#rip nougat

[rollinouttahere-writes]

Its an insane laugh that lasts for way too long to be comfortable

Nougat: ... So you're saying you don't want to come back to Whole Cake Island?

Lizard: Obviously!

Nougat: *nodding* Very well, I'm willing to leave it to be with you

Lizard:

[crookedaverse]

Happy pride month! Here's several quotes from my wip Stranger Things fanfic titled Frozen_001ver that I love ;

///

Henry: Just, peacefully working with what I've got-CLOSE THE FUCKING DOOR ASSHOLE- sorry what were you saying, Darling?

Jim: Uhm.

Eleven: Bad sounds or… good sounds? Henry: Bad- what do you mean? *spins around and glares at the other kids* what does she mean?!

Jim: Who are you?

Henry: *gags and pukes out blood* The tooth fairy, who the fuck do you think? *holds up numbered wrist*

Henry: *talking to Jim* Ok, ok, stop pounding me.

Steve: The term is 'hounding'.

Henry: Did I stutter?

Jim: You know, I wonder why they don't make a cream for people like you.

Henry: Oh believe me they do, honey, they do.

Jim: I brought that upon myself, I'll just accept it. *walks away*

Robin: I just peed a little… *standing stiff and staring at the ripped-in-half demogorgon*

Henry: *was the one who ripped it in half* So did I-

Jim: Here's some yogurt.

Henry: Sorry, I'm allergic.

Jim: To yogurt?

Henry: No.

Jim: To what??

Henry: *haunted stare*

Max: Are you all stupid?!

Dustin: Maybe we could distract it! *holds up nougat*

Jim: Does that work?

Henry: *comes running* IT DID WITH ME-

Holly: *pokes a worm then shivers*

Henry: You're a little freak just like me.

[aemiron-main]

just remember. dart, a slugbeast from the nearest hell dimension, canonically has more kind words /love spoken to him than henry got as a child. will tells dart that it’s okay and that he’s not going to hurt him. dustin is kind to dart and cares for him and feeds him nougat.

dart received more love and affection in the week (roughly I think) he was alive than henry got throughout his entire childhood, at least as far as we see. dart canonically had more friends than henry. dart had one (1) friend for sure (dustin) which is one friend more than henry is shown to have (zero). dustin, in the tunnels, isn’t afraid of dart, a creature that could rip his face off. but virignia acts afraid of henry. in henry’s words, she despised him. joyce byers wasn’t afraid of her rabid, possessed son. but virginia creel acted afraid of her son, even before the visions began, she wanted to send him away.

henry vs dart and the difference it makes when you treat a being with kindness. dart is a LITERAL monster but received love and care growing up and dustin was able to bond with him and dart didn’t attack dustin. henry is seen as a monster by his family/specifically by Virginia, but received no love and care, and turned out far worse than dart did. dart is able to trust. henry is not.

(also this is not a ‘henry just needs love in s5/the lack of love excuses his actions’ post. s5 henry needs to be roundhouse kicked into the sun and his upbringing does not excuse him victimizing others. this is a ‘so much suffering could have been avoided if henry was shown even a minimal amount of care in his childhood and henry as a child deserved better and his own mother despised him and it’s a tragic story all around’ post)

[benjhawkins]

RIP, Treats and Yearn for the spooky seasonal ask game! :D

RIP - What would your tombstone say?

Benj Waite: Really Liked Boats.

But me and Pentecost have talked about it and we talked about having clasped hands on our shared headstone, because that’s a totally normal thing couples talk about right

Treats - What’s your favorite Halloween treat?

Snickers bar! Peanuts caramel and whatever the hell nougat is

Yearn - What’s something you’re looking forward to this spooky season?

I’m actually really looking forward to the haunted courthouse tours we’re doing Halloween weekend! Can’t wait to show you all my lil sailor costume :)

[gadgetrevive]

### The Fake S24 Ultra: Surprisingly Good, But Still FakeSamsung works hard, but fake phone companies work harder. This is the tale of a brand new fake S24 Ultra, a one-to-one copy that aims to mimic Samsung’s latest flagship device. In the past, these counterfeit phones have often surprised me with their quality and detail. In this video, we delve into a detailed side-by-side unboxing and comparison between the real S24 Ultra and its fake counterpart, exploring just how far the makers of the fake device went in replicating Samsung's new AI features.#### Unboxing: Real vs. FakeBefore even opening the boxes, a noticeable difference is evident: the fake phone box has a slightly grayer hue compared to the deep black of the real one. The text on the fake box is bolder and brighter, and while the real box lists IMEI 1 and IMEI 2, the fake one merely shows "II." Interestingly, the IMEI numbers on the fake box do correspond to a real Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, making it harder to distinguish based on this detail alone.Turning the boxes over, further discrepancies emerge. The fake box has some text along the seal that reads, "Do not accept if seal is broken," a detail absent from the real box. Additionally, the fake box features some amusing spelling mistakes, a hallmark of counterfeit products.One interesting test is weighing the boxes. Surprisingly, both the real and fake boxes weigh almost the same, indicating the counterfeiters put significant effort into replicating the real product's feel.#### Inside the BoxesUpon unboxing, the differences become clearer. The real S24 Ultra uses paper for its protective layers, which can be easily ripped, while the fake uses plastic. Both phones look strikingly similar at first glance, but a closer inspection reveals a bubble on the back glass of the fake phone, indicating it hasn’t been properly adhered and is slightly lifting.Examining the contents of the boxes, the fake phone includes a USB-A to USB-C cable, whereas the real one comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable. The SIM ejector pins are slightly different, but this is a minor and hard-to-detect difference. The start guides also differ, but these can vary by region, making them unreliable for authentication.#### The Phones: Side-by-SideTurning on both phones reveals that the fake one uses an LCD screen, while the real S24 Ultra boasts one of the best displays on the market. The bezels on the fake phone are surprisingly similar to the real one, except for the larger bottom chin. The fake phone even copies the boot screen almost exactly, but there are subtle differences.Upon navigating to the settings, the fake phone claims to run Android 14, but clicking a few times reveals it’s actually running Android 7 (Nougat). The real S24 Ultra, of course, displays the proper Android 14 interface.Interestingly, the fake phone offers software updates, albeit very small ones. This is odd, considering it's a device designed to scam people, yet it still receives updates past its initial sale.#### Camera and AI FeaturesOne of the main selling points of the S24 Ultra is its AI features, particularly in the camera. The fake phone’s camera setup appears convincing at first glance. However, by applying pressure with a spudger, it's evident that most of the lenses are fake, made of plastic, with only the main lens being glass.Testing the cameras and microphones reveals the stark contrast between the two devices. The real S24 Ultra produces clear, high-quality images and sound, while the fake phone's performance is notably poor. Furthermore, the fake phone lacks Samsung’s new AI features. For example, Samsung’s real S24 Ultra can use Google Lens for image search, but the fake one cannot replicate this feature.#### Internal InspectionOpening up the fake S24 Ultra reveals its true nature. The camera lenses are merely decorative, attached to a plastic bracket. The internal components, including the CPU and GPU, are far inferior to the real device. The fake phone uses a

MediaTek 6580 CPU and Mali-400 MP GPU, both significantly outdated compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the real S24 Ultra.The internal layout of the fake phone is also poorly designed. The main board is held down by screws that put pressure on it, a major design flaw. The battery is a 4500mAh unit, and the sub-board includes the SIM slot and charging port, labeled “SUB” (not to be confused with a plea to subscribe to a YouTube channel).#### ConclusionWhile the fake S24 Ultra is impressive in its attempt to mimic the real device, it falls short in critical areas such as build quality, screen performance, and internal components. The lack of genuine AI features and poor camera performance further highlight its deficiencies.This comparison serves as a cautionary tale: always verify the authenticity of a smartphone before purchasing, especially if the deal seems too good to be true. Counterfeit phones might look convincing, but their performance and reliability are nowhere near the level of genuine devices. Use this guide as a reference to avoid getting scammed and ensure you're investing in a legitimate, high-quality product.

[telbie-telbus-and-mellatoid]

How many levels of hungry have been passed when you desire to rip open a car hood like a bag of candy and dig through the insides looking for the nougat’s/copper?

[mlobsters]

supernatural s15e1 back and to the future (w. andrew dabb)

find it a little weird that they're using the bob seger famous final scene song for the season premiere big recap thing, they used this song in an episode - for kevin's funeral pyre in 9x10. maybe they've reused a song like that (poignant moment within an ep and then a recap, they reuse recap songs certainly) before and i just didn't notice, did this time because that song is in my main playlist from when i watched that s9 episode. typing all that up, what a pointless thing to care about. not sure i vibe with the clips and music selection but they're really hit or miss for me in general. music thematically, yes. anything else, ehh

also been thinking like. i don't see why s13-14 (and 15 remains to be seen, obviously) are said to be so much worse than say, s7-12 (though 11 had bright spots for me not seen since way, way back - or hey, better than *gasp* s1-5 at times because it occasionally focused on good feelings in a way that was just not happening before.) and i'm sure i'm in the minority yet again but i just haven't particularly liked the main plots for most of the seasons. and while i had some big issues with s6, it didn't go campy-ridiculous for me until the leviathans. and again, for me, pretty much everything since has gone that direction. some not campy, but all pretty ridiculous. i tolerate, not delight :S but i'm here for the characters and relationships, so i keep on keeping on.

anyway. dark and jittery longer than i deem necessary battle in the graveyard which somehow became not a death sentence in between the season break

DEAN Great. So we go outside, we get ripped apart. We stay in here, w-what, starve to death?! CAS Well, I wouldn't starve. DEAN Well, good for you.

LOL good one, cas

CAS He's an abomination! BELPHEGOR You're an abomination with that stupid, dumb trench coat.

ooh burn. and so true

BELPHEGOR I mean, the last time I was on Earth, I mean, I was human. Ah, it was a while ago. I mean, but, you know, we were all worshipping this giant rock that looked like a huge penis, and... Anyway, folks back then, you know? Had a lot of humps. I mean, a lot. Look at 'em now. I mean, look at you. I mean, you're, uh, you know, gorgeous. DEAN What? Okay. When are you gonna get out of that body? BELPHEGOR Eh, when I find another one. I mean, I would've jumped at the cemetery, but all those meat suits were a little too, uh, you know, wormy. Difficult to blend, if you will

giving me leonardo dicaprio accent/cadence there with the wormy bit. weird. also mentioned dicaprio way back when he was in that nougat scene in 13x01. anyway, i mean this is something. can't resist the whole new character for the same actor thing. but seems like a more fun role for calvert

music they've got playing while sam and cas search the houses is pretty unique. i like it. this really muffled deep fast percussion. miracle. and jay gruska?? okay, i see you!! look at you, sir!!! finally coming up with a win

the killer clown makeup, good!

the blood mary wig and makeup, HORRENDOUS. reminds me of the knockoff ringu girl in 7x18. called it party city costume and makeup 🤪

spn s7e18 party on, garth

handy that the spell that needs a human heart, there's an abundance of freshly dead people around. i don't have the energy to even ponder what this demon's agenda is

BELPHEGOR What? Oh. No. I-I mean, uh... – I'm a fan. DEAN Excuse me? BELPHEGOR Yeah, I-I didn't want to say it in front of the other guys, but when you were in Hell, with Alastair, I, uh... I got a chance to watch you work. And, I mean, the things you did to those people, I mean, it wasn't torture. It was, um... It was art. DEAN Yeah, but that was a long time ago. BELPHEGOR Depends how you look at it.

dean surprisingly chill about this conversation. far more chill than i am. maybe he's been doing some work

so every door in hell opened, including the cage. ok. so is that how they finally address adam?

stupid god weapon which i assumed was lethal no matter what, well. festering at least.

and some sort of hallucination flashback vision who knows what i don't know what with evil!sam and dean begging sammy. great, visions 3.0?

lol, seen the gag reel gif from this scene where misha calls him dean instead of sam

it's fun that they're doing new spellwork magic stuff with a character, but. clearly it's gonna be some big Thing, what with how useful and powerful it is

not remembering why dean's being snippy with cas. i guess because he doesn't want to talk about jack dying? they've pretty well glossed over it

little more fester-y. needed some gooey bits to dab off with the gauze

DEAN Okay. Hey, do you remember when we were little? What I would do to distract you whenever I'd rip off a Band-Aid or something like that? SAM Yeah. You'd tell some stupid joke. DEAN Yeah. Knock, knock. Come on. Knock, knock. SAM Who's... DEAN Still got it.

cute cute. i don't care if it's pandering i will take any and all pre-series anecdotes

SAM Yeah. So, when Chuck… God… said "This is the End," I guess this is what he meant. DEAN Yeah, well. Screw him. He's been playing us this entire time. Just when we thought we had a choice. You know, whenever we thought we had free will. We were just rats in a maze. Sure, we could go left. Sure, we could go right. But we were still in the damn maze. Just makes you think, if all of it… you know, everything that we've done… What did it even mean? SAM It meant a lot. We still saved people. DEAN Yeah, but what for? You know? Just so he could throw another End of the World at us and then sit back and chug popcorn? SAM Maybe. Yeah, maybe. But… now he's gone. DEAN You think? SAM That's what he does. He gets bored and… and… and… and pulls the ripcord. I mean, that's what he did with Apocalypse World and… and probably with all of them. He moves on, starts another story. But you know what? Good. 'Cause if he bailed, it's just us. For the first time. It's just us. DEAN And about three billion ghosts. SAM Yeah, well, what's one more Apocalypse, right? But, seriously, if we win… When we win this, God's gone. Hm. There's no one to screw with us. There's no more maze. It's just us. And we're free. DEAN So you and me versus every soul in Hell? I like those odds. SAM Yeah, me too. DEAN Well, you know what that means. We got work to do.

also will always accept sam and dean vs the world

i'm not totally understanding this jumping to the conclusion that chuck is gone-gone. what with his repeated stated desire last episode that they're his favorite show. would presume he's just orchestrating his big farewell season arc

jay, it was too much to ask for good music throughout, i know. the music backing sam and dean's conversation at the end made me roll my eyes lol

[pretty-little-pink]

Dark stroked over his cheek one more time before releasing the writer. Good. He then moved his hand down to the boy's mid back and gestured to the food that he could see was left out. He had noted before that it was mostly snack foods, quick meals that were easy but not good for much else. He had known that when he aquired them, but still. It was still to early to start taking the boy out, especially given his social awkwardness and unreliable powers, but that did not mean that Dark couldn't bring a more... appropriate source of food now and then. He hummed and lightly pushed Author forward, clearly intending for him to grab something. Anything, really. For a moment he was tempted to summon a glass of wine, wine that no mortal could partake in, but decided against it at the last moment. It would be too much trouble to fully explain how he could do so without giving too much away. Perhaps in the future, but not now. He leaned back to grab the coffee and took a quick sip, keeping a careful eye on the writer. /Does Author have a microwave? Or a stove?

Author sighed, but obediently moved to the snacks he had left out. He didn't feel like making the effort of preparing anything anyways, and with his big cup of coffee waiting, he didn't feel like anything he'd need hot water for either. So he grabbed one of the nougat filled croissants, ripping the packaging open and throwing it in the bin, before taking a bite. It wasn't amazing, seeing how they were the mass produced store bought kind, but well. By now, he was used to it.

Grabbing his cup and stuffing his journal into his hoodie's pocket, Author went over to the couch to sit down, watching Dark for a moment, before looking out the nearest window. At least the place was nice; a little clearing deep in the forest, the cabin just big enough for him, even if lacking the luxury he grew up with.

He wondered how long Dark would stay today. Their meetings never seemed really set, though perhaps Dark did have a schedule Author wasn't aware of. Seeing how he didn't even know what date and day it was, it wasn't that far-fetched of an idea. Still, he liked Dark's company, no matter how brief it may end up being. He felt safe with the man; seeing how Dark made sure he was fed, that wasn't that big of a surprise either.

Still, Author should perhaps focus on making the cabin more... livable. He didn't care much about furniture, happy with the couch instead of a bed currently. The bathroom worked and he made sure it was clean, the kitchen had a working fridge and stove, and Author had added an electric kettle to it as well. He could always use some more books, for when he felt like reading instead of writing, but there were more pressing matters. Like writing.

[perksgreys]

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[deucesmoses]

I also discovered: the dangers of exiting photo mode.

[sattlersquarry]

The Chronicles of Nougat the Demogorgon: he’s about to watch his comfort episode, Season 2 Episode 8 🤩

[diabolimeservavit666]

Maturity Memes (Jack Kline Quotes)

I can honestly not relate to this one but it did inspire me to create my own meme with these same memorable Jack Kline quotes.

I was quite the troublemaker at school and just... Well, I didn’t care. Thankfully, maturity did finally hit me but that wasn’t until I started watching Supernatural the summer after my Freshman year and didn’t fully kick in until the year later. So, essentially, this post is me thanking Supernatural for all the tremendous things it has done for me like giving me respect for my own life which I had lost as a child when I was convinced that no one (even my own mom) didn’t love me or even care. So, thank you, Supernatural, for everything.

[vecnasvampire]

dustin leaves a trail of nougat out to entice kas!eddie like he did with dart. once it’s clear eddie isn’t gonna rip them shreds and starts acting more like himself, steve walks around all season with a backpack full of nougat tossing some to eddie every time he gets a little bloodthirsty

[soleilnomoon]

zoro x female reader plss!!! caramel with macaron, fruit tart, konpeitō, milk chocolate, strawberry cake, chocolate mousse, churro, jelly bean, shortbread cookie and cinnamon roll!! and from the special menu.. cake pop, blan manje, oatmeal raisin cookie, ice cream cake, nougat, pop sicle, sugar cookie and brown sugar pound cake. sorry if its too much, i love your blog!! 💘

hi omg so sorry this took so long (i ended up rewriting it a bunch of times); anyway, it really wasn't too much at all 😊💓 thanks so much for hanging around my blog & for being patient 😌anyway, this ended up a bit longer than i meant buttt i had fun writing it <3

3.9k words, fem reader, nsfw, 18+, mdni; lots of angst, but also smut to make up for it ofc. zoro is relentless and a menace, reader is in denial over her feelings & a lil bratty abt it; modern au! feat. suppressed feelings, mutual pining, a rogue sanji makes an appearance, fingering, oral (f receiving), choking, biting, public sex/exhibitionism, other stuff i'm sure like alcohol or smth.

corporate parties are not your cup of tea; the higher ups have a tendency of splurging unnecessarily — overpriced, tasteless meals, pretentious centerpieces on each table with floating candles that melt fairly quickly — making their events stuffy and boring. essentially, they’re useless and the bane of your existence; but you can’t get out of them, unfortunately. the only way to get through them is to drink until you can’t think straight. except, you know that if you do get that drunk, you’ll end up saying something you regret — and, you’re not trying to burn any bridges just yet. nails drumming rhythmically along the counter at the bar, you sigh softly and grab another slender champagne flute. it’s your fourth glass for the night, and while you’re definitely tipsy, you’re still relatively clear-headed.

several coworkers pass by the bar with their spouses and friends, so you smile prettily at them, hoping to look pleasant, but aloof — so they won’t bother talking to you.  when they disappear from your line of sight, your smile drops. feigning happiness is a sport that you excel in without trying; you’re not sure why you do it, but you refuse to let them see the real you. one coworker in particular, however, routinely defies your expectations and has an uncanny way of seeing through your facade; of breaking down your barriers without remorse, ripping open your chest to reveal your true feelings on things. and after every single interaction with him, he leaves you to suffer alone, an ache following afterward, making you want to break things and scream.

if you say you hate him enough times, you might actually believe it.

roronoa zoro also hates corporate parties, and only attends because sanji needs a babysitter for the night. at least, that’s what he tells himself initially, and what he continues to tell himself as his eyes drift around the room until he spots you. he watches you without realizing, a frown latching onto his face when he watches how easily you talk with others, how you actually giggle at sanji’s stupid lines, how your dress completely exposes your shoulders — the skin smooth, soft, shimmering under the golden light, highlighting the richness of your brown complexion. he keeps wondering if you bruise easily, if you’d let him see the parts of you that you continue to keep hidden. the compulsion to mark your skin in an attempt to ward off other people makes him clutch the champagne flute in his hand tightly. it nearly breaks when he slams it down onto the table.

it’s not jealousy that prompts him to get up and walk over to you, nor is it jealousy that has him standing very close and gruffly order a drink at the bar. but, maybe, just maybe, it might be something close to jealousy when he shoots sanji a sharp look that has his friend grinning triumphantly in response before asking you to dance.

in the back of your mind, you know you should decline the invitation; sanji is a notorious flirt that gets under zoro’s skin just by breathing — but zoro’s presence brings about a heat to your skin that you need to get rid of quickly. it’s almost as if he’s capable of looking into the deepest parts of you, and you don’t like it — the vulnerability that comes when you talk with him candidly almost always leaves you in a state of confusion. whether it’s annoyance, arousal, or even anger; it’s really all the same. he extracts them from you with ease and is more than smug when you give him the reactions he seeks. tonight, you refuse to play that game with him; you take sanji’s hand in yours and lead him to the dance floor — he babbles about something or another, but you aren’t paying attention.

jaw clenched, teeth harshly grinding against one another, zoro watches sanji twirl you around gracefully, your movements matching the slow tempo of the music playing in the room. you try to avoid zoro’s stare, but you can’t; it’s impossibly magnetic — hypnotizing, even; almost as if you’re the only person in the room that he wants to look at. the thought brings goosebumps to your arms, makes you stumble as you dance with sanji, and when he asks you what’s wrong, you just shake your head to wave off his worries.

“too much champagne,” you say, the lie rolling off your tongue with ease. sanji’s eyes narrow slightly at your explanation, but his face softens when he sees how determined you are to convince him. a gentleman through and through, he places a small kiss on the back of your hand before releasing you completely.

zoro knows that sanji’s just baiting him, and he almost falls for it. almost. he lingers by the bar, irritation morphing into something that falls out of the realm of his control, taking a solid hold of his demeanor and vision as he watches you walk over. before he can say anything, you roll your eyes and hold a hand up. “don’t give me that look.” you grab your purse and brush past him, determined to get some fresh air so you won’t continue to choke on the tension brewing between you two. he downs the rest of his whiskey in one go and follows you with swift strides.

of course, his presence bothers you, has you pause in the middle of the corridor to sigh heavily and turn around to properly look at him. maybe if you rephrase your initial statement, he might catch the hint to leave you alone. “whatever bullshit you want to tell me right now, you can save it.” your annoyance reached its peak when you realized that you’d suffocate under his gaze if you continued dancing with sanji — not that you care that the dance was interrupted, but you hate how much of a pull he has on you. “i can’t do this right now,” you say quietly, fussing with your hair, fingers tugging at a stray curl.

“you’re always saying that.” he shoots you a pointed look. it’s more than annoying, to say the least, and drives him to grab onto your arm and tug you over to the restroom in the neighboring corridor. it is every bit as luxurious and expensive looking as the ballroom you left behind; zoro momentarily locks the door behind him, to prevent others from interrupting his conversation with you. because he refuses to continue this back-and-forth nonsense that only serves to frustrate both of you to no end.

you don’t know why you didn’t pull away from him before, you also don’t know why you allowed him to corner you like this — but maybe a part of you wants to see how much further the two of you can push one another before it becomes too much. you’re already at your limit, and you suspect zoro is too, even if he doesn’t say it.

the restroom is startlingly clean, the tiled floors shiny and polished, the counters pristine, almost as if someone periodically comes by to clean every ten minutes. you don’t intend to stay in here long, but it’s refreshing to know that you can talk freely without gagging.

“you can let go of me now,” your voice is barely above a whisper, fingers shaking even when you ball them into fists. “if you have something to say,” you start once he lets go of you, “then say it. i plan on leaving the party early.” the lie is meant to light a fire under his ass, to get him to confess whatever it is that he refuses to say, to finally put you out of your misery so you can move on with your life.

he loosens the tie around his neck and leans against the wall. you try not to stare at his throat when he speaks, but you can’t help it. you curl your fingers again and sink your nails into your palms, desperately suppressing the urge to touch him.

“why do you act differently with everyone else?”

the question hangs languidly in the air, waiting for your delayed response; you open and close your mouth repeatedly, irritation returning in full force, uncomfortably prickling your neck, making it hard to think straight.

it’s purely reactionary, instinctual, when you ask in return, “why do you care?” a heavy silence stifles the air around you, brings a deep chill to your body. “it’s really none of your business, anyway.” while you wanted to keep your distance, to ensure that he wouldn’t charm his way back onto your good side, you end up moving closer to him.

before he can control his mouth, he gruffly blurts out, “says who?” his arrogance clearly knows no bounds, but instead of telling him that, you just sigh in defeat, smooth down the non-existent wrinkles on your dress, and walk to the counter so you can fix your hair in the mirror.

if he says what’s really on his mind, there’s a possibility that you might do as you always do: run away. so he swallows it back, tongue struggling to keep the words at bay, especially when you bend over like that. the fabric of your dress stretching tightly over your round ass, reminding him of why he was so intent on being by your side tonight.

already, he can feel his cock grow stiff, painfully pressing against the front of his pants as you continue to tempt him the way you normally do at all hours of the day — even when you’re not near him. and, because he’s lost all semblance of control over himself for the night, he pushes off the wall and stands behind you. rough hands glide down your curves, settle comfortably on your hips before gripping them firmly.

“i can’t tell you why i care,” he says carefully, voice lowering as he presses his hips against your ass, “but i can show you.” which, if anyone were to ask him, is the only thing he can do at this point. he’s terrible with words, even worse with stringing them together to form cohesive and straight-forward sentences when feelings are involved. you catch his eyes in the mirror, swallowing thickly as something prompts you to playfully grind your ass against his bulge. he tries to keep his base needs in check, but inevitably loses that fight as he tugs your dress upward to completely expose your ass. whatever morals you think you have are gone once his hand makes contact with your ass. the slap is loud and hard enough to make you squeal — both from the harshness of the sting and because you like the feeling a little more than you should.

“careful,” he warns, his hand massaging your skin, grabbing the fleshier part before slapping it again; this time, you let out a moan that clouds his vision all over again, where the only thing he can see or focus on is you. “you don’t want our coworkers to hear you, do you?” his words make you press your lips together tightly, your thighs rubbing against one another as an intolerable heat lowers through your body. you grip the counter to keep yourself upright, but your legs are on the verge of giving up on you entirely.

shaking your head — because no, of course you don’t want any of your coworkers to hear what you’re up to, despite the small rush that accompanies the thought of someone catching you in there with him — you give zoro a pleading look in the mirror, hoping that he’ll scrape together some semblance of mercy. he tugs on the flimsy fabric of your panties, the lace delicate and captivating — it rips without much resistance, and even though you fuss at him over it, he ignores your words. it’s less about him ripping them and more about him seeing how damp they were. you want to hate the way your body reacts to him but know that the lies you continue to tell yourself throughout the night will only catch up to you in the end.

you almost ask him what he’s done with your ruined panties but get distracted when you feel his hand dip in between your thighs, thick fingers grazing your folds, arousal coating his fingertips immediately. a shudder passes through you, and you do your best to stifle another moan, mouth straining as your lips continue to firmly press together out of spite. you refuse to let him break down your walls any further than he has, and he refuses to let you take the easy way out. his touch is light, exacting — stroking up and down your slit slowly, coaxing more noises out of you, making it increasingly difficult to keep quiet. when you press your thighs together, he grunts in disapproval and pushes your legs apart. his fingers resume their ministrations, lazily rubbing your pussy as your breathing grows uneven; that ache returns in full force, a slow building crescendo that has you gripping the counter even harder.

your pride prevents you from calling out his name, but your body freely reacts to his touch, much to your feigned displeasure. somehow, you forget just how perceptive he is, so when zoro tells you to turn around and sit on the counter, you don’t think much of it. if anything, your body is on autopilot — his proximity brings a haziness that warps your logic, turning you into a marionette that can only be commanded by him. you don’t bother hiding from him — not really, anyway — but you do turn your face, unable to handle the intense way he looks at you. something compels him to bring your hand to his face and he press his lips against your wrist, leaving behind a soft kiss, one that disrupts all of your plans for the night, the ones where you completely deny any and all attraction to the man in front of you.

chest heaving and blinking slowly you watch as he runs his hands along your thighs, seemingly admiring the plush skin there. a small shiver travels through you when he pulls you to the edge of the counter, but rather than fight your urges, you grab onto his tie and pull him closer to you. surprise briefly flashes over his face, halting his movements, giving you the opportunity to kiss him without restraint. your lips are soft against his, pliable and inviting when he parts them with his tongue. greed consumes him once he swallows your soft whimpers, silencing them with practiced swipes of his tongue, a possessiveness burning through him as his kisses turn fervent and reckless.

a different kind of haziness surrounds your mind, but you don’t stop kissing him — and have no intention to, until a lightheaded feeling spreads. if he had it his way, he’d kiss you all the time — at work, outside, in private — but he knows that there’s a possibility of you keeping your distance when you realize that you like him as much as he likes you. it’s a powerful thought, really, and you try not to think about it, even when he looks at you tenderly like that, hunger dancing around the edge, guiding him to pull away and kneel in front of you. his lips latch on to the patch of skin near your knee, kissing and licking a dangerous path up along the inner part of your thighs. zoro leaves behind kisses and small bite marks that have you moaning shamelessly; when you realize, you slap a hand over your mouth and grip the counter with your free one.

he tuts under his breath at your insistence, shoots you a cheeky grin, and swipes his tongue against your pussy. your hips jerk forward, and he swears he hears you squeak out something like zoro, please. so he does it again, and again, and again. by the time he’s set an indecent rhythm and pace, his face is buried between your thighs, mouth and tongue feasting on your pussy like it’s the one meal he’s decided to eat for the rest of his life. he’s really not much of a foodie — as that’s sanji’s area of expertise for some reason — but, he will say that he’s never experienced this sort of hunger before. your teeth sink down onto the fleshy part of your palm, your cries muffled but still loud enough for him to hear.

in order to tame that part of you, he slips a thick finger inside of you, plunging it in and out, your pussy clenching around it tightly. he watches the way you fight against your desire, watches how you struggle to keep quiet, and flicks his tongue against your sensitive clit. it’s when he decides to slide an additional finger inside of your needy hole, that he speaks again — voice gravelly and husky, making your toes curl. “don’t cover your mouth, i want to hear you.” his words make you choke, and he goes back to ruining your life in the best way possible, giving your pussy sloppy tongue kisses as he scissors his fingers inside of you. you want to curse and yell at him, want to tell him off for how good he’s making you feel. but when he sucks on your clit roughly, a sinister jolt barrels through you, making you buck your hips wildly and drop your hand from your mouth at last. you use it to grab onto his hair for support, riding his face shamelessly.

because that’s what you are right now; a shameless, pitiful mess.

you could blame him for it, but you’re just as much at fault as he is. zoro doesn’t let up, however, driven by lust and other impractical things; he curls his fingers inside of you and you let out a throaty moan, one that bounces around the solid walls of the restroom. if anyone decides to pass by, they’ll definitely hear you. he smirks at that, pride swelling in his chest as he enjoys the way you fall apart around him. your nearly out of breath by the time your orgasm finds you, hips rolling forward, chasing the high that zoro keeps baiting you with. he pulls his fingers out, swaps them with his tongue and slurps your pussy obnoxiously — loud enough to make your body flush, to make you cry out repeatedly, tears pooling around your eyes. so you yank his hair hard, pull him away, too sensitive to take any more. he laughs at that, at your feeble attempts to gaining the upper hand, but you lost as soon as you let him touch you.

your arousal drips down his lips and chin, his tongue darting out to lick his fingers in front of you.

“oh my god,” you say shakily, voice lowered; you watch him in shock as he stands up again. you know you’ll never hear the end of it, but your hands fly out to unbuckle his belt and unzip his pants. zoro lets out a quiet groan the moment your hand wraps around his thick length. you’ve always imagined what it would feel like to touch him like this, to have his pre-cum dribble onto your fingers with each stroke of your hand. you pause to lick your fingers, moaning softly before you stroke him again. you grip a little too tight and he narrows his eyes at you, wraps a hand around your throat, and squeezes, fingers digging into your skin roughly.

“behave,” is all he says before you nod and loosen your grip; although, that’s not nearly enough for him. zoro runs his tongue along your lips, teeth grazing as he rubs his cock in between your folds, enjoying the way your slick arousal sticks to his skin. and somewhere in between him giving you open-mouthed kisses — scorching and sensual, bringing you further under his spell — that he slides his cock into your aching hole, slowly filling you up. his name falls off your tongue prettily, legs wrapping around his waist just as he thrusts forward. he keeps his hand around your throat, holding you steady as he pulls out and slams back into you again. the pace he sets has you squeezing around his cock mercilessly, hips snapping against yours as your back arches. you babble incoherently against his lips and each thrust has you grinding your pussy against him, thighs quivering, as sweat trickles down your back.

it must be pure possession that drives him to bury his cock into your puffy cunt aggressively, his moans turning you on even more. he does eventually let go of your neck, his lips kissing the skin there, your inhale sharp, making you pant lightly. all the teasing is a bit much, and when he sucks on the skin right beneath your earlobe, you buck your hips forward, meeting each of his messy thrusts, thoroughly enjoying the way his heavy balls slap against your ass. your fingers thread through his hair, nails clawing at his scalp as you pull him to you for another bruising kiss. his strokes get shorter, his soul nearly leaving through the tip of his cock when you clench around him like that, which invigorates him somehow, making him pound into you and fuck you harder.

“ah, z-zoro, wait, wait,” you try pleading with him as he leaves kisses on your jaw, but he knows why you’re asking him to slow down — because you’re at the precipice again, and you don’t know if you can handle another intense orgasm. so, he does what makes the most sense and keeps his hips close to yours, angling to fuck you deeper, his thrusts hard, almost as if he’s punishing you for being so bratty earlier. not that he’s really complaining, he likes that side of you — likes the way you constantly bump heads with him, likes how you try very hard to not like him. and now look at you: whimpering, tears staining your cheeks, cunt fluttering around him, squeezing hard enough to keep him there permanently.

he bites down on your shoulder, a moan pushing past his lips when you cum again, wetness causing your pussy to squelch loudly, the noise lewd, bringing another flush to your skin. you hate how much you like the sound, and equally hate that zoro’s left noticeable marks on your skin, almost as if he wants to display your salacious behavior for the world to see. the warmth that you thought you stamped out, swirls back in your chest, making you cling to him.

he keeps thrusting into you, chasing his own orgasm that finds him shortly after. before he can let his lust drive him further, zoro pulls out and cums onto your pussy and the inner parts of your thighs. your dress gets stained in the interim and even though you’ll fuss at him for it later, you just ignore it for now. he kisses you a little more gently this time, like you’re something precious — which brings an additional, semi-permanent warmth to your body — and enjoys the feel of your mouth against his, wanting to savor and bottle up the moment to keep him company late at night. eventually, he presses his lips to your ear, whispers something tragically romantic, that startles both you and him, one he’ll possibly deny later — but you know and heard him loud and clear. you’ll hold onto those words, tuck them somewhere safe and far away from your irritating logic, where you can recall them whenever you please.

and maybe, just maybe, one of these days you’ll stop fighting yourself long enough to admit to your feelings.

[delayed-affection]

Chapter three

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Dustin slowly walks through the house, quietly making his way to his room. He thought he was in the clear until he hears his moms voice.

"Dusty!" She calls walking over to him "Dusty, how was it?"

He stammers "How was what?"

"How was what?" She repeats "The greatest night of the year, of course."

"Oh. Oh, yeah, it was..." he starts "It was, uh, tubular."

Y/n walks through the door and walks over to the two.

"What's wrong with you?" She worries

"Nothing." He states

"Did something happen?" She questions

"No. What? No." He answers

"Are you constipated again?" She pushes

Y/n laughs while Dustin is baffled and offended that she would even ask.

"No. Mom!" He exclaims

"Okay, you're acting weird." She tells him "Isn't he acting weird?" turning to y/n

"I am not acting weird!" He argues

A thud comes from his little box making their mom yelp. Y/n looks at him suspiciously while he tries to cover it up with awkward laughing.

"Awesome, right? Yeah..." he trails "I rigged the trap with, uh, a motor to make it look like I caught a ghost. Just like the movie."

The box continues to shake in his hand

Their mom laughs nervously "Oh, Dusty"

Y/n looks back and forth between the two as they laugh awkwardly with each other. She doesn't buy what he's telling their mom.

"Funny. Look at that. Look at that." He laughs

He walks to his room with y/n hot on his tail. They both make it in and he shuts the door behind them.

"Okay, what the hell was all that about?" She asks

"I told them to keep quiet." He says holding up the box

"Told what to keep quiet?" She whisper shouts

He walks over to a tank talking to the box "All you had to do was stay still for one minute. One minute."

He takes the top off of the tank and takes out his turtle handing it to y/n "Sorry, Yertle. Temporary eviction, buddy."

He opens the box and drops the creature inside the tank. They both get closer to the glass to get a better look at the chittering thing.

Dustin is astonished "What are you, little guy? What were you doing in my trash? You hungry?"

Dustin pours his bag of candy onto his bed.

"Did you really find that lizard thing in the trash?" Y/n wonders

"Yeah, isn't he cool?" He answers picking up a 3 musketeers

They walk back to the tank and Dustin rips the bar into tiny pieces throwing them in the tank. The 'lizard' pulls itself out from under a rock.

"Nougat." Dustin chimes taking a bite out of the bar "Go on, eat."

It doesn't get far, screeching when it comes out from the shade.

"Too hot?" He asks turning off the heated lamp "Sorry about that, little guy."

Dustin laughs as it nibbles on the candy "You like nougat, too, huh?"

"Gross." Y/n mumbles making Dustin hit her in response

"You're pretty cute, you know that?" He tells the 'lizard' "I'm glad I found you"

He pulls on the wrapper, "D'Artagan." He says "I'm gonna call you d'Artagan."

Y/n leaves the room to go to her own after awhile. Dustin locks his door and spends a little more time observing dart. He grabs a book about reptiles and lays on his bed to read it.

He falls asleep not too much later covered in candy wrappers with the book laid out on his chest.

~

El watches behind a tree as someone bends down and opens the wooden box. They place some more food inside before closing it.

El follows them, it's Hopper and he stops in his tracks when he hears footsteps approaching. He turns to see El looking right back at him.

~

"Rise and shine." Hopper says waking up El, she turns away from him "So that's it, huh? You're still not talking? All right. I guess I'm just gonna have to, uh... enjoy this triple decker Eggo extravaganza on my own."

He walks out of her room and into the kitchen. He cuts into the cavity inducing breakfast. El sits across from him taking a piece.

Hopper over exaggerates how good it is was ever 'mmm'. "Good right? You know the great thing about it? It's only eight thousand calories."

He sniffles looking over at the cord to the tv "You visited him again last night?"

"He says he needs me." She answers

"Want me to go check on him?" He asks she shakes her head "I know that you miss him, all right? But it's too dangerous. You're the last thing he needs right now. You're gonna see him. Soon. And not just in that head of yours. You're gonna see him in real life. I feel like I'm making progress with these people."

"Friends don't lie." She replies

"What?" He questions

"You say 'soon' on day 21." She explains "You say 'soon' on day 205. You now say 'soon' on day 326?"

"What is this?" He asks not being able to look at her "You're like counting the days now like you're some kind of prisoner?"

"When is soon?" She wonders

"Soon is when... it's not dangerous anymore." He tells her

"When?" She pushes

He shrugs "I don't know."

"On day 500?" She states "On day 600? Day 700? On day 800? I need to see him. Tell me" she aggressively slams her hands on the table

"No! I said I-" he's unable to finish

El snaps her head up making the tower on waffles land on him.

"Oh! Shit! Shit!" He shouts standing up

"Friends don't lie!" She exclaims getting up walking into her room, the door slams behind her.

~

"Jesus. Have you seen them?" Joyce asks running around the house

"We're looking, mom." Jonathan tells her

"Yeah, we're ... we're looking." Will adds

"A-ha!" Bob shouts "Found 'em. Hiding under some jeans, sneaky little buggers."

She takes the keys out of his hand, giving him a kiss on the check "Thank you. Thank you. You're a life saver."

She walks over to her boys "Can you take Will to school today? I cannot be late again."

"He's staying over now?" Jonathan whispers

"Can you just take Will, please?" She asks

"I can take him." Bob offers

"Will you make sure he gets in okay?" She questions

"Yeah, of course." He replies "What do you say, bug guy? Wanna go for a ride in the Bobmobile?"

~

Dustin grabs five different books about reptiles, hoping that one of them can explain what he found. He places the books down on the librarians desk with a sweet smile.

"Mr. Henderson, you know the rules." She tells him "Five at a time."

"Yep." He replies counting the books "One, two, three, four, and five."

"Ten." She states "You already have five books checked out."

"My mistake." He says "However... I am on a curiosity voyage, and I need my paddles to travel. These books... These books are my paddles."

"Five at a time." She concludes

"Are you shitting me?" He complains

She surprised "Excuse me?"

He points behind her "What the hell is..."

She turns to look, He grabs the books and makes a run for it.

"Mr. Henderson!" She exclaims

"I need my paddles!" He shouts running out the door

~

"Was that you I heard milling around last night, or was that a ghost?" Bob jokes

"Yeah. Me, probably." Will answers

Bob nods his head looking back at the road "Another nightmare?"

"Um... no." He claims turning back to the window

"Did I ever tell you about Mr. Baldo?" He asks

"Mr. Baldo?" He questions

"Yeah." He replies "I was a little younger than you, standing in line for the Ferris wheel at the Roane County fair. And suddenly, I feel this fate white glove tap me on the shoulder. I spun around, and there he is. Mr. Baldo."

Bob imitates a clown "Hey, kiddo, would you like a balloon?"

He chuckles "Go ahead, laugh. It's funny. It wasn't funny back then, I can tell you that. I couldn't get him out of my head. Every night, he would come to me in my dreams. And every night when he came to me... I ran."

He sighs before carrying on "It got so bad that I made my mom stay in the room with me until I could fall asleep every night."

"Really?" Will asks

"Really." He answers "It went on like that for months. And then one day, the nightmares suddenly stopped. Wanna know how?"

"How?" He wonders

"Well, I fell asleep...and just like always, Mr. Baldo came to me. Only this time, I didn't run. This time, I stood my ground. I just looked at Mr. Baldo in his stupid face, and I said, 'Go away. Go away!' Just like that, he was gone. Never saw him again." He explains

He looks at Will "Easy peasy, right?"

"Easy peasy." He says

"Just like that." Bob snaps

~

"I still don't get why they call him zombie boy. I mean, I get it. He got lost in the woods for a week or something, but why is he a zombie? Because everyone thought he was dead?" Max rants as her and Lucas walk down the school hallway

"Yeah. I mean, we had a funeral for him and everything." Lucas explains

"After a week?" She asks

"Well, see, some other kid drowned at the quarry. We thought it was Will because his body was super decomposed." He lies

"What?" She says in disbelief  "Okay, that's not funny."

"It's not a joke, all right? It's public knowledge." He tells her "You can ask anybody. Except Will, because he is really sensitive about it. All right?"

"Okay." She replies

~

Mr. Clarke drones on to the class "The case of Phineas Gage is one of the great medical curiosities of all time. Phineas was a railroad worker in 1848 who had a nightmarish accident. A large iron rod was driven completely through his head."

He draws a line through the skull on the projector "Phineas miraculously survived. He seemed fine. And physically, yes, he was. But his injury resulted in a complete change to his personality."

Max stares at the back of  Wills head, he turns around to look at her, almost as if he felt it. She looks away pretending that she wasn't just looking at him.

"So much so that friends that knew him started referring to him as 'No longer Gage.' At the time, this was know as the American Crowbar Case. Although it wasn't a-" He's cut off by the door being slammed open

Dustin stumbles into class out of breath "I am so sorry, Mr. Clarke. Really, I'm so sorry. Please continue with the class. Don't mind me. Really, continue, please. Thanks."

He waits til Dustin is in his seat to continue "Although it wasn't a crowbar, it was a rod, as I said."

Dustin whispers the boys "We have to meet. All of us. At lunch, AV Club."

"Why?" Mike whispers back

"I have something that you won't believe." He says

They all turn back to Mr. Clarke but Dustin turns to look at Max "AV Club. Lunch."

"Dustin!" Mr. Clarke scolds

"Yes, my lord?" He answers

"Would you care to join the class now?" He asks

"Please, yes." He replies reaching into his bag

"The case of Phineas Gage." He states

"Phineas Gage." He repeats

"Page 104." He tells him

"104. 104." He says pulling out a book

"Focus." He instructs going back to teaching

"Focusing. Focusing." He assures but turns back to max to whisper "AV Club."

She replies with a thumbs up, he smiles and decides to actually focus.

D'Artagan chitters from inside his bag, making him worry, he zips up the bag.

~

"And we found some more by Gilbert's farm." Powell states

"Some real nasty stuff. It was sticky." Callahan comments

"All right. Where else?" Hopper asks marking up a map

"That was it, Chief." Powell informs

"That was it, or did you get tired of looking?" He questions

"It was getting dark." He replies

"I mean, it was really dark." Callahan adds

"They're called flashlights, you dipshits." He scolds

"Oh, okay. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Callahan declares

"More lady problems, Chief?" Powell asks

Hopper notices something on the map, he tears it down and pushes Callahan off the desk. He grabs a marker and starts connecting things.

He circles a building on the map, he folds it up and starts to head out.

"Hey, Chief! Where you going?" Powell shouts "Want us to go back out there?"

"Why's he gotta kick the door?" Callahan questions

"Hey, Chief!" He yells

~

El lays in bed wondering what she could do. The tv still sitting across from her bed. She gets up and puts the blindfold on.

She takes a deep breath before yanking it off her head. She puts on a coat and slowly makes her way to the front door.

~

Hopper opens the door to the cabin, he kicks the snow off his shoes and El copies his movements.

"My granddad used to live here." He tells her "Long time ago. I mainly just use it for storage now."

He grabs a box "Lot of history here. So, uh... what do you think? It's a work in progress." Putting the box down

He swats at some cobwebs "You know, it's, uh... It takes a little imagination, but, uh... once we fix it up, it's gonna be nice. Real nice. This is your new home."

She looks at him "Home."

Hopper sighs as he looks through some records "Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. All right, this... this is music."

He puts the record down on the player and sets the needle on top. 'You Don't Mess Around with Jim' starts to play.

He dances slightly making El look at him, "All right." He claps "Let's get to work."

The spend hours wiping up dust, sweeping the floors, and swiping away cobwebs. Hopper shows her the radio and how it beeps.

He sets up booby traps in the yard, "Now, this is called a trip wire. It's like an alarm. You, uh, set it up like this. And then, anybody gets close, it's gonna make a loud noise like gunfire. Bang!"

He looks down at her "Those bad men aren't gonna find ya. Not all the way out here. We'll take some precautions. There's gonna be a couple ground rules."

They head back inside and sit at the table.

"Rule number one: always keep the curtains drawn. Rule number two: only open the door if you hear my secret knock." He tells her knocking on the table " And rule number three: don't ever go out alone especially in the daylight. That's it. Three rules. I call 'em the uh... Don't be Stupid Rules. Cause we're not stupid."

~

El walks outside and over to the trip wire.

"Not stupid." She says stepping over it

~

Steve is in the schools gym playing basketball with the team, Billy is guarding him. Steve grunts as he tries to push past him.

"Harrington, right?" Billy asks not left him pass "I heard you used to run this school. That true? King Steve, they used to call you, huh? Then you turned bitch."

"Hey, maybe you should just shut up and just play the game." He suggests

Billy knocks him over taking the ball from him, Steve hurries up off the floor.

Billy whoops making a basket "That's what I'm talking about! Whoo!"

"Steve?" Nancy calls out making him look away from Billy

They go outside and talk in between two buildings.

"What are you doing here?" He questions

"What do you think?" She asks "Where we're you this morning? I missed first period."

"I figured Jonathan would take you." He states

"Wha... What are you talking about?" She says

He scoffs "Jesus, you really can't handle your alcohol. Uh... You remember going to Tina's party last night, right?"

"Yes." She replies

"And then what?" He wonders

"I remember dancing, and... spilling some punch. You got mad at me because I was drunk... and then you took me home." She recalls

He scoffs again "No, see, that's where your mind gets a little bit fuzzy. That was your other boyfriend. That was... That was Jonathan."

"I don't understand." She confesses

"It's pretty simple, Nancy." He argues "You we're just telling it like it is."

"What?" She implores

"Uh... apparently, uh... we killed Barb and I don't care cause I'm bullshit... and our whole... our whole relationship is bullshit, and... I mean, pretty much everything is just bullshit, bullshit, bullshit." He reminds her

"Oh, yeah, also, you don't love me." He states

"I was drunk, Steve." She tries to justify "I don't remember any of that."

"So that makes everything that you said... It's what? Just bullshit, too?" He fumes

"Yes." She answers

"Well, then tell me." He instructs

"Tell you what?" She asks

"You love me." He explains

"Really?" She questions with scoff

The gym doors open with a bang and a boy comes rushing over to them "Harrington! Dude, we need you, man. That douchebag's killing us. Let's go!"

"All right!" He shouts at him

Steve looks at Nancy for a few seconds to see if she'll say those three magic words, but she can't even meet his gaze.

He turns and walks away "I think that you're bullshit."

~

Dustin opens the trap to reveal d'Artagan, he chitters as the group looks down on him.

"His name is d'Artagan." Dustin informs the others picking him up "Cute, right?"

"D'Artagan?" Mike questions

"Dart for short." He replies

"And he was in your trash?" Max asks

"Foraging for food." He answers "You wanna hold him?"

She immediately declined "No, no."

"He doesn't bite." He tells her

"I don't want to-" she says but Dustin plops him into her hands "Oh, God, he's slimy!"

She pass him to Lucas "Ugh, he's like a living booger."

He hands him to Will "Ugh, oh, God!"

He slides him into Mikes hands "What is he?" Bringing him up closer to his face

"My question exactly." Dustin responds

He pulls the books out of his backpack and drops them on the desk "At first, I thought it was some type of pollywog."

"Pollywog?" Max interrupts

"It's another word for tadpole." He states "A tadpole is the larval stage of a toad."

"I know what a tadpole is." She replies

"All right, then you know that most tadpoles are aquatic?" He asks opening a book "Well, Dart, he isn't. He doesn't need water."

"Yeah, but aren't there nonaquatic pollywogs?" Lucas comments

"Terrestrial pollywogs? Yep. Two to be exact." He says flipping a page "Indirana semipalmata. And the Adenomera andreae. One's from India, one's from South America. So how did one end up in my trash?"

"Maybe some scientists brought it here, and it escaped?" Max suggests

"Do you guys see that?" Mike asks looking down at Dart "Looks like something is moving inside of it."

They all look down at him and Mike moves the lamp to shine on Dart. He screeches making them gasp and jump back. Dart scurries off the table, Dustin catching him before he could hit the floor.

"Whoa. It's okay. It's okay. I got you, little guy. I know you don't like that. It's okay." He tells Dart earning concerning looks from his friends

He looks back up to the group "And there's another thing. Reptiles, they're cold blooded. Ectothermic, right? They love heat, the sun. Dart hates it. It hurts him."

"So, if he's not a pollywog of a reptile..." Lucas trails

"Then I've discovered a new species." He chimes

Will's eyes widened as he gets flashbacks from when he was in the bathroom, coughing something up. To where there was chittering coming from all around him in the Upside Down.

The bell rings making all of them jump and run out of the room.

"We gotta show him to Mr. Clarke." Lucas says

"No. What if he steals my discovery?" Dustin complains

"He's not gonna steal your discovery." Mike assures

"You know, I'm thinking about calling it Dustonious Pollywogus." He mentions "What do you think."

"I think you're an idiot." Max teases

"You know, when I become rich and famous for this one day, don't come crawling back, saying, 'Oh, my god, Dustin, I'm so sorry for being mean to you back in 8th grade. Oh, my god.'" He tells her

Will slows down behind the group, before coming to a complete stop in the hallway.

~

"Baloney?" Bob offers Joyce, she accepts and they head outside

They sit on a bench in front of the store and eat the sandwiches

"Last night was fun." He tells her, she hums in response "I'm sorry if I overstepped anything."

"No! No, you didn't." She assures

"Okay." He says "I mean... I... I like you so much. Not just you, everything that comes with you. Your family, your boys. And I hope it's not wishful thinking, but... I kinda feel like I'm breaking through with them. Not so much Jonathan. He's a tough cookie to crack, but..."

"Yeah." She mutters

He continues "With Will, I don't know, I feel like we're connecting."

"He likes to you, too." She reveals with a smile

He gains some hope "Yeah?"

She hums talking a bite "I can tell."

"Good." He mumbles opening a can of pop "Oh, there was... something else I was gonna mention, but... It's not a big deal at all, but...I just noticed this morning that my JVC was a little dinged up."

"Your what?" She asks completely clueless to what he's talking about

"The video camera." He clarifies

"Oh." She replies

"Yeah. It still works fine and everything." He mentions "I just...I went back and watched the tape...and there were some older kids picking on Will."

She can't believe what she's hearing "What?"

"They scared him." He points out

"Who were they?" She questions "Were they the Zimmerman brothers again?"

"Um, I don't know." He answers "They were wearing masks or sort of makeup and...Maybe. They were the right age."

"I'll kill them." She seethes "I swear to god, I will... I will kill them."

He looks at her with adoration "That's what I love about you. You punch back."

She gives him a glare, unknowingly.

He chuckles "I was never really one to put up a fight. I struggled a lot like Will when I was kid. With bullies."

He sighs before continuing "It's the ones like us, that don't punch back, that people really take advantage of, you know? They rub your nose in it, just a little bit more. I don't know why they do that. Maybe it makes them feel powerful. I don't know."

"But, hey, look at me now." He states "I get to date Joyce Byers. Ha!"

She laughs as he gushes "Are you kidding me? I get to date... See, it all works out in the end, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does." She replies placing a gentle kiss on his lips

~

"Grass, crops, trees. Everything in this area is either dead or dying, and that's a radius of over three miles. And it all leads back to here." Hopper informs Dr. Owens

"See, these patterns here are really pretty. I like the design." Dr. Owens comments pointing at the map "It's almost psychedelic."

"This is a joke to you, huh?" He utters

"No, it's not a joke." He assures "I just...I don't understand what this has to do with me, Chief Hopper."

"Whatever is happening is spreading for this place, from this lab." He declares raising his voice

"That's impossible." He states "It's... The last burn was two days ago. It's contained."

"What is there's a leak?" He suggests

"A leak?" he scoffs

Hopper is well passed irritated "I don't know, man. You're the scientist."

"Exactly." He replies "And I'm telling you there's nothing to worry about."

"Convince me." He orders

"Convince you?" He questions

Hopper pushes himself out of the chair "Yeah. You and your egghead friends go out there to every area on this map and you run your tests, or whatever the hell it is you do, and you see if anything comes up."

Dr Owens let's out a dry laugh "All right, so... So you're... you're giving me orders now? No."

"I keep things nice and quiet for you... and you keep your shit out of my town. That is the deal. I have done my part, now you do yours." He snaps

He pushes the map closer to Owens "Convince me."

~

Nancy and Jonathan sit on the hood of his car

"So, he asked you to take me home?" She asks him

"Yeah." He answers "Yeah, he was upset. I mean, he was... He was really upset. But he was still worried for you."

When she doesn't say anything he puts down his sandwich "Hey. You need to cut yourself some slack, okay? People say stupid things when they're wasted. Things they don't mean."

She turns to him "Yeah, but that's the thing. What if I did mean it? All this time, I've been trying so hard to pretend like everything's fine, but it's not. I... I feel like there's this... I don't know, like this..."

"Like there's this weight you're carrying around with you. All the time." He finishes her thought "I feel it, too."

"Yeah, but it's different for you." She argues "Will came home."

"Yeah. Yeah, he did. But he's not the same. I try to be there for him, you know, to help him, but...I don't know. I mean, maybe...maybe things just can't go back to the way they were." He tells her

"Doesn't that make you mad?" She asks

"Mad?" He questions

"Yeah, that those... those people who did this, who ruined so many lives, they just get away with it." She says

"The people responsible for this...they're dead." He claims

"Do you really believe that?" She asks

He doesn't respond and they just sit there. Nancy looks over to a kid with headphones on jamming out to his music.

"Your mom's boyfriend." She says "He works at RadioShack, right?"

"Yeah." He answers "Why? What are you thinking?"

"Do you wanna skip fourth period?" She asks

~

Steve and y/n sit on a bench outside, after he managed to pull her away from her friends, explaining everything that happened the period before.

"She just wanted me to forget everything that she said!" Steve exclaims throwing his hands up in the air "Can you believe her?"

Y/n runs a hand through her hair "I think-"

"She couldn't even tell me that she loved me! I mean how hard can that be." He complains "If anything is bullshit it's her."

"Steve, you need to do more than a three minute conversation with her." She explains "Actually sit down and have a talk with her, once you've cooled down and thought everything through."

"So she can tell me that she doesn't love me to my face again but sober. I would rather fight that monster again." He argues

"Get out of your head, Harrington." She says shaking his shoulder "You won't know if you don't go and have a civil conversation with her."

"But, Henderson!" He groans letting his head fall onto her shoulder

"Harrington." She mimics "I'm being serious here, you won't know if you don't try."

"Haven't you heard the saying 'drunk words are sober thoughts' because I feel like that works here." He replies

"Oh, my god, Steve." She stresses "Are you even listening to me?"

"I am but-" the bell cuts him off

"Look just think about it, okay?" She tells him

"Yea, yea." He mumbles

They both get up and grab their things.

"Look, if you need some support I'll go with you." She offers

"Really?" He asks "You don't think that will be kind of awkward? Like you just sitting there while we talk."

"I don't have to go inside with you dummy. I'll sit in the car, maybe hype you up before you do it." She suggests "I don't have to be in the room to support you."

"And if all goes well then what?" He questions as they walk back inside

"I leave and you get to do your couple stuff again." She answers

"So, you'll be like my emotional support pet." He jokes

"Yea, I'll be like your emotional support animal." She replies with a short laugh

~

El walks through the woods and stops briefly when she hears a woman's voice. She follows the sound until she spots a woman pushing a little girl on a swing.

~

Hopper reads to El "I would feel so sad if I thought I was a disappointment to her... because she didn't live very long after that, you see. She died of a fever when I was just three months old. I do wish she'd lived long enough for me to remember calling her mother. I think it would be so sweet to say mother."

"Do I have a mother?" El interrupts

"Yeah, of course you have a mother." He tells hers "You couldn't have been born without one."

"Where is she?" She asks

"She..." He trails "She's not around anymore."

"Gone?" She questions

"Yeah." He answers "I'm sorry about that, kid."

~

"Is your mom here?" The woman asks El "Sweetie?"

"School." She states "Where is school?"

"The school? It's, uh... it's about a mile that way. At least." She informs her "Where are your parents?"

El looks over at the swing making it whirl around.

"Look, Mommy, look." The little girl tells her mom

The woman turns around to see the swing wrap around the pole. When she turns back and El is gone.

~

Joyce finds camera and takes the tape out. She tries to fit the tape in the VHS player but it's too small. She calls Bob, to figure out why it's not working.

He picks up the phone, "RadioShack, Bob Newby speaking. How can I help ya?"

"Bob, it's Joyce." She states

"Hey, Joyce, how ya doing?" He asks

"Hey, um... I'm trying to watch your video thingy, and the tape, it's... it's tiny." She explains "It's like it's shrunk."

He chuckles "That's cause it's a VHS-C, not a VHS. You gotta find the RF-P1U with coaxial cable so that you can connect the video in and outs."

"Bob, English." She tells him

"Right. Sorry. Um..." He trails

He goes on to explain step by step to her.

Joyce sits in front of the tv "No, yeah, I did the coaxial things in the back, so I... So this one just goes into the camera itself?"

"Yeah. Yeah, exactly." He answers

"It's blue. I think it's working." She hangs up before he could say anything else

She presses play and Bobs face fills the screen as he explains how the camera works to Jonathan. She fast forwards through tape until she finds what she's looking for.

She watches as a group of teenagers tease her son making him drop the camera. Something catches her attention, a black mass stands over her son and the entire neighborhood.

She rushes to kitchen, ripping a piece of parchment paper from its roll and grabs a crayon on her way back.

She places the paper on top of the screen, frantically using the crayon to trace and color the monster.

She makes the connection and runs to the kitchen table. She slams her picture on the table next to Will's, they're identical.

~

"Will, you coming?" Mike asks "Let's go show Mr. Clarke."

Will closes his locker and slowly makes his way to him.

"What?" Mike questions

"It's about d'Artagnan." He informs

~

Dustin, Lucas, and Max stand at Mr. Clarkes desk.

"This is the reason I was late for class." He explains placing down the box that darts in

"Pretty neat. These doors function?" He asks thinking that the box is the reason why

"Well, yeah, obviously." He states "But it's not about the trap. It's what's inside. Now, this very well may change your perception of the world."

"Consider my interest piqued." He comments

"All right, first, let's just clarify that...this is my discovery, not yours." He tells him

"Dustin, Jesus! Just show him!" Lucas exclaims

"I'm just trying to clarify-" he huffs

"Dustin!" Max cuts him off

"Okay, fine." He replies

Mike and Will burst into the room, "Stop!" They all turn to the two boys.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Clarke." Mike says grabbing the box "It was just a stupid prank."

"What the hell are you doing?" Dustin asks

"I told him to stop." He lies "We need to go." He takes the box and starts out the room

"Mike!" He calls out

"Right now. Right now!" He yells

They all rush out the room leaving a stunned and confused Mr. Clarke.

The boys room into the AV room locking Max out.

She bangs on the door "Hello? Hello? Guys, come one. Can I come in yet?"

"No!" Mike shouts from the other side

"I don't understand." Lucas reveals

"What do you not understand?" He questions

"Will saw something that looked like dart last year?" He asks

"Kind of, but there was no tail." Will explains

"But then he heard It yesterday." Mike adds "The exact same sound."

"Why didn't you tell us before?" Dustin wonders

"I wasn't sure." Will confesses

"So it's a coincidence." He states

"Or not." Mike notes "What if when Will was stuck in the Upside Down, he somehow acquired True Sight?"

"True sight?" Lucas questions

"It gives you the power to see into the ethereal plane." Dustin answers

He sighs "Elaborate."

"Maybe these episodes that Will keeps having aren't really flashbacks at all." Mike suggests "Maybe they're real. Maybe Will can somehow see into the Upside Down."

"So that would mean..." Lucas trails

"Dart is from the Upside Down." He states

Lucas sighs "We have to take him to Hopper."

"I agree." Mike says

"No. No way. If we take him to Hopper, Dart's good as dead." Dustin argues

"Maybe he should be." Mike barks

"How could you say that?" He asks

"How can you not? He's from the Upside down." He reminds

"Maybe. But even if he is, it doesn't automatically mean that he's bad." He insists

"That's like saying just because someone's from the Death Star doesn't make them bad." He asserts

"We have a bond." He says

"A bond? Just because he like nougat?" He exclaims

"No, because he trusts me!" He shouts

"He trusts you?" Lucas comments

"Yes, I promised I would take care of him." He tells them

Dart screeches from inside the box making them jump back and stop arguing. The box bounces on top of the desk.

Max bangs on the door from the floor "Guys, what's going on? Come on."

When they don't answer her she digs through her backpack. She takes out a paper clip and opens it up. She inserts it into the door knob and begins picks the lock.

Dart flips the box over to its side, Mike grabs the mic off the desk.

"Don't hurt him." Dustin instructs

"Only if he attacks." Mike replies

"Just open it already." Lucas pleads

Dustin grabs the button and hesitantly presses it. The doors open and Dart falls out onto the desk.

"Holy shit." Lucas says

Dart has seemingly grown in size, he screeches a little more as two legs push out for his side.

"Oh, Shit!" He exclaims

Dart hisses at Lucas making Mike swings down at him but he's stopped by Dustin. Dart falls off the table and runs to the door.

Max unlocks the door and swings it open, letting dart run past her.

"What the..." she mutters

"Oh, shit!" Dustin yells

Lucas and him go to run after him but they fall over Max, they all fall to the floor. Mike rushes out, stepping over them.

"Where'd he go?" Lucas asks

"What was that?" Max questions picking herself up off the floor

"Dart!" Mike answers

"What?" She asks

"You let him escape!" He whines

"Why did you attack him?" Dustin hollers

"Come on." Mike dismisses running down the hall

"Don't hurt him. Don't you hurt him!" He shouts

~

Nancy and Jonathan walk through the Wheelers front door and try to head upstairs. They walk by the kitchen and Mrs Wheeler.

"Jonathan?" She calls out

They quickly back track to the kitchen doorway "Uh... Mrs. Wheeler."

"What a pleasant surprise." She confesses

"Yeah." He replies "Uh, we have a test tomorrow."

She hums in response and spots the bag in Nancy's hand "Oh, did you go shopping?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. My Walkman broke." She claims "Anyway, we should go. It's a really big test."

"Bye, Mrs Wheeler." He says with Nancy pushing him

"Bye! It's good to see you." She replies as they walk away

Jonathan paces in Nancy's room "Okay, are you sure about this?"

"No." She answers

She grabs the phone and dials in the Hollands number, Jonathan joins her on the bed.

"Hello. Marsha speaking." Mrs Holland says "Hello?"

"Mrs Holland. Hi, it's, um... it's Nancy." She states

"Nancy?" She wonders

"I, uh... I need to tell you something. Something about Barb. About that night. I, uh... I, uh... I haven't been honest with you." She reveals "But I can't tell you hear on the phone. Meet me tomorrow, Forrest Hills Park, nine a.m. Don't tell anyone. And don't call me back here. It's dangerous."

"Nancy, what is this?" She questions

"I just need you to trust me. Please." She pleads

She hangs up the phone, knowing that someone was listening in on them.

~

Men in hazmat suits stick and probe the farm ground. They collect dirt samples and the rotting pumpkins. Hopper and Dr Owens stand by watching them work.

"Well, you were right about these pumpkins." Dr Owens tells him "Some nasty stuff. And the smell... Gee, mother of god."

"What exactly do you think is going on-" Hopper starts

Owens cuts him off "Well, I told you what I think. But we'll run some test and we'll see what comes up. In the meantime, I just need you to keep the area clear for us. I don't think it'll be more than a day or two."

"What do you want me to tell people?" He asks

"I'm sure you'll figure something out." He tells him

Owens pats his shoulder and walks away.

Powells voice comes from the radio "Hey, Chief, do you copy?"

"Yeah." He replies

"Do you remember that Russian girl Murray was going on about the other day?" He asks "Yeah, well, now I'm thinking he's not so crazy after all."

Hopper glances at Owens and rushes to his truck.

"Stay where you are. Do not move." He radios in

~

El stands in the tree break, looking at the school. She jogs over to the bike rack and sees Mikes bike is still there.

She heads inside.

~

Mike turns a corner looking for any sign of Dart.

He talks into his walkie "East is clear. No sign of Dart."

He stomps up a short flight of stairs "Where'd you go, you little bastard?"

He walks past a connecting hallway, El is at the other end. She stops and walks down it, she looks up and down the hall he was just in, walking in the other direction.

Dustin walks past Mr. Clarke sending him a salute goodbye, which he returns.

"West is clear, too. Will?" He informs

Will walks out of a classroom "South is clear. Lucas? Anything?"

Lucas kicks open a door, expecting Dart, however its a teacher.

"Excuse me! Mr. Sinclair!" The teacher scolds

He stammers "I'm so sorry, I was looking for study hall. Bye."

He quickly shuffles out of the doorway back into the hall.

He calls in "Nothing here, man."

Mike enters the gym and sees one of the doors on the other side swing open and closed.

On guard he slowly makes his way over, pushing the door open and going inside. He grabs a broom as he continues on.

The sound of something moving makes him jump. He takes a deep breath and turns the corner yelling.

Max turns around "What the hell are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Why are you in here?" He asks

"Looking for Dart." She answers

"This is the boys' room." He states

"Yeah, so?" She says not seeing the problem since school is out

"So you should go home." He demands dropping the broom

He walks out with her following him.

"Why do you hate me so much?" She questions

"I don't hate you." He admits "How can I hate you? I don't know you."

"But you don't want me in your party." She adds

"Correct." He states

"Why not?" She wonders

He stops in his tracks "Because you're annoying. Also, we don't another party member. I'm our paladin, Will's our cleric, Dustin's our bard, y/n's our sorcerer, Lucas is our ranger, and El is our mage."

"El? Who's El?" She asks

"Someone. No one." He claims

"Someone or no one?" She mocks

"She was in our party a long time ago." He explains "She moved away, okay?"

He spins around and starts to walk away.

She drops he skateboard and rides over to him "She was a mage? Well, what could she do? Like, magic tricks or something? Well, I could be your zoomer."

"That's not even a real thing." He argues

"It could be." She responds

She starts doing circles around him "See? Zoomer."

"Mind blowing." He comments watching her go around him

"Come on, you know you're impressed." She tells him

"I don't see any tricks. You're just going around in a circle." He notes

El walks past the gym doors but makes her way back when she hears Mike's voice.

"If it's so easy, you try it?" Max suggests

"No." He replies

"Why not?" She asks

"I don't know how." He argues

"So, then you admit it's kind of impressive." She teases

"I think if I spent, like, all day practicing, I could do that." He nags

"I would give you a million bucks if you could." She jokes

"Okay, you’re making me dizzy." He complains "Please just stop."

"I'll stop when I join your party." She states

"Come on, just stop." He pleads

"It's a simple question. Am I in or out?" She asks

El watches them from the doors, not liking how well they're getting around. She scowls and quickly tips her head.

Max flies off her board, almost as if she ran something over, she hits the floor and grunts.

Mike is quick to check on her "Jesus! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I think so." She answers

Mike helps her up off the floor, El looks at the scene trying not to cry.

"What happened?" He asks

"I don't know. It was like a magnet or something pulling on my board." She explains "I know that sounds crazy."

She goes to grab her board and Mike turn to look at the doors. No one's there, he runs over and out the doors. He looks up and down the hall but no one is there.

~

Joyce paces holding the phone between her ear and shoulder.

"Come on, come on, come on!" She begs

"Hawkins Middle. May I help you?" The school secretary answers

"Yes. Hi, Doris. It's Joyce. Uh Joyce Byers." She says "Uh, Will has AV Club today. Could you transfer me to Mr Clarke?"

"Mr Clarke? Huh. You know what?" She tells her

"What? She asks

"I just saw him leave for the day. Maybe AV was cancelled?" She responds "Would you like me to-"

Joyce hangs up the phone and dashes out to her car.

~

Will walks into one of the school's bathrooms, Dart can be heard chittering from one of the stalls. He makes his slow trot over to the last stall and pushes open the door.

"Guys." He radios in "I found him."

Dustin's voice comes through "Where?"

"In the bathroom by Mr. Salerno's." He answers

"Copy that." Mike says

Will looks down at Dart and whispers "It's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you."

Dart in return screeches at him making him drop his walkie and run out of the bathroom.

Will stops right outside the bathroom to collect himself but the lights around him start to flicker. He's then in the Upside Down, a black mist comes from around the corner.

He bolts, running down the hallway until his outside of the school.

Dustin makes it to the bathroom before anyone else, he pushes open every door. He stops and smiles at Dart on the floor of the last stall.

"Hey, buddy." He says leaning down "Come here. You know I won't hurt you."

Dart chitters crawling over to him and into his hand.

"It's okay. It's just me." He assures standing back up

"Let's go. Down here." Mike can be heard yelling

"We're coming!" Lucas shouts back

Dustin quickly takes off his hat and puts Dart inside.

"Stay low. Keep quiet." He instructs put the hat back on his head

"Where's Dart?" Mike asks barging into the bathroom with Lucas and Max

"I don't know. Not here." He claims

"What?" Mike questions opening the stall doors

"He said by Salerno's, right?" Max asks

"Yeah, maybe Will has him." He suggests

"Where is Will?" Mike wonders

~

Will remembers what Bob told him in the car. So he stops running, breathing heavily he turns to the monster in the sky.

"Go away!" He demands "Go away! Go away!"

The monster draws closer to Will as he continues you yell at it.

A tornado like limb of the monster touches the ground. It engulfs Will, mists sprout from the inside and latches onto him.

[troublesometrollhunters]

More Halloween asks! I held back because I was worried you had a lot already. Anyway, would love to see a redeemed!Morando being forced to go trick or treating with Aja and Krel by reader, and he ends up enjoying the walk with reader.

Ask: Halloween with general Morando?

Combining these two :)

~~~

"This is stupid." Morando mumbles as he watches a kid walk away that had just complimented his "costume". You snicker in response keeping an eye on the redeemed villain and the kids. Seeing Aja knock on the door you glanced at Morando who looked around distatesfully. He honestly wasn't that bad but sometimes his pessimistic attitude could be a downer, thankfully he had you to balance out his more cynic moods.

"I thought you'd like the compliments. You seem like the type." You hum teasing him. He frowns but your smile makes him pause.

"... What does this holiday even mean?" He demands changing the subject and looking away as he crosses his arms. You hum kicking up the scattered leaves on the sidewalk. Aja and Krel had just gotten candy and although they wanted to run up to you to show it Steve and Eli dragged them to the next house instead.

"Halloween? Well It has many meanings. But those meanings can change depending on your culture or why you celebrate. There are many different origins for Halloween though the English version were doing now has only been around for maybe two hundred years? Compared to Sinigad which had been around two thousand. It used to be a lot different but I don't want to give you any ideas." You respond not very familar with the hoildays history but knowing some of its darker origins. He simply nods in response his four eyes watching the Royalty go from house to house in their true forms as their friends followed in their "uniforms".

He'd mocked the CreepSlayerz earlier but you'd made him stop as they were part of the reason he'd been defeated. They may be children but they deserved respect.

"... they seem happy..." He says softly ignoring Steve and Krel in favor of Krel and Aja. You smile watching the kids get the human sweets they santas. You know Val had grown up with them and that the King and Queen were once his dearest friends along with Vex. He regreted his actions and thankfully he was no longer the cruel man he'd once been even if he was still bitter.

You guess rehabilitation and reflection along with being humbled could do that to a man.

"They do enjoy human things I've learned. Aja especially. What about you? Are you enjoying yourself on this little outting?" You ask as you hand him a nougat nummy.

The smile on his face as he ripped off the wrapper with his fangs and began eating the chocolate told you everything you needed to know. As much as he hated to admit it he liked Urth and he adored the twins and maybe just maybe he loved you.

Walking down the street eating your candy the Royalty eventually ran up to you making you smile as they showed you their new human treasures. You hoped as they trick or treated you and Val could talk more.