heading for the back door. "Thank you for the food, and..." Eddie's claws grasped at the blanket still dangling over his shoulders.

His thumb stroked the slightly beaded lenty fabric.

"You can keep it." your words rushed out quickly. He seemed not to want to part with it.

"and," you exhaled slowly.

This was probably a stupid idea. The worse idea, the point in most movies were you wanted to shout at the screen "idiot!" but with hands balled up loosly you resolved yourself.

"You can stay." you said.

Eddie's slumped shoulders jerked up to square as he turned to look at you.

"If you want." you added, "I mean...it's friggin cold out."

He pulled the blanket around himself like a hug, tail swishing about, "you're sure? Like serious?" he questioned.

You can't help but let out a little laugh at his reaction.

"Like sooo serious. It's not everyday you meet a friendly beast." you tease.

Eddie pulled his new old blanket above his head and cocooned himself once again. For the first time he flashed a full smile and it was uniquely dazzling.

"I won't cause you any problems. I promise." He said quickly.

"You won't even know I'm here, swear. I, I can stand guard down here, sleep in one of the booths or something." He spoke excitedly, tail trashing about more, whacking into the tables.

"It's still cold down here, the windows are busted." You said, withholding your laughter.

Pointing over your shoulder towards the small lift, you smiled. "My studio is upstairs. You can sleep on the sofa." you offered.

Eddie tightened the blanket around himself even more.

"But, that's your house." his words tumbled out.

"Yeah. I'm not the brightest. But I let what looks like an eight-foot man faced bat-raptor version of a xenomorph into my shop a talked to it for what's amounting to two hours now." you reasoned.

You eased away your playfulness and gave him an earnest smile. "If you'd had plans to hurt me, you could have done so already. Very easily. You don't want to."

Eddie fiddled with his claws, looking down at his feet.

So once again, you held out your hand. "Now it's no commercial grade lift, just a personal one the previous owner had. I-I'm not sure if it'll carry the both of us but, I guess we'll soon see." you chuckled.

Eddie slipped his hand into yours, your finger's barely able to wrap around his large palms.

As you stood next to him, dwarfed by his height, the elevator doors closed. "Oh...how are you with cats?" you asked him.

"They hate me."

"Oh no..."

Toad mrowed loudly as she proclaimed her spot on Eddie's lap. Rubbing the side of her face and ears against his claws like a personal scratcher.

"So much for they hate me." you sighed with a giggle. Returning to Eddie with a spare pillow and another blanket. He was far too lanky for just one.

In the better lighting of your studio, you could finally see his clothes. Ripped and tattered as if he'd seen battle. Everything was shrunken in the wash in a cartoonish fashion.

Eddie shied away as he noticed your attention on him.

"Stop, you wouldn't want to be stared at." you told yourself.

Going to him, you offered the pillow, "Here you go."

Eddie excepted the pillow and set it in place, Toad taking her leave after arching her back high into a stretch.

You notice Eddie's eyes flutter, lids dropping. You speak quietly, "Lay down, you're safe here." and it causes him to peer up at you. His dark eyes large and sad now filled with what you could only describe as gratitude.

His body relax as if accepting a wave of exhaustion. Eddie curled into a ball and lay his head down on the pillow, wrapped in the initial blanket.

Using the second blanket, you pull it over his lower half, taking care around his ankle.

Eddie's eyes closed as he managed a "thank you" through a yawn.

Your hand reaches down to him, just managing to stop yourself inches above the top of his head.

"Would that be weird?" you asked yourself, but he just seemed so...small. Like a kitten scooped out of the gutter.

"Yeah," you thought. Instead, resting said head on his shoulder. "Get some rest, Eddie. Something tells me it's been a long time." you whispered.

"I'm just across the room, behind the divider, if you need anything." you offered. But you could already hear his soft snoring.

You gently tuck in the blankets snug and make your way around to turn off the lights. Before heading to the bathroom to change, you steal one last look.

There you find Toad, hopping onto Eddie and walking her comfy circles before nestling atop of him and his blankets.

Your gaze on him softens, "how utterly terrifying." you think with a shake of your head, closing the bathroom door behind you.

That's how you met The Monster in the Alley.

Part 2 ⇢